Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1872-10-11
The old Catholics.

A Cologne correspondent of the Daily
Neaos, under date of September 21st, writes
as follows in regard to the Old Catholic
Congress:
I have just returned from the prelimina-
~ meeting of the Old Catholic Congress,
held in large hall of the Hotel Vienna.
The meeting was for the purpose ofwel-
coming the deputies and guests, about
four hundred of whom have arrived. A
mong the dignitaries of the various chur-
ches present mention the following From
England, there were the Bishops of Ely
and Lincoln ; from America the Bishop of
Maryland; from Holland, the Archbishop
of Utrecht; besides many English and
American clergymen. Dean Stanley arriv-
ed at Cologne last evening The first of
the foreign guests to speak was the Bishop
of Lincoln, in French, but he later gave
his thoughts in English, which was trans
lated, like the words of his brethren of
Maryland and Ely, by gentleman present.
The Right Rev. the Bishop of Maryland
said:
come, poor infirm man, under the
pressure of the solicitude of hundreds of
my brethren, to represent the earnest anx-
iety with which they are watching the
wonderful origin and growth of this move
ment, for which hundreds and thousands
Of hearts in the Catholic Church in our
country-which claims to be Catholic be-
cause she adheres to the truth of our Lord
are praying. They adhere with the breth-
rem here to the truth in its simplicity, to
the truth in its fullness, to the truth in it's
clearness, as our Lord gave it, and with
which the Church was charged, to hand it
down and to spread it through all man.
kind. Therefore, they have had the deep
est interest in this movement, and in the
men whom God has raised up in His own
good time to originate it. Hundreds of
churches have had prayers in America dur
ing the past two weeks in order that the
blessing of God from on high might rest
upon this meeting and its objects. And
it was to express this, and the sympathy
Of American churches for their brethren
in Germany, that was forced to come.
The resolutions which have been adopt
ed by the Old Catholic Congress are divid-
ed under several classifcations. 1. Those
relating to pastoral organization. 2.Those
relating to the question of the reuniting of
the separate Christian Churches. 3. Those
relating to the rights of the Old Catholics
as against the Governments. With very
few exceptions, the separate resolutions
were adopted unanimously, although in
teresting discussions on many points were
elected. There are some further PROPOSE
lions relating to the organization on the
Catholic reform movement, and the means
of agitation for the same, which remain
for discussion in a third assembly of the
deputies. They refer chiefly to the organi-
cation of the reform committees, the con-
stitution of communities, and the use to
be made ofthe newspaper press in advocat-
ing the cause of reform.
The following resolutions were adopted
at the second meeting of the assembly of
deputies, and relate to the question of the
reunion of the Christian Churches.
The Congress reiterates the expression
of hope for reunion Of the now divided
Christian Confessions, as contained in the
Munich programmes of Whitsuntide and
September, 1871. 1t expresses the wish
that the theologians of all confessions may
direct their attention to this point, and
elects a committee to which the commits
sion is given.
1. To put itself in communication with
the already existing Cor those in course of
societies for the removal of
schism.
2. To make and induce a scientific ex-
in regard to the existing differ
ences, and to show the possibility of their
removal, and to promote the publication
of the results of these examinations in theo-
logical scientific works and journals.
3. To promote, by means Unpopular writ
ings and essays, the knowledge of the doc
trines, usages and condition of the separa-
ted churches and confessions, the proper
appreciation of the existing points Of unity
and difference, and to awaken and to main
tain in wider circles the understanding of,
and interest in, this desirable approach.
The ale-wife fishery has opened for the