The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-01-12
Religious Perseoutisn in Poland.

persecution mas 0Vor ooou suo
the Church Of Jesus Christ. It is the only
legacy bequeathed to her, which the woria
has been over anxious to sanction ana raGl-
~. Judging from events, whicn laCely
in Poland, 1t would seem tha' :
religious persecution is, by NO means sg con
facts as given by tho Correspondence de {
Geneve may, perhaps, be of interest to our
readers. A.,
Unhappy Poland has of late been the
theatre OF scenes, which merit the conoen
nation of every just man, as well as Inc
censure of every lover and advocate OF re-
liuious liberty. The ancient diocese OF
Chelm, on the frontiers of POLAND, known
as the Greek Catholic rite, when MtnelS
the Russian government has only sunereu
designs and better impose on the goou ias.n
of the Holy See, ia fast disappearing oe-
meath the blows inflicted by schlsmatic
bigotry. For long time this governmee!ne1
has labored hard to do away with an I'LL VII
ference in the external worship Of the Greek
Schismatic and Greek Catholic Churches.
1t entered upon its impious NILSSON py
despoiling the latter, of all statues, scuip-
| tured ornaments aud sacred paintings
which were not in accordance with scnis-
truded and the most august portions OF
church service tampened with: Music anu
| the use of bells have been prohibited dur
ing the holy sacrifice Of the mass the
removal of the rissal from epistie to Cos,
pei side forbidden and the faithful oo.'gea
ordinary and more reverentlal posture o.
kneeling. To be brief, these thoroush
theologians of the Russian Synod natter
themselves, that if external differences oe
once removed, they shall have no difficulty
in what regards dogma, Tn'en ao IN HhH,
abstract and far above the comprehension
of the common people. But they deceive
themselves if they imagine that the Cath. :.
Ole clergy and laity are as Ignorant OF
what appertains to the essence OF reilgion'
as are their Muscovite brethren.
: The very poorest Catholics, aud lowest
in the eyes of the world, feel an instructive
, warning, when there is question OF deceiv
:, ing them in matters of religion. rms is
mauifest from the extreme dimdence and
s matte pastors placed over them by govern.
Q ment authority. The people invariably
. seek counsel in their doubts and consolation
in their troubles, from priests whom they
o know to be in union with the Church o.
Rome. To these they confess; to these tnes
bring their children for baptism 10 a,s Gvss
y to these they have recourse for the ceieora
"a ton of all the sacramento. In former time
the greatest harmony reigned between tn,
:, communions of the Greek Cathoiie ant
7. Latin rites. They celebrated thei. respec
1 tive ceremonies in each others cnurches
ID toned vespers in the Latin tongue, wne
:, invited to officials in q Church of that rite
This harmony, however, the government
II all at once has thought fit to destroy: Law
s, have been proclaimed forbidding priests Q
ID one communion to celebrate or even ente
ar the Churches of the other. The same law
~ render it criminal in the Latin clergy t
instruct, confess or marry individuals {
no the Greek Catholic rite, while the indivld
ne uals themselves, who consult them, al
ed held guilty of q crime whose penalty
nd imnri sopment or exile. These unjust Law
,aa have. more than once been the cause
An. iamentable disorders on the part OF r.
populace. To cite one as an example. IL
lar people. when they learned that hencefor'
lily the organs of their churches were to be s
lent, went in q body to tho residence OF
on schismatic priest, and taking the piano o
ard longing to his wife or daughter, broke 1t
n;eces with the remark: "since God M
not be honored with music, 1T ID not ~
that his ministers receive pleasure tnei
for fromn These acts of violence, on the o1i
oEa hand, are followed by cruel retaiiations
ion the part of government officials. The wo
hot of assimilating the churches is pursued W
IT,, increased apimosity. Wherever memo
''' of the Greek Catholic rite are to De lou
there too are posted spies aao Watcn
led. guards, who are only too anxious to seco
=. the intentions of the government in VIII
IS. service they are enlisted. Communlcat
between the people and their pastors
,+.-- subject to the strictest surveillance,
W. =, those priests who venture to proseaS:.
~ VI bapished to the SHOWS of Siberia. Wit
no.u s Che past few weeks the government
anu made a charge in it's tacits. 1t found
~ as it seems, that the punishment of indiVld
O. a., An persons was of little avail, while Il
u ' families rem aimed to counterfeit its pi;
'ano, Hence it has had recourse to the n
nae ;,a efectual measure of general proserip
- a by which not only priests, but their faml
.n MAI also have been ordered to quit the county
d posi- the o!il VI iii -; antira bousehr
noe nrt amounting in all to twenty six persons,
l nv *n,s hurried off to Maczki, small town on
Oh I'M. nus frontiers of Galicia 1t was evening
they arrived there, and the train W hich
to bear them to their destination, not
make ing before the following morning, they
hssp tn tuTally expected to be permitted to
hat is, that night in the city. But the gendaa
t t their who accompanied them had received
be for tive orders, that their prisoners wei
~ ~, e,l ,a;tJfar shelter nor refuge within