The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-16
MICHIGAN INITIATING PRUSSIA.
The State Senate Passes a Bill Making 1T
Penal to ExcOmmun Prin-
ciple OF the Law Debated-The Govern
ment Of All Churches Endangered.

AAC SeNtc SOhotC aSbcB u Dill VAkImR HI
Penal to Excommunicatc-The Prin-
cfple OF the Law Deba ted-The Govern
ment Of All Churches Endangered.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
The Senate of Michigan on the 10th inst. passed a
bill which, If 1t becomes law, places the penitential
prerogatives Of the Roman Catholic Church under
the supervision of the Courts OF that State It au.
thorises the inniction Of severe. penalties on
bishops or priests who excommunicate or threaten
to excommunicate any member or members Of that
communion under certain circumstances. The bill
briefly provides Tor the punishment by fine of
from 81, 900 to 1000, imprisonment from one to
ten years, any ecclesiastical authority who shall
excommuncate or otherwise discipline any men,
Der Of his church, or threaten to do 80,
for the sake OF preventing any such men,
Der from suing any Church dignitary
or any religious society fer the protection Of any
claim for the protection Of his civil rights The
author OF the measure admitted that 1t was d.
rected against the Catholic Church. though its
terms are general and Intended to apply to all
denominations. The bill is modelled after one OF
the clauses Of the new Prussian law on religion,
which reads:-
No Church or religious body Is permitted to
threaten, announce or propose any other penal or
disciplinary measure save such laws as confine
themselves exclusively to the religious domain
and further such laws as regard the withholding
OF rights to be exercised within the Church or re-
ligious body or the exclusion from the body OF the
Church or religious congregation. Penalties or
disciplinary measures affecting the body, the honor
or property Of any member are inadmissable.
The Michigan bill will in all probability become
law, as NO opposition Of moment has been devel-
oped to. Its passage. 1t was favorably reported
upon by the committee to whom 1t was referred,
and its promoters claim that 1t receives the sane
ton OF many Michigan Catholics. The bill Is op-
oIn t,o -
ground that 1t constitutes an entering wedge for
the enactment of other laws similar to that from
which 1t has been to great extent copied, and
from which its inspiration Is derived. The civil
law In its own sphere. 1t was urged, should be kept
distinctly and widely apart ecclesiastical law
in its own sphere, and as all Evangelical churches
since the time OF the Reformation have insisted
upon and exercised the right OF accommodation,
Protestants had as much interest in protesting
against the passage OF the bill as Catholics. It was
threatened with denunciation or penalties
or that any litigation Of the nature
in any part OF the State as to call for legislative
reference.
necessary and also mpolitic. 1t seemed to be in.
tended to break ground for greater interference
with the ecclesiastical government Of the Catholic
Church, and at the next session, ana perhaps in
other States the principle OF Bismarck's scheme
may be launched In all Its details. We were not
yet prepared for the suppression of Jesuit semin.
aries OF learning and the Punishment OF priests
have recently taken place in Germany, nor for the
suppression OF theological colleges for the training
OF priests. AS there was no apparent reason for
the present bill In Michigan, others OF like char
acter would not fail to be forthcoming In the early
future. Referring to the Prussan religious law,
from which the measure is copied, 1t was asked
what would be thought OF an enactment providing
that no one should be ordained priest In the
Catholic Church who was net an American by birth,
who had not graduated in the public schools and
afterward in some secular college, ana VINO mas
net also been approved and certified as 70 MS Ut
erary qualifications by the state Board OF Educa-
This is what Michigan is threatened with by the
Senate bill; and, as nearly as the ana!oges OF
countries will admit such conditions and require
ments as these Prussia would impose upon candi-
for, though the law is general in It's pnraseslo
and makes like terms Tor the minister's OF all de-
nominatio there could be no mistake as to Its
intention.
measure was u step towards Iercing the Church
into entire subsection to the state and would give
rise to acrimonious II not dangerous dissensions
which, though now only arti6cally excited, would
sson take a serious and unfortunate character
II the Prussian system or any part of it
were to be generally enforced In the United states
1t was asked would not every religious newspaper
and every pulpit OF every name den0unce the usur
patton 81 the state over ecclesiastical AFFAIRS, and
would not the Protestant clergy be foremost In
REFUSING mass meetings to resist such an encroach-
ment upon religious liberty-such an outrage upon
the rights OF conscienceY No man would be so
bigoted as to defend the measure because 1t might
cripple the Catholic Church. the members of which
zens as any In the land, or so cowardly as to urge
II as defence against the spread OF that faith.
These arguments in the Michigan Senate had no
effect as has been secn Its action, however, IL re-
markable as being the first movement to punish ~
fclons ministers Of religion for exercising eccesAs-
tiCal dlaClplina n thu IInitea StaLAa~.