The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-03-16

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is only too probable; but whatever may be
the issue of the crisis we can at least find
room for rejoicing in the fact that the tri-
umph or irreiigion ia ended in Spain, and
the reproach involved in the presence of
the son OF the robber king upon the Spanish
throne for ever wiped away.-Dublin Ma
ton.
SWITZERLAND.
The Persecution in. the Diocese of Bale.-
lie Cathedral Chapter of the diocese of
Bale, whose residence, like that of the
Bishop, is at SOlenre, have of course re-
fused to treat their Bishop as deposed and
elect an administrator adj interim, mas
much, as they quantity reply, az the Bishop
IS neither dead, accommodated, nor
otherwise removed from his See. The Car
dlnal Archbishop of Besancon and the
Bishop OF Viewers have both written to the
Bishop of Bale to offer him hospitality, but
Mgr. Lachat has decided to remain at Sole
nre as guest of Count Won Scherrer as long
as possible, and If obliged to leave the Cam
ton VIII reside at Lucerne, unless the Fed
eral Government should join actively in
the persecution and expel him from Switz-
erIand altogether. The Diocese of Bale
contains $50, 900 Catholics, and of these only
2O,OOO, with only three priests, form the
heretlcal and schismatical body whose
cause the Government has taken up; but
this minority is of course swelled by all the
Protestant aud other non Catholic elements
in the Cantons, and the object of this anti
Catholic party is, as it quarrels with one
Catholic Bishop after another, to get rid of
them all by degrees, and to substitute for
them If possible one or two Bishops who
will be absolute cyphers, and consent to
the transformation of the Catholic Church
into community without any real spirit
nal hot = &c eli T.
the Journal de Gemeue that the Bale Con-
ference has actually had the GOODNESS to
propose that "the Roman Curia"-.in other
words the Holy .See-should be invited to
consent to the creation of "great Swiss
Diocese. to comprise all "the dissident
nize a schismaticai aud heretical commu-
nion. The presumption of the Swiss Rad
icals is quite equalled by their ignorance of
the constitution of the Church and of &C.
clesiastcal history; otherwise it would be
impossible to account for their extraordi-
nary shortsightedness. They see no reason
why they should not succeed at once in an
enterprise in which centuries of persecu-
ton have failed.
AT Geneva the Council of State has re.
solved to put three months sSoppage on
the salaries of all the cures, Cor having read
in their pulpits the Pontifical Brief ap-
pointing the Vicar Apostolic. At the
same time it has sent two delegates, to
Berne, who have had an interview with the
Federal President, NJ. Ceresole. There
could be but little doubt what the answer
of the Federal Government would be. Not
only is the Government of Berne-for the
reasons above stated-persistently and I'M
iversally hostile to any episcopal appoint
ment which it can refuse to acknow ledge,
but from the first, in an interview with
Mgr. Agnozzi, Pontifical Charge d'Affairs,
1t refused to receive the particular Brief
now IN question. 1t has now decided to
support the Government of Geneva in ban
a note to Mgr. Agnozzi, denying the right
of the Holy See to 'sdismember" a Swiss
diocese "without the consent of govern
ment powers" 1t has fixed Feb. 22nd next
as the term by which Mgr. Mermillod must
either disobey the Holy See by renounc-
from the canton. We need scarcely say that
there is no doubt what the answer of the
Bishop of Hebron will be. No step more
moderate than the nomination of Vicar
Apostolic could possibly have been taken
by the Holy See, but the opposition to it is |
just as herce as if Bishop of Geneva had
oeen appointed. And that nothing short
of the absolute enslavement of the Church
VIII satisfy the party in power is apparent
from the fact that the proposition of NJ
) ames Fay, the veteran leader of the old
fashioned Liberals, for an entire separation
OF Church and State, as in England or
America, has been rejected in the Grand
Council by eighty-fve votes to fifteen
while the principal of a popular election to |
all ecclesiastical posts was affirmed by n
large majority. Not even spoliation of
the Church will satisfy these petty tyrants;
they will have nothing less than her con-
version into ga branch of the civil service,n
with government and institutions devised |
by themselves.
LIFE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA.-It is with |
pleasure that the friends of Cen B. Smms will read
the card Of Gen. Hood President the Louisiana and