The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-12-28

HEw oaEaAl1 = = = r
archy, rs We have said, and have e ~ -
set mp for themselves as their pseudo bIs1eD, .
certain notorious apostate from the Catholic
thing might be wanting to their impudence,
for his conservation they have had recourse to
those Jansenists of Utrecht, whom they them-
Church, regarded with other Catholics as here.
tics and sohismatics. Nevertheless, that Jo
seph Hubert dares to call himself q Bishop
and, incredible as it may seem, the Most Serene
Emperor of Germany has by public decree
named and acknowledged. him as q Catholic
Bishop. and exhibited him to all his subjects
as ono who is to be regarded as lawful Bishop,
and as such to be obeyed. But the very rudi-
ments of Catholic teaching declare that no one
can be held to be a lawful Bishop who is not
joined in communion of faith and charity to
the Rock on which the one Church of Christ is
built who does not adhere to the Supreme
Pastor to whom all tho sheep of Christ are
committed to be fed: who is not unitcd to the
con1rmer of the brotherhood which is the
world And, indeed, to Peter did the Lord
speak: to ono that he might by establish
unity" (pacian, Ep. iii. IL. III To Peter "the
Div inc authority has given great and Won
derful share of His power; and if that author
ity has wished anything to bo in common
through him that it has been given"
(St. Leo NJ, serm. >, in sua assumpt, Optatus.
lib: ii. n. . Hence it is that from this Apos-
tolc Soc, whore tho blessed Peter " lives and
presides. and dspenses the truth to all who
seek it, est. Peter Chrys. ep. ad Eutyoh.) "the
rights of holy fellowship extend to all :" (St.
jerome ep, IA and 1G ad Damas), and it is GER
tain that this same See is A." to the churches
throughout the world as the head to the men,
bers, and that if any one cuts himself off from
1T, he becomes an outcast from the Christian
religion, since he is not in the same bond of
union" (Bonifac l. op. Ia ad Epscopos Thes-
sell
the schismatical and so called Bishop Novatian,
denied to him the very name of Christian as
being separated and cut off from the Church
of Christ: Whoever he is, and whatever he
is, he is not q Christian who is not in the
Church of Christ Though he boast himself
and talk of his wisdom and eloquence in proud
language, he who has not retained either bro
therly love or ecclesiastical union has lost even
what he before possessed. Since tho ono
Church has been divided by Christ into many
members throughout the whole world and also
one Episcopate has been overspread therein by
the manifold unity of many Bishops, that
man, in spite of the tradition of God, and
III spite of tho closely compacted unity
Church human. He, therefore, who maintains
neither tho unity of the spirit nor the brother
hood of peace, aud sewers himself from tho
bonds of tho Church, and from tho fellowship
OF tho priesthood, can possess neither tho
power Of a Bishop nor tho honor, unity and
peace of the Episcopatc" (Cyprian, contra
Novatian, Ep. 80, ad Antonian.)
We, therefore, who have been placed nndc.
serving as we are, in tho Supreme See of Peter
for the guardianship of the Catholic Faith
and for the maintenance of the unity of the
Universal Church, according to the custom and
example of Our predecessors and their holy
DEGREES, by the power given to us from on
High, not only declare tho election of the said
3oseph Hubert Reinkens to be contrary to tho
holy canons, unlawful and altogether null and
void, and Genounce and condemn his consecra-
ton as sacrilegions, but by the authority of
Almighty God We declare the said Joseph Hu-
bert-together with those who have taken part
in his election and sacrilegious conservation,
and whoever adhere to and follow the same,
giving aid, favor or consent-excommunicate
under anathema, separated from the commu-
MON of tho Church, and to be reckon cd among
those whose fellowship has been forbidden to
the faithful by the Apostle, SO that they are
not SO much as to say TO them God speed you.
From these facts, to which we have referred
in brief rather than at large, you are well as
snred, Venerable Brethren, how grave and full
of danger is the condition of Catholics in
those countries of Europe which we have men.
toned.
Neither are matters moro favorable, or the
times more peaceful in America, where some
countries are so hostile to Catholics that their
governments seem rather to deny in deeds
than to profess he Catholic Faith. There for
some years bitter war has been stirred I'D
against tho Church and its institutions, and
against the rights of this Apostolic Soc Mat
ter would not be wanting, were We to enlarge
upon this subject; but since, Oh account of its
grave nature, it cannot be rightly touched
upon, We Shall take another occasion to treat
ut length OF it.
Some of you may perhaps be surprised, Vou-
on at this timr against the Catholic Church
extends SO far and wide. But Whoever is &C
quainted with the character, the aims and pur-
poses of the ccts-be they Freemasens or by
whatever namc they are known-and compares
them with the character aud extent of the
strife which throughout nearly ths whole
world is waSed against tho Church, cannot
hesitate to assign the of cur present
calamites to the craft aud conspiracy of the
same sects. From them is made up the Syna-
gogue of Satan, which is narshaling its forces
and preparing to engage hand in hand against
the Church of Christ. From their first begin
nings they have been denounced to the kings
and to the nations by Our predecessors W no
have watched over Israel again and again
have they condemned them, nor have We our
selves Jailed in this Our duty. Would that the
Supreme Pastors of the Church had been more
firmly believed by tho 50 who could Lavo ward
ed off terrific plague! But tho Sect,
winding along by crooked ways, never ccasin.
is task rcSniling many with ltscunninS craft,
is now bursting forth frun is hiding places
sad hoasting itself To be nii-powcrful. These
sinful associations, having greatly increased
the number OF their a,ihCrcnls fancy that they