The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-12-14

NEW ORLEANS SUNDAY MORNING, DECEMBER Ia, 1878.

RNlNG, DECEMBER Ia, 1878. =,
come to us, to fill up the vacancies which thin
their ranks. Consequently, to suppress the
Order of the Redemptorists at time when the
Of fulfilling their religious oSiigatiops, canno,
but have the effect Of checking severely our
own endeavor to save souls, and of producing
feelings Of discont tent, bitterness and disquiet,
in the minds and hearts of our Catholic popu-
lstions.
We therefore, the faithful and loyal under
signed Archbishops and Bishops of Bavaria,
souls in our respective dioceses have been en-
trusted by God, subject to the Holy See, for
the defence of the divine rights of the Church
most deeply lament the sad results of the laws
lately enacted with reference to the Church.
We are bound by that frankness and sincerity
which becomes us ss successors of the Apostles
and as faithful subjects of your majeaty, not
to conceal our Justly oppressive grief and to to
to your Majesty. We do this the more earn.
estly as We are conscious that fresh, and not
less threatening clouds are even now gather
ing on the horizon of the Church of Bavaria
Measures fraught with fear and danger, such
az preceded the suppression of the houses OF
the Redemptorists, are being taken with re-
gard to the Orders and Religious Congregations
in Bavaria, down even to tho Sodalities and
The Catholic Church in Bavaria la being men.
aced with evils more dreadful than when after
the French invasion the houses of the Reli-
gious Orders were appropriated to secular
being carried on by the police. in the name
and by the authority of your Majesty's Gov
eminent, into the religious houses and institu-
lions of Bavaria, which have done so much by
their laborious zeal for the good of this coun-
try. All the Religious Orders and Congrega-
tions have been forced to hand over to the
police their rules and constitutions, in order
that an inquisition may be set on foot into the
existence of any hostility, to the State" or
&" kindred with the Society of Jesus" From
the method in which this inquiry has been
conducted up 10 the present hour, We are led
to infer that no Order, no Congregation, NO
religious house, in the whole Of Germany, 10
secure. Hence it is only natural that there
should be fear and excitement, not in those
communities alone the members Of which, of
either sex, are uncertain whether they will be
driven out on the morrow from their asylum
of peace. without pension or without hope of
provision for the future-carrying with them
it may be nothing save old age, failing health,
and an in6rm body,-but also in the towns and
villages whoee Inhabitants have good groundA
to fear thai they will shortly be- deprived of
the pastors who watch over the good of their
souls, and of the Sisters who superi intend the
education of their children.
10 quiet be Disturbed minds of the people
your hajestJ's Governments WAS consequently
Obliged To issue, under dale of September 18th
last, y circular directed to the various local
authorities THIS memorandum came to our
nowledge through he medium of the press.
Yet the cunIeuL can scarcely be described
one calculated tn remove we'll founded
fears on the contrary, it 10 of . nature TO
cunirm them OH many points, and TO open out
before sad vista into the uncertain and
dangerous future in store for our religious
houses,
True that the manifesto asslres Us that
there is in fact motive for minds being
disquieted," and processes to trace the present
troubles to "agitatiOns, which for their own
euds seek aid even from misrepresentation
and distortions of the TRUTH" and by these
means =" perplex and mislead public opinion"
But it apparently loses sight OF the fact that
than the natural result of the undeniable truth
that all religious houses and iDstitutions in
Bavaria have been led to fear for their future
existence i'll consequence OF the demand 20
produce copies of their rules and statutes.
We, the undersigued, the loyal Archbisbops
and Bishops of Bavaria, willingly admit that
in tho manifesto mentioned above, your Ma
iesty's Ministers have acknowledged that the
Sisters who c0nsecrate their lives TO te0ching
10 schools, are not included in the kindred Or
ders pnbjected 70 b3nishmeuG and have
fursher stated that the " Tumor current con-
cerpinR she future expulsion of the MeAdicant
I'd Manning intsiiiSCpce.T Bat whereas she
rules and constitutions Of all the Mendicane
Orders In Bavaria have been demanded oy
order Of the very Same Ministry, under the
plea of carrying out the law concerning tine
Jesui,s, the true foundation of our alarm stin
remains. For, in the frat place. there can be
no object in asking for copies OF rulea and
constitutions of these religious bot that of
sutjectinR the Mendicant Orders to nm inquiry
into their" kindred /" With the Society Of Jesus,
and secondly, the circular so often alluded to
by us. states empbatically that the matter
nnflar consideration is not Under the coDpe-
tency of the inferior authorities, bnt that its
finai decision rests legally with the central
power of the Federal Council"
It follows from this, that what little was
contaiued in the manifesto of a nature to nllSy
our anxiety--and for this purpose IL was issued
again throws open the whole question, and
We feel ourselves in q position OF painful IN
certainty with reference to the future existence
of our religious houses in Bavaria. And our
solIcitude is all the more intense, since (tf we
can trust to what has come to public know
Iedee) the extension of the Law concerning the
Jesnits to the CONGREGATION of the Redemptor-