The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-04-05
Protest from the aishops Of Germany.

issuedsa circular letter to their clergy and
people, from which we take the following
noble words:
Greeting and Benediction in the Lord
On the 3rd instant our dear brother, the
of Gnesen and Poser, was arrested and
carried off to o remote prison. His offence
is NO other than that he was faithful to the
duties of the pastoral Office entrusted to
him by Our Lord, and preferred to suffer
everything rather than to abandon the
liberty of the Church of God and to deny
Catholic truth, which our Redeemer has
sealed by his blood.
This sorrowful event urges as to nee the
liberty as yet allowed to Ms, to address to
you, dear brethren in the priesthood, and
to you all, beloved children, ut this serious
time, some words of instruction and ad-
monition.
ministers we are, and to you beloved in the
Lord, over whose salvation we have to
watch, to protest solemnly before God, the
witness and the judge of our Coincidence,
and before the whole world against double
accusation lately brought against us (; viz,
that We are revolutionary, rebels against
the secular authority, and that We have
hereby ruthlessly and unscrupulously
brought the Church in Germany, as we'll
clergy as faithful, into the present misery
and danger.
No; we are no rebels. Nay, we have
taught and will teach and confess to our
last breath, that we, by Gods command
all just matters our reverence and obedl-
ence to the existing authority, and our love
and fidelity to the Fatherland which God
has given to US; and this we have not only
taught, but in accordance with these prin
ciples we have ever acted, and with the
grace of God we shall so act in all circum-
stances to the end Of our lives.
obedience and to this fidelity towards King
and Fatherland, bids us also do nothing,
to cooperate in nothing, to approve Of
nothing, and even to be silent in nothing,
that is in opposition with Gods eternal
law, with the doctrines of Jesus Christ and
His Church, and with our consciences. Bat
the new ecclesiastical political laws violate
in essential points the liberty, the constitu-
ton and the doctrine given by God Him
self to the Catholic Church and it is on
this account that we cannot and may not
cooperate in the execution Of them, accord
ing to the word of the Apostle: "We ought
to obey God rather than men F" (Acts VI,
This we have repeatedly declared before
the passing Of these laws to the competent
authority, praying earnestly that these
laws, which were called for by no interest
of State whatever, might not be the cause
of the clergy and the faithful Catholics
being brought to the most terrible anxiety
Of conscience we pray ed them to believe
our declaration, which is confirmed by the
testimony of all approved Catholic theolo-
gians and canonists, and even Of the whole
Catholic world--viz, that these laws are
incompatible with the Catholic religion and
with the very essence of the Catholic
Church.
And now, Venerable Brethren, and
to the third exhortation of our paternal
heart, because it is possible that we may
not be permitted to address you again.
Until now, You have remained united, firm,
faithful to your Church, and closely attached
to your Bishops and to the Rock Of st.
Peter. We again thank You in the pane Of
Jesus Christ. Persevere with firmness in
your Catholic faith, in your love and
fidelity towards the Church Suffer and
endure everything rather than abandon her
and her doctrines, in the slightest thing. It
may happen, Venerable priests, that the
time will soon come when-and that time has
already come for some of you-it will be
deed priests, priests who not only offer up
the mystical sacrifice of the new law, but
who are also ready to offer themselves as
sacrifice, like their Divine Master, for the
truth Of the doctrine of God, and for the
liberty of his Church.
It may happen that the time will come
when the Bishops who have been ,legiti-
mately appointed by the Holy Ghost, or
those who have been chosen by them to be
their successors, will NO longer be free to
rule the Church of COD. Yes, the time
may come when Catholic parishes will be
without q pastor and without divine ser
vice.
And you, Beloved Diocesans, as long as
you shall have the opportunity OF hearing
Mass by q legitimate priest and to receive
from him the holy Sacraments, do so with
increased zeal, and do not be deferred by
any obstacle or by any inconvenience
but hold yourself aloof from priest who is
not in communion with your Bishop and
with the Supreme Pastor Of the Church
If you are deprived without any fault of
your own of the Holy Sacrifice and of the
Sacramento, and notwithstanding all this,
you persevere in the faith, the grace of God
will replace everything. Strengthen one
another in the faith.
And you, Christian parents, exercise re-
doubled care in the rearing and education
of your children in the Catholic faith, so
that they may faithfully continue in this