New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-04-03
CHURCH AND STATE IN AUSTRIA.

If seems probable that the religious ferment
which now disturbs Germany, the last almost
unnoticed manifestation of which was the
arrest of the Bishop of Cologne, is not to be
confined to the North. In Austria also there
is cloud of war rising between the Imperial
Government and the Papacy, which threatens
to widen beyond remedy the breach which
was made by the passage of the liberal Con-
fessional laws Six years ago. At that time
the Church, with what seemed to most OBJ
servers a singular blindness, refused to recOg-
nze the changed aspect of the times and to
accept the inevitable for the purpose of re-
tanning such power in the Empire rs was still
practicable. Every means open to the En-
peror was taken to induce the Papal Govern
ment to consent to such modification of the
Concordat as should permit certain absolutely
necessary reforms as to education, and marriage,
and other matters But every effort of the
sort was met by stubborn non possunus, and
there was nothing to do but pass the laws re-
quired in defiance of the papal protest. 1t was
not possible to sustain, after so many years Of
constant discussion and political progress, o
treaty like the ConcOrdat adopted in the hope
less coliapse into which the nation fell after
the struggle and failure of 1913; a treaty which
simply surrendered every interest of religious,
domestic, or social life to the absolute arbitra-
ton of Rome. 1t would certainly seem to
have been the wisest course for the Vatican
to accept the changed condition of things in
the Austrian Empire, after it had ceased to be
either an Italian or German power, and by
Welding on few points, to retain its hold
nut NH
tive mandate of conscience, or the Obstinacy
of an aged prince who sees power slip
ping away from him. that influenced the
Pope, he would listen to no proposition of
compromise, but denounced with sorrowful
bitterness the passage of the successive acts
which infringed the Concordat The Catholic
pulpit in the Empire responded to him. and
the Reichsrath was subjected to shower of
ecclesiastical eloquence, until the law was
called in to moderate the fury of the priests.
For a while there was some hope that the
Emperor's family, known to be devoted to the
UltramOntane cause. might induce him to veto
the bills. or that the House of Lords might
refuse their sanction. But the Emperor ex-
hibited quite unexpected energy in Opposi-
ton to the wishes of his wife and mother,
and quickened the hesitating purpose of the
Herrenhaus by letting it be understood that
if the majority were against the laws. he
would make new peers enough to carry them
through.
But this victory was only partial one. The
Concordat still remained law, though violated
in several essential particulars and after the
Gcumenical Council and the promulgation of
the dogma of Papal Infallibility, the Difficult
ties which arose between the civil and the &C.
clesiastical authorities were constant and an
noying. The Government has therefore con-
cluded to go still further in regulating the
relations between the Church aud the State,
and a series of bills for that purpose are now
pending In the Austrian Parliament. They