The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-01-25

with which It Was'so often so, |aht to bind |
the Catholic Church with gdAen link to
the Grown.
"In connection with PrusdA the Pope |
states that the contemplate se& of heretics
which has usurped the name dAOLd CGtho. |
Ice, has appointed a Bishop %thOut any |
csnonical authority, and had eSnt him to
be sacrilegiously consecrated h 10 JanBeRist
Bishop of Holland. To save The faithful
from being contaminated by aiF commun-
ication with this unfortuna$ man, the
Pope, as head of the Church I'D Supreme
Pastor of the fold, suspends Ind excom-
municates him, and declares excomm1-
nicated who assist and encou$g this ad-
venturer, or participate in hny of his
ecclesiastical acts. In deflbce Of this
solemn judgment of the PsPe, the En-
perOr of Germany, usurping he functions
Of Head of the Catholic Church, has
declared that Hubert ReipkeiS (this is the
Prelate's nancy is a propa and lawful
Bishop, and to be treated slf recognized
as such. Undoubtedly this attempt of
Protestant prince, and of a neat leader of
the Freemasons, to give spifeual jurisdic-
ton to a Bishop over CattSlics, and to
teach them who the true bishops of the
Church are, will be lauOheda&by all serious
people but IL Ia we'll the TACT should be
remembered, in order to slpw into what
wild absurdities men high III authority and
of much worldly prudence gill fall, when
they endeavor to usurp th8 rights of the
Church, and to invade Ae domain of
| spiritual power. 1t 10 we'll Slso that these
facts should become public so that the
adherents of the new sect Of Old Catholics
may know that they are SEPARATED from
the Church of Christ, as BITTEN branches
from the mystic vine. IA y the new sect
itself, resting for support merely on de-
spotic power, freemasonry, fsnaticism, and
! schism, it has nothing to commend it to
Catholicity, and in short 9me it will fall
into oblivion, like 80 many other sects that
| have made q noise for o chile, and then
disappeared.
From the picture so accurately drawn
| by St. Peters successor of the present
state of ecclesiastical affairs, we cannot
but be convinced that religion is surround :.
ed by great dangers-that ih the words of
the people devised vain tAings-that the
kings of the earth stood % and princes
met together against the Lord, and against
His Christi in the person Of His Vicar on
earth. Indeed, emperers, Hngs, and chiefs
Of republics, have actively Engaged in this
unholy warfare; or, at least, have silently
sanctioned it by looking on with cold in
Even here at home, in this free country,
there are people anxious to encourage the
attacks made on the Church, and a meeting
is to be held in London next January to
express sympathy with the Emperor Will
liam and Prince Bismarck, In their attempts
German Empire. Strange to say, Lord
Russell formerly an ardent champion OF
religious freedom and of political reform,
has promised to act as chairman Of this
meeting. 1t is to be regretted that, in the
evening of his long life, this noble lord
should become so weak az to forget the
aspirations of his youth, and to unlearn
| the 1naanna nf 1iharoItfv xrhich ha IN
others for SO many years. We may be per
suaded, however, that as he initiates the
example of a Trojan king in girding his
lettering limbs for the fight, 80 his blows
will fall as harmless on the cause of Catho
lie truth as did the shaft of Priam on the
shield of the Greciam hero.
| "However, we must be prepared fol
persecution and suffsrings, for such is the
lot of those who wish to live piously; but
we can all console ourselves with the
thought that the Church is built on a rock
and that the gates of hell and the powers o.
earth cannot prevail against her. Every
thing else may fade-empires, and king
doms, and republics may pass away-na
tions, and languages, and customs, ant
laws may die out or be chsnged-but the
promises of God to His people shall never
fail, and the Catholic Church shall remain
in the freshness of youth, and in the full
ness of its powers until the end of time
| oouSoSNyp SISn5 VI Uuo tiuoo GA
now menscing, the heavens are dark, and
storms are raging on every side; but the
faithful children of the Church, confiding
in the protection of heaven, fear nothing
for their holy Mother, but wait with pa
thence until the winds and waves will be
Gained, and peace and happiness restored
to mankind, sorely afflicted by the prevail.
ing evils. United in faith hope, and
charity with the millions of devoted Cath
olics spread over the world, let us, also,
rev. brethren, await with confidence the
dawn of better days, in the meantime ne
having recourse to Heaven, according to
the exhortations of bis Holiness, in fervent
aud humble prayer, which ascends to the
throne of the Almighty, and brings down
His mercy on the earth. You Can do so
with great advantage during the consoling
days Of Christmas, by going to the stable
of Bethlehem, and throwing yourselves in
faith at the feet of our infant Saviour, the
great Prince of Peace, begging of Him to
restore tranquility to the Church, to break
the bonds of the holy prisoner of the Vati-
can, and to grant him a glorious triumph
over the enemies of religion"