The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-05-17
The Russians and the United Greeks.

The massacre of United Greeks in the
| Diocese of Chelm, in Podlachia, because
they refused to altar their rite at the dicta-
ton of the Russian military authorities.
mas been followed 10y an attempt to arrive
Mt the same end by Cancellation. The new
Governor of Warsaw, General Kotz ebue,
has summoned the peasants of that pro
vince to send a depntation to confer with
him. Fifty peasants arrived, and the con
ference lasted nearly three hours The
General eudeavorcd to persnaae them that
all the Government wished to do was to
purify the United Greek rite from addi-
tons borrowed from the Latins, and to
restore it to-its primitive state without
scvering the connection between their
Church and Rome. 1t will be remembered
that among the innovations of which the
authorities complained WAS the use of the
rosary and the scapular. The peasants
replied with great courage that the ceremo-
MES now violently suppressed had existed
among them from time immortal, and
formed an integral part of their worship,
and that rather than consent to their sup
preston they were ready for the greatest
sacrifices; they would have nothing to do
with desecrated Church, and they de
manded the removal of the Administrator
Popiel, and the return of kuziemski, their
only lawful Bishop, he having been invest
ed with that dignity by the Holy Father.
The General replied that he would get the
place of Popiei, but that Kuzemski could
not come by reason of his bad healtb.n
To this the peasants answered: owe want
a Bishop sent by the Holy See, and not by
the Emperor. Let US go to the Emperor
and afterwards to the Pope; We will tell
them the truth /; they will listen to us W it'll
kindness and hearken to our request. We
shall learn at Rome whether the Pope
really consents to tho changes introduced
into our Church, and we will act in accord
ance with his answer" The Governor told |
them that he could not let them go to st. |
Petersburg without the Emperor's special
permission, or to Rome at all. Bot he
promised to repeat textualIy to the EN-
peror all that they might say, and allowed
one of them to speak with perfect openness.
This peasant spoke as follows "We passed
through severe trials during the insurrec-
ton of 1864, in which we took part. Since
then the Emperor has loaded us with bene-
Cts, and we have been grateful to him.
B ut now that you violate the law and shed
The blood of unarmed men who are defend
ng their faith, 1 am forced to declare to
you that You are yourselves changing this
gratitude into hatred. But you have still
he power of altering this state of things,
DO not break your faith, permit us to ffe.
luent our churches without introducing
changes into them. and gratitude will
evive in onr hearts," Even the anti Polish
md anti-Catholic NJ. Katkov declares that
n this case the Government is wrong and
he peasants are right. To tho argument
# the official journal that the soldiers were .
defending the rights of the Pope against
he United Greek population which did not
aspect his Bulls, he answers thus at is
ot by forcing our religion on the people
hat we can Russify Poland we do not
ecognize the United Greek religion or the
pope as Head of the Church we profess
ifferent religion, and the ceremonies of a
'hurch to which we do not belong are
othing to us. In religious matters the
lem bers of that CHURCH are strangers to
s, and we have no call to interfere with
% affairs or to watch over the purity of it's
,orship. That is the Pope's business,
'ithout the assistance of our military com
,anders." The advice is good, but we
oubt whether Russian statesmen have yet
sarnt wisdom enough thoroughly to act on