The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-05-24
Persecution In Venezuela.
from the Lordon Register. !

Persecution
From the Lordon Register
The French Unirers publishes long and
INTEREST," Dg letter from a correspondent at
Venezuela, describing the system OF reii-
gious pc resolution which has for some time
Tsast bee n persistently carried out in that
Republic under the presidency of Guzman
Bianco, whom the writer considers he
would compliment too much by ranking
by the side of Bismarck, but who has, he
admits, in some Of HE acts even forestal'ed
the tyraDfical zeal of the great German
Ministers. The Archbishop Of Caracas,
with many other priests, have been for
come time past under sentence of exile,
aud have been residing at Port d'Espagne.
Last year the offer was made to many po
litical exiles to return on condition of
prese nting themselves before the President
on their arrival. Archbishop Guebara,
anxious to be again in the midst of his
flock, consented to undergo this humila.
ton, but, on applying for his passport, he
was kept waiting for three weeks, and was
then Informed that his return to Caracas
could not be authorized. Not satisfied
with this, a decree was passed rendering
xsuil and void all official acts of the Arch
bishop, past and future. Many laws were
made infringing upon religious privileges.
aud, above all, the authorization of
This law was passed under the dictator
chip of Guzman Blanco before the meeting
Of the National Assembly. The same de-
cree gave to the civil power the right of
deciding upon marriage dispensations, and
prououncing upon divorces. 1t so hap |
peued, according to the explanation of the |
correspondent of the UnirerS, that Ur-
baueja, who had been formerly Governor
of Caracas, and who WAS al that period |
Minister of the Interior under the dicta-
t"rship, had sought in vain twenty years
previously the marriage Spediction upon
81 ,nsD xx,iII 1ts dan nIf fhn
daughter of his deceased wife. Not sue
ceeding in obtaining what he demanded
from any religious minister, either Cath
aHc OF Protestant Urbaneja had ultimate
Y met with AN English Consul named
;ngham, who, according to some peculiar
vivilege of Consu!s, had given him the
form of marriage.
Now, after twenty years OF this 9udst
legitimate union, the Minister of the Int
gior, on the morrow of the publication of
che new law, demands from the new self
constituted authority a dispeneatioG for his
eaarriage with his step daughter. This
dispensation being readily accorded, the
parties present themselves to the civil
officer, and go through, for the second
time, the empty forms of the marriage GER
sons for this proceeding, but there can
have been none for the very extraordinary
accident recounted of the President Guz
s,aan Bianco himself. This gentleman,
iseying been married about six years be-
fore, at the church, with every legal and
religious ceremonial, thought proper on the
establishment of the new law to 60 through |
the legal ceremony himself. He and his |
wife, already leeitimately united six years
previously, have now been re married by
civil contract, whether to give fresh
se1yaktyJ to their own marriage-thereby
xtnplyipg that such an affirmation had been
Coquired-or whether to give sanction to
the legal ceremony by their high example, |
daee not appear. The example, however,
as contaG ious Divers functionaries already
married-whether legally or not-now
hasten to follow in tho footsteps of the
President, aud civil marriages and re- mar
riaGes are the order of the day in Venezue
la. An encouraging picture this for the
modern refoImers of Germany. There have
nat been wanting however, men of
principle to protest against these inrova-
lions. At Maturin French priest refused
CO administer the sacraments to person |
WHO had gone through the form of q civil |
marEeage, hut who had no intention of in
voking the religious bencdiction. This |
priest was condemned for opposing the |
laws, by tie Governor of Maturin, but the
whole population of the country took the
part of the Jealous Minister; and, in defer
cuce to popular feeling, the supreme Gov
erpnent, on being appealed to, was obliged
20 xeScind the sentence of the Governor.
>:,,.>0 an instance, solitary as it is, is most
encouraging. The example of tho people
of Maturin, who so worthily and eneI geti.
-cally stood forward in support of the loyal
and intrepid servant of the Church. should
not be lost upon other flocks, who, accord
ing to present appearance, are only too
ready to give way at the first approach of
the enemy.
SLEEPING CAR STRUCK BY LIGurN1NG AND |
Th 1 H.