The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-06-28

MUhN1NU, jUN y, 1874.
cath edra or to the Pope united to the Council
But the pretext in Germany for trespassing o,
the domain of religious faith is this That thu
declaration of the Council has conferred on tn,
| Pope new, absolute and unlimited authority
, and that this affects the relations of Churct
| and State, and requires the State to take pre-
cautions against possible usurpatlon. The
Emperor OF Germany, at Ems, recently said
that the Church. by proclaiming tho dogma
of infallibility had declared war to the State
In what manner does the infallibility of the
church affect the relations of Church and
Statef
The doctrine is not new it was announced
had existed for ages; nearly all the Bishops OF
the Vatican Council agreed as to the ground OF
the doctrine. they only divided on the ques.
tion Of the opportuneness of making the de-
claration.
Nothing. then, has been changed, and the
relations of Church and State remain now as
they were before, each Independent in its
sphere. 1t is pretended that the doctrine of
Papal 1nfallibility is personal, in the sense
that the Pope cannot err in anything he says
OF does, whether in the domain of science or
politics, where faith is not at all involved.
This is not true; the domain of Pontifical in
fallibility has its limits; its domain is faith
and morals.
The Prussian Bishops who met at Fulda in
ISL say according to the perfectly clear ar
ton of this dogma"
Cardinal Antonelli, in his dispatch of the
18th March, 1870, TO the Nuucio at Paris, says :
Political affairs belong, according to the order
of God, and the teachings of the Church, to the
province of those in authority, without any
dependence whaterer on any other.
The relations between Church and State
have sometimes been regulated by arrange
ments called concordats but Pontifcal nfai-
libility has no connection with concordats,
ard the Pope in making them does not speak
ex cathedra or as supreme doctor OF tho
Church.
1t Is clear. therefore, that it is a mere pretext
for persecution to assert that the dogma of the
Vatican COUNCIL requires the State to interfere
in spiritual affairs to protect it from ecclesias
teal aggression.
The truth is, the Emperor of Germany is
claiming absolute and unlimited power in she
domain of religion as we'll rs In the domain OF
politics the Empire examines and judges
dogmas; intrudes itself into ecclesiastical
discipline; closes the priests mouth in the
pulpit; closes Catholic schools aud colleges,
forbids religious to preach, to hear confessions,
to celebrate Mass; forbids the bishops to ca.
nonicslly exclude from the Church those who
openly separated therefrom, banishes for no
crime, without trial, aud in bodies, tho reli-
gious orders, 10 the same way that Louis XIV.
drove the Huguenots from France; it favors
schism and aims at the establishment of
national church.
Previous TO this recent legislation, the
constitution of Prussia guaranteed to the
Evangelical and Roman Catholic churches,
and all reli gious societies. the right to admin
lister and regulate their affairs in perfect free
dom. This constitution was satisfactory to all
parties, and had been in force for half g con-
fury.
The recent legislation requires all Prussian
citizens who wish to receive ecclesiastical
functions, to matriculate at the State UEiver-
sity, aud then attend the University course for
three years; then pass O State examination,
and no candidate can be admitted to the priest
hood. unless he satisfy the State in this exam
nation.
The creation of ne W ecclesiasti cal seminaries
is forbidden existing seminaries are not al
lowed to receive new scholars. In other
words, ecclesiastical education is exclusively
intrusted to the State, and no one can be ad-
mitted to the priesthood whoiSnot satisfactory
to the State.
The candidate for the priesthood, if nomin-
ated by the Bishop, must be approved by the
President of the Province
Ecclesiastical disciplinary power can only
be exercised by ecclesiastical authorities Of
German nationality in other words, the Ger
man Bishops are forbidden to recognize the
ecclesiastical authority of the Pope, aud hold
Office at the will of the State. The human
conscience is made thing of State, it has no
rights, thoughts or feelings that are not con-
trOlled by the State, ''for in the Kingdom Of
this world,'' according to Bismarck, -" the State
has dominion and precedence"
The Pail Mall G1kette, in speaking of this
legislation says: There is no parallel in his
tory to the experiment which the German
statesmen IesOla tely bent on trying, except
tie memorable achievement of Engllshmen
uuder the guidance of Henry VIII. Like all
these measures, The new law concerning the
education of ecclesisstical functioDarIes, which
is the most striking of the number, will apply
TO all sects ihdifereDtly, but in its app cation
to the Roman Catholic priesthood, it almost
takes one breath away"
The London Times on 18th of April, 1873 in
abiding to these laws, says: "The measures
now in the German Parliament and likely TO
become laws, amount to q secular organization
50 complete as not to leave the Pope soul,
place, an hour that he can call his own. Ger
many asserts for the civil power, the control
of all education, the imposition of its own con-
ditioDs on entrance to either civil or ecclesias-
tical Office, the administration of all discipline,
and at every point the right to confne religious
teachers and preachers to purely doctTinal and
moral topics. Henceforth there 10 to be neither