The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-06-14

Cal all.ai 4. usUneI On the new LAWS IN hustrla
Iendon Register
Another three days battle has beer
fought in the Reichsrath. Three Cardinalt
those of Sarzburg. Prague. and Vienna
according 10 tho Tienna Church Gazette
entered the lists against the new ecclesias
teal laws, but without much effect, the
popular notion being that without these
laws Austria cannot prosper. Cardinal
Rauscher insisted that there is absolutely
no necessity for any legislative Act Of the
kind, bnt all in vain. If st. Paul had de-
all his eloquence, he would for a certainty
have preached to deaf ears. A fragment
from the Archbishop's speech we cannot
resist giving. 1t runs as follows:
"Not long ago Germany was Wanting
the glory of federation for believers of all
religious denomi n atoms, though the Cath
olics even then had the smallest possible
share in aay accruing advantages.
popular respect for religious opinion in
the abstract, moreover, procured for them
liberty of worship and the rights of free
citizens, of which they had been formerly
deprived. For thirty years, in fact, Prussia
had been setting good example in toler
atinr. when suddenly it astounded the
whole of Europe by a change, Which friends
ana eoonies alike had until then regarded
Us ncrtdihe.
y after most of The religious orders had
been either cAiled or suppressed, it was
pas ciuHy argounc"G in the assembled Diet
that The Catnalic Church in Prussia must
henccfort'' +" rendered subscrvient to the
civil law. a hove all, it was to be made
independent # any other power out of the.
PPtion. To accomplish tho 20 projects,
whoie code was snddcnly faplca,"d, with
out any rega'd for iustice, OF even pro
priety. A ty.alny of the most a"ru CANT
character, cnfnrc.d h. the most arbitrary
behaviour, precipit"ted these events to
their climax. As the Catholic Bishops
d.c'i- ed 20, he tools in the hands of the
Protestant Government, they began to
charge them with fnes, and to seize their
Bishop, besides many priests, are now in
prison among thieves and murderels.
Soon, doubtless, they will have new com
panicns OF their glorious sufferings. III
one OF their own body were doomed to
suffer in the same way, say in Roumania or
ing In this enlightened land, what an in
dignant outcry would be raised And
yet nobody who dsres not wish to lose the
favor of the Liberal party dares to ,rc.
nounce the persecution in PRUSSIA and
Switzerland n violation of justice and lib.
eerty. On the contrary, it is declared that
those who are prosecuted are enemies Of
the constitutional law, and of public order.
Yet tits surely obvious all the w!,lo thai
the question at issue is one involving Tia.
sacred right of liberty of conscience
His Eminence denounced in the strong
est terms the interference of the State in
Church matters. He further spoke nr the
probability of Austria following in this
matter the evil example of Prussia aud |
Italy! $50
e What advantage" no asked, does
the Government Of his Majesty expect from
these attacks OH religions conviction :
What does the Government wish, and wLat
is 1t striving for You may answer that
the abolition of the Concordat has made a
blank in the Legislation which must be filed
up. This, however, is altogether fallacions.
In the legislation there is no blank. All
that is there is specious pretext for the
creation of these laws, the semblance of "a
plea for regarding them as requisite. A
law in order to be sacred, must be de-
manded by Justice and necessity. If one
of these reasons for it be wanting. any
new law is no other than an act of ipius-
ice to those who are required to submit to
f. |
Nobody in the house contradicted the !
rgumenta of the Cardinal. They were i
My answered by phrases each more insig- G
ificant than it's predecessor. Yet, after u
wo days moro of battle, a majority of "a u
'otes az against 43) adopted the new laws. II