The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-07-21
PERE HYA,,INTH-

THE ORGANIZATION or THE NEW CATHOLIC
CHURCH-THE NAME ADOPTED AND ITS
GovERNMENT-BIsHoP RETAINED UNDER
PROTEST.. t
The London correspondent of the New
York World gives an account of the new
church movement under Pere Hyscinth:
The sold Catholics" of Switzerland have
met at Berne to lay the foundations of their
new ecclesiastical organization. The meet
ing was composed of NEARLY eighty dele
gates" from Basle, Berne Geneva. st. Gall.
Lucerne, SOleure, and Zurich. Out of the
eighty, however. only four were priests or
ex priests, to-wit: Mr.. LOvson, Pfarrer
Hesz0g. "whom general repute designates as
the first Bishop of this Church" Pfarrer
Gaschwind, aud another Pfarrer name not
given, ofZurich. The title of the new church
caused some discussion. "Old Csthclic' was
voted down; Liberal Catholic" was strongly
advocated; hut "Christian Catholic carried
the day The Roman Catholic church was
voted to be no church at all, but only cor
poration of heathenish idolsIers The new
church is to be governed by council, con-
sisting of the bishop. when they get one,
three priests, and five laymen, and the
bishop can do nothing without the council
When the meeting had got TINS far, a
member proposed that they should have
no bishop. This motion obtained strong
support. "An able professor of Berne
University, a delegate from Zoffingsn, and
a Basic deputy declared that bishops were a
nuisance. and that she new church uld
die if it got bishop. AT this point of the
proceedings Mr.. Lovson and Pfarrer Her
zog retired, and they were only induced To
return by being informed thai the meeting
had voted, "amid much laughter" on the
suggestion of Pfarrer Gascnwiud, that "a
bishop is necessity for us Catholics, al
though
A NECESSARY EVIL"
Even after this was settled and arrangements
for stripping the bishop of all authority
we're made, so great was the fear of the Law
men that they made another effort to rob the
ogre OF some of his terrors bv calling him
by another name. The term "Ant site" was
suggested, but this was ruled out by reason
OF the fact that this was the very word used
for bishop in the Roman Catholic mass. And
| finally. moved by the remarks of the pres.
| ident of the meeting that il they changed the
name of bishop "theCatbolic folks will think
our religiona new one," they reluctantly
consented to retain the dreaded appellatlon,
but with the proviso that the council might
depose the bishop at any time. The ques
ton of how they were not to get bishop
and VINO was to consecrate him was not dis.
cussed. The correspondent through whom
L have obtained the ABOVE interesting facts
states that the new church has not made
much progress save in Geneva. give oil
others are looking out for wives.
Confession is no longer obligatory
the election of the clergy by the laity is
fixed principle, and the new church has
obtained possession, by The aid of the au-
thorties. OF four of the edihces which be-
longed to the Roman Catholics, these idola-
tors being now compelled to worship in
barns or in halls hired for the purpose. The
whole influence of the present Swiss gov
eminent is thrown in favor of the new
church and it is rather astonishing that its
progress has not been more marked than il
appears to be. Perhaps when Mr.. Loysor
or Pfsrrer Herzog is made bishop it will
spin along more merrilv.