The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-02-08
Record Of the German Persecution.
FRESH ENVIRONMENTS,

I FRESH ENVIRONMENTS.
The Imprisonment of priests is beginning
now to be realized in many place, slowlJ
but steadily. In Posen, the new year hal
been celebrated by the Imprisonment o
the Vicar of Loga, in the district Of Tran.
stadt, who has long been a victim Of per
secution and annoyance. He entered or
his four months captivity with the resig
nation of true confessor, aud his depart.
ure was solemnized by the tolling OF the
| church bells, and the tears of the people
He will doubtless not have long to wait fol
companions in misfortune.
| THE BISHOPS.
There appears still to be a shyness re-
| garding the Imprisonment of the Bishops.
Nothing more of Archbishop Ledochow-
skis can be found to seize and for the pen l.
atty of the remaining II, 900 thalers there
] is only Imprisonment left, and this cannot
long be delayed. The Ministers are, in a
manner, ut their wits end to break the
| SO called /" obstinacy" of the Bishops. DR..
Falck has indeed given notice that severer
measures are in contemplation, but the
newspapers assert that there win be no
hurry. The Vossische Zeitung writes thus ::
"We understand that at first there will be
no addition to the May Laws. The Gov
eminent will probably wait for further
experience" How far this conjecture is
right we shall soon see. The recent pro-
ceedings against the Bishop of Paderborn
show, however, the blind eagerness of the
Government to coerce the Bishops to a rec
ignition of the May Laws, setting aside
all considerations of justice. The Bishop
has received notice from the Oberprasident
that he must within four weeks appoint
priests to six parishes, or be prepared to
pay 200 thalers for each of the six vacant
cures. In case of the Bishops compliance,
his salary is to be raised by the Govern
ment. The venerable Bi-hop replies that
he cannot indeed lend his assistance to the
carrying out of the May Laws; but that,
independently of this, he is unable to COM
ply with the demand Of the Oberprasident
because the peculiar circumstances of those
places render definite appointment i'm
possible. He says: AS l remarked in
my previous communication, the parishes
in question are situated in the dreariest and
most severe climate in the whole country.
Any one who has not been
brought up there, nor accustomed from
childhood to the extreme severity of the
climate, will lose health and life itself by
long residence. The priests who are sent
there 60 only out of obedience and when
they have worked for time, they gener-
ally long to get away. A Bishop
cannot force a beneice on a priest. For
these reasons 1 cannot think that the pen
alties threatened by your Exeellency are
justifable. For your excellency would be
furnishing me, because no priest has ap-
piled for the cure, a thing for which am
not responsible, or else you would expect
me to force on priest the definite accept
ance of the post. The employment of
coercion by Bishop towards priest can
not evidently bs intended by the law re-
ferred TO.
THE PROTESTANT PROVINCES.
A fanatical bitterness against the Catho-
lie Church is increasing more and more in
the Protestant portions of Germany. There
seems an evident intention of declaring a
state of siege as regards the Catholic prov
inces. Similar news to that mentioned
before respecting Treves, comes now from
Hanover aud the province of Madgeburg,
viz, that the soldiers in several regiments
have received orders to "haye their sabres
and to hold themselves in
order" In the last mentioned
district, the Protestants are not afraid of
letting the terrible words religious war "
escape their lips.
THE LIBERAL PAPERS.
The Liberal papers have lately found
fresh explosive matter to throw amongst
the excited population. They are venting |
the Christmas Pastorals of the French |
The Bishops of Mines and An
gers particularly, have expressed them
selves in severe terms on the Prussian
of the Church. The Liberal
papers now adopt an absurd tone, almost
as though these "unmeasured expressions"
were to become the grounds of serious
conflict with France. The Gcrmania only |
The conviction that there will
soon again be war is penetrating all classes
If the people,"