The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-07-25
appeal OF the Prussian Catholics TO their German
Emperor william

suggested by the recent expulsion of the
religious orders from Germany
Sire: 1t is an inalienable right of the
people to approach the throne of their
Sovereign to address him aud this right
becomes duty when they see their Empe-
ror approving laws which must lead to the
destruction of the Empire, for when rulers
lay forcible hands on possessions whose
value exceeds that of the perishable goods
OF earth, such deeds entail eternal misery
on those who sanction them.
Sire: We, the Catholic people Of your
Empire, now uplift our voices. The time
for silence has gone by. We speak to you
with the feeling that we stand before the
Prince who is our Ruler, under God, but also
with the freedom that animated the Apostle
Paul when he spoke before Aarippa and
Festas; hearken to MS now, and may God
grant that ysur answer may not be: Paul,
thou art beside thyself:" Acts, chap.
xiv, yer. "a.
Your Majesty's Government has enacted
laws which prevent our Bishops and priests
from fulfilling the duties imposed upon
them by their holy calling they have been
rather to obey God than man.
Your Majesty's Government expels us,
the rightfnl and true children of the Catho-
Tic Church, from our places of worship, and
instaiis therein, contrary to all right and
justice, men who are no longer worthy to
bear the name of Catholic-and not content
with this Ubiquitous proceeding, another
law has now been enacted by which devo
ted women and holy men, our Sisters and
Brothers, to whom their Fatherland ia as
dear, and perhaps dearer, than il is to their
Prosecutors, are driven into exile, and,
with sorrow in our hearts we regret to cay
lt-this law has also received the sanction
and approval of your Majesty.
Sire WhRn rnIa 10
oattie-t1elds and saw, amidst the roar of
the cannon and the whistling of bull. to, men
and women clad in humble garments, hurry
ing 80 nobiy and devotedly to the care of
our dying and wounded soldiers, binding
their wounds and burrying the dead-did
Religious were Dangerous to the State Z"
Add when, at the close of the war, hun
dreds of your crosses and decorations of
honor for services rendered during the war
found their way into the humble cells of
these Religious, they were not then consid-
cred dangerous to the Statef" And when
innocent young girls withdrew from this
wicked world. Spending their days and part
of the night in p-ayer-yes, and they pray
for you, Sire, chastising their bodies instead
OF leading sensual, worldly lives, and when
they only ask to live and to labor 10 their
beloved Fatherland, where again is the
changer to the State 7"
A|iu ou IeheCI, ClTey "udU SplTlC nau
dictated these laws when you signed your
name to them 1t was not the fear of dan
ger to the State that led your counsellors to
enact them, not was the spirit of the
world, spirit that aspires to nothing higher
than the things of earth, spirit which
hates the garb of Religious because it re,
minds it of the things which it fears-DeaM
-God-Eternity came spirit which
manifested itself eighteen hundred years
ago, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles.
.And as he (PauD treated of justice and
chastity, and of the judgment to come, Fe-
lix being terrified, answered: For this time,
go thy way, but when have q convenient
xiv, yer. rs. This is the spirit which
exiles our Religious. Did your Majesty
ever reflect on this 2 Untold suffering,
anguish and misfortunes will be the conse-
quences of this expulsion. Woe to it's per-
petratoI! You need not fear us, nor our
revenge still less that of the poor exiles.
Catholics do not revolt bat so sure as
Judgment seat you also, Sire, will one day |
have To appear to give an account of your |
and If, when weighed in the |
balance you are found wanting, you will
hear Numbered forth the fearful words
'Go.forth into everlasting fre'-so true it
is that this all powerful God will be our
avenger. His Ely Q will seek and His Hand
will strike the prosecutors of those who
have cOnsecrated themselves to His ser
vice.
But time will come, that convenient"
time of which Felix the Governor spoke,
when these prosecuted exiles will perhaps
be entreated, impOred TO return. but who
knows whether the convenient" time for
the Governor will also be the convenient"
time for his Lord and Master-for God may
then turn a deaf ear and not allow these
angels in the flesh To return to land where
they have been so i'll treated.
Patient and resigned, after the example
IF their Divine Master they will submit to
d,s will with deep sorrow in their hearts,
out with neither bitterness Dor hatred
against their prosecutors, they will leave
heir beloved Fatheriapd to seek a new
iome un the other side of the ocean. where
hey can follow their holy calling. Foreign
cations, even perhaps savsges, will joyful
Y welcome them to their shores, and, full
Il wonder, will exclaim: "Wbere is the1
and which exies beings such "a these Z"
AOd thus the Prussian name will become
anonymous with heartlessness, cruelty,
,odlessDess. R.