The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1875-03-28
The Russian Persecution of the Polish Church
rLopdon Tablet, March 9th I

The prOct edipgs OF General UT anu tno 4
Cossack Missionaries at his disposal lor .ne
snecially to commend Themselves TO tne
favorable notice of Mr.. Gladstone. Inc
heartrending scenes which have occurred
in podlachia are a fresh illustration OF tha1
supremacy of the Civil Power in religions
affairs for which the ex-Premier contends,
and il ia he expected that after his respect
ful recognition of Priuce Bismarck merits
in the German persecution he will not de,
lay to send a message OF sympathy anu
congratulation to the freebooters ana "o-
men fl"ggers, who have just brought the
miserahIe villagers of Podlschia to ac-
knowledge the infallibility of the Isar.
TIE notices which have appeared from
time to time in our columns as TO the IN
creaspg severity of the Russian authorizes
IN iptercepting communication between Tue
Catholic populations and theiF 'a"iu
pastors had prepared our readers for the
| further events which have taken place.
The plan pursued by the satraps OF the
| Tsar is IL Q familiar one. First, the la"iui
priests of the Catholic parishes were on
one pretext or another either cast into
prison or ompelled to leave their parisnes,
o ,me of them also being gained over to
| greater or less compliance with the scnis
| matte policy o. the government. lhe
omination of schismatic and excommu-
nicated Bishop instead of the true Bishop
was further step in the same oireeuon.
|
attack on the religion of the people was
contemplated was kept up, in words at
least aud the villagers were assured that
the Tsar was only taking precautions
against "foreign" agitators and innovators.
This farce did lot continue long however,
1t was quickly changed into bloody
tragedy. Either weary of the show or re-
straint which they imposed upon them
selves, or irritated at the patient fidelity OF
the population to the faith and practices OF
| Al, ~
: ties dropped the mask, and the strong arm
of military execution was summoned 10
aid the secular power in forcing the Chureh
and religious supremacy of the 1 sar on
Catholic district of some fifty Thousand
souls.
f The schismatic Pore, the intruded al :
mnistrator of the Catholic Diocese o
Cheim had used his usuIped authority to
collect all suspended or Irregular and
, hereto priests from the surrounding do
ceses-the plan also adopted in Switzer-
| land-and to install them in the parishes
l.. which the secular power had placed under
o his control When the supply of bad
priests fell short the vacancy was filled up
/, by popes of the Greco Russian Communion
d The appearance of the unwecome lntru
e ders provoked ciamorons opposition among
1t the Congregations upon whom they were
y imposed. In some villages the churc'
f.; doors barred by the people agains
,r the apostates. The Russian Government
a acted, as Mr. Gladstone might say, wit!
% becoming firmness. The fire of a regimen
= of spldIery cleared the way for the Govern
j. ment nominees, and the State clergy were
J. enabled to reach thei destinatian over the
of gashed and bleeding corpses of the butch
of cred peasantry. These massacres occurred
l. last year, and in the parishes of Radz VI
g, and Bla. The rest of the district su bmitteC
u without external opposition, and Popiel'
'p pOpes and exec mmunicated priests assume
n, without hIndrance the functions of thu
a. lawful clergy. There was this difficulty
n, however, in the way of the persecutors
d, Though the people had been struck will
es too much terror 10y the massacres to at
tempt any forcible opposition, they persis
=, tently held alOof from the mnistrations Q
s the intruded priests and pOpes To con
Y. Quer this passive hostility the Russian
id Government put in action all the means O
= coercion at it's disposal.
lis Tive divisinns Uf infantry, a division c
IL Cossacks, and a squadron of regular hoTs
er were directed upon the towns and village
y, Wlodawa, OstTOwo, Uhnin, UicimowC
nd Jamy, Budno, and the other centres
b population in the devoted districts and
ny conjunction with the existing garrison pre-
in ceeded to carry out the orders of the In
X. perial Government. In every village whic
er, refused to recognize the ministratiOn of tn
Op schsmatic priest a body of troops appear
lie, ed, aud the Inhabitants being summoned
g- BILE by the officer in command, the OI
he der of the Tsar was read, by which it Wt
ics ordered that the Catholic parishione
he should engage /. To give uuconditiOn'
rd obedience to the Diocesan authOrities-th
nd is to say, to POpiel and his accOmplicet
lat 2 To accept the priests appointed by tt
Government To go to confession
bo him and bring their children to him fl
"0 baptism. In every village, without exceI
"a @ion, these demands were refused by tt
he people, and a letter quoted in the Vate
llv land from a superior officer of the Russia
~, army, who appears to have felt an honour
te' able repugnance for his hateful task, draw
DO a touching picture of the prayers and tea
ng of wIetched villagers, who vainly besoug
mo- the hardened soldery to allow them to IL
in the faith, and be buried according to Il
rites of their fathers. On the refusal beir
ant notified to the officer in command troo
US were forthwith quartered on the unhapI
Use peasantry, with licence to treat the proper
ho of the people according to their pleasul
ost and to feed themselves on the best the di
raj trict might produce. In this way the doc