The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-03-07

,correspondence Lor don Register.
TJUrTCsPVHueI1se
BERLIN, Feb, 10

heen convoked in order TO discuss and
further the welfare of the Church. In MS
address to the President, the Emperor e4
pressed hope that they sho9!o pen ~
basis Of the Christian faith. he inrther
stated that many efforts have been made In
this country to deny the divinity OF Christ,
and that the teachers of such doctrines
have unfortunately bat too we'll succeeaed.
1t is, therefore, of the greatest importance
to draw our attention 70 more sp.so
life, and to the religious principles OF our
faith otherwise we have no right TO the
name of Christians. The Emperor concluded
with these remarkable words: "The new
laws have given rise to many connicts III
MANY cases they have been carried ont with
exaggeratiop, and altogether they nave
created errors, which have been purposeiy
fostered and maintained by party whose
hostility is directed against Christianity.
To com bat such errors, to counteract these
epdeavors, is the principal end OF THESE
meetings to which l have summoned you,
aud in which l take the liveliest Interest.
Our whole Government, the majority OF
those who voted for the political Comics
sional Laws in Germany, consists OF anu
Christian members. The leading party In
Prussia, the National Liberals, whose
voice is authoritative after that OF the
High Chancellor, and their Parliamentary
representatives, are mostly men VINO deny
the divinity of Jesus Christ. AS TOT our
Liberal Press, it is altogether irreligious.
All these, thep, have, according to the
Emperor's own words, ceased to be Chris
tians, 1t becomes daily more evident that
the present conflict in Germany is a revo-
luton against Christianity. The two
hostile powers are Christians and unoe-
believers, God and the world.
RESULTS OF THE PERSECUTION.
Minister DR.. Falk has issued a new de-
cree for all public Catholic schools, In
which he forbds the use of several Catho :
lie school books, such as the history OF
the Old and New Testament, and also sew
eral catechisms, written by very celebrated
authors-as, Schumacher, OVerberg, ana
Martin, which have had the approba-
tions of Bishops, and which have been IN
use until now. The decree says that, In
the mean while, religious Instruction has to
been given verbally until the Munster OF
pnhlic Instruction has furnished them
with such books as will be more conform
able to the spirit of the age. 1t is almost
incredible, bat yet true, that such excellent
books should be disu sed by Protestant
Minister, and that he should dare to use his
Judgment in matters over which Catho
lIic competent authority alone has right
to decide.
A Prussian catechism aimilar TO the May
Laws will be compiled by men who have
not the slightest kno~ledge of Christian
J principles, much less of Catholic Doc
tripes. 1t is to be hoped no Catholic
teacher nor parent will make use of THU
projected oook. In spite of the lndigna
} tion which Catholics must feel at sucl
! arbitrariness and conceit, yet the decree
will tend to some good these forbidden
books are now read more than erer, evel
by many who had never taken any lnteres
in them before. This is the general result
of this persecution. Nothing can illustrat
better the progress of Catholicism tina
the opinion expressed of one of cur oppo
!. nents in a Berlin paper. 1t says: "Wha
9 has the State gained by this persecutlo
1 and by it's strict measures but honor an
+ glory for the Catholic clergyf The Cath
J. olics, even the free thinkers, could natul
: ally not be pleased at the gross interference
y of secular authority in their religion
l. affairs. They are all against this systen
70 and look on their pastors as martyrs. Tc
y late, no ", they see that they have made
mistake. Not one parish in the whole
sr Germany is on the eide Of the State. A
> ter the prisons have been filed wit
F priests, the Government left the parish
q the right to select substitutes for those the
IS had lost, but not one congregation toe
q part in the election, except to re-ele
ot those of whom they had been deprived
n When a priest leaves his prison he
d treated every where with the greatest vel
It GRAFTON, which only increases on IL
d. event of his imprisonment for a secon
g. time. If the property of Bishop Ia SO
As by public auction, they have the create
n difficulty to find purchasers, and when ii
y things are purchased it is only to retul
81 them to their owners. We do not lii
T. to say more of the failures which tt
lg Government has experienced since Il
1e persecution began" concludes the writ'
ID of these lines, "but the laws and the autho
ne tiles are defed and set at nought to degr
a. hitherto unparalleled in a civilized State
ar SWITZERLAND.
or correspondent from S. Gallen furnish
in the Germand with the following decsI
es as example of obstinate tyranny
ed considering that the clergy persist
Ist teaching the doctrine of the Infallibilit
SO the Catholic School Board has decided
BIS entrust the instruction for the approach
first communion to secular teache
Should the priests of the parish object
this, and refuse to administer the SacI
:, ment to children thus instructed, they "
biz employ one of their own adherents in tn
ii stead. In the present state of affairs
IT, will not be impossible to find priest W
an gives absolution by order of the GoveI