The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-04-25

To our Venerable Brothers the Bishops
and to our dear Sons the Priests and the
Faithful of Switzerland, in communion with
the Apostolic See. ....... f.
Plus TX, POPE.
VENERABLE BROTHERS AND DEAR Sons,
The serious and prolonged efforts and
snares which the new heretiee, who call
themselves Old Catholics, continue daily
to multiply in Switzerland, in order to de-
ceive the faithful people and to tear them
away from the faith Of their ancestors, de-
mand from US, according to the extent of
our Apostolic charge, particular solicitude
and care to preserve the spiritual interests
of our sons. We know well, venerable
brothers, and we deptore in the bitterness
of our heart, how these schismatics and
heretics, profitiug by the schismatic laws
which keep under public oppression the
the religious liberty of Catholics in the
diocese of Bale and in other parts of the
country, exercise, under the protection of
the civil authority, the ministry of their
condemned sect, cause forcible possession
Of parishes and churches to be taken by
apostate priests, and spare neither frauds
nor articles in order to draw away miser-
ably into schism the children of the Catho-
lie Church. But, as deceit and trickery
have always been the characteristics of
heresy and schism, we must include these
sons of darkness with those to whom the
prophet has said, "Woe to the traitor sons
who put their confidence in the darkness
and put your confidence in caluWny and
tumult.n
They have no other desire but to deceive
and to lead away into error, by their hypo-
crisy and dissim ulation, those who are
Without distrust; and they say openly that
Church and it's visible chief. They even
amrm that they hold to the purity of Cath.
ole doctrine that they are, they, the heri- |
tors of the faith and only the true Catho-
lies, even while in reality they refuse to
recognize all the Divine prerogatives of
the Vicar of Jesus Christ upon earth, and |
to OBEY his supreme Jurisdiction. We |
even know that in order to spread more |
widely their heretical doctrines many of |
them have undertaken to give instruction |
on sacred theology 10 the University of
Berne, in the hope of gaining by this NJ cans
some of the Catholic youth to their con-
fraction. Already we have reproved
and denounced this deplOrable sect who have
taken from the arsenal of ancient heresies
30 many errors contradicting the chief prin-
ciples of the Catholic faith; they attack
the very foundations of the Catholic relig-
ion they audaciOusly reject the dngmatfc
definitions of the Council of the Vatican,
and in every way they work for the ruin of
souls.
By our letters of the 2lst November,
1878, we have published and declared that
these miserable sectaries, as we'll as their
oartisans and supporters, are separated
rom the communion of the Church, aud
should be regarded as schiematics.
We publicly renew this day this decIara-
ionI and we believe that it is our duty,
1enerabls brothers, to exhort you to employ
III your zeal, already, SO well tried, and all
hat courage which you have already dis
played with 30 much effect in your strug-
yles for the cause of God, aud all the
means IN your power, in order to preserve
o the souls committed to your charge, unity
If faith, and to remind them without ces-
alton that they should keep away from
hose dangerous enemies of the flock of |