The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-03-21
n..nlne Star and Catholic Messenger.
a. opJ,EANs SUNDAY. MARCH 81. MS

NEW OhLbANc
From the London Tablet
Enevcl;cal Of His Holiness to tho Prussian lp'''o-
pate.
To Our Venerable Brothrer, tho Arono'"'P' A"'
Bishops of Prussia:
r.Us rP TX.
Venerable Brethren, Health and Apostle
lical Benedicuon
Remembering az We do the stipn'a'i""
concluded between this Ap"st"ILo oo
tbe Prussinn Government, I'D inc
grat year of the present century i"' Wv
han.St and welfare of the Catholic chnte
w sLonld never have thought possio'e
fiat which has actually and most 'a,nen.-
ably come to pass in your county
able Brethren. To that rsp"se ahu poas
which the Church of God was eiJ"y'pg
amoncstyo there has succeeded grey
nns and unlocked for tempest. But the
Other day there were proclaimed Laws
initiating against the rights OF the Chufon'
and iutlcting, by their operation, severe
punishments on macy OF hcr 'a''"'u' ar. T
concentrations servants, both amongst the
clergy and laity. To those laws there
have since been added others, tending to
the total overthrow of the Church's DiTlne
Constitution and the destruction OF the
sacred rights of the Epscopate.
For these laws attribute TO lay u'as,s
trates the power of depriving the Bishops
and other Ecclesiastical authorities of their
dignity and of their Episcopal jurisdiction.
These laws have, moreover, placed num-
aroma and enormous difficulties In the way
of those called to exercise lawful authority
pending tho absence of the pastors who
rule the hocks. These laws empower the
Chapters of tho Metropolitan Churches con-
trary to the Canon Law to elect Wears ca
pitular at the time when the see is not va
can't To mention no other points, do not
these laws authorize even the mayors OF
towns to appoint in the place OF Bishops
men who are not even CathOlicS, ana 10
confer upon such men Ecclesiastical pro-
perty, destined for the support of the cler-
Nv and of the churches. Vnhapplly you,
Venerable Brethren. know bat too well the
mischief, tho veXatiOns, and evil treatment
occasioned by these laws themselves and
by the manner of their execution. We say
no more on the subject, because We are
unwilling to augment the grief OF you all
by reminding you of these sad events.
But We are unable to keep silence on the
subject of the evils that have afflicted the
dioceaes of POsen Gnesen, and Paderborn
Our Venerable Brethren, Miclslas, Arch
bishop of Posen and Gnesen, and Conrad
Bishop of Paderborn, are still most un
Justly declared to have forfeited their Sees
and are deprived Of their Episcopal auth
ority their Dioceses too remain berefe o
tho blessed direction of their excellent pas
tors, and are overwhelmed with distresi
and trouble. 1t is true indeed that wher
We remember the words of Oar Lord, VIZ
ought rather to congratulate than to pity
those two Venerable Brethren Just named
blessed shall you be when men shall
hate you, and when they shall separate you
and shall reproach you, aud cast out you
name as evil for the Son of Mans sake.
(St. Luke vi. 22).
Those Venerable Brethren have not beer
terrified at the imminent danger nor at thu
punishment with which they were threat
ened not only have they defended the
Church's rights, and caused her preeept
to be respected, but they in commoa will
the other pastors of your country have hello
it an honor to receive an unjust judgment
and to- allow themselves To be punished
with penalties appropriate only to crimi
mails. Thereby they have afforded the mos
brilliant example of virtue, aud have RiveI
ediication to the whole Church.
Although We owe to them rather Gu
lOudrst p'aiscs than tears of pity, never
theless the lowering of the Episcopal digni
ty, the blows struck at the liberty aud a
the rights of The Church, the persecution
inflicted on the Bishops above named npt
on all their colleagues, require that in vir
tue Of Our Apostolic power given t" Us b.,
God, We should raise our voice in denun
citation of those laws aud against tho hat
actions which they have done, and which
they are causing to be done aud that w,
should defend against impious violence
with all energy aud the Divine Authorit.
the liberty of the Church now trodden IN
der foot.
In fultillnent of the duty OF thiI Apostle
lie See We do publicly declare by this pre-
sent Eucyclical, TO ALL WHOM 1T MAY CON
Germ, AS ALSO TO THE WHOLE CATIIOLI
WORLD, THAT THESE LAWS ARE NULL, ht
cause they are utterly opposed to the d
81 vine Constitution of the Church. For
is,to the men of power of this world thu
the Lord has made subject the Bishops
His Church IN all that concerns His sacre
service, but to Peter, to whom He comm
ted His sheep and lambs (St John, xxi. i
ny. Therefore no temporal power, how
ever exalted, has the right to despoiI
their Episcopal dignity those who hay
been appointed by the Holy Ghost to GO
ern the Church. (Acts of the Apostles, K
29)
To this sad state of things must be addt
another fact, which il unworthy of
noble nation, aud which, as We may We
expect, will be severely Judged even
non Catholics. who are yet Impartial %