The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-06-25

gerous, but bindrsnce TO the right ful6hnen'
I OF the end OF Its existence
This candid writer thus avows. that the OBJ
ject Of the Ger m An legislation, 10 to arrest the
growth Of the Church in Germany by aggres
The same doctrine is more openly and more
grossly avowed in Switzerland. Mr.. Carteret
before the Grand Council of Geneva. in Jan
uary, 1876, said Ultram ontRnism is danger.
Gus IL is necessary to control it, to make on il
war of determination and without mercy ii
10 affectation to dream of being just OF eqoit-
able with such an adversary" SO that in this
illustrious age of enlighten ment, the professed
leaders of progress do not hesitate to declare
o war of persecution against the children OF
the Catholic Church on account of religious
faith, and in the name of liberty justify the
most cruel and despotio legislation, in the
hope of exterminsting the Church or impairiug
Why should the State TINS seek to impair
or destroy the Catholic Church 1t 10 because
| the Church never con and never will Iecog-
nize the State ss the ultimste source of author
| icy. Her doctrine Is. authority to govern men
| Is mediately derived from God, and her children
| are instructed to yield obedience to the
state in all matters within the domain Of the
civil pc wer, because in SO doing they obey the
authority of God, and the State must be dis
| obeyed when its commands infringe the law of
God.
Catholics believe this doctrine is essential
| to the maintenance of society and liberty
They believe that society would relapse into
Paganism, and Christianity become exiting
uished If the new philosophical ideas should
prevail. They zee that already public opinion
as we'll as pnblic interests, have ceased to be
Christian in Europe.
They see that a religion which teaches us to
obey God rather than men will get no more
mercy from these modern psgans than il did
from the Roman Emperors, aud that the per-
secution is justified the pagan principle,
that no religion sheuld be allowed to exist
which does not profess it's existance and au-
thority dependent on the State.
They see that if the Catholic Church were
not to day, all men would accept accomplished
facts and bow before whatever succeeds.
Others besides Catholics recognize the social
Importance of the Church to the modern
world.
Herr Won Kirchmann, who, though not q
Christian, is profound statesman, says:
Human society cannot do without the prin
ciple of authority, of obedience, of respect for
law, any more than it can do without the prin-
ciple of individual freedom; and now that the
family has been showed into the back ground,
thority, only one great institution, and that is
the Christian Churches, and above all the
Catholic Church.
1.-THE Roman Catholic Church alone must be
considered the true mother of respect for au-
thority.
"She does not admit the individual to de-
eide in matters of faith and discipline, and
she most perfectly realizes the essence of reli-
gion which cannot proceed from the individ-
ual but must have it's source in the command
ments of God. 1t ought not to be de-
MED that this repression of individual self de-
termination, ana this fostering of obedience,
may be carried too far, and to some extent
has, in the Catholic Church, been exaggerated
as in civil society the cultivation of iDdlvidu al
freedom, and the repression of authority have
produced an opposite excess; bat precisely
through the interaction of these extremes will
the true mean be- obtained, and therefore
ought the State to seek in the Catholic Church
that powerful institution which alone, by viz
tue of her whole organization, is able to ward
off the dangers which threaten society from
the exaggeration of the principle of individual
freedom.
"But to do this the Church must be left in
the possession of her constitution, as it has
heretofore existed, and the State consequently
should not interfere with her external powers
any further than it's own existence demands.
In this respect the principle of indi vidua free
dom, which pervsdea all modern life, Is 80
powerful an auxiliary of the State bat no fear
of the influence of the Church need be felt, of
which u little too much is far less dangerous
to society than too little.
These are considerati ndeed which are
not IN harmony with the programme of modern
liberalism, and will therefore have but little
weight with those who swim with the current
of the time; nevertheless if we look around
us, we perceive many evidences of the instinct
i've feeling of human society that in the Cath
Ollie Church may be found protection for the
harmony of social life which now no longer
exists elsewhere.
"Only in bhis way can We explain the rapid
growth of the Catholic Church in her strictly
hierarchal constitution in America and the in
creasing Catholic movement in England, to.
gether with the efforts of the established
church TO draw nearer to the Cath Ole; and
had it not to contend against historical remiu-
iscences, which in England are more vivid
than elsewhere
"Similar reasons influence the Government
of France to seek rather to strengthen than to
weaken the power of the Church and In this
matter the urbelieving Theirs has not acted
other wise than the religious MacMahon.
After the principle of authority had been
shaken by revolutions, and an unhappy war in
France more than in any other country, the
| people knew not where to seek help, except in
| the fostering of religion and the support of
| the Catholic Church.
Like grounds prevent Italy aud Austria
from coming to an open rupture with the
| Church they prefer to yield somewhat in the
| execution of the laws, rather than suffer them
selves to be deprived of her Indispensable aid.
Similar tendencies exist In the other German
| governments, and also among the rich and
| powerful families of Germany and Prussia.
| Every where, even where these families are not
| adherents of the Catholic faith, they feel that
this Church is fortress against the anarchy of
individual freedom, which should be defended
and not destroyed. The members of these fami-
| laa ara not hind to the defects of the Church