The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1876-11-12
HOW RUSSIA PROTECTS THE CHRIS
TTAN,

The government of st. Petersburg strike
the attitude of protector of the Christians
and is willing even to drive Europe int
the most bloody war propably that hal
ever been witnessed in order, forsooth, thai
the Greek Christians may be relieved from
the rule of the cursed Mussulmau. While
in Selvia ard Bulgaria it demands from the
| Porte liberty of cOnecience, and more fo,
the Greek schiRmatics, whose cause it es
pouses as cloak for its real objects, in
Poland, where it is ruler, it persecutes Ca
| thoiicism in every form which fanatic la
tired can suggest. The DzienniE Polski oil
September 10 publishes an imperial decree
instituttEg u lew "ffice in the Church in
| those provinces of Poland which are under
Russian rule. This officer is to be called q
visitor of parishes, whose duty will be to
bring the Catholic clergy under the autho
rlty OF the civil Governor, to encourage
schlsme, to play the spy generally, to re-.
Ecompense apostates, aud puuieh faithful
priests. The text of the decree is as fol-
lows:
There shall be instituted in each province
two visitors of Catholic churches, whose
duty it will be to assist the chiefs of dio-
ceses in the admi aistration Of the church es
OF the province. They shall be selected
from the Der of thoee priests who strive
to introduce the use of the Russian Ian
gUage in the ecclesiastical ceremonies and
preaching, with the consent of the Cover
nor and the sanction of the Minister of the
Interior. Each visitor shall receive, in ad-
Gltlon to his ordinary allowance, 500 roub es
annually, and shall be allowed four post
horses. The duties of visitor are as fol.
COWS:
L. AT least twice a year he shall visit
each church and chapel in his circumscrip
tion, making in it cauonical inspection and
verifying the accounts; he shall have re-
gard to the use of the Russian language ID
the fDnptinna and
maintaining it wherever it may be already
introduced, and eXerting himself to the ut
mort to introduce it wherever it is not yet
used. The visitor shall always advise the
governor of his intention to visIt any
chngch.
, During his visit he shall perform
some junction III every church, and shall
preach sermon using the Russian language
IN both Cases. He shall watch carefully
the impression such function shall produce
on the minds of the faithful, and in case it
should he favorable where rot already in.
trOduced he shall propose the introd action
of the Russian language.
8. He shall pay particular attention to
the junior clergy, organists, etc., and in
case of legitimate quarrels between them
and their chief, see that they ere accorded
protection and justice.
a. He shall examine with all figor into
the morality and manners of thought of the
clergy, informing without delay the COVER
nor of any case that may call for the exer-
else of his Authority.
S. For the purpose of raising the stand
ard of morality among the clergy, he may
establish annual spiritual exercises in con-
formity with the canons; he shall advise the
governor of the place and time of these ex-
ercies and the name of the priests summon
ed to attend them.
6. The visitor shall notice the interior
aspect of the churches which lie visits,
particularly those where the language is
used, and shall report to the governor what
ever he thinks is wanting to make an ap-
pearance of becoming decency.
z. When his visit is ended he shall pre-
pare his copy in duplicate, one copy he
shall hand to the chief of the diocese, the
other to the governor of the province.
8. He shall settle all contests OF disa-
greements between pastors and curates or
between priests and organists and such, and
ehall inform the chief of the diocese and
the governor of all such that may come
under his notice.
8. The visitor will be allowed to request
of the governor that pu bile processi6ns be
permitted in parishes where the Russian Ian
guage is used, but ench shall be held at his
responsibility, and the pastor shall be re-
sponslble for the maintenance of order,
and that there be no Polish spoken or used
during such procession.
10 The visitor may recommend recon-
pense or subsidies to priests who signalize
Themselves by their zeal for the introduce
tiOn of the Russian, and removal or pun
ishment of such as oppose themselves to it.
IL. The dean of the locality visited shall
accompany the visitor 10 his tour of inspec-
tion and pastors ehall receive him with ap
propriate ceremony.
l2. The visi; or will see to it that churches
where the Russian Language is used are
we'll supple d with all books necessary for
the conduct of divine service in that Ian
guAge
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