The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-01-28
TIE PERSECUTION IN PRUSSIA.
Gondon Universe, Jan. ~

| london Universe, Jan. ~
| No priest in Prussia is allowed to per
| form any clerical action outside his own
| parish so that in many cases in which
parish is ibereRved of its shepherd the
| faithful are deprived of every assistance.
Sometimes this scandalous law is evaded,
and q case of this kind is reported by the
hObLeREer P0lksseituDtg in the following
words:
MosELwEIss, December 20.-Yesterday after
noon funeral procession seen leaving
this place Instead of betaking itself to the
cemetery usual, it took the direction of
Koblsrz. At the boundary stone of our parish
the proc ession halted. At the same moment o
priest from koblenz appeared, and stopping
close TO the boundary, and standing On the
ground Of his own parish, he performed the
ecclesiastical benediction OF the body which
| belonged to the bereaved parish of Mosel weiss
We have heard of the boundary betw e en-
two German States passing through ba-
ker's oven, so that his bread was kneaded
in one State and baked in the other. But
such n thing as celebrating n funeral ser
vice at the boundary line of two parishes,
80 "a to evade an absurd law, is perfectly
new and decidedly worchy OF Imitation.
They have strange way in Prussia of
making prisoners pay for their own keep
Last year the Coadjutor bishop of Posen,
Mgr. Cybicho@ski, was kept in duress for
nine months for having done what the
Church wanted him to do, aud what did
maIck. Scarcely had be got out of prison
when q demaDd note was presented TO him
for the amount of e. 9s. cad. for "cost of
imprisonment" (HattkOsten). To this the
prelate made DO objection on princi pie, but
having had his salary stopped by the
Prussian Government, he declared that he
conld not afford the luxury of nine month";
prison out OF his private means. The OBJ
tuse provincial government were about to
distrain Mgr. Cy h!chowski's property when
an anonymous benefactor paid the amount
into the Gnesen Court, and the bailiffs
were sent about their business, or rather
away from their business.
The "hread- basket law" by which the
stipends of all Catholic priests are stopped
save of those who prevaricate, and give
Mammon the preference of God-has had
this one beneficial effect of dra wing out the
innate energies Of the Catholic people, and
rendering the clergy practically indepen
dent of the powers tnaS be in the State. A
splendid example of this kind was given
quite recently at Cologne. The vicar gen
eral of that archdiocese, Mgr. Bandri, was
turned out of his official residence for re-
fusing to give in his adhesion to the "May
Laws" Thereupon lady of his congre-
cation placed house at his free disposal,
which had until then been let for G240 per
annum-a very high rent for Germany
adding that if he could find q moro conve-
nIent residence near the cathedral she
would pay the rent for him up to the
amount named. This is genuine practical
Christianity, which beats all the languid
twaddle of Exeter Hall to atoms.
Polish priests give the Prussian Govern
ment great deal more trouble by their
absence than they did during their pres
euce. There is one more especially, Dean
Rzezniewski of Jarocin, who has inflicted
no end of distress on the police. Some
time ago this ecclesiastic committed an
ton which is unlawful in the eyes of the
Prussian rnlers, but very lawful and very
legitimate in the eyes of the Church-he
accommodated a renegade called Kubec
Yak. Ever since then Dean Rzezuiewski
has been "wanted," and Knowing as he did
that his prosecutors wonId be sure to send
him to prison, he took time by the fore!ook
by literally making himself scarce, for
every now and then he appears N his
parlsa chnrch, celebrates divine service,
and then disappearS agar. OF late Il
search was made by Il Q police in the man
ejUn of Count Typzkiew!'Z, which resulted
in tiUding Mrssal and cane balonniDg
TO the delinquent, bat Of til. Delinquent
t.imscit not u trace was found. In this
wy rhey go on making noodles of thrm-
So