The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-05-13
THE PERSECUTION IN TRKYEs.
Iondon Tablet. April ItI

persecution, published by us this week
naturally calls for some remark. TIL
number of these persons is SO large, an
the severity of their punishment is so grea
in proportion to the pettiness of the of
fences, that we cannot bnt see in the pro
ceedings Tesolute determination on th
part of the Government to cripple il
every way the action of the Cathol
Church. But that which fills US with as
tonisIment ls not merely that clergymei
and others are fined, imp isoned d, banIshcd
their goods seized, their furniture sold by
public auction, the salary owing to then
seqUestered, and their hearts broken and
lives cut shoIt by worry and imprison
| ment, but that tho courts OF Europe, Ca
| thollc IA well as Protestant, look on with
perfect indifference, and offer not by means
of their Ambassadors, one word of remons
| trance. If the case were reversed, nay, il
| Catholics in any country in Europe per
| secuted Protestants with one tenth OF
| the bitter injustice now exercised in Ger
! many, there world arise one universal cry
of indignation from Cabinets, the Press,
public meetings, and every other organ by
which public opinion is expressed. Not only
were the Falk Laws in themselves odious
and ntoerabie, tut the execution of them
| is carried out with Systematic cruelty. 1t
is enough that priest should offend the
magistrates or the Old. Catholics,n that
he should express his mind in a sermcn on
the legislation of the day, that he should
allow another priest or curate to say Mass
if he happens to be out of favor with the
authorities, or that q laymau should CRY
!" hurrab !" when his pastor is liberated
from prieOn, or should write an article in
a newspaper which the officials of Prince
Bismark consider adverse to bis policy-it
is enough that these trivial transgressions
be committed to expose the offender 10 be-
ing torn from his home, his family, his
mr. ion L. Na,~, I
windy hole, where his soul bits the dust,
and his body pines and withers away with
disease Should this state of things
some years more, it is evident
that tho Catholic religion will be nigh ex-
trpated from the Empire OF Germany. Oae
Bishops see after another will become va
cant, and one parish after another will be !
Deprived Gifts pastor young men will not
devote themselves u the priesthood under |
the tyrnunica! conditions imposed by the |
present GOvernment; secularIsm will Per |
vert macy Catholics and Beduce them from |
their allegiance to .he Church by speaious
promises Of promotion and rewards of en-.
pInH iaentin The civil aud military admiLis- |
trat!on colleges, schools, ard universities
VIII be more and more luft sted b. intidel |
professors; and tho vast successors of
German arms AID imperial sway will, like |
tn" triumPhs and splendor OF Queon Eliza, |
beth 4 reign, cooperate powerfully in &C |
com piishipg the work of apostasy. A spur
ous form of Catholicism is at hand to |
second the policy of the Government and |
% preach the popular doctrine Of submis. |
zion, even in ecclesiastical matters, to the |
will of the State. The heir-apparent to tie |
hrone is said to be animated by the free |
linking principles which married. the
character of Frederic the Great, aud this |
nay, or may not, dispose him to modify |
he policy of persecution which his father
las sanctioned. But though invested With |
he Imperial purple, he will probably have
10 more real power in the State than a
king, for the Government of
Germany, though more monarchical than
hat OF England, is nevertheless parlia-
nentarian, and the msj jority of the electors
must prevail in every vital question.
Tie example held out by Germany is, with
1ut any doubt, encouraging to the Cabinet of |
Victor Emmanuel, in it's war against reli-
yiOn, aud Germany and Italy mutually sup.
bort one another In fierce opposition to the |
Holy See. If we were in Berlin instead of in I
london We should not dare to write as we
ire now writing, for within @ few hours
after the publication of our article we
should certainly be arrested. Brave hearts
here are among the Catholics of Prussia,
out bravery itself is often cowed by the
lopelessness of resistance to = we'll organ.
zed and gigantic power. The ruthless
,Onquerers of humiliated France will brook
10 opposition to their iniQuitOus laws.
whatever sympathy they and the rest Of
europe have shown of late with the cause
If oppressed Christians has been displsyed
lot towards the Catholics who consCitu to
ourteen millions of the subjects of the
emperor, but towards the schism atical
Ireeka under the rule of Turkey. But
hOugh these are subjected, no doubt. to
occasional outbreaks, and violence of a
evere character, we may safely eflr rm that
hey enjoy much more freedom than the
catholics of Germany in the exercise of
heir religion.
The assault made on the Catholic religion
a the Teuton provinces is the more deadly
4 consequence of the highly intellectual
heracter of the German people. 1t springs
ON deeper design and more set pur.
ose. 1t is aided from without by a Ii beral
ress aud by numberless publications issu-
g from learned, thoughtful, and, unfortu-
tely, free. thinking minds. Nowhere has
fidelity cast deeper roots than in German
vi, ana this makes the compulsory atteD-
Auce of Catholic students for the priest
pod at the public Universities the more
angerous to their faith and morals.