The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-05-27
MofnIar Star and Catholic ''essen1er.
THW oeLEANs, SUNDAY. MAY 81. 1877.

taken 1TOW buO hu0 VI y oshOA
will be found particularly interesting at thi
epoch;
Joaephisr, the most stupid, but not the leas
danoerons. combination of errors that eve.
preyed upcn the vitals Of the Churob, was
everywhere rampant.
had been publishing heretical aud schismati-
cal works under the pseudonym Of Justin
Eebr0nius These alterations Of diseased
mind were known collectively % Febronian-
of history almost rs soon as one recognizes
;ss mora salient eharaoteristics. Its miser-
able author died, fully penitent, in 1890, bat
his repentance came too late TO undo the
evils which his perversity had wrought. His
numerous published "Retractions" are full of
the cloudiness and stratagems of o man natu-
Judgment fully to the recognised teachings of
the Church, was proud to say, II am Catho-
lic," whereas he was not Catholic. 1t cannot
be questioned that the beretical works OF
constituted like that of Joseph II "a prince
who, instead of attending to the good govern
ment of his many states, amused himseiI Dy
introducing such Innovations in ecclesiastical
and oonventual discipline SO gradually rem
dered superdaous the episcopal, and even Inc
pontifca1, Office. As reformer he would
brook no control, would suffer no 1nteriefene &c;
Converts were suppressed, monastic and
other church revenues seized and approprl-
ated, religious houses forbidden to receive
novices, confraternites abolished by formal
busy body so far exceed the legitimate power
of the civil authority that g parallel can be
found only in the most t5rannical days OF
Henry VIII. Joseph was less given to blood
shed-that was about the chief difference be.
tween the imperial sacristans and his royal
prototype. The Tudor at least loved meg
nifcsnoe. especially if it could be had with
out depicting the ROYAL pocket; the un'
worthy son OF Maria Theresa went SO far as
TO limit the number of candles to be burnt
during the holy Sacrifice. His uncalled- for
to religion that the Pope himself determined
to visit his unruly "son" at Vienna, and
actually went thither in the debth Of the
winter of 1882. His Holiness remained seve-
raj weeks, during which Ee bad the conso'
lation of being able to ameliorate, bnt only
to very partial extent, the deplorable re-
ligious condition of the country.
The evil which shs monarch contrived to
accomplish did not die with him. He'made
himself the senseless tool of the scots and
the philosophers who attacked the Church,
which seemed the easiest power to over
throw. but whose aim, IS has sipce been
proved, was the destruction of all law and
order. One cannot help reverting to the fact
that the youngest sister OF this very prince
the beautiful but unfortunate Marie Antoi-
nette, owed her tragic fate to the class OF mis-
creants her brother loved to encourage.
The same unhappy princess refused In her
last extremity the ministrations of constl-
tutional priest it being the great aim of her
brother, the object on which he spent-or
rather misspent-his best energies, to make
0lk DEle9t9 CO06uGu6lOn&L Even hi6
sojourn at Vienna the Holy Father was Obliged
to address a strong remoustrance, IN form OF
brief to Matthias, Bishop of Beunn, IN
Moravia, Clements native country, against
some of the abuses his Holiness had come
to Germany to correct-notably the unau-
thorized dispensing of regulars from the
vows of their respective orders. This prief,
written with apostolic fear.essuess tempered
by the sIeetness and condes cension which
Pins vi. carried aim ost to extremes, proves
that the miserable innovations of Josephlsm
~ 81 10 Ofnnt nE
empire
The Josephin6 Institutions proclaimed by this
potentate were y mildsr form of Protestant
lam. He interfered illegally with bishoprics,
Summaries, impediments to marriage, oivotoe.
He was nos exactly an iconoclast he did not
break the sacred images, bnt he ordered thelr
removal from churches. He protected every
free-tbinking theologian who confirmed his
mission to destroy by rebellion against Rome,
and thus all but annibilsted Catholicism in
Germany. The very year of the Papal visit
to Vienna he permitted, with discourtesy
which, fortunately, is nos common among
royal or imperial personages, the publication
of an insulting work against the Catnolic
belief regarding the Roman Pontih, entitled
QGid est Papa by EybeI; an ex proie. sor OF
ing his studies. Every one knows toho and
sCkat the Pope is. but the popular mind is in
dense ignorance as to tcho anc 'ohat Sypel %asi
and even the most cultivated of my readers
may encounter his insignificant name Tor Cne
first time in these pages.
The religions novelties-thsy were ratneF
6TreIi1iOus in themselves and in their tenden-
cies2enforced by the court of Vienna were
attempted with more or less success in every
Catholic country in Europe, save those aotu-
oily under persecution for tho faith, as
Ireland, where the Penal Code was applied
With sc Oh diabolioal vigor that in this very
century a Chief Justice officially stat. that
1.-The laws did not presume parisS to exist in
the kingdom of ireland"
This book is replete with instruction oon-
veyed in the most pleasing style. Itspsrkles
with anecdote, bright thoughts and happy
illustrations. AS tho Catholic World says,
''Hofbauer is fortunate in bis tiographer, whose
clever pen seems peculiarly adapted to style
of literary work than which there is mono
more pleasing and usefnl." The benevolent
authoress donates the entire profits for the
support of the Orphans ef St. AlphoDsus'
Asylum, which is now completely out of funds
for the maintenance of these poor children.
Therefore, thousands of this great work-the