The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-03-17
ROME AND Russia.
N. Mo1ld. March 10.

If it is true that Pope Leo XIII. has irstruc-
ted his Cardinal Secretary Of State to open
negotiations with R-ss.a for renewal OF dip
lomatio relations between that empire and the
Holy See, the Vatican has already made seri-
ous departure from the policy OF Plus TX. One
of the last acts of the late Pontif was to otify
Prince Onronssoff, through the Cardinal Seq
retary of State that all relations between the
Apostolic See and Ruesia had been pnt an end
to by the gross disrespeot with which the
Russian Government thoaght TIT TO treat the
memorial addressed by order OF the Pope 80
Prince Gortechakof on this subject of the
Catholics in Russia and their political situa-
ton. That memorial, having been kept by
Prince OuToussoff for fortnight, was returned
without any answer to Cardinal Simeoni. This
certainly Was direct an iusnlt as conld well
be Offered by one government 10 another, eno
it is surprising that the Vat can even under s
new Pontif should have made the first
ad vance to power ly which 1t had been go
contumeiously dealt " ith
The Papa memorial, 1T IS true, WIS retner
pan-spoken, as it recited without much clr-
cumtncution the story of zoe oppresstons which
the Catholic SUBJECTS of the Gar had under.
gone ever since Nicholas ], issneo his decree OF
November 80, 1cA3, putting the Catholic semi,
naries under the charge of the Russian civil
authorities, both in regard to their disclP pine
and their curriculum of studies. In spite of the
copcordat of 1S47, the Catholic Bishops have
beer forbidden for many ears to give religious
instruction elsewhere than in their CHURCHES,
W while the parish Priests are prohibited from
using any books of religious instruction save
those authorized and published by the Govern
| ment, and compelled to submit oil sheir dis
courses on doctrine to the governors OF the
provinces, who order the Bishops to give their
| episcopal sanction to any modihcations the
| governors may see fl to make. By the okase of
! January 8, 1862, all ecclesiastical disputes aud
difficulties within the body of the Catholic
| Church in Russia must be decided and settled
| not by the Bishops but by OWL mixed com
mission in which the Greek Church Predomi:
| mates and in accordance with the PROVISIONS OF
the penal code OF Russia.
By tho uksse of December %, 1865, the whole
of the Church property in Russia was taken
possession of by the State. which gave the
clergy an allow anoe charged upon the poblic
funds of Russia, and transferred the power OF
sppointing local priests from the bishops to
the Commission Of Worship. In the same year
1865, the Governor of Warsaw issue an edioI
forbiddug the Catholic clergy. on pain of ex
pulsion, to bap.ize children born of mixed mar
riages, ever at the request OF both parents
and making it a penal offense to receive into
the Catholic Church any person who had eve
taken the comm moniop. even once. under th'
Greek rite. BY an ukase OF N9Vemoer' Ie'o
the Catholic clergy were forbidden 30 confess
stran gers from parishes other thnD their owl
without written certificate from the civi
authorities that the penttent belonged to th
Catholic Church. Reciiing in addition {
these special grievances the etory OF the eE
pusion cf the Catholic bishops of I4nir ant
j wilma, OF the Archbishop CT warsaw and an,
other ecclesiastics, and of the forcible conveH
o sion of the Catholic oocese of Chelm into
Greek epsrcbia in 1875, the Poutif earnestl
q called upon the Government of the Emperu
| TO mOQliy tn9 severity Win "HlCu inc HoIk
''unifyipg Russia" has been and is carried o
> wherever the Catholic Church has q foothol
l | in his dominione. What reason the new Pop
II may have for hoping that a more oonsidersr
4. ear will be turned to him than to his predt
o oessor remains to be seen. But now that RuI
t. sia stands before the world in the attitude {
% the successful liberator of the Christians i
d Turkey it will be interesting to watch he
! | course towards all those members of the Chrit
- tian Church who ars unluoky enough to hav
% been brought under her political sway with
70 out at the same time suddenly apprehendin
= aad embracing the special standards of Cbrit
tian truth maintained by her with such e1
Q emplary and unrelentinK rigOr.