Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-01-24
CATHOLICS OF GERMANY.
Letter from the PIenaT Council Recently I'm
Session ut Baltimore.
lBy telegraph to the Dlspatch.l

Letter from the Plennry Council Recently In
Session at Baltimore.
lBy telegraph to the Dispatch.l
BALTIMORE, Nd, January 23.-The
following letter issued by the Plenary
Council recently in session in Baltimore
has just been made public. The letter
has been kept secrettill this time, till all
danger of the original being stopped by
the German Government in transmits
sion has passed. Its publication has
already been prohibited. 1t is as fol-
lows:
TO the most reverend and most es-
teemed archbishops and bishops Of
North Germany the archbishops and
bishops of the United States send greet
ing and praise, love and honor. What
we have felt singly, scattered as we are
over this broad land, during this decen-
mum towards you in the very depths of
our soul, we wish now, assembled in
the third Plenary Council OF Balti-
more. to declare aloud. Your
mcritorious suflerings, "wherein you
endured great fight" have
filled us with grief and sympathy, but
your steadfast patience by which you
were made I" a spectacle to the world,
and to angels and to men," inspired us
with no less joy and admiration. You
were ready to become martyrs of Christ;
you have become in reality confessors
of the faith, for which unequalled cour-
age you have borne all the injustices
that were inflicted on yourselves
and your beloved hocks-calumnies
and threats, robbery and persecu-
ton, Imprisonment and exile. In
truth, "your sound hath gone
unto all the earth and your words
unto the end of the world" and these
words were words of grief and COM
plant at unreasonable trespasses
against the rights of the Church-the
sacriligious proclamation of the temples
snatched from the true worship of
God the closing of schools, colleges,
seminares, and other institutions of
Christian charity; the harassment of
religious orders and the imprison-
ment of the clergy, the unayail-
ing demands of the faithful for
the word of God even at the hour Of
death, words Of strength and unanimity,
for everywhere and always, before the
kings and princesses and peoples of the
", Ia,ra ranparrnnnzlxr 1nfan1-
ed the rights and privileges of the
Church. quailing before no one and yield
ing only to brute force. . = These.
your splendid words and examples, have
from the beginning Of the painful strug-
gle produced the most salutary fruits.
for to them is chiefly due that admi-
rable fidelity of your flocks and that in
vincible steadfastness of your priests.
Had even one of You allowed himselfto
be ensnared by the wiles and seductions
of your enemies or terrified by their
threats and deeds Of violence. what a JOY
it would have been to your opponents.
what sorrow to the children of the
faith
But, on the contrary, you have de-
feated the aims of the enemy and shown
to the world as clear as day that you
are genuine apostles of truth and JUS
tice, and that the Church of Christ is
the most solid basis of worldly power
and the safest breast-work Of civil So
ciety. Permit us, honored brethren,
the glory and the model of the episco-
pacy, worthy successors Of Clements,
August, and Martinus, to weep with
you in your sorrows and rejoice with
you in your joys. At no time in this
decennium have you been without joy.
But now it seems at last that your
sorrow shall be turned into joy"
Many Of your churches, robbed of their
shepherds, have changed the mourning
robes of their widowhood for the bright
wedding garment. Two of your num-
Der. from the obscurity of Punishment,
have returned again to the clear light of
day and of love.
Those Of you whom the precious
death of the saints has not yet admit
ted to the vision of the Lord. and who
are not kept away by glorious exile,
have gathered around the grave of the
immortal apostle of Germany, who
himself, it is true, was martyred with
the Gospel in his hand, but who can
never be conquered in his followers.
Your inyincible frmnesS has shown
clearly once more that :" the Church
oppressed is the Church vic
tOriOus"; that sit would be easier
TO extinguish the sun than
to destroy the Church." May
your JOY soon be perfect May the
mighty ones of the earth, overcome by
your steadfastness, and guided by bet
ter advisers, recall entirely those most
unfortunate laws which were the cause
Of your conflict and the foundation of
your sorTows! May the priests and
the people continue to hear your voice,
follow your counsel, to initiate your ex-
ample, so that at last perfect peace and
perfect freedom be restored to your
Church May it be granted to you for
many years to come, - before the price
less throne of heavenly joy is set upon
your heads" to rule your iiocks with that
liberty wherewth Christ has made us
free. so that we are not the children of
the bond-woman, but of the free, with
that freedom which we here enjoy to
the great advantage and blessing of the
State, not less than Of the Church.
Peace be to you. BE pleased then,
honored brethren, to accept this testi-
mony of our love and admiration which
springs from our very hearts.
(Signedl JAMES GIBBONS,
of Baltimore, Apostolic
DpleCate