The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-08-18

growth of the Roman Church in Ger
many Pope Plus dogma, of infallibil-
ity had been promulgated during the
war, and its exact pontifical Importance
had not then been gagged Gladstone
in England, Richard Thompson in this
| country. and others elsewhere had put
out. or were preparing, books protest
! ing against the dogma, and declaring
| it a menace to the world. Bismarck S
contribution to the literature that grew
up around the Vatican Council was the
series of enactments against the
Church of Rome in Prussia
In July 1872, the Jesuits were ordered
to leave the country. Then in May,
1873. came the laws that made DR.
FaIk famous for time; and with them
began the so-called Kulturkampf. The
laws required candidates for clerical
Office to undergo a certain amount of
secular training at the German unlVer-
stiles, and that appointments to eccle-
siastical posts be approved by the sec
ular authorities: they provided royal
tribunal for ecclesiastical matters, and
imposed fines and other penalties on
persons who did not obey them. Later
when it was found that the laws had
no effect on the priests. who were urged
and directed by Pope Plus TX to disre-
gard them, the bread basket law was
passed, stopping the stipends of all
clergymen who did not obey the law.
Archbishop Ledochowsk of Posen
was the first martyr of the laws named
after DR.. Falk; in October, 1878, he was
fined for threatening to eXcommunicate
a professor in a college in his diocese.
He was imprisoned on Feb. 8, 1874, de
prived of his Archdiocese in April by
the state. and released on Feb. 8. 1876,
when he was created Cardinal. Arch
bishop Melchers was convicted of sedi-
ton in having instituted priests with
out the permission of the government.
In seven months four ArchbishOps,
seven Bishops, 100 priests in the do |
cese of Cologne alone, had been de- !
prived or expelled; and the parishes |
were plunged into chaos, especially in |
the diocese of Cologne. Newspapers |
were suppressed. theological professors |
were dismissed, religious services were |
church revenues were i'm
pounded. schools We're shut, religious
were interrupted, as mar
riages were legal only before civil Off
GERS; funerals were stopped. In seven
there were 476 vacant parishes.
The war lasted for some years. 1t
reached it's height about 1876, when the
Pope refused to receive Cardinal Ho-
henlohe as German Ambassador at his
Court. When he heard of this refusal,
uttered his famous threat.
we shall not go to Canossa,' allud-
ng to the repentance and supplication
IF Henry ", German Emperor. in 1876.
eight hundred years before, when he
stood for three days in the snow be-
ore the Pope's door. begging forgive
less and peace from Gregory VII.
In 1873 died Pope Plus TX, and Leo
XIII succeeded to the throne of the
Fisherman. Within a short time unof-
icial negotiations were begun by both
and the Pope; but there was
10 visible reconciliation. On January
o, 1879. however. DIR. Falk resigned his
'lace in the ministry; and on February
4. 1880, Leo XIII wrote to the Arch
bishop of Cologne, advising him to sub ]
nit to the government the names of
'riests whom he desired to institute {
That same year the May or Falk laws s
we're partially suspended, and in 1881, {
With the approval of the Prussian gov I
DR.. Felix Korum was apoint- t
d Bishop of Treves. In 1882 diplomatic {
Citations were renewed between the t
Tatican and Prussia. a
Meantime, DR.. Windhorst, leader Of i
ne Clerical party, had become Minis
ar of Public Worship, and in July 1883, t
ne obnoxious laws were partly sus- \
ended. On December 8, 1884 certain t
abuses were repealed absolutely The G
riddle of summer, 1886, saw conven- t
on agreed on by Prussia and the Vat O
an, and in March, 1887, the entire Sc
es of laws was removed from the
-atute books, Bismarck had reached
anossa.
He had gone there more in appear
nee than in reality. The Falk laws had
ayed their part, and the cause which :,
illed them into being no longer ex- T
ted. No one in 1887 considered the doc
inc of infallibility as of more than &c :
esiastical Importance; the result of :,
lie war with France had destroyed it's =
)litical force. None the less, however, =.
lie Prussian Prime Minister had gone u
Canossa. IL
Bismarck is dead, the FaIk laws are W
rgotten; and now the catspaw, who W
d the work for the Man of Blood and HI
on, has followed his old leader The W
me of twenty-five years ago has pass
]. and the sponsor for the famous laws re
es almost unnoticed Oh
5000 a: