The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1911-12-25
GRANT FREEDOM
OF RELIGION TO
RUSSIAN PEOPLE
Council OF Empire Passes Bill 1t
Has KeptIn Committees
For Years
SUBJECTS MAY CHANGE CREEDS
Notice Is Required To Be Given
Except In Cases OF
Illness

st. Petersburg. December PA
more progressive attitude has been
exhibited by the. Council of Empire
at its present session by the passage
Of the bin for religious freedom
which it has kept in the committee
stage for over three years.
Though the measure issue from the
Council Of Empire in shape greatly
differing from the version passed by
he Duma, and with amendments
limiting somewhat the operation OF
the principle of equality of religions
It is greatly recognized that that
principle has been satisfactorily sus-
tanned by the upper chamber. The
dill embodies in fit legislative form
this principle Of equality of religions
or Of liberty of conscience, as pro-
claimed by imperial manifesto on
April 80, 1905, which was the fore.
runner of the October manifesto
The object of the manifesto was
to remove the administrative ban UP
m conversations from Orthodoxy =
he state religion of Russia-to other
| Christian sects, Thirty to forty
thousand Russians in the pro.
vinees of Kazan, Simbrisk and Penza
returned from Christianity to Mo-
| 1amadanism and other beliefs In vir-
ne of the right granted by the mani
festo. Nearly half million ex-
| Catholics and ex-Uniates Omitted
| Creeks who had joiued the state
church under compulsion, at various
periods of violent classification, re-
turned to the fold of the Catholic
hurch in virtue of the same right,
md liberty of passing from one de-
nomination to another was taken
'dyantage OF by all who had felt OPP
oressed in their religious convictions
The bill deals only with the pas
age from one Christian confession to
another. or from non-Christian one
1t ignores the possibility of back
sliding from Christianity, tacitly
leading in force, however. the para
graph Of the manifesto giving such
unwilling Christians chance to es-
ape from it. AS the paragraphs; oil
he Criminal Code imposing a penalty
'or objections from Orthodoxy were
'epealed in 1906. the, situation leayes
my Russian subject free to follbw
his religious Ideas, though the state
lakes cognnizance to any one of the
constituted Christian congregations
To include practically any form
If Orthodox, Catholic or Protestant
ion-conformitr. the only require
nent being that tle believers shall
compose a faongregatlon organized
md duly registered by the provincial
authorities and thus, empowered to
keep mefrtfal books &lregisterS Iof
births, marriages, /, and deaths ],
amendments p1'sidinga that DE
tate shall register conversions from
hristiBnity to ole aof the non-C CHRIS
tian religions We're rejected 10y the
Council She yieh,'xascA obtained
support wsssthf qae sb9tding that
Russia is cRststiap country which
can tolerate detection from the ranks
5fChristianity, but ran not acknowl-
adge them N f~ s6s 81,
The bill recognizes the 1itfestfiSt-
ed right Of religious adherence only
FOR persons OF age. Forty days must
lapse after tho formal declaration OF
change OF adhcrance from one
church to another before it can take
effect. but this term may be disre-
garded in the case of persons stricken
with serious Illness Article five of
the measure expressly declares that a
person passing from one religion.
confession or creed to another does
not suffer on that account any re-
strietion or limitation of his or her
personal or civil and political RICHES
before the law A reactionary
amendment tending to deprive de-
serters from Christianity of the right
of holding state office. acquired or Ia.
herited rank, and OF exercising the
right Of jury, as well as active and
passive ELECTORAL right, was rejected
by an overwhelming majority of the
Council.
The most important provisions OIL
the bill deal with the religious adher-
once Of persons under age. Children
upder fourteen remain In the church
where they were baptized, unless
roth parents or the single llvingl
nfrent masses from one sect to AMI
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