The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-12-30
RUSSIAN INTOLERANCE.

I In this issue our special CORE
spondent cites instances Of the in
tolerable persecution to which
Catholics in Russia are subjected
by the Government. In previous
letter he dealt at some length on
the adverse conditions under
which the Church is endeavoring
to carry on her work in the Rus
sian Empire. The tyranny to
which she is subjected is Of long
standing and there are few indi-
cations that a brighter day is
about to dawn for her children in
that land. But in spite Of these
prosecutions many orthodox Rus
slams have come back to the
church Of their forefathers and
have borne indignity and insult
with martyr-like fortitude. Every
effort is made to ALLEVIATE the Rus
sian Catholics from their alle4
glance to the Holy See and the
Government officials are ever
ready to interpose. their authority
to prevent any official communica-
ton in regard to purely church
affairs taking place between the
Holy Father and his prosecuted
children.
The London Tablet commenting
of the conditions that surround the
i Church in the realm Of the Car
says: Russian ideas of the tolera-
ton Of Catholics are certainly pecu-
THAR. Notwithstanding the princip-
les of liberation, always loudly pro-
claimed, there still exists law
j art. II Of the Laws concerning
Foreign Religious Persuasions) in
virtue Of which no Catholic,
/. whether of the clergy or the laity,
may in any way hold communica-
ton with the Holy See otherwise
than through the Ministry Of
Foreign Affairs. The Russian
Government has its own official
in Rome, who serves as inter-
mediary between the Catholics
and the Pope. The same article
declares that no decree, constitu-
| ton, rescript, or letter of the Pope
is legal in Russia unless it has
first received the Imperial sane
ton, after the Government has ex-
amined whether the said act Of the
Holy See agrees with the existing
laws Of the Empire. 1t has thus
been forbidden to Bishops to re-
ceive and publish some most inn
portant Papal decisions of recent
times e., g., the Encyclical con-
demning Modernism, the decision
relative to marriages, that con-
cerning the removal Of parish
priests, the decree restricting the
number Of feast-days, etc. Not
long ago there was in st. Peters
burg a conference Of FIVE Bishops,
at which, amongst other matters,
the difficulty Of putting in prac-
tice these DEGREES objected to by
!. the Government was considered,
especially one concerning the num-
!. Der of feast-days. AS the decree
itself authorized the Bishops, in
cases when it might be advisable
/ to retain the former number, to
/ apply to the Holy See for a sus-
/ pension of the decree, the Bishops
/. assembled accordingly sent to
4 Rome a request to that effect, but,
|. of course, according to Art. 17),
Through the Ministry Of Foreign
i Affairs. But the Minister refused
to forward it, giving the reason
that he thought it unnecessary
to beg the Pope for suspension
Of a decree which, as not subscrib-
ed to by the Government, was
already null and void in Russia
This conduct. but too plainly
! proves that the Russian Govern
J. ment is aiming at completely
separating Roman Catholics from