The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1913-02-22
George Cardinal Kopp, Prince Bishop
of Breslau, Hero of Re-
markable Struggle. a
In First Pastoral After Conservation
He Called Himself Bishop
With Hands Tied.
He Has Done Much, Not Only For
Catholic Education but For
National instruction.

The wonderful revival Of Catholic.
ism throughout the world 10 cse-
tainly the most pronounced feature In
the spiritual life of the uiusteenth
century, and in no country IL this
more evident than In Germany, says
P. s. Cleary in Sydney Catholic
Press.
English speaking people are more
familiar with the remarkable spread
Of the faith over the American Conti4
nent. and its reconstitutton in Eng.
land: but the American development
is largely indebted to immigration
from Catholic countries. and it has
never met with any serious opposi-
ton, while the English edvaucs.
though solid and steady. has experi-
enced neither the success nor the dim-
land. These reflections arc prompted
by the celebration of the silver juh-
lice as Bishop. and the golden Jubilee
as priest, of one of the heroes Of this
remarkable struggle-George. Cardi-
nal Kopp. PrinceB Bishop Of Breslau.
An Event That Stirred Human Hearts.
The year 1897, In which George
Kopp was born, is an "annus mira
bilis'' in the story Of Catholic Gar-
many. On the afternoon Of Novem-
ber 20, in that year, detachment Of
rrussian soldiers drew up before the
Archbishop's palace at Cologne. and
dragged thence to prison the octogen-
arian prelatc, Clement August Droste
zu Vischerins. because he insisted on
carrying out the rules OF tho Church
in regard to mixed marriages.: rules
which had been disused for years with
dreadful consequences to the faith.
The excitement over this event stirred
German hearts as they had not been
stirred for three centuriea, and pro-
dnced results little dreamt Of by tho
Prussian bureaucrats. Joseph Won
Goerres the most influential Journal
ist Of the day. thundered against
them in his book, "Athanasius." which
recalled the great Bishop Of the early
Church. And in a little town Of Mum
stcr young civil servant named WILL
helm Won Kettler, hitherto not sus-
pected of unusual religious fervency.
handed in his resignation forthwith,
declaring that "he would not serve a
State which demanded the sacrifice
Of his conscience" and entered the
seminary OF Eichstatt TO study for the
. priesthood. That November day thus
connected two Of the four men who
have under God, guided the ecelesi-
astical destiny of Germany until the
! present glorious time. The third as
sumed office few weeks later, in
consequence Of the same event; the
fourth was but an infant three
months old.
In the Titanic Struggle With
eismarek.
Archbishop Clement August did not
return to Cologne. He had borne the
burden Of the day and tho heat, aud
was entitled to rest for the last few
months OF his dutiful life. In his place
came John Geissel, peasants son,
who became a Cardinal. and who
fought for nearly thirty years against
the heart breaking intrizues Of Prus-
sian officials, added to the resistance
Of certain influential seminary pro-
fessors who had not shaken of the
schismatical teachings Of the badly
disciplined generation, which had just
passed. Cardinal Geisscl became an
imposing figure in the public life Of
Germany, an unusual experience for
a Catholic prelate under the Hohen-
zollerns. He made the completionftH
Cologne Cathedral a national work,
and as the great minister assumed
form under his direction he institled
principles Of organisation and spras-
tice OF fervency into his priests ana
his people. When he passed away
in 1864, his mantle fsll upon wi}halm
Won Ketteler. the immortal Bishop Of
golden Mayence, who. besides laying
the foundation Of the Catholic social
revival which has leavened the whole