REMARKABLE CONVERSIONS IN GERMANY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 38, 17 January 1874, Page 12

REMARKABLE CONVERSIONS IN GERMANY.

It is commonly supposed that the Church is receiving more converts in England and the United Stales than in other countries. The following letter, wliieli we transfer to our columns from the ' Baltimore Mirror,' chows that in Germany also many Protestants arc seeking admittance into the hue fold : Messrs Editors of the ' Catholic Mirror ' : I translate frOM the ' Herald des Glaubens ' the following interesting article contained therein under the above caption : la tie ' WiK'henblatt von WalJsse,' a well edited popular newspaper published m Upper Suabia, we find the following interesting CDinmm.iL'ation : " It is a rtmaikable fact that just within the last few years a number of prominent officers of the North German army have returne and still ate lvtuining to the Catholic Church. Dining the present year the royul Saxon General Freiherr von Leonhardi, who distinguished h msilf so greatly during the late war, embraced the Catholic religion il'u promotion to the post of Lieutenant General and to the governorship oi Koenigstein, did not a little arouse the ire of the Liberals " " Among other converts we will also mention Major a. D. v. Wunster, in >Si»maringen . He was formerly captain and chief of company in the cadet-house at Wuhlstatt, near Liegnifz. Rochus v Koohow (of tlie house of Plcszow), captain of horse in the first regiment of the Uhlan Guards in Potsdam, who resigned his commission, and is now living at Dresden. Count Trang v. Pfeil (younger brother of Count Anton von Pfeil, who also embraced the Catholic religion), was an oliker of the Ycegers, retired from active service, and is living in Nioder Diersdorf. Freiherr Franz Grimm von Grimrtienstein, cavalry officer and at pi esent commandant of the riding school at Wahlstntt, near Lieguitz. Count Alexander von Wreshowetz l^ekerka v. Seditz, royal Prussian Major. Lord von Streit, commandant at s pandau, acd enjoying a wide reputation both on account of his learning and erudition and solid piety. Prince Alexander v. Solans Braunfels, royal Prussian Mftjor-General. Edward von Fehrentheil and Gruppenberg, royal Prussian First Lieutenant at Neustettin. This officer has also acquired reputation as a writer in the republic of letters by publishing a work on heraldry and a ' genealogical table of the nobility of Geru*ny capable of promotion.' Lebrecht Gebhardt, Count v. Bluecher, of th • family c" he Field Marshal, who, as commander at Stettin, nude >,j8 pfoftefcion f faith; ho is a young man, and has been promoted

from a captaincy to be a Major, being ordered to Strasland, where he is now on duty; Friedrich, von Schierst-edt, at present Lieutenant in the regiment of the Hussar Guards, who was received into the Church laet year at Potsdam, with his brother, Ausf. von Schierstaedt, also a soldier in the Prussian army in the Yaegpr Guards battalion. Lord von Freskow, First Lieutenant in the First Regiment of Guards, who distinguished himself by his bravery at Metz, and was severely wounded. Frieherr von Pechmann, Lieutenant in the Second Cavalry at Bamberg, who likewise renounced Protestantism in 1872. Your correspondent does not remember the names of all the different officers, especially those of the Prussian army, who recently joined the Catholic Church ; only one more shall be mentioned, Count von Schulenburg, Prussian officer of the Guards, and son of the celebrated General, Count von Schulenburg. He became a Catholic several years ago, resigned his commission, and died at Mayence in the garb of an humble Capuchin monk. " Great courage is, indeed, necessary at the present time to avow so publicly one's convictions in such prominent positions. It is, moreover, worthy of remark, that among all the Catholic officers in the Prussian army, of whom there are more than two thousand, not • singlo one has proved recreant to his religion. Thanks be to God that there is yet so much Catholic and manly courage ir. Germany. We may, therefore, with composure, look into the future ; justice and truth will conquer!" These conversions are truly remarkable 5 for let it be borne in mind that the officers whose names are given above all belong to the nobility of Prussia. Such show that a st ong undercurrent in favor of the Church is setting in in that country, and that the pro»pects" t of the Church there are brighter than the fainthearted would suppose. Bismarck's policy of oppression is only momentary, and is preparing the way for a rich harvest of conversions not only among the nobility but among the middle and lower classes. Orthodox Protestants are as much alarmed as Catholics at the encroachment of the secular power in the German Empire on the religious domain, and are at last, feebly, resisting it by occasional remonstrances forwarded to the Emperor, several of which have lately been published in the German papers. Seeing, then, the efforts of the State to concentrate all power, both natural and supernatural, in itself — the State according to Prussian State theology, is God, which is practical infidelity — seeing their inability to effectually resist this powerful Colossus ; seeing again that the Catholic Church must have the protection of God ; that she is therpfore the true Church, and they will hasten to seek rest, peace and salvation in her fold. The remarkable conversions above referred to ; and other equally remarkable conversions taking place in Prussia and Germany, and the exraordinary faith, piety, loyalty to the Holy See, and courage of the German Catholics, of which they who do not and cannot read the German Catholic papers, have not the faintest idea, prove that I am not too sanguine in my views. Very respectfully, yours, Michael Dausii. September 12, 1873.