THE RELIGIOUS STRUGGLE IN THE NEW PRUSSIA

New Zealand Tablet, 5 June 1919, Page 18

THE RELIGIOUS STRUGGLE IN THE NEW PRUSSIA

~sSf— ■ a— On November 27, 1918 (says The Tablet), an edict was issued by the Prussian Minister of Education, Adolf Hoffman, suspending ecclesiastical inspection, Catholic or Lutheran, in Stale schools. In the apprehension aroused in religious circles, it was assumed that the decree foreshadowed further and more drastic measures ; and these fears proved to be well founded. A week later, and the papers contained an amplification of the edict, including clauses prohibiting inter alia all forms of denominational religious instruction in schools, the offering of prayers before and after study, and compulsory attendance of scholars at church. It was then obvious that the aim of Hoffman, long notorious for his antipathy towards religion, was to effect a complete separation between Church and State. This complex and intricate question, involving a basic alteration in the relations between the spiritual and temporal powers within the confines of the Kingdom of Prussia, has been the subject of comment, calip and heated, in the German press. Generally speaking, it may be said that the Socialist parties approve the proposed measure of separation, which was, indeed, one of the main planks of their Erfurt programme of 1891. On the other hand, that divorce met at once with the disapproval of the great Centre Catholic Party and of the old Conservative (now German National) Party, which before the cataclysm represented the interests of the Lutheran Stale Church. Certain Radical .papers, such as the Berliner Tar/eblatt , join forces with the Catholics. They condemn any precipitate change, from considerations of expediency. They, too, fear that the secularisation of education, if ultimately carried through, will give a’ strong impetus to the rapidly increasing. Separatist movements all over the Empire. The dreaded atheism of , Berlin impels those provinces where strong religious feeling predominates—Westphalia , and the Rhineland, Bavaria and the Polish border regions—to seek safety in central government. Deutsche, Tageszeitung, the organ of the Prussian militarist clique,, also falls into line, and denounces the appointment of Hoffman as a - mistake calling for instant rectification. It is evident enough that, in the event of separation, the position of the Lutheran Church will be very precarious, as it has hitherto been mainly dependent upon the support of the various kings, now “the broken brood” of the V poet’s strangely fulfilled prophecy. The result, therev: fore, ?is a widespread movement in - favor .of - sink in g I ./ ■ r ■_ ..A SV*.

■“denominational” differences, and uniting with the Catholics in one great effort against the forces Jof , dis-ruption.T->"yr~ pßy far , the most vigorous resistance, however, has been offered by those ancient and tided friends of religious freedom, the great Centre Party, or Christian Peoples’ Party, as it is now named. Its chief organ, Germania, is intimately associated with the Secretary of State, Herr Erzberger, and during these last weeks it has contained almost daily articles in which he, the busiest man in the Central Empires, has expounded his views. One of these views is that, under present conditions, the separation between Church and State is sooner or later a foregone conclusion. The necessity, therefore, of ensuring the temporal welfare of the Catholic Church under the altered conditions is all his care. Thus he wrote in December: —“ln the event of the separation, which in the long run is almost inevitable, our aim would be the fulfilment of the following three conditions : Respect for the Church, and practical recognition of her f institutions a just and equitable settlement of her pecuniary claims; and educational legislation resembling that which obtains in Holland, whereby the denominational schools are subsidised in exactly the same way as the so-called State schools.” And again a little later:— “Spiritual as is the mission of the Church, the field of her activity is here on earth, and she is as little able to dispense with the necessary means of subsistence as any other society. If it is to come to separation, the question of ecclesiastical funds must be settled in a satisfactory manner.” The bishops, headed by Cardinal von Hartmann (Archbishop of Cologne), decided, however, to be no parties to the political opportunism of Herr Erzberger. In a joint pastoral they declare themselves in no faltering terms; — “Before - all the world we raise our voices” — (voices that we are thankful once more, to be able to echo in England)—“and in the name of you all protest against the separation of Church and State. We Catholics' of Prussia will never consent to this. Separation of State and Church ! The vital bond which for many centuries has existed between our people and the Church, and still does exist, is to be rudely severed. Our country is to cease to be Christian as a State. The name of God is to disappear from public life, and, what is worst of all, religion vanishes from the schools. Does not such a sin verily cry to Heaven? .It is a wrong and a crime against the Lord. A State without God, without religion! You know how little security is afforded by external regulations unless the voice of conscience makes itself heard. Matrimony will be profaned and family ties will be relaxed. Imagine what terrible havoc in the entire spiritual fabric of the nation this signifies ! The bishops then look ahead:—“Terrible things,” they say, “are impending. Do not ignore the overwhelming seriousness of these times. It is the enemies of religion who think that now their hour has struck. They will, stake everything to attain their goal. You must defend yourselves against this, all together like one man, inflexible and invincible. Avail yourselves of all your political rights, Catholic men and women, youths and maidens ! Catholic societies and organisations, we appeal to you. Raise protest after protest against the wrong it is proposed to do you. And do not yield in your resistance until they abandon the attempt to lay hands on your sacred treasures!” Arid shortly after the issue of this uncompromising appeal, Cardinal von Hartmann was assured of the close sympathy and co-operation of the Vatican. Then the Minister of. Education, evidently deeming it prudent to allay the fears he had aroused, announced, at the beginning of the New Year, that a Commission had been formed to investigate the entire question, and gave his assurance that no precipitate action would be taken. All memoranda and reports bearing on the subject would be carefully considered by the members of the Commission, and the Commission would include

representatives of every denomination. His assurances did not end there. It was not, and never had been, he said, the .intention of the Government to interfere in questions' of dogma or ritual. The decree prohibit-

ing religious instruction -was rescinded, and it was further stated that the final decision : in the matter'd?’ separation would rest with the National Assembly. The < whole question is, therefore, still in abeyance. .Herr" Erzberger meanwhile has continued his own’! campaign ‘ in Germania. His words take world-outlooks ; they imply a certain penitence for the past ; they are awake to the necessity of a league of consciences as the successful preliminary to a League of Nations. “They say Peace, and there is no peace*” is his burden. “Men . ever seek,” he says, “'the realisation of their ideals;, where it is not to be found— in Socialism, in Freemasonry. Peace and freedom, not false, hypocritical, and deceptive words, can be bestowed upon the world only by God. The Church, entrusted with the .task” of guarding these precious treasures, and distributing., them among mankind, has never been unfaithful to her mission. It is not the Church’s fault that the world-, conflagration was kindled. It is not her fault that the . war lasted so long. The Pope spoke out often enough l , for peace and freedom. People wanted to make the world happy without the Church, to conjure up a better freedom, a new peace. The so-called humanitarian movement was choked in a stream of blood. It is a. mystery how, after such a failure, anyone can still propose to base a League of Nations on the same, humanitarian foundation. If the co-operation of the Church and Papacy are excluded, Christ also will re-.-frain from participation, and nothing will come of it, but a meaningless phrase, a vast new lie. How much has been written during the war which, for the honor of mankind, had better have remained unpublished ! Opportunism, and the catchwords arising from it, still, appear to hold the field. Or may we dare to hope that the human race has been brought to reason by its awful visitations, and will once again seek the ideals for which it thirsts at their source?” Wo are left to wonder.