108 



Prince Bismarck and his Policy. 



continued in force until 1873, and under it the Roman 

 Catholic church in the Ehine provinces prospered greatly. 



On the 5th day of April, 1873, the fundamental law of 

 1850 was amended, so as to give to the state a supervisory 

 control over the ecclesiastical organizations. The right of 

 the Evangelical, Roman Catholic and other religious or- 

 ganizations to manage their own affairs was to remain, 

 but subject to the laws of the state and to a legally organ- 

 ized state inspection. The law passed upon May 11, 1873, 

 related to the education of priests and religious teachers. 

 It required all priests to be educated in Germany, and it 

 gave to the state authorities a power of examination and 

 rejection of unfit persons. It also established at Berlin an 

 ecclesiastical court for the purpose of hearing and finally 

 determining cases arising under these ecclesiastical laws, 

 or from violations thereof. This court was to consist of 

 eleven members, six of whom were required to be regular 

 judges, and they were authorized to order, in cases of 

 adjudged violations of these laws, the several measures of 

 punishment provided by the laws. 



In the session of 1874, there was still further legislation. 

 By the law of May 4th (1874), provision was made in case 

 of a vacant bishopric for authorizing a person to perform 

 the functions of the office and to administer the tempo- 

 ralities. The new bishop, when appointed, was required to 

 give the upper president of the province notice of his 

 appointment, and to prove to the satisfaction of the proper 

 officer that he possessed the personal qualifications for the 

 office required by law, and further, to take an oath of alle- 

 giance to the sovereign. In case of his rejection by the 

 civil authorities, he had the right of appeal to the eccle- 

 siastical court at Berlin, whose decision was to be final. 

 If, however, he should undertake to exercise his office 

 without authority, he was to be punished in the manner 

 prescribed by law. 



