110 



Prince Bismarck and his Policy . 



vocation of such a pledge, once given, is to involve dis- 

 missal from office by judicial sentence, and incapacity for 

 the exercise of office thereafter. 



The Roman church in Germany is divided. One branch 

 sends a deputation to the pope with an address, in which 

 they 



" Declare before you, most holy father, that no human 

 force shall separate us from our lawful pope, for we re- 

 member, that it is an eternal truth that one of the condi- 

 tions of salvation is to be subject to the pontiff at Rome." 



On the other hand a large number of Roman Catholic 

 members of the Reichstag and Landtag have joined in a 

 protest, in which it is said that 



" We dispute in the most decided manner that the 

 ecclesiastical laws of the German empire and of the Prussian 

 state entirely overthrow the divine government of the 

 church, and reduce to nothing the inviolable jurisdiction 

 of the bishops ; and we protest solemnly; first, against all 

 principles set forth in the papal document, which are 

 dangerous to the authority, the constitution and the exist- 

 ence of the state ; and most especially, secondly, against 

 the claim of the pope to declare invalid state laws, which 

 have been enacted by constitutional means. We are more- 

 over of the opinion that the teaching of the Catholic church 

 expressly commands every Catholic to recognize as fully 

 valid and binding all state laws enacted in constitutional 

 manner, and to give his obedience to them." 



On June 20, 1875, a law was passed concerning the 

 management of property in Catholic parishes. 



On Sept. 29, 1876, a decree was issued concerning the 

 exercise of the right of supervision on the part of the 

 state in the administration of property in the Catholic dio- 

 ceses. The fight is still going on. All that can be said 

 by an impartial observer, who does not believe in the 

 infallibility of the pope in matters of tactics, is, that with 



