THE LETTER TO THE BISHOP OP TREVES, AND THE CHAPTER OF BRESLAU.
The hope of ultimate emancipation from the yoke of Rome, to which I now look forward with confident assurance, was excited by the slaves and blinded servants of the Roman Hierarchy and of the Jesuits, on seeing the extremes to which they carried their mockery of religion and trial of the patience of the German people.
A Tunic, of which they cannot even prove that it really was the tunic of Jesus Christ, is exhibited by these Baal-priests of avarice and greed, for public adoration; and the credulous multitude are not only allowed to offer homage to this garment, but are taught to hail it in these words:—"Holy garment, pray for us!" "Holy garment, I bow down before thee," &c. For such mockery of religion, such frenzy, assumed as piety, at the bidding of the Church, language is inadequate to the expression of our indignation; and my letter to Bishop Arnoldi, condemned as all too strong, is childlike in comparison of the sacrilegious offence committed by the Church upon religion and the human understanding.
It was, therefore, with unfeigned surprise that, in the beginning of November, after leaving Laurahütte (where a public school had been erected, and furnished, in the month of August, with two teachers) I received two written communications from the Chapter at Breslau, calling on me to retract what I had written, as offensive to that reverend body. I was less surprised when, after my refusal, I received the Decree of Excommunication.
I wondered less that Dr. Ritter should demand a recantation of my article—"Rome and the Chapter of Breslau," it being far less dangerous to him to place a lie upon the altar, in regard to circumstances which immediately after Silesia alone, as the carrying out of his designs were likely, therefore, to attract but limited observation. But that an entire Chapter should venture, in the face of Europe, and even of the world, to countenance such undisguised abuse as that of the adorable relic at Treves—such an unheard-of money-trafficking in the most sacred matters—such an insane mockery of reason and the Gospel, was not only ecclesiastically impolitic, but revolting to all Christendom.*
* DECREE OF EXCOMMUNICATION, &C.
"Breslau, Oct. 29th 1844.
"On the 30th of January of last year, the sentence of the
Canonical Council was forwarded to you, whereby, in
consequence of your failing satisfactorily to disprove the
authorship of the Article 'Rome and the Chapter of Breslau,'
and conducting yourself otherwise in a manner unbecoming a
Catholic clergyman, you were deposed from the Curacy of
Grottkau, and, having been interdicted from the performance
of spiritual functions, were charged to submit yourself ad
exercitia spiritualia in the Seminary here, under the
orders of the Superior, and await the farther pleasure of
the Council. You have hitherto paid no attention to this
judgment, especially in regard to its later requirements,
but have obstinately persisted in disobedience to your
superiors.
"There has lately appeared in No. 164 of the Vaterlands-
blatter, another Article, dated Laurahütte, Oct. 1st, and
bearing your signature, in regard to the exhibition of the
Holy Tunic of Jesus Christ at Treves—an Article most
offensive to all orthodox Catholics, and calculated
seriously to injure the character of one of the most worthy
bishops of the Catholic Church, and which, besides, contains
an invitation to rebellion against all existing and
universally recognized principles in the government of the
said Church.
"This calls for the strictest investigation, and excites
well-deserved suspicion,—I therefore require of you, seeing
that you subscribe yourself 'A Catholic Priest,' and call
yourself a member of the Catholic Church in this diocese, to
declare within fourteen days,
"1st, Whether you acknowledge yourself the author of the
above named Article;
"2d, Whether, in case you do, you are inclined to atone for
your offence, and the grief occasioned to the most reverend
Bishop Arnoldi of Treves, by a solemn retractation in the
same paper, and in other much-read Journals, to be named by
me;
"3d, Should you have had no part in the drawing out or
despatching of said Article, and should your signature and
address have been used without authority,—are you willing
and able to prove it, and to free yourself from the
suspicion which rests upon you, and in consequence of which
you are hereby enjoined to present yourself without delay!
"If the required explanation be not furnished within the
time specified, and should you not show yourself ready to
satisfy the questions put, I am reluctantly compelled, in
addition to the Decree of Suspension, which has already been
put in force, hereby to suspend over you the ecclesiastical
punishment of degradation and excommunication."
"—Latussrk, Suffragan Bishop and Vicar-General of the
Diocese."
"To the late Curate Ronge, at Laurahütte."
"To the Right Reverend the Suffragan Bishop and-Vicar-General of the Diocese.
"On the 18th and 19th of this month I received two letters of identical import; one addressed to me as a 'Catholic Priest,' the other as 'the late Curate,' in which I am required, before the lapse of fourteen days, to answer questions upon various points. To this requisition I reply in the following terms:—
"As to the Article 'Rome and the Chapter of Breslau,' your Lordship observes, that I did not satisfactorily vindicate my conduct in regard to it. My reply to the inquisitorial queries of Dr. Ritter, must have been misunderstood, if it was considered in the light of a vindication. I have never endeavoured to vindicate myself in regard to that Article, nor have I ever denied its authorship;—but, on the other hand, I have never recognized the authority of Dr. Ritter, and the members of the right reverend Board, as at once my judges and my accusers in the matter. The inquisitorial questions which were then put to me, and the decision of the right reverend Board, by which, without citation, hearing, or defence, (accorded to the lowest criminal,) I was deposed, and condemned to dishonouring punishment in the Seminary, are, besides, an insult to the rights of the whole body of the inferior clergy. Shall not the lower clergy (like their fellow-citizens,) have the right to express an opinion opposed to that of their superiors, without perilling their existence? Are the truths of our religion so powerless, as to render necessary compulsion and coercion? Did Jesus found our Church upon such principles! Or, are the higher clergy the sole and infallible pillars of the truth?
"The assertion, that I endeavoured to save my living by a falsehood,—by which it was attempted to bring upon me the contempt of my fellow-believers and fellow-citizens, I have practically disproved—having relinquished my office in the face of beggary and want—although I might easily have escaped Suspension by submission. Honour, truth, and justice, are of higher value in my eyes than the crumb of bread that nourishes my body.
"I acknowledged to Bishop Knauer, my lawful superior, that I am the author of the Article alluded to; upon which his Grace asked me,—< But why did you thus court persecution?'—< Because,' I said,' I considered it a duty to give public expression to the universal discontent prevailing in the diocese, on account of the delay of Rome.' Besides, 1 shall not hesitate to vindicate my conduct in the eyes of my fellow-believers and my fellow-citizens.
"It is farther asserted by your Lordship, that I conducted myself in Grottkau in an unbecoming manner. The offences included in this charge have been sufficiently refuted, as calumnious and false, by the magistrates and citizens of Grottkau; and I shall claim the protection of the State and of the public against such accusations. Or have our spiritual rulers, perhaps, the arbitrary privilege to blast my reputation at discretion?
"As to the Article in regard to the exhibition of the so-called Holy Tunic at Treves, my name was plainly and distinctly affixed to it, and there has been no misuse in the matter. I only spoke the truth, and shall continue to do so without fear of men. I shall not hesitate to denounce abuses? even when they seek to hide themselves behind the altars of a thousand years. I have but done my duty in lending words to the almost universal indignation of my countrymen at the adoration of a piece of dress. It is truly marvellous that a high ecclesiastical authority should endeavour to defend so shameless an abuse. Is the abuse less blameable, because consecrated by a Bishop? What would have been said, had inferior members of the priesthood, or other Christians, sought to win fifty thousand dollars by the exhibition of that Holy Tunic 1 Did Christ, or the Apostles, do such things? Christ fed those who came to him—but did not rob them of their money; and He indignantly exclaimed in the Temple—'My father's house is a house of prayer—ye have made it a den of thieves.'
"I have spoken the truth, and shall never retract it, as is required of me. If, on this account, your Lordship should consider it your duty to degrade and excommunicate me—let it be so. I, for my part, am firmly convinced that the exalted Head of our religion numbers me among his disciples, notwithstanding; and I feel assured that my fellow-believers and my fellow-citizens will not exclude me from communion with them. For millions of men have heard my simple word, and they have gladly received it because convinced that it proceeded from an honest heart. Millions have loved me on account of it, and their love has not allowed itself to be deceived by the disgusting calumnies of embittered opponents. Their love will still support me. I can give no other reply.—I am, my Lord Bishop,
"Johannes Ronge, Catholic Priest.
"Breslau, November 30, 1844."
"Breslau, 4th Dec. 1844.
"In consequence of your reply, dated November 30, and received on the first day of this month, wherein you admit that you subscribed the Article 'On the Holy Tunic at Treves,' acknowledge it as your own composition, and refuse to recall it,—I find myself reduced to the highly painful necessity, in pursuance of my Decree of the 29th October, and on account of the gross offence against the Church, contained in the said Article, to issue the sentence of your degradation and excommunication, in accordance with, and by authority of, the canonical statutes and decrees.
"I therefore charge you to return to me, without delay, your letters of holy ordination. As you have not complied with my injunction to appear before me in person,* and have thereby deprived me of the wished-for opportunity of convincing you, by fatherly admonition and friendly conference, of your false and heterodox views generally, and, in particular, regarding the worship of relics—as the adoration of the Holy Tunic,—I can only add to the sentence, which I most reluctantly pronounce, my fervent prayer, that by God's grace you may be led to a right understanding of the Catholic faith, and to a discrimination of that worship of relics, which is permitted and approved by the Church, from the abuse of it, of which alone you seem to think.—
"D. Latussek, Suffragan Bishop, and Vicar-General of the Diocese.
"To the late Curate, Rev. Johannes Ronge."
* My Lord Bishop only called me before him in case I should
be inclined to retract, or, if I were not the author of the
letter alluded to; otherwise, as is shewn by the document of
the 29th of October, I was only called upon for an
explanation. Why this perversion of the truth?'