GERMANY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 36, 3 January 1874, Page 7

GERMANY.

The telegraph announces that the German Government have called upon the Catholic Bishops to take an oath to observe all the laws u< the Empire. This means that they are called upon to swear to destroy the Church of which they are Bishops. A conti mporary says it wiil be seen that the Government will be the stronger. If he means that the Government will be able to command force enough to imprison and banish Bishops who are faithful to their trust, he is right ; but if he means that the Government will be able to succeed in compelling the Bishops to take the oath, we venture to say he will find himself mistaken. This is not ths first time the Prussian authorities impri soned Bishops for refusing to obey its tynnnic.il laws, anl was ultimately obliged by the fidelity of the Catholic population to recede from the prosecution of its violent proceedings We shall await the result in the present instance with the assurance that the Catholic clergy and people will act as in days gone by.