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 OLDENBURG

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OLDENBURG

rendered Oldenburg to the Grand Duke Paul of Rus- sia, in oonsidoration of tho latter's ronunoiation of the sovercifinty of Soliliswis-Holstein. Grand Duke Paul transferred the country, which was raised to a duke- dom in 1777, to liis cousin Frederick Augustus. The latter, who althouKli a I'rotest.mt, was I'rince-Iiishop of Liibeck sine*" 17.')l). add<'d the territory of tliefornier Catholic Bishopric of L\iheck to Oldenburg. Hecause William, the son of Frederick Augustus, was insane, Peter, first cousin of Frederick Augustus, succeeded the latter in the administration of the dukedom. The Bucceoding rulers of the country are descended from this I'eter. When Najxjleon in 1810 united the entire German North Sea districts with his empire, he de- cided to indemnify the Duke of Oldenburg for his loss by giving him other ilistricts in Thuringia. But be- cause the duke refused those districts, Napoleon pun- ished him by taking possession of all Oldenburg in 1811 and by embodying it in the Departments of Wesermimdung and Oberems. The battle of Leipzig in 1813 brought liberty to Oldenburg. Peter again grasped the reins of government. The resolutions of the Vienna Congress raised Oldenburg to the dignity of a grand duchy and enlarged it by adding to it a part of the French Department of the Saar, the old Wittels- bach Principality of Birkenfeld. After the establish- ment of the German Federation in 1815, Oldenburg became a member of it. In the war between Prussia and Austria in 1866 Oldenburg added its troops to the Prussian army of the Main; later on it joined the North German Federation and in 1871 the German Empire as an independent state. The reigning grand duke since 1900 is Frederick Augustus (b. 16 Nov., 1852).

The larger part of the country was Christianized by the Bishop of Bremen, and especially through the ef- forts of St. Willebaldus, who was consecrated first Bishop of Bremen in 787. Until the introduction of the Lutheran confession in 1529 by Count Anton I, this district was united with the Archbishopric of Bremen. The reformation here destroyed almost all Catholic life. The southern parts of the duchy, which consist to-day of the administrative districts of Cloppenburg and Vechta, were outlying missions of the Osnabriick Diocese, attended from the monasteries of the Benedictines at Visbeck and Meppen, which had been established by Charlemagne. These parts, the pastoral care of which chiefly devolved on the Bene- dictine Abbey of Corvey, were subject to the Prince- Bishop of Miinster from 1252 until 1803 under the name of " Niederstift" and, therefore, remained Cath- oUc during the Reformation period. The spiritual

i'urisdiction over the Niederstift was exercised by the Jishop of Osnabriick and not by the Bishop of Miin- ster. In 1688 the jurisdiction of Osnabriick was trans- ferred to Miinster. These districts were ceded to Old- enburg in the conference of the federal deputies in 1803. In the papal Bull "Dc salute animarum", 16 July, 1821, in regard to the establishment and limita- tion of the Prussian bishoprics, all Oldenburg was transferred to the Prussian bishopric of Miinster; how- ever, there were very few Catholics in the northern part of the country.

The principality of Liibeck is a part of the Vicariate Apostolic of the Northern Mi.ssions. The Princi- pality of Birkenfeld belongs to the Bishopric of Trier. The plan of Gran<l Duke Paul to have a separate bishopric for Oldenburg failed on account of finan- cial difficulties. The relations between Church and State were adjusted by the convention of 5 Jan., 1830. The Apostolic delegate to these deliberations was the Prince-Bishop of lirmland, Joseph of Hohenzollern. The supreme guidance of the Catholics of Oldenburg was entrusted to the substitute iOffxzial) of the Bishop of Miinster, who resided in Vechta. The resolutions of the convention became laws by order of the grand ducal cabinet of 5 April, 1831, under the title " Funda-

mentalstatut der katholischen Kirche in Oldenburg". Simultaneously there was published "Normativ zur Wahrung der landesherrlichen Majestiitsrechte circa sacra" (Hcgulations for the maintenance of the ducal rights ciTca sacra), of which no notice had been given to the ecclesiastical authorities.

These regulations created "a commission for the de- fence of State rights against the Catholic Church", which exists to this day, and which is composed of two higher State officials, one of whom usually is a Catholic and the other a Protestant. The work of the commis- sion includes all negotiations between the government and the Bisliop of Miinster, jiartieularly those relating to the appointment of the Uilizml, his assessors and his secretary as well as the two deacons; furthermore all negotiations between the government and the Of- fizial, such as those relating to the appointment of priests, the establishment of parishes and of ecclesias- tical benefices. The commission furthermore must ap- prove every sale or mortgage of church property. The regulations further decreed that all papal and episco- pal edicts must be approved by the grand duke before their publication in Oldenburg, and that they shall not be valid without such an approval. On account of this one-sided unjust measure a long controversj' arose between the government and the Bishop of Miinster. The position of Offizial at Vechta was vacant from 1846 to 1853. In 1852 Oldenburg received a constitution. This led to an amelioration in the relations between Church and State, the ducal placet was abolished and every religious community or sect was permitted to conduct its affairs independently and without interfer- ence; church property was distinctly guaranteed. But as the approval of the government was required for the appointment of the clergy and clerical officials, the conflict continued.

The negotiations, begun in Dec, 1852, between the Bishop of Miinster and the government, dragged along almost twenty years. During this conflict the bishop and the Offizial did not appoint any parish priests; only temporary pastors were placed in charge of the parishes in which vacancies occurred. In 1868 an agreement was reached according to which the bishops filled clerical vacancies after an understanding in each case with the Government, and they further agreed that the decrees of the Church should be com- municated to the Government simultaneously with their publication. Several minor points in dispute were settled in 1872. The Catholics of Oldenburg were not affected by the severe trials of the KuUur- kampf. Grand Duke Peter openly disapproved of the persecutions and of the severity with which the Church was treated in Prussia.

The Oldenburg part of the Diocese of Miinster con- sists to-day of two deaconries, Cloppenburg and Vechta. The Deaconry of Cloppenburg numbers 38,- 678 Catholics, 6952 Protestants and 28 Hebrews; the 18 parishes of the Aemter Cloppenburg and Friesoythe also belong to it. The Deaconry of Vechta numbers 53,308 Catholics, 264,169 Protestants, 987 Jews; it includes the other 18 parishes of the country. The necessary funds for the payment of clerical expenses were partly taken from the income of several so-called commanderies in the Ami Friesoythe which formerly belonged to the Order of Malta. The State seques- trated these and other clerical possessions in the be- ginning of the nineteenth century, but agreed to turn over the annual income to the Catholic Church, which it has done to this day. Inclufling these revenues the State pays annually about 22,000 Marks for the use of the Catholic Church. In 1910 the Church obtained the right of levying church-taxes. The State does not forbid the foundation of religious houses.

The Dominicans have a boarding college at Vechta, and the Franci.scans a house in Muhlen, near Stcin- feld. Of female congregations there are 7 houses belonging to the sisters of the third order of St. Fran-