The St. Petersburg correspondent of the Times describes a serious
secession to the Greek Church which has occurred at Sedletz, in Poland, a town of 300,000 inhabitants. Of these, 100,000 were "Catholics of the Oriental rite," a body acknow- ledging the Pope, but whose priests are allowed by a special dis- pensation to marry. Of late, Rome has shown a disposition to abolish these special "rites," and an Encyclical of 13th May, 1874, caused so much irritation that half the " Uniates " of Sedletz applied to the Emperor for admission into the Greek Church. After some delay, caused apparently by unwilling- ness to embitter further the quarrel with the Catholics of Poland, permission was given, and on 24th January, 1875, 50,000 persona, including 26 priests, were admitted into the Greek Church. It is considered that the whole body of " Uniates " will
ultimately adopt this course, and it is noted that the parish priests, though they never begin the movement, always follow their congregations.
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