The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-10-23 00:00:00

EXPULSION OF CARMELITES AND

BARNABITES FROM PARIS.

Writing from Paris on the lith the correspondent of The
Times says _ _

" The Carmelites and Barnabites have shared the
fate of the Jesuits. The police yesterday morning
broke up their establishments throughout France,
numbering 16, with about 200 inmates. The secret
had been so well kept, the expectation being that the
blow would fall on the Capuchins and Dominicans,
that in most cases no preparations had been made for
resistance, and no locksmiths had, therefore, to be called
in. Two of the expulsions occurred inParis. The Barna-
bite fathers in the Rue Monceau consisted of four Ita-
lians and two Frenchmen. The police commissary en-
tered the chapel at 6 a.m., waited till early mass was over
and then produced an order of expulsion, the two
French fathers, however, being allowed to remain in
charge of the premises. The chapel in which the
Italian sermons were periodically delivered, the fathers
making it their mission to watch over their fellow.
countrymen. was sealed up. At 8.30 a.m. the Car-
melite establishment at Passy was entered by a second
commissary, who found the Prior conferring with two
provincial priors on the affairs of the Order. He
asked the Prior to send for two foreign inmates, one a
Belgian, the other a Spaniard; but the Prior declined
on the ground that this would be like delivering up
his brethren and sons. The commissary thereupon
visited each cell, obliged the inmate to leave, and ex-
pelled some lay sympathisers who had entered the
building. To the inmates assembled in the chapter-
house he read the edict of dispersion, and asked the
Prior to name some one to be left in charge. He also
asked whether any of the inmates were ill. The Prior
said all were so, more or less, but mentioned two as
especially unwell. The commissary allowed these to
stay, with a third to wait on them. The Prior in-
formed the commissary that but for the clandestine
manner of his entry he would have had to break open
the door, and, to show that they only yielded to force,
he asked that each monk might re-enter his cell.
Each monk accordingly gave a formal refusal to
leave, and quitted his cell only on feeling a police-
man's hand on his shoulder. On emerging into the
street, where carriages were waiting to take them to
friends' houses, they found persons collected who with
tears and on their knees solicited their blessing."
In the provinces similar scenes occurred. At
Toulouse the cells were forced open and the crowd
outside comprised both friends and foes, the latter
hooting and singing the Marseillaise.' At Bordeaux
the Prior made a formal protest, and told the police
they were incurring excommunication.. The crowd
outside was sympathetic. At St. Omer a foreign lock-
smith had to be employed, and was escorted back to
the railway station through a resentful crowd. At
Lyons also, the outer door had to be forced, while at
Montelimer three doors were broken. At Beziers the
Franciscans told the police they were excommunicated.
Those members of the dispersed communities who are
foreigners are required to quit France. All the com-
munities will imitate the Jesuits in seeking redress.
A further batch of legal functionaries have resigned
rather than be supposed to countenance the expulsions.

The Italian Barnabites, who were expelled on
Saturday from their convent in the Reu de Monceau,
have addressed a protest to the President of the Re-
public. They begin with the reraark that the violence
to which they have been subjected may be autho-
rised by the law, butthat it is, nevertheless, condemned
by justice. They came to France twenty-three years
ago for the purpose of evangelising and succouring
the Italian poor, whose number in Paris alone ex-
ceeds thirty thousand. The public powers received
them with favour, and the city of Paris made them a
present of the ground upon which their convent was
built. Success crowned their efforts, and the assist-
ance accorded to them enabled them to feed and
console a great number of poor families, of whom they
were the sole support. Carefully avoiding any inter-
ference in public affairs, they applied themselves
with zeal to spread the Word of God, and when
France was in distress they forgot that they were
strangers, and devoted themselves to her as to their
own country. Several of them were attached to her
armies as chaplains, and one of them was naturalised
by the Government of M. Thiers as a reward for his
devotion. The house from which they are now driven
was transformed by them into an ambulance, and the
police who invaded their dwelling may have seen in
the parlour the cross and diploma of honour presented
by the International Society of Help to the Wounded
as a recognition of their services during the
war. And now, by way of thanks for their
devotion and fidelity to France, they are driven
from their chapel an‘ their convent, and ex-
pelled from the territory. Even the Commune spared
them this insult. They leave France with their
hearty broken, but at the same time they are
strengthened in their trial by the esteem and affection
of so many generous Frenchmen to whom they are
bound by indestructible ties of faith and charity. It
is not Christian France that expels them. "Whether
far away or near we shall remain faithfully devoted to
her, and shall not cease to pray to God to spare her
new persecutions and new misfortunes."

Large crowds assembled on Tuesday morning in
front of the religious houses in Paris threatened by
the Decrees, but nothing unusual occurred. Special
prayers were said in most of the chapels, and the
monks received visits from their many friends in Paris.
Several bishops were at the convention in the Rue de
Sauté, where the mob appeared in greater force than
was the case on Monday. About fifty poor people
stood for a long time before the Franciscan convent
in the Rue des Fourneaux, leaving at nine
o'clock. One of the orders most threatened isithat of
the Dominicans, who all the morning received visits
from ladies of high rank at their houses in the Rue
Jean de Beauvais and the Rue St. Honore. The
Pretres de l'Ora.toire and the Eudists' having complied
with the regulation, have nothing to apprehend from
the Decrees.

At Marseilles on Monday evening the police had to
clear the Rue Croix de Reynier leading to the Capu-
chin eonvent, which was filled with a disorderly mob.
The ground was kept all night, and about midnight a
crowd, singing the " Marseillaise," had also to be
dispersed. The police will occupy the streets leading
to the convent.
A rumour having got abroad at Tours on
Monday that the Jesuits in that town were to be
expelled from their establishment in the manner
adopted at Toulouse last week, a large crowd
assembled in front of the college, while the interior
was full of sympathisers with the Jesuits. In the
street repeated cries of "Vivent les Jesuites " were
answered with equal vigour by "Vivent lee Decrets !"
The throng at last become so dense that the Prefect
of the Department and the Mayor of Tours appeared
on the scene, and summoned the crowd to disperse.
As this was of no avail, the police occupied the street,
and maintained order until night.
At Vannes a crowd assembled on Monday morning
before the College of St. Francois-Xavier, to await
the visit of the Academy Inspector to the Jesuit
Establishment. The official arrived at half-past eight,
and was greeted with cries of " Vivent les Jesuites."
On leaving the house the inspector was followed to his
residence by the crowd. The Prefect, the Mayor, the
Commissaries of Police, and the gendarmes made
their appearance at half-past three, and were received
with cries of " Vive la Libertd Vivent les Jesuits."
The Prefect endeavoured to address the crowd, num-
bering about 2,000 persons, but was unable to obtain
a hearing. At Toulouse the utmost excitement pre-
vailed during the day, as the expulsion of the Domini-
cans, Capuchins and Marists was expected, though it
did not take place.
The Carmelites at Afontpelier have appealed against
the administration of the Prefect. The French and
Spanish Carmelites at Toulouse have published protests
against their expulsion.