The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-10-16 00:00:00

DUDLEY,

ROMAN CATHOLIC REUNION.—On Monday night
the eighteenth reunion of the Ronan Catholics of
Dudley and neighbourho d was held ie tee Public
Hall. The Rev. Dr. McCave ce,upied the es is.
and he was supported by the Rev. C ,non Davies,
Rev. J. Bond (rector of Dudley), Rev.—Dickenson,
Rev. A. Crane, Rev. J. Gr.son, and several oVer
priests. The attendance at tea nrA afterwards a- .s
larger than on any previous occa4 IL—After so.ne
introductory business, the ehairmaa complimented
the meeting on its six., and araued from this the t
they were a contented and neammous body of
coreligionists. By their re,olute union and church
di=cipline, the Catholics of England hal grown to
be a poweiful factor in the State, and a growing
and powerful minority, capable of making itself
heard on important occasions. On the contrary,
their Continental brethren, in spite of numbers,
were more like a helpless mob than. a unanitnous
body. Did they wish to see the tuitions resolts of
the mischief of division, let them survey France at
the present time. (Hear, bear.) Frenchmen were
almost universally Catholic or they believed nothing
and when the late Empire of France was asked as
to the absence of Catholics in his council, he asked
agsin "Where are they to be found, or how can,
they be won over ?" The fact was there was
division, and the Le4itimists would have no dealings
or office under Imperialism. (Hear, hear.) There
was great mischief in division. In the Case he was
alluding to the mischief was not confined to the
Legitimists, but owing to a bad bargain between
Church and State there were divisions between the
priests and the people. A fashion had grown up
in France of calling the Church " State-paid, '
nstate•endowed," whereas it would be far nearer
the truth if the caluminators used the words a,
State-plundered Church." (Applause.) in the later
days of the eighteenth century the property of the
Church extended to nearly one third of the whole
soil of France, and that property represented
twelve centuries of benefactions to religion. From
the days of Clovis until then it included the
benefactions of kings and the devotion and
sacrifices of priests, who by their self-denial were
able to help religion by princely gifts. (Applause.)
Noblemen, too, joined in the bequests to Mother
Church, and the merchant, the scholar, the soldier.
and all who felt the logic of the Apostle to to,.
Corinthians subscribed. That logic he need hardy
tell them was. "If we have sown unto you
spiritual things, is it a great matter that we should
reap your carnal things ?" (Applause.) And so the
revenue of the Church grew to 80,000,000 of France
and from this 11,000,00, francs were paid to the
State as a regular, annual, and voluntary grant.
But there came a time of spoliation and murder,
and the bloodiest drama ou record was played out.
He referred to the French R volution. That. was
a ltime when the throne and the alar were
abolished, religion persesu el, and the streets ran-
re I with the blood of the Christian br After
this the ambition of the great Napoieen •lelivered
Frince from government by nil a
oncordet was concluded i,etw. Napoleon' and
Pope Pius VII. It was an unfortunate bergain,
and was a compromis--the only one a proud,
haughty conqueror, freshly raised, would concede
to an aged and helpless Pentiff. Article 13 of the
concordat promises for the Pope that neither
would he nor any of his successors take proceeding's
aga'nst the holders of the alienated ecclesiastioal
property. Article 14 pledged the Government, or
the State, to pay a suitable salary to the bishop and
clergy, and that their dioceses and number ehould
be adjusted afresh. This might appear that the
clergy were paid by the State, but the money paid
vas restitution for robbery. ("Hear, hear.'' and
applause) The bargain continued, and unfortunteely
was the cause of much mischief to their brethren
on the other side of the channel. rt made the
prelates the enemies ef the Government of the time
i
being, whether it was Roy list, Republican, or
Imperialist; and the same bargain prevented the
clergy from publishing any Papal letter or encycical
decree without expre •s sanction from the Govern.
meat. (Cries of "Shame.") If they took away
from the priest his privileges, his zeal, his faith,
his charity (stronger than death), it was better for
him to be a dog and bay the moon Dr. McCave
then condemned the action of the French Govern-
ment in expelling the Jesuits, and concluded by
thanking his audience for their attention.—After
several votes of thanks, there was a miscellaneous
concert.