, 1874-03-22

RENAN ON POPE AND KAISER.

In the last number of the Rerue des Deu1
Mondes II. Renan reviews the politico-religiou:
situation in Germany md other European coun
tries from the advanced Liberal point Of view
1t cannot 10 said that Rennn is not a partisan, 0,
that he is without bias OF any Kind But, al
though q partisan, nasmuch as be is IN avowe6
Liberal, he can afford to be- impartial when the
Germany. And he is peculiarly fitted to pass
sound Judgment on the matter. He can under.
stand the Catholic Church. To do so he has
only to look back to the time when be was q
Catholic seminary, preparing himself for the
Catholic priesthood He can understand Ger
many, too, for, although q Frenchman by birth,
he is no typical Frenchman. His mind is cast
in too Cosmopolitan mold for that. Besides.
ha has been profound student Of German liter
ature, German life, and the differen. phases OF
modern civilization. For all these reaaoDs he is
competent to speak on the great questions agi-
tating Europe.
Renan does not consider the conflict now 60
ing on in Germany q conflict between the party
OF liberal thought-nor yet between Protestant
iszn-and the Catholic Church. Bsmsrck's tao
tics in tue battle he is wagns against tho Church
are MT tho tactics Of liberalism or free-thought.
Liberalism respects the conscience. and coneid-
ers it no part OF the business Of The State to
redeem men from what it may consider supersti-
u 80
tend to interfere with the rights of the Catholic
conscience, but. nevertheless, he does co. aince
BY his legislation he has made The practice of
their religion impossible to Catholics. Neither
is Bismarck working in the interests Of Protest.
antism. What he is endeeroriug to do is to
Germanize not protestantize, the Church. Re-
nan thinks that Bismarck has made great mis-
take in his po]itco-relisious policy, and that be
would never h:,se inaugurnted it had be under
stood the Catholic mind, or the Catholics attach
ment to his faith.
1t must not be supposed, however that Renan
comes forward as the champion Of Catholicism.
Far from it.: He would not persecute it, how
ever, because Catholicism has always thr:ven on
persecution Reaan would leave it alone-ouly
sec that it did lot interfere with the equal rights
Of others. He thinks that Catholicism has en-
tered Oh its decline that its history hcnceforth
will be like That Of Judaism; that it will be
wanderer on t-e earth, dreaming over it's past
magnifcence. The Tina has come in the cYolu-
ton OF European affairs when the relation of the
r. A1-f,n d. O..
definitely settled. It has come in the conflict OF
two Powers both OF which, antagonistic and
different as they are, attained their maximum OF
force at the Same time-the infallib1e Pope and
the all but absolute Kaiser. Plus TX. is thought
Of BY many IS an easy-going, amiable old gen.
tleman. Yet, Us Renan remarks, his reign is in
some respects the most extraordinary in the his
tory OF the Papacy. To say nothing Of its length,
it has gwen him an opportunity to display 4
mar yelous individuality and to inaugurate an &C.
clesiastiral policy which, it successful would
plncehim above Gregory VII. and Boniface VIII.
Renan seems to think that Plus TX. has made Of
the Church q, cast~iron system which cannot
yield, but which must break, and thet his sue
cessors will have nt alternative but to follow out
that policy, since ho has cut of all means OF re-
treat from it. PRUSSIA and the National German
party are as strong in one direction as the Papacy
in the other, whila there is scarcaly State in
Europe that is friendly to or has the power to
help the Pope.
Tina. It appears, Benta'A rieHs Of tho peati-