The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-04-02
NEWS FROM sWITzERLAND.
Tho Oid Catholic Church IN Geneva ma Else
where-sebnrationo Of Church and state.

whero-hebnratton OF Church and bthto.
GENEVA, March 12-As we are always
greatly influenced In Switzerland by evcnts
among our neighbors OF Franco. great deal
Of curiosity Ia excited about the manner in
which the Paris Chambers receive tho motion
OF Mr. Boysset and his followers tending 60 tho
! abrogation OF the concordat. which means. in
| fact tho separation OF Church and State.
There Is very little doubt that II Mr.. Boyssot's
bfll wore TO pass the two French Chambors-as
| IL Ia not likely To do this time-we should 10
| led on this eide OF the Jura to follow the Same
| course sooner or later. Geneva taking tho lead.
You are aware that In our canton the Catho-
| lios form about half tho population. this being
| due mainly TO the circumstance that after
! Napoleons fall. In 1915. when the old republic
| OF Geneva was made one OF the States of tho
| Swiss Confederation. some villages or small
| towns which had up to that timo belonged
| eithor to France or to Savoy were granted to us
with a view to uniting into single territory
| tho different small patches of land of which our
| country consisted. Those villages small
towns being Roman Catholic. the population Of
| Geneva became at once. after having been on
| tirely Protestant. about half Catholic.
| Now In 1878. under Father Hyncinthes In
huence and after some OF his eloquent lectures.
tho law organizing the Catholic worship In our
| canton was changed in such a way that only
| old Catholics alone could stay in the national
| establishment. The Ultramontanes. or. to use
| more polite expression. tho Roman Catholics.
| no longer recognized their Church in the So
| called National Catholic Church. where priests
| could marry. where the confessional was sup
| pressed. the mass said in French instead OF
| Latin. and which. to crown the whole. was no
longer under the control Of tho Pope. but OF a
kind OF consstory elected by the people. The
Roman Catholics then seeded and began to
worship in private chapels and to support their
| priests at their own expense.
| 1t has not, however. taken very long, TO show
| how artificial and anomalous that organization
was. 1t may boldly DO said at this hour that
| old Catholicism in our canton has ceased to
| exist. 1t continues. 1t Is true. to hold the Of
floial places Of worship. to receive from the
treasury an importanthnnua grant. to count
about fifteen priests. and to invite the faithful
regularly every Sunday at 10 o'clock to attend
religious service by a chime and concert OF
bells such as had never boon before eauallcd
here: but the faithful except when there Is
a manifestation to make. as for example.
are N no 9'i longer to be 81 seen Tho mass sis Is
attended in the different Official churches at
than ten or twelve worshippers. and in the VII
lagos by even less than that. In u large, village
see more than half dozen grown up people
with few children leaving the church. and in
that place the Catholic population is not less
The situation Is more than awkward. as you
see, The only Catholics that enjoy the favors
| of the budget are those who. rs a rule. never
attend church nor take any interest in religious
matters; and those who go to mass and love
are. in fact dsestabi shed. SO that at Geneva
the union Of Church and State has ceased to
exist for Catholics. and holds good for Profess
Of course this is denying the great democratic
principle Of the eQaty of all before the law.
Two years ago a conservative Legislature
thought the hour had come to, regulate the
Stats, But this great measure was premature.
and the bill was rejected by the popular vote on
tho 4th Of d5 July 1850 by about 1900 surages
the old Genovoso Protcstants, DESTROYS OF pro-
serving the Church of their fathers. and from
tho radicals who We're afraid that the acccp-
tnnCs Of the bill would completely ruin tho old
Catholic Church. increase the power and intlu-
estant National Communion, as it is well known
would come almost e nothing left to itself. -.
Church and State being proclaimed in France:
to oppose it any longer at Geneva would be
dangerous game, and that they would in that
ties rather than the friends and apostles of
pr0grGss # tho amin mind d and OF the
the way of disestablishment is very uncertain.
Who can say how many Cabinets may be over
ed viii to
have very little sympathy with NJ de Frsy;cinet
for the future success sue Of the T Ga fGH T Who
would rather endcavor, according to Paul
Bcrts bill to hinder and annoy the Catholics
them free and unmolcsted
The readers Of THE SUN may be interested to
know what is the present position Of Old Cath
G hi IN other Parts Of swzorand where the
Bern and in tho canton, Of Solc1re. '''' ~
What may be said with reference to this point
is not encouraging In the canton of Born tho
q 9rSG a er RIA TrG9hsSd to the
only retained a. few churcGcs. ten perhaps a' in
AL. principally in large places but in the coun-
try drs their bd b5 almost entirely
than the power they derived from the support
In German Switzerland they occupy some
banks. of the Anr and the Rhine; but they arc
causes to the TACT that The people in the Roman
Church have generlliy preserved IN those dis
priests, though, it is true; from II list of can
didnteS drawn up by the Bishop
known in yogir country where he, vent two
years ago, believe in order to establish bonus
continues 10 do his best TO impnrt some lilo to-
tho institution intrpsted to his care; While ad-
Bsh?T he is procss"r in ths old Fscut SH y
Theology The at Bern AwGng The professors Of
|
Mr.. Icrzog's coadu.or in his Bishopric Some
difficulty arose between Thorn, tho Abbe Mi
c!,1'ii ttMding in his activity To bring tho new
Church into connection with the orthodox OF
Russia. while Bishop HclZog was trying II es-
tabsh friendly Intercourse with the EIiscopa-
lans of England and America. who had afford
I'D him some pceuniary aid. These two gen
tlcmcn. tho two leaders cl their Church ara
now living together on friendly terms but il is
TO be regretted that SO few young men study
under them. Tho Old Catholic Faculty M
Bern, which had been created to furnish ali
Switzerland with cures Of tho so-cnllod re-
formed Catholic faith, numbers ut this hour
live professors and nine students among tho
later being two who have come from tho
Grand Duchy Of Baden. Tho expense Of tho
school is 10000 francs Il year. which represents
heavy sacrifice on tho part of the Swiss cam
tons contributing for each future cure
n Glorious Graduation At Columbian Uni
versity, Washington.
To THE EDITOR OF The SUN-Sr: There
were occurrences worthy OF mention at the last
commencement of Columbian University. First ot the