The Irish standard., 1890-12-27
TO TH ga 6 RE b HEART.
~ Grand Sanctuary on the Heights
& Of Montmatre.

4
Of Montmatre.
!, Ths Causes that Lead to the contem-
platfon Of It's Constructions Description
| ofthe Design How the Money II Being
COllec ted.
The Catholics Of France are indignant
and justly so at the refusal Of the Govern
ment to authorize the acceptance of q
legacy left by the widow Bonnet to the
Church Of the Sacred Heart. The laws
| of France are such that a man is not free
to depose Of his property as he secs fit
when they are direct heirs, the Governor
having authority to decide as to whether
his descendants are in need OF the sum
! he bequeaths to others. This law has
more than once been used as 9 blind to
aid in anti-religious persecution.
This incident has drawn attention to
the construction of the church dedicated
to the Sacred Heart, a work that has been
going on steadily during the past fifteen
years, says Paris correspondent OF the
New York Morning Journal" The idea
| of building this church dates from the
war of 1870 Metz had capitulated, Paris
was besieged, and France was in state
of profund humiliation. Several Catho-
lies who had taken refuge at Poitiers
thought that all these misfortunes had
fallen upon their country because it had
not theoretically Sustained the temporal
power of the Pope, and had been luke
warm in the practice of it's religious
duties. ..
AS an act of humiliation and repent
ance for the faults committed, these gen
tlemen decided to make an appeal to all
the faithful in France to contribute,
according to their means, to the erection
of a sanctuary dedicated to the Sacred
Heart of Jesus. The following formula,
adopted as the National VOW to the
Sacred Heart, clearly explains the signiti-
canoe Of the movement:
Gin presence Of the misfortunes that
desolate France and of the greater calam-
tiles that perhaps threaten the country;
in presence of the sacriligious outrages
committed at Rome against the rights OF
the Church and the Holy SEES and against
the sacred person of Jesus Christ, we hui
initiate ourselves before God, and, uniting
in our love the Church and our country,
recognize that we have been culpable and
Justly punished. And to apologize for our
sins and obtain from the infinite mercy
of our Saviour Jesus Christ the pardon of
our faults, as we'll as the extraordinary
relief that can alone deliver the Sovereign
Pontiff from his captivity and put an end
to the misfcrtunes" of France, we promise
to contribute to the erection at Paris of
sanctuary dedicated to the Sacred Heart
of Jesus"
The two prominent leaders in this move
ment were NJ. Legentil and NJ. Rohanit de
Fleury. After the close of the war and
the Commune these two gentlemen and
their associates in the organization of this
VOW, wishing to make the undertaking
All ecclesiastical work, obtained the CO.
operation of all the Bishops in France,
and finally the consent of Archbishop
Guibert, who had lately been transferred
from Tours to Paris as successor to Mgr.
Darboy, mastered during the bloody
week.
The undertaking was placed under the
direction of Archbishop Guibert, who ap-
pointed a committee OF twelve prominent
laymen to raise the means necessary to
carry out the work and to attend to all
the details. The idea of the organizers
of the movement being to have the church
built solely by the aid of voluntary sub
scriptions, an appeal to the faithful was
at once made throughout the country.
The top OF Montmartre was chosen az
site, Archbishop Guibert preferring this
location because of it's religious tradi-
tions. It was here that St. Denis, the
first Archbishop of Paris, suff ered mar
tyrdom. Aside from all religious senti-
1aent, the site is a superb one, as it com
mands view of the entire city
When this spot was first proposed the
Minister of War observed that he in
tended to construct a fortress upon this
towering point; but, with the experience
of the Commune in mind, Archbishop
Glibert replied that the fortress could
only serve against Paris and not against
foreign enemies. So the Government,
which at that epoch was not as radical as
it is to-day, gave up the idea OF having @
citadel on the heights Of MontrAartre.
When something over 100000 had
been raised, Mgr. Guibert, who had in
the meanwhile been made Cardinal,
wished to have the work recognized as
one of public unity, so that it could
acquire land by appropriation, If neces-
sar7, receive requests and have it's NOM
inal owners become in fact incommutable
proprietors. An appeal was made to tn @
Minister of Public Worship, who hap
pened at that moment to be M. Jules
Simon. author of "Natural Religion" a
book that Catholics do not consider very
orthodox.
However, NJ Jules Simon consented to
prepare the bill and introduce it in the
National Assembly, but before being able
to do so he was, by the hazards of Par
liamentary politics, thrown out of office.
His project was presented by his sue
cessor, M Batbie, a devout Catholic, and
the Assembly passed the bill by large
majority.
By special law the Assembly declared
that the construction of a church dedi-
Gated to the Sacred Heart was a measure
- r,,,l,1io 71ti1itu tho rc1o oh NJ