New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-03
FRANCE AND THE VATICAN.
PROPOSITION TO TERMINATE THE coNcoRDAr
ATTITUDE OF THE POPE.

4 PROPOSITION TO TERMINATE THE coNooRDAT
ATTITUDE OF THE POPE.
Paris, Dec Elm the Chamber Of Deputies to-day,
NJ. Hubbard gave notice of his intention 30 question
Minister Faheres In regard to the attitude OF the
Catholic Bishops and demand that the Government
advise the Vatican Of the termination of the ConcordAt
at the end Of the year.
grSGarop has been fined 500 francs for opening
subscription for the benefit Of the condemned Arch
bishop Of AK.
The "sieclep to-day says it understands that the
Pope will soon issue declaration disappearing OF the
agitation which is being carried on against the Gov
eminent by the French Bishops The "Matn" says
that the return OF the French Ambassador 10 the
Vatican depends upon the Popes disavowal Of the con-
duct of the French Bishops.
The quarrel between the French Government and
the Bishops has reached stage at which only one
authority can put end to it, that authority Is the
Pope The coercive measures which 1t Is SAID the
Paris Cabinet may possibly take are impracucabie IN
a Catholic country the Government of which, TOO Is
strongly centralized TO terminate tne Cohcoruat
would amount TO deprving the Paris Ministry Of its
control over the Roman Catholic cergymen, whom 1t
considers as state fnctonareS, since it pays them
regular salary And il is for this reason that an
order was issued forbiddng the Bishops to leave tler
respective dioceses without permission. 1t Is true
that the Catholic priests pretend That the annual
income given them must be considered not as salary
propertes of the Church, which were snatched from
them by the first Revolution. But the policy oil the
French Governments even during the Clerical Monarch
les of Louis XVIII and Charles \, was to hold the
Concordat signed between Napoleon and Plus VIZ
as binding the clergy to obedience toward the STATE
though leaving TO the priests full religious freedom
Il is therefore to the interest Of the French Govern
ment 10 maintain the COncOrdat and to send again 10
the Vatican It's ambassador, who is now on vacation
in Paris as soon as Leo XIII shall have composed the
present conflict 1t is also TO the interest OF the Holy
see not 10 increase the strength already so great OF
the irrelgous French Radicals who might force the
Government 10 take energetic measures than IL Is
willing TO take just The Pope Is fortunately, Oh
milder disposition than was his predecessor Plus IN
who wrote 10 Emperor William ], at the time OF the
Eulturkampf directed against the German Catholics
We are as mute dogs: fight for the LORD ana we
will die If necessary for the faith of our fathers Leo
XIII was satisfied in his letters OF protest against the
persecuton 10 say that he regretted tho cessation o
the amicable relations which had existed formerly De
tween Prussia and the Holy See" He expressed the
same sentiments to German pilgrims but, meanwhile
no was carrying on diplomatic negouati0nsIand the
Kuturkampf is no The Pope VIII fouow tne
same poicy In regard 10 the present trouble, ana u y
nrObale that as reported In recent dispatches ne mas
nrdered the French bishops not 10 protest uselessS
against the measures taken by the French Govern
ent 30 long as these measures do not interfere WIN
their purely ecclesiastical duties.