New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-06-28
UNREST IN CATHOLIC EUROPE.

II IS not well TO exaggerate the symptoms and
reports OF pOticoreligiOus unrest in France, nor
Yet TO minimize them. We have no idea that
the republic is In any danger OF revolution
Nevertheless considerable unrest unqucstlOn-
ably exists and important results are probable
There is a strong movement toward more
complete separation OF church and State-refer
ring especially TO the Roman Catholic Church.
which is the historic state church OF France
Ii will be remembered how vigorous that
movement in the days of Gambetta and Ferry.
Since then there has until the present been no
strong leader on the anti Clerical side, while the
Clerical party has had strenuous champions
such rs NJ. de Nun, NJ Coppee. VI. Brunetiere
and Pere Odelin, of the "Libre Parole" 1t was
the extreme course of these latter, and espe-
cially OF Pore Odelin and his comrades in the
Jew batting propaganda, that called NJ. Wal
deck Rousseau to the front, to save the repub-
lic" and the result Is that the anti-C Clerical
movement has In him probably the strongest
leader il has ever had-strong. but not sensa-
tional, and therefore all the stronger And laws
in restraint of the Clerical associations have
| been enacted. and will doubtless be enforced
next year, which seem likely 10 be more effec-
tive If less spectacular than NJ. Ferrys
At the same time the Catholic country Of
| Portugal is having n curious experience and
| verging perilously near to revolution. Sixty
five years ago it enacted stringent anti Cler-
cal law, closely resembling in many respects
| that which France has just framed. That law
was rigidly enforced and the religious assoca-
| tons against which 1t was directed were either
suppressed or reduced to "innocuous desuetude"
| In late years, however the law has been tacity
| ignored. The religious orders have reassumed
their old standing, and complaints of their
abuses have become numprOuS During no
| present year popular demand has arisen for
the strict reinforcement of the law. and per-
| hapS for its amendment into a still more strin-
gent form, and the King has avoided revolution
| by yielding to it, In Spain, too, there is
| widespread movement toward the same end as
| the recent Barcelona riots and other manifesto
| tions attest; indeed, there were grave demon
| STATIONS on Sunday last in Madrid and else
where. Spain has lost the last of her colonies
but she as yet enjoys no improvement in her
| domestic condition. On the contrary, affairs
seem to be going much as before only Der-
haps n little worse. At this the people are
incensed, and are bound 10 find n scapegoat
| upon which to vent their wrath They find II
rightly or wrongly, in the Church whose great
orders and communities have enjoyed excep-
tional privileges to the disadvantages anti
Clericals arSue-of the rest of the nation
In Italy the long struggle between church and
state continues. with at least no abatement Of
| strenuousness on the part of the latter. Hum
gary, long most loyal supporter of the Church
In civil matters, has effected complete divorce
| ment or religion and politics. And, finally in
| Austria. in some respects the most Catholic OF
| lands Il portentous nti-Cerical and indeed
| ant-Catholic movement is in progress, which.
| while in one respect aiming at separation of
| church and state, in another practical way IS
making religion a political issue. Thus all
| along the line this is a time of grave unrest in
the chief Catholic countries of Europe. To