The Savannah morning news., 1902-10-13
HIS TRIP TO ROME
DISCUSSED By BISHOP KELLEY IN
ADDRESS TO DIOCESE.
P0PE'S LIFE IS DARKENE0
by THE CONDITIONS OF THE
CHURCH IN FRANCE AND ITALY.

Benediction of the Apostolic Father
sent to Catholics of This Country
Thanks Expressed for Their Gen
erosity-BishOp Expresses His APP
prevail of Protests of Catholics
Against proposed Imitation %
French Methods in Case of Relig-
: ious Orders in PhiIippines"-Asta
: Prayers for the Pope. q
An address dealing with his recen
trip to Rome was prepared by Bishop
Kelley TO be read in all the Roman
Catholic churches of Georgia yester-
day.
"On the 10th day of last August
said the Bishop. 1.-The feast of ST. Lau-
renee, martyrsH isaayshs great happi-
ness of seeing the holy father and
presenting him the offerings Of the
faithful Of this diocese. Our holy IA
Their commanded me in his name to eX-
press his grateful sense of the gener-
osity of our people and convey to
them his apostolic benediction. He
seemed surprised that form so few
Catholics so large an offering was
made. INhen we consider the heavy
responsibility resting on the holy IA
Their, and witness the sublime trust in
God and astonishing vitality which
mark his career, and remember that
he bears the burden of SO years, we
cannot fail to see in the prolongaton
L.. al III Of nixrinA
protection and favor His mind Is
bright and clear; his faculties are un-
impaired his interest in everything
which concerns the welfare of men is
as active as when he first assumed
the triple crown, nearly five and twen-
ty years ago. He has long since pass
ed the span which Providence has de-
creed to human life, but with age and
its attendant inf1rmities, there has
come no abatement of mental activity,
no cessation of labor for the interests
of the church.
The Church in France.
1T has pleased a Master, who was
born in poverty, who lived a wander
er and died in ignominy, to permit
dark clouds to overshadow the closing
years of His wears pontificate. The
heart of the holy father has been
grieved by the bitter and relentless
warfare waged against religion by the
present French government An in
famous law was enacted last year by
the assembly which practically sup
presses the religious congregations in
France. By virtue of this so-called
law, every religious body in France
no matter when founded or for what
purpose-is compelled to humbly sue
the government for permission to ex-
ct - Il
granted as it seems best to a hostile
and irreligious ministry 1t matters
not that the religious orders have car
ried the name of Christ and the glory
or France in nearly every cline: 1t
matters not that they have gained the
deathless gratitude of the nation for
their services in camp and field. in the
hospital and amid pestilence; it mat
tiers not that they have shown time
and again no dread of death on bat
tleheld or amid the horrors of plague
when they could help the dying or
sorely afflicted; all these count as
nothing to-day. There is no pretense
that they have ever failed in their du-
ties as Christians or Frenchmen. Their
crime is, that while willing and ready
TO render to Caesar the things that be-
long to Caesar, they are not willing to
render to Caesar the things that be-
long to God.
The present government of France
Is determined to have no moral or re-
hglous instruction of the youth Of
France and hence the religious orders
are driven from the schools, the build
lngs are closed and the teachers NAV
nnd a home where they can, or thew
may starve so far as the government
cares.
Way Orders Are Treated.
We know what the Sisters of Char
ity have done in our own land. and we
nave read from time to time how
france has publicly recognized its debt
10 some humble daughters of ST. Vim
cent de Paul, who in quiet. unobtrusive
way did some heroic act for the SOL
diers of France. We have heard of the
troops assembled and a shrinking Sis
ter of Charity called before the men
and having the cross of the Legion of
honor pinned by the general to her
haolt. We have loved to read of the
universal acclaim with which the ius-
tice of such an act was recognized.
But to-day the same Sisters of Char
lty are driven from the homes, where
tney have for years been engaged in
teaching the little children to love and
serve God and to love France. They
nave seen once more the soldiers
drawn up before their doors, but not
TO pay them merited tribute for duty
nobly done, but at bayonet's point to
evict them from their homes and turn
them out on the streets. The present
French government will have nothing
to do with God
AS was to be expected, the Jesuits
were the first to feel the vengeance of
the ministry. No Jesuit may stay in
France, If he is known as a member of
the society. They have become accus-
TONED, however, to suffering for the
name of Jesus, and they assuredly
possess no higher .elafn to admiration
than that they are usually the first to
bear the brunt of the attack which the
devil and the world are constantly
waging against the church of God.
Parental rights in the education OF
children are utterly disregarded in
France to-day and the radical and So
eialistic faction which controls the des-
TIMES of that unhappy country seems
determined to use every means in its
power to corrupt the minds of the
young, by denying them knowledge of
the claims that God has on His crea-
lures. Mothers and fathers in vain pro-
test that they desire a religious educa-
tlon given their children, the ministry
OF France are using all the power at