The sun., 1902-11-09
The Concordat Not Threatened In
France.

4 recent incident in the French Cham
bcr Of Deputies has been the subject
of some misunderstanding. 4 Socialist
Deputy proposed the separation of
Church and State and demanded mr.
gcncy for his motion. The Premier,
VI. CoMBES, was naturally unwilling to
comply with this demand, because, even
il he desired to proceed ultimately 10
such cxtrcmities. he would not want
10 have his hand forced On the other
hand. he was reluctant 10 oppose mo-
tion calculated ia excite trcpidatior in
the Bishops who have criticised the
measures lately taken by him for the
repression of teaching associations. 4
way out Of the dilemma was found FOR
him by Deputy, who proposed the
appointment of Il committee " to con-
slider all matters relative 10 the separa-
tion Of Church and State" The proposal
was accepted by NJ. CoNBEs and carried
by 29i votes to 254, but the omission to
fix any date for the committecs report
was equivalent TO an indefinite post pone-
ment of discussion of the subject.
The truth is that, although there il
large anti-clerical majority in the present
Chamber Of Deputies, and although this
majority doubtless represents the pre-
ponderant opinions of the voters, French
men are not yet ready. and are not likely
to be ready for some time 10 come, to
abolish that connection of Church and
State which is embodied in the Com
Cordat concluded between NAPOLEON ].
and the Papacy, and ever since main
tanned. Unqucstionably, the Socialists.
and most Of the Jacobin Radicals who
represent urban constituencies, would
like TO see the annual subvention of eight
million dollars now devoted to the sup
port OF the clergy applied to secular char
tiles. as, for example, to old-age pensions
Even among those Frenchmen, however,
who are avowed agnostics, many cling
10 religious observanccs at births, we'd
dings and funerals. and prefer to have
those observances paid for by the State
rather than by themselves Individually
As for the peasantry, it was proved con-
clusively during the first and great Revo-
luton that they cannot be permanently
detached from religious worship, and it
is equally certain that they would object
strenuously to the support Of the clergy
by voluntary contributions. That is to
saw, il the French electorate could be
pollcd on the specific question, Shall tho
Church be- separated from the State? an
ilneQilvoCal answer in the negative
would be rcturncd
That is ono Of the reasons why anti
clerical Ministries have shrunk from
raising the issue Of the abolition of the
Concordat. They are Influenced in the
same direction by other wcighty CON
sdcrations. The undisgised and irrec-
oncilnblc quarrel between France and
the Papacy which would follow the
separation of Church and State would
tend 10 u material impairment Of French
prestige abroad. because France would
no longer he accepted aS the traditional
protector OF Catholics in non-Christian
countries Already her claim To figure
in that capacity is questioned by Ger
many and Italy, but hitherto it has been
generally recognized bv the Vatican.
The moral value Of such protcctoratc
is best appreciated by the Minister for
Foreign Affairs, but another effect of the
abolition Of the COncordat would secm
highly Objectionable in the eyes Of the