The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-23
FRANCE and The VATICAN.
THE QUESTION or SEPARATION
or CHURCH AND STATE.
NJ. Cosnbess Efforts to Put IN End 10 Ma.
peleOn LIS ConcOrdat-LeO Mills
Patience In the Hope Of SAVING the
Catholic (hurch's Hold on France

ROME, Nov. 6.-The difficulty between
France and the Papacy is entering on the
phase which may be allowed to call criti-
cal. With his vigilant, clearsightedness
the Holy Father had entered on an ex-
change OF relation with the Republic il
which he gave = i without receiving
back snything ii ne incorruptible hope
OF making the Republic toeran, and saw
ing the Concordat. The Dreyfus affair
and the disobedience Of refractory Catho-
lies have for the time being put an end TO
his first hopes. but his expectant spirit,
his long-sufering which at times comes
close to moral maceration, have for the
moment preserved France from break
with Rome and with the Church. To pass
with impunity the ferry from the black to
white bank Of the future Leo Kill MAIN
tains. in a rather magnificent way. the no.
blest reserve. Factions call this discretion
an abdcation; we should b,h Id in it
rather the genius Of patience, a thousand
times more fruitful and more deserving
shan an easy Incorporating attitude.
Between the violence Of tn Left and
the irritation of the Right, IN, II ly Father
Is like the crucifed Christ b, lween the
two robbers; IS that not too often the atti-
of redemption? 1t is the Incompatible
merit of Catholcism that it Possesses
at the top of its hierarchy the great ordering
power which marks the strict distinctions
between weaknesses and crimes and prac-
Us - in a sovereign way the policy of com
promise, that great art Of diplomacy
viii he be able to maintain the one rda
against the logic of actual conditions and
the inclinations of the anticericals? And
will it be the prelude to a policy of peace
and OF broad tolerance? That is the point
Of tho actual differences. NJ. Combcs
has come into power with the mission
Of settling with the Church the conflict
regarding the congregations OF his own
initiative, but with the connivance Of the
anticlerical coalition. he Is making ready
for the abolition of the c ,ncordat by sue
cessive stages; that would be the second
act in the drama. That is why the Pres-
dent Of the Council shows a liking for vex-
at.ous and irritating measures. He Is
taking his revenge and is trying to excite
the Pope to reprisals. If Leo Nil. should
retort to NJ. Combes's violence, the latter
would take advantage of the pretended
declaration Of war" To complete the
separation
What checks him Is neither the public
good nor the consequences of this gross
Intrigue it is the fear of the present and the
lbhorrence of the Republican group Of which
NJ. Loubet is the head Ln spite of indiffer.
ence which is too common in some pro vinces
the peasant would not like to see the re.
public touch the village cure, if he does no,
60 to church, he nevertheless wishes The
priest TO be the intermediary BET W zen him
self and God. he wishes to bc bl p q d, tc
be admitted to the first communion. tC
marry before the altar and TO he buriec
with the rites Of religion. Now, 90 soon al
the Government. with Insufficient reason
and with no pretext Of provocation from
Rome, breaks the contract. the peasant will
show by his vote his discomfort and disafIec.
ton.
In any case the break would provoke
disturbances of which il is diificut to calcu.
late the effects The sectarcs have 10
intention of running those risks. The,
would rather have the Holy Father show
his righteous Indignation, in which case the
Go vernment would say to the peasants
There is the person who IL responsible
The Pope has insisted on this; take YOU
revenge" So i, would obtain at the sam.
time the full reward for its hateful mach
nations and the Use of the voters agains
the Church.
Leo XIII, however, has no desire to play
the part Of o useless and harmful martyr
So he wraps himself up in silence and cir
cumspection, which men of mean inteli
gence and partisans call pusilanimitv
whereas on the contrary hs prudence
is checking the most pcrfdious trick o
French anti-clericalism. A mysterious
game is being played by NJ. Combes and tn
Pope the closest OF games Of chess, il
which the fate Of France and perhaps tn,
near future of the Papacy are at stake
Who will win? Will NJ Combes go ahead
regarding only his cod hatred and hi,
obscure mission? Nobody believes that
Leo NIL will let himself be driven I,
the last ditch before committing an &C
that may be the prelude of the separation
OF Church ard State. Better informec
than parties are, he foresees that for tn
Concordat police laws would be substi
tu,ed that restrict more than the -organ
srt icles;" he foresees that in the village
each Mayors office would be turned int,
an annex of the Palais Bourbon when re
ligious passions would fight face to face
many parishes would sink into grea
deserts; the faith would receive crue
efforts TO procure for the Church the finan
cial aid from the State that IL cannot d.
without, Leo XIII. is suffering for on
good; is he not worthy Of passionate ad
rniration az well a. Of joyful flial obedi
ence?
+, hi ID NJ. Combes's violence there i
an aiterthought, it is TO overcome and I,
disarm the obstinacy of NJ. Loubet an,
the Concordat party who look on the breal
with Rome a sa leap in the d ,rk and loss o
Frances foreign influence. NJ. Combe
and his anticlericals care little for suc
possibilities they have determined T.
put an end TO the Concordat and to tn
Protectorate in the East 1t is necessar
to obey. With NJ. Loubet, NJ. Delcasse il
his negotiations with Rome tries to pm
of final decisions. He seems to hold I
the Concordat and to the k,at priv
leges. When the Italians IN dc their pill
grimage to the Holy Land he seemed dis
posed to favor the stdtu quo, while the sp
pointment Of NJ. Boppe, diplomat Of cX
perence. to the Jerusalem ConSulat, q n
eral has been looked upon as Clear sigh q
the importance the Quai d'Orsay attache
to the preservation Of the present situation
L. this diplomatic fctonG s /, Delcass