The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-09-06
THE SITUATION
IN FRANCE
CONTINUED from Page II

at the holy sacrifice on Sundays or fes-
rivals. Do not imagine that the part
of France which l visited is eXcep-
tionally backward on the score of le-
ligion. The case is, in truth, ether
wise. There are many and extensive
areas where religion is at a much low
er ebb. 1 was assured by priests that
in the Midi. or south of France, the
faith is completely lost. and Pere
Forbes, the we'll known Jesuit, states
that, from Christian point of view, the
country districts of the center and
other parts of France are dying. If not
already dead He adds: After the
first communion-and what a commu-
nioni-the child disappears, only to see
the priest again at his marriage or mis-
death, if even then he calls for him
On Sundays the priest celebrates mass
in presence of four women and ten
children" May we not draw the same
inference from the following facts
which 1 had from two trustworthy in
formants? An excellent Belgian Cath
Ollie with whom 1 travelled on my re-
turn journey told me he had been some
years ago in the west of France and
passing through village, he went
according to his custom, to mass on
week day. Save the sacristan, he was
The Only Male Person Present.
Astonished to see a gentleman assist
at the religious ceremony, the cure sent
his sacristan to him after the service
to invite him to dinner. The gentle
man courteously declined, but next
morning when he again attended mass
the request was renewed, and the
visitor, thinking the good priest might
| be offended by d second refusal, ac-
cepted the invitation. Nothing, my
! fellow traveller said, could be sadder
than the picture the pastor gave
him of the state of religion in his par
! ish. Amongst other things, he told his
guest that he might leave the village
on Monday morning, remain away I'll
Saturday evening and, provided the
| bell was rung for mass every morning
none of his parishioners would even
suspect that he was absent. But more
surprising still is what l was told a
few days ago by a Belgian cure who
lives on the frontier not far from Sc
dan. and with whom l discussed the
situation in France. Without my nav
ing mentioned the circumstance just
narrated, he said he had been informed
by a French confrere that he might
absent himself from mis- village on
Sunday, and If the bell were rung as
usual for the offices, his flock would
have no suspicion that the mass and
other religious functions of the day
had been omitted In neither case, per-
haps, is the statement to be taken as
literally true, but the mode of express
sion indicates to what an extent the
practice of one of the most imperative
of religious duties is neglected by the
peasantry. And what of the demeanoI
of the men, in town or country, VINO
are present at the holy sacrifice? one
cannot help thinking that for the most
part they are mere spectators rather
than worshippers. Where the obliga-
ton of assisting at mass is so univer-
sally ignored we need not expect thai
The Sunday Rest
will be observed. In all the places
visited there was the same reply to my
inquiries on this head: The Sabbath is
not respected, save by a very few
Amongst the peasantry there is no dis
tinction of days; if there is work thai
can be performed on Sundays it is
done Just as if the Third Command
ment were no longer in vigOr, and II
in the towns and cities men suspend
their ordinary occupations on thu
Lords day it is not through respec
for the divine law. but because they
wish to enjoy holiday AS French
laxity on this matter is so well known
it is unnecessary for me to dwell fur
Their upon it. There are other anC
still graver evils which afflict thu
Church of France, but as space doe
not permit me to enter upon them here
l must reserve for another article VIVA
I have to say regarding them.