The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-05-14
Vatican and Concordat.

r. ID cabled from Rome that the pope |
proposes to break his silence on the sub
ject Of the very rigorous execution OF the
law OF associations in France by Premier
Corbes, who has given the impression
that he believes In Gambetta's significant
saying: "Clericalism; that is the enemy"
Since he began his execution Of the law.
there has been pretty general uprooting
Of the monastic orders and schools, the
clerics and sisters have, In considerable
numbers emigrated to England and Can
ada and the United States, and are ar
ranging to re establish themselves where
they will not be nolested The pope an
nounces that he will deal withsFrance at
the next consistory and discuss the law OF
associations and the proposed abolition OF
the concordat The latter is the concor-
dat concluded by Napoleon with Plus VII.
In 1901 and put in force on April I, 1902.
It re-established the Roman Catholic
church. which was declared to be the
church Of a majority Of Frenchrnen; guar
anteed that church freedom and publicity
of worship: provided for new arrange
rnent Of dioceses and the designations OF
all the bishops then in Office. and for the
nomination Of all bishops by Napoleon, and
for an oath of fidelity to the secular gov
eminent to be taken by all bishops and
priests The bishops were allowed to ap-
point parish priests subject to the ap-
prevail of the state. and the churches
which had escaped sale under the pro-
scriptive acts of the revolution were re-
stored to the bishops. The church had
to renounce all claim to the property
which had been sold under the furious i'm
pulses of the revolution, and the state
promised to provide for the support of the
clergy. These are the obligations imposed
by the concordat upon state and church.
If the concordat is denounced by the
French government the support of the
clergy and the expenses Of the Roman
Catholic church would have to be provided
/ by the members Of that church. France
annually contributes about $6,oo0,oo0 tt
the support Of the Vatican, and this sun
would have to be withdrawn, for 1t woult
require all the money the French church
men can raise to maintain their church
OF course, the subsidies paid by the state
to the Protestant churches and to tn.
Jews would be withdrawn also:
So far as the concordat Is concerned
the French government is likely to pleae
that the terms have been disregarded b.
the clericals for it is susceptible of proc
that, while the parish priests have attend
ed to the& parish duties as a genera
thing, and Kept out of politics, the mem
bers of the religious orders have been pc
litically very active and their activitie
have been, ever since the third republi
was founded, hostile to the republic an
toward republican institutions. and hay
taught the pupils in their schools thel
own prejudices. The clerical influence
promoting the Dreyfus prosecution wa
undisguised. They hoped that thru sue
agitation they could breed political revc
luton, which might restore the monarch
to power and SO restore the old power
the church. There is no doubt that, wl1
the moderate republicans have decline
to give their support to the action Of til
Conbes government as too severe ar
radical, the majority of Frenchn1en wou
like to see the concordat abolished and tt
Roman church left to take care Of itse
by the withdrawal Of the subvention. tt
withdrawal Of the Protestant and Jewi:
church subventions would follow, and Il
state be thus relieved Of annual paynen
of this kind, aggregating from SO, 600, o
to s15,000,0O0.
1t is noticeable that the Boston Pilot
Roman Catholic journal strongly indors
the Catholic Times of Liverpool. Eng,
charging the difficulties and humiliation
the French church to the backwardne
and i11ertness Of the bishops and prizes
largely. They are backward in their ed
cational processes, while the state pr
vides up-to-date schools of all kinds al
draws pupils from the church schools, a
the ecclesiastics do not make any exerti
to maintain their rights at the polls. II
statement OF a church journal has pro
ably much truth in it. The new gener
tion OF Frenchmen light their torches
the sun, and their activities are in st
with modern progress. The French
public needs the cooperation of all
sons Of whatever creed, and the aboliti
OF the concordat would remove hi
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