The Irish standard., 1903-06-13
A BRAVE BISHOP.
His Very Spirited Reply 10 the Premier
OF France.

stands FORTH Il man brave enough 10
defy the government and sufficiently
devoted to the cause OF justice to sac
rifice the stipend he receives from the
state. The letter from the premier
of France and the bishops spirited re-
ply read as follows:
Monsieur rEvcQuc: Last Sunday,
during the progress of Il mass which,
it appears was preserved for men,"
you publicly installed in the pulpit of
your cathedral NJ. Ravcnez. presented
by YOU as "llvin@ belonged to the
congregation of Jesuit fathers and rs
having left it through standardization"
Now. nobody can believe that among
the secular clergy in the fine diocese
which was contided to you by the gov
ernmcnt of the republic there could
not lie found Il preacher capable Of
filling the pulpit of your cathedral,
and that it WaS necessary to ask the
assistance of n congregation which
does not even recognize the French
law. which is still in existence and
which. as you know very WE'LL never
loses ANA can never lose its authority
over those who belong to it.
Moreoycr YOU took care to explain
the character and the aim of the pres
cncc of NJ. R;lveneZ. What you in
tended was Il violent protrStation
against /; circular which, after all,
merely recalled the Fundamental rules
in regard to the public. exercise of
the Catholic religion in France. 1t
was II prrmcditHtcd defiance, and it
won for You the plaudilS of yo,lr nu
dicncr. since yru belong to those, it
seems. who beliovn that applause is
permissible in Il church.
1t is To be regretted. Monsieur
l'EveGuc, that placed in the post of
confidence which YOU occupy. YOU did
not hesitate. so close t" tn" frontier.
to give such an example OF contempt
for the government of Your country.
1t is no less to he d"plor"G tlHt. To
crafty political passions and ;nimoSi-
ties. YOU showed Yourself so utterly
ohliviouS of the standing i'm which YOU
are placed to tho point even of sli"cu
lating i'm til" most noble sentiments.
worthy OF all respect. 10y taking GOOD
care to mention that the Jesuit choS-
en- by YOU was II natrir;,ized French
man born in Strashus%s.
ne, ali
opinion will Judge severely and which
til" government cannot ovcrIuuk. [
have. therefore. thr honor Ia inform
YOU that | hay" given the order la
stop. from this very day, the delivery
to your address of any draft on the
funds of the public treasury. .trc"pt
the assurance. etc. &c.,.
President OF tlH Council,
Minister of the Interior,
Il, CONFESS
And here is the bishops answer:
letter in which you announce to me
the suppression of my stipend. 1T
reached me this evening; but this
morning the journals of Nancy and,
no doubt, all the journals of France,
thanks to your communications With
the Ayencc lluvaS. have already pub
lisled your decree.
Your two circulars were also given
to the public before we received
thelll4---a method in manners unknown
until today to the French adnlinistra-
ton.
| appealed. not to Il member of the
congregation of .IcSuitS. but TO Il priest
regularly Sccul;lrZeu who left that
congregation.
| already pointed out to YOU in my
letter of the 12th inst that the exist
cncc Of IL congregation to which II
priest thus src,,lariZ"u once belonged
could form no legal objection to tina
secuarization. | have known and 1
know .Ics,lils over whom the congrc-
CATION lost all authority and to which
they are in no wise bound.
No law and no fundamental rule in
regard to the exercise of the Catholic
faith in France can Justify your circu-
lar. You have not even attempted to
cite any law or any rule.
You attempt to give me Il lesson i'll
regard to the applause with which my
words were received. ! do not accept
that lesson 1t is for the bishops to
make rules in regard to dccor,lm in
the churches. The case in question
presents no novelty. 1t is not the
first time that manifestations were
made in Il church. There are senti
mcnts that French and Catholic souls
can not always control. and whicl
burst forth in homage to the God OF
all justice and of true liberty.
| have given no example of con
tempt for the government or the in
stitution of my country" The pos
which I occupy at the frontier | hay,
proved myself worthy of filling. Dur
ing twenty years have used al
means in my power to bring ahou
peace. union and respect for the law
without which the nation must perish
have never ceased to fam the fam,
of patriotism in the hearts of the no
bic people of Lorraine I belong Il
those. sir. who love with all the ;rho