The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-12-10

designations or to repair to Rome to
hear the charges against them. They
refused and were told that under pen
atty of suspension from the exercise Of
their ecclesiastical functions, they be
in Rome in given time. Some letters
were addressed directly by the vatican
to them and others communicated by
the papal nunciO in Paris. Thereon
the government notified the vatican
that the Concordat was being violated
by it; that the nuncio had no right to
communicate with bishops without the
consent of the government; that since
it was the right Of the government to
nominate bishops, their ecclesiastical
authority should neither be limited nor
removed temporarily OF permanently
without the consent of the government.
'The vatican explained it could not
forego the divine right Of admonishing
bishops, or imposing, when the case
demanded, ecclesiastical penalties. The
government refused to listen and re-
called it's ambassador from the vatican.
Now, it is plain to see the government
went beyond its rights, and the vatican
could not do other than it did in re-
fusing to submit to the demands Of the
government. The organic articles
were invoked, but the church had
never recognized those articles. The
Concordat was not violated. From the
very words of the Concordat the gov
ernment simply nominated the bishops,
but the vatican was to give to them
ecclesiastical institution-that is, all
their spiritual rights as governors Of
their dioceses. Now, the authority
which gives, may, when necessary, re-
strict or withdraw. AS the vatican
explained, there was not question yet
Of the deposition of those bishops.
eff they were to be deposed, the vat
ican declared itself ready to seek a
previous understanding with the gov
ernment. In offering to do so, it was
going even further than the Concordat
required; for all it did require was that
\ the government should nominate in
case Of vacancy Of the see.
challenged to undo what it had
done in reprehending the bishops of
Dijon and Laval, Plus x refused.
What else could he have done? To
yield was to renounce his whole spirit
ual authority over the government of
the church, to submit the church in
her spiritual rights to the action Of the
state. The pope rose in sublimest
heights to the duty Of his Office, and
said: Whatever the consequences,
the supreme right of the church to
direct and govern souls must remain
intact
''If the Concordat is to be broken the
fault is with the French government,
which outstripped all it's rights and
arrogated to itself privileges neither
contained in the Concordat nor com.
patible with the very life and dignity
Of the church.
"rhe causes leading up to the action
of the government are many and com
plex. It is the old battle of the state
for supremacy, not only in temporals
but in spirituals, the battle which was
fought by Gregory VII against Henry
V of Germany, the battle which in
England resulted in making the sover'
eign the head Of the church in spirit
uals and temporals and in lodging in
the privy council the right to define
and interpret dogmas.
ut is further the march of secular
ism which aims at setting aside God
Christ and the church Of Christ. In
their rage Of secularism the name OF
God is no longer allowed to be pro
nounced by government officials
Christ can no longer be mentioned in
colleges and schools and religious or
ders devoted in the name of Christ to
charity and education are ordered tt
disband.
''It is also on the part of many OF
the multitude of Frenchmen, unwilling
in their own conscience to approve the