The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-11-02
THE fight BETWEEN
FRANCE and The Vatican.
Why the Concordat Established by
Napoleon is So Equab!e That it
Satisfies Neither Party.
PERHAPS the corcordat is as fair

Perhaps the corcordat is as fair
contract as ever bound together two
antagonistic parties. Indeed, so
eeuable is it that it satisfies neither
party. Napoleon intended it to be a
common asylum for church and state
not a citadel whence the govern
ment might fire on the priets, nor a
bastion whence the church might aim
it's guns at the civil powers. In turn
each party has used the concordat as q
weapon. The church bewails it and
the state cries out against it,-yet
neither is willing to give it up. For a
quarter of century the Radical Lett
has promised that, whenss it should
come into power, it would destroy
this ANTIQUE agreement. Well, it has
come into power. The other day, by
two hundred an ten voices to sixty
eight, it voted down a motion to abro-
gate the concordat NJ. Combes
threatens to destroy, and lets II dare
not'' wait upon 81 would. Z" The
priests, used to the Imprisonment OF
the concordat, are not quite sure that
they want the liberty and responsible
| ity of the open world They keep up q
dismal complaining behind the bars,
but If the doors stood wide open they
would have to be prodded out into
freedom.
= The main concession for the concor-
dat, that over which the fight is keen
est, has to do with the bishops. In
return for state support and state pay,
the church yielded to the government
certain interference in the selection
of bishops and archbishops. How
large was the power awarded the state
in this matter: Upon this pivot the
entire quarrel swings. The papal bulls
have always held the sane language.
lssPresidens nobis nominayit, -" the
president has designated to Us so-and-
50 as his choice for bishop
Now the French government insists
upon the omission of the little word
nobis. Such an emendation would
make the phrase read, "the president
has named so and-so bishop" Thus
| the maintenance Of the word nobls
would concede. to the church its right
to select the bishops Of France Its
suppression would transfer that right
to the state. Round this troublesome
dative the entire battle of state and
church is being fought. Who is to
choose the bishops? In untroubled
times, indeed, from the adoption of
the frst concordat of 1916, the two
powers discussed and adjusted the
matter in friendly conference. Now
the republic insists tupon naming its
own bishops, and demands that the
pope shall give them the canonical
institution. Blandly the pope has re-
!! fused to recognize the nominations OF
three bishop selected by NJ. Combes.
So far, the victory is with the Vati-
can. More difficult is the problem Of
getting rid of undesirable bishops
snose who see greater profit in serving
the political matsers of France than
the hierarchy of Rome. The discor-
dant Bishop Gray, of Laval still clings
tojhis see. He is an intriguing, high
living cleric who would seem more at
home in an eighteenth century comedy
so witty, tinkling, aud unscrupulous
is he,-than in these gray and strenu-
Gus days. Subtly he plays the game
of politics. Withal, he takes life in a
broad, hedouisic way. That other
bishop, LIE Nordez, of Dijon, is also
thorn in the side Of the church.
Vance Thomson in "Success. -