The Irish standard., 1904-10-08
NJ. Waldeck- Rousseau, the originator

VI. w u,
of law, has lately died, but not befor
he had uttered his protest in the sen
ate and elsewhere against the work o
the Combes' ministry. In the cham
Der and in the senate in 1901 he de
Tended his law on the sole ground tina
authorization would be granted or re
fused on the merits of each case. ant
he rejected Indignantly an amendment
which proposed the suppression Of al
existing non-authorized congregations
M. Waldeck-Rousseau's speeches, al
SO, that were posted up in every com
mune in France, bear witness to his
personal pledges in this matter and t.
his reiterated promises in regard tt
authorization. The electors of France
on the strength Of his declarations
were assured again and again by can
didates soliciting their votes, that the
government had no thought of sup
pressing the religious congregations in
France, and that it was, in fact,
pledged to authorize those that would
merely obey the new law and take the
necessary steps to regulate their po-
sition. 1t is a complete misreprcsenta-
ton to say, as so many journals have
done, that M. Combes was returned to
power with large majority, on pur-
pose to decree the abolition of re-
ligious orders, and that in refusing the
grant the authorization asked by them
he was merely carrying out the man.
date he had received from the country
This issue was never before the cleo
torate at all.
Taking the figures given by NJ. Wal
deck-Rousseau in the debates of 1901
as correct there were some $4,000
religious to be dealt with in the cate
CORY of non-authoriZed congregations;
and NJ. Combes is said to have receiy-
ed applications for authorization for
1880 houses. But matters have not
stopped here.
Religious life in France is now
doomed to destruction. \ new law
absolutely forbids the religious to ex-
ercise the profession of teaching, for
which previously they had been au-
thorized. The government does not
consider previous authorization by the
state as anything more than an ap-
provali accorded for period. What
the state has once approved and au-
thorized, SAYS NJ. Combes, it can ut
some future time, if it thinks proper,
declare to be non-authorized.
1t has now been thought proper; and
the members of the authorized bodies,
numbering some $1,000 religious, are
now practically added to, the list of
the prescribed, and this means that
their property will be seized by the
state and that they will be cast out
into the world. BY the first Of next
month $50 schools taught by the Chris
tan brothers, 1,O54 schools for girls
taughhiby religious women, and nearly
600 onphannges where the waits and
strays' of the, country were supported
by the Christian charity of the faith
full, and tended by the devoted care.
of the sisters, are to be closed and the
remaining institutions, in number hard
ly less than 1000, are doomed to eX-
tinction at the will of the government.
Nor, we may be sure, will this be
the last act in the tragedy now being
enacted before our eyes in France. AL
ready it has been made clear, even to
those who might have had any doubt
previously about NJ. Combes' object,
that the suppression of the religious
orders is merely an incident in a gen
eral campaign against the Catholic
church. The two circulars addressed
to the. bishops of France in April 1903.
directly them what preachers they
We're to employ in their pulpits, and
ordering them to close all churches
and places Of pilgrimage, which were
not strictly parochial and in them
selves plain indications Of the length
that M. Combes is prepared to 60
The almost universal refusals of the
bishops to obey these mandates is,
however, proof that they understand
the situation in the same way, and are
ready to suffer any pains and penalties
rather than be unfaithful to the duties
of their sacred charge.
What possible explanation, too, can
be given of NJ. Combes' prohibition to
the priests Of Brittany and to those
of the Basque provinces to give re-
ligous instruction to the children of
their parishes in their native language,
or to preach save in the French tongue,
except that he desired to put stop
to religious teaching Of all kinds, see
ing that multitudes Of the parents and
children in these districts understand
only the Breton or the Basque lam
guages.
M. Combes is carried along on the
flood he has let loose. There were in
dications that even he, like the real
originator of the mischief, M. Waldeck-
Rousseau, would have wished to pause
in his career of destruction and, tenn
porarily at least, to close down the
tlood-gates. The very financial condl-
ton of the country should be sufficient
to make him, as a politician, DESTROYS
10, ol,1 ;te l,,,r1opc Havinp al