The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1905-04-08
THE CHURCH IN FRANCE

THE CHURCH IN FRANCE.
In17S9 the Constituent Assembly met to rof,
abuses. abolish unwarranted privileges and relieve
the financial distress which was driving France -
bankruptcy 1t and the succeeding Legislative %.
semblies attempted to reform Everything" and
went from one excess to another until at last dr
ing the Reign of Terror, chaos reigned The kline,
and queen had been beheaded, the mobility and t5s
clergy to escape death, were forced to become av.
lies. Their possessions were confscated and do.
clared national property" Religion was aboI.
ished. Civil society had ceased to exist. Glad f,
escape from these horrors at any cost France well
coined the dictatorship and empire of Bonaparre
These meant at least a respite and perhaps III ror.
manent restoration of law and order Civil ,o-
ciety had literally to be built up again. The Ma
poeon code of laws was formulated the cxiIe~ vera
invited to return to France They did return in
great numbers. Wherever possible their property
was restored to them, and when this iuuos.
sible compensation IN money was made. It was
evident to the genius of Bonaparte that 81 nation
cannot endure without religion and morality. and
that the great authoritative teacher of both is
Mother Church SO he entered into negotiations
with the Pope with the object of rc-estab-bnc
Catholicity in France The Concordat wa, tho
result. Wherever possible the ecclesiastical build
ing8 and property were given back to the righttuI
owner. the Catholic Church of France. Before 1889
the latter had been self-sustaining. During tho
Revolution her wealth had been conhseatcd and
squandered.
To make amends and partial restitution, the
French government obligated itself to pay salaries
to the secular clergy The bill (projet de Iol now
under consideration in the French assembly pro-
poses not only to discontinue these payments. but
to take over and declare national property all
the possessions of the Church used at present for
the exercise of religion This property belongs TO-
day-as it has ever belonged-to the Catholics Of
France. and not to the French people. The Cath
olics naturally object to this robbery under the
form of legality 1t will be robbery and spoation
under the Rouvier ministry, just as 1t was under
the Red Terror" There will be difference in
methods, but no difference in the injustice and
tyranny of the deed In this year of disgrace for
France, might will evidently be accounted right.
The object of the bill is confseation and the de-
struction of religious freedom.
In spite of this persecution the Church viii sur
vive and will achieve again, believe, triumph5
similar to those of a century ago. There will I'M
doubtedly be misery among the pastors and spirit
ual suffering for the flock. 1t will take time and
patience to educate the people to the order Of
things But the fight is on and must proceed to a
finish The duty of the leaders IS clear and must
not be shirked. The rallying cry of the Radicals
has been that the Church was reaetionary, secret
enemy of the Republic, and working for its over
throw The accusation is false, of course. Granted
freedom of worship and the Catholic Church does
not trouble herself about the character of the civil
government of a country. She thrives as well in a
Republic as under a monarchy, for cher kingdom
is not of this world This struggle for freedom
must be fought in the political arena The bishops
and priests must lead. They must prove them
selves patriotic Frenchmen; they must convince
their fellow countrymen of the purity of their
patriotism. If there linger in any minds remnants
of the old loyalty to the House of Bourbon, they
must cut them out; they must rally around the flag
of the Republic because it is the flag of France
Let them mass the columns of their friendly voters
against their present adversaries. Let the slogan
be: uphold the Constitution; down with perse-
cutting ministries"
Brothers of France, you viii triumph Your
cause is Just and will prevail!