The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-12-17
CAUSES OF THE FRENCH CRISIS

The controversy between the repub-
| lie of France and tine church Of Rome,
| which has now reached an acute phase,
| has arisen over the determination OF
France to effect a complete separa-
ton between church and state. For a
thousand years-save for the inter-
ruption of the French revolution-the
intimate relation between the Roman
Catholic church and the secular gov
eminent of France mas continued. 1t
was restored after the revolution by
Napoleon in the concordat of 1901,
whereby the French church came to
certain extent under governmental
control and the clergy We're paid OUT
of the public treasury. For twenty
five years, the sentiment in favor of
disestablishment has been growing in
France and in 1881 a law was passed
regulating public assemblies, which
later on was held to affect the meetings
Of religious bodies.
But the first overt act toward sever
ing the bond between state and church
was the "association act" passed in
1901, which required that all religious
orders, such as the Jesuits, .must di-
vulge to the government their secret
rules and oaths, as we'll as lists Of
their members and other data, on pain
of confiscation of property and expul-
sion Of their members. Acting under
the instructions of the pope, the orders
refused to comply, and as a result were
expelled from France and such of their
property as they had not been able
to remove, was converted to the state,
says the Minneapolis Journal
The second and most drastic step
was the passage of a law a year ago,
divorcing the government from all con-
nection with any religious sect. It was
provided that within year the
churches might be turned over to 'cul-
luTdl dSSOCldllOIlS, VI UOdI Us VI IL US
tees as we should say, formed by the
congregations. The salaries and PEN
sions paid to the clergy were to be
gradually extinguisned and the $780,
600 expended annually for this purpose
was to be used for other purposes.
Title to all the church property,
amounting in value to over 100000
600, was to rest in the state, but the
use of it was guaranteed forever to
legally formed cultural associations.
The Protestant sects accepted this
law and acted under it. The Catho-
lies were also inclined to do so and
| the French bishops held a meeting at
| which, by a majority Of ten, it was
| agreed to recommend compliance to
the holy see The pope and his advis-
ers however, declined to sanction this
policy and directed passive resistance
| to the law. Dec. II, 1906, was the
| time limit set and thus it happens
| that yesterday absolute title to al
Catholic church property in France
passed to the state and that all pay
ment of salaries and pensions to the
clergy ceased.
1t is evidently the hope of the vati-
can that the use Of force in carrying
the law into full effect will result ir
a revulsion of public sentiment thai
; will sweep the Clemenceau ministry
out of office and compel the law-mak-
ing authority to mitigate the severity
of its policy. On the other hand, the
expulsion from France of the secre.
tary of the papal nunciature and the
notice served on Cardinal Richard ant
other high ecclesiastics that they mus
vacate their residences, now held t.
be the property of the state, are evi.
dences that the government means tt
be firm in enforcing the law.
The policy of passive resistance will
doubtless be adhered to by the highe,
dignitaries of the church, but there is
real danger of trouble in some of the
provinces where Catholic sentiment is
strong and where the clergy, appaneu
at the loss of their livelihood and their
churches. are not able or do not care
to restrain their parishioners. The gov
| eminent has announced that under the
, law Catholics NAV continue RI 1porSbip
| in their churches for the period of a
wear. Indeed, it is probable that Gull