The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1906-12-17

not merely avowed foes of Catholicism
among the Protestant denominations,
but also agnoStics and scheming politi-
clans, Indifferent to any kind of re-
ligious belief.
Were such a law to be enacted by the
state OF New York the clergy and trus-
tees administering the property of the
trinity Church, and the clergy and
trustees invested with the direction of
the property of the Catholic Church,
VIII be prompt to refuse. obedience not
only on religious grounds, but also by
reason OF conviction that compliance
would involve fragrant disregard of
their moral and material obligations as
trustees. They would look upon the
law In question as ubiquitous and I'M
constitutional, and would therefore con-
slider themselves justified In doing moth
ing to express their submission thereto.
1t is inconceivabie to the American
people that the Legislature of New
York. or, indeed, of any other State of
this great and free republic. should en-
Yet that is precisely what the French
Government has done.
In word, the new law requires of
the church the alienation of all of It's
property to boards of laymen, in the
election Of which it has virtually no
voice. this board to have full and per-
rect control. not only over the funds,
but even over the religious edifices and
over the exercise of divine worship
itself. independent of the Pope, Bishops
and canon law.
d
about 10000 churches COT which less
than 800 have been built with the aid
OF state or municipality and of prop
erty accumulated by means of endow-
ments and legacies during the last 100
years since the last confiscation of
church property at the time of the
great revolution, amounting to consid-
erably over s100.000.000. Only a por-
tlon OF this vast property is destined
for purely ecclesiastical purposes. the
great majority of the funds being
destined and used for purposes Of
property the clergy are trustees by vir-
tue of the conditions under which it
was bequeathed. Their acceptance of
the new law and their transfer Of this
property of the trust to the associa-
lions and cultuelles would ALLEVIATE for
ever the estate of the church in defer
ence to an Ubiquitous law which may
Aristide BRAND, the Minister of Edu-
cation in France, and the author and
executor of this Ubiquitous law, has
solemnly declared that without the
establishment of the boards or ''asso-
Citations and cultuelles' and without
the transfer by the clergy of the prop
erty of the church to these bodies
ercises of divine worship. but there
would also follow the conf1scation of
sacred edifices. the rectories and the
state.
There is no question OF the difference
between the various religious denom-
Catholic Church in France today are
fighting with far better justification
and much greater moderation the very
war that Chalmers and the other
founders of the Free Kirk waged in
Scotland sixty years ago for the
crown rights of Christ" The clergy of
France, In one word, are fighting the
battle of Christendom and should have
the sympathy of every Christian, no
matter what his denomination. or any
church which owns property or endow-
ment for public worship and for the
dispensation of charity according to Its
own light.