Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-12-18
FRANCES CHURCH TROUBLE.
Explanation Of the Issues Between Gov.
ernment and Rome.

tween CnurCn ana Slale Indl lne pun
lie does not understand, although thu
matter has been under discussion fol
several years. The law divorcini
church and state, which went into eff
feet on December IL, was passed De
cember 8, 1905. Preceding this
church and state were united under
the concordat, the charter Of which
instrument will be explained present
ly. In old France the king was the
head Of both the state and church
but in ecclesiastical matters he wa.
subject to the pope. In England much
the same conditions existed until the
time Of Henry VIII, who, when he
was refused a divorce from his wife
left the church.
The state Is about to seize the prop
erty Of the church In France, but II
must be understood that the state has
had something Of a title to It since
the French revolution.
Nature Of Concordat.
A concordat is a compact dealing
with ecclesiastical affairs between the
pope as head Of the Catholic church
and the temporal ruler Of a state
Concordats commonly relate to things
which are neither purely spiritual mol
purely temporal, but mixed matters
In regard to which the action Of the
two powers can with difficulty be dis
sociated It is a settled doctrine OF
the Catholic canonists that the pope
never absolutely cedes purely spiritu-
al powers. The king sometimes NOM
mated bishop, but the bishop could
not be instituted without the sanction
Of the pope.
1t is argued by friends Of the pres
ent disruption that the church prop
erty in France could not belong to the
pope, because no title was ever vest
ed in him, and could not belong to the
church at large, because, in law, the
ohurch is not person or corporation
The new law provides that bishops
in France, in their various jurisdic-
tions, shall have religious corporations
formed to which the churches and the
church property shall be turned over
to be held under the laws of France,
and not under the sovereignty Of the
pope. In May some Of the French
bishops at a meeting held to consider
the situation, advised the pope to
comply with the requirements Of the
law, but in his view the law is too
drastic and interferes with his spirit
ual rights. It seems from the ac-
counts that the state exercises almost
supreme control over the French bish-
ops, clergy and religious services.
Seizure Of the Churches.
The state officials, 1t is said. even
have something to do with the vest
ments worn by ecclesiastics. At all
events, the law explicitly requires cer-
tain regulations to be followed in the
formation of religious corporations
and II the religious corporations are
not so formed. the church property In
the various cities and communes in
France in which the property is situ-
ated Is to be turned over to the state,
This transfer has. in fact. been In pro-
gress all this week. After the church
es are seized they may be used as the
atres. stables, courthouses, or for any
SECULAR purpose whatever. To Cath
olics this is a source Of much grief, as
some. II not all the churches are con-
secrated. and In all the secrif1ce OF
the mass has been many times offered
the supreme act Of Catholic wor-
ship. The churches are declared to
he worth $40. 900, and there are
many converts. monasteries and
schools.
Forced to Leave France.
Some Of the features Of the new law
are such that the religious orders
"ould not comply with them, and the
members have been leaving France
'or some time. 1t has been a great
hardship for the monks, nuns, Chris
tian Brothers. and the teaching or
ders generally to give up the home to
which they were accustomed and to
go out into the world, especially to
strange countries. Some Of the nuns
have come to the United States, and
there Is at least one order situated
near baltimore They have found
friends here, and manage to support
themselves by certain kinds Of work.
and even by cultivation Of the land.
The old people among the men and
women Of the religious orders In
France. felt the rigor Of the expulsion
very much.
Will Leave France.
Cardinal Richard is among those
who will leave France, or at least
abandon his residence. He Is eighty
six years old, and in his long career
has seen the overthrow Of the royal
ty and Of the empire. He was born
in Nantes in 1919. and Is descendant
of an ancient and noble family. He
received the red hat in 1889.
Some of the terms used In the dis
patches from France may puzzle
readers. A "schismatic church" is
one that belongs to the Catholic faith,
but refuses to recognize the papal au-
thority. 1.-The holy see" is the see of
Rome, which was the see Of Peter,
and the Bishop Of Rome has jurisdic-
ton over all the others. "Parochial
clergy" are those Of a parish; syn
cd" Is a council or assembly Of divines
to take action upon theological or &C.
clesiastical matters; a 'nuncio" Is
diplomatic representative Of the peo-
pie. The apostolic delegate to the
United States is not a nuncio, but In
some respects his authority is similar.
He has no diplomatic standing here,
but In ecclesiastical affairs his juris-
diction is Of the ancient legatine char
acter. The establishment Of the nun
clio Is called the "nunciature."
New Ways to Use Fruits.
Fruit one would think, could not be
But a clever housekeeper
who has made a study Of the subject
Says otherwise She declares that