Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-12

any proceedings against parish priests or
Wears tomorrow.
Were Important Papers.
1t turns out that the papers seized at
the papal nunciature yesterday placed In
the governments hands important evidence
which may prove exceedingly embarrass-
ing to the Vatican II open war is to take
place. They include, besides all the diplo-
matte records covering the correspondence
exchanged before the rupture with the
Vatican, recent instructions from Cardinal
Merry del Val, the papal secretary of state,
a mass of letters from prelates all over the
world and letters in the handwriting of
deputies of the right party. M. Jaures,
the socialist leader, asserts in his paper
that the seized documents even prove the
existence of a conspiracy
Cardinal Richard has accepted the tenn
porary hospitality Of M. Denys Cochin, a
conservative member of the chamber of
deputies from one of the Paris districts.
The Catholic seminaries at Bordeaux.
Mende and Saint Brieux were evacuated
today.
Gan odious Act"
ROME, December 12-The vatican author
tiles characterize the action of the French
government in having Mgr. Montagini, the
expelled secretary Of the papal nunciature
at Paris, accompanied to the frontier by
police as being AN odious act showing a
desire to inflict humiliation on those who
because of their weakness cannot retaliate."
1t Is much regretted in vatican circles that,
contrary to the propositions of some of the
cardinals, Mgr. Della Chiesa, the assistant
papal assistant secretary of state, was not
sent to Paris after the rupture of diplo-
matte relations between the vatican and
France, as in view of his francophi1e at
titude under the late Pope Leo he was the
only person capable of reaching an UNDER
standing with the French government 1t
is believed even now that Notwithstanding
the gravity of the situation France would
not find it difficult to conciliate the vatican
II negotiations on the subject were opened.
In the meanwhile all the vatican forces
have been modified to take part in the
campaign. Even Father Wernz the general
Of the Jesuits, has joined the belligerents
Private Religious Services.
The latest instructions sent to the French
clergy are in substance that they are to
look upon the situation from It's worst pos
sible aspect and organize private religious
services.
Thousands of kilograms, 1t Is announced
here, have been sent from Free Masons
anti-clericals. republican and liberal clubs
and politicians to the French premier, NJ.
Clemenceau, and Minister of Public Wor-
ship BRAND, congratuating them on their
energetic attitude against the Vatican and
clericalism. On the other hand, the vati-
can authorities have received thousands of
kilograms of sympathy and encouragement
from bishops, Catholic clubs and prominent
Catholics, Italians and foreigners condemn
ing the action of the French government.
Power is Destroyed
The separation law which went into eff
feet yesterday, disestablishes the Roman
Catholic Church in France and turns over
to the state the title to religious and eccle-
siastical property, estimated to have cost
over 2OO,OOO,000 The law was passed by
the chamber of deputies on July g. 1905,
and by the senate on December 6, 1905 and
was finally ratified as law on December
II. 1905, to be put into force a year from
that date. ssssss.
The act Of disestablshnent, which df-
vorces France from official connection with
all religious sects. stipulates that Inc
churches may be turned over within year
or the passage of the act to public wor-
ship associations" The Catholics, by direc-
ton of the Vatican, refused to form such
associations.
There is still another year, namely, until
December IL, 1907, within which the state
may, if it so chooses, transfer the religious
property to these put.ic-worship associa-
tons, but meantime the title to the prop
erty has been lost to the church, and the
state has, from yesterday the right to
seize, sell or destroy all of the church's
property or otherwise put it in liquidation.
Until the state takes over the religious
property the churc.-es may be used free,
but the act says the state must dispose of
all the property within five years-that is
to say by December IL, 1910. The older
clergy promised life pensions not to ex-
coed 15OO francs; the rest are pensioned
for from four to eight years.
All Connection Destroyed.
The act of disestablshment not only sew
ers all connection between church and
state, but prevents, Or seeks to prevent
the future rise of a privately endowed
church a rival to the state by limiting
the amount of endowment which any
church may accumulate to three times its
revenue, where the annual revenue ex-
ceeds 5000 francs. The financial manage
ment of the public worship association
is subjected to the control of the state and
whatever possessions they may cquire are
to be taxed Buildings and funds devoted
to charitable. apart from purely religious,
purposes, are handed over to charitable in
situations to be directed by the state.
Under the act of establishment the
state will save annually about $500, 600
in salaries hitherto paid to the Catholic
clergy out of the public budget. All of the
great cathedrals. including Notre Dame of
Paris; the 100000 Basilica Of the Sacred
Heart, at Montmartre, and the beautiful
and costly property at Lourdres, we'll as
the ancient historic piles at Rouen and else
where will pass into the hands of the gov
eminent.
The act of disesta blishment is the final
step in the complete abroga ton of the
concordat signed by the first Napoleon and
Pope Plus VII. on July 10. 1901. which re-
established the church as an institution
of the state after its complete overthrow
under the reign of error. Napoleon after
ward modified the concordat by his organic
| articles, which reduced the church almost
| to the condition of a department of the
| government. Under the second empire the
subvention of the clergy by the govern
ment was considerably increased They
enjoyed practical monopoly of the burials.
| Socialism a Menace.
| Although for twenty-five years past the
gradual uprise of socialism In France has
| been a constantly growing menace to the
church as an institution of the state, and
although. far back as 1881, a law-that
regulating public assembles-was passed
| which was later construed to hamper the
meetings & religious congregations, 1t Y 5
not until 1901 that the first decisive legis-
iative blow was struck at the bond that
bound the church to the government
| This was the Associations Act" of Wal
| deck Rousseau, which was prompted it
| was declared. by the government by nu-
| merous conspiraces against the republic
! to which the militant orders of the churcn,
| such as the ASsumptiOnisfs and Jas,,itc