The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-12-22
NOTE FROM POPE.
Communicates Hia Protests to All Dip~
 I0mata at Vmticam.

- Iomata at Vatican.
 Rome. Dec 21.---A note signed by the Papal Secretary of State, Cardinal Merry del Val, protesting against the search of the papal nunciature at Paris,
 the expulsion of Mgr. Montagnini and
 the seizure of the secret cipher. en-
 abling the French Government to take cognizance of the papal correspondence
 and the alleged violation of the right
 of the Pope to correspond with Catho-
 lies ali over the world. was presented
 to the diplomatic representatives ac- credited to the Vatican today. together
 with a circular setting forth the mo-
 tives of the Holy See in the action 1t
 has taken regarding the aplieation of
 the law of 1905 providing for the sepa.
 ration of church and state.
 The note sent by she Vatiean to all khe papal representatives abroad pro-
 testing against the course of the
 French Government, after asserting
 that the rights of religion have been
 outraged by the French Governments
 action in preventing the head of the church from communicating with the French hierarchy and by the expulsion
 of Mgr. MSnts sgnini, Secretary of the Papal Nunciature at Paris, says.
 ''The representatives Of the Holy See abroad have also received a circular In which are set forth the motives for the action of the Vatican regarding the ap- plication of the Church and State sepa- ration law of 1905. These motives are so grave that 1t Is evidently impossible to accuse the Holy See of intransi- sence or of unjust hostility to the French Government in condemning the cultural associations which disregarded the essential rights which the church derived from her constitution, such as maintaining an ecclesiastical hierarchy. established by her divine founder as the basis of the organization of the church.
 ''In feet the law conferred on the cultural associations rights which not only belong exclusively to the ecclesi- Rstieal authorities in the practice of worship and In possessing and adminis- tering ecclesiastical property, but the same associations were rendered inde- pendent of the ecclesiastical hierarchy and instead were placed under the ju- rIsdiction of the lay authorities.
 The PontiR could not approve of such associations without being lax in his duty as head of the church and without trampling on the fundamental domestic principles of the church.
 ''The same can be said of NJ. Briand's circular. The Holy See could not admit the unjust and intolerable conditions which the circular imposed on the eler- sy in tAe exercise of their duties
 "All this evidently shows that the Holy See merely did it's duty strictly in giving instructions on the subject to the French clergy. If the French was animated by calmer sentiments it could create for the church In France a situation which at least would not injure the essential rights of the Holy See, which might even without admitting the principles of seperation of church and State, toll crate such a situation in order to avoid worse evils. aa it did in the case oi other countrlesF
 The pa,hi Secretary of State. Card inal Merry Del Val. received during the day the members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Vatican and to them the text of the Vatican note. The cardinal particular ly requested the Prusslan, Russian and ministers to communicate the contents of the note to various not having representa- lives at the Vatican. Great Britain waa the only country besides Italy to which no communication was made. not hav- ing a representative at the Vatican or a Vatican agent in London.
 Monsignor Falconio, the apostolic delegate In the United States and Mon signor Agius, the papal delegate tn the although not accredited to the United States or Philippine gov ernments have been entrusted to un- officially communicate the note to the at Washington and thos' at Manila.
 Monsignor Aversa, the apostolic del- egate to Cuba, being accredited to tho Cuban government. will officially com municate the note to the Havana au- thorities.
 \ summary of the note follows:
 The papal secretary of State, Card inal Merry Del Val. has sent to all the. diplomatic representatives of the Holy See for communication to their respective governments, protest against the search executed by order of the French government in the pal ace of the pontifical representative at Paris, and the carrying of of vari' ous documents and also against the violent expulsion of Monsignor Mon tagnini.
 The protests set forth the enorrnity of such acts as without modern pre-