The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-13

- uAApo ANgVAAARb W. ~
where they have been accustomed to
worship they will ind these shut against
them and in the possession OF the civil
authorities. Religious services will have
TO be conducted in private dwellings or
in the open air. unless, indeed, public
halls can be hired for the purpose;
but here again IL would be needfll to
conform to Government, departmental,
cantonal or municipal regulations.
American readers may assume at the
first glance that even under the Separa-
ton law Catholics would find themselves
no worse of in a French parish than they
would be in an American town where
no Catholic church had been built.
The difference Is that nowhere In the
United States would the procurement
and occupation Of a hall with q view 10
holding therein devotional exercises be
subjected to the slightest obstruction or
inouisitorial supervision IN the part OF
the civil authorities. In France, on the
other hand, there Is many a city and
town the Mayor and municipal council
OF which are rancorouslys hostile to
Catholicism, and, indeed, to every form
Of Christianity, and may be expected
to impede on every possible pretext the
performance Of religious services. IL Is
true at the same time that In Brittany
and some other provinces there are
many agricultural sections wherein the
a Of the voters and consequently
the elected officials are sincere Catho-
lies and would do everything in their
power, consistent with their duty to
the Government, to facilitate worship.
That is why the plenary assembly OF
French prelates Just held has expressed,
or is said TO have expressed, a hope that
the Holy Father would authorize each
Bishop In his diocese to prescribe the
precise method Of conducting devo-
tional exercises so as not to violate
~canonical regulations on the n hand
or defy the civil law on the other.
It has been alleged by some Paris
newspapers, the Mdttn, the Steele and
the Temps, that the outcome Of the last
plenary assembly of French Bishops, on
May 81, has been misstated in the Popes
recent encyclical, known by its initial
word "Gravissimo," by which the Pope
not only forbids French Catholics to
form such cultural associations for
public worship as are provided for by
the Separation act, but also forbids any
other associations thus far proposed and
advocated, on the plea that they are
canonical in character but at h same
time sufficiently near to the cultural"
organizations defined by the civil law
to be accepted by the Government.
The charge made by the Tempe and
the Steele was that whereas the Pope
asserts in the encyclical named that
in rejecting both kinds Of associations
he was but confirming the almost unan-
| imous view Of the meeting, a clear ma
iority Of the Bishops assembled in May
| voted in favor Of the formation OF So
| called -fabrician" associations, alleged
to be both legal and ~canonical, which
had been proposed by the Archbishop OF
Besancon and the Bishop Of Lucon.
To any one familiar with the character
of PIUs Y. the charge Of deliberate mis-
statement Is on the face Of 1t absurd. A
careful reading OF the ~encyclical shows
/ that the Pope made two distinct pro-
nouncements; one with reference to the
~cnltural associations formulated by
the Separation act, and another with
regard to the alternative "fabrician'
societies suggested by the Archbishop
Of Besancon. Touching the former, Plus
X. correctly said that he condemned them
in concurrence with the almost unan-
imous" opinion Of the French Bishops.
The vote was exactly ~ against 2. Con-
corning the latter the encyclical says:
Putting aside, therefore. the ~Iculturall asso'
Citations. which the KIN owledge OF our duty forbids
US 10 approve. Il night appear opportune TO e1
anime whether IL is lawful to make trial In theiI
place OF some other sort OF associations at once
legal and canonicol the 'fabrioian. for instancel
and thus 20 preserve Catholics from the grave com
p~lications which menaSe them"
The Pope goes On to say that gladly
would he have sanctioned such a trial
but evidently he had detected fatal short
comings in the "fahrician' substitute
for he adds: "As this hope fails us,
while the [civill law remains as it is, We
declare it not permissible to try this
other kind Of association, so long as it il
not established in a sure and lcivillyI
legal manner" that the constitution Of
the Church and the rights Of the Pope
and OF the Bishops and their authority
over the necessary PROPERTY Of the
Church shall be placed ~irevocably il
full security" AS to the psrmissibility
OF the proposed -fabrician" Iocieties the
Pope makes no assertNsn rs to how
the Bishops voted in May, ami it is pos
sible that there may have ben, as tn,
Temps asserts, a majority Of 3 in favoI
OF trying the -fabrician" experiment.
1t was, however, perfectly wdl known
to the Bishops that the question Of tn,
I practical decision to be taken vas ex
n pressly reserved to the Pope, Who, o
q Nourse, however, would weigh tn, coun
50 given by the French ~episcopatN H,
10 didweigLit and found it wanting. Tha
waa the End Of the matter. As tn,
; BishSp Of trenoble pointed out the othe
day, the Bihops doubtless in theii for