The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-12-14
FRENCH FIGHT Is
FIGHT ON CHRIST
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tice to the church by giving for the sup
port of the clergy and the maintenance
of places of worship an annual budget.
This amounted TO little more than per
cent on the values appropriated. Let IT
be remembered, too, that justice took
place twelve years before the eoneordat
between the Holy See and Napolon |.
The payment therefore, for the clerical
stipends was not dependent simply upon
a concordat, but was a recognition of a
just debt owed by the state to the
churches.
1.-The present conflict dates back to the
year 1885, when a large number of re-
ligious houses were closed by the govern
ment and their occupants dispersed. From
that time scarcely a year has passed
without some annoyance to the church-a
series of petty acts of discrimination that
were bound in the long run to call for a
protest. The protest came in the form OF
a personal letter from Pope Leo Kill to
President Grevy in May, 1888. In spite
of this the pontiff's reasonable objections,
the injurious laws were passed.
LAS far as possible God and religion
were banished from the schools and hos
pitfalls, the oath deprived of its religious
character and clerics impressed in the
military service.
Law of Associations Passed.
Next in 1901 the law of associations
was passed, causing untold misery to
thousands. By ii the schools - religious
orders were forced out of existence. The
members of the different congregations,
not only male, but female as well. were
cast upon the world. Many of these were
old and had spent lifetime within the
convent walls.
"Finally, in December, 1905. the con-
cordat was dissolved and separation OF
church and state proclaimed
ut is essential to bear IN mind that
the concordat was genuine contract,
and that this concordat was annulled by
one of the parties the French govern
ment, with no regard to the wishes of the
other party.
perhaps the feature OF the situation
that will surprise us most and call for just
Indignation as Americans IS the French
governments absolute disregard for the
property rights of the church What
should we think If our own government
had seized on the friar lands in the Phil
ippines without giving any compensation,
or after having pledged solemny COM
pensation. should afterwards refuse to
keep its part of the contract? Further
more suppose the American government
had left to the Filipino merely the use
and not the ownership or their churches,
and only upon conditions laid down by it
self, and even that their very use was
liable to be revoked at any time?
Church Laws Ignored.
I'm addition to these provisions the law
of separation entirely ignores the consti-
tuition and laws of the church-a situation
that has no parallel in our American
method of keeping church and state separ-
ate Provisions are made obligatory for
organizing Catholic worship without any
proper reference to the duly authorized
officers of the church.
"This Is the point to which the holy
father has objected most strenuously. The
provision for associations of worship
opens the way for chismistical organiza-
ton which in fact have in a few cases
been already attempted. Should the
church accept the present law, she has
before her the very likely prospect of
gradual extinction by due process of law.
She has learned by long and sad expert
ence to place no trust in the promises Of