Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-22
NOTE TO THE POWERS
France May Make It Bearable
for the Vatican.
NEED A CALMER SENTIMENT
Papal Communication Points Out Its
Very Great Importance.
HAS INCONTESTABLE RIGHT
Holy See Protests Against Any Viola
ton on the Part Of the French
Government.
NEED A CALMER SENTIMENT
HAS INC0NTEsTABLE RICH.

ROME, December 22-'If the French
government was animated by calmer senti-
ments 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 principle Of the separation of church
and state, tolerate such a situation in order
to avoid worse evils, as it did in the case
of other countries
This significant paragraph is contained
in 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 cog
nizance Of the papal correspondence, and
the alleged violations of the right of the
pope to correspond with Catholics all over
the world, and presented to the diplomatic
representatives accredited to the Vatican
yesterday, together with a circular setting
forth the motives of the Holy See In the
action it has taken regarding the applica-
ton of the separation law.
Ready to Submit.
In the same connection the pope, speak
ing to some of the cardinals after the ad-
vent sermon, said: The French govern
ment seems not to understand that certain
conditions are not acceptable to us because
they are inadmissible with the organi-
cation of the church. We are ready to
submit to separation from the state, but
1t must be fair separation, such as per-
tains in the United States, Brazil, Great
Britain and Holland, not subjection.'
The cardinal particularly requested the
Pruss!an, Russian and Moroccan ministers
to communicate the contents of the note
to various governments not having repre-
! sentatives at the Vatican. Great Britain
was the only country besides Italy to which
no communication was made, as not having
a representative to the Vatican or Vati-
can agent in London. Mgr FalcOniO, the
apostolic delegate in the United States and
Mgr. Agius, the papal delegate in the Phil
ippines, although not accredited to the
United States or Philippine governments,
have been intrusted to unofficiaily COM
municate the note to the authorities at
Washington and those at Manila. Mgr.
Aversa,- the apostolic delegate to Cuba, be-
ing accredited to the CUBAN government,
will officially communicate the note to the
Havana authorities.
The Vatican issued the following sum-
mary Of the note:
THE papal secretary of state has sent
to all the diplomatic representatives of the
Holy See for communication of their re-
spective governments, protest against
the search executed by order of the French
government in the palace of the pOntifical
representative at Paris and the carrying
off of various documents and also against
the violent expulsion of Mgr. Montagnini.
The protest sets forth that such acts are
without modern precedent among civilized
nations. They constitute the most grave
offense, not only against the Holy See, but
against all the civilized powers which have
the highest interest in their diplomatic
secrets being respected.
Holy See Protests.
1.-The Holy See also protests against the
violation by the French government Of the
incontestable right Of the pontiff, right
inherent to the office of supreme head of
| through given persons, with Catholics
| ops, priests or laity in all that relates to
the spiritual good of Catholics.
The representatives of the Holy See
abroad have also received circular In
which are set forth the motive for the ac-
! ton of the Vatican regarding the appica-
| ton of the church and state separation
| law of 1905 These motives are SO grave
| that it is evidently impossible to accuse
| the Holy See of intransigeance of I'M
| just hostility to the French government
| in condemning the cultural associations,
which disregarded the essential rights
| tuition, such as maintaining an ecclesiastical
hierarchy, established by her divine founder
as the basis of the organization of the
church. The pOntiff could not approve of
| such associations without being lax in his
duty as head of the church and without
| trampling upon the fundamental domestic
| principles of the church.
1.-The same can be said of Mr.. BRAND S
| circular. The Holy See could not admit the
| unjust and intolerable conditions which
| the circular imposed upon the clergy in
the exercise of their duties. All this evil
| IDENTIFY shows that the Holy See merely did
| its duty strictly in giving instructions on
the subject to the French clergy