New-York tribune., 1906-12-11
FRANCE AND CHURCH.
RELIGIOUS VAR FEARED.
Debates IN Parliament May Compti-
cate the Situation.

Paris. Dec. 10-Cardinal Richard. Archbishop
of Paris, announced to-day that he would leave
his ecclesiastical residence on December - and
that the clergy here were preparing to leave
their presbyteries upon demand. adding that IL
they were driven from the churches they would
organize private religious services. Cardinal
Richard added that it impossible for the
Pope to agree to place religious services on the
plane OF public meetings
The situation is likely 90 be further compli-
Gated tomorrow by the debate in Parliament
when explanations of the governments inteh-
tions will be demanded.
The "Jenrnal des Debats'' tonight says that
If the government has recourse To violent meas
ures 1t will fall into trap and be forced to
close the churches
VI. Meunier, Radical Republican, introduced
a bill in the Chamber of Deputies to-day. pro-
viding that all buildings, presbyteries. etc, oc-
cupied by ecclesastics shall definitely escheat
to the State, the Departments and the COM
munes upon the enactment of the law.
The press to-day unanimously recognizes the
extreme gravity of the religious issue precipi-
tated by the Pope's attitude and many papers
predict a religious war. The governments cal
culatiOns have clearly been upset, and new legis-
lative authority may be necessary cope with
the situation 1t having been decided that re-
ligious services may no longer be held after to-
morrow without preliminary declaration under
the law of 1881. the Popes orders entail the i'm
mediate opening of prosecutions in thirty-six
thousand communes. and logically the invasion
of churches by the police for the purpose of pro-
nOuncing their dissolution and expelling the par
ish priests. The militant Catholics seemingly
hail with joy the prospect. NJ. Jaures. the So
cialist leader processes TO believe that the Vati
has deliberately determined to test the
strength of the party of reaction in an effort to
overthrow the republic The Socialist organs
generally, however. regard the Pope's instruc
tions as being the result of the governments
weakness In Offering any concession beyond the
formation of the cultural associations Contem-
plated under the law of 1900. and say that the
government now has alternative except to
insist on declarations being made or show the
eccIesastics the door. The Conservative papers
advise the government to remain true to it's
Liberal principles. contending that the more the
Church is intolerant the more authority # will
need. provided the government does not lose its
head.
The government has made preparations to
cope with the situation. but is keeping them
secret, evidently waiting to see whether any
considerable proportion of the clergy will re-
volt. The Cabinet. however. maintains a
cutors were telegraphed to-day. Premier Gle
menceau is quoted as saying:
II the Church elects TO have war it will have
st. but the world will bear witness that the Vat
lean is like a foreign power trying to dispute
the authority OF the French government
NJ. BRAND. Minister of Public Worship, says
he thinks the Pope yielded to the opportunities
Of the Ultramontanes. who are ever possessed
with the mad idea that out Of disorder and
civil they Will emerge triumphant The
government now does not face revolt of the
conscienoes of French Catholics. but purely
political enterprise"
Paris. Dec 1.-THE "Siecle" this morning pub
fishes what purports to be the text OF the reso-
lutions passed at the plenary meeting of the
French bishops. held September 4. which
shows that the Popes present attitude regarding
the French situation is almost a literal inter
probation Of the desires unanimously expressed
nv the bishops