Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-12-27


tary OF state, would not appoint the |
candidates for bishops nominated by |
the French government. and, second,
over a visit of President Loubet to
the king of Italy.
The gulf that separates the vati-
can and the quirinial at Rome is so
deep that President Loubet decided
not to cross it and. being there at the
king he did not call upon the pope.
The cardinals were furious, and in
stead of addressing a complaint to
the government of France the cardi-
nal secretary of state sent a remark
able and unprecedented formal remon
STRANGE to all of the other govern
ments of Europe, Protestant and or
thodox Greek as well as Catholic. as
IL they had anything to do with the
matter This was a deliberate affront
to the president of Franceand was so
ensued, which terminated with the
withdrawal of the French ambassa-
dor TO the vatican and the papal am
bassador to Paris.
In the meantime the relations be
tween the church and the government
in France became less and less cor
dial. The socialists, Free Masons,
free thinkers and materialists obtain
ed control Of the government and the
! parliament, and began to enact a
series of laws that were intended TO
destroy the influence of the church
and deprive it of its property. The
chamber refused to make an appro-
| priation to continue the embassy to
the holy see, A law was passed plac-
ing the religious orders upon the
| same basis as other corporations and
taxing all church property that is not
actually used for worship. In order
To do business the monks and nuns
were required to take out licenses
| submit Inventories OF their property
and make annual returns of thelI
| earnings and expenditures, just the
same as railroads, insurance compan
les and other corporations. All relig
ious schools were abolished. All ed
ucational institutions conducted by
priests, monks or nuns were closed OF
the ground that they were teaching
the children of France unrepublicaT
doctrines and converting the coming
generation into monarchists. All
monks and nuns, $4,000 in number
were then expelled from the countr!
and their property, amounting to hun
dreds of millions of dollars, was con
fiscated. Then the government under
took to make an inventory of all the
church property. This was done al
a precaution for the benefit of and th'
protection of the parishes, and t,
avoid future complaints and compli
cations as to the ownership of the pic
tufes, furniture, altar ornaments
relics and other movable property.
Finally, in December, 1905, what Il
known as the law of separation
was passed. Under that act of finan
cial support from the government wa
withdrawn from the church, and bish
ops and priests are now required +
look out for their own salaries. Th
people throughout the several parish
es of the entire republic are requires
tt, organize themselves into corpora
tions similar to those prevailing
among the Protestant churches in tn
United States, called Association
cultuelle,' and to apply to the go,
ernment for charters just as If the,
were public library associations, be
nevolent societies, corporate colleges
mutual insurance companies or 9th
er organizations that are not intend
ed to make profits for their members
Each association must elect trustee
or vestrymen, as we would call them
10 manage their business affairs, an,
government will transfer to them al
church buildings, the parsonages an,
other real estate required for divin
worship and also all the movable
property. furniture, ornaments, relics
etc, within the churches. All this
real and personal. is to be forever tn,
property of the congregation OF th
parish represented by the associa
ton cutuelle as long as it exists.
The government will not recognlz,
and will not transfer church propert!
to any association cultuelle that II
not formed of worshipers who hav,
not been accustomed to attend tina
particular church. and when organ
ized It must submit to the spritua
authority of the faith which the peo
pie have heretofore confessed. II
other words. it will not permit
Protestant congregation to take pos
session of a Catholic church or {
Catholic congregation to take posses
sion OF Protestant church. The Law
| apDlies IN all relipions and thev nrf