Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-12-14
Some of the Laws Which Led
Up to the Present Break Be-
tween Church and State
PURPOSE OF LAW OF 1881
Section Enacted for Another Purpose
Now Used as instrument to Break
Power Of the Church in Governmental
Affairs - Property Rights Van
ish.

Paris, Dec. 14.-In the eventful his
tory of the state and church In France
there has arisen no crisis graver than
that which now confronts both insti-
tutions.
A majority Of the citizens of the re-
public are today without "a formal place
cept by the sufferance of the author
tiles The government has arrayed
openly against 1t a powerful religious
organization, which will not rest until
it has obtained a mitigation of impos-
ed conditions. IL not restoration of
ancient privileges.
For the struggle that must ensue no
one cam forsee an end; but in this
country students of affairs believe 1t
will be peaceable and orderly-a war
rather of elections than of force. with
both sides hoping that some compro-
mise may be discovered.
The term marked by the separation
law for the state to hand over the
churches to the public worship asso-
Citations is at an end. Roman Cath
olios have refused and do refuse to
form such associations, and therefore,
IL the government sees fit, it may eject
all congregations and priests from
their places of worship, all bishops
from their houses all archbishops, all
cardinals and all seninarists and every
,,,bo
There is a power to give them a
years grace, if they dect to form
such associations but their legal right
to the property is gone. All will belong
absolutely to the state after 1907, and
it matters not how the property was
acquired The law applies even to the
5000 churches, built by private SUBJ
scriptions or requests, to the basilicas
OF the Sacred Heart in Paris and at
Lourdes both built by American sub
scription.
The action taken by the Clemenceau
government harks back to the French
revolution and the reign of terror Be-
fore that time the power and standing
of the church were unquestioned. but
ON Aug. 4, 1889, representatives of the
cISTxy ithhO PAi'AA~ ~ ~S--~
tithes to the national assembly.
In November Of that year all eccles-
iastical property was placed at it's dis
posal; In February of the following
year monastic VOWS were suppressed,
and In April the Roman Catholic relig-
ion ceased to be the religion OF the
state. The convention, four years Ia
ter, formally decreed the separation of
the church and state, thus depriving
the church of all its revenues and priv
ileges.
The revolution ended and with 1t
came the consulate. Order had beer
restored and the influence of the
church was again felt. The prescribed
clergy returned to France. and in Paris,
on July Is, 1901, was signed the famous
concordat. which remained in existence
until last year. !.
This was signed by the pope and
Napoleon as equal parties and set forth
that the first consul was to nominate
bishops and the pope was to confer
canonical institution; bishops and
clergy were to take an oath of obed-
fence to the government; the bishops
were to appoint priests, subject to gov
ernmental approval; the holy see was
not to disturb those who had pur-
chased property conf1scated at the time
Of the revolution: the government was
to guarantee proper salaries to bishops
and parochial clergy, and French Cath
olics were to have full power of found
ing endowments.
Supplementing this were the "organ-
ic articles" put forth by jurist, Por-
tails, which explained and amplifled, the
concordat. This provided that no bull,
rescript, decree, mandate, provision or
other document from the vatican was
to be published in France without per-
mission of the government; no synod,
national or diocesan ecclesiastical as
sembly was to be held without express
leave of the government; no bishop was
to quit his diocese without permission
Of the head Of the state.
It is asserted that the concordat, with
the organic articles, remained the law
up to the beginning of the present diff
ficulty, altho there had never been full
approval of and acceptance of the or
ganic articles by the vatican. There
were periodic differences between the
two institutions thereafter every dec
ade or so; many laws amendatory and
explanatory were passed, but they did
not affect the general principles, and
were Of little effect.
There was passed in France in 1881
law of public meetings, which has
been brought into the religious contro-