The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-12-22
The FRENCH STRUGGLE.


Church and State. All press reports
make it appear that the effort of the
government is to separate the Church
and the State. These reports are
misleading. The Catholics in France
would be pleased to acknowledge the
same conditions that are accorded the
church in the United States. To un-
derstand the present struggle. it is
necessary to know the history of
France and it's relation to the Church.
There has been for many centuries a
more or less intimate connections: a
Pope crowned Pepln in the Eighth
Century and Pope crowned Napoleon
in the Nineteenth. Up to the time
OF the french Revolution the govern
ment of France and the Church
worked together in harmony. The
French Revolution resulted in the
confiscation of all church property.
The cry then was, liberty, equality
and fraternity" The Revolutionists
then boosted, as certain others are
now boasting, that they had banished
Jesus Christ from the government O.:
France, from the law courts, from the
schools and hospitals ana the homes.
FREQ thought was localized then as IT.
is now. But matters changed rapidly.
When Napoleon became Emperor he
realized the necessity Of again estab-
llshlng religion in France. The
church was necessary to establish
order out Of chaos. He entered into
an agreement with tho Vatican, which
has since been known as the Con-
cordat. This agreements did not re-
store to the Church the immense prom
erty, OF which it had been despoiled
but it provided Cor a certain yearly
budget, which was to be voted for the
support of religion. The amount Ero-
vided for did not amour. to interest
upon the property that had been ac-
tually taken from the Church. The
agreement also provided tcr the ,1omi-
nation Of French bishops by the
French government.
Ever since that time France has been
paying the amount provided for to the
support of the Church. The Law Of
Associations, passed a few years ago
resulted in the expulsion of the orders
from France. This was followed las.
year by the act commonly known as
the Act of Separation, which provides
for the formation of lay associations in
each parish. This law takes no account
OF the bishops and priests. 1t provided
that, unless these associations were
formed in every parish OH or before
the 18th day of the present month, all
church property should be taken over
by the government. The Pope for
babe the formation of these associa.-
tons, because such system of church
government entirely ignored the bish-
ops and priests of the church. It is
really a law providing for the estab-
lisllment of so many independent con-
gresations. better scheme for en-
couraging schisms could hardly be de-
vised. Under it the bishops would have
no control over priests. So long as the
congregation remained satisfied a
priest could not be removed. No lay
associations are being formed in ac-
cordance with terms Of the law. The
government finds itself in a position
OF being compelled to close the church,
es or to allow the law to remain I'M
enforced. There is no doubt but that
the present government Of France
would be pleased to destroy all r.
ligion and worship, but, 80 far, they
have not dared to put an end to public
worship. The churches have not been
closed, except in a few isolated cases.
Other church property, such as par
sonages, has been taken over by the
state. The priests and bishops have
been forced to leave their homes. The
olRpCl1OS PIoSANGu Luz ny Tile COnCOcO-
ant have been stopped. The govern
ment has done everything in it's poEer
to hamper religion, except the actual
stopping of public worship.
It will be seen at once that the law
which most people believe to be a law
absolutely separating church and
state is not a law Of separation at all.
It takes away tho benefits that the
Church enjoyed under the Concordat,
but provides for a government control
of church organizations. This the
Church has refused to accept. France
can take church property. 1t has cx-
PEELED the orders. 1t may even vet
stop public worship. 1t may actually,
as the socialists declare it will, drive
religion from the nation, but it can
not dictate to the Catholic church a
system Of church government. 1t may
seem strange to Catholics in this
country that a nation, the vast major