Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-12-07
FRENCH CHURCHLAW
II MAY sE MODIFIED BEFORE "
 BECOMES OPERATIVE.

The Firmness of His Holiness aaa n, I Action oe the French Bishops HAv. Moved the French Ministry ts Csns
 to Terms With the Vatican.
 l A public address delivered by Pop,
 Plus X. q few days ago at the Vatican
 to some foreign pilgrims gave q broad
 hint that the troubles of the Church ir
 France were approaching satisfac
 tory solution. The Pope plainly ex
 pressed himself pleased that at last the
 French officials had come to terma
 with the Vatican authorities regarding
 the desirability of making some modl
 fications in the new law separating
 church and state in France, so as to
 render It at least less objectionable to
 the Church authorities.
 This open allusion of the Pope to the
 nfatter is only confirmation of I'll.
 m0rs prevailing in Vatican circles for
 some days past, that because of the
 firm attitude of the Pope French pub
 lie opinion had become so modified as
 to threaten the very existence of the
 present ministry as soon as parliament
 assembled in November.
 Besides. the recent letter issued by the French bishops. which exhorts the
 French Catholics to defend their reli-
 gious rights with energy" has so stir
 red public opinion in French Catholic
 str0ngholds that, notwithstanding the ! boastful declarations recently made by
 M. Briand and MI Clemenceau, both
 members of the French cabinet, that the new law would be carried out as it stood, the cabinet has now determined to hear what the authorities on the other side have to say regarding the matter.
 Just before the recent solemn as- sembly of the French bishops in Paris dissolved NJ Briand, the minister of worship, expressed the opinion that at least some of the prelates would call on him for conference before return ing to their own diocese. But not one called on him. Then came the turn of the French officials to seek an inter. view with some authoritative prelate, and one of the French bishops closely connected with the. Vatican received visit from M. Briand and was told that the French officials were desirous of knowing what notifications would render the new law of separation less objectionable to the Vatican authori. ties. Assurances were given the prel- ate that If the Vatican authorities suggested some points for modlfica- tion the matter would be submitted to parliament before Dec. II, the day on which the provisions contained in the separation law would have to be en- forced.
 The prelate in question lost no time in informing the Vatican authorities of this change of front on the part of the French officials, and a meeting of the cardinals in Rome at the time was hastily called by Pope Plus X. At this conference, which was presided over by His Holiness. 1t was decided to make the proposals required by the French ministry the subject of a private correspondence between one of the cardinals and the French prel- ate who enjoyed the confidence of the French officials, in order not to give the slightest recognition to the law of separation.
 The principal point of modification in the new law on which the Vatican authorities insist is that an amend ment be introduced in the text of the new law making Illegal those lay as. sociations which shall be formed In France without the authorization of either the parish priest or the bishop of the diocese. 50 that no such asso- ciation should be recognized by the French officials as legal unless 1t were also canonical. Such an amendment. 1t was thought at the Vatican. would ofer sufficient guarantees that the property Of the Church in France would never fall into the hands of schismatic or unauthorized bodies.
 Other points were also urged by the Vatican. such as to guarantee the free use of the churches. seminaries, epis- | copal residences and presbyteries ex- for the Church purposes and | to prevent the oflicial recognition on | the part of the French government of ] priests and bishops objectionable to the Vatican authorities.
 A special messenger was dispatched I to Paris with the instructions just de- tailed. and 1t is more than probable 4 that by this time the French ministry { has already acted on the matter.
 Orders have just been sent from the Vatican to all the French bishops to have the lay associations already form pd in many parishes of France. which have already applied to the govern | ment for official recognition. to with iraw their application and in case the had already been granted b dissolve and await events. Over loo such applications had been filed with the French ministry with the of several of the French blsh- ,ps and parish priests.