The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-23

Il is in the ninth cha pter II this work
that the account of the Concordat W
the PaDacy and France will be found. In
order. however, 10 comprehend the state
OF things which the Concordat was in
tended par tally TO remedy, II IL needful to
recur 10 The sixth chapter. in which is pOr-
trayed the havoc wrought upon the Cath
Ole Church 10y the French Revolution.
Unluckily for he Catholic Church in France,
IL was i'll fitted TO meet the storm which
was TO break upon il with the opening Of
the States-G General in 1889. In earlier days
the French Church had possessed great
orators. Rossuet, for example; now she
wa all but dumb. Ecclesiastical elo-
quence in the grand ella ssioal style had gone
to the grave with Massillon; only In Pere
Brldaine had there beens faint echo. After
the middle Of the eighteenth century the
French Bishops only became eloquent when
the object was 10 attack Professionalism.
DR.. Nielsen recalls that in their pastoral
letters high p~relates we're capable of fat
tering the court in a manner nothing less
than blasphemous. Thus the Bishop OF
Saint Papoul spoke OF the birth OF the
LUKE OF NOIIudIluy NlJOulS ANllJ III OcItbo
which were taken from the Christmas
Gospel. On the other hand, episcopal
speakers would sometimes avoid using
the name of Christ in he pulpit, speaking
only OF the Law Giver Of the Christians
Instead Of fighting against the unbelief
which everywhere was raising its head,
both in literature and in society, the French
p~relates were satisfied with rousinR the
Kings suspicious against the -unbelieving
Marie A~ntoinette," who had caused the
removal Of the Duke of Aiguillon, and with
complaining because a portfolio had been
~intrusted to the Protestant Neoker.
Il Is also 70 be borne in mind that
whereas previously French bishoprics had
been open to all priests, under Louis XIV.
and Louis Nv, they were almost always
bestowed on noblemen. These aristocratio
pastors seem to nave forgotten how the
Council Of Trent had reminded Bishops Of
the duty of residing in their sees, and dur
ing their long winter sojourn at Paris and
Versailles the grandeur and luxury in which
they lived excited more indignation than
admiration. A few of them. sue as Cardi-
nal Rohan. Archbishop OF Strassburg. who
gained so much notoriety through the
affair OF the diamond necklace, fell into
bottomless debt, Notwithstanding their
princely incomes. These noble prelates
were often so ignorant with regard to eo-
cleeiastical and theological matters that they
could not write their own pastoral letters,
and because OF the Jansenistio sympathies
II the theologians whom they employed
TO write them they not ~infrequently en-
pressed Jansenistic opinions which In
reality were quite foreign to their minds.
Their self indulgence and van Of earnest
nees caused general ~reprobation. Bishop
Grsgoire says IN his Memoirs that the
faithful only knew from hearsay what q
Bishop looked like, and that confirmation
was neglected to such an extent that ac-
cording to a popular saying the seven
sscraments had been reduced to six.
IL was not talk OF the kingdom OF God
which seasoned the luxurious feasts of
these %afiuent prelates. As a matter Of
fact, more thar one OF the French Bishops
In the days Of Louis XVI. were unbelievers.
A saying was current at the time that q
simple priest ought to believe something,
also be viii DO called a hypocrite; but II he
10 stsadfast in the faith be will be thought
bigoted. A Vicar-General, on the other
hand. the saying ran on, can permit him
sell TO srnllo at renBlon, q blSnop can Augn
at II, and q Cardinal can make jokes about
II. The smile OF the Vicar-General was
exempliied in 1857 when the Able Bassinet
OF Cahors delivered In tho chapel Of the
Louvre the customary Grafton in remem-
brancs Of 81. Louis, in which he described
the Crusades as a mixture OF folly, cruelty
and injustice, but did not mention God or
any Of the saints. nor quote q single word
Of Scripture. A marked example OF the
Bishops mockery wa given by Lomenie de
Rrlsnne, Archbishop Of Toulouse, sometime
Minister Of State, who openly laughed at
miracles and relics. Such being tho state
Of the pastors and teachers Of the Church,
il was not wonderful hat unbelief and i'm
morality spread In the flock, or that COM
pIaints should be heard from all parts OF
france ina sundays and feast days were
not kept because indifference and doubt had
taken the place Of the ancient faith.
We should now note that at the Begin
ming Of the Revolution the French Church
possesssd three great privileges. In a