The Irish standard., 1906-12-15
union OF Church
and State At END
FRENCH CATHOLICS FACE Evlc.
TON FOR FAILURE TO
OBEY THE LAW.
BONDS OF A THOUSAND
YEARS FINALLY BROKEN
Tension 10 High and Grave Disorders
Feared ~ Mgr. Montagnini to
BE Expelled and His House
Searched.

raris. Dec. 12.-Tuesday was his.
toric day for France. The struggle
which began in 1880 with the Danish
ment of the Jesuits ended with the |
legal rupture of the bond which for !
practically a thousand uninterrupted
years had united church and state. i,
BY refusing to make the required deo-
under the public meeting
law OF 1881, public Catholic worship. !
except by schismatic organizations,
Wednesday becomes illegal.
In the hope of affecting a COM
promise several deputies, headed by
Georges Leygues, Radical Republican.
of the colonies, have tele.
graphed to the mayors OF the COM
munes asking them to induce two
Catholic laymen from each parish to
make the declaration, under the law
of 1881, which the pope has forbidden
the parish priests to make.
Expel Secretary Of Nuncio.
Mgr. Montagnini, secretary Of the
papal nunciature here since tho recall
Of the nuncio, was arrested in tho
afternoon upon an order expelling him
from France. The residence OF Mgr.
was searched by the po-
lice. Immense quantities of docm-
ments found at the nunciature we're
seized and taken to police headuuar-
tiers.
war Minister Picquart has ordered
the recruiting officers to require eccle.
siastical students to present their cor.
tiflcates tomorrow. Those who fail
to do so by Dec. 20 will be ordered to
join the colors Jan. Z. The order at.
fects $500 students.
Government Remains Firm.
The government continues to pre-.
sent calm front, although the minis.
ters realize that additional legislative
power will be necessary IL serious
trouble occurs.
Receivers have been appointed
everywhere to assume charge of the
sequestered property, and three police
men will be stationed Wednesday at
the doors of each of the churches to
report violations Of the law.
AS such violations can only be tried
In the police courts. and as the penal.
ties are only is francs fine and Is
days imprisonment. with the right OF
appeal, sterner measures may be
necessary.
The government will probably ac.
cept the bill introduced in the cham.
Der of deputies by M. Meunier, Repub.
lican. providing that all buildings.
presbyteries, etc, occupied by ecclesi.
astics shall definitely escheat to the
state. the departments and the COM
munes, upon the enactment of the law
providing for the separation Of church
and state and at once making arrange
ments that the sequestered property
shall not be used, like the hospitals,
for special purposes or public chart
ties, to suppress the pensions of the
clergy who do not conform with the
laws of 1906 and 1881, and to summon
all the priests of military age to the
colors, to serve their time in the army
with other Frenchmen liable to mill
tary duty.
1uesnay the churches we're still
open, and the priests continued their
functions. The next move must come
from the government, and this move
Is awaited with intense uneasiness.
Aged Cardinal to Be Evictod.
Cardinal Richards palace in Paris
will be one Of the first buildings to be
taken by the government. It will
probably be used by the ministry OF
labor. The cardinal is very old and
infirm. His eviction, therefore, will be
exceedingly pathetic. and the attend.
Ing emotion is likely to shorten the
aged prelate's life.
The cabinet. with Premier Clemen.
ceau presiding, voted to proceed to
the immediate liquidation of property
in Catholic churches and rectories. 1t
was also voted to call $500 priestly
novitiates to serve in the interest of
the national security" Hitherto stu.
dents for the priesthood have been ex.
empt from military service. and to ask
parliament to suppress the pensions
of the clergy.
Church property in France is esti.
mated to be worth 1000, 900 900 francs,
or $20o.OOo,OO0. For any other but re.
ligious uses, however. 1t has very
much less value.
The scenes In some of the churches
were extremely touching. Not in years
had there been such an attendance at
mass. The number of women was
especially large and was noteworthy
as indicating the religious indifference
of the male population.
The depression of the worshipers
was manifest. Many women emerged
from the Notre Dame cathedral with
their eyes streaming with tears and
fingered on the pavement to discuss
what to do when the clergy are turned
out of their churches.
Rockefeller Gives Aid,
PHILADELPHIA. Dec. 12-.TOhn ID.