The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-16
The Present Situation OF Catholicism
In France.

Although the separation of Church and
State became operative in France on
Thursday, December Is, there were no
disturbances in Paris and but few out
breaks of disorder are reported from the
provinces. The legal situation is this:
In the whole of France about eighty
Catholic parishes have, in spite Of the
Papal veto, formed the associations
cultueIles prescribed by the Separation
law for taking over the church buildings
and other property; and nine churches
in Paris, besides some others in the
provinces, have been authorized to con-
duct religious services, the necessary
notice of a public meeting required by
the law of 1881 having been given by
two laymen of each congregation. In
view Of the fact that religious services
take place daily the Government has
agreed to allow one such notice to cover
an entire year, and according to Cardinal
RICHARD, Archbishop of Paris, a notice
Of the kind given by laymen does not
%contravene the Papal instructions, which
were addressed to the clergy alone.
Unless the Pope overrules Cardinal
RICHARD as he overruled Cardinal LECoT,
Archbishop of Bordeaux, we may expect
to see a general recourse to this expedient
by Catholic laymen, and thus a collision
between the Church and the civil power
may be avoided.
With the exception of the parishes in
which associations cultuelles have been
formed, and those in which notices of
an intention to hold public meetings
have been given by Catholic laymen,
the religious services conducted In Cath
Ole churches on and since Thursday
have been violations of the law, and
police officers have been instructed to
report tn names Of the officiating
priests, though the latter have not been
as yet arrested. Even il a priest should
be arrested, tried and convicted, his
punishment would be but slight under
the existing statute, for the maximum
fine imposed is very small, and it is not
increased on a repetition of the offence.
The Government Intends, however, to
ask the Chamber Of Deputies to give it
a more efficient instrument Of coercion
by permitting it TO deprive clergymen
refusing to obey the law of the allow
ances to which they would otherwise be
entitled. The Government will also re-
quest authority to withhold the pen
sions payable under the Separation law
from such priests as shall forfeit their
French citizenship through a persistent
refusal to obey the laws. The condi-
tons under which such forfeiture will
occur have no yet been defined, and it
Is known that NJ. LoCKRoY and other
members Of the Radical Left are opposed
to establishing a precedent which might
be used for reprisal if the r~eactionaries
over got the upper hand.
From another point of view French
Catholics are likely TO find themselves
worse of than they would have been
had they generally submitted to the
Separation law or TO the law of 1881.
The Chamber OF Deputies will be urged
TO repeal that provision Of the Separa-
tion law by which a years grace was
allowed before the permanent alienation
OF Church property, with the result that
all such property, including seminaries,
episcopal residences and -presbyteries,
will be handed over forthwith to the
stafa fog distribution among the De-