The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-12-14
Parish Priests Celebrate
 Mass.
LEGAL NOTICES ARE SERVED
Authorities Simply Cited Them to
 Appear in Court.
In Many Cases, Laymcn Comply With Law By Asking Permission for Hold ing of service-WeakenIng
 Church's Hand.

marked by the total abence of any of the sensational or dramatic incidents anticipated in alarmist quarters in connection with the execution of the law of separation.
 The parish priests everywhere cele- brated mass in the presence of unus- uaIly large congregations, but the ac- tions of the authorities were confined to noting miraculous of the law and citing the priests and yicars to appear before justice of the peace.
 Evrywhere legal notices have been served for the evacuation of the eccle- siasticaI residences, the seminaries, etc. Several of these buildings were abandoned. without further ado, but a majority of the prelaIes, while fully prepared to go, announced that they would not depart except under dur ess.
 In many parishes both in Paris and the interior, Catholic laymen came for- ward today and spontaneously filed declarations for the holding of services in the designated churches during the coming year. If this pratice is gener- ally followed 1t will be distinct vic- tory for the government, relieving it of the possible necessity of closing the churches and throwing on the clergy the responsibility far the discontin- uanee of public worship
 In the meantime the cabinet Is pre- pairing measures to be introduced be- fore parliament tomorrow.
 The net result of sthe uncompromis- ing attitude assumed by the vatican in this conflict with the French govern ment seems to be that the clergy will lose It's pensions, 3S,300 of which have been granted and gazetted since the beginning of this year, that all aspi- rants to the priesthood will be com- pelled to perform military service and that the taking over of the Episcopal mansions. rectories, seminaries, etc., by the state department and the com inunes will Gcsur immediately instead of in December 1907.
 settle Church's Position.
 According to we'll informed persons the government intends to respond to tns attitude taken by the vatican by yobu itting to parliament | propositiop 70 settle definitely the position or the .hurch in France.
 Under this proposal the church VIII forfeit all benefits under the law or I9O5. but it is to be provided witn an opportunity of carrying on pubic wor- shin in conformity to the common law, Church property is to De handed over immediately to the civil authorities oh condition that it 0e reserved Tor pun noses of worship and the positions "t cardinals and bishops as foreign oul- cials will be dealt with later Tn the event the government luna 1ih1s IL necessary so to do.
 There was m impressive response this morning to the clsrgy's appeal to their .parishiouers to attend the tlrst masses celebrated outside or the paIe of the law.
 A correspondent of the Associated Press visited dozen churches, lnclud-
 IrnC main d'Auxerrois, where the signal Tor the St, Bartholomew massacre was glv- on. St. Koch, the Madelaide and St. Augustine. Everywhere it was the same story. The front gates Of the churches were closed but the Catholics by the gray light of dawn were streaming through the side portals
 The interiors of the buildings were well filled; In several places there was music. but nowhere was there the slightest attempt to interfere with the service or create a disturbance. There were three policemen stationed outside the porticos of the churches to prevent snv nossible disorder, while police of ncers In plain clothes were on duty inside to note the attractions of the law. taking the names of the othciating priests and approximating the numoer of those present, with the object of making reports to the Justices of Po- lice. M
 Formal Charges Entered.
 Formal charges were entered wner' ever mass was celebrated except at the churches of St. Jean d'Levangile and St Blaise dc Charonne at Pere La chaise, whose parishiohers following the example of the first mentioned church, made tine called-for application yesterday evening to hold services un- der the law of 1881.
 The vicar of St. Blaise de Charonne, when induced by his parlshioners to take the step, said: = i nothing. am Frenchman above tv- J erything.
 Early dispatches from the depart mehts say that wherever mass was cell ebrated charges were drawn and sum uonses issued. At Chalons the Abbe Renaudin claimed that the church bells were not rung and that no person was invited to mass and that therefore the assemblage had not the character of, a meeting. whereupon he was compelled by a pollce officer to inscrfbe his pro test upon the smumohs.
 At the final meeting last night of the Diocesan Council here 1t was decided that neither the ecclesiastical resi- dences nor the seminaries should be abandoned except before a show Of fierce.
 1t is officially stated that the letters
  retary of the papal hunciature here show that the majority of the French bishops favored observahce of the law of s1SS1 and bowed with reluctance to the papal decree. Tine officlaI state ment adds that the inviolability Of the diplomatic correspondence of the nun clature was scrupulously respected ce- fore the rupture between the vatican and France.
 During the day summonses were is- sued. charging illegal assemblies, in the case of siXty-nine churches of Paris.
 The Official Journal today announced that only eighty of the Catholic cultu raI or diocesan associations formed were legal, while 902 Protestant and seventy-eight Jewish associations con form with the law,
 Many suits have been begun in com nection with endowments for masses to he celebrated for the repose of the souls of The departed
 About fifty seminaries which refused