Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-12-08
FROM BELGIUM
TO SANTA FE
Brother Clementian
Visitor at St.
Michaels.
TELLS ABOUT NEW LAW
In France Effecting Religious
Orders--.Pleased With
Capital City.

Brother Clementian of Belgium, as,
sistant to the Superior General Of the
Christian Brothers and correspond
ent Of the Brotherhood in the United
States, arrived here yesterday even
ing en- route to Kansas CITY, Chicago,
and New York. He will leave here
tomorrow While in Santa Fe Brother
Celementian was entertained by the
Brothers at ST. Michael's College.
He was greatly interested in the
work being done by the order here and
talked interestingly on many subjects
the most important being of the new
French law, which has deprived the
Christian Brothers and other Catholic
orders of many OF their former priv
ileges in France.
Today, he was shown how the
Christian Brothers teach the youths
sent to them from points in the
Southwest.
According to Brother Clementian
who reluctantly consented to an inter
view, the Christian Brothers are not
as such by law, driven from France
but are prohibited from teaching in
all grades of educational institutions.
He was in France at the time the new
law went into effect but as he has
no authority over the order outside
of the United States, 1t did not eff
feet him personally.
My visit here is not a formal or
official one he said, Il have been
making periodical trips to this coun-
try from Belgium to visit the schools
of our order and wanted to see ST.
Michael's College and the brothers in
this city am en- route to New York
from the Pacific Coast, having made
visits in Oregon, Washington and Cal
ifornia since last July. From New
York | will go to Belgium.
Regarding the new law in France
I can only say that it resulted from
a rupture growing out of the Concor-
dat, an arrangement whereby the af-
fairs of the Catholic Church and the
we're regulated according
to certain provisions.
''The charitable religious organiza-
tions that were organized in strict
compliance with the law of France,
are still existing and are not inter-
fered with by the new law. Those not
so organized, although existing and
encouraged for many years by the au
thorities, have been abolished. The
sisters of charity of st. Vincent, for
instance, are carrying on their work
as they always did in their private
institutions but they have been re-
placed by non-religious teachers. in
the public schools over which they
once had charge.
"The teaching of religion in private
schools was not interfered with by
the government if not done by reliIH
ious orders under the law of 1902 At
the time that law was passed there
were some Institutions incorporated
on a more solid legal basis and they
were not affected. In 1904 another
law passed which was more cOmpre-
hensive in that line. The Christian
Brothers then had 1,500 colleges and
schools in France. The new law pro
vided that all of these institutions
should be closed within ten years at
the convenience of the government.
Eight hundred were closed immediate
ly. Only about $50 remain open at
this time. The government confiscat-
ed all property as provided by law and
assumed guardianship over the
Christian Brothers in France.
"The brothers who taught in our
colleges there have drifted to other
countries. Many of them are in the
United States and Canada, while 9th
ers went to Egypt, South America and
other countries"
Brother Clementian expressed de-
light at the climate of Santa Fe, which
he declared as does every one else
who comes here, is without a peer.
He was greatly interested in the
many sights to be seen here and de-
clared Santa Fe one of the most re-
markable and picturesque cities he
had ever seen.