The Minneapolis journal., 1906-12-14
.CAbINE1 t.NIOl0RY
Il. In CHURCH CRISIS
No D Disturbances. ines Enforcing
French Church Law Churches
Yield Under Protest.

p. y Paris, Dec: l4.-Theseabinet met. to-
DAY, with PRESIDENT! Falleriess&in the
chair, in order to decide uponi legis-
latlons to be, presented to- parliament.
sFhe steps to be- taken are gof a very
sweeping character. Il 1T is proposed to
amend the law of 1905, providing for
the separation of church and state, in
which \ years grace. was allowed be-
Tore the permanent alienation Of the
ehnreh- property, and5@to suppress, the
privilege of, formings new cultural or
diocesan associations during that period.
All church property including the semi
narles, will immediately handed over
to%the state, to the departments and to
the communes, under conditions insur-
ing that the churches themselves will
be retained for religious uses; +: The
continuance Of public worship will be
provided for under a, combination of the
laws of 1881 and 1901 = With regard
to the pensions and allowances of the
clergy, distinctions will be made by
VI which th9se who are entitled to the
former will, lose their rights if they are
deprived OF their French citizenship,
" while those who are entitle to the lat
ter will lose their allowances if they
do not conform with thef@law. The
conditions under which the clergy. will
forfeit their French citizenship will be
drawn up in a special measure to be
prepared later - t<@E ~" ~..,
Paris, Dec l4.T- Yesterday was
marked by the total absence of any of
the sensational or dramtic incidents ex-
pected in alarmist quarters in connec-
tion with the execution Of the law Of
separation. ''
The parish priests everywhere cele-
brated mass in, the presence of unusu-
ally n large congregations but the
to noting infractioniss Iof Tie law and
in citing the priests and Wears to ap-
pear before justices of the? peace.
Everywhere legal notices have been
served of the evacuation Of the &C.
clesiastical residences, seminaries, etc.
Several of these buildings were aban-
doned without further ado, but ma
jority Of the prelates, while fully pre-
pared to 20, announced that they would
not depart except under -duress.
Victory for Government.
In many parishes, both in Paris and
the interior, Catholics 1ay1faen< came for
ward and spontaneouslys:fi filed declara-
tions for the holdingaof services in the
designated churches during the coming
year. If this practiee is Generally fol
lowed it will be a. distinct victory for
the. government, relieving it of the pos
sible necessity of.'closing the churches
and throwing on the&elergys the "respon,
s!ibility for the discontinuance Of pub
lie worship : ~:.@~*s.aa =. 80
The net result of the &uncompromis
ing attitude assumed by the Vatican
in this conflict with. the French gov.
ernment seems to+Nbe that the clergy
will lose it's PENSIONS, $4,000 Of which
have been: granted and agazetted since
the beginning Of the year; that all as
| pirants to-? the priesth ood will be com
PEELED to perform military service, ano
that the taking over Of the episcopa
mansions, n1e reetories;* senltnaries, etc, by
the state, . department. and the com
Of in Deesmbef, eeeu1 1ae lSsy1y Ss', y 'ns'fae