The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-13
TWIN CITY FRENCH
MOURN FOR FRANCE.
CRISIS ABROAD HARD FOR AMER
IcANs TO UNDERSTAND.
Local Catholic Explains Conditions
Which Have Led to Seizure dof
Churches by Paris Government-Ai Aim
Is to Bring All Religious Bodies IN
der Control Of Police. fsasf

|; Developments in the crisis between
Church and state in France are being
Followed with interest by the French
Catholics of the twin cities. Not only
DO they scan with care the press dis
patches, but many Of them also look
to copies OF the French papers which
bring full details within eight DAYS of
each happening, and the letters ). Of
personal friends or relatives in the old
country. - - --
"Separation Of church and state,
such as we enjoy. in this country, is not
the aim of the present government in
France, said one Of the leading men
OF the local French colony today. eff
1t were, there would be no trouble,
and the church would not be houseless
as it is today. E@.. -. = :.
"Depriving the church of it's meet
ing houses, as we call them in this
country, does not mean that France is
without church. The church remains
tho every place of public worship is
closed against it, Services will be
held next Sunday in private houses and
halls, for there is nothing in the law
to prevent that.
II do not wonder that Americans
shake their heads and wonder at the
state Of affairs in France. Conditions
there are such as were never known
here. The press dispatches, which pro-
tess to tell Of them, are evidently writ
ten from information furnished by the
government.
1.-The aim Of the government seems
to be to give the impression that s.
seeks a wholesome separation of the
church and the state, such as we have
IN the United States. That is untrue.
What the government wants is to seize
the property Of the church and place
the church itself under the control Of
the police instead of the bishops. These
cultural associa tons which the gov
eminent wants formed to manage the
church property are entirely independ-
ent of the bishops and completely IT.
the power of the police. Such a thing
would be contrary to the doctrine and
discipline Of our church, and it is i'm
possible that the French Catholics
should comply. The law affects the
Protestants in theory but not in fact.
Ihelr organization has always been
similar to that Of the cultural asso-
clation,' and the change, for them, is
State Wants Property. =,
",Confscation Of the church property
is, the ultimate aim of the government,
Today. the, state is selling the property
Of the religious orders which it inven-
torled In 1881. What is more proba.
bile than that twenty-five years hence
it may be. selling the church property
which it is inventorying today9
!: =. "Cutting off salaries paid by the
government to the clergy is not a sep.
'aration of church and State; it IS the
reputation Of a debt. To understand
| this. you have to go back to Napoleon
l and the concordant. During the rev.
olution the state confscated the great
bulk of church property to pay the
public debt Napoleon was unable to
restore this property, as it had passed
into the hands Of private owners, but
the church a rent of. about ~ pe1
cent on it in the shape Of pensions to
the parish priests. At first this pen
sion was 1900 francs, then it was re-
duced to 900 francs, about $148 a year
This payment is not state support tc
the church, it is merely a debtor s
payment of interest to its creditor
| Withdrawing it is reputation and not
800 Americans are in no position tc
| understand the state of affairs II