Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-12-10
Governments Calculations al Paris Upset By inc Pope's
 Attitude
WILL BE PROSECUT
Pope Plus VIII Forbid French Clergy From Making Declaration Under Law of
 1881.

Paris, Dec 10.-The press to-day
 unanimously recognizes the extreme
 gravity of the religious issue preci-
 pitated by the pope's intransigeant
 attitude and many papers predict 2
 veritable religious warfare. The gov
 ernment's calculations have clearly
 been upset and new legislative au-
 thority may bs necessary to cope
 with the situation. It having been
 decided that religious services are no
 longer holdable after tomorrow
 without 8 preliminary declaration
 unaer the law of 1881 the pope's or
 ders entail the immediate initiation
 of prosecutions in 36,000 communes.
 and logically the invasion of
 churches by the police for the pur-
 pose of pronouncing their dissolu-
 ton and expelling the parish priests.
 The militant Catholic seemingly
 hall with joy the prospect of viol- ence which will compel the closing of the churches, with the attendant excitement of religious passions. M Jeures, the socialist leader, professes to believe that the Vatican has de- liberately determined to test the strength of the party of reaction in an effort to overthrow the republic. The socialist organs generally how ever, regard the pope's instructions as being the result of the govern. ments weakness In offering any con- sessions beyond the formation of the cultural associations contemplated under the law of 1905 and declare that the government now has no ale formative except to insist on declar- ations being made to show the ec- clesiastics the door. The conserva- tive papers advise the government to remain true to It's liberal princi- ples. contending that the more the church Is intolerant and panic etrickan the moro authority 1t will need. provided tho government does not lose It's head. The government has made preparations to cope with the situation. but Is keeping them se- cret, evidently awaiting to see whether any considerable proportion of the clergy will revolt. The cabi- net, however. maintains a resolute front. Instructions to the public prosecutors were telegraphed broad cast to-day.
 Premier Clemenceau is quoted as saying:
 "If the. church elects to have war 1t will have 1t. but the world will bear witness that the vatican is like a foreign power trying to dispute the authority of the French govern ment."
 NJ Briand. minister of public wor- ship. says he. thinks the pope yielded to the importunities of the ultramon- taines. who are possessed with the mad idea that out of disorder and civil war they will emerge tri- umphant. The government now does not face a revolt of the consciences of French Catholics. but a purely po- litical enterprise"
 Rome. Dec 10.-Up to the present all the news regarding the determin- ation of the Vatican not to accept the decision that religious services may be celebrated in France under the law of 1881 is derived from a short telegram sent from Rome to some French bishops who had totally or accepted the applica- | ton of that law. Cardinal Richard, | of Paris. will receive to- day a letter from the pope forbidding the French clergy to make the decla- rations prescribed by the law of 1881 and giving his reasons for the order, which will chiefly be found In the of M Briand. the French l of public worship which, &C., rording to the vatican. makes the situation of the bishops and parish priests unbearable and is especially severe in its bearing on the semin- aries.
 The situation Is considered to be | most grave. The French clergy have Informed the vatican that they are ready to submit 10 ell the penalties Involved in non-complying with the av, including imprisonment. rather han yield. while the vatican openly lnnounccs that it is ready to face he abandonment of public worship md the holding of private reIieious 'eyvices ff the priests and their 'ccks are obliged to abandon the ,hurches.