New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-15
" MAY RESIST FRANCE"
Priest Says Catholics You'd be Jus
tilted IN Resort to arms.

Philadelphia. Feb IA (special) when 1t shall be-
come necessary for the Catholics of France TO
resist the intrusions OF the French government
upon their sanctuares to civil war. they will
be sustained by the Catholics priests and laity
Of the entire world"
Father Thomas Ewing Sherman, president of the
Catholic Trust Society and son of General Sher-
man, made this assertion IN interview regard
ing the clash between church and state in France.
Father Sherman has visited many cities and dis
cussed the situation with many of the deepest
thinkers of the Catholic faith. II soon after
conference with Archbishop Ryan in this city
that Father Sherman expressed his views on the
French situation
Leading Catholics of the United States and other
great countries feel that the time has come when
the Catholics of France must resist the French
government, unless they wish to bear the stigma
Of poItroors and towards" he said. He continued
The action of the government agents in attempt
ing break into the tabernacles is the IrehZled
performance of inhdels and atheists who are aiming
TO destroy Shrisualty- Al Is d - =, siotaS
meanest and lowest type worse than any lnnlcte9
py the pagans OF hoI4 ne brea omen these taber-
nacles, where. Catholics believe the Douy OF 600
Jews in crucfying Christ.
The whole difficulty began with the French Rev
luton endeavored destroy Christianity The
revolutionsts confscated all the estates of the
Church-the accumulation of thousands OF years
They shot down priests ike dogs by the hundred
moved them down with a single cannon ball to
save ammunition In Brittany there is a pile of
the bones OF three hundred priests Mothers show
this heap Of bones 10 their children TO illustrate
how favorable the republic is TO the Catholic re-
Hg!on This told me by priest of Brittany.
The man naturally hated republics. and did not
see how could be republican;
he also saw that the state must have a religion
He endeavored to restore religion but in so doing
ne stroVe to make the Catholic rehglon slave OF
the state instead of a power in II What IS known
ment between Napoleon and the Pope. pretending
10 be fair treaty restoring 10 the Church all her
France under the Concordat and the French were
In the light of later events the Catholics of
France do not feel that the Church has had true
this Instrument of state. the government kept TO
itself the right name the bishops Of the Church.
ments were not always made Tor the best interests
Of the Church but instead were usually of such
as pest pleased the government These othciais
served the state, rather than the Church. This is
simply one Of several abuses introduced into the
constitution Of the Church IN France.
In breaking the Concordat the French Republic
some sense Of the word This contention the Gath
ole Church can never admit Therefore. she can
not admit the right OF the government TO treat the
churches and the sacred institutions within if
ership OF church property in France is admitted
by canonists 10 be involved IN some obscurity. /
necessary TO save the tabernacles from violence is
jushable, even if the defenders obliged to have
recourse 70 extreme violence, or a civil war. Be
heving that Christ is truly present in His holy
body of our Lord. II would be betraying a most
sacred trust not TO be willing to defend that holy
high authorities of the Church may not judge such
course prudent in the face of real persecution.
We do not know how far the French government
is prepared 10 go in enforcing law which violates
the most sacred convictions of the French people
In case they send troops into the churches, the
blessed sacrament will in all probability be moved
10 more secret and private places, and there wor-
shipped as in the DAYS of the cAtaconbs The mere
thought of this however fills American Catholics
with disnay- They cannot understand how a
public can forbid freedom of conscience and the
freedom OF a public worship which necessarily goes
with such freedom Of conscience in a country where
the Catholic religion has been established time
OF mind.