The Jersey City news., 1906-12-10
FRENCH CRISIS NEAR
Pope's Rejection of Terms Causes
Deadlock Between Church 4
~ and State. sSs
REVOLT, SAYS GOVERNMENT.

Ministers Regard Pontiff's Action ns
Little Less Than Summons of Cakhs
olios to Open RsbeIIion-M. BrianA
Threatens Severe Measures Againss
ReeaIcitrant Priests.
Paris, Dec. 1o.-Franee seems TO face
an alarming religious crisis. Reports
OF the pope's eleventh hour rejection
OF the governments final proRer under
which Catholic worship could De con-
tinued under the common law turns eut
to be true. and the deadlock row Il
apparently complete.
The church and state Separation Law
which was passed by the French pAz.
lament year ago goes into effect In
Paris tomorrow and win be enforced
in the various departments on Dee. Il
and Is. The French govexnmsnt is
facing the situation with Rrnansss and
calmness, though the prospect Of the
religious crisis becoming acute has
been augmented by an apparently au-
thoritative announcement IN the Crulx,
the clerical organ, that the pope far
bids Catholics to abide by the public
meeting law of 1881, under which the
government proposes that reliaioua
services shall be held in the future.
The parish priests must remain in tAeir
churches until driven out by violence.
says the announcement
Pope's Message Amaxes France.
The official confirmation OF this eom-
munication has created q sensation
both In government and Catholic cir
eles. Cardinal Lecol archbishop. of
Bordeaux; Archbishop Germain and
othe-',, who already had advised com.
pliance with the law, have hastily In
structed the parish priests Of their dis
ceses that their former advice is null
and void.
The government regards the action %
the pontiff as little less than 8 sam
mons of the French Catholics 70 open
rebellion. There is no sign Of the gov
ernment faltering, but it recognizes
that it may be forced to resort to ex-
treme measures. NJ. BRAND, minister
of public worship, said that the de-
cision of the pope was entirely unex
pected.
''The encyclical is very grave" saia
NJ BRAND. while condemning the
law of 1908 Il advised recourse to the
common law. Although the refusal to
form cultural associations was, In nay
opinion, an error and to the detrimanf
Of the church, 1t was the church's legal
right SO to refuse. In spirit Of con-
ciliation the government thersupon pre-
scribed this easy means Of continuing
worship by simple declaration In ac-
cordance with the law OF 1881. The
pepe's brutal order to the clergy to re-
ject this offer practically Incltes them
to violate the laws Of the country. He
no longer acts as the spiritual head Of
the church, as the canonicaI objections
against the law of 1905 cannot be In
voked against that of 1881. The pope
now assumes a political leadership,
and the vital question is whether the
Catholics Of France will consent e
follow him or not If they do the-g gov
ernment will act with even greater en-
Sf SE ocCAUSS o1 Sa6 ICleIaGG9 ~ mas
manifested heretofore livery viola
Elon Of the law will besprossested, and
Furthermore special measures, legislap
tive and otherwise, may be taken"
Severe Measures Threatened.
The special measures referred to By
ii. BRAND are those intimated by Pre-
mier Ciemsnaeau in the chamber Of
deputies-namely, TO strip the clergy
OF thsir privileges. compel them to per
form military service and as q last rs-
sort 10 treat them as aliens.
Nj tant' Catholics are rejoicing at
the stern attitude of the pope. A re-
-hgious organ says the faithful can now
face the future with serenity ard
show the prosecutors of the church
that the daughter of eternity disdains
the efforts Of wicked men and will tri.
umDh in the end"