The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1907-07-13

1t has been finally settled that the
Hague Peace Conference shall present
the formal protest of the Vatican au-
thorites against the French govern
ment in the shane of diplomatic me-
mortal. which has been completed ana
submitted for the approval Of the Span
ish and Austrian governments before
they authorize their representatives to
act on behalf of the Holy See at the
conference.
The protest of the Vatican against
the recent actions of the French gov
ernment toward the Church does not
consider at all the measures contained
i'll the law of separation between
Church and State in that country. but
j., based entirely on the fact that the
law of nations has been violated by the
French government in three instances,
and that such violations would have
been SUFFICIENT to provoke hosttlitles
ii they had been committed against a.
country in a. position to declare war in
defense of its rights.
AS the memorial points out. the Pom
tiff, although deprived Of the temporal
power. still claims, like his two imn1e-
diate predecessors. to possess all the
prerogatives of a. sovereign. and as
such entitled to submit a formal pro-
test to the great council of nations at
The Hague.
The three instances in which the
Vatican authorities claim that the
French government has been guilty OF
formal and material violations of inter-
national rights are the abolition of the
Concordat without even consulting the
Holy See; the forcible expulsion or
Mgr. Monta 7nini. whom the memorial
claims to have been a personal rep
resentative of the Pope in France and
the violent and alleged unwarranted
seizure of some of the documents con-
tanned in the archives of the Nuncia-
ture palace.
| Regarding the abolition Of the Con-
cordat the memorial which is to be
submitted to The Hague conference
points to the fact that it was an inter
national treaty, signed personally by
two sovereigns and their special repre-
sentatives over a century ago, that
| <,f t,, a RI t,oa
more or less observed by both sides
ever since the agreement was conclud-
ed, and that, according to the treaty
itself, the Concordat could not have
been abolished without at least a. con-
sultation with the Holy see which was
the party most concerned in the matter.
The expulsion Of Mgr Montagnini
from France without notice is stated
in the memorial to have been an act of
violence contrary to International laws.
When the Papal Nuncio in France,
Mgr Lorenzalli. was handed his pass
ports under the Conbes ministry, the
Pope nominated the auditor Of the Par
lis NunCldLuIe III Charge u dIld'i co.
and. it is stated in the memorial. the
French government onlcials knew Of it.
In fact, many Of the negotiations be-
tween the Vatican and the French gov
ernment which followed the diplomat
ic rupture were conducted on behalf Of
the Vatican by. Mgr. Montagnini him
SELF whose position, the memorial
claims, was at least seni-offlcial and
recognized by the French government
as such. The prelate's expulsion from?
France, therefore according to the doc
uments, cannot but be considered a. flag
rant violation of the laws of nations
while it is even not in accordance with
the French laws. which allow such a
measure to be taken only in case Of
criminals and suspicious characters.
Great stress is. laid in the memorial
on the fact that the forced seizure on
the part of the French government of
the documents contained in the arch
lives Of the Nunciature in Paris was