Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1907-01-17

CHURCH A MERE TOWN HALL
Published b. RxQnesf.

New York. Dec l6 a strong
defense IT the attitude 0fthe church
Ia the French controversy ii con
tanned InA letter ID the New York
zsmts ii thak city from John Jerome
Rooney. 81 New YORK. The letter II
as follows
read your editorial article on
Friday Deeember IA issue under the
caption What Is l6e 0th6r Sid e.
referring 81 ss ptssen, eoisiies BE-
tween the French Government and
the Catholic Church Since Vol
made this Inquiry The question has
been answered from several sources,
notably Cardinal Gibbons interview
and BY q statement December 18th
purportIng to come from the vati.
can. must confess Ia the outset
70 grievous disappointmenta tIseeIna
your usually fair ioprneI accept 81
their full value The distorted state.
menis put out by the French Mlnis.
try. aud practically iudorsIng she
gross acss 81 injustice and tyranny
Of which that Government, nos fos
the drsi time, has been guilty.
IIlsToaY iaNoAKp HE sup.
The upEoldera u this policy IL.
nore the history Of The rotations d
the Catholic Church ID the French
Republic and tho solemn pIedge and
the solemn cortract entered inse
with the church aud assume thai ths
Separation law Is only what Il claims
10 be On Us face al acs separating
church and state n France. This
law WAS devised for tbeexpress pur.
poer n contisoatsug sequessratIuR
ID tho sine word used al the pro
perts 81 the church and Eho religi
oas orders iii France which hayt
come into existance slnce Che tlms
o. The eoncordas under Napoleon
The coneofdas did PRECISELY ths
same thing. sequestraslug more thar
s2O0. 800 600 worth 81 Church prop
erty that had been lhe legacy Of esn
turtles u the church from her child
ren. but tae G0sefnmen nl that day
oven saturated III "A was wlsh ths
anki religious ideas II The Frenct
RsyolusAeu, had sonie sense 81 jos
lice. ior Il vas provided that ID,
church should enjoy d revenue iron
the seqoessraled property 70 sup
port her functions aud Tho clergy
This revenue vas MOI . glgtfrom ID,
state. but only small part 81 iii
Income derived gromtha conGscasee
property
The present Government and ths
one preceding Il, which everyone
knoas depends ior It's existence o.
the socialistlc and Radical group.
u the chambor, broke this solemn
contracs without any netlce and
without sAe concurrence 81 sheosheE
party Did Ii hayc lho COMMON hon,
esty h return Aha property thai had
been sequessrnted. when the con.
cordat was formed No. That would
have been 4 method d separation d
church and state that would be per.
Iecliy agreeable to The Catholic
Church. Esds The Government not
only kept lhls property, bas cut Of
the incona and proceeded Iuseixsall
the rest IL tho church aud lnsAtuti
onai property thai bad grown ID 10
The meanwhile. To cali this Re.
parasion IS iooutreee common sense
and tbs most oIementry notions o.
justice.
"CoaffecAgiok ONLY QsE PAsg
bot the goverument was moi
satisfied even with this condsca
lion was only one part 81 Iss pro
eranu rs real object was To ron.
der impossible the exercis 81 The
functions of the church 10 France.
The Government was too cunning to
do this % plain terms Of prohibition.
as such would outrage the sense Of
Justice ot the civilized world. This
would have been toocrude d lneth0d
for tho anti religious conspiracy. 20
the Law was sly framed ais to work
dissolution 81 tho church hy her own
hand II accepted BY the church
IikeeyerYosber oiyIlized Institution.
the Catholic Church bas It's internal
systemof government Itlsepiscopal
"a charaelar. with the Pope al It's
chief bishop and with economical
authority exercised through The
bishopand priests d TIE church II
was this constitution md govern.
mont that the Separation Law was
cnnnlnQly devised 10 destroy, The
church was handed S sword and
invited to fall upon 1t, bit she firmly