Albuquerque morning journal., 1907-01-12
PREDICTS
ULTIMATE
TRIUMPH
FRENCH CATHOLICS MUST
EXPECT PERSECUTION
Church Utterly Unable to Accept
Terms Offered by Government
Declares POntiff in EncycIicaI on
Separation Law. y
TBy Morning journal Special Leased wlre,l


I TBy Morning journal Special Leased Wire
Rome, Jan. 1.-THE Osservatort
Romano, official organ of the vatican
today published the text of an en-
cyclical addressed by the pope to
'our venerable brothers. the cardinals
clergy bishops and French people. "
In this document the pontiff said
his chief object in addressing the
faithful in France was to comfort
them in their sufferings, which he
felt deeply. There was, however,
great consolation in the fact that the
Catholics of France were united. The
French governments declaration of
was was not only against the Chris
tian faith, but against all spiritual
ideas. The French Catholics must be
prepared for all sorts of trials, but
they were certain of final victory
Contrary to statements upon the SUBJ
jeot the church did not desire "a re-
ligious war involving violent persecG-
tions, being a missionary of peace
and carrying out her mission loyalty,
the church did not willingly expose
herself to war and prosecutions, as
she did not desire to see her children
suffering. The French government
had imposed on French Catholics an
organization which the church was
absolutely unable to accept without
imperiling her existence as a divine
institution AS for che proposed
cultural associations. they are
contrary to the ecclesiastical hierar-
chy given to the church by the divine
founder himself, and the pope con-
demned them in spite of the material
injury which this involved at the
hands of the government.
Continuing, the pope said:
we have been accused Of preju-
dice and inconsistency. 1t has been
said that we refused to approve in
France what we had already approved
in Germany. But this reproaeh is
unjust and unfounded, for while the
German law is condemnable on many
points. and was officially accepted in
order to avoid greater evils, the situ-
,ations are very Different. The Ger
man law explicitly recognized the
Catholic hierarchy. While the French
does not.
las to the annual declaration re-
quired for public worship it did not
offer the legal guaranty that the
church had the right to expect.
Nevertheless. to obviate worse evils,
the church might have tolerated
making declarations, but laying down
that the clergy shall be only occupants
of the churches without any legal
status and without the right to per-
form any administrative act in the
exercise of their ministry, placed
placed them in such a vague and hu-
initiating position that the making of
declarations could not be accepted.
1T remains to examine the law
recently voted by the chambers. From
the point of view of church property
the law is a law of spoilation and
confiscation and has consummated the
piIlage Of the church.
Although her divine founder was
born in a stable and died poor upon
the cross and, although she knows
poverty from the cradle. the property
she was possessed of nevertheless be-
longed to her and no one had the
right to deprive her of It, This own
ership, indisputably, however, from
every point of view, has been Off
clalllv sanctioned by the state.
"The statement that the govern
ment disposed of the abandoned
property of the church is adding de-
rision to spoilation.
From the point of view Of the ex-
ercise of religion the new law has
organized anarchy. 1t instils a reign
OF uncertainty and arbitratriness.
There is uncertainty as to whether
the churches, which are always liable
to disaffection, shall or shall not in
the meanwhile he at the disposal Of
the clergy and faithful In each par
ish .he priest will be in the power of
the municipality with consequent pos
sibility of conflicts in all parts of the
country. In addition the clergy are
under an obligation to meet the hea-
West expenses. while their sources of
revenue are subjected to the strletest
limitations.
The new law aggraVates the law
separating the church and state. Ger
tain articles Of the law throw a new
light upon the real aim of our ene-
mics. They wish to destroy the
church and de-Christianze France
without attracting too closely the at
tention of the people If their course
was really popular as they pretend it
is, they would pursue II openly and
take all the responsibility"
In conclusion the pope appeals to
the judgment of history which, he
says. will recognize that the papacy
IN acting as II has did so because
1t did not wish to humiliate any Off
cials or oppose any form of govern
ment, but defended with all its
strength the work of the divine
founder of the church. demanding
respect for the hierarchy and the in
volatility Of its property and liberty"
EncyclicaI Published in Paris