The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-01-12
IMPORTANT ENCYCLICAL
 10 FRENCH CATHOLICS
DENOUNCES THE FRENCH G0T- PAYMENTS DECLARATION
 OF VAR.

That Country's Attitude Not Only
 Against the Christian Faith but
 Against All Spiritual Ideas--Faithful
 Must be Prepared for All Sorts of
 Trials but Are Certain of Final yic-
 tory-Maintenance of Union With the
 Holy See of Greatest Importance--
 Real Aim of Enemies to Destroy
 Church and De-Christianize France.
 Rome, Jan. 1.-The Osservatore Ro- mano, offical organ of the vatican, tor day published the text of a most iIn- portant encyclical addressed by the pope to the French Catholics. In this document, which was addressed to "Our Venerable Brothers, the Cardin- als, Bishops and Clergy, and the French People, 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 dec- laration of war was not only against the Christian faith, but against all spiritual ideas. The French Catholics must be prepared for all sorts of trials, but they were certain of final victory This meant their maintenance of their union with the holy see, which was of the greatest importance, as shown by the efforts of the enemies of the church ] to dissolve this union. Contrary to the l statements made on the subject the church did not desire religious war, 1 involving prosecutions Being & nies- i senger of peace, and carrying out her mission Loyalty, the church did not will | ingly expose herself to war and perse- | cutions, as she did not desire to see l her children suffering. Regarding the 1 ecclesiastical properties, the encyclical said the pope had not abandoned them. l The French government had imposed on the Catholics of France an organ l ization which the church was absolute- ly unableto accept without imperilling her existence as a divine institution. The church could not prevent the un- just spoiiation in progress. As for the l proposed cultured associations they were contrary to the ecclesiastical hier- archy given to the church by the di- lHine founder himself, and the pope con
 demned them in spite of the material injuries involved at the hands of the
 government Besides, the law confer
 red on these. associations attriiibattee eess jsA-
 garding both the exercise of worship
 and possession and administration Of
 church property, which appe tain alone
 to ecclesiastical authority. Finallyathe associations are not only withdras 2
 from ecclesiastical jurisdiction, but ara placed under civil authority. Contnu- ing the pope said: ''We have been ac- cused of prejudice and inconsistency.
 It has been said that we refused to approve in France what we already approved in Germany. But this re- : proach is unjust and unfounded, for } while the German law is condemnahle on many points, and was only accept ) ed in order to avoid greater evils, the : situations are most different. The Ger 3 man law explicitly recognized the 3 Catholic hierarchy which the French r does not.
 , ,"As to the annual declaration requir- C ed for public worship, it does not of' e fer the legal guaranty that the churcf
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