Omaha daily bee., 1907-01-12
NOTE FROM THE POPE
Poutif Addresses an EnOyOliOal to
Catholics Of France
WORDS or COMFORT FOR THE FAITHFUL
Many Prosecutions Sure to Be Crowned
with Pinsl Victory.
MAKING WAR ON ALL SPIRITUAL IDEAS
This Is Pontiffs View of Acts Of French
Government
CHURCH PROPERTY is NOT ABANDONED
Vatican IL Unable to Accept the
Cultural Associations, as They
Conflict with Basic Organ
tzation of Church.

ROME. Jan. 1.-The Osservatore Romano,
official organ of the Vatican, today pub
lisked the text OF an enyclical addressed by
the pope to ''Our Venerable Brothers, the
Cardinals, Bishops and Clergy Of the French
People" In this document the pontiff said
his olief object in addressing the faithful
in France was 10 ccfafcrt them in their
sufferlngs which ne felt deeply. There was,
however. great consolation IN the fact that
the Catholics of france were united. The
French governments declaration OF war
was not only against the Christian faith.
but against all spiritual ideas The French
Catholics must he prepared for all sorts of
trials, but they are certain of Anal victory.
Contrary TO statements on the subject. the
church did not desire religious war. in
volvlng violent prosecutions. Being mis-
sionary OF peace and carrying out its mis-
sion Loyalty, the church did not willingly
expose itself to war and suffering.
Property Not Abandoned.
Regarding the eccl siastical properties, the
encylical said the pope had not abandoned
them. The French government had Inn
posed on French Catholics organization
which the church was absolutely unable to
acdept without imperiling its existence as
a divine institution The church could not
prevent the unjust spoliation in progress.
AS for the proposed cultural associations,
they are contrary to the ecclesiastical hier-
archy given to the church by the divine
founder himself, and the pope condemned
them in spite of the material injuries in
volved at the hands of the government.
Besides the law conferred on these associa-
tions attributes regarding both the exercise
Of worship and possession and administra-
tion of church property which appertain
alone to ecclesiastical authority Finally
the associations are not only withdrawn
from ecclesiastical jurisdiction, but are
placed under civil authority. Continuing,
the pope said:
1--WE have been accused of prejudice and
Inconsistency. It has been said, that we
refused 10 approve In France what we had
already Approved in Germany But this re-
proach is unjust and unfounded, for while
:, the GermafI law Is condemnable on many
points and was officially accepted IN order
to avoid greater evils the situations are
very different. The German law explicitly
lthe French does not
objection to Declarations.
"As to the annual declaration required
for public worship 1t did not offer the
legal guaranty that the church had the
right to expect. Nevertheless, to obviate
worse evils, the church might have toler-
ated making declarations, but laying down
that the clergy shall be only occupants of
the churches without any legal status and
without the right to perform any admin
istrative act in the exercise of their min
istry. placed them in such vague and
humiliating 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 spoliation and confiscation and has
Oonsummated the pillage of the church,
"Although it's divine founder was born
poor In stable and died poor on the cross,
and although It knows poverty from the
cradle, the property 1t was possessed of.
nevertheless, belonged to 1t and no one
had the right to take 1t away. This owner
ship. indisputably its. from every point Of
view. has been officially sanctioned by the
state.
''The statement that the government dis
posed of the abandoned property of the
church is adding derison to spoliation.
New Regime Arbitrary.
Prom the point of view OF the exercise
of religion. the new law has organized
anarchy. 1t instalis regime of uncer-
tainty and arbltrarinesS. There is uncer-
tafnty as to whether the churches, which
are always liable TO disaffection, shall or
.-ashall not In the meanwhile be at the dis
posal OF the clergy and faithful In each
parish the priest viii be In the power
OF the municipality, with the consequent
possibility OF CONFLICTS In all parts Of the
country. In addition, the clergy are under
an Obligation to meet the heaviest ex-
penses. while their sources of revenue are
subjected TO the strictest limitations. The
new law aggravates the law. separating
church and state We can only condemn
it with precision and without ambiguity.
Certain articles of the law throw new
light on the realm OF our enemies They
wish 70 destroy the church and de-Chris-
tianize France without attracting too
closely the attention of the people. II
their course was really popular as they
pretend It is, they would pursue It openly
and take all the responsibility, Instead Of
attempting to stem the rising tide OF popu-
lar reprobation by throwing the RESPONSE
bility on the church. its victim, but the
object win not succeed.
"As for us. we have done our duty as
any other Roman pontiff would have done
II. The high ofice with which heaven In
vested us. as well as our faieh IN Christ.
determined our line of conduct. and we
could not have acted otherwise without
betraying our conscience or breaking the
oath we took when We mounted the throne
OF St. Peter.
Pontin Appeals 40 History.
''Therefore we await fearlessly the YER
4 diet OF history, which must be that with
y our eyes nxed INCREASINGLY on the tram
soenAant rights OF God, we did not intend
: 10 humiliate the civil power nor combat
a form OF government but only to safe
guard the spiritual temple OF Christ.
.sxVhat we demanded and stll demand
for the church OF which France is the eld-
eat daughter Is respect for its hierarchy.
the inviolabihty OF It's property. II that
had been granted the religious peace would
not have been disturbed and the day our
demand Is needed the longed for peace will
be restored.
~ Assured IN advance Of your generosity,
y we do not hesitate TO tell you that the
hour for the sacrifice has struck and to
H.. ha pf