Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-01-12
ENCyCL|CAL. ON
FRANCE AND CHURCH
----------------------------
Seal of Official Condemnation
Formally Placed on Amended
Separation Law by Pope.
WILL EMBlTTER THE CONTEST
HIS Holiness Says His Chief Object Is
TO Comfort the Faithful In
Their Suferlngs.

The amended church and state separa-
lion law. and will oonstrain the Dish
ops at their meeting to be held here
Ian. IL TO range themselves against
the law on all points.
The pope's unrescrved condemnation
OF the new separation law. while ex-
pected, can only result in further EN-
differing the contest between church
and state, as the French bishops, VINO
are about to assemble, must follow the
orders OF Rome, regardless of their
individual ideas. The Temps consid-
ers the encyclical as PROOF lhat INC
vatican is determined to continue the
war AS an illustration OF what y
terms the gpeciousness of the papai
arguments, the Temps says the state
lnent that a priest cannot be a judicial
occupant of church IL no longer true
under the new law, and that the ulsal-
fiction of churches, which the pope
SAYS was never admissible, was pos
slbility even under the concordat.
1t is expected the government VIII
soon reply to the encyciical either IN
the form of communicate or by dec
laration in parliament.
THE ENCYCLICAL.
Rome. Jan. 1.-THE Osservatore Ro-
mano. the organ of the vatican, to-
day published the text of an encyclicai
addressed by the pope to our veneer
able brothers. the cardinals, bishops
and clergy and the French people In
this document the pontiff said his CHIEF
object In addressing the faithful in
France was TO comfort them IN their
sunerings, which he felt deeply. There
was, however, great consolation In the
fact that the Catholics OF France were
united The French governments dec
luration 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.
Contrary to statements on the subject,
the church did not desire a religious
war, involving violent prosecutions.
Being a missionary of peace and carry
Ing 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. Regard
ing the ecclesiastical properties, the
encyclical said the pope had not aban-
doned them. The French government
had imposed on French Catholics an
organization which the church was alb
solutely unable to accept without I'M
periing her existence as divine insti-
tuition. The church could not prevent
the unjust spoliation In progress. AS
for the proposed cultural associations,
they ara contrary to the ecclesiastical
hierarchy given TO the church by the
divine founder himself, and the pope
condemned them in spite of the ma
ferial Injuries involved at the hands OF
the government.
Besides tho law conferred on these
associations attributes regarding both
the exercise of worship and possession
and administration of church property
which appertain alone to ecclesiastical
authority. Finally the associations are
not only withdrawn from ecclesiastical
4. jurisdiction, but are placed under civil
authority.
Continuing. the pope said
1--WE have been accused OF prejudice
and inconsistency. 1t has been said
that we refused to approve In France
what we had already approved Ger
MANY. But this reproach is unjust and
ainfounded. for while the German 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
recognized the Catholic hierarchy,
which the French does not.
AS to the annual declaration re-
CURED for public worship, II did not Of
fer the legal guaranty that the church
had the right TO expect Nevertheless,
10 obviate worse evils, the church might
have tolerated making declarations, but
laying down thar the clergy shall be
only occupants of the churches with.
out any legal status and without the
right 10 perform any administrative
act in the exercise of their ministry,
placed them In such vague and hui
initiating position that the making Of
declarations could not be accepted.
ut remains to examine the law re.
Gently voted by the chambers. From
the point of view of church property
The law is law of spoliation and con-
fiscatlon and has contaminated the pill
lage of the church.
although her divine founder was
horn poor In stable and died poor on
The cross, and although she knows
poverty from the cradle. the property
she was possessed of nevertheless be-
Ionged to her and no one had the right
10 deprive her OF II. Thi ownership,
indisputably possible from every point
OF view, has been officially sanctioned
by the state.
"'rhe statement that the government
disposed of the abandoned property OF
the church Is adding derision TO spoia-
iion.
From the point of view OF the exer-
else of religion the now law 5as organ
izcd anarchy II installs regime OF
uncertainty and arbitrariness. There
is uncertainty as to whether the
churches. which are always liable TO
diSanection shall or snail not IN the
meanwhile be at the disposal OF the
clergy and faithful. In each parish the
priest will be- In the power OF the NUM-
cipaity. With the consequent possibility
OF conflicts In an 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 limita-
lions. The new law aggraVAtes Tho
law separating church and state. W.
can only condemn II with precision and
without ambiguity. Certain articles
OF the law throw new light on the real
aim OF our enemies. They wish 10 de-
stroy the church and de-chrlstianize
France without attracting too closely
the attention OF the people. II thell
course was really popular as they pre-.
tend II is. they would pursue II openly
and take all the responsibility,
Instead of against the rising tide OF
popular Reproduction the government,
attempts 20 throw the responslblit,
on the church, It's victim, but the OBJ
1ect VIII not succeed.
las for NJ. we have done our dut,
as any other Roman pontiff would have
done. The hgh office with which heaV.
en- Invested us, as well as our faith IN
Christ determined our lines of con
duct. and we could not have acted 9th,
erwise without betraying our consci.
enees on breaking the oath we TOOK
when we mounted the throne Of 81
Peter.