The Irish standard., 1907-02-02
A WAY TO PEACE.

A WAY TO PEACE.
The French cabinet has been placed
in a position where it will probably
have to make another backdown. The
Pope, through the French bishops, has
suggested a definite plan upon which
the Church and State in France can
adjust their differences. The PROPOSE
ton made to the French cabinet is that
it lease church properties to Catholic
bishops of France for period of eigh-
teen years, with the privilege Of re-
newing the leases by the said bishops
or their successors. This proposition,
If accepted, would meet every point
that the government professedly wish
ed to attain by the so-called law OF
separation. It would also allow the
Catholic church to conduct worship In
France under the laws and rules Of
the church. If the French government
was sincere and simply wished to bring
about separation of church and state
that certainly can be accomplished as
we'll under the proposition now pro-
posed by the church as under the sep
aration law. The reason that the
church could not accept the law that
went into effect on December 18th was
mainly because that law did not recog-
nize the Catholic hierarchy. It pro-
vided for lay associations to take
charge of church property over which
lay associations the bishops and
priests Of France could exercise no
control.
1t will be hard for disinterested peo-
pie to point out any good reason why
the French government should not
lease church property to Catholic bisl-
ops. 1t is reported that the Pope has
notified the French government that
unless this plan is accepted public
worship will cease i'll France. French
papers are calling upon the govern
ment to accept the plan and to save
the French nation from further inter-
nal trouble. Only the Socialists are
firm against the proposal. NJ. Jaures
and his supporters frantically maintain
that the government cannot afford to
submit to the dictates Of the Vatican.
On the other hand, influential support
ers Of NJ. Clemenceau are calling upon
him to seize the opportunity Of put
ting to an end a conflict in which the
French government has not shown to
very great advantage. The world was
notified OF what awful things the
French government would do to the
church if it would not accept the terms
Of the December law. The church did
not accept the law. Tho government
then tried to save itself by asking the
church to accept the public meetings
law Of 1881, and the church refused to
comply with that law. The govern
nnent then threatened to evict priests
from every church in France, but the
threat was never carried out. Public
worship has proceeded since the pass
age of the law in much the same way
that it did before. Of course, priests
holding services are committing Of
Tense against the law, but no punish
ments have been inflicted except in a
few isolated cases. The government
does not dare to put itself in the posi-
ton Of stopping religious worship. and
yet that is exactly what it would have
to do in order to be consistent.
The Pope has now suggested plan
which he will accept, and it may be
that the Clemenceau government will
be glad to escape from tho predica-
ment in which it finds itself. No one
questions the power Of the French gov
eminent, with the army behind it, to
evict priests ana close churches, but
there is another question that troubles
the government, and that is the ef-
feet that such action would have upon
the French people. No one doubts that
the present French government, If it
SoASu1Lcu AIc oNu uocaIcSs "OuIO p1e"
vent all and every kind Of religious
worship in France, but the present
French government also has great
desire to hold on to the Offices. Things
have been moving pretty rapidly in
France during the last few weeks, and
it is possible that we will soon know
the result Of this latest move on the
part Of the Vatican.
CONDITIONS HAVE CHANGED,
When Martin Van Buren, was Presi-
dent of the United States. it could not
Ia 1.o i,na,, axnaotnd of him To oA&n,,i