Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-14
CHURCH AND STATE
Situation in France Discussed
by Rev. R. H. McKim.
CRISIS OF SIGNIFICANCE
Concerns Americans as People Friend
ly to the French.
INFLUENCING PUBLIC OPINION
Consideration of Broad Issuse is Said
to Underlie the Controversy
Deplores Bitter Conflict.
INFLUENCING PUBLIC OPINION

was Judge not according to appearances,
but judge righteous Judgments
Our sister republic of France is passing
through a crisis of immense significance
and OF far-reaching influence upon the flu
ture life of her people, DR.. McKim said.
II refer to the definite and final separa
ton of church and state, of which 1t may
be said in sober truth, that nothing has &C.
CURED in that land since the french revo-
luton fraught with momentous conse-
quences to the nation.
What is its true significance? How are
these immense changes to be interpreted?
This is a question not only of great in
terest but one which concerns us, as
Americans, friendly to the French people
and to the French republic, to consider
intelligently and neutrality-suspicious. pas
sion and without prejudice The public
opinion of the American people counts for
much in the affairs of the world, and it is
matter of Importance to ourselves, as
well to others, that ii should not cryS-
talliZe on a false basis or on an erroneous
presentation of the facts of the case. The
occasion is one on which the precept of
our Lord in the text may well be most
carefully ponderod: Judge not according
to the appearance; but judge righteous
Judgment
To Influence Public Opinion.
You are aware that systematic at
temptS nave Deen making all over the
country to influence public opinion in Amer
lea on this subject Sermons and letters
. from eminent ecclesiastics have been pub
lished. Mass meetings have been held.
Resolutions have been adopted. Cablegrams
have been sent to his holiness Plus X ex-
pressing the sympathy of the American
citizens irrespective of religious belief,
and roundly condemning the French gov
eminent. All lovers of liberty called
on in these resolutions to publicly record
their vehement protest against the action
of the French government That govern
ment s charged with sitting religious wor
ship IN France and unjustly contiscating the
entire property of the Catholic Church in
France. 1t is publicly arraigned guilty
of persecution, spoliation, robbery, repudia
ton of a national debt, violation of inter-
national obligations and with irreligion,
hatred of Christianity and blasphemy.
The president of the French republic is
denounced as a highwayman and his min
lister of public worship as a brigand. Cop
les of these resolutions sent to the
French ambassador in Washington, NJ. JUS
serand, and he is asked to tell his govern
ment that all decent Americans have no
words to express their contempt for the
French government.
Now. is all this vituperation justified by
the facts? Can we, as American citizens,
silently acquesce in this wholesale abuse
of great and friendly nation?
Alleged Hysterical Denunciation.
by directing your attention to some facts
that clearly discernible through all this
cloud of hysterical denunciation.
Il. 1t is fact worth bordering that
upon the main question involved in this
struggle between the pope and the French
government there is an intelligent and pro-
gressive body of Roman Catholics in the
United States who sympathze with the at
titude of the republican bishops of France
rather than with the political counselors of
the pope
.'2. The same is true in England, where
Roman Catholic writers openly declare that
English Catholics cannot honestly defend
the papal policy in France or support the
French ultramontanes in the present cir
cumstanceS.
ourselves face to face with the claim of the
pope that his authority Is absolute and .un-
limited; that he can at will set aside laws
regularly made by the constituted law
making authority; and that II he annuls
them or sets them aside, we are bound to
dsobey them.
Significant Fact.
%. Another significant fact is that many
OF the most intelligent and devout clergy
men and laymen of the Roman church in
France are not In sympathy with the course
now pursued by Pope Plus Y. Thus in
September last a group of French Catholics
made an appeal to the pope not TO refuse
his assent to the organization of the asso-
Citations for worship and thereby precipi-
tate a conflict with the civil authority.
They said: In lifting our voices toward
your apostolic throne, holy father, we
would separate ourselves from those mis-
chief-making Catholics whose blindness has
brought us into an abyss. History, which
will judge between us and them, will con-
denim their lack of Christianity much as
their lack of Judgment. - We are moved
by our love of the church. ''' We are
equally moved by the sacred interests of
France 49, And If it be true that the vote
of the bishops under the concordat, when
they found themselves confronted by "a law
OF their own country, has drawn from you
the cry INTENDED as reproach, but which
will remain their finest eulogy): They have
acted like Frenchmen!'-knoW, holy father
, that the real France, which does not join
leagues, or agitate. or intrigue, which
solutely in accord with her bishops
Another example is found in the letter
addressed to the bishops of France by
group of laymen, all of the Roman COM
munion, and all men of distinction in let
tiers or law, In which, though deprecatin
the character and spirit of the law they
. urged the bishops to accept IT and organize
under it.
Desire to Accept Law
- Again. let 1t be noticed as a fact of
immense Significance that in the month of
May last the French bishops. by a large
majority, said to have been 50 to IS ex-
pressed their desire to accept the separa-
ton law and to organize their parishes
under IL.
But this decision of theirs was over
ruled the following August by the decision
OF the pope 10 resist the law. Thus the
ripest wisdom of the French episcopate
and of the French laity was not permitted
to rule in this crisis, but was set aside by
the edict of the pope-a foreign potentate-
ignorant of international politics-and
guided by small clique, chiefly Italians.
at Rome. And we are asked, in the name
OF liberty, to sympathize with this eccle-
siastical absolutist, who thus suppresses
the freedom of opinion and action of the
French bishops and their people.
IS. l direct your attention to one more
fact which should weigh heavily in our
Judgment OF this controversy. / mean the
fact that France is Roman Catholic
country Che Professionals are but IL per
cent of the population). and that by large
majorities the 100000 of her Roman
Catholic population have again and again
voted to support the government in its de-
clsion to sever the political bond between
France and the papal see.
Dispassionate Consideration.
These facts duly considered may pre-
pare LIS for dispassionate consideration of
the situation.