The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-01-12
POPE CALLS ON FAITHFUL Encyclical Issued to
 French People. SENDS WORDS OF COMFORT Vatican Has Not Abandoned
 Church Properties. Declares Gever.ment's Real Aim Is To
 De-Christianize France-says Reproach Is Unjust and
 Advises Federation.

Rome. Jan. 1.-The osservatore Ro- mano today published the text of an encyciical addressed by the Pope to our venerable brothers" the cardin- als. bishops and clergy of the French people. In this document the Pontiff said his chief object in addressing the faithful In France was to comfort them in their sufferings, which he felt deep- ly.
 There was. however. great consoia- tion In the fact that the Catholics of France were united The govern ment's declaration of war was not only against the Christian faith. but against all spiritual ideals The French Cath olics must be prepared for all sorts of trials. but they were certain of final victory. This means the 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. Con trary to the statements on the sub rect, the church did not desire a relig- ious war. involving violent persecution. Being messenger of peace and carry ing out her mission Loyalty. the church did not willingly expose herself to war and persecution, as she did not desire to see her children suffering.
 EccIesiastical Properties.
 Regarding the ecclesiastical proper ties. the encyclical said the Pope had not abandoned them. The French gov ernment had imposed on the Catholics in France an organization on which the church was absolutely unable to accept without imperilling her existence as @ divine institution. The church could not prevent the unjust spoiliation pro- gress. As for the proposed cultural assocatios. they are contrary to the ec- clesiastlcal hierarchy given to the church by the Divine Founder Himself. and the Pope condemned them in spite of the material injuries involved at the hands of the government. Besides, the law confers on these associations at tributes both the exercise of worship and possession and administration Of church property, which apertain alone to ecclesiastical authority. Finally, the associations are not only withdrawn from ecciesiasticai. Jurisdiction, but placed under civil authority.
 Continuing. the Pope said: we have been accused of perjury and in- consistencies and 1t has been said that we refused to approve in France what we had already appr9ved in Germany But, this reproach is unjust and un- founded for, while the German law is condemnable on many points and was only accepted in order to avoid great CT eVilS, the BttuaLiouS dTc fCTS oAi ferent. The German law explicitly re- cognized the Catholic hierarchy, which the French does not.
 HunIIiation Of Clergy.
 "As to the annual declaration re- duired for public worship. 1t did not offer the legal guarantee that the church had the right to expect Nevertheless to obviate worse evils. the church might have tolerated making h..t "a O- viding that the clergy shall be only occupants of the churches without any legal status and without the right to perform any administrative act in the exercise of their ministry. placed them in such a vague and humiliatlng posi- tion that the making of declarations could not be accepted
 Tt remains to examine the law re- centlv voted by the chambers. From the point of view of church property if is a law of spoliation and confisca- ton and has consummated the pillagu of the church.
 "Although her divine founder was born poor In a stable and died poor on the cross and although she knows poverty from the cradle, the property she was possessed of none the less be- longed to her and no one nad the rlsh' to deprive her. Of it
 "The statement that the Government disposed of the abandoned properties of the church. adds derision to spoli- ation.
 "From the point of view of religion the new law has organized anarchy. If installs a regime of uncertainty and arbitrariness. There Is uncertainty as to whether the churches shall in the meantime be at the disposal of the clergy and faithful. In each parish the priest will be at the power of the mu- nicIpality, with the consequent poSsi- bility of conflicts in parts of the coun- try. In addition. the clergy are under the heavies. expenses while their rev. enues are subjected to the strictest linn itations.
 Real Aim of Enemies.
 '@Tehe new law aggravates the separa- ton of church and state. We can only condemn it with precision and without ambiguity. Certain articles throw new light on the real aim of our enemies. They wish to destroy the church and France without attract ing too closely the attention of the people If their course were really popular as they pretend. they would pursue 1t openly and take all the re- sponsibility."
 In conclusion the Pope appealed to history which. he said. will recognize that the 'papacy acted as 1t has be- cause IL ulO uOl "iSh to UPPoSo "by form of government, but defended with all it's strength the work of the Divine founder of the church. The papacy wished to remind the world that Man must concern himself with hihger ideals than the occurrences of everyday life and that the supreme, inviolable joy of the human soul on earth is to ac- compiish It's spiritual duty at all cost and thus, in spite of all honor. serve and love God"
 NlnhIiahaa In Rarin-