Omaha daily bee., 1907-09-15
CHURCHES AND STATE
French Bishops Insist Government
Shall Make Needed Repairs.
CATHEDRALS IN BAD CONDITION
Religious Bodies Will Not Accept
Them Unless Put in Shape.
MASSES ARE SAID ON sUFFERANCE
officials Dare Not Close Edihces Be-
cause Of People.
'REMIER's NEW GAMBLING ORDER
Result Has Been TO Close Hundreds
OF Casinos Backed by Most
Powerful Financial Or
RaniSations.
MASSES ARE SAID ON sUFFERANC
officials Dare Not Close Edifces Be.
cause of People.
'REMIER's NEW GAMBLING oRDEl

Itate are In a condition Of suspense. There
will be no further movement until Decem-
ber, when the question OF the leasing of
the churches by the bishops will come un-
der discussion. At present the churches
are open and the priests permitted to say
mass; but Il Is entirely on sufferance. At
any moment the government could close
the churches and there is little doubt they
would II they were not afraid TO rouse the
French people by such an extreme step
TO open revolt
They have offered to lease them to the
bishops, but on the understanding that the
latter should keep them in order. Now, as
under the concordat the minister of public
worship was bound to keep them in proper
order and repair, but failed for the last
twenty-five years to do so, the amount of
money necessary to effect repairs on the
huge churches of Paris, such as st. Sulpice
Notre Dame and the Madeleine, and on the
cathedrals of other towns and to keep
them ht for public service in the future
would be entirely beyond the means OF the
church Of France. They are government
property, and the bishops will not lease
them unless they are put and kept in re-
pair The government Is therefore on the
horns OF a dilemma They officials dare
not close them entirely, and the prelates
will not accept them under the conditions
offered.
Pope Condemns Project.
An attempt was made some time since
to form associations of laymen to lease
them on behalf OF the church, but the
blshops refused to sanction the project,
and the pope entirely condemned IT, 1t
would lead TO many abuses, The priests
would find their hands more tied In many
cases than before. Any noisy man, pos
sibly a politician, getting himself elected
on one Of these committees could give in
finite trouble. In other countries II has
occasionally happened that man WE'LL
meaning but cranky, acting on COM
mittee for the Improvement of school or
church, has been able to give a good deal
n trouble. Here they would not be we'll
meaning, and the bishops wisely refused to
a.fountenance these associations.
~ The French are wealthy and generous
people, and now that the clergy are left
70 look TO them for support they will ac-
cord II freely. It will take some little time,
because they have not been accustomed to
priests voluntarily supported, as in Ireland;
but they will come to learn their duties in
that respect very soon, and will discharge
them generously. At the present moment
they contribute to the funds for the
propagation of the faith more than all
the rest of Europe put together. In the
palnny days of the church In France. be-
for the revolution, they had 5000 foreign
missionaries. They have now $1,000 This
statement Is almost incredible, but it is
true. and statistics bear It out.
French Not IrreIigious.
The French have a character for being
volatile and sincere and earnest about
nothing Except in the dangerous times of
war;, and that is fairly correct. They
certainly make no violent open protesta-
tions OF religion. but they are far from
being an irreligious people. It is not quite
easy for a stranger to understand this or
10 know the influence, which sway them.
For instance, in a street not far from
where this is written there is family of
great wealth. olden name, and long descent.
II is a street of palaces, and their Is the
hnest mansion in it. There are three there,
leaders of fashion in this city, and leader
of Partisan society is very much of the
world indeed. No one would ascribe 10
Them very deep thoughts of religion. Yet
here were seven children of that family
originally. and the four eldest are in the
church. and serving as missionaries in the
sast.
A new life is growing even in Paris. As
result. Cardinal Richards has had Ia
establish nineteen new parishes in this city.
Al some of the masses In the city, the
fannot accommodate the worshipers. Sc
much has the religious spirit in Paris de-
Teloped that one cure, man of large
private means is erecting, In the Rue
Nalakoff not far from the parish church
new one for the accommodation of his
people.
Merry del Val to Retire.
According to a we'll posted correspondent
It Rome there is good reason for believ-
ing that there will shortly be some impor-
tant political changes at the Vatican, the
chief being the retirement Of Cardinal
Merry del Val from the post OF vardina
secretary of state. The writer says:
II imagine that most of the sacred college,
and all the ehancelleries In Europe will
give a sigh OF relief when this is fai
accompl For Merry del Val has been .
distinct failure secretary Of state ant
has got the Vatican at skies and seven.
with half the governments OF Europe. Hi,
latest circular to the leading prelates II
various countries announcing the postpone
ment OF the celebration OF the pope's fif
tieth anniversary OF his entrance into hol,
orders is a monument of tactlessness. Tn,
reason given, that the pilgrims lives woul'
not be safe IN Rome. owing TO the anti
clerical tendencies OF the Italian govern
ment Is, Of course, gratuitous insult
Nha' the carolnal secretary OF state car
expect 70 gain by coming into conflict will
the governments OF Europe is a mystery
II Cardinal Rampolls had remained fl
power, or had become pope, I do not hesi
tate to say thst the separation betweel
church and state would not have takel
place IN France That IL would have com
in time is probably true-thsre was
strong movement IN that direction-but
would have been carried out in a mucl
less violent form The concordat, as ia
as the government was concerned. had to-
many advantages 60 he lightly throw
away. But the intransseance OF Merr,
dSl Val precipitated the catastrophe. and
thanks TO him, the snti-elerical movemen