The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-12
POPE ADDRESSES
FRENCH CATHOLICS
EncIycIicalto Cardinals, Bishops
and Clergy
is CONFIDENT OF VICTORY
Says French Governments Declaration
of War Is Not Against Christian
Faith, But Against All
Spiritual Ideals.

Rome, January 1.-THE Osservatore
Romano today published the text of an
encyclical addressed by the Pope to Our
Venerable Brothers, the Cardinals,
Bishops and Clergy of the French Peo-
pie" In this document the pontif said
his chief object in addressing the faithful
in France was to comfort them in their
sufferings which he felt deeply. There
was, however great consolation in the
fact that the Catholics of France were
united. The Hrench governments declar
alton of war was not only against the
Christian faitl. but against all spiritual
ideals.
The French catholics must be prepaI ed
for all sorts of trials, but they were GER
tain of final victory. This meant the
maintenance o. their union with the
Holy See which was of the greatest inn
portance as shswn by the efforts of the
enemies of the church to dissolve this
union. ContraF to the statements on
the subject the church did not desire a
religious war Evolving violent persecu-
TONS Being a messenger of peace and
carrying out he mission Loyalty, the
church did not willingly expose herself
to war and perecution, as she did not
desire to see heA children suffering.
Regarding the ecclesiastical properties.
the encyclical laid the Pope had not
abandoned them The French govern
ment had imposed on the Catholics in
France an equalization on which the
church was absolutely unable to accept
without imperllhg her existence as a
divine institution The church could not
prevent the unjus spoliaton in accepting.
As for the propoed cultural associations
they are contrar to the ecclesiastical
hierarchy given to the church by the
divine founder himself, and the Pope
condemned them IN spite of the material
injuries involved II the hands of the gov
eminent.
Besides the law conferred on these as
socations Attributes regarding both the
exercise of WORSHIP and possession and
administration ofchurch property which
appertain alone ; ecclesiastical authori-
ty Finally the associations are not an
nually withdraw from ecclesiastical
jurisdiction but laced under civil au-
thority.
Continuing, the Pope said:
1--WE have been hccused of perjury and
Inconsistencies ane 1t has been said that
we refused to approve in France what
we had already approved in Germany.
But this reproaa is unjust and I'M
founded, for Will the German law is
condemnable on hany points and
only accepted in rider to avoid greater
evils the situatois are very different.
The German law explicitly recognized the
Catholic hierarchy which the French does
not
LAS TO the annull declaration required
for public worship 1t did not offer the
legal guarantee tht the church had the
right to expect. Nevertheless to obviate
worse evils the chirch might have toll
Grated making the declarations. but the
feature providing hat the clergy shall
be only occupants u the churches with
out any legal stahs. and without the
right to perform a,y administrative act
in tho exercise of heir ministry. placed