The Washington herald., 1907-01-21
POPE NO ABSOLUTIST
French Missionary Refutes
Charges Against Vatican.
STATES ATTITUDE IS UNFAIR
Declares Priests Are Patriotic Men
Who Have Made Many Sacrifices for
Their COuntry-POntiR Not AbsO-
lUtist, but Is MOuthPiece After
Unanimous Agreement Is Reached.


Rev, Father Vincent Montallbet. o. S.
B., French missionary. who is at pres
ent stationed at the Apostolic Mission
House in Brookland, delivered a sermon
on the French situation al St Paul's
Church yesterday morning The sermon
was controversial In his introduction.
the speaker, who has lived in France all
his life, eulogized the French priests.
whom he characterized as a patriotic body
OF men who love their country and who
have made many sacrifices for it. He said
that the expression of protest which came
from America was but the spontaneous
voice Of brave people who love civil and
religious liberty themselves and are
willing to grant 1t 10 others
Father Montalibet continued: THE
most sublime thing about the crisis is the
absolute unanlmity with which the new
law is opposed by the bishops. priests,
and laity In France Before the Council
Of the French Bishops in France there
was room for the difference Of opinion,
but when the bishops spoke and the
Holy Father approved of their decision. II
was for the French Catholics q finality.
And not one among the laity, priests. and
bishops, although every inducement was
held out to them TO form a GallIcan
schiSm, has chosen 10 be a traitor.
Brands Statement as False.
4 wish to place this statement. and ]
| know whereof / speak, over against a
! false statement made from one Of the
prominent pulpits last Sunday. 1 wish
TO add a second statement, and that is
that the Holy Father is no absolutist.
| imposing his opinion on the French
church, but is rather the mOuthpiece Of
the church, representing their unanimous
sentiment OF antagonism to the law that,
under the guise Of justice and liberty.
spells spoliation and oppression.
There are three systems of separation
in existence accepted by the church: the
separation as It exists in Switzerland. the
separation as we have IL In the United
States. and the separation as It obtains
in Brazil Why. then, does Plus Y re-
fuse 20 accept II in France? Because the
French separation law IS a parody and
/ travesty on separation. And here are
the proofs: First Article VIII Of the
French separation law confers on the
council Of the state the right 70 decide.
even against bishops, who are IA the
cultual associations. the real Catholics.
and who are not thereby destroying the
hierarchy and the Independence Of the
! church. The Pope claims that the Catho-
/ hcity Of these new associations should be
Z Efs-4sl FarTHH r.a a
claims that il must decide the question
Hence the net effect is that the Cath
/ Ole property IS confscated by the state
/ unless the church changes its ecclesIasti-
cal organization at the beheSt Of All in
ndel government This revolving clause
makes the state absolute master in the
church
Second, because the separation law at
tributes To the state the ownership AND
implies that il has the proprietary dis
position OF ali the churches given back
by the concordat and, moreover, the
ownership Of }lo1,000.0J0 worth Of property
given TO the Catholic Institutions since
the concordat Of the last century by the
sole generosity Of the faithful The state
leaves TO the Catholics only the use Of
such property.
Move to Cripple Church.
Third, because there IS a provision iu
! the separation law forbidding the cultual
/ associations to receive donations and be
quests for religious purposes beyond
small fixed amount Of money. This was
evidently done 20 cripple the church.
Fourth, because this law made priests
pariahs and outlaws in their own couu-
/ try. Fifth, because among civilized ma
tons a solemn contract signed by Two
/ powers cannot be set aside or violated by
one without the consent Of the other
1T has been stated that the French
people supported the government at the
polls and gave the majority to the MEM
/ bers Of the cabinet. To this 1 answer In
the words Of the Bishop of Westminster.
In France, where the episc0pate could
not raise its voice. where the greatest
number of citizens take no interest IL
politics, where the best and abIest men
! look down on a political career, where
! the government is SO centralized that il
/ can exercise A veritable pressure on cleo
ton days, where the state officials are
often In the alternative OF either saCTi-
hcing their conscience OF renOuncing their
promotion. 1 cannot possibly recognize
/ in the cabinet and the chambers the rep
/ resentatiOn Of the French nation. Fur
/ thermore, the present absolute unity Of
! the French Catholics with the holy see
disposes forever Of the allegation that
/ they do not approve Of the POpe's
policy. 1t has also been said that
| the French episCopate voted in great
majority for the acceptance Of the
| separation law 1 answer To this that
/ the deliberations Of that assembly were
! conducted with the utmost secrecy, the
/ pope alone knows OF the deliberations Of
/ that assembly and ne emphatically denies
the assertion Of the French government
Through diplomatic channels assur-
/ ances had been sent TO Leo NH by the
/ French government headed by NaldeCk-
/ Rousseau. that the French Catholic
schools would suffer by the association
/ laws passed In 1900. These documents
1 have been published in the Vatican
/ White Book Still, what happened only
/ a few months later? In spite OF the
pledged word Of the French government
/ 900 Catholic schools were closed within
/ year. To this policy Of diplomatic
brigandage and vandalism the Pope might
/ have answered by Withdrawing from the
/ French government the privilege of pro-
( teCting Catholics in the Orient, which
gives France an incalculable moral pres
/ tige in the East.
Pope Could Humiliate France.
But the holy see, in spite OF the in
cessant provocation Of the French gov
! eminent and the most alluring offers of
Austria. Italy. and Germany, still main
/ tains 20 France that prerOgative. With
! one stroke Of the pen Plus Y might
humIliate France. 30 the delight of her
rivals This he refuses to do, renouncing