Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-21
ATTITUDE Of VATICAN,
Controversy Over Separation Of
Church and State.
SERMON At ST. PAUL'S
Father Montalibet Makes Answer to
Objections.
PATRIOTIC PRIESTS OF FRANCE
Law Referred to as Travesty and
Parody-Two Policies
Compared.
PATRIOTIC PRIESTS OF FRANCE

ent controversy with the French govern
ment over the question Of the separation of
church and state was strongly defended
by Rev. Father Vincent Montalibet o. g.
B.. Of the Apostolic Mission House. in this
city. in a sermon at st. Paurs Catholic
Church last evening. Father Montalibet,
who is well known in this country as
Father Vincent. was born and educated in
France, and is credited with being familiar
with the present situation in that country.
The speaker declared that there is no more
patriotic body of men to be found in all
the world than the priests of France. They
have borne the name and fame of their
nation throughout the world. They love
their country and have made great
sacrifices for 1t, and they would obey the
French law to the letter: but there are
times when conscience Is to be followed at
any cost and God Ia to be obeyed before
man. and according to Father Vincent this
il one of them. He declared that the
manly voice of protest that has come from
all classes in the American republic is but
the spontaneous expression of brave
people who love civil and religious liberty
for themselves and are willing to grant 1t
ligious persecution and despise the govern
ment that will subject weak women to
exile simply because they in conscience
must worship God in their own way.
New Law Condemned.
1.-THE most sublime thing about the entire
French crisis" Father Vincent continued
sis the absolute unanimity with which the
new law ia condemned and opposed by bish-
op and priest and laity in France. Before
the council Of the French bishops there was
room for difference of opinion, and many
were frank enough to say that they thought
the cultuelle associations could be accepted
bod ,IDv, kI,o hirho DO md
father approved of their decision, it was for
the French Catholic a finality. And not
one among laity. priests or bishops though
every inducement has been held out to the
bishops to form Gallcan schism, has
chosen to be a traitor, 1 wish to place this
statement. and 1 know whereof I speak.
over against false statement made from
one of the prominent pulpits in this city
last Sunday. / wish to add second state
ment and that Is that the holy father Is
no absolutist, imposing his opinion on the
French church, but rather the mouthpiece
of the French Catholic, representing their
sand ways, of antagonism to the law that.
under the guise of justice and liberty.
spells spoliation and oppression. 1t makes
the greatest difference whose OK Is gored.
Suppose such a thing were possible and
Congress would make law for some rea-
son that would seem good to itself, abol-
ishing the board OF trustees of the Episco-
palian Church of the Epiphany and In their
Hebrew friends. who would have control
of the ceremonies and would dictate the
doctrine that would be preached from the
pulpit, what perfect storm 1, OF oppois d h
raised. and one would not have to 60 Tar
for leader.
There are three systems of separation
in existence accepted by the church. the
separation as we have 1t In the United
States, and the separation as it obtains in
Brazil.
Travesty and Parody.
'Why. then. does Plus X refuse to accept
1t in France?
Because the French separation law is a
trayesty and a parody on separation. And
here are the proofs. First. the article VIII
of the French separation law confers on
the council Of state. a political body under
control of the government. the right to de-
cide even against the bishops. who are In
the cultual associations the real Catholics
and who are not. thereby destroying the
hierarchy and the independence OF the
Catholic church The pope claims that the
Catholicity of these new associations should
be determined by the bishops: the state
claims in case Of dispute that 1t must decide
this question. So that the net effect Is
the state. Unless the church changes Its
ecclesiastical organization at the behest of
an infidel government 1t must lose all its
This revolving clause OF the law
makes the state absolute master in the
church.
Second. because the separation law at
tributes to the state the ownership and i'm
plies that 1t has the proprietary disposition
Of all the churches given back by the con-
cordat to the Catholics. the original and
lawful owners. and moreover the ownership
of $1O0,O0O,O00 worth Of property given
to Catholic institutions since the concordat
of the last century by the sole generosity
of the faithful. the state leaving to Catho-
lies only the use Of such property, dis
tinct case of colossal robbery.
Third, because there Is a provision in
the separation law forbidding the cultual
associations to receive donations and be-
quests for religious purposes beyond small
fxed amount Of money, thus reducing to
sociations. This was evidently done to
cripple the church.
Fourth. because this law made priests
parlahs and outlaws in their own country.
the simple offense Of critic:sing the govern
ment, In order to drag them before the
'correctionnelle.' q state controlled tribunal.
Fifth. because among civilized nations q
not be set aside violated or ignored by one
party without the consent Of the other.
These are the reasons why Plus x re-
fuses to accept the separation. A real
would readily accept. in fact would hall
with acclaim, but 1t must be q real separa-
ton and not monument of state interfer-
ence and oppression.
Answer to Objections.
SIT has been said that the French people
supported the government at the polls
and gave the majority to the members Of
the cabinet.
''To this I answer In the words Of the
Of Westminster.
TN France, where the episcopate could
not raise It's voice. where the greatest
number Of citizens take no interest In poll
tics, where the best and ablest men look
down on q political career as an object un-
worthy of the ambition of honorable and
citizens: where the govern
ment Is so centralized that 1t can and
does exercise veritable pressure on cleo
ton days. where the state officials are
often in the alternative, OF either sacrificing
their conscience or renouncing their pro-
motion. where the private life of a man
Ii exposed to espionage declare that
such being the condition of affairs. can
not possibly recognize In the cabinet and
the chambers the representation Of the true
opinion of the great French nation.
-Four years ago the French government
consulted. all the municipal councils OF
France as to the advisabiiity of giving au-
thorization to religious congregations. Near
ly three fourths of the municipal councils
voted IN the Affirmative. What did the