New-York tribune., 1908-03-11
EDICT AGAINST L0ISY.
4mericdnism IN Frdnce-Lar Edu.
cation L0scs.
Paris, March l.

the dogras of Roman Catholicism the vatican,
through Monsignor Annette. the new Arch
bishop Of Paris, has issued an edict 1or-
bidding Catholics to read Able Loisys theo-
logical works under pain OF excommunication-
In the mean while Able Loisy, though he has
not been himself formally excommunicated and
is still noninally Catholic priest. is unable to
celebrate mass and remains under an ecclesi-
astical cloud. which seems likely TO gather IN
volume and TO have a cyclonic effect should he
retain his present attitude, which is that OF an
.ndependent searcher after truth in the domain
Of New Testament history
shbe Ioisy's name has worldwide renown
Loisy and Klein stand for that liberal move
rnent in Catholicism which Of recent years has
gone under the name OF Americanism. Abbe
Klein was accused of Americanism long before
he had visited America or knew word Of Eng
nsh. Able Loisy is independent thinker.
on whose mind Anglo-Saxon institutions ano
methods have never had any direct influence
Both he and Klein were at one time professors
az the Catholic Institute of Paris, where NJ
Bureau whose liberalism few weeks ago was
the subject OF further reproach on the part OF
the Vatican authorities, stin is 1t pleases the
Vatican 10 class any liberal, intellectual move
raent in the Catholic Church Americanism.
though in point of fact both Cardinal Gibbons
and Archbishop Ireland, who were at one time
suspected at Rome of being inspired by liberal
ideas, have long ago officially anathematzed all
those tendencies toward rational historical criti-
Tx. q. Bible history displayed by Able Loisy.
Able Klein and their followers
Al one time il was believed that Pope Leo XIII
favored this liberal movement in the French
Church but toward the end OF his pontifcate he
yielded 10 the clarnorings OF the .Ultramontane
party and condemned it. thus destroying the last
link which bound him TO the French liberal
Catholics. with whom he had at time at
tempted make a political and religious bar
gain on the basis OF the PapaI recognition Of
the French Republic Had men like Klein and
Loisy received a little sympathetic atten-
tion az Rome there is possibility that the de-
nunciation Of the Concordat. which has had
disastrous an effect upon the Catholic religion
in France. might not have taken place, at least
might have been carried out in more ancable
spirit on both sides. But the present Pope has
nailed his colors the mast. and this final blow
aimed ct Abbe Loisy shows that His Holiness
has definitely decided to repudiate all alliance
with or sympathy for modern liberal ideas
Able Loisy. who resides al a little country
place near Nancy. accepts his condemnation
philosophicaily and continues his erudite
studies, which will shortly be resumed in a new
volume dealing with the historic origins Of
Christianity
More than quarter OF a century ago when
strings The-ese, who was then great popu-
lar star the Paris cafes chantants used TO
sing Z education laIque obligatoire. ca c'est
le devoir de tout les FraEcais.' So strong was
the republican feeling at that time that the
prosaic absurdity OF this refrain did not prevent
il from being wildly appIauded- Therese is d
very ancient dame now, and II would probably
ernbitte- her old age to learn that in spite OF
al administrative efforts the relative degree of
still remains much higher than in the two con-
tiguOus nations Of Germany and Belgium.
According TO the most recent inquiry that
has been made into the subject. nowhere in
France is IL possible TO enforce erectuay the
law making education obligatory upon ali. The
main reason Of this appears TO lie in the fact
that no imprisonment can be legally inflicted as
liz ether European countries. upon parents and
guardians who fail to send their children to
school France has no truant schools It's in
dustrisi and reformatory establishments for the
young Of both sexes purely criminal institu-
tions. and children are sent 10 them only on
the complaint of parents who declare their
youngsters beyond control "a rudimentary sur
yiyal OF the old r1onarctical system of lettres de
cachet), or by order Of judicial court in the
case o. delinQuents in any class Of crime who
are under sixteen years old.
II France no child under sixteen years old
Be sent to prison But il would be
obvious cruelty mix up children whose only
eHeace is that they have been truants at school
with tie inmates Of reformatory establishments
OF --penItentiary colonies they called.
which are generally admitted TO be little better
than nurseries Of crime Another pecularity
Of the French education law is that ii does not
apply 10 the children OF foreigners domiciled in
French towns Thus in Narseilles, where the
Italian population is very large, only a small
percentage OF the foreign children go 10 the
primary schools. II every French town schol-
sstic committees exist whose business it is to
enioin parents tc comply with the law, and In
case Of failure refusal 10 obey 10 draw up
against them d 'contraventiOn,' or summons,
before the local administrative court. by whom
small fine is imposed
Bur In most parts Of the country these COM
nittees are for political reasons, disposed 10 be
very indUlgent- The peasants, who are all cleo
tors dislike dispensing with the services OF their
children during the busy farming seasons. and
the government would discountenance any too
Jealous action against the peasants on the part
O. the school committees. In some OF the
larger towns the police seek TO entice or convey
into the schools small children who are found
PLAYING in the streets during school hours, but
this mas tended in strict practice 70 bring ridi-
culs and obIoquy Oh the police rather than to
eli the schools II is now proposed TO make a
Regulation Icy which the municipal authorities
In every French commune will be obliged to
orsw UP and publish lists of all the children
VINO are Of an age TO go 10 school, while the
tehogl.na sters will be compelled 70 publish the
names of those who have absented themselves.
Hitherto this has not been thought necessary
4n Paris with moving populd-