The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-04-15
WILL THE PORTUGUESE
REPUBLIC LAST I?
Portuguese Elections Cannot be Post
poned Much Longer. The Bishop
Of oporto Dismissed by the
Government.

1t is admitted that the new POrtu-
guese regime has the seeds of dissolu-
ton already sown within it. There are
two parties among the revolutionaries,
Senior Almeida leading what may be
called the moderate section which rep
resents the interests, and is backed
by the influence of all those numerous
citizens engaged in trade of any de-
scription, or who possess any prop
erty; while Senior Alfonso Costa is
chief of the red band of atheists whose
principal aim is to destroy, and Incl
dentally acquire for themselves the
property they affect to despise, by
plundering, preferably, the Church.
These two forces are only holding to-
gether in outward seeming until they
hare convened the National Assembly,
and arranged the form which the cleo
tons, which they dread, but cannot
much longer postpone, are to take.
Another matter which occupies them
is the separation of Church and State,
and here they have to proceed with
caution, for fear of setting the whole
country in a blaze against them
Hence the fancied generosity which
some people apply to the terms of
this measure, now Professionally set
tied. By these the Government has
set aside sum of e160,000 to pay
the stipends of the clergy, which will
be calculated according to their rank
The State proposes to hand over all
churches, chapels, and other buildings
actually in use for ecclesiastical pur-
poses, to the clergy-on being salts
fed that the congregation or parish
concerned can bear their maintenance
There are two saving clauses here.
| By the recent drastic and barbarous
application of the Associations law,
some of the noblest monastic and con-
ventual buildings in Portugal are at
the moment vacant, and all buildings
not in actual use revert to the State
for it's own use and benefit. In poor
villages, and many urban parishes it
is quite conceivable that the people,
however ready to sacrifice in order
to maintain their churches, may not
have the capital wherewith to satisfy
at the moment the demands of the
Government with regard to upkeep,
SO that there is a chance here for
conf1scation and spoliation, all under
the semblance Of fair play At the
same time the latest news to hand,
that the Bishop of Oporto has been il
legally dismissed from his post by the
Government, is likely to stir the coun-
try to it's very depths. The Bishop
made a spirited defence Of his action
in publishing the pastoral letter, and
the Ministers unanimously decided to
remove him from his See, but with
the same hypocritical endeavor to
seem just and honest to the watching
world, they declare that they will
give the Bishop a pension of ESQ
per annum in recognition of his serv-
ices as missionary in Africa, and
will graciously permit him to keep
his property. They also declare
their willingness to release priests
from the Oporto diocese on their
promise to henceforth obey the Gov
eminent OF course this liz usurping
the authority of the Church, and can
not be tolerated. It il noteworthy
that one of the first steps OF the Gov
eminent was to prohibit the publica-
ton OF several Catholic papers, after
the offices OF these journals had been
Quilted by well-trained mob. Those
who are in touch with the situation
await fresh developments with deep
interest.