The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1911-06-24
Plus X Issues Encyclical in Which
he Denounces Vile Campaign
in Portugal.
Says the Provisional Government
Has From the First Been
Anti-Clerical.
Church Should Have Liberty and
Rights Which Common Law
Gives to Every Citizen.

Like every document that issues
from the hands of Plus the Tenth, the
Encyclical, published two evenings ago
on the Separation Law passed in Port
ugal has the true ring, says the Rome
correspondent of the New World. Con-
sclous of his power and of the justice
ut his cause, the Holy Father denounces
the vile campaign unsparingly. An
epitome of the Encyclical, as given in
the Catholic papers of this city, shows
how strongly Plus x thinks on the
matter:
The Pontiff, in terms that, though
vigorous, are serene and completely
objective, deplores the attacks made
against the Church in Portugal He
opens by recalling how the republican
regime was scarcely proclaimed when
the Provisional government initiated a
whole series of dispositions that show
ed the most advanced anti-clerical
spirit. He recalls the violent suppress
sion Of the religious orders, the mem
bers of which were expelled in the most
uncivilized and brutal manner, the sup
preston of the festal days Of the Cath
olic religion. the abolition of the re-
ligious oath, the prohibition j, against
'tsactlfng tie Christian doctrine & 4 III the
public schools, the introduction of di-
vorce, the arbitrary deposition of the
Bishops of Porte and Beja.
I'm the presence of so many odious
measures the Holy See has maintained
ty, abstaining from every act that
could seem hostile to the Portuguese
government. However, it has now
come to a climax of it's anti-religious
work in the publication of the law of
separation between the Church and
State. The Pontiff can keep silent no
longer; he feels himself obliged by the
duties of his ministry to denounce to
the whole Christian world the enormity
Of this law.
1.-THE Encyclcal then enters upon a
detailed examination of the law. 1t OBJ
serves how in it the apostasy of the
State from God is proclaimed, and the
Catholic religion, which rendered the
Portuguese nation SO glorious and is
the religion professed by almost the
tnt cf otiranc ic iof fo1
Yet given the separa ton Of the State
from the Church it would be a neces-
sary logical consequence that liberty
should be left to the Church, as we'll
as the rights which the common law
recognizes towards every citizen and
every licit association. Such, how
ever, is not the case; the Portuguese
law is in reality not a law of separa-
ton, but of complete spolation of the
Church in all that concerns material
goods, and of oppression and tyranny
in spiritual matters.
"It is law of complete spoliation Of
the Church, which remains deprived of
all those means which are indispens-
able for the provision to be made for
the decorum of public worship, for the
support of it's ministers, for the exer-
else of either works Of religion and
piety, and now the Portuguese take
from the Church all her goods, move
able and otherwise, the ownership of
which belonged to her by the most
sacred and legitimate titles, but renders
her unable to acquire them in the fu-
ture. 1t also violates the will of the
testators by unjust dispositions regard
ing pious bequests.
''But still more grave and oppres-
sive is the oppression and tyranny
which the law of pretended separation
exercises in the spiritual fields. The
Ecclesiastical Hierarchy is entirely
repudiated and excluded from all part
in the organization of worship, to
which beneficent corpora tons totally
dependent upon, civil authority are
nominated. Even also by measure
of odious exception, explicit sanction is
given absolutely to incapacitate min
listers of religion both from being
elected members Of the parochial coun-
ellis alal from forming part of the di-
rection and administration Of the cor
porations mentioned above.