The Washington herald., 1911-08-06

issued ny DlSIioPo oSoihoe
the decree of April 20. 1s11. separating
the state from the church. This Is the
document which the government has
ordered to be confiscated. The bishops
| write:
The blow has been dealt. It has come
up to expectation. and not only come
up to. but gone much beyond It, The
facts have surpassed all forecasts; the
calamity has outweighed all apprehen-
sions. We feared subJection, and we
have tyranny; we feared the curtailment
Of guarantees and rights, and we have
insulting humiliation; we feared a serious
and trying reduction Of necessary material
resources, and We have confscation; in
fine, We feared injustice, but to 1t insult
| has been added.
And are we to remain silent under all
this? In resignation and inaction must
We bend the neck TO the brandished
sword, listen like mutes to the declara-
ton of war. and look unmoved on the
preliminaries of the fight, the final issue
of which, as it is already affirmed and
promised. is to be the death agony of
| Catholicism In our beloved land.
| Can 1t be suggested that we should
| have voice only to applaud the deed
and salute the doer? Is it to be wished
that the Portuguese bishops should imi-
| tate the miserable gladiators and join
| in their cry: Ave Caesar. morturi te
! salutant" (Hail, Caesar, They who are
! about to die salute thee)? No one has
| the right to expect from us an attitude
| so unworthy of us. We have been ac-
| cused of being timd because we have
| been respectful. possibly too much so.
| But now 1t is the time for us to speak
| out with the pardonable boldness and
| frankness which. far from being un-
| befittng, are in keeping with our charac-
| ter as bishops and our rights as Portu- |
| guese.
We have beehive do not repent it
and We shall continue to be respectful
to authority and obedient to the powers
| that be. So shall we continue. but. of
| course only so far as our obedience can
| be recOnciled with the bounden duties i'm
! posed upon us by our sacred mission.
and so far such respect shall not
degenerate into desertion of our posts, or
betrayal of our conscience. Let no one
regard us as seditious or as revolution
| lists: We are merely plaintiffs. We preach
no revolt-we only cry out against In
! justice. We do not excite hostilitieS: we
| do but defend ourselves against violence. |
We are not moved (and to this God
Who is our judge bears witness) by low
or selfish passion: we are not actuated |
by disappointed ambition or wounded
vanity: We speak in the name of hu-
inflated church. and on behalf of the |
| outraged conscience OF Catholics
Calm but Strong Voice Against
the Church's Enslnvement.
We are not here as bishops addressing |
our clergy and our faithful fOcks: we
are speaking to all our fellow-citizens |
independently of. and apart from, their |
religious belief. We are not prescrtb- |
ing the verdict. but only how well-found- |
ed are our complaints. Before the gov |
ernment and before the whole nation we
raise a calm but strong voice against |
the ensavement of the church, whose |
liberty is singularly pleasing TO God, |
Who commands us to uphold It at any |
cost. 1t is not a pastoral we are writ |
ing, II is a solemn protest We are pro- |
claiming. 1t is to be hoped this right |
will not be denied us-the right of vic |
tins to bewail their fate, and of those |
who are accused to defend themselves.
Accused? Nay. forsooth. already con- |
demned because we are ministers of the |
Catholic religion and the church, and |
condemned without a trial and punished |
without crime. |
The sentence of condemnation was |
passed by the provisional government OF
the Portuguese republic in its decree |
dated April 90 1911. History will judge |
OF this act with deserved severity. All |
civilized nations, even those amongst |
whom the spirit of anticlericalism has |
penetrated most deeply, will stand |
amazed at the gratuitous hatred and the |
impolitic violence, to say nothing of the |
ingratitude, 1t reveals.
Amazed at the Grntuitous Hatred |
and the Impolitic Violence.
Gratuitous hatred: the Portuguese |
clergy have done nothing to create any |
obstacles to impede the new regime. |
What reason. then. to strike and Willy |
a class of peaceful citizens and sow |
fresh seeds of discomfort and trouble in |
Portuguese society?
How could such a measure be oppor-
tune when everything seemed to counsel
acts of conciliation and harmony, ana
to call for the assurance OF peace ana
order Succeeding governments of the
French republic hesitated as to separa-
ton for thirty-fve years. and the sub
ject was debated at great length IN
Parliament But here in Portugal not
even a few months, or a few days, de-
Law could be allowed. 1t was neces-
sary it was urgent, 1t was imperative
to strike at once before the period OF
the dictatorship was over. NOT the
slightest regard was paid TO Inc su-
preme head of the. Catholic Church prior
to the system OF Concordat agreements
was broken and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
which. like all international treaties, con-
stitute bilateral contracts that may not
be done away with by one OF the partfes
concerned without the concurrence and
consent of the other.
There was not even, as IN France
resort to far-fetched pretexts and pre-
tended recriminations in order 10 give
the measure some appearance OF pelng
forced upon the Portuguese by the
weight of circumstances or demanded by
public opinion Public opinion in Portu-
gal did not demand separation. To our
case can be applied the words OF Littre'
who. in 1880. amid great applause. thus
spoke in France: Catholicism is the
religion of the majority of Frenchmen,
and they would in their vast numbers
feel deeply offended II they found them-
selves interfered with In the exercise OF
their religion. Not to acknowldge this
fundamental truth Is for the speculative
philosopher to prepare the down1an OF
his theories, and for statesmen the no
less grave failure of their pofcies'
Majority Crushed and Sacrificed.
However excellent in itself law may
be, unless II is opportune and its char
acter adapted to the state OF the public
mind, It will not only produce surprise
but displeasure among great number
OF citizens, and may, perhaps, cause
disturbance of the public peace. For ex-
ample, in 1891. upon the question of the
ending of the concordat, NJ. de Frey
cinet. then president of the council OF
ministers. said that whatever his views