The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-12-05
The. Soldier Priests of France
AntCrcals Aroused by Popularity of Battle Fields
Their Heroism and Patriotism Admred-Wnnnq
France Religion.

A volume could, and most likely
will be, written some day on the
soldier-priests of France, who in 1914
passed without transition from the
scholarly retreat of Benedictine
monastery. or from the austere life of
a Sulpician seminary, to the Zine Of
fire " writes the Comtesse de Courson,
in the Rosary Magazine.
Our readers know that twenty-five
years ago, in 1889, law was passed
obliging priests and seminary students
to serve in the French army like
other citizens. The period of service
was, happily for the destinies of
France, extended to three years few
months before the war. This law Of
1889 was drawn up in a spirit of hos
tility to the Catholic Church, but there
were even then many Catholics who,
while recognizing this antagonistic
spirit. did not believe that the law
would stem the current of desirable
ecclesiastical vocations. But even
these optimistic clericals could not
foresee the extraordinary popularity
that was to be attained by the soldier
priests of France when they were
called to active service.
There are now over twenty thou
sand of them in the ranks, bearded,
bronzed and dressed in uniforms like
their comrades. White-robed Cister-
clans, vowed to meditation and per-
petual silence, fight shoulder to
shoulder with learned Benedictines,
Jesuit professors, Dominican orators
or boyish novices and seminarists,
whose lives have been hitherto spent
within the narrow limits of college.
Anomalies exist that are amusing
in spite of the undercurrent of trag-
edy that is everywhere: The digni.
fled vicar-general of diocese near
Paris Is private soldier, his military
chief being a young "cure" of the
same diocese; he now commands
Mgr. G. whom he used to obey. A
Dominican prior is a corporal in q
marching regiment; the distinguished
"doyen" of the "Faculte de Medicine
Of Beyrouth, Father de Martimprey
a Jesuit, is in the ranks Of "chas
seur' regiment. Other missionaries
from Egypt, Syria, Mesopotamia
South America, who are French sub
jects, have hurried home to claim
their right to fight the invader. Mgr
Gayraud, an "Assomptioniste," is q
bishop in the East and came to France
wearing the black veil and flowing
robes of an Oriental. "He is perhaps
a German spy" said a peasant wo
man, who saw him at Severac before
he had donned his uniform, forgetting
that spies affect a less conspicuous
costume. From Jerusalem came q
scholarly Dominican whose half-fln
ished book on ancient Jerusalem was
put aside till more peaceful days:
from the south of France hailed q
young Benedictine, once captain OF
Hussars, who now exchanged his
black cowl for the smart blue uniform
that the Germans have learnt to fear
The cheerful readiness with which
the priests and monks assumed their
new duties made an excellent impres
sion; "Vivent les Chartraux," crieG
the soldiers at Grenoble when com
pact company of white monks en-
tered the barracks. At Verdun, the
same welcome was extended to a
group of soldier-priests, who, before
they were given their uniforms
tucked UP their cassocks, barred their
arms and set to work to sweep the
court, water the horses and make
themselves generally useful.
The French bishops rose to the oc
casion. Their instructions to the sol
dier-priests were short, clear and to
the point. One of our most distin
guished prelates, Mgr. Touchet, Bishop
Of Orleans, issued spirited pastoral
on the subject, in which he impressed
upon his priests that they were bound
to be ffrst-rate soldiers and helpful
comrades, at the same time guarding
as far as possible, the dignity of their
priesthood.
So far, they have lived up to this
high ideal. '"They fight splendidly,' y
writes a young captain of Hussars,
whose letter from a frontier town lies
before US as we write these lines.
Several among them have been pub.
lfcly honored by their chiefs: the Alb.
be Bucoz, private, had just been
made a lieutenant when he headed
the assault Of difficult position: "Fol-
low me-" he cried. II am a priest, l
do not fear DEATH" The position was
taken, but the Able was killed. The
Abbe Fumain's conspicuous bravery
was rewarded by the perilous honor
of becoming the flag-bearer of his
company. A young monk, who had
just celebrated Mass in an open field