Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-05-02
French Churches
Left to Fall in
Ruin and eriish
Pity of Their Condition, as Dee
picted by a French WritsS,
Arouses Interest Here.

Maurice Barres's La Grande Pitia
dcs Eglises de France" has aroused
the deepest interest not only In
France, but among the Catholics Of
America. A French critic of world
wide fame says:
II remember legende, little
known, which no collection of poetry
that 1 ever heard of has included al
one of It's treasures. 1t came to ms
from my own country the black
Perigord. I have never heard 1t re-
peated save in the patois of the old
women of that province. wils
transcribe 1t and M. Barres will exc
cuse me If I give it without any oS
the literary graces with which he
would have adorned it. Perhaps. in.
deed. he will be better pleased il 10
IS presented to him in all the enePs
getic naivete of it's native FORM
On the day of Judgment, that dread
flu day of wrath. Luc.fer, still defys
ing the Good God and. believing in his
unalterable. unconquerable pride that
he could overcome the Lord and that
he was still the stronger, seized the
earth in his hand as If 1t were a ball
made UP of nine-pins and, balancing
it for a moment, as IL to fling 1t into
the scales of justice, suddenly let IL
fall. For when he seized the globe
of the world in his palm he happened
to snatch at that side on which lay
France and his hand was cruelty
wounded by the innumerable spires
which arise everywhere in the land,
and the devil felt as if he had seized
the burr of great chestnut.
In the view of those Catholic writer's
who regard France as the eldest
daughter of the church, M. Barres'0
book is an admirable romance, full OF
religious sensibility Cor shall we say
superstition), and the religious sensis
hility of man is the best that is in
him, for 1t is the dream of his SOUL
unmarried by any faint Of reality
bound or forbidding.
There are some arts which are bound
up inevitab y with religious ideas.
No nation can destroy certain monus
mepts, none can allow to fall into
ruin certain treasures and gifts of
the past without destroying the faith
which Is embodied in such examples
of fine art.
You demand" said great mis-
creant, whom l shall put in these
places of the priests when they are
gone. But 1t is not enough to force
| them to go. The symbols of their
God must also be demolished. Here
| is the governmental theses which pre-
walls, according to the ruling Of the
| jurist. .sg
THE common propr.etors may hofd
| the churches, but they are not OBJ
| liged to do so. They are quite free to
incur no expense in the maintenance
of these churches. If the editice@
which are under the care of a certain
| group of churchmen are In bad
state. the. churchmen are not CONF
| pel'e to restore 1t. II 1t is menacs
| ing ruin their only public duty Is 70
destroy 1t completely.
| This does not go far enough to SAFE
| guard the precious relics which are
| the glory of France. The churches OF
| France have been classified according
| to their manifest evidence of artistic
| excellence and their care has oeen
| confided to the archaeologists. These
| guardians were placed in full charge
of the Louvre. yet their supposed MT
ness for the place did not prevent the
stealing of the 'Ioconde" of Leonardo
] da Vince.
M. Maurice Barres and many others
have made an attempt to have class
sified as historic monuments all the
| churches of France built since 1900
whether they be great or little in
magnitude. ~
Sad, indeed, is it to see the temple
of alcohol leaning against the silent
church in the village, each Sunday to
be afflicted night and day with the
nose of the cafe, while the church,
empty, dark with shadows. holds no
! living soul.
Many have asked, what are the
secret intentions of NJ Barres in
writing his book on the pitable state
of the churches of France, much more
exquisitely written and more inter-
esting than any of his romances. ITO
re-establish the budget of worship!''
cry his opponents in politics. :.