New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-06
A Canadian Urban "
A Criticism of the Catholic chu,ek..
Policy in Canada
(From ~ chrlstian sctencc Monl,...

The question Of the supremacy a, :,
spiritual or temporal power in the Stat
one way, as old as history. That is "a
the struggle between the lay and the .c.,..'
astical leaders in the State seems "a l..
been perpetual throughout the ee,,,,.
With a single exception the religion, =
nominations have one after anoth.,
rendered their claim to the State. tn.
ception is the Church of Rome. Ana !.
Church of Rome claims, and has ALL.
claimed, supremacy for itself aboy. y.
State. 1t has formed, that Is to say. cav. !,
sectarian enelave in the State and Ia,
sisted that this enclave is not subject "a q.
State laws.
\ The exact significance Of this NAV ns,,..
best be studied in the pronouncement Whit
has been made By the Archbishop OF ou.k,.
the senior Archbishop of the Roman Catho,.
Church in the province, on the subiee. !.
CONSUMPTION. 1t has been noticed that VIA,
ever the influence of the Roman Cath,g.
Church is the strongest a tremendous a,
paign has been waged TO prevent the r.cro,.
ing of men in the Allied countries for u.
war. This has been shown to be the cas-. 4.
Ireland, where the excuse has been tina. n.
country did not enjoy representative cover.
ment, though IL enjoys not only the ,,.,
representative government as England, Sea-.
land and Wales, but numerical repres.ss
tion in Westminster out of all proportion !.
its population.
Church and State
Now the effort to repudiate conscripto,
has come up in the Western Hemisphere. ,,I
is summed up by the Roman Catholic Ar,
bishop of Quebec in terms which 20 infait.,
further than anything the Bishop Of Killao,
or the Archbishop OF Melbourne has eve,
thought it wise to advance. It is obyiOu
that conscription cannot be attacked in Can.
ada on the ground that The country does no,
enjoy representative government Csnsd,
not only enjoys representative governnss.
but the Province of Quebec even enjoy,
bilingual privilege. Therefore, Cardinal
Begin falls back on an almost medieval con.
ception of Church and State and proposes 10
make effective in Canada condition Of thinr
which was shipwrecked in France by 4,
French Revolution, in Italy by the Red Shirs
of Garibaldi, and which has not been ser.
ously advanced in England since the Reform,
ton.
The conscription law, which, il is 20 Be ~
marked, has been passed by the represent.
tives of an entirely democratic nation, Card.
nal Begin describes as "a menace which
causes the Canadian clergy the worst appr.
tensions" Military service. and by military
service the Cardinal designates the act Of h,
representatives OF a thoroughly democrat,
people to insure the military safety Of Il,
country and the liberties of the nation in
tremendous battle with autocracy-this mill.
tary service the Cardinal describes as .,
serious blow to the rights Of the Church 0.
Christ, independent in its domain, and Whose
laws and practice exempt the clergy and thai
class of the society which that name dssis
mates from the service under arms"
In plain English, the Cardinal Is claiming
as exempt from military service not only ii,
regular clergy, who are exempt in any case
without question everywhere, but all tho"
divinity students, teachers and other ad.
herents Of the Church OF Rome which tina,
Church chooses TO embrace under the CON.
prehensive title OF clergy. Not only there.
fore, is he reviving the claim that the Church
of Rome in all its phases is above the civil
law, but he is apparently prepared to DO bis
utmost to prevent the ordinary civil popali.
ton from taking their place in the ranks for
the defence of their country. The defenes o.
the country, it would seem, is to be under
taken by the Protestant provinces, since th,
Roman Catholics do not Voluntarily enlist;
the Province Of Quebec is to stand apart ari
enjoy the advantages Of the efforts Of th,
other provinces to maintain its laws and free.
dom in the present struggle.
A Pro-German Policy
Such an attitude really places the Romn
Catholic Church on the side Of tho Centnl
powers. She refuses to Let her childrr
fight, not only against the Germans and ID,
Austrians, but discourages them from dors
their part to produce a condition OF thing
which Armenian massacres will no longerk
possibility. In order that there may be %
misconception at all as TO the stand which The
Roman Catholic Church in Canada is tafrs
Cardinal Begin frankly brushes democrsg
aside and takes his place as the critic
democratic institutions as typihed in the
House Of Commons in Canada. "If' he DE-
clares, Eve judge by the very rude knowledg'
revealed by certain speeches made In TIE
Commons. one may indeed fear that sons
legislators, so little enlightened and maybe
also somewhat ill-willed, may not make .
choice that we would approve, and here
what legitmatizes all the fears In Plan
English, the Cardinal places the judgment Of
his Church above the decision Of the Hoaa
of Commons, and boldly declares that 1t
not the will Of the nation which should pre-
vail, but decision OF the Church Of Rome "
to what it may approve.
Finally Cardinal Begin declares that w
Roman Catholics of Canada are assured H
treaties Of the free practice Of their religloh
The Roman Catholics throughout the entir
British Empire are assured of the free pf'e
tice of their religion, and this is true Of q