Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-01-31

Church and wounding to the susceptiblites of our
dock.
In virtue of their solemn conservation or blessing
churches dedicated exclusively and forever to
Catholic worship To hand them arbitrarily for
another purpose is in the eyes of the Church tanta
mount to odious, if not actually sacrlegious,
desecration and true is this that in certain cases
provided for by canon law church thus desecrated
has to be reconcled by expatory rites before 1t
be restored to Catholic worship.
These joint churches have been and arc still
prescribed in numerous DEGREES emanating from the
Roman congregations and condemned by theologans.
So great the number and such the harmony existing
between these various decisions, that they consti
tute acquired right in law In countries where these
joint Catholic and Protestant churches in vogue
the practice is merely tolerated by Rome and the
Holy See has explicitly declared that it cannot be
introduced elsewhere. The teaching of the Catholic
faculties in the German universities is identical with
what we have just laid down. Article ID of the Bel
gian constitution also guarantees liberty of worship in
public as we'll as privately. Is there any one bold
enough to maintain that the measure they contem
plate infcting upon is in way prejudicial to
Catholic worship?
The Hague conference expressly laid down in
Article As: Religious convictions and the exercise
of public worship must be respected"
This paradng of form of worship antagonistic
to their own in their very sanctuares would infct
a deep wound on the feelings of faithful people,
and it is precisely the ground of scandal that the
prohibition of the Roman congregations is based.
The Belgian people in general, whether in town
in the country stanch in their allegiance to the
historical traditions Of the Roman Church The sight
of unbeevers and Catholics worshiping in the same
church would be infictng an outrage upon sorey
wounded consciences and painful scandal to pious
persons, in whose judgment this promiscuity will ever
remain uncalled for and odious desecration. Let
add that the projected scheme would only accent
the discomfort hidden yet keenly felt, caused by
the physical and moral sufferngs the Belgian nation
has gone through during the four years and which
weigh more and more heavily upon them the days
go by
The General Government cannot allege as
pretext the absence Of secular buildings where the
Evangelical services be carried out with due
decorum. We undertake to point out, in all the dis
tricts where the occupying power calls for one hall
where religious service be held without objection.
Whatever happens, we will not have recourse to
resistance by force; dignity forbids us; but
protest and continue to protest against the viola
tons of law, of Belgian constitutional law and
Of international law. We can never of our own free
will connve at the regime Of joint churches If it be
established, it will be in spite of us.
May it please God to enlighten the Imperial Gov
ernment the bearing and disastrous consequences
of the policy it contemplated adopting and make it
refrain from proceeding further with it, thus sparng
the Belgian people, the clergy and the faithful this
fresh calamity.
We beg your Excellency to accept the expression
of our sincere esteem.
(Signed) D.J. CARDINAL MERCER,
Archbishop of Manes,
(Signed) r. /. HEYLEN
Bishop Of Namur,
(Signed) NJ. H. RUTTEN,
Bishop of Liege.
P. S.-Wc arc unable to submit the text of this
document to his Lordship the Bishop of Tounay, but
are in a position to vouch for his sharing our
views and his associating himself with us in our
protest
CHAPTER l.
Release of Political Prisoners and of the
Deported
TNDER the vergrowng pressure of the allied troops
~ the German army was in full retreat. The vic.
torous Flanders offensive launched September %