Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-08
ITALY AND VATICAN
POSTPONE SIGNING
/. PACTS TO MONDAY
Delay Action to Avoid Great
Crowds at Official Peace
Ceremonies.
SPECULATION ON EFFECT
OF C0NCORDAT SPREADS
Modification of Civil Acts to Con-
form With Canon Law Is Seen
as Most Significant.
BY the Associated Press.

ROME, February 8.--Slgnature OF the
treaty of conciliation and concordai
between the Vatican and the italian
government has been postponed from
Sunday until Monday morning.
On Sunday, te deum will be sung
for the anniversary of the Pope's cor
onation in the Church of st. John
Lateran, which adjoins the papal pal
ance, where the ceremony of signing
will take place.
AS news of the momentous event In
the Lateran Palace certainly would be-
come known, a great gathering of peo-
pie would ensue, which it is thought
best to avoid. Consequently, the sign
ing was put over day.
The treaty will be signed with a
golden pen supplied by the Vatican
and the pen will then be kept In the
Vatican museum as historical me-
mento.
Excitement Reigns.
AS the momentous ceremony ap-
proaches. even the usual calm or the
Vatican is ruff1ed with excitement. :.
Reserve, which was maintained until
Yesterday, was abandoned with the an
nouncement to the assembled diplo-
mats accredited to the Vatican OF set
tlement of the differences OF the Holy
See and the Italian state. EVERYWHERE
there is rejoicing at the imminent con-
ciliation.
Predictions are heard that the Pope
will remain in history as Plus the
Great" Cardinal Gasparri, papal Sec
retary of state, is hailed as the most
remarkable statesman the church has
produced in the last century. The WORK
of Cardinal Ercole ConSalvi, who, IN
1901, under Pope Plus VII, concluded
the concordat with Napoleon which
lifted the church from the disastrous
conditions of the French Revolution, Is
recalled by way of comparison.
Vatican Congratulated.
A food of congratulations has begun
to pour in upon the Vatican. Most
of course, are from various Italian
provinces, but all parts OF the Wnrio
Even the enthusiasm of the Pope
seems augmented, now that matters ap-
nroach their climax, He rose mucf
earlier than usual this morning. Al
80 his valet, Cavalier Malvestiti, hearc
him moving about in his bedroom and
knocking, entered.
He found the Pope already dressed
and shaved, His Holiness making tne
explanation that he wished to hurry
having a lot of work to attend TO
Nevertheless, he knelt in his private
chapel and prayed longer than usual
afterward celebrating mass.
Breakfast over, he received Cardinal
Gasparri and Mgr. Eugenio Paceili
uapal nuncio at Berlin. With them M
re-examined all papers concerning tn'
conciliation.
Two Distinct Treaties.
It is learned there will be two dis
tinct treaties. One of these Will dea
| with the solution OF the so-callet
| Roman question" The other, muc1
more voluminous, will contain the con-
cordat. The first will have an interna
tional character. while the second VII
dealy only with ecclesiastical ana re-
| ligious legislation In Italy.
Appointment OF group OF carolnaI
| and archibishops as Senators is expect
ed to be one Of the first results Of thu
signing of the concordat. This vii
Conform to custom prior to the rupture
of the church and Italian government
in 1870.
Pending publication Of the concordat
there is some speculation as to jus
| what changes acceptance OF the cAnor
! law by the italian government will en-
tail.
There is almost unanimous agreemen
| that its significance reaches furthel
than the territorial and monetary con
| cessions made in the first part OF tn
concordat. It Is in direct opposition II
the principle proclaimed by the famous
Italian statesman, Count di Cacour
who held for "a free church in a FREE
state"
New Laws to Apply.
Civil laws probably will be modified
to conform with canon law. Save II
purely religious matters, the new Law
of the state will apply to all, irreSpec
tive of religion.
Some of the changes forecast are:
Legalization of religious marriages.
Removal of ecclesiastics from juris
diction of civil courts.
Redistribution of religious teaching II
public schools.
Removal Of civil restrictions on tn
clergy.
Property rights for religious orders.
Civil enforcement of church edictS a
to church personnel.
1 Exemption of ecclesiastics from mill
tary duty.
Only civil marriages have been lega
but with the signing Of the accor
priests will communicate marriage
performed to civil authorities for In
corporation into the registers.
Civil authorities will report miSde
meanors or crimes of churchmen t
their bishops. In cases of arrest church
men will be detained in separate jail
! from those used for other criminals.
convicted they need not serve sentence
in ordinary prisons, but in a monaSter
or convent designated by the bishol
The exception to the rule appears /
cases where the ecclesiastic has had hi
church dignity removed, when he wi
be considered and treated as a 1aymal
Religious Teaching to BE Compulsor,
Religious teaching in public schoo
had been suppressed completely, but wi
. be compulsory hereafter. Teachers wi
,, be approved by the bishops, as well .
! by professors Of Catholic theology.
Heretofore bishops appointed by til
Holy See have needed an exeQuatt
.. from the italian government before the
were allowed to exercise their ministr
Now the Vatican will ascertain sinpl
.. . that the government has no politics
: objection against the candidates whol
it wishes to appoint. The bishops, how
; ever, will take an oath of allegiance Q
) the holy gospels to the Italian rule
government and laws, pledging then
, selves and their clergy not to partic
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