The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1880-10-16 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

DUDLEY,  ROMAN CATHOLIC REUNION.—On Monday night the eighteenth reunion of the Ronan Catholics of Dudley and neighbourho d was held ie tee Public Hall. The Rev. Dr. McCave ce,upied the es is. and he was supported by the Rev. C ,non Davies, Rev. J. Bond (rector of Dudley), Rev.—Dickenson, Rev. A. Crane, Rev. J. Gr.son, and several oVer priests. The attendance at tea nrA afterwards a- .s larger than on any previous occa4 IL—After so.ne introductory business, the ehairmaa complimented the meeting on its six., and araued from this the t they were a contented and neammous body of coreligionists. By their re,olute union and church di=cipline, the Catholics of England hal grown to be a poweiful factor in the State, and a growing and powerful minority, capable of making itself heard on important occasions. On the contrary, their Continental brethren, in spite of numbers, were more like a helpless mob than. a unanitnous body. Did they wish to see the tuitions resolts of the mischief of division, let them survey France at the present time. (Hear, bear.) Frenchmen were almost universally Catholic or they believed nothing and when the late Empire of France was asked as to the absence of Catholics in his council, he asked agsin "Where are they to be found, or how can, they be won over ?" The fact was there was division, and the Le4itimists would have no dealings or office under Imperialism. (Hear, hear.) There was great mischief in division. In the Case he was alluding to the mischief was not confined to the Legitimists, but owing to a bad bargain between Church and State there were divisions between the priests and the people. A fashion had grown up in France of calling the Church " State-paid, ' nstate•endowed," whereas it would be far nearer the truth if the caluminators used the words a, State-plundered Church." (Applause.) in the later days of the eighteenth century the property of the Church extended to nearly one third of the whole soil of France, and that property represented twelve centuries of benefactions to religion. From the days of Clovis until then it included the benefactions of kings and the devotion and sacrifices of priests, who by their self-denial were able to help religion by princely gifts. (Applause.) Noblemen, too, joined in the bequests to Mother Church, and the merchant, the scholar, the soldier. and all who felt the logic of the Apostle to to,. Corinthians subscribed. That logic he need hardy tell them was. "If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great matter that we should reap your carnal things ?" (Applause.) And so the revenue of the Church grew to 80,000,000 of France and from this 11,000,00, francs were paid to the State as a regular, annual, and voluntary grant. But there came a time of spoliation and murder, and the bloodiest drama ou record was played out. He referred to the French R volution. That. was a ltime when the throne and the alar were abolished, religion persesu el, and the streets ranre I with the blood of the Christian br After this the ambition of the great Napoieen •lelivered Frince from government by nil a oncordet was concluded i,etw. Napoleon' and Pope Pius