CHURCH AND STATE IN PORTUGAL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1110, 25 April 1911, Page 7

CHURCH AND STATE IN PORTUGAL.

.o . . £6,000,000 WORTH OF CONFISCATED PROPERTY/

By Telegraph—Prcs3 Association—Oopyrieht Lisbon, April 23.

It is: estimated that tho Portuguese Government will secure.!.six;,j-millions, sterling as the result of the confiscation of the Church property.

THE ACT OP SEPARATION, The Lisbcn- correspondent of "The Times," writing on March 2, states:—A matter which is engaging tfie Government's attention is tho religious Question. When the separation of Church and State was projected, the Provisional Government announced that a sum of .£160,000, or more if necessary, would be voted for stipends to the clergy. The Minister of Justice informs me that by.the Act of Separation the clergy holding bene-* ficos -at the time of the edict will receive payment for their services according to rank, and the State will hand over to the.clergy all churches, chapels, and buildings actually «in use for "religious purposes, provided that their incumbents prove that the congregation and parish of each can bear the cost of maintenance. Otherwise the State will take over the buildings for its own uses. Tho clergy, finding their future thus assured, had accepted the Separation Bill without reserve. Hence the recent Pastoral of the Bishop has caused some surprise, 'ami, in official circles, considerable resentment. Although the Pastoral "enjoins the faithful to respect present institutions, to obey the authorities, and respect the Constitutional powers even if such should bs unfavourable to the Church," a reservation is made to the effect that "the conscientious obligation to respect public authority does not imnly the necessity of approving all the acts that emanate therefrom." The Pastoral then proceeds to protest against all the antireligious decrees of the Government. Tho Minister of Justice immediately on its appearance telegraphed to all the local authorities in tho country prohibiting its reading from the pulpit or other public places, under penalty of arrest for the offender. The clergy, not wishing to come to loggerheads with tho Government, asquiesced in the .prohibition with but few exceptions. The path the Government is following is by no means free from thorns. Tho disestablishment of tho Church in Portugal is a very serious matter; fue religious feeling in tho North is deep, even to the verge of fanaticism, and needs the most delicate handling. However, • provided the Government proceeds with tact and discretion, and avoids wounding the religious susceptibilities of the peasants, no really Serious trouble is anticipated.

fiio Catholic Times." referring to the position, states :-"The Bishops affirm that the anti-Christian persecution is not in harmony with the will of the nation, of 5,123,132 inhabitants of Portugal and the Portuguese islands, 5,416,201 stated that they professed Hid Catholic faith. That is to say, there are nearly five and a, half million Catholics in Portugal, and hey allow 6928 anti-Catholics to banUh. tho Jesuits, to abolish the ether rcli gious Orders within the limits of the jnintry, to do away with the taking of die oath in a religious form in tho courts of justice, to forbid the observance ot saints days, to prohibit religion'! .caching in _ the schools, to deprive tho Coimbra University of its Catholic Faculty. The millions who allow their rcli gion and their priests to be thus treated oy a little body of unbelievers manifestly need some courage and training in 'the art of defence."