FRANCE AND THE CHURCH.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIII, Issue 4, 5 January 1907, Page 16

FRANCE AND THE CHURCH.

Tue Paris correspondent of The Time.", under date 3rd October, writes. — In reference- to tho Pope's appeal yesterday to a number of French pilgrims, comprising some fifty priests, in which his Holiness urged them to lemain united in presence of the existing difficulties of tho church, it may be well to iccnll the fact that the enthusiasm professed by militant Catholics does not seem to bo largely shared by the rank and file of their co-religionists. At a moment when the church would seem to have finally renounced tho resources guaranteed by tho Separation Law it is of special importance to know to what extent tho lay clement is prepared to support by its pecuniary sacrifices the uncompiomising attitude imposed by Rome upon their ecclesiastical leaders. Some particulars of the Church Budget tAiow what a modest estimate is made by certain Catholic priests of tho amount of selfsacrifice to be expected from the averago French Catholic. According to good authority, the general accuracy of this estimate is confirmed by the collections made for tho requirements of tho clergy among the Catholics of Calvados, in Normantiy, a region which has the reputation of being devoted to tho church. Yet tho practising Catholics of that department are so lukewarm in their devotion, when it comes to the test of pecuniary «icrifice, Mint tho collections in certain parishes of over 1000 inhabitants did not exceed 150 f to 200 f (£6 to £8). An experience of this description, for which parullcls can bo found elsewhere, not excepting even the large cities, shows the formidablo nature of tho task imposed upon the French episcopate by tho Popo in rejecting tho advantages accorded by tie Separation Law* '