THE POPE'S ENCYCLICAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2762, 20 February 1907, Page 28

THE POPE'S ENCYCLICAL.

CERTAIN OF FINAL VICTORY.

A message from Rome, dated January, 11, says: — The Osservatore Romano, the organ of the Vatican, to-day published tho text of an encyclical addressed by the Pope to " our venerable brothers the cardinals, bishops, and clergy, and the French people." In this document the Pontiff said his chief object in addressing the faithful in Franca was to comfort them in their suffering which he felt deeply. There was, however, great consolation in the fact that the Catholics of France were united. The French Government's declaration of war was not only against the Christian faith, but against all spiritual ideas. The FrenchCatholics must be prepared for all sorts oC trials, but they were certain of final victory. Contrary to statements on the subject, the Church did not desire a religious war, invohing violent persecution, being a missionary of peace and carrying out her mission loyally. The Church did not willingly oxposo herself to war and persecutions, as she did not desire to see her children suffering. Regarding the .ecclesiastical properties tho encyclical said that the Pope had not abandoned them. The French Government has imposed on French Catholics an organisation which the Church was absolutely unable to accept without imperilling her existence as a divine institution. The Church could not prevent the unjust spoliation in progress. As for the proposed? associations they ar© contrary to the occlesiastical hierarchy given to the Church by the Divine Founder Himself, and th« Popo condemned them in spite of the material injuries involved at the hands off tho Government. Besides the law conferred on these associations attributes regarding both the exercise of worship and possession and administration of Ohurch property, which appertain alone to ecclesiastical authority. The associations are not only withdrawn from ecclesiastical jurisdiclion. but are placed under civil authority. Continuing, the Pope said : — "We have beea accused of prejudice and inconsistency. It has been said that we refused to approve in France what we had already approved! in Germany, but this reproach is unjust and' unfounded, for while the German law is condemnable on many points and was officially accepted in order to avoid greater evils, the situations are very different. The German law explieitely recognises the Catholic hierarchy, which the French does not." As to the annual declaration required for publio worship it did not offer the legal guarantee that the Church hadthe right to expect. Nevertheless, to obviate worse evils the Church might have tolerated making declarations, but baying; down that the clergy should be the only occupants of the churches without any logal status, and without the right to per* form any administrative act in the exercise of their ministry placed them in such a vairuo and humiliating position that the making of declarations coukl not be accepted.