THE FRENCH CONCORDAT

New Zealand Tablet, 30 August 1906, Page 24

THE FRENCH CONCORDAT

BISHOP LENIHAN SPEAKS

On Sunday evening, August 19, his Lordship Bishop Lenihan (says the Auckland ' Star ') preached at St. Benedict's to a large congregation on the religious troubles in France amd the Pope's action in connection therewith. His Lordship gave the history of the Concordat or treaty between thft Holy See and Fxarfice, touching the conservation and promotion of the interests of religion in that country. This was agreed upon in 1801, the regulations being sixteen in number. But Kapoleon ki 1802, with the highhandedness of might and power, and in bad faith, added ' les Articles Organises, ' which have never been accepted by the Holy See. These were to introduce restrictions that he had failed to qfrtain in the Concordat, b^it happily the main principles ,of the Concordat have endured, while until recently the organic articles fell into desuetude. Objectionable as they were, tthey depended upon the temper of the political authorities for the time being. After the Dreyfus episode, the real interest of which was to tamper with the army and navy, accusations were marie against tlie Jesuits aiwTothen religious teaching communities of having clericalised these services. i\o pioof could be adduced, but the Socialists, Republicans, and' members of the Grand Orient readily seized on the Dreyfus case as an instrument to restoLc the aimyj amU drive from their posts those soldiers and officers whose adhesion to religion /was consideied a menace to the Slate. The Government, under the Premier, Waldeck-Roussea-u, set itself to draft fresh laws against the ChurcL. No office l could expect promotion if he were seen, going to churoh, or if his wife and children attended even charity fetes. The Sisters engaged in nursing at the hospitals were removed. Th«n The Law of Associations came into force in 1901. Religious communities were advised, that they might obtain the protection of the State by obtaining authorisation. This was under the old code, 'but many new societies had Ljeen formed, and all these unauthorised bodies were informed thai they would tye ■dissolved and their piopeny confiscated unless within three months they presented an application for authorisation. They were assured that a judicial and individual consideiation would be given to their claims, which would only be rejected on ground's of public utility. Many accepted, others demurred. No sooner was this law passed and the lists of members and possessions collected than Rousseau retired in favor of Combes, ami this new Premier lefuscd all these societies en bloc, and they ceased to exist. This Combes, who had been picked, so lo speak, off the streets by the I hurch and educated at her expense, and had forsaken those who had nomsihed him, held out hopes of a billion of francs to benefit the State from those sequestrated properties, so that old-age pensions might benefit the people. lie determined upon a more decisive blow against the Chuich. In IJIOI the Pope summoned to Rome the Bishops of Dijon and I^aval, who had proved unruly, to explain ami defend their conduct. These Bishops appealed to the Government, and Combes took up the qyarrci, vehemently denouncing the Pope in the Chamber of Deputies. Added to this was Rome's protest against the visit of Piesident Loubiet to Rome on a visit to the King of Italy. Combes declared that in these matteis France had been insulted, and demanded the abrogation of the Concordat and the Lahv of Separation of Chuich ai/d State. This was formally promulgated in December, 1905. It was to leave the entire Church with all its possessions at The J\lercy of the Government. In February, 1906, the Pope declared : ' You have seen the sanctity and the inviolability of Christian marriage outraged by legislative Acts, schools and hospitals laicised, clerics torn from their studies ami from ecclesiastical discipline to he subjected to military service, religious congregations dispersed and despoiled, and reduced to the last, stale of destitution, the law ordaining public prayers at the 'beginning of each Parliamentary session, and at the assizes, abolished, signs of mourning observed on board ships on Good Friday suppressed, the religious character effaced from judicial oaths, and all emblems serving to recall the idea of :religion banished from courts, .schools, Ihe navy and army, and public institutions.' No wonder he grieves over the stale of the Chuich and- France, and must think what credit can be placed in men who after having promised in despatches to the Holy See that they would consider a general authorisation to teach as sufficient without special authorisation for each establishment, with shameful disloyalty proceeded to close 10,000 schools. This Law of Separation assigns the administration and supervision) of public worship not to the bishops or

clergy, but to an association of laymen, restricting if Ir^l^ peil T a / c P des that il extinguishes all freedom of worship If the, Church accepted the offer of the n£«ne nm i ent i' J* WO ? Id mcau ser vit.iule ;if it refuses it means absolute confiscation. We do not, and cannot understand the French character or the social, reli K ious or political condition of the country, but at lieart France is Qathohc, and the spiiit of a St. Louis, St. Vincent de Paul a Je«uine d'Arc, a Cure d'Ars is still there, ana 1 feel that if the Chuich refuses the conditions of the Government, a.nd I hope it will, that while penury and suffering will attend the body of the clergy, the spirit of faith will be enlivened in Ihe majority of the French people, and the Church will rise again glorious and triumphant in France. May God defend tire right and speed the .hour of victory"!