OCR Text |
Show Loiutlcs Will Remain Open. The confiscation of the Shrine of Lourdes by the French government will not mean that Catholic pilgrimages pilgrim-ages thither will cease. As soon as the official seizure became known the Municipal Council of Lourdes called a meeting and passed unanimously the following resolution: "The Municipal Council, considering consider-ing that the houses of religious worship wor-ship situated in the territory of this municipality and known under the names of the Basilica, the Crypt, the Church of the Rosary and the Grotto of Massabielle, are already lawfully the property of the Municipality since April 13, 190S. in virtue of the promulgation pro-mulgation of the law of that date; considering also that these edifices and the properties attached by the decree de-cree of April 7, 1910, from only a single sin-gle domain, established by means of the offerings of Catholics of the entire world, to the end that they may be assured of the exercise of religious worship and the ceremonies of the pilgrimages; "Considering also that in order to respect the intentions of these numer-I numer-I ous donors, it is necessary to preserve this property in the manner in which it has been managed, so that it will retain its essentially religious character; char-acter; "Considering that the preservation of this form and character of organization organi-zation and worship are also imperiously imperi-ously demanded by the unanimous sentiments of the population as well as the economical interests of the inhabitants in-habitants of the town and vicinity, which the municipal administration has the duty to bear in mind; be it unanimously resolved by all the members mem-bers present; "To accept the attachment which has been made of the above described propertv. regarding it as an inviolable trust which the municipality will continue con-tinue to leave at the disposition of the Diocesan Authority for the free exercise exer-cise of Catholic worship and that he may organize there the religious processions pro-cessions and public demonstrations made by the various pilgrimages." |