OCR Text |
Show What Ails France. ON OUR first page we . reproduce from the Boston Republic the best article we have yet seen attempting attempt-ing to give the true inwardness of the present' religious troubles 1n France. These troubles are the result of an arbitrary enforcement of the law of associations. as-sociations. v Last week they assumed a gravity which-inclined American readers read-ers of current events to the belief that a revolution was at hand. The operations opera-tions of the gens d'armes were directed against the sisters conducting Catholic schools. This was more than flesh and blood could stand. It fired the Catholic Catho-lic women of Paris to action. They appeared ap-peared on the scene and made a demonstration dem-onstration against the government. Their example, however, was not fol-I fol-I lowed by Catholic men. In the north the Breton women showed their affection affec-tion for the sisters and their hostility to the Combe's government in a more vigorous manner. Their show of strength induced the government to postpone its decrees of expulsion to a more opportune time. Those Bretons are a dangerous people peo-ple when their wrath is aroused. Catholics Cath-olics they have always been, and of that simple piety which is wrapped up in the saints of France of royal blood. The republic has few supporters in Brittany. Its people long for the restoration res-toration of monarchy. That longing for monarchy in Brittany and in other places throughout France, which finds expression in a 'clerical'-' -party, is at the bottom of the law of associations. If it is not, then where can we find reason for the apathy of Catholic Frenchmen; how can we explain the indifference in-difference of the French hierarchy; how account for the silence of the pope? One of the singular contradictions revealed by the application of this law against the religious orders was brought out in the statement that M. Combes had received and was considering consid-ering a large list of petitions for authorization. au-thorization. We do not know what the conditions may be to which a religious congregation must subscribe in order to lawfully carry on their work of teaching, cr their corporal works of mercy: but it strikes one as rather singular that some religious orders can conscientiously comply with the law, while others cannot. However, without with-out the law before us, it would be wrong to pass judgment, although a iack of unity between authorized and unauthorized congregations is plainly reasons are given to explain the astounding spectacle of Catholic France handing over to apostates and infidels the power to crush out its religious re-ligious life. The Republic quotes one writer who says the Catholics of France have grown indifferent to the faith, and rarely practice their duties. If this be so, who is most to blame? There are churches and schools at every turn of the road throughout France, where its citizens were taught in youth to love God and their neighborsat neigh-borsat least this was the purpose o; the church and the school. There were monasteries without number, num-ber, and legions of friars and monks. Then how account for this indifference in-difference of Catholic Frenchmen breathing the very atmosphere of the sanctuary? Those can best answer who have observed that avarice and ambition are not strangers in the monastery, mon-astery, no less than they are out in the world. Those recent attempts to expel the Sisters from their schools and the demonstrations dem-onstrations following, show that the French people would rather give up their faith than give up the republic. For this great change in France, the clerical party is responsible. Its priests have exposed the human side of the church and brought it into disrepute with the common people. The only way France can be restored to its position as a Catholic nation is to have a hearty recognition of the republic established among all classes, along with an emphasized aban-j aban-j donment of clerical and legitimist legiti-mist and royal parties. When all these are wiped out, the days of Combes and his infidel auxiliaries will be numbered. |