PRESIDENT FALLIERES AND THE CHURCH.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 312, 26 September 1908, Page 17

PRESIDENT FALLIERES AND THE CHURCH.

The Paris correspondent of "The Times" telegraphed on August s:— - The religious service which is to bo held . at the Church of the Madeleine after the . civil marriage of Mile.. Fajlieres, daughter of the President of the Republic, with M. v Jean Lanes, raises a curious question of - ecclesiastical jurisprudence, which is not without interest. Great was the, surprise ■of readors of -several'of the reactionary organs of the Paris daily press to see them indulging' recently in what appeared to be a cam- ' paign of intimidation of the ecclesiastical ' authorities, the'object'boing .to induce the. Archbishop of Paris to shut the doors of the • Madeleine in the face of the head of:-the State owing to the part taken by him in to- . cent legislation affecting tho Roman Catholio: ;• Church. The argument was that, 'by virtue., of 1 his attitude, he, together with the Ministers and the deputies .who voted tlio Bills described as anti-religious—acts which, in tho' torms of tho Council of Trent, wero "infringements of the liberty and rights of the Churoh"—was ipso facto, cxcommunicated , latab sentontiae. These-journalistic champions of 1 the Canon law thereupon called upon the Archbishop of Paris, Mgr. Amette, to -forbid the cure of the Madeleine to receive. . -:. ■M. Falliores at tho ceremony of his daughter's marriage. ; .... - ': .The Roman Catholic and reactionary organ, ; :• tho " Giaulois," publishes to-day what is ob- . ; Viousl.y an- authoritative statement of- tho> Archbishop's attitude on thei'subject... ..The. campaign of tho papers that'.: were : nioro Papist than the Pope has been so much time ■ lost,the Archbishop having come to a decision'at least a, month ago. It was that' Jl. /Fallieros' presence at the'.ceremony would' be tolerated." This is a -technical -term,:,. which'is, explained, as follows.' The absolii- /i tion from" such excommunication as has-been'" 1 , incurred by French statesmen' for their role '•' in connection'with the Separation Law is aire prerogative of the Pope. Now the conse- \ quences of excommunication aria-more or less - grave, according as it has, or has not beeii,'-"'- ' officially and publicly fulminated, which is;. , not the case as regards French politicians; and public, men. Any one, indeed, who has - not boon publicly denounced by liamo,' al-'' though notoriously cxcommunicated, can bo;~:«" " tolerated." That means that while such' a person lias no right, under penalty of deadly '''' sin, to tako'pan in tho prayers'and sacra- "V. moiits-of'the Church, he, nevertheless, may '•> pray individually, and listen to. the service:' - — , His'presence in the church does not entail'-"-'.' suspension of the Mass. Sucli'arc tho in-in-structions 1 given to the cure of the Madeleine *■-- by Mgr. Amottc, in conformity with the doc-' lV '- ' trine"-of tho Council of Trent. - - '" 'i