RELIGION IN FRANCE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1924, 5 December 1913, Page 5

RELIGION IN FRANCE.

BISHOP GRIMES INTERVIEWED.

liishop Griinos, of Cliristchurcli, was interviewed at I'lcinantb last week on his return from Europe by the Orient liner Orsova, en route to Xew Kealantl. "I have been away sinco February,' said tho Bishnn, "and, though I suffered from it.-Health on the voyage out through some form of food poisoning, I have generally been in tho host of spirits. My object, in making itho. trip from New Zealand was to attend tho Roman Catholic Congress at Malta. After that I wont to Rome, and on tlirco occasions had the honour of interviewing His Holiness the Rope, who oxpressed pleasure :;t the, union of the priests and tho people in Australia, and further said that ho was pleased to note that in this country the freedom of tho Church was not interfered with in any manner. When his Holinesa used the word 'freedom' ho meant that tho Church out there was not interfered with in its education of the children, and he referred to one European country whero this freedom was not manifest—France.

"Not only will iliat country not help us in our educational .matters," tlio Bishop added, "but the ministry appears to be entirely against religious instruction in State schools. This Ministry is doing everything in its power to 'efface tho name of Uod from the school books. One of the ministers has gone so far as to say that they intend to put out the light of heaven. They are certainly doing their best in this direction by effacing tho name of God from tho school hooks, and generally doing harm to tho morality of the younger generation. Tho French ministry is merely a tool in the hands of tho*French Freemasons. Jlind you, Freemasonry exists in Franco such as is not dreamed of in Australia, and it is stated that some time ago the Knglish Freemasons repudiated tlio French Freemasons on account of the hitter's atheistic teachings and declarations."