Pere Hyacinthe on National Religion. An Extraordinary Seene.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 119, 12 September 1885, Page 3

Pere Hyacinthe on National Religion. An Extraordinary Scene.

The Paris correspondent of the London " Standard " telegraphed on the evening of t July 2 the following graphic narrative of a d public address by the famous Pere = Hyacinthe :— The announcement that fi M. Loyaon would deliver an address on the t secularisation of the Pantheon drew j an enormous gathering today to the Winter Circus. The proceedings were remarkable c not only from the wonderful oratorical S powers of the speaker, but also from the j: unruly demeanour of some intolerant d fanatics. M. Loyson was heard with re- b spectful attention as long as ho confined / himself to describing the Pantheon as a I patriotic temple, but he oxcited a storm a when he protested against the antagonism a which it was sought to create between the q spirit of revolution and the spirit of re I ligion, and it grew into a tempest when he tl denounced as unwise, unpatriotic, and un- v philosophical the proposal to tear down the crape from the building which sheltered a the remains of saint George Genevieve, the si patron saint of Paris, and of Victor Hugo. I He protested against the notion that the great national uprising of 1789 was irreh- q gious. He continued :—- " The famous oath taken at the Versailles o Tennis Court 96 years ago was not founded ci upon blasphemy. The Revolution was a essentually religious in its character, and w that religious character was especially con- n spicuous in the Declaration of the Rights of a Man. I will not appeal to Robespierre, o though I hold him to have been sincere, for b the reason that tbe means he resorted to ti were detestable. I will have none of that tl priestcraft of the gulliotine, but would, on \ the contrary, adopt the prayer of General d Hoche, that great spiritualist who prayed to a God, who had nerved the arm of French ti soldiers in battle, to extirpate all factions v from the Republic." ti Here there was considerable uproar, which a increased tenfold when, continuing his c address, he asked, " Must the Cross be re- s. tamed on the summit of the Pantheon? o For full ten minutes there was a scene of o wild confusion, crbs of " Out" and " Non," t! and all that unseemly scuffling that gen- 1 erally marks the public meetings of the b champions of liberty, equality, and b fraternity. After tbe audience had shouted a themselves hoarse he was able to con- ti tinue :— t( "Even if the Cross had ceased to have r a religious signification, if even it were but q the emblem of a thing that was utterly past n and gone, it would be needful to proceed n to long and exhaustive deliberation before doing away with it. The early Christians showed greater toleration than modern Re- o publicans. In the foundations of Notre n Dame an altar of the days of Tiberius bad 1 been discovered. The altar of Christ had not destroyed the altar of Paganism, but q been raised above it, and the maxim of the early Christians was 'Dm we insultes.' Do f< not, therefore, suppress the past, only bar- a barians such as Attila " o Here there arose a tremendous tumult. Amid the din Father Hyacinthe was heard ii to say, "You cannot place another emblem s above the Crocs." A voice from the audience cried, " Why not a weathercock ?" I Father Hyacinthe replied, "You see you c have no other emblem," whereupon another ii person exclaimed, " And the national flag." r M. Loyson continued :—: — n " Yes, I love and reverence the national t flag, but it is the only emblem of our a country, whereas the Cross is the sacred q symbol of the common fatherland of all t mankind. Do -what you will, however, you y cannot prevent the Pantheon being beauti S fied with the Cross. You may tear ib down J from the roof, but it is embodied in its very 5 structure, which is in the form of a Greek r Cross." . h After fresh uproar, mingled with ap- f plause, he proceeded, amid constant inter- t ruption :— I "Revolutionary fanaticism is but Ultra- t montanism reversed. Even before the -v clergy had raised its voice to protest they ( shouted to the priests, 'Away with the 1 Cross, or we shall tear it down !' (shouts of r ' Yes, yes ! down with the Cross !') I know 1 that too often the Cress has sheltered ' intolerance and superstition. It had been J lighted up by the lurid glare of autos dafe 1 (cry of ' And the St. Bartholomew'). Yes, 1 I know all that, but precisely because the ( Cross has been profaned, let us hold it ( in our more faithful hands, and not surrender 1 it to those who profaned it. (Applause.) t Do not forget the tears it has dried, the 1 devotion it has inspired. (Ironical laughter. ) 1 If you do not believe me, hear your great ' poet, Victor Hugo. To touch the Cross would b9 the act of criminals and madmen. (Fresh uproar.) But it will survive anddefyallattempsto overthrowifc. (Shouts: 'We shall ccc ') The Cross is the gibbet of the slave sanctified by the sacrifice of a God, and the modern world is the outcome of that sacrifice. The Revolution is the daughter of the Cross ; it is but one act in the great drama which commenced on Calvary. I repeat, it would be crime and madness to touch the emblem of liberty, equality, and brotherly love. In America we are accused of being materialists, of begetting a new race of degenerate men. That Cross which you would pull down is not merely so much wood or stone or metal. Cc nest rim et e'est tout. If you pull it down you tell the world we are Frenchmen, the representatives of materialism, of blasphemy, we disclaim any further connection with Christian civilisation But your efforts will be fruitless. In spite of them tbe Cross will continue to tower aloft above mythological and philosophic gods, and extend its fostering arms as two eagle wings over the brotherhood of mankind. It will remain for ever the eternal symbol of the fraternity of man on earth and the paternity of God our Father which is in heaven." Applause mingled with hooting greeted the close of this remarkable address. M. Loyson, who bad got down from the^ platform, once more rushed into the tribune, and exclaimed, "La Croix, je voiis U dis, e'est la Überte." The audience separated in a state of considerable excitement.