THE FUTURE OF CATHOLIC FRANCE.

Temuka Leader, 28 February 1880, Page 2

THE FUTURE OF CATHOLIC FRANCE.

The men at present at power in Franco seem determined t<» effect considerable damage on the Catholic Church, and to render it not only helpless in itself, but the slave of tiio State, Their projects may bedivided into four classess those which exclude the religioninstmetion from educ tion ; those which abrogate existing- laws relating to reli: gion ; those which submit all affairs concerning rebgious worship to the civil authority ; and finally, those which check or hamper the exercise of religion.

That there is no exaggeration in the,, scope and i urpose attributed to these? laws, is eusi'y demonstrated, i<i

In th • first category is the proposal; of the JLV) nptyFalamlies that r 15«iou»| instruction shall not he given to air. 1 Bet unless a special .demand is made fur it and then only given. out of school.”

Deputy B«srod«*t proposes that, at all, costs,elementary instruction shall taken out of the hands of the Catholic party. A commission proposes that elements ary instruction be declared obligatory, gratutious, lay, and atheistical;” and and that “ the faculty of teaching - may be withdrawn from the Religious Congregations.” . Jules Perry proposes that the ministers of worship and the repres mtatives of social intrusts be excluded from the superior councils ; anp the same individual has another bill which excludes’ the Church from givin g higher cduca- j tion. This is a formidable array of projects t against the Catholic Church in France, * especially as an edneat. rof youtlri _ In the second category of proposed , laws is a project fom the of the Press, asking for the abrogation of the law by which “ outrages to public morals are punished ; the withdrawal of the law which punishes those who turn into derision “religions recognised by the State” is also sought to be obtained, as we’.l as that which inflicted » a penalty on the individual who should “ offend the liberty of worship, the principal of property, and the rights of the family 7.” All are to be abrogated. The Deputy Magazine has proposed, and the Chamber has passed, by 336 votes against 105, the abrogation of the law prohibiting work on Sundays. Deputy Davaux proposes the abolition ot military chaplains. M. Saint Martin desires that the .ministers of religion shall be prohibited to enter any military barrack, and that the processes against the priests shall be rendered mo e easy. J lie proposal of Deputy Naquet that divorce shall be within the capacity of French law courts is upon the point of discussion ; and as a ‘ sequel, ‘ Saint Martin {imposes the marriage of priests. There ■re three projects - relating to the submission of worship to the civil authorities ; those are Rameau’s project for rendering the cemeteries common to Catholics, Freethinkers Proto slants, etc.; Belle’s concerning funerals and Lahore's, upon buildings. Paul Bert and Labure desire that military service may be. rendered obligatory on young men studying for ' the priesthood. Boysset proposes ihe abolition ot the Concordat and of the worship fund, and the reduction of the sums paid to to the bishops.

Such are the measures now to be y placed before the French sjtfp with/ malignant ingenuity, the limited enough as it is at present, of the Ghn'rcli in Franco ; the education law of.'Jules Fm-ry is but the first of a serious of attacks now opened on Catholicity ; and though all that the projectors of these infamous restrictions hope for may not be obtained there is no doubt that several will be more or lass successful, and immense damages be done to s Catholicity.—Pilot. 1 J2\