'Howling on for More'

New Zealand Tablet, 27 December 1906, Page 9

'Howling on for More '

The Freemason-Radical-Socialist 'Bloc' or 'machine' that rules France are not' content. with the closing and'

confiscation of 27,000 Christian -schools rand numerous institutions of reftgion and charity, .and the plunder "and proscription.of 160,000 persons whose lives were ' devoted to J;ht> children and the sick and suffering poor. Like the greedy ocean, they are 'Sick of prey,, yet howling oh for more.' The immediate^prospect of the plunder of churches and other ecclesiastical" buildings has aroused the ' staunchless avarice' of the lodges, jand they are already hovering around waiting for 'their prey. Here is an extract from an article "in a Freemason organ, the ' Acacia,' published in Paris :— -„;. - _ - . ' In the buildings which have been'reared in "every quarter,*-for centuries devoted to religious superstition and the.-gratification.of ecclesiastical ambition, we perhaps shall soon be authorised" to preach our'doctrines. Instead of clerical psalmody wlAch now resounds there, the beat of the chairman's gavel, the -acclamations of the Masonic brethren,' and all the' ceremonial utterances of our order will awake the echoes- of the immemorial- arches.' -• * The Philadelphia ' Catholic Standard ' of October 29, quotes from an editorial article in the previous week's issue~~of ' The Presbyterian,* of- the same city, a still more unexpected and melancholy proposal— to make use of the ' worship associations ' for the purpose of stealing French Catholic churches and devoting them to the purposes of an alien cult. The article (according to our Philadelphia contemporary) is 'headed -- Opportunity folr Protestantism in France.' The nature of 1 the ' opportunity ' is- set, forth with frank brutality in the following paragraph.:— ...7 -* ' Whatever may be the issue of. the struggle between the Pope and the 'Government, the present situ_at ion .-affords a great opportunity' to, French Protestantism and lays upon the other Protestant Churches a great responsibility- for .the furnishing, ot assistance in evangelising France.— There is no doubt that in many cases there are Protestant congregations ready to occupy former Roman Catholic churches Mth " religious associations." According to the new law, ihey will be "furbished - with the building by -Ahe Government, if the Catholic clergy are'- stiir holding out against reorganisation of their congregations,- according to'tho Pope's-, decree. , '-'•-* The spirit that inspired that paragraph dwells, we should say,. in a place remote-from heaven. Wo. will not do our separated brethren in this or any other part of the world, the injustice,of supposing thatvany considerable section of them would, in our day, favor a return to the sixteenth, century -policy- of forcibly stealing .and occupying the churches of -their Catholic v fellow-Christians—for the. glory of God. Moore's wellknown lines would well apply to a so-called Christian .creed that would ally itself with atheists and Christhunters -to fatten on - the plunder of an old and perse- - cuted faith :—: — • ' Tes—rather plunge me back in pagan night, And take my chance with Socrates for bliss, -Than be the Christian of a- -fiatth like Ihis.' These two incidents,- however, serve -.-at least to show the uses to which, the . provisions of-the - so-called Separation Law may be-ra/nd, in the opinion of the Church's enemies, ought to be-r-put in- afflicted France.