Shameless Anti=C!ericalism

New Zealand Tablet, 10 July 1913, Page 17

Shameless Anti=C!ericalism

The name of the non-Catholic deputy, M. Barres, will always be held in honor by the Catholics of France for his eloquent championship of crumbling French churches against anti-clerical vandals. As buildings consecrated to divine worship, it would be useless to plead for them before a Chamber constituted like the present one. The only chance for procuring their repair and preservation is to get them classed officially as historical monuments. Otherwise, any excuse suffices an anti-clerical mayor Or corporation for compassing their demolition. In vain do Catholics of the commune concerned offer to defray a part, or even the whole of the expense for repairs which ought properly to be borne by the communal purse. Such aid is constantly declined, and, in due course the sacred building is declared ‘ unsafe 5 and demolished. A worse fate than this, however, may befall a church tower needing repair, even when higher authority has intervened in its favor. M. Barres has called public attention to a peculiarly atrocious instance, both in Parliament and in the columns of the Echo cle Paris. The story would be incredible but for the writer’s known probity and the minute acquaintance with every detail of the case which he displays. Moreover, no one has dared to question his facts. At Vendome there survives a venerable fifteenth century church tower, considered by connoisseurs to possess historical and artistic merit. The Catholics wished to preserve it. They applied to the Government, which appeared to entertain their appeal favorably. This was too much for the anti-clerical mayor of the commune and the majority of his council. They determined to out-manoeuvre the Catholicsto quote M. Barresthey said, in effect; ‘You want to keep that tower Be it so. We can find a use for it. What shall We do with it? Why, turn it into a public, lavatory.’ And they acini ally set to work! Apart from other coll-

siderations, they had no legal right, since the case had passed into the hands of the Government. But— M. Barres proves from documentsthe department of 'Fine Arts' had been urgently warned of what the mayor was doing by the petitioners, and must therefore be accounted as accessory to the outrage. While the drain was being dug out, the workmen came upon some human remains. Decency demanded that these should be transferred with respect to the cemetery. Instead, they were thrown anyhow into some hole. But a further depth of infamy had to be sounded. ' Being in need of a stone flag for covering a drain-trap, a workman actually robbed a poor woman's grave of its humble tombstone to serve the ignoble purpose. M. 'Barres gives the exact inscription on this stone from personal investigation. To crown all, the new latrines were solemnly opened by the mayor on Good Friday ! The old adage, 'The better the day,' etc., has its exceptions. What manner of men were these who would conceive, execute and authorise such loathsome

profanities? M. Barres tells us, and then we cease to .wonder. '.-. ", .- . ; : : -'• "" '.' » Happily, Vendome can boast of one councillor at least who had the courage to protest against such shameless iniquities. ' When St. Martin came to Vendome in the fourteenth century,' exclaimed M. Royan, he found only savages. Were he to visit the Town Hall to-day, he would find things very much the same.' And M. Roy an was promptly ejected from the Council for his words, in the name of liberty. ' -