Anti-Clericalism in France

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LII, Issue 6, 11 February 1925, Page 49

Anti-Clericalism in France

PRIEST FINED FOR TEACHING LATIN. The extent to which the anti-clerical aims of the Government are likely to go is to be seen in the case of the Abbe Chaignon, of Change les Laval, who has been haled before the correctional court of Laval, and lined sixteen francs for opening a primary school without legal authorisation (says Catholic News Service, London, for December 22). Abbe Chaignon is an ex-soldier. Tie was called up for service in the war ; was mentioned three times in dispatches for gallantry and devotion to duty; was thrice wounded, and was awarded the Croix do Guerre and the Cross of the Legion of Honor. But hero is the aftcr-thc-waf story. Two little hoys in his parish, one ten years old the other eleven, have been going more or less regularly to the vicarage, where the priest gave them private lessons in the rudiments of elementary Latin, The local authority heard of this with horror. A clandestine school ! Thereupon the rai: 1 :.uthority descended at once on the hold hbe, aim ■ haled him before the court, where he was tried* and sentenced and fined the sixteen francs. The’abbe paid the fine; but apart from that he is not of the meek order. He put his case very trechantly before the court. It was no more than my duty (he said) to encourage a desire for the ministry amongst my parishioners. I did no more than give these two little boys lessons which will make it possible for them to enter one of the secondary schools. But the court maintained its point of view that this was a bad case, a clandestine school; and the fine had to be paid. It is old news now, that the Bishop of' Montauban was fined in the local court because be wished to say prayers for the dead in his (jcmelery on All Souls Day. But there has been a. sequel to that deplorable incident. The police took the names and addresses of all those who showed any kind of inclination to join in with the Bishop in going to the cemetery. They have all been had up at the court on a charge of disorderly conduct. They have been condemned and fined forfor shouting out Vive la Libert ! The treatment meted out to them, it is observed, is precisely that inflicted upon persons charged with keeping illegal night clubs or . other disorderly premises in Paris.