The Religious Persecution in France 1900-1906Brodhead, J. Napier (Jane Napier)
History
The Religious Persecution in France 1900-1906
Brodhead, J. Napier (Jane Napier)
Catholic Church -- France; Church and state -- France
The stories that are going the rounds of the whole European Press leave
little doubt as to the fact, that a once great, free nation had her
Foreign Minister, M. Delcassé, kept in office by the King of England
while he was in Paris this spring, and that two months later, he was
dismissed at the behest of Germany, who tore up the Anglo-French
Convention regarding Morocco and inaugurated the Congress of Algeciras.
No nation can act as France has done with impunity.[12]
This is curious too when we consider that France is so sensitive about
the _ingérence_ of even a spiritual sovereign, that the denunciation of
a Concordat and the rupture with the Holy See were ascribed to the fact
that Pius X had taken the liberty of suspending two French bishops!
It is also interesting to recall that the Bill of alleged Separation
was first voted at the Congress of Free-Thought held at Rome, in
September, 1904. The motion was made by Professor Haeckel, of the
University of Jena, Prussia, that: “We congratulate M. Combes in his
struggle for free-thought against theocratical oppression, and for the
radical separation of Church and State.” Allemane, a French Socialist
deputy, exclaimed: “This is not enough. We want the abolition of the
Church.” Robin, another French deputy, rejoined: “We are equally opposed
to both. We demand the abolition of Church and State.”
I have already stated how the annual convent of the Grand Orient of
France notified M. Combes (September, 1904) of their wishes regarding
the passage without delay of the Separation Bill. This Bill was voted,
or rather enregistered, by the Chamber of Deputies in July, as it will
be done shortly by the Senate.[13]
Yesterday in Paris, the bureau of the “Federation of International
Free-Thought” actually intimated to the French Senate its behest that
the Law of Separation of Church and State be voted, without discussion
or amendment, before December 31st. When we consider that this bureau is
composed of one French Socialist Freemason deputy, the others being
German, Belgian, and Italian, it seems preposterous! It would be so,
even if all were Frenchmen, seeing that the Senate is supposed to be a
free deliberative body, having the responsibility of accepting or
rejecting what is done in the lower House.
The London _Saturday Review_ is almost the only organ in the English
language which seems adequately to appreciate the enormity of the
religious persecution in France.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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