France’s Struggle Against Clerical Orders
THIS is the day of the open door in countries from which Christianity has hitherto been nearly or quite excluded. Notably is this so in those lands which have been dominated by Rome. It is a remarkable fact, and one which we believe points clearly to the hand of divine Providence, that in nearly every Catholic country on the earth to-day the church is losing ground, and the gains of the papacy are made not in Catholic, but in Protestant countries. In Europe the most conspicuous example at this time is France. France has laid a firm hand upon the religious orders which have in a large degree had control of public teaching, and these orders are being dissolved. The aim of these orders in their teaching was to re-establish papal supremacy over the French nation, and the government sensed the fact that either itself or they must sooner or later come to an end. The latest news from Paris states that M. Combes, “the most anti-clerical premier that so far has presided over the destinies of the third republic,” has won a signal victory over the clericals in the Chamber of Deputies, by a vote rejecting a demand for the authorization of twenty-five religious orders which devote themselves to teaching. “This means,” it is stated, “that the orders in question are to be dissolved, and that the association laws are to be executed with drastic relentlessness and energy to the bitter end.” The account continues:— There is no mistaking the trend of public feeling, which strenuously favors a government that represents the radical and socialist majority. Cries of “down with the church” are heard already. The cabinet is being urged by the radical press in Paris and in the departments not to rest content with sweeping away the religious orders, but to attack boldly the concordat [the agreement governing the relations between France and the papacy]. The stipends of scores of priests have been suppressed, and half a dozen bishops have been censured and admonished. Not only the reactionaries, but the conservative republicans are dismayed at the outlook; for the movement is now so strong against the church that no one can tell where it may stop. As one result of this there is a great exodus of members of these orders to other countries, some going to Belgium, and more coming to Canada and the United States. The losses of the papacy in Catholic countries are opening the door to the gospel, and papal gains in Protestant lands have not yet closed that door. Thus the whole world is ready, or nearly so, for the proclamation of the final gospel message.