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the origins of contemporary france-2-第53章

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diocese the bishop appoints all the curés or officiating priests;

and may deprive nine out of ten of them; in the diocese above named;

from 1850 to 1860; scarcely one lay functionary was nominated

without the consent or intervention of the cardinal…archbishop。'70'

To comprehend the spirit; discipline; and influence of our

contemporary clergy; go back to the source of it; and you will find

it in the decree of the Constituent Assembly。  A natural

organization cannot be broken up with impunity; it forms anew;

adapting itself to circumstances; and closes up its ranks in

proportion to its danger。



But even if; according to the maxims of the Assembly; faith and

worship are free; as far as the sovereign State is concerned; the

churches are subjects。 For these are societies; administrations;

and hierarchies; and no society; administration; or hierarchy may

exist in the State without entering into its …departments under

the title of subordinate; delegate; or employee。  A priest is now

essentially a salaried officer like the rest; a functionary'71'

presiding over matters pertaining to worship and morality。  If the

State is disposed to change the number; the mode of nomination; the

duties and the posts of its engineers; it is not bound to assemble

its engineers and ask their permission; least of all that of a

foreign engineer established at Rome。  If it wishes to change the

condition of 〃its ecclesiastical officers;〃 its right to do so is

the same; and therefore unquestioned。  There is no need of asking

anybody's consent in the exercise of this right; and it allows no

interference between it and its clerks。  The Assembly refuses to

call a Gallican council; it refuses to negotiate with the Pope; and;

on its own authority alone; it recasts the whole Constitution of the

Church。  Henceforth this branch of the public administration is to

be organized on the model of the others。     In the first

place'72'  the diocese is to be in extent and limits the same as the

French department; consequently; all ecclesiastical districts are

marked out anew; and forty…eight episcopal sees disappear。    In

the second place; the appointed bishop is forbidden 〃to refer to the

Pope to obtain any confirmation whatever。〃 All he can do is to write

to him 〃in testimony of the unity of faith and of the communion

which he is to maintain with him。〃 The bishop is thus no longer

installed by his canonical chief; and the Church of France becomes

schismatic。    In the third place; the metropolitan or bishop is

forbidden to exact from the new bishops or curés 〃any oath other

than that they profess the Catholic; Apostolic; and Roman religion。〃

Assisted by his council he may examine them on their doctrine and

morals; and refuse them canonical installation; but in this case his

reasons must be given in writing; and be signed by himself and his

council。  His authority; in other respects; does not extend beyond

this for it is the civil tribunal which decides between contending

parties。  Thus is the catholic hierarchy broken up; the

ecclesiastical superior has his hands tied; if he still delegates

sacerdotal functions it is only as a matter of form。  Between the

curé and the bishop subordination ceases to exist just as it has

ceased to exist between the bishop and the Pope; and the Church of

France becomes Presbyterian。    The people now; in effect; choose

their own ministers; as they do in the Presbyterian church; the

bishop is appointed by the electors of the department; the cure by

the district electors; and; what is an extraordinary aggravation;

these need not be of his communion。  It is of no consequence whether

the electoral Assembly contains; as at N?mes; Montauban; Strasbourg;

and Metz; a notable proportion of Calvinists; Lutherans; and Jews;

or whether its majority; furnished by the club; is notoriously

hostile to Catholicism; and even to Christianity itself。  The bishop

and the curé must be chosen by the electoral body; the Holy Ghost

dwells with it; and with the civil tribunals; and these may install

its elect in spite of any resistance。    To complete the

dependence of the clergy; every bishop is forbidden to absent

himself more than fifteen days without permission from the

department; every curé the same length of time without the

permission of the district; even to attend upon a dying father or to

undergo the operation of lithotomy。  In default of this permission

his salary is suspended: as a functionary under salary; he owes all

his time to his bureau; and if he desires a leave of absence he must

ask for it from his chiefs in the H?tel…de…Ville。'73'   He must

assent to all these innovations; not only with passive obedience;

but by a solemn oath。  All old or new ecclesiastics; archbishops;

bishops; curés; vicars; preachers; hospital and prison chaplains;

superiors and directors of seminaries; professors of seminaries and

colleges; are to state in writing that they are ready to take this

oath: moreover; they must take it publicly; in church; 〃in the

presence of the general council; the commune; and the faithful;〃 and

promise 〃to maintain with all their power〃 a schismatic and

Presbyterian Church。    For there can be no doubt about the sense

and bearing of the prescribed oath。  It was all very well to

incorporate it with a broader one; that of maintaining the

Constitution。  But the Constitution of the clergy is too clearly

comprised in the general Constitution; like a chapter in a book; and

to sign the book is to sign the chapter。  Besides; in the formula to

which the ecclesiastics in the Assembly are obliged to swear in the

tribune; the chapter is precisely indicated; and no exception or

reservation is allowed。'74'  The Bishop of Clermont; with all those

who have accepted the Constitution in full; save the decrees

affecting spiritual matters; are silenced。  Where the spiritual

begins and where it ends the Assembly knows better than they; for it

has defined this; and it imposes its definition on canonist and

theologian; it is; in its turn; the Pope; and all consciences must

bow to its decision。  Let them take the 〃oath; pure and simple;〃 or

if they do not they are 'refractory。〃 The fiat goes forth; and the

effect of it is immense; for; along with the clergy; the law reaches

to laymen。  On the one hand; all the ecclesiastics who refuse the

oath are dismissed。  If they continue 〃to interfere with public

functions which they have personally or corporately exercised〃 they

〃shall be prosecuted as disturbers of the peace; and condemned as

rebels against the law;〃 deprived of all rights as active citizens;

and declared incompetent to hold any public office。  This is the

penalty already inflicted on the nonjuring bishop who persists in

considering himself a bishop; who ordains priests and who issues a

pastoral letter。  Such is soon to be the penalty inflicted on the

nonjuring curé who presumes to hear confession or officiate at a

mass。'75'  On the other hand; all citizens who refuse to take the

prescribed oath; all electors; municipal officers; judges and

administrative agents; shall lose their right of suffrage; have

their functions revoked; and be declared incompetent for all public

duties。'76'  The result is that scrupulous Catholics are excluded

from every administrative post; from all elections; and especially

from ecclesiastical elections; from which it follows that; the

stronger one's faith the less one's share in the choice of a

priest。'77'   What an admirable law; that which; under the pretext

of doing away with ecclesiastical abuses; places the faithful; lay

or clerical; outside the pale of the law!



This soon becomes apparent。  One hundred and thirty four

archbishops; bishops; and coadjutors refuse to take the oath; there

are only four of them who do so; three of whom; MM。  de Talleyrand;

de Jarente; and de Brienne; are unbelievers and notorious for their

licentiousness; the others are influenced by their consciences;

above all; by their esprit de corps and a point of honor。  Most of

the curés rally around this staff of officers。  In the diocese of

Besan?on;'78' out of fourteen hundred priests; three hundred take

the oath; a thousand refuse it; and eighty retract。  In the

department of Doubs; only four consent to swear。  In the department

of Lozère; there are only 〃ten out of two hundred and fifty。〃  It is

stated positively;〃 writes the best informed of all observers that

everywhere in France two…thirds of the ecclesiastics have refused

the oath; or have only taken it with the same reservations as the

Bishop of Clermont。〃



Thus; out of seventy thousand priests; forty…six thousand are turned

out of office; and the majority of their parishioners are on their

side。  This is apparent in the absence of electors convoked to

replace them: at Bordeaux only four hundred and fifty came to the

poll out of nine hundred; while elsewhere the summons brings

together o
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