The Pope's Encyclical, it will be remembered, declared that the
French Bishops had condemned not only the Associations cultuelles, but every other type of Association which purported to be legal and canonical. The Sikh on Friday week pub- lished the text of the debates of the Assembly of French Bishops last May, and the organie statutes which they adopted by a large majority to regulate public, worship. These statutes make just such an attempt as the Encyclical declares the Episcopate to be opposed to, and it is not sur- prising, therefore, that the French Press ,finds the Pope disingenuous in attempting to father the views of his immediate entourage on the French Bishops. Whatever may be the explanation of this inconsistency, it is clear that the demands of the Encyclical were not intended to represent the. Papal ultimatum, but were rather in the nature of an overstatement of terms with a view to a possible bargain. One curious fact appears to be established on the highest legal authority,—that it is impossible to evade the Separation Law by the formation of private religious Associations, since any such would be Associations cultuelles within the meaning of the Act. If this be so, the French Bishops are faced with the alternatives of compliance and open resistance. The latter is unlikely, since they would have only a small popular backing, and since, by the action of the Vatican, such resistance would be identified with hostility to the Republic. All that can be said is that the revelations of the Siècle about the delibera- tions of the Episcopate show a more hopeful temper in that body, and that something may be expected from their second Assembly, which is fixed for September 4th.
