The Abbe Bougaud, Vicar-General of Orleans, declares, in a pamphlet
on the subject, that so far from France being over- supplied with priests, as M. Gambetta in his recent speech assumes, the want of priests is a great danger to the Church. The Bishops cannot find enough priests for the parishes, and there are no less than 2,881 vacant cures, while 3,000 parishes in addition have neither pried nor church. The Repub- licans say that this disinclination to take Orders is due to education, and the Bishops say it is due to infidelity, but it is probable that the change in the incomes of the peasantry has as much to do with it as either. The peasantry are prosperous, their nominal receipts, at all events, are becoming larger, and they no longer think the priest's income of 140 a year a prize for the second or third son. So low are now the cures' allowances, that it may be doubted whether they would not benefit by dis- establishment ; but the Bishops are afraid of the peasants' thrift, and think that the priesthood in entire districts would be left to starve. If the Republicans were wise, they would give all beneficed cures some small civil appointment, registmrshipa, deputy-postmasterships, &c., of which, if they were disloyal, they could be deprived. As it is, the 'first courageous Legate in France will probably wrench the Church from the control of the State.
Previous page
