730 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1805. 



ry, after receiving them, behaved in 

 such a manner as to render us very 

 uneasy with respect to the sincerity 

 of their sentiments. These anxieties, 

 •however, ceased, after an interval of 

 •some days ; for cither by oral or li- 

 terary communication Avith us, they 

 earnestly declared, that they cordi- 

 ally adhered, and sincerely submit- 

 ted to the dictates of the holy see, 

 with respect to ecclesiastical affairs 

 in France. What precious conso- 

 lation we experienced, when, after- 

 wards, we blended our tears toge- 

 ther on our embracing them with 

 ♦ensations of true paternal charity. 

 In order to render this consolation 

 the more enduring, and that it may 

 even increase, we fondly hope, that 

 they will continue to give certain 

 and manifest signs of the sincerity 

 of their declarations, and that in fu- 

 ture we shall be free from all solici- 

 tude in those respects. To this end 

 we ardently supplicate God, the 

 searcher of all hearts, to finish and 

 secure by his grace, the good work 

 they have undertaken. — IJaving dis- 

 posed of a consideration of such im- 

 portance, wc proceeded to the dis- 

 cussion of others, which concerned 

 the advantage of religion, the liberty 

 of the church, the honour of the 

 clorgy, the augmentation of the 

 liumber of her sacred ministers, and 

 suitable means for their support. — 

 Encouraged by the confidente with 

 which this excellent prince inspired 

 us, and using that dignified freedom 

 of communication with which our 

 apostolic functions should be exer- 

 cised, we exhibited to his majesty, 

 both orally and in writing, the inju- 

 ries and wounds which the Gallican 

 church had received, in the destruc- 

 tive conflicts of latter times, and 

 f om the preponderance of hostile 

 opinions ; in short, we manifested 



what was due to us in those respects. 

 The answers of the emperor were 

 replete with professions of consider- 

 ation for our person ; for that me- 

 rit of which we were in some degree 

 conscious ; and they afforded us 

 the greatest hopes that the Gallican 

 church, rising insensibly from its 

 state of languor, would recover its 

 pristine form and vigour. These 

 are evils of such a nature as, though 

 they might have been suddenly pro- 

 duced, yet to attempt an immediate 

 cure, would be to aggravate, rather 

 than to remedy them. — Think not, 

 however, reverend brethren, that 

 we do not still entertain the greatest 

 hopes. Several acts have been per- 

 formed, M hich operate as a pledge, 

 as a security for future conduct. 

 The societies of the Pretres de la 

 Mission, and of the Filles de la Cha- 

 rite, which St. Vincent de Paul had 

 so beneficially founded, have been 

 since re-established, and authorised 

 to wear those habits which formerly 

 distinguished them. By a public 

 decree, the necessary funds for the 

 repairs of cathedral churches, and 

 the exercise of public worship, have 

 been provided; and suitable edifices 

 have been allotted, as seminaries, 

 for young ecclesiastics. It has been 

 decreed, that these seminaries shall 

 be eligible to receive testamentary 

 bequests of monies, or of funded pro- 

 perty ; and the expenses of those at- 

 tached to the metropolitan churches, 

 shall be defrayed from the public 

 treasury. The revenues destined for 

 the bishops and canons of the cathe- 

 dral churches, have been augmented. 

 The municipal administrations of 

 the provinces have been charged 

 with the providing for the repairs, 

 and for furnishing the ordinary 

 churches. The society of the Mis- 

 sions Ktrangeres, originally dcstinc4 



to 



