182 REV. CHANCELLOR J. J. LIAS, M.A., ON THE DECAY OF 
consenting to consecrate a Bishop or Bishops for France, elected 
by the seceding priests. In that quarter, at least, one might 
look for a definite theology, a definite organisation, and for 
connection with Churches on precisely the same basis in other 
lands. England is, of course, too insular to intervene, or even 
to take any steps to understand what is going on. And it is to 
be feared that the Dutch Old Catholic Bishops will insist on 
their priests being celibates. In the present state of feeling in 
France they might just as well insist that they should be 
Hottentots. France, if she does nothing else, imperatively 
demands that the priest of the future shall be a man and a 
citizen — that he shall not form one of a caste apart from the 
national life. 
I will conclude with the briefest possible sketch of the state 
of things elsewhere. In Spain, what is called “ Liberal 
Catholicism,” which is hardly distinguishable from scepticism, 
is distinctly on the increase. And so unpopular are the monks 
and nuns in some of the Spanish cities, that they are frequently 
hissed as they pass along the streets. In Italy, the Ultramou- 
tanes were at one time forbidden by the Pope to take part in 
the elections, and great apprehensions were once felt on the side 
of the Government and a lively satisfaction expressed by the 
clerical party as to the probable result when the Pope withdrew 
his prohibition. An election was held in Pome in November, 
1907, and the result was the victory of the Government 
candidates. I have already referred to Bolivia, which, in its 
treatment of the Roman Church has followed the example of 
France. And in other South American Republics repeated 
requests have been made, with the support of ecclesiastics of 
high standing, that the priests may henceforth be allowed to 
marry. But the Curia was forced to turn a deaf ear to the 
request. In America, the once well-known Father Hecker raised 
the banner of “ Americanism,” a sort of ecclesiastical Home Rule 
for the Roman Communion in the United States. He had the 
support of the learned Father Klein and of Archbishop Ireland. 
All the diplomatic skill of Leo XIII. was summoned up to meet 
this danger, and by his adroit manoeuvres he was ultimately 
successful in scotching at least, if not killing, the movement 
before it gained a head. 
In the Philippines a priest named Aglipay has contrived to 
detach from the Roman Church some two or three millions of 
natives, exasperated by the treatment they received from the 
Spanish friars, and he has been joined by some hundreds of priests. 
In Ireland a spirit of rebellion against the working of the 
