Henceforth the possession of this property is no longer a sin； at least， it is not condemned by the spiritual authority， by that external conscience which， in Catholic countries， governs the inward conscience and often supplies its place； the Church， the moral head， removes with its own hands the moral scruple， the last small stone， troublesome and dangerous， which， lying underneath the cornerstone of lay society， breaks the level of the entire structure and compromises the equilibrium of the new government. - In exchange， the State endows the Church. By the same Concordat， and by the decrees which follow it， "the government[94] ensures a suitable salary to bishops and cure's，"15，000 francs to each archbishop， 10，000 francs to each bishop， 1500francs to each curé of the first class and 1000 francs to each curé of the second class，[95] also， later on，[96] a maximum of 500 francs and a minimum of 300 francs to each assistant-priest or vicar. "If circumstances require it，[97] the conseils-généraux of the large communes may grant to prelates or to curés an increase of salary out of their rural possessions or octrois." In all cases， archbishops， bishops， curés and priests shall be lodged， or receive a lodging indemnity. So much for the support of persons.-As to real property，[98] "all the metropolitan churches， cathedrals， parochial buildings and others， not alienated， and needed for the purposes of worship， shall be subject to the disposition of the bishops." - The parsonages and gardens attached to these， not alienated， shall be given up to the curés and assistant-priests." - " The possessions of the fabriques，[99] not alienated， as well as the rentals they enjoyed， and which have not been transferred， shall be restored to their original purpose. - As to the outlay and expenditure for worship，[100]
for the parochial center or cathedral， if its revenue is not sufficient， this shall receive aid from its commune or from its department； besides， "an assessment of 10 %.[101] shall be laid on the revenues of all the real estate of the communes， such as houses， woods， and rural possessions， for the formation of a common fund of subsidy，" a general sum with which to provide for "acquisitions， reconstructions or repairs of churches， . . . seminaries and parsonages." Moreover，[102] the government allows "the French Catholics to make endowments， if so disposed， in favor of churches . .
. for the support of ministers and the exercise of worship，" that is to say to bequeath or make gifts to the fabriques or seminaries； in fine， it exempts seminarists， the future cure's， from the conscription.
It also exempts the "Ignorantins，" or brethren of the Christian schools， who are the instructors of the common people. With respect to these and in relation to every other Catholic institution， it follows the same utilitarian principle， the fundamental maxim of laic and practical good sense： when religious vocations make their appearance and serve the public， it welcomes and makes use of them； it grants them facilities， dispensations and favors， its protection， its donations， or at least its tolerance. Not only does it turn their zeal to account， but it authorizes their association.[103] Numerous societies of men or of women again spring up with the assent of the public authorities - the "Ignorantins，" the "Filles de la Charité，"the "Seurs Hospitalières，" the "S？urs de Saint-Thomas，" the "S？urs de Saint-Charles，" the "S？urs Vatelottes." The Council of State accepts and approves of their statutes， vows， hierarchy， and internal regulations. They again become proprietors； they may accept donations and legacies. The State frequently makes presents to them. In 1808，[104] thirty-one communities of Sisters of Charity， and mostly educational， thus obtain the buildings and furniture they ask for， in full possession and gratuitously. The State， also， frequently supports them；[105] it repeatedly decides that in this asylum， or in that school， the "sisters" designated by the ancient foundation shall resume their work and be paid out of the income of the asylum or school. Better still， and notwithstanding threatening decrees，[106]
Napoleon， between 1804 and 1814， allows fifty-four communities to arise and exist， outside of the congregations authorized by him， which do not submit their statutes to him and which dispense with his permission to exist； he lets them live and does not disturb them； he judges[107] "that there is every sort of character and imagination， that eccentricities even should not be repressed when they do no harm，"that， for certain people， an ascetic life in common is the only refuge； if that is all they desire they should not be disturbed， and it is easy to feign ignorance of them； but let them remain quiet and be sufficient unto themselves！ - Such is the new growth of the regular clergy alongside of the secular clergy， the two main branches of the Catholic trunk. Owing to the help， or to the authorization， or to the connivance of the State， inside or outside of its limitations， both clerical bodies， legally or in reality， recover a civil existence， and thus obtain， or at least nearly so， their physical maintenance.[108]
