6. The Netherlaftd* and Be^tm.—Betwe^i the gov- emment of the Netherlsnds and the pope a concordat was concluded in 1827, which extended to the northern provinces the provisions of the French concordat of 1801, with the exception that the bishops were not to be nominated by the Protestant king, but to be chosen by the chapter from a list of candidates fh>m which the government had the right to strike out any names not agreeable to it. The concordat was officially publish- ed by the goyemment, but the bull of drcumscriptkii by which the provinces were divided into bislx^vks was not recognised, and the concordat was never cai^ ried out. Later the papal government itself disre- garded the concordat, and made a new division of dlo* ceses without concert with the government.
In Belgium, which at the time of the publication of the French concordat of 1801 was a part of France, that concordat continued in force, while the coontxy was annexed to Holland (1815-1880). In the nev Belgian kingdom the Church was separated from the state, and thus the concordat naturally lost its author- ity.
7. Switterland. — ^The idea of establishing one na- tional bishopric could not be carried out, as some of the cantons were unable to agree with the paptl see. Grradually, by agreement with some of the cantons! governments^ the ecclesiastical relations of the Roman Catholics were regulated, and six bialj^)rics estab- lished.
8. Ttafy. — For Scurdima a new boll of circomscrlp*
CONCORDAT
459
CONCUBINE
tion was issued July 17, 1817. Nt^plea concluded a oonvention with the pope July 18, 1818, which in the 8ame year was promulgated as a law of the coun- try. The ocmyention consists of thirty-five articles, and 3rields all the chief demands of the Roman court. The Roman Catholic Church is declared to be the ex> elusive religion of the state ; the right of nominating the bishops is given to the king ; the right to nomi- nate the niembers of the chapters is divided among the pope and the bishops of the diocese. The Church rec- ogniseft the sale of Church property which had taken place dmring the French rule, and the property not yet sold is restored to her; she also receives the right of acquiring new landed property. The jurisdiction of bishops is enlarged ; the influence of the Church upon public instruction is guaranteed; the abolition or fusion of ecclesiastical benefices without the consent of the pope is declared invalid ; the property of the Church is declared inviolate.
The conovdat with Tuscany of June 19, 1851, con- sists of fifteen articles. It provides that the ecclesias- tical authorities, in the exercise of their offices, shall find the protection of the state. The intercourse of the bishops with tlieir diocesans and tlie piq>al see shall be free. They shall also have the censorship over religious publications, and the right of prevent- ing the faithful from reading pernicious books. If priests ofilend against civil laws they shall be amena- ble to the civil courts, but the punishment shall not be inflicted without the consent of the bishops ; and if it be the penalty of death, or any penalty involving in- &my,the pai«l see shall take co^^nizance of the case. The property of the Church shall be administered by the bishops and the parish priests, and, in case of va- cancies, by a joint committee of priests and laymen. By this concordat the ecclesiastic^ legislation of Leo- pold n, which was nearly the same as that of Joseph II in Austria, was abolished. The concordat was soon foUowed by some organic interpretations, by which the state, with the consent of the papal see, guarded some of its former rights. The provisional government of Tuscany in 1859 declared this concordat abolished. By the absorption of Naples and Tuscany into the khigdom of Italy their special concordats ceased.
9. Russian Concordat. — For the Roman Catholic • Church of Russia a concordat was concluded by the
emperor Nicholas Aug. 15, 1847. It guarantees to the Roman Catholics of Russia the free exercise of their religion, and permits the establishment of a new bish- opric at Cherson for Bessarabia, Tauris, and the Cau- casus. The government charged itself with maintain- ing the bbhop, his chapter, and semhuny. It also contuned provisions on the elections of bishops not yet officially published.
10. A concordat with Spam, consisting of forty-five vtides, was concluded March 16, 1851. According to it, the Roman Catholic religion is, to the exclusion of every other religious worship, the only religion of the Spanish people. Public instruction in all institutions is to be imparted in accordance with the Roman Cath- olic doctrine, and placed in this respect under the con- trol of the bishops. The government is bound to as- sist the bishops in maintaining the purity of doctrine snd of morals, and in suppressing pernicious books. The female orders which occupy themselves with edu- <:ation, and the Sisters of Charity, are to be maintain- ^ The confiscated Church property which was not yeit sold at the time of the conclusion of the concordat "^^s to be restored to the Church, and to be adminis- tered b^ the clergy. The pope, on the other liand, promised to leave the former buyers of Church prop- ^ in the undisturbed possession thereof. A new concordat, slightly Uuxiifying the precedmg, was con- cluded Nov. 25, 1859.