Newspaper Page Text
THE RELIGIOUS QUESTION IN MEXICO
Hon. Luis Cabrera, the head of the Mexican
Commission now treating with representatives
of the United States government in regard to
troubles on the border, has issued a state
ment in regard to the religious condition in
Mexico. lie says that before the war of the
Reform in 1856-59 the Catholic Church was
t ho strongest temporal power existing in
Mexico. One of the real reasons for this war,
which was one of the bloodiest revolutions
with which that country has ever been af
flicted, was to break this temporal power of
the Church.
The laws then adopted provided for (1)
separation of Church anil state; (2) incapacity
of the Church to possess j^^led property; (3)
abolition of convents.
In 1S74 the Const it utw^list government
made these laws a part of t^<^ constitution of
the country. It is claimed that the Constitu
tionalist party of to-day, so far as the Church
is concerned, is merely trying to carry out
these laws, which were never intended to affect
the exercise of any religion, which a Mexican
may profess, but just to keep the Church in its
organized capacity from exercising temporal
power in the control of the government.*
It should be remembered that about 09 per
cent of all Mexicans are at least nominally
Roman Catholics, so in matters of this kind
it cannot be said that it is some other people
who are opposing or persecuting the Catholics.
During the presidency of Diaz the clergy
made no open attempt to organize themselves
for political campaigns, but worked only in
directly. On his retirement from the presi
dency they thought that the time had come
when they could organize themselves for a
political struggle. A political party was, there
fore, formed, consisting of the clergy and the
large land owners. This was called the
"Catholic party," it being supposed that the
name would attract many of the more ignorant
classes to them. This party was in reality the
political organization of the Catholic Church.
Mr. Cabrera savs: "The Catholic clergy of
Mexico, directly and through the intervention
of the Catholic party, were among *'pnn
cipal facts in the downfall of Mad.tVo, and,
although perhaps Huerta was not/the
date designated to replace him, the fa?t
that the clerical chief, de la Barra, formed part
of the cabinet which resolved upon the mur
der of Madero and Pino Suarez."
The clergy supported Iluerta and did all in
their power to inflame the people against the
Constitutionalists, and this explains, if it does
not justify many of the acts committed against
the clergy and the Church by the soldiers of
the Constitutionalist army.
The Constitutional government has imposed
restrictions upon the clergy in some respects
and has destroyed the confessionals in some
places, in order the better to insure separation
"~of Church and state.
If the Catholic clergy had remained in their
proper sphere, which is religious, and not en
tered a sphere into which they had no right
to b?? t^cy would have met with no trouble
at ^he hands of the Constitutionalists.
Recording to the law of the land neither the
( 'j^holic Church nor the clergy could legally
hfcld real estate. Even the churches were held
to be the property of the State. But the clergy
were allowed to administer all the afTairs of
the Church and of the lands which the state
had taken from the Church, fio the change
of ownership did not imount to anything. And
in many ways the eicrgy either evaded or
violated the law forbidding the Church to
hold land.
The laws of the Reform abolished all eon
vents and all associations of monastic life. In
1874 even the charitable organization known as
"Sisters of Charity" was abolished. This was
done as a defense of human liberty, which was
threatened by them. Under the Diaz adminis
tration these orders were tolerated and be
came strong again, though their existence was
not recognized.
On the inauguration of tlie Constitutionalist
government these orders were again abolished,
and as most of their members were foreigners,
the majority of them left the country.
Mr. Cabrera says that those laws were and
arc absolutely necessary to deprive the Catho
lic Church of its temporal power. "During
recent years the Catholic Church in Mexico
was entirely lawless, transgressing the regu
lations of the Mexican constitution and of the
laws of the Reform. '* "The Constitutionalist
government intends to maintain the absolute
separation of Church and state, and proposes
to make effective the abolition of the monastic
orders existing in Mexico, and, above all, of
those of a merely contemplative character. To
sum up, the Constitutionalist government pro
poses to give full guarantees in religious mat
ters to the exercise of any cult, but strictly
enforces the observance of the laws of the
Reform and of the Mexican constitution."
It should be borne in mind that Mr. Cabrera
is a Roman Catholic, and that he is one of
the ablest and most prominent men in Mexico.
He must know whereof h?i speaks.
The Church of Rome boasts that it is the
same in all jlices and in all time. It migl.t
be well for the United States to learn some
lessons from Mexico.
AFTER THE HOLIDAYS ? WHAT?
Holidays may be an advantage or they may
be serious hurt. "What follows? This is the
criterion : Do we feel that we have finished up
a year or a half year profitably? Now, with
good conscience we can look the coming year
in the face. Was it well to relax the strained
life and take a new breathing spell?
:? *. 0?/ jvjfs.the holiday season a salve to hide
the fafliifpfe.'and shameful defections of the
past ; a rouivI.oT. pleasures to fill up and round
jy<^r of .shortcoming?
"DicTtne holiday leave us on a lower plane
of endeavor, or give us a time to take stock
of our moral and spiritual assets, and gather
up our strength for the battle beyond?
The answer to these honest questions will
determine whether our holiday was a profitable
one or not.
It furnishes to many a church the oppor
tunity of acquaintanceship with its members.
The social side is uppermost at this season, and
the social element is prominent. Does our, your
church seize the opportunity for a better knowl
edge of the trials and burdens and heart
breaking failures of so many people?
Somehow we get a little nearer to one an
other during these days of relaxation. The
great need of the Church is to know its mem
bers, so that the word of help may be used.
"Every heart knoweth its own bitterness and
a stranger intermcddleth not therewith;" but
we are hardly strangers to one another at
this season. Even soldiers in the mud-spattered
and death-strewn trenches fraternize for once
during the year. If we use it aright we will
find the aftermath of the holiday season is a
blessed one, leading us in higher places of use
ful service to our fellow-men. Many a heart
aches for a kindly word, a sympathetic touch
at this season of the year, one perhaps it would
be hard to give at other seasons, and one that
V
followed up will give us a leverage to help
that soul over many a hard place.
It furnishes an occasion of kindly aid that
it would he indelicate to extend on other oc
casions.
What about that overworked and under-paid
pastor. A kindly expression at this season of
the year from the pantries and granaries of his ,
people will not only help to keep the wolf of'"
hunger away from the door, but cement the
bonds of love between the people and the pas
tor. "What a fine opportunity for mother and
father to get an inside view of the develop
ment of the boy or girl away at school.
In the exuberance of the returning hours, and
the confidences of the school life, the wise
parents may enter into the life of the youth
which will help them to keep that which is so
hard to keep, an overcoming influence on the
boy or girl's life.
They can appreciate the difficulties of the
time away from home better, and anything
that brings the parent and child into the same
viewpoint on life will make for good. Most
parents fail to realize that schoolboys or girls
are no longer children who must be tied to
apron-strings. - They begin to know it when the
boy comes stalking in, having grown six inches
and deepened his voice into the edge of man
hood. The parents go to school during the ,
holidays and their children are the text-books.
To the boys and girls the holiday is a blessed
time if wisely used, and from it they may
learn many useful lessons.
After the holidays they see that enjoyment
is fleeting. How soon they are over, and the
train leaves to carry them home again. The
days have flown on wings. It is a profitable
lesson. God intends us to be happy, but most
of the pleasures of life are swift-footed.
They may learn in the days of reflection
after the holidays that enjoyment is not the
end of life. It is a splendid concomitant, it
rounds out life, but for itself alone it is a
miserable failure. The ennui, the sense of
abject loss, the wistful lingering in the pleas
ures of the past may teach us to be up and
doing. Pleasure is not living.
After the holidays a higher and holier view
of life itself ? God's gracious gift ? let us take
hold of it with the determination that no bitter
results shall crowd into our next holiday time.
No thought of duties undone, of opportunities
unseized, of life wasted in a thing that has
no uplifting salvation in it.
After the holidays a clcarcr and cleaner
view of our duty to our fellow-man. No sel
fish word or thought shall trip us up. We
will be more altruistic in our work.
After the holidays a closer walk with God,
as our Father. With Jesus as our Helper.
Perhaps we forgot him in the high-day of the
holiday. It was not a holy day to us. Wc
need him and we will seek him anew.
A. A. L.
Contributed
ELDERS AND DEACONS IN CHURCH
WORK.
By Rev. James Russell.
Rev. W. J. Mclnnis, of Ilattiesburg, Miss.,
begap a meeting, without any assistance, except
deacons, elders and a consecrated laity, con
tinued for fourteen da)'S, and through the
blessing of God ended with fifteen additions,
mostly on profession of faith.
This is a great example to our whole Church,
especially to those churches sending up a re
port of not one single addition. In the one