The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-01-25

the movement going on in the Catholic church il
Mexico and South America, and that, after hold
secret conclave in December last, he has issue,
an allocution to the church, in which he com
plains bitterly of the governments of thos
countries declares their action in the premise
null and void, and reminds their statesmen tina
the church has the power to punish severely thos'
who disObey her behesta
We have often had occasion, in commenting OF
the news and politics of the several States south
of us, to refer to this movement against the des
potism of the Church of Rome in those eommu
mites 1t is, in fact, great spontaneous move
ment, agtating nearly the whole of Spanish
America simultaneously, but without previous
concert. 1t springs from natural causes, and il
controlled by natural laws, far above any rescript
or allocution of his Holiness and may be CURLY
summed up as rising of the peoples against the
vice and degradation of the mOnastic and
celibate system of the Roman Catholic clergy
1t is only in this country that that church is not
open to the strongest accusations of vice and
immortality; and on the only occasion where
any portion Of the Roman church here has &C
quired rule over members of the same church
ordained elsewhere, nearly every priest was sus-
pended from the exercise of his functions. This
occurred in Texas on it's annexation to the
United States Years ago we have heard o
pure and learned American clergyman of that
church, who had travelled through some of the
| Spanish American countries, declare that he had
hardly seen parish priest who should not be
suspended either for ignorance or immortality.
In order to give the readers of the HERALD
general view of this movement which has so
alarmed the Pope and awakened an impotent
echo of the ancient thunders from the Vatican,
We give rapid sketch of its present position in
the Spanish American republics.
Mexico, under the lead of Gen. Comonfort and
Senior Lerdo, has issued law for the registra-
ton of all the property of the church, and where
ecclesiastics refuse to conform to its Decree hold
ers or occupants are allowed to denounce it to
the State, and purchase it in fee at moderate
estimate Of the value based on the rental. In op-
posing this law the church has already lost much
Of its property, and more Of its ancient hold upon
the peoples and, embarkiDg in armed resistance TO
the government, has thus far experienced nothing
but defeat. The people do not respond to their
cry of Religion and Rights." A large portion
of the present Mexican Congress, lately engaged
upon the formation of a new constitution, was in
favor OF complete separation of Church and
State, and religious liberation; but the govern.
ment at critical moment threw it's weight against
the proposed article, and it was lost by majority
of two or three votes Later advices from Mexico
state that Senior Lerdo, the author of the new
law in relation to church property, cited above
has resigned his seat in the Cabinet of President
Comonfort. This would seem to indicate a
retrograde disposition on the part of the govern
pent, as Senior Lerdo is the great leader of the
anti Rome movement in Mexico.
New Granada accomplished this revolution in
peaceful manner some years since By the con-
stituton of 1858 freedom of worship was guaran-
teed and the Church and State completely |
severed. The clergy have labored assiduously to
obtain power there again and have lately elected
their candidate, Senior Ospina, who is half In |
dian and whole Jesuit, to the Presidency. It i |
very doubtful, however, if they can regain their
former privileges. A Presbyterian missionary
Mr.. Pratt, from this city, is now preaching in
Bogota with some success. Presbyteranism ]
however, i'll calculated to take strong hold of
people born and bred in the Church of Rome, and
whose wish is not to change their religious dog
mas, but to get rid of a corrupt priesthood If
'ur Episcopal church would translate the Com
non Prayer into Spanish, and send missionaries
o South America, TO read the service, and preach
the language of the people, they might per-
orm great work. One or two eloquent men
reaching in Spanish, might, under present favor
BILE circumstances, cause religious revolution
q at least one-haf of South America
In Peru new constitution has Just been
ramed, by which the civil is made superior to
he ecclesiastical power in all cases. The clergy
ave refused to take the oath to the new consti. |
alton, unless they are excepted from the new |
Iauses bearing upon this point, and the question
ow stands in this positon-the priests having
sked for delay until they can refer the matter
Rome. The revolution that has just broken
ut in that country may supersede for time the
citation of this question.
Chile Is convulsed with the same phase of the ,
citation that is exhibited in Peru. Some of the
RESTS who had recognized the decision of civil
ibuual in an ecclesiastical question, were sus-
'nded by the archbishop; they appealed to the 4
preme court, which decided that they should
u be deprived of their rights the archbishop
fused to obey the behest Of the court, but see.
g the danger of the existing issue, sent for the
sisting priests and arranged with them that :
ey should submit publicly to his decree,
ID he would then re-instate them in viz !,
e Of that submission. This was done, and a
'Dnict was thus avoided between the State
ID the Church. So II now stands
We have lately given the reply Of President |,
opez, Of Paraguay, to Legate of the Pope-tha, :.
was tired of Jesuits and wanted no com ncrro u