The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1876-07-09
RELIGIoU US LIBERrY (fj IN EEMEzUELA

RELIGIOUS LIBERTY (fj IN HENEzUELA
New York Catholic Review.l
This is the way in which President Guz
man of Venezuela "provides for religious
liberty" in that republic, where the follow.
ing decree has been approved by the Leg.
islature:
ART. 1. Religious liberty is established
by the Constitution of the Republic the
public or private profession of any religion
Is free in so far as the belief in or obser-
vance of it shall not disturb the public
peace, offend morality, or interfere with
constitutional and legal order.
ART. 2. There being no constitutional
or State religion, any religions which exist
or shall enter the country shall be sustain
ed by the good will and contributions of its
respective believers.
ART. 8. Venezuela has the right to pre-
vent the entrance TO, or departure from, its
territory, of the ministers of any denomin-
alton this right will be exercised by the
national executive with respect to such
the public or to the sovereignty of the Re-
public.
ART. A. Venezuela does not recognize,
nor will iG admit to its territory, arch bish-
ops or bishops, ecclesiastical chapters, or
any ecclesiastical hierarchy, as it considers
them incompatible with the rights of iude-
pendence and the sovereignty of the
country.
ART. s. Churches or religious congre-
cations are incapacitated from acquirin 6
6xed Qanded) property in the territory of
Venezuela. Such property 50 they may
have cannot be transferred without the
permission of the national Government
ART. 6. 1t will not be allowable To pub
lieh, circulate, or execute within the terri
tory of the Republic, any syllabus, bull,
brief, encyclicsl, pastoral, or edic5 from
any ecclesiastical authorities of any relig-
ion whatever.
ARr.7. It will not be allowed for minis
ters of any denomination whatsoever, in
diecourses, sermons, ETC., or in dOcu-
ments that they may give for publication,
Co criticise or censure as contrary to rellg-
ion, the laws, DEGREES, orders, sentences or
provisions of the legislative, executive,
judicial or municipal authority, nor pro-
woke with such acts or documents, disobedi-
ence to the law OF to the authorities or
functiOnaries of the Republic, nor by means
Of aliusiOns, suggestiops, personal censures,
or by any other mode to disturb conscience
or harmony among families or persons, OF
to disparage their reputation.
ART. 8. No minister of any denomina-
tion Whatsoever shall be allowed to apply
himself to public instruction.
ART. o. The part of the public expendi-
lures heretofore assigned for ecclesiastical
purposes shall be applied to popular 10
str1ction.
ART. 10. Yiolators of this law will be
treated as ususpers of the prerogatives of
the national sovereignty, and az a conse-
queDce will be exiled from the country by
tlR Executive power.
ART. IL. All laws relating to ecclesias-
tical patronage or other eubjects which may
be in conflict with the foregoing are abro-
gated. r...
Religious liberty" that isto say, is pro-
vided for by enaetiDg with great generosity
that not only the public but even the Pri
vato profession of any religion shall Dc Tree,
providing that it does not offend " moral
ity" nor interfere with any constit0elonai
Requirements. In the next place, " con-
stirutional requirement" fOrbids the en-
trance of the members of "any ecclesias-
tical hierarchy" !" and thus puts an absolute
bar to the public exercise of the Catholic
religion, since the simplest priest is ae
much a part of the hierarchy as the Pope
himself. This is because the law -givers OF
Venexuela consider their presence "incOm
patible With the rights of independence
and the sovereignty of the country" More
over, no church, even those new ones
whose existence the government pretenda
to foster in order to throw q decent cloak
over its persecution OF the Church, is to be
allowed to hold any fixed property, OF to
dispose of any it now holds without govern
mental permission. No priest and no par
con may keep q school, nor may they make
any RlIusiOns or Buggestions even To the
| fact that this pretended concession of free
dom is really an attempt to enforce utter
elavery on all but atheists and Maeons.
Yet this soFt Of despOtism ID what the New
York IFibHne describes as Religious
Freedom in Venezuela" Tyranny by any
other name would smell mere sweet.
| 1nr anar1atic vCnn,, Tr,aD5a W. W. DAWN