The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-05-24
THE CATHEDRALS.
MExlCO'S CHURCH EDIFIcES AND
THE WONDERS THEREOF.
Grand Cathedral of the City Of Mexico
Cathedrals of Pueblo and Santa
Guadalupe--Rich Ornaments,
Jewels and yestments-
Emily Pierce in Frank Leslie's.l

EMILY Pierce in Frank LeSlle'sl
It is fact, frankly acknowle igsi, that
the Roman Catholic church in Mexico Is
now surrounded by the ruins only OF its
former greatness. Fifty years ago this opu-
lent institution owned over three-fifths Of
the Cipy of Mexico The income Of the
archbishop was greater than that of the,
queen of England. in 1927 there were $50
converts and monasteries in Mexico One
tenth of the products of the country went TO
the clergy as tithes. The estimated
value Of church property in 1850
was $500. 600, 000, one-third OF the entire
property of the nation. In the City of Mex
leo thore were 5000 houses, valued at $50
100000, of which the church owned more
than one-half. Domes rose in every block,
the cross was lifted upon every hand. The
annual income of the church in the City OF
Mexico was $50, 900, 900, while that of the
republic was only SIS, 900 900. The clergy
in the city of Puebla held mortgages on
farms, i'm that state alone, to the amount OK
SAC, 900 0O0 Between Puebla and Apizaco,
a distance of thirty miles, were l24 churches,
and the valley of Puebla numbered 365-one
for each day in the year.
The grand cathedral stands upon the site
OF the Aztec Teocalli; it covers a space OF
426 by 500 feet and its high altar, which Is
in the center of tho eiifce, Is above the spot
once occupied by the sacrificial stone. The
choir is one mass Of elaborate carvings; ex-
tending around it, and leading to the high
altar, probably 30 feet, is railing of lum-
bago, manufactured in China, and weighing
twenty-six tons. 1t is a brassy-looking
metal composed of gold, silver, and a small
alloy of copper, but containing so much
gold that On offer has been made to replace
it with pure silver. and give many thousand
dollars in addition. The altar itself. placed
upon marble platform, is Of
wrought and polished silver, and the
whole surmounted by a small temple,
in which formerly rested the figure
of the Virgin of Remedies, who was dressed
in three petticoats-vne embroidered with
pearls, another with emeralds and third
with diamonds, the value of which was
over IS, 600. 600. This was only one part OF
one church in Mexico, and that said not to
be the richest.
dropped into the sacristy one day, and
found two or three padres INDUCING in q
quiet chat after mass. They politely volun-
teered to show me the magnif cent set OF
vestments worked for the cathedral by COM
mand of Isabella of Spain They are OF
cloth f-gold, incrusted with gems, and with
passages of holy writ. so exquisitely worked
in silk that it required the closest inspection
the needle. These gorgeous vestments are
useless for practical purposes being so
heavy that no man OF ordinary Dimensions
could sustain their enormous weight during
mass, or even long enough to pronounce the
benediction.
The cathedral of Puebla is the best speci-
men of architecture have seen in Mexico
The material is blue basalt, and the mas
sive buttresses and lofty towers without, the
noble arches and artistic pillars within. give
dignity and solidity often lacking. A
| favorite legend tells US that while in process
| of building, this cathedral gained mysteri-
ously in height during the night exactly as
much as the masons had accomplished dur
ing the day. This was said to be the work
| of two angels who came down from heaven,
and wrought with golden trowels IN
their hands, hence the city acquired the
name of "Puebla de los Angeles" ltbe City
of the Angels).
Here the great altar affords the finest dis
play Of Mexican marbles in the republic,
and beneath it is the sepulcher Of the bishr
| ops. Before the revolution there do
pended from the center of the vast dome
an enormous CHANDELIER mass OF gold
and silver weighing tons; one may
imagine its value from the fact that the cost
Of cleaning IL alone amounted TO $4,000.
| Here the candelabra were OF gold, and so
ponderous that strong man could not lift
them the value Of the jewels was of historic
notoriety, and an image Of the Virgin
boosted a zone OF diamonds valued Mt $l,-
100000.
The cathedral Of Santa Guadalupe Is the
most famous In Mexico. and was onoe the
ricbe Z and most venerated shrine: but the
grand old Indian president, Benito Jusrez,
coniiscated most of its gold and silver orna-
ments, and coined them into money, TO carry
on his war against the church perry. Even
tho frame Of solid gold which surrounded
the patron saint was taken, but this was
afterward returned. The altar railing,
weighing tons, Il Of solid silver. This alone,
of all the sumptuous church fixtures, was
spared by tho Liberals