St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-03-11
He WRITES GUATEMALANS
Concerning Niearagua's Ac-
ton in Sending a Pleni-
potentiary to Rome.
WASHINGTON AND ROME.
Reference to the Propriety Of
Official Relations Between
Them.

SAN FRANCISCO, March 1O.-Pri-
vate advices received here give an
interesting and important commune
cation from Mgr. Satolli to officials of
Guatemala concerning the course of
Nicaragua in sending to Rome an
envoy extraordinary and minister
plenipotentiary. In the course of
the document reference is made as
to the propriety under the United
States constitution of official rela-
tons between Washington and
Rome, and an Interpretation given of
that feature of the constitution rela-
tive to the separation Of church and
state. Mgr. Satolli's letter was writ
ten while negotiations were pending
about four months ago. It refers at
length to difficulties in church adj
ministration in Guatemala, and sug-
gests that certain changes desired by
the government should be accom-
panied by an equivalent or serious
advantage to render less burden
some the condition of the church in
says:
I'm the first place, allow me to
reflect that to re-eStabliSh diplo-
matte relations between the holy see
and, your government "a concordat'
would not be necessary, but that
they could be re-established and
maintained without it, Besides, it
is we'll to reflect that the holy father
enjoys always in fact and by inter-
national right the prerogatives of
sovereignty. In the second place,
the separation between the church
and the state Sanctioned by the con-
stitution excluded the action of one
power over another in civil matters
. in regard to the church, and in re-
ligious matters in regard to the state:
/ but does not exclude official relations
between the one power and the other,
unless by separation is meant the
inevitable hostility or open wrong
OF the civil power toward the church
and its ministry. 1t is also to the
point to consider that any nations
they have in their constitutions the
said principle of separation between
state and church maintain, never
{ thelesS, amicable reports and rela-
tons with the holy see, and I can
also add that, although the holy see
has no diplomatic reports with the
empires of China and Japan,.it has
certainty found no official obstacle
in their diversity Of religion. And
the condition of the Catholic church
in the United States, in whose con-
st1tutlon was inserted the article Of
separation of the state from any re-
hgious sect, cannot escape our con-
sideration; I might almost say a
sense of surprise, if up to date no
official relations exist between the
government and the holy see, it is
because a majority of the population
is anti-Catholic. In the meantime
the church here is attaining posi-
bly, greater development and liberty
than in other states"
Besides this direct reference to the
United States, it is said that Mgr.
Satolli's argument as to the propriety
of official relations between Guate-
mala and Rome applies also to the
United States, as he states that the
constitutional provision fboth coun-
tries is the same respecting church
and state. AS to the concern of the
pope for the ichurch in Central
America, the document says:
II am happy to state that the holy
fo yxrff
that the ancient violent prejudice
and opposition to the church are
daily disappearing.
Moreover, 1 must assure you of
the lively concern of his holiness to
see the condition of the Catholic
church in your state, the great i'm
pOrtance of which in Central Amer
lea is well known, improved. There
fore the holy father regards as of the
greatest Importance, religious and
civil, the good existence of friendly
relations, and he is not averse to
making all such concessions as NAV
be compatible with the doctrine of
the church with the welfare of the
faithful and with the welfare of your
country. And, therefore, his holt
ness consents to proceed to the nom
ination of an apostolic administra-
tor to the see of Guatemala, who.
being a stranger to every faction,
and without personal preoccupation,
should put in order the religious af-
fairs of the various archdiocese.
which has been so many years with
out it's urgent needs. The apostolic
administrator should be a European
selected from among notable pre-
lates or monks and of tried piety and
prudence. Being such, he should
more readily succeed in his difficult
mission"
Speaking of the desirability Of
rendering less burdensome the con-
dition of the church in Guatemala,
Mgr. Satolli says:
"Apropos of which allow me to re-
call to your consideration the numer-
gus DEGREES issued from the 18th of
December, 1871, up to 1884, and other
dispositions up to 1887; DEGREES and
dispositions of law more or less
gravely prejudicial to religious lib
erty, that the church, by divine right,
and almost, 1 may say, by the right