The herald., 1896-04-28
Religious Liberty in the South
American Countries
CARDINAL RAMPOLLA'S NOTE
Explaining the Situation 10 the Strictly
Catholic Countries
Religious Worship 10 Regulated by constftas
tlonal Bnactments With Which the
Holy See Cannot Interfere
Associated Press Special wirs.

CHICAGO, April 27.-At the Chicago
Methodist ministers meeting today
Rev. John Lee, chairman of the com.
mittee on religious liberty for Protest.
ants in South America, read the reports
OF the committee.
1t first details the difficulties expert
enced in the obtaining the attention Of
the highest dignitaries Of the Roman
Catholic church, stating that several
letters addressed to Archbishop Ireland,
Cardinal Satolli, Cardinal Gibbons and
nnally to the pope were unanswered.
At length, however, Cardinal Gibbons
took the mater UP, referring 1t to Car
dinal Rampola, papal secretary of state.
The following is the cardinals letter to
Cardinal Gibbons:
ROME, November 80, 1895.
To Cardinal James Gibbons, Archbfsh-
op of Baltimore-Most Reverend and
Eminent Sir: In consequence Of pre-
vious interviews held with your emf
nence, / wrote, Of which fact you were
informed on the 18th of June, 1895, to the
apostolic delegate for the republic Of
Peru, Bolivia and to Ecuador, to obtain
precise information as to the legal status
of Protestants there, regarding the free
exercise of religious worship and tho
celebration of marriages.
The pontif1cal representative Of tho
holy see promptly complied with my
request, and now am in q position to
state that the Protestants in Peru, SO
far from being restricted in the free ex-
ercise Of their worship, are rather ac-
corded a larger degree Of liberation
than is compatible with a strict con-
struction of the political legislation of
the countries. This Is evidenced by tho
fact that in Peru, especially in the cities
Of Lima and Callao, there are several
Anglican and Methodist chapels where
weekly conferences are held. As to the
solemnization Of marriages. the dele
gate informs me that while the consti-
tuition of Peru recognizes no other form
(as VALID than that prescribed by the
Council Of Trent, Protestants do, as
matter of fact, wed with religious cere-
mony in the presence Of their ministers
and civilly by the consuls and ambassa-
dors of their respective countries.
The same condition of things relating
to marriage exists in Bolivia and Ecua-
dor, where the religious worship Is reg
ulated by constitutional enactments.
with which, however, the holy see can
not interfere.
Having in due time received from
your eminenco the representations of
the Rev. John Lee, I deem it opportune
to communicate to you the results of
my inquiries, SO that you may, accord
ing to your Judgment. transmit them to
the reverend gentleman.
1 am pleased to renew to you the
sense of profound reverence, humbly
kissing your hand, and I honor myself
and reaffirm myself your eminence's
most humble, devoted and true servant.
NJ. CARDINAL RAMPOLLA.
The report adds: In conclusion the
committee wishes to say:
First-It is, indeed, sad spectacle in
this enlightened age that an institution
claiming to be a moral and religious
power in the world, should refuse to
lift a finger toward sweeping away
what Roman Catholic editor in this
city terms ''odious religious restric-
statesman applies the language "hor-
rible and revolving"
Second-It Is sadder still that all ef.
forts should be made to cover UP, ex-
plain away or justify the "odious and
horrible"
SATOLLTS VIEWS
WASHINGTON, April 27.-"This mat
ter is entirely foreign to the functions
of Cardinal Satolli,' stated Rev. DR..
Rocker, private secretary to the papal
representative, today when shown the
correspondence between the Chicago
Methodist ministers and the Catholic
authorities regarding restrictions on
Protestants in Peru, Ecuador and Bo-
livia. Cardinal Satolli Is here as the
pontifical representative of the pope,
and has absolutely no cognizance of
matters arising out of his own jurisdic-
tion. The conditions pictured doubt
less are perfectly true. Protestants in
the strictly Catholic countries like these
three undoubtedly stand on precisely
the same basis as Catholics in tho
strictly Protestant countries. That is
a matter which rests solely with the re-
spective governments"