The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-04-28

dinal Rampolla, papal secretary OF
state. The following is the cardinal s
letter to Cardinal Gibbons:
Rome, Nov. 80, 1S95-To Cardinal
James Gibbons, Archbishop of Bal5i-
more: Most Reverend and Eminent
Sir-In consequence of previous inter-
views held with you eminence, write,
of which fact you were informed on the
18th of June, 1895, to tire apostolic del
egate for the republics OF Peru, Bo-
livia and Ecuador to obtain precise in
formation as to the
LEGAL. STATUS OF PROTESTANTS
there, regarding the free exercise of
religious worship and the celebration
Of marriages.
1.-THE (pontifcaD representative of the
holy see promptly complied with my
request, and now, I am in position to
state that Proteshants in Peru, far
from being restricted in the free exer-
else of their worship, are rather &C
corded a larger degree of liberation
than is compatible with a strict con-
struction of the political constitution OF
these countries. This is evidenced by
the fact that in Peru, especially in the
cities of Lima and Callao, there are
several Anglican and Methodist CHAP
els, where weekly conferences are held.
AS to the solemnization of marriages,
the delegate informs me that. whilst
the constitution of Peru recognizes no
other forms Gas VALID than that pre-
scribed by the council Of Trent, Pro-
testants do. as matter of fact,
WE'D WITH RELIGIOUS CERE-
MONY
in the presence of the ministers and
civilly before the consuls and ambas-
sailors of their respective countries.
The same condition of things rela-
tive to marriage exists in Bolivia and
Ecuador, where the exercise of relig-
ious worship is regulated by special
constitutional enaotments, with which,
however, the holy see cannot interfere.
Having, in due time, received from
your eminence the representations of
the Rev. John Lee, I deem it oppor-
tune to communicate to you the results
of my inquiries, so that you may, &C
cording to your judgment, transmit
them to the reverend gentleman.
'I am pleased to renew to you the
sense of profound reverence, humbly
kissing your hand. and 1 honor my
self, reaffirm myself. your eminence's
most humble servant.
IN CARDINAL RAMPOLLA."
IN CONCLUSION.
The report adds: In conclusion the
committee wishes to say:
''First-It is indeed a sad spectacle
in this enlightened age, that an in
stltution claiming to be a moral and
religious power in the world, should
refuse to lift finger to suppress
what Roman Catholic editor in this
city terms 'odious religious restric-
lions, and to which an aged English
statesman applies the language -hor-
rible and revolving
"Second-It is sadder still that all
efforts should be made 30 cover up.
explain away, or justify the 'odfous
and horrible "
The matter is entirely foreign to the
functions of Cardinal Satolli, stated Rev.
DR.. Rocker, private secretary to the pa
pal representative today, when shown
the correspondence between the Chicago
Methodist ministers and the Catholic au-
thorities regarding restrictions on Pro-
testantism in Peru, Ecuador and Boliv-
ia. Cardinal Satolli is here as the pom
tifical representative of the pope and has
absolutely no cognizance of matters aris-
ing out of his own jurisdiction. The con-
ditions pictured doubtless are perfectly
true. Protestants in the strictly Catho-
lie countries like these three undoubtedly
stand on precisely the same basis as
Catholics in the strictly Protestant eoun-
tries. That is a matter which rests solely
with the respective governments.