The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-03
LOOKING TOWARD CUBA
AMERICAS MISSIONARIES PREPAR-
ING TO INVADE THE ISLAND.
IL Spansards Are Driven Ont an Eff
fort WIN Promptly sie Made to
ProtestantIze the Natives.


Special 70 the Indianapolis Journal
NEW YORK. April Ia part of the very
pronounced attitude Of ministers in favor of
interference by the United States in behalf
OF Cuban insurgents IS 20 be attributed to
the great desire on the part OF church mis-
sionary boards to undertake in Cuba mis-
sionary work similar to that already
complished In the Sandwich islands. Even
at this early date there have been consulta-
tons by American mission boards about
work in Cuba in the event of the Span
iards being forced out of the island. This
rather feverish anxiety is to be attributed
in part to true missionary zeal, and in
part to the fact that promising church eff
fort in Cuba was stopped when the Spanish
troops came under Campos and Weyler.
Several church boards stand ready to take
vp this effort again, and others, are praying
for a free Cuba in order that they may
get there. All is even now in readiness and
within three months after a free Cuba is
declared, every foreign mission board in
America will have stations on the island,
some Of them in every. principal town.
So far as can be learned there is at pres
ent just one Protestant service maintained
on the whole island. That is for a little
Episcopal congregation in Havana There
is a lay reader in charge of it, and the
number Of worshipers does not exceed
twenty. To keep up a service for this hand
full of people the American Church Mission
arg Society pays about $1,000 a year. The
name Of the lay reader Is Senior Pena- The
balance of the congregation has either been
exiled or has exiled itself, and is now in
Tampa, under the Rev. Joses Duerta. The
number of these exiles steadily increases,
and to care for them the Congregational
Home Missionary Society maintaines a serv-
ice, both at Tampa and at Key West.
The remnant of the Episcopal effort in
Havana has been several times In trouble,
and their place of worship has been closed
on five different times on account of some
political pretense. such as the lay reader
being suddenly wanted to answer some
question before some official at exactly the
hour appointed for the service.
Roman Catholics are In full control, but
the persecution does not come from them
as Roman Catholics. but as Spaniards. For
example, the Cuban native who becomes
a Roman Catholic priest fares about as
badly as does the Protestant The same op-
preston obtains in the church as in the
Erate; the former being used for base ends.
Cuba is divided into two Roman Catholic
provinces-the Archdiocese of Havana and
the Diocese of Puerto Principe. There are
about two hundred parishes in both, and
from every one of them, IL Of any impor-
lance, Cuban-born priests are excluded.
In the cathedral chapter at Havana there
is but one Cuban, and only two natives
have ever obtained any especial pre-
ferment-the mitre never. The churches
throughout the country are extremely
shabby affairs. Often they are erected, and
often still supported, by money RAISED at
fetes, at which monte roulette and similar
games are allowed. The total expense of
maintaining all the churches on the island
is scarcely more than $4,000 a year. 1t will
be seen from this that churches and church
privileges are meager indeed.
The most successful evangelical effort
ever made In Cuba was that of Dr. A. ].
Diaz; he YVES missionary sent by the
Southern Baptist Convention of this coun-
try. Starting in a modest way, he attained
such success that theater was purchased
for him, and he had congregation of above
two thousand members. When the present
troubles came on he was arrested three or
Your times, but finally locked up and con-
Gemned TO death. Our government inter-
Tered, and he was released on condition
that he leave the country Immediately. He
left, and his great congregation went to
pieces He is now working in Mexico sup
ported by the American Baptist Publication
Society Of Philadelphia. But the moment
It IS possible the Southern Baptist Conven-
ton will send him back to Cuba. One Sc
cret of his success is the fact that he is a
physician.
CongregationaIists. Baptists. Christians
and perhaps others are ut work among Gu
ban refugees in Florida, trying to care for
them in both a spiritual and material way
These refugees seem very grateful for help
rendered them, and attend services more
regularly perhaps than ever they did at
home. Under Spanish rule here is a late
picture Of church conditions on the island
of Cuba; Our clergy does not trouble itself
with dogma or propaganda. IT is a question
of lucre-of administering the sacraments
and Of collecting the fees, and more than
the fees. There is not one parish which SUP
ports a free or endowed school. Just now
there is an active crusade against the civil
marriage ceremony, recently instituted The
objection comes from the Spanisn- born
priest, and he objects because of the loss
Of the fees. These he makes twice as high
for Cubans as FOR Spaniards. The divisions
or The respective dioceses into parishes ac-
cords rather with financial exigencies than
with spiritual necessities. There are rector
ships which embrace extensive and thicklv
populated districts where the parishioners
are neglected, but which are known as of
the nrst class on account of their profits
They are sought and given in this sense as
signal taVorS to such as have influence and
happen to have been born in Spain 1t is the
Spanish blood that contaminate the Roman
Catholic Church, and not the church that
does the injury Spain is Spain, and it is
partly to the Spanish action in instituting
abuses into tho church that the Insurgents
are now making objections. The INSURGENTS
are Catholics and love their churCh The
religious condition of the island Is as bad
as the political"