Evening star., 1898-09-03


or church element, which here in Chile has
enormous influence.
The Church and State in Chile.
One of thu curious divisions of the presi-
dents cabinet is the branch or department
of worship and colonization" Catholicism
is the state religion. and the Catholic
Church receives a certain amount every
year from the government treasury. Near
ly all of the Chileans are Catholics. and all
church affairs of note are attended by the
government officials. On the Chilean ami
versary of its day of independence" the
president and all of his officials, including
the officers of the army and navy, attend
church. The other day a celebrated bishop
who had been dead for | don't know how
long was honored with new lnunumo Mt in
the Cathedral of Santiago, and this was
made the occasion of great celebra ton.
l went in company with the American Min
isIer. and found that nearly all of the for
eign diplomats were present. The presi-
dent, the general of the army and the ad-
miral OF the navy were there in their cffi-
clal dress, and during the ceremonies all
kreeled again and again in unison with
the priests and other church dignitaries.
l am told, however. that within recent
years other religions have been NOR. to!er-
ated by Chile than almost any other South
American country. There are two large
American schools here in Santiago, one
81 pported by the Methodist and the other
by the Presbyterian churches of the United
States, and there are other missionary col
leges and churches in different parts of the
country. These are tolerated, however on
the grounds of modern progress ra ther
than from any desire of the Chileans to
change their religion. They are, I believe
satisfied with Catholicism, though the edu-
CO ted Chilean man does not like tha way
in which the church NEEDLES with political
matters He does not go to church except
on sundays and feast days, and, like many
other men outside of South America he
of he nhlrp ii LI.,
wife and daughters. The women of Chile
are one of the strongest clements in up
holding Catholicism and It's influence. They
ars very devout You see them in the
churches week day and Sunday kneeling
on the stone floors and saying their pray
erS You meet them on the streets going
10 CONFESSION or mass, each carrying a
prayer rus IN one hand and a prayer book
In ths other, and II you Will enter the
churches you may, perhaps, see a pretty
devotee who will look at you out Of the tail
of her eye as she mumbles her prayers with
cross old duenna in the background AS
in Peru and Bolivia, the wom.n in Chile
wear solid black when they go to church
They cover their heads with black mantas
ard a church congregation makes you
think of a nunnery with all of the nuns
cad in black. Indeed, to wear white at
such times is a sign of grief and shame
rather than of purity and joy. 1t is the
custom for women who have done wrong to
put on white clothes and shroud their
heads in white shawls 10 show that they
are penitent and are resolved to be good for
the future.
Worth 100000, 900.
The Catholic Church here is enormously
wealthy. l have heard it said that it's
property in Santiago alone is worth more
than an hundred million gold dollars 1t
has some of the best business blocks of the
city. The whole of one side of the Plaza,
which is the very center of the most vaIu-
able of Santiago business property, is
taken up by the palace OF the archbishop
and by the cathedral, and there is other
property all about this belonging to the
church. 1t has acres of stores, thousands
of rented houses and vast haciendas upon
which wine and other things are made for
sale. Nearly all Of this is controlled by the
archbishop. although much of the church
property is held by it's different organiza-
tionS. The Carmelite nuns of this city are
the richest body of women in South Ameri-
ca, If not in the world. They have whole
streets of rented houses near their nun
merry and own also large farms, which
bring them in steady income These
nuns never allow their faces to be seen
by men, and if for any reason men must
be employed in the nunnery for the max
ing OF repairs, ct cetera, the nuns shroud
their forms and heads in thick black cloth
when passing by them. OF course no one
is admitted to the convent proper, but
through a friend who has some influence
with them I was admitted to the beauti-
full chapel which they have established
for the use of their employees and outsiders
In getting the permission we talked with
the nuns, though We did not see them Our
speaking tube was a dumb waiter and the
voice that came down was singularly
sweet, and I heard it utter the soft
musical Spanish IT seemed to me a shame
that 1T should, as Is the rule of the es-
tablishment, be confined to a whisper
The Dominican Friars also own millions
Of dollars worth of property in Santiago
walked for blocks past houses every one
OF which l was told belong to them and
paid them rent monthly. They dress in
black hats and gowns, with soft white fan
mel undergowns, and they look quite inn
posing as they fling themselves along the
streets Their church is perhaps the finest
In Santiago 1t Is almost a cathedral In
size and appearance, and its altar is one
Of the most beautiful on this hemisphere
When the altar was ordered from Europe
the size of .he church was not considered.
and when it arrived II was found that 1t