The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-08-11

ma and of Porto Rico as suffragans At
the end of the war with Spain, native
Cuban, Monsignor Barnada, who had.
however, been loyal to SPAIN was APP
pointed to the see of Santiago which had
been held for nearly four centuries by ma
tsyes of Spain. The Cubans' desire for
the appointment of native to the see of /
Havana, however, was not gratified Mr.
Charles Warren Currier, author of "a
History of Religious ORDERS writing in
d recent number of The Conservative Re-
view. expresses a fiattering opinion of /
Mcnssnor Sbarrett, formerly auditor of |
the Apostolic Delegation at Washington |
who was appointed Bishop of Havana by |
the Pope. He is, says the writer, a man |
OF singular abinty of character, who will !
make friends wherever he goes, and his !
prudence and tact will no doubt conciIi- |
ate the Cuban element in the church Mr. (
CLrrier believes, from private sources of |
Information. that the Roman authorities |
EXPECT that American sovereignty will en- |
dure in Cuba, at least for some time to |
Gene There was, therefore. no need to
ccncfliate the revolutionary party. None
OF those ecclesiastics who, by word or
deed, favored the patriot cause have IN
any way obtained promotion he re-
marks. In the event of Cuban independ-
ente, however, the see of Porto Rico, says
the writer, will be separated from the
province of Santiago and made suffragan
4 "A
convenient loophole has been left for this
in the appointment of an American priest
Mcnsignor Blenk, as Bishop of Porto Rico
| The religious problem in Cuba is a seri-
ours one. says Mr.. Currier. Under the last
years of the Spanish dominion the church
in Cuba became identified with the mon
Iaiohy, to the disadvantage Of religion:
"The priests in Cuba, dependent upon
THE Spanish Government as much as. if
not more than, upon the Pope, salaried
ministers of the Government as they were
came to be regarded with distrust A cold
inCSs enSued between them and their fiocks
and the ties that had bound pastors and
.loTgs the credit of enkindling the smould-
ering embers of faith and piety in the
hearts OF many, and OF inaugurating al
least a partial revival of religion. Their
suppression in the previous century, I'M
, der the famous minister De Amanda, had
been misfortune for Cuba Yet even
: they were regarded by many OF the ad-
, varced liberals and revolutionaries as in
: struments of a tyrannical government
, While this GOODNESS toward the ecclesias-
: teal regime was settling over the heart
of the people. rationalistic and infidel lit
1 erature was doing It's deadly work, and
IT Is much to be feared that many of the
5 watchmen on the tower were mapping.
t The mere routine service of the church,
chanting of psalms, eloquent ora
i items and majestic ceremonies were not
sufficient to instruct the ignorant, to con-
e vert the sinner. and to stem the tide of
e ibfidelity. The impressions should have
: been removed that the church was mimi
q cal to the just aspirations of the people
y but how could this be done when the
c State exercised SO much authority, even
: Iir ecclesiastical affairs? Besides, unless
s a priest were truly animated with the
g spirit of the divine Founder of Christi
q hc hx-
d material interests, which depended sc
h largely on the State.
e "In regard to the condition of religion
/ at the time of the late rebellion. 1 car
3 not do better than to cite the words of 6
! Cuban priest. who had the sorrow to
: witness the sufferlngs of his people in the
r. province of Pinar del Rio, and tho labor
e ed hard for them then as he is laborins
new. When the Cuban revolution was a.
e, its height, he wrote to me as follows:
Il The Cuban people is Christian in Its
n manners and customs, 1t Is Catholic from
n convsction, with an element of supersti-
ID ton and ignorance among the lower
. classes, owing to the education they have
/ received from those who have directed
the development of our society. The edu
y .cated and better classes are also Catholic
in feeling and in habits. some practical
Io,hers, without being actually hostile, ar,
: Indifferent or rationalistic.'
$ The future of the Cuban church, say
l. the writer, depends largely upon it's cler
I. gy. The faith of the people is, he says
I. merely sleeping, and with an able body o
81 jealous and patriotic priests, such as ma.
8 now be expected, he believes that tn
l. light of religion will once more shin
forth brightly. Mr.. Currier does not be
: lieve there is much opportunity for Prot
y estant proselytism in Cuba. "Catholicit
y is too deeply rooted in the Cuban breas
70, no octl Cd no
u equally confident that "the infidelity G
many IS not so deep as it may appear o
I'd the surface" He continues:
NJ "Of course In Latin nation method
ne must necessarily vary from those whic
xt prevail among the colder peoples of Tel
ne tonic blood. Their temperament require
by that more Importance be attached to ou
"a, ward forms. to ceremonial, and to tn
ed ,sp:endor of worship. There Is somethin
Is in their general makeup which demand
an It, and centuries have accustomed the
or to it. EloQuence will also go far towaI
er captivating the Cubans and drawing the
he to the church. The first and foremost a
'e- tention Of the clergy must, however,
en- directed to the instruction of the min
ng Catechetical instructions for old al
young should be introduced into evel
srs ichurch of the Island. Most important
* all is the work of the schools. There
lat no treason, absolutely no reason, why
nd religious instruction should be banish
from the schoolroom, and IL the Unit
NIB States authorities should persist In takil
IRE such a step, Catholics throughout Il
hit United States will be justified in regar
it'll ing it as an act of hostility to their I
wn ligIon, an act attributable only to igno
SEES ance or bigotry. I do not maintain tn
SIS the church should control schools esta
es: lished or supported by the Governmer
in but / contend that the religiously HON
lad geneous character of the population q
ur mands that religious instruction shou
Ids be impaired therein, and further decla
zen that the State has absolutely no right
,.s- tccntrol schools established by privs
in money, nor has our Government the rig
to interfere with laws existing in Cul
.tlv or to impose our own school laws up
of the island. II religion is to flourish in
eli ba. it must be implanted in the minds
has the people at the age of childhood"
feel 49,
to WAIT.
eat
In The clouds may be low over valley a
en-. hill,
The voice of the ice-fettered brooks m