Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-26

able to do. because 1t had transferred the
greater portion OF 1t to private parties.
Ultimately coHcordat was MADE between
the crown and the church authorities, under
which certain property rights of the church
were recognized and the government was
either to restore or to make compensation
for real estate holdings which it was occupy
ing II is under this cOncordat that Blsn-
| op Sbaretti IL now seeking to secure an ad-
iustment of the church's claims and their
recognition by the American authority.
other Claims of the Church.
The church also has claims Of another
sort against the state. This is under what
is know as the 'censos" or membranes
on certain property. The censo is In the
nature of a ground rent, or. In legal
phraseology, a "chattel real Its aim Is
to secure an annuity to given person or
institution. The amount OF the censo may
be fixed in a lump sum and then the an
nuity or yearly charge calculated on the pa
sis of a fixed percentage or interest," on the
principal
One niece of property which the govern
ment occupies in Havana Is the Monte de
Piedad or pawnshop, and this has had to
pay a censo for something more than Two
hundred years. 1t was the residence OF
Bishop Compostela, who administered the
diocese Of Havana in 1851. He made over
his property to the obispado or diocese on
condition that this censo be paid to main.
tain charity, school for girls. The amount
was $500 annually. Bishop Compostela
successors paid it until the government
took the property. Now the government,
according to the church contention, cannot
establish it's title to this building until II
removes the membranes by paying the
principal. or agreeing to pay the censo
each year. This is one Illustration OF MANY
complicated cases.
Some OF the claims go back for fifty years
or more, but under the Spanish law there
Is a statute of limitations applying to CEN
forhf6S their
than, five. years in arrearage. therefore,
this kind of charge on real estate is not
a serious one, since the accumulated inter-
est cannot extend beyond five years. and
the incumbrance at any one time may pc
removed by paying the principal 1t Is the
complaint of the church authorities that
they have lost many millions OF collars
through these censos. the collection OF
which they were unable to enforce, even
under the Spanish government
Bishop Sbarettfs Policy.
IInder Bishop Sbaretti's administration
the policy followed is to clear up all these
controverted questions and also to dispose
of a great deal of real estate, so as to
limit the church property to weii-denned
boundaries So 1t is selling good deal OF
land and other property, even TO OLD ana
disuSed cemeteries.
When the American authorities first took
control In many Of the municipalities
there were sharp controversies with the
ecclesiastical authorizes over the CeiuclcT-
les Some of these still exist, but In ma
tority of cases an amicable arrangement
has been reached, and the subject no
longer is a cause of irritation.
The Cuban clergy and their focks have
not vet become fully reconciled to the
Vatican policy Of sending them bishop
who would be acceptable to the Spanfards
as well as to the Cubans. Some of the
Cuban priests still sign their names to hos
tile manifestoes and show an independence
of ecclesiastical authority which would not
be permitted them under different condi-
tons. -,
The movement against Bishop Sbaretd
is now more political than. formerly. but
seems to haye less force. For time Max
inc Gomez encouraged this movement, but
lately he has remained quiet. Juan Quail
berto Gomez the orator and leader OF the
colored race, has taken the side OF the
,bishop and Endorsed the charitable works
Of the church Il may be said that the