Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-26
The Catholic Church Claims.
As If stands now the bishop is willing
tile with the government on basis

Az If stands now the bishop is willing to
settle with the government on basis OF
81 ono go for property alleged to be owned
nv the church and occupied by the govern
meut. In this property are included the
custom house, which formerly was the
Franciscan monastery, the University ana
the Institute of Havana, formerly the Do
mlican monastery, the Academy OF Sci
ences and the Compostela barracks All
these are substantial structures. Inc most
historic Is the aduana or custom mouse,
which Is also considered the most valuable
An offset to the claims of the church Ill
many instances is made by the municipality
or the state. Just before the Spanish eVac
uatiOn scandal was caused by the acton
taken in securing the registry OF Titles TO
various pieces of property by Bishop san
lander the retiring Spanish prelate. which,
it was claimed. in reality belonged to the
municipality or to the state. The reJolnder
was that in all these cases the registry was
made to secure the rights of the church to
property which was its own and which the
Spanish authorities had admitted, though
refusing to perfect the records 1here IS
an old provision of Spanish law that allows
% Der cent to the person discovering prop
erty belonging to the government when Is
held by other parties unlaWfully. Some IN
dividuals who wanted the % per cent claim.
ed that they discovered a million dollars
worth of property belonging to the state of
which the church unlawfully had possessed
itself.
Probably the real estate which IS claimed
by the church and which has been utilized
by the government is worth $1,000, COO But
the contention is made that both parties
will be the gamer if d claim for s., 00a,00O
is allowed to the church. and the title to all
the disputed property fixed irrevocably in
the state. Naturally Bishop Sbaretti is
anxious to have a full determination of the
subject before the United States with
draws it's authority, and before a new COM
ic
which has been examining the titles and
other matters has no power to make COM
pensation. All 1t can do Is to state the
facts it finds them regarding these dis
puted titles.
Question of American Authorities' Ac-
ton.
Whether the American authorities will
indorse the findings and confirm the church
in it's claims Is as yet undetermined. This
couI So Is urged as a means of avoiding one
cause of friction In the future, but 1t is
also stortly opposed by those who insist
that this is not the business of the inter-
yening government, and that the church
must be left to establish its property rights
urder the future commonwealth. What Is
really aimed at for the present Is to have
the American authorities determine what
are the property rights of the church. so
that whatever government Is set up in the
future will be compelled to respect them
just as it will have to respect other vested
rights A strong anti-clerical element ex-
lists in the constitutional convention. This
element declares that no matter what
course may be taken under the American
control, the rights of the church in the
Aduana and other property cannot be con-
firmed.
In the early part Of the last century,
when the government of Spain took posses
sion Of the property of monastic orders, the
edict was declared to apply to Cuba as well
az to the peninsula. Afterward the issue
was raised that the decree had been meant .
valued at from fifty to sixty million dollars,
in Cuba had been unlawfully seized under
the direction of the captains general.
There were continuous controversies, and
at one time the church secured an order i
directing the restoration of its property in