The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1902-02-16


his live stock. pet birds, and chill
dron.
Now he is ready for earthquakes
or volcanoes, positive that no damage VIII
come to his possessions. In this conf
donce he is ready to go ahead and do
any kind of business you want for the
rest of the year. But it is not with any
American company that the peon has in
sured his belongings. He wouldn't know
one Of their policies if he saw it. and
he wouldn't want it anyway.
His insurance is in the great Bank OF
Faith. OF which there is local agent in
every village priest. Usually the work
of insuring all this property is done ear
licr in the year than this-soon after the
New Year, in fact. But this year the
poems were slow and careless and the
priests were in no hurry. So the insur-
ing act was not performed until the re-
ports of the earthquake in the State of
Guerrero aroused both to the danger they
We're mourning.
An Odd Performance.
This annual insuring of the health of
the live stock and children-the blessing
Of them, It is called-is one of the
strangest customs which the Roman Cath
Ollie Church tolerates on the demand of its
Indian adherents. The priests are bit
:erly opposed to many of the strange
services they are called upon to perform.
They SAVIOR of idolatry and fetichism, say
the priests, and they have appealed to
the church authorities to issue an order
forbidding them.
But the more experienced fathers of the
church know that such an order would
be bitterly resented by the poems and the
Indians. and that If enforced, the moral
strength of the church would be greatly
lessened So they explain to the pro-
testing priests and grant to the Indians
the performance of the Objectionable sew
vice.
This insuring or blessing OF the live
stock is one of these odd services. On
the day it takes place the parish church
is filed with game cocks. chickens, par
rots, pigs. sheep, dogs, and all sorts OF
small four-footed beasts. Outside,
damned as close to the church door as
they can be brought, are COWS, horses,
bulls, and animals too big to get within
the sacred building. Crowded around the
altar are mothers with their young babies,
and the children with their pets.
From long before daylight this crowd
has been gathering, and some of the poems
were on the road with their stock all
night so that they might arrive at the
church in time. But even with their
best efforts it is usually noon before all
is ready.
Praying Under Difficulties.
Then the priest appears and begins re-
citing the special prayers for the COCA
sion. He calls down blessings upon all
the animals and children in the church.
He asks for them health, strength, and
freedom from sickness and accident AS
the priest recites the prayers his voice
is usually half-drowned by the babel of
barnyard sounds which arise from all
parts OF the church.
In one corner a couple of worthless
dogs may be snarling and swapping al
each other while the children who brought
them vainly try to keep them quiet. In
another couple of game-cocks which
have come to church under their owners
arms may be having little quiet enjoy
ment with their spurs. Pigs squeak and
geese eackle but the priest goes on with
his prayer. When it is ended he takes
a basin of holy water and goes from one
human group to another sprinkiing, as
he does so. all the live stock they have
brought into the church.
When the work inside the church has
been finished he turns to the bigger ami
mails which have been unable to gain ad-
mittance Over them he says the same
prayers that ne repeated in the church.
Then another basin OF holy water is Sc
cured and they are all given few crops
ca h. The whole service usually takes
up the greater part OF the day. When it
is over there is generally just about time
fer the poems to attend vespers and then
start back for their homes.
Objections of the Priests.
That the priests should disapproye OF
such a service does not seem at all
strange But the peon feels hat ne
would be very badly treated should i, be
refased him To his mind his COW and
his horse. his gamecock. and all his live
stock are fully rs important as the human
members of his family. They are mem
bers OF il, for most OF them sleep in the
same house with him, and the mere fact
that they cannot talk does not take from
them the right to be regarded as such.
So, he thinks they should be given some
OF the blessings of the church. aud once