The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-24
VATICAN HAS SUFFERED
BY PANAHA'S SECESSION
FROM MOTHER REPUBLIC
Church and State VIII Be Separate
Under New Isthmian Gov
eminent.
NO MONEY FOR CLERGY
Stiperds Have Been Stopped and
No Papal Envoy Will Be
Recognized.
FEARS OF THE PRELATES
Colombia May Follow Panama S
Example-A New Problem
for the Church.
pecial to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the indianapolis Journal
ROME, Jan. 2S.-The secession of Panama
from Colombia has caused much concern
a the Vatican. not because of the issues
involved regarding the canal and the right
of domain claimed by the United States.
but because of relations of church and
state in the now laws that are to be framed
by the Panama Assembly. now sitting.
Until now the Vatican had full sway In
Colombia. The Roman Catholic was the
state church, and the envoy sent from
Rome enjoyed all of the privileges of a
member of the diplomatic corps. While
other religious bodies have few rights in
Colombia. it is with great difficulty that
they have exercised them
The new republic of Panama having oh
tanned recognition from most of the Euro
pean nations. the Vatican instructed Mgr.
Antonio Vico. the apostolic delegate at
Bogota. 10 confer with the bishop of Pana-
ma, Mgr. Francis X. Junguito. with a view
of securing as great power for the Church
of Rome in Panama possible, and it
might be. to secure diplomatic representa-
ton of the Vatican at the capital of the
new government. Advices just received
here are to the effect that all negotiations
have failed, the Panama junta having de-
cided upon complete separation of church
and state. The matter of chief concern,
at the moment at any rate, is the fact that
Roman clergy in Panama find themselves
cut off from means of subsistence. The
government of Panama has stopped all
stipends. and so the church is confronted
in Panama with the same problem thar it
faced in Porto Rico. Cuba and the Philip
pine islands after American occupation.
RULES IN LATIN AMERICA.
The Roman Catholic Church is official
in most of the governments of South and
Central America-of Latin America. Vati-
can ENJOYS reside at all capitals. and Bra
I'll. the Argentine, Chile, Ecuador and b.
lvia keep special representatives i'm Rome
For years the efforts of the Vatican have
been directed towards an extension of its
diplomacy i'm Latin America. Thus it was
that the new Pope recently appointed a
new representative to Mexico. OF all Latin
America, Mexico has been most persistent
in its refusal to resume Diplomatic rela.
tons with the Vatican. In the past the
representative has been sent to Mexico
as apostolic visitor, which title implied nc
recognition by the government Mgr. Sc
rannl Is now sent as apostolic delegate. The
hope o. the Vatican is that Mexico will
receive him officially, and eventually send
a delegate to Rome. Roman prelates fear
however, that the mission will be a failure
from diplomatic standpoint just as il has
been at Washington. Enormous pressure
has been brought to bear in favor OF the
washington embassy. especially by leading
American archbishops of the church.
concern of the Vatican at this moment
is that Colombia will follow the course
of Panama and Mexico, and recall its rep.
resentat1ve in Rome, oblging the Vatican
to recall its envoy from Bogota. Immedi-
ately the United States had recognized
Panama, Colombia FASTENED to interest the
Vatican in it's behalf. Several conferences
were had with Cardinal Del Val, the sec
rotary of state, and much pressure wa.
| brought to bear on the Pope to have tn,
bishop of Panama publicly and officially
condemn the revolution. The Vatican fiat.
ly refused TO interfere, further than to Sc
cure certain vague assurances. The Pope
did not comply with the request of Co
lombia Bishop Junguito, who is a Jesuit
is unpopular and may be recalled Be
cause of this refusal it is said here &c
| be not unlikely that Colombia will be un
able longer to stand up against the liberia
contention in favor of separation of church
and state.
France has not yet proposed any laws
abolishing the Concordat and separating
| the state from the church, but grave fear.
arc entertained that such step Is the mex
one to come. 1t is because of this feal
| that the Holy See has decided to accept tn,
nomination of the five new French bishops
proposed by the government This right o
! selecting the incumbents OF French diocese:
/ long worried the late Pope. This conten
! ton brought about some recent acts o.
| reprisal. eliminating i'm the last measure
TO withdraw state support from the church
! Since his elevation Piux Y has tried man!
methods TO b. Ing France to more moderate
| counsels 1t was thought for a time tina
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