Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-09-29

article III the same NUMBER pTrulGtiHB
Iust such ceremonies on that DAY,
uritecs William r. Barton i'll the Boston
Transcript. The surprise was only thtt
tile facts became public. am III posi-
ton To affirm that that WAS not the
only cruciiixion in America on that day.
Since then | have made extensive III
VcStigationS. which cannot DE H:ilSHel
for some time, and can never sho"
Cumpl,tcly the truth, but when VIII
afford information, reliable so 1ir AS ~
goes. concerning Negotiations, tortuffS
ana croSSbearing professions III the Sedi
1903. Already several accounts are III
my possession from perfectly trust
worthy sources Of bloody rites con-
iiaucd for forty days and ceaSlng WIN
Good Friday Of this present year. !
wish to add 10 that already publiShed
in my article oil April p, some further
account of the Penitente Brothers OF
the Southwest gathered While l was
.er;. and supplemented as | have SAID
by Investigations still going on. The
chief point of interest at present seems
10 mo to BE- tn" constant growth and
incrrasipor mower Of what has been
counted a practically extinct order. III
al work in the strongholds Of This me-
diacvai fnnalicism which tend TO this
decrease; and there is practically
every condition that can help it 10
flourish. Instead Of q sporadic recru-
d.sccncr or imfrcquent survival. which
| hld inferred from Al that | had
read about il, il is a vigorous ana Vide
spread organizations, 10 D" "cho!"d
with III social. political AMI religious
lie. and will yet be :, factor in national,
as II is already in State and territorial
politics.
THE MODERATE FACTION.
There are Two groups of this ori'r.
The one whose headquarters is in cuba,
y. NJ. is the more enlightened ard hr-
name by contrast. 1t appears 10 nave
originated in a split from the Older, Or
Tertiary FRANCISCAN order It's present
heat on at Least most prominent figure,
| is Il man named Sandoval. He IS mid
dIn-aged man Of good presence lie
wars the garb Of the common laDnrer.
| indeed, there is no Vdstmcnts in either
| of these groups. Around his neck ne
wears 4 red handkerchief. lie posed
| for his Pilot oGraJh for IL friend of mine,
ard was pleased with the result,
and asked for a print which his follow
| erS caused to be enlarged and hung in
| the mGrado. or holy habitaiion at
| Cuba 1t shows him in a procession
which he caused to be halted that th.-
| picture might be taken. Beside him is
| II man bearing as a banner without Il
staff a rather well-painted head of the
| tlrorn-crowned Christ. Three men
". II-irh
| fourth bearing the image of the patron
saint Of the village. This saint is nail
| ed To the cross.
| This man with about Il dozen of his
| followers goes from place 70 place.
preaching on the sufferings of Christ.
and cXherting men to attain to holiness
through following his Suff"rings. lie
| makes a strong appeal; is himself a
man of education. His sermon on the
Prodigai son had in il a strong appeal
10 men TO dcsiSt from sin; but the way
of return to the Father was the way
Of penace. Wherever he goes he is met
with professions. ! have Il photograph
of n procession Of girls in white. deck
90 with artificial flowers. and carrying
GarlaHdS. going out perhaps 4 mile
from the village to welcome his coming.
His annual round is made before and
during Lent and is attended with large
aCcCssiOnS to the brotherhood. He Wis
its nldctS where the Penitentes are Of
the other group. as we'll as those where
his own are located, and his coming Is
the occasion of great revivals.
This man diSCoura9eS public cruelty
ions and Negotiations. Eut he cXhoits
men TO live lives of penace. This pcnacr
is not by the way Of poverty. chastity
ana obedience; tile brothers own their
own property i'll ScVeralty, arc all or
nearly all married. and except for the
lulcS Of the order live Independent
lives. I3ut they bear burdens: fill carts
with stones. and draw them weary
miles over rocks or through sand: tie
themselves in painful attitudes. walk
ing with wrists tied to ankles. ana 50
on. They are supposed to stop short of
bloOdShcd in their ncnanco. II is thought
by So;ac thar this order is instiGatcd by
priests, who. knowing the impossi-
bIlity of uprooting the brotherhood.
take This means Of substituting q milder
form than that which the people would
otherwise possess and follow. This
branch Of the order holds an annual
convention. ana is cndraVoring to effect
q central control of all the lodges of
its own type. Hitherto the brother
hoods have been purely local in their
governments: and it is thought that
som" measure Of restraint can he ef-
lecicfl by the influence of such a man
as the leader of the Cubanos. Some
hope that his leaven will in time leaven
the lump of the main order. and win it
over from barbarity to a life of pen
ance without the horror Of pierced
hands and bleeding backs and sides.
The priests sometimes give to this
Cubano order n quiet sanction which
they profess to withhold from the
ether TIE Cuhano branch wears d
ribbon badge with gilt letters. inscribed
in Spanish with the name. THE Socic-
~ of Jesus" This, of course. is wholly
distinct from the Jesuit order. l know
of case where these badges were
blessed by the priest, who sprinkled
them with holy water, made the Sigr
of the cross and pronounced a benedic-
ton over them. thus giving sanction to
their use in the decoration Of new
members.
III