East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-09-26

Contributed
Mr.. Andrew ShiprlSn. one OF the
greatest IiVins authorities on Spanish
affairs. writes as follows in "Ameri-
ca" A writer who signs himself as
'Gerun8ie. CORNER Monk" has just
published s book in Barcelona entitled
"El torineRto en- los Conventors," "
CTortures in the Convents) and the
press agencies there are kindly sup
plying the Spanish radical papers and
the entire European press with cop
iCus extracts from the book. 1t is
hardly worth while to go over the en-
tire work. Scattered all through the
book are statistics of the various
periods showing the growth of the
monastic orders or congregations, and
II the alleged figures given there ere
no more correct than the ones I shall
presently mention, the whole book is
a little mere than a mass of misinfor-
matien.
After speaking about the religious
orders in Spain he says: "'Spain is
simply filled with monasteries and re-
Egious houses. Today ther are in this
(Barcelona) diocese about 500 re-
hgisus houses Of which 95 per cent
devote themselves TO education and
particularly to business enterprises,
factories, trades and also commerce.
Many monks have the ssperintendence
over penal institutions asylums, or
phalsges and hospitals, both govern
mental as well as local and private
ones Besides this there exist in said
diocese which has not much more
than a million inhabitants six thou
sand associations, brotherhoods and
establishments, which are subject 20
the management of the religious or
ders. For the maintenance of these
Centres Catholicos" Catholic Clubs)
religious houses, cathedral, diocesan
seminary ESQ parish priests, two bish-
ops, the canons and the rest of the
clergy. constituting 1000 persons, the
government gives each year 5000, 900
durss, that is $50, 100000. In other
words, each individual inhabitant Of
the Diocese of Barcelona must pay
annually the sum of $50 for the main
tenance of bishops, priests and the
male and female members OF religi-
Gus orders The Former Monk"
ii SNdNlSllCdI ShclCH Ol the
whsle OF Spain in this regard and
adds:
According to the above figures
Spain has 1880 monestaries, and near
them exist many other members of
religious orders somewhat secretly
under various pretences so that the
government and the people may be
deceived. These statistics are suffi-
cient to justify the steps taken by
Canalejas in the matter of the religi-
Gus orders" 1 give this extract so
that the readers of America may rec
ognize the source whenever they see
them printed as newly-made investi-
cations in Spain. 1t is needless to say
that they are untrue. and that they
are given with prolixity and versi-
Multitude that would deceive the aver
age reader who has not the requisite
books on Spain and Spanish affairs
with which to elicit the truth.
I have by me the statistics Of the
religious houses in Barcelona diocese
Gs1S and an account Of the work
they are doing. There are in the
Barcelona diocese 3Ss religious COM
munities. OF them T2 are composed
OF men, and 31e Of women. There
are. ss5 male members Of the religi-
Gus Gem munities, and 1874 women.
There are besides 1894 priests at pres
ent in charge of sS3 parishes. The
population Of the Diocese Of Barcelona
is 1,s54.s4s. Of whom sss,oeo are
reokenel as Catholics. The amount
NJ he
Der Of clergy and members of religious
communities somewhat agree with
the statistics Of New YorR, reckoning
enly the Catholic population.
In Barcelona the male religious or
ders have communities devoted as fol-
lows. To contemPlative life, 2; re-
fugees, protesteries and manual train
fer cid people, /; charitable associ-
atisns, II; schools and colleges, A..
The female religious orders have the
following communities: Contemplat-
I've life, 81; houses Of refugees, profess
tories afiS training schools for girls,
s; hospitals, asyiums and homes for
old people, 60; schools and colleges,
a21. In the schools and colleges free
instruction is given to $4,000 annually,
and among them are included kinder
garten, day nurseries and reception
roems for the children Of the poor
while their parents are at work during
the day. All these are maintained at
their own expense and efforts, are
entirely exclusive OF the state public
schssls, hospitals, and charitable in
stitutions-except in regard to three
religious orders, who perform at state
expense in the public homes and hos
pitals the works Of charity and mercy
carried on by these institutions. II
they were displaced that expense
would be vastly increased by the en-