Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-27
MEXICO.
By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.
XIu-Religion in the Republic.

At Guadalupe-Hidalgo is located the
holiest shrine In all Mexico. the very CEN
ter Of the Catholic faith in the republic.
In the main church, which is dedicated to
the Virgin, there Is a single silver railing
worth untold thousands Of dollars and
Weighing nearly thirty tons. 1t was at
this point, in 1881, that the Virgin Mary
is said to have appeared before lowly
Indian. Juan Diego by name, with the
command that he inform the archbishop
that a shrine should be built here and
dedicated to her memory.
Juan Diego told the archbishop of his
vision, but the preiate regarded him only
as a dreamer. Again the vision appeared
to the Indian. and again he reported it
to the priest. This time the archbishop
instructed two men to follow the Indian,
keeping him in sight at all times. They
returned. saying that Juan Diego had
miraculously disappeared. In few days
the Indian came again before the arch
who had hidden him return on the NOR
row. This he failed to do, and the next
time he went into the city he travelled by
another route. The Virgin stood In his
path and again asked him to take the
message to the archbishop. She told him
to gather some roses from the hillside and
take them to the priest as token OF
her appearance.
The story goes that Juan Diego wrapped
the roses in his serape and carried them
there appeared a picture of the Virgin.
In the image Of an Indian maiden, mirac-
ulously painted on the serape. This Incl
dent affected the churchmen of Mexico
Rome to recognize the vision. but 1t was
1872 years before they were successful in
even persuading Rome to admit the re-
lation OF the apparition. A few years
later the story was investigated by the
congregation of rites. and Pope Clement
TX granted the Mexicans the privilege of
holding plenary feast day on the ami
versary Of the vision. but it was not until
1754 that 1t was fully recognized as a true
miracle by papal bull.
X
December IL is set aside as the holt
est of the feast days at Guadalupe. and
for days be-
Epidemic Of Disease fore it is the
Follows Pilgrimage. indian nopu.
1ation of the republic. Thousands of
them journey from the ends of the
country to take part in the celebra-
ton and the railroads reap a harvest.
They are a poor. bedraggled, filthy lot
of people, eating next to nothing
while on their pilgrimage, and acquir-
ing what little money they must have
by selling all kinds of souvenirs. They
bake little cakes which they call "gor-
ditas de Ia virgen"-little fat ones of
the Virgin. These sell two for one
centavo. Upon these occasions Guada-
lupe is overrun with a vast horde of
pilgrims, and the unspeakable filth
amid which they live is sure to be fol-
lowed by an outbreak of epidemic
disease.
While the Indians worship the Vir-
gin. 1T is generally accepted that they
believe she is their own Indian god
dess. The church was very astute
in the matter Of converting the In
dams. merely substituting Christian
images for those which were possessed
by the Indians. It is said that the
bishops in Mexico have little patience
with the clap trap meretricious display
the bad taste and Imagination of their
Indian parishioners, and have issued
many synodals against these prac-
tees.
Catholicism is the religion of per-
haps nine-tenths of the people of Mex.
leo. and yet the church has received
many severe blows at the hands of
the government Monasteries and con-
vents have been practically banished
from the country. and no member of
an ecclesiastic order is eligible to a
seat in the national congress-. The
churches are forbidden to hold any
real estate other than the build
ings Immediately and directly de-
voted to the service and objects OF
their association. Under the Diaz ad
ministration the church has not Jared
as badly as under former administra-
tions, for the wife of the president
is devout Catholic. and always inter-
poses her influence toward gentle con-
struction of the laws against the
church. 1t is said that there are 10000
churches and chapels in the republic
under Catholic control. and that the an
nual bill for candles used in worship
amounts to more than a hundred thou
sand pesos.