The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-03-23

thedral in nearly every city visit.
The church is supposed 10 be enormous
Is wealthy At the time Of the conis-
cation IL had property amounting to
s30o.ooo.oo0. and II then owned almost
5000 estates which were valued at mil
Hong /, mad more than 1000 lois
here in Mexico city which alone were
worth over slQo.ooo. 100, and it mad
property scattered here and there
throughout the republic When Juarez
put the law OF conhscation into effect
great part of this property was M,
up At auction and sold TO the hishcs,
bidders, bu, II is said that those who
bought risked the disfavor OF the
church, aud that many took over the
properties and held them in trust 80
that the church got them back Others
tween the auction price and wha, the
propcrty would have sold for undcr
other conditions and in this way The
church has reeained much of its mil
lions. Ry the new law marriage wax
only valid through = civil contract but
no wcll-to-do woman in Mexico will
consent TO a wedding unless she Is also
married by the church. and no priest
would give this blessing to family
who had acquired church property un-
less some restitution was made To-
d'tN ih. ownership of the church is
such that the party in favor OF hold
ing together the great estates In Mex
tco Is known AS the church party or
Catholic party. and there is no doubt
but that the church has enormous
wealth, IN one form or other
Churches Worth Millions.
do not know how much has been
spent in church building in this repub-
lie. but inc sum mus, run nigh into
the hundreds Of millions The Cath
Ole religion came here jus, twenty
hNe years after Columbus discovered
me New World. and the early Span
lArds prided themselves on their sup
port OF the church \ eoodiy share 81
al the gold and silver that was taken
out OF the mines WAS donated 10 re-
leion and every cathedral was trca-
sure vault hlicd with ornaments Of
silver and gold. There is church al
thihuahua which was built through n
taN of % cents on every pound OF sill
Yer produced IN that neighborhood and
this church cost $500 600 In Zscate-
cas- the cathedral was erected out OF
q tan levied on the silver mines under
the city; and it's income was 80 great
lures and ornaments 10 decorate il II
mas a font OF solid silver. which cost
more than $50,000. and in Spanish times
the church was ablaze with gold and
SILVER candelabra and with cloths of
woven gold Another church in Zacs-
tecas had an altar OF gold. and one at
t9ueretaro had a gold altar which was
burned by the French. The Spaniards
gave their jewels and gold TO decorate
the cathedral at the Mexican capitaI
m ta1
about s2.o0o000 while the cathedral
itself cost an equal amount TO build
There is cathedral al ruebla which
cost million and half. and in
winch 100000 has been spent on the
altar. II is said to be the most beau
tiful church on the continent Quad
alajara has 4 cathedral covering about
an acre which was completed about
500 years ago II has been almost de-
hy earthquakes IN the past,
and 1t may go down again by the earth
Huakes. which are now common In that
vicinity The dome of that church
was once shattered by lightning and
when thunderstorm comes UP they
now ring bell to ward of the light
ming, although they have lately nut I'm
lightning rods COR. the same purpose
The church has towers which are 400
rect high and which are illuminated
by electricity II has many fine paint
ines, including one by Murillo. known
40 tHe assumption Oh inc virgin.
PrOtestantism in Mexico
AS to Professionalism in Mexico il ha.
never gained any great hold. although
\ number OF the different sects have
their missionaries here. The I3aptists
are represented by the American Rap.
tist Home missionary Society and bv
the foreign missionary board of ,he
BAPTIST Church South. The Preshv
terrain Church has many church build
inSs and ii has day schools and board.
ing schools and a number Of missionz
The Methodist Episcopal Church ba.
lao congregat tons, nifty day schools
six high schools and one theological
school. IT has number OF native
teachers and teachers and il claim
TO have about $4,000 adherants There
are also Episcopal missions. but alto
gether the foreign missionaries ava
only several hundred and the membar.
Of their churches are comparatively
few.
Copyright, 1919, by Frank G. Car.
pentero