The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-07-28
SEVERE BLOW STRUCK
At CATHOLIC CHURCH
It's Scope Limited by Mexican Gov
crnor on Ground Ii Is Mem
ace TO Morality.
CONFESSION is PROHIBITED
Drastic Rules Laid Down for Govern
nent of Clergy, While All Foreign
Priests Arc ExpelIed-Pcaceful
Outlook Grows Brighter.

Tampico. July 20, via Laredo, July
IA decree limiting the scope of the
Roman Catholic Church i'm the State OF
Nuevo Leon. on the ground Of public
( sued to-day by Antonio l. Villareal
Governor and military commander. lie
said;
During the lifc of the nation tho
chnrch has been = pcrnicious factor in
disruption and discord, and has entirely
| forgotten its spiritual mission"
The most drastic feature of the de
cree is the prohibition of confession.
Nillareal gives as his reason for this
the charge that the confessional and
the sacristN in Mexico have become n
menace to morality.
The decree, issued i'm Monterey makes
the following orders for government
OF Catholic schools and churches:
l. All foreign Catholic priests and
Jcsuits or Whatever nationality will
be expelled from the State of Nucvo
Leon.
. OF the remaining Catholic priests
those who cannot prove their com
plete abstention from politics will be
expelled.
3. Churches will remain open daily
from b in the morning until in the
afternoon. Only priests having permis-
sion to do so will be permitted to Of
ticiate.
4. Confession is prohibited
o. The public is prohibited from en-
tcrinS the sacrsly.
C. Church bells shall ring ONLY TO
celebrate festas in honor of the coun-
try. or for trumphs of the arms Of
the Constitutionalists
.. All Catholic colleges shall be
closed which do not obey programs and
texts ordered by officials and which do
not have at their head some professor
who is a graduate of the normal
schools of the country. who will be re-
sponsihle to the government for any
infraction OF the rules
\. Any infraction Of these laws will
be punishable by fine of 500 TO
$500. and arrest and imprisonment from
two TO four months. or both fine and
Imprisonment. In event of n second of
fense the school Will bc, ed
NIII.AREAL EXPLAINS
CAUSE For HIS ACTION
CN!laininS the grounds for this ac-
tion. Nillarears decree reads:
'ln the interest Of public health.
morality and Justice, the state Of Nuevu
Leon viii limit the scope OF the Cath
Ollie Church. which during its life has
entirely forgotten it's spiritual mis-
sion, its sole right to be recognized
by modern society The church has
consccrated itself principally to CO, =
quest in politics. TO secure it's object
II always has been allied with the re-
dictionary government and the dcspots
a"d even with foreign invaders II has
showed itself an implacablc enemy to
the liberal movement and progress from
the !trst revolution of Ayutla until
the present time. and has Illuminated
ITS ridiculous accommodation over
the most grand and glorious bcncfac-
tors OF the country, llidalgo, Juarcz
and Icrdo de Tejada.
Tho pictorial and clerical rulings
of Porhrio DiaZ and Huerta, AGAINST
which the Mexican people have been
struggling hcrocally for many wears.
have had the sympathy and assistance
Of the Mexican church. The church has
had its benedictions for the crimes
and corruptions OF ilucrta aud has un
successfully worked To incite the pub-
lie against the Constitutionalist cause ''
Some Of the ccrcmonais OF the
church were criticized, Viilareal alleg-
ing that In Mexico they have tended
weakening OF moral character The
to colleges came under his disapproyal
also. and he declared ii the course OF
wisdom to close the clerical schools
for the present on the ground lit is
supreme national necessity to stamp
out at the root the arrogant abuses
OF thc Catholic Church and remove the
grave danger which the institution
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