Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-07-28
Remarkable Decree by Cover
nor ViIIareaI Is Placed on
Ground Of Public HEALTH,
Morality and Justice,
DECLARES CONFESSIONAL
HAS BECOME A MENACE
Activity Against Catholic In
Stitutions Also Begins in
SaItiIIo, San Luis PotoSi and
Nueyo Laredo,

Tampieo, July 26.--tNia Laredo,
Tex, July 27D-A decree limiting
the scope of the Roman Catholic
thureh In the state of Nuevo Leon
on the ground Of public health,
morality and justice" was issued to-
day by Antonio |. Nillareal, governor
and military commander He said
During the life of the nation the
church has been a pernicious factor
in disruption and discord and has en-
trely 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 saeristy in Mexico have become
u menace to morality.
The decree, issued in Monterey
makes the following orders for gov
ernment of Catholic schools and
churches.
Foreign Priests Expelled.
First All foreign Catholic priests
and Jesuits of whatever nationality
viii be expelled from the state OF
Nuevo Leon.
Second. OF the remaining Cath
Ollie priests those who cannot prove
their complete abstension from pol
itcs. Will he expelled.
Third Churches will remain
open daily from 6 in the morning
until / IN the afternoon. Only priests
having permission to do so, will b,
permitted to officiate.
Fourth Confession Is prohibited
"Fifth The public is prohibited
from entering the sacristy
sixth Church bells shall rims
TO celebrate fiestas in honor OF the
country or for triumphs of the con.
stitutionalist arms.
Seventh. All Catholic colleges
shall be closed which do not obey
the programs and texts ordered by
officials and which do not have al
their head some professor who is q
graduate of a normal school of the
country, who will be responsible tC
the government for any infraotion ol
the rules.
Penalties Are Provided.
Eighth. ANY infraction of thes,
laws will be punishable by q fine OF
$f00 TO $500. and arrest and impri.
sonment from two to four months
or both fine and Imprisonment"
Explaining the grounds for thi'
action. Villareal's decree reads
"In the interest of public health
morality and justice. the state OF
Nuevo Leon will limit the scope oi
the Catholic church which. during iti
life, has entirely forgotten its spirit
ual mission its sole right to be rec
ognized by modern society. The
church has consecrated itself princi.
pally to conquest in politics. To Sc
cure its object 1t always has beer
allied with the reactiOnary govern
ment and the despots and even witt
foreign invaders. It has shown itsel
an implaeable enemy to the libera
movement and progress from The
first revolution of Ayutla until tn,
present and has Illuminated its ride
ulous accommodations over tho
most grand and glorious benefactor'
of the country, Hidalgo Juarez and
Lerdo de Tejada.
Ceremonies Are Criticized
THE pictorial and clerical rulings
Of Porfirio Diaz and Huerta agains
which the Mexican people have beer
struggling heroically for many year!
had the assistance and sympathy d
the Mexican church the church ha!
had its benedctions for the crime,
and corruptions of IIuerta and ha,
unsuccessfully worked to incite thu
public against the consttutionals
cause"
Some of the ceremonials Of the
church were criticized. Villareal al
leges that in Mexico they have tend
ed toward weakening Of moral char.
acter. He declared it the course o.
wisdom to close the clerical schools
for the present on the ground thai
cit is a supreme national necessity
to stamp out at the root the arrogan
abuses of the Catholic church anc
remove the grave danger which the
institution represents, more politlca
than religious for the tranquility anc
future progress of the country
Catholic churches recently have
been closed in Saltillo, San Luis Po
tos and Nuevo Laredo.