The Irish standard., 1914-12-19
Writing to Archbishop of Mexico
Cardinal Gibbons Comments on )
Freedom of Religion in
America.
Assures Profound Sympathy of
III American Catholics for Mexi-
M can Sufferers.
Religion Constitutionally Sa fe-
Il guarded in America. Tyranny
n of State over Conscience
NJ worst of all Tyrannies.

M M.
@A The following letter, written by His
Eminence Cardinal Gibbons, was ad-
dressed to the Archbishop of Mexico
and reflects clearly the attitude of the
s5ardinal on this important matter as
well as the true American spirit in
religious matters:
81 "Your Grace: The deplorable con-
Sitions, which for some time have
prevailed in Mexico and which ap
parently become more intolerable
With eacn attempt to remedy them,
sre the source of the deepest con-
cern to the bishops of the United
4 States. They realize the difficulty
Of the position, in which your Grace
and the other members of your
i hierarchy are placed by such ad.
E verse circumstances, and they share
your solicitude for the welfare Of the
Church and the true interests of your
country. In their name, as well as
my own, beg you to accept the as
surance of our profound sympathy
and our earnest desire for the restora-
tion of peace on q sound and lasting
basis.
with all intelligent and right
minded citizens Of this country we
can appreciate the efforts of peo-
pie to remove the evils, from which
they suffer, and to secure the bless
ings Of good government; but these
aims can not be furthered by a
strife Of parties, in which the essen.
tial requisites of order and justice are
disregarded. And while we would re-
joice at the advance of your country
in political and material prosperity,
we can not endure that in the name Of
freedom and progress the most sacred
rights should be violated.
"The Catholic Church, under
!. whose auspices Christianity and civi1i-
zation came to your shores, not only
claims the loyalty Of your people in
respect of things spiritual, but also
provides in her teaching and discip-
line for the safety of your political or
ganization. It is in the recognition Of
authority. and in obedience to law, not
in mere clan1or for reform, that lies
the real foundation of nations liber-
ties and especially of republican insti-
tutions. They who antagonize the
Church, whether Of their own initia-
tive or because of instigation from
foreign sources, show but too plainly
that their display Of patriotism is sim
ply disguise for other purposes, and
that they have at best only crude
idea of popular government.
"In the United States constitution.
al provisions safeguard both the stabil-
ity of government and the liberties Of
the individual not by hampering re-
ligion, but by allowing it the fullest
freedom, or rather by protecting it in
the enjoyment of that freedom, which
it has by right. The American people,
therefore. can not consistently favor
any movement that would interfere
with the liberty of the Church in Mex
leo any more than they could accede
to the demand of another nation for
the abolition Of their own constitu.
tional rights. They will not, am
sure, deliberately assent to the estab-
lishment on their borders of system
of misrule based on the worst Of
tyrannies-the tyranny of the state
over soul and conscience.
"In these present trials, Your Grace,
we discern the helplessness of human
wisdom in dealing with problems that
are of the gravest import for mans
temporal and eternal welfare. We
turn, then, the more readily to that
Wisdom and Power, whence all right
is derived, and we join our prayers
with yours in beseeching Almighty
God to bring about speedily happy
condition in your country, SO that the
people Of Mexico, under the guidance
of their pastors, may be strengthen
ed by the Divine assistance alike in
the defense of their rights and in the
fulfllment of their duties.
1--WE look forward with confidence
to the opening Of a new era for Mex
icA in which your citizens, by develop.
( ing their country's resources"
The attitude of American Catholics
toward all this is plainly set forth In
the letter by Cardinal Gibbons. ad'
dressed to the Mexican Hierarchy
through the Archbishop Of Mexico
city. on behalf Of the bishops Of the