The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-10-17
SHALL CATHOLICS BE
SILENT?

| Ny y
in the plight of the priests, sis
ters and other religious Of Mexico
when the committee appointed by
the American Federation of Cath
Ole Societies called upon them to
present the resolutions adopted by
that body protesting against the
persecution of Catholics in our
sister Republic. Secretary Bryan
asked the committee to draft a
definite proposal on the subject in
order that the State Department
might ascertain whether the plan
to guarantee protection to the
Catholics Of Mexico was a feasible
one. It will require time to at
tend to these preliminaries and in
the meantime the Catholic Church
in Mexico must continue to suffer,
her priests and nuns must con-
tinue to submit to the revolving
atrocities, oftentimes worse than
death, heaped upon them by the
emissaries Of the very men whom
the American Government has
abetted i'll their efforts "to wade
through slaughter to throne"
There can be no doubt that the
Catholics of Mexico stand in need
of immediate relief from the per-
secution inflicted upon them by
the bandit leaders of the so-called
COnstitutionalist party who have
surrounded themselves with a mob
of cut-throats and bloodthirsty
brigands whose sole object is rob-
berry and plumber and the graft
fcation Of their bestial desires.
These are the men to whom Will
son and Bryan have extended the
right hand of fellowship, to whom
they would entrust the pacification
Of Mexico! It is not likely that
Catholics can expect much relief
from persecution as long as the
Federal Government maintains
this attitude; and there seems to
be no prospect Of a change. The
only. thing that will bring results
is a united protest from Catholics
in all parts of this country-a pro-
test which will menace, in no I'M
certain way, the continued tenure
Of office of officials whose unwar-
ranted interference in the affairs
of Mexico has brought such, dis
astrous results upon the Catholics
of that Republic. Their policy of
intervention and the "watchful
waiting" consequent upon it have
made them sponsors for the blood
shed, rapine and unspeakable
crimes against persons consecrated
TO the service of God which have
disgraced that country during the
past few months. Churches have
been looted, property confscated,
priests murdered or tortured with
inhuman cruelty, converts plum
dered and their inmates ravished,
and other unmentionable atroci-
ties perpetrated with the tacit APP
prevail of, or, at least, without any
protest from, the American Gov
eminent which was instrumental
in placing Carranza and Villa i'll
control Of the Mexican situation.
Shame upon the American Gov
eminent for it's supine disregard
for these victims Of a brutal 1ab-
BILE which in no sense Of the word
represents the rank and file of the
Mexican people.
But we are told that~the Bishops
and priests Of Mexico sided with
the revolutionists and are now
reaping the reward of their per
fidy. In a recent issue of The
Catholic Bulletin we published
the pastoral letter of the Arch
bishops and Bishops of Mexico
which gives the lie to this in
famous charge. The Mexican
bishops have been most loyal and
patriotic and have urged their peo-
pie to stand by the lawfully con
stituted government 1t is true,
they have not run after every
revolutionist who raised the flag
of revolt in the land. They could
not be expected to do this, because
the Church stands for law and
order and is ever ready to render
allegiance to any form of govern
ment that is legally established by
the will of the people. No, the
accusation made against the Mexi-
can bishops is simply blind to
justify the plundering instincts OF
bandits who would enrich them
selves by despoiling the Church
of her legitimate possessions.
Can it be that the authorities
at Washington are not aware Of
what is taking place in Mexico
Hundreds. and hundreds of Cath
Ollie refugees, both religious an6
secular, have told the same story
with its sickening details of un
speakable atrocities. What more
does the State Department nee6
to cause it to take action? The
towns along the border are fillec
with Catholic refugees fleeing
from the fury of the so-callee