El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-10-29
CLAIMS PRIESTS
CARRIED RIFLES
Charges Against Mexican
Clergy Made by Consti-
nationalist Consul.

Catholic clergy in Mexico deserve I
the treatment accorded them by the
Ccnstitutionalists since they secured
control Of Mexico" declares Jorge q.
Orozco, ConsttuuOnalist consul al II
Paso. Mt. Orozco has replied to the
recent action Of the American Fedora
ton Of Catholic societies, which pre-
scented a petition TO the American de-
partment of state asking protection
from alleged Outrages against the
Catholic clergy in Mexico and repara-
ton for outrages already said TO nave
been committed against them.
The ConstitutiOnaliists have no
grudge against the Catholic religion,
but il has punished some representa-
tives Of that creed" OrOZco says The
complaint TO the state department says
that we are bitterly auti-clerlcal and
are trying to stamp out Catholicism
in Mexico. That is not true Our an
ger has been against the representa-
tives Of that religion who have taken
active part in political affairs
aPriests With Rifles
The complaint says that the clergy
has been neutral IN the political DIS
turbances that have shaken my coun-
try" he continued. That is not true.
Why. in some cases. we have caught
priests with rifles in their hands fight
ing beside Huertista soldiers against
our forces. These cases are few. but
every one has been punished by DEATH
after a regular courtmartiaL Before
Huerta was OverthroWn. the Catholic
priests OF Mexico aided his administra-
tion in many ways They furnished
funds 10 buy arms for the usurpers
! soldiers In Mexico City they eStab-
, lished, during Huerta's rule, q cluo
called The Catholic Party In the res
idence Of archbishop Mora secret con-
ferenCes were often held between the
/ ecclesiastical officials and the high
officers Of the traitors government
I Riclenciado Tomariz was president OF
aAeted As spies.-
The letter TO the state department
says that the clergy taught the people
TO respect constituted authority A
/ priest caught with a rifle in his hands
| fighting with the federals was NOT
/ teaching anyone respect for consul
tuted authority. was heg They did SPY
work for the federal army all during
the revolution against Huerta-
The American society, in its report,
SAYS that the Catholic clergy nave
} taken no part in political affairs OF
3 Mexico for so years. Every Mexican
? knows that is not so. True, they
q have not held office, hut they have
influenced practically every admins
! tration that has been in power Durins
( the Diaz regime they had firm hoia
on Mrs Diaz, the wife OF the president
and through her they welded power
! full influence on old Porfirio. Through
: his conciIiatory politics, which was 70
[ placate all opposition parties that we're
seriously threatening, DiaZ gave lne
| Catholic church many privileges They
! enjoyed in Mexico more privileges tnS-H
| the church has in any other part OF lhs
world Ninety-ftve percent OF the AisN-
2 lean population are Catholics- Inc
church has never tolerated the estao-
Z lishment Of another creed in the re-
public. All attempts TO establish Prot
| estant churches in any strength nave
been fOiled by the clever manlpulatlohs
I Of the Catholic clergy, who brooke1 10
/ other religion in their sphere OF NIUE
ence-
ConstitutIonaIists Are Catholics
"rbev accuse the Constirutionalists
/ Of being anti clerical and DESTROYS OF
wiping out religion in Mexico Inal Is
ridiculous. Ninety percent OF al Ihe
! Constitutionalist soldiers are CsllhoACs
/ and I have vet to see one VINO mas NO
/ a scapular medal hung around ms nech-
We have no quarrel with the creed oul
we know absolutely that its represeH-
tatives have been q menace 10 the Soul,-
! try. Every thinking Mexican VIII 1eIs
YOU that almost all the mlSLOrIuIeS u
I Mexico have been brought about py the
Catholic clergy. They brought on
war with France. Although the con-
stitution expressly forbids them 70 take
part in political affairs. they have done
so time and again, openly and uhoeI-
! handedly.
THE outrages we are accused Of haV-
/ ing inflicted upon them have been eA-
aggerated. It is true that mum berS OF
priests have been expelled from tls
country because. in their monasleIles,
we found documents proving that lheS
had actively aided Huerta- Speclal az
| tention is called in the complaint 70
I the American department OF state 20
1 the fact that so nuns were coh4lueu
upstairs in a house near Guadalaldra'
while below the soldiers Of Gen. Oofs-
CONS army were Quartered with thelr
socalled shameless women we nav
dozens Of witnesses to prove TINS Wgs
not So Gen. ObreEon is an honorable
man and he would not have perLnIttSu
such thing.
Nunneries Prohibited.
1.-THE fact that those nuns were lheIe
{ is in itself a direct proof that the Catn-
I olics have broken the laws OF my couu-
I try. There is an old statute prohlbll-
ing the establishment of nunnerles IN
/ the country. What the CathOic cle.5y
Of Mexico have been made to surfer
! since the beginning OF the Constitution
alist revolution would not begin 20
compare with the tremendous aIno uHL
I Of sorrow they have brought upon lns
country with their political lntIlslS
and their fierce desire TO control ~
| the nation. We recognize thelr IlShS
| 10 control and leadership IN spiritual
! affairs but we will not have them meu-
/ ding in politics.
1T is merely n case Of history re
peating itself Has France suffered
/ in the ewes Of the nations because or
/ her persecution Of the Cathollcs- w
| have not prosecuted We have merely
/ dealt out Justice