The Irish standard., 1917-07-14
AGAINST Persecution of the Church j
Mexico by carTanzista Party
Present Aim of Government
Which Exists Solely Through
Its Creation and Support by
the United States.


lean archbishops at the Catholic Uni
versity of America, Washington, D. c.,
protest against the persecution OF
the Church in Mexico and against the
tyrannous constitution that has been
adopted there was drawn up and sent
to the daily press, together with
letter declaring the loyalty of Amer
ican Catholicity to their country in the
present crisis. The daily press de-
clined to print the former, but pub
lished the latter in full. The protest
is as follows:
"The government in Mexico owes
to the United States the fact of its
existence. 1t is not our intention to
enter into any consideration of the
wisdom or expediency of the political
purposes which brought about this re
suit. They are absolutely outside OF
the sphere of our Jurisdiction, except
ing where they trench upon the lib
erty of conscience and freedom of the
Church. We recognize the fact that
all nations are supreme in the man
long as their laws and their admins
tration do not work injustice to the
welfare of the civilized world and
grant the usual privilege of residence,
travel and commerce to citizens of
other nations. Within these limita-
tions it is fundamental principle
that the people have a right to deter
mine their own form of government.
Cruelty, Rapine and Murder.
For years struggle, or rather a
series of struggles for the control of
the government of Mexico has been
carried on with lamentable results.
Rapine and cruelty have left their
marks and ineffaceable memories in
many of the fairest parts of that land.
The Church has been a special vic
tim of hatred, her bishops and priests
and nuns have been shamefully NAL
treated, many of them killed and
others exiled. Libraries of incalcu-
liable value have been destroyed.
These facts have been fully reported,
with names and dates, but they have
been borne in the hope that out of
the sorrow and disgrace eventually
there would emerge a strong and just
government, bringing with it protec-
tion to the people and rights of con-
science and of property. To some
extent order has been restored, but
under conditions which make it evi-
dent that there is still dreadful vista
of bloodshed and spoliation before the
unhappy Mexican people. The admin
istration of Carranza has been recog
nized by the United States. An am
bassador has been sent by each coun-
try and received oy the other. The
revolution is an accomplished fact.
It's fruits will appear from the new
national constitution adopted at Quere
ratio on Jan. 81, which went into effect
May 1. How far this constitution ac-
cords with liberty of conscience and
right of property will appear by an
analysis of certain of it's provisions.
Deprived Of Educational Rights.
"The third article provides that in
struction shall be free, that given in
public institutions shall be non-sec-
tartan. No religious corporation nor
minister of any religious creed shall
be permitted to establish or direct
schools of primary instruction. Pri-
vate seminary schools may be estab.
lished only subject to official super.
vision The OhviOus nurnOso Of this
section is to throw the whole system
of education into the hands of the
state, depriving the people of the right
to educate their children in religion
Thus by the fundamental law a nation
which owes whatever civilization il
possesses to its acceptance of belief
in Christianity forbids any form OF
religion to be taught.