The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1917-01-13
ARCHBISHOP OF
YUcATAN WRITES
OF CONDITIONS


sible to Believe What the Church
Has Had to Suffer Even In Peaceful
Yucatan Under President caranza.
In letter written by the Arch
bishop Of Yucatan to The Outlook, dis
closures are made concerning how
Catholics have been treated in Mex
leo by Carranza and his men. He
says:
"Yucatan is one of the most peace
full and prosperous states of the Mex
lean republic. 1t was not cursed with
Villistas or Zapatistas, or any of their
ilk, and now for year and a half it
has been under the actual government
of Carranza appointee.
1T is almost impossible to believe
what the Church has had to suffer in
Yucatan. In October of 1914, under
the pretext that they were foreigners,
over fifty priests were exiled. At the
same time decree was issued, under
governmental authority, abbreviating
in an arbitrary way all religious acts
and ceremonies. A short time after
wards l was turned out of my episco-
pal residence, which for more than
three hundred years has been the
peaceful abode of the bishops of the
diocese. In September of 1915 the
Cathedral was attacked by mob of
constitutionalists headed by American
anarchists, who destroyed the orna-
ments of the church, stole what they
could, and did not even hesitate to
profane the holy eucharist. Not only
were these criminal acts ignored by
the authorities, but it is matter of
record that some of the despoilers
were in the employment of the consti.
nationalist government.
Since these outrages occurred the
Cathedral of Yucatan, erected in the
sixteenth century, and recognized by
modern architects as one of the most
artistic edifices in America, has been
taken over by the de facto govern
ment. What would an American tour
list think of the veracity of Senior
Cabrera's first statement, that "the
constitutionalists have not prosecuted
the Church." if he stepped into this
Cathedral today, to find that it's pews
and confessionals, which were con.
structed of rare woods, had been cart
ed away by Carranzista soldiers to
serve as firewood; that the Stations of
the Cross and various other pictures
had been defiled; that it's marble affairs
had been demolished, and that the bare
walls of this temple erected to the
honor and glory of God look down
upon a scene of wanton devastation
that would make sad even the heart of
an educated pagan. If the Cathedral
was treated in this manner, let my
readers judge how the other churches
of my diocese have suffered at the
hands of these champions of liberty
and Justice! Two of the churches of
my diocese have been converted by
Carranzista followers into peddlers
stalls for the sale of merchandise. An.
other has been given to young men to
serve as their gymnasium, while the
fourth has been handed over to Free.
masons to serve as lodge hall. will
not stop to comment upon these out.
RACES. am stating facts to which l
challenge contradiction.
On the LIST of May of this year all
the churches of Merida, which hither.
to had remained unsacked, were one
by one attacked by mob of Carran.
zistas, who, amid the hooking ringing
of the church bells. marched from
church to church. burning and destroy.
ing as they went. When it is known
that this vandalism began at 10 O'Clock
in the morning and did not end until
10 o'clock in the evening, without any
interference by local authorities save
the warning to Catholic groups that
they should not interfere, how can one
say that it was not under govern
mental supervision? 1t is hardly
necessary to add to the above chron
icle that whatever of value was to be
found in gold or silver plate was stoler
by the most powerful. During these
days the priests of my diocese were
subject to every indignity and those
who were not exiled were held ir
durance more vile than even slavery
or death.
On one Sunday of last May there
was not a church in my diocese oper
for the worship of Almighty God
Yielding to the protests of many of the
people, and to representations made
by some people of authority, the gov
ernor finally allowed four churches tt
be opened on the 18th of May, but
those out in the country remained
closed, and the priests were positively