The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1918-05-11

IS compared with Roman Catholics
in the United States. But Rampol-
la held that from reports of his
agents there "Protestants in Peru,
far from being restricted in the free
exercise Of their Worship, are rather
accorded larger degree of tolera-
ton than is compatible with strict
construction Of the political constl-
tuition of those countries"
Claim to Tolerance False
This, Of course, was an evasion Of
the committees plea as well as q false
claim to tolerance since the clerical
power was always the chief obstacle
to revision or change in the laws
when proposed by the liberals Of
those countries. However, the holy
see did not pretend to the existence
of tolerant laws. And he ignored the
real situation which was that the
priests always saw to it that those
daik-age laws we're enforced to the
letter. Here are some Of the laws.
In Bolivia the Penal Code, treat
ing of "crimes" against the religion
Of the state, says
Whoever conspires directly and
in fact to establish any other religion
in Bolivia, or aims at having the re-
public to profess the Catholic Apos-
tolic Roman religion, is a traitor
AND SHALL SUFFER THE
DEATH PENALTY"
Art. w. of the Constitution oi
Peru, at that time. read:
"The nation processes the Apostolic
Roman Catholic religion; the STATE
protects it, and DOES NOT PERMIT
THE PUBLIC EXERCISE OF ANY
OTHER"
Art. XIII of the Constitution Of
Ecuador reads:
"The religion Of the republic is the
Roman Catholic Apostolic, and ALI
OTHERS ARE EXCLUDED. Tht
political powers are bound to respec'
it, to cause it to be respected, anc
to protect it in its liberty and all it
other rights"
Art. II of the Constitution Of Bo
livia:
1.-THE state recognizes and main
tains the Roman Catholic Apostoli
religion, AND PROHIBITS ANY
OTHER PUBLIC WORSHIP, except
! ing in the colonial territories, wher
there will be toleration."
In 1852 a Concordat was made op
, erative which included the following
1.-THE Roman Catholic Apostolic re
ligion is to continue to be the religio
: of the Republic Of Ecuador. Conss
quently NO OTHER WORSHIP
e MAY BE PRACTICED NOR AN
OTHER SECT TOLERATED II
, THE REPUBLIC"
An Encyclical Letter from tn
r pope, dated Dec. Is, 1856, in cor
: demnation Of freedom Of worshi
which the government Of Mexic
# had proclaimed, denounced it to IL
e world as GAN ABoMINABL
ACT, destined to corrupt men
: minds and to root out the holy T
ligion."
As to marriage, Article 1856
/, the Peruvian Code at that time, al
/ the Bolivian, read:
|, Marriage Is celebrated (legalize
: solemnized, contracted) in the repu
!, lie in accordance with the Council
Trent"
And in the Articles Of the Ecuado
T. ian Code It was specified;
!. ut belongs H. the ecclesiastic
Ie authority TO DECIDE concernil
Al the validity Of = marriage that it
a sought to contract, or that has be,
!. contracted"
y "Those who without (not) beil
Y Roman Catholics may desire to CO
Q tract marriage in Ecuador MUS
|. SUBJECT THEMSELVES to I
/ prescriptions Of the civil and Can
/. laws"
4 An editorial Ia the Basnos Al
a Herald, issue Of Dec. Goth, 1ss
commenting upen a certain deliv'
,t ance Of an Official Of Peru In reSpt
Il to valid marfiags, included u
J. paragraph;
& ~It is . most Remarkable state
: affairs when ia sthis year Of gra
~ 1896. there d a so-called republic
N the American continent, pretendi