Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1919-09-06
IMPRISONED
Trying Experience of Bishop Who
Dared to Tell the
Truth.
A Courageous Champion of Morality
and the Peoples
Right.
Taken Like Criminal and Confined
in Guatemala For Candor
of Sermon.
THE vENAL PRESS ASSISTS.

Some of our people have been
telling US of late to be CON
structive" in our efforts at social
reform. They do not want us to
criticize. They do not want us to
be calamity howlers." They do not
even want us to resent unjust attacks
upon our most precious liberties.
They want us simply to swim with
the current of popular opinion, and
meekly to approve of every measure
that those in power see fit to pro-
pose. Now sometimes the way for
constructive work must be prepared
by little hewing away and demoli-
ton. Debris must be carted away
before the foundations of the new
building can be laid. And so IL is
in social reform. We must root out
evils before we can erect the temple
of social justice.
We must do little such pre-
liminary work today by pointing
out crying evil which exists in a
neighboring country and which is
there effectively hampering and
clogging the path to the upbuilding
of solid social reform. Fortunately
the terrible abuse does not yet
exist to the same extent in our coun-
try. But are we not allowed to
learn from sad conditions in Other
lands, in order to be better prepared
to stave off such calamities from
our own people?
Bishop Pinol Batres had been
directed by the Holy See to preach
series of sermons in the arch
diocese of Guatemala. Large
audiences were present at the con-
ferences. These were some of the
subjects, which. it should be noted
are not only of religious but also
of social interest: The prevailing
sins of modern society; the cor
rupt administration of justice; the
growth of concubinage; the general
looseness of morals of students in
colleges and public schools; unjust
Capitalization of power in the hands
of a few persons; the unquestion-
ing submission demanded of sub
jects in matters which are Illicit:
the misuse of public moneys; the
harsh treatment of native laborers;
official sanction of "graftp on the
part of public officials; failure of
officials to give account of funds
intrusted to them for the common
welfare.
Topics of this kind are discussed
every day in our leading papers.
and the editor is regarded as an
apostle of righteousness" for doing
so. But in Guatemala the press is
terrorized. No paper dares to speak
the truth In touching upon these
matters the Bishop spoke only what
was of common knowledge and
made> no personal attack upon any
one. He said what many wished to
say and should have said. but left
unsaid for fear of the consequences.
The Bishop did not even speak of
these questions from the political,
The lectures were given from May
] to IA of the present year.
During the night OF May 16, at
$3.50 in the morning, a band of
ruffians broke into the Bishops
home, came up to his bedroom, aud
without any warrant arrested him.
He was taken away like criminal
to Escuintla and held "incom
municado" by the police. On the
18th he was taken, to the capital.
On the evening of the 18th he under
went preliminary hearing on the
subject of the sermons he had de-
| livered. He was accused of having
uttered "subversive words" of hav-
| ing excited the people against the
constituted authority, of having
made direct, particular and personal
illusions against them, and of hav-
| ing directed conspiracy against the
Government. Seeing that the Bishop
was in the hands of the ruling
powers, the cowardly papers curried
favor with the Government by heap
ing calumnies upon him. The official
and the anti-Catholic press accused
the prelate of being a disturber OF
the public peace and OF public order.
| The Catholic people protested
against the unjust treatment OF
their Bishop. A document, signed
by more than 900 persons, who had
either been present at the sermons.
or received accounts of them from
reliable witnesses, assured the Gov
eminent that "there was no abuse
of freedom of speech, and that he
(the Bishop said nothing which
might be interpreted as counsel or
a hint to do anything against the
laws of the authority of the Re
public" They also asked that ''in
consideration of the dignity of our
religion and In accordance with
strict justice, the Government should
restore the Bishop to liberty" The
result Of this loyal declaration in
favor of the innocent prisoner was
that the President ordered Don Cae-
sar de CAIRO. Spaniard and
proprietor of the printing shoI
where the document was printed, al
well as all who had helped t
spread it, to be imprisoned. Man!
persons, among them several lad1e'
OF high station. were sent to priso1