San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-01-19
PAPAL DELEGATE
WILL NOT CONE
To SAN ANTONIO
Monseignor Filippi, Ex-
PEELED From Mexico, Goes
Via Corpus Christi.
BISHOP In STATEMENT
Head Of Church Here Terms
Action Methods of
Lenin.

Monseignor Ernesto Filippi, expelled
apostolic delegate TO Mexico, will not
pass through San Antonio Friday
evening, as first announced. A tele-
phone report from Laredo ut IL o'clock
Friday morning was that the papal
delegate had left Laredo for Corpus
Christi. No reason was given for the
change of the apostolic delegates
plans.
Asserting that the Bishop and clergy
of the San. Antonio diocese deplorc
seeing the methods of Trotzky and
Lenine transplanted from Russia to
Mexico. q telegram of protest was sent
January Is TO President Obregon in
| regard TO his action in ordering the
expulsion of the papal delegate. Fri
day morning, President Obregon sent
telegram TO Bishop A. j. Drossaerts
of the San Antonio diocese TO the
following eject:
II notice what you say in yester-
days message. The Executive will act
according to obligations imposed on him
by his duty and the laws"
The telegram was signed by the
MEXICAN chief executive.
The message wired Thursday TO
President Oregon by Bishop Dros-
saerts. was as follows:
Deplore Methods OF Lenine.
"The Bishop and clergy of the San
Antonio diocese, who during the Car
| rama persecution, received fed and
clothed the exiled archbishopS, bishop
and priests of Mexico, protest against
the expulsion of the apostolic delegate
and deplore seeing methods of Ienine
and Trotzky transplanted from Russia
TO our western continent"
In statement TO the press, Fri
day noon, Bishop Drossaerts asserted
I'm view of the presidents statement
an eminent attorney Of this city, well
qualified TO pass judgment on Mexican
constitutional questions and laws was
consulted and according to this author
ity, the expulsion Of the papaI delegate.
decreed at the suggestion of Plutarco
Elias Gales, is illegal and unjustifi-
able.
Claim Law Was Repealed.
"The reform laws and the laws re-
garding the confiscation of church prop
erty we're written by Lerdo as part of
the organic laws of the Comonfort-
Juarez constitution, adopted in 1851.
This constitution and tho reform laws
| contained among other odiouS measures
the regulations prohibiting priests from
ecclesiastical garbs, and from holding
religious professions or services in pub
lie places. These laws were expressly
repealed by the Carranza constitution,
adopted at Queretaro in 1917. Obregon
ond his followers were present at this
Queretaro constitutional convention.
ARTICLE 80 of the present constitu-
ton is invoked to justify the outrageous
expulsion of the papal delegate The
article, which be il said between paren-
thesis, has been many a time applied 10
American newspaper correspondents,
provides for the expulsion of pernicious
foreigners who mix up in Mexican poll
tics.
How could this article be applied to
Monsignor Filippi?
Governor Was Present.
"As apostolic delegate, he certainly
had a diplomatic character, He is a
gentleman Of the highest standing. He
is friend and counsellor Of the high
est church dignitaries in Mexico. He
strictly kept away from all political
| entanglements. Invited TO take part in
a nationwide ceremony Mt the Cerro del
Cubilete in the State of GuanajuatO, he
exerted the utmost prudence and before
conserving to take part in the blessing
of the cornerstone of the monument of
Christ, he consulted the governor of
Guanajuato, Honorable Antonio Mad
razo, who himself assisted at the cere-
monies. and only after having received
the written statement by the governor
| that these ceremonies violated neither
| state nor federal laws, did the delegate
! assent to take part.
To apply Article 80 to a person of
the standing and character of Monsig-
nor Filippi, without even granting him
legal discussion OF the matter in
volved, is simply adding insult to in
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