Douglas daily dispatch., 1926-06-11

anyone to cite one single case where
it has shown the least unfriendliness
toward religion or where II has pun
ished through expulsion or otherwise
any priest or minister for any act
other than a violation of the basic
laws of the country.
There is no finer statement of the
Mexican governments position toward
the religious question than the letter
written by Alvaro Obregon, who was
president Of Mexico when Monsignor
Filippi was expelled, in answer to a
group of Mexican archbishops who
sent a formal protest to him on the
expulsion of the Papal Delegate
President Obregon's answer to the
Mexican archbishopss was in part as
follows:
"Senores Archbishops Jose Mora,
Leopoldo Ruiz and other signatories-
greetings!
Gentlemen: Your letter of the fif-
teenth instant relating to the ex'
pulsion of Mgr Filippi sent to me in
my capacity Of chief executive has
been received and read. I consider
that thee repetition of those unpleas-
ant incidents and occasions of pain
full friction which have occurred be-
tween the traditional liberty party
of Mexico and certain members of
the Catholic church could have been
avoided by very slight effort on
your part. Moreover, if there was
any basis of justification for such
misunderstanding in the days when
the differences involved were essen
TALLY of a political character, when
the party's program existed merely
on paper, they are wholly without
justification at the present time when
the liberal party has undergone
complete reorganization in it's political
structure and is now giving it's first
thoughts and efforts to those social
reforms which are destined to gov
ern coming generations. The prin-
ciples embodied in these reforms are
fundamentally Christian and their ap-
plication can in no wise initiate
against what should be the basic
program of the Catholic church. In
deed, if the two programs are not
entirely identical they surely should
be essentially complementary. And
given, therefore, the conclusion that
the present social program of the
government, born Of the revolution,
is essentially Christian and, as 1
have said, complement to the funda-
mental program of the Catholic
church, surely it would not require
more than a minimum of sincerity
and good faith on the part of those
entrusted with it's development and
application in order that complete
harmony might reign in work SO
manifestly sacred.
'"The fundamental program of the
Catholic church as it is interpreted
by those entrusted with it's destinies
consists principally in guiding all
souls along the path of virtue, moral
ity and brotherhood using these
terms in their broadest sense-aiming
on a basis of these noble purposes
to assure infinite happines for all
in the life eternal. ~
The fundamental aims of the pres
ent Mexican government in which it
believes it is faithfully interpreting
the desires Of people may be summed
up thus; To guide all the people Of
Mexico along the path of morality,
virtue and brotherhood-using these
terms in their broadest sense-aiming
on the basis of these purposes to
achieve a greater well-being for the
earthly life. If these two programs
could be realized there would result
the most far-reaching conquest of
well-being ever known on earth be-
cause the well-being and happiness
thus sought would have been attain
ed both in this and the next life.
"The Catholic religion requires of
its ministrants that they should
nourish and guide the souls of be-
levers. The revolution which has
just ended requires that the govern
ment born of it should nourish the
stomach, the brain and the soul of
each and every Mexican. In this
basic conception of the two pro-
grams there is not only nothing mu-
tually exclusive, but there should be
on the contrary indisputab1e har-
certain members of the high Catholic
clergy have not sensed the trans
formation which has occurred in the
minds of the people toward modern
outlook in the course of which in
effectively abstract doctrines have
day by day lost their influence, while
effective social programs have gained
strength. To these latter the high
Catholic clergy has not only denied