Evening star., 1926-11-07
GALES RELIGIOUS
ACT MORE DRASTIC
Mexican Chiefs Bill Seeks
to Strengthen Present
Church Measure.
BY the Associated Press.


MEXICO CITY. November e6.-
Mexicos. religious regulations. which
already have resulted in grave con-
troversy between the government
and the Roman Catholic Church. are
made considerably more drastic in
a new bill which President Gales
today submitted TO congress.
In message accompa nyinC the
bill, the President said that its pur
pose was to seal every loephole max
ing possible evasions in the present
regulations. and to prepare the way
for complete and absolute enforce
ment Of the religious clauses Of the
constitution.
The new bill re-enactS all the re-
stl.ictions of the regulations which
caused the Catholic episcOpatC to
ORDER it's priests TO suspend church
services and resulted in an economic
boycott by the Catholic laity. The
new provisions increase their rigid
ity in numerous details.
Only One Concession.
The only point in which the new hill
liChtens the present restrictions II !"
!, clause permitting nOnSpanish speak
ministers for their churches for
neriod of six wears. This concession
is made conditional on the agreement
that such foreign ministers will teach
and prepare native MeXiCans to take
over their pulpit at the end OF the SIN
year period when they must WIN
draw. At present no foreign ministers
are functioning in any churches IN
Mexico. being forbidden to do so under
the constitution.
In another section, however. the
new bill places in the same category
as ministers all laymen who repre-
sent religious denominations ana or
saniZations or perform any or the
functions of priests and ministers.
This would prevent laymen conduct
ing church services, which has been
the custom at Christ Church, the EplS'
copal Cathedral in Mexico city. Lay
men have been functioning there since
.the Rev. Dobson Peacock, Il British
subject, but under the jurisdiction OF
the American Episcopal Church.
signed an agreement that he would
cease officiating if the Mexican gov
ernment would withdraw an order for
his deportation as II foreign clerEy
man.
The limitation upon religious news
made more severe and the penalties
for their infringement are made
heavier, fines and prison terms being
provided for.
Priests Must Register.
The new bill requires priests to
register with the municipal authori-
ties before they can perform any re
ligious ceremonies or services at all,
thus preventing them from conduct
ing masses in private homes while the
church services are suspended by the
Episcopate. The Episcopate has re-
fused to allow the priests To register,
because they feel that the govern
ment's terms of registration are an ac-
ceptance of the Mexican government.
instead of the Pope, as the supreme
head of the church in Mexico.
The hill specifies that no religious
marriage ceremony can he performed
by any priest or minister until after
civil marriage has been gone
through. Priests also are required To-
report every marriage they perform
To the civil authorities within FIVE
days.
Article five Of the hill states that
the law does not recognize the per
sonality of any religious group. but
will deal only with priests and min
listers directly or with members of
congregations connected with the ser
vices. Ministers and priests refuS-
ing to obey this law and claiming
that orders must he given them by
their established hierarChical authori-
ties will he punished.
Other clauses make more stringent
the regulations concerning the owner
ship of property by priests. forbid
ding them publicly or privately to
criticise in any way the Mexican con
stitution or the acts of the govern
ment and providing for complete in
ventories of church property
KNIGHTS PLAN APPEAL.