Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-26

or ill-will against the archhishops anC
bishops who in 1917 signed the repud
iation of the constitution and appea
| to rebellion which their declaration
really was.
Eliminated Foreign Priests.
The best proof of the truth Of
this attitude is the fact that the gov
! eminent has enforced the constitution
although 1t well knew that one of the
! first results would be favorable to the
I Mexican clergy, through automatic
! elimination of foreign priests who did
| not sign the protest and who in some
| cases were even an obstacle to the
| politics of the bad Mexican clergy who
were the enemies of the government
but these foreign priests had to aban.
don the country because the constitu-
ton so demanded.
However, frankly, / believe that,
rather than the clergy, the ones most
| obstructing the governments admin
istrative task are those of the old re-
| dictionary tendencies, having hatred of
the revolution and the revolutionary
government, who disguise themselves
with the religious cloak and agitate
in the name of religion"
The president stated that, among
the groups obstructing the govern
ment's program, may be found attor-
neys, who, through a strong showing
of religious zeal, expect to profit pro
fessionally as managers or attorneys
| or the clergy's property.
Cites Huerta Backers.
Another group of actors in the re.
ligious conflicts, he deelered, was com.
posed of professional political agita.
tors who, under the cloak of Catholi
cism, organized political party, pos
ing as friends of Francisco MADEIRA,
But on the day after Madero's assas
sination, he alleged these persons al
lied themselves with Gen. Victoriano
Huefta. Madero's enemy.
Il know" he continued. that 1t is
very hard for the people of the United
States to understand that there are
wicked elements who attempt to cover
their political ambitions under the
cloak of religion.
II envy the United States in that
respect, and know that the churches
of the United States distinguished be
tween religious and political conduct
But in Mexico. from the time of indie
pendence TO the present, the Catholic
Church has been a constant political
problem
This has so weakened the spiritual
influence of the Catholic Church in
Mexico that, with the exception of a
small percentage of good and faithful
Catholics who are unable to see
through the church's intrigues, al
other Catholics In Mexico who are also
good Mexicans make a clear division
between their religious duties and
obedience to their bad pastors, who
pursue. political and temporal obJec
tives."
Says Opposition Will Fail.
Naturally, my government does not
contemplate making the religious reg
ulations less drastic because of the at
titude taken by the political Catholic
leaders and bad Mexican prelates as Q
pretext for opposing the social, con
structive and revolutionary work we
are carrying on.
Each new opposition, manifesto
ton or luminosity or hindrance to my
government and it's work will serve
to establish new penalties for those
who refuse to obey the Mexican laws. =
The pastoral letter begins: His holi
ness Pope Plus has been profoundly
| moved by the religious persecution
which for some time has been un'
chained in Mexico, and even before
the heinous recrudescence of the last
| few months his holiness in his last
apostolic letter, February 2, spoke OF
| the iniauity of the DEGREES and laws
which had been sanctioned by states
| men enemies of the church against
| Catholics in Mexico.
Cites Predecessors Stand.
"In that letter Pope Plus recalled
that his predecessor, Benedict XIV, re-
iected the same character of Mexican
laws, and Pope Plus in his February
letter repeated and ratified Benedlct
Reputation of such Mexican laws.
After thus reviewing the Pope
attitude the letter continues. since
1917. when we (the Mexican eplsco
patel raised our voice in protest TO ms
holiness Benedict XIV, until the pres
ent time, our conduct has always peer
of prudent silence, because the MEX
can anti-religious clauses were not ap
nIied to the extent of making impos
s,hIa the existence of the church.
"In truth, the governments in power
during that period of time undoubtedly
nlaced great obstacles before the
church and passed against the cnurcr
several administrative measures exces
sivelv rigorous and sometimes uncon
stitutionaI. but they never MADE I'M
nossihle the administration OF sacfa
ments and the exercise or cuts IL
general. rsac,,+,on
which could he considered as 1solaLea
and transitory, we could observe al
eynectant attitude, seeking harmony
celebrating humiliations, always nav
ing in mind the principles or tn'
divine constitution OF the cn9rCll
Rut the regulations now issued oy
the federal executive injure TO sucf
an extent the divine rights OF tins
church intrusted to our guarolan
ship, are secondary to thes natura
rights which both consecrate rem
gious liberty as the prtmordlal Iouiloa
ton of civilization and positiVeiy pre-
scribe social and individual DUTY .
worship God, are so contrary 10 In
| Mexican constitutional rights ina
before such violation of so sacret
moral values it is impossible for vi
to yield any further.
Holds Silence Is Crime.
"It would be a crime on our par
to tolerate such a situation, and W.
do not desire that when brought De
fore the tribunal of God the tardJ
lamentations of the prophet Nigh
come to our mind-Woe is me, be
cause I have kept silent
"Who will not recognize that al
offense truly incredible is done divine
rights and natural rights, and to thu
dearest and most sacred interests o
the Mexican nation, when, according
to the latest decree of the fedora
executive, the acts ordered or advised
by God, and therefore most sacret
acts which the legislation of civilized
countries protests, acts which fol
centuries have been the soul and lif'
of the Mexican people, are made
criminal offenses, with penalties more
rigorous than moral crimes in genera
or crimes against life and property