New Britain herald., 1926-12-16
Says Christian Civiliza- tion's Foundations Are Being Undermined and Attacked by Mexican Laws.

New York, Dec. 16 R>-The Cath ollie episcopate of the United States in it's first pastoral letter since 1919 warns Christian civilization that it's foundations are again being at- tackled and undermined" by religious restrictions in Mexico.
 The document. containing more than 12,000 words and compiled by q committee consisting of Cardinal Hayes, Archbishop Glennon of St Louis, Archbishop Bowling of St. Paul, Bishop Schrembs of Cleveland, and Bishop Kelley of Oklahoma, is being sent to 30,000 clergymen and to Catholic organizations.
 The bishops state they are carry ing the case Of the church to the American people. following the es- ample of President Gales "who has come into the American forum through diplomatic and consular agencies and otherwise. in an at- tempt to justify the stand of his government
 The bishops state the letter Is not an appeal for political intervention or for action of any sort by the American government.
 Does Its Duty
 "Our duty is done" 1t says. "when by telling the story, defending the truth and emphasizing the prin- ciples. we sound warning to Christian civilization that Its foun- dations are again being attacked and undermined
 Cardinal Hayes, in making public the letter last night, stated it is not designed to revive the religious con- troyersy in Mexico, but to set 1t at rest forever. The Mexican govern- ment in taking Its case to the American people. must In turn be judged by American standards, he said.
 The first part of the letter takes up the differences in religious and civil liberty under the American and Mexican constitutions and asserts mo American can accept the Mexl- can theory of government as in &C., cord with fundamental justice with out repudiating his own traditions and ideals.
 Tn the commonly accepted American doctrine, the constitution vests the government with such rights and powers as are necessary for the proper exercise of its just functions, and at the same time for bide 1t to encroach upon the rights of a higher order which come to man not from the people, nor from the state, nor from any aggregation of states, but from the creator Of both men and states, Almighty God. This conception Is wholly in keeping with the teaching of the Catholic church."
 Repeats Quotations
 The letter then quotes from the Declaration of Independence. the Catholic theologian Thomas Aquinas. the supreme court and Blackstone in support of his view that the dictates of conscience are in many cases su- perior to the enactments of the state when these are in clear contradiction to the divine law.
 The letter declares that the church Is deprived of legal entity as a cor poration, cannot own property, can not function so as to maintain a na- tive priesthood. and is specifically barred from maintaining foreign priesthood.
 The pastoral compares the re- ligious restrictions with the liberal provisions of the United States for religious, educational and charitable  "It is scarcely necessary to Set down the conclusions that natural ly flow from the contrast we have made" states the letter. They are at once apparent and must convince right thinking men and women that there can be no relationship be- tween the principles upon which the Mexican constitution Is built, the laws that embody them. and spirit | with which it Is proposed they shall