Douglas daily dispatch., 1926-10-01
SIX KILLED INMEXICAN CONSUL
VERA CRUZ BYGENERAL DENIES
MONDAY STORM. GALES TYRANNY

recent statement in the news
papers by the Catholic bishops of
the United States, referring to the
administration of President GALES
as tyrannical and the Mexican Cath
olics as "the real champions IN
Mexico of religious and civil liber-
ty,' has brought an interesting reply
from M. Y. Prieto, acting consul
general of the Mexican government,
copy of which was received by
Juan Marshall Mexican consul at
Douglas, Thursday. The rep;y, IN
part, states:
"The only possible basis upon
which the Catholic bishops of tNs
country can charge the Mexican gov
ernment with being a tyrannical on2
is the insistence upon President Cali
les part that the sovereign will Of
the Mexican people as expressed IN
it's constitution must be ooeyed by
everyone, irrespective of their posi-
tion in society; that the archbishops
and bishops of the Catholic church
in Mexico must obey the law just az
the humblest citizen must obey it.
No statement has ever been made
by the Catholic hierarchy of Mexico
that the laws which President Gales
insists must be obeyed are in any
way extra-legal. They have, how
ever, arrogated to themselves the
right to say that these laws should
never have been placed in the con-
stitution; and not only have they re-
fused to obey them, but some of the
bishops have issued statements say
ing that the laws of the church are
superior to the civil laws of the
country. 1t was this attitude of the
Catholic hierarchy that brought
about the present so-called "relig-
ious crisis"
The statement of the Catholic
bishops of the United States that the
Catholic hierarchy in Mexico IS
"fearlessly resisting armed force In
defense of the inalienable rights OF
man." is not in consonance with the
known facts. Not one priest in Mex
leo was driven out of a single place
Of public worship. Not an attempt
was made by the government to
interfere with the spiritual functions
Of the church. Upon President CAL
les refusal to abrogate the provi-
sions of the constitution, which in
his oath of Office he had sworn to
obey. the Catholic hierarchy of Mex
leo left the churches and refused to
administer in public places OF wor-
ship the consultations of religion to
the people.
AS to the assertion that the Cath
olic hierarchy of Mexico are the real
champions of religious and civil I'D
erty," beg leave to submit the
following facts, all of which can be
verified in histories of Mexico; writ
ten, not by Mexicans, but by well
known writers of the United States
such as the historian, Bancroft.
A quarter of a century after the
peop1e of the United States had
achieved their independence and
foundd a government in which church
and state were absolutely divorced
the bishops of Mexico were still
conducting the inquisition. halr-
century after independence had como
to the United States, the bishops OIL
Mexico were supporting the forces OF
reaction in that country which guar
anteed to the church special priv
ileges, including responsibility only
to ecclesiastical courts and recogni7
+ion of the Catholic as the only
religion allowed to be taught IN
Me>t.co. These facts disprove abso-
lutely the claims in the statement OF
the American Catholic bishops that
the Catholic bishops in Mexico are
.'the real champions of religion lib
erty."
AS to the record of the Mexican
bishops on civil liberty, the follow
ing incontroveriible facts are sub
mitted: On the 18th of September
1910. humble Catholic priest raised
the banner of revolt against the
Spanish tyrants His name was Father
Hidalgo. For this offense ne was
communicated by the Catholic
bishops, and suffered a. most crue
death at the hands of the Spanish
rulers. Another Catholic priest
Father Morelos, who took his place
was in turn excommunicated ant
billed.
When the Spanish power FELL tn
Catholic bishops of Mexico bacKet
the usurper, Iturbide, who procIalme'
himself emperor and continued tn
special privileges of the church. Fo
the next forty years the Mexican
church hierarchy, as matter 0
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