Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-08
VATICAN DENIES
GALES CHARGES
Observation Romano Declares
Civilization of Republic Due
Entirely to Church.

BY the Associated Press.
ROME, August THE Vatican
organ, Osservator Romano. in d
lengthy article today denies the
charge made by President Gales OF
Mexico that the Catholic Church for
three centuries has absolutely DOM
mated that country, hindering prog
ress and doing nothing for the better
ment of the people.
''On the contrary" the article says.
the triumph of men repre-
senting the most radical and revolu-
tionary political currents is RESPONSE
BILE for all of MeXico's troubles"
The article, entitled -Four Cen
turtles of Catholicism in Mexico" is
looked on as expressing the views of
the Pope, and as the most important
statement of the Holy See viewpoint
since the beginning of the religious
cricis in Mexico.
Outlines Religious History.
while the government puts Mexico
to iron and STEEL" says the article.
Ito destroy-if it were possible-all
traces of religion among the people,
while the whole civilized world is
ing the first centuries of Christianity,
it is strange that the government
tries to blame the church for events
which qualify as a religious crisis.
and attributes the unanimous indigna-
ton of all civilized peoples to their
ignorance of Mexicos religious his
tory"
Then the article gees into details
of MeXico's religious history, pointing
out that the foundation of the state
out of races so antagonistic as the
Spaniards and Indians was made pos
sible through the work of the clergy.
IF it had not been for the church.
it adds, 'MeXico's history would have
, been like that of certain African and
Asiatic colonies, where material civil
lization. unimproved or little intiu
enced by Christian spirit, is abso.
lutely incapable of elevatinS the ma.
tive population to the level of civil
cation necessary for peaceful fusion
of races into a people able TO work
out their own destiny"
Holds Church Hampered.
1t is admitted that the Churchs
work has been less efficacious in re-
cent years, because the Revolutionary
government has favored the Protes-
icism."
After offering examples to prove
that the church. rather than the gov.
eminent, worked out the civilization
OF the people, the article continues
EX-PreSident ObregOn, having lost
an arm in battle, refused TO be treated
except by a Catholic sister, fearing
that any one else would betray him.
When he offered her money. she re-
fused, saying: I act only for love of
God. who orders us to love and help
even our enemies
Now a governmental communiQue
accuses the Catholics of caring only
for material goods, which have been
taken away from the church. .
I'm Mexico, as in other American
countries. prosperity, internal peace.
culture, civil progress and the SPLEEN
dor of art testify to the time when
the church exercised it's beneficent In
ffuence, contributing not only spiritu
ally TO the young states, which were
born Catholic and progressed on the
road to Christian civilization, but con-
sldering the sovereign civil power In
cooperation with the sovereign re-
ligious power for the supreme ends of
human society"
The article concludes:
Events of the last so years show
the existence of a destructive retro
gressive process, before which Cathol-
icism has the glory to be able to
affirm that it has been most frequent
ly the favorite victim, whatever NAV
have been the purposes or successes
or the ambitions and forces in
conflict"