Evening star., 1926-05-17
BAN|SHED PRELATE
ON HIS WAY HERE
Mexico's Charge of FaIsifying
Declaration Denied by Rev.
George Caruana.


MEXICO CITY, May 17.-Ordered
expelled from Mexico, the Right Rev.
George Caruana, papal nuncio. was on
his way to Washington today via La
redo.
He was ordered to leave on the
ground that he entered the country in
an improper manner in contravention
of the clauses of the Mexican consti-
tuition dealing with foreign ministers
of the gospel.
On arriving at Washington. he Is
expected to receive instructions from
Rome as to his future activities. He
was allowed six days after notification
of his expulsion in which to leave
Mexico.
Before departing. Mgr. Caruana,
who is a naturalized American citizen.
issued a statement in which he denied
the charges OF the Mexican govern
ment He said he had notified James
r. Sheffield, the United States Ambas-
sador, of his predicament and that the
Amba assador had forwarded his side of
the issue to Washington.
False Declaration Charge.
The statement said that on May II
Col. Delgado, chief Of the confidential
section Of the Department OF Goberna-
cion, handed him a presidential decree
ordering his expulsion on the grounds
that he made false declarations re-
garding his birth, profession and re-
Igion when he entered Mexico and
that he had functioned as clergyman
while in Mexico.
The prelate denied emphatically
that he made false declarations. The
immigration inspector, he said, did not
request any statement with regard to
his birth or religion. but he did inquire
as to his profession.
The prelate answered his profession
was teaching and he handed to the
immigration officials his passport and
vaccination certificates. The pass
port showed that he was Bishop of
Porto Rico.
The statement asserted that before
Mgr Caruana left Washington he had
received assurances that the Mexican
Ambassador to the United States had
said there was no Mexican law pro-
hibiting the entry or stay in Mexico
| of any American clergyman, provided
he did not exercise his ministerial
Denies Any Violation.
'T state that since my arrival in
Mexico Mgr. Caruana's statement
concluded, II have never violated in
any way the provisions of the Mexi-
can cons;itution."
The nuncio told correspondents that
since he had been in Mexico he had
attended church only three times, and
then only as an ordinary worshiper.
He had never off1ciated as B. clergy
man, he said.
Mgr. Caruana had been in Mexico
City two months.
The Governor of the State of
Michoacan has permitted Catholic
priests to resume their functions, pro-
viding each priest carries an identi-
f1cation card in a system which limits
the number of priests to that fixed by
the state law Services were con-
Quoted yesterday In Morelias Cath
olic churches for the first time in
several weeks.
Dispatches from Huejutla say that
Bishop Manriquez Zarate of Hueiutla
has been arrested because of re-
cent pastoral letter protesting against
enforcement of the religious sections
Of the constitution. 1t Is thought the
bishop may be brought to Mexico City
for trial.
Archbishop Edward J. Hanna of
San Francisco. in a statement issued
| in New York. characterizes the depor-
| tation of Mgr. Caruana as IAN af-
front to his position as a high church
dignitary and to his rights as an
American citizen" and says his en-
| trance was in every way legal.
The archbishop is chairman Of the
administrative committee of the Ma
tional Catholic Welfare Conference.
| Mgr. Caruana is apostolic delegate
to the Antilles and Mexico. He was
born on the Island of Malta and
served as chaplain in the United
States Army in the Philippines, Pana-
ma and Porto Rico. He was engaged
! in parish work in Brooklyn in 1919,
and became secretary to Cardinal
Dougherty Of Philadelphia in 1921.
The provision in the Mexican consti-
| tuition under which he was ordered
deported provides that no foreign
minister Of any denomination may
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