Evening star., 1927-04-18

only a divorced is interfering with
civil jurisdiction. That might be so
if anybody claimed that the decree of
the rota had any effect under the laws
of America or any other nation of the
world.
But you must know that it has no
such effect and that nobody claims
that it has. The decree merely de-
fined the status of the parties as CO..
municants of the church. Your
church refuses to recognize the &c
clesiastical validity of divorces grant
ed by the civil tribunals. Your
church has its tribunals to administer
it's laws for the government of it's
members as communicates of your
church. But their DEGREES have no
bearing upon the status of your mem
bers as citizens of the United States.
There Is no difference in that respect
between your tribunals and the rota.
Finally you come to Mexico. BY
Inference from the brief of a distin-
guished lawyer you intimate that it is
the purpose Of organized Catholics
to seek Intervention by the United
States. No, l never read Mr.. Guth-
rie's brief. l do not have to read it
to reply to you because the pastoral
letter of the Catholic episcopate of
words disclaimed any such intention,
II do not see how, with complete
candor, you could write to me about
Mexico without quoting the following
from the pastoral letter:
What, therefore, we have written
is no call on the faithful here or else
where to purely human action. It is
no lnterposition of our influence either
as bishops or as citizens to reach
those who possess political power any,
where on earth, and least of all in
our own country, to the end that
they should intervene with armed
force in the internal affairs of Mex
ico for the protection of the church.
our duty Is done when, by telling the
story, we sound warning to Chris
tlan civilization that it's foundations
are again being attacked and under
mined. For the rest, God will bring
His will to pass in His own good
time and in His own good way.'''
Help for Oppressed.
My personal attitude" said the
governor, wholly consistent with
that Of my church, is that | believe
in peace on earth, good will to men,
and that no country has a right to in
terfere in the internal affairs of any
other country. 1 recognize the right
OF no church to ask armed interyen-
ton by this country in the affairs of
another, merely for the defense of
the rights of church.
But do recognize the proprietv
OF church action to request the good
onlces OF this country to help the op.
pressed of any land, as those rood
offices have been so often used for
the protection of Protestant mission
aries In the Orient and the prosecuted
Jews or Eastern Europe"
can Catholic.
beIleVe in the worship of God ac.
cordlng to the faith and practice of
the Roman Catholic Church.
recognize no power in the institu.
tiohs or my church to interfere with
t,le operations of the Constitution of
tne United States or the enforcement
Oh the law ofsthe land. believe in alb
Solute freedom of conscience for all
men and in equality of all churches
all sects and all beliefs before the law
as matter of right and not as a mat
ter of favor. --''''
believe in the absolute separation
OF church and state and in the strict
enforcement of the provisions of the
constitution that Congress shall make
no law respecting an establishment of
rehglon or prohibiting the free exer-
clse thereof. believe that no tribunal
or any church has any power to make
any decree of any force in the law of
the land other than to establish the
status of it's own communicates within
its own church
Il believe in the support of the public
school as one of the corner stones of
American liberty. I believe in the
right of every parent to choose whether
his child shall be educated in the
public school or in religious school
supported by those of his own faith.
Il believe in the principle of non.
interference by this country in the in
ternal affairs of other nations, and
that we should stand steadfastly
| against any such interference by
Whomsoever it may be urged.
And l believe in the common
brotherhood of man under the com
| mon fatherhood OF God.
I'm this spirit / join with fellow
Americans of all creeds in a fervent
prayer that never again in this land
will any public servant be challenged
because of the faith in which he has
tried to walk humbly with his God.
VERY truly yours,
"ALFRED z. SMITH"