PRIMATE ARRESTED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 58, 9 March 1935, Page 9

PRIMATE ARRESTED.

Catholic Archbishop in

Mexico.

EELIGIOUS PERSECUTION?

(Received 12 noon.)

MEXICO CITY, March 8.

The private secretary to Archbishop Pascual Diaz, Roman Catholic Primate of Mexico, said that the Archbishop was arrested on Thursday while en route to the town of Tlaneplantla, in the Mexico Federal district. The secretary added that he was unable to determine the Primate's whereabouts or to learn further details.

Government officials have issued a statement that Archbishop Diaz is held in custody charged with violation of the religious laws.

"PERSECUTION."

PLIGHT OF CATHOLICS

"The arrest of Archbishop Diaz is only another instance of the prolonged' religious persecution in Mexico," said Father P. T. ii. McKeefry, secretary to Bishop Liston, when the cable was read to him this morning.

"Mexico is nominally a Roman Catholic country," he continued, "but the policy of the Government for the last few years has been to establish a Communistic regime under a military dictatorship and reduce the country to state of atheism. So-called religious laws have been brought into force so that practically every minister of religion is liable to persecution.

"The wearing of clerical garb is forbidden, except in the churches. No one but Mexicans can officiate at religious ceremonies, and every minister must be licensed. The districts in which these licenses operate are limited, generally according to the population —one minister' to every 20,000, or even 50,000 people. Worship is forbidden in public places, and this law is twisted round to include places where the worshippers are visible from the road.

"A tragic incident occurred recently when a number of people were worshipping at a shrine on private property. It happened to be visible from a road and the congregation was promptly bombed by the Government troops. Several people were killed and the priests who escaped were arrested.

"Another and terrible method of instilling the new doctrines into the minds of , the children of Mexico is by sexual instruction in the schools. The sanctity of the body is forgotten. In spite of vehement protests by the Roman Catholics and the great majority of the population these sacriligious exhibitions are still in force."