ATTACK ON THE CHURCH

Evening Star, Issue 19549, 6 May 1927, Page 8

ATTACK ON THE CHURCH

THE TROUBLE IH MEXICO SERMON BY BISHOP LISTON His Lordship Bishop Liston, Coadjutor Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland, preaching at 11 o’clock Mass in St. Benedict’s, Auckland, on Sunday last, gave a lucid explanation of the war on Christianity that is being waged by the. atheist and Bolshevist Government of Mexico. “In Now Zealand,’ said Dr Liston, “it is recognised that every citizen has a right to worship God according to tho dictates of his conscience, and all religious bodies are recognised as legal corporations, wTli power, to carry on works of religion, education and social welfare. They may own land and erect churches, achoo's, orphanages, colleges for train* ng' ministers; they may receive bequests and possess endowments, and protest tiioir property rights in the courts. All this is to the good, because it safeguards the claims of consmenco cult - vales the spiritual life, and foster, zeal in useful works of Icarnnig and charity. This promotes both Ihe happiness of the people and the stability of the Governnunt. Whilst there is no union of church and State, there is full recognition of the benw’us conferred by religion.” NO CHURJM OF ANY LIND. The speaker then turned to the present deplorable state of affairs in Mexico. The Catholic faith, brought there by tho Spanish missioaaiios three centuries ago, lived to-day m the hearts of 98 per cent, of the people. But political power was in tho hands of avowed atheists. They were enforcing the Constitution of 1917, wVch The Times’ (London) described as “reflecting the views of a vbry small minority of the people. Neither at the time of its framing, when 30,000 out of 15,000,000 voted, nor since has any this Constitution to tho judgment of the people. Bv virtue of this document, now rigidly applied and supplemented by convenient laws, there are no churches in Mexico. These laws do Church they are directed aganistevery form of religious worship without discrimination.

In Mexico a religious body cannot acquire or hold any real property, neither church buildings, schools, hospitals, orphanages, nor residences for its ministers, the speaker explained. It has no legal status in the courts. The Government assumes the dominion and administration exclusively _ of all property hitherto held by religious bodies. If a religious body ot any kind merely uses a building, it is assumed that it claims ownership, and the Government will seize it and confiscate the property. If a minister of religion rents a home for himself, it may be seized and confiscated. Property belonging to the relatives of a minister may be confiscated. “In a word,” said Dr Liston, “ all religious property belongs to the nation, and it is used for whatever purpose the Government decides.”

ONLY NATIVE-BORN MINISTERS. Further, the law provides that no clergyman but a native-born Mexican may officiate in any act of worship. “ If we had a law like that in New Zealand, the Bishop of London could not have preached here recently, nor Gipsy Smith,” said the speaker, who added, hundreds of non-Cathdie ministers now working in the dominion would have to retire On the other hand, the Governmen will not allow colleges for the training for the ministry of native-born Mexicans! “ All religious acts of public worship shall be celebrated absolutely within the church,” runs another law. “If that were in force hero, there could be no broadcasting of religious services, and no religious Anzac Day services in the Town Hall,” was the comment of Dr Liston. “ And,” ho said, “if that law had held in the days of old, St. Paul could not have spoken on Mars Hill, in Athens, nor Our Saviour have preached the Sermon on the Mount.” SIX PRIESTS FOR 300,000.

So that no lifo should be left in the unhappy Mexican churches, article 130 of the Constitution allows each State to determine how many ministers of religion shall be tolerated within its borders. In the State of Yucatan, six priests are considered sufficient to minister to 300,000 Catholics, and the State of Tobasco has limited the number to zero. The preacher asked what would the 330,000 Presbyterians of New Zealand do if the Government allowed them six ministers, and exiled, imprisoned, and defrocked the rest? GAG ON THE PRESS.

Articles 10 and 13 forbid, under severe penalties, nil criticism, by ministers in public or privately, by religious papers and secular papers showing a religious bias, of the Government and even of the private acts of public officials. The ‘ Universal,’ the greatest daily t of Mexico, was driven recently to publish, for the satisfaction of its readers, the explanation that it could no longer print news or comments on the religious question, as if it did so it would be suspended under the new decree. “This is the famous Constitution of 1917, and these are. the laws in force to-day in Mexico. Here, there is something more than the persecution of the Catholic/ Church. All this is a denial of elementary human rights like the right of conscience, and defiance of the first' principles upon which human government must rest. This is the spirit which prompted the pagan Roman State to endeavor, to crush Christianity at its birth, which forbade the exercise of religion during the French Revolution, and which rules Russia to-dav.” said Dr Liston._ “ The Government ’is up in arms against all religion, against God Himseir. Is it wrong to label this Bolshevism! 1 Is Pope Pius XI. guilty of exaggeration, when he calls these laws ‘ diabolical ’ P” ho asks. AN ALLY OF THE SOVIETS. “The pretence that Mexico’s rulers p,T& enlightened and progressive states-

men, waging a holy war against superstition and priestly arrogance, deceives only those who wish to be, deceived, said Dr Liston in conclusion. “ One incident proves my point,” he said. “ President Calles received last August a telegram of • congratulation from Charles E. Ruthenberg. knqwA as ‘ the Master-Bolshevist in America,’ pleading the support of himself and fellow Communists in the United States against the Catholic Church in Mexico. Now this is the same Ruthenberg who died two months ago in the United States, and whose ashes were transported overseas, at the request of the Soviet- Government of Russia, to be placed in the Kremlin at Moscow, along with the ashes of the great leaders of Bolshevism.”