File No. 812.404/22.
The Reverend R. H.
Tierney to the Secretary of
State
.
New York
,
October 17, 1914
.
Honorable and Dear Sir: Some three weeks [ago]
you requested me to submit a statement outlining Mexican conditions as
attested by reputable people of different creeds, interested in the
cause of morality and religion.
I have delayed this work until the present time in order to give the
various documents in my possession careful thought. After long
consideration I have chosen the documents herewith submitted as the
calmest and farthest removed from bias and passion of any kind.
Document A makes clear the whole contention of the Catholic Church in
this unfortunate affair. In this regard I wish to impress upon you once
again that the relentless war waged on Catholicism is not persecution of
Catholicism but a war on religion as such. This, you yourself gathered
from Caballero’s official statements which you read in my presence. Were
the Presbyterian or Methodist Church the dominant church of Mexico
neither would fare any better. An assault is made on God.
Document B is the statement of a man who was a victim of the Guadalajara
persecution. Bad as it is, it is not as harrowing as a dozen other
accounts which are in my possession. These statements charge the
revolutionists with the following crimes: 1. Confiscation of property.
2. Murder of priests. 3. Torture of priests. 4. Violation of Sisters. 5.
Desecration of churches. 6. The use of the altars and sacred vessels for
unspeakably base purposes. 7. Conversion of a convent into a brothel. 8.
Attempts to discredit priests by dressing a soldier in the Mass
vestments and photographing him standing by the side of a nude woman. 9.
The garbing of a prostitute in a Sister’s attire; this prostitute was
sent into the streets to preach against Catholicism. 10. The injection
of unworthy priests into ecclesiastical offices of dignity and
responsibility. 11. The placing of a nude woman on the altar of a chapel
attached to the Jesuit college at Saltillo (also of Puebla). 12. The
continual interference with liberty of worship, such as the forbidding
of confessions, the sacraments of baptism and matrimony, the prohibition
of Mass save on Sunday and then only by a priest appointed by the
Governor for that purpose. The extent to which religious liberty is
denied varies in different places; vide the “Decree of Toluca” issued by
Murguia, the decrees issued by Villareal and Aguilar respectively. 13.
The official denial of God’s existence, on the part of Caballero.
These and other outrages are authentic.
What, now, do Catholics ask? First, a sincere attempt to rescue the
Sisters and priests marooned at Vera Cruz; the number in distress can be
furnished at intervals by the American Consul, who is in constant touch
with the situation; I cannot give accurate figures because the number
fluctuates; some weeks there are more, some [Page 1008] weeks less; this results from the departure of
groups of refugees and the arrival of others. Second, recognition of no
government which does not grant real freedom of worship. Lastly, I may
remark that Mexicans are in despair; a prominent gentleman of Mexico
City writes me under date of October 7: “Since the sending of those
documents things have gone from bad to worse; we are in the last throes
of anarchy and ruin.” The only hope for Mexico seems to lie in a speedy,
untrammelled election free from all restraint. This will hardly take
place while the present element is dominant.
I am [etc.]
R. H. Tierney,
Chairman of the Committee of the Federation of
Catholic Societies.
[Inclosure 1—Summary.]
[Untitled]
Document A is entitled “The Catholic Church and the Mexican
Revolution” and is unsigned; it states that—
The clergy have held aloof from politics and have preached obedience
to constituted authority.
The revolutionists are enemies of all religions and especially the
Catholic religion; unable to destroy Catholicism by legitimate
means, they resort to persecution; the same is true of the Díaz
régime; examples thereof.
The social as well as religious value of the Church is evidenced by
its persistent maintenance of schools, hospitals, asylums and other
charitable and constructive works, kept up in spite of continuous
obstruction by the civil authorities.
It is untrue that the National Catholic Party is dominated by the
clergy, who have confined themselves to exhortations addressed to
the whole people, calling them to peace and union. It is this
attitude of the clergy that causes the hatred of the carrancista and
other revolutionary factions, since they do not want peace and
union.
Extortions of large sums of money from the clergy have been attempted
under the pretext that they have accumulated great riches, which is
untrue; figures showing the income of the Church and its various
charitable and educational institutions, an income far from
sufficient to maintain these institutions as effectively as the
Church keeps striving for.
Profanations of churches, the sacred vessels, and consecrated
particles are so many that they would take too long to state in
detail; a brief outline of them.
“From the statement of facts and the considerations which have been
offered, any unprejudiced person can see for himself that the
following conclusions are true. Neither the bishops nor the priests
have had any part in the government of Mexico, nor have they
attempted to take any part. They have not formed, directed nor
influenced any party. They have placed no obstacles in the way of
the administration or operation of the government. They have abided
by the laws in force even though these are sectarian and they have
not tried by any violent means to change them. They have advised the
Catholic people to respect and obey the established government and
the existing laws. They have not gone beyond the sphere of their
rights and have not usurped those of the civil power. Their teaching
and preaching have been confined to impressing upon Catholics the
fundamental principles of religion and the application of these
principles to the actions of life. The Mexican clergy lack the
material means of opposing any governmental action and even of
meeting the necessities of the Church.
“The Catholic clergy and laity of Mexico understand and recognize
that social reform is needed which will better the condition of the
Indian population and of the middle class. But it also knows that
this reform will not be fruitful or lasting if it attempts to
establish itself on the ruins of the ancient social edifice or if it
is not founded on the only basis which will sustain society, namely,
the family, property rights, the country, and religion.”
Such is the platform of the Church authorities. What reason is there,
then, for the persecution of religion, the clergy, and
Catholics?
[Page 1009]
[Inclosure 2—Description.]
[Untitled]
Document B is entitled “Religious persecution in Guadalajara; The
expulsion by the Constitutionalists army of foreign priests and
professors from Guadalajara, Mexico: An appeal to the American
people.” It is not signed; the subject outlined in the title is
related in detail, with many examples of the cruelty, obscenity and
sacrilege attending the entry of the troops on and after July 7,
1914. The final paragraph is as follows:
“We all protest against the unjust spoliation of our property, for
which we will demand indemnity when a government shall be
established. We protest against the barbarity with which they have
expelled us. We protest against the savage manner in which they have
driven us out of the country for which we have labored for so many
years. We protest against the according to us of such treatment as
would not be accorded the worst criminals. We protest against the
indignity offered our flags and our consulates, against the
illegality of the verbal decree by which we were expelled and
against the execution of that decree, which was even more illegal
and cruel. We trust that the American people, who are lovers of
justice and civilization, will realize that they are in honor bound
to defend us in the name of science and humanity, to demand
satisfaction for the flagrant violation of the recommendations which
were made by them to Carranza and his followers. If this be not
done, then the declaration of the Carrancistas will be confirmed:
that, whatever they do is done with the knowledge and approbation of
the Washington Government.”
