CHAPTER XI. THE MEXICAN CHURCH. RELATIONS BETWEEN THE MEXICAN CHURCH AND THE POPE. CLERGY, MONKS, NUNS, MONASTERIES, CONVENTS. WEALTH OF THE CHURCH. - RATIO OF CLERGY AND PEOPLE. HIGH AND LOW CLERGY-THEIR HISTORY -VICES.-MONKS-RURAL SION. MISSIONS IN CALIFORNIA PAZO'S THE relations existing between the Mexican church and the Papal throne were interrupted by the revolution. Spain and her monarchs had ever been distinguished and faithful defenders of the Catholic church, and had maintained its power carefully throughout all their American possessions. The pope therefore regarded the revolution not only as unfavorable to the interest of his allies, but as calculated in all probability to introduce ecclesiastical as well as political liberty into regions of which his ministers possessed the entire dominion. Hence the famous encyclical letter of his Holiness of the 24th of September, 1824, directed to the Heads of the American church, in which he anathematizes the doctrines and principles upon which the revolution was founded. But, yielding in the end to circumstances, and probably reassured by the article in the first constitution of Mexico - not yet promulgated when his letter saw the light-by which the Catholic faith. was permanently confirmed as the national religion, to the exclusion of all others, he received the rebellious nation once more into his flock, as soon as the Mexican government sought readmission. This reconciliation was negotiated upon the same terms that existed during the Spanish dominion. Even from the epoch of Iturbide's rule this delicate subject had engaged the attention of the rulers, and in 1825 an envoy was sent CLERGY, MONKS, NUNS, MONASTERIES, CONVENTS. 131 to Rome. The ecclesiastical Junto which met in Mexico, had striven to reinvest the Metropolitan with the ancient right of instituting suffragan bishops; but the canonical right has continued in the Pope, on the presentation of the government. Nevertheless, efforts have been made to extend, substantially the metropolitan powers of the Archbishop of Mexico, of whom it was probably desired to make the true head of the national church, dependent however upon the Roman Pontiff. There were in Mexico, according to the best accessible official dates, in 1826 1 Archbishop. 9 Bishops, in 9 Bishoprics. 1 Collegiate Chief at the Collegiate Church of Guadalupe. 185 Prebends, (79 vacancies thereof, in 1826.) 1194 Parishes, of one, two, or more churches. 9 Seminaries (conciliares.) 3677 Clergymen (1240 engaged in curacies) and the rest in seminaries, ecclesiastical cures, vicarages, &c.) 5 Religious orders, owning 155 Monasteries; in which there were 1918 Monks; of whom 40 Served curacies and 106 Missions. In 47 of these monasteries there were more than twelve monks, and in thirty-nine there were less than five. 6 Colleges de Propaganda Fidé, containing 307 Clergymen; of whom 61 Served in missions. 2 Congregaciones, with 60 presbyters. 58 Convents; with 1931 Nuns, 622 Girls, 1475 Servants. SUMMARY OF ECCLESIASTICAL PERSONS. 7999 Clergymen, friars and nuns. 2097 Servants and girls in convents. Since the epoch of independence the orders of Juaninos, Bele mites, and San Lazaro, have been extinguished. 132 WEALTH OF THE CHURCH. In 1844, when the last accurate summary of the Mexican church, within our reach, was made, the following was the condition : SUMMARY OF MEXICAN CHURCH IN 1844. In this year the possessions in conventual establishments of the REGULAR ORDERS, was estimated as follows: The actual property of this establishment has been variously estimated since the earliest period in which Mexican institutions have been described by European writers. The church in Mexico is known to be immensely rich, and that its real and personal property has been carefully managed by the large body of intelligent men who control its affairs. They prudently make no public or statistical expositions of their interests. In 1807, Abad y Quiepo, in a communication to Don Manuel Sexto Espinosa, estimated the wealth of the church as follows: Real estate, from $2,500,000 to $3,000,000 PERSONAL INVESTMENTS for secular clergy in 9 bishoprics, 26,000,000 2,500,000 astics of both sexes, Total, 16,000,000 $47,500,000 In 1831, Don José Maria Mora, a Mexican writer, estimated the property of the church at a valuation of at least $75,000,000. 1 1 Mejico in 1842 by del Rivero. Madrid, 1844. RATIO OF CLERGY AND PEOPLE. 133 In 1844, and we may consider it nearly the same in 1850,the church property was calculated as follows: Churches, houses, convents, curates' dwellings, furniture, Total, $18,000,000 52,000,000 20,000,000 $90,000,000 The real estate of the church is estimated by Señor Otero,from whose work on the social and political condition of Mexico, this calculation is taken, — to have been worth at least 25 per cent. more before the revolution; and, to this increased value must be added about $115,000,000 of capital founded on contribuciones, derechos reales, and other imposts which were laid on the property of the country for the benefit of the clergy. 1 It is not to be supposed that the 2,000 nuns are of ecclesiastical importance except for charitable and educational purposes; — if we deduct their number, therefore, from the 1,700 monks and 3,500 secular clergy, we shall have only 3,200 men devoted to the spiritual wants of more than seven and a half millions or, 2,383 individuals assigned to the ecclesiastical charge of each priest, monk or curate. And yet, among these men, chiefly, the avails of probably more than $90,000,000 of property are to be annually distributed or consolidated in a country from which they are constantly asking alms instead of bestowing them. The value of their churches, the extent of their city property, the power they possess as lenders and mortgagees in Mexico, where there are no banks, and the enormous masses of church plate, golden ornaments and jewels, will swell the above statements and estimates of the church's wealth to nearer one hundred millions than ninety, or to about $88,000,000 less than it was before the rebellion against Spain; at which period the number of ecclesiastics was about 10,000; or 13,000, if the lay brethren and subordinates are included in the ecclesiastical census. See Otero Cuestion Social y Politica de Mejico, pp. 38, 39, 43. 2 Mexico as it Was and Is, p. 329. 134 HIGH AND LOW CLERGY THEIR HISTORY VICES. The higher clergy of Mexico which was once the depository of science and general learning, is now only distinguished for its elegant manners and aristocratic tendencies. Notwithstanding some members of the church, in orders and belonging to this class, were engaged in the revolutionary struggle, and essentially aided in making it effective, the spirit of the remainder, as a body, was in reality, antagonistic to the movement. The course of the lower clergy, however, was different. The members of this grade threw themselves early into the rebellion, and sustained it heroically in its most dangerous epochs, until it triumphed in independence. Although there is in Mexico great religious devotion to the church, regular observance of its feasts, fasts and ceremonies, and obedience to its commands, there prevails, nevertheless, considerable indifference towards its ministers, who, in too many cases have justly forfeited popular respect. The curas have united themselves effectually with the interests and affections of the people in the rural districts where they pass the ordinary, regular life of country folks remote from the dissipating influence of cities. They are amiable men, prudent counsellors of all classes, and the hospitable hosts of every stranger who visits their parishes. But, in many of the towns and cities large numbers of the clergy, both secular and regular, have forfeited the personal esteem of the high and low by their openparticipation in common social vices. "These vices have augmented in proportion as the bonds of discipline have been loosened by the distracted condition of the country. Gambling and dissipation are rooted in the clergy as well as in other classes of society; but we may specially declare that the convents of friars, with few exceptions, are in Mexico, sewers of corruption.” I This frail condition of ecclesiastical discipline was satisfactorily proved by the state in which the Catholic church of the United States found the parishes of Texas at the period of annexation; and, it is likely, that many more flagrant instances of laxity will be unveiled in New Mexico and California, to whose distant regions our enlightened and pure Catholic clergymen are already directing their attention with honest and pious zeal. The Spanish government cherished the church, for state as well as religious reasons. The mayorazos or rights of primogeniture, which bestowed the great bulk of patrimonial estates upon the eldest son, necessarily forced the younger offspring of distinguished houses either into the army or into the church; and, hence the splendid eleemosynary establishments which were erected and en 'Rivero, Mejico in 1842, p. 130. |