MEXICO: The Religious Situation

Roman Catholics in Mexico who are resisting the enforcement under President Calles of the antireligious Mexican Constitution (TIME March 1, 1926) were sharply reminded last week by U. S. Secretary of State Frank B. Kellogg that they can expect no official aid or comfort from the U. S. Mr. Kellogg cited with annoyance and positively denied rumors that pressure favorable to the Holy See has been or is being exerted by the Coolidge Administration on that of Senor Calles.

Since the Coolidge-Kellogg policy of “hands off religion” has thus been strongly reaffirmed, who does stand ready to champion with might the Roman Catholic cause in Mexico?

1928. Barring the possibility of a coup d’etat by one of the Roman Catholic insurgent leaders in Mexico, the first opportunity for an orderly change of government will be the Mexican presidential election of 1928. The present reactionary Mexican group headed by President Calles will, of course, put Senor Calles’ old and strong friend onetime (1920-24) President Alvaro Obregon into the race, but who is the chief pro-Catholic candidate?

Gomez. Although several “opposition” candidates will take the field, none seems so likely to fire both the army and the populace in his support as does General Arnulfo R. Gomez, the Zone Commandant of the State of Vera Cruz, and virtually a local dictator there. Shrewd, he calls his followers the

Anti-Re-electionist Party, thus centering his attack avowedly upon onetime President Obregon and calling attention to the fact that Obregon has been president before—with the inference that he should not be reelected.

To exalt himself still further, General Gomez has released a photographic poster of himself captioned “El Hombre Sin Vicios” (“The Man Without Vices”). A glance at this shows General Gomez to be unquestionably dashing and sleek, with impeccably upturned “Kaiser” mustachios. He proclaims himself in favor of “complete religious toleration,” and is on good terms with many U. S. citizens who have financial interests in Mexico. Thus he should poll a large Roman Catholic vote and knows where to find campaign funds.

Today, while General Gomez and other pro-Catholic candidiates are merely in the offing, what is the actual lot of Roman Catholics in Mexico?

Status Quo. The great complexity of the religious situation arises from the fact that many Mexicans are actually of a different religious complexion from that which they profess or even from that which they suppose to be their own. Thus many anti Roman Catholic statesmen have secret leanings toward the Holy See and often have Roman Catholic wives.

On the other hand, numerous peasants who ardently profess themselves Roman Catholics barely understand a few rudiments of that faith. The result is hopeless confusion in practice, while in theory the Holy See can justly claim a great majority of Mexicans are Roman Catholics and are being deprived of the ministrations of their priests at great risk to their souls.

From a police standpoint the public observance of Roman Catholic rites was at first brutally suppressed wherever possible (TIME, Feb. 22, 1926, et seq.). A second phase ensued during which wealthy Roman Catholics were able to bribe the authorities and hold secret rites in a manner greatly resembling (on the spiritual plane) the conduct of U. S. citizens (on the material plane) with respect to spirituous beverages.

At present a third stage seems to be setting in, due to the wearing down of Government zeal for enforcement and to the numerous scandals arising from the discovery that high officials have not only taken bribes to permit masses to be celebrated but have sometimes even attended these very masses themselves. Although conditions vary greatly in different parts of Mexico, a Roman Catholic is not hounded at present with anything like the brutality which was common three months ago.