Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 11.djvu/489

 PANCRATIUS

439

PANDECTS

stitution of Panama provides for a National Legisla- ture (Assamblea, or Chamber of Deputies) elected by the people on the basis of one deputy to every 10,000 inhabitants, to meet on 1 September of every alter- nate year ; a president elected for a term of four years, and two vice-presidents. The president is assisted by a Cabinet of five members. Jos6 Domingo de Obaldia, elected president in 1908, to succeed Manuel Amador Guerrero, died during his term of office (1 March, 1910) and was succeeded by Vice-President C. A. Mendoza.

Religious Condition.s. — Thesecession of the Isth- mus of Panama, comprising the Department and Diocese of Panama (see below), from the Republic of Colombia took place when the Constitutional Gov- ernment of that republic had a Catholic representa- tion, and, after three years of civil war, the enemies of religion seemed, politically, vanquished. None of the promoters of the independence of Panama seemed to contemplate any religious change. But in order to rally to the Separatist movement the forces of the Liberal doctrinaires, so as to win over the great mass of the population to the cause of independence, the leaders had to make terms with them. Besides, some of the chief promoters of the cause, being anxious to adopt every North-.\merican idea and custom, and not merely those which seemed likely to be beneficial, conceived certain erroneous notions: thus they as- sumed as an axiomatic truth that separation of Church and State was the only means of uniting those of dif- ferent creeds for the common purpose of self-govern- ment and progress. In spite of the protestations which Manuel Amador Guerrero, who led the way to independence, had made to the bishop — to the effect that the political transformation would lead to no change in the relations of Panama with the Holy See, and that the missions should receive all possible sup- port — when the Constituent Assembly began to elab- orate the constitution of the new nation, it was barely admitted that a great part of the inhabitants were Catholics. The intercourse with the Holy See, which existed in accordance with the terms of the Colombian Concordat of 1SS7, was not recognized. The obliga- tion of paying to the Diocese of Panama a fixed sum in compensation, or restitution, for the church prop- erty previously confiscated by the Colombian Govern- ment, and now in pos.session of many citizens of Pan- ama, was repudiated. The appropriation for the Conciliar Seminary and the missions might be con- sidered some equivalent, although the title of the Church, in strict justice, to receive these contribu- tions as the State's creditor, was ignored. Since it was voted, this appropriation has been religiously complied with, in spite of the efforts of certain indi- viduals to curtail, withhold, or divert it.

The National Legislatures (Assatnhlea!!), successors of the Constituent Assembly, have continued to yield to the Liberal majority, which has manifested anti- Catholic tendencies. The cemeteries have been lai- cized (Law 29 of 1909), in virtual derogation of the restitution made by the Republic of Colombia years before and confirmed in the above-mentioned con- cordat with the Holy See. This concordat had been recognized as a law by the Colombian Republic, and it was specially declared to be still in force — at least so far as concerned this point — by the new-born na- tion of Panama. The cemeteries were left at the free disposal of the municipalities. Fortunately, these bodies, representing the village communities, are, as a rule, composed of Christian men. There is also a tendency to secularize education, not merely by sub- mitting it entirely to state control or supervision, but by introducing teachers and doctrines hostile to re- Hgion. Indeed, some of the functionaries in this branch of the public service have not waited for legal measures, but have attempted to impose their views on the school system and on the pupils.

The Diocese of Panama (Panamanensis) was erected by Leo X in 1520 (.A.nnuaire Pont.) or in 1.515, or by Clement VII, in 1.534 (Moroni, "Diz. diErud. Storico- Eccl."). It was at first suffragan of Lima, but is now of Cartagena. Its territory coincides with that of the republic. The present incumbent of the see (1911), Mgr F. X. Junguito, S.J., was b. at Bogota, 3 Dec, 1841, and was appointed bishop, 15 April, 1901. The bishop, residing in the City of Panama, is assisted by his vicar-general, the priest of the most populous par- ish, his secretary, the priest of the parish of the Sa- grario, and two other secular priests, who, with the assistance of a residence of the Jesuit Fathers (seven priests), one of the Lazarists (five priests), and one of the Discalced Augustinians (three priests and two lay brothers), labour to supply the spiritual needs of the 30,000 inhabitants, at least two-thirds of whom are Catholics. The community of Christian Brothers, from whom the present government took away the normal school, to incorporate it in the discredited In- stituto, conducts in Panama a primary school recog- nized by the State, and an independent college which is now in jeopardy, being non-official. The same con- gregation has similar schools at Colon and in each of the six most important centres of population. The Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent of Paul have, at Panama, a primary school for girls, with 400 pupils, a pension and orphanage of the Holy Family, inde- pendent of the State, a government asylum, anfl an- other institution which is supported by the ecclesiasti- cal authority. It will be easy for them to open the benevolent institutions which are eagerly solicited of them at two or three other places.

The religious interests of the Catholics who are employed at the Canal Zone are cared for at Ancon, Balboa, Culebra, Empire, Gorgona, Gatun, Cristobal, and Colon by priests specially qualified for the work by their knowledge of several languages. The Lazar- ists are to establish a residence at Gorgona, to give more attention to the natives, who avoid places where the Americans are numerous, under the belief that the Northern strangers look down upon them. By this means priests are provided for every Catholic in the Canal Zone, though there are not enough to work the parishes properly. The Salesian Fathers of Dom Bosco have lately come to Panama to care for a parish in a quarter of the city which is filled with working- men, as it contains the principal railroad station. In this neighbourhood they have opened an orphan asylum which, with astonishing rapidity, is preparing the way for a school of arts and manufactures destined to educate good Christian workingmen. The Sale- sians number three priests and two brothers who act as masters or managers of the work. They formerly had the direction of the School of Arts and Crafts (Escucla de Artes yOficios) established by the Govern- ment, and ('\ (■!> I liiiiij: wi'iit picLsperously until their anti-cli'iicil u|,]j(.iiiiii^ foicid (liem to resign.

For BiljUoerapln' srr (VjL.jMmA, 1{i;pubuc of. .Mso. Waldo, The Panama Cannl Work and the Workers (New York, 1907); RoDRiGtJEZ, The Panama Canal (London, 1907); MacMahon, A Glimpse of Panama Old and New in Cath. World.hXXUl (1901), 65.3 sqq.

F. X. Junguito. Pancratius, Saint. See Nereus, Achilletjs,

DOMITILLA, AND PaNCRATIUS, SaINTS.

Pandects (Pandect.^, or Digesta). — This part of Justinian's compilation was his most important con- tribution to jurisprudence (see Justinian I). The language of d'.Aguesscau, applied by him to pre- Napoleonic Continental law, has equal application to the Common Law System. The reasons underlying legal institutions are^-either historical or logical; and every logii-al rule of law is capable of illumination from the law of the Pandects. There is no other standard of comparative jurisprudence. D'Aguesseau pithily observes: "Justice has fully unveiled her mysteries