Page:Face to Face With the Mexicans.djvu/250

244 the old Church was thoroughly imbedded in the hearts of the people. Mexico was free politically from a foreign power; but, nurtured in absolutism, the mastery of Church over every legal power was complete. The two elements—that of religious domination and of civil liberty—arrayed themselves against each other. The former was allied with the most powerful ecclesiastical body in the world; the latter, though few in numbers, was of untiring zeal and determination.

The wealth of the Church had so accumulated that it owned all the best property in the Republic, both in the city and country. A clerical writer of good authority estimates this wealth to have been 861 haciendas, or country estates, valued at $71,373,000, and 22,649 lots of city property, consisting of churches and convents, valued at $113,241,530—a total of $184,614,800.

Other estimates have been made giving an aggregate of the Church wealth at $300,000,000; and, regardless of the correctness of these estimates, this vast wealth was handled by the ecclesiastical body, who were in every instance able business men.

The rupture of Church and State, and their complete divorcement, came about by the ponderous weight of the former. It had gone on gathering influence and power, until, like an over-full river, it broke its bounds. The time in human economy had come when this event was a necessity.

In 1857, Comonfort issued the edict that eventually laid the Church power, strong as it was, trembling in the balance. But his policy was not completely carried out until the iron hand and fearless nerve of Juarez grasped the whole body politic, in 1867, on the fall of the empire. After which period this vast property was applied to the uses of the state and government. The cathedrals and churches were sold or converted to public uses, and by courtesy only the clergy became their occupants. Even the wearing of the clerical dress in the streets was forbidden under penalty of fine and imprisonment.

Religious parades, which had before been so imposing and magnificent, were suppressed.

Both sisters of charity and Jesuits were sent out of the country