Show the pope and spain TROUBLE SAID TO BE EEN THE TWO unless reduction in clerical budget Is oata ned from vat can rupture Is likely to take place the struggle which the vatican has been carrying on with france has resulted in many of the exiled orders taking refuge in spain and this has created a condition of affairs there that has brought the question of the relations of the vatican to the church in spain to a climax so that there seems to be no doubt that unless the present government of spain can sue aeed in inducing the vatican to accept a reduction of some in the clerical budget and acknowledge the regularity of the civil marriage a rup ture will take place between madrid and rome which may even lead to the denunciation of the concordat of 1851 in the meantime the cardinal primate monsignor sancha cardinal primate of spain of spain mgr sancha archbishop ot toledo Is doing his best to effect an understanding by reminding the gov eminent of the obligations for moral support both monarchy and dynasty are under and seeking to impress upon the roman curia the necessity of making certain concessions toward the liberal movement in spain the problem to be solved is really more of a financial and a social than a religious one the financial side Is aggravated from three sources the money which the government pays outright to the clergy the expense to the country at large ot the thousands of monks and friars who have dished themselves after being driven out of france and founded schools and colleges for both sexes and the immense amount of treasure which the vatican annually takes out of the country however high may be the ex change rom paper money into gold in gold the vatican is paid and the tithes which it gathers from all sources in spain are said to represent annually anni ally some 9 the state spends annually tor the church some pesetas or 8 according to the latest sta the total number of religious communities throughout the country Is containing 50 members of these 2 communities are for women with 40 members and tor men with 10 members the number of those which sought and ob talked registration by the gov eminent was 2 the reg istra tion being of a permanent and definite character in the case of 1201 and of a provisional kind for 1 registration was temporary temp orar lly withheld in the case of pend ing further examination of their titles and description of the which re main the greater part are orders of the concordat ani exempt from regis of the 41 pesetas paid by the state to the church about 6 is devoted to the payment ot income to building maintenance and repair of churches is destined for religious seminaries and some 25 is allotted to religious congregations cloistered nuns and others the sum of a little over 1 Is divided among the higher clergy leaving less than 1 for the ordinary priesthood As the latter must number considerably over 20 the average income of the secular priest cannot be more than 50 nor does there seem to be much more margin for economy in the sal arles paid to the superior clergy there are nine archbishops whose in comes range from 8 to 5 BOO there are 51 bishops who receive from 5 to 2 there are 60 deans and canons whose average yearly income Is less than 1 but even out of this poverty the spanish church contrived to donate to the govern ment last year meanwhile the native orders and their french guests barely make a living the all lage curate starves the towers of cuenta cathedral crumble and tall tor the want of timely repairs and the country which has so long regarded such matters with indifference Is be ginning especially the liberal sive part of it to be disgusted with the whole question of religious domi nance |