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V. The Antagonists • 1852–1856
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v THE ANTAGONISTS 1852-1856 [44.212.39.149] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 10:40 GMT) l. The Pastoral Letter THE FEES WERE "ENORMOUS," Lamy exclaimed. He was referring to the levies laid upon the New Mexicans by the priests for the occasions which both marked the stages of life and supported the clergy. His intention to reform abuses included this one, and he seemed to have given it much thought during his long travels East and West during the summer of 1852. If a couple asked to be married they were charged from twenty to twenty-five piastres (a coin, or its equivalent in goods, equal to the Mexican peso, then worth more than ten of today's United States dollars). If they wanted a child baptized, the fee was one and a half piastres. If they must bury the dead, each interment cost sixteen piastres. In the pathetic values of most families such fees in the aggregate of a lifetime's pious needs amounted to a fortune. 'Vhat was more, the native clergy kept for themselves most of such revenue, and made extraordinary charges for other occasions--there was that pastor who said Mass only once a year for his people and then charged eighteen dollars for it. Again, the collection of "tithes" yielded money equivalents for the diocese of Durango, yet with a great share retained by the local clergy. The worst of penalties were imposed upon people who refused to pay, or simply could not: they were deprived of the spiritual formalities without which they believed their lives were not blessed. The problem for Lamy was, accordingly, in part ethical, in part practical. In the first place, the Church was the most wanted of institutions among the New Mexicans; it was one designed to serve human good, and Lamy was committed to this purpose; but if it was to function , it must be supported materially. In the second place, how could material support best be obtained? He would always receive some aid from Paris--but by no means all that was needed. The rest of it must come from the direct beneficiaries of the Church-the people. He I69 I7° THE ANTAGONISTS • 1852-1856 must bring them whatever relief he thought just, he must ask for some share of their goods for the continued support of the whole of his diocese (Durango's share no longer existed) and even like his predecessor, he must impose firm means of insuring such support. As he worked toward his solution for the problem in the autumn of 1852, it became clear that the people must gain by it, and the clergy lose their direct control of their benefices which they had abused and enjoyed through custom so long established as to seem a vested personal right. Once he knew in detail what he would command, he gave it substance in his first pastoral letter, to be read in all the churches as soon as possible. Printed as a pamphlet for distribution, and appearing in the columns of the Gaceta de Santa Fe for 1 January 1853, it confirmed what he had verbally announced in part on other occasions. It revealed his own character even as he devised that of the reforms he proposed_ Addressing his "much beloved brothers," he began his letter by reminding all of his establishment of the school for boys, and the convent school for girls. Both schools, especially the new one for girls, had not yet called for great expense, compared to those which had been needed for repair of the old garrison chapel of the Castrense. Whatever had been undertaken so far was for the spiritual and temporal good of the faithful of the territory, and for the seemliness of divine worship. Let all put their trust in God, who knew the purity of "our intention," without which nothing could prosper; and at the same time let it be hoped that the faithful would take advantage of opportunity now given them to give their children a decent and religious education; for "the greatest heritage which parents could leave their children is a good education which is worth far more than the most brilliant success, since riches without education do more harm than good." Now, therefore, continued the pastoral letter, the bishop judged it suitable at this time to publish the ensuing regulations which would take effect on New Year's Day 1853-the following week. In effect, the costs for church services would...