The ruins still existing throughout Mexico and Central America teach us that the early races occupying that country prior to the coming of the Spaniards were a religious people. It is true that their ideas of religious truth were crude and not of a very high order, but the element of worship of and responsibility to a superior being existed and found expression in various ways. Their theology had not resulted in so many deities as the more imaginative Greeks and Romans had created for themselves, but they were polytheists and had different gods endowed with different attributes who claimed their devotion. They were originally worshippers of one god, called Taotl, but adopted other gods from those conquered and from surrounding tribes, until they had a fairly respectable number of divinities who claimed their homage.

Quetzalcoatl, one of the two principal gods of the Aztecs, was originally a Toltec god who was worshipped with offerings of fruits of the soil, and even flowers. And it is claimed that the Toltecs were never, until their intercourse with the Aztecs, given to human sacrifices. It is true, however, that afterwards they did indulge in those horrible practices of offering human beings to their gods, and even indulged in cannibalism. This is the condition that existed when the Spaniards came with the religion of the gentle Nazarene.

The craze of the Crusades led men to believe that the kingdom of Christ could be extended by the sword. Add to this religious motive the love of adventure and military glory, and the passion of avarice, and you have the elements which moved men, and often the vilest of men, to engage in such enterprises as conquering the New World. The pope bestowed the sanction of Heaven upon the Spanish expeditions and gave the King of Spain complete authority over all things temporal and spiritual in the newly-discovered lands; the bodies and souls, the property and services of the conquered nations were to be his inheritance and that of his successors for ever. Thus it was that the pope Alexander VI pretended to hand over to the Spanish dynasty vast continents and islands which he did not own, and in which he had no right to a foot of the territory or a single human being upon them.

The “Christianization” of the millions of human beings by a mere handful of military adventurers and their few clerical helpers, generally at the point of the sword, is a record such as the world had never before witnessed. A single clergyman baptized in one day five thousand natives and did not desist until he was so exhausted that he could not lift his hands. Another priest wrote that “an ordinary day’s work is from ten to twenty thousand souls.” In the course of a few years baptism had been administered to millions. It is not surprising that converts adopted with such undue haste, and who were neither instructed in the tenets of the new faith nor taught the absurdities of the old belief, mingled in hopeless confusion their veneration for the ancient superstition and their slender knowledge of the new Christianity. They might be able to make the sign of the cross and yet not know what that symbol meant to humanity. These vague and hazy sentiments were transmitted by the new converts to their posterity and they have not been thoroughly eradicated after four centuries of the work of Spanish ecclesiastics.

“Christianity, instead of fulfilling its mission of enlightening, converting, and sanctifying the natives, was itself converted. Paganism was baptized, Christianity paganized.” These are the words of a scholarly and conservative writer. Cruelty and avarice marked the policy of the military chiefs, and the priests, with a few exceptions, aided them. “The victors,” says a Jesuit historian, “in one year of merciless massacre, sacrificed more victims to avarice and ambition than the Indians, during the existence of their empire (Mexico), devoted in chaste worship to their native gods. The lands were parcelled out into immense estates, and titles given to their Spanish owners, while the millions of natives were reduced to the condition of serfs. Under such conditions the conquered races began their new life.”

The Church soon set itself to the task of acquiring wealth, and with wealth came arrogance and the greed for power which that gives. The sale of masses for the dead and indulgences for the living offered an unlimited opportunity to the unscrupulous clergyman to raise money. This phase has been well expressed as follows: “When there was high money, there was high mass; low money, low mass; and no money, no mass.” Certain masses, according to amount paid, would relieve the souls in purgatory of from one thousand up to thirty-two thousand years of torment. These practices have not entirely disappeared from Spanish-America to this day.

The clergy were “generally native Spaniards, devoted to the interests of the King, the Church, and the Inquisition, passing their lives in criminal indulgence or luxurious repose.” Hundreds of priests, monks, and nuns were imposed on Guatemala. The people were heavily taxed for their support and for every office of the Church excessive fees were demanded. Marriage fees were so high that the poor peons could not afford the ceremony and consequently the majority of children born were illegitimate. Some of the priests became very immoral and scandals in the convents were not infrequent. The clericals were not amenable to the civil courts but had a separate tribunal in which every question relating to their own character, their functions, and their property was pleaded and tried. This position immensely increased the power of the Church in the politics of the state.

I have said that Christianity was paganized and the conditions to-day prove the statement. New ceremonies and symbols were substituted for the old, and the saints took the place of the former idols as a visible object of worship. Religious fiestas, of which there are now about two hundred each year, and processions were established to attract and hold the natives to the new worship and in an outward sense they were a success. Many of the religious ceremonies are performed with the most lamentable indifference and want of decorum. Some of the celebrations in the churches in the more remote districts include dances of the most grotesque description, being as near as possible to the old rites of the natives. The priests justify these ceremonies by saying that it is necessary in order to hold them in the church. “The old customs,” says one, “are respectable; it is well to preserve them, only taking care that they do not degenerate into orgies.”

These same simple natives will attend the churches to-day and kneel before the sacred images while making their prayers, and burn their candles, and then go and consult their old wizards and follow whatever his instructions may be. The old and the new superstitions are wofully confused in their minds, but they want to be on the safe side by following both. They even burn an incense made of gum opal before the altars in the churches, the same as formerly used in their idol worship. They will sometimes kneel to a blank wall or door post and mutter their prayers, being absolutely oblivious to anything going on around them. The impressive services, the chanting, the solemn music attract the Indian but at heart he is simply an idolater.

The QuichÉ Tribe of Guatemala, who are the most numerous body of Indians in that country, are descendants of that ancient race of builders who held sway in the Valley of Mexico from the seventh to the twelfth century—the Toltecs. Driven from there by the victorious Aztecs they fled south and early in the sixteenth century were divided into two or three powerful and flourishing kingdoms in northern and northwestern Guatemala. These people are also closely related to the Maya race in Yucatan who have been such a source of trouble to the Mexican government. They carried with them some of the gods and the horrible practices of their conquerors.

It is estimated that there are some three hundred and fifty thousand of the QuichÉ tribes now living in Guatemala. They are quite industrious being engaged in agriculture and the weaving of cotton and woollen goods. Although nominal Catholics, yet they follow their own customs of worship. They have their own wizards, who are always old men, and follow a strange mixture of fire and devil worship. These old men, the wizards or priests, are much feared and held in great reverence by the people. It is well known that the Indians have certain concoctions that will produce madness, and it is claimed that these wizards will sometimes give such herbs to the victims of their displeasure. The people at least credit them with such actions and fear is but a natural result.

During the first century and a half of Spanish rule hundreds of churches were built in Guatemala. It became a pious duty for returning Spaniards to bring paintings and statues of saints for these newly-erected churches and holy relics of the saints to place therein. Now most of these sacred edifices are in a very poorly preserved state. Much of the church property has been confiscated. The wealth thus having been taken away and the natives being poor, the churches have a neglected appearance. Even bats make their abode in some of these structures devoted to the worship of God.

The services are open to all and the Indian with a crate of chickens or turkeys on his back kneels side by side with a seÑorita who has the bluest of blood in her veins. They meet by a common genuflection. There are many old crude organs yet in the churches with the wind supplied by a bellows much the same as that found in a blacksmith shop. And as if this were not enough, native instruments, including a drum made of hides stretched over the hollow trunks of trees, are used, and bombs and rockets are let off to add to the confusion and make a deeper impression on the mind of the poor native.

The most absurd paintings and statues are used to portray sacred characters to the worshippers. In one place God is represented as a man with a bald head and white beard, almost as hideous as some of the eastern idols. Christ is represented both as a shaven monk and with bent legs, and staples in the ankles to strap him to a mule on Palm Sunday. Another figure of Christ, according to a careful writer, represents him with glass eyes, long human hair and a crown cocked over on his left eye like a drunken man. In the same church is an altar piece with deeply sunken panel containing a realistic crucifix with glass eyes, sweat, long hair, blood drops and from five wounds proceed skeins of crimson thread representing the blood flowing—a horrible and repulsive sight that seems to attract these simple people. On one side of this panel are Roman soldiers mocking the suffering of the Christ; on the other is a Guatemaltecan general in full uniform (the one who presented this gruesome work to the church) weeping at the sight. In a church at Esquipulas is a picture of the people lassoing Christ, and in another is a picture of a priest offering a consecrated wafer to a kneeling ass.

Huge figures, which are really dolls, represent the Virgin and other Marys. Nuestra SeÑora de Guadalupe, Our Lady of Guadalupe, is generally represented as a large doll, all lace and tinsel, and is carried through the streets accompanied by music, flowers and fireworks. On December 8th is celebrated the feast of the Immaculate Conception. On this occasion religious processions are held which march over the principal streets and women dress up as devils and animals and dance before the image of the Virgin in many places. Many rockets are fired and candles are burned in almost every window. Holy week is also filled with processions in which images of the Virgin, Christ and the saints are carried through the streets. The day is a public holiday and candles are burned in almost every window. The most famous shrine is that at Esquipulas, called Our Lord of Esquipulas, and where the statue (if such it can be called) generally known as the Black Christ, is found. This was made in Guatemala City in 1594. The image is less than life size and has long female hair. Formerly as many as fifty thousand pilgrims came there in a year even from far away Mexico and Panama. Money then flowed into this shrine in great abundance, but it is now rather neglected.

It is little wonder that the men of the Creole class very seldom attend the services. Bringing down the Christian worship to such a low level cannot do otherwise than alienate one who thinks for himself. The majority of the men simply stand by without interfering with the services, but at heart they are atheistic and it is little wonder.

Several Catholic writers have been the most severe critics of the religious conditions in many parts of Spanish-America. The cause, in my opinion, has been the mixture of the religious with the political, in which the corruption of the latter lowered the high plane on which religion should stand. Those of the clergy who were ambitious for power cloaked their movements under the guise of religion and thus brought the odium of their political movements upon the Church, which, as an organization, had nothing to do with it. It is impossible, however, to absolutely separate the two in treating of the conditions which have existed in times past and which still exist in some places.

The Roman Church, as a body that has done great good in times past, and is doing great work in other countries such as the United States, owes it as a duty to itself to reform the Church in Mexico, Central and South America, and lift it to the high standard it has reached elsewhere. The priesthood should be improved and the immoral and unworthy members removed from that office. The fees for the services of the Church should be reduced so that the poor Indians can have the offices of the Church for marriages, burials, confirmations, etc. The Church could also assist greatly in advancing the work of educating the native. I believe that conditions are improving to a great extent and I know that there are scores of hard-working and conscientious priests of the Catholic Church in Guatemala who are honestly endeavouring to inculcate the truths of religion among the natives, and the results are seen in the communities in which they work. To them all praise and honour is due.

Protestantism has scarcely made an impression in Guatemala as yet. The Presbyterian Church maintains missionaries in Guatemala City and Quezaltenango who preach there and occasionally in outlying towns. The Wesleyan Methodist ministers living at Belize hold services at Puerto Barrios at infrequent intervals, and one or two other missionaries are stationed at other points in the republic. The priests are generally hostile, naturally, and very little has been accomplished.

I quote from the Presbyterian missionary stationed at Quezaltenango in a report made to the home board in 1906:

“Just a week ago while passing along the street in San Marcos in company with the missionary of that Station we had about eight or nine stones thrown at us, but fortunately none of them struck us. Later many of the better people of the town on hearing of it came to us repudiating such conduct toward the Christians. The church here in Quezaltenango has grown but little in numbers during the past year and there have been many failings among the believers. There is noticeable growth among some that is encouraging enough to cheer the missionary in spite of the falling away of others. The work at Retalhuleu has been given up indefinitely as the Mission force here has not been sufficient to provide a worker there, and until there are more missionaries on the field it would be unwise to attempt to reopen it or start any new work whatever.”

Also from a report by another missionary located at the capital:

“There is a wide open door for us among the poor people, where there will be no conflict with local physicians and where there will be no intrusion upon the territory of another. Children and poor people literally die here by the hundred without any proper medical care. The story in this line is simply pathetic, heartrending. My wife has, with her very limited knowledge, saved the lives of many, and if she had the strength could have done much for many more people, but she has had to give up this work, almost entirely.”

There is a broad field, I believe, for missionary work, and the medical missionary will accomplish the best results just as is the case in oriental lands. Good physicians are few and the poor people cannot afford to pay them for their services. A lack of hygiene is prevalent everywhere and the people are ignorant of ordinary sanitary measures which would lessen sickness and suffering in a great degree. A moral awakening is badly needed also and the field is ripe for such a movement either from within the Catholic church or through the evangelizing efforts of Protestant bodies. Institutional churches would, in my opinion, best meet the situation so that the social as well as spiritual side of the people could be brought up to a higher plane. The field is there and it only awaits the workers.

In Guatemala City there is a good opening for a Young Men’s Christian Association. It could accomplish a great work both among the foreigners residing there and the native residents. It could, because of its undenominational character, be made a centre not only for religious work but for the social and intellectual life of the capital in a way that no other institution could fill. I met many Americans in business there who expressed the need of such an institution for the expatriated citizens of foreign countries.