i6 ANDREW J. SHIPMAN MEMORIAL 



mercy, be required to submit to taxation? I have already giv- 

 en the statistics of the religious orders in Spain, but the sur- 

 prising part of the situation is that Spain has fevi^er members 

 of religious communities per population than many other 

 Catholic countries or Catholic populations. Here are some of 

 the figures for the year 1909 : 



/- ^ /- ^u 1- D 14.- Individuals in Number per 



Country. Catholic Population. Religious Orders, ten thousand. 



Belgium 7,276,461 37,905 52 



United States 14,235.451 65,702 46 



England and Wales. 2,130,000 6,458 30 



Germany 22,109,644 64,174 29 



Ireland 3,3o8,66r 9,190 27 



Spain 19,712,285 54,738 27 



In addition to this it is to be noted that in 28 dioceses the 

 number of individuals belonging to religious communities in 

 each does not reach 100. In Minorca there are only three; 

 in Guadix 6, in Astorga 15, and in Siguenza 19. It cannot be 

 said, therefore, that Spain is overrun with religious orders, or 

 that its condition in that regard, as compared with other coun- 

 tries, is remarkable. 



The outcome of the parliamentary discussion of the bills 

 in relation to the orders and religious houses cannot be fore- 

 seen clearly. It may be said that they will pass Congress, but 

 in the Senate many of the ministerialists are not strong Lib- 

 erals, while the Conservatives have a large following and 

 can also make combinations with other groups. 



The unfortunate affront to the Holy See will, of course, not 

 be allowed to stand in the way of the proper adjustment of 

 things. That was shown when the massing of the protesting 

 Catholic organizations was abandoned, rather than allow it to 

 be used as the entering wedge of Carlism. But the elements 

 of the situation which I have given will enable the reader to 

 judge in some intelligent fashion the fragmentary and often 

 incoherent news that comes from Spain. 



