Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 13.djvu/519

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SANTIAGO


461


SANTIAGO


square miles), and Tulcas (area 3678 square miles), and the islands of Juan Fernandez, and extends from the River Choapa, which separates it from the Diocese of Serena, to the River Alaule, which forms the bound- ary line between it and the Diocese of Concepci6n. Ita area is 26,018 square miles, and its population is esti- mated at 1,600,000, of whom 14,000 are non-Catho- lics. Erected by Pius IV in 1561 as a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Lima, it comprised all of Chile and the Argentine Provinces of Cuyo and Tucumdn. This ex- tensive territory was gradually subdivided, portions being taken to form new dioceses. In 1.563 the entire southern portion of Chile from the River Biobio was separated to form the Diocese of Imperial, the pres- ent Diocese of Concepci6n. In 1570 Tucumdn was separated to form the Diocese of Cordova, the Prov- ince of Cuyo being added in 1806. In 1840 Santiago was raised to metropolitan rank by Gregory XVI, the Diocese of Serena being also erected by him, taking from Santiago all the territory which lay north of the River Choapa. The archdiocese has three suffragan dioceses: Concepci6n, Serena, and Ancud. The prin- cipal cities are: Santiago (area eight square miles), the capital of Chile, has 400,000 inhabitants; Valparaiso, 170,000; Talca, 42,000; Curico, 19,000; Quillota, 12,000; Vina del Mar, 27,000; and San Fehpe, 11,000. Twenty-one bishops and four archbishops have gov- erned the diocese, the Most Rev. Juan Ignacio Gon- zalez being the present incumbent. The cathedral is a beautiful three-naved stone edifice, Roman in style; it is dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Vir- gin, was built in the eighteenth century, and was re- stored during the latter part of the nineteenth cen- tury by Archbishoj) Casanova. It is 321 feet long, 95 feet wide, and 52 feet high. The cathedral chap- ter is composed of a dean, archdeacon, precentor, vicestre cscueln, treasurer, and eight canons.

The archdiocese is divided into 117 parishes. Val- paraiso and Talca are governed by ecclesiastical gov- ernors who are invested with some episcopal jurisdic- tion. The churches and public chapels number about 481, and semi-public oratories are very numerous. There are 20 religious institutes of men, with 905 mem- bers and 76 houses, and 29 religious orders of women, with 1727 members and 120 houses. The secular clergy number 412, and the regular 451. There are three seminaries, with 43 students, and a Catholic univer- sity, with 619 students. The latter has faculties of law, engineering, mines, architecture, agriculture, and a course in engineering. The Institute o/ Humani- ties, which is attached to the university, has 400 pu- pils. In the secondary schools, for men as well as for women, directed by the secular clergy or members of religious institutes, 5140 students are in attendance. Primary instruction is given to more than 25,000 chil- dren in the parochial and other schools under religious direction. Normal schools for teachers are directed by the Christian Brothers, for men, and by the Sa- lesians and the Society of St. Thomas Aquinas, for women. There are 35 hospitals in the archdiocese under the patronage of the State, the municipalities, the Church, or private individuals; 30 of these are un- der the care of religious, as are also the lunatic asy- lums and houses for deaf-mutes. The Little Sisters of the Poor conduct two homes for the aged, and the Sisters of the Good Shepherd have houses of correc- tion for women, and ten asylums for penitents. More than 300 missions are preached annually in the arch- diocese to prepare the people for complying with the Easter precept, and more than 15,000 persons make retreats in the 19 houses which are dedicated to this purpose.

Among the numerous Catholic societies may be mentioned those of Dolores (Our Lady of Sorrows), for the care of the sick; of St. Francis Regis, for the regularization of marriages; of St. Philomena, for mutual aid; St. Joseph's Union, for working men; the


National Union, also for working men; the Society of the Buena Prensa (Good Press), the Society of Pri- mary Instruction, for Catholic schools, under the pa- tronage of St. Thomas Aquinas; the Federation of So- cial Works, for the promotion of temperance; the Centro Cristiano, for the promotion of learning; the Centro Apostolico, for aiding the missions and help- ing the poor of the different parishes; that of St. Je- rome, for spreading a knowledge of the Holy Gospels. There are forty conferences of St. Vincent de Paul with a membership of 1200, who help more than 500 families. There are 15 patronatos doviinicales in the city of Santiago, and 8 workingmen's clubs. Several Catholic societies also exist whose object is to procure cheap and healthful homes for the famihes of working men, and seven parishes of the capital and of Valpa- raiso have houses of refuge where needy women are gratuitously housed. The Society for the Propaga- tion of the Faith is under the direction of the Laza- rists; these priests collect annually 50,000 francs. The Library Society supports a Cathohc Hbrary and has been the means of estabhshing many others through- out the whole repubhc. Confraternities of all kinds, about 230 in number, flourish in all the parishes. The principal are those of the Blessed Sacrament, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the Apostleship of Prayer, the Sacred Heart, the Children of Mary, the Congre- gation of Mary and St. Aloysius, the Most Holy Ro- sary, Christian Doctrine, Christian Mothers, and Peterspence.

Six diocesan synods— 1586, 1612, 1625, 1670, 1688, 1763, 1895 — have been held in the archdiocese. In the latest of these (1895) all canonical legislation use- ful for the government of the archdiocese was col- lected in a code of 1888 articles. Constitutionally, the state is Cathohc; other forms of rehgion are sim- ply tolerated, and all public manifestation of wor- ship on their part prohibited. Bishops, canons, parish priests, curates, and substitutes are paid by the State, which also contributes to the building of the churches pursuant to an agreeement made with the Holj"^ See, to compensate for the suppressed contribution of the diezmo, which was in force until 1853. The constitu- tion gives the State the right of patronage, by virtue of which the president of the republic proposes to the pope the candidates for all sees, and to the bishops the candidates for canonries. The parish priests are named by the bishop, subject to the -placet of the president. The Holy See does not recognize this right of patronage, which the civil power has arro- gated to itself. The dioceses, churches, seminaries, chapters, cathedrals, parish churches, and religious communities established with the consent of the Gov- ernment are incorporated and are legal persons. Canonical legislation is recognized in these matters, and these artificially constituted persons can acquire property to any extent. The churches, convents, schools, and charitable institutions do not pay direct taxes. The present (1911) archbishop, Mgr. Juan Inigo Gonzales Eyzaguirre, was born at Santiago de Chile, 11 July, 1844; was appointed titular Bishop of Flavias, 18 April, 1907: and was promoted to the arch- bishopric in 1909.

Catdlogo de los eclesidsticos . . . de Chile (Santiago, 1911); Anuario Estadistico de Chile (Santiago, 1910); Censo de la Republica de Chile en 1907 (Santiago, 1908); La Provincia Eclesidslica de Chile (Freiburg, 1895); Boletln Eclesidslico de San- tiago (16 vols., Santiago, 1861 to 1908).

Carlos Silva Cotapos.

University of Santiago. — For many years the prelates and influential Catholics of Chile, dissatisfied with the instruction given by the State University which had under its control all the seconilary and higher grades, had desired to found in Santiago a free Catholic university. The Cathohc Assembly of 1885 appointed a committee which in accord with the bishops formulated a plan to reaUze this desire. On