In 1844, when the last accurate summary of the Mexican church, within our reach, was made, the following was the condition:
Summary of Mexican Church in 1844.
In this year the possessions in conventual establishments of the Regular Orders, was estimated as follows:
| Dominicans, | 25 | Conventual establishments | |
| Franciscans, | 68 | "" | |
| Agustines, | 22 | "" | |
| Carmelites, | 16 | "" | |
| Mercedarios, | 19 | "" | |
| —— | |||
| Total, | 150 | Conventual establishments | |
| ═══ |
| Regular Ecclesiastics:— | Monks, | 1,700 | |
| Nuns, | 2,000 | ||
| ——— | |||
| 3,700 | |||
| Secular Clergy, | 3,500 | ||
| ——— | |||
| Total number in religious orders, | 7,200 | ||
| ════ |
The actual property of this establishment has been variously estimated since the earliest period in which Mexican institutions have been described by European writers. The church in Mexico is known to be immensely rich, and that its real and personal property has been carefully managed by the large body of intelligent men who control its affairs. They prudently make no public or statistical expositions of their interests.
In 1807, Abad y Quiepo, in a communication to Don Manuel Sexto Espinosa, estimated the wealth of the church as follows:
| Real estate, from $2,500,000 to | $ 3,000,000 |
| Personal investments for secular clergy in 9 bishoprics, | 26,000,000 |
| Obras Pias in the church, of ecclesiastics of both sexes, | 2,500,000 |
| Total fund of the churches and communities of ecclesiastics of both sexes, | 16,000,000 |
| ————— | |
| Total, | $47,500,000 |
| ═══════ |
In 1831, Don José Maria Mora, a Mexican writer, estimated the property of the church at a valuation of at least $75,000,000[1]
- ↑ Mejico in 1842 by del Rivero. Madrid, 1844.
