Messersmith, G.S., Mexico City. To John Willard Carrigan, Washington., 1945 April 26

Enclosure: See No. 1715. Carrigan will have read despatch of Apr. 21 reporting Mexican reaction to Roosevelt's death; decided that Embassy should not sponsor any memorial services of a religious nature; several such services were held, but entirely on the initiative of the churches involved - the American Episcopalian Church, the Union Church, the Jewish Synagogue, and the Mexican Protestant Church, all of which were well attended; no Catholic service was held; Mexican people overwhelmingly Catholic; they have shown in many ways that they felt Roosevelt's death keenly and will not understand why there was no mass for him; failure of Catholic Church to hold mass another indication of feeling U.S. can count on from certain Catholic elements; enclosing copy of memorandum prepared by [Sidney Eugene] O'Donoghue.