The Sun.
London, England, 1834-05-12 00:00:00

,c ROYAL DECREES.

" Among the measures which I conceive necessary, hi
order to secure the throne of my august daughter against
the open rebellion and secret machinations of the perjured
and disloyal, who have formed the rash and criminal plan
of its overthrow, and that when she attains the age of ma-
jority she may receive it from my hands erected on a solid
foundation, ameliorated by the prudent and salutary re-
forms which this enlightened age and the state of the coun-
try imperiously demand, I have unceasingly meditated on
the steps which it might be necessary to take in order that
our holy religion, so deeply rooted in the breasts of Sp,,
niards since the time of the apostles, which neither Ow
captious sophistry of the multiplicity f sectaries, the, di-.
spring of vanity, nor the malign artifices of impiety, could
destroy, may recover its inimitable native splendour,which
has been sullied by the abuses which are the inevitable
consequences of war and disunion and a lapse of ages,
Charged with the universal patronage of the church of
Spain, the special protection of the Holy COuncil of
Trent, with which my Government is honoured, and
the intimate conviction that the Roman Catholic
religion—far from weakening the civil power.
is its strongest support; and taking into consideration that
my august predecessors were employed in its consolidation,
by soliciting apostolic missions, in order to prepare and
carry into effect the necessary reform of the regular clergy,
by offering to the nation, represented in Cortes, that limits
would be put to the excesses of an indiscreet seal and mis-
placed piety ; and finally, by entrusting the Royal Chamber
(Real Camara) with framing regulations conducive to the
union, suppression, or reduction of benefices • thus folb4w,
ing the pious and enlightened example, in the name or 'cox,
dear and well-beloved daughter Donna Isabel IL, I here*
command-Ist. That a junta be formed immediately, con-
sisting of the regular and secular clergy, eminent for their
virtue, science, dignity, and sincere attachment to lei-.
timacy, and of seculars who to piety and experience unite.
the profound knowledge of the rights of the throrw w,hich,
are necessary for its protection. '2d. That this. junta pro-
ceed forthwith to examine the prese9t state of. ;he Spanish,
dominion in everything connected with divine worship, auk
its ministers, forming written reports from the doenrc.k.enti,
and information they may deem necessary ; and it is hereby
ordained that all the public authorities, corporations, and
private individuals, without any exception, do furnish such,
information and documents as may be required of them..
3d. That after the pioper investigations being made, tba
junta shall propose for my consideration the an. of wie,
lioration they may think most useful, together with the
minute of supplications (pieces) for Warms. which may
require the interposition of the authority of the Holy See,
serving as a foundation for their operation the ;nstrue:;lol.,
which "you have presented to me, which fully meets my
wishes.
Signed by the Royal hand at Aranjuez April 2'2, 1834.

" I hereby nominate as metnlfers of the ecclesiastical
junta, created by my decree of this day, the Most Rev.
t 1.4 14NAra'a aid
Navarro.
Archbishop of Mexico, Don Pedro Jose Fonte ; the Rev.
Bishop of Siguenza„ Patriarch of the Indies, Don Manuel.
Fraile ; the Roy, Bishop of Lugo, Friar Hipolito Antonio
Sanchez Rangel; the Rev. Bishop of Santander, Fria"
Felipe Gonzalez Abasca ; the Rev. Bishop of Astorgam
Don Felix Amid • ' the Rev. Bishop of Huesca, Don Lo-
renzo Ramo de San Blas ; the late Bishop of Carthagena,
Don Antonio Posadas ; the late Bishop of Mallorca, Don
Pedro Gonzales Vallejo ; the Re‘'..; Bishop elect of Al-
meria, Don Vicente Ramos y Garcia ; the Rev. Bishbp
elect of Teruel, Don Mariana Linan ; and for the class of
seculars, Don Ignacio Pezuela, of the Royal Counaor
the Section o, State ; and D CA~uajal,
Lion Tomac Gonzalez '
of
Ne
tho Said Council and Section of War ; Don .loanpoptu,cetioSan Miguel, Fiscal of the Supre,-,ne Tribunal of
811 i,
the heo
, IndiesA pl 2.;
2a.nd for Secretary Don Jose Alcan,
4

" Signed by the Royal hand,
" INSTRUCTON.
the extent of all and every one of the Archbishoprics and
I.
of
herT h eeetv
Majestyl ecclesiastical sot
fi cal
this j udnattae,, csrheaaltlepdr(t
proceed
evirtued
eoxf
aamdi
it
ellries"ehopries of the Peninsula and adjacent islands, and the
territory of the Oxter, which are united with or bordering
on them.
o. 2, It shall form a statement of the number of canons,
prebendaries, or of whatever clergymen or coadjutors who
are from the endowment assigned to each church, expres-
sing at the same time their respective occupations, their
fixed or eventual salaries, and from whence they arc drawn.
" 3. It shall investigate the number, locality, and orga-
nization, according to the spirit of the preceding article, of
the suffragan churches, with the names of colleges, abbies,
priories, arcarafes, of whatever generic denomination, that
may be within the terr.tory of the metropolitan sees, or di-
oceses,t 4 It shall m
d their
limits.
can exact statement of the number,
locality, and extent of the parishes which are contained in
each diocese, their fixed or eventual salaries, and Irons
whence they proceed.
" 5. It shall inquire into the simple benefices, and all
other ecclesiastical offices or employme..ts which form a
body or may exist disseminated in the respective dio:.eses,
their origin, nature, present state, salaries, and patronage.
" 6, On the basis of the stals, teal statement produced
by their labours, it is to propose a i lan fur the ecclesiasti-
! ekl territorial disisiou, .acid the nuolber and salaries of the

ministers they may consider necessary to meet the pious
intentions of her majesty, which are—
" 1. That all Spaniards receive abundant spiritual care
and consolation.
" 2. That the ministers of God, charged with the cure of
souls, receive with perfect independence that ample reward
which their elevated situation and their character of pro-
tectors of the poor, of widows, and orphans, demand.
" 3. That in the respective districts prebendaries shall
reside, charged to watch, as the eyes of the prelate, over its
flock and its pastors.
" 4. That the chapters be the effective senate of thepre-
lates, and the remuneration of good and long services of the
pastoral ministry, and other services rendered to the church.
" 5. That the bishops may be enabled to visit and re-
medy the wants of the diocese.
" 6. That the convocation of the metrepolitan sees be
arranged according to the distance, by way of lightening
the burden, which would otherwise fall heavily on the rev.
archbishops, and to facilitate the hearing of appeals or
otherwise. _ _ .

" 7. That every effort be made to make the ecclesias-
tical and civil division of territory harmonize with each
other, that they may assist each other reciprocally.
"8. That all simple benefices be suppressed which are
not hereditary ; their revenues to be applied, as far as ne-
cessary, to the salaries of curates, their coadjutors, and the
building of churches, &c.
"9. That all those who serve curacies, of whatever de-
nomination, be enrolled in those parishes which may be
considered best, allotting to them the employment of con-
fessors, and teaching the catechism, as may be best for the
public service.
" 10. That the law respecting the incompatibility of be-
nefices and ecclesiastical prebendaries, so strongly recom-
mended by the holy canons, be carried into effect.
11. That the chapters and other collegiate bodies be
organized in such manner that, without laying aside the
splendour and decorum of divine worship, the individuals
who compose them shall at all times lend an active ana un-
interrupted service to the faithful.
" 12. If in any diocese there should not be an ecclesi-
astical seminary, means must be taken for the re-establish-
ment of some, as well in the diocese to be created as in
those districts in which it may be thought expedient they
shall be erected as soon as possible, giving them in charge
to persons eminent in sanctity and learning, to be selected
from among the parochial clergy who have proved them-
selves to be worthy of the trust, and of unequivocal attach-
ment to the imprescriptible rights of Donna Isabel 11.,
and that none unpromoted obtain holy orders, whatever be
the rights which might be given to him by the presentation
of the patrons, the patronage of the Crown included, with-
out proving that he had resided some time in the seminary,
and obtained a certificate of competency in the teaching of
Christian morality—rites, ceremonies, &c., including the
preliminary studies of Latin and philosophy at least, which
must be learned in the public courses of study which have
been approved of.
" 13. That the convents of mendicant friars, by consti-
tution or rule, keep a just proportion with the real necessi-
ties of the respective dioceses, in order to discharge the
duties of assistants.

" 14. That the convents of monks offer, according to
the real nature of their institution, in those places that
may be judged expedient, an asylum to true piety and reli-
gious contemplation.

~ NICOLAS GARELLY.

" Madrid, April 22."

" Anxious to facilitate the salutary and prudent reforms
of the regular clergy, which I hope may be accomplished by
the enlightened zeal of the ecclesiastical junta created by
my decree of this day, I have thought proper, in the name
of my beloved daughter Donna Isabel 11., that the admis-
sion of novices into the convents of the kingdom be for the
present suspended, reserving to myself the power of admis-
sion, should it be solicited by the generals, prelates of the
different orders, and should the good of the church and
state imperiously demand such a measure.
" Signed by the Royal hand in Aranjuez, April 22.
" To Don Nicolas A. Garelly."