The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-06-23
CHURCHES OF THE PHILIPPINES.
The Cathedral of Manila Cost $1,000, ,OOO
Twelve Years in Building.

The Cathedral Of Manila Cost $1,000, 600
Twelve Years in Building.
Church conditions among the people
Of the Philippine Islands are not ideal.
Spain, which demoralizes everything
she touches, has used the Roman Cath
Ollie church there for political ends, and
many priests are VIGOROUSLY far from
what they ought to be as spiritual ad-
visers, and also as men. BY the law Of
the islands everybody Is Roman Catho-
lie. No other church services of any
kind are allowed. There are church
buildings in every town, and the church
buildings are the finest in the town as
a rule. The Roman Catholic cathedral
is the finest edifice in the city of Ma
nila. 1t is under the care of the Jesu-
its, as are many of the churches on the
islands. 1t was twelve years in build
ing and cost $1,O0O,000. The very finest
and hardest woods in the Philippines
were used for the finishing, and the
structure Is Of a blush tint marble.
There are exquisite carvings, some of
which have recently been made.
The education of the young on the
islands is in the care or the Roman
Catholic church authorities. There are
no endowed schools and no hospitals.
The children go to school only one hour
per day for two days each week, and
study almost nothing save church his
tory and a few verbs, Nfar.--. -,
All news published is censored by the
Archbishop of Luzon. This island gets
its name, by the way, from "losong,"
a wood mortar kept by the Indians Just
outside their doors, in which they daily
wash their rice before cooking 1t. The
only newspaper in the Philippines Is
printed in Spanish and everything in it
has been approved by the archbishop.
All marriages have to be celebrated
by the priests. Some time ago a mar
riage was performed between British
subjects in the British legation, and
so much trouble came from it that
battle well nigh ensued The men who
are best off in the world are the priests.
A reason for this is the fact that car
goes in the harbor may not be unload
from the priests, which permission has
to be paid for. AS feast days are rath-
er more numerous than those that are
not feast days, the fees are given as a
regular thing and the church greatly
enriched. No music is permitted in the
houses of the people after 10 o'clock at
night unless by special permission from
the priests, and this permission has
also to be paid for.
The great institution of Manila Is the
lottery. This is drawn monthly, the
prizes ranging from IS to $4,000. 1t is
managed by the public officials and by
the archbishop, and 5000, 900 each month
is collected for the state and the
church. 1t is from this lottery that
Spain and the Roman Catholic church
in the Philippines derive much of their
enormous revenues.
Wages Of farm male laborers are
about five cents per day, and each
man Is required to pay an annual tax
Of from $3.50 to $25. Much of this tax
goes to the church, since it is the
church officials who collect it all. The
archbishop forbids the sale of farm
products. but requires them to be SIM
ply exchanged. There is a tax for the
benefit of the church on cocoanut trees,
on animals when killed for feed, on
shops, mills and oil presses, and a par
ticularly high tax on cock fights, which
are the national pastimes of the peo-
pie, incidentally it may be explained
that the word Cavite means fish hook.
st. Louis Globe Democrat.