The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-08-29
POPE'S OFFICES PREVAIL
America viii Protect the Phil
ippine Missions.
SPAIN HAS ACQUIESCED
Leo XIII Gains the Consent of the
It's Claims Upon the Allegiance of
the Hierarchy I'm the fsIands-aIar-
tineIii and Ireland the Agents.

It's Claims Upon the Allegiance of
the Hierarchy In the IsIands-aIar-
tfneIIi and Ireland the Agents.
Rome, Aug 2S.-rhe question of the |
clergy of the Philippines is the subject OF I
high negotiations between the Vatican
Spain. and the United States. In an in
terview with an influential preate of the |
departments of the paoal secretary of |
state and the propaganda in regard to the |
matter, he said: :" y
'sYou must know first of all that the |
Philippines are the center of Catholic |
missions that are extended to the neigh |
ing islands and to ToHkin and China The |
foundation of these missions is very an
cient, but the most important is the Do
minican mission of Santo Rosario of the
seventeenth century. 1t is very rich and
has large possessions and great influence.
Close to the Dominican mission are sew
eral converts of The franciscan and Au-
gustinian missions. but the Dominicans
are in the first place.
Frinrs I'm Islands Are Spaniards.
THE service of the Catholic clergy of
the Philippines is effected entirely by
friars and a few priests. The friars are
Spaniards. The Dominican clergy num-
Der $50 with nine bishops, among whom
is the Bishop of Manila, Mgr. Mozaleda
de Villa. They have several Wears. The
professors of the Manila University are
Dominicans, except those of medicine. In
regard to the education of children they
possess at Manila st. Thomas's College,
and St. John Lateran and St Albert the
Great at Dagupan, in Pangasinan prov
i,1-a Tor ytrI- yhare ava tnn ssphn lie Of
Catherine, Santo Rosario and the Virgin,
| directed by Dominican sisters resident at
| Manila and at Lingayen and In the city
| of Fernandina there is an orphan asylum,
and similar establishments and missions
| have penetrated into the savage countries
| of the Philippines and thence reached
| Tonkin. China. and Formosa. They are
sixty-slx in number. divided into twenty
| five apostolic vicarites
las you may see, the Vatican Is right in
| giving such Importance TO this question,
because hitherto the friars have not only
| devoted themselves to their missions. but
| have had in their hands the moral and
| political government of that land and
| have had great influence with the popu-
| lation in the cities. villages and through
| out the country. The Vatican believes
| that the United States has an interest
| to conserve in obtaining the friendship
people"
Power Contested by Insurgents.
To the question whether. as Spaniards.
| they would serve Spanish interests, he re-
| piled:
I'VE must take into consideration the
fact that conditions are now transformed.
| Certainly the Spanish friars, especially
| the Dominicans, had continuous relations
| oFad
a college. In the war of the Cuban re-
bellion they gave one million, but we can
| not deny the fact that their great power
| has long been contested by the insurgents
! in the struggle for liberty. They know
| that the Dominicans of Santo Rosario
| have secured the Spaniards as instru-
ments of government, and the United
! States could obtain the same services by
| respecting them.
| The question was then asked eff the
| United States. white Respecting its rights.
| request the Vatican. to substitute by de-
| grees for the Spanish friars other of diff
| ferent nationalities dok you think the
| Vatican would agree?
| II do not know. The Vatican has done
| the same favor forrF rance in Tunis and
for Italy in Abyssinia. and it is not said
| that the Vatican will not agree to do the
same for America. g.5.
| Nevertheless, the difficulties are many.
When the destruction OF Cervera's fleet
| was known, and seeing the end of the
| war, Mgr Mozaleda de Villa sent a long
| statement to Cardinal Ledochowski. the
| project of the propaganda, setting forth
| the sad situation and their fears for the
| future. The cardinal visited the Pope,
praying him TO open diplomatic negotia-
| tons. They commenced Immediately and
We expect good results shortly. The first
| eta toll in rd 70 DpaCdapf
Mckinley by Mgr. Ireland and Mgr. Mar
| tinelIi the apostolic delegate at Washing
| ton.
THE United States Government would
not at first enter into any engagement.
| but after urgent solicitation from the
| Vatican il declared it was disposed to
recognize the rights of the Catholic mis-
sions of the Philippines on condition that
the Spaniards would not create trouble for
the United States and would renounce
| Spanish protection.
Pope's Advice Accepted i'm Madrid
1.-THE Vatican called upon the Spanish
| ambassador to get the Spanish views.
| Firstly, it appeared contrary to the policy
| of Spain to renounce her protection over
| her subjects, and the negotia tons thus
proceeded with great difficulty, the United
| States maintaining its conditions and
Spain refusing them. Finally the Pope
| succeeded in getting his advice accepted
| at Madrid by demonstra ting the danger
| Gus position of the clergy and the Cath
Ole missions and the possibility that the
| United States might take vigorous meas
| ures against the missions, with the danger
| of persecution. The Pope also promised
Spain his Intervention with view of get
ting the best conditions of peace.
This advice has been seconded by Aus
tria, and Spain has manifested a dispo-
sition TO be ready to accept it.
Mgr. Martinelli should have already
informed the Government at Washington
that Spain accepts its conditions and re-
nounces her protection of the friars on
condition that America respects their
| rights and does not oppose the practice
of the services of religion and of the
| Catholic hierarchy"
This concluded the interview. There is
also some informa ton obtained directly
from Spanish friars resident in Rome,
who asserts that their general had not
yet received from the Vatican any notice
of the result of these negotiations, but
they were disposed to obey and not create
any difficulties for the new government of
the Philippines