New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-07-02
THE PHILIPPINE FRIARS
THEIR POWER AND INFLUENCE IN THE
ISLANDS.
HOW THEY KEPT THE NATIVES IN IGNORANCE

HOW THEY KEPT THE NATIVES IN IGNORANCE
AND sUBJBcTION AND AMAssED RICHES
There are few places in the civilized world
where the Roman Catholic priests play more
Important part than in the Philippine ls'ahds'
For years the natives have been ,aught to look
upon them as the highest authority, and III
many instances they have been credited with
supernatural powers. Oologan Ozaota, the son
Of a rich Manila merchant told some stories
about the priests in Manila in the days before
the American occupation which were as sur
prsing as they were interesting. He said:
The number OF requirements demanded Of
a parish priest in the Philippines Is very
great. If he does not possess all OF them
the pullic interests suffer. Usually he does
not and We do suffer For example,
priest must be an architect. because II is h"
who must draw up all plans for the erection
of churches; an engineer for he is expected to
make and mend all roads, a doctor. for he Is
the only physician, except few who are sta
toned at one army hospital; a teacher for the
Church delegates the education of the people to
no one not in orders; and he must be bust
ness man for no one thinks of undertaking any
great matter without consulting the priest
More than this, he is the adviser Of the judges,
and there is very little justice meted out that
he does not dictate. AS related. the priest
supervscs the elections. and therefore has to
keep in touch with what you Western people
call politics Naturally he is a very busy man.
when | attended service one day at church
near my home il Manila the priest announced
from the pulpit rattle, and held up the watch
which was to rallied for, in order that all might
see it. There were also dresses for women TO
be rallied for. and these he also displayed.
Without leaving the pulpit he proceeded to or
ganize a society for women. called the Co
fradia de San Jose, the members Of which were
to sell tickets for the rattle Beyond the prayers
that incident the entire service for the
day
I'm some churches that have visited on the
islands there are images having movable limbs.
Whenever the priest addressed a saint the arm
OF the saints figure would rise | used to
think there were no confcdcrates, and that the
spirit. maybe Of the priest at work. !
know better now. and yet think perhaps the
natives no worse off because they still be
leve in this manifestation of priestly power"
THE FIVE ORDERS.
There is a cathedral in every village. Some
of these are pretentIOus and some plain
structures but a rule the Catholic church
is the finest and best located building in the
place There are five orders Of priests who
have charge Of these churches. Dominicans Au-
gustne Friars Franci> ans. Rocoletes. branch
OF the St Augustnes and Jesuits. The congre-
cations are poor for tn most part. hut the
priests receive salaries ranging from $500 to
$1,000 a year She Archbishop receives a salary
of $1,000 and the four bishops receive 5000"
q year each.
The Dominican order came 10 the islands in
177O and close after them came the Augustine
Friars in 171j The Franciscans. the Rocoletes
and the Jesuits came later but all were
well housed and fortified behind fortunes in the
way Of money and real estate when the war
with Spain broke out. In his work on the
Philippine Islands John Foreman says:
Each order was intensely jealous OF the
other that one is almost led to ponder whether
the final goal Of all could have been identical
All voluntarily faced death with the same in
eentive while amicable fellowship in this world
seemed an impossibility."
Fights and squabbles between the orders were