The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-06-06
HOLY WEEK In MANILA.
nov THE DETOUT FILIPINOS RE-
LIGIOUSLY
Keep the Great Church Festivals.

Probably the people of Manila are
more given to the enjoyment of holidays
than any other people in the world
Under the old Spanish regime, scarcely
q week passed but the shops and bazars
were closed and the people turned out
as body to observe with proper cere-
nony some church or state holiday
But now things have undergone a great
change in the thrice century old capital
of our new oriental possessions, ana
even the old custom of shutting down
all business during most OF the day on
account of the great heat, no longer pre-
walls, for the Spanish native and other
shopkeepers in Manila now have to nus
tie at all times to keep pace in the KILL
ing race that ankee push and energy
has there set.
The passing Of the Spanish rule saw,
also, the abandonment of many OF the
gay holiday celebrations, but there are
two seasons of enjoyment which will al
WAYS be observed in Manila, as well as
elsewhere in the civilized world. These
are Christmas and Easter, or, as the
co Dias and Deos Semana, or holy week
According to the old Spanish customs IN
Manila. the Christmas celebration con-
tinued the whole week between Christ
mas and New ears. The holy week
celebrations also last a week
All through Lent the magnificent
churches and cathedrals Of the Philip
pine capital are decked with priceless
tapestries and magnificent frost-worked
syffla The rare works of the master
hands of art are, for once in the year,
Invested of their heavy coverings, and
the architectural grandeur of these
places of worship is displayed, is thus
heightened for the penitential worship
ers, who here bow down in the misty
dawn of early morn, amid glitterng
mountains of waxen tapers and that
splendor almost celestial. At Easter
and during the holy week all these
many places of worship are EMPOWERED
In strange tropical exotic blooms, such
flowers as only the Philippines can af-
ford. There are men in cool linen, wo-
men in the thinnest of costly silks, with
neither wraps nor bonnets, for the East
er bonnet is luxury unknown to the
Manila society dame. But lace mantil-
las take its place, and form the bone of
contention in the reckoning Of the bill
for Easter gayeties.
In spite of all that has been written
disparaging of the church system in the
Philippines, every one in Manila gives
strict attention to spiritual affairs. |
have seen thousands of little children
worship in the churches of that city,
and more people cross themselves in
Manila than in any other city of it's pop
ulation in the world. Spanish and ma
tive, Tagalo, Maccabebe and the various
mestizo castles, all worship side by side,
There are priests, monks and friars,
both Spanish and native, in surplices Of
ermine, in frocks of somber black and
in gowns of purple and gorgeous colors,
trimmed in gold and silver and decked
with precious jewels.
Were we to describe in detail the great
churches and cathedrals of the metrop
oils of our oriental archipelago, WEI
could compare them favorably with the
great houses Of worship Of Europe.
Manila has it's see and diocese, OF reli-
gious orders may be mentioned the Au-
gustins, the Dominicans, the Recollets, !
the fra0C1ScanS, the CdpuCulHS, tlbG
Benedictines and the Paulists Among
the cathedrals which date back to the
latter part of the sixteenth century, are
the magnificent edifices of old Manila,
the cathedral of st. Augustine and old
San Francisco monastery, all located in
the old walled city. In new Manila the
Santa Cruz cathedral the Binondo ca
thedral, the Quiapo church and the Ton
do church are all more than two hun
dred years old. The San Ignatius ca
thedral in old Manila is a comparatively |
modern structure ana one Oh the finest /
In the islands, while across the Pasig in
the new town the cathedral of San Sc
bastian, about dozen years old is a
structure somewhat resembling West
minister abbey. and built almost entirely
of Belgium steel. Such are the struc-
lures in which the people of Manila
and in these temples hundreds
of thousands this year, as formerly,
perform their Eater devotions.
In a luxuriant land possessing such a
mellow climate as does Luzon, even
Lenten fast does not become wholly
self denial. for even the most abstain
ing can indulge in countless delicious
fruits almost unknown to the people of