The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-04-28
It is, indeed, very badly and mali

1t is, indeed, very badly and mali
ciously understood" because the true
taxes are divided, not among the arch
bishop and the clergy, but among the
laymen servants of the church who
help in the administration of sacra-
ments-for instance, the sacristan, the
altar boys, the men in charge of the
bells, ETC., and the remainder, if any,
thing is left, belongs to the church
treasury. 1 said eff anything is left"
because had to act myself as parish
priest in the Ermita parish church of
Manila during the blockade, because
there was no other priest there, and it
is fact that at that time, and up to
the present, the true taxes are insisted
upon in so few cases that the laymen in
charge Of the church do not receive
enough to live upon, and must be fed
by the parish priest.
Thousands of people are living
practically in state Of concubinage."
Unfortunately there, as everywhere,
there are few instances of this, but
by no means thousands. Whoever de-
sires to have exact information about
this matter may look up the statistics
about marriages and legitimate and H.
legitimate births in Manila, where the
evil is greatest, and he will see that
even there the figures do not agree, by
any means, with the assertion of Bish-
op Potter.
can ecclesiastical discipline which
permits such wrongs not unnaturally
permits others of even larger proper
tions."
If the premises are wrong, 1 think
nobody can honestly deduce any con-
clusions from them, and that this is the
case with Bishop Potter everyone may
easily understand from the above re-
marks.
cit is no wonder that, at last, an
outraged people revolted, and that,
having appealed in vain to their own
civil government for their protection
or redress, they should have risen
against their oppressors.'
The causes of the rebellion Of the
natives against Spain are complicated,
just as the causes of their rebellion
against the American people are COM
plicated; and Bishop Potter has no
right to say that the cause of the out
break of the natives against Spain was
the taxation imposed by the religious
orders or friars in the administration
of the sacraments. The reason is plain
and evident. Many Of the parishes are
administered by the natives who are
themselves priests; for instance, the
Cathedral of Manila, Mariquina, San
Rogue of Cavite, Quiajio in Manila,
Aibay, the most important town in
Southeastern Luzon, all the parishes on
the western coast of the island of Ley
tie, and many others which it would
take too long to mention. Now, in all
these parishes the same ecclesiastical
law as to taxes was enforced by these
secular priests, and it is matter of
history that nobody objected to it.
Therefore, nobody can honestly say
that the cause of the rebellion Of the
natives against Spain was the requir-
ing Of the true taxes in the admins
tration of sacraments.
"Mr. Pierce might properly have CEN
fined himself to his duties as a regi-
mental chaplain; but from the begin
ming he has been the pastor and SER
want Of all sorts and conditions of men,.
organizing congregation for the citi-
zens Of the United States, another for
the Filipinos." Certainly, Mr.. Pierce
might have properly confined himself
to his duties, and have heard very
prominent American officers complain
that the American government did not
need to have man in Manila organiz-
ing religious congregations of special
sect, as the American law extends
equal protection to all religions, more
if the organization inter-
feres, as it does, with the duties of
regimental chaplain. About the work of
Mr.. Pierce, can only say that many
natives mistook him for Catholic
chaplain, as he used to carry a crucifix
in his uniform, and I was told that in
his chapel he used candles, incense and
so forth, and also that he asked for
fee in case Of a marriage. Now, ordi-
nary people can scarcely distinguish
refined differences of worship and re-
ligious doctrines. I will only quote one
case, in which had to intervene. A
young Catholic man applied to Chap
lain Pierce and was married by him.
The man, realizing that he, Mr.. Pierce,
was not Catholic priest, and that he
had done wrong, became sorry for 1t,
tried to excuse himself Oh the pretext
of the fees, and applied to his own par
ish priest. I was told that this in
stance had been repeated many other
times. 1t is also true, unfortunately,
that some knew that he was not a
Catholic chaplain, and, nevertheless,
followed him, but such men are we'll
INV Mr. VVi1Iio,,, n Sh,,pl,