Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-20
The Archbishop Not Meeting With
Success in the Philippines.
A PROBABLE MISUNDERSTANDING
Intense Feeling Of Natives Against
the Fnars.
G ENERAL OTIS NOTICE

The apprehension felt in some quarters
that the mission of Archbishop Chapelle
10 the Philippines would not be an entire
success appears to be verified The hos
tilty aroused among the natives by his
association in their minds with the friars
Is looked upon likely to destroy any
good mat might have been expected from
his efforts to exert the influence of the
Catholic Church to secure acceptance Of the
authority of the United States. The fact
that General Otis felt Il necessary TO as
sure the natives that the government has
no intention of forcing the friars upon them
is accepted as evidence of the intensity of
the feeling aroused by the presence of the
archbishop seemingly empowered with the
authority of the church TO compel submis-
sion.
Archbishop ChapelIe's Plan.
The President viewed with great favor
the plan proposed for Archbishop ChapelIe
to visit the Philippines with the authority
of the Church of Rome to be exercised for
the promotion Of good order and the recoe-
milton of governmental authority After
the visit of Archbishop Chapelle 10 the
President, at which the matter was dis
cussed. ii vas given out semi-officially that
II was recognized that the influence Of the
church would be for the promotion OF
good order and stability of government and
tAdt among natives protesting the Catho-
lie falth and recognizing the authority Of
the church it ought to operate greatly 10
the interest of the government. There is
similarity between this expression then
used and the statement attributed to Arch
blsh"p Chapelle at Manila, That Presi-
dent Mckinley shared his views which
were that If the friars returned to their
parishes they would be considered elements
of good order, and therefore, American
agents "a statement which apparently
x.if
tent among the natives.
Each Misunderstood the Other.
The archbishop is not an American, and
the President is not thoroughly familiar
with the point of view and the method Of
organization of the Catholic Church 1t is
therefore, probable that each failed of un-
derstanding the other just enough to put
radically different Interpretation upon
what was said between them. The presi-
dent was greatly pleased to have the good
olnces OF religion eNerted to promote civil
ization and the recognition of governmental
authority. The archbishop was equally de-
lighted to have given to the church such
recognition he conceived to be unplicl
In the acceptance of the good offices of the
pope in a matter Of this sort. IT is hardly
to be supposed that the President hs any
idea of recognizing papal authority. and lac
undoubtedly did not realize that In the eyes
of the archbishop a papal delegate (Which
he waSD represented government with u
bounded authority and vested with tenn
poral powers as well as spiritual. What TO
the President was probably no more than
a benign religious influence was to ;he
archbishop something more than an lri-
perlal power A misunderstanding of lie
scope Of the archbishop'S recognition by
this government and the authority nos
sessed by him might naturally follow from
this, and the Filipinos, raised under the
authority of the church and the dunIna-
tion of the friars. against which they he'd
revolted, were particularly apt to misinter-
pret the purposes of this government in
accepting the good offices of the papal dele
gate
Apprehension was expressed by Soma
when the announcement was made that
Archbishop Chapelle had been appointed
papal delegate to the Philippines. and that
through ntm would be exercised the good
offices of the pope to quiet the EiliplnoS
that the result might be to excite greater
resistance, based upon the fear of the ma
tives that submission TO the authority of
the United States would mean the re-cstab-
hshment of the power of the friars. The
President, however, saw only the good in
fuence of Christianity on the side of this
government in the move and expected ben
eftcial results from it.
Gen. Otis Announcement,
1t is an open secret in some quarters that
there was momentary impression among
high authorities Of the church in Europe
when the President SO readily accepted the
services of the delegate, or ambassador
that it foresnadowed the recognition of the.
pope as one OF the sovereign powers of Eu-
rope. Great credit was given Archbishop
Chapelie at Rome for accomplishing his
reception by the President II was very
speedily realized, however, that his recaD-
tlon mad been that of clergyman, not that
OF an ambassador 1t is made obvious bv
the announcement of Gen. Otis thai the
Fillplnos Will not be compelled to accept
obnoxious friars who may be assigned to
curacies by the church authorities: thar
thls government will not sustain the friars
IN authority; and there is good and album
dant reason to assume that the poDe will
not depose the friars. This is expected by
those who have been watching develop
mentS with interest and an Intelligent
knowledge of the situation to result in con-
siderable friction, and perhaps in conflict
CT authority in sections of the islands
where but vague notions exist as to the dis
unction between church and state. The
statement made by Gen. Otis is itself re-
ferred to as an interference with the au-
thority of the church and an abridgemen.
OF reilglous liberty, so uncertain is the line
OF demarcauion between civil and clerical
authority among these people