The Irish standard., 1901-06-15
Took Statements of the Anti-Friar Party
and Refused to Listen to
Word of Defense.
One of the Protestant Members Published
Book Against the Priests
in Bigoted Style.

AAdIs AC dAS w ClCus ldllly COl-
rect, if not quite complete. 1 would
lay stress upon what say there about
the Filipino's extreme susceptibility of
outside influences. This is great fac
tor in his character. Constancy he has
little Of in his character, but in one
thing I am convinced he will be con-
stant'
"That is his desire for indepen-
dence?"
"Just that. The natives will never
be removed from that idea. They will
easily give in, but their easy submis-
sion will not be Of enduring effect"
'Then his susceptibility to outside
influences is a great danger for his
Catholicity?'
cit does indeed constitute a very
great danger. He will be so easily
influenced by imposing figures; by per-
sons in authority, by persons invested
with prestige. 1t is a grave peril"
"Is there any remedy in your opin-
ion for this evil?"
"Only one, or almost only one, name
ly, the counteracting these dangerous
influences by introducing Catholic mis-
sionaries Of the white race among the
native people,"
Let us hope that this will be DONE
Referring to the question of the sta
tus of the religious orders in the ar
chipelago, the archbishop said: "The
personnel of the missionaries must be-
! long to corporations. Our missionaries
simply cannot be isolated persons
They must have some bond which will
preserve their spirit. The individual
life of the missionary is utterly i'm
possible"
After some remark Of mine the arch
bishop continued: "This is proved in
China, Cochin China, Japan and In
dia also, where the missiona-
ries all belong to corporations.
This corporation is invariably a con-
gregation, even if a modern one of
secular priests. Even the foreign mis-
sioners Of Propaganda and of the for
eign missions of Paris form fraterni-
ties"
Wetwere approaching the root Of the
ecclesiastical question in the Philip
pines. My next question pressed fur
ther and it elected this answer:
"Any insistence of the American
government for spoliation of the reli-
gious orders would be quite useless,
and besides other reasons on this ac-
count-that the goods of the corpora
tions are already alienated. They are
no longer in the hands of the religious,
because they have been sold to COM
panies, to financial syndicates. This
was done before the end Of the Span
ish domination. Absolutely all the
goods of the corporation We're got rid
Of. Moreover, any attempt of the kind
would be the greatest injustice
Of course the purely parochial hold
ings and property are to be excluded
from this, as the archbishop said in
answer to a further question.
"Then why is such a delay in the
settlement of the question: l asked.
Because Of the slow procedure of
Rome. The Holy See intends to decide
nothing until the delegate apostolic
shall have come to Rome"
''But he has already sent in reports ?''
eyes, but they are not final. Hc
must explain the situation in person.
"But what further question is there
to be settled if, as 1 read in the Amer
lean papers. there are now so few reli-
gious in the islands that they are all
within the walls of Manila?"
'It is true that they are in the con-
vents of Manila. but this fact is due
not to the hostility of the population,
but to the opposition of the American
authorities. Indeed, the people are
continually calling for their return to
the parishes. 1t is the American
Protestant missionaries who by their
influence with the authorities secure
the absence of the religious"
My surprise was expressed without
words. The archbishop continued: