Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-28
PHILIPPINE FRIARS
Report of the Commission in Regard
to Them.
FORMER IMPORTANCE OF TIE SECT
Why the Natives Have Such a
Hatred Against Them.
MANY BUY THEIR LAND
FORMER IMPORTANCE OF TIE SECT
MANY BUY THEIR LAND

Taft Philippine commission is more inter-
esting than that relating to the friars in
the Philippines. On this subject the report
says in part:
Ordinarily, the government of the United
States and its servants have little or no
concern with religious societies or corpora
tons and their members. With us, the
church is SO completely separated from the
state that it is difficult to imagine cases
in which the policy of church in the selec-
ton of its ministers and the assignment of
them to duty can be regarded of political
moment, or as a proper subject of comment
in the report of public officer. In the
pacification of the Philippines by our gov
eminent, however it is impossible to ig-
more the very great part which such a
question plays. Excepting the Moros who
are Moslems and the wild tribes who are
pagans the Philippine people belong to the
Roman Catholic Church. The total num-
Der of Catholic souls shown by the church
registry In 1898 was 6533.GS. To care for
these in that year there were in the archi-
peiago 1i6 regular parishes, 103 mission
parishes and 116 missions 967 in all. or
the regular parishes all but 100 were admin
istered by Spanish monks of the Dominican,
Augustinian or Franciscan orders Natives
were not admitted to these orders. There
were two kinds of Augustinians in these
islands the shod and the unshod. The lat
ter are called Recolletos and are merely an
offshoot from the original order of st. Au-
gustine. BY the revolutions of 1876 and 1898
against Spain all the Dominicans, Angus
tinians, Recolletos and Franciscans acting
as parish priests We're driven from tnelf
parishes to take refuge in Manila Forty
were killed and 4Ui imprisoned and were
not all released until by the advance OF the
American troops it became impossible Tor
the insurgents to retain them.
Reside the Nonastic Orders.
OF the 1924 who were in the islands
in 1896 but iI2 remain. The remainder
we're either killed or died, returned to
Spain or went to China or South America.
There We're also in the islands engaged III
missions and missionary parishes forty-two
Jcsuits. sixteen Capuchins and six Benedic-
tines and while many of these left their
missions because of disturbed conditions
they do not seem to have been assaulted or
imprisoned for any length of time. In ad-
dtion to the members of the nonastlc or
ders there We're 100 native secular clergy
men in charge of small parishes, who We're
not disturbed. There were also many ma
tive priests in the larger parishes VINO as
sisted the friar Curates and they nave re-
manned, and they have been and are act
ing as parish priests The burning poll,i-
cal question, discussion of which strongly
agitates the people of the Philippines, Is
whether the members of the four great or
ders of ST. Dominic, St Augustine and ST.
the parishes from which they were driven
by the revolution. Colloquially the term
''friars includes only the members Of these
four orders. The Jesuits, Capuchns Bene-
dictineS and the PauliStS, of whom there
are IA few teachers here, have done only
mission work or teaching. and have not
aroused the hostility existing against the
four large orders to which We refer
The commissioner to whom the subject
was assigned was enabled by the courtesy
and assistance of Archbishop ChappelIe to
take the statements of the prOvincialS of
all the monastic orders resident in Manila,
and of the archbishop of Manila, the bishop
of Vigan and the bishop of Jaro. The ques-
tions asked covered all the charges which
had been made against the friars. the feel
ing Of the people toward them, the extent
OF their property. the part they took in the
politics and government of the islands UNI
der Spain, and the possibility of their re-
turn to their parishes. Other Witnesses
Philippine laymen. American Catholic
priests, army officers. Catholic and Protes-
tant, and newspaper correspondents, were
examined in great number. We have at
tempted without bias to reach a conclusion
to the truth.
Importance of the Friar.
The friar as a parish priest was usually
the only man of intelligence and education
who knew both the native dialect and the
Spanish language well in his parish. His
position as the spiritual guide of the people
necessarily led to his acting as inte-me-
diary between them and the rest of the
world In secular matters. In only few OF
the parishes was there any other Spanish
representative OF the government OF Spain
than the friar priest. At first actually AMI
afterward by law he came to discharge
many important civil functions AMI - su-
pervise, correct or veto everything which
was done sought to be done in The pueblo
which was his parish.
The participation of the friars in the af
fairs OF the parish, provincial and insular
government was much more effective to
secure entire control of the political Situa-
ton than If the priests had been merely
secular and not bound together with the
close association of the :nonastic orders
The truth is that the whole government of
Spain in these islands rested on the fr:ars
To use the expression Of the provincial Of
the Augustinians. the friars were the ped
estal or foundation of the sovereignty of
Spain in these islands, which being re-
moved 1.-The whole structure would topple
over" The number of Spanish troops in
these islands did not exceed 5000 until the
revolution. the tenure of office of the
friar curate was permanent. There was
but little rotation of priests among the
parishes Once settled in a parish a priest
usually continued there until superannua-
ton. He was. therefore, constant roiiti-
cal factor for a generation. The same was
true of the archbishop and the bishops. The
civil and military officers of Spain in the
Islands were here for not longer than four
years and more often for a less period.
The friars. priests and bishops, therefore,
constituted solid. powerful. permanen
wel-organized force in the islands which
dominated politics. The stay of those off,
GERS who attempted to pursue a course at
variance with that deemed wise by the cr-
! ders invariably shortened by monasfic
| influence.
OF the four great orders one, the Fan
| ciscans. is not permitted to own property.
except converts and schools. This is not
true of the other three. They own some
valuable business property in Manila and
| have large amounts of money tn lend. But
| the chief property of these orders is IN
agricultural land. The total amount owned
| by the three orders in the Philippines Ia APP
| proximately 900 acres. OF this III 600
acres is in the province of Cavite alone.
Land Acquired.
| The Augustinians were granted by tile
! Spanish government large estate in the
srarsely settled province of Cagayan, in
northern Luzon, in 1880. The Recolletos
acquired in the same manner even larger
estate in the wild and unsettled island al
( Mindoro in 1891 With these exceptions,
| the lands held by the friars have been
/ theirs for more than a generation, and
| they have owned most OF the valuable es-