Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-24
HATRED OF THE FRIARS
81 lfi,g
The Old Case of, Landlord and
Tenant.
M rs 3 -,.t.
NOT RELIGIOUS HATRED
CERTAIN ORDERS NOT ANTAa-
% 49, oNIZED- AT ALL.
The Filipinos Devotedly Attached to
the Catholic Church
Of Rev. Patrick J. Hart.

the Catholic Church Observations
Of Rev. Patrick J. Hart.
The Rev. Patrick j. Hart, Catholic
clergyman, formerly OF St. Paul now mill
tary chaplain Of Fort Meade, s. D., Is on a
visit to his old home. He spent two years
and half as chaplain to the United States
forces In the Philippines. In answer to
questions put to him the other day Rev.
Mr.. Hart said regarding the Philippines:
Yes, was an army chaplain in the Phil
ippine Islands 1 arrived in Manila in the
month Of March, 1890. with the Sd Regi-
ment, United States Infantry. / accompa-
MED my regiment in it's campaigns from
Manila to Malolos, and later 1 was with,
General Lawton IN his campaign from Ca
loocan through the northern provinces of
Luzon to San Miguel and San Isidro.
"Obliged through ill-health to return to
the states In May 1909, went back to the
Philippines in March, 1901, and was ap-
pointed to the sth Regiment. United States
Infantry, then stationed at the province of
Laguna, Luzon. I left definitely the Phil
ippines in October, 1901
The Filipinos Devoted Catholics.
During my several perigrinations
through the Island Of Luzon, I had many
opportunities of observing the manners,
habits and customs Of the Philippine peo-
pie, and very naturally 1 took special in
terest in looking into their religious ideas
and practices.
1.-The Philippine people are Intentionally
Catholic most firmly attached to the priests
of the Catholic church. devoted to its prac-
tees and animated In all their trade rela-
lions with deep religious sentiments; very
certainly antipathy whatever on their
part to the priests of the Catholic church as
such. For my own part wherever went, as
soon as l was known to be a Catholic
priest l was received with most cordial
amiabiity and respect. Appearing as I did
among the people in semi military costume,
found them at first little dubious as to
my orthodoxy and priesty character. But,
as soon as I gave proof that was a priest
of the Catholic Church, of the Roman Cath
Ollie Church. as they call their religion their
confidence in me was unbounded Their at
| tachment to the native Filipino priest was
unlimited. ttss3 a.
Hostility to the Friars.
'Tf they show opposition to the friars. 1t
| is for other reasons than for that of priest
hood. And. indeed. it IS not to religious or
ders as such that they are opposed, as
know by very plain observation that they
! show no opposition wlla tsoever to Jesults,
Lazarists or CapuchIns; on the contrary to
| members Of those orders they are much at
! tached. fact. however, plain and visit
| BILE to me that I could not close my eyes to
| it, was that the Filipino >showed much anti
| pathy to the members of the Augustinian,
| Dominican, Recolect and Franciscan or
| ders. Before Admiral Dewey's fleet arrived
| in the harbor Of Manila, the members of
! those religious orders who had been pre-
| viously scattered through the archipelago
| had been driven ihto Manila, where alone
| their lives were In safety. OF those that
| had not come into Manila some were actual
| ~ put to death and the others in prison
| and even cruelty tortured. Those who had
been in prison were ultimately released by
| the American army.
The question is raised. of course, why
| such antipathy was shown by the Fiipinos
TO the members of those specific orders.
| Antagonism to the Landlords.
From my observations the reasons are
the following: They were the land holding
friars The Filipinos were their tenants
and had been for long years paying rent
| to them which rent was collected from the
people in the name of the Spanish govern
| ment. The original acquisition of those
| lands by these friars was with the best
| possible intentions and principle The peo-
| pie, then savages, were gathered upon
| those lands by the friars, civilized and
| was this: Having civilized and Christianfz-
| ed the people they failed to observe what
| was the fruit Of their own teaching, the
development In the people of sense Of in
| desire of being proprietors themselves.
| This point reached in the teaching of
| the people, the friars should have aided in
making them proprietors. 1t is a case
again OF Irish landlordism and tenancy. But
| not only were the friars landlords, but they
were the civil agents of the Spanish gov
| ernment. The hatred against the govern
ment fell upon the friars. The Jesuts and
hat f+toiS hatr nf
| the people owned no large estates. They
were largely employed in educational work.
The Jesuits have extensive means in Min
danao, where the Spanish government was
no more welcome than in other Islands, but
the Jesuits were wise enough to be neither
landlords nor agents OF the government, and
THIS is what saved them.
Friars Cannot Return.
From what I know and firmly believe,
the members of the four orders have men,
TONED as landlord orders cannot, with safe
ty, return to their parishes. There would
be at once such opposition as to nulliify
their religious administration and even to
endanger their lives
The native priests are intensely opposed
| 10 the members of those orders, and for this
| special reason they were never intrust-
ca by the friars with responsible posi-
| lions. All the bishops of the islands were
| members Of religious orders The orders
| nave a monopoly Of religion, and however
| Wen mentioned the directors of monopoly
! are and whatever the causes that led up to
| the formation of a monopoly, 1t will always
IN the long run, and necessarily SO, induce
| opposition and hatred. I would place the
| number OF native priests In the neighber-
| hood of 500. .-f, = 49,.
No Opposition to the Church.
in giving this tnterSiewsI have as my
chief purpose to efapfasise the attachment
OF the Filipino People to the Catholic
Church to shoK that fhs oppostion to the
friars by no means indicates opposition to
the church. Nor do d,.tindeed, when con-
slider the history Of the island, throw much
blame on the friars.s circumstances over
which they often had not much control led
them into the present situation. But the
situation exists asM described it, and will
| exist so long as the; freafs will be there.
AS to the fruits of the labors of the
| 6fIr Wv Ia -ta{.x