The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-07-20
FILIPINOS ARE
 ALL CATHOLICS
Father Hart Says, However
 That FriarS Must Leave
SOME ORDERS OBJECTED TO
Says Circumstances Over Which the Friars Had Not Much Control Led Them Into the Present Troub-
 Iesome Situation.

St. Paul, July 19.-The Rev. Patrick Hart. a Catholic clergyman. formerly of St. Paul. now military chaplain at Fort Meade. s. D.. is on a visit to his old home.
 Father Hart spent two years and a half as chaplain to the United States forces in the Philippines. To an As- sociated Press representative today Fa- ther Hart said:
 During my several peregrinations through the island of Luzon I took a special interest in looking into the Fili- pinos religious ideas and practices. The Filipino people are intensely Catholic, most firmly attached to the priests of the Catholic church, devoted to it's practices and animated in all their relations with deel religious sentiments Their attach ment to the native Philippine priests was unlimited If they show opposition to the friars it is for other reasons than for that of their priesthood and indeed 1t is not to religious orders, such as that they are opposed. as I know by very plain observation that they show no opposi- tion whatever to the Jesuits. Lazarists or Capuehi's; on the cc ntrnry to members of those orders they are much attached.
 Shows Same Antiquity.
 "A fact, however, so plain and visible to me, and I could not close my eyes to it was that the Filipinos showed much antipathy to the members of the Augus- tnian, Dominican, Reeollect and Fran ciscan orders.
 "The question is raised of course why such antipathy was shown by the Fili- pinos to the members of those specific orders. From my observations the req sons 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 government. The original acquisition of those lands by the friars were with the best possible intentions and principles. The people, then saYages, were gathered upon those lands by the friars, civilized and chris tianized. The mistake of the friars was this: Having christianzed and civilized ihe people they failed to observe the de- velopment in the people of a sense of independence which led those people to the desire of being proprietors them selves. It is a case over again of Irish landlordism and tenancy. But not only were the tr1arS lar QlCrQS, DuI they were the civil agents of the Spanish govern ment. The hatred against s-le govern ment fell upon the friars.
 Cannot Safely Return.
 Prom what know and firmly believe, the members of the four orders I have mentioned as lsndlcrd orders, cannot with safety return to their parishes. There would at once be such opposition as to nullify their religious administrations and even to -endanger their lives. "The native priests are intensely op- posed to the members of those orders and for this special reason, that they are never entrusted by tho friars with respon- sible positions
 "Circumstances over which the friars had no5 much control led them into the present situation. But the situation ex- ists as I describe 1t and will exist so long as the friars will be there.
 ''As to the fruits of the labors of the l frisrs during centuries the present high religious and moral condition of the Phil 1 ippines gives. ample evidence. Their mis- 1 takes were simply in being too closely connected with the Spanish government in maintaining and defending that govern .nent and in holding too long ad too fast l to their landed interests.''