The Indianapolis journal., 1902-07-20
Conservative Catholic Priest Tells
Why the Natives Hate Certain
Religious Orders.
FRIARS WERE LANDLORDS
AND ACTED AS AGENTS OF THE
SPANISH GOVERNMENT.
They Never Trusted the Natives and
Did Nothing to Benefit Them-Not
Safe to Return.

ST. PAUL, MINI. July 19-The Rev Pat
rick j. Hart. a Catholic clergyman. for
merly 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 half as chaplain to the United States
forces in the Philippines. To-day Father
Hart said:
Yes. 1 was an army chaplain in the Phil
ippine islands. 1 arrived in Manila in the
month Of March, 1899, with the Third Regi-
ment, United States Infantry. 1 accom-
panied my regiment in their campaigns
from Manila to Malolos, and later l was
with General Lawton in his campaign from
Caloocan through the northern province
of Luzon to San Miguel and San Isidro.
Obliged through i'll health to return to
the States in May. 1900 L went back to the
Philippines in March, 1901, and was ap-
pointed to the Eighth Regulars, United
States Infantry, then stationed in the
province of Laguna, Luzon. 1 left the
Philippines in October, 1901
During my several peregrinations
through the island of Luzon 1 had many
opportunities of observing the manners and
customs of the Philippine people, and very
naturally, took a special interest in look
ing into their religious ideas and practices.
The Filipino people are intensely Catholic,
most firmly attached to the priests of the
Catholic Church, devoted to its practices
and animated in all their relations with
deep religious sentin snts; very certainly no
antipathy whatever on their part to the
priests Of the Catholic Church, as such.
For my own part, wherever 1 went so soon
as L was known TO be Catholic priest, 1
was received with a most cordial amiability
and respect. Appearing. as L did among
the people in a semi-military costume, 1
found them at first a little dubious as to
my orthodoxy and priestly character But,
so soon as / gave proofs that l was a
priest of the Catholic Church. of the Ro-
man Catholic, as they call their religion,
their confidence in me was unbounded
Their attachment to native Filipino priests
was unlimited
THE FRIARS DISLIKED.
IF they show opposition to the friars it
is for other reasons than for that of their
priesthood. And indeed it is not to religious
orders such that they are opposed, as L
know by very plain observation that they
show opposition Whatsoever to the
Jesuits, Lazarsts or Capuchins; on the con-
trary, to members of those orders they are
much attached. A fact, however, so plain
and visible to me, and l could not close my
eyes to it, that the Filipinos showed
much antipathy to the members of the
AuguStnian, Dominican, Recollect and
Franciscan orders Before Admiral Dewey's
fleet arrived in the harbor of Manila the
members of those religious orders who had
been previously scattered through the arch
ipelago had been driven into Manila. where
alone their lives were in safety. OF those
who had not come into Manila some were
put to death and others imprisoned and
even cruelty tortured. Those who had been
imprisoned were ultimately released by the
American army.
THE question is raised, of course why
such antipathy was shown by the Filipinos
to the members of those specific orders.
From my observation the reasons are the
following: They were the land-hoding
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 the friars was with the best poss-
BILE intentions and principles. The people,
then savages, were gathered upon those
lands by the friars, civilized and Christian
lied. The mistake of the friars was this:
They, having civilized and Christianzed
the people, failed to observe what was the
fruits of their own teachings, the develop
ment in the people of a sense of indie
pendence which led those people to the de-
sire of being proprietors themselves This
point reached in teaching the people, the
friars should have aided in making them
proprietors.
LIKE IRISH LANDLORDISM.
1T is a case over again of Irish landlord
ism and tenancy. But not only were the
friars landlords. but they were the civil
agents of the Spanish government. The
hatred against the government fell upon
nd
that escaped this hatred owned no large es-
tates. They were largely employed in edu-
cational work and were wise enough to be
neither landlords nor agents of the govern
ment and this is what saved them.
From what I knew 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 nullify
their religious administra ationS and even to
are intensely opposed to the members Of
those orders, and for this special reason
that they are never intrusted by the friars
with responsible positions. All the bishops
of the islands were members of religious
orders. The orders had a monopoly of re-
ligion, and however well intentioned the di
rectors of monopoly are; and whatever the
causes that led up TO the formation Of
monopoly. ii will always In the long run,
and necessarily so. induce opposition and
hatred. ] would place the number of native
I'm giving this interview, / have as my
chief purpose to emphasize the attachment
Of the Philippine people TO the Catholic
Church. to show that the opposition TO the
friars by no means indicates opposition TO
the church Nor do l, indeed, when l con-
slider the history of the islands. throw much
blame upon the friars. Circumstances over
which they often had not much control led
them into TIE present situation, but the
situation exists as / describe 1t. and will
exist so long as the friars will be there.
LAS to the fruits of the labors of the
friars during centuries. the present high
religious moral condition Of the Philippines
gives ample evidence Their mistakes,
again repeat, were simply in being too
closely connected with the Spanish govern
ment in maintaining and defending that
government and in holding too long and too
fast TO their landed interests"
TO CONFER WITH TAFT.