Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-22
CAREER OF AGL|P AY
Leader Of the Independent
Philippine Church.
STORIES OF CRUELTY
PROPOSED UNION WITH THE
PRoTESTANTS.
Success of the New Movement in the
Provinces-Attitude Of
Native Priests.
BY WILLIAM T.. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.
| Special Correspondence of The Evening Star and
Chicago Record Herald.
| MANILA. May 81. 1904.
Gregorio Aglipay. the leader of the new
Independent Catholic Church In the Philip
pine Islands. Is native of Manila. born
| in 1865. educated in the Jesuit schools OF
| this city and in the seminary of the Domin-
| lean monks He was ordained by them for
| the priesthood in $780, and. having a bright
mind and winning manners. became a great
| favorite with the friars of all the monastic
orders. In 1885, however. he fell into dis
| favor because of his relations with the
| leaders of the insurrection and for denounc
| ing Archbishop Nozaieda and the govern
ment for the official murder of DR.. Jose
RIAL a brilliant young ocuiist. who. hay
| ing been sent to Germany to study his pro-
| fession fell in with atheists and agnostics
and acquired socialistic tendencies. He was
| regarded as a dangerous man. was be
| trayed by the friars and condemned and
| executed by order of the archbishop as
| hereto and enemy of the church and
\ state. RiZals execution was the signal ior
| the uprising of 1896, and Agiipay, with al
| most every other native Filipino OF inteili-
gence, denounced the act and Joined me
| revolution. For that he was eNcommunl-
| Gated.
Alleged Cruelties.
| He Immediately Joined the insurrectos
and was made chaplain general of Aguin-
aldo's army. He remained in the field con-
| tinuously and was one of the last TO sur
render to the Americans. On several oc-
| casions he is said to have commanded
| troops in the field and many stories are
| told of his cruelty. treachery ana lnhuifiah
| treatment of his own men ana OF America,
and Spanish prisoners who happened 10 ran
| into his hands. 1t is even SAID ina. VIZ st
| Re accepted the amnesty proclamation anu
| took the oath of allegiance his own soiuitt
| endeavored to kill him in revenge lot MS
| treatment of them. -, %
| Rev Mr. Rodgers. who Is at the heau vi
| the PRESBYTERIAN mission work mere uoeS
| rot believe these stories, nor those winch
are told concerning Aglipay $ vices f ne
| accused of intemperance ana othel NJ t us,
of immortality, but Mr.. ROUGE ua"er been
the Protestant ministers have never oeen
| hi. to substantiate any of the charges
| and he believes that Aglpay, judged rom
! local Standards is man OF eNceiieh' ''a
| acter and exemplary life. ,,,ao.s
| Thara ia no question that II Aguihaiuo
| resurrection had been successful s.a. e
| church would have been organzeu W.
| Aglipay at its head. and when .ne ie.o nf
| t;onarv leaders accepted the amnesty OF :
| fsrad nv the government he determined "
| carry out the plan under the American as
| thorities taking his chances OF peihs JIM
| cially recognized by tne sone on, a CON-
| pursuance of this plan he sousht CON
ferance with the American protestant pas
| tors OF the city. which was arranged 10y .l,e
| Rev. Jay C. Goodrich. agent OF tne Am Am ~
| can Rible Society, and took place at MS IL
| flee. NJ. Goodrich
| There were present. besides MT. Goootici,
| Rev. James B. Rodgers of the Presoyteliah
Church. Rev M Stunt pr ths Methodist
| church Aglipay was accompanied py d
| former revolutionary leader of great apii,ty
| and good education, Senior Isabelle DE las
Reyes. a professional asi'a.o.. az, of
| given the government a great deal vi
| trouble. ..
Senior Aglipay. with great eloquence, de-
| scribed the situation Of the Catholic Church
| in the islands; he pictured the popular nos
| tility to the friars. the ill-treatment or the
native priests. and the unpopularity OF ev-
erything Spanish. He represented that the
| native members of the Catholic Church
| were ready for revolt against the ecclesi-
| astical authorities and only waited Tor
| leader to arouse them to action. He pro-
| nosed a union of interests between the
| Protestants and himself andSthe establish
ment of one general state church In oppo,
| sition to the Roman Catholics. He seemed
| to have very little idea of Professionalism
and theological differences had not enter
| ed into his calculation. His mind was en-
| tlrely absorbed by his hatred for the Cath
| Ollie authorities and the friars and a pa
| triotic desire to lead a religious revolution.
The Protestant ministers pointed out the
| difficulties and defects Of his plans. and
| endeavOred to convince him of the imprac-
| ticability and impossibility Of organizing a
| state church. They endeavored TO con-
| vince him that religion could not be safely
mixed with politics. and that the only
| movement in which they could Join him was
| for the conversion of the people to Protest
| antism with the Holy Scriptures as their
| guide. They endeavored to convince him
! that his proposed movement could result in
m
| promise that he would do nothing with
| out further consulting them.
Independent Church Proclaimed.
| Aglipay was evidently disappointed a his
| reception. He supposed that the Protest
| ants would gladly enter any movement to
| injure the Catholic influence, and their sug-
| gestions were not at all to his liking. They
! heard nothing further from him for more
than a year. but it appears that he was at
| work with great energy in the meantime
| for In October, 1902. he proclaimed the in
| dependent Catholic Church of the Philip
pines. called a convention of priests and
| laymen who sympathiz with him, adopt
| ed constitution. was elected archbishop
appointed several bishops from among the
native priests, placed the inter of the
| archbishop in his own hand and consecrat-
ed himself with great ceremony in an open
| square in Manila one Sunday afternoon
| There a tremendous sensation, and
| the F'ilipinos, who are always emotional.
| and easily moved by excitement, followed
| him about the streets in great crowds. For
| a time it seemed as if all the common peo-
| pie in this city would leave the Roman
| church and follow him, they can easily
| be induced to follow anybody who appeals
| to their patriotism. The idea of an indie
pendent Filipino church was very popular.
| and if Aglipay had been a man of stronger
| character and greater wisdom he might
| have met with much greater success. But
although there were several popular meet
| ings, and two or three public disturbances
| and controversies in Manila the pos
| session of church property, the excitement
| quieted down. Aglipay proved unequal to
| the occasion He lost his opportunity. and
| the people of Manila remain loyal to the
| mother church.
| Success in the Provinces.
In the provinces his propaganda was
| much more effective, for there the people
| had felt more severely the oppression of the
friars and many of the parishes were en-