Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-21
Oppose Foreign Bishops.

sible.
Oppose Foreign Bishops
Aglipay Is not a hereto. When I ques-
toned him the other day he replied yery
promptly that he and lis followers still adj
here to all the doctrines and accept all the
teachings Of the Church Of Rome. He ac-
knowledged the infallibility Of the pope
and his supremacy as to dosmas, but said
that the native Fflipions refuse to submit
tc the discipline of foreign bishops and had
always done so except in Spanish times
when the friars were supported by the mill
tary and they were compelled to yield
Therefore they were nor rebels against the
pope; they loved him and the church as
much as anyone. but they were rebels
against the tyranny Of its administration
II: the Philippines and demanded an inde-
pendent church with native clergy instead
of foreign priests
When I asked Senior Aglfpay If Arch
bishop Harry was tyranntcal he said that
he had never met him. thar he had never
had any relations with him. and hence was
not able to judge Of his disposition. From
what he had learned from others he be-
iieved him to be an ablo and honest man,
very different from his predecessor, the
Spanish archbishop. but he was foreigner
were wanted IN the Philippines and the
people would not tolerate them. He de-
clared that one Of the first and most i'm
portant principles for which the Filipinos
were fighting was the expulsion of all for
eign priests and the confscation Of all the
property OF the friars and its division
among the local churches to whom it prop
erly belonged. He admitted that if the
revolution had been successful most of the
friars would have been killed. He said
that the Indignation of the people and their
animosity could not be controlled: that
their haired and the memory OF the wrongs
which they and their fathers had suffered
from the friars had been pent up for
generations and could not have been con-
trolled. He would not have given a peso
for the lives Of all the friars in the Philip
pines If the Americans had not interfered.
He also said that all the church property
would have been confiscated by the state
and turned over to now organization
composed exclusively Of Filipinos.
Looking for Independence.
Senior Aglipay still expects that tho
United States will grant the Filipinos indie
pendence. when his organization will be
recognized as the state church, will receive
all the property now belonging to the friars
and the Roman Catholic Church and will
have control Of educational as well as &C.
clesiastical affairs.
That Is what he Is after. and nothing else,
and. as have told you repeatedly. the Fill
pino politicians have picked out the offices
they intend to hold when the Americans re-
lands until the notion of independence has
been removed from the minds Of Aglipay
and every native who believes as he does.
Senior Aglipay told me that he had twenty
bishops, 200 priests who had deserted the
Roman Church and nearly 100000 men,
bers. There are about 100 parishes in the
archipelago, he said. and he had absolute
and undisputed control in more than half
of them, while in many more the people had
organized and attached themselves to him.
1t Is very difficult to ascertain the truth
about the number of deserters either
among clergymen or laymen. Archbishop
Harry does not know He has been here
only little while, and has had no time to
go into the details. All the American
bishops are strangers. The Oldest has been
here only few months. and until they
came the Aglipay movement was allowed to
go on without interference. There was no
one to check 1t, no one to guide 1t, and 1t
was practically unopposed. But 1t Is certain
that his estimate of his strength is very
greatly exaggerated. The Protestant min
listers, who probably know more about II
than any one else, say that not more than
eighty or ninety native pastors have left
the mother church, but there are several
hundred abandoned churches scattered over
the island that were formerly in charge Of
the friars. who We're either driven or fright
ened away by their parishioners.
Archbishop Harry tells me that in the
archdiocese of Manila only five priests de-
serted including Aglipay. One of them re-
canted and returned to the fold, and ono
has died. which leaves but three, including
Aglipay
Native Priests Vindictive.
There Is noquestion about the vindctive-
ness OF the native clergy against Rome. and
particularly against the friars and all for
eign clergymen. They were very badly
treated in Spanish times. They were not
admitted to the monastic orders, or at least
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