The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1905-12-23

seeing revolution in the islands, they
had feared that they would be sub
5ected not only to persecution, but to
a spoliation that would cripple all their
missions in the Orient.
That great part of the revenues of
the lands would be used outside of the
Philippines was understood by the
buyers and sellers at the time that the
original purchases had been made by
the friars.
Much of the income was devoted to
the education and support of future
missionaries, who are obliged to spend
about eight years of preparation Iii
Spain, where each order has four or
five large converts, from which abou,
one hundred young religious went out
to the Oriental missions every year to
supply the places of the dead and in
capacitated and to swell the ranks of
the laborers in the widening fields.
Much of the income was used in the
countries where the missions are estab-
lished, but not yet developed as the
Philippine missions had been. Much
was used in the Philippines, where
colleges and schools and charitable
works were supported by the friars.
And so it will doubtless be in the
future. Whatever the friars received
for their lands they will use as in the
past, although not. perhaps, in the
same measure in the different coun-
tries. The Dominicans, for instance,
who have given up everything in the
Philippines except the great University
of St. Thomas in Manila and three
share of the proceeds of the land sale
for the missions of Tonkin, China, For
mosa and Japan, which they have been
conducting for many years. and which
have furnished them with hundreds of
martyrs, of whom eight will be solemn
ly beautified next May. But however
of the spoliation of the Philippine
Church or of the slightest injustice to
the parishes.
Nor can the friars be charged with
doing aught that is not in accord with
the true spirit of charity. Charity. in
deed, of a sublime order had prompted
them to enter upon the Philippine mis-
sions; charity had kept them there for
three centuries, and charity had dis
posed them even unto the end to wear
out their lives or to shed their blood
for the Filipinos, had they been suf-
fered to remain. But they would no
longer be received, nor would their
word be heard, and so they departed
from nearly every place where they had
been and shook the dust thereof from
their feet. Only few. relatively
speaking, remained in the land that
they had watered with their blood
Today the Augustinians, Franciscans
and Recollects administer (but do not
possess) small number of parishes
The Dominicans have relinquished all
the parishes they had administered
and remain only to conduct their uni
versity and colleges. OF the seventy
converts that they had few years
ago converts built by themselves, paid
for out of their own funds-not one
remains in their possession. They have
given them all, with their furnishings
modest though they were, with the
adjacent grounds. with the stables and
live stock, to the dioceses In which
they are situated. For these they
received no compensation. To this
. extent at least they enriched at the
end the parishes that they were forced
to leave. Doubtless 1t would have been
a great act Of charity towards the same
parishes to give. them whatever they
had received for thetr. estates near
Manila, butfthe are exercising no less
charity in devoting this money to other
missions where they are allowed to
labor, to suffer and to die for their
fellov-men. Should they misuse this
money, should they divert it from the
religious end for which it was acquired.
should they spend it upon themselves
and for themselves, should they violate
Justice or charity in any way, then
richly will they deserve the censurea
that have been heaped upon them while
innocent.
In the meantime. leaving to the
enemies of religion all vilifcation, let
US do what we can in the interest OF
truth, Justice and charity. Our atti-
tude towards the religious Of the
Philippines should not differ from that
which we hold and have held towards
the religious Of other countries whence
they have unwillingly gone forth, TAX
ing with them whatever of their pos
sessions they could save from the plum
dering Of Tudors and the sacking OF
infidels. We rejoice with the countries
which have given them shelter and In
return received their self-sacrif1cing
services which their temporal goods
permitted them to multiply.
Suffering in one part Of the great
Catholic Church brings blessings to
another part. For some years there
may be >hardships in the Philippines
/ That was to be expected from the