Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-08-10
THE AGLIPAY CHURCH.
How Roman Catholic Observer In
Philippines Interprets 1t.

(The Rev. Ambrose Coleman in the Amer
lean Catholic Quarterly Review.)
1t is we'll to take these facts into con-
sideratiOn to form an opinion of the char
acter and real aspirations of the eccelsas-
tical leaders of the Aglipay movement. 1t
Is not religion that troubles them, but
patriotism. as they understand 1t. At
heart they are all fanatically opposed to
the white man. be he Spanish or Ameri-
can. Aglipay voices the feelings of his
party when he declares that he will never
rest satisfied till all the frars and tho
Jcsuits and the nuns are banshed from
the islands. and he adds that they do not
want priests of any other nationality.
American or Frenchman or Italians. The
watchword is 1.-The Philippines for tho
Filipino" phrase which Isabelle de los
Reyes. who claims to be the real founder
of the Aglipayan Chruch. explains to his
own satisfaction when he says in his
Religion Katipunan" that the Philippines
will never be perfect country till all tho
government. civil, military and eccelesi-
astical. IL in the hands W the Filipinos.
What Is the principle Of cohesion
that binds together men OF such opposite
points of view-Aglipay, with his devo-
tons. crucifixes and images, and isabelle.
with his scarcely veilcd neopaganism, his
rationalism and higher criticism? It ia
the mutual understanding that. under the
semblance OF religious zeal both may
work together for the emancipa ton of
their race from the yoke of the white
man. though on the part of Aglipay and
other believers the process adopted means
the entire sacrifice OF religion on the
altar of patriotism. The identical ten
dency of their minds, one starting from
Christian and the other from non-Chris-
tan premises. may he perceived in the
two pamphlets already referred to. In
Aglipay's work. the last chapter La
Partria," sounds the note OF independence
IN no uncertain key. 1t is 'unpatriotic"
not to belong to the "lglesia Filipino In
pendente. He argues that for the coun-
try to be perfect it should be distinguished
in manners, customs, language and re-
ligion from every other country. especial
ly in religion, for that 1t what distin-
cuisines one country formally" from an
other. The very name Of Jsabelo'S
pamphlet, LA Religion Katipunan."
should be enough to mark it's political
tendency. The religion OF the Katipunan
society, il judged by the fiendish acts of
cruelty sanctioned by It during the revolu-
ton. is simply a form of oriental fanatic
ism. justifying In it's ardent pursuit Of
an earthly and purely political object
murder. assassination and robbery.
This secret revolutionary society Is in
full vigor at the present moment. and a
state of things exists In the Philippines
which ID not unlike what preceded the
revolution In Spanish times. Up to late.
ly, and probably even stili. the rents have
been collected regularly from the tenants
of the friars' estate by agents OF the 30.
|ciety. ostensibly for revolutionary pur.
poses. Even in such unlikely places az
the camps on the great Benguet road,
now In course OF construction, a member
of the society can terrorizs other Filipinos
into giving him money. ~ have been in
formed by American overseers. From the
reports sent In by the constabulary, II
transpires that there are numbers OF In
surrectionary bands and societies. known
by the names OF "Gurdia de Honor"
"Dios- Dios" and other appeIations, scat
tered through the country; these being all
unler a higher organization having It's
headquarters at Manila. whence all theiy
raida are directed. the orders being trans