El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-07-05
Catholic Work Paves Way
Philippines Reclaimed From Pagan
ism by Efforts Of Catholic
Church In 300 Years.
-{iy E-rcderfs, J. Hastzfn
AsHINGrnN ii q 1,

/ the Filipinos the inestima-
| bic boon of Christianity. If lifted them
( from idOlatry and rescued them from
/ Mohammedanism- But for the toll Of
[ the priests during generations and cen
/ turtles the FflipinOs today would be the
{ diciples Of Mohammed, enrolled in their
100000 under the black flag and
I swearing political feaIty to the various
fanatcaI Moro datos of Nfindanao.
Spanish priests gave to the tribes
their alphabeJs and taught them every
thing they knew. They found them
scattered tribes Of spirit devotees and
idol worshippers. Americans took
them over as a race of Malay Chris
tians- Mistakes of policy great err
rors in religious polfty and MANY in
dlvidual lapses occurred in time but
the fact remains that everything the
American government and the Protest
ant denominations are doing in the
| Islands today is based upon the foun-
cations laid by the Catholic church
Is a Delicate Subject
Catholicism in the PHILIPPINES ov--
ing 10 things that happened before
American occupation and the DISPUTE
@DouI frlars lands, is a subject so
delicate that even an impartial his
torical sketch such as this article aims
70 De fails 10 satisfy all readers. This
is not due to lacks OF facts or a writ
er's prejudice one way OF another. but
because of the readers deep rooted
opinions, whether he be Catholic or
nOn-CathOlc
Specific acts Of individual priests
prior TO American occupation of the
philippines and economic changes
through the centuries Of Spanish rule.
which certainly were not wholly of
the church's making operated to in
VolYe the Roman Catholic hierarchy ir
scandals Nevertheless. the great and
lasting good which the church did in
the islands in the 800 years that Spain
ruled them greatly Overshadows such
evils as few priests have been charged
with.
Mistakes are Made.
Official American documents bear
testimony to the mistakes that Cath
Olic priests made. but human facts
also display the great good that they
islands.
Volume 1 Of the report Of the schur-
mann Philippine commission. covering
the period from January, 1899 to Janu-
sry, 1900. and transmitted by president
Mckinley to the American congress
SHOWS that il is a matter OF history
IhaI Tor a long time great antagOnism I
existed in the islands against the class
OF people called by the FilipinOs
'friars" This hostility was no doubt
one OF the causes of the rebellion
against Spain in 1886. Then for the
first time IN the history OF the Is
OF LuZOn were murdered by the pOp-
ulace; many OF these were arrested
and held as prisoners by the Fill
pinOs.
In the month Of November. 1895 the
late major general EIwelI :. Otis made I
n strong endeavOr to secure the re- /
lease OF the priests who had been taken I
prisoners and a long correspondence |
took place between him and A=uinaIdO /
on this subject AEuinaldO refused to /
release the prisoners assigning various J
reasons for his conduct He charged [
InaI the religious corporations Of the I
Philippines had acquired large agri-
cultural colonies by means OF fraud: .
the products OF these lands he stated.
We're first granted. but in the course /
Of time possession was taken OF the I
lands and tho were held continuousIy I
by the religious cOr0~-~'---- which (
were aided by the Spanish authorI- I
ties The Schurmann commission did /
not pronounce upon the truth OF these I
One OF the clauses In the Malolos /
constitution Of the sOCalled Philip /
pine republic provided for the con-
IlScauOn Of the property of the friars.
The Schurmann commission. which or /
lglnally consisted Of Jacob Gould ]
Schurmann, Of New York: Mai. Gen. FL ]
Well : Otis, Of the United States army;
rear admiral George Dewey. OF the I
United States navy Col. Charles DENLY
OF Indiana. who has been minister TO /
emma FOR u years. and dean c. WOr-
cester. professor in the university OF I
Michigan. When this commission left
the islands in December 1899, at which
time the revolution against American I
authority ragged. there was in Cfrcu-
laIlon petition which was being
largely signed by the people PRAYING
president Mckinley to eNpel the friars
Many charges were popularity made I
against them involving political op-
preston OF the people, extOruOn and
immortality
The commission did not think that
the investigation Of these charges
came within the Durview Of its du-
ties It pointed out that the Fnipinos
did not antagOnize the church itself; [
that they are faithful and loyal to /
II; their hostility was aimed at the
religious orders: they demanded that ]
the parishes should be filled by priests
VINO were not friars- They claimed I
that this is the law Of the church and
should be praCtiCed on the islands The
commission concluded that this was .
something with which the state had
nothing to do and that this and other Z
questions Of eCclesiastic nolitv should |
be left to the church authorities
Question Partly Settled.
This thOrny question of church prop 4
erty was settled in part by the pro-
visO of the treaty of Paris that there /
should be no disturbance Of the peace
tul possession Of property OF all kinds
whether provinces, municipalities. pub
lie or private establishments. ecCleSt-
astioal or civic bodies. 1t was finally
settled by governor Taft. after person
al communications with Pope Leo XIII.
in the purchase from the several re-
liEiOus orders Of their land holdings Z
comprising 400 900 acres. for which tie
EhiliDpine government is paying
$500. 900 in 80 annual instruments
In the Spanish days the archipelago
was divided into five dioceses One ]
metropolitan, that Of Manila. and four
suffraEan. those of Nueva SegOvia wi
gam, Nueva Caceras. Cebu and JarO.
These all exercised hiEh functions in
accordance with the constitutions
adopted by the prelates who founded
them and approved by the HOLY Sec
in subsection to the prerOgatives ex-
Crcised by the king OF Spain in vtr-
tue OF different bulls by the Roman
pOntiffs. In the archipelago these
functions were exercised by the gov
crnor general in his capacity OF vice
president and vice royal patron.
Because of the close association be-
tween the church and the state the
priests became civil officers of the
state as well as religious leaders This
government became in due time des-
DOtic just as long standing and unin-
terruDted rule does the world over
whether ii be educational. political OF
The pages Of the !
church's annals tell a story of great |
and lasting good so well ACCOMPLISHED ]