The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume 51, 1801-1840: Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century — John Shaqi
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume 51, 1801-1840: Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century
History
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume 51, 1801-1840: Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century
Demarcation line of Alexander VI; Missions -- Philippines; Philippines -- Discovery and exploration; Philippines -- History -- Sources
Under Governor Aguilar the "Ordinances of good government," as
revised by Governor Raon in 1768 (for which see VOL. L, pp. 191-264),
were reprinted in the year 1801. "On September 8, 1804, Don Fray
Juan Antonio Zulaibar, a Dominican, and formerly a professor in
the university of Alcalá, took possession of the archbishopric of
Manila." In November following, the governor sent despatches to
the king explaining his action in appointing to certain curacies
regular instead of secular priests, saying that the latter were seldom
qualified for those charges. He said, in regard to this: "No one is
ignorant how different are the appearance and the degree of prosperity
of all the churches and settlements administered by religious from
those in the villages which are in charge of Indian clerics. Of the
latter, some are doubtless men of virtue and pious intentions; but
in general it is notorious that, on account of their origin, lack of
education, the very obscure condition in which they are reared, and the
little (if any) knowledge that they possess, they do not inspire in
their parishioners that respect and veneration with which the latter
regard the religious--who, on account of being Spaniards, possess the
art of dominating the minds of the Indians, in order to maintain them
in those conditions on which depends the preservation of these your
Majesty's dominions. The religious know how to guide the Indians,
without violence, to whatever ends are expedient for both religion
and the State, as the results of never becoming too familiar with the
natives. The Indian clerics not only follow the opposite course, but,
lacking the dignity that belongs to their character as priests, they
mingle familiarly with their parishioners not only in their sports,
but in feasting and other things which are entirely unfitting; and not
seldom they dress themselves in the same manner as do the natives,
abandoning the very garb of their priestly estate." He proceeded to
say that only deplorable consequences could result from the surrender
of the curacies entirely to the native priests; and that the religious
of the orders must be employed therein, unless they could be supplied
with properly qualified secular priests who were Spaniards. The same
ideas were expressed by the municipal council of Manila, who said of
the native priests: "The weak and yielding disposition which has been
for so long a time noticed in these islanders does not permit in them
that steadfastness which is so proper for the priestly character and
the difficult office of the care of souls."
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