CRACKS WITHIN THE

CATHOLIC CHURCH
AND THE CAVITE
MUTINY

Chapter 8
THE CHURCH DURING THE SPANISH
PERIOD: THE SECULARIZATION ISSUE

On the Local Level:

 the friar endorsed the candidates running for office
 The parish priest approves who should be admitted
to higher educational institutions in the Philippines.
 The guardian of morals in the community and the
chief censor.
 Keeps the record of the people living in his
community.
 As a leading member of the community, the
parish priest of the friar curate is invited to
important gatherings and social events and
he always occupies the places of honor
On the National Level:
 Archbishop of Manila was the highest church
official in the islands.
 Most powerful religious official in the colony.
 Had a strong influence on the government
and on the nation as a whole.
 Can influence the decisions of the governor
general.
 Many governor generals were removed
because of the opposition of the Archbishop
CONFRONTATIONS BETWEEN THE
ARCHBISHOP, THE RELIGIOUS OFFICIALS
AND THE GOVERNOR HENERAL.

 Governor General Sebastian Hurtado de

corcuera VS. Archbishop Hernando
Guerrero issue of the right of the
sanctuary for fugitives who sought
asylum in churches
 Corcuera was subsequently punished by
imprisonment on the instigation of the clergy
at the end of his term.
 Governor General Fernando Bustamante VS.
Archbishop Fernando de la Cuesta
 The issue of immunity from crimes and

sanctuary
 Bustamante was eventually murdered by a

mob led by churchmen on October 11,

1719
Governor General Fernando de
Bustamante
THE “BAD”GOVERNOR GENERALS

 Governor General Jose de la Gandara

 Carlos Ma. De la Torre
 Emilio Terrero
 Ramon Blanco
THE “GOOD” GOVERNOR GENERALS

 Rafael de Izquierdo
 Eulogio Despujol
 Camilo de Polavieja
The term of the Spanish
Governor General averaged
two years in office while
Archbishop can stay in his
post indefinitely.
QUEEN ISABELLA II
Issued decree making the rector of the
University of Santo Tomas the
supervisor of all higher education in the
Philippines.
TWO (2) TYPES OF MEMBERS
REGULAR CLERGY
 Belongs to the Religious orders
 Had three vows: Chastity, Poverty and
Obedience.
 Supposed to live secluded life
dedicated to prayer and meditation.
 Supervised by their own superiors.
SECULAR CLERGY
 Does not belong to any religious order
 Had two vows: Obedience and Chastity.
 Their duties were to minister to the spiritual
needs of the people.
 Under the jurisdiction of the bishop or
archbishop whose diocese he belongs.
 Since the beginning of Spanish rule, the
religious community in the Philippines was
in conflict with itself over the issue of
supervision and visitation by the bishops
and archbishops.

A question arose whether the regulars acting

as parish priests were under the authority of
the archbishop or bishop.
 The regulars cited that they were not
subject to visitation by the archbishops
and bishops because according to them
their duty was to spread Christianity and
not to administer the parishes.

 Under the Council of Trent, Regulars

holding parishes were subject to
visitation.
 Archbishops who enforced visitation of the
parishes:

 Fr. Domingo de Salazar

 Archbishop Miguel Garcia Serrano (1620)
 Archbishop Miguel Poblete (1653)
 Archbishop Diego Camacho (1697)
 Archbishop Francisco de la Cuesta (1707)
 Secularization continued during the term
of Governor General Simon de Anda.
 He replaced the friar curates with
seculars as soon as they resign or died
prompting condemnations from the
regulars.
 He was considered as one of the “bad”
Governor Generals.
THE CHURCH IN THE 19 TH

CENTURY: THE
SECULARIZATION ISSUE
AWAKENS FILIPINO
NATIONALISM
 December 11, 1776 - The king suspended
the secularization of parishes.
 On 19th century, secularization declined.
 The secular parishes were slowly replaced by
Regulars.
A new movement for secularization led by
Filipino priests; Fathers Pedro Pablo Palaez,
Jose Burgos and Jacinto Zamora.
 The 19th century produced some of the most
brilliant native priests of the Philippines.

These were:
Father Pedro Pablo Palaez
 Father Mariano Gomes
 Father Jose Burgos
 Father Jacinto Zamora
 During the brief liberal administration of
Governor General Carlos Maria de la Torre,
both laymen and native priests came out into
open expressing their desire for reforms.
 In 1870, the brief liberal regime in Spain ended
and the monarchy was restored in Spain.
 Governor de la Torre was replaced by Rafael de
Izquierdo.
 In 1871, Rafael de Izquierdo became the new
Governor General.
 In 1872, workers at the Cavite Arsenal were
aghast to learn that their salaries were cut in
half due to tax deductions and that they were
no longer exempted from labor forced.
 The workers found sympathy among the
soldiers of the fort led by a Sergeant Lamadrid.
 It was alleged that the mutiny was part of a
larger conspiracy to bring out the separation
of the Philippines from Spain.
 The main leaders were the leaders of the
Secularization Movement and these were Fathers
Mariano Gomes, Jose Burgos and Jacinto Zamora.
 They were charged for advocating a revolution
that would bring about the independence of the
Philippines from Spain.
 They were found guilty of treason and attempted
rebellion.
 February 21, 1872- The three were sentenced to
be garroted at Bagumbayan Field.
 The effect of the execution of Fathers Gomes,
Burgos and Zamora is considered as a milestone in
Philippine History as the birth of Filipino
nationalism.
 The natives no longer thought of themselves as
Tagalogs, Pampangos or Visayans but as a people
of a nation.
 The declaration of Philippine independence will
invoke the memory of the execution of the three
priests as a reason for seeking separation from
Spain.
 During the rest of Spanish period, the church
remained a divided institution.
 The Dominicans blamed the Jesuit for training
and inspiring future enemies like Rizal and
the other Propagandists.
THE END.