Lesson 1

• • Refers to the period during Spanish colonization when religious orders, particularly the Franciscans, Dominicans, and Augustinians, wielded significant power and influence over both spiritual and secular matters.
  • They played a crucial role in evangelization, education, and governance, often having authority over indigenous communities and local governance structures.
  • This influence persisted for centuries, shaping Philippine society and culture in profound ways.

  Monastic Supermacy
• • Also known by his nom deplume Pláridel, was a Filipino writer, lawyer, journalist, and freemason. Del Pilar, along with José Rizal and Graciano López Jaena, became known as the leaders of the Reform Movement in Spain.

  Marcelo H. Del Pilar
• • First published in Barcelona, Spain, in 1889,and reprinted in Manila in 1898. Its publication in Spain was hailed by Spanish liberals and former Spanish administrators in the Philippines.

  La Soberenia Monacal en Filipinas
• • The friars wield significant political power in the Philippines, controlling various aspects of the government and defying national interests and institutions.

  Friar's Political Influence
• • The friars' control over parishes gives them political leverage and patronage. Parish priests act uniformly under the guidance of their superiors.

  Parochial Mission
• • The friars manipulate both the government and the people, presenting themselves as defenders against tyranny while exploiting fear to maintain control

  Manipulation of Government and People
• • Monastic institutions amass wealth through and ownership, cultivation, and collection of religious dues, exerting influence over the government's finances and bureaucracy

  Wealth and Property
• • Aside from direct and indirect taxes, the burden of religious festivals and dues adds to the financial strain on Filipinos

  Taxation and Financial Burdens
• • The friars hold power to influence deportations, instilling fear among those who oppose their exploitation schemes.

  Arbitrary Power and Fear
• • Municipal officials heavily rely on the parish priest for various matters, including reporting citizen conduct and obtaining approvals for official documents.

  Dependency on Parish Priest
• • The curate's signature is crucial for many official procedures, and there are no clear guidelines on when approval should be granted or denied.

  Curate's Approval
• • The curate's decisions can sway the execution of supreme orders, and their dismissal power over public officials is significant.

  Influence of the Curates
• • The curate often justifies decisions by claiming that national integrity is at risk, regardless of the actual situation.

  National Integrity Argument
• • Consolidating the relationship between Spain and the Philippines is seen as crucial for national integrity and is contrasted with the divisive actions of the friars.

  Fraternity Between Spain and Philippines
• • Convents are questioned about their ability to pacify if societal divisions intensify, especially considering the unanimous demand for the expulsion of friars.

  Role of Converts in Pacification
• • There is a significant contrast between the poverty of the government and the opulence of the monastic orders, which accumulate wealth through various means.

  Wealth and Disparity
• • The government faces challenges in collecting taxes and meeting financial needs, while the monastic orders amass wealth effortlessly.

  Government Financial Struggles
• • Monastic treasuries overflow with money, mainly from donations and the sale of religious objects, despite the government's financial limitations.

  Monastic Wealth
• • The monastic orders engage in the trade of religious objects, which are sold at higher prices after being blessed by priests, constituting a form of simony.

  Trade in Religious Objects
• • The amortization of lands and the trade in religious objects have negative effects on agriculture and economic development

  Impact on Agriculture
• • Public willingness to pay for expensive religious practices is driven not only by devotion but also by fear of displeasing the powerful friars

  Role of Devotion and fear