Religious Schism

Chapter 14: The Religious Schism

• The only living and tangible result of the revolution was the Filipino Church, popularly known as the Aglipayan or Philippine Independent Church
• Mabini, riding on the crest of the popular nationalistic movement, suggested the founding of a Filipino National Church

Gregorio Aglipay on the Scene

• The revolution which began in 1896 was primarily a conflict of races

• The second phase of the revolution was  not only political but religious as well

• When Aguinaldo returned from Hongkong, Governador-General Basilio Augustin & Archbishop Bernardino Nozaleda played a game in which Aglipay was the pawn

• They commissioned him to confer with revolutionary leaders particularly with Mariano Trias, Artemio Ricarte and Emiliano Riego de Dios in order to bring them back in Spanish side

• The bait to win them over the side was the promise of the autonomy but his mission was a failure

• Aguinaldo, who had  just returned from  hongkong, sent Colonel Luciano San Miguel to persuade Aglipay to work for the Filipino cause

• Nozaleda countered by commissioning Aglipay to win over Aguinaldo to the Spanish cause

• Aglipay go to north to investigate the condition of the bishopric  in Nueva Segovia an d he secured the release of two Jesuits priest

• Aglipay went back to manila to report but it was besieged. The next best thing he did was went to Cavite and joined Aguinaldo’s movement

• October 20,1898 –Aguinaldo appoint Aglipay as Vicar General, this made Aglipay to be the religious leader of the revolutionary movement

Nozaleda against Aglipay

• Aglipay’s  position in the revolutionary government and his position in the Catholic hierarchy were  anomalous

• October 21, 1898-Aglipay issued a manifesto asking the Filipino clergy to organize themselves and take charge of all vacant parishes

• April 29,1899-Nozaleda charged Aglipay with usurpation of  power and he excommunicate him on May 5

• He also declared that Aglipay is a usurper and schismatic

• But Aglipay charged him of starving the people and collaborating with the Spaniards and the Americans

Mabini and the National Church

• Apolinario Mabini- a mason and an uncompromising nationalist
• October 22,1899-Mabini directed a manifesto to the clergy urging them organize a Filipino National Church

The Filipino National Church

• October 23,1899-Aglipay called an assembly at Paniqui,Tarlac

• Agenda: 1) Filipinization of Catholic Church 2.)Prevention of anarchy in religious matter

 3.) Provisional constitution of the Filipino Church was frame

• The war time condition of the period, however gave the church  no opportunity to develop fully

Chapelle and Filipinization

• January 2, 1902-Apostolic Delegate to the Philippines, Mons. Placido Chapelle arrived at the Philippines
• He is known to be pro-friar and insulted the Filipino clergy
• He said that they are incompetent thus holding menial position only on the church

The Schism

• Chapelle’s undiplomatic language maybe considered one of the factors in the Philippine religious schism

• Salustiano Araullo and Jose Chanco-Filipino in Rome who laid the Filipino problem before the Pope

• Isabelo de los Reyes-a radical propagandist and scholar, returned to the Philippines early in 1901.He campaigned relentlessly for the establishment of Filipino Church. On July, he founded the “Union Obrera Democratica”, the first labor union in the Philippines

• Pascual H. Poblete-a Filipino journalist and anti-friar. August 3, 1902, he scheduled a mass meeting at the Zorilla Theater, but the meeting did not take place.

• The same night, Isabelo De los Reyes called a meeting to his union and proposed the establishment of a Filipino Church with Aglipay as the Supreme Bishop

• The proposal was approved and the new church was called “Iglesia Filipina Independiente(Philippine Independent Church)

First Converts

• Isabelo De los Reyes placed the list of the Executive Committee of the new church
• Executive Committee:

• Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera
• Fernando Maria Guerero
• Martin Ocampo
• Manuel Artigas

• Priest:

• Adriano Garces
• J. Barlin
• Manuel Roxas
• Toribio Dominguez

• The most fatal blow came from Aglipay himself who did not approve the schism.
• However, De los Reyes was lucky because the masses understood the meaning of the new church and came to his rescue. Some resident of Navotas, Rizal sent in their affiliation paper
• Father Pedro Brillantes-his influence seeped through the priest of his province and in no time, the, too joined the church

Aglipay and the Jesuits

• Dr. Leon Ma. Guerrero and Joaquin Luna, invited Aglipay to an interview at Jesuit House in Sta. Ana, Manila
• Father Francisco Fordada

• A Spaniard and author of a book on the Philippines
• chosen by the Jesuits to win back Aglipay to the Catholic fold
• For four days, Fordada exerted all his power to win back Aglipay and on the fifth day, Fordada handed Aglipay a document for his signature
• Fordada promised that  if he would sign it, he would be appointed bishop or archbishop with a large amount of money
• But Fordada insulted the Filipino priest which urge Aglipay to continue the schism

• Years later, the Jesuits tried to repair the damage done by Fordada. Through Father Theo Rogers, they once more invited Aglipay to a conference
• Father Joaquin Villalonga-deal with Aglipay and urged him to come back to the catholic faith. Aglipay is accompanied with young priest Santiago Fonacier

Aglipay Consecration as Bishop

• September 6, 1902-Aglipay was consecrated as bishop and he also accept the position of Supreme Bishop
• October 1, 1902-he presided over the meeting of the council which was to frame the constitution of the Filipino Church
• October 26, 1902-First mass of  Aglipay as Supreme Bishop
• January 18, 1903-He was consecrated  as Supreme Bishop of Isabela, Cagayan, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, Cavite and Manila

Significance

• The Spanish prejudice had to bases:

1. The feeling o racial superiority
2. The alleged incompetence of the Filipino clergy

• As to first basis, the Spanish friars could not admit that the colored Filipino’s were or could be the equal of the white Spaniards
• As to second basis, the Spaniards thinks Filipinos were incompetent, for doubtless the early Filipino clergy were not rigorously trained for their duties
• Church authorities tried to divide the Filipinos by counting, flattering and attempting to bribe Aglipay with promises of honor and lucre that would tempt the leader into betraying the Filipino cause
• The Revolution, then, had two results:

1. First, the liquidation of the Spanish empire in the orient
2. Second, the alienation of a segment of the population from the catholic church

• The fact remains that the religious schism, which lead to the establishment of the Filipino Independent Church, was the most important result of the Filipino’s struggle for national emancipation

Prepared By:

Lorenz Antonette D. Lagar

Bsba Fm-2A

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