The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 | Page 7

elect two, after informing himself of their
competency and good character. He shall send the nomination to our
viceroy, president, or governor who shall reside in the province, so that
the latter may present one of the two thus nominated by the prelate. If

there shall be no more than one, by virtue of that presentation the
prelate shall appoint him to the mission, giving him installation, as he
has to teach the doctrine. He shall order to be given to such person the
emoluments that are to be given to ministers or missions, and shall
order the encomenderos and other persons, under the penalties and
censures that he shall deem suitable, not to annoy or disturb such
person in the exercise of his duty and the teaching of the Christian
doctrine; on the contrary, they shall give him all protection and aid for
it. That appointment shall be made removable at the will of the person
who shall have appointed him in our name, and that of the prelate.
"We also will and order that the religious orders observe and maintain
the right of patronage in the following form.
"First: No general, commissary-general, visitor, provincial, or any other
superior of the religious orders, shall go to the realm of the Yndias,
without first showing in our royal Council of the Indias the powers that
he bears and giving us relation of them; and without the Council giving
him our decree and permission so that he may go, and a warrant so that
our viceroys, audiencias, justices, and our other vassals may admit and
receive him to the exercise of his office, and give him all protection and
aid in it.
"Any provincial, visitor, prior, guardian, or other high official, who
may be elected and nominated in the realm of the Yndias shall, before
being admitted to exercise his office, inform our viceroy, president,
Audiencia, or governor who shall have in charge the supreme
government of such province, and shall show him his patent of
nomination and election, so that the latter may give him the protection
and aid necessary for the exercise and use of his office.
"The provincials of all the orders who are established in the Yndias,
each one of them, shall always keep a list ready of all the monasteries
and chief residences [maintained there by his orders] and of the
members [resident in each] that fall in his province, and of all the
religious in the province--noting each one of them by name, together
with a report of his age and qualifications, and the office or ministry in
which each one is occupied. He shall give that annually to our viceroy,
Audiencia, or governor, or the person who shall have charge of the
supreme government in the province, adding to or removing from the
list the religious who shall be superfluous and those who shall be

needed. Our viceroy, Audiencia, or governor, shall keep those general
lists which shall thus be given, for himself, and in order that he may
inform us by report of the religious that there are, and those of whom
there is need of provision, by each fleet sent out.
"The provincials of the orders, each one of them shall make a list of all
the religious who are occupied in teaching the Christian doctrine to the
Indians, and the administration of sacraments, and the offices of curas
in the villages of the chief monasteries. They shall give such list once a
year to our viceroy, Audiencia, or governor, who shall give it to the
diocesan prelate, so that he may know and understand what persons are
occupied in the administration of sacraments and the office of curas and
the ecclesiastical jurisdiction, and who are in charge of the souls for
whom he is responsible; and in order that what is or must be provided
may be apparent to him, and from whom he has to require account of
the said souls, and to whom he must commit what is to be done for the
welfare of those souls.
"Whenever the provincials have to provide any religious for instruction
or for the administration of sacraments, or remove any who shall have
been appointed, they shall give notice thereof to our viceroy, president,
Audiencia, or governor who shall exercise the supreme government of
the province, and to the prelate; and they shall not remove any one who
shall have been appointed, until another shall have been appointed in
his place, observing the above order.
"We desire, in the presentations and appointments of all the prelacies,
dignidades, and ecclesiastical offices and benefices, that those most
deserving, and who shall have been engaged longer and to better profit
in the conversion of the Indians, and in instructing them in the
Christian doctrine, and in the administration