The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 | Page 9

orders of
St. Dominic, St. Augustine, St. Francis, and of all the other orders, that
in what pertains to, and is incumbent on them, they observe and obey
this decree, acting in harmony with you, for all that shall be advisable.
Given in San Lorenzo el Real, June first, one thousand five hundred
and seventy-four.
I The King By order of his Majesty: _Antonio de Eraso_"
I order you to examine the said decree, and its sections
above-incorporated, and you shall observe and obey it, and cause it to
be observed and obeyed in toto, as is contained and declared in it and in
each one of its sections, as if it were given for those islands and
directed to you. I charge the reverend father in Christ, the bishop of
those islands, the venerable dean and cabildo of the cathedral church of

the islands, all the curas, beneficiaries, sacristans, and other
ecclesiastical persons, and the venerable and devout fathers provincial,
guardians, priors, and other religious of the orders of St. Dominic, St.
Augustine, St. Francis, and all the other orders, that in what pertains to,
and is incumbent on them, they observe and obey it, acting in harmony
with you in every way that may be advisable and necessary. Given in
San Lorenzo, September thirteen, one thousand five hundred and
eighty-nine. [1]
I The King By order of the king our sovereign: Joan de Ibarra Signed
by the Council.
[The litigation between the prelate and the religious orders originated
from the visitation of the village of Dilao (which belonged to the
ministry of the Franciscan fathers), commenced by Archbishop Miguel
Garcia Serrano, June 24, 1624, [2] with the dictation by him of the
following:] [3]
Act. In the village of Quiapo, which is near the city of Manila, on the
twenty-second day of the month of June, one thousand six hundred and
twenty-two, his Excellency, Don Fray Miguel García y Serrano,
archbishop of these Philipinas Islands, member of his Majesty's council,
etc., declared that, inasmuch as the eleventh chapter of the twenty-fifth
session of the holy council of Trent rules and orders that the religious
who exercise the duties of curas of souls be immediately subject, in
regard to such duties and in all that pertains to the administration of the
sacraments, to the jurisdiction, visit, and correction of the bishop in
whose diocese they minister; and that no one, even though he be
admovibilis ad nutum, can exercise the said office of cura without
having obtained beforehand the consent and examination of the bishop
or his vicar, etc., [4] which is ordered to be strictly observed and
obeyed, both by the bishops and the superiors of the religious, and by
the religious themselves, by the twenty-second chapter following,
notwithstanding any privileges, constitutions, rules, customs, rights,
and others non obstantibus, etc.; besides which, his Holiness Gregory
Fourteenth, by his brief which was obtained at the instance of his
Majesty, under date of Roma, April 18, one thousand five hundred and

ninety-one, charges and orders the archbishop of these islands to visit
the missions and the religious in them. [5]
All of the above is ordered to be observed and obeyed in these islands
by decrees of his Majesty, under date of June first, five hundred and
eighty-five; December twenty-one, five hundred and ninety-five; and
November fourteen, one thousand six hundred and three. [6] In
conformity with these decrees, his most illustrious Lordship, wishing to
observe what his Holiness and his Majesty have ordered, as it is a
matter very advisable and necessary for the service of God our Lord
and that of his Majesty, and the welfare and increase of the conversion,
teaching, and instruction of the natives of these islands, notified the
very reverend fathers-provincial in Christ of the sacred orders of St.
Dominic and St. Augustine, and the commissaries of that of St. Francis,
of these islands, by means of an order signed by his most illustrious
Lordship, which was given to them in the first part of April of this
current year, so that, understanding it, the matter might be facilitated
and observed on the part of the said orders, with the good-will and
exactness that is proper, and which they have always had in obeying
and observing the orders of the holy apostolic see, and those of his
Majesty. And inasmuch as it is advisable that there be no more delay in
the above, his most illustrious Lordship intends to go to visit the
mission of the natives of the village of Dilao, outside the walls of the
city of Manila, which is in charge of the Order of St. Francis, on the
day of St. John the Baptist. He has advised the father guardian of the
said convent thereof, in order that the Indians of the