The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 28 of 55, 1637-38

Volume 28 — Chapter LVIII

Reading edition

General summary of all the Christian souls among the natives of these islands

686. I have been unable to state separately the number of souls to whom the seculars minister in the archbishopric and in the bishoprics throughout these islands. I have seen them enumerated only in common. They number 131,279 and live in 142 villages.

The seculars minister throughout this archipelago to 131,279

St. Augustine, throughout the islands 241,806

The Society, in all the islands 170,000

St. Dominic, in all the islands 89,752

Discalced Augustinians, in all the islands 63,149

Discalced Franciscans, in all the islands 141,196

Total 837,182

688. After very painstaking efforts, at the time when this book is in press I receive information about the curacies of the seculars of Zebù, in the following form. The curacy of the sacristy of the holy church, and that of the Parián of the Sangleys, in the city of Zebú; in the island of Zebú, that of Bantayàn and Baríli; in the island of Negros, in Dumaguète, Binalbàgan, Tucàuan, and Tanghày; in the island of Panày, in the city of Arébalo, Ahúy, Aclàng, Banga, Ybahày, and Culási. Nearly all those curacies are very large and need assistants. Throughout that jurisdiction and in the Marianas there are various outside vicars, who are generally the religious of those regions. Such is the information which I have obtained from the provisor of that bishopric; but he does not give the number of parishioners, as it is very difficult to ascertain it.

Notes in this chapter

Note 1 · i.e., “in both courts,” meaning the outer court of ecclesiastical justice, and the inner court of conscience. See Vol. VIII, p. 278.Note 2 · For further historical and descriptive information regarding the cathedral of Manila (especially the present structure, completed in 1879), Note 3 · Marginal note: “In the year 1571 the first Inquisition was established in México, and its first inquisitor was Don Pedro Moya de Contreras, Note 4 · That decree organized the tribunals of the Crusade, and made provision for their conduct and for the care of the revenues from the bulls. Va Note 5 · Among the media employed by the Holy See in the restoration of one’s conscience to its good estate, are the bulls of composition. In the cas Note 6 · Apparently the “farming out” of this revenue, by the crown, to private persons. A law of May 30, 1640, enacted that all the expenses connect Note 7 · Tournon was the papal legate sent to China for the settlement of the famous controversy regarding the “Chinese rites,” which had lasted some Note 8 · Sidoti (or Sidotti) was an Italian priest who came to Manila with Tournon, intending to enter the forbidden land of Japan. In 1709, he succe Note 9 · See La Concepción’s detailed account (Hist. Philipinas, viii, pp. 315–338) of the founding of this college.Note 10 · This was only ad interim, during the absence of Bishop Salazar in Spain, from 1591 to Salvatierra’s death early in 1595. He had come tu Mani Note 11 · In the margin at this point occurs the following: “A total of 105,503 souls.”Note 12 · This law (which is contained in the book entitled, “Concerning the universities, and general and private studies in the Indias”) is as follo Note 13 · See this law in Vol. XX, pp. 260, 261.Note 14 · Notwithstanding that San Antonio states that the brothers of the hospital Order of St. John of God arrived in Manila at this comparatively l Note 15 · In the margin at this point: “Total number of souls, 68,334.”Note 16 · In the margin at this point: “Total number of persons, 42,178.”Note 17 · In the margin at this point: “Total number of souls, 4,000.”Note 18 · In the margin at this point: “Total number of souls, 70,961.”Note 19 · The number of christianized natives is stated, on Murillo Velarde’s map, as 900,000. Cf. the statement by Le Gentil (p. 209 post), of the nu Note 20 · 687. Thus, the number of eight hundred and thirty-seven thousand one hundred and eighty-two Christian souls, among the natives of these isla