DEFENDING THE GOOD CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE FRIARS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

The Augustinian Church in Paoay, Ilocos

 

Anonymous said...

Well the friars did commit a lot of atrocities and the colonizers did make use of religion as an easy ticket to capturing us and destroying our land.
The friars lived in simplicity? I laugh. Ever heard of something called Obras Pias? It was a charity fund that the Spanish Galleon trade funded which friars also used to enrich themselves (and when a government official found out, friars had him killed). Another reason as to why they built churches is because it will draw in the people. They built churches first in place of government infrastructure and hospitals. They did that in order to lure people and make them come out of hiding and then exploit them through manual labour and other stuff. I can't really blame the person for blaming the friars and Christianity for Rizal's death since the people of the Church were pretty dirty and drowning in their own thirst for power (they kinda did what the Romans did to them to other religions).

I am personally a very religious person but history is history and the fact is that religion was one of the easiest ways for those damned colonizers to come and suck at our natural resources. The only good that came out of all this was that the Philippines became unified because they had 1 common enemy to hate.

June 27, 2011 7:49 PM  

Fr. Abe, CRS said... 

 

[Well the friars did commit a lot of atrocities and the colonizers did make use of religion as an easy ticket to capturing us and destroying our land.]

THIS IS JUST A HEARSAY BASED ON THE UNFOUNDED ACCUSATIONS OF THE ENEMIES OF THE CHURCH RATHER THAN BASED ON FACTS OF HISTORY.

THE TRUTH IS THAT THE FRIARS ARE VERY MUCH LOVED BY THE PEOPLE SO THAT EVEN AFTER THE SPANISH GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN OVERTHROWN THE PEOPLE PROTECTED THE FRIARS BURIED THEM WITH LOVE AND RESPECT AND STAYED IN THE CATHOLIC FAITH IN GREAT NUMBERS.

THOSE FRIARS ARE GONE BUT THE INSTITUTIONS THAT THEY BUILT REMAINS TO BE ENJOYED BY FILIPINOS. UNLIKE THE ATHEISTS WHO ONLY BROUGHT US THE MURDEROUS COMMUNISTS AND GODLESS REVOLUTIONS. OR THE PROTESTANTS WHOSE INSTITUTIONS ARE OWNED AND INHERITED BY THEIR PASTORS' OWN FAMILIES. THE FRIARS LIVED AND DIED AS TRUE SERVANTS OF GOD. THEY WERE POOR AND HAD NO CHILDREN TO INHERIT THEIR INSTITUTIONS.

THAT IS THE FACT.

[The friars lived in simplicity? I laugh.]

YEAH, YOU LAUGH ON YOUR OWN IGNORANCE. THE FRIARS SENT TO THE PHILIPPINES WERE ONLY A HANDFUL. THERE IS ONLY ONE OR TWO FRIARS IN EVERY CHURCH WHICH WERE VERY RARE THEN BUT EVEN IF THEY ARE ONLY ONE OR TWO THEY WERE LOVED AND REVERED BY THE PEOPLE. IF THEY WERE EVIL THE FILIPINOS COULD EASILY HAVE MURDERED THEM IN THE CONVENTS OR DURING PROCESSIONS OR WHEN THEY ARE ROAMING THE HILLS AND VALLEYS OR THE RICE FIELDS. BUT THEY WERE NOT BECAUSE THEY WERE UNARMED. THEY CARRY ONLY THE BIBLE, THE CATECHISM AND THE CROSS.

THE FILIPINOS ARE MORE AFRAID OF THE ATHEISTS OR COMMUNISTS THAN OF THE FRIARS BECAUSE THEY KNEW THAT THE LATTER IS A MAN OF GOD. 

[Ever heard of something called Obras Pias? It was a charity fund that the Spanish Galleon trade funded which friars also used to enrich themselves (and when a government official found out, friars had him killed).]

HEARSAY, I THINK YOU'VE GOT THIS FROM THE KUWENTONG KUTSERO OR FROM THE BARBER SHOP. THE GALLEON TRADES WERE UNDER THE SPANISH GOVERNMENT AND NOT OWNED BY THE FRIARS. THE FRIARS ARE PROHIBITED TO PRACTICE TRADE ESPECIALLY GALLEON TRADE BECAUSE OF THEIR VOWS OF POVERTY. O NO, NO, NO... STUDY THE HISTORY OF GALLEON TRADE. THE FRIARS ARE ONLY INVITED TO JOIN IN THE EXPEDITIONS BECAUSE THE ROYAL GOVERNMENTS OF THOSE TIMES PROMOTE THE STATE RELIGION. BUT THOSE ARE DONE NOT ONLY BY CATHOLICS BUT ALSO BY THE PROTESTANT DUTCH AND THE ANGLICAN ENGLISH AND LATER BY AMERICAN PROTESTANTS.

[Another reason as to why they built churches is because it will draw in the people.]

THIS IS A STUPID ASSERTION BEREFT OF ANY LOGIC. EVEN IF YOU BUILD CHURCHES IF PEOPLE ARE NOT CONVINCED OF THE BELIEFS OF THAT RELIGION THEN THOSE CHURCHES SHALL BE EMPTY.

BESIDES, THE CHURCHES IN THE BARRIOS AND PROVINCES WERE AND ARE STILL VERY MODEST AND SIMPLE STRUCTURES. ONLY THE CHURCHES IN THE CAPITAL CITIES ARE LARGE AND ARCHITECTURALLY RELEVANT. SO YOUR REASONING IS NOT ONLY ILLOGICAL IT IS ALSO UNFOUNDED.

ACTUALLY, CHURCHES ARE BUILT BY THE PEOPLE SO, WHAT COMES FIRST IS EVANGELIZATION, THAT IS, CONVINCING PEOPLE TO BE CATHOLICS. ONCE THE CONVERTS HAVE BECOME NUMEROUS ONLY THEN A BIG CHURCH CAN BE CONSTRUCTED BECAUSE THE MONEY WILL COME FROM THE PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY ARE THE OWNERS OF THE CHURCH. PRIESTS ARE COME AND GO, THEY ARE REPLACED AFTER SOME YEARS OF SERVICE BUT THE CHURCH REMAINS WITH THE PEOPLE. THEY WERE THE ONES BUILDING THEIR OWN CHURCHES. IF THEY WANT A SIMPLE 'COTTAGE' FINE BUT IF THEY WANT AND CAN AFFORD A BASILICA THEN THEY DO SO.

IT IS THE PEOPLE WHO VOLUNTEERED TO BE WORKERS, ENGINEERS, ARCHITECTS AND THEY CARRY GRAVELS AND SANDS FROM THE RIVERS. DUE TO THE COMMON HARD WORK AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF ALL CATHOLIC MEMBERS WE WERE ABLE TO BUILD BEAUTIFUL CHURCHES MANY OF WHICH ARE NOW CULTURAL HERITAGE OF THE COUNTRY PROTECTED EVEN BY UNESCO AS PART OF THE ARTISTIC AND CULTURAL TREASURES OF HUMANITY.

[They built churches first in place of government infrastructure and hospitals.]

HA HA HA... THAT IS A RARE OCCASION. MAY BE IN THE MAJOR CITIES ONLY. BUT IT HAPPENED BECAUSE SOME RICH DONORS FROM SPAIN OR ITALY DECIDED TO DONATE MONEY FOR THE IMMEDIATE CONSTRUCTION OF A CHURCH. BUT THESE ARE RARE. USUALLY THE PEOPLE ARE THE ONES CONTRIBUTING.

AND ALSO, IT IS NOT TRUE THAT THEY BUILT CHURCHES FIRST BEFORE HOSPITALS. BECAUSE MANY FRIARS LIVED IN NIPA HUT AND COTTAGES BUT THEY STARTED BUILDING SCHOOLS AND HOSPITALS AND HOUSES OF CHARITIES SUCH AS ORPHANAGES AND HOUSE FOR LEPROUS. THE ANTIQUITY OF OUR INSTITUTIONS OF THESE KIND REPULSE YOUR UNFOUNDED ASSERTION.


ACTUALLY SINCE THE FRIARS WERE FEW THEY DECIDED TO TEACH THE PEOPLE HOW TO READ AND WRITE BY CHOOSING FEW INTELLIGENT AND BRIGHT STUDENTS. THEN, THESE BRIGHT STUDENTS WHO WERE FILIPINOS WERE THE ONES WHO REPLACED THEM TEACHING THE OTHERS AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. SO THAT THE EDUCATION OF THE FILIPINOS IN WESTERN PHILOSOPHY AND SCIENCES CAME FROM THE FRIARS.

The San Juan de Dios Hospital founded by the Franciscans... the oldest in the Country

[They did that in order to lure people and make them come out of hiding and then exploit them through manual labour and other stuff.]

HA HA HA... ONLY AN IDIOT WILL BELIEVE THAT. THE COMMUNISTS COUNTRIES BUILT CONCENTRATION CAMPS TO PUNISH ITS PEOPLE TO HARD LABOR. BUT THE FRIARS NEVER DID THAT. THERE IS NO PROOF THAT THERE IS A HARD MANUAL LABOR IMPOSED ON OUR CATHOLIC FAITHFUL. ON THE CONTRARY, SLAVERY WAS A COMMON PRACTICE DURING THE PRE-HISPANIC FILIPINO TRIBES. THEY WERE REMOVED BY THE FRIARS THROUGH THE POWER OF EVANGELICAL PREACHING.

ON THE CONTRARY, THE FILIPINOS LOVED THE HOLY MASSES BECAUSE THEY ONLY SIT, STAND AND KNEEL IN PRAYER AND WORSHIP. HE HE HE... THEN THERE ARE PROCESSIONS AND EXPOSITION OF BLESSED SACRAMENTS. BEAUTIFUL AND JOYFUL FIESTAS AS WELL AS WONDERFUL FAMILY REUNIONS FOR BAPTISMS, WEDDINGS AND FESTIVITIES. SO THE FILIPINOS WHO ARE JOYFUL AND PEACEFUL PEOPLE LOVED THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. BECAUSE THE CHURCH GAVE THEM A LOT OF GOOD THINGS TO CELEBRATE AND BE HAPPY OF.

NO HARD MANUAL LABOR. OTHERWISE THERE WOULD BE RIOTS ON THE STREETS AND THE FRIARS SHALL BE POISONED OR MURDERED. NO NO NO... TELL ME HOW MANY FRIARS MURDERED BY THE FILIPINOS AFTER THE EXPULSIONS OF SPANIARDS? EVEN THE KATIPUNEROS HESITATED TO HARM THE FRIARS. WHY? BECAUSE THE PEOPLE LOVED THEM SO MUCH. LOOK AT THE HEBREW PEOPLE. THEY WERE ENSLAVED BY THE EGYPTIANS SO IN EFFECT UNTIL NOW THEY FEEL THE HATRED AND THE INDIGNATION. THE FILIPINOS HAVE THAT ATTITUDE FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF SPAIN AND JAPAN THEN BUT NOT FOR THE FRIARS.

[I can't really blame the person for blaming the friars and Christianity for Rizal's death since the people of the Church were pretty dirty and drowning in their own thirst for power (they kinda did what the Romans did to them to other religions).]

I BLAME THE STUPID AND IGNORANT PEOPLE LIKE YOU WHOSE MIND IS CONTAMINATED BY HEARSAY AND UNFOUNDED CLAIMS WITHOUT SOLID BASIS FOR HIS ACCUSATIONS AND CLAIMS.

FILIPINOS HATE EVIL PEOPLE BUT THEY LOVED AND WERE GRATEFUL TO GOOD PEOPLE. SO THEY LOVED AND RESPECTED THE FRIARS, BECAUSE THEY WERE GOOD. THOSE WHO CLAIM OTHERWISE ARE THE ATHEISTS, THE COMMUNISTS, THE AGNOSTICS AND THE PROTESTANTS WHO WANT TO UNDERMINE THE CHURCH SO THAT CATHOLICS WILL TRANSFER TO THEIR NEWLY INVENTED RELIGIONS. 

[I am personally a very religious person]

WHAT A HYPOCRISY. YOU ARE LIKE A PROSTITUTE CLAIMING TO BE A VIRGIN. HA HA HA... SHAME ON YOU.

[but history is history and the fact is that religion was one of the easiest ways for those damned colonizers to come and suck at our natural resources.]

THE COLONIZERS SUCK OUR NATURAL RESOURCES BUT NOT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. BECAUSE THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE PHILIPPINES ARE NOT COLONIZERS BUT FILIPINOS. THE FRIARS CAME NOT TO TAKE RICHES AWAY BUT TO HELP AND EMPOWER THE FILIPINO PEOPLE. INDEED, ALL THOSE GREAT INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS U.S.T, ATENEO, LA SALLE,  SAN BEDA, LETRAN, HOSPICIO DE SAN JOSE AND OTHERS ARE ALL ENTRUSTED TO FILIPINOS AFTER THE FRIARS DIED A NATURAL DEATH.

ON THE CONTRARY, THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS THE GREATEST INSTITUTION OUTSIDE THE GOVERNMENT THAT CONTRIBUTED FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE FILIPINO PEOPLE. FROM SCIENCE TO ARTS, FROM EDUCATION TO CULTURE... IN ALL STRATA OF LIFE IN OUR COUNTRY THE CHURCH HELPED FOR THE BETTER.

[The only good that came out of all this was that the Philippines became unified because they had 1 common enemy to hate.]

THAT IS DEFINITELY ONE OF THE GOOD THINGS THAT WE CONTRIBUTED BUT NOT THE ONLY. THE FRIARS ESTABLISHED THE FIRST SCHOOLS IN THE CITIES AND IN THE PROVINCES AND IN THE FAR FLUNG PLACES. EVEN IN AREAS THAT THE GOVERNMENT SOLDIERS WERE AFRAID TO ENTER. EVEN NOW, IN THE AREAS WHERE THE MILITARY AND THE GOVERNMENT WORKERS CANNOT ENTER DUE TO INSURGENCY PROBLEMS THE PRIESTS AND NUNS MISSIONARIES ARE PENETRATING. THAT IS WHY THEY ARE EASY PREY TO THE ABU SAYYAFF. IN ALMOST EVERY KIDNAPPINGS OF ABU SAYYAFF THERE IS ALWAYS A NUN OR A PRIEST INVOLVED.

THE FRIARS WROTE THE FIRST DICTIONARIES, THEY CODIFIED THE FILIPINO ANCIENT LITERATURE IN VARIOUS LANGUAGES. THEY WERE THE FIRST TO TEACH SCIENCES IN THE COUNTRY. THE JESUITS PIONEERED IN ASTRONOMY, THE DOMINICANS IN MEDICINES AND THE AUGUSTINIANS IN BOTANY. THEY ALSO PRINTED THE FIRST BOOKS. THEY TAUGHT OUR PEOPLE THE FIRST RULES OF GRAMMAR AND MATHEMATICS. THEY OPENED HOUSES OF CHARITIES THAT UNTIL NOW ARE STILL OPEN AND LOVED BY ALL FOR SOCIAL AND CHARITABLE WORKS LIKE THE HOSPICIO DE SAN JOSE. THEY BUILT HOSPITALS WHERE THE FRIARS THEMSELVES WERE DRESSING THE WOUNDS OF THE PEOPLE.

THE MOST ACTIVE IN THE FIELD OF HOSPITAL WORKS WERE THE FRANCISCANS. THE HOSPITALS BUILD BY THE FRIARS ARE FAMOUS AND REVERED IN THE MEMORY AND HEART OF OUR PEOPLE:

1. The Royal Hospital in Manila

2. The San Juan de Dios Hospital

3. The Holy Spirit Hospital in Cavite

4. The St. James Hospital in Naga

5. The Holy Waters Hospital in Los Banos

ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS OF THE CATHOLIC LEPROSARIUMS BUT VERY FAMOUS IS THE SAN LAZARO LEPROSARIUM. THIS LEPROSARIUM IS LEGENDARY IN ITS SERVICE TO THE LEPERS. 

IN THE FIELD OF AGRICULTURE IT WAS THE JESUIT SCIENTISTS WHO BROUGHT THE CACAO SEEDS TO THE COUNTRY SO THAT FILIPINOS CAN ENJOY HOT CHOLATE DRINKS AND TASTY CHOCOLATE CAKES. AND THEY WERE THE FIRST TO TEACH ALSO THE PEOPLE OF BATANGAS TO CULTIVATE THEM AND TO BE THEIR SOURCE OF INCOME. THE SAME FOR COFFEE. YES, COFFEE. THE AUGUSTINIAN NATURALISTS LED BY FRAY ELIAS LEBRADO WHO BROUGHT THEM IN THE PHILIPPINES AND TAUGHT THE PEOPLE HOW TO CULTIVATE AND BREW THEM. THAT IS WHY THE PEOPLE OF BATANGAS AND CAVITE ARE VERY CATHOLIC EVEN THOUGH THEY PRODUCED A LOT OF NATIONAL HEROES AND LED MANY REVOLUTIONS. THE SAME FOR THE PEOPLE OF BULACAN.  THE SAME AUGUSTINIAN SCIENTISTS BROUGHT SUGAR CANE TO THE PHILIPPINES AND TAUGHT THEM THE TECHNOLOGY TO PRODUCE OUT OF THEM. THAT IS WHY THE PEOPLE OF NEGROS AND LAGUNA ARE VERY CATHOLIC. THEY BEAUTIFIED THEIR CHURCHES BECAUSE THEY OWE THEIR INCOMES FROM THE TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCES THEY'VE GOT FROM THE FRIARS WHO BROUGHT THEM ALSO ORANGES, TOBACCO, GRAPEVINES, WHEAT AND OTHER PRODUCTS SUCH AS SILK AND COTTON. SILK INDUSTRY WAS INTRODUCED BY FR. ANTONIO SEDENO OF THE JESUITS.

THE JESUITS TAUGHT THE PEOPLE SILK TECHNOLOGY BUT THE AUGUSTINIANS TAUGHT THEM THE WEAVING TECHNOLOGY. 

IN THE FIELD OF LITERATURE AND LANGUAGE THE FRIARS REFUSED TO IMPLEMENT SPANISH AS THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF THE COUNTRY. INSTEAD, THE FRIARS LEARNED THE LOCAL DIALECTS AND MADE DICTIONARIES AND BOOKS USING THEM. THUS, BY DOING SO THEY PRESERVED OUR LOCAL LANGUAGES. ALMOST ALL OF OUR ANCIENT EPICS WERE PRESERVED BY FRIAR HISTORIANS AND SCHOLARS.

OUR CONTRIBUTIONS ARE TOO MANY TO BE COUNTED. THEY CAN FILL VOLUMES AND VOLUMES OF BOOKS. ONLY THE BLIND WILL FAIL TO SEE THESE BLAZING TRUTH.

WE FILIPINOS ARE NOT TRAITORS AND INGRATE. WE KNOW HOW TO LOVE THOSE WHO LOVED AND DID A LOT OF GOOD TO US. THUS, WE LOVED AND RESPECTED THE FRIARS. THE EVIL NPA AND THE ABU SAYYAFF WERE CONDEMNED BY OUR PEOPLE BUT NOT THE FRIARS.

MANY OF THE FRIARS SENT TO THE PHILIPPINES WERE DOCTORS AND SCIENTISTS. THAT IS WHY THEY WERE COMPETENT TO RUN AND TEACH IN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. MANY OF THEM WERE FLUENT IN MANY LANGUAGES, THAT IS WHY THEIR STUDENTS SUCH AS RIZAL LEARNED VARIOUS LANGUAGES FROM THEM AS WELL. TAKE NOTE, RIZAL LOVED AND RESPECTED HIS JESUIT MENTORS UNTIL DEATH. THEY WERE HIS REQUESTED COMPANIONS TO BE AT HIS SIDE IN BAGUMBAYAN, NOT THE MASONS, NOT THE ATHEISTS AND NOT THE KATIPUNEROS. 

June 27, 2011 9:08 PM