Religious Development during the 19th Century

Summary

This video concludes a lecture series on 19th-century Philippines, focusing on religious developments. It explores the power struggle between the friars and the Filipino priests (seculars) during Spanish colonial rule. The friars, who controlled the parishes, resisted secular demands for equal authority due to influence and financial gain. Father José Burgos led efforts for equality, inspiring Filipino nationalism and influencing José Rizal. The execution of Burgos, along with Fathers Gómez and Zamora (Gomburza), catalyzed the nationalistic movement that would eventually lead to the Philippine Revolution.

Takeaways

• 📜 The lecture focuses on religious developments in 19th-century Philippines, particularly the conflict between the friars and the secular priests (illustrados).
• ⛪ The Philippines was ruled by 'frylocracy,' where friars, not secular officials, held immense influence over the native population.
• 🇪🇸 Friars used religion as a political tool to maintain Spanish rule, and the union of church and state was governed by the Patronato Real.
• 👨‍⚖️ Father José Burgos was a significant figure in advocating for the rights of Filipino secular priests and fighting against the dominance of Spanish friars.
• 👥 Secularization controversy arose because Filipino priests (seculars) wanted control over parishes, but the friars (regulars) refused to leave due to power and financial benefits.
• 💰 Friars were accused of exploiting the naivety of Filipinos, particularly by convincing dying individuals to donate their wealth to the church in exchange for a promised place in heaven.
• ⚖️ Father Burgos fought for equality between secular and regular priests, later expanding his fight to seek equality between Filipinos and Spaniards.
• 🕊️ The Cavite Mutiny of 1872 led to the arrest and execution of Burgos, along with Fathers Mariano Gómez and Jacinto Zamora (Gomburza), although they were not truly involved.
• 💡 The execution of Gomburza was a catalyst for Filipino nationalism, influencing future reform movements like the Propaganda Movement.
• 📰 The Propaganda Movement, influenced by Gomburza, sought reforms, the expulsion of friars, and the recognition of the Philippines as a province of Spain.

Q & A

What was the primary conflict between the friars and the ilustrados in 19th-century Philippines?

The primary conflict was over the control of the religious sector, particularly the secularization controversy. The friars wanted to maintain control over parishes for influence and financial gain, while the ilustrados, along with secular priests, wanted to regain control of the parishes.

What role did the friars play in maintaining Spanish rule in the Philippines?

The friars acted as political instruments, using religion to maintain Spanish influence over the colony. They were highly influential and remained a powerful force, even as governor-generals changed.

What was 'frailocracy,' and why was it significant during the colonial period?

'Frailocracy' was a term coined by Marcelo del Pilar to describe the dominance of friars in the Philippines. It highlighted the extensive control they had over political and religious matters, making them the most influential figures in the colony.

What was the secularization controversy?

The secularization controversy revolved around the demand of secular Filipino priests to regain control of the parishes from the friars. Seculars were responsible for administering parishes, while the friars, originally missionaries, had taken over due to a shortage of secular priests.

Why did the friars resist handing over control of the parishes to secular priests?

The friars resisted because losing control of the parishes meant losing their influence, power, and financial benefits. They had become accustomed to the wealth they gained from parish collections and other means during the colonial period.

How did the friars manipulate the Filipino population to maintain control?

The friars exploited the credulity and religious devotion of Filipinos. For example, they convinced dying individuals to donate money and assets to the church in exchange for the promise of a place in heaven, a manipulation widely criticized by the ilustrados.

Who was Father José Burgos, and what was his role in the secularization movement?

Father José Burgos was a leading advocate of the secularization movement, fighting for the rights of Filipino secular priests. He also championed broader equality between Filipinos and Spaniards, making him a threat to the friars and Spanish colonial authorities.

What led to the execution of Fathers Burgos, Gomez, and Zamora?

They were falsely accused of being the leaders of the Cavite Mutiny, a rebellion actually started by Sergeant La Madrid. The Spanish colonial government and friars used this as a pretext to arrest and execute the three priests to eliminate them as threats.

What impact did the execution of Gomburza have on Filipino nationalism?

The execution of Gomburza (Gomez, Burgos, Zamora) significantly accelerated the rise of Filipino nationalism. It influenced José Rizal and later led to the formation of the Propaganda Movement, which aimed to reform Spanish rule and expel the friars.

What were the broader effects of the Propaganda Movement on the Philippines?

The Propaganda Movement, inspired by the ideals of equality and justice, played a pivotal role in spreading nationalist ideas. Through publications like *La Solidaridad*, it advocated for reforms, the expulsion of friars, and equal rights for Filipinos, influencing future revolutionaries like Andrés Bonifacio.

Outlines

00:00

📜 Religious Development in 19th Century Philippines

This paragraph introduces the topic of religious development in the 19th century Philippines, focusing on the role of friars and ilustrados. It outlines the influence of friars, who maintained Spanish control through religion and were seen as political instruments of Spain. The Philippines was termed a 'friocracy,' where friars held significant power, influencing governance and maintaining Spanish colonial loyalty.

05:03

⛪ Secularization Controversy: Priests and Power

This section explains the two types of priests during the colonial period: the regulars (friars) and seculars (local priests). It discusses the increasing number of Filipino secular priests in the 19th century, who demanded control of parishes from the friars. The friars resisted because of the influence and financial benefits they gained from administering parishes, leading to tensions and the secularization controversy.

10:06

⚔️ Father José Burgos and the Call for Equality

Father José Burgos fought for equality between Filipino secular priests and the Spanish friars, who treated seculars as inferior. Burgos expanded his advocacy to fight for equality between Filipinos and Spaniards, a dangerous idea at the time, which eventually led to his arrest. Although he was accused of leading the Cavite Mutiny, the real issue was his push for Filipino equality, making him a threat to Spanish rule.

15:06

🏛️ The Execution of Gomburza and Its Aftermath

This paragraph details the execution of Father Burgos, along with Fathers Gómez and Zamora (Gomburza), who were wrongfully blamed for the Cavite Mutiny. It describes how they were betrayed by a witness who was also executed. The execution of Gomburza marked a turning point in Filipino resistance, as it silenced sympathizers but fueled further unrest.

20:08

🔥 Impact of Gomburza’s Execution on Filipino Nationalism

The execution of Gomburza ignited Filipino nationalism, leading to the rise of movements like the Propaganda Movement, which sought to expel friars and push for reforms. Figures like José Rizal were inspired by Father Burgos' fight for equality, and these developments accelerated the nationalist movement against Spanish colonial rule.

Keywords

💡Religious Development

Religious development in 19th-century Philippines refers to the changes in the religious landscape influenced by the Spanish colonization. The friars held significant power, and their influence on governance created tensions with the local clergy and secular figures like the ilustrados. This concept is crucial as it illustrates the role of the church in maintaining Spanish dominance.

💡Friars

Friars were religious leaders during the Spanish colonial period, playing both spiritual and political roles. They were often missionaries, spreading Christianity, but also held immense control over governance and local affairs, making them controversial figures in the eyes of reformists like Rizal and Burgos.

💡Secularization Controversy

The secularization controversy involved the conflict between Spanish friars and Filipino secular priests over the control of parishes. Filipino priests, known as seculars, sought to take over parishes from the friars, leading to a significant struggle for ecclesiastical and national equality.

💡Ilustrados

Ilustrados were educated Filipino reformists who advocated for political and religious reforms in the Philippines. They opposed the power of the friars and pushed for greater secularization and Filipino equality, playing a central role in the nationalist movement.

💡Frylocracy

Frylocracy refers to the period in which the Philippines was essentially ruled by friars, as coined by Marcelo del Pilar. The friars held more power than the colonial government, using their religious influence to maintain Spanish control and suppress Filipino secular and nationalist efforts.

💡Patronato Real

Patronato Real was an agreement between the Pope and the Spanish monarchy that granted the Spanish crown authority over the church in its colonies. This power allowed the Spanish government to control religious affairs, intertwining church and state, and making the church a key instrument in colonial rule.

💡Father Jose Burgos

Father Jose Burgos was a leading advocate of the secularization movement and one of the martyrs of the Gomburza trio. He fought for the equality of Filipino priests and Spanish friars, becoming a symbol of Filipino nationalism after his unjust execution by the colonial government.

💡Cavite Mutiny

The Cavite Mutiny was an uprising of Filipino soldiers and workers against Spanish colonial authorities in 1872. The Spanish government used the mutiny as a pretext to arrest and execute Father Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora, who were accused of inciting rebellion, thus intensifying the nationalist movement.

💡Gomburza

Gomburza refers to the three Filipino priests—Fathers Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora—who were executed after being falsely accused of involvement in the Cavite Mutiny. Their deaths became a rallying point for Filipino nationalism and inspired figures like Jose Rizal in their fight for equality and reform.

💡Propaganda Movement

The Propaganda Movement was a reformist movement led by ilustrados in the late 19th century. Its members, such as Jose Rizal and Marcelo del Pilar, aimed to bring about political reforms through peaceful means, particularly advocating for the expulsion of friars and the assimilation of the Philippines as a province of Spain.

Highlights

Introduction to religious development in 19th century Philippines, focusing on the secularization controversy and the power struggle between friars and ilustrados.

Explanation of two types of priests during the colonial period: seculars (administrators of parishes) and friars (missionaries), leading to conflict over control of parishes.

Friars held significant political and religious power, coined as 'frylocracy' by Marcelo del Pilar, as they used religion to maintain Spanish colonial influence.

The Patronato Real gave Spanish monarchs power over the Church in the colonies, a key factor in the union between church and state during this period.

Father José Burgos, a key figure in advocating for secularization and equality between secular and regular clergy, continued the work of Pedro Peláez.

Secular priests (mostly Filipinos) demanded control of parishes in the 19th century as the number of Filipino clergy grew, but friars resisted relinquishing power due to influence and financial benefits.

Friars used tactics like exploiting Filipinos' gullibility to extract wealth, such as convincing dying individuals to donate their assets to the church in exchange for a 'place in heaven.'

Father Burgos advocated for equality not just between seculars and friars but expanded his cause to seek equality between Filipinos and Spaniards, leading to his eventual arrest and execution.

Father Burgos, along with Fathers Gómez and Zamora (collectively known as Gomburza), was falsely accused of involvement in the Cavite Mutiny, although the actual cause of the revolt was unrelated.

A key witness against Burgos, Saldua, was promised freedom for his testimony but was executed alongside Burgos, Gómez, and Zamora to prevent the truth from coming out.

The public execution of Gomburza had a profound effect on the Filipino people, sparking silence but eventually accelerating the rise of Filipino nationalism.

Burgos' fight for equality influenced the nationalist sentiments of José Rizal and the broader movement for Filipino independence.

The execution of Gomburza became a catalyst for the rise of the Propaganda Movement and the publication of the nationalist newspaper 'La Solidaridad.'

Despite initial silence, the execution of Gomburza ultimately contributed to the formation of the Katipunan, influenced by Rizal's works and the writings of other illustrados.

The Propaganda Movement aimed to promote reforms, including making the Philippines a province of Spain and expelling the friars, which laid the groundwork for the nationalist struggle.

Conclusion of the lecture with a preview of upcoming discussions on Rizal's early life and education, along with an announcement of an upcoming midterm exam covering the 19th-century developments.

Transcripts

okay good day everyone this is the last

part of the lecture series on

result in the context of 19th century

philippines

the focus this time will be on the

religious development

now we have already discussed about the

three economic political and cultural

developments

now we go into the last part which is

the religious development

now when we look at the religious

developments we have to

first understand the two parties

involved

the first were the friars the second

were they lustrados

now when you look at the friars actually

there are two types of priests

during the

colonial period the seculars and the

friars

more about that we'll discuss later on

when we talk about the secularization

controversy

but nonetheless there was a struggle

between the friars and the illustrators

now this was mainly because of

frylocracy

the philippines was a phylocracy before

governor generals may come and go but

the friars remained intact

the friars were basically the most

influential individuals

in the philippines trilocracy was

what marcelo del pilar called the

philippines because it was

predominantly ruled by friars

friars used religion to maintain spanish

influence in the colony

so as i've said a while ago governor

generals might come and go

but the friars remained permanently in

the colony

now they were devoted to spain and were

highly influential among the natives

the friars in fact were used by the

spanish officials to

maintain spanish rule over the

philippines

they were also utilized by the state and

they were used in fact as political

instruments to maintain spanish loyalty

they were considered as the most evil of

all men

by a result and more importantly as i've

said a while ago also

they were used as political instruments

you have to take note of that

they were used as political instruments

to maintain filipino loyalty to spain

now if you look at the situation today

of course

we segregate religion from government

because there is separation between the

church and the state as written in our

constitution

but before there was no separation

between search and state

church and state was considered as one

hence

they became the targets of the

illustrators

now the reason why there was a union

between the church and the state is

because of the patronatorial

the patronatorial was an agreement

between the pope and the spanish monarch

which gave the spanish monarch and its

colonial authorities

power over the church and the clergy in

the colonies

this was a result of

you know it was like a gift from the

pope the pope gave

the spanish monarch a gift because they

were responsible for driving out the

muslims from the iberian peninsula

so as a result they were then given

influence and power over the church and

the clergy

in their colonies

so one very important

uh figure in

the religious development in the

philippines is father rose bulgos

he was responsible for the continuation

of the

secularization advocacy which he

continued

uh which he continued as what

father pedro pillai started he continued

what pedro pillai started because pedro

pelayus

his mentor died suddenly

uh it was from an earthquake of 1863 he

was in the manila cathedral while

while he was there there was a big

earthquake and rubbles fell

on him uh beat it as it may we have to

look at the secularization controversy

first

what was the secularization controversy

all about

so as i've said a while ago there are

two types of priests

regulars and the seculars

now the regulars were the friars

similarly friars and regulars are the

same

now the friars their main goal was

to spread the gospel

their main goal was to go on missions

they were missionaries to go to faraway

places to isolated places to spread the

gospel

that was their main goal

friars were mostly spanish or spaniards

there were no filipinos filipino friars

a filipino cannot become a friar

filipino priests

however were known as seculars now

seculars were supposed to

they were in charge of handling or

administering the parishes the churches

so they were like the diocese and

priests of the day

so they're like the diocese and priests

of today who administer parishes from

different towns and cities within the

province

no so that's the difference between the

two

the regulars or the friars were

missionaries the seculars on the other

hand

were administrators of parishes

so where did how did the fight begin how

did how did it start

well it all started although this this

uh

this is a complicated topic and it would

take time for us to discuss this but let

me just simplify it as much as possible

uh it started with the friars taking

over the churches

now in the 19th century there was an

influx of filipino priests there were

more and more secular priests

during that time but before the 19th

century

there was a need for secular priests

since there was a need for secular

priests the regulars

since there was a limited number of

secular priests

the regulars were then assigned to the

parishes which was supposed to be the

job of the seculars

be that as it may by the 19th century

because of the influx of the number of

secular priests

the seculars were now demanding to

administer the parishes because they

didn't have any

parishes to administer given that

the friars or the regulars were the ones

administering it already

so they wanted their job back but then

the regulars did not want to leave

the parishes so one might ask why

why didn't they want to leave the

parishes well there are several answers

to that question one influence

if they left the parishes they would

lose influence

two money if they left the parishes they

would also lose money because they

gained a lot of money by administering

the parishes

one student of mine before us how will

they get money from the parishes

well there are many ways if you are the

parish priest in a certain

town or a certain city you can get many

money in various ways like from the

collection

that's one uh secondly

this was during the spanish period okay

not not at present

but second according to the illustrators

one way of getting money according to

them

was that the regulars abused

the the gullibility

no the filipinos were very gullible so

the regulars

abused this

credulousness of filipinos and

or the naivety of the filipinos and they

abused this by

taking advantage of this trait

how did they take advantage of that well

according to some illustrators if you

remember

whenever there is a dying man we would

always call on a priest

to say the last rights or to offer the

last rights

now as the story goes as the

illustrators

recalled the

the priest the regular priest or the

friar would always tell the dying man

after giving the last rights and they

would secretly tell the dying man if you

if you give your money or your assets to

the church then you will be assured a

spot

in heaven of course if you are dying

person and you hear

this you would always say okay i would

give my money and my asses to the church

because who doesn't want to go to heaven

right

so after doing this of course

the pr we would never know if they went

to heaven or not

how would the priest know that they

would go to heaven

we arrived in heaven no they cannot do

that

it's it's it's impossible to do that

it's virtually impossible

to do that but you see the manipulation

here

the priest telling the dying person

that if you give an ass if you give an

asset your land or if you give your

money to the church

then you will be assuredly spot in

heaven and that's

very terrible that's a very egregious

thing to do

so as a result

they gained a lot of money they gained a

lot of

influence over over the

over the people and that's why they did

not want to leave

the parishes and those are the friars

so another thing that father burgos

fought for was

equality between regulars and seculars

because the seculars were considered as

inferior beings to the regulars

they were indeed considered as inferior

priests

by the regulars given that they were

filipinos

and then later on he was able to

transform that ecclesiastical conflict

to a larger issue of filipino equality

with the spaniards so instead of

fighting for equality between seculars

and regulars

he then started to fight for equality

between

between filipinos and spaniards and this

this idea was quite dangerous

it was a very dangerous idea

and this eventually led to his

arrest and uh and

execution but the friars were very good

they did not use this but in reality

this was the reason the idea was the

reason but in re

but they were able to find

another justification as to why they

would arrest father cyborgos and we'll

discuss it later on

so father burgos then became a threat to

the friars and the spanish colonial

government

in the philippines as a result he along

with father gomez and zamora

were accused of starting the cavite

mutiny but in reality the cavite mutiny

was not

the the end result of father gomez

burgos and zamora's

uh how do you say this uh actions

it was actually started by

sergeant la madrid a disgruntled officer

who

who started a revolt because he did not

want to

go back and pay taxes

and go and do forced labor he didn't

want to go back to that so

he started the revolt in gavite but then

but then uh

the spaniards more so the friars

blamed father burgos for starting it

because they accused him of

wanting to become the king of the

philippines

which was not always which was not the

case because father burgos

simply wanted equality between filipinos

and

spaniards so eventually

as a result they were arrested convicted

and then later on

executed via the garrote

now father burgos was not guilty of

course

we all know this father gomez and father

zamora

also were not guilty father gomez was a

very old priest already he was around

i think more than 70 years old father

zamora was still quite young but

the thing about father zamora was that

he was incubated during the gabite

mutiny

so he was blamed for as he was

he was blamed as one of the purveyors of

the committee mutiny father burgos was

the main target

of course uh was

was was blamed as the head

of the mutineers and they even had

a witness that would prove that father

burgos was

the leader of the cavity mutiny and they

the the friars convinced this certain

witness

to to witness against father burgos

and as as a payment for his

uh testimony he would then be set free

because

the witness was one of the members of

the kavitha mutany he was one of the

uh how do you say this he was one of

uh you can't really say a member

of the kavita mutiny but he was one of

the participants in the kavitha mutiny

so

this certain person named mr salud then

witnessed against father burgos gomez

and zamora and told

the court that they were the ones who

led

them during the cavity mutiny

the promise by the spaniards if he would

testify was that he would be set free

but then when the when the judge

made the decision to execute father

gomez burgos and zamora he

also included mr saldua the witness

as a person to be executed also

so the promise was a lie

and the testimony was futile

because

but then after

the case has been heard or after the

case had been heard

he was also part of he was also included

in the

people to be executed imagine being that

person

being deceived by the friars so mr

saldua was also executed by the golothy

why was he also executed well so that he

will not be able to

speak the truth so that the truth will

not be set free and the truth will be

buried

six feet below the ground so

there was an eyewitness account of the

execution of father gomez burgos and

zamora

as the eyewitness said the first person

to be executed was father gomez

father gomez according to the eyewitness

was very calm he was ready to accept his

fate

he was ready to die the second person to

be executed was zamora it's not burgos

it doesn't follow that it's gone bursa

burgos would be the second person to be

executed no the second person to be

executed was zamora

and according to the eyewitness account

zamora was already dead even before he

was executed metaphorically speaking

since he could not believe he was

already dead inside he could not believe

that he was part of he was

accused as being part of the kavita

mutiny simply because he was inhabited

during the committee mutiny

so according to the eyewitness account

he was already dead inside

so the third person to be executed was

father burgos and the last one was

father burgos

they saved the best for last and father

borgos who was the main target

according to the eyewitness was crying

like a child he was weeping like a child

he did not want to die

during that fateful day

february of 1872. he did not want to die

father burgos did not want to die

so he was weeping like a child he was

he was shouting i'm not guilty i'm not

guilty

when he arrived at the platform and he

was shouting i am not guilty one of the

friars said so was jesus christ

and that was a very snarky remark by the

flyer it was

quite an insulting remark even because

they knew

that jesus was not guilty of his crimes

and yet he was still crucified just like

father burgos they knew

that he was not guilty of his crimes but

still he would die via de garote

now as the story goes the executioner

then asks for forgiveness

for what he was about to do to father

burgos and after hearing the executioner

ask for forgiveness

father burgos calmed down and he prayed

to the executioner and forgave him and

then he prayed to the lord

and that was the end of it afterwards

it was a public execution

many filipinos saw the execution

if you look at this picture this is a

picture of the guarantee

i do not know how it feels to be gadot

because i don't know is it painful or

not i don't know if it's painful or not

but they say you die a quick death

because once your neck will snap

then you immediately die so that's a

picture of the golote

they just twist the handle at the back

until and the grip will tighten

and tighten until your neck will break

and that will be the end of you

so father gomez burgos and zamora were

executed via the guarantee

and after their execution there was

complete silence

people did not talk about them it was

taboo to talk about them

and no one dared

to support those who supported them

those who sympathize with them were sent

to exile or arrested

so how did this accelerate filipino

nationalism how did it lead to the

acceleration of filipino nationalism

devil number three

the first one is the influence of father

jose borgos

father jose burgos undoubtedly

influenced rizal

and his ideas remember father burgos

fought for

equality between filipinos and spaniards

and that was also rizal's idea this was

the result of the secularization

controversy because the seculars wanted

to take the job of the

regulars wanted to take back their job

but then the regulars did not give it

back to them because they wanted money

they wanted the influence and they

wanted the power in the towns

supposedly the people who would

administer the parishes were the

seculars but then they did not get their

job back

because uh the regulars did not want to

give in they did not want to go back to

their original job which was to become

uh which was to go on missions so the

influence of other bulgos tourism was

one of the

accelerators of filipino nationalism the

second one is francocracy

the filipinos already had enough of

royal rule

so they wanted to get rid of the friars

and this

somehow instilled in them a

nationalistic

zeal a nationalistic figure that they

wanted to

you know they wanted to get rid of the

friars they wanted to expel them

they became enemy number one to the

filipinos

and then the last is the execution of

gomborza

the execution of gombolza eventually led

to the creation of the propaganda

movement

years decades after more than a decade

after

so the propaganda movement if you know

this was responsible for the creation of

the newspaper known as the la

solidaridad

members of the propaganda movement were

illustratos and their main goal was

to fight for reforms to make the

philippines the province of spain

and to expel the friars and they

undoubtedly even if they had if even if

they didn't totally have the same

nationalistic ideas as bonifacio

they were responsible for influencing

the rights of the katipunan

because bonifacio read the last

solidaridad and bonifacio also

read about rizal red results works then

only and el phili

and other works of some illustrators

so all these three accelerated filipino

nationalism and this is part of the

religious development

of the philippines in the 19th century

so this ends our discussion for the

religious development

uh for our next topic results early

years

and early education i'll be giving you

some notes

on this and i just want you to read it

and

maybe i'll be giving you an assignment

for that by next week

but please do take note of this these

religious developments

i might be giving the exam probably two

weeks from now

i'll give you a long exam might we might

consider it as a midterm exam

so i'll be giving you an exam and the

coverage will be

uh result in the 19th century

philippines economic political cultural

and religious developments

and the early years in education of

results

so i'll be giving the early years an

education of result by next week

it's not going to be a video or a

youtube video but it's

going to be some notes annotations of

his early years in education

and i just want you to download that and

take note of it

so that's it that ends our discussion i

hope you view this video

and i wish you well keep safe and

stay away from harm god bless and have a

great day