The

SECURALIZATIO
N
SECURALIZATION
- Charles III of Spain in 1759 instituted a policy
which aimed to subject the Catholic Church to the
Spanish monarchy.
-It began in the 1770s.
- In the Philippines, this meant that native priests
would fill the vacancies which was met with
opposition from the Spaniard regular clergymen.
SECURALIZATION
- means “nationalizing” the Catholic Church by replacing the friars
with native secular priests

Secularization is based upon the following elements:

1. Separation between religious institutions and state institutions.

2. Freedom of individuals to practice their own beliefs.
3. Equality between individuals who practice religion and those who
do not.
SECURALIZATION
• They are two key groups among the Roman Catholic clergy in the Philippines in
relation to the secularization movement:

1. Seculars (seculares) – Clergymen who are not affiliated with a religious order.
-They are mostly native Filipinos.
At the time they are referred to as Indios with the term Filipino exclusive to Spaniards
born in the Philippines.

2. Regulars (regulares) – Clergymen who are part of an established order.

-They are mostly Spaniards.
 Pedro Pelaez
 One of the native priests which led
the secularization movement

• He advocated the repeal order as

being unjust and discriminatory.
 Pedro Pelaez
• He founded and edited the
newspaper”Catolico Filipino” wherein he
discussed the religious question,always
taking care to champion the Filipin
cause.

• In another paper, La generacion,

published in Spain, appeared many of his
articles likewise defending the cause of
Filipino clergy.
 Jose Burgos
• a student of Pelaez became involved in the
movement.

• He advocated for the rights of the secular

clergy who were not being allowed to
govern a parish due to their race.
• The movement culminated in 1872 with the execution of
the GOMBURZA, which consisted of three native priests
namely Burgos himself, Mariano Gomez, and Jacinto
Zamora.

• Being prominent figures of the secularization movement,

they were accused of being involved in the 1872 Cavite
mutiny since they had inspired ethnic pride among
Filipinos due to their campaign for reform.
The Cavite Mutiny
• was an aim of the natives to get rid of the Spanish
government in the Philippines, due to the removal
of privileges enjoyed by the laborers of the Cavite
arsenal at Fort San Felipe, such as exemption from
the tribute and forced labor (polo y servicio).
• The three priests incurred the hatred of the Spanish
authorities for leading the campaign against the abusive
Spanish friars and fighting for equal rights among
priests.

• The Spanish prosecutors bribed a witness to testify

against the three priests who were charged with sedition
and treason, which led to their death by garrote.
Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora (GOMBURZA)
• Their execution left a profound effect on many Filipinos,
including Dr. Jose Rizal, the national hero, who wrote El
Filibusterismo in dedication to the three martyred priests,
expressing conviction that their treatment and deaths at
the hands of the Spanish authorities was unjust.
• This inspired the Jesuit educated and future National
Hero Jose Rizal to form the La Liga Filipina, to ask for
reforms from Spain and recognition of local clergy.
Salamat!
Thank you for listening
Mabuhay!
Welcome to the Philippines