THE RELIGIOUS FRONT:

SECULARIZATION

LESSON 3
 Define and apply secularization
01
in the Philippine context in the
19th century.

Lesson State a working definition of

02
Objectives secularization.

03
Differentiate regular priests from
secular priests.
 SECULARIZATION
is the transformation of
a society from close
identification with
religious
valuesandinstitutions
toward nonreligious
values and
secularinstitutions.
 The Council of Trent’s
division of regular
and secular priests
in the 16th century.

Establishment and
Administration of parishes
by regular Priests
from different religious
Orders in the Philippines
(Augustinians,Recollects,
Jesuits, Franciscans,
and Dominicans.)
 The Augustinians came to the Philippines with the Legaspi expedition in 1525
as represented by Fray Andres de Urdaneta. With him were four other
Augustinian missionaries. The Augustinians were known to build the oldest
Augustinians church in the Philippines. This is the church and convent of St. Paul or more
popularly known as the –San Agustin Church.

The second group of friars to arrive in the Philippines was the Franciscans
or Order of Friar Minor (June 24, 1578). This religious order established their
mother church inside Intramuros in honor of Nuestra Senora de los
Angeles (Our Lady of Angels). Today, the Mapua Institute stands on the site
of the old Franciscan church. The mother church of the Franciscans is
currently located at the Santuario de San Pedro Baustista in Quezon
City. Fray Juan Clemente OFM was a famous Franciscan lay brother who
Franciscans established the Hospital de San Juan de Dios in Intramuros near the
Parian. San Juan de Dios stood in Intramuros for over 300 years until it was
destroyed by the last world war. Today, the Lyceum occupies the site. The
Franciscans are also known to have established the leprosarium Hospital de
San Lazaro. San Lazaro Hospital is located in Sta. Cruz Manila and it is
known as quarantine for deadly diseases and rabies vaccine.

The Jesuits or the Society of Jesus arrived in Manila on September 17, 1581.
The Jesuits are known as educators who founded the school Colegio de Manila
or Colegio Maximo de San Ignacio in Intramuros in 1590. They also built their
first school and mother church and convent where the Pamantasan ng
Jesuits Lungsod ng Maynila presently stands. The Jesuits surrendered all their
properties to the civil government when they were expelled from all Spanish
territories in mid-18 century. Upon their return in 1859, the Jesuit began to
take over the Escuela Municipal de Manila, which currently known as the
Ateneo de Manila University. The mother church was built right next to the
school and was named in honor of the founder of the Jesuit order, San Ignacio
de Loyola. The Jesuits also establish the Manila Observatory in Padre Faura
St. Ermita. Robinson’s Place Manila now occupies the former Jesuit
Observatory.
 The Dominicans or the Order of Preachers were the fourth friar arrival. 15
Dominicans landed in Cavite on the eve of the feast of Mary Magdalene.
These Dominicans of the Santisimo Rosario de Filipinas would elect St.
Mary Magdalene as the protector of the order in the Orient. Sto. Domingo
Dominicans de Manila stood on the north side of Intramuros for almost four centuries.
Today, the BPI building stands on the site. Fray Diego de Sta. Maria
started an orphan school for boys which was adopted by the Dominican
Order in 1652 as the St. Peter and Paul School. This school is presently
known Colegio de San Juan de Letran. It was 1611 when the Dominican
Order began organizing a boarding school for students which is presently
known as the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas.

The last friars to arrive in the Philippines were the Augustinian Recollects.
The recollects initially established their mother church outside
Intramuros. In Intramuros, their motherhouse was known as the La
Recollects Yglesia y Convento de San Nicholas de Tolentino. Today, the Manila
Bulletin occupies the site. The motherhouse of the Recollects was
transferred to Quiapo which is currently known as the all-steel church –
the San Sebastian Church.
Demands for secularization by the secular priests, mostly composed of Filipino priests,
to implement royal and papal orders.
Initial implementation of secularization failed due to the perceived unpreparedness of
the secular priests to head parishes.
Expulsion of the Jesuits in 1767 provided opportunities for secular priests to occupy
vacated parishes.
Reverse secularization occurred when parishes held by secular priests were reverted
to the regulars upon the return of the Jesuits in 1858.
The secularization issue became a race issue, pitting Filipino seculars against Spanish
regular clergy.
Struggle for equal rights with Spaniards and reduction of Church influence in politics
led by Filipino priests like Fathers Pelaez, Zamora, Gomez, and Burgos.
King of Spain and the Pope advocated for the secularization of the Philippine Catholic
Church.
Opposition from the orders of friars who argued that the Filipino seculars were not
ready to take over.
Filipino liberals and seculars allowed to voice their grievances under Governor-General
Carlos Ma. De la Torre’s administration, but suppressed under Governor-General
Izquierdo’s regime.
Carlos María de la Torre Rafael Gerónimo
y Navacerrada (1809– Cayetano Izquierdo y
1879) was a Spanish Gutiérrez (30
soldier and politician. September 1820 – 9
He served as Governor- November 1883) was a
General of the Spanish Military
Philippines from 1869 to Officer, politician, and
1871, and is considered statesman. He served
one of the most beloved as Governor-General of
Spanish Governors- the Philippines from 4
General assigned to the April 1871 to 8 January
Philippines. 1873.
Cavite Mutiny provide the pretext for the conservatives to eliminate Filipino liberals.

Arrest and trial of known liberals, including Filipino secular priests like Pedro Dandan
and Toribio H. del Pilar.

1872 was an uprising of Filipino military personnel of Fort San Felipe, the Spanish
arsenal in Cavite in Philippine Islands on January 20,1872. Around 200 locally
recruited colonial troops and laborers rose up in the belief that it would elevate to a
national uprising.
GOMBURZA
Mariano Gómes de los Ángeles,
often known by his birth name
Mariano Gómez y Custodio or
Mariano Gomez in modern
orthography, was a Filipino
Catholic priest who was falsely
accused of mutiny by the
Spanish colonial authorities in
the Philippines in the 19th
century.
José Apolonio Burgos y García was Jacinto Zamora y del Rosario
a Filipino Catholic priest, accused was a Filipino Catholic priest,
of mutiny by the Spanish colonial part of the Gomburza, a trio
authorities in the Philippines in the
of priests who were falsely
19th century. He was tried and
executed in Manila along with two accused of mutiny by the
Spanish colonial authorities
other clergymen, Mariano Gomez
and Jacinto Zamora, who are in the Philippines in the 19th
collectively known as the century.
Gomburza.
False witness Francisco Zaldua identified Fathers Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora as
leaders of a government overthrow.

Gomburza, alternatively stylized as GOMBURZA or

GomBurZa, refers to three Filipino Catholic priests, Mariano
Gómes, José Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, who were
executed by garrote on February 17, 1872, in Bagumbayan,
Philippines by Spanish colonial authorities on charges of
subversion arising from the 1872 Cavite mutiny.

The garrotting of the three priests at Bagumbayan on February 17,1872, despite

protests and insufficient evidence.

Trial and guilty verdict for sympathizers of the secularization issue, sentenced with
deportation to Guam in Marianas.
Spanish clergymen played a significant role in reinforcing Spanish domination in the
Philippines.
Helped establish parishes and towns during evangelization.

Acted as representatives of the colonial government and controlled education in the

country.

Religious officials served as guardians of public morals, endorsed political candidates,

and held advisory roles to the governor-general.

Difficulty in enforcing sweeping reforms due to the deeply entrenched religious officials.

Strong opposition from the religious orders to reform efforts, especially secularization.
The secularization movement in the Philippines under Spanish
colonial administration from the 18th to late 19th
century advocated for greater rights for native Filipino Roman
Catholic clergymen. The movement had significant implications to
Filipino nationalism and the Philippine Revolution.

In its precise historical sense, 'secularization' refers to the transfer

of persons, things, meanings, etc., from ecclesiastical or religious to
civil or lay use.

Regular clergy, or just regulars, are clerics in the Catholic

Church who follow a rule (Latin: regula) of life, and are
therefore also members of religious institutes.
Secular clergy are clerics who are not bound by a rule of life.
 T h e i s s u e o f s e c u l a r i z a ti o n i n t h e 1 9 t h
century Philippines was a complex and
c o n t e n ti o u s m a tt e r i n v o l v i n g t h e C a t h o l i c
c l e r g y, p o l i ti c a l r e f o r m s , a n d t h e s t r u g g l e
f o r e q u a l r i g h t s . T h e fi g h t f o r s e c u l a r i z a ti o n
was led by Filipino secular priests and
Conclusion l i b e r a l t h i n k e r s , b u t f a c e d s t r o n g o p p o s i ti o n
from the regular clergy and the religious
o r d e r s . T h e e x e c u ti o n o f t h e t h r e e p r i e s t s
a n d t h e d e p o r t a ti o n o f s y m p a t h i z e r s
m a r k e d a s i g n i fi c a n t e v e n t i n t h e h i s t o r y
o f t h e s t r u g g l e f o r s e c u l a r i z a ti o n
in thePhilippines.
THANK YOU!
REPORTER:
ELBERT MA-AT
CHERYLEN S. SUBERE