SECULARIZACIÓN
Secularization of the Philippine Church during the Spanish Era
RIZAL 1: THE LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL
MR. SARREAL D. SOQUINO
Lasala, Rica L. BSN2-B
The meaning of secularization according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, it is the
act of making something secular or of becoming secular, which mean it is removing the
clerical use or influence. In the Philippines during the 19th century, there is two kinds of
priests, the Regular Priests and the Secular priests. Regular Priest belongs to religious
orders, and their main objectives was to spread Christianity. This kind of priest are the
Dominicans, Franciscans, Recollects, and the Augustinians. While the Secular priests
were not belonging to any religious order, they were trained to run the parishes and
they are under the supervision of the bishops.
The issue began when the bishops insisted on visiting the parishes that were
being run by regular priests. It was their duty, they argued, to check on the
administration of these parishes. But the regular priests refused these visits, saying that
they were not under the bishop’s jurisdiction. They threatened to abandon their
parishes if the bishops persisted. In 1774, Archbishop Basilio Santa Justa decided to
uphold the diocese’s authority over the parishes and accepted the resignations of the
regular priests. He assigned secular priests to take their place. Since there were not
enough seculars to fill all the vacancies the Archbishop hastened the ordination of
Filipino seculars. A royal decree was also issued on November 9, 1774, which provided
for the secularization of all parishes or the transfer of parochial administration from the
regular friars to the secular priests.
The regulars didn’t like the move because they still considered the Filipinos unfit
to take lead, and was inexperience, uneducated and because of the skin color they have.
The issue became intense when the Jesuits returned to the Philippines. And because of
this, the Secularization issue became racial issue, and so the Spaniards favors their own
regular priest than the secular priests.
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Because of this Secularization, it made the eyes of the Filipinos open, especially
Rizal’s eyes. When GamBurZa garroted because of false witness and the no sufficient
evidence against them, it made clear to the Filipinos that they were being belittled by
these Spaniards and these regular priests. The Secular priest tried so hard to speak up
about the problems that all the Filipinos suffered from the Spaniards.
The secular priests tried to be the voice of the poor Filipinos and to become free
from the injustice rules of the Spaniards. It became a big stepping stones for all the
activists and it made the Filipinos stronger and braver in order to be free from this
colonizer. This is an important episode that all Filipinos should know. Their human
rights were violated, and so this led to formation of Filipino groups that will soon over
thrown the Spaniards.
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