This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1908 Excerpt: ...by direct taxes, the income of the Church was indefinitely increased by foreign investments and by land rents of rich Colonial property, which was administered with little regard to tenants or their rights. Besides all this there were the usual sale of masses, bulls, indulgences, fees for baptism, marriages, burials, ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1908 Excerpt: ...by direct taxes, the income of the Church was indefinitely increased by foreign investments and by land rents of rich Colonial property, which was administered with little regard to tenants or their rights. Besides all this there were the usual sale of masses, bulls, indulgences, fees for baptism, marriages, burials, etc. And there were no charitable disbursements. As already mentioned the Church took advantage or the lack of land laws or vague laws and possessed herself of the best land in the islands, often taking it out of the hands of Filipinos who supposed they owned it. This was sometimes done under the guise of law, as, for instance, when the occupier had failed, even after many years' residence, to secure a title, or for nonpayment of church taxes which were raised until the native was unable to meet them. In other cases land was taken outright and the civil authorities were cowed into acquiescence;--the former owners if troublesome were transported to penal colonies off the coast of Africa. Moreover, the Church has persistently resisted any reform in these abuses of land tenure. Naturally such land robbery has exasperated the Filipinos. The Church, too, has exercised a practical veto power over the civil government. Even governors-general were recalled to Spain upon the complaint of the Pope's representative in Manila, as was the case with General Blanco, and in provincial and municipal government the civil authority watched for the nod of the ecclesiastical power. Rome, not Madrid, has ruled the Philippines. The friars, Spanish monks, have eld parishes contrary to law as well as to the best interests of the native converts, and have excluded and discouraged a native ministry. Aside from the humiliation and anger of the Filipinos at such treatment, ...
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