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We, Don Basilio Sancho de Santa Justa y Rufina, by the grace of God
and of the holy Apostolic See archbishop of Manila and metropolitan
of these Philipinas Islands; councilor and preacher to his Majesty,
and apostolic subdelegate; deputy vicar-general for the royal forces
on sea and land in this archdiocese and its suffragan dioceses for his
Eminence the lord Cardinal de la Cerda y San Carlos, the patriarch of
the Indias; chief almoner of the king our sovereign; chief chaplain
and vicar-general of the said royal forces in all his domains and
lordships; etc.:
To all the persons of both sexes who exist and dwell in our
archbishopric, of whatever state, rank, and condition you may be,
greeting in our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the true salvation. [152]
We cannot deny the great pleasure and satisfaction with which our
heart is filled at beholding, in our own experience, the loyalty,
obedience, and fidelity with which our beloved subjects, in proof of
their most profound and humble vassalage to the royal person of our
august sovereign and lord, Don Carlos III (whom may God preserve),
have accepted the most just decisions of his Majesty in regard to
the expulsion of the regulars of the association named the Society of
Jesus from all his dominions of España, the Americas, the Philipinas
Islands, and others adjacent. And this first royal decree having
been followed, among others, by that one in which his Majesty, as a
prince who professes the soundest doctrine with the purest religion,
issues effectual orders that in all his kingdoms may be suppressed
that most pernicious and consequently abominable doctrine which the
said regulars taught even from the beginning of that order--in regard
to which we were thoroughly instructed years ago, and now, in order
to secure the general conviction of this truth, there has just been
published by order of his Majesty a pastoral by our brother dignitary
his most illustrious Lordship the present archbishop of Burgos--we
have learned that by the coming of the ships from Europa directly to
these islands there have been made public in this city various printed
documents [153] relative to the pernicious maxims and teachings of
the aforesaid regulars. These documents, according to the uniform
answers of persons who have come in the said ships, are publicly
distributed in Madrid and other cities of our España; and we have even
noticed in the Mercuries of public news which have reached our hands
(and the said Mercuries are not printed without previous notice to
and permission from the court) the aforesaid documents conspicuously
announced. We know that in this city they have produced in the minds
of many persons who have read them the same good effect as there in
España--that is, to confirm them more and more in that just judgment
which they have formed of the uprightness, and of the justness of the
reasons, which could induce our Catholic sovereign to decide upon the
expulsion of the aforesaid regulars. And we have been informed that
the circulation of those documents has ceased [154]--(we know not
why, and only know that such is the fact), without the intervention
of the public, superior, and legitimate authority--a singular thing,
which of itself is sufficient to occasion a most pernicious result,
that those who have read them will doubt the truth of what is said
therein, at the same time depriving those who have not read them of
the important information which they furnish in regard to the lax
and mischievous nature of the moral maxims which are encountered at
every turn in the books written by the said regulars; and in some of
the said documents these statements are mentioned, the works where
they are found being cited, and their original authors. [Moreover],
we, as our beloved people have seen, have not lost (in fulfilment of
our official pastoral letter) any opportunity since our safe arrival
in these islands--both in private conversations and in sermons,
and even in public theses--to inveigh against laxity in matters of
morality; and, since our obligation is so pressing, not only to
teach good and sound doctrine, in order that it may be embraced,
but also to point out emphatically what is pernicious and evil, in
order that men may flee from it as from poisoned food, which slays
the soul. The aforesaid documents have greatly aided us in this,
forasmuch as they open the eyes of their readers, in order that they
may learn the source from which have issued the wrong and dangerous
doctrines which have occasioned so many injuries and losses to the
holy Church--which, as opposed to the spirit of the Church, have
always aroused against them the antagonism of the supreme head who
rules it, of the holy fathers, and of all the true teachers of the
gospel religion which our heavenly Master, Jesus Christ, imparted
to us. Accordingly, in view of all this, we would be guilty of a
very culpable omission if we should keep silence, in neglect of so
excellent reasons, and should not explain our opinion to our beloved
people on this occasion when the aforesaid documents have ceased to
be current--from which it may result that many of our beloved subjects
continue in their former false ideas and dangerous prepossessions, for
lack of means so opportune for leading them out of these. Therefore,
for all the aforesaid reasons (and after having examined the said
printed documents), and to dissipate whatever uncertainties upon this
point may have arisen in some minds, we have resolved to declare, as
using our episcopal authority for the edification of souls, and by the
present we do declare, that our subjects are authorized to read the
aforesaid printed documents with security of conscience, and without
prejudice to sound doctrine, in which assertion we have in mind the
pious objects above stated. Indeed, far from being opposed thereto,
it is very expedient to read them, in order to disabuse the mind of
many prejudicial errors by which the conscience is endangered, and to
arrive at a knowledge of the holy truth, to which end the matters which
are treated in these books evidently conduce. For there is no reason to
doubt, with appearance of prudence, that everything which is contained
in them it strictly true, when it immediately occurs to everyone that,
in giving this assurance, the men agree in all parts of the Catholic
world who are most worthy of confidence on account of their piety,
high standing, and wisdom--and among these are many Spaniards who
are distinguished in both worlds for their virtue, and in both are
no less noted for their learning. In the number of these are also
found the supreme pontiffs, innumerable bishops and clergymen, an
endless number of religious in other orders, and the universities;
and even various individuals of high character, and who are prominent
in the Society, have with one voice been calling, at all times,
for the reparation of the spiritual decline which has, by dint of
force and through sheer obstinacy, been introduced in the Church
universal by those who are now expelled. [This they have done] by
their arbitrary opinions, destructive to the gospel of Jesus Christ,
for they were the first to carry these into practice; and through a
practice so detestable they have given amply sufficient reasons to
the Christian princes who with their kingdoms form the greater part
of the Roman Catholic Church--and, above all, to her eldest son,
our most pious, ever august, and Catholic monarch Don Carlos III
(whom may God preserve)--for banishing them forever from all their
vast domains. And as this is an indubitable fact, and notorious to
all the world, such likewise are the arguments set forth [in the
aforesaid documents]; and any person who for lack of profound study
and of discernment between sound and wrong doctrines, or for want of
opportunity, or through undue affection for those expelled persons, has
been either unable or unwilling to observe seriously their iniquitous
proceedings--whether as perpetually displaying, under the pretext
of obedience, their reluctance to obey and submit to the sovereign
decrees of the vicar of Christ; or persecuting everywhere the bishops;
or making war on the other venerable and most holy religious orders;
or poisoning good morals and even the faith itself, especially in the
missions of China and Malabar (having been also the cause of the ruin
of the Japan mission, notwithstanding the zeal of the missionaries of
other orders and of the noble martyrs of the seraphic order, [155]
whose memory will endure in the Church): or intriguing against the
governments and the lives of princes; and attempting to turn, this way
and that, the entire world at their pleasure--he who, we again say,
in ignorance of all that has occurred in this matter, may remain in
doubt as to the reasons which have, by divine ordering, caused the
downfall of these regulars, is under obligation of conscience to lay
aside this doubt, and to admit that such causes were urgent in order
that so many Christian and Catholic princes should unite in the same
and so momentous a judgment. For, their hearts being in the hand of
God (as the Scriptures expressly declare to us), they have herein
assured the success of the measures that they take, and uprightness
and justice in their proceedings--and much more in things of greater
importance; for as vicars of God, each one in his own domain, they
issue commands, impose laws, and govern in pursuance of justice,
with special assistance from God himself. And therefore it would be
impiety, and a sort of blasphemy, to try to excuse and justify those
who have been expelled; since this would be the same as wounding
in the most conspicuous point of their honor the sovereignty of the
kings, and especially of the [preëminently] Catholic among them all,
who is our king--for whose defense every vassal ought to stand ready
to lose his life; how much more so, to sacrifice personal desires
and affections, or to keep silence and read in order that he may
be undeceived from error and instructed in the truth of things, or
not to utter insults regarding the Head [of the Church] in order to
defend some members whose corruption had increased to such an extent
that it was necessary to sever them entirely in order to save the body.
This and no other is the sound doctrine which upon this point we desire
our beloved faithful to bear well in mind; and in order that it may
come to the knowledge of all, and that no one can allege ignorance
at any time, we command that the present edict be published in the
customary churches, and posted in public places, where it can be read
by all. Given in our archiepiscopal palace at Manila, signed by us,
stamped with the seal of our coat-of-arms, and countersigned by our
undersigned secretary; on the first day of November in the year one
thousand, seven hundred and sixty-nine.
Basilio, archbishop of Manila.
By command of his illustrious Lordship the archbishop of Manila,
my master:
Father Don Ildephonso Garcia, secretary.