Sire:
Six months before my arrival here, the fathers of St. Francis had
held a chapter. It was illegal, without question. Fray Francisco de
Gabiria, an Observantine friar, came to them as visitor. He began his
commission and visit by depriving all the definitors of the province
of their offices, and appointed new definitors from the Observantine
friars and others who took the habit in this country and belong to
the Observantine faction. He continued [this course] by removing
the guardians and appointing others who belonged to his following,
until they had more than sufficient votes to hold a chapter. The
commissary-visitor took the opportunity to do all this, because the
legitimate definitors had deprived a friar, one Jose Fonte, of his
guardiania. That religious was guardian of the convent of Manila, and
a prime favorite of Don Juan Cereco, former governor _ad interim_. The
legal definitors deprived him of the guardiania. Upon the coming of
the father commissary, Fray Jose Fonte complained and requested his
guardiania, although the matter had no appeal. The said Don Juan Cereco
also lodged a complaint, because his favorite and adviser had been
deprived of his guardiania. The commissary, who saw that the occasion
was so opportune for his purposes, overrode the province and body of
definitors, and on account of the above, deprived the high officials
[of his order] of their offices. Sire, nothing is hidden from us in
this land. In this case, one might tell your Majesty many things,
but I shall relate only two. First, the father commissary offered to
the father provincial and his definitors one of the greatest insults
that have been known in your Majesty's kingdoms. For Fray Jose Fonte,
as is the general opinion of the community, is a rather free-and-easy
religious; and the reason why the father provincial deprived him
of his guardiania--although he had, as was true, the said Don Juan
Cereco so strongly on his side--was doubtless because his mode of life
and his government of the convent were such that he could under no
consideration be endured. Your Majesty can have no doubt of this, for
it is proved beyond question by the loud murmuring of the community
at the lack of devotion displayed by that religious. Therefore,
your Majesty will reflect whether the removal of a provincial and
the whole body of definitors, in order to reinstate this man, is an
affront worthy of consideration. Second, I assert that his chapter was
illegal, and that beyond question; for the father commissary-general,
Fray Francisco de Ocana, sent a very necessary letter of obedience
throughout the provinces of the Indias, which has, among its other
sections, one of the following tenor:
"_Item_: We ordain that the fathers commissaries-general and the
fathers commissaries-visitors shall render sentences in the causes and
processes that shall be brought to trial [_i.e._, in the tribunals of
the order], one week before the provincial chapters; and on the actual
day of the chapter-meeting these shall be pronounced and made known,
in the manner generally used by the order--so that the matter may
be apparent to those members capable of voting who assemble from the
said province; and so that the electors in the chapter may enjoy the
liberty that is proper. Whatever shall be done in any other manner,
now and henceforth, we annul and revoke it."
The father commissary-visitor sentenced and deprived of their offices
the father provincial and his definitors immediately, in the first
month of his visit, and five months before the week assigned by the
father commissary-general, Fray Francisco de Ocana. Therefore, since
the law is so clear, and in the Romance tongue, there is scant need
of lawyers to judge that the manner in which Father Gabiria performed
his commission is null and void. I was informed of these things,
upon my arrival at the islands, by fathers of all the orders as
well as by other persons of the city. I ordered the ex-provincial
to come privately and talk with me. I asked him why these orders
were issued and such things done, and promised to aid him in your
Majesty's name if he wished to demand his justice. He replied to me
that he saw that all things were in a very lamentable condition,
but that he did not dare plead anything; for very great scandals
would arise, and the superiors of his order would take it ill, and
severely punish those who had written and reported it Therefore, he
had resolved to be patient and to await their reply. The chief end
of all this [scheming] was the capitular election, and because the
father-commissary was trying to obtain the government of the province;
and although it was founded and continued by discalced friars, to make
it Observantine. Your Majesty has ordered that no Observantine friars
may come to this country, but that all who come be discalced. Beyond
question, it is not at all fitting for Observantines to come; for
so long as there shall be Observantine and discalced friars, there
can be no peace; and most serious troubles will result, both to the
order itself and to the natives under its charge. Will your Majesty
be pleased to order the father commissary-general to check these
proceedings, and to prevent these scandals which have occurred so
often among his friars; and that he obey your Majesty's decree not to
send Observantine friars. For, notwithstanding your Majesty's order,
they come here clad in the habit of discalced friars; and on their
arrival at the province, their sole aim is to turn it topsy-turvy.
Thinking that the troubles of this order could be obviated, I requested
the provincial to send that friar, Fray Jose Fonte, to Terrenate to
take charge of your Majesty's hospital there (a post so honorable
that the provincial himself exercised it before being provincial)--in
order to get him away from here, and prevent the discalced religious
from being ill treated and from being afflicted in mind; and so that
the provincial could better discharge the duties of his government
and denounce the invalid acts that had been committed. Although I
told the provincial that it was advisable for your Majesty's service
to have that religious leave here, for which I would be answerable
to him, he refused to do so, excusing him as being a definitor. And
although I told the provincial that, since he could not obey what was
suggested to him in your Majesty's name as fitting to your service,
no other religious nor any supplies of his would go to Terrenate in
your Majesty's galleons, he gave himself no concern about it. Those
friars, as I have written your Majesty in other letters, do not
reckon themselves your vassals, and do not think that they have to
obey you as such. Consequently, it is advisable, as your Majesty can
do so, to have the matter examined, so that a suitable remedy may
be applied. May our Lord preserve your Majesty's Catholic person,
as is necessary to Christendom. Manila, the last of June, 1636. Sire,
your vassal kisses your Majesty's feet.