Father Fray Christobal de Salvatierra, associate of the first bishop
of the Philippinas and governor of his bishopric.
There was but a short space of time between the death of the first
bishop of this region of which we have just spoken, and that of his
associate and vicar-general, father Fray Christobal de Salvatierra. The
bishop, when he went to España, had selected him as governor of his
bishopric--having by many years' acquaintance come to know that he was
worthy, not only of this charge, but of much greater ones, because of
his great and well-established virtue, his marked ability, singular
prudence, watchful zeal for the honor of God, indomitable spirit,
and the other noble qualities which he had found in father Fray
Christobal. All these were necessary for the duties of vicar-general
and governor of this bishopric at such times as these, which were so
near to the first conquest of these islands. Even though the conquest
had continued for some time, the very great difficulties encountered
in their spiritual government will be evident. It will be even better
understood by any one who has any knowledge of the conquests of the
Indias; for though it did not involve so many cruelties as others,
it was still impossible to avoid many evil deeds which wars always
bring with them, however well justified they may be. This is still
more the case against poor Indians, who cannot defend themselves,
and sometimes who cannot even complain of the wrongs that have been
done to them, since these are committed by those from whom their
redress should proceed. Since there had not been in the islands,
before the coming of the first bishop and his vicar-general, any
bishop to govern them as their own prelate, the two ecclesiastics
found them abounding in vices which by inveterate custom had put
out such roots and obtained such strength that it was not possible
to destroy them without great difficulty and labor, much vigilance,
and a courageous spirit, in order to meet the thousand peril which
these duties brought with them at this time. God, who never fails the
government of His church, provided for these offices persons with such
endowments as were possessed by father Fray Christobal. He was a son
of the distinguished convent of San Esteban at Salamanca; and showed
that he was so, not only by words, which often perish on the wind, but
by works--and by noble works, which he had learned in that so prominent
school of virtue and letters. He left his convent, intending to become
one of the pioneers assembled by the bishop for this province. The
number of these, as has been stated, was thirty. When they reached
Nueva España, many died and others fell sick. The rest of them,
daunted by the voyage which they had already taken, and attracted by
the agreeable climate of Mexico, remained there. The good bishop was
unable to persuade any of them to come to these regions except father
Fray Christobal, who, like an immovable column, was always firm in his
opposition to these temptations, never abandoned the company of the
bishop, and remained constantly at his side--not only in this tempest,
in which all the others fell away, but in all the other and greater
tempests which afterwards fell upon them. He was greatly aided in this
by the conformity that there was in the natures of the two men. They
were both grave and prudent, intrepid of soul in the performance of
the right, and fearful of everything that not only might be evil, but
might even seem so. Above all, they were of one mind in their efforts
to attain virtue--devout, chaste, charitable, religious; zealous for
the honor of God, in themselves and in others; and ready for this
cause to undergo hardships or dangers of any kind. Hence, though the
dangers through which they had gone had conquered all the others and
discouraged them, father Fray Christobal was always firm and faithful
to his promise; and he accomplished it by persevering with constancy
in that which he had begun, even until death. This he did to his own
great good and to that of his neighbors, serving the Lord not only as
one good religious, but as if he had been many. He was like another Aod
[i.e., Ehud], working with both hands, and having spirit, courage, and
industry for every undertaking of importance that offered itself. He
carried on together the offices of vicar-general and of missionary
to Bataan, at a day's journey from Manila, where he was obliged to
reside. Withal, he filled the functions of these two positions,
which seemed incompatible, with such perfection and vigilance,
that he has left for each one of them eternal fame behind him. As if
this was but little in itself, whenever any military expedition was
undertaken he accompanied the soldiers, in the capacity of chaplain,
as if he had been the most unoccupied person in the province. He gave
his greatest energies to the office of vicar-general, which he filled
with the greatest justice and watchfulness, and in which he offered
a very edifying example. He was greatly loved by the good and feared
by the bad; for his only purposes were to do good to all, to adjust
their disputes, and to make friendships, or to unmake them when they
were bad. He defended and protected the Indians, as being a race in
the greatest need of defense and protection. When it was necessary,
he chastised them, but like a loving father. Hence he was much loved
by them, and was feared both by them and the Spaniards--even by the
Spaniards in official positions, because, when there was a question as
to making restitution for the honor of God, he pardoned no one. The
zeal which he displayed in rooting out vices and scandalous sins
was extraordinary. He never hesitated at any labor in this cause,
however great it might be; he never feared any danger which appeared in
the prosecution of his holy purpose, not even the danger of death. He
was at one time threatened with death itself; for a desperate man
entered his very room with the purpose of taking his life, at a time
when he was careless and not expecting any such evil intention. But the
Lord, to whom he left his defense, protected him; and the malevolent
man was unable to carry out his purpose and to conquer the constancy
of Fray Christobal. The latter knew that whatsoever hardship or
death befell him in this way would surely be for his own greater
glory; and hence, certain that no evil could happen to him that was
really an evil, he did his duty with courage in opposing all the
wicked, fearing no one, but feared by all. This was the case not
only when he was present in the city or village where people were
living scandalously, but even when he was at a distance from them;
because without any warning he would appear, like a ray of light,
in any place where he was needed. He would be at night in the city,
and in the morning ten or twelve leguas away, following the track of
those who were living in concubinage. When they seemed to themselves
to be most safe, he caught them in flagranti delicto. He used to take
out wicked women from any house, no matter how prominent it was,
and no matter to what insults he might be exposed. Nothing of this
kind daunted him, or held him back, or harmed him; nay, it did him
much good, for, armed with patience for any wrong to himself, he was
able to overcome any opposition to his holy zeal, and came out always
victorious and with the upper hand. He knew the women of evil life so
well that they were not able to escape him, or to conceal themselves
from him. The punishment which he gave them was very appropriate,
because he shut them up in a secure place and forced them to work
to earn their living; and this, on account of their licentiousness
and idleness, was the worst punishment that could be inflicted upon
them, while for the holy purposes of Fray Christoval, it was the most
efficacious remedy which could be applied. By being shut up they were
kept from the sins which were caused by their being at large; while
by their bodily labor they paid for something of what they wasted
in their idleness. Hence in the time of this father this wretched
class of people fled to the mountains, without daring to appear
in the city. The Spaniards feared and hesitated to do many things
which after his days began to be very common. All of these actions
of the father were accompanied by such prudence, purity of life
and manners, and by such love and such good works for the people,
that although at the time those who were blinded and carried away
by their passions suffered greatly, and were very angry with the
man who interfered with their vices, still afterwards, when their
minds became calmed, they could not fail to recognize the goodness
of father Fray Christobal. He even gained the hearts of these people,
and forced them to love and esteem them. Wherever he went, he received
information from the most honorable people of what needed a remedy;
and being sure that they were persons who would not deceive him,
he immediately applied the remedy, with the least possible cost to
the delinquents. He knew them all very well, and knew how to treat
them. Hence with some he used no more rigorous means than looking at
them, and letting them know that he was acquainted with their faults;
and this was enough to bring about their improvement, which was what
he purposed and desired. But when more severe measures were requisite,
he was not slow or hesitating in employing them. Accordingly he was
very useful to God in his office by attacking many sins and scandals,
and by preventing others (which is an act of higher prudence). For
the juridical acts which he performed as an ecclesiastical judge he
accepted no fees, and he moderated as much as possible the fees of
the officials of his jurisdiction. Since he understood the language
of the Indians, he had no need of an interpreter, a matter of great
importance and the means of avoiding much injury, deceit, and expense
in the suits of the Indians. Since their means are very small, it is
very easy to distort justice by bribing them, unless the activity
of the judges prevents this evil. Even when this does not happen,
the expenses of suitors are always very large. The vicar-general
was desirous of avoiding these expenses, and therefore employed no
interpreter, as in everything he took care that all might plead and
gain their rights at small expense. This is an evidence that the great
fear which he caused was not due to the fact that he was quarrelsome
or litigious, but because he was zealous for the honor of God and the
good of the souls that were in his care. So long as the bishop was
in the islands, he had some comfort and defense; but as soon as the
bishop had gone to España the father, being the sole governor of the
bishopric (which at that time included all the islands), could not fail
to suffer from the great increase of his labors, and greatly feel the
want of the bishop's support. The thing to which he gave the greatest
amount of attention and in which he found the greatest difficulty,
was the prohibition to the Chinese heathen of the comedies that they
performed, and to Spanish men and women attendance on those comedies,
on account of the manner in which they were performed, which was full
of superstition and idolatry. Up to the time when our religious had
come, there was no one who understood their language and customs, so
no one paid any attention to this point. The Chinese felt sure that
no one but themselves could understand their comedies, and performed
them as in China, full of superstitions and idolatries. This was found
out by Father Juan Cobo when he had learned their language, letters,
and customs. He gave notice thereof to the vicar-general, who ordered
the comedies to cease, as being superstitious. The Chinese were greatly
grieved, and so were the Spaniards--the latter because, although they
did not understand the comedies, they enjoyed seeing them for the sake
of the actions and representations which the Chinese make in a very
realistic way; and the Chinese, because they are devoted to this kind
of entertainment. So every one, including the governor, was opposed
to the vicar-general. He, because he did not understand the evil in
the thing, took the side of the Chinese; but the vicar-general was
certain that these comedies were an offense to the Lord, as well for
the reason stated as because they were performed by night, and many
other evil results used to follow. They were attended at night by
Spanish men and Spanish women and their female servants, and by other
Indian women--who, covered by the dark cloak of night, did many things
which ought not to be done in Christian lands. But the vicar-general
put his shoulder to the difficulty, and commanded that no one, on
pain of excommunication, should go to see the comedies. Since the
governor was of the opposite opinion, there was no one who dared to
publish the excommunications; so the vicar-general himself went and
fastened them on the church-doors, accompanied only by his friars,
since there was no one else who ventured to accompany him. At last,
although it cost him much and much evil was said against him, he
brought this evil practice to an end. Since that time Spanish men,
and many more Spanish women, do not go to see these comedies; and no
permission is given for their performance until they are first looked
over and approved by a religious who understands the language, and
who sees that they are not superstitious but are historical, or have
plots which are not idolatrous. This is what ought to be done in the
realms of a Catholic prince, although the comedies are performed by
heathens and idolaters; for as the latter are not permitted to perform
their idolatries, they ought not to be permitted to play superstitious
comedies made in honor of false gods, for such comedies are part of the
idolatry, which is forbidden to them. It would be supposed that father
Fray Christobal, being so busy and so usefully occupied, would have no
time to attend to anything else except to his position as governor and
vicar-general of this diocese. Yet this was not the case, but whenever
the opportunity was offered--as was not often, there being then so few
whom he could employ--he took advantage of it to leave his duties for
the time. Hence when the first Spaniards went to the pacification or
conquest of Nueva Segovia, he went as chaplain of the soldiers, and
was with them in all the conflicts which they had with the Japanese,
which conflicts have already been described. He was the first priest
that entered that country--as it were, to take possession of it for the
friars of his order, who afterward converted it to the law of God and
to His gospel. In the same way, when another expedition was made to
Maluco, he embarked as chaplain, purposing in both expeditions to do
the greater service to his king and lord by restraining the soldiers,
by his authority and by the respect which they had for him, from the
disorders which the inconsiderate are likely to be guilty of under
such circumstances as these. This same desire of being useful in all
things caused him to take charge of the district of Bataan, which,
although it contained many Christians, had no minister and no one to
take pity upon them or to assume the charge of them. This aroused great
compassion in him; and though these Indians were a day's journey by sea
from Manila, where he was obliged to reside, he assumed the ministry
to them and cared for them with great solicitude and love and with
no less labor. [The situation of that district made the labor of the
ministry very great. Father Fray Christobal went on foot through all
the lakes and swamps, attending to the needs of all the Indians, for
whom the four religious who succeeded him were scarcely able to do the
work. He did all this labor in spite of a painful ailment from which
he suffered. Among the things which afflicted him was the necessity of
sleeping in his clothes for the little time when he could repose. This
is no small discomfort in so hot a country. His love for the Indians
was such that, although his labors caused him this painful infirmity,
he devoted himself to them up to the time of the coming of the other
missionaries; and even after they came he used to take his holidays
by visiting these Indians as his beloved sons. He greatly assisted the
first religious to learn who were and who were not Christians, for the
absence or loss of records had brought everything into confusion. He
was very charitable, especially to the Indians. To the Spaniards he
was a father and a master, assisting them in all their necessities
in peace and in war. He showed his zeal for the honor of God and
for the rooting out of vice in the very last hours of his life,
by writing to the governor, Don Luis Perez das Mariñas, the request
that he would have a bad woman taken from a captain's house which he
indicated; and that he would send three soldiers to arrest a cleric
of whom the report was spread that he was leading an evil life. The
asthma from which he had so long suffered finally brought his life
to an end. He died in the hospital of the Sangleys, in the midst
of the brethren of his order.] He was mourned by the whole country,
and especially by the religious of all the orders who were in it. All
declared that there would never again come to this region such a friar,
such a governor of the diocese, such a father of the poor, such a
zealot for the honor of God, a man of such gifts for everything. When
he died, the need of him was exhibited by the public way in which
those vices which, so long as he lived, dared not appear or lift up
their heads, began to prevail in the country. He received a solemn
interment, attended by the ecclesiastical chapter and by all the
religious orders, to all of whom he had done many friendly acts,
and by all of whom he was therefore heartily beloved. At this very
day his fame is as much alive as if he had died but yesterday. He
appointed to be governors of the diocese, by the authority which he
had received therefor from the bishop (whose death was not yet known),
father Fray Alonso Ximenez, provincial of this province, and father
Fray Juan de San Pedro Martyr, or Maldonado. The ecclesiastical chapter
resisted; and although the nominees plainly had right on their side,
and the governor, Don Luis Perez das Mariñas, offered to put them in
possession, they were unwilling to obtain the control of the bishopric
by lawsuits. They renounced or did not accept the appointment, and left
the government to the chapter, as something which should not be sought
or even received except as the result of compulsion or sheer necessity,
not for one's own advantage, but for the common weal--which very seldom
is attained when the entry upon such offices is obtained by lawsuits.