The King. Very reverend father in Christ, the archbishop of the
metropolitan church of the city of Manila of the Philipinas Islands,
and member of my Council: The king, my sovereign and father--may
he rest in peace--by his decree dated November fourteen of the past
year, six hundred and three, charged the archbishop then governing
that church [_i.e._, Benavides], that in accordance with the rules
and ordinances he should not permit or allow any religious in the
missions in charge of the orders to enter upon or exercise the duties
of a priest [_cura_] unless he had first been examined and approved
by the said archbishop or by the person appointed for that purpose,
so that such religious should have the necessary competency, and know
the language of the Indians whom he should have to instruct--as is
contained more minutely in the said cedula, which is of the following
tenor.
"The King. Very reverend in Christ, the father archbishop of the
metropolitan church of the city of Manila of the Philippinas Islands
and member of my Council: Although it has been stringently ordered that
the ministers appointed to the missions of the Indians, both seculars
and friars, must know the language of the Indians whom they are to
instruct and teach; that they be possessed of the qualities required
for the office of priest [_cura_] which they are to exercise; and
that the teachers among the religious, in so far as they are priests
[_curas_] be visited by the secular prelates: I have been informed that
those orders have not been observed as is needful; that you prelates
do not exercise the fitting care in examining the said religious
teachers in order to be assured of their competency and thorough
knowledge of the language of those whom they are going to instruct;
and that in the visitations many of their omissions and irregular acts
in the administration of the sacraments and in the exercise of their
duties as priest are not remedied. That is a matter of considerable
annoyance. And because the Indians suffer greatly, in the spiritual
and temporal, from those appointed by their superiors, both in this
and in the choice of persons less careful than they should be; and
because it is advisable for the service of God our Lord, and for our
service, and for the welfare of the Indians, that the ministers of
instruction be such as are required for that ministry, and that they
know the language of the Indians: therefore I charge you straitly,
in accordance with the rules and ordinances, not to permit or allow
any religious to enter upon or exercise the duties of the office of
priest in the missions in charge of the religious in the district of
that archbishopric, unless he first be examined and approved by you
or the person whom you shall appoint therefor, in order to satisfy
yourself that he has the necessary competency, and that he knows the
language of the Indians whom he is to instruct. In the visitations
that you shall make you shall remove those whom you shall find to
be incompetent, or lacking in the ability and good morals that are
requisite, and those who do not know sufficiently the language of
the Indians whom they instruct; and you shall advise their superiors
of it, so that they may appoint others who shall have the requisite
qualifications, in which they are also to be examined. You shall
advise me of whatever is done in the matter. Given in San Lorenzo,
November fourteen, one thousand six hundred and three.
_I The King_
By order of the king, our sovereign:
_Juan de Ybarra_."
And inasmuch as my intention and will is that the orders and
commands on the said subject be obeyed and executed exactly, I
request and charge you to examine the said decree, above inserted,
and to observe and obey it _in toto_, exactly as is contained and
declared therein. Such is my will, notwithstanding that, in the course
of time and with the claims of the prelates, any other custom may
have been tolerated or introduced. That shall not be allowed, under
any consideration whatever. In order that the above order may have
more complete effect, I am having the Audiencia there ordered, by
another decree of the same date with this, to give you the necessary
protection and aid for it. You shall advise me of all that is done
in this matter. Given at Madrid, December thirty-one, one thousand
six hundred and twenty-two.
_I The King_
By order of the king, our sovereign:
_Juan Ruiz de Contreras_
Signed by the Council.
[_Endorsed_: "To the archbishop of Manila, that he observe the decree
above inserted, so that the religious of the missions shall be examined
in the language of the Indians."]
[_Endorsed_: "_Id._ To the bishop of Nueva Segovia in
Philipinas." "_Id._ To the bishop of Nueva Cáceres." "_Id._ To the
bishop of the city of Santisimo Nombre de Jesús."]