The Philippine Islands, 1493–1898/Volume 9/Formation of new dioceses
The King: To my cousin, the Duke. My zeal and desire have always been, and are, to procure and provide throughout all the provinces, divisions, and localities of the Western Indias, whether already discovered or to be discovered hereafter, the propagation and extension of our holy Catholic faith and Christian religion; and for that purpose I endeavor to provide the necessary prelates and ministers, through whose agency the natives of those parts, blinded by their hideous idolatry, may come into knowledge of the true faith; and, together with those already converted, may be enlightened and instructed so that they may enjoy salvation, partaking of the copious fruit of our redemption. Hence at my supplication, archbishoprics have been established in those districts and places where it seemed necessary. For, in spite of the fact that a bishopric was founded in the city of Manila in the island of Luzon in the Philipinas, situated in the great archipelago of China, very near the mainland of that country—yet, inasmuch as that district is very large, and contains numerous islands with a large native population—a single prelate cannot easily and under ordinary circumstances visit his diocese as he should, fulfil the pontifical decrees, and provide for spiritual affairs with the necessary despatch. It has been shown by those who have had experience that many inconveniences result; and after this was investigated by the members of my royal Council of the Indias, and counsel taken upon it, with the object of correcting these evils, it has seemed to me both fitting and necessary for the fulfilment of the obligation that I am under of procuring the salvation of the souls of those my subjects—according as I am enjoined by the holy apostolic see and bidden by my conscience—that the cathedral church of the said city of Manila be elevated into a metropolitan see and its territory into an archbishopric; and that three new bishoprics be created and established suffragan to it, so that they may hold their synods according to the orders of the holy Council of Trent, and without coming to Nueva España, as the bishop of Manila, who was the suffragan to the archbishop of Mexico, was compelled to do. From one region to the other, the journey is more than three thousand leguas; and, besides, it is evident that those islands could thus be better and more fittingly governed in spiritual affairs.
Therefore I command you upon receipt of this despatch, to propose to his Holiness, and supplicate him, in my name, that he may be pleased to elevate into a metropolitan see the said cathedral church of Manila, and to create the three bishoprics aforesaid—one in the church of the city of Nueva-Segovia in the province of Cagayan in the island of Luzon, under the protection of the Conception of Our Lady; one in the city of Cáceres in the territory of Camarines, in the same island, under the protection of St. John the Evangelist; and the other in the aforesaid city of Santísimo Nombre de Xesus, in the island of Cebú, of that archipelago, under the protection of the guardian angel. In this way each one may exercise in his diocese the pastoral office; and the metropolitan archbishop, together with the bishops, may labor with jurisdiction, authority, and power in the conversion and instruction of the said natives; and he and they may provide for other spiritual matters which may seem desirable for the maintenance of divine worship and the salvation of souls. But for the present, and until affairs be more settled in those regions and tithes established, no cathedral churches shall be erected, or dignitaries or canonries provided for, except that the bishops shall dwell privately in the monasteries of their order which are situated in the aforesaid cities. Nevertheless, in order that the said cathedral churches may be erected in due time, and that for the present, definite territories may be assigned to the aforesaid archbishopric, and to the bishops, you must thus entreat his Holiness, in my name, to give me power to add to or to change the said territories, when and in such wise as may seem most fitting to me. At the same time, you will present and nominate to his Holiness, in my name, Fray Ygnacio de Santibañez,[1] of the order of St. Francis, as archbishop of the aforesaid church of Manila, in place of the late Fray Domingo de Salazar, of the order of St. Dominic, the first and last bishop of that city; for the bishopric of Nueva-Segovia, Fray Miguel de Benavides, of the order of St. Dominic; for the bishopric of the city of Santísimo Nombre de Xesús, in the island of Cebú, Fray Pedro de Agurto, of the order of St. Augustine; and for the bishopric of the city of Cáceres, Fray Luis Maldonado, of the order of St. Francis. By these presents I nominate them and offer them as candidates to his Holiness, in order that by this nomination which I make as patron of all the churches of the Indias—he may bestow upon them these churches and the aforesaid archbishopric and bishoprics; for from the favorable accounts that I have of the goodness, learning, virtue, and exemplary lives of the aforesaid religious, I trust that our Lord will be well served by these provisions and the churches well governed and administered. Moreover, in according me this, his Holiness will confer upon me a special favor and kindness, which you will therefore make known to him. You will also tell him that in the absence of tithes, I have endowed the archbishopric with an annuity of three thousand ducats, drawn from my royal exchequer, and each of the bishops with five hundred thousand maravedis[2] annually. You will see to it that the bulls[3] on the whole matter be sent out with the utmost promptitude in order to reach the first fleet that sails. From Madrid, on the seventeenth day of June, one thousand five hundred and ninety-five.
I the King
- ↑ Ignacio de Santibañez, a Franciscan, was appointed first archbishop of Manila; he then went to Nueva España, where he was consecrated in 1596, but did not take possession of his see until 1598. His term of office lasted less than three months, for he died on August 14 of the same year.
- ↑ The maravedi was a money of account; thirty-four made a real (see VOL. III, p. 177). A royal decree dated June 14, 1595, granted to Santibañez an annuity of 500,000 maravedis from Salazar's death until such time as his successor should enter upon his duties as archbishop.
- ↑ By bulls given at Rome, August 14, 1595, the bishoprics of Nueva Segovia, Cebú, and Nueva Cáceres were established. The right of changing the boundaries of the dioceses was reserved to the papal nuncio in Spain; and the patronage was granted (as in the new archbishopric of Manila) to the king of Spain.