The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803; explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the Catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commericial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the beginning of the nineteenth century; [Vol. 1, no. 24]

I630-I634]

PREFACE

21

They complain that the highest positions in the diocese are filled by friars, to the neglect and discouragement of the native-born seculars who are being
educated in the two universities at Manila. The
cathedral needs a permanent subsidy for its current
provision of wine, etc., and a special grant to finish
its sacristy. Its service is painfully inadequate; to
save the expense of salaries for additional canons,
the cabildo recommend that some of the missions
and benefices now held by the religious orders be
turned over to the cathedral. They recommend
royal favor for certain priests in Manila, and especially praise the labors of the Augustinian order in
the islands; more missionaries are needed there,
especially for the Augustinian Recollects. The
writers commend also certain military officials; but
they denounce the treasury officials for having permitted contraband trade of enormous extent with
Mexico. They remonstrate against the appointment
of Fray Guerrero to the archbishopric; and highly
commend the character, abilities, and work of the
royal visitor Rojas.
A papal bull concerning missions is issued (June
28, I633) by Urban VIII. After citing previous
decrees of the Holy See respecting the despatch of
missionaries to Japan and the Philippines, and their
journeys between those countries, Urban grants permission to the heads of religious orders to send
missionaries to the countries and islands of Eastern
India by other routes than that of Portugal. He
also warns the religious thus sent to observe uniformity of instructions to the newly-converted
heathen, especially in matters relating to morals,"
and " to restrict their teaching to general principles."