Chapter 15

Results of the Philippine-American War

In 1903, When Mabini was asked whether it was wise to go on with armed
resistance to American rule or not, he gave this reply in part:
The Philippine-American War resulted in great loss of lives and decreased economic
productivity which affected the whole population rich and poor alike. Perhaps, the
countrys only victory or gain from the cruel war was the birth of the Philippine
Independent Church, where many Filipino clergy became administrators of parishes
and bishops of the church for the first time- Independent from Rome and the friars.
Nozelada was alarmed at this development. In April 1889, he accused Aglipay of
usurping power and suggested to the Ecclesiastical Tribunal that the Filipino priest
be punished. More than this, Nozelada issued a decree excommunicating Aglipay
effective May 5, 1889. The decree declared Aglipay to be a usurper and a
schismatic. Aglipay, for his apart, accused Nozelada of starving the Filipino masses
and of Collaborating with the Americans.
Mabini and The National Church
Being a patriot and nationalist, Mabini who no longer held a government
position was vacationing in Rosales, Pangasinan, where he issued a manifesto on
October 22, 1899 urging the Filipino priests to establish a National Church. It was to
be Catholic but under the control and supervision of Filipino priests.
Mabini was against the destruction of the Catholic Church in the Philippines.
He was for its preservation. Must be used on the appointment of Filipino priests to
all positions.Thus, the national church would still be Catholic.
The National Church
Mabinis suggestion that a Filipino National Church be established was hailed
by the Filipino clergy. The Filipino priests now believed, especially because the
Filipinos Government was favorable to their aspirations, that the time had come for
them to assert their right not only to occupy parishes, but also to occupy high
positions in the Church and thus, manage it. For this purpose, Aglipay, on October
23, 1889 tailed a meeting of Filipinos priests at Paniqui, Tarlac. In his speechof
Aguinaldo requested Aglipay to go Northern Luzon to propagate the revolutionary
cause.
Aglipay Becomes Military Vicar General
Aglipays position in the Catholic Church and in the Revolutionary
Government was anomalous. As a Catholic priests, he owed allegiance to the
Church, But as a Filipino he owed allegiance to the Revolutionary Government. In

other circular or manifesto on October 22, 1898. Aglipay urged the Filipinos priests
to organize themselves so are occupy vacant parishes.
Nozelada Excommunicates Aglipay
Aglipays position in the Catholic Church and in the Revolutionary Government was
anomalous. As a Catholic priest, he owed allegiance to the church. The
Revolutionary Government said Aglipay in his circular, Supporting us in our aims
because it cannot recognize as head of the Filipino clergy in the Spanish
Government. Moreover, He urged them to rally to the revolutionary cause which, he
said, was favorable to the cause of the Filipino clergy.
Filipinozation of the Church
In the twilight years of the 20th century. FIlipinozation of the Church On October 20,
1898 he was appointed Military Vicar General of the revolutionaries.
The next day, Aglipay sent a letter to various clergy asking them to ask the
Pope to appoint Filipinos in all local church positions. Aglipay Becomes Military Vicar
General On May 5, 1899, Archbishop Bernardino V. Nozaleda
excommunicated Aglipay from the Roman Catholic Church. Nozaleda
Excommunicate Aglipay Mabini and the National Church is concept of a Christian
church associated with a specific ethnic group or nation
state. The idea was notably discussed during the 19th century,
during the emergence of modern nationalism. The National Church Filipinization of
the Church in the twilight years of the 20th century. In an epoch of strong
nationalism and critical opposition to US domination
Opposition to the Filipinization The Separation from Rome This ministry focuses on
helping Christians become oriented to living a life in Christ.
Just as you receive orientation in a new job, you too
need to be coached or oriented to your new spiritual life.
Getting born again is a major step of faith and is necessary to secure eternal life.
Converts to the New Church They attempted to get him to sign a document
swearing his allegiance to the
Roman Catholic Church. Aglipay said he would sign it
if the Church would continue to work towards appointing more Filipino priests.
Attempts to Win Back Aglipay On January 18, 1903, Aglipay s appointed Supreme
Bishop of the Philippine
Independent Church by the bishops of Manila, Cavite
, Nueva Ecija, Isabela, Cagayan, Pangasinan, and Abra. Consecration of Aglipay as
Bishop In our not so distant past new churches were started whenever two or three
Methodist lay-folks found themselves in a new territory t
hat needed a new proclamation of the Gospel.
Today, we have too often relegated the task of starting new churches to
denominational agencies and officers, but historically this task was the
work of every Methodist throughout the world.

Our future relies on us reclaiming this fundamental freedom and

responsibility to proclaim the
Gospel and form communities of disciples to which we were
all ordained by God's grace in our baptisms. Importance of the New Church :trillion
of people died in the war
:they having a casualties like food, shelter and etc. :peasants died thousand and the
other remained poor and landness :October 22 1899
Today in 1899, Apolinario Mabini, by that time former foreign minister of the
Philippines, issued a manifesto to the Filipino clergy calling for our own Filipino
Independent Church.
Mabini saw a need for a Filipino Church, though still under the Vatican, that would
work with the Revolutionary government. During the Spanish Era, the clergy in the
Philippines were mostly Spanish Friars. Mabini wanted a clergy with Filipino officials
from the top position down to the rank and file, A clergy with Spanish Friars would
not benefit the ongoing revolution. Two crises between AD 330 and 518
helped shape the Greek part of the empire.
The first was the invasion by barbarian Huns,
Visigoths, and Ostrogoths in the fifth century.
The second major crisis was religious in nature.
Opposition to Filipinization
The Revolutionary Government, is supporting us in our aims because it cannot
recognize as head of the Filipino clergy in the Spanish Bishop, for the powerful
political influence of the clergy in the Spanish Government is proverbial. October 22,
1898, Aglipay urged the Filipino priest to recognize themselves so as to occupy all
vacant parishes.
Archbishop Bernardino Nozaleda asked Aglipay to confront the revolutionary
leaders, offering them a level of autonomy for the Philippines if they would end the
rebellion. May 5, 1899 Archbishop Nozaleda excommunicated Aglipay from the
Roman Catholic Church since he joined the revolution and sent a letter to various
clergy asking them to ask the Pope to appoint Filipinos in all local church positions.
Aglipay, accused Nozaleda of starving the Filipino masses and of collaborating with
the Americans Aglipay was irritated upon learning that he was proclaimed Supreme
Bishop of the New Church. He was at the time conferring with the Spanish Jesuit in
the Jesuit House at Santa Ana, Manila
They invited Aglipay to a conference at the Jesuit house though Leon Ma Guerrerro
and Joaquin Luna
They persuade Aglipay to return to the Catholic Church. On the fifth day of the
conference between them, the latter asked Aglipay to sign a document which was a
confession of Catholic faith
Aglipay studied the document and refused to sign it From the first phase of the
revolution (1896-1998 against Spain) to the second phase (1898-1902 against the

U.S), owning a piece of land, in addition to independence, was a major goal of the
struggle.
The revolutionary government in Malolos confiscated the friar lands, but these went
to those who could present security in cash or kind. As a result, these lands were
awarded to the ilustrados and families with means. The peasants, who tilled small
spots before losing these to the various religious orders, did not get their share.
When the Treaty of Paris was signed, where Spain ceded the Philippines to the U.S.
for $20M, huge tracts of church lands amounting 422,000 acres became the
property of the U.S colonial government. But the friars protested and demanded for
repossession of their land.
Governor Taft quickly negotiated with the Vatican for the forced sale of the estates
to the U.S. with the possibility of reselling the friars lands to American corporations.
In subsequently years, the Filipino elite, along with American businessmen, would
be able to buy these estates as a reward for their cooperation and support to the
newly established U.S. colonial regime.
The peasants, who fought and from whose ranks thousands had died since 1896,
remained poor and landless. January 1900, the new Apostolic Delegate to the
Philippines, Monsignor Placido Chapelle, an American, arrived in Manila. Instead of
sympathizing with Filipino priests, he announced that those who opposed the
Spanish friars were the enemies of religion and public order.
He threatened the Filipino priests by saying that he would dominate them by force
because, he explained, he was the Popes delegate to the Philippines, on one hand,
and an American, on the other. He also said that the heads of the revolutionary
leaders should be chopped off. He added that the Filipino priests were incompetent
and therefore, fit to occupy only menial positions in the church. According to Mabini,
the Filipino National Church be established was hailed by the Filipino clergy.
The time had come for the Filipino priests to assert their right not only occupy
parishes, but also high positions in the church and thus, manage it. Aglipay, on
October 23, 1899 called a meeting of Filipino priests in Paniqui, Tarlac wherein he
said that the Catholic Church in the Philippines should be Filipinized. The Iglesia
Filipina Indepediente, popularly known as the AGLIPAYAN CHURCH, was a CHILD OF
THE REVOLUTION. As such it was inline with the nationalistic spirit that dominated
the Filipino patriots who fought not only for political, but also for religious
independence. Just as the revolution was a violent reaction to Spanish injustices,
the Aglipayan movement was a reaction to the Spanish refusal to recognize the
right of the Filipino priests to administer the catholic church in the Philippines.
That many of the Filipino priests dared to join the movement to be independent
from Rome was the proof that they, too, were patriotic like their countrymen in arms
against Spain and later against the United States. For more than 300 years, the
Spanish priest in the Phil. ignored the Filipino clergy and considered them incapable
of holding high positions in the church. This discrimination was quashed by the
Filipino priests inspired by GOMBURZA and headed by AGLIPAY, who showed their
capacity to administer parishes and manage the church.
By founding the Phil. Independent Church, Aglipay and his companions actualized a

centuries-old goal of vibrant and dynamic FIlipinism. AGLIPAYAN CHURCH ( Iglesia

Filipina Indeoendiente) -story of birth is a great extent to story of struggle of Filipino
clergy to Filipinize the Catholic Church in the Philippine Father Gomez, Burgos and
Zamora (GomBurZa)
The Separation from Rome
Chapelles unwarranted frankness may be tolerated by American like him, But
Filipinos consider such kind of frankness not as honesty but discourtesy and
boorishness. Consequently, the Filipino priests felt insulted and, as a result they
closed ranks and continued t work for the Filipinization of the Church of the
Philippines. The suggestion was loudly proclaimed by those present and the new
Church was called Iglesia Filipina Independiente(Philippine Independent Church).
With the founding of this church, the separation from Rome was complete.

Converts of the New Church

In his enthuasiasm, Isabelo de los Reyes made a list of what he considered to be
sympathizers of the New Church. He included in his list such a big names as
Fernando Ma. Guerrero , Martin Ocampo, Trinidad H. Pardo De Tavera, Manuel
Artigas, and priests and priests such as Adriano Garces, Jorge Barlin, Manuel Roxas,
Toriblo Dominguez and others. These men were not hostile to the new Church, but
they were not prepared to join it either. Delos Reyes disappointed for he thought
that those men he listed as sympathizers of the new Church would join it.
Attempts to Win Back Aglipay
Aglipay was irritated upon learning that he was proclaimed Supreme Bishop of the
New Church. He was the time conferring with a Spanish Jesuit House at Sta. Ana,
Manila. The Jesuits invited Aglipay to a conference at the Jesuit House through Leon.
Ma Guerrero and Joaquin Luna. The Jesuits chose Father Francisco Foradada, S.J., A
Spanish author of a book on the Philippines to persuade Aglipay to return to the
Catholic Church.
Importance of the New Church
The Iglesia Filipina Independiente, popularly known as the Aglipayan Church, was a
child of the Revolution. As such, it was fun line with the nationalistic spirit that
dominated the Filipino patriots. Who fought not only for political, but also for
religious independence. Just as the Revolution was a violent reaction to Spanish
refusal to recognize the right of the Filipino priests to administer the Catholic Church
in the Philippines. For more than three hundred years the Spanish priests in the
Philippines ignored the Filipino clergy and considered them incapable of holding
high positions in the Church. By founding the Philippine Independent Church AGlipay

and his companions actualized a centuries- old goal of vibrant and dynamic
Filipinism.