The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 22 of 55 / 1625-29 / 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, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century.

by Unknown

Royal Decree Granting Income to the Society of Jesus

Don Juan Niño de Tavora, knight of the Order of Calatraba, comendador of Puerto Llano, whom I have appointed as my governor and captain-general of the Philipinas Islands, or the person or persons in whose charge is or shall be the government of the said islands: Father Francisco Crespo,[1] procurator-general of the Society of Jesus, of the Yndias, in the name of the college of his order in the city of Manila, of the said islands, has reported to me that the church and house of the residence, inasmuch as it was built by the fathers who first went there, is very old, and that it is falling down, on account of the earthquakes that have happened, so that only the house has remained standing, which is in danger of falling also; and that grammar, the arts, and theology have been studied there for more than the last thirty years, from which has followed the benefit that is well known. In respect to its needs, and the expenses that have been incurred in treating the sick, since its alms are very few, and its income very slight, they do not have the wherewithal with which to support the religious who live there, inasmuch as they do not ask any alms for their sacrifices [i.e., masses], or for building their church or house. Although the church is commenced, the building cannot be continued. In consideration of that, he petitions me to concede them there the sixteen thousand ducados, of which concession was made in the sum of one thousand ducados every year for sixteen years to the convent of St. Augustine, of the said city, in tributes of vacant Indians of the said islands, so that with this grant they might continue the erection of the said church, and build a comfortable house in which the religious may live, and apply themselves to the said branches, and where missionaries may be trained with whom to attend to the conversion of the Indians and the preaching of the holy gospel. After having examined what your predecessor and the archbishop of the said city reported to me in my royal Council of the Indias, and after they consulted with me, I have considered it advisable to concede to the college of the Society of Jesus in the said city of Manila, for the present, for each of ten years, one thousand ducados, which amount to three hundred and seventy-five thousand maravedis, in Indians of whom the encomienda shall be vacant, or shall first become vacant, in the said Philipinas Islands, just in the same way as the concession was made to the said convent of the Order of St. Augustine of the said city for its buildings. Accordingly, I command you to assign to the said college of the Society of Jesus in the said city of Manila, the said one thousand ducados in tributes of the Indians whose encomienda shall be vacant, or shall first become vacant, in the said islands, so that this sum may be paid to them in each one of ten years, as above said. You shall give the necessary despatch to this, so that those fathers may be assisted with it for the said purpose. I order the officials of my treasury of the said Filipinas Islands to obey what you shall order by virtue of this my decree; and they shall not place any obstacle to it, notwithstanding anything provided to the contrary. Given in Madrid, June first, one thousand six hundred and twenty-five.

I The King

Countersigned by Don Francisco Ruis de Contreras, and signed by the members of the Council.

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[1] Francisco Crespo, S.J., was born at Ubeda, and entered the Jesuit order in 1598, at the age of fifteen. He preached for ten years and resided for some years at the court of Spain, in the capacity of procurator of the missions of the Indias. He died at Madrid, September 25, 1665. He was the author of two relations and the memorial mentioned in the decree. See Sommervogel’s Bibliothèque Comp. de Jésus.