LETTER FROM FELIPE IV TO THE CONDE DE SIRVELA
To the Conde de Sirvela, my relative and member of my Council, and my ambassador at Roma: The bearer of this, Fray Mateo de Villa, of the Order of Preachers, procurator of the province of Sancto Rosario of the Filipinas Islands, a part of my western Indias, has informed me that his province possesses a college, that of Sancto Thomas, in the city of Manila, of which I am patron, and which contains thirty secular students. He says that this college has been a university for several years by royal license; that bulls have been conceded twice for its preservation; and that at the present time grammar, rhetoric, the arts, and moral and scholastic philosophy are taught there, to the special profit of the children of that community. He begs me to have royal license given, so that the said college may be a university, with the same qualifications and perpetuity as are possessed by the other universities of his order in the convent of Sancto Thomas at Avila, and in Sanctiago at Pamplona, in these my kingdoms. His petition having been examined by the members of my royal Council of the Indias; and having taken into consideration that the city of Manila, of the Filipinas Islands, is situated more than three thousand leguas from the nearest universities—namely, those of Lima and Mexico—and that the said university experiences some restriction; I have considered it fitting to lend my royal consent in this matter, and to permit this concession to endure for the present: provided that, if in future there should be any disposition to found a separate university, that may be done, as in the cities of Lima and Mexico, so that it may be a general university, in order that students may be graduated from all branches of learning, and that all its degrees may be valid everywhere. Therefore I charge and order you, in my name, and by virtue of the letter of authority that I am writing, to entreat his Holiness to be pleased to concede a bull, so that the said college may become a university with the same qualifications and perpetuity as those of Airla, Sanctiago de Pamplona, Lima, and Mexico—as those islands and provinces have no university of this rank. For this is advantageous to my service and to the public welfare of those districts. You shall act as diligently in this matter, as I expect you to do, so that the said bull be given immediately, and in this wise will you serve me. Madrid, December 20, 1644.
I the King
By order of the king, our sovereign: Juan Baptista Saenz Nav[arrete]
[Endorsed: “To the ambassador in Roma. He is to beg his Holiness to concede a bull granting that the college of Sancto Thomas of Manila, of the Order of Preachers, become a university.”
“Felipe IV. Original letter written by his Majesty to the count of Sirvela, in respect to the latter begging his Holiness in the king’s name, to concede his bull so that the college of Sancto Thomas of Manila of the Order of Preachers become a university.”
“Given in Madrid, December 20, 1644.”
“In order that a brief may be given by his Holiness so that the college of Sancto Thomas of Manila become a university.”
“Bought June 17, 1891 for twenty-five pesetas from Don José Maria Rocamora
J. Vigil.”]
Bull issued by Innocent X
Pope Innocent X, for the memory of this in the future.
Established by the divine order in the supereminent watch tower of the apostolic see, although with inadequate merits, and reviewing in the privacy of our consideration the extent to which the holy Catholic faith is increased by the study of letters, and the worship of the true God diffused, truth recognized and justice revered and observed, we are gladly making efforts to have the said studies promoted, so that even humble persons who desire to train themselves in those studies may attain their desire. Applying for this purpose with more particular inclination the vigilance of our solicitude, while at the same time the desires of the faithful ones of Christ, and signally of those who are conspicuous with royal dignity, entreat this: accordingly, having considered the condition of those places, we judge, in the spirit of God, that the following is beneficial and expedient.
Since there is in the city of Manila, of the Filipinas Islands in the western Indias, a college called Sancto Tomás, of the order of the friars of St. Dominic, as has been lately told us in the name of our very beloved son in Christ, Felipe, Catholic king of the Españas, wherein thirty collegiates are being educated, and grammar, rhetoric, logic, philosophy, and scholastic and moral theology are studied and taught, to the great profit of the inhabitants of those districts; and considering that the city of Manila is more than three thousand leguas from the two nearest universities with general curricula—namely, Lima and México—for which reason the said King Felipe is especially desirous that a university be erected and instituted by us in the said college (thus it was that we were humbly petitioned in the name of the said Felipe that, in consideration of its utility to the inhabitants of the said city, and to their instruction or education in letters, we would, with apostolic authority, deign to erect and institute a university in the above-mentioned city and in the buildings of the aforesaid college, in which the religious of the said order may publicly give instruction to and teach any youth grammar, rhetoric, logic, philosophy, and scholastic and moral theology, and also make seasonable provision in the other things above mentioned, in accordance with apostolic graciousness):
We therefore, desiring to show gracious compliance, and ourselves being effectually inclined to the pious desires and petitions of King Felipe, after invoking the opinion and advice of some of our beloved sons—cardinals of the Holy Roman Church and other prelates of this court, whom we assign to this duty—by the tenor of the present, and without prejudice to any other, erect and institute, by virtue of apostolic authority, a university in the said city of Manila, in the buildings of the said college where the schools are at present, or wherever they may be built hereafter in more ample form. In it the religious of the said order may publicly give instruction to and teach any youth grammar, rhetoric, logic, philosophy, and scholastic and moral theology. This shall have force only until some public university with a general curriculum be erected by apostolic authority in the said city of Manila, or in its province. We submit and subject this said university, thus founded and instituted, by the aforesaid authority and perpetually to the supervision, management, and administration of the said order, and that of its master-general, now and forever, or of the person whom he shall assign, who shall be the rector of the whole university.
Item: By the authority and tenor of these presents, we concede and grant to the said university, its rector, masters, students, and to all and each one of the aforesaid, power to obtain, employ, and enjoy, all and singular, the privileges, indults, liberties, immunities, exemptions, favors, concessions, prerogatives, honors, and preëminences conceded to like universities, and to their successive rectors, masters, lecturers, doctors, teachers, students, procurators, beadles, envoys, officials, and helpers, and all other persons, however these may be conceded to them, whether in general or in special—not only in their similitude, but in like form and with complete and equal excellence. And besides this, we concede to the rector of the said university and college, henceforth and forever, as long as the said university endure, as above stated, power to promote and graduate those who shall have studied their due time in this university thus founded, and whom he shall consider as qualified in learning and morals, as bachelors, licentiates, doctors, and masters in those branches which are taught and studied in the said college, observing in all and through all the form of the decrees of the councils of Vienne and of Trent[1]—whose decrees we are not minded to violate in any respect—and also the praiseworthy customs of the other universities, and to give to such graduates the insignia of such degrees. Those thus promoted and graduated by the rector may afterward, publicly and privately, even though it be in all the other academies and universities with general curricula, expound the above-mentioned studies, and teach others, may dispute concerning them, and perform the acts suitable to the degree or degrees that they may possess. They shall also be enabled to exercise and enjoy all the rights, privileges, favors, concessions, prerogatives, and indults, that are exercised, and enjoyed, and that may be exercised and enjoyed hereafter, by right or custom, by those legitimately graduated from the said schools, either in other academies or universities, or in any other place, in all respects, as if they had received their degrees in the said academies or universities, in accordance with the usages and customs of those institutions.
By virtue of the aforesaid authority and tenor, we also concede and grant authority to the master-general of the said order, now and forever, that any statute and ordinance—so long as it be legal and proper, and not contrary to the sacred canons and decrees of the Council of Trent and apostolic constitutions—may be published and promulgated by himself, by the rector of the college and university thus founded, or any other person or persons, according to what is thus advisable for the wholesome and successful administration of the university, and proper to the duties and obligations of rector, master, procurators, beadles, envoys, and all other assistants and officials. In respect to the manner and form of instruction, the employment of each one in his duties, and the maintenance of the students, the said officer may publish and promulgate any statutes or ordinances—provided they be lawful and reasonable, and not contrary to the sacred canons, or the decrees of the Council of Trent, or the apostolic constitutions; and these statutes and ordinances may be changed, corrected, and recast, or repealed and annulled and others established anew, according to the character of the times, affairs, and persons; and he may impose what penalties seem best to him for their observation and fulfilment. He may freely appoint and remove the doctors, lecturers, students, procurators, beadles, and all other assistants and officials of the university, or confirm the appointments made of them.
Item: We decree that these present letters must and shall be valid, firm, and efficacious; that they shall have and obtain their plenary and complete effects; and that thus and in no other manner ought they be judged and defined by any judges, ordinary or delegated, even though such be the auditors of the causes of the apostolic palace, and cardinals of the Holy Roman Church. And further, if any person, of whatsoever rank he be, should perchance attempt to contravene the decree herein contained, whether knowingly or ignorantly, his opposition shall be void and invalid, notwithstanding the apostolic constitutions and ordinances, or in any necessary rules of the said order—statutes, customs, and any other contrary things—even if accompanied with oath, apostolic confirmation, or any other validity, corroboration, or authorization. Given at Rome, in Santa Maria la Maggiore, under the Fisherman’s seal, November twenty, one thousand six hundred and forty-five, in the second year of our pontificate.
[1] Two of the general or œcumenical councils of the Church; that of Vienne was convened in 1311, and that of Trent in 1545.