AUGUSTINIAN AFFAIRS
Petition of Brother Thomas Marquez of the Order of Saint Augustine that the definitorship in the Philippine Islands be maintained in force.
Most blessed Father:
Following is a petition humbly made to your Holiness in the interests of the devout brother of that order, Thomas Marquez,[1] professed of the Order of Hermits of St. Augustine, from his twenty-third year a member of the definitorship of the same order of the province of the Philippine Islands in the West Indies,[2] and in the name of the said province. Whereas, on account of his great skill in the management of affairs, as well as of his learning, the convents and the provincial definitory of the said order for those regions (as may be seen in the letters addressed by them to your Holiness, and acknowledged by your Holiness), chose him to remedy the very many grievances and scandals which distressed the mission-bands of the brethren of the said order that were sent by royal command to those regions to preach the gospel, which arose through the negligence or malice of their leaders, as well as from the hindrances on the part of the provincials of Castile to prevent such as they deemed useful and necessary to their own province from going thither. Wherefore, he was appointed procurator-general in order to act at your curia, as well as at the Spanish, for the transaction of weighty affairs concerning the order in the said regions, since his superiors in Spain in contravention of the wish and decree of the most reverend prior-general as well as of the general chapter, had usurped the title of vicar-general of the aforesaid Indies, and thereby were guilty of disobedience. Inasmuch as they barred him from exercising his said office of procurator-general, besides taking from him all his papers and reports bearing on the above affairs, which he was carrying with him; moreover, in virtue of holy obedience and under other penalties they enjoined him from applying to the Roman curia or to the general of the said order in the interest of the aforesaid countries; and lastly besides depriving him of his former conventship located him instead at San Felipe of Madrid:[3] he now prays your Holiness humbly while making due provision in the premises also to charge the most reverend nuncio of those countries to see that he be reëstablished in the exercise of his said office, that all his papers be restored, and himself enabled in accordance with the tenor and wish of his province to take with him all the brethren of the said order [in Spain] who wish to go with him for the purpose of converting the peoples of those countries and preaching to them the word of God. Moreover your Holiness is implored to restrain under grave penalties and censures all who may hinder him in the exercise of his duty, as well as strive in any way to dissuade the brethren who may wish to devote themselves to the said ministry, for which they shall have been adjudged worthy, from going thither; moreover, to enjoin them [i.e., the provincials of Castile] under the same censures from using their vicargeneralship in opposition to the will and decree of the most reverend prior-general, or from attempting to contravene his mandates. Finally he seeks to be free in the exercise of his said office of procurator-general, according to the decree and command of the prior-general of the order. Wherefore he always will pray God for your health, which may God, etc.
[Addressed: “Our most blessed pope.”]
[Endorsed: “Case of Brother Thomas Marquez, procurator-general of the province of the Philippines of the Order of St. Augustine in the name of the said province.”]
[Endorsed: “Received, October 13, 1599; sent to our Lord.”]
[Endorsed: “To the Cardinal San Severino [word illegible] to be acted upon in the new congregation.”]
Memorial of Tomás Márquez
