The Church and the Faithful during the Revolution

One of the sources of animosity between the camps of Emilio Aguinaldo and that of Andres Bonifacio was their differences in religious attitudes. Seldom was this treated in history books, but it definitely caused a deep rift between the two factions. The Katipunan of Bonifacio was fundamentally secular and anti-clerical, while Aguinaldo’s group was deeply religious. The provincial leaders in Cavite were not only respectful of the church, but were often bound by close relationship of friendship and even of blood with the Filipino clergy. When the Revolution first broke out in Kawit, Gen. Aguinaldo lost no time in warning their town’s Spanish Recollect parish priest. He saw to it that he escaped safely to Manila. When the Magdalo captured some friars, Aguinaldo treated them with courtesy.

When the situation had become dangerous for the Magdalo and after the loss of Silang to the Spaniards, the friar prisoners were turned over to the Magdiwang faction led by the men of Bonifacio for safekeeping. However, inspired by the anti-clerical attitude of Bonifacio, the Magdiwang hastily decided to execute the friars in their territory in Maragondon. It seemed that it was one of the causes, which led Aguinaldo to bring about the trial and execution of Bonifacio.

While it was true that some friars were killed in the first days of the Revolution, most of them were killed at the heat of battle while defending themselves in arms with other Spaniards. If ever there were scattered assassinations, they were caused by individual vengeance.

Even at the height of the Philippine Revolution, the religious fervor of the people did not falter. According to Telesforo Canseco, the mayordomo of the Dominican Hacienda of Naic, not only were the masses highly attended, but churches were even crowded during fiestas. The Caviteños would not postpone their patronal fiesta for reason of the ongoing Revolution. Some leaders of the revolution even ordered the Katipuneros to hear mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation. In San Francisco de Malabon, the Secretary of the Revolutionary Government even assisted as sacristan during the daily masses.

The churches were untiring in preaching morality and urging the leaders of the Revolution to refrain from abuses. Some officials, with candles in their hands, even accompanied the priest who brought the Holy Eucharist to the sick. In almost all the towns of Cavite, the Holy Rosary was recited. The assistance of the Holy Virgin was invoked for the success of the impending military operation. The prayers were offered not only for victory, but also for thanksgiving for the battles won. On one occasion, General Mariano Alvarez ordered the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament with solemn prayers for three days in the church of San Francisco de Malabon. Prayers for peace and for the success of the Revolution were offered.

Very interesting was the novena written by Don Diego Mojica, the Ministro de Hacienda of the Revolution, to be recited in San Francisco de Malabon and other towns of the province. The novena was held “to ask God for triumph of the independence of the country.” But the novena also prayed for Spain not to punish with full rigor those who had arisen in arms against her if this was not fitting for God and for the Blessed Virgin and the Church.

Felix Cuenca, a revolutionary from Bacoor, even admonished the revolutionaries to purity of life and avoidance of sin, otherwise, the sinfulness of the people might cause the failure of the Revolution. The most beautiful manifestation of Christian sentiment was stated in an official Revolutionary, document which ordered that “masses be celebrated for the revolutionaries who died in battle as well as for the Spaniards in as much as, they said, all were Christians.” As with the practices of the Spanish government, the Philippine Revolutionary Government of Aguinaldo continued to pay the salaries of the Filipino clergy in the parishes of the province. In Cavite, no official revolutionary document contained anti-friar sentiments.