Pedro Chirino
Encyclopedia
Pedro Chirino was a Spanish historian who spent 12 years in the Philippines
as a Jesuit missionary at the beginning of the 17th century. He established a boarding school at Tigbauan in 1592, but the work he is most remembered for is his Relación de las Islas Filipinas (1604), a record of life in 17th century Philippines which, Historian Ambeth Ocampo
notes, is highly regarded "by those reading early accounts of the Philippines, including Jose Rizal
."
He recorded an example of an exorcism
by a Catholic
friar
of a Filipino woman who had been bewitched and seized with trembling and paroxysms
. Chirino wrote, "Our Brother was sent to ascertain what this disturbance meant, and when he learned what had happened, he called the husband and gave him a little piece of the "Agnus" in a reliquary
, exhorting him at the same time to have faith, and promising that his wife would soon be healed.…The husband went home with the agnus, and no sooner had he applied it to his wife than she was freed of the trembling and terror and remained calm. This occurrence soon became public, and another Indian [the term "Indios
" was used by the Spaniards to refer to the indigenous Austronesian peoples of the Philippines
] who had been bewitched by the same Indian woman, on seeing this marvel, was convinced that God granted health to those who invoked him. Accordingly, he asked for the same relic, and he also was healed."
Father Chirino also recorded the transition of Filipino writing from the Baybayin
script to the Latin alphabet.
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
as a Jesuit missionary at the beginning of the 17th century. He established a boarding school at Tigbauan in 1592, but the work he is most remembered for is his Relación de las Islas Filipinas (1604), a record of life in 17th century Philippines which, Historian Ambeth Ocampo
Ambeth Ocampo
Ambeth R. Ocampo is a multi-awarded Filipino historian, academic, journalist, and author best known for his writings about Philippines' national hero José Rizal and for "Looking Back", his bi-weekly editorial page column in the Philippine Daily Inquirer...
notes, is highly regarded "by those reading early accounts of the Philippines, including Jose Rizal
José Rizal
José Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda , was a Filipino polymath, patriot and the most prominent advocate for reform in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial era. He is regarded as the foremost Filipino patriot and is listed as one of the national heroes of the Philippines by...
."
He recorded an example of an exorcism
Exorcism
Exorcism is the religious practice of evicting demons or other spiritual entities from a person or place which they are believed to have possessed...
by a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
friar
Friar
A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders.-Friars and monks:...
of a Filipino woman who had been bewitched and seized with trembling and paroxysms
Paroxysmal attacks
Paroxysmal attacks are short, frequent and stereotyped symptoms that can be observed in various clinical conditions. They are usually associated with multiple sclerosis, pertussis, but they may also be observed in other disorders such as encephalitis, head trauma, stroke, asthma, trigeminal...
. Chirino wrote, "Our Brother was sent to ascertain what this disturbance meant, and when he learned what had happened, he called the husband and gave him a little piece of the "Agnus" in a reliquary
Reliquary
A reliquary is a container for relics. These may be the physical remains of saints, such as bones, pieces of clothing, or some object associated with saints or other religious figures...
, exhorting him at the same time to have faith, and promising that his wife would soon be healed.…The husband went home with the agnus, and no sooner had he applied it to his wife than she was freed of the trembling and terror and remained calm. This occurrence soon became public, and another Indian [the term "Indios
Filipino mestizo
Filipino mestizo is a term used in the Philippines to describe people of mixed Filipino and foreign ancestry. The word mestizo is of Spanish origin, and was originally used in the Americas to only describe people of mixed European and Native American ancestry.- History :Spanish periodThe Spanish...
" was used by the Spaniards to refer to the indigenous Austronesian peoples of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
] who had been bewitched by the same Indian woman, on seeing this marvel, was convinced that God granted health to those who invoked him. Accordingly, he asked for the same relic, and he also was healed."
Father Chirino also recorded the transition of Filipino writing from the Baybayin
Baybayin
Baybayin , is a pre-Spanish Philippine writing system. It is a member of the Brahmic family and is recorded as being in use in the 16th century...
script to the Latin alphabet.