Which term describes the act of transferring parish administration from Spanish regulars to Filipino secular leaders?

Which term describes the act of transferring parish administration from Spanish regulars to Filipino secular leaders?

• A. Hispano-Filipino
• B. Encomienda
• C. Secularization
• D. Democratic

Answer: (C)

Secularization describes the move of parish administration from the Spanish regular clergy (the friars who ran many parishes) to local secular clergy (diocesan priests). In the colonial Church, parishes were often controlled by religious orders, who also dictated revenue and parish life. Secularization is the process of shifting that control to ordinary diocesan priests, including Filipinos, so the local church governance is handled within the diocesan structure rather than by a foreign order. This change reflects efforts to empower local clergy and reduce foreign control, and it sits in contrast to terms that refer to unrelated concepts—like land‑grant systems or political structures, or to cultural labels not about church administration.

Secularization describes the move of parish administration from the Spanish regular clergy (the friars who ran many parishes) to local secular clergy (diocesan priests). In the colonial Church, parishes were often controlled by religious orders, who also dictated revenue and parish life. Secularization is the process of shifting that control to ordinary diocesan priests, including Filipinos, so the local church governance is handled within the diocesan structure rather than by a foreign order. This change reflects efforts to empower local clergy and reduce foreign control, and it sits in contrast to terms that refer to unrelated concepts—like land‑grant systems or political structures, or to cultural labels not about church administration.