clesiastical jurisdiction of the cabildo was losing repute [estando
en opiniones]. For the remedy of so many evils, he made arrangements
with the ministers of the royal Audiencia that the archbishop should
be restored to his see; and this was actually carried out, by decree
of that royal tribunal, in which the ministers of the royal Audiencia
admit that the ecclesiastical jurisdiction had been snatched from
the archbishop--as if this could be thus taken away, and especially
by lay and secular officials!

Notwithstanding that the decree for the restitution of the archbishop
had gone out from the royal Audiencia, it took much persuasion to
make him acquiesce in returning to his see. One reason was, that he
was not willing to return until his Holiness and the Council should
decide his cause; the other, that he saw the affairs of his church in
such a condition that it was almost impossible to set them right. But
finally, at the entreaties of good men, and as persons very influential
in this colony had gone to bring back his illustrious Lordship, he
made the decision to return to Manila, where he was received with
universal rejoicing and applause.... The holy pastor went about,
looking up his flock, and when he saw it so injured and despoiled by
the abuses, errors, and evil consequences which had been occasioned
by the usurping jurisdiction of the cabildo--and, above all, by the
censures in which so many were involved, affecting the liberty of
their consciences, with disregard for our holy mother the Church--he
undertook to procure the reconciliation of the accused persons,
inducing them first to acknowledge their errors. First of all,
through the intercession of the new governor absolution was given
in private to the auditors (who had been active in his arrest and
in those of other ecclesiastical persons), they humbling themselves
to ask for absolution with certain demonstrations of reverence. The
members of his cabildo he absolved in public, with all the customary
preparations and ceremonies; and the same thing was done with other
persons, laymen, who had been concerned in the said arrests--especially
with the preceding governor [i.e., Vargas] the principal author of
these acts of violence, who, being now a private person, was not on
the same footing as the auditors, who were royal ministers and were
actually governing this commonwealth. There was much to overcome in
this point, in order that the said governor should humbl