diced b Jos e S. Arc a, - non

Mr. Lecaroz in whose house we stayed. Lecaroz, like Basa and the otherFilipinos, are with us and support the Noli. In Hongkong I investigated manyimportant things, for example, the wealth of the Augustinians, their missions,etc 16Volonteri, however, had been aware of this because of a controversybetween his companion Raimondi and the Procurator of the DominicanProvince of the Most Holy Rosary of the Philippines, Fray Ramon Reixach,0. P. It was a heated fight occasioned by the economic penury of the CatholicChurch at the moment when liberalism triumphant all over the worldsystematically sought the impoverishment of the Church. One answer wasthe integration of plans for the economic stability of certain missions thengoing through precarious vicissitudes and facing imperious needs.The origin of this conflict was a fund which Jose Calvo, Vicar Apostolicof Fookien, had left in a bank so that, with its revenues, the SacredCongregation for the Propagation of the Faith might continue financing thespread of the faith in Fookien. In 1867, Fr. Raimondi, Procurator of theMission of Hongkong, was appointed administrator also of the Procure of thePropagation in Hongkong. He soon reported the disappearance of a sizableamount of money, apparently through bad loans, leaving the Procure of thePropagation in Hongkong in debt. A few days later, 29 March, another lettercomplained that a subsidy from the Holy Infancy in Italy had not beenreceived. Other anomalies were also uncovered: a debt of 50,000 escudossince 7 September 1867; another loan to a certain Diaz murdered by theChinese; still another loan to a Fr. Serafin who had died while returning fromhis mission. Raimondi's problem then was how to make good all these sums.The creditors were now insisting on payment of loans they had made.Unfortunately, the deposits had been withdrawn by Ambrosi, former administratorin Hongkong for the Propagation of the Faith, and charged to theMission of Hongkong which then had to pay the interests to the Mission ofFookien. To avoid lawsuits, Raimondi borrowed money from Reixach.Volonteri went to the Philippines to collect the amount and, with the sums hebrought back, they were able to liquidate the debts to the lay creditors. Theproblem had not been fully solved, but at least, it was now confined within theecclesiastical family.Raimondi was forced to adopt a new financial plan, but those who wereaffected demanded that the Mission of Hongkong must pay because thesolution of their problems had been at the cost of losing their stipends. Hence41