Mariano Gomez (priest)


Mariano Gómes
Gomburza.jpg
An engraving featuring Fr. Gómes, the leader, as the leftmost figure, with him are Fr. Zamora on the middle, and Fr. Burgos seated on the right.
ChurchCatholic Church
Personal details
Born
Mariano Gómez de los Ángeles

(1799-08-02)August 2, 1799
DiedFebruary 17, 1872(1872-02-17) (aged 72)
Bagumbayan, Manila, Captaincy General of the Philippines, Spanish Empire
NationalityFilipino
DenominationRoman Catholic
ParentsFrancisco Gómez
Martina Gómez (née Custodio)

Mariano Gómes de los Ángeles (Spanish: [ˈmaˈɾjano ˈɣomes]), often known by his birth name Mariano Gómez de los Ángeles, was a Filipino Catholic priest, who was falsely accused of mutiny by the Spanish colonial authorities in the Philippines in the 19th century. He was placed in a mock trial and summarily executed in Manila along with two other clergymen collectively known as the Gomburza. Gómes was the head of the three priests and spent his life writing about abuses against Filipino priests.

Early life

Gómes was born on August 2, 1799 in the suburb of Santa Cruz, Manila. He was a tornatrás, one born of mixed Austronesian, Chinese and Spanish ancestries. His parents were Alejandro Francisco Gómez and Martina Custodio. After studying in the Colegio de San Juan de Letrán, he took theology in the University of Santo Tomás. He was a student preparing for the priesthood in the Seminary of Manila.

He was also the uncle of ilustrado nationalist and labor leader Dominador Gómez.

Assignment in Cavite

On June 2, 1824, he was designated as the head priest of Bacoor, Cavite. Aside from taking care of the spiritual necessities of the town and the church, he also taught agriculture and cottage industries.[citation needed] Gómes also helped in maintaining a harmonious relationship among his other priests. He fought for equal rights for native priests against the abuses of their Spanish counterparts.

Name change from Gómez to Gómes

When Gómes took up parochial work, he discovered that he shared the name "Mariano Gómez" with a Spanish friar in Cavite and a priest from Cabuyao, Laguna. So he changed his last name from Gómez to Gómes, with the change from the letter "z" to the letter "s" meant to reflect his being Tagalista, meaning he was proficient in the Tagalog language.

As such, his name formally became "Mariano Gómes de los Ángeles," and he signed his name "Mar Gómes de los Ángeles." This was the name he officially signed in his last will and testament.

Death

Gómes was accused of treason, sedition, and taking active part in the Cavite mutiny of 1872 and sentenced to death by garrote in a military court. He was sent to jail along with Joaquín Pardo de Tavera, Máximo Paterno, and the friars José Burgos and Jacinto Zamora. The three friars were executed on February 17, 1872 at Bagumbayan field; and have been known since then by the acronym composed of their collective surnames – Gomburza.

Before his death, Gómes was active in the publication of the newspaper La Verdad (Spanish: "The Truth"). At the age of 72, he was the oldest of the three priests.

In popular culture

See also


This page was last updated at 2022-08-14 09:18 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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