ugh they opened them later, the altars were draped in mourning,
and they did not say mass. On the contrary, they gave out that it was
a mortal sin to hear it, for the interdict and the prohibition to say
mass could not be raised. These were observed so strictly that the
religious did not ring their bells at the Ave Marias or at the Animas,
as usual, as if that were a prohibited action. That shows that it was
not devotion but fear, as the other Portuguese said. [78] But I ask
those fathers, if it could not be removed, why did they ring their
bells at midnight on Saturday, and why, during the three days of the
feast of the Holy Ghost, the doors of their churches were open while
they said mass, and celebrated the other divine offices? For to say
that that feast is privileged by law, like Corpus Christi day, was
correctly stated when there is only an interdict, but not when there
is a suspension of mass--as is the common opinion of the doctors and
the general practice. Thus that is demonstrated; besides which, if
the cathedral and the other secular churches have lifted the interdict
and the suspension of divine services, the religious were obliged to
follow the action of the mother-church, according to a Clementina that
has been cited to me. Thus the fathers of St. Augustine and those of
the Society acted very prudently, in concurring with the cathedral.

The royal Audiencia, seeing the schism, and that some of the orders
were observing the interdict and suspension of mass, while others did
not observe them, called a meeting, on the afternoon of May 14, of the
superiors of the orders. They charged the superiors not to disturb the
community, and that all should conform to the mother-church, according
to their obligations, in harmony with the said Clementina. But there
was nothing that they heeded less than this; and hence proceeded with
their interdict and suspension of mass. The most amusing thing was
that they did as they pleased, observing it when they chose to, and
not observing it when it did not suit them. On the afternoon of the
eve of St. Bernardine, the fathers of St. Francis rang their bells;
and on the morning of the following day they celebrated solemn mass and
had a sermon. A trustworthy person assured me that during that period
one of the Dominican fathers went daily to say mass at the house
of an influential woman, very devoted to him, one Dona Constanza,
or that they admitted her into their church to hear it.