e curtailed on
account of the exemption from the mesada which had been conceded
by his Holiness to our Catholic king; and, the amount of what the
ecclesiastics ought to contribute on account of this privilege not
being liquidated, the official royal judges had acted illegally in
the collection of the said mesada, making themselves judges in their
own cause by explaining the bull of his Holiness without consenting
to show it to the interested parties, although the latter had several
times demanded this. But our archbishop, recognizing that what the
royal officials were collecting was excessive, and that it belonged
to his office and dignity to explain the doubts that might arise in
the text of the apostolic bulls, compelled the royal official judges,
by dint of monitory decrees and censures, to display that privilege;
and when it was seen, it was found that they had collected more than
they should for several years past. All this he made them restore,
with considerable advantage to the ecclesiastics, who were extremely
grateful for the zealous activity of his illustrious Lordship.

In almost all the Indias were being celebrated the masses which
they call "masses for Christmas," [148] mingling with them certain
abuses which contaminated these masses with practices that were
superstitious, and contrary to the holy rites of the church. These
were tolerated under the cloak of devotion, and, although to some
they appeared mischievous, they did not dare to rebuke these rites
in public lest they excite against themselves the pious feelings of
the common people, and as this matter was one of those which belong
to the zeal and foresight of the ecclesiastical superiors. Finally
the holy Congregation of Rites, in consequence of the representations
made by zealous persons, on January 16 in the year 1677 declared the
said "masses for Christmas" to be not only opposed to the rubrics,
but also cause for scandals, and of superstitious nature, on account
of certain ballads that were interwoven with them, and other like
abuses. This decree of the Congregation arrived in these islands
in the year eighty; acting in conformity thereto, the archbishop
prohibited the said masses in his archbishopric. They were no longer
celebrated while his illustrious Lordship lived, although afterward
they were again established, but with some abatement--I know not
whether it was so everywhere--of the abuses which formerly were
customary. He also prohibited