The history of the Confraternity of Mercy of Manila: charities, fundraising, detractors

What is it about?

For two hundred and seventy-five years, Manila hosted a Confraternity of Mercy where the affluent among the small Spanish community shared their blessings with their less fortunate kin and other needy in the city. A lay welfare society imported from Portuguese urban enclaves, the Misericordia of Manila was the only confraternity of this nature in Spanish Asia, aside from the short-lived Misericordia of Formosa. Throughout its long existence, the Misericordia played an indispensable role in bestowing alms among the destitute and the many religious communities and their projects in the city and beyond. Similar to most philanthropic societies around the world, most of its income derived from trust funds invested in different types of lending instruments for the benefit of the Spanish community. Thus, the Misericordia became one of the most outstanding lenders in the city. The types of loans for charitable purposes varied with time. The one making the Misericordia world famous was high-interest and high-risk maritime loans to traders in the fabled Manila Galleon route linking Mexico and the Philippines. All throughout its history the Misericordia handled large amounts of cash and opinions varied about how the funds were used. This chapter will explore the contested perceptions related to the balance that the management of this confraternity achieved between the pious and charitable ends and the handling of funds and the internal organization of the society. Key Words: Misericordia, Manila, philanthropy, endowments, contestation

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