Apolinario de la Cruz
| Hermano Pule | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Apolinario de la Cruz 22 July 1815 Lucban, Tayabas Province, Spanish Philippines (now Quezon Province, Philippines) |
| Died | 4 November 1841 (aged 27) Tayabas, Tayabas Province, Spanish Philippines |
| Occupation | Revolutionary, Lay brother, Religious leader |
| Years active | 1832–1841 |
| Known for | Cofradía de San José Revolt |
Apolinario de la Cruz (22 July 1815 – 4 November 1841), known as Hermano Pule (/ˈɛrˈmɑːnɒ ˈpʊlɛ/; Spanish for "Brother Pule"; also spelled Hermano Puli), was a Filipino religious leader who founded and led the Cofradía de San José. The cofradía was established in 1832 in response to the racial discrimination of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. During the Spanish colonial period, Catholic religious orders refused to admit native Filipinos as members. In retaliation, Hermano Pule established his own religious order which was exclusive for native Filipinos. During its peak, the cofradía had 4,500 to 5,000 members from the provinces of Tayabas, Laguna, and Batangas. Fearing an armed rebellion, the Spanish colonial government sent military forces to violently suppress the cofradía. On 23 October 1841, Hermano Pule and his followers resisted the aforementioned attack. However, more troops were sent and the cofradía was finally quelled by the colonial military forces on 1 November 1841. Pule was then captured, tried, and executed.
Apolinario de la Cruz was born on 22 July 1815 to Pablo de la Cruz and Juana Andres in Barrio Pandác in the town of Lucban in Tayabas province (now Quezon Province). Both of his parents were peasants and religious Catholics. In 1829, he decided to become a priest and tried to join the Order of Preachers in Manila. During those times, Roman Catholic religious orders barred indios (native people of the Philippines) from joining, thus de la Cruz's application was rejected for the sole reason of his race. He then decided to work as a lay brother at the San Juan de Dios Hospital where he was admitted to the Cofradía de San Juan de Dios, a brotherhood affiliated with the hospital and was open to indios. During this time, he improved his public speaking and studied the Bible along with other religious writings.
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