Name: Camorra
Sex: M
Race: Spanish
Occupation: Parish Priest of Tiani, San Diego
Aliases: “The friar-gunner”, Si Cabayo (The Stallion)
Affiliations: Catholic Church
Background
Not much is known about Padre Camorra’s personal life other than the fact that as of the beginning of the book, he serves as the parish priest of Tiani (San Diego).
Story
Chapter 1: Padre Camorra is first introduced while riding on the upper deck of Steamship Tabo. He argues with Ben Zayb about water levels, rivers and Indios. The argument continues even after steamship Tabo gets stuck in the mud. While the rest of the group suggests ways to prevent that from happening again, Padre Camorra doesn’t say anything.
Chapter 2: Padre Camorra is mentioned by Simoun to Isagani as having said that morning that the lack of energy noted in this country is due to the inhabitants drinking so much water. This claim annoys Isagani, who argues against it.
Chapter 3: Still on the upper deck, Padre Camorra listens to Padre Sibyla ranting that his tenants keep complaining. Padre Camorra tells him that he doesn’t complain even when Indios try to haggle for lower rates. He listens to as the skipper, Padre Sibyla and Padre Salvi tell various legends about the river.
Chapter 4: Padre Camorra is mentioned when Juli wonders how she can help get her father, Cabesang Tales, back. She remembers Padre Camorra as someone who always teased her.
Chapter 11: Padre Camorra is in Los Banos, at Capitan General’s house. He plays tresillo in the sala with Capitan General, Padre Irene and Padre Sibyla. He is the only one not aware that the other priests are playing badly on purpose to please Capitan General. Later, Padre Camorra curses and quits the game. He tells everyone that Padre Irene is an idiot who made a bad move, and Padre Irene makes excuses but Padre Camorra does not notice that he is smiling.
While Capitan General discusses various matters that he is supposed to decide on, one of the topics is the schoolmaster of Tiani, who is asking for a better school because his is roof-less. Padre Camorra informs Capitan General that the schoolmaster of Tiani is a filibusterillo and that someday he will punch the man in the face.
Don Custodio suggests his own project about using cockpits as schools but Padre Camorra points out that cockfights sometimes take place on weekdays and that cockpit concessionaires pay the government.
When Capitan General brings up the students’ petition for the Academy for Spanish, Padre Camorra is against the idea, claiming that if the Indios learn Spanish they will learn how to argue. After the students’ names are mentioned, Padre Camorra tells the rest that Isagani was being rude while on the ship. Capitan General delays the decision for another day.
Capitan General’s secretary reminds Capitan General of the appeal of Cabesang Tales’ daughter (Juli), as she is asking for her grandfather Tandang Selo to be freed. Capitan General is irritated but Padre Camorra reveals that he is there to support the appeal of Juli. Capitan General decides to send a note to the Teniente of Guardia Civil, asking him to free Tandang Selo.
Chapter 12: Padre Camorra is mentioned by Juanito Pelaez while talking to Placido Penitente. Juanito Pelaez tells him that he was gone for the week because Padre Camorra invited him to Tiani, where together they serenaded pretty girls at various houses. According to Juanito Pelaez, Padre Camorra saw two people serenading Juli, so he tackled them.
Chapter 16: Padre Camorra is present at Chinaman Quiroga’s bazaar on Escolta street. He is busy arguing with Ben Zayb about the mummified head (Sphinx) in the Quiapo Fair. Ben Zayb beliefs that there is a scientific explanation behind the Sphinx trick, but Padre Camorra says it is due to spiritism, because spiritists always use tables. Padre Camorra says that Padre Salvi should have the exhibit banned. Simoun suggests they should all go see it, so Padre Camorra takes a carriage to Quiapo Square together with Don Custodio, Padre Salvi, Padre Irene, Ben Zayb and Juanito Pelaez.
Chapter 17: While at the Quiapo Fair, Padre Camorra is surprised to see so many pretty girls, and wishes he were the parish priest of Quiapo. When he sees Paulita Gomez, he pinches Ben Zayb’s arm by accident. The group sees a booth selling statues of people of different races and processions. Ben Zayb points at a statue of a thin friar sitting at a desk and writing a sermon. He says it is Padre Camorra. Everyone laughs because it looks nothing like him. Padre Camorra then points out a statue of an old one-eyed woman squatting on the floor ironing clothes. Ben Zayb is confused until Padre Camorra points out the label, which says “The Philippine Press”. Everyone laughs.
After the group argues about whether Indios are talented at sculpture-making and whether they should be discouraged from art, they notice that Simoun is gone. Padre Camorra says it is because he doesn’t want to pay for everyone.
Chapter 18: Padre Camorra visits the exhibit together with the rest of the group. When Mr. Leeds shows them a box, Padre Camorra remembers how in Tiani, he described the sufferings in hell in mass and found it funny when women sinners got frightened.
Chapter 21: Padre Camorra is mentioned as having protested against the Les Cloches de Corneville play together with Padre Salvi, Padre Irene and Don Custodio, but despite this the opening night still pushed through. Camaroncocido notes that it is due to them wanting it banned that the play gained so much publicity, causing everyone to want to see it.
Chapter 30: Padre Camorra is mentioned several times. Juli thinks of him when she realizes that she has to get Basilio freed from prison. She knows Padre Camorra can help her. However, Juli remembers that when Tandang Selo had to be freed, Padre Camorra agreed but asked for “sacrifices” from Juli. Juli remembers how Padre Camorra made her kiss his hand and often pinched her.
It is stated that everyone in the village knows that Cabesang Tales would be pardoned if Juli went to Padre Camorra for help. Even when asking for advice from the Justice of Peace (Juez de Paz), Juli is told that the only person who can save Basilio is Padre Camorra. He tells Juli to speak with Padre Camorra in person. The thought of having to meet with Padre Camorra terrifies Juli and she refuses to go to the convento. She says Sister Bali can go instead but the Juez de Paz tells Juli that she would be more convincing because she has a “young face”.
Juli’s relatives laugh at her for being afraid of Padre Camorra, since they think Padre Camorra wouldn’t do anything to her since he has better options for girls. Eventually Juli goes to the convento to see Padre Camorra, and almost changes her mind but Sister Bali convinces her. Juli and Sister Bali enter the convento. It is unknown what Padre Camorra does, but later it is discovered that Juli leaped to her death from the convento and Sister Bali ran out screaming.
Later, the gobernadorcillo, Juez de Paz, teniente mayor, Teniente of the Guardia Civil and more than 7 other friars go to the convento and hold a meeting, most likely concerning Padre Camorra’s actions.
Chapter 31: The public finds out that Padre Camorra left Tiani, but no one knows if he moved to a different town or if he went to a convento in Manila. Ben Zayb feels pity for Padre Camorra.
Chapter 36: Ben Zayb learns about a crime wherein three bandits raided a villa and wounded a priest. The villa is a vacation home in Pasig which is used by friars. When he goes there, he discovers that the wounded priest is Padre Camorra, who has a wound on his hand and contusion on his head. It is revealed that Padre Camorra was exiled there as “punishment”. Ben Zayb does not want to believe that the incident was not as severe as he hoped, so he says Padre Camorra does not know what happened. Padre Camorra and Ben Zayb argue.
Physical Description
The only time Padre Camorra’s appearance is hinted in the book is when Ben Zayb jokingly compares him to a statue of a priest who is thin (Chapter 17). The group laughs because the priest looks nothing like Padre Camorra, implying that Padre Camorra is overweight.
Personality
Padre Camorra is easily angered and tends to become aggressive very quickly. He enjoys arguing (especially with Ben Zayb) but when seeing something he doesn’t like, tends to use insults or sometimes resorts to physical violence. This, combined with his obsession with pretty women, causes Padre Camorra to often behave in a very un-priest-like manner. Ben Zayb even makes fun of this when he points out a statue of a priest peacefully sitting down at a table writing, sarcastically saying it looks like Padre Camorra even though he behaves nothing like that (Chapter 17). It is unknown why Padre Camorra is called ‘friar-gunner’, though the possible cause is due to him being easily angered.
“Padre Camorra was in seventh heaven, seeing so many pretty maidens.” (Chapter 17)
He is also called ‘Si Cabayo’ (The Stallion) (Chapter 30) by people in his town, as they are all aware that he only notices pretty girls and openly flirts with them, not caring (or noticing) whether his behavior makes them uncomfortable. He deliberately gives frightening sermons at mass and finds it funny when women get scared (Chapter 18). Padre Camorra is also shown to be possessive and easily jealous (Chapter 12), as Juanito Pelaez describes watching him beat up two boys who were serenading Juli (even though Padre Camorra was doing the same), punishing them unfairly even though they acted the same as he did.
“Padre Camorra was unaware that on the table was at stake the intellectual development of the Filipinos, the teaching of Spanish, and had he known it, would have perhaps taken part in the subterfuge.” (Chapter 11)
Padre Camorra doesn’t seem to notice most people in general, as he is not aware that Padre Irene and Padre Sibyla are losing on purpose in tresillo.
Skills
Reputation
“A report of his would be enough to exile a newborn babe or save form death one condemned to hang.” (Chapter 30)
Padre Camorra’s authority is acknowledged by the entire town, as anything he asks for is granted, most likely due to his friendship with Capitan General. In Los Banos, this is seen when Padre Camorra requests that Tandang Selo be freed, and Capitan General immediately agrees (Chapter 11). When Juli tries to ask for help to free Basilio from prison in Manila, relatives and government officials all advise her to go to Padre Camorra (Chapter 30) since he is known for doing favors for young women. The people in town also believe that Padre Camorra can have any girl he wants.
Relationships
See Relationships of Padre Camorra
Beliefs
On Science
“The devil with science! Punales!” (Chapter 16)
Padre Camorra seems to not believe in science and prefers religious teachings instead. He appears to have very little scientific knowledge, and is even quoted by Simoun as thinking people become lazy because they drink too much water (Chapter 2). He believes that the Sphinx trick in Quiapo Fair is due to Spiritism, simply because the Sphinx is on a table and Spiritists are said to always use tables.
On Indios
“(The Indios) should not learn (Spanish) because then they will dare to argue with us; and the Indios should not argue, but only obey and pay.” (Chapter 11)
Padre Camorra does not hide his dislike for Indios and does not hesitate to insult them. He considers Indios lazy for drinking water and hates that they try to haggle for lower rates (Chapter 3). He enjoys scaring women at mass during his sermons. Padre Camorra believes that Indios should always be subservient to the Spanish and should just follow orders, which is why he is against the petition for the Academy for Spanish (Chapter 11). However, Padre Camorra is easily attracted to Indio women, pursuing Juli and having a reputation for liking young faces. He admires the pretty women in Quiapo fair, including Paulita Gomez and even wishes to be transferred there just to see them (Chapter 17).
Trivia
Quotes
“Why should a baptism cost less than a chicken?” (Chapter 3)
