Roman Catholicism in the Philippines
Encyclopedia
The Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, in full communion with the Pope
.
With 73.8 million members in 2005, it is the predominant religion
, making the Philippines the third largest "Catholic" nation in the world after Brazil
and Mexico, as well as one of the two predominantly Catholic countries in Asia, the other being East Timor
. The Archbishop of Manila is the Primate of the Philippines.
While many history books claim that the first Mass
in the archipelago was done on Easter Sunday of 1521, there are other claims that there are evidences that it was done elsewhere. Some books claim that this was done on the same day in a little island near the present day Bukidnon Province. Still, there are legends that say that Saint Francis Xavier, on his way to Japan stopped at an island belonging to the present day Pangasinan
, which was way before the real entry of the Spaniards in the country. There is only one recorded Christian Mass in the Philippines that is provable, and that was held at the island-port named Mazaua on Easter Sunday, March 31, 1521. This incident was recorded by the Vicentine diarist Antonio Pigafetta
.
The Legazpi expedition of 1565 marked the beginning of the Hispanisation of the Philippines. This expedition was an effort to occupy the islands with as little bloodshed and conflict as possible, ordered by Phillip II. Regretful bloodshed in Mexico and Peru motivated him to exercise pacifism during these campaigns. Lieutenant Legazpi
was in charge of making peace with the natives and through swift military conquest, he set up colonies.
Under the encomienda system, Filipinos had to pay tribute to the encomendero of the area and in return the encomendero taught them the Christian faith and also protected them from enemies. Although Spain had used this system before, it did not working quite as effectively for the Filipinos as it did in America, the missionaries were not as successful in converting the natives as they had hoped. In 1579, Bishop Salazar and other clergymen were outraged because the encomenderos had abused their powers. Although the natives were resistant, they could not organise into a unified resistance towards the Spaniards due to geography
, ethno-linguistic differences
, and overall mutual indifference.
The Spaniards had observed the natives’ lifestyle and disagreed with it wholeheartedly. They saw the influence of the Devil and felt the need to "liberate the natives from their evil ways". Over time, geographical limitations have shifted the natives into what are called barangay
s, which are small kinship units consisting of about 30 to 100 families.
Each barangay had a mutable class system, with any subclasses varying from one barangay to the next. The patriarchal chieftains were called datu
s, while the mahárlika were the nobility and the timawa were freedmen. The alipin or servile class were dependent, an arrangement misconstrued as slavery by the Spaniards. Intermarriage between the timawa and the alipin was permitted, which created a more complex, but flexible system of land privileges and labor services. The Spaniards attempted to suppress this class system with their justification that the dependent class were an oppressed group. Although they failed at completely abolishing the system, instead worked with it, applying it to their own advantage.
Religion and marriage were also issues that the missionaries of Spain wanted to transform. Polygamy was not uncommon, but only wealthy chieftains had this privilege. Divorce and remarriage were also common as long as reasons were justified. Illness, infertility, or a better potential spouse was justified reasons for divorce. Along with those practices, missionaries also disagreed with the practices of paying dowries, and payment of “bride-price” and “bride-service,” in which the groom paid his future father-in-law gold or offered labor services before the marriage. Missionaries had disapproved of these because they felt bride-price was an act of selling one’s daughter and labor services in the household of the father allowed for premarital relations between bride and groom, which contradicted Christian beliefs.
Pre-conquest religion of the natives consisted of monotheistic and polytheistic cults. Bathala
(Tagalog – central Luzon) or Laon (Bisayan – central islands) was the ultimate creator above other inferior gods and goddesses. Natives also worshipped nature and prayed to the spirits of their ancestors to whom they also made sacrifices. Mostly men practiced ritualistic drinking and many rituals performed aimed at cure for a certain illness. Magic and superstition also existed among the natives. The Spaniards claimed to liberate the natives from their wicked practices and show them the right path to God.
In 1599, negotiation began between a number of chieftains and their freemen and the Spaniards. The natives agreed to submit to the rule of a Castilian king and in return, the natives were indoctrinated into Christianity and were protected from their enemies, mostly Japanese, Chinese, and Muslim pirates. However, the conquest and conversion efforts were neither as easy nor as negotiable as this contract. The missionaries faced many obstacles and successes along the path to Christianization.
Evangelism was done in the native language. Doctrina Christiana is a book of prayers in Tagalog published in the 16th century. When, Miguel Lopez de Legaspi set up the colonial system beginning 1565, he implemented an encomienda
system where a native could acquire land if he underwent baptism and registered as a Catholic. Massive conversion occurred at this time. Many of which have, since then, adopted the same values of Catholics.
, Recollects
, Jesuits, Dominicans, Franciscans, Carmelites
, and the indigenous Religious of the Virgin Mary
.
The five regular orders who were assigned to Christianize the natives were the Augustinians, who came with Legazpi
, the Discalced Franciscan
s (1578), the Jesuits (1581), the Dominican friar
s (1587) and the Augustinian Recollects
(simply called the Recoletos 1606). In 1594, all had agreed to cover a specific area of the archipelago to deal with the vast dispersion of the natives. The Augustinians and Franciscans mainly covered the Tagalog country while the Jesuits had a small area. The Dominicans encompassed the Parian. The provinces of Pampanga and Ilokos were assigned to the Augustinians. The province of Camarines went to the Franciscans. The Augustinians and Jesuits were also assigned the Visayan islands. The Christian conquest had not reached the Mindanao province due to a highly resistant Muslim community that existed pre-conquest.
The task of the Spanish missionaries, however, was far from complete. By the seventeenth century, the Spaniards had created about 20 large villages and almost completely transformed the native lifestyle. For their Christian efforts, the Spaniards justified their actions by claiming that the small villages were a sign of barbarism and only bigger, more compact communities allowed for a richer understanding for Christianity. The Filipinos did not face much coercion; the Spaniards knew that rituals were inviting for the natives. The layout of these villages was in gridiron form that allowed for easier navigation and more order. They were also spread far enough to allow for one cabecera or capital parish and small visita chapels located throughout the villages in which clergy only stayed temporarily for mass, rituals, or nuptials.
Despite the progress of the Spaniards, it took many years for the natives to truly grasp key concepts of Christianity. In Catholicism, the four main sacraments attracted the natives but only for ritualistic reasons and they did not fully alter the native lifestyle as the Spaniards had hoped. Baptism attracted the natives because they believed it cured ailments. The sacrament of Holy Matrimony was a concept many natives could not understand and had violated the sanctity of monogamy. The Filipinos, however, were allowed to keep the tradition of the dowry and was accepted into law. “Bride-price” and “bride-service” was not observed by the Spaniards, but were performed by natives despite its claim to heresy. Penance is the sacrament of confession and required everyone to confess once a year. The clergy used a bilingual text aid called confessionario to help the Filipinos understand the meaning of confession and what they had to confess. They were, at first, apprehensive to the concept and then, gradually used penance as a way to excuse their excessive actions throughout the year. The sacrament of communion was given out selectively for this was one of the most important sacraments that the missionaries did not want the natives to risk violating.
The American government (1898–1946) implemented the separation of Church and state. Many American friars, Jesuits and other Catholic religious orders as well as Protestant denominations have settled established themselves. William Howard Taft
fully implemented policies on the Church. Ironically, when Apolinario Mabini
put to vote the church and state separation at the Malolos Congress
of 1898, the separation won by only a slight margin despite strong anti-friarocratic sentiments.
At this same time, due to sentiments for independence, independent churches emerged such as the Aglipayan Church or the Philippine Independent Church
, formerly Philippine Independent Catholic Church (which later aligned themselves with the Anglicans) and the Iglesia Ni Cristo
. This separation continues after independence in 1946 to the present day.
espouses freedom and equality among all religions in the Philippines. Most of the population (83%) are baptised Catholics, with 68% of the entire population attending Catholic Mass weekly.
movements emerged vis-a-vis the Born-again movement during the 70s. The Charismatic movement offered Life-In-the-Spirit seminars in the early days which have now evolved and have different names. These seminars focus on the Charismas or gifts of the Holy Spirit
. Some of the Charismatic movements were the Assumption Prayer Group, Couples for Christ
and the El Shaddai
. Charismatic movements profess to be ecumenical, similar to the evangelical and Pentecostal Christians; in fact, many non-Catholic Christians also join this movement. Even though the movement is ecumenical, majority of its adherents are Catholics, in addition, leaders and speakers in these groups are sometimes Catholic priests.
in the Philippines has been established for more than twenty-five years. The Neocatechumenal communities number more than seven hundred and are found all over the Philippines with main concentrations in Luzon (Manila) and the Visayan Islands, especially in Panay, particularly IloIlo province with over 120 communities. This faith-based initiative which centres on rediscovering the Baptism has spread rapidly in the Philippines and has the strongest presence in Asia and one of the strongest presences in the World. A Neocatechumenal Diocesan Seminary, known as a Redemptoris Mater
Seminary is also present in Manila, as well as many families in mission
in many of the Philippine Islands. The Neocatechumenal Way is a reality within the Roman Catholic Church and its efforts are mostly concentrated on evangelization initiatives. It is under the authority of the local Bishop. Membership in the Philippines now exceeds 25,000 persons.
, La Salle Brothers-run
De La Salle University
, and the Dominican-run University of Santo Tomas
are listed in the "World's Best Colleges and Universities" in the Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings.
Other prominent educational institutions in the country are the Dominican-run Colegio de San Juan de Letran
, Recollect-run University of Negros Occidental – Recoletos, University of San Jose - Recoletos
, San Sebastian College - Recoletos de Manila; the Benedictine-run
San Beda College
; and the CICM-run Saint Louis University
.
and force dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos
to step down which occurred after seven million people responded.
In 2001, Cardinal Sin expressed his dismay over the allegations of corruption against Philippine president
Joseph Estrada
. His call sparked the second EDSA Revolution dubbed as "EDSA Dos". Estrada resigned after 5 continuous days of protest.
On the death of Pope
John Paul II in 2005, President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
declared three days of national mourning. She attended the Pope's funeral in the Vatican.
Recent political turmoil in the Philippines widened the rift between the state and the Church. Arroyo's press secretary Ignacio Bunye
called the bishops and priests who attended an anti-Arroyo protest as hypocrites and 'people who hide their true plans'. Yet many still await Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines on this issue. Arroyo professes to be a devout Catholic.
The Philippines has shown a strong devotion to Mary, evidenced by her patronage of various towns and locales nationwide. Particularly, there are pilgrimage sites where each town has created their own versions of Mary. With Spanish regalia, indigenous stories of belief and faith, and facial features unique to the local area, the Catholics have created images that are uniquely Filipino. With the devotion of the regional populace, these images have been recognized by various popes. Various popes have recognized the cultural and religious impacts of these images. They have generally bestowed blessings through a Canonical Coronation, and Basilica
status of the local church. Below are some pilgrimage sites and the year they received a canonical blessing:
, Good Friday
, etc. are observed as official national holidays. Spanish-Mexican Culture and Catholicism has significantly influenced culture and traditions. On the 3rd Sunday of January the country celebrates the festival of the Santo Niño de Cebú
, the largest being held in Cebu City
with the celebration of the Sinulog Festival
. However, other areas such as Kalibo, Aklan
are also known for their own celebration known as the Ati-Atihan and in Iloilo City
they celebrates on the 4th Sunday of January as the Dinagyang
.
With regard to Holidays of Obligations
, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines
has granted dispensation on all faithful who will not attend masses on these days, except on December 8 (Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
, the Principal Patroness of the Archipelago), December 25 (Christmas Day), and January 1 (Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God
).
In 2001, the same Conference approved a reform in the liturgical calendar, which included the Feasts of Our Lady of Guadalupe
, Maximilian Kolbe
, Rita of Cascia
, Ezequiel Moreno and many others in its list of obligatory memorials
.
s, as well as 7 Apostolic Vicariate
s and a Military Ordinariate
.
This article incorporates material from the U.S. Library of Congress and is available to the general public.
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
.
With 73.8 million members in 2005, it is the predominant religion
Religion in the Philippines
Religion in the Philippines are spiritual beliefs held by Philippine citizens. Religion holds a central place in the life of the majority of Filipinos, including Hindus, Buddhists, animists, Muslims, Aglipayans,Protestant and Catholic...
, making the Philippines the third largest "Catholic" nation in the world after Brazil
Roman Catholicism in Brazil
The Roman Catholic Church in Brazil is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope, curia in Rome, and the very influential Brazilian Conference of Bishops , composed by over four hundred primary and auxiliary bishops and archbishops. There are over 250...
and Mexico, as well as one of the two predominantly Catholic countries in Asia, the other being East Timor
Roman Catholicism in East Timor
The Roman Catholic Church in East Timor is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. Since its independence from Indonesia, East Timor became only the second predominantly Catholic country in Asia , a legacy of its status as a former...
. The Archbishop of Manila is the Primate of the Philippines.
Spanish Era
Spain during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries had three major goals for the occupation of the Philippine Islands. One was to colonize the Philippines and participate in the spice trade that was at the time dominated by Portugal. Secondly, Spain wanted to utilize the geographical location of the Philippines to trade with China and Japan and to spread Christianity to those advanced civilizations. Thirdly, one of Spain’s main goals was to Christianize the people of the archipelago.While many history books claim that the first Mass
Mass
Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:...
in the archipelago was done on Easter Sunday of 1521, there are other claims that there are evidences that it was done elsewhere. Some books claim that this was done on the same day in a little island near the present day Bukidnon Province. Still, there are legends that say that Saint Francis Xavier, on his way to Japan stopped at an island belonging to the present day Pangasinan
Pangasinan
Pangasinan is a province of the Republic of the Philippines. The provincial capital is Lingayen. Pangasinan is located on the west central and peripheral area of the island of Luzon along the Lingayen Gulf, with the total land area being 5,368.82 square kilometers . According to the latest census,...
, which was way before the real entry of the Spaniards in the country. There is only one recorded Christian Mass in the Philippines that is provable, and that was held at the island-port named Mazaua on Easter Sunday, March 31, 1521. This incident was recorded by the Vicentine diarist Antonio Pigafetta
Antonio Pigafetta
Antonio Pigafetta was an Italian scholar and explorer from the Republic of Venice. He travelled with the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and his crew on their voyage to the Indies. During the expedition, he served as Magellan's assistant and kept an accurate journal which later assisted him...
.
The Legazpi expedition of 1565 marked the beginning of the Hispanisation of the Philippines. This expedition was an effort to occupy the islands with as little bloodshed and conflict as possible, ordered by Phillip II. Regretful bloodshed in Mexico and Peru motivated him to exercise pacifism during these campaigns. Lieutenant Legazpi
Miguel López de Legazpi
Miguel López de Legazpi , also known as El Adelantado and El Viejo , was a Spanish conquistador who established one of the first European settlements in the East Indies and the Pacific Islands in 1565. He is the first Governor-General in the Philippines...
was in charge of making peace with the natives and through swift military conquest, he set up colonies.
Under the encomienda system, Filipinos had to pay tribute to the encomendero of the area and in return the encomendero taught them the Christian faith and also protected them from enemies. Although Spain had used this system before, it did not working quite as effectively for the Filipinos as it did in America, the missionaries were not as successful in converting the natives as they had hoped. In 1579, Bishop Salazar and other clergymen were outraged because the encomenderos had abused their powers. Although the natives were resistant, they could not organise into a unified resistance towards the Spaniards due to geography
Geography of the Philippines
The Philippines is an archipelago comprising 7,107 islands with a total land area of 300,000 km2. The 11 largest islands contain 94% of the total land area. The largest of these islands is Luzon at about 105,000 km2. The next largest island is Mindanao at about 95,000 km2...
, ethno-linguistic differences
Languages of the Philippines
In the Philippines, there are between 120 and 175 languages, depending on the method of classification. Four languages no longer have any known speakers. Almost all the Philippine languages belong to the Austronesian language family...
, and overall mutual indifference.
Cultural Impact
Barangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...
s, which are small kinship units consisting of about 30 to 100 families.
Each barangay had a mutable class system, with any subclasses varying from one barangay to the next. The patriarchal chieftains were called datu
Datu
Datu is the title for tribal chiefs, sovereign princes, and monarchs in the Visayas and Mindanao Regions of the Philippines. Together with Lakan , Apo in Central and Northern Luzon, Sultan and Rajah, they are titles used for native royalty, and are still currently used in the Philippines...
s, while the mahárlika were the nobility and the timawa were freedmen. The alipin or servile class were dependent, an arrangement misconstrued as slavery by the Spaniards. Intermarriage between the timawa and the alipin was permitted, which created a more complex, but flexible system of land privileges and labor services. The Spaniards attempted to suppress this class system with their justification that the dependent class were an oppressed group. Although they failed at completely abolishing the system, instead worked with it, applying it to their own advantage.
Religion and marriage were also issues that the missionaries of Spain wanted to transform. Polygamy was not uncommon, but only wealthy chieftains had this privilege. Divorce and remarriage were also common as long as reasons were justified. Illness, infertility, or a better potential spouse was justified reasons for divorce. Along with those practices, missionaries also disagreed with the practices of paying dowries, and payment of “bride-price” and “bride-service,” in which the groom paid his future father-in-law gold or offered labor services before the marriage. Missionaries had disapproved of these because they felt bride-price was an act of selling one’s daughter and labor services in the household of the father allowed for premarital relations between bride and groom, which contradicted Christian beliefs.
Pre-conquest religion of the natives consisted of monotheistic and polytheistic cults. Bathala
Bathala
In ancient Tagalog Theology Bathala was the Supreme Being; the Omnipotent Creator of the universe. Antonio de Morga, among others, thought that Bathala meant an omen bird , but the author of the Boxer Codex was advised not to use it in this sense because they did not consider it God but only his...
(Tagalog – central Luzon) or Laon (Bisayan – central islands) was the ultimate creator above other inferior gods and goddesses. Natives also worshipped nature and prayed to the spirits of their ancestors to whom they also made sacrifices. Mostly men practiced ritualistic drinking and many rituals performed aimed at cure for a certain illness. Magic and superstition also existed among the natives. The Spaniards claimed to liberate the natives from their wicked practices and show them the right path to God.
In 1599, negotiation began between a number of chieftains and their freemen and the Spaniards. The natives agreed to submit to the rule of a Castilian king and in return, the natives were indoctrinated into Christianity and were protected from their enemies, mostly Japanese, Chinese, and Muslim pirates. However, the conquest and conversion efforts were neither as easy nor as negotiable as this contract. The missionaries faced many obstacles and successes along the path to Christianization.
Difficulties
Several factors hindered the Spaniards' efforts to spread Christianity throughout the archipelago. An inadequate number of missionaries on the island made it difficult to reach all the people and harder to convert them. This is also due to the fact that the route to the Philippines was in itself a rigorous task and some clergy never had the opportunity to set foot on the islands. Some clergy fell ill or waited years for their chance to take the journey, or for some the climate difference once they arrived was unbearable. Other missionaries desired to go to Japan or China instead to spread their faith, or were more interested in mercantilism. The Spaniards also quarreled with the Chinese population in the Philippines. The Chinese had set up shops in what was called the Parian or bazaar during the 1580s to trade silk and other goods for Mexican silver. The Spaniards anticipated revolts from the Chinese and therefore, were under constant suspicion. The Spanish government and conquest were also highly dependent on this silver because it supported the necessities to run the government in Manila, the main city, and to continue Christianization. The most difficult obstacles facing the missionaries were the dispersion of the Filipinos and their seemingly endless varieties of languages and dialects. The geographical isolation forced them into numerous small villages and every other province supported a different dialect.Evangelism was done in the native language. Doctrina Christiana is a book of prayers in Tagalog published in the 16th century. When, Miguel Lopez de Legaspi set up the colonial system beginning 1565, he implemented an encomienda
Encomienda
The encomienda was a system that was employed mainly by the Spanish crown during the colonization of the Americas to regulate Native American labor....
system where a native could acquire land if he underwent baptism and registered as a Catholic. Massive conversion occurred at this time. Many of which have, since then, adopted the same values of Catholics.
Religious Orders
The Philippines is home to many of the world's major religious congregations, and today these include the AugustiniansOrder of Saint Augustine
The Order of St. Augustine —historically Ordo Eremitarum Sancti Augustini", O.E.S.A.), generally called Augustinians is a Catholic Religious Order, which, although more ancient, was formally created in the thirteenth century and combined of several previous Augustinian eremetical Orders into one...
, Recollects
Augustinian Recollects
-History:The Order of Augustinian Recollects or simply the Augustinian Recollects are a Roman Catholic mendicant Catholic religious order of friars and nuns. They are a reformist offshoot from the Augustinian hermit friars and follow the same Rule of St...
, Jesuits, Dominicans, Franciscans, Carmelites
Carmelites
The Order of the Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel or Carmelites is a Catholic religious order perhaps founded in the 12th century on Mount Carmel, hence its name. However, historical records about its origin remain uncertain...
, and the indigenous Religious of the Virgin Mary
Religious of the Virgin Mary
The Congregation of the Religious of the Virgin Mary is a ecclesiastical community of vowed religious Roman Catholic women of pontifical right and approval founded in Manila, Philippines. The community was founded in 1684 by Venerable Mother Ignacia del Espíritu Santo, a Filipino Roman Catholic...
.
The five regular orders who were assigned to Christianize the natives were the Augustinians, who came with Legazpi
Miguel López de Legazpi
Miguel López de Legazpi , also known as El Adelantado and El Viejo , was a Spanish conquistador who established one of the first European settlements in the East Indies and the Pacific Islands in 1565. He is the first Governor-General in the Philippines...
, the Discalced Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
s (1578), the Jesuits (1581), the Dominican friar
Friar
A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders.-Friars and monks:...
s (1587) and the Augustinian Recollects
Augustinian Recollects
-History:The Order of Augustinian Recollects or simply the Augustinian Recollects are a Roman Catholic mendicant Catholic religious order of friars and nuns. They are a reformist offshoot from the Augustinian hermit friars and follow the same Rule of St...
(simply called the Recoletos 1606). In 1594, all had agreed to cover a specific area of the archipelago to deal with the vast dispersion of the natives. The Augustinians and Franciscans mainly covered the Tagalog country while the Jesuits had a small area. The Dominicans encompassed the Parian. The provinces of Pampanga and Ilokos were assigned to the Augustinians. The province of Camarines went to the Franciscans. The Augustinians and Jesuits were also assigned the Visayan islands. The Christian conquest had not reached the Mindanao province due to a highly resistant Muslim community that existed pre-conquest.
The task of the Spanish missionaries, however, was far from complete. By the seventeenth century, the Spaniards had created about 20 large villages and almost completely transformed the native lifestyle. For their Christian efforts, the Spaniards justified their actions by claiming that the small villages were a sign of barbarism and only bigger, more compact communities allowed for a richer understanding for Christianity. The Filipinos did not face much coercion; the Spaniards knew that rituals were inviting for the natives. The layout of these villages was in gridiron form that allowed for easier navigation and more order. They were also spread far enough to allow for one cabecera or capital parish and small visita chapels located throughout the villages in which clergy only stayed temporarily for mass, rituals, or nuptials.
Filipino Resistance
The Filipinos, to an extent, did resist because they felt an agricultural obligation and connection with their rice fields. They felt that the large villages took away their resources and they feared the compact environment. This also took away from the encomienda system that depended on land, therefore, the encomenderos lost tributes. However, the missionaries continued their efforts to convert the natives to the Christian faith. Their strategy was to take children of the chieftains and put them under intense education in religious doctrines and the Spanish language so that they in turn could convert their fathers and eventually native followers would emulate their leader. Between 1578 and 1609, missionaries saw an optimistic and enthusiastic attitude from the natives and saw more converts than ever.Despite the progress of the Spaniards, it took many years for the natives to truly grasp key concepts of Christianity. In Catholicism, the four main sacraments attracted the natives but only for ritualistic reasons and they did not fully alter the native lifestyle as the Spaniards had hoped. Baptism attracted the natives because they believed it cured ailments. The sacrament of Holy Matrimony was a concept many natives could not understand and had violated the sanctity of monogamy. The Filipinos, however, were allowed to keep the tradition of the dowry and was accepted into law. “Bride-price” and “bride-service” was not observed by the Spaniards, but were performed by natives despite its claim to heresy. Penance is the sacrament of confession and required everyone to confess once a year. The clergy used a bilingual text aid called confessionario to help the Filipinos understand the meaning of confession and what they had to confess. They were, at first, apprehensive to the concept and then, gradually used penance as a way to excuse their excessive actions throughout the year. The sacrament of communion was given out selectively for this was one of the most important sacraments that the missionaries did not want the natives to risk violating.
American period
- See also Separation of church and state in the Philippines.
The American government (1898–1946) implemented the separation of Church and state. Many American friars, Jesuits and other Catholic religious orders as well as Protestant denominations have settled established themselves. William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
fully implemented policies on the Church. Ironically, when Apolinario Mabini
Apolinario Mabini
Apolinario Mabini y Maranan was a Filipino political philosopher and revolutionary who wrote a constitutional plan for the of 1899-1901, and served as its first prime minister in 1899...
put to vote the church and state separation at the Malolos Congress
Malolos Congress
-Further reading:*Philippine House of Representatives Congressional Library...
of 1898, the separation won by only a slight margin despite strong anti-friarocratic sentiments.
At this same time, due to sentiments for independence, independent churches emerged such as the Aglipayan Church or the Philippine Independent Church
Philippine Independent Church
The Philippine Independent Church, The Philippine Independent Church, The Philippine Independent Church, (officially the or the IFI, also known as the Philippine Independent Catholic Church or in Ilocano: Siwawayawaya nga Simbaan ti Filipinas (in in Kinaray-a/Hiligaynon: Simbahan Hilway nga...
, formerly Philippine Independent Catholic Church (which later aligned themselves with the Anglicans) and the Iglesia Ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo also known as INC, is the largest entirely indigenous Christian religious organization that originated from the Philippines and the largest independent church in Asia. Due to a number of similarities, some Protestant writers describe the INC's doctrines as restorationist in...
. This separation continues after independence in 1946 to the present day.
Post-Colonial
As of 2005, the ConstitutionConstitution of the Philippines
The Constitution of the Philippines is the supreme law of the Philippines.The Constitution currently in effect was enacted in 1987, during the administration of President Corazon Aquino, and is popularly known as the "1987 Constitution"...
espouses freedom and equality among all religions in the Philippines. Most of the population (83%) are baptised Catholics, with 68% of the entire population attending Catholic Mass weekly.
Catholic Charismatic Renewal
A number of Catholic Charismatic RenewalCatholic Charismatic Renewal
The Catholic Charismatic Renewal is a movement within the Catholic Church. Worship is characterized by vibrant Masses, as well as prayer meetings featuring prophecy, healing and "praying in tongues." This movement is based on the belief that certain charismata , bestowed by the Holy Spirit, such as...
movements emerged vis-a-vis the Born-again movement during the 70s. The Charismatic movement offered Life-In-the-Spirit seminars in the early days which have now evolved and have different names. These seminars focus on the Charismas or gifts of the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
. Some of the Charismatic movements were the Assumption Prayer Group, Couples for Christ
Couples for Christ
The Couples for Christ is an international Catholic lay ecclesial movement whose goal is to renew and strengthen Christian family life and values. It is one of 122 International Associations of the Faithful The organization was affiliated with the Vatican recognition from the Pontifical Council...
and the El Shaddai
El Shaddai
El Shaddai [shah-'dah-yy] is one of the Judaic names of God, with its etymology coming from the influence of the Ugaritic religion on modern Judaism. El Shaddai is conventionally translated as God Almighty...
. Charismatic movements profess to be ecumenical, similar to the evangelical and Pentecostal Christians; in fact, many non-Catholic Christians also join this movement. Even though the movement is ecumenical, majority of its adherents are Catholics, in addition, leaders and speakers in these groups are sometimes Catholic priests.
Neocatechumenal Way
The Neocatechumenal WayNeocatechumenal Way
The Neocatechumenal Way, also known as the Neocatechumenate, NC Way or, colloquially, The Way or The Neocats is an itinerary within the Catholic Church dedicated to the Christian formation of adults...
in the Philippines has been established for more than twenty-five years. The Neocatechumenal communities number more than seven hundred and are found all over the Philippines with main concentrations in Luzon (Manila) and the Visayan Islands, especially in Panay, particularly IloIlo province with over 120 communities. This faith-based initiative which centres on rediscovering the Baptism has spread rapidly in the Philippines and has the strongest presence in Asia and one of the strongest presences in the World. A Neocatechumenal Diocesan Seminary, known as a Redemptoris Mater
Redemptoris Mater
Redemptoris Mater is the name for certain Roman Catholic seminaries which operate under the auspices of the Neocatechumenal Way and claim as their mission the formation of priests for the "New Evangelization". These seminaries are distributed worldwide, with nearly 1,500 seminarians currently in...
Seminary is also present in Manila, as well as many families in mission
Families in mission
The Families in Mission are families coming from the Neocatechumenal Way that offer themselves voluntarily and freely, leaving their homes, work and friends to go in mission in the World according to the needs of the Neocatechumenal Way, wherever they are requested by the bishops of the Catholic...
in many of the Philippine Islands. The Neocatechumenal Way is a reality within the Roman Catholic Church and its efforts are mostly concentrated on evangelization initiatives. It is under the authority of the local Bishop. Membership in the Philippines now exceeds 25,000 persons.
Papal visits
- Pope Paul VI was the target of an assassination attempt at Manila International AirportNinoy Aquino International AirportThe Ninoy Aquino International Airport or NAIA , also known as Manila International Airport , is the airport serving the general area of Manila and its surrounding metropolitan area...
in the PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
in 1970. The assailant, a BoliviaBoliviaBolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
n Surrealist painter named Benjamín Mendoza y Amor FloresBenjamín Mendoza y Amor FloresBenjamín Mendoza y Amor Flores was a Bolivian surrealist painter who unsuccessfully attempted to assassinate Pope Paul VI in Manila in 1970.-Personal life:Mendoza left La Paz, Bolivia, in 1962...
, lunged toward Pope Paul with a krisKrisThe kris or keris is an asymmetrical dagger or sword nowadays most strongly associated with the culture of Indonesia, but also indigenous to Malaysia, Southern Thailand and Brunei. It is known as kalis in the southern Philippines. The kris is famous for its distinctive wavy blade , but many have...
, but was subdued. - Pope John Paul II visited the country twice, 1981 and 1995. He was one of the targets of the Al-Qaeda-funded Operation Bojinka during a visit to the PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
in 1995 . The first plan was to kill Pope John Paul II when he visited the PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
during the World Youth DayWorld Youth DayWorld Youth Day is a youth-oriented Catholic Church event. While the event itself celebrates the Catholic faith, the invitation to attend extends to all youth, regardless of religious convictions....
1995 celebrations. On January 15, 1995, a suicide bomber would dress up as a priest, while John Paul II passed in his motorcade on his way to the San Carlos Seminary in Makati CityMakati CityThe City of Makati is one of the 17 cities that make up Metro Manila, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. Makati is the financial center of the Philippines and one of the major financial, commercial and economic hubs in Asia...
. However, the mass of the late pope in Manila (1995) was recorded to have been attended by 4 million people, the highest number ever recorded in papal history. - Pope Benedict XVI declined the invitation of Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales and CBCP President Angel LagdameoAngel LagdameoThe Most Reverend Angel N. Lagdameo, D.D. is the current president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines and the Archbishop of Jaro in Iloilo.He was born in Lucban in 1940...
to visit because of a hectic schedule.
Education
The Catholic Church is involved in education at all levels. It founded and sponsors hundreds of secondary and primary schools as well as a number of colleges and internationally known universities. The Jesuit-run Ateneo de Manila UniversityAteneo de Manila University
The Ateneo de Manila University is a private teaching and research university run by the Society of Jesus in the Philippines. It began in 1859 when the City of Manila handed control of the Escuela Municipal de Manila in Intramuros, Manila, to the Jesuits...
, La Salle Brothers-run
Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools
The Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools is a Roman Catholic religious teaching congregation, founded in France by Saint Jean-Baptiste de la Salle and now based in Rome...
De La Salle University
De La Salle University
De La Salle University is a private Lasallian university in Malate, Manila, Philippines. It was founded in 1911 by De La Salle Brothers as the De La Salle College in Paco, Manila with Blimond Pierre serving as its first director...
, and the Dominican-run University of Santo Tomas
University of Santo Tomas
The Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines , is a private Roman Catholic university run by the Order of Preachers in Manila. Founded on April 28, 1611 by archbishop of Manila Miguel de Benavides, it has the oldest extant university charter in the...
are listed in the "World's Best Colleges and Universities" in the Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings.
Other prominent educational institutions in the country are the Dominican-run Colegio de San Juan de Letran
Colegio de San Juan de Letran
The Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Letran College, or simply Letran is a private Roman Catholic institution of learning located in Intramuros, Manila, in the Philippines. The college was founded in 1620. Colegio de San Juan de Letran has the distinction of being the oldest college in the...
, Recollect-run University of Negros Occidental – Recoletos, University of San Jose - Recoletos
University of San Jose - Recoletos
The University of San Jose – Recoletos is a Catholic private university founded in 1947 in Cebu City, Philippines by the Order of Augustinian Recollects...
, San Sebastian College - Recoletos de Manila; the Benedictine-run
Order of Saint Benedict
The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...
San Beda College
San Beda College
San Beda College or Dalubhasaan ng San Beda in Filipino is a Private Benedictine college run by the Benedictine monks in the Philippines. It is located on Mendiola Street in San Miguel, Manila...
; and the CICM-run Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University is a private, co-educational Jesuit university located in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1818 by the Most Reverend Louis Guillaume Valentin Dubourg SLU is the oldest university west of the Mississippi River. It is one of 28 member institutions of the...
.
Political Influence
The Catholic Church has great influence on Philippine society and politics. One typical event is the role of the Catholic hierarchy during the bloodless People Power Revolution of 1986. Then Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Manila, Jaime Sin called on the public to march along Epifanio de los Santos AvenueEpifanio de los Santos Avenue
Epifanio de los Santos Avenue , formerly known as Highway 54, is the main circumferential road and highway of Metro Manila in the Philippines. It is an important commuting artery between the northern and southern parts of the metropolitan area...
and force dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. was a Filipino leader and an authoritarian President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate...
to step down which occurred after seven million people responded.
In 2001, Cardinal Sin expressed his dismay over the allegations of corruption against Philippine president
President of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
Joseph Estrada
Joseph Estrada
Joseph "Erap" Ejercito Estrada was the 13th President of the Philippines, serving from 1998 until 2001. Estrada was the first person in the Post-EDSA era to be elected both to the presidency and vice-presidency.Estrada gained popularity as a film actor, playing the lead role in over 100 films in...
. His call sparked the second EDSA Revolution dubbed as "EDSA Dos". Estrada resigned after 5 continuous days of protest.
On the death of Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
John Paul II in 2005, President
President of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a Filipino politician who served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010, as the 12th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, and is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the 2nd District of Pampanga...
declared three days of national mourning. She attended the Pope's funeral in the Vatican.
Recent political turmoil in the Philippines widened the rift between the state and the Church. Arroyo's press secretary Ignacio Bunye
Ignacio Bunye
Ignacio Rivera Bunye is a Filipino politician who is currently serving as the Monetary Board Member of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas since July 3, 2008...
called the bishops and priests who attended an anti-Arroyo protest as hypocrites and 'people who hide their true plans'. Yet many still await Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines on this issue. Arroyo professes to be a devout Catholic.
Marian Devotion
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
status of the local church. Below are some pilgrimage sites and the year they received a canonical blessing:
- Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, Queen of the CaracolNuestra Señora Virgen del Santissimo Rosario, Reina de CaracolNuestra Señora Virgen del Santissimo Rosario, Reina de Caracol, also called "La Reina de Caracol" or "Mahal na Birhen ng Santo Rosaryo" is the patroness of Rosario "Salinas", Cavite, Philippines....
(Nuestra Señora Virgen del Santissimo Rosario, Reina de Caracol) Rosario "Salinas", CaviteRosario, CaviteThe Municipality of Rosario is a first class urban municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 94,228 people in an area of 38.16 square kilometers, making it the second most densely populated city/municipality in Cavite after General...
- May 1995 - Our Lady of the Abandoned (Nuestra Señora de los Desamparadós) Marikina, Metro ManilaMetro ManilaMetropolitan Manila , the National Capital Region , or simply Metro Manila, is the metropolitan region encompassing the City of Manila and its surrounding areas in the Philippines...
- Our Lady of Bigláng AwâOur Lady of Prompt SuccorOur Lady of Prompt Succor is a religious title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, by the Roman Catholic Church. It refers to a statue of the Madonna kept in a shrine in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. She is also known as Notre-Dame de Bon Secours...
(Nuestra Señora del Prónto Socorro) Boac, MarinduqueBoac, MarinduqueBoac is one of the two first class municipalities in Marinduque municipality in the province of Marinduque, Philippines...
- May 1978 - Our Lady of CaysasayOur Lady of CaysasayOur Lady of Caysasay is a celebrated 17th-century image of the Immaculate Conception,dated 1603.The image was found by a man named Juan Maningcad while casting his net in nearby Pansipit River...
(Nuestra Señora de Caysásay) TaalTaal, BatangasTaal is a 4th class municipality in the province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 51,459 people in 8,451 households.It is the Balisong and Barong Tagalog Capital of the Philippines...
, BatangasBatangasBatangas is a first class province of the Philippines located on the southwestern part of Luzon in the CALABARZON region. Its capital is Batangas City and it is bordered by the provinces of Cavite and Laguna to the north and Quezon to the east. Across the Verde Island Passages to the south is the...
- 1954
- Our Lady of CharityOur Lady of CharityOur Lady of Charity also known as Our Lady of Cobre is the patroness of Cuba, whose basilica named, Basílica Santuario Nacional de Nuestra Señora de la Caridad del Cobre built in 1926 is situated in village El Cobre, near Santiago de Cuba, Cuba...
(Nuestra Señora de Caridád)- Agoo, La UnionLa UniónLa Union or La Unión may refer to:-Colombia:*La Unión, Antioquia*La Unión, Nariño*La Unión, Sucre*La Unión, Valle del Cauca-Peru:*La Unión Province, Peru...
- 1971 - Bantay, Ilocos SurIlocos SurIlocos Sur is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Vigan City, located on the mouth of the Mestizo River is the provincial capital...
- 1956
- Agoo, La Union
- Our Lady of Divine Leadership (Nuestra Señora Divina Pastora) GapanGapanGapan or GAPAN may refer to:*Gapan City, Philippines*Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators...
, Nueva EcijaNueva EcijaNueva Ecija is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is Palayan City...
- 1964 - Our Lady of the Food Giver (Nuestra Señora de Namacpacan) Luna, La UnionLuna, La UnionLuna is a 3rd class municipality in the province of La Union, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 35,372 people in 6,561 households.-Barangays:Luna is politically subdivided into 40 barangays.* Alcala* Ayaoan...
- 1959 - Our Lady of Good SuccessOur Lady of Good SuccessOur Lady of Good Success, also called as Our Lady of Good Events is one of the titles of Blessed Virgin Mary. This title is shared among numerous images around the world — a number of images in Spain, one in Quito, Ecuador, and one in Parañaque, Philippines...
(Nuestra Señora del Buen Suceso) Parañaque, Metro ManilaMetro ManilaMetropolitan Manila , the National Capital Region , or simply Metro Manila, is the metropolitan region encompassing the City of Manila and its surrounding areas in the Philippines...
- 2005 - Our Lady of Guadalupe of Cebu (Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe of Cebu) Cebu CityCebu CityThe City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
- 2006 - Our Lady of Guidance (Nuestra Señora de Guia) ErmitaErmita, ManilaErmita is a district of Manila, Philippines located halfway between Intramuros and Malate.-History:Ermita was founded in the late 16th century...
, ManilaManilaManila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
- 1955 - Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception of Pasig (Nuestra Señora de la Immaculada Concepción de Pasig) Pasig CityPasig CityThe City of Pasig is one of the city municipalities of Metro Manila in the Philippines and was the former capital of the province of Rizal prior to the formation of this grouping of cities designated as the National Capital Region...
, Metro ManilaMetro ManilaMetropolitan Manila , the National Capital Region , or simply Metro Manila, is the metropolitan region encompassing the City of Manila and its surrounding areas in the Philippines...
- 2008 - Our Lady of Immaculate Conception (Nuestra Señora de La Inmaculada Concepcion de Malabon") 1986 Malabon City
- Our Lady of La Navál (Nuestra Señora del Santíssimo Rosario de la Navál de Manila) Quezon CityQuezon CityQuezon City is the former capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. The city was named after Manuel L...
, Metro ManilaMetro ManilaMetropolitan Manila , the National Capital Region , or simply Metro Manila, is the metropolitan region encompassing the City of Manila and its surrounding areas in the Philippines...
- 1907 - Our Lady of ManaoagOur Lady of ManaoagOur Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag is a 17th century Roman Catholic ivory icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the central figure at the altar of her shrine located in Manaoag, Pangasinan...
(Nuestra Señora del Santíssimo Rosario de Manáoag) Manaoag, PangasinanManaoag, PangasinanManaoag is a first class municipality in the province of Pangasinan, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 62,684 people under 10,563 households....
- 1925 - Our Lady of Orani (Nuestra Señora del Santo Rosario de Orani) Orani, BataanOrani, BataanOrani is a 1st class municipality in the province of Bataan, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 59,530 people in 10,810 households.-Barangays:Orani is politically subdivided into 33 barangays.-External links:*****...
- Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage (Nuestra Señora de la Paz y Buen Viaje) Antipolo, Rizal - 1926
- Our Lady of Peñafráncia of NagaOur Lady of PeñafranciaOur Lady of Peñafrancia is a wooden statue of virgin mary originally came from Salamanca, Spain. Tens of thousands of pilgrims, devotees, tourists come to Naga City, Philippines every September for a nine-day festivities in honor of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, the Patroness of Bicol, endearingly...
(Nuestra Señora de Penafrancia de Naga) Naga, Camarines Sur - 1925 - Our Lady of PiatOur Lady of PiatOur Lady of Piat is a 16th century Roman Catholic icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the central figure at the altar of her shrine in Piat in the province of Cagayan...
(Nuestra Señora de Visitación de Píat) Piat, CagayanPiat, CagayanPiat is a 4th class municipality in the province of Cagayan, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 22,211 people in 3,975 households. Piat is now dubbed as the "Pilgrimage Center of Cagayan Valley" because of the thousands of devotees and tourists who come here to pay...
- 1954 - Our Lady of the Pillar (Nuestra Señora del Pilár) Zamboanga CityZamboanga CityThe City of Zamboanga : is a highly urbanized, independent and a chartered city located in Mindanao, Philippines....
, Zamboanga del SurZamboanga del SurZamboanga del Sur is a province of the Philippines located in the Zamboanga Peninsula region in Mindanao. Pagadian City is the capital... - Our Lady of the Rule (Nuestra Señora de la Reglá) Opon, Cebu - 1954
- Our Lady of Solitude of Vaga GateNuestra Señora dela Soledad de Porta VagaNuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga, also called "Reina de Cavite" and "La Virgen de la Soledad", is the patroness of Cavite City.-Description:...
(Nuestra Señora de la Soledád de Porta Vaga) in the Diocese of ImusDiocese of ImusThe Diocese of Imus comprises the whole province of Cavite. It was established as a separate diocese from the Archdiocese of Manila on November 12, 1961. The diocese was canonically erected on November 12, 1961. The Cathedral Parish of Our Lady of the Pillar, located along Gen. Castaneda St., Brgy....
, CaviteCaviteCavite is a province of the Philippines located on the southern shores of Manila Bay in the CALABARZON region in Luzon, just 30 kilometers south of Manila. Cavite is surrounded by Laguna to the east, Metro Manila to the northeast, and Batangas to the south... - Our Lady of Sorrows of Turúmba (Nuestra Señora delos Dolorés de Turúmba) Pakil, LagunaPakil, LagunaPakil is a 5th class urban municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 20,242 people in 3,698 households.-Barangays:Pakil is politically subdivided into 13 barangays.* Baño * Banilan...
- Our Lady of GuadalupeOur Lady of GuadalupeOur Lady of Guadalupe , also known as the Virgin of Guadalupe is a celebrated Catholic icon of the Virgin Mary.According to tradition, on December 9, 1531 Juan Diego, a simple indigenous peasant, had a vision of a young woman while he was on a hill in the Tepeyac desert, near Mexico City. The lady...
(Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe) Guadalupe Nuevo, Makati City - Our Lady of Consolation (Nuestra Señora de Consolacion y Correa) San Agustin Church, Intramuros, Manila
Fiestas and religious holidays
Roman Catholic holy days, such as ChristmasChristmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
, Good Friday
Good Friday
Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of...
, etc. are observed as official national holidays. Spanish-Mexican Culture and Catholicism has significantly influenced culture and traditions. On the 3rd Sunday of January the country celebrates the festival of the Santo Niño de Cebú
Santo Niño de Cebu
The Santo Niño de Cebú is a Roman Catholic figure of the Child Jesus highly similar to the Infant Jesus of Prague. Like the image's counterpart in Prague, the figure is clothed in expensive textile robes mostly donations from fervent devotees in the Philippines and abroad...
, the largest being held in Cebu City
Cebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
with the celebration of the Sinulog Festival
Sinulog festival
The Sinulog is an annual festival held on the third Sunday of January in Cebu City, Philippines. The festival commemorates the Cebuano people's pagan origin, and their acceptance of Roman Catholicism....
. However, other areas such as Kalibo, Aklan
Kalibo, Aklan
Kalibo is the capital of the province of Aklan, in the northwest of Panay Island, Philippines. It is a First Class Municipality in the Western Visayas Region practically located at the center of all coastal municipalities of Aklan province...
are also known for their own celebration known as the Ati-Atihan and in Iloilo City
Iloilo City
The City of Iloilo is a highly urbanized city in the Philippines and the capital city of Iloilo province. It is the regional center of the Western Visayas, as well as the center of the Iloilo-Guimaras Metropolitan Area...
they celebrates on the 4th Sunday of January as the Dinagyang
Dinagyang
The Dinagyang is a religious and cultural festival in Iloilo City, Philippines held on the fourth Sunday of January, or right after the Sinulog In Cebu and the Ati-Atihan in Aklan. It is held both to honor the Santo Niño and to celebrate the arrival on Panay of Malay settlers and the subsequent...
.
With regard to Holidays of Obligations
Calendar of saints
The calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the feast day of said saint...
, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines
Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines is the official organization of the Catholic episcopacy in the Philippines. Archbishop Jose S. Palma of Cebu is the current president while Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan is the current Vice President. The CBCP has 99 active...
has granted dispensation on all faithful who will not attend masses on these days, except on December 8 (Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
Immaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception of Mary is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, according to which the Virgin Mary was conceived without any stain of original sin. It is one of the four dogmata in Roman Catholic Mariology...
, the Principal Patroness of the Archipelago), December 25 (Christmas Day), and January 1 (Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God
Theotokos
Theotokos is the Greek title of Mary, the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches. Its literal English translations include God-bearer and the one who gives birth to God. Less literal translations include Mother of God...
).
In 2001, the same Conference approved a reform in the liturgical calendar, which included the Feasts of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Our Lady of Guadalupe , also known as the Virgin of Guadalupe is a celebrated Catholic icon of the Virgin Mary.According to tradition, on December 9, 1531 Juan Diego, a simple indigenous peasant, had a vision of a young woman while he was on a hill in the Tepeyac desert, near Mexico City. The lady...
, Maximilian Kolbe
Maximilian Kolbe
Saint Maximilian Maria Kolbe OFM Conv was a Polish Conventual Franciscan friar, who volunteered to die in place of a stranger in the Nazi German concentration camp of Auschwitz, located in German-occupied Poland during World War II.He was canonized on 10 October 1982 by Pope John Paul II, and...
, Rita of Cascia
Rita of Cascia
Saint Rita of Cascia is an Italian Augustinian saint.-Early life:St. Rita was born at Roccaporena near Spoleto, Umbria, Italy....
, Ezequiel Moreno and many others in its list of obligatory memorials
Calendar of saints
The calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the feast day of said saint...
.
Ecclesiastical Territories
The Catholic Church in the Philippines is organized into 72 dioceses in 16 Ecclesiastical ProvinceEcclesiastical Province
An ecclesiastical province is a large jurisdiction of religious government, so named by analogy with a secular province, existing in certain hierarchical Christian churches, especially in the Catholic Church and Orthodox Churches and in the Anglican Communion...
s, as well as 7 Apostolic Vicariate
Apostolic vicariate
An apostolic vicariate is a form of territorial jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church established in missionary regions and countries that do not have a diocese. It is essentially provisional, though it may last for a century or more...
s and a Military Ordinariate
Military ordinariate
A military ordinariate is an ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church, of Latin or Eastern Rite, responsible for the pastoral care of Catholics serving in the armed forces of a nation....
.
Ecclesiastical Provinces
- Archdiocese of CaceresArchdiocese of CaceresThe Archdiocese of Nueva Cáceres is an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. It is a Metropolitan See that comprises the Bicol region, while directly overseeing the third, fourth, and fifth congressional districts of Camarines Sur....
(Camarines SurCamarines SurCamarines Sur is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. Its capital is Pili and the province borders Camarines Norte and Quezon to the north, and Albay to the south...
)- Diocese of Daet
- Diocese of LegazpiRoman Catholic Diocese of LegazpiThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Legazpi is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines.The diocese was erected in 1951, from territory in the Archdiocese of Caceres....
- Diocese of Libmanan
- Diocese of MasbateRoman Catholic Diocese of MasbateThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Masbate is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church in the Philippines....
- Diocese of SorsogonRoman Catholic Diocese of SorsogonThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Sorsogon is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. The diocese was established in 1951 by the Archdiocese of Caceres, and in 1968, the diocese was subdivided after the Diocese of Masbate separated. The diocese is a suffragan of...
- Diocese of ViracRoman Catholic Diocese of ViracThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Virac is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines...
- Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro (Misamis OrientalMisamis OrientalMisamis Oriental is a province of the Philippines located in the Northern Mindanao region. Its capital and provincial center is Cagayan de Oro City...
)- Diocese of ButuanRoman Catholic Diocese of ButuanThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Butuan is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines.Erected in 1967, the diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro....
- Diocese of MalaybalayRoman Catholic Diocese of MalaybalayThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Malaybalay is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines.-Diocesan history:...
- Diocese of SurigaoRoman Catholic Diocese of SurigaoThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Surigao is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines....
- Diocese of TandagRoman Catholic Diocese of TandagThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Tandag is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines.Erected in 1978, the diocese was created from territory in the Diocese of Surigao....
- Diocese of Butuan
- Archdiocese of Capiz (CapizCapizCapiz is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is Roxas City and is located at the northeastern portion of Panay Island, bordering Aklan and Antique to the west, and Iloilo to the south. Capiz faces the Sibuyan Sea to the north...
)- Diocese of KaliboRoman Catholic Diocese of KaliboThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Kalibo is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines....
- Diocese of RomblonRoman Catholic Diocese of RomblonThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Romblon is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines....
- Diocese of Kalibo
- Archdiocese of Cebu (Cebu)
- Diocese of DumagueteRoman Catholic Diocese of DumagueteThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Dumaguete is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines....
- Diocese of MaasinRoman Catholic Diocese of MaasinThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Maasin is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines.Erected in 1968, the diocese was created from territory in the Archdiocese of Palo....
- Diocese of TagbilaranRoman Catholic Diocese of TagbilaranThe Diocese of Tagbilaran is one of the 72 ecclesiastical territories called dioceses of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. It is one of 2 dioceses in the province of Bohol and is part of the ecclesiastical province of the Archdiocese of Cebu. The 55-year old Diocese of Tagbilaran was...
- Diocese of TalibonRoman Catholic Diocese of TalibonThe Diocese of Talibon is one of the 72 ecclesiastical territories called dioceses of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. It is one of two dioceses in the province of Bohol and is part of the ecclesiastical province of the Archdiocese of Cebu. It comprises half of the civil province of...
- Diocese of Dumaguete
- Archdiocese of Cotabato (MaguindanaoMaguindanaoMaguindanao is a province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Its capital is Shariff Aguak. It borders Lanao del Sur to the north, Cotabato to the east, and Sultan Kudarat to the south....
)- Diocese of KidapawanRoman Catholic Diocese of KidapawanThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Kidapawan is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines....
- Diocese of MarbelRoman Catholic Diocese of MarbelThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Marbel is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines....
- Diocese of Kidapawan
- Archdiocese of DavaoArchdiocese of DavaoThe Archdiocese of Davao is an ecclesiatical jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. It is a Metropolitan See in the island of Mindanao...
(Davao del SurDavao del SurDavao del Sur is a province of the Philippines located in the Davao Region in Mindanao. Its capital is Digos City. The province is bordered by Davao City to the north, and Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato, and Sarangani to the west. To the east lies the Davao Gulf...
)- Diocese of DigosRoman Catholic Diocese of DigosThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Digos is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines.Erected in 1979, the diocese was created from territory in the Archdiocese of Davao....
- Diocese of MatiRoman Catholic Diocese of MatiThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Mati is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines....
- Diocese of TagumRoman Catholic Diocese of TagumThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Tagum is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines....
- Diocese of Digos
- Archdiocese of JaroArchdiocese of JaroThe Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Jaro is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. The cathedral for the archdiocese, the Parish of Our Lady of Candles, also known as the Jaro Cathedral is in Jaro a district of Iloilo City, Iloilo on the island of...
(IloiloIloiloIloilo is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Iloilo occupies the southeast portion of Panay Island and is bordered by Antique Province to the west and Capiz Province and the Jintotolo Channel to the north. Just off Iloilo's southeast coast is Guimaras Province,...
)- Diocese of BacolodRoman Catholic Diocese of BacolodThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Bacolod is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines....
- Diocese of KabankalanRoman Catholic Diocese of KabankalanThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Kabankalan is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines.Erected in 1987, the diocese was split off from the Diocese of Bacolod....
- Diocese of San CarlosRoman Catholic Diocese of San CarlosThe Roman Catholic Diocese of San Carlos is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. The diocese was split off from the Diocese of Bacolod together with the Diocese of Kabankalan in 1987 and is a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Jaro in Iloilo City...
- Diocese of San Jose de AntiqueRoman Catholic Diocese of San Jose de AntiqueThe Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose de Antique is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines....
- Diocese of Bacolod
- Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan (PangasinanPangasinanPangasinan is a province of the Republic of the Philippines. The provincial capital is Lingayen. Pangasinan is located on the west central and peripheral area of the island of Luzon along the Lingayen Gulf, with the total land area being 5,368.82 square kilometers . According to the latest census,...
)- Diocese of AlaminosRoman Catholic Diocese of AlaminosThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Alaminos is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines....
- Diocese of CabanatuanRoman Catholic Diocese of CabanatuanThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Cabanatuan is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines.The diocese was erected in 1963 from the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan....
- Diocese of San Fernando de La UnionRoman Catholic Diocese of San Fernando de La UnionThe Roman Catholic Diocese of San Fernando de La Union is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines...
- Diocese of San Jose
- Diocese of UrdanetaRoman Catholic Diocese of UrdanetaThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Urdaneta is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. The diocese was established in 1985 from the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan.-Local Ordinaries:...
- Diocese of Alaminos
- Archdiocese of LipaArchdiocese of LipaThe Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lipa today comprises the civil province of Batangas located in the southwestern part of the island of Luzon in the Philippines.-Suffragan dioceses:*Diocese of Boac*Diocese of Gumaca*Diocese of Lucena-Location:...
(BatangasBatangasBatangas is a first class province of the Philippines located on the southwestern part of Luzon in the CALABARZON region. Its capital is Batangas City and it is bordered by the provinces of Cavite and Laguna to the north and Quezon to the east. Across the Verde Island Passages to the south is the...
)- Diocese of BoacRoman Catholic Diocese of BoacThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Boac is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. It has jurisdiction over the province of Marinduque.-History:...
- Diocese of GumacaRoman Catholic Diocese of GumacaThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Gumaca is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines.The diocese was erected in 1984 from the Diocese of Lucena....
- Diocese of LucenaRoman Catholic Diocese of LucenaThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Lucena is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines....
- Prelature of InfantaTerritorial Prelature of InfantaThe Territorial Prelature of Infanta is a Roman Catholic territorial prelature located in the municipality of Infanta, Quezon, in the Ecclesiastical province of Lipa in the Philippines.-History:...
- Diocese of Boac
- Archdiocese of Manila
- Diocese of AntipoloRoman Catholic Diocese of AntipoloThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Antipolo is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines....
- Diocese of CubaoRoman Catholic Diocese of CubaoThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Cubao is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines...
- Diocese of Imus
- Diocese of KalookanRoman Catholic Diocese of KalookanThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Caloocan is a Diocese of the Catholic Church in the Philippines. The Diocese was erected in 2003 from its ecclesiatical province, the Archdiocese of Manila. The diocese comprises the cities of Caloocan - South, Malabon, and Navotas...
- Diocese of MalolosRoman Catholic Diocese of MalolosThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Malolos is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines...
- Diocese of NovalichesRoman Catholic Diocese of NovalichesThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Novaliches is a Diocese of the Catholic Church in the Philippines.-Vision:...
- Diocese of Paranaque
- Diocese of PasigRoman Catholic Diocese of PasigThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Pasig is the diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines that comprises Pasig City, Pateros, and Taguig City. It was established by Pope John Paul II on June 26, 2003 by virtue of the Papal Bull Deus Caritas. It was formally inaugurated on August 21,...
- Diocese of San PabloRoman Catholic Diocese of San PabloThe Diocese of San Pablo is a Roman Catholic diocese which is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Manila. Its patron saint or titular head is Saint Paul the Hermit. This is the only diocese in the province of Laguna.-Location:The diocese is composed of San Pablo City and the province of Laguna...
- Diocese of Antipolo
- Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia (Ilocos SurIlocos SurIlocos Sur is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Vigan City, located on the mouth of the Mestizo River is the provincial capital...
)- Diocese of BaguioRoman Catholic Diocese of BaguioThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Baguio is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines.The diocese of Baguio is one of the older ecclesiastical territories in the Philippines....
- Diocese of BanguedRoman Catholic Diocese of BanguedThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Bangued is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines.The diocese was erected as a territorial prelature in 1955....
- Diocese of LaoagRoman Catholic Diocese of LaoagThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Laoag is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines.The diocese was erected in 1961 from the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia...
- Diocese of Baguio
- Archdiocese of Ozamis (Misamis OccidentalMisamis OccidentalMisamis Occidental is a province of the Philippines located in the Northern Mindanao region. Its capital is Oroquieta City...
)- Diocese of DipologRoman Catholic Diocese of DipologThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Dipolog is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines....
- Diocese IliganRoman Catholic Diocese of IliganThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Iligan is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines comprising 25 parishes in Iligan City and twelve municipalities located at the northern half of the Province of Lanao del Norte.Erected on February 17, 1971 as a territorial...
- Diocese of PagadianRoman Catholic Diocese of PagadianThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Pagadian is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines.Created on November 12, 1971, the diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Ozamiz...
- Prelature of MarawiTerritorial Prelature of MarawiThe Territorial Prelature of Marawi is a Roman Catholic territorial prelature under the Ecclesiastical province of Ozamis in the Philippines comprising parishes in the minority Catholic community of Marawi City and four municipalities of Lanao Provinces with significant Catholic population The...
- Diocese of Dipolog
- Archdiocese of Palo (LeyteLeyteLeyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
)- Diocese of BoronganRoman Catholic Diocese of BoronganThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Borongan is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines....
- Diocese of CalbayogRoman Catholic Diocese of CalbayogThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Calbayog is an ecclesiastical territory of the Roman Catholic Church named after its episcopal see, Calbayog City, a city on the western side of the province of Samar in the Philippines.-History:...
- Diocese of CatarmanRoman Catholic Diocese of CatarmanThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Catarman is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines.Erected in 1974, the diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Palo....
- Diocese of NavalRoman Catholic Diocese of NavalThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Naval is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines....
- Diocese of Borongan
- Archdiocese of San Fernando (PampangaPampangaPampanga is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the City of San Fernando, Pampanga. Pampanga is bordered by the provinces of Bataan and Zambales to the west, Tarlac and Nueva Ecija to the north, and Bulacan to the southeast...
)- Diocese of BalangaRoman Catholic Diocese of BalangaThe Diocese of Balanga is one of the 72 ecclesiastical territories called dioceses of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. It comprises the whole province of Bataan. It was established on March 17, 1975, appointing the Most Rev. Celso Guevarra as the first Bishop on June 4, 1975. On July...
- Diocese of IbaRoman Catholic Diocese of IbaThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Iba is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines.The diocese began in 1955 as a territorial prelature and was created from territory in the dioceses of San Fernando, Pampanga, and of Diocese of Lingayen-Dagupan...
- Diocese of TarlacRoman Catholic Diocese of TarlacThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Tarlac is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines.Erected in 1963, the diocese was created from territory in both the Diocese of San Fernando, and the Diocese of Lingayen-Dagupan...
- Diocese of Balanga
- Archdiocese of Tuguegarao (CagayanCagayanCagayan , the "Land of Smiling Beauty", is a province of the Philippines in the Cagayan Valley region in Luzon. Its capital is Tuguegarao City and is located at the northeastern corner of the island of Luzon. Cagayan also includes the Babuyan Islands to the north. The province borders Ilocos Norte...
)- Diocese of BayombongRoman Catholic Diocese of BayombongThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Bayombong is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. The current bishop is Ramon B. Villena, appointed in 1986.-History:...
- Prelature of Batanes
- Diocese of Bayombong
- Archdiocese of Zamboanga (Zamboanga del SurZamboanga del SurZamboanga del Sur is a province of the Philippines located in the Zamboanga Peninsula region in Mindanao. Pagadian City is the capital...
)- Prelature of Ipil
- Prelature of IsabelaTerritorial Prelature of IsabelaThe Territorial Prelature of Isabela is a Roman Catholic territorial prelature located in the city of Isabela City in the Ecclesiastical province of Zamboanga in the Philippines.-History:...
Apostolic Vicariates
- Apostolic Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe (Mountain ProvinceMountain ProvinceMountain Province is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is Bontoc and borders, clockwise from the south, Ifugao, Benguet, Ilocos Sur, Abra, Kalinga, and Isabela.Mountain Province is sometimes incorrectly named Mountain in some...
, IfugaoIfugaoIfugao is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Covering a total land area of 262,820 hectares, the province of Ifugao is located in a mountainous region characterized by rugged terrain, river valleys, and massive forests...
) - Apostolic Vicariate of Calapan (Oriental MindoroOriental MindoroOriental Mindoro is a province of the Philippines located in the island of Mindoro under MIMAROPA region in Luzon, about 140 km southwest of Manila...
) - Apostolic Vicariate of Jolo (Sulu)
- Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto PrincesaApostolic Vicariate of Puerto PrincesaApostolic Vicariate of Puerto Princesa is an apostolic vicariate in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, the Philippines. As an apostolic vicariate in the Catholic Church hierarchy, it operates like a diocese and is headed by a bishop. Its cathedral is the Immaculate Conception Cathedral Parish in Puerto...
(PalawanPalawanPalawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region or Region 4. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City, and it is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. The islands of Palawan stretch from Mindoro in the northeast to Borneo in the...
)
- Apostolic Vicariate of San Jose de Mindoro (Occidental MindoroOccidental MindoroOccidental Mindoro is a province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region in Luzon. "Home of the Indigenous Mangyans". Its capital is Mamburao and occupies the western half of the island of Mindoro, on the west by Apo East Pass, and on the south by the Mindoro Strait; Oriental Mindoro is...
) - Apostolic Vicariate of Tabuk (KalingaKalingaKalinga is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is Tabuk and borders Mountain Province to the south, Abra to the west, Isabela to the east, Cagayan to the northeast, and Apayao to the north...
) - Apostolic Vicariate of Taytay (PalawanPalawanPalawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region or Region 4. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City, and it is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. The islands of Palawan stretch from Mindoro in the northeast to Borneo in the...
) - Military Ordinariate of the PhilippinesMilitary Ordinariate of the PhilippinesThe Military Ordinariate of the Philippines or MOP is a personal diocese for the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, and the Philippine Coast Guard. It has jurisdiction over all military, police and coast guard personnel, their dependents, and the civilian employees of all...
See also
- Christmas customs in the PhilippinesChristmas customs in the PhilippinesChristmas in the Philippines, one of two predominantly Catholic countries in Asia , is one of the biggest holidays in the archipelago. Plenty of Filipino Customs and Traditions make the Christmas Season in the Philippines an exciting and challenging affair...
- Christianity in the PhilippinesChristianity in the PhilippinesThe Philippines is one of two predominantly Roman Catholic nations in Asia, the other being East Timor. About 93% of the population is Christian, about 5% are Muslim and about 2% are other or none.-History:...
- Philippine Independent ChurchPhilippine Independent ChurchThe Philippine Independent Church, The Philippine Independent Church, The Philippine Independent Church, (officially the or the IFI, also known as the Philippine Independent Catholic Church or in Ilocano: Siwawayawaya nga Simbaan ti Filipinas (in in Kinaray-a/Hiligaynon: Simbahan Hilway nga...
- Philippine Orthodox ChurchPhilippine Orthodox ChurchThe Philippine Orthodox Church refers to the officially established Eastern Orthodox presence in the Philippines as a whole. Currently, there are two canonical Orthodox jurisdictions:...
- Protestants in the PhilippinesProtestants in the PhilippinesProtestant Christianity arrived in the Philippines during the late 19th century and the early 20th century. These denominations were introduced mostly by American missionaries at that time, although some were founded locally. The country has the world's 13th-largest Protestant population with...
- Philippine Independent Church
- Islam in the PhilippinesIslam in the PhilippinesIslam is the oldest recorded monotheistic religion in the Philippines. Islam reached the Philippines between the 12th and 14th century with the arrival of Muslim traders from Persian Gulf and the Malabar Coast in Southern India, and their followers from several sultanate governments in the Malay...
- Culture of the PhilippinesCulture of the PhilippinesPhilippine culture is related to Micronesian, Bornean, Mexican and Spanish cultures. The people today are mostly of Malayo-Polynesian origin, although there are people with Spanish, Mexican, Austro-Melanesian and Chinese blood. Geographically, the Philippines is considered part of Southeast Asia...
- Hispanic culture in The PhilippinesHispanic culture in the PhilippinesHispanic influence on Filipino culture are customs and traditions of the Philippines which originated from three centuries of Spanish colonization. Filipinos today speak a variety of different languages; the most common being Ilocano, Tagalog, Cebuano, English and Spanish...
- List of the Roman Catholic dioceses of the Philippines
- List of Filipino Saints, Blesseds, and Servants of God
- Separation of church and state in the Philippines
External links
- Official Website of the Catholic Church in the Philippines
- Rosario "Salinas", Cavite InformationRosario, CaviteThe Municipality of Rosario is a first class urban municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 94,228 people in an area of 38.16 square kilometers, making it the second most densely populated city/municipality in Cavite after General...
This article incorporates material from the U.S. Library of Congress and is available to the general public.