CHRISTIANITY IN THE

PHILIPPINES

(1521-1898)
• Christianity arrived in the
Philippines with Ferdinand
Magellan in 1521.
• On March 16, 1521 after an
intrepid journey across the
Pacific Ocean, the
Portuguese navigator first
landed in Homonhon
Island, off the coast of
Samar. Then they sighted
the beautiful Limasawa
Island (Southern Leyte).
• On Easter Sunday, he
planted a wooden
cross and attended
the first Mass on
Filipino soil, which
was celebrated by Fr.
Pedro de Valderrama.
• From there, Magellan
reached Cebu where
he was heartily
welcomed by Raha
Humabon.
• On April 15, 1521, Fr.
Valderrama baptized the
king together with his
wife, Juana, and 800
natives.
• Magellan presented to
the queen a beautiful
image of the Sto. Nino,
who became the patron
of the island.
• On April 27,1521, Magellan led an expedition
against Mactan Island.
• In fighting on the beach, he was hit in the leg
by a poisoned arrow.
• As he covered the retreat of his comrades, he
was slain by the local chief, Lapu-Lapu.
• The survivors hurriedly sailed to the Indian
Ocean and eventually reached Spain.
• Out of the 5 ships and 280 crew members,
only 1 vessel and 31 persons returned.
• Among them was the Italian historiographer
Antonio Pigafetta.
• News of the discovery prompted Spain to send
new expeditions for the conquest and the
colonization of the Philippines, which was
named after King Philip II.
• Christian evangelization
was first undertaken by
the Augustinians (1564)
who accompanied the
early Spanish
expeditions.
• They were followed by
the Franciscans (1578),
Jesuits (1581),
Dominicans (1587), and
Augustinian Recollects
(1606).
• In 1579, the first Episcopal See
(Diocese) was erected in
Manila. In 1595 raised as
Archdiocese of Manila with
the foundation of Dioceses of
Cebu, Nueva Segovia (Vigan)
and Nueva Caceres (Naga
City).
• Domingo de Salazar, O.P. the
first bishop of the Philippines,
courageously defended the
natives from the rapacity of
the conquistadors and he also
headed the abolition of
slavery (1581).
• The first centuries of
Christianity in the
Philippines were regulated
by the regime of the
Patronato Real, that
promoted collaboration
between the Church and
the colonial government.
• Spain gave financial support
and protection to the
missionaries in return for
loyalty and obedience.
• This was made visible in each town where, Church and
municipality were built beside each other (plaza complex).

• Unfortunately, some corrupted friars tainted the image

of the Church with their scandals and abuses, and
created a feeling of anti-clericalism even among the
most sincere Catholics.
• Before the coming of
the Spaniards, the
Filipinos lived in
scattered barangays
under the rule of a
datu, lakan, rajah, &
gat.
• In 1380 Islam was
introduced in Mindanao
and Sulu, but most of
the people remained
animistic, with strong
emphasis on ancestor
worship and the cult of
the dead.
• They conceived the universe as peopled by
good and evil spirits who had to be
propitiated by special rites and the sacrifice of
animals.
• The Spanish missionaries gathered the
barangay clans into large towns.
• They founded Churches, hospitals and schools.
Instruction was given in native languages
rather than in Spanish, which was reserved to
the elite class.
• Religion was made to
permeate society by
substituting splendid
liturgical rites, like fiestas,
processions, and novenas,
for the old pagan practices.
• Pious associations of prayer
and charity were formed
among the lay people.
• By the grace of God, the
Philippines became the first
and only Christian country in
Asia.
THE CHURCH IN THE PHILIPPINES
(1898-2000)
• In 1872, three diocesan
priests, Gomez, Burgos, and
Zamora, were executed for
alleged complicity in a mutiny
of native garrison troops.

• This gave a powerful impetus

to the independence
movement led by Dr. Jose
Rizal, who was himself
arrested and executed for
treason in 1896.
• The ensuing revolution
and independent
government (1896-98),
led by Andres Bonifacio,
Emilio Aguinaldo, and
other Katipuneros,
• were cut short by the
intervention of the
United States, that
obtained the Philippines
independence from
Spain at the conclusion
of the Spanish-American
War.
• The Americans began the policy of the
separation between Church and State, and
opened the gate to Protestant missions.
• One consequence of the
revolution was the formation
in 1902 of the Philippine
Independent Church.
• In 1898, Emilio Aguinaldo and
other Filipino leaders, wishing
to overthrow the spiritual and
political power of the
Spaniards, persuaded
Gregorio Aglipay, a Filipino
priest, to create a local
Church.
• Aglipay became the
supreme bishop and had
himself consecrated by 12
schismatic priests.
• The doctrines of the
Philippine Independent
Church were contained in
the books of Isabelo de los
Reyes, a former Philippine
senator.
• In 1914, Felix
Manalo founded
the Iglesia ni Kristo.
Iglesia ni Cristo's first chapel, Punta, Sta. Ana, Manila

• This religious
group, despite the
name, does not
believe in the
divinity of Christ
Iglesia ni Cristo Central Temple in
nor in the reality of Quezon City, Philippines

the Trinity.
• During World War II (1941-
45), the Church did not
compromise with the
Japanese occupation.
• Several priests and religious,
who refused to cooperate
with the Japanese, were
interned in camps.
• Those who managed to
escape to the hills continued
their ministry among guerillas
and refugees.
• The archbishop of Manila,
Michael O’Doherty, was kept at
arrest because he refused to ask
the people on a radio address to
cooperate with the invaders.
• At the end of the war, the
Philippines was granted full
independence and sovereignty.
• Despite the problems left behind
by three years of Japanese
military occupation, the newly-
born republic succeeded in
making the Philippines a most
respectable country in Asia.
• In 1965 Ferdinand Marcos
was elected president.
• Seven years later he
declared martial law, and
closed down most
newspapers and
broadcasting stations.
Martial law was formally
ended in 1981, but Marcos
retained absolute
emergency powers.
• In 1983, the assassination of
Senator Benigno Aquino at
Manila airport led to mass
demonstrations against the
regime, that exploded in
1986 with the famous EDSA
Revolution.
OLAS Seminarians, EDSA, February 1986
• The people of Manila, openly
supported by the outspoken
Cardinal Jaime Sin,
• were able to stop tanks and
machineguns with their
people power, flowers, and
prayers.
• Marcos fled to the United
States and Corazon Aquino,
widow of the murdered
Benigno and herself a devout
Catholic, became president.
• The new constitution, ratified in
1987, subscribed to the principle
of separation of Church and state
and granted religious freedom to
all churches and denominations.
• According to the latest census
(2014 - wikipedia), of the total
population of 100 million people
80.6% are Catholics, Muslims
5.6% , Protestants 4.35%,
Evangelical Christians 2.7%,
Iglesia ni Kristo 2.45%, other
religions 2.29%, 2 % Aglipayan, 2
% Animistic Atheists & Agnostics
0.08%.
• Pope Paul VI (d. 1978) was the first
pope to visit the Philippines (1971).
• Despite an assassination attempt,
the visit was a great success.
• Pope John Paul II (d. 2005) visited
the country in 1981, for the
canonization of St. Lorenzo Ruiz (Lay
missionary, d. 1637 - Japan), the first
Filipino saint (canonized 1987).
• He came again in 1995 for the World
Youth Day.
• St. Pedro Calungsod (Lay missionary,
d. 1672 - Guam) was beatified on
March 5, 2000, by Pope John Paul II.
Canonized by Pope Benedict XVI Oct.
21,2012.
 THE SECOND PLENARY COUNCIL
OF THE PHILIPPINES (PCP II)

 The Second Plenary Council

of the Philippines (PCP II)
was held at the Holy
Apostles Seminary in Makati,
Metro-Manila on January
20-February 17, 1991.

 PCP II was formulated by

representative laity, bishops,
religious, priests and is the
contemporary blueprint of
the Catholic Church in the
Philippines.
31
• Accordingly, it envisioned a people who are Maka-Tao,
Maka-Diyos, Maka-Bayan, a nation and Church
renewed---to be the Church of the Poor---and
promotion of Basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs) as an
expression of renewal.

32
• The Sixth World Youth Day was
celebrated in Manila on January
10-15, 1995.
• The pope was so impressed by
the Filipinos’ love and hospitality
that he uttered the memorable
statement: The Filipinos are a
phenomenal people!
• The 4 million people who
attended the closing Mass in
Luneta Park on January 15
experienced an event like a new
Pentecost.
• Monday, January 19, 2015,by Reuters
• Pope’ Francis Manila Mass draws ‘up to seven million’
people