POSITION PAPER

A Historical Controversy: The Site of

the First Mass
Readings in Philippine History

Prepared By:
Godwill P. Oliva

November 17, 2021

 I. INTRODUCTION OF THE CONTROVERSY

The first mass was instituted by Christ at the cenacle in Jerusalem. Today, Jewish
people are not going out in the streets telling everybody that the institution of the mass
happened in their place. Does it make sense for Butuan or Limasawa to quarrel in this
conundrum about the first mass in the Philippines two thousand years after? Since
today Butuan is much noisier than Limasawa, probably because apparently, they are in
the losing side, does it make sense to continue its stubborn clamor by not giving up its
claim for the first mass of the country when there is a very strong possibility, though
lack of historical records, that masses could had been celebrated in the archipelago
long before March 21, 1521. Given the presence of the Portuguese in Moluccas during
the first quarter of the sixteenth century which provided a good navigational access into
the islands of Mindanao and Visayas makes such historical allusion not so difficult to
believe. Is it not also highly plausible that when the Magellan’s fleet landed in
Homonhon on March 16, 1621 which was Holy Tuesday, a mass could have been
already celebrated in there? These questions obviously are very disturbing for us
Butuan proponents because there seems to be no strong reason not to accept the
plausibility of the above claim.

And even if the first mass happened in Butuan, was it worth the trouble of the local
historians to tediously do their research in the vast libraries in Europe and America just
simply to prove their point which was in fact already twice turned down by the National
Historical Institute (NHI)? The prostration of some local historians is heightened by the
growing sentiment that recourse to the NHI is practically futile and therefore deserved to
be abandoned. There is now an increasing mood of cynicism on the part of some of
local historians to rethink whether or not such an endeavor was just a mere product of
sudden emotional outburst of losing something which Butuanons are convinced to be
rightfully theirs without even weighing the relevance of whether or not that something
does have really worth. Does it have a cash value? Indeed, not a few people in the
academe and even some clergy of Butuan diocese shared this sentiment.

II. SIDES AND/ OR EVIDENCES OF THE CONTROVERSY

The first evidence to support my argument in the explanation of Magellan's voyage

witnesses Pigafetta and Francisco Albo was that the first Mass in the Philippines was
held on the island called Mazava in Albo's report, in Mazaua, Pigafetta. It was an
account. Both claimed to have gone west from Homonhon Island towards Leyte and
turned southwest to reach the island. Based on this geographical location of Albo and
Pigafetta, Limasawa Island in Southern Leyte corresponds. On the contrary, the
testimony of historian Father Fernando Collins claimed in his Labor Evangelica that
Magellan went to Butuan, where he celebrated the first Mass and built a cross. To
support this, Antonio Pigafetta testified that he was the mother of the Queen of France-
the mother of Louise and Francis I of Savory. Jambatista Ramcio said Louise was given
a copy of the Pigafetta account by Savory. These manuscripts were translated into
French by Jack Fabre and produced by Simon de Collins. In addition, a monument was
erected in 1872 to commemorate the first Mass in Butuan on April 8, 1521. In my
opinion, the version of Ramushio's Pigafetta manuscript is unreliable. Sending text from
Pigafetta via Louise de Savoy to Simon de Colin does not have documentary support.
Pigafetta himself did not say he had given Louise de Savoy a copy of his manuscript, he
merely gave him a specific item. And I would like to point out that Magellan and his men
went to Cebu in April 1521, for Father Colin's report. However, at the monument, the
first Mass was held in Butuan in April 1521. Butuan is 236 kilometers away from Cebu
and the speed of the ship was not so fast at that time, so it is not possible to return from
Cebu to Butuan in just one day of Mass. On the same day of Mass, a cross was erected
on the top of the mountain. According to Francis Albo, three islands can be seen from
the west and southwest on the top of the mountain, and Butuan is north. And based on
Topographical Details given by Albo and Pigafetta’s, it describes current Limasawa

Secondly, Magellan did not go to Butuan to meet the king there. According to Pigafetta
and Albo, while in the island of Mazaua, they met two chieftains: one is the chieftain of
Mazaua and one is the chieftain of Butuan who was said to be visiting the island. This
opposes to the book written Historia de Mindanao y Jolo written by Francisco Combes
S.J. who worked as a missionary in the Philippines. He stated that Magellan went to
Butuan because they heard the king in Butuan is more powerful that they wanted to
meet him. It was said that their expectations were satisfied by the king. As a result, they
planted a cross on a hill in a solemn ceremony as sign of future alliance. In Francisco
Colin’s Work, the first mass occurred the same day they planted a cross. In this case, I
hereby agree to Pigafettas’s and Albo’s account because they are eye-witnesses and
considered as first-hand accounts. Pigafetta’s work is the most detailed and reliable
source of information regarding Magellan’s voyage compared to the claims stated by
second hand accounts.

III. The Stand

a. Positive stand

The evidences given by the aspect of Pangasinan because the web site of the primary
mass may well be true since it was expressed that the Thanksgiving Mass junction
rectifier by Father Odorico was celebrated in the year 1324 that was means earlier than
the opposite three places’ date of celebration. it's also attainable that Magellan wasn’t
the one who started the primary Mass within the Philippines as a result of there are
some sources spoken communication that there have been other foreigners who’ve
been in the country before other than navigator. The evidences from Tomas “Buddy”
Gomez III claiming that the location of the primary Mass might even have been
command in Homonhon and not in Butuan nor Limasawa is presumptive since he cited
records showing that Magellan stayed in Homonhon for eight days as well as the Palm
Sunday. Also, the actual fact that Pigafetta nor any of the survivors of Magellan
expedition didn’t mention that the Easter Mass in Limasawa was the ‘first’ therefore
there’s a chance that the 1st Mass happened in Homonhon but was solely unrecorded.
The aspect of Masao, Butuan has robust evidences that it's the location of the primary
Mass compared from the first two. It makes sense that the name of the place, “Mazaua”
that is written from the journal of Pigafetta, refers to the Masao of Butuan. Thus, it is
very attainable that it had been celebrated there. Butuan conjointly includes a ton of
artifacts which prove that navigator really did arrive to their place as well as the piece of
the balanghai that they believe came from the ship of navigator throughout his
expedition. This shows that there is very a massive chance that the 1st Mass did
happen at Masao, Butuan as a result of their conjointly claiming that Butuan is that the
first place wherever Magellan landed. The Limawasa, on the different hand, has a ton
of robust evidences as well. in step with Pigafetta’s journal, the place where the first
Christian Mass happened within the Philippine soil is an island lying on the
Southwestern tip of Leyte. The position of Mazaua in Pigafetta’s writings matched that
of Limasawa. The activity of distances between Homonhon and Limasawa, and
between Limasawa and Cebu, as computed by the Limasawa group, matches or
approximates the descriptions created by Pigafetta in his “The 1st Voyage round the
World” book. The Limasawa so has solid evidences and noticing however all the
findings matches what’s on Pigafetta’s writings makes it additional reliable and credible
because the place wherever the primary Mass was celebrated.

b. Negative Stand

Both the facet of Pangasinan and Homonhon has a factor however there may be a loss
of similar pieces of evidence to support their claims in particular to the facet of
Homonhon. Stating that Magellan stayed in Homonhon isn't a sturdy argument to show
that the First Mass honestly occurred there. The Pangasinan may also have a sturdy
argument if we can primarily base totally at the dates however it isn't sufficient due to
the fact that there have been additionally no statistics to reveal besides for the marker
discovered in the front of the St. James the Great Parish Church in Bolinao. Butuan
may also have quite a little evidence to reveal that Magellan honestly did arrive first at
their region however it isn't sufficient evidence to conclude that the First Mass honestly
befell there. If we can base on the writings of Albo and Pigafetta who are number one
sources due to the fact they’ve been with Magellan during his expedition, the region of
Butuan doesn’t match the characteristics both of them described in their journals
regarding the “Mazaua”. It is stated in Pigafetta’s writing that “Mazaua” is an island
however searching on the region of Masao, it can't be taken into consideration as an
island, rather, it's miles a barangay of Butuan City located in a delta of Agusan River
which can be an affirmation that it's miles honestly now no longer the Masao, Butuan, in
which the First Mass changed into held. The Limasawa has honestly sturdy arguments
and evidences however even though it fits what changed into said on Pigafetta’s
journal, it doesn’t imply that they celebrated the First Mass there due to the fact there
have been no specific declaration from the number one supply that it's miles the primary
and there may be honestly a opportunity that they celebrated it in different region
however changed into simplest unrecorded or wasn’t stated on Pigafetta’s writing.
 c. Final Stand

There are four places contesting for the real venue of the First Mass but we know that
there is only one place where it really took place and I believe that it is in the island of
Limasawa. Aside from the evidences they have, they have a record that the mass
during Magellan’s expedition happened there. Although, it wasn’t stated that it is the
first, the fact that the place of Limasawa matches the features of “Mazaua” is an enough
proof and very strong evidence compared to the three sites to conclude or to consider
that the First Mass in the Philippines took place in Limasawa Island in Visayas on March
31, 1521 officiated by Father Pedro de Valderrama. It was also affirmed that in the
same date, Magellan with his troops planted a cross on the same site. The Limasawa is
supported with a number of solid proofs which includes the Albo’s log book evidences of
Pigafetta, and the evidence from Legazpi’s expedition. In Albo’s account, he did not
mention the first mass and where it took place. However, he mentioned that Magellan
planted the cross “upon a mountain-top from which could be seen three islands to the
west and southwest.” This best fits the description of the geographical area of
Limasawa. These are very strong proofs since these people have been part of the
expedition. Albo and Pigafetta both took part in Magellan’s expedition. The former was
one of the pilots in Magellan’s flagship “Trinidad” and the latter was a member of the
expedition itself. Therefore, it is based on eyewitness accounts. Additionally, the
National Historical Institute has already implemented a law which is the Republic Act
2733 or the Limawasa Law and then it was the Gancayco Commission who confirmed
that it really happened in Limawasa due to the findings that they have gathered. These,
for me, are already enough to finally give a conclusion that Limasawa is the real site of
the First Mass here in the Philippines.

REFERRENCES:

Amazing Butuan (2009). Site of the first mass, after 488 years controversy
continues. Retrieved from http://amazingbutuan.blogspot.com/2009/04/site-of-first-
mass-after-488-years.html

Danao, E. L. (2015). Where was the first Mass in the Philippines held? Retrieved from
The Manila Times: http://www.manilatimes.net/first-mass-philippines-held/157730/

Philippines to GO (n.d.). Revolvy (n.d.). St. James the great parish church in Bolinao,
Pangasinan. Retrieved from http://www.philippinestogo.com/st-james-the-great-church-
bolinao/

Gomez, Tomas (2019). 'First Mass' in Limasawa: Fact or opinion? Retrieved from the
ABS-CBN News: https://news.abs-cbn.com/blogs/opinions/08/24/19/first-mass-in-
limasawa-fact-or-opinion