LESSON 8

THE NATIONAL ADVOCACY OF GREGORIO

AGLIPAY

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:

At the end of the lesson, the students are expected to;

1. Understand the main reason of establishing

the Aglipayan church.
2. Identify the unique fundamental truths the
IPI members believe in.
3. Recognize ‘diversity of faith expressions.’

MATERIALS NEEDED:

1. https://youtu.be/JQ1zeCrBUaU
2. https://youtu.be/66W66zSWqio

A. DISCUSSION

INTRODUCTION

Philippine Independent Church, Spanish Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) also

called Aglipayan Church, independent church organized in 1902 after the Philippine revolution
of 1896–98 as a protest against the Spanish clergy’s control of the Roman Catholic Church.

Cofounders of the church were Isabelo de los Reyes y Florentino, author, labour leader,

and senator, who was imprisoned during the revolution for his criticism of Spanish clergy and
government officials in the Philippines, and Gregorio Aglipay y Labayán, a Philippine Roman
Catholic priest who was excommunicated in 1899 for his activities on behalf of the revolution.

Aglipay accepted de los Reyes’ request that he serve as supreme bishop of the new
church in 1903, a position he held until his death in 1940.

Its schism from the Roman Catholic Church was proclaimed in 1902 by the members of

the Unión Obrera Democrática Filipina, due to the mistreatment of the Filipinos by Spanish
priests and the execution of José Rizal during Spanish colonial rule.

Isabelo de los Reyes was one of the initiators of the separation, and suggested that
former Catholic priest Gregorio Aglipay be the head of the church. It is also known as the

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"Aglipayan Church", after its first Supreme Bishop, Gregorio Aglipay, who like José Rizal, later
became a Freemason, in May 1918.
Pope Leo XIII instructed the Archbishop of Manila, Bernardino Nozaleda y Villa
to excommunicate those who initiated the schism. Since 1960 the church has been in full
communion with the Episcopal Church in the United States, and through it, the entire Anglican
Communion.
Members commonly believe in the rejection of the exclusivity right to apostolic
succession by the Petrine papacy, the allowing of priestly ordination of women, optional clerical
celibacy, tolerance of Freemasonry, and support for contraception and same-sex civil
rights, however the members of the Church still believe in transubstantiation and the Real
presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

Many saints canonized by Rome after the 1902 schism are not recognized by the
Aglipayan church and its members. The church continued to follow Roman Catholic forms of
worship, but for many years doctrine was strongly influenced by Unitarianism.
A schism developed in 1946, and a unitarian faction left the church.

Under Isabelo de los Reyes, Jr., elected bishop in 1946, the church adopted in 1947 a
new declaration of faith and articles of religion that were Trinitarian. The Protestant Episcopal
Church in the United States consecrated three bishops of the Philippine Independent Church in
1948, and the two churches entered into a close association. In 1961 the church was accepted
into full communion with the Church of England and the Old Catholic churches. In the late 20th
century membership was 1,400,000.

KNOW SOME TRUTHS about the PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENT CHURCH

1. Who are these Aglipayans?

They are children of God, baptized in the Trinitarian Faith, and true worshippers of God
in the Philippine Independent Church; heirs of eternal salvation.
In other parts of the country they are commonly known as FILIPINISTAS/
INDEPENDIENTES.
They subscribe fully to the central doctrines of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic
Church as adopted to the Filipino way of life. Roman Catholics embrace the Catholic Faith in
accord with the tradition centering at Vatican.

2. What strong reason hastened the birth of PIC?

The Philippine Independent Church is a branch of the one Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic
Church and was established in the Philippines in 1902 as a result of the Filipinos' cry for
freedom against Spanish oppression and their relentless drive to free the Catholic Church from
abuses and corruptions of the Roman Catholic friars for almost four hundred years. Also there
was the Filipinos' determined effort to have a Church that was truly indigenous to the Filipino
culture and tradition, free from the papal authority but obedient only to God, as the Filipinos in
general found no convincing evidence to justify the doctrine of the papal infallibility.

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3. What was the role of Bishop Gregorio Aglipay in the realization of the Philippine
Independent Church?
The most vocal of the Roman Catholic priest who fought hard to institute reforms in the
Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines and to fight for Filipino dignity was Gregorio Aglipay.
When his demands for reforms, having chiefly in mind the glory of God and the happines of the
Flipinos, were not heeded and he felt that his effort were in vain, he rallied the Filipino Chatolics
to organize a Catholic Church which would be indigenous and responsive to the Filipino way of
life, and soon became the first Supreme Bishop or Obisbo Maximo of the PIC: For this role the
PIC members hold him in high esteem.

4. How was the PIC established?

When all peaceful attempts to have an indigenous Filipino Church had been denied by
Vatican authorities, a group of political and religious nationalists spearheaded a movement for
the liberation of a Filipino Catholic Church, led by Don Isabelo delos Reyes, the Father of labor
union in the Philippines, and proclamied on August 3, 1902 the Iglesia Filipina Independiente
drawn sympathy and support from no less than 30% of the entire Philippine population at that
time.

5. Is the PIC Independent and at the same time Catholic?

Most certainly. The word "Catholic" means whole, full and universal. this should not be
made to mean a universal distribution of membership in order to disprove the catholicity of the
Philippine Independent Church by bringing out the fact that its work is largely concentrated
within the Philippine territory. When the word "Catholic" is used with reference to the PIC, it is a
description of its Faith which is one with the One, Holy, and Apostolic Church. It also means that
the Wholeness, fulness, and universality of its Faith can be accepted by all Catholic Churches
outside of Vatican whereever they may be. Our Catholic friends (Anglicans) the world over have
already welcomed our missionary work. All Catholic Churches who are members of the World
Council of Churches have already recognized and accepted the PIC membership in that world-
wide organization of Churches. The word "Independent" when used refers to the status of the
PIC church goverment, which means that it continues to preserve its freedom from the dictates
of outsiders in running its own affairs. Change of leadership may mean change of
administration, but its catholicity will remain forever. Therefore, the Philippine Independent
Church can use the two words "Catholic" and "Independent" to describe itself without fear of
contradiction.

6. Is the PIC founded by Christ?

Any Catholic cannot deny that our Lord Jesus Christ was the founder of the Church, no
matter what unhappy divisions may mar her visible unity at the present day. From him the
Church recieves spiritual power and authority, and in him only is mediation between God and
His children possible. Does the PIC look for another Redeemer than Christ? Does it appeal to
another for spiritual authority and power than Christ? No! the men who figured prominently in
the early beginning of its establishment were only instruments of God in liberating the Church in
the Philippines from accretions and corruptions, and in preserving the ancient catholic faith. Can

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instruments be "founders" when they serve only as agents of a higher authority, Jesus Christ
himself?

7. What does the three-fold ministry of the Apostolic Succession mean?

This means that the orders of bishop, priest, and deacon have an unbroken line of
succession from the Apostles themselves to the present.
8. What is its attitude towards the Sacrament?

It recognizes the 7 traditional sacraments, namely: Holy Matrimony, Holy Orders, Holy
Unction, Penance, Confirmation, Baptism and Holy Eucharist, but holds the last 2 as the major
ones and necessary to salvation.

9. Can the PIC clergy be linked with the Apostles through an unbroken line of
succession?
Most certainly. The PIC clergy have been ordained by their own bishops who
themselves received valid consecration from the hands of three Episcopalian (Anglican) bishops
whose unbroken line of succession from the Apostles is unquestionably historical.

10. What is the relationship between the PIC and Anglican Churches?
The existing ties between the two Churches is a relationship of full communion,
conceived in Christian fellowship, and is dedicated to the ministry of evangelizing the world
through mutual trust and cooperation, under certain circumstances, but strictly observing the
three points of the Concordate:
1) Each Communion recognizes the catholicity and independence of the other and maintains its
own.

2) Each Communion agrees to admit members of the other Communion to participate in the
sacraments.

3) Intercommunion does not require from either Communion the acceptance of all doctrinal
opinion, sacramental devotion, or liturgical practice characteristic of the other, but implies that
each believes the other to hold all the essentials of the Christian Faith.

11. Does the PIC pursue missionary work outside of the Philippines?
Yes! Because of its ecumenical relationship with catholic Churches all over the world, it
has been encouraged by its brothers in the Anglican churches to open missionary work where
they are found. Its work is now found all over the United States of America in states like: Illinois,
California, Florida, New Jersey, etc under a newly created PIC Diocese of the Americas. Its first
bishop is the Rt. Rev. Eugenio Loreto. His immediate successor is Bishop Vic Esclamado.

12. Does it have theological colleges?

Yes, its training centers for the priesthood are St. Andrew's Seminary in Quezon City (a
common seminary for PICs and Episcopalians,) Aglipay Central Theological Seminary in
Urdaneta, Pangasinan, and St. Paul's Seminary in Iloilo City.

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13. What ought to be the attitude of the PIC members towards the Blessed Virgin Mary
and the Saints?
The PIC members ought to regard with reverence all the saints recognized and accepted
by the Philippine Independent Church. The Blessed Virgin Mary ought to be venerated as the
foremost of the saints. The people of God do not worship the saints but Jesus Christ who is their
only Mediator and Advocate.

14. Does the PIC hold to the principle of Church and State separation?
Certainly, and this is one of the principles that it will continue to cherish. The PIC
believes that conflict between Church and State is a remote possibility, if the leaders of the
temporal government of the State will act and rule in accordance with accepted Christian moral
principles. Conflict arises when leaders of the temporal government of the State, knowingly or
unknowingly, act contrary to the accepted Christian moral laws in the exercise of their office, or
when the Church leaders, consciously or unconsciously, encroach upon the rights which
properly belong to the State.
The union of Church and State in the Filipino climate is no sure guarantee that a better
society can flourish. Past lessons of this country's history can attest to this truth.

15. Why can't the PIC accept the claim of some exclusivist Churches/sects that salvation
is only for their respective groups?
Salvation is a gift from God, and no man has merited it except through Jesus Christ. The
recipients or heirs of such a wonderful gift are God's children regardless of race provided that
they fully adhere to the Catholic faith as held by the Apostles and all true Christians who came
after them.
God has used a particular people in preparing mankind for salvation, but never did He
intend salvation just for a particular group of people. God's love for his creation does not admit
any imperfection.

16. Is it wrong for any Church to practice rebaptism?

Definitely yes. The Bible is very clear on this: "...one faith, one baptism, one Lord, one
God..." The Nicene Creed which all Catholic Churches confess says, "I acknowledge one
baptism for the remission of sins."
Re-baptism or conditional baptism is allowed only if the first baptism is not in accord with
the traditional Catholic practice of using water and trinitarian formula in the administration of
Holy Baptism. The error of re-baptism stems from the false claim of some Churches/sects that
salvation is their monopoly

Source:

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Rt. Rev. Eustaquio D. Coronados, Bishop of the Diocese of Lucena City
http://www.oocities.org/athens/aegean/3083/qanda.htm

Asynchronous Learning

B. RELATED LEARNING

Activity 1: What makes the Aglipayan faith different from other sects and denominations?

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WATCH: https://youtu.be/k25PlbBPr_Q

Activity 2: What is the role of the Anglican Church in the IPI?

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