THE FIRST MASS IN

THE PHILIPPINE
HISTORY
Presented by Group #5
Where was the first mass in the
Philippines held? In Limasawa or
Butuan?
• According to the article written by Mr. Efren L. Danao on January 23,
2015, The visit of Pope Francis in our country will inevitably resurrect a
controversial and unresolved issue on the introduction of Christianity to
the Philippines – just where was the first Holy Mass celebrated?On his
arrival, the Pope noted that the Church in the Philippines was preparing
to celebrate the fifth centenary of the “first proclamation of the Gospel
of Jesus Christ on these shores.”
• The introduction of Christianity on Philippine shores is generally
linked to the celebration of the first Holy Mass, and Butuan City and
Limasawa, Southern Leyte, both claim to be the venue of this
historical religious rite. A dear friend, Rolly Narciso, is among those
feverishly pushing for the official recognition of Masau in Butuan
City as the true site.
• It’s hope that this controversy in the country’s history will have been
resolved by March 31, 2015 when the Philippines celebrates its
500th year of Christianization. Actually, the National Historical
Institute (NHI) has already reached a conclusion after a two-year
study. In 1996, it reaffirmed the popular belief propelled by Republic
Act 2733 that the firstHoly Mass was celebrated in Limasawa Island
on March 31, 1521.
The NHI cited the memoirs of Antonio Pigafetta, who
chronicled the expedition of Ferdinand Magellan, as “the
only credible primary source that yields the best evidence of
the celebration of the first Christian Mass on Philippine soil.”
This issue, however, remains debatable despite the
pronouncement from the NHI.
LIMASAWA OR BUTUAN?
• The first mass in the Philippines took place in Limasawa, not in
Butuan. It is not just because of the lack of evidence but because of
the inconsistency of facts as well. Take for an instance the
inconsistency of Magellan’s route, the date, and also the spellings of
places and persons involved as presented by the various historians
supporting the Butuan tradition.
THE EVIDENCE FROM BUTUAN TRADITION.

• In the 17th century. According to the Jesuit historian

Father Francisco Colin, Magellan went first to
Butuan, then to Limawasa and from thence to Cebu.
• However, Father Francisco Combés mentioned two
visits to Limawasa: in his version, Magellan visits
Limawasa first, from there he goes to Butuan; then he
returns to Limawasa. Both of them agree that it was from
Limasawa and with the help of Limasawa's chieftain that
the Magellan expedition went to Cebu.
• They both also agree that Magellan arrived in Cebu
on the 7th of April 1521, that is to say, on the octave
of Easter or one week after first Mass which in this
tradition was supposed to have been cel at Butuan
Both were to exercise a strong influence over
subsequent writers of History of the Philippines.
• In 18th Century Based on Colin which seems to
have been misunderstood and may have misled some
later writers of his book in which he describes the
island of Mindanao. One of the major historian that
made this error was Augustinian:
•Fray Juan de la Conception, he says about Magellan's
coming and about the first mass in the Philippine Islands.

1. He seems to think that the islands called "Las Velas" and

the Marianos Islands and the archipelago of San Lazaro were
all one and the same thing.
 2. He has misconstrued Magellan's route,depicting
high as sighting the southeastern tip of Mindanao and
sailing northwards along specific coast of this island,
and then entering by the Siargao Strait into Limasawa
which is at the entrance of the strait.
• In the 19th Century According to Augustinian, fray
Joaquin Martinez de Zuniga that the Butuan tradition
was taken for granted and we find it mentioned in
writer after writing each copying from the Previous and
being in turn copied by those who came after.
•But shorn of these peripheral errors, the essence of the Butuan
tradition was accepted by even otherwise careful scholars at the end
of the 19th and the early decades of 20th century.

•Colin’s account:

Magellan went first to Butuan, then to Limasawa and from there to

Cebu.
•Father Francisco Combes:

Magellan visits Limasawa first; from there he goes to Butuan;

then he returns to Limasawa and then to Cebu.
THE LIMASAWA TRADITION
• The evidence of Albo's log-book:

• Based on the testimony of Francisco Albo who

was one of the eighteenth survivors who returned
with Sebastian Elcano. He keeps in his diary or
Log-book on the voyage out while they were
sailing Southward in the Atlantic along the coast
of the South America.
• According to him the island that he calls
Gada seems to be the acquada of
Pigafetta, namely the isaland of
Homonhon where they took supplies of
wood and water. The large island of
Seilani which they coasted in the island of
Leyte.
Coasting southwards along with eastern coast of that island, then
turning southwest they came upon a small island named, Mazava.
That fits the location of a small island of Limasawa.
It is to be noted that Albo does not mention the first Mass,
only the planting of cross upon the mountain top from which
could be seen the three islands to the west and southwest.
This also fits the southern end of Limasawa. It does not fit the the
coast of Butuan from which no islands could be seen to the
southwest but only towards the North.
• The evidence from Pigafetta

• A. Pigafetta's testimony regarding the route.

• B. The evidence of Pigafetta's Maps First map (Blair and

Robertson) Second map (BR 33) double map Third
map(BR33)Island of Mazaua
• C. The two Kings With the help of two native kings
presence confirmed evidence at Mazaua during the
Magellan visit. One was the king of Mazaua and the second
one was the king or Rajah of Butuan.
D. Seven Days at Mazaua
1. Thursday, 28 March-arrival of Magellan and companion
in an island.
2. Friday, 29 March-"Next day, Holy day"
3. Saturday 30 March-spent previous evening feasting and
drinking with the king.
4. Sunday, 31 March-the last of Marchand Easter day,
obtain foods in Zebu port.
5. Monday 1 April-No work was done
6. Tuesday 2 April & Wednesday 3 April-work on the harvest
during "during the next two days"
7. Thursday 4 April - leave. Mazaua, bound for Cebu.
E. An argument from Omission Confirmatory evidence from
the Legazpi expedition: The 1971 expedition of naval
historian Samuel Eliot Morison and Colombian historian
Mauricio Obregon and the accounts of Spanish naval
engineer IgnacioFernandez Vial and merchant marine captain
Jose Luis Ugarte retraced the Magellan-Elcano voyage and
concluded that Limasawa is the site of the first Catholic mass
in the country, the NHCP found out in its study