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The Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, with its head being the Pope. With 75.5 million members in 2011, it is the predominant religion, making the Philippines the country with the third largest number of Catholic citizens in the world after  Brazil and Mexico. It is also one of the two predominantly Catholic countries in Asia (the other being East Timor ). Contents  1 History o 1.1 Spanish Era (1521-1898)   1.1.1 Cultural Impact  1.1.2 Difficulties  1.1.3 Religious Orders  1.1.4 Filipino Resistance o 1.2 American period (1898   1946) o 1.3 1946-Present  2 Internal movements o 2.1 Catholic Charismatic Renewal  o 2.2 Neocatechumenal Way   3 Papal visits  4 Education  5 Political Influence  6 Marian Devotion  7 Religious observances  8 Filipino diaspora  9 Ecclesiastical Territories o 9.1 Ecclesiastical Provinces o 9.2 Apostolic Vicariates o 9.3 Ordinariates  10 See also  11 References  12 External links History Spanish Era (1521-1898) This section does not cite any references or sources . Please help improve this section  by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2009) In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Spain had three major goals for the  occupation of the Philippine Islands. One was to colonise the Philippines and participate in the spice trade

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The Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, with

its head being the Pope. 

With 75.5 million members in 2011, it is the predominant religion, making the Philippines the

country with the third largest number of Catholic citizens in the world after  Brazil and Mexico. It

is also one of the two predominantly Catholic countries in Asia (the other being East Timor ).

Contents

  1 History 

o  1.1 Spanish Era (1521-1898) 

  1.1.1 Cultural Impact 

  1.1.2 Difficulties 

  1.1.3 Religious Orders 

  1.1.4 Filipino Resistance 

o  1.2 American period (1898 – 1946) 

o  1.3 1946-Present   2 Internal movements 

o  2.1 Catholic Charismatic Renewal 

o  2.2 Neocatechumenal Way 

  3 Papal visits 

  4 Education 

  5 Political Influence 

  6 Marian Devotion 

  7 Religious observances 

  8 Filipino diaspora 

  9 Ecclesiastical Territories 

o  9.1 Ecclesiastical Provinces o  9.2 Apostolic Vicariates 

o  9.3 Ordinariates 

  10 See also 

  11 References 

  12 External links 

History

Spanish Era (1521-1898)

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section

 by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and

removed. (August 2009) 

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Spain had three major goals for the occupation of thePhilippine Islands. One was to colonise the Philippines and participate in the spice trade

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dominated by Portugal. Second, Spain wanted to use the islands' geographical location to trade

with China and Japan and to spread their religious belief to those advanced civilizations. Third

was for Spain to spread Catholicism in the archipelago itself.

While many history books claim that the first Mass in the archipelago was held on Easter Sunday

of 1521, others present evidence that it was elsewhere. Some books claim that this was done onthe same day in a little island near the present day Bukidnon Province. There is only one

recorded Christian Mass in the Philippines that is provable, and it was that held at the island-port

named Mazaua on Easter Sunday, 31 March 1521. This incident was recorded by the Vicentinediarist 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. Lieutenant Legazpi was in charge of making peace with the

natives and through swift military conquest. To do so, he set up colonies.

Under the encomienda system, Filipinos had to pay tribute to the encomendero of the area and inreturn 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 theFilipinos 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 notorganise into a unified resistance towards the Spaniards due to geography, ethno-linguistic

differences, and overall mutual indifference.

Cultural Impact

The Santo Niño de Cebú, the oldest Catholic artefact in the Philippines. In 1521, FerdinandMagellan gave this statue to a Cebuano tribe that converted to Catholicism. 

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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  barangays, which aresmall kinship units consisting of about 30 to 100 families.

Each barangay had a mutable class system, with any sub-classes varying from one barangay tothe next. The patriarchal chieftains were called datus, 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 reason being that the

dependent class were an oppressed group. Although they failed at completely abolishing the

system, they instead worked to use 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 finding better potential to take as a 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 aboveother inferior gods and goddesses. Natives also worshiped nature and prayed to the spirits of 

their ancestors to whom they also made sacrifices. Mostly men practiced ritualistic drinking andmany rituals performed aimed at cure for a certain illness. Magic and superstition also existedamong 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 missionaries continued to face many difficulties in

Christianizing the region.

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 clergyfell ill or waited years for their chance to take the journey. For others, the climate difference once

they arrived proved to be unbearable. Other missionaries desired to go to Japan or China instead

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and spread their faith there, or those who remained 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 of the latter. The Spanish government was highly dependent on the influx of 

silver and gold since it supported the necessities to run the government in Manila, the main city,and to continue the Christianization of the rest of the archipelago. The most difficult obstaclesfacing 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.

Religious Orders

The Philippines is home to many of the world's major religious congregations, and today these

include the Augustinians, Recollects, Jesuits, Dominicans, Franciscans, Carmelites, Salesians, 

and the indigenous Religious of the Virgin Mary and the Augustinian Recollect Sisters.

The five regular orders who were assigned to Christianize the natives were the Augustinians, 

who came with Legazpi, the Discalced Franciscans (1578), the Jesuits (1581), the Dominicanfriars (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 asmall 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 seventeenthcentury, 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 allowedfor 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, resisted because they felt an agricultural obligation and connectionwith 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 effortsto 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

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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 there were 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, four main sacraments attracted the natives but only for ritualistic reasons, and they did not fully alter their lifestyle as the Spaniards had hoped. Baptism

was believed to simply cure ailments, while Holy Matrimony was a concept many natives could

not understand and thus had violated the sanctity of monogamy. They were however, allowed tokeep the tradition of  dowry which was accepted into law. "Bride-price" and "bride-service" were

not observed by the Spaniards, but were performed by natives despite labels of heresy.

Confession, or Penance, was required of everyone once a year, and the clergy used a bilingual

text aid called confessionario to help natives understand the rite's meaning and what they had toconfess. They were initially apprehensive to the concept but they gradually used Penance as a

way to excuse excessive actions throughout the year. Communion was given out selectively for 

this was one of the most important sacraments that the missionaries did not want to risk having

the natives violate. To help their cause, evangelism was done in the native language. DoctrinaChristiana is a book of prayers in Tagalog published in the 16th century.

American period (1898 – 1946)

Main article: Freedom of religion in the Philippines 

During the sovereignty of the United States, the American government implemented the

separation of church and state. It reduced the significant political power exerted by the Church

and lead to the establishment of  other religions (particularly Protestantism) within the country.

After American colonisation of the country, American jurisprudence reintroduced separation of church and state relying on the First Amendment and the metaphor of  Thomas Jefferson on the"wall of separation... between church and state"

[1] (10)

, but the Philippine experience has shown

that this theoretical wall of separation has been crossed several times by secular authorities.

Schumacher states that in 1906, the Philippine Supreme Court intervened in the issue of parishownership by returning assets seized by the Philippine Independent Church, while certain

charitable organizations managed or influenced by the Roman Catholic Church were either 

returned or sequestered.

The provision of the 1935 Philippine Constitution on religion mimicked the First Amendment to

the United States Constitution, but the sentences "The free exercise and enjoyment of religious

 profession and worship, without discrimination or preference, shall be forever allowed.  Noreligious test   shall be required for the exercise of civil or political rights" were appended and

this section became the basis for the non-establishment of religion and freedom of religion in the

Philippines.[2]

 

1946-Present

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When the Philippines was  placed under  Martial Law  by dictator  Ferdinand Marcos, relations

 between Church and State changed dramatically, as some bishops expressly and openly opposed

Martial Law.[3]

 The turning point came in 1986 when then-Archbishop of Manila Jaimé CardinalSin  broadcast over Church-run Radio Veritas an appeal for people to support anti-regime rebels.

The people's response became what is now known as the People Power Revolution, which ousted

Marcos.

Church and State today maintain generally cordial relations despite differing opinions over 

specific issues. With the guarantee of religious freedom in the Philippines, the Roman Catholicclergy subsequently remained in the political background as a source of moral influence

especially during elections. Political candidates still generally court the clergy and other religious

leaders for additional support, although this does not guarantee victory.

Internal movements

Catholic Charismatic Renewal

A number of  Catholic Charismatic Renewal 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 theCharismas or gifts of the Holy Spirit. Some of the Charismatic movements were the Assumption

Prayer Group, Couples for Christ, El Shaddai, Kerygma and the Shalom. Charismatic

movements profess to be ecumenical, similar to the evangelical and Pentecostal Christians; in

fact, many non-Catholic Christians also join this movement.[citation needed ]

Even though themovement is ecumenical, majority of its adherents are Catholics, in addition, leaders and

speakers in these groups are sometimes Catholic priests.

Neocatechumenal Way

The  Neocatechumenal Way in the Philippines has been established for more than 25 years. The

 Neocatechumenal communities number more than 700 and are found all over the Philippineswith 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 presencein Asia, and remains to be 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 thePhilippines now exceeds 25,000 persons.

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Quiapo Church or the Basilica Minore of the Black Nazarene is home of the statue of the Black  Nazarene, the much venerated statue of  Jesus Christ. 

Papal visits

  Pope Paul VI was the target of an assassination attempt at Manila International Airport in

the Philippines in 1970.[4]

 The assailant, a Bolivian Surrealist  painter named Benjamín

Mendoza y Amor Flores, lunged toward Pope Paul with a kris, but was subdued.[4]   Pope John Paul II visited the country twice, 1981 and 1995. 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 Lagdameo to visit because of a hectic schedule.[5]

 

The Malaueg Church, located at the town of  Rizal, Cagayan is the oldest Roman Catholic StoneChurch in the Philippines. 

Education

The Catholic Church is involved in education at all levels. It has founded and continues tosponsor hundreds of secondary and primary schools as well as a number of colleges and

internationally known universities. The Jesuit-run Ateneo de Manila University, La Salle

Brothers-run De La Salle University, and the Dominican-run University of Santo Tomas arelisted in the "World's Best Colleges and Universities" in the Times Higher Education-QS World

University Rankings.[6]

 

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Other prominent educational institutions in the country are Colegio de San Juan de Letran, 

University of San Carlos, San Beda College, Saint Louis University; and the University of San

Agustin. 

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 Manila, Jaime Cardinal Sin called on the public to march along Epifanio de los

Santos Avenue and force dictator  Ferdinand E. Marcos to step down which occurred after sevenmillion 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 threedays 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'.

The church strongly opposes the Reproductive Health Bill, which was commonly known as RH

Bill.[7]

 It led to the division of opinion of the country's populace since 80% of the population areCatholics.

[8] 

Marian Devotion

Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag, a classic version of Spanish influence on native icons.

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Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary of La Naval de Manila, the Grandest Marian Icon in the

Philippines.

File:Nuestra Señora Vírgen del Santíssímo Rosarío, Reína de Caracol.jpg 

 Nuestra Señora Virgen del Santissimo Rosario, Reina de Caracol, Patroness of Rosario"Salinas", Cavite.

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 uniquelyFilipino. 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:

  Our Lady of the Abandoned ( Nuestra Señora de los Desamparadós) Marikina, Metro

Manila 

  Our Lady of  Bigláng Awâ ( Nuestra Señora del Prónto Socorro) Boac, Marinduque - May

1978

  Our Lady of Caysasay ( Nuestra Señora de Caysásay) Taal, Batangas - 1954

  Our Lady of Charity ( Nuestra Señora de Caridád ) - Basilica Minore of Our Lady of 

Charity 

o  Agoo, La Union - 1971

o  Bantay, Ilocos Sur  - 1956

  Our Lady of Consolation ( Nuestra Señora de Consolacion y Correa) San Agustin

Church, Intramuros, Manila 

  Our Lady of Divine Leadership ( Nuestra Señora Divina Pastora) Gapan,  Nueva Ecija -

1964

  Our Lady of the Food Giver  ( Nuestra Señora de Namacpacan) Luna, La Union - 1959

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  Our Lady of Good Success ( Nuestra Señora del Buen Suceso) Parañaque, Metro Manila -

2005

  Our Lady of Guadalupe ( Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe) Guadalupe Nuevo, Makati City 

  Our Lady of Guadalupe of Cebu ( Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe of Cebu) Cebu City -

2006

 Our Lady of Guidance ( Nuestra Señora de Guia) Ermita, Manila - 1955

  Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception of Pasig ( Nuestra Señora de la ImmaculadaConcepción de Pasig ) Pasig City, Metro Manila - 2008

  Our Lady of Immaculate Conception ( Nuestra Señora de La Inmaculada Concepcion de

 Malabon) 1986 Malabon City

  Our Lady of Immaculate Conception (Virgen Inmaculada Concepcion de Malolos) 2012

Diocese of Malolos, Bulacan

  Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary of La Naval de Manila ( Nuestra Señora del 

Santíssimo Rosario de la Navál de Manila) Quezon City, Metro Manila - 1907

  Our Lady of Lourdes ( Nuestra Señora del Lourdes) Quezon City, Metro Manila - 1951

  Our Lady of Manaoag ( Nuestra Señora del Santíssimo Rosario de Manáoag ) Manaoag,

Pangasinan - 1925  Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, Queen of the Caracol ( Nuestra Señora Virgen del 

Santissimo Rosario, Reina de Caracol ) Rosario "Salinas", Cavite - May 1995

  Our Lady of Orani ( Nuestra Señora del Santo Rosario de Orani) - Orani Church, Orani,

Bataan 

  Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage ( Nuestra Señora de la Paz y Buen Viaje) Antipolo,

Rizal - 1926

  Our Lady of Peñafráncia of Naga ( Nuestra Señora de Penafrancia de Naga)  Naga,Camarines Sur  - 1925* Our Lady of Peñafráncia of Manila ( Nuestra Señora del Rosario

de Río Pasig ) Paco, Manila - 1985

  Our Lady of Piat ( Nuestra Señora de Visitación de Píat ) Piat, Cagayan - 1954

  Our Lady of the Pillar  ( Nuestra Señora La Virgen del Pilár ) Chartered and IndependentCity of Zamboanga 1635

  Our Lady of the Rule ( Nuestra Señora de la Reglá) Opon, Cebu - 1954

  Our Lady of Solitude of Vaga Gate ( Nuestra Señora de la Soledád de Porta Vaga) in theDiocese of Imus, Cavite 

  Our Lady of Sorrows of Turúmba ( Nuestra Señora delos Dolorés de Turúmba) Pakil,

Laguna 

  Our Lady of Candles ( Nuestra Senora de la Candelaria) Jaro, Iloilo City 

Religious observances

File:Reina de Caracol.jpg The image of the  Nuestra Señora Virgen del Santissimo Rosario,  Reina de Caracol , the

 patroness of  Rosario, Cavite on her feast day. This is the start of the Caracol , a local dance

 performed in the saint's honour.

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section

 by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved. (August 2009) 

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Roman Catholic holy days, such as Christmas, Good Friday, etc. are observed as national

holidays, with local saints' days being observed as holidays in different towns and cities. The

Hispanic-influenced custom of holding fiestas in honour of patron saints have become an integral part of  Filipino culture, as it allows for communal celebration as well as serving as a time marker 

for the year. A nationwide fiesta occurs every third Sunday of January, on the country-specific

Feast of the Santo Niño de Cebú. The largest celebrations are the Sinulog Festival in Cebu City, the Ati-Atihan in Kalibo, Aklan and the Dinagyang in Iloilo City (which is instead held on thefourth Sunday of January).

With regard to most holy days of obligation, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines 

(CBCP) granted dispensation on all the faithful who cannot attend masses on these days, except

for the following yuletide observances:

  Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on 8 December,

  Christmas Day

  Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God on 1 January

In 2001, the CBCP also 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 othersin its list of  obligatory memorials. 

Filipino diaspora

Overseas Filipinos have spread Filipino culture worldwide, and have brought Filipino

Catholicism with them. Filipinos have established two shrines in the Chicago Metropolitan Area: 

one at St. Wenceslaus dedicated to Santo Niño de Cebú, as well as another at St. Hedwig's withits statue to Our Lady of Manaoag. The Filipino community in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese

of New York  has the San Lorenzo Ruiz Chapel (New York City) for its apostolate.

Ecclesiastical Territories

Main article: List of the Roman Catholic dioceses of the Philippines 

The Catholic Church in the Philippines is organized into 72 dioceses in 16  Ecclesiastical

Provinces, as well as 7 Apostolic Vicariates and a Military Ordinariate. 

Catholicism in the Philippines – A Proof of Great Influence

Catholicism was spread out in some European countries. For many believers of this religion, it’s

a part of Christianity but with distinction among other Christian religions. Philippines has been

on of the countries that were influenced by this religion. In fact, if you will track down thecountry’s time-line of history, you will discover that Spain was responsible in spreading out

Catholicism in the Philippines.

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It was in the 16th and 17th centuries when Spain started venturing out on other countries, most

specially in Asian countries like the Philippines. Spain had three major goals set in building

relationship with the Asian county. The first aim is to colonize the Philippines and have part inthe spice trade where Portugal was on the peak of this business. The second goal was to use

Philippines as a good medium in trading with other neighboring countries like Japan and China

and also to spread the Christianity in other more developed civilizations. The last goal was toChristianize all the inhabitants of the Philippines.

Spanish missionaries and friars were able to spread Christianity in Luzon and Visayas butMindanao was very resistant during that time. As for the cultural impact, Spaniards had

discovered how the inhabitants of the archipelago had poor lifestyle. Due to this situation, the

colonizers disagreed with the Filipinos’ customs and felt the need to cut the natives’ evil ways.

From the intention of dispersing Catholic faith, political issues were involved. Friars became people with high political positions and social classes were implemented.

Aside from the Catholic faith the the Spaniards influenced, there are certain things and customs

that were carried up to this generation. One of those traditions is the belief in relics, idols andimages of the saints. The Santo Nino de Cebu is one example of Catholicism’s strong belief in

images of saints. This is the second oldest Catholic image that’s successfully preserved throughtime. The Our Lady of Manaoag is also one of the most prominent icons in this religion. If you

will notice, there are a lot of “Lady” icons in Catholicism. This is because the religion is very

much devoted in Mary. The Marian Devotion created a wave of influence to numerous towns.

Thus, most of these towns created their own version of Mary, so as to have distinction amongother idols.

Among the hundreds of saints being introduced, the most controversial is the Black Nazarene.The Black Nazarene statue, which is being toured to the Quiapo church is also highly venerated

 by loyal Catholics up to this day. Every year, a “Quipo Day” or the day when the statue will be brought to a procession gathers thousands of devoted Catholics. Most of these people patientlysqueeze in through loads of other devotees just to get a “touch” or a “kiss” to the statue. Many

 believe that upon doing such acts, they will be healed from any sickness or their problems will be

 provided with solutions by the Black Nazarene. There had been cases when people died, faintedor were injured because of the hurls and rushes of thousands of people. Catholicism also has a

great influence in terms of politics.

In the year 2005, the Catholic members in the Philippines reached 73.8 million members –  

making it the predominant religion in the whole country. Catholicism had made a lot of influence

to the Filipino people, not only in the spiritual aspect, but also in cultural and political aspects.

Review more information about Catholicism in the Philippines by reading online articles andforum. You may also refer to online encyclopedia and other credible sites for your research.

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Religion in the Philippines

by Jack Miller

The Philippines proudly boasts to be the only Christian nation in Asia. More than 86 percent of 

the population is Roman Catholic, 6 percent belong to various nationalized Christian cults, andanother 2 percent belong to well over 100 Protestant denominations. In addition to the Christianmajority, there is a vigorous 4 percent Muslim minority, concentrated on the southern islands of 

Mindanao, Sulu, and Palawan. Scattered in isolated mountainous regions, the remaining 2

 percent follow non-Western, indigenous beliefs and practices. The Chinese minority, althoughstatistically insignificant, has been culturally influential in coloring Filipino Catholicism with

many ofthe beliefs and practices of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism.

The pre-Hispanic belief system of Filipinos consisted of a pantheon of gods, spirits, creatures,and men that guarded the streams, fields, trees, mountains, forests, and houses. Bathala, who

created earth and man, was superior to these other gods and spirits. Regular sacrificesand prayers

were offered to placate these deities and spirits--some of which were benevolent, somemalevolent. Wood and metal images represented ancestral spirits, and no distinction was made

 between the spirits and their physical symbol. Reward or punishment after death was dependent

upon behavior in this life.

Anyone who had reputed power over the supernatural and natural wasautomatically elevated to a

 position of prominence. Every village had its share of shamans and priests who competitively

 plied their talents and carried on ritual curing. Many gained renown for their ability to developanting-anting, a charm guaranteed to make a person invincible in the face of human enemies.

Other sorcerers concocted love potions or produced amulets that made their owners invisible.

Upon this indigenous religious base two foreign religions were introduced -- Islam andChristianity -- and a process of cultural adaptation and synthesis began that is still evolving.

Spain introduced Christianity to the Philippines in 1565 with the arrival of Miguel Lopez de

Legaspi. Earlier, beginning in 1350, Islam had been spreading northward from Indonesia into thePhilippine archipelago. By the time the Spanish arrived in the 16th century, Islam was firmly

established on Mindanao and Sulu and had outposts on Cebu and Luzon. At the time of the

Spanish arrival, the Muslim areas had the highest and most politically integrated culture on theislands and, given more time, would probably have unified the entire archipelago. Carrying on

their historical tradition of expelling the Jews and Moros [Moors] from Spain (a commitment to

eliminating any non-Christians), Legaspi quickly dispersed the Muslims from Luzon and the

Visayan islands and began the process of Christianization. Dominance over the Muslims onMindanao and Sulu, however, was never achieved during three centuries of Spanish rule. During

American rule in the first half of this century the Muslims were never totally pacified during the

so-called "Moro Wars." Since independence, particularly in the last decade, there has been

resistance by large segments of the Muslim population to national integration. Many feel, with just cause, that integration amounts to cultural and psychological genocide. For over 10 years the

Moro National Liberation Front has been waging a war of secession against the Marcos

government.

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While Islam was contained in the southern islands, Spain conquered and converted the remainder 

of the islands to Hispanic Christianity. The Spanish seldom had to resort to military force to win

over converts, instead the impressive display of pomp and circumstance, clerical garb, images, prayers, and liturgy attracted the rural populace. To protect the population from Muslim slave

raiders, the people were resettled from isolated dispersed hamlets and brought "debajo de las

companas" (under the bells), into Spanish organized pueblos. This set a pattern that is evident inmodern Philippine Christian towns. These pueblos had both civil and ecclesiastical authority; thedominant power during the Spanish period was in the hands of the parish priest. The church,

situated on a central plaza, became the locus of town life. Masses, confessions, baptisms,

funerals, marriages punctuated the tedium of everyday routines. The church calendar set the paceand rhythm of daily life according to fiesta and liturgical seasons. Market places and cockfight

 pits sprang up near church walls. Gossip and goods were exchanged and villagers found "both

restraint and release under thebells." The results of 400 years of Catholicism were mixed --

ranging from a deep theological understanding by the educated elite to a more superficialunderstanding by the rural and urban masses. The latter is commonly referred to as Filipino folk 

Christianity, combining a surface veneer of Christian monotheism and dogma with indigenous

animism. It may manifest itself in farmers seeking religious blessings on the irrice seed before planting or in the placement of a bamboo cross at the comer of a rice field to prevent damage by

insects. It may also take the form of a folk healer using Roman Catholic symbols and liturgy

mixed with pre-Hispanic rituals.