Catholic Church in the Philippines

File:Manila Cathedral before the 1880 earthquake.jpg, circa pre-1900]]

In May 4, 1493, Pope Alexander VI issued Bull Inter Caetera granted permission to the Spanish crown to make explore and conquer the mainlands and islands{{Cite journal |last=Robertson |first=James Alexander |date=1918 |title=Catholicism in the Philippine Islands |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25011532?casa_token=37Nv9JCfGL8AAAAA:2tWYtmCyqdgwzYOd5xC5wWlW7JqX9e4xGRBbs-zXV_0ShCe_JPQDFSJv-9kbx4CA6t6n1M-OBZazrAWGYUoBy5bt8IKEp0Z4RVdm5ViBE1Tl29-Uu4g |journal=The Catholic Historical Review |volume=3 |issue=4 |pages=375–391 |issn=0008-8080}} in Asia that came to be known as the Spanish Pacific and distinguishing it from the area granted to the Portuguese.{{Cite book |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/j.ctv10tq4hm |title=The Spanish Pacific, 1521-1815: A Reader of Primary Sources |date=2020-03-23 |publisher=Amsterdam University Press |isbn=978-90-485-5227-6 |editor-last=Lee |editor-first=Christina H. |doi=10.2307/j.ctv10tq4hm.5 |editor-last2=Padrón |editor-first2=Ricardo}} Explorations were motivated by evangilization and finding spices.{{Cite journal |last=Field |first=Richard J. |date=2006 |title=Revisiting Magellan's Voyage to the Philippines |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/29792600?casa_token=37iZlLBfefgAAAAA:D-jNporugDASSGGkvRXNhxlY8LgIUP0ezI-BaqrPiYG08D-XGFGV_U1-vVSEmNgVCIe6l7QCvhZmQQDUvh1vsZed-M_gsA69l18eneRTQoCPJlW6d18 |journal=Philippine Quarterly of Culture and Society |volume=34 |issue=4 |pages=313–337 |issn=0115-0243}}{{Cite journal |last=Doeppers |first=Daniel |date=1976-04-01 |title=The evolution of the geography of religious adherence in the Philippines before 1898 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0305748876902498 |journal=Journal of Historical Geography |volume=2 |issue=2 |pages=95–110 |doi=10.1016/0305-7488(76)90249-8 |issn=0305-7488}} In 1519, Ferdinand Magellan set out to the Pacific and discovered the Philippines in March 1521. Magellan's chronicler, Antonio Pigafetta, noted mass was celebrated on March 31, 1521 which was an Easter Sunday in Mazaua and was attended by Rajah Colambu and Siaui. In commemoration a cross was erected on the site. There are contentions, however, on the actual First Mass in the Philippines with contradicting claims that it was held in Butuan, Limasawa, Bolinao, and Homonhon.{{Cite journal |date=2023-05-01 |title=Homonhon Island the Correct Site of the First Mass in the Philippines: A Book Review |url=https://www.universepg.com/ajssls/homonhon-island-the-correct-site-of-the-first-mass-in-the-philippines-a-book-review |journal=Asian Journal of Social Sciences and Legal Studies |language=en |pages=62–66 |doi=10.34104/ajssls.023.062066 |issn=2707-4668|doi-access=free }} They worked to evangelize the natives of Cebu and performed wholesale baptisms.

The Spanish Crown first entrusted the conversion of Philippine natives to the Augustinians. In 1564, the Culhuacan convent in Mexico City issued the religious warrant establishing the first branch of the order in the Philippines. In 1565, the Legazpi expedition set off from Mexico City and marked the beginning of the Hispanisation of the Philippines, beginning with Cebu."Cebu - Cradle of the Philippine Church and Seat of Far-East Christianity." International Eucharistic Congress 2016, December 4, 2014, accessed December 4, 2014, http://iec2016.ph/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Cebu%E2%80%94Cradle-of-the-Philippine-Church-and-Seat-of-Far-East-Christianity.pdf This expedition was an effort to occupy the islands with as little conflict as possible, ordered by Phillip II.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=15KZU-yMuisC|title=Barangay: Sixteenth-century Philippine Culture and Society|last=Scott|first=William Henry|date=1994|publisher=Ateneo University Press|isbn=978-971-550-135-4|language=en}} Lieutenant Legazpi set up colonies in an effort to make peace with the natives{{cite web|url=http://www.stuartxchange.org/LegazpiExpedition|title=The Legazpi Expedition|publisher=Stuart Exchange|access-date=27 June 2024}} and achieve swift conquest.

Christianity expanded from Cebu when the remaining Spanish missionaries were forced westwards due to conflict with the Portuguese, and laid the foundations of the Christian community in the Panay between around 1560 to 1571. A year later the second batch of missionaries reached Cebu. The island became the ecclesiastical "seat" and the center for evangelization. Augustinian Missionary Fray Alfonso Jimenez traveled into the Camarines region through the islands of Masbate, Leyte, Samar, and Burias and centered the church on Naga City. He was named the first apostle of the region. By 1571 Fray Herrera, who was assigned as chaplain of Legazpi, advanced further north from Panay and founded the local church community in Manila. Herrera travelled further in the Espiritu Santo and shipwrecked in Catanduanes, where he died attempting to convert the natives. In 1572, the Spaniards led by Juan de Salcedo marched north from Manila with the second batch of Augustinian missionaries and pioneered the evangelization in the Ilocos (starting with Vigan) and the Cagayan regions.

Under the encomienda system, Filipinos had to pay tribute to the encomendero of the area, and in return the encomendero taught them the Christian faith and protected them from enemies. Although Spain had used this system in America, it did not work as effectively in the Philippines, and the missionaries were not as successful in converting the natives as they had hoped. In 1579, Bishop Salazar and clergymen were outraged because the encomenderos had abused their powers. Although the natives were resistant, they could not organize into a unified resistance towards the Spaniards, partly due to geography and ethno-linguistic differences.

With the increasing number of colonists, Spain and Mexico pressured other religious orders to join the evangelical mission started by the Augustinian in the Philippines.{{Cite journal |last=Lawler |first=Thomas B. |date=1907-07-01 |title=The Position and Work of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines |url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/000271620703000109 |journal=The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science |language=EN |volume=30 |issue=1 |pages=83–89 |doi=10.1177/000271620703000109 |issn=0002-7162}} The Franciscans arrived in 1577, followed by the Jesuits in 1581, the Dominicans in 1587, and Augustinian Recollects in 1606.

File:Philippine life in town and country (1905) (14582245888).jpg

File:SantoNinodeCebu.jpg, the oldest Christian artifact in the Philippines. In 1521, Ferdinand Magellan gave this statue to a Cebuano chieftain that converted to Christianity|198x198px]]

The Spaniards were disapproving of the lifestyle they observed in the natives. They blamed the influence of the Devil and desired to "liberate the natives from their evil ways". Over time, geographical limitations had shifted the natives into barangays, small kinship units consisting of about 30 to 100 families.

Each barangay had a mutable caste system, with any sub-classes varying from one barangay to the next. Generally, patriarchal lords and kings were called datus and rajas, while the mahárlika were the knight-like freedmen and the timawa were freedmen. The alipin or servile class were dependent on the upper classes, an arrangement regarded as slavery by the Spaniards. Intermarriage between the timawa and the alipin was permitted, which created a more or less flexible system of privileges and labor services. The Spaniards attempted to suppress this class system based on their interpretation that the dependent, servile class was an oppressed group. They failed at completely abolishing the system, but instead eventually worked to use it to their own advantage.

Religion and marriage were also issues that the Spanish missionaries wanted to reform. Polygyny was not uncommon, but was mostly confined to wealthier chieftains. Divorce and remarriage were also common as long as the reasons were justified. Accepted reasons for divorce included illness, infertility, or finding better potential to take as a spouse. The missionaries also disagreed with the practices of paying dowries, the "bride price" where the groom paid his father-in-law in gold, and "bride-service", in which the groom performed manual labor for the bride's family, a custom which persisted until the late 20th century. Missionaries 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 premarital sex between the bride and groom, which contradicted Christian beliefs.

File:Archbishop's palace Manila Philippines.jpg in Intramuros Manila as it was during the Spanish colonial period.]]

Pre-conquest, the natives had followed a variety of monotheistic and polytheistic faiths, often localized forms of Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam or Tantrism mixed with Animism. Bathala (Tagalog – Central Luzon) or Laon (Visayan) was the ultimate creator deity above subordinate gods and goddesses. Natives Filipinos also worshiped nature and venerated the spirits of their ancestors, whom they propitiated with sacrifices. There was ritualistic drinking and many rituals aimed to cure certain illnesses. Magic and superstition were also practiced. The Spaniards saw themselves as liberating the natives from sinful practices and showing them the correct path to God.

In 1599, negotiation began between a number of lords and their freemen and the Spaniards. The native rulers agreed to submit to the rule of the Castilian king and convert to Christianity, and allow missionaries to spread the faith. In return, the Spaniards agreed to protect the natives from their enemies, mostly Japanese, Chinese, and Muslim pirates.

{{more citations needed section|date=October 2024}}

File:Magellan's Cross in Cebu.jpg outside of the Basilica del Santo Niño, Cebu City. The Cross is a symbol of the introduction of Christianity to the islands.]]

Several factors slowed the Spaniards' attempts to spread Christianity throughout the archipelago. The low number of missionaries on the island made it difficult to reach all the people and harder to convert them. This was also due to the fact that the route to the Philippines was a rigorous journey, and some clergy fell ill or waited years for an opportunity to travel there. For others, the climate difference once they arrived was unbearable. Other missionaries desired to go to Japan or China instead and some who remained were more interested in mercantilism. The Spaniards also came into conflict with the Chinese population in the Philippines. The Chinese had set up shops in the Parian (or bazaar) during the 1580s to trade silk and other goods for Mexican silver. The Spaniards anticipated revolts from the Chinese and were constantly suspicious of them. The Spanish government was highly dependent on the influx of silver from Mexico and Peru, since it supported the government in Manila, to continue the Christianization of the archipelago.

The most difficult challenges for the missionaries were the dispersion of the Filipinos and the wide variety of languages and dialects. The geographical isolation forced the Filipino population into numerous small villages, and every other province supported a different language. Furthermore, frequent privateering from Japanese Wokou pirates and slave-raiding by Muslims blocked Spanish attempts to Christianize the archipelago, and to offset the disruption of continuous warfare with them, the Spanish militarized the local populations, importing soldiers from Latin America, and constructed networks of fortresses across the islands.{{Cite web|url=http://filipinokastila.tripod.com/fort.html/|title=Spanish Fortifications|website=filipinokastila.tripod.com|access-date=March 22, 2019}} As the Spanish and their local allies were in a state of constant war against pirates and slavers, the Philippines became a drain on the Vice-royalty of New Spain in Mexico City, which paid to maintaining control of Las Islas Filipinas in lieu of the Spanish crown.

{{See also|Friars in Spanish Philippines}}

File:Two Spanish missionaries baptise a Moro convert to Roman Catholic, circa 1890.jpg

The Philippines is home to many of the world's major religious congregations, these include the Rogationists of the Heart of Jesus, the Redemptorists, Augustinians, Recollects, Jesuits, Dominicans, Benedictines, Franciscans, Carmelites, Divine Word Missionaries, De La Salle Christian Brothers, Salesians of Don Bosco, the indigenous Religious of the Virgin Mary, and Clerics Regular of St. Paul are known as Barnabites.

During the Spanish colonial period, the five earliest regular orders assigned to Christianize the natives were the Augustinians, who came with Legazpi, the Discalced Franciscans (1578), the Jesuits (1581), the Dominican friars (1587) and the Augustinian Recollects (simply called the Recoletos, 1606).{{cite book |last1=Ooi |first1=Keat Gin |title=Southeast Asia: A Historical Encyclopedia, from Angkor Wat to East Timor |date=2004 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-57607-770-2 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=QKgraWbb7yoC&pg=PA524 524] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QKgraWbb7yoC&pg=PA524 |access-date=23 April 2022 |language=en}} 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 a small area. The Dominicans encompassed the Parian. The provinces of Pampanga and Ilocos 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{{citation needed|date=June 2024}} Mindanao due to a highly resistant Muslim community that existed pre-conquest.

The task of the Spanish missionaries, however, was far from complete. By the seventeenth century, 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 allowed for a richer understanding of Christianity. The Filipinos faced much coercion; the Spaniards knew little of native rituals. 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.

The Philippines served as a base for sending missions to other Asian and Pacific countries such as China, Japan, Formosa, Indochina, and Siam.

{{multiple issues|

{{essay-like|section|date=June 2024}}

{{unsourced section|date=October 2024}}

}}

The Filipinos to an extent resisted Christianisation because they felt an agricultural obligation and connection with their rice fields: 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 proselytising efforts, one strategy being targeting noble children. These scions of now-tributary monarchs and rulers were subjected to intense education in religious doctrine and the Spanish language, with the theory that they in turn could convert their elders, and eventually the nobleman's subjects.

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 Matrimony was a concept many natives could not understand and thus they violated the sanctity of monogamy. They were, however, allowed to keep the tradition of dowry, which was accepted into law; "bride-price" and "bride-service" were practiced by natives despite labels of heresy. Confession was required of everyone once a year, and the clergy used the confessionario, a bilingual text aid, to help natives understand the rite's meaning and what they had to confess. Locals were initially apprehensive, but gradually used the rite to excuse excesses 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.

The Doctrina Christiana is a book of catechism, the alphabet, and basic prayers in Tagalog (both in the Latin alphabet and Baybayin) and Spanish published in the 16th century.

File:Rooms-katholieke ceremonie op de Filippijnen, KITLV D7231.tiff

When the Spanish clergy were driven out in 1898, there were so few indigenous clergy that the Catholic Church in the Philippines was in imminent danger of complete ruin. Under American administration, the situation was saved and the proper training of Filipino clergy was undertaken.Donald Attwater. [https://archive.org/details/catholicdictiona00attw/page/382 "A Catholic Dictionary", s.v. "PHILIPPINES, THE CHURCH IN THE"]. 1958. Retrieved 28 July 2022. In 1906, Jorge Barlin was consecrated as the Bishop of Nueva Caceres, making him the first Filipino bishop of the Catholic Church.{{cite book |last1=Ross |first1=Kenneth R. |title=Christianity in East and Southeast Asia |date=3 February 2020 |publisher=Edinburgh University Press |isbn=978-1-4744-5162-8 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=KHsxEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA382 382] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KHsxEAAAQBAJ |access-date=23 April 2022 |language=en}}

During the sovereignty of the United States, the American government implemented the separation of church and state,{{cite book |last1=Sahliyeh |first1=Emile F. |title=Religious Resurgence and Politics in the Contemporary World |date=1 January 1990 |publisher=SUNY Press |isbn=978-0-7914-0381-5 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=VQM1uDxoX1sC&pg=PA143 143] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VQM1uDxoX1sC |access-date=23 April 2022 |language=en}} which reduced the significant political power exerted by the Catholic Church and led to the establishment of other faiths (particularly Protestantism) within the country.{{cite book |title=Living Faith in God Iii / Becoming a Community |publisher=Rex Bookstore, Inc. |isbn=978-971-23-2388-1 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=n09KYL-pI1oC&pg=PA119 119] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n09KYL-pI1oC&pg=PA119 |access-date=23 April 2022 |language=en}} A provision of the 1935 Philippine Constitution mimicked the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and added the sentences: "The exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without discrimination or preference, shall be forever allowed. No religious test shall be required for the exercise of civil political rights." But the Philippine experience has shown that this theoretical wall of separation has been crossed several times by secular authorities and culturally the Western church and state separation has been viewed as blasphemous among the Filipino people.{{tone inline|date=August 2024}}

It was during the American Period when newer religious orders arrived in the Philippines. The Spanish friars gradually fled by the hundreds and left parishes without pastors. This prompted bishops to ask for non-Spanish Religious Congregations to set up foundations in the Philippines and help augment the lack of pastors. The American Jesuits and other religious orders from their American province filled the void left by their Spanish counterparts, creating a counterbalance to the growth of Protestant congregations by American Protestant missionaries.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}

File:Black Nazarene procession.jpg in Manila, 2010]]

After the war, most of the religious orders resumed their ecclesiastical duties and helped in the rehabilitation of towns and cities ravaged by war. Classes in Catholic schools run by religious orders resumed, with American priests specializing in academic and scientific fields fulfilling faculty roles until the mid-1970s. American and foreign bishops were gradually succeeded by Filipino bishops by the 1950s.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}

The Second Vatican Council from 1962 to 1965 instituted a dramatic change for the Catholic Church in the Philippines, transforming the Latin Spanish church imposed upon the country to a Filipino church deeply rooted in Philippine culture and language.{{cite journal |last1=Amarante |first1=Dennis C. |title=A Survey of Literatures on Post-Vatican II Liturgical Reforms in the Philippines |journal=Philippiniana Sacra |date=2022 |volume=LVII |issue=173 |page=276,278 |url=https://philsacra.ust.edu.ph/admin/downloadarticle?id=72150A474D13BD9C975F18F68F7D57B8 |access-date=30 July 2024 |publisher=University of Santo Tomas}}

When the Philippines was placed under Martial Law by 10th president and dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr., relations between Church and State changed dramatically, as some bishops expressly and openly opposed Martial Law.{{sfn|Bacani|1987|p=75}} The turning point came in 1986 when the CBCP President and then-Archbishop of Cebu Cardinal Ricardo Vidal appealed to the Filipinos and the bishops against the government and the fraudulent result of the snap election;{{cite news |last1=Mydans |first1=Seth |title=Philippine Bishops Assail Vote Fraud and Urge Protest |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/02/15/world/philippine-bishops-assail-vote-fraud-and-urge-protest.html |access-date=30 July 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=15 February 1986}} with him was then-Archbishop of Manila Cardinal Jaimé Sin, who broadcast over church-owned Radio Veritas a call for people to support anti-regime rebels. The people's response became what is now known as the People Power Revolution, which ousted Marcos.{{cite news |last1=Fineman |first1=Mark |title=The 3-Day Revolution: How Marcos Was Toppled |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-02-27-mn-12085-story.html |access-date=30 July 2024 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=27 February 1986}}

Church and State today maintain generally cordial relations despite differing opinions over specific issues. With the guarantee of religious freedom in the Philippines, the Catholic clergy subsequently remained in the political background as a source of moral influence, especially during elections. Political candidates continue to court the clergy and religious leaders for support.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}} In the 21st century, Catholic practice ranges from traditional orthodoxy, to Folk Catholicism and Charismatic Catholicism.{{cite news |url= http://www.camperspoint.com/Filipinos-as-Christians |title= Filipinos as Christians |newspaper= Camperspoint Philippines |date= February 17, 2004 |access-date= April 2, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130801112601/http://www.camperspoint.com/Filipinos-as-Christians |archive-date= August 1, 2013 }}{{failed verification|date=August 2024}}

File:Quiapo Church 2024-05-31.jpg is the home of the image of the Black Nazarene, which is the focus of widespread popular devotion in the country.]]

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Mass gatherings were prohibited as part of community quarantines to contain the virus; this prompted the Church to broadcast most liturgical services and spiritual activities through the Internet, television, and radio,{{Cite web|url=https://www.bworldonline.com/virtual-religious-gatherings-amidst-covid-19/|title=Virtual religious gatherings amidst COVID-19|last=Soliman|first=Michelle Anne P.|date=March 18, 2020|website=bworldonline.com|publisher=BusinessWorld Online|access-date=March 21, 2020}}{{Cite web|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/09/20/mass-livestream-alcohol-at-church-entrances-as-manila-archdiocese-guards-against-covid-19|title=Mass livestream, alcohol at church entrances as Manila archdiocese guards against COVID-19|date=March 9, 2020|website=ABS-CBN News|access-date=March 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231103041607/https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/09/20/mass-livestream-alcohol-at-church-entrances-as-manila-archdiocese-guards-against-covid-19|archive-date=November 3, 2023|url-status=unfit}} and the CBCP allowed bishops to dispense the faithful from Sunday obligation. Physical Holy Masses in churches gradually resumed by June at limited capacities,{{Cite news|title=Quiapo Church resumes 1st Friday mass service with 10 devotees |url=https://www.pressreader.com/philippines/manila-bulletin/20200606/281556588053568 |first1=Leslie Ann |last1=Aquino |first2=Andrea |last2=Aro |work=Manila Bulletin |date=2020-06-06 |access-date=2023-03-17 |via=PressReader}} but were suspended multiple times in response to multiple surges of cases between August 2020 and January 2022.{{Cite news|title=Public Masses suspended during MECQ |url=https://www.pressreader.com/philippines/manila-times/20200805/281492163657856 |first=William B. |last=Depasupil |work=The Manila Times |via=PressReader |date=5 August 2020 |access-date=17 March 2023}}{{Cite news|title=NTF OKs suspension of Traslacion 2022, physical masses |first=Lade Jean |last=Kabagani |date=January 5, 2022 |url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1164616 |work=Philippine News Agency |access-date=March 17, 2023}} As quarantine restrictions eased, the CBCP, on October 14, 2022, released a circular encouraging the faithful to resume attending Sunday Masses;{{Cite news|title=CBCP To Faithful: Return To Face-To-Face Sunday Mass |first=Robertzon |last=Ramirez |date=October 15, 2022 |work=One News |url=https://www.onenews.ph/articles/cbcp-to-faithful-return-to-face-to-face-sunday-mass |access-date=March 17, 2023}} since then, several dioceses and archdioceses lifted its dispensations from physical attendance of Masses.{{Cite news|title=In-church Masses resume in Cubao diocese |first=Gerard |last=Naval |date=April 3, 2023 |url=https://malaya.com.ph/news_news/in-church-masses-resume-in-cubao-diocese/ |work=Malaya Business Insight |access-date=April 15, 2024}}{{Cite news|title=Malolos Bishop Villarojo to lift dispensation on attending Sunday masses |url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/metro/871479/malolos-bishop-villarojo-to-lift-dispensation-on-attending-sunday-masses/story/ |work=GMA Integrated News |date=May 29, 2023 |access-date=April 15, 2024}} Despite the setbacks brought by the pandemic, in 2021, the Church celebrated the quincentennial of the arrival of Christianity in the country;{{Cite news|title=Bishops open Jubilee Doors to mark 500 years of Christianity in PH |date=4 April 2021 |first=Paterno II |last=Esmaquel |url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/catholic-bishops-open-jubilee-doors-500-years-christianity-philippines/ |work=Rappler |access-date=29 April 2023}} the celebrations commemorated the first Mass in the country{{Cite news|title=First Easter Mass in PH commemorated on Limasawa Island |first=Joey |last=Gabieta |newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=31 March 2021 |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1413404/first-easter-mass-in-ph-commemorated-on-limasawa-island |access-date=29 April 2023}} and the re-enactment of the first Baptism in Cebu City, among others.{{Cite news|title=Cebu holds reenactment of First Baptism with face shields and masks |first=Morexette Marie |last=Erram |work=Cebu Daily News |url=https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/372865/cebu-holds-reenactment-of-first-baptism-with-face-shields-and-masks |date=14 April 2021 |access-date=29 April 2023}}

In 2024, the Philippine Church marked the declaration of Antipolo Cathedral as the country's first international shrine.{{Cite news|title=Bishops, devotees mark declaration of Antipolo Cathedral as international shrine |url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/895483/bishops-devotees-mark-declaration-of-antipolo-cathedral-as-international-shrine/story/ |work=GMA Integrated News |date=26 January 2024 |first=Jamil |last=Santos |access-date=29 January 2024}}

These statistics are from Annuario Pontificio and will be updated year-to-year.

File:Soldiers of Christ Healing Ministry 10.jpg]]

A number of Catholic Charismatic Renewal movements emerged vis-a-vis the Born-again movement during the 70s. The charismatic movement offered In-the-Spirit seminars in the early days, which have now evolved and have different names; they focus on the charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit. Some of the charismatic movements were the Ang Ligaya ng Panginoon, Assumption Prayer Group, Couples for Christ, the Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals, El Shaddai, Elim Communities, Kerygma, the Light of Jesus Family,{{Cite web|url=https://www.feast.ph/|title=home|last=builder|website=Feast Family|language=en-US|access-date=March 21, 2019}} Shalom, and Soldiers of Christ.{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/SoldiersOfChristOfficial/|title=Soldiers Of Christ Catholic Charismatic Healing Ministry Official|website=www.facebook.com|language=en|access-date=March 22, 2019}}

The Catholic Church's Neocatechumenal Way in the Philippines has been established for more than 40 years. Membership in the Philippines now exceeds 35,000 persons in more than 1,000 communities, with concentrations in Manila and Iloilo province. A neocatechumenal diocesan seminary, Redemptoris Mater, is located in Parañaque, while many families in mission are all over the islands. The Way has been mostly concentrated on evangelization initiatives under the authority of the local bishops.

{{Main|List of Catholic dioceses in the Philippines}}

File:Roman Catholic Archdioceses in the Philippines.png

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.

Due to large number of attendees, virtually all Masses in the Philippines employ the use of extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion;{{cite news |last1=McNamara |first1=Fr. Edward |title=Extraordinary Ministers' Limits |url=https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/extraordinary-ministers-limits-13897 |access-date=3 September 2024 |work=EWTN |date=November 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220521024300/https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/extraordinary-ministers-limits-13897 |archive-date=May 21, 2022 |language=en}} commissioning of ministers and renewal of their vows is a regular occurrence.{{cite news |last1=Ortega |first1=Rocky |title=Exraordinary Ministers Of The Holy Communion renewed their vows of service and commitment |url=https://aranzazushrine.ph/index.php/2018/06/04/exraordinary-ministers-of-the-holy-communion-renewed-their-vows-of-service-and-commitment/ |access-date=3 September 2024 |work=Shrine & Parish of Our Lady of Aranzazu |date=4 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240903174829/https://aranzazushrine.ph/index.php/2018/06/04/exraordinary-ministers-of-the-holy-communion-renewed-their-vows-of-service-and-commitment/ |archive-date=3 September 2024}}{{cite news |last1=Odivilas |first1=Joseph |title=Commissioning of Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion |url=https://www.donbosco.ph/salesian-bulletin-content/news/commissioning-of-extraordinary-ministers-of-holy-communion/ |access-date=3 September 2024 |work=Don Bosco Philippines South Province |date=12 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211125150437/https://www.donbosco.ph/salesian-bulletin-content/news/commissioning-of-extraordinary-ministers-of-holy-communion/ |archive-date=November 25, 2021}} In early 2023, claims regarding Freemasons distributing Holy Communion in some parishes prompted the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines to restate its stance on "the unacceptability of Masonry, given its serious errors".{{cite news |title=Philippine bishops warn against 'Catholic-Freemasons' |url=https://www.ucanews.com/news/philippine-bishops-warn-against-catholic-freemasons/100813 |access-date=3 September 2024 |work=Union of Catholic Asian News |date=March 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328114235/https://www.ucanews.com/news/philippine-bishops-warn-against-catholic-freemasons/100813 |archive-date=March 28, 2023}}

{{Further|List of Catholic universities and colleges in the Philippines}}

{{See also|Education in the Philippines during Spanish rule}}

File:University of Santo Tomas Main Building - España Boulevard side.jpg]]

The Catholic Church is involved in education at all levels. It has founded and continues to sponsor hundreds of secondary and primary schools as well as a number of colleges and internationally known universities. The earliest universities in the Philippines were the University of San Carlos and the University of Santo Tomas, founded during the Spanish colonial period.{{cite book |last1=Welch |first1=Anthony |title=Higher Education in Southeast Asia: Blurring Borders, Changing Balance |date=31 March 2011 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-80906-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NsOsAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT128 |access-date=25 November 2023 |language=en}} The Jesuit Ateneo de Manila University, La Salle Brothers De La Salle University, and the Dominican University of Santo Tomas are listed in the "World's Best Colleges and Universities" in the Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings.[http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2009/results Top Universities] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100102005901/http://topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2009/results |date=January 2, 2010 }}

Other Catholic educational institutions in the country include the Notre Dame institution system in Mindanao, the Rogationist College in Silang, Cavite, and the Divine Word and Saint Louis school systems in Luzon.

More than 1,500 Catholic schools throughout the Philippines are members of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP), the national association of Catholic schools in the country founded in 1941.{{cite web |title=About Us |url=https://www.ceap.org.ph/who-we-are/about-ceap |website=Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines |access-date=27 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230508101618/https://www.ceap.org.ph/who-we-are/about-ceap |archive-date=May 8, 2023}}

File:President_Rodrigo_R._Duterte_meets_with_Luis_Antonio_Cardinal_Tagle.jpg meets with Cardinal Tagle at the Malacañan Palace, July 19, 2016]]

The Catholic Church wields great influence on Philippine society and politics, notably reaching its political peak in 1986.{{Cite news |first= Thomas |last= Maresca |title= Catholic Church dissents on Duterte's drug war |url= https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/04/25/duterte-roman-catholic-church-philippines/100461312/ |newspaper= USA Today |pages= 4B |date= April 29, 2017 |access-date= April 29, 2017 }} Then-Archbishops of Cebu and Manila—Cardinals Ricardo Vidal and Jaime Sin, respectively—were influential during the People Power Revolution of 1986 against dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos. Vidal, who was president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) at that time, led the rest of the Philippine bishops and made a joint declaration against Marcos and the results of the snap election, while Sin appealed to the public via radio to march along Epifanio delos Santos Avenue in support of rebel forces. Some seven million people responded in the non-violent revolution which lasted from February 22–25, effectively driving Marcos out of power and into exile in Hawaii.{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/cpt-worshipbrfs06042010-story.html|title=Briefly In Religion|website=Los Angeles Times|date=October 6, 2015|access-date=March 22, 2019}}

In 1989, President Corazon Aquino asked Vidal to convince General Jose Comendador, who was sympathetic to the rebel forces fighting her government, to peacefully surrender. Vidal's efforts averted what could have been a bloody coup.{{Cite news|url=https://www.ucanews.com/story-archive/?post_name=/1989/12/12/cardinal-vidal-says-dialogue-helped-limit-bloodshed-during-coup&post_id=39058|title=Cardinal Vidal says dialogue helped limit bloodshed during coup|date=December 11, 1989|work=Union of Catholic Asian News|language=en|access-date=March 22, 2019}}

In October 2000, Sin expressed his dismay over the allegations of corruption against President Joseph Estrada. His call sparked the second EDSA Revolution, dubbed as "EDSA Dos". Vidal personally asked Estrada to step down, to which he agreed at around 12:20 p.m. of January 20, 2001, after five continuous days of protest at the EDSA Shrine, and various parts of the Philippines and the world. Estrada's Vice-President, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, succeeded him and was sworn in on the terrace of the shrine in front of Sin. However, in 2008, more than halfway into Arroyo's presidency, the Catholic Church apologized, and the CBCP President at the time and the Archbishop of Jaro, Angel Lagdameo, called EDSA II a mistake.{{cite news|url=http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/20080220hed1.html|title=Edsa II a mistake, says CBCP head|author=Ayen Infante|date=February 20, 2008|newspaper=The Daily Tribune|location=Philippines|access-date=June 18, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080423112807/http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/20080220hed1.html|archive-date=April 23, 2008}}

On the death of Pope John Paul II in 2005, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared three days of national mourning and was one of many dignitaries at his funeral in Vatican City.{{cite news |last1=Calica |first1=Aurea |title=GMA set to leave for Rome; RP starts 3-day mourning |url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2005/04/05/272717/gma-set-leave-rome-rp-starts-3-day-mourning |access-date=December 27, 2023 |work=The Philippine Star |date=April 5, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231227143306/https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2005/04/05/272717/gma-set-leave-rome-rp-starts-3-day-mourning |archive-date=December 27, 2023}} 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 Catholic Church in the Philippines strongly opposed the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012, commonly known as the RH Bill.{{cite web |url=http://www.sunstar.com.ph/tacloban/local-news/2011/08/16/church-continue-opposition-vs-rh-bill-passage-173377 |title=Church to continue opposition vs RH bill passage |date=August 16, 2011 |publisher=SunStar |access-date=December 20, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103043919/http://www.sunstar.com.ph/tacloban/local-news/2011/08/16/church-continue-opposition-vs-rh-bill-passage-173377 |archive-date=November 3, 2013 }} The country's populace – 80% of which self-identify as Catholic – was deeply divided in its opinions over the issue.[http://www2.ttcn.ne.jp/~honkawa/9460.html Dentsu Communication Institute Inc., Research Centre Japan (2006)]{{in lang|ja}} Members of the CBCP vehemently denounced and repeatedly attempted to block President Benigno Aquino III's plan to push for the passage of the reproductive health bill.{{cite news |last1=Macairan |first1=Evelyn |title='Fight vs RH bill is Catholic Church's biggest challenge' |url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2012/12/16/886554/fight-vs-rh-bill-catholic-churchs-biggest-challenge |access-date=29 January 2022 |work=The Philippine Star |date=16 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121230222143/http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2012/12/16/886554/fight-vs-rh-bill-catholic-churchs-biggest-challenge |archive-date=30 December 2012}}{{cite news |last1=Tubeza |first1=Philip C. |title=Aquino's RH bill endorsement an open war on Church, bishops say |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/235935/aquinos-rh-bill-endorsement-an-open-war-on-church-bishops-say |access-date=29 January 2022 |newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=25 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120726215947/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/235935/aquinos-rh-bill-endorsement-an-open-war-on-church-bishops-say |archive-date=26 July 2012 |language=en}} The bill, which was popular among the public, was signed into law by Aquino, and was seen as a point of waning moral and political influence of the Catholic Church in the country.{{cite news |title=Power of the Catholic Church slipping in Philippines |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-Pacific/2013/0306/Power-of-the-Catholic-Church-slipping-in-Philippines |access-date=13 May 2021 |work=Christian Science Monitor |date=6 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130307075323/https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-Pacific/2013/0306/Power-of-the-Catholic-Church-slipping-in-Philippines |archive-date=7 March 2013}}{{cite news |title=Philippines contraception law signed by Benigno Aquino |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-20863691 |access-date=23 April 2022 |work=BBC News |date=29 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413070441/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-20863691 |archive-date=April 13, 2014}}

During the Duterte administration, the Catholic Church in the Philippines was vocally critical of extrajudicial killings taking place during the war on drugs, in what the church sees as the administration's approval of the bloodshed.{{cite news |last=Neuman |first=Scott |date=August 20, 2017 |title=Church Leaders In Philippines Condemn Bloody War On Drugs |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/08/20/544855446/church-leaders-in-philippines-condemn-bloody-war-on-drugs |work=National Public Radio |location=United States |access-date=August 15, 2018 }} Efforts by the church to rally public support against the administration's war on drugs were less effective due to Duterte's popularity and high trust rating. Some churches reportedly offered sanctuary to those who fear death due to the drug war violence.{{cite news |last1=Watts |first1=Jake Maxwell |last2=Aznar |first2=Jes |date=July 5, 2018 |title=Catholic Church Opens Sanctuaries to the Hunted in Philippines Drug War |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/catholic-church-opens-sanctuaries-to-the-hunted-in-philippines-drug-war-1530799873 |work=Wall Street Journal |location=United States |access-date=August 15, 2018 }}

During the 2022 presidential elections campaign, the church supported and endorsed the candidacy of vice president Leni Robredo in an effort to prevent Bongbong Marcos, son of dictator Ferdinand Marcos, from winning the election. Robredo, who won in 18 of the 86 dioceses in the country,{{cite news |last1=Saludes |first1=Mark |title=Catholic nation? The Filipino Church rethinks its role in politics. |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-Pacific/2022/0629/Catholic-nation-The-Filipino-Church-rethinks-its-role-in-politics |work=Christian Science Monitor |date=29 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220629165724/https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-Pacific/2022/0629/Catholic-nation-The-Filipino-Church-rethinks-its-role-in-politics |archive-date=29 June 2022}} lost the presidential race in a landslide.{{cite news |last1=Buan |first1=Lian |title=36 years after ousting Marcos, Filipinos elect son as president |url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/elections/ferdinand-bongbong-marcos-jr-wins-president-philippines-may-2022/ |access-date=December 27, 2023 |work=Rappler |date=May 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220509211847/https://www.rappler.com/nation/elections/ferdinand-bongbong-marcos-jr-wins-president-philippines-may-2022/ |archive-date=May 9, 2022}}

The Philippines has been active in sending Catholic missionaries around the world and has been a training center for foreign priests and nuns.{{cite news |title=Religious and lay Filipino missionaries in the world are "Christ first witnesses |url=https://www.asianews.it/news-en/Religious-and-lay-Filipino-missionariesin-the-world-are-%E2%80%9CChrist-first-witnesses-34790.html |access-date=23 April 2022 |work=AsiaNews |date=July 16, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220423154532/https://www.asianews.it/news-en/Religious-and-lay-Filipino-missionariesin-the-world-are-%E2%80%9CChrist-first-witnesses-34790.html |archive-date=23 April 2022 |language=en |quote=With a Christian tradition that goes back almost 500 years, the Philippines has not only sent a large number of missionaries abroad, especially in Europe, but has also become a training centre for hundreds of priests, seminarians and nuns from all over the world.}}

To spread the Christian religion and the teachings of Jesus Christ, missionaries enter local communities. Depending on where a missionary or group of missionaries are travelling, their work will vary (international or local communities).

File:Immaculate Conception at the Manila Cathedral 2023-12-03.jpg under the title of the Immaculate Concepcion, is officially the principal patroness of the Philippines]]

File:Peñafrancia 2010.jpg has almost five to nine million devotees attending its annual feast in Naga City.]]

The Philippines has shown a strong devotion to Mary, evidenced by her patronage of various towns and locales nationwide.{{Cite news|title= Filipinos hold Grand Marian Procession ahead of Mary's feast |url= https://www.licas.news/2019/12/02/filipinos-hold-grand-marian-procession-ahead-of-marys-feast/ |date= December 2, 2019 |access-date= August 9, 2020 }} Particularly, there are pilgrimage sites dedicated to a specific apparition or title of Mary. With Spanish regalia, indigenous miracle stories, and Asian facial features, Filipino Catholics have created hybridized, localized images, the popular devotions to which have been recognized by various Popes.

Filipino Marian images with an established devotion have generally received a Canonical Coronation, with the icon's principal shrine being customarily elevated to the status of minor basilica. Below are some pilgrimage sites and the year they received a canonical blessing:

• Our Lady of the Abandoned (Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados) Marikina – 2005
• Our Lady of La Leche (Nuestra Señora de la Leche y Buen Parto) Diocese of Imus, Silang, Cavite
• Our Lady of Aranzazu (Nuestra Señora de Aranzazu) San Mateo, Rizal – 2017
• Our Lady of Bigláng Awà (Nuestra Señora del Pronto Socorro) Boac, Marinduque – 1978
• Our Lady of Caysasay (Nuestra Señora de Caysásay) Taal, Batangas – 1954
• Our Lady of Charity (Nuestra Señora de Caridad) – Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Charity
• Bantay, Ilocos Sur – 1956
• Agoo, La Union – 1971
• Our Lady of the Assumption (Nuestra Señora dela Asuncion) Santa Maria Church, Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur
• Our Lady of Consolation (Nuestra Señora de Consolación y Correa) San Agustin Church, Intramuros, City of Manila
• Our Lady, the Divine Shepherdess (La Virgen Divina Pastora) – Gapan Church, Gapan, Nueva Ecija – 1964
• Our Lady of Namacpacan (Nuestra Señora de Namacpacan) Luna, La Union – 1959
• Our Lady of Buen Suceso (Parañaque) (Nuestra Señora del Buen Suceso de Parañaque) Parañaque – 2005
• Our Lady of Guadalupe (Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe) Pagsanjan, Laguna
• Our Lady of Guadalupe of Cebu (Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Cebú) Cebu City – 2006
• Our Lady of Guidance (Nuestra Señora de Guia) Ermita, City of Manila – 1955
• Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception of Pasig (Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculada Concepción de Pásig) Pasig – 2008
• Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (Nuestra Señora de La Inmaculada Concepción de Malabón) Malabon – 1986
• Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (Virgen Inmaculada Concepción de Malolos) Malolos, Bulacan – 2012
• Our Lady of La Naval (Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario de la Naval de Manila) Quezon City – 1907
• Our Lady of Lourdes (Nuestra Señora de Lourdes) Quezon City – 1951
• Our Lady of Manaoag (Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario de Manáoag) Manaoag, Pangasinan – 1926
• Our Lady of Orani (Nuestra Señora del Santo Rosario de Orani) – 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 Peñafráncia de Naga) Naga City, Camarines Sur – 1924
• Our Lady of Peñafráncia of Manila (Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Río Pásig) Paco, City of Manila – 1985
• Our Lady of Piat (Nuestra Señora de Píat) Piat, Cagayan – 1954
• Our Lady of the Pillar (Nuestra Señora la Virgen del Pilar) Zamboanga City – 1960
• Our Lady of the Pillar of Imus (Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Imus) Imus, Cavite – 2012
• Our Lady of the Pillar of Manila (Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Manila) Santa Cruz, Manila – 2017
• Our Lady of the Rule (Nuestra Señora de la Regla) Opon, Cebu – 1954
• Our Lady of Solitude of Vaga Gate (Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga) Cavite City
• Our Lady of Sorrows of Turúmba (Nuestra Señora de los Dolores de Turúmba) Pakil, Laguna
• Our Lady of the Candles (Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria) Jaro, Iloilo City
• Our Mother of Perpetual Help (Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro) Baclaran, Parañaque
• Our Lady of Salvation (Nuestra Señora de la Salvación) Joroan, Tiwi, Albay
• Our Lady of Mercy (Nuestra Señora de la Merced) Novaliches, Quezon City - 2021, Matatalaib, Tarlac City - 2023
• Our Lady of Soterraña de Nieva, currently owned by former First Lady Imelda Marcos
• Virgen de los Remedios de Pampanga (Indu Ning Capaldanan) Archdiocese of San Fernando, Pampanga
• Our Lady of Hope of Palo (Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza) Archdiocese of Palo, Palo, Leyte{{cite web |title=Our Lady of Hope of Palo crowned November 8 in Leyte |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1691228/our-lady-of-hope-of-palo-crowned-november-8-in-leyte |website=Inquirer |date=November 9, 2022 |access-date=9 November 2022}}
• Our Lady of the Rose of Makati (Nuestra Señora de la Rosa de Macati) Archdiocese of Manila, Población, Makati

Catholic holy days, such as Christmas and Good Friday, are observed as national holidays,[https://web.archive.org/web/20170622132641/https://www.gov.ph/events-and-holidays gov.ph] with local saints' days being observed as holidays in different towns and cities. The Hispanic-influenced custom of holding fiestas in honor of patron saints have become an integral part of Filipino culture, as it allows for communal celebration while serving as a celebration of the town's existence.{{cite book |last1=Rodell |first1=Paul A. |title=Culture and Customs of the Philippines |date=2002 |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |isbn=978-0-313-30415-6 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=y1CVR74_KHQC&pg=PA140 140] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y1CVR74_KHQC |access-date=23 April 2022 |language=en}}{{cite book |last1=Mildenstein |first1=Tammy |last2=Stier |first2=Samuel Cord |last3=Gritzner |first3=Charles F. |title=Philippines |date=2009 |publisher=Infobase Publishing |isbn=978-1-4381-0547-5 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=HVcDYUYdCRQC&pg=PA87 89] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HVcDYUYdCRQC |access-date=23 April 2022 |language=en}} A nationwide fiesta occurs on the third Sunday in January, on the country-specific Feast of the Santo Niño de Cebú. Major festivals include Sinulog in Cebu City, Ati-Atihan in Kalibo, Aklan, and Dinagyang in Iloilo City.{{cite book |title=International Consumer Product Testing Across Cultures and Countries |publisher=ASTM International |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=NAWkLu1IC-AC&pg=PA130 130] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NAWkLu1IC-AC&pg=PA130 |access-date=23 April 2022 |language=en}}{{cite book |last1=Werbner |first1=Pnina |last2=Johnson |first2=Mark |title=Diasporic Journeys, Ritual, and Normativity among Asian Migrant Women |date=9 July 2019 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-98323-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o-GEDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT78 |access-date=23 April 2022 |language=en}}{{cite book |last1=Reyes |first1=Elizabeth V. |title=Philippines: A Visual Journey |date=10 May 2016 |publisher=Tuttle Publishing |isbn=978-1-4629-1856-0 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=MS8iDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA15 15] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MS8iDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA15 |access-date=23 April 2022 |language=en}}

Although the Catholic Church observes ten holy days of obligation, the Philippines only observes three. These are:{{Cite news|title=December 8 a special non-working holiday every year |date=December 30, 2017 |first=Arjay L. |last=Balinbin |url=https://www.bworldonline.com/the-nation/2017/12/30/98733/december-8-special-non-working-holiday-every-year/ |work=BusinessWorld |access-date=December 27, 2023}}

• December 8: Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• December 25: Christmas (The Nativity of the Lord)
• January 1: Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God

Overseas Filipinos have spread Filipino culture worldwide, bringing Filipino Catholicism with them.{{cite news |title=Filipino Diaspora: Modern-day Missionaries of the World |url=http://omnisterra.fides.org/articles/view/85 |access-date=23 April 2022 |work=Omnis Terra |agency=Agenzia Fides |date=April 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180419144149/http://omnisterra.fides.org/articles/view/85 |archive-date=April 19, 2018}} Filipinos have established two shrines in the Chicago Metropolitan Area: one at St. Wenceslaus Church dedicated to Santo Niño de Cebú and another at St. Hedwig's with its statue to Our Lady of Manaoag. The Filipino community in the Archdiocese of New York has the San Lorenzo Ruiz Chapel (New York City) for its apostolate.

File:Pope Francis Tacloban 18.jpg in Tacloban in January 2015]]

• Pope Paul VI (1970) was the target of an assassination attempt at Manila International Airport in the Philippines in 1970."[https://web.archive.org/web/20070930231158/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,877149-1,00.html Apostle Endangered]". Time, December 7, 1970. Retrieved April 13, 2007. The assailant, a Bolivian surrealist painter named Benjamín Mendoza y Amor Flores, lunged toward Pope Paul with a kris, but was subdued.
• Pope John Paul II (1981 and 1995) returned for World Youth Day 1995 which was reported to have an attendance of around five million Filipino and foreign people in Rizal Park.{{Cite web|url=http://www.asianews.it/index.php?art=2947&l=en|title=The Philippines, 1995: Pope dreams of|last=AsiaNews.it|website=www.asianews.it|access-date=March 20, 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1995-01-16-1995016078-story.html|title=Millions flock to papal Mass in Manila Gathering is called the largest the pope has seen at a service|last=Service|first=New York Times News|website=baltimoresun.com|date=January 16, 1995 |language=en-US|access-date=March 20, 2019}}
• Pope Francis (2015) visited the country on January 15–19, 2015, and was invited by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle to return for the International Eucharistic Congress in Cebu in 2016.{{Cite web |url=http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/05/23/945455/cbcp-pope-francis-may-visit-philippines-2016, |title=CBCP: Pope Francis may visit Philippines in 2016 |website=The Philippine STAR |access-date=May 29, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104183607/http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/05/23/945455/cbcp-pope-francis-may-visit-philippines-2016, |archive-date=November 4, 2013 }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2015/01/19/1414572/pope-francis-invited-cebu-event-2016-tagle|title=Pope Francis invited to Cebu event in 2016 - Tagle|website=philstar.com|access-date=March 22, 2019}} At the Mass at Manila's Quirino Grandstand inside Rizal Park on Sunday, January 18, 2015, the attendance was pegged at about six to seven million worshippers, making the event the highest number ever recorded in papal history according to Fr. Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican Press Office.{{Cite web|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/01/18/15/luneta-mass-largest-papal-event-history|title='Luneta Mass is largest Papal event in history'|last=ABS-CBNnews.com|first=Jon Carlos Rodriguez|website=ABS-CBN News|date=January 18, 2015|access-date=March 22, 2019}}

{{Portal|Philippines|Catholicism|Religion}}

• Christmas in the Philippines
• Holy Week in the Philippines
• Spanish influence on Filipino culture
• Freedom of religion in the Philippines
• List of Filipino Saints, Blesseds, and Servants of God
• List of Catholic churches in the Philippines
• Palacio Arzobispal
• Baroque Churches of the Philippines
• List of Baroque churches in the Philippines
• List of Catholic churches in the Philippines

{{reflist}}

• This article incorporates material from the U.S. Library of Congress and is available to the general public.

• {{Cite book

|last=Bacani

|first=Teodoro

|title=The Church and Politics

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jR5YAAAACAAJ

|publisher=Clarentian Publications

|location=Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines

|year=1987

|isbn=978-971-501-172-3

}}

• {{cite journal |last1=Bautista |first1=Julius |title=EXPORT-QUALITY MARTYRS: Roman Catholicism and Transnational Labor in the Philippines |journal=Cultural Anthropology |date=August 24, 2015 |volume=30 |issue=3 |pages=424–447 |doi=10.14506/ca30.3.04 |doi-access=free }}

• [https://cbcpnews.net/ Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines]
• [https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2002/13907.htm On Religious Freedom in the Philippines by the U.S. Department of State]
• [http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/data/countryPH.htm The Catholic Church in the Philippines] - GCatholic.org
• [https://philippines.licas.news/ Catholic News from the Philippines] - LiCAS.news

{{Catholic Church in the Philippines}}

{{Asia topic|Catholic Church in|groupstyle=background-color:gold|titlestyle=background-color:gold}}

{{Navboxes

|list=

{{Religion in the Philippines}}

{{Asia topic|Catholic Church in|groupstyle=background-color:gold|titlestyle=background-color:gold}}

{{Asia topic|Christianity in}}

{{Spanish Empire}}

}}

Philippines