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Local (Philippines) Historical Timeline

The document discusses the history of Christianity in the Philippines from its introduction by Spanish missionaries in the 16th century to the present day. It covers several topics: [1] the orders that undertook the Christianization effort; [2] their roles in improving living conditions and providing education and healthcare; [3] significant events like the rise of independent churches and arrival of other missionaries; [4] individuals canonized as saints; and [5] councils that shaped the modern Philippine Church like PCP II which declared it the Church of the Poor.

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74 views7 pages

Local (Philippines) Historical Timeline

The document discusses the history of Christianity in the Philippines from its introduction by Spanish missionaries in the 16th century to the present day. It covers several topics: [1] the orders that undertook the Christianization effort; [2] their roles in improving living conditions and providing education and healthcare; [3] significant events like the rise of independent churches and arrival of other missionaries; [4] individuals canonized as saints; and [5] councils that shaped the modern Philippine Church like PCP II which declared it the Church of the Poor.

Uploaded by

Rhea Badana
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© © All Rights Reserved
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The Christianization of the Philippines (1521-1898),

and the Augustinian Recollects


17 March 1521, Christianity was brought to the Philippines.
31 March 1521, the first Mass on Philippine soil was held in Limasawa Island by
Father Pedro de Valderrama.

The Christianization of the Philippines was undertaken by different Spanish religious


Orders: Augustinians (1564), Franciscans, (1578), Jesuits (1581), Dominicans (1587)
and Augustinian Recollects (1606).

Missionaries became spiritual and social architects. As social architects, they founded
human society and improved the living conditions of the people by:
a. setting the natives
b. providing hospitals for better health care
c. protecting people against abuses of Spanish soldiers/ leaders and slavery
d. building Churches, schools for instruction
e. upgrading the methods of agriculture by constructing roads and irrigation
canals

As spiritual architects, they took care of the spiritual welfare of the people by administering
the sacraments, giving religious instruction, etc.

1872 witnessed the Martyrdom of the Three Diocesan Priests: Gomez, Burgoz and
Zamora for alleged conspiracy in a mutiny of native garrison troops. It provoked the rise
of an independent movement and the ensuing Philippines revolution in 1898 that paved
the way for the independence of the Philippines from Spain.
I. Significant Events in the Philippine Church History:

1. The Rise of the Philippine Independent Church (Aglipayanism) in 1902 founded


and headed by Gregorio Aglipay, the Supreme Bishop. They fought for the
Philippine Church Independence from Rome.
2. The Arrival of Protestant missionaries to the Philippines as teachers in schools
(Thomasites) during the American occupation. Schools became their effective
instrument for the greatly confused the people.
3. The Foundation of Iglesia Ni Kristo (INK) in 1928 by Felix Manalo (angel of
revelation). It is a neo-Arian sect that denied the Divinity of Christ and the reality
of the Trinity.
4. The Arrival of New Missionary Congregations to continue the difficult work began
by the Spanish friars:
a. Redemptorist (C.SS. R.) of Ireland
b. Mill Hill Fathers (M.H.M.)
c. Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (C.I.C.M.) of Belguim
d. Congregation of the Divine Word (S.V.D.) of Germany.
e.
Their efforts preserved the Philippines as the only Christian Catholic country in Asia until
now.

II. Canonization and Beatification

1. St. Lorenzo Ruiz, the first Filipino Martyr-Saint, martyred (1636) in Japan, became
the first fruit of Filipino faith and holiness. He was a Filipino husband and father of
two sons and a daughter. He became a helper and clerk-sacristan with the Spanish
Dominican missionaries in Binondo Church. He went to Japan to escape from civil
authorities who falsely accused him of a crime. He suffered “water torture,” his
fingernails and skin pierced with needles, hanged upside down into a pit until
death. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II on October 18, 1987 at St. Peter’s
Basilica, Rome. His feast day falls on September 28.
2. San Pedro Calungsod, a companion of Blessed Fr. Diego de San Vitores, a
Visayan young man was a volunteer missionary to Spanish Jesuit missionaries.
He was hacked to death with a spear, his body mutilated and thrown to the sea in
a mission to catechize the Chamorros in Ladrones Islands (Marianas). He was
beatified by Pope John Paul II on March 5, 2000 at St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome.
Pope John Paul II named him as the patron of Filipino Youth. San Pedro
Calungsod (San Pedro de Cebu), was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI last
October 21, 2012 at St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome.

1981 - Pope John Paul II visited the Philippines.


1995 – Pope John Paul II visited again the Philippines for the 10th World
Youth Day in Manila

III. The Augustinian Recollects Legacy to the Philippine Church

In response to the urgent demand of the Church for the evangelization of the Philippines,
the first group of Recollects composed of 13 religious missionaries, set foot on the
Philippine soil in May 1606. Thenceforth, they were able to evangelize several provinces
of the country.

The Recollect Mission in the Philippines has produced innumerable distinguished and
exemplary missionaries whose names are perpetually etched in the annals of the
Philippine history. Most notable of them are:
a. Fr. Fernando Cuenca (1824-1902), known as hydrotherapist – the great
benefactor of Negros who promoted the sugarcane industry of the island.
b. St. Ezekiel Moreno (1848-1906) – a Recollect missionary who tirelessly worked
in the Philippines between 1870-1885. He was ordained in Manila in 1871. He
was canonized by Pope John Paul II on October 11, 1992.
After the Second World War, the Educational Apostolate of the Order was born and
developed in the country. At present, the Recollects are dispersed throughout the
archipelago engaging in various apostolates: formation houses (4), administering
parishes (10) and schools (7). They also undertook the difficult missions in Taiwan and
Sierra Leone, Africa.

The OAR in the Philippines belongs to the Province of St. Ezekiel Moreno which
comprises all the houses in the Philippines, Sierra Leone, Africa and some houses in
Taiwan.

IV. The Evangelization of Cebu:

In 1621, the Recollects established their first convent in Cebu, the “La Concepcion” in
Ermita, in an area now occupied by the University of San Jose – Recoletos. Together with
the Jesuits and the Augustinians, they fanned out into the neighboring villages, founding
not only stone churches and convents “reducciones”, the nucleus of today’s towns and
cities.

An important step in the evolution of the Order in the Philippines was taken in 1940, when,
after many hesitations, the Order got rid of fears and prejudices and decided to engage
seriously in formal education.

In the year 1947, Colegio de San Jose in Cebu started its first academic year. In1984, the
school was granted approval by the Higher Education the university status.

V. Courageous and Enthusiastic Implementors of the Decrees of the Second


Ecumenical Vatican Council:
1. Pope Paul VI (1963-1978), the Pope of the workers and of the poor, wrote
Humanae Vitae (1968), his most controversial encyclical condemning
artificial methods of birth control. He was the first Pope to visit the
Philippines in 1971.
2. Pope John Paul I (August 26- September 28, 1978), “The smiling Pope”
who radiated joy and optimism, combined the progressive qualities of John
XXIII and the traditional ones of Paul VI, who was also progressive in his
social teaching.
3. Pope John Paul II (1978- 2005) is the first non-Italian Pope after 500 years.
He is known as “The Pilgrim Pope” who traveled more than all predecessors
in two millennia. The New Catechism of the Catholic Church (1992) was
one of his major achievements that clarified dogmatically the many points
of doctrines and faith without condemnation. He visited the Philippines in
1981 (beatification of Lorenzo Ruiz) and in 1995 (The 10th World Youth
Day). Totus Tuus (I am all yours), his motto expresses his personal
consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
4. The Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCP II) was convened on
January 20, 1990 at San Carlos Pastoral Formation Complex, Manila and
ended on February 17, 1991. it was attended by around 500 participants
that comprised of bishops, priests, religious and lay leaders to seek renewal
and revitalization of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines and to
review and resolve the proper pastoral orientation to be adopted by the
Church. PCP II declared that the Church in the Philippines is the Church of
the Poor. This means that:
a. She delivers a preference for a call to conversion to her members.
b. Her pastors and leaders gives preferential attention and time to
the poor and generously share of their resources
c. She courageously defends and indicates the rights of the poor
and the oppressed, despite their alienation and persecution by
the rich and powerful.
d. She makes the poor become evangelized and equal to others on
Christian dignity.
e. She is where no one is so poor as to have nothing to give and
where no one is so rich as to have nothing to receive.
f. Whose pastors and leaders will live a simple lifestyle in order to
share what they have with the needy as they cherish in their
hearts the words of the Lord.
PCP II offered two important approaches in response to the call of renewal, namely:
1. Integral Evangelization
a. The Church should proclaim salvation of both body and soul.
b. The Church should proclaim not only liberation from sin but also from
the effects of sin.
c. The Church should proclaim that integral evangelization consists in
struggling for personal conversion or transformation towards building up
a better society, the Kingdom of God where truth, freedom, justice, love
and fullness of life reign.
2. Inculturated Evangelization
a. The Church should make the proclamation of salvation in a way which
does not alienate the culture of Filipinos but cures and purifies the
negative and sinful forms of our culture and welcomes and promotes
positive ways of life.
b. The Church introduces the Gospel into the life and culture of the people
without in any way changing the substance of the Gospel.

• The Fourth Cebu Diocesan Synod (1985 -1986)

The Synod reviews the progress attained by the Archdiocese in the last 50 years
of its existence and it provides for the pressing pastoral needs in the coming
decades.
The Synodal delegates the prevailing issues and concerns, interpreted “signs of
the times”, set new visions and programs and drew up norms and guidelines to be
observed for future ecclesial endeavors. The question was asked: “What
orientation, what direction must be taken by the eight identified areas of concern,
such as (a) Christian Worship, (b) Christian Formation, (c) Service in the World,
(d) Apostolate of and among the Youths, (e) Witnessing in Witnessing of the
Educational Institutions, (f) Mission and Ecumenism, (g) Archdiocesan Structures
of Government, and (h) The Means of Social Communications.
In the First Session, workshops were held on worship, formation, youth, and education.

In the Second Session, the declaration, observations and statutes on the worshipping
community were officially approved.

In the Third Session, the declaration, observations and statutes on Christian Formation
were officially approved.

The Synod was held in Three (3) Sessions between November 10, 1985 to March 01,
1986 at the Seminaryo Mayor De San Carlos, Mabolo, Cebu City.

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