Briarfallen (talk | contribs) Deleted trivial statement about celebrity weddings per WP:NOTSOAPBOX. |
LoveforMary (talk | contribs) →History: Expanded description of the infobox image. |
||
Line 163: | Line 163: | ||
==History== |
==History== |
||
[[File:Manila_Cathedral_before_the_1880_earthquake.jpg|thumb|left|Manila Cathedral before the 1880 earthquake]] |
[[File:Manila_Cathedral_before_the_1880_earthquake.jpg|thumb|left|Portrait of the Manila Cathedral before the 1880 earthquake. Note the Chinese [[pagoda]] octagonal towers common among early [[Filipino]] churches at the time. ]] |
||
The cathedral originally started as the ''Church of Manila'' and was officially established in 1571 by [[Secular clergy|secular]] Juan de Vivero.<ref>[http://www.manila.gov.ph/cityhistory.htm "History of the City"]. City of Manila Official Website. Retrieve on 2011-11-24.</ref> De Vivero, the [[chaplain]] on the [[galleon]] of ''San Geronimo'', was sent by the Archbishop of Mexico to establish spiritual and religious administraion in newly-colonized Philippines. |
The cathedral originally started as the ''Church of Manila'' and was officially established in 1571 by [[Secular clergy|secular]] Juan de Vivero.<ref>[http://www.manila.gov.ph/cityhistory.htm "History of the City"]. City of Manila Official Website. Retrieve on 2011-11-24.</ref> De Vivero, the [[chaplain]] on the [[galleon]] of ''San Geronimo'', was sent by the Archbishop of Mexico to establish spiritual and religious administraion in newly-colonized Philippines. |
||
Revision as of 20:19, 3 February 2012
Manila Cathedral | |
---|---|
Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception | |
14°35′29″N 120°58′25″E / 14.59147°N 120.97356°E | |
Location | Manila |
Country | Philippines |
Denomination | Roman Catholic |
Website | Manila Cathedral Official Website |
History | |
Former name(s) | Church of Manila |
Authorising papal bull | 1581 |
Status | Minor Basilica |
Founded | 1571 |
Founder(s) | Jose de Vivero |
Dedication | Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary |
Past bishop(s) | Rufino Santos (1953-1974) Jaime Sin (1974-2003) |
Architecture | |
Functional status | Active |
Architect(s) | Fernando H. Ocampo |
Architectural type | Cathedral - Basilica |
Style | Neo-Romanesque |
Groundbreaking | 1954 |
Completed | 1958 |
Specifications | |
Number of domes | One |
Administration | |
Archdiocese | Archdiocese of Manila |
Clergy | |
Archbishop | Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle |
Rector | Monsignor Nestor Cerbo |
The Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica (also known as the Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception and informally as Manila Cathedral) is a prominent Latin Rite Roman Catholic basilica located in Manila, Philippines, honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the Principal Patroness of the Philippines.
Located in the Intramuros district of Manila, it was originally a parish church owned and governed by the diocese of Mexico in 1571, until it became a separate diocese on February 6, 1579 upon the issuance of a Papal bull by Pope Gregory XIII.[1]
The cathedral serves both as the Prime Basilica of the Philippines and highest seat of the archbishop in the country. The cathedral was damaged and destroyed several times since the original cathedral was built in 1581. The eighth and current incarnation of the cathedral was completed in 1958. [2]
The Basilica has merited three Papal endorsements and two Apostolic visits from Pope Gregory XIII, Pope Paul VI and Blessed Pope John Paul II, who through the papal bull Quod Ipsum declared the cathedral a minor Basilica by his own Motu Proprio on April 27, 1981.[3]
The current-elect for the Apostolic Papal Nuncio of the Philippines is Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto. The cathedral serves as the highest seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of the Philippines, while the present Archpriest of the Basilica-Cathedral is Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle, the de facto Primate of the Philippines.
History
The cathedral originally started as the Church of Manila and was officially established in 1571 by secular Juan de Vivero.[4] De Vivero, the chaplain on the galleon of San Geronimo, was sent by the Archbishop of Mexico to establish spiritual and religious administraion in newly-colonized Philippines.
Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, the conquistador of the city, chose the location of the church and placed under the patronage of Santa Potenciana. The first parish priest of the church was Padre Juan de Villanueva.[5]
When the church was raised into a cathedral in 1579, a new structure made from nipa, wood and bamboo was constructed in 1581 by Bishop Domingo de Salazar, the first bishop of Manila. The new structure was consecrated on December 21, 1581 formally becoming a cathedral. The structure was destroyed by fire in 1583, which started during the funeral mass for Governor-General Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñalosa in San Agustin Church that razed much of the city.[1]
The second cathedral, which was made of stone, was built in 1592. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 1600. Construction of the third cathedral began in 1614. The new structure, consisting of three naves and seven chapels, was blessed in 1614. It was toppled by another earthquake which shook Manila in 1645. The magnificent fourth cathedral was constructed from 1654 to 1671.
It was severely damaged in 1863 by a very strong earthquake that also damaged the Palace of the Governor General of the Philippines. In 1880, another earthquake toppled its bell tower, rendering the cathedral towerless until 1958. The seventh cathedral was constructed from 1870–1879. It was solemnly blessed in December of 1879. The cross atop the central dome is a reference point of astronomical longitudes of the archipelago. This incarnation of the cathedral was reduced to rubble by the bombing in 1945 during the Battle of Manila.
The present cathedral was constructed from 1954 to 1958 during the tenure of Manila Archbishop Rufino Jiao Cardinal Santos, and under the supervision of renowned Filipino architect Fernando H. Ocampo.
In 1970, Pope Paul VI made an Apostolic visit and celebrated mass in the cathedral. Blessed Pope John Paul II issued a papal bull Quod Ipsum on April 27, 1981 elevating the shrine to a Minor Basilica through his own Motu Proprio.[3] The papal bull was co-signed and attested by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Agostino Casaroli. In the same papal bull, Blessed Pope John Paul II reiterated that the papal decree of June 6, 1968 from Pope Paul VI be eternally preserved and enforced to the merits and titles of the cathedral as its own Basilica.[6][7]
Prior to 1985, the life-sized statue of the Immaculate Conception inside the Basilica was painted in gold.[8][9]
In 2008, the cathedral's 50th restoration anniversary was celebrated highlighted by the second Manila Cathedral Pipe Organ Festival from December 2 to 10, organized by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines.[10]
In February 2011, the the Archdiocese of Manila relocated the bells of the cathedral to the ground level to prevent tower collapse as exhibited in the past earthquakes. In January 2012, the cathedral replaced the bells, personally foundered by German blacksmith Friedrich Wilhelm Schilling from Heidelburg, Germany in 1958. According to the new marker installed by Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, the newly installed bells are the largest bells actively used in the Philippines. A total of seven Carillon bells were permanently installed in the ground level of the belfry weighing at 17 metric tons[11].
Blessed Virgin Mary as Principal Patroness
In 1581, Pope Gregory XIII issued a papal bull consecrating the cathedral building to La Purisima Inmaculada Concepcion de Maria[1], while Miguel Lopez de Legaspi consecrated the city of Manila to Saint Potenciana. In 1942, Pope Pius XII rededicated the Filipino people to La Purisima Inmaculada Concepcion through a Papal Bull called Impositi Nobis, while Saint Rose of Lima and Saint Potenciana remained as the secondary patroness of the Filipino people. The Latin declaration came in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis from January 20, 1942.[12]
Shrine Rectors
- Rev. Msgr. Augusto Pedrosa, PC (1972-1985)
- Rev. Msgr. Domingo Cirilos, PC (1985-1996)
- Rev. Msgr. Hernando Coronel, PC (1996-2002)
- Rev. Msgr. Nestor Cerbo, PC (2002-present)
Burials and funerals
The cathedral is the resting place for former prelates who have served the Archdiocese of Manila. Among those interred in the cathedral crypts (similar in style to that of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City) are:
- Michael J. O'Doherty, the last foreign Archbishop of Manila;
- Gabriel Reyes, the first Filipino Archbishop of Manila;
- Rufino Jiao Santos, the first Filipino Cardinal;
- Jaime L. Cardinal Sin, the prelate who is considered to be one of the leaders of the People Power Revolution.
It also hosted two funerals for two former Presidents of the Philippines:
- Carlos P. Garcia, 8th President of the Philippines (1957-1961);
- Corazon Aquino, 11th President of the Philippines (1986-1992).
The Cathedral was recently used as a venue for the wake and requiem mass for former President of the Philippines Corazon Aquino, who died on August 1, 2009. In an unprecedented move by the Archdiocese of Manila, protocol was not observed in permitting Aquino's remains to lie in state at the Cathedral, making her the first woman to have been permitted to do lie in state, as only Archbishops of Manila are accorded this honor. Former president Carlos P. Garcia was the first layperson to lie in state and have a requiem mass at the cathedral.[13]
Details of the Shrine
The main façade is replica of the original façade of the previous cathedral, along with statues of famous saints sculpted in Roman travertine stone. In the previous cathedral, they were originally made of molave wood. The statues of St. Rose of Lima was sculpted by Angelo Fattinanzi while Saint Jacob, Saint Andrew, St. Anthony the Abbott was done by sculptress Livia Papini; St. Francis Xavier St. Polycarp by Alcide Tico.[14]
According to the 1897 Novena booklet published by the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, the oldest Marian icon in the Philippines, Nuestra Senora de Guia, was enshrined in the cathedral until February 1771, when a rainstorm ravaged the church[15].
The front facade (tympanum) of the cathedral has a notable Latin inscription which reads: Tibi cordi tuo immaculato concredimus nos ac consecramus. (English: We consecrate to your immaculate heart and entrust to you (Mary) for safekeeping.)
Since Blessed Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Visit to the basilica in 1981, a grand logo of the Papal Keys and Papal Tiara have been prominently featured on the top-front facade of the cathedral. The red galero hat of Cardinal Rufino Santos is also hoisted on the ceiling of the dome of the cathedral. In addition, a Roman copy of Saint Peter's seated statue from St. Peter's Basilica is enshrined inside, along with a life-sized statue of the Immaculate Conception. An antiphon inscription on the Baldachin above the statue of the Immaculate Conception reads: Tota Pulchra es Maria et Macula Originalis Non est in Te (English: Mary is All-Beautiful and the Original Sin is Not in You).
For maintenance purposes, the cathedral accepts offertory from tourists who wish to hear the bells ring outside of an ecclesiastical event. The shrine also accepts voluntary donations in exchange for plenary indulgence (providing the individual is a confessant) and mass intentions for the living and deceased in purgatory, a pious practice recently reinstated by Pope Benedict XVI[16][17].
Hopeful brides who apply to be wed inside the Basilica are required to use a full total veil or mantilla during the Holy Mass. The Archdiocese also permits non-Catholic nuptials to marry within the confines of the basilica, providing they convert to the Roman Catholic Church or sign an an official waiver of dispensation promising to raise their expectant children in the Roman Catholic faith[18].
The cathedral's greatest attendances are during Holy Week of Lent when Catholics pray the Visita Iglesia by attempting to visit 7 churches as an act of atonement and penance, followed by December 8th, the titular feast of the Immaculate Conception and Christmas day.
Gallery
-
The facade of the Cathedral
-
The central nave and ceiling of the Cathedral
-
The main altar
-
A closer look of the main altar
-
Dome of the Cathedral.
-
Manila Cathedral before the bombing in 1945
-
The facade of the Manila Cathedral is the only surviving piece of the original building, after World War II having survived several fires and earthquakes since the 16th century.
See also
References
- ^ a b c "The First Cathedral:1581 - 1583". Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica. Retrieved on 2011-11-24.
- ^ "The Eight Cathedral: 1958 - Present". Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica. Retrieved on 2011-11-24.
- ^ a b (1981-04-27). "Quod Ipsum". Litterae Apostolicae. Ioannem Paulum Secundum, Papam. Manillensis Archidiocesis.
- ^ "History of the City". City of Manila Official Website. Retrieve on 2011-11-24.
- ^ "The Church before it became a Cathedral : 1571". Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica. Retrieved on 2011-11-24.
- ^ (1968). [1968%20-%20ocr.pdf "Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Commentarium Oficiale"]. pp. 536-539. The Vatican Archives.
- ^ (1990). "Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Commentarium Oficiale". pp. 436-440. Ioannem Paulum Secundum, Papam. Decretum de Titulo Basilicae Minoris -
- ^ http://www.flickr.com/photos/prazskejezulatko/461222205/in/photostream
- ^ http://www.flickr.com/photos/dennisraymondm32/3706300901/in/faves-paulus_magnus/
- ^ (2008-04-29). "Activities lined up for Manila Cathedral's 50th restoration anniversary". GMA News Online.
- ^ Official Stone Marker at the Manila Cathedral. Publicly installed by Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, former Archbishop of Manila (2011). Located on the left side of the front door of the Basilica
- ^ http://www.vatican.va/archive/aas/documents/AAS%2034%20%5B1942%5D%20-%20ocr.pdf Acta Apostolica Sedis. Page 336-337
12 Septembris 1942. Pius XII, Papam. Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Impositi Nobis: Insularum Philippinarum Beatissima Virgo Maria Titulo Immaculata Conceptio Primaria Universalisque Patrona et Sanctae Virgines Pudentiana ac Rosa Limana Patronae Secundarias Declarantur. — PIUS PP. XII - ^ Quezon, Manolo (2009-08-13). "Notes on the Aquino funeral". The Philippine Daily Inquirer. INQUIRER.net. Retrieved 2009-08-15.
- ^ http://www.manilacathedral.org/Architecture/archi_1.htm Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica. Retrieved on 2011-11-24.
- ^ Pagsisiyam sa Nuestra Senora de Guia, circa 1897. http://www.archive.org/stream/novenapagsisiam00librgoog#page/n1/mode/2up
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/nyregion/10indulgence.html?pagewanted=all
- ^ http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/holy_father_to_grant_plenary_indulgences_for_the_year_of_priests/
- ^ http://rcam.org/Chancery/figures/sample_application%20_form_marriage_clearance_and_dispensation.htm
Further reading
- The history of the cathedral may also be found in Las Anales de la Catedral de Manila by Padre Juan de la Concepcion, published by the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas.