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Half a millennium of Christianity is truly a sight to behold, even more so in the farthest corners of the orient!
The Philippine Islands have seen the best the world has to offer. It is a melting pot of cultures, both great and small. It also is one of the best examples of solidarity in the world, where different races, tribes, and religions come together in joy and peace.
In particular, an explorer named Ferdinand Magellan was tasked at finding another route towards the east to gain access to spices, an ingredient that the Europeans loved at the time. Capitalizing on the theory that the Earth is round, he then set off towards the west, where he hoped to find the source of all these resources that they were looking for.
Fast forward to today’s era, the Philippines has been dubbed as the most successful Christian nation in Asia, all thanks to Magellan’s perseverance along with his crew and fleet.
How did this happen? How did Christianity survive for 500 years since 1521?
THE PHILIPPINES NOW
The Philippines is home to 7,640 islands; 2,000 of which are inhabited by Filipinos who work hard on the main industries of the country, which are agriculture, fishing, and mining.
Dubbed as “The Pearl of the Orient”, these islands are very rich in natural resources. This has led to rapid development of the country as a whole.
While the Philippines has a lot more to offer besides good food, excellent hospitality, and breathtaking works of nature, it also has something big going on in the religion sector.
Asia is a diverse continent. Its people share different cultures, different traits, and different arts. The religions found in this continent also share its differences from one another. Being the birthplace of Christianity, Hinduism, Shinto, Buddhism, Judaism, and Islam, Asia hosts most major religions in the world.
For that, the Philippines is a predominantly Christian nation. While many other countries have their own Christian populations inside their own respective borders, nobody has a Christian-majority population besides the Philippines.
Although not declared as a state religion, the Philippine population is comprised of roughly 100 million Christians, or around 92% of its current total population. The majority of Filipinos are Roman Catholics, with the remaining 15% of Christians belonging to other Protestant and Christian denominations.
With that said, the Philippines has established itself as the Roman Catholic, as well as the capital of Christianity in Asia.
However, Christianity wasn’t always this established in the past.
THE PHILIPPINES THEN
Before 1521, pre-colonial Philippines was vastly Pagan in terms of religion. Animism was widely practiced, and there are hints and traces of Hinduism and Buddhism throughout the archipelago. Still, researchers are uncertain about this since Christianity has become the primary driving force in the islands.
Then came Magellan and his fleet.
Last March 16, 1521, Ferdinand Magellan and his attempt to go around the world have brought him to the shores of Homonhon Island.
This relatively small but inhabited island is situated to the southeast of Samar Island. Not much has been recorded to have happened here, but he anchored near the shore of this island and rested for a bit before moving on.
The real birthday of Christianity in the Philippines was March 31, 1521. It was Easter Sunday. Magellan’s crew needed to commemorate Easter with a mass. The first mass was therefore held at Limasawa Island, situated to the south of Leyte Island. This mass was mostly for Magellan’s crew, headed by the voyage’s chaplain Fr. Pedro de Valderrama.
Surprisingly, some natives attended the mass despite the language barrier. After the mass was held, they planted the first cross on a hill in Limasawa, thereby signifying the first Christian stronghold and birth of Roman Catholicism in the Philippines.
The Philippine Islands were not yet called the Philippines at that time, but rather it was called the Archipelago of Saint Lazarus, since Magellan got to Homonhon during St. Lazarus’ Day.
When they continued their expedition, they came upon Cebu, which was back then called Zebu. The first baptism of the natives and the giving of the Santo Niño de Cebu happened last April 14, 1521. The image was a gift to Rajah Humabon and Harah Amihan, who both took the baptismal names of Carlos and Juana after Spain’s king and queen mother at that time.
Many Filipinos deem this image to be highly miraculous because it was lost in time since 1521 but was found amidst the remnants of a big fire in April 27, 1565 without any form of burn damage.
This image is the oldest Christian artifact in the Philippines, where it can be currently found in Basilica Menor del Santo Niño in Cebu.
Going back, Ferdinand Magellan died as a poison arrow struck him during one of his skirmishes with native hostile tribes. After getting shot with the arrow, he was hacked by several kinds of melee weapons, thus culminating in his immediate demise. Seeking stronger relations with the now Don Carlos, Magellan supported the Rajahnate of Cebu against the Kedatuan of Mactan, who was led by Datu Lapu-Lapu.
Thereby, Lapu-Lapu became the first Philippine national hero, having resisted the occupation of foreigners for the very first time.
Magellan’s forces lost in the famous Battle of Mactan last April 27, 1521. Juan Sebastian Elcano took command after Ferdinand Magellan’s death and made sail towards the west where he got to Spain in a relatively short time in 1522.
This was then recorded as the first circumnavigation of the world.
THE PHILIPPINES AND THE RISE OF CHRISTIANITY
When Magellan came to the Philippines, it was heavily dominated by Pagans. Muslims were also all over the place. In fact, Manila was assumed to be a heavily Muslim settlement when the Philippines was discovered by the Spanish.
Therefore, an expedition to evangelize the Philippines was ordered for by the king of Spain.
Miguel Lopez de Legazpi led the expedition, and after making blood compacts with different Datus in the area, he made the first Spanish colony on Cebu Island last April 27, 1565.
The fire that was mentioned earlier with Santo Niño de Cebu was due to the natives setting their houses on fire as Legazpi’s forces pushed inland.
After the contingent of Legazpi discovers that the image was unscathed, they named their first established colony on the ruins as the Villa del Santisimo Nombre de Jesus or the Town of the Most Holy Name of Jesus.
The expedition to explore new islands in the archipelago continued. This time, he did not lead it, but his grandson Goiti de Legazpi.
Miguel Lopez de Legazpi then established a government and named the archipelago the Philippine Islands in honor of King Philip II of Spain.
With Legazpi’s expedition and conquest came the Augustinian missionaries and friars. They were with the expedition to evangelize the country and Christianize it from the inside out, thereby marking the rapid rise of Christianity in the Philippines.
As such, it is said that the Philippines was claimed by Spain with the zeal of the missionaries.
The Augustinians were the first missionaries in the Philippines, followed by the Franciscans in 1578. The Jesuits came in 1581, and the Dominicans also got to the islands by 1587. The See of Manila was established until August 14, 1595, when it was elevated to an Archdiocese status.
Back then, the Dioseces of Cebu, Nueva Segovia, and Caceres were under the Archdiocese of Manila.
These events marked the rise of Christianity in the Philippines, to which the natives welcomed gladly.
SEVERAL CHURCHES FOUNDED BY MISSIONARY ZEAL
Frankly, the Philippines was not integrated into the Spanish Empire through violence, but through religious zeal.
Conquistadors were often the iron fist of the Spanish Empire in the 1500s. Several Latin American countries had their own wars first before being subjugated into Spain’s might, but the Philippines was a different case.
Somehow, the natives were “hungry” for religion. This religious fervor of the Filipinos made it easy for missionaries to spread the word about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Despite being heavily Pagan and Muslim at the time, the missionaries were highly effective and converted most of the natives to Christianity, more specifically Roman Catholicism.
Because the natives were highly religious, it had a feedback effect where people spread the news about this new religion called Christianity.
Furthermore, the Doctrina Christiana or the Christian Doctrine became the first printed book in the Philippines on 1593, making it much easier to spread information about Christianity throughout the archipelago.
Several churches were also erected starting 1571. The Manila Cathedral and the San Agustin Church were both built in the same year. These churches became increasingly built on town centers, signifying that the church was to be the central binding force of a town’s integrity and spirituality.
Besides churches and sacred texts, images of prolific Catholic figures were also delivered to the country from the Latin American colonies. Images such as the Black Nazarene are still venerated to a great extent despite being in the country since 1606.
The Roman Catholic Church was truly growing during this time.
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS MARKED THE HEIGHT OF CHRISTIAN GROWTH
On April 28, 1611, the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas was established. Run by Dominicans, this marked the first time the church used educational institutions to further imprint Christian values on the younger generation. Following closely in 1620 was the establishment of the Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Colegio de Santa Isabel in 1632, and others.
These institutions were built so that the process of Cathechesis, or basic Christian religious education, would be heavily taught and embedded upon children and adult converts.
Seminaries were also built, with The Royal and Concilar San Carlos Seminary founded in April 28, 1702.
Several other institutions such as the Ateneo de Manila were built throughout the country and still stand to this day.
These educational institutions became the foothold from which the Filipino people would fully embrace Christianity and its value of charity and compassion.
THE FIRST FILIPINO SAINTS
The martyrdom of San Lorenzo Ruiz and San Pedro Calungsod both happened in 1637 and 1672 respectively. They were known to have excellent zeal when doing missionary work, which eventually lead to their demise.
They were then declared as saints because of their actions, making them effectively the first Filipino saints in history.
As San Lorenzo Ruiz would say, “Had I a thousand lives, all these to Him I shall offer”.
THE CHURCH BLOSSOMED INTO WHAT IT IS TODAY
Several centuries have passed and the Roman Catholic Church still stands strong. Its strong foundation in the 16th and 17th centuries made it unbreakable, and missionaries such as the first Filipino saints became more widespread than ever before.
Sooner or later, more opportunities further rooted Filipinos in their faith, including those of roles in leadership.
As such, the Philippines became a beacon and capital of Christianity in Asia, even well into American occupation and its independence in 1946.
Pope Francis states that Roman Catholicism in the Philippines has given the whole world “joy that is evident in their people”.
Celebrating 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines, the pope led a mass last March 14, 2021 that would be centered on this momentous occasion in history. He pegs the Filipinos as discrete and hardworking people who spread the Gospel with perseverance.
The Philippines now have God, hearts of gold, and the glory that only comes with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
This is only the beginning of the expansion of Christian faith in Asia. Filipinos are expected to do more for the Gospel, and they were always known to deliver no matter the circumstance. For now, we’ll have to let time tell us what it has in store for the Christian community in the Philippines. Let’s celebrate the strength of Christianity in this country and persevere to do what is right for the glory of God!
Baloydi Lloydi is the content manager of Asknoypi.