| The Manila Cathedral | |
|---|---|
| Minor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception | |
| The Mother Church of the Philippines[a] | |
 Main northwesternfaçade in August 2023. The statue ofRose of Lima, a nationalpatroness, is decorated with flowers for her feast day. | |
 The Manila Cathedral | |
| 14°35′29″N120°58′25″E / 14.59147°N 120.97356°E /14.59147; 120.97356 | |
| Location | Intramuros,Manila |
| Country | Philippines |
| Language(s) | Filipino,English |
| Denomination | Catholic |
| Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
| Tradition | Roman Rite |
| Website | manilacathedral |
| History | |
| Former name | Church of Manila |
| Authorisingpapal bull | February 6, 1579; 447 years ago (1579-02-06) |
| Status | |
| Founded | 1571; 455 years ago (1571) |
| Founder | Fray Juan de Vivero |
| Dedication | Immaculate Conception |
| Dedicated | December 10, 2018; 7 years ago (2018-12-10) |
| Earlier dedication | December 10, 1958; 67 years ago (1958-12-10) |
| Consecrated | December 7, 1958; 67 years ago (1958-12-07)[2] |
| Relics held | |
| Events | List
|
| Past bishops | |
| Associated people | Miguel López de Legazpi |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Important Cultural Property |
| Designated | 2018 |
| Previous cathedrals | 7 |
| Architect | Fernando Ocampo |
| Architectural type | Cathedral |
| Style | Neo-Romanesque |
| Years built |
|
| Groundbreaking | December 8, 1954; 71 years ago (1954-12-08) |
| Completed | December 8, 1958; 67 years ago (1958-12-08) |
| Construction cost | ₱120 million (renovation)[8] |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 2,000[9] |
| Length | 84.4 m (277 ft)[10] |
| Width | 31.4 m (103 ft)[10] |
| Nave width | 11.9 m (39 ft)[10] |
| Width across transepts | 48.9 m (160 ft)[10] |
| Other dimensions | Façade facing northwest |
| Number of floors | 2 |
| Floor area | 3,000 m2 (32,000 sq ft)[2] |
| Number of domes | 1 |
| Number of towers | 1 |
| Tower height | 55 meters (180 ft)[11] |
| Materials | Adobe andcement |
| Bells | 23[12] |
| Administration | |
| Province | Manila |
| Metropolis | Manila |
| Archdiocese | Manila |
| Deanery | Nuestra Señora de Guia[13] |
| Clergy | |
| Archbishop | CardinalJose Advincula |
| Rector | Rolando R. Dela Cruz |
| Vicar | Vicente Gabriel S.J. Bautista |
| Chancellor | Carmelo P. Arada Jr. |
| Laity | |
| Organists |
|
| Music group | Manila Cathedral-Basilica Choir |
 | |
TheMinor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception,[b] commonly known as theManila Cathedral,[c] is aRoman Catholic basilica and thecathedral of theArchdiocese of Manila. It is dedicated to theBlessed Virgin Mary of theImmaculate Conception, the principalpatroness of thePhilippines.
Originally constructed in 1571 as aparish under theArchdiocese of Mexico, the church became the seat of the new suffragan Diocese of Manila, which was established on February 6, 1579 byPope Gregory XIII.[14] The original structure dates from 1581, and its eighth re-construction was completed in 1958.[2] On April 27, 1981,Pope John Paul II raised the shrine to the status ofminor basilica through hismotu proprioQuod Ipsum Manilensis.[15]
The present basilica has merited apostolic visits from three popes:Paul VI,John Paul II andFrancis.
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Thesecular priest Juan de Vivero baptizedRajah Matanda and arrived inManila Bay in 1566, established the "Church of Manila" established in 1571.[16] The formerarchbishop of Mexico,Alonso de Montúfar sent De Vivero, chaplain of thegalleonSan Gerónimo, to establish Christianity as the spiritual and religious administration in newly colonized Philippines. De Vivero later becamevicar-general and the first ecclesiastical judge of Manila.[17]
The Spanish conquistadorMiguel López de Legazpi chose the church's location and placed it under the patronage ofSanta Potenciana. The church's first parish priest was Fray Juan de Villanueva.[17]
The church was elevated to a cathedral in 1579, coinciding with the canonical erection of theDiocese of Manila. In 1581,Domingo de Salazar, the first bishop of Manila, constructed a new building made fromnipa, wood andbamboo that was consecrated on December 21, 1581, formally becoming a cathedral. The building was destroyed by a fire that started during the funeral ofGovernor-GeneralGonzalo Ronquillo de Peñalosa atSan Agustin Church and razed much of the city.[14]
The second cathedral, which was made of stone, was built in 1592. This cathedral had a centralnave and two collateral naves. The building was nearly completed when Bishop Salazar left for Spain. He died on December 4, 1594, and never returned to Manila to become its first archbishop.[18]
In 1595, theHoly See gave the cathedral sacredrelics from 155 martyrs, 20 popes,Saint Polycarp andSaint Potenciana, and these were taken to Manila. A side structure was built beside the main cathedral to house the relics. Governor-GeneralJuan Niño de Tabora and his wife Doña Magdalena Saldivar y Medoza built another collateral structure to shelter subsequent relics.[18]
By 1597, the cathedral buildings were unfinished; it lacked achapter hall,baptistry,bell tower, andcloister. On December 31, 1600, the cathedral was destroyed by an earthquake.[18]
ArchbishopMiguel de Benavides initiated the reconstruction of the cathedral. After his death in 1605, the project was passed on to his successorDiego Vázquez de Mercado. By 1607, the cathedral was in such a poor state it was abandoned.[19] The third cathedral structure, consisting of three naves and seven chapels, was built in 1614, largely using donated funds from the fourth dean Don Francisco Gomez de Arellano. The seven chapels were built from donations given by the cathedral's patrons.[19] On August 1, 1621, an earthquake caused serious damage to the cathedral's structure. Between 1641 and 1645, the cathedral was reconstructed but it was destroyed by aseries of earthquakes in November and December 1645.[19]
Reconstruction of the cathedral started after the arrival ofMiguel de Poblete, the eighth Archbishop of Manila. The cornerstone of the fourth structure was laid on April 20, 1654. By 1659, the cathedral was nearly completed; the naves were enclosed and some halls were completed. In 1662, the main altar was built out ofmolave wood. The cathedral, which was made of quarried stone,lime and gravel, was blessed on June 7, 1662.[20] In 1750, theFlorentine friar Juan de Uguccioni added amedia naranja ("half orange") dome to the crossing and introduced atransept to the structure.[21] Following several earthquakes and typhoons, the fourth cathedral was demolished in 1751.[22]
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Work on the fifth cathedral building started after the demolition of its predecessor. Uguccioni's designs brought major changes; the three-nave design was retained but the chapels were reduced. The fifth cathedral, which closely resembled theChurch of the Gesù inRome, was inaugurated on December 8, 1760;[22] since then, there had been no modifications or alterations to the structure except for some minor repairs. The cathedral, particularly the dome structure, was repaired in 1839.[22] It survived theBritish occupation of Manila but underwent repairs. It was damaged by an earthquake on September 16, 1852.[22]
Bidding for the cathedral reconstruction was conducted in 1854 and the sixth structure was opened on March 31, 1858.[23] The building had a newNeoclassical façade, which was used for the seventh and eighth structures. The sixth cathedral replaced theBaroque façade of the fifth cathedral and the truncated or box-likecupola was replaced with a circular dome.[23]
On June 3, 1863, the sixth cathedral was damaged by avery strong earthquake that also damaged thepalace of the Governor General of the Philippines. Many called for the building's demolition and clearing of the site. Architect Don Antonio Moraleda proposed to demolish and clear the ruins but the plan was put on hold in 1866. The plan was renewed in 1868, when architect Vicente Serrano y Salaverri was commissioned to inspect and undertake a study of the ruins. Serrano concluded the cathedral ruins must be demolished and this occurred in 1870.[23]
The seventh cathedral was constructed from 1873 to 1879, and was consecrated on December 7, 1879. The cross atop the central dome is a reference point of astronomical longitudes of the archipelago. In 1880,another earthquake toppled the building'sbell tower, which had survived the 1863 earthquake, rendering the cathedral towerless until 1958.[24] During thePhilippine Revolution of 1896, ArchbishopBernardino Nozaleda y Villa opened the cathedral to Spanish soldiers who sought refuge. During thePhilippine–American War, American soldiers converted the cathedral into a hospital for their wounded soldiers.[24]
In 1937, theInternational Eucharistic Congress was held in the Philippines; Manila Cathedral played a role in promotingeucharistic beliefs. A cathedral stamp and medal were unveiled to commemorate the event; these were made by the official manufacturer of medals for theCongress of the Philippines sculptor Críspulo Zamora.[25] In 1945, during theBattle of Manila, Japanese forces fired the seventh cathedral and city block was destroyed by US artillery and mortar fire.[26]
After the Second World War, archbishopsMichael J. O'Doherty andGabriel Reyes planned to transfer the seat of the Archdiocese of Manila toMandaluyong. The plan was dropped when the cathedral was reconstructed under CardinalRufino Santos, under the supervision ofKapampangan architectFernando Ocampo. The first cornerstone of the eighth cathedral was blessed and laid by CardinalFernando Quiroga Palacios, theArchbishop of Santiago de Compostela andpapal legate ofPope Pius XII, on December 8, 1954. The building was consecrated on December 7, 1958, and thehigh altar was consecrated on December 10 that year.[2]
Pope Paul VI made an apostolic visit and celebrated Mass at the cathedral on November 27, 1970.[28]Pope John Paul II also celebrated Mass in the cathedral on February 17, 1981, during his first papal visit to the country,[29] and issued apapal bullQuod Ipsum Manilensis elevating the cathedral to a minor basilica through his ownmotu proprio on April 27, 1981.[15] In the same papal bull, John Paul II restated Paul VI's papal decree of June 6, 1968, should be eternally preserved and enforced to the merits and titles of the cathedral as its own basilica.[30][31]
Thegolden jubilee of the Manila Cathedral's post-war restoration was celebrated in 2008 with the second Manila Cathedral Pipe Organ Festival from December 2 to 10, which was organized by theCatholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines.[32]
In February 2011, the cathedral's bells were moved to the ground level to prevent the bell tower from collapsing as had earlier towers in past earthquakes. In January 2012, the bells were replaced with new ones that were cast by blacksmithFriedrich Wilhelm Schilling fromHeidelberg, Germany, in 1958. According to the new marker installed by CardinalGaudencio Rosales, the newly installed bells are the largest bells that are in active use in the Philippines. Sevencarillon bells weighing 17 metric tons (17 long tons) were permanently installed in the ground level of the belfry.[d]
In 2010, the cathedral failed the standards of the National Structural Code of the Philippines as cracks were detected in some critical sections. After CardinalLuis Antonio Tagle assumed his post as Archbishop of Manila in December 2011, one of his first decisions was to close the cathedral.[8] Following the2012 Negros earthquake and structural concerns, the cathedral temporarily closed on February 7 for repairs,earthquake retrofitting andsubsidence prevention.[33] During this time,Paco Church was designated as thepro-cathedral of the Archdiocese of Manila.[34]
Restoration was expected to be completed in 2013 but the initial deadline was missed.[35] The cathedral's rector at the time,Monsignor Nestor Cerbo, stated that renovations would be finished by March 25, 2014. New features includedclosed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, large, flat-screen television screens, improved audio-video systems, and improved interior and exterior LED lights.[36] Restoration finished on the planned date and the Manila Cathedral was reopened to the general public on April 9, 2014. Archbishop Cardinal Tagle presided a Holy Mass that was attended byPresidentBenigno Aquino III.[37]
On January 16, 2015,Pope Francis celebrated his firstPapal Mass in the Philippines at the cathedral as part ofhis apostolic visit to the country.[38] Due to safety considerations, the Mass was closed to the public, accommodating only 2,000 bishops, priests, and religious persons.[9]
The year-long celebrations commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Manila Cathedral's post-war restoration began with the opening of a historicalexhibit on December 8, 2017.[39] On December 18, the cathedral received a first-class bloodrelic ofPope St. John Paul II.[5] On October 27, 2018,[40] Pope Francis appointed CardinalThomas Aquino Manyo Maeda, then-Archbishop of Osaka, as hispapal legate for this occasion.[41] In a letter to Cardinal Maeda on December 1, Francis called the cathedral the "mother and head of the churches" in the Philippines. The pope further wrote in his letter:[42]
"Indeed, this temple which has truly undergone great changes, destroyed seven times by earthquakes and other calamities through the centuries, was diligently rebuilt again and again by the faithful. Finally after being shattered by the Second World War, it was rebuilt from the ruins at the Lord's bidding."
Cardinal Maeda celebrated afiesta Mass on December 8, 2018,concelebrated with CardinalLuis Antonio Tagle (then-Archbishop of Manila), CardinalGaudencio Rosales (Archbishop-Emeritus of Manila), and ArchbishopGabriele Giordano Caccia (then-Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines).[41] The pope, through Cardinal Maeda, imparted hisapostolic blessing to the cathedral.[43] On December 10, 2018, Cardinal Tagle rededicated the altar in accordance with the rites prescribed by theSecond Vatican Council;[41] the dedication Mass was concelebrated by several bishops comprising theCatholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), including itspresident at the time and theArchbishop of Davao,Romulo Valles, and CardinalOrlando Quevedo,Archbishop-Emeritus of Cotabato.[44]
The Manila Cathedral was built in theLatin cross (cruciform) layout. Its northwestfaçade, which is built in theNeo-Romanesque architecture style, is a replica of the façade of the previous cathedral, along with statues of famous saints sculpted in Romantravertine stone. Several of the artworks inside the basilica were made by Italian artists. In the previous cathedral, the statues were originally made ofmolave wood. The statue ofRose of Lima was sculpted byAngelo Fattinanzi;Jacob,Andrew andAnthony the Abbot were sculpted byLivia Papini; andFrancis Xavier andPolycarp were sculpted byAlcide Tico.[45]
Eight bronze panels sculpted byAlessandro Monteleone andFrancesco Nagni dominate the central northwest doors of the cathedral. Each panel is 1.8 meters (5 ft 11 in) wide and 4.24 meters (13.9 ft) tall, depictingbas-reliefs of the important events in the cathedral's history.[46] Thetympanum above the central doors bears the Latin inscriptionTibi cordi tuo immaculato concredimus nos ac consecramus ("To yourImmaculate Heart,we entrust and consecrate ourselves").[47] Two smaller doors on the left and right sides have also eight panels installed in each door, depicting invocations to the Blessed Virgin Mary.[46]
SincePope John Paul II's apostolic visit to the basilica in 1981, a medallion bearing thepapal arms has been placed beneath the cross of the façade and at thecrossing above the high altar. The scarletgaleros of CardinalsRufino Santos andJaime Sin are also suspended from the dome's ceiling. A copy of the statue ofSt. Peter's Basilica titledSaint Peter Enthroned is placed across apolychrome, life-sized statue of theImmaculate Conception.
The bronzebaptismal font and angel-shapedholy water fonts were made byPublio Morbiducci. The prominent mosaic ofJude Thaddeus was made by Marcello Mazzoli. In 1964, Filipino artistGalo Ocampo designed and made most of the cathedral's 134 modernstained glass windows.[48]
The marble floors on the center aisle near the altar bears the coats of arms of four cardinal archbishops of Manila: Rufino Santos, Jaime Sin, Gaudencio Rosales, and Luis Antonio Tagle.
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Thecathedra or episcopal throne of the Archbishop of Manila was installed in 1958 during the postwar reconstruction. It is made ofMexican onyx and marble fromCarrara, Italy, and was designed and made by the Istituto Internazionale d’Arte Liturgica in Rome.[49] The original cathedra bears the coat of arms of Rufino Santos before he was created a cardinal. His coat of arms and the Mexican onyx were covered by a stone until their restoration in 2021.[50]
The restored cathedra bears a carving of the coat of arms of Cardinal Jose Advincula, the present archbishop, imposed on top of white Indian marble.[49]
The cathedral'spipe organ was built by the Dutch organ builderPels & Zoon in 1958[51][52] It went through major restoration in 2025 with the addition of 862 new pipes, and the installation of the brand-new, customized Monarke Cavaillé-Coll pipe organ console manufactured by Dutch organ builderJohannus Organ in theNetherlands. Currently, it consists of 6,446 pipes; it remains as the largest pipe organ in Southeast Asia.[53]
Manila Cathedral is dedicated to theBlessed Virgin Mary under the title of theImmaculate Conception, who is honored as the Principal Patroness of the Philippines. The 9-foot (2.7 m) bronze statue, which was designed by Italian sculptor Vincenzo Assenza (1915–1981), is located above the high altar.[54]
Prior to 1988, the bronze statue was painted gold, though the twelve starhalo-aureola is made of gold.[55][56] Inscribed on thebaldachin above the statue of the Immaculate Conception is the LatinantiphonTota pulchra es, Maria, et macula originalis non est in Te ("Thou art all-beautiful, Mary, and theoriginal stain [spot] (of sin) is not in thee").
In 1581,Pope Gregory XIII issued apapal bull consecrating the cathedral building toThe Purest and Immaculate Conception of Mary.[14]Miguel López de Legazpi consecrated the City of Manila toSaint Potenciana.Pope Pius XII, on September 12, 1942, reiterated this patronage for the Filipino people toLa Purísima Inmaculada Concepción through the papal bullImpositi Nobis Apostolici, whileSaint Rose of Lima andSaint Potenciana remained as the secondary patronesses of the Filipino people.[57] The same pope, through "Quidquid ad Dilatandum", reiterated this declaration of patronage on July 16, 1958, through the chancellor of apostolic briefs Gildo Brugnola, who signed and executed the decree.[58]
The cathedral celebrates its liturgical feast every December 8, theFeast of the Immaculate Conception.[59]
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The cathedralcrypt is the resting place for former Archbishops of Manila and other prelates, whose corpses are located underneath the church complex and accessible by a stairway to the right of the altar:[60]
Three former Presidents were permitted tolie in state under the cathedral dome:
President Aguinaldo was the first president to have a requiem mass held in the restored cathedral. Although he was a Freemason and was closely associated with theAglipayan Church, his remains were taken to the cathedral and laid beneath the dome on February 14, 1964. CardinalRufino Santos officiated theRequiem Mass before the remains were taken to theLegislative Building for the state vigil.[62] President Garcia was the firstlayman to lie in state and have his requiem mass officiated at the cathedral; President Aquino was the third layperson and the first woman given this honor duringher funeral. These three funerals broke with centuries of tradition that reserved the right of lying in state beneath the dome to Archbishops of Manila alone.[63]
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