Immaculate Concepcion Catholic School- Sta.

Cruz
Sta Cruz, Laguna

RELIGION FOR SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

PART 1 OF 4

CHRISTIANITY

Christianity is the most widely practiced religion in the world, with more than
2 billion followers. The Christian faith centers on beliefs regarding the birth, life,
death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. While it started with a small group of
adherents, many historians regard the spread and adoption of Christianity throughout
the world as one of the most successful spiritual missions in human history.

CHRISTIANITY BELIEFS
Some basic Christian concepts include:
1. Christians are monotheistic, i.e., they believe there’s only one God, and he created
the heavens and the earth. This divine Godhead consists of three parts: the father
(God himself), the son (Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit.
2. The essence of Christianity revolves around the life, death and Christian beliefs on
the resurrection of Jesus. Christians believe God sent his son Jesus, the messiah, to
save the world. They believe Jesus was crucified on a cross to offer the forgiveness of
sins and was resurrected three days after his death before ascending to heaven.
3. Christians contend that Jesus will return to earth again in what’s known as the
Second Coming.
4. The Holy Bible includes important scriptures that outline Jesus’s teachings, the lives
and teachings of major prophets and disciples, and offer instructions for how
Christians should live.
5. Both Christians and Jews follow the Old Testament of the Bible, but Christians also
embrace the New Testament.
6. The cross is a symbol of Christianity.
7. The most important Christian holidays are Christmas (which celebrates the birth of
Jesus) and Easter (which commemorates the resurrection of Jesus).

Who was Jesus?

Most historians believe that Jesus was a real person who was born between 2 B.C. and 7
B.C. Much of what scholars know about Jesus comes from the New Testament of the Christian
Bible.
According to the text, Jesus was born to a young Jewish virgin named Mary in the town
of Bethlehem, south of Jerusalem in modern-day Palestine. Christians believe the conception
was a supernatural event, with God impregnating Mary via the Holy Spirit.
Very little is known about Jesus’s childhood. Scriptures reveal that he grew up in
Nazareth, he and his family fled persecution from King Herod and moved to Egypt, and his
“earthly” father, Joseph, was a carpenter.
Jesus was raised Jewish, and according to most scholars, he aimed to reform Judaism—not
create a new religion.
When he was around 30 years old, Jesus started his public ministry after being baptized
in the Jordan River by the prophet known as John the Baptist.
For about three years, Jesus traveled with 12 appointed disciples (also known as the
12 apostles), teaching large groups of people and performing what witnesses described as
miracles. Some of the most well-known miraculous events included raising a dead man named
Lazarus from the grave, walking on water and curing the blind.

JESUS’S TEACHINGS
Jesus used parables—short stories with hidden messages—in his teachings.

Some of the main themes that Jesus taught, which Christians later embraced, includes:
 Love God.
 Love your neighbor as yourself.
 Forgive others who have wronged you.

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  Love your enemies.
 Ask God for forgiveness of your sins.
 Jesus is the Messiah and was given the authority to forgive others.
 Repentance of sins is essential.
 Don’t be hypocritical.
 Don’t judge others.
 The Kingdom of God is near. It’s not the rich and powerful—but the weak and
poor—who will inherit this kingdom.
In one of Jesus’s most famous speeches, which became known as the Sermon on the Mount, he
summarized many of his moral instructions for his followers.

Example: The Beatitudes     for they will see God.

9 
Blessed are the peacemakers,
3
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,     for they will be called children of God.
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 10 
Blessed are those who are persecuted
4 
Blessed are those who mourn, because of righteousness,
    for they will be comforted.     for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
5 
Blessed are the meek, 11 
“Blessed are you when people insult
    for they will inherit the earth. you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds
6 
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst of evil against you because of me. 
for righteousness,
    for they will be filled. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your
12 

7 
Blessed are the merciful, reward in heaven, for in the same way they
    for they will be shown mercy. persecuted the prophets who were before
8 
Blessed are the pure in heart, you.

JESUS’S DEATH AND RESURRECTION

Many scholars believe Jesus died between 30 A.D. and 33 A.D., although the exact date
is debated among theologians. According to the Bible, Jesus was arrested, tried and condemned
to death. Roman governor Pontius Pilate issued the order to kill Jesus after being pressured by
Jewish leaders who alleged that Jesus was guilty of a variety of crimes, including blasphemy.
Jesus was crucified by Roman soldiers in Jerusalem, and his body was laid in a tomb.
According to scripture, three days after his crucifixion, Jesus’s body was missing. In the days
after Jesus’s death, some people reported sightings and encounters with him. Authors in the
Bible say the resurrected Jesus ascended into Heaven.

THE CHRISTIAN BIBLE

The Christian Bible is a collection of 73 books written by various authors. It’s divided
into two parts: The Old Testament and the New Testament.
The Old Testament, which is also recognized by followers of Judaism , describes the
history of the Jewish people, outlines specific laws to follow, details the lives of many prophets,
and predicts the coming of the Messiah.
The New Testament was written after Jesus’s death. The first four books—
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John—are known as the “Gospels,” which means “good news.”
These texts, composed sometime between 70 A.D. and 100 A.D., provide accounts of the life and
death of Jesus.
Letters written by early Christian leaders, which are known as “epistles,” make up a large
part of the New Testament. These letters offer instructions for how the church should operate.
The Acts of the Apostles is a book in the New Testament that gives an account of the
apostles’ ministry after Jesus’s death. The author of Acts is the same author as one of the
Gospels—it is effectively “part two” to the Gospels, what happened after Jesus’s death and
resurrection.
The final book in the New Testament, Revelation, describes a vision and prophecies
that will occur at the end of the world, as well as metaphors to describe the state of the world.

HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY
According to the Bible, the first church organized itself 50 days after Jesus’s death on the
Day of Pentecost—when the Holy Spirit was said to descend onto Jesus’s followers.

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 Most of the first Christians were Jewish converts, and the church was centered in
Jerusalem. Shortly after the creation of the church, many Gentiles (non-Jews) embraced
Christianity.
Early Christians considered it their calling to spread and teach the gospel. One of the
most important missionaries was the apostle Paul, a former persecutor of Christians.
Paul’s conversion to Christianity after he had a supernatural encounter with Jesus is
described in Acts of the Apostles. Paul preached the gospel and established churches
throughout the Roman Empire , Europe and Africa.
Many historians believe Christianity wouldn’t be as widespread without the work of Paul.
In addition to preaching, Paul is thought to have written 13 of the 27 books in the New
Testament.

LISTS OF THE LETTERS OF SAINT PAUL

a. First Thessalonians (c. 50 AD)
b. Galatians (c. 53)
c. First Corinthians (c. 53–54)
d. Philippians (c. 55)
e. Philemon (c. 57-59)
f. Second Corinthians (c. 55–56)
g. Romans (c. 57)
h. Colossians (c. 62)
i. Second Thessalonians (c. 49–51
j. Ephesians (c. 62)
k. First Timothy (c. 62–64)
l. Second Timothy (c. 62–64)
m. Titus (c. 62–64)
n. Finally, Epistle to the Hebrews, though anonymous and not really in the form of a
letter, has long been included among Paul's collected letters. Although some
churches ascribe Hebrews to Paul, neither most of Christianity nor modern
scholarship do so.

PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS
Early Christians were persecuted for their faith by both Jewish and Roman leaders.
In 64 A.D., Emperor Nero  blamed Christians for a fire that broke out in Rome. Many were
brutally tortured and killed during this time.
Under Emperor Domitian, Christianity was illegal. If a person confessed to being a
Christian, he or she was executed.
Starting in 303 A.D., Christians faced the most severe persecutions to date under the co-
emperors Diocletian and Galerius. This became known as the Great Persecution.
Constantine Embraces Christianity
When Roman Emperor Constantine  converted to Christianity, religious tolerance
shifted in the Roman Empire.
During this time, there were several groups of Christians with different ideas about how
to interpret scripture and the role of the church.
In 313 A.D., Constantine lifted the ban on Christianity with the Edict of Milan. He later
tried to unify Christianity and resolve issues that divided the church by establishing the Nicene
Creed.
Many scholars believe Constantine’s conversion was a turning point in Christian history.

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

In 380 A.D., Emperor Theodosius I declared Catholicism the state religion of the Roman
Empire. The Pope, or Bishop of Rome, operated as the head of the Roman Catholic Church.
Catholics expressed a deep devotion for the Virgin Mary, recognized the seven sacraments, and
honored relics and sacred sites.
When the Roman Empire collapsed  in 476 A.D., differences emerged among Eastern
and Western Christians.
In 1054 A.D., the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox church split into
two groups.

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THE CRUSADES
Between about 1095 A.D. and 1230 A.D., the Crusades , a series of holy wars, took place.
In these battles, Christians fought against Islamic  rulers and their Muslim soldiers to reclaim
holy land in the city of Jerusalem.
The Christians were successful in occupying Jerusalem during some of the Crusades, but
they were ultimately defeated. After the Crusades, the Catholic Church’s power and wealth
increased.

THE REFORMATION
In 1517, a German monk named Martin Luther  published 95 Theses—a text that
criticized certain acts of the Pope and protested some of the practices and priorities of the
Roman Catholic church.
Later, Luther publicly said that the Bible didn’t give the Pope the sole right to read and
interpret scripture.
Luther’s ideas triggered the Reformation —a movement that aimed to reform the
Catholic church. As a result, Protestantism was created, and different denominations of
Christianity eventually began to form.

TYPES OF CHRISTIANITY
Christianity is broadly split into three branches: Catholic, Protestant and (Eastern)
Orthodox. The Catholic branch is governed by the Pope and Catholic bishops around the world.
The Orthodox (or Eastern Orthodox) is split into independent units each governed by a Holy
Synod; there is no central governing structure akin to the Pope.
There are numerous denominations within Protestant Christianity, many of which differ
in their interpretation of the Bible and understanding of the church.
Some of the many denominations that fall under the category of Protestant Christianity
include:
Baptist Assemblies of God
Episcopalian Christian Reform/Dutch Reform
Evangelist Church of the Nazarene
Methodist Disciples of Christ
Presbyterian United Church of Christ
Pentecostal/Charismatic Mennonite
Lutheran Christian Science
Anglican Quaker
Evangelical Seventh-Day Adventist

Although the many sects of Christianity have differing views, uphold separate traditions and
worship in distinct ways, the core of their faith is centered around the life and teachings of
Jesus.

THE HOLY ROSARY

A Brief History of the Rosary
October has long been the month dedicated to the Rosary. Pope St. Pius V
established the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary (October 7th) in 1573 to thank God for
the victory of Christians over the Turks at Lepanto, a victory attributed to the praying of
the rosary. Pope Clement XI expanded the feast to the universal Church in 1716.
The dedication of the entire month to this devotion was officially established by Pope Pius XII in
1884. While devotion to this prayer form waned a bit in the years immediately after Vatican II,
interest in this long-practiced devotion is experiencing a resurgence as the faithful rediscover
the beauty and spiritual benefit of this meditative practice. The name “rosary” comes from
the Latin “rosarium” which means “rose garden.” A rosary is widely considered a
gift of roses to Our Blessed Mother in heaven.
The rosary has had a long history and gone through many stages of development. The
use of prayer beads actually precedes the time of Christ. Hindus used them to help keep track of
prayers said throughout the day. In the Christian tradition, early monastic orders would pray the
150 psalms daily. At first they would use 150 pebbles in a small pouch in order to keep track.
This later developed into a string with 150 knots and finally a rope with 150 wooden beads.
Members of the laity who did not necessarily know the psalms by heart wanted to have a
comparable version of this practice and so the tradition of praying 150 “Our Fathers” each day

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was born. A similar string of beads was used to keep track of this as well. In time, the “angelic
salutation” of Gabriel was added before each “Our Father”: “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is
with you.” Later on, Elizabeth’s greeting was added to this: “Blessed are you among women.”
Still later, the prayer of “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of
our death” was added and the “Hail Mary” as we know it was developed.
Meanwhile, in the year 1214, Mary appeared to St. Dominic and encouraged him
to spread devotion to the rosary. She promised him that if he did so, he would be
successful in converting the Albigensians and that his religious order that he
founded would prosper. He spent the rest of his life encouraging others to pray the Rosary
and founded a Rosary Confraternity to aid in this task. One hundred years later, Blessed Alan de
la Roche picked up where Dominic’s work had ended. He divided the rosary into 10 “Hail Mary”
decades preceded by the “Our Father.” In the 15th century, the mysteries of the rosary were
assigned to each of the decades. This gave people an opportunity to reflect on Scripture while
offering up this meditative prayer. In 1917, Our Lady appeared to three young shepherd
children in Fatima, Portugal. She declared herself to be “Our Lady of the Rosary”
and repeatedly urged the children to recite the rosary daily.
In more recent times, Pope John XXIII taught that the Rosary must have a
threefold purpose: “mystical contemplation, intimate reflection, and pious
intention.” On October 16, 2002, Pope John Paul II added a new set of five
mysteries to the rosary. Known as the “Luminous Mysteries” or “The Mysteries of
Light,” they focus on Jesus’ public ministry. In his apostolic letter “The Rosary of the
Virgin Mary”, he wrote that “The rosary, though clearly Marian in character, is at a heart a
Christ-centered prayer. It has all the depth of the gospel message in its entirety. It is an echo of
the prayer of Mary, her perennial Magnificat for the work of the redemptive Incarnation which
began in her virginal womb.”

MYSTERIES OF THE HOLY ROSARY

THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES THE MYSTERIES OF LIGHT
The Annunciation The Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan
The Visitation The Wedding Feast at Cana.
The Nativity The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
The Presentation The Transfiguration of Jesus
The Finding of Jesus in the Temple The Institution of the Eucharist

THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES

The Agony in the Garden The Resurrection
The Scourging at the Pillar The Ascension
The Crowning With Thorns The Coming of the Holy Spirit
The Carrying of the Cross The Assumption of Mary
The Crucifixion The Coronation of Mary

FATIMA PRAYER
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins. Save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven especially
those
in most need of thy mercy.

---------To be continued Part 1 of 4-------

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 RELIGION FOR SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
PART 2 OF 4

SPIRITUAL AND CORPORAL WORKS OF MERCY

Mercy as it is here contemplated is said to be a virtue influencing one's will to have compassion

for, and, if possible, to alleviate another's misfortune. It is the teaching of St. Thomas
Aquinas that although mercy is as it were the spontaneous product of charity, yet it is to be
reckoned a special virtue adequately distinguishable from this latter. In fact the Scholastics in
cataloguing it consider it to be referable to the quality of justice mainly because, like justice, it
controls relations between distinct persons. It is as they say ad alterum. Its motive is the misery
which one discerns in another, particularly in so far as this condition is deemed to be, in some
sense at least, involuntary. Obviously the necessity which is to be succoured can be either of
body or soul. Hence it is customary to enumerate both corporal and spiritual works of mercy.
The traditional enumeration of the corporal works of mercy is as follows:
 To feed the hungry;
 To give drink to the thirsty;
 To clothe the naked;
 To harbour the harbourless;
 To visit the sick;
 To ransom the captive;
 To bury the dead.
The spiritual works of mercy are:
 To instruct the ignorant;
 To counsel the doubtful;
 To admonish sinners;
 To bear wrongs patiently;
 To forgive offences willingly;
 To comfort the afflicted;
 To pray for the living and the dead.

PILLARS OF FAITH
MAGISTERIUM

The magisterium is the official teaching office of the Church, including the pope and the

bishops in union with him.

At times Catholics will talk about the “magisterium” and its role in the Church. What is it and
what does it do?

In simple terms, the magisterium is the official teaching office — in the sense of role or
authority, not a bureaucratic center — of the Church, which consists of the pope and the
bishops in union with him. They are given the task of interpreting scripture and making
judgments on “tradition” within the Church, making official statements as to the
authenticity of such traditions.

What is a dogma?

Here is how the Catechism of the Catholic Church defines the magisterium.

“The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God, whether in its
written form or in the form of Tradition, has been entrusted to the living teaching office

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of the Church alone. Its authority in this matter is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ.”
This means that the task of interpretation has been entrusted to the bishops in communion
with the successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome. (CCC 85)

This task, given to the apostles and St. Peter by Jesus Christ, can be seen in the
New Testament, specifically in the Acts of the Apostles where there arose a dispute
concerning the admittance of gentiles.

St. Peter had a vision where he was urged by God to accept the “unclean.” Afterwards he
proclaimed, “‘Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people, who have received the
holy Spirit even as we have?’ He ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts
10:47-48).

The baptism of the gentiles is one example of how Peter and the apostles encountered a new
situation, where they had to discern the right course of action. Inspired by the Holy Spirit,
they were able to make a proclamation that interpreted God’s word in an authentic way.

Catholics believe that the pope and the bishops in union with him can be trusted because of
Jesus’ promise to send the Holy Spirit upon them, guiding them in the process of
proclaiming certain “dogmas” and in judging the authenticity of certain traditions.

The entire concept of the magisterium hinges on this belief, going back to Jesus’ promise, “I will
ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the
Spirit of truth” (John 14:16-17).

SACRED TRADITION

The word "tradition" refers to a handing on of beliefs and practices from one generation to
the next. For example, we often speak of family traditions --of special meals and fun BV
times that a family repeats though the years. In this way, traditions help to connect the old
with the young; they also help us to remember who we are. In a similar manner, Sacred
Tradition refers to important beliefs and practices that have been handed on through the
centuries from one generation to the next.
A question often asked has to do with the relationship between Sacred Tradition and
Scripture.
The New Testament itself sheds light on this relationship in the Second Letter to the
Thessalonians where the author writes: "This passage makes it clear that there were
important traditions passed on by word and not only by letter. As the Fathers of the Second
Vatican Council noted, "It is not from Sacred Scripture alone that the Church draws her
certainty about everything which has been revealed. Therefore, both Sacred Tradition and
Sacred Scripture are to be accepted and reverenced with the same sense of devotion. Sacred
Tradition and Sacred Scripture form one sacred deposit of the word of God, which is
committed to the Church." So we see that we need both Scripture and Sacred Tradition to
understand God's life among us properly.
Most of the beliefs and practices found in Sacred Tradition have their basis in Scripture, but
some do not. Catholics' belief that Mary was assumed into heaven is an example of a Sacred
Tradition that has no reference in Scripture. The Assumption of Mary was nonetheless an
important belief in the early Church and that is why it has been passed on through the
generations as part of Sacred Tradition.
A few examples of beliefs and practices which do have their basis in Scripture would include
the following:

 The Apostles' Creed, an early summary of important Christian beliefs.

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  The role of bishops, priests, and the Pope in Christian ministry.
 The authority of the Pope--the belief that the Pope cannot teach falsely when he
speaks officially as head of the Church on matters of faith and morals.
 Our understanding of the Sacraments and their place in Christian life.

Although Scripture touches on these matters, it is through Sacred Tradition that we fully
understand their meaning and significance to the Church.
Finally, we must note that there are many traditions in the Catholic Church which do not
belong to Sacred Tradition. These traditions, with a small "t" if you will, include such things
as special prayers and devotions and stories concerning certain Saints. These traditions may
help people grow closer to God, but they are not as important as Sacred Tradition, with a
capital "T". Sacred Tradition, together with Scripture, includes those beliefs and practices
that are most important to the Church because they have been revealed by God and because
they have been affirmed by the teaching authority of the Catholic Church. That is why
Sacred Tradition can help us to live a better Christian life.For a detailed study please refer to
"Catechism of the Catholic Church" pages 74-84.

SACRED SCRIPTURES/BIBLE

THE POPE AND THE HIREARCHY OF THE CHURCH

( a PPT PRESENTATION WILL BE SENT IN THE GC)

RELIGION FOR SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

PART 3 OF 4

The Liturgical Calendar

The liturgical year consists of a seasonal cycle and a sanctoral cycle, called the Proper of Time
and the Proper of Saints, respectively. Both are organized and published in a liturgical calendar,
which is also enriched by observances proper to local Churches, whether national, diocesan,
parish-level, or religious community. The Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ—his suffering, death,
and resurrection—is continuously proclaimed and renewed through celebrating the events of his
life and in the feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints.
Liturgical Year

The liturgical year is made up of six seasons:

Advent - four weeks of preparation before the celebration of Jesus' birth
Christmas - recalling the Nativity of Jesus Christ and his manifestation to the peoples of the
world
Lent - a six-week period of penance before Easter
Sacred Paschal Triduum - the holiest "Three Days" of the Church's year, where the Christian
people recall the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus
Easter - 50 days of joyful celebration of the Lord's resurrection from the dead and his sending
forth of the Holy Spirit
Ordinary Time - divided into two sections (one span of 4-8 weeks after Christmas Time and
another lasting about six months after Easter Time), wherein the faithful consider the fullness of
Jesus' teachings and works among his people
The mystery of Christ, unfolded through the cycle of the year, calls us to live his mystery in our
own lives. This call is best illustrated in the lives of Mary and the saints, celebrated by the
Church throughout the year. There is no tension between the mystery of Christ and the
celebration of the saints, but rather a marvelous harmony. The Blessed Virgin Mary is joined by
an inseparable bond to the saving work of her Son, and the feasts of all the saints proclaim the
wonderful works of Christ in his servants and offer the faithful fitting examples for their
imitation.
Each liturgical year begins on the First Sunday of Advent during the preceding calendar year
(i.e., the First Sunday of Advent in 2019 began the 2020 liturgical year)

HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION

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All Sundays of the year, and the following days:
  1)   The Circumcision of Our Lord  (New Year’s Day)   –   January 1
  2)   The Epiphany of Our Lord  (Three Kings)   –   January 6
  3)   The Feast of St. Joseph   –   March 19
  4)   The Ascension of Our Lord (Ascension Thursday)   –   movable date
  5)   The Feast of Corpus Christi (Thursday after Trinity Sunday)   –   movable date
  6)   The Feast of Saints Peter and Paul   –   June 29
  7)   The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary   –   August 15
  8)   The Feast of All Saints   –   November 1
  9)   The Immaculate Conception   –   December 8
10)   The Nativity of Our Lord (Christmas Day)   –   December 25

*  It is a mortal sin for a Catholic to neglect this duty, unless he/she is lawfully
hindered by any sickness or other sufficient cause.

HISTORY OF THE 500 YEARS OF CHRISTIANITY IN THE PHILIPPINES

Spain conquers the Philippines with the Cross of Christ

Catholicism came to the Philippines with the European discovery of the archipelago. The
explorer Ferdinand Magellan set foot on the islands in 1521 and planted the cross on the island
of Cebu, cradle of Christianity in the Philippines. There, he spearheaded the conversion of Rajah
Humabon and his consort Harah Amihan, who took the baptismal names Carlos and Juana
(after the Spanish king and queen mother). This happened within weeks of the offering of the
first Mass in the islands by Fr. Pedro de Valderrama, chaplain of the voyage, on March 31, 1521.
Magellan had named the islands the “Archipelago of St. Lazarus.” On the day he first sighted
land (March 16, 1521), it was a Saturday, the eve of Passion Sunday, when in the old Roman
liturgy, the gospel was the resurrection of St. Lazarus. The name that stuck however was “Las
Islas Filipinas” (the Philippine Islands), given by Ruy Lopez de Villalobos who headed one of the
follow-up expeditions after the death of Magellan in the hands of the natives in the Battle of
Mactan.

The evangelization of the Philippines began with the arrival of the conquistador Miguel
Lopez de Legazpi in Cebu on April 27, 1565. The natives fled and burned their homes, but in one
hut was recovered the image of the Santo Niño, the Child Jesus. It was Magellan’s baptismal gift
to Queen Juana, and today the object of the largest Christian devotion in the country. Legazpi
called the first Spanish settlement the “City of the Most Holy Name of Jesus,” the feast attached
to the devotion to the Holy Child.

The Augustinian friars who came with Legazpi, led by Fray Andres de Urnadeta, built a
church and convent in honor of the Santo Niño in Cebu. In 1571 they went with Legazpi as he
conquered Manila and turned the then bustling Muslim settlement into the walled capital
(Intramuros) of the new Spanish colony. For 13 years the Augustinians were alone in the
missionary effort. The Franciscans arrived in 1578, followed by the Jesuits in 1581. The
Dominican mission arrived in 1587. But the first Dominican to land on the islands was Fray
Domingo de Salazar, who accompanied the Jesuits six years earlier and took possession of the
newly established Diocese of Manila as first bishop. The See of Manila was a suffragan to Mexico
until August 14, 1595 when it was elevated to an archdiocese, with the dioceses of Cebu, Nueva
Segovia and Caceres (Naga) as suffragans.

The choice of Salazar as first bishop was propitious. Salazar was a disciple of Bartolome
de las Casas, who defended the Amerindians from the abuses of the Spanish colonizers. Salazar
was bent on doing the same in the Indies. The legitimacy of the conquest was a question that
vexed the young colony, and was addressed precisely by the Synod of Manila convoked by
Salazar in 1582. The Synod Fathers concluded that Spain must exercise political dominion over
the Philippines to fulfill its primary duty of evangelization, as commissioned by the Pope.
Salazar’s synod, more importantly, condemned slavery and resolved to spread the Gospel using
the native languages, a key decision that preserved the local tongues.

As expected, Salazar encountered stiff opposition and had to go to Spain to personally

plead for the rights of the natives before the royal court. Upon his death the struggle was
continued by a fellow Dominican, Fray Miguel de Benavides, who pointed out that tributes had
been collected unjustly from unbelievers. Spain must make restitution, he argued, and obtain a
just title to the Philippine islands. This can be done only if the natives submit freely to the
colonizers.
The Catholic king acceded. The victorious Benavides returned to the Philippines, now the bishop
of Nueva Segovia, and himself oversaw the gatherings in which Filipinos voluntarily agreed to be
the Spanish king’s subjects. This was the reply of one Filipino to the question of ratification: “We

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answer that we want the king of Spain to be also our king and ruler because he has sent
Spaniards to free us from the tyranny and domination of our own rulers, and also because he
has sent us missionary fathers to help us against the Spaniards, ready to defend us against
them.”

A Church established by missionary zeal

“The conquest of the Philippines,” the Dominican historian Fr. Lucio Gutierrez explains,
“was due fundamentally not to the sword of the conquistador but to the cross of the missionary
… it was the missionaries’ zeal and charity that brought the Filipinos into the fold of the
Church.” This was because Spain’s military presence in its 333-year rule was “relatively
insignificant.” Gutierrez quotes the Viceroy of Mexico who remarked: “In every friar the king of
Spain had in the Philippines a captain general and an entire army.”

At the time of their arrival, the missionaries had the benefit of drawing from the
experience of the conquest and evangelization of the Americas. The Synod of Manila reminded
the encomenderos that their right to collect tribute carried a dual responsibility: administration
of justice and preaching of the faith. In each encomienda there must be a missionary. Later on
the Spaniards carried out a system of reduction. They had found the in Philippines, unlike in the
Americas, scattered villages (barangays) where extended families lived together under a datu,
the chieftain. To facilitate catechism, Filipinos had to be bajo la campana (under the sound of
the bell). Today, the plan of the town plaza survives—town hall, market, school, and church. The
Dominicans introduced the printing press in the islands, publishing the first book, the Doctrina
Christiana, in 1593. The contents of the basic doctrine – the Our Father, Hail Mary, the Credo,
the articles of faith – were usually recited before Sunday Mass. The norm for Confession and
Holy Communion was once a year, during Easter season.

Missionaries corrected the initial practice of mass baptism and ensured that Filipinos
underwent pre- and post-baptismal catechesis. Conversions started with the datus,
called fiscales by the missionaries, who were tasked to spread the faith among their people.
Evangelization made use of the existing structures, and engaged in true inculturation by
retaining native practices while rejecting pagan ways. Drama, dance, and music accompanied
the observances of religious feasts. An enduring Filipino devotion is the Misa de Aguinaldo,
novena (“gift”) Masses held at dawn in preparation for the Nativity of the Lord. The  Pasyong
Mahal of Gaspar Aquino de Belen, first published in Tagalog in 1703, is a permanent pious
practice during the Holy Week of the Lord’s Passion.

The friars were not just church-builders. With the help of the natives they built roads and
bridges, replaced primitive farming with the wheel and the plow, constructed large-scale
irrigation, and brought in new crops like tobacco, coffee, and cocoa. The opening of hospitals,
asylums, and orphanages showed a concern for material, not just spiritual, welfare. The
Franciscan Juan Clemente started in 1578 what became the San Juan de Dios and San Lazaro
hospitals, two well-known social institutions. The Hospicio de San Jose traces its beginnings to
1778. Today the Daughters of Charity continue to operate the welfare institution at Isla de la
Convalescencia, the island in the middle of Pasig River where the patients of San Juan de Dios
used to convalesce. 

Education was an important component of evangelization. As soon as they arrived, the

Augustinians and Franciscans put up schools for basic education. In 1595, the Jesuits opened a
college that became the Universidad de San Ignacio in the Walled City. The oldest existing
university, not just in the Philippines but also in Asia, is the Royal and Pontifical University of
Santo Tomas, founded in 1611 by the Dominicans upon the bequest by Fray Benavides of his
library and a seed fund of P1,500. For women, the Colegio de Santa Potenciana (later merged
into the Colegio de Santa Isabel, now one of the oldest schools for girls in the world), was
founded by the royal decrees of 1593 and 1594. It was followed by the Colegio de Santa Rosa
(1750) and the La Concordia (1868). In Cebu City, the Colegio-Seminario de San Carlos opened
in 1783.

At the close of Spanish colonial rule, no less than the Americans testified to the fruits of
the labors of the Church and its intrepid missionaries. “In no other part of the world,” writes the
military chaplain of the American army in 1899, “is Christian charity more flourishing and more
wide spread than in the Philippines; the hospitals, the maternity houses, the arts and trade
schools and other like institutions would bring honor to any nation.”

Spiritual life flourishes among Filipinos

By the close of the 17th century the faith had blossomed in full as Filipinos yearned for a
deeper religious life. Historian Schumacher considers this the “golden age” in the life of the

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Philippine Church, as it saw the emergence of the beaterios (mystical communities of the lay
folk as described by writer Nick Joaquin), and the Filipino clergy.
The Monasterio de Santa Clara had been in existence in the Walled City since 1621. But it
did not admit native women. Under the spiritual care of the Dominicans, five beatas lived
together in a private home, praying the Rosary and doing mental prayers and spiritual exercises.
Upon reaching 15 beatas, corresponding to the 15 Mysteries, the Beaterio de Santa Catalina was
founded on July 26, 1696, with Mother Francisca del Espiritu Santo as prioress. Construction at
the convent later drew the ire of the governor-general, and soon the beatas clashed with the
archbishop, who wanted to assert his authority. The beatas went to Santa Potenciana in exile.
After negotiations, the archbishop had a change of heart and allowed the beatas to return.
Mother Francisca brought back 16 beatas and agreed to observe the rules of enclosure.

The next harvest was literally at the churchyard garden of the Augustinian Recollects.
The Bulakeña sisters Dionisia and Cecilia Rosa Talangpaz sought a life dedicated to the
Eucharist and the Lady of Mt. Carmel. The Recollects of San Sebastian Church obliged and gave
them the habit of the mantelatas of the Augustinian Third Order on July 16, 1725. The sisters
and two other beatas lived in prayer in a nipa house at the Recollect garden. Problems arose
when more young women sought admission into new beaterio, forcing the Recollect prior to
shut it down. Appeals softened the heart of the prior, and the beatas got back their habits and
the nipa house. The Beaterio de San Sebastian finally gained royal recognition in 1756, but not
before encountering opposition from government and religious authorities.

The Chinese mestiza Ignacia del Espiritu Santo was among those turned away at Santa
Clara. Her initial plan was to join the Beaterio de Santa Catalina. Instead, Mother Ignacia ended
up founding the Beaterio de la Compañia under Jesuit spiritual direction as she began to attract
more followers. The beaterio, restricted by its directress to indias and Chinese mestizas, gained
archdiocesan approval in 1732. It is said to be the first Filipino community to elect its officials
through secret ballot. The perseverance of Mother Ignacia and her successors led to the
beaterio’s establishment, more than a century and a half later, as the first indigenous foundation
in the Philippines to become a religious congregation, known today as the Religious of the Virgin
Mary.

The confraternities, sodalities, and other religious associations also played a significant
role in the religious and social life of Filipinos. The Santa Mesa de la Misericordia, formed in
1593, took the lead in the corporal works of mercy, its hooded members seeking alms for the
poor. The brotherhood helped the poor, the orphans, and deserving students. It buried the poor,
the abandoned, and criminals who had been executed. The Jesuits founded the Congregacion
Mariana, or the Sodality of Our Lady, exhorting members to a deeper Christian life. The
Confraternity of the Holy Rosary, founded by the Dominicans in 1590, produced Lorenzo Ruiz,
the escribano of Binondo Church who fled with the Dominican missionaries to Japan to escape a
false charge. In 1637, he was martyred by the Tokugawa shogunate for refusing to renounce his
faith. Three hundred years later, he was canonized as the first Filipino saint. San Lorenzo would
rather die a “thousand deaths” than deny the Savior.

Another layperson, Pedro Calungsod, died a martyr in 1672, four years after he went with
Fr. Diego Luis San Vitores and other Jesuits to evangelize the Chamorros in Guam. The young
Calungsod was struck by a spear in the chest while protecting Padre Diego from two native
attackers. Rumor had spread that the Jesuits’ baptismal water was poisoned, turning the
Chamorros against the missionaries. Nearly three-and-a-half centuries later, Calungsod, the
proto-martyr of the Visayas, was proclaimed a saint.

That the first two saints produced by the Philippines were laypersons is no coincidence.
Schumacher writes: “The religious life introduced by the missionaries was not a diluted version
of European Christianity … Not mere individual conversions were sought for, but rather the
creation of a Christian community.”

A Filipino clergy emerges

The friars were not without defects. By the 18th century, the parishes had become too
dependent on the missionary orders, stunting the development of native priests. The bishops at
first attempted to break the hold of the friars by asserting their visitation rights over the
parishes. The friars, of course, resisted another layer of authority and wanted to be answerable
solely to their religious superiors. They threatened repeatedly to abandon their parishes and the
bishops backed out. The dispute over “secularization,” which initially took on a racial overtone,
became a nationalist cause.

According to the Dominican historian Fr. Lucio Gutierrez, the first native Filipino to be
ordained to the priesthood was Agustin Tabuyo of Cagayan (1621), followed by Miguel Jeronimo

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of Pampanga (1653). The Jesuit historian Fr. John Schumacher, however, contends it is doubtful
if Tabuyo and Jeronimo were indeed natives. The “first definitely known Indio priest” was
Francisco Baluyot, ordained in December 1698, according to Schumacher. Ordinations were few
and far between as the Jesuit and Dominican colleges produced few candidates, and these were
Philippine-born Spaniards. Moreover, the policy in Spanish America of not ordaining natives
was carried over to the East Indies. By 1768, the Archbishop of Manila, Basilio Sancho y Santas
Justa y Rufina, was confident enough to insist on the visitation and secularization of the
parishes. In 1773, he built the Seminary of San Carlos on the site of the University of San
Ignacio, which had been abandoned due to the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1768. Sancho
proceeded posthaste to train and ordain secular priests, as he needed them to take over the
parishes and at the same time replace the expelled Jesuits.

The wave of secularization failed. It bred enmity; for one, the takeover from the
Augustinians in Pampanga, led by Governor-General Simon de Anda himself, turned violent.
Secular priests proved to be ill-prepared and poorly trained to take over the parishes. In 1787 the
colonial government petitioned the king to put an end to secularization. It continued, however,
with the number of missionaries sent to the islands by the friar orders dwindling as a result of
the imposition of diocesan visitation. It did not help that the friars became denouncers of
Spanish officials, causing the latter’s resentment. Government intervention in clerical posts also
intensified, with Spain stretching the limits of the Patronato Real, the age-old papal concession
of religious affairs to the king in exchange for material support to the missionary campaign.
Religious fervor of the friars waned. Worse, discipline was relaxed. 

Many in the secular clergy eventually proved worthy of their vocation, and began to fight
for their rights to take back the parishes. The cause was led by Fr. Pedro Pelaez, an outstanding
priest and academic who raised funds to send a representative to Madrid, wrote pamphlets in
favor of secularization, and petitioned the Queen of Spain for support. He was succeeded by his
protege Fr. Jose Burgos, the most brilliant student ever to come out of the portals of the
University of Santo Tomas. Another secular, Fr. Mariano Gomez, did not possess the same
credentials, but was nonetheless an excellent organizer.

The return of the Jesuits in 1859, nearly a century after their expulsion over political
controversy in Europe, exacerbated the situation. The Jesuits got back their Mindanao parishes
from the Recollects, who had to be reassigned elsewhere. The Filipino clergy felt deprived. In
Cavite, secular priests were evicted in favor of the Recollects and Dominicans. Pelaez, vicar
capitular of the Manila archdiocese, was himself overruled when he appointed a secular to
Antipolo. The post went to a Spanish Recollect. The Spanish government had become suspicious
of native clergy given the experiences of Mexico and Peru whose revolutions were led by secular
priests.

At age 28, Padre Burgos rose to the rectorship of Manila Cathedral and captured public
attention when he countered a series of newspaper articles by a Franciscan belittling the secular
clergy. Prior to that, an anonymous manifiesto extolling the virtues of Filipino priests, widely
attributed to Burgos, circulated in Manila. The story of Burgos ended in the garrote vil. He,
along with Fathers Gomez and Jacinto Zamora, was implicated in the Cavite mutiny of 1872. As
there was no evidence except hearsay, the “Gomburza” priests remained in good standing, and
the archbishop refused to have them defrocked. The bells tolled for the priestly triumvirate.

Enmities worsened when the Spanish curate of Tondo, Fr. Mariano Gil, uncovered the
revolutionary plans of the secret movement Katipunan in 1896. The execution of the nationalist
Jose Rizal further heightened the fervor of the revolutionaries. Before his death, Rizal went back
to the faith with the help of the Jesuits.

At the height of the Philippine Revolution in 1898, there were 967 parishes and missions,
more than 800 of which were under the religious orders. The revolution took a heavy toll on the
friars. Around 400 of them were captured and many were killed. Among the captives was Jose
Hevia Campomanes, Dominican bishop of Nueva Segovia, who tried to escape via Aparri along
with 70 Augustinians, three Dominican priests, and eight Dominican sisters.

The arrival of the Americans marked the end of the Patronato Real and for the first time,
the Vatican’s direct intervention in the affairs of the Philippine Church. American bishops and
the Holy See’s apostolic delegates supported the Filipino clergy. In 1905, the highly qualified
Bikolano cleric Jorge Barlin was appointed bishop of Caceres, becoming the first Filipino to rise
to the episcopate. Barlin proved very capable and loyal, dealing a blow to the schismatic Iglesia
Filipinia Independiente by resisting its recruitment efforts and winning a court battle over
church property. Pope Leo XIII himself called for a greater role for Filipino priests in the
Apostolic Constitution Quae mari Sinico in 1902. The Pontiff carved out new dioceses and urged
bishops to open seminaries to train more young Filipinos for the priesthood. “As experience has

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clearly shown that in every part of the world a native clergy is of great utility, let the Bishops
procure with all diligence that the number of native priests be increased…”

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 A missionary Church for Asia and the world

Pope Leo XIII’s Apostolic Constitution Quae mari Sinico breathed a new vitality into the
Philippine Church in the American era. For nearly three centuries, the Philippines only had one
archdiocese and three dioceses. The Diocese of Jaro was carved out of Cebu in 1865. Quae mari
Sinico created the dioceses of Lipa, Tuguegarao, Capiz, and Zamboanga. The early 20 th century
however was a period of myriad challenges amid changes brought by the new dispensation. The
Church had to contend with the arrival of Protestant missionaries and the Aglipayan schism.
The big dispute with the Americans was the ownership of friar lands, which the Holy See
decided to dispose of. Only affluent Filipinos, however, benefitted from the sale.

Four Americans replaced the Spanish bishops, and with the departure of many friars,
non-Spanish religious orders started pouring in: the Redemptorists (1905), St. Joseph’s
Missionary Society (1906), Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (1907), Missionaries
of the Sacred Heart (1908), the Society of the Divine Word (1908), and the Christian Brothers
(1911). The Americans established the first council of the Knights of Columbus, the lay fraternal
and charitable organization, in the Walled City of Intramuros in 1905.

In a sign of its growing importance in the Universal Church, the Philippines became the
first country in Asia to host the International Eucharistic Congress in 1937. The theme, “The
Eucharistic Apostolate in the Mission,” emphasized the evangelization of the Far East.

The war emergency prompted the bishops of the Philippines to form the Catholic
Welfare Organization in 1945. Soon it became the official organization of the Church hierarchy,
and in 1968, it became the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, tasked to promote
solidarity in the Philippine Church, formulate joint pastoral policies and programs, promote the
pastoral thrusts of the Universal Church, assume responsibilities as evangelizer in relation to the
people and with the civil authority in particular, and foster relations with other episcopal
conferences. Church leaders closed ranks against moves of the state seen as hostile to Catholic
education.

In 1960, Rufino Jiao Santos of Pampanga became the first Filipino cleric to be elevated
to the College of Cardinals. Santos, one of the active fathers of the Second Vatican Council, was a
builder, leaving as his legacy the establishment of Catholic Charities, St. Paul’s Hospital, and
more importantly, Radio Veritas Asia—the short-wave station that brought the Word of God to
the world’s largest but least Christian continent. The reconstruction of the Manila Cathedral,
which was destroyed by World War II, in 1958 was symbolic of efforts to rebuild the Philippine
Church. Vatican II ushered in an era of change, most visibly in the liturgical life of the Church.

The Second Plenary Council of the Philippines heralded another period of renewal, with
the Philippine Church resolving to be a community of Christ’s disciples and a “Church of the
Poor.” The council, convened in 1991, also called for integral evangelization and holistic
spirituality. The push for social justice had prompted the hierarchy, led by Jaime Cardinal Sin,
to support the popular revolt that toppled the Marcos dictatorship in 1986.

Today, the Philippines has a total of 86 archdioceses, dioceses, prelatures, and apostolic
vicariates, with over 80 million faithful. The Philippine Church looks forward to 2021 on the
500th year of the arrival Christianity in the Philippines, grateful for triumphs as well as
tribulations, but more so for standing the test of time as an ever-faithful people of God.

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You can print your copy. You need to compile all 4 modules for your final requirement.