Manila Cathedral

The Minor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, commonly known as the Manila Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic basilica and cathedral church of the Archdiocese of Manila. It is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Immaculate Conception, the principal Patroness of the Philippines. Originally constructed in 1571 as a parish church under the Archdiocese of Mexico, it became a separate diocese on 6 February 1579 via the Papal bull Illius Fulti Præsido by Pope Gregory XIII. Since the cathedral's original structure built in 1581, the cathedral has been either damaged or destroyed by natural calamities and the Second World War. The eighth and current cathedral building was completed in 1958. The cathedral has merited three Apostolic Visits from Popes Paul VI, John Paul II and Francis. On 27 April 1981, Pope John Paul II raised the shrine to the status of Minor Basilica. History Parochial church (1571) Fray Juan de Vivero, a secular priest who reached the bay of Manila in 1566 and baptized Rajah Matanda of the ancient kingdom of Tondo, established the "Church of Manila" in 1571. The Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi selected the church's location and placed it under the patronage of the Spanish saint, Santa Potenciana. Afterwards, Fray Juan de Villanueva, the church's first parish priest was installed. First cathedral (1581–1583) The church was elevated to cathedral status in 1579, coinciding with the canonical erection of the Diocese of Manila. In 1581, Domingo de Salazar, the first-ever bishop of Manila, constructed a new building made from nipa, wood and bamboo that was consecrated on December 21, 1581, formally becoming a cathedral. The building was destroyed by a fire caused during the funeral of Governor-General of the Philippines Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñalosa — that razed much of the city. Second cathedral (1592–1600) The second cathedral, which was made of stone, was built in 1592. This cathedral had a central nave 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. In 1595, the Holy See gave the cathedral sacred relics of 155 martyrs, 20 popes and 2 saints, Saint Polycarp and Saint Potenciana, and these were brought to Manila. A side structure was built beside the main cathedral to house the relics. Governor-General Juan Niño de Tabora and his wife Doña Magdalena Saldivar y Medoza built another collateral structure to shelter subsequent relics. By 1597, the cathedral remained unfinished as it lacked a chapter hall, a baptistry, a bell tower, and a cloister. Misfortune struck on December 31, 1600, when the cathedral was destroyed by an earthquake. Third cathedral (1614–1645) Manila's Archbishop Miguel de Benavides initiated the reconstruction of the cathedral. After his death in 1605, the project was passed on to his successor Diego Vázquez de Mercado. By 1607, the cathedral was in such a poor state that it was abandoned. 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. 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 again destroyed by a series of earthquakes in November and December of 1645. Fourth cathedral (1671–1751) Reconstruction of the cathedral started after the arrival of Miguel de Poblete Casasola, 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 of molave wood. The cathedral, which was made from quarried limestone and gravel, was blessed on June 7, 1662. In 1750, the Florentine friar Juan de Uguccioni added a media naranja ("half orange") dome to the crossing and introduced a transept to the structure. Following several earthquakes and typhoons, the fourth cathedral was demolished in 1751. Fifth cathedral (1760–1852) 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 the Church of the Gesù in Rome, was inaugurated on December 8, 1760; 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. It survived the British occupation of Manila (1762-1764) but underwent repairs. It was damaged by an earthquake on September 16, 1852. Sixth cathedral (1858–1863) Bidding for the cathedral reconstruction was conducted in 1854 and the sixth structure was opened on March 31, 1858. The building had a new Neoclassical façade, which was used for the seventh and eighth structures. The sixth cathedral replaced the Baroque architectural façade of the fifth cathedral and the truncated or box-like cupola was replaced with a circular dome. On June 3, 1863, the sixth cathedral was again damaged by strong earthquakes that also damaged the palace 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. Seventh cathedral (1879–1945) 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's bell tower, which had survived the 1863 earthquake, rendering the cathedral towerless until 1958. Times of war During the Philippine Revolution of 1896 against Spanish authorities, Archbishop Bernardino Nozaleda y Villa opened the cathedral to Spanish soldiers who sought refuge. Once again, during the Philippine–American War (1899-1902), American soldiers converted the cathedral into a hospital for their wounded soldiers. In 1945, during the 1945 Battle of Manila, retreating Japanese forces destroyed the seventh cathedral in a scorched-earth defense. Eighth cathedral (1958–present) After the Second World War, archbishops Michael J. O'Doherty and Gabriel Reyes planned to transfer the seat of the Archdiocese of Manila to Mandaluyong. The plan was dropped when the cathedral was reconstructed under Cardinal Rufino Santos, under the supervision of Kapampangan architect Fernando Ocampo. The first cornerstone of the eighth cathedral was blessed and laid by Cardinal Fernando Quiroga Palacios, the Archbishop of Santiago de Compostela and papal legate of Pope Pius XII, on December 8, 1954. The building was consecrated on December 7, 1958, and the high altar was consecrated on December 10 that year. Pope Paul VI made an apostolic visit and celebrated Mass at the cathedral on November 27, 1970. Pope John Paul II also celebrated Mass in the cathedral on February 17, 1981, during his first papal visit to the country, and issued a papal bull Quod Ipsum Manilensis elevating the cathedral to a minor basilica through his own motu proprio on April 27, 1981. In the same papal bull, John Paul II restated that Paul VI's papal decree of June 6, 1968 is to be "eternally preserved and enforced to the merits and titles of the cathedral as its own basilica". References