Philippine Independent Church

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The Philippine Independent Church, officially the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) in Spanish, is a Christian denomination of the Catholic tradition in the form of a national church. It is better known as the Aglipayan Church after its founder, Gregorio Aglipay.^[1] Since 1965 it has been part of the Old Catholic Union of Utrecht Association of Churches. Today the Philippine Independent Church or Aglipayan Church is the second largest Christian denomination in the Philippines with approximately two to six million members which is scattered all over the Philippines and with large congregations as well in the United States and parts of Asia. The bulk of the Aglipayans comes from the northern part of the island of Luzon especially in the Ilocandia region, where its first Supreme Bishop comes from. Now the church is divided into 10 dioceses which includes the Diocese of United States and Canada. But due to lack of priests to serve its church, many parishes in the USA are priestless.

The current Obispo Maximo now is the Most Rev. Godofredo J. David, which has its central office in the capital of the country in Manila (National Cathedral of the Holy Child in Taft Ave, Manila). The line of succession goes back from the first Obispo Maximo Aglipay and which is followed by 10 others successors.

The Philippine Independent Church is considered the most tangible product of the 1898 Revolution against Spain.

1 Rise of nationalism
2 Colonial church
3 Gregorio Aglipay
4 Factionalism and current state
5 List of Obispo Maximos from 1902 to 2006
6 List of dioceses
7 Churches in Full Communion
8 References
9 External links

[edit] Rise of nationalism

At the end of the 19th century, Filipino nationalism emerged, preceding the struggles of other colonized countries in Asia such as British India and French Indochina, and the fight for independence gave way to revolution. Latin American countries at this time were also breaking away from Spain. With the execution of prominent ethnic Filipino clergy such as Fr. José Burgos at the hands of the Spanish royal authorities, church reforms became a facet of the Philippine independence movement.

[edit] Colonial church

Although many Spanish friars protested abuses by the Spanish government and military, they themselves committed many abuses. Many Filipinos were enraged when Spanish friars blocked the ascent of highly trained Filipino clergy in the Catholic Church hierarchy. Vast lands were claimed as friars' estates from landless farmers. There were also widely known cases of sexual abuse of women by priests. Anak ni Padre Dámaso (Child of Father Dámaso) has become a cliché or stereotype to refer to an illegitimate child, especially that of a priest. The death of Fr. José Burgos, Fr. Zamora, and Fr. Gomez is said to have indirectly ignited the Philippine revolution and had a profound effect on Dr. José Rizal.

[edit] Gregorio Aglipay

Main article: Gregorio Aglipay

Gregorio Aglipay was an activist Roman Catholic priest from Ilocos Norte who, despite his intercession and defense of some of the Spanish Roman Catholic clergy from liberal-nationalist Filipino revolutionaries, was excommunicated by the Vatican for inciting rebellion within the Filipino clergy. During the brief interlude between independence from the Spanish and the subsequent reoccupation by the Americans, Isabelo de los Reyes and Aglipay reformed the Filipino Catholic clergy into the Philippine Independent Church, officially established in 1902. The new church absolutely rejected the spiritual authority of the Pope (then Pope Leo XIII) and abolished the celibacy requirement from its clergy, allowing marriage among its priests, who were all apostate Roman Catholic priests. Later on, the new independent Church reformed the traditional Roman Catholic Latin Tridentine liturgy drastically after the model of the Anglican vernacular reform. The Eucharist has been said in Spanish (sometimes: Portuguese) for already more than one hundred years in the IFI. The apostolic succession of bishops ordained in the historic episcopate was restored via the Episcopal Church in the USA in 1948.

[edit] Factionalism and current state

Winning large numbers of adherents in its early years because of its nationalist roots, Aglipayan numbers decreased due to factionalism and doctrinal disagreements. Some factions, tending towards more radical cryptoprotestant reforms, formally joined other denominations including the Episcopal Church and the American Unitarians.

Today, the Philippine Independent Church are affiliated with the Old Catholics and the Anglican Communion. Aglipayans number around two to six million, mostly in the Ilocos Region. They make about 7 % of the total population of the Philippines, while 83 % of the population is a member of the Roman Catholic Church.

Iglesia Filipina Independiente (Philippine Independent Church), an independent church, has Concordat relationships with the Anglican provinces and the Old Catholic Church. Its members are currently spread throughout the Philippines, the United States and Canada. The spiritual head is called Obispo Maximo (Supreme Bishop). His Eminence Godofredo J. David, is the incumbent and the 11th Obispo Maximo.

In 2002 Aglipayan bishops registered their objection to the presence of U.S. Special Forces troops in the Philippines.^[2]

[edit] List of Obispo Maximos from 1902 to 2006

Gregorio L. Aglipay- First Obispo Maximo from 1902-1940
Santiago Fonacier- from 1940-1946
Gerardo Bayaca- 1946
Isabelo de los Reyes, Jr.- from 1946-1971
Macario V. Ga- from 1971-1981
Abdia dela Cruz- from 1981-1987
Soliman Ganno- from 1987-1989
Tito Pasco- from 1989-1993
Alberto Ramento- from 1993-1999
Tomas A. Millamena- from 1999-2005
Godofredo J. David- from 2005-present

[edit] List of dioceses

Laoag-under Obispo Maximo
Batac-The Right Rev. Rosario S. Acoba
LUISA-under Obispo Maximo
Nueva Vizcaya & Quirino-under Obispo Maximo
Santiago City-under Obispo Maximo
Tuguegarao-The Right Rev. Ernesto M. Tamayo
Zambales- The Right Rev. Generoso A. Rosales
Dagupan-The Right Rev. Hermogenes M. Ranche
Eastern Pangasinan-The Right Rev. Warlito P. Baldomero
Tarlac-under Obispo Maximo
Nueva Ecija-The Right Rev. Ernesto F. Tadly
Bataan and Bulacan-The Right Rev. Raymundo L. Rivera
Cavite-under Obispo Maximo
Greater Manila-The Right Rev. Gregorio de los Reyes
Rizal and Pampanga-Under Obispo Maximo
Laguna- The Most Rev. Tomas A. Millamena
Romblon and Mindoro-The Right Rev. Ronelio V. Fabriquer
MAQUEBACA-under Obispo Maximo
Masbate-under Obispo Maximo
Cebu and Bohol- The Right Rev. Felomino N. Ang
Negros Oriental & Siquijor-The Right Rev. David M. Ga
BILLESA-The Right Rev. Vic A. Esclamado
Negros Occidental-Under Obispo Maximo
Aklan and Capiz-The Most Rev. Abdias R. dela Cruz
Antique-The Right Rev. Leon T. Estrella
Palawan-under Obispo Maximo
Iloilo-The Right Rev. Gaspar D. Bañes
Guimaras-The Right Rev. Tito Vilches
Western Mindanao-The Right Rev. Pablito M. Jarantilla
MOBUCA-The Right Rev. Felixberto L. Calang
AGUSURI-The Right Rev. Denny D. Dapitan
Surigao-The Right Rev. Rhee M. Timbang
Southern Mindanao-The Right Rev. Delfin Callao
United States and Canada-The Right Rev. Raul C. Tobias

National Cathedral and specially assigned clergy under OM The Most Rev. Godofredo J. David

[edit] Churches in Full Communion

Old Catholics:

Old Catholic Churches (Union of Utrecht)

Anglican Communion:

Episcopal Church in the United States of America (ECUSA)
Church of the Province of West Indies
Church of the Province of Central Africa
Church of the Province of West Africa
Church of the Province of East Africa
Church of India, Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon (today Church of North India)
Nippon Sei Ko Kai
Church of Ireland
Lusitanian Church
Church of England
Episcopal Church in Scotland
Anglican Church of Canada (ACC)
Anglican Church of Australia
Church of Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi
Spanish Episcopal Reformed Church
Church of the Province of South Africa
Church of the Province of New Zealand
Church of Melanesia (COM)
Episcopal Church of Brazil
Episcopal Church in the Philippines (ECP)

IFI, by virtue of its concordat relations with the Anglican Churches, is given the privilege to send delegates to the Council of Churches of East Asia (CCEA) as organized by the Anglican Provinces in East Asia in 1962. Since 1964, the IFI Bishops have also been regular members of the international Anglican gathering, the Lambeth Conference.

Other Concordat Churches worldwide:

Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden

[edit] References

^ de Achutegui, Pedro S. & Miguel A. Bernad, "The Religious Coup d'Etat 1898-1901: A Docuentary History. Religious Revolution in the Philippines, Volume III. The University Press, 1971. Cited in John A. Larkin, "Review 74-- No Title, The Journal of Asian Studies, Nov 1972; 32,1. at Proquest (subscription)
^ "Clerics object to US troops." BusinessWorld. Manila: Feb 14, 2002. pg. 1

Struggle for Freedom: The Philippine Independent Church. Lewis Bliss Whittemore. Greenwich, CT: SPCK, 1961.