Catholic Church in the Philippines

The Catholic Church in the Philippines (Filipino: Simbahang Katoliko sa Pilipinas) is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual direction of the pope in Rome. The Philippines is one of only two nations in Asia with Roman Catholicism as the predominant religion (the other being East Timor), and is the third largest Catholic country in the world (after Brazil and Mexico).

Christianity in the Philippines was introduced by Spanish missionaries and colonists, who arrived in waves beginning in the early 16th century in Cebu. Compared to the Spanish Era, when Catholicism was the state religion, the faith today is practiced in the context of a secular state. In 2015, it was estimated that 84 million Filipinos, or roughly 82.9% of the population, profess Catholicism.

Starting in the 16th century Spanish explorers and colonists arrived in the Philippines with two major goals: to participate in the spice trade which was previously dominated by Portugal, and to spread Catholicism in the Philippines and in nearby civilizations such as China.

While many history books claim that the first Mass in the islands was held on Easter Sunday of 1521 in a little island near the present day Bukidnon Province, the exact location is disputed. There is only one recorded Christian Mass in the Philippines that is provable, and it was that held at the island-port named Mazaua (on Easter Sunday, March 31, 1521). This event was recorded by the Venetian diarist Antonio Pigafetta who travelled on the Spanish expedition to reach the islands in 1521, led by Ferdinand Magellan.

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