Philippine Independent Church | |
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Arms of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente: "Scripture, Charity, Knowledge, Liberty"
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Abbreviation | IFI, PIC |
Classification | Independent Catholic |
Orientation | Chalcedonian Christianity |
Polity | Episcopal |
Supreme Bishop | Ephraim Fajutagana |
Associations |
National Council of Churches in the Philippines Christian Conference of Asia World Council of Churches |
Region | Philippines North America Europe Middle East Northeast Asia |
Headquarters |
Iglesia Filipina Independiente National Cathedral Ermita, Manila |
Founder | Gregorio Aglipay, Isabelo de los Reyes |
Origin | 1902 Manila |
Separated from | Catholic Church in the Philippines |
Members | 916,639 (2010) |
Official website | www |
The Philippine Independent Church (Spanish: Iglesia Filipina Independiente; Tagalog: Malayang Simbahan ng Pilipinas; Latin: Libera Ecclesia Philippina; colloquially known as the Aglipayan Church) is an independentChristian denomination in the form of a national church in the Philippines. Its schism from the Catholic Church was proclaimed in 1902 by the members of the Unión Obrera Democrática Filipina due to the alleged mistreatment of the Filipinos by Spanish priests and the execution of José Rizal during Spanish colonial rule.
Isabelo de los Reyes was one of the initiators of the separation, and suggested that former Catholic priest Gregorio Aglipay be the head of the church. It is also known as the "Aglipayan Church", after its first Supreme Bishop, Gregorio Aglipay, who like José Rizal, later became a Freemason, in May 1918.
Pope Leo XIII instructed the Archbishop of Manila, Bernardino Nozaleda y Villa to excommunicate those who initiated the schism. Since 1960 the church has been in full communion with the Episcopal Church in the United States, and through it, the entire Anglican Communion.