THE ISSUE ON RELIGION

(CHAPTER 11)
AGLIPAYAN CHURCH
GREGORIO AGLIPAY

• Gregorio Aglipay-appointed by President Aguinaldo in

the wake of demands within the leadership of the
Revolutionary Government in 1899 for the
Filipinization of the Catholic Church.
• ISABELO DELOS REYES

• Isabelo Delos Reyes-established Iglesia Filipina

Independiente, making officially the beginning of the
Schism with Rome.
• The story of the birth of Aglipayan Church as a
tangible result of the revolution can be attributed to
the struggle of the Filipino Priest to have the
control in the administration of the Catholic
Church in the Philippines.
• October 20, 1898- President Aguinaldo issued a
decree, appointing Aglipay as Military Vicar General-
the religious leader of the revolutionary
government.
• The tribunal issued a decree of excommunication
declaring Aglipay a userper and a schismatic with
this ecclesiastical power play, Nozaleda knew that
excommunication was an effective instrument of the
prelates to force Catholic priests to toe the line of
the catholic church.
• Apolinario Mabini wrote a manifesto of the Filipino
clergy urging themselves to unite and organize a
Filipino National Church in the Philippines.
• This National Filipino Church was primarily
conceived by Mabini, to cooperate completely with
the Filipino’s quest for Independence.
• The Constitution, in effect, declared the
Independence of the Filipino clergy from spanish
ecclesiastical authority the control, direction and
supervision.
MONSIEUR CHAPELLE AND
FILIPINIZATION
• an American Apostolic Delegate to the Philippines
• He arrived on January 2, 1900 before the impending collapse ofthe
revolutionary movement.
• his initial move was to drive Filipino clergy away from Rome, because the
moment he arrived in the Philippines, he arrogantly announced that he
would treat Filipino clergy who opposed the friars in ecclesiastical affairs
as enemies of religion and order.
• He asserted that he can carry the authority of the United
States and would use force and coercion on the Filipino
clergy to make it difficult for the Spanish friars to return to
their parishes.
• He stated with conviction that the Filipino priests were
incompetent and only capable of holding mental position in
the church
THE RELIGION SCHISM
• One of the contributing factors that led to separation of
Aglipay and the Filipino clergy from the Catholic Church
stemmed from Chapelle’s undiplomatic language and his
misleading perception about the Filipinos’ political and
religious aspirations
• 1901 – delos Reyes campaigned vigorously for the
establishment of a Filipino church.
• He later founded the first labor union in the Philippines, the
Union Obrera Democratica (Democratic Labor Union)
PASCUAL H. POBLETE

• A radical Filipino journalist and a staunch anti-friar, scheduled

a mass meeting at the Zorilla Theater at the Azcarraga (now
Claro M. Recto Avenue) and Evangelista Streets to attack the
malpractices of the friars but because of inclement weather, it
did not materialize.
• That same night, Isabelo delos Reyes also called a meeting of
his Democratic Labor Union at Center of Arts attended by
huge crowd and delivered an anti-friar speech and the
establishment of the Filipino Church independent of Vatican
with Aglipay as the Supreme Bishop.
• The new Church was called Iglesia Filipina Independiente (Philippine
Independent Church).
• The founding of the New Church was enthusiastically and loudly
cheered by the people when delos Reyes made the announcement.
• With the founding of the Philippine Independent Church, the
religions schism with the Vatican began.
AGLIPAY AND THE JESUITS

• Aglipay was visibly irked when his name was included as the
Supreme Bishop of the new Church, because at that time he
was still conferring with the Jesuits and other ecclesiastical
heads of the Catholic Church in a last attempt to prevent its
division into opposing groups
• JANUARY 18, 1903AGLIPAY WAS CONSECRATED AS SUPREME BISHOP BY THE
BISHOPS OF CAGAYAN, ISABELA, ABRA, PANGASINAN, NUEVA ECIJA, CAVIE AND
MANILA
• JANUARY 18, 1903AGLIPAY WAS CONSECRATED AS SUPREME BISHOP
BY THE BISHOPS OF CAGAYAN, ISABELA, ABRA, PANGASINAN, NUEVA
ECIJA, CAVIE AND MANILA
• A Spaniard-astute and an eminent author of a book in the Philippines to
work on the Filipino clergy.He exerted his power andinfluence to persuade
Aglipay
• Dr. Leon Ma. Guerrero andWere with Aglipay in the La Ignaciana which
housed the Jesuit threshing the problem and how itcan be resolved.
• Father Franciscoto return to the Catholicchurch and handed a
document obviously, was a Joaquin LunaForadadaconfession of the
Catholic faith that he was returning to Catholism and a clear retraction
of what he had done.
SIGNIFICANCE OF RELIGIOUS SCHISM

• The conception and birth of the Filipino Independent Church

was an offshoot of the Filipino clergy to centuries
disparagement and prejudice.
• The Revolution contributed two tangible results in the life of
Filipinos:
• The end of abuse and misrule, and the alienation of a
segment of the population of Philippine society from the
Catholic Church.
• With establishment of the Philippine Independent Church,
the Filipino people were able to demonstrate with
determined effort, courage, fortitude and tenacity of spirit,
which exemplified their character at its highest and loftiest
measure. The political upheaval of the Revolution ended with
a religioustriumph