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Orthodoxy in the Philippines

8,345 bytes added, 02:17, October 3, 2019
Updated info on the Russian Orthodox Diocese of the Philippines with external links.
This article seeks to be a clearinghouse of information and links regarding the history and state of '''[[Orthodox Christianity]] in the Philippines'''. The current Orthodox presence in the Philippines is minimal. However, early in the 20th century a small Russian parish served émigrés in Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. The presence of this Russian parish ceased to exist after the Second World War. Another Orthodox parish under the [[jurisdiction]] of the [[Ecumenical Patriarchate]] was founded in Manila during the early 1990s.
The current Orthodox presence == Beginnings of Christianity in the Philippines is minimal, though a Russian ==[[cathedralImage:Magellan's_Cross.jpg‎|left|thumb|Replica of Magellan's cross planted in Cebu in 1521]] existed there earlier Christianity was first introduced to the Philippines in the twentieth 16th centuryby Spain, when the Philippines became its colony. Another cathedral under Until the Philippine Revolution of 1896, it was illegal for any non-[[jurisdictionRoman Catholic]] church to establish itself in the Philippines. The Archbishop of Manila served as both representative of the Spanish Inquisition and, during the absence of the [[Ecumenical Patriarchate]] was founded in governor-general, the 1990sSpanish Crown.
== The beginnings of Christianity in After fighting a bloody revolution against Spain, the Philippines ==Christianity was first introduced to then fought another war for its independence against the United States. However, the Philippines in the 16th century was annexed by Spain when the Philippines became United States in 1898 and remained a colonyuntil 1946. Religious tolerance was then instituted. Until The new American governor-generals then encouraged the Philippine Revolution spread of 1896, it was illegal for any non-the [[Roman CatholicAnglican Communion|Episcopal Church]] church to establish itself in the Philippines and punishable by death for Filipinos to convert away from the Roman Catholic Church. The Archbishop of Manila served as both representative of the Spanish Inquisition and, during the absence through government donations of the governor-general, the Spanish Crownland.
== Arrival of Orthodoxy ==
===1600s - Armenian and Greek Orthodox Christians===
One source suggests that the Armenians, Greeks and Mecedonians were the first Orthodox Christians on the island. An eighteenth century document written by Murillo Velarde, a Jesuit historian describing their Order’s missionary labors in the Philippines, records the presence of Armenian and Greek settlers in the Philippine capital city of Manila as early as 1618. [http://merlot.umdl.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=philamer;cc=philamer;q1=morenos;rgn=full%20text;idno=afk2830.0001.044;didno=AFK2830.0001.044;view=image;seq=31;page=root;size=s;frm=frameset;] (Blair & Robertson's The Philippine Islands 1493-1898, Cleveland, Ohio: 1906, Vol. XLIV, p. 27).
After fighting a bloody revolution against SpainIn his book ''Historia de Philipinas'' (published in Manila, 1749), the Philippines then fought another war for its independence against Jesuit historian Velarde wrotes: "I believe that there is no city in the United Statesworld in which so many nationalities come together as here... However.There are a considerable number of Armenians, and some Persians; and Tartars, Macedonians, Turks, and Greeks....so that he who spends an afternoon on the Philippines was annexed ''tuley'' or bridge of Manila will see all these nationalities pass by the United States in 1898 and remained a colony until 1946. Religious tolerance was then institutedhim, behold their costumes, and hear their languages - something which cannot be done in any other city in the entire Spanish Inquisition was abolished monarchy, and hardly in any other region in 1898all the world. "(Cited in Blair & Robertson's The new American governorPhilippine Islands 1493-generals then encouraged the spread of the 1898, Cleveland, Ohio: 1906, Vol. XLIV, p. 29). [[Anglican Communion|Episcopal Churchhttp://merlot.umdl.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=philamer;cc=philamer;q1=morenos;rgn=full%20text;idno=afk2830.0001.044;didno=AFK2830.0001.044;view=image;seq=33;page=root;size=s;frm=frameset;]] through government donations of land.
== Orthodoxy in the Philippines =1930s - Russian Orthodox Christians===Orthodoxy arrived [[Image:John Maximovitch Tubabao.jpg|right|thumb|Abp. John Maximovitch in the Philippines during the American colonial regime due to the Tubabao]]An influx of Russian emigrees émigrés fleeing the Soviet regime occurred during the American colonial regime. In 1935, a Russian [[parish]] was established in Manila, and the [[Patriarch]] of Moscow and All Russia appointed Father Mikhail Yerokhin as vicar. The Episcopal Church then permitted Fr. Mikhail to use the north transept of their cathedral for worship. In 1937, the first Orthodox cathedral church was built and was named after the Iberian Iveron [[Icon]] of the Mother of God. This also became the first Orthodox [[altar]] in the Philippines. Later, both the Episcopal Cathedral and the Russian Orthodox cathedrals church in Manila were destroyed by American bombing during the Second World War. [[Image:John Maximovitch Tubabao.jpg|left|thumb|Abp. John Maximovitch in Tubabao]]
===St. John of Shanghai and San Franciso===In 1949, 5,500 Russian Orthodox from China, including then-[[Archbishop]] [[John (Maximovitch)]], was were relocated to a former US Army base on [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tubabao Tubabao ], in the south central Philippines by the International Refugee Organization and with the permission of the newly independent Republic of the Philippines. Abp. Under Archbishop John Maximovitch then established 's direction a wooden church, orphanage, and other buildings in Tubabao for were established on the refugees. Until grounds of the present timebase, older Filipinos still remember for the holy man, and he is revered even by non-Orthodox in the south central PhilippinesRussian refugees.
Tubabao, however, was (and still is) an underdeveloped island which is humid, prone to typhoons, and at times inaccessible due to the ocean conditions. When a Russian commented on their fear that a typhoon would destroy their camp to local Filipinos, they replied that there was nothing to worry about because “your "your holy man blesses your camp from four directions every night." There were no typhoons or floods while Abp. John was therethe Russian refugees sheltered at Tubabao.
Through the persistent lobbying of Abp. John did not preach the Orthodox faith to the U[https://en.Swikipedia. org/wiki/Waray_language Waray]-speaking inhabitants of Tubabao. No Filipino was baptized, chrismated, ordained or consecrated during the refugees' stay in the Philippines. Abp. John himself was only present for a few months, until the camp was set up and running; during most of the two years the refugees were at Tubabao, he was in America, lobbying the Congressfor their reception into the USA. Through his persistent lobbying, the refugees were allowed to settle in the United States and Australia beginning in 1951.
==Orthodoxy in the Philippines Today= 1990s - Filipino Orthodox Christians===There are Around the beginning of the twentieth century, Greek sailors settled in Legaspi city on the island of Luzon. Descendants of these Greek Orthodox Christian sailors now number no more than 10 families, who have kept their Greek surnames and many groups today of whom have become distinguished public figures and intellectuals in the Philippines that claim to be Eastern Orthodox or [[Oriental Orthodox]] churches; however, including serving as the Greek consulate in Manila. Though they all lack [[apostolic succession]] and do not adhere to speak the Filipino language fluently, they were largely responsible for the traditions re-establishment of an Orthodox presence in the Philippines through their encouragement of Filipino converts and [[canon law|canons]] of either churchthe Hellenic Orthodox Foundation.
In 1997[[Image:Manila_orthodox_cathedral.jpg‎|left|thumb|The Annunciation Orthodox Cathedral in Paranaque, Manila]]One of the first Greek ship owners established a parish under Orthodox to arrive in the Ecumenical Patriarchate's [[Orthodox Metropolitanate Philippine province of Hong Kong Albay was Alexandros Athos Adamopoulos (aka Alexander A. Adamson), who came to Legaspi city in 1928. Together with his brother and Southeast Asia]] cousin he co-founded Adamson University in 1932, which is headed now owned by a [[priest]] from Greecethe Vincentian Fathers of the Roman Catholic Church.
There are currently plans Adamopoulos was appointed in 1942 by the Greek government to take charge of Greek interests in the Philippines. He was later promoted to the rank of Consul General of Greece.  In 1989, Adamopoulos saw the need to re-establish a Russian the first true Greek Orthodox presence church in the Philippines and thus established the Hellenic Orthodox Foundation Inc. Although he died in 1993 before the church was completed, the Orthodox Cathedral was finished in 1996 and is constructed in true Byzantine style, with all the interior furnishings imported from Greece, and is home to begin missions approximately 520 Filipino Orthodox and 40 expats[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exarchate_of_the_Philippines]in Metro Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. This cathedral was consecrated by His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on March 5, 2000. On April 20, 1990, a Filipino [[hieromonk]], Fr. Vincentius Escarcha (a former Benedictine Abbot and a Roman Catholic priest for more than 20 years in Bajada, Cataingan, Masbate island), together with four nuns and faithful members of his community, were received into the Orthodox Church by Metropolitan [[Dionysios (Psiahas) of Proussa|Dionysios]] of the [[Greek Orthodox Metropolis of New Zealand]] and assisted by [[Sotirios (Trambas) of Korea|Bishop Sotirios of Zelon]]. On January 19, 1994, Metropolitan Dionysios, assisted by Bishop Sotirios, received by [[Chrismation|Holy Chrismation]] several Filipino Christians in Manila. In 1996, the Orthodox Metropolitanate of Hong Kong and Southeast Asia was created for Filipinos due to the strong need to teach Eastern needs of the faithful under the [[Church of Constantinople]]. In 2004, the Theotokos Orthodox Church in Bajada, Masbate was consecrated by His Eminence Metropolitan [[Nikitas (Lulias) of Hong Kong|Nikitas]] of Hong Kong and South East Asia. At present, the nuns of the Theotokos Orthodox Monastery in Bajada run a kindergarten. ==Orthodoxy in the Philippines to Filipinos today==[[Image:Filipinorthodox.jpg‎|left|Filipino Orthodox faithful in Paranaque, Manila]]Within the Ecumenical Patriarchate's [[Orthodox Metropolitanate of Hong Kong and Southeast Asia]], there are currently three Filipino Orthodox priests in the Philippines, along with four nuns, and are administratively under an ecclesiastical vicar from Greece. In these communities, the Divine Liturgy and other Orthodox worship services are said in English, Greek and Filipino. In 2007 the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Mission in the vernacularPhilippines[http://en. The members wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiochian_Orthodox_Christian_Mission_in_the_Philippines], was established under the [[Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia and New Zealand]]. In 2008, two Filipino denominations were received into the Antiochian church, including 32 communities with some 6000 believers. These denominations - one ex-protestant, led by Fr Jeptah Aniceto, and one ex-independent, led by Fr Pascualito Monsanto - formed two vicariates, based in Davao and Manila respectively. In 2009 Jeptah Aniceto [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiochian_Orthodox_Christian_Mission_in_the_Philippines left the Russian Orthodox Church hope ] to pursue native religious teaching in Africa, and now [https://www.facebook.com/BangsaLumad identifies as a Muslim]. Many of his followers left the Antiochian Church; some connected with an [[Old Calendarist]] group under Bishop Kleopas (Daclan).  In 2013, clergy from both ROCOR and the Moscow Patriarchate responded to build on requests from Filipino groups for catechism. Two dioceses of the half century [http://www.ifi.ph/ Iglesia Filipina Independiente ("Aglipayans"] entered into a period of trust catechism, and respect gained beginning in 2015 several parishes were received in mass baptisms[http://orthochristian.com/82584.html][http://orthochristian.com/81728.html]. In 2017 a hieromonk was sent from Russia to reestablish the parish of the Iveron Icon of the Theotokos, originally established in 1935 but destroyed by Stbombing during World War II. In February, 2019, a [http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/5379588.html Diocese of the Philippines] was established within the Russian Orthodox [http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/5330863. John html Patriarchal Exarchate of Southeast Asia]. [https://philippine-mission.org/about/clergy-of Shanghai -the-philippine-diocese/ Eight priests] now serve the Russian mission which now numbers approximately thirty parishes and San Francisco to help mission communities. There are also some [[Independent Orthodox churches|independent groups]] in the Philippines discover that use the richness term ''Orthodox'' in their names but are not in communion with or are recognized by any canonical Orthodox church. ==See also==* [[Exarchate of Orthodoxythe Philippines|Exarchate of the Philippines, Ecumenical Patriarchate]]* [[Philemon (Castro)]] ==External links== *[http://www.facebook. com/pages/Orthodox-Church-in-the-Philippines/187805037902231 Affiliate in the Philippines - Orthodox Metropolitanate of Hong Kong and South East Asia] *[http://filorthodoxia.googlepages.com/church.htm History of the First Filipino Orthodox Community in the Philippines] by Rev. Dr. John Chryssavgis*[http://www.orthodoxnews.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=WorldNews.one&content_id=Links7354&CFID=29993857&CFTOKEN=90155693 Ecumenical Patriarch Consecrates Annunciation Church in Manila]*[http://www.orthodox.cn/news/20000420philippines_en.htm Orthodox Patriarch Visits Fledgling Local Orthodox Church]*[http://www.cs.ust.hk/faculty/dimitris/metro/AUG03.pdf The Theotokos Orthodox Church & Monastery in Masbate] (Information in an issue of The Censer)*[http://www.cs.ust.hk/faculty/dimitris/metro/Phil_major_events.html Major Events of Orthodoxy in the Philippines] *[http://www.cs.ust.hk/faculty/dimitris/metro/Phil_history.html A priest's description of Orthodox missionary work in the Philippines]
*[http://www.rocor.org.au/lives/stjohnsanfranciscoshanghai Life of St. John Maximovitch]
*[http://www2.mfa.gr/www.mfa.gr/Articles/en-US/03042007_KL1949.htm The Greek Community in the Philippines]*[http://www.hri.org/forum/life/adamson.html Greeks in the Philippinesand their contributions to the Filipinos]*[http://wwwquod.cslib.ustumich.hkedu/facultycgi/dimitrist/metrotext/Phil_historytext-idx?c=philamer;idno=AFK2830.0001.044 The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 by Emma E.html Blair & James A priest's description . Robertson, Volume XLIV, 1906] Online edition from the University of missionary work in the Philippines]Michigan.*[httphttps://wwwphilippine-mission.exarchate.uni.ccorg/ The Annunciation Philippine Mission of the Theotokos Russian Orthodox CathedralChurch{{Parishes of South, East, and Southeast Asia}}
[[Category:Jurisdictions]]
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