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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.
After fighting a bloody revolution against Spain, the Philippines then fought another war for its independence against the United States. However, the Philippines was annexed by the United States in 1898 and remained a colony until 1946. Religious tolerance was then instituted. The new American governor-generals then encouraged the spread of the [[Anglican Communion|Episcopal Church]] through government donations of land. == The beginnings Arrival of Christianity 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). Christianity was first introduced to In his book ''Historia de Philipinas'' (published in Manila, 1749), the Philippines Jesuit historian Velarde wrotes: "I believe that there is no city in the 16th century world in which so many nationalities come together as here....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 ''tuley'' or bridge of Manila will see all these nationalities pass by Spain when him, behold their costumes, and hear their languages - something which cannot be done in any other city in the entire Spanish monarchy, and hardly in any other region in all the world."(Cited in Blair & Robertson's The Philippine Islands 1493-1898, Cleveland, Ohio: 1906, Vol. XLIV, p. 29). [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=33;page=root;size=s;frm=frameset;] ===1930s - Russian Orthodox Christians===[[Image:John Maximovitch Tubabao.jpg|right|thumb|Abp. John Maximovitch in Tubabao]]An influx of Russian émigrés fleeing the Soviet regime occurred during the Philippines became American colonial regime. In 1935, a colonyRussian [[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. Until Mikhail to use the Philippine Revolution north transept of 1896their cathedral for worship. In 1937, it the first Orthodox church was built and was illegal for any nonnamed after the 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 church in Manila were destroyed by American bombing during the Second World War. In 1949, 5,500 Russian Orthodox from China, including then-[[Roman CatholicArchbishop]] church [[John (Maximovitch)]], were relocated to establish itself 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. The Under Archbishop John's direction a wooden church, orphanage, and other buildings were established on the grounds of Manila served as both representative of the Spanish Inquisition base, for the Russian refugees. Tubabao, however, was (andstill is) an underdeveloped island which is humid, prone to typhoons, during and at times inaccessible due to the absence of the governor-generalocean 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 holy man blesses your camp from four directions every night." There were no typhoons or floods while the Spanish CrownRussian refugees sheltered at Tubabao.
Abp. John did not preach the Orthodox faith to the [https://en.wikipedia.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 Congress for their reception into the USA. Through his persistent lobbying, the refugees were allowed to settle in the United States and Australia beginning in 1951.
===St. John of Shanghai and San Franciso=Orthodoxy in the Philippines today==In 1949, 5,500 Russian [[Image:Filipinorthodox.jpg|left|Filipino Orthodox from Chinafaithful in Paranaque, including then-[[ArchbishopManila]] Within the Ecumenical Patriarchate's [[John MaximovitchOrthodox Metropolitanate of Hong Kong and Southeast Asia]], was relocated to Tubabao there are currently three Filipino Orthodox priests in the south central Philippines by the International Refugee Organization , along with four nuns, and with the permission of the newly independent Republic of the Philippinesare administratively under an ecclesiastical vicar from Greece. Abp. John Maximovitch then established a wooden church, orphanageIn these communities, the Divine Liturgy and other buildings Orthodox worship services are said in Tubabao for the refugeesEnglish, Greek and Filipino.
==Orthodoxy in the Philippines TodaySee also==There are many groups today in * [[Exarchate of the Philippines|Exarchate of the Philippines that claim to be Eastern Orthodox or [[Oriental Orthodox]] churches; however, they all lack [[apostolic successionEcumenical Patriarchate]] and do not adhere to the traditions and * [[canon law|canonsPhilemon (Castro)]] of either church.
*[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-communities.blogspotcn/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.comhk/faculty/2007dimitris/04metro/orthodox-communities-Phil_major_events.html Major Events of Orthodoxy in-philippinesthe Philippines] *[http://www.cs.ust.hk/faculty/dimitris/metro/Phil_history.html A priest's description of Orthodox Communities 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]]