Manila Cathedral
By: Gavin Jared C. Yruma
Overview:
Manila Cathedral has been one of the popular places that you can visit in Manila, Intramuros. It has attracted many tourists because of its beauty and of course its history as a landmark. If you have been wanting to visit some tourist spots here in the Philippines, I suggest and encourage you that Manila Cathedral is worth going to. It is historical and you can gain a lot of knowledge about the history of the Philippines.
Who Built the Manila Cathedral?
The Manila Cathedral is the most recent version of the long-standing Church of Manila. Built from 1954 to 1958 under the supervision of Filipino architect Fernando H. Ocampo, after the previous structure was flattened in the Second World War, it’s a masterpiece of architecture. Every detailed wall carving, door, panel, portal and even its attractive stained glass has its own story.
It's History:
The Cathedral was initially built as a simple parish in Manila in 1571 by Juan de Vivero, a secular priest, and was dedicated to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. Back then, it was simply made of nipa and bamboo. On December 21, 1581, its status was elevated to a cathedral by Bishop Domingo Salazar. The promotion happened two years after Pope Gregory established the Diocese of Manila, which was put under the supervision of the Archbishop of Mexico. The bishop reconstructed it from wood, nipa and bamboo. It has been the seat of the Catholic Church in Manila since Pope Clement VIII elevated the Diocese of Manila to a Metropolitan Archdiocese on August 14, 1595. During St John Paul II’s visit in February 1981, he told then Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin that his wish was for the Manila Cathedral to be a Basilica. And just months after, on April 27, indeed it earned the title of Minor Basilica.
The Hardships and Destruction of the Manila Cathedral Several Times
From 1581 to 1958, Manila Cathedral was reconstructed several times due to destruction caused by war, fires, typhoons and earthquakes.
The Renovation and the Rise of the New and Stronger Manila Cathedral
In 2012, the Basilica was closed under the orders of Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales for another major repair. The renovation, which was completed in 2014, upgraded facilities with LED lighting, sound systems which are digitally operated, and a structural foundation which are carbon-retrofitted.
The Name and the Purpose of the Cathedral
Manila Cathedral, also called the Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica, has been a venue for papal Masses in the country, with Blessed Paul VI in 1970 and St John Paul II in 1981 saying their Masses.
Outside the Manila Cathedral
The Manila Cathedral
