Philippine Independent Church Iglesia Filipina Independiente
Coat of arms of the Philippine Independent Church Mottos in Latin: "For God and Fatherland - Scripture, Charity, Knowledge, Liberty"
Abbreviation	IFI, PIC
Classification	Independent Catholic
Polity	Episcopal
Supreme Bishop	Rhee Timbang
Region	Philippines North America Europe Middle East Northeast Asia
Headquarters	Iglesia Filipina Independiente National Cathedral Ermita, Manila
Founder	Isabelo de los Reyes, Sr. Gregorio Aglipay
Origin	1902 Manila, Philippine Islands
Separated from	Catholic Church
Separations	Church Body of Christ – Filipinista (1966) Iglesia Catolica Filipina Independiente (Philippine Independent Catholic Church) – ICFI/PICC (1981)[1] 63rd and Mothers Apostolic Church of the Philippines
Members	916,639 (2010)[2]
Other name(s)	Aglipayan Church
Official website	www.ifi.org.ph

The Philippine Independent Church (Spanish: Iglesia Filipina Independiente; Tagalog: Malayang Simbahan ng Pilipinas; Latin: Libera Ecclesia Philippina; colloquially called the Aglipayan Church, IFI, and PIC) is an independent^[a] Christian 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 mistreatment of the Filipinos by Spanish priests and the execution of José Rizal during Spanish colonial rule.

Its central office is located at the National Cathedral of the Holy Child in Ermita, Manila. It is the country's first and oldest independent church.^[1]

History

Isabelo de los Reyes was one of the initiators of the separation and suggested that former Catholic priest Gregorio Aglipay^[3][4] should be the founding head of the church, which he accepted. Thus, it became also known as the "Aglipayan Church", after its first Supreme Bishop.^[5][6] Pope Leo XIII instructed then Archbishop of Manila, Bernardino Nozaleda y Villa, to excommunicate those who initiated the schism.^[7]

Gregorio Aglipay was an activist and a Roman Catholic priest from Ilocos Norte who would later be excommunicated by then Archbishop of Manila Bernardino Nozaleda y Villa for fomenting schism with the Pope in 1899. During the Philippine Revolution, Isabelo de los Reyes (also known as Don Belong) and Aglipay acted to reform the Filipino Catholic clergy. Aglipay was the convener of the Filipino Ecclesiastical Council (Paniqui Assembly), in response to Apolinario Mabini's manifesto urging the Filipino clergy to organize a Filipino national Church. He was a member of the Malolos Congress, the lone member coming from the religious sector, although he also represented Ilocos Norte. He was a guerilla leader of Ilocos Norte during the Philippine–American War with the rank of lieutenant general. Following the Philippine–American War, Aglipay and De los Reyes founded the Philippine Independent Church in 1902. The new church rejected the spiritual authority of the Pope (then Pope Leo XIII) and abolished the celibacy requirement for priests, allowing them to marry. At that time, all of its clergy were former Catholic priests.

Aglipay, like Rizal, later became a Freemason in May 1918. He drew upon the Masons for some concepts of theology and worship. He was supported by Miguel Morayta, the Grand Master of the Spanish Orient Lodge of Freemasonry in Madrid.^[8] Aglipay became a Freemason in 1918.^[9] The historian John N. Schumacher contends that Morayta and other non-Filipino laymen pushed Aglipay toward schism with the Catholic Church, because of their resentment of the activities of Catholic religious orders in the Philippines, rather than Filipino nationalism.^[8]

Visiting other churches while traveling abroad, Aglipay developed his theology, coming to reject the divinity of Jesus and the concept of the Trinity and becoming theologically Unitarian. Other IFI officials refused to accept this revised theology. Aglipay's unitarian, rationalist, and progressive theological ideas were evident in the church's Catecismo (1905)^[10] and Oficio Divino (1906),^[11] and in his novena, Pagsisiyam sa Birhen sa Balintawak, 1925^[12] and its English translation, Novenary of the Motherland (1926).^[13] Aglipay held the position of Supreme Bishop until his death in 1940. On October 10, 1938, de los Reyes died. There were claims that he retracted and returned to the Roman Catholic Church but his son, Isabelo de los Reyes Jr. who later became Obispo Maximo vehemently opposed said claim.^[14]

From its early days, two principal factions co-existed uneasily within the IFI, one Unitarian and the other Trinitarian. A schism developed in 1946, and a Unitarian faction led by Santiago Fonacier, Aglipay's successor, left the church and claimed the right to the name and possession of church property. Under Isabelo de los Reyes Jr., son of Isabelo Sr. and elected bishop in 1946, the church adopted in 1947 a new declaration of faith and articles of religion that were Trinitarian. The Trinitarian faction had its bishops reconsecrated by the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States in 1948 and sued the Unitarian faction for sole rights to the name and property of the original IFI. After prolonged litigation, in 1955, the Trinitarian faction, under Isabelo de los Reyes Jr., as supreme bishop, was awarded by the Supreme Court of the Philippines the right to the name and possessions of the original IFI. In 1961 the church was accepted into full communion with the Church of England and the Old Catholic churches. The group of Fonacier remained Unitarian, but later fragmented into other minor groups.^{[15][14][16][17]}

In 1981, a faction of the church calling themselves the "Iglesia Catolica Filipina Independiente" or the "Philippine Independent Catholic Church" (ICFI/PICC) led by Armando dela Cruz got registered in the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). IFI asked the court to prevent the faction from using the name Iglesia Catolica Filipina Independiente, a variation of its SEC-registered name. SEC later revoked the certificate of incorporation of ICFI and ordered to change its name to avoid confusion with the IFI. ICFI/PICC appealed and the case reached the Supreme Court but because of technicalities, the latter ruled to close and terminate the case. To avoid conflict with IFI, ICFI/PICC and its chapters register the name again in the SEC with a slight modification and variation of the name in 2014.^[1][18][19]

IFI congregations are also found throughout the Philippine diaspora in North America, Europe, Middle East and Asia. The church is the second-largest single Christian denomination in the Philippines after the Roman Catholic Church (some 80.2% of the population), comprising about 6.7% of the total population of the Philippines. By contrast, the 2010 Philippine census recorded only 916,639 members in the country, or about 1% of the population. Some of the members of the church, like the founders Aglipay and De los Reyes, are political activists, often involved in progressive groups and advocating nationalism, anti-imperialism, democracy, as well as opposing extrajudicial killings. They have often been victims of forced disappearances and been branded as leftist by the government for being aligned with progressive groups, specifically after Obispo Máximo IX Alberto Ramento was killed in 2006 for being an anti-government critic.^[20][21]

Members of its church refer to themselves as "Aglipayans", "Filipinistas", and "Independientes".^[22][23]

Doctrine and practice

Liturgy

The main Sunday liturgy is the Eucharist or the Holy Mass, which is spoken and celebrated in the vernacular. The Eucharistic liturgy of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente resembles that of the Roman Missal, with elements taken from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, such as the Collect for Purity, the positioning of the Peace before the Offertory, the Eucharistic Prayers, and the Prayer of Humble Access. Orders of service and ceremonies are contained in the Filipino ritual and Filipino Missal. Aglipayans adhere in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and communion is distributed under both kinds. Being a nationalist church, Aglipayans employ Filipino national symbols in their liturgical practices, such as the use of national colors and motifs, as well as the singing of the national anthem, and the displaying of the Philippine Flag in the sanctuary.

Priesthood

The Iglesia Filipina Independiente maintains the historic threefold ministry of bishops, priests, and deacons. Bishops of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente derive their apostolic succession from the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, which was first bestowed on April 7, 1948. Clerical celibacy is optional. It allows its priests to marry, rejecting mandatory clerical celibacy.

The Iglesia Filipina Independiente also allows the ordination of women. In May 2019, Emelyn Dacuycuy became the first woman to be ordained bishop in the Iglesia Filipina Independiente.^[24][25]

Contraception

Aglipayan bishops joined public demonstrations in support of the Reproductive Health Bill, a law advocating for contraception and sex education that the Catholic Church and several other Christian denominations objected to on moral grounds.

LGBTQ rights

In 2017, the church released a statement in which it states, among other things, that the IFI has "shown indifference, and have made the LGBTQ people feel less human, discriminated against and stigmatized". The statement – dubbed "Our Common Humanity, Our Shared Dignity" – stresses the church's position is that it "must openly embrace God's people of all sexes, sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions".^[26]

This apology statement's groundwork first came up in 2014, when a gay man articulated during the church plenary his query about the church's plans for sexual minorities. This led to discussions among the newly-elected set of national youth officers, led by an openly gay president and a lesbian executive vice-president, which would later be succeeded by another openly gay president. The church position on LGBTQ persons was officially adopted by the entire church in February 2017.^[26]

Saints

Just like the Catholic Church, IFI members are devotees of saints, however, several saints canonized by Rome after the 1902 schism are not recognized by the IFI church and its members.^[27]

Organization

The church is led by the Supreme Bishop, similar to a presiding bishop in other denominations. The 13th and current Supreme Bishop is Rhee Timbang, who was elected on May 14, 2017.

Notable churches

The structure of the church buildings of the Philippine Independent Church do not differ significantly from Catholic church buildings in the Philippines.

Cathedral of the Holy Child (National Cathedral)

The Cathedral of the Holy Child in Ermita, Manila is the National Cathedral of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, and the seat of the Supreme Bishop. Designed by architect Carlos Arguelles, construction of the church began in 1964 and was inaugurated on May 8, 1969, on the occasion of the 109th birth anniversary of its first Supreme Bishop, Gregorio Aglipay.^[28] The church is made largely of bare concrete and wood and has been noted for having a suspended block with sloping trapezoidal walls and textured with horizontal grooves all throughout, suspended with a triangular block.^[29]

María Clara Church

The María Clara Church in Santa Cruz, Manila, was originally built as a wooden structure in 1923 before it was expanded and becoming concrete structure in the 1950s. When the original cathedral of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente in Tondo was destroyed during World War II, the María Clara Church became the temporary office of the Supreme Bishop before relocating in 1969 to the present Cathedral of the Holy Child.^[28]

Seminaries

The Aglipay Central Theological Seminary (ACTS) in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan is the regional seminary of the church serving the North-Central and South-Central Luzon Dioceses. ACTS offers a Bachelor of Theology and Divinity Programs for members who aspire to enter the ordained ministry. It is a four-year study program with a curriculum focusing on biblical, theological, historical and pastoral studies with reference to parish management and development and cultural and social context.

The St. Paul's Theological Seminary (SPTS) is the regional seminary of the church serving the Visayas and Mindanao Dioceses.

The St. Andrew's Theological Seminary (SATS) is run by the Episcopal Church in the Philippines, serving both its church and the Iglesia Filipina Independiente.

The St John the Divine School of Theology is soon to be established in Mindanao.

Churches in communion

The church enjoys full communion with the Anglican Communion.^[30]

Relation with the Anglican realignment

The Iglesia Filipina Independiente endorsed a concordat with the Anglican Church in North America, in January 2020, in a meeting held in Melbourne, Florida, which was to be presented for approval at the ACNA's Provincial Council in June.^[31]

Notable members

• Gregorio Aglipay – first Supreme Bishop of the Filipino Church, Vicar General of the Revolutionary Government. The only clergy delegate who was present during the creation of the Malolos Constitution.
• Don Isabelo de los Reyes – also known as Don Belong, Reyes was a prominent Filipino politician, writer, translator of the first Filipino-language Bible and labour activist in the 19th and 20th centuries. he proclaimed the establishment of the IFI, he is often called the "Father of Filipino Socialism" for his writings and activism with labour unions, most notably the Union Obrera Democratica Filipina. Don Belong translated the English Bible to the Ilocano language.
• Gen. Baldomero Aguinaldo – a revolutionary general and cousin of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo; elected President of the Comite de Caballeros of the IFI in Kawit; grandfather of Cesar Virata.
• Vicente Sotto – dramatist, writer, journalist, foremost anti-friar, the fiery Publisher-Editor of Ang Suga and El Pueblo; and the prominent founder of the Filipino Church in Cebu (grandfather of actor/politician Vicente "Tito" Sotto III and actor-comedian Vic Sotto).
• Mariano Marcos – lawyer, Japanese collaborator and a politician from Ilocos Norte, Philippines. A Congressman from 1925 to 1931. He is best known for being the father of former president then dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
• Ferdinand E. Marcos – former President then dictator of the Philippines (1965-1986); son of Mariano. Raised Aglipayan, but subsequently changed religion to marry Imelda R. Marcos.
• Felipe Buencamino Sr. – co-writer of the Constitution of the Philippine Republic at Malolos, Filipino composer. A co-founder of the IFI.
• Alberto Ramento – ninth Supreme Bishop. Assassinated in 2006 for being a government critic and an active campaigner against Human Rights violations in the Philippines.
• José Garvida Flores – patriot, prolific Ilokano writer and playwright from Bangui, Ilocos Norte. Composed "Filipinas Nadayag a Filipinas", which is sung during services of the IFI.
• Cesar Virata – the fourth Prime Minister of the Philippines from 1981 to 1986 under the Interim Batasang Pambansa and the Regular Batasang Pambansa. One of the Philippines' business leaders and leading technocrats, he served as Finance Minister from 1970 during the Marcos dictatorship and also through election became Prime Minister in 1981. He concurrently was Finance Minister throughout the 80's. He is the grandnephew of the first Philippine President, Emilio Aguinaldo.
• Bayani Fernando – former representative, former mayor of Marikina and former chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.
• Gedeon G. Quijano – former Governor of Misamis Occidental. Son of IFI Bishop Juan P. Quijano.
• Gardeopatra G. Quijano – WOPIC President (1975–1977).

See also

• Christianity in the Philippines
• Iglesia ni Cristo
• Independent Catholic churches
• Protestantism in the Philippines

Notes

References

External links

• Official website