Catholic Church in the Philippines
As part of the worldwide Catholic Church, the Catholic Church in the Philippines (Filipino: Simbahang Katolika sa Pilipinas, Spanish: Iglesia Catolica de Filipinas), or the Filipino Catholic Church, is under the spiritual direction of the Pope. The Philippines is one of the two nations in Asia having a substantial portion of the population professing the Catholic faith, along with East Timor, and has the third largest Catholic population in the world after Brazil and Mexico. The episcopal conference responsible in governing the faith is the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
Catholic Church in the Philippines | |
|---|---|
| Simbahang Katoliko sa Pilipinas (Filipino) | |
Manila Cathedral | |
| Type | National polity |
| Classification | Catholic |
| Orientation | Latin |
| Scripture | Bible |
| Theology | Catholic theology |
| Polity | Episcopal |
| Governance | Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines |
| Pope | Francis |
| President | Pablo Virgilio S. David |
| Apostolic Nuncio | Charles John Brown |
| Region | Philippines |
| Language | Latin, Filipino, Native Philippine regional languages, English, Spanish |
| Headquarters | Intramuros, Manila |
| Origin | March 17, 1521 Spanish East Indies, Spanish Empire |
| Branched from | Catholic Church in Spain |
| Separations |
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| Members | 92.65 million (2021) |
| Tertiary institutions | See list |
| Other name(s) |
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| Official website | www www |
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Christianity was first brought to the Philippine islands by Spanish missionaries and settlers, who arrived in waves beginning in the early 16th century in Cebu by way of colonization. Compared to the Spanish colonial period, when Christianity was recognized as the state religion, the faith today is practiced in the context of a secular state. In 2020, it was estimated that 85.7 million Filipinos, or roughly 78.8% of the population, profess the Catholic faith.