Gregorio Aglipay
Gregorio Aglipay Cruz y Labayán (Latin: Gregorius Aglipay; Filipino: Gregorio Labayan Aglipay Cruz; May 5, 1860 – September 1, 1940) was a Filipino former Roman Catholic priest and revolutionary who became the first head of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI), the first-ever wholly Filipino-led independent Christian Church in the Philippines in the form of a nationalist church.
The Most Reverend Monsignor Gregorio Aglipay, Obispo Máximo I | |
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| 1st Supreme Bishop of the Philippine Independent Church | |
Gregorio Aglipay, circa before the 1910s. | |
| Church |
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| Installed | September 6, 1902 |
| Term ended | September 1, 1940 |
| Predecessor | Position created |
| Successor | Santiago Antonio Fonacier y Suguitan |
| Orders | |
| Ordination |
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| Consecration |
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| Rank |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | Gregorio Aglipay Cruz y Labayán May 5, 1860 |
| Died | September 1, 1940 (aged 80) Manila, Philippine Commonwealth |
| Buried | Aglipay National Shrine, Batac, Ilocos Norte, Philippines |
| Nationality | Filipino |
| Denomination |
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| Spouse |
Pilar Jamias y Ver (m. 1939) |
| Children | 1 |
| Occupation | Religious leader, guerrilla leader, social and political activist, politician |
| Profession | Catholic priest, Monsignor, Bishop of Aglipayan Church |
| Alma mater | Colegio de San Juan de Letran (AB) University of Santo Tomas (dropped out) Immaculate Conception School of Theology (Vigan Seminary) |
| Motto | "Serve the people!" |
| Sainthood | |
| Feast day | September 5 |
| Venerated in |
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| Title as Saint | Bishop, Witness, Servant of God, and Visionary |
| Shrines | Aglipay National Shrine, Batac, Ilocos Norte Gregorio Aglipay Shrine, Pinili, Ilocos Norte |
| Known for | The first head (Supreme Bishop) of the Philippine Independent Church (Iglesia Filipina Independiente) |
| Styles of Gregorio Aglipay | |
|---|---|
| Reference style | His Eminence |
| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Religious style | Obispo Máximo I Monsignor Bishop |
| Posthumous style | The Most Reverend |
The Honourable Gregorio Aglipay | |
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| Member of the Malolos Congress from Ilocos Norte | |
| In office September 15, 1898 – November 13, 1899 Serving with Pedro Paterno, Primitivo Donato, Martín García, José Luna, and Pio Romero | |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Republican (1905–1935) |
| Other political affiliations | Independent (until 1905) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Philippines |
| Branch/service | Philippine Republican Army |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Battles/wars | Philippine–American War |
Known for inciting patriotic rebellion among the Filipino clergy during the Philippine Revolution and Philippine–American War, he was also a political activist who became acquainted with writer and labor leader Isabelo de los Reyes who would then start an independent Christian Filipino Church colloquially named after Aglipay in 1902 as a revolt against the Roman Catholic Church, which was the state religion of the Philippines at the time, due to the mistreatment of the Spanish friars towards the Filipinos. Contrary to popular belief, Aglipay did not join the IFI until one month from its proclamation by de los Reyes and the Unión Obrera Democrática.
Aglipay was previously excommunicated by Archbishop Bernardino Nozaleda y Villa of Manila in May 1899, upon the expressed permission of Pope Leo XIII, due to his involvement in revolutionary activities, despite his prior intercession and defense of some of the Spanish Roman Catholic clergy from liberal-nationalist Filipino revolutionaries. The Roman Catholic Church made attempts to bring Aglipay back to their fold, but failed. Aglipay joined Freemasonry in May 1918, a society excommunicated by the Roman Catholic Church. Aglipay married Pilar Jamias y Ver from Sarrat, Ilocos Norte in 1939 and then died one year later. Followers of Aglipay through the Church are sometimes colloquially referred to by their membership as Aglipayans.