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, native_name_lang = fil , icon = Logo of the Philippine Independent Church (Aglipayan Church).svg , icon_width = 80px , icon_alt = Coat of arms of the Philippine Independent Church , image = File:6222Barangays of San Felipe, Zambales 07.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , caption = The Iglesia Filipina Independiente Cathedral Church of San Roque in
Zambales Zambales, officially the Province of Zambales ( fil, Lalawigan ng Zambales; ilo, Probinsia ti Zambales; Pangasinan: ''Luyag/Probinsia na Zambales''; xsb, Probinsya nin Zambales), is a province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon re ...
, abbreviation = IFI, PIC , type =
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, polity = Episcopal , governance = Synod , leader_title = Supreme Bishop , leader_name = Rhee Timbang , leader_title1 = Administration , leader_name1 = IFI Executive Commission , associations =
National Council of Churches in the Philippines The National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP; tl, Sangguniáng Pambansâ ng mga Simbahan sa Pilipinas) is a fellowship of ten Protestant and non Roman Catholic Churches in the Philippines denominations, and ten service-oriented organ ...

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Council of Churches of East Asia , full_communion =
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Episcopal Church in the Philippines The Episcopal Church in the Philippines (ECP; tl, Simbahang Episkopal sa Pilipinas; Ilocano: ''Simabaan nga Episkopal iti Filipinas'') is a province of the Anglican Communion comprising the country of the Philippines. It was established by the ...
,
Others , fellowships = , division_type =
Dioceses In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
, division = , founder = Isabelo de los Reyes, Sr.
Gregorio Aglipay Gregorio Aglipay Cruz y Labayán ( la, Gregorius Aglipay; Filipino: ''Gregorio Labayan Aglipay Cruz''; 5 May 1860 – 1 September 1940) was a former Filipino Catholic priest who became the first head of the '' Iglesia Filipina Independiente'' ...
, founded_date = , founded_place = Quiapo,
Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
,
Philippine Islands The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
, separated_from =
Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, separations = , area =
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

North America
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Pacific Islands , language =
Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...
, Native Philippine regional languages,
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, liturgy = ''The Filipino Ritual'' and ''The Filipino Missal'' by Iglesia Filipina Independiente, 1961 , headquarters = Iglesia Filipina Independiente National Cathedral of the Holy Child
#1500
Taft Avenue Taft Avenue ( fil, Abenida Taft; es, Avenida Taft) is a major road in the south of Metro Manila. It passes through three cities in the metropolis: Manila, Pasay and Parañaque. The road was named after the former Governor-General of the Philippin ...
,
Ermita Ermita is a district in Manila, Philippines. Located at the central part of the city, the district is a significant center of finance, education, culture, and commerce. Ermita serves as the civic center of the city, bearing the seat of city ...
,
Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
,
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
, members = 756,225 , hospitals = , nursing_homes = , aid = IFI – Task Force on Emergency Relief (IFI–TFER) , ministers = , missionaries = , primary_schools = , secondary_schools = , tax_status = , tertiary = , publications = ''The Christian Register'' , website = , slogan = la, Pro Deo Et Patria , footnotes = The Philippine Independent Church (officially in es, Iglesia Filipina Independiente; tl, Malayang Simbahan ng Pilipinas; la, Libera Ecclesia Philippina; colloquially called the Aglipayan Church, IFI, and PIC) is an independent Christian denomination, in the form similar to that of a national church, in the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
. Its schism from the
Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
was proclaimed in 1902 by members of the ''
Unión Obrera Democrática Filipina The ''Unión Obrera Democrática Filipina'' (''UOD'' or ''UODF'', English: Democratic Labor Union of the Philippines) was a trade union center in the Philippines. The organization was the first modern trade union federation in the country; earlier ...
'', due to the mistreatment of the
Filipinos Filipinos ( tl, Mga Pilipino) are the people who are citizens of or native to the Philippines. The majority of Filipinos today come from various Austronesian ethnolinguistic groups, all typically speaking either Filipino, English and/or othe ...
by Spanish priests and influenced by the executions of José Rizal and Filipino priests Mariano Gomez,
José Burgos José Apolonio Burgos y García was a Filipino Catholic priest, accused of mutiny by the Spanish colonial authorities in the Philippines in the 19th century. He was tried and executed in Manila along with two other clergymen, Mariano Gomez a ...
, and
Jacinto Zamora Jacinto Zamora y del Rosario (14 August 1835 – 17 February 1872) was a Filipino Catholic priest, part of the Gomburza, a trio of priests who were falsely accused of mutiny by the Spanish colonial authorities in the Philippines in the 19th cent ...
, during Spanish colonial rule. Prominent Filipino
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Teodoro Agoncillo Teodoro Andal Agoncillo (November 9, 1912 – January 14, 1985) was a prominent 20th-century Filipino historian. He and his contemporary Renato Constantino were among the first Filipino historians renowned for promoting a distinctly nationalist ...
described the Philippine Independent Church as "the only living and tangible result of the Philippine Revolution." Ever since its inception, the IFI/PIC Aglipayanism is widely referred as a schismatic, rather than a heretical movement. Its central office is located at the National Cathedral of the Holy Child in
Ermita Ermita is a district in Manila, Philippines. Located at the central part of the city, the district is a significant center of finance, education, culture, and commerce. Ermita serves as the civic center of the city, bearing the seat of city ...
,
Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
. The Philippine Independent Church is the country's first and oldest
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.


History


Gregorio Aglipay and the Philippine Revolution

Gregorio Aglipay was an activist and
Roman Catholic priest The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the Holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in layman's terms ''priest'' refers only ...
from
Ilocos Norte Ilocos Norte, officially the Province of Ilocos Norte ( ilo, Probinsia ti Ilocos Norte; tl, Lalawigan ng Ilocos Norte), is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region. Its capital is Laoag City, located in the northwest corner ...
, who would later be
excommunicated Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to end or at least regulate the communion of a member of a congregation with other members of the religious institution who are in normal communion with each other. The purpose ...
by then
Archbishop of Manila The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila ( lat, Archidioecesis Manilensis; fil, Arkidiyosesis ng Maynilà; es, Arquidiócesis de Manila) is the archdiocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in Metro Manila, Philippines, encompassing ...
, Bernardino Nozaleda, for "
usurpation A usurper is an illegitimate or controversial claimant to power, often but not always in a monarchy. In other words, one who takes the power of a country, city, or established region for oneself, without any formal or legal right to claim it as ...
of ecclesiastical jurisdiction" by joining Emilio Aguinaldo's libertarian movement and suspicion in possibly fomenting schism with the Pope (then
Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-old ...
) in 1899. During the Philippine Revolution, Aglipay and his former classmate
Isabelo de los Reyes Isabelo de los Reyes Sr. y Florentino, also known as Don Belong (July 7, 1864 – October 10, 1938), was a prominent Filipino politician, writer, journalist, and labor activist in the 19th and 20th centuries. He was the original founder of the ...
(also known as ''Don Belong''), an ''
ilustrado The Ilustrados (, "erudite", "learned" or "enlightened ones") constituted the Filipino educated class during the Spanish colonial period in the late 19th century. Elsewhere in New Spain (of which the Philippines were part), the term ''gente de ...
'' author, journalist, and labour activist, who was on exile in Spain at the time, acted to reform the Filipino Catholic
clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...
which was then dominated and ruled by Spanish friars. Then-
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Emilio Aguinaldo persuaded Aglipay to head the existing church in the Philippines by appointing him military
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in 1898, wishing to overthrow the spiritual power of the Spanish friar-bishops. Aglipay was also the convener of the Filipino Ecclesiastical Council (
Paniqui Paniqui, officially the Municipality of Paniqui ( ilo, Ili ti Paniqui; pag, Baley na Paniqui; tgl, Bayan ng Paniqui), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Tarlac, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 103,0 ...
Assembly), in response to former
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
Apolinario Mabini Apolinario Mabini y Maranan (, July 23, 1864 – May 13, 1903) was a Filipino revolutionary leader, educator, lawyer, and statesman who served first as a legal and constitutional adviser to the Revolutionary Government, and then as the firs ...
's manifesto urging the Filipino clergy to organize a Filipino national church. Aglipay was a member of the
Malolos Congress The Malolos Congress (also known as the Revolutionary Congress), formally known as the National Assembly, was the legislative body of the Revolutionary Government of the Philippines. Members were chosen in the elections held from June 23 to Septe ...
, the lone member coming from the religious sector, although he also represented his home province, as well. He was also a guerilla leader during the Philippine–American War, with the rank of lieutenant-general. Thereafter, Mabini's idea to organize a Filipino national church received the support of Aguinaldo.


Post-excommunication and establishment by de los Reyes

Following the Philippine–American War, de los Reyes, together with the members of ''
Unión Obrera Democrática Filipina The ''Unión Obrera Democrática Filipina'' (''UOD'' or ''UODF'', English: Democratic Labor Union of the Philippines) was a trade union center in the Philippines. The organization was the first modern trade union federation in the country; earlier ...
'', founded and publicly proclaimed the birth of the ''Iglesia Filipina Independiente'' (translated to "Philippine Independent Church" in English) on August 3, 1902, at the ''Centro de Bellas Artes'' in Quiapo, Manila. The church was incorporated with the then-
Insular Government of the Philippines The Insular Government of the Philippine IslandsThis form of the name appeared in the titles of U.S. Supreme Court cases, but was otherwise rarely used. See s:Costas v. Insular Government of the Philippine Islands/Opinion of the Court, Costas v ...
as a religious
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in 1904. The new church rejected the spiritual authority of the Pope and abolished the celibacy requirement for priests, allowing them to marry. At that time, all of its clergy were former Catholic priests, mostly from
Ilocos Ilocos Region ( ilo, Rehion/Deppaar ti Ilocos; pag, Sagor na Baybay na Luzon/Rehiyon Uno; tl, Rehiyon ng Ilocos) is an administrative region of the Philippines, designated as Region I, occupying the northwestern section of Luzon and part of ...
, some of whom became the church's first consecrated bishops, as justified in accordance with the church's early Fundamental Epistles. De los Reyes was the chief initiator of the separation and suggested that AglipayHistory
should be the founding head, or ''Obispo Maximo'' (Supreme Bishop), of the church. De los Reyes' idea to form a new church was conceptualized upon his
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to the Philippines from Spain in 1901, after his talks with the
Papal Nuncio An apostolic nuncio ( la, nuntius apostolicus; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international org ...
Giuseppe Francica-Nava de Bontifè in 1899 to request the
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in looking into the conditions of the Philippines had failed. By then, the country had changed from Spanish rule to American, and de los Reyes feared that American clergy will replace the Spanish, instead of Filipinos. De los Reyes managed to rally enough people from his organization, ''Unión Obrera Democrática Filipina'', the first modern labor union federation in the country, to create an independent church "''conserving all that is good in the Roman Church and eliminating all the deceptions, which the Romanists had introduced, to corrupt the moral purity and sacredness of the doctrines of Christ''." At the time, he had the necessary logistics needed to form a new church, but one: an equipped and empowered bishop to head it. At first, the already-excommunicated Aglipay was reluctant, as he was initially against a schism and was faithful to the
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. He believed that all means of reaching an understanding with Rome should be exhausted first before declaring any schism. However, after his talks with Jesuit and
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leaders quickly backfired when both were dismissive and would not allow Filipino priests lead their respective churches, he eventually accepted de los Reyes' offer to establish an independent church on September 6, 1902, and became one of its bishops while also serving as the ''
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'' supreme bishop, until he was
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consecrated to the position by his fellow bishops in the newly-formed church on January 18, 1903. Thus, it became also known as the "''Aglipayan Church''", after its first supreme bishop. De los Reyes himself would later be formally excommunicated from the Catholic Church in 1903. On October 1, 1902, Aglipay headed the signatories, approval, and promulgation of the first and short-lived Constitution of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente. In late 1902, the church opened the ''Seminario Central de Mabini'' (predecessor of present-day Aglipay Central Theological Seminary), named after
Apolinario Mabini Apolinario Mabini y Maranan (, July 23, 1864 – May 13, 1903) was a Filipino revolutionary leader, educator, lawyer, and statesman who served first as a legal and constitutional adviser to the Revolutionary Government, and then as the firs ...
, at Nancamaliran West,
Urdaneta, Pangasinan Urdaneta, officially the City of Urdaneta ( pag, Siyudad na Urdaneta; ilo, Siyudad ti Urdaneta; fil, Lungsod ng Urdaneta), is a 2nd class component city in the province of Pangasinan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populat ...
. Afterwards, Aglipay immediately demanded both then Governor-General
William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pr ...
and Catholic Church authorities to turn-over the church buildings to him on September 27, 1902, starting with the Manila Cathedral, but got rejected. A five-year campaign resulted in the acquisition of nearly one-half of Catholic Church properties in the country by Aglipay's followers. However, in 1906, the then-
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Supreme Court of the Philippines ruled that all property that had been occupied by Aglipay's followers had to be returned to the Catholic Church. The Supreme Court of the United States upheld the decision in 1909. The Aglipayan Church was then forced to move to makeshift quarters.


Developing early theology

Aglipay, like Rizal, later became a Freemason in May 1918. Although not a Mason himself, de los Reyes — who created a distinct doctrine, liturgy, and organization for the Philippine Independent Church — drew some concepts of theology and worship from them, which was then approved formally by Aglipay. De los Reyes was supported by
Miguel Morayta Miguel Morayta (15 August 1907 – 19 June 2013) was a Spanish film director and screenwriter. He directed 74 films between 1944 and 1978. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, Morayta was a Spanish artillery officer, who joined the Republ ...
, the Grand Master of the Spanish Orient Lodge of Freemasonry in
Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the Largest cities of the Europ ...
.Schumacher, John N., ''Revolutionary Clergy: The Filipino Clergy and the Nationalist Movement, 1850-1903''
p. 224, Ateneo de Manila U Press, ,
The late historian Fr. John N. Schumacher, S.J., contended that Morayta and other non-Filipino laymen pushed Aglipay and de los Reyes towards schism with the Catholic Church because of their resentment towards the activities of
Catholic religious order In the Catholic Church, a religious order is a community of consecrated life Consecrated life (also known as religious life) is a state of life in the Catholic Church lived by those faithful who are called to follow Jesus Christ in a more ex ...
s in the Philippines, rather than simple admiration and encouragement for
Filipino nationalism Filipino nationalism refers to the establishment and support of a political identity associated with the modern nation-state of the Philippines, leading to a wide-ranging campaign for political, social, and economic freedom in the Philippines. ...
. Aglipay later named de los Reyes, being a lay person, as ''Obispo Honorario'' (Honorary Bishop) of the IFI in 1929. The Philippine Independent Church continued to follow Roman Catholic forms of worship. The church reformed the Latin Tridentine liturgy and
mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different eleme ...
in its earliest days were then spoken both in
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and the
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. Aglipay and de los Reyes had developed their theology, coming to reject the
divinity Divinity or the divine are things that are either related to, devoted to, or proceeding from a deity.divine< ...
of
Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...
and the concept of the Holy Trinity, officially becoming theologically Unitarian since 1907. Aglipay and de los Reyes' unitarian, rationalist, and progressive theological ideas were even evident in the church's "''Catecismo''" (1905), "''Oficio Divino''" (1906), and the
novena A novena (from Latin: ''novem'', "nine") is an ancient tradition of devotional praying in Christianity, consisting of private or public prayers repeated for nine successive days or weeks. The nine days between the Feast of the Ascension and Pe ...
, "''Pagsisiyam sa Birhen sa Balintawak''" (1925), as well as its English translation, "''Novenary of the Motherland''" (1926). Aglipay held the position of Supreme Bishop until his death on September 1, 1940. De los Reyes, meanwhile, held the position of Honorary Bishop until his death on October 10, 1938. There were claims that he retracted and returned to the Catholic Church two years before his death. However, his son, Isabelo de los Reyes Jr., who later became supreme bishop, vehemently opposed these said claims.


Ecumenism, factionalism, ''Aglipayan'' sects and schism

From its early days, two principal factions coexisted uneasily within the IFI: one Unitarian (led by Aglipay's successor, cleric-turned-politician, and second supreme bishop, Santiago Fonacier, who was faithful to Aglipay and Isabelo Sr.'s theology) and the other Trinitarian (led by Isabelo de los Reyes Jr., who was elected the fourth supreme bishop in 1946). A schism developed at the tail-end of Fonacier's term, and the Unitarian faction left the church and claimed the right to the name and possession of church properties. Under Isabelo Jr.'s leadership, the church's affiliation with revolutionary movements were severed and abrogated, coupled with his pursuit for ecumenism. On August 4, 1947, the IFI General Assembly, under Isabelo Jr., petitioned the
House of Bishops The House of Bishops is the third House in a General Synod of some Anglican churches and the second house in the General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.
of the
Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America The Episcopal Church, based in the United States with additional dioceses elsewhere, is a member church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. It is a mainline Protestant denomination and is divided into nine provinces. The presiding bishop of ...
, one of the churches of the
Anglican Communion The Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian communion after the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Founded in 1867 in London, the communion has more than 85 million members within the Church of England and other ...
, to bestow the IFI with apostolic succession. On August 5, 1947, the IFI Church adopted a new Declaration of Faith and Articles of Religion that were
Trinitarian The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the Fa ...
. The House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America then granted the IFI petition during their meeting in November 1947. On April 7, 1948, the IFI had its bishops, namely: de los Reyes Jr., Manuel Aguilar, and Gerardo Bayaca (third supreme bishop), reconsecrated and bestowed upon the apostolic succession by the Episcopal Church in the United States of America led by Bishop Norman S. Binsted, acting for the Presiding Bishop, and assisted by fellow Episcopal Church bishops Robert F. Wilner and Harry S. Kennedy. Former President Emilio Aguinaldo acted as a sponsor for the three IFI bishops. The Trinitarian IFI then sued the Unitarian faction for sole rights to the name and property of the original IFI. After prolonged litigation, in 1955, the more dominant Trinitarian faction was finally awarded by the Supreme Court the right to the name and possessions of the original IFI. The IFI then entered into full communion with the Anglican Communion in 1961 through the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. The Episcopal Church assisted in coming up with the IFI liturgical books with a Filipino missal. The missal shows a marked Anglican influence while retaining the form of the Catholic Mass. The church later signed a
concordat A concordat is a convention between the Holy See and a sovereign state that defines the relationship between the Catholic Church and the state in matters that concern both,René Metz, ''What is Canon Law?'' (New York: Hawthorn Books, 1960 st Edi ...
of full communion with the
Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...
in October 1963, the
Scottish Episcopal Church The Scottish Episcopal Church ( gd, Eaglais Easbaigeach na h-Alba; sco, Scots Episcopal(ian) Kirk) is the ecclesiastical province of the Anglican Communion in Scotland. A continuation of the Church of Scotland as intended by King James VI, and ...
in December 1963, and the
Old Catholic The terms Old Catholic Church, Old Catholics, Old-Catholic churches or Old Catholic movement designate "any of the groups of Western Christians who believe themselves to maintain in complete loyalty the doctrine and traditions of the Great Chu ...
Union of Utrecht The Union of Utrecht ( nl, Unie van Utrecht) was a treaty signed on 23 January 1579 in Utrecht, Netherlands, unifying the northern provinces of the Netherlands, until then under the control of Habsburg Spain. History The Union of Utrecht is r ...
in 1965. Fonacier's group, on the other hand, remained Unitarian, later became known as the "''Independent Church of Filipino Christians''" (ICFC). However, they would soon fragment into other minor groups. In 1977, the church adopted a new set of Constitution and Canons, as approved by the General Assembly. In 1981, a faction of the church called the "''Iglesia Catolica Filipina Independiente''" or the "Philippine Independent Catholic Church" (ICFI/PICC), led by Macario V. Ga (fifth supreme bishop) and priest Armando L. de la Cruz, who claimed to have maintained the "original Catholic
ethos Ethos ( or ) is a Greek word meaning "character" that is used to describe the guiding beliefs or ideals that characterize a community, nation, or ideology; and the balance between caution, and passion. The Greeks also used this word to refer to ...
and doctrine of the original nationalist independent church", was formed. Ga was a known staunch supporter of former president and dictator Ferdinand Marcos, which caused tension to a number of bishops and laity who were critical of Marcos and his
dictatorship A dictatorship is a form of government which is characterized by a leader, or a group of leaders, which holds governmental powers with few to no limitations on them. The leader of a dictatorship is called a dictator. Politics in a dictatorship a ...
, thus marking the rekindling of the church's revolutionary nationalist roots. The opposing faction rallied the election of Abdias R. de la Cruz as the new supreme bishop in the 1981 General Assembly. Ga then filed a petition at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), in an attempt to nullify the election of de la Cruz. Ga also questioned the authenticity of the approved 1977 Constitution and Canons after a few years from approval. However, even after a motion for reconsideration, both the SEC and the
Court of Appeals A court of appeals, also called a court of appeal, appellate court, appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal. In much of ...
executed the decision in favor of de la Cruz in 1985 and 1987, respectively. Ga's faction subsequently got their name registered separately in the SEC. The IFI later responded by asking the Court to prevent the faction from using the name "Iglesia Catolica Filipina Independiente", a similar name in one of the former's SEC-registered alternative names. The SEC later revoked the certificate of incorporation of the ICFI and ordered to change its name to avoid confusion with the IFI. The ICFI/PICC appealed and the case reached the Supreme Court. However, because of technicalities, the latter ruled to close and terminate the case. Eventually, to avoid conflict with the IFI, the ICFI/PICC and its chapters registered the name once again in the SEC in 2014, with a slight modification and variation of the name, and ultimately later in 2019, now formally known as the "''International Conference of Philippine Independent Catholic Churches of Jesus Christ''", which is in concordat with the
Anglican Church in North America The Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) is a Christian denomination in the Anglican tradition in the United States and Canada. It also includes ten congregations in Mexico, two mission churches in Guatemala, and a missionary diocese in Cuba ...
(ACNA), a non-member province of the Anglican Communion, since 2020. In the latter half of the 1990s, Ga voluntarily reconciled with the IFI, which led to the signing of a memorandum of agreement. However, Armando de la Cruz, who was already the ICFI/PICC's supreme metropolitan archbishop, was adamant on the reunification. From the ICFI/PICC, another breakaway group was established in 1995 under the name "''Aglipayan Christian Church Inc.''", which is based in
Davao City Davao City, officially the City of Davao ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Dabaw; ), is a first class highly urbanized city in the Davao Region, Philippines. The city has a total land area of , making it the largest city in the Philippines in terms of lan ...
. The concordat of full communion between the IFI and the
Church of Sweden The Church of Sweden ( sv, Svenska kyrkan) is an Evangelical Lutheran national church in Sweden. A former state church, headquartered in Uppsala, with around 5.6 million members at year end 2021, it is the largest Christian denomination in Sw ...
was signed in 1995. On February 17, 1997, the IFI also signed a concordat of full communion with the newly-
autonomous In developmental psychology and moral, political, and bioethical philosophy, autonomy, from , ''autonomos'', from αὐτο- ''auto-'' "self" and νόμος ''nomos'', "law", hence when combined understood to mean "one who gives oneself one's ow ...
Episcopal Church in the Philippines The Episcopal Church in the Philippines (ECP; tl, Simbahang Episkopal sa Pilipinas; Ilocano: ''Simabaan nga Episkopal iti Filipinas'') is a province of the Anglican Communion comprising the country of the Philippines. It was established by the ...
(ECP).


Present day

IFI congregations are also found throughout the Philippine diaspora in North America, Europe, Middle East, and parts of Asia. According to some sources, the church is the second-largest single Christian denomination in the Philippines, after the Catholic Church (some 80.2% of the population), comprising about 6.7% of the total population of the Philippines. By contrast, the 2010 and 2015 Philippine Census recorded only 916,639 and 756,225 members in the country, respectively, or about 1% of the population. Winning large numbers of adherents in its early years because of its nationalist roots, Aglipayan numbers gradually dwindled through the years due to factionalism and doctrinal disagreements. The church does not discourage its members from joining
Freemasonry Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
. Some of the members of the church, like the founders de los Reyes and Aglipay, are political activists, often involved in progressive groups and advocating nationalism, anti-imperialism,
democracy Democracy (From grc, δημοκρατία, dēmokratía, ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which people, the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation ("direct democracy"), or to choo ...
, as well as opposing
extrajudicial killings An extrajudicial killing (also known as extrajudicial execution or extralegal killing) is the deliberate killing of a person without the lawful authority granted by a judicial proceeding. It typically refers to government authorities, whether ...
. They have often been victims of
enforced disappearance An enforced disappearance (or forced disappearance) is the secret abduction or imprisonment of a person by a state or political organization, or by a third party with the authorization, support, or acquiescence of a state or political organiza ...
s and been branded as leftists by the
government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is ...
for being aligned with progressive groups, specifically after Alberto Ramento, the ninth supreme bishop, was killed in 2006 for being an anti-government critic. The church then created the "''Ramento Project for Rights Defenders''", the IFI's
human rights Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hu ...
advocacy and service arm, in Ramento's honor. The church has also managed to build schools from kindergarten to college, and cemeteries in some areas of the country managed by its respective dioceses. The church itself claims to be not an ally with any particular school of political thought or with any political party, asserting that its members are politically free. Members of the IFI Church refer to themselves as "''Aglipayans''", "''Filipinistas''", and "''Independientes''".


Doctrine and practice


Liturgy

The main Sunday liturgy is the
Eucharist The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...
or the Holy Mass, which is spoken and celebrated in the
vernacular A vernacular or vernacular language is in contrast with a "standard language". It refers to the language or dialect that is spoken by people that are inhabiting a particular country or region. The vernacular is typically the native language, n ...
. The Eucharistic liturgy of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente resembles that of the
Roman Missal The Roman Missal ( la, Missale Romanum) is the title of several missals used in the celebration of the Roman Rite. Along with other liturgical books of the Roman Rite, the Roman Missal contains the texts and rubrics for the celebration of th ...
, with elements taken from the Anglican
Book of Common Prayer The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the name given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The original book, published in 1549 in the reign ...
, such as the Collect for Purity, the positioning of the Sign of Peace before the Offertory, the Eucharistic Prayers, and the Prayer of Humble Access. The church, most of the time, uses the Nicene Creed. Orders of service and ceremonies are contained in The Filipino Ritual and The Filipino Missal. Aglipayans adhere in the
Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist The real presence of Christ in the Eucharist is the Christian doctrine that Jesus Christ is present in the Eucharist, not merely symbolically or metaphorically, but in a true, real and substantial way. There are a number of Christian denomina ...
, and communion is distributed under both kinds. However, they are non-committal in belief regarding
transubstantiation Transubstantiation (Latin: ''transubstantiatio''; Greek: μετουσίωσις '' metousiosis'') is, according to the teaching of the Catholic Church, "the change of the whole substance of bread into the substance of the Body of Christ and of ...
. Aglipayans maintain that the belief in the real presence does not imply a claim to know how Christ is present in the Eucharistic species. Moreover, belief in the real presence does not imply belief that the consecrated Eucharistic species cease to be bread and wine. Church members are taught that the Eucharistic species, the consecrated bread and the wine, do not necessarily change into the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ but one still receives the body and blood of Christ by faith, asserting instead that Christ is present in the Eucharist in a "heavenly and spiritual manner". Being a nationalist church, Aglipayans employ Filipino national symbols in their liturgical practices, such as the use of national colors and motifs, the singing of the
national anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and Europea ...
, and the displaying of the national flag in the sanctuary. Aglipayans are also adherents to praying the rosary. They do not practice auricular confession and repudiate the concept of
purgatory Purgatory (, borrowed into English via Anglo-Norman and Old French) is, according to the belief of some Christian denominations (mostly Catholic), an intermediate state after physical death for expiatory purification. The process of purgatory ...
. The IFI also has their own process of exorcism, but is not considered a sacrament and has no specific prescribed formula, nor an office of "exorcist". Unlike the Catholic Church, wherein a priest has to undergo specialized training and authority, all ordained IFI priests with "strong spiritual discernment" can perform exorcism, as long as they consulted their respective diocesan bishops, after a careful medical examination to exclude the possibility of mental illness, and should only be done as a last resort. Although not mandatory, the church also highly encourages its members to practice
tithing A tithing or tything was a historic English legal, administrative or territorial unit, originally ten hides (and hence, one tenth of a hundred). Tithings later came to be seen as subdivisions of a manor or civil parish. The tithing's leader or ...
as the minimum standard form of Christian giving.


Priesthood

The Iglesia Filipina Independiente maintains the historic threefold ministry of
bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...
s,
priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...
s, and
deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Chur ...
s. 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. The church rejects the exclusive right to apostolic succession by the Petrine Papacy. Clerical celibacy is optional. It allows its priests to marry, rejecting mandatory clerical celibacy. Priests may also remain unmarried. The Iglesia Filipina Independiente also allows the ordination of women. In February 1997, Rosalina V. Rabaria of the Diocese of Aklan and Capiz became the first woman to be officially ordained priest in the Iglesia Filipina Independiente. On the other hand, in May 2019, Emelyn Dacuycuy of the Diocese of Batac became the first woman to be ordained bishop in the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, further asserting their belief in women's inclusion and breaking the tradition of patriarchy in the clergy. The church as a whole also refers to itself using female pronouns. Unlike the Catholic Church and most Anglican churches, the Iglesia Filipina Independiente currently does not have
nun A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 599. The term is o ...
s or
religious sister A religious sister (abbreviated ''Sr.'' or Sist.) in the Catholic Church is a woman who has taken public vows in a religious institute dedicated to apostolic works, as distinguished from a nun who lives a cloistered monastic life dedicated to pra ...
s. Some members of the Women of the Philippine Independent Church (WOPIC) wear
veil A veil is an article of clothing or hanging cloth that is intended to cover some part of the head or face, or an object of some significance. Veiling has a long history in European, Asian, and African societies. The practice has been prominent ...
s and religious habits, similar to that of the religious sisters, during mass as a "sign of reverence". During Lenten season, a group of WOPIC members called ''nobisyas'' (translated to
novice A novice is a person who has entered a religious order and is under probation, before taking vows. A ''novice'' can also refer to a person (or animal e.g. racehorse) who is entering a profession with no prior experience. Religion Buddhism ...
in English) render 40-day church services as their ''pamamanata'' (act of penance) and wear veil as "an honorable way to imitate
Mary, mother of Jesus Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...
." The IFI used to have nuns when the Episcopal Sisters of St. Anne in Mindanao and the Episcopal Sisters of Mary the Virgin in Luzon accepted IFI women to their
religious congregation A religious congregation is a type of religious institute in the Catholic Church. They are legally distinguished from religious orders – the other major type of religious institute – in that members take simple vows, whereas members of religi ...
s for sisterhood training in the 1960s. The IFI sisters later established their own Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus in the 1970s, having their base at the Episcopalian St. Andrew's Theological Seminary, and unlike its priests, the IFI nuns adhere to the vow of
chastity Chastity, also known as purity, is a virtue related to temperance. Someone who is ''chaste'' refrains either from sexual activity considered immoral or any sexual activity, according to their state of life. In some contexts, for example when ma ...
. However, due to insufficient institutional patronage, the congregation eventually disbanded, with some of them joining back the Episcopalian sisters in Luzon. The Iglesia Filipina Independiente also has lay ministers in every diocese.


Saints

Just like the Catholic Church, IFI members are Marian devotees and devotees of saints, however, several saints
canonized Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon catalogue of s ...
by Rome after the 1902 schism are not recognized by the IFI Church and its members. Popes (or Bishops of Rome) universally canonized as saints before the 1902 schism are also acknowledged by the IFI Church. While
veneration Veneration ( la, veneratio; el, τιμάω ), or veneration of saints, is the act of honoring a saint, a person who has been identified as having a high degree of sanctity or holiness. Angels are shown similar veneration in many religions. Ety ...
of saints is formally practiced,
deification Apotheosis (, ), also called divinization or deification (), is the glorification of a subject to divine levels and, commonly, the treatment of a human being, any other living thing, or an abstract idea in the likeness of a deity. The term has ...
of saints on the other hand is condemned by the Church as blasphemy. In the liturgical calendar of the IFI, the monday after
All Saints' Day All Saints' Day, also known as All Hallows' Day, the Feast of All Saints, the Feast of All Hallows, the Solemnity of All Saints, and Hallowmas, is a Christian solemnity celebrated in honour of all the saints of the church, whether they are kn ...
is designated as "Commemoration Day for the Martyrs and Confessors of the IFI". During the early days of the schism particularly in 1903, the church, led by Aglipay together with a number of bishops, canonized José Rizal and the
Gomburza Gomburza, alternatively stylized as GOMBURZA or GomBurZa, refers to three Filipino Catholic priests, Mariano Gomez, José Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, who were executed by garrote on February 17, 1872, in Bagumbayan, Philippines by Spanish co ...
priests. However, the church has since revoked their sainthood in the 1950s and already ceased to recognize them as saints up to this day, although they still recognize them as national heroes and early IFI martyrs.


Contraception

Aglipayan bishops joined public demonstrations in support of the ''
Reproductive Health Bill The Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012, also known as the Reproductive Health Law or RH Law, and officially designated as Republic Act No. 10354, is a Philippine law that provided universal access to methods on contracept ...
'', a legislation advocating for contraception and sex education to reduce the rate of abortion and control rapid population growth that the Catholic Church and several other Christian denominations objected to on moral grounds.


Stance on abortion

Although supportive of the ''Reproductive Health Bill'', the Iglesia Filipina Independiente strongly opposes non-medically necessary induced
abortion Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pre ...
.


LGBTQ rights

In 2017, the church's position on the
LGBTQ+ ' is an Acronym, initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term for Sexuality and gende ...
community changed to an extent wherein the church leadership acknowledged, apologized, and released a statement in which it states, among other things, that the IFI has, for many times, "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 that it "must openly embrace God's people of all sexes, sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions (SSOGIE)." Moreover, although the church is still opposed to the holy matrimony of
same-sex couples A same-sex relationship is a romantic or sexual relationship between people of the same sex. ''Same-sex marriage'' refers to the institutionalized recognition of such relationships in the form of a marriage; civil unions may exist in countries ...
, the statement stresses that the IFI is "offering their Church as a community where LGBTIQ+ people can freely and responsibly express themselves, pronouncing God's all-inclusive love." 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's position on LGBTQ+ persons was approved by the Supreme Council of Bishops and officially adopted by the entire church in February 2017. The church has since accepts openly LGBTQ+ people as part of their congregation and ministry.


Views on divorce

Church officials expressed openness to the passage of the '' Divorce Bill'' in the Philippines. However, they clarified that it should not be misconstrued as a disregard to the "sanctity of marriage", but as a matter of practicality. They further stated that while they believe that couples are duty-bound to keep their marriage vows,
divorce Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganizing of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the ...
may be used as a last resort, when psychological and incompatibility problems make it difficult for both partners to live together. According to the officials, the IFI's stance on the controversial subject stems from its teachings that emphasize the "people's rights for freedom, dignity, and integrity, which also means encouraging the society to be responsive to the realities of time and to recognize that there have been unions that were wrong". They further clarified that the church will still "guide" couples on not resorting to divorce, if possible.


Response on red-tagging

Several church officials are advocates against the culture of
impunity Impunity is avoidance of punishment, loss, or other negative consequences for an action. In the international law of human rights, impunity is failure to bring perpetrators of human rights violations to justice and, as such, itself constitutes a d ...
and as a result, a number of advocates have been recipients of malicious and unproven accusations by government personnel tagging them as alleged enablers and sympathizers of
insurgents An insurgency is a violent, armed rebellion against authority waged by small, lightly armed bands who practice guerrilla warfare from primarily rural base areas. The key descriptive feature of insurgency is its asymmetric nature: small irr ...
and
terrorists Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...
("red-tagging"). The church has since released a statement strongly condemning such allegations.


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 9, 2017. The church has three predominant clergy and laity councils: the Supreme Council of Bishops (SCB), the Council of Priests (COP), and the National Lay Council (NCL). There are six sectoral organizations of the laity (lay organizations) in the church: the Youth of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (YIFI), the Women of the Philippine Independent Church (WOPIC), the Laymen of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (LIFI), the National Priests Organization (NPO), the Clergy Spouses Organization (CSO), and the nonsanctioned Clergy Children Organization (CCO).


Notable churches

The structure of the church buildings, as well as the outstation chapels, of the Philippine Independent Church do not differ significantly from Catholic church buildings in the Philippines.


Cathedral of the Holy Child (National Cathedral)

Located along
Taft Avenue Taft Avenue ( fil, Abenida Taft; es, Avenida Taft) is a major road in the south of Metro Manila. It passes through three cities in the metropolis: Manila, Pasay and Parañaque. The road was named after the former Governor-General of the Philippin ...
, the Cathedral of the Holy Child in
Ermita Ermita is a district in Manila, Philippines. Located at the central part of the city, the district is a significant center of finance, education, culture, and commerce. Ermita serves as the civic center of the city, bearing the seat of city ...
, 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, to commemorate the 109th birth anniversary of its first supreme bishop, Gregorio Aglipay. 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.


María Clara Parish Church

Named after the main heroine in Rizal's '' Noli Me Tángere'', the María Clara Parish Church in Santa Cruz, Manila, was originally built as a wooden structure in 1923 before it was expanded and rebuilt as a concrete structure in the 1950s. When the original national cathedral of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente in Tondo was destroyed during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, the María Clara Parish Church became the temporary office of the supreme bishop before relocating in 1969 to the present-day Cathedral of the Holy Child. The original statue of the Virgin of Balintawak is housed in the Maria Clara Parish Church. The church is under the Diocese of Greater Manila Area but the property is owned by the de los Reyes family. The current resident bishop of the church is retired bishop Gregorio de los Reyes, son of Isabelo Jr. and grandson of Isabelo Sr.


Seminaries

The Aglipay Central Theological Seminary (ACTS) in
Urdaneta City Urdaneta, officially the City of Urdaneta ( pag, Siyudad na Urdaneta; ilo, Siyudad ti Urdaneta; fil, Lungsod ng Urdaneta), is a 2nd class component city in the province of Pangasinan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populat ...
, Pangasinan is the regional seminary of the church serving the North-Central and South-Central
Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...
Dioceses. ACTS offers Bachelor of Theology and Divinity programs for members who aspire to enter the ordained ministry. These are four-year study programs with 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) in
Jordan, Guimaras Jordan (), officially the Municipality of Jordan ( hil, Banwa sang Jordan; tl, Bayan ng Jordan), is a 3rd class municipality and capital of the province of Guimaras, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 39,566 people ...
is the regional seminary of the Church serving the
Visayas The Visayas ( ), or the Visayan Islands (Visayan: ''Kabisay-an'', ; tl, Kabisayaan ), are one of the three principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Luzon and Mindanao. Located in the central part of the archipelago, ...
and
Mindanao Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
Dioceses. The St. Andrew's Theological Seminary (SATS) in
Quezon City Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 2,960,048 people. It was fou ...
is run by the
Episcopal Church in the Philippines The Episcopal Church in the Philippines (ECP; tl, Simbahang Episkopal sa Pilipinas; Ilocano: ''Simabaan nga Episkopal iti Filipinas'') is a province of the Anglican Communion comprising the country of the Philippines. It was established by the ...
, serving both its church and the Iglesia Filipina Independiente. The St. John the Divine School of Theology is planned to be established in Mindanao.


Relationship with other Christian denominations


Churches in communion

The church enjoys full communion with the
Anglican Communion The Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian communion after the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Founded in 1867 in London, the communion has more than 85 million members within the Church of England and other ...
and the Episcopal Church in the United States since September 22, 1961. Other churches the IFI is in full communion with include: the
Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...
, the
Scottish Episcopal Church The Scottish Episcopal Church ( gd, Eaglais Easbaigeach na h-Alba; sco, Scots Episcopal(ian) Kirk) is the ecclesiastical province of the Anglican Communion in Scotland. A continuation of the Church of Scotland as intended by King James VI, and ...
, the
Union of Utrecht The Union of Utrecht ( nl, Unie van Utrecht) was a treaty signed on 23 January 1579 in Utrecht, Netherlands, unifying the northern provinces of the Netherlands, until then under the control of Habsburg Spain. History The Union of Utrecht is r ...
, the
Episcopal Church in the Philippines The Episcopal Church in the Philippines (ECP; tl, Simbahang Episkopal sa Pilipinas; Ilocano: ''Simabaan nga Episkopal iti Filipinas'') is a province of the Anglican Communion comprising the country of the Philippines. It was established by the ...
, the
Church in the Province of the West Indies The Church in the Province of the West Indies is one of 40 member provinces in the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church comprises eight dioceses spread out over much of the West Indies area. The present position of Archbishop and Primate of the ...
, the
Church of the Province of Central Africa The Church of the Province of Central Africa is part of the Anglican Communion, and includes 15 dioceses in Botswana, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The Primate of the Church is the Archbishop of Central Africa. Albert Chama is the current arc ...
, the Church of the Province of West Africa, the
Anglican Church of Kenya The Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) is a province of the Anglican Communion, and it is composed by 41 dioceses. The current Primate and Archbishop of Kenya is Jackson Ole Sapit. The Anglican Church of Kenya claims 5 million total members. Accordi ...
, the
Anglican Church of Tanzania The Anglican Church of Tanzania (ACT) is a province of the Anglican Communion based in Dodoma. It consists of 28 dioceses (27 on the Tanzanian mainland, and 1 on Zanzibar) headed by their respective bishops. It seceded from the Province of East A ...
, the Church of North India, the Church of South India, the
Church of Pakistan The Church of Pakistan is a united Protestant Church in Pakistan, which is part of the Anglican Communion and a member of the World Communion of Reformed ChurchesDatabase (9 February 2006)"Sialkot Diocese of the Church of Pakistan" Reformed Onl ...
, the
Church of the Province of Myanmar The Church of the Province of Myanmar in Asia is a member church of the Anglican Communion. The province comprises the entire country of Myanmar. The current archbishop of Myanmar and bishop of Yangon is Stephen Than Myint Oo. Official name The ...
, the
Church of Ceylon The Church of Ceylon ( si, ලංකා සභාව) is the Anglican Church in Sri Lanka. It is an extra-provincial jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Canterbury, who serves as its Metropolitan. It was established in 1845 with the appointme ...
(''extra-provincial''), the ''
Nippon Sei Ko Kai The ''Nippon Sei Ko Kai'' ( ja, 日本聖公会, translit=Nippon Seikōkai, lit=Japanese Holy Catholic Church), abbreviated as NSKK, sometimes referred to in English as the Anglican Episcopal Church in Japan, is the national Christian church rep ...
'', the
Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland ( ga, Eaglais na hÉireann, ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Kirk o Airlann, ) is a Christian church in Ireland and an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the secon ...
, the
Lusitanian Catholic Apostolic Evangelical Church The Lusitanian Catholic Apostolic Evangelical Church ( pt, Igreja Lusitana Católica Apostólica Evangélica) in Portugal is a member church of the Anglican Communion. Membership The church has around 5,000 members. Structure As an Episcopal den ...
(''extra-provincial''), the Anglican Church of Canada, the
Church of Uganda The Church of Uganda is a member province of the Anglican Communion. Currently there are 37 dioceses which make up the Church of Uganda, each headed by a bishop. Each diocese is divided into archdeaconries, each headed by a senior priest known ...
, the Anglican Church of Rwanda, the
Anglican Church of Burundi The Province of the Anglican Church of Burundi (French: Province de l'Église anglicane du Burundi) is a province of the Anglican Communion, located in East Africa between Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya, and the Congo. The Archbishop and Primate of Buru ...
, the
Spanish Reformed Episcopal Church , native_name_lang = , image = File:Sello-iere comunion784x1181.jpg , imagewidth = 150px , alt = , caption = Seal of Spanish Reformed Episcopal Church , abbreviation = SREC , ty ...
(''extra-provincial''), the
Anglican Church of Southern Africa The Anglican Church of Southern Africa, known until 2006 as the Church of the Province of Southern Africa, is the province of the Anglican Communion in the southern part of Africa. The church has twenty-five dioceses, of which twenty-one are loc ...
, the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, the
Old Catholic Church of Austria The Old Catholic Church of Austria (german: Altkatholische Kirche Österreichs) is the Austrian member church of the Union of Utrecht of the Old Catholic Churches. In 1997, the church began ordaining women. In 2007, the church elected as its he ...
, the
Old Catholic Church of the Czech Republic The Old Catholic Church of the Czech Republic consists of the Czech Republic, Czech parishes in full communion with the Union of Utrecht of the Old Catholic Churches. The church is also a member of the National Ecumenical Council, the World Council ...
, the Old Catholic Church of Germany, the
Old Catholic Church of the Netherlands The Old Catholic Church of the Netherlands ( nl, Oud-Katholieke Kerk van Nederland), sometimes known as the Dutch Roman Catholic Church of the Old Episcopal Order, the Church of Utrecht (Ultrajectine Church), or Jansenist Church of Holland, is an ...
, the
Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland The Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland is an Old Catholic denomination in Switzerland. This denomination is part of the Union of Utrecht (Old Catholic). Recent developments In 1871 the Zürich Catholic community planned to build a chu ...
, the Polish National Catholic Church of America, the
Old Catholic Church of Croatia The Old Catholic Church of Croatia or Croatian Old Catholic Church ( Croatian: ''Hrvatska starokatolička crkva'') consists of the Croatian parishes in full communion with the Union of Utrecht of the Old Catholic Churches. Since 2018, it is adminis ...
, the Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil, and the
Church of Sweden The Church of Sweden ( sv, Svenska kyrkan) is an Evangelical Lutheran national church in Sweden. A former state church, headquartered in Uppsala, with around 5.6 million members at year end 2021, it is the largest Christian denomination in Sw ...
.


Relations with the Catholic Church

On August 3, 2021, during the IFI's 119th Proclamation Anniversary and as part of celebrating
500 years of Christianity in the Philippines The 500 Years of Christianity in the Philippines (500 YOC) is a quincentennial observed in the Philippines. It commemorates the introduction of Christianity in the Philippines in 1521 when the Magellan expedition made a stopover in the islands. ...
, Catholic Church leaders signed two documents with the IFI "for more ecumenical cooperation amidst
diversity Diversity, diversify, or diverse may refer to: Business *Diversity (business), the inclusion of people of different identities (ethnicity, gender, age) in the workforce *Diversity marketing, marketing communication targeting diverse customers * ...
." Although the IFI still remains to be independent from the
Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...
, in the first joint statement, both IFI and Catholic Church leaders "ask and pray for mutual forgiveness for any injuries inflicted in the past" and "strive for the healing and purification of memories among its members". In addition, the first statement also notes that the IFI, as well, "strives to reach out for healing and reconciliation with other separated Churches founded in the Aglipayan tradition". The second joint statement, on the other hand, is an expression of mutual recognition by both churches, emphasizing the "mutual recognition of
baptism Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost ...
s" between the IFI and the Catholic Church. The Trinitarian baptismal formula of the IFI has already been recognized by the Catholic Church in its list of validly administered baptisms by other Christian churches. For years, IFI officials had been seeking the recognition of their baptismal rites by the Catholic Church in order to ease inter-denominational marriages, notably the blessing of
Pope Francis Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...
during his state visit to the Philippines in 2015, so that Aglipayans will not be obliged anymore to be baptized as Catholics before they could marry Catholics.


Notable members


Supreme bishops

*
Gregorio Aglipay Gregorio Aglipay Cruz y Labayán ( la, Gregorius Aglipay; Filipino: ''Gregorio Labayan Aglipay Cruz''; 5 May 1860 – 1 September 1940) was a former Filipino Catholic priest who became the first head of the '' Iglesia Filipina Independiente'' ...
– first supreme bishop of the church and
vicar-general A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ...
of the Revolutionary Government. The only cleric-delegate present during the creation of the
Malolos Constitution The Political Constitution of 1899 ( es, Constitución Política de 1899), informally known as the Malolos Constitution, was the constitution of the First Philippine Republic. It was written by Felipe Calderón y Roca and Felipe Buencamino as ...
. *
Ephraim Fajutagana Ephraim Fajutagana y Servañez is a former Obispo Máximo or Supreme Bishop of the Philippine Independent Church (''Iglesia Filipina Independiente'' or IFI). He is the 12th Obispo Máximo, the highest post of the Church, that goes back from i ...
– twelfth supreme bishop of the IFI from 2011 to 2017. * Alberto Ramento – ninth supreme Bishop of the IFI; assassinated in 2006 for being a government critic and an active campaigner against
human rights violations in the Philippines Human rights in the Philippines are protected by the Constitution of the Philippines, to make sure that persons in the Philippines are able to live peacefully and with dignity, safe from the abuse of any individuals or institutions, including the ...
. * Rhee Timbang – thirteenth and current supreme bishop of the IFI since 2017.


Church officials

* Don Isabelo de los Reyes, Sr. – also known as ''Don Belong''; a prominent Filipino politician, writer, 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 ''
Unión Obrera Democrática Filipina The ''Unión Obrera Democrática Filipina'' (''UOD'' or ''UODF'', English: Democratic Labor Union of the Philippines) was a trade union center in the Philippines. The organization was the first modern trade union federation in the country; earlier ...
''. He was also the first to translate the Bible in Ilocano. He became an Honorary Bishop in 1929, while his son, Isabelo Jr., would later become supreme bishop in 1946. * Gardeopatra Quijano – dentist, educator, and feminist writer. National President of the Women of the Philippine Independent Church (WOPIC) (1975–1977). Daughter of IFI Bishop Juan P. Quijano.


Politicians

*
Crispin Beltran Crispin Beltran, also known as Ka Bel (January 7, 1933 – May 20, 2008), was a Filipino labor leader. A staunch critic of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, his imprisonment in 2006 and 2007 on disputed charges of rebellion and sedition drew inte ...
– legislator and labour leader, also known as the "Grand Old Man of Philippine Labour". A member of the 13th Congress of the Philippines as party-list representative and former chair of ''
Kilusang Mayo Uno Kilusang Mayo Uno, or May First Labor Movement (KMU) is an independent labor center in the Philippines promoting militant unionism. It follows in the fighting tradition of the country's first trade union, the Lithographers' and Printers' Unio ...
'' (KMU), he was a major figure in contemporary Filipino history. * Nicolas Buendia – assemblyman of
Bulacan Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan ( tl, Lalawigan ng Bulacan), is a province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the city of Malolos. Bulacan was established on August 15, 1578, and part of the Me ...
from 1935 to 1941 and senator from 1941 to 1946. One of the first and pioneering members of the IFI during its inception. * Rhodora Cadiao – incumbent provincial
Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
of Antique (since 2015). * Bayani Fernando – former
representative Representative may refer to: Politics * Representative democracy, type of democracy in which elected officials represent a group of people * House of Representatives, legislative body in various countries or sub-national entities * Legislator, som ...
, former mayor of
Marikina Marikina (), officially the City of Marikina ( fil, Lungsod ng Marikina), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 456,159 people. It is loca ...
, and former chairman of the
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA; fil, Pangasiwaan sa Pagpapaunlad ng Kalakhang Maynila) is a government agency of the Philippines responsible for constituting the regional government of Metro Manila, comprising the capital ...
. *
Mariano Marcos Mariano Marcos y Rubio (; April 21, 1897 – March 8, 1945) was a lawyer, educator, and politician from Batac, Ilocos Norte, Philippines. A Congressman from 1925 to 1931, he is best known for being the father of Ferdinand Marcos, who was Presid ...
– lawyer, Japanese collaborator, and politician from
Ilocos Norte Ilocos Norte, officially the Province of Ilocos Norte ( ilo, Probinsia ti Ilocos Norte; tl, Lalawigan ng Ilocos Norte), is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region. Its capital is Laoag City, located in the northwest corner ...
. A Congressman from 1925 to 1931. He is best known for being the father of former president and dictator Ferdinand Marcos. *
Salvacion Z. Perez Salvacion Ang Zaldivar-Perez, popularly known as "Inday Sally" Perez, was the Governor of the Philippine province of Antique province, Antique from 2001 to 2010. Sally Perez was born to Calixto Zaldivar, Calixto O. Zaldivar (1904-1979), former Su ...
– former Governor of Antique from 2001 to 2010; daughter of former Associate Justice Calixto Zaldivar. * Gedeon G. Quijano – former Governor of Misamis Occidental. The longest-serving governor in the history of the province. Son of IFI Bishop Juan P. Quijano. *
Calixto Zaldivar Calixto Oriola Zaldivar (September 13, 1904 – October 13, 1979) was a Filipino lawyer and politician who was a Supreme Court Justice from 1964 to 1974 best known in Philippine history for being one of only four dissenting voices against the cons ...
– former representative of the Lone District of Antique (1934–1935), former provincial Governor of Antique (1951–1955), and former
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court An associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States is any member of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the chief justice of the United States. The number of associate justices is eight, as set by the Judiciary Act of 1 ...
(1964–1974). Also a former president of the National Lay Organization of the IFI.


Bureaucrats

* Felipe Buencamino, Sr. – laywer; co-writer of the Malolos Constitution and Secretary of Foreign Relations of the
First Philippine Republic The Philippine Republic ( es, República Filipina), now officially known as the First Philippine Republic, also referred to by historians as the Malolos Republic, was established in Malolos, Bulacan during the Philippine Revolution against ...
. One of the first and pioneering members of the IFI during its inception. *
Alexander Gesmundo Alexander Gahon Gesmundo (born November 6, 1956) is serving as the chief justice of the Philippines since April 5, 2021. He replaced Diosdado Peralta, who retired early on March 27, 2021. He previously served as an associate justice of the Supre ...
jurist; 27th and incumbent
Chief Justice of the Philippines The chief justice of the Philippines ( fil, Punong Mahistrado ng Pilipinas) presides over the Supreme Court of the Philippines and is the highest judicial officer of the government of the Philippines. As of April 5, 2021, the position is curr ...
since 2021. * Cesar Virata – fourth Prime Minister of the Philippines (1981–1986) under the Interim Batasang Pambansa and the Regular Batasang Pambansa. One of the Philippines' business leaders and leading technocrats, he served as
Finance Minister A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation. A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", ...
from 1970 during the
Marcos dictatorship At 7:17 pm on September 23, 1972, President Ferdinand Marcos announced on television that he had placed the entirety of the Philippines under martial law. This marked the beginning of a 14-year period of one-man rule that would effectively last ...
to becoming Prime Minister in 1981. He concurrently was Finance Minister throughout the '80s. He is the grandnephew of the first Philippine President, Emilio Aguinaldo.


Artisans

* José Garvida Flores – patriot, prolific Ilokano writer and playwright from
Bangui, Ilocos Norte Bangui, officially the Municipality of Bangui ( ilo, Ili ti Bangui; fil, Bayan ng Bangui), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Ilocos Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 15,019 people. The first p ...
. Composed "''Filipinas Nadayag a Filipinas''", which is sung during services of the IFI. *
Pascual H. Poblete Pascual H. Poblete ( Filipino: ''Pascual Poblete Hicaro''; May 17, 1857—February 5, 1921) was a Filipino writer, journalist, and linguist, remarkably noted as the first translator of Dr. José Rizal's novel '' Noli Me Tangere'' into the Ta ...
– writer and linguist, remarkably noted as the first translator of José Rizal's novel '' Noli Me Tangere'' into the
Tagalog language Tagalog (, ; ; '' Baybayin'': ) is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by the ethnic Tagalog people, who make up a quarter of the population of the Philippines, and as a second language by the majority. Its standardized form, ...
. A prominent member of ''Unión Obrera Democrática Filipina'' and one of the first and pioneering members of the IFI during its inception. *
Vicente Sotto Vicente Yap Sotto (born Vicente Sotto y Yap; April 18, 1877 – May 28, 1950) was a Filipino playwright, journalist, and politician who served as a Senator from 1946 to 1950. He also served in the House of Representatives from 1922 to 1925, rep ...
– dramatist, writer, journalist, foremost anti-
friar A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders founded in the twelfth or thirteenth century; the term distinguishes the mendicants' itinerant apostolic character, exercised broadly under the jurisdiction of a superior general, from the ...
, the fiery Publisher–Editor of "''Ang Suga''" and "''El Pueblo''", and the prominent founder of the Filipino Church in
Cebu Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 16 ...
; grandfather of actor/politician Vicente "Tito" Sotto III and actor-comedian
Vic Sotto Marvic Valentin Castelo Sotto (; born April 28, 1954), professionally known as Vic Sotto, is a Filipino actor, singer and comedian known far and wide for his various television and film projects on the major Philippine television networks GMA ...
. * Aurelio Tolentino – prominent Pampango writer, dramatist, and one of the early and founding members of the
Katipunan The Katipunan, officially known as the Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan or Kataastaasan Kagalang-galang na Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK; en, Supreme and Honorable Association of the Children of the Nation ...
. The foremost advocate of the establishment of the Filipino Church in Pampanga.


Military and revolutionary figures

* Edgar Aglipay – retired police officer with the rank of general; Chief of the Philippine National Police from 2004 to 2005 and Chief Deputy Director-General of the
National Capital Region Police Office The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) is a division of the Philippine National Police (PNP) that has jurisdiction over Metro Manila, also known as the National Capital Region. It is headquartered in Camp Bagong Diwa. History As PC ...
from 1998 to 2000 and 2001 to 2002; descendant of Gregorio Aglipay. *
Baldomero Aguinaldo Baldomero Aguinaldo y Baloy (February 27, 1869 – February 4, 1915) was a leader of the Philippine Revolution. He was the first cousin of Emilio Aguinaldo, the first president of the Philippines, as well as the grandfather of Cesar Virata, a ...
– a revolutionary general and prominent member of the Katipunan; leader of Katipunan's Magdalo faction; elected President of the ''Comite de Caballeros'' (Gentlemen's Committee) of the IFI in Kawit, Cavite; had initially organized a local lay organization within the IFI in Kawit in 1904 which later became the splinter group ''Iglesia de la Libertad''; cousin of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo and grandfather of Cesar Virata. *
Mariano Álvarez Mariano M. Álvarez ( : March 15, 1818 – August 25, 1924) was a Filipino revolutionary and statesman. Pre-war life Álvarez was born in Noveleta, Cavite. He received formal schooling at the San José College in Manila, and obtained a tea ...
– a revolutionary general and prominent member of the Katipunan from
Noveleta, Cavite Noveleta, officially the Municipality of Noveleta ( tgl, Bayan ng Noveleta), formerly known as Tierra Alta during the Spanish colonial era, is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has ...
; leader of Katipunan's Magdiwang faction. * Pascual Álvarez – a revolutionary general and inaugural Director of the Interior of the Tejeros Revolutionary Government; nephew of Mariano. * Santiago Álvarez – a revolutionary general and the chief commander of the revolutionary forces at Dalahican; nicknamed ''Kidlat ng Apoy'' ("Lightning of Fire") and the "Hero of the Battle of Dalahican"; son of Mariano. *
Melchora Aquino Melchora Aquino de Ramos (January 6, 1812 – February 19, 1919) was a Filipino revolutionary. She became known as "Tandang Sora" because of her age during the Philippine Revolution. She was known as the "Grand Woman of the Revolution" an ...
– a revolutionary who became known as ''Tandang Sora'' ("Old Sora") because of her age (84) when the 1896 Philippine Revolution broke out. She gained the titles "Grand Woman of the Revolution" and "Mother of Balintawak" for her contributions to the independence movement. She was among the Church's most prominent and devoted followers in
Caloocan Caloocan, officially the City of Caloocan ( fil, Lungsod ng Caloocan; ), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in Metropolitan Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 1,661,584 people making it the fourth-most ...
. *
Ladislao Diwa Ladislao Diwa y Nocon (June 27, 1863 − March 12, 1930) was a Filipino patriot who was among the founders of the Katipunan that initiated the Philippine Revolution against Spain in 1896. Early years He was born in San Roque, Cavite to Mariano ...
– one of the co-founders and high-ranking officials of the Katipunan from
Cavite City Cavite City, officially the City of Cavite ( fil, Lungsod ng Kabite, Spanish and cbk, Ciudad de Cavite), is a 4th class component city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 100,674 people. The city was the ...
; later became a revolutionary when he joined the revolutionary troops in Cavite during the Philippine Revolution. * Leandro Fullon – a revolutionary general who fought during both the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine–American War. Appointed as commanding general of all Filipino forces in the
Visayas The Visayas ( ), or the Visayan Islands (Visayan: ''Kabisay-an'', ; tl, Kabisayaan ), are one of the three principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Luzon and Mindanao. Located in the central part of the archipelago, ...
and became the liberator of Antique province. Later established and became the first Filipino governor of the Revolutionary Provincial Government of Antique. * Mariano Noriel – a revolutionary general who fought during both the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine–American War. He led Filipino advance troops before the American army landed in
Intramuros Intramuros (Latin for "inside the walls") is the historic walled area within the city of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. It is administered by the Intramuros Administration with the help of the city government of Manila. Present-day ...
in 1898. He was the first president of the laymen organization of the IFI in Bacoor, Cavite.


Former members

* Emilio Aguinaldo – first
President of the Philippines The president of the Philippines ( fil, Pangulo ng Pilipinas, sometimes referred to as ''Presidente ng Pilipinas'') is the head of state, head of government and chief executive of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of t ...
. With his influence, together with other Caviteño revolutionary generals and officers, the IFI gained a stronghold in
Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite ( tl, Lalawigan ng Kabite; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Located on the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest ...
. His cousin, Baldomero, was the president of ''Comité de Caballeros'' (Gentlemen's Committee) of the IFI in Kawit; while his youngest sister Felicidad, his wife Hilaria del Rosario, and his mother Trinidad Famy were officers of the ''Comisión de Damas'' (Women's Commission) of the church. Subsequently reverted to Roman Catholicism in later life. * Ferdinand Marcos – former president and dictator of the Philippines (1965–1986); son of Mariano. Raised Aglipayan, but subsequently changed religion to marry Imelda Romualdez of
Leyte Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census. Since the accessibility of land has be ...
.


See also

*
Christianity in the Philippines The Philippines is ranked as the 5th largest Christian-majority country on Earth , with about 93% of the population being adherents. , it was the third largest Catholic country in the world and was one of two predominantly Catholic nations in ...
* Protestantism in the Philippines


Notes


References


External links


Official website
{{Authority control Philippine Independent Church Independent Catholic denominations 1902 establishments in the Philippines Christian denominations in Asia Christian denominations founded in the Philippines Christian organizations established in 1902 Christian denominations established in the 20th century Christian denominations in the Philippines Schisms from the Catholic Church