The Supreme Bishop (), abbreviated O.M., is the leader or

primate Primates is an order (biology), order of mammals, which is further divided into the Strepsirrhini, strepsirrhines, which include lemurs, galagos, and Lorisidae, lorisids; and the Haplorhini, haplorhines, which include Tarsiiformes, tarsiers a ...

of the

autocephalous Autocephaly (; ) is the status of a hierarchical Christian church whose head bishop does not report to any higher-ranking bishop. The term is primarily used in Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches. The status has been compared with t ...

nationalist Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation,Anthony D. Smith, Smith, A ...

Independent Catholic Independent Catholicism is an independent sacramental movement of clergy and laity who Independent Catholicism#Appeal of Independent Catholicism to Catholic and Christian tradition, self-identify as Catholic (most often as Old Catholic or as Ind ...

denomination ''

Iglesia Filipina Independiente The Philippine Independent Church (; ), officially referred to by its Philippine Spanish name (IFI) and colloquially called the Aglipayan Church, is an Independent Catholic, independent catholic Christian denomination, in the form of a Religi ...

'' (Philippine Independent Church) or IFI, known informally as the "Aglipayan Church". The Supreme Bishop is the spiritual head, chief pastor, and the chief executive officer of the church. He is also first among equals (''primus inter pares'') among the church's

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

s. The Supreme Bishop is elected by the

General Assembly A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company. Specific examples of general assembly include: Churches * General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of presby ...

of the church and heads the Executive Commission, the highest policy-making body in the absence of the General Assembly. Joel Porlares was elected ''Obispo Máximo'' on May 9, 2023, by a majority vote of delegates during their 15th General Assembly and was officially proclaimed the evening of the same day after previously serving as General Secretary, the second-highest post in the church. He is the fourteenth in a line of succession from

Gregorio Aglipay Gregorio Aglipay Cruz y Labayán (; Filipino language, Filipino: ''Gregorio Labayan Aglipay Cruz''; pronounced ; May 5, 1860 – September 1, 1940) was a Filipino former Roman Catholic (term), Roman Catholic Priesthood (Catholic Church), priest ...

, the first ''Obispo Máximo''. The Supreme Bishop's office is at the ''Obispado Máximo'' (English: Central Office) within the National Cathedral of the Holy Child compound, located along Taft Avenue,

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

List of supreme bishops

Election and term of office

The supreme bishop is the primate, spiritual head, and chief executive of the Philippine Independent Church. A supreme bishop is elected from the bishops of the church during the General Assembly every six years, by the delegates of every diocese, strictly via majority vote and cannot be re-elected for a consecutive term as per the church's 1977 constitution and canons which was first implemented in 1981. By tradition, the General Assembly usually elects the General Secretary (the second highest post in the church) as the next supreme bishop, but is not necessary. In the event of death or permanent disability of the sitting supreme bishop, the senior bishop-member of the Executive Commission, based on the date of consecration or seniority in age, shall automatically act as Officer-in-Charge of the church. The Executive Commission shall then elect an interim supreme bishop from its bishop-members, two weeks from such death or permanent disability. Ultimately, the Executive Commission shall convene the General Assembly for a special election of a regular supreme bishop within thirty days from the death or permanent disability. After finishing the remainder of the predecessor's term, the successor supreme bishop could seek an election on his own right. The supreme bishop is responsible for the ecclesiastical government of the church and is the spiritual head of almost 7 million Aglipayans throughout the Philippines and some dioceses in the United States and Canada.

References

External links

The Obispo Maximo – Official website of the ''Iglesia Filipina Independiente''
{{Union of Utrecht Philippine Independent Church Episcopacy Ecclesiastical titles Religious leadership roles

List of supreme bishops

Election and term of office

See also

References

External links