MANILA – The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Friday has supported the findings of an investigating panel affirming Limasawa Island as the site of the first Easter Sunday Mass in the country.
In a resolution dated Sept. 25 and released on Friday, the CBCP said it “concurs” with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) accepting the report submitted by a government-led study on the issue surrounding the liturgical event held almost 500 years ago.
The CBCP “stands by the proceedings and findings” of a panel of historians reaffirming previous findings on the historic event, according to the resolution.
It was signed by acting president Bishop Pablo Virgilio David and Bishop Julito Cortes, head of the Episcopal Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church.
The NHCP adopted the recommendation of the panel led by historian and National Artist for Literature Resil Mojares that Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and his Spanish contingent held the Mass in Limasawa, based on a resolution issued in July 15.
The Commission has earlier determined that the 1521 Mass took place on the island off Southern Leyte province.
In 2018, the NHCP reopened the investigation into the issue after receiving requests from various groups to resolve the controversy anent the site of the first recorded Easter Mass on March 31, 1521.
The requests were also made in time for the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Christian faith in the country in 2021.
After almost two years of study, actual location surveys, and deliberation, the panel agreed that Limasawa be sustained as the site of the Easter Mass officiated by Fr. Pedro Valderrama, the only priest in Magellan’s crew.
The panel also noted that it is using “Easter Sunday Mass” to refer to it since Magellan’s expedition arrived in the Philippine archipelago during Holy Week and Valderrama may have celebrated some undocumented Masses.
Magellan and his crew first landed on Homonhon Island in Eastern Samar province on March 16, 1521, where they stayed for eight days before heading to Limasawa.
Some proponents claimed Butuan City in Agusan del Norte as the real site of the historic Mass and not Limasawa. (PNA)
