The Minor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Manila Cathedral)
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Known as the Mother Church of the Philippines, Minor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (also known as Manila Cathedral) has undergone various architectural styles until ending up on its present Romanesque-Byzantine design. Rays of sunlight paint colors inside the church through its stained glass windows. Manila Cathedral has seen many momentous events like the visit of Pope Francis and the beatification of Filipino martyr Lorenzo Ruiz.
Cabildo corner Beaterio Street, Intramuros, Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines
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Manila Cathedral is one of the attractions in Intramuros. You can relax and enjoy the view here. Inside the cathedral, it can make you feel go back in time because of the structure that still remains from the old times.
Manila Cathedral This cathedral has a very interesting life. It was built and destroyed and burnt and renewed after the Filipino's turbulent history.The information is handed in the entrance and clear explanation is given in each part of the cathedral. A must-see destination for travellers!
PALACIO DEL GOBERNADOR At present, the building houses the Intramuros Administration, the Commission on Elections and the Home Development Mutual Fund National Capital Region Office. It also previously housed the Bureau of the Treasury until it relocated across Plaza de Roma to the Ayuntamiento de Manila.
Originally, the cathedral was just a simple parish church in Manila until upon the issuance of a papal bull by Pope Gregory XIII, it became a separate diocese altogether. The Manila Cathedral is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, which is one of the titles for the Blessed Virgin Mary. It’s also a venue for masses held by popes, Blessed Paul VI and St. John Paul being one of the few. If you’re interested to learn more about the cathedral, you can request for a tour on their website!
Walk the hallowed halls of this basilica where Popes and Manila's former Archbishops have offered up a mass from one time to another. Before it rose to glory as a cathedral, this place of worship was made of nipa and bamboo. It served the Spaniards in growing the Catholic Church of the newly founded Manila. As early as the 16th Century, the Manila Cathedral was a major seat to the religious heads of the country. Through time, stone replaced bamboo, crafted in the Neo-Romanesque Byzantine style featuring a majestic mix of round arches, white statues atop the façade pilasters, and stained glass windows. Like many parts of Intramuros, the Manila Cathedral has had to rise from its own ashes multiple times. It’s been brought down to the ground by fire, earthquakes, and war in its long history. Still, the church endures—and, in 1981, it was appointed as a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II. Devout Catholics and curious tourists flock under its light blue dome to offer up a prayer or simply bask in the beauty of the timeless basilica.
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