Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila

Archdiocese of Manila Archidioecesis Manilensis Arkidiyosesis ng Maynila Arquidiócesis de Manila
Catholic
Manila Cathedral
Coat of arms
Location
Country	Philippines
Territory	City of Manila Taguig (Embo barangays) Makati Mandaluyong Pasay (except Newport City and Villamor Air Base) City of San Juan Quezon City (EDSA Shrine)
Ecclesiastical province	Manila
Headquarters	Arzobispado de Manila Intramuros, Manila 1002
Coordinates	14.5904202°N 120.9708023°E / 14.5904202; 120.9708023
Statistics
Area	549 km2 (212 sq mi)
Population Total Catholics	(as of 2021) 3,287,728 2,663,060 (81%)
Parishes	Around 100 full-fledged parishes, quasi parish, 1 personal parish, chaplaincies, mission stations (mall and condo chapels)
Information
Denomination	Catholic
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	February 6, 1579 (1579-02-06) (Diocese) August 14, 1595 (1595-08-14) (Archdiocese)
Cathedral	Minor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Patroness	Immaculate Conception
Secular priests	256
Language	English and Filipino
Current leadership
Pope	Leo XIV
Metropolitan Archbishop	Cardinal Jose Advincula, O.P.
Suffragans	Jesse Mercado (Parañaque) Elias Ayuban (Cubao) Marcelino Antonio Maralit (San Pablo) Reynaldo G. Evangelista (Imus) Mylo Hubert Vergara (Pasig) Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David (Kalookan) Ruperto Santos (Antipolo) Dennis Villarojo (Malolos) Roberto Gaa (Novaliches)
Vicar General	Reginald R. Malicdem
Episcopal Vicars	Esteban U. Lo (Manila) Roderick L. Castro (Makati with Embo barangays) Cesar V. Buhat (Mandaluyong) Edgardo Coroza (Pasay) Michael Kalaw (San Juan)
Bishops emeritus	Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle Gabriel V. Reyes Teodoro Bacani Jr. Ramon Arguelles Crisostomo Yalung Rolando Tria Tirona
Map
Jurisdiction of the metropolitan see within the Philippines.
Website
Archdiocese of Manila
Sources:

The Archdiocese of Manila (Latin: Archidioecesis Manilensis; Filipino: Arkidiyosesis ng Maynilà; Spanish: Arquidiócesis de Manila) is the archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church in Metro Manila, Philippines, encompassing the cities of Manila, Makati, San Juan, Mandaluyong, Pasay, and portions of Taguig City (the Embo barangays). Its cathedral is the Minor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, also known as the Manila Cathedral, located in Intramuros, the old colonial city of Manila. The Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title Immaculate Conception, is the principal patroness of the archdiocese as well as the country.

The Archdiocese of Manila is the oldest in the Philippines, created in 1579 as a diocese and elevated as a metropolitan archdiocese in 1595. Since its last territorial changes in 2003, the Archdiocese of Manila is the metropolitan see of the ecclesiastical province of the same name, which also include seven dioceses encompassing other parts of the National Capital Region such as Antipolo (Marikina), Cubao, Kalookan, Novaliches, Parañaque, Malolos (Valenzuela), and Pasig, as well as four dioceses of its surrounding provinces of Cavite (Diocese of Imus), Rizal (Diocese of Antipolo), Bulacan (Diocese of Malolos), and Laguna (Diocese of San Pablo).

In addition, the archdiocese also serves as de facto overseer of the Military Ordinariate of the Philippines, as well as the Apostolic Vicariates of Puerto Princesa and Taytay in Palawan, alongside all exempt dioceses of the Holy See (with the vicariates under the jurisdiction of the Dicastery for Evangelization).

The archdiocese also owns, operates, and manages various extraterritorial assets and temporalities, such as EDSA Shrine; the radio station DZRV Radio Veritas 846 kHz along with Our Lady of Veritas Chapel (all in Quezon City) and transmitter (Taliptip, Bulakan); Mount Peace and Saint Michael retreat houses (Baguio City and Antipolo City, respectively); and the Redemptoris Mater Archdiocesan Seminary of the Neocatechumenal Way (Parañaque City). Additionally, the archdiocese is among the top 100 shareholders of the Bank of the Philippine Islands.

Since June 24, 2021, Cardinal José Fuerte Cardinal Advíncula has been the Archbishop of Manila.

History

Interior of the Throne Room of the Archbishop's Palace during the Spanish colonial period.

Per the efforts of conquistador Martín de Goiti – who founded the City of Manila by uniting the dominions of Sulayman III of Namayan, Sabag, Rajah Ache Matanda of Maynila who was a vassal to the Sultan of Brunei, and Lakan Dula of Tondo who was a tributary to Ming dynasty China – the Diocese of Manila was established on February 6, 1579, through the papal bull Illius Fulti Præsidio by Pope Gregory XIII, encompassing all Spanish colonies in Asia as a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Mexico. Fray Domingo de Salazar, a Dominican from the Convent of San Sebastian in Salamanca, Spain, was selected by King Philip II of Spain to be bishop of the new diocese and was presented to the pope.

Over the course of history and growth of Catholicism in the Philippines, the diocese was elevated in rank and new dioceses had been carved from its territory. On August 14, 1595, Pope Clement VIII raised the diocese to the status of an archdiocese with Bishop Ignacio Santibáñez its first archbishop. Three new dioceses were created as suffragans to Manila: Nueva Cáceres, Nueva Segovia, and Cebu. With the creation of these new dioceses, the territory of the archdiocese was reduced to the city of Manila and the adjoining civil provinces in proximity including Mindoro Island. It was bounded to the north by the Diocese of Nueva Segovia, to the south by the Diocese of Cebu, and to the southeast by the Diocese of Nueva Cáceres.

During the Spanish period, the archdiocese was ruled by a succession of Spanish and Latino archbishops. In the 1600s, Fr. Joaquín Martínez de Zúñiga conducted a census of the Archdiocese of Manila, which encompassed most of Luzon, and he reported 90,243 native Filipino tributes; 10,512 Chinese (Sangley) and mixed Chinese Filipino mestizo tributes; and 10,517 mixed Spanish Filipino mestizo tributes. Pure Spaniards were excluded as they were exempt from tribute, with each tribute representing an average family of 6. Out of these, Martínez extrapolated a total population count exceeding half a million souls.

The 1762 British occupation of Manila during the Seven Years' War saw the temporary conversion of Sultan Azim ud-Din I of Sulu to Catholicism, the massive looting and destruction of ecclesiastical treasures, as well as the burning of churches by British soldiers, Sepoy mercenaries, and rebellious Chinese residents in Binondo. This episode was particularly damaging to Philippine scholarship as the monasteries holding archives and artefacts on the pre-colonial Philippine Rajahnates, Kedatuans, Sultanates, Lakanates, and Wangdoms and their conversion to Catholicism were either burnt, lost, or looted. An example would be the Boxer Codex, whose earliest owner Lord Giles of Ilchester had inherited it from an ancestor who stole it during the British Occupation.

Nevertheless, peace was subsequently restored after, Catholic religious orders became the powerful driving force in the Archdiocese of Manila (with the exception of the Jesuits who were temporarily suppressed in Spanish lands due to their role in anti-imperialist movements in Latin America like the Paraguayan Reductions). Local Filipino secular clergy resented the foreign religious orders due to their near-monopoly of ecclesiastical positions, which violated the declarations of the Council of Trent, stating that once an place is no longer a missionary area but a regular diocese, friars are to surrender parishes to secular priests. However, upon the suppression of the Jesuits, the Recollect Order took over the former’s parishes and surrendered their parishes to local secular clergy, temporarily assuaging Filipino yearnings. However upon the restoration of the Jesuits, the Recollects were forced to retake their parishes from the secular priests. The opposition of the religious orders against an autonomous diocesan clergy independent of them lead to the martyrdom of Filipino diocesan priests Mariano Gómez, José Burgos, Jacinto Zamora – collectively known as Gomburza –who were wrongly implicated in the Cavite Mutiny. This stemmed from fears that, because the priest Miguel Hidalgo lead the Mexican war of independence against Spain, the same could happen in the Philippines. Furthermore, Governor-General Rafael Izquierdo y Gutiérrez, who was a Freemason, upheld the vow to protect his Masonic brothers upon discovering the Mutiny was led by some of them (Máximo Innocencio, Crisanto de los Reyes, and Enrique Paraíso), and so shifted the blame to the Gomburza since they had inspired ethnic pride among Filipinos with their clerical campaign. Izquierdo asked the Catholic hierarchy in the person of Archbishop of Manila Gregorio Melitón Martínez to have them declared heretics and defrocked, but the latter he refused as he believed in the trio’s innocence. As the colonial government executed the Gomburza, church bells across the colony were rung in mourning. This inspired the Jesuit-educated nationalist José Rizal to form La Liga Filipina, to seek reforms from Spain and recognition of local clergy.

Rizal himself was executed in 1896 and La Liga Filipina dissolved. As cries for reform were ignored, formerly loyal Filipinos were radicalized and the 1896 Philippine revolution was triggered when the Spanish discovered the anti-colonial secret organisation Katipunan (formed with Masonic rites in mind despite Catholic opposition to Freemasonry, yet were dedicated to the martyred Catholic priests as “Gomburza” was a password in the Katipunan). The United States took the Philippines from Spain following the 1898 Spanish–American War; this turned the fighting into the 1899–1902 Philippine–American War, with many Katipuneros devastated their fellow American Masons killed the Katipunan, as American lodges dismissed the Revolutionary Masonic lodges as "irregular" and illegitimate, and Philippine Freemasonry placed under control of the Grand Lodge of California. Under American colonial control, the Catholic Church was disestablished as the state church of the Philippines, with the postwar period seeing some churches restored in the Art-Deco style. There was a looming threat of apostasy and schism with the rise of anti-clerical Philippine Freemasonry and the establishment of the Philippine Independent Church due to Filipino anger against Spanish ecclesiastical corruption. In response, Pope Leo XIII in 1902 excommunicated all adherents of the Philippine Independent Church, yet supported Philippine political independence with a policy of reinforcing orthodoxy and reconciliation. This resulted in a majority of Filipinos remaining in full communion with the Holy See, and a good number of those who had left the Church returning.

Old Ecclesiastical Seal of the Archdiocese of Manila, used until 1949

On April 10, 1910, Pope Pius X carved out from Manila the Diocese of Lipa, with jurisdiction over the provinces of Batangas, Tayabas, Marinduque, Laguna and Mindoro, and some parts of Masbate. In May 1928, Pope Pius XI established the Diocese of Lingayen, using territory from Manila and Nueva Segovia. In this creation, twenty-six parishes were separated from Manila.

December 8, 1941, marked the beginning of the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. World War II marked a period of irreplaceable loss to the Archdiocese of Manila. The combination of violent theft and arson done by the Japanese and indiscriminate carpet bombing by the Americans during the Battle of Manila (1945) led to the permanent loss of many Gothic, Art-Deco, and Earthquake Baroque churches. Interestingly, then-Father Rufino Jiao Santos (a future Archbishop of Manila) was taken captive by the Japanese, but fortunately was saved by combined Filipino and American forces.

The Virgin Mary as the Immaculate Conception, patroness of the archdiocese

In the aftermath of the war, in September 1942, Pope Pius XII declared Our Lady of Immaculate Conception as the Principal Patroness of the Philippines by virtue of the papal bull, Impositi Nobis, along with Pudentiana and Rose of Lima as secondary patrons.

Due to the heavy damages resulting from World War II, the Manila Cathedral underwent major rebuilding from 1946 to 1958. The Parish of San Miguel served as temporary pro-cathedral until the Manila Cathedral was reopened and consecrated in 1958.

On December 11, 1948, the Apostolic Constitution Probe Noscitur further divided the Archdiocese of Manila by placing the northern part of the local church in the new Diocese of San Fernando. On November 25, 1961, the Archdiocese of Manila was again partitioned with the creation of the Diocese of Malolos for the province of Bulacan in the north and the Diocese of Imus for the province of Cavite to the south.

Pope John Paul II declared the Manila Cathedral a minor basilica in 1981 through the motu proprio Quod ipsum, issued as a papal bull. In 1983, the province of Rizal, the city of Marikina, and northeastern portions of Pasig, were placed under the new Diocese of Antipolo.

The archdiocese witnessed many grace-filled church events such as the Second Synod of Manila (1911), the Third Synod of Manila (1925), the 33rd International Eucharistic Congress (1937), the First Plenary Council of the Philippines (1953), the papal visit of Pope Paul VI (1970), the Fourth Synod of Manila (1979), the papal visits of Pope John Paul II (the first in 1981 and the second in 1995), the National Marian Year (1985), the National Eucharistic Year (1987), the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (1991), the Second Provincial Council of Manila (1996), the Fourth World Meeting of Families (2003), and the papal visit of Pope Francis (2015).

In 2002, two more dioceses were carved out of the Archdiocese: the Diocese of Novaliches and the Diocese of Parañaque. In 2003, three more dioceses were erected: Cubao, Kalookan, and Pasig.

Coat of arms

The arms of the metropolitan see of Manila is an adaptation of the arms granted by Philip II of Spain to the insigne y siempre leal (“distinguished and ever loyal”) city of Manila in 1596. The silver crescent represents the Immaculate Conception, patroness of the Manila Cathedral and of the entire Philippines. The tower represents God as described in Psalm 60: turris fortis contra inimicum (turris fortitudinis a facie inimici in the Galician psalter), and its three windows represent the Blessed Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Ghost. The sea lion represents the Philippines, then an ultramar (overseas) territory of Spain, and the pilgrim's cross which may be easily fixed on the ground symbolizes both the faith of the Filipino people and their missionary role in spreading the faith.

Archbishops

The marble cathedra of the Archbishop of Manila inside Manila Cathedral.

The seat of the archbishop is at Manila Cathedral. The Archbishop of Manila is widely regarded (de facto) as the primate of the Catholic Church in the Philippines. The archdiocese has had the title of "Metropolitan of the Philippines" (Spanish: Metropolitano de las Islas Filipinas) since its elevation in 1595.

After the first bishop of Manila Domingo de Salazar, the diocese became an archdiocese and there have been nineteen archbishops of Spanish origin. In 1903, the archdiocese received its first American archbishop, Jeremiah James Harty from St. Louis, Missouri. After him, the lone Irishman Michael J. O'Doherty was appointed in 1916, leading the church as Filipinos petitioned for sovereignty from the United States, and through the Japanese occupation during World War II.

When O'Doherty died after Philippine independence in 1946, coadjutor archbishop Gabriel Reyes became the first native Filipino in the position. Reyes' successor, Archbishop Rufino Jiao Santos, became the first Filipino cardinal in 1960. Since then, all archbishops were of Filipino origin and created cardinals.

After the departure of Cardinal-Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle to become prefect of Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples on February 9, 2020, Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo was apostolic administrator for 17 months during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tagle's successor, then-Archbishop of Capiz José Fuerte Advíncula, was enthroned on June 24, 2021.

Ordinaries

Ordinaries of the Diocese/Metropolitan Archdiocese of Manila

No.	Portrait	Name	Coat of Arms	From	Until	Duration	Notes
Bishops of Manila (February 6, 1579 – August 14, 1595)
1		Domingo de Salazar, O.P. 1512–1594		Feb 6, 1579	Dec 4, 1594	15 years, 9 months and 28 days	First bishop, died in office.
Metropolitan Archbishops of Manila (August 14, 1595 – present)
1		Ignacio Santibáñez, O.F.M. 1512–1598		Aug 30, 1595	Aug 14, 1598	2 years, 11 months and 15 days	First archbishop, died in office.
2		Miguel de Benavides, O.P. 1552–1605		Oct 7, 1602	Jul 26, 1605	2 years, 9 months and 19 days	Died in office.
3		Diego Vázquez de Mercado 1533–1616		May 28, 1608	Jun 12, 1616	8 years and 15 days	Died in office.
4		Miguel García Serrano, O.E.S.A. 1569–1629		Feb 12, 1618	Jun 14, 1629	11 years, 4 months and 2 days	Died in office.
5		Hernando Guerrero, O.E.S.A. 1567–1641		Jan 9, 1634	Jul 1, 1641	7 years, 5 months and 22 days	Died in office.
6		Fernando Montero Espinosa 1640–1648		Feb 5, 1646	1648	1 or 2 years	Died in office.
7		Miguel de Poblete Casasola 1604–1667		Jun 21, 1649	Dec 8, 1667	18 years, 5 months and 17 days	Died in office.
8		Juan López Galván, O.P. 1613–1674		Nov 14, 1672	Feb 12, 1674	1 year, 2 months and 29 days	Died in office.
9		Felipe Fernandez de Pardo, O.P. 1611–1689		Jan 8, 1680	Dec 31, 1689	9 years, 11 months and 23 days	Died in office.
10		Diego Camacho y Ávila 1652–1712		Nov 28, 1695	Jan 14, 1704	8 years, 1 month and 17 days	Appointed to Archdiocese of Guadalajara.
11		Francisco de la Cuesta, O.S.H. 1658–1724		Apr 28, 1704	Sep 23, 1723	19 years, 4 months and 26 days	Appointed to Michoacán.
12		Carlos Bermudez de Castro 1678–1729		Nov 20, 1724	Nov 13, 1729	4 years, 11 months and 24 days	Died in office.
13		Juan Angel Rodríguez, O.SS.T. 1687–1742		Dec 17, 1731	Jun 24, 1742	10 years, 6 months and 7 days	Died in office.
14		Pedro José Manuel Martínez de Arizala, O.F.M. 1690–1755		Feb 3, 1744	May 28, 1755	11 years, 3 months and 25 days	Died in office.
15		Manuel Antonio Rojo del Río Vera 1708–1764		Dec 19, 1757	Jan 30, 1764	6 years, 1 month and 11 days	Died in office.
16		Basilio Tomás Sancho Hernando, Sch. P. 1728–1787		Apr 14, 1766	Dec 15, 1787	8 months and 1 day	Died in office.
17		Juan Antonio Gallego Orbigo, O.F.M. Disc. 1729–1797		Dec 15, 1788	May 17, 1797	8 years, 5 months and 2 days	Died in office.
18		Juan Antonio Zulaibar, O.P. 1753–1824		Mar 26, 1804	Mar 4, 1824	19 years, 11 months and 7 days	Died in office.
19		Hilarión Díez, O.E.S.A. 1761–1829		Jul 3, 1826	May 7, 1829	2 years, 10 months and 4 days	Died in office.
20		José Seguí, O.E.S.A. 1773–1845		Jul 5, 1830	Jul 4, 1845	14 years, 11 months and 29 days	Died in office.
21		José Julián de Aranguren, O.A.R. 1801–1861		Jan 19, 1846	18 Apr 18, 1861	15 years, 2 months and 30 days	Died in office.
22		Gregorio Melitón Martínez Santa Cruz 1815–1885		Dec 23, 1861	Sep 30, 1875	13 years, 9 months and 7 days	Retired.
23		Pedro Payo y Piñeiro, O.P. 1814–1889		Jan 28, 1876	Jan 1, 1889	12 years, 11 months and 4 days	Died in office.
24		Bernardino Nozaleda y Villa, O.P. 1844–1927		May 27, 1889	Feb 4, 1902	12 years, 8 months and 8 days	Appointed to Metropolitan Archdiocese of Valencia.
25		Jeremiah James Harty 1853–1927		Jun 6, 1903	May 16, 1916	12 years, 11 months and 10 days	Appointed to Omaha.
26		Michael J. O'Doherty 1874–1949		Sep 6, 1916	Oct 13, 1949	33 years, 1 month and 7 days	Died in office.
27		Gabriel M. Reyes 1892–1952		Oct 13, 1949	Oct 10, 1952	2 years, 11 months and 27 days	Died in office.
28		Rufino J. Cardinal Santos 1908–1973		Feb 10, 1953	Sep 3, 1973	20 years, 6 months and 24 days	Died in office.
29		Jaime L. Cardinal Sin 1928–2005		Mar 19, 1974	Sep 15, 2003	29 years, 5 months and 27 days	Died in office.
30		Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales 1932–		Nov 21, 2003	Oct 13, 2011	7 years, 10 months and 22 days	Retired.
31		Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle 1957–		Dec 12, 2011	Feb 9, 2020	8 years, 1 month and 28 days	Appointed Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
32		Jose F. Cardinal Advíncula, O.P. 1952–		Jun 24, 2021	Incumbent	ongoing	Current Archbishop.

Timeline

Coadjutor Archbishops

Coadjutor Bishops of Manila

No.	Portrait	Name	From	Until	Duration	Notes
1		Romualdo J. Ballesteros, O.P. 1808–1872	20 Jun 1845	19 Jan 1846	6 months, 30 days	Appointed bishop of Cebu.
2		Gabriel M. Reyes 1892–1952	25 Aug 1949	13 Oct 1949	1 month, 18 days	Succeeded Archbishop Michael O’Doherty on 13 Oct 1949.

Auxiliary Bishops

Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Manila

No.	Portrait	Name	From	Until	Duration	Notes
Auxiliary Bishops of Manila
1		Gines Barrientos, O.P. 1637–1698	9 Apr 1680	13 Nov 1698	18 years, 6 months, 15 days	First known auxiliary bishop of Manila.
2		William Finnemann, S.V.D. 1882–1942	8 Feb 1929	4 Dec 1936	7 years, 9 months, 26 days	Appointed Prefect of Mindoro; martyred during WWII.
3		Cesare Maria Guerrero 1885–1961	16 Dec 1937	14 May 1949	11 years, 4 months, 28 days	Later appointed Bishop of San Fernando.
4		Rufino J. Santos 1908–1973	19 Aug 1947	10 Feb 1953	5 years, 5 months, 22 days	Later became Cardinal Archbishop of Manila.
5		Vicente P. Reyes 1907–1983	12 Jun 1950	19 Jan 1961	10 years, 7 months, 7 days	appointed Bishop of Borongan.
6		Hernando Antiporda 1914–1975	19 Aug 1954	13 Dec 1975	21 years, 3 months, 24 days	Died in office.
7		Pedro Bantigue y Natividad 1920–2012	29 May 1961	26 Jan 1967	5 years, 7 months, 28 days	Later Bishop of San Pablo.
8		Bienvenido M. Lopez 1924–1995	3 Dec 1966	27 Apr 1995	28 years, 4 months, 24 days	Longest-serving auxiliary bishop of Manila.
9		Artemio G. Casas 1920–2001	4 Sep 1968	11 May 1974	5 years, 8 months, 7 days	Later appointed Archbishop of Jaro.
10		Amado Paulino y Hernandez 1913–1985	25 Feb 1969	9 Mar 1985	16 years, 12 days	died in office.
11		Gaudencio B. Rosales 1932–	12 Aug 1974	9 Jun 1982	7 years, 9 months, 28 days	Appointed coadjutor of Malaybalay, Later became Cardinal Archbishop of Manila.
12		Oscar V. Cruz 1934–2020	4 Mar 1976	22 May 1978	2 years, 2 months, 18 days	Appointed Archbishop of San Fernando.
13		Leonard Z. Legaspi, O.P. 1935–2014	25 Jun 1977	20 Oct 1983	6 years, 3 months, 25 days	Later became Archbishop of Caceres.
14		Protacio G. Gungon 1925–2006	8 Jul 1977	24 Jan 1983	5 years, 6 months, 16 days	Appointed Bishop of Antipolo.
15		Manuel C. Sobreviñas 1924–2020	7 Apr 1979	25 Feb 1993	13 y, 10 m, 18 d	Appointed Bishop of Imus.
16		Gabriel V. Reyes 1941–	20 Jan 1981	21 Nov 1992	11 years, 10 months, 1 day	Appointed Bishop of Kalibo.
17		Teodoro J. Buhain Jr. 1937–2024	5 Jan 1983	23 Sep 2003	20 years, 8 months, 18 days	Retired.
18		Juan B. Velasco Díaz, O.P. 1911–1985	May 1983	9 Jul 1984	1 year, 2 months	Appointed as Bishop of Xiamen.
19		Teodoro C. Bacani Jr. 1940–	6 Mar 1984	7 Dec 2002	18 years, 9 months, 1 day	Appointed Bishop of Novaliches.
20		Leoncio L. Lat 1917–2002	1985	12 Dec 1992	approx 7 years	retired.
21		Ramon C. Argüelles 1944–	26 Nov 1993	25 Aug 1995	1 year, 8 months	Appointed Archbishop of Lipa.
22		Crisostomo A. Yalung 1953–	25 Mar 1994	18 Oct 2001	7 years, 6 months, 23 days	Appointed bishop of Antipolo.
23		Rolando Joven T. Tirona, O.C.D. 1946–	15 Nov 1994	14 Dec 1996	2 years, 29 days	Appointed Bishop of Malolos.
24		Jesse E. Mercado 1951–	25 Feb 1997	7 Dec 2002	5 years, 9 months, 12 days	Appointed Bishop of Parañaque.
25		Socrates B. Villegas 1960–	25 Jul 2001	3 May 2004	2 years, 9 months, 8 days	Appointed Bishop of Balanga.
26		Bernardino C. Cortez 1949–	31 May 2004	27 Oct 2014	10 years, 4 months, 27 days	Appointed Bishop of Infanta.
27		Broderick S. Pabillo 1955–	24 May 2006	29 Jun 2021	15 years, 1 months, 5 days	Appointed Vicar Apostolic of Taytay.

Priests of this diocese who became bishops

• Francisco Sales Reyes y Alicante, appointed Bishop of the Archdiocese of Nueva Caceres (now Archdiocese of Caceres) in 1925
• Artemio Gabriel Casas, appointed 1st Bishop of Imus in 1961; later returned to the archdiocese as auxiliary bishop
• Felix Paz Perez, appointed 2nd Bishop of Imus in 1969
• Antonio Realubin Tobias, appointed auxiliary bishop of Zamboanga in 1982, then bishop of the Diocese of Pagadian, Diocese of San Fernando in La Union, and finally Diocese of Novaliches until retirement in 2019
• Francisco Capiral San Diego, appointed Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Palawan in 1983, then became Apostolic Vicar of Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Princesa, 2nd bishop of the Diocese of San Pablo, Laguna and later 1st bishop of the Diocese of Pasig.
• Francisco Mendoza de Leon, Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Antipolo (September 1, 2007 – November 21, 2015), Coadjutor Bishop of Antipolo (November 22, 2015 – September 10, 2016) and 4th Bishop of the Diocese of Antipolo (September 10, 2016 – July 22, 2023).
• Socrates Buenaventura Villegas, 3rd Bishop of the Diocese of Balanga (May 3, 2004 – November 4, 2009) and 5th Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan (November 4, 2009 – present)
• Ruperto Cruz Santos, 4th Bishop of the Diocese of Balanga (April 1, 2010 – July 22, 2023), 5th Bishop of the Diocese of Antipolo (July 22, 2023 – present)
• Roberto Orendain Gaa, 3rd Bishop of the Diocese of Novaliches (August 24, 2019 – present)
• Jose Alan Verdejo Dialogo, 5th Bishop of the Diocese of Sorsogon (October 15, 2019 – present)
• Arnaldo Sanchez Catalan, Apostolic Nuncio to Rwanda (January 31, 2022 – present)
• Rufino Coronel Sescon Jr., 5th Bishop of the Diocese of Balanga (March 1, 2025 – present)

Suffragan dioceses and bishops

Diocese	Image	Bishop	Period in Office	Coat of Arms	Diocese Logo
Antipolo (Rizal)		Ruperto C. Santos	May 24, 2023 – present (2 years, 26 days)
Cubao (Quezon City)		Elias L. Ayuban, C.M.F.	October 04, 2024 – present (53 days)
Imus (Cavite)		Reynaldo G. Evangelista	April 08, 2013 – present (12 years, 72 days)
Kalookan (South Caloocan, Malabon City, Navotas City)		Pablo Virgilio S. Cardinal David	October 14, 2015 –present (9 years, 248 days)
Malolos (Bulacan, Valenzuela City)		Dennis C. Villarojo	May 14, 2019 – present (6 years, 36 days)
Novaliches (Quezon City, North Caloocan)		Roberto O. Gaa	June 06, 2019 – present (6 years, 13 days)
Parañaque (Parañaque City, Las Piñas City, Muntinlupa City)		Jesse E. Mercado	December 07, 2002 – present (22 years, 194 days)
Pasig (Pasig City, Pateros, Taguig City)		Mylo Hubert C. Vergara	April 20, 2011 – present (14 years, 60 days)
San Pablo (Laguna)		Marcelino Antonio M. Maralit	September 21, 2024 – present (271 days)

Formation of priests

The archdiocese administers San Carlos Seminary, the archdiocesan major seminary which caters to the formation of future priests for the archdiocese and for its suffragan dioceses. Located in Guadalupe Viejo, Makati, it has a pre-college program (senior high school and formation year), a college program (A.B., philosophy), and a graduate school (master's program in theology or pastoral ministry), as well as a formation houses for future priests committed to serve the Filipino-Chinese communities in the country (Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Society) and a center for adult vocations (Holy Apostles Senior Seminary). The archdiocese also operates Our Lady of Guadalupe Minor Seminary for young men at the secondary school level. It is located a few blocks from San Carlos Seminary.

Schools

The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Manila Educational System (RCAMES) comprises 27 archdiocesan and parochial schools. The archbishop of Manila exercises authority in each member school and appoints a superintendent for the entire system to implement decisions and resolve issues. The member schools are:

• Ermita Catholic School
• Espiritu Santo Parochial School
• Guadalupe Catholic School
• Holy Child Catholic School
• Holy Family Parochial School
• Holy Trinity Academy
• Jaime Cardinal Sin Learning Center
• Malate Catholic School
• Manila Cathedral School
• Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School
• Our Lady of Guadalupe Minor Seminary
• Paco Catholic School
• Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic School
• Saint Anthony School
• Saint Joseph School - Gagalangin
• Saint Joseph's School of Pandacan
• Saint Peter the Apostle School
• Saint Pius X Parochial School
• San Felipe Neri Parochial School
• San Isidro Catholic School
• San Juan de Dios Educational Foundation
• San Pablo Apostol Learning Center
• San Rafael Parochial School
• Santa Clara Parish School
• Santa Isabel College
• St. John the Baptist Catholic School
• The Nazarene Catholic School

See also

• List of Catholic dioceses in the Philippines
• Catholic Church in the Philippines
• The Royal and Conciliar San Carlos Seminary

References

Sources

• Population of the Archdiocese of Manila Statistics of Manila Archdiocese
• Official website
• Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Archdiocese of Manila" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
• Gregory XIII, Pope, 1502–1585. "Bull for erection of the Diocese and Cathedral Church of Manila." In The Philippine Islands, 1493–1898. Cleveland, Ohio: A.H. Clark Company, 1903–9. Vol. 4, 1576–82. pp. 119–124.
• 5 Seminaries under the Archdiocese of Manila

COFOR – The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila

External links

• Website of the Archdiocese of Manila