Happy 500 Year Anniversary of the first Catholic Mass in the Philippines.
Apparently there is some debate as to where precisely the Mass took place. The government seems firmly convinced that the location was Limasawa, and this seems to be the majority opinion. Others believe the site to be Masao in Butuan as the location.
Either way, everyone agrees it was celebrated for the first time on March 31, 1521 and today is the 500th anniversary. It was actually Easter Sunday on which it was celebrated.
Magellan and the sovereign ruler of the island Rajah Kolambu made a blood pact. I was surprised to discover this involved each person cutting their wrists and pour the blood into a drink such as wine to both drink. Wow. They did this and exchanged gifts.
The first Mass was celebrated by Father Pedro Valderrama. After Mass, they planted a large cross known as Magellan's Cross. This cross still exists to this day, but some claim the original has been lost. Others say the original is encased in a larger cross as people were chipping away pieces of it. Why would someone chip away a piece of such a cross? Do they not realize the damage they are doing?
In any event, the Philippines has become a very Christian country, and is one of the great successes of Christianity in Asia!
Here is a video published today, March 31, 2021 marking the event:
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