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[Number 21]

Fr. Marvin Mejia reads the historical account of the first baptism in the Philippines
during a press conference for the activities for the quincentennial anniversary on the
arrival of Christianity in the country this 2021. | Gerard Francisco
CEBU CITY, Philippines —— With the quincentennial celebration approaching, the
Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) hopes the debates on the true
location of the first Mass will finally be resolved.
Fr. Marvin Mejia, secretary-general of the CBCP, said the matter was still being looked
into by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) and the
Association of Church Historians in the Philippines.
The first Mass and the first baptism are the two major historical ecclesiastical events
that are given focus in the quincentennial celebrations sanctioned by the CBCP and the
Archdiocese of Cebu. Cebu is identified as the site of the first baptism with Rajah
Humabon, Queen Juana and hundreds of their community members being the first
converts, according to the accounts of Antonio Pigafetta, the chronicler of the
Magellan-Elcano expedition.

The first baptism was on April 14, 1521.According to Pigafetta, the first Mass was
celebrated on March 31, 1521, an Easter Sunday. Pigafetta referred to the venue as
“Mazaua.” Some say that the venue is the island of Limasawa in Leyte. Others,
however, claim that Pigafetta was referring to Masao the community at the mouth of
Agusan River adjacent to what is now the city of Butuan.
Nearing 500 years since the first Mass, debates continue whether it was held on
Limasawa Island, in Agusan or somewhere else. “As far as our history books, the first
Mass is in Limasawa. But there are other places that are claiming that the first Mass
was held in their locality. The historical commission somehow opens the discussion
among experts and historians,” Mejia said. Read more: Archdiocese of Cebu to
highlight first baptism in 2021 quincentennial celebrations. Mejia attended the
Archdiocese of Cebu’s press conference on Wednesday, November 13, which tackled
about the plans of the Catholic church for the quincentennial celebration.
They announced that to commemorate the first baptism, 500 children with special needs
would be baptized in the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño in Cebu City on April 14,
2021. The first Mass, on the other hand, shall be celebrated across the country as it will
be commemorated on the Easter of 2021 which falls on April 12. This way, Mejia said,
the first Mass would be well celebrated and commemorated by all churches regardless
of where the true site would be. “Even if the issue is not yet resolved, the celebration
and the commemoration would still happen,” said Mejia. He said that it would be up to
the dioceses who were claiming to be the site of the f


Use this chart to compare and contrast the conflicting accounts of the site
of the FIRST MASS IN THE PHILIPPINES using the historical concepts given and
other related sources to the topic.
TOPIC BEING COMPARED:
REASONS FOR COMPARISON:
LIMASAWA
POINT 1:
POINT 2:
POINT 3:
POINT 4:
POINT 5:
BUTUAN
POINT 1:
POINT 2:
POINT 3:
POINT 4:
POINT 5:

SIMILARITIES DIFFERENCES:
CONCLUSION:

 

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TOPIC BEING COMPARED: The conflicting accounts of the site of the first Mass in the Philippines.

REASONS FOR COMPARISON: To determine the different claims and arguments for the location of the first Mass and to compare and contrast the historical concepts and sources related to the topic.

LIMASAWA:
POINT 1: According to Antonio Pigafetta's account, the first Mass was celebrated on March 31, 1521, on an island named "Mazaua."
POINT 2: Many historical sources identify Limasawa Island as the site of the first Mass. It is believed that the Mass was celebrated in a location called "Magellan's Cross."
POINT 3: Some historians point out that Pigafetta did not specifically mention Limasawa as the site of the first Mass, but only referred to "Mazaua."
POINT 4: The location of Magellan's Cross in Limasawa is marked by a monument and is recognized as a national historical landmark.
POINT 5: The National Historical Commission of the Philippines recognizes Limasawa as the site of the first Mass.

BUTUAN:
POINT 1: Some historians argue that "Mazaua" is not Limasawa Island but is actually Masao, a community at the mouth of the Agusan River adjacent to the city of Butuan.
POINT 2: Butuan claims to be the site of the first Mass as it is believed that Ferdinand Magellan and his crew went to Butuan after Limasawa.
POINT 3: According to some historians, there is evidence of a church and a baptismal font in Butuan that were built in the 16th century.
POINT 4: The Butuan Diocese has been pushing for the recognition of their claim through research and historical evidence.
POINT 5: The Association of Church Historians in the Philippines is also studying the Butuan claim and conducting research on the matter.

SIMILARITIES:
Both Limasawa and Butuan claim to be the site of the first Mass in the Philippines. Both have historical evidence to support their claims, and both are being studied and researched by historians and experts.

DIFFERENCES:
The main difference is the location of "Mazaua" as described in Pigafetta's account. Limasawa and Butuan have different interpretations of the location, and this has led to conflicting claims.

CONCLUSION:
The debate on the true location of the first Mass in the Philippines remains unresolved. While historical evidence points to Limasawa as the site of the first Mass, Butuan also has compelling arguments and evidence to support their claim. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines hopes that further research will finally resolve this issue.