Manila Cathedral: A Timeline of Strength

The beautiful facade of the Manila Cathedral.

Timeline of Events:

• 1571. The first church was built out of nipa and bamboo.
• 1583. The cathedral was destroyed by fire.
• 1591. The second cathedral was built of stone and mortar.

In the facade is a Latin statement which may be translated as "Thy heart we entrust to you, immaculate and consecrated." 

• 1599. The cathedral was destroyed by earthquake.
• 1600. The cathedral was partially destroyed by earthquake.
• 1614. The third cathedral was built.

A picture in the interiors of the Manila Cathdral.

• 1621. The cathedral was destroyed by an earthquake.
• 1645. The cathedral was destroyed by an earthquake.
• 1654 - 1681. The fourth cathedral was magnificently built by Archbishop Miguel Poblete.

The facade up close.

• 1751. The cathedral was demolished.
• 1760. The fifth cathedral was inaugurated. 
• 1850. The cathedral was renovated.

The angel at the Narthex that holds the holy water.

• 1852. The cathedral was destroyed by an earthquake.
• 1854 - 1858. The sixth cathedral was constructed.
• June 3, 1863. The cathedral was destroyed by an earthquake.

The altar of the Manila Cathedral with an image of the Immaculate Conception.

• 1879. The seventh cathedral was inaugurated in 1879. 
• 1880. The cathedral was severely damaged by an earthquake when the belltower collapsed.
• 1945. The cathedral was totally destroyed during the Battle of Manila.

One of the authorized replicas of  Pieta sculpted by Michelangelo Buonarroti.

• 1953 - 1958. The present  and the eighth cathedral was built. 
• 1981. The cathedral was elevated to the rank of Minor Basilica by Pope John Paul II  and officially named Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.

Facing the cathedral, in Plaza Roma, is the statue of King Charles IV of Spain. This was built in gratitude for the king for his support of the Balmis Expedition during the 1800s. His royal doctor, Dr. Francisco Javier de Balmis, led the mission of giving out smallpox vaccines to the Filipinos. The king's daughter, Maria Luisa, said to have suffered the same illness.

To know more about the Manila Cathedral, please visit their website at http://www.manilacathedral.org/.


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Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manila_Cathedral,           http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balmis_Expedition