Case Study 1: Where did the first Catholic Mass take place ing the Philippines

Summary

This presentation discusses the location of the first Catholic mass in the Philippines, traditionally believed to have taken place in Butuan for centuries. However, more recent scholarship has re-examined primary sources such as Francisco Albo's log and Antonio Pigafetta's accounts. The presenters delve into the details of these historical texts, analyzing routes, locations, and key events from Magellan’s expedition in 1521. Through historiographical analysis, they explore conflicting interpretations, highlighting the complexity of identifying the exact site of the first mass. The report concludes by discussing the broader context of European exploration during that period.

Takeaways

• 📍 The case study focuses on the first Catholic mass in the Philippines, traditionally believed to have taken place in Limasawa.
• ⛪ For three centuries, Limasawa has been regarded as the site of the first mass, commemorated by a monument near the Ozamis River.
• 📝 Two primary sources are referenced to determine the site of the first mass: Francisco Albo’s log and Antonio Pigafetta’s account.
• 🌍 Albo’s log does not explicitly mention the first mass but discusses the planting of a cross on a mountaintop in Limasawa.
• 📜 Pigafetta's account is more detailed, documenting the route of Magellan’s expedition and the events surrounding the first mass.
• 🗺 The expedition passed through several islands, including Zamal and Humon, before reaching Limasawa, where the first mass was held.
• ✝️ On March 31, 1521, Easter Sunday, the first Catholic mass was celebrated on the island of Limasawa by Magellan’s crew.
• 🔍 Historians have re-examined evidence, challenging earlier interpretations of the exact location of the first mass.
• ⛵ Magellan’s expedition faced challenges as they navigated the islands of the Philippines, interacting with local leaders and establishing treaties.
• 📚 The report provides a historiographical approach, analyzing both historical events and how they are interpreted by scholars.

Q & A

Where was the first Catholic mass in the Philippines believed to have taken place for centuries?

For three centuries, it was believed that the first Catholic mass in the Philippines took place in Butuan, with a monument erected in 1872 near the Agusan River to commemorate the event.

What was the shift in historical interpretation about the location of the first mass in the Philippines?

Toward the end of the 19th century and the start of the 20th century, a more nuanced reading of historical evidence emerged, challenging the earlier belief that Butuan was the location of the first mass. Scholars began to consider other interpretations, including the possibility of Limasawa Island being the actual site.

What are the two primary sources historians rely on to identify the site of the first Catholic mass in the Philippines?

Historians primarily rely on the logs kept by Francisco Albo and the more complete account by Antonio Pigafetta to identify the site of the first mass.

What important geographical detail did Francisco Albo's log mention that contributes to the debate about the location of the first mass?

Francisco Albo's log mentions the planting of a cross on a mountaintop from which three islands could be seen to the west and southwest, which aligns with the southern end of Limasawa Island. However, he does not mention the mass itself.

How does Antonio Pigafetta’s account contribute to understanding the location of the first mass?

Antonio Pigafetta's account provides a detailed description of Ferdinand Magellan’s expedition, including references to the island of Mazava (now often identified as Limasawa), where the first mass was celebrated on Easter Sunday, March 31, 1521.

What did Pigafetta record about the events of March 31, 1521?

Pigafetta recorded that on March 31, 1521, Easter Sunday, a Catholic mass was celebrated on the island of Mazava, with the local king and other chiefs in attendance. Later that day, a cross was planted on the highest hill of the island.

Why did Ferdinand Magellan name the archipelago 'St. Lazarus Islands'?

Magellan named the archipelago 'St. Lazarus Islands' because the day they sighted the islands was a Sunday during Lent, when the Gospel reading focused on the raising of Lazarus from the dead.

What was the significance of the exchange of gifts between Magellan and the local king?

The exchange of gifts between Magellan and the local king symbolized the establishment of friendly relations, which allowed Magellan’s crew to secure food supplies and continue their journey peacefully.

What happened to Magellan's expedition after the celebration of the first mass in the Philippines?

After the mass on Mazava, Magellan's expedition continued to explore other islands, eventually arriving in Cebu, where they entered into a peace pact with the local king. Magellan was later killed in the Battle of Mactan.

What was Spain's primary motivation during the Age of Exploration, and how did this lead to Magellan's expedition to the Philippines?

Spain’s primary motivation during the Age of Exploration was to find alternative sea routes to Asia to access the lucrative spice trade. This led to Magellan’s expedition, which eventually reached the Philippines and claimed the islands for Spain.

Outlines

00:00

📜 The Historical Debate on the First Catholic Mass in the Philippines

This paragraph introduces the topic of the case study, which examines the site of the first Catholic mass in the Philippines. It outlines the long-held belief that Limasawa Island was the location of the first mass, culminating in a monument in 1872. However, more nuanced scholarship in the late 19th and early 20th centuries challenged this, citing primary sources such as Francisco Albo’s log and Antonio Pigafetta’s account. These sources have been reexamined to question the traditional interpretation.

05:00

⛪ Discrepancies in Historical Accounts of the First Mass

The second paragraph discusses the details from Francisco Albo’s log, describing the expedition's journey near various islands, including Mazaua (Limasawa) and Cebu. Although Albo does not mention the mass, he notes the planting of a cross on a mountaintop. His descriptions of latitude and geography align with the location of Limasawa, but there is still ambiguity about whether it was the site of the first mass.

10:02

🛶 Pigafetta's Account and the Island of Mazaua

This paragraph delves into Antonio Pigafetta’s account, detailing Magellan’s expedition and its stop at various islands, including Mazaua. It narrates the exchange of gifts with local natives, Pigafetta’s interactions with the local king, and the expedition’s movements. Pigafetta’s description of Mazaua aligns with modern Limasawa, though it leaves room for debate about its identification.

15:03

🏝️ The Expedition's Journey to Cebu and the First Mass

The fourth paragraph recounts the journey to Cebu, describing how the Spanish expedition interacted with the local rulers, culminating in the celebrated first mass. The mass was held on March 31, 1521, in the presence of local chiefs, followed by the planting of a cross on a hilltop. This marked a significant event in the history of Christianity in the Philippines.

20:03

🚢 Exploration and Harvest: Post-Mass Events

This paragraph details the events after the first mass, including the expedition's ongoing exploration and interactions with local rulers. Magellan asked the local king for help with harvesting, which took place over several days in early April. The expedition continued its journey through various islands, engaging in further exchanges with local leaders.

25:04

⚔️ The Age of Exploration and Magellan's Legacy

The final paragraph provides historical context for the Age of Exploration, describing how European rulers sought new trade routes to Asia. It also touches on Magellan’s significance in this period and his eventual death. The survivors of his expedition continued to explore the Philippines, marking the beginning of Spanish colonization. The paragraph concludes with the reporters signing off.

Keywords

💡First Catholic Mass

The first Catholic Mass in the Philippines is a central theme of the video. It refers to the historic religious event traditionally believed to have taken place in 1521 during the Magellan expedition. The video discusses historiographical debates regarding the exact location of the mass, with earlier views favoring Butuan and later scholarship pointing to Limasawa Island.

💡Historiography

Historiography refers to the study of how history is written and the methods historians use to interpret past events. The video uses the case of the first Catholic Mass in the Philippines as an example of a historiographical exercise, highlighting the evolving interpretations of historical sources and events.

💡Francisco Albo

Francisco Albo was a navigator on Magellan’s expedition who kept a log of the voyage. His account is one of the two primary sources discussed in the video that historians use to debate the site of the first Catholic Mass in the Philippines. Albo’s log provides navigational details but does not mention the mass directly, focusing more on the planting of the cross.

💡Antonio Pigafetta

Antonio Pigafetta was an Italian scholar and explorer who accompanied Magellan's expedition. His detailed account is the other primary source historians refer to when investigating the site of the first mass. Pigafetta's narrative provides a more complete description of events, including the Easter Sunday mass.

💡Limasawa Island

Limasawa Island is the location most modern scholars identify as the site of the first Catholic Mass in the Philippines. This conclusion comes from re-examining primary sources like Albo’s log and Pigafetta’s account, which align geographically with the island. The video emphasizes how newer historiographical research supports this claim.

💡Butuan

Butuan is another location historically believed to be the site of the first Catholic Mass in the Philippines. For centuries, this view dominated, and a monument was erected in 1872 to commemorate the event there. However, more recent scholarship has challenged this interpretation, suggesting Limasawa instead.

💡Magellan Expedition

The Magellan Expedition was a Spanish voyage led by Ferdinand Magellan, who sought a westward route to Asia. It is known for being the first to circumnavigate the globe, though Magellan himself did not complete the journey. The expedition’s arrival in the Philippines in 1521 is central to the story of the first Catholic Mass, as it was during this time that the mass took place.

💡Cross Planting

The planting of the cross is a significant event mentioned in the video. Both Albo’s and Pigafetta’s accounts mention the planting of a cross on a mountaintop, which symbolized Spain’s claim over the land and its intention to spread Christianity. The video discusses how this act is often conflated with the celebration of the first mass.

💡Easter Sunday 1521

Easter Sunday, March 31, 1521, is the day when the first Catholic Mass is believed to have been celebrated in the Philippines, according to Pigafetta's account. This date is central to the religious and historical significance of the event, marking the introduction of Catholicism to the archipelago.

💡Historiographical Re-examination

Historiographical re-examination refers to the process of revisiting and reevaluating historical evidence and interpretations. In the video, this is illustrated by the debate over the location of the first Catholic Mass, with more recent studies challenging long-held beliefs and providing new insights based on primary sources like those of Albo and Pigafetta.

Highlights

The report addresses the long-standing belief that Limasawa was the site of the first Catholic Mass in the Philippines, held in 1521.

A historiographical analysis is conducted using primary sources like Francisco Albo's log and Antonio Pigafetta’s testimonies to challenge traditional narratives.

Albo’s log, which is often overlooked, contains valuable geographic descriptions but does not mention the first Mass, only the planting of a cross on a mountaintop.

The report emphasizes the significance of cross-referencing primary sources to challenge historical claims about the location of the first Mass.

The historical debate is framed as a part of larger 19th- and 20th-century efforts by Spanish and Filipino scholars to reconsider the evidence.

Pigafetta’s account provides a detailed description of Magellan’s expedition, including references to specific islands and navigational routes.

The discovery of islands such as Zamal and Humonon (Homonhon) during the expedition is highlighted, underscoring the importance of geographic knowledge.

The symbolic significance of renaming islands, such as Magellan naming the archipelago St. Lazarus after landing, is discussed.

Pigafetta's detailed accounts of the interactions between Magellan’s crew and the native rulers of islands like Mazava and Subu are presented.

The planting of a cross, although a significant act, is interpreted differently in various sources, leading to different conclusions about the site of the first Mass.

The report emphasizes the importance of historical context and interpretation when analyzing events from the Age of Exploration.

Magellan’s expedition is contextualized within the broader European efforts of exploration and colonization, particularly Spain’s competition to access the spice trade.

The report touches on the logistical and technological differences between European ships and native vessels, impacting the navigation routes taken.

The narrative ends by noting that after Magellan’s death, the survivors of the expedition continued their journey, further exploring the Philippines and beyond.

The re-examination of evidence from primary sources challenges the long-accepted narrative, contributing to ongoing scholarly debates about the location of the first Catholic Mass in the Philippines.

Transcripts

good day everyone today we are going to

discuss the case study number one where

did the first Catholic mass take place

in the

Philippines wherein we are going to

discuss and use it as a

historiographical exercise and the

utilization of events and interpretation

in Reading historical exercises my name

is J keso from Bachelor of Science in

Social Work 1B with my partner Miss City

shiny kindo let's dig deeper into this

case did you know that bhan has been

long been believed as the site of the

first mass yes this has been the case

for three centuries culminating in the

erection of the monument in 1872 near

ausen river which commemorates the

Expedition arrival and the celebration

of the mass on April

1521 but this is just based on rather an

elementary Reading of the primary

sources of the

event toward the end of the 19th century

and the start of the 20th century

together with the increasing um

scholarship on the history of the

Philippines a more Nuance reading of the

available evidence was made which

brought to light more considerations um

in going against more accepted

interpretation of the first mass in the

Philippines made both by um Spanish and

Filipino Scholars it must be noted that

there are only two primary sources that

historians refer to in identifying the

site of the first mask one is the log

kept by Francisco albo and the other and

more complete was the account by Antonio

petta now let us dig deeper into one of

the primary source alos log Diario o de

Torero Del viage de Magan elaba C

Austine N L Brazil hasta El regresso a

ESP Deo Victoria ESO po Franco alvo

document number 22 in collection

theage 15 edited by Martin Fran

Fernandez davar which was printed on

buenos Iris

1945 and have five

volumes

for

191 to 225 Pages as cited in Miguel a

Bernard ban or liasa the site of the

first mass in the Philippines a re

examination evid of evidence 1981 Kina

adman a journal of the Southern

Philippines volume number three pages 1

1

to35 so 16th of March in

1521 naling lad in a Westerly course and

then they saw this land NASA

Northwest

shallow

later y

nagan so in that same day since

land

an southwards to another small island

which is

called Anor and

thenard is located at 9 and 23° north

latitude

so Island St

West to

inhabit which is

called

wateri is shallow

soal

maneuver ship Nila and in this part

Hindi binigay ni Alo latitude Island

per in

pet this seems to be the island aquada

or humon at 10° north latitude from that

uninhabited Island which

is

aquad

sa westwards toward a large island which

is the name Sani that was in inhabited

or Sani Kasi tinatawag ni Peta na SA

on or the island of Le and Island Isam

gold let

say the people of that island of maawa

were very good um there the Spaniards

planted a cross upon a mountain top and

from there um they were shown three

islands to the west and southwest where

they were told there was much gold um

they showed us how the gold was gathered

which came in small pieces like peas and

lentils from mazava they sailed

northwards again towards Sani they

followed the coast of Sani in a

northwesterly direction ascending up to

10° of latitude where they saw three

small Islands from there um they sailed

westwards um some 10 leagues um and

there they saw three eyelets and where

they drop anchor for the night and in

the morning um they sailed Southwest

some 12 leagues down to a Latitude um of

10 and

13° there they entered a channel between

two islands and one which one of which

was called Matan and the other was

called subu or

subu they sailed down the channel and

then turned Westward and anchored at the

town called La Villa of subu where they

stayed many days and obtained um

provisions and entered into a peace pack

with the local King so the town of subu

was on the east west Direction with the

islands of suluan and mazava but between

mazava and subu um there were uh so many

shallows that the boats could um not go

Westward directly but has to go as they

did um in a roundabout way it must be

noted that in albo's account um the

location of mazava feeds the location of

the island of Li masawa at the southern

tip of leate also albow does not mention

the first mass but only the planting of

the Cross upon a Mountaintop um from

which could be seen three islands to the

west and um Southwest which also fits

the southern end of

limasawa um now let us move on to

another primary source um the pig fetus

testimon on the route of melan's

expedition so the source is from um Emma

Blair and James Alexander Robertson the

Philippines Islands volume 33 and 34 as

cited in Miguel a Bernard bhan or liawa

the site of the first mass in the

Philippines a reexamination of evidence

1981 kadman a journal of Southern

Philippines volume 3 Pages 1 to35

um on March 16 1521 which has happened

to be um on Saturday melan's Expedition

cited a Highland named zamal which was

some 300 leagues Westward of lones which

was now called um Mariana's Island so on

the following day um Sunday March 177

after citing um zamal Island they landed

on another Island which was uninhabited

um means unoccupied by people and which

lay to the right of the above mentioned

island of zamal um which um to the right

here would mean on their starboard going

south or um Southwest so yeah there they

set up two tents for um the seik members

of the crew and had a so killed for them

um the name of this island is um

honon this island was located at 10°

north

latitude on that same day um Sunday

March 177 U mellan named the entire

archipelago um the island of St Lazarus

um um the reason that it was Sunday in

the Lenton season when the gospel

assigned for the mass and the lurgical

office um was the 11th chapter of St

John which tells of the raising of

Lazarus from the dead so the following

day um Monday March 18th in the

afternoon of their second day on that

island um they saw a boat coming towards

them with um nine men in it so there the

exchange of gifts um affected um melan

asked uh for food supplies and then the

men went away um promising to bring uh

that supplies that melan has um asked

for um they

um promised to bring rice and other

supplies in Just 4 days so there were

two Springs of water on that island of

honon also they saw there there's some

indication that there was gold in this

island so consequently mellan renamed

the island and called it The Watering

Place of good omen or aquada liboni

senali so on Friday March 22 4 days

exactly um as those natives promised to

bring Foods back to um melan as an

exchange of what um melan gave them um

at the noon the natives returned and

this time they were in two boats um and

they bought the Food Supplies that um

melan wants to exchange for so that was

what that was what melan asked for so

and in exactly 4 days the n I gave it to

melan as an exchange so melan's

Expedition stayed 8 Days s honon simul

Sunday March 17 H Monday the following

week which is March

25th so Monday March 25

afternoon Expedition we anchored and

left and during that day is EES S eesan

calendar is the Feast of Incarnation

also called The Feast of the

Annunciation or

therefore our ladies

day unfortunate accident

wherein Peta water and rescue and

based he really attributed his escape

from the grace and intercession of Mama

Mary the route taken by by the

Expedition

after was toward the west southwest

between the four Islands namely senolo

Calo Hong Haan ibon and albarin very

probably is a misspelling in the Italian

manuscript for what Pat feta says in his

map or calls it salon and k alba Naman

he calls it Sani namely

refer is the island of l h is a

misspelling of

Hong seem to Peta to be a separate

Island separate Island Yun actually NASA

Mainland n or

salon on the other hand y hion or kapeta

ibon is an island on the east of the

latest Southern tiip

thus it is easy to see what pigafetta

meant by selling uh saying that toward

the west southwest past those islands so

they left the hon sailing westwards ulit

papuntang

late and then followed latest

Coastline Coastline Southward passing

between the islands of hibon on the port

side and Hong Haan Bay on the starboard

and then

continue

Southward then mag turn Nam to

mazava Thursday in March 28th it was the

Holy Thursday n anchor Sila in the

island which is lice in the latitude of

9 and 2/3 towards the Arctic pole and in

a longitude of 162° from the line of den

denar so it was 25 Le leagues from the

aquada and is

called mazava

so oray mazava for seven

days as was saying remain s seven days

Mas iseland and then Thursday April

4

Mawa bound

foru and gin King Of masava Who is

sailing on his own boat

and S

rout five Islands which is the

salon Bol kigan byby and

Ganan Westward to the three islands of

the kotes

group CES group Nam poro pasan and poson

here the spal ship allowed to stop the

king of masava to catch up with them cuz

since

Spanish ships is much more faster

because of the um

engines and the mechanicism

um of the

boat of course our native balanghai or

native

votes and then from CES

Islands southwards to subu subu so

Sunday April 7 tangali things Harbor NAU

and it actually take them 3 days to

negotiate to the journey of mazava

northwards to the Cotes Islands then sou

uh southwards to

seu so let us now proceed to the primary

source of pigafetta and seven days in

maawa so Source um Emma Blair and James

Alexander Robertson the Philippines

Islands volume 33 and 34 as cited in

Miguel a Bernard bhan or imasawa the

site of the first mass in the

Philippines uh re examination of

evidence

1981 uh Kina adman uh a journal of

Southern Philippines volume 3 Pages 1

to35 on March 28th which was um on

Thursday um um in the morning um the Mel

Expedition um Ang Concor near an island

where they had seen a light then at

night um before a small boat um or boto

came with eight natives to whom melan

threw some trinkets as a present so the

narratives paddled away um but 2 hours

later two larger boats or balanghai came

um so in one of which the native king um

sat under an owning of mats um at

melan's invitation some of the Native um

some of the natives went up uh the

Spanish

ship then um but the native King

remained seated in uh his boat also as

an exchange of gifts was affected as I

said earlier

um in the afternoon that day the Spanish

ships weighed anchor and came closer to

shore um anchoring near the native Kings

Village so that this Thursday March 28th

was Thursday in Holy Week basically um

Holy

Thursday so um the day after that uh

Friday March 29 which considered as um

Holy Friday so melan sent his um slave

interpreter a Shore in a small boat to

ask the king um if he could provide the

Expedition with Food Supplies um and to

say that they had come as friends um not

as enemies so in reply the king um

himself came in a boat of six or eight

men um and this time went um went up

mellan sheeps and the two men embraced

um so another exchanges of gifts so was

made so the act the native uh King and

his companions returned asure so being

with them to members of melan's um

Expedition as guest for the night so one

of the uh two was one of the two was um

pigafetta um so on the following day

March 30 happened to be on Saturday

pigafetta and His companion had spent

the previous evening uh feasting and

drinking with the native king and the

King's son so as I said Kina um uh

before going back the king bring uh two

of the melan's um Expedition as a guest

for the feasting night so one of that as

I said was as I me as I mentioned was

piga feta

so so the next day after that March 31

Sunday early um or early in the morning

of Sunday uh the last of March and

Easter day uh melan sent the priest

assure with some men to prepare for the

mass so later in the morning Mela landed

with some 50 men and mass was celebrated

so after which uh cross was venerated

melan and the Spaniards returned to the

sheep for the Noonday meal but in the

afternoon they returned ashore to plant

the cross um on the summit of the

highest hill um in attendance both at

the mass and at the planting of the

cross were the king of maua and the king

of

buhuan Sunday March

3

[Applause]

Hill three ports

which

is Salon SAU

andag kalagan

and wish to go to subu and depart sh in

the uh in the following

morning uh he asked someone to tether

him which ISU and KS is like anytime

available

later March

31 of

mael first he needs to of

course Harvest

and ask Nam K melan to send him men to

help in

[Applause]

Harvest which is the Monday April

1

Harvest hover April 1 then Tuesday April

2 and Wednesday April

3

Harvest so for 2 days Harvest Thursday

April

4 maava bound

foru so the Age of Exploration ano ba

talaga the Age of Exploration is y

period of a competition among European

rulers to conquer and colonize the lands

outside their domains so initially goal

tal is to find alternative routes by sea

to get to Asia Asia is the main source

of spices and other Commodities and

if existing routes time is by land if

you travel by land it's much costly so a

SE route to Asia meant that the

Europeans could access the spice trade

directly greatly reducing cause Forest

Traders uh so Spain's major foray into

the exploration was through Christopher

Columbus H he's famous right we have

heard about him who proposed to sail

westward to find the shortcut for

Asia if you have been paying attention

to what we have been discussing since

the early

uh we have discuss it's

always word West Ward so it's because of

the proposal of christop Christopher

Columbus and he was see Christopher

Columbus he was able to reach the

Americas that is what he is known for

ifam and then

America is cut off from the Known

World moving on Spain colonized the

parts of North America Mexico South

America in the 16th century they were

also able to reach the Philippines and

claim it for the Spanish

Crown later on any

other European rules rulers would

compete with the activity of the

exploration and

conquering of

lands it must be also pointed out that

uh later on uh after the melan's death

or or after he died uh the surv

survivors of his Expeditions uh went to

Mindanao and seemingly went to buhuan so

um in this in instance pigafetta uh

vividly describes a trip in a river but

uh take note that this uh account

happened uh after the death of melan so

um that's all for our report um I hope

you uh listened well today and learned

uh something from our report so once

again I am CT shiny k kindo um from BS

Social Work 1B um reporting with uh my

partner Miss Jana altea K Deo