Apostolic Nunciature to the Philippines

Apostolic Nunciature in the Philippines
Address	2140 Taft Avenue, Malate, Manila, Philippines
Coordinates	14°34′9.8616″N 120°59′32.6796″E / 14.569406000°N 120.992411000°E / 14.569406000; 120.992411000
Apostolic Nuncio	Most Rev. Charles John Brown, DD

The Apostolic Nunciature in the Philippines is a top-level diplomatic mission assigned by the Holy See to the Philippines, located at 2140 Taft Avenue, Malate, Manila.

Diplomatically, an apostolic nuncio may be equivalent to an ambassador, and often carries the ecclesial title of archbishop. The nuncio works closely with the Archdiocese of Manila, and is by custom the doyen of the diplomatic corps.

The Apostolic Nunciature in the Philippines was erected circa 1902. Though the official residence of the nuncio is located in Manila, he is not subject to the Archbishop of Manila but directly to the Pope like other bishops and archbishops.

When the Philippines was caught in World War II following the commencement of the Japanese invasion of East Asia, communication between the Holy See and the Philippine Delegation (Msgr. Guglielnao Piani, SDB), or any of the other delegations of the region, was not permitted. However, the Apostolic Delegation in Tokyo (Msgr. Paolo Marella) was permitted to communicate with the censored delegations.^[1]

In 1943, the Second Philippine Republic was inaugurated. In a letter dated October 14, 1943 (the day of the inauguration), the newly elected president of the puppet government, Jose P. Laurel, wrote to Luigi Cardinal Maglione, the Vatican secretary of state:^[2]

I have the honor to inform your excellency that of october fourteenth nineteen hundred and forty three the Philippines proclaimed her independence and declared herself a sovereign nation and organised a Government republican in form.' In comunicating [sic] the foregoing to your excellency, I desire to take advantage of the opportunity to express my sincere desire that there shall exist between the two countries the most cordial relation of amity and friendship. With the assurance your excellency of my most distinguished consideration.

Although, Cardinal Maglione received the telegram, he told the Japanese ambassador to the Holy See, Ken Harada, that as long as the war continues, the Holy See will not recognize any new states, including the new Philippine Republic.^[3] Harada acknowledged the Holy See's decision and did not pursue the matter further.^[3] Later, Cardinal Maglione directed Msgr. Piani, through Msgr. Marella, to continue to pursue and protect the interests of the Catholic religion in the country. He added that the local bishops are permitted to deal with local ecclesiastical affairs as long as they are not diplomatic in character. However, they could, if necessary, appeal to the authorities on affairs that are purely ecclesiastical.^[4]

The apostolic delegation helped clear up a misunderstanding that Msgr. Paul Taguchi, Archbishop of Osaka, visited Manila not to supplant the authority of the Archbishop of Manila but to establish contacts with the Catholics of that city.^[5]

Rumors were also spreading that Pope Pius XII personally communicated a telegram to Laurel. Maglione clarified via a letter to the Apostolic Delegate in London that since the Holy See did not recognize any new states for the duration of the war, no such telegram was ever sent.^[6]

As an apostolic vicar, the nuncio also serves a role in the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. An apostolic vicariate is a territorial jurisdiction established in areas which do not have a diocese and the nuncio serves as metropolitan bishop to these vicariates.

In the Philippines, the apostolic vicariates are:

• Apostolic Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe
• Apostolic Vicariate of Calapan
• Apostolic Vicariate of Jolo
• Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Princesa
• Apostolic Vicariate of San Jose in Mindoro
• Apostolic Vicariate of Tabuk
• Apostolic Vicariate of Taytay

In 1900 a papal legation with the rank of apostolic delegation in the Philippines was established. There have been seven apostolic delegates of the Philippines, until the Vatican promoted the papal legation in the Philippines to the status of apostolic nunciature on August 9, 1951.

No.	Picture	Name	Born	Died	Term	Coat of arms
1.		Placide Louis Chapelle	August 28, 1842 Fraissinet-de-Lozère, Lozère, France	August 09, 1905 New Orleans, Louisiana, United States	September 28, 1899 – April 30, 1901
2.		Donato Sbarretti	November 12, 1856 Montefranco, Italy	April 01, 1939 Rome, Italy	September 16, 1901 – December 26, 1902
3.		Giovanni Battista Guidi	April 26, 1852 Collepardo, Italy	July 22, 1904 Manila, Philippines	September 25, 1902 – June 22, 1904
4.		Ambrose Agius, O.S.B	September 17, 1856 Alexandria, Egypt	December 13, 1911 Manila, Philippines	September 05, 1904 – December 13, 1911
5.		Giuseppe Petrelli	February 14, 1873 Montegiorgio, Italy	April 29, 1962 Lima, Peru	May 30, 1915 – May 27, 1921
6.		Guglielmo Piani, S.D.B.	September 16, 1875 Martinengo, Italy	September 27, 1956 Mexico City, Mexico	March 17, 1922 – October 05, 1948
7.		Egidio Vagnozzi	February 26, 1906 Rome, Italy	December 26, 1980 Rome, Italy	March 09, 1949 – August 09, 1951

No.	Picture	Name	Born	Died	Term	Coat of arms
7.		Egidio Vagnozzi	February 26, 1906 Rome, Italy	December 26, 1980 Rome, Italy	August 09, 1951 – December 16, 1958
8.		Salvatore Siino	October 05, 1904 Capaci, Italy	October 08, 1963 Rome, Italy	March 14, 1959 – October 08, 1963
9.		Carlo Martini	October 01, 1913 Cadeo, Italy	July 16, 1986 Piacenza, Italy	November 29, 1963 – August 05, 1967
10.		Carmine Rocco	April 12, 1912 Camigliano, Italy	May 12, 1982 Rome, Italy	September 16, 1967 – May 22, 1973
11.		Bruno Torpigliani	April 15, 1915 Asciano, Italy	May 02, 1990 Asciano, Italy	June 06, 1973 – April 10, 1990
12.		Gian Vincenzo Moreni	January 29, 1932 Montichiari, Italy	March 03, 1999 Montichiari, Italy	September 08, 1990 – March 03, 1999
13.		Antonio Franco	March 24, 1937 Puglianello, Italy		April 06, 1999 – January 21, 2006
14.		Fernando Filoni	April 15, 1946 Manduria, Italy		February 25, 2006 – June 09, 2007
15.		Edward Joseph Adams	August 24, 1944 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States		September 03, 2007 – February 22, 2011
16.		Giuseppe Pinto	May 26, 1952 Noci, Italy		May 10, 2011 – July 01, 2017
17.		Gabriele Giordano Caccia	February 24, 1958 Milan, Italy		September 12, 2017 – November 16, 2019
18.		Charles John Brown	October 13, 1959 New York City, New York, United States		September 28, 2020

• Holy See–Philippines relations
• List of diplomatic missions of the Holy See
• List of diplomatic missions in the Philippines
• Foreign relations of the Holy See
• Foreign relations of the Philippines
• Catholic Church in the Philippines
• Embassy of the Philippines to the Holy See

• Media related to Apostolic Nuncios to the Philippines at Wikimedia Commons
• Apostolic Nunciature to the Philippines
• Catholic Hierarchy