February 17, 2015, marks a special event in the history of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines and most especially in Pangasinan, as the Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag, popularly known as Manaoag Church have been officially proclaimed as a Minor Basilica.
A favorite pilgrimage site and a center of Marian devotion in Northern Luzon, Manaoag
Church has been elevated and granted a minor basilica status by Pope Francis on October 11, 2015. The official declaration that set today was attended by thousands of devotees, Church leaders, members of the clergy and heads of private and government sectors. Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle lead the declaration along with Cardinal Orlado Quevedo and Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales and including more than 30 archbishops and bishops from all over the country.
A Minor or Lesser Basilica is a church with certain privileges conferred on it by the Pope. Minor basilicas are traditionally named because of their antiquity, dignity, historical value, architectural and artistic worth and/or significance as center of worship. The shrine which will be called the Basilica Minor of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag, is one of the few basilicas in the Philippines (13 as of this writing. see list, click here!).
For being a basilica, Manaoag Church now has a special bond of spiritual affinity with the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome. This means that attending mass at Manaoag Church is nearly equivalent to attending mass at Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome.
The three signs that indicate that the church is a minor basilica are now present and exhibited in the church - the umbraculum or ombrellone or papal umbrella, tintinnabulum or papal bell and the Papal Seal.
1. The Umbraculum or Ombrellone is a historic piece of the papal regalia and insignia, once used on a daily basis to provide shade for the pope (Galbreath, 27). Also known as the pavilion, in modern usage the umbraculum is a symbol of the Roman Catholic Church and the authority of the Pope over it. It is found in the contemporary Church at all the basilicas throughout the world, placed prominently at the right of their main altars. Whenever the Pope visits a basilica, its umbraculum is opened.
2. A Tintinnabulum is a bell mounted on a pole, placed in a Roman Catholic Basilica to signify the church's link with the Pope.
The tintinnabulum consists of a small gold bell within a golden frame crowned with the papal tiara and Keys of Heaven. If the Pope was to say Mass within the Basilica, the tintinnabulum would be used to lead the very special procession down the shrine's aisle. But now these symbols are not mentioned in the 1989 Vatican directives.
3. The Papal Sign
The papal seal includes the image of two crossed keys, one gold and one silver, bound with a red cord. This represents the "keys to the Kingdom of Heaven" and is the quintessential symbol of the Papacy as an institution. The silver key symbolizes the power to bind and loose on Earth, while the gold key the power to bind and loose in Heaven.
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| Papal symbol now adorns the facade of the basilica |
Some of the improvements on the church includes statues of different saints on the elevated hallway leading to the church.
The shrine’s elevation to a basilica recognizes the many miracles and extraordinary events that have taken place over centuries, inspiring greater devotion to the Lady of Manaoag, a title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Credits: Wikipedia
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