Archdiocese of San Fernando

The Archdiocese of San Fernando (Latin: Archidioecesis Sancti Ferdinandi; Filipino: Arkidiyosesis ng San Fernando; Spanish: Arquidiócesis de San Fernando; Kapampangan: Arkidiosesis ning San Fernando) is the archdiocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church which has territorial jurisdiction over the whole province of Pampanga and Angeles City. The archdiocese is also the metropolitan see of the ecclesiastical province of the same name, which also include three dioceses of its surrounding provinces of Bataan (Diocese of Balanga), Zambales (Diocese of Iba), and Tarlac (Diocese of Tarlac). The cathedral church and seat of the archdiocese is the Metropolitan Cathedral of San Fernando (Pampanga). The Virgin Mary, under the title Virgen de los Remedios, is the principal patroness.

Florentino G. Lavarias, D.D., is the current archbishop of the archdiocese since October 27, 2014, succeeding Paciano B. Aniceto, D.D.

History

From diocese to archdiocese

The diocese of San Fernando, Pampanga was created on December 11, 1948, through the Apostolic Constitution Probe Noscitur; it comprised the provinces of Pampanga, Bataan, Zambales, parts of Tarlac, and Nueva Ecija. It was initially a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Manila. The first bishop was César María Guerrero, DD, a native of Manila; he received his appointment from the Vatican on May 29, 1949, and was installed on September 8 of the same year. The parish of Our Lady of the Assumption, in the provincial capital town of San Fernando, was selected as the seat of the new diocese; the parish church was thus elevated into a cathedral and was renamed Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption.

Bishop Guerrero established the Mater Boni Consilii (now Mother of Good Counsel Minor Seminary) in 1950 (it was originally in Guagua, then Apalit, before being relocated to its present site in San Fernando): the Cruzada de Penitencia y Caridad (or devotion to the Virgen delos Remedios) in 1952, which continues to this day; and Carmelite Monastery in Angeles in 1956, where on March 14, 1957, he retired due to poor health. He died on March 27, 1961, and was buried beside the monastery chapel, according to his wishes.

Eventually the diocese was dismembered when provincial boundaries became more pronounced. Zambales was established as a prelature on October 18, 1955, Nueva Ecija as a diocese on February 16, 1963, Tarlac as a diocese on May 10, 1963, and Bataan as a diocese on March 17, 1975.

Emilio A. Cinense, DD, a native of Guimba, Nueva Ecija, became the second bishop of San Fernando on March 15, 1957. It was during this term that the Diocese of San Fernando was elevated to a Metropolitan See and Archdiocese; the canonical election was held on June 15, 1975. The new archdiocese comprised the whole province of Pampanga with three suffragan dioceses: Tarlac, Iba (Zambales) and Balanga (Bataan).

After the death of Archbishop Cinense, Oscar C. Cruz, DD, a native of Balanga, Bataan, and at the time rector of San Carlos Seminary, was appointed second archbishop of San Fernando on May 22, 1978; he resigned on October 24, 1988. On January 31, 1989, Paciano B. Aniceto of Santa Ana, Pampanga, former rector of the Mother of Good Counsel Seminary and Bishop of Iba, was appointed third (and first Pampanga-born) Archbishop of San Fernando; he was formally installed on March 14, 1989.

On December 11, 1998, the Golden Jubilee anniversary of its creation as a diocese. The Archdiocese of San Fernando's Cathedral of the Assumption was consecrated and rededicated as the Metropolitan Cathedral of San Fernando, during ceremonies presided over by the papal nuncio, Antonio Franco, DD.

Coat of arms

Upon the green terrain rises the lone and majestic Mount Arayat on a red background surmounted by the sword and crown of Saint Ferdinand the King. The rose at base is symbol of Our Lady invoked under her titles as Our Lady of the Assumption (titular of the cathedral) and Our Lady of Remedies (Nuestra Señora de los Remedios). The coat of arms was designed by Liam Andrei C. Antonio also known as "its.liiam" on Tiktok

Ordinaries

Other priests of the archdiocese who became bishops

• Roberto Mallari, 4th bishop of Tarlac (March 27, 2025–present)
• + Jesus Castro Galang, 2nd bishop of Urdaneta (December 7, 1991–September 16, 2004)
• + Victor C. Ocampo, 4th bishop of the Diocese of Gumaca (September 3, 2015–March 16, 2023)
• Pablo Virgilio David, 2nd bishop of Kalookan (January 2, 2016–present), 10th Filipino cardinal (beginning December 8, 2024)
• Teodoro Bacani Jr., 1st bishop of Novaliches (January 16–November 25, 2003)
• Celso Nogoy Guevarra, 1st bishop of Balanga (November 8, 1975–June 18, 1998)
• Honesto Flores Ongtioco, 2nd bishop of Balanga (June 18, 1998–August 28, 2003) and 1st bishop of Cubao (August 28, 2003–December 3, 2024)
• Crisostomo Yalung, 2nd bishop of Antipolo (December 3, 2001–December 5, 2002)

Timeline

Suffragan dioceses and bishops

The Crusade of the Virgen De Los Remedios & Sto. Cristo Del Perdon y Caridad

The crusade, in which the image of Our Lady of Remedies (Virgen de los Remedios) is taken in daily processions all over Pampanga 365 days a year, is tradition that can be found only in the province. Today, however, the original purpose of the crusade—and the Virgin—have long since been forgotten, the fact that the crusade was established to help in the battle against the Communist Hukbalahap in the province in the 1950s.

On one hand, the original image stays in its original chapel in Baliti, San Fernando City; on the other hand, three replicas have been made to serve as symbols of the crusade. The Baliti faithful recently began actively promoting its shrine as a pilgrimage site, a la Our Lady of Manaoag in Pangasinan. However, for the rest of Pampanga, devotion is mostly directed to the most visible and accessible two pilgrim images which are replicas of the replica; these two images are carried in procession non-stop even to the farthest fishing villages and mountain hamlets. However, the biggest crowds gather (albeit once a year only) around the first replica of the original image, taken out once a year (from the Archdiocesan Chancery) for the annual coronation rites (alternately in San Fernando and Angeles). Thus, there are four identical images of same Virgen de los Remedios: one stationery image in Baliti, another that is kept in the Chancery, taken out only every September 8; and the two pilgrim images constantly going around the province for the crusade. In these processions, the image of the Santo Cristo de Perdon accompanies the Virgen—underscoring the belief of Catholics that the Blessed Virgin helps bring Christ even to the most unreachable people.

Beginning of the devotions

This all began when the Diocese of San Fernando was created on December 11, 1948, as a separate diocese away from the Archdiocese of Manila. Its first bishop was the Cesar Ma. Guerrero, DD, who immediately identified the most pressing problem of Pampanga as the peasant uprising against the feudal system, fueled by a communist ideology. Socialist mayors were being elected, including those in Angeles and San Fernando; the sonorous sound of the tambuli was a nightly occurrence, and so were parades of peasants waving red flags. The people did go to Mass and pray the Angelus and the rosary, but as Bishop Guerrero said, "Aqui en Pampanga hay mucha piedad, pero poca caridad!" ("Here in Pampanga there is much piety, but little charity!")

After much prayer and reflection, to counteract Communist support among the farmers of Pampanga, Bishop Guerrero established the Cruzada ning Pamanisi at Lugud (Crusade of Penance and Charity), during a meeting held on the third Sunday of February 1952 at the San Guillermo Parish in Bacolor, Pampanga. He appointed the parish's co-adjutor Fr. Diosdado Victorio as director of the Cruzada, who chose the image of the Lady of Remedies (Virgen de los Remedios), then enshrined in the Virgen de los Remedios Parish (not San Roque parish as previously thought) in Brgy. Baliti, San Fernando, Pampanga, as the image that would accompany the Cruzada across the province. It may be deduced that Bishop Guerrero's choice of patron saint may have been influenced by his personal devotion to Virgen de los Remedios, patron saint of Malate, his former parish. The beautiful, shoulder-borne carriage on which the image was mounted was commissioned by Doña Jacinta vda. De Tayag of Bacolor.

The crusade officially started on May 1, 1952, or four years after the birth of the diocese, in the San Miguel Arcangel Parish on Masantol, the southernmost town of Pampanga. Throughout the year well-attended processions marked the transfer of the image from parish to parish.

Part of the tradition of the crusade was the donation of all alms and goods collected from the previously visited parish to the next parish. Soon, the processions of the Virgen de los Remedios featured truckloads of material goods being distributed to the indigent residents; thus, Kapampangan learned to share their processions and the visits of the Virgen became joyous occasions of replenishing both body and spirit.

When all the parishes had been visited by the image of the Virgen, it was the turn of Baliti, its home parish. The people of Baliti sorely missed their beloved Virgin and celebrated their fiesta earlier without the image. When the time came for the crusade's second round of provincial visits, Bishop Guerrero, who had arrived in Baliti to pick up the image, was politely told by Baliti's parish priest, Generoso Pallasingui, that his parishioners would not the allow the image to leave the parish again. Msgr. Jose de la Cruz, now 92, who was present in the meeting, said in a recent interview that Fr. Pallasigui was quite worried that "blood would flow" if Bishop Guerrero insisted on taking the image away. (Apparently the people and their officials had made their feelings clear to the priest earlier.)

The people of Baliti graciously lent the image of their parish patroness for the first year of provincial processions. However, when it was not returned in time for their barrio fiesta, and when talk circulated that the image did not belong to them anymore, but to the entire province, their mood turned from gracious, to sour, to indignation.

Msgr. De la Cruz, then the director of the Kapampangan radio program Ing Siuala nang Maria (The Voice of Mary), recalls that the bishop decided right then and there to have a replica image. "Considering that Baliti was Huk-infested at that time," Msgr. De la Cruz said, "the bishop thought it wise to let the matter rest. Besides, the Cruzada was intended to bring the people closer to God, not away from Him." He said the people may have reacted to an earlier comment he had made on the program that "no single parish owns the Virgen de los Remedios. Every parish that the image visits owns it in the duration of the visit". The comment is canonically sound because all church edifices and all artifacts found inside are technically the property of the diocese, and thus, the image is also considered property owned by the diocese and not by the Crusade.

Road to the coronation

The first replica was thus hastily made by the late Victoriano Siongco of the Catholic Trade Center of San Fernando. It was so well made that when the processions began for the crusade's year two in late 1953, the people did not realize it was a different image. Bishop Guerrero next decided to apply to the Vatican for permission to have the image canonically crowned.

The criteria for a canonical coronation of a religious image are: (a) there must be widespread devotion around the image; and (b) the image must have proven antiquity. It was the second criterion that made Msgr. De la Cruz pause. Which of the two images should be canonically crowned, the antique Baliti image or the new replica to which popular devotion had now been transferred? Bishop Guerrero told the priest, "Just pray, Pepe."

On the September 8, 1956, more than 70,000 Kapampangans witnessed the canonical coronation of the replica, performed by the pope's emissary to the Philippines, Msgr. Egidio Vagnozzi, held on capitol grounds in San Fernando.

After that, the popular devotion around the crowned image of the Virgen de los Remedios grew even more. Towns that were visited often kept the image way beyond the allotted period, which slowed down the itinerary. It took 10 years or more before the image returned to the same town, which was why people pulled all stops whenever the image finally did come back to their town.

It was also around this time that the image of Santo Cristo del Perdon (Crucified Christ, Lord of Pardon) was added to accompany the Virgen. There was discussion about which image should come first during the procession, until it was decided to put the Santo Cristo del Perdon first, not only to emphasize that Christ should be first (despite the popular belief that the more important should be last) but also since Cruzada is based on penance; the first image that the people should see must be that of suffering.

In 1978 or 1979, San Fernando Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz wanted to solve the problem of the extremely slow pace of the Virgen's provincial rounds. There was a proposal to have nine new images made so that each of the diocese's nine vicariates (cluster of parishes based on geography) would have its own Virgen. Msgr. De la Cruz informed Archbishop Cruz that "It was not the intention of Bishop Guerrero to have multiple images going around." The compromise was reached that only two images should go around, one for the northern towns of Pampanga, and one for the southern towns. Then again, the bishop anticipated debate on which group of towns would get the canonically crowned image and which would get the new one. So he solemnly decided to have two new replicas made for the crusade in the north and the south, while the canonically crowned image would stay in the chancery (Bishop's residence) and would come out only every September 8 for the reenactment of the canonical coronation. (Many Kapampangans today erroneously call the annual event "canonical coronation", but the Virgen was canonically crowned only once, September 8, 1956; the succeeding September 8 events are all merely anniversaries or reenactments of that first and only canonical coronation.)

The two new images were introduced during the 1981 reenactment, held in Minalin. (Reenactments were held in whichever town the Virgen was visiting around the time of the anniversary; however, when flooding worsened after the eruption of Mount Pinatubo, especially in the southern towns, the archdiocese decided to hold the reenactment alternately between San Fernando and Angeles, simply because they are the only towns with enough facilities to accommodate the big crowds and because they are relatively dry during the monsoon season.)

The canonically crowned image visits the archdiocese's vicariates every year before its reenactment of the coronation. This is called Visita Vicariato (lit. Vicariate Visit).

• 2006 - Vicariate of Holy Redeemer
• 2011 - Vicariate of Sacred Heart
• 2015 - Vicariate of Sacred Heart
• 2016 - Vicariate of Mary, Help of Christians
• 2017 - Vicariate of Saint Joseph
• 2018 - Vicariate of Holy Family
• 2019 - Vicariate of Blessed Trinity
• 2020 - Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
• 2021 - DALO BALEN / Vicariate of Virgen de los Remedios
• 2022 - Vicariate of Saint Augustine of Hippo
• 2023 - Vicariate of Holy Redeemer
• 2024 - Vicariate of Saint John the Beloved
• 2025 - Vicariate of Christ the King
• 2026 - Vicariate of Saint John Maria Vianney

List of parishes/shrines

Other pastoral assignments