Manila Cathedral

The Manila Cathedral, formally the Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica, is the premier Roman Catholic church in the Philippines located at Plaza Roma in Intramuros, Manila. Dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, it serves as the seat of the Archdiocese of Manila. The present Neo-Romanesque structure, completed in 1958, is the eighth building on the site after earthquakes and war destroyed earlier versions. Noted for its rose windows, bronze doors, and pipe organ, it is a major religious and heritage landmark.

Visitors can expect a large Neo-Romanesque stone cathedral fronting Plaza Roma inside the walled city of Intramuros. The interior features a high vaulted nave, stained-glass rose windows, marble altars, bronze doors depicting Marian history, and a large pipe organ with 4,500 pipes. The surroundings include a paved plaza, gardens, and historic Spanish-era streets. Visitors can explore the main nave, side chapels, crypt, and souvenir shop, attend Mass, and take photographs of the facade and interior outside service times.

Originally established as a parish church in 1571 and elevated to cathedral in 1579, the Manila Cathedral has been rebuilt eight times due to earthquakes, typhoons and war. The seventh cathedral was destroyed in the Battle of Manila in 1945 during World War II. The present Neo-Romanesque structure was designed by architect Fernando H. Ocampo and completed in 1958, consecrated under Archbishop Rufino Santos. It was elevated to Minor Basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1981.

As the mother church of the Philippines and seat of the Archbishop of Manila, it is the central church of Catholicism in the country, dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, Principal Patroness of the Philippines. It has hosted papal Masses by Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis, and serves as venue for major archdiocesan liturgies, state and cultural ceremonies.