BSME โ 1A
The First Holy Mass: Limasawa or Masaua, Butuan?
The first Holy Mass is widely considered to be the event that marked the
beginning of Christianity on Philippine territory. However, for many decades, some
Filipinos, including professionals in education, history, religion, and other fields, have
exchange thoughts on the specific place of the 'First Mass' on Easter Sunday, with both
Butuan City and Limasawa claiming to be the place of this meaningful religious
ceremony. The first Catholic mass in the Philippines was held on March 31, 1521, just
three days after Ferdinand Magellan arrived on the -Philippines. This is seen as the
beginning of Roman Catholicism in the country. The mass's location was a topic of
controversy. Initially, it was considered on the island of Limasawa, in the province of
Leyte. Still, some historians argue that a mistranslation caused the misconception and
that the correct location should be Butuan, where the Golden Tara was also discovered
(Cimagala, 2018). Over three centuries, that matter was repeatedly contested due to
extensive misstatement of the specific indicated site. Furthermore, delving further and
defining the subject has a significant impact on removing all ambiguity and enlightening
Filipinos. And we believe that the significant source should be Pigafetta, Albo, and
Legazpi, as they were eyewitnesses to the occurrence. As a result of accumulating facts
that offered evidence, the first mass was held at Limasawa.
The case for Masaua in Butuan rather than Limasawa in Samar-Leyte as the site
of our country's first mass seems strong. However, there are unarguable firsthand
statements from those who lived at the time: Antonio Pigafetta, the official historian of
Magellan's journey; Gines de Mafra, one of Magellan's original members of the crew
who returned to Spain and reported on what he found in Masaua; and additional
credible evidence. Pigafetta's narrative is titled "First Voyage Around the World." (1519โ
1522), was documented by a primary eyewitness of the event. It covers early
navigators' lives, representations of the islands and the-individuals, their history, and
documents of Catholic missions, as well as the country's political, economic, cultural,
and religious aspects. It covers two crucial points that contributed to the first mass in the
Philippines taking place at Limasawa rather than Butuan. Butuan is a town in Region
12, while Limasawa is an island from off shore of Leyte's southern coast. Butuan, as
reported, is a river village near the delta of the Agusan River, which is not mentioned in
the witness's story. The description of the island corresponds to Limasawa, an island on
the southern edge of Leyte with coordinates of 9 degrees and 54 degrees north. The
absence of any reference of the river that describes Masaua Island and geographic data
indicates that the first mass occurred in Limasawa (Abatayo, 2019).
