MANILA — The Manila Cathedral is not just an edifice with a venerable neo-Romanesque architecture where people gather, but is a mother teaching and taking care of the life of her children, the Catholic faithful.
This, according to the basilica’s leaders, explains the famed church’s new tagline, “First Our Church, Forever Our Mother,” which was unveiled on Friday, together with its own new logo that takes the form of a crest to symbolize its rich history “and how it endured with the people in spite of crisis and calamity.”
For a long time, the Manila Cathedral, the seat of the Archbishop of Manila, had used the insignia of the Archbishop as its logo. When it was elevated into a Basilica, it was given the privilege to bare the Papal emblem, and for the past few years, it also used an image of its structure as its seal.
The Manila Cathedral, formally called the Minor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, introduced its new logo and tagline on December 8, Feast of the Immaculate Conception, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of its post-war construction. The church was demolished in after World War II in 1945, but was built again in 1958 into its present structure.
“The new logo would embody her identity as our Mother Church,” the Cathedral said in a statement. “The upper half features the façade of the cathedral that was not destroyed during the war and is still standing strong to this day, a reminder of her enduring legacy and strength. The lower part of the crest features the moon and 12 stars that symbolize Mary, Our Mother, the Immaculate Conception, to whom we come for comfort and refuge. The sky blue color is a tribute to the Marian character of the Cathedral. It also symbolizes calmness and peace… The font used for the name of the Manila Cathedral is inspired by its Romanesque architecture and the inscription at the tympanum or upper part of the main doors of the church.”
Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle and Manila Cathedral Rector Fr. Reginald Malicdem, together with Papal Nuncio Archbishop Gabriele Caccia and former Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban, President of the Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica Foundation, led the unveiling of the new seal and tagline.
As for the new theme, “It emphasizes the story of the faith of the Filipino people,” the Basilica said.
“The Manila Cathedral as first a cathedral and Mother Church of the country is most of the time recognized for her architectural grandeur and structural identity. However, the theme emphasizes that side by side the story of the building. It is the story of the faith of the Filipino nation,” it said.
The Basilica also unveiled an exhibit entitled “Manila Cathedral: A Legacy of Architecture and Faith.”
The event gives an overview of the story of the Cathedral from its establishment in 1578 and focuses on the phenomenal story of its rebuilding from the ashes of war.