Butuan or Limasawa?

The first mass in the Philippines took place in

Limasawa, not in Butuan. It is not just because of the
lack of evidence but because of the inconsistency of
facts as well. Take for an instance the inconsistency of
Magellan’s route, the date, and also the spellings of
places and persons involved as presented by the various
historians supporting the Butuan tradition.

According to Father Francisco Colin S.J., a historian,

Magellan arrived at Butuan first, then to Limasawa and
then to Cebu. However, Father Francisco Combes S.J., a
Jesuit writer, has another contention. To him, Magellan
visited Limasawa twice. Magellan’s route, based on his
statement, was from Limasawa to Butuan, then back to
Limasawa and then to Cebu on April 7, 1521. Another
claim by Giovanni Franceso Gemeili Careri, a
Calabrian, strengthened the idea that the first mass did
not took place in Butuan because of its presentation of
the wrong date. He cited Whit Sunday instead of Easter
Sunday (Bernad, 1983). These were just few of the
inconsistent information presented in the Butuan
tradition which made it so absurd. I mean, how come
one believe this tradition when you are fed with
different versions of stories from different mouths?

Because of the lack of supporting evidences, historians

found out that the Butuan tradition is invalid thereby
coming up with a better tradition: the Limasawa
tradition. Although the Limasawa tradition came after
the Butuan, it was proven with evidences that the first
mass in the Philippines took place in Limasawa Island
in Visayas on March 31, 1521. It was also affirmed that
in the same date, Magellan with his troops planted a
cross on the same site (Cebu Living: The good life in the
Beautiful Island, 2006). The tradition, unlike the other,
is supported with a number of solid proofs which
includes the Albo’s log book, evidences of Pigafetta,
and the evidence from Legazpi’s expedition. In Albo’s
account, he did not mention the first mass and where it
took place. However, he mentioned that Magellan
planted the cross “upon a mountain-top from which
could be seen three islands to the west and southwest.”
This best fits the description of the geographical area of
Limasawa which is not applicable to Butuan because
there was no island found in those directions. These are
very strong proofs since these people have been part of
the expedition (Bernad, 1983). Albo and Pigafetta both
took part in Magellan’s expedition. The former was one
of the pilots in Magellan’s flagship “Trinidad” and the
latter was a member of the expedition itself. Therefore,
it is based on eyewitness account. In addition to that, an
article by Rolando O. Borrinaga (2007) in the Inquirer
website says that there is an aerial photograph of the
prominent hills in Pigafetta’s map. It is where Magellan
and his troops placed the cross known today as
Magellan’s cross. The cross, which symbolizes the
baptism of Rajah Humabon, his wife, and his men into
Roman Catholic, served today as a tourist spot in
Magallanes, Cebu.

Hence, the birthplace of Roman Catholicism is in

Limasawa and not in Butuan.

Sources:

Cebu Living: The good life in the Beautiful Island.

http://living.cebunetwork.com/article/magellan-cross-
cebu/. May 4, 2006.

Miguel A. Bernad S.J. Butuan or Limasawa? The site

the First Mass in the Philippines:

A Reexamination of the Evidence. National Book Store.

1983.

Rolando O. Borrinaga. The right place for disputed first

Mass in Limasawa.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/vi
ew/20070414-
60362/The_right_place_for_disputed_first_Mass_in_Li
masawa. April 14, 2007.