The Minor Basilica of the Holy Child, locally known as the and commonly known as Santo Niño Basilica, is a minor basilica in Cebu City in the Philippines that was founded in 1565 by Fray Andrés de Urdaneta and Fray Diego de Herrera. It is the oldest Roman Catholic church in the country, allegedly built on the spot where the image of the Santo Niño de Cebú was found during the expedition of Miguel López de Legazpi.
This image of the Child Jesus is the same presented by Ferdinand Magellan to the chief consort of Rajah Humabon on the occasion of their royal Baptism to Roman Catholicism on April 14, 1521. The image was found by a soldier named Juan de Camuz forty years later, preserved in a wooden box, after Legazpi had razed a local village. When Pope Paul VI made the church a basilica in 1965, he declared it to be "the symbol of the birth and growth of Christianity in the Philippines."
The present building was completed in 1740 and was designated by the Holy See as the "Mother and Head of all Churches in the Philippines". It is under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Cebu and the Augustinian Province of Santo Niño de Cebu.
History
The church of the Holy Child was founded by Fray Andrés de Urdaneta, on April 28, 1565, the day when the image of the Holy Child was found in a partially burned hut. More than a week passed after the rediscovery of the image on May 8, 1565, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi initiated the founding of the first Spanish settlement in the Philippines. On the spot of the house where the image of the Santo Niño was found, the monastery of the Holy Name of Jesus was constructed.
The first church to be built on the site where the image of the Holy Child was found was burned down on November 1, 1566. It was said to be built by Fr. Diego de Herrera using wood and nipa. Fray Pedro Torres, started the construction of a new church in 1605. It was finished in 1626 but was again burned in March 1628. Fray Juan Medina, started the construction of another church that year, using stone and bricks, a great innovation at that time. Construction was stopped because the structure was found to be defective.
Present church
In February 1735, Father Provincial Bergaño, Governor-General Fernando Valdes, Bishop Manuel Antonio Decio y Ocampo of Cebu and Fray Juan de Albarran, started the foundations of the present church, using stone. Since the friars did not have the means to complete the church, they enlisted the help of the parishioners of Opon and San Nicolas to contribute materials, while the people of Talisay contributed labor. The lack of chief craftsmen and officers forced Fray Albarran to acquire some knowledge of architecture. On January 16, 1740, the present church was completed, and the miraculous image was enthroned in the new church.
In 1789, the church underwent a renovation. In 1889, Fray Mateo Diez, did another renovation. The original features of the church have been retained except for the windows which he added. In 1965, both the church and convent underwent a bigger restoration on the occasion of the fourth centennial of the Christianization of the country. The facelifting was made with utmost respect for the historical character of the old structure.
On April 1, 1965, Ildebrando Cardinal Antoniutti, Papal Legate to the Philippines, conferred the church the honorific title Basílica Minore upon the authority of Pope Paul VI. As a Minor Basilica, it is given precedence over other churches and other privileges. Philippine President Ferdinand E. Marcos also declared it a National Landmark.
The Basilica del Santo Niño remains under the care of the Augustinian Friars.
2013 earthquake and restoration
On October 15, 2013, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake shook Tagbilaran, Bohol; its force felt throughout the Visayas. It caused more than 220 casualties, and damages to buildings, particularly historical landmarks and churches in Bohol. In Cebu City, the earthquake destroyed most of the Basilica's belfry and façade; some walls and frescoes were cracked.
The restoration of the basilica was one of the 16 projects facilitated by National Historical Commission of the Philippines in Cebu province in 2015.
Prior to restoration, the rubbles from the collapsed belfry were subjected to laboratory tests to analyze their composition to ensure that the new building materials will be compatible to the old and existing structure. During restoration, mechanical and chemical cleaning of the exterior walls were performed. Moreover, lime water were injected into the rubble core to make it stronger. The bell tower was fully restored in October 2016.