The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila (RCAM) has indefinitely closed the historic Manila Cathedral (Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception) in order to undertake structural repairs.
The prime basilica of the Philippines and highest seat of the Archbishop of Manila was originally a parish church established in 1571. Since it was built in 1581, it was been damaged and rebuilt several times.
The current edifice is 54 years old, having been constructed in 1958.
"Repairs are needed as soon as possible, in order to, not only preserve the building, but in order to ensure, most specially, the safety of the community that uses the building. We came to the conclusion that it is incumbent on us and it is our responsibility to, right now and immediately, start the repairs," Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle said in a press conference.
Tagle said the Manila Cathedral was closed Tuesday last week and will remain so for at least seven months to one year.
"The temporary closure of any church, especially of a Cathedral, causes pain to the Church community and to the edifice itself. But we cannot ignore the common good and renege on our responsibility," added Tagle.
Fr. Carlos Reyes of the RCAM said the cathedral’s design is outdated. He said the structural standards used in the present church date back to the 1950s.
"The study showed that there are failures of some critically important structural members, like columns and beams, to comply with the standards set by the National Structural Code of the Philippines 2010 edition," said Reyes, who is also a civil engineer.
He added that some "liquefaction" has been found in parts of the Manila Cathedral, which means that the soil could "liquefy" once there is an earthquake.
Reyes said the RCAM team is designing the construction plan and the final cost has not been estimated.
Reyes said the Archdiocese wants to undertake the construction as soon as possible especially after the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that hit the Visayas last week.
Tagle said a committee has been formed to explain the matter to those who have reserved their weddings at the Cathedral and to help them find another church.
The Manila Cathedral, with its Latin inscriptions, sculptures of saints, high ceilings and rose window, is the burial site of some Manila archbishops and where the funeral wakes of former presidents Carlos Garcia and Corazon Aquino were held.