History
The Military Ordinariate of the Philippines was initially erected as a Military Vicariate on 8 December 1950 as per decree by Pope Pius XII via Consistoriat Decree Ad consulendum. It was accepted by the Philippine Government in a diplomatic Agreement which took effect through the exchange of Notes Verbal in 1952 between the Philippines Foreign Secretary, Jaime Elizalde and the Papal Nuncio to the Philippines, Archbishop Vagnozzi. Rufino Jiao Santos, then-Auxiliary Bishop of Manila, took possession of the Vicariate and became the first Military Vicar in Philippine history.
On 12 April 1986, Pope John Paul II issued the Apostolic Constitution Spirituale militum curae, which took effect on 21 July 1986. This Papal document was unique as it began a new structure for all military vicariates all over the world, elevating these to the level of ordinariates, thus giving them the same status as territorial dioceses.
The Ordinariate has its own curia and exercises its pastoral ministry through military, police, and coast guard chaplains assigned to the different branches of the services. The exact number of faithful under this jurisdiction is classified information, but it is approximately 90 percent of servicemen.
The mostly diocesan priests of the Ordinariate carry officers' ranks and are assigned to the different AFP, PNP, and Coast Guard command posts nationwide.
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