The EDSA Shrine, also known as the Archdiocesan Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace—a historical landmark commemorating the bloodless revolution that toppled the Marcos regime in 1986–may become a “national shrine.”
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president Bishop Pablo Virgilio David expressed his hope for the shrine’s national status during a mass held on Feb. 25—the 38th anniversary of the People Power Revolution.
“Why not?” David said in a statement issued by CBCP on Monday, Feb. 26.
“EDSA Shrine is not just a shrine for the Archdiocese of Manila, but of the entire Philippines,” he added.
Meanwhile, this statement was welcomed by EDSA Shrine Rector Fr. Jerome Secillano, who revealed that the shrine had “long planned” to seek national recognition.
“We are grateful with (David’s) statement that the EDSA Shrine can become a national shrine,” he said.
Currently, Secillano classified it as an “archdiocesan shrine” since its establishment in 1989.
The CBCP holds the pastoral oversight to designate national shrines, and their approval is crucial for the process.