Aglipayanism
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Aglipayanism or the Aglipayano sect, caused more annoyance than damage to the Roman Catholic Church from which it broke away in the Philippines during early years of US colonisation there.
The originator of the schism, Gregorio Aglipay, a native, was employed as a servant in the Augustinian house at Manila, and being of ingratiating manners was educated and ordained as a priest. Later, he took the field as an insurgent general in the Philippine-American War. Being hard pressed by the American troops, he surrendered and was paroled in 1901.
In 1902, he arrogated himself the (papal) title of Pontifex Maximus, and through friendship or fear drew to his allegiance some native priests. Those of the latter who were his friends, he nominated "bishops". Simeon Mandac, one of the two lay pillars of the movement, served a term of twenty years in the penitentiary for murder and rebellion.
At first, the schism seemed to make headway in the north, chiefly for political reasons. With the restoration of the churches, by order of the Philippine Supreme Court in 1906-1907, the schism began to dwindle, and its adherents are now few in number.
This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913.
