When President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law in 1972, the Catholic Church emerged as one of the strongest institutions willing to speak against repression. While many voices were silenced, bishops, priests, and religious sisters continued to call for truth and justice. Some publications run by Catholic groups were shut down, clergy and nuns were harassed or even arrested, and many church people risked their lives to provide refuge for victims of abuse.
Over the years, the Church became a moral compass for Filipinos, denouncing human rights violations, exposing corruption, and encouraging peaceful resistance. Its influence was most visible in the historic events leading to the 1986 People Power Revolution, when the Church’s call for unity and courage helped bring millions into the streets to reclaim freedom.
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September 21, 1972 – President Ferdinand Marcos signs Proclamation No. 1081, placing the entire Philippines under martial law.
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September 22, 1972 – A staged ambush of Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile is carried out, used as justification to implement martial law.
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September 23, 1972 – Marcos publicly announces martial law over radio and television. Media outlets are shut down, and opposition figures are arrested.
The Church was divided: some bishops welcomed it for “order,” others were alarmed by curtailed freedoms.
Catholic publications (Signs of the Times, The Communicator) were shut down.
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1973 – First CBCP Statement
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) issued a pastoral letter, “Declaration on Martial Law.”
It did not outright condemn Marcos but urged him to respect human dignity and rights.
Sr. Mariani Dimaranan, SFIC (Franciscan Sister of the Immaculate Conception). Arrested and detained.
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1974 – Jaime Cardinal Sin Becomes Archbishop of Manila
He became a central figure, using his influence to defend human rights and protect critics of the regime.
Fr. Edicio de la Torre (Redemptorist). Arrested for his activism and involvement with farmers and workers. Detained for about 9 years, one of the longest-held priest political detainees.
Fr. Romeo “Romy” Intengan, SJ (Jesuit). Arrested for alleged subversive activities. He was linked by the government to underground resistance movements.
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Mid-1970s – Social Action Programs.
Many priests, nuns, and lay leaders worked in Basic Christian Communities and social action centers. These became spaces for education, empowerment, and resistance against injustice.
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Late 1970s – Increasing Criticism
As abuses grew (torture, disappearances, censorship), the Church grew more vocal. Pastoral letters began openly condemning human rights violations.
Sr. Mary John Mananzan, OSB (Benedictine). Harassed and surveilled in the mid-to-late 1970s because of her role in feminist and social action work. Military intelligence often monitored Benedictine schools and centres.
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1981 – Formal Lifting of Martial Law
Marcos lifted martial law on paper, but repression continued. The Church called this a “sham” and continued to criticize abuses and corruption.
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1983 – Assassination of Ninoy Aquino
The murder of opposition leader Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. shocked the nation. The Church became a rallying force for protests, with clergy leading prayer rallies and masses for justice.
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1985 – Growing Resistance
The CBCP declared that a government that remains in power by fraud has “no moral basis.” Church groups supported calls for non-violent resistance and honest elections.
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1986 Snap Election
The bishops did not endorse a particular candidate, but they called on the faithful to vote according to their conscience and moral values. After the election, the CBCP issued a pastoral letter declaring that the official results proclaimed by the Marcos government were fraudulent and did not reflect the true will of the people.
They described the election as “unparalleled in the fraudulence of its conduct” and declared that a government that governs without the consent of the governed “has no moral basis.”
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February 1986 – People Power Revolution
After Marcos tried to rig the 1986 snap elections, Cardinal Sin went on Radio Veritas, urging people to go to EDSA to protect defecting soldiers. Millions responded, praying the rosary and offering food to troops. The peaceful uprising, supported and safeguarded by the Church, forced Marcos into exile in Hawaii.
Throughout the years of martial law and up to the 1986 People Power Revolution, the Catholic Church stood as a moral force against dictatorship. Despite harassment, arrests, and attempts to silence its voice, the Church remained firm in defending truth, justice, and human dignity. Its courage and guidance helped inspire ordinary Filipinos to resist peacefully and reclaim democracy, leaving a legacy of faith and freedom that continues to shape the nation today.
