The Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Anne in Taguig City and Parish Church of Saint Dominic in San Carlos City, Pangasinan have been designated as minor basilicas by Pope Francis, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said on Tuesday.

St. Anne arish, under the Diocese of Pasig, submitted a petition to the Vatican last year to grant the old church with the title and dignity of a minor basilica.

The 180-page petition contained the parish’s history, liturgical services, social services, culture, and devotion.

“This is a great blessing to us. This is the first basilica of the Diocese of Pasig,” Pasig Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara said during a Mass on the Feast of Saints Anne and Joachim.

On the other hand, the parish at the City of San Carlos, under the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan, is the first Dominican church in Pangasinan.

It started as a chapel made of bamboo and nipa in 1587 in Binalatongan, now San Carlos City.

It moved to higher locations three times in the 17th and 18th centuries due to seasonal flooding.

The current church was built in 1773.

No date has been set for the liturgical rites for the proclamation of the new minor basilicas.

The title minor basilica is bestowed for architectural beauty, historical significance, liturgical renown, presence of a special relic or work of art or a combination of any of the criteria.

A basilica carries special privileges like plenary indulgence for the faithful who visit the church and participate in sacred rites.

The three symbols that distinguish a basilica are the ombrellino (little umbrella), tintinnabulum (bells), and tiara and keys that are on the Vatican flag.

The Philippines now has 21 minor basilicas. (PNA)