Pope Leo raises Santo Niño church in Tondo to Minor Basilica

Pope Leo XIV has declared the Archdiocesan Shrine and Parish of Santo Niño de Tondo in Manila as a Minor Basilica, the parish announced on Monday

The decree was issued on November 9, 2025, which is the feast day of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome.

In a post on social media, the parish announced that the Papal Decree was presented on Monday at the Arsobispado de Manila by Rev. Fr. Carmelo Arada, Jr., the chancellor of the Archdiocese of Manila.

"The decree was received with deep joy and gratitude by Rev. Msgr. Geronimo F. Reyes, JCD, Rector and Parish Priest, on behalf of the clergy, religious, and faithful of the parish. This meaningful moment marks the official transmission of the Holy Father’s decree an important step in the journey toward our new title as a Minor Basilica," according to the statement.

"As we give thanks to God for this blessing, we now look forward to the next chapter in this grace-filled milestone. The date of the Solemn Declaration of the Minor Basilica will be announced soon."

According to a report posted on the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) website, the parish was founded in 1572 and "considered the first parish church in the Luzon region, with Tambobong (Malabon), Caloocan, Betis in Pampanga, and Calumpit in Bulacan as its early vesitas."

"The church is also home to the second-oldest image of the Santo Niño in the country, after the Santo Niño de Cebu," the report added.

The CBCP report explained that "a basilica is a church given special recognition by the pope, often for its beauty, historical significance or importance to the faith."

"A basilica is not required to be a cathedral — which derives from “cathedra,” the bishop’s chair — and most basilicas are not cathedrals, just as most cathedrals are not basilicas, though some churches hold both titles." — BAP, GMA Integrated News