The Apostolic Nunciature in the Philippines was erected circa 1902. Though the official residence of the nuncio is located in Manila, he is not subject to the
Archbishop of Manila but directly to the
Pope like other
bishops and
archbishops.
World War II When the Philippines was caught in World War II following the commencement of the Japanese invasion of East Asia, communication between the Holy See and the Philippine Delegation (Msgr. Guglielmo Piani, SDB), or any of the other delegations of the region, was not permitted. However, the
Apostolic Delegation in Tokyo (
Msgr. Paolo Marella) was permitted to communicate with the censored delegations. In 1943, the
Second Philippine Republic was inaugurated. In a letter dated October 14, 1943 (the day of the inauguration), the newly elected president of the puppet government,
Jose P. Laurel, wrote to
Luigi Cardinal Maglione, the
Vatican secretary of state: {{Quote Although, Cardinal Maglione received the telegram, he told the Japanese ambassador to the Holy See,
Ken Harada, that as long as the war continues, the Holy See will not recognize any new states, including the new Philippine Republic. Harada acknowledged the Holy See's decision and did not pursue the matter further. The apostolic delegation helped clear up a misunderstanding that
Msgr. Paul Taguchi, Archbishop of Osaka, visited Manila not to supplant the authority of the
Archbishop of Manila but to establish contacts with the Catholics of that city. Rumors were also spreading that
Pope Pius XII personally communicated a telegram to Laurel. Maglione clarified via a letter to the
Apostolic Delegate in London that since the Holy See did not recognize any new states for the duration of the war, no such telegram was ever sent. ==Role in the hierarchy: vicariates==