Embassy of the Philippines, Holy See
The Embassy of the Philippines to the Holy See is the diplomatic mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the Holy See, the central government of the Roman Catholic Church. Opened in 1957, it is located along Via Paolo VI in the rione of Borgo, part of Municipio I in central Rome along the border between Italy and Vatican City, and across from St. Peter's Square. It is distinct from the larger Embassy of the Philippines in Rome, the Philippines' diplomatic mission to Italy. History Although diplomatic relations between the Philippines and the Holy See were established on April 8, 1951, the Philippines did not immediately open a separate mission to the Holy See. While a mission had been planned since at least 1949, on January 5, 1951 President Elpidio Quirino signed Executive Order No. 351, placing the Holy See under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Embassy in Madrid. Manuel Moran, who was the Philippines' first ambassador to Spain, was accredited on June 4, 1951 as the country's first ambassador to the Holy See. Quirino's successor, Ramon Magsaysay, would attempt to establish a separate embassy, with Moran continuing to serve as ambassador to the Holy See even though his