Santiago Fonacier

Santiago Antonio Fonacier y Suguitan (May 21, 1885 – December 8, 1977) was a Filipino priest, bishop, writer, educator, and politician who became a senator and the second Obispo Maximo of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, also informally known as the Aglipayan Church.

Early life Santiago Fonacier was born in Laoag, Ilocos Norte on May 21, 1885 to Dionisio Antonino Fonacier y Romero and Feliciana Suguitan y Manuel. He studied his secondary education and took a bachelor of arts course at the Escuela Docente de Laoag which was then accredited by the University of Santo Tomas and the Liceo de Manila. He was one of the pioneering seminarians of the nationalist church Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI), entering one of its earliest seminaries in Ilocos Norte in October 1902, shortly after witnessing the consecration of Bishop Pedro Brillantes. There, he studied under the tutelage of Rev. Fr. Servando Castro before later moving to Manila to continue and complete his remaining theological training at another IFI seminary. In dire need of priests, he was ordained as a deacon and, shortly after, as a priest in November 1903 at age 18.

Literary career During his priesthood, he taught for two years in the primary grade at the Instituto Docente (formerly the Escuela Docente de Laoag), his secondary school alma mater, but left teaching to concentrate on journalism. He won by majority against Irineo Javier of the Nacionalista and Julio Agcaoili of the Progresista Party. In 1919, he was elected to the Philippine Senate to represent the first district, composed of Abra, Batanes, Cagayan, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte and Isabela.

Fonacier's tenure as Supreme Bishop was mired in challenges and controversy. Having had to lead the IFI during the Second World War and the Japanese occupation, he also faced dissent within the church's ranks, which surfaced after the war when Fonacier asked a bishop to transfer from the Diocese of Cavite to Cebu. This led to a Supreme Council of Bishops meeting on December 4, 1945, which charged him with violating the IFI's Constitution in consecrating bishops, moving the church headquarters to another town and failing to give an accounting of church funds. The following year, he was dismissed from office by the council. After losing a legal challenge against his successors, Fonacier seceded from the IFI and established the Independent Church of Filipino Christians (ICFC) in 1955, which later became a member of the International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF), and which also later produced another separate denomination called "Aglipay Memorial Church" (AMC). The ICFC and AMC remained Unitarian.

A polarizing figure in the church's history, on December 8, 2020, then-IFI Obispo Maximo Rhee Timbang released an official church statement commemorating Fonacier's 43rd death anniversary, "to celebrate his life and ministry, and remember his contribution". The statement emphasized on urging its congregation "to give it with distinction to seek and extend forgiveness and understanding, to offer and reach-out for love and reconciliation", as well as "thanking God for the life and ministry of Fonacier".

Fonacier died aged 92 on December 8, 1977. He was featured in a 1985 commemorative stamp in the Philippines.