It has been a practice since we were part of the Archdiocese of Manila
to secure the permission of the Bishop to effect partial changes and full reconstruction of records in the Canonical Books, particularly the Liber Baptismorum and Liber Confirmatorum. The first Plenary Council of the Philippines (FPCP, Decree no. 323) provided the legal basis for such formality so as to protect our records from unwarranted and arbitrary changes, effected without the knowledge of proper authorities. Through this instrument, we expand the instructions on the changes in the parochial books to include Liber Matrimonium and Liber Defunctorum, aside from those two previously mentioned. Let me make the following instructions: 1. No records in the Liber Baptismorum, Liber Confirmatorum, Liber Matrimonium and Liber Defunctorum will be changed or added without obtaining the Decree Authorizing Partial Changes or Full Reconstruction of Parish Records from the Chancery Office. 2. The Parish Priests must petition the Bishop for permission to effect the necessary changes through a letter personally signed by the former, containing the details of the changes. 3. Attached to this petition letter are the following: the AFFIDAVIT signed by affiant, stating the reason/s for the wrong or non-entry of facts, and other required documentary proofs for veracity of the claims. E.g. receipts, photos, baptismal certificates, schools records, and other government issued documents. 4. In the space provided in the OBSERVANDA the permission is to be noted, stating the decree no. E.g. Partial Change granted. See: Decree No. XX 5. For Partial Changes: No corrections shall be made on the entry in the books, by erasing or altering the details of the entry. Keep in a folder containing the decrees of partial changes and full reconstruction of entry, where the proper corrections are found for reference. 6. For Full Reconstruction of Records as I have verbally instructed during my last Pastoral Visit to our parishes: Leave open the last two pages of your current Canonical Books of Baptisms, Confirmations, Marriages and Deaths where new entries for Full Reconstruction will be recorded. These entries are arranged chronologically according to the date of the Decree by the bishop.
7. In another forthcoming Circular, I will issue pertinent instructions on
recording Baptisms, Confirmations, Marriages, and Deaths so that everyone will have the same understanding of the data being requested in each of those Canonical Books. May I remind parish priests and their parish secretaries of this duty to keep our records free of any possible mistake by obtaining the right information from the applicants, as well as the necessary supporting documents for verification purposes. Please sign at the bottom page of the records on the line marked Parochus. For your compliance. Given in the Chancery in Fairview, Quezon City, 2 September 2011.