MANILA - Two more Catholic churches in the Philippines have earned the honor of being declared as minor basilica.

Pope Francis raised the status of Sta. Cruz Parish Church in Manila to a minor basilica, as announced by the local church last Tuesday.

The church will be known as the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar. 

It is one of the oldest churches in the country's capital and is a stone's throw away from the National Shrine and Minor Basilica of Jesus Nazareno in Quiapo.

Established in 1619, the Jesuits back then ministered to the Chinese Catholics in the area.

There, the Jesuits enshired an image of the Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragoza from Spain. It became known as the Our Lady of the Pillar and later became the parish's patroness.

Meanwhile, the pope also approved the elevation of the National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians in Parañaque City to the rank of a minor basilica.

The local parish made the announcement on Thursday, March 27.

This is the first time that a church in the Diocese of Parañaque was declared a minor basilica.

A minor basilica is a church that has received a special designation from the pope himself due to its historical and liturgical significance.

As such, minor basilicas have a close connection to the pontiff. They also receive special privileges, such as the authority to display the papal symbols.

Minor basilicas also possess the "umbraculum" -- the red and yellow canopy once used for providing shade to the pope. It is similar to the canopy used to cover the Blessed Sacrament in a procession.

Another symbol that minor basilicas are allowed to possess is the "tintinnabulum" -- a bell mounted on a pole that used to announce the pope's arrival.

Both these symbols are usually displayed inside a minor basilica to signify its status. They can also be carried during solemn processions.

While minor basilicas are scattered around the world, the papal major basilicas are all located in Rome -- the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran (the pope's cathedral), Saint Peter's Basilica, Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, and the Basilica of Saint Mary Major.