The Philippines is not only the largest Christian country in Asia, but also it is the world's third largest Catholic Nation. The Catholic faith remains the single biggest legacy of three hundred years of Spanish colonial rule. Catholicism is taken quite seriously in the Philippines. Masses draw crowds from the biggest cathedrals in the metropolis to the smallest parish chapels in the countryside. During Holy Week, most broadcast TV stations close down or operate only on limited hours and those that do operate broadcast religious programs. The Christian faith exerts quite a bit of influence on non-religious affairs such as affairs of state. Mores have been changing slowly, however; artificial birth control, premarital sex, and the dissolution of marriage vows have been on the rise.