News

RP Church to open ‘Year for Priests’ tomorrow

MANILA, June 18, 2009—The Philippine Catholic Church will join the whole Christendom in opening the observance of the Year for Priests on Friday.

A Mass in different dioceses across the nation will start the celebration aimed at highlighting the role and mission of the clergy in the church and in modern society.

A liturgical celebration organized by the secretariat of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) will be held at its chapel in Intramuros, Manila.

Last March, Pope Benedict XVI has declared June 2009 to June 2010 as Year for Priests.

In line with this the CBCP also declared the same period as Year of the Two Hearts for Peace-Building and Lay Participation in Social Change.

CBCP President Archbishop Angel Lagdameo said the celebrations for both open on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart on June 19 nationally.

In the Archdiocese of Manila, however, the occasion will be launched on June 29 to coincide with the closing of the Pauline Year and the observance of Pope’s Day.

Sanctification of priests

The special year for the clergy, which is “a year of prayer by priests, with priests and for priests” is centered on the theme, “Faithfulness in Christ, Faithfulness of priests.”

Lagdameo lauded Pope’s declaration saying, “the Holy Father has given us a special intention to celebrate in this year.”

“The primary intention of which is to call for the sanctification of priests whose model is St. John Vianney,” he said.

“It is likewise a call to our lay faithful to pray with their priests and for the priests, especially through the Eucharist,” he added.

‘Painful’

The CBCP head said God’s faithfulness is indisputable despite infidelity committed by members of the clergy to their priestly ministry.

“Christ is always faithful whether we are faithful or not,” he said.

Lagdameo admitted that recent scandals involving the clergy have been “painful” for the church.

“It has been the embarrassment of the Church that some of her clergy have not been faithful,” Lagdameo said, adding that, “All the more, the priests are called to sanctification.”

He stressed that priests are called at the service of the Church and should lead by example.

“Some priests may not be preaching very well, but a good example can be a good and powerful preaching by itself,” he said.

Lagdameo also said that priests and the laity could observe the two celebrations spiritually by holding holy hours on First Fridays and on First Saturdays for the intention of the CBCP and the Pope.

“We can help those who are working for the solution of many of our country’s problems: economic, social, educational, political, personal and institutional, with our prayer,” he added.

Website

The CBCP Media Office has also set up a website (www.cbcponline.net/yearforpriests) to help mark the Year for Priests by providing prayers and other resources in service of the year’s theme.

The site includes the pontiff’s message for the year-long celebration and the announcement of the event’s plenary indulgence in English and Spanish.

The website also provides materaisl for both priests and laity in PDF format so that they may be downloaded and printed for diocesan and parochial use.

“Please pray for our priests that they might always be faithful to their sacred calling,” the site says.  

(Roy Lagarde)