Filipino cardinal to parish priests: Never discount, suppress the boldness of faithful

A Filipino cardinal reminded parish priests to foster active participation in their parish communities by encouraging parishioners to boldly witness their faith.

Cardinal Jose Advincula, Archbishop of Manila, emphasized that priests must support the faithful in expressing their truths, rather than making them overly reliant on the clergy.

“Let us include [their] voices and contributions in the life of our parish communities,” he encouraged during his homily at the Opening Mass of the National Meeting of Parish Priests for the Synod in Manila on July 29.

The four-day gathering follows the international meeting of parish priests in Italy held from April 29 to May 1.

Cardinal Advincula highlighted the need for parish priests to listen to their flock to foster genuine communion within their communities.

“We need to expand our tent and take off our sandals so we can be a welcoming Church. There can be no communion if we cling too much to our outdated conventions and unhealthy conveniences,” he stated.

The cardinal stressed that parish priests should extend hospitality to those who often feel distant from the Church, particularly the sinners, the poor, and the marginalized.

Furthermore, Cardinal Advincula urged parish priests to actively respond to Pope Francis’ call to build “a Church that goes out.”

“Let us not give in to those factions who say that our Church is dying, if not dead. The synodal consultations have revealed to us that the Church is alive!” he proclaimed.

“[The Church] is alive, not because we are able to keep it alive, but because God is merciful and faithful to us,” he added.

The National Meeting of Parish Priests for the Synod has gathered around 250 participants from various dioceses across the Philippines. The event was organized by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and the Philippine Conference on New Evangelization (PCNE).

French nun Sr. Nathalie Becquart, undersecretary for the Synod on Synodality and the highest-ranking woman in the general secretariat of the Synod of Bishops, also attended the meeting.