The Vatican has formally approved the establishment of the Conference of Secular Institutes of the Philippines (CSIP), marking a significant step in fostering collaboration among secular institutes in the country.
The recognition, which includes the approval of its statutes, was granted by the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life in June 2024, although the news was only recently announced by CSIP.
The decree, issued by Cardinal João Braz de Aviz, prefect of the dicastery, envisions CSIP as “an effective instrument for the growth of a mentality and spirituality of communion.”
The cardinal emphasized that the conference should become “a place of dialogue and hope,” where the 14 member institutes and associations currently under CSIP can support one another in their mission.
Secular institutes are unique societies in the Catholic Church where members of laypeople, clergy, or a mix of both embrace a life of poverty, chastity, and obedience while continuing to live and work in the world.
Their vocation enables them to follow Christ through total consecration to God while remaining immersed in their professional and social environments.
Members of secular institutes serve in a wide range of fields, from private and government offices to schools, hospitals, and other workplaces.
They work as accountants, engineers, lawyers, teachers, counselors, doctors, and caregivers, bringing the Gospel to life through their everyday roles.
The Church officially recognized secular institutes in 1947, affirming their essential contribution to the evangelization of modern society.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church highlights their role in paragraph 929: “By a life perfectly and entirely consecrated to the sanctification of the world, the members of secular institutes share the Church’s task of evangelization, in the world and from within the world, where their presence acts like leaven in a dough.”
Since its founding in 2015, CSIP has been committed to uniting and strengthening secular institutes in the Philippines. Among its objectives are; promoting collaboration and mutual support among member institutes; developing initiatives to enrich formation programs; engaging in the missionary journey of the local Church by working closely with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP); addressing social and ecological concerns in response to the Church’s call for action.
CSIP was formally introduced to the CBCP during its plenary assembly in Cebu City in January 2018. By 2021, it became a member of the CBCP’s Episcopal Commission on Mutual Relations between Bishops and Consecrated Persons, further solidifying its role in the local Church.
Currently, the conference is led by the Council of Leaders, with Ms. Angeline Dy of the Missionaries of the Kingship of Christ serving as its president.
Secular institutes offer a unique witness to Christian life, striving to “order temporal things according to God” and transform society from within.
With the Vatican’s approval of CSIP, this collective vocation has a stronger foundation for collaboration, dialogue, and growth, ensuring that the words of the Gospel continue to rise in every corner of the world.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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