Filipino Bishop tells priests ‘Do not allow yourselves to be enslaved by money, worldliness, and power’

Bishop Raul Dael of Tandag told three newly ordained priests—Glendelmark Orillaneda, Dennis Rey Ortojan, and Johnrey Orzales—to rely on God's power instead of earthly possessions in their vocations.

"Do not allow yourselves to be enslaved by money, worldliness, and power.  Always take good care of that simplicity that only seeks the Lord," Bishop Dael said in the sermon for the priestly ordination mass at the San Nicolas de Tolentino Cathedral on November 26.

The prelate reminded the priests that their priestly ministry would be kept going by simple means, not grand ones.

"Never forget the village, never forget your humble beginnings—a village of personal encounters—and do not be ashamed of your humble beginnings," he said. 

He added, "From the village, you can hear the silence of their groanings, grievances, and anxieties, and you will encounter them."

The bishop asked the new priests to think about Pope Francis's call for synodality, which means that lay people should always be able to take an active role in their apostolate.

Allowing lay people to share their gifts "to the community of Christ where there is simplicity, silence, and personal encounter," according to Bishop Dael, “would benefit priests.” 

"Journey with the people,"  he said, adding that "do not separate yourselves from the village where you see the simplicity of the people." 

"Many times people do not listen to us because we are far from them," he said. 

"Do not forget the village, remain simple, spend time in silence, and develop personal encounters with God and His people," the bishop concluded. 

The diocese of Tandag is located in the civil province of Surigao del Sur in the Caraga region of Mindanao.  Surigao del Sur, with a land area of 4,552.2 square kilometers, is located on the eastern coast of Mindanao and faces the Philippine Sea to the east.

The Diocese of Tandag was created on June 16, 1978, and carved out of the Diocese of Surigao. On November 7, 1978, the whole province of Surigao del Sur, whose capital is Tandag, was added to the diocese. 

About half of the eastern coast of Mindanao that faces the Pacific Ocean is in the province. It is only a few miles from the Philippine Sea, one of the world's deepest ocean basins.-With input from CBCP News