By Sujata Jena
Manila: More than 4000 priests and religious dared the tropical storm of Manila on July 18 to participate in the convention of the Fifth Philippines Conference on New Evangelization (PCNE5) at the University of St. Thomas (UST), Manila.
PCNE is an ongoing renewal program for the priests, religious and laity.
PCNE was introduced by Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, Archbishop of Manila, in 2013 as a local response to the call of a new evangelization. It was first held from October 16 to 18, 2013 with the theme “God makes all things new (Rev 21:5)”.
PCNE focused on rekindling the ardor of evangelization and renewal of faith experience in the local and Asian context.
The occasion began with an enriching liturgy intertwined with an indigenous dance and beating drums.
Cardinal Tagle ignited the spirit of the thousands priests and nuns gathered at UST with his profound insight on the call of a fundamental Christian life.
Firstly he said, “We are called to live in the existential solidarity with the people. Christ is the perfect example who lived in complete solidarity with the people.”
The priesthood in Judaism is different than that of the priesthood of Christ. In the Old Testament, a priest has kept a distance from people, away from reality and far from human relationships and feelings. He is put on the side of God. It was a privilege given to priests.
Christ did not claim the privilege. He was fully at the side of God and at the side of a human being.
Secondly, the priesthood is giving of oneself as Jesus did. He did not represent someone for the service of humanity. He didn’t have a substitute of animal or any other being for that matter rather he offered himself to be crucified. He went through suffering and death. He realized suffering profoundly. His heart was perfected in suffering, that is why he became very compassionate.
“Thirdly, we are called to sharing in the priesthood of Jesus who bore insults, pain, rejection, threat, and challenges. As Jesus, we have to avail ourselves completely for the service. Share everything that is part of us. It is offering oneself as a living sacrifice. It is an integral evangelization of attitude, behaviors, outlook, lifestyle,” Tagle said.
“We need to recognize the holiness of life, among simple mothers and fathers, caretaker, cleaner in the canteen, and laundry woman who suffers in order to send her child to school,” he added.
Cardinal Tagle has been called the “Asian Pope Francis” because of his humility, his connectedness with the lives of everyday Catholics and his insistence on the church duty to care for the poor and the marginalized.
In the afternoon, Jesuit Father Albert Alejo, professor of sociology, further challenged the gathering with a set of insightful questions from a Gospel passage “Jesus was moved with compassion, feed the multitude”.
He filled the hearts of the people with grieve and emotion as he flashed on the screen some powerful images with facts based on the day to day happenings of the country.