The 探花精选 once again was the primary host of the
Philippine Conference for New Evangelization (PCNE) for its fifth year. In
its five-day run from July 18 to July 22, the conference focused on the theme 鈥淢oved by Compassion鈥� Feed the Multitude.鈥� Inspired by the gospel story of Jesus鈥� miraculous feeding of the multitude, the conference intended to reflect on the gift of priesthood – ministerial and baptismal – and the gift of consecrated life.
UST Vice Rector for Religious Affairs, Rev. Fr. Pablo T. Tiong, O.P., in his message to the participants, thanked the many clergy, consecrated, and lay attendees of the conference for coming despite the heavy rain and class suspension, saying, 鈥淵our faith inspires the Thomasian community.鈥�
Fr. Tiong also shared that, 鈥淓vangelization is always in the hands of
God. Whether it is evangelization as missio ad gentes, or evangelization to Christian communities, or new evangelization, in faith, we all rely on God鈥檚 mercy and compassion.鈥�
Archbishop of Manila His Eminence Most Rev. Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle
read a letter to the participants from the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines and Titular Archbishop of Sepino His Excellency Msgr. Gabriele Giordano Caccia, S.Th.D., J.C.L, in which Archbishop Caccia passed
along a message from the Holy Father.
鈥淸The Pope] sends his fraternal best wishes to you, your brother bishops, the clergy, the men and women religious and the lay faithful who will participate in it,鈥� the letter said.
Archbishop Caccia also shared Pope Francis鈥� prayer 鈥渢hat the participants will be challenged to a missionary discipleshipand transformation setting their vision not only within the Philippine archipelago but also to the vast continent of Asia and even beyond.鈥�
New Evangelization
New Evangelization is a term first used by Pope Paul VI in his 1975
apostolic exhortation Evangelii nuntiandi which affirms the role of every Christian in spreading the Gospel of the Lord. The term was then popularized by Pope John Paul II, now Saint John Paul II, during an address to Latin-American Bishops inIn anticipation of the quincentennial anniversary of evangelization in the Americas (1492-1992), Pope John Paul II declared that the milestone should spark a new era of evangelization, which 鈥渨ill gain its full energy if it is a commitment, not to re-evangelize but to a New Evangelization, new in its ardor, methods and expression.鈥�
There is a call for a new evangelization to those who have already been baptized, so as to deepen and enkindle their faith and to motivate the baptized to reach out to other Christians in need of a new encounter with the Lord. In today鈥檚 context, this means sharing the Word and the teachings of the Church to people in countries and cultures heavily influenced by secularization.
The Philippines will celebrate 500 years of evangelization in 2021. Yet despite being heavily entrenched in Catholicism for those five centuries,
in 2018, 鈥渢he Filipino Church is bleeding – 740,000 Catholics per year – stopped going to church,鈥� said Episcopal Vicar for Parish Renewal and Leadership Support for the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth in
Canada Fr. James Mallon.
One of PCNE鈥檚 main objectives is therefore to revitalize the Catholic Church in the face of changesin the social, cultural economic, civil, and religious
landscapes in the country and across the world.
Conversations with Cardinal Tagle
Cardinal Tagle delivered a plenary talk 鈥淪haring in the One Priesthood of Christ鈥� and led three panel discussions throughout the five-day conference. He emphasized that 鈥渢he holiness of Jesus [is] a life totally given to do the will of God and a life of total intercession for erring sinners,鈥� and urged the public to share in this holiness by sharing and emulating the priesthood of Christ.
into motion a powerful movement of holiness, of solidarity, of reconciliation, of communion – abolishing all barriers and separation, reuniting people among themselves as brothers and sisters in compassion, and reuniting sinful humanity with the Holy God. In Jesus, a new dynamism is being spread all over the world: 鈥楬ave no fear.
The distant God wants to come near. Do not run away from the throne of Mercy.鈥� This is the dynamism that Jesus鈥� priesthood wants to share with
us and to start as a movement of life with Christians.鈥�
Conversations with Father Mallon
Fr. Mallon delivered two plenary talks and led a group discussion. The first talk was on 鈥淩enewed Servant Leaders for the New Evangelization.鈥� He described servant leadership as leadership by character and cited seven values that one needed to have and prioritize, namely, confidence, commitment, [initiative to] empower others], courage, passion, trustworthiness, and likability. He also urged listeners to cling to an accountable model of leadership where those who are great must become
the least and where real leaders must develop and follow a culture that raises up others.
In his second address, Fr. Mallon tackled 鈥淔rom 5 to 5,000: The Challenge
of Pastoral Conversion and Missionary Transformation.鈥� He shared information on the dwindling Church attendance and highly recommended a 鈥渕issionary mode of Church鈥� motivated by self-giving love
over a 鈥渕aintenance mode of Church.鈥� The priest warned that, 鈥淲hen the rate of change outside an organization becomes greater than the rate of change within, that organization will become irrelevant,鈥� and said, 鈥淥ur culture has changed entirely and yet we still use the same methods as we did in the past.鈥�
Fr. Mallon then challenged participants: 鈥淎re you more attached to your method or to your mission?鈥� 鈥楳oved with Compassion鈥� Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines His Excellency Msgr. Gabriele Giordano Caccia, was the main presider of the Eucharistic Celebration for Day 5 of the PCNE. In his
parting message, he urged the participants to realize that being compassionate means not looking at people as numbers. 鈥淚f we
want to have compassion, don鈥檛 look at numbers. Look at people. Each one is unique. Each one has a name. Do as Jesus does. He knows us by name,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd when you see that the needs [of the people] are so many, do not think, 鈥榃ho will accomplish [what needs to be done]鈥�?
But say 鈥榃hat can I do?鈥� and give what you have and what you are to Jesus. He will perform miracles, not us,鈥� Archbishop Caccia added. 鈥eed the Multitude鈥� To cap off the five-day conference, Cardinal Tagle gave 6,000 pieces of bread for participants to pass to and share with their fellow participants, saying that 鈥淛esus sends us to be bread broken and shared for
辞迟丑别谤蝉.鈥�
Baked in the shape of fish, the bread was a two-fold symbol for Jesus, who is
the Bread of Life and IX袠Y校 (Ichthys), an ancient Greek word meaning 鈥榝ish鈥� that also functions as an acronym for the phrase Iesous Christos Theou Yios Soter (Jesus Christ God鈥檚 Son is Saviour). The fish functioned as one of the earliest symbols of Christianity – a simple and discreet means by which to identify themselves as believers in a time of persecution. It also brings
to memory the two fish and five loaves multiplied by Jesus to feed the multitude.
The Cardinal said that it is a 鈥渞eminder of our call to compassion and solidarity.鈥� 鈥淔aced with so many kinds of hunger in our world, we hear the words of Jesus: You give them something to eat,鈥� said Cardinal Tagle.
PCNE in UST
PCNE first took place in 2013 at Cardinal Tagle鈥檚 initiative as a local
response to the call of new evangelization. With the theme of 鈥淕od makes all things new (Revelations 21:15),鈥� PCNE I focused on renewing and rekindling the ardor of faith within the local and Asian context and was
held from October 16 to 18, 2013.
PCNE II coincided with the visit of Pope Francis to the Philippines and was held from January 15 to 17 2015, with the theme 鈥淏lessed are you鈥� (Matthew 5:1-12).鈥� PCNE III centered on the theme of 鈥淎wa, Unawa, Gawa (Mercy, Understanding, Action): The Filipino Experience of Mercy鈥� and was
held from July 15 to 17, 2016. PCNE IV celebrated the Year of the
Parish, occurring from July 28 to 30, 2017, with the theme 鈥淥f One Heart and Soul (Acts 4:32).鈥� PCNE has been hosted by the Universityof Santo Tomas since 2013
