Welcome remarks of Archbishop Gaudencio B. Rosales, Archbishop of Manila during the Liturgical Reception for Bishop Bernardino Cortez, Auxiliary Bishop of Manila at the Manila Cathedral on August 28, 2004 at 9:00 a.m.

Archbishop Antonio Franco, Apostolic Nuncio in the Philippines,
Your Excellencies, Bishop Tria Tirona, present Presidential Bishop of San Pablo,
Your Excellency Bishop Francisco San Diego of Pasig and
formerly the Bishop of San Pablo,
Reverend Monsignori,
Reverend dear brother priests,
Reverend sisters and brothers,
Beloved lay people of the Archdiocese,
The mother of Bishop Bernard,
The brothers and sisters of Bishop Bernard,
All beloved in Christ,

Today, the Archdiocese of Manila welcomes its new auxiliary bishop. How do you welcome a happy pasturer? In the bible there are many ways of welcoming. We remember in Genesis 8, no one released a dove from the arc expecting the dove not to return. And fortunately the dove came back. The return of the dove was not welcome in a sense because it brought the thought that out there there’s still the destructive waters covering the earth. That was one welcome that was not happy.

Another welcome was of a different nature, the return of the prodigal son. Everybody was happy particularly the father except one, the older brother. The welcome was warm, so warm there was dancing and singing and feasting. That return erased the past and launched the family into a joyful celebration and hope of unity in the future.

Another welcome of course was that Christ coming back. There are many. The triumphant entry to Jerusalem but let’s not go through all of them. The return of the risen Christ. Welcomed with fear, doubt and ultimately with joy and hope. The Lord is risen. Let us go to meet him. Today, a real Manileño as a bishop do returns to the Archdiocese. Bishop Bernard is really from Manila. But by some plan of the Divine Providence he was working in another local church. He found his way with determination in the beginning like many prophet. Fear, doubts, by many dense and crooks and ups and down. Bernard found his way.

Today, the Archdiocese is welcoming Bishop Bernard. And as we welcome you Bishop Bernard, the whole Archdiocese, beginning from the Archbishop, the monsignori, the priests, the brothers and the sisters, the lay people, they invite you to come and welcome you today. And as we do this in the ceremony within the Eucharist as we welcome you Bishop Bernard, enter into the vineyard of the Archdiocese. We welcome you but make us part of you. We accept you but take the vision and the prince of this local church together with what struggle vision it has in the hope of improving the lives of people particularly the poor, the weak, including also the wise, the strong and the rich. There is a way and we are together struggling to fight like in the past the path that the Lord wants us to take. Bishop Bernard Cortez, we welcome you, we ask you to take with you not just the people of God but also its dreams. Bishop Bernard, step in to this cathedral, embrace the people and their prince. You are not only welcome. Bernard, you are one of us.