PASTORAL LETTER
“The Quadricentennial Anniversary
Celebration of the Foundation
of the Archdiocese of Manila”
October
02, 1978
To my dear People of God in the Archdiocese of Manila:
Next year, on February
6,1979, the Archdiocese
of Manila will be observing a most historic event — the four hundredth anniversary
of its foundation. On that day in 1579, Manila became a Diocese suffragan
of Mexico, the first such diocese in the Philippines. It became an Archdiocese on August
14, 1595 and from it have sprung the
62 ecclesiastical divisions now existing in our country.
It can be truly said therefore,
that 1979 is a very important year in the history of the Church in the Philippines. It is only fitting and proper that it be celebrated
in a worthy manner.
To this end, we have scheduled,
among others, three especially significant events during the year. The first
of these is the International Congress of the Missions, organized by the
Sacred Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples together with the Mission
Society of the Philippines. Around 300 representatives from all over the world
are expected to attend this Congress.
The second, which will require
the participation of Catholics from all over the country, will be the National
Eucharistic Congress to be co-sponsored by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference
of the Philippines and the Archdiocese of Manila. But the high point of
the quadricentennial celebration will be the Archdiocesan
Synod which is scheduled for October next year.
Permit me to tell you more
about what a Synod is. It is an assembly of the clergy, the religious and
representatives of the laity during which important theological, pastoral
and policy questions are discussed to accelerate the spiritual renewal of
the People of God and to make the local Church more relevant and effective
in its apostolate.
The importance of the Synod
cannot be sufficiently emphasized. Among the duties incumbent on the bishop
of a diocese, the periodical celebration of Synod is to be counted as one
of the most important. The Second Council of the Vatican urges that this venerable institution flourish with
new vigor (decree “Christus Dominus”
36). The “Directory on the Pastoral Ministry of the Bishops” dedicates a special
chapter to the bishops’ role in the diocesan Synod and in pastoral visitation
(Chapter VI, nn. 162-170). The importance of the
Synod for the spiritual welfare of the local Church is stressed by the prescriptions
of the existing Canon Law still in force (CIC 356-362) and of the new revised
version (although neither complete yet officially promulgated, Art. III. De
Synodo Dioecesana, Can. 270-280). The Synod is expected to be an effective instrument
of genuine and vigorous spiritual renewal.
Several objectives are envisioned
for the forthcoming Synod. Among them are the adaptation of the laws and norms
of the universal Church to make them more suitable to local conditions; the
drawing up of policies and programs of aposto-lic
work in the Archdiocese; the identification of problems encountered in the
apostolate and the devising of appropriate solutions; the giving of impetus
and encouragement to various Archdiocesan projects; and, finally, the pinpointing
of errors in doctrine and morals which may have crept into the life of the
faithful.
While everyone is called upon
to participate in the Synod’s work the nature of participation varies.
To be sure, the Synod is not
a kind of general convention to which each and everyone has free access. Some
distinctions must be made. One thing is the general and active participation
in the preparatory work for the Synod where each and everyone should
be involved — a kind of general mobilization of the People of God — another
the participation in the work of the Commissions where experts in a
determined field are called to cooperate in teamwork, and still another the
actual participation in the formal celebration of the Synod. The first
two kinds constitute a participation in the Synod’s preparatory stage and
belong either to the whole People of God or to those individuals who, on account
of their knowledge, particular expertise or experience, can contribute substantially
and in special way to the work of the Synod. The third kind of participation
is limited to the formal sessions of the Synod itself and to those
who may be properly called Synod members.
There are, however, two kinds
of members: members by law, whose right to attend the Synod is determined
in the general law of the Church (CIC 358 #1); and those who may be called
discretionary members, namely, those who may be appointed at the discretion
of the Bishop who is the only legislator in the Synod (ibid. #2).
While a great part of the Synod’s
work will be shouldered by experts in theology, and while its pastoral aspects can best be handled by priests and religious
involved in the active ministry, the role of the laity in insuring its success
cannot be overstressed.
The Documents of Vatican II
are very explicit on this point. They demand that the laity be fully involved
in the activities of the local Church. Thus, it is important that all participate
in the discussions of problems to be presented at the Synod. For they are the ones familiar with the day-to-day life of the parish
and its effects on the parishioners. And it is they who can most eloquently
present the problems to the various established commissions to do the spadework
for the Synod itself. The Church has much to gain from this involvement, and
the clergy and the hierarchy themselves will profit by becoming more keenly
aware of the real problems confronting them. It is thus that the Synod will
be the result of the prayerful thought and effort of all the people, rather
than present the ideas of a few.
If the faithful on the parish
level do this, they will be sure that their voice will be heard in the Synod,
that the problems that they face and the recommendations that they submit
will be given a respectful hearing. They may not be in the synodal
assembly themselves, but their presence will be felt.
I am convinced, my dear brothers
and sisters, that the holding of the Synod during the Quadricentennial will go a long way towards updating present
Archdiocesan policies. The last Synod was held 53 years ago — in April, 1925,
to be exact — and although some of its policies have been modified in the
course of time, many of the activities of the Catholic Church in Manila are
based on the policies enunciated during that assembly. A new Synod is called
for, therefore, and hopefully, we can achieve the “aggiornamento” — the spiritual,
pastoral and juridical updating — sought by the Second Vatican Council.
Five Commissions under an Executive
Committee have been set up. These are the Manila Synod Commission, the Parish
Life Commission, the Cultural Life Commission on History and Education, the
Commission on Liturgical Celebrations, and the Finance and Ways and Means
Commission.
These, therefore, are the plans
laid out for the fitting celebration of the Quadricentennial.
It is my hope and prayer that they will bring about the revitalization of
Christian faith and life in the Archdiocese and that they will serve as an
expression of thanksgiving to the Lord for the gift of faith He has lovingly
granted to His people.
But these plans will not succeed
without the blessings of the Almighty. Thus, we need the prayers of everyone,
particularly those of innocent children and of those consecrated to the Lord.
We give to you herewith a copy of the special prayer composed for the celebration
of the Synod along with a “Prayer of the Faithful” which I am earnestly asking
you to recite fre-quently during the year. And if
you can make penance and sac-rifices as often as
you can for the success of the Quadricentennial,
I am sure that they will be most pleasing to the Lord.
Let us all join hands in placing
the Quadricentennial celebration, particularly the
Archdiocesan Synod, in the hands of the Blessed Virgin Mary. After all, when
the Diocese of Manila was first established in 1579, the first Cathedral of
Manila was placed under the patronage and protection of the Immaculate Conception.
She also is the Patroness of the Philippines.
God bless you and remember, I love you all very dearly.
(SGD.) +
JAIME L. CARDinaL SIN, D.D.
Archbishop of Manila
Villa San Miguel, October 02, 1978
