September 1987

To my dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

On October 24, 1987, the Most Reverend Bruno L. Torpigliani, the Papal Nuncio to the Philippines, will be celebrating his golden sacerdotal jubilee. Fourteen of fifty years as priest have been spent here in the service of our country. Therefore, we, the Pastors of the Local Church, together with all the faithful, wish to congratulate His Excellency, on this momentous occasion. Likewise, we take this golden opportunity to recognize his two-fold role as Representative of the Holy Father to the Philippine Government, and to the Church in the Philippines. In view of the latter position, we would like to invite our local church to reflect on his mission in relation to our ecclesial life.

St. Paul said that in the Church there are a variety of ministries and gifts (1 Cor 12:4-11). The Holy Father, as the successor of St. Peter in the See of Rome, has the special ministry in the Universal Church to be “the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity of the bishops and of the multitude of the faithful” (LG, 23). Therefore, for all of us, unity with His Holiness is the assurance of our fidelity to the salvific plan and the holy will of God. It is also the assurance for lasting fruitfulness in our apostolic and pastoral work in the world.

A most special collaborator of the Holy Father in this worldwide spiritual mission is the person of his legate, the Papal Nuncio. He is the personal representative of the Holy Father to the local church whose principal task is to “work so that day by day the bonds of unity which exist between the Apostolic See and the particular churches become stronger and efficacious” (CIC, 364). He communicates to His Holiness the conditions and needs of the particular churches and all that touches the life of the People of God (CIC, 364,1).

To forge the bonds of communion with the Seat of Peter, the papal representative assists and counsels, without in any way replacing their rightful role and competence, the bishops or conference of bishops. In practice, however, one of the most significant aspects of his work is the selection of bishops (CIC, 364,4). The key link in the process is the legate, who submits not only the list of names of those proposed for the office, but also his own evaluation of the local situation as a factor in discerning a person’s call to the episcopate. It is in reference to this recommendation that this selection can become sensitive and influential in the life of the local church to which he is sent especially in critical times of a country’s history.

As emissary of the Holy Father, he deals directly with our civil government concerning the interests of the Holy See pertaining to the Church-State relations with the country (CIC, 364,7; 365).

This diplomatic task becomes imperative particularly when it pertains to the protection of the mission of the Church and the interests of the Holy See, especially on questions of social justice, the common good, and the progress and development of peoples as avenues to unity and peace. Both the ecclesial and diplomatic undertakings of a papal representative may well be a living symbol and a holistic model for the complementarity of Church-State relationships for the common good of all. This erases from the minds of those who would wield absolute uncontested political power the separation between the secular and the holy.

The effectivity and fruitfulness of the legate’s service to our people is founded on his priesthood. This is the fundamental condition we all have as pastors of the Church; a priest, a man who mediates between God and Man (Cf. Heb 5:1). By offering the Sacrifice of our Lord and praying to God on behalf of the faithful, he unites us with the Father to bring down his mercy and compassion on us. Surely his presence, God’s singular gift to us Filipinos, will continue to touch us interiorly and so enable us to discern the right direction for our Church in our struggle for national reconstruction, reconciliation, and transformation to the mind and heart of Jesus Christ, so that we may be truly free to be People of God.

On the occasion of His Excellency’s Golden Sacerdotal Jubilee, we would like to propose the following themes for our reflection, namely; 1) our love for the Vicar of Christ and the consequent union with the person and intentions of the Holy Father, and 2) our appreciation for that hidden but grace-filled priestly life and service of our celebrant.

In honoring him we declare our love, loyalty and close communion that bind us with the Holy Father, the Vicar of Christ and the successor of St. Peter. This is an appropriate time for us to become aware of his fatherly and pastoral care for the welfare of the whole Church and the particular churches and his great concern to protect her mission over and above the interests of civil leaders.

All these are made visible to us by the presence of the Most Reverend Bruno L. Torpigliani, D.D., Papal Nuncio to the Philippines.

Together with all the faithful of the Philippines, we join His Excellency in offering praise and thanksgiving to God for his call to the priesthood lived with loving dedication for the sake of the Kingdom for fifty fruitful years.

In this International Marian Year, let us entrust his prayers and petitions, especially those which concern the Filipino people in these uncertain times, to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of all priests because she is the Mother of the Supreme and Eternal High Priest, Jesus Christ in whose honor and in whose name we celebrate the National Eucharistic Year.

Devotedly yours in Christ,

(SGD.) + Jaime L. Cardinal Sin, D.D.

Archbishop of Manila