November 09, 1994

INTRODUCTION

The Feast of Christ the King comes once a year to close the liturgical year of the Church; a time to help us look into our life of discipleship and to ask ourselves this important question for our Spiritual Life: HOW HAVE I BEEN FAITHFUL TO THE VALUES AND TEACHINGS OF CHRIST IN MY LIFE AND MY FAMILY?

Our Gospel today presents Jesus being questioned as to his Kingship and with all solemnity He declares: “You say I am a King. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the TRUTH. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice” (Jn 18:37). It is in this context that I, your Shepherd, share with you this PASTORAL LETTER inviting you my people on this Feast of Christ the King to examine our loyalty to the Truth of Christ as expressed in the teachings of the Church.

Aware of the many concerns and problems of today, it is so easy to be pulled into quick and easy solutions that will only give pseudo relief that will not last and can even worsen the problem. But we can only learn to respond to all these urgent and serious needs when we have formed our hearts and minds with the TRUTH OF CHRIST. And so we appeal and encourage you, my dear faithful, to once more embark into a concerted program of EVANGELIZATION that will make us go back to the basic of our Faith and learn how our Faith, when put into action, can be a most effective means of responding to the challenges of our times.

JESUS — SPLENDOR OF TRUTH

At the close of this liturgical year we are challenged to face Christ our Lord and King and ask ourselves in the whole Archdiocese of Manila how we have kept our faith in Him; how we have served Him using His ways and values; how we have recognized Him in the different challenges and trials of life; how we have seriously witnessed to the spread of His Truth. In asking these questions, one important fact is crucial: How central to my life is the Truth of Christ; the Lordship of Christ in my life is not merely an identification with the crucified and risen Lord, but a very radical way of accepting the way that led to the Cross; and this way is none other than the way of TRUTH. In the words of our holy father in VERITATIS SPLENDOR_,“Truth enlightens man’s intelligence and shapes his freedom, leading him to know and love the Lord.” Therefore, we are challenged to make the truth of Christ very attractive amidst all the other truths trying to capture our hearts; and the best way to make the truth of Christ attractive today is to prove to all the sceptics that the Truth of Christ works for me and my family; that the truth of Christ gives joy and unity in all my undertakings; that the truth of Christ is the basis for the progress and development in the community. That Jesus is truly the Splendor of Truth that shines forth in all the works of the Creator and in a special way in man, created in the image and likeness of God.

YOU AND I ARE CALLED TO BE MEN AND WOMEN OF TRUTH

What is the pastoral challenge of the Feast of Christ the King for our Archdiocese today? How can we effectively make this celebration affect our situation in all the levels of our life so that what we celebrate becomes part of our lives? And how can we make the celebration of this powerful feast create a lasting impact in all our concerns? It is with these in mind that we, Bishops and Priests in the Presbyteral Council have decided to offer and invite all the Parishes of Manila to participate in the Evangelization Program of going back to the basics of our Faith in consonance with the Gospel and the official teachings of the Magisterium. We need to go back to the “Basics” of Scriptures and the Catechism in order to be formed in conscience. To be committed to the Truth is to be committed to the formation of a correct conscience. Pope John Paul II, quoting Cardinal Newman speaks strongly of this responsibility: “Conscience has rights because it has duties.” And the first duty of conscience is to be formed according to the Truth of God, Church and humanity.

We are convinced that every Christian is a Catechist by virtue of Baptism and Confirmation. Thus catechism in Faith is a most fundamental apostolate of the Church. We are therefore calling upon our parishes and Christian communities to invite all our lay partners in mission to choose among them candidates to undergo a basic training in catechesis so that for their part they may echo the TRUTH of Christ to others.

We are launching this Evangelization program on the Solemn Feast of Christ the King both to be a CALL TO ARMS for all faithful disciples of Christ to come together to battle the enormous darkness of evil spreading confusion and lies by our fidelity to the Truth of Christ through our formation in the basics of the Faith; and also a CALL TO ARMS by coming forward and be witnesses to the power of Truth by showing our solidarity in reaching out and sharing the Truth of Christ through our concerted effort of catechising our communities specially the unchurched. Perhaps the celebration of this Feast today can mark a new stage in the process of Renewal we have always been undertaking in this Archdiocese. And so we entrust ourselves both our families and communities at the throne of Christ the King, the Splendor of Truth so that He may empower all of us in this Archdiocese to be faithful disciples of His TRUTH, and KINGDOM OF JUSTICE, LOVE AND PEACE.

And we also implore our Blessed Mother, the woman of faith, who brought the TRUTH into the world to help us accept the truth in our lives. May she give us the courage to share the truth of her Son Jesus in our world to dispel the darkness around us.

(Sgd.) + JAIME L. CARDINAL SIN, D.D.

Archbishop of Manila

November 20, 1994

Solemnity of Christ the King