Manila Cardinal urges deeper synodality at national meeting of parish priests

By LiCAS News

In his homily during the opening Mass of the National Meeting of Parish Priests for the Synod in Manila on July 29, Cardinal Jose Advincula stressed the need for a welcoming Church, drawing on the example of Martha from the Gospel of Luke. 

“Martha was willing to let go of her systems, to let go of her arrangements, to let go of her ‘order,’ so that Jesus can be fully welcomed as He is, as He wills, as He needs, and as He loves,” he said. 

The prelate emphasized that the Church must expand its tent and take off its sandals to be a truly welcoming community. 

“We might be unconsciously pushing away the people who need our communion the most, people who often feel that they cannot fit in the Church, sinners, the poor, the marginalized,” he said. 

The Cardinal highlighted Mary’s defiance of social norms as a model for increasing participation in parish life. He praised Mary’s “boldness of faith” and urged priests to recognize and encourage such boldness in their parishioners. 

“Let us include such voices and contributions in the life of our parish communities,” he said. 

Cardinal Advincula cited examples of laity who demonstrate remarkable dedication, including those who cross jungles to lead liturgies, and those who remain just amidst corruption. “Let us seek the boldness of Mary so that there can be greater participation in the Church.”

Cardinal Advincula called for a revitalized sense of mission, inspired by Lazarus’s emergence from the tomb. “Let us not give in to those factions who say that our Church is dying, if not dead. The synodal consultations have revealed to us that the Church is alive!” 

He encouraged the faithful to reject despair and engage actively in the Church’s mission.  

The “National Meeting of Parish Priests for the Synod” brought together over 250 priests from various dioceses to discern ways to rejuvenate their priesthood and parish life.

The participants were selected by their bishops to represent a range of experiences and environments.

Organized by the bishops’ conference and the Office for the Promotion of New Evangelization (OPNE), the four-day gathering follows the Vatican-organized international meeting of parish priests held in Sacrofano, Italy, from April 29 to May 1.

Fr. Jayson Laguerta, OPNE director and one of the 10 Filipino delegates to the international event, said the Manila gathering is a response to Pope Francis’ call to continue the synodal conversation.

Pope Francis has underscored the vital role of parish priests in the synodal process, asserting that without their commitment, a truly synodal Church cannot be realized.

Fr. Laguerta expressed hopes that the gathering would inspire priests to embrace a more communal and participatory leadership style and strengthen the unity among the clergy, setting an example for laypeople to follow.

“We hope to inspire them to be more communal and participatory in their leadership. And so we would like to introduce and promote the conversation in the spirit as a synodal methodology,” Fr. Laguerta said.

“We also hope that this gathering could strengthen the brotherhood of priests because we need to show first that we are synodal so that the lay people that we serve will also be given the cue to be synodal,” he also said.  (With reports from Roy Lagarde, CBCP News)

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