In spite of the strongest super typhoon of the year “Rolly” and the Covid 19 pandemic, Our good Lord give us at least 3 GOOD REASONS to CELEBRATE our Feast in honor of SAN CARLOS BORROMEO – “Senyor Caloy”!:
1. THE 9TH FILIPINO CARDINAL IS OUR 2ND BISHOP OF SAN CARLOS
Last Sunday, October 25, 2020 – my predecessor and second bishop of San Carlos – the now Archbishop of Capiz, His Grace Most Rev Jose F. Advincula Jr., D.D., was named by Pope Francis as one of the 13 new cardinals from all over the world! Such choice of him by the Holy Father which surprised many of us including Abp Joe himself simply but distinctly underlined the Pope’s pastoral priorities in leading the Church under his papacy:
- reaching out to the peripheries,
- promoting the culture of encounter and inclusion,
- the care of the environment and the poor, as well as
- closeness to his clergy and the seminarians, among others.
* Silently yet effectively, the urgent call of Pope Francis, at the beginning of his pontificate, of bringing the Church to the peripheries finds its clearest expression in the evangelizing and trailblazing efforts of Archbishop Joe together with the clergy and the faithful of Capiz.
* Enriched by his pastoral experience while still with us in the Diocese of San Carlos, Abp Joe erected in a span of less than eight years, 29 mission station churches in far places and remote towns across the 17 municipalities of the province of Capiz so much so that today, the Archdiocese of Capiz has grown from 35 to 64 parishes, thereby bringing the gospel message of Christ closer to many people in far-flung, remote, obscure, and poor places.
* Also while with us here in San Carlos, Abp Joe would spend time reaching out to the indigenous peoples (IPs). The Our Lady of the Mountains Mission School (OLMMS) in Sitio Cabagtasan, Brgy Codcod and St Mary of the Lake Mission School (SMLMS) in Sitio Magazine, Brgy Bago, Don Salvador Benedicto had been established by him to provide education especially but not exclusively for the IPs. And even when he was the first rector of Sancta Maria Mater et Regina Seminarium, the major seminary of the Archdiocese of Capiz, Abp Joe would spend his weekends and summer vacatiins together with some seminarians and priests trekking the mountains of Tapaz, Capiz that, unknown to many, brought him – our newly elected cardinal – to be in contact with the Tapaz Bukidnons, the indigenous people of Capiz.
* Abp Joe has always been a lover of nature and environment. Up to this day, he can still identify and even name the numerous trees he once planted in the college seminary in Brgy. Cagay, Roxas City, with instructions to preserve them. While with us, too, Abp Joe loved to trek our beautiful mountains and hills and I learned – though not verified – that a specie of a plant or tree is even named after him.
(Reference: The Unknown Journey of the Ninth Filipino Cardinal from Capiz, Cardinal-elect Jose F. Advincula Jr., D.D. – By Msgr. Regie Pamposa)
* Many more can be said about our Second bishop but…. let’s move to my second reason:
2. MORATORIUM ON NEW COAL-FIRED POWER PLANTS, PUSH FOR CLEANER ENERGY SOURCES
Last Monday, October 26, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced a “moratorium” on new coal-fired power plants. According to Sec. Alfonso Cusi, this shift in policy is in order to accommodate an expected influx of investments in the country’s Renewable Energy sector. In place of coal, Sec. Cusi said that the country is now “pushing for the transition from fossil fuel-based technology utilization to cleaner energy sources to ensure more sustainable growth for the country.”
* Such DOE decision for a moratorium on new coal power plants is in line with the commitment our country made at the Paris Climate Agreement of December, 2015, when 195 nations agreed to take various steps to stop or hold back the rise in world temperature caused by carbon emissions from the world’s industries. Coal-fueled factories are among the major sources of these carbon emissions along with factories powered by oil and gas. China and the United States are today the world’s foremost producers of polluting carbon emissions.
* The Philippines, especially the most vulnerable sector of society, is paying for the climate debt incurred by the world’s largest carbon emitters and the proponents of destructive extraction projects, which largely contribute to the climate crisis.
* We cannot claim that the existence of this harsh weather condition we recently experienced is an act of God or Force Majeure, which humans have no control. We are definitely to blame for it.
* The devastation of Super Typhoon Rolly underscores the need to call for climate justice and for these ecological debts to be settled.
* Thankfully, as a response to the moratorium issued by the DOE, San Miguel Corporation (SMC) has publicly stated that they will no longer be pursuing the construction of new coal-fired power plants in the country, which includes our beloved San Carlos City!
We are grateful too that the close collaboration between our local Church and ou Local Government Unit of San Carlos continues, especially in our common fight against Covid 19 and our care for our environment: e.g., no plastic policy, marine protection, zero waste management, et al.
3. THE GIFT OF OUR PRIESTS, SEMINARIANS, CONSECRATED PERSONS, OUR YOUTH AND LAY LEADERS JOURNEYING TOGETHER, ON OUR WAY TO BECOMING THE CHURCH OF THE “WE”
We thank the Lord that in spite of the pandemic, our Good Shepherd enabled us to implement the smooth, successful transfer of our priests last June 12, 2020 to their new pastoral assignments in view of our Diocesan Shared Vision-Mission. We are grateful for our 4 recently ordained priests, for our 4 candidates for diaconal ordination hopefully – God willing – this coming December 14, and for our 14 new seminarians undergoing now their Propaedeutic Discernment Year at our SJMVS Formation House in Don Salvador Benedicto.
We acknowledge with joy the many beautiful pastoral initiatives coming from our clergy and young people, like the growing fraternal charity and ubuntu spirit among our clergy through our “All in / All out” sharing scheme, our creative and meaningful celebration of the Season of Creation and steady “greening” of our diocese – thanks to all our KaLUNHAWS! – and the successful completion of our Aurora Marian devotion in the month of October!
We encourage all Christ’s faithful throughout the diocese to keep the devotion to our patron saint by praying the following prayer to San Carlos Borromeo every Thursday throughout the year, preferably after participating in the Eucharist:
Our prayer to San Carlos Borromeo:
To show our gratitude to God through San Carlos Borromeo and express our sense of belonging to the Diocese of San Carlos, we launch today the Project, “Diocese Ko, Palangga Ko” (DKPK) – an annual pledge of Ph100 per person or family to support the 14 advocacies of the diocese: •vocation, •seminary •formation, •scholarship, •social action, •family & life, •youth, •sick & elderly/clergy health care, •human resource development, •pastoral care & community development, •infrastructure projects, •liturgy, •mission, •communication & transportation for evangelization, and •social entrepreneurship.
