IF ST. DOMINIC were alive today, he would be at the forefront of the fight against purveyors of falsehoods, said a Franciscan friar during the Mass celebrating the feast of the founder of the Order of Preachers.
Fr. Angelito Cortez, O.F.M., provincial secretary of the San Pedro Bautista Province of Order of Friars Minor, said being a true Catholic involves having the courage to speak out the truth and denouncing injustices faced by Filipinos.
“You are called to be faithful to the word and faithful to the people. Are we bold enough to preach the truth even when it’s unpopular or uncomfortable? Do we really listen and accompany the poor, the marginalized, and the broken in our communities?” he asked during his homily at the Sto. Domingo Church in Quezon City on Aug. 8.
If St. Dominic were alive today, he would have urged the people to fight lies to let truth prevail in society, he said.
Cortez urged the faithful not to forget that they have the responsibility to intervene amid social problems and take a stand on issues in the country.
“Ang nakakalimutan natin, mayroon tayong sinumpaan at responsibilidad na dalhin ang mensahe ng Mabuting Balita at maging tagapamahala ng kapayaan, lalong-lalo na sa mga taong walang puwang sa ating lipunan,” he said.
Cortez said the Dominican friars who spoke out during Martial Law in 1971 were courageous and should be emulated.
“Imulat ang ating mga mata, buksan ang ating mga isip, at hayaan ang ating marubdob na puso na makisangkot, hindi lamang sa usapin ng lipunan, kundi ang tuwirang ekspresyon ng ating kawanggawa at pagmamahal, lalo na sa mga dukha,” the Franciscan priest said.
The Mass was celebrated by Fr. Lino Gregorio Redoblado, O.F.M., minister provincial of the Philippine Province of the Franciscans.
The Franciscan provincial superior traditionally leads the celebration of the feast of the founder of the Dominicans and vice versa, paying tribute to the spiritual kinship between Saints Francis of Assisi and Dominic de Guzman, founders of two great mendicant orders.
St. Dominic founded the Dominican Order in 1215 in Toulouse, France. Missionary Dominicans carrying out the will of Fr. Miguel de Benavides, O.P., the third bishop of Manila, established UST in 1611. A.G.C. Mansineros
