Manila Apostolic Administrator Broderick Pabillo urged the faithful to step out of their comfort zones and become missionaries of the people as the country marks the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines this year.
“We open today the Year of the Mission. Let each of our communities enter into the missionary mode. We go out of our comfort zone to reach out to the peripheries,” Pabillo said in his homily during the Archdiocese of Manila’s opening celebration for the quincentennial at the Manila Cathedral on Feb. 6.
“Our mission is to shout out the good news – this is what evangelization means,” he added.
Pabillo called on parishes to utilize digital media and not be afraid of technology.
“The digital way of connecting to people and evangelizing will be with us to stay, even with the coming of the vaccine (against Covid-19). Let us invest, let us improve, let us learn to bring God’s word in the world of the internet,” he said.
“Let us not say that ‘I am too old for this.’ The internet is not only for techies and for the young. It is also for us seniors. And let us not be afraid of this technology. It has great potential for the good (of people),” he added.
The jubilee for the quincentennial of Christianity will be held on April 4, Easter Sunday. The year is themed “missio ad gentes,” or mission to the nations.
The Eucharistic celebration was concelebrated by Archbishop Charles John Brown, the new apostolic nuncio to the Philippines.
The Archdiocese of Manila covers the city of Manila, Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasay, and San Juan. The mayors of the five cities were invited and given a “500 Years Mission Cross” during the event.
On April 4, pilgrim churches will open the “holy door” to kick off the jubilee celebrations.
Among the 10 churches designated as pilgrim churches in Manila are: Manila Cathedral, Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, Archdiocesan Shrine of Nuestra Señora de Guia, Archdiocesan Shrine of Sto. Niño de Tondo and San Pablo Apostol Parish.
The launching of the localized celebration of the Christianity quincentennial in the Archdiocese of Manila coincides with its 442nd founding anniversary as the Mother Diocese of the country. M. A. O. Castillo and S. T. Sadang
