ARTICLES © Roy Lagarde / CBCP Media of World Trade Center during the opening of the second congress on January 25, His Eminence Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales noted the surge in number of participants. The first congress, considered historical and unprecedented because of its 4,000 participants paled in comparison with the second congress at least in terms of attendance. “…we have broken our own record by filling this hall with more than 5,000 priests,” the cardinal exclaimed. Former Ambassador to the Vatican Henrietta de Villa, chair of the NCC II Central Coordinating Committee said they ran out of kits and other materials since they only prepared 5,300 of these. So those who came late had to make do with what were given them, prepared at the last minute. But like a mother speaking fondly of her children, De Villa was all praises for the clergy. “The priests are so very nice. They understood, nobody complained that one has none what the other got. I guess that’s also a gift of the spirit,” De Villa said. An event waiting to happen Cardinal Rosales said the convening of a second congress for the clergy was an event waiting to happen since it has been thought of many times as soon as the first congress in 2004 concluded. The first congress was held at a time when controversies hounded the Church because of the accusations of sexual misconduct among some of her priests, particularly in America and Europe. It was different this time though, as it was convened as a response to the call of the Holy Father for the entire Church to celebrate meaningfully the year for priests which the Vatican has promulgated to mark the 150th death anniversary of the saintly cure of Ars, St. John Mary Vianney. According to the cardinal, two attempts have been made since 2004 to assemble the clergy once again since many of the participants of the first congress had asked for a follow up of the first congress. “There is spiritual hunger in the priests and that passion among them to meet brothers again and that desire must be encouraged and sustained,” the cardinal said during the opening of the second national congress. Another try was made when the Holy Father went to Sydney, Australia to preside the World Youth Day celebration. The thought of having the pope very near to the Philippines again inflamed the desire to hold the congress of clergy. But as divine providence would have it, again the effort did not materialize. Nonetheless, the grace of God indeed strikes when the time is right. On March 16, 2009, in a meeting with members of the Pontifical Congregation for Clergy, Pope Benedict XVI announced a special year for priests beginning June 19, 2009 to June 19, 2010 to commemorate the 150th death anniversary of St. John Mary Vianney. Year for Priests In establishing a year dedicated to the clergy, the Holy Father wanted to lead the priests into a deeper reflection of the greatness of their priestly vocation. At the general audience on June 24, 2009, the pope explained that the celebration aimed to encourage the priests in their striving for spiritual perfection. “The purpose of this Year for Priests, …is therefore to encourage every priest in this striving for spiritual perfection on which, above all, the effectiveness of their ministry depends, and first and foremost to help priests—and with them the entire People of God—to rediscover and to reinforce their knowledge of the extraordinary, indispensable gift of Grace which the ordained minister represents for those who have received it, for the whole Church and for the world which would be lost without the Real Presence of Christ.” The Vatican proclamation signaled the right time for the CBCP Commission on Clergy to put into action the congress plan that has been long prepared, merely waiting for the right time to be implemented. The plan for a second clergy congress was ratified during the CBCP Plenary Assembly last July 2009. A call to renewal and deeper commitment Chosen preacher for the five-day congress was Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, OFMCap, who electrified the clergy with his charismatic preaching punctuated with singing of songs Amazing Grace (obviously his favorite hymn) and Lord, Here I Am, and inviting participants to resounding proclamations of God is love, Christ is risen, etc. During the congress, Cantalamessa delivered five meditations which he always began with a solemn invocation to the Holy Spirit. Iba Bishop Florentino Lavarias, who currently sits as the chair of the Commission on Clergy said, “Fr. Raniero invited us to call upon the Spirit, precisely because the congress is focused on interior renewal and every renewal is the work of the Spirit.” Cantalamessa’s conferences delved on the three important elements in the life of the priests—the Eucharist, the sacrament of reconciliation and the gift of celibacy. The Capuchin monk expounded on the importance of the Eucharist in the life of the priests, urging them to be focused on the person they are representing, who is Jesus. He also led the clergy to realize that relationship with Jesus is also a relationship with the Holy Trinity which 6 <strong>IMPACT</strong> • February 2010
Volume 44 • Number 2 7 © Roy Lagarde / CBCP Media
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