06/08/2023
MESSAGE OF THE OBISPO MAXIMO on the 121st Proclamation Anniversary of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente
Witnessing in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the Ends of the Earth
Dear fellow servants of Christ, today we remember and bring to the present that blessed day, August 3, 1902 exactly 121 years ago, when God revealed Himself and forwarded His Church among struggling Filipinos by the historic witness of the first labor federation in the Philippines, the Union Obrera Democratica. God is indeed wonderful. Having working people as first witnesses to the beginning of Iglesia Filipina Independiente remind us as well, that the first witnesses to the birth and coming of the Messiah, the head of the Church, were shepherds and workers in the fields.
Following the synodical guidance of the General Assembly, our pastoral leadership shall continue to share message along with the triennial call: “Witnessing faithfully to God’s love in Christ in every place and time in the power of the Holy Spirit” derived from Acts 1:8. In detail the text states: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”. This pericope means a lot to us today.
The theme and the actual text are both saying that it takes the power from the Holy Spirit for anyone to become a true witness of Jesus Christ. As witnessing requires boldness and sacrifices, such power must be adequate. This power must be what Jesus said about the Holy Spirit that He referred to as “the Advocate… who will teach you all things and will remind you everything I have said to you” (John 14:16). On this let us give thanks to God for His self-revelation through the unionized workers led by Isabelo delos Reyes Sr. These our founding fathers became recipients of the “Advocate, the Holy Spirit… who will teach you all things and will remind you everything I have said to you”. It must be the teaching they received from the Advocate that led them to the proclamation of the IFI.
This historical fact is telling us that the formation of the God’s Church among struggling Filipinos 121 years ago forms part of the timeless history of God’s mission of salvation and continuing initiative at introducing His being and loving presence among peoples.
The text that specifies Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the Earth as places for witnessing is even more meaningful and challenging. This indicates that witnessing must be beyond borders and divides among beliefs and politics. At the time of Jesus, Jerusalem and Judea on one hand and Samaria on the other were at odds and divided in their beliefs for centuries. The center of worship for believers in Judea and Jerusalem is based in the temple of Jerusalem. On the other hand, the believers referred in the Gospels as the Samaritans look up to Samaria as their center of worship. Politically, going to the ends of the Earth means crossing political boundaries with the neighboring Persian Empire and with other political territories outside the Roman Empire. Thus, for Jesus, witnessing God’s love is beyond divisions and differences in beliefs and politics.
Furthermore, the mention of the city of Jerusalem and the provinces of Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the Earth also implies that witnessing God’s love in geographical areas are both particular and universal. Mentioning specific locations is a recognition that in those places exist particularities in conditions and contexts. This means that witnessing and exercise of ministry must be responsive to actual conditions and contexts that are particular to such places and peoples. Witnessing and doing ministry based on the context trace back to Jesus himself who upon seeing people harassed and helpless like sheep without shepherd, He sent shepherds bringing love and hope by teaching about the coming of God’s Kingdom. His main instruction: “As you go, proclaim this message: The kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 10:7 NIV).
In relation, witnessing ‘to the ends of the Earth’ or ‘in every place and time’ as the triennial theme puts it, also reminds us about the sovereign will of God in Christ for His love to be universal and for all peoples. And this is what we have been saying during our installation ceremony just two months ago. God’s love and thus His Church must be for all regardless of gender, color, and belief. This means that His Church can not refuse anybody who come asking for grace and for whatever services that the Church may be able to offer. As God’s grace is for all, so do the sacraments and services of the Church including sanctuaries, cemeteries, and other pastoral and social ministries.
Having reiterated the call of being a Church for all, let me also emphasize once more the commitments we made during the installation. For the IFI to be consistently effective on the duty of witnessing God’s love in the world, let us also take the “power of the Holy Spirit” to mean the increasing capability and integrity of the Church to provide ministries that truly benefit the faithfuls and communities. Let us further stabilize the internal capacity of the Church by putting more energy on the ongoing consolidation, growth, and expansion of dioceses and parishes. Let us do this by mobilizing our commissions for them to raise the effectiveness of our education and pastoral ministries along with life-changing administration of the sacraments.
Mobilizing the mandated commissions should also mean optimizing of the participation of lay people in the life and ministry of the Church. We must require ourselves never to compromise the canonical mandates on the role of lay people in Church governance and ministries within or without pandemic. Instead, we should consciously seek every opportunity that will increase their role and participation in every aspect of Church life. The synodical characteristic of our governance is never optional. Canonically-mandated lay involvement is not only about being unique in the catholicity of the IFI. Their passionate and assertive involvement in the Church – in the policy and decision-making, in the implementation of programs and ministries, and in financial contributions – is the leading if not the main source of strength of the Church “in the power of the Holy Spirit”.
Increasing the capability and integrity of the Church to provide ministries for the faithfuls and communities should be accomplished by sustained provision of social services while doing internal consolidation efforts. Thus, we shall strengthen existing programs and services, and relentlessly seek to expand the reach of our diaconal ministries. This we must do for what we have done so far always fall far behind the standards of God’s Kingdom as proclaimed by Jesus Christ. In relation, the program department of your Obispado Maximo is now mobilizing resources and volunteers for us to respond to the victims of the recent destructive floodings in many areas in Luzon brought about by Typhoon Egay.
Today, we have enough reasons to deeply thank God for in the past 121 years, we continue to feel His guidance through the Holy Spirit. This is evidenced by the continuing growth of the Church and by our collective perseverance in becoming witnesses of God’s love amidst widespread vilification and systematic repression. On this concern, our bishops together with your present Obispo Maximo are now into ongoing consultation on how to effectively respond to vilification and harassment incidents that persecute our leaders and workers.
Let us be inspired by the fact that growth and perseverance amidst persecution link and trace us back to the consistent spread of Christianity in the early Church while a persecuted minority of the time. As God’s Church, by our fidelity to His love and teachings, we shall always be under the guidance and protection of the great Advocate the Holy Spirit.
In the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
The Most Reverend Joel O. Porlares
Obispo Maximo
August 3, 2023
📷 IFI Central Office
