500 Years of Christianity (Part 5)

The Religious Orders and Congregations (priests, brothers, nuns) played a very special role in the 500th year of evangelization. We became an American colony from 1898 to 1946. The Americans focused on education and self-governance but not evangelization. When they made their Constitution in 1787, they prohibited state religion, but our church continued evangelizing.

In 1920, the first American Jesuits replaced the Spanish/Basque/Catalan Jesuits. In the 1900s, English speaking nuns replaced the Europeans sisters. It is regrettable that in their 500 years Spain did not create a public school system. The Church during that 500-year vacuum, opened parochial schools in all parishes but there were not enough qualified teachers so the nuns/sisters became educators only up to university in Asia in 17th Century and their first major and minor seminary with a special Royal Charter from Spain’s King Philip, Cebu’s San Carlos de Borromeo (17th Century). The 1896 Philippine revolution leaders were parish school educated. From 1898, when we were a US colony up to 1946, the leaders were UST lawyers, Sergio Osmena, Manuel Quezon, Madrigal, Mariano Jesus Cuenco, etc. We have the biggest Catholic school system in Asia.

A world map will show that most of the Asian nations are linked by land (Pakistan, India, Burma, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Singapore). Separated by wide stretches of water are Indonesia’s 11,000 and our nation’s 7,000 islands. Providentially, the Dutch, French, and English did not crave for our nation because it was not part of Asia continent’s land mass. Evangelization was uninterrupted in 500 years. In the 18th century, Spanish Jesuits opened Municipal College in Mania, Asia’s best equipped weather/meteorological station. The typhoon season starts in June hitting our nation first before it goes to other Asian Nations. The analysis/forecasts were so good that up to December 1941 World War, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Japan, China relied on the so-called Padre Faura weather station for weather forecast.

In 1964, Pope John 23rd convened the 2nd Vatican Council. Because of Pope John, churches were now allowed to celebrate Mass in their own language or dialect. In 1964, the Filipino faithful, especially in the provinces, remote islands, finally understood the mass and participated by answering in their dialect. The 1964 act of Pope John stopped many Catholics from leaving for other religious groups. In the 70s something happened that changed the intensity of devotion of Mindanao’s faithful just eight (8) years after Pope John’s decree. Tagum’s Mary Knoll Bishop Reagan and Malaybalay’s Bishop Claver acting independently introduced the Basic Ecclesial Community (BEC) in their dioceses. The BEC was created in South America by Catholic Missionary priests to stop the strong Protestant evangelization. The name was changed to Gagmay’ng Kristohanong Katilingban (GKK) and services were in Cebuano because Mindanao is Visayan speaking. Strangely, Luzon and Visayas rarely have GKKs. We in Mindanao know that outside the cities, the GKK is the glue that binds the faithful. WE are the only Asian nation with two (2) saints. The irony is that both were murdered in Japan and Marianas Island.

Before, to become a priest starts with the minor seminary. The final four (4) years are in a major seminary. Now this has been changed to College Seminary (preparatory) and Major Seminary (Final). In the 50s, the church allowed the youth to enter the seminary at the high school level. The first graduate of this program was Monsignor Edgar Rodriguez. Today, you need a 4-year college degree before you can enter major seminary. The late Monsignor Maurice Michaud, PME told me to enter the seminary in the high school level sometimes makes the priest half cooked. They need at least 4 years exposure from ages 12 to 16 in the High school world before entering the minor seminary at the age of 17 or 18.

The theme “Gifted to Give” is proper. We have received many blessings over 500 years. Earth has around 8 billion inhabitants. 5 billion are in Asia (China 1.4 billion, India 1.6 billion, Indonesia 250 million, Philippines 110 million plus Laos, Burma, etc.). The challenge is for us to bring into the church the billions of our Asian neighbors. We have 500 years to give what we have received 500 years ago.