9 Filipinos, including tycoons, get highest award from Pope

Pope Francis leads the Angelus prayer at the Vatican, on Jan. 7, 2024. (File photo from the Vatican Media via Reuters)

MANILA, Philippines — Nine Filipino Catholics received the “Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice” medal, the highest honor that lay people can receive from the Pope. The Latin phrase means “For Church and Pope.”

During a Mass at the Manila Cathedral on Wednesday, Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula bestowed the medal upon business tycoons Ramon del Rosario Jr. of Phinma Corp.; Manuel V. Pangilinan of Metro Pacific Investment Corp.; Fernando Zobel de Ayala of the Ayala Corp.; and Maria Goolsby of Union Bank of the Philippines.

Del Rosario serves as the vice chair of the board of trustees of Caritas Manila, the nonprofit organization that serves as the lead social service and development ministry of the Catholic Church in the country.

Pangilinan and Zobel are members of the board of trustees of Caritas Manila.

Also awarded with the papal medal were Goolsby and businessman Arnulfo Veridico, who are longtime supporters of the archdiocese’s social action arm.

The same recognition was conferred upon Roselina Quismundo, Elmer Sy, Tomasita Lim and Corazon Rodriguez from the Parish and Archdiocesan Shrine of Saint Joseph in Manila’s Santa Cruz district.

Longtime partners

The Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal, first issued in 1888 by Pope Leo XIII, features a gold Greek cross with the images of the Apostles Peter and Paul and the name of the reigning pope in Latin.

Advincula paid tribute to the awardees for being the archdiocese’s “longtime partners in the mission and collaborators in evangelization.”

He, however, said the award does not mean they can retire from the services they provide. On the contrary, he said it means they must continue the work they have done “and do even more.”

“You are sent to look for many opportunities to do good for others and to make more of our brothers and sisters feel God’s care, compassion, healing, and love through you,” Advincula added.

He also encouraged the lay faithful in general to emulate Jesus “who does good to anyone in need anytime and anywhere.”