More asked of priests in Year of the Clergy

Priests should think of ways to be more effective in their mission of bringing God’s word and contributing to the growth of their flock, says the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP)as it celebrates 2018 as the Year of the Clergy and Consecrated Persons.

Priests are given the challenge of evangelization by bringing the Gospel closer to the faithful, Fr. Jerome Secillano, executive secretary of the CBCP’s permanent committee on public affairs, said on Dec. 14.

“I think they should be more effective in their mission… That they are contributing something to the growth of the faithful,” he said.

‘Renewed servant leaders’

The CBCP declared 2018  Year of the Clergy and Consecrated Persons, aiming to make them “renewed servant leaders who care most especially for the least, the lost and the last.”

The declaration is part of a nine-year spiritual journey toward the 500th year of Christianity in the Philippines in 2021, with a different theme for each year.

The past year was the Year of the Parish.

Secillano said priests like himself were at the forefront of the Church’s evangelization process, bringing the word of God to their flock.

“The word of God has the ability to transform people. So how would the clergy make use of that power that he has? That’s how he can make himself effective, and that’s a challenge,” he said.

He stressed that priests “are significant contributors to social transformation” with their esteemed role in society.

Secillano pointed out that priests, who are usually respected and looked up to in the community, are usually described as  holy, a personal trait.

Another challenge for priests in 2018 is continuing to be good role models for the members of their communities, he said.

“The clergy should be also a model of holiness and of goodness. We should not deny the fact that people look up to priests,” he said.