Tagle: Clergy members should be holy after baptism

“We are not being holy because we are nuns and priests. We are holy because we have been baptized. And that’s where we all share in the priesthood of Christ,”Tagle said. (PNA photo)

MANILA — Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle on Wednesday said members of the clergy should be holy after being baptized and not just because they are ordained.

“When I was a rector of a seminary, (they say) a newly-arrived seminarian becomes holy. I told myself it’s too late. One should be holy at the time of baptism and we never become holy because we have been ordained,” Tagle said during his speech at the start of the 5th Philippine Conference on New Evangelization (PCEN5) at the Quadricentennial Pavillion of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) in Manila.

“We are not being holy because we are nuns and priests. We are holy because we have been baptized. And that’s where we all share in the priesthood of Christ,” he added.

Tagle noted that the holiness of life is manifested by simple fathers, mothers and other people.

“Sometimes we should admit that holiness of life we see among simple mothers and fathers and simple janitors, the simple cleaner in the canteen, the laundry woman who suffers in order to send her child to school. That’s why we need to learn from Christ and the many witnesses of faith and holiness,” the head of the Archdiocese of Manila said.

“And as we celebrate our calling to be holy as baptized and in ordained life ministry and consecrated life we also admit that we have to be inspired by the dynamism of holiness that many unsung heroes of the faith manifest to us,” the Cardinal added.

The event held in UST and Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City with the theme “Moved with Compassion: Feed the Multitude” started Wednesday and will end on Sunday.

It will be a celebration of ministerial priesthood and the consecrated life as a community of the baptized faithful, as missionary disciples and servant leaders, like Christ, and a roadmap to foster the spirit of communion and synergy among the laity and consecrated.

Apart from plenary session, there will be 13 tracks of concurrent session on parish/BECs, schools, workplace/government, family, youth, the digital and social media, catechesis, church in mission, new ministry, young adult, and new trends in church.

PCNE was introduced by Tagle in 2013 as a local response to the call of new evangelization. It was held from October 16 to 18.

On the other hand, Fr. Jason Laguerta, PCNE5 organizer, said that they are expecting over 2,000 participants.

Based on initial figure, a total of 1,823 have registered and they are still counting the walk-ins.