On being an educator in a changing world
Manila (AsiaNews) - On the Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in June, the Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City honored the Golden Jubilee of five Jesuits priests whose combined service to the Church and to the Jesuit Order comes to 250 years. What links these priests is the fact that they are all graduates of the Ateneo high school in Manila before the Second World War.
The jubilarians are Bishop Emeritus Federico Escaler of Ipil in Mindanao, Father Eduardo Hontiveros, better known as the father of Filipino liturgical music, Father Jesus Diaz, who served the Order for several years as its regional secretary in Rome, Father Roque Ferriols, the first Filipino philosopher to teach regular university courses in the Filipino language, and Father Catalino Arevalo, the first Filipino theologian to be appointed by Popes Paul VI and John Paul II to the Holy See's 30-man International Theological Commission.
"For the past 50 years, I have been in charge of seminary formation," Father Arevalo told AsiaNews. "That has been my main duty: training priests, helping the bishops and providing services to priests and bishops alike." The world has changed compared to 50 years ago. "It is now different from that of my youth," he pointed out.
Much effort has been put in from within the Church to adapt to the new circumstances. Preaching the Gospel in the modern world is not an easy task. Ever since Vatican II 40 years ago, the Church has been in a permanent phase of transition.
Changes within the Church abound, especially insofar as its theology is concerned. From a doctrinal point of view much has to be re-examined. Today's priests must face these changes and still find ways to preach the Gospel of Jesus to the world.
An undeniable reality in the Philippines is the growth of poverty in both quantitative and qualitative terms. Although the responsibility for solving it lies with the government and with people themselves, the Church is also called upon to confront the reality behind it. "The Church must preach the Gospel in a way that is both consistent with her viewpoints on such matters and sufficiently inspiring that Catholics go beyond their own immediate self-interest and open up to the wider world."
In these changing times, Father Arevalo says, the world is very much different from what it was and the challenge to the Church is to face what is, not what was.
"The Church is the bearer of the Gospel. If she does not announce it in ways that people can believe in and live by then she is failing the world."
What will Father Arevalo be doing in the next 50 years? "I will be staying in the seminary. There are many young priests but we need a lot more," he said. (SE)
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