CEBU CITY – Five hundred years after Christianity was introduced in Asia, Catholic faith “has entered deeply in the Filipino culture.”
This was the message of Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Charles Brown during Wednesday’s Pontifical Mass celebrating the first baptism that took place in the country.
“So the faith of Christianity was transported in this part of Asia by Europeans and now it is being re-transported to Europe and other places around the world by Filipinos. What do we see in this? We see the universality of the Catholic faith,” said Brown.
Brown said Filipinos have kept the Catholic faith alive even in foreign places.
“What we celebrate with hearts with joy is the fact that in these five centuries, the Catholic faith has entered deeply into the Filipino culture and has produced a distinctively Filipino expression of the unchanging and universal truth of Catholic faith,” Brown said.
“Now, Filipinos bring that faith to the world, not as explorers or colonizers, but in many cases as overseas Filipino workers,” he added.
Brown admitted that there had been adverse comments against the Catholic Church and its arrival in the Philippines which also brought suffering to many people.
"Of course, none of us will pretend that in the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines, there haven't been moments of difficulty and contradictions. The attitudes and mentalities which at times did not reflect the message of Jesus, that is true of the Church as a whole and that is true of the Church in the Philippines. There is light and darkness,” he said.
In a canned video that was played before the start of the Pontifical Mass, Pope Francis congratulated Filipinos for celebrating the quincentennial anniversary of the first baptism that took place in the country.
“You know how to transmit the faith and you do it well. You know how to celebrate the feast of faith…You are a generous people. Keep going. The Pope accompanies you. God bless the Philippines and may Mary and the Sto. Niño guide you always,” Pope Francis said in Spanish.
The Pontifical Mass was held at the Plaza Sugbo where the Magellan’s Cross Shine is situated.
To ensure that health protocols will be observed, limited number of people was allowed to attend the Mass. Some roads around Plaza Sugbo were closed with policemen manning the entry and exit points.
One of the highlights of the religious activity was the baptismal of seven children.
“I want to be a priest when I grow up because they are the ones who helped me,” said 10-year-old David Villagracia who was accompanied by parish volunteers during his baptismal in lieu of his parents.
Aside from receiving the sacrament of baptism, confirmation, and communion, the seven children also received a commemorative 500 Years of Christianity Cross as well as a replica of the Sto. Nino de Cebu image.
"Walk always as children of the light. Keep the flame of faith alive in your hearts. When the Lord comes, may you go out to meet him with all the saints in the heavenly kingdom. This is an aspiration that the Filipino nation as a whole and all of us here today – the fact that 500 years ago today, the Philippines was enlightened by Christ,” Brown told the newly baptized children.
Brown was joined by Cardinal Orlando Quevedo, Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, 10 other bishops, and 75 priests as well as 300 guests during the commemoration.
The first baptism was reenacted prior to the Pontifical Mass.