Theme launched for 500th year of Philippines Christianity

MANILA, Philippines — Former Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle urged the faithful to join with the Catholic Church for the celebration of the 500th anniversary of Christianity in the Philippines, as the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) launched yesterday the celebration’s theme, “Gifted to Give.”

In a short video message from Rome, Tagle said the Catholic Church, through the CBCP, has been preparing for the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Christianity in the country through different activities under the “Year of Missio Ad Gentes” celebrations.

“You know that we are preparing for the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Christianity in our country among our people and every year, there is a focus, now we will focus on ‘Missio Ad Gentes’ – mission to other peoples, to other lands,” he said.

Tagle is currently in the Vatican after he was appointed as the Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

Before he concluded his video message, Tagle reminded the faithful to reflect on their mission on earth as he emphasized that it is not just work, but also “sharing the gift of faith” that the people have received from Jesus Christ.

“If you want to participate, we are encouraging you to participate, please visit the page of the Episcopal Commission on Mission of the CBCP,” he said.

The CBCP started in 2013 the nine-year “spiritual journey” leading up to the 500th anniversary of Christianity in the Philippines by launching different themes based on different aspects of Christianity in the country.