Mindanaotoday.com | Mindanao Catholic prelates’ meeting slated in Cagayan de Oro
By: Uriel Quilinguing
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – After 48 years, the Roman Catholic Church’s Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro (ACDO) is hosting once again a Mindanao-wide gathering of religious and lay leaders starting Monday, November 7, this year.
About 300 bishops, priests and heads of Church-based groups from 21 dioceses in Mindanao are attending the five-day 17th Mindanao-Sulu Pastoral Conference (MSPC) at Chali Beach Resort, according to the ACDO’s social communications office Saturday, November 5.
Streets in the vicinity of Saint Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral, where a concelebrated liturgical mass for the MSPC will be held have been ordered closed by the city mayor’s office for 20 hours starting 4:00 a.m. of November 7.
Mayor Rolando Uy directed Friday, November 4, the Roads and Traffic Administration to devise a traffic rerouting scheme for Capistrano, Rizal, Tiano, San Agustin, Gaerlan, and Fernandez streets where portions will be closed for motorists.
Host Archbishop Jose Cabantan, the main celebrant of the mass, would be joined in by Cotabato Archbishop Angelito Lampon, Mati Bishop Abel Apigo, and Pagadian Bishop Ronald Lunas – all speakers in this year’s MSPC.
Fr. Reynaldo Raluto, parish priest of Jesus Nazareno Parish in Libona town, Bukidnon will also speak at the 17th MSPC – a consultative forum – which was supposed to be in 2020 was reset this year due to the coronavirus disease pandemic.
This year’s consultative forum among MSPC delegates from five clustered dioceses will be on the theme “The Gift of Faith and Evangelization as a Synodal Church.”
The five clusters of dioceses are CABUSTAM (Cagayan de Oro, Butuan, Surigao, Tandag, and Malaybalay), DADITAMA (Davao, Digos, Tagum, and Mati), DOPIM (Dipolog, Ozamiz, Pagadian, Iligan, and Marawi), KIDMACO (Kidapawan, Marbel, and Cotabato), and ZAMBASULI (Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu, and Ipil).
Aside from archbishops and bishops, MSPC delegates include pastoral directors, social action directors, seminary rectors, members of the laity who are engaged in apostolates on family and life apostolate, youth, migrants, women, inter-religious dialogues, and basic ecclesial communities.
Held every three years, the first MSPC was held in 1971 and the Archdiocese of Davao was the inaugural host – 10 months before the entire country was placed under Martial law. Five years ago, the 16th MSPC was held in Davao again.
In 1974, under the stewardship of the late Archbishop Patrick Cronin, the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro was the venue of the 2nd MSPC.
Aside from the archdioceses of Cagayan de Oro and Davao, only the Archdiocese of Zamboanga has hosted the MSPC twice, in 2014 and in 1986.
Inspired by Vatican II which called for the translation of the liturgy in the vernacular language to make the sacraments understandable and meaningful to the laity, the late Zamboanga Archbishop Lino Gonzales organized the first MSPC, though it was held in Davao 51 years ago. (MT)
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