Vatican: Jesus is the true treasure of the Church

MANILA, Philippines — The true wealth of the Catholic Church is Jesus Christ, and this hidden treasure must be revealed, Papal Nuncio Charles Brown said on Saturday.

Drawing on the Gospel parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price, the archbishop said many people mistake the Church for a purely humanitarian organization, overlooking what he called its central, divine reality.

“The mission of evangelization is to reveal that hidden treasure,” he said.

That treasure is Christ’s presence, love, teaching and the life of grace – one that stays concealed unless Catholics actively make it known, the ambassador of the Vatican said.

According to CBCPNews, Brown gave this message to almost 4,000 Catholics who attended the 12th Philippine Conference on the New Evangelization held at the Quadricentennial Pavilion of the University of Santo Tomas in Manila.

“We want people to see that the Church is not merely a human organization doing good works, but truly the Body of Christ, where Jesus is present and where the fullness of truth about human life and our eternal destiny is found,” Brown said.

He stressed the dignity of the marginalized, urging delegates to view the poor, the addicted and the abandoned as “pearls of great price,” reminding them that these are the people for whom Christ gave everything.

He added that authentic evangelization requires more than preaching, it demands concrete acts of charity toward those living on the streets or struggling with addiction, whom he described as deeply loved by God despite society’s neglect.

He urged the delegates to continue as “missionary disciples,” carrying that message beyond the conference.