5,000 priests, bishops to attend 5-day Congress of the Clergy

MANILA,Philippines - Masses and weddings will be suspended for five days, especially in far-flung provinces as some 5,000 priests and bishops are set to attend the 2nd National Congress of the Clergy (NCC) at the World Trade Center, Pasay City from Jan. 25 to 29. 

The 2nd NCC comes as the Roman Catholic Church celebrates the Year of the Priests, which started June last year until June 2010.

Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales said yesterday of the less than 9,000 priests and bishops expected to join the NCC, only 4,000 would be left to man 86 dioceses in the country.

NCC’s theme this year is “Faithfulness in Christ, Faithfulness of Priests.” The five-day event would be like a retreat for priests.

“It is time for parishioners to realize that we priests also need some quiet, some solitude… Priests also have that important obligation to renew themselves to priesthood,” Rosales said.

During the NCC, Masses will be held early mornings. Priests from Metro Manila and nearby areas such as Bulacan and Tagaytay could still attend to their duties in early morning and return to the 2nd NCC, he said.

But there are talks that some dioceses would send 100 percent of their priests and would have to leave their parishes behind.

In that case, they would have to cancel morning and evening Masses, Rosales said. 

In the Visayas, Mindanao and Luzon provinces, some priests’ duties could be performed by Eucharistic ministers such as the giving of communion and blessing of the dead, but not weddings and Masses.

But since the five days of prayer and reflection would run from Monday to Friday, priests would only be able to return to their respective provinces and supervise the administering of sacraments by Sunday, Jan. 31, Rosales said.

Not new

The Cardinal, who was once assigned in Mindanao, said this practice is not new.

“You will be shocked. Way back 20 years ago. When the priests leave, no one is left behind. So we are already doing this in Mindanao.”

Rosales said this is the biggest gathering of priests in the country, bigger than when former Pope John Paul II visited the Philippines.

To see 5,000 priests, bishops, even the emeritus bishops attending one event “will be a sight in your life.”

“I have not seen priests of that number even when Pope John Paul came. At that time there were only 3,000 priests,” Rosales said.

Former ambassador to Rome Henrietta de Villa said as of last week, there were already 4,820 priests who registered and they are expecting more members of the clergy to sign up in the next few days.

About 100 bishops are also expected to attend the congress. On the last day of congress, there will be a procession from the World Trade Center to the Cuneta Astrodome.

“There would be 5,000 priests walking. It will be a 45-minute walk,” Rosales said.

He said they are hoping that they would not see a politician, except for the host Mayor Peewee Trinidad.

Ambassador De Villa said politicians should respect the privacy of the priests.