Military Ordinariate of the Philippines

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Military Ordinariate of the Philippines

Ordinariatus Militaris Philippinensis

Ordinaryato Militar ng Pilipinas
Catholic
0221jfCamp Aguinaldo Ignatius Cathedral Arturo Enrile AFP Museum Quezon Cityfvf 06.jpg
Saint Ignatius of Loyola Military Cathedral
Coat of Arms of the Roman Catholic Military Ordinariate of The Philippines.svg
Coat of arms
Location
CountryFlag of the Philippines.svg  Philippines
TerritoryExtraterritorial to serve the:
Ecclesiastical province Directly subject to the Holy See
HeadquartersAFP Ecumenical Building
Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City 1110
Coordinates 14°36′42″N121°03′31″E / 14.6116478°N 121.0585394°E / 14.6116478; 121.0585394
Statistics
Parishes75 [1]
Information
Denomination Catholic Church
Sui iuris church Latin Church
Rite Roman Rite
EstablishedDecember 8, 1950;74 years ago (1950-12-08)
CathedralSaint Ignatius of Loyola Military Cathedral
Co-cathedralSaint Joseph Pro-Cathedral (PNP)
Shrine of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus (diocesan)
Patron saint Immaculate Conception
Ignatius of Loyola
John of Capistrano
Secular priests 145
Language Filipino, Native Philippine regional languages, and English
Current leadership
Pope Francis
Ordinary Oscar Jaime L. Florencio
Vicar GeneralMsgr. Albert C. Songco
Bishops emeritus Ramón C. Arguelles
Website
www.militaryordinariateofthephilippines.com
All current statistics are based from updated data taken by Catholic-Hierarchy.org.

The Military Ordinariate of the Philippines is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or military ordinariate of the Catholic Church in the Philippines [2] serving the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, and the Philippine Coast Guard.

Contents

It has jurisdiction over all military, police, and coast guard personnel, their dependents, and civilian human resources of all branches of the armed forces. Its titular patron is the Immaculate Conception, with Ignatius of Loyola and John of Capistrano as secondary patrons.

History

Philippine National Police top brass and then Military Ordinary Leopoldo Tumulak welcomed then Apostolic Nuncio Fernando Filoni (now Grand Master of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre), during his visit to the PNP National Headquarters in 2007. Philippine National Police Top Brass with the Military Bishop and the Papal Nuncio to the Philippines.jpg
Philippine National Police top brass and then Military Ordinary Leopoldo Tumulak welcomed then Apostolic Nuncio Fernando Filoni (now Grand Master of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre ), during his visit to the PNP National Headquarters in 2007.

The Military Ordinariate of the Philippines was initially erected as a military vicariate on December 8, 1950, as per decree by Pope Pius XII via the consistoriat decree Ad consulendum. [3] It was accepted by the Philippine government in a diplomatic agreement, which took effect through the exchange of Notes Verbal in 1952 [3] between then-Foreign Secretary Joaquin Elizalde and then-Apostolic Nuncio Egidio Vagnozzi. [4] Rufino J. Santos, then the Auxiliary Bishop of Manila, took possession of the vicariate and became the first military vicar in Philippine history.

On April 12, 1986, Pope John Paul II promulgated the apostolic constitution Spirituale militum curæ, which took effect on July 21, 1986. This papal document was unique, as it began a new structure for all military vicariates all over the world, elevating these to the level of ordinariates, thus giving them the same status as territorial dioceses.

The ordinariate has its own curia and it exercises its pastoral ministry through chaplains assigned to the different branches of services of Filipino uniformed men and women, including the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and the Bureau of Fire Protection. The exact number of faithful under said jurisdiction is classified information, but it is approximately 90% of personnel serving the military and police. The mostly-diocesan clergy of the ordinariate carry officers' ranks and are assigned to different command posts nationwide, regardless of service branch.

Jurisdiction

The jurisdiction of the Military Ordinariate is described by the following:

Subjects

Territorial possessions

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (far right, in powder blue) and the military top brass at the consecration service of the Ordinariate's Shrine of St Therese, Doctor of the Church. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo with top brass of AFP and PNP.JPG
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (far right, in powder blue) and the military top brass at the consecration service of the Ordinariate's Shrine of St Thérèse, Doctor of the Church.

Though not bound to any particular geographical area, the military ordinariate has several buildings under its jurisdiction, almost all of which are within military or police instalments. The ordinariate's principal church is the Saint Ignatius Military Cathedral in Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo in Quezon City, while its pro-cathedral for the Police is the Saint Joseph Pro-Cathedral in Camp Rafael Crame (across Camp Aguinaldo on the other side of EDSA).[ citation needed ]

The ordinariate also runs the Shrine of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, located near Villamor Air Base in Pasay.[ citation needed ]

A Chaplain of the Armed Forces standing in front of St Ignatius Military Cathedral. Image-St. Ignatius Military Cathedral .jpg
A Chaplain of the Armed Forces standing in front of St Ignatius Military Cathedral.

Chaplains

Priests who wish join the Chaplain Services of the Armed Forces, the National Police, and the Coast Guard are required to fulfil the standard requirements of both the service branch they are entering and the church. The endorsement of the military ordinary is amongst the most important of the ecclesiastical requirements; the ordinary submits the names of applicants for a "call to active duty" (CAD). He gives to chaplains and civilian priests working for the services the canonical faculties to exercise their spiritual ministry among subjects of the military ordinariate.

Chaplains in active duty are given the initial rank of Captain or its equivalent in other branches of the services. They enjoy the prerogatives and privileges of the rest of the officers belonging to the same grade or rank in the service.

Chaplains in active service who are not incardinated into the military ordinariate may be subject to recall by the bishop of their respective diocese of origin, even without cause. On the other hand, the ordinary may also withdraw his endorsement for cause. The chaplain whose endorsement has thus been withdrawn is to report to their diocesan bishop or religious Superior as soon as possible. Chaplains whose tour of active service is terminated are to return to their respective dioceses or religious orders, or as otherwise advised or directed by their original bishop or Superior.

Non-combatant status

Military Ordinary

The military ordinary must be a Filipino-born member of the nation's Catholic Church hierarchy, and is appointed by the Holy See after consultation with government. [8] The pope freely nominates the military ordinary– normally a bishop– or institutes or confirms the candidate legitimately chosen according to the canon law. [9] He belongs by right to the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines and is subject to the Congregation for Bishops. [10]

OrdinaryPeriod in OfficeTitular SeeCoat of Arms
1. Rufino J. Cardinal Santos.jpg Rufino J. Santos†
(1908–1973)		December 21, 1950 – September 3, 1973
(23 years, 226 days)		Barca Coat of arms of Rufino Santos.svg
2. Coat of Arms of the Roman Catholic Military Ordinariate of The Philippines.svg Mariano G. Gaviola†
(1922–1998)		March 2, 1974 – April 13, 1981
(7 years, 42 days)		Girba
3. Coat of Arms of the Roman Catholic Military Ordinariate of The Philippines.svg Pedro G. Magugat, M.S.C.†
(1925–1990)		December 9, 1981 – April 22, 1985
(3 years, 134 days)		Scilium
4. Coat of Arms of the Roman Catholic Military Ordinariate of The Philippines.svg Severino M. Pelayo†
(1934–1995)		December 19, 1985 – February 26, 1995
(9 years, 69 days)		Bilta
5. Archbishop Ramon Arguelles.jpg Ramón C. Arguelles
(1944–)		August 25, 1995 – May 14, 2004
(8 years, 263 days)		Ros Cré Coat of arms of Ramon Cabrera Arguelles as Archbishop of Lipa.svg
6. Leopoldo S. Tumulak.jpg Leopoldo S. Tumulak†
(1944–2017)		January 15, 2005 – June 17, 2017
(12 years, 153 days)		Lesvi Coat of arms of Leopoldo Sumaylo Tumulak (Military Ordinariate).svg
7. Coat of Arms of the Roman Catholic Military Ordinariate of The Philippines.svg Oscar Jaime L. Florencio
(1966–)		March 2, 2019 – present
(5 years, 310 days)		Lestrona Coat of arms of Oscar Jaime Llaneta Florencio (Military Ordinariate).svg

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. ↑ All current statistics are based from updated data taken by Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
  2. ↑ For the definition and nature of a personal diocese or prelature cf. 1983 Code of Canon Law , Canons 294–297.
  3. 1 2 Statutes of the Military Ordinariate of the Philippines Article II in Legislazione sugli Ordinariati Castrensi, Eduardo Baura, ed., Milano: Giuffrè Editore, 1992, p. 201.
  4. ↑ For the text of the documents regarding the Agreement cf. College of Law, University of the Philippines, Philippine Treaty Series: A collection of Texts of Treaties and other International Agreements to which the Philippines is a Party, Haydee B. Yorac, ed., Quezon City: 1968, Vol. II, pp. 793–796.
  5. 1 2 3 Statutes of the Military Ordinariate of the Philippines Article III, Section 2.3 in Legislazione sugli Ordinariati Castrensi, Eduardo Baura, ed., Milano: Giuffrè Editore, 1992, Article III, Section 2.C, p. 203.
  6. ↑ Statutes of the Military Ordinariate of the Philippines Article III, Section 2.3 in Legislazione sugli Ordinariati Castrensi, Eduardo Baura, ed., Milano: Giuffrè Editore, 1992, pp.203–204.
  7. ↑ Statutes of the Military Ordinariate of the Philippines Article III, Section 3 in Legislazione sugli Ordinariati Castrensi, Eduardo Baura, ed., Milano: Giuffrè Editore, 1992, p. 205.
  8. ↑ "The Holy See shall entrust the office of the Military Vicar to a Filipino-born member of the Philippine hierarchy. However, before proceeding to his appointment, the Holy See shall communicate his name to the Philippine Government in order to ensure that there is no objection on the part of the said Philippine Government." Legislazione sugli Ordinariati Castrensi, Eduardo Baura, ed., Milano: Giuffrè Editore, 1992, p. 795.
  9. ↑ Cf. 1983 Code of Canon Law, Canon 377 para I.
  10. ↑ Statutes of the Military Ordinariate of the Philippines Article III, Section 2.3 in Legislazione sugli Ordinariati Castrensi, Eduardo Baura, ed., Milano: Giuffrè Editore, 1992, p. 202.
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