31/07/2026
𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐋 𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐁𝐈𝐒𝐏𝐎 𝐌𝐀𝐗𝐈𝐌𝐎
𝐎𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟏𝟐𝟒𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐚 𝐅𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞
𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞, 𝐍𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡, 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
(𝐄𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝟐:𝟖)
To my dear brothers and sisters in Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
On this one hundred twenty-fourth anniversary of the proclamation of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, we gather in thanksgiving before God, remembering not only an event in history but a continuing work of grace.
On 3 August 1902, the Iglesia Filipina Independiente was proclaimed in Manila at a decisive moment in the life of our people. The Revolution had not merely sought political independence.
It had awakened among Filipinos the conviction that no nation could be truly free if its conscience remained captive. Out of that conviction emerged a Church that desired to worship God with freedom, proclaim the Gospel in the language of the people, and bear witness to Christ within the life and struggles of the Filipino nation.
Our forebears did not establish this Church because they wished simply to create another church. They believed that the Gospel demanded a Church that belonged among the people; a Church that would proclaim Christ while sharing the burdens, hopes, and aspirations of the nation. They understood that love of God and love of country were inseparable expressions of faithful discipleship.
For one hundred twenty-four years the Lord has remained faithful to this Church.
Our history has known seasons of growth and seasons of hardship. We have experienced division and reconciliation, abundance and scarcity, recognition and misunderstanding. We have buried faithful bishops, priests, deacons, and lay leaders who spent their lives serving Christ without seeking recognition. We have welcomed new generations who continue to discover their calling within this communion.
Through every generation, the Church has endured not because of its own strength, wisdom, or resources, but because God has never ceased to sustain it.
The theme entrusted to us by our Sixteenth General Assembly reminds us of this enduring truth: We are sustained by grace. We are nurtured in faith. We are sent forth in mission.
Grace is the beginning of everything. Before there was an institution, there was God's call. Before there were bishops, constitutions, or canons, there was God's gracious initiative drawing a people into covenant. Our existence is not the achievement of human determination but the gift of God. Every parish, every diocese, every ministry stands because grace has sustained us.
Faith is more than the preservation of traditions or the continuation of inherited customs. Faith grows when believers encounter the living Christ, are formed by the Scriptures, participate faithfully in the sacraments, and learn to follow Him in daily life. A Church cannot depend solely upon memory. Every generation must come to know Christ anew.
Many know the Iglesia Filipina Independiente by birth or family tradition, yet many have never been intentionally formed as disciples. We cannot assume that belonging to the Church automatically produces mature Christian faith. Discipleship requires teaching, prayer, study, worship, and continual conversion.
Our clergy are therefore called not merely to administer parishes but to form disciples. Our lay leaders are called not merely to assist in church activities but to become teachers and witnesses of the faith. Our families are called to become the first schools of Christian life. Our parishes must become communities where believers continually grow in knowledge, holiness, and service.
Only a Church that forms disciples can faithfully continue its mission. And because we are sustained by grace and nurtured in faith, we are sent forth in mission.
Mission is not one ministry among many. It is the reason the Church exists.
The proclamation of 1902 was itself a missionary act. Our founders believed that the Gospel must be proclaimed not only within church walls but within the realities of Filipino life. They refused to separate worship from justice or prayer from public responsibility. They understood that Christ calls His Church to stand wherever human dignity is threatened. That calling remains
before us.
Across our country many continue to live in poverty while opportunities become increasingly unequal. Farmers struggle to protect their land. Fisherfolk defend their livelihood. Indigenous Peoples continue to safeguard their ancestral domains. Workers seek just wages and humane conditions. Children remain deprived of education, safety, and opportunities to flourish. Families displaced by disasters and development projects continue to search for security and hope.
We also remember members of our own Church; bishops, clergy, religious, and lay workers, who have endured harassment, threats, false accusations, and intimidation because they chose to accompany marginalized communities. Their witness reminds us that the Gospel often leads the Church toward places where compassion demands courage.
Our response cannot simply be words. The Supreme Council of Bishops reminded the Church in 1988: "The Iglesia Filipina Independiente has no land to give and wealth to offer. We only have ourselves to share. Living out our heritage is our response." Those words remain true today. Our greatest gift is not found in our properties or institutions, but in bishops, clergy, lay workers, and faithful who continue to share their lives with the poor, accompany communities in their struggles, and proclaim the Gospel by word and deed.The mission of the Church begins
God's people live.
Each parish knows the realities of its own community. Each diocese encounters particular challenges. Rather than waiting for extraordinary opportunities, let us respond faithfully to the needs already before us. Let every parish ask: Whom has God entrusted to our care? Where is Christ calling us to serve? What act of mercy, justice, reconciliation, or evangelization is ours to undertake?
Mission becomes credible when disciples live what they profess.
As we continue strengthening the life and governance of our Church, let us remember that every structure exists for the sake of the Gospel. Constitutions, canons, councils, and assemblies are indispensable to the orderly life of the Church, yet they always serve a greater purpose: enabling the people of God to proclaim Christ more faithfully and to participate more fully in God's mission in the world.
On this anniversary, I therefore invite every diocese, parish, mission station, and congregation to renew its commitment to three enduring tasks: to deepen our life in Christ through prayer, worship, and faithful formation; to strengthen our communion as one Iglesia Filipina Independiente, united in charity and mutual service; and to carry the Gospel beyond our sanctuaries through concrete acts of compassion, justice, peace, and reconciliation.
Beloved brothers and sisters, one hundred twenty-four years ago our forebears stepped forward in faith without knowing what the future would bring. They trusted that the God who called them would also guide them.
The same God who called this Church into being remains faithful today. He has sustained us by His grace, nurtured us through faith, and continues to send us as participants in His mission of reconciling the world to Himself.
May the Lord strengthen the Iglesia Filipina Independiente to remain faithful to her apostolic calling, steadfast in hope, courageous in witness, and constant in love, until all people come to know the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
May God bless us in His abiding presence, strengthen us by His Spirit, that in all things, we may glorify Him and serve His people.
In Christ,
(Signed)
The Most Revd. Joel O. Porlares
Obispo Maximo
