Old Roman Catholic Church Apostolic Vicariate of San Jose NCR Philippines

18/07/2026

16th Sunday of Ordinary Time
July 19, 2026

Homily: Wheat Among the Weeds

Matthew 13:24–30

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

The parable of the wheat and the weeds has often been misunderstood. We may ask, "Who is the wheat, and who are the weeds?"

We may be tempted to say, The Roman Catholic Church is the wheat and the Old Roman Catholic Church and other churches that exist who are not in communion with Rome are the WEEDS.

WHAT do you feel?
What do you think?

However, the real Question Jesus is asking is a different question:

"Are you bearing the fruit of the Kingdom?"

Throughout Christian history, the Church has experienced divisions, disagreements, and even schisms. The Body of Christ has been wounded by human weakness. We grieve these divisions because Christ prayed, "That they may all be one."

It may be tempting to look at another church or communion and label it as the weeds. Yet the Lord warns His servants not to uproot the weeds prematurely. Judgment belongs to God alone.

The real danger is not simply belonging to the wrong institution. The greater danger is possessing a heart filled with pride, hatred, bitterness, or self-righteousness while imagining ourselves to be the wheat.

The true wheat is recognized not by a name or a title but by its fruit:

✅ faithfulness to Christ,

✅ fidelity to the Gospel,

✅ holiness of life,

✅ charity toward others,

✅ humility before God.

Whether Roman Catholic, Old Roman Catholic, Orthodox, or another Christian community, every disciple must ask:

Am I becoming more like Christ?

Christ does not call us first to win arguments about history or jurisdiction. He calls us to become saints.

The harvest belongs to God. Until that day, our task is to preach Christ faithfully, celebrate the sacraments reverently, love one another sincerely, and allow the Holy Spirit to transform us into good wheat that bears abundant fruit.

May we never presume that we are wheat simply because of the name of our Church. Instead, may we strive every day to become faithful disciples whose lives reflect the love, truth, and holiness of Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Bp.Raul Beni Barcela DD PhD MSSPP
Regionary Bishop
Ecclesiastical District of San Jose
Old Roman Catholic Church Metropolitan See for Asia Utrecht Succession

18/07/2026

29/06/2026

How the Roman Catholic Lost Its Married Priests

For most Christians today, the idea of a married priest seems either perfectly normal (if you are Orthodox or Old Catholic) or completely unthinkable (if you are Roman Catholic). But here is a fact that surprises many: for the first thousand years of Church history, married clergy were the norm, not the exception. The requirement of celibacy did not come from Christ or the apostles. It came through a long, contested, and often messy process that took centuries to complete.

This article traces that journey—from the early centuries when priests married and raised families, to the regional councils that tried to stop them, to the 11th-century reformers who finally made celibacy universal law, and the Lateran Councils that declared clerical marriages invalid.

The Early Church: Married Priests Were Normal

In the New Testament, we read that Peter had a mother-in-law (Matthew 8:14), which means he was a married man. Paul wrote that a bishop should be "the husband of one wife" (1 Timothy 3:2). He did not say a bishop must be unmarried. He said the opposite: a bishop should be a married man who manages his household well.

For the first several centuries, this was the normal understanding. Bishops, priests, and deacons married, raised children, and served their congregations. Nobody thought this was scandalous. In fact, some of the most revered saints of the first millennium were themselves children, grandchildren, or spouses of married clergy.

Throughout Church history, married clergy were not only present but honoured. St. Patrick, St. Gregory of Nyssa, and St. Gregory the Illuminator were married men who served faithfully. Pope St. Felix III was a widowed father of priests and ancestor of Pope St. Gregory the Great. In the 9th century, Pope Adrian II explicitly approved Saints Cyril and Methodius to ordain married men for the Slavic mission, a clear papal endorsement of married clergy in missionary contexts.

These are not exceptions. They are the mainstream practice of the undivided Church.

Early Attempts to Enforce Celibacy

Some regional councils in the West started pushing for celibacy earlier. The Council of Elvira in Spain (early 4th century, roughly 300–324) issued canons requiring continence for higher clergy. But these were local rules, not universally enforced. For most of the first millennium, married clergy remained the norm across both East and West, and the Elvira canons did not change that.

The Eastern Church, through the Council of Trullo (691–692), formalized its own practice: priests and deacons could remain married if they married before ordination, but bishops must be celibate. This is still the practice of the Orthodox Church today. The West, however, would take a different path.

The Gregorian Reform: The Real Push Begins

The real push for universal celibacy came in the 11th century with the Gregorian Reform, named after Pope Gregory VII (1073–1085). The reformers attacked two things they saw as corrupting the Church: simony (buying and selling church offices) and clerical marriage, which they called Nicolaitism.

They argued that clergy should be completely separate from the laity. Marriage and family ties, they said, could compromise church interests, dissipate church wealth, and create dynasties of clerical families that controlled church property. Gregory VII was relentless. In 1074, a Roman council under him condemned clerical marriage. His letters show he would not tolerate resistance.

The Lateran Councils Make It Law

It took several more decades for these reforms to become formal Church law. The First Lateran Council (1123) forbade priests, deacons, subdeacons, and monks to marry or keep concubines.

The Second Lateran Council (1139) went even further. Convened by Pope Innocent II, it declared that clerical marriages were not just unlawful but invalid. This is a crucial distinction: before 1139, a priest who married had broken a rule. After 1139, in the Western Church, his marriage was not recognized at all.

The journey was:

· 4th century: Regional councils like Elvira urged celibacy
· 11th century: Gregory VII and the reformers vigorously enforced it
· 1123: First Lateran Council forbade clerical marriage
· 1139: Second Lateran Council declared such marriages invalid

That last step is the key: making it not just a rule to obey, but a marriage that the Church would not recognize as valid. That is how the discipline became fully codified in the Roman Catholic Church.

The history is clear: married priests are not an innovation. They are the ancient tradition. Celibacy as a universal requirement is the innovation. Knowing that history helps us see the issue not through the lens of modern controversy, but through the eyes of the Church that gave us the saints, the councils, and the faith we still hold today.

Let each man honour his vows faithfully, whether called to the grace of celibacy or the sacred bond of marriage.

29/06/2026

June 29, 2026

Pastoral Message for the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul

Dear Reverend Fathers, Religious, and Faithful of the Missionary Society of Saints Peter and Paul,

On this joyous Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, I extend my heartfelt greetings and blessings to each one of you.

The lives of these two great Apostles remind us that the Church is built upon unwavering faith, courageous witness, and sacrificial love. As members of the Missionary Society of Saints Peter and Paul, may you continue to proclaim Christ with boldness, serve His people with compassion, and remain steadfast in your apostolic mission despite the challenges of our time.

As Regionary Bishop of the Ecclesiastical District of San Jose, NCR, I thank you for your faithful service to the Church. May the prayers of Saints Peter and Paul strengthen our unity, deepen our commitment to the Gospel, and inspire us to become living instruments of God's mercy and peace.

May Almighty God bless you all abundantly.

+ Bp.Raul Beni Barcela DD PhD MSSPP
Regionary Bishop
Ecclesiastical District of San Jose, NCR Missionary Society of Saints Peter and Paul

07/06/2026

June 7, 2026
Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

Dearly Beloved Clergy, Religious, and Faithful of the Old Roman Catholic Church Metropolitan See for Asia, Utrecht Succession,

Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

As we joyfully celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, we are invited once again to contemplate the greatest gift bestowed upon the Church—the Most Holy Eucharist, the true Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The Eucharist is the heart of our Catholic faith. It is the sacrament of Christ's abiding presence among His people, nourishing us with divine grace and strengthening us for our mission of proclaiming the Gospel. In every Holy Mass, heaven touches earth as we gather around the altar to receive the Bread of Life.

In a world often marked by division, uncertainty, and suffering, the Eucharist remains our source of unity, hope, and charity. As we receive the Body of Christ, may we also become the Body of Christ for others—living witnesses of His love, mercy, and compassion in our families, communities, and society.

I encourage all our clergy and faithful to deepen their devotion to the Blessed Sacrament through frequent participation in the Holy Eucharist, Eucharistic Adoration, and acts of charity toward those in need. Let us allow Christ, truly present in the Eucharist, to transform our hearts and renew our commitment to His holy will.

May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Woman of the Eucharist, accompany us in our journey of faith and lead us ever closer to her Divine Son.

On behalf of the Old Roman Catholic Church Metropolitan See for Asia, Utrecht Succession, I extend my heartfelt blessings and prayers to all. May the Eucharistic Lord fill your lives with peace, joy, and abundant grace.

May your Corpus Christi celebration be filled with reverence, unity, and renewed love for the Holy Eucharist.

Happy Feast of Corpus Christi!

In Opus Ministrii,

✠ Bishop Raul Beni Barcela DD PhD
Regionary Bishop
Ecclesiastical District of San Jose
Missionary Society of Saints Peter and Paul
Old Roman Catholic Church
Metropolitan See for Asia
Utrecht Succession

01/06/2026

This is the PERSPECTIVE of the PROPOSED MISSION PROJECT of the MISSIONARY SOCIETY OF STS PETER AND PAUL of the OLD ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH METROPOLITAN SEE FOR ASIA UTRECHT SUCCESSION situated on top of the mountain in the ONE HECTARE DONATED TITLED PIECE OF LAND, Brgy Aguiting, Kananga, Leyte, Philippines. OUR PRAYERS. On this HOLY MOUNTAIN, GOD PROVIDES. God's WILL and His PURPOSE be done and accomplished IN PRAISE OF HIS NAME, FOR THE MINISTRY OF HIS CHURCH and IN THE SERVICE OF HUMANITY. -

Bishop Celes

24/05/2026

May 24, 2026: From the Sacred Office of the Metropolitan Bishop, ORCC MSA US

SOLEMNITY OF PENTECOST AND THE CATHOLICITY OF THE CHURCH

By Bishop Celes A. Gianan, MSSPP, DD, PhD

It was on that Pentecost Day, the outpouring of the POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, when the Church founded by Christ was POWERFULLY and INDELIBLY marked with a CHARACTER, not with a NAME, that is, ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC, APOSTOLIC. God’s WISDOM for His Church was and is made manifest by a CHARACTER, not by a NAME. These FOUR MARKS embody the CHARACTER of His Church, His Mystical Body.

Lesson to be realized, for instance, with the use of the word “CATHOLIC”. Once we take the word “CATHOLIC” as a “NAME” of the Church, then, a problem starts to crop up for it would now become “exclusive”. But if the word “CATHOLIC” is taken to mean a “CHARACTER”, then, it becomes “INCLUSIVE” for, indeed, CATHOLICITY is not EXCLUSIVITY, it is INCLUSIVITY. It is “ALL-EMBRACING”. This is in consonance to what SACRED SCRIPTURES say of and about our ONE God “Father of ALL, who is over ALL, through ALL and in ALL” (Ref. Ephesians 4:6). This Scriptural account speaks so powerfully that ONLY to God and to Him ALONE should we establish “IN FULL COMMUNION” with, not with Rome, which is a particular place, for the CATHOLICITY of the Church is not Rome’s making but God’s doing by the power of His Spirit made manifest on that Pentecost Day.

The common expression that says “IN FULL COMMUNION WITH ROME” is an existential DISARRAY and, therefore, must be put to end. “IN FULL COMMUNION WITH ROME” is Rome feeling SUPREME over other particular Churches and that APART FROM ROME, a particular Church is NOT Catholic. Rome does not have the MONOPOLY of the CATHOLICITY of the Church. For Rome to claim otherwise is a display of PRIDE. While, historically, it is true that Rome is the cradle of Western Civilization and the capital of the Christian world, it does not follow that Rome is the SEAT of power of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. The SEAT of power of the Church is Christ, the Head of the MYSTICAL BODY, His Church.

IN FULL COMMUNION WITH CHRIST means IN FULL COMMUNION WITH THE CATHOLIC CHURH. And to Him alone must we have and be IN FULL COMMUNION with, not with Rome. Particular Churches including the Roman Catholic Church are mandated to establish HARMONIOUS CO-EXISTENCE and CLOSE COLLABORATION with each other as FELLOW WORKERS in the VINEYARD OF THE LORD if only for us to align ourselves to the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus when He prayed, saying, “FATHER, I PRAY THAT ALL MAY BE ONE” (Ref. John 17:21).

By way of analogy, Manila is the Capital City of the Philippines but it does not mean nor does it follow that all Filipinos be IN FULL COMMUNION with Manila. Towns, cities and provinces in the Philippines have their own seat of government. In the case, then, of the Catholic Church, Rome may be considered the capital of the Christian world but it does not follow that all Christians be IN FULL COMMUNION WITH ROME. Particular Churches and/or communities of believers have their own respective identity and juridical personality and system of governance and administration which OUGHT to be protected and respected. The solemnity of the PENTECOST brings into our consciousness THIS SOUND and HEALTHY ECCLESIOLOGICAL THINKING and our humble SUBMISSION to it makes us all ONE with God, HOLY unto Him, CATHOLIC in Faith and APOSTOLIC in Ministry. The PURITY of it all stems from our FIDELITY to Christ, the Head of the Church, and in our OBEDIENCE to Him, not to human beings (Ref. Acts 5:29).

The SOLEMNITY OF PENTECOST DAY exhorts, encourages and empowers ALL BAPTIZED CHRISTIANS to think and reflect on the very meaning of the word “CATHOLIC” which, sadly and apparently, nowadays “disturbs” and “destroys” inter-church relations and jurisdictions in the way it is being understood, lived out and witnessed especially by the HIERARCHS of the Catholic Church instead of “building-up” and “sustaining” inter-church relations and jurisdictions which basically and ultimately is the very REASON why PENTECOST DAY is solemnly celebrated each year. Pentecost is celebrated each year for its power continues to “build us up” and “sustain” us as a PEOPLE OF GOD.

We OUGHT to recognize, participate in and celebrate the POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT as we see Him “BUILDING US UP” and “SUSTAINING” our healthy and sound inter-church relations and jurisdictions which is the very essence and purpose of PENTECOST. We, the Fathers of the Missionary Society of Sts Peter and Paul of the Old Roman Catholic Church Metropolitan See for Asia Utrecht Succession hold firm our stance, that is, WE ARE IN FULL COMMUNION WITH CHRIST, the Head of the Church and are intent and committed to establish HARMONIOUS CO-EXISTENCE and CLOSE COLLABORATION with particular Churches and sectors within the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. Yes, we stand our ground for the CAUSE OF GOD.

As Fathers of the Missionary Society of Sts. Peter and Paul of the Old Roman Catholic Church Metropolitan See for Asia Utrecht Succession, may we STRIVE to fully grasp the very meaning of “BEING CATHOLIC” and “ACTING AS A CATHOLIC” if only for us to contribute to the PROCLAMATION OF THE GOSPEL to ALL PEOPLES, IN ALL PLACES and AT ALL TIMES strongly driven by the GREAT COMMISSION OF CHRIST.
Our prayers. A blessed SOLEMNITY of PENTECOST. God loves us all. - END

12/05/2026

From the Office of the Metropolitan Bishop
Bishop Celestino Gianan

Take an "honest" note:

1. The CATHOLICITY of the Church founded by Christ was not, is not Rome's making.

2. It is the RESULT of the WORK of the Holy Spirit that ever took place on that PENTECOST DAY.

3. The Church became CATHOLIC not because of ROME but because of the SPIRIT of God.

4. If we want to SUBMIT and COMMIT ourselves to the CATHOLIC CHURCH, then, we have to be IN FULL COMMUNION with Christ, the Head of the Church, whose SPIRIT is very much ALIVE and AT WORK in the Church.

5. Yes, we believe in the existence of the Roman Catholic Church as a "SINGLE" Church, not UNIVERSAL, that "subsists" in the Catholic Church governed by the Successor of Peter and the Bishops together with him (Ref. Dominus Iesus, par 17, Pope John Paul II). "Single" because it is a particular Church that is being "singled" out to be governed by the Pope.

6. We, the ORCC MSA US, are truly in the Roman Catholic Church but we exist "TO UNDIVIDEDLY and UNBROKENLY PERPETUATE the original teachings of Christ for His Church through all generations and PROTECT the Church from the "EVILS" and "FORCES" of MODERNITY that are penetrating into the inner core of the Church and destroy the SACREDNESS of the Church.

7. This makes us "OLD" Roman Catholics. This is the very "HISTORICAL CONTEXT" of the emergence of the OLD ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH as its history would tell us.