President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. honoured Filipino migrants, dubbed “smugglers of the faith” by the late Pope Francis, as the Philippines and the Holy See celebrated the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations. Source: UCA News.
The Philippines, now the largest Catholic-majority country in Asia, established diplomatic relations with the Holy See in 1951, five years after gaining independence from the United States.
The anniversary celebration took place on April 8 in Intramuros, Manila, the former walled city of the Spanish colonial era.
A Mass was first held at Manila Cathedral, and a diplomatic reception followed at the Ayuntamiento de Manila, a Spanish-era government building that houses the country’s treasury bureau.
Mr Marcos, who attended the diplomatic reception, emphasised the “shared commitment” by the Philippines and the Holy See “to peace, human dignity, and social justice”.
He added that the country’s partnership with the Catholic Church “extends far beyond our archipelago”.
“Many of our religious and lay people serve overseas as missionaries and pastoral workers, reflecting the vital role Filipinos play in advancing the Church’s universal mission,” the 68-year-old president said.
Mr Marcos said the Philippines hopes to more closely collaborate with the Holy See to advance the plight of migrants, particularly by implementing the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration.
Archbishop Charles Brown, the American-born apostolic nuncio to the Philippines, praised “the innate virtue of the Filipino people, their deep religious faith, wonderful family traditions, and profound love for the freedom and independence of the nation”.
In his homily at Manila Cathedral, the 66-year-old Vatican envoy said the Holy See “continues to support the Philippines in these crucial areas of national life”.
Grace Princesa, ambassador to the Holy See from 2018 to 2021, recalled her warm interactions with Pope Francis and their talks on migration and the environment.
She specifically noted his description of Filipinos as contrabandistas de la fe (“smugglers of the faith”).
Francis first publicly used the term in 2019 to honour migrants, like nannies, who quietly “smuggle” the Gospel into foreign homes by teaching their wards to pray.
FULL STORY
Marcos, diplomats celebrate 75 years of Philippine-Holy See ties (By Paterno R. Esmaquel II, UCA News)
