5,542 priests and bishops attend clergy congress

THE 2nd national congress of the clergy (NCC II) which ended today drew some 5,542 priests and bishops representing 87 arch/dioceses nationwide and few priests abroad.

Organizers said the surge in the number of participants was unexpected that they ran out of kits and other materials.

Former Ambassador Henrietta de Villa, chairperson of the NCC II Central Coordinating Committee said they had only 5,300 prepared kits for participants.

“We added another hundred, for the rest we just gave plastic folders with handles,” she said.

De Villa said they also ran out of liturgy booklets used in the daily liturgy so they distributed risographed copies to those who had none.

“The priests are so very nice. They understood, nobody complained that one has not what the other got. I guess that’s also a gift of the spirit,” De Villa said.

The retreat-congress which started Monday, had Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, as preacher.

Cantalamessa spoke on the need for interior renewal and led the priests into meditation on the three important elements in the life of the priests—the Eucharist, the sacrament of reconciliation and celibacy.

Seeing such a big assembly of priests, Cantalamessa was heard to have remarked: “Only in the Philippines can these things happen, so many priests in one gathering.”

De Villa said NCC II surpassed the international gathering of priests in Ars, France August last year in terms of number of participants. That international retreat assembled only about 1,500 priests worldwide.

Cantalamessa also addressed the laity last January 28 on the topics “The Relationship between the Clergy and Laity” and “Marriage and Family according to the Bible.”

He also addressed the Franciscan family on January 29 after the clergy congress.

De Villa said the number of participants remained intact until Wednesday evening based on the food stubs they collected at meal time.

“On Thursday some of them started to leave because there was an ongoing celebration in Lucena for the 25th anniversary [of the Episcopal ordination] of Bishop Emilio Marquez. The Diocese of Gumaca is celebrating its silver jubilee also,” De Villa explained.

But according to De Villa some of the bishops who went to join the celebration in Lucena and Gumaca also came back on Friday to join the procession.