Military Ordinariate of the Philippines

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The corporate coat of arms of the Military Ordinariate of the Philippines
The corporate coat of arms of the Military Ordinariate of the Philippines

The Military Ordinariate of the Philippines or MOP is a personal diocese[1] for the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, and the Philippine Coast Guard. It has jurisdiction over all military, police and coast guard personnel, their dependents, and the civilian employees of all branches of the armed forces. Its titular patron is the Immaculate Conception, and for secondary patrons it has St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. John Capistran. The current Military Bishop is Most Reverend Leopoldo Tumulak.

Contents

[edit] History

Philippine President, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and the top brass of the Philippine uniformed forces attending the consecration of the Shrine of St. Therese, Doctor of the Church.
Philippine President, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and the top brass of the Philippine uniformed forces attending the consecration of the Shrine of St. Therese, Doctor of the Church.

The Military Ordinariate of the Philippines was erected as a Military Vicariate on December 8 of 1950, decreed by Pope Pius XII through the Consistoriat Decree Ad consulendum. [2]It was accepted by the Philippine Government in a diplomatic Agreement which took effect through the exchange of Notes Verbal in 1952[3] between the Philippines Foreign Secretary, Jaime Elizalde and the Papal Nuncio to the Philippines, Archbishop Vagnozzi.[4] Rufino Cardinal Santos, then Auxiliary Bishop of Manila, took possession of this Vicariate and became the first Military Vicar in the country.

On April 12, 1986, Pope John Paul II issued the Apostolic Constitution Spirituale militum curae which took effect on July 21, 1986. This Papal document was unique in that it began a new structure for all Military Vicariates all over the world, elevating these Vicariates to the level of Ordinariates and placing them on the same status of territorial dioceses.

The Military Ordinariate has its own curia and exercises its pastoral ministry through military, police, and coast guard chaplains assigned to the different branches of service within the AFP as well as the PNP and PCG. The exact number of the faithful who come under this jurisdiction is considered classified information, but it is 90 per cent Catholic.

The priests of the Military Ordinariate of the Philippines, who are mostly diocesan, carry military, police, and coast guard officers' ranks and are assigned in the different AFP, PNP, and Coast Guard command posts all over the country.

The Ordinariate's Principal Church is St. Ignatius Military Cathedral located in Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo Quezon City, Philippines. It also has a Pro-Cathedral for the Philippine National Police- the St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral located in Camp Crame, Quezon City, and a diocesan shrine- the Shrine of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, Doctor of the Church, in Pasay City, Metro Manila.

[edit] Military Ordinary

The Military Ordinary, who is always a Filipino-born member of the Philippine Church Hierarchy, is appointed by the Holy See in consultation with the Philippine Government.[5] The Supreme Pontiff freely nominates the Military Ordinary, who is normally a bishop; or institutes or confirms the candidate legitimately designated in accordance with the Canon Law.[6] He longs by right to the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines and is subject to the Congregation for Bishops.[7]

[edit] Former Bishop of the Military Ordinariate

[edit] Current Bishop

  • Most Reverend Leopoldo Tumulak (Current Bishop)

[edit] Jurisdiction

Philippine National Police top brass together with the Military Bishop during an official function welcoming the Papal Nuncio during his visit to the National Headquarters of the police force.
Philippine National Police top brass together with the Military Bishop during an official function welcoming the Papal Nuncio during his visit to the National Headquarters of the police force.
  • Personal – The jurisdiction of the Military Ordinary is personal over all subjects of the Military Ordinariate. It is exercised independently of geographical territory as a ministry for the faithful determined by personal circumstances.[8]
  • Ordinary – That is, attached by law to the office itself.[9]
  • Proper – This jurisdiction is exercised by the Military Ordinary in his own name.[10]
  • Cumulative – It is not exclusive. It is exercised within those territories that are subject to local Ordinaries, and therefore it does not preempt their authority nor the authority of the local parish priests. Insofar as the subjects of the Military Ordinariate are concerned, they are at the same time, in a cumulative manner, subjects of the local Ordinary and the pastor of the place where they reside. In permanent military, police or coastguard installations, camps, bases, forts and in places reserved for the personnel of these Philippine Government's uniformed forces, the jurisdiction is primarily and principally exercised by the Military Ordinary.[11]

[edit] Subjects

The Military Bishop conferring with one of the field commanders of the Philippine Army during one of his Pastoral Visits.
The Military Bishop conferring with one of the field commanders of the Philippine Army during one of his Pastoral Visits.

The following are the subjects of the Military Ordinary:

  • All Catholic Chaplains in active military, police, or coastguard service.
  • All civilian priests, diocesan or religious, who are properly and officially appointed as volunteer Chaplains in the service of the Military Ordinariate.
  • All Catholic military, police, and coastguard personnel in the active service.
  • All Catholic civilian employees, their spouses and children, residing either inside or outside the military, police or coastguard installations.
  • All families of active military, police or coastguard personnel, namely, then spouses, children, servants, and those who habitually live within the same house, whether inside or outside military installation.
  • All the faithful of both sexes who dwell inside military, police, or coastguard installations, or in homes reserved by the civil government for military, police, or coastguard personnel and their families.
  • All the faithful, who live or work in military hospitals, hospices for the elderly, or similar institutions.
  • All the faithful, both men and women, whether or not they are members of a religious institute, who carry out in a permanent way a task committed to them by the Military Ordinary, or with his consent.[12]

[edit] Chaplains

A Chaplain in front of St. Ignatius Military Cathedral in Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City, Philippines.
A Chaplain in front of St. Ignatius Military Cathedral in Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City, Philippines.

Priests who wish join the Chaplain Services of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, and the Philippine Coast Guard are required to satisfy both ecclesiastical requirements and the requirements of the government's uniformed services they are entering. The endorsement of the Military Ordinary is among the most important ecclesiastical requirements. The Military Ordinary submits the names of priests for "call to active duty" (CAD). He gives the Chaplains and civilian priests who work for the Filipino uniform men and women the canonical faculties to exercise their spiritual ministry among the subjects of the Military Ordinariate.

Chaplains in active duty are given the initial rank of Captain or its equivalent in other uniformed services of the government. They enjoy the progatives 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 their respective Bishop of origin, even without cause.On the other hand, the military Ordinary can withdraw his endorsement for cause. The chaplain whose endorsement has thus been withdrawn are to report to their diocesan Bishop or Religious Superior as soon as possible. Chaplains whose tour of active service is terminated are to revert to their respective dioceses, or religious orders, or as otherwise advised or directed by their respective diocesan Bishops or Religious Superiors.

[edit] References

  1. ^ For the definition and nature of a personal diocese or prelature pls cf. Code of Canon Law, Canons 294-297.
  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.
  3. ^ Ibid., Art. III.
  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. ^ "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." Ibid., p. 795.
  6. ^ Cf. Code of Canon Law, Canon 377 para I.
  7. ^ 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.</
  8. ^ Ibid., Article III, Section 2.C, p. 203.
  9. ^ Ibid.
  10. ^ Ibid.
  11. ^ Ibid., pp.203-204.
  12. ^ Ibid., Article III, Section 3.
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