Manila (AsiaNews) – The University of Santo Tomas in Manila hosted the 12th Philippine Conference on the New Evangelisation from 24 to 26 July. This year’s conference took as its theme the word “Sangkay” (“Friends”), with an invitation to rediscover friendship as the heart of the Christian mission, drawing on Jesus’ words in the Gospel of John: “I have called you friends” (Jn 15:15).
Presiding over the opening Mass, Cardinal José Advincula, Archbishop of Manila, urged the faithful to accompany people with patience on their journey of faith, recalling that “authentic evangelisation grows through friendship and love, not through pressure or coercion”. In his opening address, Fr Louie R. Coronel, Secretary-General of the University of Santo Tomas, recalled that Jesus’ method was, above all, one of closeness: “Jesus did not merely preach from the pulpit: he walked with people, sat at their tables, and listened to their stories”. For this reason, he added, “before asking ourselves how to bring the Gospel to others, we must once again allow Jesus to become our friend”.
Fr Jason H. Laguerta, director of the Office for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation and head of the conference, also invited priests, religious and laypeople to live out friendship as a true missionary vocation. “The success of the mission is not measured in numbers, but in the transformation of our relationships,” he said, urging participants not to be “merely Christians”, but “friends” capable of accompanying others.
The chairman of the Commission for Evangelisation and Catechesis of the Philippine Bishops’ Conference, Monsignor Daniel O. Presto, emphasised that friendship with Christ is “the source of every authentic relationship and the foundation of a synodal Church”. Building communities in which “we listen to one another, accompany one another and walk together as brothers and sisters in faith” is the way in which new missionary disciples are formed. Looking ahead to the Jubilee of Redemption in 2033, the bishop invited the whole Church “not merely to preserve one’s own faith and friendship with Jesus, but to share it intentionally with those living on the peripheries”. “Faith,” he concluded, “is meant to be shared, not simply preserved”.
The Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, Monsignor Charles John Brown, also highlighted the Christian meaning of friendship: “In our mission as Christians, friendship means communion in Christ”, a love that “is always a love of sacrifice”.
Organised annually by the Archdiocese of Manila since 2013, the Conference on the New Evangelisation aims to revitalise the Church’s missionary zeal and find new ways of proclaiming the Gospel. This year, the organisers gave greater prominence to young people: according to John Rey Espinoza, the programme coordinator, the theme of friendship was chosen in response to the challenges posed by digital communication and changes in social relationships.
The programme, attended by hundreds of priests, religious, catechists, educators, pastoral workers and young people, included liturgical celebrations, conferences and workshops dedicated to topics such as mental health, parenthood in the digital age, the fight against discrimination and other issues affecting the younger generations.
Among the most significant moments was a dialogue led by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelisation, with religious and laypeople active in various ecclesial and social spheres. Through their testimonies, a common message emerged: evangelisation arises from a personal encounter with Christ and is realised by building relationships founded on listening, accompaniment and service, so that every believer may become a true travelling companion for others.
