Military Ordinariate of the Philippines

Military Ordinariate of the Philippines
Ordinariatus Militaris Philippinensis
Ordinaryato Militar ng Pilipinas

Arms of the Military Ordinariate
Location
Country Philippines
Information
Denomination Roman Catholic
Sui iuris church Latin Church
Rite Roman Rite
Established 8 December 1950
Cathedral St. Ignatius Military Cathedral in Quezon City
Co-cathedral St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral (Philippine National Police);
Shrine of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, Doctor of the Church (diocesan)
Patron saint Immaculate Conception (titular)
St. Ignatius of Loyola
St. John of Capistrano
Current leadership
Pope Francis
Ordinary Leopoldo S. Tumulak

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, with SS. Ignatius of Loyola and John of Capistrano as secondary patrons. The current Ordinary is Most Rev Leopoldo S. Tumulak, D.D..

History

Philippine National Police top brass and the Military Bishop welcome the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Fernando Filoni (now Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, Vatican), during his visit to the PNP National Headquarters.

The Military Ordinariate of the Philippines was initially erected as a Military Vicariate on 8 December 1950 as per decree by Pope Pius XII via 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[2] between then-Foreign Secretary Jaime Elizalde and the Papal Nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Egidio Vagnozzi.[3] Rufino Jiao Santos, then-Auxiliary Bishop of Manila, took possession of the Vicariate and became the first Military Vicar in Philippine history.

On 12 April 1986, Pope John Paul II issued the Apostolic Constitution Spirituale militum curæ, which took effect on 21 July 1986. This Papal document was unique as it began a new structure for all military vicariates all over the world, elevating these to the level of ordinariates, thus giving them the same status as territorial dioceses.

The Ordinariate has its own curia and exercises its pastoral ministry through military, police, and coast guard chaplains assigned to the different branches of the services. The exact number of faithful under this jurisdiction is classified information, but it is approximately 90 percent of servicemen.

The mostly diocesan priests of the Ordinariate carry officers' ranks and are assigned to the different AFP, PNP, and Coast Guard command posts nationwide.

Jurisdiction

  • 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.[4]
  • Ordinary – That is, attached by law to the office itself.[4]
  • Proper – This jurisdiction is exercised by the Military Ordinary in his own name.[4]
  • 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.[5]

Subjects

Territorial possessions

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (far right, in powder blue) and the military top brass at the consecration service of the Ordinariate's Shrine of St Thérèse, Doctor of the Church.

Though not bound to any particular geographical area, the Military Ordinariate has several buildings under its jurisdiction; almost all are found within military or police installments. The Ordinariate's principal church is the St Ignatius Military Cathedral in Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City, Philippines, while its pro-cathedral for the Police is the St Joseph Pro-Cathedral in Camp Crame (across Camp Aguinaldo on the other side of EDSA).

The Ordinariate also owns the large Shrine of St. Therese, Doctor of the Church, situated near Villamor Airbase, NAIA Terminal 3, and Resorts World Manila in Pasay City.

A Chaplain of the Armed Forces standing in front of St Ignatius Military Cathedral.

Chaplains

Priests who wish join the Chaplain Services of the Armed Forces, the National Police, and the Coast Guard are required to fulfil the standard requirements of both the service branch they are entering and the Church. The endorsement of the Military Ordinary is amongst the most important of the ecclesiastical requirements; the Ordinary submits the names of applicants for a "call to active duty" (CAD). He gives to Chaplains and civilian priests working for the services the canonical faculties to exercise their spiritual ministry among subjects of the Military Ordinariate.

Chaplains in active duty are given the initial rank of Captain or its equivalent in other branches of the services. 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 the Bishop of their respective diocese of origin, even without cause. On the other hand, the Ordinary may also withdraw his endorsement for cause. The chaplain whose endorsement has thus been withdrawn is to report to their Diocesan Bishop or Religious Superior as soon as possible. Chaplains whose tour of active service is terminated are to return to their respective dioceses or religious orders, or as otherwise advised or directed by their original Bishop or Superior.

Non-combatant status

See: Military chaplain#Non-combatant status

Military Ordinary

The Military Ordinary must be a Filipino-born member of the nation's Church hierarchy, and is appointed by the Holy See after consultation with government.[7] The Pope freely nominates the Military Ordinary– normally a bishop– or institutes or confirms the candidate legitimately chosen according to the Canon Law.[8] He belongs by right to the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines and is subject to the Congregation for Bishops.[9]

Incumbent

Coat of arms of Bishop Leopoldo S. Tumulak
Most Rev Leopoldo S. Tumulak, D.D., the current Military Ordinary.

Born: 29 November 1944

Place of Birth: Santander, Cebu

Sacerdotal Ordination: 30 March 1972, Cebu City

Episcopal Ordination: 16 March 1987, Metropolitan Cathedral, Cebu

Former post: Bishop of Tagbilaran, Bohol.

The Military Bishop conferring with an Army field commander during a pastoral visit.

Former Military Ordinaries

See also

References

  1. ↑ For the definition and nature of a personal diocese or prelature pls cf. Code of Canon Law, Canons 294-297.
  2. 1 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. ↑ 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.
  4. 1 2 3 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, Article III, Section 2.C, p. 203.
  5. ↑ 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, pp.203-204.
  6. ↑ Statutes of the Military Ordinariate of the Philippines Article III, Section 3 in Legislazione sugli Ordinariati Castrensi, Eduardo Baura, ed., Milano: Giuffrè Editore, 1992, p. 205.
  7. ↑ "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." Legislazione sugli Ordinariati Castrensi, Eduardo Baura, ed., Milano: Giuffrè Editore, 1992, p. 795.
  8. ↑ Cf. Code of Canon Law, Canon 377 para I.
  9. ↑ 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.

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