Serving others not seeking personal gain

The 40th anniversary of the Military Ordinariate of the Philippines (MOP) coincides with the Feast of Saint Ignatius of Loyola with celebrations at the General Headquarters, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

The celebration is focused on a renewed call to strengthen the MOP’s mission of serving soldiers, police officers, coast guards, jail officers, fire officers, other uniformed personnel and their dependents through spiritual care and moral guidance. It has jurisdiction over all military, police, jail, fire, and coast guard personnel, their dependents, and civilian human resources of all branches of the armed forces.

Chaplains either belong to the diocesan clergy or religious orders, hold official military or police officer rank, and are assigned to regional command posts nationwide. And according to Canon Law, military chaplains are governed by special laws. (Can. 569). Military chaplains also serve as advisers to commanders, as teachers in military schools, as crisis negotiators, and bridges between military units and civilian communities.

Leading the Eucharistic celebration at St. Ignatius Cathedral, Papal Nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Charles Brown said military chaplains are called to serve others with generosity, following Christ instead of seeking personal gain or comfort.

The Vatican granted a plenary indulgence to the faithful who visit designated Jubilee churches of the Military Ordinariate and meet the usual spiritual conditions during the anniversary celebration.

“We should always ask ourselves: whom are we serving?” Archbishop Brown said. “We should not be serving ourselves. We should be serving others and seeing Christ in others.”

The Vatican envoy traced the ministry of military chaplains to St. Martin of Tours, the Roman soldier who shared his cloak with a poor man before becoming a bishop.

“That is what it means to serve as a chaplain — to have eyes that distinguish, that discern the presence of Jesus in others,” Brown said. “When we serve others as chaplains, we are serving Christ.”

He praised the ordinariate for four decades of service, saying its chaplains have brought the Church’s presence to members of the country’s armed and uniformed services.

Msgr. John Brillantes said the MOP’s mission extends well beyond the sacraments, noting that it includes guiding soldiers, police officers, and their families through moral and spiritual formation.

“Our mission is truly extensive,” Brillantes said. “More specifically, it is to provide for the spiritual and moral welfare of our soldiers.”

“We emphasize the need to listen to our people and to walk with them,” he said. “You listen to the soldiers, you listen to their families.”

He asked the faithful to pray for the soldiers and other uniformed personnel serving in difficult assignments, especially those stationed in remote areas.

“We enjoy the freedom and security of our nation because of the sacrifices of these brave men and women,” Brillantes said.

Here in the Philippines, the military diocese began as the Military Vicariate in 1950 under Pope Pius XII and became a military ordinariate — equivalent to a diocese — in 1986 under St. John Paul II’s “Spirituali Militum Curae.”