Philippine Bishop Marks Priestly Jubilee with Call to Make Peace a Christian Mission

A Catholic bishop in the Philippines has urged the faithful to make peace a daily mission as he marked the 30th anniversary of his priestly ordination, reflecting on the need for reconciliation in both local communities and the wider world.

Bishop Elias L. Ayuban Jr. of Cubao, whose diocese serves parts of Quezon City in Metro Manila, made the appeal during a Mass for Peace at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral on March 9.

Reflecting on the Gospel account of the risen Christ greeting his disciples, the bishop said the words “Peace be with you” have guided his three decades of priestly ministry.

“When I look back on these three decades of priestly ministry, one phrase from the Gospel keeps returning to me. It is the first word the risen Christ spoke to His disciples: ‘Peace be with you,’” Bishop Ayuban said.

The bishop noted that priests repeat the same greeting during every Eucharistic celebration, but emphasized that it carries a deeper responsibility.

“Every Mass I celebrate, I say those same words: ‘The peace of the Lord be with you always.’ But I have come to realize that peace is not simply a greeting, it is a mission,” he said.

Bishop Ayuban linked the call for peace to both local and global challenges. He referred to a recent fire along NIA Road in Quezon City, which displaced dozens of families in one of the Philippines’ most densely populated urban areas.

After the incident, the bishop celebrated Mass with affected residents and shared a meal with families temporarily sheltered at San Isidro Labrador Parish, which opened its facilities to accommodate evacuees.

The bishop also pointed to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, noting that global crises often affect ordinary people in Asia through rising fuel prices and supply disruptions.

“Both events, the fire and the war, affect us in different ways,” he said, adding that such situations remind people of their shared responsibility to care for those who suffer.

The bishop also highlighted the importance of dialogue and encounter in building peace, referring to Pope Francis’ encyclical Fratelli Tutti, which encourages a “culture of encounter.”

“In a divided world, the Church must be a place where people can meet, listen, and walk together,” Bishop Ayuban said.

“A parish should be a school of peace, where rich and poor pray together, where the lonely find community, and where strangers become family.”

As he celebrated his jubilee, Bishop Ayuban reminded the faithful that the task of peacebuilding belongs to every Christian.

“We are not called only to be peace lovers but peacemakers,” he said.

A member of the Claretian missionaries, Ayuban was ordained a priest on March 9, 1996, and was appointed bishop of Cubao in December 2024