Retired Filipino Bishop Calls Church Leaders to Serve the Poor with Compassion

A 90-year-old retired Catholic bishop has urged the bishops of the Philippines to remain close to people facing poverty, conflict, climate-related disasters, and emotional distress, saying many Filipinos today endure greater suffering than he witnessed during decades of ministry.

Bishop Jose Manguiran made the appeal during the opening Mass on July 7 ahead of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines' (CBCP) 132nd Plenary Assembly in Jimenez, Misamis Occidental, on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao.

Bishop Manguiran called on bishops to model their ministry on the compassion of Jesus Christ, especially toward those who are poor, abandoned, and marginalized.

“Our people today have more suffering than what I have experienced,” he told fellow bishops in his homily.

Reflecting on the Gospel, the retired prelate said Jesus' washing of the disciples' feet remains the clearest example of episcopal leadership rooted in humble service.

“Washing the feet ... is an act of serving,” he said, reminding bishops that authentic leadership is measured not by privilege but by selfless service to God's people.

Bishop Manguiran reflected on his own ministry, recalling how God sustained him through the years of Martial Law, political unrest, and 27 years as a bishop. Despite those challenges, he said the pastoral realities facing the Church today are even more complex.

He pointed to climate change, widening social inequality, armed conflict, rapid technological development, and growing emotional and mental distress as pressing concerns requiring greater pastoral attention.

The retired bishop said environmental degradation and climate-related disasters continue to affect poor communities most severely, urging Church leaders to stand in solidarity with those who are most vulnerable.

He also highlighted the growing incidence of emotional and mental suffering, describing it as an urgent pastoral concern affecting both the wider community and members of the clergy.

“People are disturbed now emotionally,” Bishop Manguiran said, encouraging bishops to accompany those carrying unseen emotional and psychological burdens with compassion.

He also identified globalization, artificial intelligence, and consumerism as emerging realities that challenge the Church's mission to uphold human dignity and care for creation.

Although he has been retired for 12 years, Bishop Manguiran said he continues to serve wherever he can, reminding his fellow bishops that faithfulness in small acts of service remains valuable in God's eyes.

“Whatever small work is in the will of God can become great,” he said.

The CBCP's 132nd Plenary Assembly brings together bishops from across the Philippines to discuss pastoral priorities and issues affecting the Church and society.