Vatican establishes ‘Conference for Secular Institutes in the Philippines’

January 22, 2025 - 11:52 AM
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Cardinal Jose Advincula_CSIP
A May 2024 file photo of Cardinal Jose Advincula of Manila with the Council of Leaders and other members of the Conference of Secular Institutes of the Philippines (CSIP via CBCP News).

The Vatican has approved the creation of a body to promote collaboration among secular institutes in the Philippines, officially “recognizing its juridical personality and approving its statutes.”

The organization, called the Conference of Secular Institutes of the Philippines (CSIP), currently includes 14 member institutes and associations.

The formal establishment of CSIP was outlined in a decree issued by the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life in June 2024, though the news was only made public by the CSIP recently.

In his decree, Cardinal João Braz De Aviz, prefect of the dicastery, expressed hope that the conference would become “an effective instrument for the growth of a mentality and spirituality of communion.”

He also envisioned CSIP as “a place of dialogue and hope, where secular institutes present in the Philippines can help each other.”

Secular Institutes are societies whose members strive to attain Christian perfection through the practice of poverty, chastity and obedience and to carry out the work of the Church while “living in the world”. While most secular institutes are composed of laypeople, they can also include clergy, or a mix of both.

These institutes offer members a way to follow Christ through total consecration to God while maintaining their everyday lives.

Where can we find them? They are in various fields, including private and government offices, schools, and healthcare centers. Members work in professions such as accounting, engineering, law, teaching, counseling, medicine, and caregiving.

Officially recognized in 1947, the Church affirmed the importance of this vocation for the evangelization of modern society.

Among CSIP’s objectives is to promote and strengthen relationships among Secular Institutes in the country and develop common initiatives that supplement each other’s formation programs.

The conference also aims to participate actively in the missionary journey of the local Church by maintaining close linkage with the CBCP, and engage in social and ecological involvements called by the Church.

CSIP was founded in 2015, and secular institutes were introduced to the CBCP during their plenary assembly in Cebu City in January 2018.

In 2021, CISP was formally made a member of the CBCP’s Episcopal Commission on Mutual Relations between Bishops and Consecrated Persons.

CSIP is currently led by the Council of Leaders with Ms. Angeline Dy of the Missionaries of the Kingship of Christ as president.