ZAMBOANGA City — A Catholic bishop on Thursday urged bishops and religious superiors to move beyond avoiding conflict and become a stronger example of unity for the Church.
Bishop Elias Ayuban Jr. of Cubao said the differences between bishops and religious congregations should lead to cooperation rather than competition.
“Perhaps the challenge before us is not simply how can bishops and religious avoid conflict — that is too little,” Ayuban said.“The real question is how can bishops and consecrated persons become a more convincing sign of communion for the whole Church.”
Ayuban spoke at the 2nd national convention of the Conference of Major Superiors in the Philippines, which runs through Sept. 5 in Zamboanga City.
The convention brings together 233 religious superiors representing 159 congregations for discussions on communion, dialogue and shared mission.
Ayuban, chairman of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Mutual Relations between Bishops and Religious, said bishops and religious have different but complementary roles.
“The bishop does not lose his authority by collaborating; the religious do not lose their charism by inserting themselves into the local church,” he said.
“In fact, both become more fully themselves when they live their vocation in communion,” Ayuban said.
He warned against “episcopalism,” in which bishops exercise excessive control without recognizing the autonomy of religious institutes, and “congregationalism,” in which religious communities act independently of the local Church.
Neither approach, he said, reflects the Church’s mission of bringing different vocations together.
“They are not rivals. They are co-essential for the life and mission of the Church,” Ayuban added.
“Different gifts, the same Spirit. Different vocations, but the same Church; different responsibilities, but the same mission,” he said.
