MANILA — A Catholic bishop on Tuesday urged fellow prelates, priests and religious to strengthen their relationships, saying divisions undermine the Church’s witness to communion.
Preaching at the opening Mass of the Convention on Mutual Relations 2026, Bishop Elias Ayuban Jr of Cubao urged Church ministers to make relationship-building a priority alongside their pastoral and administrative responsibilities.
“We cannot give witness to a God of communion if we are divided,” Ayuban, who also heads the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Mutual Relations between Bishops and Consecrated Persons (ECMR), said in his homily at Manresa Retreat House in Quezon City.
The three-day convention, which runs through October 22, brought together about 80 diocesan priests and consecrated persons from different congregations to promote dialogue, mutual understanding and cooperation within the Church.
Its discussions also address challenges such as social polarization, armed conflict, disinformation, ecological destruction, abuse and poverty, which organizers say call for stronger relationships and shared responsibility among Church leaders.
Ayuban said the convention’s value extended beyond its talks and discussions, noting that simply gathering and meeting one another was already a step toward building stronger relationships.
“Our Office is not about doing alone, it’s about signifying. It’s about building relationships. It’s not only what we do, but how we relate to one another,” he said.
He also highlighted the diversity of religious congregations and their distinct charisms, or spiritual gifts and missions, as a source of strength for the Church.
Bringing together the charisms of religious congregations and the gifts of bishops and diocesan priests, he said, reflects the Church’s richness and helps sustain its vitality.
“The hierarchical and the charismatic gifts put together make the Church forever young,” he said.
The bishop encouraged participants to build a culture of encounter, where cooperation, mutual respect and friendship among Church ministers could deepen their shared mission.
