Colegio dela Purisima Concepcion

Roxas City
Subject: Theology 4 (Ecclesiology and 2nd Plenary Council of the
Philippines)
Topic: The Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCP II)

The Second Plenary

Council of the

Philippines

Submitted by:

Niño Joy Alcayde

Submitted to:

Buensalido, Joanna Marie

Laresma, Lea

BSEd 2-A
 The Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCP II)

History

PCP II was first planned in the 56th Plenary Assembly of the CBCP. The main

reasons for the need of PCP II was:

1) The many changes brought by the Second Vatican Council, including the

revision of the Code of Canon Law.

2) The changes that occurred from PCP I in 1953.

The Second Plenary Council of the Philippines, or PCP II, is a council

that was held in Manila from January 20, 1991 to February 17, 1991. PCP II

aimed to change the ways of the Church in the Philippines from the Second

Vatican Council.

Archbishop Leonardo Legaspi of Caceres (Naga City), CBCP president,

was elected council president. Bishop Ramon Villena of Bayombong, Bishop

Onesimo Gordoncillo of Capiz, and Bishop Carmelo Morelos of Butuan are

vice presidents for Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao respectively.

“Our vision of the Church as communion, participation and mission,

about the Church as priestly, prophetic and kingly people, and a Church of

the poor, that is a renewed Church, is today finding expression in one

Communities” (PCP II 137).

“They are small communities of Christians, usually of families, who

gather around the Word of God and the Eucharist. These communities are

united to their pastors but are ministered to regularly by lay leaders. The

members know each other by name and share not only the Word of God and

the Eucharist but also their concerns both material and spiritual. They have a

strong sense of belongingness and of responsibility for one another. (PCP II

138)

Usually emerging at the grassroots among poor farmers and workers,

Basic Ecclesial Communities consciously strive to integrate their faith and

their daily life. They are guided and encouraged by regular catechesis.

Poverty and their faith urge their members towards solidarity with one

another, action for justice, and towards a vibrant celebration of life in the

liturgy. (PCP II 139).

“Basic Ecclesial Communities under various names and forms – BCCs,

small Christian communities, covenant communities – must be vigorously

promoted for the full living of the Christian vocation in both urban and rural

areas.” (PCP II decrees, article 109).

SECOND PLENARY COUNCIL OF THE PHILIPPINE CHURCH TAKES

SHAPE
 Plans for the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCP II) and

designation of 1990 as the "Year of the Council" will be discussed at the

bishops´ meeting Jan. 25-31.

The PCP II will be the first of its kind in the world since the publication

of the New Code of Canon Law in 1983.

The Catholic Bishops´ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) semi-

annual meeting in Tagaytay City, 50 kilometers south of Manila, will

deliberate on the composition of a national pastoral plan, the issuance of the

decree of convocation, and a council calendar and directory. The bishops will

also discuss 1990 as the "Year of the Council."

Archbishop Leonardo Legaspi of Caceres (Naga City), CBCP president,

was elected council president. Bishop Ramon Villena of Bayombong, Bishop

Onesimo Gordoncillo of Capiz, and Bishop Carmelo Morelos of Butuan are

vice presidents for Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao respectively.

The six commissions, earlier formed on the basis of results of a

nationwide consultation, started July 1988, have been increased to seven to

include the Commission on Religious.

The PCP II National Coordinating Office headed by resigned Archbishop

Oscar Cruz of San Fernando, Pampanga, collated a survey of bishops, parish

priests, religious, and laypeople to be used as a basis for working papers

composed by the different commissions.

surfaced in the survey were in the areas of the clergy, the laity, and the

Church´s social concerns.

According to the latest Church survey, the Priest-Catholic ratio is one

for every 8,400. About 58 percent of the country´s 5,572 priests are in

Luzon, 24 percent in the Visayas, and the rest in Mindanao.

"Some asked why priests went to the mountains (with the underground

communist movement). They ask is it right or is it wrong? What are the roots

of religious radicalism and politicalization? Why do some leave (the)

priesthood? Is this a problem of priestly formation?" Archbishop Cruz said.

He said questions on Christian lay leadership in government, business

and other areas of society were second most mentioned among the topics.

"The laity is really the focus of the Church because it is the biggest

component," he said.

The third most discussed topic, matters of social concern, included

questions of justice and peace, wealth, ecology and ideology.

The archbishop said the survey has been revealing. "When we were

doing the survey we noticed that the Church in the Philippines is very, very

active -- ´babad na bad´ (deeply immersed).

now. The change of human hearts, of attitudes, of values take time. It takes

time to desecrate values. It takes time to rebuild them."

Authorization

A plenary or national council may not be convoked or celebrated

without the authority of the Apostolic See, as was solemnly and repeatedly

declared by Pius IX. This has always been the practice in the Church, if not

explicitly, at least from the fact that recourse could always be had to the

Holy See against decisions of such councils. Now, however, express and

special papal authorization is required. He who presides over the council

must have the necessary jurisdiction, which is accorded by special Apostolic

delegation. In the United States, the presidency of such synods has always

been accorded by the Holy See to the archbishops of Baltimore. In their case,

a papal delegation is necessary, for although they have a precedence of

honour over all the other American metropolitans, yet they have no primatial

or patriarchal jurisdiction. It is not uncommon for the pope to send from

Rome a special delegate to president over plenary councils.

Decrees

After the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines has been

legitimately convoke, duly celebrated and felicitously concluded in

accordance with the law of the Church as expressed in Canon 446 CIC, the

President of the Council, transmitted to the Congregation for Bishops the

of Bishops that has competence over the celebration of Plenary Councils,

with the help of other Roman dicasteries accomplished the task, the review

or “recognition” by Apostolic See applies only to the Decrees of the Council.

The Acts and the doctrinal-pastoral part remain the sole responsibility of the

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

Decrees of plenary councils must be submitted, before promulgation,

for the confirmation, recognition and revision of the Holy See. Such

recognition does not imply an approval of all the regulations submitted by

the council.

Bishops have the power of relaxing decrees of a plenary council in particular

cases in their own dioceses, unless the council was confirmed in forma

specifica at Rome. In like manner, when no specific confirmation of the

decrees has been accorded, it is lawful to appeal from these councils.

In modern times, it is not unusual for the Holy See to confirm councils

in forma specifica, but only to accord them the necessary recognition. If,

consequently, anything be found in their acts contrary to the common law of

the Church, it would have no binding force unless a special apostolic

derogation were made in its favour.

Leonardo Zamora Legazpi, O.P. (25 November 1935 – 8 August 2014)

was the Archbishop Emeritus of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Caceres,

and was the former President of the Catholic Bishop's Conference of the
Philippines (1988–1991). He was appointed as the first Filipino Rector

Magnificus of the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas in 1970. On

Saturday, September 8, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI accepted his retirement as

Metropolitan Archbishop of Caceres, and named Bishop Rolando Joven Tria

Tirona, O.C.D., as Archbishop-elect. Archbishop Tirona, who until then had

been the Bishop-Prelate of the Roman Catholic Territorial Prelature of Infanta

in the Philippines, immediately succeeded to the see upon the acceptance of

his appointment and was formally installed as Metropolitan Archbishop of

Caceres on 14 November 2012.

Plenary councils, in the sense of national synods, are included under

the term particular councils as opposed to universal councils. They are of the

same nature as provincial councils, with the accidental difference that

several ecclesiastical provinces are represented in national or plenary

synods.

Provincial councils, strictly so-called, date from the fourth century,

when the metro political authority had become fully developed. But synods,

approaching nearer to the modern signification of a plenary council, are to

be recognized in the synodical assemblies of bishops under primatial,

exarchal, or patriarchal authority, recorded from the fourth and fifth

centuries, and possibly earlier. Such were, apparently, the synods held in

Asia Minor at Iconium and Synnada in the third century, concerning the re-

baptism of heretics; such were, certainly, the councils held later in the
northern part of Latin Africa, presided over by the Archbishop of Carthage,

Primate of Africa. The latter councils were officially designated plenary

councils (Concilium Plenarium totius Africae). Their beginnings are without

doubt to be referred, at least, to the fourth, and possibly to the third century.

Synods of a somewhat similar nature (though approaching nearer to the idea

of a general council) were the Council of Arles in Gaul in 314 (at which were

present the Bishops of London, York, and Caerleon), and the Council of

Sardica in 343 (whose canons were frequently cited as Nicene canons). To

these we might add the Greek Council in Trullo (692).

PCP II had a Solemn, Liturgical Opening at the Basilica of the

Immaculate Conception of the Manila Cathedral on January 20, 1991. The

principal celebrant of the Mass was PCP II's Council President: Archbishop

Leonardo Z. Legaspi.

PCP II's regular session started on January 21, 1991. PCP II was closed

on February 17, 1991.

Teaching Christology according to the Second Plenary Council of the

Philippines

A thoughtful perusal of the Acts and Decrees of the Second Plenary

Council of the Philippines’ will show there are two basic and central topics

that were the foundation and presupposition of the reflections and

discussions of the Council: Christology and Ecclesiology. To introduce a

course on Christology following the orientation of PCP II, we must turn to

present realities . . . what our corporate faith say – and do – to the Philippines

and the world now” (no.28).

PCP II has noted that we Filipinos cling to the faith in large numbers,

and up to this day we have kept the traditions of our forefathers in the faith.

We have maintained, for example, our beautiful devotions to the Santo Nino

of Christmas. For most Filipinos todays the faith is still very much focused on

these devotions and centered on the practice of the rites of popular piety

and not on the Word of God, not on community, and not on building up our

world unto the image of the Kingdom.

Conclusion

When the PCP II, ended on the First Sunday of Lent, 17 February

19991, it proclaimed in its final message the ringing challenge of the council

not only to its participants (bishops, priests, religious and laity) but to all the

faithful of the country to take part in the Council’s trust toward a New

Evangelization. As the final message points out, the Council was intended “to

be a venue for meeting with Christ -- sole architect of the Christian

community”

References: PCPIISevillaTeachingChristology.pdf
cbcpbec.com
prezi.com