A priest from the Philippines has made history after being ordained the first Filipino bishop in Australia. Bishop Rene Ramirez, from the city of Gapan, in Nueva Ecija province, was elevated alongside Bishop Thinh Nguyen, of Vietnam, in a February 1 consecration.
Loading
According to a report from the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the consecration was officiated by Archbishop Peter Comensoli, of the Melbourne Archdiocese, who was aided by Bishop Gregory bennet of Sale, Bishop Shane Mackinlay of Sandhurst and Cardinal Mykola Bychok of Melbourne, as co-consecrators.
The consecration was attended by around 3,000, of whom 200 were priests from across Australia, Rome, the Philippines, the United States and Vietnam present to celebrate with the Archdiocese. Among them was Apostolic Nuncio to Australia Archbishop Charles Balvo, as well as three other archbishops, and 29 bishops.
Archbishop Comensoli gave a homily that touched on the responsibilities of the episcopal ministry the two new bishops must keep in the forefront of their minds. He called the ministry a “gift from God,” and encouraged them to fan it “into a flame.”
Speaking to all the bishops, he reminded of their role to be “a witness to the Lord in his death and resurrection.” Furthermore he reiterated the call to holiness, encouraging all present who were in ministry to act as “willing heralds, faithful apostles, and sound teachers.”
To Bishop Ramirez and Bishop Nguyen in particular, Archbishop Comensoli said:
“The marks of death we each carry—of sin, doubt, despondency, tiredness, fearfulness—are, in Christ, transfigured marks of life—of grace, hope, trust, faith, confidence. In Christ, in his death-defying love, servitude gives way to friendship, and burden gives way to joy,” he added.
Towards the end of the consecration, Bishop Ramirez spoke on his new position in the Church, noting that he was aware of his own “limitations and shortcomings.” Be that as it may, he expressed his excitement over the coming challenges and vowed to serve his community to the best of his ability:
“However, the courage to accept this calling comes from our complete reliance on God’s love and our trust in His plan, which may still be unfolding for us,” Bishop Ramirez said. “We aim to embody compassion, understanding, and dedication as we serve our communities with humility and grace.”
