The Catholic bishop of Tagbilaran warned newly ordained priests on Tuesday, May 31, to always “be careful” in their ministry or risk losing the ideals of priesthood.
Bishop Alberto Uy said the ideals of the priesthood can easily be lost after ordination “if you are negligent.”
“If we are not careful we can easily become worldly and materialistic,” said Bishop Uy. “Instead of serving, we can easily do money making.”
“If we are not careful, we can easily be deceived into thinking that we are somebody and that we can control people, use them to our advantage,” he said.
The bishop sounded the warning during the ordination of seven deacons to the priesthood at the St. Joseph Cathedral in Tagbilaran City.
The new priests are Windel Agad, James Aranas, Daryll Camargo, Joshua Florenosos, Jeremy Monroid, Gabriel Nwokolo, and Jupert Uy.
The prelate also urged the priests not to forget the reason for their ordination as co-workers with the bishop and to focus their gaze always on Christ as they serve His people.
Addressing the congregation, Bishop Uy asked them to keep praying for the priests and the religious of the diocese.
“Pray fervently for the sanctification of priests in our day so that they will continue to lead the many thousands, in fact millions, to heaven through the holiness in which the Lord has called them,” he said.
