Cover Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Medal (Photo: Bridgeport Diocese)
Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Medal (Photo: Bridgeport Diocese)
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The Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice award—literally translating to “For the Church and the Pope,” signifying a person’s outstanding service to the Catholic Church— was instituted by Pope Leo XIII in 1888 to commemorate his golden sacerdotal jubilee. In 1898, the decoration was made a permanent papal distinction to reward lay people for their services to the Church and the Pope. Today, it is the highest commendation that the Pope can bestow upon the laity and the religious.
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Ramon R. Del Rosario Jr
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Through their contributions towards Caritas Manila—a non-profit organisation that serves as the lead social service and development ministry of the Catholic Church in the Philippines—five Filipinos are given the highest papal honour. The awardees are Ramon del Rosario, Jr, chairman and chief executive officer of PHINMA Corporation and vice chairman of Caritas Manila; Fernando Zobel de Ayala, board director of Ayala Corporation and member of the board of trustees of Caritas Manila; Manuel V Pangilinan, chairman and president of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation and member of the board of trustees of Caritas Manila; Maria Gonzalez Goolsby, former senior vice president of UnionBank, professor and research director of Ateneo Professional School of Business, and one of Caritas Manila’s leading patrons; and Arnulfo Veridico, one of Caritas Manila’s longest-serving head volunteers.
The Archbishop of Manila, Jose Cardinal Advincula, congratulated the recipients through a letter in which he wrote: “You were nominated for your outstanding contribution as one of the key figures who, through the years, were consistently behind the success of the programmes and activities of Caritas Manila.”
Caritas Manila’s executive director, Father Anton CT Pascual, also expressed his gratitude for the honourees, “As Caritas Manila celebrates its 70 years of uninterrupted service to the poor and marginalized, we thank all our leaders, donors, and volunteers in ensuring our mission is sustained. We express appreciation for the long-serving lay leaders of the church of the poor.”
The Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice award will be conferred to the selected lay servants on January 17, 2024, at the Manila Cathedral.
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Images: Caritas Manila
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Gabriel found his passion for writing through poetry in high school. He sharpened his skills at Ateneo de Manila University and hopes to write a play worthy of Broadway one day. A self-proclaimed geek, he loves to spend his free time playing video games and board games. When he's not clicking heads on Valorant or roleplaying as a barbarian in Dungeons and Dragons, you can find him exploring art galleries or watching stage plays.
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A creative writer who writes about anything and everything, Gabriel loves to dive deep into the arts and culture scene—as well as going on long road trips for travel pieces.
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