On this happy occasion of the opening of the "Treasures of our Faith" by the Confraternity of Catholic Saints, I convey to you my fraternal greetings and invoke my pastoral blessings!
I pray that this occasion will strengthen even more the bonds of communion that link us to one another. The mission of promoting unity and sustaining community spirit is central to the mission of the Lord and the Church. The mission of the Church is the mission of Jesus Christ "that all may be one."
As I pray for you, I also pray for the world around us and the society to which we belong. I pray even more that as our community spirit is rekindled by this occasion, our society may also benefit from our unity. We live for others. We live for the life of the world. We live in unity so that the world may become a better place through our presence in it.
May the God of unity be with you! May we all find unity in our diversity! May the world see us and exclaim "See those Christians, how they love one another!"
From the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist, Dagupan City, June 18, 2011.
+SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS
Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan
