The research team presented their project to Most Rev. Pablo Virgilio S. David, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, and Mr. Charles Bertille, the representative of the funding organization, during a meeting at the Frassati Building on February 14, 2024.

Leading the project are Prof. Pablito A. Baybado, PhD (CTRSE) and Prof. Florence C. Navidad, EdD (RCSSED), with Assoc. Prof. Allan A. Basas, SThD, Asst. Prof. Philip L. Fuentes, PhD, SThL, and Assoc. Prof. Marites R. Redoña, Ph.D. of CTRSE, along with Fr. Vladimir Echalas, SOLT, SThD, Head of the CBCP Research Office, serving as Research Associates. Fr. Louie R. Coronel, OP, EHL, UST Secretary General, and Prof. Joel C. Sagut, PhD, CTRSE Director, serve as consultants for the project.

Dr. Emmanuel M. Batulan from the UST Office of the Secretary-General, along with project assistants Ms. Daphne C. Santos and Ms. Rechelle M. Basco, were also present during the meeting held on February 13, 2024.

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The articles published in the September – December 2023 issue are the following:

1. by Jeffrey Segovia tackles the understanding linked to the Valley of Hinnom as an allusion to the concept and image of eternal damnation, as well as uncovering the mystery of the silver scrolls of Ketef Hinnom, which is claimed to be one of the most important Biblical discoveries of antiquity.
2. by Leo-Martin Angelo Ruiz Ocampo investigates the experience of the School of Salamanca, how its core dynamic termed as the “Salamanca Process” embodies the charism of the Dominican Order, and the ongoing attempt to recover it as a model for the life and mission of Dominicans today as expressed in official documents of the Order.
3. by José Eugenio Borao Mateo is grounded on Spanish and Dutch documentary sources to provide a better understanding of the archaeological findings in the church, thus offering new perspectives on the archaeological conclusions by highlighting the distinction between two crucial elements: the convent and the church. In other words, the paper proposes the possibility that the final church, constructed with stone, may have remained unfinished, adding complication to the interpretation of the discovered cemetery in the same site.
4. by Allan A. Basas interrogates the presence of the notion of social responsibility in human being’s experiences, in recognition of the inviolability of the Other. Basas likewise urges the readers in a thematic discussion in the cusp of Levinas’ notion of social responsibility and Filipino sociality to show that responsibility is a universal value with many faces.
5. by Alexandre Coello de la Rosa tackles the figure of Don Diego Vázquez de Mercado, the first secular archbishop of Manila, and brings the other aspects of his tenure, such as his relations with the cathedral chapter and his tense relations with the governor of the Philippines, Don Juan de Silva y Enríquez (1609-1616).
6. by Jorge Mojarro
7. by Joselito B. Zulueta revisits the launch of the two volumes of “Doing Philosophy in the Philippines: The Thomasian Collection”, culled from the pages of UNITAS journal. It has embodied the most representative and the most extensive compendium of classic philosophical thinking in the 20th century in the Philippines. The two-volume book was edited by UST Professor Emeritus Alfredo P. Co and published by the UST Publishing House.
8. by Jose Adriand Emmanuel L. Layug talks about George Weigle’s service to the church and to all men of goodwill in search for the true meaning of Vatican II in his work “To Sanctify the World The Vital Legacy of Vatican II”.
9. by Melanie D. Turingan talks about the virtues exhibited by St. Joseph the Worker as God’s dutiful stalwart that provided Jesus a home together with the Virgin Mary, as well as how reader would take inspiration from his virtues.
10. by Blaise D. Ringor explored how Seifert synthesized the philosophies of thinkers like Dietrich von Hildebrand and Josef Pieper with the thoughts of Karol Wojtyla/John Paul II, concurrently offering a critical response to the work of scholars such as Josef Fuchs, Jonathan Harrison, and Franz Böckle. This allows the reader to engage and delve on the primary texts written by Karol Wojtyla/John Paul II.
11. by Marian Joanne Co-Pua, DCL celebrates how fr. Manlangit masterfully delivered his advocacy and its odyssey in tackling the core and essential concepts, principles, and issues in Bioethics.

According to its editor, Rev. fr. Jesus M. Miranda, Jr., O.P., PhD,  the digital interface “aims to facilitate the fluid curation and circulation of knowledge on ecclesiastical disciplines”. The journal publishes the most relevant research articles in the areas of Ecclesiastical Sciences and Church history.

Read the Philippiniana Sacra here:

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The two-day Symposium on Fides et Ratio (Faith and Reason), brought together philosophers, theologians, canon lawyers, and religious educators from various institutions and was held in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the promulgation of Pope Saint John Paul II’s encyclical with the same title.

Fides et Ratio addressed the relationship between faith and reason. The encyclical posits that the two are not only compatible, but essential together. Reason may create a ‘systematic body of knowledge,’ but its completeness is ‘illusory’ as without grounding in spiritual truth, reason can give rise to skepticism and other doctrines which can devalue.

Eight plenary speakers approached the topic from the perspective of philosophy, theology and canon law. Among them were: The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., School of Theology and Religious Studies Area Director for Historical and Systematic Theology Fr. Nicholas E. Lombardo, O.P., Ph.D., who delivered a lecture on “Faith and Reason and the Inspiration of Scripture,” and Professor Emeritus of Charles Sturt University in Australia John F. Weckert, Ph.D., who discussed “Trust and Commitment in Science and Technology.”

From the University of Santo Tomas, speakers included distinguished philosopher Professor Emeritus Alfredo P. Co, Ph.D., who discussed “A Preliminary Reflection on the Place of Fides et Ratio in the Evangelization of the East in the 21st Century;” Assoc. Prof. Pablito A. Baybado, Ph.D., who tackled “From Phenomenon to Foundation: Fides et Ratio’s Prospects for Dialogue and Peace Building;” , who talked on “Critical Theory and Theology of the Signs of the Times: Towards and Emancipated Humanity;” , who expounded on “Fides et Ratio: Friends or Enemies?” Visiting Professor Rev. Fr. Danilo U. Flores, J.U.D., who elaborated on “The Exercise of Postestas Vicaria of the Roman Pontiff: Perfect and Harmonious Interaction of Fides, Ratio, et Ius;” and , who presented “Christianity as the Locus of the Complementarity of Faith and Reason.”

Faith and Reason and the Inspiration of Scripture
A researcher in the emerging field of analytic theology, Fr. Lombardo stated that, in Fides et Ratio, St. Pope John Paul II identified current tasks for theology: it was noted in the encyclical that problems have emerged in recent times, about interpreting scripture and other texts of the Church’s living tradition. The Pope posited that a current solution to these problems will not be found without philosophy’s contribution.

An initial problem, Fr. Lombardo discussed, is that of the relationship between meaning and truth. “The theologian needs to ask: What is the deep and authentic truth which the texts wish to communicate, even within the limits of language?” he quoted from the encyclical.

Fr. Lombardo also presented his hypothesis on how God’s intended meaning related to human authors’ intended meaning in Scripture, and noted that his presentation “offers an account of how God’s voice emerges from the many waters of scripture. Whether or not its proposal succeeds, the principles that St. Pope John Paul II gave us in Fides et Ratio continue to provide the Church a solid foundation for clarifying the meaning, the truth, and the inspiration of Sacred Scripture.”

Trust and Commitment in Science and Technology  
Prof. John F. Weckert, Ph.D., founding editor in chief of the Springer Journal Nano-ethics, focusing on ethics for technologies that converge at the nanoscale, discussed how trust involves goodwill and autonomy, and how technology can affect how we trust people.

“Technology itself isn’t widely trusted; we trust the people – those who develop, maintain, an operate the technology,” said Weckert, using the example of how people trust pilots, engineers, and technicians rather than trust the plane itself.

He also detailed how trust can be enhanced by technology. It aids in communication and collaboration, which builds trust among people. Trust-inhibiting technologies, however, are also prevalent, such as surveillance technologies, sensing and listening devices, ‘big data’ or vast amounts of information collected from individuals’ personal habits that are stored through and in technology and may be analyzed computationally to reveal patterns and trends.

Surveillance, said Weckert, limits the autonomy of the persons being monitored as it limits the development of trust and of virtues like honesty, and even threatens privacy.

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Assoc. Prof. Pablito Baybado, Jr. spoke about “Religion and Conflict in Asia,” while presented his paper entitled “Refiguring the Ecclesiology of PCP II for Filipino Catholics.” In the same event, talked about “Interrogating Decolonization.”

#ThomasianResearchers

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This first Academic Discourse featured the lectures of , who completed his Doctorate in Canon Law at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas (the Angelicum), Rome; , who finished his Doctorate in Sacred Theology at UST ; and who acquired his Ph.D. Philosophy from the UST .

The Academic Discourse series is meant to feature the inaugural lectures of professors in the Institute of Religion and the Ecclesiastical Faculties, and researchers affiliated to CRSE, who have recently earned their Doctoral degrees.

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