Military Ordinariate of the Philippines

The Military Ordinariate of the Philippines is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or military ordinariate of the Catholic Church in the Philippines^[2] serving the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, and the Philippine Coast Guard.

It has jurisdiction over all military, police, and coast guard personnel, their dependents, and civilian human resources of all branches of the armed forces. Its titular patron is the Immaculate Conception, with Ignatius of Loyola and John of Capistrano as secondary patrons.

History

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On April 12, 1986, Pope John Paul II promulgated the apostolic constitution Spirituale militum curæ, which took effect on July 21, 1986. This papal document was unique, as it began a new structure for all military vicariates all over the world, elevating these to the level of ordinariates, thus giving them the same status as territorial dioceses.

The ordinariate has its own

• Personal – The jurisdiction of the military ordinary is personal over all subjects of the military ordinariate. It is exercised independently of geographical territory as a ministry for the faithful determined by personal circumstances.[5]
• Ordinary – That is, attached by law to the office itself.^[5]
• Proper – This jurisdiction is exercised by the military ordinary in his own name.^[5]
• Cumulative – It is not exclusive. It is exercised within those territories that are subject to local ordinaries and, therefore, it does not preempt their authority nor the authority of the local parish priests. Insofar as the subjects of the military ordinariate are concerned, they are at the same time, in a cumulative manner, subjects of the local ordinary and the pastor of the place where they reside. In permanent military, police, or coastguard installations, camps, bases, forts, and in places reserved for the personnel of these Philippine government's uniformed forces, the jurisdiction is primarily and principally exercised by the military ordinary.^[6]

Subjects

• All Catholic chaplains in active military, police, or coast guard service.
• All civilian Catholic priests, diocesan or religious, who are properly and officially appointed as Volunteer Chaplains in the service of the Military Ordinariate.
• All Catholic laity in active military, police, or coast guard service.
• All Catholic civilian human resources and non-uniformed personnel, their spouses, and children, residing either inside or outside any military, police, or coast guard installation.
• All families of Catholic laity in active military, police, or coast guard service, namely: the spouses, children, servants, and those who habitually live in the same house, whether inside or outside any military, police, or coast guard installation.
• All Catholics living within any military, police, or coast guard installation, or in homes reserved by the government for military, police, or coast guard personnel and their families.
• All Catholics living or working in military hospitals, hospices for the elderly, or similar institutions.
• All Catholics, whether or not members of a religious institute, who permanently carry out a task committed them by the military ordinary or with his consent.^[7]

Territorial possessions

Though not bound to any particular geographical area, the military ordinariate has several buildings under its jurisdiction, almost all of which are within military or police instalments. The ordinariate's principal church is the Saint Ignatius Military Cathedral in

Chaplains

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Priests who wish join the Chaplain Services of the Armed Forces, the National Police, and the Coast Guard are required to fulfil the standard requirements of both the service branch they are entering and the church. The endorsement of the military ordinary is amongst the most important of the ecclesiastical requirements; the ordinary submits the names of applicants for a "call to active duty" (CAD). He gives to chaplains and civilian priests working for the services the

Chaplains in active duty are given the initial rank of Captain or its equivalent in other branches of the services. They enjoy the prerogatives and privileges of the rest of the officers belonging to the same grade or rank in the service.

Chaplains in active service who are not incardinated into the military ordinariate may be subject to recall by the bishop of their respective diocese of origin, even without cause. On the other hand, the ordinary may also withdraw his endorsement for cause. The chaplain whose endorsement has thus been withdrawn is to report to their diocesan bishop or religious Superior as soon as possible. Chaplains whose tour of active service is terminated are to return to their respective dioceses or religious orders, or as otherwise advised or directed by their original bishop or Superior.

Non-combatant status

Military Ordinary

The military ordinary must be a

Ordinary			Period in Office	Coat of Arms
1.		Rufino J. Santos† (1908–1973)	December 21, 1950 – September 3, 1973 (23 years, 226 days)
2.		Mariano G. Gaviola† (1922–1998)	March 2, 1974 – April 13, 1981 (7 years, 42 days)
3.		Pedro G. Magugat, M.S.C.† (1925–1990)	December 9, 1981 – April 22, 1985 (3 years, 134 days)
4.		Severino M. Pelayo† (1934–1995)	December 19, 1985 – February 26, 1995 (9 years, 69 days)
5.		Ramón C. Arguelles (1944–)	August 25, 1995 – May 14, 2004 (8 years, 263 days)
6.		Leopoldo S. Tumulak † (1944–2017)	January 15, 2005 – June 17, 2017 (12 years, 153 days)
7.		Oscar Jaime L. Florencio (1966–)	March 2, 2019 – present (5 years, 123 days)

See also

• Catholic Church in the Philippines

References

External links

• Military Ordinariate of the Philippines – GCatholic.org
• Military Ordinariate of the Philippines – Catholic Hierarchy