THOMASIANS MUST lend their voices to seek redress in an era marked by misinformation and moral confusion, a prelate said.
Pagadian Bishop Ronald Anthony Timoner said the faithful should not hesitate to stand up to dishonesty, noting that the University’s patron, St. Thomas Aquinas, stood up for the truth and was an advocate of justice.
“Let us not be afraid to call out lies and dishonesty for as long as we are on the side of what is good and true, God will always be at our side,” Timoner said in his homily during a Mass in honor of the Dominican saint.
According to Timoner, seeking truth and justice is also a living relationship with God. He added that love for justice could strengthen one’s spirit and intelligence in every situation.
The bishop called on Thomasians to draw inspiration from Aquinas’ emulation of Christ’s ideals, saying the saint’s spirituality and relationship with God allowed him to develop a lifelong commitment to truth and justice.
“We can only search for the truth unceasingly, we can only work for justice if we remain faithful to the Lord,” the prelate added.
Citing Pope Francis’s Evangelii Gaudium, Timoner warned that a “completely new culture” has emerged due to relativism, materialism and moral confusion.
He said these concepts have created “confusion and indifference” in society, contributing to the proliferation of misinformation and malinformation in online spaces.
Timoner also touched on the corruption controversy in government, saying it caused a “great injustice” for many people whose lives were affected by fund misuse.
“Funds that were supposed to ensure that human lives and properties are protected… were diverted to line the pockets of those who wield power and influence,” he said.
“It was a great injustice for many who lost their loved ones, their livelihood because things and services that were due to them were never given to them.”
The bishop reminded Thomasians of Aquinas’ teaching that justice is a “constant and perpetual will to render to each person their due.”
He added that truth is not merely personal belief but “the conformity or adequation of the intellect to reality,” a foundation the saint upheld in both theology and justice.
Timoner urged the faithful to make truth and a love of justice a part of their lives and their devotion to Christ, emphasizing the necessity of seeking His guidance amid confusion.
“We can only search for the truth unceasingly, we can only work for justice if we remain faithful to the Lord, if we develop our love for the presence of the Lord in our lives and in the world,” he said.
“The truth will always triumph over lies and deceit. And this love for the truth will ultimately lead us to work and become advocates of justice.”
The liturgical celebration is part of the University’s annual tribute to its patron saint, St. Thomas Aquinas, whose feast is celebrated every Jan. 28. F – John Martin Revilla
