SUFFERING THAT remains hidden cannot be healed by God, the Archbishop of Manila said as he urged priests to confront their struggles in the priesthood and avoid isolation.
Cardinal Jose Advincula warned the clergy that hidden struggles only deepen when left unacknowledged and not brought before God for healing, citing growing cases of psychological distress among clergymen.
“The danger is not that we grow tired but that we refuse to recognize it because what is unrecognized cannot be offered to God and what is not offered to God cannot be healed,” he said during the archdiocese’s Chrism Mass on Thursday, April 2, at the Manila Cathedral.
Maundy Thursday is also considered the Priests’ Day since the Church believes that Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Holy Orders together with the Holy Eucharist.
Advincula enumerated situations where suffering may become more apparent in priesthood, such as depression, anxiety and compassion fatigue. He stressed that priests must first confront their own pain before they can begin to heal.
The Thomasian cardinal then referred to the first reading, where the prophet Isaiah describes the mission of the Anointed One as bringing glad tidings to the downtrodden, healing the brokenhearted and proclaiming liberty to those in captivity.
He noted that priests can experience those mental and emotional burdens that were referred to in the Gospel.
“Sometimes the downtrodden, the captive, and the brokenhearted are our very selves, our own minds, and our own hearts. And the sign of mental health issues can be clearly seen in our priestly life,” the prelate said.
Advincula called on the clergy to resolve such challenges by recognizing them, warning that suffering hidden in shame or deflected through blame could lead priests to deeper resentment and bitterness.
“The beginning of prayer and liberty is the recognition and acceptance that we are suffering… A holy priest is someone who can recognize even his own difficulties,” he said.
Advincula added that the acknowledgement of struggles is not a sign of failure, but a sign of priests’ humanity.
The prelate also cited the importance of reconnection, saying it is considered by psychologists as the most important intervention for mental and emotional health.
He linked this to a story in the Gospel of Luke about Jesus’ visit to a synagogue and how He carried his mission not in isolation but in communion.
The cardinal pointed out that Jesus, whose teachings attracted drew huge crowds, reconnected with His townsfolk and gathered His disciples.
“In the priesthood, isolation can drain us, but communion will sustain us and heal us.”
The renewal of priestly commitment was held alongside the blessing of sacred oils. F
