ARCHBISHOP GABRIELE Giordano Caccia, papal nuncio to the Philippines, urged Thomasians to seek the truth lest they become “slaves” to other interests during the annual Misa de Apertura (Mass of the Holy Spirit) held Wednesday morning.
Caccia said looking for the truth also means searching for Jesus Christ.
“When we stop looking or searching for truth, we are guided by other interests and we are not free. We are slaves. Jesus said [the] truth will make you free,” he said.
The papal nuncio likewise urged professors to lead by example by showing students that they are also on a “pilgrimage towards truth.”
“We are all on the journey, and when we can go further and deeper, we can bring with us other people in the same experience,” he said.
The Misa de Apertura signals the start of a new academic year in the University.
After the mass, Faculty of Arts and Letters dean Michael Anthony Vasco delivered the traditional Discurso de Apertura where he stressed the importance of liberal arts in solving problems in the world.
“We do not want our highly skilled professionals just to think like machines or computers but we want them first and foremost to be humans addressing the existential and phenomenological needs of our society and the people,” he said.
The dean promised that the University will continue to provide an adequate space for the arts, humanities, and social sciences to contribute to the transformation and development of the country.
The Eucharistic celebration and the discourse were held at the Santisimo Rosario Parish. F – Angel B. Dukha III
