The Theology and Ministry Program of the School of Humanities invites you to the oral defense of the M.A. Thesis entitled “‘PRUDENT COOPERATORS OF THE EPISCOPAL COLLEGE’ (LUMEN GENTIUM 28): An Understanding of the Promise of Obedience in the Rite of Ordination to the Presbyterate” by CRIS SIMON B. ABADILLA (Diocese of Bacolod) on 31 October 2024, Thursday, 3:00 p.m. at the Tipanan ni San Ignacio, DLC 201, 2/F Dela Costa Bldg., Loyola School of Theology. The Board of Examiners is composed of Fr. Emmanuel Marfori, S.Th.D. (Second Reader/Principal Examiner), Fr. Rowan Rebustillo, S.T.D., Ph.D., and Fr. Genaro Diwa, S.L.L. The M.A. Thesis Adviser is Fr. Oliver Dy, S.J., S.T.D., Ph.D. The defense is being held in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts in Theological Studies specializing in the field of Systematic Theology. It is open to the public.
Abstract: This thesis examines the liturgical-theological significance of the promise of obedience made during the ordination to the presbyterate, and seeks to uncover its deeper meaning in the life and ministry of presbyters. This ritual within the rite of ordination has its origins in the Romano Germanic Pontifical of the tenth century. A candidate’s pledge of obedience to the ordaining prelate and his successors is a gesture reminiscent of a vassal’s submission to his lord. It is also made twice – first during the ordination to the diaconate, and again during the ordination to the presbyterate.
Through the lens of Lumen Gentium 28 that describes presbyters as “prudent cooperators of the episcopal college,” this paper argues that the promise of obedience is not merely a formal act intended to maintain diocesan unity or avoid discord. Rather, it is a profound theological concept that expresses the mutual trust and charity essential for fulfilling the Church’s mission. The promise is integral to the presbyter’s identity, reflecting an embodied relationship where presbyters regard their bishop as a father, and bishops in turn treat presbyters as co-workers, sons, and friends. Obedience is therefore not mere submission, but a core relational dynamic of the priesthood and the Church’s mission.
