The Theology and Ministry Program of the School of Humanities invites you to the oral defense of the M.A. Thesis entitled “Remembering the Past Passionist Mission to T’Bolis in the Local Church of Marbel in the Light of Dangerous Memory” by Fr. TED VINCENT G. EMBOLTORIO (Diocese of Marbel) on 25 October 2023, Wednesday, 4:00 p.m., at DLC 201, 2/F Dela Costa Bldg., LST. The Board of Examiners is composed of Br. Joaquin Yap, Jr., S.W., D.Phil. (Second Reader/Principal Examiner), Emmanuel de Guzman, Ph.D., and Fr. Jojo Fung, S.J., Ph.D. (joining online). The M.A. Thesis Adviser is Fr. Rowan Rebustillo, 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 with a field of specialization in Systematic Theology. It is open to the public.
Abstract: “Remembering the past is inherent in the birth and growth of the local church, and awareness of history is indispensable for liberation. Johann Baptist Metz makes sense of this in the light of ‘Dangerous Memory.’ To truly experience and understand what it means to be a Christian, it is always necessary to recognize a definite historical situation. In this light, the researcher explores the past Passionist Mission and its significance in the growth of the local church of Marbel. The way the missionaries responded to the plight of the poor and neglected, particularly the Indigenous Peoples, presents a model of a church of compassion.
These missionaries responded deliberately when confronted with suffering within their challenging and perilous environment. Despite social, economic and political tensions, they remained steadfast in keeping the memory of Christ and introducing a God who suffers with us. It is a memory of Jesus’ liberating compassion that permeates our history in a creative yet disruptive manner.
While such tensions persist to this day, Passionist spirituality endures, continuing to guide the local church of Marbel toward being a Church of compassion with a missionary spirit. This study highlights the need for the local church of Marbel to be aware of its historical situation and to recall the memory of Christ, whose compassionate love stands as a ‘dangerous memory,’ urging us to love even more, practice our faith actively, and maintain hope in a compassionate God.”
