The Theology and Ministry Program of the School of Humanities invites you to the oral defense of the (bridging) M.A. Thesis entitled “PCP II’S VISION OF A CHURCH OF THE POOR: A Church in Communion’” by KENJIE I. CORTEZ (Philippines) on April 4, 2023, Tuesday, 3:00 p.m, at DLC 201, 2/F Dela Costa Bldg., LST. The Board of Examiners is composed of Fr. Oliver Dy, S.J., S.T.D., Ph.D. (Second Reader/Principal Examiner), Br. Joaquin Yap, Jr., S.W., D.Phil., and Fr. Salvador Agualada, Jr., C.M.F., S.T.D. The Thesis Adviser is Raymond Aguas, Ph.D. The defense is being held in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Theology with specialization in Systematic Theology (bridging level thesis). It is open to the public.
Abstract: This thesis examines the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines’ vision of a Church of the Poor. With thirty years of concrete and creative attempts to implement it, some theologians and members of the hierarchy claim that the vision of a Church of the Poor, by and large, remains a vision. With this, the thesis argues that assessing the Philippine Church’s reception of the Council involves a serious appraisal of the text on which PCP II’s ecclesiology is enshrined.
As stated by the conciliar text, the paradigmatic model behind its vision of a Church of the Poor is the life of the early Jerusalem Church, particularly the so-called summaries in the Acts of the Apostles 2:42 and 4:32-35. Nonetheless, PCP II failed to adequately develop the theme of communion – as reflected in the summaries – creating notable deficiencies in the text produced by the Council. This affects both the Council’s interpretation of its vision and the Philippine Church’s implementation of the Council.
The thesis proposes the need to further develop PCP II’s vision of a Church of Poor in light of the experience of communion in the early Jerusalem Church. Realizing how such communion is defined by a robust pneumatology, a renewed sense of mission, and an understanding of the Eucharist as the breaking of the bread can lead to a fuller understanding of PCP II’s vision of a Church of the Poor.
