Bohol Tribune
Peripatetic’s Discourse
April 30, 2023
“IHMS: Towards a Synodal Church Through Transformative Education.”
(Erico Joseph T. Canete)
IT WAS A GREAT HONOR AND PRIVILEGE to be invited as the speaker of the 72 nd
Commencement Exercises of the 4 th year philosophers at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary
(IHMS) auditorium on April 23, 2023 with the theme, “IHMS: Towards a Synodal Church through
Transformative Education.”
The planting of the ‘semina virtutum’ (seed of virtue) like pieta, scientia et sanctitas into my young
mind for eight formative years (1977 to 1985) at IHMS conquered the restlessness of my youth,
belligerence, rebellion and struggles of the imposed rules which I thought limited my freedom.
Through God’s grace, I later realized that the value of freedom that is, determining my acts to the
goals of my choice to achieve my desired end, was formed in this institution. ‘Seminarium’ indeed is
a breeding ground.
The theme set by the graduates gave me a second thought to decline the invitation for I’m not a man
of the cloth hence, no authority to speak so. Yet, my vocation to teaching philosophy in this seminary
and the inspiration of my moral philosophy educands made me accept the challenge.
Let’s talk about the theme.
Pope Francis introduced the theme synodality to the forefront of the church, a church guided by the
Holy Spirit. It was also learned that in a synodal church, “in a free and rich diversity of its members,
the whole community is called to pray, listen, analyze, dialogue, discern and offer advice on making
pastoral decisions which corresponds as closely as possible to God’s will.” (ICT, Syn., 67 – 68).
Synodality means, “journeying together as the People of God. It indicates a way of listening to each
individual person as a member of the church to understand how God might be speaking to all of us.”
Obviously, the seminary is the venue to equip our graduates with the necessities to fit to the thrust of
the church through transformative education..
First, IHMS as a place for ‘leisure’:
It is surprising to know that the root word of school in Greek is schole which means leisure.
Seminary then, with our professors as entertainers, is a place for leisure; the leisure of young souls
knowing reality, essence of beings and contemplating the One, the True and the Good.
Second, IHMS an institution of great human adventure:
A similar reflection of my former professor Dr. Antonio Torralba from the University of Asia and the
Pacific is worth sharing for it fits in to the seminary experience.
Being an educand in the seminary is a blessing.
IHMS is an institution where you can experience a great human adventure. The seminary opens. You
meet your classmates. You encounter 16 distinct personalities, people with 16 distinguishable natural
endowments and limitations. At the end of four years we have the raw materials for 16 novels, full of
human drama of living, failing, crying, struggling, rationalizing, philosophizing, growing, loving ….
all with great potentials for becoming best sellers.
Indeed, this experience features a ‘Culture of Encounter’ a ‘Sentire Cum Ecclesia’ (feeling with the
church – people of God) which steers the Synodal Church’s journey.
Third, the education aspect of IHMS – total human development:
I am convinced that the kind of education IHMS brings is patterned to that of Aristotle’s philosophy
i. e. a virtuous character as a means of attaining happiness. No wonder why his follower St. Thomas
Aquinas defined education as direction and advancement of the person to the perfect state of man as
man in the context of virtue.
IHM Seminary is an institution where one develops a sense of wonder. Wisdom always begins with
human sense, wonder. The classroom is a witness where we keep on asking, keep on wondering,
keep on learning, keep on growing and maturing. It is an institution where we were taught how to
posit a WHY. And remember, as Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche puts it, “He who has a why to live
can bear almost any how.”
IHM Seminary is an institution where our understanding of humanity is deepened. Your mentors
helped you use your intellect to understand the truth and use your will to choose the good.
IHM Seminary is an institution of spiritual nourishment. It is here where we learned and loved to do
prayers and love for the Holy Eucharist.
IHM Seminary is an institution of sterling nobility. The phrase denotes that this institution trains
persons to have a genuinely high quality of value, high moral ideals characterized by greatness of
character.
IHM Seminary is an institution of divine delight; a birthplace of priestly vocation and love for the
Blessed Lady and the Holy Triune God.
IHMS as a seedbed of virtue:
I am one of those called but not chosen. Yet, whether a man of the cloth or not, each one of us is
called to have a sense of mission to be role models of the Core Moral Values or Virtues of Love for
God, Respect for Human Authority. Respect for Life and Selfless Love for Others, Respect for the
Dignity of Human Sexuality, Love for Truth and Responsible Stewardship over Material Things.
I believe that with this, we can we speak of transformative education in line with the Synodal
Church’s journey.
Graduates, we will rejoice seeing you someday with our loud voice, “Ecce Sacerdos Magnus!”
IHMS I LOVE YOU!
Note:
This article is an excerpt of my graduation message to IHMS graduates – 2023.