Nelson Morales

Claretian missionary priest Elias Ayuban Jr. is the second bishop of the Diocese of Cubao. 📷 Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

The newly appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Cubao, Father Elias Ayuban, CMF, during an interview with ABS-CBN News at the Claretian Provincial House in Quezon City on November 20, 2024.

Article (news)

Bishop Elias Ayuban CMF

Dennis Gaviola

Erik Tenedero

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com/api/upload-raw/20241202141216/cb9e0d233be4f07e296158749bf34e63dcff3f7e6580639f57a6c11617f843f3.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Claretian missionary priest Elias Ayuban Jr. is the second bishop of the Diocese of Cubao. 📷 Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News"/>Claretian missionary priest Elias Ayuban Jr. is the second bishop of the Diocese of Cubao. 📷 Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</div>MANILA - The people of the Diocese of Cubao have only known one bishop since its creation 21 years ago.And so as Claretian missionary priest Elias Ayuban Jr. marched to occupy Bishop Honesto Ongtioco&#x27;s vacated seat, many wondered about the next shepherd of this church tucked in a &quot;city set on a hill.&quot;<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/10/4/pope-francis-chooses-claretian-priest-as-new-bishop-of-cubao-1842" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pope Francis chooses Claretian priest as new bishop of Cubao</a></div>Fortunately for the people of Cubao, the 56-year-old Bishop Ayuban gave a glimpse of what to expect from his episcopal ministry through his name, Elias.He said &quot;E&quot; means empowering, &quot;L&quot; for listening, &quot;I&quot; inclusivity, &quot;A&quot; accountability,&quot; and &quot;S&quot; for synodality.&quot;To be a bishop also comes power in the human sense of the word but power can only be evangelizing, can only be prophetic if you use it to empower others,&quot; Ayuban said in an exclusive interview with ABS-CBN News.The bishop also repeatedly emphasized the importance of listening. He said he is prepared to listen even at times when he disagrees with the other person.This, he said, is important to his idea of an inclusive church.&quot;We will not discriminate against anyone, maging LGBT &#x27;yan, maging politician man &#x27;yan, maging member pa &#x27;yan ng ibang faith — maging isang simbahan na lahat ay tinatanggap, walang discrimination, walang sense of entitlement,&quot; the bishop said.(We will not discriminate against anyone, even LGBT people, a politician, or a member of another faith — to become a church where everyone is welcome, with no discrimination, no sense of entitlement.)The prelate also assured the faithful that he will make sure that priests are accountable for their actions.And true to the pastoral style of Pope Francis who appointed him to the position, Ayuban promised a synodal church.&quot;We walk together even if we do not arrive fast to our destination but if we walk together we can go far,&quot; the bishop said.&quot;You take the middle ground para walang maiiwan sa ating sama-samang paglalakbay bilang simbahan.&quot;(You take the middle ground so that no one will be left behind in our journey together as a church.)<div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LoaQidg9tBg?autoplay=1&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe> </div><div>A MISSIONARY PASTOR</div>Another clue to the Ayuban&#x27;s pastoral mission lies in his chosen episcopal motto: &quot;Misericordes sicut Pater&quot;, Latin for &quot;Be merciful just as your Father is merciful.&quot;It was taken from the Gospel of Luke and was also the motto of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy that Pope Francis convoked last 2016.&quot;The challenges ahead of me seem to be huge and then knowing my own share limitations and capacities. But then I realized that this is the mission of God and I don’t have to compete. That&#x27;s why for my motto, I chose &#x27;Misericordes sicut Pater,&#x27;&quot; he explained.&quot;It&#x27;s like wearing a big pair of shoes and my feet are so small — there are gaps, there are empty spaces.&quot;A native of Parang, Maguindanao de Norte, he recalled how his family could hardly afford him a new pair of shoes when he was young. He had to contend with shoes from his older siblings. And because they were bigger, he had to put pieces of paper and cloth to fill the spaces and lessen the discomfort.&quot;I compare this office as so huge yet the mercy of God fills the empty spaces.&quot;But if one takes a look back at his ministry, it seems that Ayuban was being prepared for this new role.For seven years, he had worked in the Vatican&#x27;s Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.This put him in close contact with Pope Francis and other high-ranking officials in Rome.<div> </div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17331490381181733149068681.jpeg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="A photo of Bishop Elias Ayuban with Pope Francis hangs at the office of the Claretian priest. For seven years, Ayuban has worked at the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life."/>A photo of Bishop Elias Ayuban with Pope Francis hangs at the office of the Claretian priest. For seven years, Ayuban has worked at the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. 📷 Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</div>&quot;I worked for Pope Francis for seven years. To some extent, nalalaman ko ang kanyang advocacies, priorities... may firsthand experience how he deals with the poor, he walks the talk, mga kanyang ginagawa sa maralita,&quot; Ayuban said.&quot;But even before that, ang training ko ay isang missionary -- na-assign sa mga liblib na lugar, so this is not new to me.&quot;(I worked for Pope Francis for seven years. To some extent, I learned of his advocacies and priorities... I have firsthand experience in how he deals with the poor, he walks the talk, his ministry to the poor.)But perhaps, one of the most crucial preparations he had was being a missionary.Pope Francis, throughout his pontificate, has put an emphasis on the peripheries of society, emphasizing that bishops must have the &quot;smell of the sheep.&quot; Ayuban was a perfect choice for this.At the time of his appointment as bishop, Ayuban has been leading the Claretians&#x27; Fr. Rhoel Gallardo Province, which covers the Philippines, Australia, Vietnam, and Myanmar.Founded by St. Anthony Mary Claret in 1849, the congregation has been doing missionary work in at least 70 countries across the world.Before his post in the Vatican, he served as a parish priest in Tungawan, Sibugay Province.The bishop is also an intellectual powerhouse.Ayuban took up theological studies at the Loyola School of Theology, Ateneo de Manila University.He holds a doctorate in Canon Law from the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome.He also served as a professor of Canon Law at the University of Santo Tomas (UST), the Institute for Consecrated Life in Asia (ICLA), Maryhill School of Theology (MST), and Recoletos School of Theology (RST).Since 2022, he has held the position of co-chairperson of the Conference of Major Superiors in the Philippines (CMSP).&quot;We are a missionary Church, not only the priests, but all of us,&quot; Ayuban said.&quot;We have this mandate to evangelize, and moving forward, I look forward to a church attending to the needs of everyone with inclusivity, shared mission, and in synodality.&quot;  <div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W9odB76AhII?autoplay=1&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe> </div><div>A NEW ROLE IN THE CHURCH</div>Ayuban is now the shepherd of nearly 1.5 million Catholics.As a missionary, he admits he is &quot;trained to live in the context of the community&quot; where you have your confreres eating and praying with you.He plans to bring this sense of community in his new life in his diocese.&quot;I will try to promote a semblance of community in the context of diocesan life,&quot; the bishop said.&quot;Because the calling to holiness, it&#x27;s not only an individual call, we are also called to build holy communities. Sainthood is a communitarian path. Hindi tayo tinatawag mag-isa (We are not called alone). We are called as a community.&quot;He said he will also miss the open space in Claret where he usually walks around praying the rosary after dinner. He also loves to exercise and even plays basketball from time to time.<div> </div><div><img src="https://od2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com/api/upload-raw/20241202141216/ac49a9825188d9a6fbea873dbc529b62439a3f69f1ab9e784da61d2baaffb649.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Cubao Bishop Elias Ayuban during his interview with ABS-CBN News days before his episcopal consecration. 📷 Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News"/>Cubao Bishop Elias Ayuban during his interview with ABS-CBN News days before his episcopal consecration. 📷 Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</div>But amid the challenges of his new role, he is firm in his belief that God&#x27;s grace will suffice and that he has nothing to be troubled about.&quot;I put my trust in God. It&#x27;s his mission and I&#x27;m only a cooperator. I&#x27;m just a helper in His mission. I will not compete with God,&quot; Ayuband said.&quot;I will do everything humanly possible to be of help but at the end of the day it&#x27;s God&#x27;s mission. It&#x27;s not my mission. It&#x27;s not our mission. We are just merely cooperators.&quot;

Claretian missionary priest Elias Ayuban Jr. showed what to expect from his episcopal ministry through his name.

Claretian missionary priest Elias Ayuban Jr. showed what to expect from his episcopal ministry through his name.

Who is Elias Ayuban, Cubao's second bishop? The clue lies in his name

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Who is Elias Ayuban, Cubao's second bishop? The clue lies in his name

Erik Tenedero,

ABS-CBN News

Published Dec 02, 2024 10:23 PM PHT

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Updated Dec 03, 2024 03:43 PM PHT

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Elias Ayuban Jr

Claretian

Pope Francis

Diocese of Cubao

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