The Catholic Church in the Philippines next year, 2020, will give a special attention to Interreligious Dialogue, Ecumenism and Indigenous Peoples in preparation for the year 2021 when Christians in the Philippines will remember the 500 years of the arrival of Christianity in the Archipelago.
The Silsilah Dialogue Movement which started in Zamboanga City in 1984 and now is well known in the Philippines and other countries, is moving guided by the DREAM to form people of different religions to live and promote the spirituality of life-in-dialogue in the spirit of the Culture of Dialogue, Path to Peace. This dream is becoming a reality in many ways and is growing and becoming deeper. The blood of some martyrs, members and alumni of Silsilah is also part of this growth. They are also formed by many in Silsilah who have attended some formation programs of the movement and now are living the spirit of Silsilah in the Philippines and other countries. They are especially Muslims and Christians who have been touched by Silsilah along the years.
Maybe not so many know that Silsilah is encouraging especially Christians and Muslims to deepen their faith and commitment, not only to follow the programs of Silsilah, but deepen this spirit as members of their own religions. This spirit along the years has helped in a special way a group of Catholic teachers to start first the Emmaus Dialogue Community as lay consecrated and after inviting other Catholics married , single, priests, sisters, seminarians among others, to be part of EMMAUS . Now, this group identify themselves as EMMAUS DIALOGUE MOVEMENT with members in Zamboanga, Ipil, Basilan, Davao, Iligan, Manila and Italy. The dream is also that the Muslims will start to do something similar as Muslims and as we start to organize groups of MUSLIMAH FOR DIALOGUE AND PEACE. Meanwhile we continue to pray also that this group will grow guided by the Islamic teachings and Muslim religious leaders.
We are happy to share the new beginning of EMMAUS COLLEGE OF THEOLOGY that offers Bachelor of Science in Theology , Major in Interreligious Dialogue.
This new college has been given a permit to operate by the CHED ( Commission for Higher Education) in the Philippines as per government permit no. 001 series of 2020 and will start on August 2020, the new academic year coincides with the year of Interreligious Dialogue, Ecumenism and Indigenous Peoples.
The Emmaus College of Theology will not be only a college that follows all the requirements of CHED, but also a college that answers the need of the Emmaus Dialogue Movement to form a new generation of Catholics willing to embrace any form of vocation in the Church: consecrated lay, religious, priests, married and single, but all with the desire to discover their vocation in life to serve the Church and the society as Catholics. All of them will be prepared also to serve in different ministries in the Church as Catholics leaders do.
Thus, this college will be a college and at the same time a formation ground where we form youth, men and women, to be open to interreligious dialogue living and promoting the Culture of Dialogue, path to peace. The prayer life and the service to the poor will nurture their formation with proper immersion programs and services in parishes and other institutions.
Silsilah is encouraging this effort, but the college will be managed as a separate foundation under the name of EMMAUS COLLEGE OF THEOLOGY FOUNDATION, INC. Thus, Emmaus has to take care all aspects of this college, including the financial aspect, although Silsilah will share some facilities like the space in harmony Village and other facilities. For sure this dream needs the prayer and the help of many. This dream is also a new beginning that can be considered a good formation ground that will not substitute seminaries or other houses of formation but will help deepen the experience of the two disciples of Emmaus ( see the Gospel of Luke Chapter 24). Today, Jesus is our “Road to Emmaus” and the “Road to Emmaus “ of the world to guide us and share his love with all. The dimension of Interreligious Dialogue of this new college will be also a new challenge in our society to be guided by the Love of God, the Love of Neighbour, and Love of the common good. This is what we need today and we hope that the Emmaus College of Theology will answer to this new sign of the times.