From the Church

Why this Catholic leader brings clergy-in-training to the Philippines MTC every year

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Church News

In July, a group of theology students from the San Carlos Seminary Graduate School of Theology in Manila, Philippines, met virtually with Latter-day Saint missionaries from the Philippines Quezon City Mission.

Each group shared their religious beliefs and bore testimony, with the missionaries focusing on “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World,” which President Russell M. Nelson introduced in April 2020.

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Newsroom

The Catholic students’ leader is Reverend Father Richard James Babao. His yearly tradition is to bring graduating theology students to the Church’s office in Manila to meet with full-time missionaries and tour the MTC and the Manila Philippines Temple grounds, although this year the discussion and tour occurred virtually because of COVID-19 restrictions.

Why does he do it? “This I believe, is one of the best things I have ever done in the field of ecumenism and interfaith dialogue…. I don't want the seminarians to go out after their graduation without experiencing this most beautiful thing—meeting these good and beautiful people. This encounter is a blessing for all of us. Even with our differences, there's just so much to share.”

Read more about the meeting at Newsroom.

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