Bishop Alberto “Abet” Sy Uy of Tagbilaran was recently installed as the new Archbishop of Cebu, and many found great inspiration in his episcopal motto from 1 Corinthians 9:23 which says “Omnia facio propter Evangelium”, which means “I do all things for the sake of the Gospel.”

A motto is not a decoration. It is supposed to guide a shepherd in his ministry, showing how he lives and acts for Christ and His Church. But this same motto raises a pressing question: Will Archbishop Uy live up to it by restoring access to the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) for the faithful of Cebu?

The word omnia which means “all things” is central. St. Paul did not say, “I do some things for the Gospel” or “I do convenient things for the Gospel.” He said all.

If Archbishop Uy truly believes this, then every decision he makes should be weighed against whether it helps the Gospel flourish in the lives of the faithful.

Ignoring the spiritual needs of Catholics who draw their strength, holiness, and missionary zeal from the Traditional Latin Mass would contradict this very motto.

To deny them the Old Liturgy that has nourished saints and missionaries for centuries would make the words “omnia facio” ring hollow. They would become clout, words for show but not for action.

In December 2024, under Archbishop Palma, the Traditional Latin Mass in Cebu was abruptly taken away, not because of Traditionis Custodes. No clear public explanation was given, except that it would remain suspended until such time that clear guidelines and regulations on these Masses could be established.

The faithful who had found in the Traditional Latin Mass a fountain of grace, reverence, and deep faith were left in the dark. This left a wound. It deprived Catholics of a liturgy that had carried the Church through centuries of trials and had spread the Gospel to far-off lands, including the very Philippines itself.

Cebu, the cradle of Christianity in Asia, should never be a place where the faithful are deprived of that same Mass that once fueled the Church’s missionary fire.

Bishop Abet Uy is known as a kind and understanding shepherd who loves to evangelize and bring people closer to Christ. In the Diocese of Tagbilaran in Bohol, where he served, the Traditional Latin Mass continues to this day, a testament to his openness in allowing the faithful to be nourished by the ancient liturgy. Because of this, Catholics in Cebu are now looking forward with great hope that the Tridentine Mass will also be made available to them again under his care.

Some believe the Latin Mass is merely about nostalgia or aesthetics. It is not. At its core, it is about the Gospel itself. As Angela Cuba observed in her essay published on Dr. Peter Kwasniewski’s Substack Tradition and Sanity, the Traditional Latin Mass is ‘the most powerful evangelistic prayer in the history of Christianity.’

The Traditional Latin Mass proclaims in every prayer and gesture the saving truth of Christ crucified and risen. It is the Gospel in sacramental form. When celebrated with solemnity, silence, and reverence, it preaches louder than any homily: God is holy. Christ is Lord. Salvation is real.

It is also a school of holiness. The Catholics who attend the Latin Mass often live quiet but powerful lives of witness. They marry and raise large families. They pray the rosary. They live modestly. They teach their children the faith. They offer sacrifices. They live in such a way that their daily example itself evangelizes the world. Denying them access to the TLM does not only hurt them, it weakens the whole mission of the Church.

It is true that the number of Catholics attached to the Latin Mass is small. But in the history of the Church, the Lord has often worked through the small and faithful remnant.

The Apostles were only twelve, yet through them the world was evangelized. The Catholics who cling to the TLM are not asking for privileges. They are asking for the freedom to worship God in the same way the saints before them did.

This request is not against the Gospel, it is for the Gospel. To hear their plea and to answer it would be a living witness to Archbishop Uy’s motto. To ignore them would make that motto look like a mere ornament.

The Traditional Latin Mass is not a side option or a hobby. It is Sacred Tradition. It connects today’s faithful with the same liturgy celebrated by missionaries who brought the faith to Cebu 500 years ago. To reject it now would be to sever that living link with the very roots of Cebuano Catholicism. If Cebu is to remain a beacon of Catholic faith in Asia, it must not break from its tradition.

Tradition is not the enemy of evangelization, it is its foundation.

Now Archbishop Uy has been entrusted with Cebu, one of the most important sees in the Philippines. His motto demands courage: omnia facio propter Evangelium. Will he include the faithful attached to the TLM in that “omnia”? Will he open his heart to their small but sincere community? Or will the needs of these Catholics be disregarded as if their faith and witness do not count?

The faithful of Cebu deserve a shepherd who sees them, listens to them, and nourishes them. The Tridentine Mass is not a threat to unity. It is a treasure of the Church.

To restore the Traditional Latin Mass is not to go backward but to ensure that the Gospel continues to be proclaimed in all its richness and beauty. In fact, as Dr. Peter Kwasniewski, a Thomistic philosopher and liturgical scholar, puts it, the Liturgy is the greatest catechizer, and the reason why the Catholic Church is in such a pathetic condition is that the liturgy is failing them.

If Archbishop Uy truly wishes to live by the words of St. Paul, then he cannot set aside the plea of Catholics who ask for the Mass of their forefathers. The motto says omnia, all things. Not some things. Not convenient things. All things.

To regrant access to the Traditional Latin Mass is to prove that the Gospel is more than a slogan, it is the very life of the Church. To withhold it, however, would betray both the faithful and the motto he has chosen to represent his ministry.

Bishop Uy pledged to lead with humility and trust in God, to give his best so that together with the faithful he may walk closer to Christ, to build bridges rather than walls, and to work for the good of every Cebuano.

He also recognized the people’s longing for leaders who are transparent, accountable, and faithful to their mission, and he embraced that call as their shepherd.

The question now is: will he remain true to his own words by restoring what was taken from Cebuano TLM community, or will he contradict them by ignoring their supplications?

In the end, actions will speak louder than words. And the faithful will know if their shepherd truly does all things for the sake of the Gospel.

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