Aging, illness do not end priesthood, bishop says

February 17, 2026 – 2:15 PM

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A Catholic bishop urged retired, sick and elderly priests to see aging and illness not as an end, but as a continuing ministry of prayer and witness.

Speaking during a Mass at Bella Rosa Garden in Silang, Cavite on February 11, Bishop Julito Cortes of Dumaguete said priesthood does not disappear with weakness, but takes on quieter, contemplative forms of service.

He told the clergy that frailty can become a place of grace, where God continues to work through prayer, blessing and presence despite physical limitations.

“You do not cease to be priests,” said Cortes, chairman of the CBCP’s Commission for the Retired, Sick and Elderly Priests.

Cortes said illness and retirement should not be seen as uselessness. “God has not abandoned us in our weakness,” he said. “Rather, God draws near as a mother and healer.”

He encouraged priests to embrace their situation with trust. “Receive comfort,” he said. “Allow yourself to be valued. Allow God to console you.”

Illness and aging, he added, open new paths of ministry. “Your ministry endures,” Cortes said. “It just takes a more contemplative, more prayerful, and quieter mode.”

He described elderly priests as witnesses of hope, saying their patience and perseverance show that human weakness is not the final word in Christian life.

The event was organized with the support of the Ephesus Ministry, which assists retired, sick and elderly priests through pastoral care and community programs.

Organizers said Love Day brings clergy together for prayer, Eucharist and fellowship. The gathering began February 10 with a welcome Mass led by Bishop Reynaldo Evangelista of Imus.

About 70 retired priests from different dioceses attended, including six bishops.