THE CONSECRATION OF A NEW BISHOP

By: Cora N. Abangan

“I’ll never be a bishop. My role is to be by the side of the Bishop (Hines).” These words were uttered by Bishop Ariel Santos a while back. He is obviously very happy being the right hand of Archbishop Hines and would have been content staying as a priest. But one cannot say no to the Lord’s calling. And so on September 18, 2011, Ariel Cornelio Santos responded to the calling of the God he vowed to serve and was consecrated to the office of the Bishop. The occasion was made more meaningful because it was also the 17^th anniversary of the CEC, Territory of Asia. The Patriarch himself, Archbishop Craig William Bates, flew in to preside over the consecration. It was a victory for the Kingdom of God, witnessed by Bishop Ariel’s family, including his parents and siblings.

In his homily, the Patriarch emphasized that it is God our Father who chooses who will serve Him as bishop. It is not a matter of credentials or qualifications, but the will and calling of God. In the case of Bishop Ariel, when the time came for his election into the office, God put it in his heart. “When I found out about my nomination, my reaction was a combination of excitement and anxiety. I didn’t think of the prestige as much as the responsibility. But I made up my mind long ago to say yes to God’s direction.”

Early Years

Bishop Ariel had humble beginnings. He was born on February 2, 1967, the 4^th of 5 children, to Mauro Santos and Ludivina Purificacion. His parents were devout Catholics which meant that he and his siblings almost never missed a Sunday mass. Home was a small apartment in crowded Sampaloc, Manila where they all shared one bedroom. He spent many hours as a boy in the streets of Sampaloc playing with neighbors from the lower middle class and some underprivileged friends, what he calls the “last generation of children who were molded by the lessons, adventures and challenges of the rough outdoors, free from unhealthy over protectiveness”. There were no computers and WIIs in those days. Children’s play was mostly physical. The young Ariel played basketball and ping-pong and competed in outdoor sports. TV time was limited to Sesame Street in the mornings and Voltes V on Friday afternoons.

His parents held office jobs; his father Mauro at the Central Bank and his mother Ludivina at the United Nations. They worked hard to give their 5 children good education in respectable Catholic schools. Bishop Ariel went to nearby San Beda in Mendiola, just a few blocks away from home for his grade and high school education. At San Beda, he was privileged to be “molded by bold, undaunted men of prayer, work and peace”.

The high cost of education meant a life of frugality for him and his siblings. In high school, Bishop Ariel confesses that he had a low self-esteem because he was surrounded by wealthy classmates and was intimidated by their social standing. He never felt that he belonged even if he wanted to. In San Beda where students wear the prescribed uniforms, students are given one day in the week to come in civilian clothes in what they call “wash day”. Bishop Ariel remembers that on his 4^th year in high school, he wore the same pair of pants and shoes for almost a year during those wash days. It isn’t a surprise, therefore that when his parents asked him what job he wanted when he grew up, he replied, “Well, what pays the most?” To this day, he still remembers what his parents told him – “You don’t make money the foundation of a career. Where are you needed?” These words of wisdom have influenced his choices growing up.

Joining and Working for the Church

It took him 6 and ½ years to finish college because he didn’t have his priorities right – girlfriend, work and studies, in that order. He worked for McDonald’s to earn extra and this experience developed in him a sense of responsibility and taught him lessons in life and work ethics. While in college, Bro. Raul Olegario, then one of the leaders of Christian Life Fellowship, asked Bishop Ariel to work for the church on a full-time basis (he joined CLF in 1987 after watching a Lenten play). This was a time when he was already hooked on the things of God. He went to school not with his textbooks but with his Bible. He stayed in the library between classes to read his Bible. But he wasn’t ready to give up his dreams of “making it big, saving up for his wedding and giving his future family a comfortable life”. And so after college, he worked for a manufacturing company. But he stayed for only one year because God’s call was getting harder to ignore. God made him realize that preparing for the future is not all about money. God called him to serve Him full-time. And he did. One can only imagine what went through the minds of his family. This was the young man who had big dreams, after all. A few years into the ministry, a family member suggested that he starts looking for a job in a big company. One even said that if he chose to work for a bank early on, he would have been high up on the corporate ladder by then. But Bishop Ariel was unwavering in his commitment to the call of God. He told his family that he believes that he is where he should be and that he’d be miserable if he were working for a bank. Says Bishop Ariel, “When I responded to God’s call, I knew it was for life – and I mean forever and for better – and so I entrusted my future to Him.”

When he first became a member of the church, Bishop Ariel joined the ROHI Ministry where he handled a bible study group with 30 members in Bicutan. In 1991, when he became part of the full-time staff of the church, he turned over this Bible study group to somebody else so he could concentrate on his work at the Special Projects Department (SPD) which ministered to the poor, the sick, victims of calamities, street children and people with drug addiction problems. In 1993, Archbishop Hines asked him if he would be willing to be assigned to Barcelona to help in the work there. While he said that he would go where he is sent, he was also forthright in saying that given the choice, he would rather stay in the Philippines for 2 reasons: 1) he wanted to work directly for the Archbishop; and, 2) he wanted to see the country rise up and contribute his share, no matter how small, in bringing that about. The Archbishop then took him under his wings and became his disciple. Bishop Ariel says that “what he has taught me since cannot be contained in a hundred KOINONOS issues and for this I will forever be grateful”.

Marriage and Family Life

God always rewards faithfulness. A good wife is a blessing and this is among the biggest gifts Bishop Ariel has received from God. He “officially” met his beautiful wife Mia in one of the medical-dental missions of the SPD where he invited her to volunteer. Mia is a dentist. Bishop Ariel quips that he married Mia “because there was this empty space inside of me that only she was able to fill – in my lower right first molar”. He goes on to say “I can’t believe how she believed in me. She is a real gift from God. She gave birth to our 6 children naturally and without anaesthetics, the last 3 at the birthing clinic with Sister Chato Flores. We’re proud of and thankful for all our children. They are a blessing and I believe that God has something great planned for them. For all these we will be forever grateful. Another hundred Koinonos issues won’t be enough for the rest of our story”.

Becoming a Deacon, Priest, then Bishop

Bishop Ariel was ordained a deacon in 1995 after the Cathedral of the King joined the CEC. Three years later, he was ordained as priest. He didn’t have any fears, doubts or anxieties about the clerical calling. He didn’t struggle with it because he knew with absolute certainty that it was God’s calling for his life and He was doing it according to His perfect timing. The challenge of the job as a priest, and now as bishop is not so much the work as his witness to the people who look up to him. As with all the work he has ever done for God, he does his best to live up to his calling and relies on the grace of God to fill up his inadequacies.

Bishop Ariel enjoys a privilege many in the church don’t. He is very close to the Archbishop whom he considers not only a mentor but also a friend. His relationship with the Archbishop is both that of father-son and of discipler-disciple. He became the Archbishop’s John the Beloved, going to almost every trip with him, both here at home and abroad. These trips allow him to minister to the Archbishop, as well as minister with him. He has learned a lot from the Archbishop about the ministry, people, life and God. He cherishes all these trips and visits to hospitals and homes as they have allowed him to forge an even stronger bond with the Archbishop.

“Until a few months before my election, I thought my place would always be to be to the Archbishop what Joshua was to Moses.” Bishop Ariel says that his election to the office of the bishop was brought about by 3 things: 1) a recognition of his calling; 2) the increasing work load; and 3) the need to prepare for the future. Before his election, God spoke to him about “stepping up”. The House of Bishops then confirmed his calling.

He says that nothing much has changed since his consecration, save for the color of his shirt, his vestments and some ceremonial protocols. As bishop, he is authorized to do more like consecrating altars and presiding over ordinations.  But he will continue to assist the Archbishop, wearing the many hats of the Archbishop’s assistant. A typical day for Bishop Ariel consists of prayers, mass, correspondences, meetings, management of finances and people, preparation of teaching notes, review of liturgical policies and procedures, Bible studies, handling of conflicts, teaching high school students, and hospital or home visits. The list is long but at the end of the day, he says remains to be the Archbishop’s disciple and co-worker.

The Personal Side

Many mistake Bishop Ariel’s less than sociable nature for arrogance. While he may not be as outgoing or sociable as others, he genuinely respects people from all walks of life. When asked to describe himself in 3 words, he gave 2 – church and family – which just about sums up his entire life. He is a homebody and wishes he could spend more time at home. He stays in good shape by watching what he eats and working out 4 times a week. He believes that physical discipline is also spiritual discipline. He has been influenced by some writers, both modern and from the early church, like Simon Chan, W. Hardenbrook., St. Augustine, the Cappadocian Fathers, Pope John Paul II, certain Orthodox writers and some novelists like Stephen Lawhead. He read Ken Follett’s Pillars of the Earth 5 times because God spoke to him thru that book about preparing for the future of the church. This is very close to home because his dream is for the church to finally own a property for a cathedral. One goal he wishes to achieve is for church members to come regularly for Sunday services, so that on a given Sunday, the number of attendees corresponds to the number of church members.

On September 18, 2011, the Patriarch said these words in his homily for the consecration of Bishop Ariel:

“What we want from you Bishop Ariel Santos is not your wisdom, your knowledge, your administrative skills or even your preaching skills.  What we want from you, Bishop, is to minister to our souls.  Let us know we are forgiven.  Teach us how to pray when there are no words because the pain is so deep.  Teach us to how to have hope when everything is hopeless.  Teach us how to come out of our fear with faith when we shaking in the terrors of the world. Teach us to forgive when our hearts are consumed with anger, bitterness, and resentment. Teach us, Bishop, how to love when we have been betrayed and rejected.  Teach us how to dwell in the arms of Jesus and learn what it means to have mercy.

Let us know that we are loved. This is why we are making you a Bishop today.”

To this we say “Amen”. We are very grateful that God gave us another bishop. And we will do our best to show our gratitude by supporting Bishop Ariel in his new role.