The Power of the Keys and Shadow of Saint Peter

Homily of Most Rev. Charles John Brown D.D., Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines

Solemn Declaration of Saint Gregory the Great Parish as Minor Basilica

May 3, 2025 | Feast of Saints Philip and James, Apostles

 San Gregorio Magno Parish, Majayjay, Laguna

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me,” (John 14:6)

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

For me as the Apostolic Nuncio, having come this morning from Taft Ave. in Manila, it gives me so much joy and happiness to be here with you this morning, here in Majayjay in Laguna, for this Holy Mass on the Feast of Saints Philip and James, Apostles, in which your beautiful and historic church will be raised and elevated to the level of a Minor Basilica.

I'm delighted to be with your beloved Bishop, His Excellency, the Most Rev. Marcelino Antonio M. Maralit, Jr, D.D., Bishop of the Diocese of San Pablo, who invited me to be with you this morning; many bishops who have come from near and far to celebrate this wonderful elevation with you this morning; many priests crowded here into the church; religious sisters, religious brothers; but most of you, the faithful people of the Diocese of San Pablo, and especially the faithful people of Majayjay, today is a great joy. We also thank, and we recognize Rev. Msgr. Melchor Barcenas, your rector, who organized everything this morning.

The Majayjay Church

It was in 1571 that the first Christian Catholic community was established here, in Majayjay; and the first church, apparently, was built in 1575. That's 450 years ago this year, a wonderful anniversary for all of you. We celebrate 450 years of Catholic faith in this parish. What an amazing testament to the endurance of Catholic faith here in Laguna. Today, as I said, we are elevating your parish church to the level of a Minor Basilica.

This elevation was granted by a decree that came from the Vatican dated January 25, 2025. As all of you know, the Holy Father, Pope Francis, was brought to the hospital less than a month later on February 14; and I wonder, I don't know for sure, but your basilica may be the last Minor Basilica named by Pope Francis. We can check that, but it could well be that your Minor Basilica here was the last one in the universal Church that was established by Pope Francis.

Of course, yours is the first Minor Basilica in the Diocese of San Pablo in Laguna, and that is a motive for joy and happiness this morning. We think, in a very special way of your connection with the Holy See, with the Holy Father.

The Tintinnabulum and Umbraculum

At the beginning of Holy Mass, two very important symbols were brought into the Basilica. The first was the Holy Bell, which we see here. The small bell was brought into the church. What does that signify? When the Holy Father, when Pope Francis, or any of the other popes throughout history, would make pastoral visits in Rome, in the Diocese, they would be preceded by someone from the bell ringing—a bell to alert the people that the Holy Father was coming. So, the bell is an indication of the presence of the Pope, the presence of the Holy Father. That's the tintinnabulum, the holy bell.

The other symbol that was brought in was the famous umbraculum, the beautiful and wonderful umbrella. The umbrella, which is also a symbol of the Holy Father, a very important symbol of the Holy Father, the papal umbrella. Rome is a little bit like the Philippines. At least in the summer, the blazing sun beats down on the city. When the pope would visit parishes, he would be accompanied, as I said, by the bell, but also by a protective umbrella that was held over him.

I noticed even this morning that we had many youths carrying umbrellas accompanying all the dignitaries here into the church this morning. Umbrellas here in the Philippines, umbrellas in Rome. This umbraculum is a symbol of the presence of the Pope; but that symbol of the umbrella is very rich in signification, in symbolism. Why? Because it symbolizes the shadow of Saint Peter. Why is that important? Hopefully you went to Mass last Sunday on Divine Mercy Sunday; and hopefully you were paying attention to the readings. Hopefully you heard the reading from the Acts of the Apostles (5:12-16) last Sunday about the first community in Jerusalem, and how people would bring the sick into the streets and put them on cots and mats, so that as Saint Peter passed by (and I'm quoting from the Acts of the Apostles), “at least his shadow might fall on one or another of them,” on the sick people. This was a “healing shadow,” a miraculous shadow. A shadow that, in some ways, represented the presence of Saint Peter; and that same shadow is passed by the umbraculum, by the papal umbrella.

Benefits and Privileges of a Minor Basilica

So, in a certain sense, we can say that your beautiful church here, which has existed since 1575, your Church of Saint Gregory the Great today, comes underneath the shadow of Saint Peter, and becomes a place in which that healing presence of Saint Peter is especially powerful, and especially present.

One of the benefits, one of the privileges, one of the glories of being a Minor Basilica is that you'll have a special indulgence that is imparted to every Minor Basilica in the world—the protective healing shadow of Saint Peter. That indulgence is a remission of the temporal punishment due to us because of our sins. If you come to this basilica, and you make a good confession, you receive Holy Communion, you pray for the intentions of the Holy Father, and you have a detachment from sin, a horror of sin, you’ll receive a plenary indulgence, which is a complete remission of temporal punishment.

That is the power of Saint Peter, the power of the keys of Saint Peter—binding and losing. The power of Saint Peter, the shadow of Saint Peter, which extends over Majayjay today, as your church is elevated to the status of a Minor Basilica.

Pope Francis, and the Filipino People

So, it's an incredibly important moment in this church; and of course, when we reflect on these symbols of the Holy Father, we cannot but think about the passing of Pope Francis, whom, as I said, was called to God on Easter Monday, called to enter into the Heavenly Kingdom. We are praying for his passage from this world to the life of the world to come, because we believe, as Catholics, that our death is a passage, a “transitus” in Latin, a transition from this world to the life of the world to come; and people can be helped by our prayer.

So, we continue to pray for Pope Francis during these days. Indeed, today is the eighth day of the nine days of official mourning for Pope Francis. The official period of mourning will finish tomorrow. Then, as all of you know, the Cardinals already gathered in Rome at this moment, will begin their deliberations. The Conclave which will begin next Wednesday, is another moment, for which we must be praying.

Praying for Holy Father Pope Francis and thanking God for the gift of Pope Francis. Pope Francis who had a great love for the Filipino people. Pope Francis who visited the Philippines in 2015. Pope Francis who, whenever I visited him in Rome, and ever had a meeting with him in Rome, he would always ask me as your Papal Nuncio, to “Go back to the Philippines and ask the Filipino people to pray for me.” He was always asking for the prayers of the Filipino people. He had a great love for you, the Filipinos; and I know you had a great love for your Lolo Kiko. Continue to pray for Lolo Kiko now that he has left this world.

So, we have this symbolism of the Holy Father. We think about Holy Father Pope Francis, in these days of mourning, which will conclude tomorrow. 

The King and the Life of the World to Come

Finally, the Basilica, basilica comes from the Greek word βασιλεύσ (basileus), meaning “king”, and who is the “king” that we celebrate here? It's not the Holy Father. The King is the one who spoke in the Gospel to Thomas this morning. The King who says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” So, a Basilica is also the House of the King, the basileus; and our King is no other than Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, crucified, died, and risen from the dead. The One who makes us citizens of another kingdom.

All of us carry passports, at least most of us do. You probably have Filipino passports, I have an American passport and a Vatican passport; but each and every one of us has another invisible passport, and that is our baptism—which is a passport to the kingdom of God, where Jesus is King, and that Kingdom is already present in us.

It's not completely evident in society. There are indications of the kingdom of God already here, pre-indications, prefigurations. For the Kingdom and its fullness will only arrive in the life of the world to come. Jesus is our basileus. Jesus is our King. That is why this basilica is filled with joy this morning as we celebrate this elevation.

Conclusion

Finally, during this Season of Easter, these seven weeks, which will culminate on the Feast of Pentecost. This week of weeks, seven times seven, which means a time of perfection, a time of eternity. We look to Our Lady, beautifully represented here in this statue near me, the Regina Caeli. We ask her to intercede for all of us, to intercede for all of the people who will come here and pray, all the people who will receive indulgences here in this Basilica. We also ask Mama Mary to pray in a very special way in these days for our deceased Holy Father, Pope Francis.

So, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as you can see for me as your nuncio, it makes me very happy to be with you this morning for this wonderful celebration.

God bless you!

Congratulations on the elevation of your Parish Church of St. Gregory the Great to the level of a Minor Basilica!

Transcribed by Joel V. Ocampo

Photos by: Angelo Mangahas