ARCHBISHOP Socrates Villegas of Lingayen – Dagupan received an honorary doctorate degree in Philosophy from the Saint Louis University.

SLU said that the conferment aims to honor Villegas’ meritorious contributions.

The former president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines has been “an exemplary religious civic leader, public servant, philosopher, social reformer, and agent of moral and social transformation,” the university said.

Villegas described the unexpected honor “pure grace.”

“Everything is grace, everything is a gift, and everything is temporary. So set your hearts on the greater gifts. Do not get misled, deceived by flickering trivialities because life is greater than all of these,” he said during the university’s graduation ceremony.