THE UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas Center for Theology, Religious Studies and Ethics secured a research grant from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines to conduct a study on the state of the Philippine Christianity.

The study is in line with the celebration of the 500th anniversary of Christianity in the Philippines.

“The main objective of the project is to describe the current state of the Catholic Church in the Philippines, its historical context, challenges and future. The essential aspect of the celebration of 500 years of Christianity is the historical dimension,” the university said.

“This study is significant in the on-going introspection of the CBCP regarding the relevance and the future of the Philippine Catholic Church amidst the growing social issues, concerns and faith-life of the Catholic faithful and the Philippine society in general,” it added.

The research project will be spearheaded by Rev. Fr. Jannel Abogado alongside Dr. Pablito Baybado, Jr., Rev. Fr. Louie Coronel, Dr.  Emmanuel Batoon, Assistant Prof. Chris Esparagoza, Dr. Clarence Batan, and Dr. Belinda de Castro.

Bishop Broderick Pabillo, the auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Manila, said that it is more important to ask about the future of the Church while celebrating 500 years of Christianity.