(February 7, 2009) Canonical recognition was given to the Mission Society of the
Philippines, the first society of priests founded in Asia, now present in 13 countries.
Asia News reported that the prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of
Peoples, Cardinal Ivan Dias signed the pontifical decree. The Missionary Society
of the Philippines (MSP) was created in 1965 by the bishops of that country, on the
fourth centennial of their nation's evangelization. Their goal was "to express in
the concrete our gratitude to God for the gift of our faith," sharing it with "the
peoples in Asia and the rest of the world." With this recognition, made public on
January 30 during the seventh general assembly of the MSP, they became a "Society
of Apostolic Life for mission ad gentes of Pontifical Right" under the authority of
the Holy See rather than the local bishops. According to its statues, the MSP mission
is directed especially to the villages of Asia, to the most de-Christianized zones
or where the young Churches need most help. Another of its objectives is to make Filipino
emigrants conscious of their missionary vocation, to help them participate and be
instruments of evangelization. The MSP has more than 70 members working in the Asian
countries of Japan, Taiwan, Thailand and South Korea, as well as in the United States,
Australia, Holland and Great Britain.