SW News: Veteran Filipino Catholic theologian and Jesuit priest Fr Catalino Arevalo died at the age of 97 on January 18. The professor-emeritus of the Ateneo de Manila University in Manila, which is run by the Society of Jesus, passed away at the infirmary of the Jesuit residence in Quezon City.

According to Fr William Abbott SJ, Fr Arevalo was suffering from anemia and his health was on the decline after he was discharged from hospital earlier this month. His students, who include prelates and priests alike, are paying rich tributes to their mentor. Bishop Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan and the head of the Philippines episcopate, said, “He had waited for this transition....impatiently."
The prelate recalled that for the past 10 years, the priest used to tell friends who came visiting that this could be their last meeting. “The last time I saw him was at San Jose [Seminary]. He was gamely posing for photos with his former students and even giving a wacky pose. But this time he did not say his usual goodbye. It sort of gave me the premonition that it might indeed be our last encounter,” Bishop David said.

He entered the Society of Jesus in 1941 while World War II was raging and was ordained priest in 1954. After his ordination, he studied Dogmatic Theology at the Gregorian Pontifical University in Rome. He was the first doctoral student of noted ecclesiologist Father Francis Sullivan, who also belonged to the Jesuit congregation.

He bagged his doctorate in 1959 and joined the Jesuit theology department at Woodstock College in USA’s Maryland. After returning to his home country, he became a member of the faculty at San Jose Seminary in Manila where he taught many future bishops, archbishops and priests, including Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, the prefect of the Congregation of the Evangelization of Peoples.

In 1965, he joined the Jesuit School of Theology and became its first dean and later its president. Pope St John Paul II made him the first Asian member of the Pontifical International Theological Commission, which advises the Holy Father on matters of faith and theology.

He also served as a theological expert at the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conference from 1970 to 1995.