The publication known as EWTN News reports on the Philippine government bestowing its “Gawad Kapayapaan” (Peace Award) upon Cardinal Orlando Beltran Quevedo for his “decadeslong work for reconciliation” among Christians, Muslims, and Indigenous communities in Mindanao. The article, dated November 8, 2025, portrays Quevedo as “Mindanao’s ‘Man of Peace’” whose ministry is defined by “dialogue, compassion, and his belief that peace begins in the heart.” Government officials praise his ability to “unite faith leaders and ordinary citizens alike in a shared pursuit of understanding,” while Quevedo dedicates the award to those “who have labored quietly for peace” and insists that “peace is born in the heart” through “building bridges — not only between communities but between hearts.” The report emphasizes interfaith collaboration through initiatives like the Bishops-Ulama Conference and claims Quevedo’s approach has created “tangible outcomes” of “compassion and friendship” across religious divides.
Naturalism Masquerading as Christian Charity
The article’s glowing account of Quevedo’s work constitutes a textbook example of the naturalism condemned by Pope Pius IX in the Syllabus of Errors, which rejects the notion that “the Church ought to tolerate the errors of philosophy, leaving it to correct itself” (Proposition 11) or that “the Roman Pontiff can, and ought to, reconcile himself, and come to terms with progress, liberalism and modern civilization” (Proposition 80). By celebrating “dialogue” devoid of conversion to the one true Faith as an end goal, Quevedo reduces Catholicism to a social service organization. His statement that “peace is born in the heart” deliberately omits the Catholic truth articulated by Pius XI: “The peace of Christ can only be found in the Kingdom of Christ” (Encyclical Quas Primas, §1). This omission exposes the syncretism at work — substituting the supernatural order with psychological sentimentality.
Subversion of the Church’s Divine Mission
Nowhere does the report mention Quevedo’s duty as a prince of the Church to proclaim the extra Ecclesiam nulla salus dogma defined at the Council of Florence. Instead, the cardinal is praised for treating Islam — a heresy denying Christ’s divinity — as an equal partner in “peacebuilding.” This directly violates the condemnation of religious indifferentism in the Syllabus: “Good hope at least is to be entertained of the eternal salvation of all those who are not at all in the true Church of Christ” (Proposition 17). The article’s claim that Quevedo’s interfaith efforts create “friendship across religions” ignores the Church’s immutable teaching that “friendship with the world is enmity with God” (James 4:4). True Catholic peace requires submission to Christ the King, not the relativistic “mutual understanding” celebrated here.
The Masonic Roots of Interfaith “Dialogue”
Quevedo’s methodology bears the hallmarks of the Masonic operation described in the False Fatima Apparitions file: “The imprecise formulation ‘conversion of Russia’ (without specifying Catholicism) opens the way to religious relativism. It can serve to legitimize dialogue with schismatic Orthodoxy.” By focusing on superficial “social cohesion” while avoiding doctrinal clarity, Quevedo participates in the ecumenism project that Lamentabili Sane condemned as Modernist. His seat on the BARMM Council of Leaders — a political body governing a Muslim-majority region — constitutes an abdication of episcopal authority, reducing the Church’s role to that of a NGO. This fulfills the warning in the Syllabus that “the Roman Pontiffs have, by their too arbitrary conduct, contributed to the division of the Church” (Proposition 38), though here it is the cardinal himself accelerating division through false unity.
Omission of Supernatural Realities
The article’s silence about Quevedo’s sacramental duties as a cardinal is damning. Not once is he shown offering Mass, administering Confession, or urging the Muslim and Lumad populations to embrace the one true Faith. Instead, the report emphasizes his collaboration with “educators, civil society groups, and public institutions” — all naturalistic entities. This confirms the analysis in Lamentabili Sane that Modernists reduce Christianity to “a certain pious custom” (Proposition 48) rather than the means of salvation. Quevedo’s call for “respect for differences in language, culture, and religion” directly opposes Pius XI’s teaching that “States must conform to the laws of Jesus Christ” and that “the Church cannot approve of statecraft which opposes natural and divine law” (Quas Primas, §32).
Conclusion: A Betrayal Wrapped in Humanitarian Rhetoric
Quevedo’s acceptance of a secular government’s peace award epitomizes the conciliar sect’s surrender to the world. As the Syllabus declared: “The Church has not the power of using force, nor has she any temporal power, direct or indirect” (Proposition 24) — yet here, a cardinal seeks validation from temporal powers. His life’s work embodies the condemned proposition that “the Church is incapable of effectively defending evangelical ethics because it steadfastly adheres to its views, which cannot be reconciled with modern progress” (Lamentabili Sane, Proposition 63). True peace comes only through the Social Reign of Christ the King, not through the Masonic-inspired “dialogue” that Quevedo promotes. Until he calls Muslims and Indigenous peoples to renounce false religions and embrace Holy Mother Church, his “bridge-building” serves not God, but the world’s rebellion against divine law.
Source:
Cardinal Orlando Quevedo: Mindanao’s ‘Man of Peace’ and his lifelong mission of unity (ewtnnews.com)
Date: 08.11.2025