CBCP Monitor - CBCP Media Office

•A3
•B1
Cardinal Sin ‘a man
of paradoxes’
Pondo ng Pinoy marks
4th anniversary
•C1
www.cbcpnews.com
“PONDO ng Pinoy”, the movement started by
Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales in the Archdiocese of Manila, marked its fourth anniversary at
the Cardinal Sin auditorium of Paco Catholic
School last June 14.
Pondo ng Pinoy encourages people to save at
least 25 centavos daily as their expression of love
for the poor. Its slogan is “Anumang maliit,
basta’t malimit, ay patungong langit.”
Rosales was the main celebrant at the 8:30 a.m.
Mass. Former Ambassador to Vatican, Henrietta
Pondo / A6
The CROSS
Church celebrates
Pauline Year
Knights of Columbus Supplement
Protagonist of Truth, Promoter of Peace
June 23 - July 6, 2008
Church hits military
offensive in Mindanao
[email protected]
Php 20.00
Vol. 12 No. 13
WHILE hostility has not yet sparked in
Mindanao, Church officials continue to frown
on government’s all-out offensive against suspects of the June 8 kidnapping incident in Sulu.
Another Catholic bishop criticized the
government’s “punitive action” against the kidnappers of the ABS-CBN news team led by Ces
Drilon.
Saying the move is “short sighted,” Manila
Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo called on the
government to go more deeply into the real
Church hits / A6
NASSA leads Church
relief operations
© Roy Lagarde / CBCP Media
Pope prays for
victims of
Typhoon ‘Frank’
At “The Forum,” a media discussion jointly organized by the CBCPNews and the Catholic Media Network, CBCP-NASSA executive
secretary Sr. Roseanne Mallillin, SPC, (right) together with Caritas Manila executive director Fr. Anton Pascual and DSWD Undersecretary
Celia Yangco appealed for relief assistance following a powerful typhoon that left a trail of death and destruction.
By Roy Lagarde
THE National Secretariat for Social Action (NASSA)
of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference leads the relief
operations for the victims of the recent typhoon.
Typhoon “Frank”, the sixth storm to hit the country this year, has claimed many lives, ravaged roads
and bridges, swept away electricity and telephone
polls and flattened thousands of hectares of crops.
It hit the country on June 21, with around 200
people initially reported dead, although hundreds
more are still missing from a ferry which capsized
during the storm.
In Iloilo, a central province where more than 100
people have been reported dead or missing, local
Church officials said most of the victims had been
killed as a result of flooding caused by the storm.
At “The Forum” on June 24, a media discussion
jointly organized by CBCPNews and the Catholic
Media Network, Sister Rosanne Mallillin, SPC,
NASSA Executive Secretary, disclosed that immediately after the typhoon she dispatched relief assistance to the Archdiocese of Jaro that reported with
most damage due to flooding.
NASSA / A6
Bishop calls for ‘total closure’ of mining in Albay
A ROMAN Catholic bishop demanded the ‘total
closure’ of a hotly contested Korean-controlled
copper and zinc mine in Rapu-Rapu Island, Albay.
Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes claimed the
people would definitely be “too happy” if the Korea Resources Inc. (Kores) and LG International
Corp. will leave the area.
The Korean state-run mining companies took
over full control of the project in April after its
previous operator, Lafayette of Australia, pulled
out over environmental issues.
Bastes said the Lafayette got “bankrupt” after
its investors finally backed off due to public
clamor against environmental destruction.
“They (Lafayette) have no more investors. They
can’t even pay their personnel anymore. It’s no
longer financially viable,” he said.
Church to help makeover
ARMM image
PPCRV head Henrietta de Villa on June 23 leads the signing of the memorandum of agreement with the
Comelec and various Muslim civil society groups for the merging and sharing of resources to “establish a
single network of volunteer monitors and watchers which shall take the lead in monitoring, watching and
canvassing of the votes in the August 11 ARMM elections.
CHANGING the image of the Autonomous Region on Muslim Mindanao has
been a tough challenge and one that has
long been left helpless, according to a
Church-based poll watchdog.
The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting said the region is
slowly taking pace to mark a new beginning leaving behind a sad image as
the country’s “cheating capital” during
elections.
A massive regeneration program is ongoing and its effort will be tested on the
ARMM regional elections on August 11.
POPE Benedict XVI was deeply saddened
by the ferry tragedy and for thousands
of people affected by a typhoon that has
wreaked havoc in the Philippines.
Benedict told pilgrims in St. Peter’s
Square on Sunday he wish to assure his
“spiritual closeness” to those killed, injured or rendered homeless by Typhoon
“Frank” (Fengshen).
In the wake of the tragedy, the Pontiff
prayed for the victims of the tragedy that
already claimed 150 people, excluding
those aboard the ferry.
“I also wish to raise a special prayer
for the victims of this new tragedy of
the seas, in which it appears many children are involved,” he said.
Benedict was referring the MV Princess of the Star that capsized off Sibuyan
Island on Sunday carrying at least 700
passengers, which authorities declared
missing.
A rescue operation to find survivors
of the stricken ship is underway as the
Typhoon continues to ravage many parts
of the country.
Reports said the damage is extensive
leaving hundreds of families homeless
especially in the Visayas region.
Power outages were also reported in
many provinces and transports links
severed with the storm expected to hang
around the country until tonight before
veering off towards Taiwan. (Roy
Lagarde)
And the recently concluded PPCRVorganized “Pre-Election ARMM Summit-Workshop”, attended by Commission on Election officials and various
Muslim civil society groups is one help
to change the awful image, it said.
PPCRV head Henrietta de Villa said:
“There is a unified collaboration, a collective response to repair the elections
in the ARMM. The sarcastic perception
in ARMM will finally be buried.”
“Those in the outside will not understand nor appreciate all these because they
Church to / A7
The bishop said Rapu-Rapu mining is supposed
to be the government’s “flagship” project in its
revitalized mining industry program but it turned
out to be a “fiasco.”
Bastes also said that Lafayette still has over P130
million pesos balance of taxes payable to the government.
“The government should impose total closure
of the mining there. It has ruined not only the
environment but also our economy,” Bastes said.
The Rapu-Rapu mine has been forecasted to generate revenues of $US350 million a year from annual production of 11,000 tones of copper and
13,000 tones of zinc.
The Kores and LG Group acquired Lafayette’s
majority stake shortly after the mine was fined
for spills which contaminated surrounding wa-
ters in 2005.
At least 40 fisher folks and residents of RapuRapu picketed the South Korean Embassy in
Makati City to stop Korean investors from taking
over the mining operation.
The Bicolanos, together with environmental activists and peasants, urged Ambassador Hong
Jong-ki to provoke the pullout of the investments
of Kores and LG International in the mining operation.
“There is no reason to continue the Lafayette
mining project. Its three-year operation in Rapurapu island has brought so much environmental
destruction, community displacements, human
rights violations and livelihood loss,” the environmental group Kalikasan claimed in a statement. (Roy Lagarde & Kris Bayos)
BEC deepens Catholics’
faith in God, says study
THE Basic Ecclesial Communities (BEC) enabled lay
people to deepen their relationship with God and to one
another, a study showed.
A team of five Masters in
Social Work students from the
Asian Social Institute— Sr.
Zaida A. Villareal, OSA, Sr.
Carolina S. Lapara, SDS, Sr.
Glenda L. Monroy, ASP, Sr.
Amelia T. Laborte, FDZ and
Vladimir A. Castillo—conducted the two-month study
(March-April) that focused on
the temporary settlers of Block
3, Barangy [village] 649, Habitat-BASECO, Tondo, Manila.
“BEC, which is viewed as a
new way of ‘being Church’,
strengthens people’s faith in
God and deepen their bonding as brothers and sisters,”
said Sr. Zaida A. Villareal,
OSA.
The inherent spirituality of
the Filipino is a potent cohesive force for the people in
BASECO, as it is all over the
BEC / A6
CBCP head: Gov’t subsidies
may worsen poverty
A RANKING Catholic
Church official chided today
the government’s “subsidy
spree,” saying it will only exacerbate poverty in the country.
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines
(CBCP) President Archbishop
Angel Lagdameo said the
motives are laudable, but the
mode of implementation may
not provide the required results.
The Arroyo government is
currently providing financial
subsidies, through its “Katas
ng VAT” program, to identified poorest of the poor in
selected communities.
The subsidies include the
one-time lifeline electricity
P500 subsidy, the one-time
P8,000 cash loan subsidy for
junior and senior college students and the P60,000 scholarships grant for incoming
college students.
There is also the access card
given to the poor to be able
to buy subsidized NFA rice.
“The dole-outs are temporary solution. In fact, it may
CBCP head / A6
Bishop warns of God’s wrath on
worsening immorality
BEWARE of the impending anger of God!
This is the stern warning made by Bishop Patricio
Alo as he pointed out the number of abortion that reach
millions by the year and homosexual activities which
gain frequent appearance in the news.
“It’s time we make the clarion call for people to stem
the tide of evil,” Alo said, adding:
“If the number of abortion rises, it’s because of unrestrained illegitimate sex. People turn to surgical and
chemical (contraceptive) abortion because they are too
embarrassed to face unplanned or unwanted pregnancies. (But) such abortions are still a form of murder of
the defenseless unborn.”
The prelate also reminded the people that as explained in the Catholic Catechism there are four sins
crying for God’s punishment namely: willful murder
(including abortion); the sin of Sodom; oppression of
the poor and defrauding laborers of their wages.
Alo is also alarmed on the swelling homosexual practices today which he referred to as ‘sodomy’ or “a carnal copulation with a member of the same sex or with
an animal or unnatural carnal copulation with a member of the opposite sex.”
Bishops / A6
World News
A2
Pope greets Eucharistic
congress participants,
prays for revival of belief
VATICAN CITY, June 18, 2008—After delivering
his reflections on St. Isidore of Seville at his
Wednesday general audience, Pope Benedict
addressed some remarks to participants in
the International Eucharistic Congress being
held in Quebec, Canada, from June 15—22 on
the theme: “The Eucharist: gift of God for the
life of the world.”
“I am spiritually present at this most solemn ecclesial meeting”, he said, “and I trust
it will be a time rich in prayer, reflection and
contemplation of the mystery of the Blessed
Eucharist, for the Christian communities of
Canada and for the Universal Church. May it
also be a favorable moment in which to reaffirm the Church’s faith in the real presence of
Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.”
Benedict XVI concluded his remarks by praying that the congress “may revive in believers - not just in Canada but in many other
nations in the world - an awareness of the evangelical and spiritual values that have forged
their identity along the course of history.”
While Pope Benedict is not attending the
Eucharistic congress, he will give the homily
for the closing Mass on June 22 via a live satellite link from Rome. The faithful will be able
to view the Holy Father’s homily on large
screens stationed throughout the area. (Zenit)
Pope Benedict to confirm 24
at World Youth Day Mass
SYDNEY, Australia, June 17,
2008 Pope Benedict XVI will confirm 24 young people at the
World Youth Day Final Mass
near Sydney on Sunday July 20,
it has been announced.
Twenty-four candidates for
confirmation, 14 Australians and
ten people from other countries,
will receive the sacrament that
marks the completion of baptismal grace through Pope
Benedict.
“It’s not every day that one is
confirmed by the global leader
of the Catholic Church before
hundreds of thousands of
people,” said World Youth Day
2008 Coordinator, Bishop Anthony Fisher OP.
“The sacrament is life changing and to receive the sacrament
Radio called a modern pulpit
VATICAN, June 19, 2008--What makes a radio station Catholic? And what can make
Catholic radio more effective? These are some
of the questions being reflected upon by a
Vatican-sponsored conference under way in
Rome.
The Pontifical Council for Social Communications opened today the first world congress of Catholic radio stations. The council’s
president, Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli,
told ZENIT that the conference has brought
together people from some 50 countries representing 63 stations to “talk together, reflect
and understand what the identity and mission of a Catholic radio station is in today’s
world.”
The congress runs through Saturday at the
Pontifical Urbanian University. “The guests
will not just hear conferences but will have
the opportunity to talk among themselves in
virtue of what is suggested by some roundtable discussions,” Archbishop Celli explained. “It will be very important that all the
participants, who come from different contexts,
from Asia to Africa, from Latin America to
Europe and Australia, meet to discuss and rediscover their identity and mission.”
This event seeks to analyze the present with
sights set on the future, the prelate said, so
that initiatives arise “that little by little make
the service of a Catholic radio station in the
world more efficient.”
Noting how the Internet has changed the
world of media, Archbishop Celli said, “I believe we must discover what is in store for us.”
Fascination
Archbishop Angelo Amato, secretary of the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith,
gave the inaugural address today.
The prelate suggested that despite the widespread use of TV, “radio still has its strength
and usefulness.”
“Jesus arrived as a great master of communication of the word,” Archbishop Amato said.
“For him, three years were enough to educate
his disciples, not only to listen to his word,
but above all, to live with him and for him.”
Radio, the Vatican official continued, is the
“modern pulpit of the word of God.” And
the chance to receive the word of God on the
radio is “a privileged way of communicating the Word.”
“The benefit of radio comes from the freedom that it leaves to the listener, who is
drawn in not so much from the obligation to
in this way will prove an unforgettable experience, one that they
will each carry with them for the
rest of their lives,” he said.
Bishop Fisher said the Australian candidates were selected as
representatives of their regions
by bishops across the country. The
Australian candidates range in
age from 16 to 43 and are from
every state and territory.
“We are absolutely delighted
to be able to present them to the
Pope for this momentous occasion,” he said.
The ten international candidates
are in the final process of selection.
Up to 500,000 people are expected to attend the final Mass at
the close of World Youth Day,
which will take place from July
15 to 20. (CNA)
hear, but from fascination with the word,”
the prelate noted. From here arises the need
for communication to be “clear, professional
and accompanied by the testimony of an existence coherent with the evangelical message.”
Facing challenges
For Archbishop Amato, “the microphone
of Catholic radio could be considered a modern version of the pulpit.”
“It is about an authentic and personal spirituality of listening,” he added, “[to which
should correspond] a spirituality of communication.”
After his address, the prelate clarified that
“this service of the Word also implies building up the listeners with indications from the
magisterium of the Church, above all, with
the words of the Pope.”
He highlighted the importance of a variety of programs, all in harmony with one
another.
In this line, the archbishop said, this
“Catholic pluralism” should continuously
motivate the “personal experience of faith
faced with the challenges of contemporary
culture, [such as] the challenge of abortion,
divorce, biotechnology, [and] biopolitics
with government interventions that do not
seem adequate regarding man and respect
for humanity.” (Zenit)
Archbishop Fouad Twal is the new Latin patriarch of Jerusalem
HOLY LAND, June 21, 2008—As
of today, Archbishop Fouad
Twal is the new Latin patriarch
of Jerusalem. Benedict XVI has
accepted the resignation presented by His Beatitude Michel
Sabbah, whose coadjutor Archbishop Twal has been since 2005.
The new patriarch was born
in Madaba, in Jordan, on October 23, 1940.
In October of 1959, he entered
the major seminary of Beit-Jala,
and was ordained a priest on
CBCP Monitor
June 29, 1966. In September of
1972, he began studies in canon
law at the Pontifical Lateran
University, and in October of
1974 he entered the ecclesiastical Pontifical Academy. In 1975,
he received his degree in canon
law.
From 1977 to 1992, he served
as a diplomat at the apostolic
nunciature of Honduras, the
council for public affairs at the
Vatican secretariat of state, the
apostolic nunciature in Ger-
many, and the apostolic
nunciature in Peru.
On May 30, 1992, he was appointed bishop of Tunis, and was
ordained on July 22 of the same
year. On May 31, 1995, he was
made archbishop. He has also
been president of the Regional
Episcopal Conference of North
Africa (CERNA). On September
8, 2005, Benedict XVI appointed
him coadjutor for the Patriarchate of Jerusalem of the Latins.
(AsiaNews)
Archbishop Fouad Twal
Vol. 12 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2008
Catholic Radio
receives boost from
Pope Benedict
VATICAN CITY, June 20, 2008-Over 100 representatives of Catholic radio from around the world
were greeted by Pope Benedict at
the Vatican on Friday. Through
their broadcasts, Catholic radio
stations make it possible for their
listeners to open their hearts to
Christ, the Pope said.
The radio broadcasters were
gathered in Rome for a symposium organized by the Pontifical
Council for Social Communications, which is headed by Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli.
“As you work in Catholic radio stations you are at the service of the Word,” the Pope told
the more than 100 delegates from
50 countries. “The words that you
broadcast each day are an echo of
that eternal Word which became
flesh. ... The Incarnation took
place in a distant village, far away
from the noisy imperial cities of
antiquity. Today, even though
you make use of modern communication technologies, the
words which you broadcast are
also humble, and sometimes it
may seem to you that they are
completely lost amidst the competition of other noisy and more
powerful mass media.
“But do not be disheartened!”
he encouraged the media professionals.
“The words which you transmit reach countless people, some
of whom are alone and for whom
your word comes as a consoling
gift, some of whom are curious
and are intrigued by what they
hear, some of whom never attend
church because they belong to
different religions or to no religion at all, and others still who
have never heard the name of
Jesus Christ, yet through your
service first come to hear the
words of salvation.”
The Holy Father explained that
this work, which requires “patient sowing, carried on day after day, hour after hour, is your
way of co-operating in the apostolic mission.”
Another facet of Catholic radio
that the Pope underlined is how
its mission is to serve the Truth.
“Jesus Christ gives us the Truth
about man and the truth for man
and, on the basis of that truth, a
hope for the present and future
of humanity in the world,” he
reminded his listeners.
Because radio involves the
speaking of words, it is associated with the Word of God, and
“participates in the mission and
visibility of the Church,” Benedict
XVI said. Additionally, “it also
creates a new way of living, of
being and of making the Church;
this brings with it various
ecclesiological and pastoral challenges. It is important to make
the Word of God attractive, giving it consistency through your
transmissions so as to touch the
hearts of the men and women of
our time, and to participate in
transforming the lives of our
contemporaries.”
“What exhilarating prospects
your commitment and your work
open up!” the Holy Father exclaimed.
“Even now, your networks can
be a small but real echo in the
world of the network of friendship that the presence of the risen
Christ, the God-with-us, inaugurated between heaven and earth
and among mankind of all continents and epochs. In this way
your work will become a full part
of the mission of the Church,
which I invite you to love
deeply.”
Pope Benedict closed his address to the radio workers by reminding them of the bigger picture. “By helping the heart of each
person to open to Christ, you will
help the world to open to hope
and to that civilization of truth
and love which is the most eloquent result of His presence
among us.” (CNA)
Thai Named to Council for
Dialogue
VATICAN CITY, June 22, 2008—
Benedict XVI named a priest from
Thailand as the undersecretary of
the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.
Monsignor Andrew Thanyaanan Vissanu was working as an
adviser to the apostolic
nunciature in Indonesia.
Andrew Vissanu was born in
Bangkok in 1959. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1986
and served in Bangkok.
He entered the Holy See’s diplomatic service in 1991 and has
served in Sudan, Morocco,
Greece, Japan, Ireland and Indonesia. (Zenit)
Delegates from Vatican
conclude visit to Vietnam
VATICAN CITY, June 17, 2008—
Three Vatican officials recently
returned from a visit to Vietnam
in which they met with government authorities and spoke to the
Catholic community. The delegates dealt with various topics
including the “appointment of
bishops, the gradual restoration
of formerly-nationalized property to Church use, the application of norms on religious freedom,” and several other issues of
importance in the country.
According to a release from the
Holy See Press Office, the delegation which was led by Msgr.
Pietro Parolin under-secretary for
Relations with States, discussed
“the contribution of Catholics to
human promotion, the spread of
a culture of solidarity towards
the weakest sectors of the population, and the moral education
of future generations,” during
their June 9–15 stay in Vietnam.
In one meeting, the Vatican
delegation was received by Pham
Gia Khiem, deputy-prime minister and minister for foreign affairs. The diplomats discussed
“the current international situation with reference, above all, to
the seat as a non- permanent
member of the U.N. Security
Council that Vietnam will occupy
for the first time this July.”
The prelates also met with the
president of the People’s Committee of Hanoi, and with the
vice-presidents of the People’s
Committees of the provinces of
Lam Dong, Thua Thien Hue and
Quang Tri. “With the former,
mention was made, among other
things, of the events that involved
numerous faithful from the archdiocese at the end of last year and
the beginning of 2008,” namely
the peaceful protests of Catholics
to seek the return of the former
Apostolic Nunciature to the
Catholic Church.
“In this context, consideration
was given to the importance of
continuing to pacify the situation,
avoiding measures that may create contrary effects, and to maintain dialogue between interested
parties in the search for adequate
solutions that take into account
the needs of justice, of charity and
of the common good,” explains
the release.
The statement also noted that,
“The delegation expressed its
gratitude to the local authorities
of the province of Quang Tri for
their decision to return the land
around the Marian shrine of La
Vang to Church use, and for their
will to face, along with the archdiocese of Hue, the outstanding
problems for the effective implementation of the decision.”
The Vatican trio, along with
2,000 Catholics also attended Mass
at the Marian shrine of La Vang.
According to UCA News, after the
Mass, one of the delegates “told
local Catholics Pope Benedict XVI
will send a message and his blessings to devotees at the Marian
Congress in August.” (CNA)
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2008
News Features
A3
Dublin to host
50th Eucharistic
Congress
QUEBEC CITY, June 22, 2008-Benedict XVI announced that
Dublin, Ireland, will host the next
International Eucharistic Congress, which will be held in 2012.
The Pope announced this today
when he gave a homily by satellite during the closing Mass of the
49th International Eucharistic
Congress, which ended today in
Quebec.
“As this significant event in the
life of the Church draws to a conclusion I invite you all to join me
in praying for the success of the
next International Eucharistic
Congress, which will take place
in 2012 in the city of Dublin,” the
Holy Father said. He took the opportunity “to greet warmly the
people of Ireland, as they prepare
to host this ecclesial gathering.”
“I am confident that they, together with all the participants
at the next congress, will find it a
source of lasting spiritual renewal,” he said.
Attending the Congress in
Quebec, Cardinal Sean Brady,
archbishop of Armagh and Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of
Dublin, welcomed the news.
They said in a statement: “On
behalf of the Catholic faithful of
Ireland, we are honored and
humbled that the Holy Father,
Pope Benedict XVI, has chosen
Dublin to host the 50th International Eucharistic Congress in
2012.
“While the theme for the next
congress has yet to be finalized,
we are deeply conscious that 2012
also marks the 50th anniversary
of the opening of the Second
Vatican Council.
“The hosting of the congress in
Dublin will be an international
event. The celebration will attract
thousands of pilgrims and will
enable Catholics at home and
abroad to meet, pray together
and discuss issues of faith.”
This is the second time that
Dublin will host the congress; the
Irish hosted the 31st congress in
1932.
“We live in different times
now,” the prelates said in their
statement, “and it is our hope that
the 2012 congress will be an opportunity for the Catholic Church
in Ireland to both reflect on the
centrality of the Eucharist at the
heart of our increasingly diverse
community, and, to give renewed
impetus to the living of faith.”
(Zenit)
Prelate chides
gov’t’s so-called
‘responsible mining’
DIGOS CITY, June 19, 2008—Saying that the so-called responsible
mining of the government can
only be seen in papers, Bishop
Guillermo Afable criticized the
permission granted to mining
firms to enter the diocese.
Afable said that his stand towards mining has not changed
and he is still following the January 29, 2006 statement of the
Catholic Bishops Conference of
the Philippines (CBCP) on mining issues and concerns.
The CBCP statement on mining reflected the same concern
that the body expressed two years
ago in their pastoral letter on Indigenous Peoples in which mining devastated their ancestral
lands.
“It is very clear that the
Church’s unequivocal stand is a
big no to mining. Personally, I
don’t support mining, even the
so-called responsible mining
which has never been seen in
practice wherever in the country,”
said Afable, who maintained a
hard stance towards mining.
He also told CBCPNews that
the government is not even capable of regulating the mining
industry in the country.
“The government lacks the will
to regulate mining amidst hard
realities of destructions in the
environment,” said Afable.
Afable even cited the study
conducted by Bishop Arturo M.
Bastes, chairman of the RapuRapu fact-finding commission
who already explained to the
government the geo-ethics of
mining.
The Bastes commission
stressed, “Destruction of the environment violates the integrity
of creation and the common
good.”
“The government has to respect the finding of the commission and do something to prevent
the adverse effects of destruction
in the environment brought by
mining,” he said.
Responsible mining
Bishop Afable said that as the
bishops said in their July 2006
statement on mining, the same is
to be followed. “Our experiences
of environmental tragedies and
incidents with the mining
transnational corporations belie
all assurances of sustainable and
responsible mining that the Arroyo administration is claiming.”
Afable insisted that mining remains to be a threat to people’s
health and environmental safety
because of reckless dumping of
waste and tailings in rivers and
seas.
He also said that mining
brought so much human rights
violations and economic deprivations both Christians and nonChristians living in mining affected communities.
Afable reiterated the call to repeal the Philippine Mining Act
of 1995 and to implement moratorium on all mining permits and
explorations.
The 1995 Philippine Mining
Act allows foreign companies to
explore and develop mining sites
in partnership with the government. (Mark S. Ventura)
Philippine bishop calls for
true worship at Congress
QUEBEC CITY, June 20, 2008—Members of
the Church should be on guard against making ecclesiastical customs and even Church
figures a hindrance to true worship, said a
bishop from the Philippines.
Bishop Luis Antonio Tagle of Imus spoke
Thursday at the 49th International Eucharistic Congress, which is being held through
Sunday in Quebec. He called for spiritual
worship and authentic adoration in his address dedicated to the Eucharist as the life of
Christ in our lives.
“The Church [...] must also constantly examine its fidelity to Jesus’ sacrifice of obedience to God and compassion for the poor,”
the bishop said. “Ecclesiastical customs and
persons, when naively and narrowly deified
and glorified, might become hindrances to
true worship and compassion.”
He gave the example of how bishops can
face the temptation of falsely glorifying their
roles: “One Saturday morning [...] I saw a
woman selling fruit and vegetables in a corner. She was one of those who went to Sunday Mass regularly. It was only 10 in the
morning but she was already closing her
store. So I asked her the reason. She told me,
‘I belong to a prayer group. We have a big
assembly this afternoon. Some tasks were
assigned to me. So I want to be there early.’
“Upon hearing this, the pragmatic side of
me surfaced. I responded, ‘The Lord will understand if you extend your working hours.
You have a family to support. [...] I am sure
the Lord will understand.’
“With a smile, she said, ‘But Bishop, the
Lord has been faithful to me. [...] We may not
be rich but we have enough to live by. Why
will I fear?’ Then looking at me tenderly, she
said, ‘Are you not a bishop? Are you not supposed to be encouraging me in faith?’
“I was quite embarrassed. But for me it was
an experience of spiritual worship. I, the religiously and culturally accepted presence of
God, was revealed to be a faltering representation of God.”
A model
Along these lines, Bishop Tagle also called
for “authentic adoration.”
Speaking of Eucharistic adoration outside
of Mass, the prelate said, “Beholding Jesus,
we receive and are transformed by the mystery we adore. Eucharistic adoration is similar to standing at the foot of the cross of Jesus,
being a witness to his sacrifice of life and
being renewed by it.”
He pointed to the example of the Roman
centurion who guarded Jesus on the cross as
a “model of adoration.”
“We learn from the centurion’s ‘adoration’
that Jesus’ sacrifice of life cannot be appreciated for what it truly is unless the horror of
the cross is confronted,” the bishop said.
“Like any leader of guards, he kept careful
watch over this criminal Jesus. [...] Physical
nearness was not enough however. He had
to be intent, vigilant and observant so that
he could account for every detail.
“We learn from the centurion to face Jesus,
to keep watch over him, to behold him, to
contemplate him. At first the centurion spent
hours watching over Jesus out of duty but
ended up contemplating him in truth. What
did the centurion see? We can assume that he
saw the horror of suffering that preceded
Jesus’ death.
“But I also believe that in Jesus the centurion saw incredible love, love for the God
who had failed to remove this cup of suffering from him, and love for neighbors.”
Hope
Bishop Tagle pointed to the example of
Jesus, innocent and crucified, and tied it to
the plight of many innocent people who suffer today.
The prelate recounted: “I visited a poor section of a parish that opened a feeding program
for malnourished children. The parents were
required to supervise the meal of their children. As I went around the crowded noisy hall,
a teenage girl who was gently feeding a young
boy caught my attention. She must be his elder
sister, I thought to myself. I approached them
and asked where their mother was. She was
looking for a job that day, I was told.
“Thinking that she must be as hungry as
her brother, I asked, ‘Have you eaten?’ ‘No,’
she said, ‘I am not part of the program. I am
already 13.’ I was surprised at her honesty.
For hungry children, this was an opportunity to cheat in order to fill one’s stomach.
[...] I responded, ‘I will instruct a volunteer to
give you lunch, if some food is left after all
the children have eaten.’
“Thankful but embarrassed she said, ‘No,
Bishop. There are many other hungry children in this village. Give the extra food to
them.’ I was drawn into deep silence. ‘My God,
my God, why are these children going hungry?’ I prayed. Yet I also exclaimed, ‘I did not
expect to see sharing and integrity in this place
of death. [...] There is hope for the world.’”
The bishop concluded inviting the faithful
to Eucharistic adoration, to “join the centurion in watching over Jesus and see what he
has seen.”
“I wish that Eucharistic adoration would
lead us to know Jesus more as the compassionate companion of many crucified peoples
of today,” he said. “Let us adore Jesus who
offered his life as a gift to the Father for us
sinners. Let us adore him for ourselves, for
the poor, for the earth, for the Church and for
the life of the world.” (Zenit)
Cardinal Sin ‘a man of paradoxes’
MANILA, June 21, 2008—An influential Church’s figure in the
country’s transition to democracy following the lengthy
Marcos dictatorship was remembered Saturday as a man of contradictions.
The late Jaime Cardinal Sin,
said his long-time protégé and
now Balanga Bishop Socrates
Villegas, was a man that at times,
difficult to comprehend.
“I can’t understand him. He was
prophetic. He was hurtful but also
an all embracing pastor,” he said
in his homily at a Mass held at
the Manila Cathedral to mark
Sin’s 3rd death anniversary.
Villegas, one of Sin’s trusted
aides, said the late Manila archbishop made lots of actions contrary to what many people would
usually do.
“We remember Cardinal Sin as
a man of contradictions. He was
a man of paradoxes,” he said.
It is paradox, the bishop said,
because it’s not how the world
works to refute wrong things existing in the society.
Such paradoxes, Villegas said,
may take in situations like when
the dishonest are getting popular and the honest are being
threatened.
“Why are the economists say
we are making progress and yet
many are hungry? Why is it that
the good suffer and those evil
seemed to be blessed and seemed
to [be] enjoying life?” he asked.
The Church official said the
paradox created by God is salvation but the paradox created by
human sin needs salvation.
Villegas said Sin braved the
mighty and the powerful in an
attempt to defeat those usual
paradoxes¯all for the benefit of
the poor and the country.
“May the paradox created by
Cardinal Sin be faced not just with
faith but with courage,” Villegas
said. “May the memory of Cardi-
nal Sin give us courage to correct
the wrong paradoxes around us.”
Concelebrants of the Mass include Manila Archbishop
Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales,
Lipa Archbishop Ramon
Arguelles, Bishops Francisco San
Diego of Pasig , Leopoldo Jaucian
of Abra and priests of the Manila
archdiocese.
Former President Corazon
Aquino was also present during
the liturgical celebration attended by hundreds of Catholic
faithful.
Sin played an important part
in the country’s search for democracy during the Marcos regime.
He retired in 2003 after nearly
30 years heading the Roman
Catholic Church of Manila.
That period saw him playing
key roles in the toppling of both
Ferdinand Marcos in 1986 and
Joseph Estrada in 2001.
The cardinal never made any
secret about his view that religion had a role in the affairs of
the state. (Roy Lagarde)
CBCP Monitor
Opinion
A4
Vol. 12 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2008
EDITORIAL
The art of being Pinoy
THE Spaniards came and left, they hurt, emptied or killed
hundreds if not thousands of Filipinos. They conquered
the country but not the people who eventually drove them
away. The Japanese came and left. They killed men, violated women, put children to the bayonet. They kept Filipinos poor and hungry. But Filipinos held on and eventually
drove them away. The Americans came, liberating the country but dominating the people. The Filipinos ultimately had
enough and ask them to go. They left. Then, came a local
dictator who had thousands imprisoned, banished or made
to disappear. The people held on, stood up and finally drove
him away.
The Philippines is a beautiful country and rich in natural resources. But the Filipinos as a whole have never been
really rich. Most of them have enough to live by but are not
really affluent. Up to these modern times with great scientific discoveries and marvelous technological advances, the
Philippines remains a Third World Country and the Filipinos by and large manage to be contented with the relatively little they have to live by. They still manage to celebrate their birthdays, sing their songs, hold their Fiestas.
The lesson is rather plain and clear, viz., the Filipinos
are a resilient and sturdy people. They do with little they
have but also enjoy when there happens to be much more
to spend. By and large, they wear simple clothes and eat
humble food. They are both respectful in bearing but proud
in spirit. Their culture is unique and their tradition is rich.
But when challenged, they also know how to stand their
ground, how to claim their rights, how to vanquish their
enemies. Philippine History is the best witness to this inherent Filipino courage. Otherwise, how does one explain
the plight of the Spaniards, of the Japanese, of the Americans, of the Dictatorship?
Again, under the ruling administration, Filipinos are
being tested, challenged and called to show their real selves
and prove their honest worth. Hundreds of them were subject to extrajudicial killings and made victims of forced disappearances. Thousands of them have their basic human
rights grossly violated. Millions of them are impoverished
and demeaned in dignity and legitimate pride. All of them
are victims of endemic corruption by infamous characters
precisely meant to render them public service—not public
oppression and exploitation. All of them are also shamelessly defrauded of the heavy direct and indirect taxes they
pay from birth to death.
When already fed up with the errant and erratic antics of
those pretending to lead them but actually making fools of
them, Filipinos are the ones who instead drive or throw
them away in their chosen time. When already suffocated
with the shenanigans and deviltry of their callous and
amoral political leaders, the people eventually vanish them
and bid them good riddance.
Filipinos are good and kind, also happy and friendly,
even humble and patient. But when made to face the wall,
they turn around and fight back—to win.
Bp. Leonardo Y. Medroso, JCD, DD
Tidbits
IT was on May 29, 2008 that the bilateral
Agreement between the Vatican and the Republic of Philippines to preserve and protect
heritage Catholic Churches spread throughout the island was finalized. Ironically, in
spite of its weight and significance, it was
done in a simple ceremony, one that did not
catch the attention of our people.
Signed by no less than Pope Benedict XVI
and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, it
was considered to be a landmark treaty, for
it set into writing the commitment to a mutual cooperation for the proper care of old
Churches. As the Nuncio to the Philippines,
Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams, aptly puts
it: “It is a fact that what constitutes the cultural patrimony of this nation takes its origin from the Church and was contributed by
her agents.” For his part, DFA Secretary
In the name of Progress
MOST of this destruction has taken place since the beginning of this century, a mere wink of an eye in the long
history of our country. Yet in that time we have laid waste
complex living systems that have taken millions of years to
reach their present state of development.
We often use the word progress to describe what has
taken place over the past few decades. There is no denying
that in some areas our roads have improved and that electricity is more readily available. But can we say that there is
real progress? Who has benefited most and who has borne
the real costs? The poor are as disadvantaged as ever and
the natural world has been grievously wounded. We have
stripped it bare, silenced its sounds and banished other
creatures, from the community of the living. Through our
thoughtlessness and greed we have sinned against God
and His creation.
One thing is certain: we cannot continue to ignore and
disregard the Earth. Already we are experiencing the consequence of our shortsightedness and folly. Even though
we squeeze our lands and try to extract more from them,
they produce less food. The air in our cities is heavy with
noxious fumes. Instead of bringing energy and life it causes
bronchial illness. Our forests are almost gone, our rivers
are almost empty, our spring and wells no longer sparkle
with living water. During the monsoon rain, flash-floods
sweep through our towns and cities and destroy everything in their path. Our lakes and estuaries are silting up.
An out-of-sight, out-of-mind mentality allows us to flush
toxic waste and mine tailings into our rivers and seas in
the mistaken belief that they can no longer harm us. Because the living world is interconnected, the poison is absorbed by marine organisms. We in turn are gradually
being poisoned when we eat seafood.
The People of God, the liturgy
and the religious artists
Alberto Romulo commented: “Heritage
Churches are more than just worldly possessions. They are concrete expressions and enduring representations of profound faith.”
Hence, the bilateral pact has deep repercussions in the years to come in the field of religious arts, culture and catecheses.
The Diocese of Tagbilaran looks at this
agreement with anticipation. For years the
people of God in this local Church has been
growing in its awareness at the value of the
religious patrimony of their parish Churches.
The work of art that they have meticulously
conserved in their Churches have given them
the sure footing of orthodoxy, one that ever
reminds them of the Catholic faith that has
been handed down to them. This has shaped
their way of reaching out to the God they
know and their mode of praying to this Tran-
scendent One. The mode of their prayer,
guided by the artistic lines, hues and symbols, painted all over the ceiling and walls of
the Church, is within the traditional doctrine
of the Catholic faith. Yet, with the passing of
time the influx of fresh religious ideas and
reflections, new expressions of faith, new
ways of identifying oneself with the transcendental reality, has entered into the consciousness of our people. Slowly, new ecclesiastical art and architecture has crept in, influencing at its wake the temptation to break from
all past Catholic artistic and architectural traditions.
Not long ago, there came out in the Internet
an interesting article regarding the influence
of the new theological ideas to our liturgy,
visual arts and symbols (cf. H. Reed
Tidbits / A6
Sr. Mary Pilar Verzosa, RGS
The clenched fist
“THE raised clenched fist was the symbol of
Hitler for power, greed and death. I was
forced to join his army and was trained as a
gunner.” Cardinal Rosales quoted from the
biography of Pope Benedict VI in his homily at the 4th anniversary of Pondo ng Pinoy,
held at Paco Catholic School last June 14.
“The older men had pity on me. I was only
14 years old then. So they helped me escape
the army. If only Hitler had changed his
symbol of the clenched fist, the course of
history would have had a different direction”, His Eminence continued the quotation, then he raised his right hand into a fist
and slowly opened his palm in a gesture of
generosity. “This is Pondo ng Pinoy”, he
said.
Yes, more than a fund-raising scheme,
Pondo ng Pinoy is a symbol of love for God
and neighbor. Your daily acts of goodness,
kindness and generosity will get somewhere.
I was asked recently if our country will ever
get over our economic crisis. And the answer is YES. The answer is in our hands.”
Over 1,500 delegates attended the 4th anniversary of Pondo ng Pinoy for the Archdiocese of Manila. The morning started with the
Eucharist, concelebrated with Bishop
Broderick Pabillo who is the Pondo ng Pinoy
Archdiocesan Desk Coordinator, and almost
all the parish priests of Manila, San Juan,
Mandaluyong and Pasay. During the break,
the participants went to assigned rooms to
discuss the present situation of Pondo ng
Pinoy in their respective vicariates and write
down suggestions on how to intensify the
programs—the Education-catechesis, the “collection of crumbs” and the submission of
projects for the poor.
During the Plenary, Ambassador Tita de
Villa, one of the Pondo ng Pinoy Board Members, presented the Annual Report and gave
prizes to those who could say the Vision,
Mission and the four pillars of Pondo by heart.
Funds have reached over P160 million. And
the coins are steadily coming in. Reporting
on the archdiocesan level was Bishop Pabillo.
He challenged the delegates to really study
Love Life
the situation of the poor in their parishes in
order to be able to come up with viable
projects. The past three years, there were a
lot of left-over funds allocated to the Archdiocese of Manila because there were not
enough projects submitted. During the open
forum, questions were raised on what types
of projects could be funded and they were
clearly answered by Bishop Pabillo and His
Eminence.
Over and over again, the concept of the
“Theology of the Crumbs” was conveyed to
the assembly. Giving without love is not a
part of Pondo ng Pinoy. But certainly, one
cannot love without giving. Love is not love
if it does not give.
This year, it was decided that the 4th anniversary celebrations of the other dioceses will
be celebrated in the individual dioceses so
that more can participate and help intensify
Pondo ng Pinoy.
Listen to the Pondo ng Pinoy hour every Sunday 11-12:00 noon hosted by Brother Archie
Polintan and Sr. Pilar, Radio Veritas 846.
—What is Happening to our Beautiful Land, A CBCP Pastoral Letter on
Ecology, 1988
Abp. Antonio J. Ledesma, SJ, DD
Becoming a Church of the
Pastoral Companion Poor –Ad Intra and Ad Extra
ISSN 1908-2940
CBCP Monitor
P r o ta g o n i s t
of
Tr u t h ,
Promoter
of
Peace
Pedro C. Quitorio
Editor-in-Chief
Associate Editor
Feature Editor
Melo M. Acuña
Rosalynn Garcia
Managing Editor
Marketing Supervisor
Dennis B. Dayao
Ernani M. Ramos
On-Line Editor
Circulation Manager
Roy Q. Lagarde
Marcelita Dominguez
News Editor
Comptroller
The CBCP Monitor is published fortnightly by the CBCP
Communications Development Foundation, Inc., with
editorial and business of fices at 470 Gen. Luna St.,
Intramuros, Manila. P.O. Box 3601, 1076 MCPO.
Editorial: (063) 404-2182. Business: (063)404-1612.
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.cbcpworld.net/cbcpmonitor
Layout by Denz Dayao
Pinky Barrientos, FSP Kris P. Bayos
AT the Mindanao Regional Rural Congress
held in Davao on June 9-12, some delegates
raised the question whether they should still
be classified as ad intra or ad extra representatives. Would it not be simpler to remove the
distinction and consider all of them as representing any of the five sub-regions of the
Church in Mindanao? At the opening Mass, I
tried to explain these terms.
Ad intra means to look inwards; ad extra
means to look outwards. In theology class,
we first examine the inner nature of Godi.e., ad intra in terms of who God is as a
Blessed Trinity, a triune God. Then we also
look on God ad extra—i.e., his work of creation and his loving relationship with the
world.
In like manner, especially during and after
Vatican II, the Church has looked inwards
towards her own reality (Lumen Gentium),
and outwards towards her dialogue relationship with the world (Gaudium et Spes). These
two documents, the “Dogmatic Constitution
on the Church,” and the “Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World,”
form the two major hinges for the rest of the
Vatican II documents.
Similarly, when we started planning for
the Second National Rural Congress last year
to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the
first one (1967-2007), questions were raised:
Are we convening NRC II to look at ourselves as local churches in rural development
or to look at the broader issues of rural poverty? Do we invite mostly “church” people
to participate or do we also involve representatives of the basic sectors in rural society
today? Within church structures, some social
action directors pointed out the significant
role of Basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs)
in rural development projects. On the other
hand, other observers felt that the Church
had not done enough to “go to the barrio”
(the motto of the first NRC) and that we had
to listen directly to the rural poor.
It was in this light that the NRC planning
committee agreed to utilize a see-judge-act
methodology and to adopt a bottom-up approach. NRC II would involve a three-stage
process. The first stage would involve two
parallel local consultations—about 80 diocesan consultations on the role of BECs
(handled by the NASSA–BEC–ECIP secretariat) and 13 sub-regional consultations of
people’s organizations and NGOs (handled
by the PMP-AMRSP-RPS secretariat). These
were all conducted from November 2007 to
April 2008.
During the second phase over the past two
months, five regional congresses were held
in Luzon North, Luzon South, Western
Visayas, Central and Eastern Visayas, and
Mindanao to consolidate all these local-level
consultation reports. In the Mindanao congress,
not a few ad extra delegates representing the
basic sectors expressed their appreciation for
the rare opportunity given them to describe
their situation directly before the attending
Pastoral / A7
CBCP Monitor
Opinion
Vol. 12 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2008
Bp. Guillermo V. Afable, DD
DADITAMA
The Spirituality of communion
The Servant of God, John Paul II in his encyclical letter Novo Millennio Ineunte in 2001, spoke
of the spirituality of communion. (NMI, 42-45)
He said that the heart of unity is love. Only
with love can unity be possible for people so
fragmented and divided by many causes. And
love is precisely the heart of the Church. He
challenged the Church to become “the home
and the school of communion.” In order to
achieve this, there is the need to learn the
spirituality of communion, for without it
even our structures of communion will be
empty and will fail.
First, he says, it involves the awareness and
gratitude for God’s abiding presence in oneself and in other persons. Second, it involves
being closely linked with others, to feel interdependent with one another, to be in solidarity with them sharing in their joys and sorrows and hopes. Third, it involves, as well,
the capacity to see the positive in others as
gifts to themselves and to others. Lastly, it
involves carrying the burdens of others gladly
without jealousy, competition, and distrust.
In unity there is hope
I had the privilege of participating in the
Mindanao regional rural congress in Davao
City last June 9-12. It was one of five regional
congresses of the Second National Rural Congress. The other four regional congresses were
held in North Luzon, South Luzon, Western
Visayas, Central and Eastern Visayas.
There were almost 200 participants representing rural basic sectors of farmers and
fisherfolk, clergymen, Religious women and
men, Catholic bishops, Moro, some representing the Indigenous peoples of Mindanao,
with numerous women participants. It was
indeed a tri-people, inter-faith, inter-church,
National Rural
Congress II – Mindanao
multi-sectoral congress.
We listened to the regional collated reports
of the consultation on rural issues and responses and recommendations. We listened
to the social teachings of the Catholic Church
understanding a little bit better the Church’s
preferential option for the poor. But more
than anything else we were able to share our
own stories with growing trust and confidence that each one will be listened to, respected and understood and cared for. Despite the diversity of backgrounds, interests
concerns, convictions, priorities and cultures
and faith, we learned to be in union with
each other so much so that together with great
expectations for the final output of the national congress, there was genuine satisfaction in achieving more than we hoped for.
And this was the sense of communion among
us. There was a movement from helplessness to hope. Our hope lies in being in unity
with one another. During those three days, I,
together with all participants became persons of communion a little bit more. The rural congress became for us a home and school
of communion.
The whole regional congress from the
time of the consultations in the BECs and the
basic sectors until the actual holding of the
regional congress in Davao, was an exercise
in communion—a sharing of time, talent and
treasure. Many different kinds of people from
all walks of life contributed to make the congress possible. In unity there was much more
that we were able to achieve, for the good of
all. The congress provided us the opportunity to see, judge and act TOGETHER about
the plight of the rural poor.
I believe, here lies the key to the quest for
truth, justice, peace and prosperity for all in
Mindanao and the entire country. There is
great need to learn to see, to walk, and to feel
and to act together for the common good, not
only as a socio-economic–political imperative.
But as an absolute, universal and spiritual
imperative based on the very dignity and nature of human beings and the entire creation.
Unity is the key. In unity is our hope.
The Challenge of Unity – the challenge of
faith
Our challenge for all Christians is to experience this communion, guided by the spirituality of communion, in all levels of Church’s
life. To make love as the heart of all these
Church structures. The family is the first
home of communion and the first teachers
are the parents. The second witnesses are the
other families around us in the community.
The BECs and other faith communities will
also need to play a vital role in responding
well to the late Pope’s challenge. Our Catholic Schools and Parishes will also have to provide the spiritual animation and formation
to families, and lay leaders of communities.
Our Religious men and women will have to
provide the larger community with clear and
radical witness of life in communion. Then,
as an integral whole, in all its many different
parts, the Church will then be an authentic
witness and radiate, even more, and become
truly “the light of the world and the salt of
the earth.” The heart and soul of this light
and salt is Jesus Christ the Light of the World.
This brings us to the continuing challenge
of integral faith formation, i.e. together knowing, loving, and imitating Jesus and with
Him, transforming human history, its economics, its politics, its media culture, its social fabric, its arts and sciences, its culture,
and every facet of human life. Email:
[email protected]
Fr. Melvin P. Castro
In darkness, light
THE 22nd day of June 2008 would simply be
another footnote in history someday given
the string of tragedies and calamities our
nation has to endure. Yet for many, it will be
day to change their lives forever.
An hour before I was to celebrate the Holy
Mass at our Cathedral in Tarlac at 9 in the morning, I wanted to see and hear the news first
knowing that there was a typhoon that was
passing. And lo, the news was that somewhere
in Romblon they were finally able to spot the
missing ship, Princess of the Star, but capsized
and the passengers and crew missing.
One of the survivors was able to relate later
on that to his recollection it took only about
15 minutes from the announcement to abandon ship to the actual sinking of the ship. He
related how he even heard the cries of the children that were trapped inside the ship, as well
as the old and the young who were left on the
ship as they struggled to get to the life boats.
And among the remains that were first
washed ashore were the remains of a couple—
a man and a woman—whose hands were tied
together to each other, presumably so that
Speaking of Mary
they would not lose each other in the sea.
Five minutes before the start of the Holy
Mass, I asked the choir if the Gloria would be
sung in English or in Tagalog. English, Father,
the Choir leader said. And finally I set to
begin the offering of the Holy Mass. Genuflected before the tabernacle, kissed the altar,
and proceeded to the Presider’s Chair. Fewer
people this morning, I observed, it was a
morning of torrential rains and strong winds.
I could not turn away from the thought of
those who perished during the onslaught of
the typhoon. I strived to pray for them and
for their families. I even thought if it would
be appropriate to sing the Gloria that morning. The first Reading, the Responsorial
Psalm, the second Reading, the Gospel, then
the Homily.
Where was God during those fateful fifteen minutes when the ship was sinking? Where was God
when the children were crying? Where was God
when His people were drowning?
My thoughts while listening to the readings became my spontaneous words during
the Homily: did I need to reassure the faith-
ful? Did I even need to reassure myself? No,
it was God reassuring us all. He was there
through it all.
So many thoughts crossed my mind that
morning. I remembered the year 1990, my
last year in College taking up BA in Philosophy. My mother was struggling to survive
from cancer. Series of chemotherapy and cobalt treatment, only to end up her cancer
metastasizing to her lungs, liver, and bones.
Almost every evening I would spend hours
before the Blessed Sacrament begging God
to heal her. Going to the EDSA Shrine Adoration Chapel, spending overnight vigils alone
imploring God to give my mother a longer
life. And physical healing and longer life on
earth were not His plans for her. The pain,
the anguish, and the ultimate cry of the feeble
human heart: Where was God?
Does God turn a blind eye or play deaf
when His people suffer? Or does He shed a
tear when you and me suffer and die?
And suddenly the Gospel of that particular Sunday of June 22: And do not be afraid of
Speaking / A6
Nicolo F. Bernardo
Lifeguard
PASSION and conviction roused from our
Congress days before a landmark bill on
marriage turned into law. It was 1949. Only
four years back, Filipinos were liberated from
a war that left families broken. This time was
a different liberation for the Filipino family.
Stormed with letters and telegrams, the
members of the Liberal and Nacionalista parties called for a caucus on the repeal of divorce in the new Civil Code bill, taking effect on 1950. Since 1917 under American rule,
absolute divorce had been fact and law in the
Philippines. But 33 years after, despite the
Senate’s and the Code Commission’s rebuff,
divorce was finally abolished.
The ultimate inspiration? The letters and
telegrams of the Catholic faithful. In certain
historic terms too, it was a great time for
marriage. The ‘50s was dubbed by marriage
historian Stephanie Coontz as a golden age
for marriage as relationships last. Divorce
rates hit the lowest even in the United States,
which Filipinos here sought to emulate, by
fact and by law. The quality of our grandparents’ marriages is proverbial proof.
The 1950 divorce repeal may now be history, but it still leaves standing lessons advisable for family advocates today.
First, law reflects culture, customs, and
lifestyle. It is a codification of life. What
people believe or do ultimately becomes law.
An effective repeal of any law or proposed
bill thus rests on transforming the values and
expectations of the people.
Laws are not permanent, as much as the customs that sustain their enforcement are not.
This works both ways to where the culture
goes. Take Poland. Abortion was outlawed
there after 40 years of being free and legal, not
simply because of the change of regimes, but
because of steady decrease in abortions. In the
US too, the move to reverse Roe vs. Wade came
to fore not simply because of political maneuvering, but due to decreasing incidences of,
and therefore demands for, abortion.
Dear Congressman
The 1950 event here is just as telling, considering the rising popularity then of strong
families that prompted for change. If we do
not wish any anti-family bill to pass, it may
help defraying our energies not just on lawmakers. Many politicians are in fact traditionalists; they could be the end-of-the-line
in a series of cause and effect. We can rather
start on the culture conduits and prime movers such as the media, and reach out to the
youth, to the families, and to women already
living the proposed law.
Right now, there seems to be a need to involve every parish, community, and college
in promoting natural family planning (“fertility awareness” in WHO terms) and establish pro-life centers to decrease the undue demand for contraceptives and abortion. Decreasing the causes that often motivate people to
resort to these would eventually decrease the
demand for favorable laws. Advocacy also
needs to go down to the local parish level if it
is to prevent local municipal ordinances from
embracing the contraceptive propaganda.
Second, politicians need ample encouragement from their constituents, and a tested
way to touch and convince them is still
through snail mail. This approach remains effective even in our age of e-mails, cellphone
calls, and SMS, when nobody bothers to check
a mass of inbox entries. The “pro-choice” Sen.
Rodolfo Biazon himself had said that for the
past years, many Congress signatories would
back off from supporting the contraceptive
bills because of the volumes of letters they
have been receiving.
Church leaders can do so much by mobilizing their communities, groups, and schools to
reach to their politicians so none of the antifamily bills could ever pass or linger. Further,
so that pro-family bills can receive support.
This approach of summoning the faithful
can be exhaustive and never-ending, but is it
not how family life itself works? We teach
children—and theirs is the future genera-
tion—family values, and again and again
these would have to be lived and challenged.
Back in high school, I had an Economics
professor who encouraged us, his students,
to oppose bills for same-sex marriage, abortion, divorce, and population control through
writing to solons and to newspapers. I can
credit that professor for initiating my passion for writing and the pro-life cause. He
would first check our work before we sent
them. Some of the letters were published and
duly received by respective representatives.
In one way or another, these added in making an impact, and we the students could only
be glad being part of making history.
A profound difference between today and
1950 is that society has become more pluralistic. Yet there are still things that ground
everyone to common reason: human rights.
The reason why the so-called “Reproductive
Health” ordinances are getting passed is because their proponents use and abuse this
“rights language.” They demand those socalled rights as rights. In turn, we should
speak the language of more essential rights:
marital rights, family rights, and the right to life.
As Pope Benedict XVI said in his speech at
the United Nations headquarters, rights are
the common ground for reasoned truth and
true human progress. The same goes in any
effective advocacy.
So again, we can move our politicians via
our letters because they hold dear our votes.
But the letters of the law would only surmise
the de facto letters of the heart. The foremost
appeal happens not in the court, neither in
the Congress floor, nor in Malacañang, but
in what our fellows and families value.
“So it shall be written, so it shall be done”
may be the Pharaoh’s line in the movie Ten
Commandments. But more often in a democracy, it is the other way around: “So it is done,
so it shall be written.” Real change happens
from the culture; from then follows the record
of the law.
A5
Rev. Euly B. Belizar, SThD
By the Roadside
When Frank blew
himself in (he left us
destruction but also
sobering thoughts)
QUITE frankly, Frank was expected but unwanted, announced
but not sought after, unwelcome but unstoppable, awesome
but destructive. I’m talking of the recent typhoon that had
visited the country by way of brutal southeasterly winds that
went westward before heading up north. Not your usual typhoon route, friends and acquaintances would tell you knowingly in conversations. And when these friends and acquaintances are from Samar or Leyte, they know (most of the time,
believe me) what they are talking about. To many we are the
typhoon people (as a seminarian I sometimes would introduce myself, hitting a stereotypical view of people from my
place of origin, “I’m from Samar Island, we produce typhoons
there”). Unknown to most though, we in Samar Island have
been spared the more destructive typhoons for a long time
(since Mt. Pinatubo erupted, to be exact). What’s more, being
a reference point for typhoons that we are doesn’t necessarily
mean we are in their hit list. In fact, a PAG-ASA announcement that a typhoon is spotted east of my hometown
(Borongan) rarely raises much concern among us locals. We
know the typhoon is more often than not headed up north
and, in sympathy, we shake our heads in the direction of our
brethren in the Bicol and Southern Tagalog provinces. We
know they would have to entertain the (often greedy and
cruel) guest.
Not Frank the maverick. From the start I knew we were in
for a major shock. The moment I heard the announcement
that he was located somewhere in southeastern Mindanao,
packing winds of a hundred and twenty to a hundred and
forty kilometers per hour, I started to tell myself and many
others I could reach, “Let’s better be ready for an un-cool
guest for breakfast (Frank came towards morning, merienda
time actually).” He did come for breakfast, lunch and afternoon merienda, and before he took the exit he left (literally)
broken homes, twisted, uprooted or mangled trees, roaring
seas, inundated rivers, sinking boats and ferries, lost lives
and battered hopes. “How easily things of this world pass”, a
sobering thought crossed my mind (and I know in many other
people’s minds too). As I surveyed parts of our parish shortly
after the mighty winds of Frank left us, I saw a house that
quite literally flew from its location right into the middle of
the highway by the sea (Baybay Blvd, we call it here). The
priest with me made a comment, attempting at dry humor,
“Oh, that used to be a nice night spot there (pointing to the
side of the road)!” Thereupon a man walked by carrying some
of the structure’s parts and, recognizing us, smiled an embarrassed smile. “On second thought,” the priest said, “that house
deserved what it got.” “Only the house,” I said, “only the
house.”
In conversations we still take interest in answers to the
questions: “Where were you when Frank flew in?”, “What
were you doing during the typhoon?”, “What were you thinking?” “What were you saying?” As for me, I was trying, in
vain, to keep the jalousies in my room from letting Frank’s
bullet rains and twister winds from getting in and drenching
my bed, my clothes, my books, notes, CDs, television, etc. It
was a losing battle but I still console myself in the thought
that I fought a gallant fight. I felt I just lost a battle, not the
fight to survive. More than that, I remember praying a prayer
I learned in the seminary, “Lord, be merciful to us sinners”,
repeating it as the winds and rains lashed against us hapless
creatures. It occurred to me how I’ve often seen the typhoon’s
destructiveness as an analogy of sin’s destructive effects (not
quite apart from the fact that today’s typhoons are probably
partly a product of global warming which is a result of our
collective sin of environmental abuse, the richer nations having the bigger share of the blame).
Frank also made us re-think the way we see God’s care and
providence. I remember hearing a friend sigh, “As if the scandals, the soaring fuel, rice and food prices are not enough.
Now he gives us Destroyer Frank! What kind of God do we
have? Is he a sadist or a masochist? Does he get pleasure in
human beings’ sufferings and misery?” But, for me, the really
sobering thought here is that it’s so easy for us humans to
blame God for the evils in the world that, ultimately, we may
be the cause of by our commissions and omissions. (At least
the things he mentioned before Destroyer Frank are obviously man-made). But I, conscious as I was of my friend’s
consciousness of my being a priest, said something like this:
“It’s like you, a father, allowing your son to take very difficult tests in school. Allowing him to take those often hated
tests till he passes doesn’t mean you don’t love your child nor
care about him. Quite the contrary, it’s because you love him
that you want him to be a better person that he can’t be without those difficult tests!” I felt I sounded sanctimonious even
to myself but even now typhoon Frank has made me realized
how frankly I believe what I said down to the last syllable.
As an Eastern Samareño, I consider myself a typhoon survivor many times over. But every typhoon also leaves invisible
scars that our macho culture prefers to put under the rug. For
example, my sister who grew up through typhoons with me
and our whole family just picking up the pieces (and other
fallen things like those sweet guavas, santol, mabolo and buko)
the day after still recounts how Frank’s twister winds made
her shake profusely with the feeling that their house was
about to be blown away. The shaking still visits her even as
she just remembers the sound of Frank’s wailing winds. Part
of the trauma of going through typhoons in Samar Island is
that when a typhoon comes, your government disappears.
People are left literally for days picking up the pieces of their
houses and their lives only relying on their families, neighbors, friends and even complete strangers who share the same
plight. It’s amazing how typhoons like Frank can build up
even more the community spirit. If only for this we need to
thank Frank.
Take the case of the big mango tree debacle by our church,
with Frank’s winds uprooting it totally. It was keeping people
from having access into the church by the western gate and,
sizing up the situation, a group of men in the parish volunteered their labor and a chain saw to clear the place of debris.
In the process friendships were restored and deepened, some
people who were on opposite sides of the political fence started
to talk and enjoy each other’s company again. To paraphrase
the late President John F. Kennedy, we will be worth remembering because of what we contribute to the growth of the
human spirit. Because of this a typhoon is only a typhoon
depending on how we humans make of it.
CBCP Monitor
Local News
A6
Vol. 12 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2008
Bancud and Vidal lead
CBCP delegation to the
int’l Eucharistic congress
Archbishop Jorge Mario Cardinal Bergoglio,
Congregation for Evangelization of the
Peoples Prefect Yvan Cardinal Dias, and
Doula, Cameroun Archbishop Christian
Wiyghan Cardinal Tumi.
Earlier, an international theology symposium was held from June 11 to 13 for the
congress pilgrims, composed of theologians,
bishops, and Church leaders from around
the globe, for theological exploration of key
elements of the Eucharist.
At the request of Archbishop of Quebec
Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Laval University’s
Faculty of Theology and Religious Sciences
organized and hosted the pre-IEC event.
The congress, themed “The Eucharist, the
Life of Christ in Our Lives,” coincides with
Quebec’s 400th founding anniversary as the
cradle of the Catholic Church in North
America. (Kris Bayos)
Photo by Roy Lagarde / CBCPMedia
CABANATUAN Bishop Sofronio Bancud,
Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal
and seven other prelates represented the
CBCP in an eight-day assembly of Church
leaders in Quebec, Canada.
Other bishops who attended the 49th International Eucharistic Congress held from
June 15 to 22 together with Bancud and Vidal
were Zamboanga Archbishop-Emeritus
Carmelo Morelos, Surigao del Norte Bishop
Antonieto Cabajog, Bontoc-Lagawe Bishop
Rodolfo Beltran, Imus Bishop Antonio
Tagle, Dumaguete Bishop John Du, Malolos
Bishop Jose Oliveros, and Military Ordinary
Bishop Leopoldo Tumulak.
Tagle delivered the morning catechesis of
the assembly on June 19. Together with him
as speakers were Washington Archbishop
Donald William Wuerl, Lyon Archbishop
Philippe Cardinal Barbarin, Buenos Aires
CBCP’s ‘anti-torture’ seminar goes to Cebu City
FROM Manila, a Church-backed training on
the UN Convention Against Torture, Cruel,
Inhuman and Degrading Treatment of Punishment (CAT) took its road to Visayas.
The Episcopal Commission on Prison
Pastoral Care of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) held another one-day seminar in Cebu City last
June 19.
ECPPC Exec. Sec. Rodolfo Diamante said
the activity, which will be held at the
Golden Prince Hotel and Suites from 8am
to 5pm, is also in coordination with the
Coalition Against Death Penalty.
The seminar-workshop will be attended
by government agencies and non-govern-
ment organizations involved in checking
and preventing torture among persons deprived of their liberties.
Diamante said the training is also aimed
at establishing and underscore the significance of monitoring the implementation of
the said international policy.
“The participants will formulate an initial action plan for the preparation of a national strategy for the promotion of CAT
especially the passage of the law on torture,” he added.
Quezon Rep. Lorenzo Tañada III, head of
the Committee on Human Rights of the
House of Representatives, will serve as the
main speaker with his talk on the “Legisla-
Pondo / A1
T. de Villa, who is Pondo ng
Pinoy director, presented the national overview for the movement, while Manila Auxiliary
Bishop Broderick S. Pabillo
talked about the archdiocesan
situation.
Msgr. Gerardo Santos, director
of ministry of education and
catechetics, presented the questions for the group discussion following the presentation. A plenary assembly capped the halfday event.
The celebration was attended
by delegates from all the parishes
of the Archdiocese of Manila and
from Pondo ng Pinoy participating diocese, which includes the
suffragan dioceses and the Dioceses of Daet and Marinduque.
Last year, at Pondo ng Pinoy’s
third anniversary, Cardinal
Rosales said that Pondo ng Pinoy,
is above all, an act of love.
Bishops / A1
Immediately too, the network
of Social Action Directors in the
affected dioceses were alerted and
made to assess the damage in view
of executing fast relief operations.
It maybe recalled that in February this year, NASSA, the
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and
CARE Asia Regional Management Unit, organized an “Emergency Simulation Exercises” for
social action directors aimed at
coming up with “a concrete response to the need for equipping
and further enhancing participants’ emergency efficiency.
Diocesan reports
“Msgr. Meliton Oso, Jaro Social Action Director expressed
concern over the increasing number of families temporarily billeted at the Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral,” Mallillin said.
The Diocese of Antique reports
of 208 barangays submerged by
floods and affecting some 13,418
families (32,238 persons) while
the Archdiocese of Capiz some
21,857 families or 100,517 persons
from 455 barangays were affected
by Typhoon Frank.
Even the Archdiocese of
Cotabato had its share of destruction of homes, properties and
agricultural crops as monsoon
rains enhanced by Typhoon Frank
affected some 10,368 families or
roughly 70,336 persons.
Aid coming
Mallillin said the Catholic
Relief Service pledged to donate
$30,000 (roughly P1.3 million) as
soon as the damages have been
assessed in the Archdiocese of
Cotabato which comprises the
provinces of Maguindanao,
Sharif Kabunsuan and seven municipalities of North Cotabato.
“We have received queries
tive Agenda on Torture and the Optional
Protocol Convention Against Torture.”
Other speakers include Atty. Theodore
Te of the Free Legal Assistance Group NCR
Coordinator who will give an overview of
CAT and its salient provisions and the Judicial Decisions on Torture Action while
Ms. Karen Dumpit of the Commission on
Human Rights is assigned to present the
Human Rights situation in the Philippines.
Last April 29, the same seminar-workshop was held in Manila wherein the
CADP, which is also being vice-chaired by
Diamante, launched its latest source book
on the “Protection and Promotion of Human Rights and Liberty.” (CBCPNews)
Church hits / A1
Pondo ng Pinoy is a workshop,
a workplace where through the
means of little acts of kindness
symbolized by the littlest good
act (“like a mustard seed”), any
person, young or old, of whatever status, creed and persuasion
is tutored to be alert and sensitive to the needs of others. The
key to all these is the love that
Jesus Christ taught and lived for
all.
In a certain sense, PONDO NG
PINOY is a school in life where
character and virtue, principles
and values are intertwined. No
classroom lectures, none of the
experts’ elucidation. PONDO NG
PINOY’s laboratory is life itself.
You have been loved by no less
than God; love has been shared
with you by those who love
you—parents, elders, and the
family. Awaken to that giftedness. (Santosh Digal)
culprit why crime incidents are
prevalent.
“(The government) must try to
see how we can improve people
and how we can develop them.
That’s the long run and not just a
short term solution,” Pabillo
said.
The Church’s social action arm
head said there should be a
“whole hearted” resolution to
solve the problem effectively.
In doing so, he said, government leaders must address the
real cause of the problem which
maybe for political and economic reasons. “And that can’t be
done just sitting down,” Pabillo
said.
The Pabillo said even if the
government will be able to wipe
out the group behind the abduction, similar incident will happen again and again unless its
cause is addressed.
Catholic Bishops’ Conference
of the Philippines president Archbishop Angel Lagdameo yesterday also expressed opposition
against the military offensive in
Mindanao.
Lagdameo said such action will
only exacerbate the conflict in
Mindanao.
He said instead of pursuing a
military solution, the government should advocate a “nonviolence principle” in dealing
with problems in the region.
Cagayan de Oro Archbishop
Antonio Ledesma, SJ, also said
the government should look
deeper into what spurred the perpetrators to commit such crime.
He further said the bishops fear
that a massive military offensive
against the criminals would, like
in the past, harm civilians including women and children.
(CBCPNews)
BEC / A1
from our foreign Caritas partners
and we expect their support in a
matter of days,” Mallillin said.
Caritas Manila‘s executive director Fr. Anton C. T. Pascual has
turned over P500, 000.00 to
Mallillin for appropriations to
priority dioceses with most number of typhoon victims.
The NASSA official reported
that the Vatican-based Caritas
International and Caritas Australia already signified their willingness to help.
“(But) we have to give them
very concrete assessments of
needs first before they can respond,” she said.
Rehabilitation
CRS is working closely with the
NASSA, in assessing damages,
meeting immediate needs and
planning for longer term aid.
As immediate needs are being
addressed, the CRS and Nassa
will prepare an assessment for the
rehabilitation of homes and livelihoods.
The Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, the official relief agency of the Catholic Church
in England and Wales, is also in
touch with the Nassa to assess if
and how they can be of help.
CAFOD is expecting to make
funds available of their partners
can use them from their emergency response fund—it is not
clear, at press time, whether they
will be making a special appeal
in addition.
“However, we hope to have a
clearer picture in a few days time
once an assessment has been
made. In the meantime the
people of the Philippines remain
in our prayers,” the agency said.
(With reports from Melo Acuña
and Rolando Emberga)
Kidnapping blamed
on gov’t failure to
defeat Abu Sayyaf
country. The Church has a tool
for building a community of the
faithful with its concept of BEC,
which is based on solidarity and
mutual help, pluralism and unity.
This study also attempted to explore the possibility of organizing BEC in the area, said
Villareal.
Sixteen married leaders ranging the age of 35-58 years from
the 18 houses actively participated in the questionnaire study,
beside house-to-house visit and
interviews.
Out of 18 respondents, 13
women and 3 men; 13 are Catholics, one each Muslim, Iglesia Ni
Kristo, and Born Again denominations. Most of them are housewives/husbands and finished
secondary education and others
college level having no source of
income. Nine of them came from
Visayas, three from Luzon and
four from Mindanao.
The study dated April 2, was
entitled “An initial assessment of
the capability of the residents of
Block 3, Habitat- BASECO, as a
self-sustaining community: an
exploratory study” and focused
BEC as a sub topic.
The BEC groups consisting of
six to ten members each are
named after a saint and meet
regularly at lease once in a week.
“As researchers, we came to
observe that BEC leaders are capable of developing and sustaining their community. They
showed that they are capable to
initiating and formulating their
own plans and programs.
The leaders were able to lead
the community in the practice of
their faith, which in a way, did
much to boost their confidence
by being able to lead and thus,
sustain the life of the group,” said
Villareal.
As a form of community building, BEC is a religious initiative.
However, this practice is expected to lead the community to
other empowering endeavors
that will benefit everyone.
With the activation of BEC in
the area, leaders are undertaking
religious activities that would
provide a cohesive factor in the
community. (Santosh Digal)
THE kidnapping of broadcast
journalist Ces Drilon and her
crew could have been avoided if
the government were able to
neutralize the Abu Sayyaf, a
Catholic bishop said.
Marbel Bishop Dinualdo
Gutierrez said it puzzles him
why until now the government
failed to at least lessen the power
of the militant Islamic group.
In a radio interview, the bishop
said that more effort from the
government is needed to rid the
country of the terrorists group.
“In a way, yes, because the
government has the obligation to
really improve the peace and order situation,” Gutierrez said
over Church-run Radyo Veritas.
Gutierrez admitted that he is
already suspecting that some officials right in the government
might not really want to end the
existence of the extremist group
for reasons he did not elaborate.
He, however, refused to identify the said officials of any
agency from the government,
adding it’s the responsibility of
everyone from the administra-
tion.
“… Because they don’t want to
end it (Abu Sayyaf existence).
That’s how simple it is,” Gutierrez
said.
Suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits
in Maimbung, Sulu, kidnapped
ABS-CBN news team composed
of Drilon and two cameramen on
Sunday.
Gutierrez appealed to their
captors not to harm the journalists. He said the kidnappers could
air their demands and grievance
without resorting to violence.
Digos Bishop Guillermo
Afable, on his part, said kidnapping is always lamentable, while
he is hoping for a peaceful and
orderly resolution.
“We would like to resolve this
as soon as possible, without injury or losing any life. Life is so
important,” Afable said.
Abu Sayyaf is the most militant of the several guerilla groups
involved in the resurgence of
violence in the country during
the past year and wants an independent Islamic state in
Mindanao. (Roy Lagarde)
Bishops / A1
He even criticized the murders
and abortions that go on, the immoral sexual relationships that
continue unabated and projected
shamelessly in the media such as
television, movies, newspapers,
ads, posters, CDs and pictures plus
the indecent apparel of women
which incite to temptation.
“Why then the unwanted pregnancies attempting abortion by
millions every year in the entire
world?” he asked.
“We may sound conservative
but the basic truth is always conservative because it contains no
lie or delusion, the truth and
nothing but the truth,” said Alo,
adding that, “otherwise, how do
we stop the tragedy of murder,
abortions and the impending anger of God.”
He also encouraged the people
to find time to learn about God’s
anger or unnatural sexual practices by reading the Bible.
“We must have recourse to
God by prayer and the sacraments. God saves,” he ended.
Bishop Alo’s teachings and insights are also printed in Davao
Catholic
Herald,
the
archdiocesan community paper
in Davao. (Mark S. Ventura)
Tidbits / A4
Armstrong, “Art and Liturgy:
Splendor of Faith,” CRISIS, 1814/
2N Street, NW, Washington, D.C.
20036,[email protected]).
It put forward the idea that man
does not need a transcendent God.
This he will experience if he just
care to take the effort to look intently at his own nature, contemplate on its beauty and goodness,
appreciate its innate power and
its limitless potentials, reach out
for what it is worth for without
the intervention and aid of divine
grace and the sacraments. In this
position, grace is somehow held
as intrinsic to nature. A certain
professor, a representative of this
new theology, once made this
statement: “There is now a radical capacity in nature itself, and
not superadded to nature, by
which we are ordained to the
knowledge of God. Thus all dualism between nature and grace
is eliminated. Human nature is
already graced existence” (ibid.).
Armstrong then concluded:
“The effects of this new “lex
credendi” have been seen for
some time in art and architecture.
If man already lives an
“engraced” existence naturally,
and the sacramental union with
Christ is ontologically superfluous, a mere symbol of entrance
into a “faith community,” then the
altar rail (iconostasis, the rood
screen) that separates the natural
world of the faithful and the supernatural world of the Divine
mysteries must go. As Christ is
already present in the community,
the sacramental presence of Our
Lord in the tabernacle is now superfluous and can therefore be removed from the sanctuary precinct. With the traditional concept
of the Mystical Body obscured, the
images of saints and holy mysteries, a tradition going back to the
catacombs, are removed in favor
of a single figure of the “Risen
Lord” (ibid.).
It is fortunate that our lay faithful and our priests have not succumbed to these strange and
alien teachings. They still see
themselves as sinners badly needing the redemption promised to
them from above, and therefore,
weak individuals who are not
ashamed in reaching expectantly
outward to the Transcendent One
who has become one of them, the
“Immanuel,” uttering that simple
but
powerful
prayer:
MARANATHA—”Come, Lord
Jesus, Come.”
As the true faith keeps on feeding the heart and mind of our
people with the revealed divine
realities, ever moving them to
deeper contemplation of God,
their prayer life becomes more
vigorous and potent. To express
these experiences and to help
them to get them back to God,
they need relevant liturgy and
sensitive artists.
With the exchange of instruments that marked the forging of
the bilateral Agreement of the
Vatican and the Republic of the
Philippines to protect the religious and cultural heritage of our
people, it is our hope that arts in
our Churches will be properly
cared for and revered. It is also
our hope that with this renewed
interest for religious arts and the
subsequent effort to promote and
protect them, we may see the
emergence of new artists with
fresh visions coming out to revitalize our symbols of prayer, divine longing, and our liturgy. As
Fr. Reed Armstrong concluded in
his article in the Internet: “Even
today, in this age of iron or, let
us say, white metal, the Temple
of Solomon and the Cathedral of
Chartres have not exhausted all
the possibilities of getting back
to God. There is still something
to be garnered from those people
with plaster in their hair and fingers full of paint” (cf. ibid.).
Speaking / A5
those who kill the body but cannot
kill the soul... Are not two sparrows
sold for a small coin? Yet not one of
them falls to the ground without your
Father’s knowledge. Even all the
hairs of your head are counted. So
DO NOT BE AFRAID; you are
worth more than many sparrows
(Mt. 10: 28, 29-31).
My prayer was and my prayer
is, may they—when they were
drowning and gasping their
last—their angels would have
whispered to them: DO NOT BE
AFRAID. And that when they had
opened their eyes—their every
tear and pain would have been
gone, for when they woke from
their slumber, God is there.
In darkness, light. In death, life.
In the Litany of Loreto, we invoke Our Lady as Consolatrix
Afflictorum, Consoler of the Afflicted. We beg you, Our Lady,
help our people in our suffering
and pain, for never was it known
that anyone who fled to your protection or sought your intercession was
left unaided. Our Mother, help and
protect us. Amen.
CBCP Monitor
Features
Vol. 12 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2008
A7
Diocesan News Briefs
CBCP pledges P300,000 for relief work in Iloilo
MANILA—The CBCP-National Secret ariat for Social Action (NASSA)
has pledged an initial P300,000 in assistance for relief efforts in Iloilo
province, even as more reports of typhoon victims and requests for
assist ance from Social Action Centers in several dioceses keep pouring in. (Melo Acuña)
Stop glamorizing bandits- bishop
MANILA—Novaliches Bishop-Emeritus Teodoro Bacani urged media to
stop “glamorizing” terrorists and bandits after the abduction of a television news crew and a professor in Sulu. He said it is high time that
terrorists who want to have their side heard be the ones to approach
media and take the risk of being arrested. (Roy Lagarde)
Prelate urges reds to stop atrocities
BACOLOD City— Following the execution by alleged NPA rebels of an
overseer at Hacienda Mary Ann in Manapla town, Bishop Vicente
Navarra appealed to the insurgents to stop their atrocities and resolve
their concerns in a peaceful manner. He said killing in order to demonstrate one’s anger against the injustices in the country will not bring
real justice. (Roy Lagarde)
Priest asks EU to jumpstart Mindanao peace talks
Pope calls for study of
Eucharistic Mystery
Encourages revisiting of Vatican II’s ‘Sacrosanctum Concilium’
ZAMBOANGA City— A Claretian priest has appealed to the European
Union to jump-start stalled talks between government and the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) aside from just funding community development projects. PeaceWeavers convenor Fr. Angel Calvo said
trouble-torn Mindanao is still grappling for peace for decades now in
southern Philippines. (Santosh Digal)
Clergy hits mining in Mindanao
KORONADAL City— Around 50 priests of the Diocese of Marbel have
once again assailed large-scale mining operations in Central Mindanao.
In a statement, the priests expressed their strong opposition, which
gained the approval of Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez that has been urging
Sagittarius Mines Incorporated and Western Mining Corporation to abandon the Tampakan project on the grounds of environmental concerns
and health hazards. (Roy Lagarde)
Church, traders revive BBC
QUEBEC CITY, JUNE 22, 2008—Benedict XVI
is encouraging the faithful to revisit the Second Vatican Council constitution on the liturgy, so as to go deeper in the mystery of
faith that is the Eucharist.
The Pope made this appeal today when
he delivered via satellite the homily for the
closing Mass of the 49th International Eucharistic Congress, which ended today in
Quebec. The papal legate, Cardinal Jozef
Tomko, presided over the Mass.
In his address, given in French and English, the Holy Father said, “‘The Mystery
of Faith’: this we proclaim at every Mass. I
would like everyone to make a commitment
to study this great mystery, especially by
revisiting and exploring, individually and
in groups, the Council’s text on the liturgy,
‘Sacrosanctum Concilium,’ so as to bear witness courageously to the mystery.”
The Pontiff affirmed that such study
would help each person “arrive at a better
grasp of the meaning of every aspect of the
Eucharist, understanding its depth and living it with greater intensity.”
“Every sentence, every gesture has its own
meaning and conceals a mystery,” Benedict
XVI continued. “I sincerely hope that this
Congress will serve as an appeal to all the
faithful to make a similar commitment to a
renewal of Eucharistic catechesis, so that they
themselves will gain a genuine Eucharistic
awareness and will in turn teach children
and young people to recognize the central
mystery of faith and build their lives around
it.
“I urge priests especially to give due
honor to the Eucharistic rite, and I ask all
the faithful to respect the role of each individual, both priest and lay, in the Eucharistic action. The liturgy does not belong to us:
It is the Church’s treasure.”
Seeking union
The Pope noted the unifying effects of the
Eucharist, both for the faithful with the Trinity and within the Church.
“Reception of the Eucharist, adoration of
the Blessed Sacrament—by this we mean
deepening our communion, preparing for it
and prolonging it—is also about allowing
ourselves to enter into communion with
Christ, and through him with the whole of
the Trinity, so as to become what we receive
and to live in communion with the Church,”
the Holy Father said.
And he added: “We must never forget that
the Church is built around Christ and that, as
Sts. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas and Albert
the Great have all said, following St. Paul,
the Eucharist is the sacrament of the Church’s
unity, because we all form one single body
of which the Lord is the head.
“We must go back again and again to the
Last Supper on Holy Thursday, where we
were given a pledge of the mystery of our
redemption on the cross. The Last Supper is
the locus of the nascent Church, the womb
containing the Church of every age. In the
Eucharist, Christ’s sacrifice is constantly renewed, Pentecost is constantly renewed.”
The Pontiff also expressed his desire that
Christians would come to value Sunday more
and more.
“May all of you become ever more deeply
aware of the importance of the Sunday Eucharist,” he said, “because Sunday, the first
day of the week, is the day when we honor
Christ, the day when we receive the strength
to live each day the gift of God.”
The Pope also announced that the next International Eucharistic Congress, scheduled
for 2012, will be held in Dublin, Ireland.
(Zenit)
Holy See issues ultimatum to Pius X
Society, Vatican expert reveals
Cardinal Dario Castrillón Hoyos
ROME, Jun 24, 2008—According
to Andrea Tornielli, who claims
to have a copy of the original letter sent by the Holy See to the
schismatic Bishop Bernard Fellay,
head of the St. Pius X Society, the
Holy See has given an ultimatum
to the Society, with a deadline of
June 28 for it to respond.
According to Tornielli, who
writes on his blog for the Italian
newspaper Il Giornale, Cardinal
Dario Castrillón Hoyos has written a letter in his capacity as President of the Pontifical Ecclesia Dei
Commission, presenting the conditions of the ultimatum that, if
accepted would conclude with
the final incorporation of the St.
Pius X Society into the Church by
means of the canonical procedure
of personal prelature, similar to
that of Opus Dei.
This arrangement would allow
them to “continue their activity
of training seminarians and
priests” and would give them
autonomy for the celebration of
the liturgy according to the Motu
Proprio Summorum Pontificum,
that is to say in Latin, and according to Missal of 1962.
According to Tornielli, the five
demands are the result of a June
4 meeting between the Cardinal
and excommunicated Bishop Bernard Fellay, leader of the fraternity St. Pius X.
The Vatican demands require:
“a commitment to a response
proportional to the generosity of
the Pope, also the commitment
to avoid any public statement
disrespectful to the person of the
Holy Father and that could be
negative to ecclesial charity, the
commitment to avoid the
premise of a Magisterium superior to that of the Holy Father
and not to propose to the fraternity (St. Pius X) in opposition to
the Church; the commitment to
demonstrate the will to act honestly in full ecclesial charity and
in full respect of the authority of
the Vicar of Christ.”
The last requirement of the
Holy See, Tornielli says, is “to
respect the date established for
June 28, the eve of the Feast of
Saints Peter and Paul, ‘the day of
the Pope’ and the beginning of
the Pauline Year, to respond positively. This will be a required
condition and necessary as immediate preparation for the adherence to have full communion.” (CNA)
Pastoral / A4
bishops. Some representatives of
indigenous people and Muslim
communities were also among
the participants. On the other
hand, it was reported that not all
the delegates chosen from the
sub-regional ad extra consultations
were able to participate in the regional congresses.
To make up for this imbalance,
the secretariats are exerting efforts to include the sub-regional
delegates who were left out to
participate in the third phase,
which is the national conference
scheduled on July 7-8 in Manila.
We are also accepting position papers from any group or organization who may or may not have
attended the sub-regional consultation or regional congress.
In general, each regional congress will be sending about 20-25
CAGAYAN DE ORO City— Realizing the need for making united stands
on national issues, local church officials and traders here have revived the Bishops-Businessmen Conference (BBC). The BBC was
revived with a new organizing committee following a regional consultation last May 14. The stand of BBC in an issue is considered as the
pulse of Northern Mindanao in the businessmen’s perspective at the
provincial and national level. (Maryann Zamora)
New Kidapawan bishop installed
KIDAPAWAN City— Bishop Romulo dela Cruz was installed on June 19
as the new bishop of the Diocese of Kidapawan, one the biggest in
south and central Mindanao in terms of numbers of parishioners, lay
leaders, and religious congregations. The installation was held at the
Our Lady Mediatrix of All Grace Cathedral, with the Apostolic Nuncio,
Joseph Adams, in attendance. (Mark V entura)
Bishop: Interfaith dialogues OK; mixed marriages not yet
MARAWI City—While the Catholic Church encourages inter-faith harmony between Christians and Muslims, Bishop Edwin dela Peña
frowned on mixed marriages between followers of the two faiths,
saying they are not ready for it at this time. He clarified that his disapproval has nothing to do with religious beliefs but is more in the “context of culture,” where the couple will have much adjustment to make.
(Antonio Manaytay)
‘Miraculous’ stone with image of Mary ‘grows’ in Bicol
LEGAZPI City—Virac Bishop Manolo De Los Santos affirmed the existence of a “miraculous” and “growing” stone in Catanduanes which
bears the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary and is said to heal illness.
“What is unexplainable is not that the stone grew in size over the
years, but the fact that the image of the Virgin was never distorted as
it grew,” he said. He added the stone has been in Brgy. Paloway in San
Andres town, Catanduanes for over a century now. (Jose Locsin,
Jr,)
Archbishop reminds faithful of ‘dress code’ inside
churches
DAVAO City—A Catholic bishop on Wednesday said that “freedom of
expression” should not be used as an excuse for some churchgoers
who continue to ignore a “dress code” inside the church. Davao archbishop Fernando Capalla said it makes no sense to invoke personal
freedom in the choice of dress for liturgical functions. (Mark Ventura)
Prelate warns vs fake solicitation letters for flood victims
SURIGAO City— Bishop Antonieto Cabajog warned residents in Metro
Manila against a racket involving solicitations allegedly by the Church
and Church groups for flood victims of Cagniog village. He denied
sending such letters of solicitation to prominent Catholics in the diocese and other parts of the country. (Melo Acuña)
Diocese to focus on strengthening BECs
TAGUM City—The diocese will focus on furthering the activities and
involvement of people in the Basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs). Fr.
Tony Llanes, pastoral director, said efforts have already been made in
order to deepen the understanding of the people on the significance of
BECs especially in the formation of faith at the grassroots level. (Mark
Ventura)
Church to / A1
delegates for the national conference to dialogue with the estimated 80-100 arch/bishops
present. The entire group of about
250 participants will first listen to
the consolidated reports from the
five regional congresses. They
will then break up into smaller
sectoral groupings—for small
farmers, fisherfolk, indigenous
people, rural women, rural youth,
etc.—to examine particular issues
cutting across the regional reports. With the help of volunteer
research centers like ASI, UPSOLAIR, JJCICSI, IPC, etc., these
sectoral groupings will examine
more closely the priorities and
current issues, confronting the
particular sector throughout the
country. Already widespread
concerns over the environment,
good governance, and the exten-
sion (or termination) of agrarian
reform have been expressed at the
regional congresses.
Delegates sent by the dioceses
to represent their BECs or social
action centers point out that they
also represent some of the basic
sectors, thereby blurring the distinction between ad intra and ad
extra groups. On the other hand, a
number of people’s organizations
and NGO’s not working within
diocesan structures have expressed their readiness to participate directly in the national conference and to work in partnership with church-based groups in
post - NRC activities.
During the first two phases of
the NRC process, several of these
civil society organizations helped
the bishops organize three Bishops-Legislators’ Caucuses focusing
on the extension of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program. Ongoing issues involving
Task Force Mapalad in Kabankalan,
Negros Occidental, and the
Sumilao farmers in Bukidnon,
caught the nation’s attention as
well as many bishops’ support. In
a broader sense, these activities
were all part of the NRC process.
This hopefully will be one of the
lasting results of NRC II—to bring
into ongoing dialogue and partnership the ad intra and ad extra
components of the Church in the
Philippines. In terms of advocacy
and action programs, the basic sectors in Philippine society need the
support of the Church; on the other
hand, the Church needs to listen
and attend to the needs of the basic
sectors in order for her to become
truly a Church of the Poor.
will carry us in our quest to give
a new face to the ARMM election.”
A wide variety of organizations in ARMM and Mindanao
attended the meeting since Saturday to discuss ways of tackling
issues hounding elections and
met with Comelec chairman Jose
Melo.
The participants also signed a
memorandum of agreement calling for a new electoral order in
controversial ARMM.
“This is a good example of how
we, as a nation, can move fast our
differences and focus on what we
have in common: the interest of
our country,” De Villa said.
The Islamic region will make
a history as the first in the country to use automation or electronic voting system. The ARMM
poll is also significant for being
the only prelude to the 2010
presidential elections.
The agreement is the product
of the election summit, where the
coalition also mapped intensive
voters’ education plans to teach
automation and to promote “conscience voting.”
Another significant outcome of
the summit is the interfaith signing of the Mindanao Media Forum and a closer collaboration
with key officers from the police
and the military.
ARMM is also regarded as one
of the most violent election
hotspots in the country.
“Our coalition will be proactive in giving the ARMM a
“CHAMP (clean, honest, accurate, meaningful and peaceful)
elections,” De Villa added. (Roy
Lagarde)
A8
CBCP Monitor
People, Facts & Places
Vol. 12 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2008
Iligan Spirituality
Congress slated
AIMING to further grow in holiness and to strengthen their spiritual life in the ministry, 53 diocesan and religious priests, 11 congregations of religious women,
religious brothers and lay missionaries of the Diocese of Iligan
will gather for a three-day “Spiritual Congress” from August 5-7,
2008 at the Redemptorist Shrine,
Iligan City.
In a phone interview with
CBCPNews, Iligan Chancery
Secretary Sr. Marilyn Montalla,
MSOLTC said the “Spiritual Congress” is part of their one-year
Silver Jubilee celebration as a
diocese from November 2007 to
November 2008.
Meanwhile in a fax message
received by CBCPNews from the
Bishop’s House, Isabel Village,
Barangay Palao, Bishop Elenito
Galido said “even as we celebrate
and affirm, with joy and thanksgiving our sense of identity and
Nueva Segovia to
launch Pauline Year
of Conversion, Renewal, Evangelization and
Mission.
A Pastoral Letter will announce and explain
throughout the Archdiocese, the granting of
plenary indulgences to participants of the Jubilee Mass on the Vigil of the Solemnity of
Sts. Peter and Paul, June 28, as well as to all
pilgrims to the Metropolitan Cathedral of the
Conversion of St. Paul in Vigan City during
the Jubilee Year.
A major program for the year is a Base-Level
(SiSa) Formation of the Faithful for Spiritual
Renewal being undertaken by various vicariates. A Formation on the History of the Archdiocese for schools and Pauline Catechism is,
likewise, being finalized by the Commission
on Christian Formation (COCF).
This year is a double Jubilee for Nueva
Segovia as 2008 marks the 250th year of the
transfer of the See from Lal-lo in Cagayan
Valley to Vigan in the Ilocos region by a request of the late Bishop Juan de la Fuente
Yepes in 1758.
The theme of conversion, renewal and mission endows the commemoration of the setting up of the See in its new seat in Vigan
with even deeper significance.
The World Heritage City of Vigan joins
the archdiocese in the celebration of the transfer of Nueva Segovia’s seat on September 7,
2008 because it was on this day that Vigan
was elevated from status of town (pueblo) to
city (ciudad).
A special pilgrimage “In the Footsteps of
Paul” is also being organized, which will retrace Paul’s missionary journeys through
Asia Minor, Greece and finally to Rome, to
the apostle’s earthly resting place in the Basilica of St. Paul outside the walls. (Fran
Quitoriano)
Baguio marks Pauline Year with Biblical
lectures and workshops
MONTHLY Biblical lectures and pastoral
workshops on St. Paul will highlight the celebration of the bi-millennium birth of the
great Apostle throughout the jubilee year
starting July 12.
The Commission on the Biblical Apostolate
of Baguio diocese in tandem with the Bishop
William Brasseur Memorial Catechetical Institute (BWBMCI) is organizing the series of
lectures and workshops on the Pauline letters to mark the Year of St. Paul.
Facilitators and speakers will come from
the Clergy, Religious and laity.
Fr. Andres Cosalan will lecture on the Letters of St. Paul. He is the current Director of
the Bishop William Brasseur Memorial
Catechetical Institute.
Sr. Beata Balaso, SIHM will give the work-
shops on “St. Paul in Bibliodrama Elements”
and “Pauline Mission and Ministry”. She is
the present Coordinator of the Commission
on the Biblical Apostolate of the diocese.
Ms. Elba Bautista will conduct the Workshop on St. Paul in Biblical Catechesis. She is
part of the staff of the Bishop William Brasseur
Memorial Catechetical Institute.
The Pauline letters to be tackled in the series of lectures include Letter to the Romans,
Philippians, First Corinthians, Galatians,
Ephesians, and the First and Second Letter to
the Thessalonians
The opening of the Jubilee Year in the diocese will be highlighted with a celebration
of the Holy Mass at the Baguio Cathedral on
June 28, vigil of the Solemnity of Sts. Peter
and Paul.
Lipa holds first of Marian
Lecture Series
THE Archdiocese of Lipa held the
first of its Marian Lecture Series in
preparation for its centennial celebration in 2010 at the Archbishop’s
Residence last June 10.
There were 223 participants
who attended composed of catechists, Marian officers from different parishes and other religious organizations.
The second year of the threeyear preparation is dedicated to
Mary, Mother of God.
In his welcome address, Fr.
Eleuterio Ramos, co-chair of the
program committee for the
Marian Year, said the Lecture Series is not about the devotions to
Mary but about understanding
deeply the meaning of truths
about Mary from the researches
of different guest speakers.
The speaker Fr. Rustam C.
Sabularse, Director of the
Archdiocesan Bible Apostolate
discussed Mary in the Scriptures.
He cited the direct and indirect
texts on Mary from the Bible.
The two hours and a half lecture ended with Archbishop
Ramon Arguelles expressing his
gratitude to all the participants.
“Let us all ask Mary to show us
the way to Jesus, teach us to love
her Son and be faithful and give
us a part of the Holy Spirit, and
in that we will be closer to God,”
he said.
The Marian lecture on various
topics is given by different speakers every 2nd Tuesday of the
month. The series will go on until March next year.
The committee is planning to
come up with a journal on the
series of lectures on the Marian
Year. Fr. Ramos said it will be
the archdiocese’s contribution to
the Mariological Society of the
Philippines. (Jesusa Bauan)
Markings
ŒŒŒ³
THE Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia launches
its Pauline Jubilee Celebration with the opening of the Jubilee Door of the Conversion of
St. Paul Metropolitan Cathedral in Vigan
City, June 28 this year.
The symbolic opening, according to Archbishop Ernesto A. Salgado, will signal the
start of pilgrimages to the seat of the Archdiocese, among other activities lined up for
the Jubilee Year of the Apostle Paul from
June 28, 2008-June 29, 2009.
An Ad Hoc Committee has been tasked
with the planning of liturgical, cultural and
ecumenical events and pilgrimages to mark
the Jubilee, just as the Holy Father had initiated in June 2007, when he announced the
commemoration of the bi-millennium of the
Apostle Paul’s birth.
The Jubilee theme, Salgado emphasized,
will be founded on the Pauline spirituality
mission as a local church, we are
also truly aware of our need for
renewal.” He further said the
Congress is “a first concrete step
meant to address this need.”
The theme of the congress is
“Basic Ecclesial Community
(BEC) Spirituality and Way of
being Church.”
“The way of being Church will
truly help in the renewal of the
whole Church. Communion, Dialogue, Solidarity, Presence, and
Participation are thrusts that we
would like to pursue as we continue in our journey as a local
church, trying to live out this particular kind of spirituality,”
Galido said in his fax message.
Manila Archbishop Gaudencio
B. Cardinal Rosales was invited
to deliver the keynote address.
Each day will have various activities with special emphasis on
“BEC Spirituality” and “Way of
being Church.” (Wendell Talibong)
A Jubilee Year dedicated to St. Paul was
declared by Pope Benedict XVI from June 28,
2008 till June 29, 2009. This is to mark the
2000th anniversary of the birth of St. Paul,
the Apostle of the Gentiles, around 7-10 A.D.
(CBCP News)
Rene Ribac, soon-to-be-deacon also noted
that family, school, and community has a vital contribution in the growth and faith of
each individual.
“Normally, experience of faith happens at
home. Sometimes, it is encountered in school
or in the community—parishes and Basic
Ecclesial Communities (BECs),” he said.
“Since vocation is first of all a faith experience, an authentic response to God’s call is to
be a response of faith. Life of faith is always
essential,” Ribac ended. (Mark S. Ventura)
ELECTED. Fr. Quirico Pedregosa,
OP, as new provincial of the Dominican Province of the Philippines,
(OP), during the 9th Chapter of the
Dominican Province of the Philippines held in the Convent of St.
Raymund of Peñafort, Legazpi City,
Albay from March 25 to April 16.
Pedregosa will serve a four-year
term as prior provincial. He had
been prior provincial before being
assigned in Rome as the mastergeneral’s assistant for the AsiaPacific. Now he is back for a third time as head of the Philippine
province and vice chancellor of the Royal and Pontifical University of
Sto. Tomas (UST). Pedregosa joined the Order of Preachers in 1971.
He pursued his theological studies in the UST, where he also t aught
theology after his ordination in 1981.
CELEBRATED. Sr. Mary D. Bontogon, Sr. Cecilia S. Gonzaga, Sr. Celina
D. Araneta and Sr. Antoniette P. Pelaez, golden jubilee of religious
prefession among the Franciscan Apostolic Sisters (FAS); May 18,
2008. The thanksgiving mass presided by Most Rev. Diosdado
Talamayan was held at Fr. Filippetto Memorial Chapel, Sta. Ana,
Cagayan. The sisters were the first to follow their founder, Fr. Gerry
Filippetto, OFM. They became educators and were given the responsibility to open their first schools and communities that began in Sta.
Ana and branched out to other towns in Cagayan.
ORDAINED. Rev. Eugene Lucerna II, Rev. Romeo Tayco, and Rev. Johnie
Peracullo, Jr., to the Order of Priesthood, June 25, 2008, at the Saint
Francis Xavier Cathedral, Diocese of Kabankalan; by Most Rev. Patricio
A. Buzon, SDB, DD. The newly-ordained priests finished their theological formation at the Saint Joseph Regional Seminary, Jaro, Iloilo
City.
ORDAINED. Rev. Richard V. Buenaventura, Rev. Jason C. Caballes,
Rev. Celso S. Gaela, Rev. Manuel F. Labing, Rev. Clifford M. Miras, Rev.
Christian Cletus G. Nalda, Rev. David O Reyes, Jr., and Rev. Rico A.
Villareal, to the Order of Priesthood by Most Rev. Leo M. Drona, SDB,
DD, bishop of San Pablo, June 26, 2008; Cathedral Parish of St. Paul
the First Hermit, San Pablo City.
CELEBRATED. Sr. Mary Jane B. Alibo,
Sr. Maria Jose P. Lorilla, first profession of vows; Sr. Ma. Concettina
Armario, Sr. Ma. Agnes Gabito, Sr.
Ma. Gemma Lucero, Sr. Ma. Paquita
Lackar, Sr. Ma. Fidelis Singh, golden
jubilee of religious profession; among
the Daughters of St. Paul (FSP), June
28, 2008. The Thanksgiving Mass
held at the Sanctuary of the Queen
of Apostles in Pasay City was presided by His Excellency, Archbishop
Edward Joseph Adams, Apostolic nuncio to the Philippines. The following day, June 29, Sr. Gemma Gamab also made her perpetual
profession of vows with Most Rev. Bernardino Cortez, Auxiliary Bishop
of Manila presiding the thanksgiving mass.
Delegates representing 20 Mindanao arch/dioceses and prelatures gathered at the Regional Major Seminary of Davao (REMASE) June 9-12 for the Mindanao Regional
Congress. Consolidated reports from the regional congress will be presented in plenary during the Second National Rural Congress to be held at San Carlos Seminary,
Makati on July 7-8.
CELEBRATING. Maryridge Good Shepherd
Convent, Religious of the Good Shepherd;
golden jubilee of foundation, July 5, 2008. Most
Rev. Luis Antonio Tagle, Bishop of Imus will
preside the thanksgiving Mass on July 5 at
10:00 a.m. Maryridge in Tagaytay used to be
a Boarding School for girls but at present, it is
a Center for Spirituality and Healing. Lately,
Bahay Pastulan was organized to assist the
neighboring farmer’s wives augment their income by producing the famous Good Shepherd ube jam, tawilis sardines, and take-home
halo-halo.
CBCP Monitor
B1
Vol. 12 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2008
Pastoral Concerns
The Eucharist, the life of Jesus in our
lives: Spiritual worship
Church
celebrates
and authentic adoration Pauline Year
(This catechesis was delivered at the 49th International Eucharistic Congress held
in Quebec, Canada, June 15-22, 2008)
By Most Rev. Luis Antonio G. Tagle, STD
WE have come to the part of the
Congress devoted to a reflection
on the Eucharist, the Life of Christ
in our Lives. These past days we
have been affirming that the
Church lives by the gift of the life
of Christ. This essential part of
our faith is experienced in a
unique and special way in the
Eucharist where the Church receives again and again the life of
Christ to become its very own
life. What a wonderful mystery
it is to live by the life of Christ.
Jesus’ mission is to give his life
so that others may live. In John
6:51 he says, “I am the living
bread that came down from
heaven. Whoever eats of this
bread will live forever; and the
bread that I will give for the life
of the world is my flesh.” Jesus
the Bread of Life is a gift from the
Father. Those who eat this Bread,
who receive Jesus into their persons, will have life. He will lay
down his life, so that others “may
have life and have it abundantly”
(Jn10:10). Every Eucharist proclaims, “God so loved the world
that He gave His only Son, so that
everyone who believes in Him
may not perish but may have
eternal life” (Jn 3:16). Because the
life of Christ is oriented towards
others, the Church must share
this life with the world. The Life
of Christ is his gift to the Church
that is meant to be the Church’s
gift to the world.
In the Eucharist we don’t only
receive the life of Christ. Beholding this most precious gift, we are
moved as well to worship and
adore the Triune God. The Eucharist does not fail to evoke from
grateful hearts the worship and
adoration that God deserves. But
as we worship and adore we realize that it is Jesus who guides
us on the way of true worship
and adoration. We will dwell on
these two elements of living the
Eucharist: spiritual worship and
authentic adoration. But first let
us describe the sacrifice of Jesus
Christ.
The Sacrifice of Jesus Christ
The Catholic Tradition refers
to the Eucharist as the sacrament
of Jesus’ sacrifice. In the Judaic
Tradition, the offering of ritual
sacrifices occupied a central place
in the worship of God’s people.
Was the sacrifice of Jesus no different from other Temple sacrifices like the pouring of the blood
of animals and the burning of
offerings? What made up the sacrificial worship of Jesus? It is time
to consider the unique worship
of Jesus contained in His unique
sacrifice. For this we turn to the
letter to the Hebrews. In Hebrews 7:27 it is stated, “Unlike the
other high priests, he has no need
to offer sacrifices day after day,
first for his own sins, and then
for those of the people; this he
did once for all when he offered
himself.” He offered himself!
“He entered once for all into the
self-offering of Jesus becomes
true sacrifice and worship. We
know many people who offer
themselves to something or
someone, such as parents, teachers, public servants, or even hardened criminals. Does every selfoffering qualify as a sacrificial
worship? So we ask, how does
Jesus’ offering of his body and
blood acquire the quality of genuine sacrifice? The letter to the
Hebrews gives two elements of
Jesus’ self-oblation.
First, we hear in Hebrews 5:78, “In the days of his flesh, Jesus
offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears,
to the one who was able to save
him from death, and he was
heard because of his reverent
submission. Although he was a
In the Eucharist, we don’t only receive the
life of Christ. Beholding this most precious
gift, we are moved as well to worship and
adore the Triune God. The Eucharist does not
fail to evoke from grateful hearts the worship
and adoration that God deserves. But as we
worship and adore we realize that it is Jesus
who guides us on the way of true worship and
adoration.
Holy Place, not with the blood of
goats and calves, but with his own
blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption” (Heb 9:12). Jesus offered his blood, his very life and
not any animal substitute. The
letter further says, “It is by God’s
will that we have been sanctified
through the offering of the body
of Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb
10:10). The sacrificial worship of
Jesus Christ, therefore, consists in
the offering of his body, his
blood, and his life. The apex of
this sacrifice of self oblation occurs on the Cross and reaches it
completion in the Heavenly Sanctuary or in Jesus’ glorification.
We have gone beyond mere ritual
sacrifice to the living sacrifice of
self-giving. Jesus’ worship culminates in the surrender of his humanity and its entry into God’s
presence for the sake of the
world.
At this point we draw our attention to the question of how the
Son, he learned obedience
through what he suffered.” This
is the first aspect that makes his
self-offering an act of worship,
namely his obedience or reverent submission to the Father who
willed that people be saved and
brought to glory (Heb 2:10). Selfoffering motivated by the desire
to prove oneself, to achieve success or to promote self-interest
falls short of being a moment of
worship. Jesus’ sacrifice of his life
was not focused on himself or his
agenda but rather was a response
to the Father who had sent him.
The fulfillment of His saving will
pleases the Father more than any
burnt sacrifices (Heb 8:9). Thus
obedience to God makes the gift
of self an act of worship.
Secondly, his worship includes
his solidarity with feeble sinners.
In Hebrews 4:15-16 it is stated,
“For we do not have a high priest
who is unable to sympathize
with our weaknesses, but we have
one who in every respect has
been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach
the throne of grace with boldness,
so that we may receive mercy and
find grace in time of need.” His
oneness with weak humanity was
essential to his priestly service
or worship on behalf of the
people. Hebrews 2:17-18 states
eloquently, “Therefore he had to
become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he
might be a merciful and faithful
high priest in the service of God,
to make a sacrifice of atonement
for the sins of the people. Because
he himself was tested by what he
suffered, he is able to help those
who are being tested.” Here the
image of priestly service or worship is applied to the redemptive
mission of Jesus. His embrace of
the trials and sufferings of human beings has made him a
brother who can now truly intercede for them before the
Father’s mercy rather than judge
them harshly. He worships
through supplications to God
welling up from his compassion
for erring sinners. In other
words, Jesus’ prayer to the Father gives voice to humankind’s
laments and hopes that he has
made his own.
In summary, we can say that
the worship of Jesus is the sacrifice of his own life offered to fulfill the Father’s will to save sinners, whose weaknesses he shares
in order to lift them to the mercy
of God as a compassionate High
Priest and Brother. Obedience to
God and compassionate action on
behalf of sinners form one unitary act of worship. They cannot
be separated from each other.
Jesus’ intercessory life for weak
humanity before God is his
priestly worship that fulfills
God’s will. Ultimately, we see in
Jesus’ worship the embodiment
of loving God with one’s whole
being and loving one’s neighbors as oneself. Every time we
come to the Eucharist, Jesus renews his unique sacrifice and invites us to share in his worship
of self-oblation.
The Spiritual Worship of the
Baptized in baptism, we begin
sharing in Jesus’ sacrifice of obedience to the Father in solidarity
Eucharist / B2
By Fr. Paul Marquez, SSP
THE Church celebrates the Pauline Year from June 28, 2008 to
June 29, 2009. Pope Benedict XVI made this announcement a
year ago during the First Vespers at the Basilica of St. Paul
Outside-the-Walls. The Pope said that the year-long celebration is meant to honor St. Paul, Apostle to the Gentiles, as the
Church celebrates his 2,000th birthday.
‘All roads lead to Rome’
Towards the end of his papacy, the late Pope John Paul II
laid the groundwork for this jubilee year when he retraced
the footsteps of the Apostle Paul in Greece, Turkey, Syria and
Malta. The center of this year’s jubilee celebration is, of course,
Rome where the relic of the great saint is venerated beneath
the papal altar at the basilica named in his honor. As the
saying goes, “All roads lead to Rome”. Pilgrims from all over
the world are expected to participate in various special liturgies and events prepared by organizers. Pope Benedict XVI
however encourages local churches in other countries to hold
celebration in their respective communities, sanctuaries, religious orders and other institutions that have a special link to
St. Paul.
Aside from celebrating the 2,000th birthday of St. Paul, the
Holy Father foresees the promotion of the life and mission of
the saint as an inspiration to modern Christians so that they
can imitate the apostle’s missionary energy and spirit of sacrifice. “Dear brothers and sisters, as in the (church’s) beginning,
today, too, Christ needs apostles ready to sacrifice themselves. He
needs witnesses and martyrs like St. Paul,” he said.
Towards this end, the Pope said that the commemorative
year would include symposia and special publications devoted to the writings of St. Paul. The saint’s epistles are a
primary source of information regarding life in the early
Church that have strongly influenced the Church through the
centuries. Aside from the Pauline letters, one can also derive
a wealth of information about the life of St. Paul from the Acts
of the Apostles.
The Holy Father is quick to point out that the greatness of
the Apostle does not depend on his oratorical skills or to a
‘refined strategy’ of missionary argumentation. His achievements had more to do with his extraordinary zeal in announcing the gospel and his total dedication to Christ, despite problems and persecutions, the Pope said.
St. Paul the Apostle who was once a persecutor of the gentiles can also serve as a model to all peoples who are longing
for conversion. The jubilee year can provide new impetus in
the life of the Church and bring about renewal in her members. It is indeed a wonderful time to rekindle the flame of
faith that we lost along the way.
Indulgences for Pauline Year
Pope Benedict XVI authorized the granting of special indulgences (or ‘spiritual treasures’) in order to highlight the
Pauline Year and facilitate the way for the ‘interior purification’ of the faithful during its celebration. On May 10, 2008
Cardinal James Francis S.R.E. Stafford signed this decree that
we reproduce here partially:
1. “All Christian faithful – truly repentant, duly purified by
the Sacrament of Penance and restored with Holy Communion – who undertake a pious visit in the form of a pilgrimage
to the papal basilica of St. Paul on Rome’s Via Ostiense and
pray in accordance with the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff, are granted and imparted Plenary Indulgence for the temporal punishment of their sins, once they have obtained sacramental remission and forgiveness for their shortcomings.
Pauline / B5
CBCP Monitor
Updates
B2
Vol. 12 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2008
By Fr. Jaime B. Achacoso, J.C.D.
WE are grown up children of a father who abandoned us years
ago and started another family. Now our father is sickly and
often says his end is near but remains with his second family
because (we suppose) the children are much younger there
and therefore need a father more than we do. Which family
has a right to claim his body when he dies? Is this the decision
of those left behind or the deceased’s, assuming that he has
expressed his desire on the matter in a last will and testament?
Not that we want him to die so soon, but we believe it is wise
to foresee and to prevent an embarrassing situation should he
die with the second family.
Earlier, our mother had offered to file for annulment but
our father refused, so what are they now when he is with
another woman? Are the children of the second union legitimate by Church standards?
Sorry we ask so many questions, but we would like to be guided on
what is proper to do. Please interpret the Canon Law for us; we are
not very familiar with terms and we find the Code of Canon Law hard
to read. Thank you, Father.
Civil Law Prevails
Here we have another case of Civil Law prevailing over
Canon Law, since the disposition of the body of a deceased is
a matter of the temporal order and temporal common good.
Without detriment to a different judgment by the competent
civil authority or a different disposition by Civil Law, the
normal thing would be that the disposition of the body of a
deceased person follows what that person had laid down in
his Last Will and Testament. In any case, this is a matter best
consulted with a civil lawyer.
Nevertheless, in what is relevant to Canon Law in the
present case and consultation, the following can be said.
Presumption of Validity of a Marriage Duly Celebrated
Can. 1060—Marriage enjoys the favor of the law; consequently,
when a doubt exists the validity of a marriage is to be upheld until the
contrary is proven.
Legitimate / B4
Electric
sanctuary
candles
Q: I was told by our pastor that “Vatican II requires a ‘light’
before the Blessed Sacrament, but this does not have to be a
candle,” so he replaced the sanctuary candle with an electric
“fake candle” because there was “wax all over the carpet.”
This is driving some of my fellow choir members nuts. Yet,
we still have real, seven-day vigil candles going in the stands.
Were this a safety issue, this makes no sense. All churches
have always had problems with wax—nothing new. I cannot
see a fake candle giving a believable witness to the Real Presence when this is not a safety issue as in a hospital with oxygen that could cause an explosion.—K.S., Oklahoma
A: Actually the norms refer not so much to candles as to lamps
that should burn before the tabernacle. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), No. 316, states:
“In accordance with traditional custom, near the tabernacle
a special lamp, fueled by oil or wax, should be kept alight to
indicate and honor the presence of Christ.”
An almost identical norm is given in Canon 940 of the 1983
Code of Canon Law, but here only a “special lamp” is spoken
of. It would thus appear that the more recent GIRM, in specifically mentioning that it should be fueled by oil or wax, gives
clear preference to this form over other recent innovations.
Thus, rather than a candle there should be a lamp, that is, a
container made of glass or some other suitable material, which
can hold the oil or wax.
This container is customarily a red hued cylinder, although
this is not prescribed by law and other shapes and colors have
also been used.
Unless the lamp is shattered or filled to excess, it usually
presents no particular safety issue. Likewise, since nothing is
spilled, the “wax on the floor” argument falls flat.
The oil may be of any kind, although the law has traditionally favored olive oil or some other vegetable oil.
The use of electric lamps is not forbidden but is generally
seen as a last resort solution for particular circumstances.
Apart from the hospital situation mentioned by our reader,
an electric sanctuary lamp could conceivably be used in very
small oratory chapels where the constant lamp smoke would
quickly stain the walls and ceiling or, for the same reason, if
the lamp had to be placed next to a historic piece of art.
Other probable circumstances that would justify the use of
an electric lamp would be isolated places in which obtaining
suitable fuel is difficult or very expensive, or if a chapel has to
be left unattended for a period longer than the habitual duration of the lamp. This can happen, for example, in communities where a priest celebrates Mass only about once a month
and leaves sufficient hosts for an extraordinary minister of
holy Communion to administer on the other Sundays.
Illustration by Bladimer Usi
Legitimate
custodians of
the body of a
deceased
bigamist
Kissing the hands of a
new priest
(Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina
Apostolorum university, answers
the following queries:)
Q: What is the reason behind the
kissing of the hands of a newly
ordained priest? Is it true that one
may gain an indulgence by kissing the hands of a newly ordained priest?—F.M., Manila,
Philippines
A: The practice of kissing the
hands of a newly ordained priest
is a long-established custom in
some countries.
In the liturgy, as in other aspects of human life, the gestures
and position of the hands have a
specific meaning or implication.
The gesture of kissing a person or object is an ancient liturgical tradition and symbolizes
veneration of the said persons or
things during public worship. In
cultures where kissing is outré
the bishops’ conference may propose a substitutive gesture.
Kissing the hand or an object
as a sign of reverence is more
common in the extraordinary
form of the Roman rite. In the
ordinary form it has been reduced to the kissing of the altar
and of the Gospel.
It is still common, however, outside of the liturgy as a sign of veneration toward persons such as bishops and newly ordained priests.
During ordination a new
priest’s hands are anointed with
chrism as a sign of consecration
and of the change that has been
effected in his soul.
The custom of kissing his hands
stems from a recognition of the
fundamental change that has oc-
curred and of the particular importance of the sign of the hands
in priestly ministry.
After ordination the priest uses
his hands to hold the Eucharistic
species during the consecration,
to make the sign of the cross
while absolving sins, to anoint
the sick and dying, and on occasion to impart the sacrament of
confirmation.
A bishop, whose hands are also
anointed at ordination, uses his
hands to impart the sacrament of
holy orders.
A priest also uses his hands in
other moments such as blessing,
praying, baptizing, etc., but these
are uses that he shares with deacons and sometimes with lay
faithful.
Although the hands are an important sign, they are not absolutely essential. A priest who for
some reason loses the use of his
hands would still be able to carry
out most of his ministries.
The present Enchiridion of Indulgences foresees a plenary indulgence for all those who attend
the first solemn public Mass of a
newly ordained priest.
There is no specific indulgence
foreseen in the present
enchiridion for kissing the hands
of a new priest. It might have existed in earlier times, but I have
been unable to verify it.
The custom of the whole assembly coming forward to kiss a
priest’s hands at the end of his
first Mass is not as common as
before but is still practiced in
some places. This custom might
have led to the indulgence for the
first Mass becoming associated
with that of kissing the hands of
the newly ordained.
Eucharist / B7
with sinners. Baptism unites us to Jesus’ sacrificial death and newness of life. Saint Paul tells
us in Romans 6:3-4, “Do you not know that all
of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death? Therefore we
have been buried with him by baptism into
death, so that, just as Christ was raised from
the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too
might walk in newness of life.” In union with
Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit, we
are enabled to offer our life for God that involves dying to sin. Renunciation of sin and
faith in God form the fundamental worship
and sacrifice of the baptized, made possible
by our sharing in the sacrifice of Jesus. In this
light we can understand Saint Paul’s words in
Romans 12:1, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to
present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy
and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual
worship.” Like Jesus we are to offer a living
sacrifice not made up of calves, goats and grain
but of lives dedicated to God. This living sacrifice united with Christ’s sacrifice builds up
the Christian community as well. 1 Peter 2:4
rightly states, “Come to him, a living stone,
though rejected by mortals yet chosen and
precious in God’s sight, and like living stones,
let yourselves be built into a spiritual house,
to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God though Jesus Christ.”
It is evident that the living sacrifice of the
baptized includes ethical demands. Saint Paul
tells us that offering our bodies as a living
sacrifice will happen only if we are not conformed to this world but are transformed by
the renewing of our minds, so that we may
discern what is the will of God—what is good
and acceptable and perfect (Rm 12:2). Conformity to the will of God is a key to the sacrifice
of life. It also involves living in genuine love,
contributing to the needs of others, rejoicing
with those who rejoice, weeping with those
who weep (Rm 12:9-21). We are back where
we started. Jesus’ sacrifice of obedience to the
Father and communion with weak sinners is
the same sacrifice that the baptized are asked
to offer as a gift to the world. This is so because we have received his life in baptism.
And in every Eucharistic memorial of Christ’s
sacrifice, we are taken up into its life-giving
power so that we can share it for the life of the
world.
It is ironic that during the public ministry
of Jesus, he was not always perceived as someone who offered a sacrifice pleasing to God.
Instead of being praised for being obedient,
he was frequently accused of transgressing the
law of God. No wonder, some people attributed his miracles to the power of the prince of
demons rather than to Divine intervention.
His critics even took his repeated claims of
oneness with God as blasphemy rather than
as revelation of God’s truth. They concluded
that God was as displeased with him as they
were. He was dangerous for the nation and
the Temple. For indeed Jesus’ sacrifice of obedience took on a seemingly disobedient or
irreverent expression.
It is interesting to note that quite often,
Jesus was denounced as a violator of God’s
law when he showed compassion for the
weak, the poor, the sick, the women, and
public sinners. He offered new life to those
considered impure by eating and mingling
with them. He assured them that God was
not distant and there was hope in God’s loving mercy. But he himself got no mercy from
his adversaries, only ridicule for disobeying
laws that were supposed to embody God’s
will. Jesus suffered on account of his self-offering for those loved by God. But he never
wavered in his sacrifice. In the process he
exposed the false gods that people worshipped, erroneous notions of holiness and
the blindness of righteous people to the visitations of God. Jesus’ sacrifice uncovered the
link between the worship of false gods and
insensitivity to the needy. An idolater easily
loses compassion for the weak. Though he
was judged, Jesus was the one actually judging the untrue worship that kept people blind
and deaf to the true God and the poor.
The Church that lives the life of Christ and
offers his living sacrifice cannot run away from
its mission to unearth the false gods worshipped by the world. How many people have
exchanged the true God for idols like profit,
prestige, pleasure and control? Those who
worship false gods also dedicate their lives to
them. In reality these false gods are self-interests. To keep these false gods, their worshippers sacrifice other people’s lives and the earth.
It is sad that those who worship idols sacrifice
other people while preserving themselves and
their interests. How many factory workers are
being denied the right wages for the god of
profit? How many women are being sacrificed to the god of domination? How many
children are being sacrificed to the god of lust?
How many trees, rivers, hills are being sacrificed to the god of “progress”? How many
poor people are being sacrificed to the god of
greed? How many defenseless people are being sacrificed to the god of national security?
The Church however must also constantly
examine its fidelity to Jesus’ sacrifice of obedience to God and compassion for the poor.
Like those who opposed Jesus in the name of
authentic religion, we could be blind to God
and neighbors because of self-righteousness,
spiritual pride and rigidity of mind. Ecclesiastical customs and persons, when naively and
narrowly deified and glorified, might become
hindrances to true worship and compassion. I
am disturbed when some people who do not
even know me personally conclude that my
being a bishop automatically makes me closer
to God than they could ever be. My words are
God’s words, my desires are God’s, my anger
is God’s, and my actions are God’s. If I am not
cautious, I might just believe it and start demanding the offerings of the best food and
wine, money, car, house, adulation and submission. After all, I am “God!” I might take so
much delight in my stature and its benefits
that I might end up being callous to the needs
of the poor and the earth.
I remember an experience in the market of
our town of Imus, the seat of our diocese.
One Saturday morning I went to monitor the
prices of goods and the condition of the
simple market vendors. I saw a woman selling fruit and vegetables in a corner. She was
one of those who went to Sunday Mass regularly. It was only 10 o’clock in the morning
but she was already closing her store. So I
asked her the reason. She told me, “I belong
to a prayer group. We have a big assembly
this afternoon. Some tasks were assigned to
me. So I want to be there early.” Upon hearing this, the pragmatic side of me surfaced. I
responded, “The Lord will understand if you
extend your working hours. You have a family to support. You can benefit from additional income. I am sure the Lord will understand.” With a smile, she said, “But Bishop,
the Lord has been faithful to me. The Lord
has always been there for us. We may not be
rich but we have enough to live by. Why will
I fear?” Then looking at me tenderly, she said,
“Are you not a Bishop? Are you not supposed
to be encouraging me in faith? I was quite
embarrassed. But for me it was an experience
of spiritual worship. I, the religiously and
culturally accepted presence of God was revealed to be a faltering representation of God.
That simple woman, offering herself to God
in trust for love of her family, became for me
the manifestation of the presence of God. She
had brought the Eucharistic sacrifice and
Jesus’ spiritual worship from the elegant
Cathedral to the noise and dirt of the market
place. God must have been well pleased.
Authentic Adoration
This leads me to the final part of my conference. Let us briefly reflect on adoration. Worship is so intimately related to adoration that
they could be considered as one. The sacrifice
or spiritual worship of Jesus on the cross is his
supreme act of adoration. In the Eucharist, the
Church joins Jesus in adoring the God of life.
But the practice of Eucharistic adoration enlivens some features of worship.
We believe that the presence of Christ in
the Eucharist continues beyond the liturgy.
At any time we can adore the Blessed Sacrament and join the Lord’s self-offering to God
for the life of the world. Adoration connotes
being present, resting, and beholding. In adoration, we are present to Jesus whose sacrifice is ever present to us. Abiding in him, we
are assimilated more deeply into his self-giving. Beholding Jesus, we receive and are transformed by the mystery we adore.
Eucharistic adoration is similar to standing
at the foot of the Cross of Jesus, being a witness
to his sacrifice of life and being renewed by it.
Aside from the Blessed Mother and the Beloved Disciple who kept vigil with the dying
Jesus, the Roman centurion who had been
watching over Jesus when he died could also
be a model of adoration. Probably the centurion guarded Jesus from his arrest to his death.
Seeing Jesus betrayed, arrested, accused, huEucharist / B5
CBCP Monitor
Diocese
Vol. 12 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2008
By Teofilo L. Calicdan
Vision
A Christ-centered community of disciples rooted in the Word of God, nourished by the Eucharist and the Sacraments, inspired by the Holy Spirit and
witnessing to a life of justice, peace and
love. With sincere concern for the poor
and God’s creation under the patronage
of the Blessed Mother.
Territorial Boundaries
The territory given to the Diocese of
Urdaneta sits on 1,616.22 sq.kms. of
lands in eastern Pangasinan consisting
of 17 municipal and four barangay parishes. It is bounded on the west by the
Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan, on
the south by the Diocese of Tarlac, on
the east by the Diocese of San Jose, on
the north by the Diocese of Baguio, and
on the northeast by the Diocese of San
Fernando, La Union.
ately embarked on fixing the kinks in
the Diocese which were natural consequences of the long period of “sede
vacante”. One of the first acts he made
was to pursue the case left behind by the
first administrator—the recovery of the
Diocesan assets. Bishop Galang doggedly worked on this for more than a
year and happily he was able to reach a
satisfactory resolution. Bishop Jesus
Galang died on September 16, 2004,
yielding an incumbency of 12 years,
B3
Pastoral Thrust
The pastoral thrust of this local church
since its creation was the establishment
of this diocese into a basic Christian community. However, since the new diocese
was not quite ready for this new concept
of being church, it was rightly appraised
that the utmost priority was the manpower development of both the clergy
and the laity. Thus since then, the diocese marshaled all its resources just to
prepare and dispose the clergy and the
apostolates. Aside from the regular
seminars and training sessions conducted in their respective organizations,
lay leaders undergo special trainings in
different areas of apostolate. Again, as
the diocese is in dire financial want, the
lay leaders themselves spend for the
most part for their training—another indubitable verification of our people’s
magnanimity in making sacrifices for
the local church.
The Diocese of Urdaneta lays no claim
Diocese of Urdaneta
Mission
We, the People of God in the Diocese
of Urdaneta commit ourselves to a renewed integral evangelization leading
to a life of prayer and discernment, solidarity and harmony, compassion for the
poor while fostering participation, life
witness, respect for human life and
rights, and responsible stewardship of
God’s creation.
Beginnings
The Christianization of the Diocese of
Urdaneta was simultaneous with the
Christianization of the whole province
of Pangasinan when the Augustinians
first came in 1575. They came with the
expedition that was sent to crush the
Chinese pirate, Limahong who had retreated to Pangasinan when he failed to
capture Manila. They found the people
unresponsive, unenthusiastic. They then
abandoned the place and moved north.
The Franciscans arrived next, and went
through the same disenchantment. Fathers Roda and Holgado , both
Augustinians, and Fathers Juan Bautista
Pisarro and Sebastian de Boeza, both
Franciscans, are some names mentioned
in the history of the Christianization of
Pangasinan. The Dominicans came and
were most successful at evangelization.
They stayed until the Philippine Revolution at the turn of the century. Later
they founded other towns on the eastern portion including Asingan in 1698,
Villasis in 1763, Binalonan in 1841,
Rosales in 1853, Urdaneta in 1863,
Pozorrubio in 1879 and Sison in 1896.
Origin and Creation of Diocese
All the territories of what is now called
the Roman Catholic Diocese of Urdaneta
used to be a part of the Diocese of
Lingayen-Dagupan which was erected
on May 19, 1928, comprising the whole
civil province of Pangasinan, 11 towns
of Tarlac, 10 towns of Nueva Ecija and 3
towns of Zambales. On February 16,
1963, the Diocese of Lingayen-Dagupan
was reconstituted into an archdiocese,
encompassing only the civil province of
Pangasinan, with the towns from Tarlac
and Nueva Ecija being returned to their
respective civil provinces to form two
independent dioceses each, as suffragans
of the new Metropolitan See of LingayenDagupan.
On January 12, 1985, His Holiness,
Pope John Paul II, by virtue of the papal
Bull, “Non Raro Catholicorum”, erected the
Diocese of Urdaneta, detaching it from
the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan.
The Archdiocese at the time of the division had a total population of 1,616,905.
Out of this number 1,374,280 are Catholics, spread out in a land area of 5,630.14
sq.kms. It was such an immense pasture
land that one shepherd would not suffice to lead the flock.
Around 80 percent of the population
traces its origin from the Ilocano provinces, thus making Ilocano as the predominant dialect. Literacy is comparatively high.
IMPORTANT FACTS
Bishop …....………………...... 1
Priests:
Diocesan …………................ 33
Assigned Outside the Diocese .. 3
On Leave ……........................... 2
Retired Priests …..………..... 4
Religious Priests …………… 5
Brother …......…………......
1
Sisters ……............……… 45
Seminary …....…………….
1
Seminarians:
Diocesan:
Theology ………….............
1
Philosophy …………….....
4
Minor ……………………. ... 23
Religious:
Philosophy ...………………. 27
Diocesan Divisions Vicariates ….. 3
Parishes ………………...
24
Quasi-Parish ……………..
1
Educational Centers:
Diocesan
Kindergarten ……….……
11
Grade Schools……………
11
High Schools………………
2
Religious
Kindergarten………………
2
Grade Schools………….
2
High Schools……………
2
College………………….
1
Other Institutions:
Retreat Center …………….
1
Catechetical Center……….. 1
Home for the Aged………….. 1
Pastoral Center …………… 1
Population…………
732,556
Catholics …….........
578,384
The province of Pangasinan is part of
what is called the central plain of the
island of Luzon in northern Philippines.
Thus except for some barangays of four
parishes located at the northern and eastern boundaries, the topography is in the
main, plain. Its lands are all practically
arable and is watered by the Agno River
and its various tributaries.
Administration
The Most Rev. Pedro G. Magugat,
MSC, DD was appointed as the first Residential Bishop of the Diocese of Urdaneta
on April 22, 1985. On June 29, 1985 the
decree of erection and the decree of canonical possession by the new bishop
were executed with the Parish Church
of the Immaculate Conception in
Urdaneta as the seat of the Diocese.
Bishop Magugat steered the diocese
in its pioneering years until he died on
May 5, 1990. His Vicar General, Rev.
Msgr. Aureliano B. Ruiz was elected Diocesan Administrator but he died exactly
six months later, November 5, 1990. A
retired priest in the person of Rt. Rev.
Msgr. Amado M. Lopez succeeded him
and he administered the Diocese
throughout the duration of the “sede
vacante.”
On December 7, 1991, His Holiness
Pope John Paul II, appointed the second
Residential Bishop of Urdaneta, His Excellency, the Most Rev. Jesus C. Galang,
DD until then the auxiliary Bishop
of Pampanga. The new Bishop
was installed and took canonical possession of
the Diocese on February 9, 1992.
He immedi-
seven months and one week.
Among the legacies he left behind are
the Bishop’s House, Pope John Paul II
Pastoral Formation Center, Bahay
Kanlungan, Commercial Stalls in many
parishes, recovered and converted commercially-viable Church lands, Diocesan
Integrated Pastoral Plan, four new
Barangay Parishes, and an active Diocesan Finance Council.
The Third Residential Bishop of the
Diocese was appointed by His Holiness
Pope Benedict XVI on September 23, 2005,
in the person of the Most Rev. Jacinto A.
Jose, D.D., who until then was the Diocesan Administrator of the Diocese of
Laoag and Parish Priest of St. William
Cathedral.
The Diocese now runs under the twoyear incumbency of Bishop Jose who
since his arrival has immediately initiated the following projects: the Bahay
Pari (House for the Sick and Elderly
Priests); the construction of the Diocesan
Gym; the renovation of the John Paul II
Pastoral Formation Center; the renovation of the Diocesan Cathedral; but above
all, the creation and implementation of
an effective program for the welfare and
the security of the clergy. This is in consonance with his firm belief that a
healthy
clergy will make a
healthy
diocese.
lay leaders for the enormous task of
building basic ecclesial communities.
Manpower development of the clergy
was geared towards the building up of a
basic Christian community of the
clergy—the forming of a Presbyterium,
the fusion of the sacramental bond. It
was an inerrant perception that the key
to success of any diocesan endeavor is a
united and cohesive clergy. The so-called
BEC is but an illusion until it begins with
the presbyterial community. To achieve
this, the diocese embarked on an ambitious and massive On-Going Formation
and Renewal Program, Theological Updating, Social Awareness Programs,
Community-Building. These were done
on a bi-monthly basis in Bahay Pari in
Makati and Home Sweet Home in
Baguio City.
It is significant to note that these
costly programs have no financial
subsidy. Expenses incurred are
shouldered by the priests themselves: board/lodging, transportation, honoraria/stipend of facilitators/resource speakers; an
incontrovertible evidence of
the clergy’s will and desire for
growth and development, as
well as its firm resolve to establish a community within itself.
Formation of the laity has
always been integrated
with the establishment
of the various commissions, ministries
and
to have accomplished much in two decades of its existence. Obviously, much
is still left to be desired. It surely has a
long way to go if only to approximate
its desired goal and objective. For one,
the plans and programs of the various
commissions, ministries and apostolates
could not find full implementation as
the diocese, from want of clerical manpower.
Nonetheless, it struggles to inch its
way towards the building of basic
ecclesial community or what PCP II
terms as the “Community of Disciples.”
Certainly, it would undergo a long
and difficult process. But it has
gained its momentum. It has
found a strong fulcrum—men
and women, both cleric and
lay, and certainly a new
Shepherd, who are
willing to lay down
their gifts at the altar
of Church service.
ABOVE: Bishop Jacinto Jose (8th from left) with the clergy of Urdaneta
diocese. ON BACKGROUND: The Immaculate Conception Cathedral
CBCP Monitor
Commissions
B4
Vol. 12 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2008
Fr. Luis Supan
The question box
Holy Eucharist (3)
1. Aside from making present the death and resurrection of
the Lord Jesus, what other effects does the sacrament of the
Holy Eucharist produce in the Church?
St. Thomas Aquinas sums up the various aspects of sacramental signs: “Therefore a sacrament is a sign that commemorates what precedes it—Christ’s Passion; demonstrates what is
accomplished in us through Christ’s Passion—grace; and prefigures what that Passion pledges to us—future glory” (italics
added; Cf. CCC 1130). These realities are accomplished in the
Eucharist in an eminent degree, since it is the end to which all
the other sacraments tend.
110th anniversary of RP independence celebrated at Collegio Filippino
HER Excellency Ambassador
Leonida Vera, Philippine Ambassador to the Holy See (Vatican),
hosted the 110th anniversary of
Philippine Independence at the
Pontificio Collegio Filippino last
12 June 2008. Monsignor Ruperto
Santos, Rector of the Pontificio
Collegio Filippino has been gracious in accommodating this annual event at this residence of Filipino priests doing special studies in Rome.
The celebration began with the
Eucharist at 5:00 PM, which was
presided by Archbishop
Fernando Filoni, Substitute for the
General Affairs of the Secretariat
of State, the third most important
position at the Vatican. Archbishop Filoni was Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines before his
present post at the Vatican. The
other principal concelebrants
were Archbishop Francesco
Monterisi, Secretary of the Congregation of Bishops, and Archbishop Francisco Padilla, Apostolic Nuncio to Papua New
Guinea. Also, His Eminence Jose
Cardinal Sanchez was present
with around seventy priests
(mostly Filipino priests) as
concelebrants. Members of the
diplomatic corps, brothers and
sisters of religious congregations,
seminarians and some leaders of
Filipino communities joined in
the celebration.
Archbishop Filoni concluded
his moving homily with a special word of appreciation for
Ambassador Vera as she prepares
to end her term as Ambassador
to the Holy See. He said: “I wish
to express my sentiments of profound esteem and spiritual communion, knowing how she has
accompanied me in my work
with her continual prayers. I
greatly appreciate the way she
has conducted the relationship
between the Philippines and the
Holy See, how she has been attentive to this College, to the Bishops and Priests. Ambassador
Vera, I could go on…But please
accept my expression of gratitude for all that you have done,
and accept the assurance of my
prayers especially during this
Holy Mass. We will continue to
accompany you with the same
esteem and affection.”
Indeed, Ambassador Vera is
deeply and widely appreciated
for her simplicity, graciousness
and hospitality not only by the
members of the diplomatic corps
accredited to the Holy See but also
by the Vatican officials. She has
effectively combined “faith, food
and friendship” as her natural
way of proceeding in her diplo-
Honoring St. Paul in
the Philippines
The Apostle to the Gentiles is venerated in different parishes and chapels
throughout the Philippines. The following can be appropriate pilgrimage sites:
matic mission. Combining “faith
and food” is shown by her daily
attendance at mass with adoration and by her generosity in
feeding the Filipino migrant
communities and others, all out
of her own resources. She always
says that she just wants to share
her blessings.
The other staff members at the
Philippine Embassy to the Holy
See are also known for their
availability in serving the needs
of Filipino bishops, priests, religious, seminarians and migrants.
Their prompt service and high
quality work are deeply appreciated by our Filipino visitors
whenever they request assistance
for Vatican-related functions.
Moreover, the leaders and coordinators of around fifty religious
organizations of Filipino migrants have considered the Embassy as a familiar place of consolation and communion where
they share their common concerns during their regular meetings.
The unexpected news of Ambassador Vera’s resignation some
months ago caused so much concern among the Filipino communities who consider her as a
trusted friend, mother and benefactress. Her availability and active participation in many reli-
EIGHT delegates from the Philippines will participate in a
worldwide gathering of Biblical
scholars in Dar Es Salaam, Africa
from June 22 to July 3 for the 7th
Plenary Assembly of the Catholic Biblical Federation (CBF).
Bishop Arturo Bastes, SVD,
Chairman of the Episcopal Commission on the Biblical
Apostolate (ECBA), also the
moderator of the Executive
Committee of the CBF and president of Philippine Bible Society
leads the group of RP delegates.
The roster of participants include Bishop Renato Mayugba,
DD (Lingayen-Dagupan), Chairman of John Paul I Regional Biblical Center of Northern Luzon
Conversion of St. Paul Parish
Sayangan, Atok, Benguet
Conversion of St. Paul Parish
Tuba, Benguet
St. Paul Chapel
Police Regional Office
CARR, Camp Bado Dangwa
La Trinidad, Benguet
St. Paul the Apostle Parish
Poblacion, Hingyon, Ifugao
San Pablo Seminary Parish Chapel
Crystal Cave Road, Baguio City
Conversion of St. Paul Parish
(Cathedral) Vigan, Ilocos Sur
St. Paul the Apostle Parish
Cabagan, Isabela
St. Paul the Apostle Parish
San Pablo, Isabela
St. Paul the Apostle Parish
Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija
St. Paul the Apostle Parish
Niugan, Angat, Bulacan
St. Paul Novitiate Chapel
Society of St. Paul
Km 76 Mac Arthur Highway
Greenfields Subdivision
Sindalan, San Fernando, Pampanga
METRO MANILA
St. Paul the Apostle Parish
3 Scout Rallos cor. Mo. Ignacia St.
Quezon City
San Pablo Apostol Parish
E. Jacinto St., Magsaysay Village
Tondo, Manila
St. Peter and St. Paul Parish
5539 D.M. Rivera St. Poblacion
Makati City
Sanctuary of St. Paul
Society of St. Paul
7708 St. Paul St.
San Antonio Village, Makati City
3. How are the Sacraments of Penance (Reconciliation) and
Eucharist related?
“Because the Eucharist makes present the redeeming sacrifice of the Cross, perpetuating it sacramentally, it naturally
gives rise to a continuous need for conversion, for a personal
response to the appeal made by Saint Paul to the Christians at
Corinth: ‘We beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled
to God’ (2 Cor 5:20). If a Christian’s conscience is burdened by
serious sin, then the path of penance through the sacrament of
Reconciliation becomes necessary for full participation in the
Eucharistic Sacrifice” (Ec de Eu, no. 37). “The Catechism of the
Catholic Church rightly stipulates that ‘anyone conscious of a
grave sin must receive the sacrament of Reconciliation before
coming to communion” (ibid, no. 36; Cf. CCC 1385).
4. Why is the Holy Eucharist the pledge of eternal life and
future glory?
“Those who feed on Christ in the Eucharist need not wait
until the hereafter to receive eternal life: they already possess
it on earth, as the first-fruits of a future fullness which will
embrace man in his totality. For in the Eucharist we also
receive the pledge of our bodily resurrection at the end of the
world: ‘He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day’ (Jn 6:54). This
pledge of the future resurrection comes from the fact that the
flesh of the Son of Man, given as food, is his body in its glorious state after the resurrection” (Ec de Eu, no. 18).
5. How should the Holy Eucharist influence our present life?
“A significant consequence of the eschatological tension inherent in the Eucharist is also the fact that it spurs us on our
journey through history and plants a seed of living hope in our
daily commitment to the work before us. Certainly the Christian vision leads to the expectation of ‘new heavens’ and ‘a new
earth’ (Rev 21:1). But this increases, rather than lessens, our
sense of responsibility for the world today” (Ec de Eu, no. 20).
8 delegates from RP attend
World Biblical Assembly
NORTH LUZON
CENTRAL LUZON
gious activities have edified our
Filipino migrants. Thus, amidst
the various problems affecting
the governance of the country,
Ambassador Vera projected the
consoling presence of the Philippine Embassy to the Filipino
communities.
Ambassador Vera never expected to be involved in the diplomatic mission since she had no
special training in this work. She
is known more by her close
friends as a devoted mother to
her family, a faithful volunteer
in charity organizations and an
active lay collaborator in the
Archdiocese of Manila. Yet, these
personal qualities sustained her
work during these four years in
office. Thus, she belonged to a
distinguished line of past Philippine Ambassadors to the Holy
See who answered the call of selfless service as diplomats after
they were highly recommended
by the local Church.
The Filipinos in Rome and in
other places in Italy are truly
grateful to Ambassador Vera for
her dedicated service. Her personal example of faith and generosity will surely serve as a lasting inspiration to all those who
love her as their “mother away
from home”. (Fr. Jose V.C.
Quilongquilong, S.J.)
2. What happens when the Holy Eucharist is received?
“The saving efficacy of the sacrifice is fully realized when
the Lord’s body and blood are received in communion. The
Eucharistic Sacrifice is intrinsically directed to the inward
union of the faithful with Christ through communion … We
are reminded of his words: ‘As the living Father sent me, and
I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me’ (Jn 6:57) (Ec de Eu, no. 16). In Holy Communion,
Christ also grants us his Spirit, “already poured out in Baptism and bestowed as a ‘seal’ in the sacrament of Confirmation” (Ec de Eu, no. 17).
Legitimate / B2
Unless the invalidity of the first and original marriage in the present case is definitively declared by competent ecclesiastical
tribunals after due process—i.e., after concurring sentences by the tribunal of the first
and second instances—the original couple
remain husband and wife in the eyes of God
and of the Church.
Thus, any posterior marriage would be
invalid by reason of the impediment of an
existing marriage bond (c.1085). In other
words, in the present case, a second canonical marriage could not have been validly celebrated (although presumably a civil marriage could have been, subsequent to a civil
declaration of marriage nullity or civil annulment of the first and original marriage).
This is clearly laid down by the Code of Canon
Law:
Can. 1085 — §1. A person who is held to
the bond of a prior marriage, even if it has
not been consummated, invalidly attempts
(a posterior) marriage.
§2. Even if the prior marriage is invalid or dissolved for any reason whatsoever, it is not on that
account permitted to contract another before the
nullity or the dissolution of the prior marriage has
been legitimately and certainly established.
What this means is that only after the first
and original marriage has been duly declared
invalid by the competent ecclesiastical tribunals—i.e., by concurring sentences of a Tribunal of First Instance and an Appellate Tribunal—can a subsequent canonical marriage
take place validly.
Conclusion: Illegitimacy of the Children of
the Second Union
Since there would have been no valid canonical marriage to speak of in the second
union, the children born therefrom would
be absolutely illegitimate by Church standards, being children born out of wedlock.
As a final word, however, it would be good
to keep in mind that the children of the second union—though illegitimate—have
rights, both as persons and as natural children of their father: rights however that cannot be equiparated with the rights of the legitimate children, without detriment to the
reality and sanctity of canonical marriage itself.
and Cordillera, Fr. Dominador
Ramos, SVD, president of Divine
Word College, Urdaneta and
former Director of John Paul I Biblical Center, Sr. Miriam
Alejandrino, OSB (exegete), Miss
Mary Almonte (Mother of Life),
Sr. Antonia Anas SIHM (BA Director SIHM), Miss Estrella del
Mar (Cebu Lay Formation Center) and Fr. Oscar Alunday (ECBA).
The Plenary Assembly with a
registered number of 230 delegates is considered to be the
most attended ever in its history.
The theme is “God’s Word,
Source of Reconciliation, Justice
and Peace.”
Significant worldwide issues
are set to be tackled during the
Assembly which will give impetus to the upcoming African
Synod that will take place three
months before the Bishops’ Synod
on the Word of God in Rome on
October 2008. It will contribute
to the preparation of the unique
World Church event.
Likewise, it will offer the delegates
a rare opportunity to meet, exchange,
plan and celebrate together once
again as a worldwide Federation.
The Plenary Assembly of the
Catholic Biblical Federation is
held every six years. The previous Assemblies took place in
Vienna (1996), Malta (1978), Bangalore (1984), Bogotá (1990),
Hong Kong (1996), and Beirut
(2002) (Pinky Barrientos, FSP)
Women’s group launches series
of talks on women’s rights
THE Women and Gender Commission of the Association of
Major Religious Superiors in the
Philippines (WGC-AMRSP) is set
to launched a series of educational activities this year as part
of its advocacies upholding the
rights of women.
A training seminar on the topic
of Violence against Women and
Children was held last June 20 to
be held at WGC office at 1348
Quintos St., cor. Maria Clara,
Sampaloc, Manila.
The seminar provided an update on the current situation of
violence committed against
women and children, and gave a
clear understanding of the law
called R.A. 9262.
Resource persons include Miss
Janet de Leon of Women Crisis
Center who will talked on the
experiences of handling cases of
R.A. 9262, and Atty. Irish Fe
Aguilar of Saligan who gave the
legal aspect and the implementation of R.A. 9262.
R.A. 9262, also known as the
Anti-Violence Against Women
and Their Children Act of 2004
refers to any act or series of
acts inflicted by a person
against a woman that result in
physical, sexual, psychological
harm or suffering, or economic abuse.
Both speakers are experts on
the issue of violence committed
against women and children.
Participants include religious
men and women and mission
partners. (Pinky Barrientos,
FSP)
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2008
Statements
B5
The delegates to the Asia-Pacific Justice and Workers Networking Meeting held at the RVM Betania Retreat House, Quezon City last June 16-20.
Large scale mining
is not moral, fair
and just
THE diocese of Marbel, once again, would like to reiterate that
it is not against development. Like all other sectors, it aspires
for a life of comfort for all members of society. In the same
vein, the diocese is one with the rest that natural resources
which are abundant in SOCSARGEN came from God for human development. Therefore, the diocese fully supports endeavors for a moral, fair, just and sustainable utilization of
natural resources.
Having said the above, the clergy of the diocese of Marbel
would like to pose some questions regarding the present
government’s trend of natural resources’ utilization. Is large
scale mining especially the use of open pit mining method a
moral, fair and just utilization in the inhabited, and agricultural area? Is to oppose large scale mining presence in
SOCSARGEN for environmental, social and even long term
economic reasons anti-development?
Global warming, climate change and food shortages are
presently the immediate threats to human existence. Large
scale mining activities never address but rather aggravate these
threats. It is not only ironic but highly immoral to aggressively pursue revitalizing mining industry in the wake of global food shortages. It is grievously immoral to extract precious mineral deposits of a third world country like the Philippines, in the process inflicting injurious damage to the agricultural sector and aquatic resources of SOCSARGEN, to serve
the metallic needs of highly developed countries like China
and India.
Land use conversion of watershed, forestal and/or agricultural areas deprives thousands of farmers and fisher folks in
SOCSARGEN of their sustainable source of livelihood.
As experienced in areas where mining has been done, it has
depleted water supply, whether for residential or agricultural
use. Toxic waste and dusts produced during the processing of
mineral ores cause havoc to marine and human lives. What
lessons have we learned from Placerdome mining in
Marinduque after it rendered two rivers dead and caused unaccounted cases of respiratory and skin illness to its residents,
aside from mere verbal assurances from the government; the
so-called “state of the art” mining technology in Rapu-rapu
that poisoned marine products?
Mining would not have been a hard pill to swallow for the
poor communities in mining areas if history has shown these
communities to have attained real development: peace and
order is maintained, communities are economically secured
and empowered and not mere subordinates of mining companies, human health is robust and their environment is clean.
Unfortunately, these never happened in Surigao, Benguet,
Marinduque and Samar after years of mining history. Only
the mining companies who run off with their profits benefited.
At present, government records show that more than thirty
mining sites have been abandoned by companies and need
rehabilitation.
While the clergy of the diocese of Marbel recognizes that
the country is reeling from economic crisis, it is convinced
that the government is not left with mining alone as the ONLY
option for recovery. The vast agricultural land remains waiting to be tapped for its full potential towards food security
and people’s sustainable economic benefits. The impressive
natural landscapes, different bodies of water, rich marine resources and cultural heritage in the region offer vast potential
for local and foreign ecotourism that offer more sustainable
economic activity for all sectors. Large scale mining compromises ecological balance and invites many social ills while
agriculture and ecotourism, aside from being truly sustainable and environmentally sound, secures the future generation of a healthy world and non-renewable mineral deposits
to be tapped, when history has broken the curse of mining
hazards.
The clergy will continue to be determined and united in its
stand against any undertaking that promotes only corporate
greed like large scale open pit mining, undermining environmental, social and economic justice, ecological balance and
cultural legacy for the present and future generation.
+ MOST REV. DINUALDO D. GUTIERREZ, DD,
and the Clergy of the Diocese of Marbel,
June 4, 2008
Solidarity Statement to
the Marginalized
Peoples in the AsiaPacific Region
“Trust in the Lord, be strong, be courageous-Yes, put your hope in the Lord” (Psalm 27, v.14)
WE, the various network members of the 7th Asia-Pacific Justice
and Peace Workers Forum Network, represented by 12 countries of the region, express support to the many initiatives of the
Asia-Pacific Faith-based organizations in opposing a worsening
Marginalization of Mother Earth,
Marginalization of the Poor, and
Marginalization of Peace in the countries of Asia and Pacific.
We are dismayed of the fact
that many of the rural poor and
indigenous peoples continue to
face displacement, loss of their
lands and livelihood due to mining activities. More so we are
saddened of the vigorous promotion of mining in the guise
of giving economic prosperity,
jobs to the local people, revenues
to LGUs even as governments in
Asia have yet to prove a developed province, city or municipality through mining operations. Worse, when mining operations are completed, they
leave the mined-area polluted
and unrehabilitated as in the
many cases of abandoned mining sites in the region.
It is also a let-down that a sustainable environment or the integrity of creation is compromised in the name of a flawed
developmental paradigm that is
both pragmatic and short-sighted
in its developmental goals for a
country. This kind of developmental paradigm with an already
limited natural resources of a
country will leave a lasting
legacy of poverty in the short to
long terms.
These types of injustices to the
environment to which we human
beings belong and are called to participate as stewards can never be responsible human endeavors! The
Integrity of Creation is a moral
imperative during this time of
wanton and mindless destruction
of environment.
Understanding the alarming
degradation and exploitation of
the Philippine environment
through the aggressive promotion of mining which lead to the
indignification of the integrity
of creation, with the Catholic
Bishops Conference of the Philippines’ consistent concern on
the issue, we strongly urge the
government to stop the abuse
of Mother Earth and the injustice resulted by this plunderous
act.
Stop the Marginalization of
Mother Earth!
Disturbed by the massive
displacement of peoples as a
result of an unequal distribution of the country’s wealth for
the common good, that many
of the unemployed leave their
homes, families and lands to
look for greener pastures because of the dissatisfying promises of security and employment, hence, we urge the Philippine government to take just
and fair perspective of security
and develop an integral and
Christian measures to protect
migrant workers.
Stop the Marginalization of the
Poor!
Aghast of the continuous conflict between Filipinos that
makes the whole nation divided.
We recommend the resumption
of peace processes with respect
to cultures, beliefs and dignity of
every human person through an
authentic dialogue based on
ecumenism and human rights.
Stop the Marginalization of
Peace!
These marginalizations experienced in the Philippines are true
and common to most of the countries in the Asia-Pacific region
such as, among others, the peace
and democratic conflicts in Sri
Lanka, Burma, East Timor, Pakistan and the Middle East, the
struggle to defend the Japanese
Constitution’s Article 9 renouncing war, massive mining operations in India and Indonesia, and
religious persecutions and discriminations, in which the Justice
and Peace workers of the region
are concerned with.
In solidarity with the whole
Filipino people, we urge the national government to show preferential option for the poor especially the many marginalized
sectors like the indigenous
peoples, rural and urban poor,
migrant workers and defenders
of the environment.
June 19, 2008
Pauline / B1
“Plenary Indulgence may be gained by the
Christian faithful, either for themselves or
for the deceased, as many times as the aforementioned acts are undertaken; it remains
the case, however, that Plenary Indulgence
may be obtained only once a day.
“In order that the prayers pronounced on
these holy visits may lead and draw the souls
of the faithful to a more intense veneration
of the memory of St. Paul, the following conditions are laid down: the faithful, apart from
pronouncing their own prayers before the
altar of the Blessed Sacrament, must go to the
altar of the Confession and pray the ‘Our Father’ and the ‘Creed’, adding pious invocations in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary
and St. Paul; and such acts of devotion must
remain closely linked to the memory of the
Prince of the Apostles St Peter”.
2. Christian faithful from the various local
Churches, under the usual conditions (sacramental Confession, Eucharistic communion,
prayer in keeping with the intentions of the
Supreme Pontiff) and completely unattached
to any form of sin, may still obtain the Plenary Indulgence if they participate devotedly
in a religious function or in a pious exercise
held publicly in honor of the Apostle
of
the Gentiles: on the days of the solemn opening and closing of the Pauline Year in any
place of worship; on the other days determined by the local Ordinary, in holy places
named for St. Paul and, for the good of the
faithful, in other places designated by the ordinary.”
3. The faithful who, “through sickness or
other legitimate or important reason”, are
unable to leave their homes, may still obtain
the Plenary Indulgence if, with the soul completely removed from attachment to any
form of sin and with the intention of observing, as soon as they can, the usual three conditions, “spiritually unite themselves to a Jubilee celebration in honor of St. Paul, offering their prayers and suffering to God for
the unity of Christians.”
Pauline Year in the Philippines
The official opening of the Pauline Year in
Manila will be held on June 30, 2008 at 9
o’clock in the morning. The concelebrated
Mass, to be presided by His Eminence
Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, will be held at
the Manila Cathedral. Different religious
Congregations and institutions that adopted
the name of St. Paul have joined together to
form a four-voice chorale to provide music
for the grand celebration.
The Catholic-run radio station Radio
Veritas introduced a segment entitled ‘The
Voice of St. Paul’ in its regular program
‘Katesismong Pinoy’. The program is aired
live over DZRV 846 khz every Saturday 8:00
to 9:00 pm.
For priests, religious educators and other
St. Paul enthusiasts, a regular symposium
on St. Paul is being organized. Bishop
Virgilio ‘Ambo’ David, Auxiliary Bishop
of the Archdiocese of San Fernando is
tapped as the speaker for the first among
several symposia slated for the Pauline
Year. Venue is at the San Carlos Seminary
Auditorium.
The nuns of St. Paul de Chartres are coming up with a vigil prayer, Pauline concert
and stage plays regarding the life of St. Paul.
These activities will be held at St. Paul University Campus in Pasig City.
St Pauls Publication, run by the Society of
St. Paul Fathers and Brothers, recently released several new titles of books related to
St. Paul. Posters and other memorabilia for
the Pauline Year are on sale at all St Paul’s
bookstore and outlets. The Daughters of St.
Paul have likewise published new books and
mini media on St. Paul in celebration of the
Pauline Year.
On their part, the bishops and other members of the Episcopal Commission on the
Bible Apostolate (ECBA) are organizing a
Bible Week. Final date and venue will be
announced at a later date.
On June 29, 2009 the Papal Nuncio to the
Philippines will preside in a ceremony marking the conclusion of the Pauline Year. He
will also be the homilist in the concelebrated
Mass to be held at the Sanctuary of St. Paul in
Makati City run by the Pauline Fathers and
Brothers.
CBCP Monitor
Reflections
B6
Vol. 12 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2008
Peter and Paul: Rock and Water Paul as the
Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul (Mt. 16:13-19; June 29, 2008)
Illustration by Bladimer Usi
Interpreter of the
Scriptures of Israel
By Bernardita Dianzon, FSP
By Fr. Paul J. Marquez,
SSP
LARGER-than-life statues of St.
Peter and St. Paul welcome the
pilgrim to St. Peter’s Basilica in
Rome. St. Peter is seen holding
the key while St. Paul holds a
book and a sword. The prominent place these two apostle-martyrs occupy at the seat of
Christendom indicates the special honor and unique privilege
that the Church accords to both
apostles as ‘pillars of the Church’.
Today the universal Church
celebrates with great joy their dies
natalis, the day when Peter and
Paul generously gave their lives
for the sake of the gospel. This
took place about the year 67 AD
during the watch of Herod as
king and Nero as emperor. Peter
is crucified upside down at the
Vatican hill while Paul is beheaded at Via Ostia, just outside
Rome. The two apostles’ courageous witness to the faith
emboldened Christians everywhere and more were added to
their number.
Neither Peter nor Paul were
born as saints, but each of them
grew to become one. Their common vocation draws its origin in
Jesus’ call and flourished with his
guiding spirit and inspiration.
Peter, who is originally Simon
the Galilean fisherman became
Cephas, a name which means
‘rock’. As such, he became a
“fisher of men”, the chief pastor
to the people of Christ. He likewise served as the bedrock of
unity for the ancient church.
On the other hand, Paul (whose
Hebrew name is Saul, in honor
of Israel’s first king) was an intellectual and a cosmopolitan citizen of Rome who became apostle
to the gentiles. As such, he constantly broke new grounds,
formed several Christian communities, sustained their growth by
communicating to them through
letters. Paul always pushed the
frontiers and is very fluid like
water. He writes to the Corinthians: “The love of Christ urges us
on.” (2 Cor 5:14).
Initially, Peter and Paul relied
heavily on their own strength
before they learned to trust in the
love of Christ. They were passionate and self-driven individuals
but Christ hardly figured in their
experience. Do you recall when
Peter wanted to walk on the water to go to Jesus? At Jesus’ bidding Peter is able to do so but
starts sinking when his faith is
overcome by fear. In today’s gospel, Peter is extremely satisfied
with his answer to Jesus’ question
regarding his identity: “You are
the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
If we read further on the Bible,
it does not take long before Jesus
calls Peter ‘a stumbling block’ for
the gospel, an ‘adversary’ or
worst of all, ‘Satan’. Jesus rebukes
Peter who wanted to spare Jesus
from every pain and suffering.
Peter follows Jesus to the house
of the high-priest, only to find
out how he (Peter) himself cracks
under pressure. The innocent remark of a servant-girl is enough
to bring Peter to his right sense:
“You, too, were with Jesus of Galilee” (Mt 26: 69). Thrice he is given
the chance to stand beside Jesus,
but thrice Peter denied him. And
so thrice did the cock crow.
Peter’s absolute certainties are
soon washed in his tears. Later,
the risen Christ will show himself to Peter and rehabilitate him
with the three-fold commissioning: “Feed my lambs. Tend my sheep.
Feed my sheep” (Jn 21:15-17).
Like Peter, Saul of Tarsus is a
man who is very sure of himself.
As a Pharisee, he defends the purity of the teachings found in the
Torah. Thus, it becomes Saul’s
sworn duty to eliminate the
group of Christians known as the
‘Way’ who introduces a Messiah
known to be Jesus. When Saul
later meets Jesus on the way to
Damascus, Saul’s life will change
forever. Saul’s absolute certainties crumble in the Damascus
dust. Instead of pursuing the
Christians, Saul himself is pursued by Jesus Christ. From that
time onwards, he will use his
Roman name, Paul, and will
preach about Jesus “who loved me
and gave his life for me” (Gal 2: 20).
Peter and Paul grew in their
knowledge of Jesus Christ on a
deeply personal basis. Peter enjoyed the privilege to have seen
and lived with Jesus in the flesh.
Jesus was always around to be
his guiding light even if Peter
erred and fumbled several times.
Paul also enjoyed a great privilege no less than that of Peter.
Although Paul never met Jesus
physically, his experience was
unique since it is the risen Christ
who spoke to him and chose him
to be an apostle to the gentiles.
This singular and most stirring
experience was enough to bring
a turn-about to Paul’s future,
thereupon considering everything else to be ‘rubbish’.
In the end, what mattered most
for Peter and Paul was the pleasure and privilege of having
known and having worked for
Jesus Christ. Today we rejoice in
the truth that our Church is built
on the strong foundation of the
apostles, different yet complementing each other. Peter with
his keys governed the Church
heroically. Paul with the Word
of God brought the Church to
mission. May we bring various
charisms in the service of the
Church today so as to build on
the memory of our spiritual giants who did not glory anymore
in their own absolute certainties,
but only in the thought that Jesus
Christ loves them, and is able to
create new wonders, and breathe
new life, despite our puny selves.
Bo Sanchez
The fastest guy doesn’t win
the race
“BO, you’re a workaholic!”
Every time I heard that line, I swelled with
pride within, hid it beneath a shy smile, and
muttered, “Aw shucks, maybe just a little. But
thank you anyway…”
I loved being a workaholic! And I loved it
when others told me I was one!
At a time when the word “multi-tasking”
wasn’t invented yet, I was already an avid
practitioner. I was head of several Catholic
communities (I lost count somewhere along
the way), chairman of an aggressive Catholic publications firm, and director of a new
ministry for the poor. Add to that my passion as a writer and preacher—traveling here
and abroad—and you’ll get an idea of the
kind of insane lifestyle I lived.
But I was proud of that busy, albeit harassed, schedule.
I didn’t (and couldn’t) walk or drive from
meeting to meeting. I had to rush, and zoom,
and dash, and whisk, and jet, and zip, and
race, and torpedo my way!
In other words, I didn’t have time to live.
Well one day, I just realized I was doing it
all wrong.
Because no matter how hard or how fast I
worked, I didn’t feel I was going anywhere.
My relationships weren’t growing. I felt I
wasn’t genuinely loving people anymore.
Nor was I enjoying life. Even God seemed
far away.
I woke up and realized that workaholism was
a disease. (For me, it was an addiction of trying to win the love of people. I was running
away from who I was, which deep within, I
didn’t like very much.)
So finally, one glorious day, I made a crucial choice.
I decided to semi-retire.
And I decided to really live.
Because I realized I got the rules all wrong.
The fastest guy didn’t win the race.
But the guy who had the most love—and
joy and peace—at the finish line.
Winners were those who had the relaxed
time of smelling beautiful flowers along the
way. Winners had the ability to stop whatever they were doing to encourage other
wounded runners. And winners had the
power to sing most of the way.
One day, I simply gave up 80 percent of
my responsibilities to friends who could do
a better job. (When you think that I was doing the work of five men, giving up that 80
percent only meant that I’m finally doing
what one man should be doing!)
Now, I have time to smell the flowers.
To taste my food.
To breathe fresh air.
To enjoy majestic scenery.
To listen to the music of the wind.
To gaze at my wife and see how lovely she is.
To laugh with old friends and thank God
for each of them.
And to love. (To really, really, really love.)
PAUL was a man of one book— the Scriptures of Israel—or
what we, Christians, call today the ‘Old Testament’. As a typical Jew, Paul believed that the one true God and mighty sovereign of the world made a covenant with the nation Israel.
They became his chosen people, his prized possession. God’s
dealings with Israel were enshrined in sacred documents which
were written and compiled over hundreds of years. As a Pharisee, Paul’s whole life was committed to the study and interpretation of these sacred writings. The stories that they contained, their images, symbols, and vocabulary, were so impressed in his mind, that they conditioned his perception of
the world, of God’s promised deliverance of his people, and
of his own place in God’s scheme of things.
When Paul became a Christian, he did not reject these sacred writings, but rather saw everything in them pointing to
the figure of Jesus Christ as their final fulfillment. Though
caught up in the tension between his Jewish heritage and his
new Christian convictions, Paul insistently tried to show that
his proclamation of the Gospel was grounded in the witness
of Israel’s sacred texts. While continuing to listen to the authoritative voice of Israel’s Scriptures, he engaged in a serious
reappropriation of their contents. He now viewed everything
through the lenses of God’s action in Jesus Christ, whom he
understood to be the embodiment of the faithfulness of the
God of Israel. God has kept his word, and this ‘Word’ came
into the world in flesh, in the person of Jesus Christ. Paul’s
proclamation of the Good News, therefore, did not depart
from his understanding of Israel’s vocation to be the ‘light to
the nations’. He saw this vocation being fulfilled in Jesus
Christ—the faithful Israelite—and in those who are now ‘in
him’—the Messianic community.
Paul recognized how the Scriptures’ witness to God’s past
dealings with Israel could shed light on his communities’
present situation and enable them to deal with the problems
at hand. At the same time, he saw that God’s present action in
his communities could deepen their understanding of God’s
past dealings with his people Israel. When Paul wrote pastoral letters to help his communities grapple with their new
identity ‘in Christ’ and its demands in terms of behavior and
action, he could not have imagined that his writings would
subsequently form part of a new collection of sacred writings—the Christian ‘New Testament’. In fact, some of his directives were very specific and tailored to the situations he
was addressing. They were unique responses to concrete circumstances and were not meant to be taken as universal pronouncements that would retain their validity outside their
specific historical context. Examples of such pronouncements
are those that subvert Israel’s favored status before God, as in
the polemic Letter to the Galatians. Here, Paul was redefining
God’s covenant with Abraham, in order to argue for the inclusion of the Gentiles in God’s plan of salvation. He destroyed
the base of his opponents’ arguments by reinterpreting the
‘offspring’ (literally, ‘seed’) of Abraham as referring not to
the whole nation Israel but to Jesus Christ alone (cf. Gal 3:16;
Gen 22:18). Then he crowned his argument with the conclusion that— to be ‘in Christ Jesus’ through faith and baptism, is
to be a descendant of Abraham, and therefore, member of the
covenant nation and heir to the promises God made to
Abraham. (Gal 3:25-29).
As interpreter of Israel’s Scriptures, “Paul saw himself as a
prophetic figure, carrying forward the proclamation of God’s
word as Israel’s prophets and sages had always done, in a way
that reactivated past revelation under new conditions.”1 Paul’s
interpretive approach was always pastoral and geared towards
the building up of his communities—strengthening their identity, transforming their consciousness, and orienting their
actions. Paul did not merely read Israel’s Scriptures as history
of God’s dealings with Israel, but saw them as a treasury of
symbols, images and metaphors that could be used as parallels and analogies for the proclamation of the Gospel. He
found in them numerous prefigurations of the revelatory event
of Christ’s death and resurrection and the formation of the
Messianic community, which is the Church. Paul led his communities, through imaginative reading of Scriptures, to find
themselves and their own experiences figured in the stories
of Israel, and to understand the promises contained in the
Scriptures as being fulfilled right in their own time and in
their own lives. He taught them to read Scriptures with confidence in the God who would always be true to his promises
and would never disappoint those who hope in him.
Thus, for Paul, Scriptures were not only a relic of antiquity, but
a living and ongoing relationship with the God of Israel, the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the “Abba” and Father of us all.
Richard Hays, Echoes of Scripture in the Letters of Paul (London: Yale
University Press, 1989), 14.
1
Fr. Roy Cimagala
Eucharistic life
SOME weeks ago, we observed
the solemnity of Corpus Christi,
the liturgical celebration of the
Body and Blood of Christ.
Usually after the Mass, a procession of the Blessed Sacrament
is made around town, drawing a
big crowd of devotees. In some
communities, the celebration is
extended to a week-long adoration of the Eucharist.
They are Christian practices,
happily common in many places
all over the world and deeply
rooted in the long history of our
Church tradition.
In our country, these practices
are still popular, thanks be to God.
But they certainly need a lot of
boosting, given the secularizing
tendencies of our times. We ought
to be more aware of this concern
that should involve all of us.
To date, we already have a very
comprehensive theology about
this central mystery of our faith.
And a good number of relevant
spiritualities have developed
through the ages. There also are
several groups who ardently dedicate themselves to this devotion.
Just the same, we need to multiply and sustain our efforts to
transform this Eucharistic devotion into a Eucharistic life, involving not only a few or even
many people, but in fact all of us,
as it should.
This is because the Eucharist is
the source and summit of our
Christian life. It’s where we have
Christ sacramentally present and
where he continues to offer his
life on the cross for us and who
gives himself as our spiritual
food.
To put it bluntly, our Christianity ceases if this sacrament
gets completely obliterated.
This truth of our faith is that
with his death Christ has not left
us orphans. He continues to be
with us, through the sacraments
and in the Church, thanks to the
Holy Spirit who extends Christ’s
presence and work throughout
time without any diminution,
regardless of our conditions.
Especially through the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, Christ
has not left us not only with some
symbols and signs alone.
Through the liturgy, the real
Christ, in the entirety of his divinity and humanity, who is now
seated in the right hand of his
Father, comes to us, remains here
on earth and makes himself intimately available to us.
With this sacrament, Christ and
us are not held hostage by the
limitations of space and time. We
manage to be together—in fact,
in so direct and personal a way
as to be properly termed as communion, a union of life and love.
With this sacrament, time and
eternity merge, and so do heaven
and earth. United to it, even our
smallest and most insignificant
detail in our life, including our
sufferings and things we don’t
like, acquire eternal and redemptive value.
This is the supreme treasure of
a truth that we all need to be more
aware of. Hopefully, we can then
start to earnestly conform our
whole life to this reality—our
thoughts and desires, our feelings, outlook and attitudes, etc.
In fact, this is the ideal that we
should pursue always. This is because the Eucharist, the real Christ
in the sacrament, is the ultimate
and constant food for our life. We
don’t depend on food, water and
air. We depend on Christ.
And neither do we depend on
our intellectual progress and technological and scientific advancement. These things can be very
impressive. But they don’t completely satisfy our soul. We long
for more. It’s Christ that does that.
Our usual problem is that we
don’t go all the way in our Eucharistic faith. Our devotion to it
often appears simply posed,
scripted and staged, and not really issuing vitally from our
heart and life. Thus, it is also not
abiding, but rather intermittent.
It’s on and off depending on conditions.
It should be no surprise if we
are often dominated by our weaknesses, not to mention, the continuing temptations around us.
Our catechesis on this truth of
our faith should never stop. Parents in their respective families
should talk ceaselessly about
this. Priests, of course, should
preach about it in homilies and
in other occasions.
Everyone should do something to help one another live an
authentic Eucharistic life. We
have to foster going to Mass often, making visits to the Blessed
Sacrament, spending time adoring our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament chapels, making frequent
spiritual communions, etc.
We have to understand that our
life should not be any other than
Eucharistic!
CBCP Monitor
Social Concerns
Vol. 12 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2008
B7
How to feed a
hungry world
From sugarcane farm worker
to vegetable entrepreneur
By Sally Bulatao
WEARING thinned rubber slippers, the
skin of his heels cracked, his face and
arms browned by the sun, this farmer,
51-year-old Sandy Lejita, was the picture
of gentle pride. We were there to visit
his vegetable farm which he had developed since he became an agrarian reform
beneficiary in 2003 when 130 hectares of
Hacienda Carmen was covered by agrarian reform. He was one of 92 regular
farm workers given a collective CLOA
(certificate of Land Ownership Award)
entitling them to receive a land parcel
after final survey and partitioning.
Expecting about a hectare of land to be
covered upon final awarding, Sandy began to develop a 3,600 square meter piece
on the fringes of sugar cane fields into a
plot that he had planted to ampalaya or
amargoso. Pending final awarding of the
land to individual owners, most of the
land is on lease to the Hacienda through
the encargado (farm manager). They describe it as gipa-ariendo.
Ask him about this venture and he has
all the numbers at his fingertips. He
plants only about half of the plot at one
time because he can only afford one canister of amargoso seeds that costs P1,519
for 100 grams. Following technical
specifications, one seed should grow on
ground measuring 25cm x 300 cm. When
he did not have enough money to buy
seeds, he obtained the seeds on loan
from the distributor in Libertad who
also bought his ampalaya harvest at P20
per kilogram. If he sorts his produce, he
can make P30 per kilogram for first class
ampalaya.
Sandy reckons that he spends P7,000
for every ampalaya crop which lasts five
months before he has to replant. This
includes the cost of the seeds, the bamboo poles and nylon string used to make
the trellis for the vines as well as the
cost of fertilizer and insect spray.
One cropping allows him to harvest
ampalaya eight times with each harvest
generating gross revenue ranging from
P1,500 to about P4,000. Computed at an
average of P2,000 a harvest, eight harvests gives him about P16,000.
Although the trellis lasts for about
four crops, he says that he and his laborer/partner usually deduct P3,500
(half of the P7,000 capital) from the gross
revenue and the difference, they divide
in half between the two of them.
Vicente, his partner, is a relative of
Sandy’s wife, Angel.
That amounts to P6,250 each for Sandy
and Vicente for five months of work.
Not much. But compared to P150 a day
as farm laborer, for work of two days a
week, it is about even. But the potential
to earn more from their own farm is
huge, if only they could raise a little more
capital.
All the ampalaya they harvest is sold
in Libertad where the buyer purchases
everything they can deliver. At the
Murcia town market, ampalaya was selling for P35 per kilogram on the day we
visited the farm.
Sandy is also a carpenter. At the back
of his house stands the frame of a bahay
kubo that he intends to set up at the farm.
He has discovered that there is a spring
at one end of the farm and he looks forward to putting up his old water pump
there. He also earns extra income from
sharpening saws at P30 per saw.
He showed us his gmelina trees behind his home lot. He says all his four
children, now all grown up with families of their own, have houses made of
wood that he had harvested from his
trees.
He is also ready with some seedlings
of fruit trees. He plans to plant them on
his own farm lot once he secures his land
title. He has seedlings of tomatoes and
eggplants, too.
His wife Angel is 49 years old. She
cooks and sells native cakes and other
food items. She even sold a big papaya
to Quidan Kaisahan (QK) staff for P20.
She thinks that if she had the capital, she
can earn more or at least as much as
Sandy.
Sandy was a member of the union in
the Hacienda. They were affiliated with
NFSW (National Federation of Sugar
Workers). He was one of the leaders
who successfully negotiated the first
CBA (collective bargaining agreement)
at the Hacienda. After being designated
a CARP beneficiary in 2003, he took a
job as encargado at the Hilado farm. He
stayed one year only. He could not stand
being on the “other side,” he said.
From 1973 to 2003, Sandy was a sugar
farm worker doing one of the lowliest
of farm labor, weeding in the cane fields
at Hacienda Carmen in Murcia, Negros
Occidental They call it paghilamon. Luckily for Sandy, those years did not break
his spirit. He feels he is strong enough
to make his farm productive once finally
awarded to him and his family. He remains a natural leader of his fellow
agrarian reform beneficiaries. He has
invited nine of them who are also en-
gaged in ampalaya farming to a meeting with QK on 17 August to discuss how
they can improve their vegetable enterprise.
Willy, a community organizer of QK
assigned in Blumentritt, had invited
Sandy to the LED (Local Economic Development) planning meeting on 27 July
where farmers engaged in some form of
agricultural enterprise were encouraged
to attend and discuss the possibility of
clustering some of their enterprises.
QK is at the initial stage of managing
an agri loan facility. This comes after a
successful micro-finance operation with
its sister institution Pag-inupdanay Inc.
(PI). They realize that agri loans are more
risky. To address this, QK is on the lookout for onsite farmer entreps like Sandy
who can serve not only as models in their
communities but as a source of technical
assistance in doing an agri-enterprise
already familiar to them.
QK’s Business Development Service,
on the other hand, is also in its early
stages, testing its capabilities in value
adding along the value chains of commodities in which their target groups
are engaged. Today, QK has a modest
agri loan portfolio of about P700,000.
The agri lending program started three
years ago with about P300,000. QK’s agri
window includes production loans to
farmers producing sugarcane, rice and
more recently, cassava. The farmers sell
dried cassava chips to La Tondeña which
processes the raw material into alcohol.
Coffee farmers in QK-assisted areas sell
organic coffee beans to the Figaro Foundation.
Going very cautiously, QK has a
record 100 percent repayment rate with
this facility. The big question is how
quickly they can accelerate the program
while maintaining the quality of lending. Likewise, they are now designing
the kind of enterprise support that would
strengthen the agribusiness initiatives
of the farmers in the areas where participatory local governance has already
taken root. More farmers engaged in
agribusiness, more farmers running
their farms like entrepreneurs—this is
the vision QK shares with Sandy, and
with every day that passes, with more
and more farmers.
(Sally Bulatao co-founded Ibon Databank
in 1978 together with Sr. Sol Perpinan, RGS,
and served as its Executive Director for several years until 1988. She headed the National Dairy Authority in 2001-2006 and now
acts as the Supervising Trustee of the ASIbased Center for Small Entrepreneurs.)
By Father Shay Cullen
IN a remote and beautiful part of
county Sligo in North West Ireland I
stood in a low roofed insulated building looking into one of several dozen
large fish growing tanks. Thousands
of fish called Arctic Charr are swimming around and around growing by
the day. Cold, natural, fresh spring
water is pouring in from the mountain. It is circulated, filtered and aerated.
Bill Carty, the owner, casts a handful of feed pellets into one of the tanks
and it churns in a feeding frenzy as
this future source of high protein food
gobble up their meal. This sustainable form of healthy fish farming has
to be the way of the future as fish
stocks in oceans and rivers are dangerously declining, some species are
already extinct and others are on the
edge due to excessive and unsustainable fishing. There are more and
more hungry people to feed.
Last week Irish fishermen staged a
public protest in Dublin and gave
away fish and threw more into the
river Liffy to highlight their protest
at the strict European Union restrictions on the number of boats allowed
to put to sea and the tonnage of fish
they are allowed to catch. The price
of fish is soaring along with everything else.
The rising price of diesel has diminished their earnings and more
and more bans on the use of destructive fishing equipment curtail their
catch but protect the breeding habitat of sea grass and coral reefs. What
has diminished the fish populations
in the once teeming oceans is water
pollution and the deadly destructive
fishing practices such as the bottom
trawl that destroys the corals and the
use of drift nets—”walls of death”, as
they are called.
The EU bans are saving several species of fish from extinction and making large scale ocean fishing unprofitable. Decades of irresponsible destructive fishing practices created
millions of tons of “bycatch” fish,
shrimps and crabs and other sea creatures which were thrown back into
the sea dead and put some of them
on the endangered species list.
The Japanese whaling and shark
fishing is condemned worldwide as
destructive and cruel as they harpoon
the gentle creatures and drag them
half alive on to factory ships and
slaughter them on board. They only
cut off the shark’s fins and throw back
the wounded creature to die in a horrible death. These destructive practices have given the fishing industry
a bad name. All the more then is the
future in sustainable and healthy organic fish farming, as I witnessed in
the Cool Spring Arctic Charr fish
farm at Cloonacool last week. Bill’s
wife Mari Johnston cooked one fresh
Arctic Charr in the nearby kitchen
and it was one of the most delicious
fish I have ever eaten. All the more
am I convinced that the development
of the Tilapia fish ponds at our Preda
organic farm in Zambales, Philippines, is the right and sensible thing
to do.
The greed of money mad moguls
is one of the driving forces behind
the massive rise in the cost of food
commodities world wide. Wealthy
traders hoard their stocks forcing
prices to soar beyond the ability of
the poor to buy food. Since 1992 to
the present, the price of rice has risen
74 percent, soya bean by 87 percent
and wheat by an astounding 130 percent, corn is up 31 percent in the same
period.
Rich nations give their agri-corporations and wealthy farmers massive
subsidies prompting massive over
production and the dumping of the
surplus in developing nations thus
killing off local farming and preventing food security. Rich nations create import taxes that prevent the
farmers in Africa from selling their
lower priced quality cotton and other
products in the rich nations.
Many are facing famine as global
warming, created by the refusal of
wealthy industrialists and politicians
to curb CO2 factory emissions and
nations like India and China refuse
to cutback on fossil fuel consumption. This creates droughts, massive
typhoons and crop failures and destruction. Director-General Jacques
Diouf of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in
Rome last week that there is an additional 820 million hungry people in
the world than in 1996.
In Somalia alone there are 2.6 million people, 35 percent of the nation,
facing a food crises, none can afford
to buy food. The global injustice of
this imbalance in the sharing of the
planets resources is the greatest
shame of all humanity.
Eucharist / B2
miliated, stripped, and brutally
nailed to the cross, he surprisingly concluded, “This man is innocent” (Lk 23:47), and “Truly,
this is the Son of God” (Mt 27:54;
Mk 15:39). Already hardened by
many crucifixions he had supervised, he must have seen something new in Jesus. At the conclusion of a routine execution came
a profession of faith in Jesus. It
was not just another crucifixion
after all. It was the manifestation
of innocence and of the Son of
God. We learn from the
centurion’s “adoration” that
Jesus’ sacrifice of life cannot be
appreciated for what it truly is
unless the horror of the cross is
confronted.
Mark’s gospel says the centurion
stood facing Jesus. Like any leader
of guards, he kept careful watch
over this criminal Jesus. He did
nothing but look at Jesus. Physical
nearness was not enough however.
He had to be intent, vigilant and
observant so that he could account
for every detail. We learn from the
centurion to face Jesus, to keep
watch over him, to behold him, to
contemplate him. At first the cen-
turion spent hours watching over
Jesus out of duty but ended up contemplating him in truth.
What did the centurion see? We
can assume that he saw the horror of suffering that preceded
Jesus’ death. He was an eyewitness to the torment, humiliation
and loneliness inflicted on Jesus
when friends betrayed and left
him. He must have been shocked
to see Judas planting a seemingly
caressing kiss that was in fact an
act of treachery. He probably
wondered how swiftly a band of
friends could abandon their
teacher to preserve their lives. He
heard the lies fabricated in the
Sanhedrin and Pilate’s surrender
to the crowd, despite the lack of a
case against Jesus. He beheld
people ridiculing Jesus, spitting
on him, stripping him and crucifying him. He heard the painful
cry, “My God, my God, why have
you forsaken me?” (Mk 15:34).
The centurion saw incredible cruelty from friends, leaders, and
even from a distant God. Betrayal,
inhumanity, and viciousness continue up to our time in the many
crucifixions of the poor and of
creation. We cannot help but
wonder why friends, leaders, and
God are unresponsive.
But I also believe that in Jesus
the centurion saw incredible
love, love for the God who had
failed to remove this cup of suffering from him, and love for
neighbors. For his enemies, he
begged the Father’s forgiveness
(Lk 23:34). To a bandit he promised paradise (Lk 23:43). For his
mother he secured a new family
(Jn 19:26-27). And to the God who
had abandoned him, he abandoned himself, “Father, into your
hands I commend my spirit” (Lk
23:46). The centurion saw love
blooming in the aridity of inhumanity. Amidst the noise of ridicule and lies, this man Jesus uttered words of fidelity and truth.
Everywhere people were shouting “no” to Jesus, but the centurion heard from Jesus only “yes”
to the Father, “yes” to neighbors,
“yes” to mission. In this horrible
cross of hatred and violence, the
centurion found love, unwavering love, a love that refused to
die, a love that was strong as steel
against evil, yet tender before the
beloved. Jesus remained faithful
to his mission. Thus his death was
transformed into life.
When we adore the Triune God
in praise of the sacrifice of Jesus,
we are called to cry for the victims of the indifference of sinful
humanity and the helplessness of
God. But we also cry in gratitude
for the hopeful unfolding of pure
love in a broken world. The
cross, where the guilt of criminals was sealed, confirmed the
innocence of Jesus, the true worshipper of God. His sacrificial
worship was his untarnished love
of God and profound compassion
for sinners. Jesus, who survived
such horror with hope and conquered such evil with tenderness
and love, was not only innocent.
He also showed that he came
from above. The centurion believed that Jesus could have come
only from God, his Father.
I visited a poor section of a parish that opened a feeding program
for malnourished children. The
parents were required to supervise the meal of their children. As
I went around the crowded noisy
hall, a teenage girl who was gen-
tly feeding a young boy caught
my attention. She must be his elder sister, I thought to myself. I
approached them and asked where
their mother was. She was looking for a job that day, I was told.
So she sent her teenage daughter
to feed the boy. Thinking that she
must be as hungry as her brother,
I asked, “Have you eaten?” “No,”
she said, “I am not part of the program. I am already thirteen.” I was
surprised at her honesty. For hungry children, this was an opportunity to cheat in order to fill one’s
stomach. But she remained honest. I responded, “I will instruct a
volunteer to give you lunch, if
some food is left after all the children have eaten.” Thankful but
embarrassed she said, “No,
Bishop. There are many other
hungry children in this village.
Give the extra food to them.” I was
drawn into deep silence. “My God,
my God, why are these children
going hungry?” I prayed. Yet I also
exclaimed, “I did not expect to see
sharing and integrity in this place
of death. Truly these are innocent
children of God. There is hope for
the world.”
In Eucharistic adoration, let us
join the centurion in watching
over Jesus and see what he has
seen. Let us cringe in horror at
the sight of destructive evil. Let
us marvel at the reality of spotless love, of pure sacrifice and
worship. I wish that Eucharistic
adoration would lead us to know
Jesus more as the compassionate
companion of many crucified
peoples of today. Let us spend
time too with the multitudes of
innocent victims of our time. We
might be able to touch Jesus who
knows their tears and pain for he
has made them his own and has
changed them into hope and love.
Watching over our suffering
neighbors, we could be changed
like the centurion into discerners of truth and heralds of faith.
And hopefully when people behold how we bear others’ crosses
in love, they too would see the
face of innocence and the Son of
God in us. Let us adore Jesus who
offered his life as a gift to the Father for us sinners. Let us adore
him for ourselves, for the poor,
for the earth, for the Church and
for the life of the world.
B8
Title: Kung Fu Panda
Lead Cast : Jack Black, Dustin
Hoffman, Angelina Jolie,
Lucy Liu, Jacky Chan, Ian
Mcshane
Director: Mark Osborne, John
Stevenson
Story: Ethan Reiff, Cyrus Voris
Screenplay: Jonathan Aibel,
Glenn Berger
Cinematography: Yong Duk
Jhun
Editing: Clare De Chenu
Producer: Melissa Cobb
Music: John Powell, Hans
Zimmer
Location: China
Genre: Animation ActionComedy
Distributor : Dreamworks
Animation
Running Time: 88 minutes
Technical Assessment:
Moral Assessment :
Cinema Rating: For ages 13
and below with parental
guidance
PO (Jack Black) is a sloppy, overweight but loveable Panda who
dreams to be a kung-fu master
one day. However, he seems to
be stuck in a noodle shop run by
his father, surprisingly a gentle
goose, Mr. Ping (James Hong). He
lives in a peaceful and loving village which is threatened when rumors circulate about the escape
of the vicious snow leopard villain Tai Ling (Ian McShane).
Kung-fu masters of the Jade Palace immediately announce the
need to fulfill the ancient prophecy and select a Dragon Warrior.
Naturally, the top five martial
arts students vie for the title and
set off to an elimination round.
Po hero-worships the “Furious
Five” composed of Tigress
(Angelina Jolie), Crane (David
Cross), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Viper (Lucy Liu) and Monkey
(Jacky Chan) and wastes no time
to witness the competition. By an
extreme clumsiness and unfortunate luck, Po ends in the middle
of the courtyard and is declared
by aging Master Oogway to be
CBCP Monitor
Entertainment
the Dragon Warrior. Master
Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) reluctantly takes on the task to train
the supposed savior of their village but the battle Po must first
win is with himself and his insecurities as well as the resentment
of the five star students who
have no respect for him at all.
Kung Fu Panda is undoubtedly
predictable and an old formula
for an action-comedy movie but
it pulls it off successfully with
ease and delight. The film is a
visual feast with a barrage of vibrant color and amazingly detailed Chinese landscapes. The
action sequences themselves are
enjoyable with a brilliant choreography and impressive animation. The screenplay has the perfect amount and pace of humor,
wisdom and story-telling that
adults will find the movie interesting while kids will just be engrossed with the spectacle.
The movie conveys several
lessons and values. One, Po discovers that to achieve success
there is no secret ingredient or
secret formula, just enough honesty and sincerity coupled with
determination and passion. At
the end, only one’s self will help
one triumph. Two, Mr. Ping emphasizes that to make something
special, you yourself have to believe it is special. Appreciation
has to come first from within because the value of something is
determined by the value one
gives it. Three, the movie also
talks about having and fulfilling
a destiny. While some are born
to have distinguished roles in the
future, one still has to wholeheartedly accept the responsibility, strive to learn and master
what is needed to be able to fulfill the task and have the passion
and fortitude to see it through
no matter how hard or painful.
Some elements of the movie,
particularly the action sequences, may be worrisome for
parents. It is better to have a responsible adult accompany and
guide very young audiences.
Moral Assessment
Abhorrent
Disturbing
Acceptable
Wholesome
Exemplary
Vol. 12 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2008
Technical Assessment
Poor
Below average
Average
Above average
Excellent
MAC en COLET
ni Bladimer Usi
Buhay
Parokya
Missing items:
Bishop’s crozier, candle, and
Holy Water container.
Title: The Happening
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, John Leguizimo, Ashlyn
Sanches, Betty Buckley, Spencer Breslin, Robert Bailey, Jr.,
Frank Collison, Jeremy Strong, Alan Ruck, Victoria Clark
Director and Writer: M Night Shayamalan
Location: United States, India
Running Time: 90 minutes
Technical Assessment:
Moral Assessment:
CINEMA rating: For viewers 18 years old and above
THE Happening opens with
workers at a construction site
falling one after the other to
their deaths. Elsewhere, in New
York’s Central Park, the leaves
stir in a lingering breeze that
emits an eerie wailing sound;
promenaders lose control of
their movements and memory,
stopping dead and walking
backward on their tracks without knowing or remembering
why. Then, apparently in a
trance, they kill themselves.
News of the weird happening
reaches the classroom of Philadelphia high school teacher
Elliot Moore (Mark Wahlberg).
They are discussing the mysterious and sudden disappearance of millions of honey bees
when the school administration calls a meeting to send the
students home as the New York
tragedy, feared to be another
terrorist attack, seems to be
creeping into Philadelphia.
Elliot, his wife Alma (Zooey
Deschanel), a friend and fellow
teacher
Julian
(John
Leguizamo), and Julian’s
daughter Jess (Ashlyn Sanchez)
flee to safer grounds on a train.
Trouble brews as the train,
brimming over with anxious
passengers, stops at a deserted
station where the train personnel admit they have lost contact with everyone.
Seeing “Directed by M Night
Shayamalan” on the screen as
the film opens makes the
viewer expect a superior mystery thriller. After all, the director has made a name for
himself crafting off-thebeaten-path stories of terror
bearing a profound and relevant message: Signs, The Village, etc. The first ten minutes
or so of The Happening delivers the chills, like a blast of
cold air when you open a
freezer, but beyond that it
seems to thaw out. Sights and
sounds are effective—the
leaves fluttering ominously in
the wind and wailing manifest
the power of the unseen to terrify. The broken bodies on the
ground, a hairpin stabbed into
a woman’s jugular—such
things have their shock value,
but their impact is short-lived.
Wahlberg is a great actor, but
the character he’s portraying
is too bland for his talents. As
for the other actors—they simply do what their part asks for,
which isn’t much.
Would you bother to see a
mystery thriller that fails to
mystify or thrill you most of
the time? Then lower your expectations. Since The Happening is not supposed to be an
ordinary “scary movie” but
one that is hoped to stimulate
and engage your intellect into
pondering life’s deeper
riddles, you would at least expect to learn something worthwhile out of it. Surely The
Happening is trying to say
something; it just didn’t seem
to know how to say it—which
leads you to conclude that it
doesn’t know what it wants to
say. When the movie says the
mass suicides are induced by
an invisible airborne “natural
compound” (that once inhaled
makes you want to savagely
kill yourself), is it warning us
against abusing our environment? Not clear. When after
running for their lives the
Moore couple (wanting to die
together) expose themselves
to the deadly wind and survive, is the movie saying “love
conquers all”? Not sure. When
the creative juices are running
dry but the director wants to
continue piggy-back riding on
past success, what happens?
The Happening turns out to be
not much of a happening.
C1
CBCP
CBCP Monitor
Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2008
The Cross
Supplement Publication
Publication for
for KCFAPI
KCFAPI
AA Supplement
and the
the Order
Order of
of the
the Knights
Knights of
of Columbus
Columbus
and
7th Visayas State Confab, a success
Photo by Dennis Dayao
NOT even the forecast of unpleasant
weather could dampen the enthusiasm
of brother knights and ladies from the
different provinces and regions in the
Visayas to attend the much-awaited 7 th
Visayas State Convention held in Cebu
City last May 16 to 18.
Heeding the invitation of the Worthy
Visayas Deputy, Bro. Dionisio “Jun” R.
Esteban, Jr., more than 400 delegates
came just in time for the start of the 3day State Convention.
Streamers announcing the holding of
the State Convention were in strategic
streets and corners of Cebu City, courtesy of Bro. Victor Queniahan and his
committee.
For starters, on Day 1, fourth degree
knights who are members of the Color
Corps exhibited their skills in the Drill
Competition. The winning delegation
from Iloilo City Assembly, together
with other competing assemblies,
proved why the 4 th Degree Color Corps
deserved to be called “The Visible Arm
of the K of C.”
Then, off they went to the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral to act as honor
guards to the thirty-seven couples
(brother knights and ladies who have been
married for 25 years or more) who renewed
their marriage vows in a concelebrated
mass presided by Rev. Msgr. Achilles
Dakay, Cebu Archdiocese Media Liaison
Officer and official representative of His
Eminence, Ricardo J. Cardinal Vidal,
D.D. to the Visayas State Convention.
After the mass, all convention delegates went to the Archbishop’s Palace
grounds for the Santa Cruzan with the
regional and provincial deputies’ wives
as “Sagalas ” and featuring Lady Fe
Rodrigo-Esteban as “ Reyna Elena”. A
Visayas / C2
KCFAPI Golden Jubilee
100 Days Countdown!
KC Philippines Foundation partners
with Gawad Kalinga
ONE of the four pillars of the
Knights of Columbus is PATRIOTISM which is love of country.
One of the main problems of our
country is poverty. The problem
of poverty is huge, but not without end. Since it is man-made, it
can also be man-unmade. This
country has struggled with poverty long enough. In a world
where there are enough resources for all, but not enough
sharing, we can all work together
to bring this to an end and when
it is over, we can think back with
a smile knowing that we helped
change the world.
The very name of our organization—Order of the Knights of
Columbus denotes social responsibility. Rev. Fr. George J.
Willmann, SJ, beloved founder of
Knights of Columbus Fraternal
Association of the Phils., Inc.
(KCFAPI) dedicated his life to the
upliftment of the poor, needy and
outcast. Now that KCFAPI is celebrating its Golden Jubilee there
is a need for a social project that
will showcase the higher meaning and true value of this oncein-a-lifetime event.
KCFAPI, through its Corporate
Social Responsibility Arm, the Knights
of Columbus Philippines Foundation,
Inc. (KCPFI) partnered with Gawad
© Dennis Dayao / CBCP Media
By Edwin B. Dawal
GROUND-BREAKING OF KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS GK VILLAGE. Knights of Columbus Philippines Foundation, Inc. recently held the Ground-breaking of their Gawad
Kalinga housing project at Tungkong Mangga, San Jose del Monte, Bulacan. Justice Jose C. Reyes, Jr., Chairman; SK Alonso L. Tan, President; and Msgr. Pedro C.
Quitorio III, Spiritual Director; led the ceremony with GK Director Antonio Meloto.
Kalinga Community Development,
Inc. (GK) for the construction of one
row ten housing-dwelling units that
will serve as the showcase for the K of
C Village project in Bagong Pangarap
GKSiteatTungkongMangga,SanJose
del Monte, Bulacan because of the following:
1) KCPFI and the K of C share
the same vision as that of GK’s—
building a nation empowered by
people with passion, Christian
faith and patriotism; a nation
made up of caring and sharing
communities; dedicated to eradicate poverty and restore human
dignity. GK is not only a housing
project for indigent families, but
focuses holistically on community building, through dignity
restoration, healing, and empowerment of the poor, as the key to
achieving success through programs that foster bayanihan (collective effort and cooperation).
2) KCPFI and K of C have programs and activities that are very
similar to major programs of GK.
These programs and concerns are:
family-oriented community infrastructures, Christian values
formation and development,
youth development, health, en-
vironment protection and conservation, and people productivity.
3) The GK program of CFC has
already gained prominence and
recognition both locally and
abroad. Even large multi-national
business organizations have
partnered with GK for the implementation of their corporate social
responsibility initiative. Because of
Gawad Kalinga / C3
By Gari M. San
Sebastian
KCFAPI marked its 100 Days
Countdown on June 5 to September 9, its 50th Founding Anniversary, in its Home Office in
Intramuros.
The countdown started with a
Holy Eucharistic celebration officiated by Msgr. Pedro C.
Quitorio III, KCFAPI Spiritual
Director.
All employees once again sung
and interpreted the Golden Jubilee theme song “Hands of Love,”
composed by the famous songwriter Fr. Carlo Magno Marcelo
of San Carlos Seminary.
“Few organizations are fortunate to celebrate its 50 years just
like few married couples are able
to witness their Golden anniversaries. This is a once-in-a-lifetime
event so we better make it the
best,” said Bro. Antonio B.
Borromeo, KCFAPI President,
addressing his message to all
who are part of this momentous
occasion.
Msgr. Quitorio blessed the
Golden Jubilee candle that symbolizes the light and guidance of
the Holy Spirit as we prepare for
the celebration on September 13,
2008 at the Centennial Ballroom
of the historic Manila Hotel.
The short but meaningful program ended with the unveiling
of the 100 Days Countdown Billboard in front of the office building with the fireworks and sparklers that made the event more
festive and lively.
More surprises and prizes will
be provided by your Association
as we all Celebrate 50 Years of
Fraternal Service!
Mindanao’s 12 Jurisdiction
Convention: ‘Witnessing to
the Yes of Jesus’
th
AS conventions go, there are speeches,
there are socials, and there’s camaraderie. As Knights of Columbus conventions
go, there are also Eucharistic celebrations
and devotional prayers to our Blessed
Mother and the saints. As the 12 th
Mindanao Jurisdiction Convention went,
there was deep reflection about what it is
to be a Christian and a Knight, and what
it takes to say Yes to Jesus in faith and
action in these challenging times.
Last April 25-27, Knights from all over
Mindanao, gathered together for the 12th
Mindanao Jurisdictional Convention at
the Davao City Convention Center in
Davao City with the theme “Celebrating 125 Years of Faith in Action; Witnessing to the Yes of Jesus.”
The convention was presided over by
the Mindanao Deputy, SK Sofronio R.
Cruz, who also delivered his report on
the State of the Order.
Mindanao bishops delivered inspiring
messages
Five bishops of Mindanao took turns
presiding over the celebration of the Holy
Mass and giving messages to the Knights.
Archbishop Fernando R. Capalla,
Archbishop of Davao and the State Chaplain, himself a 4th Degree Knight, officiated at the concelebrated Opening Convention Mass. In his homily, he mentioned the peace-making efforts of the
Bishops-Ulama Conference, and exhorted the brother Knights to let the practice of Columbianism cross racial, political, and even religious boundaries for
the sake of true peace, reconciliation,
and social healing.
Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos of Butuan
Diocese delivered the keynote speech. He
recalled the chivalry of the knights of old
in the service of the people and urged the
Knights of today to serve in the field of
international understanding by promoting harmonious relationship among various faith believers and fostering unity
and solidarity among Christians.
Bishop George B. Rimando, Auxiliary
Bishop of Davao, celebrated the Convention Memorial Mass on the second day
where deceased brother Knights were
remembered in prayer. Bishop Rimando
exhorted the Knights to be truer to their
calling as Christians precisely because
Mindanao / C3
KCFAPI Golden
Jubilee Logo
THE Knights of Columbus epitomize the ideal Catholic gentleman. True to the objectives of the Order, the
life of a Brother Knight is imbued with faith, fraternity and concern for the family.
CBCP Monitor
The Cross
C2
Vol. 12 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2008
Seed of Hope
Fund
Patrocinio R. Bacay
Chairman, KCFAPI
THE Board of Trustees of
KCFAPI during its regular
meeting last May 2008 in Manila has approved the establishment of a P10-Million fund
called the CBCP Seed of Hope
Fund. Under this program the
earnings of the fund will be
used to finance the priority
projects of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
The creation of this fund is KCFAPI’s response to the constant
call to active involvement in the work of the Church.
The CBCP Seed of Hope which is being sowed at the threshold of KCFAPI’s celebration of its 50 Years of Fraternal Service
is expected to bear fruit and thrive to further develop the reach
of the Catholic Church in today’s changing world.
Wind Beneath
our Wings!
Antonio B. Borromeo
President, KCFAPI
AS we celebrate our Golden
Jubilee this year, we’re proud
to announce that despite the
downtrend of interest rates
and the strengthening of the
Philippine peso to the U.S.
dollar in 2007, our revenues
before participation of Benefit
Certificate Holders reached
P51 million. Fifty percent
(50%) or P25.5 million will be
enjoyed by the Benefit Certificate Holders as their share to
the net earnings of the Association. Plus! By way of expressing
our sincerest gratitude, an additional of P14.5 million will be
released in time with our 50th anniversary in September, or a
whooping total of P40 million in total dividends. This is the
biggest amount that our BC Holders will enjoy in the entire
history of KCFAPI.
We hope that our BC Holders feel proud to be part of the
Association.
There’s really more reason to celebrate our Golden Jubilee
this year, first—with the early release of dividends last May,
second—the highest amount compared with the previous years.
KCFAPI shares all these blessings with our valued BC holders, the force and “Wind beneath KCFAPI’s Wings.”
11stst Ever KC-Ing Galing All Male
Chorale Singing Contest wraps up
THE Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines, Inc. (KCFAPI) concluded its first ever “KC-Ing Galing All-Male
Chorale Singing Competition” as part of the
series of activities held in celebration of its
Golden Jubilee competed in by various councils of different jurisdictions.
The venue of the final round of the Luzon
jurisdiction was the SMX-Mall of Asia during the Luzon State Convention on May 24
where Council No. 5310 (GOMBURZA) captured the first place award.
In the Visayas Jurisdiction, the final round
was held during the Visayas State Convention on April 26 at the Grand Majestic Convention Center, Cebu City with Council No.
11373 (St. Peter’s Council) grabbing first place.
While in the Mindanao Jurisdiction, it was
Council No. 8764 (St. Joseph the Worker) that
stood out as the champion in their jurisdiction. The final round was held during the
Mindanao State Convention at the Davao
Convention Center, Davao City on April 26.
Luzon Jurisdiction
Council No. 5310 (GOMBURZA)
The Council No. 5310 was formed in June 1962
and at present has 262 members and based at the
Most Holy Redeemer Parish, Brixton Hills,
Quezon City. Their choir days began when the
members saw the need, which prompted the
Grand Knight to organize the choir. The distinctive quality of the members’ voices caught the
attention of those who have heard them whenever they sang in council masses. This encouraged them to join the competition.
The members of the GOMBURZA choir
during the chorale competition are: Bro. Ed
de Guia (Grand Knight), Bro. Oliver Bara,
Bro.Gleo Asancha, Bro. Pert Somera, Bro.
Constantino Cabagay, Bro. Enrique Camitan,
Bro. Bert Canlas, Bro. Emman de Guia, Bro.
Senen Abihay, Bro. Danny Aguilar, Bro.
Virgilio Santos (Choir Leader), Bro. Dan
Quindoza, Bro. Rene Enriquez, Bro. Narciso
Cadiz, Bro. Glenn Lemen
Visayas Jurisdiction
Council No. 11373 (St. Peter’s Council)
St. Peter’s Council No. 11373 of Loboc,
Bohol was established in April of 1993,
through the initiative of SK Florencio Talan
of the Holy Trinity Council of Loay. It initially started with 30 members and then grew
to 78 members until the present.
The council choir was formed sometime in
March 2008 primarily to participate in the
KC-Ing Galing Competition and trained under the tutelage of Mrs. Librada B. Balbin, a
pioneer instructor of the Loboc’s Children’s
Choir and her daughter, Ms. Gemma B.
Balbin, a multi-awarded choir trainer.
Council Grand Knight, Antonio S. Acuña
explained that it was South Bohol Provincial
Deputy, SK Miguel Sarigumba who encouraged them to join.
The members of the Council 11373
Choir are: Bro. Amonio Acuña, Jr.
(Choir
Leader),
Bro.
Orlando
Sarigumba, Bro. Olimpio Lomod, Bro.
Pedrito Toledo, Bro. Benjamin Varquez,
Bro. Vaughn Rex Requierme, Bro.
Alfredo Mandin, Bro. Mario Cabahug,
Bro. Al Felipe Toledo, Bro. Gene Inte,
Bro. Nilo Baquial, Bro. Neil John Panin,
Bro. Lucilo Balbin, Bro. Arsenio
Daigdigan, Jr., Bro. Samuel Varquez,
Bro. Maximiliano Perin, Jr.
Mindanao Jurisdiction
Council No. 8764 (St. Joseph the Worker
Council)
Council No. 8764 was established in July
15, 1984 at Barangay Sasa, Davao City and
currently has a total number of 150 members. Their council choir is relatively young
since it was created only last December 2007.
Through the auspices of their District Deputy,
SK Gerry T. Mission the council was able to
form a choir with an initial 12 members. Aside
from the prizes at stake, it was each member’s
passion for singing and the motivation of the
Visayas Deputy, SK Sofronio Cruz that
prompted them to join the contest.
Members of Council No. 8764 Choir are:
Bro. Gerry T. Mission (Choir Leader), Bro.
Rudyard Paul Amistad, Bro. Reynaldo Tagle,
Bro. Jummuel Dale Capoy, Bro. Aldwin
Navarro, Bro. Noel Casilan, Bro. Edgar
Borres, Bro.Andy Sabelo, Bro. Mark Edwin
Taguran , Bro. Rogar Garcia.
In a nutshell, all the hardships and nittygritties of preparing for the competition to
the exhilaration of singing before a vast audience, proved to be an experience to remember for each member of the participating
choirs. But it was the camaraderie and support among brother Knights that strengthened
the bond between members and the council.
The competition also proved to be a revelation of the talents within the Knights of Columbus. Though some participating councils
may not have won first place, they deserve
the highest respect for their potentials and creativity in this field. Truly, it was also a moment for councils to gather together in fellowship and in the spirit of fraternalism of a
different kind. (KC-Ing Galing Secretariat)
Visayas / C1
fel lowship dinner, barrio fiesta style, followed. Even as delegates partook of the
buffet prepared by Bro. Rey Ruyeras and
his committee members, a call to Pro-Life
Advocacy was the very relevant and hot
topic, with Dr. Rene Josef C. Bullecer of
Pro-Life Philippines as resource speaker.
Day 2 of the State Convention was
held at the Cebu Grand Convention Center starting with the convention mass
presided by His Excellency, Bishop
Romulo T. dela Cruz, DD of Antique,
together with concelebrating priests. The
7 th Visayas State Convention was then
formally called to order by the Worthy
Visayas Deputy, Bro. Esteban.
In his report to the delegates, Bro.
Esteban enumerated the achievements
made by the Visayas Jurisdiction in terms
of membership growth, council retention,
reactivation and new council development in consonance with the Order’s aim
to establish a Knights of Columbus council in every parish and, as espoused by
Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson: “to
afford membership in the Knights of Columbus to every eligible Catholic gentleman ”. The
Visayas Treasurer, Bro. Licerio L.
Cabahug, also presented the Financial Report of the Visayas Jurisdiction.
Bro. Antonio B. Borromeo, President
of Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines, Inc. (KCFAPI),
reported performance of the fraternal
benefits association. He stressed that
KCFAPI, as insurance arm of the Order
of the Knights of Columbus in the Philippines, is better and stronger as it celebrates its 50th year anniversary. For his
part, Bro. Eduardo G. Laczi, Immediate
Past Visayas Deputy and currently Director for Philippine Affairs, Knights of Columbus Supreme Office, congratulated
the Visayas Jurisdiction for achieving its
target vis-à-vis membership growth for
CY 2007-2008 as he also made suggestions
on areas for improvement. He assured
delegates that his office based in New
Haven, Connecticut, U.S.A. will facilitate
smooth and efficient flow of communication activities between the Philippine
Jurisdictions and the Supreme Council.
Bro. Alberto P. Solis, Sr., Supreme Director, conveyed the fraternal greetings
of the Supreme Board of Directors and
the Supreme Knight. He assured delegates of the Supreme Council’s commitment and support for the growth of
the Order in the Philippines, relating
specific actions of the Supreme Board
that benefited the Philippine Jurisdictions in particular. While at this, he also
posed a challenge to the Visayas Jurisdiction to improve its performance on
council retention and reactivation of suspended councils.
Also on hand to render his report was
Bro. Panfilo O. Pacubas, Sr., Vice Supreme Master of the Fourth Degree, who
called on fourth degree knights not to
lose sight of the goals of the fourth degree by being united in the true spirit of
brotherhood. He also briefed the delegates on the updates of the Knights of
Columbus Visayas’ Skills Foundation
and real-estate properties in Dumanjug,
Cebu and Bohol, even as he inspired
knights from Eastern and Western
Visayas as well as the Luzon and
Mindanao Jurisdictions, with Luzon
Deputy Bro. Alonso Tan and Mindanao
Deputy Bro. Sofronio Cruz present, to
consider acquiring agricultural properties in their areas as these could help alleviate the food crisis that threatens the
entire country.
After the significant messages from the
K of C leaders, delegates paused to reflect
and invoke Divine Presence in the State
Convention by observing the Holy Hour.
Recharged and hopefully renewed by
the Holy Hour, delegates cheered for the
Visayas Jurisdiction Achievers as Outstanding Grand Knights, District Deputies, Provincial Deputies and Service
Programs were awarded by the Worthy
Visayas Deputy Bro. Esteban with Bro.
Cres Tadlip – Awards Chairman, ably
assisting him.
While brother knights were busy with
affairs of the State Jurisdiction, their ladies were treated to a tour of Cebu City
and Mactan Island, facilitated by Bro. Ben
Espiritu, Bro. Wency Canete and their
committee members.
Resolutions were passed during the
State Convention, among them was a
resolution expressing Visayas
Jurisdiction’s Felicitation and Solidarity
with the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI.
The State Dinner followed with His
Excellency, Bishop Romulo T. dela Cruz,
D.D. as Guest of Honor and Speaker. In
his speech to the delegates, the good
bishop, who came all the way from Antique to be in solidarity and give moral
support to his brother knights, dwelt on
the State Convention’s theme: “Celebrat-
ing 125 Years of Faith In Action, Witnessing
To The YES of Jesus Christ.” The collective expression of the Visayas Knights’
recognition of the inspiration given by
Bishop dela Cruz during the State Convention was summed up in a special
Plaque of Appreciation presented by
Visayas Deputy to His Excellency after
the latter’s speech. Delegates were
treated to a cultural dance presentation
by students from Mandaue School for
the Arts. The day was capped by the
“KC-ing Galing Competition Visayas
Grand Finals” facilitated by the KCFAPI.
Day 3 of the State Convention commenced with the Holy Mass offered in
memory of departed brother knights
with Rev. Msgr. Pedro C. Quitorio III,
Spiritual Adviser of KCFAPI and Spokesman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference
of the Philippines (CBCP) as main celebrant and homilist, and Rev. Msgr.
Gaspar D. Balerite concelebrating. In his
homily, Msgr. Quitorio, a true-blue
knight himself, used council-based experience as reality check on the need for
servant-leaders to be sensitive and be
open to suggestions, encourage concerted efforts as a way of pursuing the
mission of the Knights of Columbus.
After the mass, Msgr. Gaspar Balerite,
Parish Priest of Allen, Northern Samar,
who is a fourth degree knight, and an
acknowledged biblical scholar with doctorate degree, talked on “Word of God,
Word of Life” as a fitting message to
delegates that they could share with
brother knights and their local communities when they return to their respective homes.
Before parting ways after the State
Convention was adjourned, the delegates eagerly shared the thrill as they
awaited the result of the State
Convention’s raffle draw facilitated by
Bro. Loreto Pablo and his committee. The
lucky 1st Prize winner of Php150,000.00
was from Iloilo City.
All throughout the three-day activity
ably presided by the Worthy Visayas
Deputy, Bro. Jun Esteban, with Bro. Allan
Nicolas Ouano as Parliamentarian and
Toastmaster, delegates experienced
Cebuano hospitality, wholesome entertainment, educational organizational
sessions and spiritually-enhancing activities. No doubt, it was a successful and
memorable 7th Visayas State Convention. (Bro. Junjie Navales Cruz)
KEYS REALTY &
DEVELOPMENT, CORP.
3RD Floor, Fr. George Willmann S.J. Center
General Luna cor., Sta. Potenciana Sts.,
Intramuros, Manila Tel Nos: 527-2221/527-2238
“AVAILABLE BRAND NEW OFFICE SPACE”
Knights of Columbus Building
Captain V. Roa Extension, Cagayan De Oro City
2 nd Floor
3rd Floor
Floor Area from 40 sq. to 100
square meters
Floor Area from 40 sq. to 100
square meters
For inquiries:
Please call
MS. ANA MAY D. ALBALADEJO
3 RD Floor, Fr. George Willmann S.J.
Center
General Luna cor., Sta. Potenciana
Sts., Intramuros, Manila
Tel. No: (02) 527-2221
Fax No: (02) 527-2238
MR. REYNANTE “BONG” BRAGAT
Branch Service Administrator
KC Fraternal, Knights of Columbus
Building, Captain V. Roa Extension,
Cagayan De Oro City
Tel. #: (0882)-854-3274 Fax #: (0882)272-1005
CBCP Monitor
The Cross
Vol. 12 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2008
Health awareness
among KCFAPI
By Jaime M. Talag, M.D.
KCFAPI held its 2 quarter
health seminar last May 28 at the
Social Hall of the KC Fr. George
J. Willman Center. The seminar
with the topic “Common Eye
Disease” and Error of Refraction”
was conducted by Ma. Teresa
Martinez, M.D., a specialist in the
field of Ophthalmology.
Dr. Martinez explained that
infections, trauma and foreign
bodies are the common causes of
eye diseases. The most common
kind of eye disease is
“Hordeolum” (also referred to as
“Kuliti”). It is characterized by
inflammation or swelling of the
eyelids caused by a bacteria
known as “Staphylococcal
Aureus”. This type of eye disease
is usually treated by applying hot
compress, antibiotics, and steroids or for faster solution, incision and curettage (surgical scrapping). Another common type of
eye disease is “Chalazion” which
is a chronic lipogranulomatous
inflammatory disease. It is painless and manifested as a small circumscribed tumor of the eyelid.
This type of disease does not require antibiotic treatment but
incision and curettage is recomnd
mended.
Dr. Martinez also talked on
corneal injuries. The most common corneal injury is abrasion
which results from rubbing or
scrapping of epithelium. Abrasions are usually caused by foreign objects such as fingernails,
paper, etc., coming into contact
with the cornea or exposure to
radiation or chemicals. Symptoms of the infection are tearing,
redness and sensation of sand in
the eye. In the case of infection
caused by a foreign body secondary to trauma, the injured person
experiences discomfort. Treatment after removal of the foreign
object is followed by topical antibiotics and application of eye
patch over the infected eye. Another type of corneal injury is
“corneal laceration”. It may be
partial or full thickness and can
be managed by surgery.
Another common type of eye
disease is “Conjunctivitis” (more
commonly known as “Sore eye”).
It is classified (according to
source) into three types, 1) Bacteria, 2) Viral and 3) Allergic. It may
also be classified according to its
discharge, namely: 1) Watery,
which is usually a result of viral
infection or exposure to toxic
flames, 2) Mucous, which is symp-
tomatic of an allergy, 3) Purulent,
which may be symptomatic of
bacterial infection such as gonococci, and 4) Mucopurulent,
caused by mild bacteria.
The last common type of eye
disorder is known as “Pterygium”
(also known as “Pugita”). It is
manifested by a growth of fleshy
mass over the conjunctiva reaching the cornea. According to Dr.
Martinez, this type of infection is
caused by over exposure to UV
rays and pollution. Usually, excision is done once the vision is disrupted. However, even if treated
by surgery there is a 90 percent
chance of recurrence.
On the topic of “Error of refraction”, Dr. Martinez began her
lecture by showing a picture of
the cross section of the anatomy
of the eye. She then distinguished
“Hemitropic (absence of refractive error) from Ammetropia
(presence of refractive error).
Dr. Martinez explained that
there are three classification of
error of refractions, namely: 1)
Myopia or nearsightedness, a
condition whereby the image is
reproduced in front of the retina.
As a result the person experiences
difficulty to view an object from
a distance. Correction of this kind
of visual impairment is done by
We have much
work to do
attaching a concave or negative
lens to the eyeglass, 2) Hyperopia or farsightedness. In this condition, the image is reproduced
behind the retina and the person
with this condition experiences
difficulty in viewing an object at
a near distance. Correction of this
condition is done attaching a convex or positive lens to the eyeglass of the patient, and 3) Astigmatism, which is a more complicated condition. In this condition,
the eye produces an image with
multi focal points or lines, thus
making vision blurry. This may
be corrected with the use of a
sphero-cylinder lens.
Presbyopia (literally means
“old age”) is a progressive inability to see clearly at a near distance and loss of accommodation
(adjustability of the eye). This
kind of impairment is usually
related to the aging of the person. This is corrected by using
either a single vision reading
glass, bifocals, trifocals or progressive addition lenses.
The seminar in eye care proved
to be an informative session for
the employees of KCFAPI. It was
well received as shown by the
numerous questions they raised
which were sufficiently answered
by Dr. Martinez.
The officers of the KCFAPI paid a courtesy call to Fr. Jose Cecilio J. Magadia, S.J., newly-appointed Provincial of the Society of Jesus last June 20. Installed
on June 12, Fr. Magadia is the 10th Provincial Superior of the Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus. Fr. Magadia (3rd from left) with Corporate Secretary
& Luzon Deputy Alonso L. Tan, President Antonio B. Borromeo, Spiritual Director Msgr. Pedro C. Quitorio III, Treasurer Antonio T. Yulo, and Executive Vice
President Ma. Theresa G. Curia.
Dear BC Holders,
You can pay your insurance
contributions and loans
through the following outlets:
1. Banco de Oro Branches
2. Philippine National Bank
Branches
3. Banco Filipino Branches
4. Bills Payment Counter of SM
branches
5. Cabanatuan Service Office Knights of Columbus Bldg.,
578 Burgos Ave., Cabanatuan
City
6.Cagayan de Oro Service Office
- 3rd Floor, KC Building,
Capt. V. Roa Extension, 9000
Cagayan de Oro City
7. Cebu City Service Office - 2nd
Floor, KC Building, 36
Archbishop Reyes Ave. Cor.
Molave St., Lahug, 6000 Cebu
City
8. Davao Service Office Knights of Columbus
Building, C.M. Recto Ave.,
8000 Davao City
9. Iloilo City - 2nd Floor,
Carolina Building, 106 M.
Jalandoni St., Jaro, 5000 Iloilo
City
10. Zamboanga City - Room 4,
2 nd Floor, Park Pavilion
Building, La Purisima St.,
7000 Zamboanga City
Gawad Kalinga / C1
Mindanao / C1
the number of housing and community
development programs implemented, GK
has gained considerable experience and
expertise in their specific line of endeavor.
KCPFI chose the Tungkong Mangga
GK Site for the implementation of its
project because:
1) There is an active and dynamic K of
C Councils in San Jose del Monte. There
are other councils in the nearby town of
Sta. Maria and also in Novaliches and
Fairview, Quezon City. Members of
these K of C Councils will be invited to
participate in the project.
2) The site may serve as an avenue for
KCPFI’s current and past collegiate
scholars to help the K of C Village and
other Tungkong Mangga site dwellers.
The current and past seminarian-priest
scholars of the KC Fr. George J.
Willmann, SJ may also participate and
contribute in this outreach program.
3) The site has allocated 2.5 hectares for
housing and designed to accommodate
205 more houses in addition to the existing 45 houses. Within this area are lots
for chapel, school, clinic, and multipurpose hall. KCPFI has the option to expand the project from a single row to a K
of C Village of 3 rows or 30 houses-dwelling after this initial project endeavor.
4) The site has another 2.5 hectares under usufruct agreement in favor of GK allocated for productivity (i.e., livelihood)
programs. This is suitable for the next
project of KCPFI – livelihood programs.
The projected duration of construction
of one row consisting of ten dwellings
is between two-and-a-half months to
three months, during which period the
KCFAPI Home Office based Officers and
Staff will participate in volunteer construction work. The ground breaking
ceremony is scheduled on June 19, 2008
with construction work following immediately thereafter. The target completion date is September 6, 2008.
they are Knights!
Marbel Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez
delivered a short message identifying
the lack of social conscience as the root
cause of the corruption in government
and society. He proffered radical change
in persons and in social structures as the
solution. He exhorted the Knights to be
at the forefront of social change.
The afternoon of the second day, Rev.
Fr. Johnny Autida, DCD, spoke on behalf of Archbishop Romulo Valles of
Zamboanga, on the topic “KC Members
and Families’ Spirituality.” His talk focused on the role of the family in the
plan of God as a builder of the Kingdom, and the spirituality of lay people
as the foundation of the KC apostolate.
Digos City Bishop Guillermo Afable,
another 4th Degree Knight, celebrated the
concluding Mass on the third day. He
gave the most applause-interrupted talk
of the convention. In his homily, Bishop
Afable explained the jump from the Ten
Commandments to Christ’s law of love,
from faith to action, and challenged the
Knights on two areas of daily life: truthful living and pro-life activities. Interspersed between meaningful and pertinent jokes and uncompromising teachings of the Church, he led the Knights to
deep reflection about following Christ
without reservation and challenged
them, through apt examples, to applying faith to the practical situations of
daily living.
Growth in membership
In his State of the Order report, Bro.
Cruz cited the performance highlights
of the Mindanao Jurisdiction as regards
membership growth: 2,715 additions or
4 percent over end-CY2006-07, resulting
in total membership of 70,334 recorded
as of April 30, 2008. Bro. Cruz, however,
lamented the fact that few councils reported their activities, and correspond-
C3
By Carl A. Anderson
Within the Knights of
Columbus, we have
the practical means to
build a civilization of
love.
I would like to express my appreciation to all the Knights of
Columbus families who have shown such encouraging support for the publication of A Civilization of Love: What Every
Catholic Can Do to Transform the World (HarperOne). I am especially pleased by the way in which council chaplains, parish
priests, seminarians and college Knights have responded to
this book.
In discussing A Civilization of Love with a variety of people, it
is clear to me that many are eagerly seeking ways to allow
God to become a larger part of their daily lives. They want to
find greater spiritual fulfillment by sharing their time and
talent with others, especially those in need.
All of this has greatly reinforced the importance of the mission of the Knights of Columbus. As an organization, we are
as relevant today as when we were founded 126 years ago;
perhaps even more so. Our Order offers Catholic men a variety of ways to invite God to share in a greater part of their
lives, and there is no organization more committed to sharing
time and talent with those in need.
We are hearing a great deal these days about the need for
change in society. I believe that
Christianity is the religion of change—change in the lives
of individuals and in societies. The Knights of Columbus has
always been committed to ongoing change in society by proclaiming the saving truths of the Gospel through the personal
witness of its members.
Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI have used the phrase “a
civilization of love” to emphasize the type of society Catholics should work to build. In writing A Civilization of Love, I
could not help but think that the Venerable Servant of God
Father Michael J. McGivney had a similar vision for society.
Perhaps most importantly, he found a very practical means to
sustain the mission of the action-oriented fraternal association he established by founding it upon the principles of charity and unity—principles that form the twin pillars of a civilization of love.
How blessed we were to hear Pope Benedict at St. Patrick’s
Cathedral single out Father McGivney for his vision and zeal
and as an example of the unity of purpose and vision among
the Catholic faithful that resulted in the impressive growth of
the Church in the United States.
Some may think that this is simply a kind of pious idealism
which has no chance to change anything in the real world. But
this sort of “realism” shortchanges the great dignity and calling of each person.
We all know the Lord’s answer when asked to sum up the
“law and the prophets” (see Mt 5:17). He said that love of God
and love of neighbor are the true vocation of every person. If
this is true, then only one form of society is ultimately worthy
of the dignity of every person. That society is a civilization of
love. This is perhaps idealism to some, but for Christians it is
the source and summit of reality.
And for us Knights of Columbus? In many ways, our Order is
the preeminent lay Catholic organization. As such, we must
play a leading role in the pope’s efforts to build a civilization of
love in the very places we know best: our families, councils,
parishes, schools and communities. We have much work to do.
Vivat Jesus!
ingly, many councils failed to face up to
their financial obligations, thus causing
suspension. He nonetheless expressed
his strong belief and great hope that the
coming years will highlight a significantly improved performance of the
councils in all avenues of service. The
focus, he said, will be on spiritual development as “a spiritually-enriched
Knight will be a motivated, committed,
and involved Knight, effective in the
spread of the Word of God and the works
of the Church.”
Also on the second day, the newlyappointed Supreme Council Director for
Philippine Affairs, SK Eduardo R. Laczi,
spoke on Membership Growth and Development. He laid out a strategy for
increasing the membership to 1,000,000
in ten years from the present 231,000 by
enforcing every Knight’s obligation to
recruit a new member and by securing
the entry into Knighthood of graduating Columbian Squires.
He was followed by Supreme Director
SK Alberto P. Solis, who first enlightened
the Knights about certain procedures and
practices at the Supreme Office which safeguard efficiency and transparency in its
operations. He then laid out the plans for
developing new councils, particularly
college councils, and reactivating dormant ones. Finally, he announced initiatives for the eventual introduction and
organization of the Knights of Columbus in Indonesia and in China as was
done in Mexico and Poland.
The President of KCFAPI, SK Antonio
Borromeo, reported on KC Fraternal and
its subsidiary corporations. Bro.
Borromeo mentioned that under the favorable economic environment of the
country in 2007, the insurance association likewise posted commendable
growth, and has become a pillar of financial strength with a total of P2.37 billion in resources and with both death
and living benefits of over P1 billion
paid out to Filipino knights and families since its inception in 1958. It has
moreover been enabled to fulfill its corporate social responsibility through the
Knights of Columbus Philippines Foundation and the Fr. George Willmann
Charities, Inc., with various charitable
works done and scholarships granted to
66 collegiate, one vocational scholar, 31
seminarians, and nine priests pursuing
advanced studies locally and in Rome.
Resolutions
Thirty-one resolutions on various matters were passed during the convention.
Among the notable ones were those urging Knights to help build the culture of
life, opposing same-sex marriage, reminding them of the dangers of Freemasonry, suggesting honorarium for Degree
Exemplification members, enjoining
Knights to pray for the canonization of
Fr. Michael J. McGivney, reiterating KC
solidarity with the bishops and priests,
and recommending the division of
Mindanao into two jurisdictions.
Seven hundred thirty nine Knights registered for the convention with a few unregistered participants joining in. The delegates came from all over Mindanao, representing the 595 councils of 129 districts
which compose the Mindanao jurisdiction
Total membership statewide is presently
recorded at over 70,300 Knights.
While the convention had its messages
and discussions as well as fellowships
(State Dinner and Fiesta Night) and socials (including a very interesting Davao
City tour), the spiritual tone set by the
Holy Mass and prayers and the speeches
by the bishop Knights pervaded the
three-day affair. The convention indeed
served as a showcase of the Order as an
organization of Catholic men in the service of the Church. (SK Reynaldo G.
Soroñgon, Jr.)
C4
The Cross
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 13
June 23 - July 6, 2008
Sir Knight Rogelio
S. Sipalay
A resident and businessman
based in Davao City
BRO. Roger finished BS Commerce Major in Accountancy
and Business Administration
at the University of Mindanao.
He also took up Pre-Law at the
Harvardian University.
He worked for 16 years as Manager of Insular Bank of Asia
and America and four years as Senior Manager of Paramount
Finance Corp.
As an entrepreneur, Bro. Roger is presently the President of
League of Fraternal Dwelling, Inc., President of St. Joseph Learning Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology, Inc. He is the
Proprietor of Roter Trade Leasing and Roter Manpower Management Services, Chairman of the Board of Mindanao
Columbian Knights Multi-Purpose Cooperative, and Treasurer
of Mindanao Columbian Knights Fraternal Foundation, Inc.
He joined the Order of the Knights of Columbus Council
8069 (Juna Subd., Matina, Davao City) in January 1986. His 22
years as a knight earned him the positions of Past Grand Knight,
Former District Deputy, Former Regional Secretary, Former
State Warden, Former State Membership Director, Former State
Youth Director. He is presently the State Council Director of
Mindanao Jurisdiction.
In 2007, Bro. Sipalay was elected member of the Board of
Trustees and Member of the Board Audit Committee of KCFAPI.
He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Keys Realty &
Development Corp., a subsidiary of KCFAPI. (Annie Nicolas)
Sir Knight Policarpio
B. Alberto
Geodetic Engineer
A SIMPLE barrio lad from Gen.
Tinio, Nueva Ecija, Policarpio
B. Alberto, had his hands full
of what he wanted. Full of zest
in life, Bro. Polly earned his
laurels at a very young age.
His parents did not see the
fruits of their son’s endeavor having died when Bro. Polly was only 11 years old. But the trait of
hard labor to any success was their legacy to their son. The
experience of losing his parents early developed in him the
drive to pursue his dreams in full honesty and spirit of brotherhood. This guy, a God-fearing one, is the epitome of success in
its simplicity. Working through college, he became a Geodetic
Engineer and the PBA Surveying was established in no time.
Bro. Polly, contributed his expertise to Keys Realty as a Geodetic Engineer and real estate broker in its various projects,
among others, Cartagena I and II (Las Pinas and Naga Road),
BF Homes, townhouse projects and the acquisition of the 3storey building (R. Gatan Building) in Cabanatuan City. He
became Treasurer of Keys Realty in 1995 till 1997 and one of its
directors from 2005 to the present.
He is presently member of the Real Estate Brokers Association of the Philippines serving as Chairman of the Council of
leaders. Bro. Polly became its National President in 1993 and
Chairman of the Board in 1995.
He was a nominee in 1998 and 2000 for the Professional Regulation Commission as Most Outstanding Professional Geodetic
Engineer. Bro. Polly was also appointed by the Department of
Trade and Industry/Bureau of Trade Relations and Consumer
Protection Relations (BTRCPR) as Real Estate Examiner for two
years (1998 and 1999). Being a lecturer on real estate seminars,
accumulating more than 200 hours in different parts of the island since 1987, is one of his very rewarding efforts in the
industry. If he shares his time in his profession, the community
is not far behind. He had served as a Barangay Captain of Balut,
Tondo in 1977-1978 and an active director of the United East
Homeowners Association, Inc. in Fairview Park, Quezon City.
He joined KC San Raphael Council 5124 in 1966. From then
on, he served the KC on different levels, as District Chairman
of Columbian Squires in 1969 and Warden in 1970. He was
given the opportunity to travel with Fr. George J. Willmann
and the Past Philippine Deputy Mardonio R. Santos in 1972 to
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya by bus for a 3rd degree exemplification of the council.
Bro. Polly is a loving husband to Nenita S. Alberto and a
good example to their four children who are all professionals.
The second child, Raymond, followed the footsteps of his father and now a successful entrepreneur owning one of the biggest surveying company (RASA Surveying) in the Philippines.
Today, Bro. Polly is still active in his profession (PBA Surveying) and running another business—Printworld Business
Center—with offices at SM Megamall and SM Fairview. (Annie
Nicolas)
The officers of the Knights of Columbus during their courtesy call to the Papal Nuncio, Most Rev. Edward Joseph Adams. From lef t: Most Rev. Adams, Luzon Deputy
SK Alonso L. Tan, V isayas Deputy SK Dionisio R. Esteban, Jr., Director for Philippine Affairs SK Eduardo G. Laczi, and Mindanao Deputy SK Sofronio R. Cruz. The
Knights conveyed their respect and support to the Papal Nuncio and to his projects.
New KC Priest-Scholar
in Rome named
REV. Fr. Cyril M. Paredes of the
Diocese of Catarman was named
the 24th priest-scholar of the
Knights of Columbus Supreme
Council under the Father Michael
J. McGivney Fund for Advanced
Studies in Rome.
SK Alonso L. Tan, president of
KC Fr. George J. Willmann Charities, Inc., chose Fr. Paredes upon
recommendation of the Seminarian – Priest Scholarship Committee chaired by Fr. Rene Sapungan,
and in consultation with Visayas
Jurisdiction State Deputy, SK
Dionisio R. Esteban, Jr.
Fr. Paredes served as chaplain
of Knights of Columbus Council
4686 in Catarman, Northern
Samar.
Ordained priest on March 7,
2000 at the Cathedral of Our Lady
of the Annunciation, Catarman,
Northern Samar, Fr. Paredes finished his AB Philosophy and
Bachelor in Sacred Theology at
the University of Santo Tomas
Central Seminary, Cum Laude.
Fr. Paredes was previously assigned as Parochial Vicar of the
Cathedral and as Guest Priest of
the Diocese of Pasig prior to his
departure for Rome. He will take
his Licentiate in Biblical Theology at the Pontificia Universita
San Tommaso in Rome and will
stay at Pontificio Collegio
Filippino. (Denise Solina)
Partners in Progress
Holy Trinity Memorial Chapels and Provident Plans International Corp.
FOR the past years, Provident
Plans International Corp. has
been the major business partner
of Holy Trinity Memorial Chapels and in tandem in the quest for
superiority in providing high
standard of service to its clientele.
Provident Plans boasts of its 34
years of existence as one of the
pillars of the industry while Holy
Trinity takes pride in placing its
niche for more than 25 years as
one of the most sought after funeral parlors in the south.
Both Provident Plans and Holy
Trinity have many common characteristics which make them
stand out. Both are managed by
religious and God-fearing individuals placing God above all.
The companies’ remarkable accomplishments through the
years are embedded on the greatest value of all time—that of putting God, the Giver of all things
good, above all things.
These two companies possess
the necessary ability to ensure every client gets nothing but the best.
Quality service, commitment and
dedication to the visions and missions they both aspire for are the
manifestations of their continuous
desire to serve. (L. Ulit)
KC Fraternal introduces its newest product offering—the
KC Super Saver Plan.
KC Super Saver Plan—Gold Series is a peso-denominated
single-pay ten-year endowment plan. The proposed Assured
has to pay only one time. He will, in as short as 10 years,
recover more than his contributions or an amount equivalent to the Sum Assured.
The plan’s life insurance coverage is increasing. It starts
from 110% of Sum Assured on the first year and increases
uniformly by 10% of the Sum Assured every year until it
reaches 200% on the tenth and final year. The plan is
available for issue ages 1 to 75.
Super Saver Plan is ideal for our Brother Knights or their
immediate family members who have seasonal income or
earnings, such as members in the agricultural or aquacultural sectors. The flexibility offered by the plan’s single contribution scheme and small issue limit of P10,000 Sum
Assured make Super Saver perfect for Overseas Filipino
Workers. Because they, our modern day heroes; deserve
no less that the best.
KC Super Saver Plan.
Superior Family Protection. Plus Return on
your Single Contribution!
The Knights of Columbus Philippines Foundation, Inc. (KCPFI) recently signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Gawad Kalinga Community Development, Inc.
KCPFI President SK Alonso L. Tan, and Atty. Jose T. Tale, GK Chairman of the Board, led the MOA signing at the Knights of Columbus office in Intramuros, Manila. In
photo: (l-r) Justice Jose C. Reyes, Jr., KCPFI Chairman, Atty. Jose T. Tale, SK Alonso L. Tan, Msgr. Pedro C. Quitorio III, KCPFI Spiritual Director, and Bro. Francisco
V. Tankiang, KCPFI Corporate Secretary. Officers of the Order of the Knights of Columbus and KC Fraternal Association of the Philippines, Inc. led by its President,
SK Antonio B. Borromeo, were also present to witness the event.
Build your own Benefit Portfolio. When you
want it. As you want it!