CBCP Monitor - CBCP Media Office

•A3 For Pope Benedict,
•B1 Catholic youth launches
•C1
YouthPinoy.com
a different shade of green
The CROSS
A Supplement Publication of KCFAPI
and the Order of the Knights of Columbus
Bishop: Don’t vote
overspending candidates
Hontiveros chides CBCP
voters’ guidelines
A CATHOLIC bishop has warned the voting
public against politicians who are overspending
on their campaign.
Bishop Joel Baylon of Legazpi said candidates
who are spending so much to ensure electoral
victory are not worthy of any trust to serve in
the government.
According to him, one of the obvious culprits
in the misapplication of the democratic exercise
is the penchant for electoral overspending.
He said politicians have this “negative mindset” to fuel their campaign through the sheer
SO who’s afraid of the Catholic Church’s campaign against pro-birth control politicians? Not
Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros.
Hontiveros instead criticized the guidelines
set by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the
Philippines (CBCP) asking voters to reject candidates supporting the controversial Reproductive Health bill.
Corruption, she said, and not RH bill, which
seeks to promote artificial family planning, that
is morally unacceptable.
The senate bet under the Liberal Party slate
Overspending / A6
Vol. 14 No. 2
January 18 - 31, 2010
Php 20.00
Guidelines / A6
CBCP: Reject candidates
supporting birth control
By Roy Lagarde
PRESIDENTIAL survey frontrunner Senator Benigno Aquino is
likely to lose major votes if Catholics will seriously take a call from
their church leaders not to vote for candidates supporting birth
control.
© Roy Lagarde / CBCP Media
In its “catechism” for the 2010 Elections, the Catholic bishops’ leadership asked the
faithful not to vote for politicians who would back the controversial Reproductive
Health bill.
The 20-page guidelines underscore the church’s position on “family and life issues,”
which is how the Catholic hierarchy refers to the debate over RH bill.
“…it would not be morally permissible to vote candidates who support anti-family
policies, including reproductive health, or any other moral evil such as abortion, divorce,
assisted suicide and euthanasia,” the guidelines read.
“Otherwise one becomes an accomplice to the moral evil in question,” it also said.
Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales briefs the media during a press conference on the upcoming Second National Congress of
the Clergy being organized by the Episcopal Commission on the Clergy in celebration of the Year for Priests. Around 5,000 priests all over the
Philippines and some neighboring countries are attending the five-day retreat-congress which will be held from January 25-29 at the World
Trade Center in Pasay City.
Presidentiables
Aquino, who keeps the lead in all presidential surveys, has been very vocal on his
support on population control.
He said legislation on RH bill can help provide the sex education that present and
future generations’ need, in answer to the misinformation they may get from the Internet
and other media.
Should the Catholic Church boycott him in the 2010 elections because of his support
for the RH bill, he said he would rather heed his conscience.
Birth control / A6
Nuncio urges youth to evangelize peers in cyberspace
of human suffering, the
meaning of life, and the
history of God?
“What we have learned
about God and his plan for
us has changed your life
and mine. It can do the
same for many of our fellow human beings. [Let us
make] them know about
it. [Let us help] them to
experience God,” Adams
told more than 2,000 representatives of youth organizations who attended
the launch at the University of Santo Tomas.
© Roy Lagarde / CBCP Media
THE Apostolic Nuncio in the Philippines has invited the young
Catholic faithful to make their faith known and spread the Gospel
through active participation in the youth portal created under the
auspices of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.
In his homily at the mass during the launch of youthpinoy.com last
January 16, Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams has blessed the initiative of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Youth and CBCP Media
Office that aims to bring evangelization work to cyberspace.
As he reiterated the call of Pope Benedict XVI and the late Pope
John Paul II for the youth to bear witness to their Catholic faith
through the digital world, Adams invited the young faithful to share
their stories of faith and encounter with Jesus Christ with others
through the internet.
“With all kinds of possibilities available to us, the wonders of
technology have opened the world for us, why shouldn’t we use
the miracles of technology to tell others about the destiny of man,
the struggle between forces of light and darkness, the revelation
The 65 year-old Vatican envoy also urged the youth to use their
affinity with online media to adhere with one of the purposes of the
YouthPinoy website—that is to breed the world’s new generation
of online missionaries.
“Have the joy of telling everybody about our faith. You whose
mission is to go to the world and make known the Good News that
God exists, that he loves us, and that he is one of us and enables us
to live life like him.
“Share your faith to others and spread the message of the Child
God to your world, to your family, to your friends and to your nation.
In the internet, the galaxy of lights and sounds, we want Christ to
also be there for he, the Risen Christ, will make cyberspace a human
space,” the Nuncio added.
‘Just like our little brother Jesus’
Since the launching of the YouthPinoy website coincided with the
Cyberspace / A6
Cardinal laments ‘excess’ devotion to Black Nazarene
© Noli Yamsuan / RCAM
MANY of the devotees of the Black Nazarene
are taking their devotion way too far, the head of
Manila’s Roma n Catholic Church said.
Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales said
the way atonement is manifested by many of
those who attended the
January 9 procession is
“excessive.”
“Some of what we
saw was excess expression of faith. There are
many impurities that
need cleansing,” Rosales told reporters.
At least two people,
died and scores were
injured in the yearly
tumultuous procession of the Black Nazarene from
Quirino Grandstand to Quiapo Church.
Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) secretary general Gwen Pang identified the fatalities
as 42-year-old Rodrigo Ocampo and 40-year-old
Bernardo Basilio.
Ocampo succumbed to cardiac arrest at the
Ospital ng Maynila while Basilio died at the Jose
Reyes Hospital due to multiple injuries in the head
and body.
Tens of thousands
of barefoot devotees
surged forward to try
to touch the statue,
which they believe
could bring miracles
or good luck.
As of 4 p.m., the PNRC
reported that some 350
people who had joined
the procession were injured and provided first
aid treatment.
Some of the devotees also experienced various
health conditions like dizziness, high blood pressure, and lack of oxygen.
Rosales said these problems happen when devo-
tees get too emotional. When the emotion gets too
high, he said, it takes over the reason, the holiness
of the feast and the devotion.
The church officials said devotion is good but
seeing a lot of people getting hurt is contrary to
the purpose of the celebration.
“Another way of excess of faith is when you do it
for yourself only which should not be,” he said.
Rosales instead called on devotees to practice
simplicity and selflessness, traits he said Black
Nazarene shares with most common Filipinos.
“That is the real devotion,” he added.
Cardinal Rosales also said that devotees should
learn that Black Nazarene is a symbol of sacrifice
and repentance.
“We still have a long way to go and there are
many things to purify even in religious matters
because there are excesses,” Rosales said.
Tens of thousands of barefoot devotees
surged forward to try to touch the statue, which
they believe could bring miracles or good luck.
(CBCPNews)
THE National Citizens for Free Elections (Namfrel) acknowledged differences with a Catholic Church-backed
poll watchdog over efforts to ensure
credible elections.
Namfrel has been asking the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for
accreditation as its citizen’s arm in
ensuring an honest and peaceful
2010 polls.
But Eric Alvia, Namfrel spokesperson, revealed Tuesday that their
application is being opposed by the
Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV).
According to him, the PPCRV,
which is also a member of the
Comelec’s advisory council, is objecting their petition because the
group already got the accreditation
from Comelec.
“They were able to get accreditation as citizens’ arm and it seems the
one given to them by Comelec was
already all encompassing,” he said.
Alvia said PPCRV’s action was
unexpected since the two groups
used to work together in the past
elections.
“When she (Amb. Henrietta de
Villa) was the (Namfrel) chairman
that was the plan (to get accreditation
for Namfrel),” he said.
It maybe recalled that De Villa used
to head NAMFREL but resigned last
September to devote more time to her
work as PPCRV head, which focuses
on voters' education.
Nevertheless, the group is still hoping that Comelec will accredit them
for the May 10 polls.
“Since 1983, the NAMFREL has
always been accredited, although
sometimes, at the last minute. But
that will not stop us from preparing
for the worst,” said Alvia.
He said what is important, particularly in the upcoming elections, is for
different groups to work together
to ensure a clean and credible elec-
tions.
“We all want
clean and credible
elections because
we know what
is at stake. If this
election fails, we
will all lose. So we
are willing to set
aside these small
or petty differences,” said Alvia.
Alvia also said
that Namfrel will
be working with
other groups such
as the National
Secretariat for Social Action of the
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the
Philippines.
He said that they have a lot of concerns such as the immediate review
of the source code and whether or
not the poll body can really hold an
Illustration by Bladimer Usi
‘Petty differences’ mar PPCRV, Namfrel relations
automated election.
The Namfrel spokesman also said
that one way of also ensuring a credible election is by having an external
or parallel counting of votes.
‘Petty differences’ / A6
Masses to be cancelled
for clergy meet
THERE will be no mass from January 25-29, 2010
in majority of the country’s Catholic Churches—
because there are no priests to celebrate it.
A ranking church leader said thousands of
priests are going to Manila to attend the 2nd
National Congress of the Clergy from Jan. 25 to
29 and many dioceses can’t supply stand-in.
The cancellation of regular masses also means
that weddings and other liturgical rites such as
baptisms and confession will also be temporarily suspended so that priests could attend the
gathering.
But Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal
Rosales said that in the absence of priests, lay
ministers will take over in administering communion to the faithful and bless the dead in at
least five-day period.
“There are dioceses where 100 percent of the
priests will be here together with the bishop
so no one will be left in the parishes. The lay
ministers will be the ones to give communion
and bless the dead,” he said.
Rosales said there only about 8,000 priests all
over the country and around 6,000 clergymen
are expected to attend the nationwide gathering in Manila.
More of a spiritual retreat in dynamics, the
congress aims to bring the clergy to a deepening
of their pastoral commitment through interior
renewal, he added.
“The reason also (for the cancellation of Masses) is to let the people realize that priests have
also their needs. We also need some solitude. We
need to pray also,” the cardinal said.
Rosales added that even Masses in Metro
Manila will also be adjusted for his priests to
attend the congress.
“Those in Metro Manila and nearby provinces
will just hold early Masses,” he said.
“In Luzon, some of the priests will be shuttling; for example in Tagaytay they leave early
in the morning and then they leave in the evening,” added Rosales.
The prelate said he is certain the faithful will
understand the need of priests to come together
and reflect for the good of the church.
“It’s time for parishioners to realize that we
priests also need some quiet and I think that’ll be
behind the reasoning,” he said. (CBCPNews)
World News
A2
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 14 No. 2
January 18 - 31, 2010
Caritas aid pours into Haiti
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Jan. 18, 2010—Aid from the Church continues pouring into Haiti, where
rescue workers are still finding scattered survivors under the rubble from Tuesday's 7.0 earthquake.
As the catastrophe nears its week anniversary, the network of Caritas Internationalis has been able
to begin meeting some of the vast needs. Rescuers from Caritas found three victims alive on Saturday,
another three on Sunday.
The estimated number of casualties is now at 200,000, though the majority of victims' bodies are still
trapped beneath the chaos of fallen buildings.
Caritas organizations are running two mobile operating rooms and working on six mobile clinics.
They've sent thousands of blankets, tents, water cans and purification tablets. Twenty trucks of aid
arrived in Port-au-Prince on Sunday.
An emergency clinic is being flown in from Holland, complete with a surgeon and six technical staff
for installing water purifying installations and seven water purifying installations.
Thirty-four tons of aid will be flown into Haiti from Germany on Tuesday.
"The real strength of Caritas is its network of parishes that gives us direct contact with communities
and a point from which we can provide help," said Alistair Dutton, Humanitarian Director for Caritas
Internationalis, who is leading the international coordination of the Caritas aid agencies response from
Port-au-Prince.
from the gunshots last night there has been no indication of violence. Looking at the faces of the
people in Port-au-Prince, they are in shock and haven’t even begun to come to terms with what has
happened." (Zenit)
© www.chinadaily.com.cn
Distribution
But one problem is getting aid in; another is getting it into the hands of hungry, thirsty Haitians.
Up to three million people are in need of help.
Caritas communications officer Michelle Hough recorded in her blog from Haiti on Sunday the difficulties simply getting from one place to another.
"We travel with a Caritas assessment team to Petit Goave, a small town 60 kilometers (37 miles) from
Port-au-Prince in the afternoon," she wrote. "It takes us over two hours. In some places the road has
massive holes and cracks. It’s tough going in a jeep, I can’t imagine how aid trucks will manage."
Hough noted how the media have made much of insecurity on the island: "As for insecurity, apart
Pontiff promotes week of prayer for Christian unity
VATICAN CITY, Jan. 18, 2010—After praying the Angelus on Sunday, Pope Benedict XVI welcomed the start of the Week of Prayer
for Christian Unity. This year, the eight days of meditation take on
the theme of "kergyma" or proclamation of the Gospel.
The Holy Father promoted the week, which runs from Jan. 18 - 25,
saying that it annually renews the opportunity for us "to revive the
ecumenical spirit, to come together, to get to know each other, pray
and reflect together."
The Pontifical Council for Christian Unity and the Commission
on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches jointly prepared and published a brochure outlining that the 2010 theme of the
prayer for unity would be "kergyma," or "preaching" in Greek, and
that Chapter 24 of the Gospel of St. Luke is the biblical
text for meditation.
In this text, Jesus is found to be missing from the tomb,
appears to the disciples and calls for them to preach
repentance in his name, for the forgiveness of sins, to
all nations.
This theme, said Pope Benedict, "harks back to the
word of Jesus resurrected to the Apostles: 'You are witnesses of these things.' "
In closing his appeal for the week of prayer, the Holy
Father said, "Our announcement of the Gospel of Christ
will be so much more credible and effective when we are
united in his love, as true brothers. I invite, therefore,
the parishes, religious communities, associations and
ecclesial movements to pray incessantly, in particular
during the eucharistic celebrations, for the full unity of
Christians."
Organizers suggest the following daily meditations
for the Week of prayer: Day One, praising the One who
Pope calls for protection for migrant
and refugee children
VATICAN CITY, Jan. 17, 2010—The World
Day for Migrants and Refugees was recognized by the Pope in the Angelus on Sunday.
The Holy Father called for special consideration for child refugees as he reflected on
the newborn baby Jesus and his “dramatic
refugee experience."
Referring to refugees and immigrants,
Pope Benedict said, “The presence of the
Church beside these people has been constant over history," citing the specific contributions of blessed Bishop John Baptist
Scalabrini and Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini
at the turn of the 20th century.
The Holy Father called for attention to
young migrant and refugee, who, like Jesus
who had lived as a refugee after his birth,
taught his disciples “to take in children with
great respect and love.”
Pope Benedict added, “Also the child, in
fact, regardless of his nationality and skin
color, is to be considering first of all and always as a person, image of God, to encourage
and protect against every marginalization
and exploitation. In particular, we must
take every care so that minors that find
themselves living in a foreign country are
guaranteed for on the legislative plane and
above all (are) accompanied in the innumerable problems that they must confront.”
“While I strongly encourage the Christian
community and the organisms that work in
service of minor immigrants and refugees, I
exhort all to keep alive the educative and cultural sensitivity in their experiences, according to the authentic evangelistic spirit.”
Blessed Giovanni Scalabrini and Saint
Frances Cabrini knew each other well and
both founded religious orders to provide aid
to those emigrating from Italy.
According to Saints.com, Blessed John
Baptist Scalabrini founded the Congregation
of the Missionaries of Saint Charles who
dedicated themselves to the "religious, moral, social and legal care of migrants." Saint
(Mother) Cabrini, under orders from Bishop
Scalabrini, founded the Missionary Sisters of
the Sacred Heart "to care for poor children
in schools and hospitals. She would be sent
to Chicago by Pope Leo XIII to continue this
mission, working mostly with Italian nationals. Mother Cabrini would become the first
U.S. citizen to become a saint.
Following the Angelus, the Pope warmly
greeted, with an emphatic "Thanks for coming!" to all those present in St. Peter's Square
in representation of diverse the ethnic communities. He also expressed his hope that
"all would participate fully in the social and
ecclesial life, keeping the values of their
cultures of origin." (CNA)
gives us the gift of life and resurrection; Day Two, knowing how to
share our the story of our faith with others; Day Three, recognizing
that God is at work in our lives; Day Four, giving thanks for the
faith we have received; Day Five, confessing Christ's victory over all
suffering, Day Six, seeking to be ever more faithful to the Word of
God; Day Seven, growing in faith, hope and love; Day Eight, offering
hospitality and knowing how to receive it when it is offered to us.
A brochure is available online on the World Council of Churches
website offering resources for the observance of the week. (CNA)
Vatican investigating miracle
attributed to Pius XII
VATICAN CITY, Jan. 18, 2010—
The Prefect Emeritus of the
Congregation for the Causes
of Saints, Cardinal Jose Saraiva
Martins, confirmed over the
telephone to CNA today that a
"presumed miracle" attributed
to Pope Pius XII is under investigation. The case involves
a patient cured of cancer in
southern Italy.
Cardinal Saraiva was quick
to caution, however, that there
is a big difference between a
"presumed" miracle and a "confirmed" miracle.
The case comes to the Congregation for Saints' Causes from
the town of Castellammare di Stabia near Naples, Italy. "Some
months ago," the local Sorrento & Dintorni online publication
reported on Sunday, a person was discovered to be cured of a
form of cancer previously declared incurable after praying for
the intercession of Pope Pius XII.
The doctors of the person, of whom no details are public,
were unable to give a scientific explanation for the occurrence,
according to the article.
According to the same news source, the story was confirmed
by Fr. Carmine Giudici, Vicar General of the Diocese of Sorrento,
who said, "It's all true." Fr. Carmine said that the Holy See was
in contact with the diocese after having been contacted by a local
church-goer who says that he or she received a miracle "by the
intercession of Pius XII."
"The archbishop then decided to institute within days the appropriate diocesan tribunal."
The existence of the possible miracle was confirmed to CNA
by Cardinal Saraiva Martins on Monday afternoon.
The prefect emeritus also said that it is impossible to estimate
the amount of time it might take for the process of confirmation
to be carried out. (CNA)
Cardinal Zen calls for referendum to decide Hong Kong’s democracy Prelate sees looming leadership vacuum
HONG KONG, Jan. 18, 2010—
Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun,
Bishop Emeritus of Hong Kong,
called on the territory’s Christians
to vote for the referendum on
universal suffrage two days after
the Chinese government said that
“Hong Kong had no authority to
launch a referendum.”
In fact, it is not a referendum in
the proper sense of the term, but
rather five by-elections that will
have to be called to replace five
members of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council (LegCo) who plan
to resign in late January in protest
against the government’s slow
pace at implementing full democracy for the Special Administrative Region. Five candidates from
pro-democracy parties will run in
the five ridings, and voting for
them will be viewed like a referendum in favour of democracy
and universal suffrage.
At a forum on constitutional
reform organized by Catholic
and Protestant groups, Cardinal
Zen urged all citizens including
Christians to support the de facto
referendum as a way to push
forward Hong Kong’s democracy
movement.
“I’m angry at the local government’s political reform proposal
which offers neither progress nor
any direction. It gives people no
choice, but have to accept it,”
Cardinal Zen said.
Under current rules, only half
of all LegCo members are chosen
by direct election; the other half
is made up of members elected in
functional constituencies.
For several
years, prodemocracy
parties and
the population have
been pushing
for the direct
election of all
lawmakers,
but mainland China
has blocked
the change,
postponing it
perhaps until
2017.
The Hong
Kong and
Macau Affairs
Office, an agency of China’s
State Council that manages ties
between the
mainland
and the two
special administrative
regions, issued a statement on the
matter, saying that the
idea of referendum in
Hong Kong is
“fundamentally against
the Basic
Law” agreed
by China and
the United
Kingdom before the former British colony was
returned to China. (AsiaNews)
The Blessed Joseph Vaz Jubilee year begins in Sri Lanka
KURUNEGALA, Jan. 18,
2010—The Jubilee Year
for the Blessed Joseph
Vaz began on 14 January with a solemn Mass.
Celebrations will end on
16 January of next year,
marking 300 years since
his death. Vaz, considered the apostle to Sri
Lanka, was beatified by
John Paul II when he visited the island nation in
1995. Now, many people
hope that the country’s
only blessed can be canonized.
The Mass was celebrated by Msgr. Harold Anthony Perera, bishop of
Kurunegala, along with
Bishop Emeritus Raymond Peiris, Fr. Reginold
Lucien, who is Tamil, and
the vicar general of Kurenala diocese Fr. Augustin
Marcus Fernando near
the shrine dedicated to
Vaz in the village of Maha
Galgamuwa, where the
blessed lived. Chants
and readings in Tamil
and Sinhala marked the
service attended by some
2,000 worshippers.
Msgr. Perera said that
Vaz was “a perfect ex-
ample of a believer who
came to an unknown
land, where the Dutch
persecuted the Christians, who had no priests,
and where people were
helpless.” To that land,
“he brought back the
light of faith.”
Vaz was born in 1651
in the Portuguese colony
of Goa. He was ordained
priest in 1676 and became
a member of the Congregation of Saint Philip
Neri. He arrived in Sri
Lanka in 1687, crisscross-
ing it far and wide. He
lived on the island for
the next 24 years until his
death in 1711.
Celebrations marking
the blessed’s 300th anniversary will take place
in various places on the
island.
Archbishop Malcolm
Ranjith celebrated on
16th January the Jubilee’s
beginning at the Church
of the Blessed Joseph
Vaz in Makola parish, in
the diocese of Colombo.
(AsiaNews)
LAHORE, Pakistan, Jan. 18, 2010—Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha of Lahore says there is a vacuum developing within the
Church leadership in Pakistan.
“Most Pakistani bishops are elderly and of Goan descent. Rome
has high standards for nominating bishops and sometimes our
priests are too young and incapable for the task. We should improve our performance and clergy should be highly motivated
by the Gospel,” he said.
The head of Pakistan’s Catholic Church urged the building up
of local Church leadership at a thanksgiving Mass celebrating
the 50th anniversary of his priestly ordination.
“The Church has progressed tremendously in five decades.
There were only two local priests when I was ordained. The
(number of) local priests are growing but we still have a lot to
do,” he admitted.
He also stressed the importance of lay participation. “A participatory Church is the key. We need people to take greater
responsibilities in Church,” he told about 1,000 people on Jan. 16
at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Lahore. These included 60 priests,
hundreds of nuns, seminarians and lay people. He was ordained
a priest in the same Church on Jan. 16, 1960.
Archbishop Saldanha, 74, concelebrated the Mass with Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana, apostolic nuncio to Pakistan, Auxiliary Bishop Sebastian Shah and Vicar General Father Andrew
Nisari.
The prelate was serving as associate pastor of Precious Blood
Church in Toronto, Canada, when he was made head of Lahore
archdiocese in 2001. He was ordained bishop on Sept. 11 that
year.
He told UCA News the situation of the Church in Pakistan “is
difficult here due to extremism.”
“The government is good but generally, there is a hostile attitude towards Christians who are identified as images of the
West.”
Archbishop Saldanha served 1986-98 as head of the Pakistan
bishops’ social communications commission and WAVE studio,
the Church’s national audiovisual center in Lahore. He also
headed the UCA News bureau in Pakistan and served 1971-74
as editor of “Naqeeb,” the Urdu Catholic bimonthly.
He earned a doctorate in systematic theology from the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome and participated in the Second
Vatican Council. (CNA)
News Features
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 14 No. 2
January 18 -31, 2010
A3
VATICAN CITY, Jan. 15, 2010—Over the last few months, Pope
Benedict XVI has opened a wider dialogue on the subject of environmental protection, and in the process put a sharper focus on an
issue that’s become central to his pontificate.
It’s increasingly clear that the “green” label slapped onto Pope
Benedict after he installed solar panels at the Vatican and joined a
reforestation project in Europe was not the whole story. Now the
pope is defining which shade of green — in moral arguments that
are not always popular.
The pope began weighing in on environmental themes in 2006.
His strong defense of the Amazon’s fragile ecology, his appeals for
safe water and his warnings on pollution’s burden on the poor all
received general acclamation.
When he approved the installation of solar panels on several
Vatican buildings and funded tree-planting in Hungary, the Vatican
drew praise for trying to become the world’s first carbon-neutral
state.
But lately, the pope’s words on ecology have raised eyebrows and
even some objections.
In a speech Jan. 11 to the diplomatic corps accredited to the
Vatican, the pope extended the discussion of “human ecology” to
same-sex marriage.
“Creatures differ from one another and can be protected, or
endangered, in different ways, as we know from daily experience.
One such attack comes from laws or proposals which, in the name
of fighting discrimination, strike at the biological basis of the difference between the sexes,” he said.
That prompted protests from homosexual activists, including
the head of an Italian gay organization, who said the pope’s linkage of gay marriage and ecological irresponsibility was “almost
comical.”
Pope Benedict, however, was not trying to score a cheap political
point. His argument touched on what might be called the leitmotif
of his pontificate: that man is not God, and that man’s actions should
correspond to God’s plan — or, as he phrased it to the diplomats, to
“the structure willed by the Creator.”
This is a long-held opinion of the German pontiff. In 2004, in a
major Vatican doctrinal document on the relationship of men and
women, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger said the “obscuring of the
© www.fathermike.info
For Pope Benedict, a
different shade of green
difference or duality of the sexes” was part of a misguided effort to
free the human being from biological conditioning.
Addressing the diplomats, the pope said he was thinking of legislative initiatives in countries in Europe, North America and South
America. Three days earlier, the Parliament in heavily Catholic
Portugal was the latest to pass a law that would legalize same-sex
marriage.
In the same speech, the pope underlined that protecting the
environment makes no sense unless it begins with protecting human life, including the life of the unborn. Here, too, the pope was
emphasizing that the church’s “green” philosophy always puts the
human being at the center, precisely because humans are made in
God’s image.
Critics might argue that the pope was hijacking environmental
issues to push the church’s agenda on the usual topics of abortion
and homosexuality. But in fact, the pope’s analysis of morality and
ecology went in several other directions, too, challenging conventional policies.
One of his strongest points to the audience of diplomats — and
one that received relatively little coverage in mainstream media
— was that the protection of creation demands a re-allocation of
resources away from military spending and the development of
nuclear weapons.
It echoed an appeal he made for disarmament in his World Peace
Day message Jan. 1, which was dedicated to the environment. In
that text, the pope said the continued existence of nuclear weapons
“threatens the life of the planet and the ongoing integral development of the present generation and of generations yet to come.”
Likewise, the pope probed the link between war and ecological
damage. He noted that many current conflicts around the world
arose from a struggle for natural resources, and in turn inflict immense harm on the environment.
He looked at the connection between environmental destruction
and migration, and pointed to the drug trade in places like Afghanistan, where agriculture is largely dedicated to the production
of narcotics. “If we want peace, we need to preserve creation by
rechanneling these activities,” he said.
In short, the pope’s analysis is not a simple one, nor is it easily categorized. His environmental “position” touches on climate
change (he urged an international agreement, warning that the
future of some island nations is at stake) and the global economic
crisis (which he blames in part on the selfish activities of the investment industry).
He sees the ecological crisis as part of a wider moral crisis, and the
common denominator is what he calls a “self-centered and materialistic way of thinking which fails to acknowledge the limitations
inherent in every creature.”
With that as a starting point, the pope’s continuing catechesis of
ecology is likely to keep grabbing attention and ruffling feathers in
coming months. (CNS)
ROME, Italy, Jan. 15, 2010—During a conference
this week in Rome, Cardinal Camillo Ruini and
secretary general of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, Msgr. Mariano Crociata emphasized that
priests must lead the faithful in confidently and
courageously announcing the Gospel message.
The conference was held Jan. 11-13 for clergy
and the lay faithful who work with the Unitalsi
association, an Italian organization that organizes
pilgrimages to holy sites around the world. The
cardinal and Msgr. Crociata met with conference
participants to prepare them for another year of
pilgrimages.
Cardinal Ruini affirmed in his address that
“religion’s sun has not set, but now, it is possibly
more important than in the past.” The prelate emphasized the role of the priest in leading the charge,
saying that his mission is that of announcing the
Word of God seriously and confidently, without
letting himself be taken down by pessimism.
In order to fulfill their mission with enthusiasm
and conviction, continued the cardinal, “priests
today must be men of prayer and also be very
prepared on the theological and cultural plane.”
Msgr. Crociata built on the same theme, proposing that priests must hold to three principal require-
Special Report: On CBCP Presidency
and critical collaboration
A moral force
“I have heard many people are looking for another Cardinal Sin in the
CBCP president but that is not the total
picture,” Odchimar said.
Cardinal Sin’s actions during those
historic days at EDSA I and II were not
because of his being CBCP President
but was simply acting as Archbishop
of Manila, he said.
“While the CBCP President could
have moral force in the name of all
the bishops of the Philippines, their
jurisdiction over their own dioceses
and archdioceses are respected by the
august body,” he explained.
Asked of his reaction to impressions that CBCP is divided into the
pro and anti-Arroyo and fence sitters,
Odchimar said “in our meetings, we
have different standpoints, we argue,
we discuss and we come up with a
pastoral statement.”
“Statements from other bishops are
their own observations of the events and
we cannot gag them,” he said.
He said the CBCP will continue to
speak out because we advocate our
prophetic role on social issues which
have moral dimensions.
Critical Collaboration
“Not everything in any institution is totally
good or totally
bad and while we
uphold what is
good in the government, we also
criticize what is
wrong about the
government,” he
explained.
The time honored stance of the
CBCP in its relation with the government is ‘critical collaboration,’
said Odchimar.
He said they collaborate with the
government on what is good for the
common people and they criticize what
is worthy of blame.
© Roy Lagarde / CBCP Media
MANILA, Jan. 11, 2010—CBCP President and Tandag Bishop Nereo P.
Odchimar said he would support the
government when it performs well
and promotes the common good but
would dare stand up on issues affecting morality.
In an interview with CBCPNews for
its podcast edition (cbcpnews.com/
podcast), the 69-year old prelate said
that as head of the
local conference
of bishops, “the
people and the
world hang on to
what you say.”
He said he has
observed whenever they issue a
statement, among
the issues discussed “only one
is being highlighted and at times,
what is presented
are ‘half-truths’”
by some broadsheets.
The CBCP presi- Bishop Nereo Odchimar
dent said the conference remains influential because it could still “make and
unmake people.”
Need for change in gov’t
Referring to the coming May 2010
national and local elections, the CBCP
President said institutions need change
because “even in the Catholic church,
Pope John XXIII when he convened the
Second Vatican Council said the Church
is in the process of change.”
“We should retain what is good,
improve what needs improvement
and discard what is bad and corrupt,”
he said.
He added nobody should allow
events to pass by without doing anything especially when a shift in power
is about to take place.
He urged the people to lead in the
process of change, towards social transformation by beginning with one’s self
or beginning the change from within.
Presidency / A6
ments, the first being that of “guiding the faithful to
a personal encounter with Christ, and more specifically to a capacity for a personal and autonomous
faith, in profound communion with Him.”
The second, he continued, consists in having the
courage and conviction to be a true believer in the
Church. Finally, “there is no mediocre and relaxed
way to approach the conquest of Christ; conquest
means effort, tension, hard work and obstinate
dedication, self-sacrifice.”
Msgr. Crociata concluded by saying that none
of this is possible without an impassioned faith.
(CNA)
© www.bologna.chiesacattolica.it
Priests must ‘lead the charge’ in proclaiming
the Gospel, says Cardinal Ruini
Cardinal Camillo Ruini
More Filipinos disagree with RH
bill propositions, survey shows
MANILA, Jan. 13, 2010—There are more Filipinos who are
against than for reproductive health bill being signed into
law, according to a recent research study.
In a bid to offset claims by proponents of RH bill that more
Filipinos are in favor of it, Pro-life Philippines Foundation
teamed up with two respected research organizations to
do a counter survey stating the grim facts of the proposed
RH bill.
Carried out by HB&A International Research and the
Asia Research Organizations led by Tony Abaya and Lito
Sandejas respectively, the survey showed 92 percent of
Filipinos reject the controversial bill.
Questions used for the survey directly referred to the
contents of the bill such as sex education and artificial
family planning.
The poll contradicted the earlier claim by Albay Representative Edcel Lagman that more Filipinos are in favor of
RH bill signed into law as based from last year’s SWS and
Pulse Asia surveys.
According to the 3rd quarter survey of SWS, 71 percent
of surveyed Catholics and 68 percent of surveyed nonCatholics favored the bill’s passage. Meanwhile, Pulse Asia
said 63 percent of the population supports the RH bill.
But even after the release of the statistics, Church leaders
as well as vanguard life advocates remained steadfast in
their all-out campaign against the bill. Former LingayenDagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz said in an article that the
fight “is not a numbers game.”
“…it’s a question of morals and ethics, it’s not a question
of how many says what. Nothing can stop the Church [to
campaign against RH bill]. It’s her role and right to spread
the Gospel,” he said.
Pro-life Philippines president Lito Atienza also questioned the accuracy of the surveys, claiming that the questions asked did not reflect the facts of what the promulgation of the bill seeks to implement.
Atienza formed an alliance with Abaya, Sandejas, and
other pro-lifers to come up with a survey directly stating
the grim, nitty-gritty details of the RH Bill.
Survey results showed 65 percent agreed that fathers can
best teach their sons about sex while mothers can best teach
their daughters about sex, more than teachers.
It also revealed that 75 percent of Filipinos were not
aware that if the RH bill becomes a law, sex education will
be taught as early as Grade 5, with emphasis on the technical and biological aspects without necessarily covering the
moral, religious and spiritual facets.
Eighty-eight percent of parents agreed to be trained on
how to teach their children correctly about sex.
On contraceptives, 92 percent did not agree with the plan
to make available free of charge birth control pills, IUDs
and the like to young teenage children without the parents’
knowledge and consent.
The survey also bared that 73 percent were not aware that
lawmakers have been trying to pass a reproductive Health
Bill in spite of strong opposition from the Catholic Church
and large segment of the population.
RH bill / A6
NASSA asks help for earthquake victims
MANILA, Jan. 18, 2010─The National
Secretariat for Social Action –Justice
and Peace (NASSA-JP) of the Catholic
Bishops Conference of the Philippines
has joined the international community
in its massive drive to help the people of
Haiti rise above the ruins and tragedy
brought by the recent earthquake that
devastated the country.
NASSA National Director and Manila Auxiliary Broderick Pabillo urged
people of goodwill to help the Haitian
people whose lives have been devastated by the earthquake that struck the
Caribbean nation.
“At a time like this, our help will
mean so much. Our donations will buy
food and shelter, and rebuild homes and
schools,” Pabillo said in a letter released
by NASSA.
“Our love will heal the wounds of
those who lost their family and loved
ones to the disaster,” he added.
There has been an outpouring of support from the international community as
the nation reeled from the aftermath of a
7.0 magnitude tremor that killed hundreds
of thousands of people and leveled much
of the nation’s capital, Port-au-Prince.
“Along with the emerging picture of
the extent of the tragedy is the collective concern for the nation’s recovery,”
Pabillo said.
The poorest nation in the Western
hemisphere, Haiti had its ample share
of natural disasters, and a history of
social and political turmoil that kept
the country grappling with poverty and
corruption.
“This earthquake, with its after-
shocks, is so much more tragic than
other quakes in recent history because
the Haitian people have already seen
and lived through more than their share
of sufferings,” he said.
Pabillo asked prayers for those who
have lost lives as well as those who have
survived that they may recover from the
tragedy and rebuild their lives soon.
He also urged the public, especially
friends and partners of NASSA to show
compassion and reach out with generosity to Haitian people in this time of
great need.
Donors are asked to course their
donations through NASSA–Caritas
Filipinas; PHILTRUST BANK, Account
Name: CBCP CARITAS FILIPINAS
FOUNDATION, INC. Account No.
00320 – 013778 – 3. (CBCPNews)
Opinion
A4
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 14 No. 2
January 18 - 31, 2010
EDITORIAL
To walk with the laity
WHILE YouthPinoy, an aggrupation of young people that calls
themselves “online missionaries,” made a big splash over the
weekend at the launching of its portal with the Apostolic Nuncio,
some bishops, priests and about two thousand young people in
attendance, a group of lay people unceremoniously uploaded an
urgent letter to an online global petition hosting site.
Titled “Urgent Letter from the Filipino Lay Faithful to the
Bishops, Priests and Religious,” the online petition has already
gathered 193 signatures, to date, and counting—and has merited
a column at a national daily and 3 blogs from no less than an
archbishop.
The online letter from “concerned and involved Filipino lay
Catholics” calls on the bishops, priests, and religious “to hold
high the moral compass that will light our way, and for you
to provide the prophetic pastoral accompaniment that will
strengthen us in fulfilling our role and mission as sons and
daughters of God.”
It enumerates the following “urgent tasks” and calls the clergy
“to stand and walk” with the lay faithful in fulfilling them:
1. Achieving a just peace that is not the mere absence of conflict
but one that honors human dignity, protects human rights,
and condemns institutional violence as well as all forms of
cruelty.
2. Protecting the most vulnerable among us (the least, the last
and the lost) by providing access to justice, livelihood, health,
education and all other basic human needs, as well as promoting
the livelihood of the poor instead of bailing out big business and
granting corporations exemptions from wage increases.
3. Protesting the ill-effects of globalization, among them, loss
of jobs, exploitation of land and labor, unfair trade practices,
women being turned into commodities.
4. Promoting a culture of integrity and stewardship in society and
in the Church. Denouncing corruption in all its forms and in all
levels, in both the public and the private sectors, and demanding
that the corrupt be held accountable.
5. Condemning abuse of power and the culture of impunity that
allows crime to go unpunished.
6. Offsetting the breakdown of OFW families with parish support,
counseling programs and projects.
7. Caring for the environment, conserving it for future generations
and speaking against its abuse.
8. Calling on the citizenry to take an active role in ensuring that
the coming elections are credible.
This call is a tall order, indeed—which is actually what the Second
Plenary Council of the Philippines has been talking about, albeit
uneventfully, for 19 years now. But perhaps equally a taller
order is the reemergence of the laity which has been painted,
not for a single time, as taking cover at the helms of a bishop’s
cassock when critically confronted with the socio-political
demands of the faith.
Commitments to the poor
SCRIPTURE warns us: “He who shuts his ear to the cry of
the poor will himself also call and not be heard” (Prov. 21,13).
Impelled by the voices of the rural poor and guided by the social
teachings of the Church on justice, preferential option for the poor
and the common good, we make the following resolutions:
We continue to put in place venues for dialogue, where the poor
can interact with the Bishops and other leaders of the Catholic
Church. We shall activate specialized desks within church
structures that would help the rural poor at the parish, diocesan,
regional and national levels.
We shall intensify our engagement with our public officials in
the legislation and implementation of social justice measures,
as we did with a letter addressed to Congress asking for CARP
extension with reform.
We shall capacitate the people in the rural areas by the continuous
work of organizing Basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs) and
groups that are conscious of their rights and duties and help
each other to work for integral development in the light of the
Gospel of Christ.
We shall encourage our lay faithful to intensify their fight against
graft and corruption, and accompany upright public officials in
their efforts to serve the people in transparency and truth.
We shall direct Church institutions and organizations to be more
engaged in works of solidarity, justice and charity for the poor
in rural areas. We shall also call on them to be more actively
engaged in protecting and promoting the integrity of creation.
Finally, we shall strive to be faithful to live out our mission as
the Church of the Poor—a Church which is both engaged in the
work of integral evangelization, as well as in Social Reform.
Such actions emanate from the Pauline vision of “uniting all
things under Christ” (Eph 1:10)—to engage the world as we bear
witness to the plight of the poor, through profound conversion
and renewal as People of God.
God Hears the Cries of the Poor,
A CBCP Pastoral Statement, 2009
www.cbcpmonitor.com
[email protected]
Pedro C. Quitorio
Editor-in-Chief
Pinky Barrientos, FSP
Kris P. Bayos
Melo M. Acuña
Laarni Bergado
Roy Q. Lagarde
Ernani M. Ramos
Associate Editor
Managing Editor
News Editor
Feature Editor
Marketing Supervisor
Circulation Manager
Laurence John R. Morales Marcelita Dominguez
Layout Artist and Online Editor
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The CBCP Monitor is published fortnightly by the CBCP Communications Development Foundation, Inc., with editorial and
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Oscar V. Cruz, DD
Views and Points
IT has been reported recently and understandably that a group of
Filipino lay Catholics have prepared a revealing open, ardent and
urgent letter specifically addressed to the Bishops and Priests of the
Philippines, inclusive of the Men and Women Religious. Its contents
are not only distinctly significant but also quite revealing about how
the lay faithful concerned feel and lament about.
The same letter forwards eight of their most pressing social and
political lamentable preoccupations—in collective response to which
they are expressly and formally asking the “prophetic pastoral accompaniment” of the Church leadership through a “moral compass”
held high and clearly seen so that lay men and women know where
to go and what to do in their avid pursuit of what is true, right and
just in this disturbing and worrisome country.
Incidentally, it is worth noting that the Catholic Church in the
universal level has the following canonical provision that is worth
knowing and remembering: “Flowing from their rebirth in Christ’s
faithful. Because of this equality, they all contribute, each according
to his or her own condition and office, to the building of the Body
of Christ.” (Canon 208 CIC ). Taking notice that “Christ’s Faithful”
is composed of the Laity, the Religious and the Clerical Hierarchy,
the above cited universal law of the Church says a distinct mouthful
for all those concerned, to duly ponder and accordingly observe—
particularly to the word equality which is twice mentioned.
Open letter to the
bishops and priests
Going back to the January 2010 open letter of the group of Filipino
lay Catholics, there is something intentionally and specifically written therein that cannot but be taken very seriously by the addressees
themselves in particular. After saying that they aspire to become true
witnesses to the people, they write what they want “to get involved
and go over and above rituals and personal piety.” This expression is
definitely neither against Church rituals, nor disdainful of personal
piety. It however impliedly says:
That the Filipino Catholics have had more than enough not only
of Church rituals (words and gestures) but also of personal piety
(thoughts and feelings). These are the main contents of verticalist
faith. These are basically and exclusively about “myself and my
God”—with “my neighbor” absent therefrom. Practically, the all
local and imported sects are in this department as it is a comfortable zone, not to mention its very beneficial returns to most of their
renowned founders.
The Social Doctrine of the Church adds the imperative horizontal
dimension to the Catholic evangelizing work, and thereby completes
the Cross of Christ. Its focus is the good of man. Its substance is the
mandate of truth, justice and peace. This means trouble and spells
harassment from powerful liars, big thieves and deadly goons—who
are well pleased if Churchmen would stick to but holding rituals
and preaching piety.
Sr. Mary Pilar Verzosa, RGS
Buhay Mo, Mahal Ko
THIS February will be the 12th year that
the pro-life groups in the Philippines will
be celebrating Pro-life Month. It all started
when former President Cory Aquino issued
the Presidential Proclamation 214 declaring
every second week of February as “Respect
and Care for Life Week”. This was upon the
request of Pro-life Philippines Foundation to
hold an annual celebration during February
so that it will not only be popularly known as
a “Love Month” due to Valentines Day but
also a “Life Month”. The time was always
celebrated with rallies, conferences, contests
and Eucharistic Liturgies, organized by parishes and schools all over the country.
A few years later, because a week seemed
too short, Pro-life Philippines declared that
the whole month of February be dedicated
as Pro-life Month. Various themes have been
chosen to emphasize the challenge to promote pro-life : “ Stand Up for Life!”, “Bawat
Sanggol, Ipagtanggol”, “A consistent Ethic
for Life”, “Respect Life”, “Proudly Pro-life”
among others.
This year, the theme chosen is “Buhay Mo,
Mahal Ko”. Communications have been sent
Love Life
to the Family and Life Coordinators of the
Dioceses and parishes, as well as to school
heads and organizations. The Department
of social Welfare and Development (DSWD)
has also been reminded to involve in the celebration as this is the government entity that
was mentioned in the Presidential Proclamation that should supervise the implementation of Pro-life Month nationwide.
Drumming up attention to pro-life values
is very crucial at this time when pro-population control/pro-contraception groups are
aggressively pressuring congress to pass the
Reproductive Health Bill, a title they have
given to demand a budget of two billion pesos for massive distribution of contraceptiveabortifacients to the poor. The bill, if passed,
will institutionalize a contraceptive-based
sex education to be given in both public and
private schools from Grade 5 (10-year old
children) all the way to high school.
Dissenters to the promotion of population
control, whether through sex education or
services in health facilities, factories and
business enterprises, homes and churches,
will be punished. Proponents of the bill insist
Fr. Melvin P. Castro
Speaking of Mary
DEATH and tragedy seems to be the order of the year. If we were
superstitious, the recent calamity in Haiti bodes ill for the entire year.
But as believers and followers of Christ, no gravity of tragedy or
senselessness of death can separate us from Him who is the source
of all happiness and grace.
The tsunami in the Indian Ocean, the floods in Southeast Asia, the
devastating earthquake in the Caribbean—all these natural phenomena make us think twice not only of how volatile human life is on
the face of the earth but more importantly, these make us look, no,
search for a somehow higher power and being.
And in this seeming despair, when somehow we are cornered
either to lose hope or grasp the idea of any higher good, it is then that
we have to “invent” the idea of God. To comfort ourselves perhaps
or to console our weary and tired hearts?
Perhaps. Who then is God? Are we no different from our ancestors
that when they were confronted with unexplainable phenomena of
nature, they simply turned to nature and adore it as god? Perhaps
we have just gone more articulate, more sophisticated in our verbosity yet essentially re-inventing the same old idea that since we
cannot explain it, let’s call it “god,” and adore it and attribute to it
anything and everything that will make our lives on earth more
bearable and palatable.
Quite tempting isn’t it? It’s easier to be “philosophical” rather
than to be “dogmatic” about things. It’s a lot easier to ask and doubt
that it does not promote abortion. However,
a careful reading of the bill reveals that the
types of contraceptives being promoted
are abortifacient in nature and the constant
repetition of the contraception-population
control propaganda creates an anti-natal
mentality, bordering on a pro-abortion
mentality. In fact, some of the feminist
groups backing up the passage of the bill
admit that they would like abortion to be
legalized and made available, especially to
the poor women.
This is a call then for you, dear reader, to
help us in the pro-life movement, and let me
also say, a call for you to help YOUR Church,
to spread the Gospel of Life in whatever way
you can as soon as possible. Remember,
every minute delayed results to hundreds
of babies being lost in abortion and contraception, thousands of youth misled by the
“safe sex” messages, and couples’ marriages
polluted by the contraceptive mentality.
Herein is a copy of Presidential Proclamation 214 that you can use to help us in
promoting February as “Respect and Care
Life / A5
Vita Mutatur non
Tollitur
rather than ask and search, for when we eventually find what or
who we seek, there are no excuses not to believe in nor give our
commitment to that discovered truth.
And so alas, in the tragedies of this passing world, are we to
discover God? And insist that God does not turn a blind eye when
His people suffer? Or are we to follow the other extreme and think
that indeed this world is left to its own, and that we are to tend to
ourselves with only ourselves to help us? Or to consider even that it
is just senseless to think more than what we see and experience, that
these are tragedies and that is all, no deeper explanations, no deeper
sense, no higher meaning, and no higher Being to speak of?
Last Christmas Season, I had the grace to stay at the bedside of
a dying man. He was rich and powerful. I thought for a while that
death was a great equalizer between the poor and the rich, the weak
and the mighty. That since death is inescapable, at least in death,
we are all equal.
Yet I was deeply wrong. I saw this man, in the utter weakness of
his mind and body, drew strength from God and from Our Lady.
In his last evening of earthly life, he exhorted us to pray the Holy
Rosary. Upon reaching the Fourth Sorrowful Mystery, he summoned
any strength that was left of him and led the praying of the decade,
and with fifth Hail Mary, he begun to sing the prayer.
Sickness and death are not the great equalizer, God’s grace is.
Mary / A5
Opinion
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 14 No. 2
January 18 -31, 2010
Fr. Roy Cimagala
Candidly Speaking
A CATECHISM has just been issued by the Episcopal Commission
on Family and Life. It’s titled, “A Catechism on Family and Life for
the 2010 Elections.” Its purpose is to form and guide the consciences
of the Christian faithful in their duties toward family and life especially as these values impact on our public life.
It has 15 points, with questions that go directly to the issues, and
answers that while a bit kilometric are succinct enough to cover
these issues sufficiently. It requires some effort, but it surely will
also reward that effort.
I would say it’s a tremendous material that will go a long way
in helping families and individual persons to be more consistent in
their Christian faith and morals. Consistency in this case means the
faithful’s duty as citizens also to promote and defend their family
and life values in the political arena.
This is a very exciting challenge. For some time now, this aspect
of the Christian life has been neglected, presumed to take care of
itself by some naïve belief in an invisible hand, not realizing that
powerful forces prowl our social and political life, taking advantage
of the democratic atmosphere to retail their evil designs.
Thus, while churches may be full especially on Sundays, and public
devotions and shows of popular piety are never lacking, we now have
the anomalous situation where in our Congress we have lawmakers
poised to legalize practices that are openly against morals, not to
mention, our culture, scientific data, and even common sense.
I pray that this catechism be given widespread airing in the parishes, families, schools, companies, social groups, etc. I pray that it be
studied by our politicians and the other leaders and prominent figures
in the fields of media, business, sports and entertainment, etc.
A social network of sorts should be put up, with everyone taking
the initiative to do whatever he can to spread this document. It can
be uploaded in the Internet, emailed to friends, including discussion groups. It can be given especially to our public officials like our
senators, congressmen, governors, mayors, etc.
We have to wake up. We cannot deny the fact that especially with
this unavoidable trend toward globalization that certainly has its
The priest is called by
God the Father, Son and
Holy Spirit
A PRIEST once told his confreres over dinner
of a childless middle-aged couple in his parish who hired a barrio lass as housekeeper.
She turned out to be an excellent cook too.
Unfortunately, she had a habit of listening
to the couple’s private conversations. She
noticed how the wife calls her husband from
time to time. “Darling, your newspaper is
here”, “Darling, please check our electric
bill”, “Darling, your compadre Peter just
texted you” etc. One evening, after the table
was set for supper, the wife told her: “Call
my husband now. It’s time to eat.” The
housekeeper dutifully went upstairs and,
within the hearing of the wife, called out to
the man of the house: “Darling, dinner is
ready!” The wife nearly had a heart attack.
The lass mistakenly thought ‘Darling’ was
the man’s name.
A person calls another person always for
a specific purpose. When God calls each
prophet in the Old Testament it is specifically to bear and declare his word to them,
whether of joy or of judgment. When Isaiah
is called, for instance, it is to bear God’s Word
declaring his will to call all people to himself,
not simply Israel. The barrio lass in our story
could not share in the couple’s exclusive relationship. But the same thing is not true to
God’s relationship with Israel. The prophet
puts it in terms of calling all peoples to his
Spaces of Hope
THE late Engr. Ernesto R. Aboitiz had unusually young looking eyes:
sharp, inquisitive, clear, and active. Surrounded by a thick frock of
gray hair and a prominent goatee, his eyes revealed a youthful spirit
that no aging body could confine.
It was as if the poet Samuel Ullman was thinking of him when he
wrote the memorable lines: “You are as young as your faith, as old
as your doubt; as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear,
as young as your hope, as old as your despair.”
I got to know Engr. Ernesto Aboitiz during the defining days of
People Power 2. A friendship was born between a veteran advocate
and a middle-aged upstart in the work of political advocacy. He
soon became a dear friend, a feisty fiscalizer, and a precious mentor.
He also became the first personal monthly pledger of our fledgling
movement.
Ernie was an acquired taste. At first encounter, one gets the uneasy
feeling of being stretched out of one’s comfort zones. After all, Mr.
Aboitiz had been there and done those things that were just beginning to dawn on me. Ernie had worked with two presidents and was
involved in the phase of transition between the two. It was no easy
role but he had his conscience and his Church to guide him. I recall
with admiration how often a man of his stature would humbly ask
specific guidance from persons much younger and less well known
than himself, only because they were priests of the Church.
One can say he was a dye-in-the-wool Catholic who was not timid
about concealing his core identity in the challenging worlds of business, government, and high society. He was a bearer of Catholic
identity and culture. Once, when he was with me in our rather tight
and bare space we called a “prayer room” for a mass, I asked him
to remove his shoes before entering. He did so with no hesitation.
Ernie was a simple man who had a deep sense of the sacred even
good aspects, we are also now getting entangled with a worldwide
campaign to push wildly liberal ideas and values, unhinged from
the sure core of beliefs of who we really are.
We cannot be brainless and idiotic before this disturbing development not only in our country but also in the whole world. Sad to
say, many of our political and social leaders are playing deaf and
dumb to the true character of these issues. They are playing footsie
with powerful and moneyed ideologues.
This is not to mention that many of them profess to be good and
pious Christians. They like to flaunt their Christianity around, making sure they are in the limelight in public occasions. But they are
notoriously inconsistent with their Christian faith and morals.
Yes, we need to help them to leap from being Christian in name
only (CINO) to Christian in life really (CILR). If they are humble
enough to realize their need for conversion, there’s always hope.
The purveyors of these wild ideas cleverly use sophisms and casuistry
to argue their points. And so, together with their generous dole-outs of
money, they are quite successful already in mainstreaming the contraceptive mentality and in developing a sizable and noisy following.
But the truth is not with them. And that fact has to be exposed
promptly and thoroughly. Silence in this case is a devil’s tactic. Thus,
this Catechism comes in handy. It answers in the clearest terms,
within the bounds of data, logic and charity, the questions often
raised to distort if not disable the ethical aspects of these issues.
Among the points clarified in the Catechism are the often misunderstood doctrine on the separation of the Church and State, the role of
Catholics and Christians in enriching the democratic system, the role of
conscience in developing our positions and our duty to form it well.
Very significantly, the Catechism once again articulates why contraception is wrong, why the Reproductive Health Bill now pending
approval in our Congress is dangerous, why voting for candidates
who favor RH is not morally sound.
In all of this, let’s never forget that this political engagement is
a struggle for truth and justice, for peace and love for all. Let’s not
spoil it with petty quarrels and useless acrimony.
Rev. Euly B. Belizar, SThD
By the Roadside
who blesses us in His Son, Christ Jesus, and
seals us with the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13-14)”.
But how does this apply to the priestly vocation? Pastores Davo Vobis teaches that it is
by virtue of consecration in ordination (PDV
12). Through Sacrament of Orders, “the
priest is sent forth by the Father, through
the mediatorship of Jesus Christ…in order
to live and work by the power of the Holy
Spirit in the service of the Church.”
This truth has sobering consequences. First,
it tells us, yet again, the true origin of the
priestly vocation. I had once a conversation
with a mother who was heartbroken that her
son left the seminary. I had to tell her, “It’s not
we, it’s God who calls anyone to the priesthood. No matter how good our intentions
are, it’s still God who makes priests.” Second,
it also clarifies to everyone, especially the
priest, why his vocation is inextricably tied
to ‘community’. At times we priests and lay
people alike talk of community building like
it’s the latest craze in contemporary Church
life. It barely scratches the surface. The truth
is, since it is the Divine Community of Father,
Son and Holy Spirit who calls certain persons
to be priests, that call is understandably both
to share in the Trinitarian life and to extend
that life to others. The fruit of his response
is always a community he builds after the
image of the Trinity.
Adios Amigo
if he was not exactly what people ordinarily refer to as religious.
Sir Ernie, a title bestowed on him in 2009 by his St. Sylvester Papal
award, was so becoming of him.
The gospel last Sunday (Luke 2:41-52) on the finding of Jesus in
the temple show an inquisitive boy of twelve who is comfortable in
the presence of influential people, even as later on he also showed
himself to be very much at home with the poor.
Inquisitiveness is the first step towards wisdom. Wise people begin by asking; often good questions are more important than good
answers. Ernie had endless questions that threatened the uninitiated but shed light to those who were open. While there would be
disagreements, the process of asking removed the superfluous and
often only the truly essential remained. It was his way of sharing
his cumulative wisdom as well as channeling the energies of what
later on became the Dilaab movement.
The questions taught us many things: that resources, when the
hearts and the systems are not in the right place, can be a curse;
that empathy and compassion towards public servants is essential
if we are to have meaningful change; that by linking with others
and becoming part of a network we do not have to reinvent wheels;
that people need to put their money where their mouths are; that
prevention is better than cure; that effectiveness is not just a frenzy
of activities; etc. By insisting on concrete counterparts from stakeholders in advocacy work, he embodied the Church’s vision of a
community of disciples where no one is so poor so as not to be able
to give anything and no one is so rich so as not to be able to receive
anything.
Last December 2009 he showed himself thinking of others even
as he entered a very difficult period in his life. He said to me: “It
is really so simple to help others if you really want to and the best
Life / A4
for Life” Month signed by Pres. Corazon C. Aquino
last Feb. 3, 1988.
WHEREAS, the United Nations Declaration on
Rights of the Child provides that “the child by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs
special safeguards and care, including appropriate
legal protection, before as well as after birth;”
WHEREAS, Section 12, Article II of the Constitution provides that it is the policy of the State to
“protect the life of the mother and the life of the
unborn from conception;”
WHEREAS, available statistics detail the frightening
losses of innocent human lives by abortion; and
WHEREAS, in pursuance of the above constitutional mandate and in support of the UN universal
declaration and in order to instill the same, as
well as the value and sacredness of human life, in
Jose B. Lugay
Catechism and political
engagement
holy mountain. “And the foreigners who
join themselves to the Lord, ministering to
him…them I will bring to my holy mountain
and make joyful in my house of prayer” (Is
56:6-7). This is clearly a judgment passed on
some Israelites’ mistaken sense of having an
exclusive right to being God’s People. I remember an OFW friend in Rome who shared
how his Jewish “employer” often taunted
him: “You Christians stole everything you
got from us Jews. But make no mistake. Only
Jews are the Chosen People.” One could
probably also say: “Oh yes. But also make no
mistake. Isaiah says God calls all peoples to
his holy mountain, not simply Israel.”
On the other hand, the priest of the NT
is an agent of this universal call. Israel according to Isaiah’s vision is precisely God’s
People so that through Israel all peoples, all
nations of the earth, could be called to share
in the blessings of God’s People. In fact, the
priest of the Catholic Church mainly comes
from every nation other than Israel. He is a
living testament of this universal call.
But the point is, it’s God the Father, Son
and Holy Spirit who extends this call to the
person he wants to be a priest. As the Catechism for Filipino Catholics says, the call
that every Christian hears, especially the
priest, to follow Christ, “is a free gift of God,
grounded in the Father’s free loving choice,
Fr. Carmelo O. Diola, SSL
A5
Laiko Lampstand
PCP II’s 19th
anniversary—
Quo Vadis Laity?
THE year 2009 has closed with a bang of calamities, disasters, and
the uncertainty of the implementation of the automated elections.
The year 2010 was ushered in by the 14-hour saga of the Black
Nazarene procession, and the start of the investigation of the
Maguindanao massacre. The economic crisis worldwide has been
overcome and even the Philippines is out of the recession. The
headlines now occupy the start of the presidential campaign using paid surveys and the two contending presidentiables started
throwing brickbats at each other. The victims of sea disasters
are still seeking justice for the loss of their loved ones. Mayon
volcano has calmed down to allow refugees to go back to their
homes below the 6 kilometers danger limit. This in a nutshell
are the headline- grabbing incidents during the closing of the
old year and the coming in of the new year
Let us take a close look at the present social situation of the
Philippines. SWS survey says that there are 4.4 million households that experienced involuntary hunger in the last quarter of
2009. They are those who are not able to eat 3 meals a day. In
the rural areas some families are unable to send their children to
school since they are needed to help tend the farms. The poorest
regions where they live are also where the political dynasties
enjoy their wealth and power.
What has PCP II, or the Acts and Decrees of the Second Plenary Council told us 19 years ago about the social issues then?
Its causes, its effects and what the Church had to do to change
the situation? In short, what have we done since then to effect
social transformation? If we have not succeeded, where did we
fail? Since the People of God, the Vatican II definition of Church
is composed of the Clergy, the Religious and Laity, what had
each group contributed to the solution of the social ills of this
country? Now that the election period for 2010 is here, let us
listen to what PCP II had to say about the economic and political
situation 19 years ago. It will be evident to those who update
themselves on the Philippine social situation that nothing has
changed much since then.
“29. We see today, especially after EDSA, a strong concern
for broad social change. These past few years the realization has
grown that change in social structures is not enough without
change too in cultural values. In the soul-searching on reasons
why we seem to be unable to move on our besetting social problems, there has been a tendency to look inward at the values that
motivate us and to blame them as the hindrances to movement.
Possibly it is more correct to say it is not our values so much
that are at fault as the exaggeration and the wrong uses we have
put them to. For it is precisely in their excess and abuse that
our social ills arise.”
“Even as we note the basic soundness of our values as a whole,
however, we will have to characterize them as rather too particularistic, too focused on the good of small social groups (the
extended family, the clan, little in-groups of all kinds). This
narrow focusing easily lends itself to the factionalization that
social scientists say is characteristic of much of Philippine society. Lacking is a more universalistic outlook that would put as
much stress on their good of wider groupings, the community,
the nation, humanity and the world at large
We don’t have to go far to get examples of this PCP II situation
analysis. The Ampatuan family, the richest and most powerful
political dynasty in Maguindanao which is considered a place
where the poorest of the poor live. The Ampatuans which also
head the ARMM, is the richest oligarchy strengthened by their
ability to control the results of past elections through connivance
with COMELEC officials. The present Administration is claimed
to have won in the last presidential election by the support of this
clan. Now the premeditated murder of Mangundadatu family
members, a total of 57 people including 30 media practitioners
now on its second day of trial which will be resumed on January 20, is a glaring abuse of the power of the clan—the extended
family of the Ampatuans.
“23. It is in the field of economics and politics that we see most
clearly how our socio-cultural conditioning—or, more correctly,
its negative aspects—strongly affects behavior. It lends to, in a
word, inequalities, often of the grossest kind.”
“24. Thus on the economic side: The poverty and destitution
of the great mass of our people are only too evident, contrasting
sharply with the wealth and luxury of the relatively few families,
the elite top of our social pyramid. And on the political side:
Power and control are also elitist, lopsidedly concentrated on
established families that tend to perpetuate themselves in political dynasties.”
The field of economics and politics are in the sphere of the
laity’s world. 99.97% of the People of God (Church) is the Laity. Most of them are the poor—the people who practice their
Christian belief in folk religiosity (the Black Nazarene devotees).
Only 10% belong to those who go to Church on Sundays and most
of them are women. From the results of what we see today, the
male Christian population is mostly “unchurched,” and would
rather spend their free time elsewhere to reward themselves after
a long day’s work. To those who are involved in Sangguniang
Laiko ng Pilipinas, I ask, Quo Vadis, Laity? PCP II has shown
us the way 19 years ago. It’s time to move faster—for social
reform. If we start with voting for the right persons this 2010,
there is great hope for social transformation, never mind if we
are 19 years late!
way to help is to be in government. It gives you a big high just because many are helped due to a little effort on your part.” It is small
surprise that my dear friend was happiest with our outreach to the
police and he was looking forward to the germination of the seed
of our effort to evangelize politics.
Last year, Ernie and other members of our network planted some
seedlings. He did more than that. He planted some seeds for Dilaab,
the Church, and the nation.
Do not worry Ernie, we will continue to water the seedlings while
God will give the growth. Adios Amigo!
Mary / A4
the minds and hearts of the Filipino people and
thereby help reverse the above statistical trend, it
becomes imperative to set aside a period of time for
them to ponder and focus attention on their moral
and constitutional obligations to protect human life
or one’s inherent right to life;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, CORAZON C. AQUINO,
President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers
vested on me by law, do hereby declare the second
week of February 1988 and every year thereafter as
“RESPECT AND CARE FOR LIFE WEEK” under
the auspices of the Department of Social Welfare
and Development and Pro-Life Philippines, and
other involved entities or organization.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set
my hand and caused the seal of the Republic of
the Philippines to be affixed.
Conversion is for everyone, the mighty and weak,
wealthy and the pauper.
Gathered together around him the next day,
we sung the Hail Mary, with the repetition of this
Marian hymn, he breathed his last. With the statue
of Our Lady, Mary, Mediatrix of All-Grace guarding him in deathbed, it was the true Lady who
accompanied him to his heavenly home.
Tragedies do not equalize us. The grace of God
does. God’s love does.
St. Augustine has these beautiful words to say:
Great are You, O Lord, and greatly to be praised;
great is Your power, and of Your wisdom there is
no end. And man, being a part of Your creation,
desires to praise You, man, who bears about with
him his mortality, the witness of his sin, even the
witness that You resist the proud, — yet man, this
part of Your creation, desires to praise You. You
move us to delight in praising You; for You have
formed us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless
till they find rest in You…
And those who seek the Lord shall praise Him.
For those who seek shall find Him, Matthew 7:7
and those who find Him shall praise Him. Let me
seek You, Lord, in calling on You, and call on You
in believing in You; for You have been preached
unto us. O Lord, my faith calls on You—that faith
which You have imparted to me, which You have
breathed into me through the incarnation of Your
Son, through the ministry of Your preacher.
Faced with life and eventually death, the Prayer
of the Church solemnly assures us, for God’s faithful people, life is changed, not ended. Vita mutatur
non tollitur.
Local News
A6
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 14 No. 2
January 18 - 31, 2010
‘Politicians not welcome
on clergy meet’
Birth control / A1
Like Aquino, his cousin and administration bet, Gilbert Teodoro said he would not
back down on birth control, adding it was the
government’s duty to educate the couples on
family planning.
Former president Joseph Estrada was also
supportive of the measure which seeks to
promote artificial family planning.
Of the presidentiables, Councilor John
Carlos (JC) de los Reyes, Senator Manuel
Villar and Bro. Eddie Villanueva are only
those who are totally against the bill.
The others—Senator Richard Gordon and
Nicanor Perlas—only expressed reservations
on some provisions of the controversial measure which according to the proponents will
address the issue of unwanted pregnancy,
sexually transmitted diseases, malnutrition,
unemployment and poverty.
Villar and a number of anti-RH bill lawmakers from the Senate and Congress re-
cently had a closed-door meeting with CBCP
officials led by its president Bishop Nereo
Odchimar at the CBCP office in Manila.
Aside from promoting artificial family
planning, RH bill will also include sex education for students and advice on artificial
contraception, which the church considers
as immoral.
Population control is a touchy issue in
the Philippines—Asia’s only predominantly
Catholic nation—with the Church opposing
government programs that promote the use
of contraceptives.
Approval
The catechism was a product of the
national gathering of the CBCP Episcopal
Commission on Family and Life’s (ECFL)
directors and lay coordinators last Nov. 30
in Antipolo City.
It was formally released to the public,
however, only last week after the material
went through Bishop Odchimar for final
approval.
Fr. Melvin Castro, ECFL executive secretary said the initiative was aimed at ensuring
the voters would choose the “right candidates” who will lead the country.
He said a candidate’s position on RH bill,
which the church had tried to block, mirrors
his or her stand on life and family.
“… and then from there, we can deduce
their positions on other issues,” said
Castro.
But Castro clarified that the catechism
for the 2010 polls was made only to serve
as a guide for the faithful and a course of
action.
When casting their votes, Filipinos, he
said, must consider social interest over
self interest, and decide guided by moral
principles.
Guidelines / A1
said she will never withdraw her support from the measure on
maternal health despite the church’s opposition.
“Catholic voters would cast their ballots according to their conscience, and I am confident that they will vote for pro-RH candidates,” Hontiveros said.
“It will be their secular conscience—one that upholds the welfare
of mothers, women, and children and one that considers the plight
of Filipino families—that would guide their decision,” she said.
The lawmaker said the people will vote pro-RH bill candidates,
but they will definitely junk corrupt politicians.
Saying that corruption is morally reprehensible, she said the CBCP
should have instead “anti-corruption guidelines”.
“We actually encourage everyone, including the Catholic Church,
to help voters screen out corrupt politicians, especially those who
are running for higher offices,” said Hontiveros.
“There have been numerous surveys proving that Filipino public
supports the RH bill’s passage, and candidates should not consider
the bill as an electoral baggage,” she also said.
The “Catechism on Family and Life for the 2010 Elections”, made
by the CBCP’s Episcopal Commission on Family and Life (ECFL)
was officially released to the media on January 14.
Fr. Melvin Castro, ECFL executive secretary, said the guidelines
aim to ensure that voters, especially the youth, will choose the right
candidates to lead the nation.
Hontiveros also said she is hoping that the church leaders would
instead make the RH bill an electoral issue.
“It would be a good a platform to educate the public, especially
young Filipinos who have been energized by the campaign and take
the moment as an opportunity for change. I believe that the clamor
for change includes progressive reforms like the enactment of RH
bill,” she stressed.
She said that making the measure an electoral issue would also
help correct misconceptions about the bill that are peddled by antiRH groups.
“The bill has always been labelled as pro-abortion despite repeated clarifications made by the authors that nothing, absolutely
nothing, in the bill legalizes abortion. We expect the same malicious
propaganda would be spread during the campaign period, but at
least this would be a chance for the voters to sieve who’s lying and
who’s telling the truth,” she said.
Hontiveros likewise urged the House to pass the measure before
Congress goes into recess for the May elections.
“Those who will run should not be scared of the CBCP guidelines. Instead, they should prove their capacity to lead and put the
bill, which has been languishing in Congress, to a vote,” she said.
(CBCPNews)
Cyberspace / A1
Feast of the Santo Niño, Adams took the opportunity to urge the youth to remain childlike, the way the Child Jesus has been.
The Nuncio said the young should be
faithful imitators of the infant Jesus, who he
said is the symbol of what God’s children
should become.
“Our little brother Jesus gives us the example, the power and the guidance we need
to live lives like God’s children. To live this
life, we must be child-like. A child’s humility
is the pattern of Christian behavior towards
his fellow human beings. The child’s dependence, trust and obedience are the pattern of
Christian attitudes towards God, the father
of us all,” he said.
Adams also urged the young and adults
alike to entrust their lives to God, just like
how a child trusts his parents to provide the
food he will eat, the clothes he will wear, and
the house he will live at.
“The Child Jesus gives us the essentials
of the new way of living the Gospel way
of living that comes with our faith in God.
Jesus teaches us the freedom, the strength
and the peace that goes with entrusting our
lives to God. [It’s now our part to] follow his
example,” he added.
Odchimar lauds YouthPinoy
CBCP President and Tandag Bishop Nereo
Odchimar has lauded and expressed his full
support for YouthPinoy, a newly formed youth
group otherwise known as online missionaries.
“I, as CBCP President, stand in full support
for this noble project initiated by the Epis-
copal Commission on Youth and the Media
Office of the CBCP,” the President stated.
Odchimar urged the public to make use
of the new technologies as instruments in
spreading the Good News to the world.
“It is our greatest challenge to think seriously on how we can better employ these
new technologies to make the Gospel known,
to reach all the people of the world with
the message of Jesus Christ so that the God
News of God' infinite love for humanity will
resound in new ways across our increasingly
technological world,” he affirmed.
The prelate looks forward for the success
of the youth group whose main objective is
“winning the world through the word” by
harnessing the tremendous potential of the
internet. (Kris Bayos/Kate Laceda)
Overspending / A1
force and persuasion of money
for the better chances to win.
“As sure as the break of dawn,
the winning candidates will
surely recover their massive
campaign expenses from the
public funds or other corrupt
means,” Baylon said.
To avert the dreaded vicious
cycle of campaign overspending
and corruption, the bishop called
on the people to stop and arrest
the foul tradition.
The voters, he said, must not
sell their votes and support
candidates according to their
platforms of government.
“Platform is really very important. That’s where politics should
stand on,” Baylon also said.
Several candidates already
started spending on their political
advertisements on TV, radio, and
print media as early as July 2009.
While the law specifically
states that candidates are only allowed to spend P5 per registered
voter for the national elective
post, many have already spent
too much since last year.
The Commission on Elections
(Comelec), however, admitted
that they are powerless and cannot do anything about it.
The reason, Comelec chairman Jose Melo earlier said, is
Presidency / A3
The prelate called on the electorate not
to be shortsighted or allured by gold and
awed by threats or promises of poverty
alleviation and more jobs.
Describing all campaign promises as
“a familiar line every election season,”
the prelate said people should realize
that choosing the right candidate is
important because it would determine
the country’s future by “putting into
office people we think are worthy to
lead us.”
because they cannot determine
that the candidates overspent
on the basis of the statement of
contributions and expenditures
that they are required to submit
after the elections.
Assuming that a candidate
exceeded the required amount,
he also said, “they can cover that
up by saying it was paid for by
somebody or that it is donated
by someone.” (CBCPNews)
‘Petty differences’ / A1
Odchimar called on the Filipino
faithful to work together to realize ‘our
dreams and aspirations for a better
Philippines” saying it is also within the
Filipino individual’s capacity to “determine what future we will have.”
Referring to the coming national and
local elections, the prelate said the Filipino voters should be “quite discerning
that people worthy of the people’s trust
will be elected into office.” (Melo M.
Acuña)
Alvia then urged Comelec to make sure that the
ones they are going to accredit have the competence
and expertise.
“The goal of all citizens’ arm and watchdogs are
the same although in different ways depending
also in their competency and expertise. In our case,
we’ve been doing the parallel quick count since 1983
along with NASSA. Let our record speak for itself,”
Alvia said.
Aside from the PPCRV, Atty. Sixto Brillantes
is also opposing the accreditation of NAMFREL.
(CBCPNews)
THE Filipino migrants of the Diocese of Vicenza will celebrate
the Feast of the Santo Niño on January 24 at the parish church
of Araceli in Cristo Re, Borgo Scroffa 24, in Vicenza. There are
more than 200 Filipino families living in Vicenza.
Vicenza, in the northern Veneto Region of Italy, is the birthplace of Antonio Pigafetta (1491-1534), who traveled with Ferdinand Magellan to the Indies and arrived in Cebu on April 7,
1521. Pigafetta was also one of the first Italian to complete the
first circumnavigation of the World.
As chronicler of Magellan’s voyage, Pigafetta wrote about the first
Christian conversion in the Philippines: “And the captain (Magellan)
told them that they should not
become Christians for fear of us,
or in order to please us, but that if
they wished to become Christians,
it should be with a good heart and
for the love of God”.
Pigafetta was present at the baptism of Rajah Humabon, his wife
Queen Juana and their followers in
Cebu. Magellan gave the image of
the Santo Niño as a gift to Queen Juana.
This historic event will be commemorated by Filipino migrants
during the fiesta celebration. Included in the program is the
dramatization of the birth of Christianity in the Philippines and
the traditional votive dance of the “Sinulog” before the image
of the Santo Niño.
Antonio Pigafetta could never have imagined this religious
event would ever happen at his birthplace in Vicenza.
The chosen theme for this year’s celebration is “Chiesa, scuola
di comunione per gli immigrati filippini: La commemorazione
della nascita del Cristianesimo nelle Filippine” (The Church,
school of communion for Filipino migrants: The commemoration
of the birth of Christianity in the Philippines).
The fiesta will start with the Eucharistic celebration and followed by a procession of the image of the Santo Niño around the
city of Vicenza. Filipino communities from the neighboring dioceses of the Veneto Region and from other cities in Italy, Austria,
Germany and Holland will be attending the celebration.
His Excellency Most Rev. Monsignor Cesare Nosiglia, Bishop of
Vicenza and other local religious and civil authorities of Vicenza
will also participate as special guests in the celebration.
Father Elmer (Paulino) Agcaoili Bumanglag, SVD, chaplain of
the Filipino migrants in Vicenza and coordinator of the Sinulog
Fiesta 2010 hopes that this event will serve as an occasion for
Filipino migrants to renew their faith and to strengthen their
religious tradition.
The fiesta of the Santo Niño was also celebrated last January
17, by Filipino migrants at the Sentro Pilipino (Basilica Santa
Pudenziana) and by members of the “Pundok ni Beato Pedro
Calungsod” at the Pontificio Collegio Filippino in Rome. (Fr.
Jose Quilongquilong, S.J.)
© www.flickr.com/photos/22165083@N07
feast of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo district.
“Let’s not politicize the whole thing... there’s place for politics.
They’d rather pray for us,” Rosales said. (Roy Lagarde)
© Roy Lagarde / CBCP Media
CATHOLIC Church leaders vowed to keep politicos out of next
week’s gathering of thousands of priests from across the country
in Pasay City.
Around 5,000 priests are expected to attend the 2nd National
Congress of the Clergy which
will be held at the World Trade
Center from Jan. 25 to 29.
The gathering is being organized by the Episcopal Commission on Clergy (ECC) of the
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of
the Philippines (CBCP).
Bishop Florentino Lavarias,
chairman of the ECC, said the
event seeks spiritual renewal and
no politician will be welcomed at
the venue.
“We have our rules... the congress is for the priests and we
will keep it that way,” Lavarias.
Manila Archbishop Gaudencio
Cardinal Rosales also called on
politicians not to use the event
for political campaigning.
He urged politicians to do
away with posting banners in
some areas near the venue for
self-promotion just like what
happened during the recent
Filipinos to celebrate Santo
Niño at Pigafetta’s birthplace
Bishops laughs off marriage
expiration proposal
FILIPINO Catholic leaders have stood their ground against the
proposal of a party-list group to legislate an expiration date to
marriages.
The proponents were reported to have said “a 10-year expiration on marriages would give couples the opportunity to review
their relationship, and decide whether to continue or not with
the union.”
CBCP President and Tandag Bishop Nereo P. Odchimar, a
respected Canon lawyer said “Unity and indissolubility of marriage are values rooted in the bible and Christian tradition.
Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Emeritus Oscar V. Cruz,
another expert in Canon Law and Chairman of the CBCP’s
National Appellate Matrimonial Tribunal said the proposal is
“some kind of desperate approach to right a wrong by something wrong.”
“It is wrong for couples to separate and here comes a proposal
for them to precisely separate,” he said.
Interviewed by CBCPNews, the 75-year old prelate said “if
those who propose temporary marriage are really serious about
their proposal, they should think of its consequences.”
He identified the most serious concerns is the emotional trauma
on the children whose parents separate. Besides, “this will produce a lot more children and result into population explosion,”
he quipped.
He added a man who gets married at age 20 and decides not
to renew his marriage with his wife can go on and on until he
marries his sixth wife at age 70.
Prelature of Isabela (de Basilan) Bishop Martin S. Jumoad said
he’s definitely against putting an expiration date on marriages.
He said commitment, fidelity and respect are vital for one to
have a strong family.
He urged on Filipino couples to “stick to one.” He added
putting an expiration date on solemnized marriages will “open
more problems among their children.”
If this happens, he foresees “Philippine society will become
chaotic, more street children and more social problems.”
As far as Administrator Carmelita N. Ericta, who concurrently
sits as Civil Registrar General, the proposal to put expiration on
marriages in the Philippines is “contrary to the aspirations of the
Filipino people as espoused in the 1987 Constitution, the family
being the building block of society.”
In an interview with CBCPNews, such measure would deprive
children of stable family life.
“Ang tinitinginan ng mga nagsusulong ng panukalang iyan
ay convenience ng mag-asawa,” she explained.
She added that there are about 500,000 marriages solemnized
annually with less than 10% getting annulled and reported to
the National Statistics Office. (Melo M. Acuña)
RH bill / A3
The poll conducted during the first two weeks of December 2009
used a representative sample of 50 barangays from all barangays in
Metro Manila with an average of ten respondents per barangay.
Households were selected via a skip-interval method from every
barangay starting point. Respondents were 50 percent male and the
other 50 percent female.
Sixty two percent of the respondents are aged 34 below and the
remaining 38 percent were 35 and above. Ninety-two percent surveyed were Catholics.
Established in 1997, HB&A International Research is affiliated
with Louis Harris & Associates for technology transfer while Asia
Research Organization is the Philippine affiliate of Gallup International since the 1950s. (CBCPNews/Andrew Isiah Bonifacio)
Vol. 14 No. 2
January 18 -31, 2010
Diocesan News
Briefing
Basilan prelate appeals for road promised by palace
MANILA—The people of Basilan province eagerly awaits the
promised circumferential road scheduled to be built in the
island since November 2009. “With good roads, farmers will
be able to bring their produce to the market at lesser costs,”
thus said Basilan Bishop Martin Jumoad. He said he received
a call from Press Secretary Cerge Remonde last year assuring
him of the scheduled road construction on Nov. 16, 2009 “but
nothing happened.” (Melo M. Acuña)
Christian marriage a lifelong commitment, says
Bukidnon prelate
MALAYBALAY, Bukidnon—The proposal to make marriage
a “temporary commitment” legislating an “expiry period”
puts the institution of marriage and the future the family in
danger. This was how Bishop Honesto Pacana, SJ looks at the
latest controversy espoused by a party list group claiming to
represent neglected and abandoned women. He added “Christian marriage is meant to be a lifelong commitment as it is a
Sacrament” that reflects the unconditional love of Christ for
the Church. (CBCPNews)
Anti-life arguments misleading, erroneous, says bishop
MATI, Davao Oriental—Anti-life advocates may have succeeded at some point, but their arguments remain to be baseless, misleading and erroneous. Mati Bishop Patricio Alo said
“many of the anti-life arguments are misleading and erroneous
and maybe influenced by the lure of money.” Alo warned that
those who support the anti-life agenda unknowingly engaged
into corruption because the program in itself is a kind of corruption. (Mark S. Ventura)
Prelate: Holy Spirit needed to fulfil New Year’s
resolution
DAVAO CITY—New Year’s resolution will just come and go
repeatedly like a broken tape record unless one has to seek and
live up to the grace of the Holy Spirit. Archbishop Fernando
Capalla said that people often talk on welcoming New Year
with lists of New Year’s resolution, however, often than not it
is not accomplished. While he did not dismiss the possibility
that it can be done, he said that it is always a personal challenge
for an individual. (Mark S. Ventura)
Capalla: ‘We are a reconciled, reconciling Church’
DAVAO CITY —As election is getting near, Archbishop Fernando Capalla made an important reminder for the people
by putting emphasis on being a “reconciled and reconciling
Church.” Capalla, in a pastoral letter, recalled an important and
dominant theme of the Oratio Imperata and its implications.
“I refer to our common woundedness and our individual and
collective need of healing. And this can only be done by sincere
repentance and forgiveness,” he said. (Mark S. Ventura)
Women group to open counseling center
VIGAN CITY —The Association of Women Religious in Ilocos Sur (AWRIS) headed by Sr. Lauren Risma, SPC and nine
representatives of various congregations for women religious
finalized plans for the establishment of a Counseling Center.
The group agreed to open the AWRIS Archdiocesan Counseling Center at their office in the Legion of Mary House, Archbishop’s Residence in Vigan City on Jan. 16, 2010. The Center
will serve people needing counseling on problems and concerns
particularly those related to faith, vocation, family, children
and migrants. (Fran C. Quitoriano)
Ban Annasban, Migrante urges gov’t
ANTIPOLO CITY—Militant migrants’ center Migrante International has called on the government to totally ban Annasban Company from recruiting Filipino workers. The call
came amidst reports that the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh
is now facilitating the repatriation of the 88 Filipinas stranded
in a temporary shelter there. The 88 Filipina caregivers were
all previous employees of Annasban but have decided to stop
working due to unfair labor practices. (Noel Sales Barcelona)
Cebu Archdiocese launches fundraising for new youth
center
CEBU CITY—Aiming to build a center for young people, the
Commission on Youth of the Archdiocese of Cebu together with
the Archdiocesan Youthlinks Training and Assessment Center,
Inc, has recently launched a fundraising campaign dubbed as
the “Baynte-Singko Mo, Eskwelahan Ko.” The commission
planned to put up new youth centers due to the continuous
growth of the population. This is to be able to accommodate
all the youth in the archdiocese. (Kate Laceda)
Firm accused of illegal logging in Higaonon ancestral
domain
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—The logging firm Southwood
Timber Corporation (STC) is blamed for illegal logging operations in Barangay Minalwang in the municipality of Claveria,
Misamis Oriental. Carl Cesar Rebuta, Legal Rights and Natural
Resources Center-Kasama sa Kalikasan/Friends of the Earth
(LRC-KSK/FOE) team leader for Cagayan de Oro said that STC
is using the endorsement given by the Gingoog City Council
in its logging operation in the municipality of Claveria. (Bong
D. Fabe)
Total log ban in
MisOr pushed
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—A proposed legislation imposing a total
log ban in Misamis Oriental province is being pushed in the Provincial Board to the elation of environmentalists and ecologists here.
Rev. Fr. Jose “Joe” Cabantan, SSJV, head of the Social Action Center
of the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro said all sectors of the Misamis
Oriental society must help
push for the enactment of
this proposed resolution,
which is now being tackled
at the Committee on the
Environment headed by
Provincial Board Member
Benedict Lagbas.
Cabantan, along with
Archbishop Antonio J.
Ledesma, S.J., has been
in the forefront of various issues affecting the
environment within the
jurisdiction of the Cagayan
de Oro archdiocese.
“We cannot do our
mandate to protect and
preserve the integrity of
creation if we will just sit
and let others do it for us.
We must also exert efforts
to see to it that the environment is protected,” he said.
Ledesma said Vice Governor Norris Babiera’s proposed resolution is a very “welcome development” in light of the ongoing
campaign for the immediate cancellation of the Industrial Forest
Management Agreement (IFMA) covering 11,476 hectares of forests inGingoog City and Claveria town which the Environment
department had awarded to the Southwoods Timber Corporation
(STC) in 2008.
Carl Cesar “Cocoy” Rebuta, Cagayan de Oro team leader of the
Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center-Kasama sa Kalikasan/
Friends of the Earth (LRC-KSK/FOE) also welcomed Babiera’s
move.
“The local government unit has the right to say no to projects that
are detrimental to the people,” he said, explaining that this right is
enshrined in the “welfare clause” of the Constitution and in the 1991
Local Government Code Section 26 and 27.
“This is a historic initiative of the Provincial Board of Misamis
Oriental. And we hope this will hurdle all debates, challenges and
obstacles and become a
law in the province,” he
added.
The LRC-KSK/FOE,
Archdiocese of Cagayan
de Oro and other nongovernment organizations
and individuals are helping
in the signature campaign
initiated by slain Higaonon lay minister and antilogging advocate Alberto
“Tatay Berting” Pinagawa
to cancel STC’s IFMA.
Last Monday, Rebuta
and other advocates personally filed the 25,000
signatures calling for the
cancellation of STC’s IFMA
before the Forest Management Bureau of the Department of Environment
and Natural Resources (DENR) in Quezon City.
Babiera said it is now high time to recover the province’s forest
covers, which was not given much attention in the past.
“We want the entire province to recover its forest covers. This
problem should be given much attention,’’ he said.
He also said that with last year’s floodings experienced by Misamis
Oriental, especially in Gingoog City, there really is a need to impose
a total log ban in the province.
He said that the floods in Gingoog City in January and November
2009 are proof that “there are no more trees in the mountains to
absorb the rainwater.”
Floods in Misamis Oriental last year damaged more than P50
million, Babiera said. (Bong D. Fabe)
BEC program gets a boost in Palo
TACLOBAN CITY—Hundreds of lay
pastoral workers have participated in the
recent seminar on Basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs) held in the Archdiocese
of Palo in Leyte last Jan. 9, 2010.
With the theme “Renewed Integral Evangelization towards the building of Basic
Ecclesial Communities,” the group started
the seminar with a workshop that assessed
their knowledge and understanding of the
vision of BEC.
Succeeding the morning activity was the
series of lectures from Fr. Amado Picardal,
a BEC expert and a doctor in Sacred Theology.
Picardal discussed on the various dimensions of the BEC namely; Basic Ecclesial
Communities - a New Way of Being Church
(BEC vision and culture); pre-requisites for
building BECs (Diocesan Pastoral Thrust,
Initiative and support of the clergy, role of
Parish Formation Team, strategic pastoral
planning, etc.); evangelizing component of
forming BECs; organizing component; mobilizing BECs for social transformation and
the approaches in building BECs.
He also noted his joy for the continuous
development of the BECs in the archdiocese
of Palo.
“Less than ten years ago, Palo was the only
ecclesiastical jurisdiction that didn’t have
any clear BEC program. I am glad that a lot
of progress has been made in the building
up of BECs in the archdiocese of Palo,” he
stated.
“I hope that the seminars that I have
conducted will be helpful in the growth of
BECs in Eastern Visayas,” the biking priest
affirmed.
Picardal has already conducted BEC
seminars in four dioceses in Leyte and
Samar such as in Naval, Borongan, Catarman, Calbayog and now, the archdiocese
of Palo.
BEC members deepen and strengthen
their spiritual life through biblical and
liturgical formation.
Organized on a “parish-by-parish basis,”
they participate in some of the livelihood
programs of the arch/dioceses such as
organic farming, microfinance projects,
marketing cooperatives and handicraft
projects.
Meanwhile, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ BEC national
office is tasked to fortify the BEC programs
in various dioceses, organize national BEC
activities and “to coordinate with other
CBCP Commissions relative to BEC matters.” (Kate Laceda)
Tandag diocese focuses on environment preservation
TANDAG, Surigao del Sur—
Coming from one of the poorest ecclesial provinces in the
country, Bishop Nereo P. Odchimar said the Catholic faithful
through the Gagmayng Kristiyanong Katilingban (GKK or
Basic Ecclesial Communities)
have focused on the preservation of the environment.
In his first interview for CBCP
Podcast (www.cbcpnews.com/
podcast) since he assumed the
presidency of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines last December 1, 2009, the
69-year old prelate said the GKK
chapters in various parishes in
the southern portion of the diocese are united in their efforts
against illegal logging activities
while parishioners in the north-
The year 2009 has brought much cause for rejoicing for the Episcopal Commission for Biblical Apostolate (ECBA), Philippine
Bible Society (PBS), other churches and many of you, our CBCP Monitor readers, because of the May They Be One (MTBO) Bible
Campaign. The Campaign is 15 months old. It has become a symbol of unity and cooperation between ECBA and PBS, of various
parish and lay organizations involved in Bible ministry/apostolate and of Christian churches.
Despite a lot of challenges, we are grateful to God that we have come this far, after our auspicious launch at the Manila Cathedral
on September 30, 2008. By the end of 2009, we have distributed 103,931 MTBO Bibles in seven languages to poor families in 429
parishes/communities nationwide and exceeded our 2009 goal of 100,000 Bibles.
We have received many heartwarming and inspiring stories from the churches/parishes, on how the Campaign is meeting the
hunger and thirst of families for the Word of God, like the following:
A Basic Bible Seminar was conducted in the Muslim Mindanao area of Sultan Naga Dimaporo in June this year. After the
seminar held in the Immaculate Concepcion Parish, each participant was given a May They Be One (MTBO) Bible. The Bible
recipients were so happy that they kissed their Bibles, showing how much they value their newly acquired treasure. Now they
can read the Word of God everyday. In Barangay Montol, Ozamiz City, a Bible Seminar was likewise held in the Sta. Teresita
Parish under Rev. Fr. Nestor Duhilag. After the Seminar, MTBO Bibles were distributed. The parishioners cried with joy
during the distribution because the occasion was the answer to their hearts’ longing to have their own copy of the Bible. Fr.
Lumen Rojo, Regional Director of the Paul VI Biblical Center for Mindanao, saids there is a great demand for MTBO Bibles in
Mindanao. They have placed orders for MTBO Bibles but the requests cannot be accommodated as yet because their funds are
not enough to subsidize the orders. Many Christians there have not even heard, much less, read the Bible. A staff of the Biblical
Center said May They Be One is a major campaign that will help meet the hunger and thirst of Christians in Mindanao for
the Word of God.
In 2010, our target distribution is 500,000 copies or funding of at least P50 million for printing and distribution. As the
printing cost is P150/copy, ECBA, the PBS and the different churches are working together to raise the amount of P100 per copy
so that the Bible can be sold to the poor at the price of P50 each. For more information on how you can have a part and support
this life-changing campaign, you can visit our websites at www.ecba.com.ph and www.bible.org.ph. May we also request you as
individuals, families and churches, to join us in the following daily prayer that God’s blessings and favor may be upon MTBO:
May They Be One prayer: Make us to love your Word O Lord. Teach us to listen and live by Your Word. Bless those who
promote Your Word. Open our hearts that we may be generous, that others might have a copy of Your Word.
His Eminence Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales, Archbishop of Manila, said that “putting a Bible in every home is putting Christ
in every heart.” Because of our Bayanihan efforts in May They Be One, many families now have their own Bibles in their homes
- and by reading and studying these, the foundations for a transformed nation are slowly but surely being set in place. As one
author says, “No nation rises any higher than its worship of God.”
You are a vital part in the fulfillment of this God-given mandate for nation building. Thank you for your partnership in helping bring about a transformed Philippines through God’s Word. May His grace continue to guide you and pour His blessings on
you for a bountiful 2010.
Yours for a fruitful year in His Word,
May They Be One Advisory Committee
A7
© www.bt.com.bn
CBCP Monitor
ern portion are on guard against
irresponsible mining practices.
“The Gagmayng Kristiyanong
Katilingban members are also
involved in the campaign for
moral uplift of the residents,”
he said.
Referring to their experience
about two years ago when local
government officials thought of
sponsoring their own version
of Bikini Open, the prelate said
he conducted a survey through
all the parish councils which
resulted into their resounding
opposition to the project.
“The people said the proposed
project is out of place and out of
taste so I issued a pastoral statement and the proponents had no
other option but to forego their
plans,” Odchimar said.
He explained that while
strong throughout the Diocese
of Tandag, the GKK depend
on the pace in their respective
parishes and the commitment of
their parish priests.
“Some of our priests are very
active in the campaign to curtail illegal logging activities,”
he said. However, the prelate
expressed dismay over some
politicians who are involved in
illegal logging activities.
“Logging trucks earlier impounded have been ordered
released by more powerful persons,” he said.
The prelate also expressed
concern over the encroachments
made by mining companies
into watersheds and irrigated
farmlands in Carrascal, Madrid,
Lanuza and Cantilan of Surigao
del Sur.
It was learned the mining
company operating in Carrascal
though operating legally remains
questionable because the Lumads
said no proper FPIC (Free Prior
and Informed Consent) from the
indigenous people as provided
in the Indigenous People’s Rights
Act had been issued.
Cantilan residents have questioned the Mineral Production
Sharing Agreement (MPSA) of
the mining operator and the
reported violation of rights of
indigenous people in the area.
“The problem is some local
agencies and their personnel
seem to be ‘lawyering’ for mining
companies,” Odchimar said.
The new CBCP President said
he personally went to the Department of Environment and
Natural Resources central office
in Quezon City to follow-up a
complaint civil society filed in
July 2009 but has remained unacted until today.
He said the complaint they
filed with the DENR hopes to
have the Mineral Production
Sharing Agreement cancelled
due to gross violations.
According to the soft-spoken
prelate, mining in Surigao del
Sur has drawn much opposition
from ordinary citizens, irrigators,
farmers and civil society because
it threatens the livelihood of people dependent on agriculture.
“The reason given for the unattended complaint was due to
‘thousands’ of other complaints
filed with DENR,” Odchimar
said.
Asked if he sees the possibility
of the Church and government
working together for the common good, the prelate said both
the government and the Church
have a common constituency.
“The people of Surigao del Sur
are my parishioners and citizens
of the Philippines,” he said.
“That is why I have been accused, unjustly for being a supporter of the President because
whenever she would go there
(Surigao del Sur), I will also be
there in my capacity as head of
the diocese and she being the
President of the Philippines,” he
explained.
He said he had to bring to
President Arroyo’s attention
the needs of the people, which
he considers “giving the people
what is due them.”
He noted that some quarters mistook his closeness with
the chief executive as being a
staunch pro-Arroyo bishop “as if
I am guilty by association.”
He added there are many bishops who bat for their dioceses,
lobbying the government in their
advocacies against gambling
and mining and a host of other
issues.
Odchimar said his lobbying
for the past three years resulted
in the concreting of road linking his diocese with that of the
Diocese of Surigao.
He said the government
should “promote what is vital
to the livelihood of the people
in pursuit of the common good.”
(Melo M. Acuña)
A8
People, Facts & Places
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 14 No. 2
January 18 - 31, 2010
Oral Bible reading highlights
celebration of Bible Week
AN historic, ecumenical and public reading of the bible
will highlight this year’s celebration of National Bible
Week from January 25 to 31.
Dubbed i-proclaim, the continuous oral reading of the
Scriptures will get together churches from different confessions and denominations in a campaign to bring God’s
word closer to the heart and lives of Filipinos.
Similar to Holy Week’s “pabasa”, the marathon bible
reading, which seeks to draw Filipinos as one in these
crucial times, will be launched on January 25 at the Bonifacio Shrine in Manila.
Among its first readers will include national and local
officials, board members and staff of Philippine Bible
Society (PBS), partner churches, representatives from
government offices, schools, business organizations and
other sectors of society.
Mrs. Nora Lucero, PBS General Secretary and Chairperson of the Global Board of the United Bible Societies,
expressed hope that with the launching of the bible reading activity, more people will be drawn to reading the Scriptures and make the word of God part of
their lives.
“…we are hoping and praying that people, groups, churches and organizations will follow suit and
do their own public readings throughout the year, not just during National Bible Week,” she said.
“God’s word must be part of our daily life, especially at such a time as this when we are faced with
so many challenges. We have to seek God in everything we do, personal or national,” she added.
Simultaneous Bible reading
The Episcopal Commission for the Biblical Apostolate (ECBA) will hold a simultaneous bible reading in all the 87 dioceses nationwide on the evening of January 30.
ECBA executive secretary Fr. Oscar Alunday said they are aiming to read the entire bible with the
participation of the members of Basic Ecclesial communities (BEC).
“Each diocese/parish will be assigned a portion to read
orally. This will be done simultaneously and in about
15-30 minutes, the bible will be read completely from
Genesis to Revelation all over the Philippines,” he said.
“We will have a wonderful covering of God’s word all
throughout the land,” he added.
Plain reading of the entire Bible can reach up to 72 hours
while the New Testament can be finished in 20-23 hours.
The Bible oral reading is modeled after the Canadian
Bible Society’s proclamation that started in Quebec,
Canada in 1995. During that time, more than 200 readers read the Bible in 12 different languages. The activity
has since spread throughout Canada and in a 2001 Bible
proclamation, more than 60 communities nationwide
participated.
A similar Bible reading marathon was also held in Rome
in 2008. Pope Benedict XVI led the one-week nonstop reading of the bible interspersed with music at the Vatican.
Lucero said PBS wanted to duplicate the same feat in the
country for Filipinos to personally experience the riches and relevance of Scriptures in their lives.
“We want to encourage our “kababayans” to set aside differences, come together and be one in
reading God’s word. This is a public confession—I, and we hope you and all other Filipinos too—will
proclaim that we as a people, are putting God’s word in the center of our national life and that we
submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ,” she said.
The bible proclamation is open to all who want to participate. The Scriptures will be read as is,
without any commentary or sermon. Readers, whose age may range from 7 to 97, may read for 5, 10
or 15 minutes or even more than once, with a break between readings.
The annual observance of National Bible Week is empowered by Proclamation No. 44 issued by
late President Corazon Aquino and Proclamation No. 1067 by former President Fidel Ramos. Both
decrees uphold the importance of reading and praying of the Scriptures in strengthening the moral
fiber of the citizenry. (Pinky Barrientos, FSP)
Papal preacher to address laity during clergy congress
household will speak to lay people on the topics “Clergy and Laity
relationship” and “Marriage and Family According
to the Bible.”
As preacher to the Papal household, Cantalamessa
has delivered weekly meditation, during Advent and
Lent, in the presence of the Holy Father, the Cardinals,
the bishops of the Roman Curia and the general superiors of religious orders. He also gives retreats and
formation sessions to lay people.
The conference, slated at the Araneta Coliseum on
January 28 from 8:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m., is expected to
draw thousands of lay people and religious men and
women.
Open to the public, the event is being organized
by the Episcopal Commission on the Laity of the
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines
through its lay arm, the Sangguniang Laiko ng
Pilipinas. (CBCPNews)
© www.flickr.com/photos/watchman
THE laity in the Philippines will have the rare chance of hearing the
Papal preacher speak
to them in a day of
conference during the
National Congress of
the Clergy.
The day-long
event aims to encourage the laity
“to co-journey with
the priests during
the Second National
Congress on the occasion of the year for
Priests.”
Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, OFMCap,
preacher to the Papal Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, OFMCap
Pinoy youth to ‘chat’ with Pope
FILIPINO young faithful are tapping the cyberspace to reach Pope Bene- dict XVI, a
Catholic bishop said.
Bishop Joel Baylon of
Legazpi
said the initiative is being
undertaken by “YouthPinoy”, a newly organized
youth organization, of which
he is one of the advisers.
YouthPinoy, which maintains a portal at www.youthpinoy.com, is composed of
various youth groups that
augur well for the future voice
and influence of the young
people in the country.
Baylon said their dream is to
invite the pontiff into the portal, one of the CBCP’s biggest
reach into cyberspace for the
young faithful.
“We hope to chat or interview him (Pope) or at least
asked him to give a message
to the Filipino youth online,” he
said.
Baylon chairs the Commission on Youth
of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the
Philippines (CBCP).
‘Ad limina’
According to him, Philippine bishops have
a regular “ad limina” visit to the Pope every
five years.
By November this year,
he said the first group
of the prelates will meet
with Benedict XVI in Rome
to report developments and
concerns about their respective
dioceses.
“This is a regular thing we do.
We call it ad limina apostolorum,” he
said. “Each bishop is given a change to
have a private audience with the Holy
Father.”
When his term to visit the Pope comes, he
said, one of his priorities is to accommodate
the Filipino youth to at least “chat” with the
Pope online through the portal.
“I hope to do that because I already
asked our papal nuncio about the possibility and he said that he will give it a try,”
said Baylon.
Asked how soon the plan would materialize, he said: “I still don’t know when exactly
but we hope it will be soon enough.”
“We are really looking forward to meeting
him on cyberspace,” said Baylon.
Ateneo opens first biblical
pastoral ministry course
THE East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) of the Ateneo de Manila
University in collaboration with the Catholic Biblical Federation (CBF)–Southeast Asia has officially opened the 1st Biblical
Pastoral Ministry course.
Launched January 5, the academic program is a three-month
pastoral training intended for priests, religious men and women and
the lay biblical workers from the different parts of the world.
The program is intended to deepen understanding of the
Scriptures; to contextualize the biblical teachings; to further
discuss and identify the methods of sharing, studying, praying
celebrating and proclaiming the Word.
Established as a response to the need of the local Churches
for effective pastorally oriented courses on the Bible, the course
will focus on personal formation, renewal, spiritual accompaniment, and the pastoral approaches and skills in using the Bible
for community celebrations.
Modules on recent developments in Biblical Hermeneutics and
Church’s understanding of the Word of God will also be taken up.
Although optional, there is a six-day retreat at the end of the
course in order to gain “deeper assimilation and prayer”.
The formal opening of the course was highlighted with a
Eucharistic Celebration presided by Sorsogon Bishop Arturo
Bastes, outgoing chairman of the CBF and CBCP’s Episcopal
Commission on Biblical Apostolate (ECBA).
Also present during the launch were Bishop Renato Mayugba,
Auxiliary Bishop of Lingayen-Dagupan and Vice-Chairman of
ECBA, Fr. Oscar Alunday, Executive Secretary of ECBA, Alexander
Schweitzer, CBF General Secretary, among others. (Kate Laceda)
Online missionaries
Benedict XVI is said to be media savvy and
has long been using digital-age tools to spread
his message and boost his authority.
Last year, the pope has launched his own
dedicated channel on the popular video
sharing website, YouTube.
Video and audio footage of his speeches
as well as news of the Vatican are posted
on the site.
Ms. Eilleen Esteban, YouthPinoy president, said the creation of their portal drew
inspiration from the pope’s high regard for
the internet as a missionary tool.
Video and audio footages of the group’s
advocacies as well as church news are also
posted on the site, Esteban said.
“You must find ways to spread—in a
new manner—voices and pictures of hope,
through internet,” Esteban said.
“We are the youth of the Catholic Church;
strengthened, unified and commissioned to
become the new-age missionaries as our faith
embraces the generation of the digital media.”
"Heeding the call of the Holy Father, CBCP
through YouthPinoy, declares to become active catalyst of change in the society and its
faith, using the internet as a means of spreading the Word,” she said. (Roy Lagarde)
Austrian bishops join calls
to stop aerial spraying
AUSTRIA’S Catholic hierarchy
is the latest group to support
the Filipino bishops in urging
President Arroyo to ban aerial
spraying of pesticides in banana
plantations in Mindanao.
The Austrian Episcopal Conference made the appeal in a
letter sent to Arroyo last month.
A copy of which was posted Wednesday at the website
(www.rcam.org) of the Archdiocese of Manila.
The Austrian bishops said
aerial spraying “infringes upon
human health and dignity.”
“Commercial interest may
never sacrifice people,” the letter, signed by Catholic Bishops’
Conference of Austria president
Bishop Ludwig Schwarz, read.
The Austrian bishops called
on Arroyo to take side on what
is good for the environment and
the health of the people.
“...We call on your responsibility to defend the dignity of life
and the integrity of creation and,
therefore, to use your power in
order to ban the use of aerial
spraying,” it added.
More groups have joined
the call for an executive order
from Malacañang banning aerial
spraying in Mindanao farming
communities.
Last October, Manila bishops
led by Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales have asked the President
to ban aerial spraying since the
practice has indiscriminately
caused harm to residents, crops
and livestock around banana
plantations in Mindanao.
The church leaders wrote Arroyo a letter dated Oct. 29 appealing to her sense of “motherly care
for the future generations.”
The non-government Southeast Asian Regional Initiatives
for Community Empowerment
also wrote to Arroyo last November urging her to stop aerial
spraying.
Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo, however, said the
action of Arroyo on the matter still
remains to be seen. (CBCPNews)
Markings
CELEBRATED. Archbishop Diosdado
Talamayan, 26th anniversary of Episcopal
ordination, January 12, 2010. In his homily at a thanksgiving mass that he presided
at the archbishop’s residence, Talamayan
cited very significant declarations coming
from the Vatican II Decree on the Pastoral
Office of Bishops in the Church underscoring the roles of a bishop and clergy to the
laity, the pastor’s contribution to the “Building of the Body of Christ,” the bishop’s
concern about catechetical instruction,
the bishop’s responsibility to emulate the
Good Shepherd and actively participate in
various forms of the apostolate. The archbishop said he will never forget
his commitment as mentioned in his coat of arms which says “For the
Building of the Body of Christ.” He thanked the clergy and the laity for their
wholehearted cooperation in his mission in the archdiocese. The 77-year
old prelate presided over the blessing of the newly-constructed offices at
the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center which will house offices of the different
archdiocesan commissions. A simple breakfast capped the celebrations.
(Buddy Cagurangan)
ORDAINED. Rev. Benedicto Awitin, Kiblawan, Davao del Sur, assigned to the Central
American Region; Rev. Ferdinand Bajao,
Tagbilaran, Bohol, assigned to the Philippine
Central Province; Rev. Dante Barril, Batuan,
Bohol, assigned to the Philippine Central
Province; Rev. Severo Biton, Jr., Lamitan,
Basilan, assigned to the Philippine Southern
Province; Rev. Abraham Borja, Bangued,
Abra, assigned to China; and Rev. Crisostomo
Salar, Matin-ao, Surigao del Norte, assigned to Timor Leste; to the priesthood, in the congregation of the Society of Divine Word, December 5,
2009. Imus Bishop Luis Antonio Tagle led the ordination rites at the Divine
Word Seminary in Tagaytay City. Rev. Michael Namba who is currently
assigned in Papua New Guinea was ordained earlier on December 3 in
his hometown in Papua New Guinea.
ORDAINED. Fr. Randy Purcia, OMI
by Jolo Bishop Angelito Lampon
at the Our Lady of Grace Parish,
Caloocan City; December 3, 2009.
The ordination of Purcia, held on the
occasion of the 14th anniversary of
the canonization of St. Eugene de
Mazenod, founder of Oblates of
Mary Immaculate; was witnessed
by his family, relatives, friends and
confreres in the congregation. Purcia assumed his first assignment as a
priest in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi on December 15, 2009.
ELECTED. Sr. Maria Corazon Agda, RVM as provincial superior of Southern Mindanao province of
the Religious of the Virgin Mary. Other members
of the newly-elected leadership include Mo. Maria
Assumpta David, Sr. Ma. Magdalena Monteza,
Sr. Ma. Fe Gerodias, Sr. Ma. Preciosa Rusiana,
provincial consultors; Sr. Ma. Erlinda Cruz,
provincial secretary; and Sr. Ma. Anita Talbo,
provincial econome.
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 14 No. 2
January 18 - 31, 2010
Pastoral Concerns
B1
HIS HOLINESS
POPE BENEDICT XVI
MESSAGE DURING THE 43RD
WORLD COMMUNICATIONS DAY
24 MAY 2009
“the proclamation of Christ in the world
of new technologies requires a profound
knowledge of this world if the technologies
are to serve our mission adequately. It falls,
in particular, to young people, who have an
almost spontaneous affinity for the new means
of communication, to take on the responsibility
for the evangelization of this ‘digital continent.’
Be sure to announce the Gospel to your
contemporaries with enthusiasm. You know
their fears and their hopes, their aspirations and
their disappointments: the greatest gift you can
give to them is to share with them the ‘Good
News’ of a God who became man, who suffered,
died and rose again to save all people.”
HIS EXCELLENCY
MOST REV. EDWARD JOSEPH
ADAMS, D.D.
APOSTOLIC NUNCIO IN THE
PHILIPPINES
Catholic youth launches
YouthPinoy.com
“The internet provides instantaneously
an almost unending flood of information,
accessible to millions in all parts of the earth.
Such a resource is literally a godsend for the
Church whose mission is to ‘go into the world
and make known the Gospel to the whole
of creation.’ It is in this galaxy of sights and
sound that Christ needs also to emerge: the
face of Jesus seen and His voice heard. This
is what will make the internet a genuinely
human space.”
on the 15th anniversary of Pope’s
engagement with the youth at UST
EXACTLY fifteen years ago, the late Pope
John Paul II etched a milestone in the
intricate annals of the country’s history
after marking his second visit to the
Philippines for the World Youth Day in
1995. In the very soil of the University of
Santo Tomas, millions of youth pilgrims
flocked and congested the campus
grounds on January 13, 1995 for the
International Youth Forum to worship
together, learn of each other’s cultures,
and “tell the world of His love,” which
became the long-playing mantra of the
occasion.
Unbelievably, it took fifteen years later
to concretely and creatively heed the
call of the late pontiff—coincidentally
almost on the same date and on the
same historical venue (UST). Indeed, the
launching of the YouthPinoy website was
found at the same place, in the same date,
and of course, with the right people, the
Filipino Catholic youth.
Birthing pains
Before the historical night came to
be a success, there came the struggle.
YouthPinoy is a joint project of the
Episcopal Commission on Youth and
CBCP Media Office. Its first project is
the website www.youthpinoy.com,
which provides a venue for the youth to
become OMGs or “online missionaries
for God.”
Also, the website aims to break
distancing barriers between members of
the sector through connecting them via
this portal. Aside from this, the site also
boasts of informative, entertaining, and
insightful articles and images dedicated
to nourishing as well as hooking up the
youth to a “hip and cool” Catholic culture.
Thus the launch’s title YouthPinoy:
Connect Tayo.
Despite being in its birthing pains,
the group has already recruited
talented and well-dedicated volunteers
coming from allied organizations
to help the group and its website
from planning and implementing its
projects. Organizations included in its
core group are the Federation of the
National Youth Organizations, Couples
for Christ Global Mission Foundation
and Couples for Christ Foundation for
Family and Life, Pro-Life Philippines
Foundation, Dominican Network,
Filipino Chinese Catholic Youth, Salesian
Youth Movement, Canossian Youth
Movement, Society of St. Vincent De
Paul, Knights of Columbus-Columbian
Squires, Institucion Teresiana Youth,
ChiroYouth Movement Philippines, and
Tarcisian Adorers.
Representatives from each group
brainstormed for months to come up
with concepts for its operations, boost
its membership, gain funding, as well
as earn its credibility. Since last year,
YouthPinoy had been gearing up for a
momentous launching event.
“We all focused our attention first on
the launch. As we progress, we plan to
recruit more youth organizations coming
from the 86 dioceses here in the country.
With a bigger number of volunteers,
we can then launch other projects and
activities that also promote Catholicism
among the members of the youth sector,”
YouthPinoy president Eileen Esteban
said during YouthPinoy’s web launch.
Fortunately, the launching event
found its most fitting home in the royal,
pontifical, and Catholic University of
Santo Tomas. With no hesitation, the
group grabbed on the opportunity and
started paving the way for a triumphant
website launch.
Fuss in booths
What was supposedly a peaceful
Saturday morning became the exact
opposite with the arrival of the organizers
inside the campus.
UST’s rectangular Plaza Mayor became
surrounded with booths occupied by
participating and allied youth groups.
Each booth had something to offer to
their spectators whether it’s the cool
merchandises or the usual FAQs each
group issues to interested members.
Commercial sponsors also held their
own areas in the venue.
Of course, YouthPinoy organizers
would not let themselves get left
behind. An information booth was put
up dedicated to disseminating vital
information about youthpinoy.com and
how interested delegates can help in the
patronage of the website. YouthPinoy
also had its own trendy merchandises
like the shirt and the sticker bearing the
YouthPinoy logo.
Delegates coming as far as Legazpi,
Albay started pouring in the registration
after noon. Upon registration, a youth
delegate receives a kit, an ID, and best
of all becomes an automatic member of
YouthPinoy. The registration reached up
to more than 2,000 people.
With the number of delegates gradually
thickening before the celebration of the
Holy Mass, fun games were conducted
and surely the young delegates had a
blast citing the big smiles they had on
their faces while cool prizes were given
away to the lucky winners.
Eucharistic celebration with Nuncio
At the signal of the Papal Nuncio’s
arrival in the venue, the merry
atmosphere was toned decibels down for
a while to make way for the ceremonial
ribbon cutting rites. Apostolic Nuncio
Archbishop Joseph Edward Adams
himself did the honors of formally
ushering YouthPinoy and its website to
the Catholic community.
After the ceremony, selected delegates
equally representing each youth group
formed a human rosary and started
reciting the prayers of the Virgin Mary.
Reciting the intercessions brought out the
meditative side of the youth setting the
mood for the anticipated mass scheduled
right after.
An array of white habits came flowing
in the next minute. Dominican protégés
from the UST Central Seminary headed
by Vice-Rector Rev. Fr. Pablo Tiong
graciously escorted the celebrants in
the procession. This is one of the rarest
moments that the YouthPinoy launching
organizers and participants would not
soon forget.
YouthPinoy / B5
HIS EXCELLENCY
MOST REV. NEREO ODCHIMAR, D.D.
PRESIDENT, CATHOLIC BISHOPS’
CONFERENCE OF THE PHILIPPINES
“Nowadays, we have so much technology but
sometimes we don’t use it to its fullest potential.
Thus, it is our greatest challenge to think
seriously on how we can better employ these
new technologies to make the Gospel known,
to reach all the people with the message of Jesus
Christ, so that the Good News of God’s infinite
love for humanity will resound in new ways
across our increasingly technological world. It
is my hope, therefore, that YouthPinoy will be
successful and constant in providing tremendous
resources for deepening one’s knowledge about
the Catholic faith that many people will be drawn
to a deeper faith in Christ especially the young
who increasingly turn to the world of cyberspace
as a window on the world.”
HIS EXCELLENCY
MOST REV. JOEL BAYLON, D.D.
CHAIRMAN, CBCP EPISCOPAL
COMMISSION ON YOUTH
“We hope that the YouthPinoy portal will
be a new venue where the young could meet
their fellow young; where they can chat and
share their stories and activities, and establish
connections and healthy friendships; where
they can browse and search for information
about certain Church and faith issues; and
where they can reach out to those others who
are in search for meaning in life, and share
with them their varied experiences of being
members of church-based youth groups or
national youth organizations - so that these
may also come to know God who is Love
and Joy, Truth and Life.”
HIS EXCELLENCY
MOST REV. ROLANDO TIRONA, D.D.
CHAIRMAN, OFFICE OF THE LAITYYOUTH DESK, FEDERATION OF
ASIAN BISHOPS’ CONFERENCES
“The Office of the Laity and Family of the
Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences
(FABC-OLF) is delighted to hear about this new
endeavor of the CBCP-ECY and Media Office
to bring the Good News of Jesus to the Filipino
youth and to the youths of Asia! Thanks for
harnessing the creative, imaginative, formative
and Spirit-inspired talents of our young people
to lead other youths to Jesus Christ! We join you
in praying and working for its success!”
REV. MSGR. PEDRO QUITORIO, III
DIRECTOR, CBCP MEDIA OFFICE
“THE engagement of the Catholic Church
with the fourth medium, the Internet, became
more precise with the late Pope John Paul
II, especially in this message during the
36th World Communications Day in 2002
that bellowed: ‘Internet: A New Forum for
Proclaiming the Gospel.’ It is with great joy
that here comes at last YouthPinoy, the ‘online
missionaries’ whose battle cry is ‘winning the
world through the word’ in the multi-platforms
of the internet. While older people like most of
us hardly see the relevance of the worldwide
web in people’s lives, the young people of
today—the net generation—can hardly live
without it. Congratulations YouthPinoy! You
are the hope of the Church—and of the new
mode of evangelization.”
MS. EILLEEN ESTEBAN
PRESIDENT, YOUTHPINOY
REPRESENTATIVE, DOMINICAN
NETWORK
Photos courtesy of Angeline Bernardo/DomNet
By Andrew Isiah Bonifacio
“The Good News is going to get better and the
website www.youthpinoy.com is going to be its
portal. Fellow Youthpinoy, WE ARE NOT JUST
VOLUNTEERS BUT WE ARE MISSIONARIES!
The olden time is a proof that there is no
missionary work that doesn’t entail hardship.
Some even have to reach the point of life offering.
Thanks to our modern tools, we need not travel
by foot to share the Good News. In one click it
travels in the speed of light, well of course, that
depends on the broadband you use. Today,we
are missionaries of the digital world!”
Updates
B2
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 14 No. 2
January 18 - 31, 2010
Photos courtesy of Noli Yamsuan/RCAM
Revisiting the question of so-called
Lay Ministers (Part I)
By Fr. Jaime Blanco Achacoso, J.C.D. Every so often, I have
been asked by lay faithful
about the proliferation of
extraordinary ministers
of Holy Communion and
even more of so-called lay
ministers. Their presence is
quite noticeable, especially
during Sunday Mass when
in many places there is
a veritable procession of
them preceding the priest
celebrant at the start of the
Eucharistic celebration.
What really is the role of
the lay ministers?
In November 1997, the Holy See
published a document, entitled
Instruction On Certain Questions
Regarding the Collaboration of
the Non ordained Faithful in
the Sacred Ministry of Priests.
The document reaffirmed the
teaching of the Second Vatican
Council (especially Lumen
gentium, n.33 and Apostolicam
actuositatem, n.24). Its main
purpose was to acknowledge
and promote what is specific to
the vocations of the lay faithful
and of ordained ministers, with
the goal of encouraging real
communion in the Church.
Genesis of the Instruction
The Instruction stemmed
from a new awareness of the
ecclesial situation as a whole. In
the past decade Bishops, priests
and lay people had requested
authoritative directives on the
identity of priests and lay people
with regard to particular cases
of pastoral activity improperly
exercised by non ordained
faithful.
Thus in April 1994, with the
approval of John Paul II, the
Congregation for the Clergy
organized a symposium in
which some members of the
worldwide Episcopate took
part, representing their own
Episcopal Conferences—chosen
because this problem was
particularly acute in those
Churches. The Presidents
or representatives of some
larger groupings of Episcopal
Conferences—including the
Federation of Asian Bishops
Conferences—were also
invited to the meeting, as
well as the Secretaries of the
relevant Congregations of the
Roman Curia and well known
theologians. The extensive
exchange of opinions and
particularly the Holy Father’s
final address led to important
suggestions for preparing the
document.
An Inter-dicasterial
Commission was established,
coordinated by the Congregation
for the Clergy and involving
seven other dicasteries: the
Pontifical Council for the Laity,
the Congregation for the Doctrine
of the Faith, the Congregation
for Divine Worship and the
Discipline of the Sacraments,
the Congregation for Bishops,
the Congregation for the
Evangelization of Peoples, the
Congregation for Institutes of
Consecrated Life and Societies of
Apostolic Life, and the Pontifical
Council for the Interpretation
of Legislative Texts. In a series
of meetings, this Commission
gradually worked out a text
which was sent to the Presidents
of the Episcopal Conferences
and to the individual Bishops
in those Churches where the
need to address this issue
was considered most urgent.
About 92 percent of those
questioned were in favor, but
asked that ambiguous wording
be avoided in the text, that the
most authoritative legal form
possible be used and, given the
urgent need for clarification,
that the document be published
without delay. The Commission
scrupulously followed these
instructions.
In May 1997 the text was
discussed by the heads of
the dicasteries of the Roman
Curia in the presence of the
Holy Father. The result of this
lengthy and thorough process
was the Instruction we are now
considering.
Preliminary hermeneutic
clarifications: Canonico-Formal
aspects
After an ample Introduction,
the Instruction has two main parts
entitled: Theological Principles
and Practical Provisions. For
a correct understanding of
the document, we must first
consider some of its formal
aspects.
1. An Instruction is an
administrative provision.
An Instruction, by virtue
of its juridical nature, is an
administrative provision. As
c.34, §1 states, instructions
clarify the prescriptions of laws
and elaborate on and determine
an approach to be followed in
implementing them. Thus, it
does not create new law, but
merely insists that the law
currently in force be observed.
As to the active subject of such
acts, the same canon states that
persons who possess executive
power legitimately issue such
instructions within the limits
of their competency.
Furthermore, instructions are
not addressed to everyone who
is a subject of the current law.
The same c.34, §1 states that they
are given for the use of those
persons whose concern it is to see
that the laws are implemented
and oblige such persons in the
execution of the laws. Thus, the
Instruction we are commenting
on was primarily addressed,
by reason of its timeliness and
for the sake of prevention, to
every Pastor of the Church,
who, in accordance with c.392,
§1, is bound to promote the
common discipline of the whole
Church and therefore to urge the
observance of all ecclesiastical
laws.
2. Involvement of 8 Dicasteries.
On the one hand, it can be said
that this procedure conforms to
the legislative provisions of the
Roman Curia. According to these
provisions, what falls within the
competence of different offices
should be treated by all, under
the coordination of the office
primarily concerned with the
question. In this case, one has
the impression that various sorts
of problems had piled up over
time and had to be examined
from different aspects, leading
to a broad curial consultation.
Nevertheless, it would have
sufficed for the document to
be signed by the Congregation
for the Clergy, while noting
the preceding inter-dicasterial
consultation. The fact that all
the dicasteries involved signed
with their respective heads and
secretaries clearly expresses
their co responsibility as well
as the importance that the Curia
attached to the subject. On the
other hand, such procedure
manifested the importance that
John Paul II attached to the
document.
3. Binding force of the
document. The importance
of the document is also
underscored by the fact that the
Pope approved the Instruction
in forma specifica. Consequently
any form of appeal against it is
impossible. This modality is
envisaged by curial law only
for certain dicasterial decrees
with legislative force. The mode
of approval chosen by the Pope
must be considered in the light
of the fact that as stated in the
Conclusion: “all particular laws,
customs and faculties which
are contrary to the foregoing
norms, and were conceded ad
experimentum by the Holy See or
other ecclesiastical authorities,
are hereby revoked”. Thus we
are spared the possible objection
that an administrative act cannot
derogate from the norms (laws
or customs) currently in force;
the intention to ensure coherent
legislation in this entire matter
is also apparent.
Other hermeneutic advertences:
Objectives of the Instruction
To obviate any possible
negative reaction to the
document, it may be good to
summarize the basic objectives
of the Instruction. In brief, the
document simply reaffirmed the
teaching of the Second Vatican
Council and of the more recent
post conciliar Magisterium on
the positive role of the laity in
the Church’s mission:
1. Encourage the ordained
ministers. It encourages
ordained ministers by forcefully
reintroducing the subject of
vocations to the priesthood,
stressing that the Church’s life
depends on the sacrament of
Holy Orders as a free, absolutely
irreplaceable gift, because the
ordained ministry (Bishops,
priests, deacons) is part of the
Church’s very structure.
2. Remind the laity of their
specific role. The Instruction also
reminds us how the fundamental
equality of Christians (by virtue
of Baptism) is compatible with
an essential difference (by
virtue of Sacred Orders) and
that lay Christians, precisely
because of Baptism, are called
to the consecratio mundi,
which differs from the task of
anyone who belongs, through
the sacrament of Holy Orders,
to the sacred ministry. Thus,
by avoiding every form of
clericalism, lay Christians are
encouraged to become aware of
their identity and to give their
witness in the world and in the
Church without considering
the exercise of those ministerial
duties which they may perform
from time to time as a form of
advancement but only as one of
supply and substitution.
3. Expose the “functionalist”
and “individualist” errors.
The inter-dicasterial text also
called for critical discernment
regarding certain modern trends
that still deeply affect our era.
The functionalist approach, on
the one hand, holds that human
actions and things in general
cannot refer to anything beyond
themselves. In this mentality
what really counts is to achieve
the goal one has set for oneself.
The very sacramentality of the
Church is undermined. We can
understand then how, even
when moved by true pastoral
generosity, some eventually
think that whatever does not
require the sacramental power
of the Bishop, priest or deacon
ad validitatem can be assumed
ordinarily and permanently
by the laity. But in doing so,
the ordained ministry begins
gradually to erode, no longer
understood and appreciated by
the People of God and therefore
sooner or later to become
obsolete.
The individualist approach,
on the other hand, has become
more and more widespread
since the 16th century and leads
to thinking in terms of personal
success, competitiveness and
power. In a theological context,
this mentality tends to loose sight
of the Church as communio and
to over-value the individuality
of every member of the People
of God, to the detriment of the
appreciation of the plurality of
charisms and roles among the
People of God.
4. Encourage terminological
precision. The Instruction
rightly insists on the need for a
suitable terminology, clarifying
the confused use of the word
ministry which describes both
the officia and the munera
exercised by Pastors in virtue
of the sacrament of Orders,
and those exercised by the
non ordained faithful. We
have to remember that lack of
terminological precision has
repercussions on the theological
level, creating ambiguity
and confusion. The undue
application of the term minister
to the collaboration of laymen
with the work of the clerics
can and indeed has led to a
confusion between the universal
(royal) and the ministerial
(ordained) priesthood.
5. Very limited scope of the
Instruction. The Instruction has
a very limited purpose and its
title should be carefully read
with that in mind. The subject
is not collaboration between
priests and lay people, but
the priestly ministry in so far
as lay people can collaborate
in it. The document is thus
concerned with only a limited
area of the laity’s field of
activity in the Church. It is not
a question of the laity, defined
by their so called secular nature,
who carry out their mission
in civil society; nor are their
autonomous activities within
the Church being considered.
The sole concern here—with
one exception, to which we
will return—is that area where
the laity who say they are
available receive an ecclesiastical
deputation. But even this area is
not examined in all its breadth,
since the vast milieus of the
school and the university, for
example, are omitted. It is
important not to forget this fact,
since—except for the exception
mentioned above—the vast,
ordinary field of activity for
lay people in the Church and
the world is intentionally not
considered by the Instruction.
It is only concerned with giving
appropriate direction to the
exercise of particular functions
by particular lay people.
When the
faithful take
the Host
directly
(Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina
Apostolorum university answers the following query:)
Q: Recently I asked one of my priests to prepare the
faithful to discontinue the practice in their parish whereby
the people dip the sacred host into the chalice. This has been
a long-standing practice in the parish, and it was started by
a certain missionary from India who said to me that this was
a custom in wide usage in that country. In response to my
didactic approach emphasizing the role of the minister in
giving Communion, and the recipient receiving the gift, the
parish priest quoted “Memoriale Domini” of 1969, which, in
Paragraph 4 states as follows: “With regard to the manner of
administering the sacrament, one may follow the traditional
method, which emphasized the ministerial function of the
priest or deacon, in having them place the host in the hand
of the communicant. One may also adopt a simpler method,
allowing the communicant himself to take the host from the
ciborium. In either case, the communicant ought to consume
the host before returning to his place [...].” I cannot for the
life of me trace the progression from “Memoriale Domini”
to Paragraph 92 of “Redemptionis Sacramentum,” which
states: “’Although each of the faithful always has the right
to receive Holy Communion on the tongue, at his choice, if
any communicant should wish to receive the Sacrament in
the hand, in areas where the Bishops’ Conference with the
recognitio of the Apostolic See has given permission, the sacred
host is to be administered to him or her. However, special
care should be taken to ensure that the host is consumed by
the communicant in the presence of the minister, so that no
one goes away carrying the Eucharistic species in his hand. If
there is a risk of profanation, then Holy Communion should
not be given in the hand to the faithful.’” I have indicated
the key issues by italics. I am sure you will be able to throw
more light on this issue.—A bishop in South Africa
A: First of all, it is necessary to point out that, strictly
speaking, the parish priest was not quoting from the
instruction “Memoriale Domini” but from a letter, published
in French, which was annexed to the original instruction. It
was a sample of the letter on practical applications sent to
bishops’ conferences that had received permission to allow
Communion in the hand.
Therefore, the suggestion regarding the people’s taking
hosts directly from the ciborium has almost no value as a legal
norm. Likewise, since it is intimately united to the question
of Communion in the hand, it falls under the aegis of the
bishop as the authority permitting this practice.
I would also mention that this question would not justify
the practice in this parish since the very same letter quoted by
the priest says two paragraphs later: “When the communion
is distributed under both kinds, it is never permitted to place
in the hands of the communicants hosts which have first
been placed in the Blood of the Lord.” This at least implies
that the option of the faithful dipping a host into the chalice
was not contemplated.
Thus, rather than a magisterial document we are before an
initial attempt to regulate a nascent practice. The suggestion
that the faithful take the hosts themselves never made the cut
and was not incorporated into any formal documents. Indeed,
very soon the opposite practice became normative.
In January 1973 the Congregation for the Sacraments
published the instruction “Immensae Caritatis.” When
dealing with Communion in the hand this document makes
no mention of the option of the faithful taking the host from
the ciborium but simply says:
“Ever since the Instruction Memoriale Domini three years
ago, some of the conferences of bishops have been requesting
the Apostolic See for the faculty to allow ministers distributing
communion to place the eucharistic bread in the hand of the
faithful. The same Instruction contained a reminder that
‘the laws of the Church and the writings of the Fathers give
ample witness of a supreme reverence and utmost caution
toward the eucharist’ and that this must continue. Particularly
in regard to this way of receiving communion, experience
suggests certain matters requiring careful attention.
“On the part of both the minister and the recipient,
whenever the host is placed in the hand of a communicant
there must be careful concern and caution, especially about
particles that might fall from the hosts.”
Faithful / B5
Vol. 14 No. 2
January 18 - 31, 2010
Why is a Catechism for the 2010
Elections necessary?
We are going to face serious challenges
in the 2010 Elections that are not only
political but also clearly and profoundly
moral. We are a nation that values
family and life and yet for years our
elected leaders have been attempting
to make laws that pose a grave threat
to these values. So once again we find
the opportune occasion for the Church
to exercise its teaching authority to
guide us in carrying out their political
responsibilities in a faithful citizenship.
The family has always been among
the Church’s urgent concerns because
it is both the Domestic Church and the
Basic Unit of Society. A strong family is
the only assurance to having a strong
society.
In the 2004 and 2007 elections, the CBCP
encouraged the faithful to exercise their
Christian responsibility to be involved
in politics in the conscientious selection
of candidates, among others. We have
consistently spoken out in defense of life
Features
The Church has the duty to teach
Catholics about the importance of
taking their Faith with them in all their
endeavors, including voting. Catholics
must live their faith in order to integrate
God into their lives. For faith to be
genuine, it must be evident not only in
Church activities, but in all aspects of
life, at work, at home, and in politics as
well. The Constitution guarantees the
right of each citizen to exercise his or
her religion. Catholics who bring their
moral convictions into public life do
not threaten democracy or pluralism
but rather enrich the nation and its
political life.
Every Catholic is both a faithful of
the Church and a citizen of our beloved
Philippines. The exercise of this faithful
citizenship means that when they go to
the polls to vote they should not leave
God outside. They should take with
them, among others:
A renewed understanding of how
God views life: “God created male and
female, in the divine image He created
Our manner of active involvement
in the democratic process means that
we will use the power of the vote, as
citizens of the Republic, to elect political
leaders who will uphold and promote the
dignity of human life and the sanctity
of family and marriage. Through our
active participation in the democratic
process, including voting, we contribute
to ensuring that our democracy firmly
underpins moral and ethical values and
standards. In the absence of ethical values
and standards democracy will become
the totalitarian rule of the rich and the
powerful who can trample on the rights
of the weak and vulnerable, such as the
unborn babies, mothers, the elderly and
the poor families.
A law-making process that is based
simply on the will of the majority and
not on ethical principles can easily lead
to unjust laws because the will of the
majority can be manipulated by powerful
interest groups, leaving the weak and
vulnerable unprotected.
On family and life issues, including
by Christ Himself, assists us Catholics
in understanding God’s will in specific
issues. The Church, as our Mother
and Teacher, takes into account what
is happening in society and the data
offered by the sciences and other fields of
knowledge and offers us clear guidelines
on certain specific questions.
Thus, for example, we should not
think that “abortion is wrong because the
Church says so,” but rather, “abortion is
wrong because it kills a human being who
is one of us, and the Church reminds us
of its wrongness.” Indeed, whether the
Church says so or not, abortion is always
a most violent, unjust and inhumane act
committed against the most harmless,
defenseless, and weakest member of
our society –the baby– and committed
by those who have the greatest duty to
care for, love and defend him or her most
–the mother, father, doctors and other
health care professionals.
Similarly, the intrauterine device (IUD)
is not wrong because the Church says
so. Rather it is wrong in itself whether
B3
the official teachings of the Church, which
Christ Himself instituted to guide us.
What does the Church teach regarding
“responsible parenthood”?
The profound link between the
conjugal union and the gift of life gives
married couples a vocation to give life, as
long as they can responsibly care for the
children they beget. Hence, responsible
parenthood calls for an understanding
of the reproductive processes of the
spouses’ bodies, including the woman’s
fertility cycle. And as with any other
passion (anger, fear, love for food,
desire for more, etc.), the sexual drive
should be placed under the control of
the intellect and the will, through the
exercise of virtues, rendering the sexual
faculties truly and exclusively expressive
of conjugal love and the self-giving of
persons.
Responsible parenthood further
involves the decision either (1) to
generously raise a numerous family if
the couple is capable of doing so, or (2) if
A Catechism on Family and Life
for the 2010 Elections
Shouldn’t the Church be limited to the
spiritual and religious realms alone?
The obligation to participate in shaping
the moral character of our society is
a basic part of the mission which the
Church received from Jesus Christ,
who offers a vision of life revealed to us
in Sacred Scripture and Tradition. The
Second Vatican Council teaches that
Christ, the Word made flesh, in showing
us the Father’s love, also shows us what
it truly means to be human (Gaudium et
Spes 22). Christ’s love for us allows us to
see our human dignity in full clarity and
compels us to love our neighbors as he
has loved us. Christ, the Teacher, shows
us what is true and good, that is, what
is in accord with our human nature as
free, intelligent beings created in God’s
image and likeness and endowed by the
Creator with dignity and rights.
We Catholics share the same respect for
the dignity of every person in common
with many non-Catholics who accept
these truths which are self-evident
through the gift of reason. But undeniably
what our Catholic faith teaches about
the dignity of the human person and
the sacredness of human life helps us
to see more clearly these same truths
because these are at the very core of
the Catholic moral and social teaching.
Because we are people of both faith and
reason, it is appropriate and necessary
for us to bring this essential truth about
human life and dignity to the public
square. Church authorities exercise their
teaching function also by reminding
Catholic civil leaders of their moral
obligations, especially in matters related
to family and life.
How do we Catholics enrich the
democratic process this way?
reproductive health,
some Catholics justify
their support for positions
that are clearly against
Church teachings by
saying that they “simply
follow their conscience.”
Should we not follow our
conscience?
The Compendium
of the Catechism of
the Catholic Church
explains to us that “moral
conscience, present in
the heart of the person,
is a judgment of reason
whichattheappropriate
moment enjoins him to
do good and to avoid
evil… When attentive
to moral conscience,
the prudent person
can hear the voice
of God who speaks
to him or her” (no.
372). Conscience is
thus not the same
as one’s opinions or
feelings.
One must always
follow one’s
conscience. But
one also has the
obligation to form
one’s conscience,
because of the
possibility
of having an erroneous
conscience. “One must therefore work to
correct the errors of moral conscience”
(no. 376).
As Catholics, how do we correctly form
our conscience?
The same Compendium of the
Catechism tells us that “an upright and
true moral conscience is formed by
education and by assimilating the Word
of God and the teaching of the Church.
It is supported by the gifts of the Holy
Spirit and helped by the advice of wise
people. Prayer and an examination of
conscience can also greatly assist one’s
moral formation” (no. 374).
The Church’s teaching authority, also
known as the “Magisterium,” endowed
rde/CBCP M
them” and “found them to be very good.”
(Gen 1:27. 31).
A remembrance that God created
marriage and “that is why man leaves his
father and mother and clings to his wife
and the two of them become one body”
(Gen 2:24). It is not a lifestyle choice that
the law can remake into something that
God never intended it to be.
Knowledge of what their beliefs as
Catholics are and vote with a well-formed
conscience.
there are serious reasons
(health, economic, social,
psychological, etc.), not
to have another child
for the time being or
indefinitely (Humanae
Vitae 10).
Thus, responsible
parenthood has nothing
to do with encouraging
individuals to use
contraceptives as what
reproductive health
programs do. The sexual
union is appropriate only
within the context of marital
love, which must always
be faithful, permanent, and
exclusive between one man
and one woman that is open
to the gift of new life.
Responsible parenthood
also has nothing to do with
encouraging or coercing
couples whether directly or
indirectly to have only one
or two children. It is not a
population control program.
Neither the government nor
the Church may tell couples
how many children to have,
for the decision to have either
a small or a large family rests
on the couple themselves.
© Roy Laga
and family. We do so again at this historic
juncture in our national life.
As Catholic voters, we understand
that to protect our society from the
invasion of anti-life and anti-family
values, we have to form our conscience
well. This will enable us to use the power
of our vote to demand accountability
and coherence from our candidates.
We would like to ensure that we have
a democracy that is firmly founded
on a consistent moral framework that
will strengthen the foundation of our
society and protect its weakest and most
vulnerable members.
This Catechism is written primarily
for the Family and Life Ministries of the
different dioceses in the Philippines,
which fall under the care of this Episcopal
Commission. This is also intended as
a reference for all families. The aim of
this Catechism is to help Catholics form
their consciences in accordance with
God’s truth with regards to family, life
and responsible parenthood. It will help
to make their faith operative when it
comes to living their life in the Church
and in society. The intention is not to tell
Catholics for whom or against whom to
vote. The responsibility to make political
choices rests with each individual in light
of a properly formed conscience, and that
participation goes well beyond casting a
vote in a particular election.
This Catechism cannot be read with
a casuistic mentality, of one searching
for a fine line dividing mortal sin from
venial sin. Rather, it should be read
from a magnanimous perspective of
one who strives to ask how to best serve
the Filipino, the Filipino family and the
country.
Will this Catechism on family and life
concerns not violate the separation of
Church and State?
The separation of Church and State
prohibits the State from interfering in
Church matters, and prohibits the State
from having a State religion. It does not
imply a division between belief and
public actions, between moral principles
and political choices. In fact, the freedom
of religion upheld by our Constitution
protects the right of believers and
religious groups to practice their faith
and act on their values in public life.
edia
Episcopal Commission on Family and Life;
December 27, 2009, Feast of the Holy Family
the Church
says so or not, because the IUD can kill
a 5-day old baby by preventing him or
her from implanting in the mother’s
womb. In fact, it is medical literature
and not Church dogma that describes
the IUD’s modes of action, and it is from
these sources that the Church bases her
defense of the 5-day old baby. We were
once like this 5-day old human being,
and he or she, if not killed, would grow
to become like us.
Through prayerful reflection of the
Word of God and a careful study of
Church teachings on family and life (as
in other matters), we strive to live out
our faith in the world. A well-formed
conscience is always formed according to
What is the difference
between procreation and
reproduction?
Reproduction is the process
b y
which living things replicate, to
assure the continuity of their species. It
is necessary for the species, but not for
the individual. Reproduction, as in the
case of plants and animals, does not
require any bond between persons. On
the other hand, procreation is the proper
term for human generation as it refers
to a loving act between spouses which
prepares for a possible creation by God
of a new person. Procreation points to
a collaboration of parents with God
as the ultimate source of this new life.
None of these characteristics of human
procreation may be found in plant and
animal reproduction.
Catechism / B4
© Dennis Dayao/CBCP Media
CBCP Monitor
Features
B4
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 14 No. 2
January 18 - 31, 2010
What is at stake in the 2010 Elections
CLOSE to five thousand priests from all over the Philippines
and some neighboring countries will gather at the World
Trade Center on January 25-29, 2010, for the Second National
Congress of the Clergy (NCC II), a highlight of the celebration
of the Catholic Church in the Philippines of the Year for Priests.
The Congress is being organized by the Catholic Bishops’
Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) through its Commission
on the Clergy previously chaired by Gaudencio B. Cardinal
Rosales, Archbishop of Manila, with Bishop Florentino
Lavarias of the Diocese of Iba as present chairperson.
Pope Benedict XVI declared on June 19, 2009, the Solemnity
of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, a beloved feast among
Catholics, June 2009-June 2010 as the Year for Priests as the
Church marks the 150th Dies Natalis of St. John Mary Vianney,
the patron saint of parish priests worldwide. The Pope has
asked that this year be a time for deepening the commitment
of all priests “to interior renewal for the sake of a more forceful
and incisive witness to the Gospel in today’s world.”
It is the second time that a national congress of the
clergy will be held; the first was in July 2004 which drew
some 4,000 participants. The first congress was held amid
controversies regarding sensitive issues that surrounded
members of the clergy, particularly in the United States and
Europe at that time, and
featured speakers and
activities that aimed to
help priests understand
better their role and
mission. The theme of
the Congress follows
the theme of the Year for
Priests: “Faithfulness of
Christ, faithfulness of
priests.”
This time, organizers
said, NCC II will move
towards moral, pastoral
and spiritual concerns
and the Congress will
be conducted “retreatstyle” with Franciscan
Capuchin, Fr. Raniero
Cantalamessa, Preacher
to the Papal Household,
as the main speaker and
facilitator.
Msgr. Gerardo Santos
of the NCC II Committee
on Program, said the
basic objective of the
congress is to provide
the priests a deep and
religious experience
that will hopefully lead
to a spiritual conversion and greater commitment.
The dynamics of the retreat-congress involves prayer and
liturgy, conferences, group reflection and journal writing
and the encounter with host families. Priests attending the
congress will be housed in parishes, seminaries, inns and in
homes of families in Pasig, Makati, San Juan, Pasay, Cubao,
Mandaluyong and Manila. About 1,500 priests will be hosted
by an equal number of families.
There will be five conferences to be delivered by Fr. Raniero
Cantalamessa, OFM Cap. On the fourth day Bishop Luis
Antonio Tagle of the Diocese of Imus will provide pastoral
challenges for the Church in the Philippines presented by
Fr. Cantalamessa’s talks. On this day also, laypeople will
share with their priests their experiences on their struggle for
holiness in the secular world. The lay sharers include Maria
Voce of the Focolare Movement and former Chief Justice
Artemio Panganiban.
NCC II has its closing activities at the Cuneta Astrodome
where the priests will be joined by thousands of laypeople for
the celebration of the Eucharist. Cardinal Rosales will be main
celebrant at this mass with all the bishops of the country and
the priests co-celebrating.
© Roy Lagarde/CBCP Media
National Congress of
the Clergy highlights
Philippines’ celebration of
Year for Priests
By Linda Valenzona
POLITICS has become a very serious pastime
for Filipinos. The battle cry, as usual, is
the fight against corruption, as though by
doing so we could uproot it once and for
all. Truth to tell we have never really had a
corruption-free administration. Even the Cory
Administration was sullied by the “Kamaganak Incorporated.” Neither have we ever
successfully prosecuted a corrupt President
to payback what was stolen from the country.
This is not to say that we should just give in
and tolerate corruption. It would be wrong,
however, to just allow the crusade against
corruption to take over the entire national
agenda completely. There is much more to
the business of governance than just fighting
corruption.
Our Score card
Far more important than the corruption
issue is to take a look at what is at stake for
the Church in the fight to protect family and
life. In the corporate sector developing score
cards for corporate governance is in vogue.
We can use the same approach for evaluating
our family and life advocacy. Here I will focus
on the Magna Carta for Women that was
enacted into law as RA 9710 last August 14,
2009 and the two related bills which are in the
burner at the close of the 14th Congress—HB
5043 (the infamous RH bill) and HB 956 (the
lesser known but equally dangerous bill on
Anti-discrimination on the basis of sexual
orientation).
Let me start with RA 9710. A close look
at HB 4273 (House version of the Magna
Carta) would show that this was intended
to be an alternate to the RH bill in the event
that the RH bill would run into a snag; hence
it had all the basic elements for legalizing
an RH program. Thankfully the Bicameral
Committee removed the reproductive health
language and specifically indicated that family
planning methods should be “ethical, legal,
safe and effective”. The House version also
had dangerous provisions with respect to
marriage and family relations which were
defanged by invoking the provisions of the
Family Code. In the end there were two
harmful provisions which found its way
to RA 9710. First is the Section 3 provision
that there should be no discrimination on
the basis of sexual orientation, thus setting a
legal basis for future legislation on same-sex
union. Second is the provision in Section
13 that prohibits the expulsion of women
teachers due to extramarital pregnancy, which
will surely affect the employment policy of
Catholic schools.
The last session of the 14th Congress will be
from January 18 to February 16, 2010 during
which the period of interpellation of the RH
bill HB 5043 will hopefully continue until the
end of the session. Usually it is hard to get a
quorum since Congressmen are already busy
campaigning. However, we can expect that all
the anti-life groups will do all that they can to
rally for attendance in the hope that the bill can
be calendared for Second Reading and a final
vote. It seems that the Senate version of the
RH bill, SB 3122, is not making any progress,
hence it is highly probable that this will not
be enacted to law. Nevertheless the other side
will score a great victory if the House version
is voted upon and approved. A mapping of
241 of the 268 Congressmen shows that only
76 are against the RH bill compared to 165
who are in favor of it.
The last item to consider is HB 956 titled “An
Act Prohibiting Discrimination on the Basis of
Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and
Providing Penalties therefore.” The bill was
filed on July 10, 2007 by Rep. Ana Theresia
Hontiveros-Baraquel with Rep. Walden Bello
as co-author, both from Akbayan party list.
This class legislation is intended to accord the
right to sexual orientation eventually paving
the way to same-sex unions. On August 1,
2007 it was referred to the Committee on
Human Rights under the chairmanship of Rep.
Lorenzo Tañada III, 4th District, Quezon. The
Committee has given its Technical Working
Group marching orders to finish its work by
January 19, 2010. Since Committee hearings
were scheduled close to the holidays, very
few groups have submitted position papers.
Moreover, not too many people are really
conversant with the intricacies and nuances of
the issue of Homophobia. The clever strategy
of the anti-life groups is again to inch this
legislation forward so that in the 15th Congress
they can claim credit for the initial approvals
probably in the hope that they can justify
railroading the Committee level process as
they did in HB 5043.
Working on the Numbers
Congressman Lagman has been heard to
state, “There is no such thing as a Catholic
vote.” One look at the measly 76 objectors and
165 supporters of the RH bill clearly upholds
the veracity of this statement. The truth is that
in spite of having one of the most vibrant and
active pro-family and pro-Life movements
in the world we have so far been unable to
translate our commitment into political will.
What is a greater cause for concern is
that of the 76 Congressmen who are against
the RH bill, 72 are on their third term. This
means that we have to vote into office 72 new
Congressmen to take their place just to keep
the status quo. However, just aiming for status
quo would be disastrous.
There are 215 congressional districts and
by the last count, 58 party list congressmen.
To have a comfortable margin we should
try to vote into office pro-life candidates in
at least 150 congressional districts. Among
the party lists we have two pro-life groups:
Buhay (of the El Shaddai group) and Leonardo
Montemayor’s ABA AKO (Alyansang
Bayanihan ng Magsasaka, Manggagawang
Bukid at Mangingisda Adhikain at Kilusan
ng Ordinaryong Tao). It is estimated that if
850,000 votes are garnered by a party list it
can have three seats. This will help but clearly
we have to pay attention to who are elected
in the congressional districts.
The US 2008 Election Experience
Before we attempt to consolidate a Catholic
vote for the 2010 elections, it is worthwhile
to review the experience of US Catholics.
During the 2008 US election the US Bishops
Conference issued a statement titled “Forming
Consciences for Faithful Citizenship.” Among
other things, it stated that under certain
circumstances, a Catholic could in good
conscience vote for a candidate who supports
abortion because of ‘other grave reasons,’ as
long as the voter did not intend to support
the pro-abortion position. Because of this
pronouncement, certain quarters believe that
this document deluded many Catholics into
thinking that they could in good conscience
vote for the pro-abortion Barack Obama.
No less than Archbishop Burke, Prefect
of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic
Signatura agrees with the opinion that the
At stake / B7
Catechism / B3
The conjugal act is like a
language with two meanings:
the unitive and the procreative.
Through their union in the
conjugal act, a man and a woman
give themselves totally to each
other in and through their bodies.
They are telling each other: “I
give myself totally to you, and I
love and accept you totally; we
are one flesh.” That is the unitive
meaning.
Furthermore, the structures
and functions of the male and
female reproductive systems are
such that when a sexual act is
performed, there is a possibility of
new life to be formed. This gives a
procreative meaning to the sexual
union. Thus, to accept each other
totally includes saying, “since
I love and accept you totally as
you are, including your bodily
functions, I also totally accept
the possibility of our love bearing
fruit, the gift of a new child.” Thus,
the unitive and the procreative
meanings of the sexual act cannot
be separated from each other.
Textbooks consistently using
the term “reproduction” instead
of “procreation,” even if intended
for Catholic schools, should
be thoroughly checked for the
contraceptive mentality. They
may confuse the students on the
Church’s clear teaching on family
and life. Presenting the views of
dissenting theologians as being
on equal authority with Church
documents would bring about
such confusion.
Why is contraception morally
wrong?
Contraception is any action
taken before, during or after
the conjugal act which is aimed
at impeding the process or the
possible fruit of conception. In
contraception, it is like the spouses
telling each other, “I love you as
long as we do not give birth.” In
short, contraception makes the
conjugal act a lie. It expresses
not a total love, but rather a
merely conditional or partial
love. Contraception separates the
unitive and procreative aspects of
the conjugal act.
Since many contraceptives
have also been shown by
medical science to have various
ill effects, their use could signify
further contradictions and lies. It
endangers then the physical wellbeing of the wife as well as the
spiritual health of the marriage.
Why are natural methods of birth
control not contraception?
The natural methods simply
enable the wife to ascertain
when she is fertile and when
she is infertile. It is scientific
information placed at the service
of either a procreative decision
or a non-procreative decision by
the spouses. In this case couples
do not do anything to prevent
the normal consequences of the
marital act from taking place.
Rather, they make use of the
wife’s God-given cycle in their
decision whether to have another
child or not for the time being.
What is reproductive health?
The UN defines reproductive
health as the state of physical,
mental and social well-being and
not merely the absence of disease
or infirmity in all matters relating
to the reproductive system and
to its functions and processes. It
states that people have the right
to a “satisfying and safe sex life.”
The conjugal union is natural
and proper in marriage, but in
contrast, reproductive health
disposes all people, including
children and adolescents, to the
sexual act and the freedom to
decide if, when and how often
to reproduce, provided that
these are not against the law.
(UN Cairo Conference, Program
of Action).
Following this definition,
if having a satisfying sex
life results in an unwanted
pregnancy, the mental anguish
this causes will negatively
affect the person’s mental and
social well-being unless one
has access to contraception and
abortion. This is the convoluted
reasoning behind UN agencies’
insistence that reproductive
health necessarily presupposes
access to contraception and
abortion.
Furthermore, the Reproductive
Health bill (House Bill 5043),
which carries the same definition
of reproductive health, will
penalize with one to six months
imprisonment, and/or 10-50
thousand pesos fine, parents who
for example prevent their grade
school and high school children
from using contraceptives, or
from having satisfying and safe
sex. This item, along with the
fact that certain contraceptives
actually cause the abortion
of 5-day old babies, is often
ignored in supposedly unbiased
and scientific surveys on the
acceptability of the Reproductive
Health bill.
All these are in the name of
reproductive health and rights.
What about the rights of parents?
And the rights of the unborn?
What are some experiences in
other countries in relation to
reproductive health and related
to family and life issues?
Family and Life workers
and families in the Philippines,
to whom this Catechism is
primarily directed, could easily
and clearly see the probable
goals of reproductive health and
rights advocates in the country,
by looking at what is happening
abroad. In some countries, school
clinics are required to inform
parents if their child has been
treated for a minor scratch; on
the other hand, the same school
clinics are PROHIBITED from
informing parents if their child
seeks treatment for abdominal
pains caused by a recent abortion.
In other places, children are
required to obtain parental
consent for a tattoo, but not for
an abortion.
A high-ranking official of
a foreign country massively
funding reproductive health
services in the Philippines
categorically stated last April
that, “We happen to think that
family planning is an important
part of women’s health, and
reproductive health includes
access to abortion.” A local
columnist wrote in November
2008 that “In Mexico City… the
long struggle for reproductive
health and rights culminated in
the recent passage of a law lifting
all restrictions on abortion.”
Many countries all over the world
and the United Nations agencies
work for reproductive health
and rights until they have fully
facilitated access to abortion.
Underlying this concept of
reproductive or sexual health
and rights is a view that radically
separates sexuality, procreation
and the complementariness
between men and women. It is
a view that identifies pleasure
as the ultimate goal of sexuality
and reduces procreation as
a function of the health care
systems. It also implies that men
and women relate in temporary
and modifiable unions that are a
far cry from the beauty of conjugal
love that is fully human, total,
faithful, exclusive and open to
life.
Men and women are persons
before all else, and for this reason
sexual behavior cannot be used
only for pleasure. Otherwise
it would mean using a person
simply as an object.
In defending family and life,
do we Catholics not impose our
beliefs on others and violate
the principles of tolerance and
dialogue?
Many Protestants, believers of
other religions, and even nonbelievers share our belief in the
dignity and value of human life.
Tolerance means respect for the
right of other persons to profess
a different opinion and belief.
However, tolerance cannot be
understood as believing that
other peoples’ points of view are
equally good as one’s own, since
this would blur the lines between
good and evil and renounce the
judgment of a sound and wellinformed conscience.
In fact, publicly proclaiming
one’s own beliefs is a service for
dialogue, because through this
Catechism / B7
Statements
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 14 No. 2
January 18 - 31, 2010
Dear Bishop George B. Rimando, D.D., Monsignor
Leonardo Vicente, V.G., Episcopal Vicars, Vicars
Forane, Reverend Monsignori, Reverend Fathers,
Brothers, Sisters, and Lay Faithful:
Greetings of Peace and Hope!
The Situation of Woundedness
Since Ash Wednesday of 25 February 2009 and
the succeeding Sundays and Feastdays, we have
been reciting on bended knees a special prayer
after communion. We prayed for healing of us all
in Davao City. For here, all of us have been, and still
are, nourishing wounds in our souls and spirit.
These wounds of our hearts are expressed in
many forms of animosities and conflicts within
and among ourselves, our families, our workplaces,
our communities, and our country in general. We
have elected leaders who with some of us brought
personal woundedness into the socio-economicpolitical systems which have become corrupt and
prone to abuse and wrongdoing. This widespread
malaise negatively affected, and still is affecting,
our sincere efforts at development, progress, peace
and national unity.
As election campaign approaches these wounds
will be aggravated, widened and deepened by
political bickerings, character assassinations, black
propaganda, blackmail, even murder. Ours is
therefore a situation of woundedness.
Evangelizing the
Electorate
© Dennis Dayao/CBCP Media
2009).
Mobilization of Evangelizers
It is my desire that the collective education or reeducation of the Davao City electorate shall involve
the entire Archdiocese beginning this month of
January 2010. We shall mobilize our network of
parishes and GKKs, diocesan and congregational
schools, seminaries and houses of formation,
diocesan agencies and apostolates, diocesan priests,
and religious communities and monasteries. We will
put special focus and importance on the members of
different Archdiocesan Council of Lay Associations
and Integrated Movements (ACLAIM).
Let everyone be reminded that, since many
individual Catholics are in government and in all
the political parties, there is no such thing as THE
CATHOLIC VOTE. However, by means of this
evangelization we hope to have the Vote of Catholics,
that is, of the evangelized and enlightened ones.
The Social Action Center as Over-All In-Charge
The management and direction of the diocesanwide evangelization of the electorate shall be the
responsibility of our Archdiocesan Social Action
Center, Justice and Peace under Father Rico
P. Enriquez. I would like to request the active
Words of wisdom
After presenting the plaque and
token of appreciation to the Papal
Nuncio, the party music went up
again as the program drew closer
to its highlights.
But before raising the curtains
for the concert, Fr. Tiong
fondly welcomed and received
YouthPinoy to their university. In
his message, Fr. Tiong explained
the reason for the university’s
collaboration of all the committees or groups on
social action of our Religious Orders, Congregations,
and Institutes with our Social Action Center.
The Three Guiding Principles
The Social Action Center and its collaborators shall
be guided by three principles: spiritual discernment,
creative organization, and active witnessing.
Spiritual Discernment includes an adequate
analysis of the local electorate and its underpinning
values that cause wounds of the spirit. The DILAAB
method is recommended.
Creative Organization includes good selection
of personnel and collaborators as well as good
management of material resources. Sourcing of
funds shall be the responsibility of the Archbishop
and the Archdiocesan Finance Officer.
Active Witnessing includes voters’ education on
study and choice of candidates, voting procedures,
and use of automated machines, poll-watching,
canvassing, post-election evaluation, monitoring of
campaign promises of winning candidates.
A Reconciled and Reconciling Church
I wish to end this Pastoral Letter by recalling
with you an important and dominant theme of the
Basis of our hope: Our inner goodness
We have great hope that this is possible because,
as we say in the Oratio Imperata, we are born with
an inherent goodness which is not and cannot be
erased by our sin or crime. One great challenge of
our evangelization activities is to reach out to that
goodness and, through our humble and respectful
approach, help that goodness evolve into good deeds
and good relationships.
For this reason, there is no need for a new Prayer
for Elections 2010. We will continue to pray the
Oratio Imperata with a slight variation. Instead of
“in this season of grace,” we say “in these coming
elections and beyond.” But we have to pray with
more reflective pauses, more personal introspection,
and humbler awareness of our personal wounds
and our need for healing. Praying it again this way
we will acquire the right attitude and the proper
motive for engaging in political education as an
evangelizing gesture. This prayer is recommended
for all our meetings, sessions, and conferences.
Mary, Mother of God-in-Jesus, is our Hope
I also recommend that after all our gatherings we
should pray the Hail Holy Queen or Salve Regina
because the Blessed Virgin Mary is “Our life, our
sweetness, and our hope.” Her role as Mother of God
is celebrated solemnly on the First Day of January
so that throughout the year we will always focus
our eyes on her who was proclaimed by Pope John
Paul II as the Star of the New Evangelization.
Pray for us, Oh Holy Mother of God, that we may
be made worthy of the promises of Christ!
Devotedly yours in Christ,
+ FERNANDO R. CAPALLA, D.D.
Archbishop of Davao
01 January 2010
Feast of the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
Faithful / B2
YouthPinoy / B1
While addressing more than
2,000 youth delegates in his
homily, the Papal Nuncio credited
the youth behind the website for
heeding the call of the Holy Father
to utilize the Internet in spreading
the good news.
“The wonders of technology
have opened a whole new venue
for all of us to proclaim the
Gospel,” Archbishop Adams
said. “Cyberspace is a Godsend
for us who have a mission to tell
the world of God’s love, of God’s
good news.”
In commemorating the
solemnity of the Holy Child
Jesus, Archbishop Adams also
made mention of the need for
all to become child-like, as this
will “lead us out of darkness to
light.”
“To live this new life, we need
to be child-like. When we become
the best adults, we become the
best children of God.”
Aside from UST’s Dominican
priests and deacons,
concelebrating during the mass
were Federation of Asian Bishops’
Conferences Asian Youth Desk
Chairman and Infanta Bishop
Rolando J. Tria-Tirona, OCD, DD,
Episcopal Commission on Youth
Chairman Legazpi Bishop Joel
Baylon, DD and Catholic Bishops
Conference of the Philippines’
Media Office Director Msgr.
Pedro Quitorio.
Oratio Imperata and its implications. I refer to our
common woundedness and our individual and
collective need of healing. As we say in the Prayer,
this can only be done by sincere repentance and
forgiveness. Otherwise, “without forgiveness there
is no future for our city.” Our evangelization plan
for the Davao City electorate should therefore be so
crafted as to facilitate and bring about the healing
of our individual and collective wounds. This is the
only way—and the Church’s way—of reconciling
broken relationships. Restoring just relationships
between individuals, families, political parties, etc.
will greatly help in making the coming national and
local elections honest, peaceful, and credible.
Early in his papal ministry and before inviting us to
celebrate the 2000th birth of Jesus Christ or the Jubilee
of the Redemption, John Paul already reminded us
that we are a “Reconciled and Reconciling Church”
(Encyclical Reconciliation and Penance, 2 December
1984). He practiced what he said and wrote by going
around the world and asking forgiveness from
the Indigenous Peoples, Jews, Muslims, and other
believers for the scandals and unchristian behavior
of Catholics in the past. On 01 January 2004 World
Day of Peace, he said “There is no peace without
justice, no justice without forgiveness.”
For this reason and especially during this year’s
election campaign and beyond, let every Catholic
in Davao City be reminded that humble repentance
and mutual forgiveness is clearly expressed in every
Holy Mass we celebrate and attend especially in
the Penitential Rite, the Our Father, and the Precommunion Invocation “Lord, I am not worthy to
receive you but only say the word and I shall be
healed.”
Consequently, we would be shamefully
contradicting ourselves, we would become divisive
instead of reconciliatory, disruptive instead of
unifier when our homilies, public statements, talks,
seminars, conferences, and personal and community
prayers contain entertaining but insulting jokes,
sarcasms, insinuations, innuendos, gossips and rash
judgments. We would be losing our credibility and
authenticity as Church.
A Pastoral Letter
The Healing Component in Evangelization
Since we are going to evangelize a wounded
electorate in this city, there is an urgent need for
healing of us all in this electoral system and its
local activities. While it is beyond the authority and
competence of the Church to change or transform
the system, we in the Church can introduce a healing
component in our evangelizing plan for the Catholics
who ar e citizens, taxpayers, registered voters,
candidates, COMELEC officials and personnel,
military, police and political party officers and
members.
This healing component should address the
spiritual wounds resulting from materialistic and
secular values that stifle the life of the spirit. The same
should address the moral wounds resulting from
the loss of the sense of sin and calloused conscience.
Ignorance and non-awareness of both create a wound
in the soul and spirit. Hence a serious need of the
formation of the heart is in order by means of an
authentic spiritual discernment as an integral part
of our evangelizing plan to educate or re-educate
our people on the Church’s teachings on Politics
especially in the system of electing candidates to
public office.
The Church’s Teachings
In summary, the Church’s teachings on Politics
include
1. The Church’s right to issue public judgment on
the moral dimension of political activities and on
the conduct of political parties (Gaudium et Spes,
nos. 75-76);
2. It is not the obligation of the Church to bring
about by herself alone a just society (Deus Caritas
Est, nos. 28-29);
3. Competent and well-formed laity in the Church
have the right and responsibility to participate
directly in political exercise, including formation of,
and participation in, political parties (GS n. 75, DCE
nos. 43-44, July 1997 and July 2009 CBCP Pastoral
Statements);
4. Prohibition on Bishops, Priests, Religious to
run for public office and engage actively in partisan
politics (Canon 287 § 2);
5. Prohibition on officers of Church-recognized
lay associations to be active members of political
parties (Canon 317 § 4);
6. Resignation of Catholics from executive and
official responsibilities in diocesan schools, diocesan
agencies, parish offices and organizations, ministries
and GKK leadership roles (APAD II, articles 04-05,
Administrative Council Policy of 14 December
B5
strong support.
“We believe in taking the right
step. And the best and most
effective way is to saturate (the
web) with good and wholesome
websites.”
Showing his avid backing of
YouthPinoy’s thrust, Bishop
Tirona shared a short but charming
acronym in his pep talk: KISS. “K
is for knowledge of which the
website should primarily be a
source of. I is for involvement in
the affairs concerning the youth.
The first S is for spirituality which
all Filipino Catholics, especially
the young should exude. And
the last S is for service dedicated
to evangelization.”
Msgr. Quitorio then thanked
the delegates for supporting the
endeavors of YouthPinoy. “For
sometime now, we have been
“groaning”, to borrow the words
of St. Paul to the Romans, that
young people take to heart the
call of the Holy Father to make
the internet as a new forum
for proclaiming the Gospel—
especially to their peers. Today
it is fulfilled!”
Esteban then called in the
representatives from the different
organizations, archdioceses and
dioceses for the commitment
ceremony, led by Bishop Baylon.
The creed commits all the
catholic young people to use the
cyberspace, the virtual world
in proclaiming the Good News
through their e-mails, shout-outs,
comments and messages.
Culminating concert
The night was still young when
the fun part started. For starters,
two dance numbers and a fashion
show took off being the opening
salvo for the culminating concert.
Celebrities then joined in on the
stage. First up were the Morales
siblings Mayumi and Makisig.
Mayumi was known to
have participated and won in
the WCOPPA World Singing
Champions League just this year.
Her brother Makisig is more
popularly known as the child
superhero Super Inggo from
the fantaserye of the same title.
Incidentally, both are members
of the Youth For Christ (YFC),
one of the allied groups of
YouthPinoy.
Makisig rendered the Gary
Valenciano crowd-pleaser song
“Shout for Joy” and together, the
siblings belted out “The Prayer” by
Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion.
Came next was acoustic crooner
RJ Jimenez, an alumnus of the first
edition of Pinoy Dream Academy.
While strumming his guitar,
Jimenez drew applauses from
the audiences with his signature
songs such as the comic “Miss Kita
Pag Tuesday” and the romantic
“If We Fall In Love.”
Aside from showbiz
personalities, bands coming from
the YFC and the Dominican
Network also cheered up the
audience with their praise songs.
Promising future
Much is expected to result
from this launch and as an early
bonus, UST gave a roaring show
of support to YouthPinoy by
pledging to link the YouthPinoy
website to its official university
websites as well as reserving a
special spot for the YouthPinoy
website at the to-be launched UST
Internet Tiger Radio.
With the website well on its way
from withstanding the demands
of the mission to evangelize, more
activities that seek to promote
Christ-centered advocacies are
seemingly prepared to move out
of their shells. So stay tuned and
stay connected with YouthPinoy.
Sign and get updated now!
Later in 1973 “Eucharistiae
Sacramentum” published the
new Rite for Eucharistic Worship
and Communion Outside of
Mass. The introductory norms
(No. 21) quote the “Memoriale
Domini” letter almost literally
but excise the clause regarding
the faithful’s taking the host
from the ciborium.
Indeed, the document insists
very clearly that whether the
Eucharist is received on the
tongue or in the hand, “Holy
Communion must be distributed
by the proper competent
minister, who presents and
gives the consecrated host to
the communicant saying the
formula ‘The Body of Christ …’”
[my translation].
Finally, in 1985 the
Congregation for Divine
Worship sent a letter to the
president of the U.S. bishops’
conference. This letter approved
the practice and offered an
example of the present letter
that replaced the one annexed
to “Memoriale Domini”:
“The Holy See, since 1969,
while maintaining the traditional
manner of distributing
communion, has granted to
those Episcopal Conferences
that have requested it, the faculty
of distributing communion by
placing the host in the hands
of the faithful .... It would seem
opportune to draw attention to
the following points:
“1. Communion in the hand
should show, as much as
communion on the tongue, due
respect towards the Real Presence
of Christ in the Eucharist. For this
reason emphasis should be laid,
as was done by the Fathers of
the Church, upon the dignity of
the gesture of the communicant.
Thus, the newly baptized at the
end of the fourth century were
directed to stretch out both hands
making ‘the left hand a throne for
the right hand, which receives
the King’ (Fifth mystagogical
catechesis of Cyril of Jerusalem,
n. 21: PG 33. col 1125, or Sources
chretiennes, 126, p 171; Saint
John Chrysostom, Homily 47:
PG 63, col. 898. etc.).*
“* In practice the opposite
direction has to be given to the
faithful: the left hand is to be
placed upon the right hand,
so that the sacred host can be
conveyed to the mouth with the
right hand.
“2. Again following the
teaching of the Fathers, insistence
is to be laid upon the importance
of the Amen said in response
to the formula of the minister,
‘the Body of Christ’; this Amen
is an affirmation of faith: “Cum
ergo petieris, dicit tibi sacerdos
‘Corpus Christi’ et tu dicis
‘Amen’, hoc est ‘verum’; quod
confitetur lingua, teneat afectus”
(Saint Ambrose, De Sacramentis
4, 25: SC 25 bis, p 116).
“3. The communicant who
has received the Eucharist in
the hand is to consume it before
returning to his place, moving
aside yet remaining facing
the altar in order to allow the
person following to approach
the minister.
“4. It is from the Church that
the faithful receive the Holy
Eucharist, which is communion
in the Body of the Lord and in
the Church; for this reason the
communicant should not take
from the paten or container,
as would be done for ordinary
bread, but the hands must be
stretched out to receive from the
minister of communion.
“5. Out of respect for the
Eucharist, cleanliness of hands
is expected. Children need to be
reminded of this.
“6. It is necessary that the
faithful receive sound catechesis
in this matter, and that insistence
be laid upon the sentiments of
adoration and respect that are
required towards this most holy
sacrament. (cf. Dominicae cenae,
n. 11). Care must be taken that
fragments of the consecrated host
are not lost (cf. Congregation for
the Doctrine of the Faith, May 2,
1972: Prot: no. 89/71, in Notitiae
1972, p. 227).
“7. The faithful are not to be
obliged to adopt the practice of
communion in the hand. Each
one is free to communicate in
one way or the other.
“These norms and those
indicated in the documents cited
above are designed to recall the
duty of respect for the Eucharist
and apply independently of the
way in which communion is
received.
“Those who have the care
of souls should insist not only
upon the necessary dispositions
for the fruitful reception of
communion, which in certain
instances demands recourse to
the sacrament of Reconciliation,
but also upon an external
attitude which conveys a sense of
respect in general and expresses
in particular the belief of the
faithful in the Eucharist.
“From the Congregation for
Divine Worship, April 3, 1985.
+ Augustin Mayer, OSB—
Prefect”
While this is not an exhaustive
study of the theme, I believe I
have provided His Excellency
with enough material to
demonstrate to his hesitant
parish priest that “Redemptionis
Sacramentum” is in continuity
with the most relevant teachings
and practice of the Church and
so discontinue this erroneous
practice in the parish.
Ref lections
B6
THE Philippines is basically an
agricultural country; it is not an
industrialized one. But it is a country
where most people are suffering
because, as the Second Plenary Council
of the Philippines noted, realities of
injustice are embedded in its political,
economic and cultural systems. Take
for example the economic condition,
which is tragically characterized by
an appalling mass poverty. “Such
an abnormal economic situation is
partly attributable to inequitable
ownership of assets particularly land,
to an oligarchic power system, to
misconceived economic policies, to
the prevailing economic structures,
and to population growth which tends
to be concentrated among the poor,
increasing the competition among
them for land and unskilled jobs. Thus
economic gains do not ‘trickle down’
to the poor.”
If Jesus had a pro-poor program,
we, as a Christian community, should
follow suit by opting for the poor,
denouncing how unjust the situation is
and proclaiming that, as a sign that the
Kingdom of God has entered into our
Philippine society, such an abnormal
economic condition has to be reversed.
According to the Compendium of the
Social Teaching of the Church, “The
fight against poverty finds strong
motivation in the option or preferential
love of the Church for the poor.”
When he addressed the people of the
sugar plantation in Bacolod City on
Feb 21, 1981, John Paul II said: “The
Church will not hesitate to take up the
cause of the poor and to become the
voice of those who are not listened in
when they speak up; not to demand
charity but to ask for justice. Yes, the
preference for the poor is the Christian
preference!” And we have to live what
we preach!
But ever since John Paul II came to
the country in 1981, has the economic
situation been reversed? Has the
cause of the poor been taken up? If
the condition has even worsened, it
is partly because it is scary to make
this option, as this would entail the
loss of much privilege and power.
Indeed, even to preach it is to invite
disaster. To denounce our abnormal
economic system is to court opposition.
In today’s Gospel (Luke 4:21-30), this
is what Jesus himself got: the people
rejected him, after realizing the
Vol. 14 No. 2
January 18 - 31, 2010
Rejection of Jesus’ cause
4th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year C (Luke 4:21-30); January 31, 2010
www.catholic-resources.org
By Msgr. Lope C. Robredillo,
SThD
CBCP Monitor
implication of his words that so much
captivated them. In Luke’s theology,
this hostility has been adumbrated by
the prophecy of Simeon: “Behold, this
child is destined to cause the fall and
rise of many within Israel, and to be a
sign that is disputed” (Luke 2:34). The
opposition to Jesus will culminate in
his crucifixion, a fate that, according
to the law, a false prophet deserves
(Deut 18:20-22; Jer 23:9-30).
In the Bible, denunciation of such a
situation and living a life that witnesses
to that denunciation is the task of a
prophet; he is commissioned to stand up
and tell the word of the Lord “against
Judah’s kings and princes, against its
priests and people. They will fight
against you” (Jeremiah, 1:18-19, First
Reading). We are supposed to be a
prophetic people, but who would like to
preach a gospel that would bring in one’s
oppositionists, harassers, enemies, and
assassins? Is it not dangerous to tell
people and live accordingly that as a
nation we should “do away with greed,
selfishness, unhealthy competition and
the concentration of power and wealth
in the hands of the few” in order to
have true economic development? Who
is ready to “infuse moral principles
that put face of God and the many
faces of the poor” into our “economic
relationships, policies, programs and
structures” (CBCP, Exhortation on
Philippine Economy) and testify to it
by the life one lives? And who likes to
live like Jeremiah who practiced what
he preached? Who would be happy
to be called an ingrate, leftist, and be
harassed, indicted and imprisoned for
espousing such a cause? Who likes to
die like Jesus himself at a young age at
that, when there is so much opportunity
to live, and live comfortably? Who is
prepared to part with his sumptuous
meal, his car of the latest model, his
unrestricted travel, his signature
clothes, his fat deposit in the bank?
Oh, how much better to save one’s
skin! And various are the ways of doing
it. One is to align one’s self with the
oppressors of the poor, even waltzing
with them. Who knows?—one would
even receive thick envelopes that
contain millions, get promoted, and
live luxuriously. After all, no one will
bother about the collusion, because
power and wealth are on one’s side;
the protest of the poor are never
heard, anyway. As long as one is on
the side of those in power, he would
even be allowed to bark, provided
he does not bite. Another is simply
to stop talking. One does not give a
damn about economic injustice, about
lopsided economy, about progressive
pauperization. Speak no evil! By doing
so, one does not create opposition and
enemies. Why eat threats for breakfast
unnecessarily? Still another is to look
the other way, and probably the best
recourse is to offer people bread and
circuses. The poor will forget about
their hunger; they will be entertained.
Of course, many of us take one or two
of these lines of action, and still profess
to uphold the values of Christianity.
After all, one can always reason out that
there is no use in uttering the Gospel
to the poor, knowing that it would
ultimately put the preacher six feet
below the ground. A live cat is always
better than a dead lion! How much
better to be accepted, to be honored,
especially by the power-that-be in
our political, religious, economic and
cultural world!
No wonder, we suffer from a lack of
real prophets! Indeed, one wonders
whether prophecy has died in our
midst.
Fr. Francis Ongkingco
WHATEVER
Bishop Pat Alo
‘Cracking under pleasure’
IN the past it was more common to hear
people “cracking under pressure” but today,
unfortunately there are more and more teens
–especially among boys– who are cracking
under pleasure.
Kevin Ryan, in a very intriguing article:
“Boys will be… doofuses? Educating boys
has never been easy. Why have we made it
hellishly hard?” (http://www.mercatornet.
com/sections/author_page/boys_will_be_
doofuses/) dis-cusses some factors leading
to the underperformance among males. He
cites Mark Penn, a guru in social trends,
who believes that things for men are getting
out of hand as statistics reveal how they are
“lagging women in every major category
from lifestyle to health, from education to
employment.”
Mr. Ryan believes that overindulgence in
pleasure, among the many other possible
causes, is one of the culprits for this decline
in the socio-academic skills in both young
and older males. Boys today experience less
pressure in forms of exposure to real hard
work (i.e. as working in a farm or a store
under their father’s supervision) and being
disciplined when they got drunk or got into
a fight, and being under the constant guide
of adults in preparation for a responsible
manhood.
Society today, however, is shaping real-life
Sponge-Bob teens who are soft, easily absorb
everything they can without filters and as
a consequence crack under immoderate
indulgence in pleasure. Ryan describes the
American boy–which can readily apply to
many of today’s youth– in both an incisive
and alarming way:
“The social world of today’s boys is
confusing and pleasure-packed. Every boy
wants to grow-up and to succeed, but what
those terms mean has become extremely
bewildering. Our powerful culture assaults
his imagination with images of success: Kobe
Bryant, Tom Brady, Michael Jackson, James
Bond, the handsome guy with all the muscles
who the girls lustfully fondle, the wise guy
with the quick mouth and fast hands, the guy
with the cool wheels. (..) Our mod boy’s head
is swimming with false idols and dubious
role models. How can he craft his character
out of that stuff?”
“But it is pleasure that is his real nemesis.
(…) The America boy doesn’t know cold or
hunger. He is physically cared for by his
family or the state until at least 18. Few have
work or real responsibilities. For half the days
of a year, he goes to school for six hours. As a
result, he is awash with free time. These days,
the Devil’s workshop is working overtime,
pumping out to him myriad paths to pleasure:
100 plus TV channels, iPod delivered chewing
gum music and cell phones to ease the
loneliness. And then there is the seriously
addicting stuff: drugs, no-consequence sex
and some of the vilest pornography the world
has ever known. (…) Now all the pleasures of
the flesh are low-hanging fruit, waiting to be
plucked. Boys were not built for pleasure, but
for adventure and challenges.” (Ibid.)
Pressure isn’t all that bad especially when
we realize that some of life’s most necessary
things work under pressure. For example,
car tires are pressurized to ensure safe and
comfortable travel. The pistons that make
a car run are moved by the pressure from
the explosive combustion of gas. Priceless
diamonds are natural products of carbon
exposed to tremendous geological pressure.
The same goes for producing electricity or
pumping huge amounts of water into our
homes through pipes. These and so many
other things experience constant pressure
to serve many of our daily needs.
What can teenagers possibly do so as not
to crack under the lure of unlimited pleasure
that the world offers? Here are some possible
helpful ideas to tinker about and put into
action.
• Strategize Your NOs. We must learn not
only “to say NO” to something or someone,
but “knowing how to say it”. Thus, we must
strategize it for something concrete and
positive which give reason to our ‘NOs’.
We’re aware that it’s important to say no to
drugs, porn and bad company. We, however,
can also say no to more positive things that
will help beef up our wills to help resist
occasions of bad habits. And we don’t do
this simply to reject vices but also help to
grow in virtue. For example, we can say no to
Facebook or Multiply, or to T.V. and Cable, to
video games, our MP3 players, etc. But these
‘NOs’ acquire more personal fulfillment and
effectiveness if they’re done out of love and
respect for others, to serve our neighbors, to
save and to share our things.
• Follow Priorities Orderly. Even though
we may set priorities, we can still fool
ourselves, saying that what is more important
is getting things done even in a disorderly
way. The problem lies in juggling our
priorities out of whim. We often end up doing
less-urgent things first, and leaving for later
the urgent-urgent things. What is usually
important tends to be the things we aren’t
inclined to do (i.e. chores vs. researching for
our project in the Internet or going to Mass
vs. going to school or play practice)
• Don’t Give Security to Senseless
Insecurities. We can easily create or imagine
problems for ourselves. These arise when we
become insecure as we compare ourselves
excessively with our peers. We compare not
so much for what better talents they have but
for their apparent happiness due to better or
more material possessions. We can never tell
if one is truly happy for what he has. God is
the only one who knows if someone is truly
happy for who he is. We have to learn to find
happiness, for example, in the gift of life and
not in the gifts of life. Proper detachment
from material things is also important if we
want to be happy.
• Multi-tasking can be Multi-taxing. Youth
has such a great ability to adjust and execute
many things at “almost” the same time.
The temptation of doing many things at the
same time is due to the desire of “getting
things over with” or “to acquire quick and
easy solutions”. Unfortunately, we get
many things done which are half-done and
require more work. Although multi-tasking is
possible for some material tasks (e.g. surfing
+ typing + chatting over the net) we cannot
forget that it cannot apply to our dealings with
persons who deserve our full and undivided
attention and care.
• Live for the Week and Not Only its
Ends. Our pleasure oriented world tends to
reduce our work as a means to accumulate
enough funds or energy so as to enjoy the
“week-ends” in total self-indulgence. We
must learn to work well and combine it
with rest in every given day of the week. It’s
always helpful and fruitful to live everyday
as though it will be our last, striving to serve
and love God and our neighbor, and thinking
last about ourselves.
• Careful with Peer Pleasure. As we
grow older we start to gradually disengage
ourselves from parents and home. We
develop our identity by socializing with
different people and groups. But we must
learn to moderate our “desire to escape” to
our peers. Charity begins at home, and we
must always be grateful and supportive first
for the gift that our families are. Only then do
we truly give a measure of genuine concern
for our friends as we deepen our knowledge
of each one.
Applying these basic considerations to
the different circumstances in our life will
not only harness for us greater self-control.
These will also give personal fulfillment and
maturity as we learn to put all our God-given
talents to their best use. These may put an
amount of considerable pressure upon us, but
it’s a good form of pressure which manages
to extract the best in each one us.
ENCOUNTERS
Triumph of
good sense
THERE was wonderful cooperation at the last BUC (Bishops
Ulama Conference) held January 8, 2010 in Davao City,
attended by representatives of government, military, and
religious leaders of denominations - Protestant, Islamic and
Catholic.
When people honestly get together without malice and
earnestly seek for solutions, then we could arrive at important
decisions that will bring us peace. After all if ego and pride
dominate, these are only preludes to failure and chaos.
Let’s examine what wrong ideas there are and discard them.
For example, the ideas of hate and revenge that bring wars
and anguish to our people; is there no better alternative? If
ideas do rule the world (as the Latin adage says: Idiae regunt
mundum), let’s get to the better ideas. Life is sacred. You
have only one life and could you ever justly compensate for
the value of one life?
To counter those wrong ideas we need to propose and live
the right ideas and ideals. For example, Benjamin Franklin
had said this: “There never was a good war or a bad peace.”
Consider the past wars sacrificing millions of lives, just because
pride and hate and ambition were dominating people’s hearts.
Could you pay for all that waste of human existence? When
will we ever learn?
Last Christmas we heard readings from the prophet Isaiah
telling of the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. “The people that
walked in darkness have seen a great light; on those who
live in the shadow of death a light has shone” (Is. 9:2). Jesus
teaches us by word and example the very opposite of what
the world thinks. He teaches humility in place of pride, love
instead of hate, generosity in place of greed.
“What will a man gain if he wins the whole world and ruins
his life? Or what has a man to offer in exchange for his life?”
(Mt. 16:26). The Bible, too, is against overdoing the feelings
of revenge as St. Paul writes: “Bless those who persecute you;
bless and do not wish evil on anyone. Rejoice with those who
are joyful, and weep with those who weep. Live in peace
with one another. Do not seek honors, but accept humble
duties. Do not hold yourselves as wise. Do not return evil
for evil, but try to earn the appreciation of others. Do your
best to live in peace with everybody. Beloved, do not avenge
yourselves, but let God be the one who punishes, as Scripture
says: Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. And it
adds: If your enemy is hunger, feed him; if he is thirsty, give
him to drink; by doing this you will heap burning coals upon
his head. Do not let evil defeat you, but conquer evil with
goodness” (Rom. 12:14-21).
Social Concerns
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 14 No. 2
January 18 - 31, 2010
B7
Equity, economy and environment
By Rene E. Ofreneo, Ph.D.
TYPHOONS Ondoy and Pepeng
in 2009 bared fully two major
environmental threats to our
population and economy.
First, the unprecedented high level
of rainfall unleashed by these storms,
which resulted in the destructive
floods in Metro Manila and other parts
of Luzon, is directly attributable to the
phenomenon of global warming or
climate change (CC). The Philippines
happens to be in the global short list
of countries that are most vulnerable
to CC. In fact, CC is also responsible
for the long-running cycle of El Niño/
La Niña (drought/excessive rain)
weather aberrations, which have hurt
our agricultural sector in the last two
decades. With the global deadlock on
the needed carbon emission reduction,
expect more CC-related catastrophes
to hit the country, including sea rises
that are likely to inundate many
coastal communities and towns of
the archipelago.
Secondly, the twin storms bared
the sad state of the Philippine
environment—neglected and badly
degraded. There are no forests to halt
the downward flow of the rushing
flood water to the low lands, on one
hand, and prevent landslides, hillslides
and mudslides in the high lands, on the
other. In most of the cities and urban
areas, the flow of flood water towards
the seas is impeded by silted river
systems, clogged/missing esteros,
undeveloped/mal-functioning/missing
drainage systems and undisposed solid
wastes in many places. The floods in Metro
Manila also revealed the failure of past and
present local government units as well as
of the different National Administrations
in crafting and enforcing a national land
use policy, a critical component of which
is an urban zoning and development
program. For instance, the Marikina
Valley was supposed to remain a valley
(not a major residential/commercial area),
a spillway in Parañaque was supposed
to be built in the l980s to prevent floods
in Metro Manila, and, yes, the Laguna
Lake was supposed to be decongested of
fish pens, commercial buildings, resorts
and houses.
What then can we learn from the
Ondoy-Pepeng episodes?
There are many. But for a group of
concerned clergy, laity, civil society
advocates and academics, the triple
challenges of coherence, justice and
inclusion are key concerns that must not
be neglected in any policy formulation
related to climate change mitigation/
adaptation and environmental renewal.
This is the raison d’etre for the formation
of the Climate Change Congress of the
Philippines (CCCP), with Archbishop
Antonio Ledesma serving as a Lead
Convenor. Echoing the latest papal
encyclical “Caritas en Veritate”, Bishop
Ledesma calls for people’s unity to insure
“inter-generational justice”. Obviously,
a failure by the present generation to
mitigate climate change and rehabilitate
the environment means catastrophe for
the next generation, just as the present
generation is suffering today from the
environmental abuses of the past.
Two key coherence-justice-inclusion
issues raised by the CCCP are as
follows:
One, both environmental threats (CC
and degradation) are people’s issues.
People’s lives, homes and livelihoods
are the most affected by these threats.
The people should not only be informed
about what the government is doing
about these threats but should also,
and more importantly, be involved in
the crafting of appropriate responses.
It is ironic, for instance, that the houses
of many urban poor victims of Ondoy
and Pepeng are now being demolished
without notice, without consultation and
without any clear accompanying program
of relocation-cum-employment. Such a
program of demolition, justified in the
name of environmental protection, is a
non-solution to the environmental stress
and will only aggravate the environmental
and social tensions in the country.
Two, the twin environmental threats
are inextricably linked to the larger
issue of what development model must
be pursued by the country. Since its
acquisition of Independence in 1946,
the Philippines has been sacrificing the
environment and extracting natural
resources in an irresponsible manner to
finance development. From the 1950s
to the mid-1970s, it used its timber and
mineral exports (copper, gold, iron,
silver, etc.) to finance its importation of
oil, machinery, industrial raw materials
and non-essential goods. From the mid1970s to the present, the failure of an
Catechism / B4
way others can know exactly
what and how one thinks. One
offers one’s thoughts for reflection
to others while respecting their
beliefs, but without assuming that
all beliefs are equally valid.
Attempts to enact legislation
promoting anti-family programs
receive huge financial assistance
and provide alluring incentives to
persuade our politicians to commit
themselves to their advocacy.
Foreign-funded lobby groups
have been operating for more
than a decade to openly advocate
for the enactment of population
control laws, as well as abortionfriendly laws in pursuit of the
UN Cairo Conference objective
of universal abortion rights. It
makes one wonder why countries
with below replacement fertility
rates, desperate for babies and
spending huge sums of money
to encourage their own citizens
to bear more children, contradict
themselves by spending huge
sums of money to suppress our
population growth.
All these are consistent with
Henry Kissinger’s 1974 National
Security Study Memorandum
200 titled “Implications of
Worldwide Population Growth
for US Security and Overseas
Interest” which identified the
increase in world population as
inimical to the interest of West.
This document has been coming
out in recent public debates on
reproductive health policies, and
is available on the internet. Do not
reproductive health advocates
bow down to their impositions?
Is it not more correct to say that
they are the ones imposing their
policies on our country?
Is it morally acceptable to vote
for an anti-family candidate?
With the foregoing
considerations, it would not
be morally permissible to vote
for candidates who support
anti-family policies, including
reproductive health (in the
particular understanding being
presented in the recent debates,
which includes, among others,
export-oriented program dependent on
a few exports (garments, electronics) to
take off means continuing deforestation,
destructive mining, decimation of the
country’s mangroves and coral reefs,
poisoning of the air, river, land and water
systems (through chemical agriculture,
industrial effluents and unchecked
proliferation of smoke-spewing vehicles),
and the conversion of the watershed
areas, hillsides, beach fronts, parks and
even irrigated lands into exclusive private
resorts, golf courses and housing/real
estate/infra projects for the moneyed
elite and foreign investors.
This unjust and environmentallydestructive development model must
stop and must be overhauled. Instead,
the government must put in place, with
the participation of all sectors of society,
a program of sustainable development
in all areas of the economy. For
example, the Philippines, through its
organic farming advocates, has already
accumulated so much experiences
(despite some bureaucratic reluctance
and even opposition in the beginning)
in sustainable agriculture that helps
renew the soil, creates more jobs,
lessens dependence on food imports
and rebuilds the forests. Why not
a no-nonsense national program of
sustainable agriculture? This program,
of course, will require completion
of the agrarian reform program, the
transformation of small farmers into
modern eco-agribusiness producers
and the abandonment of the policy of
agricultural import liberalization.
In services, there are examples of the
unlimited potentials of a green economy
model, e.g., eco-tourism in Palawan and
Bohol. The challenge is how to integrate
environment in the business planning
of every service industry and make
environment as its selling point.
In industry, a green economy
model means more investments on
environmentally-friendly but valueadding and job-creating projects such
as green transport facilities, green
buildings, mass transport, recycling
and renewable industries and so
on. A happy outcome of such effort
should be the abandonment of the
low-technology-cheap-labor policy
in favor of higher-technology-higherlabor-productivity arrangement,
which is only possible through a
mutual recognition by both labor and
management of their responsibility to
each other and to the larger society. In
short, a shift to a green economy is a
formula for industrial peace and higher
level of industrial development.
Clearly, addressing the twin threats
of climate change and environmental
degradationcanalsobeanopportunity
to unite the people in renewing the
environment and the economy. Is
Philippine society prepared for such
a renewal? The CCCP’s answer: Oras
Na, or as the young generation put
it, Now Na.
(Rene E. Ofreneo, Ph.D., is the Director
of the Center for Labor Justice, UP School
of Labor and Industrial Relations. He is
also a Co-Convenor of Fair Trade Alliance
and Climate Change Congress of the
Philippines.)
At stake / B4
promotion of abortifacients,
penalties for parents who do not
allow their adolescent children
to engage in sexual acts, etc.),
or any other moral evil such as
abortion, divorce, assisted suicide
and euthanasia. Otherwise one
becomes an accomplice to the
moral evil in question.
The gravity of these
questions allows for no political
maneuvering. They strike at
the heart of the human person
and the family and are nonnegotiable. Supporting them
renders a candidate unacceptable
regardless of his position on
other matters. The right to life
is a paramount issue and hence
cannot be placed on the same
plane of discernment as the
candidate’s positions on the
environment, unemployment,
health care, or others. This is
because, as Pope John Paul II
says, the right to life is “the first
right, on which all the others
are based, and which cannot be
recuperated once it is lost.” It is
also because the family is the basic
unit of society. A candidate lays
down the ground for refusing
solidarity with anyone if he
refuses solidarity with the unborn
in the first few days or months
of life, or with the dying. Why
should anyone vote for such a
candidate?
How should we Catholics engage
questions related to family and
life similar to the ones discussed
in this Catechism?
Whenever we explain our
desire to further strengthen the
Filipino family, we should base
our arguments primarily on legal,
medical, economic, educational,
psychological, sociological and
other scientific data rather than
on religious teachings alone.
This translation of our faith into
legitimate inputs to the policy
making process helps our elected
officials see more clearly the
reasonableness of our advocacy.
For example, factual
demographic data from the UN
Population Division showing
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rapid ageing and collapse of
the world population in 40
years, or the drop of Philippine
fertility below replacement rate
in 15 years, are reasonable
grounds to encourage elected
officials to instead opt to file bills
banning contraceptive attempts
to bring fertility down. The
fact that contraceptives are also
abortifacient and cancerous
reinforces this argument. This
way elected officials will see that
those who promote family and
life (including in their opposition
to the Reproductive Health bill)
are not only the Bishops, as the
mass media frequently portray,
but above all parents, whether
Catholics or not, who truly
understand the issues, not only
as taught by the Church, but
as supported by data from the
different fields of knowledge.
We Catholics should always
remember that we are not only
members of God’s People,
but of Philippine society as
well. Hence when it comes to
voting in the 2010 Elections
and even beyond, and holding
dialogues with our political
leaders, we should carry out our
responsibilities and demand our
rights as citizens. When we speak
with our Honorable Senators,
Congressmen, Governors,
Mayors and other officials, let
us highlight our place of residence
in provinces and barangays
rather than our parishes, our
membership in civic groups
rather than Church organizations,
and our occupation as office
workers, businessmen, farmers,
firsherfolk, bus or tricycle drivers,
vendors, youth and women
advocates, and others. Let us
emphasize to them that we are
their constituents—citizens,
taxpayers and voters—who have
put them into office, and demand
that laws protecting the Filipino
Family be firmly upheld.
+PACIANO B. ANICETO, D.D.
Archbishop of San Fernando,
Pampanga
ECFL Chairman
bishops’ document actually
contributed to the election of
Obama. Archbishop Burke, as
Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal
of the Apostolic Signatura, a
position equivalent to that of
Chief Justice of the United States
Supreme Court, or President
of the Conseil d’Etat of France,
holds immediately after the
Roman Pontiff, the highest
judicial office in the entirety of
the Roman Catholic Church; his
court, as the final possibility for
most all appeals unless they go
to the Pope; he ranks higher than
the Roman Rota or the Apostolic
Penitentiary.
In an interview published in
the Lifesite News at http://www.
lifesitenew.com/ldn/2009/
jan/09012805.html, Archibishop
Burke called this proposal “a kind
of false thinking, that says, ‘there’s
the evil of taking an innocent and
defenseless human life but there
are other evils and they’re worthy
of equal consideration.’ The
economic situation or opposition
to the war in Iraq, or whatever it
may be, those things do not rise to
the same level as something that
is always and everywhere evil,
namely the killing of innocent
and defenseless human life.” In
his May 8, 2009 Keynote Address
at the National Catholic Prayer
Breakfast Archbishop Burke
further stated, “There is no
element of the common good,
no morally good practice, which
a candidate may promote and to
which a voter may be dedicated,
which could justify voting for a
candidate who also endorses and
supports the deliberate killing
of the unborn, euthanasia, or
the recognition of a same-sex
relationship as a legal marriage.
The respect for the inviolable
dignity of innocent human life
and for the integrity of marriage
and the family are so fundamental
to the common good that they
cannot be subordinated to any
other cause, no matter how good
it may be.” This excellent address
can be found at (http://www.
lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/
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may/09050819.html).
The lesson to be learned from
the US experience is the need to
be unequivocal: family and life
issues cannot be subordinated or
even placed in the same footing
as other economic, political and
moral issues. Catholics cannot
allow themselves to be distracted
by issues such as corruption,
environment, etc.; they have to be
single minded about protecting
life, family and marriage. The
message has to be clear and
definite.
Is a Catholic Vote possible for
2010 Election?
In view of the inviolable dignity
of the human person the Church
has great respect for his freedom
of choice. However Catholics are
reminded of their responsibility
to form their consciences in
accordance with God’s truth
with regards to family, life and
responsible parenthood. This
well formed conscience it needed
to help them make their faith
operative in living their life in
the Church and in society. The
Church will not tell Catholics
for whom or against whom to
vote. The responsibility to make
political choices rests with each
individual in light of a properly
formed conscience, and that
participation goes well beyond
casting a vote in a particular
election.
It is in this light that block voting
like the Iglesia ni Kristo goes
against the grain for Catholics. It
is therefore in the spirit of putting
a strong fight for family and life
that the Episcopal Commission
on Family and Life crafted a
Catechism on Family and Life
for the 2010 Elections. Although
intended as an internal document
for the diocesan Ministers of
Family and Life and its workers,
it is ultimately intended to help
the Catholic faithful to realize
the moral dimensions of the 2010
elections and the need to exercise
their power to vote according to
their conscience formed according
to the mind of the Church.
In Question 14 the Catechism
states: “It would not be morally
permissible to vote for candidates
who support anti-family policies,
including reproductive health
(in the particular understanding
being presented in the recent
debates, which includes,
among others, promotion of
abortifacients, penalties for
parents who do not allow their
adolescent children to engage
in sexual acts, etc.), or any other
moral evil such as abortion,
divorce, assisted suicide and
euthanasia. Otherwise one
becomes an accomplice to the
moral evil in question.” It
insists unequivocally that family
and life issues remain the most
important issue for the 2010
Election by stating: “The right
to life is a paramount issue and
hence cannot be placed on the
same plane of discernment as
the candidate’s positions on the
environment, unemployment,
health care, or others. This is
because, as Pope John Paul II
says, the right to life is ’the first
right, on which all the others
are based, and which cannot be
recuperated once it is lost.’”
Ideally if Catholics will use
the basic moral guidelines of this
Catechism in voting for both the
national and local candidates
we would accomplish a moral
renewal of our democracy. Before
this can happen we still have to
face the challenge of bringing
the Catechism to all levels of
our society including teaching
everyone to apply its moral
principles. It goes without saying
that any success in this endeavor
will need the strong support of
the clergy. Nevertheless teaching
people how to apply these moral
principles should really belong to
the laity since it may put the clergy
at the risk of getting involved in
partisan politics.
One strategy that will help us
get our acts together is to organize
lay groups into civic organizations
in keeping with the secular nature
of participation in politics. We
are in the process of setting up
a National Coalition for Family
and Life. The NCFL will be a
SEC registered NGO that will
serve as an umbrella organization
for community-based people’s
organizations, associations,
organizations, and NGOs that are
committed to safeguard, protect,
uphold and promote Family and
Life by fighting against Abortion,
Artificial Contraception, Divorce,
Same Sex Marriage and the
promotion of Sexual Immorality.
The Coalition aims to inform the
electorate of the national issues
and concerns that impact on
family and life, the stand that
national and local candidates
have taken on these issues. It will
also provide pro-family and prolife organizations the knowhow
to translate their religious and
moral values into legal, social,
psychological, demographic, etc.
arguments that will enable them
to make legitimate contributions
to the policy-making process in
issues that are related to family
and life.
The Coalition membership
will have two tiers. At
the top tier are community
based organizations, people’s
organizations, associations, other
NGOs. The second tier will
consist of individual members
of the organizations in the first
tier. Every member is committed
to safeguard and promote the
cause of family and life in the
public square and to encourage
the electorate to use the power of
its vote conscientiously by voting
with an informed conscience for
those candidates who possess
the core ethical values that will
safeguard and protect family
and life. Beyond these duties
member are also committed to
actively participate in the political
process by demanding that
elected candidates be coherent to
their professed core ethical values
during their term of office.
Many pro-life advocates have
dreamed of united political action.
Achieving this dream will require
hard work but we can begin now.
Interested parties can email me at
[email protected] .
Entertainment
B8
Moral Assessment
 Abhorrent
 Disturbing
 Acceptable
 Wholesome
Exemplary
Sandy (Catherine Zeta-Jones),
has turned 40, separated from her
husband and looking for a new
job in a new city and trying to get
over the pains and heartaches.
She rents an apartment above
a popular coffee shop with her
two children. Aram Finklestein
(Justine Bartha), a 25 year old
college graduate, also recently
divorced and unsure of what to
do with his life, decides to work
in the coffee shop, wasting his
time with dead end jobs until
something exciting comes up.
Luck has it for Sandy as Aram
turns out to be a superb nanny
for her two children, allowing
her to explore and improve
her career and personal life.
Aram becomes close to Sandy’s
children and eventually to her
as well. Conflicts and arguments
arise when age and personality
differences come in the way.
Will this May-December affair
have a happy ending after all?
The movie Rebound tickles
the heart and appeals to young
ones in love as well as young
once in a matured love. The
story, although not entirely
original, develops effectively.
MAC en COLET
Title: Puntod
Cast: Baby Forteza, Sheree,
Mark Gil, Arnold Reyes,
Pekto
Director: Cesar Apolinario
Producer: ADC Productions
Screenwriters: Tammy Dantes,
Cesar Apolianrio and
Melchor Encabo
Genre: Drama
Location: Manila
Running Time: 100 mins.
Technical Assessment: 2.5
Moral Assessment: 2.5
CINEMA Rating: For mature
viewers 18 and above
Si Baby (Barbie Forteza) ay isang
pipi’t bingi na bata na lumaki sa
isang mahirap na komunidad sa
tabi ng estero. Pamumulot ng
mga basura sa lawa ng Maynila
ang tanging pinagkakakitaan
niya mula nang maulila siyang
lubos. Araw-araw, tinitiis niya
ang kahirapan ng buhay kapiling
ang kanyang mapang-abusong
nakatatandang kapatid na si
Sarah (Sheree). Ang tanging
nagpapasaya na lamang kay
Baby ay ang palagian niyang
pagdalaw sa puntod ng ina. Dito
lamang siya nakakaramdam ng
kapayapaan at pakiramdam
niya’y may karamay siya sa
buhay kapag siya’y naririto.
Ngunit kahit ang mumunting
kasiyahang ito’y mawawala
sa kanya nang tanggalin ang
mga labi ng kanyang ina sa
puntod nito dahil hindi na sila
nakakabayad ng kaukulang upa.
Dahil dito, pagsusumikapan
ni Baby na maibalik ang mga
labi ng ina sa puntod nito sa
pamamagitan ng pag-iipon ng
pera. Sa tulong ng ilang kaibigan,
magdodoble-kayod si Baby
upang makaipon. Ngunit hindi
pa rin magiging madali ang lahat
para sa kanya at sa kanyang mga
kaibigan.
Maraming ninais sabihin ang
pelikula ukol sa kahirapan ng
buhay. Ipinakita ng Puntod
ang malabis na karukhaan sa
mata ng isang batang puno ng
pag-asa. Kahanga-hanga na sana
ang simulain ng pelikula ngunit
naging pawang mababaw at
manipis pa rin ang kinalabasan
nito sa kabila ng lawak ng sinakop
nito sa mga usaping panlipunan.
Marahil naging masyadong gigil
ang mga may likha ng pelikula
na paigtingin ang kanilang
mensahe ukol sa kahirapan
at kapabayaan ng gobyerno.
Labas tuloy ay naging malabis
ang pelikula sa pagpapakita
ng maraming mukha ng
kahirapan na halos wala na ring
mararamdamang simpatya ang
manonood. Nalimutan nitong
maghain ng isang kaiga-igayang
kuwento na magpupukaw sa
natutulog na damdamin ng
mga manonood. Sa halip ay
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 14 No. 2
January 18 - 31, 2010
Technical Assessment
 Poor
 Below average
 Average
 Above average
 E
xcellent
The acting is believable and
impressive while Zeta-Jones
and Barth’s chemistry, although
falling short at times, is still
authentic. There were issues
that could have been explored
more to give the movie a new
flavor and depth. For instance,
while they touch the question
of age differences, the subject is
never really explored. Technical
aspects of the film are well
crafted, clean and respectable.
Direction is almost brilliant with
great visualization of a good
nanny and subtle and witty
interpretation of the comical
romantic scenes. Overall, the
movie is quite an enjoyable
entertainment.
There are several unacceptable
themes within the story. One, the
premarital sexual relationship
between employer and
employee is both inappropriate
and immoral. Some would also
find imprudent that the movie
treats as a joke the scene where
Sandy’s children witness the
sexual act. On the other hand,
REBOUND offers a quick peek
at authentic human emotions.
Friendship is illustrated when
Title: Rebound
Cast: Catherine Zeta-Jones,
Justine Bartha
Director: Bart Freundlich
Screenwriters: Bart Freundlich
Producer Bart Freundlich, Mark
Gill, Robert Katz, Tim Perell
Music: Clint Mansell
Genre: Drama / Romantic
Comedy
Location: New York, USA
Running Time: 96 mins.
Technical Assessment: 3
Moral Assessment: 2
CINEMA Rating: For mature
viewers 18 and above
Aram becomes attached to the
children and remains friends
with Sandy even after five
years of separation. True love
is exemplified when 15 years
in between and the physical
distance within five years are
not enough reasons to douse
each other’s feelings for each
other. REBOUND, sans the
novelty of a May-December love
story, provides a good insight on
human relationships. However,
because of some problematic
themes and situations, the
movie is better suited for the
mature adult audience.
Ni Bladimer Usi
naging isang mahabang sermon
at komentaryong pangsosyal at
politikal lamang ang pelikula.
Sayang at may husay pa naman
ang mga nagsiganap. Hindi
malaman ng mismong pelikula
kung ang nais ba nilang ipahatid
ay lungkot o saya sa gitna ng
kahirapan. Maraming tauhan
at pangyayari ang pawang
hindi kapani-paniwala kahit pa
hango sa tunay na buhay ang
kuwento.
Paano nga ba dapat ipakita
ang mukha ng kahirapan? Ano
ba ang tunay na kalagayan ng
mga mahihirap sa lipunan?
Hindi masama at lalong hindi
kasalanan ang pagiging mahirap
kung kaya’t hindi naman talaga
problema kung ipakita man
sa pelikula ang mukha nito.
Ipinakita sa Puntod ang lahat ng
mabaho, marumi, kabulukan at
kawalang-pag-asa sa kahirapan,
pero hindi pa rin naging malinaw
kung ano ang ibig nitong
sabihin. Pawang ipinakita ng
pelikula ang kawalang-lakas
at kawalang kapangyarihan
ng mga mahihirap sa lipunan.
Wala silang lakas sa mga
mayayaman, mga pulitko at
maging ang Diyos ay hindi sila
pinapakinggan. Pinapalabas ng
Puntod na sadyang may mga
lugar pa rin sa lungsod ang tila
tinalikuran na ng Diyos. Maging
ang natitirang mabubuting
tao ay nagiging masama rin
kalaunan o kung hindi ma’y
nauuwi sa masamang kapalaran.
Talamak ang kasamaan at ang
lipunang ipinakita sa pelikula ay
walang kinikilalang Diyos, batas,
gobyerno at kahit anumang
kabutihan. Ang ilang salitang
ginagamit din sa pelikula ay
nakakabahala. Maaring ito ay
totoong nangyayari ngunit
para saan ba ang pagpapakita
pa nito? Lumutang naman
bilang sentro ng kuwento ang
isang batang puno ng pag-asa
at pagmamahal sa kapatid at
kaibigan ngunit ipinalabas
nilang ang kabutihang ito ay
napakaliit kung ikukumpara
sa napakalawak na lipunang
hindi kumikilala sa kahalagahan
ng buhay, kabutihan ng tao
at pagmamahal ng Diyos. Sa
mundong ipinakita sa Puntod,
mas nakakalamang ang masama
sa mabuti at walang lugar ang
pag-asa para sa mahihirap. Ang
mga kababaihan ay inaabuso
at karamihan ay nauuwi sa
maagang prostitusyon. Ilan
lamang ito sa maseselang
konseptong inilahad sa pelikula
na hindi naman nabigyanghustisya sa kabuuan. Bagama’t
ang pangunahing tauhan ay
isang bata, hindi nararapat ang
pelikula sa mga manonood na
wala pa sa hustong gulang.
Buhay Parokya
Look for the
images of
Sto. Niño de
Cebu; Santa
Clara and San
Pascual Bailon.
(Illustration by
Bladimer Usi)
CBCP Monitor
C1
Vol. 14 No. 2
January 18 - 31, 2010
The Cross
A Supplement Publication of KCFAPI
and the Order of the Knights of Columbus
Participants of the basic micro-entrepreneurship seminar together with Facilitator Ms. Rowena Seblario (seated at center) during the 1st Social Improvement through Community Action Program (SICAP) training seminar held last January 9 at the Fr.
George J. Willmann Center in Intramuros, Manila.
KCFAPI holds 1st SICAP seminar
THE Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines, Inc (KCFAPI) through its Corporate
Services and Research Department headed by Ms. Ira Tee, has organized the 1st Social Improvement
through Community Action Program (SICAP) training seminar last January 9, 2010 at the Fr. George
J. Willmann Center in Intramuros, Manila.
SICAP, a special project of KCFAPI, is intended to institute social development that focuses on socioeconomically challenged households through recognizing their needs and providing them appropriate
means towards sustainable living and self-reliance.
The matter discussed during the seminar centered on the basic micro-entrepreneurship which was
facilitated by Rowena Seblario.
A livelihood and microfinance project, SICAP was launched last December 22, 2009 at the Youth
Livelihood Center in Intramuros, Manila.
Presently there are 25 women participants of the program coming from Brgy. 658, in Intramuros, Manila.
According to KCFAPI, the project will run for a period of 6 months starting January 9, 2010.
In the presence of SICAP Chair Nora Tabonyag, the members vowed their active participation and
cooperation with the activities set by the program.
KCFAPI President Antonio B. Borromeo; Executive Vice President, Ma. Theresa G. Curia; Vice President for Finance, Magdalene G. Flores; and Brgy. 658 Chairman Jose Caranto were present during the
launch. (Kate Laceda)
Women participants from Brgy. 658 in Intramuros, Manila during the 1st SICAP seminar held in KCFAPI home office last January 9.
Visayas Knights hold voters’ education
THE Knights of Columbus Visayas Jurisdiction held a Voters’ Education Forum during their Midyear Meeting of District Deputies last
December 4-6, 2009 at the Ecotech Center in Lahug, Cebu City.
COMELEC Commissioner Rene V. Sarmiento was the resource
speaker of the forum which is aimed at educating the voters and
the general public on the first ever automated polls in the country.
Bro. Sarmiento is a past Grand Knight, past Faithful Navigator and
a former District Deputy.
This project, titled “Neighbors Helping Neighbors Understand
Poll Automation” is being promoted as an advocacy program of the
Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines, Inc.
(KCFAPI), the sole life insurance provider of the Knights of Columbus members and their immediate families. (KCFAPI News)
KCFAPI
launches podcast
(Standing - from L-R) KCFAPI President Antonio B. Borromeo and Treasurer Antonio T. Yulo,
(Seated - from L-R) KCFAPI Executive Secretary Annie M. Nicolas, Corporate Secretary Alonso
L. Tan, Most Rev. Archbishop Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales, D.D. and KCFAPI Executive Vice
President Ma. Theresa G. Curia, during the courtesy call held at the Arzobispado de Manila
last December 28, 2009.
(From L-R) KCFAPI Executive Secretary Annie Nicolas, Executive Vice President Ma. Theresa
G. Curia, Fr. Provincial of the Society of Jesus Jojo Magadia, KCFAPI President Antonio B.
Borromeo and Treasurer Antonio T. Yulo during a courtesy call to the Founder Members
Committee on the occasion of the holy season held at the Jesuit House last December 15,
2009.
Employees end 2009 with energy
KCFAPI holds 9th series of
voters’ education in Navotas
THE Knights of Columbus Fraternal
Association of the Philippines, Inc.
(KCFAPI) launched a podcast facility last December 18, 2009 at the
Fr. George J. Willmann Center in
Intramuros, Manila.
The Spiritual Director of KCFAPI,
Msgr. Pedro Quitorio III presided
over the blessing of the podcast
studio.
The podcast facility was constructed by CBCPWorld, the information
technology arm of the Media Office
of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference
of the Philippines (CBCP).
The blessing was attended by the
Board of Trustees led by KCFAPI
Chairman Patrocinio R. Bacay, Corporate Secretary Alonso L. Tan, and
Treasurer Antonio T. Yulo.
The executive officers of the
KCFAPI also attended the event
led by the President SK Antonio
B. Borromeo; Executive VicePresident Ma. Theresa G. Curia;
Joseph P. Teodoro, Vice President
of the Fraternal Benefits Group;
Mary Magdalene G. Flores, VicePresident for Finance; Ronulfo
Antero G. Infante, Senior Manager
for Management Information Systems; Atty. Rizal V. Katalbas, Jr.,
Manager for Legal Services; Edwin
B. Dawal, Manager for BC Holders’ Relations Office; Carmelita S.
Ruiz, Manager, Underwriting Services and Gari M. San Sebastian,
Manager for Fraternal Benefits
Services.
During the launching Chairman
Bacay and President Borromeo gave
their messages that were podcasted
on real time. (KCFAPI News)
EMPLOYEES of the Knights
of Columbus Fraternal AsTHE Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the
sociation of the Philippines,
Philippines, Inc. (KCFAPI) marked the beginning of
Inc. (KCFAPI) ended the year
the year with the holding of the 9th series of the voters’
2009 with two energetic events.
education seminar last January 10, 2010 at the San Jose de
These are the KChristmas
Navotas Council 6620 in Navotas City.
Ballroom 2009 and Year-End
The seminar was facilitated by Senior Manager of the
toast, correspondingly held last
Management Information Systems Ronulfo Antero Infante
December 18 and 29, 2009 at
and Corporate Auditor Gerard Joseph Francisco.
the Fr. George J. Willmann, S.J.
There were about 35 members from Council 6620 and
Center in Intramuros, Manila.
Daughters of Mary Immaculate International who particiThe company-wide Christpated in the seminar.
mas Party dubbed as KChristThe speakers tackled information regarding poll automamas Ballroom 2009 was ention such as the current status of the poll automation system in
joyed by the Board of Trustees,
the country as well as the proper use of the new machines.
Officers and employees of
The seminar was made possible and organized with the
The “Cha-Cha” group performing during the 2009 KCFAPI Christmas Party held last
KCFAPI and its subsidiaries December 18, 2009 at the Fr. George J. Willmann, S.J. Center in Intramuros, Manila.
help/assistance of District Deputy Florencio A. Pineda, Jr., Grand Knight Francis D. Santos and
including the Knights of CoRegent Cathy A. Pineda.
ees from Keys Realty Development Corporation and
lumbus Jurisdictions and other invited guests.
Among the areas where the series of voters’ education have already been conducted were in Manila,
A dance competition was the main event for the Mace Insurance participated actively in the group Cabanatuan, Baliwag, Bataan, Cebu and now, Navotas.
evening. KCFAPI employees and their co-employ- performance dancing Cha-Cha, Bachata, Samba,
KCFAPI, the sole life insurance provider of members of the Knights of Columbus, in cooperation with
Swing and Boogie.
the three K of C Jurisdictions in the Philippines initiated the voters’ education. This will help educate
The “Cha-Cha” group won the public on the current context of the first ever poll automation in the Philippines. (Kate Laceda)
the first prize. Other winners were the “Bachata” and
“Samba” groups. Christmas
gifts were raffled to the lucky
winners.
Closing the year 2009 was a
Year-End Toast. It was held in
celebration of a great year for
the Association.
KCFAPI President Antonio
B. Borromeo offered a toast to
mark the year end and at the
same time greet the coming
new year.
Culminating the activity Members of the Knights of Columbus Philippines headed by DD Florencio A. Pineda, Jr. and GK Francis D. Santos together
were raffles and parlor games. with the Daughters of Mary Immaculate International led by Regent Cathy A. Pineda and KCFAPI representatives: Rowena
P. Patricio, Gerard Joseph C. Francisco and Ronulfo Antero G. Infante during the 9th series of voters’ education seminar
KCFAPI employees during the Year-End toast held last December 29, 2009 at the (April Basilio)
KCFAPI home office in Intramuros, Manila.
held last January 10, 2010 at the San Jose de Navotas Council 6620 in Navotas City.
The Cross
C2
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 14 No. 2
January 18 - 31, 2010
Chairman’s
Message
Patrocinio R. Bacay
Though seeming success serves as elixir for man, it
is in families that we learn most. There is no better
way to prepare for the New Year than accepting our
failures and with determination to do better. At the
end of the Year 2010, it would have been our choices
more than anything else that would have led us to
where we want to be by then.
I wish to congratulate KCFAPI for a year very well
done. May the New Year motivate all to take the extra
mile as you have always done.
To all our brother knights and their families I wish
you a Very Happy and Inspired New Year.
FBG gathers Luzon
managers for
strategic planning
Antonio B. Borromeo
AS the curtains open for 2010, a fresh start
is upon us. We have set our goals for the next
year and with hard work and constant prayer,
we will achieve those targets. Year 2009 closed
with a bang and we hope to replicate that or even exceed that. To attain those objectives,
we need all the support from the Board of Trustees, the sales force who will drive up to
gear 5 and you, our Benefit Certificates Holders. Of course, the personnel who man the
ship needs to gird up and give their all so that they can deliver the goods as promised to
all stakeholders.
2010 is a national election year and as Filipino citizens we are duty bound to cast
our ballots. As Catholics we are bound by our faith to choose well the candidates we will
vote for and pray very hard that only the truly deserving candidates make it to the final
stretch. Let the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit all the more be with us in this time of need
and decision.
For Brother Knights by Brother Knights
Council Visitations
By Joseph P. Teodoro, Vice President – Fraternal Benefits Group
IN view of assessing its performance for 2009, the Fraternal
Benefits Group (FBG) conducted a Luzon Area Managers’
Strategic Planning Conference.
This was held on December 16 -18, 2009 at the Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines, Inc (KCFAPI)
office in Intramuros, Manila.
The gathering started with the discussion of the economic
forecast and the 2010 expectations of the Management which
was given by KCFAPI Executive Vice President Ma. Theresa
G. Curia.
Succeeding the talk of Curia was the presentation of Gari M.
San Sebastian, Fraternal Benefits Services Manager, on the 2009
Strengths and Weaknesses of FBG. The plans and programs
for 2010 were discussed by Joseph P. Teodoro, Vice President
of FBG.
The sales target of FBG for 2010 and the presentation of
each area managers in Luzon on their sales performance were
facilitated by Jan Michael Dayrit, FBG Assistant.
The other presenters were Underwriting Manager Carmelita
S. Ruiz; BC Holders’ Relations Office (BRO) Manager Edwin
B. Dawal and Financial Management and Accounting Services
(FMAS) Manager Rowena M. Diapolit, who all imparted their
plans and programs.
Meanwhile, President Antonio B. Borromeo gave an inspirational message to the participants.
To culminate the conference, KCFAPI presented its 2010
incentive programs for the area managers and fraternal counsellors and some of their pre-planned major activities for 2010.
(KCFAPI News)
ONE of the tasks of area managers, fraternal benefits associates and team
leaders is to visit K of C councils in their assigned areas. This is being
done to increase the level of awareness on KCFAPI and its products,
services, policies and procedures. They make a report on these visitations and submit them to the fraternal benefits group so that KCFAPI
becomes aware on the situation in the council level nationwide.
Cognizant of the need for communicating to the members availability of a variety of insurance products for every segment of our
KC Membership, our field sales personnel immediately went to the
councils as early as the first Sunday of the new year to conduct their
insurance promotion work.
Here are some of the subject matters discussed and questions
posed to them during their council sorties.
Who are eligible to get a KCFAPI insurance coverage?
KC members and their immediate family members (wife, children, parents) are eligible to become KCFAPI insurance members.
Answer to related question: Priests are also eligible to get KCFAPI
benefit certificate if he is a KC member or member of the immediate family.
Mode of payment
Regular plans may be paid in any of the following modes of payment: Annual, Semi-annual or Quarterly. The SUPER SAVER plan
is a SINGLE PREMIUM plan. This means that the insured will pay
one time and wait for the maturity after 10 years.
Can we request for a copy of benefit certificates destroyed due to
typhoon “Ondoy”?
Benefit Certificate Holders whose policies were destroyed by flood
Senator Rodrigo’s speech of more
than 50 years ago, remembered
ON September 7, 1957, then Senator Francisco “Soc” A. Rodrigo
delivered a historic speech at a luncheon meeting of the Knights of
Columbus, Manila Council in Intramuros, Manila. Fifty two years
later, his inspirational message is once again rekindled in time for
the 2010 national elections.
Soc Rodrigo, who was born on January 29, 1914 and passed away
on January 4, 1998, was a Senator, poet, statesman, oppositionist,
political prisoner and a member of the Constitutional Commission
of 1987. He himself was a 4th Degree Knight, belonging to Manila
Council 1000. He is also the father of KCFAPI Board Member Ramon
E. Rodrigo.
In his speech entitled, “Catholics in Politics,” Soc Rodrigo made
a special effort to explain the famous saying, “Catholics ought not
to meddle in politics.” According to him, this does not mean that
Catholics are forbidden to vote or to run for office. But rather, he
explains that as Catholic citizens, Filipinos should simply be guided
by the following principles:
“First Principle: As Catholics, we consider it to be one of our most
important duties to be good citizens, and as good citizens, to take our
full share of the responsibilities as well as the privileges accorded to
citizens by our Constitution.
Second Principle: As Catholics, we consider it to be the duty of every citizen to vote as his conscience directs. This means that he must
give his vote to that candidate whom he honestly thinks to be the
best man for the job, putting aside all irrelevant considerations.
Third Principle: Just as the ordinary citizen should vote as his conscience directs, so too the candidate for office and he who is actually
elected to office ought to discharge his responsibilities in accordance
with the dictates of his conscience. This means that he ought to hold
public office as a public trust, and do that which he honestly believes
to be for the good of the country as a whole; again, as in the case of
the voter, putting aside all irrelevant considerations.”
Given these guiding principles, may the Catholic citizens take the
opportunity this coming May 2010 election, (15th National election
in the Philippines) to exercise their right to vote and choose the suitable leaders for the country.
It is in this light that KCFAPI wishes to share this historical speech
by Senator Soc A. Rodrigo. For the full version, you may visit www.
kofc.org.ph.
Source: pamphlet, courtesy of the Lopez Memorial Library and
Museum.
due to the typhoon may request in writing for duplicate copies. They
must attach an affidavit of loss which are available in KCFAPI and
need not be notarized. KCFAPI will not charge re-issue fee and cost
of notarization from the requesting flood affected insured.
Payment of claims
Death Claims on a benefit certificate which has passed the
contestability period will be paid upon presentation of supporting documents. Benefit certificates are already incontestable
when it continues to be in force after two years from date of
issue or approval of the last reinstatement whichever is latest
except when the insured committed gross fraud in obtaining
the coverage.
When the death benefit claim is within the contestable period,
it does not mean KCFAPI will not pay the claim. The provision is
standard in regular plans even in commercial life insurance companies. Payment of death claim on contestable benefit certificate is
effected upon ascertainment that there is no concealment or material
misrepresentation committed by the applicant insured.
Are we going to insure candidates for political office?
There is a temporary ban in insuring those who are aspiring for
political office. The ban which will be from November 10, 2009 to
November 10, 2010 makes candidates for political positions not
eligible for KCFAPI regular plans.
Exception is the Special Plan for Elderly Knights (SPEK). A
candidate for political office may be insured under the SPEK
plan. It is not covered by the ban. Furthermore, SPEK plan may
now be availed of for a maximum of 10 units for those between
the ages 50 and 70.
Downtown Manila streetsleepers wake up with
baskets of foods
HOMELESS people sleeping in the streets of Manila woke up with
baskets of foods during the giving out of grocery items by the GiftGiving Committee of the Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines, Inc. (KCFAPI) on the evening of December
29, 2009.
Selected areas where the distribution took place were in Sta. Cruz,
Escolta, Intramuros, Port Area, Malate, Kalaw and Ermita. These
locales are densely populated by adults, children and families sleeping along the sidewalks.
Led by the 2009 Gift-Giving Committee Chairperson, Rowena Diapolit and members, Lee Alejandrino, Michael de Castro, Evangelina
Dawal, the activity was also made possible with the accompanying
assistance from other KCFAPI employees such as April Basilio, Jan
Michael Dayrit, Alein Dimalanta, Annie Nicolas, Ma. Kristianne
Pascual and Jemwel Santillan.
A total of sixty five (65) baskets and forty (40) loot bags containing
canned goods, bread, biscuits, fruits and drinks were handed out to
the homeless populace as an extended Christmas gift-giving treat.
The gift-giving activity is a part of KCFAPI’s annual corporate
social responsibility. (April Basilio)
Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines Inc.,
an established mutual benefits association is currently looking for:
Auditor
Underwriting Supervisor
Underwriting Assistant
Accounting Staff
BRO Staff – Loans, Maturities & Excess Payments
BRO Staff – Customer Care
If you are dedicated, service-oriented, and have the promising potential to join us in our continuous drive
to provide mutual aid, assistance and excellent service to our members. Kindly send your comprehensive
resume’ thru fax number 527-2244 or hand-carry resume’ with a 2x2 photo and transcript of records to:
KC Family... Our Concern
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS FRATERNAL
ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES, INC.
Gen. Luna cor. Sta. Potenciana Sts.,
Intramuros, Manila
You may also call 527 – 2223 local 202 for queries and look for Ms. Kristianne.
The Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines Inc., is an established and
progressive mutual benefits association operating for 51 years, has been
highly committed to provide mutual
aid and assistance to its members and
their immediate families.
KC Fraternal firmly believes that the
continued progress and success of the
association depends to a great extent
on its human capital.
KC Fraternal also believes that
through training and a host of other
benefits if coupled with hard work, will
help employees and the association,
attain their goals and objectives.
In our continuous drive to provide
excellent service to our members, we
are currently on the look-out for individuals with promising potentials. He
must be dedicated, service oriented,
and willing to undergo training.
Our compensation and employee
benefits are comparable, if not better
than most companies of our same size
and nature of business.
LAYOUT BY LAURENCE JOHN R. MORALES
TIME waits for no one, a brand New Year is upon us
and there is no choice but to face it, hoping to make it
our best ever. Excitement and apprehensions are major
sentiments of any “coming,” yet automatically reverses
the flow of our thoughts to what have been. I believe
there is merit in this. As we prepare to tread the path of
another year there is no denying that each one’s vision
is to make it better for the nth time perhaps. So, what
can be healthier than to have a glimpse of our ups and
downs of the year that was. The downs could have
been few fortunately. It’s time to savor the pleasure of
the ups in life and remember how they were achieved.
President’s
Message
The Cross
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 14 No. 2
January 18 - 31, 2010
C3
Health Care, Politics and the
Catholic Conscience
The attempt of some legislators to impose mandatory support of abortion on taxpayers is illogical
By Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson
A TROUBLING new development has appeared in American politics. For decades, Americans have been subjected to the arguments
of certain Catholic politicians who argued that while “personally
opposed” to unjust policies like abortion, they were nonetheless
unwilling to “impose” that view on the rest of the country. This
argument is disingenuous, premised on the fact that somehow a
Catholic conscience has to be put aside in the public square.
Now, the very people who argued that they couldn’t bring their
private conscience into a secular public square are poised to use
the law to impose a particular view on others. By working and voting to include abortion coverage in health care legislation, several
Catholic politicians stand to be the deciding votes in forcing their
fellow Catholics to fund abortion through tax dollars.
While professing that they cannot impose their consciences on
anyone else, these politicians seem to have little hesitation about
imposing an immoral political view—one they claim to oppose in
principle—on the consciences of Catholic citizens.
Catholic politicians willing to forsake their consciences have come
a long way from the legacy of the highest profile Catholic statesman in U.S. history, fellow Knight John F. Kennedy, who while
discussing his role as a Catholic and candidate for president said:
“If the time should ever come—and I do not concede any conflict
to be even remotely possible—when my office would require me to
either violate my conscience or violate the national interest, then I
would resign the office; and I hope any conscientious public servant
would do the same.”
While some might consider that Catholic politicians have dis-
agreed with the
public policy recommendations of
their bishops in a
variety of areas,
the key point is
this: many issues
are prudential and
open to reasonable
disagreement, but
the inalienable
right to life in the
context of abortion is not—it is
fundamental and
it may not be compromised.
As Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger—
now Pope Benedict
XVI—noted about
Catholic politicians
in 2004: “Not all
moral issues have
the same moral
weight as abortion.”
He continued:
“While the Church exhorts civil authorities to seek peace, not war,
and to exercise discretion and mercy in imposing punishment on
criminals, it may still be permissible to take up arms to repel an aggressor or to have recourse to capital punishment. There may be a
legitimate diversity of opinion even among Catholics about waging
war and applying the death penalty, but not however with regard
to abortion.”
Catholic politicians must now consider the effect of national legislation mandating Catholic cooperation in abortion. In his famous
pro-life encyclical, Evangelium Vitae, Pope John Paul II wrote: “The
passing of unjust laws often raises difficult problems of conscience
for morally upright people with regard to the issue of cooperation,
since they have a right to demand not to be forced to take part in
morally evil actions.”
He said further: “Christians, like all people of good will, are called
upon under grave obligation of conscience not to cooperate formally
in practices which, even if permitted by civil legislation, are contrary
to God’s law. Indeed, from the moral standpoint, it is never licit to
cooperate formally in evil. … This cooperation can never be justified
either by invoking respect for the freedom of others or by appealing
to the fact that civil law permits it or requires it.” (74).
It is doubly ironic that a law that would force millions to violate
their conscience by paying their taxes—and would entangle thousands of Catholic physicians, nurses, hospitals and charities in the
evil of abortion—is being considered at precisely a time when the
majority of Americans, in greater and greater numbers, identify
themselves as pro-life.
Catholic public officials in Washington have the power to prevent this
moral tragedy from happening. They should not hesitate to do so.
Vivat Jesus!
FBAs, AMs attend yearend meeting in Manila
FRATERNAL Benefits Associates (FBAs) and Area
Managers (AMs) assembled for their yearend
meeting on December 18-19, 2009 at the Fr. George
J. Willmann, S.J. Center in Intramuros, Manila.
Among those who participated were Floralin Bohol from the Central Visayas; Jeffrey Vincent Galea
from the Southwestern Mindanao; Renante Rio
Bragat of the Northern Mindanao Blazers; Rudolph
Gerard Elizaga of the Western Visayas; and Adrian
Boston from the North Cotabato Explorers.
The plans, programs and activities of the
Fraternal Benefits Group for the Year 2010 were
discussed in the said meeting.
FBG presented the proposed incentive programs
for the area managers and fraternal counselors
for 2010.
KC scholar passes
Electronics engineering
board exams
A KC Philippines Foundation scholar has made it in the
Board Examination for Electronics Engineering.
Edison Ugale, Jr. is now a licensed Electronics Engineer
with extensive experience in telephone transmission line
engineering and digital subscriber line, commendable skills
in Main Distribution Frame (MDF) connection, PMA/
ICMS updating and outside plant facilities.
He graduated with academic distinction at the University of Saint Louis in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan
Valley in 2009.
Ugale, a scholar of the KC Philippines Foundation,
Inc since 2004, is the son of Edison S. Ugale, Sr., a member of Council 7813 in Allacapan, Cagayan.
The Foundation receives scholarship funds from the
KC Supreme Council that grants 36 collegiate scholars
every school year. This is apart from the existing scholars being funded by the Foundation.
The scholarship program of the foundation is open
especially to the children of members of the KC Order
who are at the tertiary level of education.
Aside from giving scholarship grants, the KC Philippines Foundation also offers other charitable services such
as calamity aid, income generating programs and housing
projects such as Gawad Kalinga. (KCFAPI News)
FBG
discusses
2010 plans,
programs
for FCs
THE Fraternal Benefits Group (FBG) has
recently presented the plans, programs
and activities of the Group for the Year
2010.
FBG also presented the proposed
incentive programs for the fraternal
counselors (FC) this year.
Part of the discussion was the setting up of strategies of the FBG in 2010
such as the establishment of talent
management-IIAP; product portfolio;
and diverse corporate approaches.
Area Managers who attended were
Vimar L. Trinidad from the Metro Manila Achievers; Damaso R. Hernandez of
Metro Manila Chancellors; and Reynaldo
D. Valencia from the Metro Manila
Dragons.
The meeting happened last December
29, 2009 at the Fr. George Willmann, S.J.
Center in Intramuros, Manila.
Joseph P. Teodoro, Vice President of
FBG, presided the meeting.
This year, the Knights of Columbus
Fraternal Association of the Philippines, Inc. (KCFAPI) is pursuing the
theme “Get Everyone Achieve Records
(G.E.A.R.) 5 Cambio Quinta”. (KCFAPI
News)
For their part, the FBAs tackled the updates
and present reports of their sales productions and
performances.
These associates were joined by the area managers of Luzon and the Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines, Inc. (KCFAPI)
officers led by President Antonio B. Borromeo.
KCFAPI officials composed of Executive Vice
President Ma. Theresa G. Curia, Vice-President of
the Fraternal Benefits Group Joseph P. Teodoro;
and Gari M. San Sebastian, Manager of the Fraternal Benefits Services graced the gathering.
Coinciding with the meeting was the KCFAPI
Christmas Party held on December 18 which was
attended by all the employees and officers of KCFAPI and its subsidiaries. (Kate Laceda)
Visayas Jurisdiction to host 8th
KC National Convention
THE Knights of Columbus in the
Philippines, will hold its 8th KC
National Convention on April 16-18,
2010 at the Waterfront Cebu City
Hotel, Lahug, Cebu City.
To be hosted by the Visayas Jurisdiction with the theme: “VOLUNTEERISM: NEIGHBORS HELPING
NEIGHBORS”, the event will be a
gathering of about 2,000 knights and
family members coming from the
three Jurisdictions: Luzon, Mindanao and the Visayas. This national
convention is being held once in
every three years and the hosting
of which is rotated among the three
Jurisdictions.
Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson was invited to grace the affair
to deliver his keynote address
during the opening of the business
session.
Among the church hierarchy
who were invited and already
confirmed their participation either as speakers or mass celebrants
are: Most Rev. Nereo P. Odchimar, CBCP President and Bishop
of Tandag; Most Rev. Angel P.
Lagdameo, Archbishop of Jaro,
Iloilo and Immediate Past President of CBCP; Most Rev. Jose S.
Palma, Archbishop of Palo, Leyte;
Most Rev. Romulo T. dela Cruz,
Bishop of Kidapawan; Most Rev.
Leonardo Y. Medroso, Bishop of
Tagbilaran and Most Rev. Julito B.
Cortes, Auxiliary Bishop of Cebu.
Also invited as one of the speakers
during the State Dinner is Hon.
Hilario G. Davide, Jr., the Philippine Ambassador to the United
Nations and former Chief Justice
of the Supreme Court.
One of the highlights of the
convention is the awarding of
the prestigious award, The Outstanding Knights of Columbus
Awards (TOKCA).
There are pre-convention activities lined-up for the delegates such
as: Marriage Enrichment Seminar,
Natural Family Planning Seminar
(for young couples), Sports Competition and Fourth Degree Drill
Competition. A first degree exemplification is also scheduled. (KC
News (Visayas))
FRATERNAL BENEFITS
GROUP
Calendar of Activities for the month
of January 2010
January
January
January
January
10
11
19
28
– Voters’ Education
– FBG Day
& 20 – FST Manila
& 29 – FST Palawan
C4
The Cross
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 14 No. 2
January 18 - 31, 2010
KC Luzon holds retreat in Tagaytay
THE Knights of Columbus Luzon Jurisdiction organized a retreat
for its State Officers and other officials on January 9-10, 2010.
Held at the La Salle Villa in Tagaytay City, the spiritual exercise
was intended to deepen the spirituality of leaders vis-à-vis their
roles as officers of the Order.
Msgr. Pedro Quitorio III, Assistant State Chaplain of the Luzon
Jurisdiction, was the Retreat Master.
The retreat was attended by the following State officers: Luzon
State Deputy Alonso L. Tan; State Secretary Arsenio Isidro G. Yap;
State Treasurer Joven B. Joaquin; State Advocate Justice Jose C. Reyes,
Jr., and State Warden Pascual C. Carbero.
The State Directors like Euberto G. Lorenzo, State Seminar Director; Raoul A. Villanueva, State Auditor; Deogenes V. Francia, State
Ceremonial Director; Miguel T. Yu, State Ways and Means Chairman and Luis A. Adriano, Jr., State Spiritual Formation Chairman
also participated.
Edgardo R. Navarro, Jaime Tolentino and Gregorio S. Gonzales
who are the State Formators also joined the retreat. (Kate Laceda)
KC Luzon’s
recruitment
incentive ends
KC Officials together with Msgr. Pedro C. Quitorio III as the Retreat Master during the spiritual retreat held last January 9-10 at the La Salle Villa in Tagaytay City.
Luzon Jurisdiction distributes
Christmas gifts to indigenous children
THE Knights of Columbus Luzon Jurisdiction has recently distributed
pastries and wrist watches to indigenous children in Baguio City.
Led by Luzon Deputy Alonso L. Tan, the group went to the Tent
City in BSU Compound, La Trinidad Benguet last December 13, 2009
to distribute their early Christmas gifts to the children.
State Program Director Bonifacio B. Martinez and State Disaster
Relief Operation Chairman Romulo B. Estrella joined Tan in the
distribution.
The group also took the opportunity to help the entire community
of the Diocese of Benguet by distributing 50 grocery bags and 50
bags of used clothing to the 50 families that were affected by the
landslides in La Trinidad, Benguet.
The landslides happened during the onslaught of typhoon “Pepeng.” The 50 families were temporarily sheltered in Tent houses
while waiting for their relocation site to be designated by the government.
FDD Salvador Aspuria, Provincial Membership Director, with
some Brother Knights in the province helped the state officers in
the relief distribution. (KC News)
“SOAR High For New Volunteers,” a membership recruitment
incentive of the Knights of Columbus Luzon Jurisdiction, ended
on January 11, 2010.
This incentive program was intended for Councils and District
Deputies with good standing.
One of the significant requirements of the incentive program
was the proposal and admission of at least 22 new members
(for the council category) and 88 new members (for the District
Deputy category) during the incentive period.
The Board of Jurors headed by State Membership Director
Joseph Teodoro will assess and choose the top three councils and
top three District Deputies with the most number of members
proposed and admitted as winners.
However, for the winning councils, the grand knight, financial
secretary and their membership directors will be the recipients
of the travel prize.
Winners will receive a three-day and two-night trip to Cebu
and a hotel accommodation for their attendance in the forthcoming KC National Convention in April 2010.
The jurisdiction will arrange the flight booking and hotel accommodations of the winners.
Organizers said prize is neither convertible to cash nor transferable. (Kate Laceda)
Luzon Jurisdiction hosts Rizal Day in Cavite
LD Alonso L. Tan with State Program Director Bonifacio B. Martinez, State Disaster
Relief Operations Chairman Romulo B. Estrella, Former District Deputy and KCFAPI
Area Manager Salvador B. Aspuria with the children of typhoon victims during the
distribution of relief goods at Tent City, BSU Compound, La Trinidad, Benguet last
December 13, 2009.
THE Knights of Columbus Luzon
Jurisdiction together with the
District Deputies in the Diocese
of Imus hosted the 113th commemoration of the martyrdom
of Dr. Jose P. Rizal last December
30, 2009 at the Rizal Monument
in Samonte Park, Cavite City.
Headed by District Deputy
Commodore Amado A. Sanglay,
the event was organized in coordination with the Cavite City
local government.
Among those present during
the event were State Advocate
Justice Jose C. Reyes, Jr. and
KCFAPI Area Manager and FDD
Nonilon D. Ayon.
Luzon Deputy Alonso L. Tan (2nd from left) together with State Secretary Arsenio Isidro G. Yap (leftmost), State Program
Director Bonifacio B. Martinez (center) and State Disaster Relief Operation Chairman Romulo B. Estrella (rightmost) during
their visit at the Missionaries of Charity in Delpan Tondo, Manila last December 10, 2009. Grocery items were given as
Christmas gifts to 49 children under the care of the Sisters of the Missionaries of Charity headed by Sister Cristeta.
Luzon Deputy Alonso L. Tan (2nd from left) attended as guest speaker in the 43rd Installation of Officers of Msgr. Antonio
Padilla Assembly ACN 1582 in Dagupan City last December 12, 2009. The installation was led by Faithful Navigator
Michael B. Fernandez (2nd from right). LD Tan was joined by State Program Director Bonifacio B. Martinez (not in photo)
& State Disaster Relief Operation Chairman Romulo Estrella (also not in photo). Most Rev. Socrates B. Villegas, DD
(center), the newly installed Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan also graced the occasion as keynote
speaker. LD Tan and the rest of the state officials paid courtesy call to Archbishop Villegas.
Reyes and Cavite Mayor Toti
Paredes led the Flag Raising to
commence the activity which
was then followed by the wreathlaying ceremonies.
The Fourth Degree Knights
who acted as Foyer Honor
Guards were in their Regalia
uniform.
Meanwhile, the jurisdiction
said that the Philippine Navy
provided the band, played the
“taps” and provided the firing
party for the ceremonial threevolley of fire.
Reyes was the Guest of Honor
during the observance of the martyrdom of Rizal. (KCFAPI News)
(From L-R) Justice SK Jose C. Reyes, Jr., Luzon State Advocate, Commodore
SK Amado A. Sanglay, District Deputy I31 and Chairman of Round Table of
District Deputies in the Diocese of Imus, and Cavite City Mayor Toti Paredes;
commemorating the 113th year of Martyrdom of Dr. Jose P. Rizal at Rizal
Monument, Samonte Park, Cavite City last December 30, 2009.
Luzon Deputy Alonso L. Tan (3rd from right) together with State Program Director Bonifacio B. Martinez (3rd from left),
State Disaster Relief Operation Chairman Romulo Estrella (leftmost), and State Youth Director Conrado S. Dator, Jr.
(rightmost) during the distribution of groceries and clothing to Brother Knights who were affected by Typhoon “Pepeng”
in District S53 of the Diocese of San Pablo, Province of Laguna last December 10, 2009. Councils which were covered
are 4103-Cabuyao, 12318 and 14779 both are in Sta. Rosa City. A total of 139 grocery bags and 18 boxes of used
clothes were distributed. Fraternal Counselor Bro. Teddy Samson and Grand Knights of the councils assisted during
the relief distribution.
Knights of Columbus Mindanao Jurisdiction donated boxes of used clothing for the victims of Typhoon Ondoy and Pepeng
through Caritas Davao last December 4, 2009.