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cbcpmonitor@cbcpworld.netwww.cbcpnews.com
Protagonist of Truth, Promoter of Peace
 Vol. 13 No. 3
February 2 - 15, 2009
Php 20.
00
Church leaders deplore‘militarization’ of govt
A ROMAN Catholic bishop criticized the Arroyoadministration’s appointment of former military
ofcials to key positions in her cabinet.Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo
said the moves, despite strong opposition fromvarious sectors, showed that public opinion is
being disregarded by the government.
“The problem is the credibility of people they
appoint. I hope they will consider that. All the
while the credibility (of the government) is
failing,” he said.Pabillo urged the Arroyo government to
PPCRV welcomes Yusophappointment
THE Parish Pastoral Council for ResponsibleVoting (PPCRV) welcomed the appointment of
Elias Yusoph as one of the commissioners of the
Commission on Elections (Comelec).PPCRV national chairperson Henrietta DeVilla said she is glad that President Gloria Ar
-royo made the appointment ahead of the 2010
national elections.She said the poll body can now work moreefciently because there is no more vacant seatin the commission.“In one way we are glad that they are already
Welcome / A6Militarization / A6
By Melo M. Acuña
THE recent socio-political events have been sorapid, so tumultuous and some so catastrophicthat the head spins simply enumerating them.
But it’s not the season to be gloomy, and a ranking Catholicbishop would dearly like not to be.
“We are a people of hope so we don’t lose hope because ourfaith [says] our Lord is a Lord of History,” said Manila Auxiliary
Bishop Broderick Pabillo.
The prelate was reacting to a question whether statementson social issues from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the
Philippines (CBCP) are being listened to, much less consideredby President Arroyo.Pabillo, who heads the CBCP’s National Secretariat for SocialAction-Justice and Peace, also urged a nation confronting anancial crisis, conict, and increasing poverty to hang on and join in authentic solidarity to foil national ruin.
He added: “We do not only see things as they happen andthe Kingdom will come; our problem is whether we are a part
of the kingdom or not but it will denitely come.”
The Catholic bishops’ hierarchy has always issued pastoralstatements and exhortations on controversial issues including its
vehement opposition to the proliferation of illegal gambling.
“We are appealing [to people in government, to use] meansthat are just, and we don’t lose hope that there is conversion,
conversion of hearts,” Pabillo said.
Infuence
Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles claimed the Church still
has inuence in Philippine society.“I think we’re being listened to although not all the time, let’ssay it’s about 60%,” the prelate said.Asked of the unabated illegal gambling in the Philippineswhich was the subject of a CBCP Pastoral statement in March10, 2003 entitled “Eradicate Gambling: It is a Moral and Social
Cancer,” Arguelles said it is not only the government’s respon-
sibility to stop jueteng because “it is everybody’s concern.”
He said he found the national government willing to co-
operate but encounters problems how the grassroots look at
 jueteng in particular as they consider the numbers game as
entertainment.
Bishops tell nation notto lose hope
THE Catholic hierarchy has vowedto step up fight against corruption
involving government ofcials taking
advantage of their position for personal
gains.
 Joint action was promised by all mem-bers of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference
of the Philippines (CBCP) at the conclu
-
sion of their January plenary meeting.
The pledge came after recent calls byvarious civil society groups, includingsome nation’s top leaders, to stop of-
cials in using their power for selshinterests.In a statement, the bishops said they
would involve the participation of lay-people for more intensive monitoring
of ofcials to tackle corruption cases inthe government.
“We shall encourage our lay faith-ful to intensify their fight againstTHE Manila’s Roman Catholic Churchhas come up with a unique way of shar-ing love this heart month of February
that could make it more meaningful:blood donation.
The Archdiocese of Manila called
on its employees and parish workersto donate blood in its “Alay ng Puso—Bloodletting” activity on February 12.The archdiocese said Church work
-ers may also invite their friends and
relatives to join the activity from 9 a.m.to 12 p.m. at Arzobispado Building inIntramuros, Manila.
“Here is your chance to be truly
magnanimous... donate blood and savelives. We believe that donating blood
to sustain life is our moral as well as
A VATICAN official called on
Catholic bishops to reject ‘help’ ordonations from people or chari-table organizations with dubious
purposes.Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes,who is known as the Pope’s
“top lieutenant on charitableactivities,” warned the bishops
of hoodwink help.
He reminded the bishops to
keep alive the right essence ofcharity. “It’s important to con
-sider the right meaning of help-
ing,” Cordes said.“Beware of the Trojan horse.They come... they are friendly towin or take you over. That’s often
the case,” he told members of theCatholic Bishops’ Conference of
the Philippines (CBCP).The Vatican ofcial urged the bishops and Church-based charitable
organizations to avoid accepting help that defeats the purpose and
real spirit of charity.He said the real generosity is giving help without asking some
-
thing in return. “This is the true collaboration of seless people,”said Cordes.
The “Trojan Horse” refers to the stratagem that allowed theTHE Catholic Church is un-daunted even if many peoplefavor a draft law that could
make articial family planning
services more widely available
to the public.
A senior Catholic bishop saidthey will still press on with thecampaign against the passageof the proposed Reproductive
Health (RH) bill.Lingayen-Dagupan Archbish
-op Oscar Cruz said the issue on
morality is not a numbers game.
CBCP vows to intensify campaign vs. corruption
graft and corruption, and accompany
upright public ofcials in their efforts
to serve the people in transparencyand truth,” read the statement signed
by CBCP president Archbishop AngelLagdameo.The CBCP also pledged to direct
Church-based groups to be pro-active in
efforts and social action advocacies.
“We shall direct Church institutions
and organizations to be more in works of
solidarity, justice and charity for the poor
in rural areas,” the statement said.
“We shall also call on them to bemore actively engaged in protecting andpromoting the integrity of creation,” it
added.
The statement was read in a press
conference at the CBCP Media Ofce inIntramuros, Manila, by Cagayan de OroArchbishop Antonio Ledesma.
He was joined by other bishops in-
cluding CBCP Commission on SocialAction-Justice and Peace head ManilaAuxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo,
Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles and
Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra.The CBCP also vowed to put in place
venues for dialogue, where the poorcan interact with the bishops and other
leaders of the Catholic Church.“We shall activate specialized desks
within the Church structures that wouldhelp the rural poor at the parish, dioc-esan, regional and national levels,” the
bishops added.
“Finally, we shall strive to be faithfulto live out our mission as the Church
of the poor—a Church which is bothengaged in the work of integral evan
-gelization, as well as in social reform,”
they added.
(Roy Lagarde)
Beware of the ‘Trojan
Horse,’ Vatican ofcial
warns RP bishops
Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes talks on
Pope Benedict’s rst encyclical “Deus
Caritas Est” to the bishops during their 
January plenary meeting at Pope Pius
XII Catholic Center.
Still no to RH bill despite growing public support—bishop
This means, he said, that evenif the support for the bill hasincreased, the Church will con-
tinue its advocacy against it.
“Nothing can stop the Church
(to campaign against RH bill).It’s her role and right to spreadthe Gospel,” he said.“It’s not a numbers game.
What is virtue and vice, what isright or wrong, it’s a question ofmorals and ethics, it’s not a ques-tion of how many says what,”
Cruz also said.
The bishop said that whilepeople believe that the RH billand population control are good,it is the process of attaining thesupposedly good things that is
wrong.
An independent survey showedthat more than 80 percent of Filipi-nos support family planning andover a half believe the governmentshould limit the number of chil-
dren a couple can have.According to Pulse Asia, sixty-
three percent of the 1, 200 adultsnationwide favor the RH bill thatcurrently under deliberation in
Congress.
Only eight percent of therespondents were not in favorof the bill and 29 percent were
undecided on the matter.Pulse Asia also said about 82
percent of the survey respondentssaid they believed the govern-ment should educate couples onmodern family planning methods,
both natural and articial.
Church to hold ‘V-day bloodletting’
social responsibility,” human resource
director Fr Sanny De Claro said in amemorandum.
Claro said thousands of people
need blood transfusion each year. He
said some may need blood during
surgery.
Others, the priest said, depend on itafter an accident or because they have adisease that requires blood components
like “dengue.”
“Though the demand for blood ishigh and half of our countrymen areeligible to donate, only about a fewpercent of those eligible, give blood,”
Claro said.
He said interested blood donors maycall the RCAM or email it at 527-3956;
or hrd_rcam@yahoo.com, or contactNorbert Abelgas or Joel Madronio.
(Roy Lagarde)
Bishops / A6Trojan / A6RH Bill / A6
Bishop Broderick Pabillo (2nd from left), answers questions from the media during a press
conference held at the CBCP Media Ofce last January 26. With him are Bishop Vicente Navarra
(right), Archbishop Ramon Arguelles (2nd from right), and Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, SJ(extreme left).
   ©   D  e  n  n   i  s   D  a  y  a  o   /   C   B   C   P   M  e   d   i  a   ©   D  e  n  n   i  s   D  a  y  a  o   /   C   B   C   P   M  e   d   i  a
 
Illustration by Bladimer Usi
•
A3
Benedict XVI: Euthanasiaa ‘false’ solution
Says the answer is love
UGNAYAN
The News Supplement of Couples for Christ
•
C1
•
B1
Circles of Discernment
More than a hundred Catholic bishops and clergy gathered at the Araneta Coliseum on January 25 to lead the national celebration of the Year of St. Paul together with
about 20 thousand people representing dioceses, congregations and catholic groups nationwide. The celebration opened with the Solemn Enthronement of the Bible with
ecumenical service presided by CBCP President and Jaro Archbishop Angel N. Lagdameo (inset).
 
CBCP Monitor
A2
 Vol. 13 No. 3
February 2 - 15, 2009
CBCP Monitor
 World News
Pope sees chance for
hope in fnancial crisis
VATICAN, February 2, 2009—Pope Benedict XVI met with leadersof an Italian trade union and told them that the current economic
crisis offers an opportunity for “a new culture of solidarity and of
responsible participation” to emerge.Meeting with the leaders of the Italian trade union CISL for its 60th
anniversary, the Holy Father praised the organization for continuingto “draw inspiration for your activities from the social Magisterium
of the Church, with the aim of protecting the interests of workersand pensioners in Italy.”After pointing out the numerous social encyclicals from the Popesof the 20th century, Pope Benedict XVI drew the trade leaders’attention to the Pontiffs’ recurrent “call for solidarity and respon
-
sibility.”
The way out of the current economic and social crisis, he explained,
must involve “free and responsible efforts” by everyone. “In other
words what is needed is to overcome individual and sectarian
interests, and unite to confront the difculties affecting all areas ofsociety, and particularly the world of work.”Stressing that the need for a unied effort of solidarity is urgentlyneeded, Pope Benedict said his hope is that “from the current global
crisis there may emerge a shared desire to create a new culture ofsolidarity and of responsible participation, which are indispensable
conditions if we are to build the future of our planet together.”The Holy Father brought his address to the leaders of CISL to a
close by exhorting them to continue to be faithful to their original
charism. “The world needs people who dedicate themselves disin
-
terestedly to the cause of work in full respect of human dignity andthe common good,” he said.
(CNA)
VATICAN, February 2, 2009—In a mes
-
sage sent by Benedict XVI to His Holiness
Kirill for the occasion of his enthrone-ment as patriarch of Moscow and AllRussia, the Holy Father says that it is hishope that the communion between theCatholic and the Orthodox Church willbe strengthened “so that the world may
believe.”
The message was delivered by Cardi-
nal Walter Kasper, president of the Pon
-
tical Council for Promoting ChristianUnity along with a chalice from the Pope
“as a sign of the desire to achieve full
communion as soon as possible.”
Kirill was installed as the patriarch inMoscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior
in late January.In his English-language message,Benedict XVI relates his “esteem” and
“spiritual closeness” to the new patri-arch, and prays “that our heavenly Fatherwill grant you the abundant gifts of theHoly Spirit in your ministry and enableyou to guide the Church in the love and
peace of Christ.”
Bringing to mind Kirill’s predecessor, the Holy Father notes that
Holy Father prays for strengthened
 Catholic-Orthodox relations asKirill becomes patriarch
Alexis II “left his people a deep and abiding
inheritance of ecclesial renewal and devel-
opment. ...He likewise maintained a spirit
of openness and co-operation with otherChristians, and with the Catholic Churchin particular, for the defense of Christian
values in Europe and in the world.“I am certain,” he adds, “that Your
Holiness will continue to build on thissolid foundation, for the good of your
people and for the benet of Christianseverywhere.”Pope Benedict also goes on to reect
on the new patriarch’s previous role as
president of the Department of ExternalChurch Relations. “You yourself played an
outstanding role in forging a new relation-ship between our Churches, a relationshipbased on friendship, mutual acceptance
and sincere dialogue in facing the difcul
-
ties of our common journey.”“It is my earnest hope,” the Holy Fa
-ther concludes, “that we will continue to
co-operate in nding ways to foster and
strengthen communion in the Body of
Christ, in delity to our Savior’s prayer that all may be one, so thatthe world may believe.”
(CNA)
Mexico City Policy reversal a ‘betrayal,’ Catholic University president says
WASHINGTON DC, February 2, 2009—The president of Catholic University ofAmerica has criticized President Barack Obama’s decision to fund overseas organi
-zations that perform and promote abortions, calling the decision a “disappointment
and even a betrayal.”Father David M. O’Connell, also suggested the president is certainly going to geta “ght” from Catholics over his support for abortion.President Obama lifted the Mexico City Policy on Jan. 23, which had been imple
-
mented by President George W. Bush at the start of his presidency.“I don’t think President Obama is looking for a ght but I think he’s certainly goingto get one as he wiggles away from issues that are very important to the Church,” Fr.O’Connell said in remarks published by Fox News on Jan. 28.“I’m sure for many Catholics who supported Obama because they believed in hiswords to do everything he could to reduce abortions,” he continued. “This comes asa disappointment and even a betrayal to some.”Fr. O’Connell also named as matters of concern President Obama’s support forembryonic stem cell research and disagreement with Proposition 8, California’s suc
-
cessful ballot measure which overturned a same-sex “marriage” court decision.“The Church holds these issues as very signicant and very consequential and the
church is going after the president, not because he’s the president or because it’s theUnited States, but because it believes any government system that support issues that
are contrary to its core beliefs are dangerous,” he told Fox News. “Because the beliefsare rooted in good for all of humanity, not just the Catholic Church.”
(CNA)
MADRID, Spain, Febru
-
ary 2, 2009—In a pastoralletter published to markthe World Day of Conse
-crated Life on February
2, Feast of the Presenta
-tion of the Lord, Bishop
Demetrio Fernandez of
Tarazona, Spain, said the
lack of radical commit
-ment in consecrated life isone of the main causes of
the vocations crisis.
“Christians are alreadyconsecrated through bap-tism, but the consecratedlife is a new title of con-secration that brings bap-tism to its fullness,” the
bishop said. “Consecrated life is a prophetic cry in today’s world(and always), which reminds us what the denitive values of the
Kingdom are, those that Christ lived out in the beatitudes andthose that He invites others to live out when He calls someone
to follow Him more closely.”
“We live in times of crisis in the consecrated life as well,”
Bishop Fernandez underscored. “Secularization, that is, living asif God did not exist, adapting oneself to the opinions and waysof the world, has also ltered into the consecrated lifestyle.”“It seems like a contradiction, but unfortunately this is theway it is. A consecrated life in which one is not willing to livea radical commitment to Jesus Christ, with a fanatical love likethat of St. Paul, is a life that is not very attractive or exciting tothe young people of today. This is one of the reasons for the lackof vocations,” the bishop stressed.Bishop Fernandez acknowledged that the “issue of the scar
-
city or lack of vocations among young people is very complex
and cannot be reduced to a single cause, but the institutes ofconsecrated life that live coherently ‘having lost everything for
 Jesus Christ’ are getting vocations.”
“On the other hand,” he added, “the institutes that haveadapted to this world do not have vocations and are slowly
dying out.”“The World Day of Consecrated Life is an occasion to pray
to the Lord for those who have consecrated their lives totally
to the Lord, that they may be faithful to the rst love that led
them to leave everything for Jesus Christ,” Bishop Fernandez
stated.
(CNA)
Spanish bishop: Lack of radical
dedication amongst religiousexplains vocations crisis
ROME, January 31, 2009—The group “Youth For Life,” whose mis
-sion is to defend life from conception to natural death, has launched
an International Day of Intercession for Peace in the World at chapelsof perpetual adoration and Eucharistic devotion.Theology student Francesco De Ruvo explained that his groupbrings together 300 young people from Italy, Poland, the UnitedStates, Israel and Brazil.
“The Apostolate ‘Youth For Life’ intends to be instrument ofspreading these values, especially through the prayer of spiritualadoption, which is a prayer for unborn children who are in danger
of dying in their mothers’ womb,” he said.
Spiritual adoption is done by “praying a decade of the Rosarydaily accompanied by a special prayer for unborn children and their
parents,” De Ruvo said.
The group “Youth For Life” was created on October 7, 2008 asan apostolate “out of a common desire of two young Salesians to
be signs of the love of God in defense of the inestimable value oflife.”
(CNA)
MADRID, Spain, January 29, 2009—The Alternativa Españolapolitical party has sent a “letter of protest” to the U.S. ambas
-
sador to Spain over the decision by President Barack Obama to“remover the barriers to the practice of abortion.”In a press release, the party said the letter was delivered to theembassy “calling for the restrictions put in place by PresidentRonald Reagan to be maintained.”
On January 23, Obama signed an executive order liftingrestrictions on the use of federal funds to promote abortion
overseas. The so-called “Mexico City Policy” was put in placeby President Reagan in 1984 after a U.N. conference that washeld in the Mexican capital. President Bill Clinton revoked thepolicy in 1993 but it was reinstated by President George W.Bush in 2001.
(CNA)
Italian youth launches day of prayer for life
and peace in the world
Spanish political party protestsObama abortion funding policy
Japanese corporations cutworkday to boost birth rate
TOKYO, Japan, January 26, 2009—Japanese electronics giantCanon and other, seeking to boost Japan’s agging birth rate,now allows employees to leave early twice a week to encouragethem to have more children.The Japanese birth rate is 1.34 children per woman, well belowthe 2.1 required to maintain population size, CNN reports. Its
population is aging at a faster pace than any other country in
the world. Japan’s 12-hour workday is one factor blamed for the low
birth rate, in addition to the country’s high cost of living and
social rigidity towards women and parenting.“It’s great that we can go home early and not feel ashamed,”Canon employee Miwa Iwasaki told CNN.
“Canon has a very strong birth planning program,” Canon
spokesman Hiroshi Yoshinaga said to CNN. “Sending workershome early to be with their families is a part of it.”
Canon’s 5:30 pm “lights-out” program also helps the company
cut overtime expenses during the global economic downturn.
Keidanren, Japan’s largest business group with a member-
ship of 1,300 major corporations, has asked its members to let
employees go home early to spend time with families and help
improve the birth rate.
(CNA)
   ©  w  w  w .      i  c   k  r .  c  o  m   /  p   h  o   t  o  s   /  s  a  m_   h  e  r   d   ©  w  w  w .   d  a  y   l   i   f  e .  c  o  m   ©  w  w  w .      i  c   k  r .  c  o  m   /  p   h  o   t  o  s   /   4   4   9   1   9   1   5   6   @   N   0   0   ©  s  e  o  u   l  o  v  e  r .   b   l  o  g  s .  c  o  m   /  w  e  s   t   l  a  w
 
CBCP Monitor
A3
CBCP Monitor
 Vol. 13 No. 3
February 2 - 15, 2009
News Features
VATICAN CITY, February 1, 2009─Ending a person’s life is “false”
solution to the problem of suffering, and one not worthy of human
dignity, says Benedict XVI.After praying the Angelus today with those gathered in St. Pe
-
ter’s Square, the Pope said that euthanasia is often a big temptationwhen one is suffering, but it’s not the answer. The answer, he said,is love.Speaking on the Day for Life being observed in Italy, the Pontiffcommented on the theme chosen by the Italian episcopal conference:“The Strength of Life in Suffering.”“I wholeheartedly join in their message in which we see the love
of pastors for their people, and the courage to proclaim the truth,the courage to state with clarity, for example, that euthanasia is a
Benedict XVI: Euthanasiaa ‘false’ solution
Says the answer is love
false solution to the drama of suffering, a solution unworthy of
man,” he said.
The Holy Father said the answer isn’t putting a person out of their
misery, however “kindly” they do it, “but to bear witness to the lovethat helps us to face pain and agony in a human way.”“We are certain,” Benedict XVI afrmed, “no tear, whether it be
of those who suffer or those who stand by them, goes unnoticed
before God.”The Pope entrusted those who are suffering and their caretak
-ers to the Virgin Mary, who “carried in her mother’s heart theSon’s secret, she shared in the painful moments of the passion
and crucifixion, sustained by the hope of the resurrection.”
(Zenit)
Catholic journalists must live as witnesses toChrist, says Holy Father
VATICAN CITY, January 27, 2009─Benedict XVI
has sent a message to participants in the national
congress of the Italian Catholic Press Union (UCSI).The congress, held last week, commemorated theinstitution’s ftieth anniversary. In the message,the Pontiff writes about the importance of being
faithful journalists, but also of living as a witness
to Christ.Reecting on the last 50 years of the UCSI, theHoly Father notes that many things have changed.
These changes have been “more visible in areasranging from science to technology, from the
economy to geopolitics,” he noted.When examined at a deeper level, Pope Benedictnds “less perceptible” but “deeper and more wor
-
rying” developments in the modern culture. These
changes include a notable decline in respect for thedignity of the individual, and in “a sense of suchvalues as justice, freedom and solidarity, which are
so essential for the survival of a society.”Today, the work of Catholic journalists is “evenmore arduous.” In addition to responsibility and
service, journalists “must add an ever great profes-sionalism, and a capacity for dialogue with the ‘lay’
world in the search for shared values.”Pope Benedict then speaks to the journalists
on not only the importance of their faithful writ-ing, but also the necessity of living their lives as
witnesses to the Gospel. “You will be listened to
more readily when the testimony of your own
lives is coherent,” the Holy Father assures them.
“No small number of your ‘lay’ colleagues expectfrom you the silent witness - not only in appear-ance but in substance - of a life inspired by the
values of faith.”
Catholic journalists are committed to “an ever
more demanding task,” the Holy Father continues,
“one in which spaces for freedom are often underthreat, and economic and political interests often
take precedence over the spirit of service and thecriterion of the common good.”“I encourage you,” he concludes, “not to make
compromises in such important values but to havethe courage of coherence, even at the cost of per-
sonal sacrice. Serenity of conscience is a pricelessquality.”
(CNA)
Building citizens and solidarityfor peace, environment, is Alay Kapwa 2009 theme
MANILA, January 29, 2009—Citizenship building and solidarity towards a culture of peace andintegrity of creation, is the theme of this year’s ALAY KAPWA, the Lenten social action programof the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).Now on its 34th year, the program is implemented by the Episcopal Commission on Social Ac
-
tion, Justice and Peace of the CBCP.Alay Kapwa is “offering to our neighbor as an expression of our solidarity with the poor.”
The program’s guiding spirit is the call for everyone to share one’s Time, Talent and Treasure
as nancial contributions generated from the campaign are utilized to support and sustain social
action initiatives on peace advocacy, democratic governance, ecology, sustainable agriculture,
children’s rights, disaster management and other development concerns.Episcopal Commission on Social Action, Justice and Peace Chairman and Manila Auxiliary BishopBroderick S. Pabillo, in his message on this year’s Alay Kapwa theme said: “For many years alreadywe as a country have experienced unrest,” adding that the communist insurgency, the ghting inMindanao and extrajudicial killings remain unsolved.The 54-year old prelate said it is not enough to change political leaders to change the currentsituation as it is not enough to change the political structure of the nation.
“The parliamentary system will not better us, nor that change to federalism” as “changing the
constitution will not guarantee a better state,” he added. He underscored the need to change one’svalues and outlook because “change of heart is crucial.”“Lent is a call to conversion” as he called on everyone to “stop nger pointing.”In the Alay Kapwa Facilitator’s Guide, Bontoc-Lagawe Vicar Apostolic Emeritus Francisco F.Claver, SJ provides the reection for Ash Wednesday titled “Citizenship Building and Solidarity.”Fr. Carmelo Diola, overall Coordinating Steward of Dilaab Foundation, Inc. wrote about “A GoodChristian is a Good Citizen” for the First Sunday of Lent, March 1, 2009.On the Second Sunday of Lent, March 8, Tagbilaran Bishop Leonardo Y. Medroso spoke of “OurDuty to Work” while Kalookan Bishop Deogracias S. Iniguez, Jr. underscores the importance of“Justice and Social Solidarity” on the Third Sunday of Lent, March 15.Boac Bishop Reynaldo G. Evangelista emphasizes the need to recognize the “Integrity of Creation:
A Common Responsibility” on the Fourth Sunday of Lent, March 22 as Surigao Bishop Antonieto
D. Cabajog reects on “Participation is a Duty” for the Fifth Sunday of Lent on March 29.On Palm Sunday, Alay Kapwa Sunday, Kidapawan Bishop Romulo dela Cruz contemplates onthe importance of “Charity and Justice” and on Easter Sunday, Bishop Pabillo highlights on “Peace:Fruit of Justice and Love.”
(Melo M. Acuna)
MANILA, January 29, 2008—The
prison ministry of the Catholic
Bishops’ Conference of the Phil
-
ippines (CBCP) is seeking the
use of non-custodial sanctions asa means of reducing the prison
population.After all, the CBCP EpiscopalCommission on Prison Pasto
-
ral Care (ECPPC) argued that
imprisonment has showed tobe “counterproductive” in the
rehabilitation of prisoners.Rodolfo Diamante, ECPPC executive secretary, said imprisonment also “impinges” on several humanrights—the provision of basic amenities of life.
He lamented that inmates are often held in grossly overcrowded conditions, poorly clothed and
underfed.The vice-president of the Coalition Against Death Penalty (CADP) added that prisoners are particu
-
larly vulnerable to disease and yet are given poor medical treatment.“It’s about time that our policy-makers take a close look at who is being held in prison, why they arethere, and for how long they are being detained,” Diamante stressed.Diamante also said many detainees are just awaiting trial for “unacceptably lengthy periods of time.”Others, he added, are serving long sentences.
The Church’s prison ministry maintains that the objectives of imprisonment can be met more effec-
tively in other ways like community service.It said that not all socially undesirable conducts need to be classied as a crime.“Our legislators can decriminalize these crimes. We can also use diversion strategies—divert offend
-
ers to alternative programs like community-based program, treatment centers or furlough,” Diamantesaid.Diamante said the Church adheres to the principle that imprisonment should be used as the last resortat least for those that don’t warrant a custodial sentence like petty crimes.
(Roy Lagarde)
CBCP pushes non-custodial alternatives
to prison
MALABON CITY, January 28, 2009—The Philip
-
pines had recorded 10.7 million jobless in 2008 andit will continue to increase as the global nancialcrisis reaches the Philippine shores in mid-2009,says independent think-tank IBON Foundation,Inc. in a statement.
The computation of the rate of unemployment
is based on the denition of employment madeby National Statistics Ofce (NSO) and with anassumption of 66.1 percent in labor force partici
-
pation.IBON said, the aim of the recent bulletin released
by their office is to “correct”the underestimation of jobless-ness since April 2005, when theState’s statistical agency had
revised its denition of unem
-ployment which has resulted togreatly reduced unemployment
reports.
“This year, joblessness is
likely to increase at least 11 mil
-lion or more, assuming that thelabor force increases by 915,000(the average increase over thelast eight years) and that only500,000 jobs are created, which
implies an additional 415,000 jobless. This figure could be
higher, as the employment situ-ation is already far worse thanthe aftermath of the 1997 AsianCrisis when unemployment rate averaged 10% in1998-1999 compared to nearly 11% in 2008,” reads
IBON statement sent to CBCP News.It added, “The most recent severe worsening ofthe Philippine economic crisis in 2000 and 2001
may help illustrate what the country is now go-
ing through. Like today, the global slowdown in2000 was precipitated by serious US nancial andeconomic troubles—then it was the bursting of the“dot-com” or “new economy” bubble. The ranks ofthe unemployed swelled by an additional 640,000
Filipinos in 2000 and 2001 which brought the num-
ber of unemployed to 3.7 million in 2001 and theunemployment rate to 11.1% (from 9.8% in 1999).
While there is strong reason to believe that the
Philippine economy will again go in these direc
-tions or even worse, as the current global economic
nancial turmoil is not just deeper and farther-reaching but will also last for much longer.”Furthermore, IBON said, despite claims of
economic success, job creation under the Arroyo
Jobless Filipinos reach 10.7 M saysindependent think-tank 
administration since 2001 has been tepid and itspolicies have not been able to create enough jobs
for Filipinos.
“The average real employment rate of over 11%since 2001 is the worst period of unemployment
in the country’s history. The persistence of high
unemployment despite supposedly sustained
economic growth is also unprecedented,” IBONstated.
“All this highlights the need for a radical change
in government’s economic policies. Measures thatwould yield immediate benets include increas
-ing public spending for socialservices, removing the VATon oil products, freeing publicresources by stopping debt
payments, among others. More
than these, the government’s
elite-biased and free-market
oriented policies, which have
kept the Philippine economybackward, should be drasti
-
cally changed,” IBON state
-
ment concluded.
Earlier, the head of the Cath-olic Bishops’ Conference of
the Philippines (CBCP), Arch
-
bishop Angel N. Lagdameo,D.D., called on the governmentto make the necessary steps in
saving the jobs of millions ofFilipinos after a report reached
him that US semiconductor rm, which employssome 1,800 workers, will be shutting down its plantin the country soon.On January 22, the Intel Corp. announced thatit is shutting down its 19.83 hectare Cavite factorythat will layoff 1,800 workers, excluding an undis
-
closed number of executives.
There are reports also stating that aside from the
closure of the Philippine plant, the corporation willalso shut down its facility in Malaysia.The CBCP head said the government shouldtake action, especially now that a lot of Filipinosworking overseas are also losing their jobs due tothe global nancial meltdown.
He said the Filipinos who have been laid offabroad are forced to go out of the country, again,
because there are no job opportunities here.The Ecumenical Institute for Labor Educationand Research (EILER), Inc. also projected morelayoffs due to shaky economy this year.
(NoelSales Barcelona)
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MEXICO CITY, January 29, 2009—Luis Guevara,
assistant to the Supreme Knight of the Knights of
Columbus, Dr. Carl Anderson, spoke with CNAearlier this week about the purpose of the Catholic
men’s fraternal organization, saying, “The family
is the reason the Order exists.”In exclusive statements to CNA, Guevara said,
“The family is reason the Knights of Columbus
exist as it is the domestic church, the rst Christiancommunity.”“By making committed laymen the founda
-
tion of the order, Father McGivney (founder of
the Knights) sought to effectively and concretelysafeguard the life of the family as the foundation ofthe community, conscious that it is from the parishwhere the family also gives itself to the world with
Christ,” Guevara explained.
He went on to emphasize the role the Knightsplayed at the Sixth World Meeting of Families that
took place in Mexico and was attended by 150families from the Order. Guevara said the main
challenge the Knights of Columbus see for thefamily in Mexico is the social transformation thatthe country is experiencing and suffering “as partof its desire to become a democratic and inclusive
society.”Likewise, he pointed out that “the only re
-sponse is the committed participation of Catho-lics, conscious that it is precisely through their
testimony and daily effort at work, home and
school and of course in the family, that will trans-
form society to make it reach its ultimate good,
Family is reason Knights of Columbus exist,says advisor to Supreme Knight
which is Christ.”Guevara also addressed Mexicans and Ameri
-cans by recalling that both countries “share onefuture due to the demographic integration theyare experiencing, and that on these two countriesdepends the future of not only Latin America but
of the entire continent.”This “makes it even more crucial that Catholics
on both sides of the border establish bonds of fra-ternal collaboration, and the Order of the Knightsof Columbus is a good example of collaboration
between people of different nations,” Guevarasaid.
(CNA)
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Inmates of Leyte Regional Prison. Photo by ECPPC-VIPS
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