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 Vol. 14 No. 5
March 1 - 14, 2010
Php 20.
00
•
B1
‘The Priest’s Mission is tobe a Mediator, a Bridgethat Connects’
The Transguration showsthat Jesus alone guides us,
Pope Benedict teaches
•
A3
UGNAYAN
The News Supplementof Couples for Christ
•
C1
Cardinal hits ‘narrow-minded’ response to AIDS
Filipinos turn to God topray for rain
TEMPERATURE is high. The rains are still tocome. More and more Filipinos are turning toGod to solve the nation’s water crisis.Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Ro-
sales has summoned his ocks to a prayer start
-
ing last Feb. 26 to ask for rain to come and help
ease the impending water and power crisis.The church leader has also come up withan Oratio Imperata Ad Petendam Pluviam
(Obligatory Prayer to Request for Rain) to beinserted into the daily and Sunday Prayers ofthe Faithful of the Mass.
Rain / A6
2 bishops endorse ‘JC’ forpresident
SEEMINGLY setting the stage for collisionof religion and politics, some Catholic bish
-ops will use their pulpits to deliver political
sermons or endorse candidates—defying the
church’s long-time non-partisan stance.At least two senior prelates came out in the
open Thursday expressing their full support for
Ang Kapatiran’s standard bearer John Carlos
“JC” De Los Reyes.Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra and LipaArchbishop said they will rmly stand for whatthey believe is “right” and “necessary”.
‘JC’ / A7
By Roy Lagarde
THE head of Manila’s Catholic Church said condoms are not the answer
to the country’s fght against HIV and described as “narrow-minded”the government’s response to it.
Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales said condoms will never solve the AIDS epidemic and couldmake the problem even worse.Rosales assailed the Department of Health (DOH), saying they are being instrumental tothe deterioration of the morals of the society, especially the youth.“The DOH is teaching something wrong. Such mentality is pitiful,” he said.The cardinal said providing accurate information and respecting moral values will AIDSbe effectively controlled.He added that a responsible and moral attitude toward sex would help ght the dreaded
disease.
Meanwhile, the Catholic bishops’ leadership called on the government to make more fund
-
ing on the basic needs of the people instead of buying contraceptives.Another senior prelate urged the authorities to look into widespread and covert prostitutionas one of the HIV “transmission realities”.The DOH reported that it has recorded 3,515 HIV/AIDS cases since 1984 or an 84 percentincrease since that year.
Moral issue
Rosales said it is just unfortunate for today’s generation that they have experienced havingsuch types of government leaders.“If we have leaders like in the DOH, I pity the Philippines for having leaders like them,”
said the Cardinal.
Fidelity, abstinence
This is the rst time that Cardinal Rosales made a strong attack on the government’s con
-
tinuing promotion of condom use, but his position is not new.INDIGENOUS People and Environmental ad
-
vocates have expressed concern over PresidentArroyo’s appointment of the Mines and Geosci
-
ences Bureau director as acting secretary of theDepartment of Environment and Natural Re
-
sources (DENR).Arroyo appointed MGB head Horacio Ramosafter the resignation last December of formerDENR Secretary Jose “Lito” Atienza Jr. in prepa
-
ration for his campaign as mayoral candidate inthe city of Manila.The SOCSKARGEN CAN (South Cotabato,Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani Province and GeneralSantos—Climate Action Network) fears that
Ramos’ appointment could lead to more issu-
ances of environmental permits on large-scale
mining and agro-industrial plantations in thesaid areas.
“We fear that under his administration, envi
-
ronmental impact assessments (EIA) and issuanceof environmental clearance certicates (ECC) willbe done in haste, undermining community andSOME Catholic bishops re
-
sorted to favoring the holdingof a ‘power summit’ than pro
-
viding emergency powers toPresident Arroyo in order toaddress the energy crisis.Kalookan Bishop Deogra
-
cias Iñiguez said the situationwill reach a critical state if the
government and the people
will not act fast and nd solu
-tions to the power crisis.“A power summit is neces-
sary to deal with the power crisis,” said Iñiguezwho also chairs the Committee on Public Affairsof the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philip
-pines.
Marbel Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez added: “I’min favor of the power summit provided that the
government will implement the decisions.”
Retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz, for his part,questioned the motive behind the proposal to grantemergency powers to the President months beforethe elections in May.THE multiple registrants found in the voters’ lists in Davao provinceis just the tip of the iceberg, a Catholic Church-backed poll watchdog
has warned.
The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) saidthey are expecting more similar problems in other provinces in thecoming days.PPCRV lawyer Atty. Howard Calleja said they also uncoveredsimilar problem in the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao(ARMM), touted as the country’s cheating capital during elections.
“Davao is just one case and there are other areas with similar
problem,” he said. “What we’ve found in Davao City and Davaodel Sur is only the tip of the iceberg.”He said that they will report all the areas with questionable voters’list once their volunteers from various provinces submit their report.“We have information of similar problem in the Visayas and evenin Luzon. So we are going to look at it,” the lawyer said.Calleja led a manifestation at the Commission on Elections urging
‘Zombie voters’ just tip of iceberg—PPCRV
New DENR head alarmsenvironmentalgroups
AMRSP says ‘EDSA 1 dreams remained dreams’
DESPITE
all the com-memora-tive pro-grams and
yellow
buntingsand ribbonsacross the
country intime for the24th Anni
-
versary ofEDSA Peo
-ple Power
I, the As
-
sociation of
Major Reli-
EDSA gave the people the opportu
-
nity to look back that led people torise against the dominant powers ofthe 1980s.The factors that brought peopletogether were the curtailment offreedom and democracy and the op
-
pression committed by the conjugal
dictatorship.“The abuses brought about
by the long arms of the dictator
reached that point where the coun-
try could no longer bear it and so
the people raised their voices indiscontent and swore that neveragain would evil prevail in our
land,” they said.
The association said the Catholic
Church was greatly instrumental inthe fall of the dictatorship, and have
Bishops opt power summit over emergency rule
He said it would be a bad idea to grant such mas
-
sive power to someone already perceived to be over
-
staying in power but is still wanting for more.“The easy granting of emergency powers to theincumbent president could make her used to itsuch that it would be easy for her to claim it anddeclare it whenever it is convenient,” Cruz said.
“It could be a bad precedent as she could just
create a situation in the future where she can claimsuch emergency powers,” he said.According to Cruz, the power crisis should notbe used as a basis for declar
-
ing emergency rule.
“It is not reasonable to
give emergency powers tosomeone who precisely hasalready too much power,”Cruz also said.Last week, Cagayan deOro Rep. Rufus Rodriguezasked Congress to authorizeArroyo to resort to emer
-
gency powers to address an
“actual” power shortage in
the country.To recall, the National Grid Corp. of the Philip
-
pines (NGCP) had already said that the El Niñophenomenon is expected to cause an energy short
-
age of some 144 megawatts resulting to two tothree hours of rotating brownouts in Mindanao.The NGCP noted that Luzon already hasenough powers to supply the region and has thecapability to export some to Visayas, which wasalso threatened earlier of a rotating brownout.
(CBCPNews)
   I   l   l  u  s   t  r  a   t   i  o  n   b  y   B   l  a   d   i  m  e  r   U  s   i
gious Superiors of the Philippinesbelieve “the people are facing thevery same enemy that they toppledin EDSA during those great days ofFebruary 1986.”In a statement, the ARMSP said thedreams that EDSA promised nevermaterialized “for the atrocities thatthe people of 1986 denounced, hap
-
pened again and in fact are gaining
greater momentum now compared towhat was happening then.”
The joint statement, signed by Sr.Mary John Mananzan, OSB and Fr. Jesus Malit, SSS said the strugglesand victories of EDSA were all short
lived.
Looking back, the ARMSP said
AIDS / A6Dreams / A6
DENR / A6
“I have the feeling that it has something to do with that big private construction company cornering the CDF (countrywide developmentfund) projects,” Archbishop Oscar Cruz told the media after the CBCPNews/CMN forum where he disclosed that Wilfredo “Boy” Mayor visited him four days before he was ambushed—to seek his help on a forthcoming exposé of about a construction business scam. Mayor 
was one of the whistle-blowers in the 2005 Senate inquiry on jueteng where Cruz gured as an anti-gambling crusader.
the poll body to x all the voters’ list in the country, with only twomonths to go before the local and national elections.This after poll watchdog found some 40,000 “double and multiple
registrants” in the said two areas.
The hefty number also includes “zombie voters” or deceasedpeople still listed as active voters in the posted computerized voters’list (PCVL) in Davao.At the Comelec ofce in Intramuros, Manila, PPCRV lawyercalled on the Comelec to come out with a “clean and true” list of
active voters.
“The irregularities of poll cheating starts in the voters’ list and if they willnot x it, how can we have a clean and honest election,” said Calleja.According to him, the poll body still has an ample time to cleanthe voters’ list if they will only be serious about it.“At this stage, we still have few weeks more to go until March 26wherein they will close the book of voters. There’s still enough timeto x it,” Calleja said.
(CBCPNews)
Atty. Howard Calleja (right) and PPCRV chair Henrietta De Villa (center) duringa demonstration on how to use the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machinethat will be used for the May 10 automated elections.
A militant ashes a thumb down sign during a protest rally against
the appointment of Horacio Ramos as the new DENR secretary.Bishop Deogracias IñiguezBishop Dinualdo GutierrezArchbishop Oscar Cruz
 
A2
 Vol. 14 No. 5
March 1 - 14, 2010 
CBCP Monitor
 World News
VATICAN CITY, Feb. 28, 2010—Benedict XVI is praying for Chile, which was hit Saturday with a 8.8-magnitude earthquake.“My thought goes out to Chile and the populations affected by the earthquake, which caused nu
-
merous losses of human life and much damage,” the Pope said today after praying the Angelus withthose gathered in St. Peter’s Square.The latest death toll climbed to 708, and authorities said some 1.5 million Chileans were affected and500,000 homes severely damaged.“I pray for the victims and am spiritually near to the persons tried by so grave a calamity; for them Iimplore from God relief from suffering and courage in these adversities,” the Holy Father said. “I amcertain that they will not lack the solidarity of many, especially of ecclesial organizations.”
(Zenit)
Pontiff praying for quake-
stricken Chile
   ©  w  w  w .   l   i   f  e .  c  o  m
VATICAN CITY, Feb. 28, 2010—After the Angelus on Sunday, theHoly Father exhorted the international community to do “everythingpossible” to give Iraqis a future of “reconciliation and justice." Hiswords against anti-Christian violence in Iraq were well received byIraqi demonstrators in St. Peter's Square.Pope Benedict XVI related the "profound sadness" he felt uponlearning of the killings of Christians in Mosul last week. He addedthat he has followed the violent events perpetrated against unarmedvictims with "great preoccupation."The pontiff said that during the "intense meditation" of the spiritualexercises of the last week he prayedoften for the victims."Today, I wish to unite myselfspiritually to the prayer for peaceand for the restoration of security,promoted by the Council of Bishopsof Nineveh," he added.The bishops of the Syro-Catho
-
lic, Syro-Orthodox and ChaldeanChurches in Mosul made a plea forgovernment protection for Chris
-tians and religious minorities in a
letter to the Iraqi Prime Ministerthis week.
Pope Benedict calls for end toanti-Christian violence in Iraq
The Holy Father said that heis "affectionately close" to theChristian community in Iraqand urged them to continue to be a positive force "for the nation towhich, for centuries, you rightfully belong."While calling for Iraqi civil authorities to make “every effort toreturn security to the population and, in particular, to the mostvulnerable religious minorities," he also expressed his hope thatthe authorities would not give in to the temptation "to make thetemporary interests of a few prevail over the safety and fundamentalrights of every citizen."He closed by greeting a group ofIraqis demonstrating in St. Peter'sSquare, saying:"I exhort the international com
-
munity to do everything possibleto give the Iraqis a future of recon
-
ciliation and justice, while I invoke
with trust in God omnipotent the
precious gift of peace."CNA spoke with Bishop Phil
-
ip Najim, representative of theChaldean Patriarchate to the HolySee, who joined the formidablegroup of Iraqis who advocated their cause in the presence of thePope on Sunday.He said that the purpose of the Iraqi presence in St. Peter’sSquare today was to provide "another call to the conscience of theinternational community to be able to intervene, to protect andreally defend the rights of man that... has a right to life which is agift from God.""We want to put an end, through the international communityto these discriminations, these persecutions against the Christiancommunities in Iraq and the Middle East, especially the MiddleEast, and we want a peaceful life," Bishop Najim added.Iraqi priests studying and working in Rome turned out for theAngelus with ags and banners in hand. "Liberty, Equality, Peace"read one of their banners, black letters on a white background. "IraqiChristians need an urgent International Intervention" read another.Peaceful protests were held in Christian-populated cities acrossthe Plain of Nineveh on Sunday. These cities and villages havereceived a number of refugees in recent days, eeing the violence
in Mosul.
Another protest has been organized for Monday by the Iraqicommunity of Paris.
(CNA)
SYDNEY, Australia, Feb. 28, 2010—A recordnumber of men are entering seminary for theArchdiocese of Sydney and up to six men
will be ordained to the priesthood this com-
ing June, a rise that observers partly attributeto the inuence of World Youth Day 2008.On June 11, between four and six men
Two years after World Youth Day, Sydney seesupsurge in vocations and ordinations
will be ordained priests by the Archbishopof Sydney, Cardinal George Pell. This isthe largest number of men ordained intothe Archdiocese of Sydney since 1988, the
archdiocese reports.Two Uganda-born men who studied at the
Seminary of the Good Shepherd in Home
-
bush, Australia will be ordained intheir home country and will return
to serve in Australian parishes.“While Australia has been bat-
tling against a shortage of priestssince the late 1980s, it now looks asif interest in the priesthood and menseeking priestly vocations is oncemore on the rise,” the archdiocesesaid on Friday.In February, 10 men were ac
-
cepted as candidates for the priest
-
hood by the Seminary of the GoodShepherd, and they have sincebegun their rst year of study."There is no doubt there has
been an upsurge in interest in a
priestly vocation," said seminary rector Fr.Anthony Percy.Fr. Percy attributed the trend to WorldYouth Day 2008 but also to past World YouthDay Events and to the Year for Priests, pro
-
claimed by Pope Benedict XVI in June 2009.Another sign of vigor in Catholic Austra
-
lia is Sydney’s Theology on Tap program,
which attracts between seven and eighthundred people to P.J. Gallagher’s Irish
Pub in Parramatta on the rst Monday ofeach month. They drink, socialize and hearspeakers on theology, faith, the Church andlife in general."Today many young people are seeking
deeper meaning to their lives and not just
looking for a career but for a vocation whichcan answer the big questions of life," Fr. Percyadded. "In this post modern culture there areno values, no standards and no foundations onwhich to build minds. But young people reallywant these things and in a world of dysfunc
-
tional families and society generally, they arelooking to the Church for stability."
(CNA)
Nuncio in Haiti reports needsof country's seminarians
ROME, Italy, Feb. 26,2010—The ApostolicNuncio to Haiti, Arch
-bishop Bernardito
Auza, sent a report tothe Pontifical MissionSocieties this week de
-scribing the situation
facing seminarians inthe devastated country.He explained that the
seminarians have “lost
everything," adding that "putting them back to ‘normal’ life isa priority.”According to the Fides News Agency, the archbishop said that,“The greatest needs of the seminarians are clothing, toiletries,[and] tents to sleep in. Many of the seminarians have been sentback to their dioceses, but their dioceses are also extremely poorand in great need of assistance.The archbishop went on to note that although some booksfrom the library were saved, “We need to purchase Bibles andfundamental texts (Vatican II, Catechism of the Catholic Churchetc.) The ones they had were all lost in the rubble.”“The easiest, most exible and fastest way to help these un
-
fortunate seminarians is through nancial aid that we can useaccording to the most urgent needs of the moment,” he added.“Thank you also for your efforts in favor of our traumatizedseminarians. We believe that putting the seminarians back to'normal' life is a priority."Fides reports that 15 seminarians, one professor and some staffmembers were killed by the January 12 earthquake.
(CNA)
German bishops set up ofceto deal with abuse cases
FREIBURG, Germany, Feb. 26, 2010—The German Catholic Bish
-
ops' Conference has chosen one of its own to lead investigationsinto the cases of abuse in the German Church in the 70s and 80s.The news was announced at the conclusion of the plenary as
-
sembly of German bishops on Thursday by conference president
Archbishop Robert Zollitsch.
Vatican Radio reported that the bishops' statement read, "WeGerman bishops accept our responsibility and condemn thecrimes committed by religious, priests and lay collaborators inour dioceses.""Mortied and shocked," they asked the pardon and forgive
-
ness of "all victims of these horrible acts."Vatican Radio also reported that the secretary of the episcopalconference has opened an ofce in Bonn to coordinate activitiesand collaborate in legal proceedings. They are planning a "phone-a-friend" program that will soon be in place to provide further
assistance to victims.
Bishop Stephan Ackermann of Trier is now in charge of theoperation. He is also the President of the episcopal conference'sCommission for Justice and Peace.About 120 victims have come forward to date. The WashingtonPost reported on Thursday that, in the rst legal action sincenews of the abuses came to light, prosecutors have now begun
investigations into allegations at two German Catholic schools.The Washington Post also reported that Abbot Barnabas Boe-
gle, head of the Ettal Monastery which oversees one of the twoschools, stepped down Wednesday after eight former studentsalleged abuses there by priests.By August, Church guidelines governing cases of child sexabuse will be revised and updated. "We want everything to beclaried loyally, without false restraints," said Archbishop Zol
-
litsch. "The victims have a right to that." The current norms havebeen in place since 2002.To work towards "full prevention," the archbishop alsomentioned the need for a more attentive culture within schoolsand pastoral ministries, as well as proper formation for future
priests.
(CNA)
Archbishop Bernardito Auza
GUWAHATI, India, Feb.26, 2010—Bishops in India
have responded to the
publication of an imageof Christ in a children’stextbook that shows Je
-sus holding a beer in one
hand, a cigarette in theother, and the word “Idol”
beneath. Although “deep-
ly offended,” the bishopssaid they are against seek
-
ing an “anti-blasphemylaw” in the country.A statement from theIndian bishops, who areholding a bishops’ confer
-ence meeting in Guwahiti
 JAKARTA, Indonesia, March 1,2010—Young Catholic workersyesterday [Feb. 28] distributed
school and household necessities
to children from poor families innorthern Jakarta, inspired by aChurch Lenten message.Members of the Young Cath
-
olic Workers Group (KKMK)of St. Jacob Parish of KelapaGading in North Jakarta, to
-
gether with youths from otherparishes in the Jakarta archdio
-
cese, visited 30 poor childrenat Rumah Kerang (House ofScallops).The facility is managed bythe Daughters of Charity of St.
Vincent de Paul in the coastal
district of Cilincing.Most of the poor children thereeke out a living shelling scallopsfor less than US$1 a day.During the four-hour visit,
 Youths reach out to poor children during Lent
the Catholic youths distributedbooks and schoolbags as wellas rice, cooking oil, sugar, salt,milk, instant noodles, soap andsecondhand clothes. They alsomade a cash donation to SisterFransiska Hermin, head of the
convent.“This … is in re-sponse to the arch-
diocese of Jakarta’sLenten message onpoverty. This is whatinspired us,” Ermel
-
inda Tara, KKMK’scoordinator, told UCANews.Young Catholics
should be called upon
to care for those inneed, she said.
“We chose this placebecause we wanted
to help children frompoor families. We wanted to givethem something which they re
-
ally needed,” she said.
Tara said the group sent out
emails, contacted people onInternet social networking sites
and made an announcement in
the parish’s weekly bulletin.She wants to see young Catho
-
lic workers providing “a ‘hook’instead of a ‘fish’ in order to
encourage people to help them-selves.”
Sister Hermin thanked theyouths for the visit and their
contributions.
“It is good that young
people have such aspirit. It helps themunderstand the lives
of poor children here,”she told UCA News.Faisal, a 9-year-oldMuslim boy, expressed
his gratitude. “I am
happy to get a new
schoolbag. It was also
good to play with theyoung Catholics herein the nuns’ house,”he told UCA News.
(UCAN)
Indian bishops respond to image of Jesus smoking and drinking
until March 3, was issuedon Thursday.“We are deeply offend
-
ed by the blasphemousimage of Christ usedon school books and onposters,” they said in thestatement published byFides. “We feel sad andindignant for this act of
sacrilege. We support
the legal actions takenby the government inthe states of Meghalayaand Punjab, towards the
perpetrators. “The image was original-
ly found in textbooks inthe city of Shillong, whichis located in the state ofMeghalaya. Protests andunrest resulted from theposting of enlarged imag
-
es in the streets of several
Punjabi cities. The state
of Meghalaya is prepar
-ing a lawsuit against the
publisher, Skyline Publi
-
cations, while the state ofPunjab looks to prosecutethe groups responsible for
the printing and distribu-
tion of posters.
In their statement the
bishops took their appealto a higher level, asking
the central government
to “promote, protect,and defend respect forreligious symbols of allcommunities of believers
throughout India.”
An apology issued lastweek by the publisher
claimed that the photo
was included in text
-
books due to “human
error.” The bishops ac-
knowledged the apologyand said they hope such
an error would never
repeat itself in any pub
-lication in India.Commenting on the
possibility of an “anti-blasphemy law” inMeghalaya, the Indian
Church stated its op-
position. Such an articlealready exists in the coun
-
try’s penal code which
establishes penalties
for those who “hurt thereligious sentiments ofpeople,” they noted.
The bishops added that
a new anti-blasphemylaw could possibly beexploited by fundamen
-
talists against Christians,
as has occurred in neigh-
boring Pakistan.
(CNA)
 
A3
 Vol. 14 No. 5
March 1 - 14, 2010 
CBCP Monitor
News Features
The Transfiguration showsthat Jesus alone guides us,Pope Benedict teaches
VATICAN CITY, Feb. 28, 2010—Before the Angelus on the second Sundayof Lent, the Holy Father spoke about the Transguration. He explained thatthrough the lessons in Sunday's readings we are taught that Jesus alone
guides us.
Speaking from his apartment window high above St. Peter's Square, PopeBenedict XVI pointed out that while Luke does not refer to the occasion spe
-
cically as a "transguration," he describes the events and notes the changesin Jesus and the radiance of his garments. At the event, Moses and Elijahaccompanied Jesus as symbols of the Law and the Prophets.Peter, James and John fought off sleep during the event, which the pontiff saidexhibited their lack of comprehension. But when they woke, Moses and Elijahparted from Jesus' side and were covered by a cloud while Peter spoke.This cloud "reveals the glory of God," said the Holy Father, adding thishad also happened to the Hebrew pilgrims in the desert."The eyes can no longer see, but the ears can hear the voice that comes fromthe cloud: 'This is my beloved son. Listen to him!'"At this point in the Gospel, noted the Holy Father, everything returned tonormal and the three apostles found themselves before Jesus alone."Jesus is alone before his Father, while he prays, but, at the same time, 'Jesusalone' is everything that is given to the disciples and to the Church of all time:and that which must be enough on the path," said Pope Benedict."He is the only voice to listen to, the only one to follow," said the Pope,"he that, going up towards Jerusalem, will give his life and one day 'willtransgure our lowly body to conform with his gloried body.'"The pontiff explained that in Peter's words, "Master, it is good that we arehere," is seen a similarity to our own desire for consolation from the Lord.But, he added, "the Transguration reminds us that the joys spread by Godthrough our lives are not starting points, but lights that He gives us in theearthly pilgrimage, so that 'Jesus alone' might be our Law and his Word mightbe the criterion that guides our existence."The Holy Father closed his words before the Angelus inviting all peopleto meditate on the Gospel. He also expressed his wish that all "in this Yearfor Priests Pastors are truly penetrated by the Word of God," knowing it andloving it so it might guide their lives and form their thought.After the Angelus the Holy Father remembered the victims of violence inIraq and called for authorities to protect religious minorities in the country.He also prayed for "relief from suffering” and courage for those hit by anearthquake in Chile on Saturday.
(CNA)
Migrants’ Sunday observance highlights
Church’s concern for OFW’s
MANILA, Feb. 19, 2010─The Catholic Churchpaid tribute to overseas Filipino workers(OFWs) on Feb. 21, the national celebration ofMigrants Sunday, in an effort to make societyunderstand and appreciate more the sacricesOFWs endured to provide their families adecent life.The 24th National Migrants Sunday (NMS)celebration which carried the theme “Sus
-
tainable Economic Development: Key to anEffective Migrant Family Reunication” wasalso an occasion for people to realize how theChurch responds to the growing concern of
labor migration.
Poor economic policy promotes migration
According to the Episcopal Commission on
Migrant and Itinerant People (ECMI) of theCatholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines(CBCP), the decline of socio-economic and
political environment at home had encouraged
Filipinos to leave the country and seek betterpaying jobs abroad.Many Filipinos, especially the poor are quickto consider migration as the only option to com
-
bat economic poverty and social injustice.But the government, even after four decadesof labor migration, has shown insufcient eco
-
nomic development for its own people.Many OFWs observed that a lot depends
on good governance to create a sustainableeconomic environment that would enticeinvestments.
“Job creation that would not only affordtheir basic daily needs but offers hope toupgrade the ordinary people’s economic andsocial standards are key elements that woulddiscourage them to abandon the homeland,”an accountant who had been working in the
Middle East has opined.
Election
The migrants sector regards the upcoming
election as a critical time to assess the stance ofpolitical candidates on the issue of migration.According to ECMI, the OFWs have ex
-
pressed their opinions that the next set ofpolitical leaders should seriously address theplight of migrants.
Both Church and migrants’ sector believe
that a strong political will is needed for goodgovernance to take effect in the country’s
leadership.
NMS celebration in Dioceses
Several dioceses that have active migrants’ministry honored the unsung heroes in theirareas with program of activities during the
migrants’ celebration.
Seven parishes at the Archdiocese of Cagayande Oro City joined the rst diocesan celebrationof NMS with a Eucharistic celebration presidedby Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, SJ. He wasassisted by Msgr. Tex Legitimas, according toSr. Alice Arreglo, DC of the Apostleship of theSea-CDO.In Davao, Archbishop Fernando Capallaled the migrants and their families in a massand fellowship in Davao City, together withhis newly-appointed diocesan minister for
migrants.
The Diocese of Tagbilaran hosted the majorcelebration of NMS in the Visayas. BishopLeonardo Medroso led about 1,500 migrantsand their families at the Eucharistic celebrationcelebrated at Wisdom School Gym, accordingto Gerry Gonzales, ECMI-Visayas Coordinator.Similar activities were also held in the dioceseof Maasin, Jaro and Bacolod.Bayombong diocese hosted the biggest cel
-
ebration of the NMS in Luzon at the NuevaViscaya State University (NVSU). Bishop
Ramon Villena presided a mass to be attended
by a large number of vacationing OFWs andtheir families.At St. William Cathedral in San Fernando,La Union, Bishop Artemio Rillera held a fel
-
lowship for OFW families after the Eucharis
-
tic celebration where members of La UnionInter-Agency for Migrants Council (LUIMCO)
participated.
In Pampanga, Archbishop Paciano Aniceto
and Bishop Pablo David will led the Kapam-pangans in celebrating the Eucharist at the
Holy Rosary Parish in Angeles City.In Southern Luzon, Archbishop Ramon Ar
-
guelles also led the mass and fellowship withOFW families at St. Francis Major Seminary inLipa City. At St. Gregory Academy in Indang,Cavite, Bishop Antonio Tagle presided over theEucharist, followed by the Sons and Daughtersof Overseas Filipinos (SDO) assembly.In Manila, Antipolo Auxiliary Bishop Francisde Leon led the celebration of the mass at 9:00a.m. at the Nuestra Señora de Guia in Ermitaorganized by the archdiocesan migrant minis
-ter Fr. Tem Fabros.
Meanwhile, Bishop Gabriel Reyes also pre
-
sided a 9:00 a.m. Mass at the Cathedral of Our
   ©  w  w  w .   f  o   t  o  p  e   d   i  a .  c  o  m
VATICAN CITY, Feb. 26, 2010—Speaking to agroup of Catholic business people from Italyin Rome this week, Cardinal Ennio Antonelli,president of the Pontical Council for the Family,highlighted the importance of a united family forraising children. He also touched on issues thataffect the family today.Under the theme of "Family and Business, VitalCells of Society," Cardinal Antonelli spoke aboutthe effects of the composition of the family on the
Family unity essential to childformation, says Cardinal Antonelli
future of children. The Vatican's L'Osservatore
Romano reported that Cardinal Antonelli put
particular emphasis on the effects of a missingfather gure on children.The president of the Council for the Family citedstatistics from the U.S., which he said illustrate atrend in many parts of the Western world. Ninetypercent of homeless people, 72 percent of adoles
-
cent suicides, 60 percent of rapists and 85 percentof youth in jail grew up without a father present,
he said.The cardinal also listed a number
of other negative effects on childrenwhose parents don't remain together.These children are particularly sus
-
ceptible, he stated, citing statistics thatshow these kids suffer from doublethe average number of pyschological,scholastic, social and work problems.Among the major causes of this situ
-
ation is the fact that both parents workoutside of the home, he observed. "Theself-realization sought by the womanin a job, in a career, in social successhas as a cost the renouncement of themarriage and children."Cardinal Antonelli expressed hisconcern for additional complicationsbrought on by the ideology that says one canpersonally choose his or her gender, regardless oftheir biological sex. He also warned that the asser
-
tion of a "right" to gay marriage and the adoptionof children by homosexual couples would lead to
complications.
The traditional family, he said, is even beingconsidered oppressive injustice, and matrimonyand maternity are viewed as things from which awoman must liberate herself.The population debate was also touched on byCardinal Antonelli, who called for market reformand demographic equilibrium through respon
-sible procreation as alternatives to methods suchas abortion and contraception that are meant to
decrease fertility, reduce population and increase
economic wealth.In countries that are deemed to be overpopu-
lated, he offered that ethically honest and naturalmethods can be used to limit the birth rate. But,
in countries where population is aging due to a
lack of fertility, he said that there must be a re-evaluation of paternity and maternity, assisted by
economic support.
To start a family, he stated, "you need reason
-
able economic security," and this climate shouldbe provided for through "mechanisms of protec
-
tion."
(CNA)
   ©   P   i  n   k  y   B  a  r  r   i  e  n   t  o  s ,   F   S   P   /   C   B   C   P   M  e   d   i  a
VATICAN CITY, Feb. 23, 2010—To mark the end of the Year for Priestsin June of this year an international convention will be held in Rome.Events are open to priests and anyone else who feels called to "prayer forthe spiritual support and sanctication of Clergy."The convention, titled "Faithfulness of Christ, Faithfulness of the Priest,"will take place from June 9 - 11, 2010. Four major events at various sitesaround the Eternal City are planned to mark the occasion.On the rst day, the theme of "Conversion and Mission" will be de
-
veloped at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside-the-walls, where the remainsof St. Paul lie entombed under the altar. Archbishop Joachim Meisner ofCologne will lead the reection and Cardinal Claudio Hummes, prefectof the Congregation for the Clergy, will preside at Mass.The next day, Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Archbishop of Quebec, will givea conference on "The Cenacle: the invocation of the Holy Spirit in unionwith Mary and in fraternal communion” at the Basilica of St. Mary Major.Cardinal Ouellet's presentation will be followed by a Mass celebrated byCardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone.On the evening of the same day, June 10, a vigil will take place in St.Peter's Square, featuring testimonies, musical interludes, dialogue withthe Holy Father Benedict XVI, Adoration and the Eucharistic blessing.Benedict will preside over Mass at St. Peter Basilica in the Vatican.According to a communique from the Congregation for Clergy announc
-
ing the events, the convention is meant to be a "true and real 'spiritualitinerary.'"The schedule will guide participants from the "the conversion of St. Pauland his missionary zeal" to "the experience of divine intimacy, root andfoundation of every apostulate, in the Cenacle with the Blessed VirginMary and invoking the Spirit."The conclusion of the event offers an occasion for "renewal of the faithand the priestly promises, around the Successor of Peter" in the encounterwith the Pope for Mass at the Vatican.According to the Congregation, the occasion is "obviously" open to "allfaithful who, sincerely and with authentic evangelical spirit, perceive theparticular importance of prayer for the spiritual support and sancticationof the Clergy, as well as the consecrated souls that live the dimension ofspiritual maternity, in communion and under the example of the BlessedVirgin Mary."
(CNA)
International conventionmarking Year for Priestsopen to all faithful
MANILA, Feb. 19, 2010—Commu
-
nities of Sibuyan Island in Romblonprovince have criticized the gov
-
ernment for granting a license to aCanada-based rm to mine in the
island.
The Department of Environmentand Natural Re
-
sources (DENR) has
granted the Canada-based Altai Resourc-es through its Phil-
ippine subsidiary
Altai PhilippinesMining Corporation
(APMC) a permitto mine nickel on1,822 hectares in the
island.
DENR secretaryLito Atienza signedthe accord last December 23, 2009,ve days before he quit the post onDecember 28.
Anti-mining groups censured thegovernment’s deal with the mining
companies saying the agreementwill destroy the island’s diverseecosystem.“Sibuyan folks are disgusted andannoyed with this kind of develop
-
ment. We were not even informed
about the approval and no news
whatsoever. We just knew about it
when a statement was published on
the internet,” said Domingo Marin,president of Sibuyanons AgainstMining (SAM) a Sibuyan-based ad
-
vocacy group.Sibuyan communities got holdof news of the mining agreement
Sibuyan island communitiesdecry midnight mine deal
 January 8 this year, when it wasannounced in Australia by PelicanResources Ltd., parent company ofSunshine Gold Pty., Ltd, which hasa stake at Sibuyan Nickel Proper
-ties Development Corporation
(SNPDC), a company owned by
APMC.The agreement between the
government and mining companywas confirmed in a letter sent byEngr. Roland de Jesus of the Mines
and Geosciences Bureau Region
IV-B to the Sibuyan Island Senti
-
nels League for Environment Inc.(Sibuyan ISLE).“This is a clear disrespect to Sibuy
-
anons, the government through theDENR has proven again itself as anagent of destruction,” said RodneGalicha, Sibuyan ISLE executive
director.Galicha lamented that the island’s
environment is already being endan
-
gered because of destruction broughtby natural and man-made calamities.
   ©  s  g  p .  u  n   d  p .  o  r  g
Sibuyan / A6Migrants’ Sunday / A6
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