Professional Documents
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Ugnayan
The News Supplement of Couples for Christ
Vol. 15 No. 19
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ECHOING the words of Pope Benedict XVI, Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo stressed the role of the Church as the voice of the poor in the face of injustice and oppressive societal structures.
[The Church] cannot and must not remain on the sidelines in the fight for justice, Lagdameo said, quoting a line from Pope Benedict XVIs celebrated encyclical, Deus Caritas Est. Speaking on September 13 before participants of the National Conference of Church People and Workers in Cebu Citys Mariners Court, Lagdameo quoted extensively from Church social documents highlighting the Churchs position on the dignity of labor and rights of workers. He explained to 800 church people and workers gathered at the plenary hall, the development of the Church social documents from Pope Leo XIIIs
Injustice / A6
Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma (2nd from left) assures workers of Churchs active involvement on labor issues during a press conference at the opening of a national conference of Church PeopleWorkers Solidarity in Cebu City, 13 September 2011. Also in the panel are, from left, Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, Jaro Auxiliary Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, and Protestant Bishop Nathanael Lazaro, President of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP).
RH bill sponsors questioned Church, workers urge govt to create on birth control supplies as just labor policies essential medicines
IF contraceptives are only meant for birth control, then why are they tagged as essential medicines under the RH bill? Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile asked this and other questions as the Senate resumed the period of interpellation for the controversial reproductive health (RH) bill on Sept. 13. Enrile cited Section 9 of Senate Bill No. 2865 titled An Act Providing for a National Policy on Reproductive Health and Population and Development, which orders the inclusion of hormonal contraceptives, intrauterine devices, injectables, and other safe, legal and effective family planning products and supplies in the National Drug Formulary. These products and supplies shall also be included in the regular purchase of essential medicines and supplies of all national and local hospitals, provincial, city, and municipal health offices, including rural health units, the Senate version of the RH bill states. The section is titled Family Planning Supplies as Essential Medicines. Interpellating one of the RH bill sponsors, Sen. Pia Cayetano, Enrile noted that condoms do not cure anything while pills, injectables, and intrauterine devices work to prevent fertilization. Enrile reiterated his belief that the RH bill is a population control measure disguised as a health measure, since You cannot reduce the size of the family without reducing the population of the country. There is no coercion but the result is population control, he said. Aiding Cayetano, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, also an RH sponsor, said birth control, the supposed aim of the bill, was different from population control. The former allows women to control the number of children while in the latter, the State uses its power to reduce the population, particularly those of the unfit. Enrile, however, pointed out that the RH bill is particularly aimed at the poor. This is a law where the state itself intervenes in the size of the family. It is cleverly devised and disguised as a health measure. It is not health, its reproductive health, a very specific kind of health, he said. He asked: Why zero in on reproductive health? How many people
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CHURCH people and workers called on government to put an end to exploitative working conditions and create just labor policies that give workers their right to security and decent living. In a conference held by church people and workers in Cebu City on Sept. 12-15, participants threshed out, through a series of testimonies and workshops the three main issues plaguing Filipino workers today contractualization, unjust wages, and the violation of the workers right to organize. Ignoring its inherent immorality, the legalization of contractualization allows capital to violate the workers
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Church and labor leaders discuss priority concerns of Filipino workers during workshops at the four-day national conference of Church people and workers in Cebu City.
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World News
CBCP Monitor
September 12 - 25, 2011
Vol. 15 No. 19
www.catholicnewsagency.com
Vatican Briefing
With charity comes responsibility, says Pope
Photo courtesy of Caritas Education Program
literacy since 1983 to help the government. Currently we run 463 schools in various areas of the country that benefit 27,780 poor students. The state-run NonFormal Education Bureau estimates that the countrys current literacy rate stands at 53 percent, with an estimated 37.3 million people qualifying as comChildren study at a Caritas-run school in rural Bangladesh pletely illiterate. Supti Biswas, a teacher in Dhaka, said He added that Caritas schools also provide poverty remains a challenge to achieving additional curricula, including music and art, target education goals. for the intellectual growth of students. Poor parents are reluctant to send their Most Caritas schools are located in exkids to school. Moreover, they are not aware tremely poor and remote areas where govof the bad effects of illiteracy. ernment facilities have yet to reach. She added that some parents consider subWere keen to make schooling a pleasing jects such as music or art as useless or a waste experience for the kids. So we try to do it in of time. a way they love, Rozario said. (UCAN)
Benedict XVI underlined the importance of fraternal correction in the life of the Church on Sunday, Sept. 4 in his weekly address before praying the midday Angelus. Addressing the crowds that gathered in the courtyard at Castel Gandolfo, the Pope reflected on the Gospel for the day, which centered on the theme of fraternal charity, which he said has its source in the communion of the Trinity. The Pope notes that in the Gospel text, taken from Matthew 18, it states that brotherly love also includes reciprocal responsibility, on account of which, if my brother sins against me, I must be charitable to him and, first of all, speak with him personally, showing him that that what he said or did is not good.
Pope to youth: Dont let routine swallow prayer
Benedict XVI is inviting young people to protect their prayer time as vacation ends and usual activities return. The Pope said this Sept. 7 at the end of the general audience, which was held again in St. Peters Square, after the several-week break during which the audiences were given from Castel Gandolfo. The Holy Fathers traditional greeting to youth, sick and newlyweds focused on prayer, which is the theme of his current catechesis series. Dear young people, returning after vacation to the usual activities, may you know how to find time each day for conversation with God, and may you radiate his light and his peace to all those around you, he said. (Zenit)
Ireland stands by criticism of Vatican in Cloyne report
The government of Ireland has thanked the Vatican for its response to the Cloyne report, but stands by its criticism of a 1997 letter that Ireland says gave some clergy a pretext for covering-up sexual abuse accusations. In a brief statement issued today, the government of Ireland said it welcomes the statement in the response that the Holy See is sorry and ashamed for the terrible sufferings which the victims of abuse and their families have endured. The 400-page Cloyne report, published in July, found that Bishop John Magee of Coyne, who resigned in 2010, ignored the 1996 child protection guidelines set down by the Irish Catholic Bishops Conference and failed to report to the police at least nine of 15 sexual abuse allegations in that period. (Zenit)
Benedict XVI praises us for resilience after 9/11
Archbishop Vincentius Sensi Potokoa of Ende holds a machete normally used by ethnic leaders
district in East Nusa Tenggara, was reopened yesterday by Archbishop Vincentius Sensi
Benedict XVI is praising the people of the United States for their resilience in moving forward after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, which left some 3,000 dead. In a letter sent to Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York, the president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Pope expressed his prayerful support as the United States marks the 10th anniversary of the attacks on the Twin Towers in New York, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and on a plane that crashed in Pennsylvania. The note, dated Sept. 11, 2011, states: On this day my thoughts turn to the somber events of September 11, 2001, when so many innocent lives were lost in the brutal assault on the twin towers of the World Trade Center and the further attacks in Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania. (Zenit)
Vatican phone numbers not revealed in WikiLeaks cable dump
www.ucanews.com
A WikiLeaks release of leaked State Department cables has drawn criticism for exposing sensitive diplomatic information. However, the massive release did not reveal confidential Vatican phone numbers but contained information already available in the city states public directory. A December 27, 2004 unclassified cable from the U.S. Embassy at the Vatican contained contact information for figures in the Vatican government. It included numbers for the papal office and residence and for the residence of then-Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano. The number for the papal office reaches the Prefecture of the Pontifical Household, the office which maintains the Apostolic Palace and organizes events such as the general audiences. The phone number listed for the papal residence is in fact a direct line only to the Vaticans telephone operators, who are religious sisters. (CNA)
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 15 No. 19
September 12 - 25, 2011
News Features
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ist, such as painting or frescoes, ca n d i r e ct ou r thoughts to God and nourish in us the desire to draw from the source of all beauty, said the Pope. One dramatic example Pope Benedict offered was the life of 19th century French poet and playwright Paul Claudel. An anti-clericalist, he had attended Christmas Mass at the Basilica of Notre Dame in Paris in The Disputation of the Sacrament painting by Raphael at the Vatican Museum. 1886 in search of arguments against Christians. Instead, express the faith and remind us of our us, that almost wounds us in our Claudel was instantly converted to Ca- relationship with God. inner selves and invites us to rise tholicism by the beauty of the basilica He said that visiting churches, art towards God. choirs as they sang the Magnificat. galleries and museums is not only an Appropriately, the Popes comments The Pope described this moment as the occasion for cultural enrichment but can come hours ahead of a classical concert grace of God working in his heart. also be a moment of grace, an encour- being hosted in his honor at Castel Pope Benedict concluded by inviting agement to strengthen our relationship Gandolfo. Various compositions by everybody to rediscover the impor- and our dialogue with the Lord. Cardinal Domenico Bartolucci, the Ditance of this path for prayer, for our It is where we can to stop and rector of the Sistine Chapel Choir, will living relationship with God, pointing contemplate, in the transition from be performed by a combination of voout that most towns and cities across simple external reality to a deeper cal soloists, choir and orchestra. (CNA/ the world preserve works of art that reality, the ray of beauty that strikes EWTN News)
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Filipino priests and eight foreign priests are currently staying at the PCF. Gaston said the declining The community of Pontificio Collegio Filippino in Rome. number of PCFs resident-priests puts to risk the is also going to affect the quality of the next Collegios operation and maintenance given generation of Filipino priests. the scarce funds. For every priest you send to study in We are under-populated right now and any Rome, there is a multiplying effect because help to the PCF would be useful, Gaston said. our alumni usually become professors and As per PCFs estimate, each resident-priest formators in the seminary. Conversely, the is to spend a minimum of 10,000 Euros an- decline will definitely affect the quality of nually for their tuition, board and lodging our seminarians, who will eventually beexpenses at the PCF. Although the price come our priests, he said. of studying in Rome and staying in the Gaston added that the great return of inCollegio is expensive, Gaston said it is rela- vestment made in sending priests to study tively cheaper than sending priests to other in Rome will be evident in terms of the countries and paying 15,000 US dollars per quality of priests that our alumni will help semester for tuition alone. educate and in terms of the spiritual formaWe are trying to encourage our bishops tion of the laity. to send their priests to study in Rome. We The PCF is currently celebrating its yearare trying to convince them that solicitations long jubilee celebration this year. A series of from lay people within their dioceses can activities, including a private audience with fund their priests schooling if their archdio- Pope Benedict XVI last February, was plotted ceses or dioceses cant afford it, he said. since last October 7 for the celebration. Gaston warned that not only is the declinCollegio alumni are expected to come ing number of Filipino priests studying in home on October 4 to 10 for a culminating Rome threatening the operation of PCF, it activity set on October 7. (Kris Bayos)
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EDITORIAL
Opinion
The pro-RH lie
CBCP Monitor
September 12 - 25, 2011
Vol. 15 No. 19
IN last weeks senate hearing a Pro-RH Senator finally admitted that the heavily hyped eleven maternal deaths per day in the Philippines is a public relations phrase used by NGOs to drive home a point. The doctoring of statistics is certainly a case of intellectual dishonesty that can never be whitewashed by any intention no matter how good. In this case, the intention is even doubly dubious in the sense that it is now obviously deceiving some tax payers into believing that there is an urgent need for a legislation that will cut down on maternal deaths. But of course more frightening is the fact that this deception has found its way into text books of schools to teach young minds and ultimately trigger a perspective and behavior that will look at pregnancy as death-causing and therefore should be avoided like a disease. And look at how the pro-RH diehards are trying to convince legislators and the public that birth control pills are essential medicines. The driving home a point alibi is not actually as comfortable and slight as it seems; it is actually a lot more penetrating that will sadly cause a long term effect in education and mores, like it is now happening in the West and in most European countries. Naivet aside, the scheme is sinister, the program is global. The same maybe said of the gigantic figures of abortion incidence in the country that Senator Santiago has raised to 570,000 annually which, if true, is easily half the number of abortions in the United States where abortion is legal and where the population is roughly four times more than the Philippines. Reportedly, she has based her claim on the 2008 extrapolations by the Guttmacher Institute and the UP Population Institutewhich analogically is like asking thieves about the incidence of robberies in the country. The New York-based Guttmacher Institute is the former research arm of the pro-abortion group Planned Parenthood, the largest provider of abortion services in the US. Of course these abortion figures are, to borrow Santiagos term, taken from thin air. The Guttmacher statistics were mere extrapolations of a projected 90,000 or so admissions in hospitals across the country in 2008 due to abortion complications and then multiplying it by a factor of 6 or 7. At the Senate Hearing last week, this prompted Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile to say: In other words this may or may not be true, referring to the half billion alleged cases of abortion in the country annually, to which Santiago replied in the affirmative. But one thing good with the RH Bill debates is that cans of worms are getting opened and more lies are being exposed. Another one is, in all debates conducted by television networks that are mostly pro-RH, the numbers are slowly but surely favoring where the truth is.
Tidbits
AUGUST 27, 2011 marked the 19th anniversary of the founding of the Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals (BCBP) in Tagbilaran. It was a day to celebrate, to relish and to reflect on how Christ and the gospel values have made a difference in the lives of many of our business men and professionals. I was very much honored to be invited into the occasion for it gave me the opportunity to keep in touch with persons of deep and variegated influences in society and to see how Christ and the Bible message of honesty and integrity through nineteen years of journey by the group have shaped their lives in the privacy of their consciences, their homes, and in their chosen works and profession, dealing with other persons in the marketplace and offices. I had wanted to hear testimonies of how the law of the marketplace has given way to the priorities of Gods Kingdom in doing business. The message of Christ who once
said: Seek first his kingship over you, his way of holiness, and all these things will be given you besides (Mt 6: 33), has this made some positive changes among members of the BCBP, shaping them into Christians, gentlemen of character, who do not park their precious faith in the Church on Sunday but live it through thick and thin seven days a week? It is not easy to bring Christ and his message to ones daily professional and business ventures. A person of integrity, just, honest, and God-fearing in secular dealings is not necessarily assured of monetary profits nor of promotion in the office. In the world of reality the smart guy unscrupulous in financial dealings often gets the substantial profit. The shrewder one is in business enterprise the more profit he makes. Jesus himself had seen this irony in life when he once made this comment: Because the worldly take more initiative than the other worldly when
Love Life
We are tightly bound together in the bundle of life. It is not possible to benefit at the expense of another. When we hurt somebody we harm ourselves. When we contribute to anothers death, something of our humanity dies. When we love others, we are loving ourselves. Although humans assume that they are immune to any destructive force which might threaten the human species, it is evident that the human species is endangered. There are many ways to show this. For example, the birth rate is dropping in most countries of the world. The declining population is adversely affecting the economy of these countries. The sensitive balance that maintains the relationship between mother and father and between parents and children is being distorted in such a way that people have considerably less concern for one another, especially for the weak and poor, thus costs of social services and medical care increase. (Philip Ney, Deeply Damaged, p. 10) There are no innocent bystanders. Our nightly examination of conscience should not only include our sins of omissions as well, which might be the greater number! Lobby to stop the passage of the RH Bill is urgent. Let us budget our time and resources so that we can participate in whatever way we can. Dr. Philip Ney sends us this message that the Philippines is giving away their greatest asset and advantage in world markets if they allow freely available abortion and contraception. Science has proven that these have no benefit to
Love Life / A5
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Living Mission
IN writing the Acts of the Apostles, the evangelist Luke often describes the mission of the Church, like the mission of Jesus, as the work of the Spirit. After the Resurrection, the disciples experienced the transforming event of Pentecost, as promised by Jesus at the Ascension: you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and then you will be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judaea and Samaria, and indeed to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Pentecost fills the disciples with courage; it urges them to announce their experience of Jesus with great hope and enthusiasm. The Spirit gives them the ability to bear witness to Jesus with boldness. The Greek word for boldness is parrhesia. It can also mean enthusiasm, energy, or courage. In the Acts of the Apostles Luke uses this word twelve times to characterize the dynamism and fearless witness of the transformed apostles. For example, the members of the Jewish Sanhedrin were astonished by the
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boldness shown by Peter and John, considering they were uneducated laymen, and they recognized them as associates of Jesus (Acts 4:13). The Spirit-given virtue of boldness remains an essential dimension of missionary witness today. The advice of Saint Paul to his mission collaborator Timothy captures the essence of this virtue. Fan into flame the gift that God gave you when I laid my hands on you. Gods gift was not a spirit of timidity [cowardice], but a spirit of power and love and self-discipline (2Tim. 1:6-7). Later, Paul tells Timothy: I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message, be persistent, whether the time is favorable or unfavorable [in season or out of season]; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with utmost patience in teaching (2Tim 4:1-2). Christians today frequently find themselves in a society that is often indifferent (sometimes hostile) to the message of Jesus. While there may not be open resistance to the Gospel, secular values promoted
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 15 No. 19
September 12 - 25, 2011
Opinion
Jaime Cardinal Sin
much more than what appeared, read much more that what were written. Fooling was not easy. The propensity he had to pray. He prayed in the chapel and prayed in the car going somewhere. He prayed anytime he had the time. In todays language, he was a 24/7 praying man. The tenacity in his convictions. He received contradicting information. He welcomed different opinions. He listened to opposing advisories. But when he became convinced of something, that was it. The comfort he had when meeting with the mighty and when in the company of the weak. He was at home in the presence of powerful individuals. And he was also at ease when finding himself among the poor. The charismatic leadership he held. He not only spoke but also acted accordingly. Truth to tell, he was leadership incarnate in the hearts and minds of ordinary mortals, bishops and archbishops included. No. This is not a campaign for his sainthood. This is not even a drive to make him a hero of one kind or another. This is simply to tell truth about a special man God then gave to His people.
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Fr. Carmelo O. Diola
Oscar V. Cruz, DD
Duc in Altum
in the Advisory Board of the Catholic San Francisco newspaper; she introduced the Simbang Gabi (Dawn Mass) tradition in San Francisco in 2008. Bro. Titus was a resident of Fresno, California who has 17 years of dedicated service as choir director, Finance Council member and coordinator of fund raising projects at St. Mary the Queen of Apostles Parish. The Benemerenti award is a Pontifical decoration begun by Pope Gregory XVI in 1852 and conferred in recognition of distinguished service in the military. In 1925, the award started being given to persons, both civil and military, lay and clergy alike who exhibited long and exceptional service to the Catholic Church at the local level and the community. The next higher award is the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice. *** September is one of the most celebrated in our family; five members were born in this month: our eldest sister Ate Violeta Lita Rosales and her eldest son Marc Glenn, our youngest sister Flordeliza Isa Imperial and her eldest son Roberto Enrico, and Paulo Roberto Santiago who is the eldest son of my youngest brother Roberto Bobby. May our Lord Almighty give you many more birthdays to celebrate with us together. Happy Birthday and Happy Sacerdotal Anniversary to Rev. Fr. Jun Erlano of San Roque Cathedral Parish, Caloocan City; also Happy Birthday to Rev. Fr. Nestor Fajardo of Sacred Heart Tugatog Parish, Malabon City and Ms. Rona Marie Apellanes of the Chancery Office of Kalookan Diocese.
office, c/o Joseph Jesalva at email address laiko_phils@yahoo.com.ph or by fax at (02) 527-3124. The Laiko office telephone number is (02) 527-5388. Archdioceses, Dioceses and Parishes are also requested to promote the theme of the Laity Week through homilies in the daily masses during the week by reflecting on the life of the saint for each day. They may likewise organize half-day round table forum, seminar or prayer meeting on the theme of the Laity Week attended by the diocesan youth councils, parish youth organizations and movements, diocesan laity councils and lay leaders so that they can get to know each other and work together to deepen the participation of the youth in the parishes and in the arch/dioceses and integrate them into the basic ecclesial communities. Likewise, to support the ministry on the laity some dioceses hold second collection during the Saturday and Sunday Masses of the Laity Week. *** Congratulations to our Filipino-Americans fellow Papal Awardees from the Archdiocese of San Francisco, California. His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI has conferred the Benemerenti Award on Nellie Hizon and Titus Verzosa. The former was a former parishioner of the Immaculate Conception Parish in Concepcion, Malabon City who was very active in parish projects before her family emigrated to the U.S. Lady Nellie is Vice Chairman of the pastoral council of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, member of the Board of Regents of St. Patrick Seminary and
Candidly Speaking
THE Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church dedicates a big section to this topic of morality and the economy precisely because it in itself is important and essential in our life, and also because it is often forgotten or taken for granted, if not wantonly violated. In one point of the Compendium, it is said that the relation between morality and economics is necessary, indeed intrinsic: economic activity and moral behavior are intimately joined one to the other. (331) We have to remember that economics is not only a science but also a human activity, involving not only individuals but also whole societies. It cannot help but assume moral requirements that we have to pursue and fulfill, develop, protect and defend. Economics should not be done in a purely materialistic way, expressed in terms of money alone, or profit. That would be an inhuman economics that would sooner or later convert us into objects or targets, and not anymore as persons, and much less as children of God. We have to be wary of the subtle pressuressocial and politicalthat lead us to forget about morality in economics. Some political leaders, for example, in their effort to gain
Love Life / A4
political advantage, can just pursue economic plans that produce quick political favors but sacrifice some moral and spiritual requirements. We can refer to the phenomena of workaholism and professionalitis that afflict many people and that erode family life as well as spiritual life of personal prayer and the fulfillment of religious obligations. We also have the culture of indiscriminate dole-outs and bail-outs, and other forms of questionable entitlements and privileges that spoil people, making them overly dependent on others and the government. There are other forms of inequalities and injustice: hiring of minors, pressuring women to work at the expense of caring for the family, unhealthy working conditions like young people asked to work overtime and at grave-yard shifts for long periods of time, children used in cybersex, etc. The bad effects are unmistakable and are growingphysical, mental and spiritual deterioration, alcoholism, marital infidelities, family break-ups, cultural impoverishment, growing materialism, greed and envy. We cannot anymore treat these problems independently of the organic relationship between morality and economics. We
patients or to society. The growing evidence, easily produced by many studies, show that women are harmed 99.98% of the time. If women are harmed, so is
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the family. If the family is harmed, so is the nation. It is abundantly clear that no country can run a free market economy on a declining population. This fact has
to be shouted now. To participate in lobby activities against the RH Bill, contact Pro-life office at 733-7027, life@prolife.org.ph
mission and to effectively bring it to its proper fulfillment. What are some sources of this pivotal virtue for mission in the world today? True boldness will come from our constant reading of the Word of God. It will be received from prayer and partici-
pation in the Eucharist. We are strengthened from mutual support of the Christian community. Authentic boldness is built upon solid knowledge of the Christian faith and from our daily attempt to live a Christian life-style. Gods message needs to be
spoken and given witness within all strata of daily life (personal, social, political, economic, artistic, educational, etc.). We make our own the prayer of Acts 4:29: Help your servants to proclaim your message with all boldness (parrhesia). We pray that the
closing words of Acts, which were spoken of Saint Paul, will be true of each one of us: He proclaimed the Kingdom of God and taught the truth about the Lord Jesus with complete freedom and without hindrance from anyone (Acts 28:31).
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Local News
CBCP Monitor
September 12 - 25, 2011
Vol. 15 No. 19
and international affairs. The conference, the first time in Asia is being hosted by AMI-Philippines together with the Philippine Air Force. The groups assembly, which began September 10 until September 16, is being held at the Sulu Riviera Hotel in Quezon City. Philippine Air Force Commanding General Oscar H. Rabena, who heads the events Philippine delegation, said the conference is well in line with the Air Forces core values. The theme of the conference is Military Ordinariate of the Philippines at 25: A Graceful Past Renewing Towards a Peaceful Future. Military Ordinary Leopoldo S. Tumulak serves as Spiri-
tual Adviser of the event. Some 100 delegates from local and international communities are participating in the assembly. The conference aims to underscore the groups constant theme which requires the Catholic members to reflect upon their service and shape it in line with the Christian faith and support their service for peace and justice in the Church and in the public. This is especially so now that peace, freedom, justice, human dignity and rights are often called in question, threatened and even attacked, so all members and member countries of the AMI should join forces and create an
atmosphere which correspondents to the Christian concepts of the world and mankind, General Rabena said. AMI President BGen Reinhard Kloss explained that for more than 46 years, the AMI has performed its self-chosen tasks of clarifying and explaining the moral standards and values of Christian service members and representing them at national and international level to promote international understanding and cooperation. This serves, he said, as AMIs contribution in keeping peace throughout the world by jointly taking up the social, spiritual, ethical and moral challenges in the military in the light
of the Gospel and the teachings of the Church. Aside from the Philippines, other members include Austria, Belgium, Colombia, Croatia, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Kenya and Nigeria among others. Its associate members are Argentina, Chile, Latvia, Ukraine, United States of America, Poland and Peru and several other countries. Countries where previous AMI Conferences were held include Germany in 2001, Spain in 2002, Slovenia in 2003, Slovakia in 2004, Lithuania in 2005, Kenya in 2006, Switzerland in 2007, Netherlands in 2008, Austria in 2009 and Germany in 2010. (Melo M. Acua)
tions across all regions in the country. Multiplying it by a factor of 6 inflates the figure to 473,408 the supposed level of induced abortions in 2000. Anecdotal evidence, indirect estimates The older study, however, admits having limited information on the prevalence of abortion, as it relied on anecdotal evidence and a 2006
Injustice / A1
survey of health workers which merely suggested that about one in four women with abortion complications needed to be hospitalized, or a multiplier of 5. To account for improvements in the safety of abortion over the years, Guttmacher and UP simply adjusted the inflation factor to between 5 and 7. Even the figure attributed to hospital records is extrapolated
or merely based on indirect estimates, it turns out. A total of 2,039 hospitals were identified, but usable reports were obtained for only 1,658. For 1,180 hospitals, the study merely assumed that the number of women admitted for abortion complications was half the number of patients admitted for the 10th leading cause of admission. Nearly 400 hospitals did not even have data at all, but were nevertheless assigned 6,000 sup-
posed hospitalizations. Guttmachers 2008 methodology, meanwhile did not consider factors known to reduce maternal mortality or even attempt to get more reliable counts. Santiago defended Guttmacher, saying: Apparently they have a track record of reasonable accuracy. 11 maternal deaths a day for PR purposes During the same floor delib-
erations, Rep. Pia Cayetano, the bills co-sponsor, blasted the reliability of the oft-repeated 11 maternal deaths a day statistic, saying that 11 mothers die everyday is a phrase used by NGOs to drive home the point. The statistic, discovered to be based on old data, is still being used by RH lobbyists as a basis for the urgency of passing the legislative measure as a solution to maternal
mortality. The World Health Organization (WHO) placed maternal deaths in 2008 at just 5.75 a day. Enrile appealed to the pro-RH lobby not to take him to task for questioning the data used to push for the RH bill, saying that he simply wants to make sure that statistical numbers used for the possible passage of this bill are beyond doubt. (CBCP for Life)
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Rerum Novarum that dates back to 1891, a seminal encyclical on Labor and Capital; up to Pope John Paul IIs Laborem Exercens, published in 1981. The social encyclicals, beginning from Rerum Novarum have underlined the Churchs preferential option for the poor, the primacy of labor over capital, and the task of the Church to fight injustice as an essential part of evangelization. Workers look up at Church for support Positively pleased by Lagdameos address, Sr. Emelina Villegas, ICM, Board President of labor NGO, Center for Trade Union and Human Rights, noted that the Church has indeed been adapting to the changing issues of society. I am glad because the Archbishop presented the history of the encyclicals in a developmental mannerhow the Church is adapting and responding to the changing issues that confront society. Although still reactive, the Church is somehow able to cope with our changing reality. With this, my hopes are renewed and I can see that concrete action will result from this [conference], she said. For his part, Kilusang Mayo Uno National Chairperson, Elmer Labog said the Church must not stay neutral when there is injustice because the workers can only depend on the Church for help and support when faced with discrimination. In these times when connivance between capitalists and the government is ever inflicting more suffering to workers and the poor, there is no room for neutrality [for the Church]. Because if the Church will be neutral, then the workers have no one else to run to and the Church might be more easily swayed by reactionary forces. Valid calls for just remuneration Meanwhile, Former Anakpawis Partylist Representative Joel Maglunsod who also attended the conference said that the Church teachings put Anakpawis in a high moral ground and only affirmed their calls and legislative agenda for just remuneration, security of tenure, and protection of workers rights and freedoms. The teachings of the Church only validates that the proposed bills of Anakpawis are just and legitimate in the same way that these bills were aligned with International Covenants and the 1986 Constitution, he said. Why only now? The conference came at the time of the
Churchs commemoration of the 30th year of anniversary of Blessed John Paul IIs encyclical Laborem Exercens. The conference, organizers said, is very timely amid alarming conditions of the Filipino workers not just in the country but also those working abroad. They cited for instance the globalization policies such as outsourcing and the labor export policy which have widened the gap between the rich and the poor. Voicing out what perhaps many of the workers have been wanting to ask the Church for a long time, Lagdameo asked amid wild applause of participants: What we are doing nowa national conferencewhy only now? After 90 years of social teachings of the church, why only now? After 30 years of Laborem Exercens, why only now? And until when? We are not lacking in the tradition of the social teachings, what is lacking in us is to fill it up, he stressed. Lagdameo expressed hopes that the Church continue to live up to the tradition of the social teachings, which evolved in 1891, into this new century and continue to push the boundaries of faith to incorporate the big issues to the future. The Catholic social teaching has been referred to oftentimes as the Catholic Churchs best kept secret. It is Church teaching that is rarely preached about in our pulpits, rarely written about and rarely spoken about in Church circles. Consequently, it rarely informs decision making and action, at least explicitly, he said. Now is a good time to reclaim this tradition and to allow it to become a benchmark for the seeding out of the powerplay in todays world, Lagdameo furthered. Welcome development Reacting to Lagdameos question, on why it is only now that the Church has organized a conference to address labor issues, Labog said that it is always better late than never and the move of the Church to reach out to the workers is still a welcome development. We hope that this conference will result to concrete steps that will truly help the workers in organizing and forming unions. Forming church people-worker groups in economic zones in Mactan, Cavite, Mindanao and some parts of Central Luzon will be of utmost help as workers in these areas experience severe exploitation
and oppression, he said. At least 33 dioceses and archdioceses and around 200 union and association of workers nationwide have sent delegates to participate in the historic dialogue. Church involvement on labor issues Archbishop Guiseppe Pinto, Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, in a message to participants has stressed that primary to Churchs mission is for its leaders to be involved actively in social transformation. He encouraged an active Church involvement in protecting and advancing the rights and welfare of the Filipino workers. Since charity is at the heart of the Churchs social doctrine and action, it is my prayer that the proceedings of this conference may truly be inspired by the Gospel of love and be enacted accordingly, Archbishop Pinto said. Archbishop Dr. Werner Thissen, chairman of the German Bishops Conference for MISEREOR and other international labor and Church organizations have also expressed solidarity to the conference. In view of the difficult situation in which Filipino workers find themselves both at home and abroad and in view of threat to and persecution to trade union members in the Philippines, the Church must show solidarity, Thissen said in his letter. Labor desks creation in dioceses Lagdameo has suggested the establishment of labor desks in dioceses, amid the growing challenges that workers are facing, during a press conference on September 13. According to him present labor issues entail the urgent need for a workable system in the Church that would attend to the concerns of the workers. It will be good that our social action centers start to think about putting up a labor desk so that our workers will have a group to address their concerns, Lagdameo said. Jaro Auxiliary Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, for his part, said the purpose of the conference is to generate responses from the labor sector about the pressing labor issues like the problem on contractualization and low wages. We dont want to preempt the workshop process but definitely as we continue to discuss the present situation, we will try to come out with an action plan, said Alminaza, the prime mover of the CPWS conference.
It will also be submitted to the CBCP and the different dioceses for consideration, he said. Participants coming from the workers and other marginalized groups expressed their hope to gain concrete support from the Church on pertinent national and local issues confronting them. Cebu-based union president Arley Tigle of the CENAPRO Employees Union hopes the Church will influence CENAPRO owner in order to prevent the termination of 19 union officers and members who recently received a notice of termination. President of Visayas Electric Company Employees Union Casmero Mahilum who was illegally terminated said he hopes the Church will continuously support their union. Mahilum was allegedly terminated in a move of VECEU management to crush the union. He was also charged with libel. He claimed the management also violated the terms and conditions of the collective bargaining agreement between the VECEU and the union. Workers of palm oil plantation in Mindanao, meanwhile, wail of unjust wages. Eleazar Abaja, CWS convenor and president of Palm Oil Plantation Workers Union in Agusan said I hope that the Church will help us in our struggle for just wages. According to Abaja, palm oil workers only receive an average of P90 a day for harvesting 30 pieces of fruit bunch. When sold by management, it earns a gross income of P7,200 for the 30 pieces of fruit bunch. Steve Ranjo, convenor of the CWS and National President of PISTON, said that he hopes that the conference will make resolutions that will concretely address the problem of unabated oil price hikes. Oil companies enjoy more profit with the unabated oil price hikes while workers, drivers, and our families suffer from higher cost of gas, transportation and basic commodities, Ranjo said. Thats the reason why I tried to enumerate some of the magisterial statements because you have to look at the social doctrine organically. Each document drew upon and affirmed what preceded it but also added to and develop the teaching. Given this, it is important to point to consistent values and principles within this tradition, he said. (With reports from Roy Lagarde)
oping the Leader Within You, and Stephen Covey s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, are one in underlining the importance of the persons character in financial enterprise, that those business leaders who highly respect their customers, deal fairly with employees, stockholders and partners, will outlive other business undertakings, will remain stable, and will be reasonably profitable in the long run. In time they surely will get back not only their investment but a reasonable profit, not counting the high respect that they earned from the community. In a real sense, good ethics is good business. It pays to Be honest, even if others are not; even if others will not; even if others cannot. Of course, the nineteen years of existence of the BCBP have not been that smooth. The road less traveled is always a lonely and rugged path to traverse. To be ethical and moral in business transactions and in dealings in the profession is wrought with tensionsone has to contend with the wiles of the world, the temptation of quick return on investments, the pressure of society that has become materialistic and secular in its view of life. Even among the members of BCBP has filtered a morality that has been watered down by some schools of thought, such as the schools of consequentialism, situation ethics, and proportionalism. The doctrine proposed by these schools are very alluring indeed. They contend that all human acts are good or indifferent, that their morality depends upon the intention of the agent and the proportionate consequences of the effected acts. The Church looks at askance at this doctrine. It leads to moral relativism, a teaching that denies moral absolutes, that is, those acts that are always right or wrong, acts that are prohibited because they are always evil. But, the members of the BCBP go on as faithful followers of the Church. For deep down in their souls are solidly embedded the Christian values and the ideals of the Christian Brotherhood. The nineteen years of stay in the BCBP with all their personal and shared experiences have convinced them that Christ is still relevant today in the marketplace; that honesty is the best policy; that ethics is good business.
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September 12 - 25, 2011
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generation can evangelize through this technology although other religious are [still] unaware or [even] neglecting the impact of the media on themselves. Msgr. Aguilos said that the secular culture portrayed in mass media has a powerful influence on the consumers of media. As religious involved in the education of the young, you are being challenged into living among the medias appealing techniques and resisting error of their doctrines, he told the Sisters during the assembly. Challenging further the nuns, he added that unless we act forcefully to challenge mass media influences around us, we may be engulfed in a generation of young people who curse, laugh at double meanings in jokes, divorce quickly, jest indifferently about the sexual matters, and scoff [at hope] as unrealistically nave. And if indeed this will be the kind of young people, then , will they have the natural disposition for religious and consecrated life? he asked. (Sr. Gemma Ria de la Cruz, FSP)
Msgr. Ramon Aguilos, Archdiocesan Superintendent of Catholic Schools in Palo archdiocese challenges Religious sisters gathered during their annual assembly to exercise critical thinking in using media so as to become effective educators of the young.
Pro-life leaders discuss vital issues on family life ministries at two-day summit
cations and interconnectedness among individuals and groups worldwide. He admitted that with the advent of computer he thought there was non plus ultranothing was beyond it anymore, but when internet dawned varied effects both good and bad enveloped the users. Themed The Impact of Mass Media on the Religious, the assembly was
held at the Bishop Gonzaga Hall in Holy Infant College, Tacloban City and attended by 95 Religious Sisters belonging to 20 Congregations. When asked why the group chose the theme on media for their gathering, Sr. Marian Ladrera, a nun from the Religious Sisters of Mercy and current president of WRAAP, said even Religious ourselves
are being confronted and affected by the globalization of technology. What are we going to do now as Religious so we can use the media [responsibly]? Mga madre nanonood ng tv, no more critical thinking, only just to entertain themselves, she remarked. She, however, expressed her gratitude that the Religious Sisters of this
Lay leaders from Northern Luzon gathered for two days in Baguio to discuss vital issues on family life ministries.
BAGUIO City Close to a hundred key pro-life leaders held a two-day summit in Baguio to discuss vital issues in family and life ministries. Participating lay leaders came from the Archdioceses of Lingayen-Dagupan and Nueva Segovia, Dioceses of Bayombong, Baguio, Ilagan, Tarlac, Balanga, Laoag, Malolos and Bangued, and Prelature of Tabuk. The two-day event held on August 26 and 27 at the MaryPolicies / A1
heights Diocesan Formation Center in Baguio City was particularly significant as it brought togetherthe first time in many years key leaders of different Family and Life ministries to bond, share experiences and discuss the vital issues at hand. After having reported on the current status of their pro-life and pro-family programs, participants listened to inputs from three speakers: Dr. Rene Josef Bullecer, Country Director of
Human Life International (HLI) Pilipinas and the event organizer; Atty. Jo Aurea Imbong, Executive Secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Legal Office; and Bro. Johma Villahermosa of the Kilusang Kabataan Kay Kristo. The second day of the gathering was devoted to intensive planning, which focused on the short-term and mid-term Strategic Plan of Action or SPA to con-
cretize the participants efforts in neutralizing the anti-life agenda in the Northern Luzon area, particularly on how to effectively combat the Reproductive Health (RH) Bills now pending in both chambers of Congress. The event was organized by HLI Pilipinas with the all-out support of the Episcopal Commission on Family & Life (ECFL) through its Executive Secretary, Rev. Fr. Melvin Castro. (John Luke Evangelista)
SAN PABLO City Lagunas highest Catholic leader has called for a renewed evangelization as an effective means to arrest the increasing crime incidents in the province and uphold respect for life and human dignity. San Pablo Bishop Leo Drona sounded the call during a multisectoral conference of the Diocesan Pastoral Council, held August 30, at the newly constructed multipurpose building of the Most Holy Rosary Parish in Luisiana. The conference was attended by select lay leaders, commission and ministry directors involved in pastoral work. What can we do to prevent heinous crimes being committed in our midst, Bishop Drona asked council members, even as he urged for a renewed proclamation of the Gospel and greater respect for life. Though not citing any specific cases, the Bishop expressed alarm on the reports that Laguna has a high incidence of heinous crimes.
He said it is a challenge to the Church and the faithful to improve and widen the reach of renewed evangelization. The more people we evangelize, the more chances are there for people not to commit crimes; and there will be greater respect for life and dignity of the person created in the image of God, Drona stressed. The bishop assured everyone that all priests of the Diocese are against the Reproductive Health bill and that they will continue the campaign against its passage. He made the assurance when informed that there may be priests who are even supporting the RH bill. He said all external manifestations of the individual clergy do not indicate any one in favor of the bill. If there is any priest in the Diocese who has a contrary stand, this clergy, if any, has not externally manifested it, he said. The diocesan pastoral council is headed by the bishop and its director is Fr. Rolando Abarca. (George Dee)
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Briefing
CFC Davao Oriental launches ANCOP
basic right to security. Regular employees are now terminated summarily and then coerced to re-apply as contractual laborers together with new applicants, in total disregard of their many years of service, partly read the conference statement which participants formulated at the end of the four-day convention. The statement was highlighted with excerpts from the Catholic Churchs social teachings, stressing the primacy of labor over capital and the right of workers to organize. The group decried the practice of contractualization which deprives workers of the benefits of tenure and prevents them from organizing themselves into legitimate labor unions. They said the system is identical to a modern version of slavery, with contracting agencies simply replacing the slave traders of old.
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The statement also denounced the practice of certain companies to ask workers to sign vouchers certifying that they are paid the minimum legal wage, when in fact, they have received less, under the threat of termination. It also criticized the present governments anti-labor policies citing its pro-capital stance as in the case of PAL vs. PALEA labor dispute. The statement likewise noted that both past and incumbent administrations have done nothing much but to encourage more the continuous outflow of migrant workers because of lack of domestic opportunities. Focused on increasing the remittances to prop up a failing economy, the government has put in place exploitative labor policies to avoid facing up to the basic need of generating employment for its citizens. The social cost of forced migration to Philippine society
is equally staggering, it further read. Among other things, the statement also recommended for the establishment of Church People and Workers Solidarity as a permanent organization to serve as an instrument to assist workers in their struggle for dignity and rightful recognition as partners in the pursuit of peace and progress in the country; to task current convenors to serve as the transitional leadership body charged with defining and establishing the needed organizational structures for the new group; and to mandate the transitional leadership group to formulate and develop programs and services that the CWS would undertake in behalf of workers. The statement was read during the closing Eucharistic celebration at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral on Sept. 15, the 30th anniversary of Pope John Paul IIs encyclical on Human Work (Laborem Exercens). (CBCPNews) in Africa and North America will also be held soon, he said. The continental conferences and that which is slated in Germany next year are meant to identify the challenges to the BECs in Asia and throughout the world in the light of the recent social, economic, and cultural developments, especially globalization and post or late modernity. (CBCPNews)
MATI, Davao OrientalAnswering the Cry of the Poor (ANCOP) is the current battlecry of the Couples for Christ (CFC) Global Group in the diocese of Mati, province of Davao Oriental. CFC launched ANCOP at the Provincial Capitol Gym in Mati last August 20-21 simultaneous with their 17th foundation anniversary in Davao Oriental and the CFCs 30th anniversary in the Philippines. Around 900 CFC members couples, singles, handmaids, servants and kids came to celebrate the two-day gathering. (Sr. Marietta Alo)
Vigan celebrates election of Benedictine Nuns 5th Abbess
Fr. Amado Picardal of the Episcopal Commission on Basic Ecclesial Communities of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines reported on the state of the BECs in the Philippines. Each (of us) gave a report on the state of the BECs in (our) country and how the BECs have realized the vision of a renewed Church of Vatican II and the challenges that (we) face at presTheology / A1
ent, Picardal said. I am just amazed about the growth of BECs not just in the Philippines but also other countries in Asia. This is a sign of hope of the vitality of the Church in this region, the priest added. According to Picardal, the conference, themed BECs in Asia 50 years after Vatican II, was held in preparation for the anniversary of the
Second Vatican Council next year, when a separate conference for BEC practitioners all over the world will be held in Germany. This meeting was [a] preparation [for] the intercontinental gathering on BECs which will be held in Tubingen, Germany next year. The Latin American BEC continental conference has already been held. The other continental conferences
VIGAN CityThe Benedictine Nuns of the Eucharistic King celebrated the abbatial blessing of Mo. Abbess Maria Cielo Cortez, OSB at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Abbey, on August 30. Adorned with simplicity, the occasion of abbatial blessing was led by Nueva Segovia Archbishop Ernesto Salgado, who is known to be an oblate of said monastery, with other bishops, priests and nuns. Salgado stressed to Mother Cielo that being an Abbess places her in the authority of her community and that this authority means serving her sisters. Mother Cielo then received the Rule of Saint Benedict as her guide in her monastic duty, the ring which serves as a bond to her commitment, and the shepherds staff which symbolizes her pastoral duties to her community. (Mark Vertido)
Malacaang urged to clarify policy on blood money
viction provided that he or she remains sincerely disposed to continue his or her inquiry [about the teachings of God], he added. The Varsitarian report quoted Aligan as saying Santiagos speech, The Reproductive Health Act, Part 1: Primacy of Conscience in Catholic Theology, contained little knowledge and was perilous to its audience. Santiago studied theology at the Maryhill School of Theology, a proponent of liberation theologythe Marxist elements of which had been strongly condemned by Cardinal
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Joseph Ratzinger, the former head of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith who is now Pope Benedict XVI. In her speech, Santiago said: If, after proper study, reflection, and prayer, a person is convinced that his or her conscience is correct, in spite of a conflict with the moral teachings of the Church, the person not only may but must follow the dictates of conscience, rather than the teachings of the Church. But Aligan, quoting the late Pope John Paul II, said Catholics have the duty to know whether their consciences are right or not.
Another theologian, Fr. Joel Jason, dean of studies of San Carlos Seminary emphasized, that one should not commit an act that is wrong even with a good intention. Kahit na maganda yung intention mo (Even if your intention is good), you cannot do something that is evil in order to get something good. Kasi if you do something evil, it will be tantamount to committing sin, Jason said in the Varsitarian article. Jason said the Church will remain faithful to the teachings of Christ, however unpopular they are. (Dominic Francisco)
ANTIPOLO CityMigrante-Middle East urged Malacaang to disclose its policy on blood money (diyya) as part of the efforts of saving the lives of Filipino workers in death row. Migrante-ME regional coordinator John Monterona said, it has been two months since the Palace had created a technical working group to study the policy about giving out diyya but until now, there are no reports being publicized. It was Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, on July 21st, who had announced the formation of the said technical working group. We believe it is time to hear from the Malacaang-formed TWG about the policy proposals in regards to finding sources for the blood money of OFWs on death row, Monterona said. (Noel Sales Barcelona)
Palace urged to provide fisherfolks 50% discount on oil
have died of dengue, malaria, cancer of the breast, cancer of the cervix, cancer of the uterus, hypertension, stroke,
tuberculosis, cholera, typhoid, dysentery? Explaining why the poor was being targeted by the RH bill, Cay-
etano claimed they are being discriminated against when it comes to access to contraceptives. Families should be allowed to
space births, she said, as pregnancy is a burden, a physical, emotional, financial burden. (Dominic Francisco)
ANTIPOLO CityWith the soaring pump prices, the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) urged the government and the big oil companies to provide small fishermen with 50 per cent discount in petroleum products. Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap said that many fisherfolks in the country has zero income due to unabated increase in the prices of diesel and gasoline. The 50 percent oil discount for small fisherfolk users will reduce fuel cost by an average of P20 (US$0.47) per liter to P25 ($0.58) per liter or between P22 ($0.517) per liter for diesel and P27 ($0.63) per liter for gasoline. This would be a great help to fisherfolks whose majority of income goes only to fueling their motorized bancas, he said. (Noel Sales Barcelona)
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Vol. 15 No. 19
Built during the Spanish colonial period, the Fuerza de Capul Parish church was dedicated to St. Ignatius de Loyola.
www.panoramio.com
social workers, counsellors/life coaches, youth group advisers and others who have direct contact with children and youth in their line of work. Slated on September 24, the forum will be from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon at the St. Joseph Retreat House in Bustillos, Sampaloc. A registration of P300 will be asked from participants. The fee will cover one seminar kit, one snack and a certificate of participation signed by organizers. Anyone interested may call up for additional information 733-7027; 7349425, text through mobile# 0919-2337783; or email life@ prolife.org.ph. (CBCPNews)
Dennis Dayao / CBCP Media
Markings
INSTALLED. The Diocese of Masbates third bishop, the Most Rev. Jose Salmorin Bantolo, was installed September 6 at the St. Anthony of Padua Cathedral by Caceres Archbishop Leonardo Z. Legazpi, OP, assisted by Legazpi Bishop Joel Z. Baylon and Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes, SVD. The Papal Nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Guiseppe Pinto witnessed the installation rites while Cebu Archbishop Jose S. Palma delivered the homily. Msgr. Bantolo was vicar general of the Diocese of San Jose de Antique before his elevation to the episcopacy. Bishop Bantolo took over the reins from Msgr. Claro Caluya who served as Apostolic Administrator of the diocese after Bishop Baylon was appointed Bishop of Legazpi in 2009. Bishop Baylon served the Diocese of Masbate from February 14, 1998 until October 1, 2009. Masbates first bishop was Most Rev. Porfirio R. Iligan who served the diocese from June 16, 1968 until his retirement on February 14, 1998. The Diocese of Masbate has a population of 685,201 as of 2004 with 92.2% Catholics with 53 priests and 38 female religious serving its 28 parishes. ORDAINED. Three new priests were ordained for the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro on August 4 and 8, respectively. Reverend Noel Carbayas and Reverend Lino Macatol were ordained on August 4 at St. Augustine Cathedral while Reverend Erdman Pandero was ordained on August 8 at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish. Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio J. Ledesma, SJ led the ordination rites. Reverend Father Lino Macatol is now assigned at San Roque, Magsaysay, Misamis Oriental while Reverend Father Noel Carbayas goes to Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Parish, Jasaan, Misamis Oriental. Reverend Father Erdman Pandero meanwhile will stay at the Bishops House to help in the preparation of the archdiocesan Synod that will take place in the near future. ORDAINED. Rev. Jovani Tubiona, OAR was ordained to the Sacred Order of Deacons at the Our Lady of Consolation Parish Church on September 10, 2011. The ordination rite was officiated by Most Rev. Teodoro Bacani, DD. Twenty-six OAR priests from the different communities attended the occasion. ORDAINED. Noel Y. Bava, S.J., Roberto M. Boholst, S.J., Braulio M. Dahunan, S.J., Edward Joseph T. Magtoto, S.J., Jose Mari V. Manzano, S.J., Jordan J. Orbe, S.J. and Michael C. Porcia, S.J., to the Sacred Order of Deacons, September 10, 2011. Most Rev. Pablo Virgilio David, Auxiliary Bishop of San Fernando, Pampanga presided the ordination rites in the Oratory of St. Ignatius, Loyola House of Studies, at Loyola Heights, Quezon City.
A Mandaluyong City official, Church official, a Mandaluyong parish priest and a relative of Cardinal Sin officiated at each unveiling and blessing. The blessing was also a way of consecrating the neighborhood where a revered man of the Church once resided. Aside from Archbishop Villegas and Bishop Reyes, the other bishops at the ceremonies were Bishop Francisco San Diego, Bishop Emeritus of Pasig, Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara of Pasig, Bishop Honesto Ongtioco of Cubao, Bishop Ruperto Santos of Balanga and Manila Auxiliary Bishop Bernardino Cortez. An exhibit was also put up featuring photos and memorabilia of Cardinal Sin at Villa San Miguel, and a vestment which had been worn by Blessed John Paul II and Cardinal Sin. An entertainment followed the unveiling and blessing of the street signs. The program featured a magician in remembrance of the occasions when Cardinal Sin would gather children in his residence to watch clowns and magicians. (Peachy Yamsuan)
Noli Yamsuan
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Vol. 15 No. 19
September 12 - 25, 2011
Pastoral Concerns
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(Talk delivered by His Eminence Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales at the First Saturday MAGPAS (Manila Archdiocesan Pastoral Assembly) catechism on August 6, 2011, at the Paco Catholic School)
A WISE man was once asked what is most important in life, and he replied, Become that person w.ho always wants to be (Number) One. Buong buong nagiisa. To know less than one would leave the world with nothing(one minus one is zero); more than one would leave the world in pieces. (Dalawa na. So the integrity of the person is very, very important.) There is only one real person that you must be. (ISA KA LANG! And you must pay attention as to what kind of person you must be.) Become that one person! And how important is that one person? He is the only explanation to how s/he should be in the next life. (What you are now that will you be in the next life.) No other individual can influence the making of the future of each one other than ones own self. In the end there is going to be no blaming (wala kang dapat sisihin.) When the final reckoning is reached, you cannot blame anyone. Anyone will be judged according to the way in which he or she has lived (Acts 20:13). (Thats very clear from the Books of Acts. Ang nagtatala, ang scorer sa ating buhay ang siyang magsasabi kung saan ka patutungo.) Thus the task of every person is to be what s/he, in the plan of God is destined to be! Fortunately, it is not the person who chooses what s/he should become, despite the fact that personally one may decide to be an engineer, a doctor, a lawyer, a philosopher, a businessperson, a politician, and a religious, not even becoming a priest. (So what if I am a priest? So what if I am a businessperson or a cardinal? Hindi yan ang mahalaga. You know what? I will not be judged by God as a cardinal. Would you be judged as a mother? Or a teacher? Or a lawyer? Or a businessman? You will be judged by God by the way you were called to live. To become a certain kind of professional is very much the persons choice, but to become a human in the mind of the Creator, God, while imitating Gods goodness and holiness, is a task imposed on every human being from the moment of creation. All of us are given a universal vocation (a call) as human beings, and we are called to repeat, to mirror the goodness and love of God as human persons, living in this temporary abode called the planet Earth. (Upang ulitin, salaminin ang kabaitan ng Diyos.) God created humans in the image of Himself, in the image of God He created him, male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27). The earth is mans temporary home; it is the place where we live and have our own livelihood (dito po tayo naghahanapbuhay. Dito tayo nabubuhay.) It is the place where we prove to the Almighty God that we can be trusted with something more, and He can continue loving us, as He did from the very beginning (Ephesians 1:4). Pansamantala lang tayo dito at hindi dito ang tunay na hantugan ng tao.) To become instruments that will, as living symbols, of a compassionate God be bringing goodness and love among humans, the person needs to be open to the Divine Transcendent, through prayer, through reading, through study. No one earns the intimacy and friendship of another without frequenting or spending more time in the relationship with him or her. There is the accompanying intimacy with persons who mutually need each other, between persons, and also between God and human beings. (You want to be a friend of God? Frequent the presence of God. You want to listen to God? Makinig sa gustong sabihin ng Diyos.) I call you friends because I have made to you everything that I have learned from my Father (John 15:15). Between friends there are revelations and sharing of knowledge, joys and sorrows. Thus the person that lives the mission to be Gods human agent of goodness and love needs to be close to God, so greatly trusted by Him in order that without any hesitation (pag kaibigan ka ng Diyos walang takot) or fear s/he may be able to speak of divine goodness and love to another and live with similar holiness and kindness. Skills in Making Friends Young people are skilled in making initial acquaintances even with near strangers and thus they are ready to share with relative ease whatever grace of kindness they learned from the Master, Lord Jesus Christ. The child, innocently, openly and without hesitation, will go even to a stranger. So, in other words, the property, the trait, the description of an open person would be the child. The question, Master where do you live? (Ginoo saan kayo nakatira? Inosenteng tanong ng batang lalaki). It is a question that conveys a message of initial search for friendship. (Dalawang disipulo, si Juan ang isa na ito. Panginoon saan kayo nakatira?) And that question was rewarded with a life-times love and disciples commitment. The young disciples John and Andrew were once asked that familiarizing question along the river Jordan, Master where do you live? and the whole world was never the same after that question. (Hindi lang yung daigdig ni Juan at ni Andres, nung sabihin nila, Saan kayo nakatira? at sumagot si Hesus, Halikayo tingnan niyo.) And the world was never the same. It only takes a little effort to express the tiniest quest and the result can be long lasting. Simple questions can sometimes become prying inquiries. What is your name, where do you work? And the answers are given that can become introductions to a grace-filled future opening to more graces that can only recall both the icons of God and the presence of God Himself. (Maraming ganun. Kung minsan sa jeepney. Kung minsan din mapapahamak ka. Ano, kumusta... pautang nga? Saan kayo nakatira... puede ba pari makautang naman... Ganun yun.) Great friendships and much love were born of questions that turned out to be quests. Are you happy this way? (Masaya ka ba sa buhay mo? Uy, sa iyo ba ito?). These are questions that led to many vocations. Priests and consecrated persons, women who became nuns, young men who became priests, found their way into the consecrated state in this fashion. And, of course, many happy marriages also found their way to the altar through innocent questions that opened the quest for greater friendship. (Yung skills of making friends sa kabataan iyan.) Relationship is the key to what people need to become the man or woman that God wants them to be. God Himself is three personsFather, Son and Holy Spirit. Lover, Beloved and Love. Giver, Receiver and Gift. Dont you notice that these are three different roles. (Tatlong papel. Tatlong pakikitungo. Tatlong persona. Ang tanong ko ngayon...) Where do you find yourself now? Are you the GIFT today? Are you the GIVER today? If you are, then what have you given? Relationship is important because it alone defines ones role and identity in friendship, in love, in community, in family, even in worship. Before God, I am only a creature who needs to represent Him in all my community and doings. In the family one person may only be a child, or a parent, or a sibling. Relationship defines my task and responsibility. The Need to Become Communicators Important as relationship is, relating is only possible if there is communication between people because communication unites people in union and binds them in communions sharing. In this manner the person in any society, in any congregation or family, needs both the skills and openness of a communicator because without basic communication, relationship is not possible. Communication. (Makitungo ka. Makipagkaisa ka.) Many could have noticed how dialogue has strengthened relationship (Makipag dialogo ka. Makipag-usap ka sa kanya. Makipagkwentuhan ka. Masama ang loob, galit sa akin. Try to communicate.) Dialogue is the practice not only of exchanging ideas, but of sharing of interests and experiences. (Sa dialogo, magkukwentuhan.) In a mutual exchange a clear harmony is slowly identified binding the two individuals in the bond of common interests. An outgoing person easily makes friends and discovers relatives and acquaintances. However, a reticent person is a personality that dilly-dallies and loses many opportunities to make friends. A communicative person makes a lot of friends. Yung bukas kang makipagkwentuhan. Iba kasi bukas sa pakikipagkwentuhan kaysa daldalera. Hindi iyan ang katangiang hinahanap natin kundi yung katangiang bukas magpa-alam, yung bukas na magbahagi, yung bukas na makinig. Eto po ang katangian ng communicator. These are the competencies that we are looking for. Competency in communication. Competency in relationship. Competency in opening to others. Eto po ang ugat ng ating sinasabi. Pag sarado ka hanggang doon ka lang. Kasama mo puro marurunong lang. Alam niyo limitado masyado ang kanyang daigdig. Kaya, in a sense, yung bukas ang kalooban, eto po and magaling maki-relate. Kaya ang ating modelo rito ay para ring Ang Santisima Trinidad. Bukas ang Ama sa sinasabi ng Anak. Bukas ang Anak sa ibinibigay ng Ama. At ang spiritung pinagkakaisa sila. Ang modelo talaga ng buhay natin ay ang tatlong persona sa iisang Diyos. Lahat ay nakikinig sa isa. Hindi nalalamangan ng Anak ang Ama ay hindi nalalamangan ng Ama ang Anak, ang spiritung pinagkakaisa sila. Ang modelo talaga ng buhay natin ay ang tatlong persona sa iisang Diyos. Eto po ang competency na sinasabi natin. Dapat maalam ang nagsasalita tungkol kay Kristo, maalam siya, marunong makisama, makibahagi, relating and communicating. One foreign missionary who for many years worked in our part of Mindanao is known to be estoryador kaayo ... na nag-mission dun sa amin. At talagang istoryador. Isang araw siya ay nagpunta sa bahay at balita na talaga ito na walang tigil na kakakwento. Sabi niya, Ill pass the night with you, Bishop. Okay. Naku, eto na nga. After dinner, alassiyete po ang aming hapunan dun sa Mindanao. Alam niyo nailigpit na lahat ang pagkain, nalinis na nung katulong. Alam niyo hanggang ala-una ng umaga nagkukuwentuhan kami dun sa lamesa. Talagang istoryador. Hindi ako nilubayan ng taong ito. But the friends he left behind had phenomenal memories of that missionarys ministry. He knew what simple but sincere communication is and thereby he left behind living memories of his friendship. The Need for Character The person God chooses to exist and thus capable of imaging His goodness and holiness is a person who in his own self and person possesses moral excellence and an adherence to what is right. (Yung tao palang di karakter ay yung merong moral excellence. Nakatataas ang kanyang pagpapakilala na kilala niyat niyayakap ang mabuti at iwinawaksi ang masama. Mataas na antas ito para maging karakter.) This challenge or rightfully called the mission of man, but there are some who distinguished themselves in this role of being excellent persons and moral examples of life. (Yung mga taong napakataas ang pagpapahalaga sa kabutihan at pagwaksi ng kasamaan, ito pala ho ay mataas ang antas bilang tao.) Our Lord Jesus Christ cited on one occasion the kind of person who was closest to Him, John the Baptizer. (At ano ang kanyang description sa ganitong taong may moral excellence?) I-quote natin sa salita ng Panginoon. What did you go out into the desert to see? (Ano ang inyong pinagmironan dun sa disyerto?A reed shaken by the wind? (Tambong hinahampas ng hangin? May laman ang sinasabi ni Jesus. Ano bang klaseng tao itong si Juan. Ito ba ay
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Updates
CBCP Monitor
September 12 - 25, 2011
Vol. 15 No. 19
Delicta Graviora
important matter than the crimes related to sexual misconduct by clerics. Since this matter has been hugging the limelight in the secular media since the Boston scandal a decade ago, perhaps it is good to tackle the issue a bit more thoroughly, such that we do not only understand the recent guidelines, but perhaps even more importantly grasp the context in which they were given. In the process, we shall understand why the Church procedures for the handling of such cases are the way they are, and why the charges of secrecy and whitewashing leveled against the local Churches and against the Holy See for such cases in the past are not exactly accurate. For this we shall quote extensively from a Historical Introduction, prepared by the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith on the occasion of the publication of the new guidelines published in May 2010.1 1. The Instruction Crimen Sollicitationis (1922) A few years after the promulgation of the 1917 Code, the Holy Office (renamed in 1965 to the present Congregation
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for the Doctrine of the Faith) issued an Instruction, Crimen Sollicitationis (1922), which gave detailed instruction to local dioceses and tribunals on the procedures to be adopted when dealing with the canonical crime of solicitation. This most grave crime concerned the abuse of the sanctity and dignity of the Sacrament of Penance by a Catholic priest who solicited the penitent to sin against the sixth commandment, either with the confessor himself, or with a third party. The norms issued in 1922 were an update, in light of the Code of Canon Law of 1917, of the Apostolic Constitution Sacramentorum Poenitentiae promulgated by Pope Benedict XIV in 1741. A number of concerns had to be addressed, underlining the specificity of the legislation (with implications which are less relevant from the perspective of civil penal law): the respect of the dignity of the sacrament, the inviolable seal of the confessional, the dignity of the penitent and the fact that in most cases the accused priest could not be interrogated fully on what occurred without putting the seal of confession in danger. Herein lies the reason
for the seeming secrecy of which the Church has been accused by the secular press and even public authorities in relation to the Boston scandals. This special procedure was based, therefore, on an indirect method of achieving the moral certitude necessary for a definitive decision in the case. This indirect method included investigating the credibility of the person accusing the priest and the life and behavior of the accused priest. The accusation itself was considered the most serious accusation one could bring against a Roman Catholic priest. Therefore, the procedure took care to ensure that a priest who could be a victim of a false or calumnious accusation would be protected from infamy until proven guilty. This was achieved through a strict code of confidentiality which was meant to protect all persons concerned from undue publicity until the definitive decision of the ecclesiastic tribunal. The Instruction Crimen sollicitationis was, therefore, never intended to represent the entirety of the policy of the Catholic Church regarding
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parang tambo na kung saan umihip ang hangin ay dun? He is describing a man of character. Kung saan ang takbo ng pulitika doon? Kung saan ang takbo ng negosyo doon? Dont be imprisoned by the words that you say. What kind of a person?) A man dressed in fine clothes? A man living luxuriously in royal courts? A prophet? (Sabi niya mas higit pa sa propeta! At sinabi niya, pinakamataas siya sa uri ng mga propeta). He is more than a prophet! (Luke 7:25-26) Character is defined by ones moral excellence and total adherence to what is morally right, not so much for what he says but for what he is. Character is not caught in the air. (Ah, may character yang taong iyan para bang tape na ilalapat mo sa kanya. You give him a tag.) A person grows into the stature of moral excellence (dahandahan lumalaki iyan sa kanyang stature, antas) How? By laboriously cultivating healthy thoughts and ideas and doing so, the ideas rightly ripens into an act. Yung iniisip niya magiging gawa.The person knows that the repeated good acts mature into a habit (ulit-ulitin mo yang ginagawa mong mabuti, magiging ugali iyan, at ang ugali ripens into virtue; virtue will eventually be crowned by Character, and ultimately possessed by destiny). As the saying goes, Plant a thought, reap an act. Plant an act, reap a habit. Plant a habit, reap a character. Plant a character, reap a destiny. Pag may character ka ikaw ang yayakapin ng iyong destino. Thats why you will ultimately be possessed by destiny. A strong character earns steadfastness because of the assurance that what is right it seeks, and what is wrong it rejects. For the man of character there is not any middle way between right and wrong, neither even when there is the promising compromise of some gain. (Hindi maaaring mapagitna ang taong may karakter). Its either right or wrong. What is right is right; what is wrong is wrong. All you need to say, Jesus Christ said, is yes, if you mean Yes, No, if you mean no; anything more than this comes from the Evil One (Matthew 5:37).
Also an important part of building and sustaining a strong personal character is the regular practice of self-denial. (Hindi pala ito maaari na hagilapin mo siya sa hangin. Hindi. Dapat pala sinasanay ang sarili sa pagpigil, sa sakripisyo. Self denial). Many times young people are satisfied with simply doing ones best in helping others, forgetting the role of selfsacrifice and the practice of discipline of self and ones desires. (Kung minsan ang kabataan... ah, nagawa ko na ito, eh. Ummm, no. Sinunod ko na ang sinabi ni teacher. No. Sabi ni Nanay ganun. No. Sabi ng pari, No. Dapat may pagsalungat sa sarili. Dapat may practice ng selfsacrifice. Dapat mayroong disiplina. Kita niyo ngayon, ang hamon sa atin, higit pa sa ibinabalita sa dyaryo.) Remember the remark of the disciples to the Lord Jesus that they were not able to repel the evil spirits away: and Jesus replied that some spirits can only be driven out by the discipline of prayer (Mark 9:29). Hindi sapat ang bendisyon. Sabayan mo ng disiplina ng panalangin. Konsensiya ang sabi dito but I am putting it in another way. Modeling Gods Goodness, One looks at God. But if you are witnessing to Gods holiness, the person listens to God. It is obvious that no one can image God without looking at and experiencing the goodness that a loving God is in my personal life, in my family life and in my friends. To witness to this God of love who is love Himself, one must listen to God first. (Pakinggan mo ang Diyos. Saan mo mapapakinggan ang Diyos?) Listen to His Word (Salita ng Diyos). Study His revelations. Ill tell you what. Ito personal ko... 20 years ago. I was making a months retreat with my companions in Malaysia. Mga 30 pari kami duon coming from different countries. Nagkaroon kami ng tinatawag na desert day. Its a one day of going around, wala kaming pagkain maghapon kundi tinapay, tubig, saging. And we go back in the evening. Napadpad ako sa isang gubat. At nakaupo at nagbasa. Humahangin. Alam niyo yung bang mga dahon
gumagalaw. Talagang nagsasayaw sa harap mo. Yun lamang mga dahon na iyon... Siguradong nandito ang Diyos! Sabi ko, Diyos ko huwag kang magtago diyan, magpakita ka nga sa akin! Hindi nagpakita ang Diyos ngunit nagparamdam sa akin. Yung bawat kibot ng halaman... Diyos ko nandiyan ka, alam ko! Nagtatago ka, pero damang dama ko. This is what I mean. You want to be intimate with God, listen, mention, witness, observe, take Him, in the way He shows himself, hiding in creation.Pag hindi mo nadama iyan, anong klaseng Diyos ang kilala mo? Kundi yung nakasulat, nakatitik lang sa... Ito ba ang Diyos mo? Na diyan mo lang makikita, sa bibliya? Ay angaw angaw pang panahon, hindi pa natutong sumulat ang mga tao, ang Diyos ay nagpapakita na sa atin, sa pamamagitan ng kalikasan. And then you say you want to be a witness of God? Why wait for this paper? Gayong madidinig at madarama natin ang Diyos sa ating kapaligiran. Later, then you can study God in the Bible. Mas matagal na ang panahon na walang Bibliya, kaysa sa panahong nagkaroon ng Bibliya. At huwag mong sasabihin sa akin na ang Diyos ay hindi nagpapakilala nung wala pang Bibliya? No way! Ang Diyos ay dapat makilala sa ating kapaligiran. Sa biyaya at maging sa mga nahihintay katulad ng mga payak na tao, yung mga naghihirap na mga tao, mga nagugutom na mga tao, mga pobre. God is there.) Above all, the Christian believer needs to listen to Jesus, ngayon may Hesus na, ang salitang nagkatawang tao, the Incarnate Word of God. In so doing, any person can be that much sensitive that s/he may detect Gods presence in this world and life. God is present in His creation. The person of any belief or even without any acknowledged belief, hears and listens to God at any moment that He communicates with any human person. For God acquaints every person to the goodness or lack of goodness related to the behavior and conduct of each person. How close can a human person come
to God in ones conscience is shown in the episode when Adam after having disobeyed God hid from Him. Even in the moment of escape and hiding, God was pursuing the fallen man. Gaano kalapit ang Diyos sa tao. Kapatid babanggitin natin. Parating katabi natin ang Diyos, kahit sa mga sandaling tayo ay lumalayo sa kanya. Iyan ang ganda ng konsensiya. Where are you Adam?, sigaw ng Diyos dun sa Paraiso. Ano ang sagot ni Adan. I heard the sound of you in the garden ... I was afraid... I was naked ... I hid. Takot ako. Hubad ako. Nagtago ako. And Yahweh answered, Who told you that you are naked? ... You must have disobeyed!(Genesis 3:1-13). (Yung paguusap na iyon nagpapatala sa atin na may konsensiya na bumabagabag kay Adan. Nagtatago. Natatakot.) This is the reason why people who do not look up to Jesus, the love and the pardon of a loving Father, do such foolish things and violent acts after committing a fall like harming themselves (suicide) or hurting others (murder). Man is always with the reach of Gods voice, which is older than the Bible. The teaching of the Church on the matter remains a beautiful and kind reminder to all in ones personal, social and public life. And now I am going to quote straight, word for word, from Gaudium Et Spes, ang turo ng simbahan bagay sa konsensiya ninyo, konsensiya ko, konsensiya ng lahat. I am not going to add, or comment in anyway. No more. Wala nang komentaryo. Babasahin ko lamang ang turo na simbahan. Deep within his conscience man discovers a law which he has not laid upon himself but which he must obey. Its voice, ever calling him to love and to do what is good and to avoid evil, tells him inwardly at the right moment: do this, shun that, avoid that. For man has in his heart a law inscribed by God. His dignity lies in observing this law, and by it he will be judged. His conscience is mans most secret core and his sanctuary. There he is along with God whose voice echoes in his depths. By conscience, in a wonderful way, that law is made known which is fulfilled in the love of God and
ones neighbor (G.S. 16). Walang makatatakas. Ito daw ang kaloob-looban ng puso ng tao. Konsensiya. Conscience reaffirms what Jesus taught that the highest form of imaging the goodness and holiness of God is through the witnessing to a life lived in love and lived for the love of God and for others. Young and old people who volunteer to serve in the missions, people who serve the very poor, people who teach, people who promote the goodness that can be shared with sick and the helpless are people who best reflect the image of a loving God. What more do we think that people who love God can still offer to God and others? One of the most inspiring stories of people who image the compassion of a merciful God was told by Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta. (Dito ko po wawakasan ang pakikipagbahaginan ko ngayon.) Our friend Punjabi girl is in terrible pain, when I saw her she was crying loudly. I left when her mother came. Let us pray much for her. I wish I could suffer more spiritually if this would give her relief. (Isang mayamang babae nag-iiyak.) What a contrast between the rich and the poor. My people in Kaligat are living martyrs and yet not a word. A young boy suffered horrible pain. At last he said he was sorry to die because he had just learned to suffer for love of God? (Blessed Mother Teresa, COME, BE MY LIGHT, p. 180). Naintindihan niyo? Tatagalugin ko. Dun daw sa Punjabi, mayamang lugar may isang babaeng dalagitang grabeng sakit. Sa sakit nagsisisigaw. Nandun si Mother Teresa, dumating na at umalis at magdarasal kung ang dasal ay makakatulong. Samantala dun sa Kaligat naman, isang lugar na napakadukha ay mayroon din isang binatilyo naman, pobreng pobre, mamamatay. At ang sabi nung bata ay, hindi sumisigaw pero ang sabi, pinagtapat kay Mother Teresa, alam kong ako ay mamamatay. Ako ay nagsisisi, nalulungkot na ako ay mamatay. Bakit? Sapagkat bago ko po lamang natutunan ang magtiis ng sakit at nadamang magmahal sa Diyos.
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CBCP Monitor
Vol. 15 No. 19
September 12 - 25, 2011
Features
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THE executive secretary of the Episcopal Commission on Youth, Fr. Conegundo Garganta lauded youth participants in the nationwide tree-planting activity, saying their involvement in caring for the environment augurs hope for the country. Extending his gratitude in behalf of the Commission, Garganta reiterated his appreciation on the participation of the youth in the 1 million trees planting activity on September 8, the feast of the Nativity of Our Lady. The activity was done simultaneously in many dioceses as part of the 25th anniversary celebration of the Episcopal Commission on Youth. Garganta said the youths active participation in the activity signaled a renewed hope, and a blessing to be grateful for, together with the Churchs celebration of the birthday of Our Lady. He expressed hope that other youth throughout the country will continue to plant to protect the environment for future generations. The youth today is not only the hope of the country but also of the Church, he said. As members of the Church we are called to be stewards of our environment. We have the responsibility to care for the earth that God has entrusted to us, he added. Extolling the youth, Garganta urged them to make tree-planting an ongoing activity saying that is it part of our responsibility to take care of the earth. The 1 million trees project of the Youth Commission is part of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines celebration of 2011 as Year of the Youth. The tree-planting project will end on December 2011. Garganta said the tree-planting activity hopes to create awareness among young people of their responsibility towards society and the environment. He said that more will be planted than the expected 1 million quotas at the end of the celebration of YOTY. Garganta also shared that their aim is not just to plant trees but also to take care of it. The seedlings planted will be monitored closely for some time to make sure they survived. A total of 45,000 seedlings were
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her experience really showed her how good and loving God really is. God is really good and you will believe it. During times that we are scared, when we pray to Him, He gives us the light. Actually it was about the incident when a strong wind passed by during the overnight vigil, we thought that the big screen will fall down on us. We were scared, so we prayed the rosary and miraculously, the wind stopped, Arellano shared. For her part, Denise Gaston, a 3rd year high school from the same school said the WYD pilgrimage was a blessing to her as it taught her to be more focused on God and fellow young people. Pilgrimage has lots of walking but I was reminded that we are pilgrims not tourists, according to a Bishop in one catechesis that I attended, she said.
God has made my companions here as His instrument of peace. I can see the suffering of my friends (referring to long walks) but God has given me the strength to help them in their needs, she added. Gaston also said that God walks [with his people] in so many ways, that is what she learned. She shared that her most unforgettable experience is the bond or the friendship she made with her companions who were not her friends in the Philippines. She is also thankful for the blessings that God had given her during the whole WYD celebration. The youth added that sharing their experiences will help their fellow students understand the importance of World Youth Day to young people and the knowledge and wisdom a youth can acquire from the celebration. (Jandel Posion)
WHILE a good number of Filipinos seriously participated in the activities of the last World Youth Day (WYD) in Spain, some delegates have prioritized tourism over the pilgrimage. Legazpi Bishop Joel Baylon admitted that a number of Filipino WYD delegates have went shopping or visiting tourist spots in Madrid while others were attending Catechetical sessions, hearing Masses and going to confessions. In general, a good number of our delegates have participated in the WYD whole-heartedly and endured
the hectic schedule of the pilgrimage. But admittedly, there are some who chose to be comfortable rather than to sacrifice, Baylon said. The chairman of the Episcopal Commission on
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Features
CBCP Monitor
September 12 - 25, 2011
Vol. 15 No. 19
delegation of Santo Mazo parish of Milan while the San Fernando, Pampanga group was part of the ECY-Philippines delegation. Kabayan, komusta? and Anong balita sa Pilipinas? were the common greetings between Villanuevas group, which represents the Filipino community in Milan. When asked how she felt seeing her Cabalens in Madrid for the WYD, Villanueva said she missed going back to the Philippines. Im very happy to see them here, Villanueva said of her Cabalens. Seeing my Kabayans here at WYD made me long to return home all the more. Villanueva and other Filipinos who attended the WYD under foreign delegations join the Filipino delegates who cheer whenever the organizers mention the Philippines. They also carry with them the Philippine flag during official assemblies of the delegates and while on transit using mass transportation systems. From almost every street of Madrid, the Filipino delegates and their flag can be easily spotted. From a sea of 500,000 pilgrims from around the world, the Filipinos were seen sleeping at the floors of gymnasiums, sports centers, and schools together with delegates from other continents and chanting
Chosen Pope Benedict XVIs presence before thousands of Catholic youth during the WYD has been a faith experience for all delegates, including Yussef Paglas, the lone Muslim from the Philippines who attended the event with Catholic pilgrims from the Archdiocese of Davao. Paglas said he was moved by the Popes presence during the vigil since he was one of the three chosen Filipinos to sit near the Supreme Pontiff during the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Even if I am a Muslim, I felt how the people felt when the Pope arrived for the vigil. I saw them cheering for the Pope and it moved me, said Paglas, who was educated in a Catholic school since his primary years. The 17-year-old lad said his WYD experience made him understand the Catholic people better and helped him deepen his faith in Islam because of the challenges posed by the WYD activities in his observance of Ramadan. He even said he would encourage his fellow Muslims to attend the WYD so they too would understand that Muslims and Catholics are bound to one Creator, who they only call with different names. By participating in the WYD, I learned to respect the Catholic faith
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sexual improprieties on the part of the clergy. Rather, its sole purpose was to establish a procedure that responded to the singularly delicate situation that is a sacramental confession, in which the duty of complete confidentiality on the part of the priest corresponds, according to divine law, to the complete openness of the intimate life of the soul on the part of the penitent. Over time and only analogously, these norms were extended to some cases of immoral conduct of priests. The idea that there should be comprehensive legislation that treats the sexual conduct of persons entrusted with the educational responsibility is very recent; therefore, attempting to judge the canonical norms of the past century from this perspective is gravely anachronistic. 2. The Reforms of Vatican Council II The reforms proposed by the Second Vatican Council required a reform of the 1917 Code of Canon Law and of the Roman Curia. The period between 1965 and 1983 (the year when the new Latin Code of Canon Law appeared) was marked by differing trends in canonical scholarship as to the scope of canonical penal law and the need for a de-centralized approach to cases with emphasis on the authority and discretion of the local bishops. A pastoral attitude to misconduct was preferred and canonical processes were thought by some to be anachronistic. A therapeutic model often prevailed in dealing
with clerical misconduct. The bishop was expected to heal rather than punish. An overoptimistic idea of the benefits of psychological therapy guided many decisions concerning diocesan or religious personnel, sometimes without adequate regard for the possibility of recidivism. Cases concerning the dignity of the Sacrament of Penance remained with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith after the Council, and the Instruction Crimen Sollicitationis was still used for such cases until the new norms established by the motu proprio Sacramentorum sanctitatis tutela in 2001. A small number of cases concerning sexual misconduct of clergy with minors was referred to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith after the Second Vatican Council. Some of these cases were linked with the abuse of the sacrament of Penance, while a number may have been referred as requests for dispensations from the obligations of priesthood, including celibacy (sometimes referred to as laicization) which were dealt with by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith until 1989 (From 1989 to 2005 the competence in these dispensation cases was transferred to the Congregation for Sacraments and Divine Worship; from 2005 to the present the same cases have been treated by the Congregation for the Clergy). 3. Updated Norms in the Code of Canon Law of 1983 The Code of Canon Law
promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 1983 updated the whole discipline in can.1395, 2: A cleric who in another way has committed an offense against the sixth commandment of the Decalogue, if the delict was committed by force or threats or publicly or with a minor below the age of sixteen years, is to be punished with just penalties, not excluding dismissal from the clerical state if the case so warrants. According to the 1983 Code of Canon Law canonical trials are held in the dioceses. Appeals from judicial sentences may be presented to the Roman Rota, whereas administrative recourses against penal decrees are presented to the Congregation for the Clergy. 4.The Motu Proprio Sacramentorum sanctitatis tutela (2001) In 1994 the Holy See granted an indult to the Bishops of the United States, raising the age for the canonical crime of sexual abuse of a minor to 18. At the same time, prescription (canonical term for Statute of Limitations) was extended to a period of 10 years from the 18th birthday of the victim. Bishops were reminded to conduct canonical trials in their dioceses. Appeals were to be heard by the Roman Rota. Administrative Recourses were to be heard by the Congregation for the Clergy. During this period (1994-2001) no reference was made to the previous competence of the Holy Office over such cases. The 1994 Indult for the US was
extended to Ireland in 1996. In the meantime the question of special procedures for sexual abuse cases was under discussion in the Roman Curia. Finally Pope John Paul II decided to include the sexual abuse of a minor under 18 by a cleric, among the new list of canonical crimes reserved to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Prescription for these cases was of ten (10) years from the 18th birthday of the victim. This new law was promulgated in the motu proprio Sacramentorum sanctitatis tutela on 30 April 2001. A letter signed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger and Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone, respectively Prefect and Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, was sent to all the Roman Catholic Bishops on 18 May 2001. This letter informed the bishops of the new law and the new procedures which replaced the Instruction Crimen Sollicitationis. The acts that constitute the most grave delicts reserved to the Congregation were specified in this letter, both those against morality and those committed in the celebration of the Sacraments. Also given were special procedural norms to be followed in cases concerning these grave delicts, including those norms regarding the determination and imposition of canonical sanctions. (To be continued.)
FOOTNOTE:
1 Ref. www.vatican.va/resources/resources_introd-storica_en.html.
Archbishops and Bishops who live in Rome, I intend to set Sunday, 23 October 2005, as the date for the Canonization of the following five Blesseds: Bl. Jzef Bilczewski, Bishop; Bl. Gaetano Catanoso, priest, Founder of the Congregation of the Daughters of Veronica, Missionaries of the Holy Face; Bl. Zygmunt Gorazdowski, priest, Founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of St Joseph; Bl. Alberto Hurtado Cruchaga, priest of the Society of Jesus; Bl. Felix of Nicosia (in the world: Filippo Giacomo Amoroso), Religious of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin . United in prayer to the participants in the Ordinary Public Consistory, I ask you, Venerable Cardinal, to preside at the celebration of the Hour of Sext, as I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing to all. As we know, it was Benedict XVI who would eventually canonize these saints during the concluding Mass of the Synod on the Eucharist. Therefore it is clear that the consistory does not imply an exercise of infallibility. On the one hand, the Holy Father delegated the declaration to a cardinal; second, it consisted in the proclamation of a date of canonizationand not in the canonization itself. The exercise of infallibility comes only when the pope himself proclaims a person a saint. The proclamation is made in a Latin formula of which we offer an approximate translation: In honor of the Holy Trinity,
for the exaltation of the Catholic faith and the increase of the Christian life, with the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul and of Our Own, after long reflection, having invoked divine assistance many times and listened to the opinion of many of our Brothers in the Episcopate, We declare and define as Saint Blessed N. and inscribe his/her name in the list of the saints and establish that throughout the Church they be devoutly honored among the saints. In the case above, Benedict XVI proceeded as planned with the canonization on the date determined by John Paul II. In theory at least, he could have postponed, brought forward or even canceled the canonization ceremony. In such a hypothetical and unlikely case, I would say that since the process of canonization had already been concluded, a future pope could simply set a new date for the canonization. However, until the actual rite of canonization is performed, the blessed cannot be accorded the title and liturgical honors of a saint. Although beatification does not imply the same degree of commitment by the Church, it is notable that Benedict XVI did postpone indefinitely a beatification whose date had already been set by John Paul II. This was because certain new information on the candidate had surfaced in the meantime which Benedict XVI believed required clarification before proceeding with the beatification.
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 15 No. 19
September 12 - 25, 2011
Statements
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Statement of Chaplains to Filipinos in Europe and the Middle East in Support of the CBCPs Position on the RH Bill
Statement from the Prelature of Infanta
POPE Paul VI proclaimed that dialogue was at the heart of the Churchs programme for renewal: dialogue within the Church, with other Christian churches, other religions, and, the entire world. (Ecclesiam Suam, 1964) The motivations for such dialogue are to overcome divisions, foster friendly relations, achieve mutual understanding and to work creatively for peace, liberty, social justice and moral values. (Nostra Aetate 3) We the clergy of the Prelature of Infanta are deeply saddened and enraged by the grave and malicious accusations made publicly by a prominent leader of our country, Senator Edgardo Angara in his August 19, 2011 speech at the 402nd anniversary of Baler, Aurora at the Baler municipal plaza. Senator Angara ridiculed and maligned the integrity of the Prelature of Infanta. He accused us of land grabbing and falsifying documents leading to the transfer of the land titles of the San Luis Obispo Parish and the Mt. Carmel College in 1980 to the Prelature of Infanta. Properties, which Senator Angara says, were originally titled to the Baler Parish and the Municipal Government in 1929. The Senator further accused the clergy of the Prelature of Infanta of stealing priceless and valuable historical religious relics like the 400-year old church bell, 24-karat gold lined tabernacle, chalices, chandeliers, donated by various philanthropists including the former First Lady Doa Aurora Aragon-Quezon. Senator Angaras tirade against the Prelature of Infanta did not spare Infanta Bishop Rolando Tria Tirona who the good Senator calls an absentee bishop and who as such should therefore be immediately replaced by a more competent bishop by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines. He said a homegrown leader is needed to run the affairs of the Baler Church. We from Baler should protect the interests of our Church, not people from other places who have no genuine concern for the local parish. (Philippine Star) While we can answer all his accusations and defend the legality and transparency of all our actions, the burden of proof lies with the good Senator. The Prelature of Infanta has always been true to its vision to journey with the people as a Church of the Poor. We denounce all accusations by the senator as false and full of malice against the Prelature of Infanta, to the presbyterium of the Prelature of Infanta and Mount Carmel College. Doa Aurora Aragon Quezon invited the Carmelite Fathers who were challenged by the situation of the people in this part of the Diocese of Lipa. They have asked then Bishop Alfredo Versoza that they shall be given the opportunity to serve the hardest to reach and poorest part of the diocese. It was then that they were given the Northern part of Quezon, the Polillo islands and the whole province of Aurora in 1947. The Prelature of Infanta which was established in 1950 was started and administered by the Carmelite Fathers and it is inappropriate to accuse the Prelature of Infanta of land grabbing of church and school lot. We believed that it is with disrespect to the effort of the Carmelite Fathers the false accusations made by the senator. We cannot admit nor allow what the senator was saying against the presbyterium of the Prelature of Infanta of stealing priceless and valuable historical religious relics of the church. We have concern for the church not because of its historical significance but it is in this church that we meet God, praying and receive his peace. We cannot accept the senator saying that Mount Carmel College is a rotten institution and doesnt have any good facilities and his dire demand to transfer the school. Mount Carmel College has provided good education to many people of Aurora. We believe that the senator doesnt have knowledge on the church structures on appointing the bishop in particular diocese or prelature when he said that Bishop Tirona should be replaced by CBCP by other more competent bishop preferably from among the local clergy. He doesnt know the dynamics of the church that does not focus only on structures but on the lives of people and community of Jesus. The accusations of the senator were serious against the Prelature of Infanta because the church as an institution is the biggest stumbling block on their interest in Aurora especially their project APECO. We dont believe that while exercising ones power you have to force other people by using money, influence, position, harassment, or use the poor, but on the Christian way of humility, truth, and dialogue. This is our response to the good Senator: we will persevere in our mission to proclaim justice, to fight exploitation and discord with greater love and compassion, to counter false accusations with quiet fortitude, transparency and integrity. We, the Prelature of Infanta will continue to walk with the poor, the hungry, the landless, the oppressed, abused and accused. We will continue to walk in truth. We will continue to dialogue with life and all that is lifegiving. The CLeRGY OF The PReLaTURe OF INFaNTa San Luis Obispo Parish Baler, Aurora 28 August 2011 We demand the speedy resolution of the case and bring all accountable into the bar of justice. We strongly encourage the faith community to continue journey with the victims and their families of extra-judicial killings, enforced disappearances and other forms of human rights violations in the search for justice. We implore the church leadership to give flesh its prophetic role in defense of life and dignity as prophet Micah (6:8) reminds us to act justly and to love mercifully and to walk humbly with your God. MR. NaRDY SaBINO Secretary General Promotion of Church Peoples Response
THE Chaplains of Philippine Catholic Mission, present in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and tending to the needs of Filipino migrants, oppose the passage of the Reproductive Health Bill (RH Bill 4244) on the following grounds: * RH Bill 4244 promotes a contraceptive mentality which directly contradicts the teachings of the Catholic Church about the sanctity of life, marriage, and the family. * RH Bill 4244 makes a mockery of Art. II, Sec. 10 of the Philippine Constitution which says The State recognizes the sanctity of family life and shall protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution. It shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception * Migrant workers brave immense difficulties in foreign lands in order to have a better life for their families. The approval of the RH Bill will further undermine the authority of parents and guardians of the children left behind in the Philippines by these OFWs. * Often hailed as the modern day heroes by our government owing to their great
contribution to the countrys economy, migrant workers reject the idea of taxpayers money being spent on contraceptive products, devices and services. They would rather see their monetary gains allotted for programs that improve life for families in the Philippines, like better livelihood prospects and educational opportunities for their children, and for measures that assist OFWs in times of emergencies abroad. * Filipino migrants are regarded by the Church as modern day missionaries due to the God-centered and family-oriented Filipino values they witness to wherever they happen to be, often becoming a positive influence in the receiving countries they live and work in. The contraceptive mentality that passing the RH Bill will advance is foreseengiven mans predilection for pleasure and easy solutionsto lead to the decay of the moral foundation underpinning these life-giving values. * We want the best for our children and their children, and so we protect our right as parents to be the primary molders of their values, particularly those relating to the purpose of human sexuality. Thus we
reject RH Bill 4244 which aims to legislate the blatant violation of our Constitutional right and our conscience as Catholics. (Art. II, Sec. 11-12, Philippine Constitution; Art. 26-1 of the UN Declaration of Human Rights and Art. 29-c of the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child.) Avowing loyalty to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church, in support of the stand of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, and in collaboration with the Episcopal Commission of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples (ECMI), we, shepherds to the Filipino faithful, declare the Reproductive Health Bill 4244 unfit for passage, and with the fullness of conviction we are determined to inform, educate and mobilize our constituents in Europe, the Middle East and Africa to uphold our cherished values through the rejection of this bill. Signed during the 9th Consultation Meeting of Chaplains to Filipinos in Europe, Middle East and Africa Zurich, Switzerland August 25-28, 2011
THE Philippine Stars Manny Galvez wrote (August 21) on the ranting and ravings of the Senator Angara against the Prelature of Infanta, its bishop and clergy during the town fiesta of Baler last August 19. The senator called on the CBCP to replace the Bishop of Infanta and attacked the integrity of the clergy. He accused the Prelature of Infanta of land grabbing having supposedly transferred the land title of the Baler parish and the Mt. Carmel College (MCC) grounds to the name of the Prelature of Infanta during the time of Bishop Emeritus Julio Xavier Labayen, OCD in 1980. Evidently losing his cool, he maligned the American Carmelite Missionaries who established the Mt. Carmel College of Baler, its many distinguished alumni, the present administration, faculty, students and their parents by
under the counter-insurgency plan Bantay Laya. After two years of judicial struggle, the case of Fr. Lucero seems to fall similar to that of Bp. Alberto Ramentos, an IFI, who was stabbed to death and ruled out by local police as a case of theft and robbery disregarding vital evidences pointing to an otherwise political motive. The search for truth and justice remains at far. The ruthless killing of Fr. Lucero and the pervasive culture of impunity in the country are signs of an undemocratic and tyrannical government. We challenge the Aquino administration to render justice to Fr. Lucero and all victims of human rights violations and to put an end to impunity.
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Ref lections
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A (Matt 20:1-16) Sept. 18, 2011
CBCP Monitor
September 12 - 25, 2011
Vol. 15 No. 19
Learning from God A Test of Discipleship: to be magnanimous Words Backed Up by Deeds Reflections on the 25th Sunday in
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A (Matt 21:28-35) Sept. 25, 2011
boggling: NBN-ZTE scandal, Hello Garci scandal, P738M fertilizer scam, P532M overprice of Macapagal Blvd, Nani Perez Power Plant deal, P1.38 poll automation contract, Northrail project, Garcia and other AFP Generals scandal, the results of the 2007 Mindanao elections, Mindanao Massacre, and many others. One hopes that the new President will succeed in pursuit of the matuwid na landas (right path)! And yet, early this year, an SWS survey showed that his net satisfaction rating plummeted. This could be an indication that in the perception of those surveyed, the President has yet to show tangible results. Sen. Francis Pangilinan himself said that the Palace should match campaign promises with concrete accomplishments. Those words have to be substantiatedthis is the main point of todays parable of the two sons. The story is extremely short. When their father asked them to go and work in his vineyard, the first one objected, but eventually changed his mind and obeyed. The second one said yes but never went. To the question of Jesus, who of the two did the fathers will? the answer of course is the first son. There are various ways of understanding
payment. If one looks at the parable in terms of labor relations, he can always sympathize with those who labored all day, beginning at nine in the morning, but nonetheless received a wage that was exactly the same as those who came at five in the afternoon. It is not difficult to see the injustice done to them, if by justice is meant the giving of what is due to everyone. Obviously, it is a gross injustice for the estate owner to give the same wage to those who came to work early in the day and those who came late in the afternoon. That would be a case of unfair labor practice. But the parable is not about labor relations. For the focus of the story is not on the laborers who came to the vineyard, but on the owner who was extremely gracious to
those who came lasthe was extremely generous! In trying to understand the lesson of the parable, it may be helpful to point out that at Jesus time, the market place was some kind of a labor exchange. Men went there in the morning and waited for an employer to come along. And in the normal course of things, any employer would always hire the skilled or the competent workers. Consequently, if there were any workers standing idle in the marketplace from morning to afternoon, they were certainly the leftovers whom no one hired. The lesson of the parable lies here, for it is in connection with these leftovers that the extreme generosity of the owner is shown. For one thing, in spite of the fact
that they were unskilled, the owner was generous enough to take them in. For another, he gave each of them a wage that was more than commensurate with their work. One wonders, of course, whether this could be practiced in a business corporation. It is easy to imagine a company eventually folding up because of the extreme generosity of the owner being exceptionally gracious would send the company into bankruptcy! But that is how human thinking goes. Nonetheless, the first reading reminds us: For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways, and my thoughts above your thoughts (Isaiah 55:5-6).
www.walkinjerusalem.blogspot.com
Generous / B7
the parable, depending on the level of interpretation one wants to focus on. As told by Jesus, the story seems to have been originally linked with the question of who was a true Israelite. The first son portrays the tax collectors and sinners. Because they were unable to follow the law, they were treated as outside the pale of the true Israelite community. The second represents the scribes and the Pharisees, those who know the law. They claimed to represent the true Israelite community because they were faithful in its observance. Because of their
Test / B7
WHATEVER
only rule in life, no one would have time and attention (and money!) for those who do not produce the weak, the sick, the disabled, the babies, the aged . . . . Even the strongest among us would have had a very short life. For all of us, in fact, there was a time when we were weak, when we did not produce anything at all, and were totally dependent on the generous love of our parents and other people. We live on borrowed life! We all are the fruit of Gods generosity, not of Gods retribution. And He keeps being generous with us, even when we positively deserve His just punishment. Why react negatively, then, at His exceptional generosity toward some of our brothers and sisters when we know that everyone will have to account in proportion to what one has received? Why be saddened by
Magnanimous / B7
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 15 No. 19
September 12 - 25, 2011
Social Concerns
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THE sale of children and women for sexual abuse is modern day slavery and it still goes on today. The cover-up of this and sex crimes against children is a crime in itself. It is found in Ireland and UK at shockingly high frequency. The international pedophiles flock to Asia where there is poverty and many children are vulnerable and abused. Many run away from abusive and broken homes and are picked up by pimps and sold to brothels. Others are sold to recruiters and are offered high paying jobs but end up as domestics and are prostituted. In the Philippines local politicians issue permits and licenses to the foreign operated clubs and overlook the trafficking and abuse. President Aquino promised with all his heart to fight the child abuse and trafficking. Saving children from abuse is now much more frequent but so many are also victims of their own relatives especially their own fathers and their live-in partners. More and more people are becoming aware of child abuse and are overcoming their reluctance and fear of reporting it. Thanks to an Irish Aid project with the PREDA Foundation, dozens of municipalities are ending the secret settlement system whereby a local official negotiates a payment from the pedophile to the parents of a child victim. He takes a percentage. Such payments and settlements for silence and subsequent cover-up are
Catalysts / B3
called them to account, to repent and when they refused and continued to play with pomp and power like corrupt despots then he named and shamed them as whitened sepulchers and a brood of vipers. Faced with a similar situation in the mission in the Philippines many years ago I decided that it was best to follow Jesus of Nazareth and fulfill the mission through an independent organization to protect human rights and abused children, Then the sex industry was
more rampant than it is today. So against much opposition in the church and under a martial law regime where human rights were violated daily, I set up the PREDA Foundation. The work of PREDA Foundation is all about winning freedom for the children enslaved in brothels, the kids behind bars for crimes they did not commit or for minor offenses in most cases. We fight for the rights and the freedom of the small children from 4 years old to 16 from the clutches of their sexual
Pilgrimage / B3
abusers, the pedophiles, even their abusive parents or whoever they are crying to be freed from. We have a hot line where they can call or text for help. It is given immediately without delay. A rescue team is immediately sent, the child is saved and the abuser is jailed and brought to trial. The child is safely cared for in a protective home and return to happiness through therapy, education, recovery and eventual reintegration. They can now stand up with dignity and hope in finding justice.
age, Dy said in an interview. She stated that the young peoples role now is to form themselves, to be educated on the issue, to learn from the mistakes of previous generation and start practicing better habits, a better lifestyle, better purchase decisions and it can be as simple as mentioned in renewable energy. When asked for some tips on how to help the society on matters of energy, Dy mentioned that young people can help by doing simple tasks. You must turn off the lights when you leave the room, when you pick a new television to buy, remind your parents to pick one that is more energy efficient. These are the things that are easy for young people to do, Dy added. She also shared stories heard
Test / B6
from parents that it is actually their children who are teaching them on how to do these kinds of things, because some parents grew up without being conscious on the issue. The youth are the ones who adapt easier, its our opportunity, said Dy. a youth perspective But Kiboy Tabada, a member of the UP Campus Ministry expressed the lack of knowledge that young people have on issues like renewable energy. Yun reality is, tayong mga kabataan ang sasalo ng mga issues na ito sa pagtanda natin. Dapat ngayon pinaghandaan na nila tayo, iniintroduce na nila ang mga issues na ito. Siguro as a matter of policy for government, sana kasama
na tayong mga youth sa mga usapin, conferences, at gumawa na sila ng mga activities para maexpose ang youth sa realities about energy dito sa Pilipinas, Tabada pointed out. Tabada also added that there are many aspects that should be done on the energy issue, such as research and development. Research and development, dapat ang government should invest in it so that yun youth ngayon, they would learn how to find sources of energy in our country na hindi na tayo magrerely sa market, especially outside of the country. Kasi kung may giyera sa pinagkukunan natin ng oil, nagiging mahal ito at sobra tayong apektado. Tapping the youth, and what can they do, if you really wanted the youth to be involved, let them [get]
involved now, he said. Otherpanelistsinthediscussion include Rep. Henedina Abad, Chairperson on Committee on Energy,HouseofRepresentatives; Usec. Josefina Magpale-Asirit of the Department of Energy; Mark Dia, Regional Director of Greenpeace; and Archimedes Amarra of Biomass Alliance. The collaboration between ECY and other organizations in advocating renewable energy started last 2008 during the Earth Hour advocacy. Since then, ECY and RE advocates gather yearly for discussions to develop keen understanding on RE and encourage people to commit themselves to a kind of lifestyle that observes the use of renewable energy for the countrys progress. (Jandel Posion)
Youth (ECY) of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), Baylon reminded the deviant Filipino delegates of their primary reason for attending the WYD. The WYD is not the time for tourism. The delegates should find time for touring around, shopping and socializing with other delegates only after the WYD, he said. I hope that our delegates will seriously participate in the next WYD and see their sacrifices as part of the blessings of the pilgrimage. After all, the WYD is a time which calls for self sacrifice, he added. According to the ECY, at least 2,000 Filipinos attended the WYD in Madrid from August 16 to 21. Of this number, 427 are under the ECY-Philippines delegation. This statistics does not include Filipino
Participants / B3
pilgrims residing overseas who joined foreign delegations. Baylon earlier encouraged the Filipinos who attended the WYD in Madrid and others who missed it to also attend the next WYD slated in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil come 2013. But the prelate said those who intend to attend the next WYD should not only prepare materially for the pilgrimage but more importantly, be spiritually fit to be sensitive to Gods encounter with the youth. I am encouraging young Filipinos to join the next WYD in Brazil. I would only remind them that spiritual preparedness is most essential than physical and financial preparedness. In WYD, you will receive an important gift and you have to prepare well for it, he added. (YouthPinoy)
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claim, they became so secure in their position that when God revealed himself not through the law but through a person named Jesus, he refused to respond to him. That is why they are compared with the second son because they said yes to God, but in actual fact, they did not obey his word spoken through Jesus. On the other hand, the tax collectors and sinners, who were regarded as transgressors of the law, now said yes to the revelation in Jesus. Hence, they are identified with the first son. It is even possible that the parable was applied first not to the ministry of Jesus but to that of John the Baptist. In his case, the poor who did not know the law accepted his teaching, but the religious establishment did not. But at the level of Christian life, the parable is about discipleship. In particular, it has to do with the importance of practical response to Gods invitation in Jesus. No doubt, the first son is held up as an example of discipleship. It does not matter whether one was born to a pagan family, or to morally questionable parents; what matters is that, in the ultimate analysis, one accepts Gods offer of salvation in Jesus Christ through repentance and faith. Just as the tax collectors and sinners repented and believed in Jesus (Matt 21:32), so any person, whatever might be the beginnings of his life, has only to respond to the offer of discipleship by changing his life and putting on the life of Christ. Such
a person is Gods son, Jesuss disciple, heir to the kingdom of God: Whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is brother and sister and mother to me (Matt 12:30). One of the bitterest criticisms of Jesus against the Pharisees precisely consisted in thisthat they merely talk, but their deeds are scarce: Do not follow their [the Pharisees] example. Their words are bold, but their deeds are few (Matt 23:3). They are like the second son who said yes to his father, but failed him. Discipleship is thus a matter of deeds. In much the same way that the real test of kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap is whether the current administration has made tangible results in its war against corruption, so the real test of discipleship is whether the words are backed up by deeds. Because discipleship is what makes one a child of the kingdom, Jesus could say: None of those who cry out, Lord, lord, will enter the kingdom of God but only the one who does the will of my father in heaven (Matt 7:21). On the basis of this, one can only be amused that peripatetic preachers and born-again Christian could be so zealous in their attack against the Catholic Church, convinced as they are they have the truth, but are intolerant of those who happen to disagree with them. How often they forget that they have to love in deed and in truth (1 John 3:18). The final test that one is a disciple is not the ability to quote the appropriate biblical text to prove that ones argument is
rooted in the Bible, but the fleshing out of that belief in love. The parable is a big challenge to us, Catholics. The center of our lives is the Eucharist, where we proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes (1 Cor 11:26). In Christian life, to borrow the words of the Second Vatican Council, it is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; at the same time it is the fountain from which all her power flows. For the goal of apostolic works is that all who are made sons of God by faith and baptism should come together to praise God in the midst of his Church, to take part in her sacrifice and to eat the Lords Supper(Sacrosanctum concilium, 10). But there looms the danger that the Eucharistic celebration may be reduced to a mere ritual celebration, divorced from our daily life. It could happen that though we are faithful in celebrating it, we do not make an effort to live the life patterned after Jesus, which is a life of self-giving (Phil 2:9; Second Reading). In that sense, we could be like the Pharisees whose words are bold, but whose deeds are few and far between. To make the Eucharist the real center of our life, it must also affect our very lifeall our thoughts and actions come from it and lead toward it. For a Eucharistic celebration that does not lead to action on behalf of others is simply empty; it does not exhibit a response to the offer of Gods grace in Jesus Christ.
planted simultaneously throughout the country by representatives from various dioceses, religious organizations and government agency for the Sept. 8 planting. The Archdioceses of Jaro and Cagayan de Oro; Dioceses of Balanga, San Jose, Nueva Ecija, Bangued, Borongan, Laoag, Iligan, Urdaneta, Surigao, Malaybalay and Cabanatuan; Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, a parish in Danao City, Cebu, and the organizations CFC-Singles for Christ (SFC) and the National Youth Commission (NYC) participated in the national tree-planting campaign. (Jandel Posion)
Generous / B6
trees the youth will plant in their lifetime will outlive them and will serve the next generation. We can plant a million of trees but if none of them grow after five years, our efforts will be in vain. The next generation of youth will just do what we did. So it is important to keep in mind that we are planting trees not only for ourselves but also for the next generation, Baylon added. Different diocesan youth commissions facilitated the treeplanting activity in their regions on September 8. Youth ministers from the parishes, dioceses and organizations accompanied the young participants during the activity. (YouthPinoy)
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sinners on par with them who were perfect observers of the law. For the Pharisees, they stand above transgressors of the law, and they deserve a reward that was much higher than sinners. But Jesus answered that that God is extremely generous that he could even give equal pay for unequal work. What counts, in other words, is the mercy of God, not our own merits! What does this imply for the community? This means that since all are recipients of
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his mercy, members should rejoice whenever they receive gifts from God. Gifts are not earned; they are simply given! There is therefore no reason to be envious, when someone receives more than the others. The Christian community has no room for people who cannot bear to see others surpass them in gifts or talents. On the contrary, all have to rejoice in that, despite their unworthiness, God remains generous to them with his gifts!
Consistency / B6
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Gods generosity toward others, and forget that we too, and more than once, have been the beneficiaries of His wonderful liberality? Envy is a terrible woodworm. It devours us from within. If left unchecked, it can destroy so much good in us and around us. Envy over the good fortune or achievements of our neighbor is like a plague that makes everybodys life miserable. Instead, we should learn from God, who is ever so generous, ever so good. We should learn to rejoice at His liberality toward all His creatures. We should learn to imitate Him, in our little way, by using His very gifts to do good to others.
temptations). Being a real Christian entails also taking responsibility for our failings and faults, rather than trying to put the blame on others, as the Israelites did during their exile. (See todays First Reading.) Genuine Christians know that they are not perfect. They know they can fail and they are ready to admit that they did fail. This honest and humble admission is the basis for a real and lasting conversion the basis for resuming with determination saying YES! to God in words and deeds, following the example of all saints, the best imitators of Jesus.
CONTRIBuTEd PHOTO
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MASAYAN G n am u m u h a y sa probinsya ang pamilya ni Thelma Molino (Maja Salvador). Kahit papaano ay nairaraos ng kanyang mga magulang mula sa paghahabi at pagsasaka ang simpleng buhay at pagpapalaki sa kanilang dalawang magkapatid. Sa edad nya na dalagita ay may mga tipikal na ugaling kapilyahan si Thelma katulad ng panguumit ng paborito nilang miryenda na empanada kung saan kapansin-pansin ang kang bilis sa pagtakbo kasama ng kapatid kapag hinahabol sila ng mga pulis. Hindi masigasig sa pag-aaral si Thelma subalit mayroon din siyang pangarap na umasenso. Matiwasay naman sana ang kanilang buhay hanggang sa dumating ang dagok ng maaksidente ang nakababata niyang kapatid at tuluyang di makalakad dahil wala silang pera upang mai-byahe at maipagamot sa Maynila. Kiinailangan tumigil ni Thelma sa pag-aaral upang alalayan ang kapatid tumulong sa gawaing bahay upang matutukan ng ina ang paghahabi. Dahil sa awa sa kapatid ay hinangad ni Thelma na maibsan ang hirap nito kahit papaano kaya ng malaman niya na may marathon sa kabilang bayan ay di siya nagdalawangisip na sumali dahil mabilis siyang tumakbo. Nagwagi nga si Thelma sa marathon at nakamit ang perang papremyo na agad niyang pinambili ng second-hand na wheelchair upang magamit ng kapatid. Suportado naman ng kanyang mga magulang ang kanyang ginawa lalo pat dati rin palang miyembro ng track and field team ang ina na nahinto ang karera sa pagtakbo ng maagang makapag-asawa. Ang unang panalo ni Thelma ay naging daan upang mapansin ang taglay niyang kakayahan sa pagtakbo. Dahil dito ay
Entertainment
nakabalik siya sa pag-aaral bilang iskolar at patuloy na nagwagi sa ibat ibang antas ng paligsahan. Inspirado ng totoong buhay ng isang sikat na mananakbo ang kwento ng pelikulang Thelma. Malikhain ang paglalagay ng cinematic effect na sa bandang huli ay magkakaroon ng sariling pagkakakilanlan ang kuwento at masasabing hindi simpleng paghalaw sa tunay na buhay ng isang sikat na tao. Magaling and direksyon sa paghahatid ng pagiging natural ng lahat. May epektong 3D dating na tila nakamasid ang manonood sa aktuwal na kaganapan ng buhay. Malinaw ang paghahatid ng teknik sa pagsasanay ng pagtakbo at paghahanda sa paligsahan. Epektibo ang pagganap ni Maja Salvador bilang pangunahing tauhan gayundin ang lahat ng kasamahang aktor. Mahusay na nai-transform ni Salvador ang ibat ibang yugto sa buhay ng karakter ni Thelma Molino. Nakakaaliw pakinggan ang palitan ng dialect na ilocano. Naipakita ng sinematograpiya ang magandang angulo ng lugar lalo na ang mga windmills kung saan kilala ang lalawigan ng Ilocos. Akma ang mga inilapat na musika at tunog sa mga emosyon na nais ipakita sa bawat eksena. Sa kabuuan ay kahanga-hanga ang aspetong teknikal ng pelikula. Ang lahat ng tao ay may pangarap at ang lahat ng pangarap ay dapat pagsikapang abutin at pagtagumpayan. Hindi dapat maging hadlang ang kahirapan ng buhay at ibang pang uri ng balakid upang maabot ang inaasam na pangarap sa buhay. Gayundin ang lahat ng tao ay may taglay na kakayahan na dapat pagyamanin sa sarili upang maging kapaki-pakinabang na mamamayan ng bansa at maipagmamalaking miyembro
TITLE: Thelma CAST: Maja Salvador (Thelma), John Arcilla (Thelmas father), Tetsie Agbayani (Thelmas mother), Eliza Pineda (Hannah, Thelmas sister), Alma Muros (Thelmas trainer), Jason Abalos (Thelmas boyfriend) DIRECTOR: Paul Soriano PRODUCER: Time Horizon, Abracadabra and Underground Logic GENRE:Drama DISTRIBUTOR: Star Cinema LOCATION: Philippines RUNNING TIME: 100 minutes Technical Assessment: 4 Moral Assessment: 4 Cinema Rating: For viewers Age 13 and below with parental guidance
Moral Assessment
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 15 No. 19
Technical Assessment
ng pamilya. Hindi sapat ang pisikal na kakayanan, kailangan magtiyaga sa pagsasanay upang mai-kondisyon ang isipan at damdam sa pagtahak sa napiling larangan ng may disiplina. Binigyan-diin ng pelikula ang kahalagahan ng pagsisikap at katatagan. Ang paghugot ng inspirasyon sa pamilya at mga kaibigan na nagtitiwala sa kakayahan ay mahalaga upang makapag-patuloy sa kabila ng hirap. Itinampok sa pelikula ang pamilyang may pagmamahalan at paggalang -- mga magulang na masikap at kumakastigo sa pagkakamali ng anak, mga anak na magalang at nagbibigayan. Ang mga kaibigan ay naghihikayat sa mabuting landas at totoong masaya sa tagumpay ng kapwa. Puno ng magagandang pagpapahalaga at aral ang pelikulang Thelma. Mainam na mapanood ng lahat, subalit dahil sa eksena ng pang-uumit at pamamalo bilang paraan ng pagdisiplina at mga eksena ng pangungulila sa pamilya, ang mga batang edad 13 pababa ay kailangan ng paggabay ng nakatatanda.
MAC en COLET
KASALUKUYANG namumrublema si TITLE: Wedding Tayo Precy (Eugene Domingo) sa kanyang Wedding Hindi asawang si Ben (Wendell Ramos) ng CAST: Eugene Domingo,Toni bumalik ang pinsang si Belay a.k.a Maribel Gonzaga,Zanjoe (Toni Gonzaga) mula sa tatlong taon na Marudo,Wendell pamamalagi sa Japan. Sinalubong si Belay Ramos ng kanyang pamilya sa airport kasama si Precy at ang kasintahan niyang si Oca WRITER&DIRECTOR: Jose Javier Reyes (Zanjoe Marudo). Kasabay ng pananabik GENRE: Comedy/Romance kay Belay ay nagulat ang mga sumalubong RUNNING TIME: sa kanya dahil sa malaking ipinagbago ng 115Minutes hitsura at pananalita nito. Mula sa simple Technical Assessment: 3.5 at malumanay ay naging sopistikada Moral Assessment: 3.5 at kabaklaan ang naging lenggwahe CINEMA Rating: For viewers age 14 and ni Belay. Ikinabahala ni Oca ang mga above pagbabagong ito kay Belay dahil inaalala niya na di maiibigan ng konserbatiba at relihiyosa niyang ina ang bagong pagkatao ni Belay na nakatakda niyang pakasalan sa pagbabalik nito. Gayunpaman ay sinimulan ang paghahanda sa itinakdang kasal kung saan samut saring argumento ang nangyayari tungkol sa maliliit na detalye ng paghahanda na madalas ay kinasasangkutan ng magkabilang partido. Samantala, tuluyang nilayasan ni Precy ang kanyang pamilya dahil di na niya matiis ang kalagayan niya sa piling ng asawa at biyenan na babae. Mabait naman sana si Ben pero mahina ito dumiskarte at nakadepende lagi sa ina na di siya kailanman nagustuhan. Isa sa ikinapundi ni Precy ay ang pagwaldas ni Ben sa inipon niyang pera ng di ipinagbibigay-alam sa kanya at tuluyan itong maubos dahil sa di magandang investment. Kumunsulta si Precy sa abogado upang mapawalang bisa ang kanyang kasal. Sa tuwing magkikita ang magpinsan ay napapalitan sila ng kuro-kuro, payo at mungkahi tungkol sa kani-kanilang sitwasyon --- ang masalimuot na paghahanda sa kasal ni Belay kay Oca at ang napipintong tuluyang pagwawakas ng 18 taong kasal ni Precy kay Ben. May pagkakapareho ang sitwasyon ng dalawa ---- parehong mga mahihina at maka-ina ang mga lalaking natutunan nilang ibigin at parehong biyuda na may kasungitan ang mga babaeng ito sa buhay nila. Simple pero makabuluhan ang kwento ng pelikulang Wedding tayo, Wedding hindi. Seryoso ang mensahe na nilagyan ng komedya upang maaliw ang mga manonood. May pagkakataon na eksaherada ang ilang eksena pero binabawi ng mga hirit na patawa. Mahusay ang direksyon at nailabas ng mga nagsiganap ang mga kinailangan emosyon upang maipahatid ang mensahe ng pelikula. Epektibo sina Eugene, Zanjoe at Wendell sa kanilang pagganap. Medyo typecast naman si Toni sa maingay na pagdeliver ng mga linya at nadagdagan pa ng lengguwaheng kabaklaan sa pelikula. May pagkabulgar ang karamihan sa mga salita na medyo alanganin sa setting ng below middle class families at ng may teaching profession background. Hindi masyadong gumamit ng teknik sa camera, sa halip ay puro malapitan ang kuha kaya kitang-kitang and detalye ng mga subjects. Maingat ang pagpasok ng mga flashback scenes at nakatulong sa maayos na daloy ng istorya. Tama lamang ang mga inilapat na musika at tunog, gayundin ang ilaw. Nakakasakal ang pakikialam ng mga taong nakapaligid katulad sa tipikal na relasyon ng manugang at biyenan sa kulturang Filipino. Kahit sino na may sapat na gulang at kaisipan na may kakayahang magpasya para sa sarili at sa pamilya ay di mapipigilan na pagsawaan ang ganitong sitwasyon. Gayunpaman, nakakabahala na ipinakita sa pelikula na pwedeng basta na lamang layasan ang pamilya dahil sa nawalang pera na di naman talaga ginamit sa masama. Samantala, anumang suliranin na kinakaharap sa pamilya ay nakakatulong kung mayroon tayong napaghihingahan ng saloobin. Ipinakita sa pelikulang Wedding Tayo, Wedding Hindi ang kahalagahan na ang mga taong nilalapitan ay may malasakit at hahangarin ang mabuting kahihinatnan ng sitwasyon para sa iyo katulad ng mga ginampanang karakter nina Eugene at Toni. Sinuportahan nila ang pagiging totoo ng isat isa sa kanilang mga damdamin pero hindi hinahayaan na manaig ang emosyon upang sang-ayunan ang anumang pagpapasya. Tinitiyak na mayroong pakikinig, pag-unawa, pagpapaalala at malayang pagpapasya na pinagisipan para sa mabuting kapakanan ng lahat. Gayundin naman, ang kasal ay higit pa sa isang araw na okasyon. Ang preparasyon ay hindi lamang nakasentro sa mga material na bagay sa halip ay sa kahandaan ng mga nagkasundong magpakasal. Mahalagang yugto ito sa buhay ng mga ikakasal kaya ang mga magulang ay magsilbi sanang gabay at suporta hindi hayagang nakikialam. Tumbok naman ang kahinaan ng mga lalaki sa pelikula na sa bandang huli ay naisalba ng matanto nila ang kahalagahan na dapat silang manindigan para sa kanilang mga asawa at pamilya. Sa kabuuan ay may aral ang pelikula na maaaring pagnilayan ng mga manonood --- magulang bilang biyenan, manugang, mga anak at kaibigan.
Ni Bladimer Usi
Buhay Parokya
Find images of Archangel Gabriel, Immaculate Heart of Mary and Mother Teresa.
Vol. 15 No. 19
CBCP Monitor
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By Aiza Garnica
On August 21, 2011, an estimated 50,000 people from all walks of life and from the different parts of Manila and the neighboring cities, gathered at the grounds of one of the largest malls in the world, the SM Mall of Asia, for the AnCOP Global Walk. Started five years ago in the United States and Canada as AnCOP Walk, the annual event aims to raise awareness and funds for Couples for Christs work with the poor programs. This year, AnCOP Walk went global (several AnCOP Global Walks were also organized in the major Philippine provinces and key cities in the world) with the intention of promoting and raising more funds for the Child Sponsorship Program. The Manila Walk started at 5:30 AM after opening remarks from Ricky Cuenca, CFC Chairman and exhortations from CFC Executive Director Melo Villaroman and AnCOP Chairman Joe Yamamoto. Aside from members of CFC and its Family Ministries, the walk was attended by sponsors, local
Mercado. Truly, the AnCOP Global Walk was a success not only because of the people who worked hard to make it possible and the walkers who unselfishly gave of their time and treasure, but more importantly, because it now makes possible free education for thousands of poor children, not just here but in other countries. For more photos, please turn to page 7.
By Aiza Garnica
On the Feast of the nativity of Mary on September 8, Couples for Christ (CFC) gathered at the Christ the King Parish Church to celebrate and honor the generosity of some of its members who have contributed the most for the fulfillment of a long-time dream of the community to have its very own home. Those who contributed P50,000 or more each toward the purchase of the new CFC Building, aptly called Gideons because they exemplified the courage and conviction of the Biblical Gideon, were honored during a night of celebration, affirmation, and thanksgiving, as Joe Yamamoto, AnCOP Chairman and the Council Overseer of Build My House, put it. Joe emphasized that It is not enough to say thank you. We wanted to give them something more as a show of appreciation for what they have done for the community. And indeed it was a festive night! After the mass at the main church, the guests proceeded to the Parish Hall where they were welcomed with beautiful music from the 29 AD Musicionaries. After the cocktails, Jimmy Ilagan, CFC Central A Sector Head and member of the Build My House Team, led everyone in a short but stirring worship. Jimmy reminded everyone, in keeping with the solemnity of the feast, that The alliance of Mama Mary is the fulfillment of Gods plan. Thus, we continue to ask for Mama Marys intercession for the success of the work that were doing. Jimmy further stressed that the victory is Christs, not ours and we are just merely workers for His kingdom. After a brief video showing of the Build My House Project, and updates from Joe Yamamoto on the status of the fund, the Gideons were awarded their certificates. The new CFC Chair-
IC members Joe Yamamoto, Ricky Cuenca and Jun Uriarte with South B Gideons led by sector head Mon de Leon.
To date, the total global donations have already reached P40,490,487. Build My House is an ongoing project, even if the building is complete and most of CFCs workers are already holding office there. Much remains to be funded, including the balance of the purchase cost and the cost of the renovations. Included in the vision is the erection of a building at the back of the property that will house the rest of the CFC ministries and programs, such as Tekton, AnCOP and the Co-ops for Christ. Aside from the Fund Scheme (see below), members can also contribute through the specially designed brick envelopes distributed to the sectors earlier. As the Build My House philosophy states, no one is too poor that he is unable to give. For more information on how you can help, contact your sector heads and full time workers or visit the new CFC Home Office (20th Ave., Cubao, Quezon City)).
Source: http://mp3-mania.com/cfc/?page_id=498
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CBCP Monitor
September 12 - 25, 2011
Vol. 15 No. 19
By Tina Rodriguez
THE World Youth Day (WYD), held every two years, is a momentous event in the Catholic Church, as pilgrims from all over the world gather together for one purpose: to celebrate the youth as the future of the Church. Beginning on August 16, and ending on August 21, this years WYD was held in Madrid, Spain with the events theme taken from St. Pauls letter to the Colossians: Planted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the faith. (Col 2:7). An estimated 1.5 million people participated in the WYD, including an official delegation from Couples for Christ, headed by Youth for Christ fulltime missionary Goi Villegas. Joining him were other fulltime missionaries Sherryl de Leon, Dessie Brazil and Blair
By Sky Ortigas
IT was a great privilege for us (Madel Solijon of YFC, nirva Delacruz of SFC and me, from the CFC Church Integration Office) to be part of the first Media Team of CBCPs Media and Episcopal Commission on Youth for the Jornada Mundial de la Juventud (World Youth Day) 2011 in Madrid, Spain. We were part of the team tasked to cover the ECYPhilippines delegation for the duration of the event. It was our first time to attend the World Youth Day celebrations. We did not know what to expect. All we had was our passion to deliver news updates, get photos, prepare videos and
credited press for the entire event, we saw places we never imagined we would visit. We enjoyed unlimited access to the Media Center, being part of the media convoy and other media privileges in covering specific events. We got to meet other media personalities from big networks around the world. But the biggest blessing we received was seeing the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, up close. Being able to hear his words and pray with him during the Eucharistic Adoration and Mass was a wonderful experience. Truly, this World Youth Day experience will always remain in our hearts as a treasure to be nurtured for the rest of our lives.
By Angel Molina
QATAR CFC Servants of the Lord, together with the CFC husbands, experienced the Lords victory at their national Conference held last August 12, 2011. The event ran from 7:00 AM to 9:30 PM at the Seraphic Hall of our Lady of the Rosary in Qatar, and saw the active participation of 236 attendees from SOLD/CFC/SFC. Manila-based fulltime pastoral worker and SOLD International Council member Joemar Salumbides discussed how God created Adam and Eve through Talk 1, entitled, In the Beginning. He also gave the final talk on how the old Adam was transformed to a better individual in Talk 4: new Adam. CFC fulltime pastoral worker Willie Padida, also a SOLD Council member based in Manila, led the crowd to participate actively, especially in the
group discussions, during Talk 2: Adams Quest and Talk 3: Four Pillars. The attendees were also able to listen to inspiring sharings from Dado de Guzman and noli Fernandez after the discussion of the first talk. Talk 3 gave CFC Middle East community members Freddie Corporal, Mandy Ortega, Art Bargo, and Arthur Santos opportunities to share their many experiences, especially about their battles in life. Likewise, the fourth talk was given more emphasis and impact through the transformation stories of Dong Pepito and Marlon Dizon. The presence of the Holy Spirit was clearly felt throughout the conference, and all present, service team and participants alike, were renewed in their zeal to become like Jesus, the new Adam. The entire event marked another victory and battle won by our Adams in the community. Salute!
Top photo shows the new papal nuncio with Joe Tale and Rouquel Ponte (at extreme right) while lower photo shows Joe Yamamoto flanked by the papal nuncio, left and Msgr. Pinter of the nunciature.
the Philippines, the 6th year of the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI as well as the 60th year of his priesthood. It was also an occasion to welcome the new papal nuncio to the Philippines, Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto. The Couples for Christ was the largest delegation invited. Present at the affair were International Council members Joe Tale, Joe Yamamoto and Rouquel Ponte, former International Council member Joey Arguelles, and Clarke and Cynch nebrao of the Church Integration Office.
Joemar Salumbides, front extreme left, and Willie Padida, second from left, back row, with the SOLD Qatar Group.
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 15 No. 19
September 12 - 25, 2011
Ugnayan
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By Emmanuel Asunto
of home and family, or building up of others, Mother Mary offers herself to the faithful as a mantle, ready to cover each one with her love as the mother of all. Before the end of the session, brown scapulars were distributed to the conference participants, after which the scapulars were blessed by Msgr. Allen Aganon. The scapular is the Blessed Mothers gift, her very own garment with which she clothes her children and protects them from eternal damnation. It
is not an amulet, Didi reminded the Handmaids, but a symbol of Our Lady of Mt. Carmels promise that she would swiftly deliver from purgatory a soul who has been faithful to the Brown Scapular devotion during her lifetime. It is also a symbol of the wearers consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, a sign that she walks under Marys mantle of love and protection. The Conference culminated in the celebration of the Holy Mass officiated by Msgr. Allen.
YFC Timor Leste is Armed and Ready! More than 1,000 youths adopted this battlecry after a very successful national Conference held in Colegio Paulo VI in Dili last August 12-14. One of the highlights of the national conference was the high mass celebrated by Bishop Dom Alberto Ricardo Da Silva of Dili. During his
The last session was given by nelson da Costa, Mission Volunteer and Head of YFC Timor Leste. nelson exhorted all YFCs to be armed and ready for God, armed and ready for Life, armed and ready for the Family and armed and ready for the Poor. The conference also featured sports and creative competitions as well as
four workshops designed to equip them to make them ready to wear Gods full armor. Holy Masses were an important feature of each of the conference days. It was indeed a gathering filled with the Holy Spirit which brought inspiration to the YFC of Timor Leste to continue to be strong in the Lord and rely on His mighty power!
the Philippines to experience its culture and see its sights, and also to witness to the Lords goodness. Inspired by the anchor verse Ephesians 6:10-18, the entire events pastoral goal was to equip each participant with the full armor of God. The actual WGAT sessions, spaced out in nine days, talked about the various components
The activity was truly a time for deepening faith and forming friendships among the participants as well as the service team. The participants ended the WGAT on August 11 on a high note, empowered by all their experiences and ready to share what they had learned in the Philippines with the youth of their respective countries.
and her deep devotion to pray for St. Augustine. He emphasized that prayer will always be the key to staying faithful in the journey. The first session, entitled The Worthy War was presented by Ouel Gardon, CFC Family Ministries Coordinator for Canada. He emphasized that God is the one who fights the war, and that we simply follow His orders The second session, Stronghold, opened with a four-person spoken word piece showcasing
into lunch. Afterwards, three two-hour workshops ran simultaneously: Prayer, Spiritual Gifts, and Team Obstacle Course. The first two were conducted by Clayton Imoo, and Gerard Garcia, respectively. They are coordinators for the Office of the Youth & Young Adult Ministries for the Archdiocese of Vancouver. The last workshop was conducted outdoors, by Eric Cruz and Stephanie Cadiz (SFC Vancouver leaders), utilizing nature and
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By Ricky Cuenca, CFC Chairman
Ugnayan
CBCP Monitor
September 12 - 25, 2011
Vol. 15 No. 19
By Josie Pangilinan
AUG. 27, 28, 2011 Bossley Park High School Auditorium, Sydney. CFC Australia celebrated 23 years of joyful evangelization and family renewal on the weekend of August 27 and 28. Echoing CFCs theme for the year Put on the full armor of God the affair was specifically held for those who were not able to join the weekend retreat held for CFC Oceania members in Manila last June. Joe Tale, member of the CFC International Council and Social Ministries Director, flew in from Manila to attend the event. Also attending was Bishop Julian Porteous of Sydney who celebrated the thanksgiving mass. Sylvia and Dave McGee of Blacktown chapter summed up the jubilation and excitement of the weekend: Over the years, we had somehow lost interest in attending big CFC gatherings
dryness before this weekend, but it turns out God wanted us here because He wanted to talk to us through the speakers. Ganni Rael, CFC Sydney Cluster head also was upbeat about the weekend: Truly this weekend showed that we can be a very powerful army of God if we
put our hearts, body and mind to whatever goal we set. nothing is impossible if we are united and Christ centered always in our purpose. Everyone contributed no matter how small for the success of the events. I walked out of that venue feeling so good being in a community. Bishop Julians homily was uplifting to the CFC community. He said, I would like to acknowledge the great contribution of Couples for Christ to the parishes. You have much to rejoice in today. Let the joy of evangelisation flow. I unite myself with your joy. I thank God for you and for the manifestation of His grace in CFC. May you continue to flourish in the life of the Spirit and in service to the church. At the end of the weekend, it was announced that the AnCOP Global Walk in Australia had raise around $23,000 that will help educate the poor youth in Solomon Islands, Papua new Guinea and Philippines.
Christian living and the key to the health of both the Church and society. At this time in history when marriage and family are suffering from so many assaults, the Lord has raised up an instrument to strengthen them. Couples for Christ recognizes also that families are a vital instrument in evangelization. I have noticed over the years that couples united in Christ have generously devoted themselves to enabling others to come to know Jesus Christ. Couples have worked as couples. This is a special feature of the charism of Couples for Christ. I commend you for this. I want to also acknowledge the great contribution of Couples for Christ to parishes. Couples for Christ has willingly stood with the Church at the local parish life. The parish will always remain the fundamental cell of Catholic life. I salute your contribution in engaging in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, in assisting in the music ministry and in contributing in all sorts of works that are necessary for the parish to operate well. I commend you for the dedication you have made to the
youth and the ways in which couples have supported the young people in their own journey of faith. Certainly the Church in Sydney is greatly blessed and significantly enriched by the young people associated with Couples for Christ. St. Paul says. offer your living bodies as a holy sacrifice, truly pleasing to God. In other words, we must constantly offer our lives in all their aspects to the Lord. Once we begin to pull back and restrict our openness to the Lord, then the spiritual vigor can decline. So make a daily offering of yourself for the Lord. Be willing to continue to generously sacBishop / C5
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 15 No. 19
September 12 - 25, 2011
Ugnayan
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By Joe Yamamoto
By Jun Uriarte
dience were removed and the authority of superiors greatly diminished thus ending all notions of a common life and destroying the essence of the Redemptorists way of life. This new Rule was brought to Alphonsus for his signature. Already suffering from many serious afflictions, crippled, deaf and almost blind, Alphonsus was not in a position to carefully study the new Rule. Instead he had to trust and depend on his friends and subordinates. But he was betrayed at every turn. His friend the Grand Almoner betrayed him. His subordinates Fr. Majone and Fr. Cimino betrayed him. Even his confessor and vicar-general in the government of his Order, Fr. Villani, joined in the conspiracy of assuring Alphonsus that nothing substantial had been changed in the new Rule. And thus the unsuspecting Alphonsus was induced to put his signature. The issuance of the new Rule resulted in a split in the Congregation. Those located in the Papal States continued to live according to the original Rule approved by the Pope while those in naples began to live under the new Rule approved by the King of naples. As a result, Alphonsus was cut off from the Redemptorist Order by the Pope and was forced to live outside the Congregation that he founded until his death on 1 August 1787. He died believing that the Order had been irreversibly divided and destroyed. It was not until 1793 when Naples finally recognized the original Rule that the Congregation was reunited under one head. The history of salvation is replete with stories of betrayal. Jesus himself
was betrayed by his closest friends and companions. And as they reclined at table and were eating, Jesus said, Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me. Then Jesus said to them, All of you will have your faith shaken, for it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be dispersed. But after I have been raised up, I shall go before you to Galilee. Peter said to him, Even though all should have their faith shaken, mine will not be. Then Jesus said to him, Amen, I say to you, this very night before the cock crows twice you will deny me three times. But he vehemently replied, Even though I should have to die with you, I will not deny you. And they all spoke similarly (Mk 14:18,27-31). We all know the rest of the story. Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, became remorseful, and killed himself. Peter denied Jesus three times, became repentant, and served him till death. When Jesus was arrested, all the disciples fled. Only John and the women disciples were present at the foot of the cross. Our community too has experienced division and betrayal. In a short span of thirty years, we experienced three separations. First we separated from our founding community mainly to enable us to pursue rapid, massive and global evangelization. Then a group separated from us largely due to personal differences among the top leaders on how to pursue the mission and vision of the community. Finally, we let go of another group primarily because it focused more on nation building rather than on building Gods
kingdom, on addressing poverty as an end rather than as a means to express Gods love, on making heroes rather than forming saints. Our faith is tested when the community experiences betrayal and division. But as we continue to travel in this earthly pilgrimage, there will be other ways by which our faith will be shaken. We need to be aware that the words of Jesus are also addressed to us: All of you will have your faith shaken. Thus at the personal level, we will all experience trials that will shake our faith. For some these trials will come early in life. For others, they will come much later. As our community begins its journey from pearl to gold, having withstood, by the grace of God, betrayals and separations, and as the leadership in the community passes on to others, there will be more and more couples who, after serving the community for years leading chapters, clusters, sectors, areas, and various ministries, will find themselves seemingly unwanted with no assigned service. A few of them may even feel betrayed, particularly those who find themselves without even a lower household to lead and pastor. This will be an experience that may test their faith. There are also a number of couples in our community who had experienced success in their careers and earned generous salaries that enabled them not only to send their children to the best schools, travel on vacation regularly, wear designer clothes and live comfortable lives, but more importantly to serve in the community
willingly, faithfully and generously leading communities, organizing conferences, going on missions to teach, giving retreats and establishing new communities in various parts of the world using their own financial resources. But as they look forward to comfortable years of retirement while continuing to serve in the community, they may find that they do not have enough savings to continue to support their service in the community and the rest of their retired life. This may be caused by unforeseen events children who already have their own families losing their jobs, and/or children and siblings making bad investments, and/ or children and siblings needing costly medical treatments and other interventions that make unplanned demands on their savings. These couples find themselves needing a source of income but discover that employment is no longer an option. They may put up a business but find that projects do not come easy. Having served the community for many years, they worry not so much about how to support themselves but how to continue serving God in the community using their own financial resources. Like St. Alphonsus and the early disciples, we will all be tested and our faith shaken. Some may even feel betrayed. But this is no reason to slacken in service. Faith is a gift from God. Therefore the only way to pass the test and serve even more is to hold on to God, to focus on Jesus. And then God will provide. God will restore us. If not during our earthly pilgrimage then certainly in the heavenly life that awaits us.
rifice yourself for the work of the Lord. The theme you have for this year, Put on the armor of God, is very appropriate in this matter. We are to be people of the Spirit. We are aware that there is a spiritual battle that each of us is engaged in. The devil prowls
around looking for whom he may devour. We know we need to be protected spiritually. Our faith, our attentiveness to the Word of God in Holy Scripture, our life of prayer, our sacramental life, are the tools that will ensure that we continue to remain spiritually strong. Stay
strong in the Spirit! It is from a strong interior life in the Spirit that we find joy in evangelization. not so much in sending missionaries to foreign countries though this is still important but rather in being evangelizers within our own society. We are being called
upon to devote our efforts to the new Evangelization. This is the great mission in our time as the cancer of secularism spreads in our nation and across the world. More and more people have lost a sense of God and live their lives as though God does not exist. We are to be the instruments
by which Christ is proclaimed afresh and with new spiritual vigor so that people living in the shadows can come out into the light. Christ is the light! You know this. You understand this. You are doing this. In engaging in the new Evangelization you are at the heart of the
Church and in loyal communion with the Holy Father. Today I unite myself with you in joy. I thank God for you and for the manifestation of His grace in Couples for Christ. May you continue to flourish in the life of the Spirit and in service to the Church.
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BONG ARJONILLO Central C
Central C covers Makati, Pasay, parts of Manila and part of Taguig. Bong is a member of the Board of Elders, Regional Coordinator of the Greater Mekong Area (Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar) and Provincial Area Head (PAH) of Iloilo. Bong and Carol were married in 1985, joined CFC in 1994, and are blessed with four sons: Francis Dominic (24), John Benedict (21), Rabboni Jr (18), and John Christopher (12). Bong, 52, is a Senior Vice President and the Chief Risk Officer of China Bank. Ours is not a perfect family, but we have been brought to a greater appreciation of our dependence on God in all aspects of our family life through our prayer life in the community. We see this as a huge benefit for our family and this is what makes CFC so indispensable for us. CFC has brought to life the service aspect of my relationship with God in my Christian purpose of knowing him, loving him and serving him. My time, talent and treasure are at Gods disposal, knowing and trusting fully that God will take care of me and my family as He cannot be outdone in generosity. I am motivated in my service in the community by my gratitude for Gods goodness to me and my family. I aim to give back even if it is a mere pittance compared to Gods overflowing generosity. For me, it is akin to depositing in my spiritual bank account with God.
CBCP Monitor
September 12 - 25, 2011
Vol. 15 No. 19
even mentioned by John, who referred to her only as the mother of Jesus. When Mary brought the problem to Jesus, He answered by addressing Mary as Woman, and this was intentional and explicit. The intent is to emphasize that the Gospel of John was written with the perspective of presenting to us the new creation. The first creation failed. Hence, Jesus is now the first born of the new creation and the new Adam. And just as in the first creation-- where God gave the Man a suitable partner,-Jesus Christ, the logos, is given Mary, the Woman partner of
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 15 No. 19
September 12 - 25, 2011
Ugnayan
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Not even his disability can stop this brother from helping the scholars
Singapore
By Roger Santos
AnCOP Child Sponsorship Program (CSP) coordinators and sponsors Rich and Tina Jensen, visited their sponsored scholar Mary Grace Reyes in Binondo, Manila on August 22, 2011. The Jensens visited Mary Grace and her family at their home. The family of ten (father, mother and 8 children) share a 10 square meter home with a common toilet. Their home is located in a typical shanty in Delpan, Binondo, where the houses are made of light materials, susceptible to fire. Due to congestion, the air is quite humid.
MATI, Davao Oriental, August 23, 2011 Answering the Cry of the Poor (AnCOP) is the current battlecry of the Couples for Christ in the diocese of Mati, province of Davao Oriental. CFC launched AnCOP at the Provincial Capitol Gym in Mati last August 20-21 simultaneous with their 17th foundation anniversary in Davao Oriental and the CFCs 30th anniversary in the Philippines. Around 900 CFC memberscouples, singles, handmaids, servants and kids - came to celebrate the two-day gathering. The event was climaxed by the AnCOP Global Walk-for-a-scholar from the Bay-walk site to the Provincial Capitol at 5:00-7:00 am on the second day. Adult participants contributed Php300 per person while high school students from the Mati and Matiao Public High Schools, the Lupon Vocational School, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary Academy, donated Php20 per person. The celebration opened in the early afternoon of Saturday, August 20th, with the arrival/ registration of delegates, formal opening ceremonies, the celebration of the Mass at 4:00 pm, followed by talks, dinner, and Bagani or Mandayan warrior night. Baganis dressed in colorful costumes from the Matiao national High School presented intermission numbers throughout the 2-day activities to give fuller physical meaning to the theme Put on the Full Armor of God. Bishop Patricio H. Alo presided over the Sunday Eucharistic Celebration on the second day at the Capitol gym. He stressed the great
importance of the family, particularly the responsibility of the parents, in safeguarding the sacredness of human life, and in forming good citizens of the world, future citizens of heaven, meantime responding to the call of Christ to preach the good news to the whole world; led by the Holy Spirit and fidelity to living out the Word of God or the Holy Bible intended for every home. Before the closing praise festival at noon of the 2nd day, anniversary messages were further delivered by two provincial area heads on this years theme from Eph. 6:11. Dionisio Catubig from Mati City, Davao Oriental and Bonifacio Licayan from Tagum City, Davao del norte, explained the purpose or global vision of CFCs efforts in BRInGInG CHRISTS TRAnSFORMInG LOVE TO THE POOR and BUILDInG THE CHURCH OF THE POOR as the Armor of God conquering the worlds misleading trends and values of materialism, individualism, greed, and violence or un-peace. They underlined education of the poor child and the family as keys to restore hope and faith towards transformation of the whole community and renewal in Christ, grounded in Christian values and practices.
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By Maolen Olalia-Tolentino
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 15 No. 19
delegates attended the echo conference and went home, with the conviction that everyone needs to take a stand in the battle against evil.
By JM Yupangco
Laos Rekindled
from Singapore, namely: Delfin Juan and Myra Alvarez from Singles for Christ, Mervin Arellano of Servants of the Lord, and from CFC: Alvin and Michelle Hernandez, Jojo and Alexis Sibayan, Caesar and Lorna Chiu, and Edo and Chona Del Mundo, the Assistant Team Leader. They formed and named their team Malakh (Malakh is a messenger of God or an angel), with their slogan I commit to be a mes-
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A team of eleven (11) from CFC Manila and an equal number from CFC/SFC/SOLD Singapore conducted a mega-CLP at the Sacred Heart Parish in Vientiane, Laos last July 16-17, 2011. It was dj vu, for after a few years of absence, CFC is now back in Laos. The Laos Peoples Democratic Republic (PDR) is a country bounded by Myanmar, Cambodia, China, Thailand, and Vietnam. With a population of only around 7 million (as of 2010), the communist state country has an estimated 67% Buddhist and a mere 1.5% Christian population. There are approximately around 500 Filipinos in Laos with about 200 of them residing in Vientiane. The CLP team from Manila was headed by CFC Greater Mekong Area (GMA) Regional Coordinator Bong and Carol Arjonillo. Bong is also sector head in Metro Manila Central B and Provincial Area Head for Iloilo province. His team was composed of Siquijor Area Head Bobby and Malou Mercado, Alex and Bess Escucha, Central Visayas Regional Head Reggie and Janet Ragojos, Myanmar Country Coordinator Mel Serrano, and newly appointed Laos Country Coordinator Jose Mari and Emilie Yupangco, the CLP Team Leader. Completing the team were brethren
senger of God and to become salt and light of the earth. They were joined by members stationed in Laos Philippine Ambassador to Laos Marilyn Alarilla, Ronald and May Villanueva, and Sarah Erer. The Laos team also included the parish priest of Sacred Heart Parish, Fr. Beck Inthirath (who graciously accepted to be the new CFC Spiritual Director for CFC Laos), Jesse Encio, DC (one of three Filipina nuns assigned at the parish), Fr. Doroteo (Dorot) B. Reyes, OMI (the Filipino priest from Thailand who visits the parish monthly), Filipino expats and new CFC members Rey and Lyn Feria, SOLD member Mike Reyes, and Oliver (Toto) and Angel Malazarte, Parish Music Ministry
In-Charge. Instantly, the three (3) teams bonded like family. We were all truly excited in serving the Lord in ways that are unimaginable to us, and in a country where none of us has ever been to. The excitement kept growing especially since the CLP started with only six participants in the morning but slowly, the participants came trickling in until finally, by lunch time, the CLP counted 30 participants. Gods plan was unfolding beautifully. But then the news came that our session for the day could not go beyond 8 PMpm. We had to cut short the activities by three hours! The Holy Spirits presence empowered the team to split resources. We ended up conducting two concurrent CLPs! Two venues! Two speakers speaking in separate rooms! Two sets of music ministries and prayer warriors! Despite the many challenges and concerns, the CLP was a success and was blessed with 45 CLP graduates: 10 CFC couples, composed of 5 Lao couples, one Singapore/Filipino couple and 4 Filipino couples; 17 HOLD, one of which is Lao, and 4 SOLD. Immediately after the CLP, the CFC Laos Core Coordinating Group (LCCG) was created composed mostly of the Vientiane, Laos members. The LCCG will be monitoring activities of CFC / SFC / HOLD / SOLD during its infancy stage in Vientiane. Forthcoming visits to Laos are now being planned by CFC GMA in coordination with CFC Singapore team.
by attentiveness to His word and answering with obedience and fidelity. The joy, happiness and fulfillment go hand in hand with our own obedience to the Almighty. The role of Mary Msgr. Vengco further explained that our teacher to fulfill our role as disciples is the Woman, the new partner of the new human kind. Thus, you are being challenged to have a special devotion to Mary, who is first to declare they have no wine. Mary today will say there is no justice to those who suffer injustice. Mary is the one who identifies what else is required, what is lacking. Until we can say that there is no wine, we are not ready to be Christs disciples. And as Mary knows the problem, she is also first to tell us that the next step is do it the way of Christ. Do what He tells you. Behold your mother The second mention of Mary in the Gospel of John is in Calvary. Msgr. Vengco focused on John 19:25-27, when Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, and said to his mother, Woman, behold,
your son. Then he said to the disciple, Behold, your mother. And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. Commenting on the passage, Msgr. Vengco said: On top of Calvary, the Church was born. On top of Calvary, Jesus constituted the eklesia. Mary, the biological mother of Jesus, became a mother the second time. Calvary becomes the second Bethlehem, the cross-- the second crib, from where the mystical body of Christ was born: the Church. Msgr. Vengco concluded that a spiritual mother was assigned to give birth to the mystical body of Christ. It is as if Jesus was saying to Mary: In your role as Woman, whoever I love, you will love, whoever I need, you will give. In sum, Mary belongs to the community of faith, caring, loving, guarding, reprimanding. Mary should be loved as our own mother and anyone who does not love Mary rejects the word of God --- Son, Behold Thy Mother. Msgr. Vengco ended his discussion lamenting the fact that si Maria ay isang ina na hindi kilala ng kanyang mga anak. (Mary is a mother who is not known by her own children.)
place, where he prayed. Jesus believed that praying together and having a personal prayer life results in perseverance. Jesus healed the sick, liberated the possessed and performed other miracles because he was intimate with God. As a young seminarian, the Bishop said that he prayed as if everything depended on God and he worked as if everything depended on him. He acknowl-
able to work with confidence. Bishop Lagdameo stressed that when we pray, we should not pray to change His decision but rather so that we will be able to follow His decision. According to the bishop, Abraham and Moses were men of prayer. They were so familiar with God that they could even remonstrate with Him. At the same time, they knew that it was only the hand of God that al-
The audience even became attentive and had a good laugh when Bishop Angel heartily shared that there are three great surprises when we get to heaven, to wit: 1. The people you expect to be in heaven are not there; 2. The people you do not expect to be there are there; and 3. You are there! Bishop Lagdameo emphasized that the Lord understands even the most distracted prayer. He emphasized that whenever we make a decision to pray, anywhere and at any time, Jesus will be there because there is only one person who does not like us to pray. Bishop Lagdameo encouraged the community to persevere in prayer; no matter how distracted we are, no matter how inadequate we feel. noting that there are distractions everywhere, the bishop enjoined CFC to persevere in prayer nevertheless and to choose a special place where the distractions would be minimal. He said even a distracted prayer is still blessed; it is still prayer and it is still acceptable to the Lord. In conclusion, Bishop Angel pointed out that the work of the apostle is not yet finished. One must seek solitude in the silence of the hills, in the garden of Gethsemane, and in other quiet places. A perfect evangelizer is an intercessor. This is the reason too why more intercessors are needed to pray for more apostolic workers and evangelizers. The greater the need for workers in the vineyard, the more need for intercessors. The TASK is TO PRAY for evangelizers to stand before God and the people to deliver Gods message.