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CBCP

VOLUME 19
NUMBER 7

March 30 - April 12, 2015

PROTAGONIST OF TRUTH, PROMOTER OF PEACE

CBCPMONITOR.COM

CBCPMONITOR@CBCPWORLD.NET

Villegas cites
litany of
frustrations, but
theres hope
THE head of the Catholic Bishops
Conference of the Philippines
(CBCP) has listed corruption in
the government and the Mamasapano case as among the countrys
litany of frustrations.
In his message for Easter Sunday, CBCP President Archbishop
Socrates Villegas said these challenges are among the reasons why
many Filipinos are failing to find
joy in the Christian life. (See full
text at page B5)
He said it is Christs joy that
the faithful must carry with them
through life but in its quest, we
have often failed to find it.
We are bundles of shattered
dreams; or we are showcases of
fulfilled dreams, which leave us
empty. We have worked hard, but
are frustrated; we have struggled,
but feel the weight of disappointment. We are victims of calamities,
natural or man-made, or victims
of our own coldness in the face
of overwhelming suffering, Villegas said.
Remember Yolanda. RememLitany, A7

After celebrating an open-air Easter Sunday Mass in St. Peters Square, Pope Francis greeted tens of thousands of cold, rain-soaked pilgrims and delivered his Easter message Urbi et Orbi. The Pope urged the crowd to
look upon the Christians who are suffering from religious persecutions and appealed for peace and freedom for victims of slavery, drug dealers, and peace for this world subjected to arms dealers. LOSSERVATORE ROMANO

DOH hit for breaking

SC ruling on RH Law
By Raymond A. Sebastin

A COALITION of pro-life
advocates has criticized the
Department of Health (DOH)
for flagrantly disregarding
a subsisting Supreme Court
ruling on specific provisions
of the Reproductive Health
(RH) law.

The Coalition of Pro-Life and Pro-Family

Advocates said while the DOH has yet to
come out with the implementing rules and
regulations for the RH law, it has already
been actively promoting and distributing
contraceptives and other birth control
methods.
We have made representations on
various instances to the Department of
Health but to no avail, the group said in
a manifesto.
Instead, we have been informed by our
allies on the ground that contraceptives are

Cardinal Tagles wish: More

priests choosing poor parishes

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle celebrates Holy Mass in the fire-ravaged
Parola compound, Tondo, Manila. FR. JEREMIAH A. ADVIENTO

IF Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle had one wish,

it is clear and simple that more
priests devote themselves to the
poor.
He made his desires known
during the Chrism Mass at Manila
Cathedral on Maundy Thursday,

an event attended by priests of the

archdiocese.
I look forward to the time when
our priests would be vying for assignments in the poorest parishes,
Tagle said in his homily.
Aside from being just church
Wish, A6

being distributed, given out or applied to

the unknowing public absent compliance
to the requirements of the law that ensures
that the methods, oral, mechanical or otherwise are non-abortifacient and are safe to
the health of those who are subjected to the
process, it said.
They also revealed that a Implanon, a
known abortifacient, is now being implanted in women under dubious circumstances
and under imposed conditions, as well as
the continuous application of intrauterine
devices on women without the appropri-

ate information about the risks associated

with its use.
A year ago, the SC upheld the constitutionality of the RH law but struck down at
least eight provisions.

WHATS INSIDE
Pope to formally proclaim
holy year in front of
basilicas Holy Door, A3

Queen of Heaven Rejoice

Alleluia! Mary in the Year
of the Poor, B1

Unlawful
Among those declared unlawful was the
provision, which defines abortifacients as
primarily inducing abortion.
In a pastoral letter issued in July 2014,
the Catholic Bishops Conference of the
Ruling, A6

Shun pride that fuels violence, war,

says Pope at Urbi et Orbi
AMID the lawlessness
and injustice plaguing todays world, Pope Francis
on Easter Sunday called
on the Catholic faithful
to fight acts of violence
and work towards the
attainment of genuine
peace and reconciliation
all over the globe.
From the risen Lord
we ask the grace not to
succumb to the pride
which fuels violence and
war, but to have the humble courage of pardon
and peace, Pope Francis
said in his Easter message before the faithful
at the St. Peters Square

in Rome, Italy.
In his Urbi et Orbi
message in time for the
Lords resurrection, the
Holy Father prayed
against war and bloodshed, particularly mentioning cases of atrocities that recently took
place in several countries
throughout the world.
(See full text at page B5)
We ask Jesus, the
Victor over death, to
lighten the sufferings of
our many brothers and
sisters who are persecuted
for his name, and of all
those who suffer injustice
as a result of ongoing

conflicts and violence,

he said.
This is not weakness,
but true strength! Those
who bear within them
Gods power, his love and
his justice, do not need
to employ violence; they
speak and act with the
power of truth, beauty
and love he added.
Restore peaceful relations
Pope Francis called for
the attainment of peace
in Syria and Iraq, noting
the need for the roar of
arms to cease and for
peaceful relations to be

Pride, A6

Pope Francis greets the Filipino faithful during the Encounter with the
Families at the SM MOA Arena, Jan. 16, 2015. ROY LAGARDE

Bishop: PNoy becoming less leader- Church group to bishops: Support Real apologists evangelize
like as term ends
GARB, not CARP
priest

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick S. Pabillo at a press conference FILE PHOTO

A CATHOLIC prelate believes

President Benigno S. Aquino III
(PNoy) is acting like less and less
the nations chief executive as the
end of his term in office nears, not-

ing he has become fixated on the

Mamasapano massacre to even care
about his other duties.
His [PNoys] is a lame-duck
Term, A7

THEY are one with the Catholic

bishops on land reform, but this
group of priests, nuns and religious
workers believe theres a different
way of achieving it.
The Solidarity Philippines, a
movement to proactively advance
the social teachings of the Church,
said the bishops must give HB 252
or the Genuine Agrarian Reform
Bill (GARB) a chance if only to
address landlessness and poverty
in the countryside.
Landowners will be compensated by the government if they
have come by their lands honestly.
All this is necessary for the farmers
to exercise their right to own the

land they till, equitably share in

the fruits of their labour and find
a path out of poverty, said Fr. Jesus
Dumaual, MSC, among the convenors of Solidarity Philippines.
Abandon CARP
Moreover House Bill 252 ensures there are no schemes to
avoid land distribution and that
all agricultural lands are covered,
including those exempted under
CARP, he said.
The group made the appeal after
a big number of bishops called on
President Benigno Aquino and
Congress to pass twin measures
Support, A7

WHAT is it that
apologists do?
Debate? Quote
Bible verses
from memory?
According to a
priest, an apologist or a faith
defender is first
and foremost, an
evangelizer.
A defender,
an apologist is
basically an evangelizerOnce you
get this, you can be safeguarded
from extremes, said Msgr. Sabino
Vengco, Jr., a lecturer and professor of Systematic and Sacramental

Theology at the Loyola School of

Theology, during a recent recollection with members of the Accredited Archdiocesan Apologists
Evangelize, A7

A2 WORLD NEWS

March 30 - April 2, 2015, Vol. 19. No. 7

JAKARTA, April 3, 2015Accepting the invitation launched

several times by Pope Francis, the
Indonesian Bishops Conference
(KWI) under the motto do good
for others has launched a series of
initiatives in in favor of the poor
and underprivileged.
Several dioceses and archdioceses
have launched initiatives, because
the practice of the faith - warn the
prelates - must be directed not
only at personal salvation, but also
the good of others. Some of these
projects include fundraising for
the needy, collections for grants for
low-income students, and insurance to ensure a proper burialthe
cost of funerals is high in the capital
and in several other areas.
Marking the Year of Thanksgiving, officially launched in 2015 by
the Archdiocese of Jakarta with the
title There is no genuine gratitude
without doing something good for
others, the local Church leaders
are launching a special initiative.
Providing low cost insurance coverage for needy families, to allow
them bury their loved ones.
The initiative was first put forward by the capitals Archbishop
Msgr. Ignatius Suharyo two years
ago, the initiative has met with the
support of thousands of faithful
who have decided to take part. At
the annual price of 9 dollars, the
family members of the deceased

ASIANEWS.IT

Indonesian Catholics: An Easter of

prayer and solidarity with the needy

may be eligible for 950 dollars to

cover paperwork and proceed with
the burial.
Also in Jakarta there are other
initiatives for educational programsas repeatedly stressed by
Msgr. Suharyo - for the poorest
and neediest students. Besides the
capital school fees are very high,
especially in private institutions
- such as the Catholic schools where the level of education has a
higher standard than the average.
To avoid only the rich from having access and in a spirit of solidar-

ity promoted by the archdiocese,

during Lent fundraisers to support
the initiative were promoted. The
parishes involved include Jagakarsa
in South Jakarta and the Regina
Caeli in North Jakarta.
A similar initiative is also taking
place in the diocese of Purwokerto,
in central Java, where Bishop Julianus Sunarko has dedicated this
year to the apostolate for education.
Many human and financial resources have been invested in the promotion of educational projects.
Again many of the funds raised

Vatican Briefing
Pope Francis: No matter what the crime, the death penalty is inadmissible

during Lent will be allocated to

education projects. In the weeks
leading up to Easter, it is common
practice in the various dioceses to
promote fundraising campaigns;
envelopes or small boxes are distributed to Catholic families and
the money raised is given to the
diocesan leaders, who use them to
support charities or humanitarian
campaigns.
However, the season of Lent is
a time of penance and the deepening of faith. On the occasion of
Palm Sunday, dozens of Catholics
patiently queued for confession.
In the parish of Pakema small
suburb of North Yogyakarta in
central Javaseven adults will be
baptized in the Vigil Mass. In the
parish of Banyumanik, Semarang
(Central Java), dozens of people
have already been baptized, in the
context of a ceremony which saw
the enthusiastic participation of the
entire Catholic community.
Indonesia is the worlds most
populous Muslim nation. Christians represent 5.7 per cent of the
population with Catholics just over
3.6 per cent.
The latter are an active part of
society. Over the years, they have
contributed to the nations development and played a major role in
emergency operations, as was the
case during the devastating floods
of January 2013. (AsiaNews)

Archbishop of Singapore: at Easter the Risen Christ

defeats relativism and gives eternal life

Pope accepts disgraced Scottish prelates resignation from cardinal status

In a rare move, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of disgraced

Scottish Cardinal Keith Patrick OBrien from the rights and duties of a cardinal, the Vatican announced on March 17. As most
people are aware, Pope Francis is a good and prayerful man whose
character embodies justice and mercy. I am confident therefore that
the decision of the Holy Father is fair, equitable and proportionate, Archbishop Leo Cushley of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh
in a March 20 statement. Cardinal OBriens behavior distressed
many, demoralized faithful Catholics and made the Church less
credible to those who are not Catholic. I therefore acknowledge
and welcome his apology to those affected by his behavior and also
to the people of Scotland, especially the Catholic community.
Cardinal OBrien stood down as Archbishop of St. Andrews and
Edinburgh in March 2013 at the age of 74 amid media claims of
inappropriate sexual behavior with other men which allegedly took
place in the 1980s. (CNA)

Use of force is a last resort against Islamic State Vatican diplomat

By presenting a joint statement to the United Nations Human

Rights Council to support Christians and other communities in
the Middle East, the Holy See has fostered a new diplomatic approach to protect communities and raise the international focus
on a top issue. The approach is an alternative to the use of force
against the Islamic State, which can only be the very last choice,
Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, Holy See Permanent Observer to the
UN office in Geneva, told CNA. The joint statement, he said, is
news in the world of the Human Rights Council, since it is the
first time we explicitly mention the category of Christian persons,
though we also mention the presence of other communities.
Drafted together with Lebanon and Russia, the statement from the
Holy Sees Permanent Observer to the United Nations in Geneva
was presented March 13 during the assembly of the 28th Session
of the Human Rights Council. (CNA)

An informal announcement was made recently at the close of the

Italian bishops conferences spring meeting in Rome revealing
that Pope Francis will visit the two Tuscan cities Nov. 10. We
welcome the news that the Holy Father will be in Prato with great
joy, Bishop Franco Agostinelli of Prato said March 27. The bishop
explained that our whole diocese is celebrating this event, which
will mark our history: Peter will truly visit out Church and confirm
us in the faith. Simultaneously announced in Rome, Prato, and
Florence, the news of the Popes visit came at the end of a gathering
of the permanent council of the Italian bishops conference at the
Vatican. Franciss November trip will be his first time traveling to
both Florence and Prato, which are both located in Italys northern
Tuscan region and sit about 15 miles apart. (CNA)

Pope to formally proclaim holy year in front of basilicas Holy Door

of this world.
Whether in good or bad times, in sickness
or in health, in prosperity or adversity, we live
with confidence that everything will end well
in Christ, the archbishop of Singapore said, for
He has shown us the way and become for us
our leader in salvation.
Lastly, I wish you all a blessed and Holy
Easter, the prelate said in concluding his message. May the Risen Lord shine through you
and give you joy and peace in the Holy Spirit.
He is with you always.

Singapore is home to more than 200,000

Catholics, or about 5 per cent of the total population. Buddhism is the city-states dominant
religion with 43 per cent of the population,
followed by Christianity (18 per cent), Islam (15
per cent), Hinduism (11 per cent) and Taoism
(5 per cent).
At present, the local Church is going through
a phase of growth and vitality, which has led to
the recent opening of a theological seminary, a
real milestone in the history of the local community. (AsiaNews)

Iraqi priest: Even among Mosul refugees, life and

resurrection win over death

Celebrating the first vespers for Divine Mercy Sunday, Pope Francis
formally will deliver the bull of indiction or proclamation of the
extraordinary Holy Year of Mercy. Portions of the document will
be read in front of the Holy Door at St. Peters Basilica April 11,
the Vatican announced. The Holy Door, usually bricked up, is
opened at the beginning of a jubilee year. The Holy Year of Mercy
is scheduled for Dec. 8, 2015, to Nov. 20, 2016. During a Lenten
penance service in March, Pope Francis announced his intention
to proclaim the holy year as a way for the church to make more
evident its mission to be a witness of mercy. (CNA)

Pope names Cardinal Versaldi new prefect of education congregation

Pope Francis named 71-year-old Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi,

president of the Prefecture of the Economic Affairs of the Holy
See since 2011, to be the new prefect of the Congregation
for Catholic Education. The Italian cardinal succeeds Polish
Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, who had led the congregation
since 1999. In October Cardinal Grocholewski turned 75,
the normal retirement age for the heads of Vatican offices.
Until early 2013, the congregation included responsibility for
seminaries, Catholic schools and universities. In one of his last
official acts, Pope Benedict XVI transferred responsibility for
seminary education to the Congregation for Clergy. Much of
Cardinal Grocholewskis leadership focused on strengthening
the Catholic identity of Catholic schools and, particularly, of
Catholic universities. He also issued decrees on revising the
curriculum for degrees in canon law and Vatican-recognized
degrees in philosophy. (CNS)

Priests, nuns remain in Yemen despite ongoing conflict

ASIANEWS.IT

ERBIL, April 3, 2015Although

our suffering, that of the refugees
and all of Iraq endures, so does
our hope in the Risen Lord. He
is the Lord of Life and life always
wins over death; now resurrection
rules, said Fr Janan Shamil Azeez,
a priest with the Chaldean Diocese
of Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, who spoke with AsiaNews a
few days before Easter.
Since last June, the Church in
Erbil has been helping more than
130,000 Christian refugees from
Mosul, after the city fell to the
Islamic State group. The wounds
caused by the flight, impoverishment and the search for accommodation are the daily tragedy
Christians must face.
For this reason, for several
months, AsiaNews has been raising funds through its Adopt a
Christian from Mosul campaign.
So far, it has raised and sent about
1.3 million euro (US$ 1.4 million).
However, refugees have lost
hope of returning to their homes
any time soon. The victories by
the Iraqi army in Tikrit are still
far from Mosul. For this reason,
they are looking for something
more stable.
Refugee camps are no longer
just rows of tents. Containers now
give families more room and make
them less vulnerable to the heat of
summer and the cold of winter.
The Chaldean Church has also
found more than 600 rental units
for thousands of families. Having
a roof over ones head, even when
two or three families have to share

Regardless of the crime that has been committed, capital punishment is unacceptable in the modern world, Pope Francis stressed
in a recent letter. Nowadays the death penalty is inadmissible,
no matter how serious the crime committed, the Pope said. It
is an offence against the inviolability of life and the dignity of the
human person, which contradicts Gods plan for man and society,
and his merciful justice, and impedes the penalty from fulfilling
any just objective. It does not render justice to the victims, but
rather fosters vengeance. Pope Francis words came in a letter to
Federico Mayor, president of the International Commission against
the Death Penalty. The Pope held an audience with a delegation
from the commission March 20. (CNA)

Pope expected to visit Italian cities of Florence, Prato in November

ASIANEWS.IT

SINGAPORE, April 2, 2015This Easter, as

we celebrate His resurrection from the dead, we
know our hope is certain and substantiated. Unlike the world where hope is but wishful thinking, Christian life and the future of humanity is
already anticipated in Christs resurrection, said
Mgr William Goh, archbishop of Singapore, in
his Easter message.
At this time of celebration, Jesus defeats relativism and conquers death. In Him, there is
eternal life. Thus, for the prelate, We have a life
beyond this world and our life is in Christ. And
Love is [. . .] the last word; not hatred. Christs
love has won us over to Him, and his resurrection is our victory over sin and eternal death.
For the archbishop, as Christians, we do
not simply believe that Christ has died for us.
Greater still is our belief that Christ is risen
from the dead! [. . .] So let us live as free men
and women in Christ; not as slaves of Satan.
This world is on the brink of despair and
hopelessness, where each day, life seems to
get more and more hopeless, and everything
is changing so rapidly that traditional values
are being put in question.
In this world of counter culture where the
worship of God is replaced by the new religion
of science and technology, humanity is replaced
by love of self before others, and individualism
and freedom at the expense of the community.
A bottom-line relativism leads man to seek
to fulfil himself as much he can by extracting
as much as he can from the world, especially
the pleasures of life. [. . .] Yet, deep within,
his heart remains empty and there is a vacuum
within that cannot be filled by the passing things

CBCP Monitor

it, is one step closer to a more

normal life.
Despite the uncertainties,
people are into cleaning, beautification, job hunting, said a local
priest.
The visit by Card Fernando
Filoni, prefect of the Congregation
for the Evangelisation of Peoples,
has given people more hope. As the
popes envoy, he is bringing Francis
closeness to the Iraqi people, especially refugees.
Card Filoni was greeted very
warmly, said Fr Jamal, secretary of
Mgr Bashar Warda, the Chaldean
bishop of Erbil. People warmly
welcomed him because he is the
papal envoy.
Everyone understands that they
are not alone in their suffering; this
helps them find the strength to
endure the situation. Since the be-

ginning of this tragedy, the refugees

and the bishops have always asked
not to be left alone.
Some years ago, the current
prefect of Propaganda Fide was
nuncio in Iraq. Last June, he visited
the country when the tragic exodus
began in Mosul.
With the arrival of Card Filoni,
an initiative by the Diocese of
Rome got underway, Fr Jana said.
Titled A Colomba (dove-shaped
cake) for Peace, the plan is to give
a cake to each refugee family.
I personally went to pick them
up and we are now handing them
out to families as a gift from the
Holy Father. We should have at
least 15-20,000 cakes.
Card Filoni is visiting all the
dioceses of Kurdistan with refugee
camps. A few days ago, he was in
the north, in Alqosh, Zakho and

Duhoc. At present, he is in Erbil to

celebrate the Easter Vigil with the
Chaldean patriarch of Baghdad,
Louis Sako.
The celebration will be held
in a large tent, set up into a new
neighbourhood in Ankawa, the
Christian enclave of Erbil. It can
hold at least a thousand people.
The Mass will also be broadcast by
Kurdish television.
On Easter Sunday, the cardinal
will visit the communities of Sulaymaniyya and Kirkuk.
Finally, The resurrection is the
fundamental point of our faith,
and not only in this time of trial
and sorrow, said Fr Janan.
In our Eastern tradition, we
never dwell upon to the cross. The
cross is not a curse, but a tool of
glory, which refers to the resurrection. (CNA)

Despite rising tensions in Yemen and continued fighting between

government and rebel forces, Catholic officials said the six Salesian
priests and the 20 Missionaries of Charity assigned to the country
have remained. Our priests are safe and the sisters continue to
work in four cities, including the hot spot of Sanaa, said Capuchin
Father Gandolf Wild, secretary of the vicariate of southern Arabia.
He spoke to Catholic News Service March 25 by telephone from
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where the vicariate is based.
There are not many Christians left in Yemen, the Capuchin said.
Before Iranian-backed Houthi Shia militants took control of the
capital Sanaa in September and launched a major offensive, the
country had about 2,000 Catholics, including foreign embassy
personnel. There may be 1,500 Catholics still in the country, he
said, but most cannot come to churchand that includes the
embassy personnel who have not been recalled by their governments. It is a very poor country and very unsafenot just for
Catholics. (CNS)

Pope recognizes miracle needed to declare French couple saints

Pope Francis has approved a miracle so that, for the first time,
a married couple can be canonized together. The canonization
ceremony for Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin, the parents of
St. Therese of Lisieux, is likely to take place during the world
Synod of Bishops on the family in October. Pope Francis signed
the decree March 18, the Vatican said, although it provided no
details about the miraculous cure said to have taken place through
the couples intercession. However, the promoters of the sainthood cause said the miracle being studied involves a little girl in
the Archdiocese of Valencia, Spain. Born prematurely and with
multiple life-threatening complications, Carmen suffered a major
brain hemorrhage, which could have caused irreversible damage.
Her parents prayed for the Martins intercession. The little girl
survived and is healthy. (CNS)

NEWS FEATURES A3

March 30 - April 2, 2015, Vol. 19. No. 7

Priests reminded of their main goal

Pope to formally proclaim holy

year in front of basilicas Holy Door

Members of the clergy join in a parade, one of the events to celebrate the 2010 Year of
the Priests in the Philippines. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, April 7, 2015The

goal of the priest to follow Christ
sets him apart from other men.
Fr. Abe P. Arganiosa, a Filipino
Catholic priest based in the United
States, noted that through their
sacred ministry, members of the
clergy truly share in the very life
of the Lord, who is Himself both
Priest and Victim.
By His being a Victim the Lord
Jesus gave us salvation, and by
this same sacrifice He vanquished
Satan. Our priests being in total
union with Christ are also doing
the same by the sacrifice of their
lives, and by their Eucharistic offering are bringing about the triumph
of the Gospel and the downfall of
the Devil, he explained.
While they are unique given
the grace they have received and
the task they must carry out, Arganiosa pointed out priests are far
from perfect and have their share
of human frailty like all people.
Quoting St. Paul, he reminded
the faithful that clerics hold this
grace, this treasure, in earthen
vessels, that the surpassing power
may be of God and not from us
[2 Cor 4:7 NABRe].
Arganiosa said priests are created out of clay [cf. Gen 2:7] like all
others humans, with the difference
that God uses their mortal bodies

as channels of His incomparable

blessings, causing even angels to
envy them.
Through the consecrated hands
of our priests, heaven opens every
day to give us the Body and Blood
of the Lord giving us a pure sacrifice that sanctifies the sinful world
from the rising of the sun to its
setting [cf. Mal 1:11], he added.
He stressed the Lord especially
chose priests for the edification of
His Body the Church [cf. Canon
Law 275] as dispensers of the
mysteries of God, [cf. Canon
Law 276].
A Catholic apologist, Arganiosa
blasted critics who assert that the
priesthood was invented only during the Middle Ages, attributing
its existence to merely human, not
Divine, origin.
That is very far from reality. It
was established by the Father from
the Old Covenant, perfected by
Christ in the New, and is guided
by the Holy Spirit throughout the
ages. Thus, we proclaim the divine
origin of the priesthood, he said.
According to him, the Father
established Priesthood as an Office
(Ex 29: 9/ Lev 16: 32) and was
acquired through Consecration by
Anointing (Ex 29: 7/ Lev 8: 12/
16: 32). (Raymond A. Sebastin/
CBCPNews)

Keep trash in pockets, help persecuted

Christians, Catholics urged

Br. Martin Francisco, a member of the Blessed Sacrament Missionaries of the Poor
(BSMP), serves Dumagat communities on Sierra Madre. PHOTO TAKEN FROM FRANCISCOS
FACEBOOK ACCOUNT

MANILA, April 7, 2015While

Catholics are enjoined this April to
pray for Pope Francis intentions
on behalf of the environment and
persecuted Christians worldwide,
the Filipino faithful can raise the
bar by doing something more concrete: disposing of garbage properly
and calling for the end of religious
extremism.
The Holy Fathers forthcoming encyclical is said to be about
ecology, and how humans can
help solve some of the issues
affecting our planet today like
climate change, Prof. Nestor G.
Limqueco, supreme moderator
emeritus of the Company of Saint
Dominic (CSD), a secular institute
under the Archdiocese of Manila
(RCAM), told CBCP News in an
interview.
Litter-free church activities
Even St. Francis [of Assisi]
and our Holy Father St. Dominic
stressed the importance of nature,
recognizing and acknowledging
the Earth as something God also
made. As such, it is in the interest
of everyone to seriously fulfill the
stewardship of Creation, he added.
He said one way Catholics can
do their part is by keeping their
parish activities litter-free, and
educating others on proper garbage
disposal.
For Br. Martin Francisco, a
member of the Blessed Sacrament
Missionaries of the Poor (BSMP)
who serves Dumagat communities
on Sierra Madre, said it is important that Catholics integrate their
faith with their work in protecting
the environment.
[And] the basic way of respecting Gods creation is to be good and
active stewards of our environment
through forest protection and not
just being contented with simple
tree planting. We should transform our concern for our Mother
Earth from mere dramatic to
actual, simple, and direct works of
peace, said the religious brother-

environmentalist, alluding to the

recent Earth Hour during which
participants turned off their lights
to raise awareness of ecological
issues.
One with persecuted Christians
Meanwhile, in view of the
Christians who suffer for their
faith in the Middle East, China,
and other parts of the world, ,
Limqueco invited Filipinos to
offer prayers for their safety, hoping that the glory of Easter will
encourage and fortify them in the
face of persecution.
They need our prayers and
acknowledgement. These people
who remain steadfast in their faith
despite threats to their lives and
possible martyrdom, should be
recognized, he shared.
According to him, persecuted
Christians must feel that the rest
of the Christian world is with them
in their suffering, and is behind
them, giving them hope amid the
dangers.
While the Church hierarchy has
been rallying world leaders to take
the cause of peace seriously, Francisco noted ordinary faithful and
all people of good will must also be
made aware of the plight of their
Christian brothers and sisters in
those areas where they experience
persecution.
Concrete help
Prayers of course are good. But
given their situation, we have to
remember they also need water,
clothes, and houses, but most especially, peace, hope, and security,
he explained.
Pope Francis universal prayer
intention for April is: That people
may learn to respect creation and
care for it as a gift of God.
His intention for evangelization
is: That persecuted Christians
may feel the consoling presence of
the Risen Lord and the solidarity
of all the Church. (Raymond A.
Sebastin/CBCP News)

Pope Francis spoke to the thousands present inside St. Peters Basilica to
celebrate the Easter Vigil, April 5, 2015. CNA

VATICAN City, April

1, 2015Celebrating
the first vespers for Divine Mercy Sunday,
Pope Francis formally
will deliver the bull
of indiction or proclamation of the extraordinary Holy Year of
Mercy.
Portions of the document will be read in
front of the Holy Door
at St. Peters Basilica
April 11, the Vatican
announced. The Holy
Door, usually bricked
up, is opened at the
beginning of a jubilee
year.
The Holy Year of
Mercy is scheduled for
Dec. 8, 2015, to Nov.
20, 2016.
The other major basilicas of Rome also
have Holy Doors that
are opened for jubilee years. The papal
document proclaiming the year of mercy
will be read April 12 at
the Basilica of St. John
Lateran by Cardinal
Agostino Vallini, vicar
for Rome; the Basilica
of St. Mary Major by
Cardinal Santos Abril
Castello, archpriest of
the basilica; and the

Basilica of St. Paul

Outside the Walls by
U.S. Cardinal James
M. Harvey, archpriest
of St. Pauls.
During a Lenten
penance service in
March, Pope Francis
announced his intention to proclaim the
holy year as a way for
the church to make
more evident its mission to be a witness of
mercy.
Holy Years usually
are held every 25 years;
the last was the great
jubilee of the year 2000.
Holy years feature special celebrations and
pilgrimages, strong calls
for conversion and repentance, and the offer
of special opportunities
to experience Gods
grace through the sacraments, especially confession.
Extraordinary holy
years, like the Holy
Year of Mercy, are less
frequent, but offer the
same opportunities for
spiritual growth.
Announcing the publication of the papal
bull, the Vatican press
office also explained
how formal papal docu-

ments came to have

that name: The term
bullfrom the Latin
bulla meaning bubble
or, more generally, a
rounded objectoriginally indicated the
metal capsule used to
protect the wax seal attached with a cord to a
document of particular
importance to attest to
its authenticity and,
as a consequence, its
authority.
Over time, the term
began to be used first
to indicate the seal,
then the document itself, so that nowadays
it is used for all papal
documents of special
importance that bear,
or at least traditionally
would have borne, the
pontiff s seal, the statement said.
The papal bull for a
holy year, it said, indicates its opening and
closing dates and main
ways in which it will
be implemented. It is
considered the primary
document for understanding the intentions and the outcomes
hoped for by the pontiff. (Cindy Wooden/
Catholic News Service)

If youre looking for the truth, youll find the Resurrection Pope says
ROME, Italy, April 4, 2015During his homily for the Easter Vigil
Pope Francis said that the Resurrection of Jesus is a mystery we can
only enter by going out of ourselves
and looking for the truth.
To enter into the mystery
demands that we not be afraid of
reality: that we not be locked into
ourselves, that we not flee from
what we fail to understand, that we
not close our eyes to problems or
deny them, that we not dismiss our
questions, the Pope said April 4.
In order to fully enter the mystery of Jesus rising from the dead,
we must let go of the comfort
zones, laziness and indifference that
hold us back, and instead go out in
search of truth, beauty and love.
It is seeking a deeper meaning,
an answer, and not an easy one,
to the questions which challenge
our faith, our fidelity and our very
existence.
Francis spoke to the thousands
present inside St. Peters Basilica to
celebrate the Easter Vigil, which is
celebrated the night before Easter
in anticipation of Jesus rising from
the dead.
The Easter Vigil, he noted, is also

a night when the disciples, caught

in sadness and fear after Jesus
death, anxiously locked themselves
inside the upper room.
However, the Pope noted that
instead of staying with them,
the women went to Jesus tomb
and were the first to enter into
the mystery of the Resurrection
when they went inside and found
it empty, except for a young man
sitting on the right side, dressed in
a white robe.
To enter into the tomb, Francis
said, is why we are here: to enter,
to enter into the Mystery which
God has accomplished with his
vigil of love.
We cannot live Easter without
entering into the mystery, he said,
explaining that this mystery is not
merely something intellectual, but
is rather much more!
To enter into it fully, he said,
we must also have the ability to
contemplate it and listen to the
silence, which is where God speaks
to us with a whisper.
Pope Francis concluded his
homily saying that the women
who were Jesus disciples serve as an
example for all, because they kept

CNA

CBCP Monitor

vigil alongside Jesus mother, Mary.

The women, Francis noted, did
not remain prisoners of fear and
sadness, but at the first light of
dawn they went out carrying their
ointments, their hearts anointed
with love. They went forth and
found the tomb open. And they
went in.
He prayed that everyone might

learn from these women how to

keep watch with the Lord and with
Mary, so that we too may enter
into the Mystery which leads from
death to life.
Pope Francis also Baptized 10
people during the ceremony, including 5 women, 4 men and a 13
year old girl. (Elise Harris/CNA/
EWTN News)

True martyrs die in prayer not with clenched fists, papal preacher says
VATICAN City, April 3, 2015In his homily
for the celebration of the Passion of Our Lord
on Good Friday, papal preacher Father Raniero
Cantalamessa called for a spirit of forgiveness
amid rising persecutions in the world.
True martyrs for Christ do not die with
clenched fists but with their hands joined in
prayer, Fr. Cantelamessa said, according to the
English translation published by Vatican Radio.
His remarks come as news of 147 Christians
slaughtered by Somali jihadists at a University
Campus in Kenya.
Remarking on this tragedy, Fr. Cantelamessa
observed the fittingness of Jesus words to his
disciples: The hour is coming when whoever
kills you will think he is offering service to
God (Jn 16:2).
He also cited the killings of twenty-one
Coptic Christians in Libya at the hands of the
Islamic State in February, observing how Christ
gave them, in their final moments, the strength
to die whispering the name of Jesus.
Fr. Cantelamessa made this reflection to the
congregation gathered in Saint Peters Basilica,
following the chanting in Latin of the Johns
Gospel account of Christs Passion and Death.
Pope Francis presided over the celebration,
leading the faithful in the Veneration of the
Cross, during which those present were invited
to approach a wooden crucifix and kiss the feet
of Jesus.
Beginning his reflection, he recounted the
scene from Johns Gospel in which Pontius
Pilate presents Jesus, scourged and wearing a
crown of thorns, declaring to the people: Ecce
homo Behold the man.
Jesus is in agony until the end of the world
in every man or woman who is subjected to his
same torments, he said.
He recalled Christs words, that what is done
to the hungry, naked, mistreated or in prison
is done to Him.
For once let us not think about social evils
collectively: hunger, poverty, injustice, the exploitation of the weak, saying these evils run
the risk of becoming abstractionscategories
rather than persons.
Rather, he said urged the faithful to consider
the suffering of individuals, people with names
and specific identities; of the tortures that are
decided upon in cold blood and voluntarily
inflicted at this very moment by human beings
on other human beings, even on babies.
Fr. Cantelamessa decried the many instances

Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, Preacher to the Papal Household. CNA

of Ecce homo in the world, where men and

women find themselves in a similar situation
to Jesus standing before Pilate: alone, handcuffed, tortured, at the mercy of rough soldiers
full of hate who engage in every kind of physical
and psychological cruelty and who enjoy watching people suffer.
This phraseEcce homorefers also to
those who engage in torture, demonstrating
what man is capable of.
He went on to say that while Christians are
not the only group to suffer deadly violence,
we cannot ignore the fact that in many countries they are the most frequently intended
victims.
He cited a testimony of third-century Easter
celebrations by Christians amid fierce persecutions, given by Bishop Dionysius of Alexandra,
in which the places where they were attacked
became places of celebration.
This is the way Easter will be for many
Christians this year, 2015 after Christ, Fr.
Cantelamessa said.
Turning to today, he reflected on a member
of the secular press who denounced the indifference toward the mass killing of Christians, and
what such indifference has led to in the past.
All of us and all our institutions in the West
risk being Pilates who wash our hands, he said.
However, we are not allowed to make any
denunciations today, he said. We would be
betraying the mystery we are celebrating. Jesus

died, crying out, Father, forgive them; for they

know not what they do (Lk 23:34).
These words applied not only to the soldiers
involved in Christs Crucifixion, who were
ignorant, he said. The divine grandeur of his
forgiveness consists in the fact that it was also
offered to his most relentless enemies.
Instead of accusing his adversaries, or of
forgiving them and entrusting the task of
vengeance to his heavenly Father, he defended
them.
Fr. Cantelamessa went on to stress that
forgiveness entails a transformation to a positive will to do good to them, even if it is only
by means of a prayer to God on their behalf,
inspired by charity, and without the hope for
divine retribution.
Against the challenge of some who would
say that following Jesus means to surrender
oneself passively to defeat and to death, he
stressed: The definitive victory of good over
evil that will be manifested at the end of time
has already come to pass, legally and de facto,
on the cross of Christ.
Jesus overcame violence not by opposing it
with a greater violence but by enduring it and
exposing all its injustice and futility.
Speaking on the recent rise of persecution,
he observed the problem of violence disturbs
us, shocks us, and it has invented new and horrendous forms of cruelty and barbarism today.
(Ann Schneible/ Catholic News Agency)

A4 OPINION

March 30 - April 2, 2015, Vol. 19. No. 7

CBCP Monitor

EDITORIAL

Peacemaking and the BBL

ONE of the more objective thoughts on the issue of peacemaking
and the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) is that of Archbishop Socrates
Villegas which, as he premised, he is sharing neither as president of
the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines nor as Archbishop
of Lingayen Dagupan, but as a Filipino and a believer in Christ.
Dated in time for the celebration of Araw ng Kagitingan (The Day
of Valor) on April 9, he titles his piece Bataan Valor, Peacemaking
and the Draft BBL.
Admittedly, the Mamasapano clash last January has triggered deepseated apprehensions on the peacemaking efforts in Mindanao,
particularly on the draft BBL, which should not be the case.
Providentially or otherwise, this incident made even the general
public more serious about this draft legislation. But to equate peace
and the BBL would be a careless association that may, in fact, be
counterproductive in the long haul. What threatens the prospect
of peace most, however, is equating it with the present BBL and
threatening the return of violence and bloodshed should the Legislature
fail to pass it intact!, says Archbishop Villegas.

On its constitutionality, the archbishop opines, It is my position that all

suggestions, insinuations or hints that the Constitution will be amended
to accommodate the provisions of the BBL cease. The Constitution is
not a document that can be dealt with in patch-work fashion whenever
we enter into negotiations with any restive sector of the Philippines. In
this respect, the decision of the Supreme Court in the Memorandum
of Agreement on Ancestral Domains (Province of North Cotabato v.
GRP Peace Panel, 2008) ought to be the juridical sieve through which
the BBL should be examined. If we pass anything now, let us enact a
document that we are morally certain will withstand constitutional
challenge before the Supreme Court. I have paid close attention to the
arguments of the legal experts summoned by the Houses of Congress
to shed light on the Constitutional issues, and I am convinced that
there are some very crucial points of constitutional law that ought to be
resolved. Glossing over them will not be helpful at all, and it is neither
my place nor my competence to pass upon them now.
The abating stature of the Aquino administration may actually be
another big factor that could be dragging the current peacemaking
initiative an uphill climbat least in the bar of public opinion.
Everybody wants peace. But a good one.

Social dialogue in a context

of religious freedom
THE Synod Fathers spoke of the importance of respect for religious
freedom, viewed as a fundamental human right. This includes the
freedom to choose the religion which one judges to be true and to
manifest ones beliefs in public. A healthy pluralism, one which
genuinely respects differences and values them as such, does not
entail privatizing religions in an attempt to reduce them to the quiet
obscurity of the individuals conscience or to relegate them to the
enclosed precincts of churches, synagogues or mosques.
This would represent, in effect, a new form of discrimination and
authoritarianism. The respect due to the agnostic or non-believing minority
should not be arbitrarily imposed in a way that silences the convictions
of the believing majority or ignores the wealth of religious traditions. In
the long run, this would feed resentment rather than tolerance and peace.
When considering the effect of religion on public life, one must
distinguish the different ways in which it is practiced. Intellectuals
and serious journalists frequently descend to crude and superficial
generalizations in speaking of the shortcomings of religion, and
often prove incapable of realizing that not all believersor religious
leadersare the same. Some politicians take advantage of this confusion
to justify acts of discrimination.
At other times, contempt is shown for writings which reflect religious
convictions, overlooking the fact that religious classics can prove
meaningful in every age; they have an enduring power to open new
horizons, to stimulate thought, to expand the mind and the heart.
This contempt is due to the myopia of a certain rationalism. Is it
reasonable and enlightened to dismiss certain writings simply because
they arose in a context of religious belief? These writings include
principles which are profoundly humanistic and, albeit tinged with
religious symbols and teachings, they have a certain value for reason.
As believers, we also feel close to those who do not consider themselves
part of any religious tradition, yet sincerely seek the truth, goodness
and beauty which we believe have their highest expression and source
in God. We consider them as precious allies in the commitment to
defending human dignity, in building peaceful coexistence between
peoples and in protecting creation. A special place of encounter is
offered by new Areopagi such as the Court of the Gentiles, where
believers and non-believers are able to engage in dialogue about
fundamental issues of ethics, art and science, and about the search
for transcendence. This too is a path to peace in our troubled world.
Starting from certain social issues of great importance for the future
of humanity, I have tried to make explicit once again the inescapable
social dimension of the Gospel message and to encourage all Christians
to demonstrate it by their words, attitudes and deeds.
-- Evangelii Gaudium, #255-258, 2013

Monitor
CBCP

PROTAGONIST OF TRUTH, PROMOTER OF PEACE

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The threat of bloodshed if the BBL draft is not passed in toto was made
of late by no less than the president himself and the head of the peace
negotiating panel. Says the archbishop, Our sights should be set not
on a truce, not on some tenuous cessation of hostilities, and for this,
principles must be explicated, clearly discussed and rationally agreed
on. This is what I refer to as principled peace. And warning that we
shall have war unless BBL is passed does not make for principled peace!

Ten Easter Challenges

for Peace in Mindanao
AS we start the Easter season recalling Our Lords triumph over
injustice, violence and death, let
us also pray and work together for
just and lasting peace in Mindanao.
Ten propositions for peace challenge us to look to the future of
Mindanao with hopebut only
through the path of our own sacrifices and commitment.
1. Christianity and Islam are
both religions of peace. In their
sacred scriptures, the call for peace
is strong and persistent: Blessed
are the peacemakers In our interreligious dialogues, bishops and
ulama are one in calling for peace
and reconciliation, and an end to
armed conflict in Mindanao.
2. The vast majority of Muslim and Christian communities
in Mindanao aspire for peace.
Many communities have directly
experienced the ravages of war and
internal conflicts. In particular, the
first and most vulnerable victims of
war are the women and children. It
is for them and future generations
that we need to build structures for
peace today.
3. All-out war is not the answer
to the Mindanao situation. It has
been tried before and failed. The
major outbreaks of war in the early

70s, and the years 2000, 2003, and

2008, have brought about widespread destruction and dislocation
of families but no end to the armed
conflict.
4. Leaders of Muslim communities have pointed out three major
grievances: the diminution of their
ancestral territory, the erosion of
their cultural identity, and the
loss of self-determination in the
development of their communities. The creation of a Bangsamoro
autonomous entity addresses these
grievances and has been found acceptable by the MILF panel. In
their continuing struggle, this is a
significant concession for Muslim
leaders from their primordial stand
for an independent state.
5. The draft Bangsamoro Basic
Law represents a reasonable, practicable and carefully crafted formula
for attaining just and lasting peace
in Mindanao. In the long history
of peace-building negotiations in
Mindanao, it comes at the end
of 18 years of failed negotiations
with Muslim militant groups and
almost a half-century since the first
MNLF uprising. It has undergone
five years of widely-publicized
peace panel talks under the present
Administration.

And Thats The Truth

Teresa R. Tunay, OCDS
WITH the Holy Week behind us, its business as usual. And that meansBack to the
Mamasapano hearings, yehey!
Eating up a good deal of time as the Congress
hearing began was the issue of whether or not
the President should be invited to the hearing
to answer questions. Malacanang was said to
be willing to answer the questions in writingif
the Congress would email them to the President.
(Hah, tactical moves by texts and investigation
by emailhow techie could we get?)
If the prolonged, repetitive and noisy debate
on the issue accomplished anything, it was
merely to separate not exactly the sheep from
the goats, nor the wheat from the chaff, but congressman from congressman, according to color.
Same genus, different speciessome yellow,
others not yellow; some noisy, others noisier.
Seriously do they still hope or expect that
their needling will bring out the truth, the whole
truth, and nothing but the truth? After having
followed the hearings since the BOI investiga-

Abp. Antonio J. Ledesma, SJ

6. Ongoing questions on the

BBL with regard to territory, sovereignty, Sharia Law, police force,
natural resources, etc. may need
to be clarified and aligned to our
Constitutional principles.
On the other hand, the surviving
members of the Philippine Constitutional Convention of 1987
have affirmed that the BBL does
not go against any Constitutional
provision and that the core spirit
of the Constitution is Social Justice. We trust our legislators and
courts to review these issues from a
historical, statesmanlike, and nonpartisan perspective.
7. The Mamasapano incident
should not be equated with the
BBL. Mamasapano in the short
term represents the failure of leadership, the breakdown of trust, and the
resurgence of biases and prejudices.
The BBL addresses the root causes of
injustice and provides for the institutions needed for the long-term development of Muslim communities.
8. Instead of viewing the MILF
as enemies, the BBL makes them
and the envisioned Bangsamoro
entity partners for peace and development in Mindanao. The internal
security of the Bangsamoro entity
regarding the presence of other

has given us. Are we ready for it?

Are we willing to accept it and to
assume the responsibilities inherently attached to it?
In this regard, St. Paul gave us a
relevant piece of advice: Purge out
the old leaven, that you may be a
new paste, as you are unleavened.
For Christ our pasch is sacrificed.
(1 Cor 5,7)
These words certainly have
reference to the Jewish feast of the
Passover when the Israelites were
delivered from bondage. It was a
practice that involved purging the
old leaven they had and offering a
spotless lamb as sacrifice.
This Passover feast has become
a precursor of Easter when we
are supposed to cleanse ourselves
from our old man to receive the

armed groupssuch as the Abu

Sayyaf, BIFF, and elements of the
MNLFcan best be handled by
Muslims themselves with the support of the national government.
9. The alternative to scrapping
the BBL would be a return to
square one a generation ago and
may ensue in continuing violence
and unrest in Mindanao. The
only ones who stand to gain are
arms dealers and some politicians
who attract attention by polarizing communities. Media people
are also challenged to engage in
peace journalism, particularly for
uninformed audiences in Luzon
and the Visayas, as well as in Mindanao itself.
10. All-out peace can open the
doors for all-out development
of Mindanao. It can create the
conditions for inclusive growth,
particularly for Muslim Mindanao.
Many local and international investors have signified their interest in
harnessing the peace dividends in
Mindanao. A climate of peace,
development and solidarity can
bring about greater stability for
the Philippines in an integrated
ASEAN region and a wider world
confronting threats of international
terrorism.

Squeezing milk
from stone

tion started, I now find the matter rather tiresome, if not a hopeless case. Its been more than
two months now since the bloody encounter,
and the same questions remain unsatisfactorily
answered. Meanwhile, so many side issues crop
up regarding the other aspects of the tragedy, but
these serve only to distract us from the principal
one which iswhy such a delicate operation
was entrusted, and clandestinely, too, by the
President to a suspended police chief. That is
the crux of the matterwhich only the President can resolve. Why wont he do so?
Because the President is not capable of doing
it, and can you blame Noynoy for just being
himself? Surely our Congressmen and Senators
without political ambitions for 2016 can read
the writing on the wall and show this to the
people! From the start he has consistently been
his apathetic selfmissing in times of disaster,
disabled by crises, silent when his bosses are
clamoring to hear from a leader. (What a short
memory we have if weve forgotten about the

The challenge of
the new life
THIS is the challenge of Easter.
Christs resurrection has reopened
the gates of heaven and has given
us a way to enter it. With his rising
from the dead, we are given a new
life. We are now a new creation, a
new man because the eternal curse
of sin and death was undone with
Christs passion and death.
But its up to us to receive this
ineffably tremendous divine offer
or reject it. And if we receive it,
to develop and care for it, because
even if God has given us everything
to be what he wants us to be, we
always have to correspond to that
offer with our freedom, whose
proper language is love.
Thats why we have to understand that Easter challenges us to
correspond to the new life Christ

Pastoral Companion

Luneta hostage-taking incident and the Yolanda

tragedy!) The forgiving Filipinos, however,
would no longer tolerate Noynoys low EQ
(Emotional Quotient) so that when he chose to
attend a car manufacturing event over meeting
the 44 fallen soldiers coming home in coffins,
his popularity began to spiral to an all time low.
The headlines recently blared out: Pinoy
trust approval, sumadsad sa pinakamababa since
2010. But does he care? Palasyo, binale-wala
ang bagsak na rating ni Pinoy. So there.
There was short-lived clamor for the President
to apologize (at least for the sake of the bereaved
families), since he was perceived as the main
playor in the Mamasapano plan, but it was
ignored or dismissed as silly. Palace spokesmen even had the temerity to announce, The
President has already stated that he owns total
responsibility, etc. etc. Do things look like this
man would ever answer questions? And if he
does open his mouth would the answers beor

And Thats The Truth / A5

Candidly Speaking
Fr. Roy Cimagala

new life offered to us by the risen

Christ, the new paschal sacrifice
that is most pleasing and acceptable to God.
Easter or the resurrection of
Christ, the fruit of the cross, replaces and perfects the old sacrifice.
It has the power to forgive us of
our sins, and not just to cleanse us
externally, which was what the old
sacrifice could only achieve. The
spotless lamb is replaced by Christ,
the Lamb of God who takes away
the sin of the world.
We can take Easter as the occasion to be more aware of the need
to purge ourselves of the old leaven.
We have to be aware that through
the year, whether intentionally or
unintentionally, we acquire many
kinds of the old and undesirable

leaven.
We have the leaven of the world,
for one, that may be represented
by the new technologies and other
new worldly things that can be very
exciting, but can only feed, if we are
not careful, our self-indulgence and
self-centeredness, instead of enhancing what is proper to usour
love for God and love for neighbor.
This leaven can so mesmerize
our intelligence or our feelings and
emotions and our entire bodily
organism that it can become an
addiction, desensitizing us to our
need to be with God and with
others always. Nowadays, many
people especially the young are
hooked on drugs, sex, games, etc.
Withdrawal from them has beCandidly Speaking / A5

CBCP Monitor

OPINION A5

March 30 - April 2, 2015, Vol. 19. No. 7

San Pedro Calungsod:

What a young Pinoy
martyr says to us today
NO, it is not as if San Pedro Calungsod is calling
a press conference to read a prepared statement.
It is rather you and I being challenged to read
his statement from what words dont provide:
namely, his acts that led him to a violent death
and to a martyrs crown. These acts also lead
us to glimpses of his character, the kind of life
he represents and the response we are asked
to make.
To me, the following are among the volumes
his acts speak.

What is done for Gods Kingdom is timeless.
First, we ask the question: How come it took
more than three centuries for the Church and
the world to recognize the heroism of one Filipino young man named Pedro Calungsod? The
answer is that his cause was effectively shelved
when the cause of Blessed Diego Luis de San
Vitores, the Jesuit missionary priest whom he
accompanied even in death was also shelved
shortly after they were violently murdered. It
is beyond us to determine what factors were
behind the centuries-old delay. But it goes
without saying that being recognized by the
Church on earth and the believing world then
or now matters only insofar as it helps believers and non-believers come to know, give due
honor to and emulate an authentic witness to
Jesus Christ.
It seems to me that San Pedro Calungsods
testimony may have greater weight now than in
his own time if only because our young today
are ever constantly challenged to be true to their
Christian faith. The one truth that rings with
greater clarity is that it matters little if he or his
companions were not recognized at the altar of

By The Roadside

Pitik-Bulag

Rev. Eutiquio EulyB. Belizar, Jr., SThD

the Church sooner; his act of self-giving and

martyrdom neither grows old nor irrelevant.
The reason is that the Kingdom of God in Jesus
Christ that he proclaimed by his life and death
is timeless. Here the axiom applies: Age doesnt
matter because the matter doesnt age.
No one is too young to be a witness to Jesus
Christ.
Filipino parents, as a rule, are very protective
of their children. In fact, even after marriage
many of them live close to their parents, if not
in the same roof with them and under their
protective care. It is the poor who are mostly
compelled to sometimes give up family proximity, for example today, because either the parents
have to leave the country to find decent work
or when able children themselves leave home
to do their own share in the familys survival
and upkeep through a job thousands of miles
away. Whether or not San Pedro came from a
poor or well-to-do family is not established;
no documents are on hand to provide that
information. But it would not be surprising at
all if, given the conditions and circumstances
prevailing in his time, he did not come from a
family of landowners or the moneyed elite. It
would not have been easy for a Jesuit missionary
to recruit for the missions a companion from
among the natives elite families but a lot less
harder to do so from poorer families who would
have regarded it a great honor and privilege.
A willing young man, like Pedro, not without
the lure of adventure possibly also at the back
of his mind, would have likely come from
such families. This consideration should not,
however, detract from the fact that San Pedro

Fr. Wilfredo Samson, SJ

Calungsod, whatever his social background was,

proved himself a true witness to Jesus Christ in
life and especially in death. I see in this a twofold
challenge for todays Pinoys: To the older ones
among us, to not allow the opportunity of evangelizing the young to pass us by; to the young,
to never delay evangelizing because of youth.
The missionary is a person of sacrifice.
Today countless Filipinos continue to leave
the country to look for opportunities to a better
life. But at the time of San Pedro Calungsod this
was not so. Leaving the country was mostly a
choice for the moneyed elite, the criminal or
the missionary among the native Filipinos. For
the moneyed elite, it was mainly to seek better European education; for the criminal, for
the obvious reason of being able to evade not
only the responsibility for his actions but also
a justice system tilted against him; for the missionary, to follow a vocation, a spiritual calling
to leave everything for the sake of Jesus Christ
and his Gospel.
In a word, San Pedros departure was to a
life of sacrifice, not to greener pastures, except
when the greener pastures referred to the other
life. For San Pedro it was not been easy. He
was young, he was a lay person who had to
live like a religious detached from everything
and everyone familiar. More than this, he had
to embrace a life of uncertainty and danger,
of provisions not sure of arriving regularly, of
constant prayer and self-giving, of being with
people teaching, catechizing or organizing them
as Christian (Catholic) communities. San Pedro
was a sacristan; part of his work was to carry a
By The Roadside / A6

Peace with Justice

Duc In Altum
Atty. Aurora A. Santiago

IT is very disturbing that religious persecutions are still happening in this modern era. History
showed that it happened only in
the early centuries: in Japan where
our first Filipino saint San Lorenzo Ruiz was tortured because
he evangelized to the natives and
did not give up his Catholic faith
when arrested; in Guam where
our second Filipino saint San
Pedro Calungsod, whose feast
we celebrated on March 28, was
pierced to death when he and his
co-catechists, and Fr. Diego got
the ire of the town leaders because
the natives believed their catechesis
on Catholic faith; in Korea where
hundreds of Catholic believers
were killed because they defended
their Catholic faith. The disciples
of our Lord Jesus Christ suffered
the same religious persecution but
they chose to die and stood firm in
their Catholic faith.
In the Middle East, several
Christians are persecuted by the
ISIS who continuously raid communities and arrest Christians,
including old people, women and
children. I saw in Youtube how
the more than 20 Christians were
beheaded by the ISIS along the
seashore making the sea water red
with blood.
***
We strongly condemn the violation of the dignity of women during an attack on a Catholic school
run by the Religious of Jesus and
Mary (RJM) in eastern Indias West
Bengal state. There seems to be no
end in violence against women
in that country. Reports said that
youth robbers broke into the school
and inflicted physical violence on

the nuns, raped a 70-year old nun,

and desecrated consecrated hosts.
In the press release issued by Sr.
Monica Joseph, RJM Superior
General, she appealed, saying: It
is our duty to ensure the dignity
and safety of all women and children. We are deeply pained that
our chapel, which is our place of
prayer and worship was desecrated.
Let us resolve today to ask God to
give us the grace to inculcate in all,
respect for all religions and places
of worship. She said further that
they had forgiven the offenders but
they want justice; they should not
go scot free so that they would not
continue destroying and wounding
other vulnerable persons.
***
Justice is also the cry not only
of the bereaved family of the 44
SAF heroes, but also of the whole
nation. With so many institutions
conducting the investigation on
the Mamasapano massacre, we only
hope that truth will come out; that
the guilty will be prosecuted; that
there will be no white wash because
that would be the last straw for the
patience of the Filipino people. The
erring government officials must
also be brought to justice. The
blood of those 44 SAF troopers are
on their hands; let their conscience
be bothered for any omission in the
performance of their duties.
It is our responsibility to change
the world, to make it a safer place
to live not only for us, but also for
future generations. Lord, we pray
that You give us the grace to respect
human life. Let those who continue
to do the heinous killing and violation of human rights be brought
to justice; let them realize that we

Jesus Resurrection calls

for the Resurrection
of our Heart
WE now merrily greet each other Happy Easter to convey our joy because of the resurrection
of Jesus. After going through the events of the
Holy Week we can now really claim that there
is hope amid the seemingly endless sufferings
and frustrations we endure.
The Church has taken pains in explaining to
us the meaning and significance of the Easter
mysteries. The concepts of death and immortality, sin and grace, darkness and light, misery and
consolation are the prevailing themes that essentially elucidate the great mystery of the RESURRECTION. These theological paradoxes
express, after all, the hope that everything does
not end on the cross. With Christs resurrection, life is filled with consolation and becomes
bearable. While the cross became the symbol
of the Holy Week festivities, the Easter season
leads us to the empty tomb which is the symbol
of the glory of the risen Lord. As Christ rises,
so, we, too, shall rise from our miseries because
of Him who empowers us! But more than this
assurance, the resurrection of Jesus challenges
us to change, to chart a new beginning and to
be men and women in the image and likeness
of Christ. Simply put, the resurrection entails
working for our personal CONVERSION!
Conversion is never an easy task. It implies
shaking up the status quo. We ought to give up
so many things if we wish to make it happen.
Hence, vices should be turned into virtues, material attachments should give way to spiritual

will not tolerate their barbaric acts,

because it is against Your law.
***
Now on its 26th year, the Bank
of Philippine Islands (BPI) and Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Science Awards has
recognized over 700 outstanding
science awardees from its partner
universities nation-wide: University of the Philippines Diliman,
University of the Philippines Los
Baos, Ateneo de Manila University, Ateneo de Davao University,
De La Salle University, Saint Louis
University, Silliman University,
University of San Carlos, University of Santo Tomas and Xavier
University.
The BPI-DOST Science Awards
encourages promising young students to reach higher levels of excellence in these specialized fields:
mathematics, physics, chemistry,
engineering, computer science and
biology. BPI Foundation Executive Director Fidelina A. Corcuera
stated that they support this program to encourage and recognize
promising university students in
the pursuit of their scientific research. Three exceptional students
are selected per partner institution
every year. An awardee is selected
on the basis of his academic performance and must be nominated
by the school.
The 2015 BPI-DOST Science
Awards Best Project was presented
to Christian John S. Capirig of
Ateneo de Davao. His project was
entitled In Vitro Evaluation of
Selected Bacteria Against Fusarium
Oxysporum f. sp. Cubense Tropical
Race 4 and was chosen for its potential to protect our vital banana

industry from getting wiped out by

this fungal disease.
Coming in second was my niece
Raiza Elmira S. Imperial of U.P.
Dilliman for her project: One-Step
Fabrication of Superhydrophobic/
Superole0philic Electrodeposited
Polythiophene for Oil and Water
Separation, for its possible use in
mitigating the effects of oil spills
on the marine environment.
Alron Jan F. Lam of Del La
Salle University placed third for his
project: Breadcrumb: An Indoor
Simultaneous Localization and
Mapping System for Mobile Devices, which could enable users to
have access to indoor positioning
systems, much like the GPS yet for
commercial spaces.
The Best Project of the Year
winners received a cash price and
trophy. All 29 science awardees,
including the Best Project of the
Year winners, received cash and a
plaque of recognition.
***
The Earth Hour observance in
the country was a success. It is an
event that aims to create awareness
about taking responsibility towards
a sustainable future by turning
off the lights at 8:30pm, in their
local times, on the last Saturday
of March.
***
We wish everyone a solemn
observance of the Holy Week
and may the blessing of the Risen
Christ be with us all. Happy Easter!
We also wish Fr. Benedict Cervantes, Fr. Antonio Nopasa, Fr.
Ric Torrefiel, Fr. Leo Pepito, Fr.
Rockmore Saniel,OMI and Ryan
Rezo from the Diocese of Kalookan
a very Happy Birthday!

Collection Box

Fr. Jerome Secillano, MPA

nourishment and good works must be done

in lieu of bad habits. These may bring uneasiness, an ordeal of sorts to so many of us. Hard
as it may seem, we must work for it though,
because even Christ himself took the hard way
to experience glory.
Authentic conversion must start with something. There ought to be a focal point wherein the
details of change and of renewal must emanate.
And it should be the HEART, for it is something
that represents the inner core of man, one that
conveys the truth and is seen only by GOD. Jesus
resurrection, then, is a challenge to effect the
resurrection of our own hearts, the conversion of
our hearts. This type of conversion must be seen
in three ways. A resurrected heart, then, means:
1. A NEW heart. In the words of the prophet
Ezekiel (11:19-21), it is one that OBEYS our
God. It supplants the stony and hardened heart
that betrays Yahweh. It is a heart that follows
Gods commandments, that obeys His will,
avoids sinful acts and leads one to do things
not according to his whims and caprices. A
new heart opens the person to Jesus and is firm
against the lure of sin and the false promises of
worldly allurements.
2. A CLEAN and PURE heart. The Gospel
of Matthew (5:8) says, Blessed are the clean of
heart, for they will see God. God can only be
seen, according to St. Thomas Aquinas, through
a gift called beatific vision. This happens upon
the death of a person. Not all though may be

Embracing Our
Daily Cross
OUR daily cross will always bring us stress. We cannot run away from it.
And so Jesus suggested the best way to manage the stress caused by our
daily crossesembracing and carrying them wholeheartedly. Jesus showed
us how to handle our cross. He is indeed our best teacher in detoxifying
our inner selves, and in managing our stress. We dont want to grow old
sad, bitter and frustrated for bearing so much stress, we should set our
eyes on Jesus and learn from Him.
The stress caused by our daily cross can be beneficial to us; it can generate passion and motivation for a better life. It can even benefit others,
the way we benefited from salvation from the cross of Jesus. It is only
in carrying our cross that our stress, inner struggles and suffering can be
transformed into something life-giving.
It is also good to note that prayerful people are far better good in
managing stress than those who are simply determined to carry their
daily cross. I find it very helpful to look at the crucified Christ every time
I face my daily challenges and trials.
Here are some important pointers in managing our daily cross.
Effective stress management starts with good morning prayer, meditation and a good disposition. Unfortunately, the first thing that we give
up when we are so busy is our prayer time. Remember this: PRAYER
SHOULD BE ONE OF OUR NON-NEGOTIABLES IN LIFE. The
busier we are, the more we should pray. Jesus was a busy person, but
spending time with the Father was a must for Him in His mornings
and evenings.
It is good for us to identify our feelings when we face our cross, and
develop strategies to manage them. Know your usual triggers that bring
instant stress.
Our attitude towards our cross is crucial. Some people are tremble
in fear when they think of their cross; but some are courageous and
brave. Therefore, having the right attitude towards our daily cross is
very important.
Notice that some of our triggers are both external factors (major life
changes, environment, unpredictable events, workplace, and social expectations, etc.) and internal factors, which are self-induced (fears, anger,
uncertainty, lack of control, beliefs, etc.). These triggers create stress that
affects our attitude in carrying our daily cross.
Thus, we need to name our triggers. Make a list of the common situations, concerns or challenges that trigger your stress response to your
cross that of running away.
Now I want to share my personal Detox Process: Embracing and Carrying My Daily Cross:
1. SILENCE. Dispose yourself into prayer with a ten minute silence.
Do your usual breathing exercise. Feel the presence of God in the environment and also with yourself. Thank God for giving you this beautiful
day, another day to love and serve Him.
2. GRACE. Ask the Lord to give you the grace to identify your daily
cross. Ask Him to give you the grace to embrace and carry your daily
cross, even the grace of befriending your cross.
3. READ. Read slowly the proposed Scripture verses. Let it sink into
your heart. Allow the Lord to speak to you in this verse.
4. MEDITATION. What are your daily cross that Jesus wants you
to carry? Enumerate and list them. What do you feel? Express your
thoughts to Jesus.
Now listen to Jesus. What will He say to your daily cross? Then slowly,
look at the crucifix. Look at how Jesus carried His cross. Compare your
cross with His cross. What do you feel? What are your thoughts?
Here is something to note: the irony of the cross: The more we run
away from our cross, the heavier it becomes. But the more we face our
cross and carry it wholeheartedly, the lighter it becomes. If you know
the principle of law of cantilever, you will understand this irony better.
Just look at Jesus hanging on the cross. Have a colloquy with the
crucified Christ as he lovingly embraces and accepts His death on the
cross. Consider how He suffers all this for our sins. What do you feel?
5. CLOSING PRAYER. End your prayer with the detox prayer of
Saint Ignatius of Loyola.
Candidly Speaking / A4

come almost impossible.

Our other worldly concerns
and affairs, like our business and
politics, can also produce such old
leaven that can give us certain perks
and advantages and convenience,
but just the same can only swell
our ego. This is actually a very
formidable foe because this kind
of mindset is the mainstream at
present.
Of course, we have the usual
leaven of the flesh that can lead us
to a variety of anomalies like pride,
vanity, greed, envy, lust, sloth and
the like. But what is important to
realize is that our process of dying
to ourselves, which is what purging
the old leaven would mean, should
simultaneously correspond to our
need to rise with Christ, imitating
him, identifying ourselves with
him in all things.
We can only purge ourselves of

the old leaven to the extent that

we leaven ourselves with Christ,
increasingly knowing, loving and
serving him, that would always
redound to knowing, loving and
serving others, and everyone else.
We need to spread this good
news around because many are still
ignorant of it, or if not completely
ignorant, are still at sea as to how
we can purge ourselves of the old
leaven and leaven ourselves with
Christ.
Actually the leaven of Christ is
presented to us as the unleavened
bread of life, meaning purged of
worldly and bodily leaven. And
as Christ himself said, to get this
leaven of his, which is unleavened
of worldly things, we need to deny
ourselves and carry the cross.
We need to love the cross to be
able to have the new life offered to
us by Christ.

And Thats The Truth / A4

recipients of this gift. Hence, this type of heart

would have to see God in ones neighbor. It sees
the neighbor to whom, when thirsty, we give a
drink; when hungry, we give food; when naked,
we give clothes. In short, this is a heart that helps
and seeks the good fortune of others. It does not
oppress or commit injustice against another.
It is known for its cleanliness and purity such
that those who possess it become themselves
the image of God.
3. A heart that TREASURES our GOD.
For where your treasure is, there also will your
heart be (Mt 6:21). Material things and earthly
treasures have their own value. But a resurrected
heart sees God as the priciest and most valuable
riches. No longer does it just seek happiness and
fulfillment from mundane pleasures but it is a
heart which is in love and ultimately beats for
God. It is heart that sees God as the source of
all blessings and it realizes that God is simply
more than enough.
Gods ways are not only tough and difficult.
They are convoluted, full of twists and turns
and many at times, they confuse, distract and
discourage. Some may not understand it but
with the eyes of faith we accept His will with
boldness and courage. As we celebrate, then, this
glorious feast of the resurrection let us pray and
work for the conversion of our hearts. And as we
greet each other Happy Easter, may we take
it to mean, May you have a RESURRECTED
HEART!

at least point tothe truth?

This is the only President we have
had who refuses to wear a Philippine flag pin on his chestinstead
he clings to the yellow ribbon, a
contradictory symbol of tragedy
and victory in his personal life.
What else can we do? Noynoy is
being himself, very personal, not
national in spite of his position.
He values his friends and brutally
excoriates his enemies, because he
sincerely believes only those who
are with him can be right.
He capitalizes on his spotless
record and his family name which
the vagaries of history have lacquered and magnified to superhuman proportions. He needs friends
to run a country like a legless man
needs a crutch; and he has friends
to coddle his self-image as a righteous leader. When ordinary citizens in social media comment on
his less-than-gentlemanly behavior,
his friends in the Palace and his
celebrity sister come to the rescue:
Poor poor Noynoy, why do you
do this to him? Youre so cruel!
Noynoys friends come from far
and wide, and with the prodding
of powerful allies that make him
feel he is superior to the Constitu-

tion, he gets away with murder:

public funds go to pots and pockets
unknown to legislators, laws are
passed devoid of conscience, wars
are plotted in secret with friends.
Will the President tell the truth?
I dont think so. His hands are
tied; he cannot tell the whole truth
without risking national security
and even his life. That is what
happens when in a mans conceit
he fails to see that his powerful
friends have turned him into a
dummy. Will Noynoy apologize?
At the way hes sounding, he believes he has done nothing wrong.
Self-righteousness blinds a man to
his own errors. His Holy Week
messages, aired repeatedly on tv,
surprisingly rang like homilies
so strange, coming from a man
whose hardness of heart has made
him consistently disregard the
voice of the Church.
Will the President ever tell the
truth about Mamasapano? His
years in office have uncovered his
limitations. Expecting Noynoy to
say more than he has said, or to
stoop in remorse over the consequences of his actions would be
like squeezing milk out of stone.
And thats the truth.

A6 LOCAL NEWS

March 30 - April 2, 2015, Vol. 19. No. 7

Prelate: PNoys no-sorry

old news

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Emeritus Oscar V. Cruz. FILE PHOTO

FOR a member of the Philippine

Church hierarchy, there is nothing
new with President Benigno S.
Aquino IIIs refusal to say sorry for
the Mamasapano debacle, calling
him a very incompetent fellow.
Not bad, but incompetent
He is not a bad man, but he is
a very incompetent fellow. He does
not even know how to apologize,
Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop
Emeritus Oscar V. Cruz shared
in an interview over Church-run
Radyo Veritas.
The prelate, who formerly
headed the Catholic Bishops
Conference of the Philippines
(CBCP), recalled this is not the
first time PNoy did not issue an
apology on a hot issue, saying the
2010 Manila hostage crisis in
Luneta, involving mostly Hong
Kong citizens, had earlier tested
his leadership skills.
Little consolation
While an apology may not be
enough to assuage the feelings of
the party offended, Cruz explained
that at least it can do a little in
terms of consolation.
It is a little consolation, although it is not enough. It is
worst if you dont even apologize.
An apology will not suffice or will
return the lives lost, but at least it is
a consoling gesture, he said, wondering what prevents Aquino from
expressing remorse for the Jan. 25
incident, which claimed the lives
of 44 members of the Philippine
National Police (PNP)s Special
Action Force (SAF).
PNoy accountable
Meanwhile, the recently released
draft Senate committee report

confirms Aquinos accountability

for the massacre.
As to the President, he is ultimately responsible for the Mamasapano mission, said Sen. Grace
Poe, chair of the Senate Committee
on Public Order and Dangerous
Drugs.
According to her, Aquino was
particularly responsible for allowing then suspended PNP Chief
Alan Purisima take part in Oplan
Exodus on the morning of Jan. 25.
Poe added PNoy can only be
held responsible through impeachment.
Go-signal
The Board of Inquiry (BOI)
report concludes that Aquino gave
the go-signal to Oplan Exodus
after the concept of operations
(CONOPS) presented to him by
SAF Director Getulio Napeas,
and allowed suspended PNP Chief
Alan Purisima to take part in its
planning and execution despite
his status.
It adds that PNoys dealing
directly with Napeas rather than
with PNP Officer-in-Charge
(OIC) General Leonardo Espina,
although a prerogative, bypassed
the established PNP chain of
command.
Chain of command
Under the Manual for PNP
Fundamental Doctrine, the chain
of command runs upward and
downward, and requires the commander to discharge his responsibilities through it.
To read the full text of the
BOI report, visit: http://www.gov.
ph/2015/03/13/boi-mamasapanoreport-march-2015/. (Raymond A.
Sebastin/CBCP News)

CBCP Monitor

Palo prelate: Reflect on Christs resurrection

throughout Year of the Poor
THE resurrection only for Easter?
Palo Archbishop John Forrosuelo Du believes it is something
to reflect on during the Year of the
Poor, which will end in November
this year.
Let us continue to reflect within
the entire Year of the Poor [and]
share a story with the poor, he said
at the Palo Cathedral of Our Lords
Transfiguration where he baptized
and administered confirmation
to three converts to the Ramon
Catholic faith as part of the Easter
Vigil rites.
Generous God
The resurrection of our Lord
Jesus Christ gives us new life and
a chance to live like His children,
he said, adding that in this new
life that Christ gives us through
His resurrection we could see our
poverty before the Lord.
He underscored that as Christians, nothingness is their strength
because through it they come to
know how generous a father God
is, saying, In our poverty we see

how generous God is to us.

The prelate stressed, too, that
the generosity of God comes upon
those who, in spite of their poverty,
continuously help others amid
hardships.
Du nonetheless pointed out that
it will be difficult for the complacent man to receive Gods grace,
stressing that we need Gods grace
and we all need to be dependent
on Him.
Light to others
A person who is not content
with what God gives him suffers
from envy, greed and other sins,
he added.
Following tradition, Du commenced the Easter Vigil with the
ceremonial lighting of the vigil
candle, symbolizing the light that
Christ Jesus brings to Earth and
to mankind.
The lighting of the paschal candle during Easter, according to Du,
reminds the faithful to serve as light
to one another. (Eileen NazarenoBallesteros/CBCP News)

Palo Archbishop John Forrosuelo Du. FILE PHOTO

Kids suffer most when parents separate prelate

WHILE it is something people know all too
well, an official of the Catholic Church has
nonetheless reminded troubled couples and
parents anew that their children are the ones
to suffer most once they decide to part ways,
adding their well-being must come first despite
domestic hardships.
Biggest casualty
Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Emeritus
Oscar V. Cruz, judicial vicar of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines
(CBCP)s National Appellate Matrimonial
Tribunal, has called kids the biggest casualty
of any marital breakdown.
Couples who fail to patch up their differences, make their marriage work, and choose
to separate, have no other victims but their
own children. I repeat: The first and biggest
victims of a broken home is neither the father
nor the mother. Its the kids! the prelate
stressed in an interview over Church-run
Radio Veritas.
Trauma of separation
Cruz went on to give some reasons why this
is the case, pointing out that separation of their
parents adversely affects the childrens values
system as well as their mentality.

He lamented that given the situation

they are in, these kids are more likely to
catch their elders quarrelling, even hurting each other physically; in some cases
times, they see either of their parents with
a third party.
Prioritize kids welfare
In this regard, the retired prelate appealed to
parents to make the welfare of their children
their top priority, and to always set a good
example to them.
Meanwhile, in an earlier CBCP News post,
Cruz was quoted as saying that those who argue
that the Church should change her teachings
on divorce are asking [for] the impossible.
Two become one
The Bible says what God has joined together let no man put asunder, he exclaimed.
According to him, the Church is dutybound to observe and to promote the teachings
of Her founder, Jesus Christ, who taught that
marriage is sacred.
Affirming whats right
Whether it will win or not in promoting the
Gospel truths, thats not her problem anymore.
Her problem is to speak when things are wrong

and to affirm when things are right, he added.

Cruzs comments came after petitions to
make divorce legal in the Philippines resurrected recently, with one legislator, Senator Pia
Cayetano, reportedly stating that the lack of
legal provisions for divorce is not something
Filipinos should be proud of.
Unchangeable doctrine
For his part, Manila Archbishop Emeritus
Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales explained the
Catholic Church cannot conform her teachings on divorce to the dictates of the world,
reiterating a position she has held since the
time of Christ.
Even if a new survey showed 60 percent of
Filipinos want divorce made legal, the prelate
said people cannot change Gods teachings to
suit what they want.
Gods law
Even if it is 99 percent (surveyed favor
divorce) what is wrong is wrong, Rosales
added, emphasizing that the Churchs doctrine
on divorce is unalterable since it is a Divine
Law, and those pushing for it are asking the
institution to overrule God. (Raymond A.
Sebastin with reports from Roxanne Dela
Rosa/CBCP News)

Ruling, A1
Pride, A1

restored among various groups.

He called for peace in the Holy
Land, stressing the need for the
culture of encounter to grow
between Israelis and Palestinians,
and for the peace process to be
resumed to end years of suffering
and division in the country.
For Libya, Pope Francis hoped
that the present absurd bloodshed
and all barbarous acts of violence
may cease, and that all concerned
for the future of the country may
work to favor reconciliation and to
build a fraternal society respectful
of the dignity of the person.
He also noted intentions for
Yemen where he yearned for the
growth of a common desire for
peace for the good of the entire
people, and in Lausanne where
he hoped that the nuclear deal
framework recently agreed upon
is a definitive step toward a more
secure and fraternal world.
Live in service
The Holy Father also asked for
the gift of peace in Nigeria, South
Sudan and for the various areas of

Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

May constant prayer rise up
from all people of goodwill for
those who lost their livesI think
in particular of the young people
who were killed last Thursday
at Garissa University College in
Kenyafor all who have been
kidnapped, and for those forced
to abandon their homes and their
dear ones, he added.
Pope Francis also prayed for
Ukraine, expressing hopes that
the country will soon rediscover
peace and hope through the tireless
commitment of all the involved
parties working towards its peace
and progress.
The world proposes that we put
ourselves forward at all costs, that
we compete, that we prevail But
Christians, by the grace of Christ,
dead and risen, are the seeds of another humanity, in which we seek
to live in service to one another, not
to be arrogant, but rather respectful
and ready to help, the Holy Father
said. (Jennifer M. Orillaza/CBCP
News)

Wish, A1

administrators, he reminded his

brother-priests of their duty of
serving the most in need, especially
this Year of the Poor.
Tagle also waxed sentimental
over a moving encounter he had
with survivors of the fire that
razed parts of Parola compound in
Manilas Tondo district last month
that displaced more than 15,000
people, mostly informal settlers.
Despite the incident, he said,
you could feel their faith unshaken
and stronger than ever amid the
devastation.
You could read gratitude in
their faces. You could see they were
more than happy to know that
God loves them regardless of what
they have been through. They were
thankful that the Church made an
effort to be with them, to join them
in their hardships, Tagle said.
Among those present in the
Chrism Mass was Fr. Jeremiah
Adviento of the Nuestra Seora de
la Soledad (Our Lady of Solitude)
de Camba Parish, which has jurisdiction over Parola, and who was
with the cardinal when he visited
the area.
The young priest from Ilocos
said besides comforting them, Tagle
assured the fire victims that the
Church will continue helping them.
Its significant that the reading
that day was about Judas betrayal

of Jesus. Notwithstanding the evil

that the apostle did to the Son of
God, the Good News prevailed.
God always finds a way to make
His presence felt in the most
unlikely, even in the worst circumstances, Adviento said.
In going to the depressed area,
the priest said that Tagle rode
a jeepney and had to hold the
Eucharistic celebration in a makeshift basketball court, given that
the nearby San Ezequiel Moreno
Chapel was also destroyed by fire.
Meanwhile, Adviento lauded the
charity and generosity of the many
donors and benefactors who helped
his parishioners.
While he admitted the various
pastoral issues he faces in Camba
often takes a toll on his ministry,
the priest of eight years expressed
joy at the thought that Our Lady
of Solitude always keeps him and
his flock company.
After the Chrism Mass at the
Cathedral, I saw my parishioners,
simple folks whose dedication to
the Church is boundless, waving
at me from afar. I smiled, saying
to myself: If these people go out of
their way to serve the Lord, mindless of the fatigue and all that, how
much more I, a priest? I have no
excuse not to do my part for God,
he said. (Raymond A. Sebastin/
CBCPNews)

Philippines said that the Court ruling notes that the word primarily
would have allowed the surreptitious introduction of drugs and
devices that, though mainly abortifacient, were also abortifacient in
use and in effect.
The Court clarifies that, consistent with the no-abortion spirit
of the RH law, even contraceptives
that have no such primary intention, but have the secondary effect
of destroying the fetus or preventing nidation (attaching of the
fertilized egg to the uterine wall),
should be considered as abortifacients and are, therefore, banned,
said Archbishop Socrates Villegas,
CBCP president.
The High Court also ordered the
Food and Drugs Authority (FDA)
to verify whether the birth control
devices to be used are safe and do
not include induce abortion.
The group says some of the
points SC has emphasized are as
follows: respect for parental super-

vision over the rights and welfare of

their children; spousal consent on
the use of contraceptive technologies; free exercise of conscientious
objection of medical and allied
health practitioners over statesponsored reproductive health
methodologies; strict adherence to
processes involved in the licensing
and accreditation of contraceptive
technologies ensuring that the
same are not abortifacients nor
with abortifacient properties and
will not pose any risk to the health
of its users; free and informed consent of those who are the subject
of reproductive health programs.
To date, however, the group
lamented that the DOH, being the
lead agency in the implementation of
the RH law, has not made necessary
efforts to ensure that the contraceptive program will not put women
and their families in harms way.
No consultative discussions
The pro-life advocates also said

they have yet to see and even participate in consultative discussions

over curriculum development on
sexuality education and its component subjects.
They also claimed that reports
reaching them revealed that modules have been made and printed
for use in public schools.
We are likewise entitled to exercise our rights in the formulation
of specific policies and guidelines
related to the RH law but none of
the agencies involved in this have
extended invitations to groups such
as ours who have been known to
them as active participants and
stakeholders on the matter, they
added.
Led by Pro-Life Philippines, the
alliance is scheduled to deliver their
manifesto to the DPH and the FDA
during a prayer rally on April 10,
Friday, across the FDA compound in
Alabang, Muntinlupa City, inviting
interested parties to bring rosaries and
placards, and take part in the event.

Less than appropriate

According to the Pro-Life Philippines, Congress passed the RH Act
under what it describes as less than
appropriate and acceptable procedures and was signed into law on
a largely similar circumstance.
It further notes that following a
series of petitions and arguments,
SCs decision stresses RH Law is
not unconstitutional.
While in many instances we
disagreed with the way this law
was impressed upon the people as
legally legitimate, though morally
infirmed, socially damaging and
fundamentally risky to vulnerable
individuals, we respected the inevitable, the group explains.
However, Pro-Life Philippines
points out state imposition was
delimited given that the judiciary
made it clear religious freedom
and the exercise of ones free will
remained paramount and cannot
be abridged.

By The Roadside / A5

rather heavy altar stone everywhere Padre Diego Luis would go to, especially on extended
periods where the Eucharist would have been
celebrated periodically. Yet to all this he said
yes and out of all this, he even found cheer
and contentment.
A lie is kin to death.
Padre Diego Luis de San Vitores and Pedro
Calungsod were killed because of a lie. It was
one whose source was a Chinese merchant,
exiled from Manila for having committed a
crime. His name was Choco who spread the
rumor that the water being used by the missionaries to baptize the children of the native
Guamanians was poisonous and that this was
the reason why some of them died shortly after
baptism. A father named Matapang whose child
was baptized by Padre Diego, with the assistance
of Pedro, became murderously furious, as he
took Chocos lie hook, line and sinker. He had
a partner named Hirao who initially refused
but later joined Matapang after being called a
coward by the latter. They killed Pedro first and
then Padre Diego Luis.
The circumstances were uncanny. They seem
reminiscent of the death and murder of Jesus
himself: of the lie authored by Jewish and Roman authorities that he was an impostor, that
he deceived people by his declaration that he
is Gods Son and by his promise of eternal life.
Incidentally they also remind us of real lies
in our day and age that are just as deadly: for
instance, that we can make life better without
God and without the constraints of faiths
moral values, that promoting contraception
and abortion are essential to human progress
and development, that money and winning are
everything, even at the expense of suppressing
the voice of conscience and the demands of
justice.

It takes courage to proclaim Christ in a hostile environment.

San Pedro Calungsod and Blessed Padre Diego Luis de San Vitores had to face a group of
people led by Matapang and Hirao that could
only be described kindly as unfriendly. Of
course, the better representatives of the Marianas populace could have been more numerous;
unfortunately they did not rule the day. Historians point out that Pedro and Padre Diego could
just have left the Marianas and returned to the
Philippines or proceeded to more welcoming
territories to proclaim Christ and the gospel.
But they chose to stay and, without question,
to offer their lives for the sake of the mission.
Their courage and generosity should not
escape us. Courage because they did not run
from their mission even if they could; generosity because, in choosing not to fight even in
self-defense, they made themselves ready for
the ultimate sacrifice. For these reasons alone
they deserve to be recognized even as human
heroes. But having taken those actions for Jesus
Christ and his kingdom especially makes them
heroes of the faith.
Loyalty to Jesus Christ means loyalty to my
brother or sister in faith.
From hindsight students of San Pedros life
and times, with ample support from historians,
point out that, being young and strong, San
Pedro Calungsod could have ably defended
himself and even defeated his killers, Matapang
or Hirao. He could have easily fled to safety and
Padre Diego Luis would have understood, or
been happier about, his action.
But the unshakable point is, San Pedro chose
not to. He chose to stay with Padre Diego Luis
and at some point used his own body to shield
the priest. At that point Hirao struck him on the
chest and, sensing an opportunity, went to strike

him on the head as well, leading to the saints

death. San Pedros action is often extolled for its
depiction of the Filipino loyalty to friends and
superiors. But in this specific case, something
even higher was at stake: He was a catechist and
a sacristan standing by a spiritual friend and pastor (Padre Diego) right to the bitter end. That is,
and it is worth repeating, we see someone dying
out of a sense of loyalty to Jesus Christ; to San
Pedro loyalty to Jesus Christ and loyalty to a
brother was inseparable. San Pedro Calungsod,
in a word, was an icon of the Gospel.
The reality at work always and everywhere:
love of God in Christ Jesus.
There is always a veil of mystery when we are
confronted with extraordinary heroism. Who
would not marvel, for example, over a twelve
year-old St. Maria Goretti being able to resist a
rapist, preferring instead to die rather than sin in
his hands? Or who would not be in awe at the
ability of a St. Maximilian Kolbe to courageously
volunteer to die in place of a condemned married man and be the last to actually expire after
helping his fellow condemned prisoners to face
death under Gods grace? In the case of San Pedro
Calungsod, who would not admire his choice to
ignore his own personal safety and to sacrifice a
whole future to stay and die with a friend and
pastor? The event happened so fast and so was his
fateful decision. But San Pedro did not hesitate.
I submit that this is because in all of these
instances we witness the same reality at work
in diverse ways and formsGods love. It is
this love that we see in the most sublime way
shining in Jesus Christs own sacrifice. And we
see it continually shining in those who, like
San Pedro Calungsod, are moved by the Spirit
in certain graced circumstances, to follow Jesus
Christ unhesitatingly on lifes many pathways
to Calvary and the Resurrection.

CBCP Monitor

Shun prejudice for peace in

Mindanao Interfaith group

Silsilah Dialogue Movement helps organize the Culture of Dialogue Path to Peace for
different eachers from Basilan at the Harmony Village, Pitogo, Sinunuc, Zamboanga
City, August 13, 2014. SILSILAH

ZAMBOANGA CityAn interfaith council based in Mindanao

reiterated the call for peace and
unity between Christians and Muslims in the country, noting that it is
through overcoming prejudice and
reconciling with others that the
much-yearned peace in the south
may be achieved.
The Inter Faith Council of Leaders (IFCL) of the Silsilah Dialogue
Movement in Zamboanga City
urged FilipinosChristians and
Muslims aliketo promote unity
and collaboration despite their
cultural, religious, and individual
differences.
It is time to invite Christians
in Mindanao and the rest of the
Philippines to overcome prejudice against Muslims, a prejudice
becoming deeper than ever. The
same effort has to be done by the
Muslims and the IPs towards others outside their own groups, the
council said.
No formula for peace
Noting that the peace process in
Mindanao is undergoing serious
strains, the group urged parties
involved in the peace negotiations
to be more open for compromise
and to not remain rigid in their
positions.
We still do not have a very clear
formula for peace in Mindanao.
The Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL)
has been offered as one solution
and we encourage those in power
to consider it, approve it and accept
it, introducing the changes that
are claimed by many as necessary,
it said.
We invite the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front (MILF) to consider and accept what is offered
by the Senate and Congress of the
Philippines as a good starting point

for a deeper process of reconciliation that has to start first among

the Muslim groups and move to the
other cultural and religious groups
in Mindanao, it added.
The group also called on revolutionary movements to find solutions for understanding and
collaboration in spite of different
cultural and leadership concepts
to accept possible conditions
for peace for a real progress and
development within the pluralistic
realities of Mindanao.
Sincerity, humility
With threats of religious radicalism and vested interests by international influences, peace efforts in
Mindanao are being affectedif
not manipulatedby powerful
countries, the council noted.
We cannot get all we wish for
but each side can opt to do the best
with what it can get. In this way we
start a genuine process of reconciliation and prove that we are sincere
and honest in our claims, it said.
The world is observing what we
are doing. We cannot transform
our situation as it has been done
in other countries with internal
conflicts but we have to demonstrate that we in the Philippines
can live together with our variety
of cultures and religions, it added.
The group reiterated the importance of humility and wisdom in
the attainment of peace.
We, the IFCL members, are in
solidarity with the victims of the
conflict in Mindanao, those of the
past and those of the most recent
conflict. We believe that peace is
still possible if each one moves with
humility and wisdom as part of the
same human family created to love
each other, it added. (Jennifer M.
Orillaza/CBCP News)

Peace not easy prelate

DAVAO CityPeace is neither the
absence of war nor is it achieved
effortlessly.
This is what Davao Archbishop
Romulo G. Valles said during a
Holy Eucharist on March 5 held
at the San Pedro Cathedral, Davao
City to mark the 40th day since the
death of the so-called Fallen 44.
Peace is not served on a silver
platter, the archbishop said, adding that the gathering is a gathering
of prayer in the presence of God,
asking him for the gift of peace and
solidarity.
In his homily, the archbishop said
the peace process should go on despite their death because if not, the
death of the SAF44 will be in vain.
The bereaved family of SPO1
Lover L. Inocencio from Panabo,
one of those who died in the

encounter last January 25, in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, was also

present during the Mass. Valles personally extended his condolences
to the wife of one of the SAF44.
We trust in you. Thank you,
the archbishop told the men in
uniform who attended the Mass.
Valles also asked the men in
uniform present and the faithful
attending the Mass to pray for the
eternal repose of their comrades
souls and to ask for Gods mercy
and compassion on the grieving
families of the victims.
The Mass, the archbishop said is
a complete prayer. Celebrating a
special memorial Mass on the 40th
day since the death of a loved one
has been a practice in the Catholic
Church. (John Frances C. Fuentes/CBCP News)

Term, A1

leadership. He is losing influence

Filipinos no longer believe
him, Manila Auxiliary Bishop
Broderick S. Pabillo told Churchrun Radyo Veritas in an interview.
Neglected duties
According to him, PNoy seems
to be too distracted by the Mamasapano incident at the expense of
other equally important concerns
like government projects he has to
attend to and finish before he leaves
Malacaang in June 2016. .
Moreover, the prelate, who also
chairs the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP)s
Permanent Committee on Public
Affairs (PCPA), expressed disappointment that until now the president has yet to name the people

who will take over the reins of the

Philippine National Police (PNP),
as well as of the Commission on
Elections (Comelec).
Low approval, trust ratings
Pabillo made this comment after
the release of a survey, which shows
PNoys popularity hitting a record
low due to the Jan. 25 incident.
The Pulse Asia poll reveals that from
59 percent in November 2014, the
Presidents approval rating nosedived to
38 percent this March, or almost two
months after the bloody encounter at
Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
The same survey adds Aquinos
trust ratings is down to 36 percent
this month compared to 56 percent
last November. (Raymond A. Sebastin/CBCP News)

Litany, A1

ber Mamasapano. Remember then

frustrating unsolved problem of
government corruption. Remember the loneliness of our loved ones
toiling abroad. Our memory is fill
of broken hopes and dreams. The
litany is endless, he said.
The archbishop, however, said
there is always hope.
The Christian calling, he said,
is to return to the joy that comes
from the Gospel and from sharing
it to other people.

DIOCESAN NEWS A7

March 30 - April 2, 2015, Vol. 19. No. 7

Easter is the greatest and

most important feast of our faith.
If Christ did not rise from the
dead, our faith is irrelevant and
meaningless, dry and dead, added
Villegas.
Easter beckons us to go beyond
the customary greetings and feasting. We must continue the mission
of the risen Christ by being ready
to bring His message to more
people, he said. (Roy Lagarde/
CBCPNews)

Paralyzed priest leads fight

vs. illegal drugs
TAGBILARAN CityA priest
who lost his ability to walk is leading a group of concerned citizens in
Tagbilaran curb drug abuse in the
city through educating the youth.
The organization Tindogi Tagbilara is set to conduct drug awareness
campaigns in schools for students
and youth when classes resume
in June, revealed Fr. Fernando
Dodong Po, the groups convenor.
They will fight drugs with a
module that will expose the evils
of drug use to the young, the user,
the family, and society.
His group refuses to let more
young people fall victims to drugs,
the priest said in a recent interview
with CBCPNews.
Drug-related violence
The mounting drug addiction in
the city has been alarming parents
and peace-loving locals, he revealed.
Po shared a case where a child
warned his parents he would shoot
them in the head if they tell the
authorities about his addiction.
Nestor M. Pestelos, a community development worker based in
Bohol and a columnist for a local
publication, said another drug
addict sexually assaulted his own
mother.
In 2014, Tagbilaran and the
towns of Bohol were rocked by a
spate of drug-related violence.

According to Po, a number of

persons were shot dead in the
streets inbroad daylight.
Parents abroad
It saddens him and his fellow
peace advocates that women are
selling the prohibited drugs, the
priest said.
They peddle it even to elementary and high students, Po noted.
The priest noted how the young
whose parents are working abroad
could easily be lured into drugs.
We are trying to restore the image of Tagbilaran, which has been
a city of peace and friendship,
Po said.
City clean-up
The peace advocates launched
their campaign with a prayer rally
last November.
We cleaned up childrens playground that had been frequented by
suspicious people, the priest said.
Tindogi Tagbilaran, which
means stand up Tagbilaran in
the local tongue, was founded in
September 2014, following a series
of drug-related killings in the city.
Tagbilaran is a component city
of Bohol, an island province in
Central Visayas and one of countrys
premiere eco-tourism destinations.
(Oliver Samson/CBCPNews)

Fr. Fernando Dodong Po and Fr. Dari Dioquino, Kanlungan ni Maria priest-in-charge,
before a mass on Feb. 11, 2015, World Day for the Sick at the St. Joseph the Worker
Parish Cathedral in Tagbiliran City, Bohol. OLIVER SAMSON

Jaro slates summer program for more, well-prepared catechists

JARO, IloiloResponding to Pope Francis
call to the Filipino people to be missionaries
of faith, the Archdiocese of Jaro is offering
anew a summer formation program to provide
the Church with more and well-prepared
catechists.
The Jaro Archdiocesan Commission on
Catechesis and Catholic Education (ACCCE)
has announced the opening of the 4th Summer
Catechetical Institute (SCI), a four-week live-in
cyclical Faith Formation Program for catechists.
According to Msgr. Ramon Pet, ACCCE
Chairman, through the Summer Catechetical
Institute (SCI) the Commission continues and
faithfully carries its flagship based on PCP IIs
call for renewed catechesis, renewed worship,
and renewed social apostolate.

the New Evangelization (source: Evangelii

Gaudium) and the Messages of Pope Francis
during his January 2015 visit to the Philippines, Pet elaborated.
He added that this summer 2015 marks the
first graduation of the first batch of students
that started in the summer program of 2012.
To facilitate the enlistment of catechists to the
SCI, applicants who have financial difficulties
may avail of scholarships or subsidies to help
them shoulder the expenses of the program.
The 4th SCI will run from April 13 to May
16, 2015, at the St. Joseph Regional Major
Seminary, Jaro, Iloilo City, with four course
offerings: Phase 1 for beginners and Phases 2,
3, and 4 for those who have attended the prerequisite courses in the previous years.

Constant updates
The live-in formation program is constantly
updated he said.
In the 4th SCI the program contents will
combine the study of the Bible, Catechism of
the Catholic Church, Catechism for Catholics,

Catechist, agent of evangelization

For Phase 1, Msgr. Ramon Pet will teach
Panorama of Biblical History: Old & New
Testaments Made Simple and Liturgical
Catechesis I, while Professors Linda T. Tacorda,
PhD. and Purita H. Escobia will teach the sub-

ject The Truths of Catholic Faith.

Phase 2 subjects include Living the Faith
Christ our Way and Liturgical Catechesis: The
Sacraments of Initiation which will be taught
by Fr. Ian Neil Llona and Msgr. Alejandro
Esperancilla, respectively.
Phase 3 offers Biblical Apologetics that
will be taught by Prof. Benjie Pelobello and
Catechetical Methodology by Prof. Linda
Tacorda, PhD.
Phase 4 has Catechetical Methodology II
and Hagiography in the morning sessions,
while afternoon sessions have The New Testament , Christian Prayer , Mary and the
Saints, and Catechesis in a Family Setting to
be taught by Prof. Linda Tacorda, PhD.
The ACCCE Chairman said the program is
offered to interested and well-intentioned parishioners, who would like to take advantage of
the summer period to be trained in an approach
designed to address the areas of formation of
the whole person of the catechist: as a thinking,
feeling, and acting agent of evangelization. (Fr.
Mickey Cardenas/CBCPNews)

Year of the Poor-inspired West Visayas Youth Day set

BACOLOD City Its all green
and go in Bacolod as the city
opens her arms to welcome Regional Youth Day 2015 9th RYD
goes 4G: GO GIVE GOD with
GLADNESS delegates from April
13 to 15.
More than 2,000 young people
from the dioceses of Romblon,
Kalibo, San Jose de Antique, San
Carlos, Kabankalan, Bacolod and
the archdioceses of Jaro and Capiz
are expected to congregate in Bacolod City for the event.
According to Eunice Arnaiz,
Secretary of Bacolods Diocesan
Commission on Youth, the theme
of this years RYD was inspired by
the CBCPs Year of the Poor.
Richness of Gods love
The year 2015 is the Year of
the Poor in the CBCPs 9-year
spiritual journey towards the 500th
anniversary of the Christianization
of the Philippines.
According to Arnaiz, the events
objectives are to:

to help the youth participants

to be aware of what poverty is all
about to make the young people
celebrate the richness and lavishness of Gods love
to inspire them to opt for and to
be in solidarity with the poor
Youth delegates of the RYD will
not only talk about poverty but will
have opportunities to be immersed
with the poor through the encounters with representatives of the
sakada (seasonal laborers), fisherfolk, urban poor, street children and
the unemployed, Arnaiz said.
Pope-inspired
She also considers it very providential that the RYD in the Year of
the Poor was preceded by the visit
of Pope Francis.
The papal visit in January has
made the holding of the 9th RYD
more meaningful, the youth
leader said.
Arnaiz admitted that the layout
plan of the RYD was also inspired
by the teachings of Pope Francis.

Arnaiz remembered the Holy

Father saying that we should
not make museums out of young
people and for families to go
beyond their homes and to care
for our brothers and sisters who
are most in need.
Training for youth ministry
The RYD program will center
on the Gospel passage of the Rich
young man. From here, four

questions and challenges will be

presented, corresponding to one
day of the youth gathering: What
must I do? What is still lacking?, Go. Sell your possessions.
and Come. Follow me.
Accommodations for the participants will be very simple. Delegates from other towns or dioceses
outside Bacolod will be hosted by
foster families, she added.
Young people who come from
the dioceses in Western Visayas
and Romblon, and who are between 13-39 years old, are invited
to be part of RYD 2015. This
event also welcomes young people
from other settings or movements
within the region, especially those
coming from the grassroots.
The RYD is a venue for the formation of young people to prepare
them to be youth ministers. It also
fosters linkages and fellowship
among the youth and the youth
ministries in the region. (Fr.
Mickey Cardenas/CBCPNews)

Support, A1

on the extension and expansion of the already

expired Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
The bishops were referring to the HB 4296
or the Notices of Coverage Extension Bill and
the HB 4375, which seek to create an independent Agrarian Reform Commission to review
the accomplishment of CARP and investigate
circumventions and violations of the CARP law
with a view to cause these landholdings to be
redistributed to qualified beneficiaries.
But rather than pushing the two measures,
the group urged the bishops to instead support
HB 252 since it is the only way all our farmers

will be able to lift themselves out of poverty.

Agrarian reform in the Bible
The group cited at least three reasons why
the 27-year old agrarian reform program of the
government should be abandoned:
* There are so many schemes in the law,
which militate against distribution to farmers
that include corporate schemes and the stock
distribution option.
* Many agricultural lands are excluded from
coverage such as plantations owned by multinational corporations, pasture lands, aquaculture
projects, military reservations, lands covered

by proclamations for tourism, economic or

industrial zones.
* Amortization payment for the land is beyond the reach of the small farmers.
Dumaual added that land reform is one of the
most pressing issues to lift farmers out of poverty,
and so a genuine agrarian reform law is needed
to replace the CARP which has not broken land
monopoly because it was never intended to do so.
If we as Church people read Leviticus 25,
a land reform program in the Bible, we note
that one of the main elements is that the land
is returned free and that support services are
provided, he said. (Roy Lagarde/CBCPNews)

Evangelize, A1

of the Archdiocese of Manila at the

Bahay Pari, San Carlos Seminary in
Guadalupe, Makati.
According to the priest, the role
of the apologist, more than knowing about Church documents and
Scripture is to make Christ available others, facilitating a personal
encounter with Christ.
Sweetness of truth
Apologetics is a form of evangelization. What is over all is Jesus
Christ, His GospelIf what we
do is evangelization, we want to
share the truth and the truth is Jesus Christ. The truth is a person,

he explained.
The priest, who gave the first
session of the half-day recollection, was quick to dispel the
image of the modern apologist
who humiliates others to prove
his point.
In this life, our method, therefore, should be for the good of
the others, not to crush whoever..
[Our] ultimate goal is for people
to taste joy in the sweetness of
truth, Vengco added.
According to him, defenders of
the faith who use their knowledge
and grasp of the Bible, Canon Law
or Church traditions to humiliate

others in debate are like modern

dinosaurs, who step on their
enemies.
Formula for apologists
Speaking to the young professionals, Vengco gave them a
formula to live by as apologists:
In necessary things, unity; in
non-essentials, liberty; and in all
things, love.
He explained that people of
faith should be united on essential matters, but should have an
attitude of liberty when discussing non-essential matters with
individuals of different beliefs

like religious images, praying the

rosary and that charity should be
the compelling quality of all their
interactions.
If we dont follow this, what
were preaching is not Christ
anymoreYou will not convince
anyone, Vengco warned.
He was also quick to observe
that the truth that gives life is
the truth that is given in charity.
Apologetics comes from the
word apologia or to defense.
The second session was given
by Novaliches Bishop Emeritus
Teodoro Bacani, Jr. (Nirvaana
Ella Delacruz/CBCPNews)

A8

March 30 - April 2, 2015, Vol. 19. No. 7

Valles to lead PH
bishops in Synod
DAVAO Archbishop Romulo
Valles will lead the Philippine
bishops to the 14th General Assembly of the Synod
of Bishops slated for October
4 to 25, 2015 at the Vatican.
The list of members and
substitutes were ratified by
Pope Francis on March 17,
according to the Vatican Information Service (VIS).
Aside from Archbishop
Valles, Cebu Archbishop Jose
Serofia Palma and Daet Bishop Gilbert Armea Garcera
were named members. Also
named substitutes were San
Fernando de Pampanga Auxiliary Bishop Pablo Virgilio
Siongco David and Cagayan
de Oro Archbishop Antonio

Javellana Ledesma, SJ.

The theme for this synod is
The Vocation and Mission of
the Family in the Church and
in the Contemporary World.
The members of the synod will
deliberate on the findings from a
survey made in late 2014 about
the state of families worldwide.
According the General
Secretary of the Synod of
Bishops, Lorenzo Cardinal
Baldisseri, the final document
of the III Extraordinary General Assembly held in October
2014 called Relatio Synodi,
will be preparatory document or Lineamenta of this
forthcoming XIV Ordinary
General Assembly. (Melo M.
Acua / CBCPNews)

Catholic choir from down under to tour PH

THE Australia-based Catholic music
group Excelsis has started touring the
Philippines from April 5 to 12 to share
with all music-loving Filipino faithful the
broad choral repertoire for which it has
become known in Melbourne.
The choir has been singing for Holy
Masses at some of Manilas most significant
churches, and will stage private performances for the poor, give three concerts
in Manila and Cavite, two of which are
open to the public.
Fundraising
According to an announcement posted
on its official website, the last of the three
concerts aims to raise funds to help the
Archdiocese of Manila (RCAM)s Commission on Social Services and Development in its One Voice for the Poor
campaign, a project in keeping with the
Year of the Poor celebration, and inspired
by no less than Pope Francis himself, who
visited the Philippines in January.
To book tickets, contact Lily at (02)
563-9296, or (+63)-918-639-9121.
While Excelsis sings primarily for liturgical events, it also stages occasional concert acts, and boasts a repertoire of sacred
music from numerous Christian traditions,
incorporating classical European works,
traditional African pieces, Gospel songs,
Welsh hymnody, and contemporary Asian
church music.
Highest
Named after the Latin word meaning
highest, Excelsis seeks to reach the highest
musical standards through its performances
in order to give praise to the Highest.
The group is a traditional four-part
mixed choir (Soprano/Alto/Tenor/Bass)

CBCP Monitor

Biggest Catholic event

after Popes visit set
THE Augustinian fathers (OSA) of
the Basilica Minore del Santo Nio
de Ceb invite all Filipino faithful,
especially devotees of the Holy Child
(Santo Nio), to take part in what is
believed to be the biggest event yet
in the Philippine Catholic Church
in 2015 after Pope Francis recent
apostolic visit: the forthcoming 450th
Kaplag celebrations on April 28.
Symbol of PH Christianity
In an interview over Church-run
Radyo Veritas, Fr. Harold Ll. Rentoria,
OSA, executive director of the Kaplag
committee, stressed the important role
the Seor Santo Nio played and still
plays in the spread of the Gospel across
the archipelago.
The Seor Santo Nio aptly symbolizes the Christianization of the
Philippines. As such, its significance in
our history cannot be denied, he said.
Finding Nio
Kaplag, a Cebuano word meaning
finding, aims to celebrate the 450th
anniversary of the joyous recovery of
the revered image of the Infant Jesus
after it went missing for years.
According to historians, the Santo
Nio statue was brought over by Portuguese mariner Ferdinand Magellan,
who then gave it as baptismal gift to
Amihan, the wife of Cebuano king,
Rajah Humabon, in 1521.

1565 recovery
However, following his death at the
hands of Mactan warriors, Magellans
surviving companions fled, leaving the
image behind. Juan Camus, a soldier
of Miguel Lpez de Legazpi, reclaimed
the image decades later in 1565 in a
partially burnt hut during the successful conquest of the islands.
More celebrations
Besides the finding of the Santo
Nio, the 450th anniversary of Kaplag will also commemorate the 450
years of Augustinian presence in the
Philippines.
Moreover, the event will mark the
50th anniversary of the elevation
of Santo Nio Church to Basilica
Minore, a title conferred in 1965 by
Pope Paul VI through his Papal Legate Archbishop Ildebrando Cardinal
Antonuitti.
Cardinal Tagles Mass
Prelates from all over the country are
expected to grace the once-in-a-lifetime
occasion where Manila Archbishop
Lus Antonio G. Cardianl Tagle will
preside over the Holy Mass.
Rentoria added organizers will be
staging a play retelling the story of the
introduction of Christianity to the
Philippines. (Raymond A. Sebastin/
CBCP News)

PPCRV launches One Good Vote campaign

Dennis Dowling, Master of Ceremonies, present Excelsis during one of their performances at St. Patricks
Cathedral in Melbourne, Australia. FRANK YANG

whose members range from the very

young, to the very young at heart, with all
singers sharing a love of inspiring people in
their faith and entertaining them through
the gift of music.
A great deal of the repertoire it sings is
unique within the Catholic experience, giving the singers and their audiences a chance
to explore and discover the vast body of
Christian choral music which exists today.
Schedule
Its Philippine tour itinerary is as follows:
Sunday, April 5 7:00 p.m., Concert
at Nuestra Seora de Guia, Magallanes,
Cavite (Free Admission).
Tuesday April 7 - 10:00 a.m., Mass at
the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene;
3:00 p.m., Performance at Missionaries of
Charity Orphanage, Tayuman St., Tondo,

Manila, 6:00 p.m., Mass at Immaculate

Conception Parish Church 287 Tayuman
St., Tondo, Manila.
Wednesday, April 8 - 12:00 p.m., Mass
at Greenbelt Chapel Greenbelt, Makati
City; 4.45 p.m.: Novena Mass at Baclaran
Church, Paraaque City.
Thursday, April 9 - 7:30 p.m.: Concert
at St Andrews Cathedral Quirino Avenue,
Paraaque (Free Admission)
Saturday, April 11 - 7:00 p.m.: One
Voice for the Poor Fundraising Concert
Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica,
Intramuros, Manila
Sunday, April 12 - 11.00 a.m.: Mass at
Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica,
Intramuros, Manila.
For details, interested parties may
visit:www.excelsis.org.au. (Raymond A.
Sebastin/CBCP News)

Nuns art exhibit to raise fund for mission, studies

PPCRV Chair Henrietta de Villa during an interview FILE PHOTO

IN a bid to boost the Filipino citizens

voting IQ, the Parish Pastoral Council
for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) has recently renewed its vow ahead of the next
poll season through its One Good Vote
campaign.
Clean, honest, fair
In her interview over Church-run Radyo
Veritas, PPCRV Chair Henrietta de Villa
shared the lay-initiated drive aims to pave
the way for a clean, honest, and peaceful
2016 presidential election by focusing on
voters education.
The former ambassador to the Holy See
expresses hope the campaign will lead to
the eradication of rampant vote-buying in
the country which has perennially polluted
the national political arena down to the
smallest barangay.
Fight vs. vote-buying
She said PPCRV intends to choose a
parish in each diocese where the group

will conduct information dissemination,

zeroing in on the important topics voters
need to know, especially the no votebuying policy.
Meanwhile, De Villa showed support for
the special voters registration the Commission on Elections (Comelec) held in
Maguindanao.
Noting it is still without a permanent
chair, she expects Comelec will have a
highly qualified person heading the office
as soon as possible while there is ample
time before the 2016 election.
Since 1991
Along with then Manila Archbishop
Jaime L. Cardinal Sin, Antipolo Bishop
Gabriel Reyes, and Msgr. Bayani Valenzuela, De Villa founded PPCRV in 1991
as a national parish-based political, but
non-partisan, lay movement that works
assiduously for clean, honest, accurate,
meaningful, and peaceful elections.
(Raymond A. Sebastin/CBCP News)

Holy Week essay-writing contest ongoing

Sr. Venus Marie S. Pegar, SFXs paintings are on show at the United Women Artists Association of the Philippines art exhibit, Manila International Peace Center,
corner Escolta and Tomas Pinpin streets, Binondo, Manila. OLIVER SAMSON

A NUN whose passion for

painting comes next to her
vocation joins an on-going
art exhibit in Binondo seeking to raise funds for her
congregations mission overseas and the studies of fellow women considering the
religious life.
Sr. Venus Marie S. Pegar,
SFX, painted three of the 80
pieces on show at the Manila
International Peace Center
from March 14 to mid April,
said Menchu VB. Arandilla,
United Women Artists Association of the Philippines
(UWAAP) president.
Mission art
If her works will get sold,
the proceeds will go to our
missions for the poor in Myanmar and ladies who desire to
become nuns but have financial

constraints to pursue further

studies, Pegar said.
All her three works are in oil
that used canvas as a medium.
The first bears the title Behind
Her Complexity; the second,
Behind Her Thoughts; the
third, Her Color.
All three tell about a woman
whom she described as ripened through time.
The little girl is now a lady,
she said. A woman dressed
in yellow, ready to face new
challenges.
Behind her thoughts, she
longs for quiet and safe anchorage God, she continued.
Her safety lies in God, so she
does not fear.
The paintings sell from between Php 5, 000 to Php 100,
000, noted Arandilla, who also
founded UWAAP in January
2014.

Art in the family

Born in Leyte, Pegar, now
38, started painting at the
age of eight. She hailed from
a family of artists. Her father
was one, and she has two
brothers who are professional
artists.
Pegar is one of the UWAAP
members, who radiates passion for painting, Arandilla
noted.
A professed nun for four
years now, she pursues her
interest in painting under the
permission of her local superior
and the congregations Mother
General.
While the Sisters of St. Francis Xavier, her congregation,
supports her interest in art,
her family encourages her in its
own way: the materials she uses
are provided by her brother.

Colorful life
Aside from painting, Pegar
busies herself as vocation directress, and oversees the formation of postulants.
She also helps look after 20
residents at the Mary Mother of
Mercy and Home for the Elderly
and Abandoned in Laguna.
As if to prove how colorful
her life is, Pegars personal
experiences were featured in
ABS-CBNs Maalaala Mo Kaya
in its August 30, 2014 episode
Sulat, with actress Jessy Mendiola portraying her.
According to Arandilla, the
exhibit, which highlights the
female gender in line with
the Womens Month, is participated in by 34 artists from
UWAAP, which promotes
the empowerment of women
through the arts. (Oliver
Samson/CBCPNews)

WRITERS, read on! Win Bibles

In an effort to give more meaning to
the liturgical season, the Philippine Bible
Society (PBS) invites Christians of all denominations to take part in the Holy Weekinspired essay-writing contest, which has
opened since March 30 and which will run
until April 15, for a chance to win Bibles.
Open to children 7-12 years old, to teens
13-17, as well as to adults 18 and above,
the entry must be in English or Filipino
with a minimum of 100 words and a
maximum of 300.
Holy Week experience
In sharing ones experience of Holy
Week, each participants must reflect and
write based on the following themes of
Reading and meditating on His Word;
Bonding with loved ones; and Sharing

Gods Word.
Interested parties must submit their
pieces to mktgpromo@bible.org.ph. Only
one entry per participant is allowed. Winners will be announced on April 30, 2015
(Thursday).
Making the Bible known
Founded in 1899, PBS seeks to achieve
the widest possible effective and meaningful distribution of the Holy Scriptures in
languages people understand, in media
and formats that meet their needs, and
at affordable prices, enabling all to pray,
give, volunteer, and engage with the Word
of God.
For further information, interested
parties contact PBS United Nations Bible
House at (03) 526-77-77. (Raymond A.
Sebastin/CBCP News)

PASTORAL CONCERNS B1

March 30 - April 12, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 7

File Photo

CBCP Monitor

REJOICE and be glad, O

Virgin Mary, alleluia! For the
Lord has truly risen, alleluia!
We celebrate the Resurrection with
a host of joys: the brilliant light of the
Paschal candle piercing through the veil
of darkness; the heart-thumping Alleluia
that breaks the grief of Good Friday and
the gloom of Black Saturday; the refreshment of water after a long draught in the
desert of sin and penance. For us Filipinos
all these joys peak at the salubong, the
encuentro where the Blessed Mother,
Mary, meets her risen Son, Jesus Christ,
and her veil of human grief is lifted by
an angel, and henceforth there will be no
longer sadness but joy!

he fixed his eyes tenderly fixed on her.

The Church of Mary is a Church of the
poor

The Mother of God shows the
Church a Marian style of evangelizing.
Every time we look at Mary we return
to believe in the revolutionary strength of
tenderness and affection. In her, we see the
humility and the tenderness that are not
virtues of the weak but of the strong and
who dont need to mistreat others in order
to feel self-important. (Cardinal Pietro
Parolin, November 20, 2014)
Mary knew from the beginning that to
make her heart perfect she must be poor;
she must know their yearnings; suffer their
sufferings; feel the pain of their destitution; experience the helplessness of their

in a God who became poor for us, so as to

enrich us with his poverty. This is why I want
a Church which is poor and for the poor.
The Church of the poor is a joyful
Church

The Church of the Poor is a
joyful Church because of the salubong,
the encounter with Jesus Christ, who does
not shower His people with popularity,
earthly power, money, pleasure, but with
peace, hope, faith and love. He promises
salvation, life everlasting.
This is not to romanticize the poverty
of the world today: hunger, homelessness,
nakedness, ignorance and aimlessness.
These are not the poverty of God but are
the fruits of mans inhumanity to man; of
selfishness, greed, sloth, lust, gluttony

shown by Mary in the face of Gods unsearchable judgments! How completely she
abandons herself to God without reserve,
offering the full assent of the intellect and the
will39 to him whose ways are inscrutable
(cf. Rom. 11:33)!
Through this faith Mary is perfectly united
with Christ in his self- emptying. For Christ
Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God,
did not count equality with God a thing to
be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the
form of a servant, being born in the likeness
of men: precisely on Golgotha humbled
himself and became obedient unto death,
even death on a cross (cf. Phil. 2:5-8).
At the foot of the Cross Mary shares
through faith in the shocking mystery of this
self- emptying. This is perhaps the deepest
kenosis of faith in human history. Through

and will depend on them always!

In our helplessness we pray for Jesus
to come. At Pentecost the Holy Spirit
descended upon the helpless and praying
disciples and filled them with Gods love
and peace. In the words of Pope Francis
Mary, whose yes opened the door for
God to undo the knot of the ancient disobedience, is the Mother who patiently
and lovingly brings us to God, so that he
can untangle the knots of our soul by his
fatherly mercy.
May in the Year of the Poor
We enter this Easter season with Mary
encountering Jesus. Saying yes to God,
Mary carried Jesus in her womb and
secured the fulfillment of Gods plan of
salvation. As the mystery of Jesus unfolded

Queen of Heaven Rejoice Alleluia!

Mary in the Year of the Poor

The salubong is nowhere in the Bible.

It is a Filipino Church tradition that interprets life as a series of departures and
salubongs, birth, death and re-birth. We
cry at every leave-taking, most especially
at departures from this life. But our hearts
burst with joy when we welcome loved
ones, when our eyes catch their coming,
when our arms enfold them in salutation.
A departure is death and the salubong
signals life.
At the salubong Mary raises her hands to
Jesus and bids Him, Welcome, my Son.
In this Year of the Poor Mary raises her
hands to the poor, the dukha, Welcome,
my children! and she enfolds each one in
her loving embrace, and whispers to each
one, Rejoice, the Lord is Risen! My Son
is here. There is nothing to fear!
That is the context of our Easter salubong
with the poor especially this year. Mary
welcomes the poor, us, and she brings Jesus
to the poor, to us, every time.
Easter in the Year of the Poor
This Easter in the Year of the Poor we
turn to Mary, harking to the words that
the Holy Father Pope Francis uttered in
Tacloban on January 17 to the hundreds
of thousands who were wounded and bereaved by the cruelty of a violent storm, a
merciless earthquake, and a brutal conflict,
and to the millions elsewhere in the country, tuned in to him on that day.
Let us look to our Mother and, like a little
child, let us hold onto her mantle and with
a true heart say, Mother. In silence tell your
Mother what you feel in your heart. Let us
know that we have a Mother, Mary, and a
great Brother, Jesus. There were words on
the prepared homily that he carried, but he
spoke from his heart, in his beloved native
language. Turn to Mary he gestured with
his hands pointing at her image in the altar

powerlessness; and be so empty that only

God can fill the emptiness. There is no
poverty that our Blessed Mother does not
know. St. Alphonsus Liguori said that the
Blessed Virgin Mary also told St. Bridget,
All that I could get I gave to the poor, and
only reserved a little food and clothing for
myself.
The Church of the poor that does not
take Mary as mother is an orphan, said
Pope Francis. Marys poverty is generous;
it gives and gives and leaves only what is
sufficient. Marys poverty allows her to
journey and accompany the poor. Marys
poverty makes her present in the poor,
with the poor. That is why her poverty is
her strength.
Our Church of the Poor should be like
Mary: poor but generous; suffering but
compassionate; reserving only what is
sufficient for a simple life. In our poverty
we are rich.

the capital sins. We assume the poverty of

God if, like Mary, we are always ready for
our salubong with Jesus Christ. This is the
source of our joy, our happiness: our deep
encounter with Jesus, our Savior.
We all know this but we often refuse to
accept it. Lent was the season to examine
our lives and the poverty we cause others.
But we rationalize that development and
progress will end poverty; that a robust
economy will lift people out of poverty;
that globalization will enable us to keep
in step with the modern world. Yes, they
can, but only if they bring us to Easter, to
our salubong. Mary shows us the way to
encountering Jesus Christ: it is to be poor
like her and to be joyful in our poverty.
The Church of the Poor stands by the
feet of Jesus forsaken

The Church of the Poor stands
bravely with Jesus Crucified. She is Mary,

faith the Mother shares in the death of her

Son, in his redeeming death; but in contrast
with the faith of the disciples who fled, hers
was far more enlightened. On Golgotha, Jesus
through the Cross definitively confirmed that
he was the sign of contradiction foretold by
Simeon. At the same time, there were also
fulfilled on Golgotha the words which Simeon
had addressed to Mary: and a sword will
pierce through your own soul also.(Redemptoris Mater, 18)
The Church of the Poor is a Church at
prayer
She is Mary at the Upper Room praying
with the disciples, waiting for the coming
of the Holy Spirit. They are filled with fear
and anxiety. In their helplessness they pray.
Our poverty can lead us to helplessness
and only through prayer can we bring up
our need; can we find help. Pope Francis
shows us this whenever he asks for prayers,

Mary shows us the way to encountering Jesus Christ: it is

to be poor like her and to be joyful in our poverty.
Pope Francis explains this in Evangelii
Gaudium
For the Church, the option for the poor is
primarily a theological category rather than a
cultural, sociological, political or philosophical one. God shows the poor his first mercy.
This divine preference has consequences for
the faith life of all Christians, since we are
called to have this mind which was in
Jesus Christ (Phil 2:5). Inspired by this,
the Church has made an option for the poor
which is understood as a special form of primacy in the exercise of Christian charity, to
which the whole tradition of the Church bears
witness. This optionas Benedict XVI has
taughtis implicit in our Christian faith

the Mother of Him who hangs on the

Cross. She is at the foot of the Cross, suffering with Him. The Church works with the
people made poor by societys unjust structures, discrimination and prejudices. The
Church makes her voice heard on moral
principles that must govern the conduct of
business and government because immoral
business practices and government policies
make people poor.
On that wood of the Cross her Son hangs
in agony as one condemned. He was despised
and rejected by men; a man of sorrows...he
was despised, and we esteemed him not: as
one destroyed (cf. Is. 53:3- 5). How great,
how heroic then is the obedience of faith

she silently pondered things in her heart,

keeping faith that she would understand
them in the fullness of time. Mary joined
the trek to Calvary, meeting her Son at the
fourth station of the Cross, her heart full
of sorrow. And at the foot of the cross she
kept vigil and cried at the supreme mystery
of her Sons death.
Pope Francis in his encounter with the
youth in the University of Santo Tomas
admitted he did not have a ready answer
to the young girl who lamented the evil
things that happen to children. He said he
understood her tears, Only when we are
able to weep about the things that you lived
can we understand something and answer
something. If you do not learn how to cry
you cannot be good Christians. Mary
weeps with the poor. She is the Mother of
mercy; to her do the poor cry.
Mary rejoices with the poor. She is their
salubong, showing them the fruit of her
wombJesus. Mary is the cause of our joy.
She brings Jesus to the poor.
Pope Francis assured us this in Tacloban:
Please know that Jesus never lets you
down. Know that the tenderness of Mary
never lets you down. And holding onto her
mantle and with the power that comes from
Jesus love on the cross, let us move forward
and walk together as brothers and sisters in
the Lord.
The poor will always have Mary, the
Mother of God. They will always have
her Son, Jesus.
Queen of heaven rejoice for the Lord has
truly risen alleluia!

whenever he offers his prayers for those in

need and in pain, for those who suffer. In
his encounter with families on January 16,
he asked families to pray together, to pray
with and for the poor. He asked for prayers,
acknowledging his own need them.
At the conclusion of his address, he said,
Dear friends in Christ, know that I pray
for you always! I pray that the Lord may
continue to deepen your love for him, and
that this love may manifest itself in your From the Catholic Bishops Conference of
love for one another and for the Church. the Philippines, April 5, 2015
Pray often and take the fruits of your prayer
into the world, that all may know Jesus +SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS
Archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan
Christ and his merciful love. Please pray
CBCP President
also for me, for I truly need your prayers

B2 Updates

March 30 - April 12, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 7

I ASK you to share the joy and enthusiasm

of your love for Christ and the Church
with everyone, but especially with your
peers. Be present to young people who
may be confused and despondent, yet
continue to see the Church as their friend
on the journey and a source of hope. Be
present to those who, living in the midst
of a society burdened by poverty and corruption, are broken in spirit, tempted to
give up, to leave school and to live on the
streets. Proclaim the beauty and truth of
the Christian message to a society which
is tempted by confusing presentations of
sexuality, marriage and the family.
These words of Pope Francisaddressed especially to the young priests,
religious and seminarians in the congregation gathered at the Manila Cathedral
for the Mass concelebrated with the
clergy last January 16resonate with
the Easter message of joy in the Risen
Lord. In effect, the Vicar of Christ was
challenging the younger members of
the congregation to live out to the full
their faith in the Risen Christ, such
that the joy of a life well lived becomes
the strongest proof of the authenticity
of their faith. Then shifting back to the
whole congregation, he launched the
more general challenge, which resonates
with the Paschal Mystery we have just
commemorated:
In your efforts to prepare for the fifth
centenary, build on this solid foundation.
Christ died for all so that, having died in
him, we might live no longer for ourselves
but for him (cf. 2 Cor 5:15). Dear brother
bishops, priests and religious: I ask Mary,
Mother of the Church, to obtain for all
of you an outpouring of zeal, so that you
may spend yourselves in selfless service to
our brothers and sisters. In this way, may
the reconciling love of Christ penetrate
ever more fully into the fabric of Filipino
society and, through you, to the farthest
reaches of the world.
The Catholic Roots of Filipino Culture
Anyone who has experienced Holy
Week in the Philippinesespecially
outside the National Capital Region
will be struck by the deeply religious
character of the Filipino people. From
the reading of the Pasyonthe Passion
of Jesus Christ set in verse and noteto
the colorful processions and theatrical
presentations of the events of the Paschal
Mystery, passing through the more somber character of the visita iglesia (where
entire families visit 7, 14 or even more
churches on the night of Holy Thursday)
and the very youthful practice of walking
to some distant shrine as an act of penitence (and why not: camaraderie), one
is struck by the Christian undertones
of popular customs. Pope Francis put it
so well in the aforementioned homily:
Filipino culture has, in fact, been
shaped by the imagination of faith. Filipinos everywhere are known for their love
of God, their fervent piety and their warm
devotion to Our Lady and her rosary. This

great heritage contains a powerful missionary potential. It is the way in which

your people has inculturated the Gospel
and continues to embrace its message (cf.
Evangelii Gaudium, 122).
It is this deep faith that gives rise to
such a vibrant hope, which makes the
Filipino nation not only so resilient in
the face of all sorts of calamitiesboth
natural (e.g., typhoons, floods and
earthquakes) and man-made (mostly by
a corrupt government)but even enjoy
the highest happiness index according
to some sociological studies. All over
the world, the presence of Filipinos give
life to family and church communities,
commercial establishments and even
the entertainment world. Anyone who
has travelled to the great world capitals
would have been struck by the ubiquitous presence of Filipinos with their
cheerful ways; what is even more striking
is to find such Filipinos in more remote
places like Finland and Alaska. The missionary potentialusing Pope Francis
wordsof the OFW phenomenon is a
sea without shores.

Filipino Culture has been shaped

by the Imagination of Faith

Roderick Cruz

By Fr. Jaime B. Achacoso

CBCP Monitor

The Danger of Ideological Colonialism

Nevertheless, the parable of
the cockle sown among the wheat has
perennial applicability. Pope Francis
was quick to point this out in very same
breath that he was extolling the deeply
Christian character of Filipino culture:
As you know, these realities are increasingly under attack from powerful forces
which threaten to disfigure Gods plan for
creation and betray the very values which
have inspired and shaped all that is best
in your culture.
Later on that same day, addressing
a gathering of families at the Mall of
Asia Arena, Pope Francis would further
specify the nature of the threat:
Beware of the new ideological colonization that tries to destroy the family. Its
not born of the dream that we have from
God and prayer; it comes from outside and
thats why I call it a colonization. Let us
not lose the freedom to take forward the
mission God has given us, the mission of
the family. And just as our peoples were
able to say in the past No to the period of
colonization, as families we have to be very
wise and strong to say No to any attempted
ideological colonization that could destroy
the family.
It is obvious what powerful forces the
Pope was referring to. I can focus on
three for now: (1) religious indifferentism, (2) moral relativism and (3) the
sexual revolution. All of these tendencies
had been eroding the deeply Christian
roots of Europe and the Americas in the
past; unfortunately, they have finally
reached our shores.
Religious indifferentism is manifested
in the mushrooming of Christian sects,
mostly under the banner of Christian
fundamentalism: the so-called born
again movements. While ostensibly
spouting the usual sola scriptura of
Protestantism, what they are in fact affirming is the solely personal nature of
Faith / B7

Entire families came to be with the Holy Father during the Encounter with the Families at the SM MOA Arena, Jan. 16, 2015.

Acting Out the Passion Narrative

all of the other characters.
The choir or even the assembly
may be added to undertake the
part of the multitude or when
several Gospel characters speak
at once.
The dramatic and spiritual
effect on the assembly when it is
they, and not just a reader, who
cry out, Crucify him, can be

three deacons and a choir. The

deacons maintain a sober tone
although with slight variations
for each personage. The choir
sings the part of the multitude
in polyphony.
On Good Friday the same
process is followed but using the
traditional Latin chants with the
Sistine Choir doing the solemn

No. 47 of the Directory for

Masses with Children).
However, this is a far cry
from acting out the Passion,
which would most likely have
the opposite effect of that desired by the liturgical books.
The General Instruction of
the Roman Missal touches
upon this subject in No. 38

(Father Edward McNamara,

professor of liturgy and dean of
theology at the Regina Apostolorum university, answers the
following query:)
Q: It has been requested at
our parish to have a Passion
play in lieu of or as part of
the Good Friday Passion narrative. The priest could read
the part of Jesus, but each
different person in the narrative would be represented
and actually played out by a
different actor during the
narrative. Is this permissible
on Good Friday? Our pastor
has not found anything to
support or reject this, and
his diocesan sources were not
specific to permit or deny
that this take place. -- J.Z.,
Columbia, South Carolina
A: The reading of the Passion on Palm Sunday and
Good Friday allow for certain
dramatic elements while still

falling far short of acting. The

readers or cantors retain the
traditional sobriety of the rite
and avoid facial expressions and
gestures.
The Congregation for Divine
Worships 1988 circular letter
on the celebration of these feasts
says the following:
64. The order for the celebration of the Lords passion (the
liturgy of the word, the adoration
of the cross, and Holy Communion) that stems from an ancient
tradition of the Church should
be observed faithfully and religiously and may not be changed
by anyone on his own initiative.
66. The readings are to be
read in their entirety. The responsorial psalm and the chant
before the gospel are to be sung
in the usual manner. The narrative of the Lords passion
according to John is sung or
read in the way prescribed for
the previous Sunday (cf. n. 33).
After the reading of the passion,
a homily should be given, at the

end of which the faithful may be

invited to spend a short time in
meditation.
The above-mentioned No. 33
describes the reading as follows:
33. The passion narrative occupies a special place. It should
be sung or read in the traditional
way, that is, by three persons
who take the parts of Christ,
the narrator and the people. The
passion is proclaimed by deacons
or priests, or by lay readers. In
the latter case, the part of Christ
should be reserved to the priest.
The proclamation of the passion should be without candles
and incense, the greeting and
the signs of the cross are omitted; only a deacon asks for the
blessing, as he does before the
Gospel.
Thus, these readings may be
rendered using three readers, or
cantors, each taking the part of
specific characters. One reader
takes the role of narrator, another, usually the priest, speaks the
words of Our Lord, and another

quite moving and might bring

out more clearly the responsibility of each ones personal sinfulness for Our Lords passion.
At the Vatican, the Passion on
Palm Sunday has been sung, for
several years now, in Italian, by

polyphony. In both cases the

Passion lasts about 50 minutes.
This system of dividing up
the readings into parts is also
sometimes allowed for Masses
with children if such a process
facilitates comprehension (see

regarding The Vocal Expression of the Different Texts:

In texts that are to be spoken in a loud and clear voice,
whether by the priest or the
deacon, or by the lector, or by
Narrative / B7

Gelo Ahumada

Gelo Ahumada

There is, also, perhaps some danger of a

reader imposing his or her interpretation of the
emotions concealed in the passage rather than
allowing Gods word to speak heart-to-heart to
each member of the assembly.

CBCP Monitor

Features B3

March 30 - April 12, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 7

Give CARP a new lease on life,

a chance for a glorious finish

Jimmy Domingo

Bishops reiterate appeal to Aquino and Congress

In a press release dated March 26, 2015, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) claims to have awarded a total of 40,423 hectares of agricultural lands to 20, 312 farmer-beneficiaries in the province of Agusan del Norte since the implementation of CARP in 1988.

AS if taking their cue from a broken record, the

countrys Catholic leaders are singing the same tune
in asking the government to give a new life to the
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
But the Filipino bishops do not mind reiterating
their appeals for social justice, adding that tolerating
the quiet death of CARP will mean disenfranchising at least 1 million farmers and stripping them
the chance of rising out of poverty.
In a two-page letter dated January 19, 2015,
leaders of 86 dioceses nationwide urged President
Benigno S. Aquino III and the members of the
16th Congress to immediately pass two proposed
laws that will give new life and a glorious finish to
CARP, an appeal the Catholic Bishops Conference
of the Philippines (CBCP) made back in January
22, 2014 before the land acquisition and distribution (LAD) component of CARP expired last June
30, 2014.
Led by Catholic Bishops Conference of the
Philippines (CBCP) president Archbishop Socrates
Villegas, 15 archbishops, 59 bishops and seven
Church administrators have asked government to
enact House Bill 4296, which seeks to renew the
Department of Agrarian Reforms authority to issue
notices of coverage and provide adequate funding
for support services to agricultural landholdings that
have not yet been placed under CARP.
The signatories also
want Congress to pass
into law House Bill 4375,
which aims to create an
independent Agrarian
Reform Commission to
review the actual accomplishment of CARP and
investigate circumventions and violations of the
CARP Law with a view
to cause these landholdings to be redistributed to
qualified beneficiaries.
President Aquino may
have certified as urgent
the passage of House Bill
4296, but the House of
Representatives is yet to
pass the supposed priority bill on third and final
reading despite the fact
that the Senate had already
passed the counterpart
Senate Bill 2278. On the
other hand, House Bill
4375 is still pending at
the Lower House and lacks
a counterpart bill at the
Upper House, suggesting
its need to be certified as
a priority measure by the
President.

tillers, with some of these landowners still to be

compensated, the prelates argued.
In a bid to bring home the point, the Catholic
leaders echoed Pope Francis statement during his
visit to Malacaang Palace last January 15. The
Pope, who championed the CBCPs Year of the Poor
observance this year, said the great biblical tradition
enjoins on all peoples the duty to hear the voice of
the poor. It bids us break the bonds of injustice
and oppression which give rise to glaring, and indeed scandalous, social inequalities. Reforming the
social structures which perpetuate poverty and the
exclusion of the poor first requires a conversion of
mind and heart.
For their part, the bishops called on the peoples
representatives in Congress, saying, please do not
allow the agrarian reform program to die a quiet
death before its noble mission to finally emancipate
and liberate our farmers is fully achieved.
All sorts of noise
To recall, farmers from across the archipelago have
made all sorts of noise in order to call the governments attention to the States apparent abandonment of CARP. They went on hunger strikes, barefoot marches, camp outs and demonstrations, some
of them were even arrested and harassed for pushing
for justice that is due them. Some even failed to live
long enough to get a hold of their elusive CLOAs.
Aware of the plight of the farmers, civil society
groups and Church leaders have rallied to support moves to further extend CARP. Atty. Monsod,
representing the MultiStakeholder Task Force
on Agrarian Reform, and
Manila Auxiliary Bishop
Broderick Pabillo, then
representing the CBCP National Secretariat for Social
Action, Justice and Peace,
were among the numerous
signatories in a January
22, 2014 letter urging Mr.
Aquino to extend CARP for
two more years and to see
the full implementation of
the program until he steps
down from the presidency
in 2016.
They missed the point,
agrarian reform is not about
numbers or deadlines. It is
about the outcome. Have
the lives of the farmers
improve? Has rural poverty
been reduced? Monson
said, Give CARP a chance.
Imagine what that can do
to the morale of the poor
farmers?
For the CBCPs part, Pabillo said the Church would
continue to rally behind the farmers in pursuing
their rights under CARP. The CBCP NASSA has
been instrumental in arranging farmers meetings
with government officials, providing food and lodging to farmers during their marches and camp outs.
According to the social teachings of the Church,
the earth belongs to all and not only to some. It is
not justice if only a few have lands while the majority are landless, he said in an earlier interview with
CBCP News. Until justice is not met, the Churchs
support to the poor and oppressed will continue.
Pabillo lamented the governments lack of resolve
in implementing agrarian reform and the Aquinos
real intentions for not making CARP succeed. Is it
by design or by incompetence that the CARP is not
completed? the prelate asked. I dont know if it is
just a lack of resolve or if there is really an intention
to not make agrarian reform succeed.
According to the DAR, issuance of NOCs has
ended last June 30 and unless the period is extended, the agency can no longer issue NOCs on
the remaining landholdings that were not placed
under CARP coverage. In a press release dated
March 26, 2015, the DAR claims to have awarded
a total of 40,423 hectares of agricultural lands to
20,312 farmer-beneficiaries in the province of
Agusan del Norte since the implementation of
CARP in 1988.

Farmers went on
hunger strikes,
barefoot marches,
camp outs and
demonstrations, some
of them were even
arrested and harassed
for pushing for justice
that is due them.
Some even failed to
live long enough to get
a hold of their
elusive CLOAs.

For the sake of the poor farmers

According to the bishops, not extending CARP
and ensuring the gains of the program is tantamount
to disenfranchising at least a million farmers of their
rights to own the land they till, equitably share in the
fruits of their labor, and find a path out of poverty.
It also means the countrys failure to break up the
unjust concentration of land ownership in a few and
thereby not achieve inclusive growth.
Citing government data, the bishops said on top
of the Land Acquisition and Distribution (LAD)
balance of at least 708,000 hectares (as of August
2014), an estimated 1,000,000-1,500,000 hectares
claimed by the DAR as distributed are not under
the control of farmer beneficiaries and are suspect
as evasions of the law, such as lands under collective
Certificate of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAs)
and long-term leaseback agreements and lands
distributed as voluntary land transfers (VLTs) and
voluntary offer to sell (VOS).
Unless these transactions are voided and the
land distributed to legitimate farmer beneficiaries,
the landowners and DAR personnel complicit in
the evasions will be rewarded for defying the law.
It would also be unfair to the landowners who allowed their lands to be really distributed to poor

A Manifesto Calling on Government to

Implement RH in Accordance with Law as
ruled upon by the Supreme Court
THE Reproductive Health Act was passed by Congress under less than appropriate and acceptable
procedures and was signed into law on a largely
similar circumstance. The Supreme Court in its
decision following a series of petitions and arguments emphasized that the Reproductive Health
Law is not unconstitutional. While in many
instances we disagreed with the way this law was
impressed upon the people as legally legitimate,
though morally infirmed, socially damaging and
fundamentally risky to vulnerable individuals, we
respected the inevitable.
This state imposition however was delimited
and rightly so, in many respects when the Supreme
Court likewise made it clear that religious freedom
and the exercise of ones free will remained paramount and cannot be abridged. Thus, the Court
gave emphasis to, among others, respect for parental
supervision over the rights and welfare of their children; spousal consent on the use of contraceptive
technologies; free exercise of conscientious objection of medical and allied health practitioners over
state sponsored reproductive health methodologies;

It is our submission that the Food and Drug

Administration, a vital entity in the proper implementation of the law has been re-missed of its duties
of monitoring the sale, distribution and usage of
these contraceptive technologies. It is likewise our
contention that the DOH being the lead agency in
the implementation of the RH law has not done the
necessary effort to ensure that the law will not in
any way put our women and our families in harms
way while they are undertaking their contraceptive
programs. We have yet to see and even participate
in consultative discussions over curriculum development on sexuality education and its component
subjects. While there were no official issuances on
this we have been receiving reports that modules
have been made and printed for the use of our
public schools. We are likewise entitled to exercise
our rights in the formulation of specific policies
and guidelines related to the RH law but none of
the agencies involved in this have extended invitations to groups such as ours who have been known
to them as active participants and stakeholders on
the matter.

strict adherence to processes involved in the licensing and accreditation of contraceptive technologies
ensuring that the same are not abortifacients nor
with abortifacient properties and will not pose
any risk to the health of its users; and the general
emphasis on prior, free and informed consent of
those who are the subject of reproductive health
programs.
To date, we have been waiting for the issuance
of a definitive implementing rules and regulations
of the RH Law that incorporates the changes that
should have been made following the ruling of the
Supreme Court. We have made representations on
various instances to the Department of Health but
to no avail. Instead, we have been informed by our
allies on the ground that contraceptives are being
distributed, given out or applied to the unknowing
public absent compliance to the requirements of the
law that ensures that the methods, oral, mechanical
or otherwise are non-abortifacient and are safe to
the health of those who are subjected to the process.
We have likewise seen and were told that Implanon,
a known abortifacient are now being implanted
on our women under dubious circumstances and
under imposed conditions. The same is true with
the continuous application of intrauterine devices
on our women without the appropriate information
about the risks associated with its use.

We do not wish to go on any protracted legal

battle on the subject that we have raised but we
are certainly reserving that right should we feel
that the government has been unmindful, disinterested and careless in the implementation or
non-implementation of the law as the same will
tremendously affect the health of our women and
children and our families, physically; mentally;
psychologically; and morally.
We respected the process however flawed and
unjust it was carried in passing the RH Law.
We went through legal procedures and did due
diligence in opposing the law. But in the end the
powerful State interests and global depopulation
agenda prevailed over our well reasoned contentions. The least that the government should do
now is to respect and follow the letter and spirit
of the law as ruled upon by the Supreme Court.
Moreover, the State must likewise respect the
rights and welfare of its citizens in the enforcement
of laws, rules and regulations.
Again as in the past, we do not wish to demand
but reason out instead for government to implement the law appropriately and responsibly. We
are asking for no less.

File photo

By Kris Bayos

COALITION OF PRO-LIFE AND PROFAMILY ADVOCATES

B4 FEATURES

March 30 - April 12, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 7

CBCP Monitor

Homilies at the Mass of the Chrism

April 2, 2015
Archbishop of Manila

Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle

File Photo

Most Rev.
Socrates B. Villegas

MY brother priests:
Today we make a spiritual journey again to the Upper Room
to remember our priesthood. We come once again to thank
the Lord for calling us to be priests. The Lord took a risk. He
entrusted to us His Church. The longer we stay in this vocation
the more clearly we see that it takes more than will power to
remain a good priest. It needs grace. We need God. We need
God to stay focused. We need God to stay on track. We need
God to protect us and preserve us.
We have seen many abuses among the clergyalcohol abuse,
sexual abuse, child abuse, gambling abuse, money abuse, travelling abuse, vacation abuse. Today, I invite you to turn your
hearts to another very rampant and widespread abuse among
priestshomily abuse. Yes abuse of the kindness of the people
who are forced to listen to long, winding, repetitious, boring,
unorganized, unprepared, mumbled homilies. In jest but certainly with some truth, the people say our homilies are one of
the obligatory scourges that they must go through every Sunday.
If you listen more carefully to what our people say about
our homilies, they are not complaining about depth of message or scholarly exegesis. They are asked to endure Sunday
after Sunday our homilies that cannot be understood because
we take so long with the introduction, we do not know how
to go direct to the point and we do not know how to end. Be
prepared. Be clear. Be seated.
We were all abused by the homilies of our elder priests when
we were seminarians. When our turn came to deliver homilies,
the abused became the abuser.
If a seminarian lacks chastity, we cannot recommend him for
ordination. If a seminarian is stubborn and hard headed, we
cannot endorse his ordination. If a seminarian cannot speak
in public with clarity and effectiveness, we should not ordain
him. He will be a dangerous homily abuser. Homily abuse can
harm souls.
Long, winding, repetitious, irrelevant, unprepared homi-

Simplicity also demands

that we keep divisive election
politics away from the lectern.
Simplicity in homilies
means not desiring to make
people laugh or crythat is
for telenovelas and
noontime shows.
lies are signs of a sick spiritual life of the priest. Saint Joseph
Cupertino said A preacher is like a trumpet which produces
no tone unless one blows into it. Before preaching, pray this
way: Lord you are the spirit, I am your trumpet. Without your
breath I can give no sound.
It is not enough to prepare our homilies; the good priest must
prepare himself. Preaching is a ministry of the soul and the heart
not just of the vocal chords and brain cells. Our spiritual life is
the true foundation of our homilies. The question is not what
we will preach but rather who will we preach? We preach only
Jesus Christ; always Jesus Christ. How shall we rise from the
prevalent culture of homily abuse? What is our remedy?
The first call of the times is priestly sincerity. You can preach
to empty stomachs if the stomach of the parish priest is as empty
as his parishioners. Our homilies will improve if we diminish
our love for talking and increase our love for listening. When
our homily is simply a talk, we only repeat what we know, get
tired and feel empty. When you listen and pray before you
talk, you learn something new and your homily will be crisp
and fresh. We will be better homilists if we dare to smell again
like the sheep.
The second challenge of our times is simplicitysimplicity
of message and even more, greater simplicity of life. Simplicity
of life will also help us to stop talking about money and fund
raising in the homily; money talk has never been edifying.
Simplicity means resisting to use the pulpit as a means to get
back at those who oppose uspatama sa sermon. Simplicity
also demands that we keep divisive election politics away from
the lectern. Simplicity in homilies means not desiring to make
people laugh or crythat is for telenovelas and noontime
shows. Simplicity in homilies makes people bow their heads
and strike their breasts wanting to change, seeking the mercy
of God. To be simple is to be great in Gods eyes. The simple
lifestyle of priests is the homily easiest to understand.
The third and last challenge is a call to study. Reading and
study must not stop after the seminary. If we stop reading and
study, we endanger the souls of our parishioners. If we stop
Villegas / B7

IT is a great joy and blessing to be here, to be

part of this great community of faith. If you
can only see the whole cathedral where we are
standing you will really be edified. Maraming
salamat po sa inyo sa inyong pagdating at
pakikiisa sa misang ito.
And we thank also our brother priests both
the diocesan and the religious, after all this
is also the Year of Consecrated Life. And our
celebration is made more special with the
presence of our dear Eminent, very Eminent,
Kabunyi bunyi anna Cardinal Gaudencio
Rosales. Miss na miss napo niya tayong lahat.
And, of course, our Apostolic Nuncio in the
Philippines, Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto;
our dear auxiliary bishop, Bishop Broderick
Pabillo; Msgr. Chibuike who works at the
nunciature is from Nigeria, we should congratulate him and his people. They just elected
a new president. Congratulations Monsignor
and we pray for your beloved country. We also
have silver, golden, and diamond jubilarians
concelebrating with us!
It is really a day of blessing, a day of anointing. In a little while we will witness the blessing of the sacred oils. In the Bible especially in
the Old Testament we hear often mentioned,
the grain, the wine, the oil, all signs of a good
life; all signs of Gods blessings. Thanks to the
grain you have bread. Thanks to the grapes,
you have wine. Thanks to the olive trees you
have oil. Then you can survive. Your life will
be decent. No wonder the oil will also be
considered as the presence of God who cares
for Gods people. Tonight in the Eucharistic
celebration we will see how simple grain,
simple wine will be the presence of the Savior,
Jesus Christ. But this morning we focus on
the oil. But of course we will have the bread
and the wine also.
The oil. The anointing of the Holy Spirit
is symbolized very often through the oils and
the oils that we will bless will have three major
ministerial components. Through the oil God
heals; through the oil God consecrates people,
places, and objects solely to the service of
God. And through the oils God increases the
faith of people: the catechumens leading to
Baptism and confirmation, initiation to the
faith, the Christian life.
The oils are not just oils per se. They are
the action of the Spirit through the ministry
of the Church. Thats why they are blessed in
such a solemn way. And since Vatican II those
who are already consecrated by the Holy Spirit
and anointing by the Sacred Oil, the ordained
also renew their promises. They renew their
consecration; they renew also their commitment to heal, to consecrate and to help people
grow in the faith. What a beautiful occasion
we are witnessing this morning!
Sa sobrang ganda parang hindi mo naalam
ang sasabihin mo. Baka abutin tayo ng Linggo
ng Pagkabuhay pero ayaw naman ninyo iyon.
But let us focus on the readings of today
where all of these blend: the anointing, but
what type of anointing? By the Holy Spirit
in Jesus Christ we see this fulfilled. But all of
us are also anointed. As the second reading
declares: You are Gods priests! You are Gods
Kingdom. Every baptized person is anointed
to be Gods child; to be a brother or sister of
Jesus; to be a living temple of the Holy Spirit;
to be the missionary Church that Jesus sends
out to the ends of the earth until the end of
time. All of us are anointed and in a special
way, in a higher and deeper degree, because of
their ministry, the ordained are also anointed
for the sacred ministry.
I would like to reflect on three points based
on the readings and the event that we are celebrating. Sana po maipagpatuloy natin gang
pagninilay pagkatapos ng Misa hanggang sa
atin pong pagdiriwang ng Muling Pagkabuhay
ni Hesus. At saatin po nating ginagawang
pagdiriwang, manalangin sa Panginoon; ang
Panginoon na lumikha ng langit at lupa na
kung maaari sa kanyang habag ay iligtas tayo
sa parating na bagyo. Iligtas din po lalo ang
mga kapatid natin dun sa Eastern Samar, sa
Quezon, Northern Luzon nasabi po nila ay
baka tamaan. A consecrated people know how
to live in solidarity with others and in our joy,
we never forget; Christian joy never forgets
those who suffer.
Let me start the reflection with the Gospel and this is the first point. In the Gospel
Jesus returns to Nazareth where he grew
up; Nazareth, a place
unknown, insignificant. In fact, before
the New Testament
writings there had
been no mention of
Nazareth. Nabanggit
lamang ang Nazareth
dahil kay Hesus, dahil
dun siya lumaki, in this insignificant village
chosen by God to be the place where the Son
of God will grow up as human being amidst
the farmers, amidst the simple people, the
fishermen, a hidden lot.
And as the custom of the Jewish people,
on a Sabbath, a holy day, they went to the
synagogue. Jesus growing up in a pious family
goes to the synagogue on a Sabbath. And there
he found the passage from Isaiah, the passage
we heard proclaimed as the first reading. The
passage about the servant of God who will be
anointed by the Spirit and the anointing of the
Spirit is for mission, to bring glad tidings to
the poor, liberty to captives, recovery of sight
to the blind, release of prisoners, a year of
favor from the Lord. Probably those who were
in the synagogue already have heard this passage a number of times. Hindi siguro ito ang

kauna-unahang pagkakataon na narinigito ng

mga tao sa sinagoga. But something earthshaking happens on this ordinary Sabbath day,
in this ordinary synagogue, in an insignificant
village of Nazareth. The one who proclaimed
it, after rolling up the scroll, giving it back to
the assistant said: Today in your hearing this
scripture passage is fulfilled: That beautiful
TODAY; that irrepeatable TODAY in your
hearing. You dont only hear words today.
Today the words are fulfilled. The words have
become a reality.
How? The word has been fulfilled in Jesus,
the Nazorean. He, this person, the son of
the carpenter, the son of Mary, the friend of
this fishermen, He is the fulfillment of this
passage. The fulfillment is not in the task;
the fulfillment is not in a project, no matter
how important they are. The fulfillment of
the prophecy is in the person of Jesus, the
one sent by the Father as a lowly human being but anointed by the Holy Spirit, whose
incarnation was the work of the Holy Spirit,
in whose baptism the Spirit descended. And
now after the temptation in the desert he begins his ministry, declaring, in him is fulfilled
the prophecy. He is the anointed one, he is
truly. In him the plan of the Father to save is
fulfilled, in the person of Jesus.
Kaya po sa araw na ito, lahat tayo, binyagan,
mgaorden, tumutoktayo kay Hesus. Nothing
will be fulfilled outside the person of Jesus.
Our best plans, our best intentions, our lofti-

our ministry, life will be simple, everything

will be related to Jesus, and all that is not of
Jesus must go. Must go! Simple lang: Hesus.
With Jesus as the fulfillment, we will not
cling to ideologies; we will not cling to great
ideas as though they have become the Gospel.
With Jesus as the fulfillment of our lives, we
will love everyone. In Jesus, no factions, no
pressure groups, everyone is loved by Jesus.
Jesus died for all even for enemies. Is Jesus
the fulfillment of our lives?
Which leads me to the second point: how
can we grow in this commitment, attachment
even, to Jesus as the fulfillment of Gods plan?
Let us learn from Jesus. The Word of God,
turning to the word of God. Jesus read the
prophet Isaiah. And this is how we can get
to know Jesuss fulfillment: the Word of God,
out of familiarity with the word of God, the
Hebrew Scriptures, the gospels, the New
Testament readings, they all point to Jesus.
And we see how in the word of God Jesus has
come alive. Jesus is already being depicted and
then it takes on flesh in this person. There
is no knowing Jesus as the fulfillment of life
without an ardent love of the word of God in
scriptures and in the traditions of the Church.
Sabi nga nila, ang hindi nakakaalam ng
Salita ng Diyos, hindi makikilala si Hesus.
The Word of God. Mgakapatid, para maging
pinakaubod ng ating buhay si Hesus, kilalanin
siya sa pamamagitan ng pakikinig, pagbabasa, pag-aaral, pagninilay, pagsasabuhay ng

est dreams will not find their full fulfillment

except in the person of Jesus. And so this day is
a day of deep examination of our hearts. What
is the role of Jesus in my life? Does he occupy
a central role? What role does he play in my
plans, in my beautiful plans, in my dreams?
And oh, my brother priests, do we still have
the fire, the fervor, that every friend of Jesus
must possess? At the beginning of day and at
the end at night, is Jesus our joy? Is Jesus the
one that we have seen accomplishing his plan,
the Fathers plan through us? Is he the one
that we are proud of? Is he the one that we
proclaim? Is he the meaning of all our efforts,
sufferings and even our successes? Can we face
Jesus and say, Yes, Jesus, today and every day,
you fulfill my life and my ministry. For that is
what Jesus said: Today this is fulfilled in your
hearing. I am your fulfillment.

Salita ng Diyos. Kung apat na oras tayong

manonood ng tv at telenovela, gawing isa
na lang. Tatlong oras magbasa ng bibliya at
katekismo. Kaya pala mas maraming tao kilala
yung mga artista sa telenovela, hindi kilala si
Hesus, eh bakit? Kasi telenovela naman ang
laging pinanonood, eh, hindi yung Salita ng
Panginoon! Ilang oras kung pagsamasamahin
ang ating pagte-text at pag-e-email? Bawasan!
At pumunta sa Salita ng Diyos. Paanong magiging kaganapan ng buhay mo si Hesus kung
hindi ko siya kikilalanin sa kanyang salita
natungkol din sakanya. And a special appeal
to my brother priests. Let us intensify the
Biblical apostolate. Let us intensify the role
of the Word of God. Let not a single, pastoral
activity be conducted without a clear connection to the Word of God. Let us not shorten
events by taking out the proclamation of the
Word of God. Dalidaliannaang house blessing, alisin ang Salita
ng Diyos. Bakit yun
ang inaalis? Pero tatlong oras kumakain sa
reception. Bakit hindi
unang alisin? Three
verses lang ang Salita
ng Diyos inalis pa.
pero yung panginginain ay panginginain parang pangit na
salita iyon, ah, yung kainan ang haba haba
hindi inaalis. Please in our planning, let it be
clear to us and our lay collaborators how is
this activity rooted in the Word of God. So
we dont event. There is only one apostolate,
how Jesus fulfilled his mission. So, familiarity
with the Word of God, for our preaching, for
our pastoral planning and choices.
And a reminder, our homilies. Ang ating
mga homily a. let us read again the beautiful reminders of Pope Francis in Evangelii
Gaudium on the homily. The preacher must
be the first to have experienced the Word of
God. His heart must have been captured by
the Word of God and from his heart honed
by study, reflection and even skills, that heart
must speak to the hearts of people. The im-

File Photo

Archbishop of Lingyen-Dagupan

Nothing will be fulfilled outside the person

of Jesus. Our best plans, our best intentions,
our loftiest dreams will not find their full
fulfillment except in the person of Jesus.
Sa mga kabataan na nandito, alam ko
napakahirap maging kabataan sa mundo
ngayon. Hinahatak kayo ng ibatibang uri
ng fulfillment. I beg you, I beg you to listen
to Jesus, only Jesus fulfills the plan of God
and the longings of the human heart. To the
parents here, please instill in your children
the deep desire for Jesus. Do not let them fall
into the temptation of disregarding Jesus and
replacing him with false offers of fulfillment
that in the end frustrate and even kill.
To the religious, the consecrated men and
women here, your professed life, your consecrated life is a form of anointing. But it is a
declaration to the world, no riches, no human
love, no human project will ever be fulfilled
by me, by my religious order apart from Jesus
Christ. Is this a reality to us? With Jesus as
the fulfillment of our lives, our mission and

Tagle / B7

CBCP Monitor

STATEMENTS B5

March 30 - April 12, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 7

Love has triumphed over hatred,

life has conquered death!

Urbi et Orbi Message of Pope Francis; April 5, 2015, St. Peters Square
discarded, the sick and the suffering,
children, especially those who are victims of violence; all who today are in
mourning, and all men and women of
goodwill, hear the consoling voice of the
Lord Jesus: Peace to you! (Lk24:36).
Fear not, for I am risen and I shall
always be with you (cf. Roman Missal,
Entrance Antiphon for Easter Day);

We ask for peace

and freedom
for the many
men and women
subject to old
and new forms of
enslavement on the
part of criminal
individuals and
groups.
Dominic Barrios

DEAR Brothers and Sisters, Happy

Easter!
Jesus Christ is risen!
Love has triumphed over hatred,
life has conquered death, light has
dispelled the darkness!
Out of love for us, Jesus Christ
stripped himself of his divine glory,
emptied himself, took on the form of
a slave and humbled himself even to
death, death on a cross. For this reason
God exalted him and made him Lord
of the universe. Jesus is Lord!
By his death and resurrection, Jesus
shows everyone the way to life and
happiness: this way ishumility, which
involveshumiliation. This is the path
which leads to glory. Only those who
humble themselves can go towards
the things that are above, towards
God(cf. Col 3:1-4). The proud look
down from above; the humble look
up from below.
On Easter morning, aler ted by
the women, Peter and John ran to
the tomb. They found it open and
empty. Then they drew near andbent
down in order to enter it. To enter
into the mystery, we need to bend
down, to abase ourselves. Only those
who abase themselves understand the
glorification of Jesus and are able to
follow him on his way.
The world proposes that we put
ourselves forward at all costs, that we
compete, that we prevail But Christians, by the grace of Christ, dead and
risen, arethe seeds of another humanity,
in which we seek to live in service to
one another, not to be arrogant, but
rather respectful and ready to help.
This is not weakness, but true
strength!Those who bear within them
Gods power, his love and his justice,
do not need to employ violence; they
speak and act with the power of truth,
beauty and love.
From the risen Lord we ask the grace
not to succumb to the pride which
fuels violence and war, but to have the
humble courage of pardon and peace.
We ask Jesus, the Victor over death,
to lighten the sufferings of our many
brothers and sisters who are persecuted
for his name, and of all those who
suffer injustice as a result of ongoing
conflicts and violence. There are many!
We ask for peace, above all, for Syria
and Iraq, that the roar of arms may
cease and that peaceful coexistence
may be restored among the various
groups which make up those beloved

countries. May the international community not stand by before the immense humanitarian tragedy unfolding
in these countries and the tragedy of
the numerous refugees.
We pray for peace for all the peoples
of the Holy Land. May the culture of
encounter grow between Israelis and
Palestinians and the peace process be
resumed, in order to end years of suffering and division.
We implore peace for Libya, that
the present absurd bloodshed and all
barbarous acts of violence may cease,
and that all concerned for the future
of the country may work to favor
reconciliation and to build a fraternal
society respectful of the dignity of
the person. For Yemen too we express
our hope for the growth of a common

desire for peace, for the good of the

entire people.
At the same time, in hope we entrust
to the merciful Lord the framework
recently agreed to in Lausanne, that it
may be a definitive step toward a more
secure and fraternal world.
We ask the risen Lord for the gift of
peace for Nigeria, South Sudan and
for the various areas of Sudan and the
Democratic Republic of the Congo.
May constant prayer rise up from all
people of goodwill for those who lost
their livesI think in particular of
the young people who were killed last
Thursday at Garissa University College
in Kenyafor all who have been kidnapped, and for those forced to abandon their homes and their dear ones.
May the Lords resurrection bring

light to beloved Ukraine, especially to

those who have endured the violence
of the conflict of recent months. May
the country rediscover peace and hope
thanks to the commitment of all interested parties.
We ask for peace and freedom for
the many men and women subject
to old and new forms of enslavement
on the part of criminal individuals
and groups. Peace and liberty for the
victims of drug dealers, who are often
allied with the powers who ought to defend peace and harmony in the human
family. And we ask peace for this world
subjected to arms dealers, who earn
with the blood of men and women.
May the marginalized, the imprisoned, the poor and the migrants who
are so often rejected, maltreated and

(Following his blessing, the Pope said

these words:)
Dear brothers and sisters,
I w o u l d l i k e t o g i ve m y w i s h e s
f o r a Ha p p y E a s t e r t o a l l o f yo u
who have come to this square
f ro m va r i o u s c o u n t r i e s a s we l l a s
those who have connected through
means of social communications.
Bring to those in your homes
and whom you meet the joyful
a n n o u n c e m e n t t h a t t h e L o rd h a s
r i s e n , t h a t He i s t h e L o rd o f L i f e ,
b r i n g i n g w i t h Hi m s e l f l o v e , r e s p e c t a n d f o r g i ve n e s s .
Thank you for your presence, for
your prayers, and for the enthusiasm
of your faith on a day that while very
beautiful, but also very ugly because
of the rain. A special and recognizing thought goes for the donation of
flowers, that this year comes from the
Netherlands.
I wish you all a Happy Easter, pray
for me, and have a good lunch.
Arrivederci!

EASTER MESSAGES

EASTER is the greatest and

most important feast of our
faith. If Christ did not rise
from the dead, our faith is
irrelevant and meaningless,
dry and dead.
Easter beckons us to
go beyond the customary
greetings and feasting. We
must continue the mission
of the risen Christ by being
ready to bring His message
to more people.
Be like the risen Jesus.
Look at the risen Jesus.
Love the risen Jesus. Follow
the risen Jesus.
What is it in Jesus that
we must carr y with you
through life? It is His JOY.
We all yearn for joy. We
work for joy. Yet, in its
quest we have often failed
to find it. We are bundles
of shattered dreams; or we
are showcases of fulfilled
dreams, which leave us
empty. We have worked
hard, but are frustrated;
we have struggled, but feel
the weight of disappointment. We are victims of
calamities, natural or manmade, or victims of our
own coldness in the face
of overwhelming suffering.
R e m e m b e r Yo l a n d a .
Remember Mamasapano.
Re m e m b e r t h e f r u s t r a t ing unsolved problem of
g ov e r n m e n t c o r r u p t i o n .
Remember the loneliness
of our loved ones toiling
abroad. Our memory is
full of broken hopes and
dreams. The litany of frustrations is endless. But we
have hope.
Our calling is to return to
the joy that comes from the
Gospel and from sharing
the Gospel. That is a joy
that comes neither from a

Do not allow worries, cynicism to

blind us to the needs of the poor

Raymond Sebastian

Move on with the joy of

the risen Jesus

covetous heart nor from the

frivolous pursuit of pleasures,
nor from a blunted conscience.
It comes rather first and foremost from a renewed personal
encounter with the risen Jesus
Christ. That is the goal of
Christianityencounter with
Jesus Christ in joy.
T h i s j oy c a n b e re a l a n d
deeply personal in our world.
Consequently, it is a joy which
needs urgently to be shared
today in all its fullness- no

matter the danger, no matter

the ridicule, no matter the
dying that it may entail.
Move on with joy of the
risen Jesus. Carry on with
the peace of Jesus. The world
needs the Lord. May you
bring the risen Jesus with you
wherever fate may lead us!
Fr o m t h e C a t h e d r a l o f
Saint John the Evangelist,
Dagupan City, April 5, 2015
+SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS

THE annual commemoration of

Jesus resurrection and glorification gives us a glimpse of the
eternal life that He, who became
human like us, now possessesa
life that will not be touched by
sin, destruction and death again.
His risen life is our hope, the
pledge of our future glory. But
Jesus resurrection does not cut
us off from our earthly life and
concerns. It is not an excuse to
ignore and to be indifferent toward our world. Rather the light

from Jesus resurrection makes us

see more clearly the truth about our
complex human condition while
urging us on towards a glorious
future.
Some words spoken by the
Risen Lord during his appearances to various people seem to
be addressed to us Filipinos in our
present situation. The eternally
reigning Lord is speaking to us
now. Let us listen to some of these
words.
To the disciples gathered in a

room he asked, Why are you

frightened and why do doubts
arise in your hearts? (Luke
24:38). To a troubled Mary
Magdalene he said, Why are
you weeping? Who are you
looking for? (John 20:15).
The Risen Lord offers the
same questions to us especially
in moments of fear, doubts,
distrust and grieving. He leads
us to our hearts so we could reflect, explore and find meaning.
Outbursts of panic, phobia,
worry and sorrow need the
calming influence of reflection
and meditation. The Risen
Lord asks questions that make
us pause and look into the
reasons (or lack of reason) for
our terror and anxiety. Let us
listen to Him.
To the disciples still unable
to believe that He was indeed
alive and standing before them
He asked, Have you anything
here to eat? (Luke 24:41).
The glorious Lord comes to us
through our humble, simple,
poor and suffering brothers and
sisters. Even while possessing all
authority and power, he deems
it worthy to reside among the
lowly, those who lack basic
necessities of life. He invites
us not to allow worries and
cynicism to blind us to the
needs of the poor among us.
Let us behold the Risen Jesus
in every needy person and see
a neighbor, a brother or sister.
I pray that this Easter we may
promptly respond to the Risen
Lords greeting, Peace be with
you! As the Father has sent me,
so I send you. (John 20:21).
Let us go to all the corners of
our country as missionaries of
peace.
+LUIS ANTONIO G. CARDINAL TAGLE
Archbishop of Manila

B6 REFLECTIONS

March 30 - April 12, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 7

CBCP Monitor

Believing and witnessing to

the reality of the Resurrection
2nd Sunday of Easter, John 20L19-31 (B) Feast of Christ, King of Divine Mercy; April 12, 2015
By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB
WHO could blame Thomas for his
refusal to believe what his co-disciples
were saying about the apparition of the
risen Jesus? He was a concrete, positive man. To believe what his friends
were saying about Jesus was like believing that the sun had risen at midnight!
If he could just see and touch his body,
then Thomas
also would say
A m e n ! B u t ,
what had he
done to deserve
such a privilege?
Yet, Thomas got
it all, thanks
to Jesus loving
condescension.
The skeptic disciple saw Jesus
and was able to
put his fingers
into the holes
bored by the
nails and the spear. And he exploded
in that confession of faith for which
he will be remembered till the end of
time. (See Jn 20:28.)
But the unbelieving Thomas has a
numerous descent. He is a contemporary
of every generation. Especially in our
days, the only valid proof of the resurrection people are prepared to consider
is our life our witnessing to our Christian faith. It is through our lives -- more
than our words -- that we can show that
Jesus has really risen from death and is
now alive. It is through the way we live

that we can show that we really believe in

Christ and his Resurrection, even though
we never saw him with our physical eyes.
An existence characterized by charity
and service to the needy is undoubtedly
a strong proof of the Resurrection, for
no human being could constantly
overcome the temptation and natural
inclination to be self-centered if Christ
did not rise from death. A life totally
spent for others is a sign of the Life
that has conquered
death.
Another decisive
proof of our belief
in the reality of the
Resurrection is our
forgiving those who
have wronged us.
Every offense that
we suffer opens
painful wounds
in our sensitivity.
They are the marks
of our moral agony, and even of our
death on the cross
of human cruelty, unfairness, dishonesty, treachery But if and when we
are able to be good to the persons who
have inflicted those wounds on us, to
do good to them, to speak well of them,
to smile at themin other words, to
forgive them from the heartthen
even the hardest unbeliever is faced
with a very strong proof (possibly, the
strongest one) of the enduring reality
and effects of the Resurrection. Perfect
forgiveness which overcomes all inclination to hate back is a first-class miracle
indeed. And the Holy Spirit, whom the

Leendert van der Cooghen

Perfect forgiveness
which overcomes
all inclination
to hate back is a
first-class miracle
indeed.

Risen Christ gave to his disciples on

Easter Sunday, has a lot to do with it.
He has also a lot to do with leading the
many skeptics of today to believe in
Jesus, even if they have never seen him.
And yet, when all is said and done,

even the most perfectly heroic life will

not touch the heart of the unbelievers unless the interior enlightenment
that we call grace empowers them
to see and say yes. When Christian
witnessing, Gods grace, and its free

acceptance by the human heart meet

as one, then saving faith dawns and
a new resurrection takes place. It is
Easter again. And it happens because
of that first One that shook the earth
two thousand years ago.

The Risen Christ opens for us the

treasures of the Scriptures
3rd Sunday of Easter, Luke 24:35-48 (B) April 19, 2015

Marco Basaiti

By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB

ALL pious Jews, including the
disciples of Christ, were familiar
with the content of the sacred
writings. But although they
kne w the prophecies about
the Messiah, they were unable
to understand a very important part of their essential messagethe mission and destiny
of the Messiah. On that point,
Scripture was for them like a
sealed scroll; like a locked treasure chest. Some sort of veil
clouded their minds and hearts.
(See 2 Cor 3:14.)
It took the explanations given
them by the Risen Christ himself,
for the disciples to understand
that all that had happened to
him was in fulfillment of what
the prophets had foretold. (See
Lk 24:44.) Only then were
their minds finally opened (see
Lk 24:45); their hearts set afire
(see Lk 24:32) and filled with
joy. (See Jn 20:20.) They came

Bishop Pat Alo

minder of their crucified and risen Lord, and a privileged place

where they could find him. By
reading the Scriptures, they
could realize the faithfulness of
God to His promises, and once
again experience the presence

These are not simply books

about Jesus.
The message they contain is the
Word of God. Christ is present
in the inspired pages with his
life-giving power.
tion, but Gods mighty work,
the crowning fulfillment of all
prophecies. (See Acts 2:24-31.)
From that moment on, especially after Jesus ascension into
heaven, the Scriptures became
for the believers a continuous re-

of the glorified Christ among

them as in the days immediately
after the Resurrection.
It should be so even for us and
for all generations of believers.
We know we can encounter
the Risen Lord in many ways,

particularly in the sacraments,

and most especially in the Eucharist. But we can and should
encounter him also in the sacred
Scriptures. These are not simply
books about Jesus. The message
they contain is the Word of God.
Christ is present in the inspired
pages with his life-giving power.
(See Sacrosanctum Concilium
7.) And we can experience his
saving presence not only when
the Scriptures are proclaimed
in the liturgy, but also when we
read it at home with the rest of
the family or by ourselves. What
matters is a humble, prayerful
heart, open to receive the Word,
understand it in the light of the
teaching of the Church, and apply it to our lives with the help
of the Holy Spirit.
With such dispositions, every
day can become Easter Day.
And we will be able to make
sense of all that happens to us
and around us, for everything
will be seen in the light of Gods
Word.

Bo Sanchez

Encounters

Soulfood

Change of heart
and sin no more (Jn. 8:3-11).
With all the false propaganda on sex, love, sexual
permissiveness, and indecent apparel in movies, television, and billboards, no wonder the rise of unwanted
pregnancies and abortion (which is murder) cases
that reach the staggering number of millions yearly in
the world today. Since its a sin calling for Gods immediate punishment and
vengeance,
we must implore Gods
mercy, but
remember
too, He is not
a permissive
and consentidor God.
He wants
our concrete
repentance
telling us,
Go, but sin
no more or
something
worse may
happen to
y o u ( J n .
5:14-15).
This, too,
calls for our
social consciousness as Jesus told Peter, the first Pope, who
in his weakness had denied Jesus three times: Simon,
Simon! Satan, you must know, has got his wish to sift you
all like wheat; but I have prayed for you, Simon, that your
faith may not fail, and once you have recovered, you in
turn must strengthen your brothers (Lk. 22:32). Let us
help one another for a change of heart and sin no more.
Guercino

IN the Gospel we know that God understands our human weakness, but He wants us to change to a new life.
He understands, but He is not a permissive or a consentidor God. God wants us to change for the better.
St. Peter betrayed Jesus three times but he changed
and was appointed first Pope by Jesus Christ (Lk.
22:32). St. Paul was a Pharisee persecuting the Church
but he changed
and became
the Apostle to
all non-Jewish
peoples (see 1
Cor. 15:9-11).
Jesus cured
a man sick for
38 years. After
curing him Jesus told him:
Now you are
well again, be
sure not to
sin any more,
or something
worse may
happen to
you (Jn. 5:914). When
Je s u s s a v e d
and forgave
the adulterous
woman who
was about to be stoned by the Jewish scribes and
Pharisees in accord with the Mosaic law, He told
the woman after the Jewish elders left one by one in
response to His challenge that the one without sin
should be first in throwing the stone at her: Woman,
where are they? Has no one condemned you? No
one sir, she replied. Neither do I condemn you. Go

to understand that his death

was not an accident, but a free
sacrificial offering for the salvation of all. (See 1 Jn 2:2.) It
was part of Gods plan. (See Acts
2:23.) Likewise, Christs resurrection was not a pious inven-

Dont be afraid to feel

MY wife cries at the drop of a hat.

Let her watch a touching movie and shell be
sobbing at the opening scene. Yep, right after the
screen says Touchstone Pictures Presents.
I used to laugh at her for being such a softy for
these things.
Gosh sweetheart, its just
a silly movie! You only see
the man and woman embracing each other on the
screen, but in reality, eight-six
peoplethe director, production assistants, lighting
crew, special effects, makeup artist, costume, and the
catering staff, surround them.
I should know. Ive done
TV shows before and blah,
blah, blah (Was I a jerk
or what?)
But no matter what I say,
shed keep on crying anyway.
Shell insist, Why dont
you cry with me? Its such a
beautiful movie!
Me? I roll up my eyes,
Sweetheart, Im a guy. Men
dont cry!
Well, that was a number
of years ago. Something has
changed in me recently
Im a little embarrassed to
say this, but when we watch a movie now, my wife
has a new crying companion.
No, I still dont cry as much as she does. But I
find my eyes very wet.
Honestly, because of old beliefs entrenched in me,

I still dont allow those tears to roll down my cheeks.

But heres the improvement: Im not ashamed
to wipe them before they falland I dont have
to pretend to be scratching my eye or scratching
my forehead.
As manly as I can, I just use
my forefinger to dab the edge
of my eyes.
Many years ago, I wouldnt
even dare wipe my tears
that would be a dead giveaway. Id just patiently wait
for my tears to evaporate.
At first, I wanted to shout
in panic: Heeeeelp! Im becoming a girl!
Or is this male menopause?
Nah.
You know what I want
to believe? That Im just
growing more mature. (Selfdelusions are my favorite
pastime.)
Yesterday, I read a survey:
On average, wives outlast
their husbands by seven years.
Because men die of heart
attacks, strokes, and cancer
pretty early.
The study says its not because women are stronger
physically. Its because womens
emotional escape valves are more open than men.
Women cry, express, and tell lots of stories when they
feel happy, sad, angry, fearful. We males just sulk and
watch TV when were sad, depressed, and angry

Its not because

women are
stronger
physically. Its
because womens
emotional escape
valves are more
open than men.
Women cry,
express, and tell
lots of stories.

Soulfood / B7

CBCP Monitor

SOCIAL CONCERNS B7

March 30 - April 12, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 7

Deforesting the Philippines is death sentence for a nation

THE greatest hope we have for saving our planet from catastrophe is
the dedication of environmentalists
and scientists who love creation and
work tirelessly to protect it from the
irresponsible tycoons of industry and
corrupt politicians who cause global
warming.
Many choose to deny the scientific
evidence that climate change is underway and damaging our world.
But millions of people around the
globe are suffering from severe deprivation, disease and death, because of the
extremes of climate change caused by
prolonged droughts, intense storms,
cyclones and raging hurricanes.
There is one vital number, 390,
that is going to determine the future
of every living creature on our planet.
Like it or not, believe it or not, the
concentration of carbon dioxide in our
atmosphere is increasing daily.
It is now at that dangerous level
of 390 parts per million (ppm). This
heavy concentration is too much
already and the planet is reaching
a tipping point where there will be
no way to reverse the trend. The
number 450 ppm is the absolute
last chance.
The scientists, environmentalists
and other knowledgeable people who
have intently studied global warming
say that the concentration of carbon
dioxide has to be reduced to 350
ppm for us to avert a planetary global
disaster.
The human race has to realize that
there is environmental and climatic
disaster underway, as the earth heats
up and global temperatures edge upward to a suicidal two degree Celsius
rise. This is essential to prevent as it is
reaching the point of no return.
Acidification of the oceans will kill
millions of fish and marine life and
the melting of the Arctic ice sheet
will be irreversible and bring on that
destructive rise in sea levels. Witness
the recent breaking off of a huge slab

File Photo

By Father Shay Cullen

Only nine percent of the Philippines original forest cover remains. The forests of Sierra Madre continue to fall victim to illegal loggers.

of the Antarctic glacier, a piece the size

of Manhattan.
In Bangladesh, 30 million people

the next 10 to 20 years.

In the Philippines, only nine per cent
of the original forest cover remains,

There is one vital number, 390, that is going to determine

the future of every living creature on our planet. Like it or
not, believe it or not, the concentration of carbon dioxide in
our atmosphere is increasing daily.
were displaced last year due to floods,
tens of millions more will be displaced
in the coming years. With the rising
sea levels, it will reach one meter in

but this is being hacked-to-death

by loggers that flout the law and act
with impunity, protected by corrupt
politicians who fund their re-election

corruption, end impunity and give

environmental protection top priority.
Philippine environmentalists and
anti-mining advocates were outraged

Tagle / B4

Faith / B2

revelationi.e., each person receives Divine revelation according to his own criteria. Sola scriptura, without an authoritative
magisterium, soon degenerates
into individual interpretation
of scripture; Divine Revelation
becomes personal interpretation.
Thus, any religion would be as
good as any other, for as long as
one believes.
Moral relativism, on the other
hand, is just the application of
the same individualistic and immanentistic criterion of truth to
the moral life. The line between
right and wrong blurs when there
is no acceptance of an objective
norm of morality which is the
Natural Law. Then what matters
would be expediencypolitical,
economic, social or even purely
personaland there would be
no ultimate norm of morality
other than convenience: everything would be relativeto the
individuals perceived well-being.
Such moral relativism sets the
stage for the corruption in high
and low places, both in the public and private spheres.
The final result of all these is
the sexual revolution: the trivial-

campaigns with the proceeds.

Hypocritically, their re-election
propaganda usually says they will fight

recently when the chief of the Mines

and Geosciences Bureau, Leo Jasareno,
announced at a conference that the
president, Noynoy Aquino, had given
mining corporations an exemption
from the strict Executive Order 23 that
forbids the cutting of trees in natural
and residual forests, on the condition
that they join the National Greening
Programme that aims to plant 1.5 million trees in the next six years.
The Office of the President has denied the report and said the president
only announced the names of the six
companies that already had exemptions. This is a troubling revelation.
No exemptions ought to be given and
large scale open-pit mining must be
stopped.
Executive Order 23 is the only bulwark that is holding back the waiting
chain-saw gangs of loggers and insatiable desires of the mining corporations. They want to get at the minerals
under the forests.
That means large scale forest destruction and many more related environmental and human disasters like
landslides, river and sea poisoning,
dangerous dams holding back toxic
mining sludge, loss for ancestral land
rights, loss of farming land and natural
water sources.
The burning of cleared forests causes
a huge release of carbon dioxide and
other greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, thats a whopping 16 per cent
of all the gasses released worldwide
and equal to all the gasses released by
almost every vehicle, plane or ship in
the world.
To make matters worse, the loss of
the trees themselves will leave huge
amounts of carbon dioxide unabsorbed. Forest trees are the sponges of
the planet.
I am not sure if the 2,000, twometer tall, grafted fruit tree saplings
that I plant annually will be of any
help, but it will off-set the emissions
I create. We can all do something to
stop the deforestation and planting
a tree is a good start in healing a
wounded planet.

ization of the sexual act, which

is thus taken from its natural
moorings in conjugal love to
become nothing but an expression of egoism whether in
isolation (the solitary sin) or in
mutual gratification (sex in its
purely biological/animal form).
How well Blessed Pope Paul VI
unmasked the true nature of
the objection to Humanae vitae
when he affirmed that at the
root of the problem was mans
rebellion against Gods design
for human sexuality. It is what
Pope Francis referred to as the
powerful forces which threaten
to disfigure Gods plan for creation and betray the very values
which have inspired and shaped
all that is best in your culture.
It is nothing but an echo of that
tremendous non serviam of satan
pronounced at the very dawn of
creation, painfully echoed by
Adam and Eve, and all of their
descendants down the centuries.
The Filipino Family as the
Guardian of our Catholic Tradition
However, Pope Francis did
n o t e n d i n p e s s i m i s m . On

the contrary, ever the Vicar of

Christwho has triumphed
over sin with his Passion, Death
and Resurrectionhe ends with
a triumphant note, in the form
of a challenge to the Filipino
family:
Our world needs good and
strong families to overcome these
threats! The Philippines needs holy
and loving families to protect the
beauty and truth of the family in
Gods plan and to be a support and
example for other families. Every
threat to the family is a threat to
society itself. The future of humanity, as Saint John Paul II often
said, passes through the family
(cf. Familiaris Consortio, 85). So
protect your families! See in them
your countrys greatest treasure and
nourish them always by prayer and
the grace of the sacraments. Families will always have their trials,
but may you never add to them!
Instead, be living examples of love,
forgiveness and care. Be sanctuaries
of respect for life, proclaiming the
sacredness of every human life from
conception to natural death. What
a gift this would be to society, if
every Christian family lived fully
its noble vocation!

mortal words of Cardinal Newman, Coradcorloquitor, speaking

from the heart to other hearts,
addressing other hearts. That if
the heart is not burning as Jesus
speaks to me, how do I expect
my homily to cause the hearts
of other people to burn as well.
The word of God, the centrality
of Jesus achieved through our
commitment, love for the Word
of God.
And finally. Jesus fulfilled the
Word of God, the words from
Isaiah that he had read. And the
fulfillment is in his mission to the
poor, to bring the good tidings to
the poor, liberty to captives, sight
to the blind. And this is the third
and final point. The centrality of
Jesus achieved through our love
for the Word of God and also
through our love for and living
with the poor. Here, here in this
ambo last January Pope Francis
told us, please remember dear
beloved priests, he told us, that
if we removed the poor from our
lives we will not understand the
Gospel. We will not understand
Jesus. For that is how Jesus fulfilled the plan of God. Filled
with the Spirit he was driven by

the Spirit to the poor. And there

among the poor we will witness
the Good News taking flesh.
Kahapon po, dumalaw kami
at nagmisa doon sa nasunog na
bahagi ng Parola. 3,000 families, 19,000 individuals bahay
sunog. Nung kami ay nagmisa
sa napakaliit na clearing na para
bang basketball court, siksikan,
siksikan. But I tell you dear
brothers and sisters, we can
touch the joy, you can touch the
hope, the love of the Gospel, in
the tears, suffering of the people.
A people who should be angry
and bitter, they have only one
word. Nagpapasalamat po kami,
mahal pa rin kami ng Diyos at
lalo pong tumindi ang aming
paninindigan na mahal kami
ng Diyos dahil mahal kami ng
Simbahan, at nandito po kayo,
kaya po walang duda, mahal
kami ng Diyos.
The Good News is proclaimed
the poor and the poor proclaim
the Good News to us. Sana
dumating ang panahon na ang
mga pari, religious magaagawan
sa pinakamahirap na parokya
at pinakamahirap na misyon.
Kung mayroon sana silang mag-

ing tampuhan ay tampuhan ng,

bakit ikaw ang napunta diyan
sa informal settlers? Gusto koa
ko! Then what Jesus said can be
repeated. Today this Scripture
passage is fulfilled.
Let us pray to the Lord for
the generous outpouring of this
Spirit on all of us. Not only of the
Church here in the Archdiocese
of Manila but the Church in
the Philippines and all over the
world. May we rediscover Jesus,
whose passion, death and resurrection; we will commemorate
starting this evening. May he be
the fulfillment not only of Gods
plan but of our human Christian,
ministerial destiny. May we turn
to Jesus more and more through
his word, and through his beloved
poor. Well never go wrong if
cling to the Word of God, and
to the beloved poor. Hopefully,
hopefully, the Filipino people
observing these holy days may
experience what it means to be
filled with the Spirit of Jesus.
Let us pause and open our
hearts to the Spirit that filled
Jesus.

Narrative / B2

all, the tone of voice should correspond

to the genre of the text itself, that is,
depending upon whether it is a reading,
a prayer, a commentary, an acclamation,
or a sung text; the tone should also be
suited to the form of celebration and to
the solemnity of the gathering. Consideration should also be given to the idiom
of different languages and the culture of
different peoples.
In the rubrics and in the norms that
follow, words such as say and proclaim
are to be understood of both singing and
reciting, according to the principles just
stated above.
Thus, the text refers above all to

tone of voice and makes no mention

of accompanying a reading with facial
expressions or gestures. This would be in
conformity with the traditional sobriety
of the Roman rite and with the ministerial nature of such services as reading.
The fundamental criterion is, I believe,
that of service to Gods word. The task of
the lector is to bring out and proclaim the
sense of the divine message to the best of
his or her ability while avoiding drawing
attention to the person doing the reading
either by dress or manner.
There is, also, perhaps some danger of
a reader imposing his or her interpretation of the emotions concealed in the

Villegas / B4

Soulfood / B6

studying, then we start forcing

our people to read the so-called
open book of our lives the comic book of our lives, hardly inspiring, downright ridiculous and
awfully scandalous. The homily
becomes our story and not the
story of Jesus. Reading a bank
book too much is not a good way
to prepare our homilies.
Be careful with your life. The
people watch us more than they
listen to us. Be sincere and true.
A double life, a secret dark life
is stressful.
Be careful with every homily.
God will judge you for every
word you utter. Believe what you
read. Teach what you believe.
Practice what you teach.
Be careful with every homily.
They want to hear Jesus not you;
only Jesus, always Jesus.
Be careful with your homily.
Pity the people of God. Stop the
homily abuse. Let your homily
inspire and set hearts on fire.
Amen.

So we keep our feelings bottled up

inside and our hearts and veins just
cant handle them, so they explode.
Well, I think my emotional
valves are opening up more as I
get older.
So my wife will just have to
settle with the fact that Im not
dying too early and well be watching touching movies together until
our nineties.
I can already see the scene in our
darkened living room, watching on
our huge home theatre system (by
that time, everybody owns one).
Ill hear my sexy ninety-year
old wife say, Gosh, this movie is
so touching.
And Ill sob, Yes, I cant stop
crying too.
Pass the Kleenex dear No,
a new one from the box. This one
contains your dentures.
Oh sorry, dear.
I love you, sweetheart.
I love you too.
Believe me, life cannot be sweeter than that.

passage rather than allowing Gods word

to speak heart-to-heart to each member
of the assembly.
Hence, some variation in intonation
is desirable in order to clarify the sense
of the text, such as to distinguish a
question from an admonition, or a cry
for mercy from its granting.
Using an unvarying deadpan tone or
monotonous drawl for every passage
is a disservice to Gods word and to
the assembly. But any hint of acting,
whether by facial expressions, gestures,
changing intonation or voices for different characters, should be avoided as
they tend to draw attention away from

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the text and toward the reader.

The traditional Latin tones for singing
the readings could suggest a model for
reading the sacred texts, or even compose new vernacular tones for singing
the Scripture as has been successfully
achieved in some languages.
Singing the texts, at least on solemn
occasions, reminds us that this is no
ordinary text but Gods word to us. It
also fixes the attention very much on
the word itself.
In 2005 a reader offered the following
valuable suggestion based on experience,
which I think is worthwhile repeating:
When teaching lectors and seminar-

ians, I have found it useful to tell them

to think of themselves as being on the
radio rather than performing on TV.
This causes them to think how best to
use their voice to proclaim the word
of the Lord, undistracted by looking
at the congregation, facial movements,
gestures, etc. This approach allows the
reader to take account of the listeners,
making as clear as possible the sense of
the text in front of themwhen God is
speaking via their mouth. It also allows
them to realize that the spoken word
they speak is Gods word alive and so
the most important thing. It also avoids
the temptation to dramatize the text.

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B8 FEATURES

March 30 - April 12, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 7

Buhay San Miguel

Buhay Parokya
Ella (Lily James) enjoys a shortlived childhood in a comfortable
home in an estate, with loving,
devoted parents. As a very young
girl, Ella is introduced by her
mother to a magical world that
makes the impossible possible, for
instance, conversing with mice,
geese and lizards in the family
estate. Everything seems endless
perfection until illness strikes Ellas
mother suddenly, then death follows. Before the fateful moment,
however, her mother leaves Ella not
jewels, not wealth, but two golden
nuggets of advice: Have courage,
be kind. As Ella blooms into
womanhood, her father remarries
and takes Lady Tremaine (Cate
Blanchett) for his wife. The wicked
stepmother moves in along with
her two daughters Drisella (Sophie
McShera) and Anastasia (Holliday
Grainger), whose cruelty Ella repays with kindness, even to animals
and strangers. Magic becomes
reality when the apprentice Kit
(Richard Madden) and Ellas Fairy
Godmother (Helena Bon Carter)
come into her life.
The Cinderella motif has had a
long history that reportedly begins
with a tale from Egypt in the first
century BC. Indeed, even older
than Christ, the Cinderella theme
has undergone various adaptations, forms, and interpretations,
the modern one being the fairy
tale by French writer Charles Perrault, published in 1697. Since
then Cinderellas have come and
goneon film, in plays, operas,
and ballets, inspiring pop music,
childrens bedtime stories and even
coloring books. Thus it was with
a sigh of weariness that CINEMA
met this 2015 version: What?
Another Cinderella? Noit is
not another Cinderella. Even in
casting and CGI alone, this version

Cinderella
DIRECTOR: Kenneth Branagh
LEAD CAST: Lily James,
Cate Blanchett, Richard
Madden, Helena Bonham Carter, Holliday
Grainger
SCREENWRITER: Aline
Brosh McKenna
DISTRIBUTOR: RKO Pictures
LOCATION: UK
RUNNING TIME: 105 minutes
Technical assessment:
Above Average
Moral assessment:
Wholesome
CINEMA rating: GP

tops it all.
The power of fairy tales lies in
how well they sweep the audience
off their feetto believe in magic
and in never-never lands that
promise happy ever-afters, to offer
escape from ordinary life and hope
for better times. This Cinderella
accomplishes all thatbut does
so without taking advantage of
the viewers gullibility or justifying
their romantic notions. This Cinderella extols virtues from beginning to endjustice, forgiveness,
patience, faith in mans goodness,
love, purity, and yes, courage and
kindness. Have courage, be kind
is mentioned no less than five times
on separate occasions, by different
characters, nailing in a lesson with
a velvet-covered hammer. It makes
clear distinctions between right
and wrong, good and evil, vice
and virtue. The good guys are admirable and lovable; the bad guys
are pathetic and must be forgiven.
In the end, its not just Cinderella
and her prince who live happily
ever after, but the citizens of their
kingdom. Can a movie get any
more Christian than that?

Brother: Poor are ideal

prayer warriors
NORZAGARAY, Bulacan, March
31, 2015Inspired by Pope Francis recent request to Romes poor,
a missionary brother has called on
fellow religious to live out the same
humility of the Holy Father by asking the underprivileged to pray on
their behalf, saying their petitions
are more likely to reach heaven.
In a message to CBCP News, Br.
Martin Francisco, a member of the
Blessed Sacrament Missionaries of
the Poor (BSMP), underlines the
importance of this gesture given
what he refers to as the poors
closeness to the Lord.
We from the institutional
Church really need the prayers of
the poor people since they are the
ones closest to Christ. As such,
their prayers and cries easily find
their way to God, shares the
brother, who serves Dumagat communities on Sierra Madre.
Wounded healer
Francisco explained the poorest of the poor are the wounded
healers of their apostolate, as well
as of their pastoral life who see to
it that their feet are firmly planted
on the ground.
The closest we are to the poor
means the closer we are to God,
he added.
Surprise of their lives
The brothers comments came in
reaction to the news about the 150
homeless people the Office of Papal
Charities had invited recently in
order to visit the Vatican Museums,
giving them the surprise of their lives.
A Zenit article reports that while
inside the Sistine Chapel, the
guests were welcomed by no less

than Pope Francis himself.

Welcome. This is everyones
house, and your house. The doors
are always open for all, Zenit
quotes him as telling them.
Pray for me
Pray for me. Im in need of
prayers by people like you, he
added.
Blessing the guests, the 78-year
old Pontiff also prayed to the Lord
to protect and help them in the
path of life, making them feel His
tender and fatherly love. (Raymond
A. Sebastin/CBCP News)

CBCP Monitor

Brothers Matias

Look for the image of the Holy Trinity,

Holy candle and St. John Paul II.
(Illustration by Bladimer Usi)

CBCP Monitor

C1

March 30 - April 12, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 7

The News Supplement of

Couples for Christ

Love Conquers All:

The CFC International Mens Conference

By Bobbee C. Mella

Love conquered about 400

true men of God during the
recent CFC Catholic Mens
Conference.

Touted as the best Servants of the Lord

(SOLD) conference ever, the conference
was held on the weekend of March 27 to
29 in Iloilo, appropriately referred to as
the City of Love and also the Queen
City of the South. Iloilo is noted for its
fresh oysters, biscocho, pinasugbo,
and of course, the world-renowned La Paz
batchoy, a fact that was not wasted on
the participants. The sweltering heat did
not matter at all for the participants, nor
did the nautical miles they had to travel
to get to Iloilo. They came, they saw, they
heard, they felt and they were conquered
by the amazing love of God.
Friday night was a good omen of the
things to come -- from the homily of
the afternoon Mass to the spirited opening worship and the fantastic welcome
Dinagyang dance of the host province.
All these were capped by the impromptu
group a cappella singing competition that
drew surprisingly excellent performances
from various areas.
After the Saturday morning Mass,
punctuated by a much-applauded homily
relating to the true meaning of Christs
passion, the participants were welcomed to
Iloilo by Western Visayas Regional Head
Tony Gimenez.
Then it was on to the first session titled
He Loved Us First which was delivered
by Manny Garcia, Regional Head of Eastern Visayas. His session brought renewed
realization that men can only love others
more only if they acknowledge that they
first have to experience the love of God in
its real sense.
After the sumptuous lunch break,
Robert Ardiente, Provincial Area Head of
Quezon, delivered the second talk entitled
Be Who You Are. The message of his talk
revolved around the various levels of mens

true personalities which they allow themselves, others and God to see. His message
resonated in the conference hall and gave
all the participants the opportunity to
ponder and evaluate how and where they
are now in their personal relationship with
the Lord.
The last session for the afternoon,
Tough Love, was given by Charly Laiz,
Regional Coordinator for Borneo. Charly
coined the acronym B.O.S.S.Brothers
Offering Something Special to explain
that everyone truly has something to offer
to others but we all have to learn to share
it. He expounded further on the desirable
ability to share true love even in the direst
of situations.
Saturday evenings fellowship was another
revelation as different areas showed their impeccable talents, competing in true brotherly
fashion in a raucous stomp praise challenge.
Intermingled in the program was a joyful
community dance revolution led by bold
leaders of the ministry.
Notwithstanding the escalating temperature on Sunday morning at the seaside venue,
the final session titled Love Conquers All
echoed in the hall, with Ben Babilonia, member of the SOLD Core Group, punctuating
the whole message of the weekend that of
being in and using Christs love to reach out
to all so that Christ will ultimately rule the
hearts and homes of everyone who experience Him through men.
Afterwards, Joemar Salumbides, International Coordinator of SOLD, led the congregation in a jubilant send-off praise fest. Prior
to the praise fest, all the men, including some
women in attendance, were empowered with
the imposition of the Shepherds Cross, symbolic of their mission to go and to conquer
everyone with Gods love.
Fittingly, the 14th CFC SOLD Mens
Conference was capped by the celebration of the Palm Sunday Mass with the
homily centered on the message of the
unconditional love of God as manifested
in the sacrificial love of Christ, the kind of
unconditional love that Christ now asks us
to share with everyone we meet.

CFC Leaders Given

New Assignments

Alan Baino

Boyet Rafael

Mike Bukuhan

Fortune Ilaya

Gerry Manapsal

Art Molato

Norman Robles

Rey Reyes

Eight CFC leaders were recently given new assignments in line with the
communitys thrust to further the mission.
Effective March 1st, Alan Baino, a member of the Area Governance Team of Davao, assumed his
new role as Country Coordinator to New Zealand.
Gerry Manapsal, together with his wife Esther, will be serving as the Provincial Area Head of CFC
Apayao, replacing Boyet Rafael. Boyet was moved to his new assignment as Provincial Area Head of
Davao City. Rod Ariar was likewise named Provincial Mission Coordinator for Dinagat Island.
For the Metro Manila Missions, five new Sector Heads were appointed, namely Rey Reyes for North
A, Fortune Ilaya for North B, Mike Bukuhan for West A, Norman Robles for West C, and Art Molato
for Central B. All new assignments for the Philippine Missions and the Metro Manila Missions took
effect last April 1, 2015.
In the global front, former International Council member and Church Integration Office Head
Rouquel Ponte, with wife Nina, were welcomed by CFC Italy as the new Country Coordinator.
(CFC Global Comm)

C2

March 30 - April 12, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 7

Joe Tale

The Hope of Easter

One of the greetings
I received over this
Easter weekend described Easter as the
second Christmas.

The text sender explained

it thus: In the first Christmas,
Jesus came from Marys womb
an enclosed space full of love.
In the second Christmas, Jesus
came from the tomb, another
enclosed space after going
through untold suffering, betrayal and death.. All of us can
claim that we share in Jesus first
Christmas because we too came
from our mothers wombs. But
only Jesus went through the
second birth His Resurrection and journey to eternal life.
His promise is that those who
believe in Him shall share in His
eternal life.
And that is what Easter is all
about assurance that salvation
can indeed be ours because He
has already bought it with His
blood. The events of the last
week of Jesus life here on earth
were all leading up to a crescendo
towards glorious triumph. The
betrayal by Judas, the denial of
Simon Peter, the abandonment
by the apostles and disciples, the
ridicule and insults, the scourging and painful physical abuse,
the humiliating walk, carrying
the heavy cross, to Calvary, and
His crucifixion and death on

the cross were necessary so that He

could fulfill His promise to give
us all eternal life. Easter, or His
resurrection, is the culminating expression of Gods great and infinite
love for us.
Easter represents hope. And
hope is what we all need. Today,
when suffering abounds, when
injustice and cruelty are often daily
occurrences in the lives of many,
particularly of the poor and the
helpless, hope is the only light in
a progressively dark world. In a
world where materialism, blind
ambition and greed reign and
where to be top honcho in any situation means stepping on everybody
else, hope is the only palliative.
When misery and despair more often lead to death, both of the body
and of the soul, the rising of Jesus
brings hope, hope that despite all
the darkness, love, light and peace
can still be found.
It is propitious that CFC celebrates the year 2015, the Year of
the Poor, with the promise to Love
More because the act of loving more
brings hope. To love more means to
give much more of ourselves than
we have ever done before. The very
sheer magnitude of that giving represents so much hope, not just for
the giver of love but most especially
for the recipient of that love.
In this Year of the Poor, our commitment to love more translates to
serving those among us who are
lost, who consider themselves the

least of all, who are abandoned, who are helpless and

desperate. It is a commitment
that promises to bring us out
of our comfort zones into
roads less travelled. And that
itself is hopeful, because true
transformation can come only
if we embrace what is difficult.
In all churches nationwide,
there was joyous celebration
of Easter, with many not only
ringing church bells but also
shattering the dawn silence
with noisy and colorful pyrotechnics. This is our own
expression of joy and gratitude
for the promise fulfilled, for
the gates of Heaven being
within our reach.
As we begin Easter week,
just like the season of Christmas, let us reflect on the things
we are truly grateful for and
give thanks to God for all
the dreams that have come to
fruition because of His grace.
Let us reflect on the things
we still dream and hope for
and give thanks that, as Pope
Francis has said, we still retain
the capacity to dream. Let us
reflect on our struggles and
frustrations, and still give
thanks to God for these put us
through the refining fire and
make us glowing witnesses of
the presence of His grace in
our lives.
Happy Easter to you all.

CBCP Monitor

CoFC Manila Elects 5 New

BOD Members

Last March 28, 2015, Co-ops for Christ Manila held its General Assembly
and Elections at the MAB Hall of the Philippine Heart Center in Quezon
City. The GA and Elections coincided with the 15th anniversary of Co-ops
for Christ Manila.

CoFC Chairman Jose Tayag presided over the assembly. After the preliminaries, Tayag called the meeting to
order and discussed pertinent matters such as the audited financial report, approval to amend certain provisions of the by-laws and the proposed budget for calendar year 2015. Electronic voting for the members of
the Board of Directors (BOD) followed after.
After the official tally of votes, the following were elected as members of the Board of Directors: Cynthia
Dizon (HOLD), Michael Ariola (CFC), Romeo Erenio (CFC), Victor Hizon (CFC) and Jaycee Dela Cruz
(CFC). (A. Alvarez)

LOVE MORE Goes Around the World

Love, like a ripple, has spread around the globe!

The different regions of the Philippines, as well as countries abroad, echoed the Love More weekend retreat in their respective areas. The weekend activity, based on the year's "Love More" theme, has spread the message
of love to all CFC areas. The message continues to resonate -- that we need to commit to love more but this commitment involves not just increasing our expressions of love to those we already love but the readiness to
sacrifice more and to serve more.
These photos, taken from the various provinces and sectors, are proof that CFC is indeed ready to love more.

CBCP Monitor

C3

March 30 - April 12, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 7

CFC ANCOP Has A New

Partner for CSP
On March 11, 2015, CFC ANCOPTekton Foundation, Inc. (CATFI) and
Fr. Als Children Foundation, Inc.
(FACFI), signed a Memorandum of
Agreement for the implementation
of the Child Sponsorship Program in
the Cebu and Cavite campuses of the
Sisters of Mary Boystown and Girlstown. Jimmy Ilagan, President of
ANCOP, and Dieter Reichert, President of FACFI, signed the agreement
for their respective organizations.

Under the MOA, ANCOP shall provide yearly

scholarship grants to children who will be nominated
by FACFI and who meet the standards established
by ANCOP.
Fr. Als Children Foundation, Inc. works as the
funding arm of the Sisters of Mary Boystown and
Girlstown in the Philippines and has been implementing a Child Welfare Program for several years. Under
their Child Welfare Program, the foundation looks for
qualified benefactors who will support the education
of the poor children who are now under the care of the
Boystown and Girlstown facilities. The sponsorship is

Zambo Sibugay AGT Leads

Feeding Program

given to the children with no cash payback required.

The Sisters of Mary started operating in the Philippines in 1985 through its founder, the Servant of
God, Msgr. Aloysius Schwartz. The nuns established
the Boystown and Girlstown institutions that serve
as both school and home for deserving students from
poor families. The children are provided free food,
clothing, shelter, medical and dental services and high
school education.
Under the MOA, vocational courses will be provided for the qualified scholars, to equip them for
the time when they would have to go on their own.
The courses, certified by the Technical Education and
Skills Development Authority (TESDA), include
dressmaking, contact center services, technical drafting, computer hardware servicing and culinary arts.
The MOA signing was witnessed by Romy Florida,
CFC Area Governance Team Member and Pastoral
Formation Office Head of CFC Cavite; Albert Resurreccion, CFC Cavite Sector 3 Head; Rovy Mercado,
CFC Provincial Area Director; Ethel Balenton, ANCOP Education Program Head; Manette Acero, CFC
Finance Manager; Elmer Cadiz, ANCOP Operations
Manager; and Vida Cuares, ANCOP Canada Coordinator to the Philippines. FACFI was represented
by Sr. Teresita A. Sumalabe, SM, Officer in Charge
and Board Member of FACFI. (Romy M. Medina)

The governance team of CFC Zamboanga Sibugay spearheaded two feeding activities for 45 children in Barangay
BLISS in Buug and 47 children in Barangay Taway, Ipil. The activities were done last February 28 and March 1st, respectively. This was in line with BCOPs Love More initiative beginning this year. The BCOP project involves monthly
activities targeted to benefit the poor, and is a response to the year 2015 being tagged as the Year of the Poor.Top
CFC leaders of the province and volunteers from the Family Ministries and ANCOP made the two-day feeding event
truly enjoyable, not to mention nutritionally satisfying, for the children and their mothers.

AGW 2015: Transforming Lives

Via a Single Step
CFC ANCOP launched
t he AN CO P G l ob a l
Walk 2015 last March
1, 2015, during the
Metro Manila Mission Core Assembly at
the Mega Tent, Libis,
Quezon City.

ANCOP Global Walk (AGW) is

a global activity of ANCOP, CFCs
work with the poor. In this activity,
people from all walks of life gather
in the early dawn of one designated
day to walk a few kilometers for a
worthy cause to generate enough
funds for ANCOPs Child Sponsorship Program whose aim is to
send poor children to school.
This years AGW is slated for
August 16, 2015. Provinces all

The News Supplement

of Couples for Christ

George B. Campos
IC Oversight

Zenaida A. Gimenez
Editor-in-Chief

Deomar P. Oliveria
Layout Artist

Alma M. Alvarez
Associate Editor

Evangeline C. Mecedilla
Circulation Staff

The Ugnayan News Supplement is published by the Couples for Christ Global Mission Foundation, Inc., with editorial
offices at 156 20th Avenue, 1109 Cubao, Quezon City.
Editorial trunk line: (+63 2) 709-4868 local 23
Direct line : (+63 2) 709-4856
www.couplesforchristglobal.org
cfcglobalcommunications@gmail.com

facebook.com/CFC.Global.Mission

@CFChrist

over the Philippines, as well as

a number of countries all over
the world are expected to bring
together thousands of walkers for
this simultaneous event.
AGW has been conducted in
the USA and in Canada for many
years now; thus, AGW 2015 is
the 10th in the USA and the 12th
in Canada. In the Philippines,
AGW 2015 would be the 6th
time this will be conducted. The
event has been gaining adherents
through the years, from a few
thousands in the early years to
more than 80,000 walkers in the
2014 AGW.
The AGW has been hugely successful, gauged not simply from
the growing attendance but from
the funds that have been generated.
Funds raised through the annual

AGW have been supporting more

than 1,000 ANCOP scholars.
Scholarships start from the early
education stage all the way up to
college. In recent years, several
scholars completed college and are
now gainfully employed. As they
have all enthusiastically shared in
many gatherings, their lives are
changed forever because of the
education they have received, a feat
that would not have been possible
without ANCOPs Child Sponsorship Program.
Updates on AGW 2015 will
be posted on Facebook (facebook.com/ancopglobalwalk)
and other social media networks
of ANCOP. Registration for the
event is now open and can be
done through these social media
networks. (A. Alvarez)

C4

March 30 - April 12, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 7

CBCP Monitor

2015 CFC SOLD Mens Conference In New York

A Huge Success
By Manny Caballero

CFCs Servants of the Lord

(SOLD) held its annual Men's
Conference from March 20-22,
2015 at the Hilton Hotel JFK in
Jamaica, New York. Over 100
member delegates from around
the USA attended the conference, including all the national
leaders of CFC USA, led by its
president, Eric Villanueva and
wife Pat of California, as well
as the national core group of
SOLD USA led by Mel Gayao.

The Conference theme was lifted from Joshua

24:15: "But as for me and my house, we will
serve the Lord.
The Conference was formally opened on
Friday, March 20, with a talk about the theme,
video presentations and fellowship.
In a welcome development, since the SOLD
conference providentially coincided with the
Archdiocese of New Yorks 1st Mens Conference,
the participants of the CFC Mens Conference
trooped to Fordham University the following
day, Saturday, to attend the archdiocesan Conference in a show of solidarity with the Church.
The archdiocesan conference had as its
theme "Men, Be Who You Are!" with His
Excellency Timothy Michael Cardinal
Dolan as keynote speaker.
The good Cardinal defined to his all-men

audience the meaning of the conference

theme. He said that every man is created in
the image of God, and that he should live
his life loving Him with all his heart, soul,
strength and mind.
Cardinal Dolan also explained it is not what
a man has or does that defines his being. Rather,
his identity stems from who he is. And who is
he? He is a child of God, the Cardinal stressed.
Two other speakers, former New York Jets
football player Joe Klecko and Damon Owens,
Director of Theology of the Body Institute, also
spoke at the NY Mens Conference.
The 550 Conference participants (including the 100 CFC and SOLD members
from around the U.S.) joined a solemn Eucharistic procession to Fordham Catholic
Church where a concelebrated Mass was
held. Principal celebrant was Most Rev.
Peter J. Byrne, Auxiliary Bishop of New
York, together with seven other priests.
Two Filipino men who are members of
the New York Archdiocese Men's Commission, Roger Santos and Jojo Reandelar,
both of CFC USA, made it possible for the
participants of the CFC Mens Conference
to join the Archdiocesan activity.
In the evening, the CFC men returned to
the Hilton to continue the SOLD Conference
activities. It was a particularly enjoyable bonding
time as the men eagerly participated in the team
building activities and competitions.
On Sunday, March 22nd, the participants
listened to the remaining two sessions on Building Strong Families. A Sunday Mass ended the
three-day CFC Mens Conference.

ANCOP receives $3K donation from

the Philippine ConGen in Toronto

CFC Parejas Para Cristo

Enters Quito, Ecuador
By Esther Prexl
Hugs, tears, smiles, joyful singing, beaming
facesthese were very much in evidence during the two Christian Life Programs recently
conducted in Quito, Ecuador. What a blessing
it was to be able to share the Good News with
such humble, simple people who have vast,
inspiring reservoirs of faith!

The CLPs were conducted at the Centros Del

Muchacho Trabajador [CMT] (Working Boys Centersa Family of Families). The Centers were founded
by Father John Halligan, S.J., over 50 years ago, to
strengthen and reinforce the faith of Catholic families
from the lowest socio-economic strata of Ecuador. The
Centers can claim that, through their efforts, around
30,000 people have left poverty forever, developing and
strengthening moral values by means of changes in attitudes and behavior, helped by programs of formation
and social assistance.
This process of change stresses ten important areas
of life: loyalty, personal formation, family, religion,
education, economy, work, recreation, health and
housing. The goal is for the families of the working
boys to be united in their Christian commitment,
be financially independent, have access to education,
health and quality basic services, become agents of
change, oriented to the construction of a just society
that promotes equal participation and respect for
fundamental rights. It was the perfect venue for
Parejas para Cristo as all these are found in the CFC
expanded Mission Statement!

Philippine Consul General in Canada Junever

Malihum-West turned
over a donation of $3,000
to ANCOP Canada President Ricardo Cuenca
last March 21, 2015 at
the St. Ohrid Clement
Macedonia Banquet
hall in downtown Toronto. The turnover was
done during the farewell party tendered in
honor of the Consul
General who will move
on to a new diplomatic
post as Philippine ambassador to Jordan in
the Middle East.

Organized by the Philippine

Canadian Charity Foundation,
the event was attended by officials
and members of various Philippine
Canadian charity organizations
and individuals involved in development work in Toronto.
Consul General West and her
husband John were joined by Senator Tobias Jun Enverga and wife
Rose, and other personalities working with the Canadian parliament.
Cuenca and wife Irma; Dan
Gutierrez, Coordinator for Toronto; Mot Saliba, Coordinator for
the Child Sponsorship Program;
and ANCOP volunteers, plus
members of the media were also
present during the event.
Cuenca addressed the audience,rallying the guests to donate
and help reach out to the countless
poor especially in the Philippines,

through ANCOPs Child Sponsorship and Shelter programs.

Filipinos in Canada are so
blessed, and I encourage everyone
to help us send poor children to
school and build homes for poor
families, Cuenca said.
He showed two video presentations about the ANCOP programs
in the Philippines, underscoring
the success stories of the Child
Sponsorship Program. Ricky
shared that two ANCOP scholars
who graduated March 2014 were
among those who topped the
Philippine Board Examinations
for Certified Public Accountants.
The ANCOP Canada president
reported that ANCOPs Haiyan
campaign in Canada had generated $500,000 and this fund is
being used to construct houses in
Tacloban, Leyte, Philippines for
the typhoon victims. This is in
partnership with SM Cares Foundation, the charity arm of SM, Inc.
the largest retail conglomerate in
the Philippines. The houses will be
turned over to the home partners
in June 2015.
God is testing the purity of
our hearts and our sincerity in
loving the less privileged, Cuenca
exhorted, adding that the Filipino
Canadians present should step
forward, be the hands of Christ,
and be the agents of change for the
sorry plight of the poor.
Let us give the poor hope,
regardless of religious affiliations,
he added.
Senator Enverga, in his speech,
informed the Filipino Canadian
community that the Canadian
government is also doing its best to
help the poor people in the Philippines by encouraging Canadian

businesses to invest in the Philippines to generate employment.

If this happens, many Filipinos
would not aspire to come to Canada
to seek jobs anymore; they would
choose to remain in the country if
they had jobs to support their families, the senator expressed.
In her response, Consul General West thanked the Philippine
Canadian Charity Foundation
for organizing the event. She
shared that she has always been
a supporter of ANCOP, and that
she is a proud sponsor of a young
girl in the Philippines under the
CSP program.
The Consul General expressed
her appreciation for the vibrancy
and dynamism of the Filipinos in
Toronto, their hard work, perseverance and ability to rise up in crisis,
and their community spirit.
I thank you for your friendship
and for forging partnerships to support the poor people in the Philippines, she added. She likewise
encouraged the guests to visit the
Philippines and see for themselves
how these initiatives, undertaken
by non-government organizations
such as ANCOP, are helping alleviate poverty in the country.
General West assured those present that the best is yet to come for
the Filipino Canadians in Toronto.
I was inspired by your support
in my three years here, she said.
I am happy to report to you that
we have expanded the services of
the Philippine Consulate Office
in Toronto.
She ended her speech by thanking everyone present for their
support and inviting them to visit
the Philippine embassywhen they
go to Jordan.

Fr. John (Padre Juan) and all his dedicated religious

and lay staff invited the mission team to share Couples
for Christ with them and the people they serve. Although many spiritual retreats and conferences have
been held at the Centers over the years, what most
thrilled the CMT administration was the reality that
CFC wasnt a one-shot-dealthat CFC Parejas
Para Cristo is an ongoing movement fully engaged in
its mission. Thus, after the Christian Life Programs,
households would be formed from among the participants, with CFC elders assigned to watch over and
guide the households toward spiritual growth. CFC
would still be around to conduct follow ups, pastoral
visits, formation programs and retreats as a means of
attaining and enhancing this spiritual growth.
The talks, the small group discussions, the
sharing of personal stories, witnessing and the
testimonies during each Programa de Vida Cristiana (PVC) truly touched the participants, and
even moved the CFC mission volunteers to tears.
After the PVC, six Couples households, five
Handmaids of the Lord households and one Singles
for Christ household were established127 adults
in total.
On a very positive note, and as an offshoot of
the programs conducted, over 30 young people are
waiting for the Youth Ministry to come and share
the youth program with them in the near future,
hopefully after the youngsters make their Confirmation in June.