Vol 41, No 2 FEBRUARY 2007

00 Php 70. 00

Quote in the Act

What if North Korea doesnt show them to inspectors, if they say weve stopped this and shut down that, what if they say you have to trust us?
Liu Gongliang, a physicist at Chinas Institute of Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics; on the hard-won disarmament pact that the United States struck with North Korea that called for a temporary suspension of nuclear facilities.

ISSN 0300-4155 Asian Magazine for Human Transformation Through Education, Social Advocacy and Evangelization
P.O. Box 2481, 1099 Manila, Philippines
Copyright 1974 by Social Impact Foundation, Inc.

IMPACT
REMITTING ADDRESSES

The United States has a long history in fabricating evidence. Such charges are unacceptable.
Iran Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini; on the U.S. military claims that the Iranian Government has been supplying Iraqi insurgents with highly lethal roadside bombs.

We now have spent $400 billion and have seen over 3,000 lives of the bravest young Americans wasted.
Democratic US presidential candidate Barack Obama apologized for blurting this comment on the Iraq war; during his first campaign trip in Iowa saying that this was a slip of the tongue.

I think both slates are packed with trapos (traditional politicians)

University of the Philippines Ex-President Francisco Nemenzo said of senatorial slates fielded by both the administration and the opposition in a frenzied race towards elections in May.

AUSTRALIA: Impact P.O. Box 2034, East Ivanhoe, Victoria 3079 BANGLADESH: 1. Community Center, 5 Sadar Road, Barisal; 2. The Priest-in-Charge, P.O. Box 152, Chittagong CAROLINE ISLANDS: Social Action Center, Inc., P.O. Box 202, Truk, Caroline Islands 96942 HONGKONG: Catholic Periodicals Subscription Office, Catholic Centre, 16, Caine Road, 11/F, Hong Kong INDIA: 1. Asian Trading Corp., 310, The Mirabelle, Lotus-House, 33A, Marine Lines, P.B. No. 11029, Bombay - 400 202; 2. Asian Trading Corp., 150 Brigade Rd., Bangalore - 56-0025 INDONESIA: 1. Y.S.T.M. Jl. Gunung Sahari III/7 Phone: 021-354700 Jakarta Pusat; 2. YPD Jl. Veteran 7, P.O. Box 1066, Semarang 5010; 3. Biro Sosial, Jl. Taman Srigunting 10, Semarang. JAPAN: Enderle Book Co. Ltd., Ichico Bldg., 1-5 Yotsudya Shinjukuku, Tokyo 160, Japan KOREA: J. R. Heisse, C.P.O.. Box 206, Seoul, Korea MALAYSIA : 1. Anthonian Store Sdn. Bhd., Wisma Anthonian, 235, Jalan Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur 09-08; 2. Catholic Information Services 50 E&F, Penang Rd., Penang NEW ZEALAND: Catholic Depot Ltd., 64 Wyndham Street, Auckland PAKISTAN: Fr. Joseph Louis, 8-Katchery Road, Lahore PHILIPPINES : P.O. Box 2950, 1099 Manila SINGAPORE: Select Books PTE. Ltd., 215 Tanglin Shopping Centre, 2/F 19, Tanglin Road, Singapore 10 TAIWAN: P.O. Box 8-146, Taipei 100 THAILAND : NASAC, 2 Saensuk, Prachasongkroh Road, Bangkok 10. U.S.A.: c/o Mrs. M. Taranella, Walsh Bldg., 1st Floor, Maryknoll, New York 10545

Published monthly by

CBCP COMMUNICATIONS DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION, INC.

OSCAR V. CRUZ, D.D. ART T. NG JO IMBONG E DITORIAL B OARD PEDRO C. QUITORIO III E DITOR- IN -C HIEF BALTAZAR R. ACEBEDO A SSOCIATE E DITOR DENNIS B. DAYAO M ANAGING E DITOR PINKY BARRIENTOS EULY BELIZAR ROY CIMAGALA MIAMI EBILANE ROY LAGARDE LOPE ROBREDILLO STAFF WRITERS ROWENA DALANON S ALES & A DVERTISING HERNANI RAMOS C IRCULATION
CORRESPONDENTS :India: Haranath Tadepally; Malaysia: Chandra Muzaffar; Pakistan: James D'Mello; Sri Lanka: Harry Haas; Papua New Guinea: Diosnel Centurion CONSULTANTS: Mochtar Lubis, Indonesia; McGillicuddy Desmond, Ireland (JPIC) MillHill, London; Sulak Sivaraksa, Thailand, (Communications); S. Santiago, India, (Community Development); Juan Tan (BATU), Philippines (Labor); Jessie Tellis Nayak, India, (Women); Dr. Paulita V. Baclig, Philippines (Health); Maximo T. Kalaw Jr., Philippines, (Alternative Futures)

We believe that Google News is entirely legal.

Appeals Google Inc., in the face of a Brussels court ruling in favor of Belgian newspapers that sued Google claiming that the Internet search leader infringed copyright laws through its cached links that offer free access to archived articles that the papers usually sell on a subscription basis.

They just dont get it.

Sorsogon bishop Arturo Bastes, in objection to the decision of the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources to allow Australian-backed Lafayette Philippines to resume largescale mining operations in Rapu-rapu, Albay; calling it inappropriate and detrimental to the environment after two spill incidents in 2005 that resulted to cyanide contamination and fish kills.

SUBSCRIPTION RATES
Philippines Metro Manila Provincial Asia Middle East, Australia, New Zealand USA, Europe, Canada Africa, Caribbean, Latin America - 1 year - Php 750.00 - 1 year - Php 800.00 1 year 1 year 1 year 1 year US$ 45.00 US$ 50.00 US$ 55.00 US$ 60.00

(2 years: 15% discount on 2nd year surface mail)

Impact is officially approved as general reference material for students in the Secondary and Tertiary levels and a general professional reading material for teachers in all levels on June 8, 1987. Address e-mail subscription inquiries to: subscription@impactmagazine.net

LAYOUT BY DENNIS BALDOZA DAYAO

EDITORIAL OFFICE: 3/F CBCP Bldg., 470 Gen. Luna St., Intramuros, Manila, Philippines Tel (632) 404-2182 Telefax (632) 404-1612 Visit our website at www.impactmagazine.net

For inquiries, comments, and contributions, contact: inquiries@impactmagazine.net comments@impactmagazine.net contributions@impactmagazine.net

IMPACT February 2007

I MPACT

February 2007 / Vol 41 No 2

CONTENTS
FEBRUARY is pro-life month. It is also a month that observes the World Day of the Sick (February 11) and the National Migrants Sunday (February 25). Expectedly, these celebrations will not make a splash in the streets or in the pages. What is shouting loud is the ruckus of big political parties fielding senatorial candidates with small or no sincere nationalist agenda at all. Publicly known as gamblers, corrupt government officials, or simply good-for-nothing you would now see the candidates hoisting to the hilt their certificates of good moral character in hugely expensive political ads and rallies. This spectacle will pervade the horizons intensely as ever until the May elections and, of course, thereafter. This is a season of greed, once again couched in well-painted faces, best packaged promises, and theatrics. What kind of political system have we created where base power and greed, not lofty principles of self-sacrificing service, are all too often the operative norms of conduct of public office? asks the Pastoral Exhortation on Politics of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines issued in September of 1997. Today political candidates are polarized not because of principles or philosophyas in old times pastbut according to the bankrolling of financial resources. And presently, there are only two gigantic sources that seem bottomless. The sad thing is, both sources built their financial arsenal from gamblers, corruption and dirty politics. Really, the choice is between the devil and the deep blue sea. The only other option is to curse the gods and die, or so grunted the wife of Job. Philippine politicsthe way it is practicedhas been most hurtful of us as a people. It is possibly the biggest bane in our life as a nation and the most pernicious obstacle to our achieving of full human development, to quote further the above Exhortation. This issue caries varied themes. We have a line-up of pastoral statements from the bishops. Somehow, they may be seen as social barometers or even pastoral indicators of the real concerns of the day. A Columban missionary priest, Fr. Sean McDonagh writes about a very serious problem that humanity is going to face in the near future in his article Climate Change: an Urgent Challenge to All. At the outset, the problem seems only scientific, technical or even economic and political. But ultimately the issue is a moral one, because ultimately the actions which are taken now can determine the wellbeing of millions of people today and condemn further generations to live in an inhospitable planet. From the point of view of concern and apprehension, there are a lot of things to be written about the plight of Filipino nurses. Ma. Juvy L. Sulse, a nurse working in the U.S. for some years now, writes on the challenges that await Filipino nurses in the United States. Read on.
EDITORIAL

Glorious Rhetoric, Notorious Realities ................... 23

COVER STORY
Cover photo courtesy of Mia Kaindoy (mye0701.multiply.com)

The Challenges of Filipino Nurses Working in the U.S. ......................................................................... 16

ARTICLES

Climate Change: An Urgent Challenge to All ......... 4 Standardizing an Error in the Standard Days Method ............................................................................... 6 Cardinal Martini and Euthanasia: When it is Licit to Cut Life Short .............................. 8 Violent Fatwas Worry Muslim Governments ....... 24 Concern Begets Initiative ............................................ 26 An Appeal to President Arroyo ................................. 27
STATEMENTS

Message For National Bible Sunday ....................... 11 A Pastoral Statement on the Nations Housing Problems .......................................................................... 12 The Search for Christian Unity: Where We Stand Today ................................................................................ 13 The Dignity of the Rural Poor ................................... 15
DEPARTMENTS

Quote in the Act .............................................................. 2 From the Blogs ............................................................... 22 From the Inbox .............................................................. 28 Book Reviews ................................................................. 29 CINEMA Review ......................................................... 30 News Briefs ...................................................................... 31
Volume 41 Number 2

Perfecto Sabado

Climate Change: An Urgent Challenge to All

HE twelfth Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Second Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol opened at the United Nations Office in Nairobi, Kenya last November 6. Both events ran until November 17. In opening the conference the Vice President of Kenya Moody Awori told delegates that, we are gathered this morning on behalf of humankind because we acknowledge that climate change is rapidly emerging as one of the most serious humanity will ever face. Climate change has been on the international agenda since the Earth Summit in Rio in June 2002. At the meeting many Presidents and Prime Ministers paid lip service to the need for the international community to address climate change. In reality they didnt take it seriously because the same politicians and their economic advisers felt that it would take a hundred years or more before the effects of climate change were clearly discernible. It wouldnt happen on their watch. Things have changed drastically in the past few years. In 2004 Sir David King, the chief scientific advisor to the UK government stated that the problems arising from global warming are the biggest challenges facing governments. Since that time more and more scientists and scientific bodies around the world have issued dire warning about the effects that climate change will have on weather patterns, ocean habitats and flooding, biodiversity and access to potable water. Climate change will also disrupt the worlds thermohaline system which distributes heat around the world through ocean currents. Ironically, this could mean much colder winters for Ireland, Britain and Northern Europe. Sir Nicholas Sterns Review of the Economics of Climate Change constitutes the last piece of the jigsaw puzzle in terms of making a cast iron case for aggressively addressing global warming. His report was published at the end of October 2006. It blows the economic excuses which Bjorn Lomborg and his Copenhagen offer for not tackling climate change out of the water. According to Stern with a combination of political leadership, the proper mix of carrot and stick, in terms of carbon tax to reflect the true cost of energy and support for new technologies, we could avoid the worst excesses of climate change. He estimates that it would cost the equivalent of one

percent of global GDP if action started right now. Furthermore, a low-carbon economy will offer new possibilities for business which could run to billions of dollars per year, so battling climate change is not all doom and gloom. On the other hand, he warns that a business-as-usual approach to climate change would be disastrous. It would lead to extreme weather conditions, melting ice-caps, rising ocean levels and massive extinction of species. This would have an appalling impact on every ecosystem on earth, as many of the changes would be irreversible. As a former chief economist at the World Bank it will be interesting to see whether political leaders, listen to his hard-nose economic arguments. He is absolutely clear that if we do not grasp

the present window of opportunity to stabilize carbon dioxide emission addressing it in the future could cost between 5% and 20% of the worlds GDP. The issues here at Nairobi go beyond national or global domestic product. Many speakers point to the fact that climate change is already under way in the Arctic, East Africa, the Pacific and many other parts of the world and that the many of the countries which contributed least in terms of greenhouse gas emissions will suffer the worst consequences of climate change. These countries are demanding that mitigation schemes to keep temperature increases as low as possible be put in place immediately, especially in rich countries. Much more serious carbon cuts are necessary in the post-Kyoto era which might

IMPACT February 2007

ARTICLE S
ern countries followed for the past 200 years if serious disruption to the Earths climate is to be avoided. This calls for new thinking and action on the development and transfer of non-carbon technologies. Unfortunately, little has happened on this front since 1997. The forthcoming review of the mandate of the Expert Group on Technology Transfers (EGTT) should provide the stimulus for sharing new, clean technologies which enhance human well-being without damaging the planet. The underlying theme in Nairobai is one of urgency. Members of the official delegations as well as the representatives from civic society and church groups are convinced that there is no time to loose in tackling climate change. At both official and unofficial gatherings one hears sentiments of dismay and often anger at the attitude of the Bush administration in the US which, while being a member of the Conference of the Parties, has not signed the Kyoto Protocol. At a news conference Harlan Watson, the US chief negotiator, indicated that there will be no change in the attitude of the Bush administration towards Kyoto-style controls despite lobbying from the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair. Delegates are heartened, however, by the fact that a number of States, especially California and 135 cities in the US are willing to join Kyoto-like Protocol beyond 2012. Everyone would like to see growing economies like China, India and Brazil also sign up to limiting greenhouse gas emissions after 2012. Fair and equitable mechanisms to facilitate this should not beyond the bounds of human possibilities. Finally, while climate change is a technical, scientific and economic issue, ultimately, it is a moral one. The actions which are taken now can undermine the well-being of millions of people today and condemn further generations to live in an inhospitable planet. While the US only constitutes about 5% of the Worlds population it is responsible for 25% of greenhouse gas emissions. Religious leaders in the US and on the global scene should speak out clearly in support of those countries which are willing to make sacrifices now for the good of all and, at the same time, challenge the immoral stance of the current White House. I
(Sean McDonagh is a Columban Missionary priest. He has published widely on Ecology and Religion. His latest book is, Climate Change: The Challenge to Us All)

Climate Change:

An Urgent Challenge to All

By Sean McDonagh

include a global tax on bunker and aviation fuel. Hand in hand with that adequate and predictable funds must now be made available to the poor countries affected by climate change. Practical decisions like identifying an agency to govern and manage this Adaptation Fund and making sufficient funds available must be taken immediately. A second goal of this conference is the call to make clean development mechanism (CDM) available to poor countries. This is crucial if all countries are going to benefit from a level of sustainable development which everyone needs to meet their basic needs for food, clothing, shelter, education and health care. Since the conference is taking place in Africa many are demanding that the obstacles which countries on

this continent face in accessing these new clean development technologies must be addressed. African countries need better technical and institutional capacity. The same could be said of many countries in South East Asia or Central and South America. There are huge possibilities for countries such as Kenya, Brazil and the Philippines to use carbon generated money to reforest denuded hills and mountains. The benefits from such schemes would not be confined to carbon sequestration but would also enhance biodiversity, soil stabilization and make potable water more available. Since the Kyoto negotiations in 1997 it has been clear that developing countries cannot go down the same carbonintensive energy route that rich West-

Paul Souders/Corbis

Volume 41 Number 2

ARTICLES
Denz Dayao / CBCP Media Office

Standardizing an Error in the Standard Days Method

By Ligaya B. Anacta-Acosta, D.M.

HE Standard Days Method (SDM), is touted to be the most modern scientific method of natural family planning, Developed by the Institute of Reproductive Health (IRH) of Georgetown University with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the SDM is based on several assumptions which are not in accord with the actual physiological workings of a womans reproductive cycle. The SDM Formula SDM developed cycle beads woven into a necklace whose beads mark a fixed number of 32 days of one menstrual cycle. The brown beads correspond to days 1-7 of the cycle as infertile, white beads correspond to days 8-19 as fertile days (12 in all). Infertility according to this method, resumes at day 20 up to day seven of the next cycle. This was formulated through statistical estimates, rather than the natural physiological workings of the womans body. In the words of the institute of Reproductive health (IRH): The developers of SDM used a computer simulation that took into account this variation to determine how to provide maximum protection from pregnancy, while minimizing the number of days that users must avoid unprotected sex. Their analysis concluded that the fertile

period most likely occurs between days 8 and 19 of the menstrual cycle. The Department of Health Order No. 132 dated January 7, 2004, also states: The Standard Days Method (SDM), while regarded as an innovation, is nevertheless, another calendarbased method, wherein, through computermodeling using menstrual cycle data from large groups of women, a populationbased fertile window is identified. These findings are translated into a necklace where the populationbased fertile window is colored differently. A rubber is used to mark the days of the womens cycle. Flaws in the Formula 1. A womans pre-ovulatory phase can vary significantly, even for the same woman. Why is this? By the workings of many factors such as stress due to pressures at home or on the job, financial matters, family discord, weight loss, even travel, and other triggering factors; medication; illness; nutrition; menopause; breastfeeding; and when the woman is coming off previous hormonal contraception. 2. SDM sends wrong or misleading signals. When a woman with previously regular cycles has a delayed ovulation due to other factors, she will still be fertile when the SDM beads falsely indicate that she is

in the postovulatory or infertile phase. On the other hand, if she has an unusually early ovulation, the same beads will indicate falsely that she is still in the preovulatory or infertile phase when she has actually become fertile. In the case of premenopausal women, SDM is also bound to fail, because cycle durations are bound to vary markedly. Verily, SDM brochures indicate that the method may be used only by women whose menstrual cycles are always between 26 and 32 days in length. Thus, although it may be effective for a short term, like the old calendar/rhythm method. SDM is bound to fail sooner or later. Hence, its significantly high failure and dropout rate. SDM documents in fact admit to a very high user failure rate of 25%, and others at 12 %.5 3. Flaws in the estimated 12day fertile window present opportunities for using artificial contraceptives. A woman is actually fertile only up to 24 hours in a cycle. This is the maximum period of survival of an ovum/egg. However, since the actual day of ovulation cannot be identified with absolute certainty, scientific studies have determined potential fertility as only 100 hours in one (1) cycle, or about five (5) days. Placing the fertile period at 12 days will encourage the use of backup contraceptives. Thus, in my days at DOH, SDM is normally taught with the use of condoms during fertile days.

IMPACT February 2007

Standardizing an Error in the Standard Days Method

The governments trainees manual entitled, CompetencyBased FP Training for Volunteer Health Workers (P. 86) reads: Emphasize to your client that if she does not want to get pregnant, then she should abstain from sexual intercourse when the marker is on the white beads. Otherwise, she should resort to a backup method like asking her husband to use a condom. From my personal experience at DOH, condoms have always been part of SDM trainings particularly when there are no participants from Catholic Church. Abstinence in fact is not encouraged. SDM teachers would tell the women: A womans desire for sexual intercourse is heightened during ovulation, and thus should not be controlled. Thus, in the SDM Training Manual, the Approach emphasizes: Allow participation of the community by utilizing basic, applied operations and contraceptive technology. 4. Protected sex pervades in SDM Technology. SDM Manuals consistently contain the term unprotected sex.9 Its opposite which is protected sex can only mean condom use or other artificial contraceptive intervention. This accounts for research findings of significant increase in contraceptives use among couples using SDM, who do not want to become pregnant. It is also significant to note that articles promoting SDM are found in contraceptive magazines and newsletters, like Contraceptive Advances, and Contraception, among many others. 5. The tacit encouragement of sexual contact during menstrual days. The reason given is that menstrual days are infertile days. On the other contrary, it has long been established, that to avoid pregnancy, intercourse and all genital contact should be avoided during menstruation and days of heavy bleeding. The fact is, ovulation may actually occur early, particularly in women with very short cycles, where the menstrual blood may even obscure the mucus secretions which are natures signals of possible fertility. SDM further assumes that all bleeding is true menstruation. However, midcycle or annovulatory bleeding can be caused by a number of factors. In such cases, incorrectly identifying bleeding as simple menstruation misleads the woman about her cycle and, therefore, renders SDMs calculations incorrect. On the other hand, abstinence during menstruation has medical support. Studies show a significantly higher incidence of endometriosis, resulting to increased probability of infertility in women having intercourse during their menstrual period. 6. There are marks of the discredited and ineffective calendar/rhythm method in SDM. According to Reproductive Health Online, SDM is: A simple calendar-based method in which users are counseled to abstain from unprotected intercourse on days 8-19 of any cycle to avoid pregnancy. Wikipedia calls it, a recently developed variant of the rhythm method which has been rendered obsolete for at least 20 years for being ineffective because it does not account for the fact that every womans cycle is different, even for one woman. 7. SDM adopts the objectionable WHO concept of reproductive health. The SDM Training Manual states that: Management of Family Planning services involves the over all activities performed by the Service Provider in the delivery of other Reproductive Health services in the community For the World Health Organization (WHO), reproductive health implies that people are able to have satisfying sex life and that they have the capability to reproduce and the freedom to decide when and how often to do so. Implicit in this last condition are the rights of men and woman to be informed and to have access to safe, effective, and affordable and acceptable methods of Family Planning of their choice as well as other methods of their choice for regulation of fertility 8. It may be slouching towards abortion through verbal engineering. Fertility Regulation as used above and also called Menstrual Regulation is The process by which individuals and couples regulate their fertility. Methods than can be used for this purpose include, among others: delaying childbearing, using contraception, seeking treatment for infertility, interrupting unwanted pregnancies, and breastfeeding The term interrupting unwanted pregnancies is an example of verbal social engineering, a term used by Rev. Fr. Ignacio Barriero (cf. Lexicon, pp. 930931) to signify a conscious effort not only to change reality by falsifying cognition but also a tool for non-organic and unnatural changes in society. This is done, according to Fr. Barriero, through a subtle manipulation of words where the idea is that people will accept the new meaning because they are accustomed to the word therefore they cannot discern that the old meaning serves as a Trojan horse to introduce a new deleterious meaning. The WHO Training Curriculum for Health Programme Managers24 is more explicit. It reads: The right to the benefits of scientific progress: Traditionally understood to relate to technology transfers between countries of the North and South. Now, could also include, for example, recognition that a womans right to control her own reproduction would obviously be enhanced by access to microbicides, female controlled methods of contraceptives, and access to safe abortion. In light of the CAIRO Declaration, it is indeed very disturbing that the DOH Trainees Manual states the reproductive health services: should cover reproductive health concerns, namely Family Planning; Maternal Care; Prenatal Care; Safe delivery and postnatal care especially breastfeeding, infant, and womens health care; infertility; Reproductive Tract Infections (RTIs); STD, HIV/AIDS, and other reproductive disorders; abortion; and violence against men or women. 9. There is mind conditioning in the SDM MANUAL. On page 14 of the of the SDM Manual, on the topic Values Clarification, three questions are emphasized on a prospective couple. These are: Can you communicate about sexual matters? Are you willing to observe, record, and interpret fertility signs and symptoms? Are you willing and able to abstain from lovemaking during the womans fertile time? Any NO answer is referred to Appendix B, a Survey of Sexual Attitudes (Agree/ disagree). This line of questioning in the Manual 26 incorporates twenty statements, among them are: Religion is a strong obstacle to acceptance of Family Planning in the Philippines (no 16); Family Planning should be made available to everyone including adolescences (no. 19). 10. SDM is part of a cafeteria of reproductive health services. Page 15 of the same manual instructs the NFP provider to: Ask if the client is interested in learning more about NFP, if not, refer for other health services. We hearken to the caveat from the late Jaime Cardinal Sin who said: When it comes to fertility regulation services, Church collaboration should not be a part of a cafeteria system. That is, the other party should not at the same time be promoting contraceptives. Otherwise, from a broader perspective, the Church would be collaborating in a morally unacceptable activity. I
(This article was originally delivered at the 94th CBCP Plenary Assembly held at the Pius XII Catholic Center in Manila on January 27, 2007; Ms. Ligaya Acosta was one of the resource speakers on the issue of Standard Days Method.)

Volume 41 Number 2

Cardinal Martini and Euthanasia: When it is Licit to Cut Life Short

ust nine months after the bombshell manifesto of opposition to the reign ing pope published in the Italian weekly Lespressoon artificial insemination, embryos, abortion, euthanasiacardinal Carlo Maria Martini has returned to the last of these topics, euthanasia, with an article that appeared on January 21 on the front page of the Sunday edition of Il Sole 24 Ore, the leading economics and finance newspaper in Italy, and one of the most important in all of Europe. This time as well his statements have been interpreted as a criticism of the papal line of absolute opposition to intentionally caused gentle death. And again this timelike nine months agothe official Catholic media have shrouded cardinal Martinis statements in silence, while the secular media have amplified them. But a controversy that pits the highest leaders of the worldwide Church against each other with conflicting positions on topics of such importance cannot remain hidden within the Church itself. It is a controversy with its own concrete proximate cause, background, and developments. The Welby Case

name, during the days before and after his death, there was celebrated before the eyes of all a secular liturgy made up of nocturnal vigils, of solidarity given and implored, of humanitarian campaigns, of high emotion at Christmastime. Welby died at the hands of a doctor three days before Christmas. And when his wife asked for a religious funeral, the diocese of Romethe bishop of which is the pope, with cardinal Camillo Ruini as vicarrefused the request, giving this reason: Because, unlike the cases of suicide in which it is presumed there was an absence of the conditions for full awareness and deliberate consent, Mr. Welby repeatedly and publicly affirmed his desire to end his life, something that is incompatible

ficient architect of his own destiny. It seems that way, but its not. What can be thought of someone who in choosing death believes he is exalting life? But for a large part of the Catholic world, the widespread sentiment was of another sort. On January 10 Avvenire, the newspaper of the Italian bishops conference, published a portion of the many letters it had received on the Welby affair. They were all against the decision to deny him a religious funeral. Only the note from the director of Avvenire, Dino Boffo, took up the defense of the diocese of Rome. This was the backdrop for the January 21 article by cardinal Martini in Il Sole 24 Ore. Welby, death and me

The event that prompted cardinal Martini to speak out again on the topic of euthanasia is that of Piergiorgio Welby, a seriously ill man whoas the cardinal himself wrotelucidly asked for the suspension of respiratory support therapies, which in the past nine years have been constituted by a tracheotomy and an automatic ventilator. Welbys request to cut off his life shook public opinion in Rome and Italy during the last weeks of 2006, with an intensity almost as great as that surrounding the Terry Schiavo case in America. It drew in and divided the Catholic community, the scientific community, and the political world, with the strong mobilization of supporters of legalized euthanasia. Welby lay infirm, but still lucid and capable of expressing himself, in his home in Rome. His wife, mother, and sister are practicing Catholics. But his wife has said of him: I dont know if he really thought there is life after death, or if he believed in God. In any case, around him and in his

On a topic like this, politics wants to make too many laws. It seems to me that there is a desire to strip the doctors role and assign decision-making instead to the will of the person, who is then influenced by very clear ideological pressures.
with Catholic doctrine. The statement did not alter in any way the duty of praying for the man. Welbys relatives, friends, and supporters responded to the denial of a religious funeral by celebrating a secular rite in the square in front of the nearby parish. It was the morning of Sunday, December 24. At the midday Angelus, Benedict XVI told the crowd packed into St. Peters Square: In the God who became man for us we all feel loved and welcomed, we discover we are precious and unique in the eyes of the Creator. The Nativity of Christ helps us to become aware of how valuable human life is, the life of every human being, from its first moment to its natural end. And the following morning, in the Christmas message urbi et orbi, to the city and to the world, Benedict XVI again said, speaking of man in our times: This man of the twenty-first century presents himself as the sure and self-suf-

The article gets to the heart of the matter right from the title: Welby, Death, and Me. Such situations, Martini writes, will be increasingly more frequent, and the Church itself will need to give them more attentive consideration, including pastoral consideration. These few words would be the ones most frequently cited in the following days: they would be universally interpreted as a criticism of the denial of a religious funeral for Welby, and of the official Churchs heart of stone. In effect, in the following column of the article the cardinal presents his position on euthanasia in a way that legitimizes Welbys decisionand that of others in analogous situationto cut off his life. Euthanasia, Martini writes, is an act intended to cut life short, by directly causing death. As such it is unacceptable. But this is different from the case of aggressive therapies, or the use of disproportionate medical procedures without any reasonable hope for a positive outcome. By interrupting thesethe cardinal writes, citing the Catechismone does not will to cause death; ones inability to impede it is merely accepted. And in deciding if a medical intervention should be interrupted, Martini continues, the will of the sick person may not be overlooked, in that it is up to himeven from the legal point of view, with some

IMPACT February 2007

ARTICLES

Cardinal Martini and Euthanasia:

When it is Licit to Cut Life Short

by Sandro Magister
For the former archbishop of Milan, the seriously ill person has at every moment the right to interrupt the care that keeps him alive. No, objects the president of the Pontifical Academy for Life. But the real clash is between Martini and the pope.

very well-defined exceptionsto evaluate whether the treatment proposed to him, in such cases of exceptional gravity, is actually proportionate. Further on, Martini calls for the elaboration in this area of a set of norms that on the one hand would permit the recognition of the possibility to refuse treatment insofar as this is held by the patient to be disproportionateand on the other would protect the doctor from eventual accusations like that of being an accessory to murder or providing help in suicide. This set of normsthe cardinal clarifiesneed not imply in any way the legalization of euthanasia. The objective is difficult, but not impossible: they tell me that, for example, the recent French law in this matter seems to have struck a balance that, if not perfect, is at least able to realize a sufficient consensus in a pluralistic society. This summarizes the position expressed by cardinal Martini in the January 21 article in Il Sole 24 Ore. But to understand this better, it is useful to look back at what he said on the same subject in the Dialogue on life that he published in Lespresso in April of 2006. The Backdrop In the piece that he wrote nine months ago, Martini also maintained that euthanasia can never be approved. But he cautioned against condemning those persons who carry out such an action at the request of a person reduced to extreme circumstances and out of a pure sentiment of altruism. And again: The pursuit of physical human life is not, in itself, the first and absolute principle. Above this stands the principle of human dignity. Many questions concerning birth and the end of lifethe cardinal also wrote are borderline zones or gray areas, where it is not immediately evident what the true good is. Thus a good rule is to avoid, above all, deciding in haste and discussing at leisure, so as not to create needless divisions. Nine months ago the leading Church hierarchs avoided replying in public to these theses from cardinal Martini. The silence was so complete that the news went around that Martini had agreed with Benedict XVI in advance on the publication of his writings. This was nothing more than a wild rumor, on a par with the one that held that Martini was the real force behind the election of Joseph Ratzinger in the 2005 conclave. Volume 41 Number 2

PIZZOLI ALBERTO/CORBIS

Cardinal Martini and Euthanasia: When it is Licit to Cut Life Short

But this time, the article in Il Sole 24 Ore immediately received three authoritative responses. The Developments The first reply came the day after the article was published. On the afternoon of Monday, January 22, with the opening in Rome of the winter meeting of the permanent council of the Italian bishops conference, cardinal Ruini dedicated these three paragraphs of his address to the question of euthanasia, to the Welby case, and to the denial of a religious funeral for him: One issue that is rather delicate from the human and ethical point of view, and which the parliament has begun to examine, is that of prior statements about treatment. An essential point on which there seems to be widespread consensus is the rejection of euthanasia, whatever the reasons for it or the methods employed, whatever the acts or omissions adopted and employed in order to carry it out. At the same time, it is legitimate to refuse excessively aggressive therapy, meaning the recourse to extraordinary procedures that are shown to be too burdensome or dangerous for the patient, and disproportionate with regard to the hoped-for results. But the rejection of aggressive treatment may not be allowed to reach the point of legitimizing what are more or less disguised forms of euthanasia, and in particular that of the withholding of care that deprives the patient of the necessary provision of food and water, as expressed in 2003 by the National Bioethics Committee. The will of the sick personwhether expressed personally or through a freely chosen fiduciaryand that of his family cannot, therefore, have as their object the decision to take away the life of the sick person himself. There must also be the safeguarding of the personal relationship - of great practical importance - among the doctor, the patient, and his family, and also of respect for the conscience of the doctor called to carry out the patients wishes, and more in general of medical norms. In this very delicate matter it thus appears as a norm of wisdom not to demand that everything be taken into account and regulated by law. Just as important and obligatory are the therapies that alleviate suffering, and affectionate, steadfast closeness to patients and their families. The painful human situation of Piergiorgio Welby affected our people for a long time. It also drew me in personally, when the request for a religious funeral came after his death. The agonized decision not to grant him one arose from the fact that the deceased, until the very end, persisted lucidly and deliberately in the intention to put an end to his life: under those conditions, a different decision would have been impossible and contradictory for the Church, because it would have sanctioned a stance that is contrary to the law of God. In this decision there was not, unfortunately, the absence of awareness that it would bring pain and distress to relatives and many other persons, including believers, who were moved by sentiments of human pity and solidarity toward the suffering person, although they were perhaps less conscious of the value of ally causes death. And its moral unacceptability is identical, both when euthanasia is actively set in motion and when it is exclusionary. Furthermore, Sgreccia asserts that the doctor, although he has the duty to listen to the patient, cannot be held to be a simple executor of his wishes: if he acknowledges the grounds for the refusal [of treatment], he must respect the patients will; but if there arises a groundless refusal, he is bound to advance his conscientious objection [...] and eventually release the patient who was entrusted to him as his responsibility. On the technical-scientific level, it is up to the doctor to evaluate the proportionalityor lack of itof the available therapies, which should be suspended whenever they are shown to be without reasonable hope for a positive outcome. What rests with the patient is the decision to interrupt therapies that are indeed proportionate from a scientific standpoint, but that he maintains are unbearable in relation to the his concrete physical, psychological, social, and economic conditions. In consequence, the French law brought in as an example by Martini is, for Sgreccia, morally unacceptable: The automatism established by the French law (art. 6) according to which any sort of refusal of care on the part of the patient must be accepted and followed by the doctor (after he has explained to the patient the consequences of the refusal) can constitute exclusionary euthanasia, both on the part of the patient and on that of the doctor. In short, Sgreccias reply spares almost nothing in cardinal Martinis theses. Indirectly, Martini also received a reply from the secretary general of the Italian bishops conference, bishop Giuseppe Betori. On Sunday, January 28, in an interview on the main channel of Italian state television, he said: On a topic like this, politics wants to make too many laws. It seems to me that there is a desire to strip the doctors role and assign decision-making instead to the will of the person, who is then influenced by very clear ideological pressures. Returning to the Welby case, the paradox is that while cardinal Martini declines to see this as an act of euthanasia, it has been defined as such a number of times by Welbys relatives and by the supporters of the legalization of euthanasia in Italy. The most prominent of these, professor Umberto Veronesi, an oncologist of worldwide fame, defined it in a parliament hearing, without mincing words, as a suicide. I

every human life, of which not even the sick person is free to dispose. What comforted us above all was the trust that God, who is rich in mercy, is not merely the only one who understands fully the heart of every man, but is also He who acts directly upon this heart from within, and can change and convert it even at the moment of death. In this last paragraph concering the Welby case, there are at least two passages in which Ruinis words oppose the theses of Martini. One is where the popes vicar defines as contrary to the law of God the actions that Martini, instead, views as legitimate. And in the one where he asserts that not even the sick person can dispose of his own life. But the most direct reply to Martinis theses came on Tuesday, January 23, with an article by Elio Sgreccia in Corriere della Sera, the major newspaper of Milan, the city where Martini himself was archbishop from 1979 to 2002, before retiring to Jerusalem. Sgreccia, titular bishop of Zama and president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, has been for a number of years the most authoritative representative of the Churchs official positions in the area of bioethics. Sgreccia objects to Martini first of all citing the encyclical Evangelium Vitae by John Paul IIthat euthanasia is still the same thing even when it is exclusionary, or when it omits an effective and rightful therapy, the withholding of which intention-

10

IMPACT February 2007

STATEMENTS
My dear brothers and sisters: Righteousness makes a nation great; sin is a disgrace to any nation. (Proverbs 14:34). The Book of the Proverbs, many of whose sayings are rightly attributed to King Solomon, considered the wisest man of Israel, teaches that righteousness or virtue makes a nation great, while wickedness is a cause of disgrace to any nation. The righteous or wise person is a source of advantage not only to self but also to the society of which one is a part. It is very clear then that the wisdom teachers of the Old Testament emphasize in their teaching that a human being is a creature who lives in society and is responsible for the welfare of society. Thus the righteous person must live in solidarity with others, not only concerned with a personal good or the interest of ones family and dear ones but also involved with the situation of a town or city, province and the whole nation. The same book describes in glowing terms the reward of the righteous men and women already in this life both as individuals and as a nation. For the wise men of the Old Testament a nation that is righteous will enjoy success, wealth and honor. Virtuous people will never be hungry but will enjoy prosperity and peace. Aided by prayer the righteous persons gain the life they desire. Like the trees in a well-watered garden their root will never be moved, their house stands, and their light does not go out. The righteous will endure forever. They are an influence for good that is effective after their lifetime. They are thoughtful of the poor people and kind even to animals and the whole creation. Their speech is a source of life and blessing. The righteous persons walk the way of life, while the wicked walk the way of death. By the grace of God the righteous will rule over the wicked. Their wisdom will preChristian formation. For instance, it illustrates Jesus meaning of conversion, which is essential for every human being to enter the Kingdom of God. After repentance Jesus stresses belief in the gospel, whose full meaning can only be understood by examining the biblical doctrine on faith. And renewal of the nation starts from the conversion of each and every citizen of the country. It is beyond argument that the Scriptures are valuable for reproof. This does not mean that the Bible is valuable for finding fault but that it is valuable for convincing a man or a woman of the error of his/her ways and for pointing him/her on the right path. When St. Paul says that the Scriptures are of use for correction, the meaning of this is that all theoretical and ethical teachings are to be tested against the Bible. For example, if a certain law, proposed by the legislators, contradicts the teaching of Scriptures and of the Church, we Christians have the duty to reject it and to fight against its promulgation. The final point of St. Pauls passage is very opportune for us Filipinos today. The study of Scriptures gives instruction for right living. The Bible trains a human person in righteousness so that one is equipped for every good work. The essential conclusion is that we Christians study, meditate and pray with the Word of God not only for our own good but the good of our fellow men and women. For conversion has a social dimension. If we turn to Gods Word as the standard of justice and right living, there is great hope that our beloved nation will taste the dawning of Gods Kingdom, a Kingdom of truth and life, a Kingdom of holiness and grace, a Kingdom of justice, love and peace. MOST REV. ARTURO M. BASTES, SVD Bishop of Sorsogon Chairman, Episcopal Commission on Biblical Apostolate

MESSAGE FOR NATIONAL BIBLE SUNDAY

(January 28, 2007) Gods Word: Standard of Justice and Right Living. (Proverbs 14:34 and 2 Timothy 3:16) vail over the foolishness of evil men and women. And because of this the whole nation will rejoice in their triumph. What a beautiful picture of a righteous and virtuous nation! It is an image of a nation that enjoys a civilization of life and love. It is a dream that our beloved Philippines, the largest Christian country in Asia today, has not yet achieved. Is ours a civilization of life and love, which should be a gift of God to a Christian nation? Certainly not! For as a people and church we are confronted daily with an uncertain future. Most of our folks still suffer crunching poverty. There is a lingering political and economic instability on account of many issues such as the change of the Constitution, alleged electoral frauds and extra-judicial killings. Corruption in private and public life has not stopped and insurgency has worsened because of the declaration of total war against the rebels of the government. We celebrated The Second Plenary Council of the Philippines fifteen years ago, where we envisioned a Church renewed through a renewed integral evangelization and by announcing a message of liberation. However, our social situation has not substantially changed. In some ways it has even deteriorated. So the Church in the Philippines has declared the current year as the Year of the Social Concerns to remind us that the Churchs social doctrine is an integral part of her evangelizing mission. And the Word of God is the primary source of the Churchs social teaching. Thus, now more than ever we need to turn to Gods Word, where we find guidance for our life and faith as individuals, family and nation. As Christians we believe that Gods Word should be the standard of justice and right living. It must become the norm, the ideal, the benchmark, the banner, the measure, the pattern and the yardstick of our life as a Christian nation. St. Paul in his second letter to Timothy stresses the social value of Sacred Scripture, which gives the wisdom bringing total salvation. He says: All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults and giving instruction for right living. (2 Tim 3:16) Again and again Scripture has opened for men and women the way to God, for there is a saving wisdom here that is in no other book in the world. Among all the books only the Bible is God-inspired. For this reason the Sacred Scriptures are of use in teaching, are valuable for reproof, useful for correction and are an excellent guide for right living for persons both as individuals and as a nation. The Bible is the best catechetical book for basic

Volume 41 Number 2

11

STATEMENTS

s we close our Year of Social Concerns, we call the attention of our people to a grave problem that many, especially among the urban poor, suffer the lack of adequate housing. The Church teaches that the principle of the universal destination of goods requires that the poor, the marginalized and in all cases those whose living conditions interfere with their proper growth should be the focus of particular concern. To this end, the preferential option for the poor should be reaffirmed in all its force? This love of preference for the poor, and the decisions which it inspires in us, cannot but embrace the immense multitudes of the hungry, the needy, the homeless, those without health care and above all, those without hope for the future.(Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church # 182). Adequate and humane dwelling is a basic right. (cf. Compendium #166) Their inadequacy breeds other problems such as immoralities in the home, the abuse of children, the lack of education of many young people, unhygienic conditions in the family, joblessness among the people, malnutrition of children, and criminality. Our urban poor people, as human beings and children of God, have basic human rights to clean and inexpensive water, decent house, communities free of stagnant diseaseridden water, and uncollected garbage. They have a right to security of tenure, to be free of a constant threat of eviction and fire, and very importantly, they have the right to organize themselves to seek solutions to their problems in a democratic and a non-violent manner. Despite their own efforts and those of many groups, including government and the Church, we cannot say our urban poor people enjoy these

A Pastoral Statement on the Nations Housing Problems

(Pontifical Commission on Justice and Peace on the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless, 1988)

Any person or family that, without any direct fault on his or her own, does not have suitable housing is the victim of an injustice.
rights today. We are all compelled to do everything possible to remedy this situation. We must all work that all may have their own homes that are suitable for Gods persons who are made in Gods image and likeness. We cannot achieve complete success in a short timewe lack resources for one thingbut we can do something. A. We call on those concerned to stop uncaring evictions and demolitions. We have laws in the land that tell us the proper processes for eviction. Let these laws be respected and followed, especially by lawenforcing agencies. Among other things, these laws provide us that relocation sites be prepared to receive the evicted families and that these sites should have adequate provisions for basic human needs, such as water, light, access roads, schooling for the children and work for the people. If plans and money are set aside for improvements of the cities and towns that would necessitate people to be moved elsewhere, also proper plans and money be set aside for the places where they are to be settled with painstaking consultations. B. Government officials have made promises and even made official proclamations of lands to provide security of tenure to many poor families sitting on government properties. Many of these proclamations are not followed; they have remained empty words. Let the officials not play on the basic needs of the people, and cuddle them in pursuit of election victory. C. As we did in our 1997 Letter on Homelessness, we again urge the immediate creation of a government-churchcivil society commission that will provide guidelines for the further development of our cities so that the urban poor will have a decent place to live in

and development will combine with sound environmental concern. The said commissions in each city and town can immediately conduct consultations to discuss and resolve the issues on homelessness in a pro-active way. Planning of mass housing for the poor is a concern of public officials for the sake of the common good and not only of property developers for their own profit. D. We commend the initiatives of various groups who on their own provide for housing for our poor families. We encourage all people of goodwill, especially people of faith to support these groups or to create their own initiatives to help the homeless to have houses that they can call their own someday. We encourage the homeless to be partners in pursuing the endeavor. We cannot afford to be indifferent and complacent in front of this grave injustice that many of our brothers and sisters suffer day by day. We, as a Church, are committed to put the resources of the Church towards this dream. While Filipinos are getting known all over the world as good construction workers and builders, we are not able to provide houses for our homeless. Let the dream of God for his people be ours. Look, I am going to create new heavens and new earth? They will build houses and live in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit? For the days of my people will be like the days of a tree and my chosen ones will themselves use what they have made. (Is 65, 17-22). Let us dream the dream of God and work that this dream may come true! For the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines: +Angel N. Lagdameo, D.D. Archbishop of Jaro President, CBCP 28 January 2007

12

IMPACT February 2007

STATEMENTS

he seminar, The Search for Christian Unity: Where We Stand Today, jointly sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU), the Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences (FABC), and the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), was held on 7-11 February 2007, in Manila, Philippines. The seminar brought together 133 participants and representatives of the Episcopal conferences of Kazakhstan, Japan, MalaysiaSingapore-Brunei, the Philippines, and Taiwan, and a representative of the Catholic Church in Mongolia. The participants included Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the PCPCU, Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales of Manila, Cardinal Ricardo Vidal of Cebu, Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, president of the CBCP, and 33 other bishops. The seminar was generously hosted by the Archdiocese of Manila and held at the archdioceses Pius XII Catholic Center. The keynote address, entitled Ut Unum Sint and Catholic Principles of Ecumenism: Implications for Churches in Asia, was delivered by Cardinal Walter Kasper. Other speakers in the seminar included Bishop Luis Antonio Tagle (diocese of Imus), Bishop Deogracias I iguez (diocese of Kalookan), Msgr. Juan Usma Gomez (PCPCU), Fr. Ramil Marcos (diocese of Pasig) and Fr. Thomas Michel (FABC). Fr. Jose Salvador Mallari, Ms. Amelita Herrera, and Ms. Norma Valencia gave personal testimonies to the spiritual value they experienced in their ecumenical encounters. Theological Foundations of Ecumenism In Cardinal Kaspers keynote address, he stated that in ecumenical endeavor, three things must be kept in mind: a) an awareness that our goal is nothing less than the fullness of communion among Chris-

Cardinal Walter Casper with Bishops Antonio Tobias and Luis Tagle at a press conference during the seminar on ecumenism that was jointly organized by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences and the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines; on Feb. 7-11, 2007 at the Pope Pius XII Catholic Center in Manila.

The Search for Christian Unity:

Where We Stand Today

A Bishops Seminar on Ecumenism
provides insightful perspectives, practical suggestions and concrete courses of action to be taken in the pursuit of unity. When applied to the real situations of the Churches in Asia, the work promises to be a valuable companion for individuals and communities who are committed to work to build Christian unity. Participants recommended that our episcopal conferences will promote study and reflection on this important aspect of ecumenism. Ecumenical Formation All Catholics are called to work for Christian unity; hence there is a pressing need for ecumenical formation, especially for clergy and laity who have leadership roles in the Church. Such ecumenical formation should prepare and enable Catholics to respond fully and personally to the challenge of working to promote Christian unity. Comprehensive ecumenical formation must shape attitudes by heightening an ecumenical awareness and sensitivity in its human, spiritual, intellectual and apostolic aspects. The goal of this formation is to develop a true ecumenical spirit among Catholics. To assist in the process of ecumenical formation, the local Churches must have welltrained ecumenists accompanying our people to understand and respond positively to the challenges of the search for Christian unity. The Pentecostal Challenge Since the appearance of the phenomenon of Pentecostalism in Asia, profound changes, both positive and negative, have been taking place within the Churches. Positive developments are the rediscovery of the powerful activity of the Holy Spirit and the Spirits charisms and gifts, a stress on personal prayer, and the experience of a continuous and explicit personal conversion. Indeed, there are very attractive elements in Pentecostalism: their joyful and spontaneous worship; the intimate, friendly nature of their community life; and the opportunity for all believers to contribute their talents and charisms for the spiritual benefit of all. These are factors in drawing

tians; b) a realization that the other Churches and Ecclesial Communities possess elements of ecclesiality, sanctification and grace, and therefore are already, even though only partially, in communion with the Catholic Church; and c) an acceptance that communio is the basic ecumenical principle. The Catholic Churchs ecumenical commitment is a journey towards a full sharing with all Christians in the one faith, sacraments, and apostolic ministry, bearing in mind that unity does not mean uniformity. Spiritual Ecumenism The ecumenical movement is inspired by the Holy Spirit, who moves people to pray fervently and work sincerely to restore the unity intended by Christ for his disciples. Spiritual ecumenism involves prayer, change of heart, and holiness of life. By presenting Cardinal Kaspers A Handbook of Spiritual Ecumenism, the seminar offered a renewed appreciation of what is described by Unitatis Redintegratio as the soul of ecumenism. The handbook

Volume 41 Number 2

13

STATEMENTS
Christians from other Churches into the Pentecostal fold. However, there are also negative elements, such as the overemphasis on wealth and health that often leads to a disregard for the message of the cross, the stress on feelings at the expense of truth, worship perceived more as a moment of entertainment rather than an encounter with Jesus, the misuse of mass media, and the unwillingness to recognize the validity of other Christians faith commitment and spiritual experience. The richness of Catholic sacramental life can be abandoned in favor of emotional experience and the centrality of faith, hope, and love in Christian life can be overshadowed by reliance on the lesser charismatic gifts. Changing Situation and New Opportunities The broad attractiveness and rapid growth of Pentecostalism present the Church in Asia with both a challenge and an opportunity. In its response to this phenomenon, (1) the Churchs ecumenical engagement must begin from a dialogue of love and life and involve the Church more deeply in the task of spiritual ecumenism. (2) While keeping in mind that ignorance of the faith and the rootlessness caused by rapid urbanization are among the causes of departures from the Catholic Church, we consider it urgent to educate our faithful more deeply in the beauty of the Catholic faith through lively catechesis, sermons and Christian formation of adults. (3) The Church must help Catholics to rediscover a sense of belonging and overcome their anonymity; in this regard, the following are necessary: a warm, familial atmosphere in churches; worship services characterized by participation and joyful prayer; an enhanced openness to the contributions of the laity; solidarity with the poor, and others with physical and spiritual needs; and the restructuring of parish life into welcoming, neighborly basic communities. Pastoral Suggestions Therefore, we suggest the following concrete measures: We should support Basic Christian Communities, which will help our people overcome the sense of feeling unknown and uncared for by creating an affectionate and neighborly communitarian life. We can learn from the insights of the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements that worship should be joyful and participatory, without losing sight of the august and solemn character of our liturgical tradition. Where they are not already being held, our parishes, BCCs, and ecclesial movements should inaugurate weekly Bible study programs, whereby our people can be guided by the Gospel message and enrich one another with their own insights into the Word of God. The Church can help its members to benefit from the personal testimonies of faith and salvation in Jesus Christ by creating courses, days of recollection, and retreats which focus on testimonial approaches to ones personal experience of Christs saving power. Reflection on the implications of the Ecumenical Directory and the Handbook of Spiritual Ecumenism is needed. Parish communities, religious congregations, contemplative orders, and ecclesial movements must be exhorted to pray for the unity of Christians. Ecumenical formation of future priests and lay pastoral workers must be a priority. The Bishops Conferences should invite other Churches to explore prayerfully the possibilities of new ecumenical associations. Dear People of God in the Philippines, debilitating poverty of the countryside. It seems obvious then that to attend to the first problem (rural poverty) would be to help lessen the second (urban poverty). The one big effort of the government at alleviating rural poverty has been its on-going land reform program, the CARP (the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program). The law instituting it was passed years ago but its full implementation is still far off in the futureif ever. The law was defective in the first place, emasculated in the very beginning in a landlord dominated Congress, further watered down in its implementation. At this stage, a year before the scheduled end of the program, there is much that has not yet been done and the general situation of our farmers is still as bleak as ever. The lack of vigor and determination shown by the government in its poor implementation of the law mirrors the still overpowering opposition of the landed classes, the traditional political and economic elite of our country. What this means simply is that selfish class interests outweigh concern for the common goodthe main target of the Churchs social teaching. And that selfish unconcern in turn translates into sheer neglect of the poor, an utter disregard of the dignity of a whole class merely because of their bad economic plight. This disregard is horrendously displayed in the recent extra-judicial killings, perpetrated by groups from both the right and the left, of farmers whose only crime is their continuing struggle for agrarian reform or their inability to pay the revolutionary tax demanded of them by the NPA. As a religious peopleand it doesnt matter whether we are Christians, Muslims or adherents of other religionswe must vehemently condemn the continuing murder of such rural folk.

n response to the Pope Benedict XVIs first encyclical, Deus Caritas Est (God is love), we declared 2006 the Year of Social Concerns (CBCP Pastoral Exhortation, May 11, 2006). For the God who is love bids us to be love too. In our Pastoral Exhortation naming 2006 the Year of Social Concerns, we expressed the hope that we would be able to educate ourselves more intensively in what the social teaching of the Church is all about. For that teaching in the end comes to only one thing: love of neighbor because of Gods love for us. The over-riding social concern of the Church of the Philippines has been all these years centered on the inequitable distribution of the nations wealth and the endemic social injustices that underpin that evil. We would like in this statement to focus our attention on the greatest victim of our unjust economic order, the rural poor, and the diminishment of their dignity as people and as citizens. We cannot put it too strongly, but this diminishment is a negation of Christian love and hence of the God who is love. (Cf. Jubilee of the Agricultural World Address of John Paul II, Nov. 11, 2001, also, Land and Agrarian Reform, Pastoral Exhortation on Philippine Economy, no. 54, CBCP, 1998). Our Situation The greater number of our poor is in the rural areas. The poor abound in our cities too, and we must be as concerned for them as for our rural poor. But if the urban poor are growing in numbers, it is largely because of rural folk crowding into our cities to escape the

14

IMPACT February 2007

STATEMENTS
asserting the dignity that for so long has been denied them. And the rest of us, participating with them in their reflections and deliberations, we will be honoring their inborn dignity as children of the same Father in Heaven. Possibly a small thing. But in the larger picture of the countrys many ills, we see that it is in not honoring the dignity of the least of our brothers and sisters among the poor that we contribute not a little to the injustices and inequalities that have become deeply ingrained in our national life; and today the murders and killings, the corruption and thieving, the crimes that are being committed daily with impunity against our poor, these we see too are all rooted in the practical denial of the basic human dignity and rights of our very poor. Christ himself acknowledged and honored their dignity, identified himself with it: If you did it for one of my least brothers or sisters, you did it for me (Mt. 25, 40). Because he did, so must we. Today we see only too clearly the need for the reform not only of our national institutions but of our very moral fiber as a people. We start meeting that need by acknowledging the Godgiven dignity of the least of Christsand ourbrothers and sisters. And not only in word but in act. That in itself is reform. The Lord who loves the poor be with us in this, our common task. For the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, +Angel N. Lagdameo, D.D. Archbishop of Jaro President, CBCP 28 January 2007

The Dignity of the Rural Poor

The Dignity
of the

A Gospel Concern

We condemn too, just as vehemently, the un-abated killing of unarmed men and women on the mere charge or suspicion that they support or belong to leftist political groups. Our Response Condemning evil is not enough. As we must have learned from our consideration of the Churchs social teaching this past year, we must try bringing an end to evils that harm people and their good. As always, our first reaction to national problems is to call on government to do what it is supposed to do. We do so here. We ask that the CARP, defective as it is, be finally completed next year as it has been targeted. And if it is not sufficiently implemented by then, the program should be further extended and funded more seriously and generously. But we asked that the law itself must be reviewed and improved. The government and the militarys response to the shameful extra-judicial killings of unarmed crusaders for justice and equality is most unsatisfactory, their protestations of concern not too convincing. The greater and more effective performance of their duties as guardians and protec-

tors of our peacethis too we must demand as strongly as we can. Putting the burden of action on people whose responsibility it is to act, however, is not enough. We must ask ourselves: What do we do as individuals, as families, as communities? What must we do? The responsibility to act is just as much ours as those who have the official responsibility. For years now we have been pushing the development of BECs or BEC-type Church communities and organizations. And we do so because such communities are, or should be, fully participative communities. Problems, national or local, big or small, weighty or lightand the problem of the rural poor we are speaking of here now is probably our weightiestall must be looked at and become community concerns for the solving of which their participation is needed. Involving themselves in meeting those problems, they must do so according to the social teaching of the Church which always looks to the achieving of the common good. This demands continuing discernment from all of us, both as individuals and as communities. The answers will be varied, but, we trust, all issuing from

genuine Christian charity. On our part, and in view of what we are asking you to do, we make a very specific proposal. A Rural Congress The year 2007 is the fortieth anniversary of the National Rural Congress of 1967. It was at this Congress that the participants, most of them diocesan and parish social action workers, came to the crucial conclusion that the Church must go to the barrios. The reason was the heavy realization that the rural parts of the country were the most neglected by both the governments development programs and the Churchs pastoral care. To commemorate that crucial event in our life as a Church and to make us meet in true Gospel fidelity our present social concernswe propose that we revive the memory of that Congress by holding one again this year. But this time our farmers must do that speaking by themselves, the discerning, the proposing of their own ideas, the planning of how we must as a people come together to work for the common good of the country and of ourselves. Doing so, they will be effectively

Volume 41 Number 2

15

Liu Liqun/CORBIS

Rural Poor

The Challenges of Filipino Nurses Working in the U.S.

he existing nursing shortage in the traditions in their home culture. Research portation, grocery shopping, banking, and United States is predicted to con- indicates that orientation programs that attending church were common problems. tinue and to worsen because of the are sensitive to the particular needs of Some nurses who lived in more urban combination of cyclical nursing shortages foreign nurses result in increased job sat- areas found the lack of transportation in the suburbs very stressful and isolating, and aging of the current workforce. In isfaction and decreased turnover. this aggravated their loneliness. One nurse 2010, it is estimated that one million new described, the nearest train station is a and replacement nurses will be needed Cultural and related barriers ten minute walk from the apartment and and 40% of RNs will be over 50 years old. Foreign nurses come with distinct that for me is most stressful. We call for In 2000, 126,200 nurses were needed to fill vacancies in health care. Between 1996 values and life experiences that influence cabs so we could go to the store. We have and 2000, the number of nurses under 40 their initial adaptation to the new culture. to wait for a long time and stand out in the years of age decreased by 21.2%. In 2001, The attributes they bring from their cul- cold. In the Philippines, you can just walk for the first time the number of nursing tures can either assist or hinder them dur- or take a public transport. One common experience shared by graduates taking the RN licensure exams ing this period of stress and adaptation. All of the nurses that came from tropi- the nurses was the fear and anxiety of (RN-NCLEX) decreased from 96,438 to cal countries had great difficulty with the answering the telephone. They feared that 69,759 in 2001. Active recruitment of foreign nurse cold weather and particularly winter and they may not be able to understand the graduates occurred in the 1970s and 1980s. snow. They felt cold all the time and most person calling and the person on the other In 2000, Philippine educated nurses com- preferred to stay indoors, watched televi- line will not be able to understand them. prised 71% of applicants who took the sion and read books. Several nurses stated, They intentionally avoid speaking to a Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nurs- its so cold here and theres less fun. We doctor who is perceived as authority. They ing Schools [CGFNS]. The CGFNS is a visa have to wait for a long time and stand out feared not being able to write and carry out screen requirement for foreign nurses seek- in the cold. The one I hate most about the order properly and effectively. Nurses were also embarrassed to ask the doctor to ing employment in the US, which validates working here is the snow. repeat the order because he/she their English and nursing may ask for a white nurse who knowledge and skills. Nurses educated outside the United speaks English. One manager More recently, a separate States, generally require a period of stated, Doctors are sometimes English communication they assessment is used indeacculturation to the health care settings. annoyed because these have to give orders and foreign pendent of the CGFNS The greater the differences in culture, the nurses cant get them right. which is focused mainly Some are afraid to talk on the on nursing. greater the difficulty experienced. phone. In contrast to the deDifficulty interacting with creasing number of appliLoneliness was a major and common doctors, patients and co-workers was a cants from the United Kingdom and Ireland, nurses educated in the Philippines, experience among many of them as a result common complaint about foreign nurse India, and Nigeria remain the majority of of separation from their families, relatives graduates. Differences in intonation, acand friends. Most nurses echoed, Im sad cent, and pronunciation make their comnurses taking the CGFNS. because I dont have my family with me; I munication unintelligible to others. LanChallenge of population diversity feel isolated, I feel very lonely. Many felt guage remains difficult because of the they have to be strong to survive in a new slang language they use and their accent. The challenge in health care is not environment while learning and adjusting The only thing different is their language, only limited to workforce diversity but to the new job and culture without their adapting to their accent. Idiomatic exalso to diversity in the client population. valued support system. In the absence of pressions were especially difficult when One in four Americans is a member of a their family and major support system, dealing with multicultural staff and paminority, racial, or ethnic group (U.S. Cen- prayers offered solace. One nurse cap- tients. sus, 2000). By 2030, 40% of the total popu- tures this experience: When I first came Nurses described the fast pace of lation will be non-white (Gonzales, Gooden, here its like being a newborn baby, its American life and found Americans are & Porter, 2000). When people from differ- like finding new friends and families in always rushed and impatient. In conent cultures interact with each other in the the place where I havent been before. She trast, one nurse noted, back home it is a workplace, cultural differences play an was alone in her room and cried for most of slower pace. We take time to talk to people important role and sometimes these differ- the first six months. and spend time with them. Here you dont Many nurses continue to suffer from even have time to go to the bathroom ences create misunderstandings, conflict homesickness. A Filipino nurse poured especially when it is busy. People in the and stress. Nurses educated outside the United out: I am sad because I dont have my U.S. move fast and talk fast. Difficulty States, generally require a period of accul- family with me. You do everything by communicating directly with authority is a turation to the health care settings. The yourself. When I was in the Philippines problem for most foreign nurses espegreater the differences in culture, the I was really dependent on my parents. cially Filipinos. Most of them have diffiHere, you do everything by yourself like culty speaking up and being assertive greater the difficulty experienced. Foreign-trained nurses bring with working and taking care of your clothes especially with doctors and managers. One them concepts of health and patterns of and everything at the same time. of the foreign nurses stated: For me, I still Basic needs such as housing, trans- see the doctor like a god. If he comes and care that have been shaped by values and

16

IMPACT February 2007

C O V E R S T O R Y

Beyond the issues of cheating in the last licensure exams that barred 2006 examinees from taking the CGFNS, what are the Challenges that await Filipino Nurses in the U.S.?

Acculturation and Adaptation:

The Challenges of Filipino Nurses Working in the U.S.

By Ma. Juvy L. Sulse

Volume 41 Number 2

17

deadlywhispers.multiply.com

C O V E R S T O R Y asks for the chart, I have to look and give it to him. Nurses mentioned difficulty adjusting to American food. Food was a problem because I could not get adjusted to the bland diet as I am used to spicy food. There are a lot of selections and you have to read the labels to get what you need and want. Many of them do not know how to cook as they were used to having other family members and/or helpers preparing their food. Valuable contribution of foreign nurses Foreign nurses mitigate the staffing shortage and many of them work extra hours and in shifts that American nurses would not take. In units with rapid turnover of nurses, foreign graduates take on leadership role as preceptors and charge nurses sooner than expected. Although managers pointed out differences in their characteristics and abilities, they were also cognizant of their positive contributions. They bring a lot of knowledge with a different way of doing things. They are extremely good clinically with good assessment skills. Managers also noted these nurses ability to work with staff and become part of the team. They are conscientious and a good role model to the staff who are lax about things; they have good relationships with other staff; pleasant to work with; good team players and willing to get involved. Both nurses and doctors appreciate them. They are described to be respectful, compassionate and friendly. One educator stated; I remember the first day; they all stood up when I entered the room and called me Maam. I was never called like this in my whole life. Filipinos especially were noted for their hospitality. Food! They bring in their ethnic food to parties and they are just delicious. Foreign nurses also identified that because they are giving care differently from Americans, patients appreciate them for their patience and kindness. Most of the recent recruits accept assignments without much fuss or complaining. Difficulty in adapting to the US work norms Foreign nurses are not accustomed to the American time orientation. They experience enormous stress from heavy workloads on the unit, due to their inability to complete their planned care and documentation on time. Managers, preceptors and educators interpret these problems as poor time management and lack of critical thinking. The concept of primary nursing where the individual is accountable for the total care management of his/her assigned number of patients is a new concept for these nurses who were used to team nursing where groups of nurses provide for the total care of the same patients. The head nurse usually interacted with physicians, families and other departments. Staff nurses were engaged in direct patient care and decision-making was the role of the head nurse and the physician. Differences in caring patterns Foreign nurses have difficulty adapting to the expanded role of the RN with more responsibilities for the patient but with little support from the patients relatives. A Filipino nurse compared her experience at home and in the US, Back home, each patient has its own watchers from morning till night. Patients here have no watchers so its hard because you have to do everything by yourself even those simple things like changing the TV channel, turning the lights off, rubbing their backs and emptying their urinals. Even if family or watchers are around, you still do everything. They are just there for a visit and their presence is enough. Another recruit mentioned about her expanded role: Sometimes you feel like youre functioning as a doctor. You even need to tell the doctor what to order. The doctor is relying on the nurse for a thorough assessment of the patient. Nurses recognized the demand to obtain more knowledge and training through continuing education to enhance their career as an RN. They felt that its only here in the U.S. that one could study while working. Another nurse mentioned: I have learned to access advanced technology to improve my skills and broaden my knowledge. Recruits perceived caring differences compared to the dominant culture. Filipino nurses identified spending time with patients, being cognizant of their emotional and psychological needs as more valuable and important than task achievement. They defined active provision of care rather than documentation as caring. Taking the time to be with patients, giving direct care as well as talking to them were considered caring actions. Foreign nurse graduates viewed themselves as compassionate and gentle towards their patients. Inability to spend time with patients was a source of stress for them. They see their American counter-

parts as more task-oriented rather than patient oriented. This was evidenced by this comment: We do our work seriously. After the endorsement, we work right away; we dont drink coffee or talk on the phone. If they see you stressed out it seems like they are amused why you are so stressed. To them, as long as their patients are alive, everythings ok. When at times youre really serious about your work because you want to finish what needs to be done for your patients and it seems like you are the only one working very hard. Foreign nurses inability to complete their tasks because they are with their patients longer is perceived as lack of critical thinking and time management skills. Personal characteristics and community support facilitate adaptation Some nurses who previously experienced independence from their family adjusted quicker to their new environment. Nurses who worked in other countries prior to coming to the US had an easier transition than those who were dependent upon their family most of their lives. Foreign nurses viewed as important to their adaptation organizational supports such as length of time devoted to initial and follow-up orientation, acculturation classes and close matching of job assignment with their skills. Organizations with less staff turnover provided more positive environment for the new nurses. Support from family members, relatives, friends, co-workers and community helped new nurses adapt to their new environment. Nurses were appreciative of the accommo-

18

IMPACT February 2007

The Challenges of Filipino Nurses Working in the U.S.

Filipino doctors were there too. We met so many friends. They invited us and picked us up when they had parties. There were even Filipino priests who helped us and prayed for us. Foreign nurses experienced positive short and long term changes associated with migration to the US. Many of them commented that the people are respectful and accommodating. They described the U.S. as a country of many nationalities, clean environment and high tech. They experience more freedom and opportunity to develop professionally. They see the RN role in the US as more professional and accorded greater respect by others. They noted much growth in their knowledge and ability to think independently. This role has also enhanced their personal growth. We become more mature and independent, able to make decisions and choices for ourselves. I think another thing that changed is your psychological growth. Because of family absence, you become your own decision maker and get very independent. Foreign nurses also noted that because they earn more they can support themselves independently and help their families back home. They cherish their ability to independently setup their own apartment from their family back home. The need for continuous support Managers, educators, and preceptors were unanimous in their belief that foreign nurses need longer orientation with technology, documentation, medication and expanded role of RN. They identified a common weakness as technology (IV pump, beds, computer systems, medication systems). They saw foreign nurses prolonged dependence on others and co-ethnics as barriers to developing oral communication with others especially physicians. Development of critical thinking and communication were identified as continuing priorities as reflected in these statements: Their negative aspect is not being critical thinkers like patient had to be intubated or coded, when they could have done something ahead of time. Documentation is a little shaky. They are not comfortable going in there assessing the patient and relaying information to the doctor. Thats because back home they say that thats more of a physician responsibility. Mostly language and medical terminology. Nurses cant get them right. Filipinos weakness is their inability to express themselves. They need to take assertiveness training. Other areas identified that need followup training included computer skills, documentation, need to understand patient satisfaction, assumption of collaborative leadership and professional role (delegation, charge nursing). They also identified the need for consistent and frequent meetings, follow-up, and formal critical care course. Both foreign nurses and their managers/ educators/preceptors recognized the need for work and cultural orientation as important for foreign nurses acculturation. Many of the lingering difficulties come from the distinct influence of the foreign nurses culture. Need for acculturation and adaptation Foreign nurses make a valuable contribution to the organization; managers, preceptors, and educators affirmed their contribution. Foreign nurses helped mitigate the staffing shortages; they worked extra hours and took on shifts that others refuse to work. Managers noted that the foreign nurse comes with good clinical skills and their knowledge is an asset to the workplace. The nurses were seen as a positive role model to the other staff as they were conscientious and never refused an assignment. Acculturation programs and preceptorship were significant and important organizational supports. Although different organizations offered different types of programs to the foreign nurses, acculturation classes helped nurses understand the host and organizational culture make initial contact with others and minimized the stress of relocation. Continuing problems included adapting to the language and communication patterns, expanded professional role, time management, autonomous decision making, advanced technology, and societal and organizational cultures. The interplay of demographic (age, ethnicity, language, experience, and time in the US), social and cultural factors (food preferences, relatives and friends in the US, living arrangements, and work and company preference) and organizational supports (acculturation programs, orientation, preceptor ship, and practice setting) played a significant role in the acculturation of foreign nurse graduates. All these variables facilitated both their initial and long-term adaptation to the host and organizational cultures. I
(Ma. Juvy S. Sulse is a Filipino nurse who migrated to the U.S. sometime in the 80s. This article is lifted from her research paper that will be submitted for publication at the Journal of Transcultural Nursing.)

dations that their organization and community members provided; I was surprised because in the Philippines if they dont know you, they dont offer help. Here, we were really helped with everything: food, groceries, utensils, furniture, even hangers! We are also blessed because our preceptors and managers really cared for us even though the concerns were not in terms of work. They give us numbers to call, offer rides. One American manager stated, Even my husband is involved. He does think about them (new nurses) all the time. Their picture is on the refrigerator. One Saturday night he asked me if I want to rent a movie and invite the Filipinos as well. Presence of co-ethnics at work and in the community greatly facilitated the initial transition of these nurses. Friends helped to take them to social gatherings and events as well grocery shopping and church. Friends took us to church, grocery and mall. I love loud music and dancing. Friends and co-ethnics were a great source of support that eased the loneliness experienced by these nurses. My friends would take me to New York. I had Indian people who were here for 14-15 years already. They recounted their stories about their adjustment in the US. This kept me motivated and strong. Educators and managers noted that other Filipinos extended themselves more to the newly recruited nurses from their country. Established Filipinos facilitated networking and linking new nurses with the Filipino community and organizations in the area. Filipino recruits noted, we appreciate the Philippine Nurses Association for mentoring us, supporting us and having us part of their Christmas party. The

Dan Habib/The Concord Monitor/Corbis

Volume 41 Number 2

19

N E W S FEATURES

Chinese Internet Censorship Could Pose As Bad Model For Others

China Resorts to Public Shaming to Enforce Onechild Policy

eijing,China, February 4, 2007 China is introducing new and more sophisticated ways of censoring the internet to prevent unauthorized use, a human rights NGO, Reporters without Borders (RSF), claimed in its annual report on press freedom. In China, 52 people are in jail, convicted of internet activities deemed inappropriate. In the rest of the world only 10 cyber-dissidents have been imprisoned (four in Vietnam, three in Syria and one each in Tunisia, Libya and Iran.)

In its report published on 1 February, RSF said Beijing was working hard to keep up to date with all technological developments like those introduced by YouTube to allow people to post and share videos online. The report said China and Iran are keen to filter videos that appear - too much subversive content for China and too much immorality for Iran. At the end of January, President Hu Jintao called on the entire apparatus of the Communist Party to purify the internet environment saying whether we can cope with the internet is a matter that affects the development of socialist culture, the security of information and the stability of the state. Government control is

implemented not only through technology but also through the extensive commitment of a special police corps and thanks to the collaboration of firms that manage websites. China has the political weight to force companies in the sector - such as Yahoo!, Google, Microsoft and Cisco Systems - to do what it wants them to. In 2006, US firms came in for harsh criticism and were even subject to questions in the US Congress for revealing the identity of cyberdissidents to the Chinese police, as Yahoo did in February 2005, to avoid being banned in the country. The dissidents were s u b s e quently jailed. A c cording to the Chinese Internet Information Centre, last year the number of internet users grew by 23.4% (26 million people), bringing the total number of users up to more than 137 million. The vast majority do not have access to those sites that offer uncensored opinions and criticism of the Party and the local government. And yet, despite the iron control over information from and of the country, some dissidents still manage to send unfiltered information abroad. Chinese censorship is held to be a danger and a problem not only for the country but for the entire global community. The report said that the danger is that Chinas internet model, based on censorship and surveillance, may one day be imposed on the rest of the world. RSF said that so far, internet

eijing, February 8, 2007-An official in Zhejiang said that his province plans to name and shame rich families who ignore the countrys strict one-child policy and simply pay the fine for having a second or third baby. Zhang Wenbiao, head of the family planning commission in Zhejiang province, announced on Wednesday that his agency was going to expose a few such cases in the near future. The government recently revealed that its onechild policy is respected by only 35.9 per cent of the population. Taking into account the exceptions that the law allowsfarmers and ethnic minoritiesviolators of the law are subject to hefty fines, often based on family incomes but averaging 50,000 yuan (US$ 6,200), an amount that has not put off rich couples. In fact the policy has had an impact only on poor families and this has lead to a great deal of social resentment, said Zhang. In a survey published in January by the Communist Party daily China Youth Daily, 68 per cent of the respondents said that this privilege for the rich was unfair. For this reason the provincial government in users have always managed to find ways and means of getting around censorship and filters but now governments and companies from around the world must intervene to support freedom of expression. It has become vital to examine new technology from

Zhejiang raised fines and decided that it will out some families. Yet some families paid up to a million yuan to have another child. Chinas family planning policyimplemented in the late 1970slimits urban couples to one child and rural families to two to control the population and conserve natural resources. The government last month said that although a recent survey showed that about 60 per cent of Chinese people would prefer to have two children, there were no plans to relax the policy. The policy has however created a skewed male-tofemale ratio because many couples resort to selective abortion to have a boy. The latest data indicate that in 2005 there were 117 males for 100 females. In some provinces this ratio was 130 to 100. (AsiaNews/ Agencies) a moral standpoint and understand the secondary effects of it. If firms and democratic countries continue to duck the issue and pass off ethical responsibility on others, we shall soon be in a world where all our communications are spied on. (AsiaNews/Agencies)

20

IMPACT February 2007

N E W S FEATURES

Hindu Extremists Beat up Christian Missionary Women

by Nirmala Carvalho

M
Ordination of Three Chaldean Deacons Real Sign of Hope for Iraq Christians

nkawa, Iraq, February 5, 2007A sign of hope amid so much violence and despair. This is how Mgr Louis Sako, Chaldean Archbishop of Kirkuk, described the ordination of three new deacons that took place on 2 February in Ankawa in Kurdistan. The ceremony took place in the Church of St Joseph and was celebrated by the bishop of Amadhyia and Erbil, Mgr Rabban al Qas. Also present were Mgr Mikha Maqdassi, bishop of Al Qosh, and Mgr Sako himself who as lecturer at the local faculty of theology wanted to express his support for the seminarians. Courses offered by the Chaldean Major Seminary of St Peter and Babel College, the only Christian theological faculty in Iraq, resumed officially last month in Ankawa, after the forced relocation of both institutions from Baghdad, which had become too dangerous. The ordained deacons are Salar Soulayman Bodagh of the diocese of Al Qosh, Raymond Hamid Sargis of Baghdad and Louya Gilyana Dinkha from Mosul. Already last month, on 27 January, Wassim Sabih

Youssif was ordained in Baghdad. In the coming days, four Syro-Catholic deacons will be ordained: Raid Adil Fatohi and Mazin Isho Mattoccha in Mosul on 9 February; Ammar Abdullahad Ayub and Nuhad Sabih Alcas Moussa on 16 February. Speaking about the new ordinations, Mgr Sako described them as real signs of hope amid so much violence. And he talked about the latest threats to the Christian community and the umpteenth kidnapping. A Catholic from Karaqosh, Abdul Khaliq Bakos, the brother of a Dominican Sister, was kidnapped a few days ago in Baghdad; an hour after the kidnapping, his relatives paid the ransom demanded only to find him dead two days later. The man had three children. The bishop continued: In Kirkuk, some Christian doctors left the city after receiving a letter asking for an enormous sum of money to be delivered on pain of death. Mgr Sako said the insecurity that threatened the daily life of all Iraqs communities had created a real vacuum at pastoral level in the church.

umbai, India, February 8, 2007 Four Christian missionary women were badly beaten by Hindu extremists in the northern Indian state of Haryana. Two clergymen were also hurt in the February 4 attack by Sangh Parivar activists. All the victims belonged to Gospel for Asia, which reported the incident. Open attacks like this one against women are quite rare. K.P. Yohannan, founder and president of Gospel for Asia, told Assist News Service, that Hindu religious fundamentalists have been making every possible attempt to stop all Christian work in this state for some time, these fundamentalists routinely target Christians, and now they are even attacking women. The four missionary womenVanmala, Lata, Udaya and Ramitawere working in the area for about a year. Four days ago Hindu fundamentalists met them and told them to vacate immediately the house in which they were staying and call their supervising pastors, who came right away to the home. The women and the pastors were still inside the building when hundreds of people surrounded the Meanwhile evangelical groups that arrived with the American army are multiplying. The bishop said: They are conducting aggressive

house. A group of the fundamentalists broke into the house and attacked the women and the two pastors who had come to their assistance. One of the attackers, a policeman, used his police stick against the women; others slapped and kicked them. When the attackers left, the women sought refuge at a nearby Gospel for Asiaaffiliated church. Gospel for Asia officials have not filed any formal complaint for the time being, but they did inform the local Superintendent of Police. The Sangh Parvr is a network of Hindu organizations that share the same Hindutva or Hindu nationalist ideology whose raison dtre is the protection of Indias Hindu identity. (AsiaNews) proselytism even among Catholics and Orthodox and they already have 36 new churches in Baghdad alone. (AsiaNews)

Volume 41 Number 2

21

FROM THE B L O G S

Jueteng and Elections

Playboy Archive/Corbis

he attempt to reverse the Anti-death penalty law by some members of the lower house and the recent death sentence imposed on a known dictator, brings to mind the ridiculous as well as gross contradictions of death penaltyeven on account of so called Heinous Crimes. Irrespective of whatever real motivation drove the present administration to recently do away with death penalty in the country, the existing Pro-Life Law in the land is objectively good, right and wherefore just. Otherwise: Contradiction One: Prior to killing someone, state issues sees to it that the condemned person is healthy! If sick, the execution will have to wait. This is not to mention the practice that before his or her death, the convicted individual is even encouraged to have a great meal. Contradiction Two: Everything and anything are done to see to it that the person to be killed is comfortable during the killing. This includes the way the person is killed, with what he is killed, including the position he is killed. And this is strangely called Humane Killing!

Contradiction Three: the individual to be killed for one or more Heinous Crimes is given all the means and provided with all the opportunity to assure is or her eternal salvation, his everlasting reward, his joy and peace forever and ever! Specifically in the case of the internationally publicized killing of a two-decade dictator with hundreds if not thousands of victims, it is good to ask some questions. Question One: How can the killing of but one life be equal to the waste of many other lives? Can one person be really equal to hundreds of other persons? Question Two: is it right to say that one person with many medals and recognitions, with an exalted office and much wealth should be considered equivalent to more than two, one hundred, several hundreds of other lowly individuals? Question Three: if the objective truth is that one person is equal to but also one person, how will the many other dead persons get their justice if not vengeance and revenge? Death Penalty? Think again while you are alive!
www.ovc.blogspot.com

t is an open secret that elections in this country are anything but altogether honest, orderly and peaceful. The truth is that event months before the May 2007 elections, there have been already some downright assassinations. This is not to mention the recorded big increase of gun sales plus the reported reactivation of many private armies. In fact, considering the election history of the country, it is both vacuous and vain to still ask the many selfproclaimed prophets of doom, all of whom are practically saying that a good amount of fears and pains shall accompany the midterm political exercise. They tell their listeners to prepare themselves for the sound of guns, the flow of blood, the sprawl of bodies. It seems however that the local divinizers still have to be heard on the customary lying, cheating and stealing that accompany the election process from the local to the national levels. More concretely speaking, they seem to miss pointing out three distinct factors that has a big contribution in running the elections in this country. Jueteng operators. Jueteng payolas. Jueteng beneficiaries. This infamous triad contributes much in impacting the election process and in impairing the elections results. Jueteng operators are worshipped by many politicians. Jueteng payolas make certain political candidates salivate. Jueteng beneficiaries have a big in winning the elections. Jueteng money bribe some election officials, pay for campaign expenses, buy votes for sale. Jueteng money takes away votes from honest and upright candidates, and credits votes in favor of corrupt and corrupting pretenders for public office. Jueteng money thus throws good and worthy candidates out of the possibility of holding public offices as a public trusts. The Krusadang Bayan Laban sa jueteng has no option but to join its little voice and small man-power in the loud clamor for the election of honest and able candidates. Whereas jueteng has been long used to favor pro-jueteng candidates, it is about time that the jueteng issue be also used precisely against them. It is not enough that these individuals are already well known by the general public. It is necessary for the anti-jueteng crusade to have them well markedidentifying at the same time those who are anti-jueteng and who are fit for the tenure of public offices.
www.ovc.blogspot.com

22

IMPACT February 2007

Dennis Dayao / CBCP Media Office

Contradictions Par Excellence

EDITORIAL

Glorious Rhetoric, Notorious Realities

t has been no less than six long years with anticipation of three more years ahead if not more. Since then, the incumbent national leadership has been honing well its expertise in glorious rhetoric while at the same time ably ignoring the notorious realities in the land. It happily basks in sunny positivism while pitifully ignoring the down to earth truth of the gloomy present and bleak future in this once land of the morning. It is enough to recall the memorable super vision of the administration. Originating from a super ego, it eventually went to super maids and culminated with super regions. On the other hand, there are millions of exploited women and children, millions of hungry and sick Filipinos. And there are millions of jobless individuals, not to mention the millions who leave the country in search of a chance of earning abroad, lonely and dangerous though this venture be. There are the unending proud and loud claim of economic growth and development well in place. Yet, the poor become poorer and their living becomes harder. There are the repeated exclamations that the country is now even awash with too much surplus cash. But where is the money? How come people continue to have empty pockets?

There is no question though who are those wallowing in abundance, luxury and vanity. These are the few blessed ones in tenure of power, in command of the wealth of the country. There can only be one understandable and acceptable explanation to such gross and striking discrepancy between fact and fiction. The administration is looking at the nation and its people through a glass colored to its liking. This phenomenon is beyond redemption and cure. With this systematic falsity, even rotting garbage is seen as healthy pink. In addition to its integrity problem, it has also become a moral impossibility for the administration to claim credibility. It can happily continue indulging in imaginations and in claiming visions. Meantime, the country becomes more much divided and deeply wounded with socio-political discontent and upheavals. It is not enough that nature has begun hitting back at people after its continuing maltreatment through the irresponsible exploitation of its wealth. There is still an administration that is so mindful of its interests and concerns. The people will have to care for themselvesas the administration is primarily looking after itself.

Volume 41 Number 2

23

ARTICLES

ulers in Muslim countries are coming to terms with the fact that their religion is in a deep crisis. One sign is the growing number of fatwas or legal pronouncement ordering the murder of atheists, apostates, Israeli civilians . . . . But their calls for reform are just cosmetic. For Muslim governments the "violent and terrorist" Islam is a figment of the Western imagination, except for a few liberal Muslims who are ready for self-criticism. ISLAMS crisis is of interest to governments also. On December 7 and 8, 2005, a conference was held at Mecca which sought ways to stem the spreading crisis. Muslim politicians and intellectuals from all over the world attended the conference, which was called by the Organization of Islamic States. Here, I shall seek to examine it. To start with, the document affirms and explicitly recognizes the crisis being experienced by the Muslim world. To strive to save Islam from the abyss, government leaders listed various causes of the crisis. The first is the flood of fatwas, which have become an affliction of Islamic societies.

Violent Fatwas Worry Muslim Governments

by Samir Khalil Samir, SJ The fatwa flood Fatwas are judgments by more or less learned figures who seek to indicate the Islamic way to be followed in the various concerns of life. At the outset of Islam, fatwas were exceptional pronouncements, made by personnel with specific qualifications and accreditation: being political decisions, they were not at the discretion of every imam (prayer leader) nor of every faqi-h (Islamic jurist). Later, the number of fatwa suppliers grew disproportionately, as they invaded every aspect of believers' lives. These fatwas are often so awkward that Arab newspapers make fun of them. The fatwas targeted at Mecca were above all those in favor of violence. These are the ones that give Islam the image of being tied to terrorism. Representatives of Islamic governments said "Enough with imams who assume the right to say: Kill this group, or who legitimate jiha-d (holy war), to use the term used by the Islamic Conference. It should be said that, in Islam, the problem of violence is tied to war. And war, in order to be justified, must be preceded by a declaration of jiha-d.

24

IMPACT February 2007

David Trilling/Corbis

Violent Fatwas Worry Muslim Governments

Fatwas of violence and terror When an imam declares a situation of jiha-d, it means that every Muslim, according to the means at his disposal, has the duty to fight the aggressor to defend and spread Islam. Such battles can be with arms and with physical violence, giving rise to warriors, the muja-hidi-n. Those who are not able to fight directly can do their part by paying those who go to war. Another way of fightingespecially against atheistsis to defend Islam through writings. Even women, by having more children, contribute in their specific way to jiha-d. In any case, all Muslims without exception are called to jiha-d. There has been, in recent years, a multiplication of the numbers of imams who order the killing of Israelis. The most famous imam in the Muslim world today, Yussef al Qarada-wi launched a fatwa that justifies Palestinian terrorist attacks against civilian Israelis. Al-Qaradawi is an Egyptian living in the Emirates, but he also travels a lot to Europe, London and Ireland, were the European Fatwa Institute is located. This institute has a very important role in Europe, at times positive, at times negative. Years ago, Al-Qaradawi made public a fatwa in which he explained that a kamikaze, a muja-hid, who blows himself up in a caf, on a street or in a bus of Tel Aviv or elsewhere in Israel is a true martyr. To understand the value of this fatwa, it must be said that Muslim tradition does not allow the killing of an unarmed person. Jiha-d can be carried out only against an armed opponent. Al-Qarada-wi found the way to justify the killing of civilians. He explains that, at this point, all of Israel is like an army, an aggressor against Islam, because all Israelis support the occupation of Palestine, of Islamic territory. Correcting Islam's image After having criticized fatwas on violence, the Mecca document tackled the question of takfi-r, the declaration that a person is ka-fir, that is, a misbeliever, an atheist. Due to the crisis of Islam, the tendency has grown in the Muslim world for reciprocal accusations of "misbelief." The Pakistani girl killed by her father in Brescia (Italy) in August 2006 was considered a "bad Muslim." Many Islamic governments are accused of having betrayed the Muslim cause and of being "misbelievers": this is the accusation that Al Qaeda makes against Saudi Arabia, but also Egypt, Jordan, etc.... In the war between Volume 41 Number 2 Iraq and Iran, each of the two countries had first to demonstrate that the other was ka-fir in order to be able to attack! The Mecca document asks that such reciprocal ostracism be curbed, as it weakens the unity of the Umma, the Islamic community. Plus, this situation gives Islam an image of violence that misrepresents Islam which, by its nature, isaccording to the documenta religion of tolerance (di-n al-sama-h). And Muslim governments are very worried about the image, negative and violent, that the rest of the world has of Islam. Fundamentalists instead are not worried about this image: in their opinion, this shows even more how corrupt the West is: i.e., to the point of not understanding that violence against Evil comes from the Good. The document's third point deals with efforts to save Muslim identity which is "under attack from all sides." With some flattery of radical tendencies, the document slides into the "victimization" of Islam, saying that the crisis depends on the fact that the entire world is targeting and criticizing the Muslim religion. The document dwells on the fact that the West and the world have a deformed image of Islam. Thus, to save Islamic identity and correct the incorrect clichs of the international community, it was decided at Mecca to "give a positive image of Islam, of the authentic Umma." The document claims the fact that Islam created an Islamic civilization and, what is more, contributed to building a universal civilization. To attain a more positive image, the governments at Mecca have decided to "give priority to reforms and progress, in accordance with human civilization, taking inspiration however from sharia, justice and equality." The document does not however go beyond these generic declarations of principle, and indicates in its conclusion the need for "a 10-year plan for reforming society." And to change the deformed image that the West has of the Muslim world, the governments have decided to spread a true understanding of Islam in the West. For these governments, which are influenced by radical ideas, the image that the West has of Islam is incorrect. The Mecca document risks being superficial in its analysis and solutions. What is at stake for them, in the end, is just "How to change Islam's image?" correcting certain aspects here and there. Only the liberal Islamic world has the courage to say: "This is the image that we Muslims give, it is not something invented by Westerners. If it does not correspond to true Islam, then that is because we are not presenting true Islam." The most radical question is being asked by liberal intellectuals: how to change our interpretation of Islam? The problem, in fact, is not just the violence of fatwas, or the way in which the West sees Islam, but a way to put Islamic religion into effect in daily life. Furthermore, fatwas reflect the confusion experienced by a large section of religious Muslims. They are not able to reconcile Islam with modernity and are afraid to make mistakes that might distance them from "true Islam." So they ask for fatwas and the mufti (the suppliers of fatwa) come up with them on everything and on nothing, responding to the thousands of requests that they receive! That fatwas are being requested attests to confusion and religious ignorance; a fatwa is reassuring and dictates the conduct to follow in even the smallest details of daily life. I

25

Corbis

ARTICLES
level of most of our students, Ive never seen him in formal or semi-formal attire. He dresses and behaves almost like any of them. No first-world airs about him. The students and staff, of course, love him, and I could see that the distance of deference students normally give to teachers, let alone, a foreigner, is practically non-existent. Respect accorded him is done in true friendship, indeed a beautiful sight to see! This set-up has produced something wonderful. The other day, I was asked to bless more than 100 bikes together with their new owners, the smiling, obviously happy students. It turned out that Jens, by his own initiative, arranged for these bikesslightly usedto be shipped to Cebu from Germany. As I tried to piece things together, Jens had been concerned with many of the students conditions. That concern made him see opportunities, crackled him to action, assumed some responsibilities, etc. He believes a bike is a right, not just a privilege. He asked some people in Germany to donate bikes. He organized some foundation, established a network of contacts, raised some money just to make these bikes arrive here. These bikes mean a lot to the students. These save them a lot of fare money. And of course, these enable them to be more mobile, a necessity these days. And there are many other advantages too subtle to enumerate and describe here. Somehow, I feel in a very special way the great impact this gesture of generosity has made on the students. As chaplain, I am acquainted with the living conditions of the students. My conversations with them often end up with tears in my eyes. Because of poverty, ordinary problems become crises of epic proportions to many of them. It has become very challenging for me to give them reasons to hope, to be patient, to persevere in their studies. This is not to mention the other aspects of formation that they also have to tackle. They may be good in one aspect, but terrible in another, and so any help to relieve some of their difficulties is always welcome. If only we make personal initiatives, no matter how little, Im sure we can make a difference, if not big then at least something, if not now then later. Nothing is wasted in personal initiatives. Lets thank God for kind hearts like Jens! I

Concern Begets Initiative

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

used to see him walk some mornings towards the school where we both work, he as a foreign IT consultant and I as chaplain. I always felt obliged to give him a ride, because the approach to the school is a 200-meter steep and, to me, hard climb. It took me some time to realize that he did not need a lift. An inveterate athlete, he wants to walk, climb and do many physical things, if not always, then often. His body just craves for these exertions. The other day I was told that he biked from Cebu up to Bogo then down to Balamban at the other side and crossed the island back to Cebu through the transcentral. Thats easily about 180 kilometers of rough terrain, treacherous climbs, and he did it all in one day! Of course, biking is his main sport. And he has been to many places in the

country biking, accumulating enough knowledge of the places to produce an excellent guidebook for bikers in the different parts of the archipelago. A few months ago, he with a friend also made a more-than-a-thousand-kilometer biking expedition from Pakistan to China. And he continues to make plans of ambitious biking excursions like this. He might manage to make a world guidebook for bikers too. His name is Jens (pronounced Yens) Funk, fortyish, blond, pale blue eyes, and German all over, with no hint of fat in his bodily frame. But youd be amazed at how well he blends with the local folks, and with everyone in the school. The rural setting and rural living are no problem to him. His capacity to adapt is tremendous. In fact, given the economic

26

IMPACT February 2007

Roy Lagarde / IMPACT

ARTICLES
Madam President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo:

ince you assumed power in 2001 until end of 2006, a total of 38 farmerleaders died in the cold-blooded hands of their respective perpetrators. Two more were befallen just for the first month of this yearPepito Santillan (January 25, TFM, Negros Occidental) and Joseph Matunding (January 30, UNORKA, Iloilo). Another one could have been killed had farmer-leader Heliolito Abrenica not survived the bolo-hacking of a goon identified with a big landowner in San Francisco, Quezon. He, however, lost his left arm. More limbs and lives are likely to be sacrificed, given the trend in peasant killings and agrarian violence nationwide. From PARRDS records, there is now a total of 2,342 leaders and organizers whose lives are in great danger before the perpetratorsprivate goons and security guards of big landowners and plantations, PNP forces, barangay tanods, and revolutionary forcesas the former continuously pursue agrarian reform. In the form of frustrated murder, arson, physical assault, grave threat, forced evacuation, filing of harassment cases, destruction of properties, and house-directed strafing, the violence has characterized 10 provinces as agrarian reform hotspots: Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Iloilo, Davao del Norte, Compostela Valley, Sarangani, Mindoro Occidental, Batangas, Quezon, and Masbate. No less than the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has attributed the killings and violence to your governments apparent disregard for meaningful implementation of agrarian reform. For sure, the Catholic Churchs leaders condemn the fact that extra-judicial killings occur right in their respective dioceses. Apparently in response to the CBCP and concerns already raised in public, you were quoted last February 6 by a national newspaper as saying: There is a new paradigm that is being proposed to open new lands for agriculture so that we can give farmers a chance to have their own land and, yet, avoid all this bloodshed that is happening (in the implementation of land reform). As we wonder what that paradigm really is, we believe that two things must be promptly done: Identify and bring the perpetrators of agrarian violence to justice and implement a speedy and pro-farmer agrarian reform.

An Appeal to President Arroyo Stop peasant killings and agrarian violence! Implement pro-peasant agrarian reform in contentious landholdings!
You have set up the Melo Commission to probe into the extra-judicial killings, including those involving peasants as victims. However, the public has not yet been informed of the report that was submitted to you as early as December 2006. As a community of civil society organizations and human rights advocates concerned with the plight of farmers struggling for agrarian reform, we appeal to you, Madam President, that: 1. The Melo Commission promptly disclose to the public the results of its investigations on agrarian reform-related killings and violence; 2. Those, whether State or Non-State Actors (NSA), found to be involved in perpetrating agrarian-related human rights violations be brought to justice; and, 3. Agrarian reform be speedily implemented in contentious landholdings taking into consideration the interests of the legitimate agrarian reform beneficiaries. Partnership for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development Services, Inc., (PARRDS) Ugnayan ng mga Nagsasariling Lokal na Organisasyon sa Kanayunan (UNORKA-Pilipinas) Philippine Ecumenical Action for Community Empowerment Foundation (PEACE) I

Volume 41 Number 2

27

Dennis Dayao / CBCP Media Office

FROM THE I N B O X

Roses for Rose

R
A Piece of My Heart

ne day a young man was standing in the middle of the town proclaiming that he had the most beautiful heart in the whole valley. A large crowd gathered and they all admired his heart for it was perfect. There was not a mark or a flaw in it. Yes, they all agreed it truly was the most beautiful heart they had ever seen. The young man was very proud and boasted more loudly about his beautiful heart. Suddenly, an old man appeared at the front of the crowd and said "Why, your heart is not nearly as beautiful as mine." The crowd and the young man looked at the old man's heart. It was beating strongly, but it was full of scars. It had places where pieces had been removed and other pieces put in, but they didn't fit quite right and there were several jagged edges. In fact, in some places there were deep gouges where whole pieces were missing. The people stared how can he say his heart is more beautiful, they thought? The young man looked at the old man's heart and saw its state and laughed. "You must be joking," he said. "Compare your heart with mine. Mine is perfect and yours is a mess of scars and tears." "Yes," said the old man, "yours is perfect looking but I would never trade with you. You see, every scar represents a person to whom I

have given my love - I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them, and often they give me a piece of their heart which fits into the empty place in my heart, but because the pieces aren't exact, I have some rough edges, which I cherish, because they remind me of the love we shared." "Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart away, and the other person hasn't returned a piece of his heart to me. These are the empty gougesgiving love, is taking a chance. Although these gouges are painful, they stay open, reminding me of the love I have for these people too, and I hope someday they may return and fill the space I have waiting. So now do you see what true beauty is?" The young man stood silently with tears running down his cheeks. He walked up to the old man, reached into his perfect young and beautiful heart and ripped a piece out. He offered it to the old man with trembling hands. The old man took his offering, placed it in his heart and then took a piece from his old scarred heart and placed it in the wound in the young man's heart. It fit, but not perfectly, as there were some jagged edges. The young man looked at his heart, not perfect anymore but more beautiful than ever, since love from the old man's heart flowed into his.
rowena.dalanon@cbcpword.net

ed roses were her favor ites, her name was also Rose. And every year her husband sent them, tied with pretty bows. The year he died, the roses were delivered to her door. The card said, "Be my Valentine," like all the years before. Each year he sent her roses, and the note would always say, "I love you even more this year, than last year on this day." "My love for you will always grow, with every passing year." She knew this was the last time that the roses would appear. She thought, he ordered roses in advance before this day. Her loving husband did not know, that he would pass away. He always liked to do things early, way before the time. Then, if he got too busy, everything would work out fine. She trimmed the stems, and placed them in a very special vase. Then, sat the vase beside the portrait of his smiling face. She would sit for hours, in her husband's favorite chair. While staring at his picture, and the roses sitting there. A year went by, and it was hard to live without her mate. With loneliness and solitude, that had become her fate. Then, the very hour, as on Valentines before, the doorbell rang, and there were roses, sitting by her door. She brought the roses in, and then just looked at them in shock. Then, went to get the telephone, to call the florist shop. The owner answered, and she asked him, if he would explain, why would someone do this to her, causing her such pain? "I know your husband passed away, more than a year ago," The owner said, "I knew you'd call, and you would want to know." "The flowers you received today were paid for in advance. Your husband always planned ahead, he left nothing to chance. There is a standing order that I have on file down here. And he

has paid, well in advance. You'll get them every year. There also is another thing, that I think you should know, He wrote a special little card...he did this years ago. Then, should ever, I find out that he's no longer here. That's the card...that should be sent, to you the following year." She thanked him and hung up the phone, her tears now flowing hard. Her fingers shaking, as she slowly reached to get the card. Inside the card, she saw that he had written her a note. Then, as she stared in total silence, this is what he wrote... "Hello my love, I know it's been a year since I've been gone, I hope it hasn't been too hard for you to overcome. I know it must be lonely, and the pain is very real. For if it was the other way, I know how I would feel. The love we shared made everything so beautiful in life. I loved you more than words can say, you were the perfect wife. You were my friend and lover, you fulfilled my every need. I know it's only been a year, but please try not to grieve. I want you to be happy, even when you shed your tears. That is why the roses will be sent to you for years. When you get these roses, think of all the happiness that we had together, and how both of us were blessed. I have always loved you and I know I always will. But, my love, you must go on, you have some living still. Please...try to find happiness, while living out your days. I know it is not easy, but I hope you find some ways. The roses will come every year, and they will only stop, when your door's not answered, when the florist stops to knock. He will come five times that day, in case you have gone out. But after his last visit, he will know without a doubt, to take the roses to the place, where I've instructed him and place the roses where we are, together once again."
rowena.dalanon@cbcpword.net

28 28

IMPACT February 2007

Playboy Archive/Corbis

B O O K REVIEWS

The Rise of Filipino Theology

Dindo Rei M. Tesoro and Joselito Alviar Jose
ARCHBISHOP Angel N. Lagdameo, President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, wrote the prologue of this book. He is the theological master chef of indigenous Filipino theology and he gives us here a sampling of the thinking...reflection and theologizing that is specifically Filipino and uniquely ours, says the Archbishop about the authors. This book tries to find answers to these questions: Does a Filipino theology really exists? Or is it in order to speak specifically of a theology that finds its locus in the Philippine cultural horizons? The authors themselves affirm that this publication relates the genesis and development of theologians dialogue with the local cultureand provides bio-bibliographical information on the protagonists involved in the enterprise of doing an inculturated theology. Published by the Paulines Publishing House, this book is a good reading for those pursuing indigenous theological studies.

This is My Body

Raniero Cantalamessa
FATHER Raniero Cantalamessa is a preacher to the Papal Household for many years now. This volume contains the last series of meditations preached to the late Pope John Paul II. Strangely it seems, he makes the ancient hymns, Adoro Te Devote and Ave Verum as his entry point to a very profound meditative journey to the Holy Eucharist. In his introduction, Fr. Cantalamessa says, They are the last meditations that I had the honor and grace to be able to hold in the presence of the Holy Father John Paul II. During the sermons preached in Lent 2005, he was repeatedly hospitalized in conditions of health that the whole world followed with trepidation, and that ended with his holy death. At the end of the meditations, the Holy Father wrote Fr. Cantalamessa, From my heart I thank you for the Abundance of points you put forward for meditation, and for the spirit-filled way in which you presented them. Admittedly, the Adore Te Devote and Ave Verum exude some of the most beautiful expressions ever said about the Eucharist.

Board of Conciliation and Arbitration

Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz, JCD
To date Archbishop Cruz has already published 23 booksand more are coming. He is prolific not only in writing books but, recently, also in uploading blogs (www.ovc.blogspot.com) which earns him the credit as the first bishop in this part of the world to use web logs or blog in evangelization or advocacy. Since the last 7 or 8 years he published at least 3 books a year; and a total of 429 blogs to date. That said, it is rather his mastery of the subject that makes this work a must-read for canon lawyers and those interested with how contentious and penal cases are judicially handled in Ecclesiastical Tribunals of the Catholic Church. While seemingly complicated and challenging when committed into writing as probably this little book may unintentionally do, the truth is that the Board of Conciliation and Arbitration is really simple in nature, plain in finality and facile in its procedural operation, forewords the author. Admittedly, the whole book is couched in highly canonical concepts and terms. But that is what makes this book even more interesting.

Stories for all Seasons

Gerard Fuller, O.M.I.
The First Asian Mission Congress held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, held in October 2006, has focused on a particular method of evangelization: story-telling. The stories of Asians poor today must be read within Jesus story and his Paschal Mystery, says the concluding statement of the Congress that explored story-telling as a unique method of evangelization. This book of Fr. Gerard Fuller is exactly that: evangelization through story-telling. He has retold the Gospel in stories of people immersed in the unfolding of the World of God in their daily events. A columnist of The Priest drops this comment about this book: Some of the stories contain a clever turn; like modern parables, they confront us in our presuppositions and make us question the way we have always though. Other stories combine old themes with new plots; they explode as we read them and cause us to look again at our world and ourselves.

Volume 41 Number 2

29

ENTERTAINMENT

CATHOLIC INITIATIVE FOR E NLIGHTENED MOVIE APPRECIATION

Title: CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER Running Time: 114 mins Lead Cast: Chow Yun-Fat, Gong Li, Jay Chou, Liu Ye, Chen Jin, Ni Dahong, Li Man, Qin Junjie Director: Zhang Yimou Producers: Bill Kong and Zhang Weiping Screenwriters: Zhang Yimou, Wu Nan, and Bian Zhihong (adapted from a play, "Thunderstorm" by Cao Yu) Music: Shigeru Umebayashi Editor: Cheng Long Genre: Action, Drama Cinematography: Zhao Xiading Distributor: Columbia Pictures Location: China Technical Assessment: Moral Assessment: CINEMA Rating: For mature viewers 18 and above

n the late 9th century of the Tang Dynasty the Emperor (Chow YunFat) discovers the infidelity of the Empress (Gong Li) who has been carrying on an affair with her stepson Crown Prince Wan (Liu Ye). He surreptitiously engages the service of the royal physician (Ni Dahong) to mix a dose of black fungus in the medicine the ailing Empress takes daily so she could be made insane. The Emperor's second son, Prince Jai (Jay Chou) who is fond of his mother, the Empress becomes anxious over her failing health and her obsessive embroidery of chrysanthemums. Meanwhile, Prince Wan and the Imperial Doctor's daughter, Chan (Li Man) have fallen in love. Whether it be from fear of or because of his loyalty to the Emperor, he decides to sever his illicit relationship with the Empress. From the Imperial Doctor's wife, Jiang Shi (Chen Jin), the Empress learns about the poisonous, black fungus and of the Emperor's evil scheme. She takes her personal vendetta: first, by inviting Jiang Shi and Chan before the Emperor and Prince Wan to reveal a dark secret regarding the first wife of the Emperor; and second, by planning a bloody coup with the support of her loyal son, Prince Jai. Prince Wan learns about the plot and informs the Emperor immediately. On the night of the Chong Yang Festival two armies challenge each other, a contrast of gold (loyalists of the Empress) and black (loyalists of the Emperor). Who would triumph in this warfare? How would the personal conflicts of the royalties be resolved?

The film is an extravaganza of wellchoreographed scenes enhanced by computer generated imageries demonstrating a culture of opulence when royalties held subjects in servitude and rulers are expected to be masters of the sword; thus, a pompous display of martial arts and fencing skills, The elaborate, colorful costumes are visual feasts and the music composed by Shigeru Umebayashi create the atmosphere for drama, suspense, and pathos. From long shots to pan magnificent landscapes, to medium shots to introduce the royal court, and close-

ups to catch the emotions of the characters, particularly Gong Li who gave an exemplary performance, the cinematography is highly commendable. However, the common problem with a film written in Mandarin with English subtitles is that you sometimes miss out on a film footage and there are words against a light background that cannot be read. The story deals with the trappings and perils of power and the tragic repercussions of its abuse. But even in tragic plays dealing with flawed characters, one expects a certain catharsis. It is this aspect that is woefully lacking in the Curse of the Golden Flower which portrays death, doom, and despair, truly a cursed family life, and leaves the viewer drained and depressed at the end of the film. In gory detail are adultery, incest, murder, suicide, betrayal, revenge, fraternal rivalry, cruelty, and deceit. Injustice is met with corresponding injustice, Women are portrayed in a bad light: the Empress is both a victim and a vindictive woman, the Imperial doctor's wife is a wronged, embittered person who wishes to destroy her oppressor; the doctor's daughter is a willing accomplice in serving poisonous medication to the Empress, and a wanton lover. The Emperor is ruthless, liquidating his wife or sons who displease him, even his faithful royal physician. The three sons are hapless creatures one a weakling, another with poor judgment and misplaced loyalty, and the last a jealous and disfavored son. Personal conflicts among the royalties result in a national disaster. In spite of the spectacle offered, can anyone enjoy a film that does not offer a message of hope?

30

IMPACT February 2007

N E W S BRIEFS EAST TIMOR INDONESIA NEPAL PHILIPPINES

Despite criticism, the Truth and Friendship Commission for East Timor is making progress, Kupang Archbishop Peter Turang said. The group is composed of legal experts and human rights figures coming from Indonesia and East Timor that agreed to work together to investigate the events of 1999 when East Timor voted for independence and was marred by widespread violence claiming 1,400 lives. The group, however, is widely seen as inadequate and the need for an international tribunal is said to be necessary to ensure justice is done.
MYANMAR

Peace building in E Church provides relief Pope appoints first Progress towards Timor in progress? to Indonesia flood vic- bishop in Nepal ecumenism growing tims
The local Catholic community in Jakarta is taking action to provide emergency relief assistance to thousands of Indonesians following flash floods caused by torrential rains in the last few weeks. At least 30 people are reported dead and over 350, 000 people homeless. Volunteers are helping to evacuate victims, especially the sick and the elderly people and giving them food supplies and other basic needs to people temporarily assembled in shelters organized by the government and Islamic and Christian organizations. Caritas Indonesia has also appealed for help to Caritas Internationalis and to other relief organizations.
KOREA

Pope Benedict XVI has elevated the Apostolic Prefecture of Nepal to the rank of apostolic vicariate, which means that the country now has a bishop. Vatican announced recently the appointment of Fr Anthony Sharma, 69, as the first apostolic vicar of Nepal. When the Nepal sui iuris mission was elevated to the rank of apostolic prefecture, Sharma became its first apostolic prefect. The apostolic vicariate of Nepal counts 6, 600 Catholics in a population of 23.7 million. It has five parishes, two parishes, six mission stations and 22 substations, served by 11 diocesan priests and 40 religions priests.

Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity chair Cardinal Walter Kasper said that the current state of ecumenism is positively increasing good relations with other Christian denominations. Speaking at the Asian bishops seminar on ecumenism held in Manila on February 7-11, the Vatican official also reiterated to the prelates Churchs role in ecumenism, adding that Churchs unity is not an accidental reality but at the very center of Gods will and the Catholic faith. Conversely, he asserted, division in the Church is against Gods will and Christs intention.
SRI LANKA

Military junta and Karen rebels reach agreement

The biggest rebel group in Burma has secured ceasefire agreements with the military government. The agreement, the Military Junta said, confirms a cease-fire treaty reached several months ago with the Karen rebels fighting for over fifty years for more autonomy in their territory. The two groups have long been meeting together, amid growing expectations of an imminent agreement to end a half-century of insurgency. The fight for autonomy began after national independence in 1948 and became radical when the military took power in 1989 adopting harsh policy against ethnic minorities.

PAKISTAN

Tears of blood appear on Virgin Mary statue

People of Jaffna, an area hit by the ethnic conflict between the Tamil rebels and the government forces, are flocking to a Catholic Church where tears are reported to be seen on a statue of the Virgin Mary. The statue of Our Lady of Lourdes was in a private home and now has been brought to an adjacent church. At press time, no official comment has been made local Church authorities as yet. People of Jaffna have long been suffering due to lack of food aid caused by the governments order to close the only road linking the town to the rest of country. Church officials have been urging both parties to allow aid delivery.

Groups oppose Bishops holds 1 Korean Musharraf s anti-terrorism measures Youth Day
st

The Catholic Bishops Commission for Youth Pastoral will hold the First Korean Youth Day in the diocese of Cheju on Aug.18-21 to bring together young faithful from different parishes of Korea. With the theme I pray that they may be one, the occasion will also serve as a great opportunity to make Christ known to non-Korean youth attending the event. The World Youth Day Cross will land in the country on Feb.18 and will be brought to different parishes in the dioceses of Chehu, Uijeingbu and Seoul.

An increasing number of radical groups oppose the anti-terrorism measures proposed by the Musharrafs administration because they see it as pro-west. A news report said the recent bombing in Pakistan could be a counter-offensive by militant groups and Taliban sympathizers that are against the policies adopted by Musharraf. The recent attack in Islamabad airport, the Fides said, is another sign of the attempt to foment social chaos and hatred towards government.

Volume 41 Number 2

31