You are on page 1of 20
 
cbcpmonitor@cbcpworld.netwww.cbcponline.net/cbcpmonitor 
Protagonist of Truth, Promoter of Peace
 Vol. 11 No. 25December 10 - 30, 2007Php 20.
00
Bishop warns vs. toy gungifts
A RANKING Catholic Church official has issueda stern caution against giving toy guns to chil-dren as Christmas gifts. Bishop Joel Baylon, chairman of the CBCPEpiscopal Commission on Youth, discouragedsuch presents because it doesn’t match up withthe message of peace. “I had been negative towards that (giving toyguns) because of its possible bad effects to chil-dren,” he said.
CBCP head: Put God at the heart of Christmas
The more / A6Bishop / A6Attack / A6
“Jesus must be experienced at Christmas, not simply as a great prophet, a religious founder or genius but as God’s ultimate Word to mankind. In him concrete human life isfound in its most basic and radical form.” -- Archbishop Angel N. Lagdameo
The more fortunateshould renounce theirrights—Lagdameo
“THE more fortunate should renounce some oftheir rights (even over material possessions they justly possess) so as to place their goods moregenerously at the service of others,” said CBCPpresident and Jaro archbishop Angel Lagdameoin his blog (
www.abplagdameo.blogspot.com
).This he said in the spirit of the celebration ofInternational Human Rights Day and in the con-
C1
The CROSSPope’s secondencyclical invitespeople to personallyencounter Jesus
www.veritas846.ph
CBCP Head / A6Cubao / A6United / A6
The Human Family, aCommunity of Peace
•A7A3 B1
Christmastide
Impact magazine is 41. It maybe the oldest running Asianmagazine for humantransformation in the region.
Get updated with the latest trends in social development vis-à-vis the social teachings of the Church.
To subscribe: email tosubscription@impactmagazine.netOr write to: Impact, 470 Gen. Luna St.,Intramuros, Manila.Or call (02) 4041612 / 4042182 / 5274139
 Attack on the family undermines Attack on the family undermines Attack on the family undermines Attack on the family undermines Attack on the family underminesworld world world world world peace, says peace, says peace, says peace, says peace, says Holy FatherHoly FatherHoly FatherHoly FatherHoly Father
tion for the upcoming 41stWorld Day of Peace, whichwill be celebrated on Janu-ary 1, 2008.Before launching into hisexplanation of why the fam-ily must be protected, thePope defined the family say-ing that it is “ ‘a divine insti-tution that stands at the foun-dation of life of the humanperson as the prototype ofevery social order’.”Benedict XVI insisted that,“the family is the first and in-dispensable teacher of peace,”and it is also, “the foundationof society ... because it enablesits members in decisive waysto experience peace. It followsthat the human communitycannot do without the serviceprovided by the family,” thePope emphasized.Referencing the UniversalDeclaration of HumanRights, Pope Benedict re-minded everyone that thefamily is entitled to protec-tion from society and theState.“Consequently,” the Popesaid, “whoever, even un-knowingly, circumvents theinstitution of the family un-dermines peace in the entirecommunity, national and in-ternational, since he weak-ens what is in effect the pri-mary agency of peace.”The Holy Father alsostressed that “everything thatserves to weaken the familybased on the marriage of aman and a woman, every-thing that directly or indi-rectly stands in the way of itsopenness to the responsibleacceptance of a new life, ev-erything that obstructs itsright to be primarily respon-sible for the education of itschildren, constitutes an ob- jective obstacle on the roadto peace.”While some people live withthe attitude that mankind lives
Pope Benedict XVI called upon the international communityto protect the family at all costs because it is “the first andindispensable teacher of peace.” He also insisted that who-ever undermines the family, attacks peace in the entire com-munity.
The Holy Father’s message was made public in prepara- JESUS should be at the core of our Ad-vent and Christmas celebration, a high-ranking Church official said. Jaro Archbishop and Catholic Bishops’Conference of the Philippines (CBCP)President Most Rev. Angel Lagdameostressed it is important to put Jesus atthe center of our festivities during theChristmas season.The Advent season, although a timeof waiting for the coming of the Lord isbeing celebrated as if it is already Christ-mas, observed Lagdameo.But he lamented saying that in themidst of frenetic activities people tendto forget the reason for the celebration.“Jesus seems no longer a part of ourChristmas parties during the Advent andChristmas season,” Lagdameo noted.“And yet without Jesus, all our festivi-ties, gift-giving, decorations, Christmascarols are without meaning,” he added.We celebrate Christmas every year,the prelate said, to remind us of Godwho decided to be with us (Emmanuel).He said Jesus had embraced the nitty-gritty of human existence, so that manmay learn from him how it is to becomefully human.“He lived among us, laughed andcried like us, showing us how it is to betruly human yet totally attuned to God,”said Lagdameo.
Glimpse of hope
In the face of natural calamities andsocial ills people have to endure nowa-days, the season of Advent and Christ-mas nonetheless instills hope in thehearts of the faithful.The Advent season—four weeks ofpreparation before Christmas—is a pe-riod of waiting for the coming of theLord.“We always ask God to come andchange the world… to free our worldfrom poverty, violence and war…tomake us more concerned of other people,our environment and country,”Lagdameo said
United front vs child pornography needed
Cubao bishop warns flock of ‘anti-life’ bills
 Volume of childtraffickingoverwhelmingin Asia
THERE have been over four mil-lion women and children whohave fallen prey to human traf-fickers in the Philippines andother southeast Asian countriesover the past few years.According to the Asia AgainstChild Trafficking, an interna-tional non-government organiza-tion, the figures are “overwhelm-ing.”Sr. Rosanne Malillin, SPC,NASSA executive secretary, saidchild trafficking and sexual ex-ploitation of women and minorsoccur frequently in the poorestregions of the country. She de-scribed the illegal activities as“most severe form of abuse”against women and children.“The figures should send astrong signal to make all sectorshelp abate the incidence of childtrafficking and exploitation,” Sr.Rosanne added.Along with NASSA’s and its 54Diocesan Social Action Centers’commitment to spearhead com-munity mobilization for effectiveand efficient delivery of basic so-cial services and implement pro-grams on healthcare and educa-tion, the concerted efforts willfurther be strengthened by itslinkages with the consortium ofOPTICAL Media Board Chair-man Eduardo Manzano calledon every sector of society tocome together and form aunited front against child por-nography.Speaking at the kick-offrites before the Metro Ma-nila-wide caravan, Manzano
Community
, CongressmanBienvenido Abante and
Gabriela
among others.Manzano said his groupwill try to replicate the cara-van in various regions wherechild pornography is preva-lent.In a statement, CBCP Presi-dent and Jaro (Iloilo) Arch-bishop Angel N. Lagdameosaid the advocacy and cam-paign against child pornog-raphy “must be supported bycivil society to protect themoral welfare of future gen-erations.” He added civil au-thorities have the duty to pre-vent the production and dis-tribution of pornographicmaterials.CBCP Media DirectorPedro C. Quitorio said whilethe country celebrated Hu-man Rights day yearly, theexpressed his thanks to theCBCP Ad-Hoc CommitteeAgainst Child Pornography,MTRCB under ChairpersonMa. Consoliza P. Laguardia,Office of Muslim Affairs, Na-tional Commission on theRole of Filipino Women,
Iglesia ni Cristo
,
 Jesus Is Lord
A CATHOLIC bishop has re-newed his alarm over two pend-ing “anti-life” health measuresfiled before the local govern-ment of Quezon City.In a circular to his flocks,Cubao Bishop HonestoOngtioco warned that the pro-posed ordinances by Councilor Joseph Juico imperil the sanctityof human life and family.“As your shepherd, I admon-ish you to defend the sanctity ofhuman life and family that arenow in tremendous dangers,” hesaid.The proposed laws, he said,“cleverly crafted” under theguise of Reproductive Healthand Population Managementpushes “safe” abortion and theuse of abortifacients.The same policies, he said,will make compulsory theteaching of contraceptive meth-ods to students from elemen-tary up to high school.What’s worse, Ongtioco ex-claimed, is that recipients of saidpolicies, if approved, are undera punitive provision of impris-onment and fines if they are notfollowed.“They use the name of thepoor on the issue of poverty topush their deadly intent of pro-
Volume / A6
Bishop Honesto Ongtioco
 
A2
 Vol. 11 No. 25
December 10 - 30, 2007
CBCP MonitorCBCP Monitor
 World News
CDF to release important document on evangelization and catechesis
Catholic population growing inUnited Arab Emirates
VATICAN CITY, December 6,2007—The Congregation for theDoctrine of the Faith (CDF),headed by Cardinal William Jo-seph Levada, is about to releasean important document on evan-gelization and catechesis,Vatican sources told CNA thisweek.According to the Vaticansources, the document, whichcould be made public this Ad-vent, “can be regarded as an ap-plication of the principles of thedocument “Dominus Iesus” tothe way evangelization is trans-mitted and catechesis is taughtwithin the Catholic Church.”In
Dominus Iesus
” the CDF,then under the leadership of Car-dinal Joseph Ratzinger, clearlyestablished the differences be-tween the Catholic Church andother religions including otherChristian denominations. “
Domi-nus Iesus
” states that only theCatholic Church possesses thefullness of the Christian faith.According to sources con-sulted by CNA, the new docu-ment on evangelization willstress the need to make the per-son of Jesus Christ, in his role asGod incarnated to bring the fullrevelation of God’s plansthrough the Catholic Church, thecorner stone and center of everyprogram of evangelization andcatechesis.The intention of the docu-ment, according to the source, is“to bring back the centrality of Jesus to the programs aimed attransmitting the faith to futuregenerations, since several ofthese programs are centered onfeelings or confused ideas aboutthe teachings of the Church onthe nature of Jesus.”
(CNA)
Cardinal William Levada
DUBAI, UAE, December 7, 2007—The KAI news agency reports thatthe number of Catholics in theUnited Arab Emirates (UAE) issteadily growing.Forty-five priests serve 20 par-ishes and 1.3 million Catholics inthe UAE. The largest parish isspiritual home for 65,000 Catho-lics—nearly all of them workersfrom India, the Philippines,China, and Africa.In May, the Holy See estab-lished diplomatic relations withthe United Arab Emirates, whichhonor a constitution that guaran-tees freedom of religion.
(CWNews)
Burma bishops: Fewer partiesand more prayers for Christmas
Australian Catholic Churchrunning ads in movie theaters
Cancer is my ‘angel,’ sayscardinal
Taiwanese prelate spreads message of courage
New director for Vatican newspaper
Holy See delegation atclimate change conference
YANGON, Myanmar, December 7, 2007—TheCatholic Bishops’ Conference of Myanmar(CBCM) exhorted the faithful to cut down on“external” Christmas celebrations—games,songs and parties—in order to focus on“prayer and adoration until the country findspeace and prosperity”. The statement wasreferring to the Advent and Christmas cel-ebration.According to UCA News during a specialannouncement on December 3rd, the bishopsof Myanmar invited lay people, priests andthe faithful to focus all their energy to pro-mote peace. The country formally known asBurma, has experienced unrest since Septem-ber after a violent government crack down onpeaceful protests led by Buddhist monks. Atleast 15 people were killed and several mon-asteries were forced to shut down.“We would like to exhort all the faithful ofthe dioceses,” the message said, “to cut downon the external forms of celebrating the feastsuch as carol singing, Christmas parties andsimilar gatherings, and spend much time inprayer, fasting, contemplation, and in adora-tion of the Eucharistic Lord.”The letter signed by Archbishops PaulZinghtung Geawng, president of the CBCM,and by Charles Bo, secretary general, arrivedafter a meeting on November 30th betweenthe bishops of Myanmar in Yangon and theApostolic Nuncio of Myanmar, ArchbishopSalvatore Pennacchio.Father Joseph Soosay, secretary of the Na-tional Liturgy Commission, likewise sug-gested Catholics “need to celebrate Christ-mas after realizing its essence.” He explainedthat the call for more low-key celebrationsderives from the need to “guide the people’sspirituality to celebrate Christmas meaning-fully.”
(AsiaNews/Ucan)
VATICAN CITY, December 4,2007—The 13th session of the con-ference of States parties to theUnited Nations Framework Con-vention on Climate Change isbeing held on the Indonesian is-land of Bali from December 3 to14.A communique made publicyesterday afternoon affirms thatthe Holy See will be present atthe Bali meeting with a delega-tion led by Archbishop LeopoldoGirelli, apostolic nuncio to Indo-nesia, and composed of Msgr.Andrew Thanya-anan Vissanu,nunciature counsellor in Jakarta,and of three local experts fromthe Philippines and Indonesia: Fr.Benito B. Tuazon, Fr. AlexiusAndang Listya Binawan S.J., andVera Wenny Setijawati.“Given that the sessions of theConvention on Climate Changeare held once a year in variouscountries,” the communiquereads, “the Holy See is usuallyrepresented at such meetingswith a delegation led by the ap-ostolic nuncio and made up ofexperts from the area, so as totake advantage of local resourcesand to achieve a broader andmore differentiated vision of thequestions being examined.”
(VIS)
Roman
o, means the opening of a new era forthe Vatican publication, which will includeits complete publication online.L’Osservatore Romano was founded in 1861at the request of Pope Pius IX in order to givea public voice to the Vatican, just months af-ter the Pontifical states were lost in the wakeof Italian unification.The Vatican daily, which is currently pub-lished daily in Italian, has a limited circula-tion of around 3,000 with only about 1,000actually sold. The actual impact of the paperis much larger though because it reflects theposition of the Vatican on critical issues.Although the Vatican daily will never beprofitable, as it rarely prints ads, Vian hasproposed not only creating greater interestin the newspaper but also expanding its read-ership.The day after becoming director, Vian in-stituted a significant change in the format andcontent of the newspaper: pages two andthree, usually full of Italian news, have be-come international pages, with Italy coveredas just another country.More importantly, the new director hasbegun providing space for extensive opin-ion articles by renowned experts addressingsuch sensitive subjects as the future of theliturgy, the dialogue between faith and cul-ture and the reform of the curia.One such article by Valentin MiserachGrau, current president of the Pontifical In-stitute of Sacred Music, criticized the state ofliturgical music at the Vatican.Vian has also allowed international ana-lysts of
L’Osservatore Romano
 to sign their ownarticles, a decision that has pleased the paper’seditors and motivated them to work harder.According to Vatican sources, the refur-bished newspaper has the support of VaticanSecretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.In addition, while editors prepare to pub-lish the complete newspaper online, Vian hasbegun sending articles out via email to sub-scribers and to the editors of the principalItalian news agencies in Rome.Although there are currently no plans tomake changes to the weekly editions in otherlanguages, sources at
L’Osservatore Romano
 arelooking into the possibility of translatingthese opinion columns into English and Span-ish. The idea of publishing some of the ar-ticles online that are not normally featuredin the weekly editions has also been floated.
(CNA)
of the Gospel” at the last stage ofhis life.
A contribution
The cardinal said he had visiteda drug abuse center in Taitung andmet 300 inmates there Nov. 22. Hetold them, “The cancer let meknow that as I am entering the laststage of my life, I should try mybest to contribute to society.”He prayed for the inmates andappealed that people should use“love” to settle the problems intheir daily life.Cardinal Shan Kuo-hsi was di-agnosed with lung cancer in July2006. He shared with those hemet on the tour that he wasshocked with the diagnosis, andwith the prospect of only havinga life expectancy of 4 to 5 months.“At first I asked the Lord, ‘Whyme?’ When I calmed down, I rec-ognized that it is the will of theLord,” the cardinal said. “Hewanted me to help the others bysharing my personal experiencewith them.“And now, I will confirm that‘Why it is not me?’ A cardinal doesnot have a privilege to stayhealthy forever!”He said that after his death, hisbody will be turned into fertil-izer for the land of Taiwan, buthis soul will be returned to theLord.The Chinese cardinal alsopraised the heroic example of thelate Pope John Paul II, who triedhis best to live out the last min-utes of his life with dignity.Cardinal Shan Kuo-hsi is a na-tive of Hebei province, northernChina. He left mainland Chinaafter he joined the Jesuits in 1946.He was ordained priest in thePhilippines in 1955.He was named bishop ofHualien, Taiwan, in 1979, andbishop of Kaohsiung in 1991. Hewas elevated to cardinal in 1998,and retired in January 2006.
(Zenit)
HONG KONG, December 7,2007—After being diagnosedwith lung cancer last year, Car-dinal Paul Shan Kuo-hsi didn’twait to die, but rather got up toinspire others to face life withcourage.The Jesuit cardinal, who is theretired bishop of Kaohsiung andformer president of the Chineseregional episcopal conference inTaiwan, began his “Farewell toMy Life” tour in October.His first visit was to Hsinchu,located on the northwestern coastof Taiwan, and since then has vis-ited the six other dioceses of theisland.“I treated the cancer as my ‘littleangel,’” the cardinal told ZENITin a telephone interview. “Itguides me to tell people that weshould have the courage to facethe challenges in our life.”The tour came to completionWednesday when the prelate vis-ited Fu Jen Catholic Universityin Taipei. The university offeredhim an award to honor his lovefor life.Cardinal Shan Kuo-hsi turned84 on Sunday.The Chinese cardinal said hewas “very happy to be a witness
Holy See extols respect for immigrants’ rights
 Archbishop addresses Migration Organization
GENEVA, December 7, 2007—Migrants who know their rightsand have them respected can be apositive force for their new coun-tries, as well as their nations oforigin, says the Holy See.Archbishop Silvano Tomasi,permanent observer of the HolySee to the Office of the UnitedNations and Specialized Institu-tions in Geneva, said this Nov.29 when he addressed the 94thCouncil Session of the Interna-tional Organization of Migration.The session was held Nov. 27-30in Geneva.Archbishop Tomasi, speaking inEnglish, said: “Estimates now givemore than 200 million persons inthe world living and working incountries different than the one inwhich they were born or were citi-zens and the 90 million workersamong them are almost 3% of the3 billion strong labor force.“Migrant workers, skilled andunskilled, have taken centralplace in many current debates.”“This type of migration,” hecontinued, “is looked at as a posi-tive force for development ofcountries of origin, especiallythrough the billions of dollars inremittances sent home by themigrants—$167 billion sent todeveloping countries in 2005—aswell for the economy of receiv-ing countries.”“In fact, for a growing numberof countries, immigrants havebecome a necessity to compen-sate for the dwindling work forceand for their demographic defi-cit,” Archbishop Tomasi ex-plained. “Fairness in recognizingthe contribution immigrantsmake can serve as a good basefor their integration.”
Human priority
However, the 67-year-old prel-ate added, “two important di-mensions of contemporary mi-grations are not adequately dis-cussed and paid attention to inthe formulation of policies: thevictims of migration flows andthe priority that persons haveover the economy.“Present political trends ap-pear clear and slanted in the di-rection of responding to the moreemotional and vocal demands ofpublic opinion for control andintegration.“In the long run, however, afair and effective solution willcome from a comprehensive ap-proach that embraces all policycomponents: the rights of thestate and of the receiving com-munity, of the migrants, and ofthe international common good.”“In a parallel way,” Arch-bishop Tomasi emphasized, “thesocial teaching of the CatholicChurch, and in fact that of all re-ligious traditions, looks at mi-grants as human beings in thefirst place and then as citizens orguests, or as economic and cul-tural agents.”“Education can play a majorrole,” concluded the archbishop.“Migrants, aware of their rights,can be more secure in offeringtheir services and talents and thereceiving community, well in-formed and respectful of theserights, will feel freer in extend-ing its solidarity in order to buildtogether a common future.”
(Zenit)
Let us defend the human dignity of North Koreans, says prelate
SEOUL, Korea, December 7,2007– In a message released onthe occasion of the 26th HumanRights Sunday scheduled for 10December, Msgr. Boniface ChoiKi-san, bishop of Incheon andchairman of the Committee for Justice and Peace of the Catho-lic Bishops’ Conference of Ko-rea, writes that “[t]rue effort forthe reconciliation of the Koreanpeople should include defend-ing the human dignity of [our]North Korean brethren as wellas giving material aid to them.We should struggle to im-prove the human rights situa-tion and to make the freedomof faith and of missions recog-nized in North Korea.”In “our society,” he adds, “thedignity of human life is not val-ued sufficiently, so the poor andvulnerable life is not properlyprotected.” Indeed, in his opin-ion, suicide, abortion, cloningof human embryos and capitalpunishment are currently thegreatest threats to the dignityof human life.For this reason, “[w]e muststrengthen our effort to protectthe weaker members and mi-norities of society” like unbornchildren so that they do not payfor our weaknesses.In hismessage,titled
Hu-man dignityis the high-est value
,the prelatealso urgesCatholicsto getready con-scien-tiously forthe presidential election on 19December.Given the fact that every “citi-zen has the right and duty tovote, we should elect as presi-dent a candidate who respectshuman dignity and takes it asthe supreme value in makingdecisions and carrying out poli-cies.”
(AsiaNews)
ROME, November 26, 2007—The recent nam-ing of Catholic intellectual Giovanni MariaVian as the new director of
L’Osservatore
SYDNEY, Australia, December 6,2007—The Catholic Church inAustralia on Wednesday debutedits first ever movie advertisingcampaign, CathNews reports.The advertising targets thosewho might be more open to Godduring the Christmas season.The cinema ad is brief and non-intrusive, showing a montage ofimages of Catholic life. It asks,“Have you ever wanted to knowwhat Catholics believe?”The ads will run during theanimated film “The Bee Movie”from December 6-19, and duringshowings for the movie “Atone-ment” from December 26 to Janu-ary 9.Archbishop John Bathersby,Chairman of the Bishops Com-mission for Mission and FaithFormation, said the goal of theadvertisements is to invite peopleto translate their Christmas ex-perience into lasting peace byfinding out more about JesusChrist through the CatholicChurch.The timing of the advertise-ments was no accident.“Boxing Day is the biggestmovie-going day of the year andwe are excited about this newmethod of taking the message ofChrist and the Church out to thebroader Australian community,”the archbishop said. He notedthat the New Year was a timewhen people reassess their livesand look for what is missing fromthem.“Perhaps… they will beprompted to find out more abouthow the Catholic faith can helpthem find the peace they aresearching for,” ArchbishopBathersby said.
(CNA)
 
A3
CBCP MonitorCBCP Monitor
 Vol. 11 No. 25
December 10 - 30, 2007
News Features
Fr. Renato Manubag, CMF Provincial, assists Papal Nuncio ArchbishopEdward Joseph Adams cut the ribbon at the opening of Hope Center.
Pope’s second encyclical invitesPope’s second encyclical invitesPope’s second encyclical invitesPope’s second encyclical invitesPope’s second encyclical invitespeople to personally encounter Jesuspeople to personally encounter Jesuspeople to personally encounter Jesuspeople to personally encounter Jesuspeople to personally encounter Jesus
Local TV program features Caceres archbishop
Claretians launchHope Center
Pope OKs plenary indulgence for Lourdes’ 150th anniversary
Lights and shadows of Church life in Asia
VATICAN CITY, December 3, 2007—It’s diffi-cult to select a single summarizing line in PopeBenedict XVI’s encyclical “
Spe Salvi
”, but a fun-damental point is found in its first few pages.Christ’s sacrifice, the pope said, overturnedthe pagan worldview of the early Christianera. In Christianity’s new vision, the universewas governed not by the laws of matter butby a personal God who revealed himself inthe person of Jesus Christ.“And if we know this person and he knowsus, then truly the inexorable power of mate-rial elements no longer has the last word; weare not slaves of the universe and of its laws,we are free,” he said.Throughout its 76 pages, the pope’s encyc-lical on hope is not just an exposition of philo-sophical and theological arguments, but aninvitation for people to personally encoun-ter Jesus Christ.That invitation has been the core of PopeBenedict’s mission over the last two and ahalf years.In his first encyclical, “
 Deus Caritas Est 
”,the pope said Christianity’s main purposewas to help people accept God’s love andshare it—beginning with love “in its mostradical form,” the sacrifice of Christ.In “
Spe Salvi
,” the pope argued that faith inChrist brings well-founded hope in eternalsalvation, the “great hope” that can sustainpeople through the trials of this world.In presenting Jesus Christ as the source oflove and hope for contemporary men andwomen, the pope has tried to explain theChurch’s beliefs in ways that are convincingwithout being authoritarian.Certainly he has been a critic of contempo-rary culture in these pages, warning againstthe exaltation of science and technology, eco-nomic and individual selfishness, ideologi-cal excesses and misconceptions about free-dom.But his critique is based on reasoned analy-sis, reflecting the pope’s conviction that Chris-tianity, more than just an exercise in faith,does and must make sense to the modernmind.The pope also has shown sympathy forpeople who may doubt, or who are no longerattracted by the Church’s traditional arguments.In “
Spe Salvi
,” for example, the pope ac-knowledged that many people today mayfind the idea of eternal salvation monoto-nous and “more like a curse than a gift.” Hewent on to say that “eternal life” is an inad-equate term and suggested that people thinkof salvation more in terms of a suprememoment of satisfaction or joy.Some readers of “
Spe Salvi
 “ were struck bythe fact that the pope did not mention the Sec-ond Vatican Council or cite its documents.Pope Benedict in general appears to prefer thewritings of individual Christians—ancient andcontemporary—to illustrate his points.In this encyclical, the pope quoted earlyChurch fathers and contemporary saints,making powerful arguments for hope thatdrew from centuries of Christian experience.Both the sermons of St. Augustine and thediary of a 19th-century Vietnamese martyrwere at home in this text.
(CNS)
VATICAN CITY, December 7, 2007—The 11thMeeting of the Special Council for Asia ofthe General Secretariat of the Synod of Bish-ops was held in Rome on November 20, un-der the presidency of Archbishop NicolaEterovic, secretary general of the Synod ofbishops, according to a communique madepublic today.During the meeting, attention was focusedon “the situation of the Church in the nationsof Asia, ... the implementation of the post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation ‘Ecclesia inAsia,’ ... the influence exercised by the recentpost-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation
‘Sacra-mentum caritatis’
on the various Churches ofAsia, and proposals and suggestions for theTwelfth Ordinary General Assembly whichwill have as its theme ‘The Word of God inthe Life and Mission of the Church.’“The debate,” the communiqué adds,“made it possible to create a broad overviewof ecclesial life in Asia, and of the living con-ditions in civil society, which in many waysare favorable to Church activity. Nonethe-less, various areas of concern were identi-fied, ... deriving from wars, the arms race,ethnic strife, violence, terrorism, repressionand the various limits placed on freedom ofconscience.”“The primary victims of persecutions areminorities,” the communiqué notes, “amongthem Christian minorities who are oftenforced to abandon their countries of origin,suffering violence also at the hands of funda-mentalist groups. The lack of religious lib-erty takes various forms: limits to communi-cation among bishops and between them andthe Holy Father, ... the impossibility of creat-ing episcopal conferences, difficulties in ob-taining visas for pastoral card workers, lim-its on the building of places of workshop,and impediments to [religious] presence inpublic life.”The communiqué also notes a number ofpositive aspects such as “the fraternal wel-come shown to Christians who have fled infear of their lives; the increase in the num-ber of Catholics in regions where they have,up to now, been scarce; the faithfulness evenunto the giving of life, as in the case of thefour priests killed in Asia in 2006, ... an in-crease in vocations to the priesthood and toconsecrated life, so that now Asians them-selves have become missionaries to otherparticular Churches in Asia and on other con-tinents.”Moreover, “the Church remains open todialogue with the great religions of Asia,making a notable contribution to toleranceand civil harmony, to reinforcing the State oflaw and the process of the democratizationof society.” The Church also exercises an im-portant influence “through her social activi-ties in schools and hospitals, and in favor ofhuman promotion.”The communiqué also notes how the post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation “Ecclesia inAsia” is “producing abundant fruits aboveall through programs of diocesan activitiesand bishops’ pastoral letters,” while the post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation “
Sacramentumcaritatis
” is being “effectively disseminated,and translated into local languages such asChinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Thai.”The next meeting of the Special Councilfor Asia of the General Secretariat of theSynod of Bishops will be held on December11 and 12, 2008.
(VIS)
VATICAN CITY, December 5,2007—To mark the 150th anni-versary of Mary’s appearance toSt. Bernadette Soubirous nearLourdes, France, Pope BenedictXVI authorized a special indul-gence to encourage renewed ho-liness.Catholics can receive a plenaryindulgence for taking part in anypublic or private devotion to OurLady of Lourdes, said U.S. Cardi-nal J. Francis Stafford, head of theApostolic Penitentiary, a Vaticancourt dealing with indulgencesand matters of conscience.As Christians strive to becomemore holy, they can look to Marywho “calls the faithful to her Sonand his sacrifice and to the loveof the Father,” said the cardinal,quoting from “
Lumen Gentium
,”the Second Vatican Council’sDogmatic Constitution on theChurch.The Vatican published thecardinal’s statement announcingthe indulgence and outlining therequirements for receiving itDec. 5.An indulgence is a remissionof the temporal punishment duefor sins committed. A plenary in-dulgence is the remission of allpunishment.Cardinal Stafford said the in-dulgence can also be applied tothe souls of the faithful in purga-tory.Catholics can receive the indul-gence during two time frames.Pilgrims visiting theMassabielle grotto, where Maryappeared to St. Bernadette, canreceive the indulgence during theLourdes jubilee year, which runsfrom Dec. 8, the feast of the Im-maculate Conception of theBlessed Virgin Mary, until Dec.8, 2008.Pilgrims who visit any publicsanctuary, shrine or other wor-thy place dedicated to Our Ladyof Lourdes may receive the in-dulgence Feb. 2-11. Feb. 11 is theday the first of 18 apparitions oc-curred and is the feast of Our Ladyof Lourdes. Feb. 2 is the feast ofthe Presentation of the Lord.Cardinal Stafford said that toobtain the special indulgence onemust fulfill the normal require-ments set by the Church for allplenary indulgences; these in-clude the person going to confes-sion within a reasonably short pe-riod of time, receiving the Eucha-rist and praying for the intentionsof the pope, all in a spirit of totaldetachment from the attraction ofsin.Those who make a pilgrimageto Lourdes must visit the follow-ing sites, preferably in this order:
• The parish where St. Bernadettewas baptized.• The Soubirous family home.• The Massabielle grotto.• The chapel where St. Bernadettereceived her first Communion.
At each location the faithfulshould end their meditation bypraying the Lord’s Prayer, thecreed and the special jubileeprayer or a prayer to Mary.Those visiting a holy placededicated to Our Lady of Lourdesin another part of the world Feb.2-11 also should pray the Lord’sPrayer, the creed and the special jubilee prayer or a prayer toMary.Catholics who cannot visitLourdes or join a communal ser-vice dedicated to Our Lady ofLourdes because of illness or otherserious reason could still earn theindulgence “in their own homeor wherever they are” Feb. 2-11,Cardinal Stafford said.
(CNS)
NAGA CITY, December 10,2007—
Simbanwaan,
 CaceresCommission on Communica-tions’ television program; airedits first season’s final episode onNovember 24 featuring the Arch-bishop of Caceres, Most Rev.Leonardo Legaspi as Shepherdand Teacher.The final episode also showedthe parishes and its services, andindividuals who have been fea-tured earlier on the show’s seg-ment
Tao.com
.The program was launchedAugust 18 and has aired 13 epi-sodes since then.The 30-minute television showtackles the programs and activi-ties of the archdiocese of Caceresand discusses issues that are pre-sented in different segments. TheTV show has already gained afollowing even in such a shorttime it has been on air.
Wow Simbahan, Tao.com, TabangKomunidad, Simbareta, Isyu
 and
VOX POP
 are just few of the seg-ments of the program.
Wow Simbahan
 introduces se-lected parishes with its specialprograms and services. Somememorable segments include afeature story on St. Jude Parish,considered as a “Wedding Capi-tal”, subtitled
Sikat sa Karasalan.
Another hit is the ResurrectionGarden where the remains of thepriests of the Archdiocese wereburied.
Tabang Komunidad,
 a feature onvarious religious institutions of theArchdiocese introduces viewers toHospital Apostolate, the Holy Ro-sary Seminary and the seminarylife, the contemplative life andmission of the Carmelite nuns, andGualandi-Center for the Deaf.
Simbanwaan
 also has a featureon protecting the environmentwith Mount Isarog IntegratedArea Development Program(MIADP) of CASAFI, an NGOwhich has programs for the con-servation of Mt. Isarog;
Hablondawani
, an institution thatoffers integrated services for girlsand women; and the
 Altersheim,
the home of the retired priests.Some of the issues discussedunder the
Isyu
 segment are thechallenges being faced by surviv-ing marriages, preparing fordeath, modernization and its ef-fect on vocation and the impor-tance of prayer.
Isyu
 is a segmentthat discusses pressing concernsof society and clarifies variousdoctrinal teachings of the Catho-lic faith.
Tao.com
 on the other hand fea-tures persons whose lives pro-vide inspiration. Mother John of Jesus of the Carmelite Sisters, Fr. Jomar de Hitta and Msgr. GerardoEspedido were featured in thissegment.Skycable Channel 20 broadcasta replay of the program everySunday at 8:00 PM after
 Misa ninBanwaan. Manindogan,
 a radio programaired at RMN-Naga, 91.1 FM at9:00-10:00AM on Sundays cel-ebrated its fist anniversary lastNovember 26.
 Manindogan
 tack-les and features important andtimely issues affecting family andsociety. It also presents somelight and heartwarming storiesof people from all walks of life;success stories of individuals;love stories of married couples;and other informative and help-ful topics and issues.
(PidesOrata)
MANILA, December 8, 2007—Claretian Missionariesopened its first Hope Centerat Aurora Boulevard, QuezonCity in a simple but meaning-ful ceremony led by PapalNuncio to the Philippines,Archbishop Edward JosephAdams.The Hope Center, a com-munication center that catersto various spiritual and pas-toral needs of people throughspiritual books and othermeans, has a specific thrust—to be a place where hope isnurtured and shared.Fr. Benedict Dilag, CMF,CHCFI Executive Director ex-plained the Center’s mission,saying it aims to be a placewhere young people can cometogether and feel accepted andcared for.“We desire to make it pos-sible for them to feel that theybelong in our center’s com-munity, which does all thingsat all times in a loving, digni-fied, Christ-like manner,” saidFr. Dilag.According to Fr. Dilag,people today especially theyouth have this desire todeepen their spirituality,strengthen their relationshipwith God, and find solutionsto their problems.“Our heart is for the centerto be a blessing on the secularmarketplace, to infuse thelives of young people andtheir generation with hope,and to help them realize thatour love-in-action approach isa reflection of God’s life-changing love,” he added.In the Hope Center, youngpeople both Catholic and non-Catholic can have the oppor-tunities to explore variousmeans available for receivingand communicating the Wordof God. Spiritual books, maga-zines, periodicals, audio-vi-sual materials, software andthe internet are available tosatisfy one’s quest for wisdomand knowledge.The Center also has an au-dio-visual display, coffeelounge, an internet café, e-loading counter, and religiousgiftshop. It has a private cor-ner for counseling and aprayer room where one canpray and meditate.With the launching of theHope Center, the Claretiansare not merely opening a newbookstore but going beyondthe usual way of proclaimingthe Good News, Fr. Dilag said.Present during the launch-ing were the CMF Provincial,Fr. Renato Manubag, the Pro-vincial Council, the Board ofDirectors of Claretian Com-munication Foundation Inc.(CCFI) and Claretian HopeCenter Foundation Inc.(CHCFI), and Religious Menand Women, friends and col-laborators of Claretian Mis-sionaries.
(Pinky Barrientos, FSP)

Reward Your Curiosity

Everything you want to read.
Anytime. Anywhere. Any device.
No Commitment. Cancel anytime.
576648e32a3d8b82ca71961b7a986505