Professional Documents
Culture Documents
00
00
“ IMPACT
Quote in the Act
ISSN 0300-4155
Asian Magazine for Human Transformation
“Philippine society today is in crisis. Two radical Through Education, Social Advocacy and Evangelization
P.O. Box 2481, 1099 Manila, Philippines
causes are chronic lies and rampant injustices. ©
Copyright 1974 by Social Impact Foundation, Inc.
Cheating during elections, graft and corrupt practices
are glaring examples of lies and injustices.” REMITTING ADDRESSES
Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez, bishop of Marbel, AUSTRALIA : Impact P.O. Box 2034, East Ivanhoe, Victoria 3079
Cotabato and chairman of National Secretariat for Social BANGLADESH: 1. Community Center, 5 Sadar Road, Barisal; 2. The
Action (NASSA); in his message for Alay Kapwa, the Priest-in-Charge, P.O. Box 152, Chittagong
Lenten fund campaign of the episcopal conference of the CAROLINE ISLANDS: Social Action Center, Inc., P.O. Box 202, Truk,
Philippines. Caroline Islands 96942
“
HONGKONG: Catholic Periodicals Subscription Office, Catholic Centre,
16, Caine Road, 11/F, Hong Kong
“When it comes to global warming, I don’t INDIA: 1. Asian Trading Corp., 310, The Mirabelle, Lotus-House,
exactly think President Bush is doing such a hot job.” 33A, Marine Lines, P.B. No. 11029, Bombay - 400 202; 2. Asian
Trading Corp., 150 Brigade Rd., Bangalore - 56-0025
Tiffany Cordero, a 12-year-old New Yorker in her INDONESIA : 1. Y.S.T.M. Jl. Gunung Sahari III/7 Phone: 021-354700
speech at a rally in lower Manhattan’s Battery Park early Jakarta Pusat; 2. YPD Jl. Veteran 7, P.O. Box 1066, Semarang 5010;
this April 2007; aimed at drawing awareness to global 3. Biro Sosial, Jl. Taman Srigunting 10, Semarang.
warming. JAPAN: Enderle Book Co. Ltd., Ichico Bldg., 1-5 Yotsudya Shinjuku-
ku, Tokyo 160, Japan
KOREA: J. R. Heisse, C.P.O.. Box 206, Seoul, Korea
“I am uniting our Filipinos in this hour. I do not MALAYSIA: 1. Anthonian Store Sdn. Bhd., Wisma Anthonian, 235,
want to talk about politics. But I showed that I can Jalan Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur 09-08; 2. Catholic Information
manage these two different things.” Services 50 E&F, Penang Rd., Penang
NEW ZEALAND: Catholic Depot Ltd., 64 Wyndham Street, Auckland
Manny Pacquiao, in an interview right after winning the PAKISTAN: Fr. Joseph Louis, 8-Katchery Road, Lahore
fight with Mexican Jorge Solis; in Texas, April 15, 2007. PHILIPPINES: P.O. Box 2950, 1099 Manila
SINGAPORE: Select Books PTE. Ltd., 215 Tanglin Shopping Centre,
2/F 19, Tanglin Road, Singapore 10
“We don’t want an imam as president!” TAIWAN: P.O. Box 8-146, Taipei 100
THAILAND: NASAC, 2 Saensuk, Prachasongkroh Road, Bangkok 10.
The clamor of a crowd estimated at more than 300,000; U.S.A.: c/o Mrs. M. Taranella, Walsh Bldg., 1st Floor, Maryknoll, New
protesting a possible presidential run by the pro-Islamic
“
York 10545
prime minister whose party has been eroding secular
Turks’ longtime grip on power; on April 14 in Ankara,
Turkey. Published monthly by
CBCP COMMUNICATIONS DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION, INC.
OSCAR V. CRUZ, D.D. • ART T. NG • JO IMBONG
“Our family institution is weakening more and E DITORIAL BOARD
more, and it leads to a number of social problems.” PEDRO C. QUITORIO III
EDITOR -IN -CHIEF
Thailand’s Public Health Minister Mongkhol na Songkhla,
said last week noting that family members are forced by PINKY BARRIENTOS
economic pressures to leave for the big city and social A SSOCIATE E DITOR
structure is shifting towards the Western pattern of DENNIS B. DAYAO
nuclear families. M ANAGING E DITOR
EULY BELIZAR
ROY CIMAGALA • MIAMI EBILANE
“We now stand somewhere between Belarus and ROY LAGARDE • LOPE ROBREDILLO
Zimbabwe.” S TAFF W RITERS
Garry Kasparov, former world chess champion, after
ROWENA DALANON
joining protesters who were beaten and detained by S ALES & ADVERTISING
Russian riot police; to protest the economic and social ERNANI RAMOS
policies of President Vladimir Putin and a series of CIRCULATION
Kremlin moves that stripped Russians of political rights.
C ORRESPONDENTS :India: Haranath Tadepally; Malaysia: Chandra
Muzaffar; Pakistan: James D'Mello; Sri Lanka: Harry Haas; Papua
New Guinea: Diosnel Centurion
SUBSCRIPTION RATES C ONSULTANTS: Mochtar Lubis, Indonesia; McGillicuddy Desmond, Ire-
land (JPIC) MillHill, London; Sulak Sivaraksa, Thailand, (Commu-
nications); S. Santiago, India, (Community Development); Juan Tan
Philippines (BATU), Philippines (Labor); Jessie Tellis Nayak, India, (Women);
Metro Manila - 1 year - Php 750.00 Dr. Paulita V. Baclig, Philippines (Health); Maximo T. Kalaw Jr.,
Provincial - 1 year - Php 800.00 Philippines, (Alternative Futures)
Africa, Caribbean, Latin America - 1 year - US$ 60.00 Visit our website at www.impactmagazine.net
CONTENTS
DESPITE the givens of the day, the Holy Week
celebration in the Philippines this year was as thickly EDITORIAL
populated as before. The Visita Iglesia, for in-
stance, observed in the evening of Holy Thursday
Woman ............................................................................. 23
was elbow to elbow along the road that connects the COVER STORY
Manila Cathedral and San Agustin Church. In Quiapo
Church, a friend couldn’t place himself in due to the Celebrating the Gift of Womanhood:
immediate swell of the crowd on the afternoon of Putting an End to Violence Against Women .......... 16
Good Friday. ARTICLES
Although on a different breath, the crowd on
a sweltering noon was unbelievably huge in Pulpit and Platform: Discovering the Role of the
Barangay San Pedro Cutud in San Fernando City in Church in the State .......................................................... 4
Pampanga. The foreign and local media, the tour-
ists, the penitents—or so the cast of characters Authentic Feminine Sexuality ...................................... 7
were regarded—and the organizers of a nine-count Cardinal Martini and Euthanasia:
crucifixion of warm bodies were all glued to the
main event of flagellations and nailings more fanati- International Women’s Day: Looking Back .............. 8
cally heaved than the recent devastation of Solis by Multiculturalism and Islam: Suicide of the West
Manny Pacquiao.
The religious sentiments and fanaticism during
and Women’s Rights ....................................................... 9
Holy Week in the Philippines are so profound to beg A Catechism in Images: A Very Special Edition of
for comparison. Judging by the external looks of it, the “Compendium” ...................................................... 11
such spiritual manifestations would likely be enough
to convert to thy-kingdom-come a good number of Population Issue Revisited ......................................... 24
politicians clowning the streets in the country today. Twenty Five Years, Twenty Five Dreams ................ 25
They hibernated for a day or two, but on
Easter Sunday the politicians were back dancing on More Than Business Behind Putin’s
the streets deceiving people like insatiable ogres Visit to Italy ..................................................................... 27
baiting on prospective victims.
STATEMENTS
While religion is a virtue, politics in the Philip-
pines is a vice. The only rub is, in times like the Holy Freedom to Choose the Candidates ......................... 12
Week nobody seems bothered about the chame-
leons that masterfully blends religion and politics and A Month of Prayer and Peace for the Filipino Family
artistically transforms the mixture into a vote for in Celebration of National Women’s Month ..........12
public trust—albeit an age-old consequence of sure Holy See’s Statement on Status of Women ..............13
corruption and machinations of a public service
turning into a self-service. Message of the Holy Father Benedict XVI to The
For quite some time now, social scientists have Youth of the World on the Occasion of the 22nd
been pursuing to understand some unsure phenom- World Youth Day, 2007 ............................................... 14
enon why Catholic countries, like the Philippines,
are distinctively economically poor and politically DEPARTMENTS
chaotic. Could this be a problem with religion? With
politics? Or both? The way Filipinos celebrate the
Quote in the Act .............................................................. 2
Holy Week is very telling. News Features ............................................................... 20
In this issue, Kit Tatad poses “Can anything
good come out of this election?” Very intriguing,
From the Blogs ............................................................... 22
this question, but certainly not in the same way From the Inbox .............................................................. 28
Nathanael looked down on Nazareth in the Gospel
of John. In our cover story, Msgr. Lope Robredillo
Book Reviews ................................................................. 29
writes Philippine Politics—A Politics of Power? CINEMA Review .......................................................... 30
Indeed, it is true that our politics is about money
and a between-life-and-death survival of the elite.
Quotes in Quiz ............................................................ 30
Read on. News Briefs ...................................................................... 31
Volume 41 • Number 4 3
ARTICLES
N
othing in our electoral history quite
resembles it. No issue defines the
campaign; no question of policy or
principle divides the parties and the can-
didates from one another; issues that had
nearly pushed President Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo out of power are no longer heard at
all; party-switching among the candidates
has made the opposition and the adminis-
tration completely interchangeable.
Despite our recurring history of po-
litical insanity, never before have we seen
so unprincipled a campaign. The parties
and candidates are no longer trying to
outsmart each other; they are all simply
trying to dupe us, the voters. They are all
making deals among themselves, at our
expense. The real conflict now is between
the people and the politicians. This con-
flict must be resolved in favor of the people,
but as of now, the politicians stand to gain
everything and the people nothing.
This is how it looks:
There are two senatorial tickets, with
12 candidates each, representing the
administration’s Team Unity (TU) and the
so-called “Genuine Opposition.” Both are
synthetic tickets, each generously fla-
vored with “balimbings” (star fruit)—the
Filipino argot for the unprincipled turn-
coat.
Of the 12 TU candidates, three—Sen.
Edgardo Angara, former Senators Tito
Sotto and Teresa Aquino Oreta—are “im-
Can Anything
ports” from the opposition. They com-
posed the original “ASO” team, accused
of “biting” the opposition’s presidential
of This Election?
PMP and PDP-Laban.
Two of the three TU imports—Oreta
and Sotto—used to call President Gloria
Macapagal Arroyo a “bogus president,”
but seem to have had no difficulty merging
into her team. Sotto had been talking to
Malacañang, and Oreta had been seen in By Francisco S. Tatad
some Malacañang parties long before their
defection, while Angara had never echoed
the opposition’s anti-Arroyo rhetoric and administration’s official trademark, GO didates whose next of kin are sitting sena-
had nowhere to go after he was shut out of bears almost no trace of the original oppo- tors until 2010. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel
the “United Opposition.” On the GO ticket, sition which had succeeded in polarizing III, son of Senate Minority Leader Aquilino
nine of its 12 candidates had played a part public opinion against Mrs. Arroyo since Pimentel, Jr., represents PDP-Laban, and
in former President Joseph Estrada’s ouster 2004. Estrada’s own PMP, the biggest Alan Peter Cayetano, brother to Senator
in 2001 or in the opposition debacle in party in the GO coalition, is not presented Pia Cayetano, is said to represent the
2004. They do not seem to have any prob- at all. After Estrada’s son J.V. Ejercito Nacionalista Party, although the party
lems with one another. They do not seem pulled out from the race, the former presi- head, Senate President Manuel Villar,
to think any principles have been broken dent did not nominate anyone from PMP joined GO, with some equivocation, long
since they do not recall owning anything anymore. after Cayetano was made a GO candidate.
so breakable. Much smaller parties, however, are Nine parties of various sizes make up
But while TU carries the represented—two of them by dynasty can- the two tickets. Three parties, led by
Volume 41 • Number 4 5
Can Anything Good Come Out of This Election?
by men and woman who will act not ac- ing, and stealing” the opposition had raised Given the death of moral principles,
cording to what is written in statute but against Mrs. Arroyo since 2004, they never and the dim prospects for clean and hon-
above all according to what is written insisted on electoral reforms. Within UNO, est elections, political turbulence looms
upon their hearts. Otherwise, our politics I was the only one who wanted to make large on the horizon. No one can predict its
will remain no better than a pigsty, often electoral reforms a precondition for our precise timing, intensity and form, but it
unfit even for pigs. participation in the elections. All the oth- would be foolhardy to expect an unevent-
So much has been said about the ers were simply election-crazy, without ful summer. The people are eager to choose,
candidates supposed intelligence. If true, any thought of what kind of elections they but they have nothing and nobody to
that can never be concealed. But moral would be participating in. Now, they seem choose from. With the distinction between
character defines a man much more than convinced the administration will cheat administration and opposition gone, the
any display of intelligence. A man of intel- again. But whenever they are asked how latter has ceased to be an alternative to the
ligence will know the difference between they propose to prevent the cheating, former. The people need an alternative to
right and wrong, but it takes a man of they simply say they would rather leave it both.
character to say No to something appar- to the people. If this election were a public bidding
ently desirable but morally wrong. An in- It is an absolute let-down. But even on an infrastructure project, no contract
telligent man without character has noth- more heart-breaking are reports that some would be awarded, in the absence of quali-
ing to say to anybody, least of all to the of them have already made secret contacts fied bidders. If it were a literary, art, or
nation. with former Comelec Commissioner Virgilio similar competition, no one would be de-
One who aspires to sit in the Senate Garcillano, the reputed arch villain in the clared winner, in the absence of deserving
must first be a man of character, whatever 2004 electoral scandal, as documented in entries. But as this is a senatorial election,
his level of intelligence. He should be able the famous Garci tape, for possible “help” the voters are expected to elect 12 senators
to argue against his self-interest and his in the elections. To his credit, Garcillano at all cost, even if the first one gets only a
appetite for power, pleasure or personal reportedly rejected these approaches at hundred votes.
aggrandizement. He must be able to con- the time. We do not know the latest devel- In the novel Seeingby the Nobel Prize
trol his concupiscence—especially if he is opments. What is obvious is that some winner Jose Saramago, the people cast
truly intelligent. non-TU candidates will not mind benefit- blank ballot papers to express their out-
Because GO failed to do his duty, the ing from dirty elections. They also will not rage during an election. And with such
dynasty candidates now say, “Let the mind being helped by the administration’s results. Taking off from this example, could
people decide.” But, of course. If the pro- financially supported news forums and we not flood the voting precincts with
cess is clean, the people will decide. But radio-TV programs. crossed ballots rather than filled ones, so
one who really wants to serve the people Some GO candidates have been shown that whoever are declared “winners”, as-
must only propose to them that which is to be outperforming their TU counterparts suming the overwhelming number of
morally desirable. He must not propose in some opinion polls. Some pro-opposi- crossed ballots does not totally invalidate
anything immoral in the hope that the tion newspapers have trumpeted these the process, will know that they are there
people are ignorant enough or angry results as signs of an inevitable landslide in pure sufferance of the people?
enough not to know or care about the for the opposition. This is a total misread- Whatever happens in May, we owe it
difference. Demagogues and charlatans ing of the actual situation. Since we have to ourselves and to our children to tell our
do that, but not men of real worth and not heard any opposition candidate say corrupt and power-hungry politicians in t
substance. anything truly damaging to the adminis- he clearest and strongest possible terms
There is another fundamental prob- tration, we have to ask who among them that we have had enough of them and their
lem. Despite the charges of “lying, cheat- truly represent the opposition. kind. I
Pulpit
and
Platform:
Discovering the Role of the
Church in the State
II. Church and State in the “free exercise clause.” Let me begin pass laws which aid one religion, aid all
Constitutional Law with the non-establishment clause. religions, or prefer one religion over
another….Neither….can, openly or se-
I now move to a discussion of Church 1. The non-establishment clause
cretly, participate in the affairs of any
and State in Constitutional Law. Article III, Section 5’s “non-estab- religious organizations or groups and vice
Briefly, the constitutional provisions lishment clause” came to the Philippines versa. In the words of Jefferson, the clause
consist of three provisions which can be with the American colonial government against establishment of religion by law
reduced to two. and was enshrined in the 1935 Constitu- was intended to erect “a wall of separation
Article III, Section 5: “No law shall be tion. It was copied into the 1973 Constitu- between Church and State.” Board of Edu-
made respecting an establishment of reli- tion and now remains in the 1987 Consti- cation v. Everson, 330 U.S. 1, 15-16 (1946)
gion.” tution. Its minimal meaning is that the State The 1973 Constitution, picking up
Article II, Section 6: “The separation may not establish a state religion like we Jefferson’s “wall of separation clause”
of Church and State shall be inviolable.” had in Spanish times when the Catholic inserted what is now Article II, Section 6:
Article III, Section 5: “No law shall be Church was the state or “established reli- “The separation of church and state shall
made…prohibiting the free exercise gion.” There still are established religions be inviolable.” Has this insertion added
thereof. The free exercise and enjoyment in Muslim countries and there is an estab- anything to the “non-establishment
of religious profession and worship, with- lished church in the United Kingdom. clause”? It has not. In fact, what appears
out discrimination or preference, shall for- Jurisprudence, however, has elabo- in later jurisprudence is that Jefferson’s
ever be allowed. No religious test shall be rated on its meaning beyond merely the metaphoric “wall of separation” is not
required for the exercise of civil or political prohibition of establishment. One leading without bends and may constitute a
rights.” decision described it thus: “blurred, indistinct, and variable barrier
These provisions are usually referred Neither a State nor the Federal Gov- depending on all the circumstances of a
to as the “non-establishment clause” and ernment can set up a church. Neither can particular relationship.” (Lemon v.
Volume 41 • Number 4 7
I
Pulpit and Platform: Discovering the Role of the Church in the State
Kurtzman, 403 U.S. 602, 614 (1971). It The government is thus absolutely
has not, for instance, prevented the State prohibited from inquiring into the truth of
from giving aid to sectarian schools. what a person believes. The moment, how-
(Everson v. Board of Educ., 330 U.S. 1 ever, belief flows over into action, it be-
(1047) (bus transportation); Board of comes subject to government regulation.
Educ. V. Allen, 392 U.S. 236 (1968) text- As I always tell my students, you are
books); Lemon v. Kurtzman, 403 U.S. 602 constitutionally free to believe that human
(1971) (teacher’s salaries, textbooks in- sacrifice is the best form of worship. But
structional materials); Earley v. DiCenso, the moment you tie up your mother in law,
403 U.S. 602 (1971) (teacher’s salaries); place her on an altar block and build a fire
Tilton v. Richardson, 403 U.S. 672 (1971) under it, you are inviting state interven-
(secular college facilities); Committee tion.
for Public Education v. Nyquist, 413 U.S. A violation of the free exercise clause
756 (1973) (maintenance and repair by the state can come in the form of either
grants, tuition reimbursement and income prohibition or compulsion. Philippine cases
tax relief). on free exercise of religion are relatively
For our purpose, however, what is few but not uninteresting. Let me just
important to note is that the “non-estab- focus for a while on the prohibition of
lishment clause,” like the other provisions religious test for the exercise of civil or
of the Bill of Rights, is a command ad- political rights.
dressed to the State. Thus only the State This prohibition is a corollary of the
can violate it. As far as the churches are guarantee of religious liberty. The pur-
concerned, they can be beneficiaries of pose of this provision is to render govern-
State violation of non-establishment but ment powerless “to restore the historically
not the violator. Thus when politicians cry and constitutionally discredited policy of
violation of church and state by the probing religious beliefs by test oaths or
Church and by churchmen, what they are limiting public offices to persons who have,
really doing is violating not only the free or perhaps more properly, profess to have
exercise clause but also freedom of speech a belief in some particular kind of religious
and expression. concept.” (Torcaso v. Watkins, 367 U.S.
2. The free exercise clause 488, 494,1961).
When the religious test that is im-
I now come to free exercise of religion. posed by law is overt and clear, the consti- said: “The great decisions of government
The key provision on free exercise is found, tutional problem it presents is easy to cannot be dictated by the concerns of
like the provision on non-establishment, resolve. Torcaso v. Watkins presented a religious factions… We have succeeded
in Article III, Section 5. “No law shall be clear case. At issue there was the state law for 205 years in keeping the affairs of the
made…prohibiting the free exercise which required belief in the existence of state from the uncompromising idealism of
thereof.” Not content with that, Section 5 God as a qualification for a notary public religious groups, and we mustn’t stop
adds two other clauses: “The free exercise commission. The Supreme Court had no now!”
and enjoyment of religious profession and difficulty in declaring the law to be an Eloquent the words may be, but the
worship, without discrimination or prefer- unconstitutional religious test. Another second sentence could not have been
ence, shall forever be allowed. No reli- case is when the law prohibits a cleric from more inaccurate historically. Whether you
gious test shall be required for the exercise running for public office. This too has measure it against American history or
of civil or political rights.” Cantwell v. been rejected as unconstitutional. Philippine history, the statement is false.
Connecticut (310 U.S. 296, 303-, 1940) (McDAniel v. Paty, 435 US 618 (1978); Churches have influence American poli-
neatly summarized the meaning of the free Pamil v Teleron, L-34854, November 20, tics from the days of Jefferson down to the
exercise clause thus: 1978). prophetic preaching of Martin Luther King
The constitutional inhibition on leg- More recently, you will recall that the and the pastoral letters of the American
islation on the subject of religion has a Supreme Court was asked to prohibit Car- Bishops. Likewise in the Philippines reli-
double aspect. On the one hand, it fore- dinal Sin, Mike Velarde and other religious gion has been involved in politics from the
stalls compulsion by law of the accep- leaders from giving directions to their ad- days of Fathers Gomez, Burgos and Zamora
tance of any creed or the practice of any herents on how to vote. The case was down to the pastoral letters on social jus-
form of worship. Freedom of conscience dismissed on technical grounds but the tice and on the conduct of elections. I do
and freedom to adhere to such religious substantive question remains alive, at least not see this involvement coming to an end.
organization or form of worship as the in the mind of some. Depending on circumstances, it can even
individual may choose cannot be restricted One person who expressed in very intensify. Thus it is legitimate to ask how
by law. On the other hand, it safeguards strong language his opposition to reli- religion fits into the Philippine political
the free exercise of the chose form of reli- gious involvement in politics was Barry culture.
gion. Thus the amendment embraces two Goldwater. The occasion was when the The issue can be broken down into
concepts—freedom to believe and free- Moral Majority leader Jerry Falwell criti- several questions. (1) In their sermons and
dom to act. The first is absolute, but in the cized the nomination of Sandra Day homilies, should religious leaders limit
nature of things, the second cannot be. O’Connor to the Supreme Court. Goldwater themselves to teaching general moral ideas,
obligation for all believers. Moreover, I cific practical conclusions do not always
also believe that, when it comes to con- come out naturally. The fact that an act is
tests for the formation of public policy, clearly sinful does not lead to the easy
individuals cannot effectively deal with conclusion that therefore it should be
the vastness and complexity of issues. penalized. If they were, our prisons would
There is therefore need for organized ac- be more crowded than they already are.
tion. But whether engaging in individual Why is it that people sometimes do
or in organized action, the questions I not want their religious leaders to tell them
have enumerated need to be dealt with. what specific actions they should take or
For me, the simplest among the ques- what political conclusions they should
tion is whether a member of the clergy, make? I believe that it is all part and parcel
particularly on who runs a parish or dio- of being a citizen of a democracy. “I have
cese, should run for public office. Consti- my own mind. Don’t insult me. Let me draw
tutionally, the prevailing view is that there my own conclusion!” this is a perfectly
is no constitutional obstacle for a cleric legitimate attitude. To avoid alienating
running for office. As to the obstacle aris- people who have such an attitude, a cleric
ing from Canon Law prescription, it is not must carefully and respectfully present
insurmountable. What remains therefore his conclusions. If the practical conclu-
is a question of prudence or propriety. My sions are presented as the product of one’s
view on this is that combining public office own study and are presented for people to
and religious ministry can strain church- agree or disagree with, then no one should
state relation and community unity. I would feel insulted or offended.
therefore follow the principle that one must Another objection to specific pro-
choose between being fully a church min- nouncements by clerics is that their com-
© Abedin Taherkenareh/epa/Corbis
ister or a public official. Combining the two petence and their access to needed facts
can be both religiously and politically for drawing conclusions are limited. Rarely
unhealthy. is their expertise related to economics, law,
Another important question touches sociology, or politics, etc. but specific
on the substance of the preaching of clergy conclusions about the morality of eco-
and religious. By preaching I do not simply nomic or political decisions can depend
refer to sermons and homilies in church. In very much on the dynamics and nuances
include any public or semi-public pro- of these specialized fields. If the cleric has
or should they draw specific political con- nouncements. competence in these fields, then his con-
clusions? 2) Should they oppose or sup- Should the clergy and churches limit clusion can be more persuasive. But it is
port particular political parties or candi- themselves to teaching general moral also good to remember that the people
dates? (3) Should they refrain from run- ideas or may they advocate as conclu- whose task it is to make important deci-
ning for public office? (4) Should they sions specific political actions? Certainly sions that impact on the lives of people do
engage in movements that put pressure on no one will deny the clergy the right to not always have the needed expertise on
political officials, e.g., through lobbying preach about morality. That is their task what they may be talking about. Some
and demonstrations? (5) Should they ad- and they would be remiss in their duties lawmakers easily talk through their hat.
vocate specific policy conclusions or if they habitually avoid moral issues. Thus, Ego vero neminem nomino. But this no
should they limit themselves to general no one should deny them the right to reason for a cleric to be reckless.
recommendations? (6) When engaging in discuss publicly whether abortion is moral While a cleric, however, should not be
debate on public issues, should they use or immoral, or that the rich should or reckless in his statements, neither should
religious arguments or only secular argu- should not help the poor, or that employ- he be inordinately pusillanimous. There
ments? ers should or should not pay workers a are political and economic decisions that
These are some of the questions that living wage, or that homosexual acts are have great moral significance. These
come up when one analyzes the objec- sinful or not, or that wars are or are not should be faced, with prudence, yes, but
tions to religious involvement in politics. morally wrong. This is all part of ordinary not with cowardly avoidance of conflict.
They invite discussion and I shall attempt religious preaching. Risks are part of the apostolic mission.
to present my own think on the subject. It is a different matter, however, when Clerics do make mistakes, out of care-
First of all, it is not enough to say the out of general moral teachings specific lessness perhaps or through excess of zeal
Constitution guarantees the freedom of public positions are advocated – such as or even for more foolish reasons. But in my
expression of the clergy. The issue tran- impeachment, charter change, or even the own estimate, mistakes and all, courageous
scends mere constitutionality. Nor is it banning of jueteng. Of course, there are stand of clerics and churches do more
enough to assert that through the centu- specific conclusions that flow naturally good than harm. The courage of the
ries Judaism and Christianity have firmly from general positions. For instance, if a churches in the Philippines has made sig-
held that religious duty includes active priest believes that consensual sexual acts nificant contribution to improving eco-
involvement in politics and that Scripture of homosexuals done in the privacy of nomic and political life. I
indicates that God cares about justice and their bedrooms are not harmful to the pub- (This piece is lifted with permission from the talk given
public morality. I too firmly believe that the lic, the natural conclusion would be that by Fr. Joaquin Bernas, SJ, at the Central Seminary
pursuit of justice and morality is a religious they should not be criminalized. But spe- of the University of Santo Tomas.)
Volume 41 • Number 4 9
ARTICLES The SDM Opt
M
arital intimacy is one aspect of
family relationship which has
been the subject of so much con-
troversy amongst married couples, the
Church and the government. The subject
has been recently exploited by extremist
groups and is the bone of contention of
various family planning proponents. In
the Catholic Church, only natural family
planning (NFP) methods are licit. Which
NFP method is best should be left to the
discretion and discernment of couples who
decide to achieve, to postpone, or to avoid
pregnancy.
Natural Family Planning was known
as Periodic Abstinence or Periodic Conti-
nence in the 19th century, and it is now
included under the Fertility Awareness
Based Methods of Family Planning.
Church teaching does not in any way
identify or specify any particular natural
family planning method as a preferred or
favored method for Christian couples.
Determination of or the monitoring of the
fertile and infertile days is left to the couples
and does not preclude the use of calen-
dars, thermometers, computers, beads or
other instruments to aid them in doing so.
Church teachings only prohibit direct in-
The SDM Option of NFP
terventions to the act of procreation.
Towards a Clearer
The need for scientific studies to aid
couples in determining their periods of
fertility or sterility is included in Pope Paul
VI’s Encyclical Letter Humane Vitae num-
Understanding and
ber 24 which states “We wish now to ex-
press our encouragement to men of sci-
ence, who can considerably advance the
welfare of marriage and the family, along
Continuing Dialogue
with peace of conscience, if by pooling
their efforts they labor to explain more
thoroughly the various conditions favor-
ing a proper regulation of births. It is
particularly desirable that according to
the wish already expressed by Pope Pius
XII, medical science succeed in providing By Mitos Rivera
a sufficiently secure basis for a regulation
of birth, founded on the observance of
natural rhythms”. the range of26 to 32 days. This means that World Health Organization (WHO) col-
The Institute for Reproductive Health the woman’s cycle changes but within a lected in its landmark study of the efficacy
of Georgetown University with funding period of 6 days only every month. Thus of the Billings ovulation method. The
from the United States Agency for Inter- it is not intended for women who do not get modeling used over 7,400 actual menstrual
national Development (USAID) developed their periods on a monthly basis for what- cycles and helped establish the theoreti-
the Standard Days Method, a modern sci- ever reason. Fortunately, 75% of women’s cal basis for the SDM. The study used
entific method of natural family planning. cycles fall within 26 and 32 days. The averaging (which is exactly what com-
The SDM is a calendar-based method, and Institute for Reproductive Health is aware puter modeling is), and IRH-GU is not
is taught as such. of this problem and has developed the pretending otherwise. What was likely to
One way of identifying the fertile and Two Day Method, a mucus-based method, happen in most cases under certain param-
infertile periods of a woman includes cycle which addresses the needs of women eters (cycles 26-32 days long) was studied
calculations based on the observation of whose cycles are outside the SDM range statistically.
the first day of a woman’s cycle. In the case of 26 and 32 days. The SDM identifies the fertile window
of the SDM, the calculations have been The computer modeled data used in to be days 8 to 19 of the menstrual cycle of
done for women whose cycles are within the SDM study was the data that the a woman with cycle lengths between 26
and 32 days. It takes into consideration the Catholic Church uses the term in its official ods that the Catholic Church considers
life span of the egg cell which is one day, documents. A document signed by the morally unacceptable. Hence, this par-
the sperm’s life span which is 5 days under Pontifical council for Health Pastoral Care, tial consensus given here should not be
favorable conditions and the 6-day varia- the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Care of interpreted as a change in the Holy See’s
tion in the cycle length of women with 26- Migrants and Itinerant People, and the position in this regard.
32 day cycles. Twelve days of abstinence Pontifical Council for the Family dated 14 Further, the Holy See reaffirms that
may be difficult at first to manage for some September 2001 was entitled Reproduc- education of and information provided to
couples. In cases like these, the Institute tive Health of Refugees: A Note for Bish- young people on sexual and reproduc-
recommends that they use another NFP ops Conferences. Again from the docu- tive health is primarily and fundamen-
method as SDM is not in competition with ment of the Holy See at the conclusion of tally the right, duty, and responsibility of
any other method. However, many couples the First World Conference of Ministers parents.
are able to manage abstinence required for Responsible for Youth in Lisbon, Portugal The Institute for Reproduction Health
the 12 fertile days very well. 8-12 August 1998 we see the following Philippines (IRHPhil) is very much en-
For women with most cycles with the excerpts: couraged by the positive response of many
average range within a one year pe- couples, program managers, service
riod (the range being 26-32 days), the providers and church workers to the
efficacy rate is 95.25%. Efficacy rates IRH-All NFP Training Program which
were calculated using the standard includes SDM.
medical/scientific protocols, and were Along this line, Church workers
peer reviewed. WHO and other ex- in particular, have expressed their ob-
perts accept them as valid. In fact, servations on how easily the teaching
IRH’s statistical methods were very of the unitive and procreative func-
rigorous as opposed to some NFP tions of the marriage act become evi-
studies: all users enrolled were in- dent in use of the colored beads to
cluded in the study from day one. The track the fertile and infertile days.
study did not have a 3 month learning White beads = baby days, brown
period so that 42% of all pregnancies beads = spouse days.
in the study occurred in the first 3 In this way, through the disci-
months. Had these first three months pline of the methods, sexual mastery,
not been counted, SDM’s efficacy maturity and responsibility for their
rate would have been even higher. fertility are set as goals by couples
Protocol even during the trial living the educational processes in-
period of the SDM studies has al- volved in natural family planning. It
ways been abstinence during the 12- has also been said by women that the
day fertile period. SDM literature from deepening of communication with
most other countries carries the phrase their husband has come as an empow-
“abstain from unprotected inter- ering effect of knowing their fertility
course”. Some programs like the Man- cycles. The sexual communication that
agement Sciences for Health (MSH) comes with natural family planning,
Matching Grant, a defunct program they say, has brought them closer as
funded by USAID had taken upon a couple.
themselves the task of including SDM in 1. Regarding the terms “reproduc- We will continue to journey as Chris-
their family planning training manual. Oth- tive health care” and “reproductive tians in this modern world, spread the
ers, in particular, those of faith-based health”, the Holy See considers these good news of natural family planning to
groups, espouse ‘abstinence only’, em- terms in a more general concept of health. the “ends of the earth”. There is so much
ploying a value-based approach to NFP. These terms embrace, each in its own way, to do, and we will not waste our time and
IRH Philippines is one such program, the person in the entirety of his or her effort arguing about the merits of one
wherein NFP is seen as fitting well into personality, mind and body. They foster method and demerits of another. We would
responsible parenting/population devel- the achievement of personal maturity in rather “light one candle than to curse the
opment approaches such as health and sexuality and in the mutual love and darkness”. There are a lot of candles to
poverty alleviation. decision making that characterize the light and pass around. Together we can
Abstinence, after all, is the most ef- conjugal relationship in accordance with bring light to the world and bring Truth
fective way of preventing pregnancy”. moral norms. The Holy See rejects the act and Peace to everyone. I
IRH shows figures to prove that the use of of abortion or access to abortion as a Mitos Rivera is a lay Catholic, a loving wife for
a backup method decreases the SDM effi- dimension of these terms. 36 years, a mother of 6 children She was the
first NFP National Coordinator for the Episcopal
cacy. In agreement with the DOH, couples 2. With reference to the terms “family Commission on Family Life (now Family and
who say they use condoms during the planning” and family life education”, in Life) and Principal Teacher for the World Health
fertile period; are to be reported and as much as it includes family planning, Organization project on the testing of the fertility
counted as condoms users and not as and any other terms regarding family learning package. Ms. Rivera was country co-
SDM users. planning education and services, the Holy ordinator of the Institute for Reproductive Health,
The term reproductive health as used See reiterates its well-known position Georgetown University Medical Center before
she became the executive director of the Institute
by the Institute in the same light that the concerning those family planning meth- for Reproductive Health Philippines.
Volume 41 • Number 4 11
STATEMENTS
S
isters and brothers here of trust and all can enjoy the
and in all the world, we same freedom and the same
greet you in the name of dignity.
our Risen Lord and ask God to Then we would ask that
fill you with the joy and the you make a particular effort to
strength of the resurrection. encourage your particular na-
Having opposed early tion to stop the embargo im-
Christians and, indeed, sought posed upon us and to restore
to bring many of them to trial its aid to the Palestinians. Many
for their faith, St. Paul was sud- vital areas of community are in
denly challenged by our a desperate plight as a result of
Blessed Lord as he journeyed the withholding of this aid, not
to Damascus. Within a short least [among them, areas of]
time he became a powerful justice, economy, medicine and
messenger for Jesus. Reading education, etc. …
his various epistles we see he As all Christians across
has much to say on many as- the world celebrate Easter to-
pects of the Christian faith. gether we wish everyone, at
The statement he sets be- home and abroad, that joy
fore the Philippians is regarded which our Blessed Lord’s res-
by many people as the most urrection brings. We ask God
powerful: “All I want is to know to bestow upon all the joy and
Christ and the power of his Easter Message From Jerusalem: the power of the resurrection
resurrection and to share his so that the words of Jesus be-
sufferings.”
In this short sentence he
“We Reach for the Power of come real as he said: “I came so
that they might have life and
links the cross and the Resur-
rection. The sufferings he had
the Resurrection” have it more abundantly” (John
10:10).
to face for his faith lead him to Christ is Risen! He is risen
become conscious of the gard any idea we might have of Resurrection we must be more indeed!
power of the Resurrection self-sufficiency or worldly diligent in searching for the May you experience a
given to those who truly be- hopes that hide from our eyes light and in using it to build a happy and holy Easter!
lieve, through the power of the the things of heaven and of the better tomorrow for all of us,
Holy Spirit. Spirit. Palestinians or Israelis, Mus- Patriarchs and Heads of the
Yet again, recent months If we believe in the Resur- lims, Jews, Christians and Churches in Jerusalem
have shown us much of the rection, we must affirm that our Druzes. We search for the light • Patriarch Theophilos III of
hardships and sufferings security is with God and in the that comes from God, illumi- Jerusalem
people have to endure, not least power of the Resurrection. nates all creation, guides every • Patriarch Michel Sabbah, R.C.
in this land. Much of this bur- Again St. Paul reminds us when true believer in his search to Latin
den has arisen from man’s in- writing to the Corinthians: “But find God’s freedom for all, to- • Patriarch Torkom I
humanity to men together with we hold this treasure in earthen gether with his peace and jus- Manooghian, Armenian Ortho-
the deprivation of basic human vessels, that the surpassing tice. dox
dignity and rights, all caused power may be of God and not As we greet our sisters • Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa,
by the siege imposed upon us. from us” (2 Corinthians 4:7). and brothers across the world, OFM, Custos of the Holy Land
Our Blessed Lord chal- Despite our weakness and we wish them the joy of Easter • Archbishop Anba Abraham,
lenges all of us; if we are to be despite the unjust circum- and the power of the Risen Coptic Orthodox
his disciples we must take up stances imposed upon us, the Lord in their daily lives. While • Archbishop Swerios Malki
our cross and follow him. In the power of God can free us if we conscious of the care and con- Murad, Syrian-Orthodox
midst of sufferings, we reach come to understand the logic cern shown by many of you, • Archbishop Abouna Mattias,
for the power of the Resurrec- of the Spirit in us and if we we again ask for your particular Ethiopian Orthodox
tion and the power of the Spirit behave accordingly. prayers for this land, that God • Archbishop Paul Sayyah,
that enables us to take away On the first Good Friday, will guide all its governors and Maronite
the oppressions that are im- the disciples of Jesus doubt- show them the path of justice • Bishop Suheil Dawani, Angli-
posed upon us. lessly felt shattered. However, and equality among all. can
So, as we celebrate the joy gradually their faith was re- Pray for the newly formed • Bishop Munib Younan,
of Easter we must examine care- stored as they became con- Unity Government of the Pal- Lutheran
fully where we stand in relation scious of their Risen Lord. Their estinians together with the Is- • Bishop Pierre Malki, Syrian-
to God. Many of us need to own personal darkness of fear raeli Government and the Arab Catholic
abandon the selfish instinct and uncertainty was suddenly Initiative, to work to remove • Archbishop Georges Michel
within us. If we truly seek the illuminated by the light of Jesus’ fear and all oppression, the Bakar, Greek Catholic
power of the Resurrection in resurrection. walls, the barriers and the pris- • Father Rafael Minassian, Ar-
our lives, then we must disre- So, as we celebrate the ons, so that hearts become full menian Catholic
I
t is with that message extraordinary and unexpected
that we climax the cel event, it was natural for them
ebration of Holy Week to doubt and not to immedi- “Before the world was made, He chose us, chose us
which started with Palm ately act. In St. Luke’s and St. in Christ, to be holy and spotless, and to live
Sunday, leading to the Last John’s accounts that was also through love in his presence” (Eph. 1:3-4).
Supper in Holy Thursday, the initial reaction of the
with the night vigil, and apostles: one of disbelief and
H
e has let us know the of one and holy Philippine soci-
Visita Iglesia, then the Sta- wonderment (Lk. 24/41, Jn. mystery of his purpose, ety means to follow Jesus Christ
tions of the Cross and its 20/9). the hidden plan he so who is “the Way, the Truth and
Veneration on Good Friday. The Resurrection ac- kindly made in Christ from the the Light” (Jn. 14:6). And obey
A lot of people listened and count in the Gospel of St. beginning to act upon when the his will for us “to hunger and
reflected on the Seven Last Matthew emphasizes one times had run their course to the thirst for what is right” (Mt. 5:6).
Words of Jesus from the detail to solve doubt and end; that he would bring every- CFC states “that Christ calls
Cross. The real message of unbelief. The appearance of thing together under Christ, as all Christians not only to a per-
Holy Week is not only that an angel at the tomb, while head, everything on earth” (Eph. sonal conversion of mind and
Jesus Christ died for us, but frightening to the soldiers, 1:9-10). heart. He also calls us to social
that Jesus Christ also gave was intended to dispel the St. Paul teaches us that responsibility, to work for the
us hope for new life by ris- fear of the women: “Do not God’s plan of salvation has this renewal of our communities,
ing to life from the dead. be afraid. I know that you goal: one, holy society. through love, justice, peace and
And so: “The Lord is risen are looking for Jesus who One, holy society is taken freedom” (#1135).
as he has foretold. Alleluia.” was crucified. He is not here. up by our 2007 Alay Kapwa In concrete, AK 2007 specifi-
All four Gospels nar- He has been raised, as he (AK) Evangelization Campaign cally challenges all believers in
rate the event of the Resur- said. Come and see the place when it proposes this theme: God, to have a paradigm shift from
rection with their respec- where he lay” (Mt. 28/5-6). “Katotohanan at Katarungan: an unenlightened and passive
tive nuances, indicating the Matthew emphasizes the Hamon sa Sambayanan Tungo member of Philippine society to an
individual author’s reflec- role of seeing in believing sa Pagkakaisa at Kabanalan”. enlightened and active participant
tion with insight on the his- and in dispelling doubt. That Building a society which is one of social transformation.
toric event. All four evan- is what happened to the and holy requires witnessing to This means: (1) vote into
gelists—Mark, Matthew, women. That is what hap- truth and justice. Witnessing to office candidates who are com-
Luke and John—narrate that pened also to the other dis- truth and justice is the chal- mitted to the common good,
it was the women-disciples ciples. They were told “not lenge we must face. honest and competent; (2) moni-
of Jesus, led by Mary to be afraid” (Mt. 28/10). Philippine society today is tor the performance of elected
Magdalene, a former sinner, They were told to see, to in crisis. Two radical causes are officials through lifestyle check
who bravely came to the look at the empty tomb. For, chronic lies and rampant injus- and performance chart; (3) par-
tomb and found Jesus was somehow, to see is to be- tices. Cheating during elections, ticipate in the electoral pro-
no longer there. lieve. This is told in particu- graft and corrupt practices are cesses—political education,
This Gospel detail shows lar about the “beloved dis- glaring examples of lies and in- cleansing of voters lists, poll
that sinners are also objects ciple” who reached the tomb justices. watching, vote count, among
of the Resurrection news and ahead of St. Peter: “He saw The Catechism for Filipino others; (4) campaign against
can be channels through and believed” (Jn. 20/8). But Catholics (CFC) teaches us that charter change through a con-
whom the Good News will here, seeing can also mean “lying plants seeds of division and stituent assembly; (5) safeguard
spread. It was through the seeing not only with the mistrust in the minds of others, and the nationalist and ecology—
witness of women that the eyes, but also with the open thus weakens the whole network of friendly provisions of the 1987
male-disciples of Jesus came mind. And for us in our time social relationships which consti- Philippine Constitution.
to know about the Resurrec- to see the resurrection is to tute the community” (#1233). Tough challenges all. But
tion. Mary Magdalene and believe in the witness of Injustices on the other hand God is with us.
the other women were the credible lives down through destroy harmony: between indi- May Mary, Mother of So-
ones instructed: “Go tell his the centuries. viduals; between the state and cial Justice, accompany us in our
disciples and Peter that he is The Resurrected Jesus its citizens; between states; and mission of building a Philippine
going ahead of you to Galilee, himself removed the dis- between a state and the commu- society which is united and mor-
there you will see him” (Mk. ciples’ doubt and disbelief, nity of nations (cf. Blessed John ally upright.
16/17). St. Mark includes the “by opening their minds to XXIII, Pacem in Terris, passim).
initial and logical reaction of understand the scriptures” To promote truth and jus- Dinualdo D. Gutierrez, D.D.
the women. Faced with an Re-living / p. 26 tice in our society and, conse- Chair, CBCP-ECSA-JP
quently, to facilitate the building National Director, NASSA-JP
Volume 41 • Number 4 13
STATEMENTS
A
s we enter Holy Week to camouflaged by the legal small
commemorate the pas- town lottery (STL), making it
sion, death and resur- easier for the former to carry on
rection of our Lord Jesus Christ, with its operation under the very
allow us—your pastors—to noses of local government offi-
invite you to a communal ex- cials and law enforcers of the
amination of conscience over province. In the context of the
the serious problem of corrup- forthcoming elections, we have
tion in our country in general, reason to be seriously worried
and, in our beloved province of that money from jueteng will
Pampanga, in particular. To be again serve as a decisive factor
able to do this, let us begin, not for the victory of certain candi-
by pointing an accusing finger dates.
on anybody, but by humbly Over the issue of ques-
admitting our own part in this tionable quarrying, we likewise
social sin, “in what we have echo the statement of the CBCP
done, and what we have failed Reject Evil, Choose the on January 29, 2006, over the ill
to do.” Let us feel genuine sor- effects of indiscriminate min-
row in our hearts either for hav- Good (Is. 1:16-17a) ing activities that do not abide
ing engaged actively in cor- by basic environmental laws
rupt social practices, or for and regulations, and which are
having tolerated them through suspiciously tolerated by gov-
our sheer inaction, indiffer- A Pastoral Statement on the Forthcoming Elections to the
ernment agencies that are sup-
ence, or cynicism. Let us try to Catholic Faithful of Pampanga and to all People of Good Will
posed to be responsible for
do concrete penance, not just their monitoring. Our parish
individually, but also collec- business.” If election is about becoming the very bone of communities, especially those
tively, with a sincere resolve to choosing, how can we exercise contention over Capampangan located in the vicinity of major
make up for our actions and it meaningfully if we say “We politics. We speak of money, quarry sites have reason to be
omissions through which we have no choice?” If Christian either from jueteng or from worried for their safety espe-
may have contributed to the life is about choosing the good questionable quarrying activi- cially during the rainy seasons,
aggravation of the social and at all cost, how can we say just ties. The shady patrons who knowing how local government
moral disease that is afflicting choose the “lesser evil”? Re- are engaged in illegal and im- leaders have kept quiet about
the Pampanga society. ject evil, choose the good! moral business and who have the absence of such safety
The prophet Isaiah once Dearly beloved brothers all the money to spend on elec- measures. Furthermore, seri-
called the whole Israelite na- and sisters, allow us, your shep- tions are bound to take control ous allegations of corruption
tion to conversion, not by herds, to open our hearts to over politics and governance if involving millions of funds
merely putting on sackcloth and you about corruption, jueteng, we do not do anything to ex- generated from quarrying ac-
ashes, or by merely engaging and the forthcoming elections. pose and put a stop to their tivities in the province have
in ritual piety. Rather, he said, Forgive us for having kept quiet underhanded and manipulative yet to be accounted for by the
“Put away your corruption for a long time now, and for practices. people involved. Such allega-
from before my eyes; reject evil, perhaps giving you the impres- Over the issue of jueteng, tions inevitably raise the issue
choose the good, seek what is sion that we have become in- we can only reiterate the pasto- about the possibility that the
right…” (Isaiah 1:16-17a). He different about the moral de- ral statement released by the provincial government is be-
went back to the most basic cay that is eating up our be- CBCP in March 2003, in which ing deprived of the much-
kind of election—the choice loved province of Pampanga. the Catholic bishops called for needed revenues that could be
for good against evil, the This statement is in response a total eradication of the said used for projects that will ben-
choice for right against wrong, to your clamor for us to speak illegal numbers game, referring efit the people. Again, in the
the choice for truth against up and make our stand clear to it as “a moral and social can- context of the forthcoming elec-
falsehood. This is the same kind with regard to the social cancer cer.” In that important pastoral tions, we have reason to be
of choice that the Lord is also that is eroding the moral fiber exhortation, the CBCP charac- seriously worried that money
asking of us Capampangans, of the Capampangan society. terized jueteng as “an insidious from questionable quarrying
as we are again preparing for Our invitation to a collec- subculture of immense corrup- may also serve as a decisive
elections—one of the most tive discernment cannot be tion that involves a shadowy factor for the victory of certain
precious expressions of de- timelier than now that we are network of powerful financiers, candidates.
mocracy, but also one of the again preparing for elections. protectors, and lords,” and As citizens of this coun-
most flawed exercises in the In the light of current develop- “…destroys moral values such try, we call on the faithful to
political affairs of our country. ments in Philippine politics, it as industry and hard work, ac- actively participate in the forth-
Too often have we heard is for very obvious reasons countability and honesty, in- coming electoral exercise, ei-
such cynical expressions as that the nation’s attention is tegrity and justice.” We are ther through partisan or non-
“Let us leave politics to focused on Pampanga because particularly alarmed about the partisan forms of political in-
politicians...We have no choice of well-based claims that now, way this illegal gambling activ- volvement. It is the duty of our
anyway...That is none of our more than ever, money is again ity has—of late—been merely Catholic laity, in particular, to
Volume 41 • Number 4 15
An Attempt to Understand a Certain Pattern in Traditional Politics
I
n theory, it is taught that in gover- was known as “the poor boy from Lubao.” councilor, etc.] are the open sesame to
nance, all power derives from the people Joseph Estrada was perceived to be poor, wealth and influence… It is because of this
and the goal of politics is the common and made “Erap para sa mahirap ” his political education that we have… the elite
good. Because, by themselves, individu- campaign slogan. of officials who, after several years of
als, families and groups, cannot achieve Of course, one might today point to holding public office… have been able to
full development in order to live a truly the existence of the party-list system that build from nothing handsome fortunes of
human life, it is the task of politics to make the post-Marcos constitution instituted, varying magnitude on the opportunities
available to them the necessary material, but as the Inquirer editorial (Apr 2, 2007 ) afforded by the offices they held.”
cultural, moral and spiritual goods. Conse- noted, the mechanism remains imperfect, Political power, in other words, is con-
quently, office holders are placed in power even though it is impressive: “impressive vertible to economic power. As President
by the people not only to reconcile the because it seeks to imbed representatives Diosdado Macapagal once noted, the
particular goods of groups and individu- of the poor and the marginalized in Con- president and the members of congress
als, but also to interpret common goods gress, which remains a bastion of the rich have powers that are “so vast and potent
according to the guidelines of the majority and privileged; imperfect, because party- that economic interests enter into a mutu-
and the effective good of all people. In list representatives sometimes turn out to ally protective alliance with them which
view of the enormity of this responsibility, be as privileged and well-connected as results in a concentration of economic
one cannot but admire politicians—those any traditional politician.” Indeed, some benefits in their combined hands.”
who choose to undertake the heavy bur- of these party lists are connected with the
den of this task. entrenched oligarchy.
A case in point is the first three nomi-
Politics: A Struggle for Power nees of the Ahon Pinoy, a party-list group
among the Elite newly accredited by the Comelec, which
seeks to represent overseas Filipino work-
But if the Philippine experience has ers most of whom are really poor and
anything to tell us, it is that politics is marginalized. These nominees, according
essentially a power game, played by a few to the editorial, “are not OFWs, and can-
elite, that hardly makes any marked im- not by any stretch of imagination be con-
provement in the lives of the poor, since sidered underprivileged”: Ernesto Herrera
the common good is scarcely its goal. Of III is a son of a labor leader and former
course, one can object that this is a gener- senator, Bernardo Ople is a brother of a late
alization, and to generalize is to falsify, but labor secretary, senator and foreign secre-
still, it provides us a pattern, a framework, tary, and Dante Francis Ang is a son of a
and a certain viewpoint to understand its publisher and close Arroyo ally. Thus,
workings. It does not, it is to be admitted, even what is intended for the underprivi-
offer the whole truth— which is beyond leged could be circumvented and used to
the capacity of an essay as short as this— place the elite in power.
but it has something truthful to say. In this game, it is the elite that vie for
Who play the game? Philippine poli- power among themselves. In a way, our
tics, especially in the national scene, is politics could be described as a struggle
almost exclusive of the few who are rich, or for power among the rich and privileged
their agents. Historically, the landowning who are more concerned with their own
class dominated politics before World War advantage and that of their own class than
II, but partly because of the development with the advantage of the majority who are
of commerce and industry, the class of big poor. If it is not self-interest of the elite that
businessmen and industrialists replaced it guides politics, history and the present
after the war. When Ferdinand Marcos ran experience do not bear it out.
the country through martial law, he re-
placed the post-war wealthy class with his Power, Aggrandizement and the
own, but after EDSA I, the post-war elite
Beneficiaries
repositioned themselves within the ruling
class. Why this vying for political power?
Philippine politics is thus a game of Probably no one might say it explicitly, but
the elite. But it is elitist both because those it appears that political power gives the
who play it are the few who are rich, and elite opportunities to increase their wealth.
also because it has historically denied the Indeed, to capture political power is to
active participation by the poor in the self-aggrandize. As Claro M. Recto ob-
highest decision-making bodies. Prob- served as early as 1958, “ours is essen-
ably not a single person who occupied a tially a pragmatic and a very simple [politi-
chair in the senate or in the house has been cal education]. It boils down to opportun-
known to be poor, even if political aspir- ism through public office… All the politi-
ants tended to identify themselves with cal offices [that is, from president to mu-
the poor. Diosdado Macapagal, I recall, nicipal mayor, from senator to municipal
Philippine An Attempt to
Politics -
Understand a Certain
Pattern in Traditional
A Politics
Politics
by Lope C. Robredillo
of Power?
Volume
Volume 41
41 •• Number
Number 44 17
An Attempt to Understand a Certain Pattern in Traditional Politics
wont to level charges of corruption against nance, even if it is less than just. To lend efits are distributed according to the loy-
their opponents come election period, yet credibility to his martial law regime that has alty of clients to their patrons. Clients or
there has hardly been any record of taking been under attack from foreign observers voters depend on their patron or public
their accusation seriously to the point of and to appease restive citizens, Marcos officials for every development project or
bringing them to court, most likely be- allowed elections to be held in 1978. The assistance, and solutions to community
cause it would undermine the oligarchic result, which was condemned by the op- problems. Rewards or development
class, affecting many people, and because position as fraudulent, legitimized the projects are distributed, then, on the basis
the issue would be divisive. Marcosian dominance, since his party, not of justice due to people but on the
What about plunder? Plunder is sim- Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL), won basis of the government official’s ‘kind-
ply a logical consequence of power poli- 151 out of 161 seats. To legitimize his long ness’ and the loyalty of the people to the
tics for self-aggrandizement and power tenure in office as president, Marcos called public official. Thus political leaders and
perpetuation. One is tempted to think that for presidential elections in 1981, in which followers who show support are rewarded
some of the elite assume the idea, like the he won by a margin of over 16 M votes or with projects, money or jobs. Dependence
kings of the old Europe did, that every- 91.4% against Alejo Santos of the and subservience, passivity and inaction
thing in their kingdom in a way belongs to Nacionalista Party who got 8.6% only. Of on the part of citizens are characteristic of
them. It seems difficult to really distin- course, the largest opposition party at that such a system. This accounts for the lack
guish what belongs to the government time, Ninoy Aquino’s Laban, seeing of viable organizations among the poor on
and what belongs to the ruling elite; oth- through the farce, did not field any candi- the one hand, and the concentration of
erwise, plunder would not be possible. In date. wealth on the other.”
our political history, two presidents have Needless to say, the conduct of elec- Patronage politics helps the well-en-
been accused of plunder: Marcos and tions practically disenfranchises the poor. trenched elite perpetuate themselves in
Estrada. While it is true that theoretically, a poor office in three ways. First, people are so
man can run for president or senator, in placed in debt that they have to pay in
Elections as Tool to Gain and practice, only the rich have the capacity to votes come election time. Second, a net-
Preserve Power do so, for reasons we have noted above. work of political relations is built and ex-
panded within their political turf and be-
If politics is viewed as politics of power, Instrument of Elite Dominance comes a machinery to assure victory. Third,
elections must be seen not just as a politi- and Power Perpetuation it divides people into those who are loyal
cal exercise in which people choose those and those who are not, the better for the
who will hold public office. Rather, they If monopolies are distributed among politicians to forestall any move by the
constitute a struggle among the elite to cronies, it is because, in order to survive clients to independently organize them-
capture the power of the state. Elections, and perpetuate themselves in power, the selves into a powerful body.
in other words, are a form of war in which elite must share the benefits of power with Pork Barrel, which is part of patron-
opposing wealthy individuals seek to their own trusted men. Which is why, ours age politics, is one of the instruments of
place themselves in a political advantage. has been described as politics of patron- power perpetuation, though, admittedly,
Elections thus resolve the question as to age. Says the CBCP Catechism: “Derived it has other uses. In the Philippines, prob-
who among the elite should have control from the feudal system of master and ser- ably because of its not so edifying conno-
over the country’s wealth and resources. vant, the politics of patronage considers tations, it came under different brands—
Today’s conduct of elections has re- the relationship between public servant Countrywide Development Fund (CDF)
inforced the elite’s control of the wealth and ordinary citizen as that of patron (mas- and Priority Development Assistance
and resources because it costs a fortune to ter) and client (servant). Rewards or ben- Fund (PDAF). At present, each senator
be elected to government positions. Since
only the moneyed can afford to buy votes,
give substantial donations, provide enter-
tainment, engage in nationwide campaign,
bribe officials, and use other means, fair or
foul, it is logical why only the elite can run
for public office. Many towns suffer a
dearth of candidates, not because no one
is intellectually qualified, but because few
have the capacity to finance their candi-
dacy. So, even at the local level, gover-
nance is becoming dominated by the local
elite. Elections are therefore not opportu-
nities for people to choose the best who
can govern them, but not infrequently to
choose who among the elite will have
access to power. The result is that, elec-
tions have become an instrument for the
continued dominance of the elite.
Equally important, elections also
function as a legitimization of that domi-
I
Volume 41 • Number 4 19
C O V E R
S T O R Y
gets P200 M in pork barrel allocations, If one may not admit that the ruling elite are gress, through the party-list backdoor. If
while each congressman receives P65 M. deliberately blind to the needs of the poor, Akbayan party-list Rep. Etta Rosales is
Those who benefit from it naturally con- one has to say that they have a narrow correct, the Arroyo administration is now
tinue to be indebted to the politician, and worldview. As Miriam Defensor Santiago in the middle of an attempt to smuggle in
therefore could be counted upon for votes puts it, “the biggest problem in our culture its own party-list representative through
in the next elections. is that many among the Metro Manila rich that same door. Last week, she charged
Having stayed long in office, some identify their selfish private interests with that the Comelec had accredited at least 11
politicians seem to have developed a the general interests of the public; and suspect party-list groups, with varying
stance that treats public office as a family their narrow social values, with national degrees of connection to Malacañang or
title that could be passed on from one values. The rich think that what is good for Palace officials…. The object is clear: The
generation to the next, That is to say, them is necessarily good for the country. administration has seen the potent role
political power is perpetuated through This is the root cause of massive poverty played by a bloc of like-minded party-list
family dynasty. One is led to conclude that in the Third World. Over the decades, the representatives in both attempts to im-
the office practically becomes a family rich have succeeded in identifying their peach the President. Now, it wants to fill
asset that protects its own business and own social organization with the peace the party-list seats with friendly bodies.”
other interests and shields it from political and order of society in general. Because of
jeopardy. This probably explains why this worldview, the rich consider them- Politics in the Philippines: A
through generations we are familiar with selves the apostles of law and order. They History of Power Transfer
surnames associated with politics, because support reform, but never a meaningful,
they come up in almost every election even if peaceful, revolution. They will It appears that Philippine politics is
period. Some of these well-known names support reform as long as they remain rich, by and large a history of transfer of politi-
may be mentioned: Aquinos—Benigno, and the poor remain where they are. Their cal power from one set of elite families to
Sr, Benigno Jr, Noynoy, Tessie, and kind of reform is not only incremental, but another, or within the same class. From
Herminio. Osmeñas—Sergio Sr, Sergio Jr, also self-interested. Their obsession with 1946 to 1968, political powers changed
Lito, Sergio III. Estradas—Joseph, Loi, peace is tied to their privileges under the hands largely between the two parties—
Jinggoy, JV, Emilio Ramon. Marcoses— status quo. This is why the rich must the Liberals and the Nacionalistas, which
Ferdinand, Imelda, Ferdinand Jr, Imee. assume responsibility for widespread pov- were both peopled by wealthy individu-
erty.” als. Neither of the two parties made any
Disenfranchisement of the Poor Indeed, even party-list mechanism, fundamental changes in the system, even
which was crafted into the 1987 Constitu- though the party in power was always
Because politics is meant for the con- tion with good intentions, could be used accused by the other of not giving the
tinued dominance of the elite, the wealthy to advance the cause of the dominant people a better deal. In the 1970s, Marcos
never really work for what could funda- power. Though the principle behind the declared martial law to destroy the oligar-
mentally better the lot of the poor. For one system is lofty, “it has been used, often chic structure of society, but he ended up
thing, they seem to think that what is good enough,” says a PDI editorial (Apr 3, 07), with “crony capitalism” by distributing
for them is also good for the constituents. “to smuggle political players into Con- monopolies to his own cronies. When
Marcos fell from power in 1986, the elite
that were removed from the center of power
and privilege were restored and reposi-
tioned and continued the same elite poli-
tics.
Now, in the 2007 elections, we princi-
pally have Genuine Opposition vs. Team
Unity, but from the point of view of prin-
ciples and outlook, one has difficulty in
finding their marked differences, except in
terms of personalities. It is simply a power
struggle between two elite groups vying
for power, pro-GMA and anti-GMA, but
their agenda do not bear fundamental dif-
ferences. Of course, seasons, personali-
ties and names in our political history
change, but the system that the elite ruling
class had installed before the war remains
the same. The majority, on the other hand,
remains mired in poverty and alienated
from the center of power and domination.
“The thing that hath been, it is that which
shall be; and that which is done is that
which shall be done; and there is no new
thing under the sun” (Ecc 1:8).
M
ulticulturalism is not helping the Islam has always been merciless on
West to be itself, nor is it helping homosexual relations. Yet there is silence
the Muslims of Europe to inte- in Italy among Muslims on civil unions
grate better in their new countries. I would and homosexuality. There is a kind of
like to demonstrate this point by examin- manipulation of Islam on the part of lib-
ing the question of homosexuality and the eral progressivism. If Europe and America
family in the Islamic tradition and in today’s want to change the concept of “family”,
Islamic world. they must take account of universal reli-
gious traditions.
Muslims in Italy and the debate
on civil unions
In Italy, it is the supporters of all-out
cultural tolerance who are promoting a law
on civil unions. They were preceded by
other European countries where the same
observation can be made.
Strangely enough, Muslim communi-
ties—who receive so much support from
progressive liberals—have remained si-
lent on this issue. For example, UCOII—an
association of Italian Muslims which claims
to represent the majority of Muslims given
that it controls (often in financial terms) a
large part of mosques in the country—
speaks only when it is politically conve-
nient, when it spots the possibility of ob-
taining a right, a privilege, a prayer hall, a
mosque, a reduction in working hours
during Ramadan, a vacation for a pilgrim-
Multiculturalism and
age to Mecca, etc.
But members of UCOII do not weigh
into the issues that are being debated in
Italy. The problem of the value of the
Homosexuality
It must be said that the question of de
facto couples has never been put forward,
either in the past (obviously) or in this day
and age. Even more than is the case in
Christianity, Islam puts the accent on pro-
creation in marriage, and secondly on sexual
pleasure, which falls exclusively under the
by Samir Khalil Samir, SJ
framework of legality, whether in terms of
marriage or concubinage. Outside of legal
marriage or recognized concubinage, any In the Koran, anal relations are con- The condemnation of the actions of
sexual act is a grave sin, and this according sidered a very serious sin. The biblical the people of Sodoma is unremitting. For
to all Islamic schools of legal thought, story of Lot (Genesis 19) is told 6 times in example, Koran 29 (The Spider), 28-29:
whether Sunni or Shi’ite. the Koran, an exceptional number of times “And when Lot said to his people: Most
Let’s consider therefore what is which demonstrates its importance, and is surely you are guilty of an indecency which
Islam’s official position (as expressed in always condemned absolutely: Koran 7, none of the nations has ever done before
the most important schools of law) with 80-84 ; 11, 77-82 ; 15, 58-79 ; 26, 160-174 ; 27, you; you lust after males.”
regard to homosexuality; then, what is the 54-58 ; e 29, 28-35. According to Muslim According to the Tradition of
reality in the Muslim world (yesterday and tradition, these six texts date back to the Muhammad (Sunnah), homosexuality,
today) on the question of homosexuality; Mecca period (610-622), actually to what both male and female, whether active or
and lastly, what is the current legislation in scholars of Oriental studies call “the third passive, is equivalent to adultery, and is
various Muslim countries. Meccan period” which covers the years thus punishable by death.
619-622. According to editions in Saudi Doctors of the faith (“ulama”) usually
The Koran and the Hadith on Arabia, these chapters correspond respec- refer to 3 hadith, which speak of liwât (a
homosexuality tively to chapters 39, 52, 54, 47, 48 and 85. word that derives from Loth), i.e. rela-
Volume 41 • Number 4 21
Multiculturalism and Islam; Civil Unions and Homosexuality
tions between two males (but it also gen- was however frequent. Islam authorizes maintain the purity of Islamic society, and
erally means homosexuality), or of sihâq, chaste love with boys, as long as there was to cleanse it of perverted elements ((Al-
i.e. relations between two females. The no physical contact. And according to a halâl w-al-harâm fî l-Islâm - The licit and
first hadith says “When a male mounts saying (hadith): “He who loves and re- the illicit in Islam).
another male, God’s throne trembles.” mains chaste and hides his secret and dies, How is sharia, the Islamic law, being
The second says “Kill the person who is dies a martyr,” that is for having resisted applied in the Islamic world? In seven
active and the person who is passive.” the greatest of temptations. nations, homosexual relations are officially
The third deals with lesbians: “The sihâq punishable by death: Saudi Arabia, Iran,
of women is fornication (zinâ).” Official position of Islam on Mauritania, Sudan, Somalia, Somaliland,
Furthermore, anal relations with one’s homosexuality, yesterday and Yemen and Afghanistan at the time of the
own wife is condemned by a hadith: today Taliban. In many countries, homosexual-
“Cursed is he who approaches his wife ity is punished with incarceration, or cor-
from behind” (Imam Ahmad Collection, 2/ There are five juridical schools in the poral punishment, as in Bahrain, Qatar,
479). Muslim world today: 4 are Sunni (Hanafite Algeria, Maldives, etc. In some countries
Homosexuality is often practiced, Malikite, Shafite, Hanbalite) and the fifth, (Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Mali, etc.), homo-
throughout Arab and Islamic history, be- Jaafari, is Shi’ite. The Hanafite school sexuality is not prohibited as such, but
tween an adult and an adolescent boy. A does not consider homosexual relations to gays can be condemned for offending
hadith says to “mistrust young adoles- be adulterous, but leaves punishment to public morality, as happened in Cairo on
cents, because they are a greater source of the discretion of judges. The other four May 11, 2001, when 52 men were arrested
damage than young virgins.” A story is schools consider it to be adultery and on board the Queen Boat Nightclub, an-
told of Imam Sufyân al-Thawrî (died 783) condemn the two partners to death. As chored in the Nile. Iran is the country
who fled from some baths one day, assert- with adultery, there must be 4 male wit- where the situation is of the greatest injus-
ing on the question of sexual temptations nesses or 8 female witnesses. tice: since the Islamic revolution, the Ira-
that “if every woman has a demon who Imam Yûsuf al Qaradâwi, the scholar nian government has executed more than
accompanies her, then a beautiful young most accredited with modern Sunni Islam, 4000 people accused of homosexual rela-
man has seventeen of them.” The famous writes « Islamic jurists have had opposing tions.
Hanbalite jurist, Ibn al-Jawzî, (died 1200) opinions on the punishment for this abomi- On this, as on many other points,
appears to have said, “Those who claim to nable practice. Should punishment be that Islam is in contradiction with the Universal
not experience any desire when they look foreseen for zina (fornication), or should Charter of Human Rights, due to the con-
at beautiful boys and young men are liars, both the active and passive participants fusion made between ethics and law. A
and if we believed him, we would seem him be killed? Even if such punishment can religion can consider an act to be a serious
as an animal, not as a human being.” In seem cruel, it has been recommended to Multiculturalism / from p.26
classical Arabic poetry, there is an abun-
dance of poems on love for young men,
and in fact many would go to monasteries
to contemplate young novices!
A reflection of this love for boys is
also found in the Koran. In the description
of Paradise in Sura 56, 12-19, we read: “In
the gardens of bliss, many from among the
old, a few from among the recent, on thrones
decorated, reclining on them, facing one
another. Round about them shall go the
eternally young, with goblets, pitchers
and cups of pure drink; which shall give
neither headaches nor drunkenness.” And
also in Sura 52, 21-24. “And (as for) those
who believe and their offspring follow
them in faith, We will unite with them their
offspring and We will not diminish to them
any of their work; every man is responsible
for what he shall have wrought. And We
will aid them with fruit and flesh such as
they desire. They shall pass between them
a cup immune to vanity and sin. And round
them, to serve them, shall go boys similar
to hidden pearls.”
The Koran thus completely condemns
homosexuality and equates it to adultery.
The tradition of the Prophet of Islam ac-
cepted by the ulama explicitly says that it
deserves death. Practice of homosexuality
Volume 41 • Number 4 23
N E W S
FEATURES
Volume 41 • Number 4 25
ARTICLES
offence against God (a sin), and no one can ior in his regard. The act is one thing, the sary to hold in account not only national
prevent someone from saying so—as in- person is another. opinion, but also the approach held by
stead shamefully happened in the Euro- 2. Religions have the duty, if they humanity as a whole. Europe and America
pean Parliament with Italian M.P. and E.U. want to be of help to human society, to (or parts of these) cannot think of them-
Commission-candidate Rocco Buttiglione. periodically, constantly, re-examine their selves as the motor of humanity and of its
But law cannot always correspond with positions, both in the light of foundational progress: this can be true at the techno-
ethics. Ethics aims at the perfection of texts and of contemporary reflection. As logical and scientific levels, not at the
behavior, and must propose an ideal which Pope Benedict puts it: faith and reason ethical and philosophical level.
will always been difficult to reach, but must be harmonized and are inseparable 5. Western behavior on matters per-
serves as a guide for man. Law indicates one from the other. taining to the family and to sex confirms
the minimum limit after which one can 3. Islam in particular is going through Muslims in the idea that Western civiliza-
speak of a crime. Furthermore, and this is a phase of returning to its origins, to pro- tion is decadent, and they attribute this
another crime, the media exercises unac- tect itself from a West that it judges to be decadence to the loss of faith and religious
ceptable and immoral pressure on homo- irreligious and atheist. It faces the easy practice. The more determined element
sexuals: in the case of the 52 gays in Cairo, risk of regression. To achieve the harmo- reacts violently against this evil. How does
the press published their names, ad- nization between faith and reason, it is one explain to traditional Muslims (the
dresses, telephone numbers, and photos: indispensable that faith not be explained majority of them) that modernity is replete
this, and not homosexuality, would have only by “men of religion”, as our jargon with values (even if there are deficiencies
merited incarceration. goes (rigiâl al-dîn), but also by scholars as in any human reality), if what appears of
There is also a question of incoher- of scientific and humanistic disciplines. this civilization is contrary to certain rec-
ence: Islamic moral represses homosexu- The drama of contemporary Islam is the ognized values? Islam’s battle against the
ality, but people usually tolerate it. It is not dichotomy within the community, the West, seen as depraved, will continue,
rare, for instance, in Egypt between an umma: those who lead (or should lead) the taking on violent forms, because Western
adult and a young man. It is so widespread community study only religious sciences behavior violates the conscience of the
that we have two terms in Arabic to indi- and whatever explains these; those doing Muslim world on important points.
cate the active and passive parts (‘ars e other studies do not interfere on the intel- 6. I would add a final question. Why,
khawal) of a couple. ligence of faith. when it was a question of removing some
4. The concept of family has had an visible signs of Christian tradition (the
Conclusion: defending the family almost unanimously recognized meaning crucifix, nativity scene, etc…) numerous
for the sake of dialogue with Islam ever since the existence of man, namely as voices were heard using the argument of
the nucleus composed of a man and a avoiding offence against Muslims (as if a
I find that there is not much debate in woman with their children. The concept nativity scene were an offence to them!),
Europe among Muslims on the question of can extend to relatives of varying degrees, and when it is a question so fundamental
homosexuality and on the value of the but the nucleus remains such. The fact of to them, there is no such talk? It is not
family as the union between a male and a homosexuality has always existed in hu- perhaps that the liberal world is exploiting
female. I have only found an inter-reli- man history, which has tolerated it without Muslims only when it suits their own opin-
gious statement issued in Lyon, France, in legitimizing it. The West is proposing a ions? This is not respect, but
favor of the family. new approach to the concept of family, manipulation…and Muslims (or also Ar-
“It is not a question,” they say, “of a presenting it as “progressive.” Being such abs) are not so stupid to believe in it.
debate on society, but of an unprecedented a fundamental matter, it would be neces-
superior choice in humanity’s history,
given that the family as a union between a Re-living / from p. 13
man and a woman is a gift that must be
passed on to future generations.” The (Lk. 24/45). He told them to remember: say “My Lord and my God” (Jn. 20/28).
letter goes on to say that the family is very “Remember how he told you, while he was The gift of Easter is what the disciples then
fragile today, because adults are not able still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be received, and the whole Church now re-
to help young people build their future. handed over to sinners, and be crucified ceives: “Receive the Holy Spirit,” (Jn. 20/
“How can they acquire a solid formation, and on the third day rise again” (Lk. 24/6). 22). The gift of Easter is in being able to say
face the future with hope, respect the du- And they remembered. Seeing the empty once more to God “Yes, Lord, you know
ties of a profession and build their own tomb, they remembered. The Easter Cel- that I love you” (Jn. 21/15) and to say also
balanced family if the institution of mar- ebration followed by six weeks called “post to one another “Yes, and I love you too.”
riage is relativized?” Easter” is one long season of remembering The gift of Easter is to see Jesus again,
In conclusion: of the Church. The season includes the to remember what He taught and did, to
1. Religions and philosophies have many apparitions of the Risen Lord to live and celebrate our resurrection in Jesus.
the right to have their own scale of values, strengthen the Christian community with Yes, indeed, the Lord is risen as he has
to consider that such and such an act is the significance of Easter for life. foretold. Alleluia.
moral or immoral, virtuous or sinful. Every The gift of Easter is what Christ gives +ANGEL N. LAGDAMEO
man has this right. On the condition how- to whomever he appears “Peace be with Archbishop of Jaro
ever that such moral judgment does not you” (Jn. 20/21), the peace which enables CBCP President
affect judgment on the person and behav- even a doubting Thomas to believe and April 8, 2007
O
So what if the debt becomes much more in n the occasion of the forthcom- cially in the writing and counting of
ing May 2007 elections, it can votes. No. They are neither expecting a
the years ahead. In fact, to incur more and
bigger debts has become a matter of course be readily said that all Filipinos very orderly and altogether peaceful
of goodwill, the young people in par- election. But yes. They are anxious and
for the present administration.
The principle and the practice remain ticular—are ardently hoping that the desirous of having even but a “basi-
political exercise will be honest and cally honest” and “sufficiently cred-
the same: the government owes and the credible for a change; and understand- ible” elections this coming May 2007.
people pay. The government is wallowing ably so. They well know and still re- It is the least that people like to
in money while the people are suffering member the shame and infamy that ac- witness—fair and credible elections.
from hunger and want. No Filipino is spared companied the 2004 National Elections. Even this early however, there are al-
from paying taxes from birth to death. It is This well-marked event of the country ready marked indications that the forth-
not enough that those who are able pay is definitely not something Filipinos coming elections might not even meet
direct taxes. It was not enough that even can be proud of. Their dignity as a the minimum expectation of the com-
the poorest paid value added tax for all people has been trampled upon as their mon people in the country, needless to
consumer goods they need. They are now key leaders made them appear dumb say this is once again bad news for the
even required to pay the infamous e-vat and blind. forthcoming supposedly democratic
for exactly the same items they consume. The people then became deeply exercise.
Rice and corn, clothes and shoes, milk divided. The country was greatly dis- The names of some smooth opera-
cotton and diapers—not to mention gaso- turbed. There was distrust and anger in tors are already being mentioned. There
line, fuel, and all other consumers items— the land. The present is still adversely are also indications that even certain
are infallibly taxed and a good number of affected. In fact, the distinctly shame- government institutions have began
poor people do not even know that the ful particulars that went with the 2004 working to favor the pro-administra-
water they drink and the medicine they elections are still remembered, still in- tion congressional candidates. It is not
need, are all taxed by the government, voked, and still brings disgust and ani- a secret that illegal gambling money is
direct and indirect taxes are all meant not mosity when recalled. funding the election expenses of cer-
only to pay for BIG government expenses The present and urgent key ques- tain aspirants for public office. There is
but to pay as well for also big government tion these days is in substance one and also the founded suspicion that even
debts. the same: may the people really expect public funds are helping promote the
The truly disturbing fact is that the a basically honest and sufficiently cred-
present administration has been long since candidacy of pro-government candi-
ible elections? No. They are not asking dates.
making money by deliberately and reso- for a perfect election process espe- www.ovc.blogspot.com
lutely marketing abroad people them-
Volume 41 • Number 4 27
FROM THE
I N B O X
A Glass of Milk
pea-sticks, he found a beauti- but quickly recovering himself
ful, young English cherry tree, he cried: —
of which his father was most “I cannot tell a lie, father,
proud. He tried the edge of his you know I cannot tell a lie! I
hatchet on the trunk of the tree did cut it with my little hatchet.”
ONE day, a poor boy who was pital to her room. and barked it so that it died. The anger died out of his
selling goods from door to door Dressed in his doctor’s Some time after this, his father’s face, and taking the
to pay his way through school, gown he went in to see her. He father discovered what had boy tenderly in his arms, he
found he had only one thin recognized her at once. happened to his favorite tree. said: —
dime left, and he was hungry. He went back to the con- He came into the house in great “My son, that you should
He decided he would ask for a sultation room determined to anger, and demanded to know not be afraid to tell the truth is
meal at the next house. How- do his best to save her life. who the mischievous person more to me than a thousand
ever, he lost his nerve when a From that day he gave special was, who had cut away the trees! Yes, though they were
lovely young woman opened attention to her case. bark. Nobody could tell him blossomed with silver and had
the door. After a long struggle, the anything about it. leaves of the purest gold!”
Instead of a meal he asked battle was won. Just then George, with his rowena.dalanon@cbcpworld.net
for a drink of water. She thought Dr. Kelly requested the
he looked hungry so brought business office to pass the fi-
him a large glass of milk. He nal bill to him for approval. He
drank it so slowly, and then looked at it, then, wrote some-
asked, “How much do I owe
you?”
thing on the edge and the bill
was sent to her room. She feared
Why Worry
“You don’t owe me any- to open it, for she was sure it
thing,” she replied. “Mother would take the rest of her life to For months I noticed the painted 12% centers in criticism,
has taught us never to accept pay for it all. Finally she looked, rock that sat on Karen’s coffee mostly untrue, made by people
pay for a kindness.” and something caught her at- table. The rock was painted and who feel inferior,
He said ... “Then I thank tention on the side of the bill. its face had a smile that just made 10% is related to my health
you from my heart.” She read these words ... you smile when you looked at it. which worsens while I worry,
As Howard Kelly left that “Paid in full with one glass I examined the rock and painted and only
house, he not only felt stron- of milk. (Signed) Dr. Howard on the bottom was “why worry”. 8% is “legitimate,” show-
ger physically, but his faith in Kelly.” Curious I asked Karen where she ing that life does have real prob-
God and man was strong also. Tears of joy flooded her got the rock. lems which may be met head-on
He had been ready to give up eyes as her happy heart prayed: She told me that during a when I have eliminated sense-
and quit. “Thank You, God, that Your very stressful time in her life, a less worries.
Many years later that same love has spread broad through friend that she worked with gave Karen went on to explain
young woman became critically human hearts and hands.” her the rock. Her friend told her that she used to worry about
ill. The local doctors were There’s a saying which that when she looked at this everything and everyone. She
baffled. They finally sent her to goes something like this: Bread rock, she was to remember not to now uses the rock as a reminder
the big city, where they called cast on the waters comes back worry so much. Her friend called not to worry about the things
in specialists to study her rare to you. The good deed you do it her “worry not bug”. There she cannot change. She also
disease. today may benefit you or some- was a poem with the rock, she went on to tell me that when she
Dr. Howard Kelly was one you love at the least ex- went and got it and as I read the finds herself worrying, she asks
called in for the consultation. pected time. If you never see poem I thought how true it was: herself what percentage this
When he heard the name of the the deed again at least you will 40% will never happen, for worry is. Most of the time she
town she came from, a strange have made the world a better anxiety is the result of a tired found what she was worrying
light filled his eyes. place - And, after all, isn’t that mind, about was the 40% - things that
Immediately he rose and what life is all about? 30% concerns old deci- will never happen.
went down the hall of the hos- rowena.dalanon@cbcpworld.net sions which cannot be altered, rowena.dalanon@cbcpworld.net
Heart
this congress but a redefinition of com-
mitment.
Joyce Rupp
Volume 41 • Number 4 29
ENTERTAINMENT
ANSWER TO THE LAST ISSUE: OUR SOULS MAY LOSE THEIR PLACE AND EVEN DISTURB OTHER PEOPLE'S IF WE ARE ALWAYS TRIVIAL
ACTIONS - WHICH OFTEN ARE NOT REAL DEFECTS AT ALL, BUT WE CONSTRUE THEM WRONGLY THROUGH OUR IGNORANCE
OF THEIR MOTIVES. - ST. THERESA OF AVILA
QUOTES IN QUIZ Booklets available at BOOKSALE stores in SM, Robinsons and selected malls in Manila. For mail order text 0919 2803036.
Volume 41 • Number 4 31