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Pope to consecrate world to Marys Immaculate Heart

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Towards Maturity in Christ

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The News Supplement of Couples for Christ

Ugnayan

AMRSP seeks justice for Mindanao blast victims

MEMBERS of the Association of Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP) have banded together to call for justice for those killed in the spate of bombings in Mindanao. In a statement, the influential group of religious men and women urged the authorities to act swiftly on these cases that have caused panic and fear to the people. We call for justice to be served to all innocent victims, the statement, signed by AMRSP co-chairpersons Fr. Leo Dalmao, CMF, and Sr. Eden Panganiban, SSpS, read.

Villegas: Pork barrel issue should lead us to action

By Jennifer M. Orillaza
Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said Filipinos must not let time erase the lessons taught by the controversy to avoid the recurrence of other scams in the future. (The scam) continues to [baffle] and hurt us every time we discover something new about it, Villegas said in an interview on August 17, after a mass he presided for an organizations 15th anniversary at the EDSA shrine. The hurt that it causes us should [lead us] into action. We should not just allow the hurt to lessen with the passage of time, he said. Some lawmakers are currently under fire for the alleged P10-billion scam that involves the diversion of their pork barrel, more commonly known as Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), to bogus non-governmental organizations (NGO) for ghost projects in the past 10 years. The Makati Regional Trial Court recently ordered the arrest of Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged mastermind of the scam, for the alleged kidnapping of whistle-blower Benhur Luy late last year. She is currently being hunted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
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THE incoming president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) urged the Filipino faithful to learn from the lessons taught by the pork barrel scandal, saying that this controversy must lead the people to greater action.

The Catholic Church spearheads massive relief efforts in the face of destruction caused by flooding due to incessant rains brought by typhoon Maring. The monsoon rains have submerged at least 78 municipalities and cities in Luzon and displaced hundreds of thousands of families.

Philippine Church to spearhead Asian faith gathering Amid calamity, Tagle calls
RESPONDING to the call of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI to rediscover and deepen ones Catholic faith, the Philippine Catholic Church is spearheading an Asian gathering in October to counter the secularist influences hounding its conventions. Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle said the Philippine Conference on New Evangelization (PCNE) to be held on October 16 to 18 at the University of Santo Tomas would lead its Asian delegates toward the rediscovery and rejuvenation of their faith, keeping the churchs mission of new evangelization in synch with the modern times. There are parts of the world where the faith has become some kind of extracurricular activity which some even say you can do without, Tagle said. This drive has a destination, we would like to reach people who have yet to hear about Jesus for this is a constant mission of the church, he added. Delegates from Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, Thailand, and Myanmar will attend the event, he said. According to Tagle, the conferGathering / A6

for bayanihan spirit

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle

Pope condoles with victims of Phls ferry disaster

POPE Francis expressed deep sadness for the tragic loss of lives caused by the sinking of a ferryboat off the coast of Talisay in Cebu, August 16. In a telegram of condolence sent to Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, the pontiff gave his assurance of prayers and close solidarity with those affected by the tragedy, commending them to the loving mercy of Almighty God. The Holy Father invokes divine strength and comfort upon the grieving families, the injured and those involved in the rescue efforts, the letter read. The popes message was signed by the Cardinal Secretary of State, Tarcisio Bertone. According to reports, the St. Thomas Aquinas ferry was carrying more than 800 passengers and crew members when it collided with a cargo ship off the coast of Talisay. The ferry sank within minutes of impact. As of August 18, official death toll was pegged by the military at 39 with scores injured and many still missing. (CBCPNews)

IN these trying times, the countrys top churchman urged the faithful to continue fostering bayanihan (cooperation) to help thousands of typhoon victims in Luzon. Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle said the current situation is calling on the Much-needed relief goods like rice and canned goods continue to pour in at the Couples for Christ Home people to help one Office in Quezon City for distribution to flood victims. another more than ever. We are hopeful that this Let us console and help one scourge of Mother Nature will another in little or big ways result to a deep cooperation in order to lessen the pain of among our people so that it many amid this bad weather, could ease the pain of loss of Tagle said over Manila archdi- lives, properties, homes and ocese-run Radio Veritas. Calamity / A7

Leanne Jazul

Roy Lagarde

Priest decries RH oral arguments lopsided media coverage

IF a trial by media mileage would be done on R.A. 10354s Supreme Court oral arguments, the proponents of the law would be the all too obvious winners, a priest said. If I could just cry now, I would. The sad thing is, I saw how the RH Law was presented in media, according to those who want it to get ratified, said Sacred Theology professor Fr. Yulito Ignacio, in a talk to Marian devotees.

Justice should take its course in Napoles casepriest

COMPASSION can be effective only with reparation, a priest said, specifically commenting on how the now infamous Janet Lim-Napoles should be treated when apprehended and if eventually found guilty. [Im] seeing her also as a person, an individual who is also need of pastoring, meaning she is in need of guidance and of direction, of forgiveness. But this will not mean that we will simply let go of the offenses, Episcopal Commission on Youth executive secretary Fr. Conegundo Garganta said in a recent interview. The standard of law Napoles should be treated in the same way regular offenders are treated, Garganta noted, while finding ways to make restitution for the offenses committed, once proven in a court of law. So reparation for what has happened will be made, using the standards set by law for what kind of just sentence needs to be served. There, we will be able to show true understanding, there will be forgiveness, there will be love, he explained further. Garganta, who also heads the National Secretariat for Youth Apostolate, first talked about active compassion toJustice / A6

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Brothers Matias

Nirvaana Delacruz

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CAIRO, August 16, 2013A Coptic Catholic bishop who served as a member of the assembly that drafted Egypts 2012 constitution said his country will not have a civil war, and foreign powersincluding the United Nations should not interfere. In a wide-ranging interview with Arab West Report, Bishop Youhanna Golta of Alexandria, Egypt, also said people must view Egypt as a whole and not just be concerned about Coptic Christians. He discussed the history of Islam and asked for patience for Egyptian democracy, reminding people that European democracy took four centuries to evolve, and Egyptians have only had two or three years.

World News
Civil war is when a part of the country turns against the other part. This is not the case in Egypt, the bishop said Aug. 15, the day after more than 600 people were killed and several thousand injured after a police crackdown on people protesting the ouster of former President Mohammed Morsi. In Egypt, the people are united against a certain group that doesnt represent more than 2 percent of the country, he said, referring to extremists within the Muslim Brotherhood, to which Morsi belongs. This cannot be called a civil war; these are called (acts of) terrorism. With respect to the burning of the churches, I said today in the Akhbar newspaper that burning of the churches makes us (Christians) proud, because we are contributing to the liberation of Egypt, said the bishop, who serves as an assistant to the Coptic Catholic patriarch. Some Egyptian media published a list of all the Christian buildings and residences that had been burned in recent months. Church leaders condemned the attacks and, after the Aug. 14 violence, called off vigil services for the Aug. 15 feast of the Assumption. There is no street or alley in Egypt that does not have both Muslims and Christians living together, he said. It is impossible that Egypt gets divided. Egyptians are indivisible. He said that, historically, Islam was the only religion that did not plan on eliminating other people. Occupiers usually requested the occupied people convert their religions to those of their occupiers, he said. Muslims did not do that. They (extremists) are deleting this icon in Islamic history. The bishop rejected the term Coptic issues, used to refer to issues that concern Egypts Christians. We dont have Coptic issues, we have Egyptian issues, the bishop said. That Copts are granted their rights while Muslims are deprived of them is not acceptable to me and indeed impossible to achieve. That the Copts undergo development while the Muslims live miserably is

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Coptic bishop: No civil war in Egypt; foreign powers keep out

unacceptable and will not happen. Responding to a question about whether a third party should facilitate dialogue among Egyptians, Bishop Golta responded, Never! The (European Union) and U.S. should never intervene, then added the United Nations to his response. They have the money but not the rational or emotional capacity, he said. The EU and the U.S. only care about their interests. We are an impoverished, humiliated, ignorant, marginalized, beastly people in their views. No third party should intervene, he repeated. If we didnt know how to resolve our issues on our own, then we should not deserve to live. (CNS)

Vatican Briefing
Minor appointments by Pope Francis signs of Curial reform

Denver archdiocese: World Youth Day launched spiritual revolution

DENVER, Colo., August 15, 2013In 1992, Denver was one of three American cities that had been vying to host World Youth Day the following year. That Palm Sunday, Pope John Paul II announced the fourth international gathering of Catholic youth would take place not in Buffalo, N.Y., or St. Paul, Minn., but in Denver. Organizers could begin their work So why Denver? Ultimately the choice was due to the inscrutable will of God, Cardinal J. Francis Stafford of Rome, former Denver Archbishop, told the Denver Catholic Register. The contingencies are dependent on his choice. Pope John Paul II made the final decision. He wanted the event, which had started as a youth rally in the Diocese of Rome and had become international, to be better organized and publicized, so he turned to the U.S. bishops feeling Americans excelled in organization and media. The Holy Father, I think, sensed that Denver was geographically and existentially more attuned to that anniversary since evangelization of the U.S. came through South America, he said. Secondly, the Holy Father was attempting to project the next 500 years of the evangelization of the Americas. Denver clearly has
Denver Catholic Register

A series of seemingly minor appointments may be the forerunners of a Pope Francis revolution in the Roman Curia, centered on the Pope who prefers to maintain a small circle of persons around him. There is a transition in place, and Pope Francis has his own project, which he shares just with a few people around him, a source who is familiar with the Vatican Secretariat of State told CNA Aug.13. The transition can be seen, according to the source, by several side appointments made by Pope Francis, such as those of Archbishop Guido Pozzo, Monsignor Konrad Krajewski, and Msgr. Francesco Camaldo. (CNA)
Pope donates 100,000 euros to poor dioceses in Argentina

Pope Francis has sent a message to Catholics in Argentina encouraging them to unceasingly reach out to help those in need by participating in a national collection on Sunday, Sept. 8. However, the Pontiff not only exhorted the faithful in his home country to be generous, he was the first to offer his own contribution by donating 100,000 euros to the special collection for dioceses in need. The Popes donation was drawn from the collection taken up annually around the world in June, known as Peter s Pence, which the Holy Father uses to help those suffering from natural disasters, hunger and other calamities. (CNA)
Suspended Vatican accountant linked to suspect spiritual group

World Youth Day participants at Mile High Stadium in Denver, 1993.

a reputation that is keen in view of the center that we offer for communications for cable, for satellite and for the capacity to communicate globally. Expectations At the time, World Youth Days were a fairly new experience. This would be the first, and as yet only, time the international event was held in the United States. Many secular or civil organizers, including the press, had no context to evaluate it, said Msgr. Buelt. The closest the press ever came, which was not close at all, was trying to understand it as a Catholic Woodstocka week of music and drugs and sex, which was

The Vatican accountant who was recently suspended for allegedly trying to smuggle $26 million had been part of a group known as The Flock, which has supposed Mafia connections. Monsignor Nunzio Scarano is currently under arrest in Italy for an alleged plan to transfer 20 million Euro from Switzerland to Italy aboard an Italian government airplane. Italian newspaper Il Mattino reports that Msgr. Scarano was entrusted with the management of a network of real estate activities for the spiritual family Lopera del gregge del Bamin Ges, or The works of the flock of the infant Jesus. (CNA)
Pope strengthens financial crimes laws, oversight body

obviously far from the Churchs expectation of what would and did happen. Journalists highlighted the cafeteria Catholicism of some Americans and the pontiffs age, 73, to speculate that the event would not successfully appeal to young people. Additionally, Denver was experiencing terrifying drive-by shootings that led media to call 1993 the Summer of Violence. And if fear didnt keep attendees away, even organizers werent certain American youths, unlike their European counterparts, would relate to the idea of pilgrimage upon which World Youth Days are based. It was predicted that the papal initiative would attract no

more than 20,000 young people, Cardinal Stafford said. With hopeful optimism, organizers started planning for 60,000 people to attend the Aug. 11-15, 1993, WYD program of catechesis, liturgies and cultural events that included a closing Mass at Cherry Creek State Park celebrated by fellow pilgrim, Pope John Paul II. Denver s WYD program diverged from previous ones in that the pope was to participate in twice as many liturgies and for more days. As the registrations started coming in, it went to 150,000, said Archbishop Dennis Schnurr of Cincinnati, who served as national director for Denvers WYD. The final registration was 500,000. We know there were walk-ons, particularly for the final Mass. It was 750,000 people there. Denver s program was so successful that it has remained the norm for subsequent World Youth Days, Archbishop Schnurr said. World Youth Day Denver also completely transformed how the Church goes about youth ministry in the U.S., he said. Previously, youth ministry was like Catholic Youth Organization, a lot of sports activities segregated from religious education. (We) brought those activities and religious education back together. (CNA)

Saved from abortion, Chilean twin brothers are now priests

SANTIAGO, August 16, 2013Two twin brothers in Chile say that their mothers determination in protecting them from abortion despite the advice of doctors helped to foster their vocations to the priesthood. How can I not defend the God of life? said Fr. Paulo Lizama. This event strengthened my vocation and gave it a specific vitality, and therefore, I was able to give myself existentially to what I believe. I am convinced of what I believe, of what I am and of what I speak, clearly by the grace of God, he told CNA. Fr. Paulo and his identical twin brother, Fr. Felipe, were born in 1984 in the Chilean town of Lagunillas de Casablanca. Before discovering her pregnancy, their mother, Rosa Silva, had exposed herself to x-rays while performing her duties as a paramedic. Consequently, after confirming the pregnancy, her doctor conducted ultrasounds and informed her that he had seen something strange in the image. The baby has three arms and its feet are sort of entangled. It also has two heads, he told her. Although abortion for therapeutic reasons was legal at the time in Chile and doctors told her that her life was in danger, Rosa opposed the idea and said she would accept whatever God would send her. The Lord worked and produced a twin pregnancy. I dont know if the doctors were wrong or what, Fr. Felipe said. I always think with special affection and tenderness in the heart of my mother who gave her life for me, for us, Fr. Paolo added. The two brothers were born on Sept. 10, 1984. Felipe was born first, and when the placenta would not detach, doctors suggested scraping her womb. Silva refused however, saying she felt another baby was coming out. Paulo was born 17 minutes later. This last detail is very significant for me, Fr. Paulo said. The doctors inserted instruments to remove the placenta because it wouldnt come out. My mother knew that I was there. I was late, but I came out. Had doctors scraped his mother s womb, he would likely have been gravely injured. The twins learned about the circumstances of their birth when they were in the sixth year of seminary formation. It was surely the wisdom of my mother and her heart that allowed us to learn of such an amazing event at the right time, Fr. Paulo said, reflected that while he had always thought his priestly vocation came during adolescence, he later realized that God was working in his life from the beginning, thanks to the yes of his mother. Although they grew up in a Catholic home, the Lizama brothers drifted away from the faith and stopped attending Mass. However, their parents separation and divorce led them back to the Church, and they received the sacrament of Confirmation. At the time, Fr. Paulo said, he lacked conviction in his faith but was attracted by the Blessed Sacrament, Gregorian chant, and the silent reverence of prayer. Fr. Felipe said he was drawn to God through a priest, Fr. Reinaldo Osorio, who would later become his formation director at the seminary. God was calling me. I realized that it was in God and in the things of God that I was happy, there was no doubt: I wanted to be a priest, he recalled. Despite being close, the two brothers did not talk about their vocations with each other. I dont know who felt the call first, Fr. Paulo said. I think God did things the right way in order to safeguard the freedom of our response. In March 2003, they both entered the seminary. While it was difficult for the family to accept the brothers decision at first, their mother told them after the first year of formation that she was at peace, realizing that they were happy. The twins were ordained priests on April 28, 2012, and celebrated their first Mass at Our Lady of Mercies in Lagunillas. Now, a year after their ordination, Fr. Felipe serves at the parish of Saint Martin of Tours in Quillota, and Fr. Paulo serves at the parish of the Assumption of Mary in Achupallas. God doesnt mess around with us. He wants us to be happy, and the priesthood is a beautiful vocation and that makes us completely happy, Fr. Felipe said. Following Jesus is not easy but it is beautiful, added Fr. Paulo. Jesus, the Church and the world need us, he explained. But they dont need just any young person: they need young people empowered by the truth of God, so that their very lives convey life, their smiles convey hope, their faces convey faith and their actions convey love. (CNA)

Pope Francis has issued a declaration that increases the power of the Financial Information Authority and continues the Vaticans efforts to update its statutes that prevent money laundering. The purpose of this motu proprio is strengthening the Vaticans work to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism, Ren Brlhart, director of the Financial Information Authority, told CNA Aug. 8. Specifically, the motu proprio says that Brlharts office will exercise prudential supervision over all Vatican organizations that perform professional activity of a financial nature. (CNA)
Soccer stars help launch Pontifical Academy of Sciences school project

Immediately after meeting Pope Francis, Gianluigi Buffon, captain of the Italian national soccer team, and Lionel Messi, captain of Argentinas team, lent their handsactually just a fingerto the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. The two stars took turns Aug. 13 clicking a mouse to launch www.scholasoccurrentes.org, the website of the academys initiative to bring together schools from around the world in projects to promote understanding and solidarity. Bishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo, a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, said the initiative wants to support projects that educate young people who are proud of their own culture and aware of the values they share with all. (CNS)
Pope to Knights of Columbus: promote Catholic teaching on family, life

Pope Francis asked members of the Knights of Columbus to promote Catholic moral teaching on marriage, sexuality and the protection of human life for the good of society at large. The popes message came in a letter from Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone to Supreme Knight Carl Anderson. Released by the Vatican Aug. 9, the letter marked the 131st annual supreme convention of the fraternal order of Catholic men, which took place in San Antonio Aug. 6-8. Cardinal Bertone wrote that Pope Francis invites each knight, and every council, to bear witness to the authentic nature of marriage and the family, the sanctity and inviolable dignity of human life and the beauty and truth of human sexuality. (CNS)
Pope denounces poison of consumerism in society based on profit

www.asianews.it

Taiwanese Catholics launch first childrens TV program on mime

TAIPEI, August 16, 2013The first childrens program based entirely on mime began production yesterday, the feast of the Assumption, with the blessing of Father Jerry. It will be broadcast on public television in Taiwan. It is being made by Kuangchi Program Service, the oldest television production company in Taiwan which this year celebrates its 56th anniversary. The priest, who is also vice president of KPS and a veteran of childrens programs, said that if you really take care of the education of children, like Jesus in the Gospel, this will bear great fruits and the children, as adults, in turn, will take care of their brothers and sisters. The program is based on the story of Mr. Amour and his cats whose narrative tells how every day life becomes special if open to love and acceptance. The technique used is made up of actors and puppets manipulated by hidden artists. The main actor, star of the street mime, and who has graced the screens of Hong Kong, China and Taiwan, it is called Renqian, a young Catholic who believes in the importance of communication and education as a means to developing the positive characteristics of each person. Communication is not just wordsRenqian told AsiaNewsI, for example, I can mime any animal except the human. With our creative team we developed this program for children and we are happy to be able to bring it to TV screens thanks to KPS production. I grew up with the values of the Gospel and I have always sought a creative way to share them. The President Jessica Zhuang says: It is the first time that we do not use our TV studio for our production, and we are happy to do so thanks to the new high-definition public television, with this innovative program for children in the age groups of seven to ten years. American Jesuit, Father Bourret, founded KPS first as radio station with childrens stories and educational programs for parents when literacy was very low. In 1958 the first Taiwanese television production company was born in Taipei, whose programs were recorded in the new KPS television studio and aired by the newly formed national television, built in the same neighborhood. Hundreds of actors, writers, directors and presenters have been trained at KPS and since then have given life to all the new television stations present today in Taiwan. The Taiwanese government and public television still maintain a very close

Pope Francis denounced consumerism as a poison that threatens true happiness, which comes from membership in the church. The pope made his remarks Aug. 4, before praying the Angelus with a noontime crowd in St. Peter s Square. The encounter with the living Jesus, in the great family that is the church, fills the heart with joy, because it fills it with true life, a profound goodness that does not pass away or decay, he said. But this experience must face the daily vanity, the poison of emptiness that insinuates itself into our society based on profit and having (things), that deludes young people with consumerism, he said. (CNS)

relationship with Kuangchi Program, entrusting it with the production of quality educational programs. Kuangchi also has a section dedicated to publishing, which has also recently published the catechism for young people in Chinese (Youcat). But in recent decades KPS has not limited itself to Taiwan. Due to the fact that the language of the staff and the entire production is Mandarin Chinese, KPS also works in mainland China where in collaboration with the National Television of China for the production and airing of documentary films accessible to hundreds of millions of viewers. Next production is due to begin in Milan and Beijing on the film about the famous imperial painter Giuseppe Castiglione, born in Milan. The four-part series will air next year on CCTV. (AsiaNews)

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News Features
cal council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, made his remarks in a letter to Bishop Antonio Marto of Leiria-Fatima. According to the Portuguese shrines website, the statue of Our Lady of Fatima will leave for Rome on the morning of Oct. 12 and return on the afternoon of Oct. 13. The statue normally resides in the shrines Little Chapel of Apparitions. The cardinal said that all ecclesial entities of Marian spirituality are invited to take part in the celebration. Hundreds of movements and institutions that emphasize Marian devotion are expected to attend, the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima says. The two-day observance includes an Oct. 12 pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Peter and moments of prayer and meditation. On Oct. 13, Pope Francis will celebrate Mass in St. Peters Square. Our Lady of Fatima appeared to three shepherd children in the village of Fatima in Portugal in 1917. She warned of violent trials in the twentieth century if the world did not make reparation for sins. She urged prayer and devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. At the request of Pope Francis, Cardinal Jose Polycarp, the Patriarch of Lisbon, consecrated the Popes pontificate to Our Lady of Fatima on May 13, her feast day. (CNA)

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Pope to consecrate world to Marys Immaculate Heart

VATICAN City, August 14, 2013Pope Francis will con secrate the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary this Oct. 13 as part of the Marian Day celebration that will involve the statue of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima. The Holy Father strongly desires that the Marian Day may have present, as a special sign, one of the most significant Marian icons for Christians throughout the world and, for that reason, we thought of the beloved original Statue of Our Lady of Fatima, wrote Cardinal Rino Fisichella. Cardinal Fisichella, who serves as president of the pontifi-

Pope to parents: Teach your children Pope, religious freedom advocates lament Egyptian violence VATICAN City, August 15, 2013Pope St. Mark, and a convent and school of anxiety that have filled the hearts of all to respect, defend human life that can yet happen in Egypt today and Francis joined proponents of religious the Sisters of St. Joseph.
liberty in voicing grief at the painful news of more than 600 deaths and numerous attacks on Christian churches in a recent wave of violence in Egypt. I wish to ensure my prayers for all the victims and their families, the injured and all those who are suffering, the Pope said before the Angelus prayer Aug. 15. Let us pray together for peace, dialogue and reconciliation in that dear nation and throughout the world. On Aug. 14, Egyptian security forces broke up the camps of protesters allied with the Muslim Brotherhood. The protesters were demanding the restoration to power of President Mohammed Morsi, who was ousted by the military last month. Over 200 protesters were killed, as were several dozen policemen. The death toll rose to at least 638 people in violence across Egypt on Aug. 15, as hundreds of Muslim Brotherhood members responded by setting fire to a government building near Cairo, the BBC reports. Much of Egypt has been placed under curfew and Christian churches have come under attack. In Suez, a convent of the Congregation of the Good Shepherd and the adjacent school and hospital were robbed and set on fire. A Franciscan church was also set ablaze, the Coptic Catholic Patriarchate of Alexandria reported. In the northeastern city of Minya, there was another attack on the Coptic Catholic church Mar Guirgis, which had previously been attacked by the Muslim Brotherhood. There were fires at a Jesuit church, the Coptic Catholic Church of In the north central city of Beni Souef on the Nile River, there was a fire at the Franciscan Convent of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In the central Egypt city of Asyut, there was a fire at the Franciscan Church of St. Therese and at a convent of Franciscan sisters. At Cairos Basilica of Our Lady of Fatima, attackers threw stones and assaulted the doors of the church but failed to enter. More than 25 other attacks targeted Orthodox and Evangelical churches, the patriarchate reports. Pope Francis addressed the violence in his remarks after the Mass for the Feast of the Assumption. He sought the intercession of the Virgin Mary. Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us, he told crowds gathered in St. Peters Square on Aug. 15. Lets all say it, Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us. One Christian leader, speaking anonymously to the evangelical Christian group Open Doors USA, lamented in particular the death of 10-year-old Jessica Boulos, who was murdered last week while returning home from her Bible study at a Cairo evangelical church. The Christian leader said her death by a fanatic Muslim gunman is unbearable and continues to throw its shadows of pain on her broken family and the entire Christian community of Egypt. In all of this mess, the loss of church buildings is great, but not to be compared with the loss of the many souls, the pains of the wounds and the fear and

VATICAN City, August 12, 2013Respect for human life from conception until natural death is something children must be taught, not mainly with words, but by the example of their parents, Pope Francis said. Parents are called to pass on to their children the awareness that life must always be defended, Pope Francis wrote in a message to people joining in the Brazilian Catholic Churchs celebration of Family Week, which began Aug. 11. The pope returned to his condemnation of the throwaway culture, something he spoke against several times during his July 22-28 visit to Brazil. He had said that modern cultures tend to treat even human lives as disposable,

pointing to the way people, societies and even governments tend to treat both the young and the old. In his message for Family Week, he said parents have a responsibility to fight that disposable culture by teaching their children that human life, from the womb, is a gift from God. New life ensures the future of humanity, he said, while older peopleespecially grandparentsare the living memory of a people and transmit the wisdom of life. The pope also charged married Catholic couples and their children with the task of recognizing they must be the most convincing heralds of the beauty and grace of Christian marriage. (CNS)

the days to come. Buildings can eventually be re-built, but when lost, souls can never be restored. Nina Shea, director of the Washington, D.C.-based Hudson Institutes Center for Religious Freedom, wrote in an article for National Review Online that the U.S. has shown an alarming indifference to the plight of Christians in Egypt. The Copts are not part of the military assault against Muslim Brotherhood protesters in two of Cairos squares, and were but one of many factions of Egyptian society that supported the militarys ouster of President Mohamed Morsi, Shea observed. However, she charged, the Copts have been scapegoated by the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamists since the beginning of the July 3 military intervention. She criticized the U.S. government for failing to take stronger action against the violent targeting of religious sites, property and houses of worship. When U.S. State Department spokesperson Marie Harf was questioned about the attacks at a recent press conference, Shea asserted, she simply said that the government is concerned and will continue speaking out against this in an effort towards moving forward with a democratic process. Beyond the general aim of moving forward with a democratic process, the Obama administration apparently has no policy specifically directed to help this religious minority, Shea said. (CNA/EWTN News)

Focus on poverty to address rich-poor gap, govt urged

MANILA, August 10, 2013A non-governmental organization (NGO) sectoral council on Friday called on the Aquino administration to address the widening gap between the rich and poor Filipinos by curtailing poverty and addressing the needs of marginalized Filipinos, noting that inclusive growth across all sectors of the society will only be achieved once this perennial problem is addressed. Paul Paraguya, member of the NGO sectoral council of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), said that the government must focus more on alleviating the plight of Filipino individuals suffering from the shackles of poverty instead of continuously pushing for a robust economic growth that only benefits the rich and the few. It is time to shift the perspective from growth to poverty. We have to stress the importance of eradicating poverty because if you do something for its curtailment, you extend help to a big number of Filipinos who are still suffering from this phenomenon, he said in the vernacular during the Kilusang 99% academic forum held at the Adamson University. Besides, poor Filipinos need more help than the affluent ones. If we will continue to focus on growth, millions of Filipinos will not be saved from poverty and will be left behind, Paraguya added. He also criticized the 7.8 percent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth posted by the country in the first quarter of 2013, noting that this development only benefits the rich and affluent, and does not include the small and voiceless sectors of the society. The country may have registered a high GDP growth, but the question is, are we really part of that growth? he said, further adding that the exclusion of societal sectors has been an intentional move of people in authority. This is not just a case of being included or not because there is really a move meant to exclude us. The problem lies not

Stephen Driscoll / CNA

Bishop criticizes PHs trickle down economic policy

MANILA, August 13, 2013Amid the ro bust economic growth posted by the country in the recent years, a Catholic bishop criticized the economic approach adopted by the government, saying it promotes the concentration of wealth to a minute portion of the countrys population. Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo, chairman of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines National Secretariat for Social Action, Justice and Peace (CBCP-NASSA), said the trickle down economic policy adopted by the government greatly contributes to the widening gap between the rich and poor Filipinos. Through my frequent visits to Filipinos from different parts of the country, I have seen that they barely feel the improvement in the countrys economy. More often than not, their ways to cope with poverty remains the same, he said in the vernacular. The trickle down economic policy pertains to the government approach of improving large-scale businesses and investments to benefit poorer members of the society through economic development as a whole. Responding to claims that Filipinos have to be patient to feel the economic development of the country, Pabillo said nothing will happen if the government will just keep on asking the public to wait before the statistical growth of the economy gets translated to tangible results. The present administration is already half of its termthree years have already passed. Why does the rich keep on growing richer and the poor becoming poorer? he said. If we would keep on adopting the trickle down system of econ o m i c g ro w t h , 1 0 0 years will pass and we will still be stuck in the same situation, Pabillo added. Labor contractualization The prelate cited labor contractualization as one of the negative offshoots of the trickledown economic policy that greatly contributes to the widening economic inequality in the country. The trickle down policys aim of developing the poor through the wealth of the rich does not happen in our country. Instead, the opposite occurs as the rich abuse small laborers by employing them on a contractual basis. In the end, no one benefits on the scheme but the rich, he said. He called on legislators to enact laws that will prohibit contractualization in the country and will standardize the security of tenure across the labor force. Through this, laborers will get their fair share from the companys profit by means of the benefits they will receive, Pabillo said. (Jennifer M. Orillaza)

on inclusion and exclusion, but on marginalization for us not to attain progress, he said Inclusion of social labor agenda Paraguya criticized the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) adopted by the government, saying it has not covered consultations with marginalized sectoral groups who are in dire need of change. PDP is the 6-year development agenda adopted by the government upon the election of a new president. [Aquino] once said that this PDP will be our plan to attain progress. How will this be possible if halfway through his term, sectoral groups have not felt the effect of this PDP? More so, how are we going to be included in this plan if almost all of us present in this forum do not know anything about this? he said. In developing economic plans, collaboration among government officials, private sector individuals, and civil society organizations is vital to come up with a comprehensive document that really covers the primary needs of the members of a society, he said. We have to address the problem through a sectoral approach because it is through this that we may logically group them in accordance with the degree of

poverty they are experiencing, he said. Sustainable development Paraguya urged government leaders to gain a deeper perspective in settling poverty, focusing not only on income, but as well as other human needs. We are suggesting that the government approach the problem in a deeper sensenot solely focusing on the rate of income received by individuals, but assessing if people have shelters to live in, if tribes have been granted their much-yearned ancestral domain, and if farmers have ownership over the land they till, among many other scenarios, he said. Gaining access over resources is very important because it will address the issue of marginalization in the country. Through this, no one will be left behind in our road to progress, he added. According to him, sustainable development is better than solely focusing on economic growth as the former safeguards not only the coffers of the country, but as well as its political, cultural, social, and environmental aspects. The countrys development plan must involve the majority of marginalized Filipinos if it is really genuine growth and development that we are all after, he added. (Jennifer M. Orillaza)

Urban Poor Associates

NGO fears looming of lost decade under Aquino govt

MANILA, August 11, 2013The lack of a concrete development plan and continuous failure of the government to address the emerging inequality in the countrys economy are signs of a looming lost decade under the Aquino administration, a non-governmental organization said on Friday. Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) president Ricardo Reyes said that despite the robust economic growth of the country, the widening gap between the rich and poor remains unsolved. We can see in President Aquinos recent SONA (State of the Nation Address) that there is no direction. It seems like he goes through the same path ventured by the previous administration, he said in the vernacular during his talk at the Kilusang 99% academic forum held at the Adamson University. Reyes added that the government either barely discusses or completely disregards important proposals that could solve the societal issues faced by the country. We fear that another lost decade may emerge, considering the prevailing instances of malnutrition, joblessness, homelessness, and decline of education in the country, he said. Serious inadequacy Reyes also lashed out the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) adopted by the Aquino administration, saying it does not correctly address the developmental needs of Filipinos from various societal sectors. The PDP should be scrutinized by both the Congress and the citizens. An ideal development plan should be discussed, debated, and must undergo public consultation, not that they would formulate and approve it by themselves. It is very important that we engage ourselves to its formulation for its contents are vital for the growth of the country, he said. Contribute to human development Reyes emphasized the role played by human developm e n t i n t h e i m p ro v e m e n t of a country and said the government must focus on projects that can contribute to the progression of human resources. The most important aspect in improving the economy is the human factor. Human development is not only about what a person can contribute to the society as a whole, but it is also about the improvement of his personal capabilities as an individual, Reyes said. He recognized the anti-corruption efforts of the present administration, but noted that it lacks proper connection with the countrys socio-economic agenda. Aside from putting an end to the never-ending issue of corruption, Reyes said that the government must strive to improve its development plan in such a way that it really addresses the pressing issues faced by the countrys marginalized sectors. (Jennifer M. Orillaza)

Stephen Driscoll / CNA

A4
EDITORIAL

Opinion
A more sinister flood

CBCP Monitor
August 19 - September 1, 2013

Vol. 17 No. 17

AS of press time the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has reported that the total number of population affected by the flood has increased to 223,991 families or 1,060,094 persons in 35 cities from the regions of Ilocos, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Cordillera and the National Capital Region. This storm-boosted southwest monsoon has flooded 514 geographical areas in 78 municipalities and cities in Luzon. To date, damages have been estimated at P66 million with 88 roads that are still impassable. There were 8 reported fatalities while 4 are still missing. A big number of provinces, cities and municipalities have been declared under state of calamity. While this is calamity enough, a larger social calamity is brewing in the offing that, unmistakably, is more devastating in all fronts for the whole country than the monsoon rains which impact could have been substantially diminished had government funds were not funneled somewhere else. The most inundated social disaster is the pork barrel scheme, which, according to Tony Lopez of Manila Times, has made Congress the biggest criminal syndicate in the Philippines. And Commission on Audit (COA) Chief Ma. Gracia Pulido-Tan confirms this when a recent news report quoted her as saying, At least 12 senators and around 180 congressmen, through the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) funneled P6.156 billion in pork barrel funds to 82 questionable NGOs from 2007 to 2009. And that was during the time of President Arroyo when the pork barrel budget was only at the average of P7.8 billion annually. Under Aquinos first three years, these have tripled to P24.8 billion. In his 2011 budget, the first that he submitted to Congress, Aquino increased the budget for pork, which is officially called Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), by 223 percent or from P6.9 billion in 2010 to P22.3 billion. In 2012, he raised the pork budget further to P24.89 billion. Next year, it is set to climb to P30 billion. But this is even peanuts according to Representative Neri Colmenares who recently disclosed in a press conference that more than P1 trillion of presidential pork barrel is hidden in the P2.268 trillion 2014 national budget, which Congress could not scrutinize. In addition, he has also at his disposal more than P100 billion from the Malampaya funds. It is no wonder then why social media is calling Aquinos Philippines a Pork Barrel Republic. And yet Aquino is not parting with the pork, despite the growing public realization that his matuwid na dawn slogan is a farce after all. It is seemingly sinking now into everybodys consciousness that the pork is the root of the countrys misery. Peoples growing poverty aside that could have been alleviated if not for this legalized plunder, the pork barrel is eroding the countrys democratic processes in that the president uses it to control, bribe and make subservient the independent houses of Congress and the Supreme Court. The impeachment of Corona and the passage of the RH Law are glaring cases in point. Presumably, there are more arm-twisting coming, which explains why the palace is unyielding. The flood of popular outrage against the presidential and congressional pork is gathering strength. People from all walks of life are gathering at the Luneta on August 26. The military and some established institutions are watching. God forbid that this will end up in a more sinister flood.

Fr. James H. Kroeger, MM

Year of Faith Reflections

REMARKABLE African Woman. Saint Josephine Bakhita (1869-1947) was kidnapped at age nine by slave-traders, beaten until she bled, and sold five times in the slave-markets of Sudan. Finally, she was bought by an Italian merchant and taken to Italy, where she received religious instruction, was baptized, and joined the Canossian Sisters. Written in later life, her first-person narrative is a remarkable testimony of faith. I enjoyed the opportunity [in Italy] to be instructed in the Christian faith. The saintly sisters helped me know God, whom I had experienced in my heart since childhood. Now at last I knew Him. I am definitely loved and whatever happens to meI am awaited by this Love. And so my life is good. A remarkable faith-journey: from slavery to sanctity! Shining Witness in Prison. Vietnamese Cardinal Nguyen Van Thuan (1928-2002) was a prisoner, often in solitary confinement, for thirteen years. His own words capture the depth of his faith.

Living Mission

Faith-Witnesses from many continents

her life and should distinguish the Filipino nation: faith in God and in the power of prayer, industry and honesty, love of country, and respect for the unity of the family (June 18, 1988). Cory, a genuine leader, a spiritual beacon of faith! Self-sacrificing Faith. With deep faith, Maximilian Kolbe endured the extreme horrors of Auschwitz, the notorious Nazi concentration camp in Poland. His final act of Christian witness came on July 30, 1941. When Franciszek Gajowniczek was randomly chosen to die by starvation, he cried out: My poor wife and children! I will never see them again. Father Kolbe volunteered to take his place. Asked by the commandant who he was, Kolbe replied: I am a Catholic priest. Kolbes offer was accepted. Franciszek survived and lived to be 95 years old. When Pope John Paul II canonized Kolbe on October 10, 1982 in Saint Peters Square, Franciszek, along with other Auschwitz survivors, was present (as was this writer). What a moving faith-experience!

The disabled
SINCE the United Nations declared in 1983 a Decade of Disabled Persons, relatively little has been accomplished in the way of improving their lot. It was projected that in 1990 the estimated number of disabled person in the Philippines would be 5.9 million. The great number of blind and lame people and other disabled persons begging along streets illustrates the magnitude of the problem of the disabled. They are powerless and voiceless, dependent and insecure. They have less job opportunities, high levels of unemployment and dependence, low levels of esteem and self-worth, and generally low levels of access to basic services such as health, education, welfare and employment. (Cf. National Commission Concerning Disabled Persons, Philippine Five Year Plan for Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation, 1983-1987). Transportation accessibility is a major problem, despite the passage of the Accessibility Law in 1983. Because they neglect their capacity to self-reliance, services to help the disabled unfortunately perpetuate rather than reduce the dependency of the disabled. Many programs are short term projects such as vocational rehabilitation and skills development and frequently failed to consider the preventive and socio-cultural development aspects. There is, therefore, a great need for the Church to assist government and non-government agencies in the care of the disabled. They are some of the poorest of the poor, pitied but often neglected. In them, the Church sees the faces of Christ and this recognition has to be translated into programs. What should be addressed urgently is the socio-cultural and spiritual needs of the disabled as well as long term alternative employment possibilities. Preventive measures such as community health programs, socio-economic and cooperative development are necessary. Thankfully we note that many church-related groups are doing more than their share in the social apostolate for the disabled. The Church has to encourage more of her members and institutions to do the same. In this Council we have decided on positive responses and lines of action in relation to these special concerns. It is our conviction that our agenda for renewal and transformation will bring us more closely to our vision of a nation that is renewed. More importantly our resolve will bring into our midst a fuller realization of the Kingdom of Jesus, a kingdom of justice, peace and love. (PCP-II Acts of the Council Nos. 398-401) Acts and Decrees of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines, 1991

When the Communists put me in the hold of the boat, the Hai-Phong, along with 1,500 other prisoners and moved us to the North, I said to myself: Here is my cathedral, here are the people God has given me to care for, here is my mission: to ensure the presence of God among these, my despairing, miserable brothers. It is Gods will that I am here. I accept his will. Each day, with three drops of wine, a drop of water in the palm of my hand, I celebrated my Mass. Profound and Genuine Faith! Woman of Faith and Integrity . Maria Corazon Cojuangco served as the seventh president of the Republic of the Philippines (1986-1992). One is often struck by Corys faith and courage. She noted the aptness of the phrase Peoples Power, but said that a better term might be Prayer Power (June 6, 1986). And it is by faith that we proceed on the longer journey we have yet to take to bring progress, prosperity and justice to our land (March 12, 1987). Cory spoke of the values that guided

Listening to gays
(Part 2)
WOULD the same-sex marriage movement allegedly gaining ground among First World governments catch on in the Philippines? I dont think so. Homosexuals from conservative families (like my Muslim friend) or those in sensitive occupations like teaching or civil service would be too resigned to care or dare to join lobby groups, knowing they have much to lose if they did. The gays from the masses like the four street dwellers I met at a soup kitchen who live in a karitonbelieve that being dirt poor they have nothing to lose anyway so they just do their thing. They scavenge for a living and all their belongings are in their kariton ; they sleep where the night finds them; they rely on broken fire hydrants, the Pasig River, and public toilets to wash themselves and their clothes. Whats more important for them is their survival, and not supporting some alien concept they have no need for. Same sex marriage pressure groups abroad might hope to find some sympathy and support from the high profile gays, but in our country the latter enjoy more privileges than the average Filipino, so how can they possibly feel deprived or discriminated against? They are not only tolerated or accepted, they are even admired

Teresa R. Tunay, OCDS

and thats the truth

and adoredthey are celebrities who host radio and TV shows, star in movies, endorse products in big time advertising, hobnob with the elite whose parties they write about in their lifestyle columns. They have big businesses (not only fashion-related) and make no efforts to hide their sexual preferences; they even let media friends publicize the plush homes they share with their long time lovers. Would they need to march in the streets in the name of equal rights? They dont need to change laws to make them happythey can fly off anytime to have their gay wedding in Las Vegas. So, what kind of gays might be influenced to join the gay marriage bandwagon? One group could be the unchurched, those who grew up without being taught the social and moral value of marriage but want the ritual ceremony anyway. Another would be the incurable romantics who, in spite of their membership in a church, tend to blindly follow fads and ape their celebrity idols. Here belongs the parlorista who used to cut my haira biological male who insists he is a girl and uses birth control pills to make him look like one. He is young enough to sincerely hope and pray that his boyfriend will
And Thats The Truth / A7

Fr. Roy Cimagala

Anti-greed campaign
Nowadays, many, in fact, do not even know the idea of common good. And if there is anything they do that would contribute one way or another to the common good, its by sheer coincidence that it happens. Any deliberate effort to do things for the common good is practically absent, if not openly avoided. The world is drowning in a sea of materialism and consumerism, with the spiritual values and the supernatural destination of human life all but forgotten. Its still working under an increasing infusion of deceptive economic tricks, but the illusion is also getting so increasingly untenable that things now are approaching breaking point. It seems that we are being set up higher and higher in our materialistic and consumeristic ways for a deeper and more painful crash sooner or later. The signs are already there, and many of our leaders in politics, business, media and even in the church are hesitant to give the bad news. The predicament is practically left unattended. Productivity is dropping, even in an accelerated rate in some places, mainly because without the support of the spiritual and supernatural elements of our life, people have no way but to tend to become lazy, and simply wanting to be comfortable, rich and continually entertained, and with narrow and shallow understanding of things. In the corridors of power and influence, graft and corruption have practically become the SOP. Just read the papers, and thats just the tip of the iceberg. The banking and financial sector continues to blow bubbles in the hope of stimulating productive economic activity. But they now seem to pop out soon after being launched. We need to go back to God and seriously relate our earthly business affairs to him and to his plan and providence. We have to reassure ourselves that this is the proper way to do business, taking us away from the tendency to be swallowed up by the logic of the flesh and the world that cannot help but lead us to greed and its ilk. God and economics are not two mutually exclusive realities. Gods eternal law includes the economic laws proper to us as image and likeness of his, and children of his. At the moment, we seem to do economics by practically ignoring God, or even openly opposing his laws. The supreme law of charCandidly Speaking / A5

Candidly Speaking
YES, why not? Why not launch an antigreed campaign and keep it going like some lifelong maintenance mechanism in a world that has become rickety with all sorts of moral sicknesses, with greed among the prominent ones? We just have to look around, and see greed and avarice and their many faces proliferating like anything, from the individual level to the farthest global ends. Many people are trapped in an almost invincible grip of selfishness, pursuing nothing other than their own self-interest and throwing any consideration for the common good to the wind. This is not to mention that many have forgotten to relate their earthly business to God, to consider it as a prayer and even an act of worship that is not only pleasing to God but also most beneficial to everybody else. We have been reminded in the gospel about this aspect of our life. Take care to guard against all greed, Christ said, for though one may be rich, ones life does not consist of possession. (Lk 12,14) We have been warned against storing up treasure for oneself but not being rich in what matters to God.

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The CBCP Monitor is published fortnightly by the CBCP Communications Development Foundation, Inc., with editorial and business offices at 470 Gen. Luna St., Intramuros, Manila. P.O. Box 3601, 1076 MCPO. Editorial: (063) 404-2182. Business: (063)404-1612.; ISSN 1908-2940

Brothers Matias

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 17 No. 17
August 19 - September 1, 2013

Opinion
Integral faith formation
must take into consideration the threefold dimension and expression of faith, its communitarian and ecclesial nature and its missionary character. How should integral faith formation be carried out? What are the means? There are three components of integral faith formation. a.) the intellectualist component (the head): knowing and understanding the revealed truths enshrined in the sacred scriptures and taught by the Church. This involves evangelization and catechesis. This involves learning the Churchs doctrines, the moral and social teachings. PCP II refers to this as renewed catechesis. b.) the fiducial component (the heart): deepening of ones trusting relationship with the Triune God. This involves formation in spirituality and active participation in the liturgical celebration. PCP II refers to this as renewed worship. c.) the performative/praxis component (hands): This involves developing commitment and competence for involvement in what PCP II refers to as renewed social apostolatein works of charity, justice, peace and the integrity of creation. This includes moral formation knowing/doing what is good and rejecting/ fighting what is evil. Formation must be geared towards developing missionary dynamismto form Christians for active participation in the prophetic, priestly and kingly/ servant mission of Christ and the Church. Formation must take place within the Christian communitythe Church. This requires the formation of a genuine Christian community. Integral faith formation must be carried in all levels: in the family, neighborhood communities, the parish, schools, renewal movements and lay organizations. This can also be effectively done in Basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs) in so far as they are truly the realization of the PCP II vision of a renewed Church: a community of disciples living in communion, participating in Christs mission as evangelized/ prophetic communities, worshipping communities, serving communities and the Church of the Poor. In these communities, faith formation can truly be integral and the members can mature in faith together.

A5
Rev. Eutiquio Euly B. Belizar, Jr., SThD

Fr. Amado L. Picardal, CSsR, SThD

Along The Way

AS the universal Church continues to observe the year of faith, one of the top priorities identified by the CBCP is the need for integral faith formation. The title of the CBCP Pastoral Exhortation on January 2013 is apt: Integral Faith Formation: Towards Maturity in Faith. What do we mean by integral faith formation and how can it be carried out? First we need to clarify what faith means. Faith simply means the human response to Gods self-revelation. There are three levels of meaning and expressions of faith: (a) faith as intellectual assent to the divinely revealed truths (b) faith as trust in the saving Lord whom we encounter in our day to day life and in the liturgy (c) faith as shown in loving deeds or praxis in obedience to the divine commandment. The eminent theologian, Avery Dulles, refers to the first as intellectualist faith, the second as the fiducial faith, and the third as performative faith. Thus, faith has three components: the creed, the cult and the code. It involves the mind, the heart and the hands. There are three symbolic actions related to faithto sit in order to learn the doctrines, to kneel in order to pray, and to walk in order to act out of love. PCP II speaks of three dimensions of Christian faith and life: (a) proclaiming and witnessing the Good News, (b) prayer and worship (c) loving service expressed in deeds of justice, of care for the needy and care for the earth. These three levels of meaning are interconnected and must be seen as integral dimensions of faith. Faith must be understood, celebrated and lived. According to CBCP Pastoral Exhortation this means knowing and deepening the faith, celebrating the faith (liturgy), and living the faith (charity faith in action). Faith by nature is both personal and communitarian. As PCP II states, while faith is a personal response it cannot be individualistic for one receives the faith and grows in faith in the context of the Christian communitythe Church which is a community of faith. Thus, faith is essentially communitarian and ecclesial. Finally, the light of faith that shines in the dark is meant to be shared. It is therefore missionary in character. An integral faith formation

By the Roadside Faith, light rejected, light to be recovered

A VERY intellectual priest gave a very intellectual homily in a parish church one Sunday. People started getting uneasy as they tried to listen. Children, in turn, became restless and started to talk and play. After an hour, the priest was on his way to the sacristy following the Mass when he met a very kindly and saintly lady, a manang. He asked her, Mana Meding, how was my homily today? Mana Meding replied, Father, it was excellent. But I still believe there is a God. This is a classic story that seems to say that faith or believing is against the intellect or reason. In fact, the Holy Father, Pope Francis, observes that this mistaken view regarding faith being against reason or that reason being against faith is behind the rejection of faith itself in our day and age. In modernity, that light (of faith) might have been considered sufficient for societies of old, but was felt to be of no use for new times, says the Holy Father, for a humanity come of age, proud of its rationality and anxious to explore the future in novel ways. Faith thus appeared to some as an illusory light, preventing mankind from boldly setting out in quest of knowledge (Lumen Fidei, no. 2). The Holy Father cites the case of the philosopher Nietszche who advised his younger sister Elizabeth to do either of two things: to believe and have peace of soul and happiness or to follow truth and therefore seek on her own (LF 2). I thought it silly for an intellectual heavyweight like Nietszche to advice his own sister the way he did because I feel faith is not against reason nor is reason against faith. But I also admit that that distortion keeps coming up even among our so-called highly educated fellow Filipinos, many of whom consider themselves Catholic or Christian. I remember a lawyer, in a debate on the RH Bill last year, saying point-blank: We must not listen to the Church when crafting laws. The Church and religion have no place in legislation. I also remember the tour guide Beltran who interrupted an ongoing liturgical activity at the Manila Cathedral with his silent placard-carrying protest accusing Churchmen to be Damasos of our time. Behind such protests and intellectual diatribes against the Church lies the view that faith as represented by the Church is against, and therefore has no place in the field of human reason as represented by the educated class. The Holy Father answers this objection. He points out that, on the contrary, faith is necessary because it brings light to all human endeavors, including intellectual ones like legislation, and that without faith, reasons final destination is chaos, confusion and fear of the unknown. Slowly but surely, observes Pope Francis, it would become evident that the light of autonomous reason is not enough to illumine the future; ultimately the future remains shadowy and fraught with fear of the unknownYet in the absence of light everything becomes confused; it is impossible to tell good from evil or the road to our destination from other roads which take us in endless circles, going nowhere (ibid.). St. Paul in writing to Thessalonian Christians says that we disciples of Jesus Christ are not preparing for the Day of the Lord or the imminent judgment if we dont live by the light of faith. We may feel secure by our own lights but that is false security. You know that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When people feel secure and in peace, disaster will suddenly come upon them as the birth pangs of a woman in labor; and they will not escape (1 Thess 5:2-3). In the ninth chapter of Johns gospel Jesus confronts a man who is blind since birth. Blindness to John isnt simply physical blindness. It is also a symbol of a life without the light of faith. As is obvious in this man, life without the light of faith is perpetual darkness; hence, the blind mans presence at the pool of Siloam. He was hoping to obtain a miraculous cure the pool was famous for. But it is Jesus who cures his blindness. Jesus curing the blind man, for us Christians of today, is a symbol of the recovery of the light of faith in our lives. We might, in ways very direct or subtle, have rejected our faith as we confront our daily tasks and challenges. We can always approach Jesus Christ through prayer, the sacraments, the liturgy and the teachings of the Church our Mother in faith, to receive healing from the Master. Notice that the blind man is cured not only of physical blindness but also of his blindness to who Jesus is. His cure is gradual; he moved from seeing Jesus as a man called Jesus (Jn 9:11) to seeing him as a prophet (Jn 9:17) and finally as Son of Man to believe in (Jn 9:35-37). The Holy Fathers description of what the light of faith can do illustrates how we need it to be cured of spiritual blindness. The light of faith is unique, since it is capable of illuminating every aspect of human existence. A light this powerful cannot come from ourselves but from a more primordial source; in a word, it must come from God. Faith is born of an encounter with the living God who calls us and reveals his love, a love which precedes us and upon which we can lean for security and for building our lives. Transformed by this love, we gain fresh vision, new eyes to see; we realize that it contains a great promise of fulfillment, and a vision of the future opens up before us (LF 4). I was brushing my teeth one night, getting ready for sleep, when the lights when out. For a long time I just stood there waiting. Nothing but darkness kept me company. I groped for my cell phone because it has a flashlight. Imagine my relief when the lights returned. I think that when we turn away from our faith, a deep spiritual brownout, as it were, occurs in the depths of our soul. Our education, no matter how advanced, will not eventually match all the twists and turns of life. But our greatest hope is that we can always return to Jesus Christ through his Church today. What a relief it would be if by recovering our faith, we too will recover our dignity, our sense of direction and purpose as well as the peace and joy that can only come from the Lord curing our blindness.

Congressmen should go fasting on pork!

FOR more than a month now, there had been debates on whether to abolish the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of congressmen due to its anomalous misuse by some of our congressmen. When we mention Congressmen, they are members of both houses. Thus, to differentiate the members of the two houses, we call the members of the Senate as Senators; we call the members of the House of Representatives as Representatives. The annual PDAF allotment for Senators is P200.00 Million each while the Representatives is P70.00 Million each. In the 2013 Budget, the PDAF was even increased by several hundreds of millions of pesos. A search in the internet produced these data: Pork barrel has its origin in the American history. Prior to the civil war, the slaves in the Southern part of America were traditionally provided with salted pork as a gift to enjoy on holiday. The slaves would run frantic for the barrel. The onrush of the legislators to get a subsidy was evocative of the stampede of the slave of the pre-American Civil War. Pork barrel formally defined as the appropriations of public funds for projects that do not serve the interests of any large portion of the countrys citizenry but are nevertheless vigorously promoted by a small group of legislators because they will pump outside taxpayers money and resources into the local districts these legislators represent. An effective legislation and use of pork barrel results into the legislator being re-elected x x x. It described the American colonial accent with the keeping of central leadership of the ruling party with the pork barrel as the spoiling incentives for the legislators. Towing the line would mean an increased access to the fund x x x. Thus, pork barrel funds are allocated to the senators and representatives to be used to fund projects in their respective district, not to serve the interest of a large portion of the country. Is it not the work of the Legislative Branch to pass laws? Why should the Legislators be given a slice of the taxpayers pie to fund his

Atty. Aurora A. Santiago

Duc in Altum
He touched on the theme of the 10th year celebration of the DioceseDuc in Altum: A Decade of Journeying Towards the Fullness of Life. The Cardinal quoted Psalm 23 The Lord is my shepherd The focus of the good Shepherd is to create vision, in order to achieve fullness of life. Trust Jesus Christ, the good Shepherd, because he is the only way to the Lord. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. After the Thanksgiving Mass, Citations were given to parishioners, as recommended by the parish priests. Congratulations to Virgilio Lazatin, Merle Desiderio, Karlo Lara, Ferdie and Baby Mendoza from my parish San Ildefonso de Navotas headed by Rev. Fr. Jerome Cruz. The anniversary of the Diocese will extend to the Episcopal Anniversary celebration of Most Rev. Francisco de Leon, the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese, with the Holy Mass at 8 am of August 31, 2013 and a dinner fundraising at the Manila Hotel. *** More than ever, we need the intercession of our Blessed Virgin Mary. Let our Lady and our Lord Jesus Christ be always present during the oral arguments and the deliberations of the Supreme Court Justices about RH Law. Let us continue praying the Oratio Imperata that the Supreme Court Justices declare the RH Law unconstitutional. *** Congratulations on the Episcopal Anniversary of Most Rev. Francisco de Leon, D.D. (Apostolic Administrator, Diocese of Kalookan and Auxiliary Bishop of Antipolo) and Most Rev. Deogracias S. Iiguez, Jr. D.D. (Bishop Emeritus, Diocese of Kalookan). Happy Sacerdotal Anniversary to Rev. Msgr. Alex V. Amandy (Vicar General, Diocese of Kalookan) and Rev. Fr. Salvador Curutchet, IVE. Happy Birthday to Rev. Fr. Jose Jun Embile of Ateneo University Naga City, and Diocese of Kalookan Seminarian Rene Richard Bernardo. Happy Wedding Anniversary to my niece Mary Gretchen Rosales-Castro and husband Charlie Castro.

project in his district? That is the work of the Executive Branch. The Commission on Audit special audit of the PDAF found 12 senators and 180 representatives channelling their PDAF to non-government organizations (NGOs), which misused the funds, if not totally left them unaccounted for. Taxpayers money given to the legislators in the form of PDAF or pork barrel found its way to the pockets of bogus persons. The money could have been used for the purchase of medicines in health centers and government hospitals, construction of schools, hospitals and housing for the homeless, and the like. Greediness will get you nowhere. Congressmen, it is about time to fast on pork. *** The 10th Anniversary Thanksgiving Mass of the Diocese of Kalookan was successfully celebrated on August 16, 2013, the Feast Day of its patron saint San Roque. The Main Presider was His Eminence, Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, D.D. with the Apostolic Nuncio, His Excellency, Most Rev. Guiseppe Pinto, D.D. and the Suffragan Bishops: Most Rev. Francis de Leon, D.D. (Apostolic Administrator, Diocese of Kalookan and Auxiliary Bishop of Antipolo), Most Rev. Deogracias Iiguez, Jr., D.D. (Bishop Emeritus, Diocese of Kalookan), Most Rev. Ramon Arguelles, D.D. (Archbishop of Lipa), Most Rev. Gabriel Reyes, D.D. (Bishop of Antipolo), Most Rev. Bernardino Cortez, D.D. (Auxiliary Bishop of Manila). Also present were Rev. Msgr. Seamus Patrick Horgan and Fr. Rolando P. Garcia of the Apostolic Nunciature Office. The clergy and religious of the Diocese participated in the sacred event. In his homily, Cardinal Rosales said the Bishop is the symbol of unity of the Universal Church. The Bishop binds together the flock. The true shepherd of the Diocese is the Bishop, not the priests. He reflected that the leader must have vision on how to lead his flock. Vision is different from sight. Vision transcends distance, unlike sight.

Fr. Francis Ongkingco

Whatever
THE priest had wrapped the Blessed Sacrament with the benediction veil and clutched the covered sacred vessel close to his chest. He then proceeded towards the altar where he was going to place our Lord for the midnight vigil. At one moment, for about a second or two, his face revealed a joyful semblance, like someone in the verge of giggling. After the benediction, as the priest removed his vestments, the sacristan asked, Father, I observed that before the benediction you smiled as if someone had told you something amusing. The priest said, In a way I was when I was holding our Lord so close to my breast, the edges of the clothing rubbed under my chin and tickled me. In a very spontaneous way I prayed, Lord, thank you for tickling me! Thats why you saw that jovial expression. *** One of the nagging questions that people ask about our Lord is if He was capable of telling jokes and giving his listeners a hearty and holy laugh. Those with a very rigid outlook would say this was unlikely because a joke is a casual form of lying between two parties who agree to fool each other for entertainments sake. And since our Lord Himself said, I am the Truth, then saying a joke would be contradictory to this divine statement. Others, however, are inclined to believe, even though there is nothing explicit in the Gospels, that our Lord must have been capable of sharing a good laugh with His disciples. Moreover, I believe there is one particular episode in the Gospels that reveals how Jesus shared something so down-to-earth as enjoying daily restful human moments with those around Him. Remember the mothers who wanted to present their children to our Lord? Perhaps, like all good mothers, they had a knack

F.U.N.: Jesus tickles

of sensing something humanly and spiritually attractive in the person of that Nazarene Rabbi. And they naturally would have wanted their children to be close to Him and even receive a blessing. Dont we see this same attitude in mothers who usher their children to the priests after Mass to get a simple boost of spiritual blessing? Now, what is interesting about this is that Jesus disciples began fending off the children. We really do not know why. Perhaps, they were only concerned about their Master s welfare. After all, having a herd of children for Him to bless could only exhaust Him from carrying out more important tasks. Arent adults always thinking in such a complicated way? But Jesus had something else in mind. Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven. The disciples must have been totally surprised. After all, they were only trying to help their Master something insignificantly bothersome. Instead, He tells them to allow the little ones to come, and Jesus laid His hands on them and went away. Interestingly, Mathew closes his narration without any further elaboration. This is only to be expected since what else can you expect Jesus to say to or do with the children? Our experience being with children is simply being with them. And we know what to expect since there is nothing more natural than to be children ourselves when we are with little ones. Being with children means becoming like them, talking and acting like them, and maybe wanting to see a smile on their faces (with missing dentures) or hear them giggling by gently tickling or making funny faces at them. Surely, this was also what Jesus did! He would have carried the smaller ones, and when about to go, He made sure

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ity is often considered as impractical and impracticable. In short, that it is inhuman, anti-business and all that. We need to change that mindset. God and charity should be the be-all and end-all of our economic affairs. We just cannot stop at the level of profitability or practicality, making them the supreme goal of our businesses. Without discarding them, we need to go beyond them and aim at what really is the goal for usGod and charity, which is the very essence of God and also the essence meant for us precisely because we are Gods

image and likeness, and Gods children. Doing business with God as the origin, way and end in no way harms our economic activities. On the contrary, it will broaden our perspective, sharpen our creativity, foster our productivity, and increase our capacity to tackle whatever challenges, burden or trials we may meet along the way. Doing business with God in mind and heart melts away the fears and doubts that often lead us to be greedy and to pursue only our self-interests at the expense of the common good.

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THE head of Manilas Roman Catholic Church got teary-eyed as he joined calls for an investigation into the pork barrel scam involving some of the countrys lawmakers. Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle has again displayed a more emotional side of his personality, condemning the alleged irregularity as heartbreaking. Who will not be shocked with these reports and with the magnitude of money involved? Tagle said in a press conference on the upcoming Philippine Conference on New Evangelization. Its like your heart is broken into pieces. Can one really do this to ones neighbor? Can one really stomach causing this kind of damage on the country? he said.

Local News
According to him, an investigation is necessary in order to determine the truth behind the allegations of corruption against some congressmen and senators. Its really necessary that this would be scrutinized and investigated including the past scandals that are in danger of being forgotten, Tagle said. The cardinal then broke into tears when he challenged the politicians and those involved in the intricate web of corruption to visit the poor and slum areas. Tagle said those accused should get a real feel of how the poor lives in order to realize how the hefty Priority Development Assistance Fund should be spent correctly. My only appeal, not only to the politicians but to anyone involved in the controversy, is for them to visit the communities of informal settlers. Try walking there at night, said Tagle. He added that a simple glimpse of a family unfolding carton boxes for them to have a place to sleep will already break their hearts. On my own, I just think those that are doing such things are capable because the poor is absent in their lives. Maybe they cannot see them or they dont want to see them, said Tagle. But once they see them and even feel their suffering, maybe, they will at least be disheartened and moved by it, he said. Cardinal Tagle also said that those involve in the multi-million pork barrel scam can still reform in significant ways. I still believe that there is goodness in every person. You can be better than this. And you cannot deny it. There is goodness in you, which comes from God, said Tagle. Abolish the pork Meanwhile, Manila Auxiliary bishop Broderick Pabillo called on government leaders to pursue the abolition of the pork barrel, more commonly known as the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), saying it is a system of corruption that continuously plagues the Philippine society. Some lawmakers are currently under fire for the alleged P10-billion scam that involves the diversion of their PDAF to

CBCP Monitor
August 19 - September 1, 2013

Vol. 17 No. 17

Cardinal Tagle gets emotional over pork barrel scam

bogus non-governmental organizations (NGO) for ghost projects in the past 10 years. Even if some lawmakers claim that they are not involved in the scam as they comprehensively and accurately report their PDAF expenses, it is still best to abolish a system of corruption such as this, he said. The prelate noted that government officials must stick to their original duties to avoid involvement in any controversial and illegal scheme. Lawmakers are elected by the people to legislate and not to implement government projects. They should not identify which government project is entitled for funding. Let the officials from the executive department do that, he said. (Roy Lagarde / Jennifer M. Orillaza)

Churches join calls for pork abolition

THE countrys largest ecumenical group has joined calls for the abolition of the pork barrel allocations for lawmakers. In a statement, the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) said that the pork barrel has been art of the patronage politics that has plagued the countrys political and electoral system. The NCCP joins the groundswell to scrap the pork barrel system. Let the funds be channeled to education, health, housing and other social services, part of the statement read. Let us remain focused on the issue of corruption in high places diverted as we are often by other issues, it said. The NCCP made the statement amid allegations of corruption involving the Priority Development Assistance Fund or pork barrel funds. To note, a total of five senators and 23 congressmen have been implicated in the scam for supposedly funding fake non-government organizations in implementing ghost projects using their PDAFs. PDAF is a lump sum given through the national budget to lawmakers to finance priority development programs and projects of the government. The NCCP also supported calls for an investigation into the P10-billion alleged pork barrel scam. The amount involved, the outrageous sense of betrayal felt by the general public and the total insensitivity of those involved to the greater majority of the people boggle the mind, the NCCP said. The scandal provokes sadness and anger. Sadness at the plight of the people in the hands of its leaders. Anger over the way peoples taxes have been misused, it added. (CBCPNews)

Cardinal seeks to win back lapsed Catholics

Focus on generating jobs instead of relocating poor families, bishop says

WHILE recognizing the relocation efforts done by the national government to thousands of informal settlers in the metro, a Catholic bishop urged government leaders to focus more on generating quality jobs that could ensure and sustain the financial stability of the urban poor for a longer period of time. Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo said the problem of urban migration lies with the lack of employment opportunities in rural areas, noting that if relocated families will not be able to secure jobs in their new homes, they will still be forced to go back to the metro in search for better opportunities. Rural families migrate to Manila to find quality jobs that could sustain their day-to-day living. Their problem lies not with housing but with employment opportunities to fend for themselves, he said in the vernacular. If the relocated families will not be able to find new jobs in areas where they are relocated,
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all their efforts would just end up in vain if relocated families would still fail to secure jobs in their new homes, he said. No to privatization Pabillo also criticized emerging propositions to privatize hospitals and universities, noting that this move will create a big impact to families who depend on subsidies provided by the government. We have already seen the effects of privatized water and electricity. We could expect the same thing to happen to our universities and hospitals if we will let these calls for privatization to happen, he said. Among the basic effects of privatization is the skyrocketing rate of basic services. We have to leave this system of privatization, the prelate said, adding that government officials must strive to address the countrys vital issues to obtain inclusive growth across all sectors of the society. (Jennifer M. Orillaza)

Catholic Church leaders in the country are seeking ways to address the phenomenon of decreasing attendance during Sunday Masses and of Catholics transferring to other religions.

Lack of opportunities in the provinces push people to migrate in the metropolis forcing them to informally establish residences near esteros and riverbanks

they will be forced to leave and go back to establishing shanties in the metro, he added. The government has recently started the relocation of informal settler families dwelling in the metro to nearby provinces. This effort is part of the governments P351 billion program that aims to address flooding in the country

primarily caused by the squatter colonies that has clogged Metro Manilas major waterways. The prelate noted that once people have acquired decent jobs, their desire for decent housing will automatically follow. The government should have known better by providing more jobs for the urban poor because

ence carries a tripartite objective of creating an experience of God in the context of the challenges of the new millennium, strengthening bonds of communion, and providing avenues of inspiration and direction imbued with the spirit of new evangelization. New evangelization is not just based on mere strategies. They are based on a renewed experience of Jesus. We are hoping that through this three-day conference, we would gain a renewed experience of Jesus, the prelate said. He also said that the conference aims to keep the mission of new evangelization alive amid changes brought by modernization. Our mission is to understand our modern world and look for opportunities to fulfill our mission. We recognize the fact that there are problems and contradiction, but despite this heaviBlast / A1

ness, we know that this world remains to be the same one that came from our God, he said. Three-day conference Serving as the Philippine churchs humble contribution to the universal churchs mission of new evangelization, the threeday conference features talks, parallel sessions, workshops, and activities that tackle modern-day approaches to deepen ones faith and spirituality. Parallel sessions dubbed as Streams of Encounter with God will be held on the first day, featuring sessions on the following topics: The Word of God, Paths and Expressions of Prayer, Praying for the Unjust Structures of Society, Your Faith Has Made You Well: Healing Encounters, Encountering God Through the Arts, Downloading God Through the New Media, and Ang Mahal na Birhen

at Ang Mga Banal: Kaagapay sa Panalangin. On the second day, renowned theologian Fr. Catalino Arevalo, S.J. will give a talk on Popular Devotions and the New Evangelization. Another set of parallel workshops dubbed as Pathways of Communion and Renewal will be held on the same day. Pathways of Communion and Renewal sessions include Integral Faith Formation, Empowering the Laity Toward Social Transformation, Active Presence and Participation of the Poor in the Church, The Eucharist and Liturgy as Font and Apex of Christian Life, The Family as Focal Point of Evangelization, The Parish as a Community of Communities, Integral Renewal of the Clergy and the Consecrated, Journeying with the Youth, Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue, and

Animation and Formation for Mission Ad Gentes. A musical gathering dubbed as the concert of the millennium is also slated on the second day. The third day features a talk on the Missionary Dimension of Evangelization by Cardinal Tagle and the last set of parallel sectoral workshops. Sectoral workshops include sessions on Catechists and Catholic Educators, Lay Associations and Ecclesial Communities, Church of the Poor, Family and Evangelization, Parish as Community of Communities, Clergy, Consecrated Persons, Youth, Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue. Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto will celebrate the closing Eucharist. A message from the Supreme Pontiff will be shown at the closing of the convention. (Jennifer M. Orillaza)

THE countrys most prominent Roman Catholic leader is seeking to win back lapsed Catholics to the Church. Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle said the countrys Catholic population may have increased but there is still an urgent need to awaken people whose faith has turned cold. We need to awaken the faith of Christians that became cold, Tagle said in a press briefing at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) in Manila, August 13. However, the cardinal stressed that this phenomenon happens not only in the Philippines but also in other countries especially in Europe. That phenomenon of Catholics whose faith is becoming cold or who are transferring to other religion is not only happening here in the Philippines rather in other parts of the world, Tagle said. Its troubling because other countries received their faith from European missionaries and now you hear them say that the number of their baptisms and marriages are decreasing, he added. In the Philippines, the church leader particularly lamented the number of Catholics who do not go Mass on Sundays. Not everyone goes to church every Sunday. We dont know if its just out of habit or if they are already distancing themselves from the Church, Tagle said. There are also those who say outright that they are already
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leaving the Church to join other groups, he added. Bringing back lapsed Catholics to the Church, he said, is one the missions that the upcoming Philippine Conference on New Evangelization (PCNE) somehow wants to achieve. In a rapidly changing world, the cardinal said the Gospel does not change and it will always remain the same. But Tagle pointed out that the Good News must be proclaimed in a way that could address the challenges of a changing world. Why did they turn cold? Let us listen to their questions, criticisms and complaints and maybe by listening to them we will be able to answer to the call of how we can transmit the faith more effectively, Tagle said. Organized by the Archdiocese of Manila in celebration of the Year of Faith, the PCNE will be held at UST on October 16 to 18. Its a very humble approach to the new evangelization, he said. Henrietta de Villa, PCNE executive secretary, said they are expecting not less than 5,000 participants to attend the festival of Good News and festival of joy. She said that bishops from other Asian countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia and Brunei have also been invited to grace the gathering. This is our offer to the universal Church with a Filipino flavor an Asian flavor, Tagle said. (Roy Lagarde)

Urban Poor Associates

We challenge all stakeholders of peace in Mindanao to stand together so that acts of cowardice will never reign over the Land of PromiseMindanao, it added. The AMRSP also expressed solidarity with the people of Mindanao in these very difficult times caused by the recent bomb attacks in Cotabato City, Cagayan de Oro City, Maguindanao and North Cotabato. We join the entire nation in extending our deepest sorrow and sympathy to the victims of these senseless killing and their families, the AMRSP said. We express our deepest concern for the safety of all Mindanawons and we denounce the heartlessness of the perpetrators, it said. They also said that the images of innocent civilians being killed give them a sense of the governments inability to protect its own
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people from the ruthlessness of the few. We are shocked that lives can be taken away easily, anytime, and anywhere by those who want to continue sowing terror and fear among the people, the group added. We enjoin all armed groups and warring factions in Mindanao to please spare innocent civilians from their whims of violent means, and to sit down with government and all stakeholders for dialogue and shun the use of ruthlessness to forward their belief and ideologies, it said. Chance to work for peace Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Quevedo expressed hope that despite recent violence, the peace process would gain strength to end the decades-long conflict in Southern Philippines. Such a crime as well as other attacks on human life and property must motivate all of us to pray for peace, to work for peace,

and act together for peace, Quevedo said. We must do so especially when lasting peace is within our reach through peace negotiations, he said. At least two separate explosions struck again in Maguindanao and North Cotabato last August 9. Three other bombings occurred on Aug. 7 two in Maguindanao and one in North Cotabato, with seven soldiers wounded in one of the attacks. On July 26, an explosion also killed eight people and injured 46 others in Cagayan de Oro City. Quevedo said whatever the motivation, there is simply no justification for the murder of innocent lives. We must condemn this terrible crime in the strongest terms and pray that the perpetrators be identified, arrested and brought to justice, he said. (CBCPNews)

I think [this calls] for greater action. It cannot be repeated, Villegas added. However, the prelate declined to comment when asked about the Catholic priests who have allegedly come to the defense of Napoles in disputing the kidnapping claim of whistleblower Benhur Luy. Politics of patronage Last July, Villegas urged lawmakers to focus on their duty to craft and legislate laws instead of meddling with the practice of the executive to build infrastructures and provide social services to the people. Let the legislators legislate and the executives execute, he said in an archdiocesan pastoral statement titled Pork Barrel, Stewardship and the Poor: The Morality of the Pork Barrel. The pastoral letter came in the wake of reports exposing the controversial 10-billion pork barrel scam. Villegas added that the pork barrel fund makes patronage politics reign in the Philippine government as it compromises the independence of separate entities with debt of gratitude. Public governance is stew-

wards Napoles in a homily to Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines employees recently, making reference to St. Maximilian Kolbe, a priest who took the place of a stranger sentenced to die in the Auschwitz Nazi concentration camp in 1941.

Justice without hatred Wishing to temper the brutal backlash directed against Napoles, highly visible now on social media, Garganta said justice needs to be served, but without hatred. Quoting St. Maximilian, who prayed even for the Nazi

camp guards, Garganta said Hatred is not a creative force, it is only love that is a creative force. Those who have known and served the Lord have this to offer, to be able to look at an enemy eye to eyea look that communicates understanding,

forgiveness and love, he added. Lim-Napoles, who was implicated in a P10 billion pork barrel scam and currently being investigated by the Department of Justice and the National Bureau of Investigation is on the run from the law. (Nirvaana Ella Delacruz)

ardship but the pork barrel has made public governance a system of patronage. Stewardship liberates and uplifts. Patronage enslaves and insults, he said. One of the basic rules that make stewardship functional is transparency and accountability. Under no circumstances must transparency be excused and accountability ignored, he added. He urged government leaders to establish the distinct separation of the executive and legislative departments to avoid conflict of interest, parochialism, and corruption. On the part of government, for the sake of sound stewardship of public money, it is imperative that those who approve the budget are distinct and separate from those who implement the projects, Villegas said. Villegas also called on the Filipino faithful to live the virtue of integrity to avoid controversies that corrupt ones emotional and moral richness. Man does not live on bread alone, the good Lord taught us; but man does not need pork to go with breadIt is integrity that must go with bread. Let integrity flow in our beloved land, he said.

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CBCP Monitor
Vol. 17 No. 17
August 19 - September 1, 2013

Diocesan News
Briefing
Novas youth commission to celebrate 3rd anniv

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Priests urged to exercise vigilance vs thieves

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga Catholic priests in Pampanga province were told to exercise greater vigilance after thieves swiped old bells from a church recently. San Fernando Auxiliary Bishop Pablo David said strengthened security measure must be enforced to secure valuables inside churches. We just alerted priests to be more vigilant, David said. Two church bells have been taken from a small church in Barangay San Vincente in Bacolor town recently. The bells were said to be instrumental in alerting thousands of residents in the village to evacuate the area from lahar flows after Mt. Pinatubo erupted in 1991. The Archdiocese of Pampanga is known for its several historic The Basilica of Our Lady of Caysasay in Taal, Batangas has one of the oldest and considered churches that are considered as na- largest bells in the country. tional treasures. said that old church bells are often being properties. David said incidents of church We have no more problems with our bells being stolen is not new in the targeted by thieves because of their archdiocese, saying this also happened antiquity and because they are made church bells. We just strengthened our security and announced to the people in the past in several parishes such as of bronze. In the Diocese of Malolos, parishes to be alert, especially in barangay chaAngeles, Magalang and Porac. Fr. Genaro Diwa, executive secretary have already intensified security mea- pels, Malolos Bishop Jose Oliveros of the CBCPs Commission on Liturgy, sures to protect the churchs important said. (CBCPNews)

QUEZON CityThe Diocese of Novaliches Commission on Youth (COY Nova) will celebrate its 3rd anniversary as a commission on August 25, at the St. Peter Shrine in Commonwealth, Quezon City. Dubbed as 3in1: One Faith. One Youth. One God. the half-day celebration will focus on leadership, commitment and faith. Migs Enriquez, the event coordinator, said the celebration will serve as a general assembly of youth leaders within the diocese. The event will not just gather youth leaders from different parishes in the diocese, but will also invite members of the Sangguniang Kabataan and student leaders from different public and private schools within the diocese to participate and grace the occasion, Enriquez added. (Jandel Posion)
Pontifical university professor gives talks to Palo seminarians, clergy

PALO, LeyteIn a recent visit to the Archdiocese of Palo, a professor of a pontifical university in Rome gave a series of talks to seminarians and priests touching on the personality of the new Pope and crisis of morality in todays world. Rev. Fr. Paul OCallaghan, a professor of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome visited the St. John the Evangelist School of Theology (SJEST), Palos major seminary, last July 25-27 and gave a series of talks to clergy and seminarians. For Fr. OCallaghan an Irish priest and a member of the Prelature of the Opus Dei the visit to Palo was a dream come true. Fr. OCallaghans visit was one of the activities which coincided with the 25th anniversary of the St. John the Evangelist School of Theology and the 75th year of the erection of Palo as a diocese. (Sem. Ryan A. Salvacion)
Dioceses seek aid for typhoon Labuyo victims

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Jaro Archdiocese offers new catechetical formation program

JARO, IloiloTo respond concretely to the call of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCP II) for a renewed integral evangelization, the Archdiocese of Jaro is offering a formation program for catechists this present academic year. The Jaro Archdiocesan Commission on Catechesis and Catholic Education (ACCCE) has announced the offering of ladderized classes for the Basic Catechetical Formation Program for Academic Year 2013-2014. The program is not only a response to the call of PCP II but also inspired by the incisive challenges enunciated by Pope Benedict XVIs encyclical Porta Fidei for the Year of Faith. The indicator that the Church in the Philippines has only 5% professional catechists, (i.e. with two to four years formal training) challenged the local Church to take a serious look at her faith-formation mission. The Archdiocesan Commission on Catechesis and Catholic Education has designed a program, with a regular yearly schedule spread over four years, aimed at professionalizing the parish catechists. The Basic Catechetical Formation Program covers three areas, first, the content of Faith, second, the person of the catechist and, third, the skills in catechetical methodology. Under the area of the content of Faith, courses are given to cover basic understanding of the main sources of the Faith: Divine Revelation from Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and the official Church Teaching, or Magisterium. The second area, the formation of the person of the catechist, is oriented towards the formation of catechists as human persons, as believers, who are called to possess a solid spirituality and as persons who have a ministry in the Church. The present reality reflects the influence of the secularism that speaks of the seeming absence of God. This demands from the catechists creative skills for the transmission of the Faith. Considering this reality, in the area of Catechetical Methodology, behavioral, sociological and pedagogical sciences are studied to enhance skills for communicating the Faith. The inculturated approach, as emphasized by the Catechism for Filipino

INFANTA, AuroraThe Diocese of Infanta in Aurora is appealing to the faithful to help victims of Typhoon Labuyo that recently ravaged the province. Fr. Israel Gabriel, Social Action Director of Infanta diocese, said that more aid is needed to support relief and recovery efforts for thousands of families affected by the typhoon. We are challenged by God to stand up and be counted as one for these people [in need of] your charity and love, Gabriel said over church-run Radio Veritas Thursday. The priest particularly cited the residents in the towns of Casiguran, Dinalangan and Dilasag that need emergency relief assistance. In Baguio, Bishop Carlito Cenzon has also appealed for aid for several families affected by flooding and landslides due to the typhoon. (CBCPNews)
Local media remember Leyte quake anniv with Mass, procession

Catholics, is properly implemented. The ladderized classes of the basic catechetical formation program will be held from September 4 to Dcember 7, 2013, for the first semester, and on January 7 to March 31, 2014, for the second semester. Registration for the first semester will be on August 26 to 31 at the Pius XII Catechetical and Pastoral Formation Center in Jaro, Iloilo City. Persons from a wide range of ages and backgrounds may apply. They can be as young as high school graduates or as senior citizens, such as retirees, as long as they are physically and morally fit to undergo the regular program, and have the recommendation of their parish priest. (Fr. Mickey Cardenas)

TACLOBAN CityMedia practitioners in the Archdiocese of Palo are organizing a procession and thanksgiving Mass to commemorate the 1-year anniversary of the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that hit Tacloban City and different parts of Eastern Visayas region last August 31, 2012. Slated on August 31, the activity is dubbed ATOM 7.6 or the August Thirty One Miracle. Despite the quakes great magnitude, there were no casualties, fatalities or any great damage on infrastructures in the region. Fr. Amadeo Alvero, the archdiocesan spokesperson said media practitioners in the city considered it as a great miracle that should not be forgotten, and should be remembered with much gratitude to God. (Jandel Posion)
Thousands join Palos jubilee fun run

TACLOBAN CityMore than 3,000 runners from different schools and parishes in the Vicariate of Tacloban joined the 2nd Fun Run of Takbo Jubileyo as part of the whole-year series of events for the celebration of the 75th Diamond Jubilee Anniversary of the Archdiocese of Palo. Held at 4 am last August 3 at the Balyan Amphitheatre, the run featured the united participation of all educators and students of different high schools and colleges in the city. The archdiocese marked its 75years as a Church last November 2012 with a solemn Eucharistic celebration led by Cebu Archbishop-emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal. The celebration is a whole-year event, wherein a particular sector within the Church is given prominence and celebrated each month. (Jandel Posion)

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Dominican schools in DavNor condemn Mindanao bombings

STO. TOMAS, Davao del Norte Religious private catholic schools managed by the Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary of the Philippines in Davao del Norte province have strongly condemned the spate of bombings that recently plagued some cities and towns in Mindanao and prayed for lasting peace as they celebrated the feast day of St. Dominic on August 8. We join the voice of peace advocates in strongly condemning the senseless, barbarian act of bombings in some parts of Mindanao which claimed the lives of innocent people and injured many civilians as this despicable act of terror continues to propagate fear and apparently damaged the peace efforts in the whole island, said Sr. Ma. Evelyn M. Oqueza, OP, Regional Superior of the Congregations of the Dominican Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary of the Philippines. A commemorative rite in honor of St. Dominic de Guzmanfounder of the Dominican orderwas held
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be replaced with an overflow of love, help and fellowship to our brothers and sisters, he said. Since August 19, heavy rains brought by tropical storm Maring inundated Metro Manila and other provinces of Luzon and displaced thousands of families. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said an estimated 125,024
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families or 601,104 individuals have already been affected by the rains and massive flooding. Aside from Metro Manila, provinces in Central Luzon and Calabarzon have been the hardest hit by the disaster. The NDRRMC also reported that seven have already died while 11 w e re i n j u re d a n d f o u r m i s s i n g . (CBCPNews)

simultaneously on August 8 at Maryknoll High School of Sto. Tomas and Maryknoll High School of Maniki, Inc. which was participated in by its school officials, teachers, students and other members of its academic community. As they offered prayers, participants also demanded justice for the innocent victims of the spate of bombings in Mindanao. They also called for a permanent and lasting peace which was followed by a symbolic releasing of doves. Sr. Ma. Evelyn M. Oqueza, OP challenged the youth of todays generation to build a culture of peace and develop a community where ones beliefs, principles, culture are respected. She urged the youth to act conscientiously, adding that students are prone to internalizing the stereotypes taught by their teachers, leaders, parents, friends and the media and that most of them see violence as the only viable option to resolve the conflict they were born into. If the school has done nothing

to change this present reality, there is little hope that future generations will have the motivation or skills to transform their societies into safe, secure and productive environments, Oqueza stressed. Meanwhile, Rev. Fr. Emerson Delos Reyes, DACET Schools Superintendent, reminded the youth to follow and exemplify the virtues of St. Dominic de Guzman such as the love for prayer and study. He said that through constant prayer one will be able to surpass the temptations of doing wrongful acts and discern whether such act merits good or bad results. Delos Reyes encouraged the youth to organize and support peacebuilding efforts to promote harmony, love, and peace within the school and of their own communities. Peace-building efforts are central to the issue in obtaining peace in Mindanao and for that, we would like to do our share and contribute something for this goal that each one of us longed for, Delos Reyes said. (Mart Sambalud)

Half true reportage Decrying what he calls n e w s re p o r t s o f h a l f truths about the RH Law oral debates in the Supreme Court (SC), Ignacio noted how the media failed to report on the fact that a good number of the SC justices had glaring objections about the said law, choosing instead to report on the speeches of the laws authors, Rep. Edcel Lagman and Sen. Pia Cayetano. What are in the newspapers, on TV, on YouTube, are all lies! All half-truths come from the devil, according to St. Teresa of Avila, Ignacio, who has been attending the

RH Law oral debates for the past two weeks, added. Ignacio hardly seems like the only one to notice a concerted media bias. Chet Espino also wrote a Philippine Daily Inquirer column titled, RH oral arguments: what wasnt reported to describe the grueling cross-examination of Concepcion Noche an episode which was painted in the media as anything but edifying for the pro-life camp, but which apparently won brownie points with several SC justices. Attack on religion During a talk last Au-

gust 16 in Our Lady of Carmel church, Fr. Itoy, as he is known to many, also particularly lamented the none-too-subtle attack on institutionalized religion in the Philippines, specifically on the Catholic Church and its teachings. Im sad. Just allow me to emote here. In our beloved Philippines, you will see, the number one target is the whole Catholic Church, he said, saying the Church remains unchanging with regard to its stand on contraception, which Pope emeritus Benedict XVI included in a list of modern social sins

in 2008, together with contributing to the widening gap between rich and poor, environmental pollution and drug abuse. Ignacio, who gave a talk on The Spirit of the World, noted how c r i t i c s b a s h t h e c l e rg y for the Churchs opposition to artificial birth control. Pe r son a l l y, w e h a v e nothing to do with it. It is Jesus Christ preaching the Gospel of life. Family life is sacred, married life is sacred. We have no right to end life in the womb, he explained. (Nirvaana Ella Delacruz)

to bless each one of them. How lucky those children were! With these considerations, it would not be so difficult to think of allowing our Lord to also tickle us during the day. This means discovering how He can open for us, even in the most common and monotonous moments, something to be happy and amused about. How exactly could this be understood? Consider being tickled in prayer. These are wonderful moments when we converse with our Lord and are grateful for graced memories. We strive to recall the moments when God in a mysterious way has led us to Himself, answered our prayers though not immediately, and even allowed trials that later on turned out to be blessings. In the end, like the saints, we learn to laugh at ourselves for not knowing how to trust and correspond to all these graces from God. Tickled in the sacraments like the Eucharist and Confession. When we attend Mass we once again become children who are dazzled with the miraculous presence of Jesus playing hide-and-seek. In confession we also become little through humility as we
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allow the divine doctor to cure our ailments, and though sinful we come out sorrowful and cheerful because we are more confident in the Fatherly mercy of God. Tickled by the Cross. When God sends us the cross in its varying weights and shapes, it is not because He wants to amuse Himself with our sufferings. On the contrary, He sends it to His favorite children so that they may be further perfected in His love. This made St. Josemara say and preach that there is no joy in a day without the mark of the Cross. Finally, theres being tickled by God in and through others. This would mean family, friends and colleagues. As we strive to live in a more Christ-like manner with everyone, we constantly exude both joy and peace to them. But we also share memories of being together as we humanly bring up and treasure the noble, decent and prayerful funny and wacky moments of family, social and professional life. These become restful and bonding moments that constantly help to already bring a piece of heavens joy here on earth. for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.

give up his girlfriend in order to marry him. Comprising the third group would be those who had been traumatically rebuffed by their family and society for being queer childrenthis may include similarly wounded intellectuals who have come to reject the moral guidance offered by any religion. A fourth would be those who equate being openly gay with being cool, relying on First World militant gay support for affirmationor for higher popularity ratings as in the case of certain celebrities who have recently come out of their straight closet.

Unable to see beyond their own satisfaction, these above-mentioned gays, whether male or female, are not in a position to care about the long-range effects of homosexual relationships on public health, national economy, peace and order, and population growth. They would hardly be conscious of the hidden agenda of gay marriage advocates nor would they likely scrutinize the demands of same-sex marriage advocates before taking the latter s side. For them the issue is simply one of belongingby identifying with the militant gays they believe they belong, they feel empowered, they acquire a voice. (To be concluded)

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EXHORTING them to embrace the married life as means to holiness, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas presided over the wedding rites of four pairs of former street kids in a simple, yet compelling ceremony last August 17. You are precisely the ones being used by God to confer graces upon each other, thats why it is so beautiful, Villegas, chairman of Tulay ng Kabataan (TNK), a non-governmental organization which helps get children off the streets, told the couples before the wedding vows. Walang iwanan Whatever problems, whatever hurts may come, no one gets left behind. Jesus will never leave you no matter what. God will never move, God will never

People, Facts & Places

change in loving you, he said further, reminding the young brides and grooms that this is the same promise they give each other in marriage. The incoming Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines president also told the five pairs, which included two TNK staff members, that married life is a path to sanctification. Love your spouse completely, even more than your own life. If your love is not total, you will not be holy, he added. Villegas also took the time to give a bit of catechism to the TNK kids at the EDSA Shrine, explaining why co-habitation or living in is considered a sin and why civil weddings fulfill social requirements, but remain invalid in the eyes of God and the Church. Quite a few tears were shed as Villegas invited the couples, all of whom had started living together before the ceremony, to leave all bad experiences, hurts and pains behind, receiving the peace and love of Christ for a fresh start as husband and wife. Open your hearts and receive peace in your hearts, life and love for each other, he added.
Photo courtesy of Nirva Delacruz

CBCP Monitor

August 19 - September 1, 2013

Vol. 17 No. 17

Villegas officiates mass wedding for former street kids

as a TNK staff member to help contribute to the advocacy that turned his life around. In operation since 1998, TNK has several programs to address the plight of thousands of underprivileged infants, children and youth in the slums, dump sites and streets. Through the years, they have also cared for and rehabilitated sexually exploited and mentallychallenged young people. Donations to TNK may be deposited to Bank of the Philippine Islands, Espaa Quezon Avenue, branch 304. For peso donations, deposit to #30436397-21, for dollars, dollars: #3044-0104-36. For additional information, anyone may contact telephone (+632) 435 59 12 or email info@tnkfoundation. org. (Nirvaana Delacruz)

Archbishop Socrates Villegas officiates the wedding of former street children at EDSA Shrine on August 17, during the 15th anniversary celebration of Tulay ng Kabataan (TNK), a non-government organization that provides residential and educational programs for street children.

From the streets to the altar The mass wedding revealed more of the family spirit of TNK, which celebrated its 15th Anniversary today. A timely tribute to TNK is the story of Paulo Gumero, who left a life on the streets as a child to grow up in a TNK shelter. There he met Maria Lyn, whom he married on August 17. Recently, Gumero decided to work

Swiss youth leaders learn Filipino culture

SIX Swiss youth leaders from Jungwacht and Blauring (JuBla), Switzerland got immersed in Filipino culture during their visit with Filipino counterparts last July 16 to August 2. Themed Tuloy Po Kayo! meaning Come in! which what Pinoys typically say when they want to invite someone to enter their homes, the Swiss youth leaders visited Manila, Cebu, Infanta in Quezon and Baguio City. According to Atty. Marie Gutierrez of Chiro Youth Movement, the Swiss youth leaders expressed early on that they wanted to spend more time with Filipino host families to see the people, learn the culture, social problems and the way of life, as they are. They wanted more time with host families and did not mind that they always had to wake up early for the long trip. The program on the other hand was well balanced, according to them. They expressed when they arrived that they did not like to travel like tourists but as missionaries where they can immerse with the communities, see the people, culture, social problems and our ways of life as they are, Gutierrez said. The Swiss youth leaders were welcomed at the San Fernando de Dilao Parish where Chiro leaders serenaded them with Pinoy songs. During their visit, they distributed uniforms to pupils of Sto. Nio PreSchool in Infanta, Quezon and participated in the Nutrition Day. They also stayed with fishermen and went fishing with their families. In their trip to Baguio City, they shared a cultural evening with Chiro leaders and CICM seminarians of Maryhurst with Fr. Tony Tanchioco. From Baguio, they went straight to Cebu for the childrens day where they handled activities for 100 kids in Danao City at the Sto. Tomas de Villanueva Parish and participated in a community mass with Fr. Roel Marigomen, the parish priest. On July 29, they had breakfast with Cebu Auxiliary Bishop Emilio Bataclan who warmly welcomed the youth leaders and exchanged stories about the Philippines and Switzer- An exchange program between Chiro Philippines and Jubla land. Switzerland provide an opportunity for their young members The youth stayed to experience the culture of both countries through immersion. with host families in Argao, Langtad, and ties with them and even got attached Sangi where they spent time with the to them. Friendships were formed after. families. They met again in Oslob for a Each batch is always different but their trip to the sea for a live interaction with batch is truly a very good one. They the whale sharks. were able to adjust well with our Pinoy Still in Cebu, they went to the minor way of life, Molina furthered. seminary for morning prayers and breakThe partnership has been in existence fast with young seminarians of the Pope since 2006 where Jubla youth leaders John XXIII Minor Seminary in Mabolo were able to see and understand the According to Jonalyn Molina, head of realities of the Philippines and the PiTeam 4 of the Chiro International Com- noy youth. mittee, the Swiss youth leaders had a Each youth movement take turns in positive evaluation of their entire visit, visiting the other country. In 2006, Chiro saying it was a good and balanced Philippines visited Jubla Switzerland; in program, all in all. And will continue 2007 Jubla visited Chiro; in 2008 Chiros the partnership exchange with Chiro Team 2 visited Jubla; and in 2009, Jubla in the future. returned to visit Chiro. She said the Swiss youth also had an Team 3 of Chiro visited Switzerland interaction with mental patients a day in 2010 while Jubla Team 3 visited before they left for Switzerland. the Philippines in 2011. Chiro Team It turned out that some of them are 4, all of them students, visited Jubla nursing and medical students. They all last year. eagerly went to a nearby mental ward Jubla and Chiro are organizations in Tanza, Cavite, and spent some time under the International Federation of talking to the patients, Molina shared. Catholic Parochial Youth Movements According to Chiro leaders, the (FIMCAP) which supports encounters visit was a unique experience for all like partnerships and roundabouts involved. among different member organizations. We had a good exchange of activi- (Jandel Posion)
Chiro/Jubla Partnership | Facebook

Calungsod film will inspire Pinoy youth film director

AN upcoming film on the life of San Pedro Calungsod is sure to increase awareness on the life of the young Filipino martyr and inspire young people, film director Francis O. Villacorta said. Villacorta is directing a movie on the life of the young Filipino martyr as an entry for the 39th Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) on December 2013. Actor Rocco Nacino speaks during a press conference But the film wont promoting his new movie San Pedro Calungsod: Batang Martir just be about the in Quezon City, August 11. saints martyrdom as Pedro Calungsod in a movie drew him it will also be about the role he played in the mission to the closer to God. In a one-on-one interview during the Marianas Islands, now known as Guam, between 1668 and 1672. It will show press launch of the movie San Pedro what virtues he practiced to serve the Calungsod: Batang Martir in Quezon propagation of Christianity at a time City last August 11, Nacino disclosed of paganism, doubt and disbelief, Vil- how the film has helped strengthen his spiritual life. lacorta said. Portraying the 2nd Filipino saint Villacorta, a graduate of History and Political Science at the De La Salle Univer- gave me many blessings right now. sity explained that young Filipinos will And it also helped me strengthen my learn so much from the teen saint, how spiritual life. I have been more Godthis young soldier of Jesus Christ fought fearing. Knowing how he sacrificed for the conversion to Christianity of the for the faith and for God, to spread Chamorro natives and his unquestionable His word, this really helped me a lot, Nacino said. obedience and loyalty to the mission. San Pedro Calungsod loves his reliHe emphasized that the saints heroic life, ordinary as he was being a young gion and God. I too have been closer to catechist and mission assistant, the God. Now, I appreciate my life more, dedication to his work and his devotion my family, religion and faith more, Nacino added. to God is all too inspiring. Nacino believes his portrayal of the His longing for his home and family in the Visayas will eventually be over- saints life has brought him blessings come by his longing for Jesus Christ. by getting more projects and developWhat a fascinating study of a young life ing his career. Even if hes a Born-Again Christian, all too willingly given up for the love of our Savior. Because in the end, I believe, Nacino pointed out there is no hinour life on earth is [but] a preparation drance in terms of religion because he for our reunion with Him, our Creator, believes that God was the one who gave him this project. Villacorta furthered. He is hoping that the Filipino people Actor Rocco Nacino will portray San Pedro Calungsod on the MMFF entry will watch the movie to help strengthen San Pedro Calungsod: Batang Martir their faith, no matter what religion they have. which started filming this week. When asked about doing sexy roles Produced by HPI Synergy Group in association with Wings Entertainment, after this film, Nacino emphasized the film is slated for a nationwide theat- that he will not entertain it for now because he want to keep the image rical release on December 2013. since there are young people who Film portrayal brings actor closer to God sees him as a role model. (Jandel Nacino said portraying the role of San Posion)

Pinoy joins Vincentian Youth international meeting

A FILIPINO Vincentian youth joined fellow youth from various continents in the recently concluded International Meeting of Vincentian Youth 2013 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, last July 18-21. Karl Michael Hila, Society of St. Vincent de Pauls (SSVP) National Council of the Philippines director for youth development was one of the 1,000 Vincentian youth from all the continents of the world who gathered for the three-day meeting which focused on giving service to the poor. Hila attended the gathering as a representative of Asia together with another youth from Singapore. In 2011, Hila also attended the same international gathering of young Vincentians in Madrid, Spain. He said that several years ago attending an international meeting like this was only a dream for him. To be able to participate a second time brought him tremendous joy, long lasting memories, several friends from all over the world, great learnings and deepening of rootedness in the Vincentian Spirituality, he said. To be able to attend it another time and as a member of the International Youth Commission of SSVP is beyond a dream for me, I never wished for it because it never crossed my mind that I will be qualified and deserving. But Gods love is freely given, not because of us but in spite of us, Hila said. He was able to attend several catechesis and workshops such as Vincentian vocation, new forms of poverty, forms and service initiatives to the poor, and charity as strength for evangelization. Indeed, it was a joyful gathering, a big happy family reunion, with Christ present at each moment, journeying with us, transforming us. Jesus Christ, whose face we have discovered in the poor, the meek, the one who mourns, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, the one who hungers and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the persecuted the Beatitudes. It was one of my important discoveries, the Beatitudes not being a code of conduct, but in fact a revelation of the face of Jesus! Jesus, sending us to follow Him, sending us to be messengers of peace, revealing to the world the joy of living with Him and in Him, Hila furthered. Themed Vincentians: Missionaries of Charity. Let us go to the Poor! the gathering had catechesis and workshops for participants, divided into three languages: Portuguese, English and Spanish. English speakers for the catechesis were Dr. Michael Thio, SSVP international president, who discussed the new forms of poverty; Fr. Gregory Gay, superior general of the Congregation of the Mission and the Daughters of Charity, who talked about the Vincentian Missionary Spirit; and Yamine Cajuste, international president of the Vincentian Marian Youth, who shared about charity as a force for evangelization. Workshops focused on the topics of Vincentian holiness, Vincentian vocation, forms and service initiatives to the poor and Vincentian leadership. The next international meeting of Vincentian youth will be held in Krakow, Poland on 2016, days before the celebration of the 31st World Youth Day. (Jandel Posion)

Markings
INSTALLED. Fr. Aristotle Dy, SJ was installed as the 6th president of Xavier School in Greenhills, San Juan by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle and Fr. Antonio Moreno, Provincial Superior of the Society of Jesus, last August 3. Xavier School is an educational institution catering to Filipino-Chinese. The term of Fr. Dy has been effective since April 1, 2013. A former student of the said school, Dy graduated as a Xavier Awardee from the Xavier Class of 1989. He earned his Bachelors degree in Management with honors at the Ateneo de Manila University before entering the Society of Jesus in 1993. As a Jesuit regent, he taught conversational Mandarin for 2 years at the Sacred Heart School (Ateneo de Cebu). He was ordained in 2004 and became the director of the Jesuit Communications and held leadership positions at the Ateneo de Manilas Chinese Studies units including the Leong Center and the Confucius Institute. From 2004 to 2008, he served as the National Secretary for the CBCP Chinese-Filipino Apostolate and at present, chairs the Chinese-Filipino Apostolate cluster for the Jesuit Philippine Province. In 2008, Dy left Manila to pursue special studies in Chinese Buddhism. Aside from his masters degrees in Philosophy and Theology from Ateneo de Manila, he also has a masters degree in Buddhist Studies from the University of Hongkong and is currently completing his PhD at London Universitys School of Oriental and African Studies. In a message by the school board of trustees, Mr. Johnip G. Cua, president of the board, congratulated and welcomed Dy back to Xavier School and extended their support and cooperation to the new school president. Aside from Xavier, other schools that serve Filipino-Chinese students are Sacred Heart School (Ateneo de Cebu) and Santa Maria Catholic School (Ateneo de Iloilo). Xavier School has two campusesGreenhills, San Juan that serves as main campusand another in Nuvali, Laguna. ELECTED. An Augustinian priest was elected vice president of Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) following the resignation of Fr. Antonio Moreno, SJ. Elected was CEAP region VII trustee Fr. Enrico Silab, OAR during the recent CEAP national board meeting in Quezon City. He was elected to the post following the resignation of Fr. Moreno who was installed as the 11th Provincial Superior of the Society of Jesus (SJ) on June 12, 2013. As vice president, Silab will take the assignment as the Chairperson of the Programs Committee which is tasked to bring the CEAP pillar programs on Transformative Education or the JEEPGY (Justice and Peace Education, Ecological Integrity, Engaged Citizenship, Poverty Reduction, Gender Equality and Youth Empowerment to the different regions. He is also in-charge of the implementation of the 2013 national conventional program. Silab is the current university president of the University of San Jose-Recoletos in Cebu City. DIED. Rev. Fr. Vicente Cajilig, OP. Cajilig was the spiritual director of Pro-Life Philippines Foundation. He would have turned 64 on Sept. 26. Cajilig once served as the Executive Secretary of The Office of Education and Student Chaplaincy of the Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences and as College Chaplain of Colegio de San Juan de Letran.

Group organizes special formation for consecration

THE countrys June 8 consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary may be over, but for one lay group, they are only getting startedorganizing a special formation track to promote individual consecration. Beginning with an initial run on August 16, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Our Lady of Carmel church in Lipa City, the Confraternity of Mary Mediatrix of All-Grace is promoting The Journey to Jesus Through Mary track, which aims to prepare individuals for consecration to the Blessed Virgin as prescribed by St. Louis Grignion de Montfort. Consecration until 2021 This is again the continuation of the call of the CBCP for our country to totally consecrate themselves individually, Confraternity head Brenda Padilla said in an interview, referring to the decision of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines to make consecration
Photo courtesy of Nirva Delacruz

Metro Manila-based groups and nearby parishes in Batangas underwent the formation track on September 16. Marys army The four talks, which were given by Fr. Melvin Castro and Fr. Julito Ignacio, are The Spirit of the World; Knowledge of Self; Knowledge of Mary and finally, Knowledge of Jesus Christ. According to Padilla, the rise of consecration to Mary is a sign of the times, an answer to a dark world that promotes secularism, moral ambiguity and even blatant evil. So St. Louis says, if we consecrate ourselves to [Mary], we become her army. God is forming an army consecrated to her who will defeat the enemy, she explained further. The Confraternity of Mary Mediatrix of All-Grace is a private association promoting true devotion to Our Lady as taught by St. Louis de Montfort. (Nirvaana Ella Delacruz)

Episcopal Commission on Family and Life executive secretary Fr. Melvin Castro talks about how rejection of the spirit of the world is a lot like purging the body of parasites before receiving the grace of total consecration.

and catechesis about the former vital, on-going preparations for the faithful for 2021, the 500th anniversary of the Christian faith in the Philippines. Padilla added the Journey talks will also prepare the peoples hearts for the National Pilgrimage to Lipa on September 12. An estimated 1,000 people from

Contributed Photo

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 17 No. 17
August 19 - September 1, 2013

Pastoral Concerns
Celebrating the Year of Faith, Looking Forward to 2021 From the CBCP Office for the Promotion of New Evangelization

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Towards maturity in Christ

IN the spirit of filial loyalty to the Holy Father and of spiritual communion with the Catholic Church all over the world, we observe the Year of Faith in our country as a period of grace for a more intensive program of new evangelization leading to our quincentennial jubilee in the year 2021. A significant renewal of faith-life and an intensified zeal for evangelization are the hoped for fruits of the Year of Faith. Indeed Blessed John Paul II himself said, to introduce the Catechism of the Catholic Church, that an extraordinary commitment to evangelization is urgently needed so that everyone can know and receive the Gospel message and thus grow to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Eph 4:13). The year 2013 is the first year in our nine year preparation period for the fifth centenary of the first Mass and first baptism in our country. Our pastoral priority for this year is INTEGRAL FAITH FORMATION. The present pastoral exhortation is intended to serve as a framework and orientation document for planning, initiating, implementing and evaluating programs for faith formation in our dioceses and parishes, in our schools and communities. Faith is a multi-faceted reality The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), following the lead of the Gospel according to John, focuses on the verb believe rather than on the noun faith in its treatment of the topic. The CCC does provide a partial definition of faith: Faith is mans response to God, who reveals himself and gives himself to man, at the same time bringing man a superabundant light as he searches for the ultimate meaning of his life. Four things stand out in this initial statement. First, God takes the initiative; humans make the response. In that sense, faith is a gift. Second, the interaction consists of a self-revelation and a self- donation. Faith is a personal exchange. Third, enlightenment comes as a consequence of faith. This enlightenment is connected with the discovery of meaning which can be taken in the comprehensive sense of existential enlightenment or

in the more specific sense of intellectual enlightenment. Fourth, faith is no mere conceptual exercise; it has to do with the very practical search for lifes meaning. It is, therefore, due to the very nature of faith that Gospel and doctrine are revealed for the sake of our salvation, for the sake of finding the meaning of our lives, and never merely for correctness and orthodoxy calling for intellectual assent. When we now speak of integral faith formation we mean, in effect, an approach to Christian discipleship that seeks to elicit and to nurture a maturity in the faith. The goal of formation must then be the development of the people of God who effectively recognize the divine provenance of faith. Faith must be experienced as a deeply personal relationship with God. We must see faith as the way to discover the meaning of life. We must commit to it as the one true thing, the most concrete and life-relevant value or pearl of great price. This faith one cannot afford to lose or, more exactly, that the community of faiththe Churchcannot afford to lose, if she wants salvation for herself and the world. Faith: life of the Church The Church holds certain truths sacred and inviolable. The Church offers worship to God in liturgical celebration. The Church lives, or at least aspires to live, according to a pattern and style she discerns to be in line with the Gospel. The Church prays. The entire Catechism of the Catholic Church is divided into four main parts: The Profession of Faith; The Celebration of the Christian Mystery; Life in Christ; Christian Prayer. Pope Benedict XVI applies the same framework to clarify the thrust of the new evangelization in his apostolic letter, Porta Fidei #9 ...We make it our prayer that believers witness of life may grow in credibility. To rediscover the content of the faith that is professed, celebrated, lived and prayed, and to reflect on the act of faithis a task that every believer must make his ownespecially in the course of this year. Creed-Code-Cult is the capsule reference commonly used

by authors to represent the dimensions of Church life. Evidently, all those dimensions should be covered if faith formation is to be considered integral. A problem arises when one is over-emphasized to the neglect of others. It is perhaps fair to say that there have been times in the history of the Church when the tendency to over-focus on creed as the primary mark of faith has not been successfully avoided. It is of utmost importance that a pastoral exhortation be aware of this danger and strive to keep a steady path toward a more holistic approach. The Faith is professed The Catechism of the Catholic Church is unquestionably an invaluable guide to arrive at a systematic knowledge of the content of the faith and has fulfilled what Blessed John Paul II wrote at its promulgation: This catechism will make a very important contribution to that work of renewing the whole life of the Church... I declare it to be a valid and legitimate instrument for ecclesial communion and a sure norm for teaching the faith. (Porta Fidei, # 11). We your bishops follow the directive of the Holy Father and invite you to note the importance of the documents of Vatican II and the Catechism of the Catholic Church as sources of the new evangelization called for the Year of Faith. In our pastoral exhortation last year we declared that integral faith formation will focus on the twelve articles of faith found in the Apostles Creed. It has one objective: a more intimate relationship between Jesus and his followers. Regarding the use of the CCC and related sources as instruments for faith formation, there is one subtle temptation to be avoided. Conceptual enlightenment or, worse, rote memory may come to take on so much importance that the process of formation is reduced for all practical purposes to the transmission of content. Content is, of course, an essential element of faith. Neither the Church nor the individual believer assents to vague and formless truths about existence. But granted that content is indispensable, it

profits little without the personal adherence to the saving truth that is encountered. Benedict XVI himself says In fact, there exists a profound unity between the act by which we believe and the content to which we give our assent. Knowing the content to be believed is not sufficient unless the heart is opened by grace that allows the eyes to see below the surface and to understand that what has been proclaimed is the word of God (Porta Fidei#10) Content by itself, whether of Scripture, dogma or catechism will avail nothing unless by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit it engages the heart of the recipient evoking a response of self-giving and commitment to the person revealing. Porta Fidei says further: Confessing with the lips indicates in turn that faith implies public testimony and commitment. A Christian may never think of belief as a private act. Faith is choosing to stand with the Lord so as to live with him. This standing with him points towards an understanding of the reasons for believing. Faith, precisely because it is a free act, also demands social responsibility for what one believes. All who are involved in faith formation would do well to fix their gaze on the image of San Pedro Calungsod. The saint holds in his left hand a palm branch, the mark of martyrs (Rev. 7:9-14) and his right hand clasps a book of Christian doctrine to his heart. Let it be noted that he is not, for example, raising the book of doctrine and waving it for people to see. Rather, he has embraced the Gospel in the innermost depths of his spirit and is ready to give up everything, even his life, for Christ. For faith to be integral, content and selfentrusting must come together. If this doesnt happen, then the Church is teaching a truth that does not lead to salvation. Every Christian doctrine is intended to be salvific truth is the theological dictum we cannot afford to forget. Thus, whether the source being treated is the Catechism, or the Creed or the documents of Vatican II, the formator must always be asking: How does this help the listener to find the meaning of life? How does this throw light on the mystery of human existence?

The Faith is celebrated What is the most important question one can ask in this life? One respected thinker asserted that that question would be: Is the world ultimately a kind and gentle or a harsh and cruel place to live in? Left to fend for themselves and to manage their own destiny, human beings would likely incline toward a pessimistic position. Why not? Creation is mortal and imperfect, sin is powerful and well-nigh irresistible; the future is dark and uncertain. Faith assures us that the story of humankind is a salvation history. Out of sheer goodness, love, providence and compassion a personal mystery greater than ourselves, God, has willed a beautiful past, present and future for us beyond the limits of our desire and imagination. The mysteries o f c re a t i o n , re d e m p t i o n , sanctification and ultimate union are the milestones of this divinely ordained history of salvation. At the center of all this stands the Paschal Mysterythe cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Lord! Joyful and grateful celebration of Gods wonderful works is an essential part of the life of the community of faith. Celebration thus understood and experienced is worship and adoration of the almighty and ever-living God. The death and resurrection of Jesus has radically changed the nature of religious worship. From then on, only the Paschal Mystery and offerings and sacrifices united thereto are acceptable to God the Father. Two sacraments of the Church, namely Baptism and the Eucharist, may be considered as the primary celebrations of the Paschal Mystery. Porta Fidei (#10) sees the essential meaning of baptism as membership in the community of faith to which God has entrusted the grace and the means of salvation: In the faith of the Christian community, each individual receives baptism, an effective sign of entry into the people of believers in order to obtain salvation. We dare to ask: Is this really the operative reason why Catholic parents are taught to seek baptism for their child (in earlier times as soon as

possible)? It is probably more in accord with the facts to say that baptismal catechesis puts more stress on the washing away of original sin than on entry into the people of believers. In other words, a theological issue that comes into prominence in the Middle Ages rather than the experience of the early Christians holds away over sacramental practice. Integral faith formation clearly needs to recapture the communitarian and ecclesial context of the sacrament. If the remission of original sin is sought in order to obtain salvation, it must be made clear that this grace is accessible, according to Gods will, within the community of faith, the Church. God saves people as members of the community not as individuals independently seeking salvation. The Eucharist is obviously the principal act of celebration of the faith. The people of God commemorate Gods victory over sin and death through the Paschal Mystery which becomes present in the liturgical celebration by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is important to stress that Christs presence in the Eucharist is a paschal presence, a presence which challenges and transforms, a dynamic presence which calls for imitation by the participants of Jesus way of dying and rising. The Eucharist is the efficacious sign and sublime cause of that communion in the divine life and that unity of the People of God by which the Church is kept in being (CCC, # 1322, 1325). Faith formation cannot be considered integral if it leads the formandi to regard and experience the Eucharist largely as a form of exalted private devotion which increases ones store of grace through frequent Communion or visits to the Blessed Sacrament. Christ is present not only to be gazed upon, to be admired and to be the source of personal consolation; He is there to be followed, to be committed to, and to live and die for. The Faith is lived When it comes to identifying what is real, people generally refer to the network of activities, d e c i s i o n s , c i rc u m s t a n c e s ,

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CBCP Monitor
August 19 - September 1, 2013

Vol. 17 No. 17

The canonical concept of Pastoral Care of Souls: Catechesis (Part IV)

By Fr. Jaime Blanco Achacoso, J.C.D.

AMONG the forms of exercising the ministerium verbi is also catechesis which is intended to make mans faith become living, conscious and active through the light of instruction (CD, n.5). Notion and Content Catechesis is the teaching of Christian doctrine generally given in an organic and systematic manner, directed towards initiation into the Catholic faith and the growth and fullness of Christian life. Its function is to develop in men a living, explicit and active faith, enlightened by doctrine. It is therefore a process during which one discovers his initial conversion and educates it towards maturity. The Church has always considered it a sacred right and duty to transmit the teachings of Christ and not just the doctrine of any teacher. Thus, it is never licit for anyone, on his own initiative, to make a selection of the deposit of the faith for catechetical instruction; rather, everyone must faithfully follow the directives of the Magisterium of the Church, whether solemn or ordinary. In general, the following have constituted the central topics for catechetical instruction since the first centuries of Christianity: the Creed, the Decalogue, the Sacraments and the Lords Prayer. Specifically, c.777 of the Code establishes that: In accord with the norms

established by the diocesan bishop, the pastor is to make particular provision: 1 that suitable catechesis is given for the celebration of the sacraments; 2 that children are properly prepared for the first reception of the sacraments of penance and Most Holy Eucharist and the sacrament of confirmation by means of a catechetical formation given over an appropriate period of time; 3 that children are more fruitfully and deeply instructed through catechetical formation after the reception of First Communion; 5 that the faith of young people and adults be fortified, enlightened and developed through various means and endeavors. Subjects of Catechetical Instruction The diversity of participants leads to catecheses of different natures and different levels of authority. All catechesis is an ecclesiastical action and consequently will always depend on the pastors to some extent; all catechesis depends on the magisterium. But since the Council, as stated in Catechesi tradendae and reflected in the Code, it is clear that all the faithful have the right to catechize, while the hierarchy is called upon to exercise authority and direction. Thus, before anything else, it is important to make the following fundamental distinction. 1) Official vs. Unofficial Catechesis: a) Official catechesisis that which depends on and receives public recognition from the authorities who direct it. It has an institutional character, and the pastors are publicly

responsible for its organization and adequate provision. Such Catechesis is intimately bound with the pastoral life and functions of the Church. The reason for this is because not only her geographical extension and numerical increase, but even more her inner growth and correspondence with Gods plan depend essentially on catecheses (CT, n.13). As such, catechesis is bound to the other pastoral functions while not losing its specific character. b) Unofficial catechesisis that which does not have an institutional character, but rather depend on the free action of the faithful and which is only under the general supervision of the pastors. It arises because the faithful do not require any mandate or any authorization from the hierarchy to catechize. 2) Active Subjects of Catechesis. Under the supervision of legitimate ecclesiastical authority, this concern for catechesis pertains to all the members of the Church in proportion to each ones role (c.774, 1). In the words of the 1977 Synod of Bishops, catechesis is a shared responsibility that rests on the shoulders of all the members of the Church.1 Everyone must therefore shoulder this commitment according to ones possibilities and the particular gifts or charisms one has received. Nevertheless, the Code makes specific mention of the following subjects: 1 Parents: Parents above others are obliged to form their children in the faith and practice of the Christian life by word and example (c.774, 2). This is a primary right-duty of parents, for which they

may count on the help of the catechesis organized by the pastors but only as a subsidiary measure. On the other hand, the Code itself establishes that the pastor is to promote and foster the role of parents in the family catechesis (c.776, in fine). 2 Godparents and Guardians: Godparents and those who take the place of parents are bound by an equivalent obligation (c.774, 2). Thus, this is also a right-duty. 3 Pastors of souls (i.e., parish priests and chaplains): There is a proper and serious duty, especially on the part of pastors of souls, to provide for the catechesis of the Christian people so that the faith of the faithful becomes living, explicit and productive through formation in doctrine and the experience of Christian living (c.773). 4 Religious superiors: Superiors of religious institutes and of societies of apostolic life are to see to it that catechetical formation is diligently imparted in their churches, schools and in other works entrusted to them in any manner (c.778). 5 Local Ordinary: It is the responsibility of the diocesan bishop to issue norms concerning catechetics and to make provisions that suitable instruments for catechetics are available...by fostering and coordinating catechetical endeavors (c.775, 1). 3) Catechetical Materials. The catechism is a synthesis of all the fundamental truths of the Catholic faith, expressed in an elementary, organic and systematic way, with specific and unequivocal formulas. Canon Law regulates catechisms and catechetical

texts in the following terms: 1 Universal level (e.g. text of the catechism for universal use): Norms depend on the Holy See. 2 National level: National catechisms should be approved by the pertinent Episcopal Conference, not just by an organism dependent on it (even if the Episcopal Conference may make use of such organism for the preparation of the catechism). The reason for this is that such organisms do not have any normative capacity, and the normative capacity of the Episcopal Conference in this matter cannot be delegated. In any case, these catechisms need approval (recognitio) of the Holy See. 3 Particular level: The diocesan bishop can approve and establish catechisms for use in the catechesis officially carried out in his jurisdiction, even if a duly approved national catechism exists. 4 Non-official level: The Catholic faithful, in the free exercise of their rightduty to do catechetical work, can seek approval for the use of other catechism and catechetical texts. In this case, the ecclesiastical authority is truly obliged to give approval if the contents of such materials are in accord with Catholic faith and morals and the universal catechetical norms.

FOOTNOTE
1

Cf. Enchiridion Vaticanum, VI, p.313 (nn.12-13). For a doctrinal background of catechesis, cf. J. Bajada, Catechesis in the Code of Canon Law, in Forum, 2 (1991), 55-63.

Non-celebrating priests reading the gospel

(Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy and dean of theology at the Regina Apostolorum university, answers the following query:) Q: I know that a priest concelebrant may read the Gospel at Mass in the absence of a deacon. In this case, he need not seek the blessing of the principal celebrant prior to reading the Gospel, unless the celebrant is a bishop. My question is: May a priest read the Gospel at Mass if he is preaching, but not concelebrating at that Mass? I ask because it is a common practice in my diocese for parishes to have one priest preach at all the Masses on a given Sunday, including some at which he neither presides nor concelebrates. If it is permitted for a nonconcelebrating priest to read the Gospel before he preaches at Mass, should he seek the blessing of the principal celebrant prior to reading the Gospel? K.D., Toronto A: There are few norms which address this precise question. We can glean some pertinent indications from the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM). First, regarding who reads the Gospel: No. 59: Bytradition, thefunction of proclaiming the readings is ministerial, not presidential. The readings, therefore, should be proclaimed by a lector, and the Gospel by a deacon or, in his absence, a priest other than the celebrant. If, however, a deacon or another priest is not present, the priest celebrant himself should read the Gospel. Further, if another suitable lector is also not present, then the priest celebrant should also proclaim the other readings. After each reading, whoever reads gives the acclamation, to which the gathered people reply, honoring the word of God that they have received in faith and with grateful hearts. This, of course, refers to the Latin tradition. In some Eastern Churches, reading the Gospel is actually reserved to the principal celebrant as representative of the voice of Christ. With respect to the homily GIRM, No. 66, says: The Homily should ordinarily be given by the priest celebrant himself. He may entrust it to a concelebratingpriestoroccasionally, according to circumstances, to the deacon, but never to a lay person. In particular cases and for a just cause, the homily may even be given by a Bishop or a priest who is present at the celebration but cannot concelebrate. No. 59 above does not state that the priest other than the celebrant who reads the Gospel is also a concelebrant, but it would be presumed that this would ordinarily be the case. Reading the Gospel is a ministry within the celebration, and logically the person who carries out this ministry should be an integral member of the assembly, take part in the entire celebration, and receive Communion as completion of his full participation. A priest who is to preach at several Masses, for example, on occasion of a mission appeal, would not usually be able to celebrate or concelebrate at all of them. Nor can he fully participate in each one as a member of the assembly, since the norms that preclude more than two communions a day also apply to a non-celebrating priest. For this reason, in order to respect the integrity of liturgical participation, I am of the opinion that the preacher should not read the Gospel. Likewise, when in particular cases and for a just cause, a minister other than the celebrant gives the homily at every Mass, it is likely that he is not present for the entirety of each celebration. Once more, he is not fully a member of that particular assembly and should not read the Gospel. In the above cases the preacher should approach the ambo after the proclamation of the Gospel. He would normally be vested in alb and stole or cassock surplice and stole. It is also questionable that this should be a common practice. It is certainly permissible on occasions, but to do so on a regular basis would not be in conformity with the spirit of the liturgy.

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Vol. 17 No. 17
August 19 - September 1, 2013

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Encyclical Letter LUMEN FIDEI of the Supreme Pontiff Francis to the Bishops, Priests and Deacons, Consecrated Persons and the Lay Faithful on Faith
(A continuation from last issue)
CHAPTER FOUR GOD PREPARES A CITY FOR THEM(cf.Heb11:16) Faith and the common good 50. In presenting the story of the patriarchs and the righteous men and women of the Old Testament, the Letter to the Hebrews highlights an essential aspect of their faith. That faith is not only presented as a journey, but also as a process of building, the preparing of a place in which human beings can dwell together with one another. The first builder was Noah who saved his family in the ark (Heb 11:7). Then comes Abraham, of whom it is said that by faith he dwelt in tents, as he looked forward to the city with firm foundations (cf.Heb11:9-10). With faith comes a new reliability, a new firmness, which God alone can give. If the man of faith finds support in the God of fidelity, the God who is Amen (cf. Is 65:16), and thus becomes firm himself, we can now also say that firmness of faith marks the city which God is preparing for mankind. Faith reveals just how firm the bonds between people can be when God is present in their midst. Faith does not merely grant interior firmness, a steadfast conviction on the part of the believer; it also sheds light on every human relationship because it is born of love and reflects Gods own love. The God who is himself reliable gives us a city which is reliable. 51. Precisely because it is linked to love (cf. Gal 5:6), the light of faith is concretely placed at the service of justice, law and peace. Faith is born of an encounter with Gods primordial love, wherein the meaning and goodness of our life become evident; our life is illumined to the extent that it enters into the space opened by that love, to the extent that it becomes, in other words, a path and praxis leading to the fullness of love. The light of faith is capable of enhancing the richness of human relations, their ability to endure, to be trustworthy, to enrich our life together. Faith does not draw us away from the world or prove irrelevant to the concrete concerns of the men and women of our time. Without a love which is trustworthy, nothing could truly keep men and women united. Human unity would be conceivable only on the basis of utility, on a calculus of conflicting interests or on fear, but not on the goodness of living together, not on the joy which the mere presence of others can give. Faith makes us appreciate the architecture of human relationships because it grasps their ultimate foundation and definitive destiny in God, in his love, and thus sheds light on the art of building; as such it becomes a service to the common good. Faith is truly a good for everyone; it is a common good. Its light does not simply brighten the interior of the Church, nor does it serve solely to build an eternal city in the hereafter; it helps us build our societies in such a way that they can journey towards a future of hope. The Letter to the Hebrews offers an example in this regard when it names, among the men and women of faith, Samuel and David, whose faith enabled them to administer justice (Heb11:33). This expression refers to their justice in governance, to that wisdom which brings peace to the people (cf.1 Sam12:3-5;2 Sam 8:15). The hands of faith are raised up to heaven, even as they go about building in charity a city based on relationships in which the love of God is laid as a foundation. Faith and the family 52. In Abrahams journey towards the future city, the Letter to the Hebrews mentions the blessing which was passed on from fathers to sons (cf.Heb11:2021). The first setting in which faith enlightens the human city is the family. I think first and foremost of the stable union of man and woman in marriage. This union is born of their love, as a sign and presence of Gods own love, and of the acknowledgment and acceptance of the goodness of sexual differentiation, whereby spouses can become one flesh (cf. Gen 2:24) and are enabled to give birth to a new life, a manifestation of the Creators goodness, wisdom and loving plan. Grounded in this love, a man and a woman can promise each other mutual love in a gesture which engages their entire lives and mirrors many features of faith. Promising love for ever is possible when we perceive a plan bigger than our own ideas and undertakings, a plan which sustains us and enables us to surrender our future entirely to the one we love. Faith also helps us to grasp in all its depth and richness the begetting of children, as a sign of the love of the Creator who entrusts us with the mystery of a new person. So it was that Sarah, by faith, became a mother, for she trusted in Gods fidelity to his promise (cf.Heb11:11). 53. In the family, faith accompanies every age of life, beginning with childhood: children learn to trust in the love of their parents. This is why it is so important that within their families parents encourage shared expressions of faith which can help children gradually to mature in their own faith. Young people in particular, who are going through a period in their lives which is so complex, rich and important for their faith, ought to feel the constant closeness and support of their its ultimate foundation, cannot endure. We need to return to the true basis of brotherhood. The history of faith has been from the beginning a history of brotherhood, albeit not without conflict. God calls Abraham to go forth from his land and promises to make of him a great nation, a great people on whom the divine blessing rests (cf. Gen 12:1-3). As salvation history progresses, it becomes evident that God wants to make everyone share as brothers and sisters in that one blessing, which attains its fullness in Jesus, so that all may be one. The boundless love of our Father also comes to us, in Jesus, through our brothers and sisters. Faith teaches us to see that every man and woman represents a blessing for me, that the light of Gods face shines on me through the faces of my brothers and sisters. How many benefits has the gaze of Christian faith brought to the city of men for their common life! Thanks to faith we have come to understand the unique dignity of each person, something which was not clearly seen in antiquity. In the second century the pagan Celsus reproached Christians for an idea that he considered foolishness and delusion: namely, that God created the world for man, setting human beings at the pinnacle of the entire cosmos. Why claim that [grass] grows for the benefit of man, rather creation as a gift for which we are all indebted; it teaches us to create just forms of government, in the realization that authority comes from God and is meant for the service of the common good. Faith likewise offers the possibility of forgiveness, which so often demands time and effort, patience and commitment. Forgiveness is possible once we discover that goodness is always prior to and more powerful than evil, and that the word with which God affirms our life is deeper than our every denial. From a purely anthropological standpoint, unity is superior to conflict; rather than avoiding conflict, we need to confront it in an effort to resolve and move beyond it, to make it a link in a chain, as part of a progress towards unity. When faith is weakened, the foundations of humanity also risk being weakened, as the poet T.S. Eliot warned: Do you need to be told that even those modest attainments / As you can boast in the way of polite society / Will hardly survive the Faith to which they owe their significance?[48] If we remove faith in God from our cities, mutual trust would be weakened, we would remain united only by fear and our stability would be threatened. In the Letter to the Hebrews we read that God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, greatly afflicted (v. 10). To speak of faith often involves speaking of painful testing, yet it is precisely in such testing that Paul sees the most convincing proclamation of the Gospel, for it is in weakness and suffering that we discover Gods power which triumphs over our weakness and suffering. The apostle himself experienced a dying which would become life for Christians (cf.2 Cor4:7-12). In the hour of trial faith brings light, while suffering and weakness make it evident that we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord (2 Cor4:5). The eleventh chapter of the Letter to the Hebrews concludes with a reference to those who suffered for their faith (cf. Heb 11:35-38); outstanding among these was Moses, who suffered abuse for the Christ (cf. v. 26). Christians know that suffering cannot be eliminated, yet it can have meaning and become an act of love and entrustment into the hands of God who does not abandon us; in this way it can serve as a moment of growth in faith and love. By contemplating Christs union with the Father even at the height of his sufferings on the cross (cf.Mk15:34), Christians learn to share in the same gaze of Jesus. Even death is illumined and can be experienced as the ultimate call to faith, the ultimate Go forth from your land (Gen12:1), the ultimate Come! spoken by Suffering reminds us that faiths service to the common good is always one of hope a hope which looks ever ahead in the knowledge that only from God, from the future which comes from the risen Jesus, can our society find solid and lasting foundations. In this sense faith is linked to hope, for even if our dwelling place here below is wasting away, we have an eternal dwelling place which God has already prepared in Christ, in his body (cf. 2 Cor4:16-5:5). The dynamic of faith, hope and charity (cf.1 Th1:3;1 Cor13:13) thus leads us to embrace the concerns of all men and women on our journey towards that city whose architect and builder is God (Heb11:10), for hope does not disappoint (Rom5:5). In union with faith and charity, hope propels us towards a sure future, set against a different horizon with regard to the illusory enticements of the idols of this world yet granting new momentum and strength to our daily lives. Let us refuse to be robbed of hope, or to allow our hope to be dimmed by facile answers and solutions which block our progress, fragmenting time and changing it into space. Time is always much greater than space. Space hardens processes, whereas time propels towards the future and encourages us to go forward in hope.

families and the Church in their journey of faith. We have all seen, during World Youth Days, the joy that young people show in their faith and their desire for an ever more solid and generous life of faith. Young people want to live life to the fullest. Encountering Christ, letting themselves be caught up in and guided by his love, enlarges the horizons of existence, gives it a firm hope which will not disappoint. Faith is no refuge for the fainthearted, but something which enhances our lives. It makes us aware of a magnificent calling, the vocation of love. It assures us that this love is trustworthy and worth embracing, for it is based on Gods faithfulness which is stronger than our every weakness. A light for life in society 54. Absorbed and deepened in the family, faith becomes a light capable of illumining all our relationships in society. As an experience of the mercy of God the Father, it sets us on the path of brotherhood. Modernity sought to build a universal brotherhood based on equality, yet we gradually came to realize that this brotherhood, lacking a reference to a common Father as

than for that of the most savage of the brute beasts?[46] If we look down to Earth from the heights of heaven, would there really be any difference between our activities and those of the ants and bees?[47]At the heart of biblical faith is Gods love, his concrete concern for every person, and his plan of salvation which embraces all of humanity and all creation, culminating in the incarnation, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Without insight into these realities, there is no criterion for discerning what makes human life precious and unique. Man loses his place in the universe, he is cast adrift in nature, either renouncing his proper moral responsibility or else presuming to be a sort of absolute judge, endowed with an unlimited power to manipulate the world around him. 55. Faith, on the other hand, by revealing the love of God the Creator, enables us to respect nature all the more, and to discern in it a grammar written by the hand of God and a dwelling place entrusted to our protection and care. Faith also helps us to devise models of development which are based not simply on utility and profit, but consider

he has prepared a city for them (Heb11:16). Here the expression is not ashamed is associated with public acknowledgment. The intention is to say that God, by his concrete actions, makes a public avowal that he is present in our midst and that he desires to solidify every human relationship. Could it be the case, instead, that we are the ones who are ashamed to call God our God? That we are the ones who fail to confess him as such in our public life, who fail to propose the grandeur of the life in common which he makes possible? Faith illumines life and society. If it possesses a creative light for each new moment of history, it is because it sets every event in relationship to the origin and destiny of all things in the Father. Consolation and strength amid suffering 56. Writing to the Christians of Corinth about his sufferings and tribulations, Saint Paul links his faith to his preaching of the Gospel. In himself he sees fulfilled the passage of Scripture which reads: I believed, and so I spoke (2 Cor4:13). The reference is to a verse of Psalm 116, in which the psalmist exclaims: I kept my faith, even when I said, I am

the Father, to whom we abandon ourselves in the confidence that he will keep us steadfast even in our final passage. 57. Nor does the light of faith make us forget the sufferings of this world. How many men and women of faith have found mediators of light in those who suffer! So it was with Saint Francis of Assisi and the leper, or with Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta and her poor. They understood the mystery at work in them. In drawing near to the suffering, they were certainly not able to eliminate all their pain or to explain every evil. Faith is not a light which scatters all our darkness, but a lamp which guides our steps in the night and suffices for the journey. To those who suffer, God does not provide arguments which explain everything; rather, his response is that of an accompanying presence, a history of goodness which touches every story of suffering and opens up a ray of light. In Christ, God himself wishes to share this path with us and to offer us his gaze so that we might see the light within it. Christ is the one who, having endured suffering, is the pioneer and perfecter of our faith (Heb12:2).

Blessed is she who believed (Lk1:45) 58. In the parable of the sower, Saint Luke has left us these words of the Lord about the good soil: These are the ones who when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience endurance (Lk8:15). In the context of Lukes Gospel, this mention of an honest and good heart which hears and keeps the word is an implicit portrayal of the faith of the Virgin Mary. The evangelist himself speaks of Marys memory, how she treasured in her heart all that she had heard and seen, so that the word could bear fruit in her life. The Mother of the Lord is the perfect icon of faith; as Saint Elizabeth would say: Blessed is she who believed (Lk1:45). In Mary, the Daughter of Zion, is fulfilled the long history of faith of the Old Testament, with its account of so many faithful women, beginning with Sarah: women who, alongside the patriarchs, were those in whom Gods promise was fulfilled and new life flowered. In the fullness of time, Gods word was spoken to Mary and she received that word into her heart, her entire
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By Francisco S. Tatad
AS the Supreme Court winds up the oral arguments on the validity of the Reproductive Health Law this week, one wonders why the government has not confronted the fundamental constitutional issue raised by the petitioners against it. Neither has any of the learned Justices asked the government about its deafening silence. The petitioners have raised multiple issues related to the right to life, right to health, right to religion, right to free speech, and equal protection of the laws. But their bedrock opposition rests on the overarching proposition that the State, as the constitutional protector of the life of the unborn from conception, does not have the right or the duty to prevent one solitary woman from conceiving a single human embryo. How married couples live their intimate conjugal lives is beyond the police powers of the State, the petitioners believe. Under no circumstance can the State be the official provider of contraceptives and sterilization agents. This position is reinforced by Sec. 12, Article II of the Constitution, which provides: The State recognizes the sanctity of family life and shall protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution. It shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception. The natural and primary right and duty of parents in the rearing of the youth for civic efficiency and the development of moral character shall receive the support of the Government. The argument is supported, and not in the least contradicted, by all the other related provisions of the Constitution. It is easy enough to follow. It focuses on the second sentence of Sec. 12, which contains both a positive and a negative duty. The positive duty (to protect the life of the unborn from conception) is undefined; it is not self-executing and needs an enabling law. But its negative duty is self-executing and needs no enabling law. It simply commands the State not to do anything to harm the unborn (as in abortion), nor to prevent a single embryo from being conceived (as in State-mandated contraception). Thus, while women are free to practice contraception, the State cannot get involved in it, unless its duty to protect the unborn from conception is limited only to those embryos that would have survived its program of contraception. That would reduce the letter and spirit of Sec. 12 to plain
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Features

CBCP Monitor
August 19 - September 1, 2013

Vol. 17 No. 17

Why is the Govt mum on the real RH issue?

accurate information about each product from the manufacturer, and that they be legal, safe and non-abortifacient. Between Lagman and Cayetano, the Court had an earful of what the Congress had to say in defense of RA 10354. Lagman, who recently completed his third consecutive term as a member of the House, proved to be the more experienced lawyer and parliamentarian. He argued on legal grounds, even though he was not beyond making the preposterous claim that there was a strong clamor from majority of the nations Catholics for the RH Law. He spoke of survey after survey, which no one has ever verified to be honest and true, and which has no probative or constitutional value. He made no effort to confront the petitioners constitutional argument anchored on Sec. 12, Article II. Where Jardeleza during the previous session had liberally used the second person pronoun You with abundant gestures to address the Justices, Lagman spoke calmly and with deliberation, and referred to the Justices as Your Honor at every instance, unerringly. But he failed to go beyond trying to assure the Court that the contraceptives to be used by the State for distribution to the poor as essential medicines would be non-abortifacient. He appeared convinced this was the primary constitutional issue. To the petitioners, however, the question of whether the contraceptives are abortifacient or not, important though it is, comes only after determining whether or not State-mandated contraception is constitutionally permissible under Sec. 12, Article II. Led on by questions from the Court, Lagman tried to spread into the record the kind of support RA 10354 had obtained during the voting on second and third readings in the House. He said that from a margin of nine votes on second reading, the lead rose to 52 on the third reading, because of the popular support for the bill inside and outside the halls of Congress. Lagman did not explain why despite such increased lead the total number of those had voted went down from 217 on second reading to 212 on third, and several congressmen fled the House before the voting began. Evidently nobody wanted to embarrass the former congressman by asking him whether President Aquinos active intervention through the massive and open use of the pork barrel and the coercive powers of his office had any effect on those who might have wanted
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File photo shows the Supreme Court sitting en banc to hear the oral arguments on the constitutionality of the reproductive health law, July 9, 2013.

gangster talk, the language of confidence men rather than that of a democratic constitution. Despite efforts to deny that Republic Act 10354 is a population control measure, the Solicitor General let the cat out of the bag on August 6 when in answer to a question from Justice Roberto Abad on unwanted pregnancies, he said that under RA 10354, it is the woman and the state who decide when a pregnancy is unwanted. A decision that a pregnancy is unwanted is usually made after the pregnancy has begun, and the pregnancy is terminated by abortion. Here, the more precise statement is that a woman or a man wants to have sex, or what the law calls a satisfying sex life, but does not want to risk a pregnancy, and so resorts to contraception. Justice Abad calls it sex without any consequence, like someone plunging into an Olympic-size pool without ever wanting to get wet. The individual has a right to practice or not to practice contraception, but the State does not have the right or the duty to prescribe or prohibit its practice. The universal effect of Statemandated contraception will prevent not only any number of mothers from achieving a pregnancy, but possibly an entire generation of mothers, and succeeding generations after that. It could extinguish posterity as enshrined in the Preamble of the Constitution, and reduce to pure poetic fiction the future

generations recognized by the Supreme Court in Oposa v. Factoran and the Charter of the United Nations. Thus the law not only violates the Constitution, it also creates a crime that is punishable under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. In identical language, both instruments condemn as genocide the imposition of means intended to prevent births within a national, ethnical, racial or religious group. This is not wished away by unleashing the RH attack dogs upon this writer for pointing out that the treaties now form part of the law of the land. Neither Congress nor the Supreme Court, but only the ICC at the Hague will decide whether or not, if RA 10354 were upheld, the Rome Statute would apply. Why then was the central issue never touched at all? In ten hours or so of oral arguments on August 6 and 13, Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza, former Rep. Edcel Lagman, principal author and sponsor of RA 10354 in the House of Representatives, and Sen. Pia Cayetano, its principal sponsor in the Senate, tried to discuss social theory about population control, without ever using the term, while completely evading the overarching constitutional question. Does this mean the government has conceded the point to the Petitioners? Or does the government expect the Court

to simply gloss over the issue, just as the various committees of the two Houses of Congress completely glossed over it during the congressional hearings on the bill? In those hearings, chaired by Cayetano in the Senate, and by Rep. Rogelio Espina, M.D., in the House, I read into the record the same constitutional objection. In both Houses I was surrounded by a permanent army of foreign-funded NGO workers proclaiming RH as the alleged cure to overpopulation, grinding poverty and maternal death, etc. None of them seemed to notice that the real world had already passed them by, that the new global crisis was already one of ageing and declining national populations, what the Russians and the Europeans now call demographic winter. Except for a perfunctory statement from a functionary of the Department of Justice claiming there was nothing unconstitutional in the bill, the constitutional objection was never discussed nor refuted, nor even mentioned in the Committee Reports that ultimately recommended the bills enactment. J a rd e l e z a , L a g m a n a n d Cayetano have tried to overwhelm the Court with pro-poor and pro-women ad misericordiam arguments in defense of RA 10354. The poor cannot afford the contraceptives available to the rich, said Jardeleza. We have already established the nexus between

poverty and population and have to do something about the ballooning population, said Lagman. Fifteen pregnant women are dying everyday, and the only solution is contraceptives, said Cayetano. They were uniformly spirited in telling the Court why they wanted to flood the poor with contraceptives. But they made no effort to demonstrate that something can be and not be in the same breath, in defiance to the principle of non-contradiction, and that the State could be both the protector and the preventer of conception at the same time. Lagman argued that the States mandate to equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception was written into the Constitution solely to ban abortion, but not contraception, thereby making it appear that the opponents of the RH Law wanted to ban contraception. The suggestion had no basis at all. None of the 13 petitions against the RH Law are seeking to ban free-market contraception, as distinguished from Statemandated contraception. The petitioners simply want to preserve the situation obtaining before the passage of RA 10354, namely, that women be free to use or not to use contraceptives of their choice, without any pressure from the State, whether for or against. In other words, the State should neither prohibit nor provide; it should only make sure that all contraceptives in the market carry complete and

situations, relationships and choices that make up our days, weeks, months and years. People interact with reality from inner personal depths and resources which exercise a significant influence on such interaction. Faith or the lack of it must be considered a crucial element our response to reality. Faith is professed. Faith is celebrated. If what is professed and celebrated finds no effective expression in life one must question whether there is any faith to speak of. A faith-influenced lifestyle directly leads in the minds of many to the topic of ethics and morality. The association is, of course, valid enough. There is a danger, though, of skipping over a highly important connecting link between belief and action. That missing link is spirituality. Spirituality has to do with the communitys and the members most deeply held values, convictions and principles. Ultimately it is from this area of life that particular decisions and actions flow. Fundamental attitudes, orientations and inclinations regarding, for example, human dignity and human rights, the social dimension of the human person, responsibility for the common good, stewardship over creation and similar basic stances toward reality all these are factored into the concrete living of faith. From all this it follows that teaching moral rules and regulations and insisting that they be observed without dwelling first on the humanist and Christian values those norms are meant to realize and protect will likely prove to be ineffective in the long run. The social teaching of the Church, for instance, stands on the double foundation of the dignity of every human person and, simultaneously, the communal nature of personal existence. Every single statement of social doctrine in the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church flows from said double foundation. Good pedagogy would

seem to require that a true appreciation of the source be developed before its ramifications are proclaimed. An authentic and vibrant relationship between faith and life is the concern of spirituality. The proper framework within which to understand, own and practice Christian spirituality is what theology calls salvation history with its highest point in the Paschal Mystery. Thus, for example, creation, redemption, sanctification and parousia, should never be neglected in the treatment of issues such as culture, socio-economics and ecology. Let us return to Albert Einsteins question of questions: Is the world a kind or cruel place to live in? Whether one realizes it or not, the Christian view of salvation history is an offer to answer that question of questions. The Faith is prayed The Eucharist is, of course, the preeminent example of prayer as liturgy and ecclesial celebration. There is another form of prayermeditation, contemplationwhich is more private and non-liturgical. The two forms, despite their differences, are meant to be complementary: The living and true God tirelessly calls each person to that mysterious encounter known as prayer. In prayer the faithful Gods initiative of love always comes first; our own first step is always a response. (CCC, # 2567). Encounter is experienced as the interface of two presences: Gods and that of the person praying. Christian prayer is a personal response to the felt presence of God in an effort to intensify that presence as a significant force in human existence, said Father Joseph Komonchak. The Christian reading of salvation history sees the definitive presence of God in the Paschal Mystery. Christian prayer is a response, made in the Spirit, to the Fathers loving presence, definitely realized in the passion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Concentration on techniques, methods and styles of prayer does not lead in the right direction as far as integral faith formation is concerned. It is far more important to focus on the basic disposition and attitude of those who pray. Prayer flows from faith and its authenticity depends on the quality of that faith. The Carmelite spiritual author, Ruth Burrows, makes this point forcefully: Faith... is a sustained decision to take God with utter seriousness as the God of my life. It is to live out each hour in a practical, concrete affirmation that God is Father and he is in heaven. It is a decision to shift the center of our lives from ourselves to him, to forego self-interest and make his interests, his will our sole concern... All that matters to faith is that God should have what he wants and we know that what he wants is always our own blessedness. His purposes are worked out, his will is mediated to us, in the humblest form, as humble as our daily bread. (Essence of Prayer, p. 21) The thrust of the Lords Prayer, the spirit that motivated San Pedro Calungsod is the true measure of faith. God above all! All in the heart of God! This is no childs play, no feel good religion. As it is with faith, so it is with prayer. The basic requirement is freedom of heart, self-abnegation or detachment as the classic spiritual writers call it. What is called the spirituality of stewardship is born of this victory over self-will, this freedom of heart which enables the believer to see things with Gods eyes and to love them with Gods heart. In the end, the crucial issue regarding prayer is not how to understand it but how to practice it faithfully. How much deeper and stronger our faith would become if we always remembered and acted on St. Francis de Sales words of wisdom: Everyone of us needs half an hour of prayer each day, except when we are busythen we need an hour. Sharing the faith through witness

It is striking how often official documents for the Year of Faith insist on the primacy of witness for credible and effective evangelization. This was, after all, the way of Jesus, the original evangelizer. Our Pastoral Exhortation on the Era of New Evangelization cited Pope Benedicts words relevant to this matter: ... We must always remember that Jesus did not redeem the world with beautiful words or ostentatious means but with His suffering and His death. The apostolic letter Porta Fidei observes: The renewal of the Church is also achieved through the witness offered by the lives of believers by their very existence in the world. Christians are called to radiate the word of truth that the Lord Jesus has left us. (# 6). The Synodal Fathers of the 2012 Synod of Bishops aptly stated It is therefore primarily by her conduct and by her life that the Church will evangelize the world, in other words, by her living witness of fidelity to the Lord Jesus, by her witness of poverty and detachment, and by her witness of freedom in the face of the powers of this world, in short, the witness of sanctity. And who of us would claim to have the perfection of holiness? That is why conversion and faith formation must be undertaken by all without exception. No dividing line is to be drawn between evangelizers and evangelized; conversion and renewal are required of everyone. At the conclusion of the Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization, the Synodal Fathers said: We firmly believe that we must convert ourselves first to the power of Christ who alone can make all things new, above all our poor existence. With humility we must recognize that the poverty and weaknesses of Jesus disciples, especially of his ministers, weigh on the credibility of the mission. We are certainly awarewe Bishops first of allthat we could never really be equal to the Lords calling and mandate to proclaim his Gospel to the

nations. We know that we must humbly recognize our vulnerability to the wounds of history and we do not hesitate to recognize our personal sins. The door of faith is not an entrypoint that can be traversed only once... in the history of a community, in the lifetime of individual persons. That is why the Holy Father says it is always open for us, ushering us into the life of communion with God and offering entry into his Church. For the Church in the Philippines the year 2013 is a particularly auspicious time to re-enter that door and recapture the truth, goodness and beauty to which it leads. We are only nine years away from the fifth centenary of the original opening of the door of Christian faith to our people. Whether it was with quick and eager steps or with slow and measured gait that our ancestors entered, we can only imagine. We know that San Lorenzo Ruiz and San Pedro Calungsod entered with unshakeable trust and firm resolve. What is certain is that we can enter again with renewed hope and enthusiasm. Perhaps there is a series of doors, each one bringing us ever closer to Him who is the ultimate reason for our journey. Allow us to close this exhortation quoting some words from the hymn Live Christ Share Christ, the official hymn for our fifth centenary of Christianity in our holy shores: The gospel is our blessing but also our mission. To the poor and the children we bring his salvation To the rest of the world his message of compassion To all of humanity his challenge of conversion! We are blessed, we are loved, we are called, we are sent, We will teach, we will serve, we are Christs, we are Church!

Roy Lagarde / CBCP Media

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 17 No. 17
August 19 - September 1, 2013

Statements
WE, bishops and priests of the Visayas Clergy Discernment Group, ask President Benigno Aquino III (PNOY), the Senators and Lower House Representatives to show to the Filipino people that they honor the martyrdom of Ninoy Aquino by taking steps in truly ending the culture of corruption and impunity in our country. We join Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagles call for a thorough investigation, and appropriate punishment for the culprits of the Pork Barrel Scam. PNOY must go after the guilty lawmakers and other perpetrators, be they his allies or foes. Furthermore, we suggest the following: Take the budget for the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) amounting to P25.240 billion away from the hands of the Senators and Lower House Representatives. We also call on PNOY to give up his offices corresponding pork barrel which the Commission on Audit identified as the Special Purpose Funds (P310.1 billion for 2014) and the Unprogrammed Funds (P139.9 billion for 2014), totaling P499 billion! These funds must be entrusted to and managed by the sovereign people who are the REAL BOSS of our ELECTED SERVANTS. It is unfortunate that our elected servants can no longer be trusted with our peoples money; which we own. The pork barrel system is one of the ROOT CANCERS that breeds the other lethal diseases of corruption. It is not enough for the Daang Matuwid to run after corrupt people AFTER THE DASTARDLY DEED HAS BEEN DONE. IT is better to nip in the bud the ROOT of corruption. An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.

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Moreover, everybody knows that whatever guidelines Congress and the Executive might craft regarding the pork barrel WILL NOT WORK; the system itself, which was copied from the U.S.A., has been scrapped by their federal government. During the World Youth Day in July 2013, Pope Francis urged the Faithful to change a world where food is discarded while millions go hungry, where politics is more associated with corruption than service. We therefore call on all concerned sectors of the Philippine society to study and propose appropriate mechanisms to RE-CLAIM OWNERSHIP of, and MANAGE the pork barrel funds. The peoples money should be spent for the benefit of the majority; especially for lifting the poor out of poverty, as enjoined by our beloved Pope Francis. Programs for genuine agrarian reform, decent shelter for the informal settlers, free education for our youth, and health services for our people must be prioritized. As we commemorate the 30th anniversary of the assassination of Ninoy Aquino, may PNOY, the lawmakers and all of us prove that indeed, Ninoy was not martyred in vain; and that we are truly committed to a straight path by giving to the people, especially the poor, what is due to them. As Christ lives, +GERARDO ALMINAZA, D.D. Auxiliary Bishop of Jaro Head Convenor of the Visayas Clergy Discernment Group (VCDG)

Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. (Luke 16:10)

A statement against the pork barrel scam

A Press Statement of CBCP-NASSA

Respect human dignity, stop human trafficking

HUMAN life is not a commodity that can be trafficked and sold for business and monetary gains. Human life should be accorded of its human dignity. It should be promoted, respected, protected and developed to attain fullness of life. The National Secretariat for Social Action Justice and Peace of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP-NASSA) is vehemently against Human Trafficking. It is a violation of Gods intention for human life. It is a modern day slavery, which exploits people, particularly the weak and the poor, alluring them into false promises and making them prey on evil activitiesforced and bonded labor, forced/commercial prostitution and sexual exploitationand human rights violation. CBCP-NASSA strongly supports the advocacy of the Commission on Filipino Overseas (CFO), current Chair of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT)Advocacy and Communications Committee (ADVOCOM), and organizations that espouse similar campaigns to end this evil and inhuman act. ADVOCOMs projects, such as production and airing of television and radio campaign materials, speakers bureau, national trainors training on anti-trafficking, community education programs, and other information campaign activities, will help address the human trafficking problems in the country. To intensify the campaign against human trafficking, CBCPNASSAs Anti-Human Trafficking Program calls on all the arch/dioceses, parishes, basic ecclesial communities, religious congregations and institutions, church and lay organizations, schools and all peace-loving Filipinos to support this noble undertaking to fight against human trafficking. Support can be in the forms of posting anti-human trafficking tarpaulins/streamers in the areas, attending trainings, education and information activities, and information dissemination by providing materials to promote social consciousness on the issue. We must stop human trafficking. Many of our youth and children, especially women, have experienced sexual violence, sexual exploitation and forced exploitative situations because of human trafficking. Government must use all its resources and state forces to apprehend traffickers and file cases to convict them. As there are many traffickers, we must battle against the increase of trafficking cases. It is not a task and a responsibility of the government alone - it is everyones responsibility. Every citizen must contribute its share to stop human trafficking. Everybody must join forces to protect and defend human life and human rights. STOP Human Trafficking! CBCP-NASSA 28 May 2012
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Statement on Mindanao Bombings

Hear me, LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and oppressed. Preserve my life, for I am loyal; save your servant who trusts in you. (Ps. 86:1-2)

www.arkibongbayan.org

WE, the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP) in union with the Filipino people would like to express our solidarity with the people of Mindanao in these very difficult times caused by the recent spate of bombings in that region. We join the entire nation in extending our deepest sorrow and sympathy to the victims of these senseless killing and their families. We express our deepest concern for the safety of all Mindanawons and we denounce the heartlessness of the perpetrators. It is sad to note that it seems, the series of bombings and attacks that had claimed lives of innocent civilians in Mindanao in the past years were not enough, series of dreadful bombings occurred on 26 July 2013 in Cagayan de Oro, 5 August 2013 in Cotabato City and 7 August 2013 in Maguindanao,

which killed 17 and wounded hundreds, not counting the damage done to properties. The images of innocent civilians being killed give us a sense of the inability of government to protect its own people from the ruthlessness of the few. We are shocked that lives can be taken away easily, anytime, and anywhere by those who want to continue sowing terror and fear among the people. We condemn in the strongest possible terms the senseless killing of the victims of these bombings. We are certain that no ideologies or religious beliefs in the world can ever justify mass murder, especially innocent civilians and health workers. We appeal to the authorities to act swiftly on these cases that have caused panic and fear to our people. We call for justice to be served to all innocent victims. We challenge

all stakeholders of peace in Mindanao to stand together so that acts of cowardice will never win and reign over the Land of Promise-Mindanao. We enjoin all armed groups and warring factions in Mindanao to please spare innocent civilians from their whims of violent means, and to sit down with government and all stakeholders for dialogue and shun the use of ruthlessness to forward their belief and ideologies. We continue to pray for unity and peace, and my God-Allah-Magbabaya bless Mindanao! For the AMRSP, Fr. Leo Dalmao, CMF Sr. Eden Panganiban, SSpS AMRSP Co-Chairpersons

being, so that in her womb it could take flesh and be born as light for humanity. Saint Justin Martyr, in his dialogue with Trypho, uses a striking expression; he tells us that Mary, receiving the message of the angel, conceived faith and joy.[49] In the Mother of Jesus, faith demonstrated its fruitfulness; when our own spiritual lives bear fruit we become filled with joy, which is the clearest sign of faiths grandeur. In her own life Mary completed the pilgrimage of faith, following in the footsteps of her Son.[50]In her the faith journey of the Old Testament was thus taken up into the following of Christ, transformed by him and entering into the gaze of the incarnate Son of God. 59. We can say that in the Blessed
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Virgin Mary we find something I mentioned earlier, namely that the believer is completely taken up into his or her confession of faith. Because of her close bond with Jesus, Mary is strictly connected to what we believe. As Virgin and Mother, Mary offers us a clear sign of Christs divine sonship. The eternal origin of Christ is in the Father. He is the Son in a total and unique sense, and so he is born in time without the intervention of a man. As the Son, Jesus brings to the world a new beginning and a new light, the fullness of Gods faithful love bestowed on humanity. But Marys true motherhood also ensures for the Son of God an authentic human history, true flesh in which he would die on the cross and rise from

the dead. Mary would accompany Jesus to the cross (cf.Jn19:25), whence her motherhood would extend to each of his disciples (cf. Jn 19:26-27). She will also be present in the upper room after Jesus resurrection and ascension, joining the apostles in imploring the gift of the Spirit (cf.Acts1:14). The movement of love between Father, Son and Spirit runs through our history, and Christ draws us to himself in order to save us (cf.Jn12:32). At the centre of our faith is the confession of Jesus, the Son of God, born of a woman, who brings us, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, to adoption as sons and daughters (cf.Gal4:4). 60. Let us turn in prayer to Mary, Mother of the Church and Mother of our faith.

M o t h e r, h e l p o u r f a i t h ! Open our ears to hear Gods word and to recognize his voice and call. Awaken in us a desire to follow in his footsteps, to go forth from our own land and to receive his promise. Help us to be touched by his love, that we may touch him in faith. Help us to entrust ourselves fully to him and to believe in his love, especially at times of trial, beneath the shadow of the cross, when our faith is called to mature. Sow in our faith the joy of the Risen One. Remind us that those who b e l i e v e a r e n e v e r a l o n e . Teach us to see all things with the eyes of Jesus, that he may be light for our path. And may this light of faith always increase in us, until the dawn of that undying day

which is Christ himself, your Son, our Lord! Given in Rome, at Saint Peters, on 29 June, the Solemnity of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, in the year 2013, the first of my pontificate. FRANCISCUS
[46]Origen,Contra Celsum, IV, 75: SC 136, 372. [47]Ibid., 85: SC 136, 394. [48]Choruses fromThe Rock, inThe Collected Poems and Plays 1909-1950, New York, 1980, 106. [49]Cf.Dialogus cum Tryphone Iudaeo, 100, 5: PG 6, 710. [50]Cf.Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the ChurchLumen Gentium, 58.

to defy the party line and voted their consciences instead. At least four of Aquinos Cabinet membersBudget Secretary Florencio Butch Abad, Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II, Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang and Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierdastayed in the House during the voting. In light of the snowballing multi-year pork barrel scandal that has erupted in Congress, it might have been useful if that question had been asked. But it was not; no one wanted to inflict

upon the Court what the entire nation already knew as a matter of general knowledge. For her part, Cayetano tried to steal the thunder by delivering a rabble-rousing speech fit for an outdoor campaign crowd. She began by attributing to the petitioners a statement they never made: that they allegedly dismissed as insignificant the pro-RH claim that 15 women died everyday from pregnancy or childbirth. But it was not possible to detect one legal argument in her highly emotional 15-minute speech.

Like Lagman, she addressed Justice Abad Your Honor or His Honor during the one and a half hour-interpellation that followed. But her facility with the English language (her mother is American) enabled her to cut off the Justice in the middle of a sentence, and to go on speaking until it began to appear as though the Justice was the one interrupting counsel, instead of she interrupting him. She finally achieved a distinction no counsel appearing before the Supreme Court en banc ever didseveral times she said,

His Honor (or Your Honor) is incorrect, and got away with it. In the ordinary course of things, it is the Court that says counsel is correct or incorrect, not the opposite. Asked by Abad whether the government should not upgrade and improve the nations health facilities, instead of putting 23 million women of reproductive age on all sorts of contraceptives, including IUDs, to address the problem of 5000 reported annual maternal deaths, Cayetano said, There are no funds for that. She defended the Laws

compulsory sex educational program for minors as essential to the youths education and reproductive health. She did not think it violates the natural and primary right and duty of parents to educate their children, but she could not make up her mind whether sex education should be guided by morality or not. It depends, she said. None of the Justices tried to remind her that every human act, as distinguished from the act of man, has a moral dimension and content. She also gave an impassioned

defense of her constitutional right to a satisfying sex life without reference to the unitive and procreative aspects of conjugal sex, or the need to promote chastity within and outside marriage. To those who believe the sexual act is a sacred expression of the integrity of the whole person, which is both body and soul rather than simply genitalia, that formulation does not tend to encourage an ascent to virtue, which is one of the classical purposes of law, but rather a purely hedonistic descent into animalia.

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Ref lections

CBCP Monitor
August 19 - September 1, 2013

Vol. 17 No. 17

Is history merely a repetition of the past?

An Exegetical Reflection on the Gospel of the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, Luke 13:22-30, August 25, 2013
By Msgr. Lope C. Robredillo, SThD
EVERY time national elections come, we hear of almost the same issues: eradication of poverty, misuse of pork barrel, concentration of wealth in the hands of a few cronies of the administration, eradication of graft and corruption, increasing crime rate, etc. The opposition brings charges against the administration that were exactly raised in the previous elections. This could mean, of course, that nothing has substantially altered in terms of delivering the goods to the people, but it could also signify that whoever is in power behaves no differently from his predecessor. We have the same dog, but now with different collar.Whatever it is, one thing is certain: nothing changes. What has been, that will be; what has been done, that will be done.Nothing is new under the sun (Eccl 1:9). It was Karl Marx who pointed out in his The Communist Manifesto that history is a mere repletion of class struggle. Oswald Spengler, in his philosophy of history, The Decline of the West, compared history to a living organism: a civilization is born, achieves something but eventually declines. Such of view of history is somehow reflected in the title of Renato Constantinos second volume on Philippine history: The Philippines: The Continuing Past. But is history merely a repetition of the past? T h e f i r s t re a d i n g t h i s Sunday denies this. History is not a recycling of previous happenings. There may be a seeming repetition of issues, there may be variations of the same theme, but it is not aimless. It may not exactly correspond to the schema of St Augustine, but for a man of faith, history has a definite term, precisely because God is its origin and goal. According to Isaiah, On this mountain the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.On this mountain he will destroy the veil that veils all peoples, the web that is women over all nations; he will destroy death forever, the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces; the reproach of his people he will remove from the face of the whole earth (Isa 25:6-8; see also 1 QSa 2:15-22).History culminates in a banquet in the New Jerusalem, a symbol of life in union with God and the saints.Isaiah prefers to describe it in traditional terms: victory over enemies, abundance of food, absence of sorrow and suffering, eternal joyous celebration. Liturgy for the dead sometimes uses the term eternal rest but far from signifying the absence of joy, it simply connotes a permanent rest from the suffering on earth. But how many will sit with God and the saints in the banquet at the New Jerusalem?The question is as relevant today as at the time of Jesus.In his time, the question gave rise to debates, and there were various teachings: Sinners cry out when they see how resplendent they [the virtuous] are (1 Enoch 108:15); the Most High has created the world for many, but the world to come for few (2 Esd 8:1; all Israelites have a share in the world to come ( m.Sanh 10:1 ). Today, Born-Again Christians may not have a problem about this, for they think that once they have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, they feel that are already saved; but most Christians who are not sure of their salvation because they have to appropriate in their lives what Jesus did in his life and death, the question continues to bother them. Other sects and denominations are also concerned with the question.For the Iglesia ni Kristo, the number 144,000 in Rev 7:4, 14:1 is very important in determining the number of the saved; others are even cocksure that those who will enter heaven will not go beyond that number. The Jehovahs Witnesses prefer to talk about those who belong to the anointed class and those who belong to the other sheep.The Mormons have a place for all, though in various kingdoms, while the Unification Church of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon stresses the importance of getting married as a requirement for entering the eternal bliss. It is interesting to note that in todays Gospel, Jesus sets aside the question. Rather than inquisitiveness about the number, what matters for Jesus, if one is really interested in sitting with God and the saints in the eschatological banquet, is the decision that he should make in response to his proclamation of the Gospel.His prophetic saying is, of course, addressed to the Jews of his time, but what does it mean for us Christians?As Christians we have become members of the people of God.Just as the Jews

Pinky Barrientos, FSP / CBCP Media

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An Exegetical Reflection on the Gospel of the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, Luke 14:1.7-14, September 1, 2013
By Msgr. Lope C. Robredillo, SThD
ALTHOUGH we eat and drink to nourish our bodily systems, yet, when taken in a party, banquet or dinner, there is more to food and drink than mere nourishment. In such a context, eating and drinking is a form of communication. It says something about the host, the guest and even the atmosphere in which the dinner is held. As Bruce Malina points out, just as the material used for communication in speech is language, so the material used for communication in a festive meal is food and drink and their setting. Thus the type of food and drink chosen, their mode of preparation, method of service, and setting or reclining arrangements all say something about the inviters assessment of those invited (cf Luke 14:7-11). For one to be invited to a party, for example, reflects the importance a host gives to him, for he is clearly set apart from those who were not invited, even if the inviter knows them by name. But even among the invited, it often happens that they are not treated equally. We do mind the dignity society accords to people of note and prominence. Some are seated at the presidential table, others are not. There is always a protocol to be observed. At the time of Jesus, it was customary to seat guests according to their dignity and rank, not according to age. And the most prestigious places in a banquet are those to the right and to the left of the host. The farther one is from the host, the lesser he is in the latters eyes. In todays Gospel, we are told that when Jesus was invited to dine at a Pharisees house, he noticed how the Pharisees chose the first places for themselves. According to Luke, these people were rigorous when it comes to the law (Luke 6:2), and sometimes did more than what it required (Luke 18:12). Precisely because of their effort to strictly keep the law, they had reasons to think that they had a great dignity before God and of course before men. If the Gospels portray them as lovers of the first seats in the synagogues, craving for the special
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Gods Kingdom as unmerited gift and our solidarity with the poor

The narrow road and the narrow gate

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, August 25, 2013
He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in him may not die but may have eternal life (Jn 3:16). God has, indeed, an immense heart, capable of welcoming and making happy billions of human beings. But He also expects that each should do his/her part. There is a contribution to be made. This does not mean that we can buy or merit heaven. That, no simple human being has the power to do. But what all can and should do is to show our gratitude for such a gift, our eagerness to receive it, and our determination to fulfill the conditions that God has set for the enjoyment of such a gift. Trying to enter through the narrow road/ gate is our modest counterpart or contribution. But what is this mysterious narrow road/gate? It is a disposition of humility, selfdenial, detachment, generosity, forgiveness, purity, honesty, truthfulness, piety . . . in a word, loving obedience to Gods commandments, no matter what the cost. These are the conditions that make the road to life constricted. (See Mt 7:14.) But one which the man had not asked, and that question was: How can we reach salvation? Jesus answer brought the interviewer and all the listeners to the heart of the matter: what one should do in order to enjoy Gods salvation. And the answer was: Try to enter through the narrow gate. Both the question and the answer are as relevant today as they were in the time of Jesus. We know and firmly believe that God wants all men to be saved and come to know the truth (1 Tim 2:4). He created mankind just for this. To achieve such a purpose, they are also, at the same time, the qualities/virtues which keep a person free from the fettering and cumbersome burden of the opposite vices and sins. The narrow road/gate is a challenge to choose what is right in preference to what is pleasant or convenient. It is the courage to do Gods will rather than ours. Those who fail to choose it are people who lock themselves out because they lack the determination to get rid of all that is incompatible with Gods presence and the holiness of His Kingdom.

By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB

THE question posed by Jesus interviewer sounded almost impertinent, in its superficial curiosity: Will only a few people be saved? Clearly, the interviewer was interested in numbers, in statistics . . . . But he was missing the whole point, for the answerhad it ever come would not have made him a better person. Jesus did not answer the idle question but a more important

This narrow road/gate is not an unpleasant surprise that we will find only at the conclusion of the journey of our lives. It is a daily reality, a challenge with which we have to reckon more than once every day. The bliss it leads to will be enjoyed only by those who are ready to leave behind everything the world holds dear. This sounds like a gamble. But its a risk worth taking. Christ was the first who chose to travel the narrow road and enter through the narrow gate. And he never regretted it! (See Heb 12:2.)

The call to be humble and generous

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, September 1, 2013
revolting than pride, and nothing more pleasing than genuine humility. While pride is the ultimate root of all sins and vices, humility is the mother of all virtues. Quite simply, these are the two fundamental opposite attitudes which will determine our eternal destiny. Contrary to all appearances, pride is the manifestation of a terrible spiritual poverty and moral blindness. For all his self-sufficiency, a proud person needs others against whom to measure himself and feel that he is stronger, richer, prettier, more intelligent, more powerful, . . . more everything! In their moral blindness, proud people refuse to recognize that all the good qualities and assets they possess are gifts from the Lord. Deeply envious of the qualities or success of others, they deny them or attribute them to wrong intentions or dealings . . . . Proud people feel a devouring need to display their trophies and achievements. They absolutely refuse even to contemplate the possibility of failing, but all the while they keep nose-diving into their final, irreparable failurehell! Diametrically opposite to such spiritual misery and self-destructive attitude towers humility, the sign and fruit of a wonderful

By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB

A LITERAL and superficial interpretation of the conclusion of the first part of todays Gospel passage can be misleading. It sounds as if one should choose the lowest place in order to be invited to move higher , right in front of everybody. (See Lk 14:10.) Such an intention/attitude could hardly be called humility. It should, rather, be called hypocrisy. And it can hardly be what Jesus is trying to teach his fellow guests and us. This section should not be understood as suggesting a wrong intention in the one who chooses the lowest place; rather it states a fact how God (the Host) will treat those who in this life have treasured humility. He will exalt them, even as He will clamp down those who have proudly exalted themselves. (See v. 11. See also Marys Canticle, Lk 1:52.) All this amounts to an exaltation of Gods justice and fairness. He promises a reward to all those who deserve it, even as He threatens punishment to the unworthy. And rightly so, for there is nothing more

spiritual richness . Humble persons see themselves and others as gifts. They readily acknowledge this truth, and joyfully thank the Donor. Mary is the most stupendous example of such humility. (See the Magnificat, especially Lk 1:46-49.) Happy in receiving with gratitude, and happier still in giving without expecting thanks or reward, humble people readily rejoice in the good qualities or successes of their neighbor. They see no place, no occupation as being too low for them, while considering all others worthier than themselves. Humble people see themselves as having the mission to be helpful to others, and continually try their best to accomplish such mission. They can be defined as people for others. When they fail, they never feel humiliated, for even the most bitter failure is for them a stepping stone toward the final successheaven! Jesus Christ, the greatest of all, was also the most humble of all. He is the champion of all the humble. All his life (including his death) was the clearest example of what a humble person should be and do .

ENCOUNTERS Christian sense

SOME may be inclined to ridicule Christians because of being in this or that denomination, whether Catholic or any other Christian denomination, whatever that be. Yet as the Latin proverb attestscontra factum non valet argumentum (translate as: you cannot argue against facts), which means we are to consider and picture respectfully the Christian believers who are so out of firm conviction based on reality and reason. Why would so many, especially the Christian Saints and martyrs die for their faith in Christ if it were absurd or ridiculous? Besides, the lives of Jesus and the Saints are all attested to by facts, and the big bulk of the Christian populace have not been forced into accepting the Christian beliefs. It has rather been born from reasonable conviction and mature motives. While it is true there is such a thing as freedom of religion, it is also true to say: there is no such thing as a freedom of error or falsity. We all must honestly seek for the truth that sets us free (Jn. 8:31-32). Meaning to say, you are not free to strive for something which is nothing and is precisely what error and falsity is, being the opposite of truth and rightfulness, they are tantamount to nothing. Isnt the opposite of reality and truth, nothingness?

Bishop Pat Alo

CBCP Social Action News Facebook Page

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 17 No. 17
August 19 - September 1, 2013

Social Concerns

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Church Alliance gathers Anti-Human Trafficking Advocates in FREEDOM FORUM

THE dignity of the human person as the image of God means that our body should not be treated as commodities or objects. CBCP Statement (2008) on Organ Donation, Against Organ Sale, reiterates that the sale or trade of human beings, including human organs, is a violation of the dignity of a human person and thus morally unacceptable. Trafficking involves abuse of power and exploitation of the weak by the strong; human beings are sold as commodities by means of deception, fraud (empty promises), force or coercion (kidnapped), taking advantage of the needs of economically poor (eg. to pay family debt) to lure them by promises of well- paying jobs/ opportunities outside; victims end up in forced/ bonded labor and commercial sex. The International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) describes human trafficking as one of the most lucrative trades, alongside illegal weapon and drug trade. The ILO estimates that 2.4 million men, women and children fall victim to unscrupulous traffickers each year. According to the International Justice Mission (IJM), victims of 136 different nationalities were detected in 118 countries around the world between 2007 and 2010. Trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation accounts for 58% of all cases, while forced labor accounts for 36%. At least 20 provinces in the
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country are prone to human trafficking, according to the Executive Secretary of CBCPNASSA/ Caritas Philippines, Fr. Edwin Gariguez. Examples include impoverished areas of Samar in the Center and Palawan in the far West. ECPAT Global Monitoring Report (2011) estimated between 60,000 to 75,000 Filipino children are trapped in sex trade, where they are repeatedly sold to paedophiles for explicit purposes of rape and abuse. In Cebu, which is a popular destination for sex tourism, every taxi driver interviewed in a study conducted in 2004, confirmed that he or she had at one point witnessed a foreign tourist accompanied by a Filipino minor. At a Forum to fight Human Tr a ff i c k i n g i n Vi e n n a i n February 2008, Archbishop Agostino Marchetto, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travellers (from 2001-2010), affirmed efforts against Human Trafficking needs also to focus on those who benefit from the trade, or those who demand it. Apart from taking into account the best interest of the victims, there is also need for just punishment of those who benefit from it; introducing preventive measures like awareness-andconsciousness-raising on one hand, and addressing root cause of the phenomenon that should not be overlooked. A coherent and integral approach

is needed. In recognition of the multisectoral, multi-dimensional nature and complexity (geographical and political aspects) of the Human Trafficking issue, the National Secretariat for Social Action, Justice and Peace/ Caritas Philippines of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP NASSAJP/ Caritas Philippines) is engaged in on-going effort to study the issue in order

other organizations similar efforts. NASSAs Anti-Human Trafficking Program calls on dioceses, parishes religious congregations and institutions, schools and all to support the battle against human trafficking particularly by promoting awareness on the issue. It also calls on the government to use all resources to apprehend traffickers and convict them. Everyone has the responsibility to join forces and stop the

different denominations can work together to encourage members to actively fight the problem. The Alliance also seeks to engage with the official government agency, Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) in the effort to collectively address the issue together. One of the first concrete activities is to convene the FREEDOM FORUM a multisectoral gathering against human trafficking to be held

advocates, who will explore collaboration in addressing human trafficking. There will be input on situation reports from the government, NGO and Church perspectives, and workshops on Advocacy, Intervention and Aftercare, where participants will have opportunity to strategize in the concrete steps in combatting the modern day slavery. Participation at CBCP side can be coordinated with the CBCP-National Secretariat

We may not be aware of it, but this problem is actually worsening [and] victimizing a lot of people... we really want to make this a massive activity with different churches getting involved. We could not just keep silent about this... Auxiliary Bishop Broderick S. Pabillo of Manila, National Director of CBCP-NASSA
to promote awareness at the national level, as well as explore ways to engage with Social Action Centers and network at the Diocesan level, particularly Dioceses which are already engaged in the issue and where trafficking is rampant. Last May 2012, NASSA issued a statement Respect Human Dignity: Stop Human Trafficking to call for action against trafficking. NASSA expressed support for advocacies to end human trafficking, such as the Commission on Filipino Overseas (CFO) and violation and defend human dignity and human rights. The most recent engagement of NASSA is involvement as Secretarial member of the Philippine Inter- religious Movement Against Human Trafficking (PIMAHT)a new Alliance formed by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), together with the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), and the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC). Members of PIMAHT are already discussing how Churches of on Thursday, 5 September 2013, from 9:00am to 5:00pm, at the Christs Commission Fellowship (CCF) Center, Ortigas Ave., Pasig. The theme of the Forum is: Magkaisa: Ipaglaban ang Angking Dangal (United, Fighting for Inherent Human Dignity). Jointly organized by the 3 Council/ Churches of PIMAHT, together with other partner organizations united in the battle against all forms of human trafficking, the FREEDOM FORUM aims to gather hundreds of Christian leaders, Child/ women-focused NGOs and for Social Action, Justice and Peace (CBCP-NASSA) or the Asia-Pacific Women Religious Against Trafficking in Humans ( A P W R AT H ) u n d e r t h e Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines (AMRSP). Members of the Religious Congregations with ministry for women, children, migrants, shelter of vulnerable groups, are especially encouraged to join. Registration/ inquiries can be made through Joy of NASSA (5274147) or Dalie of APWRATH (09167767057).

greetings in public places, this should be thought of as a natural consequence of the dignity they claimed for themselves. It is thus natural on the whole that they sought the best places in the banquet to which a Pharisee invited them together with Jesus. In our society of unequal wealth and status, one could always find sympathy with the Pharisees. At our formal dinners, we more often than not have a list of guests to be seated at the presidential table. We know that the seating arrangement provides much indication of the social standing not only of the guests but also of the host himself. Tell me who are your visitors, and I will tell you who you are. Of course, social climbers have been known from Adam. Indeed, how often we emphasize the importance of knowing the right people, especially because what is of consequence nowadays in not so much what you know as who you know. Unlike the Pharisees, though, we do consider dignity not in terms of following the law, but in terms of power and wealth.
History / B6

In the Gospel, Luke portrays Jesus as setting rules for guests and host at a banquet. At first blush, it would seem that Jesus was giving the invited Pharisees and their host a worldly wisdom with regard to seeking out position of prestige, meant at the same time as a warning against embarrassment in social functions. As it appears, Jesus teaching about seeking the lowest place at a banquet echoes an Old Testament wisdom: Claim no honor in the kings presence, nor occupy the place of great men; for it is better that you be told, Come up closer, than that you be humbled before the prince (Prov 25:67). We do not know if historically Jesus was concerned with proper decorum in this episode; but there is much reason to think that the intention of Luke is not limited to social etiquette. For one thing, Luke clearly states that this is a parable (Luke 14:7), and in Luke a parable is usually about the Kingdom of God. For another, one finds it strange that in the entire gospel, it is only in these sayings that Jesus concerns himself with social

etiquette. One may not be mistaken in regarding the gospel text not as rules of etiquette or social graces but, most likely, as matters on social behavior used to teach us two important points about the Kingdom of God. The first lesson concerns the composition of the Kingdom of God. From his observation on guests competing for the best places at table to show their status before other guests and the host, Jesus draws the lesson that membership in the community of the Kingdom does not depend on ones merits, social standing or economic status. Unlike in many marriage banquets, these count nothing in the Kingdom of God. We do not save ourselves by these means. Salvation is the work of God in the first place. Hence, those who consider themselves worthy of high places in the Kingdom, like the Pharisees in Jerusalem who expected the best seats as reward for their meticulous observance of the law, will find themselves humbled to take the lowest places. After all, they

have received their reward in the honor that banquets brought them. Rather, membership in the Kingdom, which can be identified with ones salvation, is given as an unmerited gift to those whom God in Jesus calls. He invites those who acknowledge their unworthiness before him. It is these who will ultimately find themselves raised up to high places. This reversal of fortune is best expressed in Marys canticle: He has deposed the mighty from their thrones and raised the lowly to high places (Luke 1:52). Second, in the Kingdom of God, fellowship is of great value. After all, salvation is about living in fellowship with the Triune God and the saints. But this will not be realized without having to cultivate fellowship with those who are in the lower brackets of society. It may be recalled that the Pharisees refused social contact with those who could not fulfill the requirements of the Pharisaic piety. This gave the impression that, if the Pharisaic practice was an indication of the Kingdom of God, those who

formed part of the lowest rung of the Jewish society, were to be excluded from the communion in the eschatological banquet. But it is precisely against this tradition that Jesus words about hosts at banquet are directed: When you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind (Luke 14:13). Indeed, merely to associate with those who belong to ones social circle or standing, or with those whom one wishes to be with reinforces the inequality of society. For Jesus, to be generous toward those who are excluded by standard piety constitutes a required behavior in a community that reflects the Kingdom of God. This recalls Jesus sermon: If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? (Luke 6:32). He illustrates this by saying that those who belong to the Kingdom of God cannot but show solidarity with the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind by sharing with them the festive table. When they do this, the Pharisees would show that they have been converted to the values of the Kingdom.

became members of the covenant at Sinai by means of circumcision, so Christians become part of the covenant in Jesus through baptism. Like the Israelites of the Old Testament, we are the sons of Abraham in the New Testament. Like them, we are in a privileged position; we are the insiders.Unlike other world religions and sects, we have the complete means of salvation.But we cannot rely merely on this privileged status. We cannot claim, to use Lukes words, We ate and drunk in your company and you taught in our streets (Luke 13:26). For though it is true that we are saved by Jesus, yet we cannot just sit back and relax, we have to strive to enter through the narrow gate (Luke 13:24). Striving to enter the narrow gate is our response to what God has done in Jesus to save us.In the phenomenon of love, the reality of it is not complete if only the man professes love for

the woman, but the latter does not reciprocate that declaration.The phenomenology of salvation is like that.It is not complete if only the action of Christ is present, and the Christian does not fully respond to his saving work.Says the Second Vatican Council: He is not saved, however, who, though he is part of the body of the Church, does not persevere in charity.He remains indeed in the bosom of the Church, but, as it were, only as a bodily manner and not in his heart.All the sons of the Church should remember that their exalted status is to be attributed not to their own merits but to the special grace of Christ.If they fail moreover to respond to that grace in thought, word, and deed, not only will they not be saved, but they will be the more severely judged (Lumen gentium 14).While those outside the Church partake of the banquet (Lumen gentium 16; Luke 13:29), the sons of Abraham, those inside, are cast out.

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Entertainment
Moral Assessment

CBCP Monitor

August 19 - September 1, 2013

Vol. 17 No. 17

Technical Assessment

Abhorrent Disturbing Acceptable Wholesome Exemplary TITLE: Wolverine CAST: Hugh Jackman, Rila Fukushima , Tao Okamoto, Haruhiko Yamanouchi DIRECTOR: James Mangold SCREENWRITER: Mark Bomback, Scott Frank PRODUCER: Joseph M. Caracciolo Jr., Hugh Jackman, Hutch Parker, Lauren Shuler Donner EDITOR: Michael McCusker MUSIC: Marco Beltrami GENRE: Action, Adventure, Fantasy CINEMATOGRAPHER: Ross Emery RUNNING TIME: 126 minutes DISTRIBUTOR: 20th Century Fox LOCATION: Japan, Australia Technical Assessment: Moral Assessment: MTRCB Rating: PG 13 CINEMA rating: V 14

Poor Below average Average Above average E xcellent

Logan, a.k.a. Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) is saved by and in turn saves a Japanese officer during the bombing of Nagasaki in World War II. Determined to give up his fighting ways, the solitary Logan lives in anguish deep in the Canadian forests, burdened by his immortality and haunted by dreams and nightmares of his deceased lover, fellow mutant Jean Grey (Famke Janssen). Before he can slash dead the toughies he encounters in a local bar, he is stopped by a young Japanese woman, Yukio (Rila Fukushima), who has been tracking him on the orders of her master, Yashida, the man Logan had saved during the war. Master Yashida (Haruhiko Yamanouchi) is now the most powerful businessman in Japan, but is dying and wants to

thank Logan in his dying bed. Logan reluctantly agrees to travel to Japan only for one day, but soon discovers that what Yashida really wants is the Wolverines immortality which he asks Logan to transfer to his body. Wolverine is a refreshing change from superhero movies that rely heavily on computerc re a t e d m o n s t ro s i t i e s f o r impact. Although there is towards the end a Robocoplike character that Logan must fight to death, most of the combat scenes involve people, real people whose fighting skills are enhanced by good choreography and crisp editing. The story also makes it easier for the viewer to resonate with the characters because it has a here-and-now flavor and highlights struggles caused

by human frailties such as greed, hunger for power, etc. Consider it a bonus that most of the action takes place in Japan , where nothing is without meaningfor then the film gets to offer the viewer some insights and glimpses of a different culture, a 180-degree turn from the usual gangster movies shot in Chicago or New York. The man-to-man chase on top of a speeding bullet train, particularly, teases the viewer to watch out for the The Making of Wolverine feature. Wolverine highlights mans appreciation of life and earthly power. The self-preservation instinct is shown to be stronger than cultural conditioning, as demonstrated by a soldier s unwillingness to commit harakiri when honor demands. A healthy love of life, however, is corrupted by the lust for power which leads to ones obsession to attain immortality. But what for is power when one has to kill even ones own child in order to possess it? Why want to live longer when faced with an endless life of killing? All told, Wolverine is a movie with a heart. Warn teens, though: sex between unmarried persons is taken for granted here. And there are no cops in sight, at least to count the bodies thrown out of trains, slashed, maimed, taken down by swords or arrows. Well, perhaps mutants and martial artists scare them out of the scene.

Buhay San Miguel

Brothers Matias

TITLE: Despicable me 2 LEAD CAST: Voice of Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Berjamin Bratt, Miranda Cosgrove, Russell Brand, Steve Coogan, Ken Jeong DIRECTOR: Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud SCREENWRITER: Cinco Pual, Ken Daurio PRODUCER: Christ Meledandri, Janet Healy EDITOR: Gregory Perler MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Pharrell Williams, Heitor Pereira GENRE: Animation, Kids & Family, Comedy RUNNING TIME: 98 minutes DISTRIBUTOR: Universal Studio LOCATION: US Technical Assessment: Moral Assessment: CINEMA Rating: PG 13 with parental guidance

TITLE: The internship LEAD CAST: Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, Rose Byrne, Maz Minghella, Joanna Garcia, John Goodman, Dylan OBrien, Jessica Szohr DIRECTOR: Shawn Levy SCREENWRITER: Vince Vaughn, Jared Stern PRODUCER: Vince Vaughn, Shawn Levy EDITOR: Dean Zimmerman MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Christophe Beck GENRE: Drama, Comedy RUNNING TIME: 119 minutes CINEMATOGRAPHER: Jonathan Brown DISTRIBUTOR: 20th Century Fox LOCATION: US Technical Assessment: Moral Assessment: MTRCB rating: PG 13 CINEMA rating: PG 13 (for age 13 and below with parental guidance)

Formerly bad villain Gru (Steve Carrell) has mellowed towards complete reformation as he tries to live a rather normal life, taking care of his adopted daughters and transforming his previously evil lab to start a jam and jelly business. But he just cant resist going back to the scene when the Anti-Villain League, an organization dedicated to tracking villainous plots, recruits him to help them

find and identify a new mysterious villain who has just stolen an entire Antarctic lab, and is now in possession of a very powerful yet dangerous toxic compound. Gru is paired up with agent Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wiig), and together, they go undercover in a shopping mall, hoping to track down the supervillain who poses as a mall tenant. Despicable Me 2 doesnt quite live up to the legacy and sentiment of the original

installment. What was a previously fresh premise of villainy as a norm has turned into a quite predictable and uninspired franchise. The narrative and the characters do not go beyond being merely functional as the film tries hard to lead its story towards the obligatory happy ending. The film does not tackle the central conflict of a villain struggling to reform in a society that fights evil with evil. The film entirely lacks the surprise element particularly, the revelation of the mysterious villain. However, Despicable Me 2 still delivers a few laughs and thrills, thanks to the diminutive yellow minions who provide much of the humor in the film. Their presence makes the film an enjoyable treat. The voice acting remain strong amidst the weak material and the animation is still flawless. Although an animated feature, Despicable Me 2 predominantly tackles an adult theme of villainy, espionage, and romantic relationships. Given these, scenes of violence cannot be avoided no matter how sanitized and funny the set-ups are. Those scenes result in slapsticks and crude humor. The minions and poop jokes are able to elicit laughter from the young audience, and much of it is rather neutral and harmless. Looking at the larger context, Grus character transformation from a seemingly bad villain to a good spy is commendable. This is further reinforced when he takes the role of a father to three girls. He becomes overly protective when one of his daughters starts to fall in love with someone whom he finds totally incompatible. Towards the end of the feature, the good still triumphs over evil and family and love relationships remain to be a powerful force even in a world dominated by villains. But then again, given the theme and adult humor, CINEMA deems Despicable Me 2 as fit for audiences 13 years old and below, with parental guidance.

Billy (Vince Vaughn) and Nick (Owen Wilson) are watch salesmen whose careers have been torpedoed by the digital world when their employer decided to shut down the company. Trying to prove they are not obsolete, they defy the odds by talking their way into a coveted internship at Google, along with a battalion of brilliant college students. But, gaining entrance to this utopia is only half the battle. Now they must compete with a group of the nations most elite, tech-savvy geniuses to prove that necessity really is the mother of re-invention. (c) Fox (Full CINEMA review to follow)

Vol. 17 No. 17

CBCP Monitor

August 19 - September 1, 2013

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The News Supplement of Couples for Christ

USA, Canada One In Cana Weekend

The 2013 CFC North America Conference
The Brim. Eric delos Reyes, CFC Canada Country Coordinator and ANCOP Chairman gave the 4th session, From Water To Wine, Radical Transformation. The conference ended on Sunday with a powerful, vibrant Talk 5 entitled Witness! Gods Glory Revealed by CFC Chairman and International Missions Director, Ricky Cuenca. All talks became more inspiring and life-giving because of the powerful sharings of brothers and sisters both from the USA and Canada namely: Levi/Ging Blaquera (Toronto); Cynthia Campos, wife of Jorge Campos (Manila); Carol Arjonillo, wife of Bong Arjonillo (Manila); Marivie Dalman, wife of Nonoy Dalman, BOE and Continent Overseer for the Americas (North, Central, South); Al Basilio (Toronto); Fr. Bart Ogomelu (Onitsha, Nigeria); Tito/ Brenda Segura (Georgia); Aileen Ocampo, wife of Mannix (Manila); Mars/ Sylvia dela Cuesta (North Carolina); Rene Punsalan, STMA Leader (Ma nila); Francis/Liz Almeida (Toronto); Sophiya Henson, ANCOP Child Scholar on video (Manila); Fr. Paul Lehman , who helped raise Hasan ANCOP Village in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija and Mary Grace Reprado, ANCOP Child Scholar on video (Manila). At the Eastern Conference in New Jersey, Fr. Thomas Donato, Auxiliary Bishop of New York, celebrated a solemn Holy Mass on the last day of the conference. To add to the festive mood, different awards were given to the areas. Toronto garnered three (3) awards namely: Biggest, Most Spirited and Most Organized Delegation. Both the National Council members of USA and Canada came upstage to thank one another for a united and joyful conference. Truly, Couples for Christ is a community blessed by a strong army of God that will renew the face of the earth!

CFC Chairman Ricky Cuenca sets USA & Canada on fire

By Malou Clarito & Gina Tingin

Couples for Christ in the United States headed by Eric Villanueva, and in Canada led by Greg Parillas showed their solidarity and love through two, spirit-filled Cana Weekend conferences held in Vancouver, British Columbia and in Meadowlands, New Jersey last July 12-14 and July 26-28 respectively. The conference in Vancouver was attended mostly by CFC brethren from West Coast USA and Canada. The Kids Village was held simultaneous with the CFC conference at the Hyatt Hotel where close to 1,500 attended. In New Jersey, more than 1,200 brothers and sisters from East Coast USA and Canada trooped to the Sheraton Hotel to worship, praise, be filled and inspired spiritually by the speakers and thru fellowship with one another. Friday night began with a Mass celebrated by Fr. Bill Halbing, a Diocesan priest who delivered a homily with sporadic, hilariously-spoken Tagalog words. The Mass was followed by a parade of each areas banner and chant competition. On Saturday night, the competition for duets was held. Each couple serenaded the audience with love songs from different era starting from the 1950s to the present, while wedding photos of CFC couples were shown one after another as backdrop. At the New Jersey conference, the song-writing contest proclaimed the 1st prize winnersDenice Badua of CFC Youth for Christ and Mission Volunteer Erin Gonzalez, both representing Ontario. Badua and Gonzales received an all-expense paid trip to the Philippines. Both conferences were blessed to have speakers from among our CFC Elders. George Campos, the newlyelected CFC Executive Director, and member of the International Council delivered Talk 1, The Wedding Feast. Bong Arjonillo, member of the Board of Elders (BOE) and Regional Head for the Greater Mekong Area gave Talk 2, Do Whatever He Tells You, while Mannix Ocampo, Family Ministries Director and Continent Overseer for Europe delivered Talk 3, Empty Jars, Filled To

CFC North America in a powerful joint conference, clockwise from top: USA & Canada brethren worshiping as one; the celebration of the Eucharist remains to be the peak of every CFC gathering; families in festive costumes during the production numbers; couples renew marriage vows. Photos by: Rico Tingin

CFC Australia Joins The Sun Herald City2Surf for ANCOP

By Benjamin Franco

No giving up now

By Josie Pangilinan
The second Sunday of August was a perfect day to walk, sprint, run, jog or stroll. And the streets of Sydney were lined with cheerers, frolickers, and bands playing music. That day, close to 85,000 participated in the annual Sun Herald City2Surf, a 14km run from Hyde Park to Bondi Beach. More than 750 charities raised funds for various causes in this years event, with ANCOP Australia being one of those charities. ANCOP Australia has been doing this for the last 9 years in its endeavour to help educate more than 400 poor but deserving students in 3 levels of education in the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands. As early as dawn, the CFC service team had secured one of the best spots, set up the ANCOP banner for everyone to see, and organized the barbecue station where the runners were fed after the marathon. Members from CFC, YFC, SFC, and HOLD, plus ANCOP partners comprised the participants from the Australia community. The past AGWs in Sydney has utilized cyber technology to raise awareness and funds for ANCOP scholars. Each registered participant has a hero page at the Sun Herald City2Surf website which they send as links to their prospective sponsors, friends and families anywhere in the world. Donations on-line continue until end of September and these all go to ANCOP Australias Child Sponsorship Program. As of press time, around $14,000 has already been donated. Similar programs like the Chevron City2Surf in Perth will be utilized by CFC Western Australia on August 25, while ANCOP Canberra will be participating in the Canberra Times Fun Run. The Canberra Fun Run website is already congratulating AN COP Canberra as the highest team fundraiser for their September 8 event where more than 38 have registered. CFC Australias participation in such national events is truly a manifestation of the celebration of life and embracing the spirit of generosity for the less fortunate.

"You have a heart of a small elephant!", the St. John Ambulance volunteer said to me while pushing the wheelchair I was sitting on through the Medical area manned by doctors and nurses from Wollongong hospital. "Whoa! How did I get here?",I asked myself. I remember running the City2Surf with 85,000 other people only a few minutes before. There was no doubt as to 'why' I was runningit was to raise awareness and funds for AN COP's Global Walk for a Scholar. After I had the chance to encounter our poor brethren in the Philippines when I co-led the ANCOP Great Adventure Tour this year, and going on mission to the Solomon Islands, "Answering the Cry of the Poor" took on greater meaning to the way I now live my life. I saw first-hand the fruits of the assistance that ANCOP gives to children via Education, and by God's grace the true hope that families receive when their child is awarded a scholarship. And so in this years City2Surf, I had a great purpose, a reason to slog it out over 14kms of hilly terrain. So I packed in my runner's belt, the necklace Couples For Christ in the Solomon Islands gave me while I was on Mission, and the Rosary Bracelet I was given while I was in the Philippines for GAT. I had the faces of the poor firmly in my heart every step of the two-hour ordeal. And with only 2 kilometers to go, and the surf of Bondi Beach in sight, I had no idea what was about to happen to me. A complete stranger had reacted to catch me as my right leg completely buckled beneath me. Cramps! The calves, hamstrings, and quads of both my legs started feeling as hard as cement, while the cramps violently and uncontrollably slowed my pace from a jog, to a walk. The agonizing pain was curling up my toes as I ground my teeth together around the final bend, with less than a hundred meters to go. "He needs to stretch! He needs to stretch!",

the 4 St. John Ambulance volunteers ex claimed to each other as I regained consciousness. With the pain of my leg cramps, my body had shut down from the pain and I had blacked-out and collapsed! Two more volunteers came with a stretcher, which I pushed away. I asked them to help me get up again as I could not move my legs. When I was standing, it felt like there were giant tennis balls made out of hard clay in my calves, and my quads were so stiff that I had to ask the ambulance volunteers to help me get over to the finish line. I had to finish, and with each of my arms around a volunteer, I told them, "I can't give up, I'm doing it for the poor in the Philippines, PNG, and the Solomon Islands! I have to cross the finish line 'standing'". And so we hobbled over to the finish line, the 2 medics and I. I had taken out of my runner's belt the necklace given to me by CFC in the Solomon Islands and was holding it up in the air shouting out aloud, "This is for the Solomon Islands! And the kids in the Philippines!" Finally I stumbled onto an awaiting wheelchair thanking God, and as I got wheeled away, the St John Ambulance volunteer told me: "You have a heart of a small elephant."

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Ugnayan

CBCP Monitor
August 19 - September 1, 2013

Vol. 17 No. 17

The World Youth Day and How It Changed My Mission

According to the press, the estimated crowd at Copacabana beach during the recent World Youth Day in Rio was at 3 million. Among the throng of young people singing, dancing, shouting their love for Christ and Pope Francis were delegates from both CFC Youth for Christ and CFC Singles for Christ from all parts of the world. We asked some of these young people about their WYD experience and how it has made an impact on their personal mission, and heres what they have to say:
Last year I sensed the Lords promise that this year, 2013, I would be able to witness something great. With joyful anticipation and excitement, I found myself preparing for the World Youth Day, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. During those months of preparation, despite the difficulties and distractions, the Lord fueled me to push on. I started with a few reasons why I wanted to join the pilgrimage and in the process I was able to come up with clearer and purified intentions to go. I was used to attending large conferences and forums with fellow youth , but this time the feeling is something new and fresh. Before the pilgrimage, my hands were full with a lot of things, especially with my mission work in YFCIsabela and YFC-Luzon. But after the WYD experience my perception about my mission changed and was renewed. One of the intentions I had written down was to be able to profess my Catholic faith together with other young people of the different nationalities present in the WYD. Through this, I was affirmed how conservative Filipinos are in professing the faith compared to other countries, and that challenged me to express my being Catholic out loud through words and actions. If others can, why we cant do the same? It is really difficult to do something if many are doing the opposite, but again the message of the Lord was clear, that we have to continue going and pushing against the flow of the world, to obey even if the result seems unnoticeable at times. The Lord reminded me once more through this pilgrimage to open myself to what is difficult and uncomfortable for me, because He will continue to send me to areas that need healing, forgiveness and love. And I will never forget the almost 4 million pilgrims who knelt before God during the World Youth Day. Again, I was affirmed of a vision 10 years ago through CFCYouth for Christ, that people from all nations will kneel down before our Great God. Mabelle D. Dimayuga YFC Missionary I used to think that English was the universal language, but being in Rio de Janeiro for the World Youth Day, I found out that despite the language barrier, the true universal language is the language of love and compassion. During our entire stay in Brazil, the family who hosted us did not speak English, but all they knew was that they were to take care of us like family. One time, while we were eating at a small diner, the TV showed the Popes arrival at the airport. At that moment, everybody just stopped eating and fell silent, staring at the television. Then young people who were standing outside began chanting, Somos a juventude do Papa! (We are the Popes youth!), the entire place cheered. That was my only encounter with Pope Francis. Some of our companions were able to see him, except me. Not that I didnt want to see Pope Francis. But somehow, on the third day of the event, I realized that the Christ who was within Pope Francis was the same Christ within the people around me. When people ask me if I saw the Pope, I would always reply, No I did not, but I experienced Christ through the other young people around me. As the Pope reminded us about the theme for WYDGo and make disciples of all nationshe exhorted us to Go! Do not be afraid! Serve! And then we were asked, Where is your mission area? And I was reminded of the mission of YFC: Young people being and bringing Christ wherever we are. My mission area is anywhere I am being sent, every person I am with. After the WYD, together with other delegates, we went up to Corcovado, and in front of the image of Cristo Redentor, I proposed to my girlfriend. And now, as God prepares us for this new chapter in our lives, Go, do not be afraid, serve! takes me back to the CFC vision of Families in the Holy Spirit Renewing the Face of the Earth. Somehow I see myself participating more in the fulfillment of the communitys vision and mission. Raymond Ibarrientos YFC Missionary During our preparations for the World Youth Day, I thought that I have made ready my heart and mind. However, I arrived in Brazil realizing that in fact, I was empty. Empty but at the same time rich, although I felt I havent found my purpose in life, I know I am also blessed with Gods overflowing grace. However, I found it funny how I went to the WYD with a purpose but I came back to the Philippines trying to search for it. I actually felt sad when it suddenly dawned on me that I do not know what God wanted me to do next. Imagine, I attended this great gathering of the youth from all over the world with the presence of the Pope and yet, I did not receive any message from the Lord. I thought it was impossible to have felt Christ and not hear His voice! Or worse, maybe I was just not paying attention! It took a hard core experience to bring me to a realization. I was walking on the street with the other pilgrims when I, together with another Brazilian friend, did not notice the green signal on the traffic light as we were walking at the middle of the road. All I saw that time were the lights coming from the cars approaching real fast towards our direction. When my friend screamed, Run!, I ran towards the opposite direction then ran back to where my friend went. Thank God we werent hurt, but a man who saw us in that situation became quite angry and he shouted, Pay attention! Pay attention! Maybe he was right. All the while I was resenting not hearing Gods message for me but what I did not realize was that I may not have been paying enough attention whenever He speaks. Maybe thats why the message did not get through. Looking back at the Popes message, I now realized where the Lord wants me & what He wants me to do. I will bring the young people closer to Jesus. I will continue my mission but I will not do it alone. I have God. I have the Church. And I have my brothers and sisters from all nations who will bring forth Christs love to every person.

Genevieve Justine L. Rubio Youth for Christ D u ring t h e WYD 2011 in Madrid, I was on my knees, bowing to God and just telling Him, "Bring it on, Lord, whatever Your will is for my life." Two years have passed, and I saw myself out of CFC fulltime work and working for a Media outfit that serves God. Then God brought me again to another WYD in Rio de Janeiro. The theme of making disciples of all nations struck me because I arrived in Brazil and instantly felt at home. God had pampered and comforted me through the people I was with, through my hosts and through the friends I made. It was a different experience of comfort, clearly hearing God's word saying, "I will take care of you, so do not be afraid." Upon hearing this, I came to realize that our mission knows no borders. Wherever God is taking

you, there is always an opportunity for mission, an opportunity to introduce the community and introduce Christ. I witnesses how a Brazilian brother was in tears with joy and excitement after I show him a video of our CFC community, telling me, "Sky, CFC should open in Brazil. Come back and do the program here." Those words did not only feel good, but it also brought joy and excitement in my heart. Knowing that wherever I am now, I am still and will always be a missionary. April Frances Ortigas Singles for Christ

A Wedding Feast In The Desert

Lets Talk About Love

zation in the University of Asia and the Pacific, for the past 3 years. Real Love Revolution is co-presented by Couples for Christ (CFC). Last year, over 8,000 people from different backgrounds attended the event at the Philippine International Convention Center (Pasay City). Jason Evert is famous for his chastity seminar called Romance without Regret. He has also been holding talks with over one million people as his audience. To add to this, he is also the best-selling author of certain books such as Theology of the Body for Teens and Pure Love and Pure Manhood. He has a masters degree in Theology and undergraduate degrees in Counseling and Theology from the Franciscan University of Steubenville. Crystalina Evert, on the other hand, is the founder of Women Made New and has penned three books, namely: Pure Womanhood, How to Find Your Soulmate Without Losing Your Soul, and Theology of the Body for Teens. This years REAL LOVE REVOLUTION will be on September 7, 2012 at the Philippine International Convention Center (Pasay City). It will be from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Tickets are available via Reggie Cajulis (CFC): 09228128592; Babes Jadulco (SFC): 0922-8257396; Reg Luy (YFC): 0917-3119633.

CFC brothers and sisters from the Middle East gathered for the CANA Weekend last August 9, 2013. Around 650 participants braved the intense heat inside the venue when the air conditioning shut down due to low power supply as the electricity grid was overloaded due to the National Holiday celebrations. The first session was stopped temporarily as everyone prayed the Rosary and asked the intercession of the Blessed Mother. But the session continued on while our brethren endured the heat, as one CFC brother shared about his passionate love for his wife, in sickness or in health, for better or for worse. God answered everyones

prayer and air conditioning came back on in time for the 2nd session delivered by Ramuel Gracia, on Prayer, Mission, and Obedience, "Do whatever He tells you." The conference was back on track as everyone listened intently to the talk and the effective witnessing from a couple who travelled 15 hours by land to share a bit of their life's experience of God's faithfulness. Jerry Tanigue continued the story of the wedding feast in Cana in Talk 3 Empty Jars, Filled to the Brim. He expounded on how God was able to use the empty jars precisely because of their emptiness. The priest presider for the Holy Mass deliv-

ered Talk 4 as part of his homily. He also led the Renewal of Marriage Vows just before giving the final blessing. Ricky Cuenca, Chairman of Couples for Christ, then came up on stage with his usual "on fire" attitude, giving Talk 5 with so much passion and energy. His very inspiring news about New Evangelization efforts in China, India, and Mongolia inspired those present as he challenged the 3,800 strong community to double in number by the end of the year. The wedding feast ended with a powerful praise fest as everyone sang praises and gave back the glory to God for having filled everyone with good wine in abundance.

Loveoverly discussed yet faintly understood. Determining the line between real love and its cheap imitation has become a problem for many people today, especially the youth. REAL LOVE REVOLU TION is a prolife and chastity conference that aims

to open the audiences minds about love and relationships, sexuality, and the Theology of the Body. It features Jason and Crystalina Evert, a globally renowned couple who have been conducting talks on these topics. The event is organized by CATALYST, a student organi-

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Vol. 17 No. 17
August 19 - September 1, 2013

Ugnayan
By Efren Tompong

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Canada Senator Vows to Back ANCOP

DLS-CSB Grants New Sponsorship To CFC ANCOP For SY 2014-15

courses at DLS-CSB. The scholarship is open for all graduating 4th year High School students in 2014, with a weighted average of 83% and above from first to third year high school. Family income of the applicant should not exceed Php 200,000 annually. The applicant must also pass the qualifying examinations to be administered by DLS-CSB travel to and from the school and the limited allowance for transport and food, Jobet managed to land in the Deans List during his 2nd trimester at school. Another poor student, Aileen Rivera, shared she eats siomai and rice daily at school since she only has Php 20.00 allowance for lunch. Amidst these difficulties, the 21 stu-

CFC Chairman and BCOP Director Ricardo Cuenca signed the Memorandum of Agreement with De La SalleCollege of St. Benilde (DLSCSB) on the grant of fifteen (15) additional scholarships for CFC ANCOP sponsored children for school year 201415 in a simple ceremony last August 2, 2013 at the Amphitheater, SDA Building,

L-R: Ricky Cuenca, Chairman; Couples for Christ; Sen. Tobias, Jr. and Mrs. Rosemer Enverga; Erico de Los Reyes, President, CFC ANCOP-Tekton Foundation Inc.; Temi Pangilinan, President, ANCOP International Canada Inc.; and Greg Parillas, National Director, Couples for Christ Canada.

In a recent meeting, Sen. Tobias Enverga, Jr. of Ontario, Canada and his wife Rosemer assured ANCOP Canada and Couples for Christ that they would continue to vigorously support the projects and objectives of the Canadian-registered charity ANCOP (Answering the Cry of the Poor), and the latters annual fundraiser ANCOP Walk, to be held in major cities in the country on August 25, 2013.

According to Temi Pangilinan, ANCOP Canada Chair man and President, the Philippine Canadian Charitable Foundation (PCCF), which was founded by Sen. Enverga, has so far deposited with ANCOP Canada a total of $18,500 since last year to fund an undertaking to build 20 houses for the poor in an ANCOP village site in Paranaque City, Philippines. So far, the amount

donated by the PCCF represents a cost for six houses at $3,000 per unit. Sen. Enverga said ANCOP continues to be his favorite charity. In the past, Sen. Enverga had spearheaded several fundraisers for ANCOP homes for the poor through the community organizations he headed, among others, the Lucena City Association of Ontario and the PIDC.
ANCOP Education Program Head Ethel Balenton and BCOP Director Ricky Cuenca signs the MOA with DLS-CSB; Sofia Caccam of DLS-CSB welcomes partnership with ANCOP.

ANCOP Education Program Conducts Mid-Year Planning Workshop

Manila Campus. Calling CFC ANCOP Foundation a lifetime partner, Sofia Caccam, Head of Student Grants Office hopes to build up the number of poor students studying with DLSCSB with the help of government and non-government institutions. The scholarship granted to CFC ANCOP was under the Benildean Hope Grant, a program that sends poor students under the care of NGOs to obtain degree

starting October until December 2013. High School graduates may be considered provided they have not enrolled in any college course. There are now 21 ANCOP scholars studying at DLS-CSB. The weighted average of the first 6 students that enrolled in school year 2012-13 was 2.7 or equivalent to 88%. The scholars belong to poor families including Jobet Daco, whose parents sell banana cue for a living in Tala, Caloocan City. Despite the rigors of daily

dents strive hard to fulfill their dreams of quality education in one of the prominent schools in the country. Interested applicants to the DLS-CSB scholarship may apply in person at the CFC ANCOP office, 29 Evergreen Drive, Capitol Green Subdivision, Tandang Sora, Quezon City. For details, call 9395374 or Ethel Balenton at 09285076341, or Efren Tompong at 09998818523/09328487798.

Ambassador Gatan Pledges Support for ANCOP

By Malu Kabamalan
A mid-year planning workshop on the ANCOP Educa tion Program was facilitated by Thelma Hizon last August 12-13, 2013 at the Astoria Plaza Hotel in Pasig City. Aside from the Education Program Director, Ethel Balenton and Operations Director, Rizal Ting, the activity was attended by a total of 16 participants from the Child Sponsorship Program (CSP), Cornerstone, CSP Program Implementing Teams (PITs) from Metro Manila, ANCOP Training Director Lina David, HOLD International Core member, Emy Marasigan & full time pastoral workers from KFC, YFC and SFC. The workshop included several activities to better understand one another for a more effective working relationship. Output of the activity is the formulation of the Vision & Mission for ANCOP Education Program, and the identification of required critical tasks to streamline CSP & Cornerstone operations towards a more efficient and effective delivery of services to its target poor and marginalized children and youth. The group further agreed to hold another session in the near future to fine-tune the details of the plan of action and strategies.

Ambassador Leslie Gatan (center) flanked by CFC Canada leaders

Prayers, Fasting for Ancop Global Walk 2013

By Enrico Tingin
ANCOP Canada President Temi Pangilinan recently paid a courtesy visit to Philippine Ambassador to Canada Leslie B. Gatan at his official residence in Ottawa. The Ambassador warmly received the group, which included Philip Tang, CFC Chapter Head Ottawa, and Rico and Gina Tingin, CFC Provincial Leaders Ottawa. The supposed 30-minute appointment turned into almost 2 hours of lively exchange. Pangilinan presented ANCOP and the many projects and initiatives that CFC Canada is doing for the poorest of the poor. Ambassador Gatan was very impressed with the workfor-the-poor model in ANCOP, as he did not only listen and ask questions during the open exchange of ideas, but also expressed interest to personally participate as a donor. When briefed about the ANCOP Education Child Sponsorship Program (CSP) for seminarians, he mentioned about his youth when, as a young seminarian, he was likewise sponsored by a generous benefactor. Unfortunately, the sponsorship ended abruptly, hence, he was

not able to pursue his dream of becoming a priest. It was then that he decided that he preferred to sponsor one of the seminarians in the CSP to ensure that at least one of them will not experience the same fate. This sponsorship is on top of his desire to donate for a house under the Shelter Program in one of the ongoing community projects. Although he mentioned that as a government official representing the Philippines in Canada, he is not allowed to endorse a charity organization, he committed to help and support ANCOP in his personal capacity.

The News Supplement of Couples for Christ

George B. Campos IC Oversight Samantha C. Manuel Editor-in-Chief Deomar P. Oliveria Layout Artist Alma M. Alvarez Associate Editor Claudine T. Itchon Intern

The countdown towards ANCOP Global Walk 2013 is in its final stretch. In last years AGW, the Lord performed a miracle when He calmed the storm that caused the flooding along Roxas Blvd. last year, and allowed almost 80,000 participants from Metro Manila to walk the stretch from the Quirino Grandstand to the Cultural Center of the Philippines and back for AGW 2012. The provinces and the other countries likewise enjoyed a perfect AGW weather, allowing the CFC members, their families, and their friends to walk for our scholars in their respective areas. This year, the community looks forward again to another miracle from the Lord. Aside from

optimum weather conditions, everyone is also encouraged to intercede for more walkers to embrace CFCs mission of building the Church of the Poor via CFC ANCOP. BCOP Chairman Ricky Cuenca reminds the community that the victory of any CFC event lies both in the best preparations and through each others intercession. And as God prepares the blessings He will pour out for the ANCOP Global Walk, each one is encouraged to offer prayers and to fast for Gods victory to be manifest for the ANCOP Global Walk 2013pray the Rosary daily, include the ANCOP Global Walk in daily Mass intentions, and to fast, for the same intention.

Evangeline C. Mecedilla Circulation Staff

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

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Ugnayan
CFC Leaders Meet With Philadelphia Archbishop
to his assignment in Philadelphia, the Archbishop recalls that he wrote a recognition letter for CFC while he was the Archbishop of Denver, CO (1997 - 2011). Archbishop Chabut inquired about CFCs presence in PA and was very pleased to hear the reports from Alex Algarme and Danny Meneses as they shared how the community is growing in PA and elaborated on the parishes where CFC is present. Roger Santos, expressed to Arch bishop Chaput that CFC, upon recommendation of Cardinal Dolan of New York, that CFCUSA would like to help and be involved in the preparation for Pope Francis visit to the US as he attends the World Meeting of Families which will take place in Philadelphia on September 22-27, 2015. The meeting ended with Archishop Chaput giving a blessing to the CFC leaders and the assurance that His Excellency will support the communitys desire to get involved in the various activities of the Archdiocese and its parishes. As a follow up activity, Steve Bozza, Director, Office for Life, Family & Laity of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, will begin including CFC and its ministries in the official website of the Archdiocese. In parting, the Cardinal told the CFC group they were always welcome to visit and work together with his office and his staff.

CBCP Monitor

August 19 - September 1, 2013

Vol. 17 No. 17

(L-R) Danny Meneses CFC PA, Alex Algarme, Area Head, CFC PA, Roger B. Santos, CFC USA National Council member & ANCOPUSA Exec-Director, Archbishop Chaput, Sonny Aguiling, CFC USA Liaison, Catholic Church Relations Office and Steven Bozza, Director, Office for Life, Family & Laity of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

By Sonny Aguiling
Couples for Christ (CFC) leaders met recently with His Excellency Charles Joseph Chaput, O.F.M., the ninth and current Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The meeting took place at the Office of the Archbishop in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. CFC was represented in the meeting by Roger B. Santos, CFC USA National Council member & ANCOP USA Executive Director; Sonny Aguiling, CFC USA Liaison, Catholic Church Relations Office (CCRO); Alex Algarme, Area Head, CFC Pennsylvania; and Danny Meneses of CFC Pennsylvania. Roger Santos and Sonny Aguiling presented a brief history and overview of CFC. The Archbishop, after going through the Vatican recognition of CFC and other recognitions made by other church authorities in the USA, positively responded, welcoming CFC and its ministries in the various parishes of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Prior

First MEP in Milpitas City: Answering the Call for New Evangelization
By Fred Eron
St. John the Baptist Catholic Parish is one of the many parishes in the city of Milpitas found in the world famous Silicon Valley, the leading hub for high-tech innovation and development in the United States. Bounded by Fremont City on the north and San Jose City on the south, this parish has a long and glorious history. It is the first Roman Catholic Church in Milpitas established as a mission in 1866, which eventually became a parish in 1877. Today, the St. Johns complex includes a K-8 school, rectory, church, imperio, Catholic education office, a bell tower and a social hall. St. Johns owns and maintains the St. John the Baptist Cemetery (established in 1898) on Piedmont Road. This historic parish has a Filipino as its Pastor in the person of Fr. Ritche Bueza. In 1992 seven couples completed the 1st Christian Life Program in Northern California in the same parish. From Milpitas City, CFC spread out to the other neighboring cities. At present the CFC community in Northern California has a membership of over a thousand couples, serving other parishes together with the other CFC Family Ministries. Last August 3, 2013, upon the invitation of Fr. Ritche, CFC conducted the first Marriage Enrichment Program for non-CFC members. This program was for the benefit of local parishioners who are married, as well as engaged couples. Fourteen couples attended the whole day seminar at the St. John the Baptist Parish hall. The city mayor of Milpitas, Joe Esteves, together with his wife Susan, came in the morning to lend their support. Both are active members of CFC. The first speakers, JJ & Pinky Francisco, spoke on The Christian Marriage based on the teachings on the Theology of the Body. Pidz & Joy Banasan explained the components of The Christian Home, based on the encyclical of Pope John Paul 2, Familiaris Consortio. In the 3rd talk, Communication in Marriage, Nonoy Dalman, Continent Overseer to the Americas, and wife Marivie expounded on the process of communication. Rolly and Nila Fajilan spoke on Strengthening of Mar riages. Afterwards, the couples were led to a Healing and Commitment Ceremony. The seminar culminated with a celebration of the Holy Mass and Renewal of Vows by Fr Ritche. The weekend was victorious, thanks to the concerted efforts of NorCal Sector Head Ding and Joy de Guzman, together with Fred & Lolit Eron (Sector Treasurer) as well as the members of the CFC Milpitas Chapter led by its Chapter Head George & Rose Baltazar. Due to the clamor for a repeat of this program, the group has decided to conduct the next MEP before the Advent season. The MEP is the active response of CFC NorCal to the call of the Holy Father for new evangelization, for new ardor and new methods in propagating the good news of Jesus Christ. It is now preparing to launch the program to the rest of the parishes in the different cities in the Silicon Valley.

CFC Northern Samar Celebrates 21st Anniversary

By Dennis Dalucapas
The anniversary fever ran very high at the Catarman Municipal Auditorium for CFC Northern Samar during the celebration of its 21st Anniversary last August 3, 2013. To celebrate its 21 blessed years, the CFC in the province took its global theme Obey and Witness. Together with its family ministries, the CFC leaders and members manifested their involvement as they gathered at the Catarman municipal Auditorium on August 3, 2013. The one-day affair started with the celebration of the holy Mass with Fr. Fred Placa and Fr. Jonathan Loverita as priest presiders. It was followed by a colorful parade around the town. After which, brethren from Catarman and neighboring barangays, shared packed mealseach one displaying a one-of-a-kind act of generosity that is only found in CFC. The share-a-meal lunch added to the expression of the theme Obey and Witness as each of the more than a thousand members who graced the affair witnessed and ate and had enough (Matthew. 14:20). Eight clusters and five ministries took

turns in showcasing their talents, entertaining everyone through their singing, dancing and acting. Adding color to the occasion was the Rafflipay (a play on the words raffle and kalipay, a Visayan term which means joy.) The Provincial Area Head Ricky Rico and his wife Elvie likewise graced the occasion. Ricky was so enthusiastic in his anniversary message, emphasizing that like a man at 21, CFC in Northern Samar should truly embrace the seriousness of its evangelistic work for the fulfillment of its vision and mission. He added, When you look back to where and when CFC started is this part of the country, you are showing gratitude to the men and women behind your joining the community. Although the most anticipated event of 2013 started on a stormy morning, this did not hinder the joyful expectation of a glorious day for everyone. And true enough, the celebration ended victoriously for the Lord as the full-packed auditorium loudly echoed with songs of worship and praise for the Lord Jesus Christ, who set everything in its proper place and His perfect timing.

Bringing Cana to Cambodia

SFC North America Takes Over Vegas

in Johns heart. By bringing him back to those moments in his life where he slid away from our Lord, God asked who or what else could fill him up fully, who or what else could remove the emptiness he had felt ultimately in those moments, who or what else could provide a permanent assurance of always being present. The third session titled Transformation was given by Christopher Metzger, a member of the SFC USA National Core Group. The session started with the powerful and touching Flip Card testimonials. 15 people went on the stage and showed their transformation stories through the flip cards. Chris. The sessions central point had been about Jesus changing water into wine, the transformation witnessed in that act by those who obeyed our Lord. Obedience to Jesus precedes the transformation our Lord desires for all of us. Powerful transformation stories by sharers and a Praise Fest led by JC Tiglao, another member of the SFC USA National Core, concretized the talk. The fourth session, Witness, was given by Shok Ariola, CFC Evangelization and Mission Planning Office Coordinator. He went on stage wearing hiphop attire and shouting Represent! which meant to witness by representing Christ. Gelo Saludo, SFC full time worker from Canada, capped the session with a very powerful praise fest. Workshops were also conducted as part of the conference program to equip the delegates with tools on how to be effective witnesses: Nicene Creed led by Fr. Nadeem of Las Vegas; On Fire Missions by Mike Delanoche, an SFC USA National Core Group member; Theology of the Body by Dermott Wang; Mission Volunteers Program by Mike Serapio; and SFC Advocacies by Shok Ariola. The SFC Couple Coordinators likewise had their own conference. The sessions being Strengthening the Homefront led by JC Tiglao; Bearing Much Fruit by Chris Kagahastian of the CFC USA National Core team and USA Family Ministries Head; and Fruits That Will Remain by Noel Delos Reyes, SFC USA National Coordinator. The CCCs goal is to make the coordinators understand what their basic roles are and the importance of family relationships to the success of mission. Indeed Las Vegas became a special place that weekend not just because of the brilliant radiating colors of the Vegas Strip, but because of the brilliance of Gods love radiated over the whole North America. Through the worship, the conference sessions, the reflection moments, and the fellowship of the CFC SFC community, Las Vegas became a place where Godly things happen.

By Mike Serapio
More than 600 delegates attended the 19th CFC Singles for Christ Conference in Las Vegas last August 9 and 10, 2013. What made it even special was the presence of SFC delegates from Canada. The conference was indeed an exciting gathering for SFC North America. The first session, Invitation, was given by Mike Serapio, CFC Full Time Pastoral Worker for USA. The talk centered on celebration and preparation.Celebration mainly because it is the 20th year for Singles for Christ. Bro Mike exhorted the delegates to appreciate the 20years of SFC not so much because of the ministrys own merits, but because of Gods presence and the stirrings of the Holy Spirit in SFC. The talk also discussed the preparation aspect to set the tone of the conference, inviting the delegates to the big wedding feast. Just as how Jesus, Mary and the disciples were invited at the wedding at Cana, the Invitation required a willful response, our Yes to be present and our Yes to obedience. The introduction of new songs throughout the session made the worship extra special. The second session, Empty, was given by SFC Canadas National Coordinator John Acosta. His talk covered the 4 Ls where emptiness is often experienced by single peoplelifestyle, leadership, livelihood and lovelife. The different isms (relativism, secularism, materialism) was also discussed in this talk especially how these are directly related to the redefinition of marriage, removal of values and most especially removal of GOD in the very life of the single person. A major point during the session was the appearance of God (played by Kyle Belley, YFC full time worker) during a skit to John. Upon Johns invitation, God was suddenly present on stage. John, of course, needing proof, asked him if he can dance. God obliged by busting out a few slick moves. Satisfied, John asked God for more answers. Yet, God answered all of Johns questions with questions. God patiently turns the tables and began to address issues

By Joel Dayao
Couples for Christ (CFC) Cambodia held their CANA Weekend last August 2 and 3, 2013 at the St. Joseph Catholic Church, Phnom Penh, the capital and largest city in Cambodia along the Mekong River. The mission team was warmly welcomed by Fr. Charles Dittmeier, the spiritual adviser of CFC and Fr. Bob Wayne, who celebrated the Holy Eucharist and the Renewal of Marriage Vows. Fr. Christian Limbaring, a former Youth for Christ (YFC) from Iligan who is now a priest serving in Vietnam also joined the group that served in Cambodia. A team from Manila headed by CFC Cambodia Country Coordinator Eric Bostre together with Mike and Cynthia Bukuhan (Provincial Area Head (PAH) Catandu anes) and Joel Dayao (PAH Capiz) were joined by a team from Vietnam headed by Francis Macatol and Eduardo and Agnes Ubaldo, who served as speakers and music ministry for the conference. To reach Phnom Penh, the team had to take a six-hour bus ride from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, cross the border to Cambodia, and ride a ferry across the Mekong River. Forty members from CFC Cambodia who attended the conference were composed of young couples and singles. The conference has empowered and united the CFC community in Cambodia to strengthen their families and participate with renewed vigor and passion in the work of evangelization with the help of Jesus and Mama Mary.