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Change must start from Social action centers

within—Bishop Soc rush aid to disaster
A YOUNG Roman Catholic bishop said that victims
whatever the political system is today is only a
reflection of the kind of people the country has. AS continuous rains affect thousands of residents
Now if you are seeking a genuine political in Bicol and Eastern Visayas provinces, various
reform and an end to corruption in the govern- Social Action Centers of the Catholic Church
ment: start first from within yourself. have begun to extend direct relief assistance to
While he agrees that the “the President must Protagonist of Truth, Promoter of Peace disaster victims.
change or be changed; so with senators and con- CBCP Episcopal Commission on Social Ac-
gressmen,” Balanga bishop Socrates Villegas tion, Justice and Peace Executive Secretary Sr.
Change / A6
March 3 - 16, 2008 Vol. 12 No. 5 Php 20.00 Social / A6

Call for Arroyo’s resignation is

people’s job — Cardinal Vidal By Santosh Digal
CALLING for President Gloria Arroyo’s resignation is a pre-
rogative of “a political decision and action,” and it is not the
stand of the Catholic bishops, said Cebu Archbishop Ricardo
Cardinal Vidal.
“Calling for the resigna-
tion of is not our aim. I don’t
know why they are always
asking us to do that because
we are bishops. The opposi-
tion can do that. I am not in
the opposition, nor am I pro.
I am here as a shepherd for
those who are here. I do not
know why they like us to do
that when we cannot do it. It
is a political decision and ac-
tion,” Cardinal told media
after he celebrated Sunday
Mass at the Archdiocesan
Shrine of Our Lady of
Guadalupe in Cebu City last
March 2.
Cardinal Vidal reiterated
the Catholic Bishops’ Confer-
ence of the Philippines’
(CBCP) position that bishops
are not calling for Arroyo’s
resignation, instead they
Photo by Noli Yamsuan / RCAM
President’s resignation or any
other direct reference to the
political firestorm, the bish-
ops stressed the significance
of “internal conversion
through communal and
prayerful discernment.”
There has been great
clamor from civil society
groups, individuals and other
different sectors urging CBCP
to issue call for Arroyo’s res-
ignation, which CBCP has
cautiously avoided, after the
NBN scam, in which many
top government officials are
implicated.
In her seven years in presi-
dency, Arroyo has survived
four attempted power grabs
and three opposition im-
peachment bids over alleged
corruption and vote rigging,
which she has repeatedly de-

called to crusade for truth re- nied.

lentlessly and fight corrup-
tion at all levels.
The CBCP stressed in its
Feb 26 statement calling for
“circles of discernment” at the
grassroots level, in the par-
Manila Archbishop Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales talks to Sumilao farmers as he gives them blessing to do a “Jericho March” around Malacañang. The farmers want the President to make
ishes, and schools, among
good her promise made during their dialogue last December 17, 2007 to return the 144-hectare land in Sumilao, Bukidnon they have long been claiming. others. Avoiding calls for the
Cardinal Vidal issued a
pastoral statement sometime
ago appealing Catholics for
“personal and communal
conversion and collective ac-
tion based on the Gospel val-
ues and social teachings of the
Church.” Call / A6

CEAP: Gov’t corruption

cannot be tolerated
Mining, logging blamed for killer floods
WEATHER was the main target for blame in killer future,” he said. tion, preservation and protection of our forests,
flashfloods that hit Eastern Samar, but a Catholic The bishop claimed the flashfloods that caused mountains and what remains of our natural
CORRUPTION in the government cannot to be tol-
bishop is also pointing to environment destruc- heavy landslides are apparently just the negative wealth,” he said.
erated, said the Catholic Educational Association
tion as a contributing factor. results triggered by reckless mining and logging The bishop also called his flocks to help identify
of the Philippines (CEAP).
The island of Samar and adjacent areas have been operations. the sources of damage and abuse of the environ-
“We shall not tolerate corruption in our lives, in
hit by days of heavy torrential rains causing land- At times, he said, everything they have lost is ment, “no matter how the truth may hurt.”
our government, in our nation,” said Fr. Roderick
slides and overflowing rivers. beyond recovery. “By necessity we must point to loggers, miners
C. Salazar, SVD, CEAP national president.
The disaster that struck the poor province has “From what we see, it is without a doubt that (small-scale or large-scale) and irresponsible citi-
In a statement titled, “Conscience Calls, Actions
placed many people in a disadvantaged condition these floods have also been exacerbated by many zens among us who prefer personal profit to com-
Personal and Communal: CEAP Position on Vari-
leaving more than P500M in infrastructure dam- of our depleted forests, damaged mountains and mon benefit,” he also said.
ous Positions of the Day” he said, “the events of
age and P126M in agriculture loss. natural landscapes due to irresponsible logging and Varquez said it is the locals who suffer much
our time call for speaking truth, seeking justice,
The worst, at least 14 people were killed and dis- mining,” he said. when commercial logging and mining “depletes”
setting things right.”
placed tens of thousands of families in the towns of Landslides anywhere in the country are often natural forest resources.
The CEAP is the biggest national association of
Dolores, Taft, Gen. MacArthur, Jipapad Maslog and blamed by experts and environmentalists on log- “It is the locals, therefore, who must find ways
Catholic educational institutions in the country,
Borongan City. ging and mining. and means to conserve their natural resources for
with about 1,252 members, which include 29 uni-
Borongan Bishop Crispin Varquez said he is This is because forest cover helps maintain land their common benefit and those of future genera-
versities, 98 graduate schools, 236 colleges, 1,070
grateful ordinary citizens as well as government stability—both by absorbing the rain that can cause tions,” he added.
high schools, 629 elementary and 591 pre-elemen-
and non-government groups immediately re- it to slip, and by securing soil and vegetation to the Borongan and nearby towns were isolated since
tary schools, instituted in 1941.
sponded to initial relief operations. bedrock with tree roots. Feb. 15 after a bridge in MacArthur collapsed due
“We must pray, heed what our conscience tells
But Varquez said the tragedy that they have Varquez said the recent disaster should compel to floodwater.
us, act with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the
“never experienced before” spurred them to “look the people to do their part in the urgent task to Various roads in the municipalities of
Philippines (CBCP) and all other men and women
more deeply into our circumstances.” save the environment. Quinapondan and Taft also remain impassable due
of good will, seek to discover the educative mo-
“These could indicate ominous conditions in the “This means that we must decide for the restora- to flooding and landslides. (Roy Lagarde)
ment in the happenings of the day, fight corrup-
tion in ourselves and others, work to set things
right—as we see things, under the guidance of the

Davao archdiocese accepts

Holy Spirit, following Jesus, seeking to dispel dark-
ness by our light, melting hatred by our love,”
Salazar said. Cardinal urges
2 new groups of CFC
In its last National Convention, CEAP scored
under the theme “Beyond Borders, Within Worlds:
Catholic Schools and Corporate Social Responsi-
bility.” It stressed that in the world of Catholic edu-
cation, it needs to go beyond the borders that sepa-
farmers to hang on FOLLOWING the division
rate one school from another, one sector in society A RANKING Roman Catholic prel- Sumilao farmers are back again in of the Couples for Christ
from the next—”when the love of God urges us to ate has asked the Sumilao farmers to Manila to retrace their “walk for justice” (CFC), Archbishop
do so.” remain strong in their faith as he as- to recover the land they claimed as theirs Fernando Capalla is-
“Any particular moves flowing from our indi- sured continued support to their in Bukidnon province. sued a circular letter
vidual and communal reading of the times and our cause. Twelve of the 55 farmers who giving his episco-
response to what our conscience prompts” is need Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Car- marched 1,700 kilometers last year re- pal blessing
of the hour in the wake of NBN scam, he said. dinal Rosales made the call after a turned to Manila last January 17. and acceptance
The individual and communal call of conscience meeting with the farmers at the But on March 1, more farmers arrived to of the two CFC
should be promoted by every CEAP member Arzobispado in Intramuros, March 4. the capital bringing their numbers to 144 groups in the
school which is ready to march to decry corrup- Rosales vowed that he will con- to strengthen their cause and pressure the archdiocese of
tion, the priest added. tinue to monitor developments in the government to accelerate their demand. Davao.
The CEAP is commissioned to advance and pro- case of the Sumilao farmers until they Elgine Merida, spokesman of San Archbishop
mote the teaching function of the Catholic Church. get 144-hectare property being Miguel Landless Farmers Association Capalla in his
It contributes towards the attainment of the objec- claimed by the farmers. (SALFA), said the presence of 144 farm- letter addressed
tive, “the total development of the human person” He said the Church’s support on the ers marks the size of land they have been to the parish
through a Catholic orientation in accordance with cause of the poor farmers is anchored asking. priests, diocesan agencies and the Archdiocesan Council of the Lay
the norms of the Church, constituent with national on realities that the farmers were the She said it also represents the number Apostolate and Integrated Movements (ACLAIM), officially an-
development goals as expressed in the Philippine aggrieved party in the contested of days to demand an accounting of nounced that he has decided to accept both CFC groups, namely:
Constitution. property. Malacañang’s promise to return their Couples for Christ-Global Mission Foundation Incorporated (CFC-
The CEAP also promotes religious instruction as Rosales also led the farmers in ancestral land to them. GMFI) and Couples for Christ-Foundation for Family and Life
a key element of Catholic education, thereby con- praying so that they would finally The Sumilao farmers are currently (CFC-FFL) as recognized lay associations within the Metropoli-
tributing towards character formation and citizen- achieve justice, which the farmers taking refuge at the Caritas Manila Cen- tan Archdiocese of Davao. Davao / A6
ship building. (CBCPNews) have long been seeking. ter in Pandacan, Manila. (CBCPNews)
 CBCP Monitor
A2 World News Vol. 12 No. 5
March 3 - 16, 2008

$ 1.8 million ransom demanded Mexican bishops call for

for release of Iraqi archbishop
MADRID, Spain, March 3, 2008—The
Mensajeros de la Paz (Messengers of Peace)
foundation is reporting that the captors of
Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho of Mosul are
demanding $1.8 million in ransom money to
free the Iraqi prelate who was kidnapped last
Friday.
In comments to Italian Bishops’ news ser-
vice Servizio Informazione Religiosa (SIR),
Bishop Louis Sako of Kirkuk said that, “The
kidnappers have called more than once ask-
ing for ransom.”
The president and founder of Mensajeros
de la Paz, Father Angel Garcia, expressed his
hope that the captors would relent and “for
humanitarian reasons release the Archbishop
of Mosul, who is man of faith and not politics
and is also ill.”
He also said he called on the “governments,
religious institutions and episcopal confer-
ences of the world to follow the lead of Pope
Benedict XVI and call for the immediate re-
lease of Archbishop Rahho.”
According to the foundation, Father Garcia
is working to get the archbishop released, and
in the coming days he will travel to Spain with
five sick Iraqi children who need treatment.
Father Garcia has spent time as well with
the families of the three young people killed
during the kidnapping of Archbishop Rahho,
Muslim leaders also call for the release
Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho
who is also his personal friend. In March of
2005, the archbishop visited Spain at Father
Garcia’s invitation to call for peace and rec-
onciliation in Iraq. During his visit he was
treated for heart difficulties he had been ex-
periencing. (CNA)
constitutional reform to
guarantee religious
freedom
MEXICO CITY, March 3, 2008—
The president of the Bishops’
Conference of Mexico, Bishop
Carlos Aguiar Retes, said the
Mexican bishops have formally
called for the reform of article 24
of the constitution to replace the
phrase “freedom of worship and
beliefs” with the basic concept of
“religious freedom.”
During the presentation of the
book, “15 Years of Relations Be-
tween The Holy See and Mexico,”
at the conference’s headquarters,
Bishop Aguiar said the request is
intended to obtain guarantees of
a fundamental right, that of reli-
gious freedom, which right now
is ambiguously interpreted, often
against the Church, because of the
imprecise phrasing in the consti-
tution.
“We are not saying that a
bishop is going to be president of
the country in the 21st century.
What we are seeking is that the
State continues to be secular, but
that we move forward,” Bishop
Aguiar said.
For the Catholic Church, he ex-
plained, the concept of religious
freedom means freedom for all
Mexicans, including the clergy, to
“live their faith in public and pri-
vate, individually or collectively,
respect for the rights of others.”
Bishop Aguiar emphasized that
religious freedom is the greatest
pillar for ensuring the secular
State, which is not supposed to just
“tolerate” the religious beliefs of
its citizens, but rather defend,
guarantee and promote them, be-
cause it recognizes that faith in a
supreme being strengthens the
ethical and moral conduct of citi-
zens.”
He also explained that the con-
cept of the secular state is one of
respect and freedom for any reli-
gion and its members to contrib-
ute to society. On the other hand,
secularism discriminates and
marginalizes those with religious
convictions and constitutes “a sort
of creed that is imposed on oth-
ers, nullifying in practice the real
human right to freedom of belief.”
According to Bishop Aguiar, the
concept of “freedom of worship”
is very limited and outdated. “It’s
from the 19th century, and there-
fore we need to update it and
change the concept as other coun-
tries have done,” he added.
The bishop stressed that while
the Church is patient and will
“wait for the opportune mo-
ment,” “we will continue insist-
ing as long as we have not ob-

of the bishop of Mosul in every activity and sector, with-

out any other limit besides that of
tained what we are seeking: reli-
gious freedom.” (CNA)

MOSUL, Iraq, March 3, 2008—Negotiations ate last Friday they killed three people Iraq’s Chaldean community has made its

Padre Pio exhumed, body

for the release of the Chaldean bishop of who were in a car with him, but more and own pained appeal. “From Iraq’s tragedy
Mosul who was seized last Friday as he more people believe they are a criminal and the suffering of an entire people, we
came out of Holy Spirit Church are at a gang out for money. In fact a ransom for say: Enough with the war! Enough with

standstill.
But more and more Muslim leaders are
expressing their solidarity towards the
Christian community. For his part Msgr.
Louis Sako, Chaldean archbishop of
Kirkuk, appealed for an end to “the Iraqi
people’s tragedy.”
Sources in the Mosul diocese confirmed
to AsiaNews that there have been no new
contacts with the prelate’s abductors. But
“we believe Msgr. Paulos Faraj Rahho is
still alive even though we have no con-
crete evidence to prove it,” the sources
said.
Nothing is known yet about the abduc-
tors’ identity. When they seized the prel-
Monsignor Rahho’s release has been asked
but no deadline has been set.
Iraqi police has set up a special task force
to investigate the clergyman’s disappear-
ance. Their operations are centred in
Mosul’s al-Nour neighborhood where the
kidnapping took place.
More voices are coming together in an
appeal for the bishop’s release. The Euro-
pean Union joined the Pope, the Bishops’
Council of Nineveh and the Chaldean Na-
tional Council in making an appeal. The
EU’s Slovenian presidency has called for
the prelate’s unconditional release, urging
Iraqi authorities to do their utmost to
solve the case in a positive way.
is ‘well preserved’
abductions! Enough with killing the inno-
cent! Let us learn to live together in our
diversity as our religions teach us. Despite
its suffering, Iraq’s Christian community
has for a minute not lost hope and a desire ROME, March 3,
for dialogue to show that Christians and 2008—In the most
Muslims can be friends.” discrete manner pos-
Archbishop Sako told AsiaNews that “in sible, the body of St.
such moments the two communities are Padre Pio was ex-
as one voice calling for Monsignor Faraj’s humed at 12:30 a.m.
release.” Monday morning by
In Mosul Sunni leaders have slammed a group of medical
the abduction, whilst in Kirkuk a repre- experts, while
sentative of the al-Sadr’s Shia movement Church representa-
has raised a banner that says that “Such tives observed.
actions are bad for Iraq.” (AsiaNews) Padre Pio was bur-
ied September 27, St. Padre Pio
1968 at the San
Giovanni Rotondo shrine, just The Italian bishop commented
four days after he died. on the state of Padre Pio’s body

Pope repeats appeal for Iraqi prelate’s release
VATICAN CITY, March 2, 2008—
Benedict XVI is appealing again
for the release of the Chaldean
archbishop of Mosul, Iraq, kid-
napped Friday.
After leading the midday An-
gelus in St. Peter’s Square today,
the Pope repeated his appeal for
the release of Archbishop Paulos
Faraj Rahho. The prelate was
taken captive as he was leaving
Mosul’s Church of the Holy Spirit
after participating in the Way of
the Cross.
Three men who accompanied
him, including his driver, were
killed. Their funerals were held
Saturday.
The Holy Father affirmed he is
following this “dramatic event”
with “profound sadness.” He
joined with “the call of the patri-
arch, Cardinal Emmanuel III
Delly, and his co-workers, for the
dear prelate¯who is also in very
poor health—to be released im-
mediately.”
“I also elevate my prayer of
supplication for the souls of the
three young people who were
with him and were killed at the
time of the kidnapping,” the Pon-
tiff said. “I express, moreover, my
closeness to the entire Church in
Iraq and in particular to the
Chaldean Church, that have once
again been dealt a serious blow,
while I encourage all of the pas-
tors and faithful to be strong and
firm in hope.
“May the efforts of those who
control the fate of the Iraqi
people be multiplied so that,
thanks to the commitment and
wisdom of all, this people may
again find peace and security, and
the future to which it has a right
not to be destroyed.”
Previously threatened
In statements made to the Mis-
sionary International Service
News Agency, Monsignor Philip
Najim, apostolic visitor for
Chaldean Catholics in Europe,
said that he was not “surprised”
by the news of Archbishop
Rahho’s kidnapping: “Indeed, I
can say that in a certain sense I
expected it.”
“Only a few months ago some
men came up to him on the street,
pointing a pistol at his chest,”
Monsignor Najim said. “[Arch-
bishop Rahho] himself told me
about it on his last visit to Rome.”
For his part, Cardinal Delly, in
an interview with L’Osservatore
Romano, said that this kidnap-
ping “will not prejudice the good
relations between Christians and
Muslims.”
“Our friendship exists for cen-
turies and it will continue,” he
added. “Those who kidnap do not
have any religion of reference,”
but only “a clear message: create
confusion in the country.”
“The situation in Iraq, espe-
cially in Baghdad, Kirkuk and
Mosul,” the cardinal continued,
“is not at all tranquil. There is a
lot of tension among the people:
Iraqis fear Iraqis. It is not a con-
frontation between Christians
and Muslims. Certainly, Chris-
tians experience a difficult situa-
tion because we are a minority,
but this should not cause us fear.”
“For the moment,” the
Chaldean patriarch said, “we
have no news and no claims of
responsibility from the captors.
We only have a lot of fear, the
people leave and go elsewhere.
Prayer is our only consolation.”
In January there was a series of
attacks aimed at churches and
convents in Kirkuk, Baghdad and
in Mosul itself, which wounded
four people and seriously dam-
aged buildings.
Father Ragheed Ganni, a priest
of the patriarchate of Babylon,
and three subdeacons were killed
outside Mosul’s Church of the
Holy Spirit last June 3. (Zenit)
“The body is well preserved”
said Bishop Domenico
D’Ambrosio of San Giovanni
Rotondo-Manfredonia-Vieste,
who observed the removal of the
saint’s remains.
“From the very beginning (of
the exhumation) you could clearly
see his beard. The upper part of
his skull is visible, but his chin is
perfect and the rest of the body is
well preserved. You can clearly
see his knees, his hands, his mit-
tens and his fingernails,” Bishop
D’Ambrosio recalled.
Catholics to receive four
new saints in October
VATICAN CITY, March 3, 2008—
On Saturday, Benedict XVI de-
clared that four people will be rec-
ognized as saints in a ceremony to
be held on Sunday October 12. The
blesseds who will be canonized are:
Gaetano Errico, Maria Bernarda
Butler (nee Verena), Alfonsa of the
Immaculate Conception (nee Anna
Muttathupandathu), and Narcisa de
by saying, “If Fr. Pio allows me to
say, it is as if he was manicured.”
The Bishop also said that be-
sides the upper skull, which
shows some signs of the process
of mummification, the rest of his
remains are in surprisingly good
condition, including his joints –
which are all attached, and his
feet.
D’Ambrosio confirmed that
neither his feet nor hands showed
any trace of the stigmata, since “as
we know, they disappeared at the
moment of his death.” (CNA)
America to establish a convent to
teach and care for children in Ec-
uador, and later performed heal-
ing miracles in Colombia where
she died at the age of 76.
The third Blessed is Anna
Muttathupandathu born in Kerala,
southern India, in 1910. She was a
professed sister of the Congrega-
tion of Poor Clares of the Third

Bishop recounts how Chavez supporters occupied Jesus Martillo Moran.

Gaetano Errico was an Italian
teacher, born in 1791, who showed
Order of St. Francis. Also known
as Alfonsa of the Immaculate Con-
ception, she died in 1946 and will

Archdiocese of Caracas chancery immense dedication to his stu-

Bishop Jesus Gonzalez de Zarate
CARACAS, Venezuela, February
28, 2008—In statements to the
Catholic News Agency, Auxiliary
Bishop Jesus Gonzalez de Zarate
of Caracas recounted how a group
of young people led by a well-
known Chavez activist, occupied
the archdiocesan door, blocking the entrance, and
chancery on Wednes- at one point they tried to discon-
day in order to get nect the telephone system, insist-
the attention of the ing that their ‘peaceful’ occupation
media and demand was intended to publicly present
that the TV station a statement of their positions on
Globovision be shut different issues facing the coun-
down. try, including some related to the
According to the Church,” Bishop Gonzalez said.
bishop, “shortly be- The group of activists said they
fore 9am, a group of planned to occupy the chancery
young people who for two hours. “I began to talk
identified them- with them to try to get them to
selves as students drop that idea,” the bishop con-
stormed into the chancery and tinued, saying he offered them the
went into all of the offices, say- chance to discuss their griev-
ing they were going to peacefully ances. They refused to talk with
occupy the chancery and warn- him and instead continued to oc-
ing employees to leave.” cupy the chancery until the me-
The activists gathered together dia showed up and they were able
all of the employees “near the to voice their positions. After-
wards, they left the building.
“Even though I invited them
to talk, to discuss, to exchange
opinions about matters of the
Church, they were not receptive.
What they wanted was to do it in
public. They used the windows
of the second floor of the chan-
cery to shout slogans and show
signs displaying their positions,”
the bishop added.
Bishop Gonzalez stressed that
violence is not the way to over-
come the “climate of tension” that
has enveloped the country. He
called on everyone to understand
“the need to exhaust all means of
dialogue,” and he reiterated the
call for national reconciliation
repeatedly made by the bishops’
conference. (CNA)
dents. He not only educated his
students but formed them spiritu-
ally with Christian doctrine and
moral values.
He experienced a life-changing
event in 1818 while praying at a
retreat. St. Alphonsus Liguori ap-
peared to him in a vision and told
him that God wanted him to found
a new religious congregation and
to build a church in Secondigliano
in honor of Our Lady of Sorrows.
Fr. Errico died in 1860 at the age
of 69.
Maria Bernarda Butler will be
the first modern Swiss woman to
be canonized.
Born in 1848 in Auw, eastern
Switzerland, Maria entered the Ca-
puchin Maria-Hilf convent at the
age of 19. She was named the
mother superior only four years
later.
She later traveled to South
become India’s first female saint.
Blessed Narcisa was born on
October 29, 1832 in the city of
Nobol, Ecuador. Her parents were
farmers and devout Christians.
During her youth she was a seam-
stress and showed a great love for
prayer.
She dedicated her early life to
the service of her family, caring for
the home and creating an atmo-
sphere of charity, joy, and peace
between her eight brothers and sis-
ters. After the death of her mother,
she also devoted herself to the edu-
cation of her younger siblings.
Later she went to Guayaquil
where she devoted herself to car-
ing for abandoned children and
young people. She lived in Cuenca
and later moved to Lima, Peru,
where she was renowned for her
qualities as a catechist of children
and young people, until her death
on December 8, 1869. (CNA)
 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 5
March 3 - 16, 2008
Holy See urges rewarding women’s roles in homes,
says education lies at heart of empowerment
THE Holy See is calling for “cou-
rageous policies” to reward the
work of women within the home.
Archbishop Celestino
Migliore, permanent observer of
the Holy See to the United Na-
tions, made this suggestion today
to the U.N. Commission on the
Status of Women.
The issue under discussion was
follow-up to the 4th World Con-
ference on Women, and U.N. ini-
tiatives on gender equality and
the empowerment of women,
including financing measures
leading to those goals.
“The last decade has seen greater
involvement of women in all as-
pects of decision making, espe-
News Features
cially in economic development,” women through education “can-
Archbishop Migliore noted. not work in isolation.”
The prelate particularly fo- “Disenfranchisement of
cused on the need for equal ac- women and discriminatory prac-
cess to education at all levels, say- tices must be addressed and
ing this “lies at the heart of the eliminated,” he said. “Women
efforts to empower women.” must be guaranteed equality of
He noted the work of the opportunity, equal pay for equal
Church in this regard, explaining work, fairness in career advance-
that “Catholic institutions of ment, equal access to health care
learning continue to have enroll- and legal structures and equality
ments which are predominantly in property and family rights.
female and work to empower “Policies and initiatives which
women within society.” foster women’s ability to partici-
pate fully in the workplace have
More than teaching resulted in an ever increasing pres-
ence of women in the formal work
Still, Archbishop Migliore af- sector. However, this reality has
firmed, the empowerment of created new challenges for
women, such as exploitation in
sweatshops and trafficking of
women and girls for economic
and sexual purposes. Thus, the in-
creasing number of women work-
ing outside the home challenges
governments to enact laws, imple-
ment programs and enforce mea-
sures to protect women from un-
scrupulous predators, subhuman
working conditions and dehu-
manizing work.”
Unrecognized
The archbishop also gave at-
tention to the contribution of
women in households and fami-
lies, in their role as wives and
mothers, something that “often
goes unrecognized and
unrewarded.”
“Women face the challenge of
simultaneously raising children
and trying to achieve economic
security,” he acknowledged.
Archbishop Migliore then
called for “greater resources” and
“more courageous policies” to
reward the socio-economic con-
tribution of women within the
home.
“Rewarding it in some way par-
ticularly helps poor women and
those who are less able to enter
the labor market,” he said. “It
would also be a concrete way to
enable women to benefit from
A3
public expenditure from which
oftentimes and in many places they
do not get their fair share or are
even excluded. Obviously, men
must assume their responsibility
within the home and family.”
“Finally,” the archbishop con-
cluded, “governments, civil so-
ciety and faith-based organiza-
tions would do well to work to-
gether to find creative ways of
promoting full access of women
to development programs and
financing schemes. Initiatives
such as microfinance programs
for women demonstrate that hu-
man ingenuity has the ability to
create new and innovative solu-
tions in this area.” (Zenit)

Dominican Nuns Southeast Asia Women

build lepers’ future
through education
ROSARIO was a teenager when
she was afflicted with leprosy.
She was abandoned by her par-
ents and relatives. She was hope-
less and her life was miserable
that she wanted to end her life.
But thanks to late Fr. Anthony
Leo Hofstee, O.P., a retired
American air force chaplain be-
longing to the Holy Name Prov-
ince, Western Dominicans, USA.
He gave the child a ray of hope
and reason to live by educating
her. After her completing gradu-
ate school, she became the dean
of the Holy Rosary College
(HRC) Fr Hofstee founded in
Tala, Caloocan City.
Rosario is one of such students
who have benefited from the
education ministry being carried
on by the Dominican Sisters of
Our Lady of Remedies who con-
tinue the legacy of Fr. Hotstee.
The priest founded the congre-
gation in 1965.
“We are building the future of
Filipino lepers and their children
through education, after the death
of Fr. Hofstee,” said Sr. Rosita M.
Yaya, Directress of the HRC.
Fr. Hofstee came to the Philip-
pines to minister to the Hansen
patients confined at the Central
Luzon Sanitarium in Tala. In the
course of his work with the pa-
tients, he saw the problems of the
Hansenites.
Leprosy patients were de-
prived of education. So, Fr.
Hofstee responded to their needs
by establishing the Holy Rosary
Vocational School with an initial
enrolment of 53 Hansenite stu-
dents in July 1951. Classes were
held at the Rehabilitation Center
of the Leprosarium.
Its main goal is to provide free
vocational education for the
young boys and girls who are
victims of Hansen disease and to
tackle women’s issues
equip them with skills and
knowledge to make them pro-
ductive and self reliant. Young
people soon realized the value of
education, Sr. Yaya, told
CBCPNews.
“The mission of uplifting the
life of the poor lepers is through
education,” said Sr. Yaya, who is
also Co-director of Asia-Pacific
Formation Center of their con-
gregation.
In 1955, the Hansenites real-
ized the value of education. A
complete collegiate course lead-
ing to the degree of Bachelor of
Science in Education Major in
English was offered by the insti-
tution which was renamed HRC.
There were 32 men and 11 women
among the first batch of college
students.
In 1976, when the families of
Hansenites were allowed to live
with them, the administrators
recognized the need for basic
education for the patient’s chil-
dren, a complete elementary
course was offered.
Throughout the years, the
school administrators with the Boac Bishop Reynaldo Evangelista (standing, 5th from left), Fenny Tatad (standing, 6th from right), and Dr. Zenaida Rotea (standing, extreme right) represented the Philippines at
able support of its committed fac- the 2nd South East Asia Meeting on Women (SEAMOW 2) in Johor, Malaysia from January 27-February 1, 2008.
ulty and non-academic personnel
have managed to maintain qual- THE Office of the Laity of the the Federation Delegates discussed the prevailing condi- today.
ity of education geared towards of Asian Bishops’ Conference (FABC) orga- tions in their respective countries concern- They recommended that women should
the total development of its stu- nized the 2nd Southeast Asia Meeting on ing poverty, migration, violence against recognize their worth and acquire a spiritu-
dents in the physical, intellectual, Women (SEAMOW 2) at Johor, Malaysia from women, and other issues affecting women ality that upholds their potential as persons
moral and spiritual aspects. January 27-February 1 to discuss issues and and family. to enable them to respond to challenges in
At present there are 791 stu- concerns facing women in the 21st century. Rotea noted that the problems of all par- the 21st century.
dents from pre-school to college, Thirty-one women, three bishops and one ticipating countries are rooted in poverty. Likewise, it was also proposed that both
majority (85 %) of whom are chil- priest representing Indonesia, Philippines, “The way I see it, population is not an is- men and women equally share responsibil-
dren of Hansens and/or Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Mongolia sue as much as poverty, violence against ity within the family; formation programs
Hansenites. The rest 15% are poor participated in the 4-day gathering, and de- women and the effects of migration in the should be given to young boys and girls;
but deserving students who come liberated on the theme “Challenges to family,” said Rotea. advocacies should be pursued to protect the
from neighboring villages. Women in the Family in the 21st Century.” “Patriarchy is still present but of varying dignity of women; empowerment of women
This apostolate is being sus- Bishop Reynaldo Evangelista, Bishop of degrees, less in the Philippines than in [coun- through spiritual formation, education and
tained by the collaborative ef- Boac, Dr. Zenaida Rotea, executive secretary tries where Islam is practiced], where women skills training; pre-marriage courses that en-
forts of the Dominican Sisters of of the Office on Women of the Catholic Bish- are affected by laws that govern them,” she hance relationship, shared responsibility and
Our Lady of Remedies and the ops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), added. decision-making; and a means to address
Dominican Family in the Philip- and Fenny Tatad, CBCP Office on Women, The participants presented some plans of women’s issues at the diocesan and parish
pines. (Santosh Digal) represented the country. action to address the problems facing women levels. (Pinky Barrientos, FSP)

Zambo residents launch signature OFW chaplain:

campaign to protect watersheds
A SIGNATURE campaign to protect the
Ayala watersheds in Zamboanga City has
awakened a growing interest and vigilance
among residents to safeguard the watersheds
of Ayala and Manicahan in Zamboanga.
Concerned residents and other sectors are
opposing the application of a mining com-
pany to do mineral exploration in the areas
of Baluno, La Paz and Ayala which are within
the protected watershed area.
Reports of the presence of the mining com-
pany in the area has surprised and concerned
residents.
A letter of protest has been sent to OIC
Regional Director Jessica Lucero of the Bu-
reau of Mines and GeoSciences IX. A mani-
festo was attached to the letter of opposi-
tion inviting residents to be aware of the
encroachment of the mining company on the
protected areas.
Monsignor David Alonzo, Parish Priest of
San Jose, Fr. Adriano Ruiz, Archdiocesan So-
cial Action Director and head of Justice, Peace
and Integrity of Creation Desk, and DENR
Forestry Specialist Ben Acana shed light on
the issue in an interview aired on local televi-
sion. Ben Acana presented a document during
the interview showing the agreement signed
by the City of Zamboanga and DENR to co-
manage the Ayala and Manicahan Watersheds
with the aim of preserving the areas.
Other groups like Movement for Better
Zamboanga, the Social Action arm of Ateneo
de Zamboanga (SACSI) and the Community
Development students of WMSU have
shown their solidarity and have made com-
mitments to do advocacy activities.
According to a joint press release of the
City Information Office, the DENR and the
Philippine EcoGov Project, the Management
Council has designated a technical working
group (TWG) from the City Planning and
Development Office, the City Engineer’s Of-
fice, the City Environment and Natural Re-
sources Office, the DENR-CENRO East and
West Offices, the DENR Regional Office For-
est Management Office, and the Western
Mindanao State University’s College of For-
estry.
They were designated to prepare a Wa-
tershed Management and Development Plan
(WMDP) for approval of the Sangguniang
Panglungsod within six months after the
signing of the Co-Management Agreement
with appropriate support and technical as-
sistance of the EcoGov Project covered by
an earlier Agreement dated November 15,
2005 to include the following components:
1) Protection and management of the re-
maining forest cover while aiming to in-
crease vegetative cover through plantations,
reforestation, agro-forestry and assisted
natural regeneration for the benefit of the
present and future generations; 2) Promo-
tion, monitoring and enforcement of envi-
ronmentally-sound and sustainable upland
agriculture practices and development in
suitable areas; 3) Inventory and management
As migration
of forest occupants and their corresponding
claims and other stakeholders within the
watershed areas; 4) Provisions for incen-
tives, penalties, support systems and other
rises, broken
self-regulating mechanisms to encourage
‘day to day’ users (e.g. upland farmers and
settlers) to become responsible stewards of
families surge
the forestland and other natural resources
presently existing and to exist thereafter in DUE to growing migration, the This poses a greater chal-
the area; 5) Generate income for the LGU to number of broken Filipino lenge for him to guide and help
help sustain the costs of area management families is on the rise, says a them spiritually and pasto-
through local taxation, appropriate environ- Filipino OFW chaplain based in rally.
mental fees and other income-generating Seoul, Korea. Being away from their fami-
projects to include joint venture agreements Speaking to CBCPNews, Fr lies and loved ones, and pres-
for forest-based enterprises and businesses, Glenn Ginanni Jaron of the sure of work in a foreign land
i.e. ecotourism, tree plantations, etc); 6) Pro- Mission Society of the Philip- also contribute to their distress,
motion of various alternative livelihood pines (MSP) said providing the priest said.
consistent with sustainable forest manage- pastoral needs to OFWs in Ko- Fr. Jaron said OFWs should
ment. rea is a challenging task. not stay longer than three to
The technical working group is headed by He has been a spiritual guide, five years as migrant workers,
Ms. Ofelia Despalo of the City Planning Of- councilor, and a kind of liaison and should return to the home-
fice with members Foresters Pilarito officer for OFWs in order to land and invest wisely their
Montebon, Expedito Villaflores, Romel help address various issues and earnings. This would reduce
Candido, Dennis Catalan, Ben Acana, Dean problems including marriage the growing number of broken
Dino Sabellina, Juliet Bayawa, Dennis related matters that affect Fili- families due to migration.
Mallari, Alex Torralba, Roberto Legarde, pino migrants in Korea. More then 46,000 Filipinos
Roger Flores, Engr. Marino de Guzman, Fr. Jaron, who has been a OFWs are working in Korea.
among others. chaplain for nine years, said he He regularly conducts Bible
Zamboanga City is one of the over 90 lo- observed that many OFWs are study classes, formation
cal government units granted with techni- staying as live-in partners in trainings, personality growth
cal assistance by the Philippine Environmen- Korea. Some of those who are seminars, counseling pro-
tal Governance Project of the United States co-habiting as OFWs are mar- grams, and other skill enhance-
Agency for International Development ried and have families in the ment workshops for Filipino
(USAID). (Silsilah Dialogue Movement) Philippines. working abroad. (CBCPNews)

A4
EDITORIAL
‘Thou Shalt Not Steal’
GRAFT and corruption—in the plainest of language,
stealing from the public through the misuse of
influence or position—has become, to our shame as
a people, an ordinary fixture of our nation’s public
life.
Such stealing, in and out of government, is, to be
sure, nothing new. But we are dismayed that it has
become so widespread and has largely gone
unpunished. In fact, many who steal seem to no
longer care to hide the illicit fruits of their stealing.
What makes us even more sad is this: acts of graft
and corruption or toleration and connivance with
them are no longer ordinarily viewed as sin, but often
considered as acts of cleverness (when uncaught) or
mistakes (when caught). But they are no longer
considered as sin or offenses against the Lord who
has commanded us not to steal, sees everything we
do, and is revolted by these acts of graft and
corruption. This sin is today especially hateful before
God because it steals money from the already poor.
Stealing from public funds is so much food plucked
from the mouths of the starving, so many more
chains binding us, plunging us deeper into the
enslaving spiral of poverty from which we are begging
to extricate with outside help. Under the present
circumstances, it becomes a sin of the blackest hue,
a sin that cries to heaven for vengeance. (James
5:4).
Sins of graft and corruption cannot be condemned
enough. For they destroy or obscure the image of
God in those who perpetrate them, and harm the
dignity of the children of God in those who are their
victims. Acts of graft and corruption can be death-
dealing and are always oppressive of God’s children.
For the way to life is in keeping the commandment,
among which is “Thou shalt not steal,” and in loving
our neighbor as ourselves (Mt 19:16-19).
Those who act otherwise endanger their eternal
salvation, and expose themselves “to death, the wages
of sin” (Rm 6:23), even as they deprive others of the
opportunity for a more abundant life. Hence, we,
your bishops who have received from Christ the
mandate to teach all men to carry out everything that
the Lord has commanded (Mt 28:20), condemn graft
and corruption in our society as a life-destroying
plague.
-”Thou Shalt Not Steal”, a CBCP Pastoral Letter, 1989
God’s Call to Mission in Politics
ANY serious believer in God cannot allow the state
of our national politics to persist. And in fact there
is a duty for the Christian Catholic to transform
politics by the Gospel. The Church, God’s people,
must evangelize politics. God’s call to the Church is
to preach the integral Gospel, the Gospel with all its
social dimensions. The Gospel must influence every
phase of life, every stratum of society, and “restore
all things under Christ” (Eph. 1:10).
Strangely, there are not a few people, even within
the Church, who do not believe that to renew politics
is part of the Church’s mission. When Church
officials praise government policies, government
officials welcome such support warmly and are only
too happy. But when Church officials criticize and
denounce government policies, the same people
immediately cry out: “Violation of the separation of
Church and State! Church meddling in politics! Let
the Church stick to religion!”
They cite the words of Christ: “Render to Caesar the
things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that
are God’s” (Mt. 22:21). They say that the Church
should have nothing to do with politics because
Christ said to Pilate: “My kingdom is not of this
earth!” (Jn. 18:36). They therefore conclude that
the Church should not say anything about politics and
politicians.
How wrongly they interpret Scriptures and the
doctrine of separation of Church and State! Quite
unjustly they selectively level this charge of
interference in politics against the Catholic Church,
even while some other sects may be loudly intervening
in the political process especially during elections.
-CBCP Pastoral Exhortation on Philippine Politics, 1997
ISSN 1908-2940
CBCP Monitor
Protagonist of Tr u t h , Promoter of
Pedro C. Quitorio
Editor-in-Chief
Pinky Barrientos, FSP Kris P. Bayos
Associate Editor Feature Editor
Melo M. Acuña Rosalynn Garcia
Managing Editor Marketing Supervisor
Dennis B. Dayao
Ernani M. Ramos
On-Line Editor Circulation Manager
Roy Q. Lagarde Marcelita Dominguez
News Editor Comptroller
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.
Email: cbcpmonitor@cbcpworld.net
Website: www.cbcpworld.net/cbcpmonitor
Opinion
Abp. Antonio J. Ledesma, SJ, DD
Pastoral Companion
DURING the general assembly of the Catholic
Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines last
month, we reported that Phase One of the Na-
tional Rural Congress is ongoing. During the
first quarter of this year, local-level consulta-
tions on the role of Basic Ecclesial Communi-
ties in rural development are being conducted
in about 80 dioceses. These are being coordi-
nated by the National Secretariat for Social
Action (NASSA), the Episcopal Commission for
Indigenous People (ECID), and the BEC Desk
of CBCP.
At the same time, another secretariat repre-
senting the Philippine–Misereor Partnership
(PMP), the Association of Major Religious Su-
perior, (AMRSP), and the Rural Poor Solidarity
(RPS) are holding consultations in 14 sub-re-
gions of the country on rural issues. Included
in these consultations are representatives from
the basic rural sectors of small farmers, indig-
enous people, small fishermen, etc. as well as
non-government organizations and social ac-
tion centers. These consultations have been
scheduled in the five sub-regions of Mindanao
(ZAMBASULI, KIDMACO, DOPIM,
CABUSTAM, and DADITAMA); Central
Visayas, Samar, Eastern Visayas, Panay-
Romblon, and Negros; Southern Tagalog,
Northern Luzon, Central Luzon, and Bicol.
As foreseen, there is more diversity of views
being presented in these subregional consulta-
tions. To enable all views to be adequately ex-
pressed, the NRC Central Committee is ask-
ing each organization to submit written state-
ments during or after the consultations. This will
also facilitate the consolidation of these vari-
ous perspectives—e.g., on the causes of rural
poverty, the implementation of the Compre-
hensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) the
Amoris Officium—My
experience
I WISH to share with you my intervention, as
Consultor of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum,
during its XXVII Plenary Assembly held at the
Vatican last February 28 to March 1, 2008:
I have to express the exuberance of my heart
at being here—being part of the COR UNUM
family. Since October of last year I have been
thanking God for this singular grace. And I thank
God too for our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI
and His Eminence Cardinal Paul Cordes. I ask
the Lord to always be with them, and with all of
you, all of us in this amoris officium that is COR
UNUM.
With regard to my own experience of engage-
ment in favor of the needy, may I cite two
apostolates:
Peace
The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible
Voting (PPCRV)—a nationwide lay movement
using the infrastructure of the Church (the Par-
ish Pastoral Council) which was organized im-
mediately after the Second Plenary Council of
the Philippines convoked by our Episcopal Con-
ference in 1991, and considered as its first fruit.
In that Council, it was stated that “in the Philip-
pines given the perception that politics has be-
come an obstacle to integral human develop-
ment, the urgent necessity is for the lay faithful
to participate more actively in political affairs.”
PPCRV has a two-fold mission: a) voters’ educa-
tion focused on the formation of conscience; b)
responsible voting focused on good governance
aimed at getting persons of singular integrity
and competence elected to public office, as well
as monitoring the conduct of elections so that
these be experienced as clean, honest, accurate,
meaningful and peaceful.
Its overarching truth is: love for God and love
Layout by Denz Dayao
for Country (which in essence is love for neigh-
bor) are inseparable. Communal action on be-
half of good governance based on human and
Christian values is a constitutive part of pro-
claiming Christ – God with us, God who is love.
Update on the National
Rural Congress
Indigenous People’s Rights’ Act (IPRA), etc., and
calls for action.
The NRC Central Committee and Secretari-
ats have also issued three guidelines as a frame-
work for the conduct of the NRC process. First
we subscribe to the moral principles enunciated
in the Social Teaching of the Church in judging the
situation. Thus, we are mindful of the dignity of
the rural poor, the common good, protection of
the environment, and the demands of social jus-
tice in terms of labor and property rights.
Secondly, we abide by the Philippines Consti-
tution, particularly its social justice provisions.
These enunciate the spirit of social legislation
that enhances the rights of all basic sectors to
their human dignity, reduce social and eco-
nomic inequalities, and diffuse wealth and po-
litical power.
Thirdly, we adhere to non-violent and demo-
cratic means in our engagement with govern-
ment and the various sectors of society. We
condemn the extra-judicial killings of peasant
leaders in particular, and we join the call for
transparency, accountability and good gover-
nance in the conduct of public affairs.
The month of April will be set aside for the
consolidation of the reports coming from the
diocesan and sub-regional consultations. Re-
search centers like the Asian Social Institute
(ASI) and the School of Labor and Industrial
Relations (SOLAIR) of the University of the
Philippines have signified their readiness to
help synthesize the subregional proceedings.
Phase Two of the NRC process will take place
in island–wide or regional congresses, involv-
ing representatives from the BECs, peasant sec-
tors, NGOs and social action centers. In their
regional meetings last January, the bishops ex-
pressed their readiness to help organize these
Ambassador Henrietta T. de Villa
It also becomes what Deus Caritas Est refers to as
the Church’s organized practice of love… an
ordered service to the community. This lay
movement has participated in 17 national and
local elections to date and gathers, for every elec-
toral exercise, from 350,000 to 500,000 volun-
teers, serving from 2 to 4 months before, during
and after elections in 3000 parishes nationwide,
pro bono, with Christ as the only prize of their
engagement, and moved by the hope that social
transformation will occasion for our people full-
ness of life.
Direct organized engagement in the life of poor
squatter families which began in my season as
servant-leader of the Council of the Philippines
in 1986. We initiated relationship with some 30
poor homeless families in a squatter colony in
the heart of the city of Manila. This relationship,
mutually nurtured through the years, enabled
an actual, on the spot immersion on what com-
passion means: entering into the suffering and
pain of the other, offering presence as the sym-
bol of solidarity which must translate into con-
crete action that helps remove the pain and suf-
fering of the other. This organized service of
love is as St. Augustine says: Sit hoc officium pascere
dominicum gregem (Let this be the task of love to
feed the flock of the Lord)—a task of love that
transforms both the recipient and the doer. In-
volvement in this direct work for the poor is
purely on a volunteer basis. From experience
the pay we receive surpasses any monetary re-
muneration: encountering Christ—O, how of-
ten this has happened—in the poor we serve,
and in some palpable moments of joy and hope,
pain and anguish when Jesus comes alive in our
midst… and we go back again and again to these
faith events to help us keep on hoping and lov-
ing and believing.
Some practical obstacles encountered are: lack
of resources, both human and financial—volun-
teers have also to make a living so that
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 5
March 3 - 16, 2008
congresses. The Western Visayas region will
hold its congress on May 20-21 in Jaro, while
Central and Eastern Visayas will have theirs
on May 21-22 in Cebu. The Mindanao bishops
have agreed to hold their congress on June 18-
20 in Cagayan de Oro. Luzon North and Luzon
South regions will still have to determine the
dates and venues for their congresses.
Instead of one national congress, the regional
congresses have been agreed upon to enable
more active and widespread participation by
language groups, as well as to minimize trans-
portation costs for delegates. The deliberation
and action planning could also zero in on lo-
calized issues. These would then be the sub-
stantive part of the NRC process.
Phase Three of the NRC process will com-
prise the reporting of the five regional con-
gresses to the general assembly of bishops. This
will take place on July 7-8, after the regular bi-
annual CBCP meeting. The two-day gathering
of bishops and an equal number of delegates
will be the culminating activity of NRC, as well
as the commencement of the action plans for
the post-NRC period.
But even as the NRC process unfolds, small
farmer organizations and NGOs, with the help
of several bishops, have already been engaging
government agencies in pending rural issues—
notably, the need to extend the agrarian reform
program beyond June 2008, and the resolution
of urgent land issues involving farmer-benefi-
ciaries in Sumilao, Canlubang, etc.
A second bishops-legislators’ caucus is be-
ing organized on February 27, and a summit
with government agencies on rural poverty
issues is being planned in April. The see-judge-
act approach may actually be taking place al-
ready in a spiraling and reinforcing direction.
Faith and Fire
sustainability of total long-lasting engagement
becomes difficult; working with and for the poor
needs continuous funding; lack of a dedicated
curriculum specifically focused on formation of
the heart that provides spaces for intimacy with
the Lord and familiarity with the story of Jesus,
as well as a grounding on the spirituality for
ministry; a growing environment that distances
charitable activities from God, treating these as
purely human interventions or social out-
reaches; economic condition of volunteers them-
selves which put to test, often severely, their
motivation and commitment; the low priority
the Church herself gives to ongoing formation
of volunteers, even paid workers of charitable
programs/projects/agencies; too many agen-
cies/organizations/associations that work for
poverty alleviation or for justice and peace
causes, whose activities and programs are often
uncoordinated, with coverage usually concen-
trated in highly urbanized areas, and as such
compete against one another for the needed lo-
gistics; hostile government agencies that view
work for the poor as fronts for left-leaning ide-
ologies; unfavorable peace and order situation,
including unstable political climate
Some essential similarities and differences
between employed and volunteer collaborators:
for the employed, service is done in freedom
but done for pay; for the volunteer, service is
done freely, but not for pay; for the employed,
service is an employment; for the volunteer, ser-
vice is a ministry; for the employed, service is a
job; for the volunteer, service is a vocation.
Being involved in charitable activities or any
form of organized charity can be full of fearful
crises and conflicts. But it can also gift us with
wonderful opportunities to become communi-
ties of believers sharing time, talent and trea-
sure in solving problems and coping with dif-
ferences, and realizing in amazement and utter
happiness that always IT IS THE LORD!
 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 5
March 3 - 16, 2008
Sr. Mary Pilar Verzosa, RGS
Love Life
ONE of the neglected sectors of society, the
unborn children, finally was recognized
three years ago when Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo
declared March 25 each year as the “Day of
the Unborn in the Philippines”. This was
through Proclamation 586, signed last March
24, 2004.
March 25 is the Feast of the Annunciation,
also recognized by the Catholic Church as
the day of the Incarnation or Conception of
Jesus in the womb of Mary when she said
her “Yes” to the Angel Gabriel. This year,
however, the Church has postponed the Feast
of the Annunciation to March 31 because
March 25 falls within Easter Week, which
takes priority in our liturgical calendar. Pro-
life groups are now busy preparing to cel-
ebrate the Day of the Unborn on March 31.
Here is how the Proclamation is worded—
based of course on the drafts submitted by
pro-life advocates who submitted it for the
President’s signature in 2004:
“Whereas, pregnancy is a physiologic pro-
cess that has certain risks because not all preg-
nancies lead to the birth of a live and healthy
child,
Whereas, almost three percent (3%) of to-
tal fetal deaths have been registered due to
the effect of maternal health and nutrition
and socio-behavioral factors on the eventual
outcome of pregnancy;
Whereas, to prevent and effectively man-
age complications of pregnancy and child-
birth, it is necessary that quality and timely
Support for a cost
IT has to be not simply conceded but accord-
ingly admitted that the present Malacañang
occupant still has a good number of follow-
ers and supporters. By and large, they come
from the House of Representatives and the
Local Government officials—not to mention
those simple people who are beneficiaries
of her beneficial attention. This reality should
not be automatically disdained much less
condemned. Reason: It is a political reality
that beneficiaries cannot but be grateful to
their benefactor such as precisely in terms of
being counted among the latter’s loyal fol-
lowers and avid supporters.
Such reality has a special relevance to the
Filipino culture of the famous or infamous
norm of “Utang ng Loob”—for the right or
wrong reasons, in the area of reality and sin-
cerity or in the realm of falsity and hypoc-
risy. With the ever growing disapproval rat-
ing of the ruling administration on account
of its already known and still unrevealed fla-
grant graft and corrupt practices, it has be-
come more and more trying and exasperat-
ing to count on its honesty and integrity. And
Jose B. Lugay
Laiko Lampstand
IT was on the same day the interfaith rally
was being held in Makati last February 29,
when member organizations of Sangguniang
Laiko ng Pilipinas met with their National
Director, Bishop Gabriel V. Reyes. Despite
the traffic congestion, the Presidents of the
member organizations and/or their del-
egates braved the discomfort of motoring to
Intramuros to hear direct from the Chairman
of the Episcopal Commission on the Lay
Apostolate what is the stand of the organized
laity within CBCP-LAIKO regarding “com-
munal action”. By meeting with Bishop Reyes
at 11:30 AM to 4 PM, LAIKO members were
sure that “communal action” will be clari-
fied..
The two pastoral statements of January 27,
“Reform Yourselves and Believe in the Gospel”
and of February 26, “Seeking the Truth, Restor-
ing Integrity” were read word for word at the
start of the meeting. The direction of Bishop
Reyes was straightforward. “As member lay
organizations of the Sangguniang Laiko ng
Pilipinas (defined as a public association by
Canon Law), you are expected to follow the
CBCP’s pastoral statement which is to pray,
discern, reflect and act in seeking for the truth.
However, in your personal capacity as a lay
person you may choose to join the rally to
convince the President to resign.” Political
action is the laity’s role.
This was followed by an Open Forum. The
Diocesan Council of the Laity of Novaliches,
presented her “Call to Action” program
which started on Feb. 21 and will end on
March 15. A consultation process on Commun-
ion and Corruption using the SEE, JUDGE, ACT
methodology complied with the CBCP’s call
to pray, reflect, discern and act. A session on
the state of corruption in the Philippines con-
ducted by EHEM–PLO was the SEE or OB-
SERVE portion of the program. All members
of the parish pastoral councils of the 9 vicari-
ates of the Diocese of Novaliches are sched-
uled to attend the 2-hour session at different
dates in their own parish. The final commu-
nal action will be decided and announced af-
ter the concluding Lenten Recollection to be
held on March 15.
We congratulate, Ms. Estelita A.
Macalaguim, President of the Diocesan Coun-
Opinion
National Day of the
Unborn
interventions before, during and after preg-
nancy be developed through comprehensive
health services;
Whereas, in many countries, the “Day of
the Unborn” is being observed on March 25,
Feast of the Annunciation, in favor of life
and human dignity;
Whereas the “Day of the Unborn” will
promote a culture of life and defense of life
from the moment of conception;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA
MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the
Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the
powers vested in me by law, do hereby de-
clare March 25 of every year as the “Day of
the Unborn”. Signed by both Executive Sec-
retary Alberto Romulo and President Gloria
M. Arroyo.
How can parishes and concerned groups
join the celebration? Here are some ideas:
Organize a Mass for the Unborn Babies either
on Sunday March 30 or on Monday, March 31.
Announce this a few days or weeks before the
event so more people will be aware. Invite
especially the pregnant and breastfeeding
women for a special blessing. To make it even
extra special, solicit maternal or baby prod-
ucts (no infant formula, please) to be given to
the mothers, or invite them for simple break-
fast after the Mass. We have done this many
times and the mothers are thrilled that they
have been recognized. This is one way of dis-
pelling the growing anti-natal, contraceptive
mentality in society today.
Oscar V. Cruz, DD
this precisely brings to fore the living real-
ity that the loyalty to and support for the
incumbent holder of the highest office in the
land, are in fact for a big cost—definitely not
for a cause.
This explains rather well the following
socio-political phenomenon. One, the incum-
bent national leader needs and seeks more
and more funds to buy or pay for its continu-
ing affirmation and defense by a good num-
ber of local and national officials in the coun-
try. Two, the same otherwise noble and hon-
orable key public official in fact exploits the
many poor people in the country to count on
their gratitude and adulation by giving them
groceries, certificates of one kind or another,
and other forms of largesse. Three, exactly
the same discredited and despised adminis-
tration head drops anyone and everyone
who is no longer subservient or useful.
Time may be shortly coming when the sad
and ominous shout of “Abandon ship!”
might be heard, loud and clear. At times, the
cry for such a terminal move may not be
even made, but simply done and openly wit-
A national campaign against
corruption, the communal action of
Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas
cil of the Laity of Novaliches, also LAIKO’s
Vice-President for Manila to be the first one
to answer the call of the Pastoral Statement
of CBCP.
When my turn came, I presented LAIKO’s
4-year work on the Advocacy for Good Gov-
ernance and recommended to Bishop G.
Reyes to adopt this nationwide in answer to
the call of the pastoral statements of Febru-
ary 26 which we quote below:
“For the long term we reiterate our call for
‘circles of discernment’ at the grassroots level,
in our parishes, Basic Ecclesial Communities,
recognized lay organizations and move-
ments, religious institutions, schools, semi-
naries and universities. It is through internal
conversion into the maturity of Christ
through communal and prayerful discern-
ment and action that the roots of corruption
are discovered and destroyed. We believe
that such communal action will perpetuate
at the grassroots level the spirit of People
Power... We instruct our CBCP Commissions
to take active role including networking for
this purpose.
Archbishop Angel N. Lagdameo, in his re-
cent column at the CBCP Monitor, “Discov-
ering a New Brand of People Power” gave
this concluding remark:
“We must pray. Yes. There is a suggested
Prayer of the Faithful for the nation in cri-
sis. But we must also sacrifice for the highest
national common good, inspired by ‘politi-
cal charity’ for the country, honesty and jus-
tice, guided by the truth, like participating
in a National Campaign Against Corruption
in Government.
This call to fight graft and corruption was
preceded by CBCP’s pastoral letter of July
2003 entitled “Let Integrity Flow Like a
Stream”. We quote:
“We recognize the important steps that
government has been taking in recent
months. We challenge new groups to orga-
nize themselves and address this problem (of
corruption) in their respective sectors and
localities. In particular we urge all our Catho-
lic Institutions, schools, parishes, religious
organizations and movements and Basic
Ecclesial Communities to emphasize value
formation, especially in the family, and to
Women who suffer loss of their baby also
need to be recognized—those who had mis-
carriages, abortion, or still-born babies. The
day can be an occasion for their healing and
reconciliation, not condemnation. Do remem-
ber that the baby is not the only victim in an
abortion. Women are hurt, often for life, if no
intervention is offered to them. And lately,
research has shown that the fathers of aborted
babies also suffer much emotional, moral and
spiritual trauma, living a life of frustration,
violence, and addictions. Unknown to many,
brothers and sisters of aborted babies suffer
from existential angst—deep-seated questions
on should I not have been born like my aborted
or contracepted sibling?
You can also hold a Pro-life Orientation
Forum or Seminar—for the youth, for the
couples in the depressed communities, or for
members of parish organizations.
Lastly you can set up a photo exhibit on
Fetal Development outside the parish door-
ways. Lovely full-color posters are available
from the Pro-life office—for sale and for bor-
rowing. You can also call up the office for
copies of the Prayers for the Unborn and for
Safe and Healthy Programs for Healing and
Reconciliation of Post-aborted Women, Men
and Children. Volunteer speakers will be
happy to go to your place to give the Pro-life
Seminar or Forum.
Pro-life office Tel: 911-2911, 422-8877, Tel/
fax 421-7147; life@prolife.org.ph,
www.prolife.org.ph 0919-233-7783.
Views and Points
nessed. This has no deliberate reference to
the cruel phenomenon that rats instinctively
abandon a sinking ship. Instead, it is merely
stating that support for a cost—for the right
price—only remains when the due payments
keep coming in due time. Otherwise, the
props and buttresses for the payer go crum-
bling down. On the other hand, support for a
cause is selfless, firm and lasting—even with-
out any payment of any kind.
The on-going SUPPORT FOR A COST in
favor of the Malacañang occupant is well
understandable—given the following pretty
long scandal and corruption list: Philippine
Communications Clearing House. APC Wire-
less Interface Network. JocJoc Bolante. Gen.
Garcia. Jose Pidal. D.M. Boulevard. Fiatco.
North and South Railways. DepEd Textbooks,
DND Helicopters. BOC XRay Machines.
Comelec Megapacific Computers. Hello
Garci. NBN ZTE. The “commissions” made
were much. The continuous cover-up pay-
ments given are enormous. The desired loy-
alty and coveted support are indeed very
costly.
throw themselves vigorously in this cam-
paign.”
“As we bishops commit ourselves to this
cause, we assign NASSA, our social action
arm, and the Council of the Laity of the Phil-
ippines to lead in implementing Church ini-
tiatives against graft and corruption.”
Soon after that, Bishop G. Reyes was in-
vited by Government Procurement Policy
Board in the person of Mr. Martin Syquia to
support the new procurement law, R.A. 9184,
by sending Observers from CBCP for train-
ing. Five Laiko members of the Board were
sent and that was the start of the Laiko’s Ad-
vocacy for Good Governance. A committee
was organized and in no time it established
this rationale—that graft and corruption may
be curtailed by Good Governance. For hands-
on work to support the CBCP pronounce-
ments the committee identified the improve-
ment areas toward achieving good gover-
nance where LAIKO volunteers are to be
trained:
As Observers in the Bids and Awards Com-
mittees for Government Procurement in: a)
Infrastructure, b) Goods and services, c)
Consultancy services; As monitoring groups
for project implementation, that is, whether
the agreed contract is followed; As watch-
dogs for the delivery of goods and services;
As vigilant whistleblowers for violations in
the Payment of Taxes, as well as in the issu-
ance of Business Permits and Licenses; As
groups to give inputs to delegates to the Con-
stitutional Convention to establish Reforms
in the Government System including the in-
stitutions of Commission on Audit, Civil
Service Commission and COMELEC
LAIKO, through GPPB and Procurement
Watch, Inc. is linked with all non-government
organizations presently involved in the ad-
vocacy for good governance. The specific area
of our involvement today is in the training
of lay leaders who can select their specific
advocacy from the list outlined above.
While LAIKO started ten years ago in the
training of Lay Leaders to include values for-
mation and the social doctrines of the Church,
only a few dioceses accepted the invitation
to train their lay leaders. This time, we again
offer our services to the dioceses to train their
A5
Fr. Melvin P. Castro
Speaking of Mary
Knowing our Blessed
Mother
PUEBLO Amante de Maria, that is how we have described our-
selves to be, a people in love with Mary.
If there is something so characteristic of Catholicism, it is
our deep love and devotion towards the Blessed Virgin Mary.
And for us Filipinos, our love for her has so permeated our
being that Marian devotion has been very apparent in the EDSA
Revolution of 1986. Wednesday Masses teeming with our faith-
ful invoking Our Lady’s help as our Mother of Perpetual Help.
And any Marian Shrine in the country will most certainly be
frequented by the people. And we even have our own Marian
Apparition in Lipa Carmel for which we are humbly working
for the Church’s official recognition.
Yet, on the other hand, Marian devotion may be so extensive
but may not be necessarily deep and authentic even. Let me
quote St. Louis-Marie Grignon de Montfort: Jesus, our Savior,
true God and true man must be the ultimate end of all our other
devotions; otherwise they would be false and misleading…If then we
are establishing sound devotion to Our Blessed Mother, it is only in
order to establish devotion to Our Lord more perfectly, by providing a
smooth but certain way of reaching Jesus Christ (True Devotion to
Mary, nos. 61-62).
With this column dedicated to Our Lady, my only dream is
for all of us—devotees of Our Lady—will grow together in our
love for Her; that our devotion be rooted deeper in Sacred
Scripture, anchored firmly on the Magisterium, consistent with
the Church’s Liturgy, and lived truly in our lives.
With the maiden series of this column, let us come to know
Mary…
The Catechism of the Catholic Church places Mary in the
context of the Credo, in that part that says: Et incarnatus est de
Spiritu Sancto ex Maria Virgine, conceived by the power of the
Holy Spirit and Born of the Virgin Mary.
Hence, Mary is placed, as God has placed Her to be, in rela-
tion to Christ, Her Son. In fact all the Marian privileges—Im-
maculate Conception, Perpetual Virginity, Assumption—are
rooted in Her being the Mother of Christ. We rightfully speak
of the inseparable union of Christ and Mary. That Mary Her-
self was redeemed by Christ but whose redemption was ap-
plied, retroactively, at the moment of Her conception. Sounds
too technical? To put it more simply, Our Blessed Mother would
not have been so blessed if she were not chosen to be the Mother
of Christ. And Her being the Mother of the Redeemer made
Her the first to be redeemed by Christ.
Who is Mary? Sacred Scripture describes her very briefly: a
virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of
David; and the virgin’s name was Mary (Luke 1, 27). The anterior
verse adds that this young woman is from Nazareth.
Tradition tells us something more about the parents of Our
Lady. We get the oldest story from a document called the Gos-
pel of James (an apocryphal Gospel—which means not accepted
to be part of the Bible—written around 150 AD). The legend
told in this document says that after years of childlessness, an
angel appeared to tell Anne and Joachim that they would have
a child. Anne promised to dedicate this child to God (much the
same way that Samuel was dedicated by his mother Hannah—
Anne—in 1 Kings).
When was she born? Sacred Scripture does not give any
indication. It is probable, she was born 14-16 years before the
birth of Our Lord (cf. Fr. Gabriele Pellettieri’s book, Who is
Mary? A Short Catechism on the Blessed Virgin Mary, p. 9).
How about the date of September 8, the Feast of the Nativity
of Mary? Fr. Francis X. Weiser, SJ offers an explanation in his
book, The Holyday Book:
There is no historical evidence to indicate why the Nativity of Mary
should fall precisely on September 8. As usual in such cases, legends
of a later period supply the missing motivation by miraculous events.
There is a lovely medieval legend giving the reason for the date: The
feast was made September 8 because in the fifth century a pious farmer
at Angers in France one night had a vision of angels singing in Heaven.
When he inquired for the reason he was told that they were rejoicing
because the Blessed Virgin was born that night. It happened to be
September 8. So the good farmer went to the Bishop, Saint Maurilius
(430), who, after convincing himself of the farmer’s sincerity, estab-
lished a feast in honor of the birth of Mary to be celebrated annually on
that day. Actually, of course, the festival did not originate in France
but came from the Middle East. The real reason for the date is un-
known. It is not improbable, though, that a genuine ancient tradition
of the Church in Jerusalem provided the date, especially since the feast
originated in Palestine; and all the Eastern Churches have celebrated
Mary’s nativity either on September 8 or 9 from the earliest times. The
Syrians observe on this day also the solemn memory of the parents of
Mary, Saint Joachim and Saint Anne.
What is important is not the actual date of Our Lady’s birth
but the actual salvific event that She was born since Her birth
ushered the eventual coming of the Savior.
We’ll have more in our next column. In the meantime, let us
not forget to turn to Our Lady especially during this time of yet
another political turmoil in our country. To Her Immaculate
Heart, let us constantly entrust and consecrate ourselves and
our country. Ave Maria! Ad Jesum per Mariam.
lay leaders for LAIKO’S program for communal action in the area of
prevention of graft and corruption.
LAIKO-trained Volunteer Observers had been attending the Bids
and Awards Committees of Government Institutions since 2004 and
in certain cases, successfully prevented the loss of millions of pesos
by reporting the over calculation of the bidding amount or the Ap-
proved Budget for the Contract (ABC) which the new law required to
be published. The procurement law however, does not include the
projects using Official Development Assistance (ODA) from foreign
countries. This is the case of the NBN-ZTE corruption case exposed
by Chairman Romulo Neri and Jun Lozada.
LAIKO Observers which now total about 80 trained volunteers
nationwide are monitoring the bidding process of the following in-
stitutions in Metro Manila (We await the go-signal to extend our
work to the provinces. We already offered our services to the Dio-
cese of San Fernando, Pampanga): Office of the President; Bureau of
Treasury; Department of Budget and Management; Manila Interna-
tional Airport; Social Security System; Central Bank Security Com-
plex; Development Academy of the Philippines; Duty Free Philip-
pines; TESDA; Light Rail Transit Authority; National Commission
on Indigenous People; Insurance Commission; Department of
Finance – Privatization and Management Office; National Statistics
Office; National Commission on Culture and Arts; Philippine Ports
Authority: a) Central Office, b) Port District of Southern Luzon, c)
Port District of Northern Luzon, d) Port District of Batangas; Land
Transportation Office; Department of Health.
With a well-trained Observer we prove that our objective of the
prevention of corruption rather than catching the thief works. A good
example is the case of the Social Security System Bids and Awards
Committee. The BAC Chairman saw the benefit of the presence of a
well-trained observer. By his relevant questioning of details of the
technical aspects of the project during the pre-procurement confer-
Laiko / A6
 CBCP Monitor
A6 Local News Vol. 12 No. 5
March 3 - 16, 2008

Christian leaders, Ulama CBCP position may still

change - Archbishop
oppose combat exercises, but...
Peace signed by the convenors of the
Bishop-Ulama Conference, Armed
Forces of the Philippines, Philippine
National Police Forum (BUC-AFP-
PNP), the Ulama sector, Christian sec-
tor, professional sector, 103rd Brigade,
Kampo Ranao, Marawi City, PNP,
Lanao del Sur, the Royal Houses of
Ranao, the civil society, the league of
municipalities of the Philippines–
Lanao del Sur Chapter, the Mindanao
State University System and the pro-
vincial government of Lanao del Sur
committed to promote justice and
peace based on the universally accepted
principle of justice, equity and peace.

© Patrick Durand/CORBIS SYGMA

CHRISTIAN leaders, as well as the Ulama
and the civil society in Marawi City ex-
pressed opposition to any military or com-
bat exercises but they welcome and support
socio-economic assistance as a commitment
for peace, harmony and development.
In a Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) entered into by and between the Pro-
vincial Government of Lanao del Sur, the
League of Municipalities of the Philippines,
103 Brigade of the 1st Division of the Philip-
pine Army, the Philippine National Police
and the different non-government organiza-
tions, it was agreed that all members of the
US force participating in the said activity
shall be composed only of forty seven per-
sonnel inclusive of doctors, nurses, medical
Moral integrity of Arroyo gov’t has
staffs, engineers and utility workers.
The MOU also contained provisions that
movements of US forces concerned shall be lim-
ited only from their billeting areas in Kampo
Ranao, Marawi City or Ayala Resort Hotel,
MSU to MEDCAP and ENCAP sites based on
the approved schedule of activities and they
shall at all times be escorted by contingents of
both army and police representatives.
The parties to the MOU also agreed that
any movement of US forces concerned to
places other than those stated in the approved
schedule of activities shall be made only af-
ter prior consultations and/or permission
from the provincial government through the
monitoring committee.
Meanwhile, in support to the Covenant for
In relation to the Balikatan exer-
cises, the groups also declared their
united and unwavering stand to op-
pose any military destruction. Yet,
they support peace and development Archbishop Antonio Ledesma , SJ
efforts to counter terroristic acts.
The signatories of the statement A PRELATE said the Catholic
were Bishop Edwin Dela Peña, MSP, bishops’ hierarchy position on
prelate of Marawi; Alim Lucman T. the current socio-political crisis
Alawi, Ulama League of the Philip- might still change if the situation
pines Region III chairman; Lanao del calls for it.
Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong; Marawi Cagayan de Oro Archbishop
City Mayor Fahad Salic, MSUS President Dr. Antonio Ledesma said the bish-
Macapado A. Muslim, 103rd Brigade Com- ops could still issue another
mander BGen. Raynard Ronnie Y. Javier, statement anew if alleged ram-
Alim Ameroden S. Saranggani, chairman of pant corruption in the govern-
the Ranao Advocates for Justice and Peace, ment will not be rightly ad-
PNP Lanao del Sur Provincial Director PS Supt dressed.
Paniares Adap and Taraka Municipal Mayor Ledesma made the statement
Amenodin M. Sumagayan. amid attacks from various groups
The signatories shall automatically be in- who were expecting the Catholic
stitutionalized into a council. They shall cre- Bishops’ Conference of the Phil-
ate and designate members to a secretariat ippines to finally call for Presi-
which shall meet regularly at least once a dent Arroyo’s resignation.
month to discuss issues, plan and formulate The CBCP held an “emer-
programs on justice and peace in the prov- gency” consultative meeting yes-
ince of Lanao del Sur and Islamic City of terday in the wake of alleged
Marawi. (Mark S Ventura) anomalies in the national broad-
band network government
project with China’s ZTE Corp.
In the recent pastoral state-
ment, the CBCP merely urged the
Arroyo government to take the
lead in combating corruption.
After the meeting that many
had hoped would inject fresh en-
moral ascendancy are being
raised” against her administration.
Arroyo critics tagged the EO
464 as a notorious gag, which the
government has clamped on the
mouths of executive officers who
are in a position to reveal in-
criminating truth.
“At present this was really the
reflection made by the bishops
and I’m glad that there was a
majority of the bishops that came
and answer that call for a special
meeting,” he said.
But “everything is open in that
we have to judge the situation
according to its own merits at the
proper time,” said Ledesma, a
former CBCP vice-president.
The prelate also clarified that
calling for Arroyo’s resignation
is a “political call,” and the bish-
ops themselves are aware that
they cannot make political op-
tions for the public to follow.
“What we can stress is the
moral aspect and that’s why we
were stressing the pursuit of truth
to fight corruption at all levels,”
he said.

eroded - Methodist bishop ergy into efforts to topple Arroyo

on allegations of corruption, the
CBCP merely urged Arroyo to
Ledesma likewise added that
the CBCP will closely monitor
and will keep asking the govern-
lead in fighting corruption. ment for “concrete compliance”
DUE to graft and corruption, the Arroyo ad- and gripping tightly our people, agencies and The bishops also called on Ar- with their recommendations.
ministration is losing its credibility to gov- institutions continue to choke us; our leaders royo to revoke Executive Order “We will certainly be expect-
ern as integrity of political leaders, and gov- seem powerless to extricate us from this 464 and allow her officials to at- ing that and in fact in earlier
ernment officials is eroding, said Bishop stranglehold. Are we not a Christian coun- tend any investigations and tell statements we were asking for a
Solito K. Toquero of the United Methodist try? Is this not an oxymoron, a corrupt “Chris- the truth. closure of many of these high
Church, Manila Episcopal Area. tian” country, allegedly the most corrupt in The CBCP said the President profile cases of alleged graft and
“The loss of respect for authority in almost Asia?” he asked. should act immediately especially corruption,” he said. (Roy
all sectors of our society in politics, business Young people have lost respect for the now that “questions about the Lagarde)
or religion is very much prevalent these days country’s leaders because of corruption which
not only in the Philippines but also in many has inched its way into the socio-economic, Social / A1
other nations,” Toquero said in a statement. political and religious fabric of society; ev-
The government is under pressure due to eryone is adversely affected, Toquero added. Rosanne Malillin, SPC, said 365 NFA and various local govern-
ZTE-NBN scam allegedly involving former So, “new brand of leaders who will lead us barangays out of the total 597 ment units. Alay Kapwa funds of
Commission on Elections Chair, Benjamin in fighting against corruption in all sectors barangays in the Diocese of the CBCP have also been utilized.
Abalos and First Gentleman Mike Arroyo. of our society, both in government and non- Borongan, have been affected by Ten parishes from the Prelature
Both have denied the allegations. government agencies and institutions should floods. And there are over 33,000 of Libmanan’s nine towns have
“What has happened to our leaders and to emerge with transparency and righteousness families or 165,930 individuals been affected since February 18.
the “only Christian country in Asia? Why can in all transactions. These new leaders will affected by the heavy rains. Over 10,000 families have been
we not eliminate graft and corruption in gov- make it their priority to uplift the poor and To date already eleven casual- affected. Farms have been sub-
ernment? Whatever regime is in power, the needy with honesty and truthfulness,” the ties have been reported. The So- merged in water for a number of
octopus of graft and corruption, strangling prelate said. (Santosh Digal) United Methodist Bishop Solito K. Toquero
cial Action Center of the Diocese days. The Prelature’s Social Ac-
of Borongan reported that relief tion Center concentrated its re-
goods have been concentrated in lief efforts in the towns of
Call / A1 the towns of Maslog, Dolores, Libmanan, Minalabac and
But wants EO 464 scrapped raised against the government. lame excuse of executive privilege. corruption cases “not for their Can-Avid, Borongan, Milaor.
Various groups described the The law, the CBCP said, re- own interests but for the common Balangkayan and Quinapondan. Fifty sacks of rice have already
The Catholic bishops’ hierar- EO 464 as a notorious gag, which mains the biggest obstacle to the good.” A hundred sacks of rice have al- been released. Some parishes
chy has called on President Gloria Arroyo has clamped on the discovery of truth, which must They also asked the media to ready been sent to the affected ar- conducted their own relief opera-
Arroyo to dismantle Executive mouths of executive officers who be pursued. be a positive resource of seeking eas with the assistance of the local tions. (Melo M. Acuña)
Order 464 and allow her officials are in a position to reveal in- Some Church leaders believe the truth and combating corrup-
to attend any probe and tell the criminating truth. that the total abandonment of EO tion by “objective reporting with- Davao / A1
truth. “We strongly recommend the 464 can be the kick off of nursing out bias and partiality.” The acceptance of the arch- for the laity under our episcopal
The Catholic Bishops’ Confer- abolition of EO 464 so that those somehow her ailing presidency. For the long term, the prelates bishop came after a careful study guidance or through our official
ence of the Philippines issued the who might have knowledge of Saying that the country is fac- renewed its call for “circles of by the Administrative Council of representatives,” read the letter.
statement Tuesday night after a any corruption in branches of ing a “crisis of truth and the per- discernment” at the grassroots the history of the division of the The archbishop also asked the
whole day consultative meeting government may be free to tes- vading cancer of corruption,” the level, recognized lay organiza- Couples for Christ into two respective leaders (national and
in a bid to discuss current politi- tify before the appropriate inves- prelates also urged Arroyo and tions, religious institutions and groups. local) of the CFC-GMFI and CFC-
cal issues. tigating bodies,” the bishops said. other government agencies to in the academe. “This episcopal recognition FFL to include in their formation
In a 2-page pastoral statement, The prelates urged Arroyo to lead in fighting corruption. Such “communal action” at the entitles the said groups to be program the correct study and un-
the bishops are convinced that let her subordinates to reveal any “We condemn the continuing grassroots level, the statement members of the ACLAIM and to derstanding of ecclesiology or the
letting her officials testify in in- corrupt acts, particularly about culture of corruption from the top added, will perpetuate people participate in the implementa- nature of the Church for assurance
vestigations could somehow help the ZTE-NBN mess, without be- to the bottom of our social and power so brilliantly demon- tion of the Vision-Mission-Goals of unity and better collaboration
bring back credibility to her ad- ing obstructed in their testimony, political ladder,” the statement strated to the world at EDSA 1. of our Local Church especially in with the local clergy and bishops.
ministration. “no matter who is involved.” read. “It is people power ... at the our diverse pastoral programs (Mark S Ventura)
The CBCP said Arroyo should The bishops noticed that, when- The CBCP likewise appealed to grassroots will find out the cul-
take the move immediately es- ever government officials are senators and the Ombudsman to ture of truth and integrity we so
Laiko / A5
pecially now that questions about called to testify in any probe, use their distinct and different deeply seek and build,” it said.
the moral ascendancy are being rarely do such officers claim the powers of inquiry into alleged (with reports from Roy Lagarde) ence, the people who determine Ric Rivera shared their experi-
the budget for the contract can be ences in their work as Observers,
Change / A1
persuaded to review their calcu- Atty. Hilario Favila of the Office
lations. Soon after that, it caught of the Ombudsman lectured on
said something very important “People Power” revolts that un- tion in public life. Villegas said many people us by surprise when the BAC the Responsibility of Observers in
must be done also. seated two presidents. Saying that it has reached scan- have grown tired of rallies to Vice-Chairman inquired if dealing with Feedback and Complaint.
He said the country does not The cardinal’s radio broad- dalous proportions and mind change public officials “because CBCP-LAIKO could conduct a Confession and celebration of the
just need a new breed of leaders casts in support of the mutineers boggling figures, he stressed, the changes have simply been holy retreat for the members of Holy Eucharist by Rev. Fr. R.
but also enlightened people, sparked the now legendary re- that government corruption has from one corrupt official to an- the Bids and Awards Committee Dumas concluded the retreat.
thus change must start from volt that drove the dictator deprived the poor in the coun- other.” including the Technical Working We have a standing invitation to
within every Filipino. Ferdinand Marcos into exile and tryside of the basic services due But Villegas said that corrup- Group. hold a retreat for the Department
“Each and everyone must be swept Cory Aquino to presi- to them. tion is not only a crime of gov- This was a request where the of Health Bids and Awards Com-
the reformed Filipino that we dency in 1986. The young prelate also be- ernment officials, adding that committee lost no time in design- mittee.
want our public officials to be- President Gloria Macapagal- moaned the growing public cyni- “we who are below are all guilty ing the module. The retreat was CBCP, the Episcopal Commis-
come. We must change our- Arroyo also rose to the presi- cism amid serious issues hound- as well.” held in Tagaytay, CBCP-NASSA- sion on the Lay Apostolate in par-
selves so that society and gov- dency in the second and peace- ing the current administration. “The Edsa spirit is not just BEC Retreat House last October ticular gave the mandate to
ernment will change,” he said. ful mass protests that ousted Jo- “The worst among the about political change. It is pri- 22 –23, 2007. The resource per- LAIKO as early as 2004 to serve
“We must not demand repen- seph Estrada in 2001. scourges that our nation suffers marily about a change of heart sons were Bishop G. Reyes on The in the fight against graft and cor-
tance and reform from our lead- Villegas issued the call Sun- from right now is the culture of and soul,” he also said. Moral Responsibility of Public Ser- ruption. We are open to any Dio-
ers if we are not even willing to day in his message for the 22nd indifference. Many of us want to “Let us not invoke the Edsa vants; Atty. Mia Zafra on Stew- cese or Lay Organization to train
repent of our personal sins as anniversary of the first “People resign as Filipinos,” the bishop spirit for political change if we ardship; Dr. Bella Dumas on To- your leaders in this communal
dishonest and uncaring ordi- Power” which will be marked said. are not even open to moral and wards Building a Culture of Disciple- action. Contact LAIKO through
nary citizens.” by the government on Monday. The revolts, he said, were just spiritual reform individually. ship and Servant Leadership; Engr. Joseph Jesalva, landline 527 5388.
Villegas had been a long-time He said the “heaviest cross” like “shots of opium” that give The change we seek must come Jose B. Lugay on The Role of the 527-3124 or mobile phone 0921-
protégé of the late Jaime Cardi- weighing heavily on the shoul- many people “temporary high from within,” he added. (Roy Laity and Advocacy for Good Gover- 9945-100 or email:
nal Sin, a driving force behind ders of many people is corrup- and nothing more.” Lagarde) nance while Mr. Ed Tirona and Mr. laiko_phils@yahoo.com.ph
 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 5
March 3 - 16, 2008
First Catholic
Church in Arabic
country to be
dedicated to Mary
DOHA, Qatar, February 29,
2008—The first Catholic Church
in an Arab Muslim emirate will
be dedicated to the Blessed Vir-
gin Mary, during a ceremony
that will be celebrated by Car-
dinal Ivan Dias, Prefect of the
Congregation for the Evangeli-
zation of Peoples.
On March 14, Cardinal Dias
will officiate at the ceremony in
Doha, the capital of Qatar. The
Apostolic Vicar of Arabia, Arch-
bishop Paul Hinder, will join
the cardinal for the dedication
of the new church.
Features A7
China considers
abandoning its
The church was built on land
donated by Emir Amir Hamad
bin Khalifa Al Thani, who in re-
cent years has become a sup-
porter of inter-religious dia-
one-child policy
logue, despite keeping Islamic
law in place which forbids Mus-
lims to convert to other reli-
gions.
Qatar, which has 800,000 in-
habitants, established diplo-
matic relations with the Holy
See in 2003. The pastor of the
new parish will be a priest from
the Philippines, Father
Tomasito Veneracion. (CNA)

Brazilian bishops request

research with embryos be
declared unconstitutional

© Bohemian Nomad Picturemakers/CORBIS

BRASILIA, Brazil, March 4,
2008—The National Conference
of Bishops of Brazil has an-
nounced it will ask the country’s
Supreme Court to declare part
of a new law that allows research
with human embryos to be un-
constitutional.
The president of the Bishops’
Committee on Life and the
Family, Bishop Orlando
Brandes, noted that embryonic
stem cells are not necessary for
research, as adult stem cells
have been already proven to be
an effective alternative.
“The embryo is a human be-
ing, an individual who has the
right to be born and has all of
the necessary elements, accord-
ing to science, to be an adult. It
is a seed that is going to de-
velop,” the bishop said.
The announcement by the
NCBB comes as former Attor-
ney General Claudio Fonteles
filed his own brief challenging
the law’s constitutionality and
warning that the use of em-
bryos “damages the inviolabil-
ity of the right to life” guaran-
teed by the Brazilian constitu-
tion.
However, in a move to pres-
sure the court, the Brazilian ver-
sion of “Catholics for a Free
Choice” commissioned a poll
which alleges that 75% of Bra-
zilians support research with
human embryos. (CNA)
BEIJING, China, March 2, 2008—China is con-
sidering the elimination of its controversial
one-child policy in response to an aging
population and a gender imbalance created
by sex-selective abortion, Reuters reports.
The present policy usually limits families
to one child, or two children if they live in
the countryside.
“We want incrementally to have this
change,” Vice Minister of the National Popu-
lation and Family Planning Commission
Zhao Baige told reporters in a Beijing talk
about possible changes to the policy.
“I cannot answer at what time or how, but
this has become a big issue among decision
problems as the elderly come to outnumber
the working population. The policy has also
caused gender disparity from the selective
abortion of girls, as male children are pre-
ferred for traditional and economic reasons.
The gender ratio in China is still close to
120 boys for every 100 girls.
Increased mobility of the nation’s about
150 million migrant workers has weakened
enforcement of the one-child policy. Wealthy
citizens are also willing to pay the fines im-
posed by the policy when they have more
children, though officials have pledged to
increase fines on wealthy lawbreakers.
Enforcement of the policy has at times been
implemented by forced abortion and forced
sterilization,” she said. “Even if some couples
in the future are allowed to have more than
one child under the new policy, will the gov-
ernment still enforce that higher birth limit
through coerced abortion and sterilization?”
“The timing of this announcement is no
accident,” she said, noting the
announcement’s proximity to the Beijing
Olympic Games and recent concerns about
China’s involvement in Darfur.
“For me, the real question is not, ‘Will the
Chinese government abolish the one-child
policy,’” Littlejohn said. “The real question
is, ‘Will the Chinese government abolish its

Catholic hospital to allow

makers,” Zhao added. “The attitude is to do draconian. According to human rights coercive birth-control practices?”
the studies, to consider it responsibly and to groups and the U.S. government, family plan- The Bush administration withholds fund-
set it up systematically.” ning officials have sometimes used forced ing from the United Nations Population Fund
China is the world’s most populous coun- abortion, coercive sterilization, and other because of its association with Chinese popu-

transgender surgery after try. Its average fertility rate has dropped from
5.8 children per woman in the 1970s to 1.8
children per woman today, below the re-
abuses to ensure compliance with the policy.
Reggie Littlejohn, an American attorney
who advises the Brussels-based non-govern-
lation control programs. According to
Cybercast News Service, U.S. law prohibits
funding for any agency that “supports or par-

being sued placement rate of 2.1.

The Chinese government says its policies
have prevented several hundred million
births. However, experts have warned that its
ageing population could cause severe social
mental organization, Human Rights With-
out Frontiers, spoke with Cybercast News
Service on Thursday, voicing her skepticism
about the announcement.
“Right now, the one-child policy is often
ticipates in the management of a program of
coercive abortion or involuntary steriliza-
tion.”
China’s population could grow to 1.5 bil-
lion by 2033. (CNA)

Pope and students pray together via satellite,

DALY CITY, CA, March 4,
2008—A Catholic hospital that
refused to allow its facilities to
be used for breast implant sur-
gery on a man that had under-
gone a sex-change operation
will now allow the procedure,
the California Catholic Daily
reports.
In 2006 a doctor told Charlene
Hastings, 57, that Seton Medi-
cal Center in Daly City would
News reported that the hospi-
tal had issued a written state-
ment to CBS 5 that said, “We
regret any confusion that may
have come from this situation.
We want this patient and her
physician to know that they are
welcome at Seton Medical Cen-
ter.”
The hospital still said that
Catholic teaching prohibits the
accommodation of sex-change
Benedict XVI asks youth to be builders of unity
VATICAN CITY, March 3,
2008¯Benedict XVI prayed the
rosary with university students
from 10 European and American
cities and then entrusted them the
duty of being builders of peace
and unity.
The Pope thus participated in
the 6th European Day for Univer-
sities, held Saturday in Paul VI
Hall and linked via satellite to
Naples, Italy; Bucharest, Roma-
nia; Toledo, Spain; Avignon,
France; Minsk, Belarus; Washing-
ton D.C.; Mexico City; Havana,
Cuba; Aparecida, Brazil; and Loja,
Ecuador.
The initiative is promoted by
the Council of European Episco-
© Alessandra Benedetti/Corbis

not allow him to perform
breast-enhancement surgery on
a transsexual. Hastings claimed
that upon further inquiry a sur-
gical coordinator at the hospi-
tal said to him, “It’s not God’s
will” and “God made you a
man.”
A 2006 memo sent by Seton
Medical Center to physicians
said, “transgender procedures
or procedures that are part of
the transgendering process may
not be performed at Seton, as
Seton is a Catholic Hospital.”
Hastings filed suit against the
hospital in San Francisco Supe-
rior Court in December. The suit
alleged that Seton violated state
law, which allows religiously-
based hospitals to refuse to per-
form abortions but makes no ex-
emption for denying elective
surgery for transgender opera-
tions.
On February 27 the San Fran-
cisco television station CBS 5
operations.
The CBS 5 News station char-
acterized the statement as a
“veiled apology.” It said,
“transgender Charlene
Hastings has claimed moral vic-
tory against Catholics.”
According to the California
Catholic Daily, Hasting’s attor-
ney, Chris Dolan, said that a
lawsuit seeking monetary dam-
ages would proceed.
“Like any good religious ex-
perience, first you need enlight-
enment and then you need
atonement,” said Dolan. “And
what we have here perhaps is a
glimpse of enlightenment. Has
it changed their heart? I don’t
think so. Will it change their
practice?”
Hastings will not undergo
surgery at Seton, saying he
would not be comfortable be-
cause he would feel the hospi-
tal would be “doing it under
duress.” (CNA)
pal Conferences and the vicari-
ate of Rome’s office for pastoral
care in universities.
The theme was “Europe and
the Americas Together to Build a
Civilization of Love” and some
40,000 university students partici-
pated.
After a prayer vigil held for the
youth, the Holy Father arrived
to pray the rosary. He then ex-
tended greetings in various lan-
guages, both to the young people
present in Paul VI Hall and to
those following events from the
European and American cities.
“Christianity,” he said, “is a
profound and powerful link be-
tween the so-called old continent
and what has been called the
‘New World.’”
Cultural foundations
Benedict XVI affirmed “the
fundamental position that Holy
Scripture and Christian liturgy
occupy in the culture and art of
European and American
peoples.”
“Unfortunately,” he added,
“so-called western civilization
has also partly betrayed its Gos-
pel inspiration. What is needed,
then, is an honest and sincere re-
flection, an examination of con-
science. It is necessary to discern
between what serves to build the
‘civilization of love’ according to
the design that God revealed in
Jesus Christ, and what runs
counter to it.”
“God calls you to cooperate,
alongside your peers all over the
world, so that the lifeblood of the
Gospel may renew the civiliza-
tion of these two continents and
of humanity entire,” the Holy
Father stated. “The great Euro-
pean and American cities are be-
coming more and more cosmo-
politan, but they often lack this
lifeblood, which is capable of
ensuring that differences do not
become the cause of division and
conflict but of mutual enrich-
ment.”
The Pope said the civilization
of love would be characterized
by “a respectful and peaceful co-
existence that finds joy in its dif-
ferences in the name of a shared
vision which Blessed Pope John
XXIII founded on the four col-
umns of love, truth, freedom and
justice.”
He added: “This, dear friends,
is the duty I consign to you to-
day: Be disciples of and witnesses
to the Gospel, because the Gos-
pel is the good seed of the King-
dom of God, in other words the
civilization of love! Be builders
of peace and of unity!”
The Holy Father concluded his
remarks by identifying one “sign
of this Catholic unity” in the ini-
tiative of giving each of the stu-
dents present a CD copy of his
encyclical “Spe Salvi” in five lan-
guages. (Zenit).

A8
Manila archdiocese
holds Bible lectures to
celebrate Pauline year
THE Biblical Apostolate of the Archdio-
cese of Manila is holding a series of Bibli-
cal lectures in celebration of the Pauline
Jubilee Year.
The 12-part lecture series on the letters
and writings of St. Paul and other New Tes-
tament books (except the Gospels) are
given every Tuesday and Thursday at the
Layforce Center at San Carlos Seminary
in Makati City.
Classes started on February 26 and will
go on until April 17.
Two respected biblical scholars, Fr. Gil
Alinsangan, SSP and Sr. Bernardita Dianzon,
FSP, will expound on the Pauline writings.
The lecture series is part of the regular
bible programs of the biblical apostolate
of the archdiocese of Manila.
Aside from the ongoing bible classes con-
ducted at the Layforce Center, which earns
students a Certificate on Biblical Studies, a
basic bible seminar is also done quarterly
by the vicariates of the archdiocese.
‘Family Rosary Varsitarian to kick Outstanding women in
Crusade’ bags UST- off pro-life film fest media cited
TV Students’
Choice Award
“FAMILY Rosary Crusade”
bagged the best 4th University of
Santo Tomas-television (USTv)
Students-Judges’ Choice Awards
for best Catholic program.
Carrying the theme, “Education
in Integrity: Channeling Honesty
and the Truth through the TV,”
the awards, organized by the Of-
fice of the UST Secretary General
and student leaders of UST, cov-
ered television programs aired
July and December 2007.
UST Rector, Fr. Rolando V. de
la Rosa, OP handed out the awards
at a glittering ceremony held at
the UST Medicine Auditorium in
Manila last February 20.
Criteria included originality
and craftsmanship (40%), and
³ŒŒŒŒŒŒŒŒ
Officials of the Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines (KCFAPI) with Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams during a courtesy call at the
Nunciature in Paco, Manila, March 3, 2008.
CELEBRATED. Fr.
L u d g e r
Feldkaemper, SVD,
45th anniversary
of priestly ordina-
tion, February 2,
2008. A well-
known Bible
scholar who
worked for many
years in the Philip-
pines, Fr.
F e l d k a e m p e r,
founded the John
Paul I Biblical Cen-
ter in 1979 when
he was assigned
as Bible Professor at the Immaculate Conception
School of Theology in Vigan City. He started the Basic
Bible Seminar which is now well known all over the
world. He became the executive secretary of the
Catholic Biblical Federation for many years. He cur-
rently teaches Scriptures in one of the SVD seminar-
ies in Germany.
People, Facts & Places
The archdiocese likewise co-hosts the
Catholic Bible School on the Air, a biblical
promotion of Christian values
and the “Thomasian vision of
truth in Charity” (60%).
Voters in the award were the
35,000-strong student body of the
Pontifical and Royal University.
Their choices were confirmed by
a student-dominated board of
judges, which included media ex-
perts, UST administrators and
academics.
Awards for the most popular
drama mini-series, actor and ac-
tress in a drama mini-series, en-
tertainment news show, gag show,
Student-Judges Choice for the Tele-
vision Station with the Most
Youth-Responsible Programming
and variety program were also
handed out. (Santosh Digal)
CELEBRATED. Fr.
Wim Wijtten, SVD,
49 th anniversary of
sacerdotal ordination,
February 1, 2008.
Another bible scholar
who worked for
many years in North-
ern Luzon, Fr. Wijtten
took over as director
of the Biblical Center
in Vigan after Fr.
Feldkaemper left. He
became subregional
coordinator of the
CBF-SEA, the first
Southeast Asia sub-
regional coordinator
of the Catholic Bibli-
cal Federation. From the Philippines he was assigned in
Nemi, Rome as director of the Dei Verbum, the Interna-
tional Bible Institute on Biblical Pastoral Ministry of the
SVD. He is currently residing in Holland in one of the SVD
seminaries there.
program aired over Radio Veritas every Sun-
day evening, from 8-9:30 pm. (CBCPNews)
TRUE to its pro-life advocacy, The
Varsitarian, the 80-year-old stu-
dent publication of the Univer-
sity of Santo Tomas, will host the
Cinevita 2008 Film Festival from
March 5 to 7 at the UST Thomas
Aquinas Research Center.
Themed “Celebrating Life,
Truth, and Faith,” the three-day
film festival will showcase inde-
pendent films, documentaries, and
shorts movies produced by ama-
teur to distinguished Filipino di-
rectors as it centralizes on the aim
to uphold cinema as a tool for
meaningful expressions of life.
Although all documentaries
and local films are open to the
public, foreign full-length films
are exclusive to lecturers, film
critics, and students due to pub-
lic viewing rights restrictions.
Included in the roster of the
featured films this year are
Brillante Mendoza’s Foster Child
and Tirador, Katsi Flores’ Still
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 5
March 3 - 16, 2008
MAPSA’S outstanding
school administrators
honored
MANILA Archbishop Gaudencio ate said.
B. Cardinal Rosales paid tribute to The awardees were Mrs. Vir-
the outstanding school administra- ginia C. Cacanta, Miss Marilyn L.
tors from the Manila Archdiocesan Cano, Mrs. Angelita A.
and Parochial Schools Association Concepcion, Mrs. Carina G.
(MAPSA) under the leadership of Dacanay, Mr. Joel C. Javiniar, Dr.
Msgr. Gerardo O. Santos in fitting Evangeline M. Macase, Dr.
ceremonies at the Villa Rosalinda C. Natividad, Dr.
Immaculada, Intramuros Manila Evelyn B. Tallod and Mrs.
Thursday morning. Cresisanta A. Vallestero.
In his inspirational message, The Sedes Sapientiae (Seat of
Cardinal Rosales said the awards Wisdom) Award was given by the
extended to outstanding personnel Archbishop Gaudencio B. Cardinal
is the “Church’s way of expressing Rosales and MAPSA President
its appreciation for the outstand- Msgr. Gerardo O. Santos.
ing achievements and of love.” He Mrs. Virginia C. Cacanata, a
added the awardees “served be- graduate of Pasig Catholic College
yond what ordinary people could in 1970 and immediately rose from
appreciate,” for the awardees the ranks to become its Executive
“were more than mentors, teach- Vice President for the past 38 years,
ers and Christ’s disciples in Catho- delivered her response on behalf
lic schools for being active partici- of the other winners.
pants in the ministry of Jesus.” The Lifetime Achievement
“You awardees have been teach- Award was conferred on Miss
ing, accompanying, encouraging, Ofelia S. Meneses by His Eminence
understanding and not just deliv- Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales,
ering your knowledge because you DD, assisted by Msgr. Roberto A.
show how you speak, how you Espenilla, head of MAPSA Com-
teach and the way you conduct mission on Human Resource Man-
yourself as a teacher, person, citi- agement and Development. (Melo
zen and as a Christian,” the prel- M. Acuña)
THREE distinguished women in Another awardee, the Women’s
Life, Jim Libiran’s Tribu, Jade
Catro’s Endo, Ned Trespeces’
the field of media and a women-
oriented news agency received the
St. Hildegard Awards for Out-
standing Women in Media and
Feature Service (WFS) represented
by its Executive Director Olive
Tripon, was cited for championing
the cause of women in reporting
Trabaho, Joey Velasco’s Kambas
ng Lipunan and a documentary
from UST Nursing students.
The film roster also includes
Communication, in a simple cer-
emony held at St. Cecilia’s Hall of
St. Scholastica College, Manila.
and featuring gender-related is-
sues like women’s rights, violence
against women, reproductive
The awardees were cited for health and women’s spirituality.
international films such as Lloyd
their exceptional involvement in WFS is the first and the only
Kramer’s Five People You Meet
the field of media and communi- women-oriented news agency in
in Heaven, Vincent Ward’s What
cation, and in various cause-ori- the country.
Dreams May Come, and Mimi
ented advocacies. The Hildegard Awards, now on
Leder’s Pay it Forward.
Rosa Rosal, an icon in the media its second year, was conceptual-
Directors Jim Libiran, Brillante
industry, was awarded for her part ized by St. Scholastica College’s
Mendoza and Manolito Sulit will
in pioneering public service pro- Department of Mass Communica-
grace the event as Philippine
grams on television through tion as a tribute to women who
Daily Inquirer’s entertainment
Damayan and Kapwa Ko, Mahal have contributed much in the field
columnist Nestor Torre will de-
Ko, and lifelong commitment in of media and communication
liver the keynote speech on the
the Philippine Red Cross. Rosal through their “pioneering work
fest’s maiden day.
who says retirement is not for her, and cause-oriented advocacies.”
Now on its second year, the
had started as a volunteer of PRC The award was named after 16th
Cinevita Film Festival is a non-
in 1950 and continues to be at its century St. Hildegard Bingen, a
profit and educational endeavor
service until now. German Benedictine nun.
of the Varsitarian together with
Professor Florangel Braid, a Last year’s awardees include
the UST Institute of Religion, UST
practicing journalist, educator and Professor Nora Quebral, a pioneer
Journalism Society, UST Literary
communication specialist; was of Development Communication
Society, and Concilium
cited for her contribution in the in the Philippines; Felicisima “Tita
Philososphiae. (Kris Bayos)
field of communication education. Feny” delos Angeles Bautista, ex-
Emily Abrera, president of ecutive producer of Batibot;
McCann Erickson Philippines was Genoveva “Lola Bebang” Matute,
named for her various advocacies a pioneering radio scriptwriter;
which reflected in the choice and and QTV Channel 11, cited for its
content of advertisements her com- women-centered programming.
pany produced. (Pinky Barrientos, FSP)
Smokey mountain parish
helps women find jobs
through e-learning
A PARISH near Smokey Moun- that leads them to find jobs in
tain, Manila’s erstwhile garbage some small companies or shops,
dump site, helps women to find the priest added.
employment through e-learning. The parish also runs E-Com-
Women from Risen Christ Par- puter Center for young people
ish are given basic computer lit- aged 15-24 since 2006. APEC IT
eracy program. After they gradu- gave 30 new PCs to the Center.
ate they try to find computer At present the Center has 50 PCs.
based jobs in different parts of the Since 1997, the parish computer
country, Fr. Benigno Beltran, center has been teaching young
SVD, parish priest, told people to gain computer literacy.
CBCPNews. The program has attracted
This computer program helps hundreds of young people for
hundreds of women irrespective of whom computer is life, Fr.
creed or social strata, the priest said. Beltran said.
One of the benefits that women Some time ago, the parish do-
have gained out of it is they learn nated about 100 old PCs to Mus-
how to do accounting and audit- lim and Christian students in
ing with help of computers, and Mindanao. (CBCPNews)
Markings
CELEBRATED. Diocese of Kabankalan, 20th anniversary
of creation as a diocese; February 11, 2008. Bishop
Vicente M. Navarra, DD was appointed the first bishop of
Kabankalan. In his fourteen years as bishop of the dio-
cese, he introduced the formation of Diocesan synod;
built the Bishop’s house; the seminary (Little Way College
Seminary); a
strong organiza-
tion of lay leaders
who are commit- affiliation, Bishop Buzon took interest in updating
ted to the Diocesan schools. He invited the Christian Brothers in Australia
program of Basic to help in the updating and formation of the Catholic
Ecclesial Commu- schools in the diocese. He initiated a Pastoral Assem-
nities. In 2003, bly and Pastoral Planning among the clergy to re-di-
Bishop Patricio rect efforts for a more comprehensive approach to
Buzon, SDB be- ongoing formation of the clergy. His pastoral visita-
came the 2nd tions among the parishes help him know the real prob-
bishop of lem of the people and the real situation of the diocese.
Kabankalan when
Bishop Navarra ORDAINED. Rev. Moses Romy Namalata and Rev.
was appointed 5th Patrick Leody Cendeño of the Servants of the Risen
bishop of Bacolod. Christ Monastic Community, March 1, 2008, at St.
With his religious Therese of the Child Jesus Parish, Ramos, Tarlac; by
background and Most Rev. Florentino Cinense, DD, bishop of Tarlac.
 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 5
March 3 - 16, 2008
B1
B2 Updates B4 Commissions B5 Statements B6 Reflections B7 Social Concerns
Rubrics in the celebration of the Power to unite with Elvira Seeking the truth, restoring ‘Untie him and let him go’ Teaching fishers how to fish
Holy Eucharist integrity through microfinance

Pastoral Concerns
B3 Diocese B8 Entertainment
Diocese of Kabankalan Buhay Parokya

The full understanding of

the Biblical Apostolate
By Bishop Arturo M. Bastes,
SVD, DD
Need for a full understanding of the
Bible Apostolate
There is an incomplete understanding
of the bible apostolate prevailing among
the Catholic faithful (priests, religious,
laity). This apostolate is commonly un-
derstood as comprising activities that
directly deal with the bible such as bible
courses, bible seminars, bible sharing
sessions, bible quizzes, bible drama,
bible exhibits, bible Sundays, bible
week, bible distributions etc. Often they
are considered as “luxurious extras” that
are nice things to do if time permits.
But a full understanding of the bible
apostolate needs to be inculcated among
our faithful. The bible is God’s word to
His people. In the bible, “the Father who
is heaven comes lovingly to meet His
children, and talks with them” (Dei Ver-
bum, art.21). Thus the aim of the bible
apostolate is to help people encounter
God the Father in the Sacred Scriptures.
In DV art. 21 we read, “…such is the force
and power of the word of God that can
serve the Church as her support and
vigor, and the children of the Church as
strength for their faith, food for the soul,
and a pure and lasting font of spiritual
life.” This passage teaches that the Word
of God must permeate and animate ev-
ery dimension of the Church’s life: li-
turgical, catechetical, pastoral, moral
and social. Seen in this way the biblical
apostolate constitutes an integral part of
the mission of the Church. Hence there
can be no authentic ministry in the
Church unless it is based on the word of
God.
The ministry of the Word made flesh
Moreover God’s Word is not only ex-
pressed in human terms but is also made
flesh. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the
Word of God made flesh. He is the per-
fect revelation of the Father so that any-
one “who has seen Him has seen the Fa-
ther” (Jn 14:9). His revelation of the Fa-
ther came from the “truth” that he is: “I
am the way, the truth and the life” (Jn
14:6). In the prologue of the Gospel of
John we see the essence of Jesus’ mys-
tery and ministry. His mystery is the
Word of God made flesh. From his mys-
tery stems His ministry, which the Fa-
ther had given Him: To dwell in the
midst of men and women to reveal the
Father to all human beings. Jesus’ works
and words constituted His entire minis-
try whereby He “glorified His Father
on earth” (Jn 17, 4) and “manifested His
Father’s name” (Jn 17, 6)
When revealing His Father, Jesus ex-
ercised His ministry in a very concrete
and tangible way. So concrete and tan-
gible was His ministry that John in his
first letter asserts “that which was from
the beginning, which we have heard,
which we have seen with our own eyes,
that we have looked upon and touched
with our hands, concerning the Word of
Life” (I John 1, 1). The climax of Jesus’
ministry is the paschal event, His death
and resurrection, which shed light on the
significance of Jesus’ entire mystery and
ministry on earth.
The identity of the ministry of Jesus and
His disciples
The risen Christ entrusted His own
ministry to His disciples. The identity of
Jesus’ mission and that of His disciples is
expressed in John 20, 21: “As the Father
has sent me, even so I send you”. The
mission of the disciples is but the con-
tinuation of Jesus’ ministry. He gave them
the Spirit to empower them for this min-
istry. The apostles were sent forth to do
the same thing as Jesus’ did: to reveal the
Father and bring all human beings into
friendship and unity. In His priestly prayer
to the Father, Jesus asked: “that they may
all be one even as Thou, Father, art in Me
and I in Thee”. The object of Jesus’ prayer
is KOINONIA, fellowship, that is, a filial
relationship between God as Father and
all human beings as His children, and
the relationship between all men and
women as brothers and sisters of the
same Father. Consequently the apostles
established communities in different
places, which express this fellowship
or Koinonia.
The Word of God is addressed to the
Church
The Church, as the community of be-
lievers, is the fellowship resulting from
Christ’s mission and that of the apostles
and their successors. She is the Word of
God “enfleshed” in a community of
men and women who consider them-
selves the children of God. It is to the
Church as a Koinonia of believers that
the Bible, the written Word of God is
first of all addressed. For the bible is
primarily a written result of the primi-
tive community’s experiencing, living
and celebrating the Word of God pro-
claimed by the Word made Flesh, re-
Full / B7

7
ORDAINED bishop in July 22, 2004, Most Rev. Emmanuel C.
Trance was appointed second bishop of Catarman in March 11,
2005. In this issue of CBCP Monitor, Bishop Trance talks about the
various concerns of the diocese: environmental degradation in the
province; the effects of consumerist lifestyle on families; the thrust
of family life apostolate to combat threats on family life; the BEC
programs and participation of the laity in the life of the Church;
and the ongoing formation of the clergy and the laity.
QUESTIONS

Most Rev. Emmanuel C. Trance, DD

How does the diocese address
the issues of environmental deg-
radation in Samar province?
The Diocese of Catarman in
Northern Samar looks at this
problem from the perspective
of the entire island of Samar
of which Northern Samar is
one of the three provinces. The
three Dioceses of Calbayog,
Borongan and Catarman are
one in support and have lob-
bied with multi-sectoral
groups in Congress for the
enactment of Samar Island
National Park to preserve the
remaining Samar rainforest.
We have consistently opposed
mining activities in the whole
island and the return of log-
ging concessions, particularly
of San Jose Timber Co. In view
of these environment-related
concerns we have joined ranks
with multi-sectoral groups of
NGOs, POs and LGUs to form the
Samar Island Partnership for
Peace and Development Forum.
What is your take on the threat
of materialism creeping into our
lifestyle brought about by such
phenomenon as globalization?
This is inevitable because of
mass media and mobility of
people nowadays, especially our
overseas workers. It becomes an
added challenge to our evangeli-
zation efforts. Thank God in
many ways our people are in-
nately religious. So there is a
need for us in the Church to ad-
dress this issue in our catechetical
and formation programs other-
wise we shall wake up one day
with our people dull and dead in
spirit.
Would you say consumerism has
affected our people’s sense of
values, especially the young?
Truly the young people have
to be given much attention in re-
gard to their education and train-
ing to the right sense of values,
especially Christian values. Con-
sumerism is one form of materi-
alism affecting our economic life
as well as human behavior indi-
vidually and socially. It tran-
scends ages, young and old or
social groupings, families and
communities. It can insert into
the whole culture and attitude. It
is not taught but caught in a mat-
ter of time and given a hospitable
environment. Even the Church
cannot be insulated from it but
should not be a slave to it or con-
done it. Its wind can sweep us all
if we are not wary. Here again
our evangelization efforts should
bring to the surface the attractive-
ness of our lived Christian val-
ues and virtues with the primacy
of faith and spirit. The whole
Church is strongly challenged
for concrete witnessing in our re-
spective surroundings and in the
ongoing formation of the faith-
ful.
How does the diocesan family
and life apostolate respond to
this challenge?
Before these macro-level con-
cerns, we have to look into our
concrete local situation and the
immediate condition of every
family in the Diocese. The phe-
nomenon of migrant workers is
causing a lot of strains to unity of
the family. Moreover, there is the
aggressive population control
program of government that in-
troduces artificial birth control
options with anti-life and anti-
family implications. The Diocese
has articulated as one of our 10
pastoral priorities the family as
focus of evangelization echoing
the priorities of PCP II. There are
active family life movements and
apostolate in the parishes. We
have established a Diocesan fam-
ily life commission with clergy
and lay involvement for pro-life
apostolate. But it seems the work
is daunting and we cannot do
enough. There is a need of per-
sistent effort as a Church and in
partnership with different sectors
of society. The endemic poverty
in the province brings havoc to
families causing a host of related
problems, namely street chil-
dren, child labor, and human traf-
ficking particularly of young
girls. Rural poverty that spills
over to urban poverty in urban
centers does not indeed give an
optimistic picture of family and
human development in the dio-
cese. Our evangelization of fami-
lies has to consider this concrete
backdrop for any effective effort
or program that we want to come
out for the Diocese. As of now
our implementation of family
life programs has to be combined
with our building of Basic
Ecclesial Communities in the
parishes. There is a need further
of coordinating all these efforts
for the welfare of families.
How active are the basic ecclesial
communities in your diocese?
PCP II calls BEC the new way
of being Church. It also wants to
institutionalize BEC in all the
Philippine Dioceses. It is a way
of giving flesh to the Church’s
vision of becoming the Church
of the Poor and Community
of Disciples. During the 1st Di-
ocesan Pastoral Assembly in
1996 under our First Bishop,
Bishop Angel Hobayan, BEC
was declared the main pasto-
ral thrust of the Diocese. Dur-
ing the 2nd Diocesan Pastoral
Assembly and Diocesan Pen-
tecost Vigil, last May 26, 2007
the clergy, the religious and
lay faithful recommitted
themselves to the same pas-
toral thrust in our ten pasto-
ral priorities. Since last year I
have also requested the
Redemptorists BEC mission
team to assist the parishes in
building BEC after giving
BEC reorientation to all the
parish priests. They have been
so far to two parishes and two
mission centers after six
months and still going. We
are also among the Dioceses
that participate in the NASSA
assisted BEC program of
which five of our parishes are
included. I must note how-
ever that the growth of BECs
7 Questions / B2
 CBCP Monitor
B2 Updates Vol. 12 No. 5
March 3 - 16, 2008

By Fr. Jaime B. Achacoso,
J.C.D.
A few years ago, a Statement of the 20th Na-
tional Assembly of Diocesan Directors of Lit-
urgy (Sept 12-16, 2005) was picked up by the
local mass media and stirred up a controversy.
The Statement—entitled Rubrics in the Cel-
ebration of the Eucharist—called on the
faithful to “carefully study and observe the
of the particular rite or liturgical cer-
emony. If even in public functions—from
a simple flag-raising ceremony to the
most elaborate presidential inaugura-
tion—there is normally a Master of Cer-
emonies to make sure the written script
and proper protocol are followed, it
stands to reason that in the acts of public
worship of God (which is what the lit-
urgy is) there be a proportionate con-
cern that the script is followed.
of protection by the Law of the Church.
As an illustration, a private citizen can-
not on his own initiative decide to deco-
rate the street and sidewalk in front of
his house with fancy tiles and elaborate
grillwork. Since the street and sidewalk
are public property, they are subject to
the sole jurisdiction of lawfully consti-
tuted authority (which is mandated to
care for the common good of the com-
munity). Only the City Government (or
National Government if the road is a
thority.
The Code of Canon Law, reflecting the
mind of Vatican Council II, has estab-
lished the competent authority in the
following terms:
Can. 838 — §1. The supervision of the
sacred liturgy depends solely on the au-
thority of the Church which resides in
the Apostolic See and, in accord with the
law, the diocesan bishop.
— §2. It is for the Apostolic See to or-
der the sacred liturgy of the universal
The General Instruction of the Ro-
man Missal (G.I.R.M.) and the Roman
Missal
On top of dozens of important docu-
ments regarding the Holy Eucharist that
have come out after Vatican Council II,
the most important single document re-
garding the celebration of the Holy Mass
is the Institutio Generalis Missalis
Romani—or General Instruction of the
Roman Missal (G.I.R.M.)—, by the Sa-
cred Congregation for Divine Worship

Rubrics in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist

rubrics of the Holy Mass…and eliminate in
the assembly indecorous movements or bodily
gestures…(exhorting) fidelity and loyalty to
the liturgical reform of Vatican II.” But the
local media subsequently focused on the spe-
cific question of holding hands during the pray-
ing of the Our Father at Mass. Questions of
“inculturation” and “the need for a more cheer-
ful and consoling Mass” were raised against
what some called “rubricism” and rigid “le-
galism” in the liturgy. All these are a bit over
my simple layman’s head. Can you please shed
some light on what the bone of contention re-
ally is?
I WOULD like to clarify that liturgy
goes farther than Canon Law. On the
other hand, can. 2 of the Code of Canon
Law states: For the most part the Code does
not define the rites which are to be observed
in celebrating liturgical actions. For this rea-
son current liturgical norms retain their force
unless a given liturgical norm is contrary to
the canons of the Code.
Hence, I will limit my discussion to
the strictly canonical aspect of the ques-
tion and perhaps clarify the terms.
Lex orandi, lex credendi: The Impor-
tance of the Rubrics
It has often been said that lex orandi,
lex credendi—i.e., the rule of prayer is
the rule of faith. A person and a commu-
nity pray according to their belief such
that private prayer and community wor-
ship manifest the faith of the individual
and the community.
However, the external signs that a
person is subjected to and which are
prevalent in a community have a way of
affecting the way a person and a com-
munity think or believe. The external
signs of respect, reverence and love that
a Catholic community gives to the Eu-
charist—for example—not only mani-
fests its respect, reverence and love for
the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of
Christ, but ultimately influence its faith
in the Real Presence.
Hence, the rubrics. Rubrics are the in-
dications—normally in red print, hence
the term (from the Latin rubrum = red)—
interspersed in the official liturgical texts
that indicate the bodily gestures and
postures of the celebrant(s), other min-
isters and congregation, as well as other
material details regarding the conduct
The Juridic Dimension of Public Wor-
ship
But why take away spontaneity and
personal devotion—one might ask—in
liturgical celebrations? There is indeed
a danger of overdoing the attention to
the rubrics—what some have called
rubricism—such that the spirit of the lit-
urgy is stifled by rigid observance of the
printed procedure. Nevertheless, there
is a minimum requirement of standard
praxis in liturgy for the sake of public
order.
The operative word is public. In the
words of Vatican II, in the liturgy full
public worship is performed by the Mystical
Body of Jesus Christ, that is, by the Head
and his members (Constitution on the
Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum
Concilium, 4.XII.1963, n.7). It is not
merely an act of private personal devo-
tion or prayer, but rather the act of the
whole Church—the Mystical Body of
Christ, including Christ the Head and
all the faithful as members of the body.
In the liturgy—and the Eucharistic cel-
ebration is the liturgical act par excel-
lence—it is not just the sacred minister
or just any individual faithful who acts,
but the whole Church acts.
It is this public nature of the liturgy
that gives it a juridic dimension. It forms
part of the common good and is worthy
national road) can decree modifications
on the road.
On the other hand, the Christian faithful
have the right to worship God according to
the prescriptions of their own rite approved
by the legitimate pastors of the Church
(c.214)—a right to which corresponds the
obligation, on the part of the sacred min-
isters, to celebrate the liturgy according
to the norms established by the legiti-
mate pastors of the Church, as we shall
see in c.846, §2 below.
Disposition and Supervision of the
Sacred Liturgy
Vatican Council II established the fol-
lowing General Norms for the disposi-
tion and supervision of the sacred lit-
urgy (cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium, n.22):
1) Regulation of the sacred liturgy
depends solely on the authority of the
Church, that is, on the Apostolic See,
and, as laws may determine, on the
bishop.
2) In virtue of power conceded by law,
the regulation of the liturgy within cer-
tain defined limits belongs also to vari-
ous kinds of bishops’ conferences, legiti-
mately established, with competence in
given territories.
3) Therefore, no other person, not even
a priest, may add, remove, or change
anything in the liturgy on his own au-
Illustration by Bladimer Usi
Church, to publish the liturgical books,
to review their translations into the ver-
nacular languages and to see that litur-
gical ordinances are faithfully observed
everywhere.
— §3. It pertains to the conferences of
bishops to prepare translations of the
liturgical books into the vernacular lan-
guages, with the appropriate adapta-
tions within the limits defined in the li-
turgical books themselves, and to pub-
lish them with the prior review by the
Holy See.
— §4. It pertains to the diocesan bishop
in the Church entrusted to him, within
the limits of his competence, to issue li-
turgical norms by which all are bound.
Thus, actually very little is left to in-
dividual initiative in the matter of the
liturgy, as the Code clearly states:
Can. 846 — §1. The liturgical books
approved by the competent authority are
to be faithfully observed in the celebra-
tion of the sacraments; therefore no one
on personal authority may add, remove
or change anything in them.
— §2. The ministers are to celebrate
the sacraments according to their own
rite.
All these are applicable to each of the
sacraments in particular and to sacred
liturgy in general. What about the Holy
Mass?
on 26.III.1970, subsequently updated on
27.III.1975 (2nd Edition), and most re-
cently by the Congregation on Divine
Worship and the Discipline of the Sacra-
ments in 2002 (3rd Edition). Together with
the Roman Missal itself (also referred
to as the Novus Ordo or the Vatican II
Mass and published almost simulta-
neously with the G.I.R.M.), this contains
the complete script of the Holy Mass as
revised by Vatican II, together with all
the possible variations and—this is the
bone of contention—the instructions (ru-
brics) regarding the bodily gestures of
celebrant (s), other ministers and con-
gregation and the disposition of the vari-
ous material elements that go into the
Eucharistic celebration.
Conclusion
There are many more details in the
G.I.R.M. that need fine-tuning in the
Philippines. To single out the holding
of hands by the congregation at the Our
Father, which is not even mentioned in
the G.I.R.M., is to miss the woods for
the trees. As to the questions posed at
the start, perhaps we can conclude with
the following:
1) There is a need to go back to the
rubrics, since the conduct of the Mass is
not a matter for the individual tastes of
bishops and much less of priests.
2) While admitting the possibility for
variations and adaptations to the local
Filipino situation (inculturation), such
variations cannot be introduced without
prior review and approval by the Holy
See.
3) Specifically, the points raised by
the most recent Instruction from the
Congregation for Divine Worship and
the Discipline of the Sacraments,
Redemptionis Sacramentum, On cer-
tain matters to be observed or to be
avoided regarding the Most Holy Eu-
charist (19.III.2004), can be given pri-
ority.
4) We end with n.18 of the aforemen-
tioned Instruction, which quotes John
Paul II: Christ’s faithful have the right that
the ecclesiastical authority should fully and
efficaciously regulate the Sacred Liturgy lest
it should ever seem to be “anyone’s private
property, whether of the celebrant or of the
community in which the mysteries are cel-
ebrated.”

7 Questions / B1

Marian Masses in Lent and Advent

are on various levels, a majority are on the Kapilya level where the
priests could celebrate mass at least once a month, or they have
Sunday liturgy without a priest and they have put up a barangay
pastoral council, WESTY commissions and installed lay ministers.

And crosses on the 14 stations
(Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university, answers the following questions:)
Q: The Masses for the weekdays the rules of the General Calen-
(including Saturdays) of Lent and dar. The calendar forbids most vo-
Advent are assigned Masses. Yet tive Masses during these seasons.
there are Masses in the Collec- The General Instruction of the
tion of Masses of the Blessed Vir- Roman Missal, No. 376, does say,
gin Mary for the Lenten season however: “On obligatory memo-
and for the Advent season. When rials, on the weekdays of Advent
is it permitted to use the liturgies up to and including December
from this Collection of Masses 16, of the Christmas Season from
during Lent and Advent?¯J.M., January 2, and of the Easter Sea-
Washington, D.C. son after the Octave of Easter,
Masses for Various Needs,
A: As No. 21 of the Introduc- Masses for Various Circum-
tion to the Collection of stances, and Votive Masses are
Masses of the Blessed Virgin as such forbidden. If, however,
Mary indicates, the collection required by some real need or
is destined above all for use pastoral advantage, according to
in Marian shrines. the judgment of the rector of the
These shrines frequently church or the priest celebrant
have permission from the himself, a Mass corresponding to
Holy See to celebrate Masses such a need or advantage may
of Our Lady on days that be used in a celebration with a
would otherwise not be per- congregation.”
mitted according to the Thus, should such an authentic
norms of the General Roman need for a Marian celebration
Calendar, such as during Ad- arise during the above-men-
vent and Lent. tioned times, the pastor could
This concession is usually choose one of the corresponding
granted for all days except Masses from either the Roman
those indicated in Nos. 1-6 of Missal or the collection of Masses
the table of liturgical days of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
found in most editions of the There are also exceptions
Roman Missal. which allow two of these formu-
This faculty is usually re- las to be used outside of the as-
served to priests on pilgrimage signed season during ordinary
or for celebrations for groups time. No. 28 of the Introduction
of pilgrims and with the re- says that the Christmas formula
quirement to generally use the “Holy Mary of Nazareth (no 8)”
seasonal readings and not those may be used if a group of faithful
of the Marian Lectionary (Intro- desires to commemorate Mary’s
duction, No. 31). exemplary conduct at Nazareth.
For this reason the Masses Likewise, the Lenten formula
assigned to Advent, Christ- “Mary Virgin, Mother of Recon-
mas, Lent and Easter are usu- ciliation (no 14)” may be used
ally not permitted in settings when Mass is celebrated in the
such as parishes, which do not context of seeking reconciliation
enjoy any exemption from and harmony.
Q: Are wooden crosses on top of de-
pictions/paintings of each Station of
the Cross required? These have been
removed from our church.¯P.C.,
Laplace, Louisiana
A: The principal document relat-
ing to the external form of the Via
Crucis, or Way of the Cross, is the
Enchiridion of Indulgences, No. 63.
The Church grants a plenary
indulgence to a member of the
faithful who practices the pious
exercise of the Way of the Cross.
In order to obtain this indulgence
the exercise must be fulfilled be-
fore legitimately erected stations.
For the legitimate erection of
the Via Crucis, 14 crosses are
needed, to which may be added
images or sculptures that repre-
sent the station.
According to the most com-
mon custom, the pious exercise
consists of 14 pious readings to
which are added some vocal
prayers. However, in order to
fulfill the pious exercise all that
is required is a meditation on the
Lord’s passion and death with-
out having to make a particular
consideration of each station.
It is necessary to move from
one station to the next. But if the
stations are done in a large group
where moving is difficult, it is
sufficient for at least the guide to
move from station to station.
The faithful who are legiti-
mately impeded from making
the stations may gain the same
indulgence by dedicating about
15 minutes to meditating and
spiritual reading on the Passion.
Therefore, to answer the spe-
cific question at hand: A legiti-
mate Way of the Cross consists
of 14 crosses. These may be
wooden, stone, metal or some
other suitable material. The
images are an optional, albeit
very useful extra.
The crosses may be rela-
tively small compared to the
images or representations, but
they should be visible. They
may also be located at any suit-
able place near the images—
above, below, beside or even
incorporated within the frame.
Possibly the local parish
church could be encouraged to
restore the crosses to its Way of
the Cross. It could also be a won-
derful teaching moment to ex-
plain the Church’s doctrine on
indulgences as well as foment
the practice of the Via Crucis.
As No. 133 of the Directory
of Popular Piety says:
“The Via Crucis is a journey
made in the Holy Spirit, that
divine fire which burned in the
heart of Jesus (cf. Lk 12, 49-50)
and brought him to Calvary.
This is a journey well es-
teemed by the Church since it
has retained a living memory
of the words and gestures of
the final earthly days of her
Spouse and Lord.
“In the Via Crucis, various
strands of Christian piety coa-
lesce: the idea of life being a
journey or pilgrimage; as a
passage from earthly exile to
our true home in Heaven; the
deep desire to be conformed
to the Passion of Christ; the
demands of following Christ,
which imply that his disciples
must follow behind the Mas-
ter, daily carrying their own
crosses (cf. Lk 9, 23).” (Zenit)
Others would have already subdivided into small clusters for
Bibliarasal groups, cooperatives, and feeding programs for malnour-
ished children, and other communal activities.
PCP II has highlighted the active participation of the laity in the life
of the Church. How does the diocese concretize this?
Again after PCP II and our 1st Diocesan Pastoral Assembly in 1996,
the role of the laity became more visible. In the parishes this was
seen in the rise of many lay organizations and movements. They are
called upon in Pastoral Assemblies, in Pastoral Councils and in Pas-
toral Commissions and lately in the 2nd Diocesan Pastoral Assembly.
We organized the Diocesan Pastoral Council were lay representa-
tives and religious are included; we recognize and encourage the lay
charisms and involvement in the Church. Their participation is es-
sential to the communitarian direction of the Church today.
The continuing formation for lay people should be embedded in
the liturgy, in catechesis, and in devotions in the parishes and BEC
level. Nonetheless an organized ongoing formation for community
leadership, pastoral knowledge and skills are also needed in the
Diocesan level and in the programs of our respective Diocesan pasto-
ral commissions. We have to address this concern the soonest pos-
sible time and to look for resources to bring it about.
Does the diocese have a continuing formation program for the clergy?
When I was appointed as Coadjutor Bishop of Catarman in May 14,
2004, I would not forget what the then Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop
Franco told me: “Please give attention to the ongoing formation of
the clergy.” When I became Bishop of Catarman in March 11, 2005, I
have announced it as my priority. In fact, I appointed myself as head
of the Commission on the clergy instead of appointing a Vicar. For
the ongoing formation, the clergy are grouped according to age level
and ordination batch: young clergy, first five years of ordination;
junior clergy, six to 16 years; middle clergy, 17 to 24 years; senior
clergy, 25 years to retirement; and retired clergy. We have our bi-
monthly gathering for presbyteral pastoral assembly and recollec-
tion, a quarterly gathering for ongoing formation groupings. We
have a five-day annual retreat, annual ongoing formation seminar,
renewal seminars for jubilarians, and sabbatical every six years per
request. All of these are aimed to help the life and pastoral ministry
of each priest to become one mind and one heart with Christ, the
main goal of every ongoing formation.
I am pleased with my relationship with my clergy. I see them as
my immediate and direct partners and coworkers in the pursuit of
the pastoral welfare of all the faithful in the Diocese and in the con-
tinuing work of evangelization. I am connected to them in the sacra-
mental bond which should be stronger than blood relations, the sac-
rament of ordination. They have welcomed me as their Bishop even
though I came from a different region. I want to be father, brother
and friend to them in the real sense. I am convinced that our mutual
relationship will give a strong witness to our pastoral service in
unifying our ecclesial communities and building up of the Church.
We can solve our problems together as brothers in the Church and
for the greater welfare of our ecclesial communities. Any challenge
ahead we can face as one if we keep this mutual bond in the Lord.
 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 5
March 3 - 16, 2008
IMPORTANT FACTS
Bishop …………………………….
Priests:
Diocesan …………………………
Religious:
Foreign ………………….………
Filipino ………………...………...
Loaned ………………….…………
Deacon ……………………....……..
Women Religious:
Filipino ………………………….…
Foreign ……………….……………
Seminarians:
In Theology ………………………..
Pre-College ……………………….
Philosophy .……………………….
Diocesan Divisions:
Vicariates ………………………..... 5
Parishes …………….……………. 23
Entrusted to Diocesan Clergy .... 23
Chaplaincies ……………………..…. 6
Entrusted to Diocesan Clergy …..... 5
Entrusted to Religious Clergy ……. 1
Educational Centers:
Colleges
Diocesan ………………...……….. 1
Directed by Religious …….……... 2
High Schools
Directed by Diocesan Clergy ....… 15
Directed by Religious ………….… 4
Elementary Schools
Diocesan ………………………….. 5
Directed by Religious …..………… 2
Kindergartens
Diocesan ………………….……… 28
Directed by Religious .………….. 1
Population …………………… 769,049
The Diocese of
Kabankalan
Compiled by Fr. Ludovico To-ong, Jr.
THE entire Province of Negros Occiden-
tal once belonged to the Diocese of
Bacolod, which was created in 1933, sepa-
rating Negros from the Jurisdiction of
Jaro. In 1987 Bacolod Diocese was di-
vided into three ecclesiastical jurisdic-
tions, San Carlos in the north, Bacolod
in the center and Kabankalan in the
south.
The Diocese of Kabankalan comprises
a total land area of 3,924 square kilome-
ters, geographically mountainous but
mostly accessible. Most of the faithful
have an average or below average in-
come level and their main sources of
income are employment, farming and
fishing. It is grouped into 5 vicariate
districts which encompass 3 cities and 8
municipalities of the southern part of
Negros Occidental in the Philippines. The
titular patron is St. Francis Xavier whose
feast is celebrated on December 3.
The religious had been the pioneers
in the task of evangelization in
Kabankalan. The Recollects, the Jesuits
and the Mill Hill Fathers had contrib-
uted to the spread of the Catholic Faith
thereabout. In 1950, the then Bishop of
Bacolod, Casimiro Lladoc, invited the
Columbans to take over the area that
now constitutes Kabankalan Diocese.
The Filipino clergy started to integrate
with the Columbans in the 1970’s with
the advent of the Spirituality of the Ba-
sic Ecclesial Communities or the
Kristyanong Katilingban (KK) as it is lo-
cally known. The local Church suffered
tremendous harassment and persecution
during the Martial Law era. After the
building in the compound of what is now
the Kabankalan Cathedral was gutted by
a fire in 1986, Kabankalan was erected
as a diocese in March 30, 1987. Bishop
Vicente M. Navarra, D.D., was installed
as first bishop of Kabankalan in Febru-
ary 11, 1988.
During his term that spanned 13 years,
Bishop Navarra facilitated the holding
of the First Diocesan Synod of
Kabankalan and its subsequent Pasto-
ral Assembly for the renewal and
strengthening of the local Church. The
modified Tithing System was adopted,
in accordance with the spirit of the Sec-
ond Plenary Council of the Philippines
(PCP II). The Diocesan Pastoral Coun-
cil and the Diocesan Pastoral Team
were formed for lay empowerment and
animation of the BECs, which remain
as the pastoral thrust of the Diocese. Its
preferential option for the less fortu-
nate was typified by the establishment
of the deaf-mute apostolate which was
1
47
4
1
1
4
21
3
14
13
27
initiated by Bishop Navarra and is pres-
ently supervised by the Anawim Foun-
dation. The synchronized reshuffling of
the diocesan clergy was undertaken
shortly before Bishop Navarra was
transferred to Bacolod Diocese in July
of 2001. But before that, he had realized
the construction of the Little Way Col-
lege Seminary, now on its seventh year
of operation.
For almost two years, the diocese was
entrusted to the care of the Diocesan
Administrator, Msgr. Rogelio B. Cruz,
V.G. until Fr. Patricio A. Buzon, then
Provincial of the Salesians of Don Bosco,
Philippine South Province was ap-
pointed bishop and subsequently or-
dained by His Eminence Ricardo Cardi-
nal Vidal in February 19, 2003. He was
installed as second bishop of
Kabankalan in March 19, 2003.
The new bishop dutifully studied and
contemplated the decrees of the First
Synod and the resolutions of its subse-
quent pastoral assembly. Consequently,
the bishop intensely proposed to con-
duct a diocesan-wide Strategic Planning
in view of the diocese’s pastoral endeav-
ors.
As an initial step, the clergy convened
with selected BEC leaders in May 2004
for two days to look closely into the eco-
nomic, political, socio-cultural and
ecclesial situation of the local Church
that gradually led to revisiting and re-
vising the vision-mission statement of
the diocese.
It was then agreed during the two-day
convention to conduct a parish based
assessment using SWOT (Strength-Weak-
nesses-Opportunities and Threats)
Analysis Tool to really assess the
strengths and weaknesses of the diocese
in terms of human, communitarian and
spiritual aspects. The said event was re-
ligiously conducted and was eagerly at-
tended by more than 2,100 BEC leaders
that lasted for 5 months in the later part
of 2004. The Second Diocesan Pastoral
Assembly (DPA II) was called by the
Bishop in February 2005 to finally
present the collated result of the dioc-
esan-wide SWOT assessment and to
make corresponding actions needed to
resolve any ambiguities. Through this
very important undertaking, the diocese
has finally identified its top 7 priority
objectives to be addressed in 3 to 6 years
time and towards the attainment of the
updated vision-mission of the diocese.
This was also the time when organiza-
tional set-up, structures and systems
were formally established.
Diocese
ON BACKGROUND: St. Francis Xavier Cathedral of Kabankalan. BELOW: Most Rev. Patricio A. Buzon, SDB, DD
Actively spearheaded by the Bishop
with the members of the Clergy both
diocesan and religious, the diocese at the
moment is in the implementation pe-
riod of the plans and programs mandated
by DPA II. The administrative body of
the diocese includes a Board of Consult-
ers and the Presbyteral Council. On the
pastoral section, there are 12 commis-
sions with their respective directors who
assist the bishop in the implementation
of plans and programs. Serving the pa-
rishioners are 36 diocesan priests and 1
religious, while the others are serving
full time in the seminary, schools, com-
missions, and other autonomous orga-
nizations of the diocese. They are con-
tinually strengthening and empowering
the 702 Basic Ecclesial Communities
(BECs) and ecclesial organizations all
over of the diocese.
Vision
We, the local Church of the Diocese of
Kabankalan, envision ourselves to be a
Community of the Lord’s Disciples,
sharing His own three-fold mission, as
Priest, Prophet and King, working to-
gether as agents of integral renewal,
nourished by the Word and the Eucha-
rist so that we may all achieve the full-
ness of life in Christ, Who is “The Way,
the Truth and the Life.” (John 14:6).
Mission
Invoking the guidance of the Holy
Spirit, with Mother Mary as our model,
we, the Priests, the Religious and the La-
ity, in unity and solidarity with our
Bishop, commit ourselves:
· To strive for personal holiness through
the daily contemplation of the Word
and the reception of the sacraments
and through the imitation of the Lord
in His simplicity of life and preferen-
tial love for the poor;
· To live and work together in commun-
ion and to promote the Basic Ecclesial
Communities, known in the diocese
as Kristyanong Katilingban, as a new
way of being Church;
· To work for integral faith formation that
leads to social transformation through
the active participation of the laity and
the empowerment of the poor;
· To promote the apostolate of the family
as an evangelized and evangelizing
agent for a just and pro-life society;
· To journey with the young towards full
maturity in Christ through an
inculturated Catholic Education;
· To foster and sustain the renewal of the
clergy.
B3
Historical highlights in the
evangelization of
Kabankalan Diocese
(Adapted from the compilation of Dennis Madrigal in
Handurawan: Visita Iglesia Negros Y Recoletos: 2006)
1566: The Christianization of the Island of Negros began with the foundation
of the missions of Binalbagan (1575-78) Tanjay (1580-83) and Ilog (1584-86)
by the Augustinian Missionaries. Unfortunately, they had to abandon these
missions for lack of priests.
1622: At the request of Bishop Pedro de Arce of Cebu, the Recollects came to
evangelize Negros. The spiritual administration of Binalbagan including
Kabankalan was ceded to the Recollects.
1638: Recollect Missionaries left Negros in exchange for Romblon. The con-
vent of Binalbagan was entrusted to the Jesuits who came earlier in 1630.
1769: After the expulsion of the Jesuits from the Philippines in 1767, The
Dominican missionaries came to continue the spiritual administration of
Negros with Fr. Manuel Diez assigned in Kabankalan (but died in 1774)
and another one in Guihulngan (now a barrio of Cauayan). They left the
Island in 1774 and never returned.
1848 June 20: Gov. Gen. Narciso Claveria approved the Request of Bishop
Romualdo Jimeno of Cebu, “entrusting the spiritual administration of
Negros to the Recollects.”
1848 June 26: The Recollects willingly accepted the administration of Negros
“with sustained joy”. The parishes of Amlan, Siaton, Kabankalan and
Himamaylan were the first four parishes in Negros turned over to the
Recollects.
1898 November 5: The outbreak of the Philippine Revolution began in Cen-
tral and Northwestern Negros. After negotiations and the agreement of
surrender were discussed by revolutionary leaders and the Spanish gov-
ernment, the Spanish Alcalde Mayor and his military troops in Bacolod
surrendered to the rebels led by Gen. Aniceto Lacson and Gen. Juan Araneta.
Thirty-five Recollects were arrested and jailed in Puerto San Juan (the origi-
nal name of the provincial jail).
1932 July 15: Pope Pius XI issued a Papal Bull creating the Diocese of Bacolod,
separating Negros from the Diocese of Jaro. The Parish of St. Sebastian in
Bacolod became the Episcopal seat of the diocese.
1933 May 16: The Diocese of Bacolod was formally established with the par-
ishes of the whole Negros Island and Siquijor as its territorial jurisdiction.
1933 October 24: Bishop Casimiro M. Lladoc was installed as the first Bishop
of the Diocese of Bacolod. He served the diocese for 18 years (1933-51). He
died on September 21, 1951 at the age of 58.
1950 May 11: At the request of the Apostolic Delegate to the Philippines,
Bishop Casimiro Lladoc of Bacolod formally informed the Recollect Supe-
rior in San Carlos, Fr. Pedro Zunzarren, of his intention to transfer the
spiritual administration of the southern Negros to the Columban mission-
aries.
1950 June 16: The Recollects ceded the parishes of Isabela, Kabankalan and La
Castellana to the Irish Columban priests.
1951 May 29: Bishop Manuel Yap was installed as the second Bishop of the
Diocese of Bacolod. He died on October 16, 1966.
1960 March 14-18: Bishop Manuel Yap convoked the First Bacolod Diocesan
Synod which was attended by selected priests of the Diocese.
1967 February 24: Bishop Antonio Y. Fortich became the third Bishop of the
Historical / B5
 CBCP Monitor
B4 Commissions Vol. 12 No. 5
March 3 - 16, 2008

‘Power to Unite’ with Elvira
By Paul J. Marquez, SSP
THE National Catholic Family Bible
Quiz is on its third year. At the helm of
this biennial event is Elvira Yap Go, a
petite-looking Papal Awardee Pro
Ecclesiae Pontifice. She recalls how her
‘pet project’ started from something
small. “I was very surprised when a
priest gave me a children’s Bible with
colorful illustrations. A friend explained
to me that maybe the priest wanted me
to donate bibles to poor children since
he was organizing a family Bible quiz.
So I gave him several Bibles.”
Elvira has gone beyond donating cop-
ies of the Bible. After attending an Inter-
national Catholic Family Bible Quiz in
Rome, the bible quiz in the small parish
kept flashing on her mind. “Maybe we
can duplicate this and make it nationwide.”
She broached the idea to several bish-
ops whom she knew personally and they
encouraged her. Everything then fell
into place, like God was blessing Elvira’s
‘pet project’. People from all walks of
life came to volunteer their help and re-
sources—old friends, ordinary people,
professionals, priests, nuns and seminar-
ians. In 2004, a secretariat was formed
and they moved to an office. Invitations
for families to join the contest were sent
out to dioceses nationwide and families
started joining in.
All beginnings are difficult, Elvira
admits, but looking back at her experi-
ence during the contest’s first hour, she
cannot but marvel and thank God for
helping her team. “Year 2004 was the
International Eucharistic Year and the
Marian Year. We groped in the dark. We
didn’t know exactly where to begin.
Along the way, we had many insights
and discoveries from all the people in-
volved, including ourselves, like how
we could work with grace under pres-
sure.” Elvira’s team is now registered
with the Securities and Exchange Com-
mission and is known as Power to Unite
Catholic Family Bible Group, Incorpo-
rated.
The second Bible quiz was in 2006.
Aside from having more participants,
she considers the second quiz better or-
ganized owing to the experiences gained
during the 1st Bible quiz and to the steady
show of support from friends and strang-
ers alike. The team received a first-hand
experience on how individuals and fami-
lies hungered for the Word of God. The
experience also opened their eyes to re-
alities happening on the parish level. “At
the beginning we thought we had very
good catechists but during the quiz we
saw how many of them lacked knowl-
edge and skills. Some did not show en-
thusiasm, maybe because they also
lacked encouragement and support from
the priests. The bishops, however, were
very supportive,” Elvira relates.
On the 3rd National Catholic Family
Bible Quiz, the questions will revolve
around family, mission and life. An “On-
the-Spot Painting Contest” will be held
simultaneously with the contest.
After the first National Catholic Fam-
ily Bible Quiz, Elvira’s team saw the
need for a song to capture the wonder-
ful experience. She wrote the lyrics of
the song “Power to Unite” and Charo
Unite composed the music. “It speaks of
my observation on the current situation
both in our country and in the world.
There is confusion, despair and heavy
sense of helplessness. But not everything
is hopeless. We also have a way out of
our problems. And we found this in
God’s Word.”
Elvira and her team simply felt the
need to celebrate God’s power into their
lives. Little did they realize that the song
was meant for something bigger when
the song was made for MTV. “We orga-
nized a dance contest that would inter-
pret the song. The winners were featured
in this MTV showcasing Filipino folk Elvira Go (2nd from left) holds the Gold World Medal won for MTV Power to Unite. Also in photo are Director Louie Ignacio and Bishop Antonieto
dances. We sought the help of noted di- Cabajog.
rector Louie Ignacio, arranger Roy del
Valle and National Artist for Dance 11 children. She’s in the middle—the As a young student, Elvira also en- Elvira claims she used to be painfully
Ramon Obusan. The MTV turned out to “shock absorber” in the family. But al- rolled studied French, Russian and Span- shy and was not the type of person to
be Mr. Obusan’s last legacy because he though her features are 100% Chinese, ish language. “I stayed in Madrid for al- emcee a show, much less on national
passed away a few weeks later,” Elvira Elvira’s heart can also be 100% Filipina. most a year. I also experienced how to television. She does not even follow a
says. “I did not grow to be like my siblings. dress up like a real lady and to be courted script every time she is in front of the
The “Power to Unite” MTV sent They kept only to fellow Chinese, but I by foreigners. Sometimes people mis- cameras. “For me it is more important
Elvira to New York recently to receive a was a ‘rebel’ in the sense that I mingled took me for an airline crew, an ambas- to listen to the person I am interview-
very prestigious award. “The New York with Filipinos. We live here, I study here, sador or a royalty. I made friends also ing. Maybe God trained me by listen-
Festivals International Television so why can I not be with Filipinos? I am with families and everywhere I went— ing. I was in a Ferragamo shop in the
Broadcasting Awards gave us the Gold also a Filipino, and I find Filipinos warm, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia. I was US, there was this salesclerk who made
World Medal not only for our excellent kind, gentle and loving.” She studied in surprised that people naturally opened small talk with me. Later on, she was
work. It was also their way of acknowl- a Chinese school then took up Bachelor up to me. It was there that I realized how already confiding her personal prob-
edging the deeper longing for peace, of Science in UST because she thought of difficult it is to live in a country without lems. I told her, you have to decide on
harmony, justice, unity and love. In our becoming a doctor, until she realized she freedom,” Elvira points out. your own, but always your priority must
humble way, our MTV has offered hope did not want to kill herself with memo- Elvira has also transformed into a TV be your family. Then she asked me,
to the world,” Elvira ruminates. rization. “I want more to analyze than personality as host of the inspirational ‘Ma’m, are you a prophet?’ “
She considers such an experience truly to memorize. I am not an intellectual. I show “Power to Unite with Elvira”. The Elvira cringes at the suggestion that
overwhelming considering that it was am just a simple person, very simple program is aired on NBN Channel 4 she is a prophet. “I am only God’s
their first venture into MTV. person.” every Tuesday at 7:00-7:30 pm. Louie humble instrument, and I want to remain
“We keep getting several recogni- As Elvira scrutinizes the twists and Ignacio directed 13 episodes in 2007 fea- a very humble person. For me, success
tions, like two awards from CMMA. One turns in her life, she cannot but be thank- turing archbishops and bishops with is not because you’re intelligent or
is for Best Music Video, the other one is ful to God. “I have a full life and I am Elvira. “Imagine, when we guested you’re wealthy. Everywhere I go, I see
Best Radio Ad Public Service. Then we very thankful for God’s blessings. Our Archbishop Capalla he was on his way the rich getting richer, the poor getting
received also the Anvil Award for Ex- family was not wealthy, all of us had to to Manila but because of our taping, he poorer. There is hopelessness and help-
cellence, plus others from many award work, even today. Even if I don’t have a detoured to Cebu. Another time, Arch- lessness. What we offer is hope, that all
bodies. These serve as our encourage- husband and a family, I took care of my bishop Lagdameo went all the way to is not yet lost.” Elvira shares.
ment, but the real push comes from the nephew who is now 19 years old. I guess Pakil, Laguna for our 10-minute inter- Many things in Elvira’s life have
Holy Spirit.” In the midst of all the acco- the reason why the Church gave me the view! I was telling myself, if all these changed and her hands are now filled
lades and acclaim her group is getting, Papal Award in 2003 was the way I treated bishops were making sacrifices, why with more things than she can handle,
Elvira insists that she is a very simple our workers in Columbia International should I complain?” Elvira opines. For but Elvira is not complaining. Delighted
person. “Maybe I am just an instrument,” Food Products, Inc. It is my vision that all the next episodes, the show will focus with how God make things possible for
she humbly admits. their children would finish school and on education and will bring televiewers her, she exclaims, “He has shown me his
Elvira is born to a Chinese family of have a chance to improve in life.” to different parochial schools. love in many unexpected ways!”

OFW Store
Teaching migrant families to Fr. Luis Supan

invest money wisely
By Dyz Pumarada
“PAGSUSUMIKAPAN naming palaguin ang
negosyong ito na ipinagkatiwala nyo sa amin (We will
do our best to make this business succeed),” said
Nimfa Estareja, Parish Migration Desk (PMD) co-
ordinator of San Lorenzo Ruiz Parish (SLRP) in
Navotas.
Such was the happy and excited remark of Nimfa
Estareja, when the project “OFW Store” was estab-
lished at San Lorenzo Parish in December 2, 2007.
The project was conceptualized to encourage mi-
grant families to invest their money in income gen-
erating ventures.
Three months after the store was opened selling
only three basic products of rice, cooking oil, and
sugar, it now carries a variety of items including
candles, bottled mineral water, soft drinks, candies,
biscuits, etc
More products were added to respond to the
growing needs of consumers, especially during
weekends when churchgoers are ample. In fact, the
group has to install a rotational system in operat-
ing the store among the members since they had
decided to operate from 6:00 AM to 8:00PM.
The group is currently working on the system-
atization of their business policies especially on
the aspects of financial management, patronage
refund and dividends to member’s share capital.
The Episcopal Commission on Migrants and Itin-
erant People (ECMI) accompanied the group in
pursuing the project that started from the seminar
on entrepreneurship. After which, series of meet-
ings have taken place to brainstorm ideas, until the
writing of their business plan. The group under-
Question Box
Questions on politics
What are the moral respon-
sibilities that come with po-
litical power?
“Those with political re-
sponsibilities must not for-
get or underestimate the
moral dimension of political
representation, which con-
sists in the commitment to
share fully in the destiny of
the people and to seek solu-
tions to social problems. In
this perspective, responsible
authority also means author-
ity exercised with those vir-
tues that make it possible to
put power into practice as
went leadership training, formation seminars, fi- service (patience, modesty,
nancial management, and the importance of sav- moderation, charity, efforts
ings and budgeting. In a short span of time, most of to share), an authority exer-
the members were able to pool their financial con- cised by persons who are
tribution reaching the amount of thirty thousand able to accept the common
pesos as part of their initial capitalization of eighty good, and not prestige or the
thousand pesos. ECMI provided the capital aug- gaining of personal advan-
mentation as one of the program components of tages, as the true goal of their
Comprehensive Reintegration Program (CORP). work.” (Compendium of the
The “OFW Store” project is a product of CORP Social Doctrine of the Church,
for OFWs and their families left behind. Libreria Editrice Vaticana,
Composed of 25 migrant families at San Lorenzo 2004, no. 410).
Parish who organized themselves together, the
PMD is in line with the program of the Kalookan How should elected public of-
Diocesan Desk of the Pastoral Care of Migrants and ficials carry out their mandate?
their Families (KADMI), headed by Rev. Fr. Ruben “In their specific areas
Maybuena. (drafting laws, governing,
The program promotes the holistic approach of setting up systems of checks
returning the perspective of migrants from the pre- and balances), elected offi-
employment stage to the time they are about to cials must strive to seek and
return home. One of its components is the enter- attain that which will con-
prise development where migrant families are en- tribute to making civil life
couraged to use the remittances productively ei- proceed well in its overall
ther saving for future investment or pooling of fi- course. Those who govern
nancial resources for group livelihood or enter- have the obligation to an-
prise. swer to those governed, but
It is being implemented in collaboration with this does not in the least im-
the diocesan migration ministry, and the parish ply that representatives are
migration desk/ministry. merely passive agents of the
The “OFW Store” project was launched with a electors. The control exer-
Eucharistic celebration officiated by Fr. Allan cised by the citizens does not
Lopez, OP. At the launching PMD members for- in fact exclude the freedom
mally pledged their commitment to the group and that elected officials must
to the project. The store, located inside the parish enjoy in order to fulfill their
compound, was provided by the parish priest for mandate with respect to the
the group’s use.
objectives to be pursued. These
do not depend exclusively on
special interests, but in a much
greater part on the function of
synthesis and mediation that
serve the common good, one of
the essential and indispensable
goals of political authority.”(Ibid.
no. 409).
What harm does corruption of po-
litical power cause to the citizens?
“Among the deformities of the
democratic system, political cor-
ruption is one of the most seri-
ous because it betrays at one and
the same time both moral prin-
ciples and the norms of social jus-
tice. It compromises the correct
functioning of the State, having a
negative influence on the rela-
tionship between those who gov-
ern and the governed. It causes a
growing distrust with respect to
public institutions, bringing
about a progressive disaffection
in the citizens with regard to poli-
tics and its representatives, with
a resulting weakening of institu-
tions. Corruption radically dis-
torts the role of representative
institutions, because they become
an arena for political bartering
between clients’ requests and
governmental services. In this
way, political choices favor the
narrow objectives of those who
possess the means to influence
these choices and are an obstacle
to bringing about the common
good of all citizens.” (Ibid. no.
411).
How can every citizen contribute
to the common good of society?
“Authentic social changes are
effective and lasting only to the
extent that they are based on reso-
lute changes in personal conduct
…It is obviously the task of
people to develop those moral
attitudes that are fundamental for
any society that truly wishes
to be human (justice, honesty,
truthfulness, etc.), and which
in no way can simply be ex-
pected of others or delegated
to institutions. It is the task of
everyone, and in a special way
of those who hold various
forms of political, judicial or
professional responsibility
with regard to others, to be the
watchful conscience of society
and the first to bear witness to
civil social conditions that are
worthy of human beings.”
(Ibid. no. 134).
Why is it important that the
“soul” of society be Christian
charity?
“The profound meaning of
civil and political life does not
arise immediately from the list
of personal rights and duties.
Life in society takes on all its
significance when it is based
on civil friendship and frater-
nity (St. Thomas Aquinas). The
sphere of rights, in fact, is that
of safeguarded interests, exter-
nal respect, the protection of
material goods and their dis-
tribution according to estab-
lished rules. The sphere of
friendship, on the other hand,
is that of selflessness, detach-
ment from material goods,
giving freely, and inner accep-
tance of the needs of others.
Civil friendship understood in
this way is the most genuine
actualization of the principle
of fraternity, which is insepa-
rable from that of freedom
and equality. In large part, this
principle has not been put into
practice in the concrete circum-
stances of modern political
society, above all because of
the influence of individualis-
tic and collectivistic ideolo-
gies.” (Ibid. no. 390).
 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 5
March 3 - 16, 2008 Statements B5

A call for
emancipation
from the bondage
of corruption
“For authority was given you by the Lord, your kingship is from the
Most High…” (Wisdom 7:3)

LENT is a season of reflection, penance, and self-renewal. Can

it be providential that during this time of lent, we are hounded
once again by deep and disturbing scandals affecting us indi-
vidually as citizens and collectively as a nation?
The dismal state of corruption in government as revealed by
recent revelations should now impel us to seek and pursue the
truth. Actually, the truth is out. Corruption is rampant: in the
use of public funds, among friends, in our dealings with for-
eigners, in public offices, among high and low officials.
The essential thing now is for us to reflect on what has be-
come of us Filipinos. And by “us” we mean all, both in and out
of government, private and public individuals. For there seems
to be a presupposition that corruption is bred by government
and government alone. Nothing can be farther from the truth.
Corruption exists even in the private sector which should like-
wise get its share of condemnation. Corruption is present even
in churches and schools, among adults and youth. Moreover,
like cancer it is not confined to just one part. It affects and pains
from wherever it emanates. Rizal, a century ago, once alluded
to a metaphor of the motherland as being sick. Did we ever
reflect and ask ourselves why until this very day we have the
same diagnosis?

Seeking the truth,

On a brighter side however, we are grateful to God. With His
grace, we still exist as a nation. Many times over, we have been
given another lease on life as Filipinos, with our country–the
Philippines. But our nation is still a work-in-progress. We’ve
had numerous pre-colonial uprisings, modern day coup d’états,

restoring integrity
BELOVED People of God:
Greetings in the peace of the
Lord!
Today in the midst of restless-
ness and confusion, we come to
you as pastors, for that is our pre-
cise role. We do not come as poli-
ticians whose vocation it is to
order society towards the com-
mon good. Our message contrib-
utes to the flourishing of a de-
mocracy which must not be built
only on political formulae.
We face today a crisis of truth
and the pervading cancer of cor-
ruption. We must seek the truth
and we must restore integrity.
These are moral values needing
spiritual and moral insights.
Therefore, we address this pas-
toral statement to everyone par-
ticularly you our beloved people
and in a special way to our po-
litical rulers and officials.
We are convinced that the
search for truth in the midst of
charges and allegations must be
(A CBCP Pastoral Statement)
determined and relentless, and
that the way to truth and integ-
rity must be untrammeled, espe-
cially at the present time when
questions about the moral ascen-
dancy of the present government
are being raised.
For this reason, we strongly:
1. Condemn the continuing
culture of corruption from the top
to the bottom of our social and
political ladder;
2. Urge the President and all
the branches of government to
take the lead in combating cor-
ruption wherever it is found;
3. Recommend the abolition of
EO 464 so that those who might
have knowledge of any corrup-
tion in branches of government
may be free to testify before the
appropriate investigating bodies;
4. Ask the President to allow
her subordinates to reveal any
corrupt acts, particularly about
the ZTE-NBN deal, without be-
ing obstructed in their testimony
no matter who is involved;
5. Appeal to our senators and
the ombudsman to use their dis-
tinct and different powers of in-
quiry into alleged corruption
cases not for their own interests
but for the common good;
6. Call on media to be a posi-
tive resource of seeking the truth
and combating corruption by
objective reporting without bias
and partiality, selective and ten-
dentious reporting of facts;
For the long term we reiter-
ate our call for “circles of dis-
cernment” at the grassroots
level, in our parishes, Basic
Ecclesial Communities, recog-
nized lay organizations and
movements, religious institu-
tions, schools, seminaries and
universities. It is through inter-
nal conversion into the matu-
rity of Christ through commu-
nal and prayerful discernment
and action that the roots of cor-
ruption are discovered and de-
stroyed. We believe that such
communal action will perpetu-
ate at the grassroots level the
spirit of People Power so bril-
liantly demonstrated to the
world at EDSA I. It is People
Power with a difference. From
the grassroots will come out a
culture of truth and integrity we
so deeply seek and build. We
instruct our CBCP Commissions
to take active role including
networking for this purpose.
May the Lord bless us in this
sacred undertaking to build a
new kind of Philippines and may
our Blessed Mother be our com-
panion and guide in this journey
to truth and integrity.
For and on behalf of the Catho-
lic Bishops’ Conference of the
Philippines:
+ ANGEL N. LAGDAMEO, D.D.
Archbishop of Jaro
President, CBCP
February 26, 2008
and people power revolts. We seem to be endlessly rolling the
rock of Sisyphus up and down the hill of our destiny. But by the
grace of God, we have survived.
And so we ask: Why are we corrupt? Why do we have this
debilitating and enslaving sin? And this question we can only
ask ourselves. Is it just our leaders? How about us? Do we put
the blame on others only?
Are we indeed sovereign and responsible citizens? There is
among us a cry of dismay over corruption. And there is a grow-
ing clamor for both immediate and long term actions. But be-
fore we leap, let us pause to reflect, to discern, to do penance,
and pray for renewal done on a national level during this time
of lent. Let us resolve to emerge from this period, discernment
renewed at Easter time.
We respectfully request President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
who is conscience bound as a symbol of our sovereignty, to
pronounce herself on the allegations hurled against her admin-
istration and her very family. The allegations are very serious
and even point to her as being the core of all the anomalies
happening in her government. We ask her, devout Catholic as
she is, to level with us her people, to take us into her confidence
in the spirit of lent, with God as her witness—but spare us the
legal/technical jargons of politicians. We ask her to share her
innermost sentiments and reflections with the people. What
has she to say about why our country has become so corrupt?
Let the blind eyes of justice prevail. If she’s still worth being
our president, then let it be. But if she finds herself wanting,
then in all humility, let her resign as an act of penance, and pave
the way for national self-renewal eventually to evolve into a
renewed nation embarked on high moral grounds and not just
of power and self aggrandizement alone.
We pray that in this season of lent, we can reflect more on the
causes of sin, do penance, and collectively renew our life as a
nation by eradicating corruption around us in our personal life
and in the life of the community.
+ANTONIO J. LEDESMA, S.J.
Archbishop of Cagayan de Oro

Historical / B3

Diocese of Bacolod. At the age of 75,

he tendered his resignation, ending his
22-year old episcopacy (1967-88).
1981 February 20: His Holiness Pope John
Paul II officially visited the Diocese of
Bacolod as part of his religious and
pastoral visit to the Philippines (Feb-
ruary 17-20) and his first historical
journey to Asia. From Bacolod City
Airport, the Pope proceeded to the
Cathedral and the Bishop’s Residence.
Then, he moved in a motorcade to the
Reclamation Area to deliver his mes-
sage to the people of Negros.
1987 February: The Diocese of Bacolod
was divided into three dioceses,
namely: Bacolod, Kabankalan and San
Carlos.
1987 March 30: Kabankalan was erected
as a diocese.
1988 February 11: Bishop Vicente M.
Navarra was installed as the First
Bishop of Kabankalan.
1990 January: Second Plenary Council of
the Philippines was convoked.
1997 February 11: Official announcement
and convocation of the First Synod of
Kabankalan by Bishop Vicente M.
Navarra.
1997 October 20-25: The First Diocesan
Synod of Kabankalan was held in
Kabankalan Catholic College. DSK I
produced a model of pastoral initia-
tives integrating, adapting, and fol-
lowing the pastoral endeavors of the
Council Decrees of Vatican II and PCP
II. Administrative Councils and Di-
ocesan Commissions were formal-
ized.
2000: The Great Jubilee Year Celebra-
tion.
September 2: Bishop Vicente M. Navarra
was appointed Apostolic Administra-
tor of The Diocese of Bacolod.
2001 February 12-13: The First Pastoral
Assembly was held, presided by
Bishop Navarra. Pastoral Program in
the Ministries of Worship, Education,
Service, Temporalities, Youth, Family
and Life, Clergy, Vocation and Mis-
sion (WESTYFAM-CLERVOM) was
systematized. The Diocesan Pastoral
Council (DPC) was created.
2001 May 24: Bishop Vicente Navarra was
appointed as the Fifth Bishop of
Bacolod. Msgr. Rogelio Cruz served
as the Diocesan Administrator for
Kabankalan.
2001 June 26: Recollects of St. Ezekiel
Moreno Province in the Philippines
extended assistance to the Diocese of
Kabankalan as part of the Formation
Team in the Diocesan Seminary, The
Little Way College Seminary. The
Memorandum of Agreement signed
between Bishop Navarra for the Dio-
cese of Kabankalan and Fr. Emeterio
Buñao, OAR, Prior Provincial of the
Province of St. Ezekiel Moreno stipu-
lated that the Recollect priests will
assist the diocese in the formation of
seminarians and administer the semi-
nary initially for one term (a three-
year period) subject to renewal there-
after. Pioneering Recollect formators
who were loaned to the diocese were:
Fr. Ronel P. Gealon, OAR, Fr. Arnel F.
Diaz, OAR and Fr. Charlito Orobia,
OAR.
2003 March 19: Bishop Patricio A. Buzon,
S.D.B., D.D. was installed as the Sec-
ond Bishop of Kabankalan.
2004 May: The clergy convened together
with selected BEC leaders for two days
to look closely into the economic, po-
litical, socio-cultural and ecclesial situ-
ation of the local church that gradu-
ally ushered to revisiting and revis-
ing the vision-mission statement of
the diocese.
2005 February: The Second Diocesan Pas-
toral Assembly (DPA II) was called by
Bishop Buzon to present the final col-
lated result of the diocesan-wide
SWOT (Strengths-Weaknesses-Oppor-
tunities-Threats) Assessment and to
take the necessary corresponding ac-
tion.
‘Mother Nature is speaking,
are we listening?’
A Pastoral Letter on the flooding of Eastern Samar and other parts of Samar Island
Beloved People of God:
It is with sadness and deep compas-
sion for our people, especially for all the
flood victims in our communities, that
we speak out. In the past few days heavy
La Niña rains caused flooding in our riv-
ers, streams and seas, claiming precious
human lives, sweeping away houses, do-
mesticated animals and bridges as well
as inundating farms and making impass-
able a number of our roads and high-
ways. We thank the generosity and sac-
rifices of ordinary citizens as well as
government and non-government
groups that have responded to our
people’s most basic needs.
At the same time, this tragedy com-
pels us to look more deeply into our cir-
cumstances.
1. We have suffered severe flooding
in Eastern Samar but also in other parts
of Samar and Leyte, the likes of which
have never been seen or experienced
before. These could indicate ominous
conditions in the future. We must ask:
Are we adequately and effectively pre-
paring ourselves and our people to re-
spond to emergencies such as this most
recent calamity? Do we truly understand
what we have been through and do we
know what to do in response? If results
are any indication, we still have a long
way to go.
2. From what we see, it is without a
doubt that these floods have also been
exacerbated by many of our depleted
forests, damaged mountains and natu-
ral landscapes due to irresponsible log-
ging and mining. At times it seems ev-
erything we have lost is beyond recov-
ery. But we must do our part in the ur-
gent task of saving what we can. This
means that we must decide for the resto-
ration, preservation and protection of
our forests, mountains and what remains
of our natural wealth.
3. We also need to identify the sources
of damage and abuse to our forests and
mountains, no matter how the truth may
hurt. By necessity we must point to log-
gers, miners (small-scale or large-scale)
and irresponsible citizens among us who
prefer personal profit to common benefit.
4. Apart from the evils wrought on
our land, we note that environmental
abuse for money, such as what we see
from logging or mining, gives only
minimal compensation and temporary
employment to our poor. According to
the Church document Economic Justice for
All, “the Church has affirmed that mis-
use of the world’s resources or appro-
priation of them by a minority of the
world’s population betrays the gift of
creation since whatever belongs to God
belongs to all” (EJA 34). Logging and
mining, for example, only benefit a few,
namely, the big-time loggers and min-
ers themselves, together with some un-
scrupulous politicians and businessmen.
Worse, some concessions are granted
under dubious circumstances at the ex-
pense of poor communities. Moreover,
in the last one hundred years, respon-
sible mining is virtually non-existent in
Philippine history while the results of
irresponsible mining are very visible
and form permanent scars in our land-
scapes.
5. Finally, although we deeply appre-
ciate outside help, we must see ourselves
as primarily responsible for finding our
own solutions. Pope John XXIII in Mater
et Magistra aptly says that “the locals are
in the best position to decide on devel-
opment strategies that best respond to
their needs and conditions” (MM 55). It
is the locals who suffer when commer-
cial logging depletes natural habitats,
drain water and forest resources and
flood lowland communities. It is the lo-
cals, therefore, who must find ways and
means to conserve their natural re-
sources for their common benefit and
those of future generations.
When God “took man and placed him
in the garden of Eden”, Genesis tells us
that he did so for man “to cultivate and
take care of it” (Gen 2:15). Cultivating
and caring, then, are from God while
abusing and destroying our environ-
ment must be pointed out as contrary to
his will and plan for the earth. Mother
Nature, in fact, is speaking the same
message these days. If we care for her,
she will care for us. If we abuse her, we
reap destruction. We must make wise
choices. As Moses reminded Israel to
“choose life that you and your descen-
dants may live” (Dt 30:20), so we your
pastors urge you to choose life by pro-
tecting and preserving our land from the
abuses of logging and mining.
+ CRISPIN B. VARQUEZ, DD
Bishop of Borongan
And clergy
 CBCP Monitor
B6 Reflections Vol. 12 No. 5
March 3 - 16, 2008

‘Untie him and let him go’ By Paul Marquez, SSP
IT is very interesting to follow
the story of Jesus raising Lazarus
(5th Sunday of Lent, 9 March 2008 – Jn. 11:1-45) back to life. This can very well be
our own story—our personal sto-
ries and our story as a nation.
At the onset, when Lazarus was
only ill and not yet dead, Jesus
received word from Lazarus’ sis-
ters regarding his illness. Rather
than rush towards Bethany
(Lazarus’ place), Jesus stayed put
for two more days where he was
at that time. When he finally got
to Bethany, Lazarus was in the
tomb for four days.
If we translate the gospel to
our own experience, we can pos-
sibly see ourselves (whether as
individuals or as a nation) as
very ill, if not, in a crisis situa-
tion. We wish change to happen,
and how we wish the change
would come soon. We have our
timetable and at times we can be
very impatient with ourselves,
our neighbors and possibly even
with our God. How many times
we want God to sing according
to our tune or dance in our
rhythms! Today’s gospel assures
us, though, that God alone has
the perfect timing. He cannot be
rushed nor be delayed. God’s
powerful intervention comes at
the nick of time, even if at times
Illustration by Bladimer Usi we might have lost all hope, or
when, humanly speaking, we
don’t see light at the other end
of the tunnel. Despite contrary
appearances, God is still in
charge, and he always cares for
us.
“Lord, if you had been here, my
brother would not have died,”
Martha tells Jesus. It is very diffi-
cult to determine if Martha was
hurting when she said those
words to Jesus. What is much
clearer is that Martha simply pro-
claims her faith in Jesus’ extraor-
dinary power. We can be like
Martha who puts faith in the
power of Jesus, but our idea of
God’s power always falls short
to what God can actually do for
us. God can always do something
more than we can imagine.
Naturally, Martha’s deepest
longing was for Lazarus to be
healed of his illness and not to
die. Jesus, however, always gives
us something much greater than
we can possibly think of or imag-
ine. Lazarus is not only brought
back to life; Martha herself re-
ceives new life as Jesus person-
ally guides her to spiritual en-
lightenment. Resurrection,
Martha learns eventually, is not
limited to one’s final day on
earth. She learns how resurrec-
tion can in fact be a daily experi-
ence. Jesus tells her: “I am the res-
urrection and the life; whoever
believes in me, even if he dies,
will live, and everyone who lives
and believes in me will never
die. Do you believe this?”
Despite her initial profession
of faith in the resurrection,
Martha still entertains misgiv-
ings when Jesus commanded that
the stone in Lazarus’ tomb be
taken away. She protested and
starts to talk about the corpse full
of stench and decay after the four
days. We can be like Martha when
we keep harping about the past
and complain of everything rot-
ten about us. We can be like
Martha when our little learning
about our faith turns into a dan-
gerous thing, especially if we take
pride of what we know but fail
to put them into action. It is al-
ways much easier to put the
blame on the past and on others
rather than obey God and do the
difficult task he is asking from us
today. “Take away the stone,” he
commands us.
God can at times ask us to do
difficult things not according to
our liking. “Lazarus, come out!”
With these powerful words, Jesus
is able to make Lazarus rise on
his feet. The good news is that
Jesus’ word is indeed powerful,
and hearing his word can lead us
to the beginning of something
much bigger than ourselves.
Lazarus is finally restored to his
family and his community only
after his relatives took away his
burial cloths. Earlier he could
hardly move since he was still
bound in burial cloth. God can
always give us a fresh start.
Such image reminds us of our-
selves, how despite having al-
ready heard Jesus’ teachings and
commands, a part of our being
still cry for redemption from hu-
man weakness and sin. We can
continue to wallow in selfishness
or despair, or receive the power
of resurrection that Jesus brings
to us. Most Filipinos nowadays
live in a daily grind of suffering
and insecurity. They look at life
grimly and without hope. To
some people, the recent mass ac-
tions do not make any sense be-
cause they look at all politicians
as hopeless and corrupt, and that
any change of leaders would not
improve their lot. When a sinner
starts to believe in his worst self
and believes that he or she is be-
yond redemption and God’s care,
the tomb will forever be shut.
Our task as children of the Res-
urrection is to find way by which
we can help one another remove
the stone from our tombs, untie
one another so we can be set free
in truly loving God and our
neighbors. We can do this by lis-
tening keenly to the voice of our
Shepherd: “Lazarus, come out!”

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

Wisdom of the cross

Atty. Jo Imbong

THIS is the kind of wisdom every be-
liever and follower of Christ should
have. It’s not enough to have the wis-
dom of this world, no matter how prac-
tical that may be, nor the wisdom of the
flesh, no matter how mind-blowing,
much less the wisdom of words, no mat-
ter how clever.
The wisdom of the cross is first a gift
of the Holy Spirit to us before it becomes
a virtue in us. Since it’s a gift, we have to
pray for it constantly. Since it’s a gift that
needs to be a virtue, we have to culti-
vate and develop it also.
The wisdom of the cross is the most
perfect gift, embodying all the other
spiritual gifts, since it completes char-
ity by infusing light and love into our
soul.
With it we are able to discern God
and divine things in everything that we
see and do. It gives us the appetite to
relate everything to God, linking us to
God through the things of this world.
It goes beyond understanding and
knowledge which enable us to know
divine and natural things in themselves
and in their mutual relations, but with-
out relating them to God, their ultimate
cause.
These gifts and virtues do not auto-
matically lead us to love, since they fall
short of bringing us to God who is love,
as St. John said so succinctly. It’s wis-
dom that does that. Wisdom makes us
into contemplative souls, seeing and lov-
ing God in everything.
Bo Sanchez
With this definition of wisdom, it can
be said that it’s hardly seen around, since
it is manifest that reference to God is
scarcely done in the things we do. We
think, reason out, speak, act and behave
often by ourselves, without God.
But it can reside deep in our hearts,
not visible to our senses and our worldly
ways. As the Book of Wisdom says: “In
each generation wisdom passes into holy
souls, she makes them friends of God and
prophets.” (7, 27)
Saints and holy men and women have
it, except that they are not fond of show-
ing it off. It is perceived only by those
who have the spirit in the manner spo-
ken of by St. Paul:
“We have received not the spirit of this
world, but the Spirit that is of God, that we
may know the things that are given us by
God. Which things also we speak, not in the
learned words of human wisdom, but in the
doctrine of the Spirit, comparing spiritual
things with spiritual.
“The sensual man perceives not these
things…for it is foolishness to him, and he
cannot understand, because it is spiritually
examined.” (1 Cor 2, 12-14)
In cultivating and developing wisdom
as a virtue in us, we need to struggle
against things like laziness, disorder,
unhealthy attachments, pride and all
forms of sin. In fact, everything can be a
frontline in this struggle.
Thus, this wisdom has to be the wis-
dom of the cross, which is the wisdom
of Christ, since Christ showed the ulti-
mate saving truth and love, and shares
these things with us up to now, by dy-
ing on the cross.
We have to understand this supernatu-
ral truth with the grace of God, other-
wise we succumb to what St. Paul once
said about the crucified Christ:
“To the Jews indeed a stumblingblock, and
to the Gentiles foolishness. But to them that
are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the
power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1
Cor 1, 23-24)
It’s this wisdom that provides us with
the proper furnace to forge our love for
God and others, the acid test to probe
the depth and range of our grasp of the
truth in love. It’s the abiding conviction
that everything gets resolved in the
cross.
The wisdom of the cross goes much
further than what our intelligence and
will can penetrate. It gives life and vital-
ity to our different human forms and
structures, our cultural and personal
ways.
As the late Pope John Paul II once said:
“The wisdom of the Cross, therefore,
breaks free of all cultural limitations
which seek to contain it and insists upon
openness to the universality of the truth
which it bears.” (Fides et ratio, 23)
Let’s learn this wisdom of the cross by
conforming our thoughts and desires,
our whole life, to Christ crucified, study-
ing, praying, meditating on his words,
and slowly and steadily assimilating his
example into our life!
Behold: WOMAN
WE can never fully understand man and woman and their relationship
to each other outside the divine design. Any consideration outside of
that will be an aberration, a departure from the original plan.
For it is a part of the Divine plan for the human race that there be a
harmonious integration of what is masculine and what is feminine.
“Man and woman, he created them”, the Scriptures say. By this natural
differentiation, the unique nature of a being is what determines its op-
eration, which in turn determines its means of perfection.
Woman’s physiological and psychological nature orders her to
nurturance. Herself being created out of love, she becomes a giver of
love. Thus, woman’s dignity is closely connected with the love which
she receives by the very reason of her femininity, and the love which
she gives in return. This is Divine love coming full circle, igniting that
“sincere gift of self”, her natural response to Him who loved first. This
is the “feminine genius”, the same feminine soul whom Adam saw as he
awakened from his deep sleep.
If she refuses (for she has free will) to be a vessel of love, there will be
disorder in the run of things. Her feminine gifts wasted, life becomes
difficult, or if there is life, it becomes a caricature of itself.
And so it is that woman was made differently as a complement to the
man, as the man was made differently as a complement to the woman.
Herein lies their unity in the divine plan. Sadly, this differentiation has
been misunderstood.
The view is held that if such differences occur, these are “culturally
created roles made by men and imposed on women.” Thus was born the
idea that the division of labor between man and woman in the family
was the first “class struggle”; that “family is “the first oppressive soci-
ety.” The rhetoric continues—that “if the family is the cause of all evil,
then the family is what had to be eliminated; and since the differences
between men and women are the cause of evil in the family, then soci-
ety has to make men and women the same. Of course, they recognize that
there are certain biological differences, but their choice is to as far as
possible make these differences irrelevant—[these being] merely so-
cially created gender roles.” (Dale O’Leary, The Gender Agenda, 1999).
Mother Teresa of Calcutta did say in Cairo, “Whether woman or man,
all God’s gifts are good, but they are not all the same.” Which is saying
that while some things are within the realm of choice, there are also
things that are not a matter of choice. Such as one’s real nature. One’s
DNA, after all, cannot lie. Man and woman are equal yes, but certainly
different.

Give your heart away and

That she was made differently was deliberate, for what followed
after God breathed life into her form, was her embodiment with a
suffusion of the attributes of her womanly nature—gifts of empathy,
sensitivity, inner strength, nurturance, a natural predilection for life.

find it whole
I NOW have six children.
One day, I had zero. The next day, I have six.
No, I don’t have six wives that gave birth on the same day.
Last June 1996, I took in six orphans in my little bamboo hut in
ANAWIM. Varying in ages, they’re siblings whose parents died a
few years back.
Taking them was a big mistake.
I ate with these kids, prayed with them, played with them, read
them bedtime stories, and whenever I arrived home, they’d hang on
to me like I was a Christmas tree.
When we’d finish dinner, I’d hear one of them say, “Kuya Bo, magbasa
ka na tungkol kay Jesus...”
I recall sitting on the bamboo floor, and the two smallest kids
scramble for my lap, and the older ones standing beside and behind
me. I’d read slowly, pointing to the pages of a kid’s picture Bible. A
thousand questions are asked. They’d laugh, share their simple expe-
riences, and sometimes just listen quietly. In the meantime, the young-
est girl would yawn, rest her head on one of my arms, and sleep
beautifully. I’d look at her cuddled up on my lap, and I’d tell myself
again, “this is really one big mistake.”
One night, I cried. But they were really tears of joy. I was realizing
that my life was ridiculously changing, right before my eyes. Be-
cause whenever I left them to go back to my apartment in Manila, or
preach in different parts of the world, I cannot silence
the persistent ache within me. It throbs like a hidden
wound.
It just takes a sight of a parent carrying his child. Or
a toy left on the floor. Or a store selling children’s
clothes. Immediately, my heart travels a thousand miles
away to my bamboo hut in ANAWIM. What are my
kids doing now?
I miss them terribly.
I miss their noise, their laughter, their smell.
I miss holding that tiny, sleeping girl in my arms.
I must admit. My heart is no longer mine. It has been
broken, and its shattered pieces now reside in tiny
hearts. They do not know the power they have over
me. In their utter helplessness, they now own me. I
love them deeply. I’ve become their prisoner. And I
hope I’ll never get released.
But ironically, in this shattered condition of
my heart, I’ve never felt so whole. So alive. So
free.
Yes, it was a big mistake adopting them.
Probably one of the most beautiful mistakes I’ve
ever made in my life.
Not that the man is incapable of these. It was given to the woman at
creation—in plenitude. That is true empowerment!
“It is therefore necessary,” the encyclical Mulieris Dignitatem makes it
clear, “that the man be fully aware that in his shared parenthood, he owes
a special debt to the woman. No program of ‘equal rights’ between women and
men is valid unless it takes this fact fully into account.”
This is the reason why, in the spiritual realm of parenthood to which
a woman is called, the Church sees her specific precedence over the man.
For as it were, upon a child’s entry into the world, the sweetest face he
will ever behold is that of his mother. And as he grows in her care, his
young mind gets an inkling of a larger and looming Someone who
loves without measure. Later in his life, it will be easy for that child to
find God.
She believes—or knows—that she has more power than kings or men
of power because by her hand, her child (her wards, her workers, her
religious community) can become saints or scoundrels, leaders or idlers,
glowing successes or failures. She also knows that without her “sincere
gift of self”, there wouldn’t be any inhabitants in this world, nor in heaven.
“And so it dawns on her that her glory is not limited to this world.”
No mean task for sure, but that is where her dignity lies. That is why
any woman, whether a nurturer of life, a single surrogate mother to her
nephews and nieces, a faithful steward of a business (her “baby”), sim-
ply by her presence of love in any activity where human life is valued—
that woman deserves a hallowed place in the Kingdom where the Fa-
ther who started it all—the Embodiment of Love—prepares the grand-
est welcome!
 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 5
March 3 - 16, 2008
Teaching fishers how to
fish through microfinance
By Gerald M. Nicolas
“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a
day; teach a man to fish and you feed him
for a lifetime.” This popular Chinese ad-
age sounds comically ironic when allud-
ing to an actual fisherman who could be
fishing his entire life. But when seen
against a backdrop of constant threats in
our marine resources and the palpable
neglect of the government to the fisherfolk
sector, the humor of the paradox wanes
and reality poignantly bites: the poverty
of the Filipino fishers is increasingly be-
coming severe. The fisher sure knows how
to fish, but what he catches now barely
feeds him and his family. How much more
for a lifetime?
Our fishers are aware that the bounty of
the sea is not infinite. In a sleepy coastal
town of Mercedes,
Camarines Norte, for
example, around 600
fishers are pooling their
efforts together to rescue
whatever is left of the
Lamon and San Miguel
Bays, their major fishing
grounds. Collectively
known as the Inter-Is-
land Management
Council (IIMC), they
protect the marine re-
sources in collaboration
with the local govern-
ment of Mercedes and
the Ateneo-based Insti-
tute of Social Order (ISO).
They are active in patrol-
ling over the seas, look-
ing after commercial fishers who illegally
harvest from the municipal waters. A ma-
rine sanctuary has also been established.
It would, however, take some time for
the bays to be completely replenished.
Even if the waters attain a level of produc-
tivity sufficient enough to sustain thou-
sands of dependents coming not only from
Mercedes but also from neighboring com-
munities, life will still be tough for fish-
ers. Income from fishing fluctuates as the
seasons change. When the rainy season
comes in usually by August, small-scale
fishers have to content themselves with
what they can catch near the shores than
risk their lives braving the strong waves
and violent rains. Their traditional—al-
most obsolete—and inadequate fishing
gears like fish traps and hook and lines
also yield very limited catch and profit.
Also, fishers are notoriously known (at
least in Mercedes) as “one-day million-
aires.” After a good catch, they usually
spend for drinking sprees and petty gam-
bling. Without enough money saved, fish-
ers are forced to borrow from usurious
moneylenders come the proverbial rainy
days without realizing that this puts them
in greater debt in the long run.
Microfinance for fishers
All these factors prompted IIMC and ISO
to introduce a microfinance project that will
allow the poor fishers to augment their
small incomes from fishing and save
money at the same time. This project was
cited in a recent research conducted by the
John J. Carroll Institute on Church and So-
cial Issues which documented schemes, pro-
cesses and practices that fit (and do not fit)
the intricacies of agriculture. The study
sought to shed light on how to make
Full / B1
vealing the Father, and continued to be
proclaimed by the apostles and their suc-
cessors. That living tradition as time
went on had to be fixed permanently in
written words, the Sacred Scriptures,
under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Thus if the Church wants to remain as a
Koinonia of believers resulting Christ’s
mission and that of the apostles and
their successors, then she has to continue
to hear this living Word as fixed in the
Sacred Scriptures, inspired by the Spirit,
to experience its message and to live by
it in the present situation. Without the
living connection of the Word made
Flesh, proclaimed in Sacred Scriptures,
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Social Concerns
microfinance work for different agricultural
sectors—rice farmers, sugar workers, co-
conut farmers and fishers—which are pre-
dominantly perceived as risky by formal
lending institutions particularly in terms
of cost effectiveness and loan recovery.
Fishers, for example, have meager and
seasonal incomes, are vulnerable to natu-
ral calamities, and are virtually isolated
from the mainstream of development. De-
livering financial services to them is hence
an utter disincentive for lenders. But IIMC
and ISO dared to give hope to these
unbankable fishers as they are among the
sectors in our society that experience the
bleakest of poverty: a small fisher takes
home a measly PhP3,000 every month
based on estimates. And microfinance may
just be the means to somehow help the fish-
ers cope with their unfortunate situation.
With a funding assistance from the Ger-
man Doctors, Inc., IIMC and ISO launched
a microfinance project called the Small En-
terprise Economic Development Project or
SEED Project. There is an existing liveli-
hood project where qualified members can
engage in supplementary activities such
as cattle dispersal, hog raising and fish
culture. This time around, however, IIMC
and ISO wanted to increase their outreach
by extending small loans with affordable
interest rates and which can be repaid in
shorter intervals. The lending procedures
are also streamlined—from requiring bor-
rowers a simple project plan to delivering
the loans right at their doorsteps.
Since July of last year, the project has
disbursed around PhP350,000 benefiting
almost 80 fishing households. The amount
borrowed—ranging from PhP1,000 to
PhP5,000—are used for fish smoking
(pagtitinapa), fresh fish vending or buying
a small, non-motorized boat. Borrowers
also engage in non-fishing livelihood
projects such as sari-sari stores, piggery and
buy and sell. Devoting time to these ac-
the Church cannot exist as Koinonia as
intended by Christ and His disciples.
Tradition precedes the written Word
Sacred Oral Tradition though more
primitive and broader than Sacred Scrip-
tures, is contained in Sacred Scriptures.
In fact the main content of Sacred Scrip-
ture is Oral Tradition, which came first
before the Word of God was put into
writing and both together are fountains
from which the Church today draws
water for her living faith. Hence the bible
occupies a fundamental place in the life
of the Church. This being so, the Church
has the duty to continuously hear the
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B7
Watch and pray
tivities will hence contribute in the reha- THE involvement of the Parish Pastoral Council
for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) in the WATCH
bilitation of the waters of Mercedes. Projects
& PRAY Movement transcends partisan politics in the light of our common
which will use marine products like cor-
crusade for TRUTH. PPCRV is never neutral when it comes to truth. It is
als, shells and mangroves are not ap-
always for Truth. It is never neutral when it comes to sin. It is always
proved to spare their already depleted re-
against sin. And corruption is sin. We must come together to pray, discuss,
source base from further pressure.
and decide what COMMUNAL ACTION we can do to free us from the cap-
Loans carry an interest rate of 1.5% per
tivity of corruption and lawlessness. This is the critical challenge before us
month. Most borrowers interviewed for
as responsible citizens and followers of Christ. In response, PPCRV resolves
the study cited this low interest as their
to mobilize its parish units nationwide towards the formation of Truth and
main reason for applying for loans espe-
Prayer Centers, most especially in this time of LENT.
cially since it was way lower than the rates
imposed by the informal lenders as well
as other MFIs based in Daet, the province’s Common Action Thrust Activities Time Frame
capital. Norma Viginia, 54, who borrowed
to add to their capital for their fish smok- SEE To build aware- Every parish is en- February 6 –
ing business, shared: “Sa microfinance ng (To be aware) ness on current couraged to orga- March 22, 2008
IIMC, mababa ang patong kumpara sa 5-6 (a sociopolitical is- nize Truth and (Ash Wednes-
usurious money-lending scheme) na araw- sues and contro- Prayer Centers for day to Black
araw ang singil kaya mabigat (In microfinance, versies besieging community dia- Saturday)
the interest is low compared to 5-6 in our national life logues through
which you have to pay everyday).” today. And to dis- periodic “Kapihan
As expected though, slight delays in re- pel the sense of sa Katotohanan”
payment saddle the microfinance opera- INDIFFERENCE within the parish.
tions. This is mainly caused by uncontrol- permeating our Issue based discus-
lable weather changes and lack of custom- communities that sion points shall be
ers particularly in the islands. It is not be- blocks responsible distributed to par-
cause the fishers are terrible borrowers, citizenship from ish communities
as formal creditors are made to believe. happening. for their Lenten
One borrower strongly challenged this recollection and
myth: “Dapat kong masunod ‘yung obligasyon formation pro-
ko. ‘Yung utang ko dapat kong bayaran (I grams.
should follow my obligation. I must pay
my debt).” JUDGE To internalize na- To designate a spe- February 6 –
In terms of empowerment, Mildred (To Discern) tional issues and cific time of the day March 22, 2008
Loyola, IIMC’s finance officer, proudly controversies – 3pm Divine (Ash Wednes-
shared that their microfinance project has through prayerful Mercy hour and/ day to Black
somehow given the wives of fishermen a discernment and or 12 noon/6pm Saturday)
chance to show that they too can decide to dispel the sense Angelus hour – for
for their families specifically in terms of of HOPELESS- praying special in-
income generation and NESS which dis- tentions for Truth
financial management. courages people to reign in us, and
They no longer need to from participating that God may dis-
depend on their hus- in good gover- pel hopelessness,
bands’ fishing. Their nance indifference, pas-
women members have sivity which
learned to tap their disempower us
skills and use it to en- from an active and
gage in activities that meaningful par-
will improve their fami- ticipation in social
lies’ income. In some transformation
instances, a female cli-
ent shared, the husband ACT To mobilize all Work for the re- February 17 –
appreciates the initia- (To Mobilize) parish communi- moval of EO 464. March 23, 2008
tive of the wife to look ties in order to Launch the Nation- (2nd Sunday of
and consult one another concretize their wide POLITICAL Lent to Easter
for supplementary Faith Response EDUCATION INI- Sunday)
sources of income. through commu- TIATIVE (2010) for
nal action. parochial and
Creating ripples of change school-based
The loan portfolio and outreach of the implementation
SEED project may pale in comparison to Conduct Signature
other established and well-known Campaign for
microfinance institutions (MFIs) in the Truth.
country, but IIMC and ISO believe that big
things start from small beginnings. And
soon the ripples the project is creating will
lead to waves of change as it continues to Suggested questions for communal discussions in the parishes:
reach a greater number of poor fishing What harm has corruption done to our country?
households as the months pass. Since all corruption is a form of deceit and must be supported by lies, what
In the end, we are confronted by the fact are some current glaring cover-ups of truth that have rocked our society?
that the marginalized fishers (or any sec- How far have lying and deceit pervaded our society, our culture? (Cite some
tor) need not wait for mega-investments situational instances)
and multi-million development infrastruc- When I look at myself, how far have I been influenced by and how have I
tures for food to get into their tables and contributed to this culture of corruption?
for them to be empowered. The impact of Seeing the harm done by this culture of corruption, deceit and lying, how
the SEED Project on its borrowers may only can I uproot this culture from myself?
be a drop in the ocean, and its success still How can I promote the uprooting of this culture of corruption, deceit and
modest as of the moment. But by making lying in my parish?
credit available and more accessible to the What actions can we together do so as to uproot this culture of corruption,
poor fishers as well as to other sectors, it deceit and lying from our country?
proves that it only takes a very small What concrete measures can we do to help our government officials remove
amount of credit—not dole-out—to help from themselves this culture of corruption, deceit and lying?
the rural poor improve their lot.
Word of God if it wishes to remain what to prayer and the ministry of the Word.” Word, which precedes it and gives it
Christ intends it to be, an authentic com- (Acts 6, 2-4) meaning. In the Eucharist we find only
munity or Koinonia of believers. In the beginning that Word was the one table of the Lord with two comple-
Kerygma, whose kernel is the procla- menting menus: the Liturgy of the Word
The primacy of the ministry of the Word mation of the Death and Resurrection of and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. In John
The primacy of the “Ministry of the Jesus. As evident from the emergence of chapter six we are made to understand
Word” is clearly indicated in the Acts of the Gospels, that kerygma of the Pas- that the Eucharistic Body and Blood of
the Apostles. As the primitive Church chal Mystery (Passion and Resurrection Jesus can be true food and true drink only
developed, many concerns came out from Narratives) expanded into the proclama- if we accept the Word of Jesus, for it is
the growing communities, including the tion of what Jesus did and said while He only by eating His Body and drinking
distribution of material goods collected was with His disciples (Jesus’ Ministry, His Blood in faith, that is, accepting His
for poor widows (Acts 6). So the disciples the main body of the gospels), and even Word can anyone receive life, which is
summoned the whole body of disciples how Jesus came into the world as the life everlasting.
and said, “It is not right that we should son of God, the Son of David, the prom-
neglect the Word of God to serve at ised Messiah, born of the Virgin Mary The Biblical Apostolate, integral part of
tables…As for us, we shall give ourselves as prophesied in the Old Covenant (In- the Church’s mission
fancy Narratives). Since Jesus is fulfill- This then is the full meaning and im-
ment of the Old Covenant, the New Cov- pact of the “biblical apostolate or bibli-
enant cannot be fully understood with- cal pastoral ministry”. Being an integral
out the Scriptures of Israel, God’s cho- part of the mission of the Church en-
sen people. trusted by Christ, it is not simply to be
(Middle Name)
It is then very clear that evangeliza-
tion or the proclamation of the good
news of the Kingdom cannot be done
identified as a specific activity done in
connection with the bible. The specific
activities are by no means useless. They
without reading the complete bible, both are very laudable projects that will help
the Old and the New Testaments, digest- the people rediscover the Word of God.
ing it and being nourished by it. This These activities provide pastoral work-
ministry of the Word was such a central ers an “easy access” to the Word of God
preoccupation of the apostles that no among our people as desired by the Sec-
“activity” of the Church, be it liturgical, ond Vatican Council. But they have to
sacramental, social, moral, catechetical, be understood in the proper perspective
pastoral can be done without basing it of the bible apostolate as composing the
on their living experience of the Word heart of the Church’s ministry for all men
of God. Thus one hears expressions like and women for all times and places. The
“the Sacred Scripture is the soul of all bible apostolate, then, is not simply an
________________________
theology”, “the biblical apostolate is the optional but an obligatory task of the
umbrella of all other apostolates”. In- Church as the community of God’s
Signature deed there can be no genuine ecclesial Word.
apostolate or ministry without rooting
it in the Word of God, whose ministry is (Talk delivered during the 17th National Bib-
the heart of the Church’s mission. For lical Workshop organized by the Episcopal Com-
this reason there can be no sacramental mission on Biblical Apostolate (ECBA) in
celebration without the liturgy of the Cagayan de Oro City, February 11-15, 2008)
 CBCP Monitor
B8 Entertainment Vol. 12 No. 5
March 3 - 16, 2008

Title: The Flock
Running Time: 105 min.
Cast: Richard Gere, Claire Danes, Avril
Lavigne, KaDee Strickland, Ray
Wise, Kristina Sisco
Director: Andrew Lau
Producers: Andrew Lau
Screenwriters: Hans Bauer, Craig
Mitchell
Music: Guy Farley
Editors: Tracy Adams, Martin Hunter
Genre: Crime/ Suspense/ Thriller
Cinematography: Enrique Chediak
Distributor: BMS Films
Location: North America
Technical Assessment: ½
Moral
Moral Assessment: ½ ence can only see the foreground but not
Assessment CINEMA Rating: For mature viewers 18
and above
Abhorrent
Disturbing ERROL Babbage (Richard Gere) is a reg-
istrant administrator of the Department
Acceptable of Public Safety in a town far north han-
Wholesome dling various cases of sexual offenders.
Exemplary After handling the post for some time,
he has developed a sort of paranoia to
the point of abusing his power towards
the offenders. Thus, he is forced into re-
Technical tirement and newcomer Alison Lowry
Assessment (Claire Danes) is taking his place. Errol
spends his last eighteen days in the of-
Poor fice training Alison. At about the same
Below average time, a seventeen-year-old Harriet Wells
(Kristina Sisco) has been found missing
Average
and is believed to be abducted by un-
Above average known suspects. Errol is convinced that
Excellent Harriet is kidnapped and in the custody
of one of his paroled sex offenders. How-
ever, his superiors do not believe in his
guts so he asks Alison, as part of her train- tion at the end. Errol is in continuous characters has remained unknown to the
ing, to come with him as he uncovers battle against himself. He is not a bad audience even up to the end. Thus, the
the underground world of pornography person so he experiences dissonance film leaves the audience with nothing
and deviant sexual behavior of a flock whenever he commits abuse of power but disturbing images of the dark world
of sex perverts. At the same time, Alison over the sex offenders. The real trouble out there. Such visuals may cause night-
is asked by the department to investi- with The Flock is the treatment of the mares and trauma for the young audi-
gate Errol’s suspicious activities. subject matter itself: sexual deviant be- ences so the movie is suited only to view-
The Flock’s premise of exploring the haviors and pornography. The story is ers 18 and above. Audiences should also
dark world of deviant sex offenders is dark as it is and it does not help that the be warned of the sensitive subject mat-
interesting. However, the plotline and root of the darkness in the movie is not ter, acts of violence and vulgar language
treatment drags in the first half of the clear. The evil that is unknown to the in the film.
film. There is too much unnecessary pro-
cessing of emotions and analysis of
minute details that do not contribute
much to the flow of the story. The audi-
the background story of the characters.
But then, Richard Gere as Errol Babbage
delivers the nuances of the character very
well. He is able to show depth of emo-
tions, physical strength and wit that are
all needed for the character. Claire
Danes however, seems at a lost with her
depiction of Alison’s character who is
supposed to be as strong and as witty.
She becomes the exact opposite of Errol.
Although the crude and dark cinematog-
raphy works very well for the entire ef-
fect of the film, it only contributed to
the audiences’ feeling of boredom.
To kill a monster, one must be a mon-
ster himself or he simply becomes one.
The Flock has contemplated on this
moral dilemma as Errol tries to put jus-
tice in his own hands. Such acts are justi-
fied by the clear-cut characterization of
a person with paranoia and the retribu-

MAC en COLET Ni Bladimer Usi

Title: The Spiderwick DIVORCEE Helen Grace (Mary-
Chronicles Louise Parker) and her teen-aged
Running Time: 107 min. children Mallory (Sarah Bolger)
Cast: Freddie Highmore, Mary- and twins Jared and Simon
Louise Parker, Nick Nolte, (Freddie Highmore in a dual role)
Sarah Bolger, Martin Short, move out of New York City into
David Strathairm the countryside, to live in an old
Director: Mark Waters
Producers: Mark Canton, Larry
house inherited from an aunt,
J. Franco, Ellen Goldsmith- Lucinda (Joan Plowright), now in
Vein, Albie Hecht, Karey a home for the mentally chal-
Kirkpatrick, Julia Pistor lenged. The house has been aban-
Screenwriters: Karey doned for 80 years after the mys-
Kirkpatrick, David terious disappearance of Arthur
Berenbaum, John Sayles Spiderwick (David Strathairn),
Music: James Horner Lucinda’s father. Not wanting to
Editor: Michael Khan hurt her children, Helen conceals
Genre: Adventure/ Drama the fact that her husband has ac-
Cinematography: Caleb
Deschanel tually left them for another
Distributor: Paramount woman. Unaware of this, Jared
Pictures cannot understand why his father
Location: Canada cannot visit them as he promises;
Technical Assessment: this makes him a problematic
child, stubbornly keeping to him-
Moral Assessment: ½ self and forever looking for
CINEMA Rating: For viewers trouble by poking into the nooks
age 13 and below with and crannies of the old house. He
parental guidance soon discovers Arthur
Spiderwick’s “field guide” to the
unseen world, and, defying all
warnings not to open it, un-
leashes a chain of events that
manifest the presence of evil
powers surrounding the house.
Highmore as the identical
twins Jared and Simon will be re-
membered for Finding
Neverland, August Rush and The
Golden Compass, films that have
so far attested to his gifts as an
actor. In The Spiderwick
Chronicles, he outdoes himself
by playing two very different
characters: one rebellious, the
other, not. Mary-Louise Parker
delivers a solid performance as
the strong mother with a secret.
The plausible plot and the cast’s
performance put The Spiderwick
Chronicles notches above the or-
dinary fantasy movie—for your
own good it won’t carry you
away to a make-believe world as
it anchors you to down-to-earth
realities that form the spine of
the story. Even the elves and fair-
ies project human qualities, and
accompanying computer-gener-
ated monsters.
The Spiderwick Chronicles is
not only good entertainment for
the whole family—it even offers
food for thought. What grounds
it is the terrific interweaving of
the unseen world and everyday,
in-your-face realities, such as
broken families, sibling
squabbles, temper tantrums,
pragmatic though well-meaning
parents, etc. Even the things used
to ward off evil are everyday
household items: tomato sauce,
salt, honey, etc. This movie is safe
and wholesome enough to merit
a PG-13 rating by CINEMA, but
care should be taken in explain-
ing things to younger children,
differentiating for them between
fact and fiction. Yes, there is defi-
nitely an “unseen world” (other-
wise what for is faith?), thus
guide the children to pay atten-
tion to what’s going on behind
what they see. (Case in point:
when a boy stabs his father after
he declares his love for the

Buhay Parokya
the ogres and goblins manage to former.) The Spiderwick
look menacing without giving Chronicles should give children
Look for the three missing items: Water jug, Doctor’s you a “digital feel” commonly a good exercise in discernment.
bag and Sunglasses (Illustration by Bladimer Usi)
 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 5
March
March 33 -- 16,
16, 2008
2008
C1

Papal Nuncio dedicates

CFC missionaries
to look at the world and at our problems in the
light of faith – by not following blindly the pagan
ways of those who do not see.
The archbishop stressed that we Catholics have
the responsibility not only to do what God wants
us to do but also to help others do likewise. In
closing, he asked each one to reflect on what he or
she has done with the light of our faith. Can others
who see and hear us see that we are people of the
light and of faith? Do our lives reflect the good
Christ?
Archbishop Adams noted that while his reflec-
tion on the Gospel ends with his homily, our re-
flection as Christians was only beginning. God
used him as the humble instrument to bring His
Word but the Lord calls each one of us to see Christ
come not in the Word but in the Sacrament of the
Holy Eucharist, His gift designed to strengthen us
as, we walk in faith.
In a stirring ceremony, the missionaries received
the Apostolic Blessing and a necklace with a wooden
cross, symbolic of the God they serve.

The CFC international missionaries:

THE Apostolic Papal Nuncio to the Philippines, His
Excellency Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams, was
the main celebrant at the Holy Mass during the
Mission Core Gathering of Couples for Christ on
March 2, 2008 at the Ateneo de Manila Grade School
Gym. During Mass, the Archbishop dedicated sev-
enteen missionaries in what he called was an an-
cient rite of “sending off.”
In his brief homily, Archbishop Adams spoke
on the theme of Light, taking off from the Gospel
reading about the man born blind whom Jesus
healed. He likened the blind man to all of us who,
when he exclaimed, “I can see!” really meant “I
believe!”
He explained that, in the same way we take natu-
ral light for granted, we also do not really appreci-
ate the light of our baptism. Stressing that the Gos-
pel reading is all about baptism and faith, he spoke
about the doubts that arise from the fact that we all
received the light of baptism when we were too
young to understand what it was all about. And so,
although baptism brought us new life as babies,
now that we are adults, it often feels as if that new
life has nothing to do with what is within us now.
Light and darkness, according to the Arch-
bishop, represent the choices we make everyday –
for or against the Light, for or against Jesus. He
also said faith is compared to light because it re-
veals things to us, it gives us the proper perspec-
tive in viewing the things around us and it changes
the way we see things.
Jesus is our Light, and Archbishop Adams em-
phasized that Jesus provides the answers to our
many questions. As Christians, we are supposed
Noli and Sam Catabas of Parañaque going to the Middle Melissa Wong of Malaysia
East
Kiesha Middleton of USA
Michael and Carel Ariola of Pasig going to South Africa
Trista Fleege of USA
Boy and Radel Guinto of Rizal going to Ghana
Dunn Estacio of USA
Erika Ermino of Cagayan de Oro going to Africa
Dexter Suban of Canada.
Leni Equiron of Pasig going to Africa
Jingjing Purugganan of Pasig going to Indonesia
Alain Guerrero of Rizal going to Thailand
Emman Esguerra of Cavite going to Africa
Ace Lu of Cavite going to the Middle East

The origins of
Couples for Christ
(First of a series)
by Marivie Dalman and Tony Gimenez

IN this issue, we begin a series on the history and
charisms of Couples for Christ – its origins, its de-
velopment, the struggles and challenges it faced as
it spread not just in the Philippines but worldwide.
This is an honest attempt to finally write the de-
finitive history of CFC, and to leave to future gen-
erations a legacy of a true, fair and complete as-
sessment of a community that began as a small
group, became a movement and finally a Vatican-
recognized international and private lay associa-
tion of the faithful.
At an earlier time…
Charismatic, is an umbrella term used to de-
scribe Christians who believe that the manifesta-
tions of gifts of the Holy Spirit seen in the first
century Christian Church are available to contem-
porary Christians and may be fully experienced
and practiced today.
The Catholic Charismatic Renewal as it exists
today is the outgrowth of a retreat held in Febru-
ary 1967 of several faculty members and students
from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, U. S. A.
Many of the students experienced a movement of
God’s Spirit called being “baptized in the Holy
Spirit.” What happened quickly spread to graduate
students and professors at the University of Notre
Dame and others serving in campus ministry in
Lansing, Michigan. The movement spread rapidly,
so that, by 2003, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal
was in over 230 countries worldwide, touching over
119 million members according to David Barret,
head of Global Evangelization Movement in Rich-
mond, VA.
The movement was given a major endorsement
by Leon Joseph Cardinal Suenens, a leading liberal
cardinal in the Catholic Church. Three popes have
acknowledged the movement: Pope Paul VI, Pope
John Paul II, and Pope Benedict XVI.
In March 1992, Pope John Paul II stated: “At this
moment in the Church’s history, the Charismatic
Renewal can play a significant role in promoting
the much-needed defense of Christian life in soci-
eties where secularism and materialism have weak-
ened many people’s ability to respond to the
Spiritand to discern God’s loving call. Your contri-
bution to the re-evangelization of society will be
made in the first place by personal witness to the
indwelling Spirit and by showing forth His pres-
ence through works of holiness and solidarity.”
Laying the Foundation
In the Philippines, the Ligaya ng Panginoon
(LnP), founded in July 19, 1975 became the leading
group in the charismatic renewal movement. It
started as a simple prayer group held every Fri-
day. Fr. Herb Schneider, S.J. who had just arrived
from Innsbruck, Austria, was invited to join. By
1979, LnP was conducting two weekly charismatic
prayer meetings – one in Assumption Convent in
San Lorenzo Village, Makati, and another one in
Christ the King Seminary in Quezon City. Around
800 people usually attended the Assumption prayer
meeting every week, while Christ the King had an
average weekly attendance of 400. These assem-
blies were arguably the biggest prayer groups in
Metro Manila at that time. Interestingly, women
comprised about 80% of those who attended. The
Nonoy and Marivie Dalman with Vic and Agnes Gutierrez
men stayed away from the prayer meetings, averse
to the loud prayers and raising of arms in worship
which characterized those meetings.
In one of his trips abroad, Fr. Herb – who had
become head of the LnP coordinators —was invited
to attend a breakfast forum for men. This inspired
him to replicate the experience in the Philippines.
Together with some LnP members, he started a
breakfast meeting for businessmen, which eventu-
ally led to what is known today as BCBP (Brother-
hood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals).
Among those who attended the prayer groups were
faculty members from the UST College of Engi-
neering. In time, this led to the first campus-based
evangelization of students known today as the CYA
(Christ’s Youth in Action).
In 1980, Fr. Herb and LnP directed one of its
coordinators, Vic Gutierrez, to design an outreach
program that could attract married couples toward
a renewed Catholic life. They realized that to ef-
fectively renew society, a conversion to Christ of
both spouses, and consequently their families, was
necessary.
Vic formed a team and, after much prayer and
discernment, decided to hold home-based Life in
the Spirit Seminars (LSS). The team wanted to try a
new evangelization method – one that could draw
the men in. They invited married couples to a so-
cial evening in the home of Eli and Ophie
Concepcion in Quezon City. Vic told his team:
“Our strategy is to introduce these couples to a per-
sonal relationship with Jesus in a social setting.
We will invite them to a social activity, not a prayer
meeting. There, we will share with them God’s
invitation to a renewed life with Him.”
Using a home of one of the members, the team
arranged the living room to exude a friendly, re-
laxing atmosphere. They engaged the invited
couples in small groups, discussing the challenges
and joys of raising a family in the modern world.
Light snacks and drinks were served. Before the
evening ended, Vic spoke to them about the strong
need to support each other in caring for their fami-
lies and for Divine Guidance in their role as par-
ents. He closed the evening with an invitation for
them to come again. Origins / C4

C2
by Joe Tale, CFC Director
AS we enter fully into the spirit of the Lenten sea-
son, we see the fullness of the salvific love that
Jesus our Lord has for us. More than 2,000 years
ago, He came into the world to fulfill His mission
— to proclaim the Good News, to minister to the
poor, and to spread out His arms and die for us, so
that humanity’s sins may be forgiven.
The fifth Sunday of Lent is known as the Sunday
of Forgiveness, the day that is also the onset of
Great Lent. The focus of this Sunday is the fall to sin
of Adam and Eve, leading to our separation from
God. This reminds us of our need for God’s for-
giveness and guides our hearts, minds, and spiri-
tual efforts in returning to Him in repentance. In
the religious life, the fifth Sunday of Lent is the day
when nuns and priests pray the Vespers service of
forgiveness just before they go on what is called as
Holy Fast, a period of intense fasting.
Let us remember what Lent is all about. Lent is
Philippine Mission -
The road to evangelization
EVERY single year, CFC leadership declares the
theme that will guide the community in its work.
In 2008, it is ‘Love one another as I have loved you
(John13:34-35). This theme also helps provide fo-
cus for the three-pronged goals of the community
– Evangelization and Formation, Family Life Re-
newal and Total Christian Liberation (Social Jus-
tice, respect for life and the work with the poor).
During the well-attended Leaders Conference
at the Araneta Coliseum last January 12, the ex-
panded vision and mission statements were an-
nounced by the full seven-man council. Thus
stated, CFC vision calls on “Families in the Holy
Spirit renewing the Face of the Earth”. With added
emphasis, it continues: “...Moved by the Holy
Spirit, One with the Catholic Church, Blessed to
Witness to Christ’s Love and Service; Couples for
Christ is a united global community of Family
Evangelizers, that sets the World on Fire with the
Fullness of God’s transforming Love”
CFC Mission of “Building the Church of the
Home and the Church of the Poor” defines the
broad areas across which leaders and members
are to proceed in accomplishing the goals. With
the road map reviewed and laid out, the minis-
tries can now seamlessly align their plans and
work activities.
A GATHERING OF LEADERS
Clear on CFC’s mission and vision, the Provin-
cial Area Councils and the Metro Manila Gover-
nance Team came together for the Annual Year-
start Meeting last January 13 at SEAMEO Center.
The Provincial and Regional Area Heads planning
sessions followed the next day, January 14. Fol-
lowing the parameters defined by the broad con-
sultative and interactive dynamics of the Pastoral
Congress that was launched in August 2007, the
Philippine Mission cascaded the outputs to the op-
erational and leadership teams across the country.
In the same gathering, the respective roles of
CFC Leaders were reiterated as follows:
1. SHEPHERDS- Chosen to lead and take care
of the flock entrusted to them (household mem-
Ugnayan
Lent is love
all about God’s infinite love for man. Lent is all
about forgiveness which is a basic element of Love.
The very center of Christian faith and life is based
on forgiveness. Christianity itself is, above all, the
religion of forgiveness. God forgives us, and His
forgiveness is in Christ, His Son, Whom He sends
to us, so that by sharing in His humanity we may
share in His love and be truly reconciled with God.
Indeed, Christianity has no other content but love.
And it is primarily the renewal of that love, a re-
turn to it, a growth in it, that we seek in Great Lent,
in fasting and prayer, in the entire spirit and the
entire effort of that season. Thus, truly forgiveness
is both the beginning of, and the proper condition
for, the Lenten season for it is the very beginning
of embracing God’s love.
It is significant that our community has chosen
Love as our theme this year. In this season of Lent,
how should we love?
The Lord has given us a path to follow – the path
of forgiveness and the path of love. Jesus said, “If
you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly
Father will forgive you.” He also said, “Love one
another as I have loved you.”
In this season of Lent, we are reminded to for-
give, for without forgiving there can be no love.
The past year’s events have given us many reasons
to forgive and to seek forgiveness. Hurting words
were said, friendships were broken, family ties were
severed, commitments shattered. Forgiveness al-
lows us to let go of all these bitter experiences. It
bers, sectors, provinces and countries), they are to
assure, train and form their members faithfully
into strong and vibrant disciples.
2. SERVANT LEADERS- They are to be living
witnesses to the Christian faith, walking their talk
and modeling their life and service along the
Christian ideals. They should understand that they
are to lead their people to Christ and bring Christ
to the people.
3.STEWARDS- They must make full, prudent
and competent use of all the time, talents and re-
sources raised for the furtherance of God’s King-
dom - their own and those of the people assigned
under their pastoral care. They must serve with
the attitude of being responsible, accountable and
transparent in their actions and their works.
4. SOLDIERS- As part of God’s peaceful army,
CFC leaders must always be ready, faithful and
willing to win souls and territories for Christ. They
are called to do battle against evil and injustice in
the world.
THE HEARTBEAT OF THE MISSION
Evangelization is at the very heart of the mis-
sion of Couples for Christ. When faithfully ex-
ecuted, people are transformed and their lives are
permanently changed. Personal and family trans-
formation is sustained in the households, forma-
tion teachings, services, conferences, retreats, and
even in fellowships. As we experience commu-
nity life, all of us mature in the immersion and
learn to share the blessings of being in commu-
nity to others.
Evangelization encompasses broad areas but
can be simply grouped into two areas: PERSONAL
AND FAMILY LIFE RENEWAL, and TOTAL
CHRISTIAN LIBERATION.
With the advent of the Social Ministries, the
scope of interactions widened and CFC leaders
and members discovered more opportunities for
evangelization. Additional areas of service be-
came available.
Total Christian Liberation represents a very cru-
cial and dynamic aspect by which the CFC com-
munity has been called upon to make the differ-
opens up our hearts to the grace of God so that we
can let go all the hurts, all the bitterness and be
healed.
Jesus gave us the perfect model when He said
we are called to forgive our enemy not seven times
but seventy times seven. What a wonderful admo-
nition, but an extremely difficult one to obey. Can
we reach out and bridge relationships with friends
who have betrayed us? Can we reach out and ask
forgiveness from those whom we hurt?
Forgiveness liberates. Forgiveness brings about
the gift of healing. No matter how great the trans-
gression, forgiveness is always greater. And in our
Christian life, forgiveness allows us to truly love
and become like Christ.
What about Love? We have spoken reams and
volumes about Love, especially as to how we
should relate to one another in community, in the
wake of the conflict that still continues to rage. Our
counsel remains the same: Be still and know that
God is working to put things in order. Be still and
know that He will not allow this community that
He raised to be brought down. Be still and allow
the love of Christ to flow into our hearts and out to
others, especially to those who have wronged us.
In this year of Love, we continue to be faced
with struggles that beset not just our personal lives
and our community life, but our country. Today,
there is once again a cacophony of voices clamor-
ing for change in the face of the twin evils of graft
and corruption. As a community we have made
Member, CFC International
Council and Philippine
ence. It defines the whole dimension of human
society and the diverse concerns that affect not
only our country but the whole world i.e. in the
areas of social justice, respect for life and work
with the poor (Gawad Kalinga).
To emphasize, Total Christian Liberation
(TCL) does not limit the scope of CFC work only
to Catholics, or other Christians but broadly ex-
tends to every one, whatever their race, back-
ground or creed. TCL refers to the way, the atti-
tude and the posture by which we have been called
to serve as Christians, following the very example
of Jesus. Furthermore, TCL is defined explicitly
by the Vatican-approved statutes of CFC.
THE CHALLENGE
For some time, the mission mantra of CFC was
‘massive, rapid, and global evangelization’. That
was our battle cry for the late eighties and early
nineties. It served the community well as can be
gleaned from the rapid growth in numbers as well
as geographic and territorial presence in the sec-
ond decade of the life of CFC.
When the Social Ministries were established,
this was premised on CFC’s willingness to respond
with more dynamism and boldness in evangeli-
zation. It was also CFC’s answer to the challenges
posed by the deteriorating social conditions – pov-
erty, lawlessness, apathy, injustice and breakup
of families. During those formative times, we tried
to fit the ministries to the many mission profiles
by putting up structures, and assigning and arbi-
trarily allocating manpower down the line drawn
by our pastoral organization. Instead of respond-
ing to the opportunities presented by and through
the Social Ministries, it was sadly misunderstood
by some as a venue to ‘rest’ from mainstream evan-
gelization work and turn lax in their commitment.
The reality should have been that, beyond advo-
cacy or services, the Social Ministries were inte-
gral to the definition of the totality of CFC work
of evangelization.
CFC’s work with the poor is epitomized by the
great and tremendous impact that Gawad Kalinga
has in the life of the community, in the whole coun-
try and in many
areas of the
world. Gawad
Kalinga, even as
it simulta-
neously inspires
and challenges,
goes above and
beyond the vi-
brant communi-
ties and the col-
orful homes it
has built. Gawad
Kalinga was cre-
ated to fulfill the
very mission of
Christ of ‘bring-
ing glad tidings
to the poor’ - to
transform lives
according to
God’s plan, to
restore order
and human dig-
nity as befitting
God’s children
and to enable
the poor to expe-
rience the provi-
dence and suffi-
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 5
March 3 -16, 2008
our stand. We have aligned ourselves with our bish-
ops in their call for communal action that is peace-
ful, that is just and most of all, that involves our
individual commitment to do our share in healing
this nation. (See Council Statement on page 3. Ed). In
this Lenten season, it would be good if we could all
reflect on how we can contribute to making this
nation what God wants it to be.
Paul tells us not to lose hope and never to give
up the effort and struggle to make our personal
lives and our society always more human and more
divine. We are assured that this is not only pos-
sible but that it is also guaranteed. Why? How?
Because our God is always there beside us, always
ready to help us along. But He requires three things
from us: first, to follow His example and be toler-
ant with each other; second, and even better, that
like Him we start dealing with each other in a con-
ciliatory and friendly way and not as enemies; third,
and perhaps the more demanding for us, that with
Him and like Him, we humble ourselves and be-
come servants of each other, as He showed us by
the example of His washing His apostles’ feet.
Lent is a time of grace. It is our fervent prayer
that we use this time to truly allow God’s grace to
wash us, to heal us, to open up our hearts. The best
thing about Lent is that it is the gateway to Easter,
the time of rejoicing and of remembering that we
have a God who died out of love for us, but who
Himself was so beloved of the Father that He rose
from the dead.
by Joe Yamamoto
Missions Director
ciency ordained by a loving God.
DIRECTIONS
Because CFC is an evangelizing community,
we are therefore not only believers in and follow-
ers of Christ but are called upon to make the Good
News real and attainable.
The following guidelines on evangelization
should help:
1. While rallies and inspirational activities are
great for those in community, the one-on-one
evangelization works best. By our daily witness-
ing through our very own transformed lives, by
sharing the wonders of family and community
life, or by telling stories of the happiness we ex-
perience, we are accorded many wonderful op-
portunities to show Christ’s love working in us.
2. Since everyone is an evangelizer, no one is
exempted from the CLPs. It is nice to give talks,
but it hardly counts. Every leader is tasked with
the responsibility to mount and lead the CLP ac-
tivities. The reminder is for everyone, including
the International Council, the Governance teams,
and the Provincial Councils and down the line.
Once a CFC, always an evangelizing CFC!
3. Evangelization is not just about CLPs, but
the whole spectrum of plans, activities and initia-
tives that lead to the CLPs. So the work of the
Family Ministries can be crafted creatively to ad-
dress this expectation. Similarly, the various So-
cial Ministries can creatively do likewise.
4. Every year end we submit reports on mem-
bership. While the evangelization reports will
not necessarily reflect the numbers of persons who
benefited from our activities, qualitative report-
ing is made more relevant by enumerating the
many activities that are being done by commu-
nity members for others.
5. Gawad Kalinga and the Social Ministries
present many unique opportunities in support of
Total Christian Liberation (TCL). Others may not
be drawn to CFC community but by our work for
the poor, we help others to become better believ-
ers and practitioners of their respective creeds and
faiths,
6. We are all called upon to create and nurture
a caring environment and atmosphere in the
households and in the whole community.
7. Fostering closer relations with the Clergy
by supporting parish and diocesan initiatives and
looking for ways to help and support them is im-
perative. By recognizing that the Church is both
the clergy and the laity, we become better part-
ners in evangelization.
NEW AVENUES FOR EVANGELIZATION
God truly rewards faithfulness to the mission
by presenting avenues for evangelization. The first
quarter of the year is not yet over but already the
community is presented with many wonderful and
exciting opportunities, such as the provision of
values formation for our OFWs – those who are
about to leave, those already in their work sta-
tions abroad, and those returning home for good.
Another opportunity is the work to evangelize
the thousands of resettled families that the na-
tional government has relocated, such as those
along the North and South Rail areas that have
been transferred to Cavite, Laguna and Bulacan.
God has given CFC as a precious gift for evan-
gelization, and each one of us is given our gener-
ous share of opportunities to share in the work.
How we choose to respond, will greatly define
how we move forward as God’s community.
 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 5
March 3 - 16, 2008
Bishop Claver speaks on
good governance and
responsible citizenship
THE talk of Bishop Fran-
cisco F. Claver, S.J., D.D.,
former Vicar Apostolic of
Bontoc, Mountain Prov-
ince and Lagawe, Ifugao,
during the STMA Plan-
ning Conference was
very relevant to the is-
sues being raised today
by many quarters in our
society. The conference
was held on February 16,
2008 at the Bulwagan ng
Karunungan Hall, De-
partment of Education,
Pasig City.
The bishop spoke on
“Good Governance and
Responsible Citizen-
ship,” based on an earlier
call made by the Catho-
lic Bishops Conference of
the Philippines (CBCP)
for the faithful to con-
sider “communal action”
in the face of the twin is- Bishop-emeritus Francisco F. Claver, S.J
sues of graft and corruption now fac-
ing the government. CBCP, the good
bishop explained, is urging the people • No man is completely evil that there
to join the moral-spiritual reform of our
nation by beginning with themselves.
The bishops noted that people tended
to put the blame on others, particularly
those in government, instead of asking • We are human beings who can be
themselves what they can do to help
the country and eradicate evil in the bu-
reaucracy.
To flesh out and explain the essence • Renewal should be for the whole com-
of the CBCP’s message, Bishop Claver
stressed the following points:
• You get good governance only if you
have responsible citizenship.
• The common good is being subordi-
nated to the private good.
• The common good should be our con-
cern. The problem is that the com-
mon good is not most people’s con-
cern.
• What we need as a Christian people • Corruption is our biggest problem,
is a social conscience and the spirit to
fight for the common good, instead
of just working for our selfish ends.
• If you do not have the spirit to fight,
develop it, individually or jointly
with others.
• We have always had a tendency to
look at problems as always outside
of us.
• Even in darkness, there is light. So,
let us take advantage of the light.
There is always hope for achieving
good governance and responsible citi- which we can face and overcome these
zenship in this country. But this is seemingly insurmountable problems,
Bishop shares insights
on matrimony
THE MCG Teaching Night held at Xavier
School on February 19 focused on a topic
perfect for the month of hearts: marriage.
His Excellency Bishop Francisco San Di-
ego (Diocese of Pasig), who sat at the
Marriage Tribunal for 15 years and taught
matrimonial law for five years, was
guest speaker.
The good bishop stressed that the
basis and foundation of marriage is love.
According to him, unity and indissolu-
bility are the salient qualities of mar-
riage, which Jesus Christ elevated from
a mere covenant or contract to a sacra-
ment. As a sacrament, matrimony is holy
in itself and bestows grace upon those
Bishop Francisco San Diego, DD
only possible if people will act to-
gether and decisively work for it.
is nothing we can do to change him.
This is where evangelization for com-
plete individual transformation
comes in.
saved. This can be done through
prayer and the transforming power
of the Holy Spirit.
munity. Individual renewal is not
enough.
• Let’s not depend on government for
everything. We should ask ourselves
what we can do to help ourselves,
apart from what the government can
do to help us. Let us transform our-
selves first according to gospel val-
ues before we can transform others,
including the government, through
the power of the Holy Spirit.
our greatest shame. While we are sen-
sitive about issues on corruption, we
seem not to have done anything sig-
nificant to eradicate it. Doing some-
thing about it even becomes more dif-
ficult if people involved are our rela-
tives and friends. Most people in this
case prefer to look the other way.
• Some people say that Filipinos are
poor because they are corrupt.
The bishop, suggested some ways by
who receive it. It also makes the couple
that receives it holy, provided the sacra-
ment is received without impediment.
There are three elements needed to
make a marriage valid: (1) there should
be no impediments, such as age, a previ-
ous existing marriage, difference in wor-
ship or disparity of cult, consanguinity,
etc.; (2) consent should be freely and
willingly given by the contracting par-
ties; and (3) canonical witnesses should
be present during the ceremony.
Bishop San Diego made clear the fact
that the groom and the bride are the
ministers of the sacrament; the priest is
merely a witness of the Church. He also
Ugnayan C3
CFC COUNCIL STATEMENT
February 19, 2008
Good governance begins with us
DEAR CFC brethren in Christ,
Our country is once again on the brink of a political upheaval.
Calls for the resignation of the President are increasing in tempo and
crescendo. Charges and countercharges fill the airwaves, Senate hearing rooms
and even the streets.
The search for truth is on everybody’s lips. Rightly so, for the truth needs
to come out so we can move on as a nation on more solid foundation. “So
Jesus said to those who believed in him, ‘If you obey my teaching, you are really my
disciples, you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32
We support the search for truth. There must be a sober effort to do so, with
all those involved accorded due process and protection and given the oppor-
tunity to be heard freely without undue pressure or threat.
But we must also see beyond the clamor of the moment.
And realize that overcoming this monster, nay, the sins, of graft and cor-
ruption takes a sustained and all-out effort involving every Filipino’s partici-
pation and resolve.
Today, we invite attention to this aspect of our life and mission as CFC, on
our response to the social dimension of the Gospel.
We thus support the call of our bishops to “pray together, reason together,
decide together, act together towards a more vigorous work for good gover-
nance and a more active promotion of responsible citizenship in our society
in the light of the Gospel and the social teachings of the Church”.
While certainly there are institutions tasked with dealing with the urgent
concerns of the day, we too, even individually, have a role to play. Good
governance is not only the concern of government or our public officials.
Good governance also includes our individual responsibility to help make
our government institutions and public servants act in the manner that will
best serve the common good. Good governance, indeed, begins with us, the
citizenry.
The twin evils of poverty and graft and corruption are our greatest shame
as follows:
as a largely Christian nation. These twin evils are rampant in our land also
• Christians should seek the truth.
because we as a people tolerate the same. Let us thus resolve to change and
• They should seriously discuss the cor-
not continue to be part of the problem. Let us all be part of the solution.
ruption issue and try to get to the truth
Specifically, how do we respond to the current situation?
of negative allegations.
First, we ask all households to pray, reflect, and discuss the whole issue of
• Once they have obtained the truth,
good governance and responsible citizenship, including how to fight this
the people must decide on the action
menace that is graft and corruption, asking the Holy Spirit for guidance and
to take, as a group.
strength. We suggest the following reflection question:
• In all these activities, they should pray
“What can I do as an individual, and together with others, to help stop
to God for discernment, protection,
graft and corruption and encourage good governance in this country?”
and guidance.
We ask that you share your insights and reflections with us. You may send
• They should ask for the promptings
your emails to the St. Thomas More & Associates (STMA) at
of the Holy Spirit and act accordingly.
<stma_global@yahoo.com>.
Secondly, we ask every member of the CFC family, whether in govern-
After seriously reflecting on Bishop
ment or the private sector, to commit to the following:
Claver’s message, we are tempted to ask
ourselves the following questions:
1. I shall not to be a party to any bribery or other acts of graft and corrup-
tion.
• Can we not, as a people of God,
2. I shall be a watchdog and help bring to light any and all forms of corrup-
equipped with Christian teachings and
tion in both government and private offices.
endowed with spiritual maturity and
3. I shall exercise my right to vote by rejecting corrupt officials and helping
discernment, effectively manage our
bring to office deserving public servants.
society by our own moral compass and
4. I shall help increase awareness on good governance issues among other
finally resolve the issues on good gov-
family members and my circle of friends.
ernance and responsible citizenship
5. I shall pray unceasingly for our government officials and our nation.
confronting our country today?
• Can we not, transform ourselves be-
Thirdly, since in the meantime, the poor continue to suffer, and the poor
fore even attempting the first step to-
will be the biggest victims in all political upheavals, we ask that we intensify
wards national transformation?
our work for Total Christian Liberation.
• Can we not elect and support leaders
Brothers and sisters, we have been given many chances to reform as a
who are endowed with a vision, mo-
nation. But for the most part, we looked at this, as a government responsibil-
rality and integrity for a public of-
ity alone. It is time to truly do our part. The appointed time is now. The time
fice but who may not necessarily have
to reform our country, beginning with ourselves, begins anew today.
the power and the wealth to insure
their victory in election exercises?
• Can we not, start our complete trans-
CFC INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL
formation today?
(Nonoy Dalman)
The Tekton Guild Foundation, a socio-economic ministry of CFC
recently entered into an agreement with the Department of Labor
and Employment (DOLE) to conduct Values Formation Seminar/
Program and provide counseling services for OFWs and their fam-
ily members. The MOA was signed by Lito Tayag, member of the
IC (International Council) and DOLE Sec. Arturo Brion.
explained that the Church follows civil
law regulations regarding the impedi-
ments. Unlike the state, however, the
Church can grant a dispensation to lift
an impediment. “Without the three ele-
ments,” he said, “the marriage is not
valid, and therefore not holy and cannot
sanctify.”
The Bishop was generous with his
advice and admonition. Those who are
still single, he cautioned, should not to
be in a hurry to get married because it’s
important to be financially, emotion-
ally, psychologically, and spiritually
prepared for a lifetime commitment.
“Build on love that is already there,” he
(From left to right) Nolet Ladrido (Project Leader) Amb. Boy Parungao (Project Coordina-
said, “not on the hope that your spouse tor), Lito Tayag (Chairman, Tekton Guild / Foundation) and DOLE Sec. Arturo Brion.
will learn to love you someday”.
To married couples, he emphasized
the need to practice honesty, sincerity,
openness, and fidelity to make a mar-
riage work. He also admonished parents
to allow their married children to live
on their own so that they, too, can apply
the graces of marriage in their own mar-
ried life.
According to the Bishop, CFC is
meant to be a light to every couple in
the world because of its global nature.
But each couple should start at home by
fulfilling their obligations to their
spouse, and caring for their children and
raising them as Catholics. “Praying and
going to mass together adds to the sanc-
tity of marriage,” he added. He cited how
Cardinal Newman, a former Protestant,
was so touched by the faith of his neigh-
bors – a Catholic family who went to
mass together every Sunday – that he
(From left to right) Mila Ladrido, Nolet Ladrido (Project Leader) Amb. Boy Parungao (Project
eventually converted to Catholicism. Coordinator), Lito Tayag (Chairman, Tekton Guild / Foundation) and DOLE Sec. Arturo
“This,” the Bishop said, “is the fruit of Brion, Usec. Linda Padilla, Deputy Administrator Tess Manzala.
the sanctity of marriage.”

C4
SFC comes home
By Rowena Pasimio
THE weekend of February 15-17 saw
close to 6,000 men and women Come
Home to Christ in the 15th International
Leaders’ Conference held at Clark Expo
in Pampanga. This was the biggest at-
tendance at the ILC for the Singles ever.
Entitled At Home, Singles in God’s
Heart, the conference brought home not
only the existing Singles for Christ mem-
bers but also former SFC members –
those who had moved on to CFC and
the other ministries HOLD and SOLD.
The talks were inspiring – “Home in
God’s Love,” given by Melo Villaroman,
Jr. (CFC International Council Member and
the CFC Family Ministries Head); “Journey-
ing Home” given by Sam Manuel (Mis-
sionary for the Middle East); “Home, (Bit-
ter) Sweet, Home” given by Joy Katigbak
(SFC International Council Head) and
“Lead them Home” by Taffy Ledesma
(SFC Intl. Council Member).
An innovative segment was the The prised of 20 workshops designed to im-
“Disciples Institute”, which was com- part essentials on varying topics cover-
ing the areas of Love for God, Love for
Self, Love for Neighbor and Love for
Family.
The organizers made sure there
would be a lot of fun as well – thus, the
Creative Competitions and Sports Com-
petitions. And then there was the Lord’s
Day, celebrated by SFC International
Council Heads, Aldy and Joy Katigbak
– a fitting way to continue paving the
journey to God’s work. The Lord’s Day
was capped by a Bounty Parade – a time
for the various provinces to share with
their brothers and sisters the fruit of the
land. Food, delicacies and sweets were
passed on, offered freely, shared lov-
ingly with one another as SFC observed
a tradition of community sharing that
was truly reminiscent of the time of the
early Apostles.
Sunday Mass was celebrated by His
Excellency, Bishop Pablo David of
Bishop Pablo David, DD Pampanga, and concelebrated by Father
Origins / C1
In an interview, Vic recalls: “In the their hearts that God had a greater plan.
succeeding weeks, we held discussions They sensed that God wanted the 16
and sharings following the topics of the couples to be the seed for a new move-
LSS. The ambience in the host home was ment that would focus on renewing fami-
so unlike the atmosphere of a charis- lies. Consulting with their assistant
matic prayer meeting. This was a delib- couple, Ed and Flory Montalvan and the
erate strategy because, in those days, rest of the team, they held the first CLP.
charismatics were often regarded as Before the course ended, they had a name
oddballs. So, we didn’t raise our hands for the group – Couples for Christ.
in worship. We didn’t close our eyes as Vic recalls: “In May 1981, I was on
we prayed. No loud clapping of hands my way home from a meeting in Rome
nor of booming ‘praise the Lord’ clichés. of the first Council of the International
Because of this, the invited couples, in- Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services
cluding the husbands, were more relaxed (earlier known as ICO) of which I was a
and more open to listen. We succeeded member. I decided to pass by Jerusalem
in bringing them through seven weeks to pray for God’s direction in this new
of the LSS. By November 1980, all six ministry. As I visited and prayed in the
couples who finished this LSS joined the holy shrines, I felt in my heart that God
community.” was urging us to continue with what we
A second LSS was soon held, and 16 had planned to do – to establish Couples
couples attended. These couples and an for Christ. When I got home, I wrote the
equal number of service team members covenant of the CFC, which we would
could no longer fit in the living room of use at the closing of the CLP.”
the Concepcions. So, the team sent the Thus in June 1981, Vic and Agnes
other half to the nearby house of Poy along with Ed and Flory led the 16
and Elvie Estrellado. They all completed couples in making their covenant to the
the LSS but unlike the previous group of Couples for Christ – a family life out-
six couples, they could not become part reach of Ligaya ng Panginoon commu-
of LnP because the coordinators decided nity. These are the 16 couples:
to postpone the community weekend
retreat – which serves as the entry point 1) Danny & Tess Aviado
for LnP membership. 2) Romy & Irene Arguelles
Vic and his team thought of offering 3) Chito & Shirley Borja
a course that would sustain the interest 4) Tito & Tuding Collantes
of these 16 couples and guide them to- 5) Pete & Fely Cambel
ward Christian maturity while they 6) Tony & Cora Espiritu
were waiting to come into the Ligaya. 7) Manny & Ditas Garcia
They adapted a program used by The 8) Danny and Eggie de Guzman
Word of God, a pioneer covenant com- 9) Larry & Brenda de Guzman
munity in Ann Arbor, Michigan. They 10) Frank & Gerry Padilla
modified the talks to suit the needs of 11) Monching & Baby Ramirez
the couples and added inputs of interest 12) Rey & Diday Saavedra
to the families. This became the first 13) Boy & Elma Santillan
Christian Life Program (CLP). 14) Jimmy and Malou Tan
But, Vic and his wife, Agnes, felt in 15) Jun & Auring Tan
Fr. Herb Schneider, S.J. with Ditas and Manny Garcia
Ugnayan
Paul Uwemedimo. The bishop led the
prayers for the new SFC International
Council members: Aldy and Joy
16) Jojo & Hedy Villegas
Birth of CFC
The 16 couples were divided into four
cell groups called households where
they would be formed in the life and
spirituality of the new movement,
Couples for Christ. Vic and Agnes
trained four couples from the Ligaya to
serve as the first household heads:
Manny and Nida Sandoval, Manny and
Josie Gaddi, Manny and Zeny Sy, Henry
and Baby Hizon. Ed and Flory assisted
Vic and Agnes until they were replaced
by Ely and Nena Lademora.
The Christian Life Program (CLP)
became the Christian initiation course
of CFC. The strategy of introducing
people to a renewed personal relation-
ship with Jesus in a relaxed and friendly
social setting proved to be very effec-
tive. The CLPs continued to held in the
living rooms of the homes of CFC mem-
bers. The warmth of personal relation-
ships was a key factor in this type of evan-
gelization. Personal evangelization was
encouraged. As charismatic renewal
gained wider acceptance, CLPs became
bolder in their charismatic expression.
Evangelization was brisk and, by the end
of 1981, CFC had a total of 34 couples.
Two years later, the CFC had grown to
160 couples.
Other groups involved in family
apostolate began to take notice of the
enthusiasm and commitment of the
Couples for Christ. Fr. Ruben Tanseco,
S. J. was particularly keen on the follow-
up program which was part of the pas-
toral formation tract. He then invited
CFC to tie up with Marriage Encounter.
Couples for Christ started to conduct
CLPs for their ME couples. This was not
pursued however as there were some
Katigbak, Eloy Caluag, Bob Lasala,
Michael Ariola, Lawrence Quintero, Kate
Deiparine and Taffy Ledesma.
concerns that could not be resolved. In
the meantime, Fr. Mark Lesage of Las
Piñas and Msgr. Mercado of United
Paranaque invited the leaders to intro-
duce CFC to their parish. Two CLP teams
were formed to serve in these parishes.
Thirty couples in Las Piñas and 13
couples in United Paranaque graduated
from the first parish-based CLP.
CFC’s early vision
With the growth of CFC came many
challenges. The rapid spread of the
movement demanded a clearly shared
vision. In 1983, Vic formed and trained
a pastoral team to help him lead and
manage the growing movement. The
team was composed of Ely Lademora,
Raul Sarceda, Frank Padilla, Bobby Pi-
lar, Popoy del Rosario, Pio Acampado,
Danny Aviado and Jojo Villegas. Danny
Aviado was later replaced by Carlos Sali-
nas when Danny migrated to the U. S.
Vic brought his team to a weekend plan-
ning session. There he wrote CFC’s
Statement of Mission while Raul Sarceda
did the Statement of Philosophy.
By this time, CFC was beginning to
receive many requests from all over the
country to help in establishing family
life apostolates. To address this need,
Vic Gutierrez discussed with the pasto-
ral team the idea of developing what he
termed as “exportable packages” — a
start up kit that would allow other pro-
vincial groups to establish new chapters
with minimum help from CFC Manila.
Providentially, Ligaya member Raul
Sarceda had resigned from his job to
make himself more available to the work
of Ligaya and its outreaches. Vic ap-
pointed him the first Executive Director
of CFC and immediately put him to the
task of developing the manuals of the
CFC programs: CLP Manual, House-
hold Heads’ Manual, the Marriage En-
richment Manual and the other teaching
courses of CFC. These manuals, together
with audio teaching tapes, comprised the
“exportable packages”. A number of
overseas CFC chapters tremendously
benefited from these materials. Consid-
ering CFC’s limited resources, its over-
seas offices were set up and operated
without much assistance from CFC lead-
ers in Manila. These materials played a
tremendous part in helping to bring
about CFC’s vision and mission.
Attention at this point was focused
on developing and training leaders and
imbuing them with the vision of CFC.
A number of dedicated and committed
leaders — among them, Frank Padilla
who was trained and appointed by Vic
Gutierrez to replace Raul Sarceda as Ex-
ecutive Director when the latter moved
his family to Malaybalay, Bukidnon in
1985 to help build a covenant commu-
nity.
In 1983, upon the advice of the Ligaya
Body of Coordinators, CFC was regis-
tered as a non-stock, non-profit corpo-
ration at the Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC) under the name:
Couples for Christ Foundation Inc. The in-
corporators and members of the first
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 5
March 3 - 16, 2008
CFC Bulacan:
working
together with
the Clergy in
spreading the
call for
discipleship
By Jun Dimarucot
CFC Provincial Area
Head
Malolos, Bulacan, February 9, 2008
- THE CFC Bulacan Area Council
headed by its Provincial Area Di-
rector, Rey Francisco and wife
Noli, along with Area Leaders,
held a one-day recollection at the
Santisima Trinidad Church of the
town.
Rev. Fr. Efren Basco, parish
priest of Malolos, started the morn-
ing session with a talk on “Called
to See and to Live as a True Ser-
vant of Christ”. Taking off from
Luke Chapter 24, Verses 13 – 35,
Fr. Basco exhorted the CFC
Bulacan leadership not to be dis-
heartened over recent events as
these are part and parcel of the
challenges in our Christian life. He
reminded the leaders of the two
disciples in Emmaus and their ex-
perience with the “stranger” who
talked, walked, and stayed with
them – explaining to them in great
detail why the recent events had
to take place, and opening their
eyes to understand Christ’s eter-
nal sacrifice. It was only after he
had left that they realized they had
just encountered the Risen Lord!
In his talk on “Discipleship and
Evangelization”, Rev. Fr. Manny
Anastacio reminded the leaders
that, as God’s disciples, they were
called upon to sustain CFC’s ef-
fort to evangelize their respective
families.
The session, attended by at least
500 leaders of CFC & its Ministries
throughout the province, ended at
about 5 p.m. with a mass celebrated
by Fr. Allan Antonio, the spiritual
director of CFC Bulacan.
Board of Trustees were:
1. Victorino B. Gutierez
2. Raul G. Sarceda
3. Francisco A. Padilla
4. Francisco F. del Rosario
5. Pio S. Acampado
6. Jose T. Villegas
7. Roberto Pilar
8. Carlos C. Salinas
9. Antonio O. Vasquez
10. Victor U. Gamboa
Under Vic’s leadership, CFC spread
out to other provinces and eventually
to other countries. The succeeding lead-
ership continued with as much passion
in spreading the mission of CFC.
In his exhortation at the CFC 9th an-
niversary, Vic challenged the CFC
community: “Let us bring whoever we
can into a personal relationship with
Jesus just as we ourselves have experi-
enced it. Let us populate this nation
with people who shall live according
to this new morality – the life of God.
It is our duty to God. It is our duty to
our nation. It is our duty to ourselves
and to our children – the future gen-
eration.”
The members heeded Vic’s call. By
1992, CFC had grown, the Spirit was
leading the community to greater
heights. It would not be long before
the community would feel the Spirit’s
stirrings to include their children in
their new-found life in the Lord.
It has been more than 26 years since
that first group of Christians was in-
troduced to Christ in a social setting.
Vic continues to be amazed at how
CFC has grown. He said: “…Since
1981, Couples for Christ has grown
beyond our wildest imagination. To-
day, I watch from the sidelines, amazed
at what God has done and continues to
do through Couples for Christ. I am
grateful for the privilege of having
been there in its beginnings.” (Marivie
Dalman and Tony Gimenez)
(In the next issue: The Split of 1993)