Monitor

CBCP

JULY 10 - 23 VOL 21, NO. 14 CBCPMONITOR@AREOPAGUSCOMMUNICATIONS.COM

PROTAGONIST OF TRUTH, PROMOTER OF PEACE

THE CROSS A3: NEWS A6: LOCAL NEWS B1: PASTORAL CONCERNS
A SUPPLEMENT PUBLICATION Thousands commit to family Bishop: BECs coudl guard communities CBCP Statement on Marawi,
OF KCFAPI AND THE OTHER OF consecration at Fatima confab vs terrorism Terrorism and Dialogue
THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

Christians and Muslims pray together for peace in the country during a service at the Amoranto Theatre in Quezon City, July 7, 2017. Initiated by the Pasa Lord Movement, the organization of different religious groups is calling on Filipinos to spare a minute of
prayer every noontime for peace amid the hostilities in Marawi City (See related story on A8). ROY LAGARDE

Cardinal Tagle urges Muslim-

Christian unity amid Marawi crisis
By Roy Lagarde Sharing his thoughts about
the ongoing siege in Marawi
City, he said people, what-
CARDINAL Luis ever religion they practice,
Antonio Tagle of must work together against
Manila called on the those whose only desire is to
countrys Christians destroy.
and Muslims to stand The cardinal said stories
of Muslims and Christians
together against helping each other could be
extremism. a strong foundation towards
recovery for those affected by
the conflict.
Whoever planned to divide
the Christians and Muslims is
probably pissed off now. They
were unsuccessful. Instead,
[what] we have witnessed is
a communion, Tagle said
in a press conference on the
4th Philippine Conference
on New Evangelization in
Manila on July 4.
This is what gives us real
hope. This affirms that we
belong to one human family,
according to him.
The prelate also called on
Filipinos to be attentive
to the signs of love, hope,
and light amid violence in
Mindanao.
The Manila archbishop
stressed that decency and
humanity must continue to
unify all Filipinos.
Peace can only be achieved
by truth, justice, and love.
Without these foundations,
there can be no peace, he
said.
Never again
The Catholic Bishops
Conference of the Philippines
(CBCP), meanwhile, appealed
for a return to normalcy and
peace in Marawi as soon as
possible.
In a statement at the end
of their biannual meeting
on July 10, the bishops the
CBCP said they are hoping
that peace will finally start to
Marawi / A6

CBCP head: Open hands, not clenched fists
THE head of the Catholic
Bishops Conference of
the Philippines (CBCP)
said the Church must
continue to reach out to
people with open hands
rather than clenched fists.
Addressing the bishops
plenary assembly for one
last time on Saturday,
July 8, as president,
Archbishop Socrates
Villegas said it is in
that space that they will
contin-ue to meet the
living Christ.
Closed fists do not love;
they hurt. Closed fists do
not touch, they strike and
injure. Closed fists and
prayer do not match; open
hands in orante belong to
our Christian tradition,
Villegas said.
The Lingayen-Dagupan
archbishop stressed that
an open hand that gives
is one of the best symbols
of Christian faith because
giving is the best proof of
loving.
We have no tradition of
closed fists for our mission
is to imitate the crucified
hands that remain open to
forgive, he said.
In his opening message,
the prelate narrated
the lessons he learned
through the years as head
of the Catholic hierarchy.
Among them, he
said, are the attitude of
listening and fortitude
in the face of adver-sities
and recent challenges the
Church is facing.
His address did not
mention President
Rodrigo Duterte by name,
but Villegas re-called how
they were attacked as a
bunch of hypocrites
and how theyve been ca-
Bishop slam modern day Judases
lumniated and slandered. as summary killings continue
We have been cursed
and ridiculed but you our
shepherds have chosen to
fly high when the mockers
of the Church chose to go
so low, the archbishop
said.
The Church had faced
a barrage of attacks and
insults from Duterte
and his support-ers
for criticizing his war
on drugs that claimed
thousands of lives.
I know that the
values of an open hands,
Clenched / A6

Manila archbishop hits fake news makers Various lay groups stage Walk for Life along the streets of Navotas City to condemn the summary
executions of suspected drug dealers and users, July 2, 2017. ROY LAGARDE

CARDINAL Luis Antonio Tagle
of Manila lashed out at makers of
bogus news, saying the common
human decency should stop them
from spreading lies.
The cardinal lamented the
proliferation of fake news or
information thats false but made
to look real online.
He said that when theres fake
news, certainly there are people
behind it who no longer value the
truth
I think it is part of basic human
decency to love the truth, and
to abhor falsehood, Tagle said
in a press conference on the 4th
Fake / A6
AS a wave of drug-related killings
continues in the country, a Catholic
bishop con-demned those who sow
violence the same way some once
supported Judas against Jesus.
In a strongly-worded homily
during a Mass after a Walk for
Life in Navotas City on Sunday,
July 2, Bishop Pablo Virgilio David
of Kalookan said that behind the
violence are Judases who are in
cahoots with the killers.
He said if some people consider
the suspected drug personalities as
termites of so-ciety, so are those
behind the extrajudicial killings.
FAKE NEWS. Church officials warn against this fake news article from pinoyobserver.com. SCREEN GRAB They are the new Makapili
OF FAKE ARTICLE FROM PINOY OBSERVER during the Japanese time who
would betray their fel-lowmen and
say that theyre connected to drugs,
said David in Filipino, referring to
pro-Japanese collaborators who
who spied on their fellow Filipinos
during World War II.
Death list
With what theyre doing, its
as if theyre already killing their
fellowmen because this drug watch
list is also virtual death list because
those who are on it get killed.
Saying that the country cannot
suppress crime by committing
another crime, the prelate said
that summary executions will just
Killings / A7
A2 WORLD NEWS
Pope Francis to G20 Summit: With great
power comes great responsibility
Pope Francis in St. Peters Square, April 30, 2016.
HAMBURG, Germany
Pope Francis sent a message
to leaders of the worlds
economy gathered for the
G20 summit in Hamburg,
Germany, reminding them
of the responsibility they
have to care for those not
represented at the summit.
The G20 Summit is annual
meeting of heads of state
and finance from the leaders
of the worlds economy.
While only 20 countries are
members, they represent
85 percent of the worlds
GDP and two-thirds of its
population.
German Chancellor Angela
Merkel is hosting this years
G20 Summit in Hamburg,
Germany from July 7-8.
The summit has been met
this year with small but
significant groups of mostly
anti-capitalist protesters,
who among other things are
protesting the meeting of
U.S. President Donald Trump
with Russian President
Vladimir Putin.
In his address to the leaders,
Pope Francis reflected on four
key themes, starting with
Mexican priest found bound, stabbed to death in his room
MEXICO CITY, Mexico Authorities
are investigating the murder of
another Catholic priest in Mexico who
was bound and stabbed to death in his
room.According to local media, Father
Luis Lpez Villa, parish priest of San
Isidro Labrador in Mexico State, was
found dead in his room shortly after
8 p.m. on July 5.
The suspects, who entered the
rectory after breaking into the church,
made enough noise to raise the
suspicions of neighbors, who alerted
church staff to the incident.
When the staff arrived, they found
Rise in priest suicides prompts call for helpline in Ireland
DUBLIN, Ireland Besides
a shortage of vocations, Irish
priests are facing an even
more harrowing kind of
crisis.
At least eight priests in
Ireland have committed
suicide in the past 10 years,
according to recent reports
given at meetings of the
Association of Catholic
Priests (ACP), and many
priests are sounding the
alarm about a severe dip in
morale and a mental health
crisis among the countrys
clergy.
The drop in priestly
morale has clergy calling for
a confidential helpline to be
set up for priests needing
support.
At a recent ACP meeting,
an attendee reiterated the
request: Our morale is
affected because we are on
a sinking ship. When will
the counter-reformation
take place? Were like an
All-Ireland team without a
goalie. We need a national
confidential priests helpline.
Were slow to look for help.
The concerns of a severe
dip in the morale and well-
being of priests in the country
have been raised by the
ALEXEY GOTOVSKIY/CNA
time is greater than space, at
which point he told the group
to consider effective solutions
for the immigration crisis that
has hit Europe and the Middle
East in the past several years.
Immigration was already
listed on the agenda of the
G20 group, for which the Pope
said he was thankful.
An effective solution,
necessarily spread over
time, will be possible only
if the final objective of the
process is clearly present in
its planning, he said.
In the minds and hearts of
government leaders, and at
every phase of the enactment
of political measures, there
is a need to give absolute
priority to the poor, refugees,
the suffering, evacuees
and the excluded, without
distinction of nation, race,
religion or culture, and to
reject armed conflicts.
He paused to especially
remind the group of the crisis
in South Sudan, where thirty
million people are lacking the
food and water to survive.
In his next point, unity
prevails over conflict, the
the 71-year-old priest dead in his room
with his hands and feet tied and a stab
wound in his neck and chest.
The suspects have not yet been
identified.
Fr. Villa is the 18th priest to be
murdered in Mexico in the last
six years, with many more having
been assaulted or kidnapped. In
May, a priest was stabbed at the
conclusion of Mass in Mexico Citys
Cathedral, though he survived the
attack.
Cardinal Norberto Rivera,
Archbishop of Mexico, sent his
1,000-member clerical group
in at least three different
meetings in the past few
months.
Fr. Roy Donovan, a
spokesman for the ACP, told
IrishCentral in May that
besides the priests who are
speaking up, he believes many
more elderly churchmen are
suffering in silence, and dont
know where to go for help.
The factors for the crisis
in morale and mental health
are several-fold, priests have
said.
Like much of the world,
Ireland, once a thriving
Catholic country, is facing
a serious vocations crisis.
In 2004, Ireland had more
than 3,100 priests. By 2014,
the last year data is available,
the number had declined by
more than 500, with 2,627
priests in the country, though
the number of active priests
is likely closer to just 1,900.
This shortage leads to
a phenomenon called
clustering, where several
parishes are combined into
one for lack of leadership,
increasing priests workload
and subsequent stress, and
forcing many priests to work
well beyond retirement years
Pope reminded the group that
waris never a solution,
reiterating the words of Pope
Benedict XV.
There is a tragic
contradiction and
inconsistency in the apparent
unity expressed in common
forums on economic or social
issues, and the acceptance,
active or passive, of armed
conflicts, Francis said.
The Pope also told the
summit in his third theme that
realities are more important
than ideas, and asked them
not to fall into the ideologies of
the first half of the 20th century
that brought exclusion, waste
and even death.
I pray to God that the
Hamburg Summit may be
illumined by the example of
those European and world
leaders who consistently gave
pride of place to dialogue
and the quest of common
solutions: Schuman, De
Gasperi, Adenauer, Monnet
and so many others, he said.
And finally, the Holy Father
asked the global leaders to
remember that the whole is
greater than the part.
condolences of the Diocese of
Nezahualcyotl and of the whole
Church in the country for the murder
of the priest.
Cardinal Rivera said he offered his
prayers in solidarity with the other
bishops of the country, and prayed
to God our Lord for the eternal rest
of the priest and the conversion of
those who perpetrated this damnable
deed.
The Mexican Cardinal also urged the
authorities to ensure that this heinous
crime does not go unpunished.
(CNA/EWTN News)
because of the lack of new
vocations.
These men lived through
a time when there were
plenty of vocations and
their churches were full at
Mass, so theres a loss of
esteem. Also, in the past
they would have had live-in
housekeepers. Now most
dont and are on their own
and so feeling a lot more
isolated and lonely, as well
as feeling nervous and more
vulnerable, Fr. Brendan
Hoban, one of the founders
of ACP, said during a
meeting in November 2016.
Also, starting in the 1990s,
the Catholic Church in
Ireland was rocked by a sex
abuse scandal that resulted
in a massive decline in both
vocations and in the faith of
the laypeople.
Priests reported being
disheartened by the declining
faith in the people they serve,
who have so little contact
with the church from First
Communions to funerals,
according to minutes from
the meetings.
Priests confidence has
been eroded when we see so
many people going through
the motions of faith, they
Problems need to be
resolved concretely and
with due attention to their
specificity, but such solutions,
to be lasting, cannot neglect a
broader vision, he said.
While it is reasonable
that G20 Summits should be
limited to the small number of
countries that represent 90%
of the production of wealth
and services worldwide, this
very situation must prompt
the participants to a profound
reflection. Those states and
individuals whose voice is
weakest on the world political
scene are precisely the ones
who suffer most from the
harmful effects of economic
crises for which they bear
little or no responsibility,
he noted.
This great majority, which
in economic terms counts
for only 10% of the whole, is
the portion of humanity that
has the greatest potential to
contribute to the progress of
everyone.
At the end of his remarks,
the Pope asked for Gods
blessings on the summit.
(CNA/EWTN News)
said.
Recently, the Church in
Ireland has also been rocked
by negative press regarding
the Bon Secours Mother and
Baby Home in Tuam, and the
Sisters there did a disservice
by not clarifying exactly what
happened. They need to do
so immediately. It makes our
job impossible, especially as
we face a storm on abortion
next year, the priests noted
at a meeting.
Their requests included the
hiring of a media person who
could speak clearly for clergy
and bishops in times of crisis.
The country is also facing an
ongoing, heated debate about
whether or not to legalize
abortion.
The priests also
acknowledged that they need
to be better about asking for
help when they need it.
We need to unmask and
say I need help! There is a
great sense of being alone,
making our own way in the
diocese. There is a lack of
dialogue among priests in
the diocese. Yet, people are
fantastic and generous in
parishes, if given half-a-
chance. (CNA/EWTN
News)
July 10 - 23 Vol 21, No. 14 CBCP Monitor
Vatican Briefing
Pope dedicates July to praying for those distant
from the faith
In his prayer video for the month of July, Pope
Francis has asked Christians to join him in praying for
those who have strayed from the faith, providing hope
to them through the witness of our joy and actions. The
video shows several images of happy people, including
a group smiling while receiving catechesis, youth
dancing during World Youth Day and hands praying
the rosary. At the close of the video, the Pope makes
his appeal, saying let us pray that our brothers and
sisters who have strayed from the faith, through our
prayer and witness to the Gospel, may rediscover the
beauty of the Christian life. (Elise Harris/CNA)
Joaquin Navarro-Valls, former Vatican
spokesman, dies of cancer
Joaquin Navarro-Valls, who spent 22 years as director
of the Vatican press office, died at home in Rome July
5 at age 80 following a battle with pancreatic cancer.
The current director of the Vatican press office, Greg
Burke, announced his death in a tweet. In a statement
to Catholic News Service, Burke said he did not always
agree with Navarro-Valls, but his predecessor always
behaved like a Christian gentlemanand those can
be hard to find these days. Jesuit Father Federico
Lombardi, who succeeded Navarro-Valls as Vatican
press director beginning in 2006, remembered him as
a master in the way he carried out his service. (CNS)
Economic solutions need broader vision, pope
tells G-20 leaders
World leaders attending the Group of 20 meeting in
Hamburg, Germany, must reflect on the repercussions
their decisions may have on the entire global community
and not just their own countries, Pope Francis said.
While it is reasonable that the G-20 is limited to a
small number of countries that represent 90 percent
of the production of wealth and services worldwide,
a multilateral approach in solving economic problems
must be made for the benefit of all, the pope said. The
popes message to German Chancellor Angela Merkel,
host of the July 7-8 leaders summit, was dated June 29
and released July 7 at the Vatican. (Junno Arocho
Esteves/CNS)
Pope names Archbishop Luis Ladaria as
Mllers successor to head CDF
The Vatican announced July that as Cardinal Gerhard
Mllers term as prefect of the Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith comes to an end, the Pope has not
renewed it, but has appointed Jesuit Archbishop Luis
Ladaria to take his place. The decision was officially
published in a communiqu from the Vatican, which
stated the Holy Fathers thanks to Cardinal Mller for
his term. July 2 marks the end of Mllers five-year
mandate as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine
of the Faith, which included the positions of president
of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, the
Pontifical Biblical Commission and the International
Theological Commission. Ladaria, who has served
as archbishop of Thibica and as secretary of the CDF
since 2008, will be succeeding Mller in each of the
same duties. The Vatican did not specify what Cardinal
Mller will be doing next. (Elise Harris/CNA)
Poverty, inequality in Latin America at
unthinkable levels, pope says
Latin Americas traditional social values of
cooperation and solidarity must prevail over the
societal ills that threaten the livelihood of the regions
inhabitants, Pope Francis said. The current social and
economic crisis facing Latin American countries has
allowed for the growth of poverty, unemployment,
social inequality and a situation in which the planet,
our common home, is exploited and abused, the pope
said June 30.This is at a level that we never would have
imagined 10 years ago. In the face of this situation, an
analysis is needed that takes into account the reality
of concrete people, the reality of our people, he told
members of the Italian-Latin American International
Organization. Founded in 1966, the international
organization seeks to increase economic, social,
scientific, technological and cultural cooperation
between Latin American countries and Italy, according
to the groups website. (Junno Arocho Esteves/
CNS)
Pope tells archbishops not to be armchair
Catholics, but apostles
The Catholic Churchs new cardinals and new
archbishops must be willing to risk everything,
patiently endure evil and bear crosses like Jesus did,
Pope Francis said.The Lord answers our prayers.
He is faithful to the love we have professed for him,
and he stands beside us at times of trial. Just as he
accompanied the apostles, he will do the same for
you, the pope told five new cardinals and about 30
archbishops named during the past year. Pope Francis
addressed the new cardinals and archbishops during
his homily at a Mass in St. Peters Square June 29, the
feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, who are the patron saints of
the Vatican and the city of Rome. (Carol Glatz/CNS)
Cardinal Pell, professing innocence, will face
charges in Australia
Proclaiming his innocence after being charged with
sexual abuse, Australian Cardinal George Pell said,
Im looking forward finally to having my day in court.
Im innocent of these charges. They are false. The
whole idea of sexual abuse is abhorrent to me, he said
June 29 during a brief news conference in the Vatican
press office. Greg Burke, director of the Vatican press
office, said Pope Francis had granted Cardinal Pell a
leave of absence from his position as prefect of the
Vatican Secretariat for the Economy so that he can
work on his defense. Cardinal Pell, Burke added, will
not participate in any public liturgies while his case is
being considered. (Cindy Wooden/CNS)
CBCP Monitor July 10 - 23 Vol 21, No. 14 NEWS FEATURES A3

Thousands commit to family I looked for the love I

consecration at Fatima confab didnt find in my family
QUEZON City money, [my family]
PASAY City More than a thousand She wants everyone consecration, imagine the fire that will Fighting back tears, a would be ok, Uy added,
people said yes to paving the way for She wants her family back. And she set! said Howard. young woman shared noting that the opposite
the triumph of the Immaculate Heart wants that family to grow and theres It can be recalled that the Philippine at the Relentless: came true because her
in the worldone family at a time nobody that she doesnt want even bishops consecrated the country to the Singles & Youth Faith relationship with her
during the National Marian Congress our enemies. She wants those who are Immaculate Heart of Mary in June 2013, on Fire (SYFOF) 2017 family suffered even
on the Centennial of the Apparitions of in ISISback. Right now theyre under also calling for family consecration event on July 1, about more and she eventually
Fatima at the SMX Convention Center the possession of satan, but we have to cascade its pastoral impact to the how she fell into pre- lost her gigs.
on July 8. a mother whos more powerful than grassroots. marital sex and a life
Our Ladys desire of having the whole him, who will crush his head. Bringing of ambition because No sin too great
world consecrated to her is not complete consecration to everyoneeven to our Strong families, strong countries of the pain of having a The turn in events
until every home, every family, every enemies is the greatest hope we have Howard was also quick to link the broken family. would lead her to seek
parish, every diocese, every nation is to bringing this world back to God, destiny and state of families and children I tried to look for the God again.
consecrated to her. So we have a lot stressed Howard, who heads the U.S.- to the over-all well-being of the country. love I couldnt find in my I prayed to the Lord. I
of work to do beginning with our based movement Heroic Families. The question that we have to ask family in other people, said, Lord, I give up. My
family, said Marian theologian Dr. Pinpointing similarities between the ourselves [is]Do we want our families shared Mary Ann Uy, a sins are too big. I said,
Peter Howard, who gave a talk on a new U.S. and the Philippines, which are both to be the strongest that they can possibly member of the Lords Lord, help me. I want to
Pentecost and how it is linked to family consecrated to the Blessed Virgin under the be? Do we want to see our kids live a Flock New Generation go back.
consecration. title the Immaculate Conception, he said heroic life for Jesus? Do we want the youth ministry, during I didnt know how He
The solution to global crises and issues the call is strong for both countries to work Philippines to be the most authentically, Nuggets, a session of would respond to me,
like abortion, wars, the threat of the double time for the conversion of families. powerfully influential Catholic country personal sharing and she told some 15,000
terrorist group ISIS, the breakdown of Will our nations rally our children in the world? he asked in closing. bite-sized teaching, at young people at the
traditional family, and gender ideology, and our families behind our Lady of A Eucharistic celebration ended the the half-day event. Smart Araneta Coliseum.
said the lay speaker, is the consecration Fatima? If we focus first and foremost event, led by Bishop Roberto Mallari and According to Uy, she According to Uy,
of entire families to the Immaculate on our families, your family will be a concelebrated by Digos Bishop Colin would be especially God seemed to answer
Heart of Mary as Our Lady requested magnet for thousands of others. [If] we Afable. (Nirvaana Ella Delacruz/ sad on Christmas and her more concretely
at Fatima, Portugal in 1917. get every family in this room living the CBCPNews) New Year because it by closing down the
was the time she would establishment where
Laos first cardinal focused on evangelization, dialogue remember her father
leaving their home
she had shows every
night.
because of an affair. Because of that, I had
PAKSE, Laos When for the future of his flock. the chance to go back to
selecting new cardinals, Pope While Laos is one of the Looking for love the community. [There]
Francis has often sought to few countries lacking full Depressed and angry, I learned that our body
go to the perip heries of the diplomatic relations with the she soon found comfort is the temple of the Holy
Church, which is particularly Vatican, progress has been in the attention of a young Spirit We shouldnt
notable in his elevation of made in the recent past, and man who would text and taint it, she said.
Cardinal Louis-Marie Ling the presence of a Laotian in call her constantly. According to Uy, since
Mangkhanekhoun of Paks. the College of Cardinals will Texting and calls, then life has gotten
Cardinal Lings local Church offer a prime opportunity for I stayed up till early better.
is an apostolic vicariate in continued building of these morning. I thought She shared: My father
Laos, a communist country relationships. that was love, that was and mother are together
of southeast Asia where Fr. Raphael Tran Xuan happine ss, said the again. We celebrated
Catholics make up only about Nhan of Vietnam, who member of the Lords Christmas together,
one percent of the population. has worked in Laos since Flock PSALM Ministry happy The first time I
He is the first cardinal to hail 2005, described Bishop in Filipino. got a Bible, [God] had a
from the nation. Ling to UCA News as a [W]e got a chance to message [for me]: I will
The newly-minted Cardinal Louis-Marie Ling Mangkhanekhoun of Pakse. DANIEL IBANEZ/CNA kind, friendly, wise and meet. I learned so many come to you and save
cardinals resume includes open-minded man who is things that I shouldnt you
a number of issues of keen elevated to the cardinalate and evangelization. Many interested in evangelization have I committed pre- Now actively serving
interest for Francis, including June 28. married missionaries, as well work and welcomes all marital sex, shared with other youth in the
evangelization, pastoral aid Cardinal Lings ministry as the countrys seminarians, foreign missionaries to Uy, saying she became community, Uy said she
for the faithful where the in the majority-Buddhist go into villages to minister to his country. He describes inactive in the community has now found the love
Church is persecuted, a use country has been greatly the Catholic flock there. He the cardinals diplomatic shortly after. she had been seeking all
of dialogue in diplomatic varied as he has responded to is also described as placing approach as dialogue rather This was also the this time.
relations, and a concern for the unique challenges facing an emphasis on integrating than confrontation. time, she shared, that It turns out there
the environment. the Church and the people Christianity into the local The beatification of 17 she active ly pursue d was Someone loving
Born in Laos in 1944, there. Catholics number just culture in order to promote martyrs from the region, her ambition to be me with an everlasting
Cardinal Ling attend a over a mere 45,000 in the harmony with the religious killed by communist forces in the spotlight by love He is the love I
seminary of the Voluntas country of 7 million, and are majority of the country. in the second half of the finding gigs to perform had been looking for.
Dei Institute (associated served by only 33 priests. The Church is treated very twentieth century, was yet at mall tours and TV I know my God loves
with the Oblates of Mary We are in the minority as poorly in Laosprobably the another sign of warming shows. Soon enough, me. He has forgiven all
Immaculate) in Canada, Catholics, but we understand worst in ASEAN (Association Church-state relations, as she found herself my sins and cleansed
and was ordained a priest each other always; whether of Southeast Asian Nations) well as providing a sense of going to Japan as an me. I am standing in
of the Vicariate Apostolic you are a cardinal or not, you save for Brunei, a well- renewal for local Catholics. entertainer. front of you, a new
of Vientiane in 1972, three are the same, you have to be place[d] diplomat source The new cardinal has also I thought I was ok. person. (Nirvaana
years before the communist simple and really with the told UCA News in May. spoken out of concern for the I also went to Japan. I Ella Delacruz
takeover of the country. people, he told CNA. Cardinal Ling is noted for environment, responding to learned to sit and drink with reports from
He was appointed vicar Given such a small having good relationships fast-paced deforestation in with the Japanese. Angel Memorando/
apostolic of Paks in 2000, Catholic population, Cardinal with government authorities. the region. (Joe Slama I thought that if I had CBCPNews)
and consecrated a bishop Ling, 73, has long placed Despite challenges, the with reports from Alexey
the following year. He was importance on catechesis cardinal holds out hope Gotovskiy/CNA)

Vatican asks bishops to ensure validity of matter for Eucharist

VATICAN Bishops should look at
ways to help verify and guarantee
the validity and worthiness of
the bread and wine used for the
celebration of the Eucharist, the
Vatican said in a recent document.
Because bread and wine for the
Eucharist are no longer supplied just
by religious communities, but are
also sold in supermarkets and other
stores and even over the internet,
bishops should set up guidelines,
an oversight body and/or even a
form of certification to help remove
any doubt about the validity of
the matter for the Eucharist, the
Vaticans Congregation for Divine
Worship and the Sacraments said.
The recommendations came in
a circular letter, On the bread and
wine for the Eucharist, sent to
diocesan bishops at the request of
the Holy Father, Pope Francis. Dated
June 15the feast of the Body and
Blood of Christthe letter was made
public by the Vatican July 8. The
letter was signed by Cardinal Robert
Sarah, congregation prefect, and
Archbishop Arthur Roche, secretary.
Because the church requires
certainty regarding the conditions
necessary for the validity of the
sacraments, the congregation
offered some suggestions so that
bishops can continue to watch over
the quality of the bread and wine
as well as those who prepare these
materials.
The congregation underlined that
every bishop is bound to remind
priests, especially parish priests
and rectors of churches, of their
responsibility to verify those who
provide the bread and wine for the
celebration and the worthiness of
the material.
Bishops must also provide
information to the producers of the
bread and wine for the Eucharist
and to remind them of the absolute
respect that is due to the norms,
it said. Producers must be aware
that their work is directed toward
the eucharistic sacrifice and that this
demands their honesty, responsibility
and competence, it added.
The congregation suggested
ordinaries offer guidance, for
example, by guaranteeing the
eucharistic matter through special
certification.
Bishops may want to agree on
and establish concrete regulations
on the national level through their
bishops conferences, it suggested.
Given the complexity of situations
and circumstances, such as a decrease
in respect for the sacred, it may
be useful to mandate a competent
authority to have oversight in actually
guaranteeing the genuineness of
the eucharistic matter by producers
as well as those responsible for its
distribution and sale, the Vatican
congregation wrote.
A competent authority, for
example, could be one or more
religious congregations or another
body capable of carrying out the
necessary checks on production,
conservation and sale of the
eucharistic bread and wine in a given
country and for other countries to
which they are exported, it wrote.
The letter also reiterated
norms already in place regarding
Atlanta Archbishop Wilton Gregory, right, Concelebrates Mass during the Convocation of Catholic
Leaders: The Joy of the Gospel in America July 2 in Orlando, Fla. Bishops should look at ways to help
verify and guarantee the validity and worthiness of the bread and wine used for the celebration of the
Eucharist, the Vatican said in a recent document. BOB ROLLER/CNS
eucharistic matter:
The bread used in the
celebration of the most holy
eucharistic sacrifice must be
unleavened, purely of wheat, and
recently made so that there is no
danger of decomposition.
Bread made from another
substance, even grain or mixed with
another substance so different from
wheat that it would not commonly
be considered wheat bread, does
not constitute valid matter.
The introduction of any other
substances, such as fruit or sugar or
honey, into the bread for confecting
the Eucharist, it said, is a grave
abuse.
Low-gluten hosts are valid
matter for people who, for varying
and grave reasons, cannot consume
bread made in the usual manner,
provided the hosts contain a
sufficient amount of gluten to obtain
the confection of bread without the
addition of foreign materials and
without the use of procedures that
would alter the nature of bread.
Completely gluten-free hosts
continue to be invalid matter for
the celebration of the Eucharist.
Wine used in the celebration of
the eucharistic must be natural,
from the fruit of the grape, pure
and incorrupt, not mixed with other
substances, well conserved and
have not soured.
It is altogether forbidden to
use wine of doubtful authenticity
or provenance.
No other drinks of any kind may
not be admitted for any reason, as
they do not constitute valid matter.
For people who, for varying and
grave reasons, cannot consume
wine fermented in the normal
manner, mustum is valid matter
for the celebration of the Eucharist.
Mustum is grape juice that is either
fresh or preserved by methods that
suspend its fermentation without
altering its nature, for example, by
freezing.
Eucharistic matter made with
genetically modified organisms can
be considered valid matter.
Permission must be given by the
ordinary for an individual priest or
layperson to use low-gluten hosts
or mustum for the celebration of
the Eucharist. Permission can be
granted habitually, for as long as the
situation continues which occasioned
the granting of permission.
People who live with celiac disease
are unable to digest gluten, a type of
protein commonly found in grains
such as rye, barley and wheat.
There also are people who live with
nonceliac gluten intolerance or
gluten sensitivity whose health can
be adversely affected by gluten.
The U.S. bishops Committee on
Divine Worship has said Catholics
who cannot receive Communion
wafers at all, even under the species
of low-gluten hosts, may receive
Holy Communion under the
species of wine only. The church
teaches that under either species
of bread or wine, the whole Christ
is received, it said.
Medical certification of a condition
justifying the use of mustum or low-
gluten hosts for Communion is
not required, the committee said.
(Carol Glatz/CNS)
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