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Pope says Church inspires prayer in tough times

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His light is stronger than any darkness; Gods goodness is stronger than any evil

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Ugnayan
The News Supplement of Couples for Christ

Bishop urges govt to ratify domestic workers convention

AN official of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines has called on the Aquino administration to, as a matter of urgency, ratify the International Labor Organizations (ILO) Domestic Workers Convention (C189). Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo, chairman of the CBCPs National Secretariat for Social Action-Justice and Peace, said the country needs the measure that recognizes domestic workers rights and provides them the needed protection while working overseas.

April 23 - May 6, 2012

Vol. 16 No. 9

Php 20.00

Convention / A6

Senior Catholic priests and bishops from different dioceses across the country enjoy a moment during retreat at the Angels Hills Retreat House in Tagaytay City, 24 April 2012. The gathering is organized yearly by the Kadiwa sa Pagkapari Foundation, an organization whose mission is to take care of the concerns of retired and sick priests and to deliver a message that we treasure and we care for them.

National celebration to take place after Calungsods canonization

A NATIONWIDE celebration will take place after the canonization of Blessed Pedro Calungsod in Rome on October 21, according to Fr. Marvin Mejia, CBCP assistant secretary general during a press conference in Intramuros, April 17. There are two important dates that we have to remember as far as the canonization of Blessed Pedro Calungsod is concerned. One is on October 21 which is the canonization in Rome; the second date is on NoCanonization / A6

By Roy Lagarde

Bishops seek immediate distribution of Luisita land

Philippines president, said it is high time for Aquino to show his seriousness in implementing reforms in the country. Palma made the statement after the Supreme Court on April 24 affirmed its ruling last November ordering the land distribution. The High Court also rejected with finality a bid of Aquinos family to secure at least P5 billion in compensation for its sugar estate, basing the value at around P196 million on 1989 prices. I hope we can show that reform as much as possible and that eventually the land will be distributed to the farmers and show that here in our country we can witness the sharing of justice and giving the farmers their rights, Palma said. The CBCP head welcomed the SCs latest decision in favor of some 6,296 farmers of the 4,915.75 hectare agricultural land. Golden opportunity I salute the Supreme Court for its decision. I am happy in the sense that I am also a farmer so I have the heart for farmers, he said.

CATHOLIC Church officials called on President Benigno Aquino III to ensure the immediate distribution of the Hacienda Luisita land and give support services to its farmer-beneficiaries.
Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, Catholic Bishops Conference of the

The head of the CBCPs National Secretariat for Social Action, Justice and Peace (Nassa) also called on Aquino and the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to immediately act on the SC ruling. According to Nassa chairman and Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo, this would prove Aquinos seriousness to implement genuine agrarian reform. Now that there is a golden opportunity in front of him, he should implement the order of the SC. If he is really
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Promotion of virtue missing in RH bill, says youth

WHILE many young people who dont even understand the Reproductive Health (RH) bill trumpet the message that the countrys youth need the measure, one recent university graduate has joined other students in declaring their opposition to the bill, saying it does not meet the needs of the youth for a brighter future. The RH Bill will dim that brighter future. In YUP! we anchor our vision for the youth on virtues. The RH Bill does not promote virtue but rather offers a technique precisely to get around not being able to exercise virtues, said Mark Robert Baldo, spokesperson of Youth United for Life (YUP!) and a recent university graduate. Where the youth have to exercise temperance toward sex, the RH Bill implicitly provides a way for the youth to neglect the practice of that virtue but supposedly get away with the consequences. Emphasis on supposedly, for there are more dire consequences than teenage pregnancy which escape our often narrow purview. According to an article in the Filipinos for Life website, Baldo, who recently graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of the Philippines Diliman with a degree in B.S. Political Science, brushes off the notion that advocating an RH law is necessarily synonymous with critical thinking. In fact, given the remarkable flow of misinformation going around nowadays as regards the RH issue, Baldos observation that many simply go with the flow is hardly surprising. Baldo points out that It is not categorical that if I support the RH bill I am intelligent or if I do not support it I am stupid, and vice versa. But I can say that I sense a certain non-thinking [stance] among the youth I have encountered. By default, by pressure, by supposedly common sense, they think the RH Bill is worthy of support. Those I have mentioned are generally un-meditated, nonrational components in choosing a stand, he continued. They do not involve thinking for ones self. Indeed, in the academic life, when we take something to be given or common sense, that is usually a signal that we may be gravely mistaken and [are] just going with the flow. (CBCP for Life)

Ex-CBCP head urges better protection for journalists

A FORMER president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines called on the government to protect members of the media. Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, former CBCP president, said the government should recognize the role of the media and ensure their protection. "I think it's a common position that our government should defend not only the truth but also the vessels of truth and also the promoters of truth, Lagdameo said over Churchrun Radyo Veritas. The appeal followed the 2012 report of New-York based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), citing the Philippines as the third deadliest country for journalists, next to strife-torn
Roy Lagarde / CBCP Media

Traders, bishops call for mining moratorium in Bicol

BUSINESSMEN and Catholic bishops are united in their concern over the governments mining aggression particularly in Bicol region. In a statement, the Bishops-Businessmen Conference (BBC) believes that the region is vulnerable to heavy rains and thus prone to the spilling of acid mine drainage as shown by past mining operations. It said noted that the Total Economic Valuation that should form part of the new mining policy guidelines will likely validate the public clamor that mining should no longer be allowed in Bicol. Hence, an immediate moratorium on mining is, at the least called for in the meantime, if the irreversible damages that mining brings are to be avoided, part of the BBC statement reads. The organization made the statement as an expressed support on the anti-mining stance of Bicol prelates. They too believed that the environmental destruction, economic dislocation and health impacts wrought by mining operations are a great injustice to Bicolanos. While BBC acknowledged the efforts of the Aquino adMoratorium / A7

Archbishop Angel Lagdameo

Iraq and Somalia. Lagdameo said defenders of the truth have the right to protection, and it is the governments responsibility to ensure this protection. The CPJ said the Philippines dysfunctional and corrupt
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100 mangrove trees in Quezon, massacred

AROUND 100 century-old mangrove trees were massacred in Quezon province, and sadly, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) had done nothing about it. The Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya), said around 100 mangrove trees (commonly known as bakawan in Pilipino) in Aldangan had been cut, in order to give way to a privately-owned fish ponds expansion. The owner of the said fish pond is none other than a former town mayor, who has refused to be named right now. Pamalakaya national vice-chair Salvador France told CBCPNews via email that there should be a nationwide ban in order to save the remaining mangrove forests in the land. Enough is enough. A nationwide ban on mangrove tree cutting must be imposed to stop aquaculture expansionists and corporate fish culture syndicates from cutting more mangrove trees, and destroy the peoples livelihood and environment for the sake of this export oriented and super profit-driven industry, said France. The cutting of the mangrove trees in Quezon, paving way to the expansion of illegally-constructed fish pens, is but a
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Illustration by Bladimer Usi

Roy Lagarde / CBCP Media

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World News

CBCP Monitor
April 23 - May 6, 2012

Vol. 16 No. 9

Formation of the laity focus of Vatican commission on China

VATICAN City, April 21, 2012 The formation of lay Catholics will be addressed at the next meeting of the Vatican Commission on the Church in China, due to take place April 23 to 25. A Holy See Press Office communiqu notes that Previous meetings focused on the theme of the formation of seminarians, priests and consecrated persons. This year, however, the formation of the lay faithful will be considered in the light of the situation of the Catholic community in China and in the framework of the Year of Faith, which will be celebrated throughout the Church from 11 October 2012 to 24 November 2013. Attention will be paid to the progress made in formation programs for priests, seminarians and consecrated persons, and what remains to be done for their adequate preparation for the forms of service which they are called to perform within the Church and for the good of society. The Commission is composed of the Superiors of those Dicasteries of the Roman Curia competent in the area as well as some representatives of the Chinese episcopate and religious congregations. (AsiaNews)

Vatican Briefing
Scholars study history of Vatican archives

A conference under way in the Vatican is considering the history of the Vatican Secret Archives, as part of celebrations marking the fourth centenary of the library. The Vatican Secret Archives house all the documentation relating to the Holy See. The conference, Religiosa Archivorum Custodia, is examining not only the history of the archives, but its cultural importance and the results of the most recent research. (Zenit)
Vatican web page releases widget

www.asianews.it

To mark Benedict XVIs seventh anniversary as Pope, the Vatican internet service announced that a new www. vatican.va widget is available. This interface enables automatic transfer of some of the most important content contained at the institutional website www.vatican.va to other sites. The Focus area of the homepage www. vatican.va contains the mail address at which users may request the code to insert on their own pages the vatican. va widget. (Zenit)
Vatican confirms Lefebvre group has responded

America needs religious awakening, Supreme Knight says

dom in the United States and urged Catholics to call on God as they work to preserve this fundamental liberty. The spirit of our age is profoundly secular, he cautioned. And secularism accepts religionif it accepts it at allonly on its own terms. During his remarks, he observed that religious freedom benefits not only believers but society as a whole. Catholics value religious liberty not only because it protects our personal autonomy, he explained, but because of the good which religion brings into the life of the individual believer and into the life of our nation. Anderson argued that the historical connection between Christian and liberty was not a coincidence but something fundamental. The American founders unequivocally stated that peoples basic, inalienable rights came from their Creator, he said, and those views have echoed down through our history, stated by individuals from George Washington to John F. Kennedy to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Yet today we find a new hostility to the role of religious institutions in American life at a time when government is expanding its reach in extraordinary ways, he said. He pointed to the recent Hosanna-Tabor v. EEOC case, in which the Obama administration attempted to restrict the definition of a religious minister to those who perform exclusively religious functions, a definition that was unanimously rejected by the Supreme Court in January. Furthermore, he observed, Catholics across the country have rallied in opposition to a federal mandate that will require employers to offer health insurance plans covering contraception, sterilization and abortion drugs, even if doing so violates their religious beliefs. He also noted that after successfully running a program to help human trafficking victims, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops was recently denied its request for a grant renewal when the administration decided to prohibit funding of groups that would not provide or refer for abortion and contraception. Anderson said that these recent infringements upon religious liberty show that America is now seeing a new government intolerance of religion, under which religion is subordinated to the political interests of the secular state. A government willing to affect the faith and mission of the church is a government willing to change the identity of the church, the Supreme Knight cautioned, questioning what further violations of religious freedom can be expected from such an administration. As Christians we are called to be witnesses, praying and working to preserve our Catholic identity, he said. Although the struggle will be difficult, we have a reason for hope based on past successes, even in the face of established power structures, he added. Every great religious renewal in America has led to an advance in civil rights, he said, recalling the contribution of religious efforts to the founding of America, the abolition of slavery and the push for racial equality. Now, Anderson said, Catholics must come together and make their voices heard in order to keep open the doors of religious liberty. (CNA)

Hopes are high that the ultra-traditionalist Society of St. Pius X might be on the way to communion with Rome. Dialogue has been ongoing with the splinter group since it was created with the illicit ordination of four bishops by founder Marcel Lefebvre. It is known that reconciliation with the Society is a desire close to the Popes heart, as he was at the forefront of the Churchs efforts to bring reconciliation during his years leading the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. (Zenit)
World famous orchestra deeply honored to play for Pope

Supreme Knight Carl Anderson

WASHINGTON D.C., April 20, 2012The leader of the Knights of Columbus called for strong Catholic witnesses to defend religious liberty before a gathering of roughly 1000 members of the faith in Washington, D.C. At the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast on April 19, Supreme Knight Carl Anderson called for a new Great Awakening in America, in which Catholics play a greater role than ever before. Anderson warned that the present moment is a critical one for the future of religious free-

The managing director of the world famous Gewandhaus Orchestra of Leipzig said playing for Pope Benedict XVI April 21 is the pinnacle of the orchestras long and illustrious history. This concert, said Andreas Schulz, is the most important event in the history of the Gewandhaus Orchestra. It is an unbelievable invitation. I remember when I got the invitation in October 2010 I was so surprised, so deeply honored, I cant believe it when I saw the fax with the invitation, he told Vatican Radio. The concert was held in the Vaticans Paul VI Hall to mark the Popes 85th birthday. (CNA/EWTN News)
Bishops should follow St. Peters example even to death

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Bishop Patrick J. McGrath of San Jose, California said that St. Peters example of following Jesus even to death should inspire present day bishops to do the same. The question we need to ask, it seems to me, is thisDomini quo Vadis? Lord, where do you go? And Jesus answers, and he always does, that even in spite of ourselves we need to follow where he is leading, said Bishop McGrath at morning Mass at St. Peters tomb in Rome. He was joined by his fellow bishops from California, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah who are in Rome this week, April 16 21, for their ad limina pilgrimage to the tombs of St. Peter and St. Paul. (CNA/EWTN News)

US bishops oppose budget cuts to poverty assistance

WASHINGTON D.C., April 20, 2012The U.S. bishops voiced concerns that proposed budget cuts for the 2013 fiscal year could adversely impact the most vulnerable members of society. In an April 16 letter, Bishop Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton, who chairs the U.S. bishops Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, urged leaders of the House Agriculture Committee to resist unacceptable cuts to hunger and nutrition programs. He said that reductions to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the modern federal food stamp program, are unjustified and wrong. The bishop argued that the program helps feed millions of households, most of which include a child, senior or disabled individual. In a time of economic turmoil and growing poverty, Congress should not cut an effective and efficient anti-hunger program that helps people live in dignity, he said. If savings need to be achieved, cuts to agricultural subsidies and direct payments should be considered before cutting antihunger programs that help feed poor and vulnerable people. The letter was sent several weeks after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a $3.5 trillion budget resolution crafted by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.). Ryan has said that his budget is guided by Catholic principles and that it allows for the common good to be advanced not

Bishops urge people to value life

TAIPEI, Taiwan, April 20, 2012 The bishops conference of Taiwan is to issue a pastoral letter calling on the government and people to value life and say no to abortion and suicide. The letter to be issued in September is aimed at combating spiritual emptiness and divisions in society, Father Otfried Chan, the conferences secretary general, said yesterday. The wrong sex education derived from wrong policies encourages an open sexual attitude, while high prices and heavy debts push many people to suicide, he added. The bishops have also decided to promote devotion to Saint Gianna, patron of unborn children, to encourage people not to have abortions or reject life. According to the Department of Health, around 240,000 women have had an abortion or used abortion-inducing drugs during each of the past three years. A civil group estimates the actual number could be as many as 500,000 a year, including operations in back-street clinics. Eight of the islands bishops gathered at the conferences new headquarters last week to set out plans for the Year of Faith, which has been declared by Pope Benedict XVI to begin in October. The three-day plenary meeting also decided to establish a married diaconal system with Taipei archdiocese being the pilot before expanding it to six other dioceses. A married diaconal system is where only married laymen can be ordained as deacons. More laypeople are studying theology nowadays so the time is ripe to establish the system to resolve problems of ageing clergy and lack of vocations, said Archbishop John Hung Shan-chuan of Taipei. During the meeting, Archbishop Hung was re-elected president of the bishops conference for another four-year term and Archbishop Peter Liu Chen-chung of Kaohsiung became vice-president. (UCAN)

only through government but through civic society. He also argued that the poor are hurt by extreme levels of debt more than they are by budget reductions. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) who is also Catholicsaid that in the broader picture, the cuts are necessary to prevent a financial crisis that would completely wipe out the critical aid programs. However, Bishop Blaire said that the budget falls short of the moral criteria laid out by the bishops. In recent months, the U.S. bishops have offered principles for evaluating budget decisions, which include the promotion of the common good and the protection of human life and dignity, as well as consideration for the needs of the poor and homeless. Leaders of the U.S. bishops have called for a circle of protection to be maintained around the poor and vulnerable during budget debates, preventing critical services from being slashed. Bishop Blaire has previously cautioned against cutting funding for housing assistance programs. In a separate letter to the leaders of the House Ways and Means Committee, he also voiced opposition to unfair proposals that would exclude children of hardworking, immigrant families from the Child Tax Credit. He said that the bishops conference supports the tax credit program as an effective anti-poverty program that is both pro-work and pro-family. (CNA)

Pakistan among most dangerous countries for women, priest says

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, April 12, 2012A priest of the Camillian order in Pakistan has spoken out against the abuse of women in the country, including the growing number of honor killings. According to Father Mushtaq Anjum, M.I., Pakistan is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for women, who often have no voice. The country needs very strong measures which can cover all kinds of violence committed against women, the priest told Fides news agency in a recent interview. The rule of law should be there for them in order to protect them. The latest findings from the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan show a continued rise in the killing of women by their husbands or male relatives. During 2011 at least 943 Pakistani women were murdered for supposedly bringing disgrace on their families. In some cases the women were raped as a form of punishment before being killed. Honor killings have significantly increased every year in Pakistan since at least 2008, when 574 women were murdered for this motive. The number rose to 647 in 2009, and again to 791 the following year. In 2011 and 2012, Pakistan's parliament passed laws aimed at stopping abuses of women such as disfigurement with acid, forced marriage, and prevention of inheritance within families. But widespread domestic violence is still tolerated, regarded as a private matter within the family and not as a crime. Violence against women also goes unpunished in many cases where it is committed by a male relative. Many women, Fr. Anjum noted, can relate to the ordeal of Mukhtar Mai, who was raped by multiple perpetrators in 2002 in retaliation for the behavior of her brother. While many Pakistani rape victims commit suicide, Mai instead spoke out on behalf of victims. In 2011, however, 5 of her 6 alleged rapists were acquitted by the country's Supreme Court. (CNA)

Archbishop D'Souza: New evangelization needs love of Mother Teresa

MUMBAI, India, April 21, 2012Christian missionaries in India are increasingly suffering persecution of various kinds, accused of proselytizing through their charities, schools in more rural areas, hospitals and leper colonies. Archbishop Henry D'Souza, Archbishop Emeritus of Calcutta, reflects on the situation of the mission in India and its difficulties, recalling the example of Mother Teresa, with whom he worked for 35 years and for whom since 1997 he has been postulator for the cause of canonization. What distinguishes the founder of the Missionaries of Charity, says the Archbishop, is love. Below is an extract of an interview with Msgr. Henry D'Souza. Excellency, why did Mother Teresa not encounter problems in her missionary work? Mother Teresa had one overriding thought. "Where love is, there is God" in her attempt to respond to the call "Be my light" she brought love. Love God, love your neighbor, especially the poorest of the poor. Love needs to be the mark in all our missionary efforts. Many times we hear criticism about our institutions and our social and charitable works they have become "institutionalized". Good works without love may attract outwardly, because of their academic excellence, or professional quality, and their ability to achieve. But this is not real evangelization. On the other hand, when our work is with the poor and rural sections of people, our good works may be the cause for changing the social structures. That could be threatening to the given society. Mother Teresa was able to avoid the two issues through her love. In fact her ministry, life and example have changed societysociety at large has become more conscious of the poor and the need to help them achieve a better standard of life. Perhaps love is the key to meet the many suspicions which face Christian institutions, and Christian missionaries. Even when we suffer persecutions, we need to offer love. Mother Teresa's Mission was through her multifaceted awareness of mission work. What are your reflections, changes and challenges that have occurred as a result of its impact? Many were the consequences of the mission of Mother Teresa. Mother Teresa was once told that she should not be concerned about actual poverty. She should address the causes of poverty. Her reply was straight forward, "I only understand the reality. I leave it to others to find the causes." But in addressing the reality, whether it was actual material poverty or loneliness or lack of love, she drew sharp attention to the causes of poverty. Even actual poverty has begun to be better understood. When this year the Rs.32/- poverty norm began to be discussed, a spokesperson said, "Poverty is not only about food. It has also to be concerned about home, family education, health and other such realities." People began to want to offer more than food and shelter. The start of the physio-therapy section in the MC homes is a concrete example. Qualified people are going forward to offer assistance to the poor. The leprosy apostolate of Mother Teresa is another good example. Leprosy patients were often branded as untouchables and forced to live in distressing hovels outside the town. Mother Teresa began Shantinagar in Bengal. It is now both a home for leprosy patients and a rehabilitation centre. Many leprosy patients have their own homes also, and are employed in self-help works. The leprosy colony at Titagarh is another example of the transforming effect to such afflicted persons. The Cuttack leprosy colony and the Puri leprosy colony in Orrisa have been in existence for centuries. They have been radically transformed after the MC Sisters and Brothers began to get involved in there through Fr. Bill Petrie, CSSH and Marianus Zelezek, SVD. Your reflections on Mother Teresa's mission to proclaim Christ and spread the GospelMother's spirit of evangelization. The message of Mother Teresa is simple. One does not need to do extraordinary things. She wanted her Sisters to do ordinary things with extraordinary love. Her message goes out very strongly in two events narrated by her. Among many protests at the end of March, the parliament lowered the poverty line from 32 rupees a day (about 46 cents) to 28 rupees a day (about 40 cents). (AsiaNews)

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Vol. 16 No. 9
April 23 - May 6, 2012

News Features

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Pope says early Church inspires prayer in tough times

May we learn to see that God is present in our lives, even at moments of difficulty, and that everything, even things incomprehensible, is part of a plan of love in which the final victory over evil, sin and death is truly is that of goodness, grace, life and God, he said April 18. Pope Benedict was addressing over 25,000 pilgrims gathered in the sunshine of St. Peters Square during the traditional Wednesday General Audience. Continuing his catechesis on Christian prayer, the Pope dwelt upon an episode in the history of the early Church often referred to as little Pentecost which took place between Easter and Pentecost itself. Chronicled in the Acts of the Apostles, the incident occurred after the release of Peter and John following their arrest for preaching the Gospel. In the face of danger, noted the Pope, the community along with Mary does not seek to analyze how to react or defend themselves, or on what measures to adopt. Instead in that moment of trial they all raised their voices together to God in prayer. In response God sent the Holy Spirit upon them such that the place where they were gathered together was shaken and all of them now spoke the word of God with boldness. This was the unanimous and united prayer of the whole community, which was facing persecution because of Jesus, said the Pope. In suffering persecution for Jesus sake, he continued, the community not only did not give way to fear and division, but was profoundly united in prayer. Pope Benedict noted how this unity which is consolidated rather than undermined, because it is supported by unshakeable prayer, has been a consistent feature of the Church since earliest times. Therefore the Church must not fear the persecutions she is forced to suffer in her history, but must trust always, as Jesus did in Gethsemane, in the presence, help and strength of God, invoked in prayer. The early Church did not pray to be defended, to be spared from trials or to enjoy success, but only to be able to proclaim the Word of God frankly, freely and courageously. It also prayed to read events in the light of faith, and subsequently found the key to understanding persecution in the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. We too, concluded the Pope, must bring the events of our daily lives into our prayer, in order to seek their most profound significance. Prior to todays Audience, Pope Benedict toured St. Peters Square in his popemobile where he was met with enthusiastic cheers of ad multos annos to mark his 85th birthday earlier this week and his 7th anniversary as pontiff tomorrow. I would like to express my gratitude for the good wishes you have been sending me for the seventh anniversary of my election, he said in remarks to pilgrims after the General Audience. I ask you to support me always with your prayers so that, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I may continue my service to Christ and the Church. (CNA/ EWTN News)

VATICAN City, April 18, 2012 The example of the early Church should inspire 21st century Christians to pray during tough

times in the trust and knowledge that Jesus is the hope which does not disappoint, Pope Benedict XVI said.

Catholic communicators must obey church teaching, US cardinal says

ROME, April 19, 2012Church communicators have an important and serious duty to obey church teaching and defend the churchs mission of saving souls and safeguarding truth, said the head of the Vaticans highest court. Caution as well as control over content and where its distributed are needed because while the field of communications has great potential for good, it also can be turned to the harm of the faithful, said U.S. Cardinal Raymond L. Burke, prefect of the Supreme Court of the Apostolic Signature. Communicators should be guided and directed by pastors to make sure their content is free from doctrinal and theological error, and Catholics should avoid outlets that openly attack Christian morality, he added. The cardinal was one of dozens of speakers at a biennial seminar for people who work in the field of media and communications for dioceses, religious institutions and other church organizations. Sponsored by Romes Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, the April 16-18 seminar focused on ways the church could better portray the essence and vitality of the Christian faith. Cardinal Burke, who is a canon lawyer, focused his talk April 18 on the importance of canon law in protecting the integrity of the churchs mission and its members. The churchs discipline and canonical processes are not only not a hindrance to the effective communication of the Catholic faith, but also an effective manifestation of the vitality of the faith. In order to carry out its mission of clearly teaching moral principles and judging human affairs with the aim of saving human souls, the church has a solemn obligation to use whatever instruments of communication are most fitting and effective, he said. Church communicators, in fact, are taking part in the priestly office of teaching and, therefore, it is key that they, like priests, ground themselves in an ever greater obedience to the truth of Christ found in the churchs official teaching, he said. Canon 823 states pastors have the right and duty to be watchful so that no harm is done to the faith or morals of the Christian faithful through writings or the use of instruments of social communication. Therefore, priests and bishops should be close to those employing the instruments of social communication for the sake of evangelization, not only encouraging them in their task, but guiding and directing them, lest some form of communication actually lead the faithful into confusion and error regarding the truth, the cardinal said. Cardinal Burke questioned whether some forms of digital media were appropriate for evangelization, saying some instruments may actually do harm to the mission through their inappropriate or misguided use. While not specifying which kinds of media were inappropriate, he cautioned

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Holy Spirit inspires churchs interpretation of Bible, pope says

VATICAN City, April 20, 2012While the text of the Bible is fixed, the same Holy Spirit that inspired its writing continues to inspire its proclamation and interpretation in the church, Pope Benedict XVI said. The Catholic Churchs understanding of the Bible grows through time thanks to the Holy Spirits guidance and to reflection, study, prayer and preaching, the pope said in a message to members of the Pontifical Biblical Commission, an international group of scholars who advise the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The commission met at the Vatican April 16-20 to continue its discussion and study of inspiration and truth in the Bible. While the act of revelation ended with the death of the last Apostle, Pope Benedict said, the revealed word continues to be proclaimed and interpreted by the living tradition of the church. For this reason, the word of God fixed in the sacred texts is not an immobile deposit within the church, but becomes the supreme rule of its faith. Pope Benedict said no one can really understand the Bible without recognizing that it was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. But, as he told the biblical commission last year, it is not possible to apply the criterion of inspiration or of absolute truth in a mechanical way, extrapolating
www.getbc.blogspot.com

Cardinal Raymond L. Burke

against those that foster the fragmentation of thought and language, permit anonymity, lack any ethical standards and lead to highly inappropriate or even offensive language, he said. He said it would be difficult to effectively discipline such media to serve the church in promoting its teaching. According to Canon 831, Catholics should not be writing for newspapers, magazines or periodicals that openly attack Catholicism or good morals except for a just and reasonable cause, he said. That same norm should be extended to include radio, television and digital forums or sites that regularly contain content that is offensive to the faith or morality, which makes such outlets not fitting instruments for the churchs essential and fundamental work of communication. The cardinal also touched on the importance of the Catholic media in properly explaining the reason and nature of secrecy in the church. A case in point was the difficulty Catholic communicators had in explaining the churchs process for dealing with accusations of clerical sex abuse, he said. There is a great need for communication between true experts in church law and church communicators so that ecclesiastical processes are not depicted in the media as subterfuges to avoid the revelation of the truth but rather careful processes designed precisely to arrive at the truth, while respecting the rights and dignity of all, including the supposed perpetrator of the crime. Secrecy respects certain forms of communication like that between a person and Godas in the sacrament of confessionbetween a person and a spiritual director, and other instances that call for the free and full unveiling of ones conscience, he said. He said such situations, including church trials, investigations and many church administrative tasks are built on the need for absolute trust in guaranteeing confidentiality so as to fully arrive at the truth or relay honest assessments and advice. A Catholic marriage annulment is also greatly misunderstood and Catholic communicators need to explain it properly and how it differs substantially from civil divorce, he said. (CNS)

a single phrase or expression. In the eyes of the Catholic Church, the Bible as a whole is true and peoples understanding of it progresses with the assistance of the Holy Spirit and grows with the reflection and study of believers, with the personal experience of a spiritual life and with the preaching of the bishops, the pope said. (CNS)

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NASSA backs mining ban in Bicol

QUEZON City, April 17, 2012The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines-National Secretariat for Social Action (CBCPNASSA) had expressed its support to the initiatives and campaign of Bishop Arturo Bastes of Sorsogon, against mining operations in the Bicol region. In a statement, Manila Auxiliary Bishop and NASSA chair Broderick S. Pabillo said, since 1988, the CBCP has been raising concern over attacks on the natural world, the rapid expansion of mining operations, and the continuing enforcement of an oppressive law that is blighting our ecology, as written in What is Happening to our Beautiful Land (a Pastoral Letter on Ecology), in the Statement of Concern on the Mining Act of 1995, and in Nature is groaning: A statement on the Revitalization of mining in the Philippines issued on March 2005, respectively. In January 2006, the CBCP re-affirmed its stand to repeal of Mining Act of 1995, stating that allowing the interests of big mining corporations to prevail over people's rights to resources corresponds to violating right to life. Furthermore, mining threatens people's health and environmental safety through dumping of waste and tailings in rivers and seas [However], it is disappointing that more than 20 years later, the threat of mining continues, as in the case of Bicol, the prelate said. Pabillo had revealed that under the Public-Private Partnership Program, Bicol is part of the Top Priority Mining Projects under its Mining Revitalization Program and National Mining Policy, and has five out of 24 priority mining projects the Korean/ Malaysianowned Rapu-Rapu Ploymetallic Project in Rapu-Rapu, Albay; the Australian/ Canadian-owned Masbate Gold Project in Aroroy, Masbate; the Australian-owned Nelasbitan Gold Project in Labo, Camarines Norte; the Philippine US-owned Del Gallego Gold Project in Camarines Norte; and the Korean Malaysian-owned Hixbar Copper-Gold Project in Rapu-Rapu. The top 2 mining projects in Rapu-Rapu and Masbate have been declared Patented Mining Claims, which give the foreign Transnational Mining Corporation the right and privilege to use public lands and to extract their own mineral ore. And according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), 1.3 million hectares or 74.62% of the total land area in the region have been approved for mining operations, Pabillo said. Bishop Bastes reiterates that the negative effects of mining far outweigh its supposed gains, as proven in many regions and countries. Mining operations continues to bring irreplaceable damage to the environment, economic dislocation and catastrophe, as well as health impacts to the people of Bicol. In addition, the island topography in the region proves that it is impossible for mining to be sustainable and responsible in the region: it has Typhoon II classification according to PAG-ASA, and has massive iron sulfide rock formation in the geochemical composition, he added. He also said that we are being reminded that we, people, are only Stewards of Gods creation and that we are invited to put an end to injustice and embrace God as the Lord of all. Because of this, Pabillo said, his office reiterates its position for the protection and respect of the environment and repeal of the Mining Act 1995. (Noel Sales Barcelona/ CBCPNews)

RH bill denies freedom of religion, choicelawyer

MANILA, April 20, 2012As prolifers in the United States gear up for another nationwide rally for religious freedom in June to protest the birth control mandate, numerous Filipinos still need to open their eyes to the fact that one of the Philippine governments proposed measures violates the freedom of religion. Atty. Ma. Concepcion Noche, president of the Alliance for the Family Foundation Philippines Inc. (ALFI) said that the Reproductive Health (RH) bill, which has divided the nation due to contradictory viewpoints and insufficient understanding of its implications, tramples on the peoples religious freedom, a freedom protected by the 1987 Philippine Constitution. Based on the bill, healthcare workers and medical professionals are forced to provide RH supplies and services or participate in practices that go against their religious convictions. Employers also must either provide RH services to their employees or suffer the consequences as specified by the legislative measure. Dangling a criminal penalty of imprisonment and/or fine, believers will find themselves torn between fidelity to God and loyalty to their country. This unjustly limits the right to conscientious objection on the part of health care workers and medical professionals, Noche explained. For the exercise of religious freedom to be truly meaningful, individuals should be allowed to profess and practice their faith by freely seeking and serving God in their hearts, in their lives and in their relationship with others, without fear of persecution or punishment. Only in this way can this right be truly guaranteed, Noche pointed out. The current set-up already allows respect for the religious beliefs of everyone, the lawyer said. But once a national policy on contraception is legislated, that changes the landscape altogether. Making it a matter of national policy or institutionalizing contraception via RH Bill and allocating billions of our scarce resources, will deprive us of our choice because the government will effectively have made that choice already for the Filipino families, she explained. What separation of Church and State means Much as separation of Church and State has been invoked by those who insist that the practice of ones moral convictions has no place in the public square, this principle has often been misunderstood. Under our Constitution, the command against the violation of the separation of the Church and State is directed to the State not to the Church which is mandated to steer clear of the religious realm and give utmost respect to the exercise of religion. So, with the RH Bill, is the State poised to breach this wall of separation? Noche remarked. The State exists for persons, as a guarantor and defender of their rights, she continued. In the face of ever-changing social conditions that confront us as individuals and as a people, the central question is: What are the requirements that government may reasonably impose upon its citizens and how far should they extend? Religious convictions have no place in the political process, some RH bill advocates have said. Noche, on the other hand, disagreed with this notion. On the contrary, As demonstrated by St. Thomas More when he defied the sovereign of which he was a good servant and chose to serve God first, religion has an important place in the political process. It has been proven time and again that for democracy to be stable, it needs a foundation of moral principles based upon faith and religion. (CBCP for Life)

Biodiversity survey conducted in North Negros Natural Park

QUEZON City, April 18, 2012A comprehensive survey of fauna, especially the rarest ones, was conducted at the North Negros Natural Park by experts, including biologists and other ecoscientists from the UK, a news report from the Philippine Information Agency Region VI said. Spearheaded by the Provincial Environment and Management Office, the Negros Forest and Ecological Foundation, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources office in Negros, the team had set up some 20 remote cameras to record 4,000 hours of video captures, in order to see how diverse the species of mammals, amphibians, insects, and reptiles are in the area. In a statement, expedition leader James Sawyer said, while the trip was really physically tiring, it had become a very beautiful experience for the team after they found out the natural park is still home for the multitude of rare and endemic species. The data collected, however, will take sometime to be analyzed and that the results would be released soon, said Sawyer. Meanwhile, the members of the UK expedition team are expected to fly back to England, later this week. (Noel Sales Barcelona/CBCPNews)

A4
EDITORIAL

Opinion
Violent evictions

CBCP Monitor
April 23 - May 6, 2012

Vol. 16 No. 9

THE violent eviction of the urban poor huddled up in shanties for decades now at the Silverio Compound in Paraaque City was hideous. It happened in the sweltering morning of April 23, in front of cameras that broadcasted live on national TV to millions of viewers in the country and perhaps to some parts of the world. The scene was chaotic with the residents throwing stones at the demolition squads that retorted with truncheons, water cannons and arrests. But the shocker was when men in military outfit started strafing the poor residents with assault rifle like one would see at the video clips of the uprising in Libya or somewhere in the Arab spring. The sorry episode concluded with 4 dead allegedly from gunfire and more hurt. To be a citizen and resident of ones country without a formal housing is very unfortunate government neglect. But to be evictedand violently at thatfrom such lowliness is a gross misfortune that the political leaders, the wealthy business and the comfortable will never understand. As if these were not enough, some media that, of course, are controlled by the comfortably housed accused the residents of being infiltrated by the left and of not heeding the courts orderand therefore deserve to suffer such lot. Cases of violent demolitions in Metro Manila have been happening rather frequently now since the last two years. But a government whether local or national that is not able to address, but instead worsen, the basic necessities such as housing is certainly out of grips.

THE World Conference on Human Settlements, Habitat II, held in Istanbul in June 1996 focused humanitys attention on the need to seek an ever better harmony of development and economic progress with solidarity and concern for the less fortunate. And the Pope, as though speaking directly to our Philippine situation says, It is not right for anyonestill less for public authorities responsible for the common goodto disregard the tragic situation of so many individuals and entire families forced to live on the street or to be content with inhospitable, makeshift shelters. He adds, Ensuring a suitable habitat for everyone is demanded by the respect owed to every human being and, therefore, is a measure of civilization and the condition for a peaceful, fraternal society. (Pope John Paul IIs Angelus address on June l6, 1996, LOsservatore Romano, English Edition, N. 25; 19 June 1996, p.1). In the light of these words of the Pope, we appeal to the government to make sure that evictions are carried out in a truly humane manner and with adequate provision for suitable relocation. Many demolitions conducted supposedly to remove squatters from danger areas only move them to even more dangerous areas, and expose them to the elements. The affected people cry out that they are being transferred from danger zones to death zones. It must be acknowledged that the government has at times responded with compassion to the situation of affected persons and groups. But often also, it is perceived to act without sufficient sensitivity to the plight of the poor, especially when the demolitions come without sufficient warning, without provision for adequate relocation sites, and with brutality. We ask the people in government to scrupulously follow the provisions of law in the matter of demolitions. When relocation is necessary, let the evicted be relocated, whenever possible, in places near their sources of livelihood. Or, let the government with the help of private business and other concerned groups make provisions for employment and livelihood of those relocated. The government should also provide basic services in relocation places. Our plea for the humane treatment and humane relocation of those evicted does not signify disregard for the property rights of others. We are aware of the unjust encroachment of these property rights by professional squatters and criminal syndicates who set up structures and lease land to others to the prejudice of rightful land owners. Such violators must be dealt with strictly, according to the law. But those who are forced by necessity to build temporary dwellings on government land or on the properties of others should be treated with greater consideration in view of the fact that God made the earth and everything in it for the use of all persons and families, and the right to use takes precedence over the right of private ownership (Laborem Exercens, no. 14, and Acts and Decrees of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines, par. 301). Closely connected with the problem of demolitions is the need for adequate housing. We recognize that providing adequate housing for every person and family is not the responsibility only of government but of the whole community. The Church itself has sought to do its share and provide low-cost housing for the poor according to its capability. We wish to make a call to those who are in a position to supply low-cost housing to do so, or to continue doing so without, however, putting the price of houses beyond the reach of the people they are intended to help. For this reason we also appeal to the consciences of those in government and business to refrain from the giving and taking of bribes and from other corrupt deeds that increase the price of housing for the low-income groups and effectively deprive many of needed housing. Such acts of corruption certainly merit the condemnation of the Lord because they rob the public coffers and oppress the poor. The task of providing adequate housing for all families is a long process. The poor themselves must take their part responsibly and not alienate, for example, the land or housing given to them. The conflicts spawned by the clashes of interests cannot be remedied by legal solutions alone. Other non-legal solutions which involve consultation and dialogue are also necessary and should be explored. We ask the government to find out and address the causes of homelessness, such as the centralization of business and livelihood opportunities in the cities, and the conversion of agricultural lands for recreational and business purposes. We propose that the government, the Church, poor people, NGOs helping the homeless, agree to form a study body that will make a thorough analysis of the problems of homelessness, land and land use, eviction and resettlement, and recommend concrete solutions. The chairperson of this body should be acceptable to the government, the Church, the poor people affected, and the NGOs. --I was Homeless and You Took Me In, A CBCP Pastoral Statement on the Homeless, 1997

Oscar V. Cruz, DD

Views and Points

THUS says the title of a famous and much appreciated song that was repeatedly sang and delightfully heard some years back. The truth is that the song remains relevant and meaningful particularly in these times, in the Philippines. The song is religious in nature but also practical in application. It looks up to heaven, having earth well in mind. It elevates to the Divine what humans sadly experience and suffer from. It asks for healing because something is unwell, something hurts and begs for healing. What are the pains that need healing? What is wrong that needs to be made right? Who caused the pain and did the wrong? Sad to say, the answer to all the questions is the same. Said pitiful and detestable reality in the land is authored by the one and the same being: Man. It is man who broke and continues breaking the unity of and peace in land. And it is also man who suffers from such atrocity. This is in

Lord, Heal Our Land

regulated in their salaries and in the prices of the basic commodities they need and buy. The politicians are having all the fun while the people suffer and despair. The oligarchs have all the land while the farmers practically have none to cultivate, to earn from, to live by. Lord, heal our land heal our broken land. The government speaks much but does little. The administration makes a lot of declamations as well as disclaimers while the people have but debts to claim and socioeconomic opportunities to disclaim. Public offices have been successfully converted into personal resources. Public officials have become experts in self-service. Partisan politics are bitterly dividing the people. Ideologies are becoming more and more pernicious. Separatist movements have become more and more demanding. This is not to mention criminality all over the land. Lord, heal our land heal our broken land.

line with the Latin saying, Homo homini lupus. Literal translation: Man is a wolf to man. Liberal translation: Man acts with inhumanity to man. Practical translation: Man is mans own enemy. Lord, heal our heal our broken land. Behold some of the long since and well known existing realities in this country that not only divide but also break social peace on account of discontent: The few rich are becoming richer while the poor are becoming poorer. The few privileged clans are becoming more powerful while the ordinary citizens are becoming more helpless. As there are both local and foreign masters in the country, so too are there more Filipinos serfs. Lord, heal our land heal our broken land. The so-called deregulated multi-national business companies are raking in billions of pesos in profits while giving back practically nothing to the nationals who are well

Alive to the World modules on Sexuality Teaching

IN preparation for the coming school year, I have been asked to review a series of text books to be used from K-12. Yes, that is the in-word nowK-12 or Kindergarten to Level 12 following the new directive of DepEd that all schools, public and private, should implement starting this June. This will require a revision of many textbooks following the new curriculum in all subjects. In our search for appropriate materials for values formation, we came across a series called Alive to the World published by the Alliance for the Family headed by Christine Vollmer, a very active pro-life leader in Venezuela and member of the Pontifical Council for the Family in Rome. The main thrust of the series is to help young people to think intelligently about choices and consequencesvery important skills to achieve as we can see that the youth at present get into all kinds of unwholesome activities such as drugs, smoking, sex and gangs due to impulsive behavior. At age-appropriate levels, the modules help the children understand the concepts of family, friendship, peer pressure, romance, sex, love, marriage and implications like loyalty, patience, team work, personal responsibility, respect for others and their property, commitment, and fidelity, to name a few. Over time, they learn that virtues make sense, and that they form a coherent system, and that they open up a world of possibilities of health, happiness and progress. The pedagogy of Alive to the World is directed to the head, the heart and the hand.

Sr. Mary Pilar Verzosa, RGS

Love Life
It is a process of instructing the intelligence and the will, appealing to the emotions for each objective at each year level, and indicating appropriate behavior. The Golden Rule undergirds our reasoning, and humility, rather than pride, is shown to be the winners formula. As the young people read episodes that they can identify withfor example, borrowing and neglecting to return, or a homeless person asks them for help, or theres alcohol at a partythey have to reflect and talk about what they would do in the same situation. The schools that will use the modules are advised to use the series in all grade levels as it is progressive. It uses a storybased approach that captivates the pupils as a continuous story unfolds about a group of kids of the age of each grade level, addressing developmental and existential situations of that psychological level. The lessons are very participative. So teachers need to be trained to foster constructive and coherent classroom discussions. Each of the students text books has a companion book for the teacher or parent, wherein each chapter is explained with background material and expanded explanations to respond to the possible students questions. I was happy to learn that Rex Bookstore has been given the copyright to publish the entire Alive to the World series. We plan to organize a Teacher Training program before the beginning of the school year this June. Those interested can contact Pro-life office at 733-3027 or email at life@prolife.org.ph.

Fr. Roy Cimagala

www.cbcpmonitor.com cbcpmonitor@cbcpworld.net

Candidly Speaking
IM afraid we need to know more about the Gnostics, because even if they are an old, ancient phenomenon, and should be by now obsolete, the truth is that they still continue to thrive in our modern days of rapid and sophisticated developments. The effort, I believe, will be worthwhile. For one, because aside from being aware of their presence, we would be led to find ways of how to deal with them more effectively, inviting them to a continuing dialogue to calmly clarify issues and questions that relate to a very intimate part of our lifeour faith and religion. Our public discourse should not be limited only to things of politics and economics, technology and sociology. These topics are important, of course, but I believe it is even more important that we talk and discuss about faith and religion. For sure there will be many things to tackle, many differences and conflicts in ideas and practices to sort out and resolve. But at least if the discussion is made more public,

The new Gnostics

worshipping wooden images instead of God. Thats when, in a knee-jerk reaction, I clarified the matter. Still, the fellow persisted. He claimed he was Catholic before, but now converted into another religion which he considered to be more faithful to the Bible. I have encountered this kind of view before and as far as I am concerned, its already a settled matter, so I calmly commented that we just respect each others religious beliefs without attacking others. My idea was to avert unnecessary and acrimonious discussion. Still, he persisted, making more outlandish claims, like, that we should only believe in the Bible (sola Scriptura), not realizing that theres nothing in the Bible saying that only the Bible should the source of faith, and worse, not knowing that the Bible was based on oral Tradition before it was written. Thats when I got convinced that the discussion was not anymore about faith and religion, but rather about the state of ones mental health. And also, on the part
Candidly Speaking / A5

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

all parties would be made to abide by certain rules of engagement, so to speak, to make the whole exercise fit for our dignity as persons, who would know how to respect one another in spite of the differences. Its when things are kept hidden and unresolved that unnecessary explosions of pentup emotions and sub-human expressions can occur. If in political issues, great effort is made to resolve sharp differences among the parties involved, employing all sorts of diplomatic tack, I believe even greater effort should be made in our faith issues. Recently, I had the amusing if disturbing experience of getting into a thread of discussion in a social networking. Someone posted during Holy Week an image of Christ with welts all over his body after his scourging. It was meant for the others to appreciate its artistic and religious value. Many expressed their appreciation. I for my part at first did not make any comments. Then someone suddenly joined the conversation and accused everyoneCatholics, specificallyof

Illustration by Bladimer Usi

Caring for the homeless

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 9
April 23 - May 6, 2012

Opinion
New evangelization
flagellated and even crucified on Good Friday. Yet do they really live as true followers and disciples of Jesus? We have many pious government officials who are corrupt, abusive, immoral and unjust. Most of us have been baptized and Christianized. But not evangelized or truly converted. Our problem is not de-Christianization. Rather, we are not Christian enough. Our Christianity is nominal. Hence, there is indeed a need for new evangelization. More than 20 years ago, the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCP II) called for a renewed integral evangelization which includes: renewed catechesis, renewed worship and renewed social apostolate. It envisioned a renewed Churcha community of disciples, living in communion, participating in the mission of Christ as prophetic, priestly and servant community and as the Church of the Poor. This vision was to be realized through the formation of Basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs) which would be the locus and instrument of renewed evangelization. Today, BECs continue to expand all over the country. The BECs are building up a truly Christian culturea way of lifeat the grassroots. They are part of the creative minorities that are transforming the Church and society. They can be relied on to be agents of new evangelization. Benedict XVI acknowledged this in his address to Philippine bishops during their ad limina visit: In this context, the second Plenary Council of the Philippines continues to have beneficial effects, the result being that many dioceses have formed pastoral programs focused on conveying the good news of salvation. At the same time, it must be recognized that new initiatives in evangelization will only be fruitful if, by the grace of God, those proposing them are people who truly believe and live the message of the Gospel themselves. This is surely one of the reasons why basic ecclesial communities have had such a positive impact throughout the country. When formed and guided by people whose motivating force is the love of Christ, these communities have proven themselves to be worthy tools of evangelization as they work in conjunction with local parishes. The lineamenta (working document) for the coming Synod of Bishops speaks about the need to explore new ways of being church that will actively engage in new evangelization. The Church in the Philippines has already recognized that the Basic Ecclesial Communities are indeed a new way of being church.

A5
Fr. Francis Ongkingco

Fr. Amado L. Picardal, CSsR, SThD

Along The Way

ONE of the priorities adopted by Pope Benedict XVI is for the Church to engage in new evangelization. He established a new dicastery at the Vaticanthe Council for New Evangelizationheaded by Archbishop Rino Fisichella. The coming Synod of Bishops in Rome this October 2012 will focus on this theme. The call for new evangelization was first broached by John Paul II in view of the secularization and de-Christianization of Europe and other countries that used to be predominantly Christian. In the past evangelization was directed at peoples and nations that were nonChristians. This was referred to as missio ad gentes. John Paul II saw the need for a new evangelization or renewed evangelization directed at peoples and nations that have become Christian but were in the process of abandoning the faith or have taken it for granted. Benedict XVI continues this agenda. He believes that this is a priority not only for Europe or North America but for the whole world. That is why bishops from all over the world will gather and discuss how this can be carried out. What do we mean by new evangelization? In his address to the members of Council for New Evangelization, Benedict XVI said: The term New Evangelization speaks of the need for a renewed method of proclamation, especially for those who live in a context, such as the present one, in which the developments of secularization have left heavy traces even in countries with a Christian tradition. The New Evangelization will have to be responsible for finding the methods to make the proclamation of salvation more effective, without which personal existence remains in its state of contradiction, deprived of the essential. The question that comes to mind is: do we really need to engage in new evangelization when our situation is different from Europe? We have not been secularized or de-Christianized. Most of our people remain pious and religious. Yes, we still need to engage in evangelization for a different reason. What we have is a split-level Christianity and a seasonal Christianity. Our Christianity is evident during Sundays, fiestas, processions, Christmas and Holy Week. Indeed, the external trappings of Christianity are part of Philippine culture. The Christian culturethe way of life, values, ethics and behaviorseem to be absent in the day to day life of our people. We have people who desire to follow Christ literallyby having themselves

Whatever Ungodly Hunger Games

THE story slowly turned every page in my imagination and struck a new chapter of a heartbeat. The book was difficult to put down as I was more captivated by the characters who were casually but creatively introduced. I began to naturally associate with their personal and family dilemmas. I smoothly entered and blended into their world and destinies. I was swallowed in one gulp by the Hunger Games. The setting is the post-apocalyptic world of Panem, once known as the United States of America. This futuristic wasteland was created by mans insatiable greed for power. The appealing but harsh realism is just so intriguing: Panem can happen! In fact, it may already be happening in a smaller scale in some present totalitarian or socialistic states where mans innate dignity is abused. But in this dark futuristic world, Suzanne Collins weaves a story, though not entirely original, towards a more bizarre level. The districts tried to overturn Capitols tyranny but failed. The leaders punish the remaining districts by conceiving a more entertaining and unforgettable lesson: the Hunger Games. Naturally, this becomes the storys booster shot for the imagination and shifts ones adrenaline into full throttle! The games are bloody reality shows broadcasted for all the districts to helplessly view. The games have one goal: only one contestant is allowed to survive. They have become a cruel and psychological form of entertainment to suppress any further attempts of rebellion among the remaining districts. The lesson was clear and simple: rebellion will make you suffer by watching your own children butcher each another. The Capitol further adds a morbid seasoning to the games by constantly reinventing these staged massacres by marketing the players to sponsors. These wealthy and influential individuals support the candidate most likely to win. Thus, some players are overrated, others are given tragic-romantic backgrounds so that the viewers and sponsors will be more emotionally glued to the sweet choreography of carnage. The survivor (if there ever was one) will not only bring fame to his district. His or her victory will benefit the district in the form of abundant food and supplies for a year. Given this bloody incentive, some districts have specialized and geared themselves into brutal training grounds to have a better chance at winning the games. One or two members are rendered dispensable if a greater number of people will after all benefit in the end. Thus, an inevitable vicious cycle of butchery is created. Enter Katniss! The heroine of the story is a ray of hope that subtly dispels the deplorable mist of this socio-political hell. Despite the dreary world she lives in, she would not allow the games to control and mess up her own little world and her most valued treasures: her mother and her sister. Her life and character reveal that no socio-political structure is capable of annihilating and degrading her innermost gifts and aspirations. The Capitols suppression cannot extinguish her love for her family, her compassion for her friends, her fond memories of better days with her father and the mission she personally undertakeseven heroically offering her lifeto protect her family. In fact, they grow stronger every day. But Katniss resistance is faced by a more difficult trial. The only surviving oasis of hope and love she cradles is suddenly threatened and ravaged. In order to thwart this danger, she sacrifices herself to be reaped (chosen by lottery) as her districts representative for the Hunger Games. She is paired with a childhood acquaintance, Peeta. Together they must survive, that is, they either both get killed by the other contestants, or if they both survive they must fight each other to claim the prize. Katniss new ordeal to survive further reveals how the inner hunger in every human person goes beyond the want for food and clothing. In the full swing of defying the onslaught of the others competitors, the story continues to reveal her genuine longings, and her growing sentiments for Peeta, even though at first they are simply asked to act out their being romantically involved. Their struggle to survive is perhaps, another attractive touch to the story because problems are not hurdled through magic or technology, but with sincere human virtue and sacrifice. Despite this, however, there is still a missing element that the borders of the pages of the story seem to prevent from wandering into any chapter, page, paragraph or line. Where is the natural hunger for the divine, that is, for God. Is it possible that the very core of his spiritual values and convictions are also eradicated? In other words, will there be point in mans existence which will no longer require Gods existence. At least this is what the story alludes to. One cannot a single reference or mention of Katniss resorting to prayer, hoping in or expressing some spiritual aid. There is only hunger for what is human at the lowest, to surviveand nothing for the divine. Although Suzanne Collins skillfully weaves her story, it leads one to conclude that mans existence is reduced for his own sake. Mans life is imprisoned within the emo-material confines of this world. This is only possible within the Hunger Games, that is, an artificially crafted society that isolates man from any divine stroke. But what will answer and fulfill mans eternal longing for happiness, for integrity and immortality, and a love that is beyond the ephemeral state offered by the worlds mechanized and digital realities? Without divine longings for Divinity, mans lifeas it is portrayed by Katnisss life and worldwill be one sickening illusion of an existence that will constantly feed on inner material cravings. These will bore like ulcers with a gnawing emptiness that can only be artificially soothed by making man constantly forget his innate hunger for God. And his natural hunger will then feed on the senseless game he has converted his solitary existence into. Katniss, try praying! God exists!
Candidly Speaking / A4

Learning the Disaster Risk Reduction Management

THE Diocese of Kalookans Commission on Social Services and Development and Caritas Kalookan, headed by Most Rev. Bishop Deogracias S. Iiguez, Jr. and Rev. Fr. Rufino Gigi Yabut, held a Congress on Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM). The participants are Diocesan clergy, religious, officers and members of the Council of the Laity, Diocesan Commissions and Ministries, Parish Pastoral Council. Actively involved in making the Congress a success were SSDMs Overall Lay Coordinator Ms. Susan dela Cruz and Human Resources Coordinator Mr. Godorico Miranda. Keynote Speaker is no less than Hon. Richard Gordon, former Senator and incumbent Chairman of the Philippine Red Cross, who educated the participants on what to do in times of typhoons, floods, earthquakes, fire, emergency and other forms of natural and man-made disaster and calamities. Sector and Advocacy Coordinator from De La Salle University (DLSU) lectured about the natural hazards (hydro-meteorological, geological and biological) stating that in the years 2010 and 2011, the Philippines is Top 1 in having experienced the most disasters in the world. Ms. Isabel Lanada, DRRM Program Coordinator of DLSU talked about the Philippine vulnerabilities to Disaster and discussed on how to understand disaster risk reduction. Bro. Roland D. G. Sevilla drew the plan of action and the organization of DRRM Team in the Diocese in preparation for the Dioceses 3-days training for trainors from April 27 to 29, 2012; they will re-echo to the different parishes, organizations and ministries what they have learned about risk reduction and how to cope up in emergency cases. We encourage the local government units to sponsor such kind of training in their respective jurisdiction; everyone must always be ready when calamities strike. *** The Executive Secretaries of the differ-

Atty. Aurora A. Santiago

Duc in Altum
Diocese is celebrating its Golden Jubilee where anyone who passes through the Door will have plenary indulgence. Inside the Chapel at the Bishops Residence is the relic of Blessed John Paul II. Many thanks to the hospitality of Fr. Mar Arenas of the Shrine of Divine Mercy; Fr. Monique Cadiz of San Ildefonso, Guiguinto, Bulacan; Fr. Bobby Mariano of Mt. Carmel of Sabang, Baliwag, Bulacan; and Bishop Jose Oliveros of the Diocese of Malolos for the sumptuous snacks, lunch, dinner and breakfast. *** We congratulate the Councils of the Laity of the Diocese of Malolos and the Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Princesa (Palawan) through its President Bro. Amor Urrutia and Bro. Roland E. Baldonado, respectively, who are actively involved in the formation of their officers and members. The officers of Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas (Laiko) will visit them and give talk about Laikos Vision-Mission, Structure and Membership, Programs and Services. *** Congratulations to my nephew Roberto Enrico Eric S. Imperial who graduated from the University of the Philippines with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Industrial Pharmacy. Eric is Top 4 of his Batch. Birthday greetings to Fr. Jun Bartolome, Christopher Jeffrey Jeff Aytona, OP, Fr. Ric Torrefiel, Fr. Tony Nopasa, Fr. Benedict Cervantes, Fr. Rudy Abao, Fr. Joey Guinto and Ryan Rezo, all from the Diocese of Kalookan; and to my brothers-in-law Cel Rosales and Bobbie Imperial. Happy Sacerdotal Anniversary to Fr. Ruben J. Maybuena and Fr. Eleno Balboa, PFM also of the Diocese of Kalookan. Condolence to the family of my auntie Judge Delfina Hernandez-Santiago of Caloocan City; Fr. Jojo Aguas for the demise of his father Primitivo; also to Fr. Jeff Aytona, OP for the death of his grandmother Lola Segunda.

ent Episcopal Commissions of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), together with its staff and youth representatives, held its two-day Easter Recollection and Excursion. The group was headed by the CBCP Oeconomus Most Rev. John Du, whose installation as the new Archbishop of Palo, Leyte is on May 09, 2012; also heading the group were the newly-installed CBCP Secretary-General Rev. Monsignor Joselito Asis and Assistant Secretary-General Rev. Marvin Mejia. The group prayed the rosary seeking the intercession of Mother Mary so that the North Korean launch of its missile will not have bad effect in the Philippines. As we all know, the launch failed. Praise the Lord! The group had a stop-over at the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy at Marilao, Bulacan. Abp. John Du presided over the Mass, with Msgr. Joselito Asis, Fr. Marvin Mejia, Fr. Edwin Corros, Fr. Kune Garganta, Fr. Alex Bautista and Fr. Roger Orpiada as concelebrants. Fr. Mar Arenas, the Parish Priest and Rector of the Shrine toured the group where there are more than life-size stations of the cross, replica of the house in Poland of Blessed John Paul II, St. Faustinas Chapel, Museum of St. Maximilian Kolbe, our Lady of Black Madonna, and the exhibit of paintings of the famous painter Joey Velasco who was known for his Hapag-asa Last Supper. The group then proceeded to 8 Waves Resort in San Rafael, Bulacan for the Easter Recollection. Fr. Roger of the Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Makati City was the Recollection Master; he gave personality test to the participants, the result of which was very revealing. The following day, the group proceeded to the Malolos Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception where Most Rev. Bishop Jose Oliveros toured the group to its historicalladen church and convent where the Philippine Revolutionary Government headed by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo held its session. We entered the Jubilee Door of the Churchthe

Fr. Carmelo O. Diola

Spaces of Hope
MAYOR Celso Lobregat of Zamboanga City stood up and quipped: There is a new meaning to the word PNP Pulis N Pari. He was referring to a running tandem that had just finished a run of their lives. I accompanied Samson R. Tucay, as he ran the length of the Maharlika Highway, now know as Asian Highway (AH) 26. We are an odd couple, to borrow the title of a Philippine Daily Inquirer article last year. He is a retired 59 year old PNP general while I am a diocesan priest from Cebu who volunteered to keep him company. He represents running; I represent prayer. But he makes me run and I make him to pray more. In our daily fora, we called on Filipinos to combine prayer and fitness as foundations for good citizenship and leadership. We started in Laoag City on August 8, 2011 and ended in Zamboanga City last March 23, 2012, about seven months later. By the time we finished, our team had completed 2387 kilometers or about 83% of the total length of the Maharlika Highway. Sadly, due to security concerns there were stretches, particularly in Mindanao, where we were not allowed to run through. How true the words of a very consoling poem, Lead Kindly Light, by the 19th century thinker, John Cardinal Newman!: Lead, kindly Light, amid thencircling gloom, lead Thou me on! The night is dark, and I am far from home; lead Thou me on! Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see

The PNP
The distant scene; one step enough for me. *** Takbo Maharlika took us through 11 regions, 30 provinces, 13 chartered cities outside NCR, and in Metro Manila, from Valenzuela City through EDSA to Muntinglupa. We were awed by the alluring natural and manmade beauty of our countryside and felt very sad at how we have become our worst enemies by throwing our garbage everywhere and by the conflicts we continue to have. How broken is our beautiful Motherland! We ran and walked with at least 30 thousand police officers, soldiers, barangay officials, students, pastors, priests, and other Filipinos, and shared TM advocacy to at least 50 thousand who attended our 160 or more fora. At least 90% of our hosts were friendly. We met many inspiring individuals along the way. Bishops and priests shared with us not just their food and residence but also friendship and laughter. This made us most comfortable and most welcomed, no matter how simple the amenities were. We are grateful for many other blessings from God. We finished the run in one piece. There were no major or minor accidents despite running through major thoroughfares with vehicular traffic. No untoward incident. No ambush either. Gen. Sam and I are still friends despite being two-beyond-middle-aged, headstrong men sharing lodging for nearly seven months. Our two vehicles held up and we did not have to sleep in them although
Spaces of Hope / A7

of the Catholics who took on his ravings, about some wounded pride. It would have been far better just to let him rave to his hearts content and we just prayed that some sense would get into his head. But my Catholic friends, perhaps in some misplaced religious fervor, took his bait. And so the discussion, given the persons conditions, deteriorated into some verbal street brawls. That incident made me think also about the Gnostics of old. They were a very peculiar people, who lived even during the pre-Christian era and who believed that by some strange knowledge that only they exclusively possessed, they would be the only ones to be saved, while all the others were condemned. They believed that material things were necessarily evil.

They did not submit themselves to any authority except their own selves in things related to their beliefs. And they were quite aggressive in their religious arrogance and self-righteousness. With those conditions, of course, though they had followers, they simply became cults, or isolated religious groups that usually employed questionable psychological means to gain and control adherents. This phenomenon, I am afraid, is happening even now. I am afraid we are having a resurgence of the Gnostics. And thats why, while we have to accord everyone due respect, we also need to bring things to the open, so everything becomes clear. As the Bible says, truth and goodness frolic in the light, while evil likes to stay in the dark. Evil comes to the open only under heavy guises.

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Local News
THE Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has joined the chorus of those criticizing the aggressive promotion of mining in Bicol region. In a statement released this week, the CBCPs National Secretariat for Social ActionJustice and Peace declared that mining is likely to create more havoc than its supposed benefits to the communities. Signed by Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo, Nassas chairman, the statement warned on minings ill-effects, citing possible contamination of body of waters and risking human and marine lives. Mining operations continue to bring irreplaceable damage to the environment, economic dislocation and catastrophe, as well as health impacts to the people of Bicol, said Pabillo. The bishop issued the statement as Nassa raised its strong support on the anti-mining initiatives and campaign of Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes in Bicol region. Bastes reiterated that the negative effects of mining far outweigh its supposed gains, as proven in many regions and countries. The Nassa also said that the island topography in the region proves that it is impossible for mining to be sustainable and responsible in the region. It cited a report from Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration that Bicol has Typhoon II classification, and has massive iron sulfide rock formation in the geo-chemical composition. Under the Public-Private Partnership Program, Bicol is part of the Top Priority Mining Projects under its Mining Revitalization Program and National Mining Policy, and has five out 24 priority mining projects. The top 2 mining projects in Rapu-Rapu and Masbate have been declared Patented Mining Claims, which give the foreign Transnational Mining Corpora-

CBCP Monitor
April 23 - May 6, 2012

Vol. 16 No. 9

CBCP joins fray vs mining in Bicol

tion the right and privilege to use public lands and to extract their own mineral ore. According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), 1.3 million hectares or 74.62% of the total land area in the region have been approved for mining operations. We are reminded that we are only Stewards of Gods creation, and are invited to put an end to injustice and embrace God as the Lord of all, said Pabillo. We support the efforts and initiatives of the diocese of Sorsogon and other anti-mining support groups against mining activities in the Bicol region, he said. (CBCPNews)

This October 2005 file photo shows the mine tailings dam of Lafayette Mining that caused a massive fish kill in some areas along Albay Gulf.

Archbishop calls on youth to stand vs RH bill

THE newly appointed head of the Archdiocese of Palo, Leyte, Most Rev. John Forrosuelo Du, DD, called on the youth recently to stand firm and oppose the RH bill. I encourage them (youth) to go and to join, to support all anti-RH [initiatives]. I assure them of my prayers and the prayers of our people. I am one with them. I am supporting them, the prelate said. Pope Benedict XVI named the 57-yearold Du on February 25 as successor of Archbishop Jose Palma, who was transferred to the Archdiocese of Cebu in October 2010. Palma referred to the new Palo Archbishop as a prayerful person after the election. I am most happy with the appointment of archbishop-elect John Du because I know him to be a prayerful person, Palma remarked. Du reiterated that he will continue what Palma has started. Whatever [has been] started by Bishop Palma I am going to continue. I stand for the Church against RH bill, he said. We will have friendly conversations with our legislators. I really look for a peaceful, friendly and prayerful way of convincing our people to oppose the bill. If we are going to a rally well make it a prayerful rally, the prelate added. I ask people to pray and well continue to educate our people through seminars or forums, even in small numbers, so that they can really understand why we are against the RH bill. Well do it especially in schools. A native of Bantayan, Cebu, Du was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Cebu on Jan. 6, 1998 and Bishop of Dumaguete on April 21, 2001. (CBCP for Life)

FILE PHOTO

Vatican doctrinal offices documents now online

THE main documents of the Vaticans Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith can now be accessed online. In this way, the Congregation, tasked with safeguarding Catholic doctrine, hopes to facilitate the consultation of its documents. The website is actually a revision of its old one but with a new domain to disseminate all of its documents published since the Second Vatican Council. For some time now the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has been trying to improve both the accessibility and the dissemination of its documents, said William Cardinal Levada, prefect of the sacred congregation. In this way it hopes to encourage the faithful reception of these documents within the Church and beyond, he added in a letter to the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines. The congregation said that making the documents more available will have significant value in communicating Church teaching around the world. The website organizes the doctrinal, disciplinary and sacramental
Mangrove / A1

Divine Mercy promotes Chaplet 1st Habit

ASIDE from praying the Three Oclock prayer during the Hour of Mercy, the Catholic faithful is called to make it a habit to also pray the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy during their waking hour. Fr. Mario Arenas, rector of the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy, reiterated this call to the Catholic faithful during the celebration of the Divine Mercy Sunday, April 15. Arenas, who is also the national director for Divine Mercy Apostolate in the Philippines, said he first launched the Chaplet 1st Habit advocacy in December after attending an inspirational Divine Mercy congress in Poland last year. He said praying the Three Oclock prayer during the Hour of Mercy is not all there is to the devotion to the Divine Mercy, but also praying the Chaplet prayer, which St. Faustina chronicled from the many conversations she has with God. Praying the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy was specially intended for the dying, hardened sinners and special needs during calamities but Arenas said people should pray it first thing in the morning to entrust the rest of their day to the Divine Mercy. Pray the Chaplet first thing in the morning, upon waking up, because we will never know what will happen during the day, he said. So why not put ourselves in the mercy of God? Arenas said a lot of faithful has testified to the changes that praying the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy has caused in their days and lives. Somehow, praying the chaplet will stabilize our feelings and thoughts and makes us see things in a different way, he added. Praying the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy can be with a Chaplet Rosary or an ordinary Rosary used in meditating the life of Jesus Christ. The instructions in praying the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy is as follows: 1. Begin with the Sign of the Cross, 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary and The Apostles Creed. 2. Then on the Our Father Beads say the following: Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world. 3. On the 10 Hail Mary Beads say the following: For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world. (Repeat step 2 and 3 for all five decades). 4. Conclude with (three times): Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world. Arenas encouraged the faithful to pray the Chaplet, adding that it will only take three minutes to pray it. A Tagalog version of the Chaplet prayer is available at www.divinemercyshrine-ph. com. (YouthPinoy)

documents both chronologically and by theme. Attentive reception of these texts is important for all the faithful and in particular for those who are engaged in theological and pastoral work in the name of the Church, it said. The major documents of the congregation are available in Latin, French, English, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, German and Polish. Some documents are also available in Hungarian, Slovak, Czech, and Dutch, but the work of adding other translations continues. To date, each document is available in its original language as well as in some translations. The new domain also presents information about the book series Documents and Studies, individual printed volumes of major documents with commentaries by theologians. The website also features various speeches and other publications by the congregation prefects, among whom were Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger before his election as Pope Benedict XVI. The congregations website is now available at http://www.doctrinafidei.va. (CBCPNews)

Young people protest vs Bulacan landfill

HUNDREDS of youth protesters called for the closure of the V.G. Landfill in Bulacan in a rally held last April 20. A motorcade was held from two different districts and merged at one of the gates of the landfill for an ecumenical service. Fr. Anacleto Ignacio, parish priest of San Pedro Apostol in Brgy. Tungkong Mangga who is also president of Kilusang Tutol sa V.G. Puyat Landfill at ibang LGUs Inc. (KILOS) said their protest was held because of the failure of the provincial and city government and DENR to close the landfill despite repeated calls for its shutdown. Protesters made a human barricade at one of the gates to stop any garbage truck in entering the said facility. Some 300 young people from the newly formed Student and Youth NetCanonization / A1

work Oppose (SAY NO) to V.G. Puyat Landfill were among the people who joined the barricade. SAY NO is an organization composed of young people from different parishes, barangays and youth groups which mainly focuses on fighting against putting up landfills in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan. Ignacio also said that the landfill, being privately owned would not give service to the community but rather, will just be used to generate profits. Other local government units in Bulacan have been availing the use of the landfill and lately it opened to accept garbage from Caloocan City to achieve their agreement with LandBank to produce methane gas. Sharaigne Chairaya, a youth leader from San Pedro Apostol Parish said they knew it was risky to join the rally

but the youth wanted to voice out their stand against this issue. They believed that the landfill will greatly affect the youth sector and future generations of San Joseos. The landfill is situated near a residential community and water treatment facility of the citys water district. The proximity of the landfill to the water treatment facility poses a high risk of pollution and contamination that can cause air and water borne diseases. To keep the crowd going from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m., a youth gig was held where young people showcased religious, cultural and pop dances and song numbers. Protesters voluntarily dispersed after the prayer vigil done from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. the following day, April 21. (Ryan Rayos/Jandel Posion)

vember 20 where the national thanksgiving mass is set to happen, Mejia said. The Church official confirmed that a national activity will connect the two events, called the Duaw Nasud or the National Visit of the image of St. Pedro Calungsod. He also said that the image is set to visit the first four ecclesiastical jurisdictions in the Philippines at the time of Calungsods martyrdom in 1672the archdiocese of Manila, dioceses of Cebu, Nueva Caceres and Nueva Segovia. The duaw nasud will start a month after the canonization of Pedro Calungsod.
Distribution / A1

We will be bringing the image from North to South of the country. But first, after the arrival of the image from Rome, which will be days after the canonization, there will be a grand reception here in Manila. It will be flown to Vigan for a motorcade down South, crossing Matnog in Northern Samar and passing by Leyte going to Northern Mindanao. It will also pass by Negros, Capiz, Iloilo, Tagbilaran and Cebu, he added. The main purpose of the nationwide visit is to introduce the saint to the Filipino people and to promote the devotion to him.

When asked about what patron saint will Pedro Calungsod be, Mejia said that it is during the canonization that he will be declared as a patron saint. He could be patron saint of the Filipino youth because he was a lad when he died or could be the patron saint of OFWs, [since] he worked under the Jesuit missionaries in Guam; or of lay missionaries. But I am sure that he could be a model to every Filipino on more important things in life, like Pedro Calungsod who had offered his life for us and for the faith, the priest said. Calungsods feast day is

on April 2. A delegation is also organized for the canonization. A group from Manila, Cebu and Rome will be present during the canonization process which will be the biggest delegation after St. Lorenzo Ruiz de Manilas canonization on 1987. Mejia furthered that CBCP president and Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, together with Cebu-Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal and Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila, accompanied by many bishops in the country will attend the canonization of Pedro Calungsod. (Jandel Posion)

lucid testimony that the national government project billed as National Greening Program (NGP) is just a lip service and public image building publicity for President Benigno Simeon Aquino III and the equally detested environmental agency. Prior to this, the Aquino government had promised to plant 1.6 billion trees on 1.5 million-hectare of forests in the country as part of the said National Greening Program. On the other hand, Pamalakaya also urged the members of the House of Representatives to immediately craft a law that criminalizes the cutting of mangrove trees by powerful officials and corporate clients of the State. It is about time that Philippine legislation seriously considers the ban on massive cutting of mangrove trees by the national and local governments and their aquaculture clients. These mangrove trees serve as natural barriers to phenomenon like climate change, storm surge, sea-level rise to mention a few, France said. France furthered that the utilization of mangrove forests should be strictly bestowed to small fishermen and they should be provided with environmental guidance and scientific knowhow on how to vastly improve their indigConvention / A1

enous skills in protecting mangrove forests, aside from the usual greening program. Prior to this, Pamalakaya members and officers allegedly had a confrontation with some members of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) as they accused the latter of uprooting 400 old mangrove trees and another 200 new mangrove trees in the 1.5 hectare mangrove forest in Barangay Hukay in Calatagan, Batangas. Pamalakaya argued that the PAF plans to erect a permanent base for counter-insurgency purposes and as military support to multi-million beach resort project in the area. Calatagan is being groomed as one of the tourism hotspots in the Southern Tagalog region, aside from the existing tourist spots in Nasugbu and other parts of the Batangas province. Moreover, Pamalakaya said the massive mangrove cutting in the country has been on alarming rate despite the DENRs program on mangrove tree planting. In Manila Bay, the remaining 175-hectare mangrove area known as Las Pinas-Paraaque Lagoon will be uprooted to give way to casino and entertainment center projects, France said. (Noel Sales Barcelona)

serious about this he will be hero to the people, Pabillo said. He then challenged Aquino to break free from his family interests and immediately order the process of identification of farmer-beneficiaries. Support services The bishop said the government must also provide adequate support services to the farmers because without it, the farmers victory to get the land they have long been fighting for is useless. Nananawagan tayo sa Pangulo ngayong may golden opportunity na sa harap niya, kung itoy talagang

kanyang seseryosohin na ipatupad ang sinabi ng Supreme Court na magiging bayani siya, magiging dakila sya sa harap ng mga tao, said Pabillo. Pero kung papabayaan niya ito ay magiging masamang bahid sa kanyang pangalan. Kaya nasa kanya ngayon ang pagpapasya, sana makapagpasya sya ng maayos at gamitin ang pwersa ng pamahalaan upang tulungan ang mga mahihirap, he said. Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac is owned by the Cojuangco clan, the family of Aquinos late mother, former President Corazon Cojuangco Aquino. Saying that time is of the essence,

Pabillo has been urging the SC to order immediate transfer of land titles of the Hacienda Luisita to the farmers. He said the SC must issue the order as initial step leading to the issuance of the Certificate of Land Ownership Awards to the farmers. Napakagandang balita po ang ating narinig mula sa Supreme Court kaya kino-congratulate ko ang mga justices lalung-lalo na ang walong bumoto sa valuation ng 1989, Pabillo added. Ito ay matagal ng usapin halos limampung taon na ito at sa wakas ngayon ay nabigyan ng hatol ng Supreme Court, he said.

The ratification of C189 is both a response and an action to the changing needs of domestic workers, encouraging the installation of local and international standards, Pabillo said. Our government would furthermore inspire other countries to do the same. More importantly, the protection of the domestic workers would help ensure and enhance a more dignified work for many of our Filipinos, he said. From the Basic Facts on Filipino Domestic Workers of the Visayan Forum Foundation, estimates of the number of domestic workers in the Philippines ranges from roughly 600,000 to 2.5 million. In 2008, nearly 54,000 Filipinos were deployed overseas as domestic workers, as new hires. Overseas domestic
Protection / A1

workers are among the top remitters in the past years. Female laborers and unskilled workers sent home P13 billion in 2007, that has doubled from 2001 with nearly P6.5 billion. Since very many of our Filipino people especially women are engaged in domestic work as an occupation both here and abroad, we seek for the protection of their rights, [and] promotion of their safety [to] decrease their vulnerability to abuse and exploitation, said Pabillo. The protection from forced labor and trafficking is equally important. The government needs to safeguard the lives of Filipino domestic workers and their families. Domestic work has dignity and this should be recognized, he said. (CBCPNews)

criminal justice system has failed to bring justice in 55 journalist murders in the past decade. I hope this will serve as a challenge to the government to improve the image of our country, he said. I hope this will also serve as a challenge to our journalists that despite the violence committed against them, they will continue

[to] defend the truth, added Lagdameo. The CPJ said that at least 55 unresolved murders have been recorded in the Philippines, while Iraq has 93 unsolved murders. Though Somalia had only 11, it placed second because it had only 9.3 million people compared to the Philippines 93.3 populations. (CBCPNews)

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 9
April 23 - May 6, 2012

Diocesan News

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Bacolod`s JPII Institute launches new course on marriage and family

BACOLOD CityThe Pope John Paul II National Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Bacolod launched on April 16 the new summer course on Masters of Education in Marriage and Family which will entail four weeks of studies for four consecutive summers. The holding of summer courses on Masters of Education in Marriage and Family was one of the resolutions decided on by the diocesan directors and staffs of the Family and Life Ministry during a conference organized by Pope John Paul II National Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family held in Bacolod last February 13 to 17, according to Fr. Ronald Quijano, Academic Dean of the Institute. It was observed during the conference that many professionals who would like to serve in the Family and Life ministry in their dioceses do not usually have the time to devote for training during the regular academic year, thus the need for summer courses. Students who have enrolled in the maiden course this summer come from as far as the diocese of Laoag in Northern Luzon. Julie Anne Respicio and Shery Dumancas of St. William Cathedral Parish in Laoag City said they decided to go Bacolod City to enroll in the Masters of Education in Marriage and Family because they were encouraged by Fr. Jojo Alnas, the director of the Commission on Family and Life in their diocese. Fr. Alnas was among the 150 delegates coming from 33 dioceses who earlier attended the February conference on Blessed John Paul IIs Nuptial Theology: Call to Family Ministry, Agenda for Humanity. Almost all of the students of the new summer course are already involved in the family and life ministry of their respective dioceses or parishes while one enrollee is currently a teacher of Education in Colegio San Agustin in Bacolod City. Ma. Cristina Velez of Colegio San Agustin said that she felt the need to train in Masters of Education in Marriage and Family because of so many issues and concerns that she had observed among her students and their families in the course of her teaching career. St. Mary Magdalene Parish in Hinigaran, Negros Occidental, is well represented with three students in the program. Lerio Prael, Grace Marie Tayopon and Paul Drake Pelagio enrolled in the summer course to be better equipped in preparing couples and the youth in their parish and in the parochial school for marriage and family life. Fr. Nitodel Soriano, in-charge of Library Services of the Institute and author of Marriage: An Indissoluble Communion of Life and Love, explained that those who undergo training in the Masters of Education in Marriage and Family of the Institute will be capable in giving seminars and recollections and counselling couples and families, aside from teaching in schools. The course will empower the students to face all types of challenges in the family and life ministry, he said. For those who are more inclined to dedicate themselves in research and in the academe the Masters of Education in Marriage and Family program will train them to deepen the awareness of the truth about marriage and family in the light of faith and with the aid of various human sciences. The graduates of the regular course of the Masters of Education in Marriage and Family program from the past years now serve in various places and capacities, Fr. Soriano said, such as in the Family and Life ministries in Myanmar and in Thailand. Some graduates are even working in the local government of their respective cities or provinces. For the summer of 2012, the course will run from April 16 until May 6. The subject for April 16 to April 21 is Sacramentality of Marriage and on April 23 to April 28 the subject is Marriage in Sacred Scriptures, followed with Theological and Philosophical Anthropology. For the summer of 2013, the subjects are Marriage according to the Documents of the Magisterium, Foundations of Education and Canon Law and the
www.cbcpforlife.com

The JPII National Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family hosted in February this year a five-day national conference on the topic Blessed John Paul IIs Nuptial Theology: A Call to Family Ministry, Agenda for Humanity. Around 150 participants involved in family ministry attended the conference.

Family Code of the Philippines. The subjects for the summer of 2014 are Methods of Research, Foundations of Moral Christian Life and Development Psychology. For the 2015 term, the subjects are BioEthics, Psychology/Pedagogy of the Family and Anatomy and Physiology. The summer courses will be open to new students in the coming years offered with very attractive features. Students are given the chance to study with no charges for tuition as well as for board and lodging while enrolled during the summer course in Bacolod. Only P 5,000 for miscellaneous and entrance examination fees are needed for enrollment for the Masters of Education

in Marriage and Family at the Pope John Paul II National Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family. Graduates of the summer courses on Masters of Education in Marriage and Family will be given a degree by the University of St. La Salle Bacolod that will qualify them to teach or be employed in all types of institutions either civil or ecclesiastical. Anyone interested to avail the summer course may get additional information by contacting John Paul II National Institute Academic Dean Fr. Ronald Quijano or Asst. Academic Dean Menchie Tan at (034) 434-8396, email jpnatin@yahoo.com or visit www.usls. edu.ph/pjp. (Fr. Mickey Cardenas)

Mati rural folks urge responsible stewardship on Earth Day

MATI CityThe rural folk of Mati paid homage to mother Earth in an Earth Day celebration calling for a responsible environmental stewardship. Spearheaded by the Benedictines for Peace (BFP) the celebration was held on April 16, a week ahead of April 22s global commemoration of Earth Day. Sr. Carmela Mitaran of the Order of St. Benedict (OSB) led the activities, explaining that the BFP organization is an alliancetype association of individuals and families mostly from the grassroots, united in a common endeavor to address the culture of violence and nurture a civilization of peace. She said the organization pursues a peace building mandate together with the enlightened and the organized poor towards the protection of our environment. With the theme Panalipdan Mo ang Kinaiyahan isip Piniyalan para sa Kalinaw ug Kalamboan (You Protect the Environment as Steward of Peace and Development), a caravan of rural folks paraded in truckloads and jeeploads from the remotest town of Banaybanay to Mati City. Kagawads Maria Fe Matibo and Bebing Arpon gave orientation and explained the days program to the 200 plus participants composed of adults, mostly women, and the younger set of teeners and children at the St. Therese Gym at the Clergy House Compound in Madang. Representatives from women religious, academe and the Catholic Media TCTV and DXHM-AM/DXDV-FM also joined the affair. Mati Bishop Patricio H. Alo welcomed and thanked the Earth Day Group even as he urged everyone to constantly stand for Life and [witness] to the daring example of the CrucifiedRisen Lord, who sparks hope for a bright tomorrow so long as we dont quit but bravely bear the Cross of suffering to attain true Freedom and PeaceJesus Kingdom alive! Mr. Juland Suazo, an educator from the Ateneo de Davao University and member of Panalipday, Southern Mindanao, delivered a bilingual power point presentation focused on the Realities of Mining in the World and in the Philippines. He explained to participants the history, types and laws of mining, its pitfalls and dangers, Oplan Bayanihan, democratic deficit, and the consequent need for good governance and reforestation, where the Philippines should have 56% reforested area, but actually has only 8.6%. The keynote speaker also clarified the system of power generation-transmission-distribution, when concerns about the reported power crisis in Mindanao came up during the open forum. He said that there is enough supply in Mindanao, but the artificial power shortage is due to the sale of the hydro power plant complex to the private sector (Aboitiz/Alcantara) which imposes a tremendous high cost that is beyond the common taos capacity. Creative entertainment in song-dance-drama was also supplied by different talents, ending in a 3 p.m. Caravan and Walk (Baktas) around the main city streets and short messages condemning destructive logging and mining activities. (Sr. Marietta Alo, OND)

Briefing
150 young leaders join youth camp

BACOLOD City More than 150 youth leaders participated in a camp for young people held at Don Bosco Technical Institute, Victorias City last April 15 to 17. Spearheaded by the newlyformed Victorias Vicariate Youth Council, composed of Youth Leaders from the parishes/chaplaincies of the Vicariate, the gathering aimed to instill among the young a sense of leadership and mission. Fr. Lou-an Torrefranca, Victorias Vicariate Director for Youth Ministry said that to be servant-leaders to our fellow youth, we need to become people of faith with a sense of mission. (Fr. Deogracias Aurelio V. Camon)
Malolos youth ministers gather for annual diocesan conference

MALOLOS CityMore than 50 youth leaders within the diocese of Malolos gathered for the annual diocesan conference for youth ministers that took place at La Jardin, Baliuag, Bulacan last April 11-14. This years conference talked about the basic course in the youth ministry which was facilitated by Fr. Mario Antonio Villegas Baclig, SDB, which mainly explains the new paradigm of youth ministry to meet the needs of the youth today. Youth participants underwent workshops that identify the needs of their fellow youth in their respective parishes and vicariates. (Ryan Rayos/Jandel Posion)
Parish holds writing workshop for students

Bishop urges seminarians to be men of prayer

BORONGAN CityPrayer is a way of life and an important component of a personal relationship with God, Borongan Bishop Crispin Varquez told seminarians in an assembly, April 14. Varquez has advised seminarians gathered during the 38th Borongan Major Seminarians Organization (BORMASO) General Assembly to keep their personal encounter with the Risen Jesus alive by being men of prayer. Encounter the Risen Christ! You will never be able to continue your journey to the priesthood unless you personally encounter the Lord who was raised from the dead, he said. The BORMASO General Assembly was held at the Seminario de Jesus Nazareno from April 14 to April 17. Varquez strongly reminded the seminarians to take their life of prayer seriously, to
Spaces of Hope / A5

regularly hear Mass, and most especially, to unceasingly deepen their personal relationship with God. You never take summer breaks in your prayer life. Relationship needs constant encounter, the bishop said. Varquez has always been present in every gathering of BORMASO which convenes for a week every April. BORMASO is comprised of college and theology seminarians of the Borongan Diocese. The organization holds an annual summer gathering, aside from the Christmas outreach and Post-Apostolate evaluation, to foster brotherhood and camaraderie among seminarians especially since they are sent to different theological seminaries. The annual assembly becomes a venue where seminarians pray and discern together, enjoy the company of each other, learn

more, and renew together their commitment to follow Christ who calls them by name. Besides keeping the bond of Borongans future priests stronger, the annual assembly also provides welcome rites for new applicants to the organization. Theme of the gathering was Proclaiming the Word of God in the modern world in season and out of season. In the world of facebook and twitter accompanying the fast-paced technological advancement, the seminarians set foot to take part in the big task of evangelization. Among the speakers invited to share their thoughts about Gospel proclamation in the digital world was Msgr. Pedro Quitorio, media director of Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), himself an SJN alumnus. Another highlight of the occasion was a basketball game between the seminarians and Borongan clergy. (CBCPNews)

SAN PABLO City St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish of the Diocese of San Pablo held a workshop on basic news writing for some 42 students of various schools in the hope of training them to become news contributors to the parish newsletter. The participants, many of whom would be invited as contributors or staff members of a Parish Newsletter named MENSAHERO soon to be published by the parish, ranged from graduating elementary students, high school, college students and a handful of professional adult individuals. Resource speaker during the training-workshop was Maricar Cinco, correspondent of the Philippine Daily Inquirer Southern Luzon Bureau. (Fr. Romy Ponte)
Urban poor storms Napocor HQ to protest power hike

QUEZON City Members of the militant urban poor center, Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) stormed the National Power Corporations (Napocor) headquarters, here in this city, to protest the impending power rate hike in Luzon, in the Visayas and in Mindanao. The said power rate hike, which will cost 69.04 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for Luzon, 60.60 for the Visayas, and 4.42 in Mindanao would take effect next month, according to the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC). Kadamay national vice-chair Carlito Badion said the power rate hike will make the lives of the poor harder since their livelihood had not improved, even just a little. (Noel Sales Barcelona)
Balikatan exercises pose great threats to Palawan ecologygroups

we were ready to do so. Daily we had green, leafy veggies, fresh fruits, and other good food. We became changed human beings with more patience and sensitivity to others, although God is not yet finished with us and we continue to be works in progress. We have also shared many good laughs coming as Gods comic relief in the face of inevitable tensions. A team emerged with a deeper prayer life, as well as wisdom and insights regarding our country and our people. We now have an emerging network of solidarity runners joyfully sustaining the spirit of the advocacy. *** We have no illusions about the run though. Our footprints, if any, have quickly disappeared. Security concerns had prevented us from running the entire highMoratorium/ A1

way. After the first 320 kilometers, we decided to alternate our running and to walk four km. and run eight km. so others may join. Human limitations, and there were many, leave no room for boasting. We were not trying to set records. Rather, we were coming together to change ourselves and the Philippines, one step at a time while rediscovering the joys of sacrifice and service. On a deeper level, we felt a strong affinity with the words of St. Paul: I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship. Do not conform yourself to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2).

Almost every day we had a chance to share these Pauline insights, starting with the need to wake up at the first cockcrow at 3 or 3:30 a.m. to do our daily water therapy, then pray as a team, and run at 5 a.m. Another run beckoned at 5 p.m. We celebrated mass daily in a variety of venues using our portable altar. Then we shared the purpose and meaning of Takbo Maharlika through a forum. We were no Forrest Gump who was running because he was depressed. The lessons of the sevenmonth run are succinctly captured by a text message I received one day: Happiness is somewhere between too little and too much. Enough wealth to meet ones needs; Enough poverty to learn how to work hard. Enough blessings to know that

God loves us; Enough problems so we dont forget HIM. Enough happiness to keep us sweet; Enough trials to keep us strong. Enough hope to keep us happy; Enough sorrow to keep us human. What we are is Gods gift to us but what we become is our gift to God. Running alone, neither one of us would have been able to finish the run. Together, however, and with a team to boost, the run became a reality despite some very glaring personal limitation. Yes, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13). PNP indeedPinoy Ng Panginoon.

QUEZON CityThe Balikatan joint military exercises in Palawan is not good for the environment, some groups of environment and ecology experts said in Manila. The Balikatan, which has started last April 16 and to end on the 27th, will happen mostly in the Palawan Islands, the worlds last ecological frontier. France Quimpo, secretary general of the newly organized Kalikasan partylist and concurrently the executive director of Center for Environmental Concerns (CEC) Phils., Inc.an environmental research institute based in this city, said military exercises have been proven to be enormously taxing on the environment and local communities. (Noel Sales Barcelona)
Bishop favors two-party system

SORSOGON City A Catholic bishop favors the revival of a two-party system in time for the midterm 2013 election. Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes said a two-party system is better so that the countrys elections will no longer be personality-based. Such system, he said, has more advantage because the people will clearly know each partys platform of government. "I would prefer two-party system because you know, too many political parties is confusing. Some people are creating so many parties but then again all of them are the same, Bastes said. (CBCPNews)
Balikatan in CL spells dangergroups

ministration to look into various concerns on mining, it said the adverse impacts of mining in the existing operations and in the prospect of more of the same must be immediately addressed. President Aquino has promised that he will not allow mining where the local peoples and communities directly affected

by it object to its operations, the BBC added. It is time for him to incorporate this promise in the new Mining Policy Guidelines and to apply it specifically to the situation in the Bicol Region. There are proven alternatives to mining in the region, such as the development of

eco-tourism as well as the rehabilitation of prime agricultural lands and municipal fisheries that will better serve the interests and future of the region on government revenues, livelihood and employment opportunities, food security and environmental protection, it said. (CBCPNews)

QUEZON City Conducting the Balikatan Exercises in Central Luzon is not only a bad idea, but it also brings danger to the ordinary folks livelihood and safety there. The areas where the Balikatan exercises would happen are the areas where farmers, fisherfolk and indigenous people get their livelihood. During the conduct of the military exercise, the said people are banned from attending [to] their crops or fishing at the seas, thus, it affects their livelihood, said AMGL chairperson Joseph Canlas in an email. (Noel Sales Barcelona)

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People, Facts & Places

CBCP Monitor

April 23 - May 6, 2012

Vol. 16 No. 9

CBCP launches books on values education

THE Episcopal Commission for Catechesis and Catholic Education has launched a twelve-volume book series on values education for children and youth that teach about sex and family in an age appropriate manner using universal human values. This is a pro-active response [of the Church] to the steady deterioration of Catholic values among our youth, said Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas. Villegas is also the chairman of the Episcopal Commission for Catechesis and Catholic Education (ECCCE) of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines. Titled Alive to the World, the series present a course program that teaches young people to think about choices and consequences. At age appropriate levels, the books discuss values like family, friendship, peer pressure, romance, sex, love, marriageand implications like loyalty, team work, personal responsibility, and respect for property, to name but a few. The Church is a teacher and caretaker of truly positive universal human and Christian values. The way to overcome the anti-family and anti-life bills in Congress is to teach our youth

Markings
ORDAINED. Fr. Noel Y. Bava of Taguig, Metro Manila; Fr. Roberto M. Boholst of Olutanga Island, Zamboanga Sibugay; Fr. Braulio M. Dahunan of Mandaue City, Cebu; Fr. Edward Joseph T. Magtoto of Paraaque City; Fr. Jose Mari V. Manzano of Tagudin, Ilocos Sur; Fr. Jordan J. Orbe of Iligan City; and Fr. Michael C. Porcia of Cebu City, to the Sacred Order of Priesthood among the Society of Jesus; April 14, 2012. Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Tagle led the ordination rites at the Church of the Gesu, Ateneo de Manila University. About 100 priests concelebrated during the ordination. ORDAINED. Fray Romeo Tambacan Coronel, OSA, to the Order of Deacons, April 14, 2012. Coronel, a newly-assigned member in the Augustinian community of Mati was ordained at the Basilica Minore del Sto. Nio de Cebu by Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma. The celebration was attended by priests and friars from the different Augustinian communities, religious priests and nuns from various congregations and also the family, relatives, benefactors, and friends of the ordinand. Born in Balud, San Fernando, Cebu on December 11, 1975, Coronel obtained a Bachelor in Secondary Education (BSED) degree, Major in Religious Education at the University of San Carlos in Cebu City in 2003, after which he taught for a year at the Augustinians Sto. Tomas College in Danao City, Cebu. He oined the San Agustin Seminary in Guadalupe, Makati City, finishing his AB Philosophy at Christ the King Mission Seminary in 2006. In March, 2011 he earned his Bachelor in Sacred Theology from the Recoletos School of Theology in Quezon City. AWARDED. Fr. Edwin Gariguez, executive secretary of the National Secretariat for Social Action, Justice & Peace of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines was bestowed an award for his exemplary work in advocating environmental protection and preservation. Gariguez was one of the six recipients of the prestigious 2012 Goldman Environmental Prize, the highest award that a grassroots environmental hero or heroine could receive. The award is in honor of the memories of San Francisco civic leaders and philanthropists Richard N. Goldman (1920-2010) and his wife, Rhoda H. Goldman (19241996), who created the award in 1989. Winners of the award received a cash prize of US$150, the biggest prize money in the history of grassroot environment advocacy movement. Other winners include Ikal Angelei of Kenya, Ma Jun of China, Evgenia Chirikova of Russia, American Caroline Cannon, and Sofia Gatica of Argentina. Gariguez is a staunch critic of large-scale mining in the Philippines. Advocating for a ban in the destructive mining practice, he co-founded the Alliance Against Mining (Alamin) while serving as the chaplain of Mangyan Mission Catholic Church in Mindoro. In 2010, he became secretary-general of Nassa, the social action arm of the CBCP, while continuing his mission to fight corruption in the bureaucracy and in advocating the halt of large-scale mining operations in the country. AWARDED. Ms. Lilian Perez, a registered nurse and founder of Heartbeat Pregnancy Support Services of Asia (PSSA) was honored as one of the recipients of the 2012 International Servant-Leader Award on March 29 at the Marriott Hotel of Los Angeles Airport, USA, according to a report from CSN, Los Angeles. An employee of the Archdiocese of Manilas Commission on Family and Life, Perez was awarded for her passion to bring life-affirming pregnancy services to the country and throughout Asia. The award, conferred by Ms. Margaret Hartshorn, PhD LAS, President of Heartbeat International; cited Perez for her leadership and missionary vision to bring the lifeaffirming pregnancy services not only in the Philippines but all throughout Asia, and the fight for the unborn and the protection of the Asian family into hope for a better future that cradles and respects the dignity of humanity giving glory to God and making His face shine through the faces of the unborn and the beauty of adoption. Perez founded the Heartbeat Pregnancy Support Services of Asia (PSSA) 10 years ago and has been the life line of Asianespecially Filipinofamilies on the ground that there are services that enhance life and protect the value and sanctity of life from its conception. Other awardees together with Perez were Mr. George and Mrs. Louise Eusterman (EGiving Washington State, USA), Ms. Pat Sween (Life ChoicesSeattle, Washington, USA) and Ms. Jeanette Kuiphof (Whittier Pregnancy Care ClinicLos Angeles County, California, USA). The first Filipino certified Life-Affirming Specialist (LAS), Perez received the professional designation when the certification was launched in 2008. Besides Perez, only 5 other Filipinos are certified and accredited Life Affirming Specialists in the world licensed by the US-based International Institute of Education Standard (IIES). They are Mr. Carlo Rene Perez, M.Div.; Dr. Nestor Lumicao, M.D.; Dra. Therese Lumicao, M.D.; Ms. Carol Angeline Perez; and Mr. Clarke Nebrao.

Archbishop Socrates Villegas, DD

and children what are truly human and Christian values, Villegas said. He stressed the importance of forming the hearts and mind of the youth to instill in them the value of life and of family.

We will fight the anti-life and antifamily and anti-women bills in Congress by winning the minds and hearts of our youth. We will overcome these evil bills by the power of good, dedicated and well formed young leaders. The hope of the nation is the pro-family pro-life youth, not the anti-life and anti-family congressmen, Villegas said. The prelate encouraged all Catholic universities, colleges and schools to avail of the book series and start using them when the school year opens in June. It has a series for students and another series for teachers to assist them in the classroom instruction, he explained. The book series on personal, social and health education has been tested successfully in Latin America, the United States and the United Kingdom. Villegas also pointed out that even non Christians can benefit from the program. The book series was launched in collaboration with the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) and Rex Publishing House. (CBCPNews)

Pinoy WYD pilgrims spiritual gains lauded at intl meeting

THE Filipino youths positive response to the challenges they faced for their participation to the World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid has earned encouragement from fellow WYD youth representatives around the world during an international meeting held in Rome from March 29 to April 1. Convened to evaluate the 2011 WYD event, the meeting was attended by 300 national representatives from different Episcopal Youth Commission in 200 countries, including Fr. Conegundo Garganta, executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on Youth and Maria Victoria Tacderas, senior staff of the National Secretariat for Youth Apostolate. Garganta presented a report highlighting the beautiful and positive results of the World Youth Day 2011 to the Filipino pilgrims. We shared on the pastoral gains that young people who participated in Madrid manifested; that their spiritual growth bore their involvement in schools, parishes and dioceses on youth activities. Some of these young people had grown in their chosen vocation to the priesthood, religious life and their being lay. Such positive things were shared during the report in the meeting in Rome, the priest narrated. Garganta said other national representatives at the international meeting gave their affirmations on what he reported. We were affirmed on what we reported; other representatives affirmed that the WYD celebration was good to the Filipino youth [who] positively responded to the invitation to [face] the challenges offered by [their] participation in the WYD. The positive response was [to remain] firm in the faith and how it is shown in the daily life or lives of the participants on the previous WYD celebration; also the challenge to continue to share the good news that was gained or heard from the WYD experience. These were the things that were affirmed during the meeting, Garganta added. Aside from the reports of representatives from five countries within five continents, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro organizers also shared their gains and fruits as well as the preparations of WYD event, respectively. Representatives in the meeting were also officially invited to the 2013 WYD by Rio organizers. Garganta also disclosed that details for the upcoming World Youth Day 2013 celebrations are yet to be finalized by May and hopefully by July, there will be more significant details organizers can provide via e-mail so that countries who will participate in the event will be properly guided. He added that in November, there will be an international meeting in Brazil as part of the preparations for 2013. Country representatives are expected to come for official and final directions or guideline that will be shared during that meeting, he also added. Preparations for WYD 2013 The Church official pointed out that preparation per country may now start because there are already initial data in the website www. rio2013.com. There are topics that
Photo courtesy of NYD Documentation Team

www.rcald.org

Indie child artists to launch 1st Christian album

A NEW pop singing group known as Gods Little Sparrows, composed of 10 musically gifted children, will be launching their 1st major original Christian album with 13 songs composed by their fellow children and other composers in the music industry. The launch will be held at GT Toyota Asian inside the University of the Philippines, Diliman Campus on April 28. A special film screening of the indie movie Agawan Basewhere the children had major roles will be shown at 3 p.m. followed by a concert at 6 p.m. According to Abner Tulagan, Marketing Director of LEB Telon Film and Music, the group is partly composed of indie child artists such as Lance Reblando, Pippen Tan, and Alvyn and Angeline Tulagan who portrayed major roles in the film Agawan Base which was directed by Director Cesar Evangelista Buendia. Buendia directed independent films such as Padre de Pamilya in 2009 and Agawan Base in 2011 that complements LEB Telon Production advocacy of sharing Gods words through film. Tulagan disclosed that all songs in the album are inspirational Christian songs originally composed by members of the group and some Christian composers. The CDs will be sold on the launching day for Php 300.00 and will also be distributed nationwide. The group was completed with Gods grace. We never expected that these children also sing well. This was the product of our advocacy (the LEB Telon Film and Music Production) which is sharing Gods word through film, and now, through music, Tulagan said. He said that the director believes in the parable of talents, that if a person has a talent and it was not used, God will take it away from that person. It fits our vision to spread the word of God through film music and He provided us all the materials, talents and staff that we [can be] proud of. This opportunity gives the kids a chance to be better and to live the Christian way of life by following God and His teachings, said Tulagan. He also mentioned that six members of the group are from Catholic families while four of them are from Christian families. Their religious upbringing really helps them to be role models to fellow kids. Every meetings or rehearsal, one of them [always lead a prayer] and there is also reading of bible phrase. So these kids truly value their faith, he also added. Tulagan hopes that through their songs the children will be able to reach out to their fellow kids and the youth. (CBCPNews)

In this file photo, youth participants to the National Youth Day held in Manila last November 14-19, 2012, share on various issues that concerns todays youth such as drug addiction, gender issues and the reproductive health bill. Patterned after the World Youth Day, the NYD also had three-day catechesis that include workshops and sharing with respective host families.

were given, but the general schedule is yet to be produced by Brazilian organizers. Here in the Philippines, there is no official date when to start the preparation because it is yet to be discussed by the commission. We are still waiting [for] general information from the organizer and for the program, directions and guidelines of the upcoming celebration, he explained. Garganta encouraged those who are interested to join the WYD 2013 celebration to be ready on the requirements particularly the amount needed for the trip. He disclosed that the commission is thinking of bringing a big number of young people to represent the country, but still there are many practical things that they need to consider. The Church official said it is important to consider the quality of the delegates who will represent the country to this international event. We are clear that this is a gathering in faith, sharing of faith and invitation to grow to oneself, in ones faith and to help others to grow in their faith. The representation is not because of the number but more on the quality on

how the pilgrims will represent that richness or the wealth of our country as Catholics, he explained. Guest speakers for the meeting were Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, President of Pontifical Council for the Laity; Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela, Archbishop of Madrid, who talked about the Pastoral Fruits of Madrid 2011; Yago de la Cierva, Executive Director of WYD 2011, who shared on the logistics of WYD 2011 in Madrid; Archbishop Orani Joao Tempesta of Rio de Janeiro, who spoke on the significance of WYD for the archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro; Bishop Eduardo Pinheiro da Silva, President of the Episcopal Youth Commission, Brazil, who shared about the Church and youth ministry in Brazil; Don Carlos Savio, Brazilian Bishops Conference Youth Sector, who spoke on the pastoral preparation of Brazil; Bishop Joseph Clemens, Secretary of Pontifical Council for the Laity; and Rev. Fabio Attard, General Councilor for Salesian Youth Ministry, who spoke about the youth ministry and the challenges for education today. (Jandel Posion)

Chiro Youth movement to hold national camp

THE Chiro Youth Movement Philippines will hold its National Camp in Baguio City from April 28 to May 2 as part of the movements 60th anniversary celebration. Around 400 participants are expected to attend the event at Camp John Hay themed The Queen and the Sorceress Spell." Dubbed as Iskrambol 2012, the occasion will showcase new games, new adventures, new friends, new experiences and new stories for youth members and invited youth participants. Not just a time for newness, it is still important that this camp will be a time for sharing among the local groups, the leaders and the members. It is a time for members to enjoy their childhood through play. It is a time for them to learn, in a leisurely and relaxed manner, the many aspects of life, about teamwork, about what is going on in the world and his or her uniqueness as a person, organizers said. They also emphasized that the participants should be able to enjoy the company of young people of his or her own age who may speak a different language or dialect during the camp and also, it is a time for them to discover that indeed there are many kids from different places who are also playing every Sunday afternoon. In a letter sent to Chiro regions and invited youth groups, organizers advised participants on what to bring for the camp. Important things to bring are movement clothing, clothes for five days, jackets and blankets, scarf and bath towel, rubber shoes, slippers or sandals, small bag (backpack or slim bag), water bottle, lunch box (avoid disposables to reduce waste), spoon and fork, wash towel for lunch box, personal medicines and toiletries, 2 trash bags (1 big 1 small for water proofing and trash), hats or caps for sun protection, sleeping bag (well be sleeping in tents), rain gear (just in case), flashlight or headlamps, notebook and ballpen, souvenirs for new found friends, lanterns (ask your leader about this), and Php 600.00 for fee. Additional things to bring for 16 and above are trail food, 1.5 water bottle, trekking poles and camera (optional); things not to bring are high tech gadgets such as PSP, mobile phones, iPod, iPad, laptops, and similar gadgets; jewelries, too much money, pets, toys and junk foods. Organizers are also inviting parents of the participants to visit the camp on May 1 from 5 p.m. onwards for a concert featuring composition of Chiro leaders and a surprise presentation from different regions and Chiro supporters. Chiro Pilipinas also invited the Federation of National Youth Organization (FNYO) to participate in the camp, giving them five slots per organization. Another activity slated for the year in celebration of the 60th anniversary is a pilgrimage in December. (CBCPNews)

Prisons nationwide join 1 million rosaries campaign

PRISONS nationwide celebrated the Divine Mercy Sunday on April 15 by simultaneously praying the rosary at 3 p.m. Rodolfo Diamante, executive secretary of the Episcopal Commission on Prison Pastoral Care (ECPPC) said the activity was in response to the invitation of the Marian Solidarity to join their campaign for praying the rosary. The Divine Mercy Sunday was for the intention of people in prison, thats why we participated in the said advocacy. We had a simultaneous praying of the rosary last [April 15] in many jails around the country, Diamante said. Participating cities with detention centers and jails were Davao Penal Colony in Tagum, jails in the archdioceses of Manila, Davao, Cagayan de Oro and Palo, most of the jails in the diocese of Lucena, Iligan City, Bacolod City, Leyte Regional Farm in Abuyog, Maasin City, Sta. Cruz, Laguna, San Pablo City and Manila City jail. On September 8, 2011, the Marian Solidarity launched the advocacy of praying the rosary hoping to enlist one million Filipinos to pray five decades of the Holy Rosary everyday from October 20, 2011 to May 30, 2012, with each day from Monday to Saturday dedicated to one nation in the world, and the Sunday Rosary reserved for families and nation. Themed Filipinos at Prayer: Peace for all Nations, the prayer-activity is meant to stem the worsening peace and order situation around the globe through the offering of one million rosaries. (CBCPNews)

FILE PHOTO

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 9
April 23 - May 6, 2012

Pastoral Concerns

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(Speech given by Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi, permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations at Geneva, during the course of the 19th ordinary session of the Human Rights Council; March 1, 2012)
MADAM President, The implementation of human rights is a difficult challenge today, particularly with regard to the fundamental and inalienable right of every person to freedom of thought, conscience and religion or belief. Among other elements, the evolving political situation, wrong perceptions of the role of religion, expediency, and subtle ambiguities in the understanding of secularism lead to intolerance and even outright persecution of people because of their faith or religion. The freedom to manifest ones religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance, which is guaranteed by human rights law and international instruments, is disregarded in several places in the world. Such stifling policies and practices place at risk the contribution of many citizens to social life and progress in their respective countries. The Holy See appreciates the regular attention of the Human Rights Council to this major issue as well as the related efforts and decisions taken by Special Procedures. In many countries, however, the gap is growing between widely accepted stated principles, and their daily application on the ground. Serious research provides reliable data on current and repetitive patterns of gross violations of the right to freedom of religion. Christians are not the only victims, but terrorist attacks on Christians in Africa, the Middle East and Asia increased 309% between 2003 and 2010. Approximately 70% of the worlds population lives in countries with high restrictions on religious beliefs and practices, and religious minorities pay the highest price. In general, rising restrictions on religion affect more than 2.2 billion people. The affected people either have lost the protection of their societies or have experienced some government-imposed and unjust restrictions, or have become victims of violence resulting from an impulsive bigotry.[1] The evidence shows that additional efforts are required from the international community in order to assure the protection of people in their exercise of freedom of religion and religious practice. Such actions are urgently required since in several countries the situation is worsening and since the factual reporting of such violations is underplayed, despite the fact, it should be highlighted in the pertinent Reports. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights points to respect for the human dignity of all people as the foundation on which the protection of human rights is built. In the present circumstances, it is worth recalling that States should ensure that all their citizens have the right to enjoy freedom of religion individually, within the family, and as a community, and to participate in the public square. Religious freedom, in fact, is not a derived right, or one granted, but a fundamental and inalienable right of the human person. A religious belief should not be perceived or considered as harmful or offensive simply because it is different from that of the majority. The task of the Government is not to define religion or recognize its value, but to confer upon faith communities a juridical personality so that they can function peacefully within a legal framework. Respect for the religious freedom of everyone may be at stake
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70 percent of the worlds population lives in countries with high restrictions on religious beliefs and practices

(Homily of Holiness Pope Benedict XVI given on the occasion of his 85th birthday and baptismal anniversary on April 16, 2012; at the Vatican)
LORD Cardinals, Dear Brothers in the Episcopate and the Priesthood, Dear Brothers and Sisters! On the day of my birthday and Baptism, April 16, the liturgy of the Church points to three which indicate to me where the road leads and which help me to find it. In the first place, there is the memoria of Saint Bernadette Soubirous, the visionary of Lourdes; then, there is one of the more particular Saints of the history of the Church, Benedict Joseph Labre; and then, above all, is the fact that this day is always immersed in the Paschal Mystery, in the Mystery of the Cross and of the Resurrection, and in the year of my birth it was expressed in a particular way: it was Holy Saturday, the day of Gods silence, of the apparent absence, of the death of God, but also the day in which the Resurrection was proclaimed. Bernadette Soubirous. The simple girl of the South, of the Pyreneeswe all know and love her. Bernadette in the France of the Enlightenment of the 19th century, in a poverty difficult to imagine. The prison, which was abandoned because it was too unhealthy, became, in the endafter some hesitationsthe familys dwelling, in which she spent her childhood. There was no possibility of school formation, only some catechism in preparation for her First Communion. But precisely this simple girl, who was pure and genuine in heart, who had a heart that sees, was able to see the Lords Mother and, in her, the reflection of the beauty and goodness of God. Mary was able to show herself to this girl and through her to speak to the century and beyond the century itself. Bernadette was able to see with a pure and genuine heart. And Mary indicated to her the source: she was able to discover the source, the living water, pure and uncontaminated; water that is life, water that gives purity and health. And through the centuries, now, this living water is a sign on Marys part, a sign that indicates where the sources of life are, where we can be purified, where we find what is uncontaminated. In this our time, in which we see the world in so much anxiety, and in which the need of water bursts out, of pure water, this sign is that much greater. From Mary, from the Mother of the Lord, from a pure heart, pure, genuine water also comes which gives life, the water than in this centuryand in the centuries that might comepurifies and heals us. I think we can consider this water as an image of the truth that comes to us in faith: truth not simulated but uncontaminated. In fact, to be able to live, to be able to become pure, we are in need of having in us the nostalgia of the pure life, of the truth that is not distorted, of what is not contaminated by corruption, of being men without stain. See how this day, this little Saint has always been for me a sign that has indicated where the living water comes from of which we are in need the water that purifies us and gives us lifeand a sign of how we should be: with all the knowledge and all the capacities, which also are necessary, we must not lose the simple heart, the simple look of the heart, capable of seeing the essential, and we must always pray to the Lord that we preserve in us the humility that enables the heart to be clear-sightedto see what luminous ones that might come? Can we foresee to what anxieties, to what terrible events he might be exposed? Is it right to give life thus, simply? Is it responsible or is it too uncertain? It is a problematic gift if it remains independent. Biological life of itself is a gift, and yet it is surrounded by a great question. It becomes a real gift only if, together with it, one can make a promise that is stronger than any misfortune that can threaten one, if it is immersed in a force that guarantees that it is good to be man, that for this person it is a good no matter what the future might bring. Thus, associated to birth is rebirth, the certainty that, in truth, it is good for us to be, because the promise is stronger than the threats. This is the meaning of rebirth from water and the Spirit: to be immersed in the promise that God alone can make: it is good that you are, and it is true regardless of what happens. From this certainty, I have been able to live, reborn by water and the Spirit. Nicodemus asks the Lord: Can an old man be born again? Now, rebirth is given to us in Baptism, but we must grow continually in it, we must always let ourselves be immersed in Gods promise, to be truly reborn in the great, new family of God which is stronger than all the weaknesses and all the negative powers that threaten us. This is why this is a day of great thanksgiving. The day on which I was baptized, as I said, was Holy Saturday. Then it was usual to anticipate the Easter Vigil in the morning, which would have been followed again by the darkness of Holy Saturday, without the Alleluia. It seems to me that this singular paradox, this singular anticipation of the light in a dark day, could be almost an image of the history of our days. On one hand, there is still the silence of God and his absence, but in the Resurrection of Christ there is already the anticipation of the yes of God, and on the basis of this anticipation we live and, through the silence of God, we hear his speaking, and through the darkness of his absence we perceive his light. The anticipation of the Resurrection in the midst of a history that evolves is the force that indicates the road to us and that helps us to go forward. We thank the good God for this light he has given us and we pray that it will always be with us. And on this day I have reason to thank Him and all those who have always made me perceive the Lords presence, who have accompanied me so that I would not lose the light. I am facing the last lap of the course of my life and I do not know what awaits me. I know, however, that the light of God is, that He is risen, that his light is stronger than any darkness; that Gods goodness is stronger than any evil of this world. And this helps me to go forward with confidence. This helps us to go forward and in his hour I give my heartfelt thanks to all those who continually make me perceive the yes of God through their faith. Finally, Cardinal Dean, my cordial gratitude for your words of fraternal friendship, for all the collaboration in all these years. And a big thank you to all the collaborators of the 30 years in which I have been in Rome, who helped me bear the weight of my responsibility. Thank you. Amen.

His light is stronger than any darkness; Gods goodness is stronger than any evil

is simple and essential, the beauty and goodness of Godand thus find the source from which the water comes that gives life and purifies. Then there is Benedict Joseph Labre, the pious mendicant pilgrim of the 18th century who, after several useless attempts, finally found his vocation of pilgrim as mendicantwithout anything, without any support and not keeping for himself anything of what he received except that of which he had absolute needpilgrimaging through the whole of Europe, to all the shrines of Europe, from Spain to Poland and from Germany to Sicily: a truly European Saint! We can also say: a somewhat particular Saint who, begging, wandered from one shrine to another and wished to do nothing other than pray and with

this give witness to what matters in this life: God. He certainly does not represent an example to emulate, but he is, a finger pointing to the essential. He shows us that God alone suffices, that beyond all that in this world, beyond our needs and capacities, what counts, the essential is to know God. He alone suffices. And this God alone he indicates to us in a dramatic way. And at the same time, this really European life that, from shrine to shrine embraces the whole European continent makes evident that he who opens himself to God is no stranger to the world or to men, rather he finds brothers, because on Gods side, borders fall, God alone can eliminate borders because thanks to Him we are all only brothers, we are part of one another; it renders present that the oneness of God means,

at the same time, the brotherhood and reconciliation of men, the demolishing of borders that unites and heals us. Thus he is a Saint of peace precisely in as much as he is a Saint without any exigency, who is poor of everything yet blessed with everything. And then, finally, the Paschal Mystery. On the same day I was born, thanks to the care of my parents, I was also reborn by water and the Spirit, as we just heard in the Gospel. In the first place, there is the gift of life that my parents gave me in very difficult times, and for which I owe them my gratitude. However, it is not taken for granted that mans life is in itself a gift. Can it really be a beautiful gift? Do we know what is incumbent on man in the dark times he is facing also in those more

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Updates

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 9
April 23 - May 6, 2012

On General Absolution without Individual Confession (Part I)

Regarding c.961 of the Code of Canon Law
By Fr. Jaime B. Achacoso, J.C.D.
I HAVE dealt with this matter on more than two occasions in the past (ref. CBCP Monitor, April 2005), but the problem and confusion seem to persist. Our readers will recall that at that time, the query was posed by a student of a Catholic University in Metro Manila, who recounted that during a closed retreat organized for the students, the priest retreat master announced that the participants could list down their sins and in the Mass of the following morning, he would give them a general absolutionwhich in fact he did. She further stated that her initial surprise turned to outright confusion when her aunt said that she had witnessed the same practice in their marriage encounter the previous weekend. Of late, a priest friend of mine brought to my attention what could be the source of the confusion and I would like to tackle this very serious error once more. Before going to my recent discovery, allow me to revisit the aforementioned article I wrote in this column in 2005, giving the official doctrine of the Church on this very important matter. As before, I will extensively quote the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts, whichin a Response (Prot. No. 5309/96) dated 8.XI.1996 (cf. Communicationes, 28 [1996] 177-181)answered this question fully. I will simply add subheadings for easier reading and comprehension. Individual and Integral Confession and Absolution is the Only Ordinary Way for Serious Sins to be forgiven. Can. 960 states: Individual and integral confession and absolution constitute the only ordinary way by which the faithful, who is aware of serious sin, is reconciled with God and with the Church; only physical or moral impossibility excuses the person from confession of this type, in which case reconciliation can take place in other ways. The canon sanctions the obligation of individual confession, with the accompanying absolution, as the only ordinary way for obtaining reconciliation with God and with the Church. Such ordinary way is qualified as pertaining to Divine Law by the Council of Trent (cf. DS 1707). The duty sanctioned in c.960 is complemented and confirmed by the norm established in c.986, 1 that states: All to whom the care of souls is committed by reason of an office are obliged to provide that the confessions of the faithful entrusted to their care be heard when they reasonably ask to be heard and that the opportunity be given to them to come to individual confession on days and hours set for their convenience. In fact, this is a fundamental right of the faithful and a serious duty of justice of the sacred pastors (cf. cc.213 and 843). General Absolution has an Exceptional Character. The Code regulates the practice of general absolution by first stating its exceptional character in the introductory statement of c.961, 1: Absolution cannot be imparted in a general manner to a number of penitents at once without previous individual confession unless. As the Response states From the aforementioned norms one can deduce that what is prescribed in c.961 regarding general absolution has an exceptional character, and is subject to what is established by c.18: laws that contain an exception to a law, should be interpreted strictly; the former therefore should be strictly interpreted. John Paul II has expressly underscored this exceptional character: The reconciliation of several penitents through general confession and absolution, hold an exceptional nature and hence cannot be left to free choice, but should be regulated by norms instituted for this purpose (Apost. Exhort. Reconciliatio et Paenitentia, AAS, LXXVII, 1985, p.267). Put more positively, the norm of c.961 relative to general absolution should be interpreted and correctly applied in the context of cc.960 and 986, 1. Conditions for Exceptional General Absolution Can. 961, 1, nn.1-2, presenting the extraordinary way of collective absolution, taxatively establishes two conditions that indicate the only cases in which such absolution is licit: 1 danger of death threatens (immineat periculum mortis) and there is no time for the priest or priests to hear the confessions of the individual penitents. (This is a reference to the original motive for the concession of general absolution in the conflictive period of the two

World Wars). 2 there exists a grave necessity (adsit gravis necessitas). The state of necessity, the canon explains, exists when the number of penitents and the scarcity of priests causes the faithful, through no fault of theirs, to be deprived for a notable length of time of the sacramental grace or of Holy Communion. In order for such serious necessity to exist, two elements must concur: first, a scarcity of priests and a great number of penitents; secondly, that the faithful do not have or have not had the possibility of confessing beforehand or immediately afterwards. In practice, they should not be responsible, through negligence, of their actual loss of the state of grace or of the impossibility of receiving Holy Communion (sine propria culpa) and that such situation is expected to be prolonged. In other words, three conditions must actually concur: a scarcity of priests, a great number of penitents, and the faithful have not had nor have the possibility of confessing individually beforehand or immediately afterwards. Nevertheless, the gathering of a great number of faithful of itself does not justify collective absolution. For this reason, the same canonical norm specifies that: it is not considered a sufficient

necessity if confessors cannot be readily available only because of the great number of penitents as can occur on the occasion of some great feast or pilgrimage. Only the Bishop can determine in a Concrete Case if a Grave Necessity exists: He must base Himself on the Criteria set by the Episcopal Conference. The Response also assures that the exceptional nature of general absolution is not trivialized to become ordinary. Thus, it reminds everyone that c.961, 2 establishes that it is up to the diocesan bishop to determine in a concrete case, in the light of criteria agreed upon with other members of the conference of bishops, if the conditions for imparting general absolution are verified. Therefore, the diocesan bishop, in concrete cases and in the light of the criteria fixed by the Episcopal Conference, has the role of verifying the presence or otherwise of the conditions established by the Code of Canon Law. He cannot establish the criteria and does not in any way have the power to modify, add to or remove from the conditions established in the Code and the criteria agreed upon with the other members of the Episcopal Conference. In other words, other than the obvious situation of imminent

danger of death, no priest, on his own judgment, may decide on the existence of the three simultaneous conditions for a state of necessity that warrants general absolution without individual confession. The Supreme Legislator, in his pronouncements, has adverted many times the delicateness of this norm and has many times appealed to the responsibility of the Pastors of the dioceses as regards its observance. Already Paul VI () had said: Ordinaries are not authorized to change the required conditions, to substitute other conditions for those given, or to determine grave necessity according to their personal criteria, however worthy (AAS, LXX, 1978, p.330). John Paul II had confirmed this serious duty: Therefore, it pertains to the Bishop alone, within the limits of his diocese, to determine whether the conditions really exist he makes this judgment graviter onerata conscientia and with full observance of the law and praxis of the Church and taking into consideration the mind and the criteriaagreed upon with the other members of the episcopal conference (Apost. Exhortation Reconciliatio et Paenitentia, AAS, LXXXVII, 1985, p.270). Posterior obligations after receiving general absolution

To conclude this part, the document reminds everyone of the obligations after receiving general absolution: Can. 962, 1 establishes a specific posterior obligation relative to general absolution. For the general absolution imparted according to the canonical criteria to be valid, aside from the necessary dispositions required for confession in the ordinary way, there must also exist a resolution to individually confess all the grave sins committed that one may have been able to confess due to the state of serious necessity. Can. 963, while not specifically determining a precise time within which to carry out this individual confession, nevertheless establishes clear normative criteria: individual confession should be made before another eventual general confession, and should be done as soon as possible, that is, as soon as the exceptional circumstance that provoked the recourse to collective absolution disappears. In sum, nobody is really exempted from the obligation to go to individual confession and absolution for the forgiveness of grave sins. In a state of grave necessity, such obligation is only postponed to a later time, but before another general absolution is received. (To be concluded.)

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Where the tabernacle should be

(Answered by Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum Pontifical Athenaeum, answers the following query:) Q: How should we understand No. 1183 of the Catechism? It says: The tabernacle is to be situated in churches in a most worthy place with the greatest honor. The dignity, placing and security of the Eucharistic tabernacle should foster adoration before the Lord really present in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar. It seems that not everyone agrees on that point. Many new churches have the tabernacle on the side.S.G., Antigonish, Nova Scotia A: This theme is also covered in Nos. 314-317 of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal in a section entitled: The Place for the Reservation of the Most Holy Eucharist: In accordance with the structure of each church and legitimate local customs, the Most Blessed Sacrament should be reserved in a tabernacle in a part of the church that is truly noble, prominent, readily visible, beautifully decorated, and suitable for prayer. The one tabernacle should be immovable, be made of solid and inviolable material that is not transparent, and be locked in such a way that the danger of profanation is prevented to the greatest extent possible. Moreover, it is appropriate that, before it is put into liturgical use, it be blessed according to the rite described in the Roman Ritual. [315:] It is more in keeping with the meaning of the sign that the tabernacle in which the Most Holy Eucharist is reserved not be on an altar on which Mass is celebrated. suitable for the faithfuls private adoration and prayer and which is organically connected to the church and readily visible to the Christian faithful. If the Blessed Sacrament is kept in a eucharistic chapel, the tabernacle, or at least the location of the chapel itself, should be visible from the main body of the church. Neither the tabernacle nor the chapel should be hidden away in a corner; even less should it be separated from the main body altogether. From a pastoral viewpoint, it appears preferable to maintain the presence of the tabernacle within the sanctuary except where the church is frequented by tourists or has a great number of other celebrations such as weddings and funerals. Although liturgical norms indicate that no particular attention be rendered to the tabernacle during the celebration of a Mass, except at the beginning and end, the clearly visible presence of the tabernacle can contribute to an overall climate of prayer, especially in fostering a respectful [ambiance] before the celebration begins and after it ends. The local bishop is the competent authority for deciding which option to adopt in each case, as he is best able to weigh the various factors such as the architecture of each building, functionality, and above all the good of souls.
www.flickriver.com

Consequently, it is preferable that the tabernacle be located, according to the judgment of the Diocesan Bishop: a. Either in the sanctuary, apart from the altar of celebration, in a form and place more appropriate, not excluding on an old altar no longer used for celebration (cf. above, no. 303); b. Or even in some chapel

in places where the concept of State religion is recognized, especially when the latter becomes the source of unjust treatment of others, whether they believe in other faiths or have none. Above the institutional considerations, the critical problem facing the promotion and protection of human rights in the area of religious freedom is the intolerance that leads to violence and to the killing of many innocent people each year simply because of their religious convictions. The realistic and collective responsibility, therefore, is to sustain mutual tolerance and respect of human rights and a greater equality among citizens of different religions in order to achieve a healthy democracy where the public role of religion and the distinction between religious and temporal spheres are recognized. In practical life, when managed in the context of mutual acceptance, the relations between majority and minority allow for cooperation and compromise and open the way for peaceful and constructive coexistence. But to achieve this desirable goal, there is a need to overcome a culture that devalues the human person and is intent on eliminating religion from the public life. Pope Benedict XVI has clearly describes this situation when he writes: Sadly, in certain countries, mainly in the West, one increasingly encounters in political and cultural circles, as well in the media, scarce respect and at times hostility, if not scorn, directed towards religion and towards Christianity in particular. It is clear that if relativism is considered an essential element of democracy, one risks viewing secularity solely in the sense of excluding or, more precisely, denying the social importance of religion. But such an approach creates confrontation and division, disturbs peace, harms human ecology and, by rejecting in principle approaches other than its own, finishes in a dead end. There is thus an urgent need

to delineate a positive and open secularity which, grounded in the just autonomy of the temporal order and the spiritual order, can foster healthy cooperation and a spirit of shared responsibility.[2] Religions are not a threat, but a resource. They contribute to the development of civilizations, and this is good for everyone. Their freedom and activities should be protected so that the partnership between religious beliefs and societies may enhance the common good. A culture of tolerance, mutual acceptance and dialogue is urgent. The educational system and the media have a major role to play by excluding prejudice and hatred from textbooks, from newscasts and from newspapers, and by disseminating accurate and fair information on all component groups of society. But lack of education and information, that facilitates an easier manipulation of people for political advantages, is too often linked to underdevelopment, poverty, lack of access to effective participation in the management of society. Greater social justice provides fertile ground for the implementation of all human rights. Religions are communities based on convictions and their freedom guarantees a contribution of moral values without which the freedom of everyone is not possible. For this reason, it becomes an urgent and beneficial responsibility of the international community to counteract the trend of increasing violence against religious groups and of mistaken and deceptive neutrality that in fact aims at neutralizing religion. Thank you, Madam President.
1 http://www.pewforum.org/Government/RisingRestrictions-on-Religion.aspx Also, Portes Ouvertes: Index mondial de Perscution des chrtiens, 2011; Ayaan Hirsi Ali, The War on Christians, Newsweek, February 13, 2012, p. 30 Cfr. 2

Pope Benedict XVI, Address to the Members of the Diplomatic Corps for the Traditional Exchange of New Year Greetings, Monday, 11 January 2010

Reajoy San Luis, FSP

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 9
April 23 - May 6, 2012

Year of Missions

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Mission is proclaiming and sharing of faith, bishop tells faithful

MISSION is proclaiming and sharing our faith with others, said Antipolo Bishop Gabriel Reyes in his homily during the opening mass of the Grand Mission Festival celebration at Marikina Sports Complex, April 18. When we hear the word mission, the thing that comes to our minds is proclaiming and sharing our faith. It is sharing the grace of salvation and the divine life we received from the Lord, Reyes said. The bishop emphasized that the gift of salvation Christ brought to us by his death and resurrection is first experienced in baptism because original sin is forgiven and the grace of divine life is received. He said the gift of faith received by us is best shared to others. Not sharing our faith means it is dead, he added. Reyes pointed out that the faith of Filipinos is strong and alive. He reiterated the words of Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II who always reminded the Filipino faithful that they are the foremost missionaries in Asia. Philippines being an Asian country that has a majority of Catholic population is supposed to share that faith to others, he said. Filipino missionaries are already bearers of the said mission, to spread the faith through our migrant workers. Our migrant workers abroad are bringing their faith with them and they are also inviting other people to join them in celebrating Sunday masses or to practice the [Catholic] religion away from home, Reyes shared. The prelate added that bringing the faith to others is evangelization. The Lord uses human events even the sad ones in order to fulfill the mission for mankind, which is to establish faith in everyone. Filipino migrant workers are the disciples of the new generation because they are helping spread the faith not only in Asia but around the world, Reyes furthered. More than 5,000 missionary participants from different dioceses and congregation attended the opening of the Grand Mission Festival which also coincided with the 80th anniversary of the Pontifical Mission Society, organizer of the said event. (Jandel Posion)

Participants during the Taize prayer organized by the ECY for the 2nd night of the Grand Mission Festival.

Filipinos foremost missionaries in Asia, bishop reminds delegates

FILIPINOS are the foremost missionaries in Asia, and must take up the challenge to evangelize the people who are waiting to hear the good news, according to Marawi Bishop Edwin de la Pea, MSP. The Holy Father is challenging us Filipinos, to lead in evangelizing Asia, there are lots of people who are waiting to hear the good news from the Lord and we must take up the challenge of evangelization, the bishop said in his homily on the second day of the Grand Mission Festival celebration, April 19. At this moment, one can think of the important calling of the people of the Philippine island. This land has a special vocation, to be the city that is set on the hill, the land on high giving shining witness in the culture of Asia both as individuals and nation. You are to show the light of Christ by the quality of your lives, de la Pea said, reiterating Pope Paul VIs message during his visit in the Philippines on November 29, 1970. He added that Blessed John Paul II echoed the same challenge made by Pope Paul VI when he said during his visit in Baguio on February 22, 1981, I wish to tell you of my special desire that the Filipinos will become the foremost missionaries in Asia. De la Pea said John Paul II challenged the Filipinos to lead the missionary efforts of the Church not only in the Philippines, but most especially in Asia. He remarked that the words of the two popes truly inspired him especially during the years of 1985 and 1986 when they were just starting the Mission Society of the Philippines. Recalling the difficult beginnings of the society, de la Pena said they had neither house nor funds to support the seminarians. But he acknowledged the help of then Cardinal Jaime Sin who allowed them to visit parishes and talk to

Jandel Posion / CBCP Media

A Rather Common Name Has Become Like a Royal Robe Too Splendid To Wear
By Msgr. Ildebrando Jesus Alio Leyson
THIS coming 21 October 2012, Pope Benedict XVI will enlist the name of another Filipino in the roster or Canon of the Saints of the Church. The baptismal name of this second Filipino to become a saint is Pedro. He may have taken his name from the saint of the day when he was born, like for example, from Saint Peter the Apostle on June 29. His surname is variedly spelled in the manuscripts of his Spanish companions and contemporaries as Calonsor, Calongsor, Calansor and Calangsor. The present version of the surname is Calungsod, with the accent falling on the uCalngsod. The surname is of Visayan origin. It comes from the Visayan word lngsod which means town or citizenry. The affix Ca- forms a noun which means ones co-[noun]. Therefore, Calungsod means ones townmate or ones fellow town citizen. While today the Visayans normally use the word katagilngsod (the Ca- is substituted with ka- plus the affix tagi- functioning as an indicative of a place of origin) to refer to ones townmate, the surname remains to be Calungsod. The Spaniards may have written the surname according to how they could pronounce it, that is, perhaps with some difficulty in enunciating the ng and the terminal dCalonsoror it may have been actually the old version of the surname. Even today, when lungsod is inflected, the terminal d is alternated with an r; for example, kalungsran (towns); lungsornon (town citizen[s]). The same is true with other Visayan words that end in d, like for instance: bkid (mountain) > kabukran (mountains); tubd (spring) > tuburn (source, springs, having source or spring); tkad (cultivate) > tikron (will cultivate; will be cultivated). Ignacio Francisco Alcina, S.J., a Spanish missionary who lived and wrote in the Visayas from 1632-1670, that is, during the time of Pedro Calungsod, spelled the word lungsod as longsor to refer to a populated place or poblacin. Alcina was very familiar with the Visayan language because he lived in the Visayas for thirty-six years and did learn and speak the Visayan language, the words of which, he said, were easy to pronounce. He was well aware of the common occurrence of the union of the consonants n and g in many Visayan words. However, he complained that the Visayan natives somehow confused in their writing and pronunciation the letters o and u as well as the letters l, r and d. Hence, Calungsod became Calongsor. And as it was further heard and pronounced by different persons of different tongues, ears and years, it became Calonsor and even Calangsor or Calansor. The confusion between the o and the u in the Visayan pronunciation is true even today. One can hear the surname Calungsod pronounced also as Calungsud or Calongsod or something halfway between these two ways of pronouncing it. Pedro is a rather common Christian name. It is no wonder then that there had been, and still there are, other Visayans named Pedro Calungsod. There was a Pedro Calungsod who was baptized in the town of Ginatilan in Cebu on 23 May 1909. Much earlier, there was a Pedro Calungsod who was baptized in the town of Hinunangan in Leyte in 1854. There was also a Pedro Calungsod, Sr., who was born in the same town of Hinunangan in 1909. His son is Pedro Calungsod, Jr. In Molo, Iloilo City in Panay, there was only a Petrona Calonsod [sic] who was baptized on 30 June 1894, but one of her nephews was named Pedro Calunsod [sic] Cadunay. Andres Calungsod, who was baptized in Ginatilan on 17 October 1894 begot a son named Peter Calungsod who in turn begot Peter Calungsod II. Pedro Calungsod may be a rather common name. But what makes this name very special today is how that boy from the Visayas of the 1600s gave it great honor. It has become like a royal robe too splendid to wear!

Bishop Edwin de la Pea

people about mission, challenging them to respond to the urgent call of mission from the Holy Father. During our mission campaign, we would go to the pulpit to speak about mission and appeal for financial support. We again tapped the Cardinal to continue in slow basis what we have started. And so we did the response to the challenge of the Holy Father because it is very dear to [us], de la Pea said. So my dear friends, especially the young people here, this is now the opportunity to issue the challenge. Mission is a special responsibility of the church in Asia. This is what we are, the church is missionary by nature, and this is our identity. Without it, we cannot call ourselves the church of

Christ. And so we are impelled. He also called on clergy to go out to the mission, as the universal Church is the parish of all priests and must respond to the challenge of the Holy Father. 450 years of Christianity in the Philippines and 80 years for the Pontifical M i s s i o n S o c i e t y, 5 0 0 y e a r s o f t h e introduction of Christianity, my dear friends, this is an opportunity for us to think about what we can do for Christ, he furthered. He stressed that faith is not something to be kept to oneself but should be shared to others because it is worth sharing. The prelate also thanked all participants for attending the celebration of the Grand Mission Festival. (CBCPNews)

Mission ambassadors share mission experiences at mission festival

TWO mission ambassadors shared their mission experience on the 2nd day of the Grand Mission Festival celebration held at the Marikina Sports Complex. Makisig Morales, an active member of the youth for Christ said that as youth and mission ambassador, doing simple things to other people already means a lot. As a simple person, [doing] simple things like sharing your faith experiences to your fellow youth is already a lot to contribute to them, Morales said. Morales added that everyone has a mission and his mission is to share his experiences of being youth and a devout Catholic in order to be a role model to fellow young people. Mariz Umali, news reporter/ anchor of GMA 7, said that her role as a mission ambassador is to propagate the word of God even if at times doing so may not be appropriate.

Ambassadors / B7

Mission ambassadors Makisig Morales and Mariz Umali of GMA 7 together with faith sharer Fatima Soriano pose with the organizers after their sharing on the three different workshops during the second day of the Grand Mission Festival in Marikina Sports Complex last April 19, 2012.

Jandel Posion / CBCP Media

Jandel Posion / CBCP Media

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Features

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 9
April 23 - May 6, 2012

A Self-Portrait of the Filipina as Volunteer

www.eveavila.blogspot.ca

Filipino volunteers in Uganda.

Volunteers-Partners Forum held in Kampala.

By Eve Avila
ABOARD a domestic flight two years ago, as I was contemplating my 2010 new years resolution, my thoughts turned to an advertisement in the in-flight magazine. It was a call for volunteers to share skills and change lives as part of a nongovernmental organization. Without hesitation, I sent in my application as I sensed that seeing the ad at that moment in space was a gift. I asked to volunteer in the Philippines but it was unfortunate that the NGO had no national volunteering program so I was slated to be sent abroad. My current voluntary placement is in Uganda, East Africa, more specifically in Gulu, northern Ugandaa place recently made famous by the Kony 2012 video. I have not seen the film but I can say that Gulu, the epicenter of Konys Lord Resistance Army (LRA) 20-year atrocities, is now peaceful. The Government of Uganda, donor community and international NGOs work handin-hand to implement the Peace, Recovery, and Development Plan (PRDP) for Northern Uganda. The people from the Acholi and Lango sub-regions, whose lives were disrupted when they were forced to live in

camps for internally displaced people, are being assisted to go back to their normal lives after the camps were closed in 2009. Gulu is buzzing with international NGOs whose development programs are mainly on education, health and livelihood. It is also not surprising that some countries display their economic interest b y s p o n s o r i n g p ro g r a m s that could expand bilateral international trade. I am just a dot in this collaborative effort to change lives of others. But there are many dots here like me; men and women who would have their children all grown up, leaving behind an empty nest of older folks who have the experience and skills to share, are still active but would rather continue to live and work in some life-changing environment. As I reflect now on my decision to quit my job and become a volunteer, I realize that unknowingly, I fall into the pattern of human nature introduced in 1943 by Abraham Maslow in his concept of a hierarchy of needs. Maslow, a psychologist, said that people are motivated by five types of needs: physiological, security, social, esteem, and selfactualization. If you get all you need, one is bound to move to

the next level until you reach the highestgrowth motivation. In my decision to be part of an NGO, I feel that I have moved to the self-actualization level of need as a volunteers role is to be an agent of change. Other than the formal qualifications that you carry in response to the needs of the people where you are stationed, you bring to the place what you are, your personality, values, habits, upbringing, work ethics, beliefs and superstitions, language, mannerisms, and personal effects from home. In this respect, I always try to find a chance to draw similarities. I point out the contrasts and conjecture that these might be due to cultural differences. For example, jeering was taught as bad manners back home, but to the locals, it is as normal as a greeting. If they like what they see and hear from you, it is likely that they will emulate them. A volunteer should not lose his or her identity in the guise of being adaptable, but a volunteer could also learn from the locals. Volunteering is like being in a solitary confinement and in your solitude you have the time to examine yourself. Volunteering made me appreciate the fruits derived from all my labor from my 30s. Seeing the world and accumulating things along the

way as souvenirs, staying in a five-star hotel and paying USD300 per night as business trip entitlement when you only need it for sleeping and using the toilet and bath, pampering the body with frequent visits to salons and spas to relieve you from self-induced stress, driving around the city in an air-conditioned car because of the heat and dust, finding occasions to eat in high-end dining places because they were well-advertised, acting your right to expect value-for-money because you have choices to bring your business elsewhere, manage to still live frugally and save so that your children and your grandchildren will not have to penny-pinch in order to live comfortably. And amidst these, to pray to your God, give alms, and help your fellowmen. Indeed I found pleasure in all my labor and for all my labor, this was my reward. Yet everything is futile and a chasing of the wind (Ecclesiastes). Living in what used to be, until three years ago, a nomans land, did I miss the comforts that I left behind? Did I long for the sight and use of the material things that I acquired from my toil? Did I feel deprived because with the little money that I have, I could not spend it even on useless

things? Did I miss my family and friends? Surprisingly, I did not. I was satisfied with how my family managed their lives and well-being while I was away. Thanks to the webmail, Facebook, Skype, mobile phonesI felt I never left home. Being an international volunteer is a good badge for the local community to accept within the norms of their society your being different (particularly in appearance). Foreign women wearing pants is tolerated although I still have to get used to the common sight of local women with popping cleavages, and breast-feeding anytime, anywhere. Using an umbrella or wearing a hat can make you an object of curiosity. Children wail when they see a person with white-skin and light-colored hair. Volunteering gave me access to both the church and state. You can have the ears of the politicians and bureaucrats who run the town because they know that you are well-meaning and they want to learn how it is out there. The church, true to its mission, is just too happy to provide virtual and faceto-face spiritual comfort to a member of the flock who is in long separation from family and friends. In Maslows narrow

definition of self-actualizers he says that they need the following in their lives in order to be happy: Truth, rather than dishonesty; Goodness, rather than evil; Beauty, not ugliness or vulgarity; Unity, wholeness, and transcendence of opposites, not arbitrariness or forced choices; Aliveness, not deadness or the mechanization of life; Uniqueness, not bland uniformity; Perfection and necessity, not sloppiness, inconsistency, or accident; Completion, rather than incompleteness; Justice and order, not injustice and lawlessness; Simplicity, not unnecessary complexity; Richness, not environmental impoverishment; Effortlessness, not strain; Self-sufficiency, not dependency; Meaningfulness, rather than senselessness. In the last 3rd of my life, whether back home or elsewhere, I will pursue these needs and satisfy them to the best I can. When all else fails, I will just take things as God gives them to me. Carpe diem, says my parish priest here. (Eve Avila was a former Assistant Governor of the Central Bank of the Philippines. She is now in Gulu, Uganda as a volunteer of a UKbased charity organization and keeps a blog Adventures in Africa at eveavila.blogspot.com).

Sendong survivors thank IOM for help in recovering their dignity

By Bong D. Fabe
IF not for IOM, we will be having a hard time getting back on our feet. Wi t h t h e s e w o rd s , B a r a n g a y Santiago Councilor Gary B. Gomez, 33, summarized the sentiments of other residents who survived the devastation brought by Sendong (Tropical Storm Washi) on the night of December 16, 2011. Some 98 families in Barangay Tubod in Iligan City and 65 families in the barangays of Bulua and Iponan in Cagayan de Oro City were recipients of Shelter Repair Kits (SRKs) and building materials worth a total of P1,986,000 from the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Four months after Sendong devastated Cagayan de Oro and Iligan, the SRK and building materials distribution was the first time that a ray of hope shone back on the survivors there as they considered the SRKs given by IOM as the best assistance they have received. What IOM has given us are very important to us because it is of utmost [necessity] for us, especially for our children, [to have] shelter and somewhere we can sleep soundly at night, said Gomez, a two-time councilor of Barangay Santiago. Gomezs new house has immediately became a sensation in the barangay as it was beautifully constructed despite a very tight budget of P30,000. It now serves as a model house for all Sendong survivors in the barangay. Salamat sa IOM was all he could say to those who admire his new house. Gomez, along with 42-year-old housewife Leigh Echavez and others, said that only the International Organization for Migration and a local fundamentalist Church group have so far extended a helping hand to Barangay Santiago. Echavez, for her part, said that she didnt know where to get the materials for the construction of her house after Sendong totally destroyed it. She said she was not able to save anything when flashfloods wiped out Tubod survivors food and other kinds of assistance, what was always foremost on their minds every time an organization gave them something was building materials to rebuild their houses. Our houses are very important. They may be small, they may be just bahay kubo, but for us our houses represent so much because it is there where we build our dreams and ambitions. Our houses shelter us from the elements, especially at night. For me, personally, IOMs help of giving us these SRKs is like giving us a new start in life; it is like helping us get back on our feet; that despite the darkness of the tragedy that befell us last December, the sun has once again shine on us, said an emotional Pacarat in the vernacular. Mantique recalled that on the night of the December 16, 2011, she had lost all hope of ever salvaging something after their two-storey house was engulfed by rampaging floodwaters when the Mandulog River overflowed because of the volume of flood waters from the torrential rain dumped on the city by Sendong. I was crying and trembling not from the cold but from hopelessness as we evacuated to safer grounds that night, she said as she tried valiantly to stem the tears from falling. Her husband Margarito and their youngest son Jomar just listened after loading the SRK onto their calesa. We are very happy and grateful to IOM for giving us hope through this assistance, she added as she pointed to the SRKs already loaded on their calesa. In Cagayan de Oro, the IOM distributed a total of P1.3 million worth of building materials to 65 families from Barangay Iponan and Barangay Bulua last Friday and Saturday. One of the beneficiaries, 39-year-old Jocelyn Jacalan expressed happiness for the materials as it will enable her family to start again. However, Jacalan said that her family will no longer build their new house on the bank of the Iponan River
Sendong / B5

The children of Barangay Santiago Councilor Gary B. Gomez sit at the entrance of their new house, which has become a sensation in the barangay for being a model house.

her house, except her two children and a mobile phone which she used to call her husband who was in Tagum City on that fateful December 16 night. My husband does not know we already have a new house. When he returned home days after Sendong, we were just living in a makeshift kubo with salvaged rags as walls. Now, look at this, she said as her arms gestured toward her new home. I am afraid he will be lost and surprise when he comes home because when he left, this house was still a makeshift kubo, she added. Gomez, Echavez and others proudly pointed to their new homes whose construction materials were all given by IOM.

All materials for the construction of our homes came from IOM. We just pay some workers to help us in the construction, said Echavez, a member of a born-again church group that has been helping women survivors in Santiago with livelihood programs like rag making and pillowcase making projects. Marichu Pacarat; Jojidel Caa and Julita Mantiques, all of Purok Manwang, also expressed what all the survivors from Barangay Tubod felt after receiving SRKs from IOM. These materials are just enough to rebuild our houses which Sendong destroyed. These maybe little but these will help us get back on our feet; these building materials are representations of

IOM helping us get back our dignity as a people, said a teary-eyed Mantique, 62, while her husband Margarito and their son Jomar were busy loading the materials on their calesa. Boboy dela Calzada, purok president of the 13 puroks of Barangay Tubod, oversaw the distribution of the SRKs to the 98 beneficiaries from the barangay. The IOM distributed a total of P686,000 of SRKs to the survivors in Tubod. Dela Calzada said the assistance from the IOM was like the sun shining through the darkness of the tragedy of Sendong that gave hope of a new beginning. While other organizationslocal, national and internationalgave the

Bong D. Fabe / CBCP Media

www.eveavila.blogspot.ca

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 9
April 23 - May 6, 2012

Statements

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When you send forth your breath, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth. (Ps. 104:30)
THIS year we observe Earth Day in Cagayan de Oro in the aftermath of the calamity wrought by Typhoon Sendong last Dec. 16-17, 2011. More than four months have passed. At present more than 5,000 evacuee families are still living in transitional shelter arrangements in our city as they await the construction of permanent housing units. The loss of more than a thousand lives and the washedout destruction of more than 10,000 homes in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities are grim reminders of the other side of Earth Day: how the earth itself groans and weeps in the face of mans abuse of the environment. Sacred Scripture tells us that God created the world in an orderly manner and found it very good. (Gen. 1). The integrity of creation was Yahwehs gift to the first man and woman in paradise. In its cosmic harmony, nature itself became the first book of revelation of Gods infinite goodness to humankind. In this light, human beings were given dominion over all other creaturesnot to abuse nature, but to become stewards of creation. We are also reminded that in our efforts at sustainable development, we should engage in intergenerational justicenamely, that our present generation should not deprive succeeding generations of the bounty of natures resources. Our Christian faith impels us to uphold the dignity of every human person and the supremacy of the common good over the individual interests of a few. The widespread destruction brought about by Typhoon Sendong was due not only to natural causes but also largely to man-made malpractices such as indiscriminate logging in the watershed areas over the past decades, and more recently irresponsible mining practices, whether small-scale or disguisedly large-scale, on the upland and riverside areas can even say that mining and logging activities pose a clear and present danger to our City of Golden Friendship. On the part of our Christian communities, we appeal to everyone to treasure gratefully Gods gift of our natural re s o u rc e s , t o b e v i g i l a n t stewards of the environment, and to initiate conservation practices such as solid waste management, tree growing, and safeguarding the biodiversity of our surroundings. We invite every concerned citizen to affix his/her signature to this statement as a sign of our collective resolution to prevent another doomsday in our midst. May our observance of Earth Day this year be a renewal of our commitment to build a better and safer Cagayan de Oro. Cagayan de Oro Ecumenical Bishops 21 April 2012 ARCHBISHOP ANTONIO J. LEDESMA, SJ Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro Roman Catholic Church BISHOP GENESIS T. UDANG Deputy Director for Mindanao Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC) BISHOP FELIXBERTO Z. CALANG Diocese of Misamis Oriental, Bukidnon and Camiguin Iglesia Filipina Independiente BISHOP MELZAR LABUNTOG United Church of Christ in the Philippines Northwest Mindanao Jurisdiction BISHOP RUDY JULIADA Diocese of Libertad Iglesia Filipina Independiente REV. SAMUEL DOMINGO District Superintendent United Methodist Church

Earth Day vs. Doomsday

of Cagayan de Oro. Aerial photographs and firsthand reports by residents in the more remote areas attest to the extensive damage already done to the environment. This is brought about by practices such as hydraulic flush mining, dynamiting of hillsides, and massive excavations of the topsoil. There are also confirmed reports that the unprocessed soil is then shipped to another countrya stark example of how our country compromises its own territorial integrity, leaving the landscape scarred and depleted. It is in this light that we, your Christian pastors, call for a moratorium on all mining and logging activities in the watershed and ecologically threatened areas of Cagayan de Oro until all these issues are resolved:

1) We call for an independent, multi-sectoral monitoring body to periodically examine the actual state of mining and logging activities in the watershed areas of Cagayan de Oro. This multisectoral body should include representatives of civil society organizations, upland and lowland communities, church leaders and academe. This body should engage government agencies and local government units. 2) We call for a comprehensive scientific study of the river basin and watersheds of Cagayan de Oro River and adjoining tributaries. In particular we need an impact assessment of mining and logging, including large-scale upland plantations, on environmentallyfragile areas within a proximate radius from the city center; the

implications of a ridge-riverreef approach in conserving our waterways; and how extractive activities impact on an island ecology. 3) We need to broaden the meaning of free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) to include not only the upland communities but also the downstream communities that will be affected by mining and logging activities. In some areas, the FPIC process has reportedly only served to divide the indigenous communities and adversely altered their way of life. 4) The issue of environmental governance has to be clarified e.g., in terms of the prior role of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in issuing clearances, the collective responsibility of city councilors and the

chief executive, and the need for transparency and accountability in the wake of the Typhoon Sendong tragedy. Could the loss of so many lives and extensive damage to property have been avoided with proper foresight and planning? Should disaster risk reduction not start with a moratorium on mining and logging activities that have a direct impact on the environment? 5) Finally, we invoke the precautionary principle -that in the face of so many unresolved issues, the more prudent recourse is safety first for the larger community. With the recent experiences of Cagayan de Oro residents from the severe flooding in January 2009 and the widespread calamity caused by Typhoon Sendong in December 2011, we

Statement of the Philippine Academy of Liturgical Research (PALR) released at the close of its meeting on April 12-13, 2012, Baguio City
AS the fiftieth anniversary of Vatican IIs Constitution on Sacred Liturgy (SC) approaches (December 4, 2013), the Philippine Academy of Liturgical Research states its full support of the Councils fundamental principle of liturgical reform, namely the full, active, and conscious participation (cf. SC 14) of all Gods people in liturgical celebrations especially the Holy Mass. While the Academy respects the use of the Tridentine Missal on account of genuine pastoral and spiritual need of some of the faithful, it urges the clergy and the faithful to be always mindful of the fundamental principle of the reform. The Council desired that the rites and prayers of the liturgy should be made understandable so that the faithful could grasp with ease the meaning of the ceremonies and prayers. In this way they are enabled to enter more fully into the mystery of Christ and the Church and be spiritually renewed (cf. SC 34). Thus, besides catechesis, the reform was carried out by simplifying the rites, allowing the use of vernacular languages, and encouraging inculturation (cf. SC 37-40). Over the years the Councils liturgical reform was actualized by the Holy See and the local Churches. Consequently, the Filipino faithful continue to be spiritually enriched through their active participation in the worship of the Church. The Academy joins the entire Church in the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Constitution on Sacred Liturgy, giving thanks to Jesus Christ, the Divine Leitourgos. Through the Council, he granted to the whole Church, especially the Filipino faithful, the inestimable gift of active participation, inclusive of lay involvement in liturgical ministry. Unwarranted innovations, often verging on banality and even abuse, tend to obscure the purpose of the conciliar reform. The Academy considers it a duty to remind the clergy and faithful about the sacred character of every liturgical celebration. The liturgy of Vatican II, if celebrated devoutly and with decorum, provides ample means to encounter God in prayer and to experience what it means to be Church. LUZON 1. ANTONIO, MSGR. DAVID WILLIAM V. 2. CEJUELA, MA Lit, MS. MARIA GINA G. 3. COMIA, SLL, FR. ROMULO C. 4. EVANGELISTA, MA Lit, MR. CARLOS S. JR. 5. GARCES, OAR, DL, FR. JOSE FORTUNATO J. 6. HERNANDEZ, DL, FR. VIRGILIO B. 7. LUANZON JR., OP, SLL, FR. ROBERTO 8. MALICDEM, MAL, REV. FR. REGINALD REYES 9. MANABAT, SLD, DR. JOSEFINA M. 10. NSAPO KANDE, CICM, MA Lit, FR. FRANOIS 11. OFRASIO, SJ, SLD, FR. TIMOTEO J. 12. PAVILANDO, SLD, FR. DON VITO 13. PAYAWAL, PDDM, SR. CECILIA 14. PURA, CM, SLL, FR. RAUL L. 15. RACELIS, SDB, SLL, FR. AMELITO NARCISO D. 16. RAOA, SLL, FR. ANDRES 17. SERRANO, SLD, MSGR. RICARDO JESUS T. 18. SORIANO, MA Lit, FR. DENNIS S. 19. SURMIEDA, MA Lit, MS. NOENA I. 20. TIO, FR. ERIC SON 21. TY, SLL, FR. APOLINARIO 22. VALERA, SLL, MSGR. ANDRES S. 23. VALLE, SLL, STD FR. NELSON 24. YALUNG, SLL, FR. OLIVER G.
Sendong / B4

VISAYAS 25. BELUSO, S. TH. L., MA, MALS, FR. MARK RANDY 26. BENDICO, SLD, FR. VICTOR 27. GADDI, FR. JULIO 28. RAMIREZ, FR. REX 29. REYES, SLL FR. ANTONIO 30. URBINA, SLL, FR. GILBERT MINDANAO 31. CAMIA, SLL, FR. MELCHOR T. 32. CHUPUNGCO, OSB, STD in Lit, FR. ANSCAR J. 33. TONEL, DD, SLL, MOST REV. JULIUS 34. CAASI, SLL, FR. JOEL 3 5 . S A LVA D O R , S L D , M S G R . FLORENCIO P. 36. VALLES, DD, SLL, MOST REV. ROMULO That in all things God may be glorified. April 13, 2012

Travelling, which offers us the possibility of admiring the beauty of peoples, cultures and nature, can lead to God
(Message of Benedict XVI to the 7th world congress on pastoral ministry in tourism; held in Cancun, Mexico, on April 23, 2012)
my spiritual closeness to the participants and my respectful greetings to the civil authorities and to the representatives of the international organizations that are also present at this event. To u r i s m i s c e r t a i n l y a phenomenon characteristic of our times, due both to the important dimensions that it has already achieved and in view of its potential for future growth. Like other human realities, it is called to be enlightened and transformed by the Word of God. For this reason, moved by pastoral solicitude and in view of the important influence tourism has on the human person, the Church has accompanied it from its first beginnings, encouraging its potential while at the same time pointing out, and striving to correct, its risks and deviations. Tourism, together with vacations and free time, is a privileged occasion for physical and spiritual renewal; it facilitates the coming together of people from different cultural backgrounds and offers the opportunity of drawing close to nature and hence opening the way to listening and contemplation, tolerance and peace, dialogue and harmony in the midst of diversity. Travelling reflects our being as homo viator; at the same time it evokes that other deeper and more meaningful journey that we are called to follow and which leads to our encounter with God. Travelling, which offers us the possibility of admiring the TO my Venerable Brothers His Eminence Cardinal Antonio Maria Vegli, President of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, and the Most Reverend Pedro Pablo Elizondo Crdenas, PrelateBishop of Cancn-Chetumal On the occasion of the VII World Congress on the Pastoral Care of Tourism which will take place in Cancn (Mexico) from 23 to 27 April, I am pleased to send you my cordial greeting which I extend to my Brother Bishops and to all those taking part in this important meeting. As you begin these days of reflection on the pastoral attention which the Church dedicates to the area of tourism, I wish to convey beauty of peoples, cultures and nature, can lead to God and be the occasion of an experience of faith, for from the greatness and beauty of created things comes a corresponding perception of their Creator (Wis 13:5). On the other hand tourism, like every human reality, is not exempt from dangers or negative dimensions. We refer to evils that must be dealt with urgently since they trample upon the rights of millions of men and women, especially among the poor, minors and handicapped. Sexual tourism is one of the most abject of these deviations that devastate morally, psychologically and physically the life of so many persons and families, and sometimes whole
Travelling / B7

Galileo M. Garcia

in Sitio Bulao since it is very dangerous. We will start anew in Sitio Calaanan, Barangay Canitoan, where a small lot was assigned to us, she added. IOM, which was established in 1951, is the leading intergovernmental organization in the field of migration. It works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and nongovernmental partners in promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. IOM established its office in the Philippines in 1975. In 1986, IOM was granted privileges and immunities in the Philippines comparable to those of UN agencies. In 1988, the Philippines became an IOM member state among the first member states in Asia, with Manila as one of the first regional IOM offices. In 2003, IOM Philippines privileges and immunities were updated for the then distinct entities of the MRF (Mission with Regional Functions) and MAC (Manila Administrative Center)restating and retaining

endorsement for programming and representation functions of the MRF and endorsing the internal service functions of the MAC. The Manila Administrative Centre provides global support in the areas of finance, human resources management, information technology, staff security, project tracking, and health claims processing, among others. After the Sendong tragedy, IOM immediately deployed humanitarian teams to Cagayan de Oro and Iligan. It currently serves as co-lead with the DSWD in the IASC Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) cluster in which it works at i m p ro v i n g c o n d i t i o n s i n evacuation centres and transition sites by providing privacy partitions, bed kits, latrines, bathing cubicles, multi-purpose halls and cooking counters, aside from distributing SRKs and essential non-food relief items to displaced families to allow them to leave evacuation centres and return to their homes.

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Ref lections

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 9
April 23 - May 6, 2012

An exegetical reflection on the Gospel of the 4th Sunday of Easter Year B (John 20:19-31) April 29, 2012
By Msgr. Lope C. Robredillo, SThD
MORE than ever before, today we realize that the world is characterized by a diversity of religions and sects. In the Philippines, we find a number of them: Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, Christianity and, lately, New Age. And even in Christianity itself, we are aware of the various churches and communities that claim to be the true Church founded by Christ: in addition to the Roman Catholic Church, we have the various Protestant Churches, the Iglesia ni Cristo, Ang Dating Daan, Jesus the Healer and various fundamentalist and Pentecostal churches, movements and sects. In face of this diversity of religious beliefs, there seems to be an attitude of many, even Catholics, from one which is skeptical toward non-Christian religions and Christian sects to one which accepts any form of religion. For them, since all religions and sects are means to have contact with the divine world and to salvation, it does not matter whether one is a Muslim or Christian, or whether one is a born-again Christian or a Catholic. According to this view, all religions are of equal value; ours is not any better than any other religion. What is of utmost importance, it is proposed, is that one is sincere in ones religious belief, and one can be saved in it. Such an attitude, however, seems not grounded in Christian faith, nor in the Sacred Scriptures. In the 1st Reading, Peter s apologia, trying to explain the source of the power that healed the crippled man, points to the name of Jesus apart from whom no one can be saved. There is no salvation in anyone else, for there is no other name in the whole world given to men by which we are to be saved (Acts 4:12). (Name here probably reflects a healing formula used by exorcists in the early Church; it does not mean the word that identifies a person, but the person of Jesus Christ himself, the risen One.) Through his death and resurrection, God gave Jesus power to heal and to save. In the Gospel, John presents Jesus as the Good Shepherd, who laid down his life for his sheep (John 10:11,15b,17a). In the Johannine literature, the laying down of ones life is associated with the image of

Are all religions of equal value?

the Lamb of God who was slain to take away the sins of the world (Rev 5:6; John 1:29). Precisely because he was slain and was justified by God, the Lamb became a fountain of life (Rev 7:17; 22:1). In other words, since Jesus laid down his life for others, he was constituted the means through which salvation is given. What are we to make of this biblical teaching? Does this mean that there is no other means of salvation apart from Jesus, since it was only he who underwent passion, death and resurrection in obedience to the Father? If the body of Jesus is the Church, does this imply that outside the Church there is no salvation,

and therefore the individual attains salvation only through his explicit membership in the Church, which is the sole mediator of Christs salvation? Are we then to affirm that all other non-Christian religions are false, Christian sects are in error, mere human attempts at coming in contact with the divine world which is revealed in Jesus Christ? Are we then to propose that we must bring everybody to the Church if all are to be saved? Can we tell those outside the Church that they cannot partake of eternal life, since the grace of salvation comes only through the Church? Probably not. It does mean, however, that since it is only in the name of Jesus

that salvation is possible, persons can be saved only by the grace of Christ. Admittedly, this grace is offered to all, even to those who have not heard of him. When the Bible says that God has spoken in Jesus and that salvation is possible through him, it teaches that he is the constitutive mediator of salvation; without him, no salvation is possible. As the readings today emphasize, precisely because Jesus laid down his life for us, precisely because he suffered, died and rose from the dead, salvation flows from him. Since Jesus is constitutive of salvation, no one could be saved ap ar t from his life, deat h and resurrection.

It is in this sense that we have to understand Peter s claim that there is no name in the world given to men by which we can be saved except through Jesus. For this reason, it cannot be said that all religions are of equal value. Because the Church is closely linked with Christ, the sign of his presence among men, salvation is mediated through her. Consequently, the grace of salvation is available to those outside the believing community through the Church. One cannot just say that as long as I do good works and not offend my neighbor, I am sure I will be saved. It matters whether one belongs to the Church or not.

Junior shepherds molded after the Good Shepherd

4th Sunday of Easter (B); World Day of Prayer for Priestly and Religious Vocations April 29, 2012
By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB
BEING mostly a shepherding people, Israel enjoyed thinking of the Lord as its divine Shepherd. The pious Jews expressed their trust in Gods providential care and protection by singing: The Lord is my shepherd. I shall want for nothing . . . . I fear no evil! (Ps 23:1.4) And the Lord did take care of His flock in all circumstances. In most cases, however, He entrusted the ordinary care of Israel to human shepherds: the political and religious leaders of His people. These were expected to be the symbols and instruments of the fatherly concern which the Divine Shepherd showed for His people at all times. Often, however, the leaders had turned into bad shepherds who pastured themselves, while treating the sheep harshly. (See Ez 34:3-6.) The Lord threatened to dismiss the bad shepherds and promised to take care of His own flock personally. (See Ez 34:11-16.) Such a promise was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the Son of God-made-man. In his short earthly existence, through his teaching, his miracles and his loving kindness,
Shepherd / B7

One in Christ and with Christ

5th Sunday of Easter (B) May 6, 2012
They are valid and effective only because of Christ. They derive from him and are essentially oriented toward him. We share in Gods life by being united with Jesus. Such a life-giving union started out at baptism, when we became part of him members of his Body, thereby beginning to enjoy the fruits of his passion, death, and resurrection. Jesus union and solidarity with us caused him suffering and death. Our union and solidarity with him produces in us happiness and salvation. Such is the vital meaning of us being branches of the fruitful vine that Jesus is. But our union with Jesus can be broken because of our weakness. It does get broken whenever we sin. This should never happen. Instead, we should steadily aim not only at preserving our union with Jesus, but actually at increasing it because such a union is not static, but dynamic and vital. We call it a COMMUNION,

By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB

THE claim, Apart from me, you can do nothing, would sound empty or offensive and off-putting even on the lips of the most popular leader. Yet, when it comes to Jesus, we have to admit that it is simply true. In our spiritual life, in fact, we are absolutely dependent on him. Just as God is the only source of grace, so is JESUS CHRIST the only channel through which divine grace reaches us. Just as we have no alternative sources of life, aside from the Creator, so we have no alternative ways of reaching out to Him and enjoying the fullness of His saving love, except through Christ, the only Savior of mankind. He is the one and only Mediator. (See 1 Tim 2:5.) All the other channels of grace that we know ofthe Church, the Sacraments, the Bible, prayer . . . are all secondary channels.

and it brings about a mutual inhabitation: He is in us, and we are in Him. (See Jn 15:4.) A real communion can take place only among free beings. It is rooted in sincere appreciation and total mutual acceptance and is nourished by selfless love. The preservation and growth of our union with our Lord Jesus Christ can happen only on one condition: that we keep his commandments. (See 1 Jn 3:24.) Then shall we bear the abundant fruits of the new life inaugurated by Jesus with his resurrection, especially the fruits of peace, and the genuine love of neighbor which expresses itself in deeds and truth and not merely in words (1 Jn 3:18.19). Then shall we enjoy the presence of the Holy Spirit in us, like the members of the apostolic community (see Acts 9:31, and 1 Jn 3:24), and continually experience in ourselves the reality and the power of Christs Resurrection. (See Phil 3:10.)

Bishop Pat Alo

ENCOUNTERS

Bo Sanchez

Twisted values
WHEN people give more importance to the means rather than to the end or goal, we might call that twisted thinking or a form of twisted values. When legislators make laws to exterminate human life (by way of contraceptives and abortion), its also a form of twisted thinking. Why? Because human life is the very first right of man, to which all other rights are subordinated. This is why the RH Bill is creating so much reaction in society because it tends to pressure towards actions that are contrary to a well-formed conscience, specifically one that respects mans first right: life. You cannot force people to act against their conscience, especially in relation to moral good or evil. We might just simply remind people what Gods infallible truth reminds us ofSo always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that is the meaning of the Law and the Prophets (Mt. 7:12; Prov. 3:27). Laws that run contrary to divine truth wont oblige us since they are not conducive to the ultimate good of man. Since we must endeavor to avoid being enslaved to money lest it become our cruel master, we can quote here a word of one business analyst, Robert Townsend, whose book Up the Organization came out once in the bestseller list. Money, like prestige, if sought directly, is almost never gained. It must come as a byproduct of some worthwhile objective or result which is sought and achieved for its own sake. Lets look at the nation today. When the leaders try to make a name for themselves by picking on others faults and defects to build up their own ego prestige, or making money promoting pornographic education or birth control devices, thats not a positive way of service to society nor even a successful venture but one tending towards downfall and self-destruction. In all our policies of love and service to God and country lets always take the positive side in line of the Gospel: Do not judge, and you will not be judged; because the judgments you give are the judgments you will get, and the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given. Why do you observe the splinter in your brothers eye and never notice the plank in your own? How dare you say to your brother, Let me take the splinter out of your eye, when all the time there is a plank in your own? Hypocrite! Take the plank out of your own eye first, and then you will see clearly enough to take the splinter out of your brothers eye (Mt. 7:1). Jesus says it clear in the gospel: Beware of false prophets who come to you disguised as sheep but underneath are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their life and deeds as you know a tree by its fruits (Mt. 7:15).

SOULFOOD

Wheres the fight taking place?

DO you fall into sin? Have you ever fought temptation and lost? Im asking this question because, uh, I cant relate. Sin is very foreign to me. In fact, I always ask my friends, Can you describe what it feels like to sin? Because, frankly, Ive never experienced it. Well, okay, I do admit I have one little, tiny, itsy, bitsy weakness I lie. Ha, ha. Okay, no more jokes. If you have sinned against God, then keep reading. Because your preacher is the greatest sinner.
Soul Food / B7

FILE PHOTO

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 9
April 23 - May 6, 2012

Social Concerns
By Fr. Shay Cullen

B7
of Local Government succeeded in having that cell closed and all the prisoners transferred to a clean spacious area in another building. The jail rescue project of Preda for youth in conflict with the law is attracting the attention and the support of distinguished visitors from Germany. A group of parliamentarians headed by Dagmar G. Wohrl MsB, former Parliamentary State Secretary and chairwoman of the Economic Cooperation and Development committee; joined the Preda team to visit the jails last year and were shocked by what they saw. During the visit they witnessed the sub-human jail conditions. The Preda representative is now invited to make a presentation at the German Parliament this 2012 before the Economic Cooperation and Development committee. He will speak and answer questions on the Preda programs and issues of human rights, child protection and Fair Trade in the Philippines. The Preda project shows that children and youth in conflict with the law are not criminals, many are innocent. They are frequently forgotten by the legal system and stay for months in jail without justice. The Preda home is open, no fences, and no punishment. It is a beautiful building situated in an organic farm. The youth could escape easily yet 94% of them voluntarily stay to improve their lives. They get nonformal education, skills training, emotional release therapy to deal with aggression and violent tendencies. There is rarely any serious conflict between the boys showing that the therapy is beneficial and works well to reduce tension, stress and emotional hurt and anger. The values formation programs help them discover their dignity as a person and to respect themselves and others. They have access to sports; swimming, basketball, volley ball, soccer and many other activities like beach outings and other trips. The Preda program and home is implemented and run by Filipino professional staff. It can be replicated if there is the political will and respect for the rights of the children and the authorities accept they have a duty to give the children and youth an education and a life of dignity.
Soulfood / B6

The walk to freedom and dignity

THE day he walked to freedom was a happy day in the life of fourteen-year-old Miguel. For months he had been detained in the Paraaque jail, accused of stealing a pair of flip-flops, worth no more than 50 cents. He was, at first locked in an overcrowded cell that was a living hell of squashed human bodies in a space about 14 by 8 meters. He was jailed because his parents, street food vendors, could not afford to give free meals every day to the police. This was their revenge. The stifling nauseating smell of urine and feces and the crush of human bodies made the boy cry until the other prisoners shouted at him to shut-up. Miguel was scared and dying of thirst in the hot windowless cell with one electric fan tied to the bars. It gave no comfort. He had to beg for water. The guards gave him a plastic bottle of warm dirty water that made him sick. He got diarrhea. He had to squirm over the bodies of prisoners who shouted abuse until he reached the corner of the cell where a filthy hole in the floor was the toilet. It stank. Only a curtain separated him from the adult prisoners who were blaming him for making worse smells. No one could lie down in that cell. All the prisoners sat with their knees drawn up. He, a minor was in this terrible place although it was forbidden by law. No one cared, it was the way it always was and for the authorities always would be. No official ever went there. His family had not been informed of his arrest. He had no food and begged scraps from the other prisoners. Until he could prove he was a minor, he had to stay in the cell of crushed bodies. One day Shiela and Joan, Preda Foundation social workers came to visit, saw him and immediately got his name and went to the police to demand he be transferred to a cell for minors only. Weeks later they got the court order for him to be transferred to the Preda home for boys. Hundreds have been released by the intervention of the Preda social workers. Last March 5, this year through the lobbying of Preda to the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Secretary
Ambassadors / B3

Children aged 9 and 10 years old rescued by Preda at Navotas City Jail.

What are BECs?

BASIC Ecclesial Communities (BECs), also called Basic Christian Communities, Small Christian Communities. Some contend that the movement has its origin and inspiration from Liberation Theology in Latin America. However, many would regard the emergence of BECs as part of the concrete realization of the communitarian model of the Church (as Communion and as People of God) promoted by the Second Vatican Council. The communities are considered as a new way of being the Church the Church at the grassroots, in the neighborhood and villages. The earliest communities emerged in Brazil and in the Philippines in the late 1960s and later spread to Africa, Asia and in recent times in Australia and North America. During the early years of their existence, some BECs, especially in Latin America, were suspected of being influenced by Marxism due to their involvement in social and political concerns and their identification with liberation theology. However, that is not completely true. The BECs were not meant to reject or supplant the existing church structures but to make it possible for ordinary Catholics or lay-faithful to experience the Church as a community and to actively
Travelling / B5

participate in the life and mission of the Church. The vision of a renewed Church that Vatican II spelt out in the conciliar documents Lumen Gentium and Gaudium et Spes was to be realized in the BECs. In the BECs, the members are called to live in communion with the Triune God, with one another, with their pastors. They actively participate in Christs prophetic mission by listening to the Word of God, proclaiming it and giving witness to it. They are called to announce the message of total salvation, peace and justice. They are to denounce the evil and all its manifestation in society the idolatry of wealth and power, violence, injustices, the culture of death. The ordinary faithful are enabled to exercise the common priesthood by actively participating in the liturgical celebrations. They participate in Christs kingly mission by their loving service to others especially the poor and the needy, their work for justice and peace for social transformation. Thus, in many parts of the world, BECs are referred to as prophetic (evangelizing), priestly (worshipping) and kingly (serving) communities echoing Vatican IIs vision of the Church as People of God. In his encyclical Redemptoris Missio, Pope

John Paul II affirmed that BECs are centers for Christian formation and missionary outreach. They are a sign of vitality within the Church, an instrument of formation and evangelization, a solid starting point for a new society based on a civilization of love. BECs decentralize and organize the parish community to which they remain united. They take root among the less privileged. They become a leaven of Christian life, care for the poor,and commitment to the transformation of society They are a means of evangelization and of initial proclamation of the Gospela source of new ministries. They are a true expression of communion and a means for the construction of a more profound communion. They are a cause for great hope for the life of the Church. (RM 51). The BECs through the years have been accepted in the mainstream of the Catholic Church. Besides the Conferences of Latin American Bishops (CELAM), the Federation of Asian Bishops Conference (FABC) have endorsed the promotion of BECs all over Asia. So also have the Bishops Conferences in Africa promoted the BECs which they refer to as Small Christian Communities. (Source: www.cbcpbec.com)

www.preda.org

communities. The trafficking of human beings for sexual exploitation or organ harvesting as well as the exploitation of minors, abandoned into the hands of individuals without scruples and undergoing abuse and torture, sadly happen often in the context of tourism. This should bring all who are engaged for pastoral reasons or who work in the field of tourism, and the whole international community, to increase their vigilance and to foresee and oppose such aberrations. In the Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate, I chose to situate the reality of international tourism in the context of integral human development. We need, therefore, to develop a different type of tourism that has the ability to promote genuine mutual understanding, without taking away from the element of rest and healthy recreation (no. 61). May your Congress, meeting precisely under the banner A tourism that

makes a difference, contribute to the development of a pastoral approach that will lead steadily to that different type of tourism. I would like to highlight three areas which should receive full attention from the pastoral care of tourism. Firstly, we need shed light on this reality using the social teaching of the Church and promote a culture of ethical and responsible tourism, in such a way that it will respect the dignity of persons and of peoples, be open to all, be just, sustainable and ecological. The enjoyment of free time and regular vacations are an opportunity as well as a right. The Church, within its own sphere of competence, is committed to continue offering its cooperation, so that this right will become a reality for all people, especially for less fortunate communities. S e c o n d l y, o u r p a s t o r a l action should never lose sight of the via pulchritudinis, the way of beauty. Many of the manifestations of the historical

and cultural religious patrimony are authentic ways to God, Supreme Beauty; indeed they help us to grow in our relationship with him, in prayer. These are works that arise from faith and express faith (General Audience, 31 August 2011). It is important to welcome tourists and offer them well-organized visits, with due respect for sacred places and the liturgical action, for which many of these works came into being and which continues to be their main purpose. Thirdly, pastoral activity in the area of tourism should care for Christians as they enjoy their vacations and free time in such a way that these will contribute to their human and spiritual growth. Truly this is an appropriate moment to let the body relax and to nourish the spirit with more time for prayer and meditation, in order to grow in personal relationship with Christ and become ever more conformed to his teachings (Angelus, 15 July 2007).

The new evangelization, to which all are called, requires us to keep in mind and to make good use of the many occasions that tourism offers us to put forward Christ as the supreme response to modern mans fundamental questions. I therefore encourage you to ensure that pastoral activity in the field of tourism is integrated, as it ought in all justice, as part of the organic, ordinary pastoral activity of the Church. In this way, by the coordination of projects and efforts, we will respond in greater fidelity to the Lords missionary mandate. With these sentiments, I entrust the fruits of this Congress to the powerful intercession of the Mary Most Holy under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe and, as a pledge of abundant divine favours, I cordially impart to all present the requested Apostolic Blessing. From the Vatican, April 18th 2012 BENEDICTUS PP. XVI

In my line of work, not all times are opportunities which you can use as a tool to evangelize people. As a news reporter/anchor, my task is to give the news to the public and it is not the appropriate venue to evangelize and propagate them, Umali said. Umali also said her being chosen as mission ambassador may have come from her kind of spirituality as a lay person. I was called to be a mission ambassador and even if Im not a religious nun, being lay has also some commitments with God that needs to be fulfilled. My closeness with God was the gateway why I think I was chosen to be a mission ambassador, she added. Umali said that she had been active in the Church ministry when she was a kid until her college days as a choir member and a Marian devotee. Umali is an active member of the Legion of Mary. (CBCPNews)
Shepherd / B6

Name a sin, and 99% of the time, Ive done it. (I havent killed anyone. At least, I dont remember.) So today, I speak to you as one fellow-sinner to another fellowsinner. I share with you today the lessons Ive learned while I was stuck in the muck of sin. Yes, your preacher is bruised, broken, and bandagedbut still blessed by the mercy of God. Heres the big thing I realized. When I find myself trapped in my habitual sins, its because I was fighting in the wrong arena. I was fighting outside me when the battle was inside me. No wonder I was losing! We think temptation as an external problem. Its not. Its an internal problem. Because all these external temptations are almost powerless if it didnt have allies working within me. Heres my big message for you today: Victory is an inside job. By the way, failure is an inside job too

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Jesus showed in innumerable instances the way a good shepherd should treat his own flock. Eventually, he went to the extent of laying down his life for his sheep, thus living up to the definition of good shepherd which he himself had given. (See Jn 10:11.) After his resurrection, Jesus did not forget his little flock of frightened disciples. Knowing that he would not be visibly present among them any longer, he entrusted them all to the care of Peter, the chief shepherd (see Jn 21:15-17), and of all the other apostles (see Mt 28:19-20), and their successors. They were to watch over the whole flock the Holy Spirit had entrusted to their care. They were to shepherd the Church of God which he has acquired at the price of his own blood (Acts 20:28). This task is not easy. It can, actually, be very demanding,

indeed, if one takes ones duty seriously and does ones best to imitate the dedication of Christ. The history of the Church has known wonderful examples of spiritual shepherds who have given their life for the good or the defense of their flock. Bishop Romero, of El Salvador, is one of these heroes in our modern times. Fr. Charlito Colendres, who died while trying to save the drowning victims of the flash floods that hit Southern Luzon in 2004, is our local hero shepherd. We should pray that the Lord may send us many more such shepherds who will prove to all that CHRIST, the GOOD SHEPHERD, is still alive and caring. And whenever they live up to the expectation of the Divine Shepherd, their little or large flocks experience once again the saving presence of the Risen Lord.

B8
Moral Assessment

Entertainment
Technical Assessment

CBCP Monitor

Vol. 16 No. 9

April 23 - May 6, 2012

Abhorrent Disturbing Acceptable Wholesome Exemplary

Poor Below average Average Above average Excellent

THE setting here is Uganda and South Sudan before the latter became a nation in 2011. The hero is Sam Childers (Gerard Butler), a Pennsylvania tough guy who served a prison sentence, loved guns, could be brutal towards his wife but who had a conversion experience after thinking he and a friend (Michael Shannon) had killed a man. His wife, daughter and mother have found God and lead him to church and baptism. When he gets his life in order, he is impressed by a preacher visiting from Uganda and decides to go there for five weeks and work on a building project. He discovers the violence of the Lords Revolutionary Army and makes rescuing and helping orphans his mission with the help of South Sudanese militia. He is supported, urged not to give up, by his strong-minded wife (Michelle Monaghan), though it takes a toll as Childers who becomes completely obsessed by his mission. But, his conversion is a brittle

one and when he discovers children mercilessly killed, he begins to doubt God and aggressively takes up arms against the soldiers. He has been warned by a British nurse that, although he has won a great reputation in South Sudan, that was how Joseph Kony began before he formed the LRA. Sam Childers is forced to take stock of himself. Childers is still working in Sudan. The final credits have photos of him and his family as well as video footage. At the end of the credits, Childers asks the confronting question: if a member of our family were to be abducted and Childers promised to get them back, would we question or object to the way he would do it? That is a key question for muscular Christians who defend the rights but do not countenance turning the other cheek. Those interested in the machine gun may lose interest in the religious dimension of the film.

TITLE: Machine Gun Preacher CAST: Gerard Butler (Sam Childers), Michelle Monaghan (Lyn), Michelle Shannon (Donnie), Madeline Carroll (Paige), Kathy Baker (Daisy), Souleymane Sy Savane (Deng), Rhema Marvanne (Rik Oskam) DIRECTOR: Marc Foster SCREENWRITER: Jason Keller GENRE: Action, Drama, Biography, Crime DISTRIBUTOR Relativity Media LOCATION: USA, East Africa RUNNING TIME: 129 minutes TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT: Moral Assessment: Cinema rating: For viewers 14 years old and above

Those interested in the preacher may be put off by the rough life of the drug dealing bikie as well as his warrior-like Christianity in fighting (to the death) for the rights of the oppressed.

MAC en COLET

Ni Bladimer Usi

Buhay Parokya

Look for the image St. Lorenzo Ruiz, Pope John Paul II and the Holy Bible. (Illustration by Bladimer Usi)

AN Iraq War veteran searches for the woman from a mysterious photo that he credits with saving his life during three tours of duty in this romantic drama adapted from the book by Nicholas Sparks. U.S. Marine sergeant Logan Thibault (Zac Efron) was serving his country overseas when he happened across a discarded photo of a beautiful woman. An inscription on the back read Keep Safe, yet the photo revealed no clues about either the subject or her whereabouts. Upon returning home to civilian life, Logan conducts his own research and discovers that the womans name is Beth (Taylor Schilling) and that she cares for dogs at a small-town kennel. Before long, Logan manages to get a job at the kennel, and sets his sights on winning Beths heart. But it wont be easy because Beths past experiences have made her wary of relationships. Meanwhile, as Logan works to earn Beths trust, a dark secret from her past threatens to derail his hope for a happy future together. The Lucky One is the product of the imagination which also brought to the movie world Message in a Bottle and The Notebook. That told, the viewer would know what to expect, more or less, from this romantic escapist number, based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks. While the plot is predictable, the movie tries to strike a balance between sheer coincidence (as the title implies) and stark reality. There is enough chemistry between Efron and Schilling to make their sizzling scenes credible, though the characters are familiar stereotypes: the precociously clever son Ben (Riley Thomas Stewart); the wise grandmother Ellie (Blythe Danner) who can spot good TITLE: The Lucky One husband material at first CAST: Zac Efron, Taylor Schilling, Blythe Danglance; the ex-husband Keith ner, Jay Ferguson (Jay R. Ferguson) a bully of DIRECTOR: Scott Hicks a cop with inferiority issues. SCREENWRITER: Will FetThe cinematography is apters based on novel by propriate to the genre, and Nicholas Sparks the location is an enviable set- GENRE: Drama ting for a coincidence-laden DISTRIBUTOR: Warner Brothers romance whose foundational elements are the woods with LOCATION: USA a brook in the backyard, RUNNING TIME: 101 minutes sunlit days of bathing dogs, Technical Assessment: a placid lade for rowing and chatting, and a lifestyle that Moral Assessment: thrives on meeting the charCINEMA Rating: For viewacters simple needs. ers 14 years old and The Lucky One would above have deserved the PG-13 rating given by the MTRCB if the bed scenes had been pruned considerably or treated with more subtlety. Even if other critics might say But this is Americawhere premarital sex is almost de rigeurstill CINEMA would classify The Lucky One as an adult movie . The one character here that exhibits an unexpected but acceptable change is Beths ex, Keith, who switches from insufferable bully to lifesaving father. Credit goes to Fergusons sensitive actingas a bully youd wish a bigger bully would teach him a lesson, but when he softens watching his son playing the violin with a man he is jealous of, and then switches back to being a bully the next scene, you could see a bad man wanting to be good but cant become one as yet. The viewer can resonate with this conflicted character because he is so close to being real.

Vol. 16 No. 9

CBCP Monitor

April 23 - May 6, 2012

C1

The News Supplement of Couples for Christ

By YFC Documentation Team

CFC-YFC: ON FIRE FOR THE ALMIGHTY!

loving people, shouting out the love of God wherever they may be. Jeremy Quimpang, speaker for the first session titled God of All Greatness, stressed how the youth should open and empty themselves before God so they may receive a life of fullness, joy, and love. The journey has never been and will never be easy, Quimpang emphasized, but God's grace will always guide those who will painstakingly take on the challenge. He will continue to journey with us as we persevere. He will continue to carry us as we say Yes to the mission He has for us. God will continue to stay with us as we bear our crosses and follow Him, he added. Quimpang encouraged the youth to serve inspite of fearful challenges. No, the ride will never be easy, but everyday that we say yes, we allow God to manifest Himself in us and make great things happen, he expounded. Day 2 started with the various workshops like Writing HIStory, the LIVELOUD workshop, Thank God It's Sunday, and Theology of the Body. These bite-sized workshops highlighted that service born out of love is never a burden. The second talk was one of a kind, at least for this ILC. The sisters and brothers went to separate venues to hear about how they might be able to be a witness to God's love, whether as a Man of Action or as a Woman of Faith. Ruel and Maan Aguirre, the couple who gave the talk, shared the differences between the sexes. However, they pointed out that despite the differences and the resulting doubt, confusion, and fear which cause men and women to clash, it is important to remember that God is simply giving young men and women opportunities to realize who they truly are and learn to trust Him. The third session, given by Jep Calumag, discussed how sometimes people find it hard to say Yes to God's invitation. We find excuses and reasons, we draw back and we run away, Jep explained. But he highlighted the biggest Yes in historythe Yes of Mary, and how this Yes paved the way for the salvation of man. That Yes is the same Yes God asks from us everyday, Calumag emphasized. He has done great things for us. All He needs is our Yes. The final day of the ILC featured Keken Cabaraban in the session titled Proclaim the Almighty. Not only did he talk about what has been done (the past) and what can be done (the future), Keken also invited everyone to focus on the present, not just confined to the moment we said Yes during the Youth Camps, but to say Yes to Him all the time. We all affirm that Yes when we receive the Holy Eucharist, Carabaran said. God tells us to go beyond ourselves, our comfort zones, and our mission areas and invite more people to say Yes to Him. When all these were proclaimed, 6,000 young men and women stood up and worshipped, cried out their praises, let go of their doubts, and filled themselves with nothing but God's fulfilling love. It didn't matter that the weather was unpredictable, or that many of the delegates came from far-flung mission areas. It didnt matter that a few came to the venue with just enough money to spend for the weekend. It didn't even matter that some arrived with problems, whether financial, academic, or relational. All these did not matter, because at the end of the International Leaders' Conference, everyone went home with hearts full of love.

FROM April 13 to 15, the grounds of Aklan State University teemed with 6,000 young souls who danced, worshipped, sang and praised God the Almighty during the annual International Leaders Conference of Youth for Christ. The youthful, Christian vibe was evident everywhere from the welcome arc that displayed the various YFC proclamations, to the large board featuring Christs images, the statue of Christ the Redeemer, and the huge word ALMIGHTY stenciled across the stage. The three-day conference, true to CFCs 2012 theme, was indeed a time for proclamations. The first day started off with worship, followed by the Church Integration activity. After this, it was an awesome sight to see and hear the delegates reciting the Holy Rosary, followed by the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. The weather, which was at turns wet and very sunny, turned balmy by the time the street dance parade started. During dinner, the various YFC events and programs for the year were officially launched, among them Cross Culture, Count Me In, 100% Free, I Love My Household, and the Flame Ministries Merchandise. These YFC advocacies all aim to show that YFC is about going beyond borders and forging relationships, that YFC is about

Reflections on Jesus Jewishness

By Arnel Santos
ThE third course offering of the CFC Leadership Development Program (LDP) was given to top CFC leaders on April 11, 2012 at the Lay Force Auditorium, Guadalupe, Makati City, with CFC International Council member and ANCOP Chairman, Joe Yamamoto, delivering a lecture on Jesus and the Passover --Understanding the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist. (See related article on page C2). After expounding on the first century Jews Passover meal rites, Joe exhorted the CFC leaders that Catholic faithful who seek to deepen their understanding of the Eucharist must appreciate the implications of how Jesus seemed to

By Samantha Manuel

M.E. United: A Great Night with a Great God

understand his own death. By means of the Last Supper, Jesus transformed the Cross into a Passover, and by means of the Cross, he transformed the Last Supper into a sacrifice, the new sacrifice of the New Covenant. He explained that first, when Jesus vowed not to drink the final cup at the Last Supper, he extended his last Passover meal to the moment of his own suffering and death. The Last Supper became a prophetic sign that his passion and death will be brought to completion. Second, when he asked the Father three times at Gethsemane to take the cup from him, he revealed his death in relation to the Passover sacrifice. By the time he drank the fourth cup and stated it is finished, he achieved the pouring out of his blood much like the pouring out of the blood of the sacrificial lambs. Third, by finally drinking the fourth cup of wine on the cross, he intimately linked the Last Supper and Death on the cross as one united event. The third LDP course offering became a forum for further reflections for CFC leaders on the Eucharist as the Source and Summit of the Christian Life, which was the subject of the Mission Core Group Teaching last March 20, 2012, delivered by Fr. Joselito Jojo Buenafe, and which was the same subject of Msgr. Allen Aganons homily at the Mass celebrated by him before the LDP lecture.

ThE Middle East has found a unique way to get together in faith and fellowship -- through livestreaming of gatherings from all over the Middle East. About 633 online viewers households, units, chapters and even big assemblies -- took part in the Middle East United on 29th March 2012. What made it more special this year is that ME United was participated in by other ministries of our community and even non-community members. We wanted to strengthen unity in the region and the best way to do this is through praying together. Prayer is most powerful when we pray together. Though far from each other, prayer brings us closer to each other and affirms our being one family, says, Noli Manuel, CFC fulltime pastoral worker for Middle East. This initiative was also strengthened when His Excellency Bishop Paul Hinder of the Vicariate of Arabia highly encouraged the use of technology as a tool for evangelization and deepening of the Christian faith in one of his homilies during the celebration of the Holy Eucharist in Abu

1st Youth for Christ Middle East Summit

By Mael Cortel
GREATER things have yet to come and greater things are still to be done in this City. This is a line from the theme song of the 1st CFC-YFC Middle East Summit that was held last March 22-23, 2012 in Dubai, UAE. Leaders and Parent-Coordinators of Youth for Christ from the Middle East region, specifically from Qatar, Kuwait, and the different emirates of the United Arab Emirates gathered for this first-ever summit for YFC Middle East. The first night was themed The 70s. Everybody arrived at the venue in their groovy outfits. Parent-coordinators and YFCs came very prepared with fancy hairstyles, colorful shirts and funky wigs.

Dhabi, UAE. The unity prayer started with worship, followed by prayers of healing, strength, providence, faith, hope and love for family, community and God. The ME United experience is like an oasis in the middle of the desert, exclaimed Emmanuel Icaranom, SFC Middle East. That night was also an affirmation of Gods love when all of the participants were asked to embrace the people in their respective gatherings, calling it the Embrace of Grace. While we were being prayed over, I remembered the time that Ive experienced harassment and injustice. Fears, doubt, worries, anxiety, sadness, and pain came all over me. There was a time that

I didnt feel His presence. As if He is not listening to my prayers. But God is an All-knowing God. He used the community, the people dear to me, and my friends to overcome that unfortunate event in my life. He lifted me up when I was down and never gave up on me. I felt that the Lord wants me to surrender everything to Him. He wants me to put my trust on Him. And I said yes, Lord. Take over me. Be in control of my life. And then I felt peace. I know that Lord has wonderful plans for me a beautiful and brighter future, says Cris Serdenia, SFC Unit Head. On the other hand, Camille Salalima from Kuwait said that God had spoken to her during the worship through a song, affirming her that He is truly larger

than anything in this world, and indeed she is so blessed to have experienced Him. Robe Porminal of SFC Abu Dhabi exclaimed that the ME United made her feel so energized and ecstatic and grateful that she belongs to such a big family of believers who worship and praise God together. The event was concluded with a community prayer. Apart from community members from the Middle East, it was also participated in by SFC members coming from Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Canada and the Philippines. The event was hosted in a studio in Dubai, UAE. Indeed, it was an activity that was so obviously led by the Holy Spirit, drawing the ME brethren into unity of heart and soul, and making the Middle East region one in faith, hope and love for God and His people. Despite the distance and the many differences among the brethren in the different countries, those who attended the unique night of worship shared joy and pain, fears and hopes and stood as a body of Christ in proclaiming the greatness of the Lord. God is truly great and is so much alive in the desert!

Youth / C2

The opening worship was led by Kevin Montefrio from YFC UAE followed by the first session delivered by Ace Lu, full-time pastoral worker for YFC Middle-East. During this session, everyone was reminded of Gods victories for YFC. The history of YFC as a ministry and the history of how YFC was established here in the Middle East
Ace Lu, YFC M.E Missionary

C2
Ricky Cuenca, CFC Chairman

Ugnayan

CBCP Monitor
April 23 - May 6, 2012

Vol. 16 No. 9

Christ is Risen, Alleluia!

family for thanksgiving dinner. These Easter events helped me reminisce my childhood experience of Holy Week and reinforced my faith and love for the Lord. Permit me to share these reflections. 1. Forgiveness. Jesus, after being rebuked, beaten and nailed on the cross, was ever ready to forgive, not losing sight of His mission. Just like the passion of Christ, our community suffered tremendous hurt in the division and falling out of key leaders. But because we did not lose sight of our vision and mission in CFC, we are healed with our act of forgiveness and reconciliation with fellow brothers and sisters in the community. As Christ showed us, we continue to forgive and ask for forgiveness in all humility. 2. Divine Mercy. Ask and you shall receive. The thief on the right side asked to be with Jesus in paradise.The Lord continues to answer our prayers with miracles and bountiful blessings.We only need to ask. We now own our CFC office, and we saw how our membership in CFC and the Family ministries has expanded, as we experienced the great throng who joined our Pearl anniversary and our ANCOP walk for the poor. We are gifted with passionate young leaders ready to take on our crusade of Families in the Holy Spirit renewing the face of the earth and Building the church of the home and building the church of the poor. We continue to pray and ask for Gods blessings and for many miracles in CFC. 3. Christs love is bountiful and unending. Journeying with Christ in his passion and death showed me his great love for us. He suffered much and gave His life for our salvation. There is no end to our redemption. Easter is not the end but the beginning of Gods never ending love story. We continue to live Christs love in our giving of our time, talent and treasure towards our golden years, our 50th anniversary. As we celebrate Easter, I am filled with thanksgiving and praise for the gift we have been given to carry the torch of ON FIRE EVANGELIZATION. We continue to proclaim the goodness and greatness of the Lord, for He has anointed us to form Couples for Christ and families of faith to renew the earth and bring glad tidings to the poor. Christ is risen. Alleluia.

hAppY Easter! The goodness and love of the Lord abound in our lives and in our community! This Easter was meaningful for me. After 15 years of celebrating Easter in Canada, I once again experienced the richness and depth of our traditional Holy Week observance in the Philippines. It was also a good break from Couples for Christ activities, as my wife and I journeyed in reflection, silent prayer and fasting, commemorating Christs suffering and death on the cross. We started on Ash Wednesday

with a retreat conducted by three inspiring priest speakers. We were renewed with the message of Gods unconditional love and salvific role in human history. We observed Holy Thursday with the washing of the feet and Visita Iglesia, completing the Stations of the Cross in 7 churches. On Holy Friday we observed fasting and abstinence, listened to the seven last words and participated in the solemn procession of the dead Nazarene accompanied by our sorrowful mother Mary. On Holy Saturday, we prayed in the Easter vigil eagerly waiting for the risen Christ. Easter Sunday was a great celebration with the early salubong of the risen Christ and Mama Mary, and later on attending a town fiesta in an ANCOP Batangas site and capping the day with a great reunion with my wifes

By Joe Yamamoto

Understanding the Jewishness of the Eucharist

EVERY time Mass is celebrated, the saving mystery and grace of the Eucharist is repeated, and the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus on the cross offered in remembrance. The bread and wine become the body and blood of Jesus in perpetual remembrance of the New Covenant. Loving and understanding the Eucharist should lead us to appreciate the connection between the Passover and the Last Supper, the connection and continuity of the Old and the New Testaments. Jesus of Nazareth was a Jew, born of a Jewish mother. He received the Jewish sign of circumcision, and grew up in the Jewish town of Galilee. He would have studied the Torah, celebrated Jewish feasts and festivals, went to Jerusalem for pilgrimages to the Temple. Because the Jewishness of Jesus is a historical fact, it is critically important to understand everything that transpired in first century Israel from the Jewish perspective and context. Many written books about Jesus addressed primarily his divine identity, but meagerly (until recently) about seeing the events in the context of first century Jews of which Jesus was one. Contrary to the common understanding that the majority of Jews in Jesus' time were expecting a military liberator or a political messiah, many more were actually waiting for someone greater- the meshiach (messiah) who will fulfill the yearnings for a new Moses, who will lead the people to a new exodus, bring about a new Passover and thence establish a new covenant. During the first Passover at the time of the Exodus, the Israelites as a people were protected and preserved from the angel of death who 'passed over' the houses of those whose doorposts and lintels were marked by the blood of the sacrificed lamb. The Passover rite, as prescribed, was written in Exodus 12 whereby "The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: this month will stand at the head of your calendar; you will reckon it the first of the year. Tell the whole community of Israel: on the tenth of this month every family must procure for itself a lamb... your lamb must be a year-old male and without blemish... You will keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, and then, with the whole community of Israel assembled, it will be slaughtered during the evening twilight." (Exodus 12:1-6). The Nisan was the first month of the Jewish calendar and coincided with early spring. The first Passover celebrated at the time of the Exodus differed somewhat from the celebration at the time of Jesus. For the ancient Passover, there were five basic steps followed: 1. Choose an unblemished male lamb 2. Sacrifice the lamb 3. Spread the blood of the lamb on the posts and lintels of the homes as a 'sign' of the sacrifice 4. Eat the flesh of the lamb with unleavened bread and bitter herbs- not one bone of the lamb to be broken, with the bread unleavened to show the haste with which the people left Egypt and the bitterness of 400 years of slavery. 5. Every year, keep the Passover as a "day of remembrance" of the Exodus forever. After fifteen or so centuries from the first Passover to the first century AD, there were certain steps that changed, e.g the spreading of the lamb's blood on the doorposts was dropped. Eating the Passover lamb was kept, but rituals were added, such as drinking cups of wine. THE PASSOVER SACRIFICE AT THE TIME OF JESUS- Centrality of Temple Worship Originally, the males of the twelve tribes of Israel did the sacrifice. The practice did not continue for long after Israel failed to become a " nation of priests" because of their idolatry by worshipping the golden calf. Consequently, the tribe of Levites became the priests of the people and the privilege of conducting the sacrifice was removed from the 12 tribes. By then, the Passover became not just a meal but remained as a sacrifice (zebah). During the time of Jesus, the lambs had to be sacrificed in the temple. One had to take the lamb to the temple in Jerusalem and give it to an ordained priest to have it sacrificed. It is for this particular reason that at Passover, Jerusalem would be teeming with pilgrims who came to offer their sacrifices. To appreciate the scope and extensiveness of the event, Catholic readers must glean the details from the writings of Josephus, a historian and priest of the first century. "So these high priests, upon the coming of their feast which is called the Passover, when they slay their sacrifices, from the ninth hour (about 3 pm) to the eleventh (about 5 pm), but so that a company not less than 10 belong to every sacrifice (for it is not lawful for them to feast singularly by themselves) and many of us are twenty in a company, found the number of sacrifice was 256,500; which, upon the allowance of no more than 10 that feast together, amounts to 2,700,200 persons. (Josephus, War 6:423-27). Even allowing for some overcounting, the figure remains staggering - over 200,000 lambs slaughtered! Consider the literal flood of lambs' blood that was being poured out at the altar. The pouring of the lambs' blood on the altar calls to mind the bloody and painful sacrifice that Jesus would go through for the sins of humanity. The observance of Passover ceased after the destruction of the temple of Jerusalem by the Roman army in 70 AD. With that destruction of the Temple, the blood sacrifices specified in the law of Moses likewise stopped. The function of the Levitical priesthood for Temple came to an end with the end of the Temple. Thereafter, Judaism needed to change and the venue for worship shifted to the synagogues. In place of the Levite priests, rabbis became the primary teachers to the Jewish people. While synagogues and rabbis were present even in the time of the first century, the roles were subordinated to the central sanctuary and its priests. THE FATE OF THE PASSOVER LAMBS During the first century AD, the Passover lambs were not merely sacrificed. In a literal sense, they were "crucified." An Israeli scholar, Joseph Tabory, relates that according to Jewish references (Mishnah) - at the time of the temple worship, the sacrifice of the lambs followed a prescribed procedure and thin staves of wood were driven through the shoulders of the lamb in order to hang it and skin it. After the first rod, a skewer of pomegranate wood was pushed through the lamb from its mouth to its buttocks. This manner of preparation resembled the crucifixion. Since it was a practice at the time of the first century, Jesus would have witnessed the "crucifixions" of thousands of Passover lambs in the Temple in Jerusalem. As a matter of fact, Jesus compared his suffering and death to the death of a Passover lamb. JESUS USHERS IN THE NEW PASSOVER St. Jerome, the greatest bible scholar of the early Church (4th century AD) was well aware of the link between the Jewish Passover and the coming of the Messiah. The ancient Jews believed that the coming Messiah will redeem his people on Passover night. As the promised Messiah, Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies regarding his coming as Redeemer. He established the New Passover, and inaugurated the new Exodus (from the bondage of death and sin) that would bring about the New Covenant (Eucharist). At the Last Supper, Jesus kept the old covenant Passover, while at the same time fulfilling the long awaited new Passover, i.e. the Passover of the Messiah. The Gospels explicitly identified the Last Supper as a Jewish Passover meal. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 1340) states: "by celebrating the Last Supper with his apostles in the course of the Passover meal, Jesus gave the Jewish Passover its definitive meaning. Jesus passing over to his Father, by his death and resurrection, the new Passover is anticipated in the Supper and celebrated in the Eucharist, which fulfills the Jewish Passover and anticipates the final Passover of the Church in the glory of the Kingdom." FIRST CENTURY PASSOVER RITE The Ancient Jewish Passover liturgy changed somewhat from the first Passover at the time of the Exodus. A glaring example is the drinking of four cups of wine that had become practice by the time of Jesus and the apostles. By the time of the first century, the structure of the Seder meal (Passover Hagadah) assumed the following format: 1.The preliminary course consisted of a solemn blessing (Kiddush) pronounced over the first cup of wine, which was followed by a dish of bitter herbs that was dipped in a bowl of sauce known as haroseth (horseradish). This was meant to remind the Jews of the bitterness of the Egyptian bondage. The first cup was known as the cup of sanctification. The standard Jewish blessing over this cup is as follows: "Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine" (Berakoth 6:1). Note that the wine was mingled with a little water, a practice that has strong similarity with mixing wine and water during the Consecration. 2. The Passover narrative was recited (Exodus 12) followed by the singing of the Little Hallel (Psalm 113). Immediately thereafter the second cup of wine (cup of proclamation) was again mixed with a little water and then drunk. Before the second cup was drunk, the father recited and 'proclaimed' what the Lord had done for Israel. In the case of the Last Supper, Jesus was not the father but took on a similar role by explaining the meaning of the unleavened bread. 3. The third cup of wine was mixed. This act signaled the beginning of the actual supper, consisting of the eating of the roasted passover lamb and the unleavened bread. The third cup, the berakah cup (Cup of Blessing) was drunk before the meal was partaken. There are three basic steps in this part of the meal beginning with a blessing said over the unleavened bread- "Blessed are you, Lord God, who brings forth bread from the earth" (Mishnah, Berakoth 6:1). Second is the serving of an appetizer made up of a bread morsel dipped in a bowl of sauce. This may have been the 'morsel' that Judas dipped in the 'dish' just before leaving the Last Supper to betray Jesus ( John 13:26-27). Third was the eating of the main meal of roasted lamb and unleavened bread. After the meal, the father would say another blessing over the third cup of wine. 4. The climax of the Passover came with the singing of the remaining portion of the Great Hallel (Psalm 114-118). All first century Jews (including the apostles) would have known the psalms quite well, since they would sing or recite them every year at Passover, in the Temple when the lambs were being slain and in the course of the Passover meal. At this part of the meal, Jesus would be offering to God, the " sacrifice of thanksgiving" (zebah toda in Hebrew and eucharistia in Greek). On the night Jesus was about to suffer on the cross, he chanted the words of the Great Hallel"Out of my distress I called to the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free...I shall not die, but I shall live... I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. The stone which the builders rejected has become head of the corner." ( Psalm 118: 17-22) After the singing of Psalm 118, the fourth cup of wine, known as the cup of praise (cup of consummation), would be drunk. Drinking it completed the Passover meal and ceremony. The synoptic gospels narrated the events of the Last Supper, which was in itself the Passover celebration. Jesus instituted the Eucharist as the New Covenant - "And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, ' Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I shall not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.' And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives." ( Matt. 26: 27-30) The cup that Jesus blessed and distributed is identified as the third cup of the Passover supper. This is apparent from the singing of the Great Hallel which immediately follows ...and when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives" (Mk 14:26). Right after the words of institution, Jesus said and did something that would have been baffling to any ancient Jew, especially the apostles. Viewed from the Jewish point of view, it seemed that the Passover Meal was incomplete because no fourth cup of wine was drunk. After singing the Great Hallel, He and his disciples went out of the Upper Room, out of Jerusalem, and across the Kidron Valley to the Mount of Olives. The sequence of events raised some questions. The answers may lie not in the Last Supper itself but in the events surrounding the passion and death of Jesus. THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE As Jesus agonized over his upcoming sacrificial death on the cross, he prayed: "My Father, if it be possible, let this CUP pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will." In his distress, Jesus prayed to the Father three times about the "cup" that he must drink. Catholic Bible scholars see the Passover context of his prayer - that Jesus' prayer to the Father was about the fourth cup, the final cup of the liturgy. He had just finished celebrating the Last Supper where he identified his own body as the sacrifice of the new Passover. He had also identified the third cup of wine as his own blood, about to be poured out for the forgiveness of sins. His words implicitly identified himself as the new Passover lamb. By the time this new Passover is finished (drinking the fourth cup), Jesus would be dead. Passover lambs were sacrificed, they did not make it out alive, so was Jesus the Passover lamb of the new Covenant? Was Jesus' final Passover Meal ever completed? If it was, how and when was it accomplished? Because it was a huge part of the Divine Plan, it had to be completed. IT IS FINISHED The gospel accounts made it clear that Jesus did not drink the final cup of wine on the way to the cross. Ancient Jewish custom allowed the giving of wine mixed with myrrh to one condemned to death. It was supposed to be an act of mercy done in an attempt to numb the senses of the man sentenced to death. Jesus refused to drink that wine laced with myrrh because he did not want to dull the pain of his sufferings amidst his passion. He wanted to complete his redemptive action by going through the excruciating pain of the crucifixion fully conscious. Towards the end, Matthew and Mark related that one of the bystanders "took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink." ( Matt 26:48; Mark 14:36). The gospel account of John provided more details for Jesus did not only accept the wine of his execution but expressedly requested a drink right before his moment of death - "After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, 'I thirst'. There was a vessel filled with common wine. So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth. When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, 'It is finished.' And bowing his head, he handed over his spirit." (John 19:28-30) THE EUCHARIST, THE NEW SACRIFICE OF THE NEW PASSOVER Every Catholic who goes to Mass and receives the Eucharist at communion accepts the redemptive and healing gift of receiving Christ. A Catholic who seeks to deepen his understanding of the Eucharist must appreciate the implications of how Jesus seemed to understand his own death.

First, when Jesus vowed not to drink the fnal cup at the Last Supper, he extended his last passover meal to the moment of his own suffering and death. The Last Supper became a prophetic sign that his passion and death brought to completion. Second, when he asked the Father three times at Gethsemane to take the "cup" from him, he revealed his death in relation to the Passover sacrifice. By the time he drank the fourth cup and stated it is finished, he achieved the pouring out of his blood much like the pouring out of the blood of the sacrificial lambs. Third, by finally drinking the fourth cup of wine on the cross, he intimately linked the Last Supper and Death on the cross as one united event. By means of the Last Supper, Jesus transformed the Cross into a Passover, and by means of the Cross, he transformed the Last Supper into a sacrifice, the new sacrifice of the New Covenant. EPILOGUE To all Christians, especially Catholics, understanding the death of Jesus on the cross as a "sacrifice" is common knowledge. But to a first century Jew, the Crucifixion of Jesus was a cruel form of execution. For them to accept the death of Jesus on the cross as a sacrifice, there must be a priest, an offering and a liturgy. All those requirements were satisfied by the Last Supper, Jesus final Passover meal. From the viewpoint of the first Jewish converts, Jesus provided the clarity by showing both events as one single sacrifice. Every sacrifice of the Mass is celebrated "in memory" of him. As the genuine memorial of his new Passover,the Eucharist therefore makes present the events of the Upper Room. It also makes perpetually present the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross in Golgotha.

Visit the CFC Global website:

www.couplesforchristglobal.org
Youth / C1

were discussed. The end of the session turned emotional when letters written by the youth were given to the parentcoordinators. The second day of the summit consisted of workshops, forums, and sessions. The new three-year Formation Track was introduced by Francis Tajanlangit (Mission Volunteer for YFCUAE) and Shae Vencialo (Mission Volunteer for YFC-Qatar). Right after the workshop, YFCs were requested to sit with the parent-coordinators and other leaders to plan the activities for the rest of the year and for the next three years. After the planning, the different groups presented their workshop output. The next workshop, on church integration and evangelizing non-Filipinos, was facilitated by Apple Fuentes (Mission Volunteer for YFC-UAE). A forum was held after the workshop. The different YFC advocacies -Greeneration, ANCOP, and 100% Free. YCom (Youth Communication) and MegaCamp -- were also promoted during the second day. The last session was given by Ace Lu. In this session, he introduced the new YFC Vision: Young people being and bringing Christ wherever they are. Through this session, everyone was reminded that YFCs (especially leaders of the community) must become light to the nationa bigger mission, not only within the community, but especially outside YFC.

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 9
April 23 - May 6, 2012

Ugnayan
By Jun Uriarte

C3

I Have Seen the Lord (John 20:18)

IT is only in the Gospel of John that Jesus appears individually to Mary of Magdala. But Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? She said to them, They have taken my Lord, and I do not know where they laid him. When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for? She thought it was the gardener and said to him, Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him. Jesus said to her, Mary! She turned and said to him in Hebrew, Rabbouni, which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God. Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, I have seen the Lord, and what he told her (Jn 20:11-18). In the Gospel of Mark, three women, not just Mary Magdalene, went to the tomb, which they found empty. Instead of two, there was only one angelic figure (a young man sitting on the right side) that proclaimed Jesus was raised. Jesus asked the women to tell peter and the other disciples to meet him in Galilee. The women left in fear and told no one. There was no appearance of Jesus to these three women. The reported appearance of Jesus to Mary Magdalene in the longer ending of the Gospel of Mark is a much later addition (composed in the second century while Mark is first century) that already reflects the traditions found in the Gospels of Luke and John. In the Gospel of Matthew, two women went early to the tomb, Mary Magdalene and another Mary. One angel descended from heaven (instead of sitting inside the tomb) and rolled back the stone. He told the two women basically the same message as reported in Mark. They left fearful, yet joyful. On the way, Jesus appeared to the two women (instead of just to Mary Magdalene) and they immediately recognized Jesus (unlike in John). Jesus message was essentially the same as what the angel told the two women earlier. In the Gospel of Luke, there were many that went early to visit the tomb three women, including Mary Magdalene, and several unnamed others. There were two angelic figures (two men in dazzling garments) that reminded them of the teachings of Jesus. There was no reported appearance of Jesus to the women and there was no new message but only a reminder to recall Jesus earlier words to them. Unlike in Mark and Matthew, there was no instruction for the disciples to rendezvous with Jesus in Galilee. This is probably because in Luke the Ascension took place in Bethany near Jerusalem (in Lukes Acts of the Apostles, the Ascension takes place in the Mount of Olives, which is also near Jerusalem). Bethany is a village about 2 km down the east slope of the Mount of Olives. Taken together, the Synoptic Gospels are not clear on the number of women that visited the tomb three in Mark, two in Matthew, and many in Luke or the number of angels one in Mark and Matthew, two in Luke. They are also not clear on whether Jesus appeared to the women in Mark the appearance is a later addition, in Matthew the appearance is after the visit to the tomb, and in Luke there is no such appearance. They are also not clear if the women are given a distinctive revelation to report or only a message for the disciples to gather in Galilee. For this reason, the resurrection narrative of the Gospel of John takes on a special meaning and important purpose. The resurrection narrative of John has three distinctive features: first, only one woman, Mary of Magdala, visits the tomb; second, Jesus reveals to her a remarkable message that reduces the role of the angels and gives greater focus on him; and three, Mary is given a special role to play as the herald of Jesus extraordinary message. This notable message is Jesus Ascension, Go to my brothers and tell them, I am going to my Father. This action of Jesus giving special personal revelations to women is typical of the Gospel of John, where Jesus gives special revelations about his person to three women. The first is to the Samaritan woman to whom he reveals that he is the Messiah: The woman said to him, I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Anointed; when he comes, he will tell us everything, Jesus said to her, I am he, the one who is speaking with you. (Jn 4:25-26). The second is to Martha to whom he reveals that he is the Resurrection and the Life: Martha said to him, I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day. Jesus told her, I am the resurrection and the life. (Jn 11:24-25). The third is to Mary Magdalene to whom he reveals his Ascension. And by asking Mary to tell his disciples about it, Jesus commissions her as a proclaimer of his revelation and a missionary to lead others to him. Although there is a tradition that identifies Mary of Magdala as the woman caught in adultery whom Jesus saved from being stoned to death (Jn 8:1-11), the Gospel of John does not actually give the name of this woman. The tradition that Mary of Magdala was a sinner from whom seven demons had gone out comes from Luke (Lk 8:2) and not from John (the same reference in Mark is a late addition that may have come from Luke). Although Mary of Magdala was not necessarily the prostitute identified in the Gospels of Luke and John, nevertheless, her being identified as the woman from whom seven demons had gone out could mean that she was guilty of all the vices (represented by the number seven). If Mary Magdalene was indeed a great sinner (and being a woman had an inferior status in the Jewish society of Jesus time), and yet Jesus chose to appear to her first (although some scholars speculate that logically as a loving son Jesus must have appeared first to his mother, Mary, but there is no mention of it in the Gospels), chose to reveal to her the remarkable message of his Ascension, and then commissioned her to bring this message to his disciples, then there is great hope for all of us who are also sinners, who have rejected Jesus most of our life, and who continue to be tepid souls that deserve to be spitted out of Gods mouth (Rev 3:16). For most of us (especially those who have the interest and patience to read through our monthly reflections), we can claim that, with Gods grace, like Mary Magdalene, we have been rid of the seven demons. But like the women in the Synoptic Gospels, we continue to live in fear fear about our future and that of our children, fear about the long years of retirement without regular income, fear about our failing health and who will take care of us or who will pay for our expected medical bills, fear about our businesses and sources of livelihood. Among our worst fears, of course, is the fear of a violent and sudden death in the absence of our loved ones, or the fear of a prolonged and painful sickness, which will drain our savings and burden our loved ones, but inevitably leads to death anyway. But for many of us, our greatest fear is having to answer the questions: I was hungry, did you give me food? I was thirsty, did you give me drink? I was naked, did you give me clothing? I was sick, did you visit me? And so like Mary of Magdala, we need to look for Jesus, to weep and be sorry for our sins. Like her we need to say, I will take him and put this into action. And with Gods grace and mercy, we may yet see the Lord.

By Melo Villaroman, Jr.

THE Villaroman clan welcomed 2012 with great expectancy and excitement. The excitement was centered around 31 March 2012 when all seven of us children with our complete families were to gather in Virginia, USA, to witness our Papa Melo Sr and Mama Luz walk the aisle again. They were to profess before Gods throne to continue loving and serving one another, not just a bit more, but to the fullest their hearts can give, after 50 years of wonderful matrimony! We thought we were ready for everything. But it turned out we were not. On March 13, while twiddling with the computer in my sister Wowies home in Virginia, Papa slumped to the floor, brought down by an acute, massive stroke just seventeen days before their big golden day. A clot in his brains middle cerebral artery, a major channel of blood to the cerebrum, would take away Papas speech, rendering his bodys right side extremely weak and almost costing him his life. This event would raise the great gifts of faith, hope and love in our family to new depths of service and sacrifice. We thank the Lord for He has formed the mettle of hearts within the family, that, while yet to navigate this deep far end of trials, were being made ready by His Spirit the past 50 years. He has been pouring and building up within the family a very special kind of love designed to be victorious for such of lifes tribulations that which can heal and stand firm amidst blows, and remain triumphant with the certainty that flows out of the rising of Christ. Praise be to God for granting us eyes of faith that, while shedding tears of grief, never fail to see far greater reasons for thanksgiving! We praise God for allowing the stroke to happen in

Virginia, just two days after our parents arrived in the US. Had it happened in the plane, my Dad had very little chance of surviving. We thank God that my brother-in-law Noel was at home the day Papa dropped to the floor, when on a typical day he should have been at work. His immediate action to call hospital emergency allowed the swift administration of time-crucial medication that would help bust Papas major clot. However, this double-edged medication would also render a grievous side effect it caused bleeding in our Papas brain that, the neurosurgeon warned earlier, caused death in many past cases. We thank God for the prayers of many in CFC around the world. After a harrowing half-day period when it appeared Papa would not wake up anymore, and the doctor was already readying my brother Rico with the worst scenarios, the hemorrhaging miraculously stopped, and Dad woke up! After two weeks in the critical care of the Reston Hospital, my brothers and sisters brought my Dad back home to my sister Wowies house in Virginia. When I, Nini and our two sons arrived from Manila and saw him in my sisters house for the first time since the stroke, it was a very emotional moment. I was so used to seeing him active in sports, dynamic in his intelligent expression especially when giving me advice regarding the CFC mission, it was just momentarily too much to bear seeing him motion-limited and speechless for the first time in my life. My heart uncontrollably wept for him, and cried out to the Lord for healing, defying my own instruction to my sons not to show sorrow in front of their Grandpa. What my fathers words and mine could not convey at that moment, both our tears expressed. My fathers own tears reminded me and my sons it was OK to cry. The next few days, we all felt the Lords gentle hands wiping the tears from my fathers and our eyes, and filling my sisters home with inexplicable

A Love that Heals

joy. My brother Rico became an expert barber, giving my father a manual Gillete-clean shave every two days. I and my brother Manny became instant reflexologists, working some energy back to my fathers right foot and right leg through daily massage. My sister Wowie and brother-in-law Noel became excellent cooks feeding the Villaroman battalion in their home everyday, more importantly, delighting my dad with dishes like kare-kare that seemed to help bring back to his cognizance flashes of the previously-familiar, with every bite. My eldest sister Ate Canyl was our strategist and finance officer, gathering the whole family to develop and support long-term plans for our Papas rehabilitation. My youngest sister Anne became our musical conductor, preparing us to be an instant choir for the Anniversary holy Mass that the family discerned will push through by the grace of God. She would also lead the grandchildren at home to suddenly break into Spiritual GLEE-like songs of offering for Papa that always brought a jubilant smile on his face. Our youngest brother Ed, Doctor Ed to many, is Gods great gift of giving Papa, Mama, and each one of us, one among the best Cardio-Thoracic surgeons in the Philippines as our personal physician and healer. The Villaroman spousesin-law (of course my biased favorite of all is my very own Nini) do not deserve to be called just that, for each of them served and sacrificed silently like Papa and Mamas true sons and daughters, not by law, but by great love. Every evening, we gathered as a big true household, around our authentic household heads Papa and Mama, to worship the Lord and invoke healing. Actually, with an army of musicallytalented grandchildren active in the CFC Family Ministries, it was more like a Family Ministries Praisefest or a Proclaim the Greatness of the Lord conference every night in Wowies house. In those evenings, we thanked the Lord that even if Papa could not speak yet, his heart remains free to worship the Lord, and claim his healing. His arms raised despite pain, his lips mumbling the lyrics to Great and Wonderful, Behold, Mighty King of Zion, and How Great is our God, have inspired each one of us to worship the Lord with our all to the end of our lives. We praised God for the selfless love and service of Mama to Papa we decided recently that we did not have to hire a caregiver for Papa, because Mamas attention and service to Papas needs were that of a love-giver or sacrifice-giver that no hired hand can ever match. And we thanked the Lord even for this trial He has allowed to happen to Papa. We realized how special and unique the love is, that He has poured and built upon the family through Papa and Mama. This is the kind of love that perpetuates only if expressed fully through deep service and sacrifice. This trial the Lord allowed brings with it the blessing and opportunity for each of us children and grandchildren to dig deep, serve fully, and love immensely, so that this special love will continue to bless generations. How great our God is! The starting point of Papas struggle after the stroke included a condition called global or total aphasia, or the loss of the ability to express and understand speech and other forms of communication. The journey to recovery will be very tough, but we trust that nothing is impossible with Gods faithful love. Papa and Mama have presented and built great love upon this family, that has become a foundation, strong like rock. Papa and the family might be going through storms today, but we will not be shaken. This love, too, has begotten great fruits, becoming the love of the family that surrounds Papa today, a special kind of love, the love of God that will surely heal Papa, and bless each one of us. During the eve of their 50th Golden Anniversary Wedding, we were gathered around Papa, coaching him so that during Mass the next day, he can be

ready to give the priest a nod, after he will be asked if he were to accept Mama as his beloved wife and love forever. He was visibly distressed having to exert humongous effort by his yet unhealed cerebrum to understand our instructions and express himself. Suddenly, he asked for a piece of paper and pen. And then he wrote, slowly and with great difficulty, but very clearly -- I DO U LOVE. He was telling Mama in his physical brokenness that he would walk the altar again and again and proclaim I do love you and will marry you!

Even his inadvertently jumbled grammar would make perfect sense. All his life, he DID LOVE for each one of us children, the kind that did not mind sacrificing and dying to oneself even when the world was not looking, the love that forgave and rose again after trials, which sowed seeds in the life of the young and bore fruits through time, blessing many. Holding back our tears of happiness, we immediately grabbed another clean sheet of white paper to write back in front of Papa, hoping he will be able to read and understand, even a little bit of what we wanted to tell him. We wrote, PAPA, YOU ARE A BLESSING, A GREAT GIFT. DO NOT WORRY. GOD WILL HEAL YOU. He nodded and flashed us a crooked but very sweet smile. Indeed, that is a miracle. As we see God working wonderfully in Papa and in us, every moment continues to be a miracle. Postscript: Melo Sr just got back from the US and is now undergoing intensive speech and physical therapy at St Lukes.

CFC-ANCOP SCHOLARS GRADUATE WITH TOP HONORS

By Ethel Balenton
A TOTAL of 3,090 ANCOP sponsored children and youth as of school year completed their academic year in March 2012, with about 39 graduating from college and vocational technical courses, and 132 graduating from high school. The graduating ANCOP scholars are mostly from Caloocan City, Quezon City, Paranaque, Bulacan (St. Martin Orphanage), Quezon, Batangas, Southern Leyte, Camarines Sur, Ilocos Sur and Iligan. Those graduating from college completed degrees in Accounting, Agriculture, Tourism, Education, Psychology, Information Technology, Computer Science, Bookkeeping and Criminology, while those finishing technical vocational courses took courses on Electronic Servicing, Computer Secretarial, Computer Hardware Technology and Hotel And Restaurant Services. All are hopeful that they will soon join the ranks of young professionals and the workforce of their respective fields. Leading the graduating college scholars is Ken Mark Agustin, who graduated magna cum laude, with a degree in Bachelor of Science Major in Accounting from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP). Ken is a President's Lister in PUP and an awardee in Master in Management Advisory Services. Beringuela, also graduating with a degree in Bachelor of Science Major in Accounting, but from the University of Caloocan City (UCC). Simon was a PICPA Quiz Bee First Prize winner and belonged to the top 10% of the graduating class. Simon has been sponsored since Grade 5 by ANCOP International Canada. His father died in 2010. Right now, he and his four siblings are supported by his mother who is a soft drinks vendor, and by a sister who is already working. Both Ken and Simon started with CFC as KFC members. They are currently YFC members, while their parents are also with CFC. Ken and Simon will be reviewing for the board exams in October 2012. Both desire to be teachers in the future and have expressed a desire to become sponsors of other marginalized and disadvantaged children. Some 20% of ANCOP college and vocational technical scholars who graduated last March have been in the Presidents or Dean's lists, and were among the top 10% of the graduating class. On the other hand, about 10% of the 484 current ANCOP college and vocational technical scholars are in the Dean's list and are in the upper 10% of their class. The same percentage of ANCOP scholars in the elementary and high school level obtained various academic and non-academic recognition from their schools.

Ken (left) and Simon pose with Ethel Balenton.

Ken has been a CFC ANCOP Australia-sponsored child since Grade 5. His father is a taxi driver and his mother is a laundry woman. Ken is the second among five siblings. After

his graduation, a job already awaits him at Sycip, Gores and Velayo, a prestigious auditing firm.. Another ANCOP scholar from North A is Simon

Ugnayan CFC Participates in the Grand Mission Festival

C4
IN its mission to proclaim the greatness of the Lord in the Year of the Mission, Couples for Christ lent its time and manpower to the Pontifical Missions Societies Philippines and the Episcopal Commission on Mission of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines for the successful staging of the Grand Missions Festival. With a delegation of around 3,000 clergy and laity, CFC was up to the task of providing the participants an avenue to remember history and to proclaim their faith by telling Jesus story. Every department of the Grand Mission Festival core committee had at least one member from Couples for Christ and its Family Ministries. Without question, the community is always ready to contribute in order to gain the fullness of the mission for Lord, wherever and whenever it may be.

CBCP Monitor

April 23 - May 6, 2012

Vol. 16 No. 9

Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle, DD of the Archdiocese of Manila together with the CFC Family Ministries members who are part of the GMF service team. First row (from left to right): Ruel Aguirre (CFC EMO and GMF Competitions coordinator), Maria Katherine Guano (CFC EMO and GMF program team member), Archbishop Tagle, Sky Ortigas (CFC CIO and GMF Event Coordinator), Ruel Tenerife (SFC East B and GMF Documentation Team) Second row (from left to right): Nic Escalona (KFC International Coordinator and GMF program team), Clarke Nebrao (CFC CIO and GMF Overall Program Head), Jay Laquian (SFC FTPW for Bicol Region and GMF Music Ministry Member), Msgr. Allen Aganon, CFC IC spiritual director, Adrian Enaje (SFC FTPW for Big Central Metro Manila) and Maan Aguirre (CFC EMO and GMF Secretariat).

The other members of the committees who worked tirelessly to ensure the success of the festival were Nida Vergara (CFC EMO and GMF Accommodations coordinator), Benedict Jadulco (SFC Full-Time Pastoral Worker and GMF Transportation Coordinator), Babes Jadulco (GMF Finance Department), An Enriquez (SFC FTPW and GMF program committee member), Iris Suministrado (SFC FTPW for Big North - Metro Manila and GMF Marketing coordinator), Anthony Rodriguez (CFC Events and GMF Logistics coordinator), Nino Tuyay (SFC FTPW and GMF General Services coordinator), Lawrence Quintero (YFC International Coordinator and GMF Workshops coordinator), Checa Casane (YFC FTPW and GMF Workshops coordinator), Raymond Ibarrientos (YFC FTPW and GMF Workshops coordinator), and Ruth Catabas (CFC CIO and GMF Food supervisor.)

OUR LADY OF BANNEUX,UNVEILED AND BLESSED

By Raymond V. Bucu
MARY, the Virgin of the Poor, is calling attention not to herself, but to her Son, the fountain, the wellspring of life, Jesus. Most Reverend Pablo Virgilio S. David, Auxiliary Bishop of San Fernando, Pampanga, emphasized this during the high mass that he concelebrated with Rev. Msgr. Antonio SJ. Mortillero, Rev. Fr. Daniel B. Sta. Maria and Rev. Fr. Joselito R. Ortega last March 24 at the Our Lady of Banneux ANCOP-RID 3780 Communities in Barangay Silangan, San Mateo, Rizal. The occasion was the unveiling and blessing of the twelve-meter image of Mary, Our Lady of Banneux and Virgin of the Poor. The image was erected as an act of consecrating to Mary the site of the Our Lady of Banneux ANCOP Community and CFC West Bs work for the Church of the Poor. During his homily, Bishop David reflected on the apparition of the Blessed Mother in 1933 before a young girl named Marriet Beco in Banneux, a small town in Belgium. He recounted that just as our Lady brought Marriet to dip her hands in a freely flowing spring, so does Mary invite us to look for and partake of the water of life, which is her son, Jesus Christ, the Source of All Grace. The bishop compared people to water pails, to which water may flow freely from its Source and be filled with grace. Bishop David notes that unfortunately, like water pails, people sometimes possess defects that prevent grace from flowing freely to fill us. One reason is that the pail may be broken, which, like the brokenness that people experience, prevents them from containing Gods grace. Another reason is that the pail could be oriented in the wrong direction, away from the Source and thus cannot be filled. Bishop David reflected further that the pail could also be already full, though not with grace, but with garbage, which is our pride. Thus, in this case, the pail needs emptying. In the case of Gods children, Bishop David notes that the emptying of ones self is the first requirement of spiritual discipline, which St. Paul calls kenosis, which was discussed fully in Philippians 2. Finally, Bishop David reflected that pails that are covered or sealed cannot contain grace. People who experience pain and betrayal from others sometimes decide to shut their lives to the rest of the world, thinking that this will insulate them from further hurt. Unfortunately, they close their lives so tight that they imprison themselves, fueled only by their hatred and prejudices. Bishop David finally exhorted those present that God is always present in the lives of people and expressed the hope that Our Lady of Banneux will not only heal our souls and spirits, she will heal our land. Finally, Poveda College President, Ms. Azucena Camagan, quoted St. Pedro Poveda, who said: You dont need to be rich in order to give. It is enough to be good. He who is good will always find something to give A Memorandum of Understanding between CFC ANCOP, the Local Government of San Mateo headed by Mayor Rafael Diaz and Rotary International District 3780 District Governor Jess Cifra was then signed. The MOA signing cemented a mutual commitment between CFC ANCOP and RID 3780 to fund the development of the shelter project through a 60%-40% formula in a period of five years. The Our Lady of Banneux ANCOP-RID 3780 Communities is CFC West Bs flagship project in the pursuit of the mission to Build the Church of the Poor, held jointly with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cubao. It is situated in what used to be a five-hectare raw land amid forbidding hilly terrain and deep ravines. However, visionaries among CFC West Bs leaders such as Arnel Santos, Leony Balmeo, Bob Penalosa, Demy Aquino, Raymond Bucu and Nicole Macalinao, after much prayer and discernment, decided to pool together meager resources resulting in the construction of a culvert bridge that allowed heavy equipment to reach the site. CFC-ANCOP USA followed through by funding the first 30 houses of what is to become the Kathleen B. Schenning ANCOP Homes. Soon, a waterfall of blessings began pouring in as ANCOP USA pledged two more clusters of thirty houses, which will be called the Heart of Texas ANCOP Homes and the Nayon ng Pagasa ANCOP Homes, and will be home to thirty families that suffered during the Ondoy typhoon. ANCOP Canada, through its President, Temi Pangilinan, has also indicated readiness to participate by funding the construction of one hundred units. Various entities have become partners with West B, such as the St. Pedro Poveda College, which conducted a groundbreaking ceremony in the site, having committed to sponsor the 30-unit Josefa Segovia ANCOP Homes. Another partner is the Rotary International District 3780, led by one of its clubs, the Rotary Club of Loyola Heights under Silver President Nitoy Velasco, which has committed to fund its counterpart commitment on site development equivalent to sixty houses. The image of the Our Lady of Banneux was done by renowned sculptor and CFC brother, Bernie Caber, of the Kamay ni Hesus fame, and commissioned by Leony Balmeo of CFC West B.

Arnel Santos, West B sector head, gives the exhortation during the unveiling ceremony

that He encourages everyone to open up to Him. The bishop adds that Blessed Mother, the Virgin of the Poor, invites all people to draw near the fountain of life, which is her Son, Jesus Christ, by first being one with the poor who are blessed: Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. CFC International Council members in attendance delivered their messages after the Mass. CFC ANCOP Chairman Joe Yamamoto said that, This com-

munity of Our Lady of Banneux will rise as a testimony to Gods undying love for each and everyone of us. Former Chairman Joe Tale, reminded everyone that, We dont proclaim the greatness of ourselves but the greatness of our Lord. IC member Manny Garcia exhorted that, If you see the face of Jesus in the poor and you live with them and immerse yourself in their lives, thats the time that they will feel the love of God through you. San Mateo Mayor Rafael Diaz

By Aiza Garnica
ON the eve of the Grand Mission Festival, Rev. Fr. Andrew Recepcion gave a very timely teaching about the state of mission in today's world to the members of the CFC Mission Core Group (MCG) at the Christ the King parish in Greenmeadows, Quezon City. "As missionaries today, we are confronted with the reality of a globalizing world." Fr. Andrew said as he explained the concept of a "runaway world" based on the study of British sociologist, Anthony Giddens. The concept basically states that the world today is no longer controlled by men but rather by globalization which give humans little control over a more complicated world. Fr. Andrew then discussed the basic missiological orientation on mission that the mission is in crisis. However, we

are not to look at it as a problem, but a beautiful reality, because as Fr. Andrew expounded, "It is only in crisis that we allow the Holy Spirit to break through the human frailty to make God's word prevail. Crisis is the normal state of the church."

The Mission in a Runaway World

The Four Crises "Mission today is beyond geography. It means going to where we are and where God sends us." According to Fr. Andrew, this is the first crisis, the crisis of a runaway world, of changing mission contexts. The second is the crisis of faith, the lack of passion for the Gospel and the deficiency of faith stamina against struggles and doubts. This, according to Fr. Andrew, is due to a shallow understanding of faith. "What we need is reasoned faith, faith that we understand, faith that we can defend." The third crisis is the crisis of

"Amidst these crises, we must go back to the mission mandate," reminded Fr. Andrew. "The mandate to proclaim the Gospel does not change. The content of our proclamation is the living Lord. The way to encounter the living Lord is through faith." Fr. Andrew declared that "the heart of faith is Christ. It entails total surrender." What the Mission Needs Fr. Andrew went on by discussing the three needs of the mission today: silence, presence, and proclamation. Silence is the existential disposition that allows the Word to dwell in us, to speak to us, and to renew us. Only when there is silence can we tap the presence of the Lord, His presence in us and in the face of every person we see. Proclamation is a daily witness of life, and only when there is the presence of the Lord can we proclaim.

compartmentalization, the wrong perception that mission can be reduced to just "doing something," or that mission is simply "work." The fourth crisis is the crisis of opposition and competition, the conflict between hierarchy (clergy) and charism (laity).

Our Response In facing the crisis of a runaway world, our response must be to embrace humanity, to believe that every neighbor God has placed beside us is our mission space. To the crisis of faith, the appropriate response is to radiate Christian joy, the source of which is God Himself. To have unity of word and deed, to apply the principles of a harmonious life, is the answer to the crisis of compartmentalization. Being co-responsible with the Church is the resolution to the crisis of opposition and competition. Fr. Andrew concluded by quoting Pope Benedict XVI's statement on the newness of Christianity which "can only come from the gift of being with and being in Christ." He challenged the members of the MCG to make mission a way of life, a life project with God.