Vol. 16 No. 21 October 8 - 21, 2012 Php 20.

00
Govt not serious in land
reform: Bishop
MANILA Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo
has remarked that the government is not
serious in implementing the Comprehensive
Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
The head of the National Secretariat for
Social Action, Justice and Peace (Nassa)
of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the
Philippines expressed concern that CARP
may soon expire without substantial ac-
complishment.
Millions of landless tillers will remain
landless. Worse, thousands of DAR (Depart-
Land Reform / A7
A3 C1
Ugnayan
The News Supplement of
Couples for Christ
B1
The Holy Spirit Has Nurtured in the
Church a New Effort to Announce
the Good News
Pope entrusts Year of Faith,
evangelization synod to Mary
Year of Faith counts down to
500th of Christianity in PHL
By Nirvaana Delacruz
POPE Benedict XVIs
proclamation of a Year
of Faith from October
11, 2012 to November 24,
2013 will not just be a
world-wide celebration
observed by a billion-
strong Catholics around
the globe, but will her-
ald a 9-year preparation
for the 500th anniversary
of Christianity in the
country.
Even as the Philippine Church
is just one of many across con-
tinents welcoming the Year of
Faith, the celebration takes on a
distinct meaning with the com-
ing festivities for 2021, when
the Church commemorates the
arrival of the Catholic faith in
the country.
In his apostolic letter Porta
Fidei, Pope Benedict XVI pointed
to a need to rediscover the
journey of faith so as to shed
ever clearer light on the joy and
renewed enthusiasm of the en-
counter with Christ.
For the Philippines, this redis-
covery of faith will go way back
to 1521 with the baptism of the
hisl conveils~Rajah Hunalon,
Rajah Kolambu, and 400 other
Filipino locals.
Notwithstanding disputes over
ils exacl Iocalion, lhe hisl nass in
lhe IhiIippines vas veiihed lo le
celebrated in 1521 as well.
Gift of faith
Despite the passing of half a
millennium, the call to the Fili-
pino faithful is to keep the faith
vibrant and ever new.
In a pastoral letter dated Sep-
tember 28, Feast day of San Lo-
renzo Ruiz, Manila Archbishop
Luis Antonio Tagle called on the
Church to celebrate the precious
gift of faith, to receive it again
and to transmit it joyfully.
During an orientation on the
Year of Faith for the Archdiocese
of Manila last September 24, Ma-
nila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick
Pabillo said the Church will fo-
cus on a pastoral priority every
year until 2021, with the Year of
Faith focusing on Integral Faith
Formation.
Speaking to lay leaders, heads
of congregations and religious
leaders from the Archdiocese of
Manila, Tagle stressed how the
Year of Faith will aim to intensify
the Churchs Biblical apostolate
program, while revisiting the
wisdom and spirit of Vatican
II; and milestones in Philippine
Church history like the Second
Plenary Council of the Philip-
Humility, solidarity are key to
evangelization, synod members say
Synod Report
By Cindy Wooden, CNS
VATICAN CITY, Ocl. 9, 2O12~A
Philippine archbishop told the Synod
of Bishops that it is possible to preach
the Gospel to the poor, but only as
long as the preacher shares their
poverty.
The Gospel can be preached to
empty stomachs, but only if the
stomach of the preacher is as empty
as his parishioners (stomachs),
Archbishop Socrates Villegas of
Lingayen-Dagupan told the Synod
of Bishops Oct. 9.
The archbishop was one of several
synod members who emphasized
the importance of humility and soli-
darity with the poor as the Catholic
Church attempts to strengthen the
faith of its members and encourage
lapsed Catholics to return.
Archbishop Villegas speech to
the synod was met with applause,
said Basilian Father Thomas Rosica,
who briefed reporters about what
occurred in the synod hall.
The new evangelization calls for
new humility, Archbishop Villegas
told the synod. The Gospel cannot
thrive in pride.
Following Christ means imitating
him with a deep sense of awe and
reverence for humanity, he said.
Archbishop urges peace
building at grassroots level
IF peace building is to succeed
in the troubled Southern Phil-
ippines, it must begin at the
giassiools IeveI, an ofhciaI of lhe
Catholic Church said.
After all, said Cagayan de Oro
Archbishop Antonio Ledesma,
ained conicl is nosl keenIy feIl
al lhe IocaI connunilies~al lhe
very much grassroots level.
Starting at grassroots level
is important because whatever
agreements we have if its not
acceptable to the local com-
munities, it will just be a peace
process on paper, said Ledesma,
a known peace advocate.
The church leader has lauded
the preliminary peace deal be-
tween government and the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)
and said it is about time to bring
the peace building down to the
local communities.
We have to work now in the
Palma leads CBCP delegation to Asian
bishops meet
CEBU Archbishop Jose Palma, along
with six others, will represent the
Catholic Bishops Conference of the
Philippines in the upcoming Asian
bishops meeting in the communist-
ruled Vietnam.
As CBCP president, Palma will lead
the group of seven Filipino prelates
who will join the 10th plenary assembly
of the Federation on Asian Bishops
Conferences in Xuan Loc, Vietnam on
Nov. 19 to 25.
The delegation will be composed
of three archbishops and four bishops
from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao,
said CBCP secretary general Msgr.
Joselito Asis.
They include Archbishops Socrates
Villegas of Lingayen Dagupan and An-
tonio J. Ledesma of Cagayan De Oro,
ishops MyIo Huleil Veigaia of Iasig,
Crispin Varquez of Borongan, Leonardo
Medroso of Tagbilaran, and Emmanuel
Cabajar of Pagadian.
Aquino declares national day of celebration for Calungsod
SUNDAY, October 21, will
be a national day of celebra-
tion on the canonization of
Blessed Pedro Calungsod.
President Benigno Aquino
III approved Proclamation
No. 481 to honor the life and
martyrdom of Calungsod,
the soon-to-be second Fili-
pino saint.
He said lhal CaIungsods
canonization, slated on Octo-
ber 21 in Rome, shall instill
national pride in the hearts of
Filipinos worldwide.
Malacaang is also hoping
that the said occasion will
encourage Filipinos, particu-
larly the youth to get involved
in public and civic affairs.
The life and martyrdom
of Blessed Calungsod shall
serve as an inspiration to Fili-
pinos, particularly the youth
to live a life anchored on
values and principles, part
of the proclamation reads.
Calungsod was a teen-
age catechist from Visayas
who accompanied Blessed
Diego Luis de San Vitores
in Tumhon village in Guan,
Marianas, where they were
killed on April 2, 1672.
Blessed Pope John Paul II
lealihed hin in Maich 2OOO.
Over a thousand Filipinos
aie ying lo lhe Valican foi
the canonization rites of
Calungsod. (CBCPNews)
Real concern for women makes RH opposition a no-brainer for doctor
SINCE preserving the health of patients
and administering no harmful methods
of liealnenl aie pail of lhe Hippocialic
oath, a medical doctor openly expressed
her opposition to any legislative mea-
sure that goes against this, particularly
lhe iepioduclive heaIlh (RH) liII.
There are many provisions in the
RH liII lhal I viII peisonaIIy conlesl lul
from the medical point of view, sigu-
rado ang talagang labag sa kalooban
ko ay to give something that will harm
my patients, said Liza C. Manalo,
Year of Faith / A6
Synod / A6
Peace / A6
Delegation / A6 Opposition / A6
grassroots for peace building and
reconciliation. Its the beginning
of transformation of the whole
Mindanao towards a culture
of peace, said the former vice
president of the Catholic Bishops
Archbishop Antonio Ledesma
Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, CBCP president (front row,
extreme right) and Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle
(second row, second from left) join other cardinals and
bishops from around the world during the Synod of Bishops
for the New Evangelization being held at the Vatican, 9
October 2012. (FABC OSC/Photo by: Annie Lam/Holy
Spirit Study Center, Hong Kong Diocese)
Archbishop Jose Palma
Asis said that except Palma who is
an ex ofhcio nenlei of lhe IAC, lhe
six other prelates were elected during
the CBCPs regular meeting last July
in Manila.
The FABCs plenary assembly is held
every four years, the last being in Ma-
nila in 2009. This years gathering will
mark the 40th anniversary of FABC, the
M.D., faculty and consultant at the Far
Eastern University Nicanor Reyes
Medical Foundation (FEU-NRMF)
Medical Center.

First, do no harm
Manalo pointed out that the number
one bioethical principle for doctors and
other health professionals is Do good,
avoid harm.
First, do no harm. Posibleng hindi
mo mapagaling ang pasyente mo dahil
I
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s
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r
a
t
io
n

b
y

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la
d
im
e
r

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s
i
Students perform pattong, an Ifontoc dance, during the procession in Bontoc, Mountain province highlighting the launching of the Year of Faith in
the Apostolic Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe, 7 October 2012. Various delegates from the vicariates 23 mission stations in the provinces of Ifugao and
Mountain Province participated in the celebration.
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A2 Vol. 16 No. 21
October 8 - 21, 2012
CBCP Monitor

World News
Vatican Brieng
New e-book on Catholic voting
urges political transformation
NLW HAVLN, Conn., Ocl. 6,
2O12~CaiI Andeison, head
of the Knights of Columbus,
will release an e-book of his
three recent major speeches
on responsibility in the voting
booth, asserting that Catholics
can transform politics by with-
holding votes from candidates
and propositions that oppose
Church teaching on matters of
intrinsic evil.
Catholics and other Chris-
lians viII hnd in lhis e-look a
thought-provoking conversa-
tion about our political situation
today and how we ought to
approach our responsibility in
voting, Anderson said.
He said failh shouId lianscend
paily afhIialion in eveiy case.
Religious believers should ap-
proach politics from the point
of view of their Bible and reli-
gion, and not see their religion
through the lens of politics.
Andersons e-book Proclaim
Liberty: Notes on the Next Great
Awakening will be released by
lhe Randon House inpiinl In-
age Books on Oct. 9. It contains
three speeches Anderson has
given in the last year: his Na-
tional Catholic Prayer Breakfast
speech, his Catholic Press As-
sociation speech, and his speech
to the Catholic Association of
Latino Leaders.
The e-book will be available
from online booksellers for
those with e-book readers or
the appropriate computer, tab-
let or smartphone software, the
Knights of Columbus said.
Anderson said Catholics
should withhold their votes
from candidates and ballot mea-
sures that support intrinsic evil
in every case, in every race for
poIilicaI ofhce, iegaidIess of lhe
party of the candidate.
Though it is impossible to say
vhich paily nighl lenehl nosl
in the long run, if Catholics take
such a stand, we could literally
change the face of our countrys
political debates, Anderson
stated.
The speeches in his e-book
examine how to vote with a well-
formed conscience.
He aIso discusses lhe ieIigious
freedom controversy surround-
ing lhe Depailnenl of HeaIlh
and Hunan Seivices nandale,
which forces many religious
institutions and individuals
to provide insurance coverage
for abortion-causing drugs,
sterilization and contraception
against their conscience.
Anderson said Catholics make
up 25 percent of the U.S. popula-
tion and are uniquely suited to
transform the political process.
He uiged CalhoIics lo vole in
a manner consistent with their
faith on core issues and to
bring charity into the political
process.
The Knights of Columbus is
a Catholic fraternal charitable
organization with over 1.8 mil-
lion members worldwide. (CNA)
CatboIIc group Hunks
Obama on reIIgIous IIberty
WASHINCTON D.C., Ocl. 5,
2O12~ReIigious Iileily advo-
cacy group the Catholic Asso-
ciation released a voter guide on
Oct. 4 that gives a failing grade
to President Obama on seven key
religious freedom issues.
The Obama Administration
has put forth divisive policies
and government regulations
that ignore our First Amendment
protections and erode the reli-
gious freedom of Catholics and
people of faith, said Maureen
Ferguson, the groups senior
policy advisor.
Over one million copies of the
guide will be distributed in both
English and Spanish across the
country.
The guide is meant to educate
Catholics and other persons of
faith on how their vote could
affect religious liberty concerns
over the next four years.
In contrast to the score given
to President Obama, the guide
gives Republican presidential
nominee Mitt Romney an A+
with regards to the seven reli-
gious liberty policies.
The Presidents unprecedent-
ed HHS nandale is lhe nosl
far reaching encroachment on
religious freedom in American
history, Ferguson added.
People of faith, religious
charitable organizations and
employers should not be forced
to either violate their faith or
face ciippIing hnes lhal vouId
damage their ability to serve
the poor, the needy, the sick, the
elderly, the orphaned and the
overall common good.
Ashley McGuire, a senior
fellow with the group, also
weighed in, noting that on criti-
cal issues such human traf-
hcking, inleinalionaI ieIigious
freedom and allowing churches
to choose their own leaders,
the administration has used
regulation, laws and litigation to
undermine the religious rights of
people of faith. (CNA)
ITALY, Ocl. 4, 2O12~An inleinalionaI syn-
posium, dedicated to the study of Mary and
her cultural and theological significance
throughout history, commenced today at the
Centro Russia Ecumenica in Rome.
The objective of the two-day event, titled
Maiy, Sign of Iailh (and OnIy Hope), is lo
explore the cult of Mary in order to explore
her role in leading Christians towards greater
devotion to Christ. Participants today had
the opportunity to hear from a wide variety
of experts, such as author Leonie Caldecott
on the history of Marian images beginning
with pre-Reformation England, as well as
fion hisloiian MichaeI Hesenann on lhe
historical person of Mary.
Edmund Mazza, history professor at
Azusa Iacihc Univeisily in Los AngeIes,
California, is the primary organizer for this
synposiun evenl. He loId ZLNIT lhal lhe
conference was conceived in response to
Pope Benedict XVIs all for Marian confer-
ences, a call which came through the Con-
gregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. It was
of particular importance within the context
of the forthcoming Year of Faith.
It is important to look at Mary as a model,
as a sign of faith, he said. Were on our way
lo Cod, ve donl see lhe lealihc vision yel,
so we need symbols, we need signs to take us
on the road. And its very important that we
turn to Mary because as Louis de Montfort,
the great doctor of the Church once said,
its through Mary that Jesus came into the
world, and its through Mary that Jesus will
reign in the world. She had a role to play at
lhe leginning vhen He hisl cane, and she
has a role to play now as we approach the
end times.
Another reason for the conference was
its coincidence with the 95th anniversary of
Our Lady of Fatimas miracle of the sun in
October 1917, which is followed one month
later by the Russian revolution. We know
from the Papal approved apparitions of
Fatima that the conversion of Russia has been
entrusted to Mary And thats also why we
chose Centro Russia Ecomenica, because
again Mary has a providential role to play
in the conversion of Russia.
This conference also comes just days
before the opening of the bishops synod
on New Evangelization. Due to her unique
role within salvation history, Mary is seen
as central to evangelization. Of course,
Mazza continued, any attempt at evange-
lization has to start with Mary because Mary
vas lhe hisl evangeIizei. She heId up IillIe
Baby Jesus and showed the Wise Men, and
he was the light to the Gentiles. She helped
}esus voik His hisl niiacIe vhen he legan
his public ministry.
Marys role as evangelist, moreover, ex-
tends beyond the Gospels and to foreign
continents. Our Lady of Guadalupe, for
instance, was the catalyst that helped to
convert 9 million Aztecs over the course of
15 years, whereas before her apparition in
Mexico City they had maybe a few hundred,
or a few thousand converts.
In addition to the synod, the 50th anniver-
sary of the Vatican II Council approaches this
month, and it is recalled that for some time
there was a decline with regard to Mary and
devotion to her. It is ironic, Mazza pointed
out, that after the Vatican II Council, espe-
ciaIIy foi lhe hisl len, hfleen, nayle lvenly
years there was a decline in Marian devotion.
I say its ironic, because when Pope John
XXIII opened the Council exactly 50 years
ago next week, he did it on the feast day of
the Maternity of Mary, which actually has
subsequently changed.
With regard to renewing Marian devotion
in modern society: Pope Paul VI actually
tried to do it in the heat of the crisis. It was in
1972 when he complained that the smoke of
Satan had somehow entered into the Church.
He issued an encycIicaI on Maiy, and liied lo
bring about greater devotion to her, and then
of course Blessed John Paul II took on the title
Totus Tuus as his motto: I am all yours.
Blessed John Paul II also held a devotion
to our Lady of Fatima. She saved his life on
lhe day he vas shol in Sl Ieleis squaie. He
was shot on May 13th, which was the day
she hisl appeaied lo lhe chiIdien in 1917.
There are promising signs that we can
ienev oui failh in }esus and gel cIosei lo Hin
by knowing Mary. I like to say: No Mary, no
Jesus; know Mary, know Jesus.
Prof. Mazza concluded that, with regard
to spreading the importance of Marian de-
votion, theres a certain urgency of the mo-
ment; we see a rise in a world without God.
Oui HoIy Ialhei has laIked aloul lhe
dictatorship of relativism, about the errors
of socialism, and during this time of world-
wide economic crisis there is a temptation to
think only in terms of those things. When our
Lady came to Lourdes, and when our Lady
came to Fatima in the late 19th and early
20th centuries, she offered another plan. She
said we have to make reparation to her Im-
nacuIale Heail. We have lo piay lhe Rosaiy
eveiy day. We have lo pionole lhe hve hisl
Saturdays. The Pope has to consecrate Rus-
sia, together with all the bishops.
I think if we want to solve he worldwide
crisis, Mazza said, we have to actually start
with Mary, because when God wanted to
soIve lhe voiIdvide ciisis, He senl lhe angeI
Gabriel to Mary, and that is how the New
Testament begins. Whenever God wants to
ienev lhe voiId, He does il lhiough Maiy.
(Zenit)
International symposium on Mary commences in Rome
Baltimore archbishop rallies religious leaders in
support of marriage
BALTIMORE, Md. , Oct. 6,
2O12~Aichlishop WiIIian L.
Lori of Baltimore last week told
a large gathering of Maryland
religious leaders opposed to
Question 6 that it is urgent to
organize voters opposed to the
ballot measure, which would
recognize gay marriage in
the state.
Those who are trying to rede-
hne naiiiage aie lhe poIilicaIIy
powerful, and are raising money
fion HoIIyvood lo Madison
Avenue and throughout the
country, he said in his introduc-
tory comments at the Sept. 26 In-
terfaith Gathering on Marriage.
What a powerful message it
should send that so many people
from so many faith traditions
would gather together in this,
the oldest Catholic seminary
in the United States, in support
of such a critical issue for our
society. Over 200 attended the
meeting at St. Marys Seminary
in Baltimore. Catholic bishops
from Maryland and nearby
states joined Protestant, Evan-
gelical, Mormon and Muslim
leaders at the event.
The Orthodox Jewish commu-
nity also supported the gather-
ing, but did not attend because
it coincided with the Jewish
holy day of Yom Kippur. Rabbi
Ariel Sadwin, a leading rabbi
from Baltimore sent a message
of solidarity.
Archbishop Lori said backers
of traditional marriage have
an urgent task. They must
raise the funds to challenge the
media campaign in favor of the
referendum and they must get
their allies to the voting booth.
Catholics are contributing sig-
nihcanl hnanciaI suppoil and
are organizing volunteers.
The archbishop said the de-
fense of marriage is a message
that is profoundly good.
He aIso olseived lhal lhose of
Archbishop William E. Lori
different faiths believe in mar-
riage as the unique relationship
between a man and a woman and
in the vital and unique role that
both mothers and fathers have in
raising children. This relationship
is the foundation of all society
because it brings life into the
world, he said.
The union of man and wom-
Petition to end abortion in Spain
draws 100,000 signatures
MADRID, Spain, Ocl. 5, 2O12~
Accompanied by a group of
children, a local pro-life leader
delivered a petition signed by
100,000 people to the Ministry
of Justice calling for the end of
abortion in Spain.
Every day in the country, 300
children die in a violent way in
the wombs of their mothers,
said Ignacio Arsuaga, head of
the Spanish civil rights group
HazleOii.oig.
As he presented the petition
lo goveinnenl ofhciaIs on Ocl.
4, Arsuaga urged them to ful-
hII lheii eIecloiaI pionise lo
change the law on abortion to
protect the right to life.
This includes not only ending
abortion but also enacting poli-
cies to support mothers, so that
women who have an unexpected
pregnancy can move forward,
he added.
The organization Right to Life
collected the signatures, which
were delivered just three days
before the local March for Life
takes place in Madrid on Oct. 7.
According to Right to Life,
the petition states that abortion
constitutes the cruel and violent
death of a human being and
that it always leaves two vic-
tims: the child that dies and the
mother who suffers it.
It also denounces the million-
doIIai indusliy lhal lenehls a fev
individuaIs vho piohl fion lhe
deaths of other human begins.
The third annual International
March for Life, which also kicks-
off on Oct. 7, will take place in
more than 100 cities across Spain
and in other cities around the
world. Some 323 national and
international associations are
expected to participate in the
march. (CNA)
TRIVANDRUM, Ocl. 5, 2O12~Al
10 meters, it is the tallest statue
of Jesus ever made in India, and
to see it you just have to visit
Trivandrum (Kerala). The barefoot
monument thus tops the charts
beating a similar statue in Banga-
lore (Karnataka), only 9 meters
high. Portrayed with outstretched
arms, the statue of Christ rises over
the Baselios College of Engineeer-
ing and Technology,, a leading
Syro-Malankara Christian univer-
sity. Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis
Thottunkal, major archbishop of
the community, presided over the
unveiling ceremony on October
1 last.
Premachandran, the sculptor,
carried out the work with a mix-
ture of fibers, wax and resin, then
covered it with white marble. The
eyes of the statue glow in the
dark, thanks to a special radio
based color (a glow in the dark
chemical element). It weighs
three tons
As many as 35 people worked
on it to complete it last month.
Costing 1.5 million rupees (about
22,3OO euio), lhe slalue~vhich
veighs lhiee lons~vas offeied
in memory of Midhun Markos, a
former student of the college who
died in a car accident, at the request
of the parents. (AsiaNews)
Tallest statue of Jesus in India unveiled
an, then, is not only a good for
the couple but for the entire
community of the Church and of
humanity, for marriage serves as
a model and a point of reference
for all that God calls humanity
to be, Archbishop Lori stated.
On May 1, Maryland Gov. Mar-
tin OMalley signed into law a bill
that recognizes gay marriage
in the state. The bill passed the
MaiyIand House of DeIegales ly
a 72-67 vote and the Maryland
Senate by a vote of 25-22.
Opponents of the bill turned in
over 113,000 signatures to chal-
lenge the bill on the November
ballot, about twice the number
required by law. The successful
petition drive means the law will
not take effect until January 2013.
A vote in favor of Question 6
would recognize gay marriage
in the state, while a vote against
Question 6 would defeat the bill
and preserve marriage as a union
of a man and a woman. (CNA)
Pope makes appeal for Congo
Benedict XVI on Sunday, Sept. 30, made an appeal to end the
crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, as the United
Nalions galheied in a high-IeveI neeling lo allenpl lo hnd
soIulions foi lhe conicl lheie. The Iope spoke specihcaIIy of
the refugees, the women, and the children who suffer vio-
lence and profound hardship because of the persistent armed
clashes. UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, in a UN news
report, said Eastern DRC has been called the most danger-
ous place in the world to be a woman. This is because mass
rape and other forms of sexual violence continue to be used
as weapons of war. Ban also noted the forcible recruitment of
hundreds of children who are being used as combatants and
sex slaves and, in some instances, killed. (Zenit)
New bishop for Diocese of Tyler, Texas
Pope Benedict XVI has named Msgr. Joseph E. Strickland, vicar
general of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas, as bishop of Tyler. Bishop-
elect Strickland succeeds Bishop Alvaro Corrada del Rio, S.J.,
who was named bishop of the Diocese of Mayaguez in Puerto
Rico last year. Bishop Corrada served as Apostolic Administra-
tor of the diocese until this appointment. Born in Fredericksburg,
Texas, Bishop-elect Strickland was ordained a priest in 1985 for
the diocese of Dallas. The diocese of Tyler was created a year
after his ordination to the priesthood. In 1995, he was named a
prelate of honor with the title monsignor and in 2010, he was
appointed vicar general of the Tyler diocese. (Zenit)
Vatican ofcial stresses hope as SSPX talks hit impasse
The Vaticans doctrine head says hope must be maintained
for full communion between the Society of St. Pius X and the
Catholic Church, despite his telling a German radio network that
laIks vilh lhe sociely aie off foi nov. In aIvays conhdenl in
our faith and optimistic. We have to pray for goodwill and for
unity in the Church, Archbishop Gerhard Muller, Prefect of the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, told Edward Pentin
of the National Catholic Register in September. This news comes
amidst reports he said there would be no further talks with the
traditionalist society, after an interview with North German
Radio, which was reported Oct. 4 and will air Oct. 6. (CNA)
Popes ex-butler sentenced to 18 month in prison
Paolo Gabriele, the Popes former butler, has been sentenced to 18
nonlhs in piison aflei leing found guiIly of sleaIing conhdenliaI
Vatican papers - but it is likely that the 46-year-old Italian will
receive a pardon from Pope Benedict XVI. Eyewitnesses said that
Gabriele sat impassively as Judge Giuseppe Dalla Torre handed
down the sentence. The three-year prison sentence was reduced
to 18 months due to mitigating circumstances, including Gabri-
eles lack of previous convictions, years of service and admission
of wrongdoing. Following the verdict, Vatican spokesman Fr.
Federico Lombardi S.J. said the possibility of a Papal pardon for
Gabriele was now very concrete and very likely. (CNA)
Man protesting government economic policies climbs
St. Peters Dome
A 49-year-old Italian man protesting the economic policies
of Italy and Europe scaled a fence on top of the dome of St.
Peters Basilica Oct. 2 and remained perched above a window
for 28 hours, even during Pope Benedict XVIs weekly general
audience in the square below. With the help of two Vatican
hiehghleis and lhe iope he had lied aiound hinseIf, lhe
protester, Marcello Di Finizio, climbed back up to the public
vaIkvay on lop of lhe done aloul 8 p.n. IocaI line. He vas
escorted to a nearby Italian police station for what he told The
Associated Press were formalities. (CNS)
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A3 Vol. 16 No. 21
October 8 - 21, 2012
CBCP Monitor
News Features
Pope entrusts Year of Faith, evangelization
synod to Mary
LORETO, Italy, Oct. 4, 2012 - Pope Bene-
dict XVI made a one-day pilgrimage to
the Marian shrine of Loreto in Italy to
entrust the forthcoming Synod of Bish-
ops and Year of Faith to the Virgin Mary.
Mother of the yes, you who heard
Jesus, speak to us of him; tell us of your
journey, that we may follow him on the
path of faith; help us to proclaim him,
that each person may welcome him and
become the dwelling place of God, the
Pope said during Mass in the towns
main square, the Piazza della Madonna
di Loreto.
The pastoral visit also imitated the
pilgrimage made 50 years ago by
Blessed Pope John XXIII on the eve
of the opening of the Second Vatican
Council when he also entrusted the
gathering to Christs mother.
Pope Benedict placed both the Synod
of Bishops on new evangelization and
the Year of Faith in the hands of Mary.
The synod will last from October 7 to 28,
while the Year of Faith begins on Oct. 11,
the 50th anniversary of Vatican II.
Pope Benedict recalled how his pre-
decessoi I. }ohn XXIII afhined lhal lhe
purpose of the council was to spread
ever wider the beneficial impact of
the incarnation and redemption in all
spheres of life.
This goal, the current Pope said, re-
sounds today with particular urgency.
Without God, man ultimately choos-
es seIhshness ovei soIidaiily and Iove,
material things over values, having
over being. We must return to God, so
that man may return to being man,
he urged.
Loreto has been a popular pilgrimage
site since the 13th century when the
house of lhe HoIy IaniIy vas lians-
ferred to Loreto by the local aristocratic
AngeIos faniIy, jusl lefoie lhe hnaI ex-
pulsion of the Christian crusaders from
lhe HoIy Land. Recenl scienlihc ieseaich
has tended to corroborate this historic
version of events. Local legend, how-
ever, also likes to ascribe the transfer of
the stone dwelling to the holy angels.
As the home where Mary was born,
grew up and received the Annun-
ciation from the Archangel Gabriel, the
holy house of Loreto has always been
strongly associated with the incarnation
of Christ.
As we contemplate Mary, we must
ask if we too wish to be open to the
Lord, if we wish to offer him our life as
his dwelling place, Pope Benedict ex-
plained. Believers must also ask if we
are afraid that the presence of God may
somehow place limits on our freedom, if
we wish to set aside a part of our life in
such a way that it belongs only to us.
Life with Christ, though, is not en-
slavement, he said, but genuine free-
dom, since it is precisely God who
liberates our liberty, he frees it from
being closed in on itself, from the thirst
for power. It is God who opens up the
dinensions in Iife lhal fuIhII us, such as
the gift of self, of love, which in turn
becomes service and sharing.
Just as Mary gave her free consent to
God within the holy house of Loreto,
we too should realize that grace does
PIenary InduIgence announced Ior tbe Year oI FaItb
VATICAN City, Oct. 5, 2012 - The
HoIy See announced Ocl. 5 lhal
Pope Benedict XVI has granted a
plenary indulgence for the Year
of Faith, which will last from Oct.
11, 2012 to Nov. 24, 2013.
The decree announcing the
indulgence was signed Sept.
14 by Cardi nal Manuel de
Castro, Maj or Penitentiary,
and Bishop Kryzsztof Nykiel,
Regent, of the Apostolic Peni-
tentiary. The penitentiary is
the part of the Roman Curia
responsible for indulgences
and governing the sacrament
of confession.
One plenary indulgence per
day may be gained by an indi-
vidual, which they can use for
themselves or apply to a soul
in purgatory. The indulgence
remits the temporal punishment
due to sins whose guilt has al-
ready been forgiven.
During the Year of Faith, there
are four means of gaining an
indulgence.
First, by attending at least
lhiee seinons duiing lhe HoIy
Missions or reading at least
three lessons from the docu-
ments of the Second Vatican
Council or the Catechism of the
Catholic Church.
The second way is by mak-
ing a pilgrimage to a basilica,
catacomb, cathedral, or location
designated by the local bishop
for the Year of Faith, and either
participating there in a sacred
celebration, praying or medi-
tating. The act of prayer should
finish with an Our Father, a
recitation of the Creed and a
prayer to the Blessed Virgin
Mary.
The third method of gaining
an indulgence is by participat-
ing in Mass or the Liturgy of
lhe Houis on a day chosen ly
the local ordinary, and reciting
the Creed.
Finally, people can visit their
place of baptism and renew their
baptismal promises there.
Those who cannot attend such
celebrations for serious reasons
may still obtain the indulgence
if they pray an Our Father and
a Creed and other prayers that
agree with the objectives of the
Year of Faith.
A plenary indulgence also
requires that the individual be in
the state of grace, have complete
detachment from sin, and pray
for the Popes intentions. The
person must also sacramentally
confess their sins and receive
Communion up to about 20 days
before or after completing the
other acts.
The Year of Faith is meant to
recall the precious gift of faith
and its correct interpretation.
It marks the 50th anniversary
of the opening of the Second
Vatican Council. Its opening also
coincides with a general synod of
bishops on the New Evangeliza-
tion, which is taking place Oct.
7-28 at the Vatican. (CNA/EWTN
News)
Shrine of Our Lady of Loreto
not eliminate freedom; on the contrary
it creates and sustains it, the Pope said.
Faith removes nothing from the human
creature, but instead permits his full
and hnaI ieaIizalion.
Prior to celebrating Mass, Pope Bene-
dict spent time adoring the Blessed Sac-
rament and praying before the shrine of
Our Lady of Loreto. Following Mass,
he had lunch at the local John Paul II
Center before departing back to Rome.
(CNA/EWTN News)
Pope to examine social
networks as portals of faith
VATICAN, Oct. 2, 2012 - Pope
Benedict XVI will release a mes-
sage in January 2013 that will
examine the promise of social
networks like Facebook and
Twitter as new spaces of evan-
gelization and portals of truth
and faith.
The Pontifical Council of
Social Communications an-
nounced on Sept. 29 that the
Pope chose social networks
as the theme of the Catholic
Churchs next World Commu-
nications Day.
The pontifical council noted
t he need t o be at t ent i ve
to the emergence and enor-
mous popularity of the social
networks, whi ch pri vi l ege
di al ogi cal and i nt eract i ve
forms of communication and
relationships.
The council asked whether
technology can help men and
women meet Christ in faith
at a time when technology has
Pope Benedict XVI
Toxic materials found in mine spill, fact-nding mission reports
ANTIIOLO Cily, Ocl. 4, 2O12~WhiIe IhiIex
Mining Corporation tells the public that the
mine spill in Tuba, Benguet is no cause for
aIain, lhe iesuIl of lhe facl-hnding nission
(FFM) launched by the National Secretariat
for Social Action of the Catholic Bishops Con-
ference of the Philippines (CBCP-Nassa) and
the Climate Change Congress of the Philip-
pines (CCCP), and other cause-oriented and
religious groups said otherwise. The said FFM
was done from September 16 and 17, 2012.
The FFM team were able to interview
Chairman Amuasen, a three-term elected
laiangay ofhciaI in enguel, a nenlei of
the Mine Rehabilitation Fund Committee
(MRFC), and chairperson of the Barangay
Disaster Risk Reduction Management Coun-
cil (BDRRMC) and he said that around 30
families in three sitios - Sitios Calaguian,
Tayum and Pangbasan - are affected by the
nining Ieak. He aIIeged lhal loxic vasles can
be seen in the dried and poisoned plants,
trees and branches where the discharges
fion lhe dan oved. Mulanl liIapias veie
also found in the pond. They looked differ-
ent, with big heads and small bodies, which
lhe voikeis eal. He aIso said lhal nining
wastes include sand and minerals, Rev. Fr.
Edu Garinguez, executive secretary of Nassa,
said in a statement.
The Ieak vas hisl found Iasl Augusl 1, ac-
cording to news reports, and was followed
by three leakages on the same month.
Caiiguez aIso ieveaIed lhal hsheifoIks and
olhei iesidenls had slopped hshing since lhe
leak and the situation had created a huge im-
pact not only to the health of the inhabitants
there, but to their livelihood as well.
IisheifoIks have slopped hshing since
August 2, 2012 because they cannot catch
anything at all, at the outlet of the Balog
Rivei. They aIso cannol opl lo hsh in fai-
lhei aieas lecause il is leyond lheii hshing
boundary. The barangay had already distrib-
uted relief goods to the Pangbasan residents,
and they learned that Philex did the same,
for a couple of times, Gariguez said.
While the Department of Agricultures
Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
(DA - IAR) had found hshes Iike liIapia
and carp positive with cadmium, mercury,
lead, arsenic and copper, the authorities said
that it is safe to consume them for the level
of toxicity is low.
Hovevei, onIy peIagic hshes such as lhe
Tilapia and Carp were tested. There was no
lesling done on olhei hsh species in lhe dan
such as guiani, calhsh, dojo and shiinps. No
sample was taken from the deepest part of the
dam which is at 130 meters. San Roque Dam is
become part of the fabric of con-
nectivity of human experiences.
The Popes message comes
after a decade-long boom in
internet social media. Facebook,
currently one of the largest social
networking sites, claims 800 mil-
lion active users.
Although World Communica-
tions Day is observed on the Sun-
day before Pentecost, which in
2013 will fall on May 12, the Pope
typically publishes his message
for the observance on the Jan. 24
Memorial of St. Francis de Sales,
the patron saint of writers.
The social communications
council said the digital environ-
ment poses one of the most
important challenges facing the
task of evangelization today.
It stressed the necessity of
learning how to present the Gos-
pel as the answer to that basic
human yearning for meaning
and faith.
This approach requires a new
way of thinking that not only
considers how to use the internet
as a means of evangelization,
but considers how to evangelize
in a context where the lives of
peopIe hnd expiession aIso in
the digital arena.
Bringing evangelization to
social networks, the council
said, will serve to create a more
dynamic and humane digital
world.
The Second Vatican Councils
1963 decree Inter Mirifica
called for the establishment of
World Communications Day.
The decree said the observance
is intended to help teach the
Catholic faithful how to spread
and defend the truth and foster
Christian influence in human
society. (CNA/EWTN News)
Schools urged to hire teachers
imbued with Christian values
MANILA, Oct. 4, 2012 - They say
the youth is the hope of the na-
tion. But how bright or bleak the
future of the nation also depends
on the kind of teachers who men-
tor the countrys future movers
and shakers.
As the nation marked Teach-
ers Day on October 5, the Catho-
lic Educational Association of
the Philippines (CEAP) under-
scored the need for private and
public schools to hire teachers
who will be exemplary models
of Filipino values and Christian
virtues to their students.
In an interview with Youth-
Pinoy, CEAP president Fr. Gre-
gorio Baaga, C.M. reminded
school administrators that the
types of teachers they hire will
affect the kind of students who
will later on play vital roles in
the future of the nation.
The business of educational
institutions is not only to make
their students competent or to
give high quality of education
to prepare them for professional
work. It also includes imparting
values through values forma-
tion, he said.
Baaga, who is also president
of Adamson University, said
teachers should be their stu-
dents foremost models of values
since they say that values are
not taught, but caught.
Students catch values when
they see their teachers modeling
them. If you ask alumni, what
they remember most about their
teachers are not the classes they
gave them but the particular
traits and values they espoused
and students appreciate, he
added.
Value-laden
Baaga stressed the need
to hire value-laden teachers if
schools are bent on producing
students who will be responsible
members of the community and
society. CEAP is a network of
some 1,34v5 Catholic schools,
colleges and universities na-
tionwide.
Part of what we school ad-
ministrators must do is to select
the teachers well because the
values you want to remain with
your students should be in the
personality of their teachers,
he said.
Baaga, who is also president
of Adamson University, said
the selection process should be
tougher for Catholic Schools.
If you talk about Catholic
education and Catholic values,
the best way to teach these is to
get teachers who live the values
you want students to learn. This
is why it is important for teach-
ers to be exemplary models of
virtues and values, he added.
Last Friday, the National
Teachers Month culminated
with a celebration of Teachers
Day, a significant day of ap-
piecialion foi lhe saciihces and
dedication of those in the teach-
ing profession. (YouthPinoy)
Giving teens easy access to birth control makes them
easy targets for sex crimes
MANILA, Sepl. 3O, 2O12~Ralh-
er than provide an environment
that fosters academic achieve-
ment and possible collaboration
with students parents, the New
York City Department of Educa-
tion is adding yet another to the
host of birth control drugs and
devices available to high school
girls in 13 public schools.
By making so-called emer-
gency contraception or morn-
ing-aflei-piIIs~a knovn aloi-
lifacienl~avaiIalIe lo giiIs as
young as 14 years and with no
need for parental consent at
that, not only are values such as
self-mastery, chastity and respect
for the gift of sexuality brushed
off; more importantly, schools
are indirectly compromising the
safety of their female students
from sexual predators.
Legally, it gets me thinking
about how this phenomenon
could even be encouraging
cover-up for crimes like statu-
loiy iape - dehned as sex vilh
minors, even if it is consensual
- oi even sexuaI aluse. Hov
else would sexual predators
get away with misdeeds? By
hiding what normally results
from sexual intercourse, which
is pregnancy, said Nirvaana
Delacruz of YouthPinoy.
y naking conliaceplion~
including methods that have
abortive mechanisms such as
noining-aflei piIIs~easiIy ac-
cessible to students in high
schools, underage girls conse-
quently become easy targets for
sexual predators, and crimes can
be swiftly concealed.
Delacruz pointed out that
based on research, girls who
engage in sex foi lhe hisl line
at age 14 or younger are often
forced, with a partner who is
usually older.
A clueless girl, considering
her options of breaking up with
an alusive pailnei oi hnding a
band-aid solution to a possible
pregnancy, will most likely choose
lhe Iallei ~ lo jusl pop a piII.
Apart from exposing teenage
girls to more potentially danger-
ous situations, the recent move
made by the states Education
Department is a step backward
in the business of forming the
youth as regards responsibility
and prudence.
With easy access to emer-
gency contraceptives like the
morning-after pill, etc., we are
also encouraging a bankruptcy
of values in unimaginably young
people! To put it simply, we are
teaching kids early on that we
need not be answerable for our
actions if it doesnt suit us or we
can desperately put up the ap-
pearance of doing so, because
sooner or later, 14-year olds who
started taking pills will start
feeling the health side effects as
a supposedly blooming 24-year
old the peak of young adult-
hood, Delacruz explained.
It seems the US is really
setting up increasingly young-
er generations to swallow the
contraceptive way of thinking
mindlessly, she added, while
ignoring the fact that it, in fact,
does not succeed in reducing
teen pregnancy rates.
Advocates of comprehensive
sex education and of providing
free birth control to teens have
lately been harping again on
the increasing incidence of teen
pregnancies. Reports on the ris-
ing nunlei of HIV-AIDS cases
in various countries have also
been cited, followed by calls
for addressing the need for oral
contraceptives and condoms to
address such problems.
Hovevei, nainsliean nedia
has put hardly any emphasis on
lhe hndings lhal vilh lhe aggies-
sive marketing of condoms in
countries such as Thailand came
a sharp increase in the number of
HIV-AIDS cases.
In 1984 was the AIDS break-
out in the Philippines and in
Thailand at the same time. The
response in the Philippines
was to promote abstinence; the
response of Thailand was to
promote condoms. Twenty years
later, the rate of AIDS infection
in Thailand was 50 times higher
than in the Philippines, said
American chastity speaker Chris
Stefanick to Philippine audi-
ences earlier this month.
Also, the International Agency
foi Reseaich on Cancei (IARC)~
a WoiId HeaIlh Oiganizalion
(WHO) lody~has cIassified
the pill as a Group 1 carcinogen,
putting it on the same level as
cigarettes and asbestos.
The availability of oral contra-
ceptives and other birth control
drugs and devices is one of the rea-
sons for the staunch opposition of
Filipinos to the reproductive health
(RH) liII. Access lo liilh conlioI
drugs and devices is considered
a reproductive health right, and
under the bill, even pre-teenaged
and unmarried girls who ask for
contraceptives from health cen-
leis~oi fion schooIs oi vheievei
else the State decides to make these
avaiIalIe~viII le vilhin lheii
rights. (CBCP for Life)
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280 meters above sea, Gariguez said, adding
that the BFAR, however, said that they did not
know that mutant tilapias are living in the
surrounding waters of the Philex mines.
There are around 45 families living near
the merging point of Balog and Agno River
and most of them belong to tribal minority.
The community had already submitted a
list of their damaged properties to Philex due
to the tailings spill. The mining companys
representatives claimed that compensation to
damages are being processed and will be ready
to be granted to them in due time, Gariguez
said. (Noel Sales Barcelona/CBCPNews)
A snapshot of Philexs tailings pond 3 (TP3) in
Benguet.
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A4 Vol. 16 No. 21
October 8 - 21, 2012
CBCP Monitor
EDITORIAL
Opinion
Cybercrime and
common sense
Pedro C. Quitorio
Editor-in-Chief
Pinky Barrientos, FSP
Associate Editor
Roy Q. Lagarde
News Editor
Kris Bayos
Features Editor

The CBCP Monitor is published fortnightly by the CBCP Communica-
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at 470 Gen. Luna St., Intramuros, Manila. P.O. Box 3601, 1076 MCPO.
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www.cbcpmonitor.com
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I WONDER if people in general
are aware of the folly of relativ-
ism. They may not even be aware
of relativism itself, the menace
we have been warned about
quile sliongIy since lhe ponlih-
cate of John Paul II and now of
Benedict XVI.
In spite of its dominant pres-
ence in the world today, I believe
people are still ignorant of it and
therefore clueless as to what to
do about it. They seem unable to
point whats wrong. The anom-
aly has become so widespread
it seems it has become normal.
Its effects are actually all over.
Abortion is now legalized in many
rich and supposedly developed
countries. Divorce is, of course, al-
ready a non-issue in many places.
Contraception is also a given.
Marriage is now deformed
and defaced in many ways as
more and more people and so-
cieties are approving same-sex
unions and are even open to
have national leaders, let alone
leaders of less stature, whose
marital status is clearly irregular.
There is now a growing sec-
tor of people who believe they
should just be left alone on
practically whatever they like to
do, incIuding inhdeIily, poinog-
raphy, gossips, slanders, etc., as
long as they dont cause public
trouble.
All these are manifestations of
a ieIalivislic cuIluie enguIhng
the world today. Its a mindset
and attitude that is based on the
belief that everything is relative,
nothing is absolute.
Everything is relative to ones
preferences or at worst the con-
sensus of the people. Relativism
makes us in the great variety of
our situations and predicaments
as the ultimate arbiter of whats
good and bad, what right and
wrong. Its not God anymore.
Or, another way of looking
at it is that we make ourselves
our own God. Whats right and
wrong simply depend on us.
They can be a negotiable affair,
a matter of consensus. There can
be no intrinsic good or evil ap-
plicable to everyone in all places
at all times.
This is a very terrible predica-
ment because in the DNA of rela-
tivism is the inherent weakness
that unavoidably would lead us to
subjectivism, disunity, fragmenta-
lion, conicls. Lveiyone vouId le
left to his own preferences, often a
result of feelings and other condi-
lionings. Diffeiences and conicls
become inevitable.
And to resolve or soften the
impact of these unavoidable
consequences, there can be no
other recourse than to violence
and even anarchy, or to a drift
toward totalitarianism.
Its ironic to note that rela-
tivism is often invoked as the
soul of democracy. It gives the
illusion that with it, people are
respected for what they are. Its a
very tempting idea but detached
from the fact that we are not our
own being, but rather creatures
of a Creator, God.
And so a democracy that up-
Fr. Roy Cimagala
Candidly Speaking
Empty stomach preachers
ONE oI the most beautiIully craIted statements during the frst
two days of the ongoing 13th Ordinary General Assembly of the
Synod of Bishops in Rome came from a FilipinoArchbishop
Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan. Two lines of his much
applauded statement were immediately twitted and favorited in
social media, by a global audience intently following the Synod.
This is the frst one: 'The Gospel can be preached to empty
stomachs, but only if the stomach of the preacher is as empty
as his parishioners (stomachs).
The second one: 'Evangelization has been hurt and continues
to be impeded by the arrogance of its messengers.
The ideas behind these lines are age-old, but the way they have
been verbalized by the good archbishop penetrates down to
the bones with simplicity and frankness as only a Fr. Soc, as
he prefers to be called, could do. It provoked an spontaneous
applause from among the 262 Synod Fathers in attendance from
all over the world, together with the Holy Father.
These expressions instantaneously bring one to a deeper
refection about ecclesiastical realities that may have been one
oI the bigger Iactors why the 'whole night oI fshing always
ends up with barely a catch.
Humility oI preachers and evangelizers, parish priests and curia
personnel, missionaries and catechists should be one of the
strongest proofs that the gospel really works in much the same
way that arrogance will painfully prove otherwise. In the same
breath, the lifestyle of the messengers of the Gospel should be
the fruit of their proclamation.
Undisputedly, what everyone seems to be seeing in this country
and perhaps elsewhere is the widening gap between the kerygma
and the way the proclaimers live it. Sad though it seems, but
in a small poor community as in the parish, the ones that enjoy
a more comfortable lifestyle are most likely those who live
in a rectory, being surrounded as they are with modern and
comfortable amenities of life that are much beyond the reach
and affordability of most parishioners. Of course, every laborer
in the Lords vineyard is worth his keep, but that is not the issue
when talking about witnessing what preachers preach.
Everybody should hope and pray that in this Synod which bears
the theme 'The New Evangelization Ior the transmission oI the
Christian Faith, 'empty stomach preachers will fnd their way
from the cold pages of synodal papers and Vatican documents
to the streets and ghettoes where the harvest is always great
though laborers are puny.
Laitys involvement and leadership in
politics
IN the Philippines today given the general perception that politics
has become an obstacle to integral development, the urgent
necessity is for the lay faithful to participate more actively,
with singular competence and integrity, in political affairs. It is
through the laity that the Church is directly involved.
Charges of careerism, idolatry of power, egoism and corruption
that are oftentimes directed at persons in government, parliaments,
the ruling classes, or political parties, as well as the common
opinion that participating in politics is an absolute moral danger,
does not in the least justify either skepticism or an absence on
the part oI Christians in public liIe. (Christifdeles laici, 42)
Our Plenary Council stands on record to urge lay faithful to
participate actively and lead in the renewing of politics in
accordance with values of the Good News of Jesus.
But that politics may truly be renewed, let us all be reminded
that Catholics who are given a charge of public life faithful
abide by the Gospel and by the moral and social teachings
of the Church, given the parameters of religious liberty. In
a special way, in the context of our political imbalances, the
following truths must guide the participation of Catholics in
political liIe: a) that the basic standard Ior participation be
on the pursuit of the common good; b) that the participation
be characterized by a deIense and promotion oI justice; c)
that the participation be inspired and guided by the spirit of
service; d) that it be imbued with a love of preference for the
poor; and e) that empowering people be carried out both as
process and as a goal of political activity.
Catholics in politics have to work in favor of legislation that is
imbued with these principles. Knowing that the wrong behavior
and values are often rewarded or left unpunished, Catholic
politicians have to put teeth to good legislation by making
certain that the correct system of rewards and punishments be
strictly enforced in public life.
The over-all value that must be infused into the political order
has to be that of solidarity, which, expressing concretely the
commandment of love, urges the active and responsible
participation oI all in public liIe, Irom individual citizens to
various groups, from labor unions to political parties. All of
us, each and everyone, are the goal of public life as well as
its leading participants. (Acts of the Council, Nos. 348-353)
Acts and Decrees of the Second Plenary Council of the
Philippines, 1991
Candidly Speaking / A7
The Party-List representatives
shall constitute twenty per cent
of the total number of representa-
tives including those under the
party-list. For three consecutive
|crns af|cr |nc ra|ijca|icn cf |nis
Constitution, one-half of the seats
allocated to party-list representa-
|itcs sna|| oc j||cd, as prctidcd oq
law, by selection or election from
the labor, peasant, urban poor,
indigenous cultural communities,
women, youth, and such other
sectors as may be provided by law,
except the religious sector. (1986
Phil. Constitution, Article VI,
Section 5.2)
THL Ofhceis and Menleis of
the 1986 Philippine Constitu-
tional Convention by and large
proved their intelligence and
integrity, their competence
and good will. Their spirit was
patriotic. Their intention was
principled. Their vision was
noble. Thus it is that the 1986
Philippine Constitution they
dutifully prepared and accord-
ingly approved by Filipinos
is worthy of the gratitude and
afhinalion of lhe IeopIe of lhe
Philippines.
The above-cited constitutional
provision on the Party-List Sys-
tem cannot be faulted in its
desire and design, its interest
and concern on behalf of the less
favored members of Philippine
society. The rich and the power-
ful can take care of themselves.
The influential dynasties and
leading clans can readily protect
their own interests as well as
promote their own concerns. But
there is Party-List representa-
tive to stand for the rights and
demands of the underprivileged,
the helpless and marginalized
sector of Philippine society.
But sad to say, they depend
on the professional politicos in
the country to mess up the just
content and right intent of the
Party-List constitutional provi-
sion and intention. The truth is
that some of them are even plan-
ning to change allegedly some
constitutional provisions, alleg-
edly according to the demands
of the times, allegedly for the
good of the people, allegedly
for the welfare of the genera-
tions yet to come. Again: Count
of the said specialist in partisan
politics to use, abuse, misuse the
Party-List System to their own
egoislic advanlage and lenehl.
It grossly started with some-
one having the backing of the
then most powerful and conse-
quently most privileged political
lineage in the country. Wonder of
all wonders, the individual con-
cerned nonchalantly presented
himself as the head nominee/
candidate of a Party-List rep-
resenting the Security Guards
among other forsaken sectors of
Philippine Society. The known
personality won hands down.
Hands dovn as veII, he is nov
gone.
Now, it is reported that there
is a Movement that is already
well entrenched in power and
inuence as veiy cIose aIIy of lhe
present administration, is now
seeking COMELEC accredita-
tion as a Party-List. Wow! So it is
that there are now at least three
quite new bad words that have
entered the world of politics:
Epal, Bofal, Kapal.
Party-List System: Where
goeth thou?
The folly of relativism
Party-List
Teresa R. Tunay, OCDS
and thats the truth
FINALLY, the government is trying to do
something about cybercrime. Weve put up
long enough with our emails being hacked,
with porn popping up the monitor while our
children are doing their homework, with so
much blind hatred assailing the good and
the innocent in our midst. Its about time
law and order was imposed on cyberspace!
HoIding on lo RepulIic Acl 1O175 (popuIaiIy
known as cybercrime law), we will clean our
information highways, jail the criminals and
Tweet happily ever after.
Really? Can one law from Malacaang
do it? No. Not without infringing on some
lasic hunan iighls~lhus lhe upioai againsl
it even before the ink in Noynoys signature
is dry.
Cybercrime is monstrous, bigger than
any nation on earth; stronger, even, than
all nations combined. Criminal activity in
cyberspace is abetted by a casually regu-
lated digital infrastructure. Even the nation
that thinks of itself as the most powerful on
eailh~foi aII ils svaggei ovei ils scienlihc
and lechnoIogicaI supeiioiily~cannol pio-
tect itself from operations and intrusions by
iivaI nalions. Hov lhen do ve expecl lhis
ill-timed and dubiously conceived decree
from a coconut republic to put a cyber mon-
ster down?
What makes it look even more laughable is
the budget to implement the Act: a puny 50
million pesos annually. Heller! Anybody there?
Iifly niIIion is Ioose change conpaied lo RH
Bills 13.7 billion! Clearly, the government
does not know the enemy. RA 10175 says it
viII liain enfoiceis~a cylei ainy caived
out of the PNP? Both here and abroad, com-
munication and information networks are
noslIy piivaleIy ovned~hov viII lhe Iav
deaI vilh conicling issues` Whal poIicies,
processes and technology will be devel-
oped` Hov can lhe quanlun of penaIlies
be imposed?
To persecute criminals in a universe where
information travels at the speed of light,
there are no automatic solutions. Does the
government think its as easy as putting a de-
linquent across its lap and giving him a good
spanking? Yes, I am judging its competence
because it cannot even address the garbage
disposal problem in its own backyard, or
deaI faiiIy lul hinIy vilh squalleis~hov
can it equip itself against virtually anony-
mous netizens? It cant even protect its own
websites from hackers!
Cyberspace is a free market of ideas. An
allack of any kind is Iike a lsunani~il can
swallow a whole barangay and before you can
capture the culprit, its back to the sea. And
how, pray tell, can you prove the presence
of malice in an offender, if you can identify
the offender at all? And if offenders are
captured and found guilty, where will you
jail them, even if only 0.1 percent of the 30
million internet users in the Philippines were
convicted?
The only merit I see in the cybercrime law
is that it creates greater public awareness to
the evil present in the technology informa-
tion revolution, thanks to the noise coming
from netizens who raise hell over their free-
dom of expression/speech.
RA 10175 is but the beginning of a hoped-
for solution, a solution that may never come
if we keep our heads in the clouds and fail to
recognize the one lead to a solution that has
And Thats The Truth / A7
Oscar V. Cruz, D.D.
Views and Points
A5 Vol. 16 No. 21
October 8 - 21, 2012
CBCP Monitor

The continuing
reception of Vatican II
ON Oclolei 11, 1962, hfly yeais
ago, the Second Vatican Council
formally opened. Pope John
XXIII and the council fathers
wanted to renew the Church
in response to the changes that
have taken place in the world.
The Council came up with a
vision of a renewed Church
which is found primarily in
Lumen Gentium (the Dogmatic
Constitution on the Church) and
also in Gaudium et Spes (Pastoral
Constitution on the Church
in the Modern World). Other
conciliar documents focused on
particular aspects of the Church:
Christus Dominus (the bishops),
Presbyterorum Ordinis (the min-
isterial priesthood), Apostolicum
Actuasitatem (apostolate of the
laity), Perfecta Caritatis (religious
and consecrated life), Ad Gentes
(the missionary activity of the
Church), Dei Verbum (the Word
of God and Divine Revelation),
Sacrosanctum Concilium (liturgi-
cal and sacramental celebration),
Unitatis Redintegratio (Ecumen-
ism), Nostra Aetate (Relation with
non-Christian religions), etc. The
unifying theme of all the docu-
ments is renewal. Vatican II was
a council aimed at renewing or
reforming the Church.
The vision of the Church that
unihes aII lhe docunenls is found
in Lumen Gentium: the Church as
Communion and as the People
of Cod lhal, hIIed vilh lhe HoIy
Spirit, continues Christs prophet-
ic, priestly and kingly/servant
mission. As a communion that
lased on lhe HoIy Tiinily, lhe
Church is not only an institution
but must be seen and experienced
as a community whose members
- clergy, religious, and laity - are
united to each other and actively
participate in the life and mission
of the Church. The Churchs mis-
sion is not limited to the spiritual
dimension. The Church must be
involved in the social, economic,
political, cultural spheres. The
Church is called to collaborate
with other religions, civil society
and states to bring about justice,
peace, freedom and develop-
ment in human society. The
understanding of the ministerial
priesthood and the apostolate of
the laity is based on this ecclesial
vision.
Vatican II was not just a his-
torical event that took place 50
years ago. It was the beginning
of the renewal of the Church
that continues today and in the
decades to come. Every gen-
eral council has three phases:
(1) preparation, (2) celebration
and (3) reception. After sev-
eral years of preparation which
started in the late 1950s, Vatican
II was held from 1962 to 1965.
What happened after that was
the reception phase which is
the longest period. This is the
phase of local implementation
of the theological/pastoral ori-
entation, decisions and decrees
of the Council - in every nation
and particular church (diocese,
parish, etc.). The Mindanao-
Sulu Pastoral Conference in 1971
which adopted the basic themes
of Vatican II ecclesiology and
promoted the growth of Basic
Ecclesial Communities (BECs)
in Mindanao was part of that re-
ception. So also was the Second
Plenary Council of the Philip-
pines (PCPII) in 1991 which
echoed the Vatican II vision of a
renewed Church: Community of
Disciples, living in Communion
and Participating in the Mission
of Christ as a prophetic, priestly
and kingly people and as the
Church of the Poor. According
to PCP II, this vision can be
expressed in BECs. Thus, BECs
are the means by which ordi-
nary lay-faithful can experience
the Church as a community of
disciples, where they can live in
communion in their neighbor-
hood and local communities,
where they can be empowered
to actively participate in the
prophetic, priestly and servant
mission of the Church and be-
come truly part of the Church
of the Poor.
According to many theolo-
gians, it usually takes at least
75 years and up to a century
or more for the reception and
implementation of a general
council. So, after 50 years, we
are still undergoing this phase.
There is still much to be done.
The renewal of the Church re-
quires an empowered laity that
are actively involved in the life
and mission of the Church at the
various levels - diocesan, par-
ish, BECs, and also in renewal
movements. A renewed Church
also requires a renewed clergy
that exercises not just liturgi-
cal/ sacramental leadership but
also pastoral leadership - good
shepherds, servant-leaders of
the Christian community (and
BECs) that are prophetic, priestly
and servant in nature.
As we celebrate 50 years of
the opening of Vatican II, it im-
portant to assess what we have
accomplished so far in receiving
and implementing the conciliar
reforms. At the same time, we
need to plan what more needs
to be done so that the dream of
Vatican II ecclesial renewal will
truly become a reality.
Opinion
THL ceIelialion of lhe NalionaI Laily Week
2012 (NLW 2012), spearheaded by Sang-
guniang Laiko ng Pilipinas (Laiko), was a
complete success. Opening Ceremony was
celebrated in Cebu City to give honor to the
second Filipino to be canonized, Blessed
Pedro Calungsod. The Closing Ceremony
was held at UST on September 28 during the
Ieasl of lhe hisl IiIipino sainl San Loienzo
Ruiz.
The HoIy Mass vas piesided ly His LxceI-
lency Most Rev. Luis Antonio Tagle, Arch-
bishop of Manila, concelebrated by Most
Rev. Bishop Jesse Mercado of Paraaque
and Laiko National Spiritual Director, and
Most Rev. Bishop Deogracias Iiguez of Ka-
lookan, and many Dominican priests at the
Santissimo Rosario Parish Church inside the
UST campus.
In his homily, Archbishop Tagle talked
about the two saints of the Philippines, both
young and Iay. He shaied his conveisalion
that day with some priests who asked him
when will the Philippines have a priest saint.
He iepIied Iag nagpakalail ka. (When you
lecone good). He said a nailyi is soneone
who really lives up to Christ.
A Symposium followed at the audito-
rium of the Education Building. UST Rec-
loi Ii. Heininio Dagohoy, O.I. veIconed
everyone. Ambassador Tita de Villa gave
the Opening Remarks. Laiko National
President Atty. Aurora Santiago delivered
the Inspirational Message. She shared with
the attendees the Apostolic Blessing of Pope
Benedict XVI which he gave last August dur-
ing the international conference she attended
in Romania. The Pope extends his Apostolic
Blessing to those whom the delegates meet
in their daily apostolate.
In an inpionplu speech, His Lninence Ri-
cardo Cardinal Vidal shared his participation
in lhe lealihcalion and evenluaI canoniza-
tion of Blessed Pedro Calungsod.
The guest speakers Fr. Catalino Arevalo,
S.J., Prof. Joan Christi Trocio and Prof. Rich-
ard Pascoguin of UST talked about Lay
Spirituality. Laiko donated the images of
Blessed Pedro Calungsod which were given
to the Lay Spirituality speakers as token of
appreciation by the Laiko Board of Trustees
2012-2012. Bp. Jesse Mercado delivered the
Closing Remarks.
After the Symposium, the 29AD Musi-
cionaries of Couples for Christ presented
a Musicale about the life of Blessed Pedro
Calungsod. It is an adaptation from the musi-
cal play Scenes from Martyrdom by Msgr.
Rudy Villanueva of Cebu. Bob Serrano and
Nonong Sampang are the Musical Directors,
Sev Sarmenta directed the play.
***
If the government could not render
enough free medical services to our country-
men, there are always good Samaritans who
aie ieady lo hII lhe gap and ansvei lhe caII.
Medical Mission is one way of giving help
to those who cannot afford the expensive
medical services and medicines. It is one of
the modes of New Evangelization, sharing
ones time, talent and treasure in giving love
and care to the members of the community.
The ofhceis of Sangguniang Laiko ng Ka-
lookan (Laiko-Kalookan), led by its President
Mrs. Monina Lucas and Laiko National Presi-
dent Atty. Aurora Santiago, held a successful
Medical Mission in San Ildefonso de Navotas
Parish on September 30, 2012 on the occasion
of NLW 2012 celebration with the theme
Building up the Body of Christ and Strengthen-
ing our Faith Through New Evangelization
Many thanks to those who fully supported
the Medical Mission specially Most Rev.
Deogracias Iiguez, Jr., Bishop of Kalookan.
Thanks also to Drs. Cecilia Gozon, Corazon
Reyes, Susana Catapang and Jojo Anico who
rendered free medical services. Fr. Gigi Yabut
of Caritas Kalookan donated medicines with
Ida Nocum and Vicky Ang of San Roque
CalhediaI Iiogian on HeaIlh and WeIIness
serving as pharmacists; Marivic dela Paz,
Chairman of the Parish Commission on So-
cial Service and Development, together with
barangay coordinators and Basic Ecclesial
Community Purok volunteers Merle De-
siderio, Angelita Regara, Susan Nualla and
Rosana Sabagkit; volunteers from Special
Minisleis of lhe HoIy Connunion, SpeciaI
Ministers of the Word, Knights of the Altar
who helped facilitate the mission. Thanks
to Lady Benedicta Martinez and Lady Mo-
nina Lucas for the volunteers lunch, Mayor
John Rey Tiangco for volunteers snacks and
parachute tent, Barangay Captains Boy dela
Cruz (Navotas East) and Noemi Santiago
(Bagumbayan North) for the tent, tables
and chairs, and to several others whom we
cannot name due to lack of space. May the
blessing of the Lord continue to pour on us
and our family.
enehciaiies of lhe MedicaI Mission aie
more than 210 parishioners from the four
barangays covered by the parish. They
were given one week supply of prescribed
medicines; as well as snacks. Very touching
and heart warming were the comments of
sone of lhe lenehciaiies SaIanal sa Diyos
at naalala nyo kami (Thank you God you
remembered us), Salamat at ginawa kayong
instrument ng Panginoon para matulungan
kani (Thank you Loid, He nade you in-
struments to help us), First time po kami
naisama sa Medical Mission (First time we
were included in the Medical Mission).
***
The oiienlalion and liiehng of lhe pai-
ticipants to Laikos Pilgrimage on the
Canonization of Blessed Pedro Calungsod
is scheduled on October 10 at 2 p.m. at Ex-
ecutive Resources, Lower Lobby, Century
Iaik HoleI, I. Ocanpo coinei Adiialico Sls.,
Malate, Manila. Please contact Joseph or Kate
at Phone No. 527-5388; Fax No. 527-3124;
Cel No. 0919-863-4218, email laiko_phils@
yahoo.com.ph.
***
Happy iilhday lo ny nephevs Ialiick
Robby Santiago and Michael Gerald Ro-
sales; also to my brother Roberto Santiago.
Greetings also to Fr. Chris Tibong, Edgar
Guantero, Gau Sustento, Wilfredo Cabrera
and Larry Toledo from Kalookan Diocese.
Happy 34lh SaceidolaI Anniveisaiy lo Ii.
Gau Sustento.
ONE cannot help but catch our
countrys infectious Christmas
fever that starts to heat up the
citys atmosphere by the early
weeks of September. Familiar
children carols start sneaking
their way into malls halls and
restaurants, jangling multi-col-
ored bells and glistening snow-
laden Christmas trees gradually
transforming local bookstores
into a winter wonderland, Santa
sliding down stairway railings
followed by his faithful rein-
deers, and of course Yuletide
lights starting to paint parks
and buildings with electrifying
rainbow shades. Christmas is
HLRL.al Ieasl, aInosl HLRL!
An essential item during the
season is gift wrapper. I have al-
ways wondered who started the
idea of wrapping gifts and what
made him feel that gifts were
more special when wrapped.
Wouldnt it have been simpler
to give a gift without wrapping
it? Why waste resources and ef-
forts to still cover something that
would eventually be opened?
Isnt it a waste to delicately and
artistically wrap gifts and end up
tearing the wrapper and throw-
ing it away (though this may not
always be the case for some who
would keep wrappers for some
uncertain annual future use)?
Perhaps, wrapping gifts is
meant to add an element of sur-
prise. It is the detail of enjoying
both the giving of a present and
watching a persons joy when he
opens a gifl and hnaIIy sees vhal
it is. I believe another reason for
wrapping presents is to convey
an element of sacredness or
newness in what we give. This
in turn emphasizes how special
the recipient is for the giver.
This is also the reason why
we go to the extent of choosing
a specihc viappei (i.e. ils coIoi
and texture) which blends or
suits a particular occasion or
the position of the recipient.
Thus, we have wrappers suited
for every possible theme like
Christmas, Valentines, wed-
dings, birthdays and other social
celebrations.
In the end, however, one thing
is clear: the wrapper is not given
any inpoilance. HaidIy do ve
hear anyone thanking us for
the beautiful wrapper we used.
Once the gift has been revealed,
vhalevei pievious signihcance
was attached to the wrapper
or ribbons are courteously put
aside or disposed of into the
waste basket.
God somehow, the greatest
Giver of gifts, also follows our
custom of wrapping gifts. All
His gifls lo us cone in lhe foin
of graces or blessings. These are
often spiritual aids to lend us a
greater capacity to believe, hope
and to love. These are treasures
lhal onIy He can dispense foi
man. But there is something
unique aloul His viappeis:
lhey do nol onIy viap His lineIy
graces for us, they are also gifts
that we cannot forsake.
When Cod sends nan His
giace, He packages il in such a
way that the person will end up
being wrapped and capable of
giving himself to God
as gift. Thus, our Lord is sure to
send us His giaces vilh speciaIIy
chosen wrappers: suffering,
nisundeislanding, sickness, h-
nanciaI difhcuIlies, faniIy feuds,
and many other less attractive
events in life.
Thus, we may sometimes be
afraid to open Gods presents
because we think that what is
inside may be similar or worse
than the unattractive wrapper
lhal He senl il vilh. SadIy, nany
gifls fion Hin aie innedialeIy
turned down because man has
forgotten who the Giver really
is and vhy He is giving such a
personal gift to us.
Heie s an exanpI e: ve
planned to grow in our devo-
tion to God. Thus, we set off
with some strategy in our pious
practices. Then one day, we get
up feeling sick and tired. God
has allowed us to suffer a slight
fever. Because of this, we feel sad
about not being able to carry out
our plan and perhaps we may
even lose our interests in pray-
Commentary
Michael Cook
Fr. Amado L. Picardal, CSsR, SThD
Along The Way
Caring for those in need
Atty. Aurora A. Santiago
Duc in Altum
Wrapper Gifts
Fr. Francis Ongkingco
Whatever
Whatever / A7
Wvhat lies beyond
conscience?
A COURT last week ruled that the state of Illinois cannot
force pharmacists to sell the morning-after pill against their
consciences. It was an important win for health professionals.
This rule was particularly iniquitous. In 2005, Illinois Gov-
ernor Rod Blagojevich (now serving time in a federal jail for
attempting to sell President Obamas vacant Senate seat) is-
sued an eneigency iuIe. Il decieed lhal phainacies nusl hII
prescriptions for drugs, including the morning-after pill. No
deIays. No hassIes. No Iecluie. }usl hII lhe piesciiplion, vas
lhe Coveinois deciee. Il lecane a hnaI adninislialive iuIe
later that year.
This steamrolling of conscientious objection was brazenly
undemocratic. The state legislature never voted on the contro-
versial measure. It was imposed on pharmacists in an effort to
shore up Blagojevichs position in the polls.
The courts decision was a great boost for freedom of con-
science. But there should be no complacency. Within the medical
profession itself, a campaign is being waged to make obsolete
the very notion of conscientious objection. In the UK, it has
openly been under attack for years. In 2006 Oxford bioethicist
Julian Savulescu published a scathing critique in the UKs lead-
ing medical journal, the BMJ. When the duty is a true duty,
conscientious objection is wrong and immoral. When there is a
grave duty, it should be illegal. A doctors conscience has little
place in the delivery of modern medical care.
And now the gloves are off in the United States, as well. Only
a week before the resolution of the Illinois dispute, the New
England Journal of Medicine, which describes itself as the most
videIy iead, ciled, and inuenliaI geneiaI nedicaI peiiodicaI in
the world, published an attack on conscientious objection to
abortion. In a Perspective editorial, feminist bioethicist Lisa
H. Haiiis, of lhe Univeisily of Michigan Ann Ailoi, piesenled
a scrambled view of conscience which could eventually under-
mine gains in cases like the Illinois pharmacists case.
Di. Haiiis~vho peifoins aloilions~Ianenls lhe facl lhal
the pro-life side of the US abortion debate has captured the moral
high ground of conscience and conscientious objection. From her
standpoint abortion doctors are brave souls who defy stigma,
marginalization within medicine, harassment, and threat of
physical harm to act in accordance with their consciences, the
equation of conscience with non-provision of abortion contributes to the
stigmatization of abortion providers. If physicians who offer abortion
care dont have a legitimate claim to act in good conscience, like their
counterparts who oppose abortion, the implication is that they act in
bad conscience or lack of conscience altogether. This understanding
reinforces images of abortion providers as morally bankrupt.
SuieIy, Di. Haiiis conlends, if lheie is a pIace foi conscienlious
objectors, there must also be a place for conscientious providers.
Goody two-shoes refusniks get all the applause as they frolic
on the moral high ground. Is there no room for sincere, hard-
working doctors who provide abortions?
She offers an example: in Georgia and Arizona abortions are
lanned aflei 22 and 2O veeks. Hovevei, lheie aie no exenp-
tions in the law for doctors who feel ethically obliged to perform
abortions beyond these limits. This is unfair, she says. Moral
integrity can be injured as much by not performing an action
required by ones core beliefs as by performing an action that
contradicts those beliefs.
Not all abortion providers are saints. The name of Philadel-
phia doctor Kermit Gosnell springs to mind as a loathsome blot
on Di. Haiiiss hagiogiaphy. Hovevei, ils inpossilIe lo deny
that some abortion providers fervently believe that they are
doing an honorable thing.
But is fervor enough? Since when are our decisions validated
by the sheer strength of our core beliefs? What about women
who provide genital mutilation for young girls? They, too,
have strong convictions about the necessity and righteousness
of their craft.
The idea of conscience as a strong, irrefutable and irrational
feeling seems to be the conventional wisdom in the upper
echelons of the medical fraternity. In 2007 the ethics committee
of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
dissected conscientious objection in a position paper on the
limits of conscientious refusal in reproductive medicine. It also
dehned conscience as a coie leIief:
An appeal to conscience would express a sentiment such as
If I were to do x, I could not live with myself/I would hate
myself/I wouldnt be able to sleep at night. According to this
dehnilion, nol lo acl in accoidance vilh ones conscience is lo
leliay oneseIf~lo iisk peisonaI vhoIeness oi idenlily.
Theres something in this, of course. Thomas More agonized
over the loss of his personal integrity when he refused to sup-
poil Heniy VIIIs naiiiage. In his fanous voids, I do nolody
harm, I say none harm, I think none harm, but wish everybody
good. And if this be not enough to keep a man alive, in good
faith I long not to live.
As a dehnilion, lhough, il hoIds no valei. Conscience vouId
be nothing more than a warm and fuzzy feeling, even if it is
packaged as personal integrity. But this is not what conscience
is. Conscience is an assessment of whether my action agrees
with a moral law. Conscience is a personal decision, but others
can dispute whether that decision is correct because both are
invoking the moral law. In other words, conscience can be the
subject of a fruitful rational debate; core beliefs about personal
wholeness cannot.
If ve accepl Di. Haiiiss inleipielalion, ve effecliveIy have
moral anarchy. George Tiller could plead conscientious objec-
tion if he were to do illegal late-term abortions and Scott Roeder
could plead conscientious objection if he were to assassinate
him. This simply wont do. A world in which everyone is hud-
dling together on the moral high ground is unworkable.
AnazingIy, Di. Haiiis faiIs lo see lhis. Hei nain concein is
to restore the moral prestige of abortion doctors. Failure to
recognize that conscience compels abortion provision, just as
it compels refusals to offer abortion care, she writes, renders
conscience an empty concept and leaves us all with no moral
ground (high or low) on which to stand.
AcluaIIy, hei ieasoning is lopsy-luivy. Hov can lvo dia-
metrically opposed claims be equally conscientious and equally
deserving of respect? Our ethical currency will be devalued if
every action has the same value. But she is on the money in
asserting that conscience is on the road to become an empty
concept.
The publication of this shoddily-reasoned editorial in the New
England Journal of Medicine is a disturbing step in the debate
ovei Iiesidenl Olanas heaIlh caie acl. Il suggesls lhal a signih-
cant sector of Americas medical elite feels that conscience, and
therefore conscientious objection, is philosophically incoherent.
There seems only one exit from this intellectual impasse. If
moral questions cannot be settled through reasoned debate, they
will have to be settled on arbitrary grounds by the power of the
state. What shape this will take is impossible to predict. But if
we accept this principle of moral nihilism we shall surely end
up as prisoners in the foetid darkness of Mordor. In the eloquent
voids of soneone vho Iived lheie, Heinann Ciing, I have
no conscience. HilIei is ny conscience.
(Michael Cook is editor of MercatorNet.)
A6 Vol. 16 No. 21
October 8 - 21, 2012
CBCP Monitor
Local News
Cburcb to 'IuIIy ImpIement' cbanges to Mass
by December
THL CalhoIic Chuich in lhe
Philippines will start the full
implementation of changes to
the Mass by December 2.
This also means that all the
dioceses will start using the new
English version of the Lords
Prayer on the said date, which is
aIso lhe hisl Sunday of Advenl.
The Catholic Bishops Confer-
ence of the Philippines (CBCP)
has voted for the adoption of the
New English Translation of the
Roman Missal during its plenary
assembly in January 2011.
This yeai, lhe CCI ieafhined
its decision to fully implement
the new translation in which
the text of the Lords Prayer
is the 16th century version by
December.
In effect, what is contained in
the said new English translation
must be followed, said CBCP
president Archbishop Jose Palma
in a letter, dated Oct. 3, to all the
countrys dioceses.
The countrys dioceses have
started with their catechesis on
the revisions on the Roman Mis-
sal as early as January so as not
to overwhelm the faithful with
too many changes in the liturgy
of the Church.
In the Archdiocese of Lin-
gayen-Dagupan, parishes have
started using the approved Eng-
lish version of the Lords Prayer
since February.
The Archdiocese of Manila
and its suffragan, meanwhile,
started to gradually implement
the changes last June.
Gradual implementation, said
Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio
Tagle, means that all the re-
sponses, acclamations and their
musical settings were progres-
sively introduced to the faithful.
A series of seminars were also
held for priests to help them
become familiar with the new
translation of the Roman Mis-
sal, the book that contains
the prayers and instructions
for the liturgical celebration.
(CBCPNews)
Bishop calls for Philex mine closure
A CATHOLIC lishop is caIIing
for permanent closure of the
countrys largest gold mining
operation in Benguet province
following a series of disastrous
waste leaks.
Manila Auxiliary Bishop Brod-
erick Pabillo said it is about time
for Philex Mining Corp. to end
its operation to save the area
from further damage.
It should really be closed. In
fact until now th ey cant even re-
solve the damaged tailings dam
and they havent totally stopped
the spill, he said.
Pabillo chairs the Catholic
Bishops Conference of the Phil-
ippines National Secretariat for
Social Action, Justice and Peace
(Nassa) which is at the forefront
of the churchs advocacy for
responsible mining.
The prelate lamented that
large-scale mining continues
despite their appeal for the gov-
ernment to be considerate of the
communities who suffer the most
of the consequence of mining.
He said lheie aie nany poIi-
cies about mining to ensure a
responsible operation but yet
tragedies still happen due to
negligence of the operators and
the authorities.
Thats why others are even
saying that responsible mining is
just a myth because when some-
thing happened, mining compa-
nies normally want to escape from
their liabilities, said Pabillo.
So the government should re-
ally be careful about this because
when incident like this happens,
the damage really affects other
areas and it cant be contained
in just one place, he said.
Real score
Baguio Bishop Carlito Cen-
zon, whose pastoral jurisdiction
covers Benguet, called on the
mining company to divulge the
real score of the waste spill and
the extent of damage it created.
Those inside should give us
the right information that can
help us think what the right
thing to do is. Its a social prob-
Bishop urges vigilance over govt-MILF peace deal
pines and the Second Provincial
Council of Manila.
He said lhe Chuichs ovn
journey of faith is a testament
to a dynamism inspired by the
HoIy Spiiil ilseIf.
What we believe in
Tagle said one of the components
of the Year of Faith is to call for a
renewed appreciation and celebra-
tion of the mystery of the faith in
sacrament, liturgy and prayer.
During his talk, he told an-
ecdotes about how the very
IiIipino liadilion of lhe hesla has
devolved into a simple matter of
lasingan (getting drunk) and
bugbugan (beating up each
other); and how people have lost
touch with the reason behind
sacraments like baptism.
We have to be in a way criti-
cal of the connection between
the content of faith and the way
we pray, individually and as a
community, he added.
Another component of the
celebration would be to promote
a joyful living of the faith ex-
pressed especially through con-
version, a moral life governed
by justice and charity, solidarity
with and service of the poor.
Tagle talked about how the faith-
ful should live out their faith with
joy and authentic witnessing to
the Gospel values in everyday life.
He loId a sloiy aloul an Anei-
ican friend of his who admired
the faith of Filipinos so much
seeing the throngs of people
praying during the EDSA Revo-
lution, but who eventually asked
why corruption could still con-
tinue in the country despite the
peoples obvious faith.
Sent to serve
The Year of Faith will also be
a rediscovery of ecclesial com-
munion where the diverse gifts
of lhe HoIy Spiiil aie offeied
and developed to strengthen
the Church and serve its mission
here and even abroad.
Mentioning soon-to-be canon-
ized Blessed Pedro Calungsod,
Tagle said Filipinos should go
out into the world eager to share
and be of service.
He specihcaIIy caIIed on lhe
men to step up and take on the
role of transmitting the faith,
since there seems to be more
women catechists than male.
The Year of Faith aptly sets the
stage for the Philippine Church,
which looks towards the next
500 years of faith in the country.
The other pastoral priorities
outlined by the Catholic Bishops
Conference of the Philippines for
the next 9 years are: Integral faith
formation (2013); Renewal of the
laity (2014); Active participation
of the poor in evangelization
and social formation (2015);
the Eucharist and the family
(2016); Transforming the parish
as a communion of communities
(2017); Renewal of the clergy
and religious (2018); Active par-
ticipation of the youth (2019);
Ecumenism and inter-religious
dialogue (2020); and Missio ad
gentes (2021).
Year of Faith / A1
Evangelization has been hurt
and continues to be impeded by
the arrogance of its messengers.
A fellow Filipino, Archbishop
Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila,
also emphasized the importance
of imitating Jesus humility,
which he said was seen most
clearly in Jesus willingness to
become human, to suffer and to
die for humanity.
Jesus humility allowed him to
demonstrate real love and con-
cern for all people, particularly
those neglected and despised
by the world, and the church
must do the same, Archbishop
Tagle said.
Being humble also means rec-
ognizing when the church does
not have all the answers, and
therefore being willing to remain
silent, he said, adding that a
church at home with silence will
make the voiceless believe they
are not alone.
IoIish CaidinaI Zenon Cio-
cholewski, prefect of the Congre-
gation for Catholic Education,
told the synod that the greatest
obstacle a priest or theologian
faces in becoming an effective
evangelizer is without a doubt
pride, along with its natural
aIIy, seIhshness. The olsession
with becoming great, original
(and) important reduces more
than a few to being pastors who
shepherd themselves and not
lheii ocks, as Sl. Augusline
once said.
Each member of the church, he
said, must make a serious exami-
nation of conscience and, at the
foot of the cross, learn humility
and authentic love.
The cardinal told synod mem-
bers they must be very serious
in looking at the state of Catho-
lic education. There are more
Catholic schools and universities
than ever, but that growth seems
to be accompanied by a grow-
ing crisis of faith, he said.
One key to resolving the prob-
lem, the cardinal said, is to en-
sure that priests and theologians
understand that years of study
and brilliant academic achieve-
ments wont attract anyone
to Christ if those evangeliz-
ing dont actually know the
Lord and teach what the church
teaches.
Salvadoran Bishop Jose Rauda
Gutierrez of San Vicente told the
synod that bishops and priests
are often an obstacle to evange-
lization.
The loss of pastoral enthu-
siasm, the diminution of a mis-
sionary drive, liturgical celebra-
tions lacking a deep spiritual
experience, and the lack of joy
and of hope are so strong that
they impact the very life of our
Christian communities, he said.
The new evangelization, he
said, must be like a medicine
to give joy and life in the place
of fear.
Bishop John Corriveau of
Nelson, British Columbia, told
the synod that building com-
munity and promoting a sense
of communion, particularly in
the face of increasing individu-
alism, is an important part of
the new evangelization.
The spirituality of commu-
nion is modeled on the relation-
ship of love found among the
members of the Trinity, a creative
love revealed to humanity with
the incarnation of Christ.
The call to communion is
more than a slogan. It is a con-
version of heart, he said.
German Archbishop Gerhard
Muller, prefect of the Congrega-
tion for the Doctrine of the Faith,
told the synod that effective
evangeIizalion hisl iequiies lhal
the church overcome certain
intra-ecclesial debates between
so-called conservatives and so-
called progressives; instead, he
said, church members must focus
on sharing the Gospel with oth-
ers and doing so in unity with
the church and in harmony with
its teaching. (Catholic News
Service)
Conference of the Philippines.
This is just the beginning of
more consultation. The peace
agreement between the govern-
ment and MILF is part of the
whole process to attain solidar-
ity, he said.
Ledesma is an active member
of the Bishops-Ulama Forum
and a former head of the CBCPs
Episcopal Commission on Inter-
religious Dialogue.
The government and the
MILF, the countrys largest se-
cessionist group, have agreed
to create a new political entity
called Bangsamoro to replace the
Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao (ARMM).
President Benigno Aquino III
described the preliminary deal
as a fianevoik agieenenl~a
roadmap for establishing a new
autonomous region to address
the grievances and claims of the
Bangsamoro people.
Aquino also said establishing
the Bangsamoro political entity
will go through the full process
of legislation in Congress and
will be subject to ratification
through a plebiscite.

Six principles
Ledesma also noted other
important values that needs
to be considered in drafting the
hnaI peace agieenenl.
These six principles, he said,
derived from the series of consul-
tations conducted by the BUC in
various communities in Mindanao.
The prelate said these include
sincerity, security, sensitivity,
solidarity, spirituality and sus-
tainability.
There is a need for sincerity
on both sides that they are really
for peace while security calls
for end to armed hostility and
stop formation of these armed
groups. Sensitivity to the differ-
ent cultures and traditions in-
cluding the indigenous peoples
in Mindanao is also important,
Ledesma said.
Theres also a need for soli-
darity a sense of oneness and
unity especially with the IP com-
munities. Another thing is spiri-
tuality. We have to focus on the
religions of Islam and Christian-
ity. And the last one is the need
for sustainability. We need to
realign our institution for good
governance and honest elections
to sustain the gains of peace
building process, he added.
Ledesma said they are also
planning to hold series of semi-
nars on reconciliation and peace
in the coming days.
We need to emphasize the
need for interreligious and in-
tercultural understanding the
need for mutual forgiveness and
reconciliation in Mindanao, he
said. (RL/CBCPNews)
Peace / A1
apex body of the Catholic Church in Asia.
About 100 participants consisting of presi-
dents of bishops conferences, theologians and
other church leaders are expected to attend
the event.
With the theme FABC at Forty Years Respond-
ing to the Challenges of Asia: The New Evangeliza-
tion, they will discuss the ways of living the spirit
of renewal and the vision of evangelization in Asia.
The working document for the assembly invites
the delegates to discern how the Church can spread
the Gospel values in Asia impacted by dynamics
triggered by globalization, cultural diversity, pov-
erty and other factors.
They will also try to take account of concerns
such as migrants and refugees, indigenous peoples,
population, religious freedom, threats to life, social
communications, ecology, laity, women, youth,
Pentecostalism and vocations.
FABC has 15 bishops conference members
Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan,
Korea, Laos-Cambodia, Malaysia-Singapore-
Brunei, Myanmar, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri
Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
Il aIso has 1O associale nenleis - Hong Kong,
Macau, Mongolia, Nepal, Kyrgyzstan, Siberia (Rus-
sia), Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and East
Timor. (RL/CBCPNews)
Delegation / A1
sa sakit niya cancer, for example.Gusto ko mang
gumaling ang lahat ng pasyente ko from cancer
talagang tatanggapin natin na may mga sakit na
malala na [at] hindi na kayang pagalingin ng mga
duktor, Manalo explained.
Pero hindi ko man ikaw kayang pagalingin,
ayoko namang ako ang maging dahilan kung bakit
ka nagkasakit, and worse, ako ang dahilan kung
bakit ka namatay. And in fact, when you require
doclois lo piesciile ailihciaI conliaceplives, lhals
practically what youre asking the doctors to do.
To give a drug that I know for a fact can harm the
health of my patients, the palliative care specialist
pointed out.
Manalo, who has spent years dealing with
and treating women in poor communities in and
outside Metro Manila, said that even unschooled
folks have a clue as to the physical harm that taking
hormonal contraceptives bring.

Birth control pills = steroids
AilihciaI conliaceplives leIong lo lhe gioup
of medicines called steroids, Manalo said, and
when she informs her patients about this, many of
them recognize the danger right away.
Actually, sometimes simple folks understand
immediately, and say, Steroids, dok? Bibigyan mo
ako? Di ba delikado yon? They know already that
steroids are not given just like that unnecessarily
and unless the need to cure a medical condition
outweighs the side effects, she said.
Steroids are derived from a substance called
cholesterol, the cancer specialist continued,
adding lhal lhis oflen eIicils a signihcanl ieaclion
even fion oidinaiy peopIe: Ha` ChoIesleioI`
Di ba nakabalot sa puso yon? So somehow they
understand it, and knowing if thats the kind of
substance in pills, you will understand why the
side effects are like that. Kasi nga steroidal siya,
derived from cholesterol ang chemical structure
niya. The effects are primarily on the cardiovas-
cular system.

Serious conditions
Manalo enumerated blood clot, heart attack,
thromboembolism, and pulmonary embolism as
among the consequences that have commonly
been seen in women for years as early as the 1960s.
Thromboembolism, thats the most common
result in the 1960s when the pill was starting in
distribution. Right away thats the number one side
effect of contraceptive pills that they were able to
document, she said.
In fact, cancer came later; its thrombo-
embolism that was causing the death of women
young people, previously well, walang sakit,
bigla na lang dadating sa emergency room, ang
taas-taas ng blood pressure, tapos ang diagno-
sis either heart attack or stroke, the physician
lamented.
So as a doctor I will not do any harm con-
sciously with full knowledge and full consent,
ManaIo ieileialed. And I knov lhal lhese ailih-
cial contraceptives are harmful, period. No ifs or
buts. All they have to do is to check the literature.
(CBCP for Life)
Opposition / A1
A CATHOLIC lishop has veIconed lhe peace deaI
between the government and the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front but called on the public to remain
vigilant over the peace process.
Basilan Bishop Martin Jumoad said the agreed
roadmap for lasting peace is a welcome develop-
ment to end the decades-long separatist insur-
gency in the Mindanao.
Its a step to peace. We have suffered a lot and
any step to peace is a sign of hope for peace,
Jumoad said. But we have to be vigilant and the
same time be guiding the people about it.
The bishop said the people and all the stake-
holders must also be informed and updated about
developments in the peace process.
So there must be total education in terms of the
implication of an agreement that they will enter
into, he said.
The government and the MILF, the countrys larg-
est secessionist group, have agreed to create a new
political entity called Bangsamoro to replace the
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
The ARMM is a failed experiment, President
Benigno Aquino III said in a speech delivered in
Malacaang.
Many of the people continue to feel alienated
by the system, and those who feel that there is no
way out will continue to articulate their grievances
through the barrel of a gun. We cannot change this
without structural reform, he said.
Aquino described the preliminary accord as a
framework agreement a roadmap for estab-
lishing a new autonomous region to address the
legitimate grievances and claims of the Bangsam-
oro people.
This framework agreement paves the way for
a hnaI, enduiing peace in Mindanao, lhe Iiesi-
dent said.
It brings all former secessionist groups into the
fold; no longer does the Moro Islamic Liberation
Front aspire for a separate state. This means that
lhe hands lhal once heId iies viII le pul lo use
tilling land, selling produce, manning work sta-
tions, and opening doorways of opportunity for
other citizens, he said.
Aquino also said establishing the Bangsamoro
political entity will go through the full process
of legislation in Congress and will be subject to
ialihcalion lhiough a pIeliscile.
Once approved, there will be elections, he said.
Jumoad emphasized that whatever peace agree-
ment both parties would enter into must always
be according to the Constitution.
The basis of the agreement should be the Con-
stitution of the Philippines, he said.
The prelate also appealed on the government
and the MILF not to set aside respect for religion
in making the peace agreement.
Religion must always be respected and there
should be freedom in terms of expression of faith
and also respect for the dignity of every indi-
vidual, he added.
It should not favor one group or people but
it must be inclusive to everybody, said Jumoad
whose diocese is turning 50 years old next year.
(CBCPNews)
lem, he said.
The bishop said there are
many families who just rely on
mining and permanently closing
its operations would certainly af-
fect their only source of income.
Cenzon refused to give a cat-
egorical answer on the calls to
cancel the Philexs environmen-
laI conpIiance ceilihcale (LCC)
but he said the waste leak is a
major concern.
Many people said they have
been dependent on mining. The
problem now really is the mine
spills, he said. I think this is
veiy difhcuIl lo soIve.
He said lheie aie nany vei-
sions of what really happened
which already confuse the public.
I dont have much opinion
at this moment because its like
we are in the middle of the ty-
phoon, he said.
1 bI!!Inn nc nnt cnnugh
The government recently
slapped the mining firm with
I1 liIIion hne due lo lhe sedi-
ment spills from its tailings dam.
The Philex, however, said they
will contest the fine imposed
by the Mines and Geosciences
Bureau (MGB) for the incident
was caused by an act of nature.
The company claimed that the
leak from its tailings pond was
caused by heavy rains unleashed
by a typhoon.
Philex also said that the mine
would probably be shut down
until the end of year to give way
for the cleaning and rehabilita-
tion.
For Pabillo, the issue is more
than just the money.
What about the damage? The
livelihood of the people especial-
Iy lhe hsheinen is gone. Wheies
that P1 billion going anyway?
Its only the government who
will collect it, he said.
The Nassa also delivered relief
goods to a community of indig-
enous peoples (IPs) affected by
the mine spill.
Fr. Edu Gariguez, Nassa exec-
utive secretary, said they gave an
initial supply of 10 sacks of rice
and 10 boxes of canned goods
lo lhe IIs vho ieIy on hshing as
their livelihood.
These people have been ask-
ing for aid because according to
them the Philex already stopped
from giving them aid, he said.
The Nassa and the Climate
Change Congress of the Philip-
pines earlier organized an in-
dependenl facl hnding nission
to investigate the impact of the
mine leaks.
Gariguez said initial result of
their investigation revealed that
areas affected by the mine spill
include the San Roque dam up
to the downstream communities
and the irrigation system of at
least seven towns.
Results of their probe with
recommendations on how to ad-
diess lhe piolIen viII ofhciaIIy
be released on Oct. 2 and will be
submitted to Philex and to the
government for proper action.
(RL/CBCPNews)
Massive islands of rubbles and other mining waste from the Philexs
tailings pond 3 in Benguet have been discovered in San Roque dam by
an independent group composed of church and environment organizations
investigating the waste leaks.
P
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t
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A
S
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Synod / A1
A7 Vol. 16 No. 21
October 8 - 21, 2012
CBCP Monitor
Diocesan News
Brieng
Diocese holds teen sexuality seminar
BACOLOD City - Around 180 young people attended a teen sexuality semi-
nar organized by Queen of Peace parish in coordination with the Diocesan
Commission on Youth last Sept. 23 at the at the SJI Auditorium, Bacolod
City. Youth participants came from different parish-based youth ministries,
schools and youth groups and with Pro-Life Philippines director Ed Sorreta
as the resource speaker. The seminar was part of the parishs activities in
preparation for the feast of their second patron saint, St. Lorenzo Ruiz last
Sept. 28. (Adsum/with reports from Marissa Panagsagan)
Youth are an effective force in the Church bishop
SAN PABLO City - A Catholic bishop applauded the young people of San
Pablo diocese in their efforts to gather youth leaders from different parishes
and organizations in the diocese where they discussed issues concerning
youth and faith. In his homily for the closing Mass of the 1st diocesan youth
congress, San Pablo Bishop Leo Drona, SDB, said that the youth are impor-
tant to the church and is an effective force in building a strong community.
More than two hundred youth leaders in the diocese attended the 1st di-
ocesan youth congress last September 22 and 23 in this city, with the theme
Activate the Faith. (Jandel Posion with reports from Glenn Torrecampo)
Local group organizes youth jam for a cause
CLU Cily~A youlh jan foi a cause, inspiied ly lhe Iife and exanpIes of
Blessed Pedro Calungsod, was held at the Don Bosco College Gymnasium
in Punta Princesa, Cebu, October 6. Dubbed as Jam tah Bai! Uban si Pedro,
lhe evenl vas hIIed vilh nusic and exciling ganes. Hannie CodiIIa, head
organizer, said that the event seeks to help young people know more about
CaIungsod, his Iife, saciihces, passion and devolion in seiving Cod vheie
he choose to serve and not to be served. (Jandel Posion)
Full implementation of law would prevent hazing-related deathslawyer
MAKATI Cily - Hazing-ieIaled dealhs vouId have leen pievenled if onIy
there was a full implementation of anti-hazing law, a young lawyer said.
Willingness to implement the law is key to preventing more hazing-related
deaths, not looking for loopholes in the Anti-hazing law, Ateneo de Manila
Law professor Atty. Jemy Gatdula said. I think the issue is really with the
implementation and being able to fully apply the law and that justice is
actually served, he said. (Nirvaana Ella Delacruz)
slood lhiough lhe ages~one lhal is iisk-
free and calls for no special budget al-
location: common sense. Common sense
shows us the link between cybercrime
and the ancient laws given to protect
humanity itself, like the Ten Command-
ments, for example. Corny? Not if you
take your God seriously.
Look, people have already stolen hun-
dreds of millions of dollars from unsus-
pecting bank clients through the internet.
Intellectual property is stolen, too, (as in
plagiarism), as well as sensitive military
information by nation-states. Remember
lhe 7lh Connandnenl~ Thou shalt not
steal~and lhe 1Olh, Thou shall not covet
they neighbors goods.
And what of gossip-mongering,
forwarding uncharitable tweets (like
when celebrities stage verbal battles in
social media), fabricating and spread-
ing black propaganda against political
enemies? Think Thou shall not bear false
witness against your neighbor~8lh Con-
mandment. These could even escalate
to a crime against the 5th Command-
nenl~Thou shall not kill~if lhe IileI
(or the bullying) is bad enough it leads
to the fatal heart attack or suicide of
the victim. Character assassination is
cyberspace murder.
What Commandment do pornogra-
phers and porn consumers violate? The
6lh~You shall not commit adultery~and
lhe 9lh~Thou shall not covet thy neigh-
bors wife. Even merely viewing porn
while abusing yourself can already
make you in a sense an adulterer. (Even
if porn performer or consumer werent
married, they still be committing for-
nication, something which in due time
will likely mature to adultery).
So lheie~Connandnenls 5-1O vio-
lated. And all because our consciences
have become so numb we take for
gianled lhe hisl foui. The seIf and cie-
ated goods have become gods. Gods
name has been reduced to a meaning-
less interjection. The Lords Day simply
means more hours spent on the internet.
And the wisdom of our forefathers (and
mothers) is dishonored by our sheer
disobedience.
Why was RA 10175 promulgated
in lhe hisl pIace` The goveinnenl is
hghling lhe eneny ly shooling al ils
weapons. Nothing beats a disciplined
populace to make laws effective, even
unnecessary, with every citizen policing
himself. All cybercrimes are self-abuse
al lhe lollon Iine. Hannei inlo lhe
consciousness of our kindergarteners
that God is present within them, and in
due time we will have adults who will
not abuse themselves nor cause others
to do the same. And thats the truth.
And Thats The Truth / A4
holds this rotten spirit and does away
with a transcendent God will be a de-
mocracy that will not be guided by an
absolute law that comes from God. It will
be a democracy that will surely contra-
dict itself and plunge sooner or later to
totalitarianism to keep itself above water.
Thats because that democracy will
not anymore work for the common
good, but rather for the good only of its
stronger part, or the majority, and not
all, of its people. But as an aside, we can
still say that of all forms of government,
democracy is still the best because it
ensures the participation of citizens in
political options and guarantees them
the possibility both of electing and con-
trolling their rulers, John Paul II said.
As to why relativism is attractive to
many people, we can posit the idea that
it appears respectful of the views and
opinions of people. The problem is that
many people have lost the sense of the
absolute, have hardly any serious life
of religion, and thats why everything
seems to be matter of opinion only.
There are also those, more intellectually
gifted and convinced about relativism,
who claim that if God exists then he is a
God who is constantly evolving because
a God who is not dynamic cannot be God.
The av vilh lhis ieasoning is lhal
they equate the perpetual dynamism
of God with the process of evolution.
But God, if he has to be God, cannot
anymore evolve even if he is also in
constant dynamism. That thought con-
tradicts the very essence of God.
This is, of course, a mystery to us, due
to the limitation of our reasoning. But
we cannot deny that if God is God, then
he is both stably perfect and dynami-
caIIy acling. His aclion does nol inpIy
change in him.
Candidly Speaking / A4
ing. We have forgotten that
God may have wanted us to
learn a new form of prayer
through our illness.
Another example: God
wants us to give us the gift of
a deeper conversion by help-
ing our sorrow grow for our
past faults and present omis-
sions. We know that the path
of conversion can be greatly
facilitated by making a good
and sinceie confession. We hnd
ourselves in the Church hoping
lo hnd a piiesl. Inslead, ve aie
greeted by a reluctant pastor,
who seems to feign tiredness
and illness and casually tells
us to come back another time.
Ieihaps, ve lake lhis 'hisl
trial well. We understand
that our pastors can be quite
busy and may truly need
some break. But how would
we respond if in our next
visit we are not only told
the same thing, but had to
wait double the hours of
our previous attempt to go
to confession? Frustration?
Anger? Critical spirit? ()
All of the above?
We start to gnaw at the
pastors lazy attitude, this
snowballs against his useless
projects in the parish, then
slams at the parish council
and aIso lhe choii and hnaIIy
topples the hierarchy and
their lack of care for their
ock. IinaIIy, disappoinled,
we conclude that theres
really no reason to go back
to church, to prayer, and
confession. By this reaction
towards the wrappers we
have lost the opportunity to
open a gift, because we have
judged it unfitting simply
because it looked so unap-
petizing.
Let us remember once
again: Gods gifts always
come wrapped especially
for each of us. All we have
to do is to realize that the
gift wrapper helps us re-
ceive and vaIue His liue gifls
more. Thus, let us not judge
His gifls ly lheii viappei
but receive them trusting in
Gods Fatherly providence.
* * *
You asked Our Lord to
Iel you suffei a IillIe foi Hin.
But when suffering comes
in such a normal, human
form family difficulties
and problems ... or those
thousand awkward things of
oidinaiy Iife- you hnd il haid
to see Christ behind it. Open
your hands willingly to those
nails ... and your sorrow will
be turned into joy. (St. Jose-
mara, Furrow, no. 234)
Whatever / A5
Bishop probes prevalence of
jueteng in schools in his diocese
LLCAZII Cily~AIained vilh lhe
iepoiled ouiishing of lhe iIIegaI nun-
bers game jueteng in public schools,
Legazpi Bishop Joel Baylon said he
would investigate if it has indeed
reached his turf.
Baylon said it is important for both
government and Church leaders to
conhin hisl if lhe iepoils aie liue, in
order to properly nip the problem
in the bud.
The chairman of the CBCP Episcopal
Commission on Youth (ECY) said it is
important to identify the Kubradors:
if they are the teachers, students or
other people working in the school
community.
It is best to determine first if there
is really jueteng in schools before you
look for the remedy to monitor and
curtail the presence of gambling,
he said.
The approach will be different if
school children is acting as agents or if
the teachers themselves. More so if the
operation of jueteng is permitted by the
school administrator, he added.
Baylon also said he would launch
his own investigation in the Diocese of
Legazpi, asking catechists and youth
volunteers who are greatly immersed
with public school youth.
We have to identify the means (by
which jueteng entered the school set-
ting) because if the reports are true, then
it is really alarming, he said.
Earlier, retired Archbishop Oscar
Cruz revealed that the illegal numbers
game has penetrated at least four public
schools in Central Luzon and another
one in Metro Manila. The prelate said
students are wooed to bet their allow-
ance to the underground lottery, which
is very affordable with a minimum bet
of P10 to P20.
The Catholic Church espouses an an-
ti-gambling advocacy, whether through
legal or illegal means, saying it leads to
moral corruption.
But Baylon said gambling should not
be a concern of the Church alone.
Gambling is not a religious prob-
lem, it is a social one. It doesnt relate
to religion, so it is both a concern of
the government and the church, both
public and private schools, he added.
(YouthPinoy)
Bishop Joel Baylon
F
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P
H
O
T
O
Bacolod diocese builds Shrine,
Columbary
BACOLOD City - A Shrine dedicated to
the universal patron of priests and a co-
lumbary will soon rise on the sprawling
St. John Marie Vianney complex located
at Silay City, in the diocese of Bacolod.
The Shrine and Columbary will be
constructed at the St. John Marie Vian-
ney ConpIex, lhe hisl evei faciIily in lhe
Philippines devoted not only to the care
of retired, sick and elderly clergy of its
Diocese, but also to provide a venue for
retreats, masses, memorial, gathering
and recreation for the laity.
Msgr. Noly A. Que, LRMS, former
head of lhe Iiiesls Caie Ofhce, Ied lhe
presenters during the launch held Sept.
2O al lhe SugaiIand HoleI in acoIod
City, which was attended by the clergy
and religious, benefactors and support-
ers of the Diocese.
The St. John Marie Vianney Shrine
and Columbary will have a height of 31
meters from street level to the tip of the
ceiling. The main Shrine at the upper
level will have a seating capacity of 500
people, a 23-meter long aisle ideal for
weddings, and a cantilevered balcony.
The lower level will contain the co-
lumbary that will have at least 1, 264
vaults, a chapel in the center, and a
family room. Each vault will measure
20 inches in height, width and depth,
and can contain two cinerary urns
containing cremated remains or one
box of bones. The vaults are available
by donation.
The building of the Shrine and colum-
bary is the second phase of the devel-
opment of the St. John Marie Vianney
ConpIex Iocaled in Hacienda Maquina,
Silay City. The first phase was com-
pleted in 2011 with the establishment
of the Domus Dei hospice, dormitory,
gazebos, guesthouse, multi-purpose
hall and basketball court. Eight retired
priests are currently residing at the
Complex.
ReguIai HoIy Masses viII le offeied
at the Shrine in the near future, for those
interred in the columbary. (Adsum)
ment of Agrarian Reform) employees
would soon be jobless, Pabillo said.
He Ianenled lhal fion }uIy 2O1O lo
August 2012, only 255,506 hectares have
so fai leen disliiluled lo fainei leneh-
ciaries out of the remaining 1,209,236
hectares of land.
This is a very dismal performance,
said Pabillo.
In terms of budget, the agrarian re-
foin Iav aIIocales I15O liIIion foi hve
years or P30 billion per year. Yet, accord-
ing to him, DARs budget in 2011 was
only P18 billion, P21 billion in 2012 and
another P21.7 billion for 2013.
He added lhal since 2OO9 lo lhe pies-
ent, only P76 billion or half has been
spent out of the total budget.
This undei spending ieecls lhe
government is not serious in imple-
menting the program and did not
consider it as a priority, Pabillo said.
Malacaang earlier said it will try its
best to complete the program, which
ends in 2014, by the time the Aquino ad-
ministration completes its term in 2016.
The prelate also criticized the im-
pending move to abolish DAR by 2014.
He said lhal disnanlIing DAR, al a
time when there is backlog of land al-
location and distribution, will do more
harm than good to agrarian reform
program.
The chuich ofhciaI added lhal il aIso
puts into question the real intention of
lhe liansilion pIan~does il vanl lo
speed up the distribution of lands or is
it simply a ploy to abandon the agrarian
reform program?
In lieu of abolishing DAR, Nassa
calls upon President Benigno Aquino
III, if he is truly committed to CARPER
(with extension and reform), to have
someone at the helm of DAR who has
the will, heart and skills to manage and
implement the program, he said.
If the problem of CARPER imple-
mentation is on workload or backlog,
then there should be increased sup-
port to the personnel for greater ef-
ficiency. If the problem is the lack of
budget, then it should be increased.
If the problem is with policies,
amend them. If the problem is in
the leadership, as employees and AR
advocales have idenlihed, iepIace lhe
leadership with someone who can en-
suie noie efhcienl inpIenenlalion of
the Agrarian Reform program, he said.
(RL/CBCPNews)
Land Reform / A1
Vol. 16 No. 21
October 8 - 21, 2012
CBCP Monitor
A8 People, Facts & Places
Archbishop Tagle tags seafarers
as potential saints
THL IiIipino seafaieis aie nol
only major contributors to the
countrys economic growth,
they are also saint potentials,
the head of Manilas Catholic
Church said during the celebra-
tion of National Seafarers Day,
September 30.
Manila Archbishop Luis Anto-
nio Tagle said that the Philippine
Catholic Churchs two martyrs
were seafarers and missionar-
ies at the same time before they
became saints.
The archbishop was refer-
ring to Saint Lorenzo Ruiz and
Blessed Pedro Calungsod, the
soon-to-be second Filipino saint.
Dear seafarers, you are saint
potentials. You have saint qual-
ity because our Philippines only
two saints are like you seafarers
and missionaries, Tagle said.
He added lhal Ruiz and
Calungsod who will be canon-
ized in Rome on October 21
sailed to other countries and
died for a mission: to teach the
Good News.
Tagle spoke to about 3,000
participants of the 17th National
Seafarers Day at the Philippine
Ports Authority (PPA) gym in
Manila, a celebration that includ-
ed parade, speeches and prayer.
The chuich ofhciaI aIso caIIed
on the seafarers to shun tempta-
tions, and draw inspiration from
their faith especially that they are
away from their families.
You should be instruments
for what is good work and not
of temptations, he added. The
Filipinos today are sailing every-
where. Bring with you the best of
the Filipinos.
For his part, Vice President Je-
jomar Binay said the government
is ensuring that the rights of the
Filipino seafarers are protected.
He nenlioned lhe iecenl ialih-
cation in the Senate of the Mari-
time Labor Convention 2006 be-
ing pushed by different maritime
labor institutions, organizations
and even the Church.
The welfare of the men and
women at sea is something that
is close to our hearts, Binay
said.
The event, organized by the
Apostleship of the Sea, started
with an ecumenical memorial
at sea at the Philippine Coast
Cuaid head ofhce, aIso in Ma-
nila, to honor the Filipino sea-
men who died on duty.
Chuich ofhciaIs said lhis yeais
festivity has become more elaborate
and ciealive as a hlling iesponse
to the growing number of Filipino
seafarers deployed on merchant
A CATHOLIC piiesl and a Iay
formator have been appointed
to participate in the upcoming
13th General Assembly of the
Synod of Bishops as an auditor
and expert.
Ms. Joy Candelario of the
Bukal ng Tipan in Antipolo
City was appointed as expert
while Fr. Renato de Guzman,
SDB, the vice-rector of Don
Bosco Techni cal I nst i t ut e-
Makat i was appoi nt ed as
auditor.
Candelario and De Guzman
will join other 45 experts and
49 observers appointed by Pope
Benedict XVI from all over the
world to join the synod which
will be held in Rome from Octo-
ber 7 to 28.
I n an i nt ervi ew, Cande-
lario said that their task is
to have discussions on the
afternoon on the proceed-
i ngs that happened i n the
morning.
Markings
Filipino priest, lay to
join synod of bishops
as expert, auditor
Fr. Renato de Guzman, SDB
Youth urged to boost
presence in digital world
A CATHOLIC piiesl has en-
couraged the youth to boost
their online presence and
evangelize the digital world.
At the start of the year,
we planned to go into media
mission in whatever form
may it be, either in the media,
internet or any digital media.
But because the year of faith
will start on October 21, we
thought of making the month
of January to be the highlight
on explaining the articles of faith
by using digital media, Fr. Jade
Licuanan, Archdiocesan Youth
Commissioner of Manila said.
Licuanan said the archdio-
cese came up with activities in
digital artwork as a concrete
response to the challenge of
Pope Benedict XVI last year
to the young to make good
use of their presence in the
digital world.
He noled lhal lheie aie a Iol
of young people who are into
hIn naking, so vhy nol nake
use of them to continue this
kind of evangelization.
Last Sept. 29, a digital
artwork competition that
incIuded shoil hIns, docu-
mentary and poster making
was held as part of the annual
celebration of the Archdioc-
esan youth Month.
Themed Media Fest: A
Celebration of Christian Faith
the event was held at the Co-
legio de San Juan de Letran in
Intramuros, Manila.
Licuanan also shared he was
surprised that unexpectedly a
good number of entries came.
It was surprising for me
to receive lots of entries and
because of this, we can continue
this kind of contest and hope-
fully this will make or leave an
impression to the young people
of going to media evangeliza-
tion which is a very interesting
endeavor, he furthered.
Also as part of its media
evangelization the Archdioc-
esan Commission on Youth
has Iaunched ils ofhciaI vel-
site www.manilayouth.org.
(Emily Lingat/Jandel Posion)
Libis scholars get to know Calungsods everyday sainthood
BLESSED Pedro Calungsods everyday
sainthood has inspired some 80 to 100 schol-
ars from Libis, Quezon City through a series
of talks given on October 6.
Kritzia Santos, the Youth Outreach Ministry
head of Christ the King, Quezon city, shared her
hopes for the activity, [I hope] that the kids will
be able to be inspired to become everyday saints,
to realize that [sainthood is] really in the little
things in being able to try to become an ev-
eryday faithful friend, an everyday Catholic
Members of the New Media and promo-
tions committee for the canonization of Bl.
Pedro Calungsod gave inspirational pep
talks on the different aspects of Blessed
Pedros life that aim to show that holiness
is intertwined with real life.
YouthPinoy! president Eilleen Esteban, who
heads the committee, spoke about being a friend.
Blair Jereza, a full-time missionary for
Kids for Christ, presented how to live as a
young, saintly person.
Chiro national leader Badette Felix
touched on the issue of migration and how
being an OFW can be a path to service.
Jandel Posion of YouthPinoy! and Aaron
Veloso, Prefect of the Sodality of the Im-
maculate Conception in the University in the
Philippines, took charge of facilitating group
dynamics and an activity for the young
people who are in high school and college.
Some 10 youth facilitators from Challenge
Club and Regnum Christi were also present
at the event.
Santos said the scholars are expected to
cascade what they have learned to younger
kids in their own area in Libis. (Nirvaana
E. Delacruz)
The scholars get creative with colors and words
to come up with their very own Calungsod slogan.
Peter Capistrano of the Diocesan youth
ministry of Pasig talked about what it means
to be a catechist.
2nd coIIectIon In Masses Ior IndIgenous peopIes
TO help raise funds for indig-
enous peoples, parish churches
are urged to have second col-
lection in all Masses on Oct.14,
as the Catholic Church marks
IP Sunday.
In a letter sent to different
dioceses, the CBCPs Episcopal
Commission on Indigenous
Peoples appealed for prayers
and hnanciaI aid foi lheii con-
tinuing work for native Filipinos.
The bishops formed the ECIP
in 1975 to respond to the plight of
the Filipino indigenous peoples.
To date, the agency continues
to work for IPs in their efforts to
secure justice for themselves, pro-
tect their ancestral domains, and
preserve their cultural heritage.
With the theme Evangeliza-
tion and Inculturation, the IP
Sunday celebration is about re-
lating Gospel to the situation of
our indigenous brethren, respect-
ful of their cultural practices.
In a pastoral letter, ECIP chair-
man and Tuguegarao Archbish-
op Sergio Utleg stated In mod-
ern times, Christianity wears a
western face.
He said lvo novenenls ac-
count for this: Greco-Roman
cultures has shaped Christianity,
while at the same time western
cuIluie has leen inuenced and
formed by Christian values.
Hovevei, lhiough IncuIluia-
tion the Church makes Gospel
incarnate in different cultures
and at the same time introduces
people, together with their cul-
tures into her own community,
said Utleg while quoting Blessed
John Paul IIs encyclical letter
Redemptoris missio.
Therefore, he added, if the
church wants Christianity to take
root among the IPs, it will have
to follow the same route.
LvangeIizalion~lhe alsoip-
tion of Gospel values and In-
Seminar to teach Catholics how to defend their faith
THL Melio ManiIa-lased Defensoies Iidei
Foundation will hold its 8th annual apolo-
getics seminar this month on the theme
Blessed to be Catholic.
The gathering aims to help participants
respond to the moral and spiritual chal-
lenges or learn more about how to defend
their faith with reason.
The seminar will take place at the Mis-
souri Square Building, North Greenhills
San Juan, and every Saturday starting
October 13 until December 15.
Several members of the Catholic hier-
archy will speak during the conference.
Speakers also include priests, religious
and lay leaders.
Organizers said the event will feature
important topics like Sacraments, Church
history, atheism and secularism, and
Mariology.
Speakers include Bro. Marwil Llasos,
OP, Fr. Stanislaus Kostka Baculanag, Car-
los Palad, Fr. Carlos Estrada, and Chief
de Vera.
The Defensores Fidei Foundation said it
exists to explain and defend the Catholic
doctrine.
Our purpose is to strengthen Catho-
lics in their faith by helping them to
explain, from Scripture and the Magis-
terium, the most commonly misunder-
stood Catholic beliefs, it said.
More information about the semi-
nar is available at this blog site: www.
philippineromancatholic.blogspot.com.
(CBCPNews)
An annual event organized by the Apostleship of the Sea, the National
Seafarers Day pays tribute to hundreds of thousands of Filipino mariners
working aboard merchant vessels and cruise ships around the world.

R
o
y

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and cruise ships around the world.
There are around 347,150
Filipino seafarers who largely
contributed to the economic
growth of the Philippines. In
2011, they have brought more
than US$4 billion in remittances.
(RL/CBCPNews)
The discussion will have
sharing of opinions, proposals,
because the working documents
have already the recommenda-
tions that have been taken up in
a deeper level, she said.
Candelario also added that
with different people from vari-
ous countries and ministries,
they can get many insights in
terms of living the challenge
of new evangelization. (Jandel
Posion)
cuIluialion~expiessing lhese
values in terms that are under-
standable by the indigenous
peoples and respectful of their
culture practices go hand in
hand, said Utleg.
We need to strive to have a
deeper understanding of what
Inculturation means in faith and
culture, gather and share with
one another examples of in-
culturated worship and way of
life that are now being practiced
among our IP communities and
come up with models of incul-
turation that can be introduced,
adapted and improved in other
areas, he said. (CBCPNews)
ORDAINED. Rev. Roy Christian Gesulgon and Rev. Ermen Bimbao to
the Order of Priesthood, September 24, 2012. Bishop Vicente Navarra
led the ordination rites during the 9 a.m. celebration of the Holy Eucha-
rist at the San Sebastian Cathedral. Fr. Gesulgon, from the Sta. Maria
Magdalena Parish in Hinigaran, completed his theological studies from
San Jose Seminary in Manila, while Fr. Bimbao, from St. Therese of
the Child Jesus Quasi-Parish Cameroli in Bacolod City, is a graduate
of the St. Joseph Regional Seminary in Iloilo. Aside from Gesulgon and
Bimbaos sacerdotal ordination, Bishop Navarra also ordained to the
Sacred Order of Deacons seminarians Michael Andres Pajares from St.
Joseph the Worker Chaplaincy, Paglaum Village, Bacolod City and Jose
Paolo Lanuza from St. Jude Thaddeus Parish in Brgy. Alijis, Bacolod
City. Both seminarians are from St. Joseph Regional Seminary.
CELEBRATED. Centenary of the
Congregation of the Religious of
the Good Shepherd (RGS), October
4, 2012. The frst two rish mission-
aries from the RGS Sisters from
Burma arrived in the Philippines to
attend to the education needs of Fili-
pino children. In January 1913, they
opened the St. Bridgets Academy,
now known as the St. Bridgets Col-
lege in Batangas and was the frst
Catholic school in the diocese. As
the years went on, they embraced
the girls and women who were to be protected from moral danger or who
needed help to reform their lives and started the frst Good Shepherd
home in Sta. Ana, Manila in 1921. More nuns from the Mother House
in France also arrived in the country as they opened other communities
in Manila, Baguio, Cebu, Tagaytay, the Bicol Region and Mindanao. To
date, they are known for their ministry to the neglected, abused and
marginalized, particularly girls and women, and their involvement in
issues like human rights and environment. In Baguio City, the Sisters
are best known for their unique kitchen products like peanut brittle,
strawberry jam and ube jam. Some 160 Filipino Sisters serving in 22
apostolic communities and 4 contemplative communities in the country
gathered for the celebration held at the Good Shepherd compound in
Aurora Boulevard, Quezon City. Also present were 18 of the more than
30 Filipina missionaries serving in foreign missions. The celebration
started with a Mass offciated by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle
and was followed with a program and the giving of recognition to several
Centennial and Service awardees. The activities were preceded by
regional celebrations that featured the journey of the staff of the Shep-
herd through the different regions where the Good Shepherd Sisters
are present. In addition to communities around the Philippines, the Good
Shepherd Sisters have also sent missionaries to Macau, Hongkong,
Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand, Kenya, Burkina Faso, United States,
Canada, Japan, the Mother House in Angers, France and the Generalate
in Rome. There are also contemplative Filipina Good Shepherd Sisters
in Austria and Angola and more apostolic Sisters in Mozambique, Sudan,
and the United States.
DECLARED. Sto. Domingo
Church, as national cultural
treasure by the National Mu-
seum of the Philippines,
October 4, 2012. After more
than a year of assessment
by a panel of experts, the
church with its centerpiece
image of Our Lady of the
Holy Rosary, also known as
Nuestra Seora del Santis-
simo Rosario, La Naval de
Manila, was deemed of
outstanding cultural signif-
cance. Jeremy Robert Barns, Director IV of the National Museum of the
Philippines, offcially confrmed the church as a national cultural treasure
by signing declaration 4, series of 2012, last night after a special 6 p.m.
mass to celebrate the event. Before the signing, National Museum Asst.
Director Ana Maria Labrador read the declaration, which cited invaluable
artistic works in the church like Galo Ocampos stained glass windows,
depicting the mysteries of the holy rosary; murals painted by National
Artist Carlos Botong Francisco, which showed the life of St. Dominic
de Guzman, as well as reliefs by Italian sculptor Francesco Riccardo
Monti, who resided in the Philippines for a time. Precious liturgical objects
housed in the Museo Sto. Domingo like crucifxes, images and relics
of saint, vestments and vessels are also considered movable cultural
properties. Originally built within the walls of Intramuros, Manila, the
church became a training ground for missionaries who would be sent to
other parts of Asia. t also became the offcial home of the miraculous
image of Our Lady of La Naval starting in 1588. Angel Bautista, Cura-
tor II of the Cultural Properties Division of the National Museum, said,
This church is priceless, symbol of identity and unity. And it must be
preserved for the future generations.
CELEBRATED. The Order of Augustinian Recollects (OAR) community
of Bacolod celebrated on September 16 the centenary of the Papal brief
Religiosas Familias granted by Pope St. Pius X which elevated the con-
gregation to a Major Religious Order of the Roman Catholic Church, at
the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (UNO-R) main lobby. The
celebration started with a concelebrated Mass at 8 a.m. with the UNO-R
employees at the oratory of St. Nicholas of Tolentino. Religious congrega-
tions in the diocese joined the Recoletos in their jubilee celebration. Bacolod
Bishop Vicente Navarra, D.D., in his message, reminded those present
during the celebration of the role of the missionaries in the Church. He also
told them to continue the evangelization that their forebears have planted.
AWARDED. The Catholic
Mass Media Awards (CMMA)
has conferred on Communi-
cation Foundation for Asia
(CFA) the Serviam Award
for its outstanding service
to human development and
spiritual uplift through the in-
novative use of various forms
of the mass media. CFAs
president, Fr. Filoteo Pelin-
gon, MSC, and its Executive
Director, Terry Hermano,
received the trophy from Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle, CMMAs
honorary chairman, Ambassador Antonio Cabangon-Chua, who is the
chairman and president of CMMA, and Msgr. Gabor Pinter, charge
daffaires of the Apostolic Nunciature. CFA, a development communica-
tion NGO established in 1968, has won many previous awards for its
products (mostly comics-magazines, as well as website, music album,
radio and video) and for its writers. Two of its productsthe childrens
magazine Gospel Komiks and the CFA website www.cfamedia.org
were elevated to the CMMA Hall of Fame in 2010 after winning three
Best Awards in their categories in previous years.
Chairman of Episcopal Commission on Indigenous People and Tuguegarao
Archbishop Sergio Utleg (2nd from right) leads group of bikers who pedaled
for environment and the rights of IPs in last years celebration of Indigenous
Peoples Sunday. A similar biking event will be held this year, which will
begin in Calapan, Oriental Mindoro on Oct. 13 and ends at Boracay Island
the following day.
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B1
Vol. 16 No. 21
October 8 - 21, 2012
CBCP Monitor
Primer / B4
Pastoral Concerns
Holy Spirit / B7
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DEAR Brother Bishops,
Dear brothers and
sisters,
Wi t h t h i s s o l e mn
concelebration we open the
thirteenth Ordinary General
Assembly of the Synod of
Bishops on the theme The
New Evangel i zati on f or the
Transmission of the Christian
Faith. This theme reflects a
programmatic direction for the
life of the Church, its members,
families, its communities and
institutions. And this outline
is reinforced by the fact that it
coincides with the beginning
of the Year of Faith, starting
on 11 October, on the fftieth
anniversary of the opening of
the Second Vatican Ecumenical
Council. I give a cordial and
grateful welcome to you who
have come to be part of the
Synodal Assembly, in particular
to the Secretary-General of the
Synod of Bishops, and to his
colleagues. I salute the fraternal
delegates of the other churches
and ecclesial communities as
well as all present, inviting them
to accompany in daily prayer the
deliberations which will take
place over the next three weeks.
The readings for this Sundays
Liturgy of the Word propose
to us two principal points of
refection: the frst on matrimony,
which I will touch shortly; and
the second on Jesus Christ,
which I will discuss now. We do
not have time to comment upon
the passage from the Letter to the
Hebrews but, at the beginning
of this Synodal Assembly, we
ought to welcome the invitation
to fx our gaze upon the Lord
Jesus, crowned with glory and
honor, because of the suffering
of death (2:9). The word of God
places us before the glorious One
who was crucifed, so that our
whole lives, and in particular
the commitment of this Synodal
session, will take place in the
sight of him and in the light of
his mystery. In every time and
place, evangelization always
has as its starting and fnishing
points Jesus Christ, the Son of
God (cf. Mk1:1); and the Crucifx
is the supremely distinctive
sign of him who announces
the Gospel: a sign of love and
peace, a call to conversion and
reconciliation. My dear Brother
Bishops, starting with ourselves,
let us fx our gaze upon him and
let us be purifed by his grace.
I would now like briefy to
examine the new evangelization,
and its relation to ordinary
evangelization and the mission
ad Gentes. The Church exists to
evangelize. Faithful to the Lord
Jesus Christs command, his
disciples went out to the whole
world to announce the Good
News, spreading Christian
communi t i es everywhere.
With time, these became well-
organized churches with many
faithful. At various times in
history, divine providence
has given birth to a renewed
dynami s m i n Chur c h s
evangelizing activity. We need
only think of the evangelization
of the Anglo-Saxon peoples or
the Slavs, or the transmission
of the faith on the continent
of America, or the missionary
undertakings among the peoples
of Africa, Asia and Oceania.
It is against this dynamic
background that I like to look
at the two radiant fgures that I
have just proclaimed Doctors of
the Church, Saint John of Avila
and Saint Hildegard of Bingen.
Even in our own times, the
Holy Spirit has nurtured in the
Church a new effort to announce
the Good News, a pastoral and
spiritual dynamism which found
a more universal expression
and its most authoritative
impulse in the Second Vatican
Ecumenical Council. Such
renewed evangelical dynamism
produces a benefcent infuence
on the two specifc branches
developed by it, that is, on the
one hand the Missio ad Gentes
or announcement of the Gospel
to those who do not yet know
Jesus Christ and his message of
salvation, and on the other the
New Evangelization, directed
principally at those who, though
baptized, have drifted away
from the Church and live without
reference to the Christian life.
The Synodal Assembly which
opens today is dedicated to
this new evangelization, to
help these people encounter
the Lord, who alone who flls
existence with deep meaning
and peace; and to favor the
rediscovery of the faith, that
source of grace which brings
joy and hope to personal, family
and social life. Obviously, such a
special focus must not diminish
either missionary efforts in the
strict sense or the ordinary
activity of evangelization in
our Christian communities, as
these are three aspects of the
one reality of evangelization
which complement and enrich
each other.
The theme of marri age,
found in the Gospel and the
frst reading, deserves special
attention. The message of the
word of God may be summed
up in the expression found in
the Book of Genesis and taken
up by Jesus himself: Therefore
a man leaves his father and his
mother and cleaves to his wife,
and they become one fesh (Gen
2:24; Mk 10:7-8). What does this
word say to us today? It seems to
me that it invites us to be more
aware of a reality, already well
known but not fully appreciated:
that matrimony is a Gospel
in itself, a Good News for the
world of today, especially the de-
Christianized world. The union
of a man and a woman, their
becoming one fesh in charity,
in fruitful and indissoluble love,
is a sign that speaks of God
with a force and an eloquence
which in our days has become
greater because unfortunately,
for various reasons, marriage,
in precisely the oldest regions
evangelized, is going through
a profound crisis. And it is not
by chance. Marriage is linked to
faith, but not in a general way.
Marriage, as a union of faithful
and indissoluble love, is based
upon the grace that comes from
the triune God, who in Christ
loved us with a faithful love,
even to the Cross. Today we
ought to grasp the full truth
of this statement, in contrast
to the painful reality of many
marriages which, unhappily,
end badly. There is a clear link
between the crisis in faith and
the crisis in marriage. And,
as the Church has said and
witnessed for a long time now,
marriage is called to be not
only an object but a subject of
the new evangelization. This is
already being seen in the many
experiences of communities and
movements, but its realization
is also growing in dioceses and
parishes, as shown in the recent
World Meeting of Families.
One of the important ideas
of the renewed impulse that
the Second Vatican Council
gave to evangelization is that
of the universal call to holiness,
which in itself concerns all
Christians (cf. Lumen Gentium,
39-42). The saints are the
true actors in evangelization
in all its expressions. In a
special way they are even
pioneers and bringers of the
new evangelization: with their
intercession and the example of
lives attentive to the inspiration
of the Holy Spirit, they show
the beauty of the Gospel to
those who are indifferent or
even hostile, and they invite, as
it were tepid believers, to live
with the joy of faith, hope and
charity, to rediscover the taste
for the word of God and for the
sacraments, especially for the
bread of life, the Eucharist. Holy
men and women bloom among
the generous missionaries who
announce the Good News to
non-Christians, in the past in
mission countries and now
in any place where there are
non-Christians. Holiness is not
confined by cultural, social,
political or religious barriers. Its
language, that of love and truth,
is understandable to all people
of good will and it draws them
to Jesus Christ, the inexhaustible
source of new life.
At this point, let us pause
for a moment to appreciate
the two saints who today have
been added to the elect number
of Doctors of the Church.
Saint John of Avila lived in the
sixteenth century. A profound
expert on the sacred Scriptures,
he was gifted with an ardent
missionary spirit. He knew
how to penetrate in a uniquely
profound way the mysteries
of the redemption worked by
Christ for humanity. A man of
God, he united constant prayer
to apostolic action. He dedicated
himself to preaching and to the
more frequent practice of the
sacraments, concentrating his
commitment on improving the
formation of candidates for the
priesthood, of religious and of
lay people, with a view to a
fruitful reform of the Church.
Saint Hildegard of Bingen, an
important female fgure of the
Primer on the Year of Faith
and the New Evangelization

By Archbishop Orlando B. Quevedo, O.M.I.

1. What is the Year of Faith?
On 11 October 2011 Pope Benedict XVI issued his Apostolic
Letter, Porta Fidei, Door of Faith (PF), and declared a Year of
Faith from 11 October 2012 to 24 November 2013. The Year of
Faith would be a good opportunity to usher the whole Church
into a time of particular refection and rediscovery of the faith
[PF, no 4]. It would be a year to rediscover the joy of believing
and the enthusiasm for communicating the faith [PF, no. 6].
The Year of Faith is a summons to an authentic and renewed
conversion to the Lord, the one Savior of the world, a year to
intensify the renewal of the Church [ibid.].
2. What is the signifcance of the starting and ending dates
of the Year of Faith?
The starting date, October 11, 2012, is the 50
th
anniversary of
the opening of the Second Vatican Council, Vatican II (1962-1964).
This Council led to the deepening and greater understanding
of our faith and to the comprehensive renewal of the Church
as it confronted the many changes of our times. The same date
is the 20
th
anniversary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
(CCC) which is the summary of our Christian faith. The ending
date, November 24, 2013, is the Feast of Christ the King who is
the center of our profession of faith.

3. What is faith?
Faith is frst of all a personal adherence of man to God. At
the same time it is an assent to the whole truth that God
has revealed [CCC, no. 150; CBCP-ECCE, Catechism for
Filipino Catholics (CFC), 1997, nos. 114-15]. Faith, therefore, is
a personal acceptance of God as the source of everything that
we are and have. It also means to obey God. To obey comes
from the Latin word ob-audire, to hear or to listen. Faith means
to submit freely to the word of God [CCC, no. 144] who in
many ways speaks to us, such as in the Sacred Scriptures, in
the Church, in the celebration of the Liturgy, in prayer, or in
ordinary situations of life.
4. When do we receive faith?
At the beginning of the rite of Baptism the priest asks: What
do you request of the Church? The godparents of the child to be
baptized answer: Faith. It is through Baptism, the sacrament
of faith that God gives us the gift of faith. Through Baptism
we are born into new life and become adopted children of
God and heirs of heaven. We are incorporated into the family
of faith, the Church.
5. Is faith necessary?
Yes, faith is necessary for salvation. The CCC, no. 161, teaches
us: Believing in Jesus Christ and in the One who sent him for
our salvation is necessary for our salvation [cf. Mk. 16:16;
Jn 3:36; 6:40 ff]. Without faith it is impossible to please God.
Without faith no one will ever attain eternal life [see Mt. 10:22;
24:13; Heb 11:6].
The Holy Spirit Has Nurtured
in the Church a New Effort to
Announce the Good News
(Homily delivered by Pope Benedict XVI on October 7, 2012 at the Opening Mass of the Synod of Bishops on The New
Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith. During the Mass, the Holy Father proclaimed St. Juan of Avila
and St. Hildegard of Bingen as Doctors of the Church.)
B2 Vol. 16 No. 21
October 8 - 21, 2012
CBCP Monitor
Updates
Academic Freedom in a Catholic University:
The Ateneo Question
(Part IV: Infallibility of the Catholic Teaching against Contraception.)
By Fr. Jaime Blanco Achacoso,
J.C.D.
AT the core of the apologia pro academia sua
of Ateneo de Manila University President
Fr. Jose Ramon Villarin, S.J.if not of
the position of the 192 faculty members
of the aforementioned university who
expressed their support for the RH Bill
are two fundamental errors: (1) the failure
to appreciate the identity of the Catholic
University, and (2) the failure to appreciate
the infallible nature of the Catholic Churchs
teaching regarding the intrinsic immorality of
contraception. In the previous installment of
this long article, we had seen the constitutive
characteristics of the Catholic identity of a
Catholic University, as articulated in the
document Ex corde Ecclesiae; we had also seen
how the behavior of the 192 faculty members
of the Ateneo de Manila and the subsequent
apologia of their President, fall quite short of
such an identity.
In this concluding part, I would like to
tackle the other fundamental error of the
AdMU academic community, due in great
part to the position held by many Jesuits I
know, and expressed publicly in print by
Fr.Bernas and Fr. Tanseco, to name but two:
that the doctrine of Paul VIs Humanae vitae
(HV)reiterated by John Paul II in Familiaris
consortio and a whole series of magisterium
on the Theology of the Body, and fnally by the
present Pope Benedict XVIis not infallible
papal magisterium, and therefore admits of
contrary theological opinions.
In past articles, I had already dealt at
length with the essential characteristics of a
Church teaching to enjoy infallibility. For now
I would like to focus on the application of those
principles to the specifc case of the Church
teaching regarding the intrinsic immorality of
contraception. For this particular discussion, I
will quote extensively a monograph by Andrew
Kong, BSc, LLB, JCL, a remarkable layman I
met in Singapore some years ago after a lecture
I delivered on Personal Prelatures.
1


The Definitive and Irreformable
Church Teaching on the Intrinsic Evil
of Contraception
Kong writes: Perhaps the clearest
and most precise statement from the
magisterium on the status of this
teaching is found in the 1997 document
Vademecum For Confessors Concerning
some Aspects of the Morality of Conjugal
Life (Morality of Conjugal Life: Handbook
for Confessors), issued by the Pontifcal
Council for the Family. It states in
paragraph 4: The Church has always
taught the intrinsic evil of contraception,
that is, of every marital act intentionally
rendered unfruitful. This teaching is to be
held as defnitive and irreformable. This
declaration that the teaching is defnitive
and irreformable indicates its infallible
status by the Magisterium.
In fact, if there is any doctrine on
morals that has enjoyed such a long and
consistent history in the Church, it could
very well be the teaching on the intrinsic
evil of contraception. A short survey of
the Magisterium on this matter is quite
enlightening.
1
st
, the Catechism of the Council of
Trent (Part II, c.7, n.13) taught: It happens
that the crime of those who, joined in marriage,
either impede conception by medicines or
expel the life conceived, is most grave; for this
must be considered the impious conspiracy of
murderers. It is interesting to note that in
that most comprehensive reformulation of
the Catholic Faith in history, the Council
Fathers lumped together the crime of
contraception and abortion as most grave.
2
nd
, the intrinsically immoral
character of contraception was declared
by a response of the Holy Offce (the
precursor of the present Congregation
for the Doctrine of the Faith), dated
19.IV.1853, in which, in response to
the question whether in extreme cases
one could licitly practice withdrawal
(technically known as coitus interruptus
or onanism), it answered: Negatively; for
it is intrinsically wicked.
3rd, a response of the Sacred
Penitentiary of 13.XI.1901 confirmed
this, adding that it has the character of a
grave sin, and setting down as obligatory
the refusal of absolution to one who would
not be disposed to abandon such conduct.
4
th
, Pope Pius XI, in his encyclical
Casti connubii of 31.XII.1930, reiterated
this doctrine in the clearest of terms: No
reason, however grave, may be put forward
by which anything intrinsically against
nature may become conformable to nature and
morally good. Since, therefore, the conjugal
act is destined primarily by nature for the
begetting of children, those who in exercising
it deliberately render it inapt for this purpose,
sin against nature and commit a deed which
is shameful and intrinsically vicious.
Furthermore, Pius XI left no doubt that
he was teaching defnitively, and therefore
infallibly: [T]he Catholic Church, to whom
God has entrusted the defense of the integrity
and purity of moralsin order that she may
preserve the chastity of the nuptial union
from being defled by this foul stain, raises her
voice in token of her divine ambassadorship
and through Our mouth proclaims anew: any
use whatever of marriage, exercised in such a
way that the act is deliberately deprived of its
natural power to generate life, is an offense
against the law of God and of nature, and
those who indulge in such are branded with
the guilt of a grave sin.
5
th
, this teaching was
affirmed in the 1981
Apostolic Exhortation
Familiaris Consortio, by
Pope John Paul II in
paragraph 29 quoting
Humanae vitae, n.11:
love between husband and
wife must be fully human,
exclusive and open to new
life.
6
th
, the Catechism
of the Catholic Church,
n2370 is equally clear:
every acti on whi ch,
whether in anticipation of
the conjugal act, or in its
accomplishment, or in the
development of its natural
consequences, proposes
as an end or as a means,
to render procreation
impossible is intrinsically
evil.
7
th
, the Theology of the
Body (TOB), which was
the frst major catechetical
project of Pope John
Paul II, consisting of 129
Wednesday General Audience Addresses,
spanning 1979-1984. It has been described
by Christopher Cardinal Schnborn as
having the defense of HV as its main goal.
Pope John Paul II himself points to HV as
the true focus of TOB as a whole.
As Kong pointed out (and a number
of Jesuits of the AdMU communityFr.
Tanseco, Fr. Bernas and even Fr. Villarin
to name a fewhave time and again
manifested) some authors have tried to
dismiss any teaching authority of TOB,
preferring to consider it as merely the
refections of a private theologian or that
it has little or no authoritative character.
2

On the contrary, we have to insist that
the Theology of the Body is a catechesis
proposed by the Roman Pontiff for the
universal Church. No other catechetical
cycle delivered by John Paul II after TOB
Kong rightly points outhas a similarly
strict and close relationship with the very
core and essence of catechesis as defned in
Catechesi Tradendae. TOB seems to be John
Paul IIs catechesis par excellence.As such,
we can conclude that TOB as a catechesis
rightfully belongs to the universal and
ordinary Papal Magisterium, whose focus
was the defense of HV.
8
th
, fnally, Pope Benedict XVIon
the occasion of the 40th anniversary of
Humanae Vitaesent a message to the
president of the John Paul II Institute for
Studies on Marriage and the Family, in
which he praised the Churchs teaching
on contraception as the only way to
understand the truth about human
sexuality.
The Canonical Requirements for Papal
Magisterium to be Infallible
With the aforementioned data, the
insistence by some quartersemboldened
no doubt by the aforementioned big
names from the Ateneo de Manila
Universitythat the Papal teaching on
the intrinsic evil of contraception is not
infallible is hard to understand. Fr. Bernas
is an authority in civil constitutional law,
but he seems ignorant of Canon Law; Fr.
Tanseco is respected in marriage support
groups, but seems to be likewise ignorant
of the most elementary principles of
moral theology; fnally Fr. Villarinin
not categorically condemning the position
of the 192 professors who signed their
support for the RH Bill, betrays his lack
of conviction on the infallibility of the
Church teaching on the intrinsic evil of
contraception. Let us review what Canon
Law has to say on this.
Can.749, 1 of the Code of Canon
Law states: The Supreme Pontiff, in virtue
of his offce, possesses infallible teaching
authority when, as supreme pastor and teacher
of all the faithful, whose task is to confrm his
fellow believers in the faith, he proclaims with a
defnitive act that a doctrine of faith or morals
is to be held as such.
The essential requirements for a piece
of papal teaching to be infallible then are
quite clear:
1
st
, the Pope must be teaching ex
cathedra, from his position as supreme
pastor and teacheri.e., not just as a
theologian or even as Bishop of the diocese
of Rome, but as the Supreme Pastor of the
Universal Church.
2
nd
, the Pope must be addressing all
the faithfuli.e., precisely fulflling his
task of confrming all the believers in the
faith.
3
rd
, the Pope must be dealing with a
matter of faith or moralsi.e., not just any
other matter, e.g., world politics, scientifc
questions, etc.
4
th
, the Pope is proclaiming that a
doctrine must be held defnitivelyi.e.,
from the tenor of his pronouncement, it is
clear that he is putting an end to further
discussion, and not just proposing yet
another position or opinion. This is what
the expression defnitive act means.
Applying the aforementioned criteria
to the case of Paul VIs Humanae vitae (more
specifcally its n.14, which defnes any act
of contraception as intrinsically evil), the
infallible nature of the doctrine on the
intrinsic evil of any act of contraception
is quite clear:
1
st
, Pope Paul VI is clearly speaking
as Supreme Teacher and Pastor, not only
because the document is technically
classifed as an encyclical letter, but even
from the very tenor of the letter, especially
in n.6: Consequently, now that We have
sifted carefully the evidence sent to Us and
intently studied the whole matter, as well
as prayed constantly to God, We, by virtue
of the mandate entrusted to Us by Christ,
intend to give Our reply to this series of grave
questions. Note the reiterative use of the
majestic plural We and the allusion
to the mandate entrusted to Us by
Christwhich is nothing else but the
prerogative given to Peter at Caesarea
Philippi: Whatever thou shalt bind on
earth shall be bound in heaven. (Mt
16,19).
2
nd
, Pope Paul VI is clearly addressing
the whole Church and even the whole
world, from the very title of the document:
To the Venerable Patriarchs, Archbishops,
Bishops and to all the local Ordinaries, who
are in peace and communion with the Apostolic
See, to the Clergy and the Christian Faithful
of the whole Catholic realm, and to all Men
of goodwill.
3
rd
, the document deals with a matter
of faith and morals, again stated in the
very title: An encyclical letter on the proper
regulation of the propagation of offspring.
Furthermore, the Pope declares in n.4:
This kind of question requires from the
teaching authority of the
Church a new and deeper
refection on the principles
of the moral teaching on
marriagea teaching which
is based on the natural law
as illuminated by divine
Revelation. Finally, the
main teachingsof special
relevance to the discussion
of the RH Billof Humanae
vitae are clearly matters
of morality (both natural
and Christian): Therefore
We base Our words on the
frst principles of a human
and Christian doctrine of
marriage when We are obliged
once more to declare that the
direct interruption of the
generative process already
begun and, above all, all direct
abortion, even for therapeutic
reasons, are to be absolutely
excluded as lawful means
of regulating the number of
children (n.14).
Equally to be condemned,
as the magisterium of the
Church has affrmed on many
occasions, is direct sterilization, whether of the
man or of the woman, whether permanent or
temporary. Similarly excluded is any action
which either before, at the moment of, or after
sexual intercourse, is specifcally intended to
prevent procreationwhether as an end or
as a means.
4
th
, Pope Paul VI intends to put an
end to further discussion regarding the
doctrine, not only by the tenor of what
was quoted in 1
st
above, but also by his
exhortation to fdelity in the transmission
of this doctrine on the part of the other
pastors and priests in n.28: And now,
beloved sons, you who are priests, you who in
virtue of your sacred offce act as counselors
and spiritual leaders both of individual men
and women and of familiesWe turn to you
flled with great confdence. For it is your
principal dutyWe are speaking especially
to you who teach moral theologyto spell
out clearly and completely the Churchs
teaching on marriage. In the performance
of your ministry you must be the frst to
give an example of that sincere obedience,
inward as well as outward, which is due to
the magisterium of the Church.
Furthermore, it is not only Humanae
vitae that satisfes the requirements for
Papal infallibility. By the same token,
the doctrine of Pius XI in Casti connubii,
of John Paul II in Familiaris consortio and
in his Theology of the Body classifying
contraception as intrinsically evil and
therefore a grave (mortal) sin are likewise
defnitive, irreformable and infallible papal
teachings.
Conclusion
It has taken four installments to
finish this long article. Entire books
have been written on the infallibility of
the magisterium on the intrinsic evil of
contraception, but I guess when some
people do not want to accept the truth,
the Church cannot really force them.
BUT ecclesiastical authority need not
helplessly stand by while such people
deform young minds in the name of
academic freedom, much less from the
authoritative position of being a Catholic
university or Catholic school.
First, it is a question of honesty: a
restaurant should not call itself a steakhouse
if surf-n-turf items are predominant in its
menu. Ateneo de Manila should not call
itself a Catholic University if it teaches
matters of faith and morals contrary to
the Magisterium of the Catholic Church.
If they really want to continue doing
soin the name of a misunderstood
academic freedomthen allow them to
do so, but not as a Catholic University.
Let the full force of Church Law on this
matter, specifcally spelled out by Ex corde
Ecclesiae, be made to bear.
Second, it is a question of discipline:
how can the Catholic hierarchy really fault
the PNoy Administration for its perceived
kowtowing to the pro-contraception
and birth control policies of the Western
fnancial sources, when it cannot discipline
its own ranks of priests and religious, who
continue to question the Catholic position
on the intrinsic evil of contraception? A
saint once said that behind a perceived
crisis of obedience oftentimes lurks a
crisis of authority. The recent document
on Delicta graviora included heresy as one
of the crimes punishable by automatic
excommunication. Again, if priests
can faunt their dissent to the infallible
Magisterium regarding the intrinsic evil
of contraception, it is because they are
allowed to do so.
Third and foremost, it is a matter of
pastoral responsibility. A small group
of young members of the Congress of
the Philippines, pro-life and anti-RH
(including the undeniably charming
Lucy Torres and an equally charming
Dimaporo), has been going around
academic campuses giving symposia
on the RH Bill. Their most inhospitable
audienceI was toldhas been, sadly,
an exclusive Catholic girls school!
Among the young people talking to me,
the most articulate defenders of the RH
Billarticulating positions dating from
Charles Curran and Karl Rahnercome
from the Ateneo University! Catholic
universities and Catholic schools should
be the seedbed of future Catholic men
and women, who will carry the torch
of evangelization in the Philippines and
from the Philippines. The task is immense,
and we cannot afford to waste an entire
generation of students in Catholic
universities and Catholic schools who are
not being formed to have Catholic minds
and hearts.
Fr. Bernas says that he is a Jesuit priest,
but he is also a constitutionalist. If a
professor in a Catholic university could
say that, then the Catholic university has
failed as such. It can only breed another
generation of intellectually fragmented
individuals, who will have to hang their
Catholic hat on the door every time they
enter the halls of Congress, the offce or
their bedroom.


(Endnotes)
1
Cf. Andrew Kong, A Canonical Perspective on
the Infallibility of the Teaching of Humanae Vitae,
Singapore, 2009 (Pro Manuscripto).
2
Charles Curran, The Moral Theology of Pope John
Paul II, Washington, DC: Georgetown University
Press (2004), pp. 4-5
Mass Intentions
(Father Edward McNamara,
professor of liturgy at the
Regina Apostolorum Pontifcal
Uni versi ty, answers the
following query:)
Q: I seldom ask my parish
priest to offer up Masses
for a particular need such
as a sick person or someone
that has just died. Usually I
offer up myself the Masses
I attend for these needs,
but a friend told me this
was not valid. My friend
said that for the graces to
be received by the person
in need, a priest had to
off er up t he Mass. So
my question is, may we
offer up our Masses for
departed souls or those in
need without specifically
asking the priest to say
t he s e Ma s s e s ? - - A. K. ,
Sacramento, California
A: Actually it is not a question of
either/or but of and/and.
Any Catholic may offer
up the Mass in which he or
she participates for any good
intention. Certainly, graces
will accrue in accordance with
the intensity of that persons
participation and sincerity.
This is a genuine exercise of
the royal or common priesthood
of the faithful.
However, the custom of
requesting a priest to offer the
Mass for a specifc intention,
even when one cannot be
physically present at the Mass,
is a longstanding tradition in
the Church.
This is because the Church
considers the Mass as the
greatest possible prayer of
intercession insofar as it is the
perfect offering of Christ to the
Father by making present the
paschal mystery of his death
and resurrection.
Because of the particular role
of the priest as mediator between
God and man, acting in persona
Christi when offering the
holy sacrifce of the Mass, it is
usually considered that special
graces may be obtained when he
applies the Mass to a particular
intention.
The faithful generally make
an offering, called a stipend, to
the priest in order to apply the
Mass to a specifc intention. By
making this offering, the faithful,
by parting with something that is
their own, associate themselves
more intimately with Christ
who offers himself in the sacred
Host, and obtain thereby more
abundant fruits (See Pope Paul
VIs letter Firma in Traditione
of June 13, 1974).
This sacrifce has an infnite
value and indeed there is
no objective limitation to the
number of intentions that can
be offered at any Mass.
The offering of a stipend is
also a means whereby Catholic
may contribute to the upkeep
of the clergy, and the Church
in general.
However, so as to avoid even
the appearance of commerce
in sacred things, the Church
regulates the practice of offering
and receiving stipends in canons
945-958 of the Code of Canon
Law and in some later decrees on
specifc applications of the code.
Thus, in normal circumstances,
a priest may only accept one
stipend for any one Mass even
though he may offer up the Mass
for several intentions.
Likewise, if he celebrates more
than one Mass a day he may
keep only one stipend for his
personal use and must apply the
others to some charitable cause
determined by the bishop, often
to help support the seminary.
When a Mass cannot be
celebrated in the place it was
requested, the excess intentions
are passed on to other priests
or the local bishop. They must
assure that all Mass requests
are fulflled within the space of
one year.
Some pl aces, di oceses,
sanctuaries, etc., that receive
more requests than can be
celebrated within a year, often
entrust these intentions and
their stipends to other priests
who may not have regular
intentions, such as monks and
retired priests.
In some cases the extra
intentions are also sent to the
Holy See, which distributes
them throughout the world.
The stipend is usually
a fairly small sum by the
standards of the developed
world. Yet, until recently, Mass
intentions distributed by the
Holy See to poor missionaries
often proved to be of no small
help in their endeavors.
Unfortunately, recent years
have seen an increasing dearth
of requests for the celebration
of Masses in Western society
and even the Holy See has felt
the pinch.
Among the fruits hoped for
from the current Year of the
Eucharist is a renewed faith
in the Mass as intercession
and a consequent return in
the faithful to the practice of
asking for the celebration of
Mass for specifc intentions.
B3 Vol. 16 No. 21
October 8 - 21, 2012
CBCP Monitor
Features

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The Year of Faith
(Talk delivered by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Tagle during the general assembly for the orientation to the Year of
Faith and its celebration in the Archdiocese of Manila, on September 24, 2012.)
WELCOME to thi s grand
assembly as we prepare as an
archdiocese to welcome the Year
of Faith. We want to thank at the
outset Bishop Pabillo and the
team that helped him visualize
this whole year. This is already
the beginning of the activities, the
general orientation towards the
celebration of the Year of Faith.
On the 28th of September, the
memorial of San Lorenzo Ruiz,
I will issue a pastoral letter on
the year of the faith. It is already
written but I dated it September
28. So do not talk about it until
the 28th. But I want to share with
you some of the orientations
regarding the Year of Faith
coming from the Holy Father
Pope Benedict XVI and the many
other notes and instructions
emanating from the different
offces in the Vatican.
First a bit of historical account.
In his apostolic letter whose
opening words are Porta fdei, the
door of faith, Pope Benedict XVI
announced to the whole world
a Year of Faith, the celebration
of a Year of Faith. And it will be
opened on the 11th of October,
will run for a whole, even more
than a year and will close on the
24th of November, 2013 which
next year is the solemnity of
Christ the King. And he invites all
of us, the whole church, in Porta
fdei to celebrate the precious
gift of faith. And that already
makes us pause, are we really
celebrating our faith? I saw how
you rejoiced when Bishop Pabillo
mentioned merienda. Im very
sure we celebrate when there is
merienda. But do we celebrate
the faith, are we grateful to God
for having been given the gift
of faith?
This Year of Faith wants us
to celebrate this precious gift
and it also invites to receive the
gift of faith again. Just like any
other living gift, faith must be
received over and over again. I
see a number of priests here. We
do not receive the gift of faith only
on ordination day. Everyday you
receive it. If you stop receiving
it something will go wrong. I
see many religious here. You do
not receive the gift of faith only
on the day of your profession.
Every moment you receive the
gift again. The married people
hereare there married people
here? I hope you are lay. (Yes they
are. Nagsisigurado lang ako.)
The married people you have
to receive each other as a gift
over and over again so married
life, family will bloom, the same
with faith. We receive it again
and again and the Year of Faith
is such an opportunity, and we
dont only celebrate the gift, we
dont only receive it again, we
also commit ourselves to the
transmission of faith, a joyful
transmission of the faith. The gift
that is given to us should not be
kept, should not be hoarded if it is
truly a gift then it must continue
being a gift through our sharing
and through our transmission
of the gift.
Our gathering is already a
positive sign that the Archdiocese
of Manila and our guests from
Cabanatuan, and from Papua
New Guinea, Bishop Rollie
Santos, he is Filipino Vincentian,
the bishop of Arutao. So our
gathering is already a sign that
we join the universal church in
welcoming the Year of Faith.
The first thing I wish to
expound on is the rationale. What
is the reason for declaring the
Year of Faith. If we look at Porta
fdei and the many other homilies
and pronouncements of the Holy
Father we see some signifcant
reasons for the convocation or
the celebration of the Year of
Faith. Let us start delving into
the mind of Pope Benedict by
looking at the dates. Why October
11, 2012? Why will the Year of
Faith commence on October 11.
This date was carefully chosen,
this was not chosen at random.
October 11, 2012 marks the 50th
anniversary of the opening of
Vatican II and also the 20th
anniversary of the promulgation
of one of the fruits of Vatican
II namely, the catechism of the
Catholic Church, 1992. (Ah, si
Bishop Ronnie pala, Hi Bishop).
So we have these two dates, the
opening of Vatican II, 50 years
ago in 1962, and 20 years ago the
promulgation of the Catechism
of the Catholic Church. Now the
signifcance of these two events
already tells us what or partly
determines the spirit of the Year
of Faith.
The second Vatican council.
The Year of Faith wants to
celebrate this great moment of
renewal of faith in recent history
called the Vatican Council. I guess
many of us had already been born
when Vatican II was opened.
Do not cheat. I can see. Some
obviously were still in the eternal
plan of God, very young looking,
just like me. Hindi, ipinanganak
na ako noon. Still for our recent
stage in history Vatican II cannot
be matched yet as the moment of
renewal in faith.
Blessed Pope John XXIII the
good pope who convened Vatican
II desired that the council, and I
quote from him in his opening
remarks in Vatican II, he desired
that through the council the
church will become greater in
spiritual riches and, gaining the
strength of new energies from
the spiritual riches, the church
will look to the future without
fear. A beautiful line from the
pope. So for him the council, as
a pastoral council that wants to
address the role of the church,
the mission of the church in the
modern world, was a spiritual
event, and the desire is for the
church to recover its spiritual
riches. So for blessed John XXIII
church renewal comes from
a rediscovery of our spiritual
heritage and what is that heritage
that we have received and we
pass on to the next generations,
nothing else but faith. And to
renew the church means to renew,
to be reinvigorated in the energies
that come from the churchs faith.
The Holy Father stresses this
very often. When we talk of the
renewal of Vatican II let it be
associated with faith, the faith
that we have received from our
fathers and mothers in faith.
By renewal, according to Pope
Benedict, Vatican II did not invent
a new church that is cut off from
the church of the past. He laments
the use of the expressions, post-
Vatican II, pre-Vatican II church,
sometimes carelessly used, as
though there are two or even
more churches. He says there
is one church. If ever we use
that terminology post-Vatican
II or pre-Vatican II it is simply
to mark a year, probably, after
Vatican II in 1965. But according
to him some people understand
that post-Vatican II, pre-Vatican
II as though there were three
churches, as though there were
two faiths that ground two
different churches.
There are two possi bl e
misinterpretations. One is this:
Some love the so-called post-
Vatican II church and the more
they love the post Vatican 2
church the more they disdain
the pre-vatican II church. Para
bagang everything good came
out only with Vatican II and
Vatican II is a correction of
everything that went before
Vatican II. If that were the case
then St. Benedict must be correct;
St. Francis is wrong. And all of
these people that witnessed to
the faith must be eliminated.
No. we cannot say that Vatican
II produced a new faith which
is not connected to the faith and
the church of the past. That is
one mistake in the interpretation
of Vatican II; rupturing Vatican
II from the legacy of faith and
church before it.
You might think that this is just
a conceptual thing. But it exists
in the minds of some people,
a mistaken hermeneutics or
interpretation of Vatican II. For
example, once as a priest I was
in a seminar. It was supposed to
be a seminar to introduce ideas
on the basic orientation of Vatican
II and during the open forum
a participant said, Father our
parish priest need to be educated
in Vatican II theology. And I
said, Well all of us need to be
educated. Then she said, But he
needs it. Imagine it is already the
1980s and he still believes in the
hierarchy! I said, Why, whats
wrong? But Vatican II already
eliminated the hierarchy! I said,
No, thats the third chapter of
Lumen Gentium. Ah, really?
I thought Vatican II eliminated
the So you see some people
love Vatican II, they invoke
Vatican II and they make Vatican
II appear that it started a new
faith, a new church, totally
divorced from what happened
in the past. So Vatican II did not
receive anything according to
them and there is nothing good
to receive from the past. And that
is not right. That is a wrong use
of Vatican II.
But there is another danger.
Some people look to the past
and extol the past and consider
Vatican II an aberration. They
dont see anything good in
Vatican II. Vatican II naman
is flled with dangers and so
they want to eliminate Vatican
II they want to go back to an
idealized past, as though the
faith is dead, as though it is
not capable of growing. Again
I was in one renewal and one
participant stood up and said,
I cannot stand this. I will leave
this hall, I will go to the chapel
to pray for you. He said he will
pray for the whole assembly. He
said, You are all being misled
by believing in Vatican II. Very
dramatic! And then he added, I
have decided to be a Christian of
the 17th century. But the faith is
a living, dynamic reality. So you
have at least two, maybe there are
more, wrong interpretations of
the faith as recovered by Vatican
II; one the tendency to say that
before Vatican II nothing good
ever existed; so Vatican II is a new
formulation of faith, in fact, it is
a new church and a new faith.
The other tendency is to deny
that Vatican II is rooted in the
past and because of that, it is a
deviation, it is unfaithful to the
tradition.
Now i f we l ook at the
documents of Vatican II and
you look at the footnotes, you
will realize that Vatican II does
not invent a new faith. It does
not create a new church. You
fnd references to the Bible, to
the early ecclesiastical writers,
to the councils, especially Trent
and Vatican I. It quotes saints,
popes, especially Pope Pius XII.
So, just the sources of Vatican II
already alert us to the fact that
Vatican II is digging into the
deep, deep sources of faith. And
it is the same church; it is the one
church founded on the faith of
the apostles that we are part of
up to now.
So by holding or opening
the year of faith on the date
that Vatican II was opened, the
Holy Father is inviting us to
study again Vatican II and how
Vatican IIs expressions of faith
for a church in the modern world
would have to be rediscovered.
And this will lead us also to an
appreciation of the Catechism
of the Catholic Church which is
a fruit of Vatican II.
But at the same time we are
being asked to look at Vatican II
and the continuity of the church
through the ages, we are also
reminded that in the history
of the church, the one church
has undergone different forms
of renewal. The same church
expressing itself in different forms
of renewal. Just some examples,
looking at the priesthood, holy
orders. There was a time when
the priests met their communities
in their houses, what they called
the home churches because
Christianity was still outlawed
at that time, it was illegal. But
then came the recognition of
Christianity, so you see the church
and the faith being renewed with
a new expression. They got out
of the houses and they were
able now to use public places,
and they were now able to hold
their meetings and Eucharistic
assemblies in the basilicas. And
then the church needed renewal
and what became prominent
was the monastery, so monastic
life became an expression of
the renewal of the church. And
then came the universities, the
summas of the scholastics. And
then came the reformation, the
church responded, now you have
the seminaries. Before, there were
no seminaries. With the Council
of Trent you have. Then came the
19th century, modernism. Oh the
church fought hard to preserve
the purity of faith and the
authority of the church to teach
the faith. So you have the Dogma
of Papal Primacy and Infallibility
of Papal Magisterium in the 19th
century. Then came Vatican II. It is
the same faith, the same church,
but looking for its expression of
faith in a changing world.
Now within the Year of
Faith the Holy Father called
for a Synod of Bishops on
The New Evangelization and
the Transmission of the Faith.
So you see the mind of Pope
Benedict. Going back to Vatican
II we affirm, it is only one
church, it is only one faith in
continuity through the ages.
But by calling for a synod on the
new evangelization he realizes
that one faith, one church must
engage changing realities.
So in the span of 50 years after
the opening of Vatican II, the
world has seen dramatic changes.
And some of these changes pose
challenges or even threats to the
faith. In fact in Porta fdei, the
pope candidly, openly admits
that because of the cultural
changes happening in our world
you cannot presuppose faith
anymore. Unlike in previous
generations where the cultural
matrix of people was more
conducive to faith or even based
on faith, nowadays you cannot
presume it any more.
For example in our calendars
why is Saturday a day-off? Now
that comes from the Judeo-
Christian inspiration. Imagine
the Judeo-Christian day of
rest has infuenced the whole
world, such that Saturday day
off na, Sunday is family day.
Now when is your day off? Any
day. Whenever On Sundays
do families still have time to
gather and be complete? Not
anymore, because, like the
father probably is working on
a Sunday. With the call centers,
you do not know anymore what
is morning or evening to you.
It may be evening here but you
are working for a company that
needs your services when it is
morning to them so you have to
work. So even if it is pitch dark
you say when you answer the
phone, Good morning! So in
what time zone are you? These
are just a few examples and what
happens to the Lords Day. What
happens to the observance of
Sunday as the Lords Day, as the
eighth day of the new creation
when culture that used to rejoice
on Sunday now see Sunday as
another day to earn, another
day for selling wares. I know in
Canada a few years ago they were
debating whether to continue
the practice of closing malls on
Sunday because it is supposed to
be a day to come together. With
malls open the families might
not anymore congregate. But it
seems another culture prevailed
so now they have malls open on
Sundays.
The Holy Father does not
give these examples. These are
my additions na. So while he
stresses continuity in faith and
continuity in the church, he is
also very much concerned about
how the faith can continue to
be vibrant in changing cultural
matrices. And so the Year of
Faith invites us to listen also
to the world, invites us to the
many surprising ways by which
the world searches for God. The
Year of Faith also invites us to be
discerning. Many times we might
conclude that the modern world,
or the contemporary world or the
post-modern world is hostile to
the faith. But the Holy Father
says that the world continues to
be hungry for the word of God,
for an experience of God. So how
do we address the surprising
manifestations of the worlds cry
for someone to believe in.
So we started with a date, and
look at the project before us. A
rediscovery of Vatican II which
leads us to the appreciation of the
continuity, dynamic continuity of
faith and the church guaranteed
by the Holy Spirit yet part of the
dynamism is the church remains
itself but in changing times and
not afraid to assume new forms
that will renew her missionary
engagement in the world.
Are we still together? Baka
mayroon nang ibang nagpunta
sa 17th century. Now let me go
to the second and last portion of
my sharing. So from the rationale
coming from Porta fdei, let us
go now to the dynamics of faith
that the Holy Father alludes to.
The Holy Father in fact gives
us some very nuanced ideas
regarding faith. For example he
would say, as we pay attention
to the content of the faith, what
we should believe in, we should
also pay attention to the act of
faith. Now it comes to mind,
the catechists among you, the
religion teachers among you, the
theology teachers, even for us
priests, we deliver our homilies,
we impart the content of the faith
but the act of believing is already
the hearers share. Even if some
people know the content of faith,
it does not follow that they will
engage in the act of faith.
Let me go to an example that
is more graphic. The women
here, somebody approaches you,
Hey, you are pretty. And you
declare a content, I am married.
So the person knows the content,
married but will that stop him
from pursuing you. Maybe not.
Even if he knows you are married
the act of respecting you may
not necessarily follow. Lalo na
kung sabihin niya, hey you are
pretty. I am a professed sister.
You think that information will
stop someone, ano ang masasabi
niyo? Or you can reverse it. What
are you? I am a priest. Sayang
naman. Ano ang intension niyo
bakit sayang naman? So the Holy
Father is very sensitive to the
elements involved in the whole
reality called faith. If you look at
closely at some of the suggested
activities for the Year of Faith
they were not just the products of
brainstorming or the products of
some inventiveness, the passion
for inventiveness, it is the very
dynamism of faith, the very
dynamics of faith that would
tell us how we will celebrate the
Year of Faith.
The Holy Father frst reminds
us that it is God who initiates
a loving relationship with us,
in that sense faith is grace. It is
a gift. It is not something that
we produce. It is not something
that we invent. That is why it is
important that we understand
the faith in its continuity with
the past otherwise faith becomes
our effort to concoct our own
faith. The act of receiving the
faith from the church before us
is already an indication that faith
is a gift. We did not produce it.
It is a gift and God initiates that
relationship. God opens the door,
Porta fdei. God opens the door to
faith for us to enter. God opens
the door to a life of communion
with the Father, Son and Holy
Spirit. So fundamentally faith
is communion of life with the
Triune God; a life of communion
with the Triune God.
Now this communion is a life-
long journey. We do not enter it
once and say that we are already
in. there are many doors out. And
so you have to enter it over and
over again. It is a never-ending
journey of seeing doors open to
faith and God sends us many
doors, windows, cracks, to faith
and we should see them and
grab the opportunity to again
be renewed in our relationship
with Him. But this life-long
journey of communion with God
happens within the church. It
happens fundamentally within
the church especially through
the sacrament, which is for us the
door to faith, baptism. Baptism
is the sacrament of faith par
excellance and also the entry to
the community of faith called the
church. So entering faith is also
entering the community of faith,
the church. The church is a fruit of
faith. The church is the social, as it
were, the communitarian fruit of
faith. That is why the Venerable
Bede said that everyday the
church gives birth to itself. Every
day the church is new whenever
the Word of God is proclaimed.
Whenever the sacrament is
celebrated everyday, the church
gives birth to the church. The
church is the fruit of faith and
the church is also an agent and
missionary of faith in the world.
With that as a succinct
presentation of the dynamics of
faith we emphasize the following
aspects in our celebration of
the year of faith. First is, we
need a deeper understanding
of what we believe in. Faith has
intelligibility. Faith has content.
The Christian faith has a defnite
content. I cannot say I believe
and when people ask me what I
believe in, I say, oh, whatever. If
you are a Catholic believer you
become one by believing what
the Catholic church believes
in. So intelligibility the content
of faith is also important, very
important. So when people say
there are four persons in God and
not only three then you realize
that this person does not believe
in what a Christian believes in.
Now if you believe that Mary
is the fourth person, in the, not
anymore trinity if there are four
na, ano na? Ayan, you see, we
are confused! Iba na, but that
is a different church already
altogether. We cannot just say,
whatever, whatever, whatever.
Faith has a content and during
the Year of Faith I must know
what I believe in especially
through an intensified bible
apostolate comes from hearing.
The Word of God is proclaimed
and the people receiving the
Word of God, that response is
Year / B6
B4 Vol. 16 No. 21
October 8 - 21, 2012
CBCP Monitor
Features
Primer / B6
6. Why is the Year of Faith necessary?
Pope Benedict observes that today we
can no longer presume that a person has
faith [see PF, 2]. Faith is sometimes openly
denied and rejected. It is no longer a norm
for everyday life. There is now a crisis
of faith. Many developed countries that
were once Christian no longer practice
the faith. Our own Filipino faith has many
weaknesses. Because of this situation, the
Year of Faith is necessary. It is a special
year for us to know our faith, deepen the
understanding of our faith, live our faith
and share our faith.
7. Should our faith keep up with
changing times?
Yes, our faith should keep up with
changing situations. Like the Church that
began a period of renewal with Vatican II
and opened its windows to the modern
world, faith should be immersed into our
modern situation. However, the Church
has to transmit the doctrine pure and
integral, in a new way, according
to what is required by our times,
without weakening or distorting it [see
Pope John XIII, Address at the Solemn
Opening of Vatican II, October 11, 1962,
cited by Pope Benedict XVI, Address
to the 64
th
General Assembly of the
Italian Episcopal Conference, May 24,
2012]. Therefore, our faith must remain
fundamentally unchanged in content,
while its expression may change so as
to be understood by modern man. Our
faith must dialogue with the modern
spirit, adopt what is authentically of
the Gospel, reject or purify what is not.
As always we have to heed the prayer
of Christ to the Father for his disciples
after the Last Supper: they are in the
worldHoly Father, keep them in your
name.they do not belong to the world
any more than I belong to the world.
Consecrate them in the truth. Your word
is truth [Jn. 17: 11-17].
8. What is the secular and materialist
spirit?
We may distinguish between moderate
secularism and radical secularism.
Moderate secularism accepts the mutual
relationship between secular and the
spiritual and religious. Vatican II states
that the demand for the autonomy of
secular affairs is proper only when it
is not in confict with the moral law
or claim independence from God [see
Vatican II, Gaudium et spes, no. 36]. This
primer focuses on what Pope Benedict
XVI has called radical, aggressive,or
reductive secularism [see, e.g., Benedict
XVI, Address to U.S. Bishops on Ad
limina visit, January 19, 2012]. Henceforth
in this primer the term secularism refers
to radical or reductive secularism. This
kind of secularism does not respect the
spiritual and religious sphere of life. It is
sometimes called the modern spirit. It
emerged from the Age of Enlightenment
or Age of Reason (from about 1650
to 1805) and asserted that reason and
science are above faith. It also taught that
universal truth comes only from reason
and science. This philosophical idea
gradually displaced faith and became
the prevailing attitude in economically
developed countries in the West. In the
second half of the 20
th
century, new secular
teachings challenged the modern spirit
and changed it into an even more radical
form. It is called the post-modern spirit.
As a result of these secular and materialist
philosophies for many countries of the
West faith no longer has any major role in
human behavior and offcial government
policies. Faith is reduced to the private
sphere and is not allowed to play any role
in the public sphere. Religious symbols
and prayer are even banned in public
places in some countries.
9. What does secularism as understood
above in this Primer say about truth?
Whereas the modern spirit asserted
that reason and science can establish
universal truths, the post-modern spirit
states that there are no universal truths,
either from reason and science or from
faith. The post-modern spirit asserts
that all truth is relative. Truth, whether
doctrinal or moral, depends on the
individual, on the opinion of people, on
culture, etc. This is called relativism.
The post-modern spirit teaches that truth
does not depend on the word of God or
on the authority of the Church. Sadly the
culture of secularism is now the emerging
global culture that has even infuenced
predominantly Christian countries such
as the Philippines.
10. What does secularism positively
contribute to society?
The secular, materialist, and relativist
spirit promotes individual freedom
and democracy. It upholds human
equality and dignity. It promotes the
empowerment of women. It rejects
discrimination based on religion, gender,
culture, and social status. It respects
religious pluralism and fosters religious
tolerance. It has promoted the immense
advances and possibilities of science and
technology, such as in medical treatment.
11. What is the negative impact of
secularism?
Because of the secular, materialist and
relativist spirit, the world is experiencing
a loss of a sense of the sacred and a loss of
faith as well as a loss of the sense of sin.
The secular spirit ignores God. It makes
faith irrelevant to public life and policy
and makes it only a private affair. It has
resulted in a severe weakening of divine
and church authority and a rejection
of enduring and permanent moral
values, such as in marriage. Moreover,
it advocates the error of utilitarianism.
This philosophy states that what is useful,
practical and convenient is the right thing
to do, and not what is morally right. The
language of morality which was once a
language of goodness and evil has been
substituted by the language of political
correctness.
12. What are other negative infuences
of secularism?
The secularist, materialist and relativist
spirit has resulted in the legal approval
of artificial contraception, abortion,
euthanasia, and eugenics (selection of
only normal offspring). The spirit has
likewise resulted in excessive individual
freedom even at the expense of the
common good. For example, on the basis
of unconditioned freedom of speech
and expression, disrespect of revered
religious persons, symbols and doctrines
has generated protests and violence in
different parts of the world. The secular
spirit has also resulted in sexual freedom,
such as in the approval of pre-marital sex,
various forms of sexual unions, divorce,
and even the approval of prostitution
in some countries. From these negative
influences comes the breakdown of
family life.
13. What does secularism say about
the Church?
We now see the infuences of the secular
and materialist spirit in some opinions
ventilated in public. These opinions state
that the Church is outdated. The Church,
they say, is still living in the dark ages
and has not been enlightened by the
light of reason. It is not in touch with the
changing times. Instead the Church is
responding to modern ways of thinking
and valuing by asserting old doctrines
and outdated moral values. Those who
are faithful to Church teachings are
labeled conservatives and those who
dissent are progressives or liberals.
An example of the secular and materialist
view may be found in the present
debate between pro-life and pro-choice,
between opponents and promoters of
the Reproductive Health Bill now being
discussed in the Philippine Congress.
14. In what way is the secular spirit at
work in the proposed Reproductive
Health Bill?
The promoters of the Reproductive
Health Bill assert that the bill has nothing
to do with religion or morality. According
to them the use of artifcial contraceptive
means to prevent conception or to
terminate implantation is simply a matter
of safeguarding the health of women.
They say that preventing unwanted
pregnancy through contraceptives
and choosing the number of children
parents want is responsible parenthood.
Preventing pregnancy through artifcial
means also alleviates the burden of the
poor in raising too many children. In
addition, the secular and materialist
argument allows the distribution of
contraceptive means to young people
and to the unmarried in order to prevent
unwanted pregnancy. The promoters of
Reproductive health consider all these
acts as necessary and useful. These acts
are allowed because of the freedom of
choice. Sex outside marriage is also fne
as long as it is safe sex. Moreover,
some proponents say that no religion or
church can impose its teaching on how
a woman should take care of her body.
What she does with her body is her
freedom of choice. These arguments
are the infuence of secularism that rejects
faith and morality as norms of action.
15. What is the offcial Catholic position
on the Reproductive Health bill?
As teachers of faith the Bishops of the
Philippines point out that the distribution
and use of artificial contraceptive
means to prevent conception and the
implantation of the fertilized egg in the
womb are not morally neutral. Based
on official Catholic moral teaching,
they are in fact morally evil. Moreover,
the Bishops point out that aside from
purely Catholic moral teachings, there
is a universal moral law, the natural law,
which serves as a moral guide for all
[see Pope Benedict XVI, Address to the
Participants in the International Congress
on Natural Law, Rome, February 12, 2007;
see also Pontifcal Council for Justice
and Peace, Compendium of the Social
Doctrine of the Church (CSDC), 2004,
nos. 138-41]. Furthermore, the freedom
to choose cannot be contrary to the law
of God who gave that freedom. Briefy
and simply, the freedom to choose is not
absolute. It is necessarily limited by the
moral law, as taught authoritatively by
the magisterium or teaching authority of
the Church [Cf. CSDC, nos. 137, 139].
16. What is to be said about members of
Catholic educational institutions who
dissent against teachings of the Church?
Invoking the principle of academic
freedom, some members of Catholic
educational institutions publicly dissent
against official Catholic teachings
regarding the Reproductive Health bill.
This may be another example of the
infuence of the secular and materialist
spirit in our midst. A Catholic institution
of higher learning, whether pontifcal
or not, has to be faithful to its identity,
nature, and role as a Catholic institution.
One of the distinctive marks essential
for Catholic identity is fdelity to the
Christian message in conformity with the
magisterium of the Church [see Pope
John Paul II, Apostolic Constitution
on Catholic Universities, Ex corde
Ecclesiae (ECE), August 15, 1990, I, no.
13; see also United States Conference
of Catholic Bishops, Ex Corde Ecclesiae,
An Application to the United States,
2001, Part I, V and Part II, art. 2]. This is
also to adhere to the special charisms of
the religious community that founded
the institution. In fact the Catholic
identity of the educational institution
is usually expressed explicitly in its
vision-mission statement. Moreover the
Catholic identity of Philippine Catholic
Universities is confrmed by membership
in the International Federation of
Catholic Universities (IFCU) whose
statutes were approved by the Holy See
in 1949. Therefore, by its very nature
and identity a Catholic educational
institution adheres to the truths that
are contained in the deposit of faith,
Scripture and Tradition, as interpreted
authoritatively by the Church. Faculty
members share in the responsibility of
preserving and promoting the Catholic
identity of the institution. Pope Benedict
XVI has pointed out the confusion
created among the faithful by instances
of apparent dissidence between some
representatives of Catholic institutions
and the Churchs pastoral leadership
[see Pope Benedict XVI, Address to U.S.
Bishops on ad limina visit, Rome, May
5, 2012]. In brief, academic freedom
is not a right for faculty members of a
Catholic educational institution to betray
its Catholic identity and nature and
cannot be a reason for dissenting against
the offcial Catholic position as on the
Reproductive Health Bill [On academic
freedom see Code of Canon Law, 1983, c
218; likewise relevant are cc 806 and 810].

17. What kind of faith do we, Filipino
Catholics, have?
The Second Plenary Council of the
Philippines characterized our Filipino
Catholic faith in several ways [see PCP-II,
Acts and Decrees, 1991, nos. 8-17]. Our
faith is deep and simple. We express
our Christian faith publicly without
embarrassment. We are often faithful
in attending Holy Mass and in praying
novenas to different saints. We outwardly
celebrate the Sacraments, such as going
to Mass, being baptized, receiving
confrmation, getting married. We are
aware that God has an infuence on our
life. We have a sense of Gods own time.
Even when abroad when it is diffcult to
express our faith, we try to be faithful to
our religious duties and devotions.
18. What are the weaknesses of our
faith?
While we are outwardly devoted to
the practices of our faith such as going
to Mass, celebrating the sacraments,
praying the Rosary, etc., we often do
not understand their meaning. Much
less do we put into practice what they
really mean. Our faith is not lived in the
public sphere. It is separated from life.
Hence, we are sacramentalized but not
evangelized. Our faith is ritualistic and
devotional, i.e., centered on externals
and non-essentials. We see this kind of
ritualistic faith in our veneration of the
saints, in our processions and festas.
Our faith is also sometimes fatalistic,
attributing almost everything to God
without our own responsibility. Thus
we say bahala na ang Diyos when we
take unnecessary risks (as in riding
overloaded buses or boats), when
prudence and wisdom should tell us
not to take the risks [For the weaknesses
of our faith see PCP-II, no. 13 and CFC
nos. 116-18]. Because we really do not
know our faith well, we are often easily
persuaded by religious teachers who
interpret the Sacred Scriptures different
from our own interpretation. In other
words, to a great extent we are Catholics
only in name, but are very much
uninformed and focused on externals.
19. Because of the inadequacies of our
faith, what should we do during the
Year of Faith?
The Year of Faith is a privileged
occasion for us to know our faith, deepen
our faith, live our faith, celebrate our
faith, and share our faith. Pope Benedict
XVI urges us to profess the faith in
fullness and with renewed conviction.
to intensify the celebration of the faith in
the liturgy, especially in the Eucharist....
The Pope prays that believers witness of
life may grow in credibility [PF, no. 9].
20. What can we do to know our faith?
We need to study our catechism,
especially the most essential elements
of our faith. We have to understand
their meaning for our life. The essential
elements of our faith are contained
in the Apostles Creed that we recite
during Sunday Mass. It is called the
Apostles Creed, because it is a faithful
summary of the faith of the Apostles
and was the ancient profession of faith
of the Church of Rome, the See of Peter,
the frst of the Apostles. The Apostles
Creed is elaborated by the Niceno-
Constantinopolitan, which originated
from the frst two ecumenical councils
of the Church (in the years 325 and 381).
This creed is common to the churches of
both East and West.
21. What does the Apostles Creed
contain?
The Creed contains the 12 Articles of
our Christian Faith, namely:
Article 1 I believe in God, the Father
Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
Article 2 I believe in Jesus Christ the
Only Son of God.
Article 3 - He was conceived by the
power of the Holy Spirit, and was born
of the Virgin Mary.
Article 4 Jesus Christ suffered under
Pontius Pilate, was crucifed, died and
was buried.
Article 5 He descended to the dead.
On the third day He rose again.
Article 6 He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the
Father.
Article 7 From thence he will come
again to judge the living and the dead.
Article 8 I believe in the Holy Spirit.
Article 9 I believe in the Holy Catholic
Church.
Article 10 I believe in the forgiveness
of sins.
Article 11 I believe in the Resurrection
of the Body.
Article 12 I believe in life everlasting.
These are the fundamental elements
of our faith. We should know and
understand them with our minds and
hearts. When we recite with faith the
Apostles Creed we unite ourselves
with God and with the whole Church
which transmits the faith to us. Our
Amen at the end of the Apostles Creed
expresses our frm conviction that God
is trustworthy and that we absolutely
trust in him.
22. How do we celebrate our faith?
We celebrate our faith in God by
adoring, praising, and thanking God.
This is our response to God and for his
blessings to us. We give this response of
faith through prayer especially through
the liturgy.
23. What is the Liturgy?
The liturgy is the prayer of the Church
and consists principally of the celebration
of the Paschal Mystery which is the
Passion, Death, and Resurrection of
Christ, the event by which Jesus our Lord
saved us from sin. When we celebrate
the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, we
celebrate the Paschal Mystery of Jesus.
We believe that in the Mass, Christ is
present and active. It is He who offers
his own sacrifce. The ordained priest
acts in his name because he shares in
the priestly power of Christ because of
priestly ordination.
The liturgy also consists of the other
Sacraments. By his power, Jesus acts in
the other sacraments such that when we
celebrate the Sacrament of Baptism, it is
Jesus himself through the hands of the
priests who baptizes us. We also celebrate
our faith when we read the Scriptures
and when we pray. In all these, Christ
is present and active.
24. How should we live our faith?
We live our faith by living a truly
moral life, a life that is faithful to the
commandments of God. Jesus himself
said: Whoever has my commandments
and observes them is the one who loves
me [Jn. 14:21]. The commandments are
summarized in the law of love taught by
Jesus: You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart, and with all your
soul, with all your mind and with all your
strength. You shall love your neighbor
as yourself [Mk. 12:30-31; see also Dt.
6:5]. The law of love is elaborated in the
Ten Commandments. The frst three
commandments express love of God and
the next seven commandments express
love of neighbor. The truly moral life,
therefore, is a life of genuine charity. Pope
Benedict states: Faith without charity
bears no fruit, while charity without
faith would be a sentiment constantly
at the mercy of doubt. Faith and charity
each require the other [PF, no. 14].
Charity is faith in action. If charity, then
also justice, because justice and charity
are inseparable. To love God and our
neighbor, to avoid offending God and
neighbor through sin are actually the
promises we made when we received
Baptism, the sacrament of faith. At our
baptism we promise to believe in God.
This also means to love God and reject
sin. The baptismal promise is a promise
to live a truly moral life. We are Christians
not only in name but also in deed by
living our faith in private and public life.
25. How else should we live our faith?
When God gave us the gift of faith
at Baptism, he incorporated us into his
own family of faith, the Church. The
Church has a mandate to safeguard
and teach what God has revealed. She
is our Mother and Teacher. We live our
faith when we are faithful not only to
what the Church declares solemnly as
divinely revealed but also to the doctrinal
and moral teachings that the Church
has consistently and ordinarily taught
through time.
26. Do we have a duty to proclaim our
faith?
Yes, we have. The obligation is
included in the mandate that Jesus gave
his Apostles: Go, therefore, and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them
to observe all that I have commanded
you; and lo, I am with you always until
the close of the age [Mt. 28:19-20]. To
proclaim our faith is to proclaim the good
news of Jesus our Lord and Savior. This
is our mission from the very moment we
were baptized and became members of
the Church. The whole Church exists
in order to proclaim Jesus as the Lord
and Savior. St. Paul expresses the duty
of every member of the Church: Woe
to me if I do not preach the Gospel! [1
Cor. 9:16].
27. Who is the Center of our proclamation?
What we proclaim is not a revealed
book nor an ideology, not a doctrine
nor a social cause, not some great
human value nor an idea. The center
of our proclamation is before all else a
person with the face and name of Jesus of
Nazareth, the image of the invisible God
[John Paul II, Redemptoris Missio, 1990, no.
18; cf. CFC, nos. 216-17, 220-22, 464]. He
is our Lord and our Savior. Through his
passion, death, and resurrectionthe
Paschal Mysteryhe saved us from sin.
This is why the Cross is the symbol of
our faith.
Unfortunately aggressive secularism
ignores our faith in Jesus and puts it
aside to the margins of public life, or
even rejects the faith. That is why we
have to tell the story of Jesus, proclaim
him as the Lord and Savior. We have
to Live Christ, Share Christ. [CBCP
Pastoral Exhortation on the Era of New
Evangelization, Live Christ, Share
Christ, July 23, 2012].

28. How should we proclaim our faith?
We proclaim our faith in many ways.
We tell and teach others about our
faith. Parents are the frst teachers of
the faith for their children. By teaching
their children who God is, how to pray
to God, what his commandments are,
parents share their faith with them.
Besides cooperating with God in giving
and nourishing the physical life of their
children, they also give and nourish
their life of faith. We share our faith
with others by providing material and
moral support to those whose main task
is to preach and teach the faith such as
priests, religious, catechists, missionaries
and other collaborators in the Churchs
mission. But most of all we proclaim and
share our faith with others by our life,
by our witness of a good Christian life.
In the Acts of the Apostles [Acts 2:42-47]
many were daily attracted to the new
faith by the faithful Christian life of the
early followers of Christ. Ordinary day
to day fdelity to the Lords law of love
ordinary holinessis the most eloquent
proclamation of our faith.
29. What kind of new evangelizers
should we be?
In the words of Pope Benedict XVI,
new evangelizers have to be: persons
who have mature faith because they
have encountered Jesus Christ, who
has become the fundamental reference
of their life; persons who know Him
because they love Him and they love
Him because they have known Him;
persons capable of giving solid and
credible reasons of life. [Papal Address
to the 64
th
General Assembly of the Italian
Episcopal Conference, May 24, 2012].
30. Who are our models of faith?
In the frst place is our Blessed Virgin
Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, the
Woman of Faith, always obedient to the
will of the Father and the constant faithful
disciple of Jesus her Son [See CFC, nos.
155-59]. Despite not fully understanding
the profound mysteries of the Incarnation
and the Paschal Mystery, she gave her
obedience of faith to God. The cloud of
witnesses of the faith is the multitude
of Saints in heaven. Among them are
recent men and women of holiness such
as Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta,
Blessed John Paul II, Padre Pio, our own
San Lorenzo Ruiz and Blessed Pedro
Calungsod.
31. What does the canonization of
Blessed Pedro Calungsod mean for us?
Pope Benedict XVI will declare
Blessed Pedro Calungsod as Saint in
Rome on October 21, 2012 and will add
yet another Filipino to our models of
faith. Like San Lorenzo Ruiz, San Pedro
Calungsod is a lay martyr who gave up
his life in an ultimate witness of his faith
in the Lord Jesus. As a young catechist he
was a teacher of the faith. He is a model
for all Filipinos, especially for our Filipino
youth, to be faithful to Jesus with love
and courage till death.
32. What event does the Year of Faith
and the canonization recall to Filipinos?
San Pedro Calungsod was a Visayan
youth martyred in far away Guam 151
years after the Spaniards frst brought the
Christian faith to people in the Visayas.
The frst Holy Mass was celebrated on
the island of Limasawa on March 31,
1521. San Pedro Calungsod is canonized
in the Year of Faith which is only nine
years away from the 500
th
anniversary
of the faith of Filipino Christians. For
this reason on the day of San Pedro
Calungsods canonization on October
21, the Church in the Philippines will
embark on a nine year spiritual journey
that will culminate with the great jubilee
of 2021. It is a grace-flled event of
blessings for the Church starting October
21, 2012 until March 16, 2021 [CBCP
Pastoral Exhortation on the Era of New
Evangelization, 2012].
33. How shall we prepare for this great
event - the 500
th
anniversary of our
Filipino faith?
Primer on the Year of Faith and the New Evangelization / B1
B5 Vol. 16 No. 21
October 8 - 21, 2012
CBCP Monitor
Pastoral Letter of Bishop
Gilbert Garcera on the
Canonization of Saint
Pedro Calungsod
Blessed are they who are persecuted
for the sake of righteousness, for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:10
MY Dear Friends in Christ,
Today, the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time and World Mission
Sunday, marks an important day for the whole Church. Ten
days after the opening of the Year of Faith and in the presence
of the faithful including pilgrims from different parts of the
world and the participants of the Synod of Bishops on the
theme of the New Evangelization, our beloved Pope Benedict
XVI canonizes seven new saints. There is an immense reason
for us to celebrate because one of these new saints is our
own countryman, Saint Pedro Calungsod, Lay Catechist and
Martyr. The canonization of the second Filipino saint signals
the start of the nine-year spiritual program of the Church in
the Philippines leading to March, 2021, the 500th anniversary
of the arrival of Christianity to our land.
The title of our new Saint tells us about his life. He was a Lay
Catechist. He lived a holy life as a catechist teaching the truths
of the Catholic Faith and serving as a faithful companion of
Padre Diego Lus de San Vitores. He was also a Martyr who
persevered in the faith until he generously offered his life
while doing missionary work in the Marianas Islands that is
now known as Guam.
These exemplary virtues of Saint Pedro Calungsod, who was
martyred when he was just seventeen years old, challenge all
of us today especially the youth in our Diocese. He is the face
of young Filipino Catholics. He showed us how to live with
great confdence in God and with zeal for the pastoral and
missionary work of the Church even in the face of adversities.
He displayed the disposition which Blessed Pope John Paul
II enjoined upon us to have when he reminded us not to be
afraid because our Lord Jesus Christ has overcome the world
(rf. John 16:33).
For all catechists in the Diocese, you can undoubtedly relate
to the life of our saint. In teaching Catholic Doctrines, you are
bringing Jesus Christ to people. Be fearless in proclaiming Jesus
and do not hesitate to live out what you teach. You have the
privilege to teach the faith. But I request you to listen to todays
Gospel: to drink the cup of Jesus, which means love, service
and sacrifce (Matthew 10:35-45). Saint Pedro Calungsod shared
in this cup of Christ. He endured struggles and persecutions
to the point of shedding his blood for Jesus Christ. Isnt this
the constant call of Christ for us?
This cup for us may not be martyrdom, however. Our
Statements
Decree / B6
Pedro / B7
Pastoral Letter on the Year of Faith
MY dear Brothers and Sisters
in Christ,
Pope Benedict XV, in his
Apostolic Letter Porta Fidei,
announced a Year of Faith that
will begin on October 11, 2012
and conclude on November 24,
2013, the Solemnity of Christ
the King. The whole Church is
invited to celebrate the precious
gift of faith, to receive it again
and to transmit it joyfully. Our
beloved Archdiocese of Manila is
one with the Church worldwide
in welcoming the Year of Faith.
The Rationale for the Year of
Faith
The date of the opening of the
Year of Faith was chosen carefully.
It also partly explains the Popes
intentions. October 11, 2012
marks the fftieth anniversary of
the opening of the Second Vatican
Council (1962) and the twentieth
anniversary of the promulgation
of the catechism of the Catholic
Church (1992). The signifcance
of these two events determines
considerably the spirit of the
Year of Faith.
In our time, the Second Vatican
Council is the great moment of
renewal in faith. Blessed John
XXIII desired that through
the Council the Church will
become greater in spiritual
riches and gaining the strength
of new energies therefrom, she
will look to the future without
fear. The renewal of the Church
comes from a rediscovery of its
spiritual heritage. By renewal
Vatican does not mean the
emergence of a totally new
Church that is cut off from the
past. A proper interpretation
of the Council does not allow
a view of the post-Vatican II
Church that disparages and
corrects the pre-Vatican II
Church by disregarding the
Tradition, simplistically exalting
what came after the council as
good and criticizing what went
before it as bad. Neither does a
proper hermeneutic of Vatican II
allow the reverse that is, judging
the post Vatican II Church as
a deviation from the Apostolic
Faith as though the true Church
stopped existing after Vatican II.
A mere glance at the sources used
in the sixteen documents of the
Council shows that there exists
a profound continuity in the
Church, the continuity of faith
assured by the Holy Spirit. The
Year of Faith invites us to study
again the Second Vatican Council
and the Catechism of the Catholic
Church that is its fruit in order
to rediscover the vitality of the
faith we have inherited.
Aside from celebrating Vatican
II and the Catechism of the
Catholic Church, the Year of
Faith invites us to look closely
at the contemporary world,
its beauty and wounds. The
continuity of the Church through
the ages allows various forms of
renewal. The Church receives,
celebrates and lives the faith
in different historical settings
with their unique demands
and challenges. Vatican II is
one such renewal, engaging the
phenomena that make up the
modern world. Within the Year
of Faith a Synod of Bishops will
be convoked to refect on the
New Evangelization. In a span
of ffty years after Vatican II, the
world has seen dramatic changes
that pose new challenges,
even threats, to faith and its
transmission. The Philippines,
specifcally the area covered by
the Archdiocese of Manila, is
not exempt. But we also believe
that the contemporary world,
especially the youth and the
poor, expresses its search for God
in ways that the Church must
also discover. Thus the Year of
Faith invites us to listen to the
deep cries and aspirations of
the people and societies of our
time so that we can proclaim
Jesus Christ to them with new
methods, new expressions and
new fervor. It is a year of listening
and mission as well.
The Dynamics of Faith and the
Year of Faith
Faith is a dynamic reality. God
initiates a relationship with us.
God opens the door of faith, to
a life of communion with the
Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit. This life-long encounter
and intimacy with the Triune
Year of Faith: Jesus Crucifed and Risen
(Pastoral Letter)
Let us not lose sight of Jesus, who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection.
(Heb. 12:2)
FELLOW believers in Jesus Christ:
Pope Benedict XVI announced in his
homily on 16 October 2011 he would
formally declare a Year of Faith. It will
begin on 11 October 2012 and end on 24
November 2013.
It will be a moment of grace and
commitment to an even fuller conversion to
God, to reinforce our faith in him and proclaim
him with joy to the people of our time, he
said in his homily.
Pope Benedict XVI explained more fully
his intention in his Apostolic Letter Porta
Fidei (The Door of Faith) released on 17
October 2011 to formally announce the Year
of Faith.
He wrote: Faith grows when it is lived
as an experience of love received and when
it is communicated as an experience of grace
and joy. (n. 7)
We are summoned during the Year of
Faith, then, to an authentic and renewed
conversion to the Lord, the one Saviour of
the world, (id., n. 6).
Dear faithful: The Diocese of Marbel will
launch the Year of Faith on 14 October 2012,
a Sunday. It will be done at the parish level.
Following the mind of Pope Benedict
XVI, the Year of Faith will help Catholics
appreciate the gift of faith, deepen their
relationship with God, and strengthen their
commitment to sharing Faith with others
(CNS, Oct. 18, 2011).
We urge all Catholics to study the
Catechism of the Catholic Church to deepen
their faith and gain more personal knowledge
of Jesus Christ, to improve their prayer life to
have an intimacy with our Lord and to act
justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly
with your God (Micah 6:8) to be credible
witnesses to Jesus crucifed and risen.
May Mary, Model of Faith (CFC 155,
CCC 148, CBCP Ang Mahal na Birhen, 1975,
n. 35, Lk 1:38) accompany us in this journey
of faith which started at our baptism (cf.
Rom. 6:4) until we are united with the Father
through Jesus and the Holy Spirit (cf. Jn. 17:11,
CFC n. 124).
With my prayers and pastoral blessings,
+DINUALDO D. GUTIERREZ, DD
Bishop of Marbel
City of Coronadal
13 September 2012
(The following is the translation of the Decree released by the Apostolic Penitentiary
granting Plenary Indulgence during the Year of Faith.)
URBIS ET ORBIS
D E C R E E
Enriched by the Gift of Sacred Indulgences Special Exercises of Piety to
Be Undertaken during the Year of Faith
ON the day of the 50th anniversary
of the solemn opening of the
Ecumenical Council Vatican
II, to which Blessed John XXIII
assigned as main task to guard
and present better the precious
deposit of the Christian Doctrine,
to make it more accessible to
Christs faithful and to all men
of good will (John Paul II,
Apostolic Constitution Fidei
De po s i t um, Oc t obe r 11,
1992: AAS 86 [1994] 113), the
Supreme Pontiff Benedict XVI
has established the beginning of
a Year dedicated particularly to
the profession of the true faith
and to its correct interpretation,
with the reading, or better, with
the pious meditation of the Acts
of the Council and of the Articles
of the Catechism of the Catholic
Church, published by Blessed
John Paul II, thirty years after the
beginning of the Council, with the
precise intention to induce the
faithful to adhere better to it and
to promote knowledge of it and
its implementation (Ibid., 114).
Already in the year of the Lord
1967, to recall the 19th centenary
of the martyrdom of the Apostles
Peter and Paul, a similar Year
of Faith was proclaimed by the
Servant of God Paul VI, to
attest in a solemn profession of
Faith, in as much as the essential
contents that for centuries have
constituted the patrimony of all
believers, are in need of being
confrmed, comprehended and
deepened in an ever new way,
in order to give coherent witness
in historical conditions that are
different from the past (Benedict
XVI, Apostolic Letter Porta
Fidei, no. 4).
In this time of profound changes,
to which humanity is subjected,
the Holy Father Benedict XVI,
with the proclamation of this
second Year of Faith, intends to
invite the People of God, of whom
he is the universal Pastor, as well
as brother Bishops of the whole
world to join the Successor of
Peter, in the time of spiritual
grace that the Lord offers us, in
recalling the precious gift of the
faith (Ibid., no. 8).
To all faithful will be given
the opportunity to confess their
faith in the Risen Lord [] in the
cathedrals and churches of the
whole world; in [their] homes
and with [their] families, so
that everyone will feel strongly
the need to know better and to
transmit to future generations
the everlasting faith. Religious
as well as parish communities,
and all the ancient and new
ecclesial realities, will fnd the
way in this Year to make public
profession of the Creed (Ibid.).
Moreover, all the faithful,
individually and in community,
will be called to give open witness
of their faith before others in
the particular circumstances
of daily life: Mans social
nature itself exacts that he
express externally the acts of
religion, that he communicate
wi t h ot hers i n rel i gi ous
matters, profess his religion in
a communal way (Declaration,
Dignitatishumanae, December 7,
1965: AAS 58 [1966], 932).
Because it is above all a
question of developing to the
highest degreein so far as it is
possible on this earthholiness
of life and hence of obtaining,
in the highest degree, purity of
soul, very useful will be the great
gift of Indulgences, which the
Church, in virtue of the power
conferred on her by Christ, offers
to all those who with the proper
dispositions fulfll the special
prescriptions to obtain them.
With the IndulgencePaul VI
taughtthe Church, making
use of her power of minister
of the Redemption wrought by
Christ the Lord, communicates
to the faithful the participation
of this fullness of Christ in the
communion of Saints, furnishing
them in very large measure
the means to attain salvation
(Apostolic Letter Apostolorum
Limina, May 23, 19745: AAS 66
[1974] 2898). Manifested thus
is the treasure of the Church,
of which also the merits of the
Holy Mother of God and of all
the elect, from the frst to the
last righteous constitute a
further increase (Clement VI,
Bull Unigenitus Dei Filius, January
27, 1343).
The Apostolic Penitentiary,
which has the task of regulating
what concerns the concession
and use of Indulgences, and
of stimulating the spirit of the
faithful to conceive correctly
and to nourish the pious desire
to obtain themsolicited by the
Pontifcal Council for Promoting
the New Evangelization, in
attentive consideration of the Note
with pastoral indications for the Year
of Faith of the Congregation for
the Doctrine of the Faith, in
order to obtain the gift of the
Indulgences during the Year
of Faithhas established the
following dispositions, issued
in conformity with the mind of
the August Pontiff, so that the
faithful will be greatly stimulated
to know and love the Doctrine of
the Catholic Church and obtain
more abundant spiritual fruits.
During the whole span of
the Year of Faith, proclaimed
from October 11, 2012 to the
whole of November 24, 2013,
all individual faithful truly
repentant, duly confessed,
communing sacramentally,
and who pray according to
the intentions of the Supreme
Pontiff, will be able to acquire
a Plenary Indulgence from the
temporal punishment for their
sins imparted by Gods mercy,
applicable in suffrage to the souls
of the deceased faithful.
a.- Every time they take part in at
least three instances of preaching
during the Sacred Missions, or
at least three lessons on the Acts
of Vatican Council II and on the
Articles of the Catechism of the
Catholic Church in any church or
ideal place;
b.- Every time they visit by way
of pilgrimage a Papal Basilica, a
Christian catacomb, a Cathedral;
Church, a sacred place designated
by the Ordinary of the place for
the Year of Faith (for example
between the Minor Basilicas
and the Shrines dedicated to the
Blessed Virgin Mary, to the Holy
Apostles and to Patron Saints)
and take part there in some sacred
function or at least pause for
an apt time of recollection with
pious meditations, concluding
with the recitation of the Our
Father, the Profession of Faith in
any legitimate form, invocations
to the Blessed Virgin Mary and,
according to the case, to Holy
Apostles or Patrons;
c. - Every time, in days
determined by the Ordinary of
the place for the Year of Faith (for
example on the solemnities of
the Lord, of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, on the feast s of the Holy
Apostles and Patrons, on the
Chair of Saint Peter), in any
sacred place they participate in a
solemn Eucharistic celebration or
the Liturgy of the Hours, adding
the Profession of Faith in any
legitimate form;
God happens within the Church.
The Church is a community of
faith, a fruit and an agent of faith
and a missionary of the Gospel
in the world.
As we immerse ourselves in
the faith of the Church and its
mission in our world in this Year
of Faith, we are called to engage
in an integral development
in faith with the following
components:
a) A deeper understanding of
what we believe in through an
intensifed Biblical apostolate
program, review of documents
of Vatican II and teachings
emanating from it like the
Second Plenary Council of the
Philippines and the Second
Provincial Council of Manila and
the Catechism of the Catholic
Church,
b) A renewed appreciation
and celebration of the mystery
of the faith in sacrament, liturgy
and prayer,
c) A joyful living of the faith
expressed especially through
conversion, a moral life governed
by justice and charity, solidarity
with and service of the poor, and
courageous witness to what we
believe in,
d) A rediscovery of ecclesial
communion where the diverse
gifts of the Holy Spirit are offered
and developed to strengthen the
Church and serve its mission here
and even abroad.
We believe that as Christians
we are urged on by the love of
Christ to help construct a world
of truth, justice, harmony and
peace. The Year of Faith also opens
for the Church in the Philippines
a nine-year preparation for the
commemoration of the 500th
anniversary of the arrival of the
Christian Faith on our shores.
With Mary as our model and
guide, let us welcome the Year
of Faith in the Archdiocese of
Manila and trust that it would
bear much fruit for the Church
and for humanity.
Given on 28 September 2012,
Memorial of san Lorenzo Ruiz de
Manila and companions.
+LUIS ANTONIO G. TAGLE
Archbishop of Manila

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B6 Vol. 16 No. 21
October 8 - 21, 2012
CBCP Monitor
Features
Decree / B5
The Year of Faith / B3
Primer / B4
faith. The word of God is central
to the Year of Faith especially
in understanding what we
believe in. That is why I am
appealing again. Let us support
the program That They May
Be One Bible program of the
CBCP. The intention is to be able
to put the bible, the Word of God
in fve million families. Ilan na
bishop ang naabot natin? Seven
hundred thousand. Seven
hundred thousand, we are not
reaching the mark set every year.
How can we celebrate the
year of faith and deepen our
understanding of the faith
without the bible? Ako, I teach
theology. I do not understand
how students can come to class
without the bible. They have
the catechism, they have a book
of Karl Rahner, but then they
forget the Word of God which is
the soul of theology. There was
a time when I sent home many.
Go home and come back with
your bible. Nagkape-kape muna
ako How do you engage in God
talk, THEOLOGY, LOGOS, about
THEOS and you do not have
the Word of God? So a renewed
biblical apostolate is important
for this frst level, knowing the
faith.
And then, of course, knowing
again the documents of Vatican
II. I will not do it this afternoon
but maybe one fne day I will just
have to do a survey especially of
our priests on whether they have
read the 16 documents en toto.
Eh, kasi lagi na lang according
to Vatican II, according to Vatican
II, and then they implement
changes using Vatican II when
they have not read Vatican II.
Kayo rin mga Sisters! Kasi tawa
kayo, tawa kayo! Ang mga pari
naisahan, kayo rin! I presided
a Mass during our procession
we were all singing ahum,
ahum, ahum and then I kissed
the table and I was waiting for
the entrance hymn, Ano yung
entrance hymn. Yun na ho.
Ahum, ahum. I was talking
with What happened to the
Mass? Ano ba yung entrance ano
na we are celebrating the paschal
mystery and our gathering song
to dispose us is ahum? Sabi
sa akin, Naku naman Father,
Vatican II na. Where is it in
Vatican II?
Sabi nga po ni Pope, many
people appeal to the so-called
spirit of Vatican II without
reading the text of Vatican II.
So where do you get the spirit
of Vatican II? I dont know
where. You will get the spirit
of Vatican II by going to the
documents. Read the documents
and there youll get the sense of
what Vatican II is. So a study of
Vatican II documents, and for us
here in the Philippines, for us in
Manila, the body of teachings
that emanated from Vatican II
like the Second Plenary Council
of the Philippines which is a local
reception of Vatican II teaching.
And here in Manila, PCM II,
the Second provincial council
of Manila, the ecclesiastical
province, on Ministries and the
Apostolate of the Laity. We have
to recover those teachings again.
And of course the Catechism
of the Catholic Church and
the Philippine adaptation or
reception, the catechism for
Filipino Catholics.
So there is much to study in
terms of faith. And I am begging,
please pay attention to the details
that will be given later on. I notice
that many of our Catholics who
do not know the content of the
faith they are vulnerable to the
attacks of those who want to take
them out of the Catholic Church
because we do not know, we do
not know how to answer, some
conclude, they are right, they are
correct and the Catholic Church
is wrong. No, the Catholic
Church is not wrong it is simply
that you do not know what the
Catholic Church teaches and so
you cannot respond. So faith has
a content, what we believe in.
But secondly faith is not just
knowing, knowing something,
the faith is also a mystery to be
celebrated. The mysteries of the
faith. Mysterion, mysteria which
in Latin they translated into
sacramentum. So here, during the
Year of Faith, we will renew our
appreciation and celebration of
the mystery of faith, in sacrament,
in liturgy, in worship and in
prayer. Faith is not just a matter of
the mind or knowing the content,
much of the content is grasped
not anymore by the mind but by
the senses. You dont only know
the faith, you enter the mystery of
faith through symbols, through
rituals. And so this year we hope
to be able to renew the fervor of
catholics in our sacramental and
liturgical participation coupled
with real catecheses. Lex orandi,
lex credendi, we pray as we
believe, and we believe as we
pray. So we have to be in a way
critical of the connection between
the content of faith and the way
we pray, individually and as a
community.
You probably have heard it
already, in one Magpas I told all
those horror stories about how
some of the sacraments are not
anymore events of faith, they
have become purely cultural
and social. I remember in one
baptism, I saw this woman with
a baby and she was fairly young
and she was even chewing gum
in the church. And I asked her,
Are you the mother of the
child? Yes (chewing). Where
is the father? Kailangan pa ba
siya dito? (Is he needed here?) I
said, Well. Something beautiful
is happening to your child. It
will be good if both of you were
here. She said, Hindi na po
puede. Bakit? Lasing na
po. That is baptism and that is
festa. Fiesta is lasingan and to
complete lasingan, bugbugan.
So in the Year of Faith we want
to again educate people in the
depths and the simple dignity
of our sacraments and you fnd
faith almost exploding in our
midst. And you are allowed to
enter that mystery of faith in the
proper and dignifed celebration
of worship and the sacraments.
Some people are asking me why
the liturgy of the hours, the
praying of the liturgy of the hours
does not happen in parishes. You
know I was pleasantly surprised.
That means some laypeople have
heard about the divine offce
and they are asking why it is
happening only in the bedroom
of priests or the private chapels
of the sisters, how come it is not
available to the community. Like
if the regular mass is at 6:30, why
not have a community prayer of
the morning prayer, lauds, with
the community at 6:15? Hah. Mga
ganyan, ano ho? So faith, what
we believe in, what we celebrate
that is the second.
The third is faith that is lived.
So faith is not only known,
celebrated but also lived. A joyful
The Holy Father many times
used the word joy, joyful. And I
understand this. In one meeting
in Rome for the preparation of
the synod of bishops on the new
evangelization I kept hearing
the words, la stanchezza della
chiesa. The church is tired, the
church is weary. So the Holy
Father is saying, wait, there
is joy in faith. So how come
you are always talking about
the weariness of the christian
community. A joyful living of
the faith. And how, how do we
live the faith?
The frst is through conversion.
Conversion to the tenants of
the faith or conversion to God
animated by what we believe in
and what we celebrate. I remember
when I was a graduate student
abroad and the frst people power
revolution happened, Edsa 1,
and one of my classmates who
was not a Catholic, a protestant
American, told me, Wow, I saw
on television the faith of the
Filipino people is just admirable.
Is your faith really that deep?
Of course! And I saw the
love for the blessed Mother of
the Filipinos, your statues and
the rosaries to face the tanks,
you really love our Lady. Of
course! Then, he said, but if
your faith is that deep, how come
there is so much corruption?
Ano ba, of course pa ba?
Of course we know! Of course
we celebrate! But when what we
know and what we celebrate is
matched with how we live in
society, people begin to ask, Is
that real faith? And so living the
faith that we know and celebrate
involves conversion, in fact, the
call to conversion. Every time we
pray, every time we celebrate is a
call to conversion. I never forget
this. One layperson told me,
You, priests, you are the only
ones allowed to say, this is my
body for you, this is my blood
for you, you are the only ones
allowed to say that during the
mass. But after the mass, are you
really available body and blood
for us? Of course! And then you
pray, sana, sana . She was a keen
observer. You utter the words but
do the words translate to a life of
availability, something like that.
So conversion.
Also a joyful living of the faith
through an upright and moral
life governed by justice, and
charity. The Holy Father sees a
blossoming of charity and justice
this year for they are the fruits
of faith. Faith that bears fruits in
love, solidarity, and solidarity
with and in service of the poor,
and a courageous witness to
what we believe in. So faith to be
known, faith to be celebrated, and
faith to be witnessed to.
And finally, a rediscovery
of ecclesial communion, after
all, for us, the door to faith is
the door to the church. And
so the Year of Faith hopefully
will deepen our being part of a
community of faith, being joyful
in being a member of this faith
community. And we hope also to
see that during this Year of Faith
the diverse gifts coming from
the Holy Spirit to the ecclesial
body may be offered and may
be developed to strengthen the
church and equip the church
for its mission in society. So
many gifts of the Holy Spirit na
nasasayang.
So in this Year of Faith we hope
that all those gifts will not be
hidden like the Gospel for today,
you do not light a lamp and put
it under a bushel basket. The
Holy Spirit gave these gifts to
the body for the use of the body
and so that whole body equipped
by gifts and ministries may be
more effective in its mission of
bringing the gospel to the world
and transmitting the faith. So
wala sanang gift hidden and
wasted but gifts celebrated, gifts
acknowledged, gifts developed,
nurtured and offered for ministry.
We believe that this Year of
Faith is a blessing for all us. We
believe that the love of Christ
urges us on to construct a world
of truth, of justice, of love and
peace with our weapon the
faith. We dont have arms, we
dont have all of these weapons
that the world is using in order
to construct what they envision
as a place of peace justice and
harmony. Our weapon is our
faith and we want to engage
the world in a rational sharing
about the content of the faith. The
content of the faith is reasonable,
it does not go against reason.
The celebration of the faith is
something the world can beneft
from.
You know a number of times
when I was hearing confessions
in the National Shrine of the
Immaculate Conception in
Washington D.C., non-catholics
would come and say, I am
not a catholic but I want to
be able to express my sorrow
to someone and I want to
hear Gods compassion to me
through someone. We do not
have something similar in our
The Catholic Bishops of the Philippines
exhorted us to prepare for the 5
th

centenary of our Christian faith in the
Philippines with a nine year Era of
New Evangelization. The opening of
the Year of Faith and the canonization of
San Pedro Calungsod take place during
the XIII Ordinary General Assembly of
the Synod of Bishops, Rome, October 7 to
28, 2012. The Synod of Bishops explores
the theme of New Evangelization.
In view of the weaknesses of our
faith and the negative infuences of
secularism on our Filipino culture, a
New Evangelization is necessary in
the Philippines. In fact 21 years ago
PCP-II already envisioned a new
evangelization or renewed integral
evangelization for the Philippines [see
Message of the Council to the People of
God in the Philippines, in PCP-II Acts
and Decrees, 1991, p. xcviii; see esp. nos.
186 201].
34. What is the New Evangelization?
The term New Evangelization
designates pastoral outreach to those
who no longer practice the Christian
faith [Congregation for the Doctrine of
the Faith, Doctrinal Note on Some Aspects
of Evangelization, December 3, 2007, 12],
a situation which is due to the secular and
materialist spirit. Pope Benedict XVI said
that this new cultural situation has signs
of excluding God from peoples lives
and tries to marginalize the faith from
public life (Benedict the XVI, Address to
the Pontifcal Council for Promoting the
New Evangelization, May 30, 2011). We
have already noted that our faith has to be
renewed. Our culture is now very much
infuenced by the secular and materialist
spirit. Therefore, a New Evangelization
is necessary, new in its ardor, methods
church. Kaya yung mga direct
to God, direct to God, darating
ang point they will say, Am I
really reaching God directly?
Sometimes the most direct action
of God is through the sacraments.
The symbols, the persons, are
not an obstruction to the direct
action of God, they are a direct
experience of God. And I am very
happy that even non-Catholics,
kaya lang we have to make
confession available. Baka naman
eto the non-catholics are looking
for that in the catholic church
pero tayo naman pala ang hindi
na nag-aano mababaligtad
na talaga yan. So we offer this
to the world, a life of faith. the
witness of a life of faith. The
canonization of Pedro Calungsod
is coming, and the witness of
faith, the witness of friendship,
unto death. The witness of the
nobility of transmitting the faith
as a catechist, as a missioner.
Sana sa canonization ni Pedro
Calungsod, dumami ang lalaking
katekista. Ang daming katekista
babae, sana sa kanya yung
witness niya makita na yung
ating common notion na the
transmission of the faith that is
the task of a woman, that is the
task of a mother, that is defed
by this witness. Pati mga tatay
must transmit the faith. kaya
nga father ang tawag sa pari, the
spiritual fatherhood must include
spirituality.
And lastly po, the year
of faith also opens for the
church in the Philippines a
nine-year preparation for the
commemoration of the 500th
anniversary of the arrival of the
Christian faith on our shores,
1521, when the faith arrived on
our shores, so 500 years 2021.
So we how have a nine-year
preparatory period. Each year
will focus on a pastoral priority.
And because it is the Year of
Faith, the frst focus is for the
year of faith is integral faith
formation and development. So
ang ganda ng coincidence. So our
involvement in the year of faith
goes beyond the year of faith, and
for us in the Philippines it is our
preparation for this year of grace,
500 years of the arrival of the faith
on our shores. We trust that our
Blessed Mother, Stella Maris, and
Mother of Evangelization, help
us, especially in the Archdiocese
of Manila, welcome the Year of
Faith.
and expressions [Pope John Paul II,
Discourse to XIX Assembly of CELAM,
Post au Prince, 1983]. Such will surely
renew both our faith and the Church.
35. What is our general plan for the Era
of New Evangelization?
We need to intensify our efforts to
achieve the vision of renewal that PCP-II
and the National Pastoral Consultation
on Church Renewal (NPCCR, 2001) drew
up. It is a vision of renewed integral
evangelization towards a renewed
Church. We may call it a vision of New
Evangelization in the Philippines. It
calls for a multifaceted renewal of
faith, renewal of laity, clergy, religious,
parishes, and renewal of mission. For
this purpose, the NPCCR identifed nine
major pastoral priorities. These are: (1)
Integral Faith Formation; (2) Renewal
of the Laity; (3) Active Participation of
the Poor; (4) The Family as the Focal
Point of Evangelization; (5) The Parish
as a Communion of Communities; (6)
Renewal of the Clergy and Religious; (7)
Youth as Evangelized and Evangelizers;
(8) Ecumenism and Inter-Religious
Dialogue; (9) Missio ad gentes.
36. How shall we address the Nine
Major Pastoral Priorities of the Church
in the Philippines during the Era of
Evangelization?
For the nine-year era of New
Evangelization to be fruitful, it is
absolutely necessary to hold the Holy
Eucharist as central so that the grace
of the Eucharist would accompany all
our evangelizing efforts. Prayer must
accompany the New Evangelization. We
need to realize that the journey of faith
and discipleship begins with conversion,
metanoia, a change of mind and heart.
With these in mind, we shall dedicate
each of the nine years of the Era of New
Evangelization to one of the nine-major
pastoral priorities. Thus:
2013 Integral Faith Formation;
2014 Renewal of the Laity;
2015 Active participation of the Poor
in Evangelization and
Social transformation;
2016 The Eucharist and the Family
this year the International Eucharistic
Congress will be held in Cebu;
2017 Transforming the parish as a
Communion and Communities;
2018 Renewal of Clergy and Religious;
2019 Active Participation of the Youth;
2020 Ecumenism and Inter-Religious
dialogue;
2021 - Missio ad gentes.
37. What is the signifcance of Mission
ad gentes for Filipino Catholics?
The fnal year, 2021, of the Era of New
Evangelization will be the 5
th
centenary
of the Filipino Christian faith. The focus
will be on the mission of the Church
ad gentes or the mission to those who
do not yet know Christ. Celebrating
the 500
th
anniversary of Christianity in
the Philippines, we are reminded that
our faith is missionary. Recent Popes
have pointed out that the Church in the
Philippines has a special missionary
vocation and is called in a special way
to be a missionary to the nationsad
gentes, particularly to Asia [Pope John
Paul II, to the Philippine Bishops in 19981;
at the World Youth Day in 1995; cited by
the CBCP Pastoral Letter, Missions and
the Church in the Philippines, July 5,
2000]. This is so because the Philippines
is the biggest predominantly Catholic
country in Asia. Pope Benedict XVI
speaks of the necessity of sharing our
faith:
faith in God is above all a gift and
mystery to be received in the heart and
in life and for which we are to be always
grateful to the Lord. But faith is a gift that
is given to us to be shared; it is a talent
received so that it will bear fruit; it is a
light that must not be kept hidden, but
illumine the whole house. It is the most
important gift that has been given to us
in our lives and we cannot keep it for
ourselves [Benedict XVI, Message for
World Mission Day to be celebrated on
October 21, 2012].
38. Do the Year of Faith and the Era of
New Evangelization address burning
issues confronting our society today?
Yes, they do. Our goal is a renewed
faith and a renewed Church. This is a
vision of a faith and Church engaged in
the mission of integral evangelization.
This mission includes the task of social
transformation. As a renewed Church we
have to be actively involved, through a
renewed integral faith, in helping resolve
the burning social issues of today such
as corruption, poverty, the destruction of
the environment, threats against human
life and dignity, and other burning issues
of our day. Most of our problems are
due to the dichotomy between faith and
life. A renewed faith, that includes the
social implications of the Gospel, would
certainly address the problems directly.
39. Prayer for the Year of Faith
According to Pope Benedict XVI
Christians in the early centuries were
required to learn the creed from memory.
It served them as a daily prayer not
to forget the commitment they had
undertaken in Baptism [PF, no. 9].
Therefore, following the example of
the early Christians we should recite
everyday the Niceno-Constantinopolitan
profession of faith:
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty,
maker of Heaven and earth, of all things visible
and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus
Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born
of the Father before all ages, God from God,
Light from Light, true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the
Father; through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation he came
down from heaven, (At the words, up to and
including and became man, all bow) and by
the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin
Mary, and became man. For our sake he was
crucifed under Pontius Pilate, he suffered
death and was buried, and rose again on the
third day in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven and is seated at the
right hand of the Father. He will come again
in glory to judge the living and the dead and
his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the
giver of life, who proceeds from the Father
and the Son, who with the Father and the
Son is adored and glorifed, who has spoken
through the prophets. I believe in one, holy,
catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one
Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look
forward to the resurrection of the dead and
the life of the world to come. Amen.
Reciting often the short traditional Act
of Faith will also deepen our faith:
O my God, I frmly believe that you are one
God in three divine Persons, Father, Son and
Holy Spirit. I believe that your divine Son
became man, and died for our sins and that
He will come again to judge the living and the
dead. I believe these and all the truths which
the Holy Catholic Church teaches because you
have revealed them, who can neither deceive
nor be deceived. Amen.
d.- A day freely chosen, during
the Year of Faith, for the pious
visit of the baptistery or other
place, in which they received the
sacrament of Baptism, renewing
the baptismal promises in any
legitimate formula.
Diocesan or Eparchial bishops,
and those who in law are
equivalent to them, in the
most appropriate day of this
time, on the occasion of the
main celebration (for example
November 24, 2013, on the
solemnity of Jesus Christ King of
the Universe, with which the Year
of Faith will close) will be able to
impart the Papal Blessing with the
Plenary Indulgence, to be gained
by all the faithful who receive
this Blessing devoutly.
The truly repentant faithful,
who cannot take part in solemn
celebrations for serious reasons
(as, frst of all, nuns that live in
convents of perpetual cloister,
anchorites and hermits, prisoners,
the elderly, the sick, as well as
those that, in hospitals or other
nursing places, give continuous
service to the sick ), will obtain
the Plenary Indulgence in the same
conditions if, united in spirit and
thought to the faithful present,
particularly in moments in which
the Words of the Supreme Pontiff
or of the Diocesan Bishops are
broadcast on television or radio,
recite in their own home or where
the impediment keeps them (for
example in the chapel of the
convent, of the hospital, of the
nursing home, of the prison )
the Our Father, the Profession
of Faith in any legitimate form,
and other prayers in keeping
with the objective of the Year of
Faith, offering the sufferings or
discomforts of their life.
In order that access to the
sacrament of Penance and the
obtaining of divine forgiveness
through the power of the Keys
is pastorally facilitated, the
Ordinaries of the places are
invited to grant to canons and
priests--who in the Cathedrals
and in the designated Churches
for the Year of Faith are able to hear
the confessions of the faithful--the
faculties limited to the internal
forum, of which, for the faithful of
the Eastern Churches is canon 728,
paragraph 2 of the CCEO, and in
the case of an eventual reserve,
those for canon 727, excluding,
as is evident, cases considered in
canon 728, paragraph 1; for the
faithful of the Latin Church, the
faculties of which are in canon
508, paragraph 1 of the CIC.
The confessors, after having
admonished the faithful on the
gravity of sins to which is annexed a
reserve or a censure, will determine
appropriate sacramental penances,
and with greater vivacity to the
intelligence and root more frmly
and profoundly in hearts the
desire for this unique gift, obtained
in virtue of the mediation of the
Church.
The present Decree is valid only
for the Year of Faith, any contrary
disposition notwithstanding.
Gi ven i n Rome at t he
Headquarters of the Apostolic
Penitentiary, September 14, 2012,
on the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
Manuel Cardinal Monteiro de
Castro
Major Penitentiary
Monsignor Krzysztof Nykiel
Regent
such as to lead them to the most
possible stable repentance and,
according to the nature of the cases,
to impose on them the reparation
of eventual scandals and damages.
Finally, the Penitentiary
warmly invites the Most Excellent
Bishops, in as much as holders of
the threefold munus of teaching,
guiding and sanctifying, to
take care in explaining clearly
the principles and dispositions
proposed here for the sanctifcation
of the faithful, taking into
account in a particular way the
circumstance of place, culture and
traditions. A catechesis adapted
to the nature of each people, will
be able to propose more clearly
B7 Vol. 16 No. 21
October 8 - 21, 2012
CBCP Monitor
Ref lections
Bishop Pat Alo
Bo Sanchez
ENCOUNTERS
SOULFOOd
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I ALWAYS teach people that if
you want to know who youll be
10 years from now, list down the
5 people you spend the MOST
time todaywrite down their
strengths, their weaknesses, their
passions, even their incomes
average themand thats who
youll be 10 years from now.
Why does that happen? Because
of the power of patterns.
The frst persons that infuenced
you are your parents. Thats why
the Bible talks about the reality
of Generational Sin in Exodus
34:7. It says, I lay the sins of the
parents upon their children and
grandchildren; the entire family
is affectedeven children in the
third and fourth generations.
How does this generational
sin work?
For exampl e, when t he
husband is unfaithful to his wife,
the children see his example.
Living with a father that is
unfaithful will infuence them to
repeat the same sin in their own
lives. (I didnt say defne them.
Just infuence them.)
Do all children follow the sins
of their parents? Of course not.
Its still a personal choice. But
they do have very bad models.
But what if the father hides
his sin from his children? Will
they still be affected? I dont
believe one can hide it. Were
spiritual beings. Deep down,
subconsciously, they already
know.
The secret to become really rich
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Mark 10:17-30) Indigenous Peoples Sunday;
October 14, 2012
By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB
THERE was sadness in the eyes of the
young man sadness all over his face as
he moved away from Jesus. (See Mk 10:22.)
He had asked the right question: What
must I do to share in everlasting life? (Mk
10:17), the question that matters most in
life. But he had been unable to accept the
right answer: Go and sell what you have
and give it to the poor . . . then come and
follow me (Mk 10:21).
Jesus answer contained the challenge
to go beyond what is prescribed (the
Commandment), and venture trustfully into
the demanding realm of discipleship. This
includes hands empty of material resources,
a heart flled with love for God and neighbor,
a will set on following Jesus till the end of
our earthly pilgrimage, at all costs.
The rich young man was not prepared to
Do you want to succeed? Work on your patterns
But heres the Good News: You
can cut the effect of generational
sin. What are the sins of your
fathers and mothers? Cut the
curse of generational sin in
your life today. It should stop
in YOUR generation. You can
decide to stop passing onto
your children the sin you
inherited from your parents and
grandparents. Come to God now
and seek His power. He will
transform what was meant to
curse your family into a blessing.
How? Follow Jesus.
I was talking to a man whose
mother was hopelessly addicted
to gambling. She would lie to him,
steal from him, and steal from other
people, only so that she could
gamble in a Casino. He felt so bad
that his mother was like this. I told
him, You see the condition of your
mother as a curse to you and your
family. But trust in God that even
this awful situation will turn out
to be a blessing for your future. I
dont know how. But this part of
your history will prepare you for
your greater destiny.
My friend is following Jesus
with this whole heart. I believe
he has cut the generational sin
in his family.
This reminds me of the story
of Margaret.
14 Years In Prison
Margaret was bor n a
hunchback, dwarf, deformed,
lame, and blind. And she didnt
have very good parents. Her
parents, Parisio and Emilia,
was so ashamed of her, they
imprisoned her in a tiny cell far
from their house. How long did
she stay in that prison? 14 years.
One day, when her parents
realized there was really no cure
for her deformity, they simply
abandoned her.
By Gods grace, a kindly
priest came to know her and
introduced God to her. And she
gave her life to Jesus.
That was how she responded
to her situation. Let me say this
very important point again: Your
past doesnt defne your future.
Yes, your past infuences, affects,
and disturbs your future. But
it doesnt defne your future.
What defines your future is
your RESPONSE to your past
And this was how Margaret
responded to her horrifc past:
She followed Jesus.
She was able to go out of her
prison and join the Dominican
Third Order.
Heres the massive blessing:
Because of the suffering she
went through, she understood
the suffering of others. Because
she was imprisoned for 14 years
as a child, she knew what it
meant to be imprisoned. She
would visit prisoners and share
Gods Love to them. Because
she was physically deformed,
she understood the sick. So she
would visit hospitals and share
Gods Love to the sick and dying.
Let me tell you the bigger
miracle in her life. Despite all
her suffering in the hands of
her cruel parents, being locked
up in prison for 14 long years,
Margaret grew up to be a very
happy woman. Her friends
said that they never heard her
complain about life. They never
heard her complain about others.
Discouragement was a word she
did not know.
Because she followed Jesus,
the curse of generational sin was
cut in her life. Her past didnt
hold her prisoner. She was free
because she followed Jesus.
Because of this, the Catholic
Church beatified herand
she is the patron saint of the
crippled and unwanted. Her
incorrupt body lies in the church
in Castello, Italy.
Margarets past was not
perfect. In fact, it was evil. But
it prepared her for her purpose.
As the Bible says, what was
intended by the enemy to harm
you, God will transform it for
your good (see Genesis 50:20).
When you look at your past,
especially when you look at all
the suffering you went through,
dont be discouraged. Every
detail of your historyboth
good and badwill bring you
closer to your destiny.
Let me say it again: Your past
may not be perfect, but it was
perfect for your purpose.
By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB
THERE was no doubt that the Twelve
were sincere in their desire to follow
Jesus. As Peter once pointed out, they
had put aside everything to follow
him. (See Mk 10:28.) Yet, for quite a
time, they all had failed to understand
that to follow Jesus meant to walk the
thorny path of self-renunciation and of
generous service to all, in imitation of
their Teacher.
Christs life can be described in
several ways. One of the simplest
and truest descriptions is SERVICE.
The whole of his life was a service.
The Signs
(Mk. 16:16-20)
IT is true and we do believe in freedom of religion (cf. Jn.
6:64-71). The attitude of Jesus did not force others to follow
or believe in Him but they did so on their own accord. At
the same time Jesus implied that we have to seek and search
for what is true and right. Ask, and it will be given to you;
search, and you will fnd; knock and the door will be opened
to you. For the one who asks always receives; the one who
searches always fnds; the one who knocks will always have
the door opened to himIf you, then, who are evil, know
how to give your children what is good, how much more
will your Father in heaven give good things to those who
ask him! (Mt. 7:7-11).
The signs and miracles narrated in the Catholic Church
history or the lives of the Catholic Saints are all highly
documented or recorded for those interested, especially the
unbelieving. You just follow the principle that Jesus states
above in Mt. 7:7: everyone who seeks always fnds, that is, if
you sincerely seek for the truth, since Gods word cant tell a lie.
Of course, part of the signs of the times is the steady number
of Catholics inspite of negative hostilities both from inside
or outside. These are the signs that will be associated with
believers: in my name they will cast out devils; they will
have the gift of tongues; they will pick up snakes in their
hands, and be unharmed should they drink deadly poison;
they will lay their hands on the sick, who will recover. And
so the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken
up into heaven: there at the right hand of God he took his
place, while they, going out, preached everywhere, the Lord
working with them and confrming the word by the signs
that accompanied it (Mk. 16:17-20).
Think about it. Look for the signs! After all, it is everyones
right and privilege to seek for what is true, good and right.
Knowing how temporary and feeting this life is, we desire to
reach the kingdom of heavenly bliss where God waits for His
faithful servants (cf. 1 Cor. 2:9). The things that no eye has
seen and no ear has heard, things beyond the mind of man,
all that God has prepared for those who love him (1 Cor.
2:9; Is. 64:3; Jer. 3:16). So, think about it. Look for the signs!
stake so much. His heart was chained to his
riches. He preferred the deceptive security
of earthly possessions to the apparent risk of
total detachment and generosity. From that
moment he slipped into oblivion, joining
the crowd of those who are unable to make
spiritual values the treasure of their lives.
He failed to realize that the lasting wealth
was in being with Jesus and thus belong to
the Kingdom.
Others, more wise, would have accepted
the challenging invitation of Jesus. Solomon
wouldhe, who preferred the spirit of
Wisdom to scepter, throne, and gems. (See Wis
7:7-9.) The apostles did accept the invitation
to forsake everything and just be with Jesus.
(See Mk 10:28.)
Francis of Assisi did accept that challenge.
He was rich and young. He renounced all
earthly properties to embrace the poverty of
Christ, who though he was in the form of
God . . . emptied himself and took the form
At the service of all with the love of Christ
29
th
Sunday in Ordinary Time (Mark 10L35-45) World Mission Sunday; October 21, 2012
This word includes everything that
can be said about him. His teaching
was a service enlightening the minds
and enkindling the hearts of his
listeners. The healings he performed
were a service to all those afflicted
by the devils possession and by
physical suffering or handicaps. His
self-offering on Calvary as a victim
of atonement and reconciliation was
his highest form of service benefiting
all mankind.
All the Apostles, after some initial
diffculties (see frst part of todays Gospel),
guided by the Spirit, came to understand
this demanding assignment. After
Pentecost, they all served the Gospel
and their Lord even unto deaththe
martyrs death. Paul, the latecomer,
made himself all things to all men
with a devouring zeal for their salvation.
The Church, as the community of
disciples which continues the mission
of Jesus throughout the centuries, must
be characterized by the same attitude
of its Founder and the Twelve: humble
service to all; service unto death.
This leaves no room for unbecoming
competitions with the powerful of this
world. Just as Christ exercised his
kingship through service, so must the
Church, as a saving institution, exercise
her God-given powers in a spirit of
humble service and selfess stewardship.
The Church is meant to be the servant
of all mankind. She is called to serve all
men through her sacraments and prayer,
through her detachment from earthly
possessions, and through her commitment
to the promotion of all authentic human
values and beyond.
Such a fundamental orientation
and line of action must involve all the
members of the Church. It starts from the
Leaders and stretches out to the youngest
and weakest of her members. Just as
every Christian is another Christ, so
is every Christian called to be another
servant servant of God and of all
men, especially of ones neighbors.
In the measure that the Church as a
whole and every individual believer are
faithful to their fundamental vocation
to serve in imitation of Christ, they will
be offering the most eloquent witness
to their faith. Their presence and their
life will be the most precious gift to the
worldhandog ng mga Kristiyano sa
mundo.
The missionary activity of the Church
her effort to bring the Good News
of Christ to all peoplesis one of the
most precious services she can render.
Through this service she enables all
human beings to know Gods immense
love for them and to respond to that
love through a life lived according to the
teaching and example of Jesus Christ.
twelfth century, offered her precious
contribution to the growth of the Church
of her time, employing the gifts received
from God and showing herself to be a
woman of brilliant intelligence, deep
sensitivity and recognized spiritual
authority. The Lord granted her a
prophetic spirit and fervent capacity to
discern the signs of the times. Hildegard
nurtured an evident love of creation,
and was learned in medicine, poetry
and music. Above all, she maintained
a great and faithful love for Christ and
the Church.
This summary of the ideal in Christian
life, expressed in the call to holiness,
draws us to look with humility at the
fragility, even sin, of many Christians,
as individuals and communities, which
is a great obstacle to evangelization
and to recognizing the force of God
that, in faith, meets human weakness.
Thus, we cannot speak about the new
evangelization without a sincere desire
for conversion. The best path to the
new evangelization is to let ourselves
be reconciled with God and with each
other (cf. 2 Cor. 5:20). Solemnly purifed,
Christians can regain a legitimate pride
in their dignity as children of God,
created in his image and redeemed by
the precious blood of Jesus Christ, and
they can experience his joy in order to
share it with everyone, both near and far.
Dear brothers and sisters, let us
entrust the work of the Synod meeting
to God, sustained by the communion
of saints, invoking in particular the
intercession of great evangelizers,
among whom, with much affection, we
ought to number Blessed John Paul II,
whose long pontifcate was an example
of the new evangelization. Let us place
ourselves under the protection of the
Blessed Virgin Mary, Star of the New
Evangelization. With her let us invoke
a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit
that from on high he may illumine the
Synodal assembly and make it fruitful
for the Churchs way ahead.
Holy Spirit / B1 Pedro / B5
of a slave (Phil 2:6.7). And from that moment
onward, Francis started experiencing perfect
happiness and freedom.
Like him, during 20 centuries of
Christianity, thousands of others, who
had been born rich and powerful, chose
the poverty of the cross and the richness of
radical discipleship. In this way, they became
free people flled with the inner peace and
joy which no thief can steal. They became
people for others like their Leader. Their
empty hands were freer to rise in prayer and
to serve countless millions of needy brothers
and sisters.
Todays world, drugged with material
ambitions and obsessions, needs to be
reminded of the liberating richness of hands
emptied of material resources but flled with
love. Our world needs to see that the real
treasure is within each human person. It
needs to see this truth lived out in me and
you.
daily hardships and struggles in life
can be united with the sufferings of
Christ. We may be persecuted in any
form, laughed at because of what we
believe as Catholics but let us not be
deterred. Always bear in mind that
Jesus laid down his life for us so that
we might have the grace and strength
to offer our lives in loving service to
God and our brothers and sisters as
Saint Paul tells us that Gods grace is
sufficient for us (2 Corinthians 12:9).
The life of Saint Pedro Calungsod calls
us also to a deeper faith and confdence in
God. It opens once again a door of faith
for us. In his Apostolic Letter Porta Fidei
for this year of faith, Pope Benedict XVI
writes: the door of faith (Acts 14:27)
is always open for us, ushering us into
the life of communion with God and
offering entry into His Church (Porta
Fidei 1). The mission areas we serve
are the places where we live, commune
with others and gather around the altar
of the Lord as His Church. We worship
Him, love Him and offer Him all our
struggles in life knowing that nothing
can separate us from the love of God
in Christ Jesus our Lord Romans 8:39.
This love in which we are united is our
strength to evangelize. Caritas Christi
urget nos (2 Cor 5:14): it is the love of
Christ that flls our hearts and impels us
to evangelize (Porta Fidei 7).
Our renewed commitment to God
and His Church in this year of faith that
Pope Benedict XVI opened this month
may be strengthened and nourished by
our imitation of the life of Saint Pedro
Calungsod, Lay Catechist and Martyr.
His life and death challenge us to live an
authentic Christian life with great faith,
fortitude and charity.
I would like to propose four ways
by which the faithful can meet this
challenge. First, pray without ceasing
that you may always place yourselves
in the presence of God and allow Him to
strengthen and console you, especially
in times of adversities. Second, rise
to the call towards volunteerism,
especially to serve as catechists
presenting and explaining our Catholic
Faith. Third, get involved in the life
and mission of the parish, particularly
in the work of evangelization. And
fourth, dig deep into your hearts and
pockets to offer financial assistance
for the work of the missions all over
the world.
Reverend fathers, dear sisters, and
beloved friends in Christ, let us all thank
our Almighty God for giving us Saint
Pedro Calungsod to be our model of
persevering and generous faith. I ask
the intercession of Saint Pedro to aid
us in our works of evangelization in
our Diocese and continue our journey
of faith this year and always. May God
bless you all.
MOST REV. GILBERT A. GARCERA,
DD
Bishop of Daet
October 21, 2012
B8
Vol. 16 No. 21
October 8 - 21, 2012
B8
CBCP Monitor
Entertainment
Frankenweenie
NEW YORK (CNS)--Director Tim Burtons gothic comedy
Frankenweenie (Disney) is a skillful 3-D animated spoof
of horror conventions built around the heart-warming
relationship between a boy and his dog.
This black-and-white, stop-motion cartoon--an expanded
version of Burtons 1984 live-action short of the same title--
might prove too scary for small fry. But it will delight their
older siblings and amuse parents as well.
After his beloved pet--and constant companion--Sparky
is killed in an accident, socially isolated but scientifcally
gifted Victor Frankenstein (voice of Charlie Tahan) uses stock
mons-ter-movie
me t hods t o
bring the pooch
back to life.
Despite his
s u b s e q u e n t
e f f o r t s t o
c onc e a l hi s
breakthrough
f r o m h i s
parents (voices
of Cat heri ne
O Har a and
Martin Short)
and from his
peers--voiced,
among others,
b y At t i c u s
Shaf f er and
James Hiroyuki
Liao--Victor s
secret gets out.
And when his
schoolmates try
to emulate his
feat, the results are temporarily disastrous.
Said classmates constitute an odd assortment of
entertainingly eerie fgures, including pint-sized versions of
characters long ago made famous by Boris Karloff and Peter
Lorre. Another familiar genre persona, the Weird Girl (also
voiced by OHara), becomes the vehicle for the only material
in the picture that some might consider objectionable.
The Weird Girl believes that her cat, Mr. Whiskers, is given
to prophetic dreams, and that the subject of each dream can be
identifed by the fact that Mr. Whiskers droppings afterward
form the frst initial of that persons name. The Weird Girl
relates all this--visual aid included--to indicate to Victor that
something dramatic is about to happen to him.
Victors interest in experimentation is sparked by his
Vincent Price-like science teacher, Mr. Rzykruski (voice of
Martin Landau). Though a subplot involves Mr. Rzykruskis
persecution at the hands of ignorant townsfolk, theres no
direct connection drawn between their fear of him and their
adherence to any form of supernatural belief, religious or
otherwise. And while Mr. Rzykruski praises the value of science
at some length, he never does so to the disparagement of faith.
The light-hearted tone of John Augusts screenplay,
moreover, together with the less-than- scientifcally plausible
events on which so much of the plot turns, make it doubtful
that any serious point is being made--apart, perhaps, from a
general endorsement of learning in the broadest sense.
The flm contains mild scatological humor and some science-
fction hokum. The Catholic News Service classifcation is
A-I--general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of
America rating is PG--parental guidance suggested. Some
material may not be suitable for children. (John Mulderig/CNS)
Entertainment
Technical Assessment
Poor
Below average
Average
Above average
Excellent
Moral Assessment
Abhorrent
Disturbing
Acceptable
Wholesome
Exemplary
Look for the image of
Saint Paul the Apostle,
Immaculate Heart of Mary,
and Pope Benedict XVI
(Illustration by Bladimer Usi)
LITERARY prodigy Calvin Weir-
Fields (Paul Dano) achieves early
acclaim but is still smarting from
a break up from a long-term
relationship, which could be
one reason he is experiencing
writers block. One day at the
park with his dog, Calvin meets
and befriends red-head Ruby
Sparks (Zoe Kazan), something
he immediately reports to his
psychiatrist, Dr. Rosenthal (Eliott
Gould). On the doctors suggestion,
he makes the envisioned redhead
an ideal woman, a female character
for another novel, and as a kind of
therapy for Calvin. The neurotic
writer seems happy in that world
he shares with his imagined lover,
a painter from Dayton, Ohio,
until his older brother Harry
(Chris Messina) stumbles upon
scanty female lingerie in Calvins
bachelors pad. Worse, Calvin
wakes up one morning and fnds
the character in his book, Ruby,
making breakfast in his kitchen.
He thinks he is hallucinating,
but other people can see Ruby,
too. So where is the line between
imagination and reality?
Actress-writer Zoe Kazan
(granddaughter of director
Elia Kazan) brings to cinema a
romance with a new formula.
But its nothing new really in
classical mythology; remember
the sculptor Pygmalion who
fell in love with the statue he
created and which came to life?
Kazan must have been inspired
by such imaginings. Part of the
effectiveness of Ruby Sparks
lies in the good acting, though
it may have been more heartfelt
for the lead couple since they
are real life sweethearts. The
bigger stars in the castBening,
Banderas, Goulddid a great
job of bringing life to their roles
without upstaging the relative
newbies. The plot is good, and
the pacing just right. Earlier
on the movie is lighthearted,
apparently leading to the familiar
romantic comedy situation but
soon enough descends into
darker realms as Calvin realizes
the differentand dangerous
kind of power that his writing
possesses. There is that tense
momentrunning to a few
minutesprior to the resolution
of the story that is really gripping
in so far as it awakens the viewer
to the delicate aspect of power
and control between lovers.
Ruby Sparks presents an
interesting study for students of
philosophy, theology or ethics.
Some questions young people
would do good to explore are: If
TITLE: Ruby Sparks
LEAD CAST: Paul Dano, Zoe
Kazan, Cris Messina, An-
tonio Banderas, Annette
Bening, Elliotte Gould
GENRE: Romantic Comedy-
Drama
RUNNING TIME: 104 minutes
DISTRIBUTOR: Fox Search-
light Pictures
LOCATION: USA
TEChNICAL ASSESSMENT:

MORAL ASSESSMENT:
CINEMA rating: For viewers
14 years old and above
MAC en COLET Ni Bladimer Usi
Buhay Parokya
you were in Calvins place, how
would you regard Ruby? Is she
your creation or Gods? Would
you reveal to her your magical
power to (secretly) control her
emotions and moods as you
please? Would you say then
that you truly love her when you
treat her like a puppet? What
kind of satisfaction or fulfllment
is there in having a lover like
Ruby? While CINEMA allows
14-year-olds to see this movie,
it reminds viewers that it refects
the values of a more permissive
culture. Filipinos still caution
their children to avoid premarital
or extramarital sex, both of which
are presented as normal and
even attractive in this movie.
C1
The News Supplement of
Couples for Christ
Vol. 16 No. 21
October 8 - 21, 2012
CBCP Monitor
Handmaids from all over Europe
gathered in Haarlem, netherlands last
October 5, 6 & 7, 2012 to proclaim Great
is Our God! in the much-awaited an-
nual Europe HOLd Conference.
The event started with the HOLd
Leaders summit attended by top HOLd
leaders from 13 countries in the after-
noon of Friday, October 5. discussed
were matters of utmost importance to
Handmaids Ablaze In Europe!
the ministry: Evangelization and Pastoral
Formation, Building the Church of the Poor,
Migrant Workers Program and Finance.
ChaIIenges veie idenlihed and sliale-
gies to overcome these were agreed
upon. The leaders ended the summit
with much hope and excitement and
re-committed themselves to the Lord.
This was followed by the celebration
of lhe HoIy Saciihce of lhe Luchaiisl
and a Cheese Festival. all kinds of Eu-
ropean cheese were offered, together
with different dishes made with cheese.
Based on the food offered and on the
creativity of presentation, the following
countries won:
1
st
Place austria
2
nd
Place France
3
rd
Place United Kingdom
Aflei eveiyone had lheii hII of lhe
delicious delicacies, the conference was
formally opened with the RaP (Rejoice
and Proclaim!) Praise and Worship cel-
ebrating Gods greatness in the beauty
of His creations. The Handmaids outdid
themselves this year with their dances
and colorful costumes as stars of the
galaxies, animals, land and vegetation,
creatures of the seas, and humankind.
The next day, saturday, October 6, the
rejoicing and proclaiming continued.
The message Great is Our God! was
the central message in all the sessions.
session 1 (Journey of Gods People),
given by Grace Buntag (HOLd elder
from manila), showed Gods greatness
in salvation history starting with adam
and Eve up to the present Church. ses-
sion 2 (are We There Yet?), given by
Edna Cubar (HOLd elder from manila)
pointed out the humps we encounter in
the journey and that we are not quite
there yet. Then session 3 (destined
for Gods Purpose) showed that dur-
ing critical times in mankinds history,
God raised and used women to save His
people, from the Pharaohs daughter to
Rahab to deborah, Esther, the mother
in maccabbees up to mary, the mother
of the messiah. The last session for the
day, (mary Leads the Way) given by
Cris sarmiento (Regional HOLd Coor-
dinator of Europe southwest Region),
showed how as we journey, our mother
leads the way for us.
The last day of the conference, sun-
day, October 7, the Handmaids were set
alIaze vilh lhe hie of lhe HoIy Spiiil
in session 5 (Handmaids ablaze!).
speaker was didi Galsim (international
HOLd Coordinator). The Handmaids
accepted their commissioning to go
and proclaim the greatness of God and
to bring His love and salvation to all.
They venl foilh vilh lhe hie of lhe HoIy
spirit burning in their hearts, ready to
set the world ablaze.
Once again, God blessed His Hand-
maids in Europe with a beautiful and
powerful conference.
In keeping with tradition, the Handmaids of the Lord European Conference always opens with the
Food Festival.
CFC HOLD Europe declare Great is our God! by celebrating the beauty of His creation and by being
on re and ready to set the worId abIaze.
Fr. Joel Jason (3rd from left) with CFC Gift of Life Core
Pol Piera, CFC Co-ops Federation Chair, seals MOA with Rebecca Palma, PUP
CCSD Area Chairperon and Cooperative Training & Information Services Head.
aBOUT seventy individuals, mostly from Couples
for Christ and its family ministries and some reli-
gious organizations, gathered at st. Paul Renewal
Center in alfonso, Cavite on september 15 to 16
for the pilot weekend of Theology of the Body i.
The hisl day slailed vilh lhe opening voiship
led by Tito Cajulis. Joy Katigbak of CFC Gift of Life
introduced Fr. Joel Jason, the resource speaker for
lhe vhoIe veekend. In lhe hisl session, Ii. }ason
gave an introduction of the theology of the body
(TOB). Theology comes from the Latin words theo
meaning God, and logos meaning study. Theol-
ogy of lhe lody is lheiefoie dehned as the study or
knowledge of something about God as revealed in and
through the human body. it can also refer to the 129
talks Blessed Pope John Paul ii delivered at the
General Wednesday audience address at the Vati-
can between september 1979 and november 1984.
Pope John Paul ii is a philosopher and theologian
and the TOB is a dense work of theology. Fr. Jason
cIaiihed lhal lhe veekend is a head and heail
course and not just an academic exercise. The goal
Rediscovering the
Meaning of Life
By Aiza Garnica of the weekend was not for the participants to
memorize the contents of the whole work but to
simply understand the main points.
in the succeeding three talks, Fr. Jason talked
about the three cycles which make up what Pope
John Paul ii called the triptych, a vision towards
an adequate anthropology.
a celebration of the Holy Eucharist was presided
by Fr. Joel after the 4
th
session. during the homily,
he gave lhe ooi lo lvo shaieis fion lhe gioup.
Kate deiparine shared about how she continues to
miss the mark and how God has been faithful to
her all along. Ronnie Cool shared about how God
transformed him and granted him the grace to
speak about and proclaim the Good news.
after dinner, the movie The Truman show was
shown, followed by a discussion of the main TOB
lhenes inlegialed in lhe hIn.
The second day legan vilh lhe hnaI session
which talked about issues and questions on
sexual morality. it was also the opportunity for
the participants to ask question and to share their
insights about the whole weekend. There was also
a discussion as to what should happen next espe-
cially with the many morality issues our country
is facing nowadays.
The retreat ended with a mass presided by Fr.
Joel. in his homily, he challenged everyone to be a
straight line amidst the crooked and bent lines in
our society. Relating to the Gospel, Fr. Joel said that
the best way to evangelize and tell people about
God is through example. He shared the difference
between the example of power and the power of
example and urged everyone to practice the latter.
Theology of the Body Weekend will soon be
rolled out in the different areas in the Philippines
and around the world as part of the pastoral forma-
tion track of Couples for Christ.
THE CFC Co-operatives Federa-
tion (CCF) and Polytechnic Uni-
versity of the Philippines Col-
lege of Cooperatives and social
development (CCsd) recently
signed a memorandum of agree-
ment (mOa) last september 15,
2O12 al Co-ops foi Chiisl Ofhce
at CFC Center, Cubao Quezon
City. Leopoldo L. Piera, CCF
Chair and Rebecca E. Palma,
PUP CCsd area Chairperson
& Head, Cooperative Training
and information services signed
the agreement, witnessed by the
oaid of Diieclois and ofhceis of
CCF, Co-ops for Christ manila,
Co-ops for Christ Rizal, Couples
for Christ mPC Laguna 1 and
Co-ops for Christ Quezon mPC.
Through this partnership, CCF
and PUP CCsd will organize and
conduct different Cda-required
Cooperative Training courses
that will empower the coopera-
lives ODs and ofhceis. The
hisl liaining conducled vas lhe
Basic Cooperative Course last
september 15 16, 2012. This
course highlights the concepts
and principles of cooperatives.
Other Training Courses have
been scheduled for the remain-
der of the year and early 2013.
CCF will announce these train-
ings to all CCF members.
CFC Co-operatives Federa-
CFC Co-ops Federation, PUP Sign MOA
By Harmony Medina
tion (CCF) is a duly registered
nationwide association of Coops
for Christ primaries and other
cooperatives. One of its goals
is to provide continuing coopera-
tive education, values formation,
and development of competen-
cies, expertise and skills among
its members.
CFC anCOPs Child sponsorship and Corner-
stone components of the Education Program
were featured in Radio Veritas last september
24, 2012 (monday) from 10 to 11:55 am. The
program was discussed during the Caritas
manila Telethon in celebration of the 59th anni-
versary of Caritas manila. CFC anCOP Tekton
chairperson, dr. Jose Yamamoto and anCOPs
Education Program director, Ethel Balenton (at
left) were among the panelists during the two-
hour discussion on Educating the Poor in host
Bernard Canaberals radio program Pamilya
mo, Pamilya ko.
CFC anCOP Tekton Foundation is a partner
of Caritas manila in san Roque Parish in Pasay
covered by CFC anCOP Central C sector for
lhe iniliaI sponsoiship of aloul hfly (5O) nai-
ginalized children in the area.
Radyo Veritas Talks to ANCOP CSP, Cornerstone
Ugnayan
C2 Vol. 16 No. 21
October 8 - 21, 2012
CBCP Monitor
(This article first appeared in The Phil-
ippine Star, September 23, 2012)
RECEnT news have made much of
unexplained wealth and the need
for government officials to be trans-
parent about their financial status
while serving in government. By not
declaring ones wealth, a public offic-
er or employee commits an act of dis-
honesty because he deprives the duly
constituted government of the right
to collect the correct taxes accruing in
its favor from his undeclared wealth.
Unexplained wealth, punishable in
the Philippines, represents that por-
tion of a persons wealth which he
cannot explain. Ownership of land
and other properties, the total cost
of which is way beyond a public of-
ficers or employees capacity to pay,
can be questioned on this ground.
What does the law say? Whenever
any public officer or employee has
acquired during his incumbency an
amount of property which is mani-
festly out of proportion to his salary
as such public officer or employee
and to his other lawful income and
the income from legitimately ac-
quired property, said property shall
be presumed prima facie to have
been unlawfully acquired (sec. 2,
Republic act 1379). if the respondent
is unable to show to the satisfaction
of the court that he has lawfully ac-
quired the property in question, then
the court shall declare such property
forfeited in favor of the state, and by
virtue of such judgment, the property
Discovering unexplained wealth
aforesaid shall become property of
the state: Provided, That no judgment
shall be rendered within six months
before any general election or within
three months before any special elec-
tion. The Court may, in addition, refer
this case to the corresponding Execu-
tive department for administrative
or criminal action, or both (sec. 6,
Ra 1379).
Under the law, unexplained wealth
includes:
1. Property unlawfully acquired by
the respondent, but its ownership is
concealed by its being recorded in the
name of, or held by, the respondents
spouse, ascendants, descendants,
relatives, or any other person.
2. Property unlawfully acquired
by the respondent, but transferred
by him to another person or persons
on or after the effectivity of this act.
3. Property donated to the respond-
ent during his incumbency, unless he
can prove to the satisfaction of the
court that the donation is lawful.
as a lawyer and after several years
of experience in the Commission on
audit doing not only audit but also
exhaustive study on the workings
of some government agencies and
their officials, i have found a way of
discovering the probable existence
of unexplained wealth on the part
of public officers and employees.
although the initial results of this
inquiry may not be that conclusive
as to stand judicial scrutiny, it could
at least warrant the start of a more
in-depth investigation under Ra
1379, otherwise known as an act
declaring forfeiture in favor of the
state any property found to have been
unlawfully acquired by any public
officer or employee and providing
for the proceedings therefor. These
initial results or preliminary findings
may provide enough basis for starting
a more extensive fact-finding inves-
tigation on the properties of a public
officer or employee concerned.
The following steps may be taken
to establish the existence of unex-
plained wealth of a public officer or
employee:

1. secure a certificate of property
holdings of a public officer or em-
ployee from the City or Provincial
assessors Office concerned for the
past ten years;
2. secure from the LTO a list of mo-
tor vehicles with complete descrip-
tion registered in his name and the
total estimated costs thereof for the
past ten years;
3. Examine his statement of assets
and liabilities and income tax returns
(iTRs) for the past ten years;
4. determine from the iTRs the
yearly increase of his income and the
yearly increase of his property hold-
ings for the past ten years;
5. Compare the two in no. 4 and
note the difference;
6. if the increase in his property
holdings cannot be supported by a
corresponding increase in his income,
then you require him to explain the
difference; and
7. if his explanation is not accept-
able, report his case to the City or
Provincial Fiscal concerned who will
proceed according to the instructions
contained in Ra 1379 or the Office
of the Ombudsman pursuant to its
authority under the Constitution and
Ra 6770.
The following example illustrates
the above procedure:
mr. a has acquired one parcel of
land costing P1 million every year
from 2001 to 2010 or a total of P10 m.
during the same 10-year period, he
has acquired one car costing P1 mil-
lion every year or a total of P10 m.
His income tax returns from 2001 to
2010 show a yearly declared income
of P1,000,000 or a total of P10 mil-
lion in 10 years. Compare the yearly
increase in his total assets of P2 mil-
lion (P1 million for land and P1 mil-
lion for car) or a total increase of P20
million in 10 years with the yearly
increase in his income of P1 million
or a total income of 10 million in 10
years. The difference is P10 million
(P20 million total asset increase less
P10 million total income increase).
With this difference of 10 million, the
government can start asking him to
explain the difference. if his explana-
tion is acceptable, then he will have
no problem. But if his explanation is
not acceptable, then a forfeiture case
under Ra 1379 can be initiated by the
Office of the Ombudsman which is
empowered to investigate and initiate
the proper action for the recovery of
ill-gotten and/or unexplained wealth
amassed after February 25, 1986 and
the prosecution of the parties in-
volved therein under Ra 6770.
Once a case for Unexpl ai ned
Wealth under Ra 1379 is success-
fully established, the Office of the
Ombudsman can prosecute the case
against the public officer or employee
concerned while the Bureau of inter-
nal Revenue, if the evidence so war-
rants, can probably initiate a case for
tax evasion against them and collect
all the corresponding taxes due on
the property.
The di scovery of unexpl ai ned
wealth and the collection of the cor-
responding taxes due thereon will
surely make a difference both in the
prosecution of those who are liable
under Ra 1379 and in the generation
of more tax revenues for the govern-
ment. it is hoped that the appropriate
government agencies concerned with
discovering unexplained wealth can
indeed practice due diligence in en-
suring that the countrys wealth does
not go into individual pockets but is
used for the common good.
(Note: Emmanuel Dalman is a member
of the International Council (Board of
Trustees) of Couples for Christ and was
formerly a commissioner of the Commis-
sion on Audit.) He is an advocate of good
governance and is active in one of CFCs
social ministries, St. Thomas More &
Associates, aimed at promoting transpar-
ency and good governance in both public
and private entities.)
Joe Yamamoto
Emmanuel Dalman
in the Christian Church, no
apostle or disciple has gained
more prominence than st. Peter
and st. Paul in terms of their
passion, commitment or influ-
ence in the life and mission of
the faithful. Fr. Robert Bar-
ron in the beautiful powerful
documentary CaTHOLiCism,
labelled them the indispen-
sable men of the Church and
here is why - the two together,
in tensive harmony, have pro-
pelled the church (through)
the centuries and around the
world. as the leader of the
apostles, Peter was appointed
by Jesus to be His vicar, head of
the Church, and was uniquely
distinguished by being the
unwavering witness to the
Resurrection. Paul was the
first and foremost theologian,
who having fully grasped the
impact of the Resurrection of
Christ from the dead, helped
make the Church a worldwide
phenomenon and reality.
Fr. Barron stated that united
in their apostleship and devo-
tion to the Lord, Peter and Paul
had much in common. They
were both called to serve in
the early church faithfully and
courageously. They both had
tremendous natural charisma
and leadership qualities. The
two were martyred on the
same day.Both demonstrated
strong stubborn personalities
and yet displayed particular
differences in their expression
of their service to the Lord.
Every bishop appointed by
the Pope, as part of their ad
limina visit every five years to
Rome, has an audience with
the pontiff. another important
part of that pilgrimage is to
pray at the tombs of Peter and
Paul, thereby drawing strength
from their lives and examples.
Even two millenia after their
martyrdom, the two remain as
indispensable apostles.
Peter, The Rock For All Ages
simon, as Peter was origi-
nally named, was an obscure
fisherman, from the village of
Bethsaida (house of fishing
in aramaic) located in the
northern shore of Lake Galilee.
as shimeon bar Johannon ( si-
mon son of John), he inherited
the trade from his fisherman
father. While not affluent or
aristocratic but not so poor
either, simon thrived in his cho-
sen work in relative obscurity
until called to a different and
far ranging task by Jesus, the
carpenter from nazareth. The
Gospel shows that his younger
brother andrew preceded him
Peter and Paul: Indefatigable,
Indispensable Men
as a follower of the itinerant
preacher. although considered
not so well educated, simon
could likely read and write
Hebrew, Greek (for commerce)
and his native tongue, aramaic.
as a Galilean fisherman, he in
all probability had some deal-
ings with fish merchants in
the eastern part of the Roman
empire. He was married, as
shown by the fact that Jesus
healed his mother-in-law (mat-
thew 8:14, mark 1:30-31). no
contemporary records exist to
show if simon and his wife
begot children.
described variously as blus-
tery, tempestuous, direct, and
strong-willed, simon demon-
strated a reckless readiness
that made him demonstrably
decisive and therefore set him
apart from the others. in ad-
dition, he was deeply loyal to
Christ and was the apostle who
accorded Jesus the most special
affection. in fact, in the many
momentous and epochal events
during the public ministry of
Jesus, simon Peter was there.
simon Peter held many dis-
tinctions; his name is men-
tioned first in the list of the
apostles. He was the first to
profess the divinity of Christ
(matthew 16:16) and on ac-
count of his singular role, his
name was changed from si-
mon to Peter (Petros in Greek,
Kephas in aramaic, i.e. the
Rock; matthew 16:18; Jn. 1:42),
predictive of his subsequent
responsibility as the vicar of
the Church founded by Jesus.
The Lord appointed Peter as the
chief shepherd (John 21:15-17).
Li kewi se, t oget her wi t h
brothers John and James, Peter
had such intimacy with Christ
that they merited audience in
the Transfiguration of Jesus
in mt. Tabor, the miracle that
reveal ed Hi s death on the
cross, His glory and a rather
spectacular glimpse of the
eternal calling. For the longest
time, people wondered why
of all the apostles, the three
were invited to some sort of
exclusive initiation. st.Thomas
aquinas gave the following
explanation - James was there
because he was the first of the
twelve to be martyred, John
was there because he was the
disciple whom Jesus specially
loved, and Peter was on that
mountain top, because of all the
apostles, he was the one who
loved Jesus the most.
The encounter of Jesus with
the brothers andrew and Peter
at the time of their call to disci-
pleship cast an unusual flair to
their recruitment. after preach-
ing from a boat at the edge of
the lake (because the crowd
was too numerous and they
were pressing on him), Jesus
ordered simon, Put out into
deep water and lower your nets
for a catch (Luke 5:4). The sea-
soned fisherman complied but
only after reasoning out that he
and his group had been fishing
unsuccessfully the whole night.
at the command of Jesus,simon
lowered the nets and his obe-
dience was rewarded with an
impressive catch of fishes that
almost sank the boats. With
that unimaginable haul, simon
fell to his knees before Jesus
and uttered depart from me,
Lord, for i am a sinful man.
astonishment at the catch of
fish they had made seized him
and all of those with him, in-
cluding James and John, sons of
Zebedee, who were partners of
simon. Jesus said to simon, do
not be afraid; from now on you
will be catching men. When
they brought their boats to the
shore, they left everything and
followed him (Luke 5:8-10).
indeed, simon, later renamed
Peter, left home and livelihood
and joined the company of Je-
sus intimate followers.
despite his faults and weak-
nesses, Peter is worthy of note
and emulation, because of his
deep faith. One evening Jesus
came walking over the stormy
sea toward the boat of the
disciples. assured that they
were not seeing an apparition,
Peter asked that Jesus com-
mand him to come and walk
over the water. Peter walked
successfully on the waves but
only as long as he was focused
on the Lord. But when he began
to look away and doubt, he
began to sink. Peter thus be-
came the symbol of the church
that is obliged to make its way
through the stormy seas of
history, but will find its cour-
age and survival by remaining
clearly focused on Jesus.
When he denied Jesus as
predicted, Peter broke down
and wept but he never de-
spaired. after the resurrection,
Peter and the other disciples
returned to Galilee to resume
their fishermans trade. simon
Peter said, i am going fishing,
to which the other six replied,
We also will come with you.
so they went out, got into
the boat, and spent the night
catching nothing. When it was
already dawn, Jesus was stand-
ing on the lakeshore, but they
did not recognize him. Their
eyes were opened and finally
recognized the Lord when they
cast the net to the right side
of the boat and caught fish.
Throwing some clothes on
himself, Peter jumped into the
water and rushed to Jesus. in
that beautiful encounter be-
tween Jesus and Peter, the Lord
asked him three times if Peter
loved him and three times,
Peter replied affirmatively.
according to st. augustine,
the threefold statement of love
was meant to counteract the
threefold denial. Restored in
his relationship with the Lord,
Peter emerges as the supreme
example of the forgiven and
commisioned church, for after
each affirmative answer, Peter
heard the command to feed
my lamb, tend my sheep, feed
my sheep.
The new Testament consist-
ently claimed that Peter was the
definitive witness to the Risen
Christ. after the Pentecost, the
often wavering and tentative
apostle became the tower of
strength, courage and determi-
nation with his consistent proc-
lamation of the resurrection.
Leading the first generation
of Christians, Peter knew that
they were living in the truly ex-
citing times of the fulfillment,
the time when the promises of
the prophets were ultimately
realized in the crucified Jesus
resurrected. Even as Peter fol-
lowed His Lord in martyrdom,
he deemed himself unworthy
to die in the same manner as
Jesus. Thus he chose to be cru-
cified upside down. it is upon
that unique witnessing that the
church was built, rock-like in its
concreteness and surety.
Paul, The Apostle To The
Gentiles, A Blessing To All
Peoples
From j ai l er and tormen-
tor of the first Christians to
becoming the apostle to the
gentiles, Pauls life and work
influenced and definitively
shaped Christianity. Paul is
considered as the first theolo-
gian of Christianity, a recog-
nition befitting a learned and
passionate religious leader.
Even as Paul wrote books and
epistles, it was his zeal for do-
ing everything for the sake of
Christ that was his greatest joy,
achievement and contribution.
shaul (saul) was born around
the year 10 ad to parents who
were Jews of the diaspora in
Tarsus, located in the present-
day southeastern Turkey. His
being a Roman citizen made
him suited for and comfortable
with the major cultures in the
first century - Roman, Greek
and Jewish. Very likely, shaul
had a solid foundation in Greek
culture, language, literature
and philosophy. Far and above
that, he was schooled in the
Hebrew scriptures under the
tutelage of Gamaliel, the great-
est rabbi of the time.
saul was present in the ston-
ing of stephen, and led others
in hauling to prison the early
Christians. after his sudden
encounter with Christ on the
road to damascus, he was
transformed completely and
supernaturally. He was imme-
diately baptized and began to
preach Jesus as the son of God
in damascus, much to the dis-
comfort of the other Christians.
By his own account, he jour-
neyed to arabia and then back
to damascus and proceeded
to Jerusalem to see the other
apostles only after three years.
While nobody is sure why he
stayed that long in arabia, it
seems certain that saul spent
time in prayer, contemplating
about what happened and
making sense of what he had
seen and heard. His life was
turned upside down and his
whole purpose re- thought-
his understanding of Judaism
and the Torah and the prophets
had been revolutionized. Eve-
rything was now centered on
and around the person of Jesus
Christ. This did not involve
a repudiation of Judaism but
a radical reconfiguration of it
around the crucified and risen
messiah, Jesus of nazareth.
(Fr. R. Barron)
The zeal of Paul for evange-
lization was boundless; he em-
barked, together with various
other disciples, on three mis-
sionary journeys that brought
Christ to the fringes of the
Roman empire. The letters
and epistles of Paul became a
major part of the backbone of
the proclamation and sharing
of the gospel. His writings are
characterized as complex, theo-
logically dense, very personal,
passionate and indescribably
intricate and demanding. The
two central themes of his epis-
tles revolved around the Res-
urrection and participation
in Christ. Pauls ministry laid
down the foundation of the
work of evangelization, even
as it addressed a broad range
of theological and pastoral mat-
ters and issues.
The reason Paul held to the
belief in the Resurrection is
because without this mystery
and miracle, Christianity is
meaningless. The Resurrection,
Paul contended, was the fulfill-
ment of all of Gods plan and
promises for israel. The entire
salvation history was concre-
tized, established and made
attainable in Christ through it.
all preexisting covenants -- the
Law of moses, the books of
the prophets, the longings and
hopes of the patriarchs, kings
and others, including ordinary
peoples -- found ratification in
Jesus rising from the dead. The
Resurrection was the dawn of a
new creation, the eighth day as
it were according to the Cathe-
chism (CCC). The risen Lord
had conquered death, and now
ruled all of creation, the very
creation he brought into being
that had longed for liberation
from the bonds of sin, corrup-
tion and decay.
The other central theme that
Paul espoused unconditionally
is the participation in Christ.
Prior to the coming of Jesus, the
patriarchal covenants starting
with abraham were entered by
way of a communion with God
in a special way. at the coming
of Jesus, those who enter into
the new Covenant enter into
the very divine life of God and
become truly alive. Paul wrote,
For as in adam all die, so
also in Christ shall all be made
alive. ( 1 Cor. 15:22). This cov-
enantal gift of supernatural life
has been made possible in the
Eucharist. The primary sacra-
mental and liturgical event in
the infant church was a sharing
in the life of the Risen Christ.
according to Paul, partici-
pation in the power of Christ
comes through faith, trust and
acceptance. The parti cul ar
word used was the greek pistis,
i.e. trusting acceptance. in the
absence of faith, Paul empha-
sizes, we cannot be pleasing
to God. Through the efforts of
Paul, the other apostles and
all the early disciples, and by
the Power of the Holy spirit,
Jews and Gentiles became one
with Christ through faith and
sacrament.
Epilogue
martyred on the same day in
separate parts of Rome, Peter
and Paul shed blood and, by
their martyrdom, contributed
immensely to the growth of the
Church. The two became bigger
by Gods grace in death than in
their lifetimes. They serve to
inspire all Christian faithfuls of
all generations because of their
unselfish dedication to Jesus,
loving Him and serving Him
unconditionally and without
counting the cost.
Ugnayan C3 Vol. 16 No. 21
October 8 - 21, 2012
CBCP Monitor
THE Gospel of John may be divided into two parts: the Book of signs
and the Book of Glory. it opens with a Prologue about the incarnate
Word and closes with an Epilogue describing the resurrection appear-
ances.
The first section of the Book of signs describes the gradual revelation
of Jesus as the messiah, the son of God, set over a period of seven days.
This constitutes the First Week of the new Creation, corresponding
to the seven days or first week of creation described in Genesis. The
wedding at Cana occurs on the seventh day of the week during which
a number of events or witnesses gradually reveal who Jesus really is.
The section also describes various themes, including the replacement
of Old Testament institutions. The wedding in Cana, which represents
the replacement of Jewish purification ceremonies, is the first of four
such replacements of Old Testament institutions. The other replacement
themes include: the cleansing of the Temple, representing the replace-
ment of the Jerusalem Temple as the center of worship; the meeting of
Jesus with nicodemus, representing the replacement of birth into the
Chosen People with being born again in the spirit; and Jesus meeting
with the samaritan woman, representing the replacement of worship
in Jerusalem with worship of the Father in spirit and truth.
it is also at the wedding in Cana that Jesus performs the first the
changing of water into wine of the seven miraculous signs that the
evangelist John describes in his Gospel. The other signs include: healing
of the son of a royal official; cure of the man at the pool of Bethesda;
multiplication of the loaves; walking on the sea of Galilee; cure of the
man born blind; and raising of Lazarus.
Wedding celebrations during the time of Jesus last for seven days at
the house of the groom. Everyone in town is invited and large amounts
of wine are consumed. at the wedding in Cana the wine has run out
and the newlyweds face great embarrassment. mary learns about it and
wants to help. But mary does not ask Jesus for anything. she does not
ask him to do something. she asks for no miracle. she merely informs
Jesus: They have no wine (Jn 2:3). Pope Benedict XVi, in his homily
on 11 september 2006, reflects on this statement and observes: she
simply hands the matter over to Jesus and leaves it to him to decide
what to doThis is how she teaches us to pray: not by seeking to assert
before God our own will and our own desires, however important they
may be however reasonable they might appear to us but rather to
bring them before him and to let him decide what he intends to do.
Jesus enigmatic response to marys statement is, Woman, how
does your concern affect me? my hour has not yet come (Jn 2:4).
Jesus addresses his mother as woman, a seemingly inappropriate
way to address his mother. in his homily, Pope Benedict XVi says:
We do not like the way he addresses her: Woman. Why does he not
say: mother? But this title really expresses marys place in salvation
history. it points to the future, to the hour of crucifixion, when Jesus
will say to her: Woman, behold your son son, behold your mother.
it anticipates the hour when he will make the woman, his mother,
the mother of all his disciples. On the other hand, the title Woman
recalls the account of the creation of Eve: adam, surrounded by crea-
tion in all its magnificence, experiences loneliness as a human being.
Then Eve is created, and in her adam finds the companion for whom
he longed; and he gives her the name Woman. in the Gospel of John,
then, mary represents the new, the definitive woman, the companion
of the Redeemer, our mother; the name, which seemed so lacking in
affection, actually expresses the grandeur of marys enduring mission.
The title woman becomes even more understandable if we further
develop the parallel between the first part of the Gospel of John and the
first part of the Book of Genesis. Both Genesis and Johns Gospel begin
with in the beginning. The theme of the Gospels prologue talks of
light and darkness, just like Genesis. The time from Jesus baptism to
the wedding in Cana covers seven days, the same number of days as the
creation story in Genesis. Thus when Jesus calls his mother woman,
it echoes Gods words to the serpent in Genesis: i will put enmity
between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel (Gn 3:15). in
using the title woman, Jesus identifies his mother as the new Eve,
who will play the role of intercessor when her offspring on the cross
has finally crushed the serpents head.
despite his concern that his hour has not yet come, Jesus never-
theless performs the first of his seven miraculous signs, transforming
water into wine. The six stone water jars each holding 20 to 30 gallons
are used for the Jewish ceremonial washings. By changing water into
wine, Jesus commences the replacement of Old Testament purification
ceremonies with something much more valuable, something much
more meaningful. since the Gospel of John tells us that the changing of
water into wine happens before Passover, this miraculous sign evokes
the wine of the Eucharist. it is at the Last supper, just before Passover
too, that Jesus changes wine into his Eucharistic blood. it tells us that
henceforth, it will no longer be the water of ceremonial washings that
will make us clean, but the wine turned into the Eucharistic blood
of Christ.
mary tells the servers, do whatever he tells you (Jn 2:5). The serv-
ants obey. They fill the jars to the brim, and the result is a superabun-
dance of good wine. do whatever he tells you demands obedience.
it echoes first and foremost Jesus obedience to the will of his Father
that the second Person in the Trinity must take up human flesh in
order to save mankind. Thus the son says in obedience to the Father,
sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared
for me Behold, i come to do your will (Heb 10:5-7). it also echoes
marys obedience to God when she tells the angel, may it be done
to me according to your word (Lk 1:38). This is what Pope Benedict
XVi refers to as the double yes: in this double yes the obedience
of the son is embodied, and by her own yes mary gives him that
body Ultimately, what each has to do with the other is found in this
double yes which resulted in the incarnationHere, in their double
yes to the will of the Father, an answer is found. We too need to learn
always anew how to progress towards this point: there we will find
the answer to our questions.
marys instruction to the servers is also her instruction to us, do
whatever Jesus tells you. Here mary is telling us to trust completely in
Jesus, to follow whatever it is that he says for us to do. This instruction
is absolute. There is no room for exception we are to do whatever
we are told to do.
Obedience leads to the changing of water into wine. Obedience
leads to superabundance of wine symbolizing the overflowing of grace
that comes at the time of messianic deliverance. in the words of Pope
Benedict XVi: He does not merely make wine, but transforms the
human wedding feast into an image of the divine wedding feast, to
which the Father invites us through the son and in which he gives us
every good thing, represented by the abundance of wine. The wedding
feast becomes an image of the moment when Jesus pushed love to the
utmost, let his body be rent and thus gave himself to us forever, having
become completely one with us a marriage between God and man.
We can be part of this wedding feast if we do whatever the son tells us.
Do Whatever He
Tells You
John 2: 5
Jun Uriarte
(Tnis ar|ic|c jrs| appcarcd in |nc Pni|ip-
pine Star, September 16, 2012)
iT was from poet-songwriter Gary Gra-
nada lhal I hisl heaid lhal lhe IiIipino
word tahan should be translated as
peace. For tahan does not mean to stop,
or halt or end. Tahan is more approxi-
mated by the phrase be comforted,
be consoled, or be at peace.
no wonder tahan na is most often ut-
tered by a parent to a crying child. it is
not a plea for the weeping or the wailing
to stop, but an assurance that someone
who cares is present and will respond.
are you hungry? i will feed you. are
you naked and cold? i will clothe you.
are you afraid, or lonely or alone? i
will accompany you. i am here now my
child. Tahan na, anak, tahan.
it is from tahan that the Filipino
word for home tahanan is rooted.
Tahanan, etymologically speaking,
originally meant a place of peace. it is
not an ordinary habitation, or just about
any other dwelling or place of abode.
There is always more to it. more than
the place is the peace.
Even our language constantly re-
minds us of our innermost and innate
desire: for our home to be that place
of comfort, consolation, serenity and
peace. We dream and believe that to go
home is actually to journey to happi-
ness, and to experience what the Church
Tahan na
fathers call as a foretaste of heaven.
it is not thus surprising that tahanan
is right thereat home, where ones
family is.
it starts with marriagethe Filipino
phrase for which is lumagay sa tahimik.
Literally, the bride and groom antici-
pate, with much eagerness, joy and ex-
citement, a peaceful life ahead of them.
But the celebration of the sacrament of
marriage is a momentous and founda-
tional event, described most beautifully
in this wise:
How can I ever express the happiness of
a marriage joined by the Church, strength-
ened by an offering, sealed by a blessing,
anncunccd oq angc|s, and ra|ijcd oq |nc
Father? . . . How wonderful the bond be-
tween two believers, now one in hope, one
in desire, one in discipline, one in the same
service!.... (Familiaris Consortio 30).
With the marriage comes the family,
especially when the marital union is
blessed with children (mag-anak).
in a pilot and pioneering 2007 study,
measuring Progress of Philippine so-
ciety: Gross national Product or Gross
national Happiness? by Romulo a.
Virola and Jessamyn O. Encarnacion,
one of lhe nosl saIienl hndings is lhal
family life is the most important source
of happiness for many Pinoys.
in Cartoon networks new Genera-
tions 2012 survey, Filipino kids said
quality time spent with parents is one
of the top two things that they are most
happy about (tied at 87% with appear-
ance, followed by friends (85%), health
(85%), hobbies and interests (79%), and
having people they can trust and talk
to (77%).
Tahanan, indeed, is still home. Home
is tahanan; and this is not a translation,
but a tautology. it is also a challenge,
not just for individuals but for the na-
tion as well.
Our laws acknowledge the crucial
and foundational nature of marriage
and family to the life of this nation.
The Philippine Constitution recognizes
marriage as the foundation of the fam-
ily and shall be protected by the state
(art. XV, sec. 2). The same Constitution
recognizes the Filipino family as the
foundation of the nation. accordingly,
it shall strengthen its solidarity and
actively promote its total development
(art. XV, sec. 1). in so stating, the Con-
stitution most succinctly describes from
whom, through whom and for whom
the state existsthe family.
The state knows, as individuals and
families have long known, that amidst
the turmoil and turbulence of this
world, the painstaking struggles and
the daily grind, the raging debates and
opposing claims for truth, all we want
is all we need: tahanan.
Arnel Santos
ROTaRY Homes Paraaque Founda-
tion recently hosted an anCOP Rotary
Homes Build day. The event started
off with the celebration of the Holy
mass followed by the blessing of the
14 houses funded by maynilad Water
services, inc. The day also marked the
groundbreaking for the next 16 homes
donated by various Rotary Clubs.
Paraaque mayor Jun Bernabe, along
with other local government and Rotary
ofhciaIs veie piesenl as veII as CIC
south B sector Head mon de Leon and
other CFC and anCOP leaders. isidro
sid Garcia, PdG of Rotary Homes and
member of the CFC anCOP marketing
Group is the chairman of said project.
Joining the build was maynilad Wa-
ter services, inc. employee-volunteers
who painted and cleaned the homes
in preparation for the moving in of
residents, who have been living almost
all of their lives along the banks of the
Paraaque river.
The housing project is a partnership
with the Paraaque City Government,
Rotary Homes Paraaque Foundation,
save the Paraaque River Foundation
inc., maynilad Water services, inc, and
CFC anCOP-Tekton Foundation, inc.
The project aims to develop a 4.2 hectare
city government property located along
the C5 Extension road near the naia
1 runway and multinational Village.
it will involve the construction of one
lhousand hve hundied (1,5OO) hones
in lhe nexl hve (5) lo seven (7) yeais,
as well as the implementation of the
various programs of anCOP like val-
ANCOP, Rotary Build
Homes
By Romy M. Medina
ues formation, education, health and
community development. The housing
project also aims to provide the informal
settlers with more decent living condi-
tions, and to reduce pollution in the
Paraaque River.
Rotary Homes Paranaque Foundation
envisions the establishment of a living,
loving and caring community. aside
from the decent homes, the village will
also house a multipurpose center, a park
and a health and education enter. ac-
cording to mayor Bernabe, the property
will be distributed based on the commu-
nity mortgage program (CmP) scheme,
where payment will be pegged at less
than P1,000 per month.
meanwhile, dmCi Homes joined
this partnership of answering the cry
of the poor by signing a memorandum
of agreement last september 19, 2012
at Palms Country Club in alabang
muntinlupa City.
Present in the signing were dmCi
Homes inc. senior Vice President for
Finance and Operations Joseph Ramil
Lombos, PdG isidro Garcia for Rotary
Homes, dmCi Homes inc. President
alfredo austria, mayor Jun Bernabe
and anCOP Chairman Jose Yamamoto.
a check worth P12,000,000.00 was do-
nated by dmCi Homes to CFC anCOP
Tekton Foundation inc. for the said
housing project.
CFC Co-ops Fed, Co-ops for Christ
Renew Ties with CISP
THE CFC Co-operatives Federation
(CCF), Co-ops for Christ manila and
the Cooperative insurance system
of the Philippines (CisP) renewed
their partnership through the sign-
ing of the addendum to the mOa at
CisP Office last september 28, 2012.
The mOa was signed by Leopoldo
L. Piera, Chairman, CCF; Victor
Hizon, Chairman, Co-ops for Christ
manila and nestor Custodio, Chair-
man, CisP.
The signing was witnessed by
Zosimo Tayaban, Chairman of CoFC
Laguna & a member of the Board of
directors of the CCF; Jorge asensi,
CCF BOd; Harmony medina, CCF
General manager; Leticia Jayme,
General manager, Co-ops for Christ
manila; Helen Piang, CFO, Co-ops
for Christ manila; Clarissa angeles,
Business development Officer for
Co-ops for Christ manila; Zosimo
Castillo sr., Vice President, CisP; Ben-
edicto Torres, VP for marketing, CisP;
and Jackelyn Podiotan, HR manager
and OiC-Claims, CisP.
The CFC Co-operatives Federation
and Co-ops for Christ manila have
been partners with the CisP since
2010 in providing life insurance cov-
erage called the mutual aid Benefit
system (maBs) for their members.
This insurance system has a pro-
gressing death benefit starting from
P30,000 to a maximum of P150,000.
The annual premium is only P300 or
P500, depending on the age of the
insured person.
maBs has provided social security
for about 12,000 members of Co-ops
for Christ manila and 30 CCF member
cooperatives. From september 2010
to september 31, 2012, 207 families
have received a total of P10.9 m in
death benefits.
CFC members who are interested
to enroll in maBs may contact CoFC
mani l a or Provi nci al Co-ops for
Christ Offices, or the CCF at (02)
7945153.
By Harmony H. Medina
Visit www.couplesforchristglobal.
org for more news updates.
C4
Vol. 16 No. 21
October 8 - 21, 2012
CBCP Monitor
Ugnayan
in 1992, a team from CFC Batangas
headed by Joey arguelles conducted
lhe hisl Chiislian Iife piogian in Ca-
lapan City, Oriental mindoro. a total of
28 coupIes hnished lhal hisl CLI. Lagei
to spread the good news of Christian
personal renewal, the graduates imme-
diately served in the CLPs in the popu-
lated towns of Roxas, Pinamalayan,
CFC Oriental Mindoro: 20 and Growing!
and socorro. Two years later the family
ministries sFC, HOLd, YFC, and KFC
were established in Oriental mindoro,
followed by the social ministries.
The destruction caused by Typhoon
Unding in 2003 became the catalyst that
sparked the work with the poor in the
province, particularly in the most heav-
ily damaged towns of Roxas, mansalay
and Bongabon. CFC volunteers aided
by the LGU, students, civic organiza-
tions, and visitors from other provinces
and manila helped to build homes for
those affected by the typhoon. To date,
there are 11 sites in the entire province
including two mangyan villages. These
villages are home to some 638 families,
many of whom eventually became
members of the CFC community.
CFC Oriental mindoro continues to
grow in the Lord. it is already estab-
lished in 13 of the 15 municipalities
of the province and has expanded its
mission to the areas of sibale island
and Romblon.
This rich history was remembered
during the celebration of the 20
th
an-
niversary of the CFC community in
the province last september 23, 2012
in Calapan City. many members at-
tended, including representatives
from Bulalacao, 116 km away, who had
to leave the day before and spend the
night in Roxas town where transporta-
tion is readily available. The Bulalacao
caravan consisted of 3 buses, 2 trucks
and 7 vans who joined the other ve-
hicles from the different towns in a
motorcade from Roxas to Calapan.
a total of 181 vehicles with around
2,500 delegates participated in the
long motorcade, a joyous procession
that served to witness to the fact that
CFC is very much alive and vibrant in
Oriental mindoro.
Willy P. madrid, cluster head in
Calapan, led the opening prayers,
after which Holy mass, officiated by
most Rev. Bishop Warlito i. Cajandig
and concelebrated with Fr. andy Peter
Lubi of the Family and Life aposto-
late and Fr. simplicio Bonquin of the
social Communications and mass
media, was celebrated. The bishop
commended CFC for being a reliable
arm of the church in evangelization
and even suggested areas that need
attention and support. He encouraged
the community to continue the work
of evangelization and the work for
the poor.
The welcome remarks was given by
Calapan City mayor, atty. salvador
Leachon, a CFC member. Emmanuel
nonoy dalman, international Coun-
ciI nenlei and Hone Ofhce Diiecloi,
delivered the anniversary message.
in support of the bishops call, he
encouraged every member to support
the CFCs work for the poor program
(anCOP) so that more underprivi-
leged children could be given good
education, better chances for employ-
ment, and the opportunity to help their
entire family attain a better life.
CFC Pola entertained the guests, that
included nonoys wife marivie, art
and Emily del Rio, Ernie and Cathy
Balarbar and Butch and sylvia soriano
with the traditional ritual of Tubong,
a dance ceremony that is peculiar to
mindoro and honors special guests by
treating them as royalty complete
with crown, garland and shower of
petals.
Competitions in video production
and street dance followed the Tubong.
CFC history was relived through the
dance interpretation of the annual
CFC themes assigned to the different
chapters.
IinaIIy, lhe nenleis of lhe hisl lalch
of every chapter were recognized and
honored since they were the seeds
that were planted on good ground
and prospered to become what CFC
Oriental mindoro is today. The pio-
neers were prayed over by art del
Rio, mimaROPa Regional Head and
Oriental mindoro area Head.
The Praisefest, led by dennis Gasic,
a nenlei of lhe hisl lalch in CaIapan
City and aGT member, ended the
celebrations.
By Manny & Ingrid Priela
CFC Chairman Ricky Cuenca and
wife irma, and Canada Country
Coordinator Eric de los Reyes and
wife Carina recently visited the
most Reverend Richard W. smith,
archbishop of Edmonton, alberta
and President of the Canadian
Conference of Catholic Bishops
at the Edmonton Pastoral Centre,
Edmonton, alberta. also present
at the meeting were Greg and Tess
Parillas, CFC Canada national di-
rector, nick and norma Borja, CFC
Canada national PFO and HOLd
national ministry Coordinator,
didi Galsim, HOLd international
Coordinator, manny and Cong
Cerin, Edmonton area director,
Joseph Yong, Edmonton Pro-Life
Coordinator, Ely Llanos, Edmonton
anCOP Coordinator and Fr.nilo
macapinlac, spiritual advisor of
CFC in Edmonton, alberta.
Ricky Cuenca presented to arch-
bishop smith the results of the July
2012 Clergy-Lay Congress held in
mississauga, Ontario and a copy of
the 30th CFC anniversary souvenir
Program. He also gave a brief back-
ground about the CFC community
CFC Visits CCCB President
and updated archbishop smith on
the latest global evangelization and
mission work that CFC is doing.
it was also emphasized that CFC
is one with the Catholic Church
adhering to the recognition made
by the Vatican to CFC.
in his exhortation, archbishop
smith assured CFC of his blessings
and was happy to note the support
that CFC members render to the
different parishes in terms of the
evangelization works i.e. Christian
Life Programs and various services.
He reminded everyone about the
Year of Faith which will start with
a mass on October 11, 2012 at the
st. Joseph Basilica. He also urged
everyone to continue to support the
Pastoral Priorities of the Catholic
church namely: Evangelization,
Faith Formation and Forming a
Culture of Vocations.
after the audience with arch-
bishop smith, the CFC delegation
met with diane Rouleau, asst. di-
rector of the Office of Family and
Life, and Julien Hammond, direc-
tor of the Together in ministry of
the Evangelization and Catechesis.
SFC SG Holds National Conference
By Agie Casio and Tyne Collado
BE joyful always. Pray at all times. Be
grateful in all circumstances - 1 Thes-
salonians 5:16. This was the bible an-
chor verse that inspired the singles for
Christ singapore (sFC-sG) national
Conference Blessed held at st Peters
auditorium in Catholic archdiocesan
Educational Centre, september 15-16,
2012.
The one-and-a-half-day event that
drew 330 participants from singapore
and seven (7) from malaysia high-
Iighled hve (5) laIks and aclivilies such
as shaiing, voikshops, ieeclion, and
jouinaIing. The hve (5) laIks focused
on the following: (1) i am blessed, (2)
Joyful, (3) Prayerful, (4) Grateful, and
(5) Blessed to bless.
The conference kicked off on satur-
day early afternoon by a worship and
praisefest led by national Conference
service Team Lead Edwin siruma. af-
ter the praise fest, the conference was
formally opened by dick Cercado, sFC
Country Couple Coordinator.
alain Gaite, sFC Pastoral Formation
Ofhce (IIO) Head, gave lhe laIk on I
am blessed. He emphasized that bless-
ings come from God, the Father. amidst
our weaknesses and sins, our greatest
blessings are the gift of life, calling, and
Gods mercy - which gives us so many
chances after each fall and permits us to
come back to the Father again.
ann de Guzman shared how coming
from a broken family turned out to be
a blessing, and how she accepted it as
part of Gods plan for her. arl Loremia
talked about how he and his family used
to live in poverty but through Gods
blessings, he is now living a better life
in singapore. Benia densing and sigrid
alegre had struggles with their health.
With Gods grace and their familys
prayers and unwavering support, they
had a successful journey towards their
healing and recovery. mon magtoto
shared about the pain he went through
for being rejected repeatedly by a girl
who he cared for so dearly, and the un-
explainable feeling of joy and triumph
he feIl vhen he hnaIIy von hei affeclion
through his perseverance.
An anlicipaled HoIy Mass ofhcialed
by Father Cary Chan was held after
session 1.
Paul molina, a seminarian based in
Blessed sacrament Church, was the
speaker for the second session. He
emphasized that joy is deeper than
happiness. The Christian joy is rooted in
the cross, which is the greatest art and
symbol of Gods love for us. Jesus suf-
fered and died for us in the cross so that
we would be saved. The nearer we are
to the cross, the more that we feel Gods
love and joy. Hence, we can also experi-
ence joy even during times of sorrow.
a workshop followed the talk, where-
in lhe pailicipanls veie asked lo ieecl
and list down the reasons why they
feel joyful.
The hisl day ended vilh a cIosing
praise fest led by Raylan Balinas.
it was a wonderful sunday morning
as day 2 started with a powerful and re-
vitalizing worship led by don Reyes, ac-
companied by the West music ministry.
session 3 was given by vibrant nun
Elizabeth sim who began by saying that
you are a prayer a prayer uttered by
your parents, a prayer to somebodys
needs. Elizabeth called the participants
awesomelets, as we are the children
loved by an awesome God. she remind-
ed us of the importance of prayer as our
connection to God, for when we pray,
we enter into the womb of God. and
as we are an answered prayer, God has
given birth to another person through
us. Prayer is our response to Gods call. .
Reflection and journal writing fol-
lowed after session 3. The participants
later shared with each other the mes-
sage they received from God during
session 3.
miyen Lobusta began session 4 by
asking the par-
licipanls lo ieecl
on their blessings
in life. in this
way, our hearts
will remain con-
stantly grateful.
miyen also re-
minded us to be
cautious about
the vice of ingrat-
itude, which is
prevalent in our
society these days and may be rooted
in oui seIhsh piide. Il is inpoilanl lhal
we combat ingratitude. We can do so by
following the example of mother marys
perfect grateful disposition as she kept
an open mind and heart to understand
and accept Gods plan for her.
The powerful sharing of Gods faith-
fulness in their lives by Jaime de la Torre,
JC Parungao, and Xanne agomaa af-
hined lhe nessage of lhe laIk. }aine
talked of being transformed into the
man of God that he is today. JC Parun-
gao went through a very painful time
when he lost his father a few months
ago. He related how God never left his
side as He healed him emotionally, and
how He continues to bless him beyond
what he deserves. Xanne agomaa
shared about her familys experiences
as they worked towards obtaining their
diean house. AIlhough faced vilh h-
nanciaI difhcuIlies aIong lhe vay, Xanne
remained faithful in her tithing.
Taffy Ledesma delivered Talk 5. He
began by saying that this years theme is
the best as it is encompasses all the other
themes in the past. He emphasized the
importance of acknowledging our state
as being blessed, for it is only when
remembering that we are blessed that
we can become grateful.
after the talk, Weng micua, Velmore
Vidad, Bell Tecson, dolf Hesita, Teresa
Ermita, and Gilbert Hamera stated that
the hurdles they have encountered in life
did not prevent them from being a bless-
ing to others. Hence, they all proclaimed
that they are blessed to bless.
Gratitude was immensely felt in the
closing worship and praisefest led by
andy Co. in little ways, participants
blessed one another by giving away
the blessing voucher, a prayer card
ardently asking our Lord to bless the
receiver.
The participants went home with
a renewed mindset about life and a
stronger faith in the Lord. The national
Conference may have ended, but the
take-home messages and realizations
will always remain in our hearts.
anCOP Usa was the topic of Pulong
Bayan sa New Jersey, held on september
12, 2012 in Jersey City, new Jersey.
Pulong Bayan is a monthly meeting
of the new Jersey Filipino-american
community leaders from various as-
sociations where timely and important
subjects relevant to the community are
discussed.
Guest speaker Roger santos, anCOP
Usa Executive director and COO,
spoke about CFC anCOP Usa and its
programs and gamely answered the
questions during the open forum that
followed.
among the leaders of the largest nJ
Filipino organizations present were:
Rev. Gaudy soriano, President, Fed-
eration of Philippine societies in new
Jersey (FOPsnJ) and Founder of Pulong
ANCOP USA Featured in
Pulong Bayan Sa New Jersey
Bayan; Paul Verzosa, President-elect
of Philippine societies of new Jersey
and co-founder of Pulong Bayan;
Helen Castillo, director of PaFCOm;
Carmen Hermosisima, area Head (nJ
& CT), PnB Remittance Centers, inc.;
domingo Jun Hornilla, Chapter
Commander, Knights of Rizal (KOR) in
Jersey City; Francis d. sison, member,
KOR Council of Elders; atty. Victor G.
sison, PaFCOm 2012 Grand marshal &
KOR deputy Chapter commander and
Ronnie atenoja, FOPsnJ.
CFC anCOP Usa leaders present
Roger Santos giving a talk about
CFC ANCOP USA.
were Rollie Balanza, Romy dacayanan,
sonny aguiling, manny Caballero,
Josie santos, Emer dacayanan, Jun &
Elizabeth macaraeg, Jon Teves, dante
nagayo and Rene Palma.
The PnB-anCOP Usa Partnership
agreement wherein PnB donates $2.00
for every remittance made by any CFC
anCOP Usa member stemmed from
this Pulong Bayan meeting.
The community leaders expressed
interest in developing partnerships
with anCOP Usa, especially during
calamities.