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VOLUME 19
NUMBER 5

March 2 - 15, 2015

PROTAGONIST OF TRUTH, PROMOTER OF PEACE

CBCPMONITOR.COM

CBCPMONITOR@CBCPWORLD.NET

CBCP raises concerns on

anti-discrimination bill

Bishops demand:
Transparency,
accountability on
P87-M Tubbataha
repairs
BISHOP Pedro D. Arigo of the
Prelature of of Puerto Princesa
expresses hope that transparency
and accountability will be exercised
with regard to the Php 87-million
which the United States (US)
government had paid in fine for
the damages its vessel, the USS
Guardian, had caused the Tubbataha Reefs National Park in 2013.

By Roy Lagarde

THE Catholic hierarchy has raised concerns over an anti-discrimination measure

which, according to
them, may affect their
rights to determine
who should be admitted to priestly formation, among others.

Tubbataha watch
The prelate said given the culture
of corruption eating away at the
countrys system, he cannot help
but raise the alarm on how authoriTransparency, A6

Archbishop Socrates Villegas,

president of the Catholic Bishops
Conference of the Philippines,
asserted matters such as who
should be admitted to seminaries and ordained are within the
exclusive sphere of competence
of the Church.
The Church asserts its exclusive right to determine its own
criteria and to exclude even on
the basis of sexual orientation and
gender identity if it finds these to
be hindrances to the fidelity that
is expected or ordained or consecrated persons, Villegas said.
He pointed out that the Constitution guarantees such right
under the free exercise clause of
the fundamental law of the land.
Villegas said that same liberty to determine their own admission and retention policies must
be enjoyed by Catholic schools
on the basis of the constitutional
guarantee of academic freedom.

Concerns, A6

Pope puts family at the

center of social justice, A3

NOLI YAMSUAN/RCAM

Colonization
In his recent visit to the Philippines, Pope Francis warned the
Filipinos against the ideological
colonization of the family.

WHATS INSIDE

During Lent, pope offers

handy tips for preparing
for confession, B1

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople embrace during their meeting at the French School in Paraaque
City on Feb. 27 2015. Patriarch Bartholomew was on a two-day visit to the country along with French President Francois Hollande to advocate against climate change ahead
of a crucial summit of world leaders that France will host in December. They also met survivors of typhoon Yolanda in Guiuan, Eastern Samar seeking to sound the alarm
on global warming.

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick S. Pabillo

FOR head of Churchs liaison body, carrying out peaceful dialogue remains the
best way to deal with the Bangsamoro
Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), fearing
that launching an all-out offensive against
rebel groups only spawns more problems
than it solves.
In a recent interview, Manila Auxiliary
Bishop Broderick S. Pabillo told Church-

run Radyo Veritas government officials

must persuade BIFF members to sit down
with them at the negotiating table.
Negotiation must seriously be considered. Offensives are no good If the
government is able to negotiate with MILF
[Moro Islamic Liberation Front], why not
with BIFF? he said.
Negotiation, A5

AT least 1,790 new shelters were constructed and 205 houses were repaired
as Caritas Philippines three-year master
plan to rebuild areas devastated by super
typhoon Yolanda plan is well underway,
with phase one nearing completion this
March.
Archbishop Rolando Tirona, Caritas
Philippines national director, said this is
just the beginning of the three-year program, which started last April across nine
dioceses severely affected by Yolanda.
Continuing commitment
This is the realization of our commitment to rehabilitate the lives of the survivors after the typhoons devastation. Our
dream to rebuild resilient communities is
slowly coming to life, Tirona said.
Based on the third quarter report, water
system and sanitation facilities, as well as
hygiene promotion trainings were also
provided to 36,913 individuals.
The agency, more locally known as the
National Secretariat for Social Action-

Nassa, A6

CARITAS PHILIPPINES

FILE PHOTO

Negotiation is the Nassa Yolanda rehab gears

solutionbishop up for next phase

Caritas Philippines constructed 1,790 new houses for typhoon Yolanda survivors and their families as
part of a three-year master plan for rehabilitation.

OFWs have their baby christened in war-torn Benghazi, Libya.

THE Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP)s

Episcopal Commission on Migrant
and Itinerant People (ECMIP)
echoes the public appeal for the

repatriation of Overseas Filipino

Workers (OFWs) remaining in
Libya, Syria, Yemen, and other foreign countries with reported cases
Homecoming, A6

IN what is perhaps their biggest

public appeal to date, 81 Catholic
Church leaders have resounded
their plea to the countrys chief
executive and to Congress to
give new life and glorious finish
to the 27-year-old Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program
(CARP) by passing the twin
measures House Bill 4296 and
House Bill 4375 for the sake of
Filipino farmers.

Immediate passage
In a recent two-page letter to
President Benigno S. Aquino
III (PNoy), the prelates led by
Catholic Bishops Conference of
the Philippines (CBCP) President
Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas
of Lingayen-Dagupan, call on
members of Congress to immediately pass the two proposed
laws which are in various stages

of consideration in the Senate and

the House of Representatives.
HB 4296 seeks to renew the
Department of Agrarian Reform
(DAR)s authority to issue notices
of coverage and provide adequate
funding for support services to agricultural landholdings that have
not yet been placed under CARP,
while HB 4375 aims to create an
independent Agrarian Reform
Commission to review the actual
accomplishment of CARP and
investigate circumventions and
violations of the CARP Law with
a view to cause these landholdings
to be redistributed to qualified
beneficiaries.
Priority measure
In June 2014, President Aquino
certified as urgent the passage of
HB 4296. While the House has
Bishops, A6

ILLUSTRATION BY BROTHERS MATIAS

MATET GANOTICE RAMIREZ

CBCP body echoes call for 81 bishops renew Churchs Tagle reminds faithful: Pray,
fast, do acts of charity
OFWs homecoming from call for CARP
countries of conflict

MANILA Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle on Wednesday

reminded the Catholic faithful of
three acts they must do in fitting
observance of the Lenten season
praying, fasting, and doing acts of
charity to the poor and needy.
This Lenten season, let us all

remember that God truly loves us.

In response to this love, where do
we place ourselves? Is it in God or
to other things that could lead us
astray? Tagle said in his homily during the Ash Wednesday Mass held at
the Arobispado de Manila chapel.
Remind, A6

A2 WORLD NEWS

March 2 - 15, 2015, Vol. 19. No. 5

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, Feb 27,

2015The African bishops took
the first step on Monday toward
having representation at the African Union, with the appointment
of a liaison between the AU and
the symposium of African bishops
conferences.
Bernhanu Tamene Woldeyohannes was on Feb. 23 appointed
head of the office for relations
between the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and
Madagascar (SECAM) and the
African Union. Woldeyaohannes
Addis Ababa office will facilitate
the signing of a memorandum of
understanding for SECAM observer status at the African Union,
the bishops announced. This is in
line with the goals of the Catholic
Church in Africa in contributing
to the building of a unified, integrated, strong, democratic, well
governed, developed, prosperous,
righteous, peaceful ,and respected
Africa, SECAM stated. SECAM

SECAM

African bishops aim for observer

status at African Union

Bishops of SECAM meet with President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of
the Congo, August 2013.

was designed during the Second

Vatican Council as a mean for
African bishops to speak with one
voice despite language, cultural,
and historical differences, and
held its first meeting in 1969 dur-

ing Bl. Paul VIs visit to Uganda;

the African Union gathers all African States but Morocco and was
established in 2002. The Holy See
is a non-member state accredited
to the African Union, and the es-

Vatican Briefing
New statutes for economic reform are in effect at the Vatican

tablishment of a SECAM observer

at the union could enhance the
Holy Sees participation in the
organization. Woldeyohannes
will likely collaborate justice and
peace and economic commissions, aiming to promote African
development in line with the AUs
Agenda 2063, intended to reignite a sense of unity, self-reliance,
integration and solidarity that
moved the African independence
movements of the 1960s. He
has been head of the Ethiopian
bishops justice and peace department, and work in their community development program.
Woldeyohannes appointment
follows declarations by Cardinal
Berhaneyesus Souraphiel, head
of the Ethiopian Archeparchy of
Addis Ababa, that he is committed to SECAM, as well as the Association of Members of Bishops
Conferences of East Africa, gaining observer status at the African
Union. (CNA)

Paraguay archbishop to UN: stop pushing

abortion, gay marriage
ASUNCIN, Paraguay, Feb 26,
2015Archbishop Edmundo
Valenzeula of Asuncion, Paraguay
is demanding that U.N. Secretary
General Ban Ki Moonwho is
visiting the country this weekensure that the United Nations does
not promote abortion, euthanasia
and gay marriage in Paraguay.
In a statement posted on Facebook Feb. 25 to mark Bans arrival,
Archbishop Valenzuela said the
Paraguayan people wished to extend hospitality to the U.N. leader
but warned of concerns that the
U.N. is putting pressure on Paraguay to accept things that violate
the countrys core values and beliefs. Mr. Ban Ki Moon, the secretary general of the United Nations,
is visiting our country at the official
invitation of the government,
Archbishop Valenzuela said. We
welcome him and we offer him
the hospitality of our people. We

hope that Mr. Ban Ki Moons stay

will be cordial and lead to concrete
results that benefit Paraguayan
families, especially those most in
need. However, he warned, We
cannot deny our concern regarding
the pressures constantly exerted on
the Paraguayan state, which is free
and sovereign, by so-called U.N.
experts, many of whom adhere to
obscure ideologies that openly contradict our human and Christian
values. These pressures are related
specifically to very sensitive issues
such as the natural makeup of the
family, contraception, abortion
and the integral and total protection of human life from conception
to natural death. Faithful to its
founding spirit, the U.N. needs
to respect the cultural tradition of
peoples, their core values and their
beliefs, and recognize that the role
of moral and spiritual mentoring belongs to the family and to

religion, the archbishop said. He

further stated, The moral strength
of a nation is found in its beliefs
and values which, lived in accord
with a healthy integral education
that takes into account all the dimensions of the person, must not
reject faith, which is a fundamental
dimension of the psycho-social and
spiritual structure of the human
being. Unfortunately, various
recommendations from the U.N.
on human rights for Paraguay
and other countries include supposedly new rights such as those
proclaimed by radical groups that
are dedicated to promoting the
legalization of abortion, euthanasia, homosexual and other kinds
of unions, with the possibility
that these couples can adopt children. The role of the Church, he
emphasized, is to be an advocate
for children, especially for those
with some form of handicap and/

Tamr. The two villages attacked are inhabited

primarily by the countrys ancient Christian
minority. After Tuesdays attacks, ISIS has
gone on to claim eight more such villages
over the past three days. Archbishop Hindo
said that today around 4 a.m. (ISIS) attacked
two villages, which are a Christian majority.
They took families from both villages. Entire
families were abducted, he noted, including
fathers, mothers, children and grandparents.
He said that the militants took families from
one village, before moving to the second and
abducting more from that one. ISIS then took
the families back to their Syrian stronghold
in the city of Sheddadi, which sits roughly 25
miles south of Hassake. Archbishop Hindo
expressed his concern for fate of the ISIS
hostages, particularly the elderly, women and
children, as well as that of the families who
fled to the Turkish border, which has been
closed to all Syrians. So far the Syrian civil war
has forced 3 million Syrians, of all religions, to
become refugees, with an additional 6.5 million internally displaced. And in Iraq, since
the rise of the Islamic State, there are more
than 1.8 million internally displaced persons.

or who are still in their mothers

wombs and run the serious risk of
being thrown out by society if the
new canons of the culture of death,
promoted by international agents
at the global level, are accepted,
and which legalize what is evil
under the auspices of the State.
The Church raises her voice in
the name of the families who are
still living in situations that are
structurally unjust and that must
be overcome with serious and
sustained public policies. While
we share some common good
objectives proposed by the U.N.,
and as the Church we work in subsidiary with the Paraguayan State
to achieve them, we are nonetheless vigilant in safeguarding the
human and Christian values of
our people, so that development
focuses on and promotes a full and
dignified life for all the inhabitants
of our homeland. (CNA)

The number of ISIS hostages in Syria has increased to at least 250

after continued attacks on Christian villages, and civilians fleeing to
the Turkish border have been stranded when not allowed to cross.
There are 200 families who were running away and trying to escape
to Turkey, but the border is closed for Syrians. No Syrian can cross
into Turkey, Archbishop Jacques Behnan Hindo told CNA Feb.
26. Archbishop Hindo oversees the Syrian archdiocese of Hassake,
which is located in the Al-Hasakah region of Syria. The region sits
between the countrys borders with both Turkey and Iraq. He spoke
to CNA in French over the phone with a patchy connection from
his diocese in Syria, where internet is currently down, saying that
ISIS has continued its assault in the area, raising the number of
hostages to more than 250 after an estimated 90 were kidnapped
during attacks earlier this week. (CNA)

The commander of the Pontifical Swiss Guard says the group of

soldiers charged with protecting the Pope is on high alert and
ready to act if any threat from ISIS materializes. We are ready
to intervene. Our job is security. and as gendarmes we are well
organized. We are ready if anything happens, said Cristoph Graf.
At age 54, Graf is married with two children. Yet he and the other
members of the Swiss Guard are willing to lay down their lives to
protect the Holy Father. In an interview with the Italian daily Il
Giornale, published on Feb. 18, Graf responded to threats from ISIS
militants, who stated in a recent video, We will conquer Rome.
We have asked the guards to be on higher alert, to watch how
people are moving. We cant do more than that, Graf said. (CNA)

If you are in organized crime, you are not a Christian, Pope says

You cannot call yourself a true believer if you participate in organized crime, Pope Francis told members of the Cassano allJonio
diocese in Italy on Feb. 21. No one, the Pope said, can call
themselves Christians and violate the dignity of the person; those
who belong to the Christian community cannot program or carry
out acts of violence against others and against the environment.
Jesus never invited demons to lunch, no he chased them away,
because they are evil, he said, emphasizing that Christ and evil
are incompatible. Mere external signs of devotion which are not
coupled with a true and public conversion are not enough to be
considered in communion with Christ and His Church, Francis
stressed. External gestures of religiosity are not enough to credit
as believers those who with the malice and arrogance typical of
criminals, make lawlessness their lifestyle, he said, calling those affiliated with criminal organizations to a conversion of heart. (CNA)

As Pope Francis and Vatican officials try to completely revamp the

Vaticans economic policies and the procedures at what is commonly
called the Vatican bank, differences of opinion are normal, but leaking documents about those discussions is illegal, said the Vatican
spokesman. The fact that complex economic or legal issues are the
subject of discussion and diverse points of view should be considered
normal, said Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the spokesman, in a
note published late Feb. 27. The spokesmans comments came after
the Italian magazine LEspresso published three articles allegedly illustrating how power struggles between the most important prelates
are placing the reforms of Pope Francis at risk. The articles particularly target Australian Cardinal George Pell, head of the Secretariat
for the Economy. The leaked minutes of a meeting of cardinals, the
magazine said, show top Vatican officials are concerned about a lack
of checks and balances as the cardinal gains more power over Vatican
spending, hiring, income and revenues. (CNS)

The number of displaced persons is expected

to rise after ISISs recent attacks in northeastern Syria. Fighting between ISIS and the
Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) in
Syria has intensified in recent weeks. The YPG
has taken 24 villages as part of an initiative
to recapture the town of Tal Hamis, which
lies to the east of the two villages captured
by ISIS on Tuesday, Aljazeera agency reports.
Since last months recapture of the town of
Kobane, which borders Turkey, YPG forces
have continued to advance, and have been
active in Raqa, which neighbors Al-Hasakah.
So far they have regained 19 villages in the
area. Although the U.S.-led international
coalition, which has backed Kurdish forces
against ISIS, carried out a series of attacks
Tuesday near Tal Hamis that killed 14 ISIS
fighters, Archbishop Hindo said military
invention from the West over the last few
days has been sparse. The archbishop said
that every night he can hear planes passing
over their heads, but without bombing or
doing anythingin the past four days air
operations have been suspended. I ask myself
why. (CNA)

Child protection expert named head of Malta archdiocese

A month after naming him president of a Vatican board hearing

appeals in clerical sex abuse cases, Pope Francis tapped Auxiliary
Bishop Charles J. Scicluna of Malta to be the new head of the
archdiocese. At a news conference that began moments after his
appointment was announced Feb. 27, Archbishop Scicluna, 55,
said that since hearing the news five days earlier, I wouldnt say Ive
had sleepless nights, but Im not sleeping as peacefully as before.
He succeeds Archbishop Paul Cremona, who resigned for health
reasons in October at the age of 68. The Archdiocese of Malta
has been operating at a deficit for years and Archbishop Scicluna
said the first thing he will do is listen to the people who already
have done a lot of work studying how chancery operations can be
restructured to reduce the deficit and improve efficiency. (CNS)

Pope names St. Gregory of Narek a doctor of the church

CECILIA CHUI/UCCBA

the theme Bearing Witness to the

Word for New Evangelization. In
addition to Taiwan, participants
came from Hong Kong, Macau,
Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Japan, Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam, the Philippines, Australia,
New Zealand, Italy, Germany,
England, and Canada. Most were
laity, though six bishops were present, including Cardinal Joseph
Zen Ze-kiun, Bishop Emeritus
of Hong Kong. Chui pointed out
that centering on the directives of
Verbum Domini and Evangelii
Gaudium, the five-day congress
was designed to reflect on how
to make Gods Word ever more
fully the heart of the Churchs life
and mission in multi-perspectives,
and how to discern the signs of the
times, through talks and witnesses
by speakers and communities from
different locales. Fr. Joseph Zhang,
a Chinese biblical scholar, spoke on
Evangelization within the Chinese
CommunityHow Does the
Bible Encounter Chinese People,
emphasizing the importance of
a deep reading of the Bible, the
formation of Gospel-filled missionary disciples, and offering the
Gospel that the Chinese need in
view of their life situations. Archbishop John Hung Shan-chuan
of Taipei spoke on The Word of

Turkish border closed as Christian hostages in Syria spike to 250

Vatican condemns leak of documents on differences over economic reform

Chinese Bible association gathers to make Scripture the heart of Churchs life
TAIPEI, Taiwan, Feb 26, 2015
The United Chinese Catholic
Biblical Association held its tenth
World Chinese Biblical Congress
last month in Taiwan, drawing
participants from 18 countries to
reflect on Scripture and its place in
the new evangelization.
The congress was a very touching experience of a new Pentecost
with the outpouring of gifts of the
Holy Spirit in the company of the
Blessed Mother engendering
fresh new inspirations, hope, and
vision for all concerned to mark
a new page in being biblical missionary disciples in the Church
and in the world in creative ways,
said Cecilia Chui, secretary of the
UCCBA. The UCCBA is commemorating the 50th anniversary
of the promulgation of the Second Vatican Council document
Dei Verbum and has resolved to
meaningfully live 2015 as a Biblical pastoral ministry year and to
dedicate this project to respond to
the apostolic exhortations Verbum
Domini and Evangelii Gaudium
as a humble gift for Pope Francis
on the second anniversary of his
pontificate, Chui told CNA Feb
24. The biblical congress drew
more than 300 participants to
Taipei, the capital of the Republic
of China, Jan. 22-26 to reflect on

Statutes of the Vatican Council for Economy, Secretariat for the

Economy, and General Auditor went into effect March 1, having
been signed Feb. 22 by Msgr. Bryan Wells, assessor of the Secretariat
of State. The text of the statutes have not been released by the Holy
See Press Office, but can be seen in the Vaticans Courtyard of San
Damaso, where they are displayed. The statutes of the Secretariat for
the Economy stressed over which Vatican bodies the Secretariat exercises its functions of financial control and oversight, and clarified
its relations with the Council of the Economy. The statutes of the
Council for the Economy clarify functions and competences of the
Council. Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of Durban, one of the members
of the Council for the Economy, told CNA Feb. 13, the Council
for the Economy will be mostly entrusted with providing financial
policies that the Secretariat for Economy will then foster. (CNA)

Swiss Guard: We are ready to defend Pope from ISIS

Turkish border closed as Christian hostages in Syria spike to 250

ROME, Italy, Feb 26, 2015The number
of ISIS hostages in Syria has increased to at
least 250 after continued attacks on Christian
villages, and civilians fleeing to the Turkish
border have been stranded when not allowed
to cross.
There are 200 families who were running
away and trying to escape to Turkey, but
the border is closed for Syrians. No Syrian
can cross into Turkey, Archbishop Jacques
Behnan Hindo told CNA Feb. 26. Archbishop Hindo oversees the Syrian archdiocese of
Hassake, which is located in the Al-Hasakah
region of Syria. The region sits between the
countrys borders with both Turkey and Iraq.
He spoke to CNA in French over the phone
with a patchy connection from his diocese in
Syria, where internet is currently down, saying
that ISIS has continued its assault in the area,
raising the number of hostages to more than
250 after an estimated 90 were kidnapped
during attacks earlier this week. British-based
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said
Tuesday that at least 90 Assyrian Christians
were kidnapped by ISIS after militants seized
two villages near Al-Hasakahs city of Tal-

CBCP Monitor

United Chinese Catholic Bible Association group photo at the 10th World Chinese Bible
Congress in Taipei.

God, Marriage, and the Family,

and Fr. Mark Fang, S.J., presented
an examination of Bl. Paul VIs
Evangelii Nuntiandi. The climax
of the congress coincided with
the celebration of the feast of Bl.
Gabriel Maria Allegra, referred
as the St. Jerome of China. During the Mass, Bishop Joseph Ha
Chi-shing, auxiliary bishop of
Hong Kong, preached on Bl. Allegras ability to inspire the new
evangelization. Participants also
received Chinese translations of
Evangelii Gaudium and the New
Testament, and instruction in
lectio divina. Chui concluded

that the tasks of overall planning

and running of the meeting were
shouldered by lay people, and that
the outcomes were thrilling and
fruitful manifest clearly that it is
the Age of the Word and the Age
of the Laity. The prefect and the
secretary of the Congregation for
the Evangelization of Peoples both
conveyed congratulatory messages
to the meeting, as well as a message
from Pope Francis and his apostolic
blessing. The UCCBA was founded
in 1990, and the next biblical
congress is due to take place in
Hong Kong, the birthplace of the
UCCBA. (CNA/EWTN News)

A 10th-century Armenian monk has been named among the doctors of the church. Pope Francis approved the designation for St.
Gregory of Narek during a meeting Feb. 21 with Cardinal Angelo
Amato, prefect of the Congregation for Saints Causes. The church
confers this designation on saints whose writings are considered to
offer key theological insights for the faith. St. Gregory of Narek is
considered one of the foremost figures of Armenian theology and
thought, and many of his prayers are included in the Armenian
Divine Liturgy. He was born in 950 in the Armenian town of
Andzevatsik, located in present-day Turkey. He entered a monastery at a young age and was ordained a priest at 25. He lived at
the monastery at Narek his whole priestly life and taught at the
monastic school. His best-known writings include a commentary
on the Song of Songs and his Book of Lamentations, more commonly known as Narek. Narek is considered his masterpiece.
St. Gregory died in Narek around 1005. St. Gregory brings the
current number of doctors of the church to 36. (CNS)

Ukrainian Catholic leader invites pope, says visit could bring peace

The head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church invited Pope Francis

to visit the war-torn nation, saying it would help bring peace. It
would be a prophetic gesture that would show the power of prayer
and Christian solidarity, give us courage and hope and build a better
future for everyone, said Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, major
archbishop of Kiev-Halych. On behalf of Catholics, Orthodox Christians and people of goodwill in Ukraine, the archbishop personally
invited the pope, telling journalists Feb. 23 that such a visit would
bring peace to that part of Eastern Europe soaked with the blood
of so many martyrs for the unity of the church. The archbishop was
in Rome following an ad limina visit Feb. 16-21 in which bishops
from Ukraines Eastern- and Latin-rite traditions reported to the pope
and the Vatican on the state of their dioceses. (CNS)

NEWS FEATURES A3

March 2 - 15, 2015, Vol. 19. No. 5

Pope puts family at the

center of social justice
VATICAN City, Feb 28,
2015In an audience with
the Confederazione Cooperative Italiane (confederation of
Italian co-operatives) Pope
Francis called for the globalization of solidarity which
places the dignity of persons
and families at the center of
social justice.
To globalize solidarity,
the Pope said during the Feb.
28 gathering, means thinking about spiraling unemployment, the constant tears
of the poor, and the need
for real, integral progress for
the person, not just in terms
of income.
First founded in 1919,
the Confederazione Cooperative Italiane is a business
incubator which helps new
and start-up companies get
off the ground by providing
services and resources. Suppressed under Italys Fascist
Regime, it was re-established
in 1945.
Speaking to the 7,000 people gathered in the Vaticans
Paul VI during the audience, comprised of men and
women representing various
sectors of the work force,

Pope Francis offered a few

points of encouragement.
First, he spoke of the need
to prioritize the creation of
new cooperative enterprises, while developing those
that already exist, thereby
creating new possibilities
for work which are currently
unavailable.
Pope Francis also addressed
the need for welfare reform,
especially in the area of
healthcare.
I know what you have
done for years with heart and
with passion, in the peripheries of the city and our society,
for families, children, the
elderly, the sick and disadvantaged, he said. Charity
is a gift, the Pope added,
without which one cannot
enter into the house of one
who suffers.
Turning to the economy,
the pontiff discussed its relationship with social justice,
as well as the dignity and
value of the human person.
Pope Francis spoke of a
certain liberalism which
believes in the necessity to
produce wealth, regardless
of how, in order to promote

some political redistribution

on the part of the State.
Such an approach runs the
risk of focusing on marking,
without leaving the deadly
circuit of the pride of persons
and companies who have the
money-god at the center,
he said.
Rather, in establishing a
new quality of economy, he
said, one creates the ability
for persons to grow in all of
their potential.
The pontiff then turned to
the need for the cooperative
to offer support for families,
emphasizing the need to
help women to realize fully
their own vocation and to
put into practice their own
talents.
Pope Francis went on to
say that, notwithstanding,
money is necessary for these
endeavors, and for this reason
he urged members of the
cooperative to invest well.
He then stressed the importance of organizing resources
whereby workers can be paid
just wages, thereby allowing
families to live with dignity
and calm. (Ann Schneible/
CNA/EWTN News)

A family waits outside the SM Mall of Asia for Pope Francis Encounter with
the Families, Jan. 16, 2015. RODERICK CRUZ

Pro-life solons file bill vs RH,

ideological colonization

FILE PHOTO

QUEZON City, Feb. 25, 2015Following

Pope Francis fight against ideological colonization, a group of lawmakers who have taken
up the cause of life, filed House Bill 5373 in
a bid to repeal Republic Act 10354, or The
Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive
Health Act of 2012 (RH Law), and to address positively the problem of severe poverty
affecting a great number of Filipino families.
In a statement issued by the 16th Congresss
press office, Quezon Province 3rd district Rep.
Aleta C. Suarez, one of the proponents of the
bill, said the RH Law Repeal Act responds
to Pope Francis call to protect the family.
Ruin of family
According to her, the head of the Catholic
Church himself criticized rich countries and
international organizations for what he called
the ideological colonization that seeks the
ruin of traditional family values and to influence lifestyles and morals of young people
worldwide.
No less than Pope Francis, has admonished
and reminded us during his recent visit to
protect our families, she said.

A pro-lifer holds up an anti-abortion placard during an anti-RH law rally.

Countrys greatest treasure

Suarez stressed, citing His Holiness during
the Meeting with the Families, to see in the
families the countrys greatest treasure.
Be sanctuaries of respect for life, proclaiming the sacredness of every human life from
conception to natural death, she quoted the
Pope as saying.
Meanwhile, BUHAY Party-list Rep. Jose L.
Atienza, principal author of the bill, believes
that rather than teach Filipino families to

Yolanda survivors time

to help others
PALO, Leyte, Feb. 19, 2015
One year and three months
after towns in Leyte province
and Tacloban City were hardly
hit by super typhoon Yolanda,
survivors, who benefited from
millions of pesos in aid from
generous donors, specifically
from the Caritas International
Fund, are encouraged to help
others through the Alay Kapwa
(Lenten collection).
Palo Archbishop John Forrosuelo Du in a recent homily
stressed the need to support the
Church-backed Caritas fund by
raising money that will be used
for future relief and rehabilitation projects for those affected
by natural calamities.
Measly collection
During his Ash Wednesday
Mass at the Cathedral of Our
Lords Transfiguration, the prelate said the Palo Archdioceses
Alay Kapwa collection since last
year was so measly, despite Caritas Internationals unwavering
assistance to the people of the
Archdiocese during its ongoing
recovery efforts.
Du said this Lenten Season,
the Archdiocese is intensifying
its Alay Kapwa collection drive,
the proceeds of which will be
sent to the Vatican.
He conveyed his plan to build
a dining hall in the Cathedral
grounds where people could

come and bring food to share

to indigent families through
the regular Sunday La Mesa ni
Martha, which he initiated and
launched late last year.
Du reminded the people
about the essence of fasting
during Lent season, saying it is
not for economic reasons, but
to promote compassion and
charity to those in need, regardless of religion.
Acts of sacrifice
The amount saved from fasting
and abstinence could be channeled to those who are homeless,
hungry, needing clothes to wear
and even in for the needs of those
in prison, he said.
The works of mercy are the
best ways one can more meaningfully observe the season of
Lent, Du explained, by doing
acts of sacrifice during the 40
days of Lent. Doing humanitarian mission in the barangays is
another way he cited.
Fr. Wilson Chu, the Oeconomus of the Archdiocese and
new co-pastor of the Sto. Nio
Church in Tacloban, in his Ash
Wednesday homily likewise
challenged the parishioners to
do some form of sacrifice for
God each day of Lent, resting
their faith in Him who constantly shows His love in every
detail of life. (Eileen NazarenoBallesteros/CBCPNews)

use contraception, the government would be

better reinforcing positive Filipino values to
Filipino children.
Culture of life
Instead of teaching them to use contraceptives and to look at pregnancy as a disease and
a burden, we should be promoting responsible
parenthood and the culture of life, Atienza said.
Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez of the 1st
District of Leyte, another supporter, explained
giving the Filipino families massive doses of
anti-life programs would only destroy the
countrys future.
Instead of allocating billions of pesos to
buy condoms and contraceptives in implementing the RH Law, these funds should be
put to better use in providing genuine health
services for the millions of poor families,
Romualdez said.
Total repeal
Under House Bill 5373, all laws, decrees,
rules, regulations, executive orders, and other
inconsistent with the proposed Act are also
repealed.
The other authors are as follows: Jonathan
A. Dela Cruz (Party List, ABAKADA), Victor
C. Ortega (1st District, La Union), Philip A.
Pichay (1st District, Surigao del Sur), Diosdado Macapagal Arroyo (2nd District,
Camarines Sur), and Lani Mercado-Revilla
(2nd District, Cavite)Suarez explained that
RH Law advocates consider the growing
population as a burden and the cause of poverty in the country. (Raymond A. Sebastin/
CBCP News)

Will there be an
ecology department
at the Roman Curia
after reform?
VATICAN City, Feb 28,
2015An upcoming presentation of a Vatican-sponsored
Pan-Amazonia Network may
shed light on how a possible
curial office for human ecology would work, if curial
reform is shaped as it was
presented at the Feb. 12
consistory.
The Ecclesial Network of
the Pan-Amazonia was established Sep. 9-12 in Brazil
with the aim of fostering a
new approach to climate,
and will be presented in the
Vatican March 2.
The network involves the
Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Caritas PanAmazonia, the Department
of Social Justice of the Latin
American Bishops Conferences, the Bishops Commission for Amazonia, as well as
several other realities committed to the preservation of
the Amazon rainforest.
While the network was
born with a regional purpose,
its aim is in fact global, and
so observers from Europe,
Asia, and Africa have been
called to take part in the
network.
A source who works in the
Vatican explained to CNA
Feb. 27 that real innovation
is that the network wants
to involve more developed
countries not in order to
provide fundsas has been
done beforebut in order to
pursue a real collaboration,
and to make the developed
countries more aware of the
issue of climate change.
It is in the end a global call
for global responsibility, and
the network is an example of
how the Church works, the
source maintained.
This kind of approach
will likely be fostered in a
new department for Human
Ecology that should be established within the Vatican
ranks.
During the Feb. 12-13
consistory, Bishop Marcello
Semeraro of Albano, coordinator of the Council of
Cardinals, outlined a possible curial reform through
the establishment of two
super-congregations: Charity, Justice and Peace; and
Laity, Family and Life.
At least six pontifical councils would merge in the two
super-congregations, and
each of them would be composed of five secretariats.
One of the secretariats within
the Congregation for Charity, Justice and Peace may be
that for Human Ecology.
The director of the Holy
See press office, Fr. Federico
Lombardi, stressed in a media briefing Feb. 13 that hu-

man ecology deals with the

idea that social and political
environments can be deadly
for the human person and for
human dignity.
The phrase human ecology was coined by Benedict
XVI, but the notion has been
pivotal in the last 50 years of
the Churchs social teaching.
Bl. Paul VI, in his 1967 encyclical Populorum Progressio, linked heavy consumption to injustice, declaring
that no one may appropriate
surplus goods solely for his
own private use when others
lacks the bare necessities of
life The earth belongs to
everyone, not the rich.
St. John Paul II added a
spiritual dimension in his
encyclical Centesimus Annus, criticizing a style of
life which is presumed to
be better when it is directed
towards having rather than
being, and urged people to
create life-styles in which
the quest for truth, beauty,
goodness and communion
with others for the sake of
common growth are the
factors which we may use
responsibly to satisfy our
legitimate needs, material or
otherwise, while respecting
the intrinsic balance of the
creation.
Benedict took over this
approach, and indissolubly
linked care for the creation
to care for the human being,
so much that the theme of
his 2010 World Day of Peace
was If you want to cultivate
peace, protect creation.
According to a source
that has advised in the
drafting of Pope Francis
encyclical on ecology, this
approach has been also
taken over the encyclical,
and Pope Francis was very
happy with that.
Pope Francis has said he
intends to finalize his encyclical on ecology in March.
During an in-flight press
conference in January, Pope
Francis indicated the encyclicals first draft had been
prepared by Cardinal Peter
Turkson, president of the
Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. The Pope
then worked on it, and it
was sent to theologians, the
Secretariat of State, and the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
The encyclical will likely
provide a background to the
new department for human
ecology, while its actions and
goals may be shaped on the
model of the Pan-Amazonia
Network that will be presented in the Vatican next week.
(Andrea Gagliarducci /
CNA/EWTN News)

Tagle: Mary prays with us

MANAOAG, Pangasinan, Feb.
22, 2015Lest it be forgotten,
a member of the local Church
hierarchy has reminded the faithful
of a truth often taken for granted:
Mary prays with us.
In the homily he delivered
before pilgrims, devotees, and fellow clerics gathered to celebrate
the solemn proclamation of the
Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the
Rosary of Manaoag on Feb. 17,
Manila Archbishop Lus Antonio
G. Cardinal Tagle stressed, We are
not praying alone, saying, Jesus
prays with us. He taught us how
to pray. And his mother prays with
his disciples. We dont only pray to
Mary. We pray with Mary.
Upper room
Citing the Book of Acts, the
prelate enjoined the faithful to
see how after the Ascension the
Apostles heeded the Lords command to return to Jerusalem,
going to the upper room, to the
cenacle, to pray with the other
disciples, among whom was Mary,
the mother of Jesus.
[And] in that cenacle, in that
upper room, they prayed. They
spent time praying. The disciples
were not praying alone, they were
praying with the Blessed Mother.
The Blessed Mother was with them
in prayer, he said.
According to Tagle, this passage is
an excellent reminder of something
deeply significant, given that during
their time, the Apostles did not even
have a basilica comparable to Manaoags, but only a humble cenacle.

Mary in our prayer,

us in hers
Many of us come
to Manaoag to pray
to God and to the
Blessed Virgin.
And that is a gesture worthy of commendation But
visiting this place
also tells us that
we are with Mary
in our prayer. That
should console us,
he explained .
The cardinal recalled the angel Gabriels visit to Mary,
during which he announced the Good The Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag was officially designated a Minor Basilica on Feb.
News, Gods Word, 17, 2015. Cardinals Luis Antonio Tagle, Orlando Quevedo, and Gaudencio Rosales were present for
that the Virgin would the proclamation of the Manaoag Shrine as a basilica.
be with child.
and doing as she had done, he
When she was visited she Magnificat
More than an enumeration of said, recalling that at the end of
welcomed the gift of God, the
Word of God and the Word requests, Tagle stated praying is also each Eucharistic celebration, the
congregation is told, Go! The
became flesh in her. When the an expression of gratitude.
Although pilgrims flock to Mass is ended. Go forth.
angel visited her, what was he
In this place where we encarrying? Its no less than Jesus! Manaoag and other shrines to visit
Mary, the prelate noted in the Gos- counter God through the Blessed
he said.
pels, it is the Blessed Virgin herself Mother, let us experience our mowho initiates the visiting, underscor- ments of visitation. Whenever we
Self-focused prayers
While there is nothing wrong ing the importance of a pilgrimage visit here, God will also visit us.
Lets listen to Him talk. He will
with entrusting ones needs to God, not becoming an end in itself.
give each of us a mission, he said
Tagle warned against the danger of
Tagle invited the faithful to
ones prayers becoming too self- Go forth, be like Mary
Im not saying you should stop welcome the visit of God in their
focused.
As soon as ones petitions have flocking this shrine. All the more lives and to bring Jesus to others,
been granted, the prelate pointed you should do so. But after visiting making of the Manaoag basilica
out it is only proper to take the Mary, imitate Mary. Go! Go! Visit a truly missionary place and its
cue from Mary in echoing, My the Anawim. Visit the poor. Visit devotees truly missionaries of God.
soul proclaims the greatness of the needy like Elizabeth. Its no (Raymond A. Sebastin/CBCP
good visiting the Blessed Mother, News)
the Lord.

SABINS MEJIA/SABINS STUDIO

CBCP Monitor

A4 OPINION

March 2 - 15, 2015, Vol. 19. No. 5

CBCP Monitor

EDITORIAL

Church to the world

BEING immersed in the lives of the poor, continuing dialogue
despite adverse socio-political realities, and pursuing what Pope
Francis calls a culture of encounter, these, among others, bring
about the vision of the Second Vatican Council to the world today.
In an interesting interplay of concrete stories and profound theology,
this was what Manila Archbishop, Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, told an
audience at The Catholic University of America in Washington DC on
March 2, 2015 where he was a speaker at the annual Cardinal Dearden
Lecture. He spoke on the 50th anniversary of Gaudium et Spes, the
Pastoral Constitution of the Church in the Modern World, which is
one of the four main constitutions of the Second Vatican Council.

Second, he knows immersion with the poor not by the book but
by life. In this talk at The Catholic University of America, where he
is an alumnus for his licentiate and doctorate in theology, Cardinal
Tagle mentioned that Pope Francis during his recent visit to the
Philippines demonstrated how Gaudium et Spes can be lived out
through encounters with others when he blessed people, listened to
the stories of the survivors of super typhoon Yolanda, and visited
street children such as at those under the care of Tulay ng Kabataan.
The poor have wisdom unique to them, he said, adding that if one
is humble he will listen and learn from the poor and the suffering.
Sometimes, the Church does not have an answer for suffering, but he
quoted Pope Francis, saying that sometimes tears are the only answer.
What he said during his farewell message at the end of the Mass of
Pope Francis at the Luneta Park in Manila was actually a humble
personal testimony of how Gaudium et Spes is lived in context:
Tomorrow you will go. Every Filipino wants to go with younot
to Romebut to the peripheries, to the shanties, to prison cells,
to hospitals, to the world of politics, finance, arts, sciences, culture,
education, and social communications. We will go to these worlds
to bring the light of JesusJesus who is the center of your pastoral
visit and the cornerstone of the Church.

Social dialogue as a contribution to peace

EVANGELIZATION also involves the path of dialogue. For the
Church today, three areas of dialogue stand out where she needs
to be present in order to promote full human development and
to pursue the common good: dialogue with states, dialogue with
societyincluding dialogue with cultures and the sciencesand
dialogue with other believers who are not part of the Catholic
Church. In each case, the Church speaks from the light which
faith offers, contributing her two thousand year experience and
keeping ever in mind the life and sufferings of human beings. This
light transcends human reason, yet it can also prove meaningful
and enriching to those who are not believers and it stimulates
reason to broaden its perspectives.
The Church proclaims the Gospel of peace (Eph 6:15) and she
wishes to cooperate with all national and international authorities
in safeguarding this immense universal good. By preaching Jesus
Christ, who is himself peace (cf. Eph 2:14), the new evangelization
calls on every baptized person to be a peacemaker and a credible
witness to a reconciled life. In a culture which privileges dialogue
as a form of encounter, it is time to devise a means for building
consensus and agreement while seeking the goal of a just, responsive
and inclusive society. The principal author, the historic subject of
this process, is the people as a whole and their culture, and not a
single class, minority, group or elite. We do not need plans drawn
up by a few for the few, or an enlightened or outspoken minority
which claims to speak for everyone. It is about agreeing to live
together, a social and cultural pact.
It is the responsibility of the State to safeguard and promote the
common good of society. Based on the principles of subsidiarity
and solidarity, and fully committed to political dialogue and
consensus building, it plays a fundamental role, one which cannot
be delegated, in working for the integral development of all. This
role, at present, calls for profound social humility.
In her dialogue with the State and with society, the Church does
not have solutions for every particular issue. Together with the
various sectors of society, she supports those programmes which
best respond to the dignity of each person and the common good.
In doing this, she proposes in a clear way the fundamental values
of human life and convictions which can then find expression in
political activity.
-- Evangelii Gaudium, #238-241, 2013

Illustration by Bladimer Usi

Cardinal Tagle is the best person to talk about this, on two counts.
First, he was the one who wrote the 4th chapter of Volume 4 of
the History of Vatican II (published in 2002 by Obis Books),
about The Black Week of Vatican II (November 14-21, 1964)
when Gaudium et Spes was undergoing its final touches. In a very
scholarly way, he discusses some very complex procedural problems
and maneuverings encountered by the Council fathers. But at the
end he concludes: Without the Black Week, Vatican II would not
have been the council it ended up being. From it sprang wonderful
lessons, beautiful documents, exciting horizons, and painful wounds
as well. Ultimately, the forces of renewal unleashed by Vatican II
were so powerful that the incidents of the Black Week could not
hinder them. Indeed, the Black Week was one of the wellsprings
that have made the Second Vatican Council a source of grace for
the Church and for the world.

Pope Francis: Keep Your

Focus on Christs Poor

Living Mission
Fr. James H. Kroeger, MM
Year of the Poor Reflections

AS Pope Francis was traveling from

Sri Lanka to the Philippines on
January 15, 2015, he was asked by
Pia, a Filipina, as to what would be
his central message for the people.
Pope Francis replied: In answering this, I run the risk of being too
simple, but I will say one thing. The
center, the core of the message, will
be the poor. The poor who want to
move forward, the poor who suffered because of Typhoon Yolanda
and still suffer from its effects, the
poor who have faith and hope during this commemoration of the
fifth centenary of the preaching of
the Gospel in the Philippines, the
People of God in the Philippines.
The poor, including the poor
who are exploited, exploited by
those who perpetrate so many
social, spiritual and existential
injustices. I think of them. As
we go to the Philippines, I think

of them the poor. The core

will be this.
Then, when Pope Francis spoke
at Malacaang Presidential Palace
on January 16, 2015, he noted that
his visit was meant to express my
closeness to our dear brothers and
sisters who endured the suffering,
loss and devastation caused by
Typhoon Yolanda.
Asserting the need for social
reform to truly serve the poor,
Pope Francis noted: Reforming
the social structures that perpetuate
poverty and the exclusion of the
poor first requires a conversion of
mind and heart.
The Pope continued: The Bishops of the Philippines have asked that
this year be set aside as the Year of
the Poor. I hope that this prophetic
summons will challenge everyone,
at all levels of society, to reject every
form of corruption which diverts

And Thats The Truth

Teresa R. Tunay, OCDS
POPE Francis in his Evangelii Gaudium says,
The Church urgently needs the deep breath
of prayer. Year 2015 marks 50 years of Vatican
Council II and 500 years of the birth of St. Teresa of Avila, master of prayer and first woman
Doctor of the Church. In cadence with the papal thoughts and celebrating these twin jubilees,
the National Commission for the Celebration
of the 5th Birth Centenary of St. Teresa of Avila
is holding a Congress on Prayer on March 15,
2015. Here are the FAQs.

resources from the poor.

A profound conversion is
needed, so that political leaders
will be able to pass on to coming
generations a society of authentic
justice, solidarity and peace.
Later that same morning, while
addressing the leaders of the Philippine Church at the Manila
Cathedral, Pope Francis emphatically stated: The poor are at the
center of the Gospel, are at heart
of the Gospel; if we take away the
poor from the Gospel we cannot
understand the whole message of
Jesus Christ.
The Popes message is clear:
Only by becoming poor ourselves,
by becoming poor ourselves, by
stripping away our complacency,
will we be able to identity with the
least of our brothers and sisters.
We will see things in a new light
and thus respond with honesty

The deep breath

of prayer

says: If something should rightly disturb us

and trouble our consciences, it is the fact that
so many of our brothers and sisters are living
without the strength, light and consolation born
of friendship with Jesus Christ The Church
urgently needs the deep breath of prayer.

Q1. What is this Congress on Prayer all

about, and when and where will it take place?
A: It is called Prayer, A Dialogue of Love,
to be held from 8a.m. to 5p.m., on March
15, 2015, thats a Sunday, at the SM Mall of
Asia Arena in Pasay. Now that the Church is
celebrating St. Teresas 500th birth anniversary
(she was born March 28, 1515), its the perfect
time to make her spirituality better known to
the Filipinos.

Q3. How does St. Teresas teaching sync with

that quote?
A. To help us re-evaluate human dignity,
which is threatened by todays culture, we have
St. Teresas vision of the human person as the
dwelling place of God, open to communion
with Him as a friend. Continuing with Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis says: I invite all
Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to
a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ,
or at least an openness to letting Him encounter
them; I ask all of you to do this unfailingly each
day. No one should think that this invitation
is not meant for him or her, since no one is
excluded from the joy brought by the Lord.

Q2. How relevant would St. Teresa of Avilas

spirituality be, after allyou knowshes
five centuries old?
A. Its easy to see how the contribution of this
Doctor of the Church fits into our world. Our
world today is pretty much like in St. Teresas
time, and as Pope Francis Evangelii Gaudium

Q4. What is the objective then of your Congress on Prayer, and is it open to everybody?
A. The central objective is TO HERALD
PRAYER AS AN EXPERIENCE OF FRIENDSHIP AND A DEEPENING ENCOUNTER
WITH CHRIST. Thats why weve called it
Prayer: A Dialogue of Lovefocusing on a

Lent and its implications

and integrity to the challenge of

proclaiming the radicalism of
the Gospel in a society which has
grown comfortable with social
exclusion, polarization and scandalous inequality.
Pope Francis asserted that the
Gospel is a summons to conversion, to an examination of our
consciences, as individuals and as
a people.
As the Bishops of the Philippines have rightly taught, the
Church in the Philippines is called
to acknowledge and combat the
causes of the deeply rooted inequality and injustice which mar the face
of Filipino society, plainly contradicting the teaching of Christ.
While Pope Francis beautiful
pastoral visit has many dimensions,
his presence and message repeatedly emphasized: KEEP YOUR
FOCUS ON CHRISTS POOR.

relationship which is that personal. But much

as we wish to, we cant make it a General Patronage thing like in the movies where everyone aged 1-100 is welcome. This Congress on
Prayer would be appreciated byand therefore
welcomesthose aged sixteen (16) and above,
AND (this is important) IS INTERESTED
TO BEGIN AND MATURE in a life of prayer.
Q5. Hmmm, sounds like its only for nuns
and priests?
A.
Certainly not, in fact, laypersons
might benefit most from it. Although it is an
initiative of the Order of Discalced Carmelites
(friars, nuns and secular members), priests, nuns
and seminarians of various Religious Orders
welcome it as a response to a great need in the
Church. The Congress on Prayer is open to
laypeople like professionals and college students,
lay associations, parish mandated organizations,
parish pastoral council members and commissioned ministers, and transparochial communities.
Q6. Wow, thats a lot! What would it cost
someone? How much are the tickets, and
where do we get them?
A. Admission is free, as the Discalced Carmelites have organized the affair in a spirit of
And Thats The Truth / A5

Candidly Speaking
Fr. Roy Cimagala

Monitor
CBCP

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WE are once again in the season of

Lent. Its a period of preparation for
the greatest event in the history of
mankindthe passion, death and
resurrection of Christwhich
we will celebrate within the Holy
Week, from the evening of Holy
Thursday to Easter Sunday.
Its a period meant to purify ourselves, with the aim of strengthening us spiritually and morally, and
with the view of making ourselves
more and more identified with
Christ, who is the very pattern of
our life, the Way, the Truth and
the Life for us.
We cannot deny that we need
some purification because in spite
of our best efforts, we cannot help
but get dirtied somehow with the
many and multiplying things we
have to handle in the world today.
There are many new things
coming up, and our curiosity gets
aroused. We also know that our

learning process to grapple with

these new developments will always
involve some falls, some mistakes
which can either be small or big.
We need to pause and reflect
on the significance of this period because with all the activities,
concerns, not to mention the
challenges and trials of our life,
we tend to take Lent for granted
and content ourselves with going
through the motions of some sacrifices just to get by.
Lent is actually a very happy
occasion, because in spite of the
fasting and abstinence asked of us
on certain days and the prodding
to be generous with all kinds of
self-denial and works of mercy,
we are slowly being molded into
another Christ, our sole Redeemer,
with whom we also have to redeem
ourselves.
Lets remember that each of us
is expected to be a co-redeemer

with Christ. No matter how much

Christ wants to save us, even to the
extent of offering his life on the
Cross, if we do not correspond to
his redeeming will and ways, we
will not be saved.
St. Augustine once said: God
made us without us, but he cannot save us without us. We have
to understand that Lent is a very
good occasion to go through another conversion, another renewal,
another reaffirmation of our commitment to follow Christ faithfully,
so that our redemption becomes a
joint effort between Christ and us
as it ought to be.
We should then realize that
all those fasting and abstinence,
those acts of self-denial and works
of mercy, should leave us with a
growing sensation that we are becoming more and more like Christ,
thinking, choosing, doing things
like him and with him.

Otherwise, all these acts would

lose their purpose. They would just
become mechanical, soulless acts,
a routine just to pass the time. We
have to make sure that with Gods
grace that would always require of
us humility and simplicity and all
the virtues, we get the sensation
that we are another Christ.
And we should not be afraid to
be so. We should disabuse ourselves
from the fear that by aiming to be
another Christ, we would become
proud and vain, feeling superior
over others, and falling into a psychological disorder called messianic
complex.
Obviously, all these can happen
if we are not careful. But if we make
the effort to correspond to Gods
grace always, then we can be and
we can do what Christ was and
did. He was humble and simple,
merciful and compassionate. He
Candidly Speaking / A5

CBCP Monitor

OPINION A5

March 2 - 15, 2015, Vol. 19. No. 5

By The Roadside

A beleaguered leadership

Pitik-Bulag

Rev. Eutiquio EulyB. Belizar, Jr., SThD

The Presidency is not merely an administrative office. Thats the least of it. It is more than
an engineering job, efficient or inefficient. It
is pre-eminently a place of moral leadership.
(Franklin D. Roosevelt, New York Times
Magazine, September 11, 1932)
FIRST, a preface to my views. Being a member of the clergy, be he a bishop, priest or
deacon, does not terminate that persons being a Filipino and a citizen of the Republic.
Like any other citizen, he has every right to
form his ideas or opinions on the countrys
political, economic and socio-cultural conditions. In addition, he has every right to
express them as well. On the other hand,
also like any other citizen, this gives him no
right to violate any law.
No Filipino citizen today can ignore his
countrys over-all conditions and, in particular, the way it is being run, and still maintain
that he/she loves the Philippines. It is hard
to miss the many discordant winds around
us. Latest economic forecasts boldly say that
the country will be second only to China in
economic growth, and this the presidents
supporters feel is enough reason to leave him
alone and let him finish his term, at the least.
But, despite efforts, at times valiant and
creative, poverty is hardly dented. Growth
has been anything but inclusive. It is understandable that the business sector and the upper echelons of the economic-socio-political
ladder that benefit most from the economic
gains insist on leaving things well enough
alone. They believe that present indicators
speak much for the presidents excellence in
steering us to unheard-of heights according
to solid economic fundamentals.
Alas, all this sounds hollow to the urban
and rural poor who constantly worry about
not having a roof over their heads, a meal or
two to survive another day, a child or two being unable to continue schooling because of
continuing military operations against rebel

Fr. Wilfredo Samson, SJ

groups or because they simply cannot afford

the costs of higher education or because two
super typhoons and/or sporadic big fires in
crowded places of residence have sapped the
familys resources. And their government,
let alone their president, has seemed unable
to truly help.
Then came the Mamasapano debacle.
Forty-four valiant members of the national
police Special Action Force, mostly members
of the underclass of Philippine society, successfully neutralized an international terrorist, only to be ruthlessly massacred while
attempting to exit the area by rebel groups.
Seemingly to add salt to their familys
wounds, the Chief Executive was nowhere
in sight when their bodies were brought back
to Manila to waiting and wailing families.
The reason? It was not on his schedule for
the day, said Malacaang. At the same time,
the media found him gracing the inaugural
ceremonies of a Japanese car company operations in Laguna.
This insensitivity, however unintended
and glossed over by official sources, stunned,
shocked and drew the ire of many, especially
the victims families. Even as I write, ripples
of the anger surface now and then. Not even
the long hours he spent talking to the fallen
heroes families and relatives have dampened
the clamor for him to come clean on the
truth of his role and responsibility or irresponsibility that might have contributed in
one way or another to the eventual carnage.
Allowing a suspended PNP Chief s continued involvement in an operation so sensitive
and dangerous, while not informing his own
DILG Secretary and the acting PNP Chief,
is not exactly an exercise of good judgment
and responsible leadership.
It is no secret that initially a good number
of the Church hierarchy welcomed Pnoys
presidency. The thought that a son of the
heroic couple Ninoy and Cory Aquino
would succeed the scam-ridden Arroyo ad-

A crisis of truth puts

our nation in crisis

ministration raised hopes for a government

of high moral ascendancy. The anti-wangwang drive, the ousting of a Supreme Court
Chief Justice, the unveiling of the PDAF
and DAP scammers accompanied by the
jailing of some prominent politicians and
businessmento cite a fewhave inspired
some confidence. But once in a while we
also notice disappointing cracks. While the
president has kept himself largely untainted,
the same cannot be said of a few of the
people he surrounds himself with. The way
the Reproductive Law was passed, what with
generous DAP amounts being dangled before
lawmakers eyes and also being withdrawn
from non-supporters, greatly disappointed
bishops and priests. It did not take long for
them to realize that the presidents moral
compass was guided less by magisterial teaching than by what Pope Francis would later
term as ideological invasions he and the
people he listened to have already embraced.
And which, as a priest friend of mine pointed
out once, they are hopelessly devoted to.
Perhaps this is only one of the reasons
behind calls from some prominent Shepherds
of the Church for the president to step down.
I believe their views have to be respected. But
personally, I believe we need to take the bigger
picture. Our current president was elected on
the crest of a massive outpouring of sympathy
for his deceased mother, President Cory, a
turn of events he himself did not anticipate
nor initially wanted. If ever any blame game
had to be pursued to its awkward roots, the
final finger could point in our direction and
in the direction of our voters.
To my mind I believe we must address, as
decisively as we can, two urgent concerns.
One, in so many elections, we, the Church
have done so much except educate voters
effectively.
Two, in so many elections, we Filipino
citizens have done so many things except
vote wisely.

Collection Box

Fr. Jerome Secillano, MPA

Into the Desert

TODAY is the first Sunday of lent. Our Gospel today gives us some basic
orientation on how to meaningfully celebrate this season. Lent basically
means three things - intense prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Unfortunately,
we are used to celebrate Lent in a skin deep manner. It is not a commemoration that would seriously penetrate our souls and transform us
completely. Could we aim for something deep and life-defining? Something that will satisfy my soul? Can we challenge ourselves this year - to
commit ourselves to fully enter into the spirit of Lent?
Today, I commit myself to intense prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
First, can I COMMIT MYSELF to forty days of INTENSE PRAYER?
The Gospel today suggests following Jesus into the desert or wilderness.
Going to the desert means going to our prayer. Desert is an isolated place
where the reality of nothingness abounds. When we isolate ourselves in
intense prayer, we realize our own nothingness and finiteness in front of
God. Nobody can survive the desert without water. And nobody could
survive this earth (a desert, too) without God. Sad to say, Satan and his
cohorts deceive us by tempting us to worship other godswealth, power
and honor. And we are easily deceived. For we are so weak and gullible
in front of comfort, quick fix, instants and short cuts. We dont like pain
and suffering. The earthly pleasure is too sweet and good for us to reject,
and in the process, we reject God.
Thus, second, I COMMIT MYSELF to forty days of GENUINE
FASTING AND SACRIFICE. The challenge is to go beyond our skin
deep fasting that we do every year - saying no to meals during Ash
Wednesday and Good Friday. A mere token. Its not a sacrifice. God
deserves more than that. The goal of fasting is not just to bring us to
hunger by saying no to food. The goal of fasting is to tame and cast out
our selfish and human desires that control us. Without taming our desires
for pleasure, wealth, honor and power, we cannot follow the will of God.
Real fasting means SAYING NO TO OUR INORDINATE ATTACHMENTS AND FAVOURITE SINS. Without taming that wild beast in
our hearts, we cannot SAY YES TO GODS WILL.
Third, I COMMIT MYSELF to forty days of REAL ALMSGIVING.
The challenge is give more of ourselves. Almsgiving is not just giving
money to beggars, distributing old clothes to the poor and feeding old
people in the home for aged. They are good and amiable. We feel good
about it. We are satisfied but not God. These skin deep alms giving are
not enough. God wants more from us. He does not like tokens. For giving
is not giving until it hurts us. What God wants from us is our lifeto
fully commit to love and serve the poor, marginalized and oppressed.
This Lenten se ason, lets do away with our skin-deep way of celebrating
the season. Lets think of something that will penetrate our souls, disturb
us from our comfort zones and lead us to the peripheries of our society.
Something that will commit us to repent from our own selfish desires
and sinfulness, and be more decisive in joining the company of Jesus in
spreading the Good News.
Candidly Speaking / A4

THIS is the statement which I

drafted for some church groups
and lay organizations that are
concerned about the developments in our country relative
to the SAF operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao resulting
in unwarranted loss of lives
both on the part of the Policemen, MILF and civilians. It is
our hope that this will be read
by many of our countrymen so
that we can jointly discern and
do what is best for our beloved
country.
The Senate and Congressional inquiry regarding the
Mamasapano tragedy is turning
out to be a big disappointment.
There is obviously a concerted
effor t to conceal damaging
information that would have
otherwise pointed to individuals, institutions and other stakeholders (i.e. US) that should be
held accountable for the loss of

lives in the disastrous operation

to arrest Zulkifli bin Hir alias
Marwan and Abdul Basit Usman last January 25.
In solidarity with the families
of victims of armed violence in
Maguindanao, let us express
our indignation and condemn
the evident perversion of the
truth because it makes justice
all the more elusive for those
who perished. Let us appeal to
our Senators and Congressmen
investigating the case, to ask
the right and significant questions and to be strict and firm
in seeking for truthful answers.
We ask the resource persons
to be honest, transparent and
truthful without fear of reprisal
or the possible loss of career.
They are, first and foremost,
the protectors of our nation
and her people, hence, their
loyalty must not be to one man
or his project. They should be

Duc In Altum
Atty. Aurora A. Santiago

OUR Inay/Lola, Gloria Angeles Santiago,

will be laid to rest at Himlayang Pilipino,
Tandang Sora, Quezon City on March
03, 2015 after the 10:00 a.m. Requiem
Mass at Santuario de San Vicente de Paul
Parish and Shrine at St. Vincent Seminary
Compound, 221 Tandang Sora, Quezon
City. The main xelebrant is Most Rev.
Deogracias Iiguez, D.D., Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Kalookan, together
with the priests-friends of the family as
concelebrants.
We appreciate the Requiem Mass offered
and celebrated for our Inay/Lola by Fr. Alden
Sison, Parish Pastor, at St. Genevieve Catholic
Church, 14061 Roscoe Boulevard, Panorama
City, California. We are also grateful to Fr.
Mike and Fr. Jose Embile,SJ who led the
prayer and blessing during the 2 days viewing
at Mission Hills Catholic Mortuary at 11160
Stranwood Avenue, Mission Hills, California.
Not to be forgotten are the relatives, friends,
officemates of our siblings, especially the
Fatima Group of Terra Bella St. Community
in Panorama City.
We appreciate all the bishops and priests
who celebrated Mass and offered blessing and prayers during the 4 days viewing
for Inay/Lola at St. Mark Room, St. Peter
Memorial Chapel, Commonwealth Avenue
corner Tandang Sora, Barangay Matandang
Balara, Quezon City. We are also grateful
to all the bishops and priests who included
Inay/Lola in their respective Masses and
prayers; to friends and neighbours who
prepared for the Liturgy; to those who came
from far way places in the United States and
took time to be at the viewing and Requiem
Mass; to our friends, relatives, colleagues,
and the pious readers, who offered Masses
and prayers.
We all know that Inay/Lola, who loved life,
would be happy and smiling at us now. For all
our prayers for Inay/Lola, she in return would
be also praying for us where she is now, in
our Lords Kingdom in Heaven. Eternal rest

lived the true spirit of poverty.

He also said that his food was
Commission. Truth sometimes
hurt, but the lies and cover-up to do the will of his Father, that
being peddled more than kill the he came not to condemn but to
hope of the Filipino people that save the world. These would also
justice will finally be served to be the mind that we would have if
those who offered their lives in we grow to become another Christ.
Like Christ, we would not to
the service of our nation. Truth
should not be hidden. Indeed, be afraid to suffer. We would be
truth must be told no matter willing to bear the burden of the
what the cost. If our leaders others. As commanded by Christ
cannot anymore be trusted and and lived by him, we would know
our institutions cannot provide how to love everyone, including
the right answers, this crisis of those who consider themselves as
truth puts our nation in crisis. our enemies.
We have to see to it that these
We call on our people to exact
honesty and integrity from our
leaders. Let us demand account- And Thats The Truth / A4
ability for their decisions and
actions. Let us not be cowed to gratitude to God for this milestone,
ask and seek for answers. We but Mall of Asia management
must resist being quiet or indif- imposes a No-Ticket-No-Entry
ferent for our silence will bury policy. Please get your tickets from
truth and justice along with any of these ST. PAULS outlets:
the Fallen 44, the 18 MILF SM North EDSA, 2/F West Mall;
Fighters and the 5 civilians that SM City Manila, Lower Ground
included a little girl.
Floor; SM City South Mall, Lower
Ground Floor; SM City Bacoor,
Lower Ground Floor; SM City
Dasmarias, Lower Ground Floor;
SM Megamall, 2/F West Mall
Ground Floor, Bldg A; SM Mall
of Asia, Lower Ground Floor 2/F
Entertainment; SM City San Fernando, Ground Floor; Gateway
Mall, Lower Ground Floor Level
and 9 grandchildren: Glenn, Gretchen (and 3; and St. Pauls Main store, Lower
Charlie Castro), and Michael Rosales; Eric, Ground Floor St. Paul Road, San
Resi, and Lara Imperial; Pipao and Robby Antonio Village, Makati City.
You may also try as walk-ins,
Santiago; and Rome Santiago; and great
on the day of the congress itself, if
grandson, C2 Castro.
Inay/Lola, you are now with our Creator ac- there would still be available seats.
companied by all angels and saints in heaven, For more information please call:
you are also reunited with your beloved, our Froilan Torres or Joy Tapan at these
Tatay/Lolo. We know that you are happy, no telephone numbers: (02) 722-4667;
more pains no more illness; you are now at (02) 721-4252; (02) 710-2641;
peace. We are very proud of both of you Inay 0939-9207365; and 0906-5732305.
and Tatay for bringing us up as we are now.
We thank the Lord for giving us the gift of Q7. What does the program
Mother, the gift of Father, the gift of parents. contain more or less?
A. The prayerful nature of
We praise and glorify the Lord for giving us
a long time to feel and experience the love the Congress should facilitate
and care of Inay/Lola, joining our Creator at encounter with Christ through a
age 97, and for us to give in return the love program that includes liturgical
and care which Inay/Lola deserved. We love and contemplative prayer through
you, Inay/Lola and Tatay/Lolo. God bless the Liturgy of the Hours; chants;
silent prayer; and the speakers
and God speed.
presentations. Presider for the days
***
The media misquoted Pope Francis on what Negotiation, A1
he said about rabbits. For the record, Pope
The prelate, who chairs the
Francis stated: Some think thatexcuse the
languagethat in order to be good Catholics, Catholic Bishops Conference of
we have to be like rabbits. That is very clear, the Philippines (CBCP)s Permahe never mentioned breed like rabbit. Pope nent Committee on Public Affairs
Francis mentioned this to impress on the (PCPA), explained unsuspecting
Catholics the importance of Responsible civilians are always the first to suffer
Parenthood. Those parents must give their in almost all armed confrontations.
BIFF members are believed to be
children the standard of living that is expected
of them. Pope Francis stated the teaching of among those allegedly responsible
St. John Paul II and Pope Paul VI on Respon- for the deaths of 44 commandos
sible Parenthood. He condemns the use of of the Philippine National Police
artificial contraception and that it is a moral (PNP)s elite Special Action Force
evil; he promotes Natural Family Planning. (SAF) in what has been dubbed the
Pope Francis spoke about the importance of Mamasapano Massacre in Jan. 25.
Meanwhile, in an official statelarge families.
ment dated Feb. 16, CBCP President and Lingayen-Dagupan Arch***
We wish Fr. Constantino Conti and Fr. bishop Socrates B. Villegas pledges
Nestor Fajardo a very Happy Birthday. Happy support for lasting peace, a settleSacerdotal Anniversary to Fr. Constantino ment of differences that will allow
the people of Mindanao regardless
Conti and Fr. Patrick Hiwatig.

committed to the mandate required by their office and not to

the dictates of a foreign power
with the generous reward it has
dangled.
In this light, let us join the
nation in the clamor for Truth,
Justice and Accountability. We
urge the formation of a Truth
C o m m i s s i o n t h a t i s i n d e pendent and is composed of
courageous members who are
also known for their integrity,
prudence, moral probity and
independence. This body shall
also determine the terms of accountability and justice. The
evident attempt to hide the
Truth under the guise of either
executive privileges or executive sessions and the sudden
forgetfulness of some resource
persons to recall vital information related to the botched
police operation necessitate
this call for the creation of this

The unconditional love

of a mother is eternal
grant unto Gloria Angeles Santiago, o Lord,
and let Your perpetual light shine upon her.
May she rest in peace, Amen.
***
Please allow me to take this opportunity
to thank our Inay/Lola Gloria Angeles Santiago. She was born in Hagonoy, Bulacan on
the Feast of San Antonio de Padua, June 13,
1917 to parents Antonino Sysioco Angeles
and Dionisia Miguel Hernandez. On January 28, 1943, in the midst of World War
II, she married Benito Espiritu Santiago of
San Jose, Navotas, Rizal. Benito eventually
served during the war causing them a few
years of separation. Their union was blessed
with 7 children: Violeta, CPA, married
to Celestino Rosales (SLN); Atty. Aurora;
Engr. Benito Jr., married to Nisa Quevada;
Victoria, CPA; Flordeliza, CPA, married to
Roberto Imperial; Dr. Andres, married to
Jinky Reyes; and Engr. Roberto, married to
Ma. Loreto Gorobia.
With firm determination, entrepreneurial
spirit, and hard work, Gloria and Benito
were able to send all their children to college
and every one of them graduated and have
attained professional successes. As a World
War II combatant, Benito was injured during
the war and received a small benefit from the
U.S. Veterans Affairs. This helped to augment
their income.
Gloria devotedly took care of her husband
until he died on January 16, 1985. A lover
of life and always ready for a new beginning,
Gloria first came to the U.S. in 1994 to visit
her daughter Vicky and then came back in
1996 as an immigrant. Although bedridden in
the last few months, Gloria regularly received
the Sacrament of the Eucharist and prayed,
always trusting in our God. She was loved
unconditionally and cared for selflessly by her
children and their families. Gloria joined her
Creator peacefully in her sleep in the morning of Friday, February 13, 2015 at the age
of 97. Gloria is survived by her 7 children

traits and qualities of Christ are

slowly taking root in our lives. We
should feel the need to pray, like
what Christ did also, even waking up early before sunrise to go a
certain place to pray. We should be
able to have intimate conversations
with our Father God.
Like Christ, we should do our
work well to such an extent that
we can gain that reputation that
Christ himself had: bene omnia
fecit, he did all things well.
We have to understand Lent as
a period of sculpting the image of
the living Christ in us.

Eucharistic celebration is His Eminence Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle.

Q8. Can ordinary people like us
digest that? May we know who
the speakers are?
A. We assure you of very substantial but highly digestible inputs. We have as first speaker His
Excellency Bishop Mylo Hubert
C. Vergara, DD; Ms. Imelda D.
Ramos, OCDS, President, Secular
Order of Discalced Carmelites in
the Philippines; Fr. Mariano Agruda
III, OCD, Prior of Our Ladys Hill
Center for Spirituality; and Sr. May
Catherine Salvatierra, OCD, President of the Association of Discalced
Carmelite Nuns in the Philippines.
There will be a surprise number, too!
Q9. If the Congress on Prayer
is to be summed up in 50 words,
what would its essence be?
A. The Congress name, Prayer:
A Dialogue of Love should give
you a clue. St. Teresa defines prayer
as Nothing else than an intimate
sharing between friends; it means
taking time frequently to be alone
with Him who we know loves
us. That quote contains only 23
wordsbut that should give you an
idea what to expect on March 15,
Mall of Asia Arena. See you there
(For the more detailed version of
this article, please visit www.teresa500philippines.com and www.
cbcpnews.com)

of religious affiliations to live in

peace and as equals, citizens of one
Republic, nationals of one country.
We hold it to be morally obligatory for the government and for the
restive segments of Philippine society
to search for the paths of peace, says
the prelate, adding that true peace
cannot rest on deceit, the suppression
of truth, and subterfuge, which only
underscore the paramount importance of getting to the truth of the
Mamasapano tragedy.
According to him, the goal cannot be the cessation of hostilities at
any cost, but a principled settlement
of the dispute, and peace born out
of truth, a commitment to social
justice and adherence to the fundamental law of the land. (Raymond
A. Sebastin/CBCP News)

A6 LOCAL NEWS

March 2 - 15, 2015, Vol. 19. No. 5

CBCP Monitor

NASSA/Caritas PH joins Popes fight vs.

globalization of indifference
Hear the cries of the poor
By listening to the poor, and
joining the fight against the destruction of the environment, especially in depressed areas, we can
truly immerse ourselves in the call
against the globalization of indifference says Caceres Archbishop
Rolando J. Tria Tirona, National
Director of NASSA/Caritas Philippines in a statement.
According to him, Lent, indeed,
is a time during which the Church,
Gods people, are enjoined to reflect on the cries of the poor and
the oppressed.
Faith, charity
Tirona adds members of the
Church are privileged, but also

have the duty to respond to the

pontiffs call.
Faith and charity should go
side by side if we want to overcome
this indifference as a family bound
by solidarity and a community of
love, the Carmelite prelate shares.
God never indifferent
In his Lenten message, Pope
Francis stressed that God is not
indifferent to the world, loving it
so much that He gave His Son for
mans salvation.
In the Incarnation, in the
earthly life, death, and Resurrection of the Son of God, the gate
between God and man, between
heaven and earth, opens once for
all, the prelate said.
Rejected, crushed
The Argentine pontiff lamented,
however, that the world tends to
withdraw into itself and shut the
door through which God comes
into the world and the world comes
to Him.
The hand, which is the Church,

Concerns, A1

And Villegas said the CBCP

must ask whether or not the
proposed non-discrimination
bill is itself a manifestation of
the importation into the country of values, behavioral norms
and attitudes that the West has
championed and peddled.
To the legislators who consider through future legislative initiatives giving legal recognition
to same sex unions, the Church
declares there is no equivalence
or even any remote analogy
whatsoever in marriage between
a man and woman as planned by
God and the so-called same sex
unions, he said.
Insofar as the proposed piece
of legislation renders illegitimate
the relegation of persons with
sexual orientation and gender
identity issues to citizens of a
lower category enjoying fewer
rights, the CBCP cannot but
lend its support to this proposed
legislative measure, said Villegas.
The myth of choice
The bishops also said that there
is no such thing as sexual preference, adding that such fallacy
has to be contested.
Villegas said it is common to
hear assertion today that the way
a person chooses to live and with
which gender to identify is purely
a matter of personal choice.
On the basis of its understanding of the human condition,
the Church cannot encourage
persons to choose their gender,
orientation, and sexual identity as
if these were matters at the free

Others first
It is not wrong to pray for our
personal needs, but how often do

disposal of choice, he said.

Echoing Pope Francis some of
the most conciliatory words on
gays, Villegas said they should
not be demeaned, embarrassed,
or humiliated and should be
integrated into society, but affirmed the Church teaching that
homosexual acts are a sin.
He added that the faithful
must insist on the distinction
between orientation and overt
acts, saying that no one may
be excluded from the life of
the Church and its sacraments
merely because of avowed orientation or identity.
If gay rights movements, for
instance, encourage free and unbridled sexual relations between
persons of the same sex, the
Church cannot lend its support,
for in its view, they ultimately do
a disservice to our brothers and
sisters, said Villegas.
What gay rights can legitimately champion is justice for
all, fairness that must extend to
all persons regardless of sexual
orientation and gender identity,
he said.
As a way of reaching out, he
said the Church looks to parents,
school counselors, community
workers and personality experts,
as well as to priests engaged in
pastoral counseling, to deal with
the very difficult personal issues, always with understanding,
compassion, acceptance of the
inherent worth of the human
person and attentiveness to what
has been revealed to us about the
human person.

we actually pray for others? Why

are we being individualistic in our
prayers? Why do we always place
ourselves first before the Lord? he
said in the vernacular.
The prelate said that there are
many avenues where the faithful
could channel help to those who
are in need like individuals who
are suffering from poverty and
disabilities, among many others.
The chance to help others will
never run outLet us all pray and
act towards genuine peace, solidarity, and justice. As long as we dont
care about our neighbors, as long as
indifference reigns within us, peace
will never be attained, Tagle said
in Filipino.
Let us look at others as our
own brothers and sisters. Let us
learn to love others. It is through
this way that we can return back to
the Lord, he added. (Jennifer M.
Orillaza/CBCP News)

Transparency, A1

ties intend to use the huge amount,

and calls on the Filipino public
to closely monitor the programs,
or the lack thereof, on which the
money will supposedly be spent .
We know all too well the unfortunate way with which funds
are handled in this country We
really do hope, however, that each
centavo of the Php 87 million will
be duly accounted for and really
used for repairing and conserving
the Tubbataha Reef, he explained.
In his recent interview over
Church-run Radyo Veritas, Arigo
shared he had heard of existing technology capable of quickly reviving
the damaged corals which ordinarily
take several generations to grow.
Church support
The Puerto Princesa bishop
stressed the Catholic Church is one
with concerned anti-corruption

around the world which works

hand-in-hand with the Vatican,
to be a sign of Gods love for
humanity.
During his recent visit to the
Philippines, Asias largest predominantly Catholic nation, the

Holy Father underscored the need

to help the poor, the children and
those affected by the recent calamities that struck the country.
NASSA/Caritas Philippines has
advocacies on agrarian reform and
the protection of the environment,

General assembly
As the countrys representative to the worldwide Caritas
Internationalis, NASSA/Caritas
Philippines is scheduled to hold
its General Assembly this coming
May in Rome with a theme focused
on Pope Francis plea to create a
Church for the Poor. (Raymond
A. Sebastin/CBCP News)

landowners who allowed their

lands to be really distributed to
poor tillers, with some of these
landowners still to be compensated, they add.
The signatories, composed of 15
archbishops, 59 bishops, and seven
Church administrators,of the Jan.
19, 2015 letter to Aquino are:
1. Most Rev. Jose F. Advincula
Jr, DD, Archbishop of Capiz and
CBCP Permanent Council West
Visayas Representative; 2. Most
Rev. Paciano B. Aniceto, DD,
Archbishop Emeritus of San
Fernando, Pampanga;3. Most
Rev. Ramon C. Arguelles, DD,
Archbishop of Lipa;4. Most Rev.
Fernando Capalla, DD, Archbishop Emeritus of Davao;5. Most
Rev. Romulo T. dela Cruz, DD,
Archbishop of Zamboanga;6.
Most Rev. Angel N. Lagdameo,
DD, Archbishop of Jaro;7. Most
Rev. Florentino G. Lavarias, DD,
Archbishop of San Fernando,
Pampanga;8. Most Rev. Antonio
J. Ledesma, DD, Archbishop of
Cagayan de Oro;9. Most Rev.
Jose S. Palma, SJ, DD, Archbishop
of Cebu;10. Most Rev. Marlo M.
Peralta, DD, Archbishop of Nueva
Segovia;11. Most Rev. Orlando
B. Cardinal Quevedo, OMI,
DD, Archbishop of Cotabato;12.
Most Rev. Rolando J. Tria Tirona,
OCD, DD, Archbishop of Caceres;13. Most Rev. Sergio L.
Utleg, DD, Archbishop of Tuguegarao;14. Most Rev. Romulo
G. Valles, DD, Archbishop of
Davao, CBCP Vice President;15.
Most Rev. Socrates B. Villegas,
DD, Archbishop of LingayenDagupan, CBCP President;16.
Most Rev. Isabelo C. Abarquez,
DD, Bishop Calbayog;17. Most
Rev. Narciso V. Abellana, MSC,
DD, Bishop of Romblon;18.
Most Rev. Guillermo D. Afable,
DD, Bishop of Digos;19. Most
Rev. Gerardo A. Alminaza, DD,
Bishop of San Carlos;20. Most
Rev. Benjamin J. Almoneda Jr.,
DD, Bishop Emeritus of Daet;21.
Most Rev. Ireneo A. Amantillo,
DD, Bishop Emeritus of Tandag;22. Most Rev. David William
V. Antonio, DD, Auxiliary Bishop
of Nueva Segovia;23. Most Rev.
Pedro D. Arigo, DD, Vicar Apostolic of Puerto Princesa;24. Most
Rev. Ricardo L. Baccay, DD, Aux-

iliary Bishop of Tuguegarao;25.

Most Rev. Filomeno G. Bactol,
DD, Bishop of Naval;26. Most
Rev. Jose Colin M. Bagaforo, DD,
Auxiliary Bishop of Cotabato;27.
Most Rev. Sofronio A. Bancud,
Bishop of Cabanatuan, CBCP
Permanent Council Central Luzon Representative;28. Most Rev.
Jose S. Bantolo, DD, Bishop of
Masbate;29. Most Rev. Arturo
M. Bastes, SVD, DD, Bishop of
Sorsogon;30. Most Rev. Joel Z.
Baylon, Bishop of Legazpi;31.
Most Rev. Rodolfo F. Beltran,
DD, Bishop of San Fernando,
La Union, CBCP Permanent
Council North Mindanao Representative;32. Most Rev. Patricio
A. Buzon, SBD, DD, Bishop of
Kabankalan;33. Most Rev. Emmanuel T. Cabajar, C.SS.R.,DD,
Bishop of Pagadian;34. Jose
A. Cabantan, DD, Bishop of
Malaybalay, CBCP Permanent
Council North Mindanao Representative;35. Most Rev. Severo
C. Caermare, DD, Bishop of
Dipolog;36. Rev. Warlito I.
Cajindig, DD, Vicar Apostolic of
Calapan;37. Most Rev. Precioso
D. Cantillas, SBD, DD, Bishop
of Maasin;38. Most Rev. Carlito
J. Cenzon, CICM, DD, Bishop
of Baguio;39. Most Rev. Julito
B. Cortes, DD, Bishop of Dumaguete;40. Most Rev. Bernardino
C. Cortez, DD, Bishop of Infanta,
CBCP Permanent Council South
East Luzon Representative;41.
Most Rev. Pablo Virgilo S. David,
DD, Auxiliary Bishop of San Fernando, Pampanga;42. Most Rev.
Edwin A. dela Pena, MSP, DD,
Bishop Prelate of Marawi;43.
Most Rev. Francisco M. de Leon,
Auxiliary Bishop of Antipolo;44.
Manolo A. delos Santos, DD,
Bishop of Virac;45. Most Rev.
Reynaldo G. Evangelista, DD,
Bishop of Imus46. Most Rev.
Buenaventura M. Famadico, DD,
Bishop of San Pablo;47. Most
Rev. Elenito G. Galido, DD,
Bishop of Iligan;48. Most Rev.
Leopoldo C. Jaucian, SVD, DD,
Bishop of Bangued;49. Most Rev.
Jacinto A. Jose, DD, Bishop of
Urdaneta;50. Most Rev. Angelito
R. Lampon, OMI, DD, Vicar
Apostolic of Jolo, CBCP Permanent Council South Mindanao
Representative;51. Most Rev.

Roberto C. Mallari, DD, Bishop

of San Jose, Nueva Ecija;52. Most
Rev. Jose R. Manguiran, DD,
Bishop Emeritus of Dipolog;53.
Most Rev. Wilfredo D. Manlapaz,
DD, Bishop of Tagum;54. Most
Rev. Renato P. Mayugba, DD,
Bishop of Laoag;55. Most Rev.
Joseph A. Nacua, OFMCAP, DD,
Bishop of Iligan;56. Most Rev.
Vicente M. Navarra, DD, Bishop
of Bacolod;57. Most Rev. Nereo
P. Odchimar, DD, Bishop of
Tandag;58. Most Rev. Honesto
P. Ongtioco, DD, Bishop of Cubao;59. Most Rev. Broderick S.
Pabillo, DD, Auxiliary Bishop of
Manila;60. Most Rev. Honesto
Chaves Pacana, SJ, DD, Bishop
Emeritus of Malaybalay;61. Most
Rev. Patrick Daniel Y. Parcon,
DD, Bishop of Talibon;62. Most
Rev. Juan de Dios M. Pueblos,
DD, Bishop of Butuan;63. Most
Rev. Lucilo Quiambao, DD, Bishop Emeritus of Legaspi;64. Most
Rev. Antonio R. Ranola, DD,
Bishop Emeritus of Cebu;65.
Most Rev. Gabriel V. Reyes, DD,
Bishop of Antipolo;66. Most Rev.
George B. Rimando, DD, Auxiliary Bishop of Davao;67. Most
Rev. Jose Corazon T. Tala-oc, DD,
Bishop of Kalibo;68. Most Rev.
Antonio R. Tobias, DD, Bishop of
Novaliches;69. Most Rev. Julius
S. Tonel, DD, Bishop of Ipil;70.
Most Rev. Emmanuel C. Trance,
DD, Bishop of Catarman;71.
Most Rev. Leopoldo S. Tumulak, DD, military ordinary;72.
Most Rev. Crispin B. Varquez,
DD, Bishop of Borongan, CBCP
Permanent Council East Visayas
Representative;73. Most Rev.
Mylo Hubert C. Vergara, DD,
Bishop of Pasig;74. Most Rev.
Ramon B. Villena, DD, Bishop
of Bayombong;75. Rev. Edito S.
Bao, Apostolic Administrator of
Mati;76. Rev. Elino S. Esplana,
Administrator of Boac;77. Rev.
Carlito R. Garcia, Administrator
of Kidapawan;78. Rev. Msgr.
Jose T. Lagdameo, HP, JCL,
Administrator of Gumaca;79.
Rev. Daniel O. Presto, Administrator of Iba;80. Rev. Rey Jose
D. Ragudos, Administrator of
Alaminos; and81. Rev. Joseph
W. Requino, Vicar Apostolic of
Bontoc-Lagawe. (Raymond A.
Sebastin/CBCP News)

hospitals, and medical facilities to

whom this offer of repatriation is
being extended. Unfortunately,
only a few wanted to take the flight
home, he said.
In his interview over Churchrun Radyo Veritas, the prelate
added, however, that in Syria, officials of the Philippine Embassy
had already talked between 5,0006,000 Filipino migrant workers
into responding positively to the
repatriation option, while in Yemen, roughly 1,000 Filipinos are
awaiting the governments crisis
management team.
Santos expresses hope that

OFWs will be endowed with the

wisdom to think of their lives and
well-being ahead of the opportunity to earn money.

their love with one another, he said.

Caceres Archbishop Rolando J. Tria Tirona, National Director of NASSA/Caritas Philippines.

must never be surprised if it is

rejected, crushed and wounded,
he said.
Pope Francis had earlier laid
down his challenge to Caritas
Internationalis, the umbrella organization for Catholic charities

extending support to fishermen

and farmers displaced by calamities
such as those ravaged by typhoon
Yolanda and victimized by the
land-grabbing cases such as those
in Sicogon Island in Iloilo.
Moreover, the Philippine
Churchs humanitarian agency
boasts a three-year program across
nine dioceses directly affected
by Yolanda, which aims to give
survivors disaster resilient shelters,
food security and livelihood assistance, WASH (water, sanitation,
and hygiene) facilities, ecosystems
recovery, disaster risk reduction
trainings, and community organizing.

Bishops, A1

Remind, A1

Fast2Feed
The cardinal urged the faithful to
fast and donate whatever amount
they can save to those who are
in need, promoting the Manila
Archdioceses Fast2Feed program
that aims to feed malnourished
children.
It is a big scandal facing humanitywhy do some people suffer
from hunger and poverty, while
others live in abundance? Let this
call be a reminder so we will all not
forget this reality, he said in Filipino.
Tagle also called on the laity to
be more sensitive to the plight of
others, urging them to shun individualism by including intentions
for the poor and needy in their
personal prayers.

YEN OCAMPO

HEEDING his Lenten message, the Catholic Church in

the Philippines has assured the
faithful they are one with Pope
Francis in the fight against what
he described as the globalization
of indifference through her humanitarian arm NASSA/Caritas
Philippines.

groups in ensuring that the money

will be expended accordingly.
Moreover, Arigo has invited the
lay faithful to get themselves involved in the Ugnayang Barangay
at Simbahan (UBAS) which will
give them an opportunity to be
part of a team that monitors and
campaigns for government transparency and accountability.
World Heritage Site
On January 17, 2013, the US
Navy minesweeper USS Guardian reportedly ran aground at
the UNESCO-declared World
Heritage Site, damaging an area of
2,345.67 square meters (25,248.6
sq ft).
The incident sparked nationwide
outrage, prompting the US government to issue a public apology.
(Raymond A. Sebastin/CBCP
News)

not yet passed the supposedly

priority bill on third and final
reading, eight months after the
chief executives certification, the
Senate had already done its part
by passing the counterpart Senate
Bill 2278.
HB 4375, which is still pending
at the House, lacks a counterpart
measure at the Senate, and needs
to be certified by the President as
a priority measure.
Disenfranchised farmers
Not extending CARP and
ensuring the gains of the program
is tantamount to disenfranchising at least a million farmers of
their right to own the land they
till, equitably share in the fruits
of their labor and find a path out
of poverty, the prelates stress in
their letter.
It also means the countrys
failure to break up the unjust
concentration of land ownership
in a few and thereby not achieve
inclusive growth, they explain,
asking the Filipino peoples representatives not to allow the agrarian
reform program to die a quiet
death before its noble mission to
finally emancipate and liberate
our farmers is fully achieved.
The prelates lament about
708,000 hectares of agricultural
landholdings have yet to awarded
to CARP farmer-beneficiaries based
on the Aug. 2014 data of DAR.
Not under farmers
According to them, roughly 1
million to 1.5 million hectares
being claimed by the DAR as distributed are not under the control
of farmer-beneficiaries and are
suspect as evasions of the law such
as lands under collective CLOA
(certificate of landownership
award) and long-term leaseback
agreements and lands distributed
as VLTs (voluntary land transfers)
and VOS (voluntary offer to sell).
Unless these transactions are
voided and the land distributed
to legitimate farmer-beneficiaries,
the landowners and the DAR personnel complicit in the evasions
will be rewarded for defying the
law, the prelates say.
Unfair
It would also be unfair to the
Homecoming, A1

of persecutions against Christians.

According to CBCP-ECMIP
chair, Bishop Ruperto C. Santos of
the Diocese of Balanga, his office
has teamed up with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)
in an effort to persuade OFWs
in the said countries to think of
their safety first before the desire
to earn money, and to take advantage of the governments offer of
repatriation.
Mixed reception
In conflict-ridden country like
Libya, we have more or less 4,000
countrymen working in oil fields,

No place like home

Furthermore, the Balanga bishop reaffirmed the position of the
CBCP-ECMIP stressing Filipinos
should remain in the Philippines
to work, instead of opting to seek
greener pastures elsewhere at the
expense of their families.
As we celebrate the 29th National Migrants Sunday, we would
like highlight the beauty of family
members staying together, united in

Modern-day heroes
While he admits there is nothing the Church can do at the
moment to stop Filipinos from
leaving their loved ones and the
country for a supposedly higherpaying overseas employment,
Santos lauds OFWs for their
selflessness and the sacrifices they
make to give the best life possible
for their families, as well as the
dollar remittances they send back
home which keep the Philippine
economy afloat. (Raymond A.
Sebastin/CBCP News)

Nassa, A1

Justice and Peace (Nassa) said there were also

54,810 beneficiaries of various livelihood assistance and trainings.
Funding support from Caritas Internationalis
for the first phase alone, which ends this coming March, amounts to 9.7 million euros or
around Php 580 million and has so far reached
more than 101,000 survivors in Leyte, Western
Samar, Eastern Samar, Palawan, Aklan, Antique,
Capiz, Iloilo and Cebu.
Of these, Php 364.9 million have already
been spent and accounted for as of December
2014.

Poorest of the poor survivors

On the second year, we are hoping to
continue this worthwhile endeavour through
the help of our partners and donors, Tirona
added.
The #REACHPhilippines (Recovery Assistance to Vulnerable Communities Affected by
Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines) is deemed
as the most massive recovery program led by
the Church in the Yolanda-hit areas. The beneficiaries were among the poorest of the poor
and the least served by government and other
non-government organizations.

The Nassa said it was also the fastest emergency appeal responded to by more than 30
Caritas Internationalis member organizations.
We make sure that transparent and honest
spending is being observed at both the national
and diocesan levels. That is why we have institutionalized financial monitoring and evaluation
policies by regular monitoring and evaluation
each quarter, by national and international
auditors, Tirona said.
Caritas Philippines is among the leading
church-based agencies working to help Yolanda
survivors. (Roy Lagarde/CBCPNews)

DIOCESAN NEWS A7

March 2 - 15, 2015, Vol. 19. No. 5

Dont be afraid of going to

Confession youth leader

San Pablo bishop

warns flock of
fake priest

Tender and strong

For me, young people feel
afraid because they think that they
might be scolded by the priest if
they do not know how to confess
properly, she explained in Youth
on the Move, a section for young
people of Candle Light, the official
newsletter of the National Shrine
of Our Lady of Candles.
While Blanclaflor admitted that
the way the priest speaks and reacts is important and that he must
make the penitent feel welcome,
nevertheless, she emphasized the
more important reality of Confession by recalling a teaching of Pope
Francis.
The Holy Father said, Our
priests are men of the Holy Spirit.
The priests power to forgive sins
comes from the Holy Spiritwho
is both tender and strongas
they give witness and proclaim
the new life offered by the Lords
resurrection, the school teacher
explained.
Highlighting the Popes teach-

Kabankalan dioceses
holistic education program
gives hope to poor
KABANKALAN City, NegrosIn
keeping with the spirit of the Year
of the Poor and its commitment
to making a Church of the Poor,
the Diocese of Kabankalan, led
by Bishop Patricio A. Buzon has
come out with the Paglaum para
sa Pigado Stewardship Program, a
holistic education program for underprivileged but deserving youth
of the episcopal see.
Through its program, the Kabankalan diocese strives to give young
people the opportunity to imbibe
the Spirituality of Stewardship
of knowing, loving, and serving
Godto create a culture of sharing
among community stakeholders and
to grant college scholarships to poor
but deserving beneficiaries.
In a press release, the diocese
explains its Paglaum para sa Pigado
Stewardship Program makes it possible for the youth of Kabankalan
to achieve their full potential, for
their families, as well as to be a
testament to what the Church
refers to as preferential option for
the poor.

While 85 percent of the people of the Kabankalan diocese is

Catholic, it laments that at least
80 percent of whom consider
themselves poor.
The statement notes most young
people do not get past secondary
level, with only one of five siblings able to acquire a high school
diploma, and the very few who do
graduate high school rarely progress to college.
The trend nationwide is as follows: out of every 100 Filipino
school children enrolled each year,
only 66 will complete elementary education, 42 will finish high
school, but only 14 will earn a
college degree.
Paglaum para sa Pigado roughly translates to hope for the poor.
Prospective donors may coordinate with Fr. Jude Mirasol
Garceniego through 0949-9366432/0917-4671-000 or paglaumparasapigado@yahoo.com.ph and
hopeforthepoor29@gmail.com.
(Raymond A. Sebastin/CBCP
News)

Jesus the Good Shepherd

Held at the Naga Metropolitan
Cathedral grounds, the Carmelite
prelate applauded the many young
people present for following the
Way [of Christ] and those older,
for making the little sacrifice for
what Jesus has done for us.
Focus on the only Way
The Way of the Cross is the way
to the heart of Jesus, Tirona had
said. There is no other way.
In his message, Tirona said the
Lenten season is a time for silence,
prayer and love.
According to him, it is a time to
deepen [ones] relationship with
[ones] self, God, [the] environment,
and [ones] brothers and sisters. It
is a time to be with those who are
close to Jesus heartthe poor and

marginalized, Tirona added.

However, the prelate noted 3 Cs
that hinder man from being in total
communion with God: comfort,
convenience and cash. Thus, he
said, there is a need to focus on the
way for it is the way that will lead
man to his true home, heaven.
Time for Renewal
At the paraliturgy observed prior
to the Way of the Cross, Caceres
Deacon Rev. Alfeo Catura mentioned that the ashes used during Ash
Wednesdays for imposition come
from the palm branches blessed during the previous years Palm Sunday.
These branches, before being burnt,
are brown in color, symbolizing ones
soul in a years journey: withered.
Hence, Catura said, Lent is actually a joyful season, a time to return
to God and renew oneself in Him.
Themed An Dalan kan Cruz
ni Cristo: Dalan nin Pagmalasakit
asin Pagkamoot sa mga Dukha,
the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross)
is annually observed with the Caceres Archbishop and is attended
by the youth, lay faithful, Clergy,
and religious of the Archdiocese of
Caceres. (Natalie Hazel Quimlat/
CBCPNews)

ings on the positive qualities of

those who hear confessions, she
said: Pope Francis further said,
Not with the attitude of a judge
and not like a simple friend, but
with the charity of God, with the
love of a father who sees his son
returning and then heads his way,
like the shepherd who has found
his lost sheep.
Experience of mercy
Sharing her own and other
peoples happy experience with
Confession, Blancaflor said, Its
really surprising how free one feels

after taking part in the sacrament

of Reconciliation. Many Catholics describe incredible feelings of
peace, joy, relief, and love that they
never expected.
We should not be afraid of
going to Confession. We should
be brave to take a step in faith.
In this sacrament, sinners obtain
forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God and the Church.
We confess our sins so that we can
become clean again in Gods eyes,
the youth leader said.
As a call to action, Blanclaflor
encouraged the faithful not to de-

lay Confession but to heed Jesus

calling us to experience his mercy
in this unique way.
Many people say that sometimes they feel something that is
telling them to go to Confession.
So, whenever you receive the invitation to go to Confession, this
is God himself inviting you. And
God is inviting us to the sacrament of Reconciliation for one
reasonbecause He loves us and
wants us to know real joy and the
fullness of his love, Blanclaflor
added. (Fr. Mickey Cardenas/
CBCPNews)

CATIGBIAN, Bohol A retired priest who

lost his ability to walk after a blood transfusion
in 2004 builds core houses from his wheelchair
for the magnitude 7.2 quake survivors in Bohol.
Fr. Fernando Po, an action priest despite his
condition, with a help of a team, is constructing
12 more core houses for survivors in barangay
Kang-iras in Catigbian town.
We planned to construct only 10, but two
couples came down asking [us] to build two
more for them, he said.
Behind the clouds village
The site sits on the provinces highest point,
which locals refer to as the behind the clouds
village, Po said. But the roads are bad, and
the previous typhoons had been a challenge to
transport the construction materials.
The core houses are one-room shelters that
can accommodate a couple and three children,
he said.
One costs at least Php 10, 000, Po, who is
fondly referred to by locals as Fr. Dodong,
noted. The construction labor is supplied by
the recipients themselves.
Its bayanihan (cooperation), he said. The
12 recipient families will build together core
houses one at a time, until the targeted number
is completed.
Ten of the core houses are funded by friends
in Australia, the two by his personal friends.
NATALIE HAZEL QUIMLAT

NAGA CityDo not get tired

of living out your faith, of helping
the poor.
This was the message of Caceres
Archbishop Rolando Tria Tirona to
the many young people he called
the hope of the country and of
the Church at the annual Way
of the Cross observed during Ash
Wednesday, Feb. 18.

The Church emphasizes the sacrament of Reconciliation as a particular encounter with Gods mercy.

Wheelchair-bound priest builds

shelter for quake survivors

Dont fear to choose Jesus

prelate to youth

Themed An Dalan kan Cruz ni Cristo: Dalan nin Pagmalasakit asin Pagkamoot sa
mga Dukha, the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) this year was held on Feb. 18 and was
observed with the Caceres Archbishop. It was attended by the youth, lay faithful, Clergy,
and religious of the Archdiocese of Caceres.

FILE PHOTO

JARO, Iloilo CityAs Christians

all over the world are called to turn
away from sin and be faithful to
the Gospel (Mk 1:15) especially
during the season of Lent, a youth
leader and elementary school
teacher has encouraged young
people to rediscover the sacrament
of Confession as a beautiful aspect
of the Catholic faith.
Many young people nowadays
are afraid or hesitant to go to Confession, observed Julie Ann M.
Blancaflor, youth coordinator of
the Jaro Parish Youth Ministry and
a teacher of Kids Nook Integrated
School in Iloilo City.

According to Famadico, Caadan

regularly celebrates Mass at the Vicariate of St. Polycarp, claiming to
be a missionary priest of the Missionarios do Santissima Trinidad,
and affiliated with the Tahanan ni
Maria in Carmona, Cavite.
The document mentioned is
the one Caadan was supposed to
have submitted to the San Pablo
diocese, identifying him as a priest
ordained by Dili Bishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo in Sept 8, 2000.
Martins da Silvas letter continues, We want to confirm that the
Diocese of Dili never has this kind
of document never has the seal
used in this document. The statements in the document using mix
of wrong Portuguese phrases and
English makes confuse to [sic]
those who understand Portuguese.
It adds, We are [sic] absolutely
declare that the document is a fake
one and the Diocese of Dili has
never known one named Padre
Michael P. Caadan. (Raymond A.
Sebastin/CBCP News)

173 core houses

Aside from the ongoing project, Po had
already constructed 173 core houses for
survivors in different Bohol towns struck by
the quake.
He built 41 core houses in Sandingan Island

TINDOG BOHOL

SAN PABLO City, LagunaThe

Diocese of San Pablo in Laguna
has reminded the local faithful to
beware of a certain Fr. Michael P
Caadan after it was revealed that
he is a fake priest, and therefore
already banned from celebrating
Holy Mass and administering the
sacraments in the episcopal see.
In a circular issued on Thursday,
Feb. 27, San Pablo Bishop Buenaventura M. Famadico quotes a
letter sent by Fr. Ludgerio Martins da Silva, chancellor of the
Diocese of Dili in East Timor,
where Caadan allegedly hails from,
informing the prelate it has never
had a priest named Padre Michael
P. Caadan.
Thank you for sending us the
document. We are surprised to [sic]
this weird document. In early year
of 2000, we restarted our Curia and
Mons. Carlos Belo did ordain three
priests that year but not with Mr.
Michael Caadan which Congregation of Santissima Trinidade never
exist [sic] in Timor Leste, it reads.

Quake survivors in Sandingan Island, Bohol build core houses together.

in Loon town; 20 in Catigbian; 10 in Tubigon;

70 in Maribojoc; 16 in Sagbayan; and 16 in
Clarin.
The last two municipalities were the epicenter
of the 7.2 quake that hit Bohol in 2013.
Po started building core houses for quake
survivors in Bohol in May 2014.
Due to the bad weather and his condition,
which required him to go in and out of hospital

several times, he completed the construction of

138 core houses after six months in November
last year.
His family has also provided quake survivors
in Loon, Maribojoc, Clarin, and Sagbayan with
relief goods, including medicine.
Po has handled three parishes in the United
States before retiring due to his condition.
(Oliver Samson/CBCPNews)

Seek the Good Shepherd in the Year of the Sheep priest

ILOILO CityAs the ChineseFilipinos welcome the Year of the
Sheep, a Catholic-school president
encouraged the faithful to learn
from Pope Francis contemplation
of the image of Jesus, the Good
Shepherd, on how to reach out to
others like shepherds to sheep.
On the occasion of the Lunar
New Year, Fr. Aristotle C. Dy, SJ,
main celebrant and homilist of the
parish celebration in Sta. Maria Parish, or Our Lady Queen of China,
a personal parish for the ChineseFilipino community in Iloilo City,
said, Since Pope Francis became
the worlds parish priest or Chief
Shepherd almost two years ago now,
time and again he has used the image
of the shepherd and sheep to describe
the mission of the Christian.
During his homily Dy, who is
currently the president of Xavier
School, gave three reasons why
the image of the Good Shepherd
is appropriate and timely for the
Year of the Sheep.
First, he said, Because the Shepherd looks after us, we need not
be afraid. Jesus knows His sheep
intimately. The Good Shepherd,
unlike thieves and robbers, cares
for the sheep and is ready to give
his life for them.
With a huge photograph of Pope

PHOTO FROM FR. ARI DYS FACEBOOK

CBCP Monitor

A Chinese New Years greeting couplet composed by Fr. Joe Ly, SJ for the Xavier School
Community reads: Gods love and understanding fill us like fragrance, helping each
other and bringing love to others, the Year of the Sheep will be good!.

Francis with a sheep on his shoulders projected on the screen in the

background, the priest explained
the timelessness of the message of
Jesus that He is with the faithful,
who need not be afraid.
The Pope said that God cannot
stand losing one of his own He
goes and searches He searches
until the end, like the shepherd
who goes into the darkness, searching until he finds the sheep. This
is our Father: he always comes

searching for us, he added.

Second, inviting his FilipinoChinese brethren to go beyond
their personal spheres in their vocation as Christians, he continued,
As Christians we are all invited to
be shepherds. Confident in Gods
protective love and mercy, we are
invited to share this experience of
God with others.
Smelling like the sheep
Third, following closely Pope

Francis use of images that are not

only visible but also smellable,
the priest said: We are asked to
smell like the sheep. This is a message that the Pope has emphasized.
A shepherd cannot do his job by
keeping distance from the sheep.
One has to be ready to spend time
with people, get ones hands dirty,
and experience reality than focus
on ideas.
Dy, could not help but recall
very moving episodes in the present Pontificate, In the two years
that he has been Pope, Francis has
visited people living in the margins
of society refugees, asylum seekers, typhoon survivors in Tacloban,
the poor, and the sick. He hugs and
blesses people, giving them priority
over the demands of protocol.
This is a shepherd who wants to
smell like his sheep.
In conclusion, Dy challenged
the faithful to a greater sense of
their Christian faith and mission
in the context of the New Year in
the Lunar Calendar and the Year of
the Poor in the CBCPs Nine-year
Spiritual Journey, If we are ready
to smell like the sheep, we can
create communities that care and
that can weather what storms may
come. (Fr. Mickey Cardenas/
CBCPNews)

A8

March 2 - 15, 2015, Vol. 19. No. 5

CBCP Monitor

Order of Malta head in PH for

7-day official visit
THE head of one of the worlds most
revered Catholic charity organizations is
currently in the Philippines for a week-long
official visit until March 7, Malacaang
announced.
According to Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCCO) Secretary
Herminio Coloma Jr., Fra Matthew Festing, the 79th Prince and Grand Master
of the centuries-old Sovereign Hospitaller
Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes
and of Malta (SMOM), whose arrival marks
the 50th anniversary of the establishment
of diplomatic relations between the republic
and SOM, is scheduled to meet with President Aquino to discuss bilateral relations.

1st in decades
Festing is the first SMOM Prince and
Grand Master to visit the Philippines
in over three decades, after Fra Angelo
de Mojana di Cologna, who was in the
country in February 1979.
He will proceed to Eastern Samar to
see the ongoing shelter projects funded by
SMOM for families affected by typhoon
Yolanda (international name: Haiyan).
Houses in Samar
Of the 700 core shelters expected to be
finished by May 2015, 540 are already
completed, 64 still under construction,
and 96 yet to built.

2nd New Evangelization

confab to continue lay
empowerment
LIVE Christ, Share Christ
(LCSC) is set to reprise its role in
empowering the laity to proclaim
Gods Good News through its
New Evangelization Conference
(NEC) and Catholic Expo scheduled on May 30, 2015 at the SMX
Mall of Asia Convention Center.
In its second year, NEC expects
as many as 6,000 delegates to attend the whole-day event with its
array of talks, testimonies, fora,
and expo booths.
500 years of PH Christianity
Organizers explain the conference is a concrete response to
help the poor and empower the laity to evangelize in preparation for
the 500th anniversary celebration
of Christianity in the Philippines
in 2021.
LCSC will also hold the 2nd
NEC Expo, a large-scale exhibit
to be participated in by Catholic
organizations, groups, and parishes featuring their various efforts
at New Evangelization, as well as
their contributions to building
the Church of the Poor, aims to
show delegates their practices are
worth emulating.
Spreading Gospel
The expo will allow groups and
delegates to network with one
another and collaborate for the
expansion of the work of evangelization.
In his written message to participants of NEC 2014, LingayenDagupan Archbishop Socrates B.
Vilegas said New Evangelization
is celebrating what is right with
the world and restoring integrity
to the world.
Countrys renewal
The renewal of our country
demands all Catholic Filipinos, especially the lay faithful, to return
to truthfulness and the fostering
of the sense of the common good,
he shared.
According to him, a society
that is not founded on truth

cannot stand, because a society

not founded on truth is either
founded on lies or deceit which
can provide no stable basis for
human relationships and a stable
social order.
Seek, speak, do right
This means that we must seek
what is right, speak what is right,
and do what is right; and to do
so in love, that is, in solidarity
with and service of others, the
prelate said.
Villegas stressed evangelization
is the proclamation, witness and
implanting of the Gospel given to
humanity by our Lord Jesus Christ
and the opening up of peoples
lives, society, culture and history
to the Person of Jesus Christ and
to His living community, the
Church, particularly to those
who have drifted from the faith
and from the Church in traditionally Catholic countries like
the Philippines.
Apostles of Asia
He recognized that the Filipino faithful are being called
to do by this task of New Evangelization in Asia to consider anew the new methods
and means for transmitting the
Good News more effectively to
our people.
Villegas added, We are challenged anew to foster in the
Church in our country a renewed
commitment and enthusiasm in
living out the Gospel in all the
diverse areas of our lives, in reallife practice, challenged anew to
become more and more authentic
witnesses of our faith, especially
to our Asian neighbors as a fruit
of our intensified intimacy with
the Lord.
NEC 2015 is free and open
to the public. For more updates,
visit https://www.facebook.
com/events/700900380027005.
(Raymond A. Sebastin/
CBCPNews)

The official SMOM delegation will also

meet with Vice President Jejomar Binay,
Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario,
and Acting Health Secretary Garin.
On March 5, 2015, Festing and his
delegation will travel to Basey, Samar to
inspect 350 houses donated by the Order.
Charity
SMOM, through its humanitarian assistance relief arm, Malteser International,
has continuously been extending various
forms of assistance to the Philippines,
contributing significantly to healthcare,
hygiene intervention, feeding programs,

and providing food supplements and

medical supplies, and disaster relief and
rehabilitation.
Over the last couple of years, the country
has received between 150 million to 300
million dollars annual assistance from
SMOM.
Long history
According to its official website, SMOM
has been a religious Order since 1113,
when it was recognized by Pope Paschal II.
As such, it is linked to the Holy See, but
at the same time, an independent sovereign
subject of international law, with its religious
character coexisting with its full sovereignty.

Prince and cardinal

The Grand Master is concurrently head
of a sovereign State and head of a religious
Order. In this second capacity the Catholic
Church gives him the rank of Cardinal.
Some SMOM members are religious
who have professed the three vows of
poverty, chastity, and obedience, and others have taken a special vow of obedience,
while the great majority are lay knights
and dames all of whom are required to
maintain exemplary Christian behavior
in their private and public life, and to
contribute to the maintenance of the Orders traditions. (Raymond A. Sebastin/
CBCP News)

Non-profit org to hold training

on pregnancy services
A NON-PROFIT organization of
life-affirming pregnancy centers
will be holding a conference that
aims to train, encourage, and motivate family and life advocates in
their ministry of helping women in
pregnancy crisis, saving babies, and
building strong families.
Pregnancy Support Services
of Asia (PSSA), together with
the Archdiocese of Manila Commission on Family and Life
and Couples for Christ, will be
holding its 4th regional training conference entitled Your
Heart Today at the St. Michael
Retreat House in Antipolo City
from March 6 to 8.
The conference will focus on
noting the importance of life and
family values in the present-day
milieu in the context of observing sound pregnancy, sustaining responsible healthcare for
women and babies, and developing strong ties among modern
families.
Dr. Margaret Hartshorn, president of Heartbeat International,
will be gracing the event as its
guest speaker.
PSSA aims to reduce abortion and strengthen families in
Asia by establishing, developing,
and supporting life-affirming
pregnancy services through prevention, crisis intervention, and
healing to those who are abortion-vulnerable.

It is an affiliate of Heartbeat
International in preserving, protecting and leading the advocacy of
affirming life in Asia, establishing
life-saving resource centers and
empowering the family.
Heartbeat International aims

to reduce, if not totally eliminate, the practice of abortion

through counseling via its contact centers around the world;
provide true reproductive health
care, ministry, education, and
social services to women; and

develop pregnancy centers in

places where abortion clinics are
rampant.
For more information on the
conference, interested participants
may visit or text 09057418146. (Jennifer M. Orillaza/CBCP News)

Malolos hosts gathering of Luzon

priests, seminarians

Markings
Appointed. Cotabato Archbishop
Orlando Cardinal Quevedo was appointed by Pope Francis to be a Papal
envoy to a Christian event in Nagasaki,
Japan from March 7 to 14. Quevedo
will be representing the Holy Father
during the celebration of the 150th
anniversary of the discovery of the
Hidden Christians of Japan. The
persecution of Christians in Japan
forced the faithful to practice their beliefs underground. Hidden Christians
translates to Kakure Kirishitan in
Japanese. Only after the Meiji Restoration in 1873 was freedom of religion
promulgated. Presently, Christians
account for less than 1 percent of the Japanese population.
Commemorated. The University of Santo Tomas (UST) commemorated
the fourth centenary of the martyrdom of Justus Takayama Ukon, the
first lay Japanese Christian missionary in the country, with a public
lecture on Feb. 28 at the Thomas Aquinas Research Complex Auditorium. The lecturer was Florentino Hornedo, chair holder of the Lord
Justus Takayama Professorial Chair on Philippine-Japanese Studies,
which was established in 1989 in UST by Ernie De Pedro, a devotee
of Takayama.
Takayama, who lived
from 1552 to 1615, was
a Japanese Samurai who
converted to Christianity
during the Sengoku Period. In Japan, he and his
father were responsible
for the conversion to the
faith of their followers.
When in 1614 Catholicism
was banned in Japan,
which resulted in his exile together with around
300 subjects, Takayama
moved to the Philippines where he was welcomed by religious missionaries. A short time after his arrival, however, he died of illness in
Manila, but has since been honored for his courage to stand by the
Catholic faith.

Seminarians and priests from Northern and Central Luzon gather for the SANGTUKRISTO
2015 on Feb. 13, 2015 at the Immaculate Conception Major Seminary of the Diocese
of Malolos, Bulacan.

THE Immaculate Conception Major Seminary

of the Diocese of Malolos, Bulacan hosted
the SANGTUKRISTO 2015, a gathering of
seminarians and priests all over Luzon on Feb.
13 with the theme, For me, to live is Christ
(Philippians 1:21).
SANGTURISTO is derived from Isang Tugon Kay Kristo, which refers to the desire of the
participants to heed Gods call to the priesthood.
It is annual inter-college seminary gathering
of seminarians and priests from Northern and
Central Luzon.
Fr. Enrico Gonzales, OP gave a talk to the
participants at the seminary gymnasium, stressing the importance of solidarity in the Church
and looking at it as a family.
Church as family
Dapat makita ninyo ang simbahan at ang
inyong diocese bilang pamilya ninyo (You
should see the Church and your diocese as you
family), he said.
Gonzales also urged the seminarians not to be
discouraged even amid scandals that the Church
faces at present. Do not lose confidence in the
Church because of the scandals. Remember that

Seminarians from seven seminaries all over Luzon got to have included team building
exercises and group dynamics, sharing, and a lucernarium as part of SANGTUKRISTO
2015.

the Church is a Holy Church of sinners. It is

Holy because Jesus is our head. It is a Church of
sinners because we, its members, are wounded
by sin. As head, Christ is the source of hope
of the Church we have hope [in Christ]
he added.
This year, seven seminaries gathered at ICMAS for the event namely; Mother of Good
Counsel Seminary (MGCS), from the Archdioce of San Fernando, Pampangga, Our Lady
of Peace College Seminary (OLPCS) from the
Diocese of Tarlac, Tarlac, Maria Assumpta Seminary (MAS) from the Diocese of Cabanatuan,
Nueva Ecija, Mary Help of Christians Seminary
(MHCS), from the Archdiocese of LigayenDagupan, St. Joseph College Seminary (SJCS)
from the Diocese of Alaminos, Pangasinan, St.
Dominic College Seminary (SDCS) from the
Diocese of Bayombong, Nueva Viscaya, and
Mary Cause of our Joy Seminary (MCJS) from
the Diocese of Laoag.
The event began with a solidarity walk from
the Barasoain Church to the Immaculate Conception Cathedral and on to the Minor Basilica
in Malolos City, Bulacan. Afterwards, Malolos

Bishop Jose F. Oliveros, DD presided over a

Eucharistic celebration.
Playing, praying together
A motorcade from the Malolos Cathedral
up to ICMAS followed the Holy Mass. At ICMAS, the SANGTUKRISTO delegates were
welcomed by the ICMAS seminarians, seminary
formators and staff, as well as the parents of
seminarians.
SANGTURISTO 2015 activities included
team building exercises and group dynamics,
sharing, and a lucernarium. These activities
were designed to foster familiarity and friendship among seminarians through playing and
praying together.
A dinner program was also held wherein
each participating seminary presented
a cultural number that highlighted the
festivities, art, music, and dance of their
provinces.
The event concluded with fireworks display
and a serenade to the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother of Priests and Seminarians.
MHCS will host the next SANTUKRISTO.
(Arvin Ray C. Jimenez/CBCPNews)

PASTORAL CONCERNS B1

March 2 - 15, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 5

During Lent, pope offers handy

tips for preparing for confession
By Carol Glatz / Catholic News Service

AS Catholics are encouraged

to make going to confession a
significant part of their lives
during Lent, Pope Francis offered
some quick tips to help people
prepare for the sacrament of
penance.
After a brief explanation of why people
should go to confessionbecause we are
all sinnersthe pope listed 30 key questions to reflect on as part of making an
examination of conscience and being able
to confess well.
The guide is part of a 28-page booklet in
Italian released by the Vatican publishing
house. Pope Francis had 50,000 free copies
distributed to people attending his Angelus
address Feb. 22, the first Sunday of Lent.
Titled Safeguard your heart, the booklet
is meant to help the faithful become courageous and prepared to battle against evil and
choose the good.
The booklet contains quick introductions
to Catholic basics: it has the text of the
Creed, a list of the gifts of the Holy Spirit,
the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes.
It explains the seven sacraments and includes
Pope Francis explanation of lectio divina,
a prayerful way of reading Scripture in order
to better hear what the Lord wants to tell
us in his word and to let us be transformed
by his Spirit.
The booklets title is based on a line from
one of the popes morning Mass homilies in

which he said Christians need to guard and

protect their hearts, just as you protect your
home -- with a lock.
How often do bad thoughts, bad intentions, jealousy, envy enter? he asked. Who
opened the door? How did those things get
in?
The Oct. 10, 2014, homily, which is

Catholics should go
to confession, the
pope said, because
everyone needs
forgiveness for
their sins, for the
ways we think and
act contrary to the
Gospel.
excerpted in the booklet, said the best way
to guard ones heart is with the daily practice of an examination of conscience, in
which one quietly reviews what bad things
one has done and what good things one
has failed to do for God, ones neighbor
and oneself.
The questions include:

-- Do I only turn to God when Im in

need?
-- Do I take attend Mass on Sundays and
holy days of obligation?
-- Do I begin and end the day with prayer?
-- Am I embarrassed to show that I am a
Christian?
-- Do I rebel against Gods plan?
-- Am I envious, hot-tempered, biased?
-- Am I honest and fair with everyone or
do I fuel the throwaway culture?
-- In my marital and family relations, do
I uphold morality as taught in the Gospels?
-- Do I honor and respect my parents?
-- Have I refused newly conceived life?
Have I snuffed out the gift of life? Have I
helped do so?
-- Do I respect the environment?
-- Am I part worldly and part believer?
-- Do I overdo it with eating, drinking,
smoking and amusements?
-- Am I overly concerned about my physical well-being, my possessions?
-- How do I use my time? Am I lazy?
-- Do I want to be served?
-- Do I dream of revenge, hold grudges?
-- Am I meek, humble and a builder of
peace?
Catholics should go to confession, the
pope said, because everyone needs forgiveness for their sins, for the ways we think
and act contrary to the Gospel.
Whoever says he is without sin is a liar
or is blind, he wrote.
Confession is meant to be a sincere moment of conversion, an occasion to demonstrate trust in Gods willingness to forgive
his children and to help them back on the
path of following Jesus, Pope Francis wrote.

Do I only turn to God when Im in need?

Do I take attend Mass on Sundays and holy
days of obligation?
Do I begin and end the day with prayer?
Am I embarrassed to show that I am a Christian?
Do I rebel against Gods plan?
Am I envious, hot-tempered, biased?
Am I honest and fair with everyone or do I fuel
the throwaway culture?
In my marital and family relations, do I uphold
morality as taught in the Gospels?
Do I honor and respect my parents?
Have I refused newly conceived life? Have I
snuffed out the gift of life? Have I helped do so?
Do I respect the environment?
Am I part worldly and part believer?
Do I overdo it with eating, drinking, smoking
and amusements?
Am I overly concerned about my physical wellbeing, my possessions?
How do I use my time? Am I lazy?
Do I want to be served?
Do I dream of revenge, hold grudges?
Am I meek, humble and a builder of peace?

Excerpt from the Catechism of the Catholic Church

(Numbers 1422 to 1460)

The acts of the penitent

Penance requiresthe sinner
to endure all things willingly, be
contrite of heart, confess with the
lips, and practice complete humility and fruitful satisfaction.
(Roman Catechism II, V, 21)
Contrition
Among the penitents acts contrition occupies first place. Contrition is sorrow of the soul and
detestation for the sin committed,
together with the resolution not
to sin again.
When it arises from a love by
w h i c h G o d i s l ov e d a b ov e a l l
else, contrition is called perfect
(contrition of charity). Such contrition remits venial sins; it also
obtains forgiveness of mortal sins
if it includes the firm resolution
to have recourse to sacramental
confession as soon as possible.

The contrition called imperfect

(or attrition) is also a gift of God,
a prompting of the Holy Spirit. It is
born of the consideration of sins ugliness or the fear of eternal damnation and the other penalties threatening the sinner (contrition of fear).
Such a stirring of conscience can
initiate an interior process which,
under the prompting of grace, will
be brought to completion by sacramental absolution. By itself however,
imperfect contrition cannot obtain
the forgiveness of grave sins, but it
disposes one to obtain forgiveness in
the sacrament of Penance.
The reception of this sacrament
ought to be prepared for by an examination of conscience made in
the light of the Word of God. The
passages best suited to this can be
found in the Ten Commandments,
the moral catechesis of the Gospels
and the apostolic Letters, such as

the Sermon on the Mount and the

apostolic teachings.
The confession of sins
T h e c o n f e s s i o n ( o r d i s c l o s u re )
of sins, even from a simply human
point of view, frees us and facilitates our reconciliation with others.
Through such an admission man
looks squarely at the sins he is guilty
of, takes responsibility for them,
a n d t h e re by o p e n s h i m s e l f a g a i n
to God and to the communion of
the Church in order to make a new
future possible.
Confession to a priest is an essential part of the sacrament of Penance:
All mortal sins of which penitents
after a diligent self-examination
are conscious must be recounted by
them in confession, even if they are
most secret and have been committed against the last two precepts of
the Decalogue; for these sins some-

times wound the soul more grievously and are more dangerous than
those which are committed openly.
When Christs faithful strive to
confess all the sins that they can remember, they undoubtedly place all
of them before the divine mercy for
pardon. But those who fail to do so
and knowingly withhold some, place
nothing before the divine goodness
for remission through the mediation
of the priest, for if the sick person
is too ashamed to show his wound
to the doctor, the medicine cannot
heal what it does not know.
According to the Churchs command, after having attained the age
of discretion, each of the faithful is
bound by an obligation faithfully to
confess serious sins at least once a
year. Anyone who is aware of having committed a mortal sin must not
receive Holy Communion, even if he
experiences deep contrition, without

having first received sacramental

absolution, unless he has a grave
reason for receiving Communion
and there is no possibility of going to confession. 57Children must
go to the sacrament of Penance
before receiving Holy Communion for the first time.
Without being strictly nece s s a r y, c o n f e s s i o n o f e ve r yd a y
faults (venial sins) is nevertheless
s t r o n g l y re c o m m e n d e d b y t h e
Church. Indeed the regular confession of our venial sins helps us
form our conscience, fight against
evil tendencies, let ourselves be
healed by Christ and progress in
the life of the Spirit. By receiving more frequently through this
sacrament the gift of the Fathers
mercy, we are spurred to be merciful as he is merciful:
Whoever confesses his sins . . .

Catechism / B2

Jose Mayo

CBCP Monitor

B2 Updates

March 2 - 15, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 5

CBCP Monitor

Ours is a Ministry of Reconciliation

By Fr. Jaime B. Achacoso

Precedence in
Evening Prayer
(Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy and dean of theology at the Regina Apostolorum university, answers the following query:)
Q: I am a secular Carmelite OCDS in charge of the liturgy for my
community. I need clarification on praying vespers in community.
When the feast of St. Teresa of Avila or St. John of the Cross falls
on a Monday, for Sunday vespers do we pray Evening Prayer II for
Sunday or Evening Prayer I for the feast of our spiritual founders?
Our community is named after St. Joseph. The same problem
comes up for his feast days. Also, my home parish is Our Lady
Queen of All Saints. For Aug. 21 vespers, do I pray Evening Prayer
for St. Pius X or Evening Prayer I for the Queenship of Mary on
Aug. 22? We would like to pray the Office properly and as well correctly teach the aspirants in Carmel. -- C.F., Ville Platte, Louisiana
A: The answer to this question depends on the rank of the celebration within the particular calendar of the Carmelite family.
This is not quite clear as some Carmelite calendars list the celebration of St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross as solemnities,
while others list them as feasts.
There might also be differences among the various
orders of Carmelites insofar as
a celebration is a solemnity for
the clerical and cloistered communities whereas it is classed as
a feast for the third order.
The universal calendar has
the following rules for such coincidences in the Introduction
to the Liturgy of the Hours:
59. Precedence among
liturgical days relative to the
celebration is governed solely
by the following table.
60. If several celebrations
fall on the same day, the one
that holds the highest rank according to the preceding Table
of Liturgical Days is observed.
But a solemnity impeded by
a liturgical day that takes
precedence over it should be
transferred to the closest day
not listed in nos. 1-8 in the
table of precedence; the rule
of no. 5 remains in effect. Other celebrations are omitted that year.
61. If the same day were to call for celebration of evening prayer
of that days office and evening prayer I of the following day, evening
prayer of the day with the higher rank in the Table of Liturgical
Days takes precedence; in cases of equal rank, evening prayer of
the actual day takes precedence.
An extract of this table in which we list only those celebrations
pertinent to our answer is the following:
2. Christmas, Epiphany, Ascension, and Pentecost. Sundays of
Advent, Lent, and the Easter season.
3. Solemnities of the Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and saints
listed in the General Calendar. All Souls.
4. Proper Solemnities, namely:
a. Solemnity of the principal patron of the place, that is, the
city or state.
b. Solemnity of the dedication of a particular church and the
anniversary.
c. Solemnity of the title, or of the founder, or of the principal
patron of a religious order or congregation.
5. Feasts of the Lord in the General Calendar.
6. Sundays of the Christmas season and Sundays in Ordinary Time.
7. Feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of the saints in the
General Calendar.

THE love of Christ impels us (2 Cor

5:14). () the love we are called to
proclaim is a reconciling love, flowing
from the heart of the crucified Savior.
We are called to be ambassadors for
Christ (2 Cor 5:20). Ours is a ministry
of reconciliation. We proclaim the Good
News of Gods infinite love, mercy and
compassion. () To be an ambassador for
Christ means above all to invite everyone
to a renewed personal encounter with the
Lord Jesus (Evangelii Gaudium, 3). This
invitation must be at the core of your
commemoration of the evangelization of
the Philippines.
These lines, spoken at the very start of
Pope Francis homily during the Holy Mass
at the Manila Cathedral, concelebrated
with the clergyand attended by other
clerics, seminarians and religiousbrings
us to the very core of the meaning of
priestly ministry. It is, in the popes words,

Inviting Everyone to a Renewed Personal

Encounter with the Lord
However, if the priestly ministry were to
stop at the proclamation of Gods unchanging love of mercy and compassion, there
would not be a genuine reconciliation.
Because reconciliation is not theoretical;
rather it is imminently practical. For man
to be reconciled to God, he must reverse
the process by which he was alienated from
God. If sin is an aversio a Deo et conversio
ad criaturas (turning away from God and
turning towards creatures), then reconciliation must entail a conversio ad Deum
(conversion to God). As Pope Francis puts
it in the above-quoted homily, to be an
ambassador for Christ means above all
to invite everyone to a renewed personal
encounter with the Lord Jesus. Now this
invitation cannot be mere rhetoric; it cannot be merely affective, but must rather
be effective. Thus, the Pope also declares
that the Gospelthe Good News of Gods
irrevocable love for manis also a summons to conversion, to an examination of

The Law of Annual Confession

In this connection, it would be good to
be reminded of yet another disposition of
the 1983 Code of Canon Law, especially
relevant in this season of Lent: After having attained the age of discretion, each of the
faithful is bound by an obligation to faithfully
confess serious sins at least once a year (c.989).
Definitely, the canon binds only those
who are aware of having committed a
mortal sin and have not yet had it absolved
in sacramental Confession, and he may go
to Confession any time during the year.
But the long queues in the confessionals
of many churches during Lent and Easter
season are an eloquent manifestation of the
common sense of the faithful that even the
just man falls seven times each day. Indeed,
the faithful are all too aware of that warning of St. Paul to the Corinthians: Therefore
whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of
the Lord unworthily, will be guilty of the body
and the blood of the Lordfor he who eats
and drinks unworthily, without distinguishing the body, eats and drinks judgment to
himself (I Cor 2, 27-28).
Herein lies the nexus between the Easter
Eucharistic precept and the law on yearly
confession of serious sins: To receive Holy
Communion worthily at Easter time, it
seems logical that the best way to prepare
for it is with individual sacramental Confession.

John Stephen Dwyer

File Photo

The general
rule would
mean that
the vespers
on Sunday
evening would
be those of
the Sunday of
Advent as it
has the higher
rank.

8. Proper feasts, namely:

a. Feast of the principal patron of the diocese.
b. Feast of the anniversary of the dedication of the cathedral.
c. Feast of the principal patron of a region or province, or a
country, or of a wider territory.
d. Feast of the title, founder, or principle patron of an order
or congregation and of a religious province, without prejudice to
the directives in no. 4.
e. Other feasts proper to an individual church.
f. Other feasts listed in the calendar of a diocese or of a religious
order or congregation.
9. Weekdays of Advent from 17 December to 24 December
inclusive. Days within the octave of Christmas. Weekdays of Lent.
Therefore, if a celebration of a religious congregation, such as St.
John of the Cross (Dec. 14), is ranked as a solemnity, it has a lower
rank than that of a Sunday of Advent. If, as happens this year, it
falls on a Sunday, it is transferred to the Monday.
The general rule would mean that the vespers on Sunday evening
would be those of the Sunday of Advent as it has the higher rank.
However, as some (but not all) of the Carmelite calendars that
I have reviewed indicate, reciting the first vespers of St. John can
only suppose that this is in virtue of a particular or general privilege
granted to the order to give preference to the proper celebrations.
Where the Carmelite calendar ranks St. John as a feast rather
than as a solemnity, there are no first vespers because only feasts
of the Lord have first vespers, and these are used only when they
take precedence over a Sunday of ordinary time.
Nor are feasts such as St. John of the Cross transferred to another
day but rather are omitted that year.
Therefore, our reader should check the ranking of the celebration
according to the Carmelite calendar of the country and follow the
general rules of precedence.
In some cases there might be particular rules regarding transfer
of celebrations issued by the bishops conference, and these should
also be taken into account.

with Christ necessarily has to begin with the

Sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession.
Thus, the priestly ministry of proclaiming the Good News of Gods love for man
and inviting man to conversion would be
ineffectual were it not to be accompanied
by an effective promotion of the Sacrament
of Confession. As the Code of Canon Law
clearly states: Individual and integral
confession and absolution constitutes the
only ordinary way by which the faithful
person who is aware of serious sin is reconciled with God and with the Church;
only physical or moral impossibility excuses
the person from confession of this type, in
which case reconciliation can take place
in other ways (c.960). This is an almost
verbatim quotation of yet another Pope
dear to the Filipino heart, St. John Paul
II, who affirmed that the individual and
integral confession of sins, with individual
absolution, constitutes the only ordinary
way in which the faithful who are conscious
of serious sin are reconciled with the God
and with the Church (Reconciliatio et paenitentia, n.33).

a ministry of reconciliation. However, it

isin a manner of speakinga one-sided
reconciliation: God does not need to be
reconciled with man, because Gods relationship with man is unchanging as He is
eternal; it is only man who puts himself in a
situation of enmity with God by embarking
on a path which is incompatible with loving
God (this is what moral evil means). Thus,
the priestly ministry of reconciliation,
above everything else, is about bringing
sinful man back to loving God and to follow Gods loving will for him.
Proclaiming the Good News of Gods Irrevocable Love for Man
We are called to be ambassadors for
ChristPope Francis also said(to) proclaim the Good News of Gods infinite love,
mercy and compassion. Indeed this is the
first function of the ministerial priesthood:
to proclaim the joy of the Gospel...the
promise of Gods grace, which alone can
bring wholeness and healing to our broken
world.
If there is anything that shines clearly
in the demeanor and words of the Holy
Fathersomething quite palpable to the
millions of Filipinos who flocked to see
him in person, despite the inclement
weatherit is this message of Gods love
for all men. It is this openness to everyone,
without exception, that makes the Pope so
endearing to all people who have seen and
heard himCatholics or otherwise.

Duty of Priests to Facilitate Confession

If the obligation exists for the faithful to
confess their serious sins at least once a year,
and the just man falls seven times each day,
there seems to be a corresponding duty on
the part of the sacred ministers to enable
the faithful to fulfill that duty.
Indeed, a series of simple calculations
can serve to quantify this duty of the parish priestat least in a general way. In the
Philippines, there is an average of 15,000
Catholics for every priest. Now according
to the population profile of the Philippines,
roughly 68% of the population falls in the
10-60 years old bracketwhich, presumably, is the age group to which (roughly)
the law of annual confession applies. Assuming that the same percentage holds for

If the obligation exists for the faithful to

confess their serious sins at least once a
year, and the just man falls seven times each
day, there seems to be a corresponding duty
on the part of the sacred ministers to enable
the faithful to fulfill that duty.
conscience, as individuals and as a people.
Let us try to mine these words of the Vicar
of Christ as thoroughly as we can now, to
squeeze every bit of practical consequence
from it, since love is deeds and not sweet
words.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation as the
First Practical Step to True Conversion
The Pope was emphatic in saying that
the ministry of the priest is above all to
invite everyone to a renewed personal encounter with the Lord Jesus. What does
this mean in the context of the reality of
sin? Put another way, what does a renewed
personal encounter with Christ entail when
one is starting precisely from a position of
alienation brought about by the consciousness of a personal sin? The answer is quite
clear: such renewed personal encounter

the Catholics too, then there should be

10,200 Catholics of 10-60 years of age for
every priest in the Philippines. Even if each
of these faithful only went to the minimum
once-a-year confession, this would mean
that the priests, if they are to fulfill their
duty, should on the average hear about 30
confessions daily throughout the year!
There has been a lot of talk of the need
for moral recovery in Philippine society
and politics. Such moral recovery cannot
happen in a collective way, in a mass action.
The moral recovery of a society depends
ultimately on the individual personal conversion of its membersa conversion that
is not possible without the Sacrament of
Reconciliation. Here indeed is a point of
self-examination for the pastors of souls,
and a possible point of redress for the
parishioners.

Catechism / B1

is already working with God.

God indicts your sins; if you
also indict them, you are
j o i n e d w i t h Go d . M a n a n d
si nner a re, so to sp ea k , tw o
realities: when you hear man
- this is what God has made;
when you hear sinner - this
is what man himself has made.
Destroy what you have made,
s o t h a t Go d m a y s a v e w h a t
he has made. . . . When you
begin to abhor what you have
made, it is then that your good
works are beginning, since you
are accusing yourself of your
evil works. The beginning of
good works is the confession of
evil works. You do the truth
a n d c o m e t o t h e l i g h t . ( St .
Augustine)

Satisfaction
Many sins wrong our neighb o r. O n e m u s t d o w h a t i s
p o s s i b l e i n o rd e r t o re p a i r
the harm (e.g., return stolen
goods, restore the reputation
o f s o m e o n e s l a n d e re d , p a y
compensation for injuries).
Simple justice requires as
much. But sin also injures and
weakens the sinner himself, as
well as his relationships with
God and neighbor. Absolu tion takes away sin, but it
does not remedy all the disorders sin has caused. Raised
up from sin, the sinner must
still recover his full spiritual
health by doing something
more to make amends for the
sin: he must make satisfac-

tion for or expiate his sins.

This satisfaction is also called
penance.
The penance the confessor
imposes must take into account the penitents personal
situation and must seek his
spiritual good. It must correspond as far as possible with
the gravity and nature of the
sins committed. It can consist
of prayer, an offering, works
of mercy, ser vice of neighb o r, v o l u n t a r y s e l f - d e n i a l ,
sacrifices, and above all the
patient acceptance of the cross
we must bear. Such penances
help configure us to Christ,
who alone expiated our sins
once for all. They allow us
to become co-heirs with the

r i s e n C h r i s t , p rov i d e d we
suffer with him.
The satisfaction that we
make for our sins, however, is
not so much ours as though it
were not done through Jesus
Christ. We who can do nothing ourselves, as if just by ourselves, can do all things with
the cooperation of him who
strengthens us. Thus man has
nothing of which to boast, but
all our boasting is in Christ ...
in whom we make satisfaction
by bringing forth fruits that
befit repentance. These fruits
have their efficacy from him,
by him they are offered to the
Father, and through him they
a re a c c e p t e d b y t h e Fa t h e r .
(Council of Trent)

CBCP Monitor

Features B3

March 2 - 15, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 5

Christian Tradition and Religious Freedom

Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro

(Presented at the International Symposium, Toward Peace and Harmony in the Reality of Religious
Pluralism, at the University of Santo Tomas, Manila, 2 February 2015)

Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio J. Ledesma, SJ with other participants at the international symposium entitled Toward Peace and Harmony in the Reality of Religious Pluralism on Feb. 2, 2015.

PREVIOUS speakers have pointed out the

common meaning of the words, Shalom for
Jews and Salaam for Muslims as signifying
Peace. We can also include Salamat for
Filipinos as coming from the same root
word. Whenever we give thanks we also
invoke the peace of God on the other. And
this is perhaps best expressed when we
respect the religious freedom of everyone
in the world today.
I. Religious Freedom in the mid-twentieth century
In 1948, after the widespread ravages of
the Second World War, the United Nations
solemnly issued the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights. Among these rights was
the right to freedom of religion:
Everyone has the right to freedom of
thought, conscience and religion; this right
includes freedom to change his religion or
belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private,

to the principle of Religious Freedom? A

quick look at the historical background
tells us that the Church went through several stages of interpreting religious freedomunder changing circumstances. The
first generations of Christians underwent
hostility from the established religions of
Judaism and the Roman Empire. It was
the age of martyrs for the first three centuries. Denied the freedom to worship in
public, persecuted Christians literally went
underground in the catacombs of Rome.
With the advent of the Constantinian
era in 313 A.D., Christianity began to
enjoy the freedom and privileges of an
official religion. And throughout the
Middle Ages in Europe (500-1500 A.D.)
the close relationship between popes
and temporal rulers eventually resulted
in a socio-political configuration called
Christendom. Heresy was oftentimes
considered a threat to the stability of the
state. The Inquisition and the Crusades to
the Holy Land were outcomes of the same
world view of a theocratic society that saw
itself as the bearer of truth and at the same

This principle of separation of Church

and State is maintained in the Philippine
Constitutions of 1935, 1974, and 1987.
III. Meaning of Religious Freedom
The Catholic Churchs position on Religious Freedom since the period of Pope
John XXIII and Vatican II represents an
about-face reversal of its earlier perspective
that error has no right, and therefore
other faith-based communities have no
public right to worship. This reversal is
explicitated in Dignitatis Humanae:
The Vatican Council declares that the
human person has a right to religious freedom. Freedom of this kind means that all
men should be immune from coercion on
the part of individuals, social groups and
every human power so that, within due
limits, nobody is forced to act against his
convictions nor is anyone to be restrained
from acting in accordance with his convictions in religious matters in private or in
public, alone or in association with others
(DH, 2).
This double immunity from coercion

One of the symposiums presenters, Archbishop Antonio J. Ledesma, SJ, talked about Christian Tradition and Religious Freedom.

to manifest his religion or belief in teaching ,

practice, worship and observance. (Article 18)
In 1963, Saint Pope John XXIIIs encyclical, Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth) reiterated this right to worship God according to
ones conscience. This was addressed not
only to the Catholic Church but also to all
people of goodwill. And in 1965, at the
conclusion of the Second Vatican Council
of the Catholic Church, the Council Fathers issued the Declaration on Religious
Freedom (DignitatisHumanae). Two other
documents of Vatican II complement the
Churchs teaching on religious freedom:
GaudiumetSpes (Pastoral Constitution
on the Church in the Modern World)
and Nostra Aetate (Declaration on the
Relation of the Church to Non-Christian
Religions). Taken together, these Vatican
II documents (whose 50th anniversary we
celebrate this year), reiterated the statement
of John XXIII in his encyclical: Also among
mans rights is that of being able to worship
God in accordance with the right dictates of
his own conscience, and to profess his religion both in private and in public(PT,14).
II. Historical Background
But has the Church always subscribed

time guardians of the temporal-spiritual

welfare of its subjects. Subsequently, in
the sixteenth century, the Reformation and
Counter-Reformation brought about protracted periods of religious wars invariably a mutual denial of religious freedom
among those in opposing camps.
On our side of the globe, Spanish colonization and Christianization of the Philippines for almost three and a half centuries
were carried out within the framework of
union of Church and State. The mission
work of the Church was placed under the
aegis of the Patronato Real; parish priests
were supported by the Royal Crown. It
was in this context that the Filipinos
revolution against the Spanish colonial
government included a religious revolution in thecreation of an Iglesia Filipina
Independiente.
The beginnings of the American period
at the turn of the 19th-20th century brought
about the separation of Church and State
and the entry of other Christian churches
in the Philippines. Although Catholicism remained the majority religion on
the islands, all religious denominations
received equal protection from the law,
patterned after the American experience.

from being forced to act or being restrained from acting in religious matters
should be recognized in the constitutional order of society, as will make it a
civil right (DH, 2).The Council further
states that this religious freedom is based
on the dignity of the human person i.e.,
as created in the image of God, endowed
with reason that seeks the truth, freedom
that seeks the good and the beautiful,
and conscience that urges the person to
do good and avoid evil. (GS, 14-17).The
dignity of moral conscience with its inner
imperatives is described by the Council
fathers:
For man has in his heart a law inscribed
by God. His dignity lies in observing this
law, and by it he will be judged By
conscience, that law is made known which
is fulfilled in the love of God and of ones
neighbor (GS, 16).
Hence,
The Declaration on Religious Freedom
also points out the other aspect of the exercise of this freedom for all persons: their
personal responsibility and moral obligation to seek the truth, especially religious
truth (DH, 2). Freedom from coercion in
civil society allows the individual person or

community to seek this truth, binding on

ones conscience and religious convictions.
For the Church, religious freedom is also
seen in the light of revelation. The Gospel
narratives repeatedly manifest Christs
respect for the freedom of everyone he encounters from the calling of the apostles,
to the curing of the sick and the possessed,
to the confrontation with the leaders of the
Jews. The Council observes: God calls
men to serve him in spirit and in truth.
Consequently they are bound to him in
conscience but not coerced (DH, 11).
IV. Moments in the Churchs Exercise
of Religious Freedom
How then has the Catholic Church interpreted and exercised its understanding
of Religious Freedom in the aftermath of
Dignitatis Humanae?
A first moment is the recognition that
Religious Freedom replaces Established
Catholicism. No longer does the Church
claim that it has the sole right to public
worship. Nor can there be the return to a
Christian theocratic state (with the possible

Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro

By Archbishop Antonio J. Ledesma, SJ

exception of the Holy See being also the

Vatican State).
During the period of Communist oppression in several countries, the popes
exercised a second moment in invoking the freedom of the Church against
Atheistic Communism. The underground
Church in the Soviet Union and China
and other oppressive countries provides
countless narratives of the heroic witnessing of priests, religious and lay Catholics
to their faith. At the end of the Cold
War, the Church is undergoing a third
moment in confronting the challenges
of Secularism and Relativism. In their
extreme forms these philosophies would
privatize religion and deny any public
display of worship on the one hand and
undermine the objective bases for morality on the other.
Following the spirit of Vatican II, the
Church has also entered a fourth moment of dialogue in religious freedom
with other Christian churches and world
religions. The Council Fathers issued
separate decrees on the Catholic Eastern Churches, Ecumenism, and NonChristian Religions. In Nostra Aetate, the
Council Fathers articulated their view:

The Catholic Church rejects nothing

of what is true and holy in these religions.
She has a high regard for the manner of life
and conduct, the precepts and doctrines
which although differing in many ways
from her own teaching, nevertheless often
reflect a ray of that truth which enlightens
all men (NA, 2).
One could add that these other religions
also often provide striking examples of
love of God and love of neighbor that are
central to Christianity and signs of his
presence in the world.
Several commentators have suggested a
fifth moment of Dignitatis Humanae in

The right to
religious freedom,
as enunciated in
Vatican II, is based
on the very dignity
of the human
person instead
of the earlier
presuppositions of
objective truth or
conscience alone
Thus, even if a
person subscribes
to a truth that is
objectively false
or bases his belief
on an erroneous
conscience, the
integrity of his
human dignity
should be respected
and accorded the
right to religious
freedom.
addressing religious freedom within the
Church itself. The current issues of wider
participation in the life of the Church, the
exercise of authority as service, the role
of women, family life and reproductive
health, modifying the punitive aspects of
discipline with compassion, etc. are all part
of the ongoing conversationsand movements of the Spiritwithin the Church.
In many ways, Pope Francis call for
a Culture of Encounter so strikingly
manifested in his apostolic visit to the
Philippines can open new directions
where one meets the other in a personalized way, touching the wounds of
the other, and sharing Gods mercy and
compassion for all.

B4 FEATURES

March 2 - 15, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 5

CBCP Monitor

The Clear Call to Mission

WHAT called my attention upon
entering the Collegio Filippino in
Rome on the night of February 12
was the rows of chairs that filled
the usually spacious lobby fronting the chapel. The chapel was
thrown wide open, as well; right
in front of the altar, there was a
table with a dignified-looking,
red-velvet lined chair behind it. It
was still quiet when I arrived, but
the action had already startedin
the dining room.
The get-together with Cardinal
Chito Tagle began with the sharing
of dinuguan, menudo, and stories
of our experiences as a people in a
foreign land. Here, the Filipinos of
Rome who didnt have the fortune
of being in the Philippines during
the exceptionally eventful visit of
the Pope to the Philippines would
be filled in on all the action. It had
been just a week after the Filipinos
in Rome celebrated the feast of
the Sto. Nio with dancing in St.
Peters Square to thank the Pope
for his visit to the Philippines. The
atmosphere in the dining room was
unmistakably fiesta-like, especially
as everyone saw Cardinal Chito
arrive, humbly fetch his dinner,
then take his seat among everyone.
When the get-together finally
started at around 8:45 p.m. the
hall and the chapel that could
seat around 200 people were
nearly filled (it would be by the
end)remarkably more than half
by lay people, although there was
indeed a good number of priests,
religious, and seminarians. It appropriately began with a moving
community singing of Tell the
World of His Love which brought
to the memory of almost everyone
there the unforgettable visit of St.
John Paul during World Youth
Day 1995, as well as made present
Pope Franciss most recent visit to
the Philippines.
After some introductions, Cardinal Chito finally came to the
table. He was visibly tiredhe
had come to work in the Congregation that he heads and for the
Consistory; but he was relaxed,
nevertheless. He began by telling
us he was simply going to tell
stories of the Popes visit. It was
going to be a sort of blow-byblow account as it were, since
we had missed all the front-seat
action.
And what stories! These brought
laughter and tears to many, induced moments of reflection, and
provoked a genuine examination
of conscience. Perhaps the best way
to recount these is not chronologically. Rather we can do so through
four ideas that surfaced throughout
the Cardinals entire narrative: the
perfect time, a true Father and Pastor, joyful dignity, and evangelizing
mission.
The perfect time
When the Pope was in Tacloban drenched by the rains of the
storm, he confided to Cardinal
Chito that the storm must have
been made for him. So while many
thought that the bad weather was
unfortunate for the Popes visit, the
Pope thought it was Gods way of

Kristel who had died as the storm

tore down the stage she had helped
build. They watched with mouths
agape at the 6 million who camped
at Luneta and its nearby areas more
than 24 hours before the Mass, not
minding the rain and all discomfort. Indeed, everything of that
happened because the Popes visit
happened during a storm.
A true Father and Pastor
It is ironic that the storm which
could have been a cause of real disaster turned out to be the instru-

had to break the silence by asking

Paulino if he wanted to say something to the Holy Father. He did,
and he spoke of his grief. It was
then that the Pope consoled him
with his words and his affection
which he materialized by giving
him rosaries. They were for him
and his family, including one for
Kristel which Paulino could put in
her coffin or on her tomb.
But that was not the only time
the Holy Father was tongue-tied in
the depth of his grief for his childrens misfortune. It happened in

by their dignity as sons of God.

Our dignity does not come from
the fact that we are a superior
race in the sight of the world.
Indeed, we need not look very
far from personal experiences to
understand that as a people we are
not exactly looked upon as worldclass. There are a few outstanding
Filipinos acknowledged by the
world, and there are not a few good
people who acknowledge Filipinos
as an amazing people; but superior in the sense of how the world
sees that word? Im not very sure.

sincere: We promised them (that

they would) go to heaven. He
didnt react to that immediately,
but later on, making reference to
St. Ignatius thoughts, he said that
only God can touch the human
heart directly and the heart of
those people who welcomed him
were touched by God. He had
been reflecting on us as a people.
It is clear to Pope Francis where
our faith comes from: it is a gift.
Evangelizing mission
Its because Pope Francis un-

who has a restaurant in Rockwell.

He had prepared the meal for the
Holy Father in Tulay ng Kabataan,
and now he continues to serve that
meal calling it the Papa Francesco
menu. He has pledged that half of
what is paid for that meal would
go to Tulay ng Kabataan. That was
a heartwarming example that delighted not a few who showed their
appreciation by a warm applause.
And yet we know that applauses
are not enough; we need to act.
The affectionate call to action of
Cardinal Chito, given with a smile,

Pontificio Collegio Filippino

By Robert Z. Cortes

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle regales Filipino lay people and religious in Rome with stories about Pope Francis visit to the Philippines, Feb. 12, 2015.

ment for putting in even greater

relief the authenticity of the Holy
Fathers Fatherhood. It shone
through from the moment he
stepped out of the plane and was
on his way to the Nunciature. Despite his tiredness, he stood in the
Pope mobile so people could see
him. When they were approaching the Skyway, he was apparently
told to sit down since they were
approaching what those with him
thought was an area that would be
deplete of people. The Pope was
about to sit down when he saw
that there was, in fact, a horde of
faithful waiting to see him, and
so he stood back up and flashed
his very warm smile. As a Father
who had come to his children, he
was happy to see them. Indeed
he regained his depleted energies
in many moments throughout
the entire trip just by seeing the

the Leyte, when all the Pope could

do was hold his head between his
hands; it happened in Tulay ng
Kabataan, in the meeting with the
youth in UST. In these cases, as in
the meeting with Kristels Father,
the Cardinal had to prompt him,
in one way or the other, to talk. In
the end, of course, the Pope would
find his voicebut he had to speak
in his native tongue.
This, I believe, explains why, in
very specific moments of his messages, he spoke in Spanish. When
were these? When he spoke about
the family, when he spoke to poor,
and when he spoke to the youth.
During these specific moments he
seemed to want to tell us, Listen,
all these are very close to my heart.
It was a way of calling our attention to the most important things
he had to say, done very subtly like
any good Father and Pastor.

And yet the Pope says we have

dignity, and even called us a
great nation in his homily in
Luneta. That dignity and greatness really refer to our faithlike
the one shown by Paulino. After
hearing the Holy Fathers consoling words, he was supposed to
have said, My daughter died
and because of that Im face to
face with the Pope. Maybe Kristel planned this from heaven!
When the Pope heard it, he told
Cardinal Tagle, This mans faith
is deep! He thought the same for
the thousands who were there in

derstood this that he is telling us

very clearly that we must share our
faith. He himself said it in his homily in Luneta: Filipinos are called
to be outstanding missionaries
of the joy of the Gospel, in Asia
and in the whole world In this
he continues to be the true Father
and Pastor that he has shown
himself to be.
For a good Father demands
from his children, especially when
he knows they can give it. True,
the Pope saw a lot of poverty
and misery among the orphans
of Tulay ng Kabataan, among

must have still been resounding in

the ears of many as we sang Aba
Ginoong Maria to end the gettogether and as people queued to
take selfies with the Cardinal.
There was an evident excitement
among us as we left the Collegio
Filippino. At least, for me, it felt
like it was a mini Ascensionthat
time when Our Lord sent the
apostles to make disciples of all nations. And it didnt take me long to
realize that the original Ascension
actually began weeks before with
a meal, as ours did that night. Of
course, our dinner can hardly be

making him understand, in at least

a remote way, the suffering of his
flock when they were battered by
Yolanda. Through this experience,
he saw himself becoming truly one
with them.
In fact, the Pope was supposed to
have visited the Philippines only in
the 2016 International Eucharistic
Celebration in Cebu. However,
the Pope apparently thought it
was too late, and wanted an earlier
visit. After a lot of back-and-forth
discussion between the CBCP and
the Vatican, the date was originally set for November 2014 to
still be within the Year of the Laity
declared by the CBCP. However,
the Pope decided to make the trip
together with the one to Sri Lanka
in January 2015. This was how the
Pope in the end had a rendezvous
with what we could call the perfect
storm.
It was perfect because, since no
one could have foreseen that storm
in the months before the visit, one
might say that its timing could
have only been allowed by God.
And the upshot? The world stood
amazed at the sight of the Mass
of people in Tacloban in yellow
raincoats, one with the Pope, as he
celebrated the Mass with the very
heavy clouds as his stage backdrop
and gusts of wind as background
music. They wept with the Pope for

crowds. As well, he wanted his

children to be happy, even at the
cost of his rest.
And he had to forego of his rest
and comfort many times. He did
so when he had to leave early for
Leyte to avoid the eye of the storm.
He did so when he insisted on saying Mass in Tacloban on the stage
where his flock could see him and
be one with them in the midst of
the wet and cold. He did so when
he did everything he could so that
within his abbreviated stay in this
much-afflicted island he could alleviateno matter how littlethe
sorrow of the victims of Yolanda,
no matter how few. He did so when
he met his brother Jesuits when he
realized he had some time in his
hands, having arrived early from
Tacloban. He did so when, just before going to Luneta for the Mass,
he met with the father of Kristel,
Paulino, whom he wanted to console for the loss of his daughter.
In that meeting with Paulino,
Pope Francis manifested his heart
of a Father and Pastor in another
profound way: his compassionate
silence. He asked Cardinal Tagle on
the way there what he could say to
one who was steeped in such deep
sorrow. When the Pope arrived and
finally met Paulino, indeed he had
no words; he could only look at
him with affection. The Cardinal

Joyful dignity
In his meeting with his brother
Jesuits, someone asked him what
his impression was of the Filipinos.
The Popes reply was that we are
a people of joy and enthusiasm,
that we are a people with a sense
of honor and dignity. He confessed
that he doesnt know where that
came from, but that was the word
that came to mind: dignity.
That is impressive enough,
coming from the Pope. Yet what
makes it even more so is that the
Pope made that answer with a
preamble that he wasnt saying it
only from what he had seen in this
trip. Rather, he affirmed, he had
seen the same thing among the
Filipinos he has encountered everywhere, but especially in Rome,
amidst their difficulties.
That reply of the Pope has apparently stumped Cardinal Tagle
to the point that he intimated to
us half-jokingly that when he next
meets the Pope, hes going to ask
him what he really meant. Indeed,
such a lavish attribution can make
one ask, What does the Pope really see in the Filipinos that made
him say that?
And yet the answer may be
very simple: Filipinos are devoted
to God. Pope Francis is a man of
God, and so he sees in a people
devoted to God a people who live

Pontificio Collegio Filippino

Upon seeing the people in Skyway, he asked

Cardinal Tagle jokingly, How much did you pay
those people to be there? And the Cardinals
answer was teasing, but sincere: We promised
them (that they would) go to heaven.

The Pontificio Collegio Filippinos hall was jampacked with OFWs, priests and religious eager to hear about the Holy Fathers pastoral
and state visit to the Philippines.Philippines, Feb. 12, 2015.

Leyte and the millions in Luneta

who waited for hours and hours, if
only to catch a passing glimpse of
him. Indeed non-believers would
think Filipinos were fools for going
through so much wretchedness for
one wretched selfie with a blurred
Pope Francis behind them.
And the non-believer would be
rightif what he thought were
true. Because while it is true that
millions of Filipinos did take
those wretched selfies, there
really might have been a more
transcendent reason for doing so.
Its called faith. Its a faith that we
never asked for, by the way. Its
source is something that the Pope
himself surmised on the first day
of his visit here.
Upon seeing the people in
Skyway, he asked Cardinal Tagle
jokingly, How much did you pay
those people to be there? And the
Cardinals answer was teasing, but

the typhoon victims of Leyte,

among the youth who asked their
questions in USTindeed he
wept with them inside and out.
Nevertheless, he was not afraid to
issue the challenge for Filipinos
to evangelize not only Asia, but
indeed the whole world. Every
Filipino, from the poor to the rich,
from orphans to old people, from
bishops to the factory workerwe
are all called to mission because
of our gift.
This was the mission from the
Holy Father that Cardinal Tagle
re-echoed near the end of that very
warm get-together. He reminded
us now that the Holy Father has
said it, we really have a mission to
do in the world: we should reflect
and discover what the Lord wants
us to do to be true to that mission.
Indeed some of our countrymen have already begun. Cardinal
Chito told us about chef Jesse

thought of as a last supper, but

perhaps the slight analogy can
hold: we all ate supper together
and at the end we were sent forth
to do our share in bringing Christ
to our areas of influence.
All thats left to consider is the
important scene between the Last
Supper and the Ascension: the
Crucifixion. And again, its analogy to our task of evangelization
will be slight, but it will hold.
After all, no one in his right mind
will think that our task will be
easy. But do it we shall because
we have been chosen, called, and
promised all the help. The only
right way to respond is to say,
Here I am.
(Mr. Robert Z. Cortes is taking
up a doctorate degree in Communicazione Sociale Istituzionale at the
Pontificia Universita della Santa
Croce in Rome)

CBCP Monitor

STATEMENTS B5

March 2 - 15, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 5

With Grace comes Responsibility

(Homily delivered by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle at the Mass for the
29th anniversary of the Peaceful People Power Revolution, on February 25, 2015 at the
Mary Queen of Peace, Our Lady of EDSA Shrine.)
ISANG mabiyayang araw po sa inyong
lahat, lalo na po sa ating mahal na
presidente, bise presidente, at iba pa pong
lingkod ng bayan. Sa atin pong lahat na
narito sa Dambana ni Maria ang Ina ng
Kapayapaan, tayo po ay nagpapasalamat sa
Diyos at gayundin patuloy na humihingi
ng Kaniyang biyaya at paggabay. On
this 29th anniversary of the first EDSA
revolution we are filled not only with
thoughts but with a lot of calling. Laging
pay panawagan ang Diyos. At ang tema
ng selebrasyon po ay ang panawagan sa
patuloy na pagbabago at pagpapanibago.
We are in the Season of Lent and the
readings we read today are the regular
readings for the Wednesday in the First
Week of Lent. I think they offer us valuable lessons not only for our entry into
this part of Lent but also as we celebrate
this 29th anniversary.
First of all, from the first reading from
the book of Jonah, it is very clear that
even if God is already quite hurt by the
sinfulness of human beings, the desire of

Ninevites. Kailangan tumugon sila. Kapag

hindi sila tumugon, kapag hindi sila naging responsible, yung biyaya masasayang.
So that is the first. Let us rejoice at the gift
of grace that God gives us but let us also
awaken in ourselves the sense of responsibility: what will we do with every grace
or blessing that we get?
The second po.. Eto po baka may magtatanong, sino ba yung mga Ninevites,
na yan? Nineveh. Baka yung iba sa inyo
magkakaanak o magkakaapo gagamitin
niyo pa yung pangalang Nineveh. Isang
lugar po iyan, isang bayan, na nung panahon na iyon ay tinatawag na bahagi ng
Northern Assyria. Pero during the time of
Christ, the place of Nineveh was enemy
territory. Thats why you will understand
why a person like Jonah will hesitate to
go to Nineveh. You will be sent to enemy
territory. But later on, Jonah, the reluctant
prophet was surprised because the enemy
that he feared suddenly turned to God.
Let us reflect on that. Enemy. Sino baa
ng kaaway niyo? Sino yung nakakatakot

misa pupuntahan niyo yung may utang

sa inyo na matagal niyo nang sinasabi na
kaaway niyo. Sasabihin niyo, hindi ka pala
kaaway, kahit may utang ka, kapatid pala
kita. At sasabihin sa iyo, o kapatid pala
tayo di wala na yung utang. Ha ha ha
Ngumingiti tayo but wow, ano ho, how
do you move from looking at someone as
an enemy against whom I will wage war to
seeing a neighbor, a sister, a brother, and
there is no more need for war.
And the third point po, what happened
to the Ninevites? What happened to them?
They were supposed to be hardened of

enemies, but his sons and daughters, and

the destruction did not happen. We need
to listen to Gods word. We need to be
humble. We need to realize our need for
Gods saving word. And when that is put
into action, then salvation erupts, literally
erupts before our very eyes.
So yun lang po, tatlong points, grace
coming from God but demanding our
responsibility; secondly the Ninevites,
enemies. When will enemies look like
brothers, sisters, friends, no more war? And
third, conversion, listening to the word of
God, humility in admitting ones sins and

gustong may koneksyon sa iyo at maituring kang kaibigan, kamaganak. Mayroon

ngang nagpadala sa akin ng T-shirt eh, I
was there at EDSA. Kahit winter suot ko,
palakad lakad ako duon sa Washington
D.C., tinitiis ang panginginig. At may
mga taong nagtanong, talaga bang nanduon ka? Sabi ko, Yes, kasi pakiramdam
ko lahat ng Pilipino nasaan man sila ay
nasa EDSA.
Ang EDSA ay hindi lang lugar kundi
kung nasaan ka at mahal mo ang iyong
bayan nasa EDSA ka. Pati nga ho sa klase,
during the break yung mga professor ko

God is to save rather than to destroy. We

human beings can only imagine this trait
of God, the trait that does not want anyone destroyed and so God sent a person
such as Jonah. This is what we call the
grace of the offer of salvation rather than
damnation and condemnation. I think we
have all experienced this grace of the offer
of new life, an offer of salvation, in our
personal lives and the corporate life. EDSA
1 could be such an experience, could
be interpreted as such an offer of God.
Instead of allowing the Filipino people
to get destroyed or to destroy each other,
God offers salvation, the grace. Hindi ang
inyong kasiraan kundi ang inyong pagiging buo. Pero kaagapay ng bawat biyaya ay
ang responsibilidad. Minsan gusting-gusto
natin yung biyaya pero yung biyaya na parang magic. Pag dumating na yung biyaya,
hay salamat wala na akong gagawin. Ay
hindi ganoon ang biyaya. Ang biyaya ay
laging responsibilidad. With grace comes
tremendous responsibility. Kaya ng dun
sa unang pagbasa yung biyaya na iniaalay
ng Diyos sa pamamagitan ni Jonah sa mga

lapitan? Si kaaway. Baka nasa pamilya

niyo baa ng kaaway, ano ho? Bakit kayo
nagtatawanan? Marami yata ang may kaaway. At yun ang nakakalungkot, di ba ho?
Mayroon nga akong nabasa sabi, there is
war only when there is an enemy. How do
you avoid war? Work for the eradication of
this mentality, this atmosphere, that makes
people enemies to one another. The path
to peace is finding a neighbor, a brother,
a sister. When I dont see anyone anymore
as an enemy, I dont have to fight. I dont
have to wage any fight. Why would you
fight a brother or a sister?
During that first glorious EDSA, wow,
the Filipinos showed the world our deep
capacity to see a brother, a sister, a neighbor in every one. Probably we started on
different sides of the divide thinking that
at the other side was an enemy. But part
of the grace of EDSA I was the capacity to
transcend that and we saw only, a brother,
sister Filipino. What a grace! What a
responsibility! Kailan kaya mawawala
ang paningin na kaaway ko ito at ang
makikita ko ay kapatid. Pagkatapos ng

RCC

Let us rejoice at the gift of grace that

God gives us but let us also awaken in
ourselves the sense of responsibility:
what will we do with every grace or
blessing that we get?

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle presides over the Mass for the 29th anniversary celebration of the Peaceful People Power Revolution, on
Feb. 25, 2015 at the Mary Queen of Peace, Our Lady of EDSA Shrine.

hearts. They were supposed to wait for the

destruction that God had planned. They
were suddenly converted. And this is the
third point. The calling to conversion.
Pagbabago, patuloy ang pagbabagong
loob. But for the Ninevites, conversion
happened when they listened and they
humbly admitted, maybe the Lord is
right. There is really something we need
to change. And when they called for a
fast, prayer with fasting, fasting as an act
of repentance, an act of conquering whatever was rebellious in them, then God was
pleased. God saw the Ninevites were not

have faith as people responding to God.

Bilang pagwawakas po alam po ninyo
nung 1986 wala po ako dito sa Pilipinas,
nagaaral po ako sa Washington, D.C. Kaya
sinasabi po sa akin nung ibang tao, wala ka
naman nung EDSA 1 eh. Eh wala ako dito
pero doon winter iyan, nag-e-EDSA rin
kami sa tapat ng White House. Kasama pa
naming doon si Senator Raul Manglapus.
Marami kami doon. Ginaw na ginaw pa
nga kami nuon. At ang alaala ko sa EDSA
1 pagkatapos po nuon, lahat ng Pilipino
talagang parang angkin mo ang mundo,
kaibigan ka ng lahat, parang lahat ng tao

nag-order pa ng wine and cheese. Sinabi

sa mga kaklase ko, baka hindi niyo alam,
mayroon kayong kaklaseng Pilipino at
kailangan tayong makiisa sa kanya. Yes,
what a grace but what a responsibility! We
embrace the grace again and let us together
embrace the responsibility. Let us all look
at each other as brothers and sisters; as
friends. We are all Filipinos and Filipinos
have a mission to the whole world.
Let us pause and allow the beauty of
this celebration in the hands of the Blessed
Mother, our Lady of Peace, to enter our
hearts and transform our country.

Declaration of a Minor Basilica: A Mission

(Homily delivered by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle at the Mass for the
Declaration of the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of Manaoag on Feb. 17, 2015)
taga Pangasinan at sa labas ng Pangasinan. I am particularly happy
because our Apostolic Nuncio is
here with us. He represents our
Holy Father so we are very close
to the Holy Father not only today
but in our day to day life of faith.
Ako po ay nagpapasalamat din at
naanyayahan dahil hindi ho alam
ng karamihan I am half Pangasinense. Ang nanay ng nanay ko po
ay taga Dagupan; ipinanganak at

back and share with you this joy

and grace.
The proclamation of a parish
church as a minor basilica is truly
a sign of the Churchs recognition
not only of the deep history of
the parish but also of its spiritual
patrimony. It is an honor granted
by the Church not to many parish
churches but with the honor comes
a mission. Ganoon naman po
lagi. Kung mayroong binibigay na

ings and pick up three points coming from them.

The first especially from the
Prophet Ezekiah is a reminder for
us that a church edifice and in this
case a minor basilica is an effective
symbol of Gods desire to dwell
among his people. Malinaw na
malinaw ho iyan: ang Diyos ibig
niya Manahan, tumira sa gitna ng
sambayanan. Kaya nga ang tawag
sa Simbahan ay bahay ng Diyos.

Marami namang nagpapaalala

sa atin na ang Diyos ay kapiling
natin. Pero ang isang tahanan
katulad ng basilica iba po ang nagiging impluwensiya sa mga tao. Sa
katulad ng Basilica ng Our Lady of
the Rosary of Manaoag, ang daming anak uuwi dito, makakaiyak,
makakahinga ng loob, hihingi ng
tawad, hihingi ng tulong, magpapasalamat, magpupuri, alam niya
nasa tahanan siya ng kanyang Ama.
So the presence of a church, of a
basilica, is a strong proclamation:
you are never alone, hindi kayo
nagiisa, kapiling niyo ang Diyos.
But the Gospel reminds us that
when God decided in the fullness

Sabins Mejia/Sabins Studio

WE thank God for bringing us

together as one family of faith on
this grace-filled occasion of the
declaration of our parish church
as a minor basilica. Mapalad po
tayo lahat ngayon, nandito tayo at
nakita natin ang araw na ito. Alam
ko maraming naging deboto ang
Mahal na Ina ilang centuries na na
gusto siguro makita ang araw na
ito. Pero sa plano ng Diyos tayo ang
naging saksi sa araw na ito.

The Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag was officially designated a Minor Basilica on Feb. 17, 2015. Cardinals Luis Antonio Tagle, Orlando Quevedo, and Gaudencio
Rosales were present for the proclamation of the Manaoag Shrine as a basilica.

We thank Archbishop Soc Villegas for inviting all of us. We

thank and congratulate also the
Dominican family represented by
Fr. Timoner and our Rector-Prior,
Fr. Jerry. We want to thank all the
bishops; we even have two cardinals
here, tatlo pala, kasama pala ako.
And look at the number of priests,
the religious at kayo po na mga

lumaki sa Dagupan. Nandito po

siya. Tayo po, Nay. Ang Nanay at
ang Tatay na taga Pangasinan at
Cavite. Hindi naman pala masama
ang combination ng Pangasinan at
Cavite. Ano ho? Kasi I think my
last mass here in the Archdiocese
of Lingayen-Dagupan was in 1982
when I was ordained a priest, 33
years ago. So it is good to come

karangalan, mayroon din kasabay

na misyon. And the three readings
chosen for todays Mass, are a clear
indication to us of the dignity and
also of the mission of a minor
basilica, especially a minor basilica
that has been entrusted to the care
of the Blessed Mother, in this case,
Our Lady of the Rosary.
So let me go through the read-

At dahil bahay ng Diyos, bahay ng

lahat ng anak ng Diyos. Ang Diyos
kapiling natin kaya makakauwi
tayo sa kanyang tahanan. A basilica
speaks of that truth, God is with
you. And even if it is entrusted to
different patrons, like the Blessed
Mother and other saints, the basilica becomes for us a reminder of
Jesus, Emmanuel, God is with us.

maging paalaala sa mundo na ang

Diyos ay kapiling ng ating kapwa
tao. The way Mary as the Ark of
the Covenant was the bearer of the
presence of God, as this beautiful
church reminds people that God
is present, sana po, bawat isa sa
atin, sana ba ang ating sambayanan
maging paalaala nandiyan nga ang
Diyos.
Marami po ang nagtatanong
bakit daw nung dumating si Pope
Francis, bakit kahit sandal mo
lang Makita, kahit sa telebisyon,
naiiyak ka? Kita natin ang power
kahit ng isang tao para ipaalaala sa
atin kapiling ang Diyos. Pero kung
minsan may mga tao Makita mo

The proclamation of a parish

church as a minor basilica is
truly a sign of the Churchs
recognition not only of the deep
history of the parish but also of
its spiritual patrimony. It is an
honor granted by the Church
not to many parish churches but
with the honor comes a mission.
of time to pitch his tent among us,
God chose not a building made
of stone but God chose a woman,
a lady, now called the new arc of
the covenant, Mary, for in her, the
Son of God made man dwelt. Na
marapat lamang po na maalaala
natin, ang Diyos kapiling natin,
nananahan siya sa ganitong gusali.
Pero nananahan rin siya higit sa
lahat sa ating Mahal na Ina. Hindi
na building, hindi lang estatwa,
kundi kapatid natin. At magandang paalaala ito para sa atin. Tayo
po na deboto sa Mahal na Ina; tayo
na isang sambayanan, sana tayo ang

palang kahit anino kinakabahan ka

na. Parang hindi Diyos ang iyong
iniisip. Makita mo pa lang gusto
mo nang tumakbo, mangungutang
yata ito. O kaya, ako yata ay lolokohin nito. Huwag nawa ganoon ang
ating presensiya. Lalo na sa mga
pumupunta sa basilikang ito. Let
us not boast: I am a devotee of Our
Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag,
I frequent the basilica, yet in our
personal lives and in our lives in
society people dont sense the presence of God. This is a mission of
this basilica and of the community
Basilica / B6

B6 REFLECTIONS

March 2 - 15, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 5

CBCP Monitor

Gods Most Holy Temple

3rd Sunday of Lent, John 2:13-25 (B) March 8, 2015

FOR centuries, the Temple of
Jerusalem had been the pride of
all Jews, the heart of the nation,
the foundation of their firm trust
in Gods protection against all
enemies.
Like all pious Jews, Jesus loved
the Temple. In it he prayed to the
Father with all the sincerity of a
devoted Son. There he preached
the Good News of the Kingdom.
And when he saw that the house
of prayer had been turned into
a den of thieves, he flared up
with the indignation of the Son
who sees the Fathers House
desecrated. (See Jn 2:15-16 and
parallels.)
But the Temple, like all other
religious structures and characters
in the life of Israel, was only a provisional arrangement, a symbol of
the reality that was to come. The
real and definitive temple of
God is Jesus Christ himself. He
is the New Templea Temple
not made of stones or by human
hands, but by God Himself. His
loving heart is the pure altar on
which the perfect sacrifice of an
unreserved filial commitment is
offered unceasingly to the glory
of the Father, and in atonement
for the sins of all mankind.
Made one with Christ at our

James Tissot

By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB

The Gospel also bears the hallmark of life, not only in the sense
that it promises and leads to eternal life, but also in the sense that
its truth has to become part of our life.
baptism, we, also, have become
part of this living temple. The
Holy Spirit has consecrated us
to Gods service in Christ and

through Christ. The sanctifying

presence of the Spirit makes us
more precious temples than the
finest ones in the world.

But even non-baptized persons have a great dignity and

sacredness of their own for the
simple reason that they, too, are

created in the image and likeness of God. Though in a lesser

degree than the baptized, they,
too, then, are temples of God,

and as such should be respected

and treated.
Like the Jews of old, however,
we are continuously in danger of
forgetting the sacredness of our
own person, as well as of others.
And from forgetfulness or lack of
appreciation to profanation, there
is but one step. From temples
of the All-Holy God, our own
persons, as well as that of others, may become shrines of false
gods and idols. Our lives and/or
theirs may be turned into a deadly
liturgy to pride, lust, selfishness,
aggressiveness, greed . . . This
saddens our Lord much more
than the sight of the traders and
moneychangers he chased away
from the Temple of Jerusalem.
This Lent, in our quest for
a new and fuller life, we are
invited to re-acquire or sharpen
our awareness of the sacredness
of every human being especially
the baptized.
This is the time for a thorough
purification from all profanations and unbecoming presence
of idols in our lives. This is
the time for a restoration of the
masterpiece of Gods love to its
original splendor. This is the time
for a re-dedication of ourselves
to the Source of all Holiness, in
order that everything that is in us
may become a hymn of glory and
praise to the Triune God.

A love that gives life to all

4th Sunday of Lent, John 3:14-21 (B) March 15, 2015

Bernhard Plockhorst

By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB

FATHERS are expected to be loving,
forgiving, and selfless. Unfortunately, not
a few fall short of this expectation. And
even the very good ones sometimes do
fail, due to the weakness of human nature.
There is only one father who never lets
down any of his children, and continually takes to heart the full happiness of
all of them. This ideal father is GOD.
He alone meets the standard of perfect
fatherhood. From Him, all fatherhood on
earth derives its meaning and authority.
The perfect Father has a personal
nameLOVE, a name which expresses
the essence of His nature. He is love in
person. (See 1 Jn 4:8.16.) All His deeds
are deeds of love: a love that is like a symphony resulting from the combination of
the many harmonious notes of His power,
mercy, forgiveness, providence, faithfulness, self-giving, communion . . .
Israel experienced Gods love with a
special intensity and clarity. The Lords
love for His Special People was evermindful (see Is 49:15f ), both tender and
firm (see Hos 11:1.3-4.8-11), Gods love is
rooted in His own eternity. He has loved
His people with an everlasting love. (See
Jer 31:3.)

But Gods love is not limited to Israel.

It encompasses all human beings. Creation in all its richness is for all. For all
is the call to eternal happiness in heaven.
(See 1 Tim 2:4.) But the greatest sign of

All men have

sinned. In one way
or another, they
have all rejected
God. But God
never rejected men.
True to His nature,
He did not abandon
sinful mankind.
the divine love for all men is the gift of
Gods only Son.
All men have sinned. In one way or another, they have all rejected God. But God
never rejected men. True to His nature,

He did not abandon sinful mankind. True

love never gives up. (See 1 Cor 13:7.) As
a proof of His persistent love, when men
were yet sinners, God allowed His only
Son to diethe just for the unjustthat
all of them might have eternal life and
enjoy the gift of an undeserved sonship.
(See Rom 5:8 and 1 Pt 3:18.) So much
did God love an unloving and uncaring
world! What else could He have done that
He did not do?
Jesus revealed all the depth of the Fathers love to Nicodemus on the night of
the secret meeting, and he would prove it
by dying on the cross. The same message
is addressed to us today. We, too, need
to know and be convinced of Gods immense and unconditional love for us.
Knowing this, we should respond with
appreciation, gratitude, cooperation,
and imitation. There is nothing that we
can do to deserve Gods love, but there is
a lot we can do to make it bear fruit in
ourselves and around us. Jesus loved mankind unto death, and taught his disciples
to do the same. It is now our turn to show
in practice that we have learnt the most
important lesson in life: to love God in
return and to love one another as He
has done. (See Jn 13:34 and 1 Jn 4:11.)
Then, and only then, shall we deserve the
title of disciple.

Bo Sanchez

Soulfood

Bishop Pat Alo

Learn From Your Tears

I WAS in Grade Five.

One of my teachers was young and pretty,
and I thought she liked me too. Why did she
look at me every time I looked at her?
After extensive research in the faculty room,
I found out that she was only twenty-four.
Aha! Can she wait for me until I grew older?
I was only eleven, but what was thirteen years
if our fierce love would conquer all that stood
between us?
She still had problems remembering my
name, but I figured this tiny problem would
be solved once my name was inscribed on her
wedding ring.
But later on, I realized it was rather silly for
me to fall in love with a teacher.
Especially if she kept giving me low grades.
That was when I met Cedz and Dina
Cedz was nice. She was the brightest in our
class, and she had the cutest dimples.
And Dina giggled a lot, and had the longest
eyelashes in the world.
Now the big question: Whom should I marry?
Dimples or lashes?
Well, my problem was finally solved when I
met Tintin.
Oh yes, I was wrong the last time. I was
young then. Those were childish crushes. But
now, this was true love. I was fifteen now.
Tintin and I were totally meant for each other.
How did I know? I loved the way she covered
her mouth when she laughed
Through the years, Ive had a thousand
other crushes with other dimples, lashes, braces,
smiles, giggles, hair-clips, winks, laughs, scents,
teeth
I had my first girlfriend at 17.
We broke up, made up, broke up again, made
up again
Please repeat sequence 3000 times.
(Note: Thats why Im one of those
freaks that encourage young people to
have boyfriends or girlfriends only after
their college graduation. Their time and
energy can be spent in more life-expanding
activities than breaking up and making up
for 3000 times.)

I courted another young woman when I was

25and waited for her yes.
I gave her roses, chocolates, and serenaded
her with love songs. I really had a super-duper
fantastic time. Except for one slight tiny problem: She didnt like me.
On that fateful night when she finally told me
in the nicest, sweetest, most loving way, Bo, get
out of my life, I cried buckets of tears.
But I wondered, What is the lesson here?
Can my tears be used for good?
Because of the water shortage, I used my
bucket of tears to flush the toilet.

We need to enjoy that

journeyto relish,
taste, celebrate,
and breathe in all
the waiting, all
the detours, all the
craziness, all the
misfires and failures
and bruises.
The waiting continuedand it was excruciating.
What did God want me to do with my life?
At the age of 28, I met a beautiful young
woman at my officeapplying for work.
But at that time, I was seriously considering
becoming a priestor becoming a celibate laymanwaiting for Gods go signal.
So I brushed romantic thoughts aside and
decided to look at her the way I looked at a
piece of furniture. So to me, she was one of
the monobloc chairs in the office.

This strategy worked.

But sometimes, I found myself secretly gazing
at this monobloc chair for no apparent reason.
I gave myself two years to discern if celibacy
was my call. So no dating. No romantic actuations. No girlfriends.
At age 30, I went to a retreat on a mountaintop with no one else but God, my Bible, and a
wise Jesuit priest, to finally decide what I wanted
to do with my life.
One week later, I went down from the
mountain with a mandate from the Almighty
to get married.
And so I remembered that lovely monobloc
chair in the office.
So I courted her.
I begged. I pleaded. I stalked her like a
predator.
And when all that didnt work, I quietly
said, Im your boss. Ill fire you if you dont
agree to my proposal. She called my bluff
and submitted her resignation papers the next
day. In desperation, I closed my eyes and
stretched my hands towards her and shouted,
IN JESUS NAME, you will fall in love with
me! Shalalalala.
Okay, thats not how it exactly happened
either.
The important thing is that at age 32, I
married herand its been an amazing journey.
Yes, life is a journey with lots and lots and
lots of waiting.
And it seems as if nothing is happening
right now.
We need to enjoy that journeyto relish,
taste, celebrate, and breathe in all the waiting,
all the detours, all the craziness, all the misfires
and failures and bruises.
And I have also realized that everything that
happens in life are lessons.
In other words, put your bucket of tears to
good use.
No, I wasnt serious about
flushing the toilet.
Use your tears to make you more mature.
Stronger. Wiser. Always ask yourself the question, What is this experience teaching me?
Friends, learn all you can.

ENCOUNTERS

Unhappy people

WHAT makes people unhappy? Whats wrong? Is the problem

inside or outside? The gospel indicates its inside.
Why? They could have forgotten that the happiest people,
like the saints, are the humble people, hardworking, patient,
loving and forgiving, with full trust in the Almighty and in the
Savior Jesus Christ, Gods only Son. They thank God amid
the trials and humiliations of the world.
The unhappy ones are always bitter, hateful, angry and
resentful, as if their world tumbled down. There is sure hope
for the righteous persons whose God is the Lord (not the
passing worldly goods), who depend on God and do His will.
God who cannot lie nor cheat tells us in truth: Seek ye first
the Kingdom of God and His justice and everything else will
be added unto you (Mt. 6:33). Do not even worry about
tomorrow. It will take care of itself. Enough for everyday is
its own problem (Mt. 6:34).

Basilica / B5

that makes this a house of God and

a house of prayer.
Yun po hindi na makakasama
sa declaration. Iyan po desisyon
na nating lahat. So iyan po ang
unang punto. Sa kaligayahan natin
sa declaration as isang basilica,
the presence of God in our midst,
tanungin natin ang ating sarili, ako
ba ano ang ginagawa ko para maging presensiya ng Diyos sa iba? Ano
ang ginagawa natin sa ating sambayanan at ating bayan upang lahat
ng pupunta dito makakasalamuha
natin masasabi naranasan namin
ang Diyos sa kanila. At sana ibukas
din natin ang ating mga mata at
makita natin ang Diyos sa basilica
pero nakikita ba natin ang Diyos
sa ating kapwa, sa nagugutom,
sa nauuhaw, sa walang damit, sa
walang bahay, sa mga nasa preso.
Alalahanin na ang ating kaligtasan

nakadepende kung nakita natin

ang Diyos sa kanila. May people
see God in us and may we God
in people even in enemies. Love
your enemy. Mamaya pagkatapos
ng misa pupuntahan niyo yung
hindi niyo kinakausap at hindi
kumakausap sa inyo. Pupuntahan
niyo ang may utang sa inyo, na galit
na galit kayo at sasabihin ninyo,
bahala na kayo. Madali ang honor
of becoming a basilica, God dwelling among people, wow! But what
a mission! How do we see God in
others and do we allow others to
see God in us?
The second point comes from
the second reading, very appropriate for the declaration of our
minor basilica. From the Acts of
the Apostles, we see how after the
Ascension the apostles returned

Basilica / B7

CBCP Monitor

SOCIAL CONCERNS B7

March 2 - 15, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 5

Alay Kapwa National Launching in Luzon 2015

By the Advocacy, Research and
Communication Unit, CBCP-NASSA

CBCP NASSA

MORE than 100 participants from 20 Luzon Dioceses joined the National Launching of Alay Kapwa hosted by the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia on 24-25 February
2015 at the NSCC Hotel, Caoayan, Ilocos
Sur. The occasion was blessed with the presence and active participation of 3 Bishops,
Bp. Juanich of the Apostolic Vicariate of
Taytay, Palawan, the Auxilliary Bishop
David William Antonio and Archbishop
Marlo Peralta of Nueva Segovia.
The Launching started with Invocation
and National Anthem by students of the Divine Word College, followed by a Welcome
Address by Msgr. Cosmenio Rosimo, Vicar
General of the Archdiocese.
Basic Orientation Seminar on Social
Action Work (BOSSAW) was presented
by the Alay Kapwa Program Coordinatior, Rachliez May Sweet Cruz, which
included the spirituality of Alay Kapwa,
followed by sharing on the Alay Kapwa 40th
Anniversary activities, by Analyn Julian, AK
Program Officer. The topics of AK Lenten
Facilitators Module, as well as the Fund
Raising Project to mark the 40th year40
4d4/ Forty For the Poor to raise 4 million
pesos in 40 weeks to support 40 Communities in 8 Dioceses through the Self-Help
Approach or SHeG, were highlighted.
SHeG is NASSAs version of a holistic
approach to micro credit with groups, especially of women in rural and agricultural
communities, with aim of empowering
and organizing themselves, through savings
as a group for future income-generating
activities that can help them sustain their
own livelihood and food security for their
families. Detailed explanation of the SHeG
was given by Cheryll Shawy Manuel,
Program Officer for Empowering Women
in Agriculture through Self-Help Approach
and Social Enterprise, with an overview of
the accomplishments in the 9 pilot Dioceses
in the past 2 years.
An update on the Advocacies of NASSA
followed, presented by Linda Noche, Program Coordinator for Advocacy, Research

the poor in the society. Edil complimented

that lobbying with government is mainly a
constructive criticism not aimed at fighting against to remind the government of
their obligation.
Sharing by UBAS
Ugnayan ng Barangay at Simbahan
(UBAS) gave a sharing on the importance of
citizens participation in the government and
the role of the Church, which is the work
and structure of UBAS. The main aim of
the group is to encourage active participation in all aspects in the Barangay, including
monitoring of the different budget process/
programs for the local communities, such
as the Bottom up Budgetting (BUB) and
Grassroots Participatory Process (GPP).
They are a watchdog to monitor the process, but not in a way to criticize and see
the negative shortcomings, but also to
highlight the good practices, experiences
and success of the different processes. At
the Open Forum, a concern was raised that
there is tendency that only CSOs close to
the current administration are reached in
the BUB. UBAS responded that they ensure
that only Business Sectors, not DILG, were
approached for funding projects, to ensure
there is no political influence in the selection
of projects and for better inclusion of CSOs.

Participants from 20 Luzon Dioceses joined the National Launching of Alay Kapwa hosted by the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia on Feb 24 to 25, 2015 at the
NSCC Hotel, Caoayan, Ilocos Sur. Bp. Juanich of the Apostolic Vicariate of Taytay, Palawan, the Auxilliary Bishop David William Antonio and Archbishop Marlo
Peralta of Nueva Segovia were also present for the event.

Leadership Education Program Or scholarship program which attempts to address

poverty by lessening the possibilities of
the youth and their families becoming
Poor through supporting higher education and ensuring job opportunities.
Dioceses can avail the YSLEP by writing
Caritas Manila formally.
Another Partner, the Alyansa Tigil
Mina (ATM) followed with a heated
topic: Mining. There is an ongoing mining issue at the hosting Archdiocese that
needs concrete and strong support from

pine Interfaith Movement Against Human

Trafficking (PIMAHT) is a movement
formed by 3 Christian Church Councils
the CBCP, NCCP and PCEC, with common agreement that joint effort can help
overcome the situation of Human Trafficking and restore human dignity, and work
together to fill the gaps of the existing effort
ongoing among the Church members and
civil society partners. All Dioceses are invited to raise awareness together to prevent
Human Trafficking, to protect victims, and
prosecute traffickers, through Partnership

of a human person. PCPII explains it as a

spirituality and social transformation, with
a confrontation with sinfulness as the root
problem of the society. The Social Doctrine
of the Church challenges the imbalances
of social and attitudes of individuals and
provides guidelines on how to live the Gospel of Jesus. This is why we evoke various
pastoral tools for reflection and planning for
action: the pastoral spiral, See, Judge, Act
and the 3 strategies for overcoming poverty
(Works of Mercy, Works of Development
and Works of Justice), for a faith that is

Sharing of Best Practices by Dioceses

At the Best Practices Session, Edna
Gueco of the Social Action Center of
Pampanga (SACOP) and Adrian Cordero
of Lipa Archdiocesan Social Action Commission (LASAC) shared the programs and
highlights of activities in their Social Action
Centers in their respective Archdioceses.
SACOP highlighted mainly their scholarship program and integrated Community
Organizing programs where the Church
implements concrete ways to be with the
poor and to tend my sheep. LASAC, on
the other hand, builds on the current staff
capacity and core competency in promoting
Alay Kapwa, mobilizing resources (eg. Club
Cuarenta) for its programs in sagip kapwa,
sanay kapwa and sulong kapwa, with highlight on the Self-Help Approach and the
enterprises that the community collections
have achieved.

CBCP NASSA

CBCP NASSA

Abp. Marlo Peralta emphasized

that the state is not the enemy of
the Church, instead there should
be collaboration (ugnayan) and
partnership, because we have
the same targets to serve
the poor in the society.

Partners Sharing
Participants were also given opportunity to hear NASSAs Partners share their
work and possible collaboration with the
Luzon Dioceses. Caritas Manila, represented by Ms Helen Oreta, highlighted
their flagship program: Youth Servant

the network since it involves

social, economic, political
and cultural issues influencing the communities. Jonal
Javier, the officer in charge
of Northern Luzon Sites of
Struggles, shared about the
mining situation and effects
on the environment, as well
as the efforts of the ATM in
response to the destruction
of environment. Their main
calls are: TAO MUNA
BAGO MINA and Stop
the Plunder (on environment). He affirmed that
there are risks and many advocated have
died, but the work needs to be done or it
will be perpetuated by the companies who
aim for profit. Legal battles are possible
and are already being used.
Another NASSAs Partner in anti-Human Trafficking, the PIMAHT also gave
a brief orientation on Human Trafficking
and the global situation that the Holy
Father Pope Francis called a Modern Day
Slavery that cannot be ignored. The Philip-

alive and fully rooted and

expressed in concrete action.
Year of the Poor Orientation
Day 2 started with an
input on Year of the Poor
by Edil Guyano, NASSA
Team Leader for Year of
the Poor Celebration, with
background and rationale,
highlighting the activities at
the National and Diocesan
level. The Year of the Poor is
the third of the 9-year preparation of the New Evangelization towards the celebration of the 500th
year of Catholic faith in our country in
2021. CBCP-NASSA has been chosen to
be the Lead Commission for the Year of the
Poor. Open Forum discussion was mainly
on good governance and relationship of
Church and the government. Abp. Marlo
Peralta emphasized that the state is not the
enemy of the Church, instead there should
be collaboration (ugnayan) and partnership,
because we have the same targets to serve
CBCP NASSA

and Communication Unit, with an overview of NASSAs program and activities

under the framework of the 3 strategies to
overcome poverty (Works of Mercy, Works
of Development and Works of Justice);
through these programs, NASSA aims to
implement Catholic Social Teaching and
Human Rights/ Human Dignity by concretely responding to issues and calls for
justice by marginalized sectors and ensuring
the government agencies also fulfill their
obligations under the laws.
An update on the HIV/ AIDS Program
was also presented by the Program Coordinator, Jocelyn Guela, highlighting the need
for awareness to eliminate stigma and the
expanded network of Catholic HIV and
AIDS Network from National only to one
per region.

and Prayer (5 Ps response to Human Trafficking) at personal, organizational and

community levels.
Faith that does Justice
Auxiliary Bishop William Antonio started the topic of Faith that does Justice with
Biblical basis of Social Justice and other
pastoral documents. Social Justice is both a
task and a goal, aimed at addressing a common concern for total life and well-being

Closing Mass
At the concluding Eucharistic Celebration, it was reminded that whether it is the
Year of the Poor or not, we should continue
to empathize with and fee the condition of
the poor. They are not just receivers of help
but can also empathize with others and
help each other in response to the call of
Lent: responsibility for each other or Pananangutan. Prayers of the Faithful include
Prayers for the environment, respect for
all life, for the end of crime and violence,
end to poverty. We are invited to transform
challenges of poverty into opportunities
to empower the poor. The last of the
national launching of Alay Kapwa Lenten
Campaign was formally declared in Luzon
Region with the symbolic unveiling of the
logo and programs of 40th year of Alay
Kapwa in the Year of the Poor. Plaques of
appreciation were given to the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia and Caritas Nueva
Segovia (the Social Action Center of the
Archdiocese) as a token of thanks in hosting supporting the intensification of Alay
Kapwa Lenten Evangelization Program of
the Catholic Church in the Philippines.

Basilica / B6

to Jerusalem and following the

command of Jesus they went to
the upper room to the cenacle
and there the disciples were with
women disciples, one of them was
Mary, the mother of Jesus. And in
that cenacle, in that upper room,
they prayed. They spent time praying. The disciples were not praying alone; they were praying with
the Blessed Mother. The Blessed
AMother was with them in prayer.
Magandang paalala po ito. Marami
sa atin pumupunta dito magdarasal
sa Diyos at magdarasal sa Mahal na
Birhen. At tama naman iyon. Pero
para magandang paalaala sa atin, sa
basilikang ito, katulad ng naranasan
ng mga apostoles hindi pa basilica
iyon, eh, cenacle, the upper room, a
place of prayer pero hindi lang pala
nagdarasal sa Mahal na Birhen. Sa
ating pagdarasal kasama ang Mahal
na Birhen. That should console us.
We are not praying alone. Jesus
prays with us. He taught us how
to pray. And his mother prays with
his disciples. We dont only pray to
Mary; we pray with Mary.
Pero ano nga ba ang ipagdarasal.
Ayun na! Dito ang ipinagdarasal
nila ay ang pagdating ng Banal na
Espiritu. The way Jesus asked them
to do it, to pray for the completion
of salvation through the coming of

the Holy Spirit. That is the prayer

that Mary accompanies. Mga
kapatid pag pumupunta tayo dito
sa basilica, nagdarasal naman tayo
I am sure. Pero ano ba ang ating
ipinagdarasal. Nagdarasal ba tayo
with Mary? Ipinagdarasal ba natin,
nagdarasal ba tayo with other people? Inilalapit ba natin sa Diyos ang
mga panalangin para kasama ang
mga nagdurusa, ang mga dukha,
ang mga walang makain, ang mga
may sakit na walang maibayad.
Pumapasaok ba sila sa ating isip o
pati sa panalangin natin, Ako! Ako!
Ako! Sa ordinaryong buhay, ako!
Sa panalangin, ako! How much do
we pray for others in comparison
to the prayers for ourselves? Hindi
masama na ipagdasal ang sarili but
in that first basilica, in the cenaculum, it was a prayer for creation
groaning for the coming of the
Holy Spirit.
Minsan mayroong nagtatanong
sa akin, Bishop, bakit ba ganoon
ang Diyos? Dasal ako ng dasal hindi
naman binibigay yung hinihiling
ko? May sagot ako diyan, eh: huwag
mong hilingin sa Diyos ang para sa
iyo. Ipagdasal mo muna ang lahat
ng pangangailangan ng ibang tao at
sana makalimutan mo ang pangangailangan mo. Baka kapag inuna mo
ang pagdarasal mo para sa ibang tao

baka magulat ka, saka ibibigay sa iyo

ng Diyos ang hindi mo hinihingi.
Ganyan ang naging karanasan ni
Solomon ng maging hari. Hindi
siya humingi ng mahabang buhay,
kayamanan at poder. Ang hiningi
wisdom so that he could serve the
people. At ano ang sinabi ng Diyos?
Dahil ang hiningi ay hindi para sa
iyo, ibibigay ko yung hiningi mo
para mapaglingkuran mo ang tao,
pati ang hindi mo hiningi, ibibigay
ko na rin! Ayan! In this place pray
more for others than for yourselves.
In this place pray with Mary; pray
with the suffering children of Mary.
And then if you remember, pray for
yourself. Hay naku po!
Uulitin ko ho, hindi masama na
ilapit sa Diyos ang sariling pangangailangan pero magingat baka
pati ang panalangin din nagiging
self-focused. At kapag naibigay na,
katulad ni Maria, bumalik, at sabihin, My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord. Katulad nung
may mga ketong, ang pinagaling
sampu sila, isa lang ang bumalik,
para magpasalamat. Dasal din
yung pasasalamat, ho. Ang dasal
hindi lang yung paghingi kundi
pagpapasalamat din. Prayer with
others.
Finally po. In the Gospel, we see
another mission of a basilica. The

first, based on the first reading is,

it is a symbol of Gods presence in
our midst. Secondly it is a house
of prayer, praying with Mary and
with the rest of the community.
And third, the beautiful passage
about the visitation. Mary bearing
Jesus visits Elizabeth. This mystery
in the life of Jesus and Mary. The
fulfillment of the hope of Israel,
finally, finally the Savior has come,
hidden first in the womb of Mary.
Maganda po ito. Napagisip-isip
ko. Tayo bumibisita dito. Bumibisita tayo kay Maria dito sa simbahang
ito. At okay lang po iyon. Pero alam
niyo sa bibliya, hindi si Maria ang
binibisita; si Maria ang bumibisita!
O hindi ko sinasabi na huwag kayong pumunta dito. Pumunta lalo.
Pero pagkatapos bisitahin si Maria,
gayahin si Maria. Go! Go! Visit
the anawin; visit the poor; visit the
needy, like Elizabeth. Hindi pupuwede na pagkatapos makaulayaw
ko ang Mahal na Birhen, masaya na
ako. Si Maria gustong bumisita sa
iba, at ikaw na nakausap na ni Maria
dito, sige, ituloy mo ang ginagawa ni
Maria. Sabi ko nga, maganda yung
pagtatapos ng Misa. Di ba sinasabi
at the end of the Mass, Go! The
mass is ended, go forth. Eh, yung
iba ayaw mag-GO! Pakikipagkape
kay Father,; maya maya yung kape

naging tanghalian na; mayamaya

meryenda na naman. Go! GO! That
is the mission of a basilica dedicated
to Mary. The call to constant visitation. GO. If you have to walk the
way Mary did, GO! At ang daming
pupuntahan.
Sabi po nung iba mahirap bumisita, kasi magastos. Pag bibisita
ka kailangan mayroon kang bitbit.
Nakakahiyang bumisita na wala
kang bitbit. At iyon namang natatakot din. Kasi kapag ang bumisita sa
iyo may bitbit, magpapamerienda
ka. Kaya minsan, ayaw mo nan
a bibisitahin ka. O kaya yung bibisita wala na lang bitbit. Yung iba
nagtatago eh. Mayroon pa ngang
iba kapag yung bumisita may dala
dalang hopia, pame-merienda ko
dito kape lang, kape. Kapag ang
dala Red Ribbon, naku! Kailangan
kape at konting mamon. Kaya yung
pagbisita at pagtanggap ng bisita
nagiging burden. But let us turn to
Mary. Si Maria binisita ng anghel.
Tinanggap ang bitbit ng anghel, ang
salita ng Diyos, ang misyon. When
she was visited she welcomed the
gift of God, the Word of God and
mission, and the Word became flesh
in her. At nang bumisita siya ano
ang bitbit niya, si Hesus.
In this place where we encounter
God through the Blessed Mother,

let us experience our moments of

visitation. Pag bumisita tayo dito,
bibisitahin din tayo ng Diyos. Magsasalita siya. May ibibigay siyang
misyon.
Welcome the visit of God in our
lives and after having been visited,
go bring Jesus to others. That makes
a basilica truly a missionary place
and the devotees truly missioners
of God.
Tama na ho iyon. Marami na
iyon. Yung tatlo lang na iyon. It is a
grace. It is a blessing. It is a dignity.
But it is also a mission to be declared
a minor basilica. First a reminder
that God is always with Gods people. God never leaves Gods people
alone. Secondly, prayer. Prayer not
just for my own needs, but prayer
with others, bringing to God even
the groaning of creation and of the
whole world for salvation. And
third, it is a place of visitation.
People who visit here will be visited
by God. But when you are visited
by God you have to go on mission
to visit other people, bringing God
and Gods word to them.
Let us now pause and spend time
reflecting on this beautiful grace and
mission that is unfolding before us
on this declaration of the Minor
Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary
of Manaoag.

B8 ENTERTAINMENT

March 2 - 15, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 5

Moral Assessment

Abhorrent

Disturbing
Acceptable
Wholesome

Exemplary

Technical Assessment

Poor
Below average

Average

Above average
E
xcellent

Buhay San Miguel

CBCP Monitor

DIRECTOR: Jean-Marc Vallee

LEAD CAST: Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Thomas Sadoski, Michiel Huisman,
Gaby Hoffman
GENRE: Biographical Drama
DISTRIBUTOR: Fox Searchlight Pictures
LOCATION: United States
RUNNING TIME: 115 minutes
Technical assessment:
Moral assessment:
MTRCB rating: R 16
CINEMA rating: V 18

WILD

Brothers Matias

Buhay Parokya

Look for the image of Luis Antonio Cardinal

Tagle, Saint John Paul II and Holy water.
(Illustration by Bladimer Usi)

Wild is the story of Cheryl

Strayed, based on her best-selling
memoir, Wild: From Lost to
Found on the Pacific Crest Trail.
Reese Witherspoon (of Legally
Blonde fame) brings her to life as
one who had diverged, digressed,
wandered, and become wild.
Devastated by her mother Bobbis
(Laura Dern) untimely death
due to cancer, Cheryl spirals into
self-destructive behavior (read
infidelity, carefree sex, drugs, an
abortion), and divorces her loving
husband Paul (Thomas Sadoski).
Coming to her senses, she embarks
on the Pacific Crest Trail in order
to find, in her own words: the
lost vision of the woman my mom
raised me to be.
Strayed takes us with her on
the 1,100-mile-journey (from
the California-Mexico border to
Canada) as she struggles to carry
a humongous backpack, Monster,
faces all types of danger from
animals, the changing seasons,
the rugged terrain, hunger, and
other hikers. Through impressive
cinematography Wild does not
present a woman-against-nature
journey. Instead it shows the
terror of a solo woman hiker for
94 days: taking one step after another in the most gruelling trek,
facing ones demons, accepting
ones savage nature and finding
ones place in the wilderness of
our complex world. We see an
amateur Strayed struggling with
her pack, her boots, her lack of
food and just about everything,
but she never gives up in spite
of her fears. Slowly, her past life
unravels through well-placed
flashbacks. Witherspoon, sans
hairdo and makeup, captivates
in her gritty performance, thanks

to Jean-Marc Vallees direction.

Laura Dern authors Bobbis allencompassing love and optimism
with passion and joie de vivre. The
music adds to the adventure, and
although theres more to be desired in the conclusion, the entire
movie effectively shows Strayeds
monumental journey.
Wild is the story of a woman
who literally walks out of her
life, takes even a new name,
and journeys into the unknown,
totally unprepared and afraid. It
shows how complicated life is for
a woman and how she must find
a way around it. Confronting the
wounds of the past, she understands what it means to be human,
to love, to grieve, to struggle,
and to forgive. And although she
experiences the graciousness and
decency of people along the way,
aside from a threatening few, what
saves Strayed is not money, her
parents, someone or something.
With dogged determination she
undergoes both a physical and
spiritual odyssey replete with
sacrifices and pain, and discovers
the beauty in the wild places of her
life. In Christian terms, Strayed
went on a pilgrimage, not so much
to an external holy site, but to the
wilderness of her soul and listened
to her heart. And somehow she
finds peace as she reaches The
Bridge of the Gods.
Wild is a powerful movie that
invites the viewer to honestly
look inside his/her own life. We
wander, we lose our way, we make
mistakes and we suffer, regretting
many of the choices we make. The
movie shows that the wild places
belong to all of us and lifes greatest secret is having the courage to
find the best you can be.

Child rights advocates conduct info

drive for homeless kids, parents

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Office, with editorial and business offices at 470 Gen. Luna
St., Intramuros, Manila. PO Box
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THE Salvatorians visited on Feb. 26 homeless families, who spend their

days and nights wandering in the paved circle of uncertainties in Plaza
Lawton to help educate them on childrens rights.
The outreach informed both the parents and the young about basic
childs rights, said Sr. Adel
Abamo, Salvatorian Pastoral
Care for Children (SPCC)
executive director.
These rights include the
protection of the young from
all forms of physical violence,
verbal abuse, sexual abuse,
human trafficking, and other
forms of cruelty to children.
Sense of danger
The children were warned
to withdraw from any situation immediately once they
Name _________________________________________________
sense their rights are in danger
(Family Name)
(Given Name)
(Middle Name)
of being violated, Abamo said.
With their poverty, homelessness,
nomadic lifeMailing Address ______________________________________________ style, the and
children, especially
girls, are very vulnerable to
__________________________________________________
abuse, she revealed.
Phone No.: ________ Fax No.: ________ E-mail: ___________
The parents and children
were informed about where
Mode of Payment
and how to seek assistance in
Check/PMO enclosed
Cash Payment
case they need help.
The SPCC has been actively
(Payable to: CBCP Communications Development Foundation Inc.)
conducting childrens rights information campaigns in recent years due to
the rising number of violations against rights of the young, Abamo said.
Damaging abuse
_____________________________
Most of these violations were physical, sexual, and verbal abuse that

Signature
damage the self-esteem of the young and eventually their personal development, she noted.
Aside from childrens rights education, the SPCC provided 25 homeless
kids with slippers, Abamo said.
PLEASE SEND TO:
The children also received food packs, which contained rice, eggs, and
breaded
pork chop, she said.
CBCP Monitor, P.O. Box 3601, Manila, Philippines
An
Austrian
childs rights and welfare volunteer, Francizca Erler, and
470 Gen. Luna St., Intramuros, Manila, Philippines | Tel (632) 404-2182 Telefax (632) 404-1612
her father, Hubert, joined the Salvatorians in the outreach. (Oliver
Or e-mail this at cbcpmonitor@cbcpworld.com
Samson/CBCPNews)

CBCP Monitor

C1

March 2 - 15, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 5

The News Supplement of

Couples for Christ

Prepare our eyes, ears and

hearts to love more
By CFC Global Comm

The members of the Metro Manila Mission Core

and leaders from the various provinces and countries trooped to Baguio
last February 6 to 8 for the
much-awaited Love More
Weekend retreat. More than
2,000 individuals filled the
CAP-John Jay Convention
Center.

The entire weekend was a time to

behold Gods love and ponder how beloved the CFC really is, individually, as
a family and as a community.
In his overview, CFC Chairman Joe
Tale exhorted, Be grateful for the grace,
mercy and compassion showered on us

by our God. He likewise encouraged

the participants to be reminded that
there are many things each person must
do. He added, Make sure we do not
miss out on the most essentialto love
God with all our hearts, minds, soul and
strength, and to love our neighbor as we
love ourselves. The bottom line: it is love
that moves the mission.
Tale also encouraged everyone to
make the most of the weekend by allowing it to be an experience to encounter
God more deeply, and to gather enough
memories, realizations, reflections that
will make each person strong and with
zeal, pursue the mission based on love
for the Lord and with one another.
In all of this, we will love more each
time, Tale concluded, and left the participants with an inspiration from St.
John Paul the Great in 1979: And so
our fidelity to Jesus Christ urges us to
do more, to pray more, to love more.

The Love More Weekend Retreat

Session 1 titled It is too little, delivered by Jun Uriarte, emphasized the

communitys littleness amidst the victories and accomplishments that CFC
has been blessed with. Uriarte stressed
that CFC ought not to boast of these
accomplishments, but in the overall
scheme of things, to realize that CFC
has done too little and that more needs
to be done. At the end of the session,
everyone was encouraged to recount
the deeds of the past, quiet down for
an intensive examination of conscience,
reviewing their personal participation in
this journey of CFC.
Session 2 (Come, have breakfast!),
given by Joe Yamamoto, delved into the
Lords invitation to start all over again.
When a Christian falls and stumbles,
he must rise up and start afresh. This
talk is a reflection on the graciousness,
PREPARE OUR EYES / C2

Reflections for the 40 Days of Lent

days of Lent.
Fr. Ogsimer began with reflection on the Gospel of
the first Sunday of Lent, Mark 1:12-13 which reads:
At once the Spirit drove him out into the desert, and he
remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan.
He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered
to him.
Fr. Ogsimer explained that the wilderness is symbolic of a crisis. Our own wilderness may include
separation, death, marital problems, loss of job,
problems with children. However, in the Biblical
sense, wilderness means isolation, solitude, a place of
prayer, a place with no protection.
Jesus fasted for 40 days in the desert, beset by temptation but fortified by prayer. He emerged strong and
ready to face the greatest challenge of his life persecution, suffering and death. Fr. Ogsimer suggester
that Perhaps, it would be good to start a Desert Day
tradition for Couples for Christ. What is Desert Day?
It is a day of complete silence, no gadgets, no food, a
day to experience the wilderness.

no instant change. The faithful should be patient

towards one another, with themselves, and not lose
sight of their goals.

Reflections on the Sundays of Lent

and the angels ministered to him.

Angels in the Bible are messengers from God. When
Gods people have nothing, He fills the emptiness in
their hearts by sending His angels in various forms.
The angels ministering to Jesus was the assurance that
God had not abandoned Him. In the end, Jesus felt
He was not abandoned or forsaken, and thus, he was
able to push through with His public ministry because
of such assurance.
For the second Sunday of Lent, whose Gospel reading was about the Transfiguration of Jesus, Fr. Ogsimer
pointed out that the symbol of the transfiguration is
the mountain. It gives the faithful a foretaste of Gods
glory. Fr. Ogsimer reminded the MC that, Suffering,
misery, and problems are not permanent. But Gods
love liberates us.
The Gospel of the third Sunday of Lent tells about
Jesus driving out the moneychangers from the temple.
Jesus was upset with what the people did in the temple
because the temple is a holy place. We enter the
temple to ponder on the act Jesus performed in cleans-

Fr. Ogsimer emphasized each of the facets of the

Gospel passage:

By The CFC Global Comm

CFC Metro Manila leaders, members of the Mission Core (MC)

gathered last March 1, 2015 at the
Mega Tent in Pasig City for the annual Lenten Recollection. Fr. Resty
Ogsimer, CS, Executive Secretary
of the Episcopal Commission on
Migrants and Itinerants, was the
retreat master.
The recollection, held after the celebration of
the Mass, was an opportune time for the Metro
Manila MC to quiet down and reflect on the 40

the Spirit drove him out into the desert

Jesus was taken by the Spirit to the wilderness. What
takes us to our wilderness? In every crises, there is a jolt
in our hearts. The jolting is an opportunity for growth.
It is good to be jolted from time to time. The faithful
must welcome it, as Gods Spirit guides his people
through it. Jesus followers are always assured from the
beginning until the end. The problem begins if people
stray from the Lord, or react negatively.
An integral part of the 40-day journey towards
the resurrection is carrying the cross. The wilderness
experience changes people and becomes a spiritual
experience of life and growth.
and he remained in the desert for forty days
Forty days in the desert is a long time. But then true
renewal takes time. There are no instant conversions,

tempted by Satan.
We, like Jesus, are being put to the test when we
are changing for the better, Fr. Ogsimer reminded the
leaders. He added, We know from experience that
our temptations are usually about succeeding in life,
money, power, selfish pursuits and personal pleasure.
He was among wild beasts
In times of crises, people may feel insecure, afraid,
helpless, and seemingly think that the world is against
them. What would give Christs followers consolation?
It is the thought that although we may seem to have
the heaviest burdens, there are other people who have
far greater struggles than we do, Fr. Ogsimer said.
When you have a problem, listen to someone who
has greater problems than you do, and comfort that
person, he emphasized.

ing the house of the Father, Fr. Ogsimer stated. It

is in believing in God that Christians have eternal
life. He added, By Gods power at work in us, the
temple of our hearts is transformed into holiness as
we commit to Him in faith and love.
The fourth Sunday of Lent features Jesus and
Nicodemus. The Gospel reading emphasizes mercy
as its main symbol. Fr. Ogsimer pointed out that
this particular passage shows that God is rich in
mercy. Because of His great love for us, He brought
us to life with Christ even when we were dead to
sin. (Ephesians 2:4-5)
According to Fr. Ogsimer, the Gospel for the
fifth Sunday of Lent reminds the faithful that
Unless the grain dies and falls to the ground, it
will not bear fruit. The main point of reflection
here is dying to self.
Holy Week and Beyond

On the 6th Sunday of Lent, which is Palm

Sunday, Christians are asked to contemplate on
the passion of the Lord. By doing this, we discover that all our sufferings are nothing compared
to His. Therefore we cannot accuse God of being
unfair, Fr. Ogsimer explained. Why? Because He
has gone through so much suffering. Jesus has been
tempted in every way. There is nothing that people
are experiencing that Jesus has not experienced.
We have a God who can relate to every human
experience, except sin, he added.
Fr. Ogsimer, in conclusion, outlined some concrete steps on how we can use the Lenten season
to grow in love. Gods love is best expressed in
hospitality to strangers. Not people that you know,
but people who are not lovable, Fr. Ogsimer
shared. He added, No one is perfect, but we can
all practice perfecting compassion. Like the saints,
all of us should journey towards constant daily
persistent renewal of faith commitment.
As a final word, Fr. Ogsimer exhorted, Acts of
kindness, of goodness, of love that each person does
now will come back in times least expected. Let us
continue to be faithful.

C2

March 2 - 15, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 5

CFC ANCOP Breaks ground

at Pook Masagana

PREPARE OUR EYES / C1

Masagana is a Filipino word

that means abundant. And true to its
name, the latest ANCOP Community
in Bgy. Bahay Toro in Quezon City
is indeed masaganain faith, in
people, in love.

Last February 26, 2015, leaders of the Metro Manila

West C Sector, together with ANCOP leaders and the
family home partners gathered at Pook Masagana for
the groundbreaking ceremonies, the start of a future full
of hope for those whose homes will soon rise in the site.
The morning started with the breaking of the bread
through the Mass celebrated by Fr. Sal Dumabuc,
Chaplain of the Department of Justice, with Fr. CA
Adan concelebrating. Before the final blessing, Fr.
Dumabuc prayed over the time capsule and blessed
it while it was being lowered into the ground. CFC
ANCOP President and CFC International Council
member Jimmy Ilagan and West C BCOP Head Joe
Francia led the groundbreaking rites.
Pope Francis, during his visit to the Philippines,

goodness and mercy of the

Lord. Yamamoto pointed
out that it is interesting to
note the setting wherein all
these took placeJesus had
just risen from the dead, and
He initiates reconciliation
and fellowship with the very
persons who had abandoned
Him, particularly Peter.
Bishop Wenceslao Padilla
of Mongolia celebrated the
Holy Eucharist of the Mass,
a fitting complement to the
penitent tone and joy engendered in the participants
by the examination of conscience.
Session 3 titled Do you
love Me more than these? was
given by CFC Pastoral Formation Director Arnel Santos. During this session, the

CBCP Monitor

question Do you love Me more

than these? was recast so that
it is something that will pertain
to each personally. Hopefully,
it will recast CFC to who it is
each individual loves most, bring
people back to the fervor of their
first love, and allow them to realize, as explained by Pope Francis,
that the love the Lord wants from
Peter (as bishop, priest and shepherd), is greater than the love he
expects from others.
The couples were also given
almost an hour to dialogue,
examining their hearts on their
various loves and how they can
go back to the reasons they love
as individuals and as a couple.
Before the end of Day 2, James
Solano and wife Ella led the participants in the celebration of the
Lords Day. After the Lords Day,

every couple present imposed

on each other a necklace with
the papal cross, symbolic of
their resolve to love more.
On Sunday morning, CFC
Family Ministries Director
Mannix Ocampo delivered
Session 4, titled Love more! In
this session, the participants
were led to ponder on the
dialogue between Jesus and
Peter. The talk led CFC leaders to hear Jesus in their own
personal reflections, to prepare
themselves for that encounter
with the Lord, that special
time when each person would
be asked, Do you love Me?
The reflective sessions were
interspersed with creative production numbers from 29 AD
Musicionaries as well as inspirational personal testimonies.

CFC Migrants Program Inks

MOU with PASEI

CFC Albay, Cross Catholic, ANCOP & LGU

Turnover 15 Ancop Homes

CFC Albay finished the construction

of 16 houses at the Taysan Resettlement Site, Sitio Tognao, Barangay
Taysan, Legazpi City. The houses, 15
of which were made possible through
Cross Catholic Outreach and 1 from
the family of Eric and Carina delos
Reyes, were blessed and awarded to
16 families last February 28, 2015.

Officiating at the blessing was His Excellency

Bishop Joel Z. Baylon, D.D. of the Diocese of Legazpi. Mayor Noel Rosal of the City Mayor of Legazpi;
Provincial Administrator Jesap Salceda; and Lot Ortiz,
Philippine Project Coordinator of Cross Catholic
Outreach also graced the event. Elmer Cadiz, CFC
ANCOP Operations Head; Vic Alvarez, CFC Bicol
Regional Head; and Rudy and Sonia Lubis, CFC
Albay Provincial Area Head, joined the CFC Albay
Area Governance Team headed by Mon Verdejo and
the leaders and members of CFC Albay together with
its Family Ministries in welcoming the guests.
Bishop Baylon expressed his gratitude to CFC for
being one with the Catholic Church in its concrete
manifestation of the work with the poor in the Year
of the Poor. He exhorted those present to learn from

The Philippine Association Of Service Exporters, Inc. (PASEI) signed a

Memorandum of Understanding and
Cooperation with the Couples For
Christ Global Mission Foundation,
Inc. last January 30, 2015. The MOU
came into fruition through the initiative of PASEI's own Director Mr.
Jesus M. Ferrer who is also the current Program Head of CFC Migrant
Program.
PASEI President Elsa Villa represented PASEI in
the MOU while Atty. Arnel M. Santos, Director for
CFC Social Development Program & International
Council Member signed for CFC. The MOU covers,

among others, the two organizations partnership

in the delivery of the Moral Values Re-orientation
Program (MVRP) for departing OFWs and their
dependents. Although MVRP is already part of the
Pre-departure Orientation Seminar or PDOS, its
reach is limited only to the PDOS attendees. The
MOU expands the MVRP to reach the dependents/
allottees of the overseas workers as well.
The PASEI Secretariat is now ready to assist service
exporters to organize Moral Values Re-orientation
sessions as an added service. PASEI can arrange a
session for agencies with at least 20 OFWs for deployment, plus one dependent or allottee per OFW.
If the number of overseas workers is below 15 but
agencies are amenable to allowing them to accept
MVRP attendees endorsed by other agencies, PASEI
can organize a session based on an agreed date, time
and venue, as well as resources sharing arrangement.

stated that the future of our humanity passes through

the family. And we believe that this holds true for all
the families who will be living in this ANCOP Community, Ilagan said. He added, The unity that will be
the benchmark of this community will be reflected not
only in the various institutions that will work together
to build this community like CFC and our donor,
DMC Urban Property Development Inc., but through
every member of the families who will be living here.
Ilagan urged the home partners and volunteers not
to lose the capacity to dream, as the groundbreaking
rites will just be the beginning of the countless dreams
that will be fulfilled in Pook Masagana.
Jose Merin, president of donor institution DMC
UPDI in turn thanked CFC and ANCOP for living
out the Holy Fathers love for the poor, and for making them a part of the project. He pledged to help the
program in whatever capacity will be available to them.
The short program ended with more breaking of
the bread among home partners, CFC, ANCOP
and DMC UPDI through the feast prepared by the
residents of Pook Masagana. (A. Alvarez)

the experience of poverty, as the poor is where Christ

is. Bishop Baylon also mentioned the Diocese of Legazpis project, TADA, meaning, TANGANING
ANG DUKHA ATAMANON, which means, SO
THAT THE POOR MAY BE HELPED. Through
this, he hopes that CFC and the Diocese of Legazpi
may sustain their collaborative work in order to alleviate the sufferings of the poor.
Lot Ortiz, representing Cross Catholic Outreach,
the donor for this ANCOP shelter project, expressed
her groups conviction that the houses represent the
transformed lives of the home partners. These home
partners will now be living with dignity, Ortiz said.
The City Government of Legazpi, represented by
Mayor Noel Rosal, showed its unfailing support to
CFC Albay through the citys partnership with shelter
project. Mayor Rosal assured the community of his
support as there are still a lot more families needing
houses in the City. He likewise promised to support
whatever livelihood project CFC Albay may launch
for the benefit of the home partners.
Jesap Salceda, the Provincial Administrator of
the Government of Albay, representing his brother
Governor Joey Salceda delivered the governors message of gratitude to CFC Albay for initiating this
noble project for the less privileged families of Albay.
(Ludy Verdejo)

The News Supplement

of Couples for Christ

George B. Campos
IC Oversight

Zenaida A. Gimenez
Editor-in-Chief

Deomar P. Oliveria
Layout Artist

Alma M. Alvarez
Associate Editor

Evangeline C. Mecedilla
Circulation Staff

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

facebook.com/CFC.Global.Mission

@CFChrist

CBCP Monitor

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March 2 - 15, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 5

Co-ops Fed Holds 10th Annual

GA and Elections

By Mely Verano

Twenty-two (22) active primary cooperative-affiliate members

of the CFC Cooperatives
Federation (CCF) represented by 44 delegates
convened last February
21, 2015 at the Tekton
Entre Multipurpose Cooperative Center, Cebu
for the 10th General
Assembly of the Federation.
The guest speaker at the assembly
was Ellen Limocon, General Manager of Lamac Multipurpose Cooperative, considered one of the pillars
of cooperativism. Limocon shared
how she was able to move mountains, so to speak, with the various
agricultural and industrial ventures
that their coop has implemented in
its 23 branches all over the Visayas
regions. LMPC is a multi-awarded
cooperative in the local, national and
international level. Ms. Limocon
stressed that to be successful in all
our dealings with the members of
our coop, it is important that we
put God at the center.
Ms. Limocon, unit leader of the
CFC South Sector in Cebu, also
shared her strategy for winning the
hearts of delinquent member-borrowers. Instead of pushing a co-op
case against a delinquent member,
she relies on the power of prayer

and worship. This act of piety has

succeeded. Delinquent members,
more often than not, choose to
activate their coop account rather
than go through the hassle of going
to court, an unattractive proposition because these often result in
severance of personal relationships.
At the same assembly, the CCF
board and officers reported their
2014 accomplishments, among
them:
a) the transfer of office to the
CFC Global Mission Center in
Cubao, QC;
b) launch of the CCF website
(www.cfc-ccf.org) and the
Facebook page (www.facebook.
com/coopsfed);
c) conduct of training on the following topics: Conflict Management,
Strategic Planning, Basic Cooperative Course, Gender & Development and Trainors Training.
d) the first Regional Conference
open to non-CCF members held
in Davao City last April 3-5,
2014, attended by 54 participants from different Mindanao
cooperatives;
e) CCF partnership with MB Life
Insurance Co. Inc. for life insurance coverage resulting in 16
families being provided with a
total of P950,000.000 in death
benefits in 2014;
f ) CCF became a member of the
Philippine Cooperative Center and
Metro South Cooperative Bank;
g) CCF and its member-primaries
participated in the different
CFC Building the Church of the

Poor (BCOP) activities.

Victor Hizon of CoFC Manila
presented the 2015 plans and program including the budget and the
same were ratified by the General
Assembly, giving emphasis on the
following programs:
a) Customer Satisfaction - enhance
/ improve stakeholders, client
and member satisfaction, develop social benefit and participate
in the social programs of CFC.
b) Learning and Growth - enhance
the capability of CCF leaders
and staff and member-primary
BOD, officers and members.
c) CFC Relationship - increase
presence/knowledge about cooperatives as a component of the
Social Development program
under BCOP.
d) Finance Perspective - attain
financial stability.
e) Internal Business Process - active
participation of member primaries in the Federation.
The election of the new set of
officers was conducted during the
assembly. The officers once more
elected Victor Hizon of CoFC
Manila to lead the federation for
another two years. Elected with
him were the remaining members
of the Board of Directors, namely
Edwin Chavez, Tekton Entre
MPC; Tessie Arela, Cebu; Zos Tayaban, Laguna; Rudy Lubis, CFC
ANCOP-Tekton Foundation;
Pol Pinera, Quezon; Jorge Asensi,
Southern Leyte; Bong Bautista and
Julie Lao, Agusan del Norte.

CCF Lakbay Aral Presents

Models of Stability

MM West B Conducts Feeding Day

and Kids Camp for Cornerstone

By Acel Badilla

Metro Manila West B conducted

a feeding program last February
28, 2015 in observance of National
Feeding Day. The activity was
one of those declared official CFC
BCOP events at the recent Couples
for Christ BCOP Summit 2015 held
at the SMX Convention Center.

It was a day of clean fun, laughter and learning for

both the young ones and the young-at-heart. It also
marked a day of pure love and faith-in-action at its
best as 96 kids/Cornerstone tutees received physical
nourishment through the nutritious food. More
than that though, the children were also spiritually
fed in the Kids Camp for CFC-Kids for Christ.
Five elementary schools under the tutelage
of Metro Manila West B Sector, namely Cubao
Elementary School (CES), Diosdado Macapagal
Elementary School (DMES), Eulogio Rodriquez
Sr. Elementary School (ERSES), San Francisco
Elementary School (SFES) and the host-school,
Ramon Magsaysay Elementary School (RMES) in
Apo Street, Quezon City participated in the Kids
Camp/ Feeding Program. The children assembled
in their respective schools at 8 AM, before trooping
to the RMES together with their parents, guardians, ates and kuyas.
The program formally started at 10 AM with
an opening prayer led by Rocky Tamalayan, SFC
Volunteer Cornerstone Core Team Member. Kids
Camp Session 1 was given by Mildred Reyes, an
SFC teacher. The talk, titled God Made Me Special
Because He Loves Me had the children divided
into groups for a hand-painting activity. CFC Kids
for Christ fulltime worker Jonathan Lloyd Polinar
facilitated and processed the session.
Session 2, titled Jesus is My Best Friend and facilitated by Allelu de Jesus, highlighted an animated
story-telling activity and rosary bracelet making.
The goal of the session was to introduce the children to a loving relationship with Jesus Christ by
making them experience His love and allowing
them to respond in a personal way.

Session 3 (Jesus Wants to Make Others Happy)

saw Erika Ramilo, an SFC teacher by profession,
facilitating the bubble-making and card-making
activities. The artsy cards and love letters the children crafted earlier were later on handed to their
respective parents, guardians, titos/ titas, ates/
kuyas after the Parents Orientation.
The closing session was led by Josh Rosario, a
KFC volunteer, who also led the parents in praying
over their kids and vice versa. Medals of merit were
also awarded to deserving participants who were
most behaved, most cooperative and most creative
among each group.
Highly-nutritious and organic food like tinolang
manok with generous portions of malunggay leaves
and sayote were served to encourage the children
to eat vegetables. Food served for snacks were
also as healthy and nutritiousorganic chicken
macaroni soup with malunggay, pancit bihon and
malunggay pandesal.
More than 80 volunteers and Cornerstone
advocates served during the day-long event. They
helped either in the preparation of materials needed
and logistics, food preparation and distribution, as
program facilitators, song and dance performers,
etc. The success of this activity would also not be
possible without the untiring love and support of
CFC and Family Ministries Leaders headed by
Alvin and Mariz Ricafort, Cornerstone West B Sector Couple Coordinators; Leo and Tess Macaraeg,
CFC Kids for Christ West B Couple Coordinators;
Jun and Alet Garcia, Chapter Leaders of CFC-Our
Lady of Lourdes Parish, Retiro; Jane Lucena, KFC
National Coordinator; West B KFC Chapter Coordinators, and the other Chapter Leaders, volunteers
and advocates from the Family Ministries of SFC,
YFC, KFC, among others, who generously shared
their valuable time, talent and resources to serve
Gods little children.
These two activities in one event were made possible through the financial assistance provided by
Tahanang Filipino and SFC Kuala Lumpur who
chose MM West B Sector ANCOPCornerstone
as beneficiary of their Pinoy Ako Documentary Concert held last November 30, 2014 in KL, Malaysia.

CFC Migrants Program and CBCP ECMI

forge Partnership

Last February 20, 2015, 29 delegates of the CFC Co-operatives Federation

from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao went on a visitation tour of eight successful primary cooperatives and a Co-op Financial Federation.

Dubbed Lakbay Aral, the tour included the Cebu Vendors Credit Cooperative; Cebu Peoples Multipurpose Cooperative; Guadalupe Community Multipurpose Cooperative; and Philippine Cooperative Financial
Federation, all from the City of Cebu; Taiyo Yuden Employees Cooperative (TAYEMCO) together with its
subsidiariesTri-CVentures Consumers Cooperative and TAYEMCO Power Youth Laboratory Coop in
Lapu-lapu City; Cordova Multipurpose Cooperative and its sister coop, the Cordova Cooperative Catholic
School in the municipality of Cordova.
The CCF delegation also toured the four-storey building of the host coop, the Tekton Entre Multipurpose
Cooperative and the Coops for Christ-Cebu.
The delegates all expressed delight at being part of the tour. As they put it, for a very minimal registration
fee of P850.00, they were able to gain insights a thousand-fold on how to improve the growth of their own
Coops for Christ primaries.
The delegates cited one particular program -- the initiative of the Guadalupe MPC on utilizing the members
contribution of P200.00 per year per member for their building fund. Thus, with the accumulation of the
building fund generated from its more than 6,000 members, the cooperative was able to construct its own
four-storey coop building, valued at P30M and located in a prime location in Guadalupe, Cebu City, without
any external financing.
The CFC Cooperatives Federation is comprised of all Co-ops for Christ primary cooperatives from all over
the Philippines. Its main objective is to organize cooperatives within Couples for Christ into one strong body
that will support the CFC undertakings, especially in community development and livelihood. (Mely Verano)

The Couples for Christ Migrants Program headed by Jess and Mercy Ferrer signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Migrants and Itinerants that will ensure better coordination and cooperation in implementing the Migrants Ministry Formation in the dioceses and the Parishes.
The partnership aims to undertake special projects for the upliftment of migrants and their families. The MOU
was signed last Nov.11, 2014 at the CBCP ECMI office in Intramuros Manila. Signing for and in behalf of the
CBCP ECMI was its Chairman Bishop Ruperto Santos, D.D., with counterpart CFC Chairman Joe Tale. The
event was witnessed by Rev Fr. Restituto Ogsimer, CS, Secretary General of the ECMI, and Jess Ferrer, CFC
Migrants Program Head. The MOU signing was followed by a joint planning session attended by ECMI and
CFC MP volunteers last January 6, 2015 at the CFC Global Mission Center in Cubao Q.C.

C4

March 2 - 15, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 5

CBCP Monitor

Do You Love Me? Feed My Sheep

The 2015 CFC Canada Leaders Assembly
By Wilfredo Estolas

Almost 400 Couples for

Christ (CFC) and Family Ministries leaders from across
Greater Toronto Area (GTA),
Hamilton, St. Catharines and
Windsor gathered last January 31st at the Fr. Henry Carr
Catholic Secondary School in
Etobicoke for the annual Leaders Assembly. This gathering
is usually held at the beginning of the year to rally leaders
for the work ahead, and echoes
the annual gathering of leaders in Metro Manila.

The assembly was centered on the CFC

theme for 2015, Love More, inspired by
John 21:15-17. In the first talk, Do You
Love Me?, Rico Tingin, Pastoral and
Spiritual Formation (PSF) Coordinator for
GTA, cited some important milestones in
the life of CFC. Just recently, from October 5-19, 2014, CFC was appointed one
of the official auditors in the Extraordinary
Synod on the Family in the presence of the
Holy Father and the Synod delegates. It
was fitting as the theme of the synod focused on pastoral challenges to the family
in the context of evangelization.
The Synod is an assembly of bishops, lay
people and organizations around the world
who advise the Pope on the present challenges and issues facing families around
the globe. CFC Executive Director George
Campos with wife Cynthia were privileged
to be invited to speak about their CFC
journey in that gathering. No less than
Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, Archbishop
of Manila, who was also appointed by the
Pope as one of three Delegate Presidents,
introduced CFC in that assembly. Cardinal Tagle in his message during the Extra

Ordinary Synod of Bishops said, Couples

for Christ is the gift of the Filipinos to the
world and to the Church.
Another important milestone for CFC
last year was The Church Universal interview at EWTN, the biggest Catholic cable
television program in the world. Ricky
Cuenca, former Chairman and member of
the International Council, and now President of ANCOP International (Canada),
and wife Irma spoke about CFC as a lay
organization, its beginnings, its vision and
mission. They were joined by Len and
Marie Solomon in the same interview who
gave witness to their own faith walk and
growth while with CFC.

Last year, the global CFC celebrated

its 33rd anniversary in Manila while
CFC Canada marked its 20thlocally. In
Toronto, August was filled with remarkable celebrations commencing on the
first weekend with a Mass celebrated by
Thomas Cardinal Collins, Archbishop of
Toronto, at the historic St. Michaels Cathedral and culminating with a memorable
gala dinner-dance on the fourth weekend.
The first sharer, the Gonzales family
(Edwin and Tess with daughter Erin, a
mission volunteer) of CFC Hamilton/
St. Catharines region, provided powerful
testimony of their challenges when Erin
was sent on a mission to Israel at the height

Defining Your Family Vision

By Danielle Flores

The young couples of

CFC, mindful of the
messages imparted by
Pope Francis during his
recent papal visit, gathered at the St. Paul Pasig Convention Center
on February 28, 2015 to
learn how their growing family can indeed
nurture the capacity to
dream.

Young couples eager to take part

in the mission of CFC started the
evening with a heartfelt worship
led by Geoff Galias, from Metro
Manila West B.
Aldy and Joy Katigbak of Metro
Manila South B, started off the
evening session with the talk titled
Defining Your Family Vision.
Aldy started off the discussion
with a question: Why not have
a vision for the family?
Joy stressed that families are
surrounded by different influences today that threaten not only
its values but even its essence in
building a good society. The role
of families is definitely vital in
shaping todays society. Effective
family life does not just happen.
It is a product of three things, (1)
deliberate intention; (2) determination; and (3) practice. But most
of all, we need Gods Grace, Joy
stated.
Joy added, Husband and wife
need to sit down together, mentally
and spiritually creating their own
future. To lead our families well,
we are called to have a compass, a
flight plan, and lastly a clear destinationall manifested through
having a family vision.

What Is A Family Vision?

Aldy stated, A vision is the

result of dreams together with
actions. Thus, a family vision is

a clearly articulated, compelling

statement of your familys desires or
future state. It has values and principles that guide and shape your
family life. It is the desired ideal
future state of the couple and the
familys relationship with God.
Joy then emphasized the importance of having a family vision in
shaping the growth of families.
She said families must have a
deep sense of purpose, through
having direction and proper focus.
It (the vision) serves as a moral
compass for each individual,
aligning the lifestyle of each family
member towards the vision, and
further towards being a family
for God. It provides the parents
a moral authority, and the ability
to measure the actions of their
children. Fostering parent and
child involvement, it inspires,
creates passion, and excites the
family with something to reach
for and attain.
This visioning session should
come from us, Aldy affirmed,
stressing the importance of parental headship.
Aldy went further by describing how to create a family vision.
According to him, a Family Vision should be comprehensive,
detailed, positive and inspiring,
shared and supported by each
family member.
The first step in writing the vision is to have a Family Dreamstorming an activity for the family to bond. Each family member is
asked to take part by stating their
dreams, with one family member
tasked to collate all the dreams.
After a free-flowing discussion,
parents are encouraged to lead in
drafting the family vision.
We are family evangelizers
is the heading statement of the
Katigbak family vision. However,
Joy reminded the young couples,
Your vision is a living vision.
It can change as your family
dynamics change. Because the
life of a family is both dynamic

of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Arnold

Rodriguez followed with a testimony of
not letting go of his service to the community despite the many difficulties he
and his wife faced as a young couple with
very young children.
Tingin concluded his talk by posing the
same question that Jesus asked Peter, Do
you love me? In response, the assembly
was expected to give the same answer as
Peter gave Jesus: Yes, Lord, you know
that I love you.
In a nutshell, CFC Canada is exhorted
to grow and to echo Jesus words in the
families, with friends, in the community
and in the workplace.

Reuel Robrigado, Area PFO for GTA,

presided over a lively workshop building
up the subject of the first talk.
Greg Parillas, National Director of CFC
Canada, delivered Talk 2, titled Feed my
Sheep. Parillas encouraged leaders to be
committed to the spiritual well-being of
members. He stated, As leaders we are
entrusted with the life of the brethren. We
serve as shepherds to care for the sheep entrusted to us. Like Jesus, we have to know, to
serve and to love the sheep or our members.
According to Parillas, the 2014 Synod
of Bishops on the Family at the Vatican
recognized CFCs work loud and clear; as
a community, CFC was able to evangelize
and present The Love Story of God and
Neighbor to the world.
CFC Canada is playing an important
role in worldwide evangelization by sending missionaries to several countries in
Africa and to India. We may not all be
able to go to other countries to serve but
we are all missionaries in our own respective localities, Parillas shared.
Francis Almeida touched the hearts of
those present by sharing his successful,
Spirit-filled mission in India. In just over
a year, CFC is now in 3 dioceses in India
with more than a thousand members. The
last two CLPs alone brought in a total of
501 new members. The first ever ANCOP
walk India was also held last year.
Jojo and Rosa Dizon shared their perseverance in conducting CLPs, one after
the other, despite limited resources. The
Lord blessed their perseverance as CFC
Downtown continues to grow to this day.
After the talk, Alex Ascano, Toti Quijano, Ohmar Rivera, Area Heads for GTA
East/ West and Hamilton/ St. Catharines
respectively, led the presentation of the
new leaders for 2015 by area and by sector.
Tingin also announced that Francis Yap,
CFC Area Director for Toronto, who was
undergoing training in Manila at that time,
is now a full time pastoral worker for CFC
and will be assigned to oversee the whole
of Ontario province.

The CFC Seniors Program: Fostering Faith

and Fun Beyond the Golden Years

and vibrant, each parent must

remember and be prepared to
adjust the family vision from
time to time.
After having a clear family
vision, what comes next? The
greater challenge is in living it
out. How do young parents of
CFC take on the challenge of
upholding the vision that has
been set?
Clearly, as explained by the
Katigbak couple, the key is in
consistency, through having a
creative planning session, regular assessment and updating of
what has been set. Such consistency is needed to continuously
foster the spirit of unity in
achieving the vision together
by doing things together.
Hands On The Mission,
Steps Towards The Vision

The young couples present

took up the challenge immediately. Guided by Aldy and
Joy, the young CFCs excitedly
engaged in a heartfelt discussion, applying what they had
learned on creating a family
vision.
Each couple received a Family Vision Worksheet, a quick,
simple, and user-friendly guide
to shaping their dreams and
creating a future for their
loved ones. Though unsure and
mostly first-timers, the couples
started each discussion by lifting their plans to God, hoping
to receive the grace to be sensitive to His leading.
All dreams often seem difficult to achieve upon desiring
them. The dream to have a
family that is not only happy,
but also holy may seem to be a
farfetched these days. However,
as the Katigbaks pointed out,
the call of the Lord is to start
early, and to start now.
It was clear, as the participants left for home, that it was
a call they were eager to heed.

Age is an issue of mind over matter. As Mark Twain said, If you don't
mind, it doesn't matter.

Last February 21, this was proven true during the post-Valentines Day Love More dance party of the
Metro Manila CFC Seniors. The event was organized by the Seniors Program Core Group and attended
by senior members from all the sectors of Metro Manila.
The Brothers Band played music from the 60s, 70s and 80s, enticing everyone to try out their dancing
skills and to indeed prove that age does not matter when it comes to service, fun and fellowship.
The party is another advocacy activity of the Seniors Program Core to drum up awareness, participation,
and support to recognize the importance of senior members to the mission of CFC, and to continue to
give life, purpose and foster spiritual growth among those growing in years. The family of CFC, now on
its 34th year, recognizes that many of the leaders who nurtured CFC in the earlier years are now the CFC
grandparents whom everyone should love, respect and honor.
In May 2015, the Seniors Program Core will conduct the Senior Couples Retreat. This is expected to
be downloaded to all the CFC areas after the first run in Metro Manila. The Seniors Program Manual has
also been released and the Program Core Group is ready to assist areas that are ready to start the program.
Boy and Lida Granados who arranged the use of the venue in Manansala Tower and the excellent band.
(Bernie Cuevas)