CBCP

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Vol. 10 No. 8
JulyMission
31, 2006 Society
Marks Fil-Mission
Sunday
Caring for Vocations
and Shepherding
Seminarians
Self-Sufficiency Through
Giving: A Modified Tithing
Program
2006 AMRSMP
Convention
Statement
1
www.cbcponline.net/cbcpmonitor cbcpmonitor@cbcpworld.net

“Show Evidence,” Collegio Filippino

Archbishop
Appeals
CATHOLIC Bishops’ Conference of
the Philippines (CBCP) head Arch-
bishop Angel Lagdameo has chal-
lenged the accusers who linked him
CBCP Monitor Elects New Officers
THE community of the Pontificio
Collegio Filippino (PFC) in Rome
elected its new set of “co-
responsibles” this year.
Fr. Richard Tan of the Diocese of
Calbayog was elected as the new main
along with five other bishops to the Protagonist of Truth, Promoter of Peace coordinator while Fr. Nemer Chua and
alleged plot to oust President Arroyo Fr. Oscar Cadayona as vice coordina-
to come out with evidence. tor and Treasurer, respectively.
Show Evidence / P4
July 31, 2006 Vol. 10 No. 8 Php 16.00 Collefio Filipino / P16

Men Religious vow to Fight Social ills

By Ma. Lourdes Ebilane

THE superiors of major religious tice the perpetrators, “whoever they

congregations of men in the Philip-
pines have united to more aggres-
sively tackle the issues of poverty,
corruption and political killings that
continue to plague the country.
In a statement after a recent con-
vention in Cebu, the Association
Major Religious Superiors of Men
in the Philippines (AMRSMP) af-
firmed they will fight political killings,
environmental destruction, corrup-
tion and the alleged railroading of
charter change process.
“We have spent time in reflect-
ing on the conditions of the people
that we serve and we are compelled
to address the concerns that plague
our society today,” it said.
The group wants the govern-
1st East, West and South Luzon Regional Assembly of Prison Chaplains and Volunteers in Prison Service Assembly
ment to put an end the extra-judicial
at Quans Worth Farms, Lucena City, July 28-30. killings in the country and the cul-
ture of impunity by bringing to jus-
may be.”
They also vowed to continue
working to eradicate corruption in the
government’s institutions and other
areas where they carry out their mis-
sion.
AMRSMP represents major re-
ligious congregations of priests,
brothers and their mission partners,
who work in various ministries in the
country.
Gathered for an annual assem-
bly in Lipa City last June, the Asso-
ciation of Major Religious Superiors
of Women in the Philippines
(AMRSWP), on the other hand,
called on government leaders to train
their attention to the suffering Filipi-
nos and urged their religious sisters
and lay partners to live their pro-
phetic calling by exposing and de-
nouncing the prevailing social evils.

Church Offers Mass for
OFWs in Lebanon
THE Catholic Church has offered prayers for the
safety of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) in
Lebanon and Israel as fighting between the two
countries has become more critical.
Organized by the CBCP Episcopal Commis-
sion for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itiner-
ant People (ECMI) together with the Manila
Archdiocesan Ministry, a special mass was held
July 23 at the Nuestra Señora de Guia Church in
Ermita, Manila.
The Archdiocese of Manila, meanwhile, has
started integrating in all its Masses a special prayer
for peace in the Holy Land as well as the entire
Church Offers / P4
Family Seen as Key to Solving Youth Problems
By Roy Lagarde
ENHANCING family values is the
key to solving the problems con-
cerning the youth of today. This has
been the consensus of those present
during the “Vicariate Reload,” a gath-
ering of around 400 youth from eight
parishes of the Diocese of
Parañaque last July 22, 2006.
Organized by the Vicariate of
San Martin de Porres, the youth gath-
ering held lately was part of the first
vicariate general assembly held at the
Mary Help of Christian Parish where
young people shared about the chal-
lenges prevalent among the youth
today.
“We, as their parish priests,
want to know what the youth are also
thinking in view of guiding them to
become better persons,” said Fr.
Vicente Servania, Mary Help of Chris-
tian parish priest who was among the
priests who joined the discussion to
come up with collaborative strategies
to help the youth.
From the many youth issues
presented, the ones related to bro-
ken homes topped as the most com-
mon among the youth today. The
other problems stem from discrimi-
nation, poverty, lack of access to
quality education and peer pressure.
The participants of the gather-
ing expressed that because of pov-
erty, most of them were left with no
choice but to work and earn
money for a living. They have
to help their parents earn more
income in order to keep up
with their basic daily needs
and be able to pay their debts.
The youths declared that
the family is the “foundation”
that serves as their “guide” on
whatever they do.
Family Seen / P4 Parañaque Bp. Jesse E. Mercado, DD

Tobias: Providing Sanctuary, A Moral Imperative

WHEN a person so-called Oakwood Mutiny and the
CRS Calls for Ceasefire and Humanitarian Corridor in Lebanon
needs refuge from alleged moves last February to over- CRS is also advocat- from supplies and escape routes
perceived persecu- throw the Arroyo administration. ing for the establishment because access roads have been
tion, the Church “My position is clearly within of a humanitarian corridor destroyed by tricity has taken a
must be open to the bounds of Christian moral im- into Beirut for the safe pas- severe toll on the industrial sec-
anyone without ex- peratives in providing sanctuary to sage of aid workers and tor, and many businesses have
ceptions. those who are fleeing from ‘justice’ life-saving relief supplies. come to a complete halt as they
Novaliches Bishop Antonio and persecution,” he said. CRS aid workers report cannot produce their goods, es-
Tobias pursued this pastoral concern A pastor at heart, the bishop transport of humanitarian pecially those that produce food
after he admitted of coddling ren- emphasized that the Church is and assistance is becoming in- or other perishables.
egade soldiers that were part of the Tobias / P4 creasingly difficult. “What we’re seeing is the

PNOC Recalls Coal Mining Project

“Israeli forces have degradation of human dignity,”
declared that all trucks and says Tom Garofalo, CRS Country
BALTIMORE, MD, July 21, large transport vehicles are legitimate Representative for Jerusalem,
THE Philippine Na- that they were pulling fired power plant lo- 2006—Catholic Relief Services targets for air and missile attacks,” Gaza and the West Bank. “The
tional Oil Company out of the project be- cated in a mine site. (CRS) joins Pope Benedict XVI reports Mark Schnellbaecher, CRS assault on Gaza has come to re-
(PNOC) has withdrawn cause of the lack of “We absolutely and the United States Conference Regional Director for the Middle semble a siege; the most vulner-
its proposed coal min- community support. reject PNOC’s pro- of Catholic Bishops in calling for East. “As a result, truck drivers are able suffer and die and there is in-
ing project in Isabela The coal project posed mine-mouth an immediate ceasefire to end the unwilling to work for fear of being sufficient discussion of a diplo-
province after a decade was supposed to have coal-plant because it violence in the Lebanon and Gaza, bombed, creating a complete cut-off matic solution by Israel or the
of dispute with church been built adjacent to will threaten the lives of before it expands into a wider and of supplies from Beirut to the villages United States.”
leaders, environmental- towns of Naguillian, the people in the sur- deadlier regional conflict. We con- in the South - Marjeyoun, Tyre, Ain In Gaza, CRS is distributing
ists and local residents. Benito Soliven and rounding communi- demn Hamas’ and Hezbollah’s pro- Ebel, Bint Jbeil, and others.” non-perishable food items such as
In a dialogue with Cauayan City but they ties,” said Isabela Anti- vocative terrorist and cross-bor- The situation is particularly sardines, beans, lentils, oil, olives,
Isabela folks and envi- all rejected the PNOC’s Coal Mine Alliance der attacks, as well as indiscrimi- acute in Lebanon’s third largest city tea and sugar, and household
ronmentalists, PNOC request for endorse- leader Fr. Tony Ancieta nate Israeli military action which of Saida (Sidon), where residents and items such as dish detergent,
President and Chief Ex- ment of the project. in a phone interview. is causing the death and suffering the many internally displaced people soap, dishes and basins. These
ecutive Officer This would have been The decision also of civilians. who fled from the south are cut off CRS Calls / P2
Eduardo Mañalac said the country’s first coal- PNOC Recalls / P4

vol10-n08.pmd 1 8/4/2006, 7:25 PM


2 World News
Catechesis of Creation for
Protection of the Environment
VATICAN City, July 20, 2006—Made
public today was the text of a Mes-
sage from Benedict XVI to the Ecu-
menical Patriarch Bartholomew I of
Constantinople for the 6th sympo-
sium on the environment organized
by the Ecumenical Patriarchate as
part of its “Religion, Science and En-
vironment” project, the theme of
which this year is “The Amazon
River: source of life.”
The symposia of the project are
always held afloat, and this year’s
edition is being celebrated from July
13 to 20 on a ship sailing along the
Amazon River. The aim of the project
is to promote “awareness of the
grave problems threatening creation,
and commitment to joint action
among Christians and men of religion
in attempting to solve them.”
The symposium, which is also
taking place under the patronage of
the Catholic Church in Brazil, is be-
ing attended by, among others, Car-
dinal Geraldo Majella Agnelo, arch-
bishop of Sao Salvador da Bahia,
and by Cardinal Roger Etchegaray,
vice dean of the College of Cardi-
nals, who delivered the Pope’s Mes-
sage to the Patriarch Bartholomew I.
In that Message, the Pope thanks
Bartholomew for “your support for
the Brazilian episcopate’s commit-
ment in Amazonia and your activity
in favor of the environment, the de-
terioration of which has grave and
profound repercussions upon
peoples.”
“The task of highlighting an
appropriate catechesis of creation -
in order to recall the meaning and
religious significance of its protec-
tion - is intimately connected to our
duty as pastors,” writes the Pope,
“and could have an important impact
on the perceived value of life itself
and on the adequate solution of ...
Congo Bishops Say Conditions for
Fair Elections not Met
KINSHASA, Congo, July 24, 2006—
Congo’s Catholic bishops have
threatened to withhold their recog-
nition of the validity of the upcom-
ing July 30 general elections, saying
that all the conditions for a transpar-
ent, free, and democratic vote have
not been met.
The Bishops Conference of the
Democratic Republic of Congo
(CENCO) said in a statement on
Thursday, the bishops said instead
there have been allegations of ma-
nipulation, deception, and fraud.
In the message directed at the
voters in the country with over 30
million Catholics, titled, “The end of
transition in national concord,” the
leaders said these irregularities had
created tensions a few days before
the elections.
CRS Calls / from P1
items, which will assist approxi-
mately 1,300 families (about 10,000
people), will be distributed through
CRS’ local partners.
CRS is giving $50,000 to the
vol10-n08.pmd 2 8/4/2006, 7:25 PM
social prob-
lems.”
T h e
Holy Father
expresses
the hope
that the
Amazon
symposium
“may once
again draw
the atten-
tion of peoples and governments to
the problems and urgent needs of
an area ... so threatened in its eco-
logical balance.” He also highlights
how, with this initiative, the Ecumeni-
cal Patriarch Bartholomew I has
sought to demonstrate “Christian
support to the people of the Ama-
zon regions.”
“In our common commitment,”
says Pope Benedict in his Message,”
I see an example of that collabora-
tion which Orthodox and Catholics
must seek constantly in order to re-
spond to the need for a shared testi-
mony. This means that all Christians
must cultivate that interior openness
of soul which is dictated by charity
and has its roots in the faith. In this
way, they can together offer the
world a credible witness of their
sense of responsibility towards the
defense of creation.”
Remarking on the presence at
the symposium of figures from the
great monotheistic religions, the
Pope observes how “reciprocal re-
spect” between faiths also comes
about through initiatives such as this
one, which concern the interests of
all. “It is necessary,” he concludes,
“to find common ground in which to
bring together the commitment of
each individual to defend the habi-
tat ordained by the Creator for hu-
man beings.” (VIS)
CENCO’s chairman,
Archbishop Laurent
Monsengwo of
Kisangani, told the mis-
sionary news service
MISNA that the Congo-
lese population needs to
be reassured on all as-
pects of the elections.
“We reject the incom-
prehensible slowness and
hesitation, the regrettable
double dealing, inadmis-
sible subterfuges that so
far have impeded the
country from proceeding along the
path towards elections, in an atmo-
sphere of comprehension and na-
tional harmony,” he said.
Congo’s electoral commission is
organizing the elections with the help
of the United Nations in an effort to
move on from the 1998-2003 civil war
that killed about four million people.
Congolese bishops have been
active in preparing the people for
elections, but they have been dis-
heartened by contradictory declara-
tions on the electoral lists and fail-
ure to list the exact number of vot-
ers, the presence of “reserve” ballot
boxes, the suspicious location of
servers in the electronic counting
system, and the absence of a clear
elections timetable. (CWNews)
American Jewish Joint Jerusalem
Distribution Commitee, based in
New York, to aid people displaced
by cross-border shelling in north-
ern Israel. (CRS News)
Methodists Adopt Catholic-Lutheran
Declaration on Justification
SEOUL, South Korea, July 25, 2006—
In a historic step on the road toward
Christian unity, the World Method-
ist Conference adopted the Catho-
lic-Lutheran joint declaration on jus-
tification July 23. The declaration had
been previously approved by the
Vatican and the Lutheran World Fed-
eration in 1999.
Cardinal Walter Kasper, presi-
dent of the Pontifical Council for Pro-
moting Christian Unity, called the
signing in Seoul, South Korea, “his-
toric” and “a gift of God.”
The agreement on justification,
which explains how people are made
just in the eyes of God and saved by
Jesus Christ, “provides a basis for a
more profound common witness be-
fore the world,” the cardinal report-
edly said at the signing.
Two representatives from each
of the three church bodies signed
the agreement.
Cardinal Kasper expressed his
hope that the joint agreement would
lead to a commitment to deepen com-
Cor Unum: Special Collection of Funds for Lebanon
VATICAN City, July 22, 2006 - The
Pontifical Council “Cor Unum” to-
day published the following commu-
nique:
“Given the persistence of the
conflict in the Middle East and of
the terrible plight of the peoples in-
volved, the Pontifical Council ‘Cor
Unum’ wishes, in the name of the
Holy Father, to demonstrate its close-
ness to those who are suffering,
sending preliminary aid to help shel-
Papal Meeting to Discuss New Appointment?
ROME, Jul. 24, 2006—Cardinal
Tarcisio Bertone met privately with
Pope Benedict XVI during the Holy
Father’s vacation in Valle d’Aoste on
Monday. The current archbishop of
Genoa—who will succeed Cardinal
Angelo Sodano as the Vatican’s Sec-
retary of State on September 15—
arrived in the village of Les Combes
by automobile for the private meet-
ing with the Holy Father. Journalists
who saw the cardinal said he arrived
around 11 am and remained with the
Kerala Christians: “New Education Law is Undemocratic”
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India,
July 24, 2006—Priests from all the
churches in Kerala yesterday read
out a pastoral letter exhorting believ-
ers to protest against the state’s new
higher education act. The letter,
jointly drawn up and signed by lead-
ers of all rites, condemned the law
as “unconstitutional, anti-demo-
cratic and anti-minority”.
Fr Babu Joseph, spokesperson
of the Bishops’ Conference of In-
dia, shares their view. In an inter-
view with AsiaNews, he accused the
government of “wanting to abdicate
its responsibility to guarantee edu-
cation for all and of planning to dump
it onto the shoulders of a minority
that has worked hard and is being
punished for this.”
mon prayer; to continue theological
dialogue, and to “an increase in joint
witness to the Gospel of Jesus
Christ.”
Dialogue between the Method-
ist and Roman Catholic churches has
been ongoing for more than four de-
cades. A Methodist statement about
the declaration was drafted and cir-
culated among all member churches
of the World Methodist Council for
consultation and approval, and all
responses were positive. On July 18,
delegates to the World Methodist
Conference voted unanimously to
adopt the declaration.
The 1999 declaration said: “By
grace alone, in faith in Christ’s sav-
ing work and not because of any
merit on our part, we are accepted
by God and receive the Holy Spirit,
who renews our hearts while equip-
ping us and calling us to good
works.”
The Methodists said the decla-
ration “corresponds to Methodist
doctrine.” “The Methodist Move-
ter the thousands of displaced
people.
“This aid is directed towards a
project being promoted by Caritas
Lebanon, the Custody of the Holy
Land, the AVSI Foundation and
other organizations present on the
ground, in order to supply materials
for welcome centers (mattresses,
blankets and sheets), drinking wa-
ter, food and hygiene kits, and medi-
cines.”
Pope all afternoon.
According to sources,
Bertone’s meeting with the Pope in-
volved certain important matters,
particularly the appointment of the
future Secretary for Relations with
States, the number 2 position within
the Secretariat of State, often com-
pared to the secular governmental
post of foreign minister.
The current “foreign minister”
of the Holy See, Archbishop
Giovanni Lajolo, was named on June
The Kerala Profes-
sional Colleges Bill 2006
reserves the right to de-
cide whether a commu-
nity is a minority or not,
and on this basis to de-
cide how many schools
this community can run as
well. The state govern-
ment will also be empow-
ered to decide the propor-
tion of minority students
a school may accept in re-
lation to other students.
Christian institutes have
taken the case to the state’s high
court that should issue a ruling this
week.
Christian leaders declared yes-
terday to be a “day of prayer and
fast to protest the law”, which, as
they wrote in the letter, “excludes
Christians, who form only 19% of
the population of Kerala, from the
definition of minorities… This means
we will have to run our institutions
like government institutions. This
move penalizes us.”
The letter, signed by the Arch-
bishop of the Syro-Malankara rite,
Cyril Mar Baselius, on behalf of all
bishops, said Christian institutions
would press ahead with legal action
to fight the new act. It also accused
the government of distancing com-
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 10 No. 8
July 31, 2006
ment,”
which grew
out of the
Anglican
Church,
“has al-
ways un-
derstood
itself as deeply indebted to the bibli-
cal teaching on justification as it was
understood by (Martin) Luther and
the other reformers,” the resolution
said.
“But it has also always em-
braced elements of the doctrine of
justification which belong to the
Catholic tradition of the early
church.”
As a guest speaker, Methodist
Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia, general sec-
retary of the World Council of
Churches, said the signing was “a
giant step to … overcoming Chris-
tian divisions.”
“Our world needs a church that
bears witness to the Gospel in word
and deed,” he added. (CNA)
The communique also indicates
where to send donations for this
special collection of funds:
Italian Post Office current ac-
count number 603035, made out to
Pontifical Council Cor Unum, stating
the reason: for Lebanon. Banca di
Roma current account number 101010
- ABI 3002, CAB 5008 (from abroad:
SWIFT code: BROMIT)—made out
to Pontifical Council Cor Unum, stat-
ing the reason: for Lebanon. (VIS)
22 to head of the Vatican City-State
governorate, also beginning on Sep-
tember 15.
Pope Benedict will leave Les
Combes on July 28, having arrived
there on July 11. According to re-
ports, the Pope made his vacation
productive as well as relaxing by tak-
ing the time to work on several
projects, in particular, a book on
Jesus which he had begun the draft-
ing before his election as pope last
year. (CWNews)
munities from each other. “The cam-
paign mounted against us, claiming
that we have more colleges, is in-
tended to create a negative feeling
against Christians among other com-
munities.”
Fr Joseph told AsiaNews: “The
Christian community pioneered in
establishing education institutions in
Kerala nearly 150 years ago and all
the communities derived benefits
from its work... The new law aims to
annihilate the development work of
minority communities, apart from the
fact that it goes against the Consti-
tution. These communities should be
encouraged to contribute to the de-
velopment of the nation rather than
being punished for services ren-
dered, which is what this law does.”
He continued: “In fact, it is mi-
norities who invest all their resources
to build up institutions while the gov-
ernment takes the benefit from them
in the name of social justice.”
“It is the government,” he
added, “that collects taxes from the
public and therefore it has the duty
to provide an education for the less
wealthy. But it seems that now it
wants to abdicate that responsibil-
ity by dumping it onto the shoul-
ders of a minority that has worked
hard to create institutions with their
scarce resources.” (AsiaNews)
 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 10 No. 8
July 31, 2006 News Feature 3
Church’s Social Doctrine Urges
with the poor around us; because we are fol-
lowers of Christ and have to see him in the
poor, the doubles of Christ; and because at

‘Preferential Love for the Poor’

the end, we will be examined on love, particu-
larly on love of the poor.”
The preferential love for the poor, Fr.
Gomez added, requires everybody to practice
by Bob R. Acebedo “poverty in spirit, a simple lifestyle, and soli-
darity with the poor.”
Quoting the noted Catholic writer Jose
Luis Martin Descalzo who once quipped that
“no one can be poor in spirit while living like
the rich man,” Fr. Gomez said that “poverty in
spirit” implies “the power to recognize the Lord
in the poor, the downtrodden, and the ‘fallen’
on the many roads of injustice, oppression and
exploitation.”
A “simple lifestyle”, Fr. Gomez further ex-
plained, demands that “we live simply so that
others might simply live”. “When we see
people dying of hunger, or merely surviving,
how can we waste food, or other resources, or
simply have too much?”
Moreover, “solidarity with the poor”, Fr.
Gomez said, is “sharing with and accompany-
ing the poor on their way to their equal dignity
and rights.” Distinctively so, “solidarity with
the poor”, Fr. Gomez stressed, may also imply
condemning rich countries and international
lending institutions for exploiting poor coun-
tries with unjust debt schemes and forcibly
pushing them into an interminable poverty.
Fr. Gomez explained, “Vatican II notes that
if a person is in extreme necessity, he has the
right to take from the riches of others what he
© Denz Dayao

himself needs. St. Thomas Aquinas asked him-

THE Philippine Church’s declaration of 2006
as Year of Social concerns has precipitated, no
doubt, a new wave of dynamism towards a
clearer understanding of the Social Doctrine
of the Church.
In a conference on “Human Rights and
the Eradication of Poverty” held last July 15 at
the University of Asia and the Pacific, Pasig
City, Fr. Fausto Gomez, OP, a noted professor
in Moral Theology, has stressed that the So-
cial Doctrine of the Church calls even more for
people to exercise “preferential love for the
poor.”
Citing as basis the moral principles of “hu-
man dignity, common good, solidarity and
subsidiarity” articulated by the Compendium
of the Social Doctrine of the Church, Gomez
pointed out that all are “obliged to share some-
thing—or much—with the poor around us.”
“Preferential” love (or option) for the poor,
according to Fr. Gomez, means “to choose the
poor as a priority of justice and, principally, of
charity.”
Gomez clarified however that such “prefer-
ential love for the poor” should not exclude “lov-
ing the rich”—but only “preferentially” the
poor—pointing out that the virtue of charity
after all demands loving “all” unconditionally.
“The poor are the economically and so-
cially deprived: the powerless, the
marginalized, the oppressed, and the exploited.
In our ecological context, the poor are the most
threatened specie of the earth. Poor are those
human beings who lack what is needed to live
a truly human life. In Asia, the priority of ser-
vice to the poor is focused on migrants, indig-
enous and tribal peoples, women and children.
PCP II presents to us faces of our poor: the
rural and urban poor, tribal Filipinos, street chil-
dren, farmers, fishermen, women, and the dis-
abled,” Fr. Gomez said.
That all are “obliged” to render preferen-
tial love for the poor, Fr. Gomez cited some
compelling reasons. “Because God created the
earth for all, including the poor, who are also
entitled to their share in the goods of the earth;
because we are stewards of God’s creation and
are obliged to share what truly belongs to God
self: Is theft justifiable in case of necessity?
He answers in the affirmative: In case of neces-
sity everything is in common. In this case
there is no theft—morally speaking. Could we
not apply this doctrine also to poor countries
in relation to their huge debt to rich countries?
Why should the poor countries pay back when
the rich countries do not need the money and
for the poor countries the payment is a great
obstacle for their basic development? Some
rich countries have begun to erase some of
the debt, which from being external debt is
becoming also an eternal debt!”
The conference, jointly organized by the
Society of Catholic Social Scientists (Philip-
pine Chapter) and the School of Economics of
the University of Asia and the Pacific, was at-
tended by noted academicians, Church
groups, the business sector and non-govern-
ment organizations.

THE Philippines, being a sponsibility of the Catho-

Mission Society Marks

predominantly Catholic
country in Asia and after
over 400 years as recipi-
ent of foreign missionary
efforts, is now rather a
major source of priest
lic Church in the Philip-
pines of spreading the
Faith to other countries
and peoples. “Fil-Mission
Sunday is a day of thanks-
giving for the gift of faith

missionaries serving sev-
eral countries in the Asia
Pacific region, and even
beyond.
In its celebration
marking the Filipino Mis-
sion Sunday or Fil-Mis-
sion Sunday last July 30,
the Mission Society of
the Philippines (MSP),
the flag bearer of the
Catholic Church in the
Philippines for foreign
missions, proudly re-
vealed that its numerous
all-Filipino diocesan mis-
sionary priests are now
scattered in several
Asian countries like Tai-
wan, South Korea, Thai-
land and Japan; and in
some countries in the Pa-
cific region like Papua
New Guinea, Australia,
New Zealand, American
Samoa, Cook Islands;
and even in Guyana,
South America and the
Netherlands.
According to Fr.
Socrates C. Messiona,
MSP, Father Moderator of
the Mission Society of
the Philippines, the cel-
ebration of Fil-Mission
Sunday is an occasion for
Filipinos to be aware not
only about the efforts of
MSP missionaries but
also of the collective re-
that we have received from
God through the efforts of
the missionaries in the
past. It is an opportunity
for us to reflect on our
common missionary call-
ing or responsibility to
share our faith with other
people, especially with
those who have not yet
heard the Good News,” Fr.
Messiona told CBCP
Monitor.
With its theme “Eu-
charist: A Mission of
Thanksgiving and Shar-
ing,” MSP marked this
year’s celebration of Fil-
Mission Sunday with
mission awareness and
promotion campaigns in
several parishes in Metro
Manila. Fr. Eladio Oliver,
MSP’s Bursar General, in
an interview with CBCP
Monitor, said that during
last July 30’s celebration
of Fil-Mission Sunday,
MSP missionary priests,
seminarians and together
with the Fil-Mission Aux-
iliary Association
(FMMA), its lay volun-
teer group, joined the
Sunday masses in some
14 parishes in Metro Ma-
nila to campaign for mis-
sionary vocations and
appeal for public sup-
port—prayers and mate-
Fil-Mission Sunday
By Baltz Acebedo
rial assistance—for the
cause and efforts of the
Mission Society of the
Philippines.
“How can we sup-
port our own Filipino mis-
sionaries? First, we ask for
your prayers. Most of
our missionaries have to
face loneliness, sickness,
cultural barriers and even
sometimes threats to per-
sonal security as they
preach the Gospel in for-
eign lands. They are do-
ing extraordinary work so
they need and equally ex-
traordinary strength that
can only come from
God’s grace; they need
your prayers,” Fr. Oliver
said quoting the MSP’s
appeal that was read dur-
ing the Sunday masses in
some parishes.
“Second, we ask for
your material support for
our Fil-Missioners. We
can take part in the mis-
sion work of the Church
by sharing our material
blessings to our mission-
aries. Through your gen-
erous gifts the MSP will
be able to train more semi-
narians, send more mis-
sionaries and share our
Faith to more countries,”
the MSP’s appeal added.
The Mission Society
of the Philippines (MSP)
is a community of zealous
and committed Filipino di-
ocesan missionary priests
who live out the charism
of spending their lives by
proclaiming the gospel in
the foreign missions. The
Catholic Bishops’ Confer-
ence of the Philippines es-
tablished the MSP in 1965
to mark the 4th Centennial
celebration of the begin-
ning of the Christian Faith
in the Philippines.
The mandate that
the Catholic bishops
gave to the MSP is “to
recruit, train and send Fili-
pino missionaries in order
to share our faith with
other countries espe-
cially in Asia as a sign of
our gratitude for the faith
we received from God;
and in response to the
missionary challenge of
evangelization as a pre-
dominantly Christian
country in the region.”
The Fil-Missioners
or MSP missionaries
serve the pastoral needs
of the local communities
in their respective mis-
sion areas. Some of them
assist in the formation of
the local clergy. They
also take part in the hu-
man development of the
flock under their care and
engage in dialogue with
other religions. In some
countries, they also min-
ister to the needs of the
overseas migrant work-
ers.
In 1967, the Catholic
Bishops’ Conference of
the Philippines declared
every last Sunday of July
as the Filipino Mission
Sunday or Fil-Mission
Sunday for the whole
Catholic Church in the
Philippines.

vol10-n08.pmd 3 8/4/2006, 7:25 PM


4 News
Bishops Chide Arroyo’s SONA
WHILE they extolled President Arroyo’s programs for
the country, Catholic bishops scored her State of the
Nation Address (SONA) saying it did not deal with the
country’s real situation and problems.
Lingayen-Daguapn Archbishop Oscar Cruz said
what the President did was a futuristic approach because
the present state of the nation is “dim and dismal.”
“While it is understandable to say where the coun-
try is going and what people can expect, it is incongru-
ous to have a SONA precisely so much focused instead
on what it is not,” he said.
Cruz noted that Arroyo’s SONA “cannot but be
commended in its content and spirit,” but it provided
blurred directions for achieving the reforms and address-
ing the poverty.
Arroyo vowed to share power with provinces and
outlined a massive spending in her vision of a great
future for the country basically in terms of an aggres-
sive nationwide socio-economic development outlined
in her SONA recently in Congress.
The bishops, however, are cynical with Arroyo’s
agenda becoming concrete realities.
Cruz underscored that there must be a sufficient
funding to do them, unity among government leaders
and enough time. Arroyo has less than 4 years left in her
term to have her plans done.
“But then, if the same national leadership cannot
even clean the country of a stupid illegal numbers game
like ‘jueteng’, it is quixotic for it to even imagine that it
can deliver so many fantastic and grandiose national
projects,” he said.
Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez also said Ar-
CBCP’s Committee on Church’s
Cultural Heritage Bares Projects
RECOGNIZING indeed the rich cultural heritage of the
Catholic Church as an invaluable aid to evangelization
and catechesis, the Committee for the Cultural Heritage
of the Church (CCHC) of the Catholic Bishops’ Confer-
ence of the Philippines cannot pose as bereft or wanting
in programs and activities to pursue its mandate of pro-
moting, protecting, and conserving the ecclesiastical
cultural heritage.
Headed by Bishop Julito Cortes, the Committee
for the Cultural Heritage of the Church, during the
CBCP’s midyear plenum last July 9-10, revealed its vari-
ous accomplishments, ongoing projects and other fu-
ture activities.
As of date, the CCHC is already preparing the
second issue of its official publication, Pintakasi, in joint
efforts with the University of Santo Tomas in Manila.
Pintakasi’s second issue will include papers presented
during the 2nd biennial National Convention of Church
Cultural Heritage Workers held in September 2001 in
Butuan Diocese, and some speeches delivered during
the 1st Ordinary Regional Fora on the Church Cultural
Heritage held in July 2002.
Meanwhile, preparations for the 2nd Ordinary
Regional Fora on the Church Cultural Heritage are al-
ready well under way. A series of fora will be held in
Legazpi City, Albay, for the Luzon leg; in Cebu City, for
Tobias / from P1
will always be a haven for people in need “without ques-
tions” and “exceptions.”
“As pastor of the flock, all request for sanctuary
are given the presumption of credibility as we make no
judgments of good or evil on anyone,” said Tobias.
In this case, he said, the soldiers were put in a
disadvantage by state laws and needed our help.
He said some of Mrs. Arroyo’s allies today who
were troubled in the past took refuge in the Church but
they are still welcome if needed.
Government leaders cautioned the bishop that he
could be charged for criminal offense for harboring the
mutineers saying that no one is above the law even the
servants of God.
But Tobias justified that his action did not help
them to break the law but to give them respect and the
moral bearings to guide them in their actions.
“Sanctuary is sacrosanct. It is beyond the laws of
man. Human institutions of the State, the administra-
tion of man’s law by the State are not contradicted by
my grant of sanctuary for these young men who came
seeking comfort and aid,” he pointed out.
Tobias earlier confessed he provided shelter and
refuge for three days and three nights to Magdalo sol-
diers, including Army 1st Lt. Lawrence San Juan, who fled
from their detention cell in Fort Bonifacio last January.
The bishop also stressed he has no regrets for help-
ing the fugitives saying that what he did was for the
common good. “We wanted to resolve the problem in a
peaceful way.”
Tobias also called on the government not to de-
stroy the tradition of “Christian charity of sanctuary”
vol10-n08.pmd 4 8/4/2006, 7:25 PM
royo should have discussed the several impeachment
complaints she is facing because it shows the real pic-
ture of the country.
“It’s something that undermined the situation of
the country,” said Iñiguez, also the chair of the Catholic
Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Public
Affairs Committee.
The Citizens’ Battle Against Crime and Corruption
(CIBAC) yesterday filed the sixth impeachment complaint
before the office of House Secretary General Roberto
Nazareno.
House Speaker Jose de Venecia immediately referred
to the Committee on Justice all six impeachment bids
lodged against Arroyo.
This, he said, was done to break speculations that
he and other pro-Arroyo legislators are blocking the re-
ferral of the complaints to protect the president.
The complaints filed by different groups had been
endorsed by some minority lawmakers.
Bishop Antonio Tobias, meanwhile, was dismayed
over Arroyo’s enumeration of accomplishments saying
they totally contradict the current situation of most Fili-
pinos.
“Arroyo said that poverty had been reduced but I
don’t agree because there are still two million people
that are poor,” he said.
He said the issue of legitimacy remains unsolved
and hounding Arroyo from governing the nation.
Tobias added that the President must also learn to
offer self-sacrifice and let the truth prevail on the con-
troversies and issues haunting her bureaucracy. (CBCP
News)
the Visayas leg; and tentatively in Surigao City, for the
Mindanao leg.
The CCHC is also currently following up the
Vatican-Philippines Bilateral Agreement on the Care of
the Cultural Heritage of the Catholic Church in the Phil-
ippines. The final document, reportedly already in the
possession of the Apostolic Nuncio in the Philippines,
is due for submission to the Holy See.
The CCHC is doing a final review of the Draft Stat-
utes of the Society of Ecclesiastical Archivists of the
Philippines (SEAP).
The Committee for the Cultural Heritage of the
Church is also networking with the Culture Committee
of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea (CBCK),
whose members signified their desire to network with
the CBCP’s CCHC to observe and obtain information
about heritage work and advocacy in the Philippines
Future projects of the CCHC include the 5th Biennial
National Convention of Church Cultural Heritage Work-
ers in Mindanao next year.
The CCHC is also mulling the formation of a board
of experts in heritage particularly in pursuing one of its
stipulated functions, articulated by the CBCP statutes,
which states that the Committee “shall serve as a con-
sultative Body on the scientific conservation of cultural
ecclesiastical goods.” (Sr. Pinky Barrientos, FSP)
to all those who need it.
“Let not this government pervert this act of Chris-
tian charity and turn it into something so sordid and
vile to cast aspersions of obfuscation and deceit to tar-
nish the character and integrity of the cleric who dares
to practice his faith about Christian charity,” he said.
At press time, the government was reportedly study-
ing the possibility of filing charges against the prelate
and sought the help of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference
of the Philippines (CBCP) in an investigation.
But Tobias is fearless saying he is ready to face his
supposed “misdeeds” and submit himself for any in-
vestigation.
“Let the country be my judge,” he said.
Meanwhile, the militant group Kilusang
Makabansang Ekonomiya (KME) expressed their full
support to the bishop for his “humanitarian deed and
exercise of rights and responsibilities as both Church
leader and a citizen.”
“We emulate and give our high respects to our bish-
ops. Their courage and steadfastness are raising our
hopes and spirits in this tortuous journey for national
economic sovereignty as the basic condition for a demo-
cratic and just society,”
The CBCP also reiterated its support for Tobias in
helping some members of the Magdalo group.
Tobias said he is overwhelmed by the support given
by his fellow bishops, which earlier offered to send him
lawyer if he need one.
“I really felt the support of the CBCP. My fellow
bishops called me from their dioceses,” he added. (Roy
Lagarde)
Show Evidence / from P1
“I appeal that the sources of
such stories will clarify themselves for
the sake of common good,” said
Lagdameo. The prelate admitted he
is saddened by the reports “fabricated
without proof as to their veracity.”
Two former “jueteng” witnesses
have accused, through a television
news program, six prelates in a con-
spiracy to overthrow the Arroyo ad-
ministration. Richard Garcia and Abe
Riva claimed the bishops had also
planned to push Sen. Panfilo Lacson
as alternative to Arroyo.
The erstwhile witnesses identi-
fied other bishops as Archbishop Os-
car Cruz, Bp. Antonio Tobias, Bp.
Deogracias Iñiguez, Bp. Julio
Labayen and Bp. Teodoro Bacani.
Garcia and Riva served as Cruz’s
witnesses during the Senate investiga-
tion on “jueteng” early last year. They
took refuge with Tobias until they with-
drew their testimony in August.
Contrary to the reports,
Lagdameo said they did not have any
meeting together with any group—
including any member of the
Magdalo group—to unseat Arroyo.
PNOC Recalls / from P1
drawn from anti-coal stance through
a petition signed by more than 15,000
people and resolutions from local
government officials of said three
places, all strongly rejecting the pro-
posal.
Protest rally
An island-wide resolve to stop
coal mining was known among the
young and old who protested in front
of the Philippine National Oil Company
in Taguig, Manila few days before the
PNOC came out with a decision.
To drive their message home,
parishioners from Isabela and volun-
teers from Greenpeace, a non-profit
organization, some wore protective
coveralls and gas masks, blocked the
gates of the PNOC with signs dis-
playing skulls to symbolize the ill-
effects of coal plants to the environ-
ment and to human health.
“We made sure that the mes-
sage gets out and clear to the gov-
ernment that we strongly oppose
coal mining,” Ancieta said.
The project, he said, will only
taint their air and water supply and
ruin crops, devastating health and
livelihoods.
“I think people have realized there’s
Church Offers / from P1
Middle East.
The full text of the prayer reads
as follows:
“We pray for peace in the Middle
East, especially in the Holy Land and
Lebanon. May the governments at war
with each other come to realize that
nobody wins in war and that peace is
the only way to genuine community
of humankind. We pray to the Lord.”
“We pray for those who are suf-
fering and grieving because of this con-
flict of powers in the Holy Land and
Lebanon, that they may continue to
hold on to the power of love and peace
rather than the destruction of hatred
and vengeance. We pray to the Lord.”
Earlier, a message was relayed by
the Vatican through Papal Nuncio
Archbishop Fernando Filoni asking
the CBCP to offer special prayers for
unity in the war-ravaged region.
Filoni then requested CBCP
Family Seen / from P1
“Because there is no solid foundation
among broken families, the youth will look
for guidance from other people,” a represen-
tative from the Holy Infant Jesus Parish said.
The youth will meet and gain friends.
But most of the time they will meet friends
who will drag them to vices like smoking,
drinking alcohol, and worse, taking drugs.
It was noted that the best that should
happen to the youth is to build better fami-
lies. With broken families come broken
youth values.
The youth gathering was the result of
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 10 No. 8
July 31, 2006
“It is very possible that an accu-
sation is being leveled against the
credibility of the bishops, because of
our stand on issues which are not
pleasant to certain groups”
Lagdameo said.
The CBCP head also said that if
he and other bishops have spoken
against the conduct of anyone or any
group— in favor or against the gov-
ernment— it was for the interest of
the common welfare.
“As bishops we always pro-
mote peace, non-violent and consti-
tutional means of reform in govern-
ment,” he said.
Cruz, meanwhile, belittled Garcia
and Riva’s claim. He said he is con-
vinced and confident that no one
would believe anymore the allega-
tions of his two former witnesses be-
cause of their “tarnished” credibility.
Bacani, for his part, said he is cer-
tain that Garcia and Riva’s statement
are intended to discredit the bishops.
He cautioned of more allegations
to come. “I think common sense tells
me that this is only the beginning.”
(CBCP News)
a lot at stake here,” the priest said.
Victory
“The people of Isabela have de-
feated a coal plant,” he stressed. “And
unity was the key factor for the victory.”
He said the “victory” is a tribute
to the communities in the province
who have been tirelessly working
against the said project ever since it
was proposed.
Coal, according to Greenpeace,
is the dirtiest fossil fuel. “The acute
and long term environmental and so-
cial costs associated with coal us-
age make it expensive and unaccept-
able burden to its host communities.
The coal moreover is a major con-
tributor to climate change, the great-
est threat to our world today.”
Greenpeace Southeast Asia Cli-
mate and Energy Campaigner Jasper
Inventor said the growing resistance
“to this dirty fossil fuel” should be a
signal to the government that coal is
not a wise investment.
“If President Arroyo is serious
in achieving a ‘Green Philippines’ in
five years, the government should
stop construction and expansion of
more coal plants in the country,” he
added. (CBCP News)
President Archbishop Angel
Lagdameo to immediately convey the
message of Pope Benedict XVI to all
the Philippine bishops.
CBCP President Archbishop
Angel Lagdameo, for his part,
promptly responded by sending a cir-
cular letter containing the Pope’s
message to all the bishops.
In the letter, the Pope said, “what
is happening in the Holy Land... is a
cause of new and serious concern for
everyone, especially for the many vic-
tims among the civilian population.”
“At the root of such pitiless con-
trasts there are unfortunately... viola-
tions of rights and of justice,” he said.
Around 34,000 Filipinos work in
Lebanon and most of them are work-
ing in Beirut. There are 25, 000 do-
mestic workers and the rest work in
hotels or United Nations missions.
(CBCP News)
the First Diocesan General Assembly held
on February 20-24, 2006 that considered
youth apostolate as one of the diocesan
pastoral priorities.
The eight parishes composing the Vi-
cariate of San Marin that joined the event
were San Martin de Porres, Mary Help of
Christian, Holy Infant Jesus, Holy Eucha-
rist, Our Lady of Beautiful Love, Our Lady
of the Most Holy Rosary, San Agustin,
Mary and Immaculate Quasi-Parish.
The diocese of Parañaque was estab-
lished only in 2002.
 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 10 No. 8
July 31, 2006
Caring for Vocations and Shepherding Seminarians
Most Rev. Reynaldo G. Evangelista, D.D.
Bishop of Boac
Introduction
UPON further reflection on the topic
assigned to me, I was inspired to give
this the subtitle, “CARING FOR THE
FUTURE OF THE CHURCH.” With-
out vocations and without the care-
ful shepherding of seminarians—our
future priests—the life of the Church
is jeopardized. Caring for vocations
actually extends to those called to
consecrated life and even to those
called to married life or to single bless-
edness because they too are also
called by God to holiness; but for
this particular moment, we will limit
our focus on vocation to the priest-
hood, religious or diocesan. This
will bring us later on to our reflection
on shepherding seminarians.
We are all familiar with the topic
at hand because all of us started with
our experience of a call from God. We
heard God’s call through some people
around us. For many of us, we entered
the seminary through the invitation of
a priest. Some of us initially thought
of entering the seminary through a
vocation campaign in our school lis-
tening in awe to the priests and nuns
telling us their vocation stories. A few
of us were enticed by playing basket-
ball with seminarians who spent their
summer apostolate in our parish. This
may solicit a smile from us, but it is
also a reality that some vocation sto-
ries started from our grandmother—
yes, our lola—who was so consis-
tent in going to church, so very caring
to priests and more importantly, the
lola who prayed assiduously that
one of her grandsons would become a
priest someday.
Some of us may have acciden-
tally read a vocation poster at the
entrance of a church or may have read
a book on the Lives of Saints. The
list of vocation stories is endless be-
cause God continuously calls man to
serve Him and His Church. I heard
God’s call to the priesthood when I
used to tag along with my mother vis-
iting my eldest brother who was then
in the seminary. I remembered enjoy-
ing the food whenever we visited
him—something I still enjoy today. I
admired the seminary basketball team
my brother played for in several cham-
pionship and exhibition games. After
finishing my elementary studies I
took the entrance examination at the
minor seminary and everything was
history, as the cliché goes!
In all of these events, God made
His voice heard gradually, lovingly,
and slowly into our hearts and con-
sciences. God in His unfathomable
ways and plan has called us to be His
priests. Unworthy though we are, He
set us apart from among other candi-
dates to the priesthood to serve Him
and His Church.
As priests and bishops, we have
our own vocation stories to tell. I
encourage you to go back to your
vocation story after this conference
and allow God to speak to you again,
to listen to His assurance that He
loves you so dearly and it is the rea-
son why He called you to be a shep-
herd of His flock.
Vocation is a gift and mystery
Each vocation is a unique dia-
logue of friendship between God and
man. Vocation to the priesthood is a
gift of God. It is a heresy to claim that
it was the candidate to the priesthood
who presented himself to God—to be
a priest. It is God who calls; man sim-
ply responds. It is God who initiates
the call; man merely continues to fol-
low that voice that called him. Re-
sponding to God’s call to be His priest
is a daily decision. Though one be-
comes a priest by the Sacrament of
vol10-n08.pmd 5 8/4/2006, 7:25 PM
Feature
Holy Orders, the nurturing of the gift
of the priesthood according to the
Priesthood of Christ, the Eternal
Priest, takes a lifetime. This is the rea-
son why a priest has to maintain his
deep connectedness to God in prayer
especially through Eucharistic spiri-
tuality and life of virtues.
The story of how the apostles
were called and then gradually trans-
formed by our Lord Jesus Christ—
this is what we now call seminary for-
mation—is somehow repeated in ev-
ery candidate to the priesthood. Like
Peter and Andrew, James and John,
and the rest of the apostles and dis-
ciples, he is uprooted from the first
seedbed of life—that is the family, and
even the community. Then, God
placed him in the seedbed of voca-
tions—that is the seminary—where
he is eventually crafted and carefully
honed to be His priests. It is in the
seminary that he is offered his iden-
© Roy Lagarde
tity and slowly being introduced to
his mission for God and His Church.
It is in the seminary that a candidate
to the priesthood is gradually trans-
formed into the thoughts, ways, and
holiness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Configuration to Christ is the direc-
tion and purpose of the whole forma-
tion program in each seminary under
the bishop’s supervision. And like
any gift freely given, the gratuitous
gift of vocation can also be freely re-
turned or utterly rejected.
Aside from being a gift of God,
vocation is also a mystery. Only God
knows why among so many young
men of our age, he called us—and
not them—to enter the seminary. And
the deeper mystery is, from among
the many seminarians who may pos-
sess more outstanding human quali-
ties, we are the ones who reached the
day of our ordination and were cho-
sen by God to be his priests. Quoting
His Eminence Ricardo J. Cardinal
Vidal in his message to the National
Congress of the Clergy, “Why you
and I received this gift is the mystery.
It is a “mystery of divine election.”
The mysterious character of vocation
has been the common subject of li-
turgical readings for ordinations, cit-
ing the expression of unworthiness
of a Jeremiah or one of those reluc-
tant prophets.
Since many of us became semi-
nary formators, we are very much
aware of the mysteriousness of vo-
cation to the priesthood. On many
occasions we have to discern the will
of God for a particular seminarian. On
many occasions we have to wait for
signs if a candidate to the priesthood
is indeed being called by God for the
priestly ministry or just following his
personal agenda. Even with the aid
of psychological tests and other sci-
entific matrix we experienced how as
seminary formators we have to go
back to prayer to know God’s myste-
rious plan for each candidate to the
priesthood. As seminary rector for
nine years, the truth that vocation is
a gift and mystery encouraged me to
spend hours of prayer to consult God
for each and every vocation that is
entrusted to my care. We are all aware
that in seminary formation, the Holy
Spirit is the Formator Par Excellence.
His will should always be over and
above all human decisions.
The Importance of Prayer for
Votions
“It is the duty of bishops to en-
courage people to foster vocations,
and to see that all their energies and
undertakings are closely coordi-
nated, sparing themselves no sacri-
fice in their efforts to help, as fathers,
those who in their judgment have
Caring for / P10
5
Shadows Over My Beloved Country
By Rev. Euly Belizar, Jr.
WHEN I came home to the Philippines on the fourth Thurs- creetly ask the same question to DPWH authorities and I
day of November, 2004 I didn’t quite expect to find Utopia. get an answer I find so much beyond belief, “Well, we just
Even Lolo Jose Rizal (that’s how we used to call him back don’t have enough funds”. If that is really the case, then
in high school and college) already called la patria why, I ask, can the department afford to hire so many
adorada also nuestro perdido Eden. ‘Our lost Eden’. employees that scarcely do anything more than receive a
Those words have haunted me to this day (especially these monthly paycheck and play chess or pass around tsismis
days, if I may add). But I’d have remonstrated with Lolo during office hours? I often wonder if this state of things
Jose. I still see traces of our Eden in the lush greenery of isn’t true in other provinces.
Samar’s forests, in the chaotic serenity of our white-sand Third, there is the culture of impunity of crimes against
(and even black-or-gray-sand) beaches (if you disagree, life (among other crimes, for there are others that occur
just come in the weekends), in the awesome majesty of our with equal impunity). Very recently the head of the repub-
plains and mountains, in the gentle kindness and hospital- lic went to the Vatican to proudly report to the Holy Father
ity of simple barangay folks. Yes, Lolo Jose. My beloved the ‘timely’ (for the trip to Europe, that is) demise of the
country isn’t anymore “our lost Eden” but only a “hid- death penalty in the Pearl of the Orient Seas. To some
den” one that has to be rediscovered and coaxed out of observers the move was ironic; to others, hypocritical.
the shadows. The death penalty, it’s true, is no longer
Ah, speaking of shadows—these executed by law but it is, even to this
make me agree with Lolo Jose on his “lost “From the pulpit I writing, being carried out by motorcycle-
Eden” phraseology. There are just so have mustered as riding men in bonnets all over the repub-
many shadows over my beloved coun-
try right now that it’s simply so easy to
much courage as I lic and the targets are not criminals but
leaders of militant organizations, plain
lose sight of our Eden. Let me talk of three. can, with our activists, journalists, sometimes even re-
First, there is our continuing mas- bishop and other ligious workers who loudly register their
sive poverty. Despite official (they’re
often understandably very rosy) reports
priests in my protests over unjust conditions in the
country. It’s simply shocking, I know,
of poverty reduction or alleviation, the diocese, to denounce for a Pinoy in America or elsewhere to
truth isn’t so hard to detect even when such travesty of the hear all these things (for Pinoys in the
you travel around Metro Manila. High
rise buildings, imposing flyovers and stu-
sanctity of human Philippines it would be a shock not to
hear them). These are realities that can’t
pendously sleek malls, such as the one life. “ be simply wished away. I used to remem-
called ‘Mall of Asia’, do not banish from ber my hometown, Borongan, Eastern
view the scandal of shanties, many of which stand in line Samar, to be a simple, even idyllic place. Now all that is a
and in sharp contrast to these modern amenities alongside cruel memory. To date we have more than eleven cases of
highways and bi-ways. Not that I hate official figures and extra-judicial killings perpetrated by the same motorcycle-
scientific statements on our poverty situation. I simply riding killers in bonnets (in some cases they take them off)
think those are, in this case, needless. All that anyone that prowl the islands. And (this one is for Ripley’s Believe
needs to do is open his eyes, ears and mind. Many voices It or Not) not one of these has been solved (to put hope in
from government say it’s our exploding population that is the equation, let me add an adverb) yet. From the pulpit I
at the bottom of our being at the bottom of the economic have mustered as much courage as I can, with our bishop
ladder. But, again, all one needs to do is to travel by plane and other priests in my diocese, to denounce such trav-
and look down on the islands. All the populated areas are esty of the sanctity of human life. (I notice that our diocese
just tiny specks of the still vast uninhabited, undeveloped has become, for the local population, a mini-CBCP in issu-
lands below (and they call that ‘population explosion’?). I ing pastoral statements defending the integrity of the en-
personally think that the real causes are a host of factors, vironment or upholding the sanctity of human life against
among which are the lack of true agrarian reform which is the vicious political killings now obtaining all over the
at the root of our social inequity, corruption, destructive land. I also notice we sometimes reap similar results. Pas-
political culture etc. But I’d be going ahead of myself. toral statements could fall on deaf ears).
Second, there is the seemingly interminable bad gov- Lately a parishioner asked me if I may not have made
ernance responsible for a seemingly ineradicable ineffi- myself a target for having vehemently denounced from
ciency in delivering basic services. A good case in point is the pulpit the killings as sins not only of the killers and the
the state of road disrepair in my province (Eastern Samar). masterminds but also of all of us who make them possible
We are already in the Third Millennium but on coming to when we succumb to the culture of silence in word and in
Samar you would think you traveled by time machine back deed, a culture on which the culture of criminal impunity
to 1950 or, to put it more kindly, 1960. I’d been asking our feeds. In a flash I felt something that, to my mind, many
local politicians why we still presently have primitive, pot- who accept this culture feel—fear. Then I realized I was
holed roads (that would have put the Wild, Wild West to face to face with what could be the greatest threat to life,
shame) and invariably they repeat statements, such as, decency, democracy and, most of all, the practice of the
“It’s not really my responsibility but that of the Depart- Christian faith in the Land of the Morning.
ment of Public Works and Highways”. Then I try to dis- Cry to heaven for my beloved country.

6 Opinion
Editorial
Tears for OFWs
THE ongoing repatriation of thousands of
OFWs in Lebanon typifies the saga of the so-
called modern-day Filipino heroes that pitiably
wrestle daily with precariousness, indignity and
instability. But for lack of a better domestic
option and despite the uncertainty of personal
safety, the number of Filipino workers going
abroad keeps swelling by each day.
They are heroes, all right. And that’s be-
cause they buoy up literally an ailing economy
in their home country. Last year, for instance,
about US $10.7 billion were remitted to the
country through the official route of the bank-
ing system. And, according to economic
sources, about 50% more are remitted — yet
unaccounted — because they are sent through
informal channels. This has been the reason
why the OFW remittances have become a
stable source of foreign exchange more than
the combined totals of foreign aid (or borrow-
ings) and investments.
Observably, the burgeoning remittances
are fueling domestic consumption and, in ef-
fect, sustaining local business. In that sense,
the OFWs may be said to consequently re-
duce direct poverty as may be seen in OFW
families being able to construct new houses
and afford home appliances. The only rub is,
most of these monies are spent in consumer
goods rather than in investments and similar
initiatives that could propel future economic
values.
But while the government is flaunting on
OFWs as its lucky charm, a remittance-based
national economy is not really as rosy as it
looks—because it is dependent on the perfor-
mance of economies of other countries and
not of its own. That being the case, as what
is happening now in Lebanon, that economy is
very vulnerable to the downturns of foreign
economies. One million Filipinos not remitting
for a month or two, for instance, because of
the war will unmistakably create a big ripple
in the national economy. This maybe the wis-
dom of the NGO that is presently campaign-
ing for a halt in remittances.
On a long-term basis, the OFW
economy—which is what the country presently
is—is more precarious rather than secure. But
that is about macroeconomics. A more dev-
astating scenario is about the social costs ex-
acted of Overseas Filipino Workers and the
country as a whole. One will not dare imag-
ine a future where 40 million Filipino children
are growing up without mothers or fathers or
both, without shedding a tear.
ISSN 1908-2940
CBCP Monitor
Protagonist of Tr u t h , Promoter of
Pedro C. Quitorio Pinky Barrientos, FSP
Editor-in-Chief Production Manager
Baltazar R. Acebedo
Marcelo T. Dalanon
Managing Editor Circulation Manager
Dennis B. Dayao Ma. Lourdes G. Ebilane
On-Line Editor Marketing Supervisor
Roy Q. Lagarde Leah Cariaso
News Editor Comptroller
The CBCP Monitor is published fortnightly by the CBCP
Communications Development Foundation, Inc., with
editorial and business offices at 470 Gen. Luna St.,
Intramuros, Manila. P.O. Box 3601, 1076 MCPO. Edito-
rial: (063) 404-2182. Business: (063)404-1612.
Email: cbcpmonitor@cbcpworld.net Website:
www.cbcpworld.net/cbcpmonitor
vol10-n08.pmd 6 8/4/2006, 7:25 PM
Abp. Angel N. Lagdameo, DD
Insta
LAST January, the CBCP presented a goal
on which a roadmap for the Philippine
public life could be conceptualized. The
CBCP said in its Pastoral Statement “what
clearly emerges is the continued and ur-
gent need for renewal on the public life
of our country” through the adoption of
correct moral values.
The CBCP has declared 2006 as “So-
cial Concerns Year” under the auspices
of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Im-
maculate Heart of Mary. One of the so-
cial concerns is the condition or circum-
stances of the working population, such
as: the workers, the laborers in the farms,
in industry, in factories, in plantations
and in government offices. Included in
the list are health workers and media prac-
titioners. The welfare of the country de-
pends on them more than on politicians.
There is a workbook published lately
entitled, “The Spirituality in the Work-
World Meeting of
Families
IT was exciting, so full of expectations the
way to Valencia, Spain. Cardinal Alfonso
Lopez Trujillo, president of the Vatican’s
Pontifical Council for the Family sent such
a warm letter inviting me to the V
Encuentro Mundial de las Familias that
moved me to immediately pack a suitcase
and fly Lufthansa on 02 July. O, my favor-
ite travel agent, Catholic Travel, put me
on a circuitous route—on the way there,
Peace 4 airports as stop-overs with an average
3-hour wait in each for my connecting
flights; on the way back, 3 airports for my
connecting flights with a 7-hour wait in
Munich, 4 hours in Frankfurt, and about 2
hours in Guangzhou. In the beginning, I
was somewhat miffed at this itinerary. But
then, it turned out to be a grace … as al-
ways for those who love God.
The wait in the first 2 stop-overs gave
me the chance to comply with all the rosa-
ries I had promised to pray for many friends
and even strangers asking for prayers.
The last stop before Valencia, was Madrid.
I had looked forward to this one because
Layout by Mark Front
I was going to finally meet there a friend
of my Theresian friend. She assured me
that her friend would know me the mo-
ment I stepped out of the Madrid airport.
And she did … and for some strange rea-
son, I did too. It must be grace—the way
Spirituality in the
Workplace
place.” This has been scholarly prepared
by Ms. Isabelita “Sabsy” Palanca under
the guidance of a Salesian, Fr. Ely Santos,
SDB, a Jesuit, Fr. Tony de Castro, SJ, and
Dominican, Fr. Mon Merino, OP.
The vision of “Spirituality in the
Workplace” is to offer an instrument for
transforming workplaces as “Communi-
ties with Ethics and Governance.” Its
mission is to trailblaze a movement among
our workers that will renew public life
through moral values. The workplaces
and the workers are a very important seg-
ment of Philippine society. More than
60% of our population are workers of
some sort, professional and non-profes-
sional. They too should be object and
subject of social transformation in the
country.
These workers are the ones supply-
ing food in the tables of the wealthy and
the governing class. These are the same
Henrietta T. de Villa
love of the Lord puts us in touch with one
another. Immediately Marilou Amistoso
Calero, a Filipina wife and mother, and a
brilliant career woman living in Spain for
over 30 years gave me a breath-taking 2-
hour taxi tour of Madrid and a hip barstool-
type of Spanish tartlet-tasting in the
crowded salon of Cocina de Mallorca in
the center of Madrid.
And then finally … Valencia. Doing
immigrations was fast. The airport being
compact was not difficult to navigate. So
I headed straight to the luggage carousel
… waited for the suitcases and various
packages of our flight to be unloaded. The
carousel went around, I went around—
once, twice … ten times. My suitcase was
nowhere. Not only mine, but also those
of 2 other Filipinas and 3 foreigners. After
almost an eternity of describing my suit-
case, finally I was handed a slip for my
missing suitcase with the parting advice
that if they find if they would let me know.
The prayers of my husband and children,
and my beloved Mother Butlers back
home proved more powerful than the in-
efficiency of airlines. Two days later, my
suitcase arrived.
How does one describe the combus-
tion of grace when families in multitudes
from 61 countries come together in thanks-
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 10 No. 8
July 31, 2006
workers who are in the C, D, and E
classes, whose families suffer many dis-
advantages, from lack of food, education,
social and health benefits.
The Bishops-Businessmen’s Con-
ference on Human Development has
taken interest in Ms. Palanca’s work be-
cause it believes that Catholic Social Prin-
ciples must be lived and applied in the
workplaces. The workers all too often
suffer from human rights violations. At
the same time they have to be made
aware of the rights of the people they
work with and work for.
We must start the education in moral
values and human rights from the begin-
ning. We advocate that Catholic schools,
colleges and universities be the foremost
proponents of formation in moral values
and human rights. When the government
takes care of the workers, the workers will
take care of the country.
Faith and F ir
Fir
iree
giving for the family and in defense of the
family. In that sprawling ode to modernity—
Feria Valencia—where the International
Theological and Pastoral Congress was
held, so palpable was the unyielding real-
ization that the love that comes from God is
infinitely greater than any marriage prob-
lem, than any threat to annihilate the family
as the future of humanity.
The ITPC Congress, though still heavily
European and South American in content, was
an awesome assembly of the world’s families.
Many of the congress speakers were the same.
But it must be grace that puts a new enthusiasm
into these speakers, and a new openness in the
hearts of those listening to them. Hearing Kiko
Arguello for the 3rd time proclaim that the family
is in crisis, that every 30 seconds a marriage
somewhere in the world is breaking up, that as
an ordinary painter he heard the Lord tell him to
prepare the world for a new time, could perhaps
elicit a “so what’s new” from the audience. But
no, my mind and my heart—the same for the
multitude there—were stirred anew, because
with this ordinary Spanish painter came thou-
sands from different parts of the world who live
his Neocatechumenal Way. What other proof
does one need that indeed the 3 altars of the
family—Eucharist, bedroom, dining table—are
sanctified places where parents and children
Faith and Fire / P8
 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 10 No. 8
July 31, 2006
Leonardo Y. Medroso, JCD, DD
Tidbits
THE Couples For Christ (CFC), just days
after their 25th anniversary celebration,
sent a strong letter of appeal to all the
active bishops in the Philippines. In a nut-
shell it states: “Please accept us in your
dioceses and respective parishes. We
love God and our Mother Church, and
are zealous to proclaim the good news of
Jesus to all. May we be given the oppor-
tunity to share that love with others and
bring Christ to the ends of the earth.”
I am personally struck by the tone
of the letter. It sounds like the voice of a
stranger at the door pleading for admit-
tance; of an outsider who begs to be ac-
cepted as part of the household. And yet
they are not strangers in the parish. They
are familiar faces, close relatives and
friends, all genuine residents of the dio-
ceses and parishes. Baptized that they
are, they are duly recorded in the parish
book, expected to participate in the ac-
tivities of the community in worship and
in the apostolate. They are in short the
lay men and women in the parish.
It is a fact, however, that for some
time many of them were mere passive
members of the parish, Catholics in name
but not in life, indifferent to the call for
the apostolate and work of mercy. And
then, one day they were there in the
Church, singing and dancing in groups,
praising the Almighty, invoking the Holy
Seventy Times Seven
to Infinity
SEARCH, we could, but we search in vain.
There is, in Holy Scripture, not the
slightest trace of vengeance in Christ
during his entire public life.
His works were labeled as works of
Satan! Did he rage at the hecklers? The
devil mocked his divinity and challenged
him to show it: “If you are the Son of
God ... “ (these words still reeking with
Satan’s primordial sedition.) Did Christ
oblige?
His enemies did everything to dis-
credit the healing of the blind young man.
Their pathetic meanderings of ill logic
failed to confuse the lad who now can
see. The Gerasenes raged at Him when
He put a higher value on a possessed
man than on a herd of swine. Jesus
merely “entered into the boat ... and ...
“passed over the water.”
One would think that during the
moment of derision and taunting in Cal-
vary, it would have been the perfect time
for Innocence to protest, for Power to
shred the nails, for God to shatter the
minions beneath Him with the blinding
force of a Matrix superhero.
But there was none of that.
In the end, the minions at Calvary
Oscar V. Cruz, DD
Vie ws and P
iews oints
Points
ONE is rightly inclined to think that a state
of the nation address says where the
country is, how the people are. While it
is understandable to say where the coun-
try is going and what people can expect,
it is incongruous to have a SONA pre-
cisely so much focused instead on what
the is it not. The reason for this futuristic
approach is because the present state of
the nation is dim and dismal. Hence, the
present of the state is better left unad-
dressed.
This is why some say that the SONA
2006 was but a good geography lesson.
Others think that it was a blitzkrieg for
support from the military general, local
officials and certain church leaders. There
are also those who consider the SONA as
the preview of an “Enchanted Kingdom”.
No. The SONA 2006 forwards a vi-
sion of a great future for the country ba-
vol10-n08.pmd 7 8/4/2006, 7:25 PM
Opinion
Ecclesial Movements
and the Parish
Spirit. For them the Holy Mass ceases to
be a routine to comply or an obligation
to go over with. It is a celebration; it is
life. Hence, they attend the Mass with
much devotion and gusto. They are also
seen taking care of the old and orphans;
they build houses in remote barangays;
they are with the poorest of the poor help-
ing out with their livelihood programs.
And, look how they love their family.
These were the same lay men and women
of yesterday, residents in the parish, now
transformed by the CFC.
In a way, they are strangers to the
parish, for they attain a spirituality that
does not come from the pastoral program
of the parish; nor from the inspiring homi-
lies of the parish priest, of the sacraments
that the pastor has faithfully administered
to his flock, of the great example of his
life. And so, like strangers, they are
knocking at the door of the parish wait-
ing to be received.
But why does the CFC or any other
ecclesial community seek the acceptance
of the parish? What is there in the parish
that it is seeking? Is there something still
deficient in the ecclesial community that
only the parish can supply? Or, is there
perhaps the possibility that the ecclesial
movements and faith communities can
eventually supply that deficiency and re-
place the role of the parish in their spiri-
Jo M. Imbong
Text and Conte xt
could only “look upon Him whom they
have pierced,” Him who had already
made a plea for mercy in their behalf to
His Father, because these hirelings
“know not what they do.”
We forgive because we know unde-
niably that we are small. Small because
Someone looms it over us, someone Great
and High.
We forgive because in our personal
calculator, all the keys are for minuses
just as the Eternal Mercy knows only
subtraction. Forgive them for they know
not what they do.
And He keeps on subtracting, for as
long as we do not change our calculator.
The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to
anger and rich in compassion.
Bishop Fulton Sheen once said that
if we had full consciousness of the evil
we do, that is, if we had perfect delibera-
tion and perfect understanding of the con-
sequences of our deeds, there would be
no room for forgiveness. That is why, he
said, there is no redemption for the fallen
angels. They knew what they were doing.
In our case, when we do wrong, it is
because we can be very ignorant—igno-
rant of ourselves and ignorant of the other
SONA 2006
sically in terms of its being aggressive
nationwide socio-economic develop-
ment. It looks with hope and enthusiasm
on what infrastructures should be built,
improved and/or promoted—under the
following conditionalities:
ONE: There is enough money to do
them
TWO: There is unity for doing them
THREE: There are 3 years, 11
months, six days to have it done.
The 2006 SONA wherefore cannot
but be commended in its content and
spirit, in its programs and projects. All
Filipinos should support its vision and
resolve to have the nation listed among
not merely the “developing” but actu-
ally “developed” countries. Its citizens
can then once again claim its rightful
place of respect and pride in the commu-
nity of nations.
tual needs?
The Parish and its Significant Role
By design the parish is irreplaceable.
It has a unique and fundamental role in
the spiritual life of the faithful, for it is nec-
essarily linked to the sacramental struc-
ture of the Church, the permanent core in
which Christ acts through the Holy Spirit.
The parish is, as the late John Paul II finely
observed, the ultimate presence of the
Church in a territory. It is, in some sense,
the Church itself, close to the homes of
her sons and daughters. It is the common
home of the faithful, the first place of the
incarnation of the Gospels. It is a mother
who with its preaching of the Word, the
baptismal font, the Mystery of the Lord’s
Supper and the other sacraments gestates,
gives birth, nurtures to full stature its sons
and daughters. Vatican II expressed this
doctrine beautifully in these words: “This
Church of Christ is really present in all
legitimately organized groups of the faith-
ful, which, in so far as they are united to
their pastors, are also appropriately called
Churches in the New Testament” (LG 26).
Based on this theology the parish is
defined by law as an organizational struc-
ture of the Church. It is not an association
of the diocese, but part of its structure. It
Tidbits / P13
Context
person. For instance, do we know the in-
side of our neighbor’s heart, he whom we
say we find “hard to forgive?”
Why do we always say that our neighbor
would forgive us “if he only understood”?
Why not the other way around also?
But do we really know ourselves
too? About as much and as thoroughly
as we claim to know our neighbor’s “hid-
den” life? Oftentimes, if we turned the
searchlight upon our own selves, we
could be our own worst enemy. Bishop
Sheen couldn’t have put it better when
he said, “If we met ourselves in others,
we would hate them.”
The clenched fist is ever a phenom-
enon of our time, as it has always been
even before that.
I can still hear the shepherdly re-
minder of Bishop Antonieto Cabajog
during the rites of Good Friday at Surigao
Cathedral. He told his flock, “Do not pray,
Our Father who art in Heaven ... for-
give us our sins ... if you cannot say in
the same breath that you forgive those
who hurt you!” Strong words. Words
that cut through the heart.
The question is—will we count sev-
enty times seven to infinity?
Thus: when babies are born, they
would no longer be already multi-thou-
sand pesos indebted to the government.
When men and women want to work, they
can readily find work in the country and
do not have to go to a foreign country
like Lebanon. When parents want their
children to have enough food, clothing,
shelter and proper education, they have
the sufficient resources to provide all
these.
In other words, who would not want
the 2006 SONA agenda to become reali-
ties as envisioned and designed by the
present national leadership? But then, if
the same national leadership cannot even
clean the country of an illegal numbers
game like jueteng, it is quixotic for it to
even imagine that it can deliver so many
fantastic and grandiose national
projects!
7
Jose B. Lugay
Laik
Laikoo Lampstand
On Charter Change
and the Mining Issue
WHAT do these two issues have in common—charter
change and the mining issue? These were the two topics
chosen by the Bishop Businessmen’s Conference for their
30th General Assembly & Annual Meeting last July 7. Why
discuss them again when these two issues had been the
subjects of previous CBCP pastoral statements?
The CBCP released a “Pastoral Statement on the Al-
leged ‘Peoples’ Initiative’ to Change the Constitution”
on April 7, 2006. It explained their stand against the peoples’
initiative as a process. Their choice of amending the consti-
tution is through a constitutional convention instead of
the peoples’ initiative or the constituent assembly. The
latter process would ensure discussion of the pros and the
cons of the proposed changes in the constitution by repre-
sentatives elected by the people. It must be noted that the
CBCP first issued their stand on charter change on July 7,
2003 and the present stand is consistent with it.
The statement on mining issues and concerns was is-
sued only last January 29, 2006. This also reflects the same
concern that the CBCP expressed two years ago in their
Pastoral Letter on Indigenous Peoples in which mining dev-
astated their ancestral lands.
The Assembly had to come up with their yearly action
plans for the improvement of the common good, support-
ing their chosen theme, “Bishops and Businessmen in Soli-
darity for the Common Good”. This is the primary reason
why these two issues had to be discussed by many distin-
guished speakers during that day. Considering the present
poverty situation where 60% of our population is strug-
gling for bare existence, the improper implementation of
charter change and the mining law will obviously affect the
poor to a greater disadvantage than to the rest of the popu-
lation. BBC’s chosen speakers dwelled on these two issues
on different perspectives, taking the side of business, the
Church, the NGOs and the people.
2On the topic of responsible mining, Bishop Arturo M.
Bastes the chairman of the Rapu-Rapu Fact finding Com-
mission expectedly decried the government’s position to
allow Lafayette Philippines, Inc., to resume its operations
for 30 days purportedly to prove to the government that
the company has now the determination and new capabil-
ity to implement all DENR’s guidelines on the protection of
the environment.. He elucidated further on the geo-ethics
of mining. Destruction of the environment violates the in-
tegrity of creation and the common good. The final victims
are the poor, mostly the indigenous people of the area.
Mr. Paul Dominguez, former presidential adviser for
Mindanao, ably defended the government’s implementa-
tion of the 1995 mining law. Mindanao is where most of
gold, copper, nickel and chromite minerals are found. He
presented charts to show that Mindanao compared to Luzon
and the Visayas has been consistently low in terms of in-
vestments for industrial development and concomitantly
lower in income derived from these investments.
With the implementation of the Philippine Mining Act
of 1995, Mindanao is expected to have investments in min-
ing and explorations to the tune of $ 1,640,000,000 of which
$ 1 billion will solely be from the operation of the Tampakan
Copper mines in South Cotabato. (Reference: Mining Re-
visited by Environmental Science for Social Change, BBC)
The Mines & Geosciences Bureau claims that with the de-
velopment of 10 “world class deposits” making use of state-
of-the-art technologies, the foreign exchange earnings alone
will be U.S. $4 billion or P 208 billion pesos yearly! This is
the businessman’s point of view.
Taking the side of the inhabitants of victims of a min-
ing disaster, Bishop Reynaldo V. Evangelista, Bishop of
Boac, related the experience of the devastation of Boac,
Marinduque due to the Marcopper mine spill. This caused
a permanent destruction of the mined areas and will remain
as such since the old mining law did not provide for its
rehabilitation. Their experience in Marinduque has made
the people poorer and deprived of livelihood due to the
pollution of the river and the destruction of the fishing
grounds.
A comment from the floor, by Dr. Gonzalez from U S.T.
gave a very relevant and doable suggestion; that is, to
harness the resources of the sea in place of mining. The
Philippines being an archipelago and having a vast coast-
line, fish, like tuna, which now commands a high price
abroad may be raised. Developing fishery resources in our
tropical waters, with the right technology inputs can make
the Philippines earn sufficiently, possibly more than what
our people can earn from mining operations.
The presentation for charter change was straightfor-
ward coming from two distinguished speakers, former Sena-
tor Vicente Paterno and past Comelcc Chairman Christian
Monsod. Mr. Paterno dwelled on the transitory provisions
recommended by the CONCOM on charter change—the
interim period where President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
Laiko Lampstand / P10

8 CBCP Commissions
Episcopal Commission on Vocations
IN 1972, a handful of concerned in-
dividuals met to address the subject
of vocations in the Philippines more
vigorously and systematically. At the
outset, the group was called the Na-
tional Board of Vocations (NBV).
Their maiden meeting was held at the
Pope Pius Catholic Center in Manila
on March 14, 1972.
The first vital accomplishment
of the NBV was the formulation of a
Plan of Action for Vocations in the
Philippines entitled “A Pastoral Ap-
proach to the Vocation Apostolate.”
It was in 1974 when the Episco-
pal Commission on Vocations (ECV)
was formally organized by the Philip-
pine Hierarchy to coordinate programs
in the promotion, accompaniment and
preservation of vocations to the priest-
hood, the consecrated life, the secular
institutes and lay missionary groups.
The commission is composed of
vocation directors/ directresses and
lay vocation promoters from dioceses,
parishes, religious congregations,
secular institutes and lay associations.
From the time of its inception the
DVP has worked hand in hand with the
Episcopal Commission on Vocations.
For the past three decades the
ECV and the DVP have successfully
worked together for vocations in the
Philippines through the following:
• vigorous coordination with all Di-
ocesan and Religious Coordina-
tors, on the national and local
level;
• national conventions which pro-
vide the skills needed for vocation
work and formulate the necessary
guidelines;
• the development of training pro-
grams for Vocation Directors and
Directresses;
• the monitoring of developments/
situations crucial to the integrity
of vocations, from the promotion
stage of recruitment, to initial for-
mation and ongoing formation.
Guided by the general orientations
of Vatican II on Vocation Promotions,
DVP strives to mobilize the “whole
Christian community to foster voca-
tions so that sufficient provisions are
made for the needs of the sacred minis-
try throughout the entire Church.”
DVP also has a responsibility to
implement the resolu-tions of the
Second Plenary Council of the Philip-
pines (PCP II), it coordinates with
other dioceses, parishes, schools, and
other ecclesial communities, in the
effort to encourage and stimulate vo-
cational awareness and activities.
vol10-n08.pmd 8 8/4/2006, 7:25 PM
DVP Main Functions
1. To serve as a national coordina-
tion center in promot-ing, inform-
ing, recruiting, screening and
accom-panying vocations to the
priestly and consecrated life.
2. To initiate vocation promotion ac-
tivities and to assist in the on-going
formation of vocation promoters.
3. To collaborate in the use of mass
media for the promotion of voca-
tions and to disseminate printed
information materials relevant to
the promotion of vocation.
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI, in his first papal
message for the World Day of Prayer
for Vocations (the 43rd World Voca-
tions Day celebrated May 7, 2006),
centered on two key points: an under-
standing of vocation in the context of
the mystery of the Church and the im-
portance of praying for vocations.
The particular church vocations
are to be seen within the framework
of the universal call to holiness, that
everyone is in the state of being
called. Indeed, he asks, “What should
be said therefore of the temptation,
which is very strong nowadays, to
feel that we are self-sufficient to the
point that we close ourselves to the
mysterious plan of God for us?”
Acknowledging the great need
to continuously pray for vocations,
Benedict XVI observes, “It is not
surprising that, where people pray
fervently, vocations blossom.”
According to ECV, the preced-
ing words of the Holy Father, in more
ways than one, set the tone for doing
vocation ministry in the Philippines:
to work and pray together, collabo-
rate and not “to each his/her own”
congregation, seminary or diocese.
Events
Given the challenges of modern
life especially in the spiritual and
moral formation of the youth, the
ECV-DVP regularly holds a conven-
tion once every two years to pro-
mote a “culture of vocation” in our
society and identify the many cru-
cial factors that affect the “waxing
and waning” of vocations today.
In the 20th DVP National Con-
vention held last April 24-28, 2006 in
the Diocese of Surigao, the group
discussed the crucial role of mass
media in the vocation ministry. By
understanding the dynamics and in-
tricacies of Mass Media, it was the
goal of the convention to make it as
a partner rather than an enemy in at-
tracting church vocations.
Meanwhile, the ECV-DVP Na-
tional Vocation Center regularly con-
ducts a series of Vocation Seminars
in 4 Phases. The following have been
conducted in 2005 and 2006 facili-
tated by Fr. Rolly Agustin and Sr.
Denny Giroux, DW:
• Basic Orientation Seminar on Voca-
tion Promotions (53 participants)
• Spiritual Direction Aspect of Voca-
tion Promotions (36 participants)
• Family Relations in Vocation Pro-
motions (53 participants)
• Human Sexuality in the Vocational
Journey (35 participants)
Some dioceses and regions have
been very active in promoting voca-
tion activities such as vocation con-
certs, overnight vigils and festivals,
campaigns in schools and parishes,
summer camps, masses and prayers
for vocations. 2
Other dioceses and regions
though have yet to consider work-
ing and praying for vocations as a
pastoral priority. ECV said there is
an emerging need for the different
regions to coordinate and network
to maximize resources and double the
impact on the young people.
“Culture of vocations”
For the past 32 years, the DVP-
ECV has been doing its best to stimu-
late and establish a “culture of vo-
cations” in the Philippines. There has
been no let up in working and pray-
ing for vocations. The DVP group is
one of the more persevering sectors
in the church today. The members
are expected to “produce” and to
achieve results through growth in
the number of those who aspire to
the priesthood, religious and lay
consecrated life. Yet, some efforts
seem to be “wasted” because of so
many factors.
The low number of applicants
or discontinuance in formation does
not mean failure on the part of the
vocation director or directress. ECV
said there are just various reasons
why vocation to the religious life is
not that attractive to the young
people today.
Based on their recent experi-
ences and information gathered,
therefore, ECV propose the follow-
ing as the direction which the ECV-
DVP, hopefully with the whole-
hearted support of all the bishops,
should take:
1. Organizationally, there is a need
to coordinate more among dio-
ceses in the different regions as
well as to network with the other
CBCP Commissions (e.g. Youth,
Family, and Mass Media). Not all
are represented in the meetings
and conventions. Some dioceses
do not participate in the DVP ac-
tivities; while some activities
could have been maximized if there
was communication among the
different ministries. Why organize
and network? For coordination,
for exchanging notes to help one
another (e.g. in exchanging infor-
mation for vocation promotion,
data and statistics, experiences of
each diocese, resources, and
scheduling of activities).
2. In terms of programs, each dio-
Faith and Fire / from P6
learn to put their history under the Word of
God.
How my heart thrilled to high heav-
ens to see and hear our very own Gerry
and Frank Padilla tell the wondrous story
of Couples for Christ. That the Vatican and
the universal Church recognize there is
something amazing happening in the Phil-
ippines for the family and through the fam-
ily, and through the holiness and perse-
verance of lay couples, is worth all the
stress of losing a suitcase. I could only say
to those congratulating me because I am a
Filipino, “God is splendid!” In my heart I
hoped aloud, “Filipino families, become
what you are—God’s blessing.”
For the Linguistic Mass—Holy
Mass celebrated in designated parishes
for different language groups—I was so
excited to go to San Mauro Parish assigned
for the Filipinos … walking the distance
from my hotel to the Church because traf-
fic was closed to all vehicles with very few
exceptions—really few.The Philippine del-
egation was composed of some 40 lay faith-
ful and priests gathered together by the
CBCP Episcopal Commission on Family
and Life. Kit and Fenny Tatad with their 2
daughters came as a family. Senator Nene
Pimentel and his Bing came as a couple.
Two Congressmen, Edmund Reyes and
Banham Mitra blended well with the del-
egation. His Eminence Ricardo Cardinal
Vidal was the main celebrant with Bishop
Jose Oliveros of Malolos, Bishop Socrates
Villegas of Balanga, Bishop Angel
Hobayan (Emeritus of Catarman), Arch-
bishop Pedro Dean (Emeritus of Palo), and
some 5 other Filipino priests
concelebrating. The Mass was festive. I
noticed that when Filipinos are in a foreign
country, especially on a short term basis, it
seems easier to generate that certain close-
ness with kababayans.
And then there was the Holy Father
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 10 No. 8
July 31, 2006
cese has existing activities and
plans, but much has to improve in
terms of creativity and network-
ing. New approaches may have to
be tried to get the attention of the
young people. Some dioceses
though have not identified their
vocation directors and vocation
programs, therefore, are not in the
priority list. The lay consecrated
vocation is also being left out in
the promotion of the different
church vocations.
3. In terms of personnel, there is a
fast turn-over of vocation direc-
tors and directresses. The prob-
lem of following up the possible
candidates arises. Sadly, vocation
ministry is considered by some as
a transition ministry to the other
more serious ministries; as if it is a
second class ministry. The col-
laboration of the clergy, religious,
and lay needs to be strengthened.
The support of the arch/bishop is
also important for any vocation
program to work.
4. A National Survey on the state of
priestly and religious vocations in
the Philippines is in order. Re-
search is crucial if we are to un-
derstand where we are and where
we are going. For vocation pro-
grams to be effective, empirical
studies have to be conducted.
5. There is a need to come up with a
truly National Vocation Program
(similar to the Fishers of Men Pro-
gram of the USCCB). The commis-
sion needs to maximize the power
of the tri-media (TV, radio, and
print) for a national campaign for
vocations. People are willing to
work. Funding has been the pe-
rennial problem.
The first chairman of the ECV
was Ricardo Cardinal Vidal who
served from 1972 to 1983. He was
succeeded by Bishop Wilfredo
Manlapaz from 1983 to 1990 then
Bishop Vicente Navarra 1990 to
1999. Bishop Antonieto Cabajog,
meanwhile, chaired ECV from 1999
to 2003. Bishop Florentino Lavarias
took over the Commission from 2003
up to the present.
Pope Benedict XVI. Instantly the mourn-
ing of Valencia for the 42 dead and more
than 40 wounded from the train accident in
estacion de Jesus on the eve of the open-
ing of the 5th World Meeting of Families
was turned into joy. The Pope, for his first
act after landing in the Valencia airport,
prayed and offered a floral wreath at the
very entrance of the station that was the
tragic point of pain. And in the Basilica of
Our Lady of the Forsaken (Nuestra Señora
de los Desamparados), he literally gath-
ered the families of the victims in his arms,
shed tears with some of them, planted a
kiss on the picture of the fallen daughter
raised to him by the grieving mother. And
for those around, including some hardened
Socialists who a week before cheered their
Parliament’s approval of homosexual mar-
riages, the encounter with the Pope was
an encounter with the Lord.
For the Testimonies of Families on
the evening of 08 July, Bishop Soc and I
lined up with selected families to give brief
testimonials (all part of a script) to the Holy
Father. When my turn came, with confi-
dence and smiles I went through my first 2
lines. Then I looked at Pope Benedict XVI
seated on his white chair at the center of
the altar. I saw him smiling with recognition
at me and moving his hands approvingly.
In a fleeting instant I remembered Cardinal
Ratzinger telling me about his Bavarian
childhood as I sat across him during one
of my visits with him at the Vatican’s Con-
gregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In
that season in Rome, and again there in
Valencia, my heart could hear God saying,
“You are my beloved” … all because His
Vicar on earth is Love like Him.
The Christian family, even in these
times of bewilderment, passes on the faith
when fathers and mothers love their chil-
dren, and impart to them “the art of living
and the art of loving.”
 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 10 No. 8
July 31, 2006
Diocese of Dumaguete
Relentless Witnessing to Faith
and to the Gospel
By Rev. Fr. Glenn M. Corsiga
BEFORE April 5, 1955, the time
when Dumaguete became a sepa-
rate See from Bacolod, the area
under the jurisdiction of what is
now the Diocese of Dumaguete
was merely the recipient of mission-
ary efforts of the Spanish friars
from the Archdiocese of Cebu, the
Diocese of Jaro and the Diocese of
Bacolod. Between 1580 (when
Christian faith was first introduced
to what is now the Diocese of
Dumaguete) and 1955, Dumaguete
was yet far from the helm in decid-
ing for the spiritual formation and
direction of its own people and in
the management of pastoral con-
cerns of the newly founded par-
ishes. The founding, in fact, of the
first Catholic school in the place—
St. Paul College of Dumaguete—
was the initiative of the Bishop of
Jaro, Bishop Frederick Rooker.
Pastoral initiatives, therefore, were
not really based on the actual local
needs, as felt by or drawn from the
local faithful.
This socio-religious back-
ground influenced the shaping of
the life and mission of the Diocese
of Dumaguete when it was estab-
lished as a local Church in 1955.
The first bishop of the Diocese,
the Most Rev. Epifanio B. Surban,
DD, took off managing the young
diocese with the aim of building it,
firmly establishing basic Catholic
institutions and creating avenues
for people to be truly evangelized.
It was therefore during his term as
bishop when the foundation of a
vibrant and evangelizing Church
was laid. Parochial and diocesan
schools were founded in many par-
ishes; a local radio station, DYWC,
was acquired; formation of future
diocesan priests at the St. Joseph
Seminary became a reality; and the
envisioned apostolate of taking
care for the sick became concrete
vol10-n08.pmd 9 8/4/2006, 7:25 PM
with the institution of its diocesan
Catholic hospital, the Holy Child
Hospital. Never feeling weary from
all the initiatives he did, he estab-
lished linkages abroad for financial
assistance extended to the young
diocese. He openly accommodated
various religious orders, congrega-
tions and organizations to help in
the spiritual formation and amelio-
ration of its people. He organized
diocesan commissions and tasked
them to address the peoples’ tem-
poral as well as spiritual needs.
After all the basic structures
were put in place, the Most Rev.
Angel N. Lagdameo, second
bishop of the Dumaguete, orga-
nized in 1991 the First Diocesan
Synod of Dumaguete to strengthen
the pastoral programs and priori-
ties of the diocese. Bishop
Lagdameo introduced the concept
of basic ecclesial communities. He
started organizing priests through
team ministries and awakened
people’s interest through various
pastoral celebrations and con-
gresses. Year after year, people
gathered by the thousands to heed
and respond to ecclesial calls for
renewal and evangelization.
Today, the Diocese continues
her journey, but whilst aware that
forging initiatives or simply
preaching may not be her only prin-
cipal concern, she has to sustain
herself through a life of authentic
witnessing to the Faith and to the
Gospel. The Most Rev. John F.
Du, DD, shortly after his installa-
tion in 2001 as the third bishop of
Dumaguete, embarked on a chal-
lenging mission to steer the Dio-
cese in accomplishing its divine
mandate to holiness. He formal-
ized priests’ training and formation,
and heeded the laity’s challenge of
a more meaningful and profound
participation and spiritual advance-
Diocese 9
ment. He created mission teams and
opened new parishes in many
parts—extending even to the hin-
terlands—of Negros Oriental.
Pastoral Priorities and Direc-
tion
The Dumaguete Diocese, for
its part, follows the direction of the
Second Plenary Council of the Phil-
ippines (PCP II) and National Pas-
toral Consultation for the Church
Renewal (NPCCR). Drawing inspi-
ration from the encyclical letter of
the late Pope John Paul II, Novo
Millennio Eneunte, the Diocese of
Dumaguete cannot be less faithful
in conforming to or adopting
NPCCR’s nine (9) pastoral priori-
ties as to embody the Diocese’s
pastoral programs and direction,
namely: (1) integral faith formation;
(2) empowerment of the laity to-
St. Catherine of Alexandria Cathedral Parish Church
ward social transformation; (3) ac-
tive presence and participation of
the poor in the Church; (4) the fam-
ily as the focal point of evangeliza-
tion; (5) building and strengthen-
ing of participatory communities;
(6) integral renewal of the clergy;
(7) journeying with the youth; (8)
ecumenism and inter-religious dia-
logue; and (9) animation and for-
mation for mission “ad gentes”.
Inarguably, the Christian Faith
painstakingly passed on by the
missionaries more than four hun-
dred years ago in this part of Negros
has never been futile—not at all.
The missionaries’ sweat and blood,
shed and planted in the past, have
grown to become the vibrant
Church that it is now. And this will
continue to grow as, truly, the Dio-
cese of Dumaguete unfalteringly
pursues its journey in its relentless
witnessing to the Faith and to the
Gospel.
(Fr. Glenn M. Corsiga is currently the
Rector of St. Joseph Seminary Col-
lege in Sibulan, Negros Oriental – Ed.)
Important Facts
Population 1,010,896 High Schools
Catholics (91.37 %) 923,680 Diocesan 12
Area 4,955.9 sq. kms. By Religious 9
Bishop 1 Elementary
Priests: Diocesan 4
Diocesan 95 By Religious 7
Religious 15 Kindergarten
Brothers 6 Diocesan 4
Sisters 115 By Religious 5
Diocesan divisions:
Vicariates 7 Catholic Institutions:
Parishes 41
Chaplaincies 15 Retreat Houses 7
Hospital 1
Educational Centers: Clinics 2
College/University Orphanages 3
Diocesan 1 Radio Station (Diocesan) 1
By Religious 1 Catechetical Center 1 His Excellency,
Most Rev. John F. Du, DD
Bishop of Dumaguete
 CBCP Monitor
10 CBCP Monitor Vol. 10 No. 8
July 31, 2006

Laiko Lampstand / from P7

acts as both president and prime minister.
Obviously this reeks of political maneuver
to empower the present political leadership
much more than the power they have now.
Mr. Monsod strongly objected to any move
to cancel the 2007 elections. He says that “A
credible 2007 elections can become an in-
direct referendum on the issue of whether
the President should serve her full term, de-
pending on how people choose their con-
gressmen and senators…
On the same breath, he brought to light
that whatever options we choose whether
to have charter change through the people’s
initiative or through constituent assembly,
the results will not be credible without an
electoral reform. With the incumbent
COMELEC officials, the outcome will be
tainted with doubts. The good news how-
ever is that the 3 new appointees are trust-
worthy men, says Mr. Monsod. Let us wait
for the fourth appointee and the results of
the Ombudsman’s verdict on the case of
COMELEC’s purchase of the automatic vote
counting machines.
Prior to the end of the session, the par-
ticipants were requested by the presiding
Emcee to write their recommendations for the
action plan that BBC should pursue for the
coming year relative to the two issues of
charter change and mining. On Charter
Change, LAIKO Vice-President Mia Zafra
informed the body of LAIKO’s program of
dissemination of the issues on charter
change to the different lay leaders of the dio-
ceses within Metro Manila and the fact that
LAIKO is ready to conduct more sessions
of this nature for other lay groups.
I have not heard any action plan on the
mining issue declared on the floor. The argu-
ments for and against are strong and one may
either be on one side or the other—for the sup-
port of the mining law or for its repeal. Probably
the January 29 statement of CBCP on mining
issues was still vivid in the minds of the partici-
pants that no one stood up to take a stand.
Relevant to both the charter change and to the
mining issue is this portion of the statement:
“We are apprehensive that the proposed dele-
tion of the nationalist provisions to the Con-
stitution by the Constitutional Commission
(CONCOM) can pave the way to the whole-
sale plunder of our National Patrimony, and
undermine our Sovereignty:
• To support, unify and strengthen the struggle
of the local Churches and their constitu-
ency against all mining projects, and raise
the anti-mining campaign at the national
level.
• To support the call of various sectors, espe-
cially the Indigenous Peoples, to stop the
24 Priority Mining Projects of the govern-
ment, and the closure of large scale mining
projects, for example, the Rapu-rapu
Polymetallic Project in Albay, HPP Project in
Palawan, Didipio Gold-Copper Project in
Albay, Didipio Gold-Copper Project in Nueva
Viscaya, Tampakan Copper Gold Project in
South Cotabato, Canatuan Gold Project in
Zamboanga del Norte, and the San Antonio
Copper Project in Marinduque, among oth-
ers;
• To support the conduct of studies on the evil
effects of mining in dioceses;
• To support all economic activities that are
life-enhancing and poverty-alleviating.
It is very clear that the Church’s unequivo-
cal stand is a big NO to mining. Businessmen,
however, will want to consider responsible min-
ing, since this is one of the best ways to in-
crease investments and eventually accumu-
late earnings and funds required for develop-
ment to reduce the level of poverty in the coun-
try
While there are many NGOs and lay ad-
vocacy groups taking the same stand as the
Church, like Greenpeace, The Dapitan Initia-
tive, Defend Patrimony, Stewards of Creation
and Concerned Citizens Against Pollution, their
pleas will be heard but not necessarily acted
upon. The Mines and Geosciences Bureau will
continue to issue mineral exploration permits
and the DENR, the mineral production agree-
ments. The President is the sole authority to
approve the Financial and Technical Assis-
tance Agreement.
The advocacy groups should continue
their work in convincing our legislators to re-
peal the mining law. However our legislators
will surely consider the lobby group for min-
ing. With the election year in 2007, this is the
time for them to source funds for their reelec-
tion. Mining company executives are realists
and profit-oriented. They can justify bribe
money as “facilitation fees” or include it in the
“mobilization fee” or “contingency funds” of
their budget.
It is predictable that our economic expert,
the President herself, will not give in easily to
any advocacy group’s entreaty. Perhaps she
honestly believes this is the only “gold” mine
(pun intended) that her administration can tap
for the accelerated development of the coun-
try as well as paying our foreign debt within
her tenure.
As realists, lay groups should be ready
with another type of advocacy which will fo-
cus on the prevention of mining disasters and
not wait for it to happen. This is the same ap-
proach as the recent moves to mitigate the
harm that landslides can do—by conducting
geo-mapping of critical landslide-prone areas
and installing rain gauges in those localities.
For this advocacy we need different
groups of expert volunteers, geologists, soci-
ologists, civil, mechanical and chemical engi-
neers, architects, finance experts, chemists,
quality control experts, human resource man-
agers, lawyers, etc. who will monitor among
many other areas, a) the total area covered by
the mining permit before it is awarded, b) the
incursion of the mining area into the ancestral
domains of the indigenous people, c) the con-
duct of the dialogue between the mining offic-
ers and the local government for the required
Free and Prior Informed Consent (FPIC), d)
the technical aspects of the structures—the
design of the dam and spillways, the contain-
ment area for acid mine drainage, e) laboratory
testing facilities for quality control, f) the re-
habilitation design and process of mined ar-
eas, etc.
Their function would be to act as pro-
cess controllers by having access in all de-
liberations of the processes cited above as it
is happening rather than waiting for the di-
saster to happen. More importantly, we also
have to be sure that the men who have the
authority to give permits have no record of
graft and corruption.
Probably, one can easily say, where are
we going to have volunteers to do this? Well,
that is the real challenge to all dioceses—to
harness their lay leaders for advocacy work
of this nature. Prevention of corruption is the
name of the game. Our selected lay leaders to
do this job will also be subjected to the same
bribe money. This is where evangelization
comes in—the training of our volunteers on
the Social Doctrines of the Church and Ser-
vant Leadership. We pray that they will also
have the commitment to God and country to
do the job for the benefit of all generations to
come.

Caring for / from P5

been called to God’s service.”
(Optatam Totius #2)
The most efficacious way to pro-
mote vocations is through prayers.
The Apostolic Exhortation on the Bish-
ops, Pastores Gregis, emphasized that
“the force which inspires and forms
vocations is primarily prayer” (PG#
48) Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself
admonished us to pray for workers to
his harvest. “The harvest is rich but
the workers are few, therefore ask the
harvest-master to send workers to his
harvest. (Luke 10:2) Pope Benedict
XVI in his message for the 43rd World
Day of Prayer for Vocations empha-
sized—”Where people pray fervently,
vocations flourished. The holiness of
the Church depends essentially in
union with Christ and on being open
to the mystery of grace that operates
in the hearts of believers.”
In line with this truth about the
importance of prayer for vocations,
the words of His Eminence Ricardo J.
Cardinal Vidal when he was still Arch-
bishop of Lipa, still reverberates in
my mind: “The increase of vocations
to the priesthood and religious life
is an indicator that the faith and
prayer life of the community grows.
If there are no vocations in a parish,
then, we can say that the people (and
maybe the parish priest) are not
praying enough!”
If there are very few vocations
in our diocese, we should encourage
our priests, the religious, and the la-
ity to be more fervent in praying for
vocations. “Vocations need a vast
network of people who pray fervently
to the Lord” (PG# 48). As bishops,
we should always pray for more vo-
cations especially to the priesthood.
Aside from asking God to call boys
and young men to the priesthood, we
should offer daily prayers for our semi-
narians that they may persevere in
their priestly vocations. It is also of
utmost importance for us bishops to
pray for our deacons and priests that
they may be faithful always to their
vocation as ordained ministers of God.
His Eminence Gaudencio B. Cardinal
Rosales used to tell us when he was
still in Lipa that each day while in
front of the Blessed Sacrament, he
prays for each individual priest. He
will make a tour in his imagination of
the whole archdiocese visualizing the
face of every priest in each parish or
diocesan assignment to ask God for a
particular grace needed by each and
every individual priest. I am doing
that now in our Diocese of Boac, only
that it is easier for me to go on “a
tour” of our diocese in my daily
prayers because we have only four-
teen parishes in Marinduque.
Being a formator to the seminar-
ians for more than fourteen years,
moderator of the Association of Semi-
narians for five years, and head of the
Vocation Team of our Archdiocese for
a couple of years, and now as more
than a year as bishop, I gradually de-
veloped, maintained, and witnessed
a deep pastoral concern for vocations
to the priesthood. I never miss a day
without praying for my priests and
seminarians. In my recitation of the
Holy Rosary everyday I always include
in my petitions the intention for the
perseverance of priests and seminar-
ians in their vocation.
The Pastoral Care and Promotion
of Vocations
This Pastoral Care of Vocations
and Diocesan Promotion of Vocations
is being demanded of us bishops. The
Directory for the Pastoral Ministry of
Bishops says, “The pastoral care of
vocations, closely linked with the
pastoral care of young people, is
properly served through a central
diocesan agency for the promotion
of vocations. It is therefore appro-
priate to establish in the diocese a
single office for all vocations, under
the direction of a priest, in order to
coordinate the various initiatives,
always respecting the proper au-
tonomy of each ecclesial institution.”
(DPMB #91) I hope that during this
time, all of us have a Commission on
Vocation in our diocese, properly
staffed and actively engaged in the
promotion of priestly vocation.
Though we have enough priests
in our dioceses, as bishops, we
should continuously campaign for
priestly vocations because there are
so many places in the world that lack
priests. I’ve been telling my priests
especially our Vocation Director that
we should always think of the Uni-
versal Church and not just our Local
Church of Boac in terms of priestly
ministry and mission. At present, we
have three priests performing their
ministry in the Diocese of Dodge City,
Kansas, which is a rural diocese ex-
periencing an acute shortage of
priests. As an act of gratitude to our
diocese for sharing to them our
priests, the Diocese of Dodge City is
sending us financial support for the
formation of our seminarians.
Aside from vocation campaigns
or promotions, we are to give moral
and even financial support to those
who have decided to enter the semi-
nary to undergo formation to the priest-
hood. Special attention should be
given to seminarians coming from poor
or hard up families. “The bishop will
make every effort to provide finan-
cial support and assistance for young
candidates for the priesthood.” (PG#
48) Seminarians feel very much en-
couraged to give their best to their for-
mation when they are given proper
attention by their bishop. They highly
appreciate the opportunity given them
by their bishop to have colloquium
with him regularly.
In my more than a year of minis-
try as a bishop of our diocese, I regu-
larly scheduled my seminarians for
colloquium especially during summer
or semestral vacation. I discuss with
them the evaluation of their seminary
formators regarding their performance
in the different areas of formation. Our
small diocese is blessed with thirty-
two seminarians. We are truly grateful
to God for giving us five deacons who
will be ordained priests before the end
of this year. Regular dialogue with semi-
narians was also done by my prede-
cessor, Bishop Jose F. Oliveros who
was also my former rector and himself
a formator to numerous seminarians
for many years. Caring for and pro-
moting vocations by a bishop is also
shown when he encourages his priests
to organize and invite lay people in
the parishes to support seminarians
and priests through the Association
of St. John Mary Vianney, Seminary
Benefactors’ Association and other
similar groups.
The Second Plenary Council of
the Philippines decree #566 says:
“Everyone has the task of promot-
ing priestly vocations. To prepare
priestly vocations and purify moti-
vations, the highest criteria are: the
mind and heart of Jesus and the good
of the Church for the service of which
a man is called to be a priest.” To
ensure the realization of this very im-
portant decree of the Council, the
bishop has been given the highest
and full responsibility of promoting
priestly vocations and of monitoring
the selection of candidates to the
priesthood in order to maintain the
quality of vocations in his diocese.
Shepherding Seminarians
As God provides the seed of
priestly vocations in every place and
time for the Church, the Church her-
self has the responsibility of nurtur-
ing the seed, watering it with continu-
ous prayer, providing it with integral
formation in the seminary and sus-
taining it with an on-going formation
when the candidate becomes a dea-
con and eventually a priest.
In the initial phase of priestly for-
mation, our shepherding of seminar-
ians depends greatly on our collabo-
rators—the seminary priest-formators.
“Each bishop will show his concern
above all by selecting with great care
those charged with the training of
future priests and by establishing the
most suitable and appropriate means
of preparing them to exercise their
ministry in a setting so fundamental
for the life of the Christian commu-
nity.” (PG #48) Let it not be said that
priests are assigned to the seminary
because they have other place of as-
signment in the diocese. Much more
so, that a priest is assigned to the semi-
nary because he has to undergo some
kind of renewal of his priestly life. The
Seminary is not the place for reform-
ing erring priests and much less for
soothing hurt egos.
The Bishop should be a source
of inspiration to and moral support for
the seminary formators. “It is not only
the bishop’s duty to make his people
active in promoting vocations but he
also ought to inspire those who work
in the seminary.” (UPPPF # 186) Semi-
nary formators are deeply encouraged
by the familiar presence of the bishop
in the Seminary, not only during spe-
cial occasions, but more so even if there
are no special occasions to speak of.
The Directory For the Pastoral Min-
istry of Bishops #84 states: “Among
diocesan institutions, the Bishop
should consider the seminary to have
primacy of place, and he should make
it the object of his most intense and
assiduous pastoral care, because it
is largely on seminaries that the con-
tinuity and fruitfulness of the Church’s
priestly ministry depends.”
The old Directory on the Pasto-
ral Ministry of Bishops explicitly men-
tions: “With the greatest care the
bishop selects seminary directors, a
spiritual director, confessors and pro-
fessors from among the best priests of
his diocese. (#192) It is unfortunate
that in some dioceses, priests consider
seminary assignments as “too much
for them” or not very fulfilling or even
a temporary short-time assignment.
The demand to be consistently
present in the seminary to ensure qual-
ity formation of future priests seems
to be too harsh or utterly demanding
for some priests. We should also ac-
cept the fact that not all priests, even
those we consider the best intellectu-
ally, are fitted to this special pastoral
task of forming future priests. Thus,
“the bishop is to secure stability of
seminary formation by implementing
a program that prepares priests for
seminary ministry, secures their ten-
ure of office, and provides for their
on-going formation.” (UPPPF #86)
This instruction to bishops clearly
shows how the Church values priestly
vocations and the quality of future
priests.
The bishop should monitor the
implementation of the Updated Phil-
ippine Program for Priestly Forma-
Caring for / P13

vol10-n08.pmd 10 8/4/2006, 7:25 PM

 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 10 No. 8
July 31, 2006 Social Concern 11
THE Archdiocesan Commission on
Service, a charity and social welfare Archdiocese of Cebu disciples immersed in Gospel values.
Through small loans, the poor are
office of the Archdiocese of Cebu, given the access to productive re-

was organized in 1959. It existed
under different names: Catholic Aid,
Archdiocesan Social Action Center,
Cebu Caritas, Inc., unto its present
name, Commission on Service, after
the Fourth Diocesan Synod of Cebu.
The Commission on Service is
the social welfare and development
arm of the office of the Roman Catho-
lic Archbishop of Cebu. It is based
at the Cebu Caritas Inc. Building, P.
Gomez St., Cebu City.
Cebu archdiocese’s Commission
on Service envisions itself to build
self-reliant communities of disciples
immersed in Gospel values. To
achieve such vision, it commits it-
self—as its mandate or mission—to
serving Cebu’s “community of dis-
ciples” by: providing technical and
financial resources to the poor; initi-
ating and organizing groups to work
together as a community imbued
with Gospel values and ecological
concern; facilitating and networking
with other Commissions of the arch-
diocese, Government Organizations
(GO’s), People’s Organizations
(PO’s) and Non-Government Orga-
nizations (NGO’s) in accord within
the framework of the Archdiocesan
Plan or Program of the Archdiocese
of Cebu.
To upgrade directly the quality
of life of the beneficiaries and indi-
rectly the entire Cebu population, the
Commission of Service’s vision and
mission are attained through—
health, nutrition and development
intervention programs; providing
opportunities and empowerment for
communities to organize themselves
and acquire income-generating
projects; assisting oneself and oth-
ers, and accessing immediate help to
victims of man-made and natural di-
sasters; and establishing linkages
with government and non-govern-
ment organizations to enhance ser-
vices to the poorest of the poor.
Current Programs and Ser-
vices
The social concern programs
and services being currently under-
taken by the archdiocesan Commis-
sion on Service may be classified into
three principal areas: the
Building Self-Reliant
Communities of Disciples
By Msgr. Roberto F. Alesna, H.P.
Archdiocesan Welfare Services, the
Alay Kapwa—Relief, Emergency
and Rehabilitation (AK-RER), and
the Cebu Archdiocesan Program for
Self-Reliance (CAPS-R Grameen).
The Archdiocesan Welfare
Services, a short term program in-
tended to provide the immediate
needs of walk-in clients and
indigents, include the following ser-
vices: (1) Material assistance such
as free medical assistance (free clinic
on regular schedule to immediate
indigents and, upon request, free
medical mission to remote parishes),
and food and clothing provision; (2)
Transportation assistance (boat and
bus tickets or transportation dis-
counts) to needy clients; (3) Burial
assistance, financial aid to the be-
reaved family; (4) Referral services,
or problems not met by the office are
recoursed to other social welfare or-
ganizations.
A brief definition of terms is
deemed appropriate to understand
the second area of COS’s (Commis-
sion on Service) area of social con-
cern programs and services, the Alay
Kapwa – Relief, Emergency and Re-
habilitation (AK-RER).
“Alay” literally means offering
what we have and what we are to
poor and distressed fellowmen or
“kapwa”. “RER” (Relief, Emer-
gency and Rehabilitation) is a pro-
cess through which a particular dis-
tressed community is helped to man-
age its environment and resources
in order to alleviate poverty and help-
lessness brought about by disasters
and calamities.
Thus, the Alay Kapwa—Relief,
Emergency and Rehabilitation (AK-
RER) area involves the following
component services: evangelization;
giving information or education on
current social issues and problems
like poverty and environmental prob-
lems; solicitation of material and fi-
nancial aid or support; and distribu-
tion of the resources received
through the bishops and parish
priests in the archdiocese.
The third social concern pro-
gram area, the Cebu Archdiocesan
Program for Self-Reliance, or better
known as CAPS-R Grameen, aims at
bringing the disadvantaged or the
poor into a self-reliant community of
sources which enable them to man-
age their own development in a self-
sustaining manner. This program,
which started on March 1997, has re-
markably provided help or assistance
to already 4,500 women members cov-
ering 52 parishes in the Archdiocese
of Cebu. Not discounting the fact
that this approach benefits those who
are willing to work hard, endure disci-
pline and work together with others,
the program has noted considerable
effects of improvement in the lives of
the recipients.
The CAPS-R Grameen involves
the following program components
and services: (1) Capacity Building;
(2) Value Formation; (3) Credit Ser-
vices; (4) Savings Mobilization; and
(5) Members’ Mutual Savings Fund.
No question, it is ascertained
that the program indeed precipitated
some positive implications like,
among others—(a) banking facilities
and services are readily extended to
poor women who can access small
loans; (b) exploitation by unscrupu-
lous money lenders and usurers is
eliminated; (c) opportunities for self-
employment for vast unutilized man-
power resources are created; (d) dis-
advantaged people are brought
within the folds of some organiza-
tional format which they can under-
stand and operate and can find socio-
political and economic strengths
through mutual support; and (e) re-
cipients become self-reliant commu-
nities of disciples immersed in Gos-
pel values.
Admittedly, on the whole, the
activities and programs of Cebu’s
archdiocesan Commission on Ser-
vice may yet fall short as to embody
or address the indubitably bigger and
numerous concerns that are un-
avoidably brought to the fore dur-
ing this Year of Social Concern. But,
palpably so, the archdiocesan Com-
mission on Service cannot fail to re-
main undaunted in pursuing its man-
date of building self-reliant commu-
nities of disciples immersed in Gos-
pel values—such is our humble con-
tribution.
(Msgr. Roberto Alesna, H.P. is currently
the Chairman of the Archdiocesan Com-
mission on Service of the Archdiocese
of Cebu—Ed.)

TITHING was officially approved by the

Second Plenary Council of the Philippines
(PCP II) in 1991 to gradually replace the
arancel system in the country. Accordingly
so, the Diocese of Kabankalan in Negros
Occidental has adopted and implemented,
since its endorsement during the First Dioc-
esan Synod of Kabankalan (DSK-I) in 1997,
the “Modified Tithing Program” through-
out the entire Diocese.
From its inception, the Diocese of
Kabankalan’s Modified Tithing Program,
under the able supervision of the Diocesan
Vicar General, Msgr. Rogelio Cruz, then
aimed to achieve the following objectives:
(1) to inculcate in the faithful the awareness
or realization that they are the Church, and
thus (they) share in Christ’s mission to teach,
to sanctify and to serve; (2) to motivate the
faithful to take up their duty to support the
local Church, i.e. the diocese, parish, or chap-
laincy; and (3) to attain self-sufficiency for
the pastoral programs and projects in the
diocese, so that the arancel system may be
eventually phased out.
Inarguably, tithing cannot fail to present
its strong biblical foundations, with both the
Old and New Testaments being replete with
sources or teachings about tithing. From the
Old Testament, we find the following at-
tributes and purposes of tithing: (a) tithing
is an offering of 10% of one’s produce or
goods as an act of gratitude and thanksgiv-
ing to God (Gen. 14:17, 28:20); (b) tithing
became a law strictly observed among the
Chosen People (Lev. 27:30; Num. 18:21; Neh.
10:37; Amos 4:4); (c) the tithe was intended
as sacred offering to God, but part of it was
distributed to the poor and the needy (Deut.
14:22-29; 26:12-15); (d) part of the tithe was
Self-Sufficiency Through Giving: A Modified Tithing Program
By Rev. Fr. Rembert Rivera
also given to the Levites in return for the min-
istry they rendered to the Lord (Num. 18:2);
and (e) to withhold tithes from God is tanta-
mount to cheating Him (Mal. 3:7-12).
Similarly, from the New Testament, tithing
continued to be practiced by the Jews. But
Jesus demanded that it be accompanied with
righteousness (Mt. 23:23; Lk 11:42; 18:12). The
early Christians shared their goods in com-
mon. They would voluntarily sell their proper-
ties and give the proceeds to the apostles who
would distribute them according to their needs
(Act 2:42-47; 4:32-37; 5:1-10).
But why do we have to give tithe to God?
We owe everything to God who created
all things. “The earth is the Lord’s and every-
thing in it, the world and all who live in it” (Ps.
24:1). “What have you that you have not re-
ceived? And if you received it, why are you
proud, as if you did not receive it?” (1 Cor. 4:7).
“We brought nothing into the world and we
will leave it with nothing” (1 Tim. 6:7).
God made man caretaker or steward of his
creation. “What is man that you should be
mindful of him?...You have given him domin-
ion over the works of your hands, you have
set all things under his feet” (Ps. 8:5,7; cf. Gen.
1:27-30). The steward is not the owner and must
manage what is entrusted to him according to
the wishes of the owner (cf. Lk. 12:42-46).
According to God’s will, the created goods
of this earth must be used for three purposes:
• To serve our basic needs. God allows us to
own things so as to attend to our needs.
But on one hand, we must not lose trust in
God’s providence (Mt. 6:25-34; 7:7-11). While
on the other hand, we must not place our
trust on riches (Mt. 6:19-21, 24; Lk. 12:15-21;
1 Tim. 6:17).
• To share with others, especially the poor and
the needy. We must also learn to share our
bounty with others, especially the poor and
the needy (Prov. 19:17; Mt. 25:40; Lk. 14:12-
14; 16:19-31; 1 Tim. 6:18-19). We are com-
manded to love our neighbor as ourselves
(Mk. 12:31). Faith without good works is dead
(Jas. 2:15-17). We must learn to share from
our substance, and not only our excess (Lk.
21:1-4; 2 Cor. 8:14).
• To promote the kingdom of God. We must
seek first the kingdom of God (Mt. 6:33). For,
we are to love God above all else (Mk. 12:28-
30). Thus we must give to God what belongs
to him (Mt. 22:21; cf. Mal. 3:7-12). The proper
use of our talents will merit us a place in his
kingdom (Mt. 25:14-30).
Mechanics of Tithing and its Benefits
For its part, the Diocese of Kabankalan
has readily devised the following procedural
points in implementing the modified tithing
system:
• Parishioners compute their income so they
can estimate the tithes they can give. If tith-
ing is new and hard for them, they start with
a lower percentage and gradually increase.
• Parishioners secure their tithing envelopes
from the parish and offer their individual
tithes during offertory as they attend the
Sunday Mass.
• Parishioners are not forced to follow the
10% stipulated in the Bible. Rather, they
pledge only the amount they can afford,
but in proportion to the blessings God has
given them.
As a viable alternative to the arancel
system, it cannot be denied that tithing—
particularly in the Diocese of kabankalan—
has since been successfully answering the
fixed or regular expenses or needs of par-
ishes or chaplaincies like, among others—
utilities as water and light; salaries of per-
sonnel; allowances of the parish priest; main-
tenance of the church, rectory and other fa-
cilities; apostolate, outreach, charitable
projects and activities, etc.
Nonetheless too, through tithing the par-
ishes or chaplaincies are able to support the
diocese—the bishop and the diocesan com-
missions, the social action office, the dioc-
esan seminary, the missions, and other dioc-
esan pastoral programs.
In sum, truly it can be said that tithing
provides the faithful not only the means or
faith experience of thanking God or of shar-
ing God’s blessing to others but, more so, the
opportunity as well to participate actively in
fulfilling the Church’s collective mission of
liberation.

vol10-n08.pmd 11 8/4/2006, 7:25 PM


12
Pure and Simple
Fr. Roberto P. Reyes
THE CBCP has spoken, the official
Church position has been said, so
be it. And in the wake of the Bish-
ops’ statement, for good or for bad,
a variety of reactions have also been
naturally generated. Let us look at
some of these.
First, the favorable: Press Sec-
retary Ignacio Bunye, “We concur
with bishops that impeachment is not
the way toward change and resolu-
tion in our current political con-
cerns… the administration welcomes
and ponders with humility and sin-
cere appreciation the moral counsel
from the pastoral letter of the
CBCP…the message offers many
points of agreement and shared ob-
jectives between the government
and the Church…” House Majority
Leader Prospero Nograles, “The
House or Congress is not a correct
venue to find guilt or innocence. It’s
the courts that will decide guilt or no
guilt, not Congress in an impeach-
ment case because Congress de-
cides, as a policy, whether good or
bad, to remove an official.” (Cf. PDI,
July 11, 06, page A1)
Second, the unfavorable: Sena-
tor Ramon Magsaysay Jr., “says he
does not understand the
CBCP…impeachment is the best,
most peaceful way of seeking the
truth.” Senate Minority Leader
Aquilino Pimentel Jr., “That’s the
CBCP’s privilege. While I don’t see
how impeachment can succeed, I
find it strange that they are not con-
vinced that complainants seek the
public good.” Minority Leader
Francis Escudero, “If they favor the
search for truth but not through the
impeachment, then through what
means?” The Hyatt 10 said that the
impeachment case they filed would
proceed, with or without the support
of the CBCP. (PDI, July 11,06, page
A1)
Third, it is worthwhile noting
reactions from respected citizens and
opinion makers. Former Senate Presi-
dent Jovito Salonga, “the bishops
may be pushing the people to stage
another people power. The bishops
are virtually telling the people there
is no more hope.” Former Commis-
sion on Elections Chair Christian
Monsod said “ that next year’s mid-
term elections were another way out
of the political impasse. (Cf. PDI, July
12, 06, Page 1) Conrado de Quiros, “
That is the richest irony of all. The
bishops worry that by going through
another unproductive political exer-
cise we will only encourage the pub-
lic to distrust politicians some more?
They should worry that by taking
vol10-n08.pmd 12
Commentaries
the wishy-washy position they
have, they will only encourage the
(un)faithful to distrust the clergy
some more.” (PDI, July 12, 06, P A12)
There are three sets of positions
here. The first from the bishops state-
ment, politics which covers political
processes and rules that govern
these as well as the persons who
implement the latter, officially called
politicians are altogether suspect
“unless these are guided by no other
motive than genuine concern for the
common good…” (Cf. CBCP State-
ment) The second from Malacanang
and its supporters and obvious ben-
eficiaries, the Church, especially its
bishops is such a wonderful ally. The
church should keep up the good
work. The third from the opposition
both formal and informal, the church
has a duty to encourage hope and
participation, clarity and courage in
moral thinking, judgment, decision
and action and the capacity to show
genuine concern and involvement
(engagement) in the not so neat and
pure reality of socio-political renewal
and transformation.
Conrad de Quiros has a scath-
ing and disturbing critique of the lat-
est CBCP position, “…the way the
CBCP has answered it ( the question
in the minds of the people, What do
we do about someone who stole the
vote?) opens itself up to charges that
it’s basically saying, “Bahala na
kayo diyan. We ourselves can’t do
a thing about it. Or worse, “Pasensya
na, we just want to play safe.” (PDI,
July 12,06, P12)
Conrad describes a church that
is distant, above, away, indifferent,
afraid, unsure and unwilling to soil
its “impeccably white vestments and
unstained hands,” perhaps, a
church that wants to be and remain
“pure?” Two operative words seem
to guide the church position,
“Bahala na kayo (That’s your con-
cern not ours.)” “Naniniguro lang
(Just making sure).”
These past months, while I
watched events at home from afar, I
cannot help but feel bad because I
could not be involved. I feel so far
from what I used to constantly expe-
rience, the dust, heat, crowds, anti-
riot cops, fire trucks, make-shift
stages, harassment and threats of all
kinds, meetings, discussions, sub-
poenas, preliminary hearings, court
hearings, etc.
Yet, from where I am I cannot
say, “Bahala na kayo…Naniniguro
lang…” My heart, soul, mind, spirit,
my entire being aches to be part of
my people’s struggle. Yes, it is dan-
© Denz Dayao
gerous and difficult. There are no
clear-cut, full-proof solutions. Yes,
there are crooks, corrupt politicians,
communists and activists of all col-
ors from blue to red, from yellow to
pink. Amid the ache, I go to the Lord
and ask, “what would you do Lord if
you were in the Philippines today?”
I wait and listen if He too will say,
“Bahala na …naniniguro lang. I
wait some more and listen again. He
seems quiet until I feel something
burning deep within.
From my heart of hearts, a vi-
sion emerges: a man walking among
the people, on roads of dirt, mud and
stone, sitting and eating among pros-
titutes, tax collectors and sinners. I
see a man whose robes are soiled
with dust, mud and various stains
from contact with oily and grimy cart
wheels, unkempt and stinking beg-
gars. I see the man who seems ordi-
nary as he so naturally blends with
the crowd. He is full of peace, gentle-
ness and compassion. But there is
heat, magnetism, light that flow al-
most visibly and palpably from him.
He is not distant, safe and secure.
He has become part of those around
him, the hungry, the sick, the rejects,
the sinners. They come to him or
does he go to them? They seem to
belong to each other but not so much
as he reveling in dirt, sin and misery
as he wanting to give life to those
who feel lost, hopeless and de-
prived. No, he does not say “Bahala
na…naniniguro lang.” Instead, he
says something that I keep
hearing…”Come follow me….follow
me.” Perhaps I should ask, “where
Lord?” But there is no need. I see
where he goes….and there I want
and joyfully want to follow Him.
We seem to forget asking this
basic question not only now but al-
ways, “where is the Lord in all these,
and what does the Lord want me, us
to do for others?
Yes, most if not all politicians
are driven by vested interest. They
are not pure. However, do we be-
come pure simply by condemning
their impurity and dismissing their
efforts with our “Bahala na and
naniniguro lang” attitude? Jesus did
not make statements. Jesus spoke
words directly to persons and amid
crowds. He did not have an office
nor a title that gave credibility to his
words. Crowds sought him and liter-
ally ate his words because he was
always in their midst. He was one of
them, one with them, indeed not in
their sins but in their feeble and even
impure efforts to find life and more
life, God and more God.
8/4/2006, 7:25 PM
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 10 No. 8
July 31, 2006
Roles of Clergy and
Laity in Politics
© Denz Dayao
By Fr. Roy Cimagala
I believe that our country is now in that interesting stage where a clari-
fication on the roles of clergy and laity in politics is much needed.
Nowadays, different opinions on the matter are expressed, leaving many
people confused.
It might be good to remit verbatim the official teaching of the Catho-
lic Church, so that everyone can have a clear idea about the matter and
can be guided accordingly.
Part of paragraph 43 of the pastoral constitution of the Catholic
Church Gaudium et spes contains the pertinent teaching. I invite every-
one to study it, slowly, calmly. Here it goes:
• Secular duties and activities belong properly although not exclusively
to laymen. Therefore acting as citizens in the world, whether indi-
vidually or socially, they will keep the laws proper to each discipline,
and labor to equip themselves with a genuine expertise in their vari-
ous fields.
• Laymen should also know that it is generally the function of their well-
formed Christian conscience to see that the divine law is inscribed in
the life of the earthly city.
• From priests they may look for spiritual light and nourishment. Let the
layman not imagine that his pastors are always such experts, that to
every problem which arises, however complicated, they can readily
give him a concrete solution, or even that such is their mission.
• Rather, enlightened by Christian wisdom and giving close attention to
the teaching authority of the Church, let the layman take on his own
distinctive role.
• Often enough the Christian view of things will itself suggest some
specific solution in certain circumstances. Yet it happens rather fre-
quently, and legitimately so, that with equal sincerity some of the
faithful will disagree with others on a given matter.
• Even against the intentions of their proponents, however, solutions
proposed on one side or another may be easily confused by many
people with the Gospel message.
• Hence it is necessary for people to remember that no one is allowed in
the aforementioned situations to appropriate the Church¡¦s authority
for his opinion.
• They should always try to enlighten one another through honest
discussion, preserving mutual charity and caring above all for the
common good
• Bishops, to whom is assigned the task of ruling the Church of God,
should, together with their priests, so preach the news of Christ that
all the earthly activities of the faithful will be bathed in the light of the
Gospel..
• All pastors should remember too that by their daily conduct and con-
cern, they are revealing the face of the Church to the world, and men
will judge the power and truth of the Christian message thereby.
• By their lives and speech, in union with Religious and their faithful,
they may demonstrate that even now the Church by her presence
alone and by all the gifts which she contains, is an unspent fountain
of those virtues which the modern world needs the most.
• By unremitting study they should fit themselves to do their part in
establishing dialogue with the world and with men of all shades of
opinion. Above all let them take to heart the words which this council
has spoken:
• Since humanity today increasingly moves toward civil, economic and
social unity, it is more than ever necessary that priests, with joint
concern and energy, and under the guidance of the bishops and the
supreme pontiff, erase every cause of division, so that the whole
human race may be led to the unity of God¡¦s family.
Given this indication, it is quite clear that in secular, temporal mat-
ters like politics, the laity takes the more active and direct role, while the
clergy gives guidance and fosters the proper atmosphere for dialogue
and discussion especially when the issues generate different, even
conflicting positions.
In this area, there can be no specific Catholic position, and it is not
the mission of the clergy to give one, since the matters are by nature
open to valid opinions and the free discussion of men.
 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 10 No. 8
July 31, 2006 Statements 13
GATHERED in convention in Talisay City,
Cebu with the theme “Prophetic Witness, Re-

2006 AMRSMP Convention Statement

flecting the Mission and Option for the Poor”
we represent consecrated men, priests and
brothers and our mission partners, who work
in different ministers in all parts of the country.
As leaders of our congregations, we fell the
need to continue offering hope to our people
in the midst of political, economic and moral
crises that continue to affect the majority of
the people especially the poorest of the poor.

Our Reading of the Situation:

We have spent time in reflecting on the

conditions of the people that we serve and we
are compelled to address the following con-
cerns that plague our society today: the mount-
ing number of extra-judicial killings, the ill ef-
fects of mining and its control by foreign cor-
porations, the railroading of the charter change
process, rampant corruption in both public and
private sectors, ad the immediate and dire con-
sequences of poverty throughout.
We would like to acknowledge that many
of these concerns are already being addressed
by the individual congregations and by the
mission partners of AMRSP.

Recommendations:

In addition to what is already being done

by individual congregations and the mission
partners, we recommend the following actions:
that the government immediately work to
end the extra-judicial killings that are happen-
ing around the country and the culture of im-
punity be put to an end by bringing to justice The spirit of the Lord has been given to me, for he
has appointed me. He has sent me to bring the good
those who are responsible for these murder-
poor, to
news to the poor, to proclaim
proclaim liberty to captives and
ers, whoever they may be; and that the Min-
ing Act of 1995 be immediately repealed and to the blind new sight, to se the downtrodden free, to
proclaim the Lord’s year of of favour.
favour. (Like
(Like 4:18)
4:18)
replaced by a new mining law which is envi-
ronmentally sound, sustainable and in the na-
tional interest.

Commitments:
We commit ourselves to the following:
In agreement with the CBCP position on
charter change, “we do not support hasty ef-
forts to change this fundamental law of the
land without the widespread discussion and
participation that such changes require (which
could be) best done through a constitutional
convention.”
We will continue working to eradicate cor-
ruption in our institutions and in those areas
of society where we live and carry out our min-
istry.
We will work and collaborate critically with
the government, as far as is feasible, to achieve
the Millennium Development Goals for the
eradication of poverty.
We will intensify our efforts to network
and collaborate among ourselves and with our
mission partners to maximize our service to the
poor.
As a way of working towards national rec-
onciliation, we will commemorate September
21 of each year as a day of remembrance for
the victims of martial law.
This is what Yahweh asks of you: only
this, to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk
humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)
AMRSMP 2006 Convention Participants
July 19, 2006

Tidbits / from P7 Caring for / from P10

is a group of the faithful that the
bishop must establish in the diocese
for the convocation of the faithful
around the Eucharist and the devel-
opment of the liturgical life (SC 42).
Structurally, it represents a part of the
diocese, entrusted to the bishop with
the assigned pastor as his coopera-
tor in the care of souls (CD 30).
The parish is therefore a pasto-
ral organization established by the
bishop in his diocese. It is not an au-
tonomous institution, but an entity
that is dependent upon, yet integral
to, the diocese.
Within the context of these Con-
ciliar teachings, the Code of Canon
Law defines the parish as: “A parish is
a certain community of the Christian
faithful stably established within a par-
ticular Church, whose pastoral care,
under the authority of the diocesan
Bishop, is entrusted to a parish priest
as its proper pastor “ (Can. 515, § 1).
The Role of the Ecclesial Move-
ments in the Parish
The parish therefore is the locus
wherein the faithful is placed to meet
their Creator in the Word and the sac-
raments, the place where they respond
to the exigencies of evangelization.
However, it is limited in its resources.
It cannot for instance contain every
possible form of Christian life, whether
individual or group. It is in this area
that every parish has to be open to the
workings of the Holy Spirit that more
often than not are manifested in the
irruptions of ecclesial movements and
faith communities.
John Paul II had oftentimes in the
past expressed his optimism and con-
fidence in the capacity of these move-
ments to renew the Church’s apos-
tolic action. There are parishes, he
said, that are languishing, turned into
mere “providers of pastoral services.”
It is precisely in these cases that the
role of the movements is not only
providential, but important. They pro-
duce mature Christian personalities,
conscious of their own baptismal
identity, their own vocation and mis-
sion in the Church and in the world.
They offer a significant testimony to
what Christian life should be. In his
encyclical Redemptoris Missio John
Paul II said these prophetic words:
“When these movements humbly
seek to become part of the life of the
local Churches and are welcomed by
bishops and priests within diocesan
and parish structures, they represent
a true gift of God both for new evan-
gelization and for missionary activity
properly so-called.”
Meantime, the zealous pastor of
the parish, to fulfill his mission to the
lay men and women entrusted to his
care, has drawn up the pastoral pro-
gram of the parish, complete with vi-
sion, mission, plans, organizational
set-ups, programs, objectives, and ac-
tivities. This pastoral organizational
set-up and plans are supposed to be
the standard program of the parish.
Will it not be disturbed or dis-
rupted by the insertion of these
ecclesial movements into the life and
activity of the parish? To this appre-
hension, it is good to again listen to
and reflect the words of the present
Holy Father, Benedict XVI, who in his
homily of the Mass at the opening of
his Pontificate said: “My true program
of government is that of not doing my
will, of not following my own ideas,
but of listening, with the whole Church,
to the word and will of the Lord and of
letting myself be guided by him, so
that it is he himself who guides the
Church in this hour of our history.” In
other words, in the Church uniformity
is not the ideal, it is catholicity which
admits of plurality, diversification.
tion in the seminary. He should per-
sonally participate in the formation of
the seminarians by his encouraging
and motivating presence and most
especially through his conferences and
homilies in Eucharistic celebrations.
The Bishop’s Personal Knowledge
of the Candidates for the Priesthood
“Regular contact between the
bishop and the seminary community
constitutes a vital component in semi-
nary life. Let the bishop’s own efforts
at being fully human inspire the semi-
narians” (UPPPF #58). One of the vivid
memories that I still treasure when I
was a minor seminarian is the image of
our Archbishop then who would fre-
quently visit our seminary community.
Because he lived just next door to our
seminary, he would often surprise us
with unannounced visit. He would
engage us in casual conversations—
”Have you been kind and well-be-
haved?” Of course, we would readily
answer him, Yes”. And jokingly he
would gently twist our hands or make
a slight finger strike to our ears as he
encouraged us to be good and prayer-
ful seminarians. We respect him so
much and we love him for his fatherly
concern for each one of us.
As a bishop, I always try my best
to imitate that fatherly concern and ges-
ture that I experienced when I was still a
seminarian. In my own little ways I let
my seminarians feel that I truly support
them in their desire to answer God’s call.
The bishop should strive to gain
personal knowledge of his seminarians
especially those in the Philosophy and
Theology departments. As much as
possible, the bishop should address his
seminarians by their first names. “He
calls his own sheep by name” (John 10:3)
In order to hasten my knowledge of my
seminarians, I join them in the evalua-
tion of their summer apostolate. We pray
together, eat together, play together and
above all, I listen to their sharing. I give
a deepening of their experiences in the
parish and connect the rich pastoral ex-
posure that they had to the total priestly
formation that they are undergoing. “A
genuine personal knowledge of the
candidates for the priesthood in his par-
ticular Church is indispensable for the
Bishop. On the basis of these direct
contacts he will ensure that the semi-
naries form mature and balanced per-
sonalities, men capable of establish-
ing sound human and pastoral rela-
tionships, knowledgeable in Theol-
ogy, solid in the spiritual life, and in
love with the Church” (PG # 48)
The bishop’s genuine personal
knowledge of the candidates for the
priesthood is his perfect gesture of
showing his love for the Church. The
quality of new priests in every diocese
whether they are good or bad is sig-
nificantly a result of how the bishop
knows them personally.
“When the time comes to confer
Holy Orders, each bishop will carry
out the necessary investigation. In
this regard, conscious of his grave
responsibility for the conferring of
priestly Orders, only after careful in-
quiry and ample consultation accord-
ing to the norms of law will the Bishop
receive into his Diocese candidates
coming from other Dioceses or from
a Religious Institute.” (PG # 48)
The Future of the Church Clearly De-
pends in the Bishop’s Care for Voca-
tions and Shepherding of Seminarians
Sooner or later, all of us here will get
old and gray—some faster than others.
We are all passing this world. We should
prepare and mold future priests who are
holy, zealous, and totally dedicated to God
and His Church. As bishops, this is a
very serious and demanding responsibil-
ity considering the many other obliga-
tions that are entrusted to us. But just as
a bishop has the full responsibility of
shepherding his flock; he is the shep-
herd of his priests, he is the shepherd of
the religious and the laity, and he is also
the shepherd of seminarians who will be
his future priests. The future of the Church
depends greatly on the quality of priests
who are ordained by their bishop.
Indeed, the obligation to promote
and care for priestly vocations, monitor
the quality of formation of seminarians,
and maintain the holiness of those pro-
moted to the priestly Orders form one
continuum. It is in the bishop’s deep con-
cern for vocations and shepherding of
seminarians that the Church is provided
with holy priests. It is also in this way that
the Church is ensured with sustained and
dedicated service. God will surely reward
every effort of a bishop to promote voca-
tions and guide seminarians to a deep
love and service of the Church.
Conclusion
I am deeply convinced that our care
for vocations and shepherding of semi-
narians will always be sustained by God
with His grace. As God promised “I
will be with you till the end of time”
(cf. Mt. 28). He will always call minis-
ters for His Church to continue His mis-
sion. The reason why Christ entrusts
to bishops the care for vocations and
formation of seminarians to become
holy priests is His love for the whole
mankind in need of salvation. The qual-
ity of our concern for priestly vocations
somehow reflects the quality of our love
for our own vocation. As we encour-
age young men to serve God as priests,
we silently tell God and all the faithful
that the life we embraced is indeed the
life worth living in Christ.
(This piece is one of the talks delivered during
the annual retreat of the bishops held last July
4-6 preceding their 93rd Plenary Assembly, 2006
at the Pope Pius XII Catholic Center in Manila.)

vol10-n08.pmd 13 8/4/2006, 7:25 PM

 CBCP Monitor
14 Feature Article Vol. 10 No. 8
July 31, 2006

The Silence of the Lamb FROM THE INBOX

The Right of the Church to Guide Her Flock

I would like to express my reaction to the article written by
Alcuin Papa, entitled, Church urged: Be more open to sex
education in Philippine Daily Inquirer last July 19, 2006.
The Catholic Church is being pressured by the identified
civic groups in favor of sex education, to concede to the
plan of DepEd to institutionalize the teaching of sex educa-
tion nationwide from elementary grades above. Why should
(For page 14. pictures that may be used in this these civic groups prejudice the Catholic Church for de-
article: crowd of people, a group of priests fending its rights? Don’t they realize that their behavior is
unconstitutional? Article III, Sec. 5 under Bill of Rights of
and religious, church goers or a flock of lambs) the Philippine Constitution states that “… The free exercise
and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, with-
out discrimination or preference, shall forever be allowed…”
I hope they will respect and honor our Catholic Church for
doing what She is supposed to do to guide Her faithful. I
am a Catholic and I believe that what the Church says on
matters of faith and morals is God’s.
The Catholic Church knows what is best for Her flock
in dealing with sex education. She always deals with it with
extreme care and sacredness, in an appropriate time and
manner, in an appropriate environment and with appropri-
ate words that observes holy purity and sacredness of
God’s love for man. Such treatments are consequences of
the time-tested philosophical and sacred theological stud-
ies, the Church’s Magisterium, under the guidance of the
Holy Spirit (through the gift of infallibility given to the Holy
Father) the Catholic Church has invested, that cannot be

By Fr. Romuald P. Zantua, D.S.
THE Book of Ecclesiastes says that there is a time to speak and
a time to be quiet. Both moments need discernment. Jesus broke
his silence before Pilate not to defend himself but to remind the
governor that the only power he had over him came from above.
The same thing he did to the servant of the High Priest.
Instead of giving the other cheek, he confronted him with the
truth: “If I said something wrong, tell me what it was, but if
none, why did you strike me?” Jesus, the Truth, reminded two
public servants, both high and low, of the truth. Before Herod,
he said nothing.
Sometimes, when we have accomplished the task of speak-
ing, in season and out of season, silence is the best move,
especially when people are already tired of listening to so many
conflicting voices.
Yes, Jesus knew the right time to speak. In the midst of
noisy accusing men ready to cast a stone at a woman, he broke
his silence, only after writing something on the ground. Yes,
unprovoked, he could also start a conversation with a person
© Roy Lagarde
the law said one was not supposed to speak to in public.
One can be very fruitful in silence. The silence of the lamb
brought to its shearer, describes the Lamb of God. No voice of
his was heard in the streets. “A smoldering wick he would not
quench; a bruised reed he would not even break.” But his
voice reaches to the farthest ends of the earth.
Another high public servant whose silence could have
meant an approving “yes” maintained his silence. His con-
demning silence was construed as a resounding “no” to a
wrong-doing of his king. His silence was more eloquent than
spoken or written words. It is the silence granted to martyrs
with a cause, which fools can never understand.
I do not know the context of this hearsay anecdote about
St. Francis. I heard that he said to his brothers that they were
meant to preach the Gospel always, and, if necessary, by words.
Silence can also be deeply and effectively prophetic. In-
deed it can be of great service to the truth, especially when the
search for the truth has become fruitless.
doubted. Moreover, such studies had always been imbued
with abundance prayers, sacrifices and holiness.
We can learn from history that whenever God’s de-
signs for love, marriage, transmission of life, family and
nurturance of the dignity of the human person are observed,
lived and defended, abundant goodness reigns in the world;
otherwise, corruption, chaos, and all sorts of evil prevail.
The Church Hierarchy has been a Good Shepherd to
its faithful—protecting them from the evils of confusion,
deception and corruption. It deserves the support of all
because it works for their best interest.
Once more, I hope the Catholic Church’s right to guide
Her flock is respected and honored by all, especially by our
government officials and lawmakers. I am a Catholic and I
believe that what the Church teaches on matters of faith
and morals is always God’s.
In keeping with the Philippine Constitution on the right
to profess one’s religious belief and the right of families to
education their children in such delicate and sacred matter,
I hope DepEd will pay heed to the exhortations of the Catho-
lic Church.
Evelyn C. Mijares
High School Teacher

I wasn’t much of anything, re- with a receding hairline now. (I

Bo Sanchez
Your Past Doesn’t Define your Future
I can still see it.
There was a bamboo hut I
saw while traveling in a far-flung
island in the country. Right
smack in the middle of nowhere,
with mountain ranges and farm-
lands around it, lay this tiny
shack the size of your regular
toilet.
I had to stop to take a good
look, because it had a sign on
top of it. And the sign was big-
ger than the house itself. I read
it, in big, bold, bright, red letters:
“GLOBAL OUTREACH FOR
JESUS”
(INTERNATIONAL)
Now they’d be in trouble if that
were their central office.
Then boy, whoever put that
sign had faith.
I actually felt like that bamboo
hut when at fourteen years old, a
prayer group leader “prophesied” to
me that I will preach to different na-
tions all over the world.
She said she heard God tell her
that in her prayers.
Wow.
Me, an international preacher.
Ha!
I’m not insane, thank you.
You see, I knew myself. I saw
who I was every time I looked at the
mirror, which I tried to avoid to re-
lieve myself of unnecessary stress. I
was a small-packaged, toothpick-
structured, pimple-infested, gro-
tesquely-formed, fourteen-year-old
creature who also wasn’t very bright.
I was struggling in high school alge-
bra, chemistry, physics, and Pilipino.
ally. don’t run out of problems.)
Oh, I was a preacher all right. And insane has happened:
At that time, I was already lead-
ing a small prayer group of thirty (30)
I’ve preached to sooooo many na-
tions all over the world these past
people. Impressed? Don’t be. My au- years, I sometimes wonder if my
dience was um... a little bit biased. next flight will be to a planet called
The regular members of my prayer Jupiter.
group were the following: my mother, I’m not boasting. You see, I
my father, my five sisters, their hus- don’t think I can. Ever.
bands, my nieces, my aunts, their I still see myself as that bam-
husbands, my cousins, and the boo hut out in the middle of no-
neighborhood dogs. Count that and where. I’m still that fourteen year
you get thirty very loyal people with old nobody.
a few representatives from the ani- All it had to take was God.
mal kingdom. And a guy who failed in alge-
International Preacher? bra, physics, and chemistry.
Lunacy. The truth?
But listen. I’m now thirty-three Your past doesn’t define your
years old. With lesser pimples, but future.

Capiz’/ from P16

but larger communities was
one of the earliest colonial
undertakings in order to fa-
cilitate their conversion into
Christianity, spiritual admin-
istration, civil control, re-
cruitment of corvee, and the
collection of tributes. The
responsibility for this
reduccion (resettlement or
gathering) fell ultimately on
the missionaries, who de-
voted considerable efforts
to bringing the dispersed in-
habitants of their wide juris-
dictions bajo de campana
(under the bells), into a cen-
tral place of residence where
they could establish a per-
manent church and commu-
nity in the Hispanic urban
tradition.
“After the geographical
distribution of the mission-
ary orders throughout the
archipelago, where they
concentrated their religious
works, they attempted to es-
tablish doctrinas or mis-
sion stations, and to en-
courage inhabitants to take
up residence in the villages.
The Patronato Real re-
quired and assured that for
every settlement or
encomienda, a doctrina
has to be established. The
settlement with the largest
population or that which
was most suitably located
within the area was chosen
for this purpose. This is
usually by the sea or river-
side, to take advantage of
fluvial transportations and
make living more practical.
“The actual doctrina or
central mission village usu-
ally became the cabecera
(more frequently referred to
later as the poblacion) or
administrative center, of the forts toward reduccion. developed, they were re-
emerging pueblo (munici- “Later on the mission grouped to become parishes
pality). ‘It was here that the station and the larger settle- (or ministerios) for perma-
earliest church and rectory ments associated with it nent priests to minister.”
(convento) were erected were generally organized These important his-
and where civil administra- into municipalities or towns torical vignettes may just
tive activities, were con- (pueblos) and parishes very well reflect the color-
ducted, eventually in an edi- (parroquias). By the end ful historical saga that the
fice that came to be known of the eighteenth century, parish of St. Lawrence the
as the casa tribunal or almost all Christian Filipi- Deacon went through in the
municipio (municipal build- nos lived in or were as- past two centuries and, true
ing). Once established, the signed to the jurisdiction of to the noble legacy of St.
cabecera, with its univer- a municipality-parish. Lawrence the Deacon and
sally replicated ‘plaza com- “Towns during this Martyr, it continues ever
plex,’ became the focal time had barrio chapels more to remain undaunted
point for religious conver- called visitas, which were in Faith and as a living wit-
sion and the continued ef- regularly visited. As visitas ness to the Gospel.

vol10-n08.pmd 14 8/4/2006, 7:26 PM

 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 10 No. 8
July 31, 2006
Title: WHITE LADY
Running Time: 110 mins
Lead Cast: Angelica Panganiban,
Pauleen Luna, JC de Vera,
Boots Anson-Roa, Jason, Iwa
Moto, Franzen Fajardo, Katrina
Perez, Glaiza de Castro,
Ketchup Eusebio, Gian Carlo
Director: Jeff Tan
Producer: Roselle Monteverde-Teo
Screenwriters: Don Michael Perez,
Joel Rufino Nuñez
Genre: Horror
Cinematography: Tim Jimenez
Distributor: Regal Entertainment
Location: Los Baños, Laguna
Technical Assessment:
Moral Assessment:
CINEMA Rating: For viewers 14
and above
MAY nagmumultong babae sa Arts
Academy. Ayon sa janitor na nakakita
ay mahaba ang buhok nito, nakakatakot
ang sunog nitong mukha, at nakasuot
ito ng puting damit kaya't tinawag itong
"White Lady". Nagparamdam ang
White Lady kay Pearl (Pauleen Luna),
isang probinsyanang Ilongga at
mahusay na estudyante. Sapagkat
mapapakinabangan si Pearl ay inimbita
siya ni Mimi (Iwa Moto) na sumama sa
kaniyang grupo. Ang popular at laki sa
layaw na si Mimi ang lider ng
mapagsamantalang barkada na
kinabibilangan nina Joshua (Jason
Abalos), Eva (Katarina Perez), Jowee
(Glaiza de Castro), at si Hector (Ketchup
Eusebio). Hinihikayat ng grupo si Pearl
na siyasatin ang hiwagang bumabalot
sa White Lady ngunit hindi ito
pumayag. Nagsimula na ang sunod-
sunod na aksidente sa mga barkada ni
Mimi. Sa wakas ay natuklasan din ni
Pearl ang sekreto ng White Lady at
kung ano ang tunay na nangyari kay
Christina.
Sa simula pa lamang ng pelikula ay
makahulugan na ang ginamit na puting
pamagat sa itim na pondo at hinaluan
ng mga nagliliparang alipato (apoy na
nililipad ng hangin mula sa nasusunog
na bagay). Inihahanda nito ang kalooban
ng mga manonood sa
mangyayari?madalas na sa gabi
nagaganap ang mga tagpo. Malimit
gamitin ang Ilonggong awit na Ili-Ili
Tulog Anay at maging ang mga kampana
CINEMA Reviews
sa simbahan ay himig din nito ang
naging tunog. May mga bahagi sa
kuwento ng White Lady na hindi malinaw
at kapani-paniwala, maging ang
paglalarawan ng mga tauhan.. Mabait
ba o masama si Christina? Matino ba o
sira ang ulo ni Lola Tasya? Mahinahon
ba o mapusok si Pearl? Lubos bang
napakasama ni Mimi at napakahina ba
naman ang loob ng lahat niyang
kabarkada? Kung minsan ay parang
naglalaro lang ng "takutan" ang mga
gumaganap. Kahit na nga ang make-up
ng White Lady ay parang ipinipinta lang
ng mga pumupunta sa Halloween party.
Napakarami ring eksena ng karahasan.
Ipinakita sa White Lady na may
kaibigang nagtataguyod sa mabuti at
meron din namang nagbubulid sa
masama. Kaya nga't kailangang maging
maingat sa pagpili ng mga kaibigan o
barkada at nang hindi mapahamak. May
pakikisama na nauuwi sa
pakikipagsabwatan. Kahit mali ay
sunod-sunuran, huwag lamang
matiwalag sa samahan. Isa pang
mensahe ng pelikula ay ukol sa
pakikipag-relasyon na kung minsan ay
hindi lamang nakakaabala sa pagaaral
kundi mapanganib pa rin. Bukod sa hindi
pa handa sa pananagutan ang mga nasa-
kolehiyo pa lamang ay mahirap makilala
ang tunay na pagkatao ng karelasyon
sa maikling panahon.. Tinalakay din sa
pelikula kung bakit 2nagbabalik ang
espiritu nang yumao. Nanghihingi ng
katarungan si Christina sa kalupitan ng
barkada na nagpahamak sa kaniya. Hindi
tama ang mensahe na sa paghihiganti
lamang matatahimik ang kaniyang
kaluluwa, na karahasan ang dapat iganti
sa karahasang ginawa sa kaniya..
Nasaksihan ng mga estudyante at guro
nang basbasan ng pari ang bodega na
pinangyarihan ng krimen at inasahan ng
lahat na mamamayapa at lilisan na ang
espiritu. .Sa halip ay mukha pa ngang
nagwagi ang kasamaan sapagkat galit
at poot ang nanaig sa White Lady at
ipinahiwatig na nararapat lamang na
buhay ang kapalit ng buhay. Walang
pagsisisi na nakita sa mga nagkasala at
walang pagpapatawad na iginawad ang
biktima. Nakalulungkot na ito ang
nangibabaw sa White Lady---hindi ito
ang diwa ng Kristiyanismo.
15
Title: LADY IN THE WATER
Running Time: 110 mins
Lead Cast: Paul Giamatti, Bryce Dallas Howard,
Bob Balaban, Jeffrey Wright, Sarita
Choudhury, Freddy Rodriguez, Bill Irwin, Jared
Harris, M. Night Shyamalan
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Producers: Samuel L. Mercer, M. Night
Shyamalan, John Rusk
Screenwriter: M. Night Shyamalan
Music: James Newton Howard
Editor: Barbara Tulliver
Genre: SciFi
Cinematography: Christopher Doyle
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Location: USA
Technical Assessment: ½
Moral Assessment:
CINEMA Rating: For viewers 14 and above
FROM his cottage by the swimming pool, Cleveland
Heap (Paul Giamatti), the sad, stuttering, middle-aged
caretaker-manager of The Cove Apartments, hears
splashing sounds in the deserted pool at night. Once
while investigating the phenomena, he falls into the
pool and is rescued by a creature who appears every
inch like a human female except for the ephemeral
quality exuded by its waif-like, finely chiseled facial
features. It is called a "narf", a sea nymph, who has a
mission among humans but whose return to the sea
is being prevented by a "scrunt", an wolf-like animal
whose emergence from the grass is signaled by the
sprinkler turning on by itself. This narf lives under
emphasis by well-timed close-ups and points of view.
the pool, can tell your future, and calls herself Story
(Bryce Dallas Howard); her identity as a narf is au- As with other Shyamalan films, Lady in the Wa-
ter imparts a life-sized message composed of many
thenticated by a similar Korean folk tale told by one
of the tenants, Mrs. Choi (June Kyoko Lu) and trans- bite-sized messages. To benefit from his brand of
wisdom conveyed through the fantastic, the viewer
lated by her daughter Young-Soon Choi (Cindy
Cheung). Story falls unconscious when attacked and should turn a blind eye to lapses in logic in the events
and be open instead to what is being said and left
wounded by the scrunt. Cleveland is joined by some
of the tenants in an attempt to save Story so she can unsaid. For instance, in Lady in the Water, one might
ask 'If Story is a sea nymph, why does she need an
return to the sea.
In order to fully appreciate Lady in the Water, the eagle to take her back to the water? Why don't they
just throw her back into the pool where she lives and
viewer must allow director M. Night Shyamalan to
turn playful in this story, taking a dig at unfriendly let her swim her way to the ocean?' Or 'What hap-
pened to the character attacked by the scrunt? Why
film critics and boldly assigning himself a pivotal role
in the film. A departure from his usual approach to didn't anybody miss him? Did he die? Where is the
corpse? Was the scrunt so famished he licked the
film fantasy (in which The Village is a classic), Lady in
the Water is supposed to be a bedtime story for chil- place clean of every trace of the attack?' One strong
message of Lady in the Water is the supremacy of
dren, a fairy tale set not in some never-never land of
elves and dwarves or flying sorcerers but right in our innocence over worldliness? to direct their action the
community depends on a child whose takes guid-
own 21st century backyard, a lower middle class apart-
ment complex in suburban Philadelphia populated by ance from his "oracle", a collection of cereal boxes.
No candles, incense, crystal balls and abracadabras
ordinary folk simple enough not to question the pres-
ence of narfs and scrunts in their midst. The movie but plain supermarket cereal boxes "read" with inno-
cence and sincerity. The leader, according to the ce-
calls for little CGI (Computer Generated Images) for
its wit resides in its script, in lines that Shyamalan real boxes, must be one who has no secrets and whose
word is respected by others. Another strong but veiled
makes sure get heard. To bring home a point in the
dialogue, director of photography Christopher statement for the importance of purity of heart as a
Doyle's camera supplies the enhancement and the pre-condition for saving the world. Very Christian.

Title: NACHO LIBRE
Running Time: 90 mins
Lead Cast: Jack Black, Ana de la
Rguera, Hector Jimenez,
Darius Rose, Cesar
Gonzalez
Director: Jared Hess
Producer: Steve Nicolaides
Screenwriters: Jared Hess,
Jerusha Hess, Mike White
Music: Danny Elfman
Editor: Billy Webber
Genre: Comedy
Cinematography: Xavier Perez
Grobet
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Location: Mexico
Technical Assessment:
Moral Assessment:
CINEMA Rating: For viewers age 13
and below with parental guidance
IGNACIO/Nacho (John Black) an
orphan, who grew up under the care
of the friars, has always dreamed to
be a "luchador" (mex wrestler). But
he's stuck as a cook serving meager
and stale food to orphans. One day,
a young, beautiful nun, Sister
Encarnacion (Ana dela Reguera)
comes to stay in the monastery.
Wanting to impress and serve some-
thing more than the barely palatable
food, Ignacio enters a local amateur
"fight night". But, first, he teams
up with Esquelle (Hector Jimenez)
another rag-tag, scrawny, street-
½ smart toughie. They lose but earn
enough to buy a more delectable
dish. Ignacio becomes a cook by
day and Nacho, the luchador, by
night. They continue to lose but
the more they lose, the greater is
Nacho's will to win. Despite
Ignacio's wearing a mask to conceal
his identity, he is soon exposed and
forced to leave the community. His
loneliness and depression are alle-
viated somewhat by Sister
Encarnacion's encouragement to
fight for a noble cause. Nacho uses
this to psyche himself up for his
fight with Ramses (Cesar Gonzales),
the haughty, reigning champion of
the ring. Nacho wants to win in or-
der to bequeath a legacy to his be-
loved orphans.
"Nacho" combines the come-
dic, athletic, singing and acting abili-
ties of Jack Black. But one man can't
a movie make. The story line of mon- Now, really? It is the height of na-
astery cook by day and a fighter by ivete to expect that prayer alone
night is dramatic enough. But the could transform a perennial loser
drama is not sustained and after a into a champion overnight. It may
while it drags and bores. The attempt be dramatic and cinematic, but
of the director and screenwriter tan- that's about all. It is silly to be-
dem, Jared and Jerusha to combine lieve that this could happen in real
hilarious absurdity with religious life. The movie's simplistic as-
sensitivity fails. Also, the movie is sumption detracts, rather than, in-
plagued by too many inconsisten- spires. Real life and reel life should
cies, goofs and mistakes to enable merge and coincide at least for the
one to enjoy it. duration of the movie, and in
Nacho Libre has a noble inten- Nacho Libre, this doesn't happen.
tion: to deliver the message that For the film's message to effect a
everyman, even an orphan, could realization (or even a transforma-
find his place in the sun with enough tion) in the viewer, it's up to the
determination and inspiration. viewer to determine the human
Coupled with a noble cause to fight effort one needs in addition to
for, anyone could be a champion. prayer to "become a champion."
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vol10-n08.pmd 15 8/4/2006, 7:26 PM


16 People, Facts & Places
Capiz’ St. Lawrence the Deacon Parish
Observes Bicentennial Jubilee Fete
by Msgr. Dexter Irisari, HP
THE parish of St. Lawrence the Dea-
con in the municipality of Panitan,
Capiz is marking its bicentennial
foundation anniversary this year as
it celebrates its annual town fiesta
in honor of St. Lawrence the Deacon,
its patron saint, on August 10 with
its general theme, “St. Lawrence the
Deacon and the Church’s Social
Concerns”. The major activities
marking the celebration are the no-
vena masses on July 31 to August 8,
the vespers mass on August 9, and
the concelebrated fiesta mass on Au-
gust 10. The presiders-homilists and
specific themes for the novena
masses, held at 3:00 pm from July 31
to August 8, are: Msgr. Dexter Irisari,
“Building a Civilization of Love”;
Fr. Ramel Talabucon, “Resisting
Graft and Corruption”; Fr. Victor
Bendico, “Renewing Politics in Our
Land”; Fr. Clemente Fungot, “Pro-
tecting Our Environment”; Fr.Butch
Abalajon, “The Scourge of Illegal
Drugs”; Fr. Aris Pedrajas, “Strength-
ening the Christian Family”; Fr.
Berman Ibañez, “Peacemaking”;
and Fr. Edsel Delfin, “Protesting
Against the Aswang Festival”.
The Vespers Mass presider and
homilist on August 9, 4 p.m., will be
Msgr. Vicente Hilata. Archbishop
Onesimo Gordoncillo will be the main
celebrant and homilist during the
solemn concelebrated Fiesta Mass
on August 10 at 8 a.m.
The parish is also set to hold
the following activities in observ-
ing the year-long bicentennial foun-
dation anniversary celebration:
“Ecclesial Basic Communities’ Day”
(Sept. 3); “Religious Organizations’
Day” (Oct. 8); “Days for the Saints
CWL Holds Leadership Training
By Roy Lagarde
THE newly elected officers and board
members led by Catholic Women’s
League National President, Josephine S.
Gaviola and advisers held its national
leadership training last July 27-30, 2006
at CBCP-NASSA BEC Development Cen-
ter in Tagaytay City with the theme “Liv-
ing the Eucharist in the Ministry of the”.
The main objective of this leadership
training is to discuss the national action
program for the year 2006-2008 that will
be implemented down to the parish level.
Topics discussed were concerns for
women, family, youth and environment
and identifying the strategies to address
the problems of poverty, migration, deg-
radation of the environment, problems of
the youth such as the use of prohibited
drugs and the effects of media on their
moral values.
Collegio Filippino / from P1
Other officers elected to head the
PCF’s various committees are: Fr.
Melchor Braga, Liturgy; Fr. Venusto
Suarez, Spirituality; Fr. Joselito Jopson,
Music; Fr. Rodelio San Juan, Socials; Fr.
Wagner Nalitan, Physical Arrangement;
and Fr. William Santiago, Sports.
The PCF is the home in Rome of Fili-
pino Diocesan priests who have been
sent by their bishops to pursue advanced
ecclesiastical studies sub umbra Petri.
It is thus a community that provides a
special type of ongoing priestly forma-
tion that is significantly influenced by a
proximity to the Holy Father and the cul-
tural diversity that Rome provides.
In January of 1959, the Catholic Hi-
erarchy of the Philippines approved a
resolution authored by the late Rufino
Cardinal Santos, then Archbishop of
Manila, calling for the establishment of
the Pontifical Filippino College.
vol10-n08.pmd 16
and the Departed Paniteños” (Nov.
1 & 2); “Day for Overseas’ Work-
ers” (Dec. 17); “Day for the Youth”
(Jan. 14, 2007); “Day for Christian
Families” (Feb. 11, 2007); “Day for
Professionals” (March 4, 2007);
“Day for Farmers” (April 1, 2007);
“Day for the Aged, the Sick and the
Disabled” (May 13, 2007); “Day for
Government Officials, Personnel
and Soldiers”(June 10, 2007); and
“Day for Thanksgiving” (July 15,
2007).
The various preparations and
activities for the year-long celebra-
tion are spearheaded by Msgr. Dex-
ter Irisari, parish priest, Fr. Ramel
Talabucon, parochial vicar, and by
the officers of the Parish Pastoral
Council which include, namely, Nida
Buenvenida, Faustino Lara, Mary
Ann Villarais, Milagros Dais,
Graciosa Diaz, Medina Espiritu,
Francis Dadula, Rachelle Dayang,
Joyce Denosta and Angelita Pelaez.
The parish of St. Lawrence the
Deacon was first evangelized by the
Augustinian missionary priests
some 200 years ago and, like all
other countryside parishes in the
Philippines evangelized by the
Spanish friars, the manner of evan-
gelization followed a general pat-
tern. Noel Vincent Abalajon gives a
historical account of such typical
pattern of evangelization by the
Spanish missionaries:
“When the Spanish missionaries
started to preach the Gospel among the
early Filipinos, they encountered this
problem of dispersed settlement pat-
tern of the inhabitants. Thus, the re-
settlement of the population into fewer
Capiz’ / P14
Special emphasis was given on the
spiritual formation of the members espe-
cially on the importance of the Eucharist
and prayers as the source of strength and
grace to witness and live the Eucharist in
their ministry.
Towards the end of the seminar, Mrs.
Filipina Ranada talked on sex education
in public and some private schools de-
tailing its possible consequences.
“To allow sex education in the class-
room is risking the student’s moral and
spiritual well being,” she said quoting
Episcopal Commission on Family Life
(ECFL) head Abp. Paciano Aniceto.
After four days of intensive prayer
and work, the officers and board mem-
bers finally were able to formalize the
national action program ready for imple-
mentation for the years 2006-2008.
Pope John XXIII instituted the
Pontificio Collegio Filippino through an
Apostolic Letter, and on October 7, 1961
officiated at its inauguration in Rome. To
date, the Collegio has been home to 564
seminarians and priests, 50 of whom have
become bishops.
For the school year 2005-2006,
Collegio Filippino has a population of 40
priests (36 are student-priests, three mem-
bers of administration and one assigned
at the Pontifical Council for the Family),
four sisters of the Religiosas Misioneras
de Santo Domingo and five lay workers.
The resident priests are often invited
to celebrate the Eucharist in Filipino mi-
grant centers in Rome and its environs.
This offers them a perfect opportunity to
minister to Filipino migrant workers, of
which there are many in Rome and to ini-
tiate the building of Christian communi-
ties among them. (CBCP News)
Markings
C E L E B R AT E D .
Archbishop Angel
N. Lagdameo, 66,
president of the
Catholic Bishops’
Conference of the
Philippines, 66th
birth anniversary;
August 2, 2006.
Lagdameo, who is
currently the Arch-
bishop of Jaro
(Iloilo) since 2000, assumed office as the
17th CBCP president on December 1,
2005. Born in 1940 in Lucban, Quezon,
Lagdameo was ordained priest on De-
cember 19, 1964 in Lucena City. He was
first appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Cebu
in 1980, and as Coadjutor Bishop of
Dumaguete in 1986, then as Bishop of
Dumaguete in 1989 until his appointment
as Archbishop of Jaro in 2000. Archbishop
Lagdameo took his minor seminary for-
mation, philosophy and theology studies
at the San Jose Seminary, Ateneo de
Manila University, Quezon City.
CELEBRATED .
Rev. Fr. Samson
Silloriquez, OAR,
52, Councilor of
General Curia for
the Order of the
Augustinian Recol-
lects-Philippines in
Rome, Italy; 25th sacerdotal ordination
anniversary; July 18, 2006; in Marcilla,
Navarra, Spain. Ordained priest in 1981
to the Philippine Province of the Order of
the Augustinian Recollects, Silloriquez
was first assigned to the OAR commu-
nity in Via Sistina, Rome in 1981-1984,
then with the San Sebastian College-
Recoletos, Manila in 1984-1987, and with
the Recoletos Formation Center in Quezon
City in 1987 to 1994. Prior to his current
assignment in Rome, Fr. Silloriquez served
as parish priest of San Sebastian Basilica
in Manila from 1994 to 2001. He took his
college seminary formation at the
Casiciaco Recoletos Seminary in Baguio
CENTENNIAL COMMEMORATIVE STAMP. The Knights of Columbus in the Philippines
officially launched its KC Centennial Commemorative Stamp in a turn-over ceremony
held last July 7, 2006 at the KC Fraternal’s Fr. George J. Willmann Center in Intramuros,
Manila. From left: the KC Centennial Commemorative Stamp; Hon. Alfredo G. Gabot,
Philippine Postal Corporation’s Board of Trustees, and Sir Knight Alberto P. Solis, KC
Supreme Director and KC Fraternal’s Chairman.
8/4/2006, 7:26 PM
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 10 No. 8
July 31, 2006
City and his theological studies in Marcilla,
Navarra, Spain. In 1983, he earned his
Licentiate degree in Canon Law from the
Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.
APPOINTED. Sr.
Grace S.
Namocatcat, D.C.,
62, as Information
Officer and Assis-
tant Supervisor of
CBCP Secretariat;
after whose appoint-
ment was approved
by the CBCP presi-
dent Archbishop Angel N. Lagdameo last
June 15, 2006. First admitted to the reli-
gious congregation of the Daughters of
Charity in 1964, Sr. Grace’s prior assign-
ments include, namely: as Director for the
Religious Education Department and
Campus Ministry Office of the
Universidad de Sta. Isabel; Assistant Di-
rector and Faculty member of the Insti-
tute of Catechetics of the Archdiocese of
Manila; as National Director of the As-
sociation of Children of Mary; Religious
Education Ministry Coordinator of the
Daughters of Charity schools; and as ad-
ministrator of the Cebu Archdiocesan In-
stitute of Catechetics, Cebu City. Sr.
Grace finished her Bachelor of Science
in Education degree from the Colegio de
Sta. Isabel, Naga City and obtained her
Master of Arts degree in Religious Edu-
cation from the De La Salle University in
Manila. She also took special studies on
Pastoral Theology at the East Asian Pas-
toral Institute, and on Spiritual Direction
from the Center of Ignatian Spirituality in
Quezon City.
CELEBRATED. Bishop Manuel Del
Rosario, Bishop Emeritus of Malolos
(Bulacan), 51st episcopal ordination an-
niversary, July 25, 2006. Ordained bishop
in 1955, Bishop Del Rosario was bishop
of Calbayog from 1955 to 1962, and then
as bishop of Malolos from 1962 to 1977.
He was ordained to the priesthood on
March 25, 1939.