Monitor

CBCP

NOVEMBER 7 - 20, 2016 VOL. 20 NO. 28

CBCPMONITOR@AREOPAGUSCOMMUNICATIONS.COM

PROTAGONIST OF TRUTH, PROMOTER OF PEACE

WHATS INSIDE

THE CROSS
The Supplement Publication
of the Knights of Columbus
Fraternal Association of the
Philippines, Inc., and the Order
of the Knights of Colmbus

B1

CBCP pastoral exhortation

to open the year 2017
as the Year of Parishes,
Communion of
Communities

PH seafarers
toughest
competitor:
China
A REPRESENTATIVE of the
Vatican-based Apostleship of
the Sea-International has called
on Filipino seafarers to improve
their competitiveness to become
maritime officers as Chinese
sailors start to dominate the
world market.
Fr. Bruno Ciceri, C.S. said
Filipino seafarers and the
Philippine government should
work double time to keep up
with the global demand for
maritime officers, especially as
Chinese seafarers have already
overtaken Filipinos in numbers.
Filipino seamen must
improve their competitiveness to
beat back the challenge of China
as the worlds top producer
of seamen. The Chinese are
now taking over and there are
other nationalities that are
coming forward, especially for
the officers, and Filipinos should
work double time, he said in
a speech during the National
Seafarers Day held Sept. 25 at
the SMX Convention Center in
Pasay City.
Competitiveness, positive
attitude
According to the Scalabrinian
priest, Filipino seafarers are
the top choices of international
maritime companies due to
their good grasp of the English
language, competitiveness, and
positive attitude towards work.
However, Filipino sailors
are mostly classified as
ratings or non-officers. Data
from the Philippine Overseas
Employment Agency revealed
that out of 10 deployment
categories for Filipino seafarers,
seven were classified as ratings
and only three were officers.
This becomes a cause of concern
due to the rising demand for
ship officers across the globe.
Citing the latest reports from
the Baltic and International
Maritime Council and the
International Chamber of
Shipping, Ciceri said Chinese
seafarers are meeting the
demand and taking jobs away
from Filipinos.
Wanted: More officers
There are many Filipino
ratings but for Filipino officers,
we have less. We need more
Filipino officers, and I would
advise Filipinos to work hard
to improve their capacity to
become officers, because that
is what is lacking in the world
maritime industry.
China / A6

Nuns light candles and pray for those who died during the onslaught of typhoon Yolanda at a memorial dedicated especially for those whose bodies were not recovered after the catastrophe in Tacloban City,
November 8, 2016. Thousands of candles were also lined up along major roads in the city to mark the third anniversary of Yolanda. ROY LAGARDE

Bishops slam court

ruling on Marcos burial
By Roy Lagarde

CATHOLIC bishops have

deplored a court decision that allows a heros
burial for the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
In a strongly-worded statement,
the Catholic Bishops Conference
of the Philippines hit the Supreme
Courts verdict, which dismissed

all the petitions against the

governments plan to bury Marcos
at the Heroes Cemetery. (See full
text of the Statement in page B5.)
The burial is an insult to the
EDSA spirit. It mocks our fight
to restore democracy. We are
puzzled and hurt and in great grief,
said CBCP president Archbishop
Socrates Villegas.
It calls on us for greater courage
to make the full truth of the
dictatorship known, he said.

Voting 9-5 with one inhibition,

the High Court said the petitions
had no merit, adding that there
is no law that prohibits the burial
of Marcos at the Libingan ng mga
Bayani.
President Rodrigo Duterte has
repeatedly said his decision would
help bring healing among the
Filipinos.
But the bishops warned that
Dutertes move will not bring peace
and unity to the country.

Caritas honors heroes on Yolanda anniv

TACLOBAN City
Heroes come in many
forms.
There are those
who act to help
a friend or total
stranger in need or
in peril. And there
are those devote
time to improve the
lives of others and
strengthening their
communities in the
process.
The 27 local heroes
honored during the
third anniversary of
Typhoon Yolanda in
Leyte province run
the gamut.
They came from
the nine worst-hit

They also made it clear that peace

can only come if there is justice.
Justice demands recognition
of the harm done to the people
and restitution to the victims,
Archbishop Villegas said.
Since his demise in 1989, Marcos
burial at the heroes cemetery had
been strongly opposed because of
human rights abuses committed
during the Martial Law years.
The bishops said the dictator had
Condemn / A6

Caritas-member countries pledge

more Lawin aid

Aerial shot showing the devastation of Super Typhoon Lawin in Tuguegarao, Cagayan.
Palo Archbishop John Du blesses a memorial that marks a mass grave of hundreds
of victims whose lives were claimed by Typhoon Yolanda in Tanauan, Leyte, Nov. 8,
2016. EILEEN NAZARENO-BALLESTEROS

provinces of Leyte,
Samar, Eastern
Samar, Cebu,

Palawan, Antique,
Iloilo, Capiz and
Aklan and were

recognized for
their contributions
Anniv / A7

2 bishops back plan to reopen Mamasapano probea

AT least two Catholic bishops expressed
support for the plan to reopen the
investigation into the Mamasapano
encounter.
Archbishop Ramon Arguelles of Lipa and
Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez of Marbel said
it was clear the issue remains unresolved.
Arguelles, a former bishop of the
Military Ordinariate of the Philippines,
said the public, especially the families of
the victims, deserve to know the truth.
There were lies and inconsistencies in
the whole tragic affair. Even the role of
the USA needs to be clarrified, he said.
President Rodrigo Duterte said he may
order a new probe to be carried out into the
bloody January 2015 incident that claimed
over 60 lives, including 44 police commandos.

Eighteen rebels and five civilians were

also killed in the encounter between
government forces and armed rebel
groups, including members of the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
In a speech at a business forum in
Beijing last Thursday, Duterte said he
wanted to know who got the $5-million
ransom reward for terrorist Zulkifli
Abdhir, also known as Manwar, who was
killed by the SAF troopers.
The Catholic Bishops Conference of the
Philippines previously said that peace in
the south can only be attained if justice
to the SAF commandos will be served.
For Gutierrez, a reinvestigation is
necessary for the truth to come out.
(CBCPNews)

PHOTO COURTESY OF CARITAS PHILIPPINES/SKYEYE/UNOCHA-COP)

AT least eight Caritas

Internationalis member
organizations pledged more
aid to help the survivors of
Super Typhoon Lawin.
As always, our heartfelt
thanks to the Caritas family
who worked side by side with
us in bringing humanitarian
aid to Filipinos affected by
strong typhoons since the
time of Yolanda up to now,
said Fr. Edwin Gariguez,
Caritas Philippines executive
secretary.
The support will be coursed
through Caritas Philippines,
which is leading the local
Churchs response to the
typhoons devastation.
Those that already
expressed support are
Caritas England and Wales,
Caritas Belgium, Caritas New
Zealand, and Caritas Canada.
Caritas E sp aola and

Caritas Luxembourg also

helped in finalizing the
response plans.
Earlier, assessment teams
from the Catholic Relief
Services (Caritas USA) were
also deployed to Isabela,
while Cordaid (Caritas
Netherlands) joined the rapid
assessment on Oct. 24.
These Caritas member
organizations have
been partners of Caritas
Philippines since the 1960s,
helping the Catholic Church
in the Philippines implement
various development,
advocacy, and humanitarian
programs.
One of the biggest
programs they supported
is the on-going Yolanda
rehabilitation program which
so far amounted to Php 4.6
billion and helped more than
Lawin / A3

A2 NEWS
t

Vatican Briefing
Pope seeks clemency for prisoners during Jubilee
After celebrating Mass for prisoners in St. Peters Basilica,
Pope Francis in his Angelus address appealed for better
prison conditions and asked that as part of the Jubilee
of Mer-cy, competent global authorities would consider
granting clemency to eligible inmates. I would like to make
an appeal for better conditions in prison life, so that the
human digni-ty of the detained is fully respected, the Pope
said Nov. 6. He emphasized the im-portance of the need a
criminal justice which isnt just punitive, but open to hope
and the re-insertion of the offender into society. (CNA)
Anyone could be forced to migrate, Pope says
In his most recent prayer video, Pope Francis focuses
on migrants, refugees and countries who assist them,
stressing that its possible for anyone to be placed in
a situation forcing them to leave home. The video,
released Nov. 4, shows men and women refugees, law
enforcement, media and a doctor walking through
a revolving door as the Pope asks the question, can
one country alone manage the problems of forced
migration? We must move away from indifference
and the fear of accepting others, he says in the video.
Because that other could be you. Or me (CNA)
Pope calls on religions to condemn acts of
terrorism, violence
Pope Francis spoke to representatives of different
religions Thursday, telling them that acts of terrorism
and violence must be very clearly condemned, while
love and mercy the heart of authentic religion must
be promoted. May there be clear condemnation of
these iniquitous attitudes that profane the name of
God and sully the religious quest of mankind. As part
of the Jubilee of Mercy, Pope Francis met with around
200 members of different religions at the Vatican
Nov. 3. The representatives included Christians, Jews,
Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and others, who all work
in fields related to charity and mercy. (CNA)
Church never likely to ordain women, pope says
The Catholic Church insistence that it cannot ordain
women to the priesthood and epis-copacy is a teaching
likely to last forever, Pope Francis said. After being
hosted by the Lutheran Church of Sweden, which is led
by Archbishop Antje Jackelen of Uppsala, the nations
first woman primate, Pope Francis was asked Nov. 1 if
the Catholic Church might one day have women priests
and bishops. As he has done in the past, the pope responded that the question was settled in 1994 by St.
John Paul II, who taught that because Jesus chose only
men as his apostles, the ordination of women in the
Catholic Church is not possible. (CNS)
As battle for Mosul rages, Pope appeals for an end
to violence in Iraq
With the Iraqi Army currently embroiled in an effort to
liberate Mosul and the Plains of Nineveh from the Islamic
State, Pope Francis Sunday offered prayers for an end to
vio-lence in the country so it can move forward on the
path of hope and reconciliation. In these dramatic hours,
I am close to the people of Iraq, in particular those from
the city of Mosul, the Pope said Oct. 23. Our hearts are
shocked by the heinous acts of violence that for too long
are being committed against innocent citizens, whether
they are Mus-lims, Christians or whether they belong to
other ethnic groups and religions, he said, and voiced
his sadness that many have been killed in cold blood,
including children. (CNA)
Fighting over liturgy distorts purpose of Mass,
papal liturgist says
When a choir director and parish priest differ over
liturgical music, the choir should fol-low in good faith
the wishes of the priest for the sake of unity, said the
papal liturgist. When it comes to celebrating the liturgy,
we should never fight, Msgr. Guido Marini told choir
members, directors and priests. Otherwise, we distort the
very nature of what the people of God should be doing
during the Mass, which is seeking to be one body before
the Lord. The papal master of liturgical ceremonies
spoke Oct. 21 at a conference opening a three-day jubilee
for choirs. Hundreds of people involved in providing
music for the liturgical celebrations in Italian dioceses
and parishessuch as singers, organists and musicians
attended, as did directors of diocesan liturgy offices and
schools of sa-cred music. (CNS)
The reality of poverty is challenging, but dont avoid
it, Pope says
Pope Francis said that while donating money to charity
might make us feel good, seeing real poverty in the flesh
is a challenge we have to face, rather than trying to avoid
it. Poverty in the abstract doesnt challenge us, it makes
us think, lament, but when you see poverty in the flesh
of a man, woman or child, yes, this challenges us, he
said Oct. 19. To see our brothers and sisters in this state,
he said, questions the attitude we have to run away, the
attitude of running away from the needy and not drawing
near to them. Pope Francis comments were made during
his catechesis for the general audience, which cen-tered
on the passage in James 2 that says faith without works
is dead. In particular, Francis highlighted the corporal
works of mercy of feeding the hungry and giving drink to
the thirsty. (CNA)
Popes Iraq envoy says peace stifled by lack of
political will
Archbishop Alberto Ortega, the Popes Apostolic Nuncio
in Iraq and Jordan, has said that in the midst of a drawnout humanitarian crisis and ongoing feelings of mistrust
and be-trayal, Christians can be a sign of reconciliation
where political efforts continue to fall short. In order for
current conflicts destroying much of the Middle East to
come to an end, there is first of all the political will,
Archbishop Ortega said. If the international community,
if they really want to make peace, to promote peace, they
can engage more intensively and to reach the agreements
necessary to reach peace, he said, stressing that dialogue
is also important. (CNA)

November 7 - 20, 2016 Vol. 20 No. 28

CBCP Monitor

Archbishop Gomez: Want to

make America great? Be saints
LOS ANGELES, Calif., Nov
3, 2016 With recent polls
showing an increasingly tight
presidential race, its still
unpredictable as to who will
come out next week as the
next president of the United
States.
But for Archbishop Jose
Gomez of Los Angeles, thats
okay. For him, knowing that
Jesus Christ is still King is
what really matters.
Politicians come and go;
nations rise and fall; empires
fade away what remains and
what continues is the Church
that Jesus established on the
rock of St. Peter, Archbishop
Gomez stated during the Red
Mass Dinner in Houston, TX
on Nov. 2.
No matter who wins next
Tuesday and no matter who
loses, we are called to follow
Jesus Christ as children of
God and missionary disciples.
To be faithful to Christ and to
build Gods Kingdom here on
earth, he continued.
Archbishop Gomez spoke
to a group of public officials
after the celebration of a Red
Mass at the co-Cathedral of
the Sacred Heart in Houston,
Texas, which is a tradition
dating back to the 11th century
in which attendees specifically
include members of the
judiciary and legal professions.
Throughout his speech,
Archbishop Gomez outlined
two signs of the times, which
he believes are helpful in
reflecting on the reality in the
United States. He first point-ed
to the signs of a post-Christian
America, noting the increasing
secularism in American society
and the resistance towards
religious freedom.
I think all of us can agree
that the elites who govern

Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles, California. DANIEL IBANEZ/CNA

and shape the direction

of our societies are deeply
secularized and hostile to
religion, to religious values
and to traditional culture,
Archbishop Gomez stated.
Secondly, he underscored
the crisis of the human
person, saying that society
has lost the sense of the human
person. The California
archbishop mentioned
gender ideology and samesex marriage as part of the
false humanism promoted in
Ameri-can culture, leading
down the dangerous road of
false humanism.
He also highlighted the poor
treatment of the marginalized
in society, including migrants, the homeless, and
refugees, saying that society
has become indifferent and
unable to empathize with the
people around them.
We are becoming a society
with no mercy and again, it
is because we no longer see
the sanctity and the great
dignity of the human person.
However, the next president
isnt going to change the way
society treats religion or the
human person, Archbishop
Gomez stated. Instead, he

believes that individuals will

impact the future more than
a political party.
No matter who is
President, no matter what
party is in power we are
not going to restore religious
values from above, he said,
noting that every persons
identity is founded in Christ
not their political affiliation.
If we want America to be
greater, then we need men
and women like you and
me who are committed to
serving God and living their
faith in every aspect of their
lives, also noting that if we
want to live in a society that
promotes virtue and jus-tice
and human dignity if we
want leaders who reflect
these values then we need
to become leaders and role
models in our society.
On this point, Archbishop
Gomez said that only one
thing can change the world:
the call to be a saint.
This the reason we are here
to follow Jesus Christ and
to become more and more
like him, through the grace
of sacraments and through
our desire for holiness. This is
the beautiful truth about who

we are as children of God, he

said, emphasizing the need
for saints in every aspect of
human life.
His comments came only
a day after All Saints Day, in
which the Catholic Church
recognizes and celebrates the
lives of the saints. Archbishop
Gomez noted the timely feast,
encouraging the faithful to
emulate the example of these
saints who were in the middle
of the world and yet remained
untouched by its lures.
Thats another way to
answer the questions we have
about this election and the
is-sues we face in our culture
and our society. God wants
saints everywhere!
Instead of despairing at
the voting booth, Archbishop
Gomez encouraged the building of morality and spirituality
among individuals, saying
that personal renewal will
impact a cultural renewal,
no matter who wins the
presidential nomination.
He laid out concrete
examples of ways to pursue
renewal: strengthen personal
prayer and relationship with
God, build up communal
relationships in marriages
and families, and be witnesses
to the Church through
compassion and mercy.
Our country and our world
will be renewed not by
politics, but by saints. And that
means you and that means me.
If we want a greater America,
we need to become, by the
grace of God, greater saints,
Archbishop Gomez said.
No matter who is
President, Jesus Christ is
still the King. And we are
still called to be saints and to
renew this world in the image
of his Kingdom. (CNA)

In Albania, the Church honors martyrs of the communist era

SHKODR, Albania, Nov 2, 2016
During 40 years of communist rule in
Albania which in 1967 declared itself
the first completely atheist country in
the world praying, making the sign
of the cross, wearing a crucifix around
ones neck, or any other evidence of
being a believer in God were treated as
crimes.
Churches, mosques and other places
of worship were used as shopping
centers, sports halls, or theaters. That
too was the fate of the cathedral of
Shkodr, which was turned into a sports
arena. But on Nov. 5, it will the site of
the beatification of 38 Albanian martyrs.
Before they were tortured and
executed by firing squad, they all said:
Long live Christ the King, long live
Albania. We forgive those who kill us,
Archbishop Angelo Massafra of Shkodr
told international Catholic charity Aid to
the Church in Need. Among the martyrs
were a number of bishops, priests,
and ordinary faithful, includ-ing one
woman, Mara Tuci.
Mara was a teacher and she was
condemned to die for the crime of
reminding stu-dents of the presence
of Christ. Her death was excruciating,

after she had already been arrested

and tortured countless times. She was
finally put in a sack along with a cat.
The torturers repeatedly hit the cat with
a stick and their victim later died of the
injuries inflicted by the terrified animal.
Father Lazer Shantoja was tortured
so severely in the environs of Tirana
that his own mother begged that he be
shot to death to finally put an end to his
suffering.
Ndre Zadeja was the first to be
executed by firing squad; he was the
first martyr of the Albanian communist
dictatorship that finally collapsed in
1991. He died in Shkoder.
Archbishop Massafra, who serves
as president of the Albanian bishops
conference, said that all who were
murdered in that city were forced
to walk along a particular route that
ended at the cemetery wall. There they
were tortured, spat upon, and finally
executed by shooting. The route led
them past the cathedral.
This was done on purpose. It was to
remind them that they were suffering
because of their love for Christ, the
bishop said.
The beatification ceremony will be a

joyous festival. Thousands of Albanians

all over the world will be following the
proceedings, Archbishop Massafra said.
This small, but great Church has given
the world Church countless martyrs,
he added.
The martyrs beatification process
was begun in 2002 and was completed
in 2010. Pope Francis signed a decree
that authorized the beatification to take
place Nov. 5.
Muslims, who account for as much as 70
percent of the population of Albania, were
not spared either. Thousands of people
lived in concentration camps or languished
in prisons because they believed in God or
in Allah, the bishop said.
There have been notable survivors
of the reign of terror, including Father
Ernest Simoni, who spent 28 years in a
labor camp and whom Pope Francis has
just made a cardinal. Then there is Sister
Marije Kaleta. Both met the Pope during
his recent visit to the country, leaving
the Pontiff visibly moved.
Bishop Massafra spoke of them as
ranking among the secret consolers of
the other prisoners. Father Simoni was
able to secretly say Mass during his years
of captivity. (CNA)

Former Manchester United footballer to be a Dominican priest

LONDON, England, Nov
3, 2016You might have
heard of Phil Mulryne,
a Manchester United
footballer whos shared the
field with David Beckham
and brought fame to Ireland
with 27 caps international
appearances in his athletic
career.
But now, Mulryne is
setting aside his jersey to
pursue the vocation of a
Catholic Do-minican priest.
This for me was one
of the major reasons that
attracted me to the religious
life, Mulryne said in a
video interview posted by
the Daily Mail.
To give oneself
completely to God through
the profession of the
evangelical coun-cils, to
take him as our example and

despite our weakness and

our defects, trust in Him
that he will transform us
by his grace, and thus being
transformed, communicate the joy in knowing
him to everyone we meet
this for me is the ideal of
Domin-ican life and one of
the major reasons of what
attracted me to the order.
Mulryne, a 38-year old
Irishman, began his career
in football as a kid in 1994
when he attended the
Manchester United youth
academy, and eventually
joined the Nor-wich league
in 1999.
His teammates were
among the many of his
surprised acquaintances to
find out that he gave up his
global fame and 500,000
in career earnings to

pursue the vows of poverty,

chastity, and obedience as a
Catholic priest.
It was a complete shock
that he felt this was his
calling, fellow footballer
Paul McVeigh said,
according to the Daily
News.
After a series of major
injuries at the end of his
career in 2008, Mulryne
was faced with the future:
how would he spend his
post-footballing days?
According to McVeigh,
Mulryne began turning his
life around and was doing
a lot of charitable work
and helping the homeless
on a weekly basis. The
Catholic Herald reported
that Bishop Noel Treanor of
Down and Connor became
an influential figure during

Mulrynes conversion,
eventually inviting him to
enter the seminary.
I know for a fact that this
is not something he took
lightly as the training to
be or-dained as a Catholic
priest consists of a two-year
philosophy degree, followed
by a four-year theology
degree and only after that
will he finally be qualified
as a priest, McVeigh said.
In 2009, the Irish native
entered the Irish Pontifical
College in Rome, where
he has been pursuing the
priesthood through studies
in philosophy and theology.
Last week on Oct. 30,
he was ordained a deacon
in Belfast by Archbishop
Diarmuid Martin of Dublin,
and is set for priestly
ordination in 2017. (CNA)

CBCP Monitor

NEWS A3

November 7 - 20, 2016 Vol. 20 No. 28

Christs burial slab uncovered for the first time in centuries

JERUSALEM, Israel Have you
ever wondered what the tomb of
Jesus Christ looks like? National
Geographic recently detailed the
moment of revelation at the
Church of the Holy Sepulchre in
Jerusalem, which exposed the rock
slab on which Christs body is held
to have been placed after his death.
The slab had been covered for
centuries by a marble structure to
protect it.
The marble covering of the tomb
has been pulled back, said Fredrik
Hiebert, archaeologist-in-residence
at the National Geographic Society,
according to an Oct. 26 exclusive
from National Geographic.
It will be a long scientific

analysis, but we will finally be able

to see the original rock surface on
which, according to tradition, the
body of Christ was laid, Hiebert
continued.
The opening of the burial place
of Christ marks a historic exposure
for the first time in centuries, which
drew an excited frenzy among
archeologists, pilgrims, and various
religious groups.
Here we have Franciscans,
Armenians, Greeks, Muslim
guards, and Jewish police officers.
We hope and we pray that this
will be a real message that the
impossible can become the possible.
We all need peace and mutual
respect, Theophilos III, the Greek

Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem,

told National Geographic.
According to the Gospels, the
body of Christ was laid in a new
tomb hewn out of rock, in which
no one had ever been buried. The
Gospel of Mark details that the
women who went to the tomb to
anoint Christs body instead found
that he had risen.
Veneration of Christs burial
place dates back to St. Helena in the
fourth century, who discovered and
identified the tomb. St. Helenas
son, Emperor Constantine, built the
Church of the Holy Sepulchre in 326
and enshrined the tomb.
The shelf on which Christs
body was laid is the central point

of veneration, which has been

encapsulated by a 3-by-5 foot
marble structure, known as the
Edicule, since at least 1555. Over
the years, the Edicule has been
reconstructed and is currently
undergoing a multi-million dollar
preservation process by the National
Technical University of Athens.
We are at the critical moment
for rehabilitating the Edicule,
Professor Antonia Moropoulou,
Chief Scientific Supervisor
from the National Technical
University of Athens, told National
Geographic.
The techniques were using to
document this unique monument
will enable the world to study our

Woman came from Adams rib? A bishop explains why

MAKATI City--Seen as nothing more
than a Biblical myth by some, the
creation story, particularly that of how
the first woman, Eve, was formed from
Adams rib has striking theological
underpinnings that are meant to guide
modern couples, said Daet Bishop
Gilbert Garcera in a workshop for
Couples for Christs top leaders on Oct.
20.
It has a theological meaning Adam
slept, God took out his rib, and you
(woman) become part of the man, said
the chairman of the Catholic Bishops
Conference of the Philippines Episcopal
Commission on Family and Life during a
2-day workshop on Amoris Laetitia held
at the Lay Force, San Carlos Seminary.
Dont you know the meaning of
the rib? Because this (the rib) is very
symbolic of your love for your wife.
Close to the heart
According to the prelate, the woman
came from the mans rib not to be
inferior to her partner but to be his
equal, to be at his side.
The womans coming from mans rib,
said Garcera, signifies his role as the

womans protector.
Since the rib is also close to a mans
heart, it means a woman should be loved
and held close.
Man cant be alone There is always
a companion. It is always a community,
added Garcera.
This truth behind the dynamics
between man and woman, explained the
prelate, goes beyond the physical or the
merely sexual.
Marital union [is not] just about the
body or the sexual act No, it is always
a voluntary, self-giving love, not forced
Its love that binds you.
The hearts eyes
This design for the relationship
between the sexes is not man-made but
divine, said Garcera, noting how God
initiated womans creation as mans
natural companion while Adam was
asleep.
When you are asleep, you are
defenseless, you are at the mercy of
somebody.
But far from being a design for chaos,
the partnership of the sexes will bring
fruitful love into the world, explained

the prelate, who was also one of the

delegates chosen from the Church in the
Philippines to represent the country at
the Synod on the Family held in Rome
in October 2015.
Garcera said: What is this love?
Observe because the heart has eyes.
The heart has an ear to listen. If the heart
has an ear, it also has eyes.
In the eyes of your husband, you
are the most beautiful. Your heart saw
a unique beauty in her that no other
person has.
The prelate, who spent 2 days
discussing Pope Francis apostolic
exhortation on marriage, family, and
love, said it is the eyes that love that
move a person to fidelity.
[For your husband], youre the only
one. Your heart has eyes only for your
spouse, not [for] any other beauty
queen. Just her. Therefore your heart
has an eye.
Released on April 8, 2016, Amoris
Laetitia focuses on introducing new
pastoral approaches to adapt to new
challenges faced by marriages and
families. (Nirvaana Ella Delacruz/
CBCPNews)

KIRKUK, IraqSeven
young women in Kirkuk
credit the Virgin Mary for
their safety after spending
a harrowing eight hours
hidden underneath beds
while Islamic State group
fighters used their room as a
hideout during an assault on
the city.
The Virgin Mary was with
them, Fr. Roni Momika told
CNA Oct. 23.
The priest, who ministers
in refugee camps of Ankawa,
Erbil in northern Iraq, was in
cell phone contact with two of
the girls while they hid under
the beds. They gave him a
play-by-play account of what
was happening.
Seven women, university
students in Kirkuk, found
themselves threatened by the
Islamic State groups assault
on the city Friday, Oct. 21.
ISIS entered the house of
our students, the girls, the
priest reported.
When they heard the
militants coming, the women
quickly darted under four
beds in one of the rooms,
where they remained
undiscovered for eight hours
as ISIS fighters used the room
as a refuge to eat, pray and
hide from Iraqi Army forces.
I was speaking with them
all the time, Fr. Momika
said, noting how there was
a strong girl who told
him Father, I will continue
speaking with you and tell
you all our news and what
ISIS is saying.
For the duration of their
time there, the militants
not only ate and prayed, but
used the beds to care for two
of their fighters who were
wounded.
On one bed there is a lot of
blood, the priest said.
He shared with CNA some
photos taken of the room
after the soldiers left. He
explained that when ISIS
was attacked by our army
(the Iraqi Army) there were
two people from ISIS injured,
and ISIS put them here on
these beds...and under the
beds were the girls.
Fr. Momika said he was
in constant contact with the
girls, telling them not to

forget their faith, and to pray

to the Virgin Mary, she will
come to help you.
In what both the priest and
the girls view as a miracle,
ISIS didnt see them, Fr.
Momika said. One of the girls
told him later that when ISIS
entered our room, they didnt
see us (and) we feel that the
Virgin Mary closed their eyes
from seeing us.
The attack on Kirkuk took
place amid a wider offensive
on the part of the Iraqi and
Kurdish armies to retake
the city of Mosul, which was
taken by Islamic State group
forces in 2014 and declared
a caliphate.
On Oct. 17 Iraqi Prime
Minister Haider al-Abadi
announced the ground
offensive to retake Mosul
from the clutches of Islamic
State, which has been months
in the making.
In addition to the Kurdish
Peshmerga forces, U.S.
troops, British and French
Special Forces, and a number
of Turkish soldiers are
supporting the Iraqi army
in the battle, which was
initially expected to take
between several weeks to
several months to complete.
However, the process has
been going quicker than
expected.
Mosul is the last major
stronghold the Islamic State
has in Iraq. They have been
steadily retreating since the
end of last year in battles
against Iraqi and Peshmerga
forces, as well as airstrikes
from the U.S-led coalition.
The attack on Kirkuk left
some 80 people, mostly
security forces, dead. It was
largely seen as an attempt
to distract Iraqi and Kurdish
forces from the Mosul
offensive.
According to the U.K.
newspaper The Guardian,
at least 30 members of ISIS
were still holed up in different
parts of Kirkuk. However, the
assault was officially declared
over as of Saturday morning.
Fr. Momika explained that
the seven girls were among
more than 100 refugees
taking university classes in
Kirkuk after being driven out

MARIA TAN

Christian girls who barely escaped ISIS credit Mary for their safety

of their hometowns by the

Islamic State group in 2014.
Many of the girls come from
Mosul and other cities nearby
such as Bartella, Alqosh and
Telskuf, he said. All of them
had studied at the University
of Mosul before the invasion.
Although their families
are living inside the refugee
camps in Erbil, the girls, in
addition to a number of boys,
wanted to continue their
studies, but were unable to
attend university classes in
Erbil.
They then enrolled at the
University of Kirkuk. Since
traveling back and forth
everyday was dangerous,
they stayed in houses the
Church had been renting in
the city, returning to Erbil on
the weekends.
Fr. Momika said he is
happy that all of the students
escaped unharmed. Two of
his fellow priests, Fr. George
Jahola and another named
Fr. Petros, who was ordained
with him Aug. 5, traveled to
Kirkuk Saturday to pick the
girls up and bring them back
to Erbil.
He also spoke about the
liberation of his hometown,
Qaraqosh. The town was
formerly regarded as the
Christian capital of Iraq
before the invasion in 2014
forced 120,000 people to
evacuate in one night. Most of
its residents are now living in
refugee camps in Erbil.
On Saturday Iraqi and
K u rd is h f orce s e nt e re d
Qaraqosh, which sits about
20 miles from Mosul.
Although the town is said
to be largely empty, Islamic
State group militants have
destroyed much of the city.
They left landmines strewn

along the road to Mosul.

Fr. Momika said that Iraqi
soldiers have raised the Iraqi
flag in Qaraqosh, replacing
that of the Islamic State.
Qaraqosh is liberated,
he said. He cautioned that
there are still dangers, like
Islamic State group fighters
who are hiding throughout
the city still.
He passed on a report that
Islamic State fighters made a
big, deep hole in the ground,
climbed into it and bombed
themselves as the Iraqi and
Kurdish armies advanced.
The priest, who was still a
seminarian when he himself
forced to flee the city, said
he finds it hard to talk about
what happened to Qaraqosh,
because we saw some photos,
and they made us feel sad.
There are a lot of places
destroyed, and ISIS burned
our church and ISIS broke all
our crosses that were above
the churches, he said. A
very important church in the
region had been destroyed.
Its difficult for us because
its our history. Its a big
church in the Middle East,
in Qaraqosh, he said,
explaining that the sight is
similar for the neighboring
town of Bartella. That
Christian village was recently
liberated by the Iraqi Army.
Yesterday the priests, they
entered the church in Bartella
and they saw everything was
dark, because ISIS burned
everything, he said.
He voiced hope that there
would be no sight of Islamic
State militants in Qaraqosh
as the city is secured over
the next few days. He had a
request: pray for us. (Elise
Harris/CNA/EWTN
News)

findings as if they themselves were

in the tomb of Christ.
Although the burial site is not
controlled by one particular group,
it does share ownership between
the Greek Orthodox Church, the
Roman Catholic Church, and the
Armenian Orthodox Church, with
a smaller influence from the Coptic,
Ethiopian Orthodox, and Syriac
Churches. Any major decisions
regarding the church are made in
an agreement among the Churches.
National Geographic will detail
the restoration process of Christs
tomb in the Explorer series, airing
in November on the National
Geographic Channel. (CNA/
EWTN News)

Parenting hats you should

know about

Over 1,000 parents, educators, and homeschoolers attended the Philippine Homeschool
Conference 2016 held at the SM Aura Premier, Oct. 23, 2016. NIRVA DELACRUZ

TAGUIG City Just as a child

grows, a parent learns to
evolve as well.
This is what Light
of Jesus preacher Bo
Sanchez told more than
1,000 parents, educators,
and homeschoolers at the
Philippine Homeschool
Conference 2016 on Oct. 23.
Even child-rearing has its
stages where parents learn to
wear different hats[Overparenting] happens when you
dont change parenting hats,
he said, noting that a parent
has 3 hats that are crucial
at certain stages of a childs
life, depending on the childs
skills and autonomy.
According to Sanchez, the
3 hats are: the controlling
hat; the coaching hat; and the
consultant hat
Be the culture
He said the controlling hat
is used at the earliest phase
in a childs life when he or
she learns the basics through
non-negotiable rules, rituals,
and discipline.
Kids want you to be in
control. Kids need structure.
[But] you need to outgrow the
controlling hat for your sake
and for the sake of your kids
or the wings wont come out.
Sanchez
quoted
Deuteronomy 6:7 to
emphasize the need to create
an immersive environment
for children, one that allows
good behavior and values to
be about something more
than than just prohibition.
You need to create an
immersive environment Its
not enough to lecture them
and tell them, This is what
you need to do, go do it, he
added.
The so-called immersive
environment is based largely,
said Sanchez, on parents
character and modelling to
their children.
You have to build a family
culture. Youve got to be the
culture. If you have to build
a culture thats the only
way. If you want a culture

of kindness, if you want a

culture of loving God, if you
want a culture of compassion,
of generosity, you have to be
that culture.
Coach vs. consultant
The coaching hat, on the
other hand, usually comes
out when when the child is
10-years old, said Sanchez,
noting that the coaching hats
main message is trust.
He explained: You have to
take off the controlling hat,
and you have to wear your
coaching hat. And the main
message [of the coaching hat]
is: I trust you to make the
right decision.
Lastly, the consultant
hat is more appropriate for
when a son or daughter is
already working, Sanchez
said, especially when he or
she is married.
The bestselling Catholic
author pointed out the main
difference between a coach
and a consultant by saying
a consultant will speak only
when hired.
Learning to let go
According to him, parents
need to accept the fact that all
children will reach a point of
autonomy, one when parents
advice or words of wisdom
wont always be seen as
Gospel truth.
At a certain point you
just have to say Ive done
enough There are times
you have to let go at a certain
point.
The afternoon sessions
featured workshops on
the benefits of reading
and writing, how to start
homeschooling ones kids,
and the basics of interestled homeschooling, among
others.
Organized by the
Homeschool Association of
the Philippine Islands (HAPI),
the conference carried the
theme From Roots to Wings:
Homeschooling through the
stages. (Nirvaana Ella
Delacruz/CBCPNews)

Lawin / A1

1.8 million Filipinos.

Initially, the Caritas
Philippines allocated Php
2-million from its Alay
Kapwa emergency funds
to support the on-going
relief operations in Northern
Luzon.
But with the increasing
number of affected
population and damage to
properties and agriculture,
Gariguez revealed that its
local emergency fund may
not be enough to cope with

the emerging needs on the

grounds.
Caritas Philippines is now
in the process of launching
an emergency appeal to the
global Caritas confederation,
added the priest.
Caritas Philippines, also
known as the National
Secretariat for Social Action
(Nassa), is the development,
advocacy, and humanitarian
arm of the Catholic Bishops
Conference of the Philippines.
(CBCPNews)

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