•A3 •B1 •C1

Filipino Nuncio ordained Two Thousandth Year UGNAYAN

bishop at St. Peter's Basilica of St. Paul Couples for Christ Global Mission
Foundation, Inc Supplement

KC sends P1.1M www.cbcpnews.com cbcpmonitor@cbcpworld.net

‘emergency’ contribution
to typhoon victims
DEVASTATED
residents of ty-
phoon-ravaged is-
lands nationwide
and bereaved Protagonist of Truth, Promoter of Peace
families of the vic-
tims of the ill-fated
MV Princess of the
KC / A6
‘Vatican will never
silence bishops critical of
Arroyo’
THE government is in a ‘dismal failure’ if it’s
reason for naming Cristina Ponce-Enrile to the
Vatican ambassadorial post is to convince the
Vatican to act against bishops critical of the Ar-
royo government.
The Society of Catholic Social Scientists-Phil-
ippine chapter said if that is the only perceived
July 7 - 20, 2008 Vol. 12 No. 14 Php 20.00 reason, the government is just wasting its ef-
Vatican / A6

CBCP president upholds Humanae Vitae

POPE Paul VI’s reassertion of Catholic
doctrine on artificial contraception in his
encyclical Humanae Vitae was in defense
of the “sanctity of marriage and the regu-
lation of birth,” the Catholic bishops’
hierarchy said.
Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo,
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Phil-
ippines (CBCP), said that the encyclical
defended the value and sacred character
of human love against a humanizing
modernistic approach to sexuality.
“Although Humanae Vitae is not an
infallible pronouncement, what Pope
Paul VI as Universal Shepherd and
Teacher said is true and what he laid
down is right,” Lagdameo said in his
homily at the Mass celebrating the 40th
anniversary of the encyclical at the Ma-
nila Cathedral Wednesday morning.
Lagdameo noted how marriage and
human sexuality today are “devalued”
and treated with “disrespect” and be-
cause population growth are linked with
the regulation of birth.
“It is time again to consider the moral
legacy of the servant of God, Pope Paul
VI in Humanae Vitae,” he said.
The CBCP head also recalled the con-
troversy that surrounded the encyclical
as it upheld the tradition and doctrine of
the Church regarding the use of artifi-
cial birth control. Despite such contro-
versy, he explained that the letter’s in-
struction issued four decades ago re-
mains relevant even today.
Lagdameo said the truth expressed in
the “prophetic” encyclical does not change
and, in fact, in the light of modern society
its teaching becomes more relevant.
Humanae Vitae was the most contro-
versial of seven encyclicals issued by
Pope Paul VI in 1968.
The uncompromising position on
birth control in the encyclical led to pro-
tests around the Catholic world, who
had expected the Church to give its
blessing to artificial contraception.
But the Holy Father instead issued an
uncompromising condemnation of all
artificial contraception.
It also shocked many of Catholic faith-
ful because the Church was already be-
coming more liberal since the historic
Vatican II Council of 1965. (Roy Lagarde)

Peasants heard at rural

congress
By Pinky Barrientos, FSP

THE rural poor made their voice heard in the re-

cently held Second National Rural Congress (NRC-
II) where hundreds of delegates representing peas-
ant farmers, fisherfolks, indigenous peoples,
women and youth discussed and dialogued with
the bishops concerning various socio-economic is-
sues affecting their daily lives.

Speaking before hundreds of Quoting the Gospel of Luke on

delegates of NRC-II, former
CBCP President and Cebu Arch-
bishop Ricardo J. Cardinal Vidal
said the assembly puts the Catho-
lic Church in the Philippines “at
the crossroads of history.”
Held at San Carlos Seminary
last July 7 and 8, the Second Na-
tional Rural Congress drew hun-
dreds of participants among bish-
ops, priests, nuns and rural folks
representing various sectors all
over the country to discuss rural
poverty issues.
the Beatitudes, Vidal said: “To-
day, in this Rural Congress, we
encounter the same people once
again: in our discussions and de-
liberations, we must remember
that we are listening to people
who came to Jesus two millennia
ago—with similar conditions,
similar desires, similar hopes and
aspirations.”
Participants express optimism
The Dignity of the Rural Poor--A Gospel Concern. JARO Archbishop and CBCP President Angel Lagdameo leads the press conference held at the opening of the 2nd
Participants to the NRC-II ex- National Rural Congress, held at San Carlos Seminary, Makati City, July 7, 2008; with him are Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, SJ, who chairs the National
Peasants / A6 Rural Congress, and Manila Auxiliary bishop Broderick Pabillo, who heads the CBCP Commission on Social Action, Justice and Peace.

Fast track review PPCRV head assumes NAMFREL chairmanship

of E-VAT, Pabillo THE nationwide Church-backed electoral
watchdog and the Comelec’s accredited citi-
Namfrel became famous for its Operation
Quick Count in the previous elections. With

urges gov’t
zen arm for Operation quick count now have
something in common aside from ensuring
a clean, orderly and honest election.
Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible
Voting (PPCRV) national chairperson Am-
AT a time when the urban poor could no bassador Henrietta T. De Villa has been ap-
longer keep up with the rising prices of basic pointed the head of the National Movement
commodities, social unrest can be easily trig- for Free Elections (Namfrel) in a meeting of
gered should government efforts to review the Namfrel National Council at Philamlife
the 12-percent expanded Value-Added Tax (E- Tower, Makati City, July 3.
VAT) prove to be too lax. “I see no conflict in chairing both PPCRV and
This is what Manila Auxiliary Bishop Namfrel. Both organizations have distinct char-
Broderick Pabillo said following reports of acters of their own,” said De Villa in a statement.
government resistance in temporarily sus- De Villa, herself a former Namfrel volun-
pending the implementation of E-VAT on oil teer in the 80’s said it is important for both
products, which in effect generates price in- organizations to work together to realize the
crease in basic goods and services. goal of a clean, honest and orderly elections.
“We urge the government to fast track a re- The chairmanship of Namfrel gave De Villa
view of the E-VAT to consider the situation of a free hand to re-organize the organization in
our poor constituents. Malacañang should by view of the implementation of the automated
now realize how unfair it is to pass the same E- elections as mandated by RA 9369, also known
VAT to both the poor and rich consumers,” as Amended Election Automation Act of 2008.
Pabillo said during The Forum, a weekly news
press conference sponsored by the CBCPNews
the automation of ARMM elections and De
Villa at the helm, Namfrel is about to take on
a new role--an external manual audit role--
as stated in Section 29 of RA 9369.
“Where the AES is used, there shall be a
random manual audit in one precinct per con-
gressional district randomly chosen by the
Commission in each province and city. Any
difference between the automated and
manual count will result in the determina-
tion of root cause and initiate a manual count
for those precincts affected by the computer
or procedural error,” the manual explained.
But De Villa said Namfrel can perform this
role in the upcoming ARMM elections in August
11 only if the Comelec will include a provision
on the guidelines on how to conduct the Random
Manual Audit in their General Instructions.
“I hope that the Comelec will include in
their General Instructions for the Aug. 11
ARMM elections a provision on the guide-
PPCRV / A6

Sulpicio Lines in a wrong business,

and the Catholic Media Network.
Pabillo, also the chairman of the CBCP
National Secretariat for Social Action
(NASSA), likewise assailed the government
for saying that suspension of E-VAT would
mean reduced funding for the government’s
pro-poor programs.
“The government should not mention the
dole-outs and subsidies it has recently dis-
tributed to justify the continued implemen-
tation of E-VAT for they are mere short-term
cushion to the problem. It should admit that
it cannot sustain these dole-outs in the fu-
ture,” he said.
What the government should mention to
justify the E-VAT, Pabillo said, are the con-
crete ways it has addressed the basic necessi-
ties and services it is duty-bound to provide
the public. But since there are none, he said
review of the E-VAT is just too timely.
“I don’t think the government simply can-
not do anything. It can do something pro-
vided they are driven to do it,” he said. (Kris
Bayos)
says Cardinal Rosales
THE head of Manila’s Roman Catholic
Church said the Sulpicio Lines may have
ventured into wrong business following
another tragedy involving one of its pas-
senger vessels.
“Maybe they (Sulpicio Lines) should not
be in this kind of business,” Manila Arch-
bishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales told
church reporters on Monday.
Rosales said the MV Princess of the Star
owner, which capsized and was swept into
shallow water near Sibuyan, should face
and address their problem instead of mak-
ing excuses.
He said the shipping company had been
involved in at least three major tragedies in
the past— reasons enough for the authorities
to take serious action.
The prelate also chided earlier claim of
Sulpicio officials that the recent tragedy was
“an act of God” brought by the raging ty-
phoon.
“Sailing right into the eye of the storm is
not an act of God. It’s an act of a stupid per-
son,” he said.
“There’s something wrong in that institu-
tion considering that they are in public ser-
vice and yet they have been involved in the
deaths of thousands,” Rosales added. (Roy
Lagarde)

A2
U.S. Catholics top list of
contributors to Peter’s Pence
Bishops’ conferences drop to second place
VATICAN CITY, July 9, 2008—
The Council of Cardinals that
studies the Vatican’s organiza-
tional and economic matters an-
nounced this Wednesday that the
income generated worldwide by
the collection known as the
Peter’s Pence placed U.S. Catho-
lics way at the top of the list, dis-
tantly followed by Italy.
During 2007, the Peter’s Pence
reported an income of
$79,837,843 U.S. dollars; most of
which was used for the Pope’s
charitable initiatives in favor of
the poorest countries or regions
affected by natural disasters.
The most generous Catholic
communities were the U.S. with
$18.7 million dollars, followed by
Italy at $8.6 million, Germany
with $4 million and Spain at $2.7
million.
The Holy See also received an in-
dividual contribution from an anony-
mous donor for $14.3 million dollars.
The most generous bishops’
conference in support of the
Holy See was that of the Ger-
man Bishops, who contributed
$9.3 million. The German bish-
ops were followed by the
USCCB at $8.3 million and then
the Italian Bishops, who gave
$5.5 million. Surprisingly, the
Bishops of South Korea, where
Catholics represent slightly
more than 10% of the popula-
tion, ranked 7th with $681,542
dollars. (CNA)
Vatican
announces
deficit for 2007
VATICAN CITY, July 9, 2008—
The Council of Cardinals that
studies the Vatican’s organiza-
tional and economic problems
announced that the Holy See
has reported a deficit of 9 mil-
lion euros—more than 14 mil-
lion U.S. dollarsfor 2007.
The committee of Cardinals,
who recently gathered with the
Secretary of State, Cardinal
Tarcisio Bertone, includes Cardi-
nal Roger Mahony from Los An-
geles, Camillo Ruini, Vicar emeri-
tus of Rome (Italy), Antonio
Maria Rouco Varela of Madrid
(Spain), Anthony Olubunmi
Okogie, of Lagos (Nigeria), Juan
Luis Cipriani Thorne, of Lima
(Peru), Edward Michael Egan, of
New York, Eusébio Oscar Scheid,
of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil),
Gaudencio B. Rosales, of Manila
(The Philippines) and Nicholas
Cheong of Seoul (Korea).
The Committee evaluated the
balance sheets of the Holy See,
the Government of the Vatican
City State and the contributions
to the Peter’s Pence all separately.
The Holy See’s balance—
which includes the expenses of
the different dicasteries and of-
fices of the Roman
Curiareported incomes for
236,737,207 euros and ex-
penses of 245,805,167 leaving
a deficit of 9,067,960 euros. The
posting of a deficit is a dramatic
down turn from the surpluses
reported 2004, 2005 and 2006,
which netted a combined in-
come of 15,206,587.
The main contributors to the
Vatican’s dip into the red are
Vatican Radio and the newspa-
per L’Osservatore Romano in
their different languages, in-
cluding the daily Italian edition.
The two media providers re-
quired a combined 14.6 million
euros for their expenses in 2007.
There are 2,748 people work-
ing in the Roman Curia, 44
more than in 2006. The labor
force of the Curia consists of
778 priests, 333 religious (male
and female) and 1,637 layper-
sons, of which 425 are women.
The Government of the
Vatican City State did not post
a deficit in 2007, registering a
surplus of 6.7 million euros. A
significant role in the surplus
was played by the substantial
increase in the number of visi-
tors to the Vatican Museums.
The Government of the
Vatican City has 1,795 employ-
ees, 102 more than in 2006. The
city state paid out 62.3 million
euros in salaries and benefits
in 2007. (CNA)
ST. PETER’S BASILICA
Caritas laments G-8’s lack of fresh leadership
Says failure to meet Millennium Goals a scandal
ROME, July 9, 2008—The
Caritas representative at the
Group of Eight meeting in Ja-
pan lamented that the results
of the summit were a stalemate
and a repetition of the same
failing promises.
Joseph Donnelly, who is the
head of the Caritas delegation at
the United Nations in New York,
gave a bleak evaluation of the G-
8 meeting that ended today.
“The outcomes of the 2008 G-
8 are stalemate on climate
change and a broken record on
aid for Africa,” he said. “The
world was looking for fresh
leadership, but instead got
Groundhog Day.”
The leaders promised to up-
hold previous pledges made at
the 2005 G-8 summit on in-
creased levels of aid, but did not
Focolare elects new
president
CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy,
July 8, 2008—The Catholic lay
Focolare movement elected a
new president, the first after the
death of its founder in March.
Maria Voce, 70, was elected
Monday at the movement’s
general assembly. She succeeds
the founder, Chiara Lubich,
with whom she was a close col-
laborator. Voce has lived
within the Focolare community
for 44 years and she has re-
cently been involved in updat-
ing the movement’s statutes.
The Italian brings years of ex-
perience in the charism’s work
toward unity, most notably 10
years living in Turkey, where
she worked closely with the
Orthodox patriarch of
Constantinople between 1978
and 1988, as well as with Or-
thodox Patriarch Bartholomew
I, and with leaders of other
Christian communities and
with the Muslim world.
The statutes of Focolare
stipulate that the president of
the movement be a lay woman,
to guarantee the group’s
Marian profile and the
movement’s predominantly lay
nature.
A co-president — a Focolare
priest is also stipulated by the
statues. Father Giancarlo
Faletti was elected to the posi-
tion today.
World News
define the concrete steps to ful-
fill the promises, Caritas re-
ported. Three years into the G-
8’s five-year plan on increas-
ing overseas aid to $50 billion
a year, only a fifth of the money
has been delivered.
“Reheated commitments on
aid that we’re still waiting to see
fulfilled three years later will not
deliver food, education, clean
water, and health to the poorest
people,” Donnelly said. “The
tragedy is that we can show the
massive improvements that
have been made in developing
countries with the little amounts
of aid that have been delivered.
The G-8 countries can afford to
deliver on their aid pledges so it
will be a scandal if the Millen-
nium Development Goals fail to
be reached because of lack of fi-
“After Chiara Lubich’s de-
mise last March 14, the election
of Maria Voce and Giancarlo
Faletti, marks a new milestone
of the movement’s story, be-
cause it heralds in a period of
transition from Chiara and the
first Focolarini, who started the
movement and who have al-
ways been at its helm up to
now,” a statement from the
movement’s Web site ex-
plained. “The new president’s
first words were first and fore-
most of thanks to them, for the
trust with which this transition
has been accompanied. She
said that she ‘is sure to find
them as her first collabora-
tors.’”
Focolare informed that the re-
sults of the election were im-
mediately communicated to
Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko,
president of the Pontifical
Council for the Laity.
In giving the official con-
firmation of those elected, he
expressed the wish that Voce
and Father Faletti “may carry
out in a fruitful manner their
tasks in absolute fidelity to
the charism received from
Chiara Lubich […] in follow-
ing the ideal of unity, which
is the ardent desire expressed
by Jesus, and the primary
goal of the movement.”
(Zenit)
nancing.”
Climate change
Caritas also lamented the re-
sults of the summit discussion
on climate change.
“G-8 leaders needed to end
the inertia on carbon emis-
sions, instead they repeated in
2008 what was said 16 years
ago at the 1992 Earth Summit
in Rio,” Donnelly said. “It’s a
plan for inertia in which the
poor are paying the cost now
on behalf of the rich countries
who are responsible, but in
which the whole world will
eventually foot the bill of an
increasingly hostile climate.”
The G-8 includes Britain,
Canada, France, Germany, Italy,
Japan, Russia and the United
States. (Zenit)
Miraculous Medal Marks 100 Years
Vincentians proclaim Jubilee to foster devotion to Mary
ROME, July 8, 2008—The As-
sociation of the Miraculous
Medal was given pontifical
approval 100 years ago today,
and a centenary is beginning
to mark the anniversary.
Vincentian Father Gregory
Gay, superior-general of the as-
sociation, announced the cen-
tenary that will run through
Nov. 20, 2009, when the group
will have its third international
meeting.
The association, estab-
lished after the apparitions of
the Virgin Mary to St.
Catherine Laboure, was rec-
ognized formally on July 8,
1909. The miraculous medal
was manifested by the
Blessed Virgin to St. Catherine
in Paris in 1830.
The medal shows Our Lady
standing on a globe with her
arms outstretched and with
the rays of light streaming
from her fingers. Framing the
figure is the inscription: O
Mary, conceived without sin,
pray for us who have recourse
to thee. The back of the medal
has 12 stars encircling a large
“M” from which arises a
cross. Below are two hearts
with flames arising from them.
One heart is encircled in
thorns and the other is pierced
by a sword.
In a letter titled “100 Years
of Pilgrimage With Mary,
United With Jesus in the Poor
Through the Miraculous
Medal,” Father Gay invited
those who follow the spiritu-
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 14
July 7 - July 20, 2008
US bishops fail to approve
liturgy translation
WASHINGTON, D.C., July 8, English-speaking countries for
2008—The translation of the
Proper of Seasons for use in the
approval. Some of the 11 con-
ferences that belong to the li-
United States is stalled, after it turgical commission have al-
failed to garner the approval of ready approved it.
two-thirds of the nation’s Latin The U.S. prelates will not
rite bishops. send this Gray Book back to the
The bishops voted on the International Commission for
translation of that section of the
English in the Liturgy, intend-
Missale Romanum in their June ing instead to handle the pro-
general assembly. There were cess with the episcopal
not enough bishops there to conference’s Committee on Di-
fulfill the voting requirements vine Worship.
for approval or rejection of the According to the chair-
translation. Successive voting man of that committee,
by mail did not bring enough Bishop Arthur Serratelli, the
votes for the approval. Gray Book will be presented
At the debate in June, some again to the bishops in their
bishops took issue with the November meeting, incorpo-
translation for using words rating changes approved in
such as “gibbet,” which they June. It will also allow for
consider no longer of common the typical conference pro-
usage by English speakers. cess of allowing bishops to
Other bishops noted the desire submit modifications for
to not only stay faithful to the
proposal.
original Latin, but also repre- In an attempt to stay on
sent the poetic sounds proper scheduleapproving the com-
to liturgical prayer. plete Roman Missal by 2010—
The Proper of Seasons is the the U.S. bishops will consider
second of 12 sections of the full
in November two more sections
text of the Roman Missal. of the translation, as well as the
This text, a “Gray Book,” is latest revision of the Proper of
the second stage in the draft Seasons.
translation of the Proper or Sea- The Vatican Congregation
sons prepared by the Interna- for Divine Worship and the
tional Commission for English Sacraments gives final ap-
in the Liturgy. The commission proval of the translations.
submitted it to the bishops of (Zenit)
Pope Benedict appoints Salesian as prefect
of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints
VATICAN CITY, July 9, 2008—Today
Archbishop Angelo Amato was
appointed by the Holy Father as
prefect of the Congregation for the
Causes of Saints. The archbishop
will also be raised to a cardinal
during the next consistory.
He will succeed Cardinal Jose
Saraiva Martins (76) who, accord-
ing to Canon Law, has reached
the age of retirement.
Born in 1938, Amato
was ordained a priest
in 1967 in the Order of
the Salesians of St.
ARCHBISHOP ANGELO AMATO
John Bosco. He was
appointed by John Paul II to become the bishop of the Italian Dio-
cese of Sila in 2002 and has also held the position of secretary of the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith since December 2002.
As prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Arch-
bishop Amato will oversee the process or canonization approving
miracles, martyrdom, and heroic virtueand present the
congregation’s findings to the Pope.
Along with Archbishop Amato, former St. Louis Archbishop
Raymond Burke is also expected to be raised to a cardinal during the
next consistory. (CNA)
ality of St. Vincent de Paul to apostolate has been developed
mark the centenary. in imitation of Mary who vis-
The letter recalls the progress ited her cousin Elizabeth, giv-
of the miraculous medal asso- ing the consolation that only
ciation in its 100 years of exist- the God of life can give to any-
ence. It noted that the princi- one in need,” he added.
pal apostolate has been prayer “Without a doubt, it has been
to promote a greater devotion Mary, through her intercession,
of the Virgin Mary. who has blessed this journey,”
“The association has devel- Father Gay stated. “We pray that
oped this apostolate of prayer she continue to accompany us
and evangelization by way of in the jubilee year. […] We invite
the home visits where, in a all the members of the Associa-
family environment, persons tion of the Miraculous Medal
of faith and good will fall in and other members of the
love with the Lord Jesus Vincentian Family to develop ac-
through an intimate closeness tivities to promote a greater de-
to his mother Mary,” Father votion to our mother, Mary, and
Gay explained. a greater love for the poor, doing
“In the more recent history all that we do for the greater
of the association, a service- honor and glory of God.” (Zenit)
 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 14
July 7 - July 20, 2008
We are happy the bishops are with us, says DAR
IPIL, Zamboanga Sibugay, July
1, 2008—“We are happy the bish-
ops are with us.”
Speaking to the media at the
culmination program of the an-
niversary of the Comprehensive
Agrarian Reform (CARL) Law
here yesterday, Engr. Raymundo
B. Bernardo, officer-in-charge of
the Department of Agrarian Re-
form (DAR) provincial office, said
“we are happy the bishops are
with us in calling for the exten-
sion of the agrarian reform pro-
gram in order to complete the
News Features
distribution of land to the tillers jurisdiction on agrarian reform
and to ensure the delivery of sup- cases by the DAR; strengthening
port services to the beneficia- the Presidential Agrarian Re-
ries.” form Council; creation of an over-
The Catholic Bishops’ Confer- sight committee; and imposing
ence of the Philippines (CBCP) penalties to violators of agrarian
has repeatedly called on the gov- reform.
ernment to extend the program “It is good that we are not
with reforms. alone in the call to extend the life
It proposed the following of the program,” said Bernardo.
reformstotal ban on land conver- When asked to comment on the
sion; bigger fund for CARP; proposed reforms, Bernardo said
greater access to loans; gender- “it is time to look into this mat-
responsive CARP; granting pro- ter as part of the extension.”
tection to beneficiaries; exclusive “But what is important is that
the program must be extended
for us to continue distributing
the land to the farmers,” he said.
Records from the DAR provin-
cial office showed that a total of
81,000 hectares have been cov-
ered since 1988 with 27,000 agrar-
ian reform beneficiaries.
“There are at least 17,000 hect-
ares of land under our jurisdic-
tion that are yet to be covered,”
he revealed. The area of jurisdic-
tion of the provincial agrarian
reform office includes
Zamboanga City and Isabela
City in Basilan.
“These are the areas that are
above five hectares but below 24
hectares,” Bernardo said.
Nationwide, 1.6 million hect-
ares of land still have to be cov-
ered by CARP. Of the 1.6 million
hectares, one million are private
agricultural lands (e.g. sugar es-
tates in the Visayas) and nearly
600,000 are public lands.
The DAR has estimated that
CARP still needs at least P160 bil-
lion for a 10-year realization of
CARP beyond 2008.
A3
“It is very important that the
program will be extended in or-
der to finish the distribution of
lands that are not yet covered,”
he stressed.
But with Congress still domi-
nated by landlords and even the
President’s family holding vast
sugar lands in Negros, agrarian
reform advocates admit it will
be tough to push for an exten-
sion to complete the distribu-
tion of at least a million hect-
ares more. (Antonio M.
Manaytay)

Filipino Nuncio ordained Infanta bishop,

priests lead in
defending

bishop at St. Peter’s basilica environment

ROME, July 4, 2008—Monsi-
gnor Bernardito Auza, newly
appointed Apostolic Nuncio to
Haiti was ordained to the Epis-
copacy yesterday at the Ba-
silica of Saint Peter in Rome. He
was ordained with Monsignor
Piergiuseppe Vacchelli, Assis-
tant Secretary of the Congrega-
tion for the Evangelization of
People (Propagation of the
Faith).
The Episcopal ordination
was conferred by His Emi-
nence Cardinal Tarcisio
Bertone, Secretary of State of
His Holiness, with Ivan Car-
dinal Dias, Prefect of the Con-
gregation for the Evangeliza-
tion of Peoples, and Jean-
Louis Tauran, President of
the Pontifical Council for In-
ter-Religious Dialogue as co-
Consecrators.
There were seven cardinals,
thirty-eight bishops and
around one-hundred priests
who concelebrated during the
two-hour liturgy on the feast
of St. Thomas Apostle. Among
the concelebrants were the
Most Rev. Antonieto D.
Cabajog, Bishop of Surigao
and ten Filipino priests.
Her Excellency Leonida
Vera, Philippine Ambassador
to the Holy See, His Excellency
Philippe Lhuillier, Philippine
Ambassador to Italy and their
Embassy staff also came for
the celebration.
Since Monsignor Auza
comes from Bohol, many of his
friends from the “Pundok ni
Beato Pedro Calungsod”, a
community of migrants from
the Visayan Region have been
involved in the preparations.
The solemn Eucharistic cel-
Msgr. Bernardito Auza, newly appointed Apostolic nuncio to Haiti with Msgr. Piergiuseppe Vacchelli, Assistant Secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization
of People, during their Episcopal ordination at the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome. Msgr. Auza, a native of Talibon, Bohol is the fourth Filipino to be appointed nuncio.
ebration began at five o’ clock
in the afternoon at the Altar of
the Chair of St. Peter which is
located at the far end of the cen-
tral nave of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Cardinal Bertone mentioned
in his homily the previous dip-
lomatic assignments of Monsi-
gnor Auza: Madagascar and
the South Indian Ocean (1990-
93), Bulgaria (1993-96), Alba-
nia (1997-98), Secretariat of
State (Vatican) at the Section for
Relations with States (“Foreign
Ministry”) of the Holy See
(1999-2006), Permanent Mis-
sion of the Holy See to the UN
(2006-2008).
Noting this vast diplomatic
experience, Cardinal Bertone
assured Monsignor Auza that
he will be effective in his dip-
lomatic mission as Apostolic
Nuncio to Haiti especially in
promoting peace, reconcilia-
tion and communion in the
country.
The Mass was followed by a
festive reception at the
Pontificio Collegio Filippino for
the family members and special
guests of Monsignor Auza.
Monsignor Auza is now the
fourth Apostolic Nuncio from
the Philippines and the first
from Bohol. The other three are
Archbishop Osvaldo M.
Padilla, Apostolic Nuncio to
Korea and Mongolia, Arch-
bishop Adolfo Tito Yllana,
Apostolic Nuncio to Pakistan
and Archbishop Francisco M.
Padilla, Apostolic Nuncio to
Papua New Guinea and the
Solomon Islands.
The Apostolic Nuncio is not
only the representative of the
Holy See to countries where it
has diplomatic relations but he
also serves as its liaison with
the local bishops of the Roman
Catholic Church.
The Nuncio carries the rank
of an ambassador extraordi-
nary and plenipotentiary with
the ecclesiastical rank of titu-
lar archbishop. Monsignor
Auza is the titular Archbishop
of Suacia. (Fr. Jose V.C.
Quilongquilong, S.J.)
INFANTA, July 9, 2008—The
Bishop and some priests from the
Prelature of Infanta have been
leading the efforts to defend the
environment, mobilizing the
communities to struggle against
logging that has caused a lot of
devastation in the province.
The Task Force Sierra Madre,
headed by Fr. Pete Montellana,
is coordinating the anti-logging
campaign. It has exposed the cor-
ruption in the Department of En-
vironment and Natural Re-
sources (DENR) that has allowed
illegal logging to continue.
Several priests have been ac-
tively involved in the anti-log-
ging campaign in their parishes,
said Fr. Boyet Valenzuela of
Dinalungan.
Valenzuela has received death
threats after leading a group com-
posed mostly of Basic Ecclesial
Communities (BEC) leaders in
investigating logging activities.
Infanta Bishop Rolando J. Tria
Tirona has already denounced the
ongoing logging in Northern
Quezon in spite of the total log
ban declaration by former DENR
secretary Angelo Reyes.
Livelihood programs
Meanwhile, some priests have
initiated income generating
projects and livelihood programs
in the BECs to address the prob-
lem of poverty. They have intro-
duced organic farming.
Some priests have formed their
parishes into networks of BECs.
Some still feel the need to revi-
talize their BECs.
Over the years, under the lead-
ership of Bishop Tirona, the
priests have been prophetic.
They have tried to live out what
it means to be a Church of the
poor.
They have also helped estab-
lish the zones of peace in Infanta
and General Nakar. Recently, Fr.
Osee initiated the setting up of
the peace zone in his Raphael the
Archangel Parish, in Real.
(Santosh Digal)

Military diocese to hold 1st Interfaith Mindanao Bishops, Clergy reiterate

Retreat, Enhancement Seminar opposition to Mining
MANILA, July 9, 2008—In a bid to “bring peace to our wounded
country, the Military Ordinariate of the Philippines (MOP) will con- ILIGAN CITY, July 4, 2008— 2006, the Catholic Bishop’s the series of human rights remain deprived of food and
duct its first Inter-faith Retreat and Enhancement Seminar to be The Mindanao-Bishops and Conference of the Philippines abuses and displacement of other basic necessities.
attended by all Chaplains on July 22 to August 02, 2008, with two Priests Congress reiterated (CBCP) issued another state- Indigenous peoples in The Mindanao bishops and
batches, at the Rivier Retreat House, Catalunan Grande, Davao their opposition to mining in ment on Mining Issues and Canatuan, Siocon, priests called on the govern-
City. the Philippines as they reaf- Concerns. There have been Zamboanga del Norte, the site ment to redirect its agenda to
This bold initiative took its root when Military Bishop Leopoldo
firmed their previous stand for other statements and position of a gold mine operation of TVI food security and develop-
S. Tumulak along with senior chaplains of the AFP and PNP at-
the repeal of the Mining Act of papers issued by regional Resource Development and ment an agri-aqua based
tended the Bishops-Ulama Conference last year in Cagayan de Oro
City and in a follow-up seminar entitled “Fundamentals of Peace
1995. groupings of bishops in be- the mine spills by Lafayette economy instead of the
building for Inter-Faith Leaders,” held in Davao City last April. In a phone interview with tween those two major state- Philippines, Inc. in Rapu- highly extractive industry
Given the learning gained in previous seminars on the fundamen- CBCPNews, Iligan Chancery ments of the CBCP. Rapu, Albay and its two sub- like mining.
tals of peace-building, the bishop proposed the conduct of this first Secretary Sr. Marilyn The Mindanao bishops and sidiaries Rapu-Rapu Process- They also encouraged the
ever activity in the history of the Chaplain Service to be conducted Montalla, MSOLTC said the priests insisted that they do ing, are just few examples of church, business and other
by the Mindanao Peace Institute. Mindanao Bishops and Clergy not subscribe to the DENR’s how the mining industry de- sectors to be more conscious of
The said gathering will work on the following objectives: to has come up with their state- reference to sustainable min- stroy God’s creation. their respective “social respon-
facilitate and animate training and education to individuals and their ment on the issue of Mining in ing. The prelates and priests sibility” and together direct
institutions on various approaches, theories and praxis in the field the latest 35th Diocesan Clergy “We believe that mining can clarified that they under- their activities towards the
of conflict transformation and peace-building; to bring together people of Mindanao Congress (DCM) never be sustainable. It is a stand the government’s de- common good and the attain-
from diverse sectors of society who are involved in the promotion of held in Iligan City last Febru- highly extractive industry and sire to reduce poverty but ment of sustainable develop-
just and lasting peace in order to build a community life through ary. remnants of past mining never at the expense of lives ment.
sharing of experiences and learning from and challenging one an-
More 400 delegates repre- projects and abandoned mines and properties of ordinary The Mindanao prelates and
other and to contribute in building solidarity among Asian networks
senting various archdioceses, which can be found in many Filipinos. The delegates were clerics urged the people to sup-
among participating individuals and institutions.
The course will also explore the challenges and dilemmas of peace
dioceses and prelatures of parts of the country can speak unanimous in saying there port and to understand in the
building in contemporary protracted violent conflicts. It will focus Mindanao signed the state- for itself,” the delegates are other sources of liveli- struggle against large-scale
on the development of a strategic framework for peace-building pri- ment. stressed. hood that are less destructive mining and the blatant exploi-
marily from the perspective of government and non-governmental The joint statement dis- The Mindanao prelates and and far more productive than tation of indigenous peoples.
practitioners. closed: “We, the Bishops and clerics added there have been mining that the government “We manifest through this
Participants will interact with current approaches and theory with Clergy of Mindanao collec- a number of mine-related trag- can resort to in its effort to statement that we in
ample opportunity for developing analytic and peace-building skills tively challenge the Philippine edies and disasters since the alleviate poverty. Mindanao consider it our duty
through exercises, simulations, and case studies. They will be ex- Government’s aggressive pro- passage of the Mining Act of They said the Philippines and responsibility to protect
pected to work in teams on a collaborative application on the frame- motion of large scale mining as 1995. The collapse of the tail- is basically agricultural God’s creation as a sign of our
work of peace-building. a flagship program to boost the ings dam of Marcopper Min- country and have fertile faith and love for our creator,
Around 170 participants comprising the chaplains of the AFP country’s economy.” ing Ltd spilling millions of lands and seas that are the Supreme being, ‘from
(Airforce, Army, and Navy), PNP, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), DCM delegates added in tons of toxic waste into the abundant in marine re- whom all good things come
Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Bureau of Fire
1998, the CBCP issued a state- island’s river and sea haunts sources. Yet in spite of all from,’” the Mindanao bishop
Protection (BFP), V. Luna Medical Center, MOP Civilian Priests
ment of concern on the Mining residents to this day. these, the Philippines re- and priests concluded.
and Staff are expected to attend the event. (Fr. Albert Garcia
Mecaydor)
Act of 1995. On January 29, DCM delegates further said mains poor and the people (Wendell Talibong)
 CBCP Monitor
A4 Opinion Vol. 12 No. 14
July 7 - July 20, 2008

EDITORIAL

Sovereign guarantee
TIME and again, Mang Andoy hears the enigmatic and now
even seemingly hallowed phrase “Sovereign Guarantee”.
He and the common tao are led to believe that they should
jump for joy when the government is said to have given a
“Sovereign Guarantee” here and there, to this or that bank,
corporation and the like.
But simply put, the jargon as merry as jumping for joy:
One, it is merely getting a loan, borrowing money, or simply
making “utang”. Two, it is the government that gets the
money, spends it as it sees fit, for whatever purpose it likes.
Three, it is however the people who actually pay the loan
made, the money borrowed, the “utang” incurred by who-
ever rules the government.
In other words, “Sovereign Guarantee” is in reality noth-
ing more than an exploitative government doing the follow-
ing: First, it is the government that officially seeks and gets
one big loan after another from this or that foreign or local
sources. Second, it is the same government that gives the
solemn promise and assurance that the Filipinos are the
ones who shall make full payments for all the loans made
plus the interests incurred. Third, it is precisely the same
government that thereafter directly gets the money and glee-
fully spends it according to its design and desire. Fourth is
precisely the same government that imposes and collects
heavy and continuous direct and indirect taxes from the
people, young and old, rich and poor, oligarchs and beg-
gars alike to pay the borrowings made. Fifth is definitely the
same government that again seeks and gets more loans—
and the same cycle goes on and on.
There would be no problem with a government that gets
loans, that gives “Sovereign Guarantee”, that spends the
money if those in government, especially the leading fig-
ures, are known for their honestly and integrity, and not Abp. Angel N. Lagdameo, DD
infamous instead for the long litany of gross graft and fla-
grant corrupt practices. ‘Humanae Vitae’—
The payment of taxes by the citizens to the government is
a standard and acceptable practice if the public officials
In and Out of Season controversial but prophetic
concerned, particularly the highest authority in the land,
enjoy credibility and has the trust of the people.
But there is a huge, throbbing and disconcerting socio- THE 40th anniversary of the Encyclical Let- started to consider the merits and efficacy of the proposed bills in our Philippine Congress
ethical problem when a government with its chief executive ter on the Regulation of Birth, “Humanae Vi- Standard Days Method as a natural family have been identified by our Episcopal Com-
tae” by Pope Paul VI, is an opportune time planning method provided it is not combined mission on Family and Life as D.E.A.T.H. Bills
is categorically and continuously rated as corrupt, very cor-
for us to recall the salient doctrine of this with contraceptives and it is not seen as part because they ultimately lead to the promo-
rupt, and most corrupt. And this is exactly the case of the authoritative and controversial but prophetic of the government’s total family program for tion of Divorce, Euthanasia, Abortion, Total
Philippine Government today, under the present national encyclical. population control. Reproductive Health, Homosexuality (same
leadership that is engaged in continuous big borrowings of At its publication on July 25, 1968, this let- sex marriage). On closer scrutiny of the pro-
money that has made even the unborn Filipinos already in ter of Paul VI had caused much discussion A Controversial Encyclical posed bills they are anti-life, violative of the
big debt—with “Sovereign Guarantee”! and aroused much opposition which the Pope Mainly because of Humanae Vitae’s pro- dignity and sanctity of human life and anti-
had foreseen (HV 18). Against the prevailing hibition of all forms of artificial contracep- family; they disunite rather than unite
expectation of liberalization in the sixties and tion, the encyclical has been controversial. couples, and destroy the family consecrated
seventies, that the Catholic Church would The Encyclical’s teachings encountered open by God as the sanctuary of human life. Un-
change her traditional teaching on conjugal dissent voiced widely and publicly by sev- fortunately and sadly, some of these bills

Land and Agrarian Reform

morality and allow all forms of birth con-
trol. Pope Paul VI in Humane Vitae instead
re-affirmed the Church’s traditional teaching,
regarding birth control and responsible par-
IT is often said that agrarian reform is the centerpiece of the enthood.
government’s development plan. Such intent commendably
Enunciation of Conjugal Morality
conforms to the social teachings of the Church on land and What does Humanae Vitae tell us? Does it
agrarian reform. prohibit “family planning?” It does not pro-
While in industrializing countries, the ownership of hibit family planning. But family planning
knowledge, technology and skill is becoming more impor- should be done in a right way and not in a
tant than land, for most of the developing countries land is sinful way. Briefly stated, Humanae Vitae
still central. Unfortunately, in many cases “those who culti- condemns direct and deliberate prevention
vate it are excluded from ownership and are reduced to a of conception. And so, direct abortion must
be rejected as a means of regulating birth or
state of quasi-servitude” (CA, no. 33). even therapeutic means. Likewise direct ster-
The fundamental principles governing land are the prin- ilization of male (vasectomy) and of female
ciples of the universal purpose of created goods and the (ligation) must be rejected as well as all acts
right to private property, understood especially in its social that attempt to impede procreation—i.e. such
dimension. The Church strongly criticizes the two-tiered acts before, during and after the couple’s
system of land distribution that prevails in many develop- sexual union: this includes the taking of con-
ing countries, with a “small number of large landowners traceptive pills, I.U.Ds and condoms. It is never
lawful, even for the gravest reasons, to do
possessing most of the arable land, while vast numbers of evil that good may come out of it (c.f. HV 11).
very small owners, tenants and settlers farm the remaining It is a serious error to think that a whole
land, which is often of inferior quality” (Pontifical Council married life of normal sexual relations could
for Justice and Peace, “Toward a Better Distribution of Land”, justify a contraceptive act of sexual union.
Rome, 1997, no. 4; the same document goes on to analyze The Church, however, allows the use of
both the dynamics that have crated this situation and its medical treatment of the therapeutic means
negative impact on development efforts, nos. 6-21). for curing of cancerous uterus, the preserva-
tion of life is what directly intended (Prin-
In the Philippines, it is most unfortunate that the Compre- ciple of Double Effect).
hensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) has been wa- Natural family planning methods are mor-
tered down from the beginning, e.g., as to retention limits ally allowed when they take advantage of
and exemptions, because government, dominated as it is by the natural cycle of the reproductive system
landowners, lacked the political will to pass a law that would of the wife such as the use of the Basal Body
be truly meaningful to tenants long in bondage. Temperature, the Billings Ovulation Method,
The recent amendments to the Agrarian Reform Program Sympro-Thermal Method and the Lactational
Amenorrhea Method. Lately, some moral
reflect the slowness to implement even the watered down theologians and Episcopal Conferences have
version because of landowners’ resistance. The interests and
welfare of the poor continue to take the last seat.
—Pastoral Exhortation on the Philippine Economy, 1998
eral bishops, cardinals and theologians. The
Encyclical was criticized by development or-
ganizations who claim that it limits the meth-
ods available to fight world-wide population
growth and struggle against AIDS. Some
American, Canadian, Dutch and German
bishops instead claimed and stressed that
Catholics’ individual consciences should pre-
vail in such a personal and private issue as
family planning.
Pope Paul VI has however explicitly by-
passed the recommendations of the Commis-
sion established by Pope John XXIII (cf. HV 5
and 6), because its 72 members had not been
unanimous. He said “therefore, having at-
tentively sifted the documentation laid be-
fore us, after mature reflection and assidu-
ous prayers, we now intend, by virtue of the
mandate entrusted to us by Christ, to give
our reply to these grave questions” (HV 6).
A Prophetic Encyclical
Controversial as it was, Humanae Vitae is
today regarded as prophetic. Its predictions
(cf. HV 17) about the effects of contraception
on society are seen today as accurate. First,
according to Pope Paul VI, artificial methods
of birth control opens the way of lowering of
moral standards for the young as well as leads
to marital infidelity. Second, the use of con-
traception will lead to the lowering of re-
spect for women; husbands will regard their
wives as mere instruments to serve their own
desires. Thirdly, the use of artificial methods
of contraception, Pope Paul VI warned, will
be a dangerous tool in the hands of govern-
ment or public authorities who care little
about the moral law, and who may force the
use of contraceptives on everyone.
Is this not our observation today? Many of
Sr. Mary Pilar Verzosa, RGS
which encounter opposition in Congress,
from pro-life and pro-family Representatives,
are enacted by some local government units
inspite of moral objection of the Church. Pa-
triarch Athenagoras I stating his full agree-
ment with Pope Paul VI said: “He could not
have spoken in any other way.”
The controversy produced by Humane Vi-
tae is an expression of the inherent tension
between the paternalistic/legalistic empha-
sis on moral law and the personalistic em-
phasis on freedom of conscience. And yet,
neither can be sacrificed for the sake of the
other. No less than Pope John Paul II has re-
affirmed much of Humanae Vitae in his En-
cyclical Veritatis Splendor and his Theology
of the Body clarifying at the same time the
use of individual conscience in arriving at
moral decisions on responsible parenthood.
Our Response to the Encyclical
Although Humanae Vitae is not an infal-
lible pronouncement, what Pope Paul VI as
Universal Shepherd and Teacher said is true
and what he laid down is right. Therefore
what response do we give to it? Vatican II
(Gaudium et Spes) has told us “Religious sub-
mission of mind and will must be shown in a spe-
cial way to the authentic teaching of the Pope, even
when he is not speaking infallibly; judgments made
by him must be sincerely adhered to according to
his manifest mind and will.”
When we observe today how marriage and
human sexuality are de-valued and treated
lightly and with disrespect, how population
growth and responsible parenthood are
linked with the regulation of birth and how
we should promote natural family planning
against artificial birth control, it is time again
In and Out / A6

ISSN 1908-2940 Ultrasounds save lives Love Life

CBCP Monitor
Protagonist of Tr u t h , Promoter of Peace
ANNA attempted abortion two times on her
baby. The first time, she took abortifacient
pills. When her tummy continued to grow,
seling Center in Capiz, is in the USA (she has
a US Citizen visa), working as a nurse in or-
der to raise funds to continue the counseling
help available through friends who have at-
tended our pro-life seminars
Many of the women just need someone to
Pedro C. Quitorio she went to an abortion clinic for a D and C. center she began in Capiz. She says that she talk to and to encourage them to go on with
Editor-in-Chief Still the baby in her womb developed so she has encountered a lot of women who have their pregnancy, after exploring with them
decided to go on with the pregnancy. One of changed their mind regarding abortion once their own resources. Others need to be referred
Pinky Barrientos, FSP Kris P. Bayos the turning points in her decision to go on they saw their unborn baby kicking around to Maternity Homes, while a few need to be
Associate Editor Feature Editor with her pregnancy was when she went for in the womb. invited to come for face to face counseling since
check-up after the D and C in order to see if Ultrasounds save life! The youth should be the situation they are in are quite complicated
Melo M. Acuña Rosalynn Garcia the baby was still there. Lo and behold, the shown the films on the development of the – rape, incest, involved with a married man,
Managing Editor Marketing Supervisor technician had her look into the monitor to baby to educate them on the miracle of life. or totally rejected by her family.
Dennis B. Dayao take a peek at her three month old baby tum- AND every pregnant woman deserves to see When a woman seems to insist on abor-
Ernani M. Ramos
On-Line Editor Circulation Manager
bling and moving around! the first pictures of her baby, even before he/ tion even after intensive counseling, we sur-
A couple of weeks ago, Anna was admit- she is born! render her to the Lord as she walks out of our
Roy Q. Lagarde Marcelita Dominguez ted to the Mother and Baby Unit in a hospital Pro-life Philippines Crisis Counseling Cen- center and start the Prayer Brigade. Very of-
News Editor Comptroller that Filipino nurse Fanny Forteza was as- ters report around 150 calls from pregnant ten, she calls up a few days after, informing
signed to. Anna humbly admitted her abor- girls and women every month. Some get to us that she has decided to go on with her
The CBCP Monitor is published fortnightly by the CBCP tion attempts and awed that the pregnancy know of our hotline telephone numbers pregnancy! That usually calls for a celebra-
Communications Development Foundation, Inc., with
reached full term until birth. But with deep through the PLDT Directory, where we have tion as we relate the good news to our other
Layout by Denz Dayao

editorial and business offices at 470 Gen. Luna St.,

Intramuros, Manila. P.O. Box 3601, 1076 MCPO. regret and joyful gratitude, she praised God
Editorial: (063) 404-2182. Business: (063)404-1612. that her attempts to abort did not succeed.
Email: cbcpmonitor@cbcpworld.net She proudly embraced and breastfed her
Website: www.cbcpworld.net/cbcpmonitor baby.
Fanny, who is director of the Pro-life Coun-
been given a full page in the white pages year
after year for the past 15 years by DPC, the
publishers of the phone book. Others get to
know of our services through our TV or ra-
dio interviews, and many become aware of
counselors.
For those who want to volunteer to be preg-
nancy crisis counselors or who want to set up
their own women’s desks, call our Pro-life
office at 911-2911 or Sr. Pilar at 0920-945-5494.
 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 14
July 7 - July 20, 2008
Francisco F. Claver, SJ
Afterthoughts
LET us come together in little groups of reflec-
tion and discernment. In these groups we look
seriously at our part in the many evils of our
day—as individuals, as families, as communi-
ties—and discern what action we can do together.
On January 27 last, at the end of their first
CBCP meeting for the year, the bishops issued
that invitation to all of us in a pastoral state-
ment they entitled with a quotation from the
Evangelist Mark (1, 15): “Reform yourselves
and believe in the Gospel!” In the earlier part
of their statement, they reviewed briefly some
of the besetting problems, current then, in our
life as a nation: corruption in high places in the
government (the ZTE scandal had just come to
the public’s consciousness), extra-judicial kill-
ings, the bad peace and order situation, abuse
of our natural resources, the growing incidence
of political family dynasties, excessive politick-
ing, etc. Summarizing these evils, they said:
“In them all we see the all too patent subordi-
nation of the common good to the private
good.” That subordination—they asked us to
look deeply and honestly into by forming prob-
ing circles of discernment.
Except for a few gatherings here and there of
students in universities in Manila and efforts
by BEC groups and a sprinkling of lay organi-
zations in some dioceses, the massive discern-
ing that the bishops asked for did not happen—
a disappointing response. As was the reaction
of some Manila newspapers which preferred
to contest the bishops’ listing of the evils of our
country and failure to go along with their cur-
rent obsession with the ZTE case and the “Presi-
dent-resign” movement. But even more disap-
pointing, to me at least, was the parroting by
some religious of the media discontent with
the bishops’ statement. If the nitpicking was
extraordinary, more extraordinary was the ig-
noring of the conclusion made by the bishops
Calling all families!
Today in the world where life is born; there’s a struggle that is fought;
to be welcomed, to be cared, to be at home.
ONE of our seminarians was telling me just some
minutes ago how the other day he happened to
pass by a child sleeping by the roadside. He
then decided to give the child the cookies that he
just bought. The child’s reaction was simply
surprising, for the child asked the seminarian,
Ikaw ba si Hesus? (Are you Jesus?)
We’ve grown so used to seeing the poor
around us, it has become a natural thing to sim-
ply pass them by. And we’ve been so used to
having so many children around us, some have
considered them now a burden!
Today when all life seems bought and used
There’s a struggle to belong
To be free and to be a gift to everyone
Still remember the news item sometime ago
when a group of Filipinas were arrested in Eu-
rope because of prostitution? And the news re-
lease further stated that when confronted by the
police why they resorted to prostitution, their
answer was that it was in order for them to send
money back home to the Philippines. In most
certain terms, prostitution will never be mor-
ally acceptable. What breaks our heart is that
though noble our intentions may be, the end
Teresa R. Tunay, OCDS
…and that’s the truth!
“DON’T believe everything you read in the
papers!” seems an odd piece of advice coming
from a media person, but that is exactly what I
say whenever I’m asked to give media educa-
tion seminars anywhere, anytime.
My audiences include students, profession-
als, seminarians, workers (from janitors to
managers), cloistered nuns, parishioners, etc.,
but the two segments that I try to handle with
extra care are the students and the cloistered
nuns. The students—because they are young,
idealistic and impressionable; and the nuns—
because they have very limited contact with
the outside world they are called upon to pray
for. I base my observations on the questions
they ask, the comments they make, their reac-
tions to stimulus during our interaction.
Students would by their very youth tend to
be naïve and unconcerned and yet, upon peer
pressure, would “take a stand” on issues,
parroting arguments and wisecracks picked up
in media. “Taking a stand” and sounding
knowledgeable give students the veneer of
sophistication they sincerely think impresses
others.
By their very calling, cloistered nuns are al-
lowed only very little exposure to media, and
yet, a number of them would sincerely take
sides on any current political issue, emboldened
by the information ingested as truth from
people who come to them to ask for prayers.
Innocent and trusting, both young people
and sheltered women of God could be in dan-
ger of being misled and used by unscrupulous
entities with hidden agenda. These entities
could take advantage of the students’ idealism,
and use the latter as pawns in their power
games by feeding them with “the truth” and
spurring them into action outside of the school’s
walls. These unscrupulous entities could also
use their friendship with the nuns to lend cred-
ibility to their cause and shield their selfish
intentions from public scrutiny—for, indeed,
who would question the petitions of these
guileless, prayerful women?
Opinion
Circles of discernment
(the AsIPA)
from their enumeration of evils about “the all
too patent subordination of the common good
to private good.”
Looking back now with the wisdom of hind-
sight, I wonder if the idea of circles of discern-
ment—that was after all what the bishops were
asking to be formed—was not fully understood
in the context in which they put it: personal
and especially communal conversion, our re-
alizing of the part we play in the general mal-
aise. In the statement, they referred back to what
happened in 1986 in the developments that led
to EDSA I reminding us of how we had come
together “to pray together, reason together,
decide together, act together.” In 1986, those
words did bring about a common response
among our people—they formed “circles of
discernment”, however impermanent, asked
in all seriousness how they should respond to
the stolen election.
Some bishops thought that with our experi-
ence in the BECs, it would be easier to repli-
cate, but to a wider extent, the reflection and
prayer groups that formed then in 1986 after
the issuance of their statement on the snap elec-
tions. For between 1986 and now, practically a
generation, many dioceses have adopted the
AsIPA (Asian Integral Pastoral Approach) meth-
odology of community reflection and action
in the formation of BECs. But possibly it has
not been as widespread after all as was first
thought, limited in most cases only to dioceses
and parishes that had a strong BEC and social
action program, hence the not too encourag-
ing results. It might be a good idea then to say
something here about what the AsIPA is all
about, with a view to its further use as our
methodology for change in the months and
years ahead. For I think the bishops will keep
returning to the need for communal discern-
ment and action in the Gospel on national prob-
Fr. Melvin P. Castro
can never justify the means.
And that brings us to the myth of overpopu-
lation. That we are poor because we are too
many. Over population has already been de-
bunked. And poverty can never be a reason for
us to justify any resort to immoral means, and
that includes, artificial means of contraception.
Forty years ago, 25 July 1968, the Holy Father,
Paul VI, already prophetically mentioned the en-
suing contraceptive mentality that will lead to dis-
integration of families, failure of marriages, and
break down of moral standards. Forty years later,
we find our world ever worsening in its moral
outlook and our own country threatened by forces
and movements working against family and life.
We simply have to observe what is happening
now, the Consolidated Bill in the House of Repre-
sentatives on Reproductive Health, Responsible
Parenthood, Population Management; the vari-
ous ordinances passed by the local government
units such as in Olongapo City, Quezon City, Davao
City, just to name a few.
We call all families
Rise up and raise your hands as one
Come show the world the love that binds
Truth today
The thing is—the students and the cloistered
nuns are not that aware of the fact that media
agencies are there primarily for business, and
that media’s zeal in exposing the truth could be
powered by vested interests. They are not in a
position to know the inside story, nor are they
trained to read between the lines. More often
than not, they are swayed by what they read in
the papers.
What is more saddening to note is that people
in general seem to have become less and less
conscientious in seeking the truth; we do not
want to bother, to investigate, to dig into the
motives beneath the truth being told—or sold—
by media. We simply lap it up. Advertisers use
appealing visuals and their brand of truth to
lure consumers into buying their stuff. Report-
ers chasing after scoops could file stories filled
with half-truths—sensational and saleable half-
truths. Columnists and radio-TV commenta-
tors could pontificate about the truth when in
fact they are merely being truthy—because
truthiness lends them an air of authority and
omniscience.
“Truthy” and “truthiness” are relatively new
words coined by our times, and both appear in
the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) with
“truthiness” being defined as a derivative of
“truthy” which OED first came up with in 1800.
“Truthiness”, popularized by American come-
dian Stephen Colbert, was even honored “Word
of the Year” in 2006 by Merriam Webster Dic-
tionary which gives it two definitions: “truth
that comes from the guts, not books” and “the
quality of preferring concepts or facts one
wishes to be true, rather than concepts of facts
known to be true.” In the same year, ¯ Cana-
dian Parliamentarian Ken Dryden in a speech
delivered in the House of Commons captured
the meaning of “truthiness” when he defined it
as “something that is spoken as if true that one
wants others to believe is true, that said often
enough with enough voices orchestrated be-
hind it might even sound true, but is not true.”
It is with such truthiness that we are daily
lems that so far have eluded efforts at correc-
tion. The method is briefly described thus:
The AsIPA presupposes a community (or
group) that meets regularly for worship and
keeps asking itself a basic question: “In the Scrip-
ture readings of today [usually those of Sun-
day] what is the Lord telling us to do as a com-
munity of believers?” The first step is to do
some kind of social analysis of the life of the
community—what are its current problems or
opportunities, what is happening to hinder or
help them live a more Christian life? Answer-
ing that question, they move on to the next
step: a shared reflection on the message of the
day’s scripture readings applied to their life as
a community. From there they proceed to deci-
sions on what to do with the fruits of their dis-
cernment. That done, they go on to make plans,
assessing their capabilities and resources, as-
signing roles for particular tasks, etc. Action
follows during the week. When they meet
again, they assess what they have done, look
into reasons for success or failure. Whether they
have succeeded or not in their efforts at change,
whatever situation they find themselves in as a
community will call for another round of dis-
cernment and action. (That’s why the process is
also called a pastoral spiral or cycle.)
The implications for self- and community-
conversion of this method of communal discern-
ment and action cannot be over-exaggerated.
We’ve seen it work, as I showed in that incident
I related last month on how the farming folk of
Bukidnon dealt with those degrading referen-
dums during martial law. I am convinced it is
the only way we can form a strong communal
sense of the common good. Without it we will
most certainly continue to be mired as a people
in the morass of our many intractable social ills
solely because we cannot transcend selfish in-
terests and strive as one for the common good.
Speaking of Mary
All God’s children into one
Hence, we ask all our families to let your voice
be heard. We cannot accept any legislation of
immorality. Our leaders have to respect our
Faith and moral beliefs. Join us at the RALLY
FOR FAMILY AND LIFE on 25 July 2008, 3 to 6
pm, at the historic site of People Power at the
Shrine of Our Lady of Peace at EDSA.
Like the Holy Family
with Jesus, Joseph, and Mary
Home is where true love begins.
Love rejoices! Love embraces!
In this struggle to defend Family and Life, we
cannot but be rooted in Christ through prayer
and sacrifice. Our gathering at EDSA will not
simply be a show of force, it is show, a manifes-
tation of the power of Love, God’s love for the
Family and Life. God willing as well, after this
activity, we may have stronger Family and Life
Ministries in our arch/dioceses, and the Filipino
families more aware for the need to be vigilant
in the defense of Family and Life values.
May Our Lady, Mediatrix of All Grace, Queen
of the Family, be with us and guide us in this
struggle. Ave Maria! Ad Jesum per Mariam.
being bombarded by media—celebrities’ amo-
rous or amorphous philosophies; politicians’
peculiar perspectives; half-baked activists’ plati-
tudes; rebellious bloggers’ devil-may-care as-
sertions; literary best-sellers’ pronouncements
and popular entertainers’ endorsements.
Everyone has his or her own brand of “truth”
to peddle, media agents continue to rake in the
profits, while fence sitters—apparently stunned
by overpowering “truths”—are unwittingly
dragged into the descent toward moral inco-
herence.
That is the sad fact about truth today. It is
being reduced by media to truthism. Worse,
they are elevating truthism to the level of truth.
Nowadays, anyone with media access can
manipulate facts and espouse the concepts he
sees or wishes to be true until he gets others to
believe it as truth. When truth today is simply a
press release from Malacañang, what a preg-
nant actress utters with conviction about her ex-
lover actor, the viewpoint a Senator or a Con-
gressman states with a clenched fist, or the venom
godless militants sputter about bishops who
would rather keep silent—and no one questions
the loud, the self-righteous and the shameless—
we all suffer. The truth as revealed in, by, and
through Jesus Christ gets buried under an ava-
lanche of half-truths and relativism.
The power of media is almost immeasur-
able. The power of misused media is devastat-
ing. We only have to open our eyes to its influ-
ence on our little children and we will see how
far-reaching its harmful effects can be on soci-
ety. What other institution can stand up to media
and annihilate the insidious evil therein? The
government? The military? The schools? No,
but the Church can—because the Church is in
government, in military, in education, every-
where, and it is the body of Christ. Are we
doing enough—enough—to use media to make
the immutable, absolute and discoverable
Truth overpower the truthism in our midst?
Yes? Or No? Indeed, the truth(ism) hurts. And
that’s the truth.
A5
Jose B. Lugay
Laiko Lampstand
The Filipino family’s
investment in education—is
government wasting it?
A FILIPINO family’s expenses for a child’s education gives the
highest return on investment—a bright future! That is, if he
studies in a school with unblemished record. Of course the
child starts his values education at home, a duty of his parents
clearly pronounced in Familiaris Consortio of Pope John Paul II - 14.
“According to the plan of God, marriage is the foundation of the wider
community of the family, since the very institution of marriage and
conjugal love are ordained to the procreation and education of children,
in whom they find their crowning.”
The best institutions of formation are parish schools or pri-
vate schools run by the Religious missionaries where catechism
and Catholic doctrine is taught – the appropriate venue for the
initial formation of a Catholic laity. As the student passes
through primary school and high school, he finally chooses his
vocation or profession and enrolls himself in an accredited
school or university. In all these stages of learning to become a
professional, the family invests well-earned money and even
sells family properties when financially short. In the case of
farm-based families, they may need to sacrifice and sell their
farm animals for the needed financial support of their student
graduate to take the board examination.
Each time the newspapers publish the results of a board ex-
amination, I immediately look at the percentage passing; that
is, how many passed the exams and how many failed? Most of
those who took courses in engineering, accounting, and even
nursing had passing percentages ranging between 30 to 40 per-
cent; rarely reaching 50 percent. This means that 60 to 70 per-
cent of the family’s investment in education goes to naught. It
is not only very disappointing to the student himself but to all
members of the family who nurture the hope that the graduate’s
future earnings upon finding a job, will support the younger
siblings, a Filipino tradition practiced even today.
A recently published cost of college education in selected
private schools in Metro Manila amounts to as low as P32,540
and as high as P124,800 per academic year or an average of
P78,670 that a parent spends for his/her student per academic
year. This means that for a 4-year course it is an investment of
P302,680 and for a 5–year course, P393,350.00. This does not
include the cost of food, lodging and transportation per stu-
dent which amounts to even more for those who come from
the provinces to study in Manila. But the biggest loss in failing
the board exams is the family’s hopes for a better life since the
graduate who failed will have difficulty getting employment.
Who are to blame? Probably the student chose the wrong
course! If it is due to the educational system, what actions can
be taken? Let us take the case of the Nursing Board Examina-
tions as a typical case for our examination of causes attribut-
able to the educational system. The Nursing course has the
highest enrollment among college courses today hence the
parents of these students who fail in the board exams will lose
more in their investment for education. They had long dreamt
to have their graduate student find employment abroad after
passing the board. After all, nursing services is very much in
demand in many parts of the world where Filipino nurses or
caregivers are preferred among other nationals.
The first issue in the regulatory system is the accreditation of
Nursing Schools. This is under the responsibility of the Com-
mission on Higher Education (CHED). It was during the tenure
of the present and newly installed U.S.T. Rector, Fr. Rolando V.
dela Rosa when many nursing schools could not pass the ac-
creditation criteria set by him as the new CHED Chairman.
Businessmen who invested in establishing new Nursing Schools
had a stronger influence with Congress and the Palace for ap-
proving their accreditation, hence the new Nursing Schools
proliferated. Rather than be part of the corruption, Fr. De la
Rosa resigned.
The second issue in the system is the performance review of
schools/universities where the number of examinees who failed
the board examination are statistically evaluated. A number of
these schools have no graduate who passed the board exami-
nation for a number of years (5 to 10 years). I discovered this
personally during my term as a member of the Board of Exam-
iners for Chemical Engineers (1985–1987). One school which
offered the Chemical Engineering course never had a passing
examinee for more than 5 years and the enrollment yearly was
not more than 12. My attempt to act on this was thwarted from
the start. While the Board could recommend the closure of a
collegiate degree for the reasons stated above, this needed the
approval of the Professional Regulation Commission Chair-
man. His endorsement may also be vetoed by Congress or the
Administration. In simple terms, governance is ruled by po-
litical patronage.
The proliferation of review centers somehow shielded the
loss of reputation of the academic schools. Their students take
review classes in another outfit usually run by the school’s
professors. The passing examinees are advertised using the
name of the review center. Some of these review centers even-
tually became fly-by-night businesses that mushroomed in cit-
ies all over the country. Advocacy groups like the National
Union of Students of the Philippines rallied to let CHED act on
the newly imposed Executive Order No. 566 directing review
centers to integrate with existing nursing schools. But CHED
extended the deadline for another 6 months for these nursing
review centers to obtain the accreditation. Meantime, they
earn enormous amounts of money while 60 to 70 percent of the
candidates fail the exams. Note that the Baguio City reviewers
had 1,067 enrollees and they collected P 1.2 million in registra-
tion fees.
It is not fair to families if they are not informed about the
failing schools where their students plan to enroll in. If given
the right information, they can send their students to schools
that are properly accredited and have shown a good perfor-
mance record in board examinations. A concerned Filipino
American who worked in the prestigious U.S. companies like
NASA and Boeing, that is, scientist and educator Ray Vincent,
asked the Professional Regulation Commission for this infor-
mation – the comparative data on schools’ performance on licensure
examinations and urged the PRC to review its Resolution No. 2003-
143 which he said puts a cap on research and study activities in con-
nection with comparing the schools’ respective performance in exams.
In short, if you go to ask the PRC what schools have good
performance record in passing the board for a specific college
course, they will tell you—Bawal yan. Only those authorized
can get the information!
Our educational system is already burdened with too many
enrollees but not enough schools. We lack teachers and our
best teachers go abroad to teach American kids. Funds for build-
ing schools are available now but only 1,308 out of the planned
1,926 schools were built on time. Could it be due to ineffi-
Laiko / A6
 CBCP Monitor
A6 Local News Vol. 12 No. 14
July 7 - 20, 2008

Vatican OKs 2 pilgrim sites

in RP for Catholic Church urges
year of St. gov’t to assess E-VAT, Oil
Deregulation Law
Paul
MANILA, June 30, 2008—The Vatican said a special indulgence is
available to Catholics who visit two pilgrimage sites in the Archdio-
cese of Manila this year to mark the Year of Saint Paul.
Catholics can receive a plenary indulgence, under the usual condi-
tions, by taking a pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of St. Paul the Apostle
inside St. Paul Seminary and the Parish of Sts. Peter and Paul, both in
Makati City between June 30 of this year and the same date in 2009.
The pilgrimage sites were announced in a decree made public dur-
ing a Mass at the Manila Cathedral today to officially open the
country’s celebration of the Year of St. Paul.
The decree was also signed by Francis Cardinal Stafford, head of
© www.camilledelarosa.net
MANILA, July 7, 2008--The Catholic Church hierarchy urged the
government to assess Expanded Value Added Tax (E-VAT) law
and Oil Deregulation Law in the backdrop of soaring prices of
basic commodities and oil.
Catholic Church supports for the reviewing of E-VAT and Oil
Deregulation Law “out of sympathy for the poor,” said Jaro
Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, president of the Catholic Bishops’
Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), addressing a press brief-
ing at San Carlos Seminary today.
“We agree that there should be an economic review of poli-
cies and laws that affect the prices of goods. Because in any in-
creases in the prices of commodities, the ones who suffer most
are the poor,” the prelate said.
Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo said government’s
development plans and tax policies are to be examined if they
really benefit the poor.

the Apostolic Penitentiary, a Vatican court dealing with indulgences
and matters of conscience.
An indulgence is a remission of the temporal punishment due for
sins committed.
The usual conditions for a plenary indulgence are sacramental Con-
fession and reception of Holy Communion, prayer for the intentions of
the Roman Pontiff, and freedom from attachment to sin. (Roy Lagarde)
CBCP also urged the government to come out with creative
strategy to increase tax methods other than E-VAT that has been
felt as a pinch since the increase of oil products and necessary
commodities.
Meanwhile, the Presidential Palace said that it would refer
CBCP’s suggestion to economists. (Santosh Digal)

San Carlos Seminary shelters

1,000 fired-gutted families
MAKATI CITY, July 7, 2008—San
Carlos Major Seminary has been pro-
viding shelter to at least 1,000 fami-
lies who lost their homes in a fire
that hit a squatter’s compound in
Gudadalupe Viejo in Makati City
early morning of Sunday.
After the fire gutted residents’ fami-
lies, at about 3am people flocked with
their belongings to San Carlos Semi-
nary, said Msgr. Hernando Coronel,
rector of San Carlos Seminary.
“They are our sign of urban poor,
who need attention,” he added.
The priest said that the National
Secretariat for Social Action – Justice
and Peace of the Catholic Bishops’
Conference of the Philippines has
extended its immediate relief to the
concerned families.
Coronel said that the seminary
gymnasium is packed to the capacity and
others have occupied the kiosks in front
the seminary. Some families cook their
own food, while others survive with the
relief goods provided by various NGOs
and government agencies including
Makati Social Welfare Development
(MSWD) and Philippine Red Cross foun-
dation-Makati Rizal Chapter.
MSWD is also providing medical and
dental outreach programs.
About 17 people were injured due to
the fire. The local police had taken in for
questioning at least one person suspected
of allowing one of the houses to be used
as a drug den.
Police are also looking into the infor-
mation that the fire inside the Laperal
Compound stemmed from a fight
where a gas lantern was hurled.
(Santosh Digal)

Peasants / A1

pressed optimism that some-
thing good will come out of the
two-day rural congress.
Bacolod Bishop Vicente
Navarra said he is very positive
about the whole congress because
“everybody was very interested
and cooperative [and] all the sug-
gestions that I have listened to
were very constructive and help-
ful to the lives of our farmers and
rural folks.”
San Jose City-based Romeo
Guhil said the problems and con-
cerns in the regional consulta-
tions held in Baguio City prior
to the national congress were se-
riously discussed.
“I hope immediately after the
Second National Rural Congress,
we can have a planning session
at the diocesan level so we can
implement our programs to the
fullest,” said Guhil, who is a
farmer devoted to sustainable
agriculture.
He said their group was suc-
cessful in bringing to the national
assembly their findings based on
earlier consultations and discus-
sions held months ago. The work-
shops provided enough space for
deliberations.
“We felt our bishops were sin-
cere enough in listening to what
we had to say,” Guhil said. del Sur representative Nicasio than just a manifestation of the tors, which is in contrast to the ency on how the money was al-
Sorsogon Social Action Direc- Padillo said they are thankful to Church’s desire to attend to the first National Rural Congress located [and] was used,” Pabillo
tor Fr. Rene Mabute likewise ex- the Catholic Church for holding crying needs of the rural areas, held in 1967 when the prelates said.
pressed his confidence on a fruit- the NRC II. the Apostolic Nuncio to the Phil- opted to pursue the “mission of Madueño, the undersecretary
ful outcome of the Congress. “It is good that the Catholic ippines Archbishop Edward Jo- bringing the Church to the bar- for policy, planning and external
But NRC II chairman and Church decided to have the sec- seph Adams said. rios.” affairs, categorically denied the
Cagayan de Oro Archbishop An- ond NRC in order to discuss vari- “Your deliberations have been “While the leaders of the allegations of Honasan that they
tonio Ledesma said it is now up ous issues confronting the rural made with a vision that springs world’s richest economies (G-8) had never submitted a report,
to the regional representatives poor,” Padillo told CBCPNews. from the Gospel, that charity in- are meeting in Japan, we at the explaining how the money for
who are privy to problems and Padillo said that fisherfolks spired vision express itself in Second National Rural Congress CARP has been used.
grievances of their constituents today are being confronted by three concepts, the dignity of ev- are looking into the plight of our Allegations of misuse or mis-
to spearhead reforms in their re- various issues like fish killing, ery individual person, the unity small communities,” the prelate appropriation of the DAR funds
spective communities. large scale fishing, and illegal of the human family and integ- said. are being echoed by farmers’
“After the NRC II, the task of fishing, overflow of chemicals rity of creation,” he said in his and farmer-support groups like
reinforcing what was discussed coming from large plantations homily during the NRC-II’s con- Where did CARP money go? the militant Kilusang
in this two-day gathering now among others. cluding Eucharistic celebration. In a press conference held dur- Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP),
lies on the regional representa- The Moro sector likewise ex- He said many have seen how ing the National Congress, Sentro para sa Tunay na
tives. It is now their duty to echo pressed its gratitude for the NRC- people living in poverty show NASSA Chair Bishop Broderick Repormang Agraryo (SENTRA)
to their respective communities II which reviewed various issues “great ingenuity, simple through Pabillo asked a Department of and Amihan (National Federa-
the suggestions made and ap- confronting the majority of the surviving, exercising their abili- Agrarian Reform (DAR) official tion of Peasant Women).
proved in the congress,” he said. people in the rural areas. ties and trying to learn how to where the Comprehensive The said groups even call DAR,
The prelate also called on his Naida Belecina, a Tausug who place their human talents at the Agrarian Reform Program as “milking cow” of corrupt gov-
colleagues to take part in the ex- represented the women’s sector service of their own future and (CARP) funds went. ernment officials, and therefore
ecutions of the NRC II congress commended the Church for its ut- that of their own families.” “I want to ask Usec. [Gerundio] must be abolished.
resolutions, saying the Church can most concern for the plight of the Madueño here, about the state- Meanwhile, Imelda Lacandazo,
play a vital part in this endeavor. rural poor especially the women. Faith in action ment of Sen. Gringo Honasan vice-chairperson of the KMP and
“The success of the NRC-II lies Jessica Abenga, a Yakan who CBCP Episcopal Commission when we went to the Senate to one of the delegates in the NRC-
primarily on the execution of the attended the Mindanaowide Ru- on Social Action, Justice and dialogue about the extension of II said that CARP extension will
resolutions at the regional levels ral Congress last June also ex- Peace and Manila Auxiliary CARP with reforms, that your only give corrupt officials, who
so I hope the regional rural con- pressed optimism that NRC-II Bishop Broderick Pabillo said the office did not submit any report are involved in the implementa-
gress representatives and our lo- will leave a meaningful mark in congress is one way of putting of how the money for the agrar- tion of the program, more chance
cal bishops will spearhead the re- the hearts of the rural poor. “our faith into practice.” He ian reform program is used. For of robbing peoples’ money. (with
forms,” he said. added this is the most opportune he [Honasan] said that the pro- reports from Melo Acuña, Noel
In Davao, Samahan ng A Gospel response time to listen to the neglected gram (CARP) has been there for Barcelona, Kris Bayos and Mark
Munting Mangingisda ng Davao The rural congress was more representatives of various sec- so long but there is no transpar- Ventura)

KC / A1 Social / A1 PPCRV / A1

Stars will have another sigh of relief as the Knights of Columbus fort. scholars, professors, teachers and oth- lines on how to conduct the Random Manual
Supreme Council based here donated US $25,000 to aid them. “It is [a] self defeating reason, reek- ers in political science and political Audit so that Namfrel volunteers in the
In a letter sent to CBCP President and Jaro, Iloilo Archbishop An- ing with ignorance as to the ways of philosophy, sociology and other dis- ARMM can take part in the national effort of
gel Lagdameo, KC Supreme Knight Carl Anderson revealed that the the head of the Vatican now,” accord- ciplines whose work touches social or making the ARMM election clean, credible
council has deposited at least P1.1 million worth of financial assis- ing to its head, Emma Roxas. public concerns. and honest,” De Villa said.
tance to victims of the infamous typhoon “Frank” (international In fact, she said, the Pope himself The group’s primary aim is to pro- The former ambassador and members of
name, Fengshen) through the CBCP National Secretariat for Social strongly urges the Church must ad- duce objective knowledge about the the National Council paid tribute to Namfrel
Action (CBCP-NASSA). dress the vices and perils of the times; political, social and economic orders founding chairman Jose Concepcion, Jr. for
“On behalf of the Knights of Columbus Supreme Council, I wish to she must appeal to the consciences of that can assist the Catholic Church in “forming Namfrel 20 years ago and for con-
advise you that an emergency contribution of $25,000 USD has been the powerful and of the intellectuals, fulfilling its various apostolic efforts. tinuously lighting the candle instead of curs-
wired to CBCP-NASSA today to assist recovery efforts following the not to mention of those who want to The Catholic organization earlier ing the darkness prevalent in political and
devastating typhoon Frank that struck the Philippines last week,” live narrow-minded, comfortable called on the bishops to write Benedict electoral realities.”
Anderson told Lagdameo in the letter. lives while ignoring the needs of the XVI a letter expressing disapproval Former Namfrel Acting chairman Vicente
Apart from extending financial aid, Anderson said KC is one with times”. over Enrile’s appointment. Jayme will serve as senior adviser of the Na-
the world in praying for the recovery of the victims and the entire She said the Pontiff will not be Several bishops have been express- tional Council.
country as well. called as “Panzer Cardinal” before he ing disappointment over Enrile’s ap- Aside from Ambassador Henrietta T. De
“Besides this financial support, please be assured of a special place became Pope just for nothing. pointment, saying the government did Villa as National Chairperson, the newly-con-
in our prayers for all those affected by this devastating storm,” he Roxas also said the Pope is even sup- not consult them. stituted Namfrel Executive Committee in-
added. portive of bishops who stand for their “Although it is not necessarily re- clude Mr. Jose L. Cuisia, Jr., Vice-Chairman;
It may be recalled that the KC also sent $100,000 USD through convictions in the resolutions of con- quired for them to do that, I think it Mr. Edward Go, Treasurer; Mr. Eric O. Alvia,
NASSA to the typhoon victims of Milenyo in Bicol two years ago. flicts and other social issues. will be of much help if the ambassa- Secretary General; Ms. Evelyn Singson, Fi-
Aside from KC, the United States Catholic Bishops Conference “Vatican will never silence bishops dor to the Vatican gets the backing of nance Committee Coordinator; Mr. Damaso
through the Catholic Relief Services is among the foreign Catholic critical of President Arroyo,” Roxas the bishops,” Kalookan Bishop G. Magbual, Membership Committee Coor-
groups that sent immediate donations for the typhoon victims. (Kris added. Deogracias Iñiguez earlier said. (Roy dinator; and Ms. Corazon H. Ignacio, Projects
Bayos) The SCSS is composed of Catholic Lagarde) Committee Coordinator. (CBCPNews)
 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 14
July 7 - July 20, 2008
Prelate calls on the laity
to participate in politics
SAN CARLOS SEMINARY,
Makati City, July 8, 2008—Say-
ing the Filipino nation usually
gets the leaders it deserves the
CBCP has urged the Catholic
faithful to participate in poli-
tics primarily to ensure good
governance and accountability
among government officials.
Auxiliary Bishop Pablo
David of San Fernando,
Pampanga made this call dur-
ing The Forum, a weekly news
press conference sponsored by
the CBCPNews and the Catho-
lic Media Network, held at the
second day of the National
Rural Congress at the San
Carlos Seminary in Makati.
In airing his appeal, David
mentioned how the people’s
lack of confidence in the present
government has led to the dis-
tribution of subsidies and dole-
outs it claim will cushion the
impact of skyrocketing prices of
fuel and other basic commodi-
ties among the poor.
“Kung tutuusin, ang mga
dole-outs at subsidies na
pinamimigay sa mga
nakaraang linggo ay pawang
pampalimot-hirap at
pampalimot-gutom lamang.
Dapat na maintindihan ng mga
mamamayan na ang mga ito ay
hindi konkretong aksyon sa
parte ng gobyerno, (The recently
distributed dole-outs and sub-
sidies are mere fancy ways the
government extends to encour-
age the people to forget their
problems on poverty and hun-
ger. The people should realize
Manila Archdiocese holds send-
off Mass for WYD pilgrims
MANILA, July 7, 2008—
Ninety-six delegates from Ma-
nila Archdiocese for the World
Youth Day 2008 (WYD), to-
gether with their parents and
family members, held a send off
Mass at the Arzobispado de
Manila, Intramuros, at 3 pm,
July 6.
Presiding the Mass, Fr.
Rufino C. Sescon Jr, director of
ministry for youth affairs, said
that delegates might receive the
“touch” of the Holy Spirit dur-
ing the WYD and strengthen
Catholic faith.
This year’s theme is: “You
will receive power when the
Holy Spirit has come upon you;
and you will be my witnesses”
(Acts 1:8).
WYD is the largest youth
event in the world and will be
held in Sydney from Tuesday
15 to Sunday 20 July 2008. The
five-day celebration of Catho-
lic youth has been billed as a
major boost to the economy of
Australia’s largest city.
Continue serving as shepherds, Pope tells RP bishops
MANILA, July 5, 2008— Pope
Benedict XVI is praying for and
praised the nation’s bishops as he
urged them to continue serving
as the shepherd of their flocks,
Vatican Secretary of State Tarcio
Bertone said.
Bertone said the Pope urged
the Filipino prelates to continue
acting their role as the chief cat-
echists of their respective pasto-
ral jurisdictions.
This means, he said, that bish-
ops must be willing always and
everywhere to stand up and teach
those in need of instruction “to
have their faith confirmed and
purified.”
“The Holy Father prays that
you will continue to nourish the
mind, spiritual attitudes and
moral behavior of your people
with the truth of the Gospel while
always remembering that the
faithful need the word of their
bishop,” said Bertone.
San Fernando, Pampanga Auxiliary Bishop Pablo David speaks before the press on the role of laity in the electoral process
at The Forum, a weekly press conference jointly organized by CBCPNews and CMN held at San Carlos Seminary last July 8.
that these are not concrete ac-
tions on the part of the govern-
ment),” he said.
As such, David said, the la-
ity should get involved in the
electoral process. Only in this
way can the people be sure
that only reliable and respon-
sible candidates get elected in
public office.
David, however, dispelled
notions that his call also
means the local Catholic
Church will be active in en-
dorsing candidates for the
upcoming 2010 polls.
“Umiiwas ang Simbahan sa
pag-eendorso ng mga
Organized by the Catholic
Church, WYD brings together
young people from around the
globe to celebrate and learn
about their faith on a more
regular basis.
WYD will be the largest
event Australia has ever
hosted. It will attract over
125,000 international visi-
tors—more than the 2000
Olympics.
WYD will mark the first visit
of Pope Benedict XVI to Aus-
tralia and that papal Mass will
be held on July 19.
The Manila Archdiocese
youth contingency also in-
cludes youth from Aklan,
Palawan and eight Chinese
representatives.
The delegation will leave for
Australia on July 8. The pre-
WYD days will be spent in the
diocese of Melbourne.
A delegate, Jassoca G.
Gapuz from Nuestra Señora
Del Perpetuo Socorro parish,
Calamba (Sampaloc), told
The Pope’s message was read
this morning by CBCP President
Archbishop Angel Lagdameo at
the opening of two-day Plenary
Assembly, CBCP’s 97th which is
being held at the Pope Pius XII
Catholic Center in Manila .
Cardinal Bertone said the
Pope also assured his “apostolic
blessing” to the CBCP as he
commend their works for the
Catholic Church.
CBCP secretary general
Msgr. Juanito Figura said around
87 bishops—82 active and 5 re-
tired members—were present at
the regular plenary meeting as
of Saturday morning.
The CBCP has 99 active and
32 honorary members.
The event was started with a
Eucharistic celebration led by
Archbishop Edward Joseph
Adams, Apostolic Nuncio to the
Philippines.
Aside from the reports which
Features
kandidato. Ito ay dahil hindi
kayang kilatisin ng mga obispo
ang lahat ng mga
kumakandidato sa buong
bansa. (The Church refrains
from endorsing candidates vy-
ing for public office. This is be-
cause it is impossible for all the
bishops to evaluate and criticize
every candidate nationwide),”
he said.
Echoing David’s sentiments,
Imus Bishop Antonio Tagle has
also summoned non-govern-
ment organizations, civil soci-
ety groups to help the Church
in advocating for informed citi-
zenry.
CBCPNews that she is “ex-
cited” to join the WYD.
Gapuz, 29, is an employee at
the Department of Budget and
Management.
The delegation of the Catho-
lic Bishops Conference of the
Philippines-Episcopal Com-
mission on Youth numbers
about 800, but others are going
on their own.
Philippine delegation in-
cludes students, teachers, non-
teaching school personnel,
priests, nuns, seminarians,
youth ministers, and bishops.
About 2,000 pilgrims are ex-
pected from the Philippines.
Pope John Paul II started
WYD as an annual observance
in 1984, and international cel-
ebrations have been held every
two or three years since then.
About 26 percent of
Australia’s 21 million people
described themselves as Catho-
lics in the most recent census,
while 19 percent said they had
no religion. (CBCPNews)
will be rendered by half of the 33
CBCP commissions, socio-politi-
cal and economic issues will also
be discussed by the prelates at
their bi-annual meeting.
The Plenary Assembly is
“Napaka-vague ng guide-
lines sa pagpili ng mga
kandidato ngunit matutugunan
iyan ng mga local communities.
At sa tulong ng Simbahan, na
isang sambayanang Kristiyano,
sama-sama nating kilatisin ang
mga pulitikong gustong
magkaposisyon sa gobyerno.
(The guidelines in choosing po-
litical candidates are vague but
local communities can address
that in response to their particu-
lar localities. And with the help
of the Church, let us all seriously
assess the politicians vying for
public office),” Tagle said. (Kris
Bayos)
RP Church to hold
nationwide
programs to mark
Year of St. Paul
MANILA, July 7, 2008—The Phil-
ippine Catholic Church will have
a series of activities nationwide to
mark the 2000th birth of Saint Paul,
the Apostle.
Jaro Archbishop Angel
Lagdameo, president of the
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of
the Philippines (CBCP), revealed
this during a press briefing at San
Carlos Seminary yesterday after
the bishops’ plenary assembly
last weekend.
Pope Benedict XVI announced a
special Jubilee Year of Saint Paul
from 28 June 2008 to 29 June 2009, on
occasion of the bi-millennium of his
birth, which historians have placed
between the years 7 and 10 AD.
“We spent lots of time in dis-
cussing plans and activities to be
organized at diocesan, regional
and national levels during our ple-
nary assembly,” said Lagdameo.
Catholics need to know Saint
Paul’s life and his writings by
reading and meditating his
works, imbibing his missionary
spirit and witnessing to the val-
ues of Christ and Christian faith,
the prelate said.
During the 97th Plenary Assem-
bly held last July 5 and 6 at the Pope
Pius XII Catholic Center in Manila,
the CBCP issued a pastoral state-
ment on the celebration of Saint
Paul’s bi-millennium birth celebra-
tion. (Santosh Digal)
CBCP’s highest decision-making
body. Composed of active and
retired bishops, the Plenary As-
sembly meets in regular session
twice a year, in January and in
July. (Roy Lagarde)
A7
Diocesan News Briefs
Church focuses on sustainable agri
DIGOS City—Following the NRC-II, which focuses on various issues
affecting the rural folks especially farmers and fishermen, the Diocese of
Digos is now fully implementing the sustainable agriculture program. Fr.
Cornelio Troja, social action director of Digos said the implementation of
the program is channeled by the Social Action Center to the different
parishes in the diocese. (Mark Ventura)
Bishop admits brokering for Sulpicio Lines
BUTUAN City—A Catholic bishop admitted that he went to Malacañang to
personally appeal the case of the embattled Go family, owner of Sulpicio
Lines Inc. Butuan Bishop Juan de Dios said he went to Malacañang July
1 and asked Palace officials in a meeting to allow several vessels by
Sulpicio Lines to sail again. “I went to Malacañang the other day because
of the request of the owner of the Sulpicio Lines, because it’s the only
livelihood they have,” Pueblos said. (Roy Lagarde)
Bishop to gov’t: Retain focus on seeking Sulpicio ac-
countability
KALOOKAN City—Government must not lose focus on seeking account-
ability of Sulpicio Lines for the “Princess of the Stars” tragedy. Kalookan
Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez stressed this point even if it posed no objection
to the resumption of cargo operations of the beleaguered firm. “Govern-
ment should not give the wrong signal that allowing cargo operations
means no one will be held accountable anymore,” he said. (CBCPNews)
Peace advocate is new Kidapawan vicar general
KIPADAWAN City—Bishop Romulo dela Cruz has appointed Msgr.
Armando Angeles as vicar general of the Diocesan Clergy of Kidapawan.
Dela Cruz announced the appointment of Fr. Angeles before 3,000 pa-
rishioners at the Our Lady Mediatrix of All Grace Cathedral. Angeles has
been acknowledged “peace advocate” for pursuing reconciliation ef-
forts and inter-religious dialogue. (Rolando Emberga)
Nuncio, bishop call on Bicolanos to be models
LIBMANAN, Camarines Sur—Papal nuncio Edward Joseph Adams called
on the Bicolanos, including bishops, priests to “be a model of Christian
living, an evangelizer and unifier and must radiate Jesus in his day-to-
day life.” Speaking during the recent installation rites for Libmanan Bishop
Jose R. Rojas, the Nuncio also imparted the message of the Holy Father
Benedict XVI. Roxas, on the other hand, exhorted the faithful to make
Christ the center of their faith. (Elmer Abad)
Prelate urges priests to restore moral values
PAGADIAN City—Bishop Emmanuel Cabajar, CSsR called on Mindanao
priests to restore the moral values in the conscience of many people. The
prelate said one can detect a weakening of the faith and obscuring
demands of the Christian moral life in the conscience of many people. He
added material “well-being” becomes the ideal to be attained at any price
even if that means risking family values for the sake of economic advan-
tages abroad. (Wendell Talibong)
Youth rallies vs repro health bill
LIPA City—Young people here rallied together on June 28 at the San
Francis de Sales College Seminary gymnasium and voiced their opposi-
tion against “anti-life” bills being proposed in Congress. The youth par-
ticularly hit the bill called “An Act Providing for a National Policy on Repro-
ductive Health, Responsible Parenthood and Population Development and
for Other Purposes,” a consolidation of at least 3 previous reproductive
health bills. Over 1,500 youth, catechists and religious joined the rally.
(Jesusa Bauan)
Prelate appeals for interreligious dialogue
MARAWI City—Following the recent abduction of 41 innocent civilians in
Lanao del Norte, Marawi Bishop Edwin de la Peña appealed to the neigh-
boring diocese of Iligan to pursue the inter-religious dialogue between
Christians and Muslims. “The incident might be a wake-up call for the local
church of Iligan for them to participate in the work and mission of the
church which is the inter-religious dialogue” he said. (Wendell Talibong)
Businessmen to hold Christian Life Program
LEGAZPI City—The Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Profes-
sionals (BCBP) – Legazpi City Chapter is set to start its 16th Christian Life
Program (CLP) on July 27, 2008 at the Albay Provincial Capitol People’s
Hall, this City. The BCBP 16th Christian Life Program participants will meet
for 13 Sundays and listen to various topics on Christian business ethics
and practices with Biblical foundations. (Jose M. Locsin)
Tuguegarao launches Pauline Year
TUGUEGARAO City—The Year of St. Paul was officially opened in
the Tuguegarao archdiocese with a Mass led by Archbishop Diosdado
Talamayan at the Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral on June 29. The event
was attended by various faithful and some members of the Tuguegarao
Central United Methodist Church led by their pastor, Rev. Bonifer Baquiran
who also shared his thoughts on the life and teachings of St. Paul ac-
knowledging him as the preacher to the Gentiles and to all peoples.
(Felina Lagasca, FSP)
Prelate urges Catholic Educators to acquire solid pro-
fessional formation
TANGUB City—Ozamis Archbishop Jesus Dosado, CM, called on the
Catholic educators from 14 parochial schools of the ecclesial province to
acquire solid professional formation, which must be maintained and deep-
ened by bringing it up-to-date. “A Catholic educator, in order to adequately
live out his or her vocation, must first acquire a solid professional forma-
tion,” he said. (Wendell Talibong)
M’danao religious leaders comes up with a vision
DAVAO City—The A’immah-Pastors-Priests’ Forum (APPF) has finally
came up with a vision-mission in their endeavor for peace in Mindanao.
The common-vision states, “A community of religious leaders in Mindanao,
united in truth of human life and molded by faith in the Almighty God/Allah
for a peaceful Mindanao.” (Mark Ventura)
Diocese to mark silver jubilee
ILIGAN City—The Diocese of Iligan will celebrate its 25th anniversary on
November 15 and one of the biggest events will be the jubilee retreat for
diocesan priests and religious men and women. Iligan Bishop Elenito
Galido said their three-day Jubilee Retreat will begin on Tuesday, August
5, 2008 with Manila Archbishop Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales as re-
treat master. (Wendell Talibong)
Augustinian priests educate vendors’ kids
CEBU City—The Augustinian priests of Cebu are financing the education
of 30 poor students, children of street vendors. The education scholar-
ship is undertaken under the aegis of Basilica del Santo Niño Children’s
Welfare Foundation, Inc., Basilica del Santo Niño Cebu City, said Fr. An-
drew P. Batayola, OSA, former rector of the Basilica. (Santosh Digal)
Prelate commends officials’ ‘gesture of peace’
DIGOS City—Calling it as a “gesture of peace”, Bishop Guillermo Afable
praised the efforts manifested by political rivals Cong. Franklin Bautista,
Marc Cagas and Gov. Dodo Cagas when they shook their hands in
public. The two opposing political clans in the province shook their hands
in a friendly manner during the opening of the founding anniversary of
Davao del Sur. (Mark Ventura)
 CBCP Monitor
A8 People, Facts & Places Vol. 12 No. 14
July 7 - July 20, 2008

BEC national assembly

to be held in November
THE Basic Ecclesial Communi-
ties (BECs) national assembly
will be held in Cagayan de Oro,
November 10-14.
The theme of the assembly is
“BEC and Rural Development.”
There will be four delegates
from each diocese—the bishop,
diocesan BEC program/commis-
sion coordinator, a lay pastoral
worker, and a BEC leader, said
Fr. Amado Picardal, CSsR, one of
the Catholic Bishops’ Conference
of the Philippines (CBCP)-BEC
national consultants.
On July 4, a meeting was held
at Pius XII Center (United Na-
tions Avenue) with the bishops
who compose the board of the
CBCP-BEC national office that
assists the dioceses in the promo-
tion and formation of BECs in the
Philippines, said Picardal.
The meeting was attended by
Cotabato Archbishop Orlando
Quevedo (chairman), Archbishop
Romulo Valles, Bishop Socrates
Villegas, Msgr. Elmer Abacahin
(executive secretary), Dr. Estela
Padilla and Picardal.
Aside from Padilla and
Picardal, other consultants in-
clude Msgr. Manny Gabriel and
Msgr. Joemari Delgado.
The executive secretary and the
consultants will meet in Davao
City at the end of this month to
go through the recommendations
of the National Rural Congress,
which was held in Manila, July 7-
8.
“We will also finalize the plans
for the BEC national assembly,”
said Picardal.
The Second Plenary Council of
the Philippines (1991) considers
the BECs as the realization of the
vision of a renewed Church. It is
a new way of being Church.
(Santosh Digal)

Filipino migrants bid farewell Markings

to RP envoy to Vatican
FILIPINO migrants in Rome
gathered at a Eucharistic cel-
ebration held June 29, 2008 at
the Basilica of Saint Mary Ma-
jor to bid goodbye to RP envoy
to the Vatican.
It was an overwhelming ex-
perience of affection and appre-
ciation for outgoing Philippine
Ambassador to the Holy See,
Her Excellency Leonida Vera.
The Mass on the solemnity
of Sts. Peter and Paul Apostles,
not only marked the conclu-
sion of the pastoral year of the
Sentro Pilipino-Filipino Chap-
laincy in Rome but also served
as a farewell occasion of the
Filipino migrants for Ambassa-
dor Vera who is scheduled to
leave Rome before the end of
July.
Delegates from the different
Filipino Catholic organizations
including those from other
places outside Rome filled the
huge basilica. Also, the pres-
ence of many Filipina religious
sisters was prominent in the
assembly with their different
distinctive habits. Former Sena-
tor Franklin M. Drilon and his
wife, Mila Serrano Genuino
happened to visit Rome and
attended the celebration.
His Eminence Bernard
Francis Cardinal Law,
Archpriest Cardinal of the Ba-
silica of St. Mary Major, pre-
sided the celebration. Arch-
bishop Bernardito Auza, newly
appointed Apostolic Nuncio to
Haiti, and Bishop Antonieto
Cabajog, Bishop of the Diocese
of Surigao, were the principal
concelebrants with thirty
priests. His Eminence Jose Car-
dinal Sanchez was also present.
In her message of thanks be-
fore the end of the Mass, Am-
bassador Vera quoted the
French ecclesiastic, Jean
Baptiste Massieu, who said
that “Gratitude is the memory
of the heart”, as she recalled
briefly her significant experi-
ences in Rome.
She continued: “I feel that my
heart is too small to contain the
rich memories of my experi-
ences with you. To say thank
you or maraming salamat is
not enough to express the con-
solation and joy of being with
you since the time I arrived in
Rome four years ago.”
It was fitting that the celebra-
tion ended at this basilica
where the Sentro Pilipino-Fili-
pino Chaplaincy in Rome is
located. Underneath the Ba-
silica of Santa Pudenziana are
the ruins of the house of Sena-
tor Pudens who was the host
of St. Peter in Rome. The hospi-
tality experienced by St. Peter
in this place is somehow con-
tinued today by our Filipino
migrants. (Fr. Jose V.C.
Quilongquilong, S.J.)
LAUNCHED. Jubilee Year of the bi-millennium
birth of St. Paul the Apostle, with a concelebrated
Mass at the Manila Cathedral; June 30, 2008.
His Eminence, Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales led
the thanksgiving Eucharistic celebration at-
tended by the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philip-
pines, Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams, bish-
ops, and clergy of the archdiocese. Religious,
lay organizations and Catholic schools partici-
pated in the event. The jubilee will go on until
June 28, 2009. Two particular churches were
designated as places of pilgrimages during the
jubilee year—Sts. Peter and Paul Parish Church
in Makati and Sanctuary of St. Paul at St. Paul
Seminary, San Antonio Village, also in Makati
City.
INSTALLED. Fr. Eligio “Eli” Cruz, SDB, as Provin-
cial Superior of the Salesian Province of North
Philippines for a term of six years, July 5, 2008.
Cruz took the place of Fr. Andrew Lee Wong,
who was elected during the 26th General Chap-
ter as Councilor for the East Asia-Oceania Re-
gion. Cruz finished his Theology at the Don
Bosco Center of Studies in 1990 and MS in Edu-
cational Administration from the Ateneo de Ma-
nila University in 2000. He has been a professor of Theology at Don
Bosco Technical College since 1998 and in 2002 named Rector of the

Baguio Youth celebrates Youth holds peace same college. He has published a book in 2002 titled Handbook of
Christian Ethics, a textbook used for first year college theology of Don
Bosco Technical College. His personal philosophy of leadership is cen-
WYD with those in Sydney tered on youth—devoting energy for our youth to attain “fullness of

FINANCIAL constraints will Once in the Baguio Cathedral

symposium in Jolo life.”

never be reason why the youth grounds the youth participants

cannot be active participants of
the World Youth Day (WYD).
This was disclosed recently by
Fr. Abner Dalilis and Nathaniel
Felipe, Director and Coordina-
tor, respectively, of the Diocesan
Youth Ministry of Baguio.
Invitations were sent to the
young people in Baguio belong-
ing to any form of organization
from the parish youth ministry
to school-based Student Catholic
Action and charismatic organiza-
tions, to encourage them to take
part in the Diocesan Youth Day
to be held on Saturday, July 19,
2008 at the same time the World
Youth Day is being held in
Sydney, Australia.
With the theme “You will re-
ceive power when the Holy Spirit
has come upon you and you will
be my witnesses,” the Diocesan
Youth Day aims to gather the
youth in Baguio to celebrate in
spirit with the delegates gathered
for World Youth Day in Sydney.
The Diocesan Youth Day will
will celebrate events enjoyed in
every World Youth Day includ-
ing animation, catechesis, prayer
and, above all, the Holy Mass.
The singing of the World
Youth Day 2008 theme song will
be led by the San Jose Band. Wel-
come remarks will be given by
Fr. Mark Batolne. Fr. Abner
Dalilis will describe the history
of World Youth Days. Fr. Rosito
Pedro will present the guest
speakers: lay evangelists and
composer-writers Moises Catan
and Kiddo Cosio of the Elim
Community well-known for
their Gospel song “Call Me
Happy.”
The rest of morning will be
filled with cultural presentations
including indigenous dances at
the Cathedral Square. The climax
of the Youth Day will be at noon-
time with the celebration of the
Holy Eucharist by Bishop Carlito
Cenzon, CICM and
concelebrating priests.
The Diocese of Baguio held
THE first league of the youth
symposium on the “Voice of
the Youth for Dialogue and
Peace: An Urgent Concern of
the Times” was held at the
Bishop Ben’s Hall of Notre
Dame of Jolo College, June 29.
The Silsilah Dialogue Move-
ment, Zamboanga City, through
its Peace Youth Program in the
joint effort with the Silsilah Fo-
rum-Jolo, organized it.
This was participated by
young Muslim and Christian
active leader’s ages 15 to 25
who belong to different youth
organizations, groups and in-
stitutions of the province.
The symposium was in-
tended to help the youth to
voice out their concerns, is-
sues, and experiences and to
share their ideas on dialogue
cific focus in their own native
land, Jolo, said Fr. Sebastiano
D’Ambra, PIME, Silsilah
founder, Zamboanga City.
“I salute Silsilah for its ef-
forts in fostering to maintain
peace and harmony between
people of different faiths. The
youth has the indefatigable
passion to work for change and
achieve the ideal. We are the
nucleus of what the society is
to become. The ‘becoming’ of
civilization depends on our
present efforts and actions. It
is therefore necessary that we
assume the responsibility of
purpose,” said Baddiri.
At the end of the symposium,
20 young Muslim and Christian
men and women who partici-
pated were chosen to attend the
1st Regional Youth Peace Summit
Œ³
INSTALLED. Bishop Jose Rojas, as Prelate-
Ordinary of the Prelature of Libmanan, by His
Excellency, Archbishop Edward Joseph
Adams, Apostolic nuncio to the Philippines at
the St. James the Apostle Cathedral, Libmanan,
Camarines Sur, July 2, 2008. Most Rev.
Leonardo Legaspi, archbishop of Caceres led
the Bishops from Bicol region who attended
the celebration together with Bishops Camilo
Gregorio of Batanes, Julito Cortes of Cebu,
some priests from Pampanga, Lipa and other
parts of the country. Bishop Rojas succeeded
Bishop Prospero Arellano as second bishop of the Prelature. He was
formerly the Auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Caceres prior to his
appointment as Bishop of Libmanan.
ORDAINED. Revs. Ronald T. Dona, Erwin E. Echalas,
Jeric C. Jaramillo, Juan Joyful B. Taqueban of Nueva
Segovia, Xavier R. Valbuena of Ilocos Norte and
Leo C. Nedic of San Fernando de La Union, to the
Order of Diaconate by Archbishop Ernesto A.
Salgado, at the Immaculate Conception School of
Theology (ICST) Chapel, June 28, 2008. The ordained
deacons were the first batch to graduate under the
ICST Paradigm Shift at the Northern Theologate, de-
scribed by Vicar General Msgr. David William V. An-
tonio as aiming towards the formation of “a new

kick off with the assembly and
pilgrim prayers at Malcolm
Square. Afterwards, in the spirit
of pilgrims, the young people
will walk in procession towards
Our Lady of Atonement Cathe-
dral at the heart of the city.
activities in the past months as
a way to prepare the youth to
celebrate the World Youth Day
and also as a way to better ad-
dress the needs of its numerous
young people. (Fr. Mickey
Cardenas)
and peace as experienced in
their respective faith teaching
experiences in dreaming a
peaceful Mindanao with a spe-
which will be held on August 22-
24, this year at the Harmony Vil-
lage, Sinunuc, Zamboanga City.
(Santosh Digal)
breed of priests, i.e., servants-leaders with credible lifestyles, ways of
thinking, valuing, relating with the poor, and shepherding.” The group will
undergo a one-year diaconate, the first in the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia
to do so.
INSTALLED. Fr. Gallardo Asor Bombase, OP as Prior and Rector of the
National Shrine of Our Lady of Manaoag, Pangasinan, by Most Rev.
Oscar Cruz, archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan; June 5, 2008. Bombase
was parish priest of Santissimo Rosario Parish from 1985 to 1993. He
was later appointed assistant parish priest and parish treasurer of Our
Lady of the Rosary, Manaoag from 1993 to 1997. He became university
chaplain and Director of Aquinas University of Legazpi City High School
from 1997-2002. He was named St. Bartholomew parish priest and
missionary at the Calayan Islands, Babuyanes, Cagayan from 2002-
2005. Prior to his assignment in Manaoag, Bombase was Director of
Religious Affairs, in Angelicum College, Quezon City. He succeeded Fr.
Patricio Apa, OP as rector of the shrine. Priests from Aquinas University
of Legazpi City, Sto. Domingo Church in Quezon City, Letran College of
Intramuros, University of Santo Tomas and other priests from the Arch-
diocese of Lingayen-Dagupan concelebrated during the installation Mass.

INSTALLED. Fr. Gallardo Asor Bombase, OP as Prior and Rector of the

National Shrine of Our Lady of Manaoag, Pangasinan, by Most Rev.
Oscar Cruz, archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan; June 5, 2008. Bombase
was parish priest of Santissimo Rosario Parish from 1985 to 1993. He
was later appointed assistant parish priest and parish treasurer of Our
Lady of the Rosary, Manaoag from 1993 to 1997. He became university
chaplain and Director of Aquinas University of Legazpi City High School
from 1997-2002. He was named St. Bartholomew parish priest and
missionary at the Calayan Islands, Babuyanes, Cagayan from 2002-
2005. Prior to his assignment in Manaoag, Bombase was Director of
Religious Affairs, in Angelicum College, Quezon City. He succeeded Fr.
Patricio Apa, OP as rector of the shrine. Priests from Aquinas University
of Legazpi City, Sto. Domingo Church in Quezon City, Letran College of
Intramuros, University of Santo Tomas and other priests from the Arch-
diocese of Lingayen-Dagupan concelebrated during the installation Mass.

DIED. Sr. Fermina Casiño, RVM, June 24, 2008.

Hundreds of delegates representing peasant farmers, fisherfolks, indigenous peoples, women and youth discussed and dialogued with the bishops on various socio-
economic issues affecting their daily lives during the Second National Rural Congress held at San Carlos Seminary last July 7 and 8.
 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 14 B1
July 7 - 20, 2008

Peter and Paul: Different charisms, same cause

By Gil A. Alinsangan,
SSP
ABOUT A.D. 96, Clement, then
bishop of Rome, wrote to the
church of Corinth, warning the
latter church about the terrible
effects of jealousy and envy. It
would seem that the feuds and
dissensions that had split the
Corinthian church in St. Paul’s day
had, a generation later, sprung
into life again.
Clement mentions the Roman
church’s “series of unexpected
misfortunes and setbacks,” which
clearly alludes to the persecution
of Christians under the emperor
Domitian (assassinated in Sep-
tember 96). Seven examples are
given from the Old Testament
about the evil of jealousy. Leav-
ing the instances from the past,
Clement turns to the noble fig-
ures of his own generation:
Let us set before our eyes the
good apostles. Peter, on account
of unrighteous jealousy, under-
went not one or two but many
toils and, having borne witness,
he made his way to his allotted
place of glory. Paul, on account
of jealousy and strife, showed the
way to the prize of endurance;
seven times he wore fetters, he
was exiled, he was stoned, he was
a herald both in the east and in
the west, he gained the noble re-
nown of his faith, he taught righ-
teousness throughout the whole
world and, having reached the
limit of the west, he bore testi-
mony before the rulers, and so
departed from the world and was
taken up into the holy place—the
greatest example of endurance. (1
Clement 5:1-7)
Why should the Church of
Rome have taken it upon herself
to intervene in the domestic quar-
rels of the Corinthian church?
Probably because both churches
Peter / B4

Pastoral Concerns

Two Thousandth Year of St. Paul

WHEN His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI tion waits this exterminator from Tar- to communities of new believers that he

announced that 2008 would be the cel-
ebration of the 2,000th Year of the Birth
of Saint Paul he brought to the world’s
attention the life of a man who revealed
himself as a mystery¯a mystery of what
a man could be from what he had been,
and to encourage all believers to become
what long ago they should have been.
In His wisdom and mercy God used this
man, Saul, to teach the world that the life
of sin and violence must come to an end,
and the pursuit of love and peace, at some
point of grace in time, should commence.
The end of sin and violence is what con-
version means. But conver-
sion is not just a change in
person’s lifestyle and think-
ing; it is more radical than
Let the great Apostle Saint Paul
any adjustment; conversion
means death to one’s speak again no longer from the Ar-
former behavior, advocacy
and love. Change wrought
eopagus but from the school, class-
by conversion weighs rooms or auditorium lecterns that he
greater than the change of
name from Saul to Paul.
may bring us out of our self-centered
The road to Damascus desires to the truth that is the Savior
was, in the mind of Saul, an
ordinary persecution route
where he knew from his
past arrests of the secretive
followers of Jesus from
Nazareth, he would come back with doz-
ens of chained disciples of the Nazarene
preacher. But God had better plans than
Saul; God wanted an end to violence, mur-
der and sin. Where the sinners sometimes
felt he was so alone and unmolested, the
same place could suddenly become the
path where God wanted his conversion.
There must be a time when the offender
should then be the convert.
But is there such a thing as conver-
sion, first of all? The question seemed
to trouble the disciple Ananias who re-
plied, “Lord, I have heard from many
sources about this man, what evil things
he has done to your holy ones in Jerusa-
lem.” (Acts 9:13). The pious disciple
Ananias appeared to suggest that hu-
manly speaking this man Saul was a
“good for nothing” charlatan; he was the
very enemy and persecutor of the dis-
ciples in Jerusalem. Ananias was not
aware that earlier along the Damascus
road Jesus already identified Himself to
Saul by saying that “I am Jesus, whom
you are persecuting.” (Acts 9:5).
In the plan of God there are things
greater than conversion waiting for this
individual. A chosen role, a call, a voca-
sus. “Go to the street called Straight…ask
for a man named Saul from Tarsus…this
man is a chosen instrument of mine to
carry my name before Gentiles, kings
and Israelites…and I will show him that
he will have to suffer for my name.”
(Acts 9:11, 15-17).
He preached the Good News and
would become the greatest preacher of
all the apostles. He deepened and ex-
panded the teaching of Jesus. Through
his preaching and visits communities of
believers sprouted along the northern
coasts of the Great Sea. The name of Jesus
Jesus Christ as crucified.
was on the lips of a believing people.
But part of the apostle’s calling was to
suffer. Jesus said that “he will suffer for
my name.” Imprisonment, beatings,
shipwrecks, sleepless nights, hunger!
Paul could boast only of his weakness in
order the power of Jesus Christ may
dwell with him, Paul claimed. (2
Corinthians, Chapters 11 and 12).
From thereon the calling of Paul was
clear. He would be a preacher, a writer,
an itinerant supervisor, a contemplative
teacher and a martyr. The Apostle Paul
would from hereon preached to groups
he previously threatened. “You have
heard of my former way of life in Juda-
ism, how I persecuted the church of God
beyond measure and tried to destroy it,
and progressed in Judaism beyond many
of my contemporaries among my race,
since I was even more a zealot for my
ancestral traditions…I went to the regions
of Syria and Cilicia…they kept on hear-
ing that the one who once was persecut-
ing us is now preaching the faith he once
tried to destroy…and they glorified God
because of me.” (Galatians 1:13-24).
Years later, he would pursue his preach-
ing of Jesus with letters he wrote (epistles)
7
had gained and formed for Jesus Christ.
Lest it appears that the conversion was
easy and without a struggle St. Paul retold
his story of coming to know Christ Jesus
whom he persecuted and harmed in the
lives of the early disciples of the Nazarene
teacher. Before King Agrippa where, ac-
cused and to be sentenced with death, Paul
replied while recounting for the third time
the story of conversion. “I heard a voice QUESTIONS
saying to me, Saul, Saul, why are you per-
secuting me? It is hard for you to kick
against the goad.” (Acts 26:14-15). Paul was
revealing to others that it was useless to
struggle against the prod-
ding of the Lord. That was
the answer to his initial de-
fensive response to conver-
Most Rev. Emilio Z. Marquez, DD
sion.
And is this not also the
usual response to the whis-
perings of grace for hu-
mans to change. Why is it
AFTER faithfully serving the Diocese of Gumaca, Bishop Emilio Marquez became the
so difficult for others to
change, to be converted, ul- Fourth Residential Bishop of the Diocese on November 4, 2003. In this issue of CBCP
timately to die to ones own Monitor, Bishop Marquez talks about the various programs of Diocesan Social Action
Center aimed at helping the poor, the advocacy of family life apostolate on responsible
selfish ideals, to end one’s
parenthood, the threat of materialism and its effects on values, formation of youth, the
greedy pursuit of honor,
power and wealth? Is it not current situation of women in the country, and the promising rise in vocations.
possible to think that such
excess is self-seeking hurts How does the diocese implement its social concern programs to alleviate the
no less that Jesus Christ? situation of the poor as they cope with soaring prices of basic commodities?
God used this man precisely to reveal The Diocese of Lucena has always been resolute in its efforts to realize
that the entire path to Jesus Christ, His Son, God’s design for the total human development of every person as an indi-
is only by way of Metanoia and Epistrophe: vidual and as a member of the community. What we envision for everyone is
Change by parting ways from sin and seek- an integral human development, which requires the local Church to carefully
ing the direction of Jesus. In God’s plan no identify and efficiently address the social concerns of the community.
preaching of Jesus is possible without first “Wherever men are to be found who are in want of food and drink, of
experiencing conversion which is radical clothing, housing…Christian charity should go in search of them…comfort
death to selfish cravings. them with devoted care and give them the help that will relieve their needs”
In this year commemorating the (Apostolicam Actuositatem, 8). Inspired by these words of the Second Vatican
2,000th year of this great apostle’s birth Council, we have been consistent in implementing our social concern pro-
let there be planned and prepared series grams with the Lucena Diocese Social Action Center (LuDiSAC) at the helm.
of lectures in different centers of learn- Last year alone, the HAPAG-ASA Integrated Nutrition Program spearheaded
ing fitted to the needs and situations of by the LuDiSAC benefited 1,001 children who for six months were fed with
the life of the listeners / students / pro- special vitameals. About 312 volunteers, who also took charge of the training
fessionals using the different themes and of the parents, were involved in this program.
insights culled from the letters of St. Paul. Other activities being conducted by the LuDiSAC include “Basic Services
Let the great Apostle Saint Paul speak Program” which provides communal water resource rehabilitation and instal-
again no longer from the Areopagus but lation to rural communities, “Scholarship Grants” in coordination with NGO-
from the school, classrooms or audito- partners and the local government, and the “Sustainable Agriculture Program”
rium lecterns that he may bring us out of for the benefit of farmers. As it is said, the Church’s work to address the deplor-
our self-centered desires to the truth that able plight of the poor is a sign of the presence of the Kingdom of God.
is the Savior Jesus Christ as crucified.
How does the family and life apostolate in your diocese respond to the threats
(Homily delivered by Manila Archbishop that seek to undermine the sanctity of the family?
Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales during mass Family and life apostolate is one of the most important areas of concern in
on the occasion of the 2,000th Year of the the life and mission of our local Church. As the first school of evangelization,
Birth of Saint Paul on June 30, 2008 at the 7 Questions / B6
Manila Cathedral, Intramuros, Manila.)
 CBCP Monitor
B2 Updates Vol. 12 No. 14
July 7 - 20, 2008

Priestly attire and women’s

dealing with priests Commentator’s role
Q: Can you provide any insight into the role of the com-
mentator? The commentator is quite common here in the
United States, and every church seems to have a different
job description for this person. For example, in our parish
before the start of Mass the commentator greets the people,
asks if anyone is celebrating a birthday or anniversary or is
visiting. Then there is the usual happy birthday or anniver-
sary song. Then the commentator gives a 5- to 6-minute
reflection and words of advice for the coming week. During
the Mass the commentator sits in the sanctuary; directs the
people via hand signals whether to sit, kneel, rise; calls out
the music/song that we will be singing, etc. At the end of
Mass, before the final benediction he/she reads the an-
nouncements; gives comments and their take on the hom-
ily; and thanks the people, etc. I have suggested this is tak-
ing the role of “commentator” a bit too far, but cannot find
anything in the GIRM to help back up my claim. Can you
help? M.P., Keaau, Hawaii

By Fr. Jaime B. Achacoso, J.C.D.
I am a career woman in my late twenties. After
attending a spiritual retreat a year ago, I have been
trying to frequent the sacraments—specifically
going to Mass several times during the week and
trying to go to Sacramental Confession more of-
ten. With this increased exposure to the Church, I
have become more aware of the priests and my
own reactions to them. Two things stand out in
my experience: First, I seem to be drawn more
towards those priests who dress properly and I get
put off by the sight of jeans and T-shirt under the
loosely fitting garb that the celebrant puts on for
Mass, and instinctively recoil from going to Con-
fession to a priest who I can see is not dressed
properly; Second, I am confused by the different
ways priests dress. Is there a prescribed uniform
for priests? They used to wear cassocks: do these
have a practical purpose or are they merely sym-
bolic? Finally, just how should I deal with priests?
The Proper Attire for Priests
The Code of Canon Law prescribed in c.284:
Clerics are to wear suitable ecclesiastical garb in
accord with the norms issued by the conference of
bishops and in accord with legitimate local custom.
In attention to c.284 of the Universal Law
of the Church, the CBCP subsequently legis-
lated that the proper clerical attires in the
Philippines are as follows:
1) Cassock or religious habit;
2) Clergyman’s suit;
3) Trousers of dark one-tone color or white,
and shirt of one-tone color with a clerical
collar. The shirt may also be either polo-barong
or barong tagalog, with a distinctive cross.
As can be seen, the cassock (or for the mem-
bers of the institutes of consecrated life, their
proper religious habit) is actually the pri-
mary form of priestly or ecclesiastical garb
in the Philippines. The so-called clergyman’s
suit—which is an ordinary black suit worn
with a black or white shirt with a clerical
(also called Roman) collar—is the alternative.
Finally—obviously as an adaptation of the
more Western clergyman’s suit to the local
Philippine situation—two other alternatives
are given for the Philippine clergy:
1 st: Single-toned dark or white pants and
single-toned shirt with clerical collar;
2 nd : The same pants but with a polo-barong
or barong tagalog with either a clerical collar
or a distinctive cross.
In all these cases, as is obvious, the clear
pretension of the norm on clerical attire is to
make the cleric look different—such that even
if the suit or the shirts or polo-barong or barong
tagalog may be of the usual cut, they are still
made different by the clerical (or Roman col-
lar) or at the very least the presence of a dis-
tinctive cross.
Rationale for a Distinctive Clerical Attire
Why a clerical attire? Firstly, to set the
priest apart, since—as St Paul says in his Let-
ter to the Hebrews—the priest “taken from
among men is appointed for men in the things
pertaining to God” (Heb 5,1). In other words,
the priest, while remaining among men and
indeed serving them, must be clearly identi-
fiable from them since he stands in persona
Christi capitis, that is “in the person of Christ
the head” of the Mystical Body which is the
Church. From a practical viewpoint, it seems
logical and even just that the ordinary faith-
ful be able to identify the priest, not only to
emulate but—above all—so that he may call
on his ministry. On more than one occasion,
I have been approached by a complete
stranger in the most unusual places—once
stepping out of a National Bookstore, another
time in Mega Mall—obviously moved by the
presence of a priest in cassock, to ask me to
hear his confession.
On the other hand, all this talk about mak-
ing the priest look more like the laymen, in
order for them to be more present in society,
leads nowhere. Rather than a priestly pres-
ence, what is achieved by such non-wearing
of an exclusively priestly garb is a priestly
absence. In effect, the priest in ordinary garb
disappears in the mass of the laity in similar
attire. As the Second Vatican Council pointed
out, the external appearance of the cleric
should be a sign that can and ought to attract
all the members of the Church to an effective
and prompt fulfillment of the duties of their
Christian vocation. Of course, when circum-
stances so require, it is always possible for
priests to wear secular attire—e.g., times of
recreation and sports, or manual and messy
work.
Finally, let me mention yet another func-
tion of the priestly garb. The priestly attire,
especially the cassock, is the priest’s first line
of defense for modesty in public—both on his
part and on the part of others towards him. A
virile looking priest—which is the way a priest
should be, in the first place, since he is sup-
posed to be another Christ, and Christ is per-
fect God and perfect man (and I emphasize
man)—will surely encourage proper decorum
Illustration by
Bladimer Usi
towards him, especially on the part of women,
if he were more visibly a priest, in priestly
garb.
The Question of Priestly Presence
Some people (including priests) say that
wearing a cassock puts some kind of distance
between priests and ordinary people, that
instead of feeling at ease, ordinary people
feel uncomfortable.
I’ve been a priest for almost 25 years now,
and I’ve always—as in 99 percent of the
time—worn a cassock when I’m with people,
and I still have to meet anybody who feels
uncomfortable because of what I’m wearing.
On the contrary, I have been told time and
again-—especially by women and girls—that
they feel uncomfortable, especially going to
confession, with a priest who is dressed like
an ordinary worker.
There has to be a certain distance—one
owed by reverence because of his priestly
character—between the priest and the ordi-
nary faithful. Otherwise, he may be confused
as an ordinary lay faithful, rather than a con-
secrated minister. Being close to the ordinary
faithful is not a question of the priest becom-
ing like them, but of his knowing how to un-
derstand, love and sacrifice himself for them.
What makes the priest close to the faithful is
the genuineness of his life, not the hipness of
his clothes.
It’s the lack of clear identification of roles
that makes people uncomfortable with
priests. A self-respecting woman might feel
uncomfortable baring her soul to somebody
who is not clearly a sacred minister, but who
looks, acts and feels like just another man.
Conclusion
To conclude, how should women deal with
priests? I think the proper way for women to
deal with priests would have three charac-
teristics:
1) Reverence—since he is a sacred minister,
Christ amongst us. This precludes any fri-
volity or familiarity. He is not just another
man, but a man of God.
2) Filial affection—since he is her spiritual
father. This precludes any thoughtlessness,
aloofness, or insensitivity to his needs. He
needs prayers, understanding, and also ma-
terial support.
3) Naturalness —not forgetting that he is a
man, with a fallen nature. This precludes silly
situations which a woman of her stature
wouldn’t tolerate with another man.
A: I think you are correct that this is taking the role of com-
mentator a bit too far.
The liturgical function of the commentator is described,
along with that of sacristans, ushers, and those who take up
the collection, in the General Instruction of the Roman Mis-
sal, No. 105:
“The commentator […] provides the faithful, when ap-
propriate, with brief explanations and commentaries with
the purpose of introducing them to the celebration and
preparing them to understand it better. The commentator’s
remarks must be meticulously prepared and clear though
brief. In performing this function the commentator stands
in an appropriate place facing the faithful, but not at the
ambo.”
No. 352 of the GIRM later insists on the need for prepara-
tion: “Since, indeed, a variety of options is provided for the
different parts of the Mass, it is necessary for the deacon, the
lectors, the psalmist, the cantor, the commentator, and the
choir to be completely sure before the celebration which text
for which each is responsible is to be used and that nothing be
improvised. Harmonious planning and carrying out of the
rites will great assistance in disposing the faithful to partici-
pate in the Eucharist.”
This is all that is said about the commentator. By saying
This is all that is said about the
commentator. By saying that the
commentator intervenes “when
appropriate” could be interpreted
that this function is best used
whenever there is something spe-
cial, such as a confirmation or
ordination that requires some
explanation.
that the commentator intervenes “when appropriate” could
be interpreted that this function is best used whenever there
is something special, such as a confirmation or ordination
that requires some explanation.
The insistence that this office’s functions must be meticu-
lously prepared and are specifically orientated toward help-
ing the people live the celebration would seem to exclude
spontaneous interventions and unprepared remarks based on
the homily.
Likewise it is highly debatable that the assembly’s singing
“Happy Birthday” is the most appropriate spiritual prepara-
tion for Mass.
It must also be remembered that GIRM, No. 31, specifically
assigns the presentation of the rite and any concluding sum-
maries to the presiding priest and not to the commentator: “It
is also up to the priest, in the exercise of his office of presiding
over the gathered assembly, to offer certain explanations that
are foreseen in the rite itself…. In addition, he may give the
faithful a very brief introduction to the Mass of the day (after
the initial Greeting and before the Act of Penitence), to the
Liturgy of the Word (before the readings), and to the Eucha-
ristic Prayer (before the Preface), though never during the
Eucharistic Prayer itself; he may also make concluding com-
ments to the entire sacred action before the dismissal.”
GIRM, No. 50, however, foresees the possibility that the
brief introduction to the Mass of the day may also be assigned
to a lay minister.
Although it is not a specific function of the commentator to
call out the songs or make the usual announcements at the
end of Mass, it is practical so as not to multiply the number of
people in the sanctuary. All the same, it would be better to
find another means to designate the songs so as to limit inter-
ruptions to the prescribed rite.
The duty of indicating, whenever necessary, the posture to
be adopted by the people has traditionally fallen on the dea-
con, or on the cantor. It is usually only necessary when some
special rite is celebrated, such as the Litany of Saints during
ordinations.
The duty of indicating, whenever necessary, the posture to
be adopted by the people has traditionally fallen on the dea-
con or the cantor. But No. 43 of the GIRM also allows this task
to be assigned to another lay minister if necessary: “With a

Celebrating the mass silently

(Father Edward McNamara, profes-
sor of liturgy at the Regina
Apostolorum University, answers
the following questions:)
Q: Recently at our local na-
tional shrine I was visiting the
Blessed Sacrament when a young
priest whom I had never seen
before began to set up for Mass. I
sat down to wait, really happy to
be there for this surprise Mass; it
was 10 p.m. The priest “said” the
whole Mass silently. At first I was
confused. I’d never seen this be-
fore. It actually was quite beauti-
ful nonetheless, and he did speak
once, to invite us to receive Com-
munion. Tell me about this
please. If the canon is a public
prayer, how can this be? Was it
indeed valid?—T.H., Santa Clara,
California
A : From the description I
would suppose that the Mass was
celebrated by a traveling priest
who had not had time to cel-
ebrate beforehand. In this, at least,
he showed commendable devo-
tion to his daily Mass, which is
recommended for all priests even
if nobody can be present.
If a priest celebrates alone or
with just an acolyte he may use a
subdued voice in celebrating
Mass. He may not, however,
“say” any part of the Mass inter-
nally. Because the Mass is a pub-
lic prayer of the Church, all of its
parts, including the readings,
must be proclaimed vocally.
This vocal proclamation, even
if audible only to the priest him-
self, is required for the Mass to
be licit and is essential to the va-
lidity of the consecration.
Pope Pius XII affirmed this point
in a 1956 discourse regarding si-
lent concelebration. The issue was
later formalized in a decree of the
then Holy Office on March 8, 1957,
that declared that according to
Christ’s institution, only he who
pronounces the words of consecra-
tion validly celebrates.
In the case at hand, given the
late hour, the priest was probably
surprised to see anybody present
at all and might not have known
how to react.
Although perhaps excused by
inexperience, the moment he re-
alized that there were people
present and interested in partici-
pating in the Mass (as shown by
his inquiry regarding Commun-
ion), he should have celebrated
in such a manner that the people
could hear him and take the parts
proper to the assembly.
In this way the Mass as an ac-
tion of the whole Church would
have been manifested more
clearly.
All that I have said up to now
presupposes that the priest cel-
ebrated according to the ordinary
Roman rite and in the vernacular.
If he was using the extraordi-
nary form of the Roman rite, then
he would have correctly cel-
ebrated Mass in a low voice and
in Latin.
view to a uniformity in gestures and postures during one and
the same celebration, the faithful should follow the directions
which the deacon, lay minister, or priest gives according to
whatever is indicated in the Missal.”
I believe that such indications are usually only necessary
when some special rite is celebrated, such as the Litany of
Saints during ordinations or in places where there are fre-
quent visitors from different parts of the world who might be
used to other practices.
Otherwise I believe that it is better to leave aside choreo-
graphic gestures and indications for regular Sunday Masses.
Some of these might have been necessary at the beginning of
the reform until people got used to the new rite. But after
nearly 40 years of practice I think most Catholics now know
when to kneel, sit and stand.
Something similar can be said about the persistent habit of
cantors raising their hands, or saying “Response” after each
psalm verse or invocation of the prayer of the faithful. It was
all very well when the responsorial psalm and the interces-
sions were liturgical novelties, but by now it is sometimes a
bit theatrical and distracting.
It is worth noting that such gestures are studiously avoided
in papal Masses celebrated in Rome. The faithful easily inter-
pret the appropriate moment to intervene as indicated by a
pause, the cadence of the melody, or the intervention of the
organ.
 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 14
July 7 - 20, 2008
By Most Rev. Marlo Peralta
THE whole province of Pangasinan once
belonged to the Diocese of Lingayen-
Dagupan which is composed of 46 mu-
nicipalities and three cities. In 1985, it
was divided into three dioceses; the Dio-
cese of Alaminos on the west, created in
January 1985; the Diocese of Urdaneta
on the east; and the Archdiocese of
Lingayen-Dagupan on the central part
of the province.
Alaminos diocese is a beautiful coun-
try with an area of 249,670 hectares
which is endowed with rich natural re-
sources of mountains, rivers and the sea.
Alaminos in Western Pangasinan is prob-
ably the only bishopric in the whole
world with a hundred islands.
There also live about 600,000 people,
majority of whom are poor but are filled
Diocese of Alaminos
IMPORTANT FACTS:
Bishop ………………………… 1
Priests:
Diocesan …………..……… 28
Religious:
Filipino …………………… 8
Foreign ……………...…… 2
Sisters:
Filipino …………………........ 62
Foreign ……………...……. 4
Seminarians:
Theology ………….......…… 13
Philosophy ……………....... 10
Pre-College ……..…………. 5
High School …………..…… 13
Diocesan Divisions:
Vicariates ………………….... 4
Parishes ……….....……….. 19
Educational Centers:
College …………….......…… 1
High School ………….......… 7
Elementary ………..……….. 14
Pre-school …………….…... 14
Population ………....…… 575,157
Catholics …………….... 488,725
Area ……….......... 24,492 sq. kms.
with hope in the providence of God.
Majority of them earn by fishing and
farming.
Journey towards growth
The creation of the parishes did not
only happen during the Spanish era with
the coming of the Augustinian
Recoletos but went on to continue until
the present time. The 20th parish, St. Pe-
ter the Apostle in Pogoruac, was estab-
lished last year. The creation of new
parishes is a manifestation of the con-
tinuous spiritual growth and develop-
ment in the area, a fruit of the evangeli-
zation initiatives of the spiritual lead-
ers during the Spanish era which is
handed down to the local Church lead-
ers until it reached the time of Bishop
Jesus A. Cabrera, who became the first
bishop of the diocese in 1985. The cur-
rent bishop, Most Rev. Marlo M. Peralta
took over as 2n d bishop of Alaminos
upon the retirement of Bishop Cabrera
last July 1, 2007.
The diocese turned 22 last year. Its
journey is accompanied by God’s abid-
ing providence. Christ had used “five
loaves of bread and two fishes” as sym-
bols of what helped in feeding the mul-
titude. The Diocese of Alaminos has ex-
perienced receiving “loaves of bread and
fishes”. These have come in the form of
the following elements which are con-
sidered pillars that supported and nour-
ished the diocese of Alaminos in its
growth and development as a young
Church.
1. Clergy
When the diocese started in 1985 there
were only 16 priests but after persistent
prayers and hard work in promoting
vocations there are now almost 45
priests and still growing as more priests,
both secular and religious continue to
join the diocese.
Apart from their number, the mani-
festation of unity among our clergy with
the Bishop is considered as essential in
fulfilling their role as ministers. During
the Chrism Mass they not only renew
their vows of obedience to the bishop
but also their vows to hold each other as
brothers and to hold on to their priestly
vows of celibacy and simplicity. They
strive to live a lifestyle that does not
only foster renunciation of their mate-
rial possessions but also make them
available to generously and wholeheart-
edly serve the people. During their
monthly meetings and recollection they
do not only pray together but also pray
for one another. Their annual rest and
recreation activities are occasions for
them to enjoy each other’s company,
appreciate each other and even discover
their varied talents.
2. Religious Sisters
The diocese is grateful to the sisters
who continue to grow in number. From
13 in 1985, the number has grown to 64
representing 16 congregations. The sis-
ters have not only provided assistance
to carry out the various pastoral works
in different parts of the diocese but also
helped in its spiritual growth through
their prayers. There are three groups of
contemplatives, considered the power-
house of prayer in the diocese. They are
the Hermits of the Living Word who do
not only pray to bring life to souls, but
also work to bring life to our bald moun-
tains through Agro-forestry technology;
the Poor Clare Sisters, based in Bolinao;
and the Carmelite Sisters in Burgos.
3. Lay People
The largest group consists of the Lay
people whose growth is not only seen
in the increase of their number but more
so in their active and purposive involve-
ment in the various ministries and
apostolates of the Church.
Some of the Lay people are formally
integrated in the Church by their mem-
bership in the different religious orga-
nizations and movements such as the
Apostleship of Prayer, Catholic
Women’s League, Charismatic groups,
and others.
The poor members of the diocese
have a place in the local Church not only
as recipients of evangelization work and
services but also as active agents of re-
newal. Many of them are involved as
volunteers working as catechists, health
workers attending to the needs of their
neighbors, BEC coordinators or as Bible
facilitators. Still others are involved in
spiritual activities attending regularly
the First Friday night vigil and praying
for the diocese while the rest of the Chris-
tian community sleeps. Even the sick,
Diocese
the aged, and the handicapped who be-
long to the Association of the Sick and
Aged (ASA), have the special apostolate
of prayer and offering of their pains and
afflictions for the conversion of the
whole diocese.
The vendors, fishermen, farmers,
teachers, drivers, laborers and the like;
they too are doing their share in the task
of evangelization in their homes, in the
market place, the farm, the seas and other
places of work. They do their work hon-
estly and conscientiously and give extra
care to protect and nurture the natural
resources not only for themselves but
for the whole community.
The Overseas Filipino workers with
their families also participate in the task
of evangelization as they provide for the
needs of their families; and as they real-
ize their evangelizing role in their places
of work especially in many non-Chris-
tian parts of the world where they are
employed.
Indeed, the importance of the self-giv-
ing and life-sharing actions of the lay
people for the Kingdom of God cannot
be overemphasized. The challenge for
the diocese is to continually form, en-
able, encourage, inspire and support
them in the fulfillment of their vocation.
Pastoral processes
The Pastoral processes are not mere
activities but they are expressions of
Unity and Communion in the diocese.
These also provide the pastoral direc-
tion which guides the diocese in realiz-
ing its vision and mission.
The following Pastoral Processes are
consciously followed and adopted in
some of the more advanced BEC’S, in
the parishes and the diocese as a whole:
Vision: To become a community of
Christ’s disciples.
As early as 1986, Bishop Cabrera con-
vened the clergy and some lay people to
define what kind of diocese they would
like to have. Their dream was articulated
in the first document of the Diocesan
Vision: Eternal Salvation in Christ
through Total Human Development.
Later, when the first Diocesan Pastoral
Assembly was called, the first document
was reviewed and thus born the exist-
ing vision: To become a Community of
Christ’s Disciples.
The vision of the diocese is an articu-
lation of the aspirations, hopes and
dreams of the people: the Bishop, the
clergy, religious and the lay people, and
has provided the pastoral direction for
the whole diocese.
Diocesan Pastoral Assemblies
The first Diocesan Assembly was cel-
ebrated in October 1995 as a fitting way
to thank God in commemoration of the
10 th year anniversary of the diocese. The
Assembly gave birth to three pastoral
priorities, namely, a) The importance of
Ecclesial Communion which must exist
among the so-called Agents of Renewal:
the clergy, the religious and the lay
people; b) the establishment of Struc-
tures that would allow wider Participa-
tion; and, c) the identification of (BEC)—
Basic Ecclesial Communities as the Pas-
toral Thrust of the Diocese.
The diocese held its Second Diocesan
Pastoral Assembly on November 19 to
23, 2000 focusing on Lay Ministry and
Participation.
The basic concern was how the lay
people could effectively and efficiently
participate in the life and mission of the
Church and how the different lay
apostolates and ministries could be in-
tegrated into the Diocesan Pastoral
ON BACKGROUNG: St. Joseph the Patriarch Cathedral.
ON FOREGROUND: Bishop Marlo M. Peralta
Thrust of Building BEC’s. The basic pro-
grams, structures, skills and values
needed to enable the lay people to par-
ticipate in the evangelizing task of the
diocese in fulfillment of their vocation
were identified.
The third Pastoral Assembly had
Communion of Communities as its
theme. To realize this goal the assem-
bly focused on the following pastoral
priorities, namely, a) the participation
of all in the life and mission of the
Church; b) how to develop a deeper com-
mitment and greater sense of responsi-
bility among the faithful; c) holistic and
integral evangelization; and, d) how to
make the communities become more
self-reliant and self-sustaining.
The formation and strengthening of
the BECs is another pastoral process that
led to the realization of the Diocesan
Vision. There are at present more than
800 BECs organized and existing in the
different barangays of the 20 parishes in
various levels of development and ca-
pabilities.
The diocese finds the translation of its
character as a Church of the Poor in the
basic Ecclesial Communities. It is build-
ing the Church from the bottom up, pro-
pelled by the people especially the poor
and marginalized. Rich and poor alike
find their identity and unity with one
another and with the whole Church
through the BEC’s.
Pastoral programs and activities
The diocese is not only concerned
with the building of structures but espe-
cially with the building of people. The
various pastoral programs are strategies
to realize its vision, focused in forming
and training laypeople through various
seminars and recollections so as to bet-
ter respond to the needs and aspirations
of the poor. And so it has established
B3
socio-economic programs like coopera-
tives, health and nutrition programs,
medical assistance and scholarships to
elementary, high school and college stu-
dents, housing projects, relief and reha-
bilitation activities. It has also under-
taken special projects to and rehabilitates
the environment like the reforestation
project and organic farming. It has es-
tablished projects and services that serve
the needs and promote the welfare of
the sick, the aged and disabled, the
youth, children, women, farmers, fish-
ermen, and the indigenous peoples.
The above programs and projects are
effectively implemented through the
different apostolates and ministries such
as the Catechetical Program, Biblical
Apostolate, Youth Ministry, Family and
Life Program, Social Action, Catholic
schools and Media Apostolate.
There are regular Pastoral activities
that are institutionalized in various lev-
els of life in the diocese. These activities
strengthen the connectedness of the
people. These have allowed the people
from the farthest BEC or barangays to
experience their being a part of the par-
ish, the diocese and the universal Church
as a whole. The following activities are
held with varied frequencies: a) Meet-
ings of leaders in all levels of the Church:
BEC, Parish, Vicariate, and the Diocese.
This includes the monthly meeting of
the Diocesan Pastoral Council and the
different religious organizations and
movements; b) Monthly Clergy Meet-
ing and Recollection; c) AWRA (Asso-
ciation of Women Religious of
Alaminos) Meetings; d) Inter-BEC ex-
change; e) Inter-parish visits which are
avenues for new pastoral ideas, techni-
cal assistance and exchange of resources,
ideas and technologies; f) Diocesan cel-
ebrations such as Christ the King cel-
ebration, the Lenten Pilgrimage to Surip,
Annual Misa de Gracia in Manaoag,
Chrism Mass, Anniversary Celebrations,
Joint Clergy and Religious Christmas
Recollection and Program.
The Journey continues
The seed that was sown 22 years ago
has grown, first as a small plant and now
has become a tree bearing fruit to give
life and shade to whosoever wishes to
come into its fold. But the work of God
in this diocese is not over yet, God con-
tinues to invite laborers who will con-
tinue the task of nurturing and nourish-
ing this local church. God calls every-
one to continue giving strength to the
“Community of Christ’s Disciples,” to
keep on building and nourishing the
Body of Christ in this particular place
called the Diocese of Alaminos.
 CBCP Monitor
B4 Commissions Vol. 12 No. 14
July 7 - 20, 2008

CBCP Official re-elected mode-

rator in int’l Biblical Assembly EPISCOPAL Commission on among member organizations.
Biblical Apostolate and Sorsogon Delegates from the Philippines

Baguio Youth Bishop Arturo Bastes, SVD has

been re-elected as Moderator of
the Executive Committee of the
Catholic Biblical Federation
include Bishop Arturo Bastes,
ECBA chairman, Lingayen-
Dagupan Auxiliary Bishop
Renato Mayugba, Chairman of

to celebrate (CBF) during its 7th Plenary As-

sembly at Dar es Salaam, Tanza-
nia, Africa, on July 3.
Themed “Word of God –
John Paul I Regional Biblical
Center of Northern Luzon and
Cordillera, Fr. Dominador
Ramos, SVD, president of Divine

WYD in union Source of Reconciliation, Justice

and Peace”, the Biblical Assem-
bly had just concluded its two-
week international meeting
Word College, Urdaneta and
former Director of John Paul I
Biblical Center, Sr. Miriam
Alejandrino, OSB (exegete), Miss

with Sydney which ran from June 24 until July

3. The theme was complemented
with a biblical passage, “We are
ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor
5:19-20).
Participated in by 230 delegates
from 320 member organizations
worldwide, the CBF meets regu-
larly every six years to discuss
common concerns and ongoing
work of the Federation. The as-
sembly also serves as a venue for
an exchange of significant pasto-
ral themes and concepts and to
establish links and networks
Mary Almonte (Mother of Life),
Sr. Antonia Anas, SIHM (BA Di-
rector SIHM), Miss Estrella del
Mar (Cebu Lay Formation Cen-
ter) and Fr. Oscar Alunday
(ECBA).
It was the first time in the 40-
year existence of the Federation
that a meeting was held in Af-
rica. The previous Assemblies
took place in Vienna (1972), Malta
(1978), Bangalore (1984), Bogota
(1990), Hongkong (1996), and
Beirut (2002). (Pinky Barrientos,
FSP)

Power to Unite ... soaring high on its 2nd season!

FINANCIAL constraint is no reason why the youth cannot be

active participants of the World Youth Day.
This was disclosed recently by Fr. Abner Dalilis and
Nathaniel Felipe, Director and Coordinator, respectively, of
the Diocesan Youth Ministry of Baguio. THE television program Power to Unite be- sential and com-
Invitations were sent to the young people in Baguio be- gan its second season last April bringing to plex roles of the
longing to any form of organization: parish youth ministry, viewers’ attention issues and concerns related parents, the youth
Student Catholic Action, charismatic organizations, to encour- to education. and schools in
age them to take part in the Diocesan Youth Day to be held on Aired on two television networks, NBN-4 education; fea-
July 19, 2008, at the same time the World Youth Day is cel- and IBC-13, the pilot episode delved on the tured the various
ebrated in Sydney. issue of education or the lack of it as experi- kinds of educa-
With the theme “You will receive power when the Holy enced by the indigenous people. The program tional programs
Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses”, the tackled the struggles the indigenous people offered to the pub-
Diocesan Youth Day aims to gather the youth in Baguio to face in their daily fight against ignorance. lic; and under-
celebrate in union with the youth of the world during World The first episode featured the Atis in Mount scored the vital
Youth Day in Sydney, Australia. Bakirohan and Sitio Bulabog in Boracay, ex- role of the Catho-
The Diocesan Youth Day will kick off with the assembly posing the harsh reality of their lives in their lic Church in the
and pilgrim prayers at Malcolm Square. Afterwards, in the struggle for a better education for their chil- holistic education
spirit of pilgrims, the young people will walk in procession dren. It also revealed the successful and pro- of students.
towards Our Lady of Atonement Cathedral in the center of gressive Aetas in Sitio Gala, Barangay The show’s
Baguio. Sacatihan in Subic, Zambales. guests came
Once in the Baguio Cathedral grounds the youth partici- Their stories clearly emphasized the basic from educational
pants will celebrate events being done in every World Youth desire of humans to be educated. It also dem- institutions. Religious people were also in- ards of education and to ensure that it is shared
Day: animation, catechesis, prayer and, above all, the Holy onstrated the great power of education to vited in the show to ensure that right values to all. By uniting everyone, every Filipino be-
Mass. change and improve the lives of people. and attitude towards education were pro- comes a channel of love and an agent of hope.
The singing of the World Youth Day 2008 theme song will The first episode set the general theme for moted. Hosted by Ms. Elvira Go and produced by
be led by the San Jose Band. Welcome remarks will be given the whole season. In stressing the importance The whole 2nd season of Power to Unite the National Catholic Family Bible Founda-
by Fr. Mark Batolne. Fr. Abner Dalilis will describe the his- of education, the TV program challenged the aspires to awaken the people’s consciousness tion, Inc., Power to Unite is a half-hour pro-
tory of World Youth Days. Fr. Rosito Pedro will present the people to value their education, improve its to value God-given blessings in particular gram aired every Sunday 6:00-6:30 pm at
guest speakers: lay evangelists and composer-writers Moises quality and make it accessible to all. education. NBN-4, and 10:00-10:30pm at IBC-13. (Fr. Mike
Catan and Kiddo Cosio of the Elim Community well-known The succeeding episodes highlighted the es- It also encourages people to be good stew- Garcia, SSS)
for their Gospel song “Call Me Happy”. The rest of the morn-
ing will be filled with cultural presentations, such as native
dances, in the Cathedral Square. The climax of the Youth Day Peter / B1
will be at noontime with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist
by Bishop Carlito Cenzon and concelebrating priests. owned, as they believed, the dently that he was released, was does not directly identify the tolic tradition expressed by the
The Diocese of Baguio held activities in the past months as a
same two apostles as their arrested and imprisoned a second place or the manner of the death dual martyrs invoked the need
way to prepare the youth to celebrate the World Youth Day founders. time, and was sentenced to death of the apostles but adds further for concord and solidarity. Soli-
and also as a way to better address the needs of its numerous
Acts 18:1-11 describes Paul’s ac- during the general persecution of weight to the early tradition darity was mediated by Rome. In
young people. tivities in Corinth; it was also Christians in Rome under Nero. which associates the martyrdom the process it hastened the tradi-
On May 1 to 3, 2008, the Diocesan Youth Ministry Assembly
from Corinth that he wrote his He died by the sword. 2 Tm 4:6-8 of Peter and Paul with Rome and tion of a Roman primacy based
was held in Saint Francis Xavier Seminary, Baguio City. With letter to the Romans. Peter’s pres- has preserved most likely Paul’s with Nero’s persecution. on the heritage of Peter. Paul
the theme “Youth: One In Vision, Active In Mission”, Catholic
ence or influence in Corinth is last words: The Church historian Eusebius could not be used against Peter
youth leaders from all the parishes of the Diocese of Baguio alluded to by the “Kephas party,” I am already being poured out like of Caesaria writes that Peter and because believers who saw Peter
gathered for prayers and formation with the objective of vali-
one of the rival groups in the city a libation, and the time of my depar- Paul had both taught in Rome and and Paul united in martyrdom
dating, aligning and making one’s own the Vision–Mission of (1 Cor 1:12). It was therefore natu- ture is at hand. I have competed well; then died under Nero. Peter was would not believe that they had
the Diocesan Youth Ministry and to re-affirm the Diocesan
ral for Roman Christians to take I have finished the race; I have kept crucified head down. been divided in teaching.
Youth Ministry programs, activities and structure. a particular interest in the the faith. From now on the crown of The tradition that Peter and The claim to the concord of the
On May 26-28, 2008, the first Youth Camp of Our Lady of
troubles of their Corinthian righteousness awaits me, which the Paul were both martyred in dual founders would be further
Atonement Cathedral Parish was held in Villa Mirador Hill, brethren. Lord, the just judge, will award to Rome gave prestige and author- strengthened by the liturgical
Baguio City. With the Theme “The Youth Called to be Gath-
There is no suggestion here of me on that day, and not only to me, ity to the Roman church. Chris- celebration which situates their
ered in Ministry Towards Unity”, 70 young people from the the authority that has yet to in- but to all who have longed for his ap- tian churches were proud of their martyrdom on June 29, the found-
different communities of the Cathedral Parish received talks
here in the Roman Church. On pearance. patron saint or martyr. The two ing of the city of Rome.
from clergy and lay facilitators to help them draw insights the other hand, the wide influ- In turn, Peter disappears from founders—Peter and Paul—made In a sermon on the feast, Pope
about the importance of participating in the life of the parish
ence which this letter may have the account in Acts after the the Roman church superior to Leo the Great would make the
and the community as a whole. had on the Christian circles Council of Jerusalem. Hints in those who had only one. point of contrast among the po-
A high point of the youth events in Baguio previous to the
would have prepared the ground Paul’s letters as well as in the Moreover, the possession of litical and religious “founders”
World Youth Day was the 9th Breviarian Big Tent Festival for the future assertions and Petrine correspondence suggest both martyrs’ shrine provided of Rome: “The Apostles have bet-
celebrated on May 27 to 31, 2008, at the campus grounds of San
claims of the Bishop of Rome, on a wider area of missionary activ- the Roman church with the pres- ter protected the city than those
Pablo Major Seminary, Crystal Cave. The youth event adopted the Papacy. ity in Asia Minor. There are allu- ence of the divine and gave the who built its walls and soiled it
this year’s theme from Acts 18:9 “Do not be afraid; keep on
sions to Peter’s death in Jn 21:18- bishop of Rome control over ac- by fratricide.”
speaking, do not be silent.” The participants received talks on Double martyrs 19. But did Peter also preach in cess to the saints. In the fourth Peter and Paul were held to be
topics aimed to help them to be more aware of the Eucharist,
The New Testament is silent on Rome and was martyred there? century, pilgrimages to the the founders of the Church of
the Church, and the specific role of the youth in society today. the death of the two apostles. The 1 Pt hints that Peter was in Vatican shrine on the Feast of Sts. Rome, like Romulus and Remus,
Workshops were also held to deepen the participants’ knowl-
Acts of the Apostles ends with Rome, assuming that Babylon Peter and Paul were celebrated the two mythical brothers who
edge on the topics discussed. (Fr. Mickey Cardenas) Paul’s imprisonment in Rome. symbolizes Rome (1 Pt 5:13). with magnificence. are said to have founded the city.
Tradition affirms rather confi- Clement’s letter, quoted above, The motif of a unified apos- Peter / B5
 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 14
July 7 - 20, 2008 Statements B5
Pastoral Statement on the Jubilee of St. Paul 2008-2009
Choose the Lord!
Reject Evil!
“Grace to you Pastoral Statement on the Proposal
and peace from to Operate the Bataan Nuclear
Power Plant
God our Father MANY people remember Bataan because of the Second World
War. In fact, our country commemorates each year on April 9

and the Lord

the Fall of Bataan in the hands of the Japanese forces in 1942. In
the past students in our schools were required to learn to heart
the literary piece Bataan Has Fallen by Salvador P. Lopez, as a
way of fostering civic duty and love of country.

Jesus Christ!” Symbol of Evil

More than twenty years ago, Bataan once again became
known because of the nuclear power plant that was built in the

(1 Cor 1:3)
town of Morong. This nuclear power plant became the most
visible and flagrant symbol of corruption in government, es-
pecially as practiced by the Marcos administration. Today it
stands as a mute witness of this abominable greed and corrup-
tion and as reminder to all Filipinos that such deeds that only
bring untold suffering should never again be foisted on our
country.
Today our country’s leadership has floated the idea of reviv-
ing this monument of greed and incompetence in an effort to
address the global energy crisis. This move follows what is
being seen as the increasing incidence of unbridled and shame-
less graft and corruption that the country had in the 70’s and
80’s. They are twins born three decades apart.

WE, the Bishops of the Philippines, welcome as is the case with many members of our dedicated to St. Paul where the faithful can Threat to Human Beings
with eagerness the announcement of the Holy Catholic Charismatic communities. go on pilgrimage and earn the gift of indul- The Bataan nuclear power plant has long been declared
Father, Pope Benedict XVI, that the universal Paul considered the Damascus event as a gences after following the requirements of UNSAFE for two reasons that are impossible to refute:
Church would celebrate a special Jubilee Year revelation and a call from God. His descrip- the Church. We call upon Bible scholars to First, the power plant was built in an area at the foot of the
of the Apostle Paul. On June 28, 2007, during tion of it echoes the prophetic call of Jeremiah help us appreciate the Pauline Letters, the dormant volcano Mount Natib and any volcanic eruption or
the celebration of the solemnity of the holy and the Servant of God in Isaiah: “God, who most precious legacy of the Apostle to the earthquake can pose fatal hazards to the lives of millions in
apostles Peter and Paul in the Basilica of Saint from my mother’s womb called me through Church, but which many Christians remain Central Luzon and Metro Manila. If the Bataan Nuclear Plant
Paul outside the Walls, the Pope said: “I am his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to unfamiliar to. We especially call upon the had been operational at the time of the eruption of the Mount
happy to announce officially that we shall me, so that I might proclaim him to the Gen- “Pauline” religious congregations, institu- Pinatubo, the devastation would have been tremendously in-
dedicate a special Jubilee Year to the apostle tiles…” (Gal 2:15-16; cf. Jer 1:4, Is 49:1). From tions and shrines to take special initiatives in calculable and unimaginably catastrophic.
Paul, from 28 June 2008 to 29 June 2009, on then on, his life was given fully to Christ and leading the people to a greater awareness, Second, the construction of the plant was attended by nu-
the occasion of the bi-millennium of his birth, the Gospel. He traveled the Mediterranean love, and imitation of St. Paul whose life was merous irregularities among the contractors, especially on the
which historians have placed between the world, preached the Gospel especially to the wholly directed to Christ. The apostle would part of the government, sacrificing safety, quality and rigid-
years 7 and 10 A.D.” Gentiles, founded churches and wrote letters tell his converts: “Be imitators of me, as I am ness of methods and materials. None of those involved in the
Together with the rest of our fellow Asian that would become Sacred Scriptures. His toil of Christ” (1 Cor 11:1). May these initiatives construction of the nuclear power plant could give an assur-
Catholic Christians, how can we Filipinos not and hardship for the Gospel would easily help us make “St. Paul alive today” and pro- ance that they complied with internationally acceptable stan-
be moved to greet with enthusiasm the com- equal, if not surpass, those of any follower of pel us in our common apostolic mission as dards. In fact, some of our fishermen in Morong were hired as
memoration of the man who made it pos- Christ. And so would his success. It would be Filipino Catholics towards the rest of Asia! welders during its construction without any briefing on safety
sible for the Gospel of Jesus Christ to go be- claimed that the conversion of Paul was sec- In particular, the OFWs (Overseas Filipino and the hazards that their carelessness could result in.
yond the confines of Israel and reach the rest ond only to the Christ-event in importance Workers) among our faithful can draw a lot
of us, “Gentiles”? to the Christian faith. But Paul would con- of inspiration from the Apostle Paul, who More Tragic than War
sider himself only as a “servant of Jesus took every opportunity at each time he came If the national government will operate the Bataan nuclear
The Apostle to the Gentiles Christ” (Rom 1:1). What he was, all his toils, into contact with people of other nations, to power plant, the Fall of Bataan in 1942 will pale in comparison.
Saul, who later became Paul—the man we was due to the grace of God which was at witness to the Good News of our Lord Jesus In a matter of time, the world could be remembered with “Bataan
call “the Apostle to the Gentiles”—was for- work in him. Paul’s life was then crowned Christ, often even at the price of so much Has Exploded” in a more sensational way than “Bataan Has
merly known as a rabid persecutor of Chris- his with martyrdom; like Simon Peter he shed suffering, persecution, and imprisonment. Fallen.” Should the nuclear power plant constructed on the
tianity before he became its most avid propa- his blood in Rome. The two apostles are con- Lastly, the Holy Father points to one as- Bataan peninsula, a peninsula lying on a major earthquake
gator. He was the arch-enemy of that fledg- sidered the two pillars of the Church of Rome pect that must be paid attention to during the fault, be made operational, a nuclear accident will be a tragedy
ling sectarian movement of the early first which would become the mother of the celebration—the ecumenical dimension. “The just waiting to happen to plunge the nation into a disaster in
century that claimed that Jesus of Nazareth, churches. Apostle to the Gentiles,” the Pope noted, the likes of Chernobyl.
the man whom Pilate had executed on the “who was especially committed to taking the
cross, had been raised by God from the dead Liturgical, Cultural and Ecumenical Initia- Good News to all peoples, left no stones Legacy of Good not Evil
and was in fact the Messiah the Jews had long tives unturned for unity and harmony among all We therefore appeal to the national leadership to look be-
awaited. This zealous Pharisee saw the na- Pope Benedict XVI has proposed various Christians.” While ecumenical initiatives are yond the present energy crisis and see the adverse effects of
scent Jesus movement known as “The Way” activities for the Pauline Year, some of which usually carried on the level of Church au- nuclear power on the rest of the world. Until now there is no
as a threat to Judaism, and took upon himself would take place in Rome in the Basilica of thorities, the faithful could always appreci- safe and permanent technology for the disposal of radioactive
the task of destroying it—until that fateful St. Paul. Others can easily be carried out in ate the universal and encompassing spirit of waste materials from nuclear power plants in First World coun-
day on the road to Damascus. That experi- various places in the world, and concerning the apostle Paul which would like all believ- tries. Radioactive waste is a perennial threat to our people.
ence would effect in him a complete turn- these we invite the initiative and involve- ers to be one mind and one purpose (1 Cor Nuclear garbage is radioactive for thousands of years and can
around; he became a whole new person, like ment of the Filipino faithful. The Holy Fa- 1:10). He himself became “all things to all… cause harm to our children for hundreds of years to come. Will
one who had been totally possessed by Christ. ther notes that initiatives like penitential pil- for the sake of the gospel” (1 Cor 10:23). In this be the legacy we shall leave behind?
Dazzled by the blinding light of Christ, he grimages, study conventions and special pub- the words of the Holy Father, may the apostle It threatens to destroy the marine life around the Bataan
received an entirely “new sight” that would lications on the Pauline texts can be imple- help us “to progress in the humble and sin- Peninsula because of the heat that nuclear power plants dis-
make him see as rubbish what he formerly mented in the dioceses, shrines and places of cere search for the full unity of all members charge into the ocean. Hot waste water will destroy our fish
held to be of utmost importance, “in view of worship, by the Religious and by the educa- of Christ’s Mystical Body.” and prevent the normal development of fish eggs. Is this what
the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus tional institutions and social-assistance cen- May the universal Church and the Filipino we want for our children?
my Lord.” (Phil 3:8) ters which are named after St. Paul or inspired faithful experience God’s abundant blessing Do we imperil the future of our children—and our land—for
Many of our present-day nominal Filipino by him and his teaching. during this year of the Apostle’s Jubilee! the slight comfort of having low cost electricity now?
Catholics who experience conversion at some Let us together mobilize the Filipino faith-
late stage in their life and turn into active ful so that the Pauline Year may turn into a For and on behalf of the Catholic Bishops’ Christian Witnessing
participants in the Church’s work of evange- kairos ¯a graced occasion¯to know and imi- Conference of the Philippines, As Christian disciples, we must support and help in the
lization, cannot but relate with Paul’s mov- tate Saint Paul more in his consuming love progress of people. Our support for human development is a
ing story of spiritual transformation. Unfail- for Christ and his zeal to spread the Gospel. + ANGEL N. LAGDAMEO, D.D. mandate of our Christian witnessing in the world. Progress
ingly, they often also find themselves draw- We call upon all dioceses to come up with Archbishop of Jaro and development are not absolute goals that must be attained
ing from Paul’s writings to sustain their pro- their own specific programs for the Pauline President, CBCP at all cost. We are only stewards not owners. We must be re-
cess of renewal as disciples of the Risen Lord, Year. The Bishops can designate churches July 6, 2008 sponsible stewards not hirelings.
The issue of the Bataan nuclear power plant must be faced
with the heart and eyes of the Gospel. If Jesus were in Bataan, I
am sure the good Lord will oppose it. Let us choose the way of
Peter / B4
Jesus. The way of Jesus is the way of responsible stewardship
of creation. Jesus wills the path of development that is truly
Witnesses to Peter and Paul cance, however, needs to be care- tion about Paul is derived from stand on the claim of Paul that he human¯protecting humanity, caring for humanity, saving hu-
Does the picture of the two fully assessed. the Acts of the Apostles. Caution has the same mission and author- manity. Let us choose the way of the Lord.
apostles in the latter tradition, Information about Simon Pe- is called for in using Acts because ity as Peter and others in view of
especially promoted by Rome, ter in Acts can be matched by Luke is primarily a theologian, his commissioning by the risen From the Cathedral of Saint Joseph, Balanga City, July 7, 2008
coincide with the testimony of the first-hand information from the not a strict historian or biogra- Lord (Gal 1:15-17). Lastly,
New Testament writings? How letters of Paul. The letters carry pher. As supportive and corrobo- Johannine Christians acknowl- +SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS, D.D.
do we compare Peter and Paul? more historical weight; yet what rative of Paul’s information edge the legitimacy of the Petrine Bishop of Balanga
We know a great deal about we have is the picture of Peter as about himself, Luke will be help- traditions in other churches while
Peter because he appears in the Paul saw him, sometimes as a ful, but Paul’s own words about preserving the authority of their
Gospels more frequently than any partner, at other times as a rival. his life and activities must have own founder. Later, the Petrine
of the other disciples. Let us bear Finally, New Testament infor- precedence. tradition will acknowledge the belongs to his overall argument In practice, however, the
in mind, however, that the Gos- mation about Peter is completed letters of Paul (2 Pt 3:15) and use with the Galatians, that salvation “boundaries” was not strictly
pel stories are not blow-by-blow by the Petrine tradition contained Christian Traditions them as model for the composi- is through faith in Christ and that kept. Paul would preach to the
accounts of what Jesus and his dis- in the two letters that bear his Christianity in the early years tion of letters in Peter’s name. the Gentiles are not to be com- Jews as well as to the Gentiles,
ciples said and did. Rather, they name. Scholars generally believe was not as uniform as sometimes pelled to “Judaize.” It would while Peter went to Antioch and
are stories that have undergone that these were written after the we imagine it to be. Diversity in The Dispute between Peter and have been interesting to know fraternized and ate with the Gen-
reflection, selection, and arrange- death of the apostle. the earliest Christian community Paul Peter’s side of the dispute! tiles. But some very conservative
ment to serve the purpose of the When it comes to Paul, we still comes as a surprise to many A comparison between the two In Luke’s perspective, in the people from James came to town
evangelists. And so when we read stand on a more solid ground. We people. Very early, we have men- apostles would not be complete Council of Jerusalem, the Church and exerted pressure on Peter to
the episodes about Simon Peter, have our most reliable bio- tion from Paul of rival factions without mentioning the dispute leaders exempted the Gentiles cease eating with the Gentiles;
we are not simply told of “what graphical information from his in Corinth, due to the false un- between the two apostles in from circumcision but told them when Paul saw that, he accused
really” happened; the stories were personal letters that scholars ac- derstanding of the apostles who Antioch, as Paul reported in Gal to avoid certain actions that of- him with inconsistency. We do
reconstructed by the evangelists cept to have been written by him. preached to them (1 Cor 1:12). 2:11-14. This has cast a long fended Jewish sensitivities: pol- not know what prompted James
to make them “real” and “rel- These are the proto-Pauline let- Without calling them factions, we shadow in the interpretation of lution from idols, unlawful mar- to advise Peter to desist. Perhaps
evant” for their readers. We must ters: 1 Thessalonians, Galatians, can see different “strains” or dis- the history of early Christianity riage, the meat of strangled ani- increased persecution of Chris-
ask not only, “Who really was Philippians, 1& 2 Corinthians, tinctive patterns of faith—tradi- and has found a surrogate in the mals, and blood (Acts 15:20). In tians in Jerusalem led to concern
Simon Peter?” but also, “Who was and Romans. Authenticity of 2 tions that are associated with the disputes between Catholic and Paul’s recall, in that Council the over behavior which might ap-
he in the perspective of Mark, Thessalonians, Colossians, and apostles. These are mainly the Protestant ecclesiology. The three “pillars” of Jerusalem—Pe- pear to encourage apostasy from
Matthew, Luke, and John?” Ephesians is questioned by a Petrine, Pauline, and Johannine Catholic Church emphasizes the ter, James, and John—gave him Judaism. Peter probably agreed,
Aside from our images of Pe- good number of scholars who see traditions. Petrine supremacy while the equal status with themselves; more likely for programmatic
ter in the Gospels, we also know them as written by surviving dis- Peter is often depicted as the Protestants look more to Paul. they saw that Paul had been en- reasons than theological ones. In
of Peter in Acts. This is the Peter ciples of Paul familiar with his spokesperson of orthodox Chris- Here, in this case, Peter appears trusted with the gospel to the any case, Paul saw it differently.
according to the vision of Luke theological tradition. The so- tian teaching which finds its ex- more in the shadow of Paul. Gentiles, just as Peter to the Jews. But given the rhetorical perspec-
who also wrote the Third Gos- called Pastoral Letters (1 & 2 pression in the Synoptic tradi- Let us, however, note that Pe- Only one request was made of tive, Paul placed himself over
pel. We have here the image of Timothy, Titus) are also excluded tions. On the other hand, the ter here is viewed through the Paul: to remember the poor, Peter to defend the integrity of
Peter at the time the Gospel was as personal letters of Paul. Pauline churches, only loosely lens of Paul, in the context of po- which he was most eager to do the gospel he preached to the
written. Its historical signifi- Most of the familiar informa- related to the Petrine authority, lemics. Paul’s treatment of Peter (Gal 2:7-10). Galatians.
 CBCP Monitor
B6 Reflections Vol. 12 No. 14
July 7 - 20, 2008

Fr. Roy Cimagala

Mountain
retreat
I JUST had the very precious privilege to spend a few days in a mountain
retreat somewhere in the elevated fastness of Bukidnon. It was a very cool
place, windy, often wet and shrouded in mist and fog.
But when the air cleared up, it showed a breath-taking view of green
rolling hills, valleys, trees swaying, clouds forming and chasing, with the
hint of the sea in the horizon. It was as if God himself painted and was
showing his work in all its splendor.
Beautiful flowers abounded. Cows, sheep and horses kept me company,
and colorful birds simply decorated the pines and sky. For sounds, there was
the murmur of the brook, the chorus of the insects, the fluttering of leaves.
This must be paradise, I imagined.
Obviously, my heart was exploding in gratitude to God and to all, even as
I ventured into that very delicate task of recollecting, reflecting, studying
and praying. I strongly believe that we need to have a time for silence.
Silence enables us to go deep into ourselves. We’ll be surprised that in
spite of our age and experience, there still are uncharted waters and un-
mapped territories to be discovered. Truly, our human condition is soaked Illustration by Bladimer Usi
in mysteries.
The hubbub of the city, with all its comings and goings, has a way of
paralyzing our spiritual faculties, of disorienting and even of alienating us
from our own selves, not to mention, from others.
Imperceptibly, we build walls around us, separating us from the others,
and establish our own mechanisms to complete our own make-believe world

Good seeds
where God and the others become mere props, decors and tools.
With silence and the help of untouched nature, we can readily see the
tricks played on us even by our own senses and reasonings. These powers,
supposed to bring us to God and to reality, often hijack us to another world,
if we are not careful.
Reality for us, of course, is a malleable thing. With our intelligence and
will, with our freedom and creativity, even if there’s an objective reality
established by God, we are capable of bending, molding and making it also
16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
according to our own designs.
The reality we live in is never rigid, fixed and inert. It’s constantly flowing
(Wis. 12:13, 16-19; Rom. 8:26-27; Mt. 13:24-43)
and morphing. We have to understand that our subjective reality is sup-
posed to coincide with God’s objective reality for us.
July 20, 2008
For this, a very dynamic process is involved. There’s always in our life an
interplay between God’s will and ours, between God’s laws and our intelli- By Paul Marquez, does not distance himself claw at us, we always have the truly serving God.
gence and freedom. We have to train ourselves rigorously to do our part from sinners; instead, he seeks option to quietly work for The experience of St. Paul
well in this lifetime dance. SSP
them out. In Jesus, God peace rather than viciously cautions us against the dan-
We have to frequently check what and how we are thinking, how we are reaches out in solidarity to strike back. For Jesus, the per- ger of dogmatism, the arro-
using our will and freedom, to see whether we are truly in love and whether sinners and invites them to- son who is truly “strong” is gance of self-righteousness
WHY does God allow hold-
we are loving properly, that is, in the truth. wards repentance. This one who has learned how to before God and neighbor
uppers, kidnappers, drug
Silence helps us to see the basic structure of our mind and heart, and the friendly stance towards pub- restrain oneself and knows while at the same time belit-
lords and drug pushers and
objects to which they get oriented. This is where we see whether these hu- lic sinners did not sit well how to manage any kind of tling others as ‘sinners’. One
cold-blooded murderers to
man powers are in their proper condition and are properly used. with the Pharisees, the reli- situation that life may bring. can build on a lifetime of pi-
continue on living? Didn’t
They are supposed to be locked on God always, immersed in him even as gious elite of Jesus’ time. In Those who have the tendency ous practices and may even
we at times wish that the pain
we grapple with our earthly affairs. But if we don’t take pains, they can dare forgiving sinners, Jesus suf- to attack and to bluster betray excel in church work, but
suffered by innocent people
to detach themselves from God and be and work on their own, an anomaly fers criticism from the Phari- a weak personhood and may these are never enough.
agonizing with cancer and
gripping many of us. sees but Jesus never nursed actually be marching under a Based on Paul’s experience,
other physical maladies
That’s when we start constructing our own world and reality. True, we are ill feelings towards this different drummer. we see that an honest attempt
should have instead visited
intelligent and free, and in fact we need to be so as best as we can. We just group nor towards anybody. From the Christian stand- in serving God can even turn
upon criminal elements or
have to remember that our proper and constant object is God, and not just In fact he teaches everyone to point, Saul was considered us to become God’s enemy
the so-called ‘scourge’ of so-
some earthly, sensible or intelligible matter. pray to his heavenly Father: one of the ‘weeds’ before he when we pursue our will
ciety? Why doesn’t God in
We have to develop the proper skills and virtues to spend our whole life “Forgive us our sins as we for- came to know Jesus on the apart from Jesus Christ.
one full sweep unleash a bolt
in God’s presence, driven with rectitude of intention, even as we handle give those who sin against us.” way to Damascus. Saul hated In a dream, a lady suddenly
of lightning to strike dead all
mundane things. Thus, we need to continually renew and enrich our routine In the parable of the weeds to his guts people who be- finds herself in heaven. She is
the thugs and thieves in soci-
and lifestyle to fit this need. among the wheat, the Sower lieved in Jesus. He wanted to surprised to see a market-
ety, including wolves in
Silence also facilitates internalizing things, attuning our senses and facul- warns against pulling the put every Christian behind place and decides to check the
sheep’s clothing and those
ties to their proper object. It also merges us with time, allowing us to run weeds lest damage is done to bars. Despite the gruesome products on sale. As she in-
whom society extols as ‘hon-
from the present to the past and then to the future, rectifying and refocusing the wheat. God is confident background of Saul, God be- spects the fruits and veg-
orable’ ?
things along the way, until we reach the doorsteps of eternity and infinity that he has put beautiful and came very patient with him. etables, she is dismayed to
We turn to the readings of
itself. quality seeds in our hearts After God ‘pulled’ out Saul find them either wilted or in-
this Sunday’s celebration
I’d like to thank the owners of Mountain Pines Place in Kalubmanan, able to render a multiplicity from a dark past, he started to fested by insects. When she
that can hopefully shed light
Manolo Fortich town for giving me this privilege. of fruits. Until our final be known as Paul and began asked one of the sellers where
on these questions. The
Book of Wisdom tells us that breath, the human heart will to work as an apostle to the to find excellent quality pro-
God is all-powerful yet he be the battleground between Gentiles as an energetic and duce, the reply came: “Here in
is merciful in rendering good and evil. St. Paul con- tireless missionary. heaven we only sell good seeds.
judgment. He employs soles us saying that in our From Saul’s perspective, No perfect fruits or vegetables.”
Bo Sanchez mercy, not violence; his desire for the good seed to however, his zeal in persecut- May we appreciate the
means of justice is never prevail, we can rely on the ing Christians was his honor good seeds God has sown in
Spirit that “intercedes with in- and duty as a Pharisee who our heart and that of others.

Stop comparing
vengeance. He rules the
world with utter patience
and forbearance. Is this the
expressible groanings” (Rom wished to adhere faithfully to Let us thank God for dealing
8:26). the law expressed in the To- patiently and lovingly with
God’s spirit dwelling in us rah. He claims that he has been our sinfulness, not condemn-

and start living

face of God that we want? Is
this the face of God that we enables us to “go against the most fervent in the obser- ing us to dark despair, but al-
are prepared to emulate? grain”. While the world insists vance of the law and the most ways trusting us, believing in
The Book of Wisdom on “eye for an eye”, the genu- zealous in fighting the en- us, so that in his own season,
shows us a face of God simi- ine follower of Jesus will emies of his ancient faith. Saul he can reap a bountiful har-
REMEMBER when we were kids? lar to what Jesus presents to learn forgiveness and pa- was convinced that, in perse- vest from the good seeds that
One little tyke will say, “My grandfather’s house is so large, it has forty- us in the New Testament. He tience. When critics carp and cuting the Christians, he was he has given us.
two rooms!”
“Wala yan sa bahay ng Lolo ko!” his playmate chimes up, “To go from the
kitchen to the living room, you have to ride a tricycle.” 7 Question / B1
Naturally, the third boy speaks up, not wanting to be beaten. “Hah! Wala
yan sa bahay ng Lolo ko! If you’re in the dining room, and you want to call we believe that the family should be a now? That’s quite obvious: money, brought about by the feeling of always
the people to eat, you’ll have to phone them in their bedrooms—and you’ll place where the Gospel is first learned money, money! wanting for more. Young people nowa-
have to pay long-distance charges!” and shared as its members mature in A perspective at life dominated by days seem to not run out of phrases pre-
Kids do that sort of thing. And we laugh. their faith-life. Toward this end, our Di- materialism has its disastrous conse- fixed by “Gusto ko…” This is why greater
But when adults do the same thing—it’s utterly embarrassing! ocesan Commission on Family and Life, quences. A materialistic attitude hinders attention should be given to the work of
But then of course, what should we expect? Where did the kids learn it with its counterparts at the parochial a person from having truly meaningful catechesis so as to ensure that Christian
from, anyway? (I’m gonna bet we learned some of it from our mothers.) level, has been at the fore in the forma- inter-personal relationships with others, values, such as simplicity and compas-
I remember the story of the four mothers who were nursing their babies, tion of authentic Christian families. even with family members. Moreover, sion for the needy, are able to permeate
chatting over a cup of tea. One of them said, “My son will be famous when Among the most prominent programs it gradually leads him to reject anything the heart of every Christian family.
he grows up. He’ll be a Bishop, and when people see him, they’ll say, “Your initiated by the Commission in recent that speaks of the Gospel values of sim-
excellency…” months include the “family caravan” plicity, sacrifice and selfless service to What programs does the diocese have
“Peanuts,” groaned the other mom. “That’s nothing. When my son grows started last summer and is aimed at con- others. Christians as we are, we ought for young people to make them more
up, he’ll be a Cardinal, and when people see him, they’ll say, “Your emi- ducting seminars/fora on a wide range to be Christ-like in our way of thinking, committed in living their Christian life
nence…” of family issues like responsible parent- acting and doing. We ought to imitate and serving the Church?
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Too bad,” piped in the other woman, “because my son will hood and reproductive health programs; Christ who was born, who lived and died In the words of PCP II, Catholic young
be Pope, and when people see him, they’ll say, “Your holiness…” intensive formation of family ministers as a poor man. There is a greater value people are the best evangelizers of other
The fourth mother was silent, patting her little bundle of joy. So the other who are trained to educate and assist in living a simple life where only God is young people. It’s simply because the
women were intrigued and asked her, “And what will your son be when he couples in their journey to the marriage contemplated as the supreme good. youth follow their peers. The Diocese of
grows up, hmm?” and family life; and advocacy programs Lucena has an active youth commission,
She smiled. “Oh, he’ll just be a priest.” which are aimed at helping the family Would you say consumerism has affected whose ministry is carried out in all of
“Just a priest?” the others asked incredulously. clearly discern its dignity and establish- our sense of values, especially the young? our parishes and Catholic schools.
“Yes. And he’ll only be a short fellow, maybe 5 feet tall. But he’ll weigh ing an efficient defense against threats Consumeristic attitude often settles in Fact is, our Diocesan Youth Commis-
a horrendous 350 pounds. So that when people see him, they’ll say, “Oh my to its sanctity. when we are no longer able to distin- sion is celebrating its 30th anniversary this
God….” guish between “what we want” and year. The regular activities of the minis-
I remember I came from our prayer meeting, and my friend Mike Joseph What is your take on the threat of mate- “what we need.” And you’ll be surprised. try include monthly formation seminar
Jr. preached to us that day. Mike’s a terrific preacher, and so I told my rialism creeping into our lifestyle The list of things we would like to buy which is aimed at helping the youth be-
mother that I really loved his preaching. Mom answered, “Yeah, I liked his brought about by such phenomenon as and want to acquire would simply never come aware of the ecclesial environment.
preaching too. But Bo, face it—no one can preach as good as you do.” globalization? come to an end. We are always lured by We believe that active participation fol-
Wow. The President and Founder of Bo’s International Fan’s Club, in action! The positive contributions of global- what is newer or, in keeping with the lows from an informed awareness of the
I guess we’ve got this crazy thing in us that wants to know “who’s better”, ization to economic and societal life not- trend, more fashionable. But as Chris- life and mission of the Church.
“who’s bigger”, “who’s richer”, “who’s more beautiful”—and even “who’s withstanding, it has lamentably also tians, we should be guided by the prin- With regard to youth formation in the
holier”! opened the doors to a number of prob- ciple that we are to be judged not by diocese, the program focuses on four as-
But I believe this is the source of much discontent in our lives. lems. One of which is the inclination to “what we have,” but by “who we are.” pects: educational, cultural, spiritual and
Really! see man merely in economic terms, Besides, even if we do not have every- team-building. This is so designed in
If we can only stop comparing ourselves with others, I believe that we’ll thereby missing a grasp of his entirety. thing we want, what is important is that order to fit their specific needs and in-
be happier and more at peace within. And as people are drawn to view them- God never tires to provide us with ev- terests while at the same time leading
My suggestion? Be yourself. selves merely in the context of their erything we need – yes, everything we them to become committed and active
Live your life. material wants and economic needs, they truly need! members of the Church.
Do the best you can, and leave the rest to God. gradually push God to the sidelines. Or The effect of a culture marked by con-
And you’ll be at peace. worse, they remove God totally out of sumerism is prevalent especially among As Chairman of the CBCP Office on
(And finally, our Lolo’s can rest in peace as well.) the picture. our youth. Most anxieties stem from the Women, what is your take on the situa-
And so who (or what) runs things frustration and sense of dissatisfaction 7 Questions / B7
 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 14
July 7 - 20, 2008 Social Concerns B7

A terrible man-made tragedy The Priest in the School (Parochial) Ministry

By Fr. Edgardo S. Sigua

EDUCATION is of paramount importance in the lives of people. Since time

immemorial, men and women in informal and practical ways underwent
different modes in the learning process. People improved their ways of
living mainly due to such informal learning/education gained through
interacting with the environment, various agents and and later institutions
around them.
Among the various agents of education, the school plays a prominent
role in the formation, nourishment and nurturance of the entire faculties of
the individual. It is regarded as the center of activity which provides venues
not only for the growth of students but as well as teachers, associations and
stakeholders promoting and enhancing the cultural, social, political, civic,

© Dennis M. Sabangan/epa/Corbis
religious and other various aspects of living.
The Church is one of the institutions that played a vital role in the educative
lives of the people more than two centuries ago. Since then, its presence and
influence was continually felt and even now, manifesting concretely and
formally in our contemporary learning society. It is for such reason that it is
within “Church’s duty not just to be recognized as a human society of impart-
ing education, but especially it has the duty of proclaiming the way of salva-
tion to all men, of revealing the life of Christ to those who believe, and of
assisting them with unremitting care so that they may be able to attain to the
fullness of that life.” (Vatican II, Gravissimum Educationis, 1987)
by waves and sank, 250 people lost their ally repugnant and sinful. In line with this role of the church, that apostolate of catholic education
By Fr. Shay Cullen was programmed for the faithful. Catholic schools were established in or-
lives and no one was held liable. During As a consequence, tragedies continue
the Typhoon “Gading” in September 18, one after another. The money making der to cater for the growing, learning populace so that the task of forming
THE storm clouds were dark and threat- 1998, the Sulpicio Lines ship MV Prin- greed of mercantile moguls can be found individuals might be carried out. This is a vital part of the Church mission
ening, weather stations had raised and cess of the Orient put to sea from Manila lurking behind the decision to take a towards evangelization. Catholic schools facilitate in attaining dual aim
broadcast danger signals, the radio was to Cebu City. It sank with the loss of 150 chance with the lives of hundreds of that is, “of its nature it guides men and women to human and Christian
announcing the approaching onslaught passengers. people. To cancel the trip would have perfection and, at the same time, helps them to become mature in their faith
of “Frank”, or by its official international Edgar Go, the Vice-President of been a huge loss of profit for shipping (Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education, 1998).
name “God of the Winds” a massive ty- Sulpicio lines said they had no responsi- lines. Losing the rusting hulk of an ag- The task of educating the young began as early as the era of the first wave
phoon packing 150 kilometer an hour bility for the latest sinking. It was an ing ferry, a sunken coffin, is no loss, but of foreign Catholic missionaries. The pedagogy started in informal and
wind and yet the ill-fated ferry MV Prin- “Act of God”, the authorities seem to probably a benefit. The insurance will practical method and a century later turned formal through Catholic educa-
cess of the Stars put to sea with 862 pas- agree. They too have been cleared of all be paid. The poor, who travel by the tional institutions. Schools attached in parishes were established which sig-
sengers and crew amid treacherous wa- liability for allowing the ship to put to ferry boat, suffer once again. The naled the advent of formal learning institutions which can be described as
ters from Manila to Cebu City last 21 June. sea into the teeth of a typhoon. Blaming wealthy elite sail on past the bloated parish-based schools or popularly known as parochial schools.
The ferry boat of the Sulpicio Lines God is a total and shameful avoidance bodies to their worldly paradise on a In the Philippines, the historical forerunners of the modern parochial
owned by the powerful Go family, was of responsibility. The “Act of God” ar- luxury yacht enjoying impunity from schools were the so-called convent schools. In the early years of Christian-
given the go ahead signal and sailed into gument is archaic and useless. Besides it prosecution, freedom from liability, ity in the Philippines, it was a common practice to gather children and the
the fury of the typhoon. It was battered is theologically abhorrent these days, blame and moral responsibility. adolescents of the towns at the parish convent after the celebration of the
by mountainous waves off Sibuyan Is- where most Christians believe in a lov- We can see the ugly bloated face of mass for the catechism class. It was from these convent schools that the
land in Romblon. It listed badly but the ing, caring personal God that wishes sal- corrupt government officials many who parochial schools evolved. (De Jesus, 1999)
order to abandon ship came too late. The vation, justice, and happiness for all owe their position to the money of the As such, parochial schools today mostly attached within church compounds
ship turned turtle and as many as 800 people. At least they could have claimed powerful elite. Let’s stop blaming God are proofs to it. These schools offer elementary and secondary education and
hundred were trapped inside. Only 48 it was “an Act of Nature”. However al- and let criminal liability fall where it even the early pre-elementary schooling. Many decades after, some priests
survived. lowing a ferry boat to sail into a devel- should ¯on the heads of those who own led different types of higher learning institutions like Catholic colleges and
Weeks later, divers are still trying to oping typhoon is a criminal act of man. and protect the death ships of the Philip- universities. Meanwhile, in many local churches called dioceses, they operate
retrieve the bodies of the victims inside Covering up and blaming God is mor- pines. schools, known as diocesan schools or equivalent to parochial schools. In
the upturned hull that is protruding diocesan schools, formal responsibility resides on the diocesan administra-
above the surface of the bay. It has now tion into which the bishop serves as the religious and executive leader of the
been discovered that the divers, too,
A priest offers a mass in front of the diocese and sits as the board chairman of the diocesan schools.
MV Princess of the Stars which
maybe in grave danger. The ship was sank off the coast of Sibuyan Island
With the great task of the Church in the arena of Catholic education, it
carrying 10 tons of super-toxic hazard- of Romblon province. At least 70 calls for people with noble intention to serve in administering these schools.
ous pesticide ‘Endosulfan’ that was not
people were confirmed killed in the As the late Pope John Paul II said, “Administrators would be men and women
maritime tragedy, while 48 survived,
listed, authorized or cleared by the according to the Coast Guard. The
who know how to bring people together in a spirit of solidarity by assisting
Coast Guard and in fact was an illegal almost 24,000-ton ferry was them to become participating members of the school community as well as
and criminal act. The entire area around carrying 864 passengers and crew formers of the school’s vision leading to solidarity. This ability will only be
the upturned hull is a deadly pond of
when it sank off Sibuyan Island, in place if the administrator truly values the personhood of others and
300 kilometres south of Manila, at
toxic poison. The recovery of the dead the height of typhoon “Frank.” know how to listen to them…..the school exists for the person, and not the
cannot be continued. The coast line and person for the school.” (as cited in Byrnes, 2002).
© Alanah M. Torralba / Corbis
fish stocks are contaminated. The bishop acts as the chief executive officer who appoints personnel to
The shipping lines owned by the key positions in administering the parochial schools within the diocese’s
vastly wealthy and politically influen- jurisdiction. Usually, those people appointed are priests preferably with
tial Go family have had huge disasters background and passion for school administration. Apparently, those priests
in the past two of them because their appointed in school administration take dual roles. Their foremost task is
ships were allowed to sail despite ty- the performance of their priestly functions which can be described namely
phoon warnings. The world’s worst as, preaching, sanctifying and prophetic roles.
peace time sea disaster was also with a The priest is tasked as” Ministers of God’s Word”, the first task as co-
Sulpicio Lines ferry, the Doña Paz. On workers of the bishops to preach the Gospel to all men (preaching role); as
December 20, 1987, it collided with an “Ministers of the Sacraments and the Eucharist”, the task of carrying out
oil tanker, MT Vector, a Caltex contract, sacred functions (sanctifying role); and as “Rulers of God’s People”, the task
in the Tablas Strait, near Mindoro. Hu- of being a Pastor and Head of Christian community (prophetic role). (Vatican
man negligence, or the lack of it, was II, Presbyterorum Ordinis, 1987)
the cause of 4000 people drowning in Aside from their church management duties, the other task of appointed
that horrific tragedy. Sulpicio Lines and priest-administrator is to cater to the demands of educational leadership in
the Go family were not held liable. the learning institution where they act as principal, director or superinten-
During typhoon “Unsang” on 24 Oc- dent. The priest-administrator’s task then, becomes a fusion of dual roles –
tober 1988, Doña Marilyn was ordered church management roles and school managerial roles. The job of a priest
to sea by the owners and authorities did already demands full time. To manage parochial schools will certainly mean
not object. The ship was overwhelmed an additional time and duty put on their shoulder. Adding the role of a school
administrator, which is a huge task, one may wonder how well the priest in
school ministry can effectively discharge his duties as a school manager.
Perhaps, using the educational management parlance, we may ask, does a
7 Question / B6 priest administration of parochial schools have a significant value? What
management practices does a priest employ in the administration of paro-
chial schools? Are there management models or styles that priests follow in
tion of women in the country children against abuses and cation in the diocese is able to Seminary in Lucban, Quezon carrying out their task of being parochial school administrators? How can
today? other domestic violence. But flourish. As we commend our (college); and 17 at the St. their management practices be assessed? These are series of questions that a
I believe that to a degree if we are to truly protect the priests for helping our young Alphonsus Regional Seminary priest in school apostolate hurdles regularly.
noteworthy, we have been women and ensure their wel- men clearly discern God’s vo- (theologate) in Lucena City. Indeed, the apostolate in the school is considered to be a special ministry.
successful, both in the Church fare, we have to address the cational call, we likewise ac- Along this line, we have an It is governed by principles which steers the school head’s administration.
and in the civil community, basic issues, some of which knowledge the support of the active Diocesan Commission Here are three principles helpful in guiding me in my school ministry.
in our collective efforts to un- are as follow: poverty draws faithful in promoting vocation on Vocation whose primary 1. Management by Presence/Availability – It is often said in any organi-
derlie the significant role of many women to a wretched to the priesthood. task is to promote priestly zation that, “what’s get measured, gets done”. I believe that administrator
women in the common pur- condition; lack of proper edu- This academic year, the dio- vocation and extend support must send a clear message of what he primarily value – the school. Spend-
suit to create a just and hu- cation deprives many women cese has a total of 180 seminar- to seminarians undergoing ing time to visit work areas in the school where significant things are hap-
mane social order. But while of the opportunities to find ians undergoing priestly for- seminary formation. Re- pening. There are things happening in school/classroom, worth emulating
much has already been decent means of livelihood; mation in the following semi- cently, the office of the Voca- and inspiring for other students as well. These could be directions or initia-
achieved, our situation today and unemployment places naries: 93 at the Our Lady of tion Promoter was created in tives for a better school proposed by school members and not solely by the
is regrettably still far from many women in a deplorable Mt. Carmel Seminary (high the diocese to which a priest administration. This principle is like management by walking around or
what we envision. situation. school) in Sariaya, Quezon; 20 has been assigned to work administration through close supervision. In brief, it is an administration to
We acknowledge govern- at the St. Joseph Formation In- full-time in order to beef up be regarded as management by availability.
ment efforts in adopting mea- How is the status of vocations stitute (pre-college) in our efforts for the promotion 2. Management by Values – Since we are a Catholic/parochial school, our
sures and enacting laws for in the diocese? Pagbilao, Quezon; 49 at the Our of priestly vocation among mission and vision are rooted in Christian values and in the educational
the protection of women and By God’s grace, priestly vo- Lady of the Most Holy Rosary the youth. mission of the Church. Our institutional goals are fundamentally based in
the three core values found in the gospel: didache, koinonia and diakonia;
proclamation of the message; communion or fellowship, service to all. In-
stitutional values cannot be realized only through academic method of class-
room discussion. We are all challenged to be role models of character and

CBCPMonitor Name _________________________________________________ value-based teachers. This type of administration will ensure that the school
becomes a potent agent and agency of fully incarnating its institutional and
(Family Name) (Given Name) (Middle Name)
Christian Catholic values.
3. People-Oriented Management – Some institutions nowadays uphold
SUBSCRIPTION RATES Mailing Address the value of people-orientedness not for noble reason of service to people.
Mahalaga ang tao dahil may makukuha sa kanila. Sila ang pinagkakakitaan. Catholic
________________________________________________________________________________________________ and parochial schools do not exist in such reason. We don’t call students as
The CBCP Monitor is published Phone No.: ________ Fax No.: ________ E-mail: ___________ customer, client or market just like in business parlance. In school, we don’t
regard teachers as mere swelduhan. Students don’t dare to tell our teachers,
fortnightly by the CBCP Media Of- Mode of Payment “Oy, turuan mo kami, sayang na lang binabayad namin sa’yo! We relate to our
fice, with editorial and business of- Check/PMO enclosed Cash Payment teachers as our mothers, advisers, counselors at di upahan. In a school to be
fices at 470 Gen. Luna St., people oriented is to see the goodness of the person not just of what is
Intramuros, Manila. PO Box 3601, (Payable to: CBCP Communications Development Foundation Inc.) gained from the person.
1076 MCPO I believe in the simple belief that our task is always about the person and
• Domestic ________________________ how we can be agents and catalysts in order to bring out the goodness in
1 Year Php 500.00 each of the people in this institution. This will be possible by fostering
Signature healthy relationships and ideal school climate among all our school stake-
2 Years Php 900.00 holders. Values like trust, cooperation, resourcefulness, dependability, ini-
• Foreign: Asia PLEASE SEND TO: tiative and the likes are needed to make these principles work.
1 Year US$ 55.00 CBCP Monitor, P.O. Box 3601, Manila, Philippines School administration is a continuing and growing special ministry of the
• All Other US$ 80.00 470 Gen. Luna St., Intramuros, Manila, Philippines | Tel (632) 404-2182 • Telefax (632) 404-1612 Church and as such needing more focus for priests engaged in the school apostolate.
Or e-mail this at cbcpmonitor@cbcpworld.com
 CBCP Monitor
B8 Entertainment Vol. 12 No. 14
July 7 - 20, 2008

Moral Assessment Technical CINEMA Rating Guide

Assessment
Abhorrent VA - For viewers of all ages
Disturbing Poor V13 - For viewers age 13 and below
Acceptable Below average with parental guidance
Wholesome Average V14 - For viewers 14 and above
Exemplary Above average V18 - For mature viewers 18 and above
Excellent NP - Not for public viewing

Title: Serbis
Cast: Gina Pareno, Jacklyn Jose, Coco
Martin, Kristofer King, Julio Diaz,
Dan Alvaro
Genre: Drama
Director: Brillante Mendoza
Screenplay: Armando Lao
Producer: Ferdinand Lapuz
Location: Manila
Running Time: 90mins
Technical Assessment:
Moral Assessment:
Rating: For viewers 18 and above
PATULOY na itinataguyod ni Nanay
Flor (Gina Pareno) ang kanilang
negosyong lumang sinehan na
nagpapalabas ng mga lumang “bold” na
pelikula sa kabila ng samu’t saring
problema nito. Kasama niyang
namamahala ang anak na si Nayda
(Jacklyn Jose) at manugang na si Lando
(Julio Diaz). Sa sinehan na sila nakatira
kasama ang iba pang kaanak: sina Allan
(Coco Martin) at Ronald (Kristofer King)
na projectionist. Labis na dinaramdam
ni Nanay Flor ang panloloko sa kanya
ng kanyang asawa, kasabay ng pagpasan
niya sa problema ng lahat ng kanyang
kaanak na tauhan na rin sa sinehan. Si
Allan ay makakabuntis na
makakadagdag sa pasakit ni Flor. Lingid
din sa kanyang kaalaman ang
nangyayaring pagse-”serbis” ng mga
kalalakihan sa mga parokyanong bakla
ng sinehan. At dahil sa sinehan na
nakatira ang buong pamilya at kaanak
na nagpapatakbo ng sinehan,
namumulat ang mga batang apo ni
Nanay Flor sa mga bisyo at kalaswaan.
Isang “cinema verite” ang Serbis na
makatotohanang naglalarawan ng tila
pinaglipasan na ng panahon na kultura:
ang mga sinehan at teatro. Naging lugar
na lamang ito ng madidilim na sikreto
ng nakaraan at kasalukuyan.
Pinamahayan na rin ang sinehan ng mga
baho, problema at bisyo ng isang
pamilyang nasadlak sa kadiliman.
Mahusay ang pagkakagawa ng mga
eksena na parang nanonood ka lamang
ng tunay na buhay. Kung kaya’t
naparangalan ng rin ang Serbis sa ibang
bansa. Matapang nitong tinalakay ang
maraming sakit ng lipunan na
naglalarawan sa kalagayan ng mga
bansang nasa “Third World” katulad ng
Pilipinas. Walang itulak kabigin at hindi
matatawaran ang galing ng lahat ng
nagsiganap. Maraming biswal na
simbolismo na epektibong naisalarawan
ang dilim, kasalanan at kasamaan na
naikulong sa isang lugar.
Malinaw ang layunin ng Serbis: ang
isalarawan ang nakaririmarim na
kalagayan ng isang naiibang uri ng
pamilyang nasadlak sa kahirapan.
Ipinasilip ng Serbis ang isang mundong
hindi madalas na makita ng Pilipinong
manonood. Isang lugar na alam nating
nariyan ngunit hindi binibigyang
pansin. Sa kabila ng mga bisyo,
kalaswaan at kasamaan, isang bagay ang
labis na pinahahalagahan ng mga
karakter sa pelikula: ang pamilya.
Bagama’t hindi perpekto at puno ng
depekto, dalisay pa rin ang
pagmamalasakit at pagmamahalan sa
isang pamilya. Tahimik din nitong
ipinakita ang kakayahan ng isang taong
kumawala sa isang masalimuot na
sitwasyon kung kanyang nais.
Nakababahala nga lamang dahil hindi
malinaw kung para saan ba ang
pagtakas. Sa pagbabagong tungo sa
kabutihan o sa higit pang kasamaan?
Sadyang nakababahala ang biswal at
grapikong pagpapakita ng mga
eksenang hubaran, seks at
homosekswalidad. Bagama’t hindi
sinasabi ng pelikula na ito ay mabuti,
maari pa rin itong makaapekto sa
sensibilidad ng mga manonood. Ang
pagkakaron ng batang karakter bilang
saksi sa lahat nang bisyo at kasalanan sa
lugar ay isang epektibong device na
nagsasabing malayo pa ang ating
lalakbayin sa pagbabago sapagkat
iminumulat na natin ang ating mga
kabataan sa isang mundong nagdidilim
na ang pamantayang moral at
bumababaw ang pananalig sa Diyos.

MAC en COLET ni Bladimer Usi

Buhay Parokya
By Bladimer Usi
There are three missing articles in this
cartoon. Find a veil, bell and a Holy
Rosary.

Title: Get Smart be a double agent.

Cast: Steve Carell, Anne
Hathaway, Dwayne
Johnson, Alan Arkin,
Terence Stamp
Director: Peter Segal
Producers: Michael Ewing,
Alex Gartner, Andrew
Lazar, Charles Roven
Screenwriters: Tom A.
Astle, Matt Ember
Music: Trevor Rabin
Editor: Roger Mussenden
Genre: Action/ Comedy
Cinematography: Dean
Semler
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Pictures
Location: Canada
Running Time: 110 min
Technical Assessment:
Moral Assessment:
CINEMA Rating: For viewers
14 and above
MAXWELL Smart (Steve
Carell) is the top analyst in
CONTROL, a secret intelli-
gence agency presided over
by The Chief (Alan Arkin)
and set up to annihilate an un-
scrupulous rival agency,
KAOS. CONTROL loses many
of its agents when KAOS at-
tacks the former’s headquar-
ters. Just then, Max is pro-
moted from analyst to field
operative, and is hence to be
known as “Agent 86”. He gets
a spy buddy in the person of
Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway);
the two are assigned to hunt
down KAOS’ operative
Sigfried (Terrence Stamp).
Giving them home base as-
sistance is Agent 23 (Dwayne
“The Rock” Johnson) as they
venture out as an odd pair
flushing out KAOS’ nuclear
weapons from their lair. The
Agent 86-Agent 99 partner-
ship is spiced up when the
bright but bumbling 86 gets
the hots for the bright and
composed 99, and she even-
tually responds—but warns
him not to trust anyone in-
cluding herself for she could
Get Smart is the big-screen
version of the late-60s TV se-
ries designed to spoof James
Bond. While younger view-
ers may not be familiar with
the tv version, and it may be
too old to be remembered by
older moviegoers, Get Smart
nonetheless offers a funny
and delightfully silly take-off
of its boob-tube predecessor.
In fact, as a movie, it can stand
on its own, even though
today’s moviegoers couldn’t
care less where it’s coming
from. Carell’s comedic tim-
ing is perfect as a spoofy and
extremely lucky agent, with
looks to match; he’s actually
an urbane and much better-
looking Ben Stiller.
Hathaway’s character, on the
other hand, is tailor-made for
her—the tough nut beneath
the fragile-looking, appeal-
ing female—we can’t imag-
ine Angelina Jolie as Agent
99 and getting away with it.
The plot is quite simple to fol-
low, thus the action and the
funnies, if sometimes a bit
physical, are not shoved un-
der a tiresome, convoluted
web of a story.
What harm can be done by
a spy movie that seeks to
make you laugh more than it
wants to make you think?
Likewise, is there much good
it can do even though it pits
the bad guys against the good
guys? Get Smart is entertain-
ment, an enjoyable comedy
with action and dialogue that
might even elicit a belly laugh
or two from the audience. The
emphasis is on comedy, so
that even the romantic ele-
ment (between Agents 86 and
99) is played down and
hardly felt, in fact. If the
whole family can watch only
one movie this week, let it be
… maybe Kung Fu Panda;
otherwise, Get Smart is okay
for viewers aged 14 and
above.
 CBCP
CBCP Monitor
Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 14
July 77 -- 20,
July 20, 2008
2008
C1

Ugnayan The News Supplement of

Couples for Christ Global Mission Foundation, Inc.

A time to celebrate
By Marivie Dalman
IN a break with tradition, Couples for Christ celebrated its 27th an-
niversary on a Saturday instead of the usual Sunday. Dubbed as
the “Grand Homecoming,” the celebration also broke tradition by
holding a Lord’s Day ceremony during the anniversary festivities.
There was no way to gauge how the plans would turn out. There
was also no way to determine how many people would come. Af-
ter all, CFC was coming out of a crisis; the rising price of gas and its
accompanying effects on the economy threatened to also be a fac-
tor in the members’ attendance.
But the invitations went out anyway. The venue of choice was
the Luneta Grandstand, because this was anticipated to be the larg-
est gathering of members ever, if the invitations were to be the
yardstick. The estimates were 35,000 members and guests.
All CFC members, its Family and Social Ministries; Handmaids
of the Lord, Servants of the Lord, Singles for Christ, Youth for Christ,
Kids for Christ, and Gawad Kalinga were enjoined to be there and
to be counted as part of history. After all, this was going to be a
momentous event. And indeed it was, in more ways than one.
God’s Alternate Plan
The weeks of meetings and preparations took into account the
traditionally stormy June weather. But no one was prepared for
the worst – a typhoon that was predicted to be “super” in strength
and which would make a direct hit over Metro Manila.
Despite the weather forecasts, people came and they came in
numbers no one predicted! Almost 50,000 made their way to the
Park. Expecting the worst weather, they came prepared with their
umbrellas and jackets, chairs and tables, baskets of food, tents and
other paraphernalia.
the rain and the silence, God’s majesty arose.
Nina Ponte lifted up her Rosary beads for everyone to see. It
signaled a call to prayer. It was resonated to the people in the grand-
stand and those who were watching from across the field. Joey
Arguelles and the council wives led the praying of the rosary. By
the end of the recitation, the sound system was working; we had
everything needed to continue with the program. The miracle of
prayer!
The Lord’s Day
The ‘Lord’s Day Celebration’ is borrowed from Jewish tradition
and was approved as part of CFC by then CFC Spiritual Director
Bishop Teodoro Bacani. It is celebrated at sundown, tracing its roots
from Mosaic times. This was probably the largest ever Lord’s Day
Celebration in the country, if not in the world. The main celebra-
tion was done on the gigantic stage, led by the 7 International Coun-
cil members, but simultaneous celebrations were done on the
ground by smaller households, most of them huddled under um-
brellas. Dinner followed with each household sharing the same
meal (rice, adobo, pinakbet and bananas) agape style.
The CFC Arch of the Mission
Just before the main highlight, the Holy Mass, Joe Tale, CFC Ex-
ecutive Director, unveiled the CFC Arch of the Mission, a graphic
presentation of CFC’s refined vision, its two-fold mission of Build-
ing the Church of the Home and Building the Church of the Poor,
its four core values (Pro-God, Pro-Family, Pro-Poor and Pro-Life)
and the ministries and movements tasked to implement all these.
Holy Mass

The Harvest Parade
The ‘Grand Parade of Harvests’ officially kicked off the festivi-
ties at exactly 4 pm of Saturday, June 21. Carefully crafted floats
filled with bountiful harvests from the Philippines’ natural riches,
representing the big sectors and their counterpart regions and bear-
ing their Harvest Kings and Queens delighted the huge throng.
The parade was so long it took more than two hours to complete.
No one broke ranks from among the parade participants, even when
the rains fell. The onlookers brought out their umbrellas but the
participants, particularly those who performed dances, danced joy-
fully in the rain! The marshals had to cut the parade short to make
way for the Lord’s Day rite.
As the parade ended, torrential rains fell. People were drenched;
water rose all around the field. The sound equipment was grounded
and the power was out. Only the stage lights and the VD wall were
on. With a conked out sound system, there was silence. But amidst
The main highlight of the festival was the celebration of the Holy
Mass. Five bishops concelebrated with the main celebrant, Arch-
bishop Angel Lagdameo, president of the Catholic Bishops Con-
ference of the Philippines – Archbishop Ramon Arguelles of the
diocese of Lipa, Batangas, Bishop Patricio Alo of the diocese of Mati,
Davao; Bishop Florentino Cinense of the diocese of Tarlac, and
Bishop Denis Wiehe of Seychelles. Thirty-one priests celebrated
with them, providing a dramatic picture of clergymen in their robes
standing underneath the Arch of the Mission.
The Miracle of Rain and Sunlight
We prayed for good weather, but God sent a storm. He sent an
adequate amount of sunlight, just enough for His children to enjoy
the afternoon. He was in the dark clouds to give respite and shade.
He was in the rain to enthuse everyone’s spirit.
The miracle was not in the weather. It was not in the sunlight or
Top photo: Archbishop Angel Lagdameo (center) was the main
celebrant at the Mass concelebrated by (from left)Bishop Patricio
Alo, Bishop Denis Wiehe of Seychelles, Archbishop Ramon
Arguelles and Bishop Florentino Cinense.
Lower photo: The 7-man CFC International Council leads the
worship and praise.
in the rain that fell. The miracle was the grace that God sent, the grace
to see that an undaunted spirit dwells in each CFC member. The
same Spirit that will help us prevail over the storm that besets our
community today, the same Spirit that will propel us to do His mis-
sion, our vision- as families in the Holy Spirit renewing the face of
the earth.

One with the Catholic Church

By Clarke Nebrao
COUPLES for Christ (CFC) affirmed its oneness
with the entire Catholic Church through the CFC
Bishops, Clergy and Lay Relations Congress held
on June 20, 2008 at the Valle Verde Country Club,
Pasig City, Philippines. The affair was attended
by more than 500 participants consisting of Bish-
ops, clergy, religious and CFC lay delegates from
Kenya, South Africa, Seychelles, Nigeria, Ghana,
Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia, Trinidad and To-
bago, USA, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Leba-
non, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, France, Holland,
Australia, Uganda, China, Japan, East Timor and
from the different provinces of the Philippines and
towns of Metro Manila.
The day started off with a very moving talk by
His Excellency Bishop Denis Weihe of the Dio-
cese of Victoria in Seychelles, Africa. He spoke
about “Clergy and Lay Unity as the Key to New
Evangelization.”
The conference sessions were opportunities for
both the lay and the clergy to express concerns and
issues on how to work hand in hand and enhance
each other’s ministry. Mon Santiago, a CFC mis-
sionary, spoke about his experiences in dealing with
the Clergy in his mission area in Timor Leste as
well as the misconceptions of the Church towards
Couples For Christ. On the Clergy side, Rev. Msgr.
Rommel Kintanar H.P., who is currently the Chair-
man of the On-going Formation of Cebu Clergy
and the Spiritual Adviser of CFC in the Archdio-
cese of Cebu, presented his ideas on how CFC can
work hand in hand with the Catholic Church and
presented case studies of the differences in expecta-
tions and roles of the Clergy and the Couples for
Christ.
Rev. Msgr. Fred Kriekenbeeck, former chairman
of the National Service Commission of the Char-
ismatic Communities of the Philippines and cur-
rently the Episcopal Vicar to His Eminence Ricardo
Cardinal Vidal, in-charge of the Charismatic Com-
munities of the Archdiocese of Cebu, summarized
the session with a quote from the encyclical
Redemptoris Mission that goes, “Without the mis-
sion ad gentes, the Church’s very missionary di-
mension would be deprived of its essential mean-
ing and of the very activity that exemplifies it. Also
to be noted is the real and growing interdepen-
dence which exists between these various saving
activities of the Church. Each of them influences,
stimulates and assists the others.”
The afternoon sessions took a different turn
when all the participants of the assembly were
grouped together to thoroughly discuss their ideas
on how the Clergy and CFC can have a harmoni-
ous partnership in the parishes. The participants
had a wonderful time during the workshops for
the discussions were indeed very lively and en-
couraging. CFC council member and Pastoral For-
mation Director, Ernie Maipid facilitated the work-
shop together with CFC leader Mannix Ocampo.
CFC Executive Director Joe Tale provided the
appropriate ending for the sessions as he exhorted
everyone to work hard and be united with the
goals and aspirations of the Catholic Church. He
expressed CFC’s support for the Clergy and for
the Church by fully engaging and strengthening
our existence by embracing the pastoral priorities
of the major ecclesia groupings. This was followed
by a moving session of the bishops, clergy, conse-
crated men and women and the lay praying over
each other, showing support towards one another
in one common work of the Church.
The day was indeed blessed and made more
meaningful and momentous with a Eucharistic
Celebration, led by Archbishop Ramon C.
Arguelles, DD of the Archdiocese of Lipa,
Batangas and concelebrated by Bishop Denis
Weihe of the Diocese of Victoria, Seychelles,
Bishop Antonio Tobias of the Diocese of
Novaliches, Bishop Jose Advincula of the Diocese
of San Carlos, Negros Occidental and Bishop
Patricio Alo of the Diocese of Mati together with
106 other monsignors and priests from around the
globe—truly a wonderful sight to behold!

“Since it was my first time to join a CFC gathering, and it was a nation-wide one, I really enjoyed everything
there not only the food, entertainment, and accommodation, but more so with the part when the relationship of
the priests and lay ministers in the church was tackled in a mini-open forum. The emphasis on oneness or
symbiotic relationship between us, priests, and the CFCs in the evangelization were strongly stressed out.
Open communication or dialogue among the concerned is what I believe is needed to be stressed and that we all
belong to one Catholic Church. I hope that CFC will continue their service. I hope that the leaders will really live
with them their principles and responsibilities so that the members will also have a better communication with
the priests and church.”

Fr. Noel (Nonoy) Suarez

San Agustin Parish, Valencia City, Bukidnon

“ The church is truly alive; the spirit of God is truly working amongst His people. If it’s God’s will, He will
really take care of everything just as what happened in the whole anniversary celebration. Its impact to me as the
spiritual director of CFC in the diocese, I’m encouraged to work closely with the CFC, and also promote the CFC
to the diocese as one of the partners in the ministry and evangelization. And being a priest, I’m challenged to be
dedicated with my spirituality and ministry just like the Couples for Christ. In the coming years, I hope that the
CFC community will strengthen the relationship they have with the clergies and work closely with the church,
as we all belong to one church, to one diocese.”

Fr. Darwin Alcontin

San Jose Parish, Sinayawan, Valencia City, Bukidnon

The bishops and priests after the concelebrated Mass that ended the Congress.
 C2 Ugnayan CBCP Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 14
July 7 - 20, 2008

By Joe Tale, CFC Executive Director

We are never alone

YOUR Excellencies, our beloved Bishops, and Rev-
erend Fathers, you honor and inspire us all with
your presence, and for concelebrating our beauti-
ful anniversary Mass. We look forward to your
continuing guidance to our community. As stated
in our expanded vision statement, CFC is “one with
the Catholic Church.”
To our brethren from the different countries
around the world, you also honor and inspire us.
You have traveled from far away lands, to be one
with us all in this celebration of God’s faithfulness.
We look forward to our continuing fellowship and
interaction as we pursue our vision and mission
together as one global united community.
Brothers and sisters in CFC, Happy 27th Anniversary!
Today’s celebration caps our week long anniver-
sary week. We opened with our sports events, in-
cluding the golf tournament last Monday, June 16.
Then we had our International Prayer Assembly
the following day, Tuesday. We conducted our Glo-
bal Leaders Assembly on Wednesday and Thurs-
day, and our Family Ministries Congress in the
afternoon of Thursday, in celebration of the Fam-
ily Ministries’ 15 th anniversary this year. And Fri-
day, June 20, we had a most
wonderful Bishop-Clergy-
Lay Congress, participated
in by 5 bishops and 101
priests, a good number of
whom are with us in this
Mass. We emerged from
the Congress with a better
understanding of our dif-
ferent but complementary
roles, and have strength-
ened our commitment to a
common vision of bring-
ing Christ’s love to all.
All these events the past
week were truly blessed
by the Lord! Today’s anni-
versary celebration has
been equally blessed by
the Lord, but in in an even
more dramatic way.
We had a great parade,
showcasing God’s good-
ness in all aspects of our
lives, and in thanksgiving
to the Lord for the earth’s
abundance and a rich har-
vest. With everyone’s mas-
sive participation, includ-
ing the delegations from
the provinces all over the Philippines, and the in-
ternational delegates as well, the parade took all of
two hours, one of the longest parades I can remem-
ber. Not even the rains could stop the energy and
vibrancy of all of you.
We had of course the anniversary program, fo-
cusing on our twofold mission of Building the
Church of the Home and Building the Church of
the Poor, as creatively projected in our “Arch of
the Mission.” This was followed by the biggest
Lord’s Day celebration ever, and the heartwarm-
ing experience of everyone’s spirit of generosity
as we shared our community meal together.
But the most significant aspect of our gather-
ing today is that all of you came to join the cel-
ebration here in Luneta despite the typhoon, and
that you stayed on notwithstanding the rains that
fell! By this, we have shown CFC’s faith and com-
mitment. The Lord can truly count on all of us.
We also honor and thank in a special way our
Blessed Mother. It was after we prayed the Ro-
sary in her honor that the rains started to weaken
and eventually stopped. And of course, as you
noticed, the rains completely stopped as we cel-
ebrated Mass.
I would like to also thank the many brethren
who worked behind the scenes, largely unnoticed
and unrecognized, but who kept the whole event
going. There were challenging moments when the
rains came and our sound system could not func-
tion. But by the guided quick thinking of our pro-
duction team, we overcame the obstacles
Brothers and sisters, our collective experience to-
day is, in many ways, the same story, or a represen-
tation of our community’s experience this past year.
We all went through a storm, a storm that shook our
community to its foundations. And just like today,
notwithstanding the storm, you all stood firm and
stayed on with our beloved CFC! Despite the storm
that hit our community, 90 – 95 % of our members
kept the faith and stayed on!
And this is not just about numbers. It is about a
new spirit, a new springtime in our community’s
life and mission.
It is even a new beginning in so far as our finan-
cial stewardship is concerned. As we had an-
nounced, by God’s grace and your generosity, we
have paid up all our bank loans! We are now bank
debt free!
As my wife Babylou and I were preparing to come
to our celebration today, we had our share of ap-
prehensions, as many of you had. We knew since
last night that we were under typhoon signal no.2.
We were happy that we woke up with the sun out,
bright and clear in the sky. But later in the morning
the storm clouds began to form again, and in fact
some rain fell in our part of town. Without talking
about it, Babylou and I almost simultaneously sang
a song taught to us during our elementary school
years. It is a song so appropriate to our common
experience the past year and today too. I would
now like to share with you the beautiful and mean-
ingful lyrics of that song.
When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don’t be afraid of the dark
At the end of the storm is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark
Walk on through the wind, walk on through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart
And you’ll never walk alone
You’ll never walk alone.
Brothers and sisters, in the midst of a storm, we
are never alone. Jesus will always be with us. Let
us therefore focus on Jesus and move on in our
mission.
Tuloy ang evangelization! Tuloy ang family re-
newal! Tuloy ang pagmahal at pagtulong sa
mahihirap!
Happy anniversary to all!

Joe Tale with Bishop Denis Wiehe of Seychelles

By Joe Yamamoto, Philippine Missions Director, International Council Member

Blessed to witness to
Christ’s love and service
THE life and mission of
Couples for Christ revolves
around its role of evangeliza-
tion- proclaiming Christ to the
world. The mission will be ac-
complished if everyone will
help in ‘BUILDING THE
CHURCH OF THE HOME’ and
the ‘CHURCH OF THE POOR’.
Deep within each CFC member
exists the core values that keep
us all very firmly connected to
one another and rooted to the
mission in the world- our be-
ing Pro-God, Pro-Family, Pro-
Life and Pro-Poor.
Since each of us is expected to
live our calling faithfully and
consequentially, measured by
our participation in the work of
evangelization, it behooves each
one of us to understand, accept
and embrace the particular vo-
cation to be a “light into the
world and the salt of the earth.”
To the average CFC member,
this may sound way above his
or her understanding and there-
fore, there is a real possibility of
its being taking for granted sim-
ply because no one took the time
to explain it in simple terms.
Sadly, this may be a matter of
concern for the average mem-
ber.
Some years ago, when I was a
Sector Head, one of the then
chapter heads asked me to give
an evangelization pep talk to his
chapter. I asked the chapter
head if he wanted a three-hour,
two-hour, a one-hour or a five-
minute evangelization talk.
Puzzled, he asked if there would
be any difference in the value or
outcome depending on the
length of the talk. I supposed
that he entertained serious
doubts that a five-minute ses-
sion could accomplish the de-
sired outcome or even produce
anything that remotely sounds
like a pep talk.
In that evangelization talk, I
stated that evangelization
means proclaiming and sharing
the experience of having Christ
in our lives and the consequen-
tially transformed life of meet-
ing Him and committing our-
selves to Him. I added that evan-
gelization necessarily must be
enhanced by witnessing to that
continuing experience and shar-
ing the fullness of that encoun-
ter. We cannot share what we
do not have, in this case we can-
not share Christ if He is not in
us or with us.
In the process of sharing
Christ, one becomes a witness to
that reality of Emmanuel, God
with us. More than the preach-
ing, evangelization is witnessing
to the transformation that is
brought about by having Christ
in our lives. And as you witness
to the personal transformation,
it has its way of finding presence
in the family, community and
the relationships that are formed
and strengthened during our
life’s journey.
In a nutshell, this truth about
evangelization can be defined in
five minutes or less. How to
make that transformation stick
to us and how we can maintain
and allow it to grow is some-
thing else.
After living and breathing
CFC life over the years, atten-
dant layers of structures, teach-
ings, conferences and countless
activities have been added to
give color and variety to com-
munity existence. Through all
that, the basic element of evan-
gelization remains unchanged-
the singular truth of encounter-
ing and cherishing Christ in our
lives.
Over the years, my life in the
community has been tremen-
dously and regularly strength-
ened by personal experiences,
sharings heard or relating to the
narration of the experiences of
others. I am sure that this is true
for all of us. We have enjoyed
amazing stories of transforma-
tion, and conversions that
strengthen our faith and hope in
God. Even our service abounds
with anecdotes and stories.
I find my work in CFC as
genuinely rewarding and en-
riching. I have been a leader for
at least two decades and yet I con-
tinue to cherish the many occa-
sions that I serve with people on
the ground and being part of
those simple day to day and yet
touching encounters.
In much the same way, the
practice of the medical profes-
sion has been very rewarding
and inspiring- for me and for my
family. I find my being a physi-
cian creates many unique oppor-
tunities to connect to the lives of
so many people and make a dif-
ference in their lives, even if on
occasions the service I render
was ordinary or perhaps rou-
tine.
My own journey to seeing a
spiritual dimension to the prac-
tice of medicine and surgery
goes back a long way. By touch-
ing lives, operating on people
and helping them recover and
go back to normalcy and lead-
ing meaningful lives, I find that
I help make the meaning of ser-
vice and transformation up close
and personal. Perhaps, it is a
very special way of appreciating
the rare privilege of becoming
an extension of the healing min-
istry of Jesus. It enhances one’s
capacity to serve, to love and to
care.
In February of this year, the
CFC surgical and medical team
went to Cordon, Isabela accom-
panied by friends, partners and
benefactors to do Gawad
Kalusugan mission work and
simultaneously help in setting
up a GK village. There were
many patients, young and old,
all of them poor. Of those pa-
tients I encountered, I was
moved by the problem of Nene
(not her real name), a 40-plus
year old mother of five children
who had an infected cancerous
tumor on her right breast. Hers
was a perfect example of hope-
lessness and neglect. She led a
life of sadness and misery be-
cause not only was her family
poor but since last year, when
her breast malignancy became
big, and started to break into
infection, her husband left her
and their children!
In the meantime, she had to
fend off hunger and destitution
by working in the cornfields
from sunup to sundown, every
single day - to feed a family of
five children.
There was no need to coax the
team to action. The doctors and
nurses who saw her were
moved by her pressing problem.
We did a mastectomy, removal
of her infected right breast. The
surgery was not extraordinary.
It was something straight out of
the textbooks. But for her it was
truly special. It must have been
answered prayer; her only ray
of hope fulfilled and it happened
because a group of out of town
Samaritans came to do some
charitable work. But everyone
knows that in God’s plan, noth-
ing is accidental. There is always
a rhyme and a reason that may
not be outright evident.
We may not have cured her,
but the joy and satisfaction of
having made a difference and
touched a person’s life physi-
cally and spiritually make the
work of the team so fulfilling.
The story of the good deed does
not end there. On top of that, we
were able to arrange for a GK
home for her and her family,
courtesy of our kind and gener-
ous benefactor and partner, the
Andres family of Cordon.
About six years ago, after I
had come back from one of the
Mindanao surgical missions and
despite a tiring schedule, I went
to the hospital for my Sunday
afternoon rounds. I had not seen
my patients for the few days that
I was out. I chanced upon one
CFC brother who happened to
have a priest with him. We ex-
changed pleasantries, and I
made a passing mention that I
had just come from a very hec-
tic and tiring provincial mission
to perform free surgery among
poor patients and I had not gone
home yet. The priest took my
hands and looking at me in-
tently, he said, “when you min-
ister to the poorest of the poor,
your hands become extensions of intent of opening the minds of
God’s love and healing. You do people to the love and knowl-
not have to announce you are edge of God. If we are lawyers,
Couples for Christ because they work for justice to prevail in our
will know that you do it for temporal world. If we are regu-
Christ, the One whom you lar workers and laborers, share
shared with them.” I went home the attitude of honest service
humbled and at the same time according to the examples of
affirmed by the realization that Jesus. The list can go on and on.
I had indeed used the ministry In simple terms, let us advance
of my profession to proclaim the cause of Christ in our daily
Christ to the world, without con- lives.
sciously intending to. Second, allow me to share also
Our world in CFC is full of another simple lesson I learned
those life-giving experiences, as a young leader in CFC. It is
and many books are needed to summed up by the advice to:
chronicle them. There are simple “Go and evangelize; and evan-
take-to-heart lessons that make gelize as you go.” The first part
the statement “blessed to wit- encourages us to assume the
ness to Christ’s love and ser- heart of a missionary, to plan
vice” very meaningful to us. and embark on the work of con-
First, evangelization is the scious evangelization, perhaps
proclamation of Christ to every- taking time away from our com-
one, through sharing and wit- fort zones. The second part is
nessing to the transformative what I encourage everyone to
love of Christ. However, It do: that as they go about their
comes with a precondition that busy everyday work, allow
you cannot share something or Christ to exude from their per-
someone you do not have. We sons, to share Him as they go in
can and should use the daily cir- the usual turn of their lives. In
cumstances of our lives to bear this way we are able to show
witness to the love of Christ. If how we are blessed to witness
we are teachers, teach with the to Christ’s love and service.
A rare photo op after the workshop during the first CFC Bishops-
Clergy-Lay Congress. (L-R) Fr, George Kume of Kenya, Ernie
Maipid, Bp. Jose Advincula, Joe Yamamoto, Bp. Pat Alo, Bp.
Antonio Tobias, Bp. Denis Wiehe, Msgr. Fred Krickenbeeck, Msgr.
Rommel Kintanar, Rouquel Ponte (partly hidden), Archbishop
Ramon Arguelles, Joey Arguelles, Joe Tale and Melo Villaroman.
 CBCP
CBCPMonitor
Monitor
Vol. 12 No. 14
July 7 - 20, 2008 Ugnayan C3

1 CFC Global
st
The wrath of
typhoon Frank
Leaders Assembly THE island of Panay, particularly the province of Iloilo,
bore the brunt of typhoon Frank last June 21. Dubbed as
the worst disaster to hit the area, the typhoon affected al-
THE world indeed got smaller last June 18-
most 70-80% of Iloilo, with floods caused by raging cur-
19, 2008 for more than 300 delegates from all
continents of the world gathered for the first rents from overflowed rivers. Hardest hit were the dis-
tricts and towns of Jaro, Mandurriao, Oton, Miagao, Pavia,
CFC Global Leaders Assembly at the Valle
Verde Country Club in Pasig City, Philip- Leganes, Zarraga, Leon, Pototan, Dumangas, Barotac Nuevo,
Mina, Ajuy, Carles, and Janiuay.
pines.
CFC leaders and spiritual directors from In some areas, the water reached as high as 3 meters,
submerging sturdier homes and sweeping away flimsy
all over the world gathered for two days of
inspiration, fellowship and discussions on ones. The hospital in the town of Janiuay was also sub-
merged such that patients had to be transported to another
how CFC can move forward in its mission
for the years to come. hospital Churches, schools, and municipal halls were used
as evacuation centers. Communication and electricity lines
The event was also a venue for the presen-
tation of the outcome of the Pastoral con- were downed. Almost a hundred people lost their lives in
this town alone.
gresses conducted last year in different places
around the world. The Pastoral Congress Layers of mud covered houses, wrecked cars, damaged
crops and stranded animals. The water system was greatly
Team led by CFC International Council mem-
ber Ernie Maipid spoke about “Pastoral Per- damaged.
But Christian brotherhood and solidarity was at work
spective for A New Season” in CFC. Ernie
spoke further about the expanded vision and almost immediately. Families who were not affected
reached out to others as they gave their used clothes and
the consolidated mission of CFC together
with our strengthened core values. The re- belongings. Others opened their homes for the ones who
lost theirs. Masses and prayers were offered for those who
sult of the pastoral congresses aims to fur-
ther our work with the mission development lost their lives. Church leaders, politicians and diplomats
convened to extend every help that they could give.
of CFC enhanced with our religious and cul-
tural grounding and empowering of our lo- The Couples for Christ community in Iloilo, which re-
ported that almost 70% of their members were affected,
cal CFC leaders in each country working for
a cohesive, global missionary community immediately gathered goods, food, medicine and other basic
materials to give to the victims.
witnessing the love of Christ in our lives and
being good stewards of this great commu- As of today, the island of Panay still needs help. Aside
from our prayers, it is hoped that many of us will be stirred
nity.
The first workshop exhorted the partici- to give help so that our brethren in these areas will regain
not just their belongings but lives that now have to live
pants to discuss CFC culture and the differ-
ent continental challenges that we face as we with the trauma of loss and deprivation.
pursue our work in CFC for evangelization
and mission, family renewal and total Chris-
tian liberation in relation to the different pas-
toral ecclesia targets that the Church has out-
lined. The discussions were based on the dif-
ferent ecclesias written by Pope John Paul II
to the five different continents of the world.
The second workshop was more focused
on CFC’s New Global Order and on how we
can look ahead into the future of CFC. The
participants were grouped by continent and
were asked to discuss how each group can
come up with a more efficient and effective
global structure for the mission of CFC.
CFC International Council member
Rouquel Ponte who also heads the Interna-
tional Missions gave the final talk on Mis-
sion Spirituality. He defined the identity of
CFC as a missionary community and stressed
the relevance of putting our global work in
perspective and in line with the continental
ecclesias. He stressed that “Mission and call-
ing is both God’s intention for us to serve
others and also God’s intention for us to
achieve wholeness and perfection. It is whole-
ness integral to our temporal and spiritual
selves, a wholeness that heals, a wholeness
that unites us to others and to God in the
Christian community.”
Bishop Denis Wiehe of the Diocese of
Victoria, Seychelles, Africa gave the Apos-
tolic Blessing and exhorted everyone to go
out and be missionaries of the Lord in every

A great experience
young graduate of medicine who, for
love of the poor, dropped his stethoscope
and picked up shovels in order to build
houses for the poor. The GK sites con-
firmed for me the resolve of CFC to live
up to its mission of “Bringing glad tid-
ings to the poor” and also of its expanded
mission of “Building the Church of the
Home and the Church of the Poor.”
Nevertheless, the CFC is not all about
building houses for the poor. The many
congresses that punctuated the 27th An-
niversary gave me the opportunity to
share in the spiritual experiences of some
members of CFC.
These experiences are so enriching that
I am so overwhelmingly compelled by
the fire it has lit in me to mention a few.
Mannix Ocampo challenged the congress
members to be people of interiority.
This challenge was the product of his
prayerful meditation on the two hearts
of love: Sacred Heart of Jesus and Im-
maculate Heart of Mary. Again, Bro.
Rouquel Ponte’s presentation on Mission
Spirituality bears the imprint of a man
of spiritual density.
The exhortations of the Executive Di-
rector of CFC, Joe Tale, are evidence of a
dedicated servant leader. I cannot of
course forget the evangelical life of my
brother priest, Fr. Paul Uwemedino, who
forsook his patrimony to become a priest
and further abandoned the beautiful rec-
tories in the Philippines and opted to
live with the poor in the slum area of
Payatas.
There, he has neither cook nor stew-
ard. The jeepney and his legs are his best
means of transportation, yet he remains
happy and fulfilled.
I was also privileged to attend a house-
hold meeting in the company of my
wonderful hosts, Noli and Beth Arzadon,
whose humility and hospitality boggle
my imagination. I saw for myself how
the household meeting provides a fer-
tile ground for sharing the word of God,
life experiences and fellowship. This en-
ables members to bond even more than
their blood relations.
I will finally say that what remains
for me as a recurring decimal in the lives
of CFC members is the fire of God’s love
aglow in them and their readiness to sac-
rifice everything in order to serve God
in the poor and the needy.
These experiences, and many more I
did not mention, re-affirmed my con-
viction that in the midst of capitalism,
modernism and scientific revolution,
there can still be found authentic Chris-
tians. Indeed, it was a great experience.

Fr. Donald Uzoh

By Fr. Donald Uzoh, Nigeria and so I gave my fiat.

ON January 15, 2008, I assumed duty as a
diocesan chaplain of Couples for Christ
in Onitsha Archdiocese in Nigeria. The
appointment seemed to me like a leap
into the dark because I did not know
very much about CFC except for the fact
that the group exists in the Archdiocese.
However, I was encouraged by the
belief that it is the Lord’s design for me.
Hence, I set out an action plan on how to
work with the CFC. This basically in-
volved the establishment of CFC in St.
Edmund’s Parish, Nkpor, where I serve
as the parish priest.
But it seemed this was not enough.
Then an invitation came to attend the
CFC 27th Anniversary in the Philippines.
I saw it as an invitation from the Lord
My encounter with CFC in the Philip-
pines was kicked off by my attendance
at the 18th Anniversary of CFC Tarlac on
Sunday 15th of June. The community in
Tarlac was very friendly and welcom-
ing. The exhibitions by different groups,
ministries and the Gawad Kalinga por-
trayed a family knit together in love.
I was also blessed with visits to two
out of the many Gawad Kalinga (GK)
sites. There, I saw that Christianity and
faith are made concrete. The residents of
the slum areas were moved from grass
to grace, from nobody to a people, from
anonymity to identity, from delinquents
to nobility, and more than that, from lax-
ity to moral rectitude.
I will always remember the inspira-
tional statement of Dr. Eric Cayabyab: Rouquel Ponte and Joey Arguelles accompany Bishop Denis Wiehe of the diocese of Victoria, Seychelles in his visit to a
“What we lack, we give.” Dr. Eric is a Gawad Kalinga site.
 CBCP Monitor
C4 Ugnayan Vol. 12 No. 14
July 7 - 20, 2008

A grand homecoming
The pictures say it all. It was indeed a Grand Homecoming. And
like all homecomings, it was fun, food, joy, reminiscences, bonding
opportunities, and love shared all around.

Why Homecoming for this year’s anniversary theme? Like many

of CFC’s gatherings, God’s Hand was evident even in the plans,
and even down to the last detail. The organizing committee, when
it came down to preparing the final concept for the anniversary,
just suddenly hit upon the great idea of gathering everyone, and to
dream of the day when everyone will indeed come home -- not just
from far off places but from the far reaches of the heart.

And the shofar (the ancient Jewish horn) was blown to signal the
homecoming, to welcome the brethren and to announce the start
of the feast. It was a signal for all to indeed come home.

And indeed, they came -- from as near as Metro Manila to places as

far south as Australia and as far north as Europe. They came from
multiracial backgrounds -- from Japan, Thailand, Seychelles, Kenya,
Nigeria, Canada, the United States. They all paraded, some in col-
orful native costumes. And they celebrated.

The parade was one long celebration of the spirit -- a spirit that
refuses to be daunted by difficulties, even the difficulties of a driv-
ing rain while attempting to dance in sodden malongs and soaked
paper fans, or of trying to read the Lord’s Day booklet in the dark
and amid falling rain, or of standing in ankle-deep water while
worshipping in full abandon the Lord of all. There were children
huddled under umbrellas held by parents who stood in the rain
because the umbrellas were not big enough. And groups who suc-
cessfully juggled plates of food in the midst of the rain that fell all
around them.

It is this indomitable spirit that has carried CFC through for 27

years and that will carry it through for 27 more years and beyond.