Monitor
CBCP
JANUARY 21 - FEBRUARY 3, 2019, VOL 23, NO. 02
THE CROSS
A SUPPLEMENT PUBLICATION
OF KCFAPI AND THE ORDER OF
THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
Devotees raise their hands in prayer during a Mass on the feast of the Child Jesus at the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño Pilgrim Center in downtown Cebu City on Jan. 20. SAMMY NAVAJA
‘UNCHRISTIAN,
HEARTLESS’
Bishops oppose lowering age of criminal liability
By Roy Lagarde
The country’s Catholic
bishops opposed Presi-
dent Rodrigo Duterte’s
push to lower the crimi-
nal age of responsibility
to nine, calling it “un-
christian”.
Youth urged to show mercy CBCP plans to invite Pope Francis for 2021 Jubilee
amidst attacks vs Church
EVEN when their faith is
attacked and ridiculed, young
people should show mercy
in dealing with the public, a
Catholic bishop said.
While it may seem easier to
speak ill of an enemy, Bishop
Ruperto Santos of Balanga said
that Christians had as their
primary vocation to love for
their foes.
Speaking at the opening mass
for the Philippine Apostolic
PACOM / A6
Get to bottom of passport data mess, gov’t urged
A CATHOLIC bishop on Monday
asked the government to get into
the bottom of the supposed passport
data loss in the Department of
Foreign Affairs (DFA).
Bishop Ruperto Santos of the
Episcopal Commission on Migrants
and Itinerant People (ECMI) said
the problem must be addressed and
not repeated.
“To investigate, to correct the
mistakes and mess, and to punish
the guilty is great service to the
country, especially to our overseas
Filipino Workers,” he said.
Malacañang has already ordered
the National Privacy Commission to
investigate the “serious and grave
matter”.
PROTAGONIST OF TRUTH, PROMOTER OF PEACE
A3: NEWS
Pope’s app ‘Click to Pray’ connects Catholics
to a smartphone prayer network
Bishop Pablo Virgilio David
of Kalookan lamented the move
saying that the government
cannot even “properly” hold
adults liable for their crimes.
“Now we want to hold nine-
year-old children-in-conflict-
with-the-law criminally liable as
well?” said David, who is also the
Vice President of the Philippine
bishops’ conference.
A Senate probe is being sought
to look into the failure of DFA
to preserve passport data after
contract of a third-party service
provider was terminated.
“We appeal for thorough
investigation, no sacred cows, those
guilty be prosecuted,” Santos said.
The prelate also said that
the new requirements for
applying passports such as birth
certificates will pose problems to
many OFWs.
“They have not been properly
notified, posted more difficulties for
them in terms of time, expenses and
burden to their families in order to
get those birth certificates,” he said.
(CBCPNews)
A6: LOCAL NEWS
Manila bishop rallies faithful to defend Catholic faith
“For what? For being born in an
environment of abuse? For being
neglected or abused by abusive
parents and being left to fend for
themselves out in the streets? For
being used by abusive adults in
criminal activities?” he said.
The House committee on
justice approved on Jan. 21 the
bill that sought to lower the age
of criminal responsibility from 15
THE Catholic hierarchy plans to
invite Pope Francis to visit the
Philippines for the fifth centenary
of the arrival of the Christianity in
the archipelago, a church official
said Tuesday.
Fr. Marvin Mejia, secretary
general of the Philippine bishops’
conference, said that the matter will
be discussed when prelates meet for
their plenary assembly in Manila on
Jan. 26 to 28.
“It will be finalized there,” Mejia
said.
For the past seven years, the
church has been laying out plans
for the 2021 Jubilee to celebrate
the 500th anniversary of the first
mass and the first baptism in the
Philippines.
In 2012, the CBCP embarked on
a “nine-year journey for the New
Evangelization” with a different
theme each year to prepare the
faithful for the celebration.
The CBCP official, however,
refused to comment whether the
pope will accept the invitation.
“What is important is that
there should be an invitation and
program already ahead of 2021,”
he said.
From Sri Lanka, the leader of
the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics
travelled to the Philippines in
January 2015 as part of his second
Asian pilgrimage as pope.
His trip included a visit to the
survivors of super typhoon Yolanda
B1: PASTORAL CONCERNS
to 9 years old.
Justice committee chair
Oriental Mindoro 1st District
Rep. Doy Leachon said he is
hoping that the bill will be passed
into law before the end of the 17th
Congress.
On Jan. 23, the House of
Representatives approved the bill
on second reading but changed
Heartless / A6
Pope Francis meets young people at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Jan. 18, 2015. ROY LAGARDE
in Leyte and reckoned the largest
papal event in history with around
7 million attendees in his final Mass
in Manila.
In a speech in Malacañang,
Pope Francis praised the Filipino
Catholics’ strong faith and reminded
them of their mission to spread the
Gospel, noting the upcoming great
jubilee.
“It is my hope that this
important anniversary will point
to its continuing fruitfulness and
its potential to inspire a society
worthy of the goodness, dignity and
aspirations of the Filipino people,”
he said.
Bishop Arturo Bastes of Sorsogon,
head of the CBCP’s Commission on
CBCPMONITOR@AREOPAGUSCOMMUNICATIONS.COM
Message of His Holiness Pope Francis
to young people on the occasion of the
34th World Youth Day 2019
Mindanao Catholic
leaders back
Bangsamoro law
A GROUP of Catholic leaders in
Mindanao made a last-ditch effort to
lend support for a new autonomy law
tipped to end decades-long conflict in
the country’s south.

The Mindanao Catholic Church
Leaders for Peace (MCCLP) said that
the Bangsamoro Organic Law is not
just another piece of legislation but a
peace agreement that involves the future
development of the region.
“After many failed attempts, this may
be the last concrete chance for a just and
lasting peace in Mindanao,” they said in
a statement issued on Jan. 11. 

The group, composed of bishops,
educators and a humanitarian aid
organization, made the statement ahead
of the plebiscite on the BOL next week.
Among them are Cardinal Orlando
Quevedo of Cotabato, Archbishop
Romulo Valles of Davao, Archbishop
Antonio Ledesma of Cagayan de Oro,
and Bishop Edwin Dela Peña of Marawi.
According to them, the new autonomy
legislation addresses the “historical
injustices” against Muslims and
represents the “mutual acceptance” by
both sides for the creation of a Muslim
autonomous area.
The church leaders said there are many
reasons why people should support the
autonomy law, although they warned of
some potential obstacles. 

“We are aware that many challenges
will continue to confront the
Bangsamoro Transitional Authority over
the next three years as well as the future
elected members of the Bangsamoro
Parliament,” they said.
But still, they said that it will be
left to the residents to ensure the
participatory and viable functioning of
the autonomous region.
The church leaders said they would
focus on the “horizontal” peace process
such as engaging in the “dialogue of
life, action and spirituality” among
Christians and Muslims.
“We also need to commit to intrafaith
and interfaith dialogue towards mutual
respect and understanding so as
to reduce or eliminate biases and
prejudices,” they added.
As advocates of peace, “we must also
know what the BOL says in order for
Bangsamoro / A6
Mission, noted that this will be the
“first time” that the local Church
will invite the pope for a visit to the
Philippines.
“When Pope Francis came to the
Philippines four years ago, it was
he who volunteered to come in view
of the big catastrophe caused by
Yolanda,” he said.
While it is “very a seldom” that
a pope visits a particular country
twice, the bishop said that they are
keeping their fingers crossed.
“Pope Francis might still consider
to accept the invitation to celebrate
with us the commemoration of
the introduction of Christianity to
our country,” said Bastes. (Roy
Lagarde/CBCPNews)
A2 WORLD NEWS January 21 - February 3, 2019, Vol 23, No. 02 CBCP Monitor

Vatican Briefing Senate passes ‘religious test’

Take charge of your roots, culture, pope tells indigenous youths
resolution on Knights of Columbus
Pope Francis said that in order to face the challenges ahead,
young indigenous men and women must protect and never
forget their roots and their cultures. In a video message sent
to the World Meeting of Indigenous Youth in Soloy, Panama,
Jan. 18, the pope urged the young people to “be grateful for the
history of their people,” which will help them “go forward full of
hope.” “Return to your culture of origins,” he said. “Take charge
of your roots, because from your roots comes the strength to
make things grow, flourish and bear fruit.” According to a press
release, over 2,000 indigenous young people were expected to
attend the Jan. 17-21 meeting to prepare for World Youth Day
in Panama. (Junno Arocho Esteves/CNS)

Foster dialogue, promote solidarity, pope tells Academy for Life

Marking the Pontifical Academy for Life’s 25th anniversary,
Pope Francis encouraged the research and advisory body to
promote human solidarity and fraternity as part of its mandate
to promote human life. A sense of fraternity between people and
nations has been weakened with an erosion of mutual trust and
“remains the unkept promise of modernity,” Pope Francis said.
“The strengthening of fraternity, generated in the human family
by the worship of God in spirit and truth, is the new frontier of
Christianity,” the pope said in a letter addressed to Archbishop Senator Ben Sasse, who introduced the resolution in the Senate, pictured at the National Press Club, Oct. 2018. ALBERT H. TEICH / SHUTTERSTOCK

Vincenzo Paglia, president of the pontifical academy. (Carol

WASHINGTON D.C.— The Senate raised concerns about membership views that are in line with Church
Glatz/CNS)
on Jan. 16 passed a resolution saying in the Knights of Columbus while teaching.
it would be “unconstitutional” to the Senate Judiciary Committee A recent Marist Poll survey,
Faith is passed on at home, pope tells parents at baptism
consider membership in the Knights reviewed the candidacy of Brian C. commissioned by the Knights of
Faith isn’t something learned just by studying the catechism
of Columbus a disqualifying criteria Buescher, an Omaha-based lawyer Columbus, found high levels of
but rather is a gift passed on to children by the example of their
for public office. The resolution nominated by President Trump to support for religiously committed
parents, Pope Francis said. Although children learn the tenets
passed by unanimous consent, sit on the United States District candidates for the federal bench.
of the Catholic faith in catechism class, it is first transmitted
meaning it went unopposed by Court for the District of Nebraska. The poll found that 59 percent
in the home “because faith always must be transmitted in
senators of either party. In her questions to Buescher, of Democrats supported people
dialect: the dialect of the family, the dialect of the home, in the
The resolution was drafted and Hirono said that the Knights for whom “religion is important”
atmosphere of the home,” he said before baptizing 27 babies.
introduced by Sen. Ben Sasse (R- have “taken a number of extreme serving as federal judges. The
The pope celebrated the Mass and baptisms Jan. 13, the feast of
NE) in response to recent questions positions.” Harris used her same poll found 60 percent of
the baptism of the Lord, in the Sistine Chapel. “The important
put to a judicial nominee, which questions to label the organization independents and more than 7 in
thing is to transmit the faith with your life of faith: that they
suggested membership in the as “opposed a woman’s right to 10 Republicans (73 percent) also
see the love between spouses, that they see peace at home, that
Knights could prevent someone choose” and against “marriage supported religiously committed
they see that Jesus is there,” Pope Francis said during his brief
serving impartially as a judge. equality,” and suggested that judges.
and unscripted homily. (Junno Arocho Esteves/CNS)
Citing the protection of religious Buescher could be unable to give a “Americans rightly support
liberty in the Constitution, fair hearing to cases on these issues. religious freedom and reject
Vatican communications reform adds staff to Vatican press office
the resolution noted that past In his speech introducing the religious tests for public office,”
The Vatican Dicastery for Communication created new roles
candidates, including President resolution, Sasse said that the anti- said Knights of Columbus CEO Carl
within the press office of the Holy See as part of its media reform
John F. Kennedy, had suffered Catholic lines of questioning were Anderson in a statement.
and reorganization. The dicastery prefect, Paolo Ruffini, also
from “significant anti Catholic “the same kind of garbage” which Anderson said that the
named French journalist, Romilda Ferrauto, to be a senior
bigotry.” faced President Kennedy in 1960. Constitutional bar against religious
adviser to the press office’s interim director, Alessandro Gisotti.
“It is the sense of the Senate that At least six other judicial tests “continues to strongly
The new positions announced by the dicastery Jan. 11 were two
disqualifying a nominee to Federal nominees have faced scrutiny from resonate with the overwhelming
new assistants to the director—U.S. Sister Bernadette M. Reis,
office on the basis of membership Democratic senators over their majority of Americans” and that
a Daughter of St. Paul, and Raul Cabrera Perez from Peru—and
in the Knights of Columbus Christian faith or membership in the Marist Poll results showed
an office manager, U.S.-born Thaddeus M. Jones. Gisotti was
violates clause 3 of article VI of the the Knights of Columbus since the a clear majority for those who
named interim director of the press office Dec. 31 when U.S.
Constitution of the United States,” 2016 election. “believe that faith should not be a
journalist Greg Burke and Spanish journalist Paloma Garcia
the resolution states. The Knights of Columbus are a barrier to someone’s appointment
Ovejero announced their resignations, saying they believed
Article VI includes the provision Catholic fraternal organization with to public service.”
Pope Francis should be “completely free to assemble a new
that “no religious test shall ever approximately 2 million members. The resolution was passed by the
team” for Vatican communications “at this time of transition.”
be required as qualification to any Last year they carried out more Senate the day after William Barr
(Carol Glatz/CNS)
office or public trust under the than 75 million hours of volunteer went before the Senate Judiciary
Pope will go to Romania calling for unity, focus on the common United States.” work and raised more than $185 Committee for confirmation
good On Dec. 5, Senators Mazie Hirono million for charitable purposes. As hearings on his nomination for the
Pope Francis will make a three-day apostolic visit to Romania (D-HI) and Kamala Harris (D-CA) a Catholic organization, it holds post of Attorney General. (CNA)
in late May, the Vatican announced. Accepting invitations from
President Klaus Iohannis and from Catholic leaders, the pope
will visit the capital of Bucharest, the cities of Iasi and Blaj, and
the Marian sanctuary in Sumuleu Ciuc in the Transylvanian
Guam archdiocese files for bankruptcy
region. A detailed schedule for the trip May 31-June 2 will be
released later, the Vatican said in a statement Jan. 11. The theme
of the visit is “Let’s walk together,” and the trip logo shows
following sex abuse lawsuits
a group of faithful gathered together with an image of Mary HAGATNA, Guam— The territory, also said in named the Holy See as a sexual abuse.
behind them, representing her protection over “the people of Archdiocese of Agaña November that filing for defendant in a $5 million Coadjutor Archbishop
God in Romania,” the Vatican said. (Carol Glatz/CNS) has filed for bankruptcy bankruptcy would provide abuse lawsuit filed in Byrnes has implemented
in federal court in the “the only realistic path to local court. According new child protection
Vatican leaps into the world of sports wake of numerous sex settlement of pending and to Kuam News, the suit policies in the
The Vatican announced its plans to take a leap of faith into abuse allegations. The future claims.” states that the Vatican archdiocese, including
the wide world of sports with the creation of its first ever sports move, decided upon in T h e r e a r e failed to implement a safe environment
association. The Vatican Athletic sports association, which will November, allows the approximately $115 recommendations from program that he said
fall under the auspices of the Pontifical Council for Culture and archdiocese to avoid trial million in lawsuits from a 1985 report entitled: will “help to instigate a
its “Culture and Sport” section, was presented during a briefing and to begin to reach more than 180 abuse “The Problem of change of culture in our
at the Vatican press office Jan. 10. According to a press release settlements in millions claims pending against Sexual Molestation by Archdiocese.”
by the association, the idea to establish a Vatican sports team of dollars’ worth of abuse the Agaña archdiocese. Roman Catholic Clergy: Byrnes adopted in
began with Vatican employees who met for their daily morning lawsuits. Some of these claims Meeting the Problem in February 2017 the US
runs along the Tiber River. Vatican Athletic, it continued, is “This path will bring the were brought against a Comprehensive and bishops’ conference’s
not just concerned with competing with other athletes but also greatest measure of justice the archdiocese’s former Responsible Manner.” Charter for the Protection
committed to giving a “concrete Christian witness with spiritual to the greatest number leader, Archbishop The archdiocese has of Children and Young
initiatives” in the world of sports. The association currently is of victims,” Coadjutor Anthony Apuron, who announced plans to sell People and its essential
made up of 60 athletes, ranging from 19 to 62 years old, who Archbishop Michael has been found guilty its chancery property and norms on dealing with
work in various Vatican offices or serve with the Swiss Guard. Byrnes said in November. of certain unspecified move offices, as part of a allegations of sexual abuse
It has also welcomed “honorary members,” including two young “That’s the heart of what accusations by the broader move to liquidate of minors by clerics.
Muslim migrants and “several young people with disabilities.” we’re doing.” Congregation for the and sell property to settle The Archdiocese of
(Junno Arocho Esteves/CNS) The bankruptcy decision Doctrine of the Faith. sex abuse cases. Agaña serves Catholics
was made following Among those who In 2016, Guam’s in Guam, a U.S.
Lord’s Prayer is reaching out for father’s loving embrace, pope says mediation efforts. have accused Archbishop territorial legislature island territory in the
To pray well, people need to have the heart of a child—a Leander James, an Apuron of sex abuse eliminated the statute northwestern Pacific
child who feels safe and loved in a father’s tender embrace, attorney working with is his nephew, Mark of limitations for civil Ocean. (CAN/EWTN
Pope Francis said. If people have become estranged from alleged victims in the Apuron. This week, Mark lawsuits involving child News)
God, feel lonely, abandoned or have realized their mistakes
and are paralyzed by guilt, “we can still find the strength to Missionary families evangelize indigenous towns in Paraguay
pray” by starting with the word, “Father,” pronounced with
the tenderness of a child, he said. No matter what problems or FUERTE Olimpo, Paraguay— 110 degrees Fahrenheit, the their young children. Their faith,
feelings a person is experiencing or the mistakes someone has Some 60 people belonging to missionaries settled into tents, preparation, and conviction are
made, God “will not hide his face. He will not close himself up the Communities of Missionary mats, inside of chapels, and in awesome. It is part of being a
in silence. Say, ‘Father,’ and he will answer,’” the pope said Jan. Families conducted a mission the homes of the locals. There witnessing Church,” the archbishop
16 during his weekly general audience. (Carol Glatz/CNS) beginning Jan. 1 in a series of towns they had catechism, Mass in the said at the end of the mission.
on the Paraguay River. native language, fraternal sharing, The Communities of Missionary
Vatican releases guidelines to help church fight human trafficking The families, who come from confessions, and even mediated in a Families was founded in 2010 by the
The Vatican has created a set of pastoral guidelines to inspire across Paraguay and also include local labor dispute with a company couples Carmen and Aldo Fanego,
and improve the church’s work in addressing the crime of human a Cuban couple, gathered in Porto “The missionaries went in an and Kika and Vidal Benítez.
trafficking and the care of its victims worldwide. The Migrants Murtinho, Brazil, to embark on atmosphere of prayer which allowed Encouraged by Archbishop
and Refugees Section of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral the week-long evangelization dialogue and the almost immediate Valenzuela, who was at the
Human Development released its “Pastoral Orientations on project. They were accompanied solution of a long conflict. I admired time Vicar Apostolic of Chaco
Human Trafficking” Jan. 17 at a Vatican news conference. by four priests, a religious the courage of the missionaries Paraguayo, ten years ago they
“Pope Francis’ insistent teaching on human trafficking provides sister, and Archbishop Edmundo because they announced the love began doing river missions in the
the foundation for the present pastoral orientations which Ponziano Valenzuela Mellid of of Christ that transforms lives and area, inaccessible except by the
draw also from the longstanding practical experience of many Asuncion. when that love is taken seriously, river, where indigenous peoples
international Catholic NGOs working in the field and from the They held a Mass together before it rebounds in human and labor live, sustained by farming and the
observations of representatives of bishops’ conferences,” the separating into groups to go on relations,” Archbishop Valenzuela extraction of tannin, a substance
text said. (Carol Glatz/CNS) mission to eleven towns situated said. used for curing hides and making
downstream from Porto Murtinho. “The joy of these families is certain pharmaceuticals. (ACI
Under temperatures reaching awesome, and especially that of Prensa)
CBCP Monitor January 21 - February 3, 2019, Vol 23, No. 02 NEWS FEATURES A3

Pope’s app ‘Click to Pray’ connects

Catholics to a smartphone prayer network
VATICAN— Pope Francis launched
an app Sunday called “Click to
Pray,” which connects Catholics to
a global network to share prayer
intentions via their smartphones.
The pope opened the new app
using an iPad during his Angelus
address Jan. 20 and encouraged
young Catholics, in particular, to
download the smartphone app to
pray the “Rosary of Peace” ahead
of World Youth Day.
“Click to Pray” allows users to post
prayer intentions and view other
prayer requests in six languages. After
posting on the social network, one can
track how many Catholics around the
world have prayed for their request.
The Android and iOS app
includes the pope’s monthly prayer
intentions, all of the mysteries of
the rosary, and daily prayers for
morning, afternoon, and night. In
each of these sections, users can
click a box to indicate that they have
completed the prayer and view how
many others also prayed.
This month’s prayer intention is
“for young people and the example
of Mary.” In his Angelus address,
Pope Francis reflected on Mary’s
role in Sunday’s Gospel narrative of
the wedding feast at Cana.
“Let us look at Mary: the
words that Mary addresses to the
servants come to crown the spousal
framework of Cana, ‘Do whatever
he tells you,’” Francis said. “These
words are a precious inheritance
that our Mother has left us.”
“To serve the Lord means to listen
and practice His word. It is the
simple, essential recommendation
of the Mother of Jesus, it is the
program of life of the Christian,”
he continued.
Pope Francis explained that
“it is not accidental that at the
beginning of Jesus’ public life there
is a wedding ceremony, because in
Him God has married humanity.”
Jesus’ transformation of water
into wine was also symbolic,
Francis noted, “Water is necessary
to live, but the wine expresses the
abundance of the banquet and the
joy of the party.”
He joked, “It would have been bad
to continue the party with water!
... A party without wine? I don’t
know.”
The pope encouraged Catholics
to turn to Our Lady when facing
difficult situations, and to echo her
words, “They have no wine.”
Francis explained, “When
problems occur that we do not
know how to solve, when we often
feel anxiety and anguish, when we
lack the joy, go to Our Lady and
say, ‘We have no wine. The wine is
finished: look how I am, look at my
heart, look at my soul.’ Tell Mother,
and she will go to Jesus to say, ‘Look
at this, look at this: they have no
wine.’ And then, she will come back
to us and tell us, ‘Do whatever he
tells you.’”
In a prayer to Mary after the
Angelus, the pope expressed his
grief and continued prayers for the
Colombian people after the terrorist
attack last Thursday at the National
Police Academy, which killed 21
people.
The pope said that it “pained
his heart” that an estimated 170
migrants are missing after two
shipwrecks in the Mediterranean
this weekend.
“They were looking for a future
for their lives. Victims, perhaps,
of human traffickers. We pray
for them, and for those who are
responsible for what happened,”
he said.
The cheers at the end of the
Angelus prayer were louder than
usual as young people in St. Peter’s
square waved Panamanian flags and
raised a large banner reading, “Buon
Viaggio.” The pope will depart
Rome for Panama on January 23 for
World Youth Day 2019. (Courtney
Grogan/CNA)

What the pope said when Martin What is it like to be a

missionary in Mongolia?
Luther King was killed
MEMPHIS, Tenn.— On April
4, 1968, Martin Luther King,
Jr., was fatally shot outside his
room at the Lorraine Motel in
Memphis, Tennessee.
King is remembered as
the most visible leader of the
civil rights movement, for
which he was awarded the
Nobel Peace Prize in 1964,
and as the founding president
of the Southern Christian
Leadership Conference. But
he was first a pastor at Dexter
Avenue Baptist Church in
Montgomery, Alabama, and
remained active in pastoral
leadership throughout his life.
On the day after King
was killed, Pope Paul VI
expressed remorse during his
Angelus address, saying that
the civil rights leader was “a
Christian prophet for racial
integration.”
Shortly after King’s death,
the National Conference
of Catholic Bishops, the
National Council of Churches,
the Synagogue Council of
America, and the Standing
Conference of Orthodox
Bishops in the Americas
released an interfaith
statement, mourning their
colleague in ministry.
We “bow together in grief
before the shameful murder
of Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr., a unique apostle of the
non-violent drive for justice,
[and] affirm that no service
of remembrance or local
memorial is equal to the
greatness of his labor or
the vastness of our national
need.”
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King during the March on Washington, 1963. PUBLIC DOMAIN
The faith leaders also
applauded the efforts of
Congress to pass the Civil
Rights Act of 1968, encouraged
Americans to support
measures favoring integration,
and pled with government
officials to fund legislation
aimed at fighting poverty.
We “affirm that
only through massive
contributions by the
American people can this
nation duly honor the life-
offering of Martin Luther
King, Jr. and responsibly lift
up the burden of the poor
and oppressed in our land.”
The statement also
promised to implement
coordinated efforts among
religious communities to
fight poverty.
We “declare our intention
to take immediate steps
to develop a coordinated
sacrificial effort on the part
of the American religious
community to help the
disadvantaged,” the
statement read.
Faith leaders were not the
only ones to pay tribute to
King after his assassination.
On the night King was killed,
Senator Robert Kennedy, a
Catholic, spoke to the people
of Indianapolis, urging them
to greater compassion and
a deterrence from violence.
Kennedy spoke during a
stop on his 1968 campaign
for President, delivering
the news to a multiracial
crowd that King had been
assassinated.
“What we need in the
United States is not division;
what we need in the United
States is not hatred; what we
need in the United States is
not violence or lawlessness;
but love and wisdom, and
compassion toward one
another, and a feeling of
justice toward those who still
suffer within our country,
whether they be white or they
be black,” he said on April 4,
1968.
Kennedy referenced the
assassination of his own
brother, President John F.
Kennedy, which had taken
place in 1963.
“For those of you who are
black and are tempted to be
filled with hatred and distrust
at the injustice of such an
act, against all white people,
I can only say that I feel in
my own heart the same kind
of feeling. I had a member of
my family killed, but he was
killed by a white man. But
we have to make an effort in
the United States, we have to
make an effort to understand,
to go beyond these rather
difficult times,” Kennedy
said.
The senator urged
Americans to take up King’s
efforts, pray for King’s family
and the nation, and join in
solidarity those longing for
peace.
“The vast majority of white
people and the vast majority
of black people in this country
want to live together, want to
improve the quality of our
life, and want justice for all
human beings who abide in
our land,” he added.
“I shall ask you tonight to
return home, to say a prayer
for the family of Martin
Luther King, that’s true, but
more importantly to say a
prayer for our own country,
which all of us love—a prayer
for understanding and that
compassion of which I spoke.”
(CNA/EWTN News)
ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia—
When Francisco Javier
Olivera was born, his mother
offered him to the Virgin
Mary, praying that he would
become a missionary in Asia.
Olivera’s mother told him
about the consecration after
he was ordained a priest
in Japan 22 years ago.
Since then, he has served
as a missionary, not only
in Japan, but in China and
Mongolia as well.
Fr. Olivera was born in
Salamanca, Spain, 47
years ago. He is a diocesan
priest working with the
Neocatechumenal Way and
has been a missionary for 28
years.
In an interview with
Religión En Libertad,
Olivera said his priestly and
missionary vocation grew
“little by little,” influenced by
a series of missionaries and
catechists who stayed at his
family’s house.
He also believes that his
mother’s prayers made a
difference.
“She offered me to Our
Lady to be a missionary in
Asia. I didn’t know that,
she told me in Takamatsu,
[Japan] when the celebration
of my ordination was over,”
the priest said.
The priest said that Japan
has been his toughest
assignment, because there
“you felt more loneliness,
even being in a parish,” while
China impressed him very
much since “the people have
a lot of curiosity and if there
were freedom it would be
amazing.”
After four years of living
Fr. Francisco Javier Olivera, missionary
priest in Mongolia.
every respect, many young
people are being drawn to
the Church…We already
have the first Mongolian
priest ordained two years ago
and now we have a deacon,”
Olivera explained.
Olivera works with a
team of lay missionaries
and families in the
Neocatechumenal Way.
He celebrates Mass each
day, studies Mongolian,
and teaches Japanese at
a company where he tries
to “take advantage of the
occasion to talk about God,
especially through songs.”
He also teaches biblical
catechesis at the local
parish.
Conversions are not
frequent, he said, but he has
seen people “drawing close
to the Church, especially
through all the various
social works being carried
out – assistance to the

China’s crackdown on Christians continues in Mongolia, he said he impoverished elderly, poor

BEIJING, China— A campaign by
the Chinese government to ‘Sinicize’
religion is ongoing, with detention and
indoctrination of Muslims in the far
west of the country, and the closing of
underground churches to the east.
In early December, Wang Yi and more
than 100 members of his congregation
were detained in Sichuan province.
Some were released the next day, but
then put under house arrest.
The Observer, a sister paper to
The Guardian, reported Jan. 13 that
Wang’s ecclesial community, Early
Rain Covenant Church, has now been
closed, and that Wang and his wife
remain in detention,charged with
inciting subversion. Some members
of the community are in hiding, some
have been effectively exiled from the
still finds the assignment and abandoned children.”
“quite difficult because of “Without a doubt, the love
Sichuanese capital, and others are under Religious freedom is officially the language, the cold, the the missionaries are showing
surveillance. guaranteed by the Chinese constitution, pollution, the culture, and is gradually attracting the
The building rented by Early Rain but religious groups must register with especially because of all the [locals].”
Covenant Church has new tenants, and the government, and are overseen by legal impediments we have, As an example, the priest
police turn away those looking for the the Chinese Communist Party. The which are many.” recalled a young man who
church. Sinizication of religion has been pushed The Catholic Church “was searching for God
According to The Observer, another by President Xi Jinping, who took power arrived in Mongolia in 1992, in beauty.” One day, the
church was put under investigation in 2013 and who has strengthened when three missionaries man entered the Catholic
in the Sichuanese capital last week, a government oversight of religious of the Immaculate Heart cathedral, where he saw
Sunday school was raided in Guangzhou activities. of Mary were sent to the a group of elderly women
in December, and a 1,500-member The Church in mainland China country following the arrival praying. Moved by the beauty
church in Beijing has been “banned … has been divided for some 60 years of democracy and safeguards of the scene, the young man
after its pastor refused to install CCTV.” between the underground Church, for religious liberty in the decided to be baptized.
Part of the plan to Sinicize which is persecuted and whose episcopal country’s constitution. “Some people think that this
Christianity, The Observer reported, appointments are frequently not Later, other congregations life is crazy, but I desire it for
is “thought reform”: “The plan calls for acknowledged by Chinese authorities, of priests and religious myself,” Olivera told Religión
‘retranslating and annotating’ the Bible, and the Chinese Patriotic Catholic arrived, as well as lay en Libertad. “If it’s getting a bit
to find commonalities with socialism Association, a government-sanctioned missionaries. Today, there crazier, better yet, the more we
and establish a ‘correct understanding’ organization. are just over 1,200 Catholics. see that it is God who is behind
of the text.” Crackdown / A6 “The parishes are young in it.” (ACI Prensa)
A4 OPINION January 21 - February 3, 2019, Vol 23, No. 02 CBCP Monitor

EDITORIAL

Check and balance of power

POWER is addictive. As is true of every addiction, one is never
satisfied. One craves for more and more of it. This is also
true of power. Hence it needs to be controlled. Furthermore,
every addiction brings corruption. Thus power corrupts, and
unrestrained power brings unrestrained corruption!
We have experienced this first hand some 46 years ago
with the declaration of Martial Law. During its reign from
1972 to 1986, thousands have been killed, many more
thousands have been tortured, and the country has been
looted. Even the aftermath of martial law crippled us as a
people—with huge debts to pay, with great injustices done
by entrenched feudalism which it promoted, and with our
economy and natural environment in ruins. So we repeated,
and continuously repeat: Never Again!
Even if power is addictive and corruptive, we cannot have
governance without power. Hence systems have to be in place
to control power. Democratic governments remain healthy
when the proper checks and balances to power function. The
legislative makes laws, the executive meticulously implements
the laws, and the judiciary sees to it that the laws are just

ILLUSTRATION BY BLADIMER USI

according to the Constitution of the land and the interpretation
and implementation of the laws are done properly.
The people too exercise its role in the check and balance of
power by following up the performances of those in public
office and make them accountable especially during elections.
The mass media truthfully informs the public of what is being
done by government and also serves as the voice of the people
to call the attention of officials when abuses creep in.
The Human Rights Commission has been set up to Prayer for the leader Panaghoy
safeguard the rights of the citizens, especially of the poor and
the marginalized, from abuses of those who hold power. The Bp. Broderick Pabillo
Commission on Audit sees that the financial transactions of
the government are above board. Those in the opposition
have also an important role to play in the check and balance
system. They carefully watch the steps of the ruling power so THERE are so many things that are not Furthermore, we have all the more is also to be accompanied by righteous
that they may not overstep their functions. going well in the country--what with reason to pray when we feel that we lives. The St. James wrote: “The
These checks and balances are necessary for the proper the many unresolved killings, with the are being persecuted. The Lord Jesus fervent prayer of a righteous person is
functioning of a democratic system, but they are cumbersome unabated drug problem in spite of the is clear on this: “You have heard that it very powerful.” (Jam 5:16) And still in
to those with dictatorial tendencies. They cannot do what they drug war (or may be precisely because was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor another text we are told: “For the eyes
want. They have to be constantly vigilant, for even if they are of the drug war), with many more people and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, of the Lord are on the righteous and
in power there are always others who are watching them and suffering under the yoke of poverty, love your enemies, and pray for those his ears turned to their prayer, but the
who have the power to call them into account. with the growing encroachment of the who persecute you.” (Mt 5:43-44) A face of the Lord is against evildoers.”
Thus those with dictatorial intentions try to bring down Chinese! Added to these we have the concrete way to love our enemies is to (1 Pet 3:12)
the checks and balances of a properly functioning democratic unnecessary and unprovoked ranting pray for them. So instead of just lamenting our times
government. They muzzle the press by buying them out or by of the President against the Catholic Let us not belittle the power of and allowing our anger or our sense of
frightening them. Not only do they threaten the media but Church and her teachings. Many people prayer. Jesus assures us: “I tell you, helplessness to take the upper hand.
even kill media practitioners. They silence the opposition by ask in exasperation: What can we do? all that you ask for in prayer, believe let us pray. Prayer calms us down and
buying them out with political favors or by accusing them What should we do? that you will receive it and it shall be invokes the highest power to act. Let us
with trumped up cases. They put them to jail, send them out Among the many things that we can do yours.” (Mk 11:24) Nothing will be believe in HIM and let us also believe in
of the country, or just have them killed. and should do, as believers we do what impossible when we pray with faith. what we pray for. And as we pray, let us
The people are deceived by propaganda and fake news. Those we are supposed to be good at: PRAY! Let us take the word of Jesus for this: strive to live justly and not allow anger
in authority who do not go with them are vilified by name calling Pope Francis said: “What is the best “Amen, I say to you, if you have faith to boil over.
and false accusations to destroy their credibility. Those who are that we can offer to those who govern? and do not waver, not only will you do I myself pray for the president and
in government positions who do not tow the line are thrown out Prayer! That’s what Paul says: ‘Pray what has been done to the fig tree, but sincerely do. I do not stop to point out
of office by all means. Laws, and even tendentious interpretations for all people, and for the king and for even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be the unjust and false things that he does
of the laws, are being used to bring down or take away from office all in authority.’ A Christian who does lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it and utter, but I do pray for him. My
who dare to oppose. Don’t we see these happening in our days? not pray for those who govern is not a will be done. Whatever you ask for in prayer for him is: LORD, CHANGE
Yes -in other countries, even in so-called bastions of democracy, good Christian!” In the Bible there are prayer with faith, you will receive.” HIM! Can you join with me in this
and even in our very own country. several psalms that pray for the king. (Mt 21:21-22) True prayer, however, prayer?
Do we just sit by and let these things happen? No! We
need to change the narrative that is being presented to the
people. Opposition in a democracy is not destabilization. Mass distractions
Strong opposition is need to avert the abuse of power. Healthy
democracy needs checks and balances.
And That’s The Truth
A good democratic leader is not one who can do what he Teresa R. Tunay, OCDS
wants. He is a good and strong democratic leader when is able
to lead the people together, including the opposition, to what
is proper for the common good of the citizens, which is not
easy to know and to do. This needs a lot of tack, listening and CALL it idiosyncratic but Chatting seatmates are man…” And then I noticed take the boy away. Clearly
patient collaborative work. A person who is impulsive cannot for me, the best pew during Number One Distraction on they were both girls! Gasp! it wasn’t only me who was
do this. A dictatorial, physically and emotionally weak person Mass is the first one, up my list. Sometimes, even That’s when I got distracted. getting distracted. Then the
cannot do this. Dictatorship is a sign of weakness, and not front. Because I easily get during Consecration. I am Parents who let their little rascal caught my eye; on
strength, so one which such tendency cannot stand checks distracted. But only during tempted to shush them but I toddlers run around the instinct I motioned for him
and balances in his governance. Mass. Normally I have no don’t; I only wish somebody— church during Mass are the to sit down beside me—and
(Guest editorial by Bishop Broderick Pabillo) problem focusing. I have the Commentator for cause of another distraction. he did! Like a submissive
written articles nonstop in example—would give Children are children but lamb, he came down from
Purifying our popular piety the middle of a cockfight, reminders before the Mass, parents should know better. the sanctuary and sat beside
while on a crowded bus, at about the sacredness of Years ago, a boy about three me! And stayed there quietly
THIS, of course, will be a continuing, endless task. We first a disco, etc. And of course, what is about to take place. was really messing up the until Mass ended. I found
of all should be most thankful that in spite of the many in the newsroom, in “those Related to chatting is lovey- liturgy, not just running that strange but soon forgot
secularizing factors affecting the world today in general, we days” when I wrote editorials doveying. I once sat two pews up and down the aisle but about him. Mass ended,
in our country still manage to have a very moving popular while deskmen banged behind a couple who chatted, also going up the sanctuary, he stood up and joined his
piety or the showing of our faith, devotion and religion in a typewriter carriages as beat held hands and physically under the altar, behind the companions on the way out.
collective and public way. reporters phoning in the stuck to each other (like priest’s chair, as though he Then a middle aged lady came
But we should not forget that while we are most happy that news caused telephones to twin popsicles), obviously was playing hide and seek in up to scold me, “Kayo pala
we still have a vibrant spirit of popular piety, we should also ring incessantly. I could even oblivious to what was going a park. For a while I didn’t kasama, bakit pinatagal nyo
feel the need to continually purify that piety from elements chuckle at the men’s room on. I simply sighed with mind, hoping the parents or pa bago nyo sinaway?” (So
that actually undermine it even if they look like they are jokes the editors around me tolerance and rephrased a the yaya would stop him, but you’re with him—what took
reinforcing it. We cannot deny that popular piety is very would exchange—without song in my head “O pag- it went on and on until the you so long to stop him?) I
vulnerable to all kinds of superstitious beliefs and practices breaking my stream of ibig na makapangyarihan, priest was visibly annoyed said “I’m not his companion;
that can have the appearance of faith, devotion and religion, consciousness. pag pumasok sa puso nino that no elder was coming to And That’s the Truth / A6
but actually do not lead us to God but rather to our own sense
of self-fulfillment.
Not that with God and the authentic practice of piety and Let’s play with the Candidly Speaking
religion we would not have this sense of self-fulfillment.
Editorial / A6 Sto. Niño Fr. Roy Cimagala

Monitor
CBCP
THAT’S right! Let’s play with the Child him just because of the sacrifices that and human foundation. If the natural
Jesus. In fact, we can dance with and for will be involved. And sacrifices there and human foundation is weak, we
him, just like what we do when we are will always be! cannot go far, especially when we get to
PROTAGONIST OF TRUTH, PROMOTER OF PEACE with a little child. We can make faces and We have to remember that Christian grapple with the mysterious aspects of
do many other cutesy things so that he life, which is eminently spiritual and Christian life that are marked by
Pedro Quitorio and us will smile and have a good time. supernatural, does not suppress the suffering and sacrifices.
Editor-in-Chief This usually just comes out naturally natural and human level of our life. Not Our brand of popular piety is
and spontaneously. only that. Christian life cannot prosper, something that we can show and teach
Nirva’ana E. Delacruz Ron Ramos, Sky Ortigas This is important because, like in it cannot go far, when the natural and the whole world. At the moment, we
Associate Editor Design Artists any relation we have with a child, we human level of our life is denied or is can observe something like a spiritual
seal a very basic attachment to Christ not respected. drought in many parts of the world,
Roy Lagarde Mercedita Juanite who is our redeemer, the re-maker In fact, Christian life needs a healthy especially the so-called developed
News Editor Circulation Manager
of our damaged humanity. A natural natural and human level of our life, even countries where churches are empty
Christine Paguirigan Marcelita Dominguez bonding, complete with its emotional as it enriches that level. The natural and if not closed down, and hardly any
Managing Editor Comptroller and sentimental aspects, is established. the human serve as the foundation of the expression of popular piety can be
In that way too, as the child grows we spiritual and the supernatural in our life. observed. We cannot deny that there is a
The CBCP Monitor is published fortnightly by the
CBCP - Media Office with editorial and business offices
can continue to be with him at all times, And so we are quite lucky in our serious problem of secularization around
at 3rd Floor, CBCP Compound, 470 General Luna both good and bad. If we have this strong country, because our piety in general the world, where God is systematically
Street, Intramuros, Manila. Email Address: cbcpmonitor@ bonding with Christ, we would be more usually starts with this natural and ignored, if not opposed.
areopaguscommunications.com, Business: (632) 404 - 1612.
ISSN 1908-2940. ready to accept the more demanding human level. It is not purely intellectual We can do something about this
aspects of Christian life. We cannot leave and spiritual, unsupported by a natural Candidly Speaking / A7
CBCP Monitor January 21 - February 3, 2019, Vol 23, No. 02 OPINION A5

In the face of a hostile

By the Roadside Spaces of Hope
Fr. Eutiquio ‘Euly’ Belizar, Jr. SThD
leader (and/or consenting- Fr. Carmelo O. Diola
fellow believers)
“Persecution is wrong not because it to human intelligence. If those words or whether they clearly appreciate what
is cruel, but cruel because it is wrong.”
—Whately
came out of an ordinary citizen speaking
publicly, he would have scarcely escaped
they believe in and are ready to defend
their faith in the face of the current
‘Abtanan sa Kaluoy’
a public backlash or a litigation, to say attacks against it. On the other hand, to ONE of the plenary group sharings that touched many
TO be sure, the relationship has never the least. But in the Philippines those expect Filipino Catholics to defend their hearts during the 51st International Eucharistic Congress
been, as the millennials put it, “a bro- words are often met with laughter, faith also entails that they have been (IEC) held in Cebu in January 2016 was by Ms. Ma. Georgia
mance”. In fact, it has been hardly always prompting the spokesman adequately prepared to do so, something “Maggi” Cogtas. The former street child had asked: “There
friendly. From the day the Philippine to declare them as “mere jokes” or Church leaders might not be able to are lot of street children living outside our parish churches.
Catholic Church protested the drug-war- “hyperbole”, reactions that have become assure. Consequently to ask whether or Can we can turn our parishes into child-friendly parishes
related killings,—many of which have by now so predictable that one could not Filipinos Catholics’ awkward silence with walk-in facilities where they could possibly take a bath,
remained unsolved to this day—priests, anticipate them at the evening news. and the seeming public indifference to eat, and study? Our churches are the closest place that they
bishops, Catholics in general have been Yes, laughter and even the clapping the attacks amount to a consent to the could see God, but they can also be the closest place where
at the receiving end of verbal attacks of hands are often observed after the persecution of their own Church could they can see their dreams.” Many were in tears.
from the country’s leader, the likes of leader’s tirades against the Church. lead to other questions, like: Do they not It seems our merciful Lord has heard her cry. On Jan.
which have never been known or heard As if to add salt to injury, those words constitute a big statement on the real 29, 2019, three years after the 51st IEC, a four-storey
before. “The Catholic Church is the most were most recently seemingly ratified status of their faith formation, or the building at the back of the compound of St. Joseph the
hypocritical institution...” “Your God is by an 81 percent approval rating lack of it? Or do they not show the depth Patriarch Parish in Mabolo, Cebu City shall be inaugurated
stupid, unlike my God”. “There’s only from the obviously mostly Catholic of their fear of what their government by Archbishop Jose S. Palma, D.D. of Cebu together with
one God. You cannot divide God into public. Inevitably one has to ask: Are leader can do if they do not go his way? Bishop Carlo Bresciani D.D. of San Benedetto del Tronto-
three, that’s silly.” “You don’t have to Filipino Catholics so mistrustful of It is good that several bishops did not Ripatransone-Montalto. “Abtanan sa Kaluoy” (roughly
go to church to pay for these idiots”. their Church leaders that they have let, and will not let, the chief executive’s “Oasis of Mercy”) or ASK is an activity center for street
“Pero itong mga obispo ninyo, patayin become indifferent to, if not approving very serious attacks go unanswered. But children. The construction of the building is funded by the
ninyo, walang silbi yang mga gagong of, them being pilloried verbally and we the Church must first be clear as to Italian Bishops’ Conference. Its operational expenses will
yan (But these bishops of yours, kill their faith attacked? Have so many what we wish to achieve by any response come from local sources and the local church of Cebu. It is
them, those fools are useless). All they Filipino Catholics who support their being contemplated and made public. a legacy of the 51st IEC.
do is criticize.” “Kayong mga tambay leader hook, line and sinker, in effect, Are those objectives aimed at defending The activity center shall cater to the street children in the
d’yan, pag dumaan yang obispo ninyo, also become willing consenters to their the faith or merely at expressing an barangays belonging to the parish. At full thrust, at least 300
huldapa ‘yan maraming pera ‘yan p***** Church’s and their faith’s persecution? emotional tit-for-tat? As to the latter, children shall be fed daily. Archbishop Jose S. Palma also
i** n’ya (You loiterers there, if your It is, in fact, difficult not to come to no one should ignore the fact that the envisions it to be the archdiocesan hub that shall activate
bishop passes that way, rob him, the this observation when considering the chief executive has shown himself to be a and coordinate outreach to street children in parishes. A
S*********** has plenty of money).” realities at work between the current master counter puncher in that he easily parish template already exists from the San Roque Parish
[Laughter.] leader of government and the Church, returns criticisms hurled his way with in Mambaling, Cebu City where the children are fed daily,
That the presidential spokesman often including the Christian faith she stands worse criticisms or actions against his bathed, and receive catechism, among others. The effort
defends these words, indefensible as for. Though they still go to Church critics. He has a huge and deep arsenal is also SEC-registered to ensure sustainability even when
they are, as “mere hyperbole” uttered especially during popular feasts of the of anger and mud on the Church and priests are rotated.
“for dramatic effect” and to stress the Poong Nazareno (Black Nazarene) and her leaders that he keeps digging up to Another inspiration is Barangay Sunbangdaku in
“abuse he suffered at the hands of a the Santo Nino (the Child Jesus), it is the delight or approval of his minions. Mandaue City. Their effort began in the first quarter of
Catholic priest” not only is an untruthful not easy to tell how evangelized the We should not aim to counter anger 2015, a year before the IEC. Children gather every Sunday
denial of reality but also is an insult faith behind Filipinos’ lavish devotions By the Roadside / A7
morning for a series of activities, including haircuts, lunch,
and values formation. During weekdays, a team cooks lunch
CBCP in session for about 30 children who have gone back to school and the
Duc in Altum packed meals are delivered to the school. This ensures that
children do not just go back to school but stay there. One
Atty. Aurora A. Santiago of the children, named Daniel Cabrera, even unwittingly
found himself in the social media spotlight. His picture
was taken as he studied under a street lamp. His mother,
Cristina, and his siblings now live in a house provided for
THE Catholic Bishops’ officers are: President Most the Senate will be enlightened Internationalis ensured them by the SVDs of Cebu’s Justice, Peace, Integrity of
Conference of the Philippines Rev. Archbishop Romulo by the Holy Spirit and reject availability of funds and Creation (JPIC) office.
(“CBCP”), the official Valles of Davao, Vice that proposed Constitution. experts in the fields of Still another source of inspiration is Dilaab Foundation,
organization of the Catholic President Most Rev. Bishop In this very trying time in the recovery and rehabilitation, Inc., a group that has been reaching out to street children since
hierarchy in the Philippines, Pablo Virgilio David of Catholic Church history, we thus, they accomplished the 2001. This faith-impelled non-profit organization provides
has as its members the Kalookan, Treasurer Most need to defend, encourage most massive, largest-funded pastoral accompaniment to children from two barangays.
archbishops, bishops, Rev. Archbishop John Due of and inspire our shepherds and most comprehensive The point persons in the work are college students provided
auxiliary bishops, coadjutor, Palo and Secretary-General when they themselves are the humanitarian response. The with scholarships and who pay it forward by providing a
and all titular bishops who Rev. Fr. Marvin Mejia. persecuted in our country. member organizations of ministry of presence to these children. The outreach had a
exercise for the entire nation a The Plenary Assembly elects *** Caritas Internationalis—from defining moment in 2011 when it assumed responsibility of
special office assigned to them the members of the Permanent It is about time that the Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, a group of children, who had been accompanied by a police
by the Apostolic See or by the Council, the Chairmen of the Philippine Catholic Church Germany, Austria, Cordaid, office through daily runs, meals, and prayers.
CBCP itself. Episcopal Commissions and makes public what it has Development and Peace and ***
The CBCP promotes the heads of the agencies been doing. Rev. Fr. Edwin Catholic Relief Services— There are three types of street children: those that actually
solidarity in the Philippine attached to the Conference. Gariguez, Caritas Philippines’ collaborated in reaching 1.4 live and sleep in the streets because they do not have their
Church; to actively engage The Plenary Assembly meets Executive Secretary, million Filipinos. The 30,000 own domicile; those who have a place to return to but prefer
the Philippine Church in in regular session twice a year: announced that it builds homes built does not include to live and sleep in the streets since, for a variety of reasons,
the thrusts of the universal in January and in July. When more than 30,000 houses in yet the shelter projects of they do not consider their domicile as homes; lastly, there
Church; to assume the the Plenary Assembly is not different provinces destroyed many religious and church- are those who spend most of their time on the streets but
responsibilities as evangelizer in session, the Permanent by Typhoon Yolanda - Leyte, based groups go home to sleep. The common denominator is that these
to all the people, and in Council acts for and in behalf Eastern Samar, Palawan, *** children call the streets, which offer economic opportunities
particular to civil authority, of CBCP. Cebu, Iloilo, Aklan, Capiz, January 23 is the Feast of and a sense of family, their home.
and to foster relations with This week, the CBCP will Antique and other areas our Patron San Ildefonso in Abtanan sa Kaluoy shall provide services to all types of
other Episcopal Conferences. hold their Plenary Assembly devastated by the super Navotas City. The main theme street children, regardless of religion and denomination,
The members of the where they discuss important typhoon. According to of our parish celebration is although they will not live there. Based on experience,
CBCP, gathered as a body, matters affecting the Mother Caritas Philippines, the 3-year “Tata Fonso: Mapalad at immediately forcing these children to live in a confined
constituted as the Plenary Church and the current issues rehabilitation program of the Banal na Lingkod ni Kristo.” space goes against their mindset and sub-culture, and can be
Assembly, which is the highest in the country. We await the Catholic Church “focused (Uncle Fonso: Blessed and counterproductive. Their impulse to roam is stronger than
decision-making body. It is in pastoral exhortations of our on shelter, livelihood, water, Holy Servant of Christ). In the their instinct to stay. Any grounded outreach begins with
the Plenary Assembly when shepherds which affect our sanitation and health, Year of the Youth, the theme this reality in order to begin a gradual and developmental
officers of the Conference are daily lives, foremost of which community organizing, of the daily Novena Masses journey of restoration for such children.
directly voted by the members is the most controversial community-managed is the Beatitudes, as retold, Based on the experiences of San Roque parish, Barangay
- President, Vice-President, proposed Constitution already risk reduction, ecosystem analyzed and dissected during Subangdaku, and Dilaab, such a journey is possible. There
Secretary General and approved by the Lower House. recovery and institutional the homily by the invited Mass are many stories of transforming lives and of children going
Treasurer. The incumbent We need to pray harder so that capacity building.” Caritas Duc in Altum / A7 through the public school system even if they do not live in
the parish, barangay, or a non-profit organization. What

Whisper from the Desert
Fr. Amado L. Picardal, CSsR, STD
FOR over a month, we have once again
witnessed an apparent display of faith
which has led many, including Pope
Francis, to conclude that the Philippines
is a great Catholic Nation.
For nine days leading to Christmas,
the churches were overflowing with the
faithful for the Misa de Gallo or Simbang
Gabi. A couple of weeks later, millions
of devotees attended the procession of
the statue of Jesus Nazareno—black
Nazarene—which lasted for over 20
hours. On the third Sunday of January,
millions again attended the procession
of the child Jesus—the Sto. Nino—in
Cebu and other parts of the country.
We should not forget that around this
time four years ago, an estimated seven
million faithful attended the Mass
presided by Pope Francis in Luneta—a
world record that remains unsurpassed.
We are also impressed by the devotion
to the Blessed Virgin Mary—especially
to the Mother of Perpetual Help whose
novena is held every Wednesday in
Baclaran and in most of the churches
all over the country.
A great Catholic nation?
Is the Philippines really a great universities) yet many are complicit to
Catholic nation? What is the quality of the corruption, injustices, violence and
the faith of the Filipino Catholics? criminality that continue to spread like
Let us remember that the Catholic cancer in our society.
majority—including many priests and So, what kind of faith do majority
religious—voted into office and continue of Filipinos really have that gives an
to support a president who cursed impression that we are a Catholic nation?
the pope, who is trying to destroy the The kind faith that is most prevalent is the
Church, who calls God stupid, who faith that is expressed in participation in
regards the doctrine of the Trinity and the liturgy, in novenas, in processions, in
the crucified Christ silly, who tells his devotions to the saints, in fiestas. This is
audience not to go to church and build associated with popular religiosity which
their own chapel, who encourages is often seasonal and occasional – it comes
them to rob and kill bishops, who is out during the advent and Christmas
disrespectful of women, and who is season, the Lenten and Easter season, and
waging a war on drugs and on “enemies the feasts of the patron saints. This is an
of the state” which has resulted in over important manifestation of faith - the faith
30,000 extrajudicial killings. This is that is celebrated and that expresses a
the same Catholic majority who elected deep trust in the Triune God, in Mary and
senators and representatives who are the saints who can intervene miraculously
crafting laws that lower the age of and make their lives better. This is the
criminal liability to nine years old and kind faith that enables them to believe and
wants to bring back the death penalty. hope that God will never abandon them.
Majority of our politicians, government In its extreme, this is the kind of faith that
bureaucrats, police officers and military makes them passively wait for miracles
personnel are Catholics (many of them to happen. But this can be a one-sided
are products of Catholic schools and Whisper from the Desert / A7
is crucial are pastoral companions who provide presence,
empathy, a listening ear, guidance, direction, mentoring,
encouragement, tutorials, monitoring, and other services.
The “manangs” or “ates” should, in turn, be supported if
they are to be effective pastoral companions to the children.
ASK taps the UBAS (Ugnayan ng Barangay at Simbahan)
program of DILG which brings together servant-leaders
at the grassroots level for good governance and effective
delivery of services. These are the barangay chairman, the
parish priest, and the chief of police. The barangay brings
the children to the center and chaperons them as they move
to receive various services. While the barangay provides
the initial profile, ASK builds on this profile through its
documentation team. The latter facilitates the obtaining
of certificates of live birth for those who do not have them.
The ground floor of ASK offers children a bath; new or
newly-washed clothes; basic hygiene, medical, and dental
assistance; food; etc. An Isuzu Elf, the “Sakyanan sa Kaluoy,”
whose made-to-order body provides showers and meals to
children, shall connect with parishes and barangays to bring
such services to children roaming the streets.
The center office is found on the second floor which shall also
offer sessions in arts and crafts. ALS or Alternative Learning
System will be offered on the third floor. This arrangement is
inspired by the Sept 19, 2018 meeting between Pope Francis
and Bono of the Irish band U2. An article from the Catholic
News Service notes that “Bono was talking about teaching
children how to read and write and ‘get to advanced math
and art later.’ And he (Pope Francis) was like, ‘Start with art.
And start with the creative life and you’ll get a better result.’”
A key space in ASK is the “Listening Room” where staff
and the poor shall discern together about other programs
to initiate and develop. This is so to realize the vision of
“each parish, community, association, and movement, an
oasis of mercy for children in the peripheries.” Pit Senyor!
A6 LOCAL NEWS
Church cannot turn a deaf ear
to Duterte’s tirades — bishop
A CATHOLIC bishop said
he cannot turn a deaf ear to
President Rodrigo Duterte’s
attacks on the Church any
longer.
Bishop Ruperto Santos of
Balanga said Catholicism is
“under attack” and it’s time
for the church to stand its
ground.
“Enough is enough,” said
Santos, who earlier described
Duterte’s presidency as
“disappointment and
disgrace” over the spate of
killings in the country.
As head of the church’s
migrants ministry, the
prelate is among the vocal
supporters of the Duterte
government’s programs for
the welfare of the overseas
Filipino workers.
However, he asserted that
the church is in a stance
where it has to defend its
faith and beliefs.
Heartless / A1
the minimum age of criminal
responsibility (MACR) to 12.
The lawmakers made the
last minute change following
backlash from experts and
child rights advocates.
The same measure was also
filed in the Senate in support
of Duterte’s campaign to curb
criminality in the country.
However, Senate President
Vicento Sotto III’s bill seeks
to lower the age of criminality
to 13 “to adapt to changing
times”.
David said that if the bill
becomes a law, “this Congress
should be remembered in
Philippine history as the
most naive, heartless, and
unchristian Congress we have
ever had”.
The Catholic Bishops’
Bangsamoro / A1
us to make an informed and
responsible choice, and vote
on the merits of the BOL and
not on the basis of bias and
prejudice.”
 Marbel.
They also offered to help
in quality education and in
creating a more inclusive
history of Mindanao.
Other members of
the MCCLP are retired
Archbishop Fernando
Capalla and Auxiliary
Bishop George Rimando
Editorial / A4
In fact, with God and the
authentic practice of piety
and religion we would have
a deep and abiding sense
of self-fulfillment. But it is
a self-fulfillment that does
not confine us to our own
selves alone. It is one that will
truly bring us to God and to
everybody else, irrespective of
our differences and conflicts.
It is a self-fulfillment that fills
us with the awareness that
we are truly getting closer
to God, following his will
more faithfully and lovingly,
and also getting closer to
everybody else.
We just have to realize that
our spirit of popular piety
is not a product of what is
called as the ‘herd mentality,’
where like animals we would
just blindly follow where the
tide goes, where the public
trends and atmosphere
suggest. We need to put all
our mind and heart into our
piety and practice of religion,
and not just be dragged by
the unreliable impulses of
our human instincts and
emotions that are not yet
inspired by true faith, hope
and charity.
In this regard, we should
always feel the need to rectify
our intentions, because it is
very easy for us now to fall into
self-deception and hypocrisy.
Christ told us, for example,
that we “be careful not to
practice your righteousness
in front of others to be seen
by them. If you do, you will
have no reward from your
Father in heaven.” (Mt 6,1)
Then he continued, “And
when you pray, do not be
“We believers, must not
sit passively in one corner
and let the tirades go on. We
have voiced our opinions,”
said Santos.
“We must now continue
to take the high road and
understand that a person
who lashes out in anger need
our love the most,” he added.
Santos was responding
to Malacañang’s call for
the church not to fire back
despite Duterte’s non-stop
tirades against them.
Presidential spokesperson
Salvador Panelo said the
church must heed Christ’s
teachings against revenge
and retaliation.
But Santos stressed that
being a true believer “does
not mean we will turn a
deaf ear to the verbal abuses
hurled against the Catholic
church and its clergies”.
(CBCPNews)
Conference of the Philippines
(CBCP) has earlier expressed
their opposition to the
proposal.
Instead of lowering the
age of criminal liability, the
bishops said that “stiffer
penalties” should be imposed
for those who exploit children
in the perpetration of crime.
“The sins and failings of the
young and immature should
not mar the possibilities of
one’s future or stand forever
in the name of an honorable
and noble reputation that
can, in later years, be very
well built,” the CBCP said in
a statement issued in 2017.
Duterte has long been
pushing for lowering of
the criminal age, which is
currently pegged at 15.
Davao, Bishops Jose
Cabantan of Malaybalay,
Guillermo Afable of Digos
and Cerilo Casicas of
Bishops Abel Apigo of
Mati, Emmanuel Cabajar
of Pagadian, Julius Tonel
of Ipil, Severo Caermare of
Dipolog, Antonieto Cabajog
of Surigao and Raul Dael
of Tandag also signed the
statement. (Roy Lagarde
/ CBCPNews)
like the hypocrites, for they
love to pray standing in the
synagogues and on the street
corners to be seen by others…
But when you pray, go into
your room close the door
and pray to your Father…”
(Mt 6,5,6)
It is not that we cannot
pray collectively and in
public. We can and, in fact,
we should, because that is
simply an expression of our
social nature. And our piety
and practice of religion can
also have this collective and
public character because
of our social nature. But
we should see to it that our
intentions are pure. That is,
that we are truly talking and
adoring God, and not just
making a show. And that our
relationship with everybody
else becomes tighter and
more meaningful and goes
along the ways of true charity.
Toward this end, we need
to examine ourselves to see
if indeed our participation
in the acts of popular piety is
authentically motivated by
faith and love for God and
others. From there, let us
help one another develop a
true spirit of popular piety,
doing a lot of catechesis
and, of course, giving good
example of how this popular
piety ought to be lived.
We need a lot of role models
in this department of our life.
Let’s take advantage of what
we already have in terms of
popular piety and develop it
further, pushing it to a higher
level, and not allowing it to
deteriorate into a pagan,
orgiastic celebration!
January 21 - February 3, 2019, Vol 23, No. 02 CBCP Monitor
Manila bishop rallies faithful
to defend Catholic faith
ON the feast of the child
Jesus, a Catholic bishop has
rallied the faithful not only
to deepen their Christian
faith but to defend it like
how they would their
children.
In his homily at the
Archdiocesan Shrine of
Sto. Niño in Tondo, Manila
Auxiliary Bishop Broderick
Pabillo said the Catholic faith
is under attack and must be
protected.
“A child must be protected
from the evils. That is what
we should do also to our
faith, especially during this
Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo. FILE PHOTO
time when our Christian
beliefs are being opposed,” In his latest attack on the stressed. other people, especially the
Pabillo said on Jan. 20. priests and prelates, Duterte Pabillo, who chairs the needy.
As he continued his tirade even said that bishops are bishops’ Commission on the “Surely, we know many who
against the church which “useless fools” and should laity, also encouraged the do not go to church. Those
has opposed his bloody war be “killed”. faithful to deepen their faith in our own homes, in our
on drugs, President Duterte “Are these correct? That is by reading the Bible and communities, the children,
has called God “stupid” and against our faith. Again, let joining church activities. let us encourage them to go
labelled the Holy Trinity us protect our faith like how He also said that faith must to Christ,” said Pabillo. (Roy
“silly”. we would a child,” the bishop be put into action by helping Lagarde / CBCPNews)
Bishop urges prayer for Duterte
A CATHOLIC bishop has urged the Pabillo said. he himself has been praying for the
faithful to pray for President Rodrigo The prelate made the call a day after President.
Duterte despite his constant attack on urging Catholics to defend their faith from “I do not stop to point out the unjust
their faith and the church leadership. the attacks of Duterte who called God and false things that he does and utters,
Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick “stupid” and mocked the church doctrines. but I do pray for him. My prayer for him
Pabillo said that participating actively According to him, the people have all is: Lord, change him!” he added.
in politics also means praying for their the more reason to pray when they feel But true prayer, according to him, is
political leaders that they may serve the that they are being persecuted. also to be accompanied by “righteous
common good. “A concrete way to love our enemies lives”.
“Among the many things that we can is to pray for them,” he said. “As we pray, let us strive to live justly
and should do, as believers we do what A vocal critic of the Duterte’s bloody and not allow anger to boil over,” he
we are supposed to be good at: pray,” war on drugs, Pabillo admitted that said. (CBCPNews)
PACOM / A1
Congress on Mercy (PACOM) and to show our Catholic faith,” Held at the Filoil Flying Divine Mercy. It emanates
in San Juan City on Jan. 24, he said. “To them and for them V Center, the gathering from the triennial WACOM,
he stressed that “God cannot we think of mercy, we speak of featured religious activities, and from it comes the Asian
be mocked”. mercy and we do mercy.” testimonies, speeches and Apostolic Congress on Mercy
“Let us persevere with our The youth was the center musical performances. (AACOM).
faith. Let us be patient with of attention at the three-day More than 2,000 Introduced by the Vatican in
them. We resort to prayers PACOM, hosted this time by participants attended the 2008, the first ever WACOM
and remain polite,” said the Manila archdiocese. opening mass presided over in Rome coincided with the
Santos, who is also the World With the theme “Divine by Archbishop Gabriele third death anniversary of St.
Apostolic Congress on Mercy Mercy, in Communion with Caccia, Apostolic Nuncio to John Paul II. It was last held
(WACOM) Asia Episcopal the Young”, it was aimed to the Philippines. in the Philippines in 2017,
coordinator. promote and propagate the The PACOM is part of the which drew more than 6,000
“Yet let us be firm, faithful devotion of Divine Mercy to worldwide congresses to local and foreign delegates.
and even fearless to speak out the “young ones”. promote the devotion to the (CBCPNews)
Crackdown / A3
In December, two bishops of the between the Holy See and Beijing was to socialist society.” The official, Chen
underground Catholic Church agreed intended to normalize the situation Zongrong, added that “I believe there
to step aside in favor of bishops of the of China’s Catholics and unify the is no religion in human society that
CPCA, in the wake of a deal signed underground Church and the CPCA. The transcends nations.”
between the Holy See and the Chinese agreement has been roundly criticized Restrictions put in place in February
government. by human rights groups and some 2018 made it illegal for anyone under
And the month prior, four priests Church leaders, including Cardinal age 18 to enter a church building.
from the underground Church in Hebei Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, Bishop Emeritus Reports of the destruction or
province who refused to join the CPCA of Hong Kong. desecration of Catholic churches and
were taken into police custody for In 2017, Xi said that religions not shrines have come from across China,
indoctrination. sufficiently conformed to communist including the provinces of Hebei, Henan,
The US Commission on International ideals pose a threat to the country’s Guizhou, Shaanxi, and Shandong.
Religion wrote in its 2018 report that government, and therefore must become Muslims, too, have come under
last year China “advanced its so- more “Chinese-oriented.” Since he took pressure from the Chinese government.
called ‘sinicization’ of religion, a far- power, crosses have been removed from It is believed that as many as 1 million
reaching strategy to control, govern, an estimated 1,500 church buildings. Uyghurs, a Muslim ethnoreligious
and manipulate all aspects of faith into And a government official who group in China’s far west, are being
a socialist mold infused with ‘Chinese oversees religious affairs said in April held in extra-legal detention. Mosques
characteristics.’” Christians, Muslims, 2018 that government restrictions on in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region
Tibetan Buddhists, and Falun Gong bishop appointments are not a violation have had Islamic icons, Arabic signs,
practitioners have all been affected. of religious freedom, as he emphasized and domes removed. (CNA/EWTN
The September 2018 agreement that religions in China must “adapt News)
And That’s the Truth / A4
I don’t even know the boy…” church when Junior is having pambahay na puruntong behind us, about dialysis and
but she didn’t care to listen. a tantrum because nobody (loose shorts worn at home) hospitalization. I wouldn’t
Speaking of children at minds. and branded beach slippers. have minded except that
Mass. A certain chapel in Next distraction: Why, when even the cheapest his voice rose a few decibels
a big mall did us better— improperly clad Mass-goers. of nightclubs would ban higher as he said: “Eh ako
they have a glass-walled It’s unfortunate that despite such attire? See on their nga, kaya ako na-dialysis kasi
section for parents with reminders posted in many doors “Sandos and slippers birthday ko, me nagregalo ng
little children. The mall churches premises, some not allowed”? Would these dalawang lechon, ipinapaksiw
management appreciated the young women still go to Mass men be so dressed if they ko yung natira at siya kong
fact that parents want to start dressed like they’d rush to a were to meet Duterte in kinain araw-araw hanggang
early the church-going habit beach party after: shorts, Malacanang? maubos! Ang sarap eh!”
in their children, and these spaghetti straps, mini-mini Another distraction for (Me, I got into dialysis when
parents are just thankful skirts, off-shoulder blouses, me is jokes and small talk I got two lechons on my
that their restless toddlers plunging necklines, etc. A in the homily. No need birthday. I had the leftover
and fussy infants can be with lay minister I know can’t for explanation here. Its made into sour stew, which I
them during the entire Mass understand why God would disastrous effect on me is, at ate day after day until it was
without causing disturbance let him suffer seeing his the end of the homily, I don’t all finished.)
in the crowd. If we cannot teenaged granddaughters remember the gospel for the Is my intolerance for these
do that with all our churches, wearing sinfully short day. And I feel cheated. Mass distractions due to the
we can try what is done in dresses to Mass—and they I can also pray amidst all grumpiness accompanying
some parishes run by the won’t listen to his gentle noises and any activity with age? No, because I have
Salesians—they set a certain reminders. They’d snap, strangers. Mass seems the been like this even before I
hour for a “children’s Mass” “Lolo, yan ang uso ngayon!” only time I’d get derailed learned what the Eucharist
where lectors, commentators (Grandpa, that’s the fashion at the slightest nudge. But really means. But I am sure
and choir are all preteens or today!) Men, too, are guilty also, very recently, even that my growing tolerance
in their early teens. Parents of improper dressing. I have before the Mass, when I’m for offenders is indeed due
with very small children in a few times noticed in our trying to recollect myself. to advancing age. And I am
fact prefer to come to such beautiful, very tastefully The old man sitting next to eternally grateful—for both
Masses, because then they designed parish church, me (front pew) was chatting tolerance and age. And that’s
do not have to go out of the some men in sleeveless shirts, with the old woman sitting the truth.
CBCP Monitor January 21 - February 3, 2019, Vol 23, No. 02 DIOCESAN NEWS A7

'Death' rules in Philippine festival to honor Child Jesus

CEBU City— Dancers from
the city of Talisay in the
central Philippine province
of Cebu took a risk when they
decided to have death as the
theme for their dance in this
year’s Sinulog festival.
The week of festivities
highlighted by dancing and
dance contests, honors the
Santo Nino or Child Jesus
and attracts millions of
people from different parts
of the country.
The Sinulog is a dance
ritual of pagan origin. It dates
back to when natives danced
to honor their wooden idols.
When Portuguese explorer
Ferdinand Magellan landed on
Cebu on April 7, 1521, he gifted
the island’s queen a wooden
image of the Santo Nino after
she was baptized a Christian.
The queen supposedly
danced with joy while holding
the image, with her subjects
following her dance steps.
Local lore says it was
the queen’s dancing of the
Sinulog that turned a pagan
ritual into what it is today,
a dance to honor the Child
Jesus.
From then on, the Sinulog
evolved from being a simple
prayer to honor the Lord
to today’s grand festival
that culminates on the feast
of Santo Nino every third
Sunday of January.
During the festivities
Sinulog-inspired parades and
presentations are held all over
the province in preparation for
the grand competition during
the feast day itself.
For the past two year’s the
city of Talisay has won the
“provincial showdown,” giving
the city the chance to compete
with other dance groups from
across the country.
The dance presentations
always tell a story, mostly
starting with a village hit by
a disaster with slow music
playing in the background.
As the beat gets faster the
dancers leap in a frenzy as the
“queen” makes her entrance
with the image of the Child
Jesus.
The city of Talisay’s dance
presentation this year,
however, was something
different.
It started with a prayer for
the “eternal rest” of souls in
purgatory. When the lights
came on, dancers wearing
mourning clothes came out
Dancers perform during the ‘Sinulog’ competition in Cebu City, Jan. 20. ALREN JEROME BERONIO
behind a widow and her
children all dressed in black.
A coffin was then raised
with wreaths painted with “In
Loving Memory” on it.
Flipping the purple layers
of the dancers’ costumes
turned them into ash-covered
images standing in front of
tombs, supposedly depicting
souls in purgatory.
“Sinulog is a form of
prayer, thus it is also a
prayer for the souls of our
dearly departed,” explained
Edgar Mabunay who helped
who conceptualize the
presentation.
When the “queen” came
out with the image of the
Child Jesus, the backdrop
changed with the “souls’
paying homage and finding
refuge in the Holy Child.
It might be a coincidence,
but the city of Talisay is one
of the cities in the Philippines
affected by the government’s
total war against illegal drugs.
In 2018, at least 33 suspected
drug users and pushers were
killed in the city.
Speaking before a gathering
of town mayors in August,
President Rodrigo Duterte
warned people in Talisay that
“they will all slowly fall.”
Last year, Archbishop
Jose Palma of Cebu issued
an Oratio Imperata, or
Mandatory Prayer, to end
killings in Cebu.
Those behind Talisay’s
dance interpretation,
however, said it was not
inspired by the drug-related
killings.
They said it was meant to
pay tribute to an assistant
choreographer and mark his
first death anniversary.
For their non-traditional
interpretation of the Sinulog
the Talisay City contingent,
composed of 100 dancers,
50 musicians, and 800
props men, took home the
US$6,700 cash prize.
Prior to the competition,
Rodel Fronda, head of the
board of judges, said they
were looking forward to
seeing the “ritual veneration”
in the performances.
“It’s a dance offer for
Senor Santo Nino, so we
look forward to that,” he
said. (Victor Kintanar/
UCANews)

Sorsogon’s seminarians reach Kidapawan bishop calls for peace amid BOL vote
out to out-of-school youth KIDAPAWAN City—Bishop Colin
PAG-OROPOD, the official organization of major seminarians of the Diocese of Sorsogon
gave gifts to out to out-of-school youth in support of the Philippine bishops’ declaration
of 2019 as the “Year of the Youth,” Dec. 27, 2018. PAG-OROPOD
SORSOGON City— In
celebration of Jesus’ birth,
PAG-OROPOD, the official
organization of major
seminarians of the Diocese of
Sorsogon reached out to out-
of-school youth on Dec. 27,
in support of the Philippine
bishops’ declaration of 2019
as the “Year of the Youth.”
About 52 theology and
philosophy seminarians as
well as those in the pre-
diaconal program gave gifts
to several young people of
Seebreeze Homes, Brgy.
Cabid-an in this city.
“…this Christmas celebration
that we’re having today and for
the next day is not only for us,
seminarians; this gift-giving
activity only shows that in
this special occasion we’ve
come to share their presence
among us here. It’s also timely
… that joining with us here as
receivers of our simple gifts
are youth, especially as we
celebrate this year, the Year of
the Youth that they may be able
to feel that they are beloved,
gifted, and empowered,” said
PAG-OROPOD president Sem.
Faisal Rey Borja.
The seminarians also
prepared a short program and
entertained the special guests
with presentations and games.
‘Holy priests of Sorsogon’
Earlier in the day, Sorsogon
Duc in Altum / A5
Presiders led by Kalookan
Bishop Pablo Virgilio “Ambo”
David. The Fiesta Masses are
at 6:00a.m. with Fr. Jeronimo
Ma. J. Cruz, former Parish
Priest, as Mass Presider; and
at 6:30pm to be presided by
Fr. Bong Gino, incumbent
parish priest. Procession and
caracol to follow after the
evening Mass.
***
Though they already passed
on to new life, please allow
me to greet my parents
Benito (+January 16, 1985)
and Gloria (+February 13,
2015) a Happy Wedding
Anniversary (January 28) in
Heaven! My parents’ wish
to celebrate together their
Golden Wedding Anniversary
was nipped in the bud
when Tatay, a World War
II Veteran, passed on four
Bishop Arturo M. Bastes,
S.V.D., D.D., reminded the
seminarians of St. John
the Apostle’s witness as “a
faithful disciple of Jesus.”
According to the prelate, St.
John is special role model
for priests and seminarians.
The 74-year old bishop also
encouraged the seminarians
to do well in the ministry
as “good and holy priests of
Sorsogon” in the future.
The following day, Dec. 28,
Feast of the Holy Innocents,
participants discussed the
Constitution and by-Laws
of the organization at the
OLPS Auditorium for the said
documents’ ratification. Soon,
PAG-OROPOD will release a
finalized Constitution and
by-laws.
Being grateful
To conclude the event, Fr.
Edmon Benzo, Fr. Pangilinan,
and Fr. Philipe Andrew
Gallanosa, concelebrated
Mass at the Our Lady of
Peñafrancia Seinary Chapel.
Benzo stressed the value of
being grateful for the gifts
of vocation and communion
among the members of
the organization. He also
exhorted everyone present
to “stay courageous” amid
issues involving the clergy.
(Sem. Michael Ceazar
Mestiola/CBCP News)
days after he celebrated his
67th birthday, eight years
before their 50th. We enjoyed
life with them and that may
be the reason why most of
my siblings married late or
remain in single blessedness.
My parents’ married life was
truly a role model, dedicated
to raising us their children
to be professionals so that
we can serve the Lord and
others as faithful children of
God. We owe our success to
our parents, forever, we are
grateful to them.
***
Happy Birthday to Fr.
Adrian Magnait, Fr. Reu
Galoy,OFM, Fr. Caloy
Ida; Happy Birthday and
Sacerdotal Anniversary to Fr.
Mike Mata, former co-anchor
at Veritas’ Hello Father 911
Saturday Edition.
Bagaforo of Kidapawan, together with
Rev. Dr. Rodolfo Juan Bishop of The
United Methodist Church, led hundreds
of church workers and members from
the different organizations in this city
in a walk for peace on Jan. 19 amid the
plebiscite for the Bangsamoro Organic
Law (BOL).
“Our prayers [are for] the plebiscite
for BOL which shall be establish a
new government called BARMM
(Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in
Muslim Mindanao) for our Muslim
brothers and sisters. I hope the plebiscite
will be peaceful, clean, and meaningful.
May the will [of] the majority be accepted
and respected,” said the prelate.
3-km walk for peace
The crowd walked 3 kilometers
from Spottswood Methodist Center
to the city hall, holding placards and
tarpaulins printed with messages of
peace.
Bagaforo urged the participants
to pray for peace, especially peace
for the plebiscite on the BOL,
which will grant land and water
jurisdiction to the new region, fiscal
autonomy, and an increased share
Candidly Speaking / A4
worldwide predicament. We,
Filipinos, can show the way
of how to ‘jump-start,’ so to
speak, the Christian life in
the other parts of the world.
The Popes have been talking
and pushing what is called
the New Evangelization.
This aspect of the Christian
evangelization, via our
popular piety, can be our
distinctive contribution.
Since there are already a
Whisper from the Desert / A5
kind of faith unless is it accompanied by
knowledge and adherence to the truths
of the faith—not just the dogmas, but the
moral and social teachings grounded on
the Word of God as interpreted and taught
by the Church. This faith has also to be
lived daily and shown in one’s behavior
and action—expressed in love, service,
compassion, respect for the rights of
others, truthfulness, honesty, etc. Without
this, faith is dead. This is the kind of faith
that is often absent in majority of the
faithful. This explains why the so-called
By the Roadside / A5
with anger. Paul the Apostle’s
words should lead us: “Do
not be overcome by evil, but
overcome evil with good”
(Rom 12:21).
It could be helpful if Church
leaders listen attentively to
what our people are saying
in continuously approving of
such a leader who constantly
sends their Church such
vicious attacks. They may not
necessarily be saying that they
are abandoning their faith.
Nor do they reflect a negative
understanding of what the
Church or her leaders really
are; but they could reflect an
Hundreds of seminarians, lay people, and members of civil society participated in the recent walk for peace in
Mindanao on Jan. 19. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
in national funds and resources, Bagaforo in a loud voice said: “Stop
among others. the war and end the strategy of scaring
The prelate also expressed hopes the people.”
that the peace talks will resume The participants also lit candles,
soon. praying for a successful, peaceful, and
“Many lives were taken already, meaningful plebiscite.
properties and opportunities for The activity ended with the signing
development have been wasted because of a covenant, expressing support
of these clashes between the two forces,” for the work of peace-building.
he explained. (Mark Joy G. Basallajes/CBCP
‘Stop the war’ News)
good number of Filipinos them how important it is that religious symbols at homes
working abroad, let’s we develop a natural and and even in public places.
encourage them to enliven human affection so that our Let us involve them
even more their expressions spiritual and supernatural in church or parochial
of popular piety, so they can life can rest on a basic and activities and concerns.
attract or invite the others in realistic foundation, given More importantly, let us
their localities to join them. our human condition. show them how they can
We, Filipinos, can show This has to be expressed in consistently live their
the whole world how we love many ways. Aside from the Christian life in their
the Child Jesus not only in devotion to the Child Jesus, family, in their professional
the intellectual and spiritual we can promote the practices work and in the fields of
way, but also in a natural of novenas, pilgrimages, business, politics, sports
and human way. Let us show family rosary, putting some and entertainment, etc.
great Catholic nation is a nation where integral faith formation, in doctrinal and
evil continues to reign—a nation governed moral catechesis, and in awakening the
by corrupt, greedy and incompetent conscience of the faithful. Above all, our
politicians, a nation where there is so processions should symbolize our journey
much injustice, poverty and violence, and march for freedom and liberation, for
where the culture of death reigns. life, for justice and peace. We have done
While respecting and appreciating this before and we can do this again.
popular piety and religiosity, we should not Meanwhile, we should stop calling
romanticize it nor should we be satisfied the Philippines a great Catholic
with it. It is a faith that needs to grow and nation. We do not deserve it. Besides,
mature. It should not remain superficial, there are also Christians of other
nominal or seasonal. There is still much denominations, Muslims and other
to be done in terms of evangelization and religious groups.
image of the Church as it is That persecution could pain and the gloomy state of
painted, however unfairly, by come from baptized Catholics Church-state relations, it is
their leader, as well as by the is particularly painful. But also true that we are staring
local and worldwide media this is not a first in the history at an opportunity in the face.
fixed on the sex and authority of the Church; there are Before us is an opportunity
abuses within her walls. Even enough instances in previous at an “imitatio Christi”, an
if this imaging is both unjust ages to indicate that ours imitation of the Master.
and woefully incomplete, any is not a unique situation. It is an opportunity to take
reaction that could be seen It is, however, a constant up a beatitude: “Blessed
as an arrant and arrogant challenge and invitation for are you when they revile
defensiveness will only serve the Church in the Philippines you and persecute you and
the cause of the persecutor to a serious and continuous utter all kinds of evil against
and his persecution. I find the examination of conscience you, falsely, on my account.
words of the Master himself and to a re-appropriation Rejoice and be glad, for your
very compelling: “If the world of the truth that conversion, reward is great in heaven,
hates you, know that it has like charity, must begin and for so they persecuted the
hated me before it hated you” continue at home. In the prophets who were before
(Jn 15:18). final analysis, despite the you” (Mt 5:11-12).
A8 PEOPLE, FACTS, AND PLACES
Filipino bishops to meet
Pope Francis in Vatican
Bishops to make their ‘ad limina’ visit to Rome this May and June. JOHANN MANGUSSAD
THE bishops of the Philippines
will make a pilgrimage to Rome in
the coming months where they will
meet Pope Francis and report the
state of their dioceses.
Fr. Marvin Mejia, secretary
general of the Catholic Bishops’
Conference of the Philippines,
confirmed that the church hierarchy
will undertake the “Ad Limina
apostolorum” (to the threshold of
the apostles) visit in May and June.
The visit, according to him, will
take place in three different groups—
Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
New heads elected for Claretians, Redemptorists
FR. Elias Ayuban, Jr.,
was elected provincial
superior of the Philippine
Province of the Claretian
missionaries.
As superior, he will
oversee the work and
welfare of around 120
priests, brothers and
seminarians in the
Province, which also
covers Myanmar, Vietnam
and Australia.
Ayuban, 51, succeeds
Fr. Eduardo Apungan,
who served for about four
years.
January 21 - February 3, 2019, Vol 23, No. 02 CBCP Monitor
Tondo church gets
archdiocesan shrine status
The Sto. Niño Parish de Tondo Parish Church will be formally elevated into an archdiocesan shrine on
Feb. 5. PHOTO FROM RCAM-AOC
THE Sto. Niño Parish Church in we also approve at the same time,”
Manila’s Tondo district has been Tagle said in his decree.
elevated to “archdiocesan shrine” In his homily, he challenged the
status. devotees to be prepared as they
And since Luzon has the Ad limina visits traditionally Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle embrace their new identity and
most bishops, those under the have been scheduled every five himself made the announcement mission.
Archdiocese of Caceres will join the years. during a Mass at the Tondo church “If that is your identity, that’s
Visayas group and those from the This will be first ad limina visit for on Jan. 12. also your mission. Along with
Archdiocese of Lipa will be with the the Filipino bishops under Francis’ The cardinal said the elevation your identity is becoming a
Mindanao delegation. papacy. The last one was made stemmed from the petition of Tondo missionary for evangelization,”
“It will be held in the last two in 2011 when they met with Pope parish priest Fr. Estelito Villegas said Tagle.
weeks of May and the first week of Benedict XVI. and the local community. The rite formally declaring the
June so each group will have a week The Catholic News Service “We likewise grant to the said parish as an archdiocesan shrine
in Rome,” Mejia said. previously reported that Pope Archdiocesan Shrine of Sto. Niño will be held during a mass to be
Aside from a personal meeting Francis launched a new style of ad all the rights and privileges as presided over by the cardinal on
with the pope, the visit also consists limina visit which is more informal embodied in the statutes which Feb. 5. (CBCPNews)
of a pilgrimage to major basilicas in and characterized by a free-flowing
Rome and encounters with various dialogue. (Roy Lagarde/CBCP
dicasteries of the Roman Curia. News) Public invited to confab on
depression, cyber-bullying, porn
AS a timely response during the Year “To form character and mold
of the Youth, PAREF Northfield minds are the educator’s most
School for Boys is holding the important role if our kids are to grow
2019 International Conference on as men and women of character,”
Character Formation and Digital Rentoy affirmed.
Lifestyles at the AFP Theater, Camp According to him, character
Aguinaldo, on Thursday, Jan. 31, formation is so urgent that schools
2019, 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. have to integrate it into their
The “Conference on Raising and academic programs.
Educating the Wired Generation”
featuring four global experts — At the forefront of personal
Sierra Filucci and Caroline Knorr formation
from North America’s Common There will be three separate
Sense Media; Paul Graas and Luis conference sessions at the event
Blasquez from Europe’s Interaxion on Jan. 31: 9:00 a.m. – noon for
Group— addresses one of the most students; 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. for
urgent shared concerns: how to help teachers; and 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
young people survive and flourish in for parents.
the new digital environment with its About 1,000 people are expected
own moral, intellectual, emotional to attend each session for students,
and mental challenges. educators, and for parents.
Participants who are attending
Character formation: urgent the whole day, or at least two
Prior to his election, Retreat House in Quezon serving as Rector of the and important sessions of the conference,
he has been working City. National Shrine of Our Nationally-renowned speaker and which is co-presented by
as an official in the Last week, the Mother of Perpetual Help, educator Mann Rentoy, executive Catalyst for Character Formation
Congregation for the Redemptorist Vice- or Baclaran Church. director of CCFA, recalled recent Association (CCFA) may avail of
Institutes of Consecrated Province of Manila also He also served as local trends to highlight the urgency discounts.
Life and Societies of elected a new leadership lecturer at Loyola and importance of character Interested parties may register
Apostolic Life in Rome. team with Fr. Victorino School of Theology and formation in today’s digital age. online via www.bitly.com/
A priest for 22 years Cueto as its vice provincial St. Vincent School of “The Philippines topped the world nfdconferenceform or onsite.
now, Ayuban has a superior. Theology in Manila. in porn viewing; in December, More information about the
doctorate in Canon Law Upon his election, Cueto, who was actual bullying went viral, while conference can be found on www.
and served as a professor Cueto, 52, has been ordained a priest in 1991, cyber-bullying is now common facebook.com/parefnfd.
at the Claretianum in serving as Director at the holds doctorate degrees in social media; more and more For other inquiries or concerns,
Rome. St. Alphonsus Theological in Sacred Theology and teenagers are falling into depression interested parties may email
The election came and Mission Institute in Phil osop hy f rom t he with cases of suicide on the rise; conferences@parefnorthfield.edu.
during their 15th Davao City. Catholic University of and parents constantly worry about ph or call at (02) 928 59-56 local
provincial chapter held Among his previous Louvain in Belgium. what their children are exposed to 106 or 0915-715-8615. (Fr. Mickey
this week at the Claret assignments include (CBCP News) online,” he said. Cardenas/CBCP News)
‘DAY OF ENCOUNTER’. Sr. Regina Kuizon, RGS, co-chairperson of the Association of the Major Religious
Superiors in the Philippines, speaks during a meeting of the bishops and major religious superiors with
the country’s secular institute at the De La Salle University in Manila, Jan. 23, 2019. NICEFORO BALBEDINA
CBCP Monitor January 21 - February 3, 2019 Vol. 23 No. 2
Message of His Holiness Pope Francis
to young people on the occasion of the
34th World Youth Day 2019
Dear young people,
World Youth Day is fast approaching. It will
be held in Panama in January and the theme
is Mary’s response to God’s call, “I am the
servant of the Lord. May it be done to me
according to your word” (Lk 1:38).
Her words are a brave and generous “yes”.
It is the positive reply of one who understands
the secret of vocation ‒ to go beyond oneself
and place oneself at the service of others. Our
lives only find meaning in service to God and
to other people.
There are many young people, both believers
and nonbelievers, who when they come to the
end of a stage in their studies, feel a desire
to do something for those who are suffering.
This is a strength in young people, a strength
that all of you possess. It is a strength that can
change the world. It is a revolution that can
overturn the powerful forces at work in our
world. It is the “revolution” of service.
To be at the service of others does not only
mean to be ready for action. It means also to
be in conversation with God with an attitude of
listening, just like Mary. She listened to what
the angel said to her and then she responded.
It is by relating to God in the silence of our
hearts that we discover our identity and the
vocation to which God is calling us. It can be
expressed in different ways: in marriage, in
Pilgrims gather along the Cinta Costera area of Panama City during the opening Mass of World Youth Day on Jan. 22. PHOTOS FROM WYD
PASTORAL CONCERNS B1
consecrated life, in the priesthood… All these
are ways of following Jesus. The important
thing is to discover what God wants from us
and to be brave enough to say “yes”.
Mary was a happy woman, and this is
because she replied generously to God and
opened her heart to God’s plan for her. When
God has a proposition for us, like the one he
had for Mary, it is not intended to extinguish
our dreams, but to ignite our aspirations.
Propositions like this are meant to make our
lives fruitful and produce many smiles and
happy hearts. To respond to God positively is
to take a first step towards being happy and
towards making many people happy.
Dear young people, take courage, enter
within yourselves and say to God: “What do
you want from me?” Allow God to answer you.
Then you will see how your life is transformed
and filled with joy.
With the upcoming World Youth Day in
our sights, I invite you all to prepare for it by
following and taking part in the initiatives that
are happening. They will help you on your
path towards this goal. May Our Lady be with
you on this pilgrimage, and may her example
encourage you to be brave and generous in
your response.
Have a good journey on your way to
Panama! And, please, do not forget to pray
for me. See you soon.
B2 FEATURE
Confronting the specter of a Philippine Divorce Law (I)
By Fr. Jaime B. Achacoso, J.C.D.
AS most people know, a house
bill for divorce had already been
passed. What may have escaped
most Catholics is that a similar
bill has now been filed in the
Senate. If that bill should pass,
we would be just a step short of
having divorce finally instituted
in our country, the last remaining
state (aside from the Vatican) that
has no divorce law. Rather than
fight that bill—which has a valid
pretension (to find a solution for
the situation of people trapped in
an irreparably broken marriage)—
we might instead convince the
Senate to introduce reforms in the
present Family Code in order to
facilitate the declaration of nullity
of most of those irreparably broken
marriages, rather than making all
marriages dissoluble by instituting
divorce. In other words, if the
urgent problem motivating our
legislators—and all the pro-divorce
forces—to craft a divorce law is the
extreme case of irreparably broken
marriages, if a way can be found
to declare the non-existence of
most of those marriages, perhaps
there would be no need to legislate
divorce. As an Spanish saying goes:
“Muerto el perro, se acabó la rabia”
(With the dog dead, that’s the end of
its rabies).
The nature of marriage
The notion that marriage is a
contract intelligently and freely
entered into by a man and a woman,
whereby they bind themselves
exclusively to each other for the
rest of their lives for the purpose of
mutual fulfillment as human beings
and the procreation and upbringing
of children, is not just a teaching
Roles of multiple deacons at Mass
(Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy and dean of theology at the Regina Apostolorum university, answers the following query:)
Q: When two deacons are serving
a Mass, it is understood that one
deacon should be the deacon for the
Liturgy of the Word and the other
should be the deacon for the Liturgy
of the Eucharist. However, there is
disagreement as to whether or not
the “speaking” parts transition with
the liturgy. Should each deacon have
the speaking parts that relate to his
assigned liturgy, or should the dea-
con of the Word proclaim the sign
of peace and the dismissal? – C.D.,
Colorado Springs, Colorado
A: According to a document of the
U.S. bishops’ conference, the deacon
at Mass has the following principal
roles:
“When there is a deacon present
at the Eucharistic celebration, he
should exercise his ministry wear-
ing sacred vestments (no. 338). The
deacon:
“– assists the priest and processes
at his side (unless he is carrying the
Book of the Gospels, in which case,
he precedes the priest);
“– ministers the chalice or the
Roman Missal at the altar;
“– proclaims the Gospel and, at
the request of the priest celebrant,
may preach the homily (no. 55);
“– gives timely directions to the
faithful and announces the inten-
tions in the Universal Prayer;
“– assists the priest celebrant in
distributing Communion, especially
as minister of the Precious Blood,
and cleanses and arranges the sacred
vessels;
“– as needed, performs the offices
of other ministers when none of
them are present (no. 171).”
Neither these nor other general
norms go into detail regarding the
division of roles of two deacons al-
though this possibility exists in the
Ceremonial of Bishops and is quite
common on special solemn occa-
sions or for concelebrated Masses.
The Ceremonial of Bishops, No.
122, on occasion of the diocesan
bishop’s “Stational Mass,” gives
preference to at least three deacons:
“one to proclaim the gospel reading
and minister at the altar, two to
assist the bishop. If there are more
than three deacons present, they
should divide the ministries accord-
ingly, and at least one of them should
be charged with assisting the active
participation of the faithful.”
For this reason, the norms on this
Understanding the Declaration of Marriage Nullity
A pair of wedding bands symbolizing the sacrament of marriage is depicted in a stained-glass window
at St. Patrick Church in Smithtown, N.Y. GREGORY A. SHEMITZ/CNS
of the Catholic Church but is the
essence of marriage as a natural
institution.
What defines a thing is its end—
i.e., what philosophers refer to as
its final cause, which is the cause of
all causes: that for which a thing is
the way it is. In human experience,
a community or society is defined
by its end (e.g., Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).
Canon Law, respecting the natural
order, has expressed the ends of
marriage as a natural institution in
the following terms:
Can. 1055 — §1. The matrimonial
covenant, by which a man and
A 2016 file photo Deacons process to their seats near the altar as they arrive for Pope Francis’ celebration of a Mass for the Jubilee of Deacons in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. PAUL HARING/CNS
point are not absolute and allow for
a certain degree of flexibility in order
to adapt to special circumstances.
At the same time, there are some
aspects of liturgical decorum that
should be respected as far as pos-
sible.
All things being equal, when there
are two deacons, they are usually
divided as the deacon of the Word
and the deacon of the Eucharist. It
must be pointed out, however, that
this terminology, although common,
is not official and is generally absent
from the liturgical books.
Apart from proclaiming the Gos-
pel and the general intercessions,
the deacon of the Word makes the
invitation to the sign of peace and
a woman establish between
themselves a partnership of the
whole life, is by its nature ordered
toward the good of the spouses and
the procreation and education of
offspring; this covenant between
baptized persons has been raised
by Christ the Lord to the dignity of
a sacrament.
The essential characteristics
of marriage naturally follow from
its natural ends—i.e., in order
to accomplish its natural ends
(of the good of the spouses and
the procreation and upbringing
of children), it is necessary that
marriage enjoys two properties,
other interventions such as “The
Mass is ended ….” The deacon of
the Word takes his place to the cel-
ebrant’s left during the Liturgy of
the Eucharist; alternatively, he may
incense the Blessed Sacrament dur-
ing the Eucharistic Prayer.
The deacon of the Eucharist at-
tends to all that has to do with the
altar and recites the private prayers
used for the preparation of the
chalice. He stands to the celebrant’s
right during the Eucharistic Prayer.
He may place or remove the chalice
pall as needed and holds the chal-
ice aloft during the final doxology.
If necessary, he can also assist in
the fraction rite. If the deacon of
the Word is incensing the Blessed
January 21 - February 3, 2019 Vol. 23 No. 2
which Canon Law established as
follows:
Can. 105 6 — The e sse ntial
properties of marriage are unity and
indissolubility, which in Christian
marriage obtains a special firmness
in virtue of the sacrament.
In short, by nature marriage
is a covenant between a man and
a woman, setting up a partnership
involving their whole lives—to the
point that they become two lives in
one—aimed of its nature towards
a double end: the full personal
development of the spouses and
the procreation and education of
the children who may result. It is
in function of this two-fold end that
the essential properties of marriage
follow: unity (monogamy) and
indissolubility (till death of one of
the spouses).
The juridic structure of
marriage
To speak of the juridic structure
of marriage is to refer to the
expression of this natural institution
in the system of laws, such that
the existence or non-existence of
true marriage can be juridically
verifiable. In this regard, Canon
Law makes a distinction between
the fact of marriage (matrimonium
in facto esse) and its coming into
being (matrimonium in fieri). What
we have considered up to now—the
nature, ends and essential properties
of marriage—constitute the fact
of marriage. What needs to be
considered now is its coming into
being, because all the discussion
about marriage nullities stem from
some defect—juridically verifiable—
in that coming about. Prove that
defect and one proves that a certain
marriage—despite all appearances—
did not validly come about: it is
Sacrament, then he may also assist
with the missal.
Both deacons stand slightly be-
hind the priest when he is at the
altar. Concelebrating priests should
be careful so as not to obstruct the
actions of the deacon.
This is the usual division of roles
in papal and other solemn liturgies.
However, as mentioned, these cus-
toms are not cast in bronze, and they
do not respond to precise norms. I
believe that the division has been left
fairly open so as to be able to adapt
to changing circumstances.
Thus, on occasion, some mixing
may take place; for example, if the
deacon of the Gospel is bereft of
musical talent, the other deacon
CBCP Monitor
void ab initio and only needs to
be juridically declared so by the
competent authority (tribunal).
According to the Code of Canon
Law, three elements are necessary
for marriage to come about: (1)
the capacity to marry in both
contracting parties, (2) the mutual
consent of the contracting parties
to enter into marriage, and (3) the
observance of the canonical form
of marriage. If any of these three
elements is lacking—even if this fact
is proven only afterwards, precisely
through a judicial process—then
a competent Church tribunal can
declare that a hitherto accepted
marriage (technically called a
putative marriage, from the Latin
putare = to think) was void from the
very beginning. In effect, most of the
irreparably broken marriages are so,
despite all efforts at reconciliation
and repair, because they never really
existed in the first place. It is not
a matter of breaking the marriage
bond through divorce; rather it is a
question of judicially determining
whether it really existed in the first
place.
A. Marriages that are void
due to lack of capacity of the
parties
All human beings are—by nature—
capable of contracting marriage.
Hence, the right to contract
marriage—technically called the ius
connubi—is a fundamental right of
all the Catholic faithful, protected
by Canon Law (c.1058). Only the
Supreme Legislator can establish
limitations to this right—technically
called diriments impediments—in
accord with Natural Law and in order
to protect the common good of the
Church (c.1075). As in all limitation
Divorce / B7
could substitute him in singing the
invitation to the sign of peace or
the dismissal. Likewise, the deacon
closest to the microphone on the
altar could proclaim the invitation to
the sign of peace rather than make
complicated movements.
A deacon who is to preach should
usually take the role of the deacon
of the Word so as to carry out both
functions with ease and without
interruptions.
There may occasionally be good
reasons for a change in minister.
For example, if the Gospel is to be
sung, then the deacon better quali-
fied for this task may proclaim the
sacred text, even though another
will preach.
CBCP Monitor January 21 - February 3, 2019 Vol. 23 No. 2 FEATURE B3

Millennials` role in protecting environment

By Bernardo M. Villegas

THE millennials, those born in communities, and individuals more

1980 or later, will most probably
be still alive in 2050. By that
time, the average life expectancy
in the Philippines (hopefully a
First World country by then) could
easily be beyond 80 years. Also
known as Generation Y, these men
and women today—together with
Generation Z (those born after
2000)—will be primarily responsible
for attaining what is called inclusive
and sustainable development. The
business people among them will
have to do everything possible to
promote the triple bottom line in
their respective operations: people,
planet and profit They have to make
sure that they are contributing to the
human development of everyone
in the society in which they live,
especially the poorest among
the poor. This is what is called
“inclusive” development. They
have to not only avoid destroying
the physical environment through
both their consumption and
production activities. They must
actually actively protect the ecology.
This is what is called sustainable
development at the macro level. To
continue doing good to people and
to the environment, they must have
the creativity and ability to make
their businesses profitable. This
is sustainable development at the
micro level.
To use the language of famous
author Thomas Friedman in his book
“Thank You for Being Late,” those
who will lead this country to attain
First World status by the year 2050
have to contend with the three giant
forces that all began to accelerate
with unbelievable speed in 2007,
when the first millennials turned 25
years old. These are the three M’s:
Moore’s Law, Market, and Mother
Nature. Moore’s Law refers to the
exponential growth in computing
power, a theory first postulated by
Intel cofounder Gordon Moore in
1965 that the power of microchips—
that is, computational power—
would double roughly every year,
which he later updated to every two
years, for only slightly more money
with each new generation. The
second M refers to “The Market”
which stands for the acceleration of
globalization, i.e. the global flows
of commerce, finance, credit, social
networks and connectivity which are
generally weaving markets, media,
central banks, companies, schools,
tightly together than ever. Not
even US President Donald Trump’s
“America First” will be able to
disrupt this globalization, especially
in the Asia Pacific region. The third
M is “Mother Nature” which refers
to climate change, the impact of
human activity on the physical
environment or the planet. The baby
boomers and Generation X only saw
glimpses of these three accelerations.
Generation Y and Z will be the ones
to feel the brunt of the “age of
accelerations which are impacting
on one another—more Moore’s law
is driving more globalization and
more globalization is driving more
climate change, and more Moore’s
law is also driving more potential
solutions to climate change and a
host of other challenges—and at
the same time transforming almost
every aspect of modern life.”
We will discuss the third
acceleration, climate change, in this
series of articles. We have written
much about the market and Moore’s
law in the past. It is time we discuss
in great detail the responsibility of
the young generation to protect and
preserve the physical environment
for the sake of future generations.
The millennials and their successor
generations are fortunate to have
as their main spiritual adviser
Pope Francis himself who wrote
a trailblazing encyclical on “Care
for our Common Home” entitled
Laudato Si or “Praise be to You, My
Lord” words taken from a beautiful
canticle of his patron saint, St.
Francis of Assisi. We should start by
reminding all existing generations
today about what is enshrined in the
Philippine Constitution of 1987, the
very concept of the “common good.”
Why should every individual feel
the responsibility of taking care of
our common home? In paragraphs
156 to 158 of the encyclical, Pope
Francis reminds us of what is the
common good. He writes that the
human ecology is inseparable from
the notion of the common good,
a central and unifying principle
of social ethics. In its briefest
definition, the common good is the
sum of those conditions of social
life which allow social groups and
their individual members relatively
thorough and ready access to their
own fulfilment. The definition I
gave to my follow commissioners
in the Constitutional Commission
Students collect garbage during a cleanup drive in Manila Bay, Sept. 22, 2018. RICHARD ATRERO DE GUZMAN/GREENPEACE
of 1986 that drafted the Philippine
Constitution of 1987 is “a social or
juridical order which enables every
single member of society to attain
his or her fullest development
economically, politically, culturally,
socially, morally and spiritually.” It
is more long-winded but it makes it
unmistakably clear that the common
good must take into account every
human being and every aspect of his
or her human existence, or what is
called integral human development.
Through the principle of solidarity,
every person must promote the
common good. This means that in
his individual actuations, he must
always take into account how he is
positively contributing to the welfare
of everyone else in society, which
includes protecting the physical
environment. In matters related to
ecology, it is clear that the notion of
the common good must extend to
future generations. As Pope Francis
wrote in par. 159 of Laudato Si, “The
global economic crises have made
painfully obvious the detrimental
effects of disregarding our common
destiny, which cannot exclude those
who come after us. We can no longer
speak of sustainable development
apart from intergenerational
solidarity. Once we start to think
about the kind of world we are
leaving to future generations, we
look at things differently; we realize
that the world is a gift which we have
freely received and must share with
others. Since the world has been
given to us, we can no longer view
reality in a purely utilitarian way,
in which efficiency and productivity
are entirely geared to our individual
benefit. Intergenerational solidarity
is not optional, but rather a basic
question of justice, since the world
we have received also belongs to
those who will follow us…”
No one can deny that climate is
a common good, belonging to all
and meant for all. Pope Francis
acknowledges the fact that at the
global level, climate is a complex
system linked to many of the
essential conditions for human life.
He refers to a very solid scientific
consensus that we are presently
witnessing a disturbing warming of
the climatic system. In the summer
of 2018, we witnessed the extreme
heat in countries like Sweden and
Japan and the flooding in South
and Southeast Asia, resulting in
numerous deaths. Although there
are admittedly other factors (such
as volcanic activity, variations in
the earth’s orbit and axis, the solar
cycle), a good number of scientific
studies have demonstrated that
most global warming in recent
decades can be explained by the
great concentration of greenhouse
gases (carbon dioxide, methane,
nitrogen oxides and others) released
mainly as a result of human activity.
Concentrated in the atmosphere,
these gases do not allow the warmth
of the sun’s rays reflected by the
earth to be dispersed in space. The
problem is made worse by a way
of life based on the intensive use
of fossil fuels, which is at the heart
of the worldwide energy system.
Another contributory factor has
been significant changes in the uses
of soil, mainly deforestation for
agricultural purposes, such as the
cutting down of forests in Indonesia
for the planting of palm oil and other
plantation crops.
The worst victims of the harm
done by climate change are the
poor. Most of them live in areas
particularly affected by phenomena
related to warming, and their means
of subsistence are largely dependent
on natural reserves and ecosystemic
services such as agriculture, fishing
and forestry. It is well known that
over 70 percent of the Philippine
population below the poverty line
are in the rural areas and are the
ones most dependent on these
resources. As we have experienced
during such devastating calamities
as the Typhoon Yolanda in Eastern
Visayas, the poor have no other
financial activities or resources
which enable them to adapt to a
climate change or to face natural
disasters, and their access to social
services and protection is very
limited.

Hopelessness at COP24, failures beyond Paris

By Brother Jaazeal Jakosalem, OAR
FOUR ‘oil giant’ countries, namely: the United
States, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Kuwait
objected the proposed inclusion of the UN
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) report for the final document of COP24.
The IPCC Report is a scientific document
affirming the need to limit 1.5 degrees
Celsius before 2030, avoiding the extreme
climate change impacts—the more damaging
droughts, extreme heat, floods, poverty
and even food shortages. With the current
development, we will expect catastrophic
impacts in the coming years. The bullying of
these countries (and their corporate backers)
must end. They are delaying our actions to
solve the climate crisis.
The US, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Kuwait;
oil producers and suppliers of the globe, only
opted to “note” the UN’s scientific report,
the act of not ‘welcoming’ the report rings a
wrong tune in the climate negotiations, not
embracing the spirit of the Paris Agreement.
Challenged-nations must consistently insist on
the direction of the signed Paris Agreement,
not cowed by dirty deals.
 
Ownership of Mother Earth, and of the
climate negotiations
The ‘privatization’ of Mother Earth is very
clear, as if major corporations or big countries
or major polluters own our planet. This
mirrors the halls of COP24 in Katowice; major
countries are better heard than vulnerable
island countries or the grassroots movements
clamoring for climate justice. The suffering
majority (vulnerable island communities) in
many climate negotiations demand social
equity with regard to accountability of climate
impacts.
Polluters and corporations are using and
taking advantage of COP24, in plenary
assemblies, meeting, side events and backdoor
negotiations—they are strategically positioning
for a better ‘climate deal.’ Sponsorships,
exhibits, talks, side events and sessions
are mainly corporate-focused, hardly you
can find peoples’ organizations, NGOs
and environmental groups doing actions
inside the COP24 venue, too costly for any
organization to host one. So far, four days
before the end of COP24, it is still ‘business-
as-usual,’ and would even be more damaging
if all these corporate-driven countries remain
committed to profit-over-planet framework.
This yearly COP meeting must avoid ‘green-
washing’ across sectors, much of talks being
done but lesser percentage are being done
on the ground. African countries are well
represented, and yet many of the extractive
industries are being done in the region.
Indonesia as well, grassroots actions are
being solidified by NGOs; and yet much has
to be done by the government in stopping the
pillage of its forests by corporations. The US
delegation is mixed, claiming ‘we are still in’
to counter the bad image of a climate-denier in
President Donald Trump; yet on the redline of
actions Native Americans are taking the lead
against pipeline projects being fought across
continents.
Air becomes a property right. Monopolized
by corporate power, being peddled as a
commodity by both local and national
governments. Mountains, seas and rivers
are from the beginning part of our existence,
not to be owned but to be cared for. Again,
corporations, and now countries are more
wanting to do business with nature. This is the
clamor of many indigenous communities, who
usually are collaterals of ecological damage.
 
People’s voices
A collective effort composed of 330
organizations, issued a global call for climate
action, thru a document called “People’s
Demands,” the following, are the clear
message of climate equity: ‘Keep fossil fuels
in the ground; reject false solutions that are
displacing real, people-first solutions to the
climate crisis; advance real solutions that are
just, feasible, and essential; Honor climate
finance obligations to developing countries;
end corporate interference in and capture of
the climate talks; ensure developed countries
honor their “Fair Shares” for largely fueling
this crisis.’ (https://www.peoplesdemands.
org) These are clear and constructive demands
for climate justice and for solving the climate
disruption.
Messages of actions and hopes are being
amplified by The Climate Pilgrimage, as
they arrived in Katowice and met with local
people, leaders and communities; encouraging
everyone to integrally act in solving the climate
crisis. In a rare moment of encounter, the
‘climate pilgrims’ met with Patricia Espinosa,
the UNFCCC Executive Secretary; she was
moved by the climate-impacted stories
of the pilgrims from the Philippines “we
just heard the message from the pilgrims
[including survivors of Typhoon Haiyan]
who came to Katowice walking from the
Vatican. Theirs is a message of those who
are directly suffering the effects of climate
change... I had a few words with them and
I was struck by their message. This is really
no joke. This [climate change] is about
loosing your family and loosing every hope
and every opportunity in your life. That’s
what will happen if we say no. But if we say
yes…if we choose to address climate change,
we can change everything. We can build a
world that is cleaner, greener and more
prosperous. We can build new economies,
create new jobs and live in healthier cities
and communities. If we say yes, we can pass
the torch of progress on to our children—a
torch that is truly worthy of passing... We
need you to help spread the word. To help
humanity understand the importance of the
choice between action and inaction—and the
consequences.”
More voices must be raised from within and
outside the halls of Katowice, coming from
the experiences and angst of those suffering
from the climate crisis—all across the globe.
Voices from the ground are richer than the
profit of the corporate power, we need to
invest in our power to protect the planet
and communities. “Defend our rights to
food, land and water!”said the Asia People’s
Movement on Debt and Development, the
group continues to underline the said rights as
corollary damages in development aggression;
likewise, the impacts of climate change will
be manifested heavily on food, land and
water issues. Sadly during this COP24, fifteen
(15) cases are recorded where activists were
not allowed to enter Poland; most of them
from 350.org. 
 
Breaking free
Breaking the corporate power will embolden
our call for fossil-fuel free future, without this
we will never progress in our ‘divestment’ calls.
Corporate avarice breeds in countries where
corporate-centered development is bannered
and infused into policy structures, and into the
‘social consciousness’ of the society.
On the margins of COP24, people still calls
for “System Change, not Climate Change”of
the need to break corporate power that lurks
in hiding within government systems. The
need to change economic relationships,
where government self-interests tower
beyond nature, people and communities. Our
economic framework is teaching us to invest
in avarice, to have more at the expense of the
nature and the poor. This has to change into
circular systems of sustainability—economic,
environmental and social. The circularity
must not be controlled by a capitalist mindset
or of a profit-driven enterprise but of a well-
meaning richness of shared responsibility for
the common good and of the common home.
Breaking free from our false systems is an
urgent task, we cannot rely anymore from
our elected leaders and as manifested in this
COP24, power-influencers reign supreme—
oligarchs and kings alike.
The dirty energy economy must end, the
just transition to renewable sources must
commence. Strategic conversations are
functioning on the ground, and our government
systems must assume social responsibility—
for the common good. Elimination of fears
based on economic and corporate biases must
be replaced by sound green conviction; the
participatory involvement of communities,
people’s organizations, business, non-
government organizations and church-people
is very important. If we fail this, we cannot
achieve our Paris goals, our deadline is 2020;
hoping that in the (future) COP26 our climate
actions in the level of those who signed are
done as targeted. Or else, failure to break free,
will lead to catastrophic climate impacts. And
as Greta Thunberg said “We have not come
here to beg the world leaders to care for our
future. They have ignored us in the past and
they will ignore us again. We have come
here to let them know that change is coming
whether they like it or not. The people will
rise to the challenge.”
B4 FEATURE January 21 - February 3, 2019 Vol. 23 No. 2 CBCP Monitor

The private life of Jesus

(Read between the Lines of Luke’s Gospel)
By Bishop Ambo David

HOW did Jesus get to know the Scriptures

so well? Mark tells us “...many who heard him
were astonished. They said, “Where did this
man get all this? What kind of wisdom has
been given him?” (Mark 6:1-2). They knew
who he was and the family he belonged to:
“Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and
the brother of James and Joses and Judas and
Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?”
Or so they thought. They really did not know
him well.
Luke tells us his mother was related to
Elizabeth, who “...was from the daughters of
Aaron,” (meaning, a priestly family) and who
was married to “...a priest named Zechariah
of the priestly division of Abijah.” (Luke 1:5)
He also tells us that Mary had stayed for three
months at Ein Kerem, a village in Judea, which
was very close to Jerusalem, in order to assist
Elizabeth in her pregnancy (Luke 1:39-45).
If these two women were close to each other,
it is not far-fetched to imagine that they
maintained this close relationship by visiting
each other’s families whenever there was the
occasion for it.
One of the regular occasions for the
encounter between these two families, must
have been the Passover festival in Jerusalem.
Luke tells us, “Each year his parents went to
Jerusalem for the feast of Passover...“ (Luke
2:41) He does not indicate exactly where they
stayed whenever they came for the Passover
festival, but why not Ein Kerem, which was
just a short distance from Jerusalem? Who
else in the whole of Judea would Mary think of
lodging with, if not at the house of Zechariah
and Elizabeth? Joseph himself must have been
a welcome guest, being a carpenter by trade.
His visits must have been the perfect occasions
for minor repairs and renovations in their
friends’ house. It was the least he could do to
reciprocate their hospitality.
Surely Jesus, Mary and Joseph looked
forward to this annual Passover festival with
their relatives in Judea. It must have been
quite a spectacle especially for Galileans like
them, who come from the rather laid back
village of Nazareth. Imagine the Diaspora
Jewish pilgrims they encountered along the
way, pouring into the great city, wearing
all sorts of exotic-looking clothes and
trinkets, coming with caravans of camels and
dromedaries, horses and donkeys, bearing all
sorts of precious things like gold and silver,
frankincense and spices of sorts, coming not want his son to be tainted by the corrupt being gradually initiated into priestly life in whose members withdrew into the Judean
from the Jewish communities in Alexandria priestly practices in the temple, such as the temple himself. desert to a monastic common life of copying
in Egypt, Ethiopia, Nineveh and Babylon in those perpetrated by the Saducees. In short, If Joseph’s family frequented Zechariah’s the Scriptures? Luke tells us “...the word of
Mesopotamia, the cities of Persia, Achaia and whatever John imbibed, most likely, Jesus home in Judea, in all likelihood, Zechariah’s God came to John, the son of Zechariah in
Macedonia, Rome and Dalmatia. imbibed as well. family must have visited Galilee too and the desert. He went throughout [the] whole
Surely these pilgrims did not come regularly Through the years, Jesus must have dropped by Nazareth. They must have region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism
to Jerusalem just for the festival. Like most developed a special fondness for his cousin organized day trips together to be able to take a of repentance for the forgiveness of sins...”
other enterprising Jews they must have taken John. These two boys must have explored dip at the lake of Galilee and perhaps buy some (Luke 3:2-3). Apparently he had attracted
advantage of such occasions for commerce the hill country of Judea together, played like fresh and dried fish from the fish markets by many followers who submitted themselves
and trade as well. What lively and colorful regular kids in the prairies, while they parents the shores of Capernaum and Bethsaida. As to his ritual baptism. Among these followers
marketplaces the streets of the old city must engaged in lively conversations at Zechariah’s he grew into an adult, John’s occasional visits was his own younger cousin, from Nazareth—
have turned into during such festivals! And home. If Jesus’ preparation for Bar Mitzvah in Nazareth may have exposed him to the Jesus, who also withdrew into the desert after
what interesting encounters these pilgrimages was supervised by a provincial Rabbi in the revolutionary ideas of the Zealot movement, being baptized by John. The Gospel of Mark
must have created, between the homeland synagogue of Nazareth, his cousin John, which had its most avid adherents in in the notes that it was after John was arrested by
Jews and their brethren in the Diaspora, who being a priest’s son, must have enjoyed the cities and villages of Galilee. Take note that Herod Antipas that Jesus embarked on his
were as knowledgable about the Scriptures as privilege of being educated in the Torah right he had Galilean fishermen from Bethsaida, own public life as an itinerant preacher, with
the locals were, except that the former read at the temple precincts or in some rabbinical such as Philip and Andrew enlisted among some of John’s former disciples as his first
them in a Gentile language that had become a school in the old city. Jesus must have insisted his disciples, according to the first chapter of followers.
status symbol for good breeding and education on joining these lessons whenever his family the fourth Gospel. Remember how he found I imagine how profoundly John had
in the whole ancient near east—Greek. I was vacationing in Judea, if only to be close himself in hot waters when he went on a influenced Jesus in his younger years, and
imagine the dialogues between the local elders to John. And these lessons must have been head-on collision with the governor of Galilee how Jesus probably treated him, not just as
and the rabbis of Synagogues in the Diaspora. extended at home, with Jesus participating and Perea, Herod Antipas, son of Herod the his big brother, but as his role model. The call
How fascinating these must have been, whenever Zechariah engaged his son in Great? Soon, this son-of-a-priest started to priestly service in the Jerusalem temple
especially for impressionable young men like either a Halakhic or a Haggadic Midrash on gravitating towards a prophetic ministry should have been the most normal path for
John and Jesus. I imagine the debates between the Torah, Nebi’im and Ketubim, the Holy that had long been unknown in Palestine. He him, following in the footsteps of his father.
Pharisaical groups of various origins, some of Scriptures as known to Jewish people in the openly espoused some radical ideas, which he The fact that he distanced himself from the
them exposed only to the Scriptures as defined homeland. spewed out in the form of oracles of judgment Jerusalem temple speaks volumes about the
by the homeland tradition, and others—from Luke tells us in 2:42-47 that “...when he that came across like fire and brimstone. He kind of disposition John had kept towards the
the Diaspora—who recognized the canonicity (Jesus) was twelve years old, they went up spoke about salvation as the advent of a more temple institution. Take note, for example,
of other writings otherwise regarded by according to festival custom. After they had equitable society, where valleys would be filled that in Matthew 3:7, the Sadducees (who
Palestinian tradition as “Apocrypha” or completed its days, as they were returning, in, lofty hills would be made low, crooked ways belonged to the priestly class that was in
“Pseudepigrapha”. Most of these were taken as the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, straightened, and rough ways smoothened control of the temple administration) were
part of the still-fluid section called “Ketubim,” but his parents did not know it. Thinking (Isaiah 40:3-5). He did not mince words among those who came for John’s baptism.
such as Tobit, Judith, Sirach, Baruch, 1 that he was in the caravan, they journeyed about the radical change that God supposedly John addressed them vehemently as a
Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, and the for a day and looked for him among their demanded of those who wanted to experience “brood of vipers.” He warned them sternly
parts considered as “Additions” to Esther and relatives and acquaintances, but not finding spiritual rebirth through his ritual baptism. that they stood no chance of fleeing “the
Daniel. him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for Here’s Luke’s long litany of the kind of renewal wrath to come” unless they produced an
Jesus must have been particularly thrilled him. After three days they found him in the he was calling for: evidence of their repentance. Could John
about these yearly visits, knowing that his temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, Luke 3:8-9: “Produce good fruits as evidence have fled to the desert precisely because
aunt’s husband was quite well connected to the listening to them and asking them questions, of your repentance; and do not begin to say to he had gotten into conflict with the priestly
temple administration, being himself a priest and all who heard him were astounded at his yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ authorities his own father had worked with in
“from the priestly division of Abijah.” Like a understanding and his answers.” The scene for I tell you, God can raise up children to the Jerusalem temple? Could Jesus himself
regular male Jew, he had to prepare himself that Luke describes here comes close to what Abraham from these stones. Even now the ax have imbibed a strongly negative view of the
for Bar Mitzvah (at the age of 13), but he had today we might call a catechetical session in lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every temple priesthood because of the influence
the special privilege of getting some special preparation for Bar Mitzvah. tree that does not produce good fruit will be of John? Remember how he denounced the
tutoring from his uncle Zechariah whenever I have a feeling that John was there too, that cut down and thrown into the fire.” money changing and the buying and selling
they visited Jerusalem. He could have been he was aware that his cousin had stayed behind Luke 3:11: To the crowds: “Whoever has of animals that the priestly authorities had
allowed to attend his cousin John’s class in but chose not to inform his parents about it. two tunics should share with the person who allowed in the courtyard of the Gentiles?
a rabbinical school run by the Pharisees, After all, they were both about to complete has none. And whoever has food should do Note, for instance, the strongly negative
whenever they were in Judea. And I imagine their Bar Mitzvah and were already starting likewise.” caricature of the priests and Levites in his
how Zechariah must have tested what these to behave like regular young men (coming of Luke 3:12: To the tax collectors: parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10.
two boys were learning right in his home. age), excited about interacting with the elders “Stop collecting more than what is A lot of research has been done on the
Jesus must have listened intently to these in the temple who must have come from all prescribed.” possible connection of John with the Essene
lessons, which involved a lot of memorizing sorts of sectarian movements. In short, both Luke 3:14: To the soldiers: movement, which also repudiated the High
of important passages of Scriptures, such as John and Jesus were probably exposed to all “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely Priestly family that was in power in the
the Great Shema, the Decalogue, lines from kinds of schools of thought in Jerusalem. This accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your Jerusalem temple as a bogus priesthood.
the Primeval and the Patriarchal narratives, joint exposure must have been sustained in wages.” Whether or not John had any associations
and from the Tehillim (Psalms). Zechariah their adult lives until circumstances forced And why the Judean desert setting for with the Zealots or with the Essenes, it was
must have taken an extra effort to augment them to part ways—Jesus taking after his John’s public ministry? Could he also have evident that Jesus’ association with him was
what his son was learning. He certainly did father Joseph’s trade, and John probably encountered the esoteric Essene movement a dangerous thing.
CBCP Monitor
The Bangsamoro Organic Law and beyond
AS the plebiscite on the Bangsamoro
Organic Law draws near, we,
Mindanao Catholic Church Leaders
for Peace, wish to express our
support for its passage with the
following observations.
The BOL addresses the three
historical injustices against the
Muslim community as expressed by
their own leaders: the diminution of
their ancestral territory; the threat
to their cultural identity; and the
loss of their political governance.
After more than half a century of
armed struggle, and countless peace
negotiations, the BOL represents
the mutual acceptance by both sides
for the creation of a Bangsamoro
Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao (BARMM).
In this light, the BOL is more than
just another piece of legislation;
it is more significantly a peace
agreement that involves the future
development of Mindanao and the
rest of the country. After many
failed attempts, this may be the last
concrete chance for a just and lasting
peace in Mindanao.
While delineating the proposed
boundaries for the autonomous
region, the BOL explicitly recognizes
that the Bangsamoro territory “shall
always be an integral, indivisible,
and inseparable part of the national
territory of the country.”
The Shari’ah law shall apply
exclusively to Muslims. Non-
Muslims are not covered, unless they
voluntarily submit to the jurisdiction
of the Shari’ah court. The Bill
of Rights under the Philippine
Constitution continues to be in force
for all Filipino citizens.
The Indigenous People’s Rights
Act is explicitly acknowledged
for the protection of the Lumad
communities.
The proposed Bangsamoro
Parliament includes representation
for minorities and settler
communities.
The police regional force in charge
of security in BARMM shall be
under the “direct operational control
and supervision of the Philippine
National Police.”
Unlike earlier peace agreements,
there is a timetable for the de-
commissioning of firearms by the
Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
The first phase has already been
Today we reclaim our person and soul
AMRSP Statement on the International Human Rights Day 2018 Celebration
Religious groups join a protest march commemorating Human Rights Day in Manila, Dec. 10, 2018. VINCENT GO
RODRIGO Roa Duterte was elected
president of the Philippines on May 9,
2016 and assumed office on June 30.
In two years and six months
of President Duterte’s term, our
mothers have been cursed and
called whores every time he spoke.
Rape and violence against pretty
women now has become part of his
repertoire of jokes.
Various media groups estimate
that 22 to 33 Filipinos are killed
everyday in the name of war on
drugs.
President Duterte continues to
pit Filipinos against Filipinos by
labeling his critics as enemies of
the state: the “Yellows”, the “Reds”,
the human rights advocates, priests,
January 21 - February 3, 2019 Vol. 23 No. 2
implemented.
We are aware that many challenges
will continue to confront the
Bangsamoro Transitional Authority
over the next three years as well
as the future elected members
of the Bangsamoro Parliament.
Ultimately, it will be left to the
residents themselves of BARMM to
ensure the participatory and viable
functioning of the autonomous
region.
On our part, as Catholic religious
leaders, we need to focus on the
horizontal peace process on the
ground--i.e., by engaging in the
dialogue of life, action and spirituality
among ordinary Christians and
Muslims. We also need to commit
to intrafaith and interfaith dialogue
towards mutual respect and
understanding so as to reduce or
eliminate biases and prejudices.
Religion should be viewed as a
bridge towards reconciliation, not a
wall that divides. As Catholic Church
leaders advocating for peace, we
must also know what the BOL says
in order for us to make an informed
and responsible choice, and vote on
the merits of the BOL and not on the
basis of bias and prejudice.
We also offer to help in quality
education, in creating a more
inclusive history of Mindanao that
recounts the narratives of Muslim
and Lumad events and personalities,
and in providing other means of
support such as fielding volunteer
teachers for the madaris schools of
Muslim school children.
The devastation of the Islamic City
of Marawi in 2017, as well as the
recent bombing of a mall in Cotabato
City, alerts us to the looming face of
violent extremism. As one parish
priest in the front lines has pointed
out, “The heart of peace is a change
of heart.”
With all our constituents in
parishes and schools, we pray for
a lasting peace in Mindanao—a gift
and a task—that respects cultural
and religious diversity, while
acknowledging one God, Creator
and Provider of us all.
Signed:
MINDANAO CATHOLIC
CHURCH LEADERS FOR
PEACE (MCCLP)
the Church and this month, “mga
walang silbing Obispo.”
He not only pits Filipinos against
each other, worse, he also encourages
Filipinos to kill drug addicts, drug
users, the rebels, and bishops.
For nine hundred days, since
he sat in Malacanang, our senses,
our dignity as human beings and
our soul as Filipinos, as a nation,
have continued to be assaulted by
curses, rape jokes, and orders, but
officially explained by Presidential
spokespersons as jokes, to silence the
outspoken critics of the government
who are actually helping us preserve
our democratic institutions. He
has continued to violate our basic
human rights to life, dignity and
MINDANAO ARCHDIOCESES
AND DIOCESES
HIS EMINENCE ORLANDO B.
CARDINAL QUEVEDO OMI, D.D.
Archbishop Emeritus, Archdiocese
of Cotabato
MOST REV. ROMULO G. VALLES,
D.D.
Archbishop of Davao
President, Catholic Bishops’
Conference of the Philippines
MOST REV. ANTONIO J.
LEDESMA, SJ, D.D.
Archbishop of Cagayan De Oro
Apostolic Administrator, Diocese
of Butuan
MOST REV. FERNANDO R.
CAPALLA, D.D.
Archbishop Emeritus, Archdiocese
of Davao
MOST REV. GEORGE B. RIMANDO,
D.D.
Auxiliary Bishop, Archdiocese of
Davao
MOST REV. JOSÉ ARANETA
CABANTAN, D.D.
Bishop, Diocese Of Malaybalay
respect, especially the poor.
While we struggle to regain our
sense of decency as Filipinos, the
Peoples’ Republic of China is given
the leeway to patrol, build structures,
conduct underwater researches
and explorations on our islands.
While millions of Filipinos are
still unemployed, Chinese citizens
are readily accommodated to take
jobs in our country with very little
restrictions.
We firmly assert that genuine
governance rests in the Filipino
citizenry, on us who elect our
officials, our government leaders.
True governance is possible only
when it benefits each and every
Filipino.
MOST REV. CERILO U. CASICAS, D.D.
Bishop, Diocese of Marbel
MOST REV. EDWIN S. DE LA
PEÑA, D.D.
Bishop, Prelature Of Marawi
MOST REV. ABEL C. APIGO, D.D.
Bishop, Diocese of Mati
MOST REV. GUILLERMO D.
AFABLE, D.D.
Bishop, Diocese Of Digos
MOST REV. EMMANUEL T.
CABAJAR, CSsR, D.D.
Bishop, Diocese of Pagadian
MOST REV. JULIUS S. TONEL,
D.D.
Bishop, Diocese of Ipil
MOST REV. SEVERO C.
CAERMARE, D.D.
Bishop, Diocese of Dipolog
Apostolic Administrator, Diocese
of Iligan
MOST REV. ANTONIETO D.
CABAJOG, D.D.
Bishop, Diocese of Surigao
MOST REV. RAUL DAEL, D.D.
Bishop, Diocese of Tandag
NOW, today is the time to reclaim
our dignity as Filipinos.
NOW is the time to reclaim our
values and pride as respectful,
decent, dignified and peace-loving
nation, enjoying the blessings of
democracy.
This day, the 70th International
Human Rights Day, we take the
challenge of our many Filipinos
heroes, Jose Rizal, Apolinario
Mabini, Jose Diokno, Ninoy Aquino
and many others to defend democracy
and create transformative spaces,
in our families, neighborhoods,
schools, parishes and in rural and
urban communities.
The first step begins by reclaiming
our humanity, our soul as citizens
STATEMENTS B5
FILE PHOTO
REV. FR. TERESITO L. SUGANOB
Prelature of Marawi
MINDANAO UNIVERSITIES
AND COLLEGES
FR. KAREL S. SAN JUAN, SJ
President, Ateneo de Zamboanga
University
FR. ROBERTO C. YAP, SJ
President, Xavier University –
Ateneo de Cagayan
FR. JOEL E. TABORA, SJ
President, Ateneo de Davao
University
REV. MSGR. JULIUS C. RODULFA
President, Holy Cross of Davao
College
REV. FR. JOHN CHRISTIAN U.
YOUNG
President, Father Saturnino Urios
University
MINDANAO PEACE CENTER
MS. MYLA LEGURO
Catholic Relief Services
of this country we love and cherish
with our lives.
As we continue responding to
our call in prophetic witnessing as
AMRSP, we stand with our Bishops
and with all the Human Rights
Advocates. We stand with all the
victims of EJK and their bereaved
families. We pray for their safety.
We stand against impunity. We
stand together as movements in
solidarity with the United Nations
in preserving and calling for ALL
HUMAN RIGHTS FOR ALL!
Fr. Cielito Almazan,OFM
Sr. Regina Kuizon,RGS
AMRSP Co-Chairpersons
December 10, 2018
B6 REFLECTIONS
The cause of the poor - central to The mission to set
the program of Jesus people free from all
3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, (Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21)
National Bible Sunday, January 27, 2019
By Msgr. Lope C. Robredillo, SThD
THE second segment of today’s
Gospel (Luke 4:14-21) fulfills a
programmatic function for the
Gospel and the Book of Acts, as it
serves as a preface to Jesus’ public
ministry, in which Jesus made his
inaugural speech. What was Jesus
trying to say? Since he was quoting
from Trito-Isaiah, which promised
freedom to the Jewish exiles in
Babylonia in 6th century BC, he was
actually saying that the liberation
of his people is being fulfilled in his
person, in his talk and in his walk:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon
me, because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He sent me to proclaim freedom
for the prisoners, and recovery of
sight for the blind, to release the
oppressed, to proclaim the year of
the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19).
Thus, Jesus assumed the role of a
liberator of the underprivileged to
which the downtrodden, the blind,
the imprisoned debtors and the poor
belong.
Jesus’ cause is the liberation of
the underprivileged. One wonders
whether Philippine Presidents fulfill
the promises they made at their
inaugural speech, but Jesus really
carried out his program, as can be
seen from the rest of Luke’s Gospel.
Though his friendship with some
rich people, on scholarly grounds,
could be put into question, there is
not a single iota of doubt that his life
The unpopular task of a prophet —
denunciation of evil, injustice and corruption
4th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, (Luke 4:21-30)
February 3, 2019
By Msgr. Lope C. Robredillo, SThD
THE PHILIPPINES IS basically an
agricultural country; it is not an
industrialized one.  But it is a country
where most people are suffering
because, as the Second Plenary
Council of the Philippines noted,
realities of injustice are embedded
in its political, economic and
cultural systems.  Take for example
the economic condition, which
is tragically characterized by an
appalling mass poverty.  “Such an
abnormal economic situation is
partly attributable to inequitable
ownership of assets particularly land,
to an oligarchic power system, to
misconceived economic policies, to
the prevailing economic structures,
and to population growth which
tends to be concentrated among the
poor, increasing the competition
among them for land and unskilled
jobs.  Thus economic gains do not
‘trickle down’ to the poor.”  In face
of such a situation, what ought to be
the stance of a Christian?
If, as noted in last Sunday’s
Gospel, Jesus had a pro-poor
program, we, as a Christian
community, should follow suit by
was dominated by a ministry to the
poor. His words of consolation, his
preaching of the kingdom, his words
of forgiveness, his healings and
exorcisms, his table fellowship were
almost without exception directed
to those who belong to the lower
rungs of the Jewish society. While
Presidents may not take seriously
the pledged they have made during
their inaugural speech (probably
there being no intention to fulfill
them), there is scarcely any question
that Jesus was consistent with what
he said in his programmatic talk: the
poor was his cause.
One major problem with the
way we lived our Christianity in
history is that instead of taking up
again the cause of Christ, many
of us have so made Jesus an icon
that we have almost forgotten his
cause. Of course, to make him an
icon is reasonable enough. He was
no ordinary man; he was really
God, and early in the history of
the Church, there were already
the rudimentary beginnings of
the tradition of worshipping him.
“Therefore God exalted him in the
highest place and gave him the name
that is above every name, that at the
name of Jesus every knee should
bow, in heaven and on earth and
under the earth, and every tongue
shall confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord to the glory of God the Father”
(Phil 2:9-11). But whether this
opting for the poor, denouncing
how unjust such a situation is, and
proclaiming that, as a sign that
the Kingdom of God has entered
into our Philippine society, such
an abnormal economic condition
has to be reversed.  According to
the  Compendium of the Social
Teaching of the Church, “The
fight against poverty finds strong
motivation in the option or
preferential love of the Church for
the poor.”  No wonder, when he
addressed the people of the sugar
plantation in Bacolod City on Feb 21,
1981, John Paul II said: “The Church
will not hesitate to take up the cause
of the poor and to become the voice
of those who are not listened in
when they speak up; not to demand
charity but to ask for justice.  Yes,
the preference for the poor is the
Christian preference!”   and rise of many within Israel, and
But ever since John Paul II came
to the country in 1981, one has to
admit that the economic situation
not been reversed.  Ours remains
a society where there is a wide gulf
between the rich and the poor.  And
the challenge remains there—People
should be the dominant feature of
the life of Christianity, this could be
a subject of debate. There should
be celebration of Christian life, that
can be easily conceded, but first
and foremost, there ought to be
a Christian life worth celebrating
about, and that life could only be
patterned after the life of Christ that
is dominated by a ministry to the
underprivileged.
The poor are the losers in human
history. They are cursed, dominated,
taken advantaged of, fooled,
degraded, not counted, oppressed,
used, subjugated, pawned, forgotten,
disenfranchised. In a human society
where they are a majority, one
wonders whether God can be happy
about their lot. In the Old Testament,
God takes the cause of the poor: “I
have witnessed the affliction of my
people… therefore I have come
down to rescue them” (Exod 3:7-8).
In a Christian community, greater
honor is to be given to those from
the underside of history. As Paul, in
the 2nd Reading, puts it, “God has
so constructed the body as to give
greater honor to the lowly members,
that there be no dissention in the
body, but all the members may be
concerned for one another” (1 Cor
12:24-25).
Clearly, if it is to continue
the cause of Christ, the Church
has no alternative but to take up
Cause / B7
of faith must take up the cause of the
poor.  Yet, one has to admit, this is
easier said than done, partly because
it is scary to make that option, as this
might entail loss of privilege and
power.  Indeed, even to preach it is
to invite disaster.  To denounce a
lopsided economic system is to court
opposition. One is easily reminded
by a fave quote from Dom Helder
Camara: “When I give food to the
poor, they call me a saint; but when
I ask why the poor have no food, they
call me a Communist!”  In today’s
Gospel (Luke 4:21-30), this is what
Jesus himself got: the people rejected
him, after realizing the implication
of his words that so much captivated
them.  In Luke’s theology, this
hostility has been adumbrated by
the prophecy of Simeon: “Behold,
this child is destined to cause the fall
to be a sign that is disputed” (Luke
2:34).    The opposition to Jesus will
culminate in his crucifixion, a fate
that, according to the law, a false
prophet deserves (Deut 18:20-22;
Jer 23:9-30).
Unpopular / B7
January 21 - February 3, 2019 Vol. 23 No. 2
forms of evil
3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, (Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21)
National Bible Sunday, January 27, 2019
By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB
JESUS was a man with a mission,
the most difficult and challenging
mission, in fact – to save the whole
of mankind! His mission had already
been described by the prophet Isaiah
when he spoke of the “Servant of
the Lord” in the remarkable words
that Jesus himself proclaimed in
the synagogue of his hometown,
Nazareth:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me;
therefore he has anointed me.
He has sent me to bring glad tidings
to the poor,
to proclaim liberty to captives,
recovery of sight to the blind
and release to prisoners;
to announce a year of favor from
the Lord.”
Jesus applied those prophetic
words to himself and lived them out
to the full. The whole of his “public
life” was a proclamation of glad
tidings to the poor, the afflicted, the
marginalized, the despised, those
who were losing or had already lost
hope . . . . He proclaimed and offered
freedom to those who had been
enslaved by the devil in so many
different ways. He offered the sight
of faith to those who could not see
meaning in what was going on in
their own lives and/or in the world
around them. To all, he opened wide
the gates of the Kingdom, inviting
them to enter and thus begin to
experience the “year of favor from
the Lord.”
Jesus trained His disciples to be
people with a mission, not just any
mission (no matter how enticing),
but that of sharing in his own,
from beginning to end. And after
having sent them on “mission to
the world,” he empowered them
with his Spirit that they might not
fail. This is why, in spite of their
many limitations, the apostles were
able to extend the blessings of the
Strong and faithful to
the end
4th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, (Luke 4:21-30)
February 3, 2019
By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB
PROPHETS are a strange breed of
people. Often a torment to them-
selves and others, they are the
“critical conscience” of God’s people
and of all mankind. Endowed with
a unique knowledge of God’s will
and plan, they evaluate events and
actions against the background of
such knowledge, and then speak
out. They shout even when others
prefer to keep silent. True prophets
are not after popularity, but after
faithfulness to their mission.
It is their strong faith in God and
in the worth of their mission that
keeps them going, in spite of every-
thing. Even when others give up,
they persevere. Even when many
seem not to understand their mes-
sage or question the opportuneness
of raising thorny issues or taking
a certain stance, the authentic
prophets continue their mission
undeterred.
Their loyalty makes them people of
courage and hope. They continue to
hope and dare even though the situa-
tions and misbehavior they denounce
appear to be humanly “hopeless.”
Genuine prophets are always able to
see beyond present crises and dark
clouds. They perceive and outline the
prospect of better days, provided that
the evildoers repent and return to the
Lord. They believe in God’s justice
and proclaim it, but they also exhort
all to trust in His mercy.
Although they may have to say
unpleasant things about certain in-
dividuals or groups or nations, the
prophets do so not out of hatred or
bitterness, but only out of genuine
concern for the salvation of those
who have gone astray. They pro-
claim that God does not want the
death of sinners but their conversion
and salvation. (See Ez 18:23 and
33:11.) A prophet shares in God’s
CBCP Monitor
Kingdom to numerous nations and
to lead millions to the peace of that
Kingdom.
Their successors picked up from
where the apostles had left off and
continued through the centuries
to make present and operative the
Gospel of life and love proclaimed
by Christ in words and deeds.
We call these successors of the
“Apostles,” “Popes” and “Bishops.”
They are our leaders because they
have been chosen by the Lord Jesus
to fulfill this role in the Church. They
make Jesus present to us in a special
manner.
But sharing in the mission of
Christ is not the privilege of bishops
and priests alone. It is the right and
duty of all the baptized. It is the
privilege of each of us. We, too, have
our mission to accomplish within
the wider mission of the Church,
the collective “Servant of Yahweh.”
The situation of the world in which
we live is neither better nor much
worse than what it was in the time
of Christ and his apostles. Even now
there are so many aberrations to be
corrected, injustices to be rectified,
abuses to be curbed. There are so
many forms of man’s inhumanity
to man. A certain “culture of
death” seems to be expanding at
unrelenting speed. This is why a
“New Evangelization” is needed.
On the other hand, there is a
“civilization of life and love” to be
proposed as a visible manifestation
of the Kingdom of God on earth. This
civilization has to be created and
nurtured. People must be taught,
once again, to appreciate respect,
and promote life. We must teach
them, by word and example, how to
love the way Christ taught us. These
are the features of the Kingdom
today. Much of the success of this
all-important enterprise depends
on how we accomplish our mission
day by day.
concern for them and gives his/her
best to make God’s saving “strategy”
succeed.
It is this concern for the salvation
of sinners that brought the very Son
of God to come to earth on mission.
Even before his earthly birth, God’s
Son knew that he would be mis-
understood, maligned, slandered,
accused falsely and eventually put
to death by crucifixion. But in spite
of all those “deterrents,” he went
on implementing the Father’s plan
with a brave heart. He endured the
rejection mounted by his own people
at Nazareth without retaliating. He
simply passed through their midst,
leaving them unharmed to reflect
on the gravity of the crime they had
committed.
And when the harrowing things
that had been written in the books
of the prophets about the Messiah
came to pass, Jesus did not balk.
He stood at his post, even when his
whole body shivered and drops of
perspiration turned to blood. In
the midst of that torment, Jesus
was also deserted by his disciples
and betrayed by the one he trusted
most. But he did not back off. He
did not rebel. Rather, he sought his
refuge in prayer not to try “to twist
God’s arm,” but to receive from Him
the strength he needed to remain
faithful to the end. In his anguish,
he did ask his Father that – if pos-
sible – he might be spared the com-
ing tortures, as any of us who is not
a masochist would have done. But
his conclusion was: “Your will, not
mine, be done!” And so it happened.
Jesus paid the hefty price of his
obedience unto death with un-
flinching heart. He thereby left us
a wonderful example of how we
should accomplish our mission with
generous faithfulness.
CBCP Monitor January 21 - February 3, 2019 Vol. 23 No. 2
The challenge to protect children in 2019
By Fr. Shay Cullen, MSSC
THE world in 2019 has to wake
up to the prevalence of child sexual
abuse and everyone has to act
more decisively about it. Parents,
politicians and citizens must be
aware that this is a horrendous
crime and all must do much more
to prevent it and rescue and cure
the child victims and bring the
perpetrators to justice, convict and
jail them.
Sexual abuse of young girls
and boys is being revealed as
commonplace. This is the dark
dirty secret of depraved men
and some women. They prey on
children to get sexual satisfaction
for their twisted often-brutal sexual
desires. But the complacency of
society and strong liberal trends in
human relationships among adults
should not give any opening for the
tolerance or trivializations of sexual
molestation, acts of abuse or rape of
anyone.
Child sexual abuse is not the
act of a few depraved men, called
monsters, hiding in alleyways.
This profile of a child abuser is
wrong. The abuser or rapist (mostly
men) is an outwardly, friendly,
apparently kind, smiling, generous
but manipulative person and is a
secretly dangerous predator. No one
profession seems to be beyond the
acts of sexual abuse of children and
young girls.
Even biological fathers, brothers,
cousins, grandfathers, live-in
partners, family friends, boyfriends,
a cardinal, bishops, priests, doctors,
professors, teachers, laborers, sports
coaches, swimming instructors and
even presidents themselves abuse
children. The Philippine president
admitted recently that he too fell into
temptation when he was a teenager
and sexually abused a maid when
she was sleeping, causing outrage,
and the revelation is denied as true
by the government press office.
People in general treat these acts
of abuse with too light an attitude of
Divorce / B2
of rights, such impediments are
necessarily very few, and unless
explicitly stated or reserved to the
Holy See, can be dispensed by the
Local Ordinary for his own subjects
wherever they may be and for all
other persons actually present in
his own territory (c.1078, §1). Very
briefly, these impediments are:
1) Age (c.1083): The Codex has
established that a man cannot
validly contract marriage before
he has completed his 16th year, and
likewise a woman before her 14th
year. However, it is within the power
of individual bishops’ conferences
to establish an older minimum age.
In the Philippines, the CBCP has
established 18 years as the minimum
age for both men and women. So if
a man can prove that he was only 17
years and 11 months old when he got
married in Church, he can contest
the validity of that marriage on the
ground of lack of age.
2) Impotence (c.1084): Inability
to have marital intercourse—
whether on the part of the woman
or on the part of the man—which is
antecedent to the marriage (present
even before the marriage) and
perpetual in nature (i.e., not just
transitory), whether relative (just
with this partner) or absolute (with
any partner) of its very nature
invalidates a marriage. Thus, if a
woman can prove that her husband
had not been able to consummate
their marriage from their marriage
night and thereafter, she can sue for
nullity based on impotence of her
husband. This impediment cannot
be dispensed, since the marital
union belongs to the very nature of
marriage.
3) Bond of prior marriage
(c.1085): A person who is held to
the bond of a prior marriage, even
if it has not been consummated,
cannot validly contract another
marriage. Furthermore, even if a
prior marriage were to be deemed
invalid, it is not licit for a person
to contract another marriage until
the nullity of the prior marriage
has been legitimately declared. This
impediment cannot be dispensed,
since that would violate one of the
essential properties of marriage
which is monogamy.
4) Disparity of cult (c.1086):
A Catholic, who has not left the
Church by means of a formal act,
tolerance and resignation perhaps
but the value of human dignity is
greatly diminished everywhere by
every single act of abuse. This leads
to the degradation of society and
the descent of the human race into
a child-abusing species. Humanity
itself is tarnished and degraded.
No other species is known to abuse
their own offspring other than our
cousins- the chimpanzees- and this
is rare of them. They know no better
and do not have reason. They cannot
exercise thinking and do not have
a moral sense of right and wrong,
good and bad, true and false. Nor
do they have free will to choose good
or bad. They follow their instincts.
But we humans do have reason
and free will to choose to do good
or bad and that’s what makes us
human. Indifference, apathy,
inaction, leaving it to others
and doing nothing ourselves
is an intolerable silence. That
can be looking the other way
when we know of a child having
been abused because we are
afraid to speak out and afraid
to challenge both the abuser
and the system that allows it.
Child abuse happens with great
frequency from bullying, physical
and verbal abuse to sexual abuse
and child rape. In many cases the
authorities and society ignore it.
Even parents ignore the abuse of
their own children at times when
it is in their interests to do so.
An 11-year old child, Shane,
is a victim of abuse and her
traumatic experience began when
her stepfather began to hurt her
physically and threaten her with a
knife. He began to sexually molest
her while her mother looked on. Her
mother said, “Daddy is just being
affectionate to you.” Shane resisted
at first but was overpowered and
forced to suffer the pain and fear.
She ran to the streets to escape.
Whenever she was brought back
to the house by relatives or the
cannot validly marry a non-baptized
person. This impediment can be
dispensed by the local Ordinary if
there is reasonable cause, provided
the following conditions are fulfilled:
(c.1125)
1° the Catholic party declares that
he/she is prepared to remove any
danger of falling away from the faith
and makes a sincere promise to do
all in his/her power to have all the
children baptized and brought up in
the Catholic Church;
2° the non-baptized party should
be informed at an appropriate
time of the promises which the
Catholic party has to make, and is
not opposed to them;
3° both parties should be
instructed on the essential ends
and properties of marriage, which
both parties must agree to.
5) Bond of Holy Orders
(c.1087): A person who is in Holy
Orders cannot validly contract
marriage. Such a bond ceases when
a priest is reduced to the lay state
(laicized) and dispensed from the
promise of celibacy—and such
dispensation is reserved to the Holy
See.
6) Bond of Religion (c.1088):
A person who is bound by a public
perpetual vow of chastity in a
religious institute cannot validly
contract marriage. This impediment
can be dispensed by the Local
Ordinary, unless the religious
institute in question is of pontifical
right, in which case it can only be
dispensed by the Holy See (c.1078,
§2).
7) Kidnap (c.1089): A woman
who has been abducted or detained
for the purpose of contracting
marriage with her cannot validly
contract marriage, unless the
woman—after she has been
separated from her abductor and
established in a place where she is
safe and free—of her own accord
still chooses to contract marriage.
This provision only applies to
women: the Law itself recognizes the
particular vulnerability of women to
external coercion and has created a
presumption of Law that a situation
of captivity automatically violates
her freedom as regards matrimonial
consent.
8) Crime (c.1090): A person
who for the purpose of contracting
marriage with another person has
PHOTO COURTESY OF CWS
authorities to be abused again, no
one asked her why she was unhappy
at home. Had they done so, she
may have revealed the sexual abuse
she endured. Preda Foundation
social workers heard about the
case and rescued the child and she
is recovering at the Preda Home
in Subic, Zambales. Do we have a
model to exemplify the terrible hurt
and suffering endured by the child
victims? The institutional Church
has recognized only two child
victims with sainthood, martyrdom,
and beatification as child victims
who resisted attempted rape and
were murdered.
Saint Maria Goretti (October 16,
1890 – July 6, 1902) was a poor
11-year-old girl living with her family
in the house of Giovanni Serenelli.
Her father died when she was nine
brought about the death of that
person’s spouse or one’s own spouse
cannot validly contract marriage.
Likewise, two persons—who have
brought about the death of the spouse
of one of them through mutual
physical or moral cooperation—
cannot validly contract marriage
with each other. This impediment
can only be dispensed by the
Apostolic See (c.1078, §2).
9) Consanguinity (c.1091): Two
persons related by blood within a
certain degree of proximity cannot
validly contract marriage as follows:
— All degrees in the direct
line—i.e., between all ancestors
and descendants—whether they
be related legitimately or only
naturally;
— Up to the 4 th degree in the
collateral line—i.e., a marriage
would be invalid between 1st cousins,
and also between nephew and aunt
or between niece and uncle, but valid
between 2nd cousins. This can be
dispensed up to the 3rd degree (thus
1st cousins, or aunt and nephew or
uncle and niece), but never the 2nd
degree (never between siblings)
(c.1078, §3).
10) Affinity (c.1092): This refers
to the relationship between a person
and the blood relatives of his/her
spouse—i.e., his in-laws. A person
is impeded from contracting a valid
marriage with the blood relatives
in the direct line—i.e., parents and
children (from a previous union) of
his/her deceased spouse. There is no
impediment regarding relatives in
the collateral line (siblings, cousins,
etc.) of one’s deceased spouse,
the reason being many times they
constitute the best candidate to
take over the role of one’s deceased
spouse, especially as regards the
orphaned children.
11) Public Propriety (c.1093):
This impediment invalidates a
marriage between a person and the
blood relatives in the 1st degree of
the direct line (parent or child) of
his/her common-law partner or
publicly-known live-in partner.
12) Adoption (c.1094): Marriage
is invalid between persons who are
related in any degree in the direct
line (parents and children) or in
the 2nd degree of the collateral line
(step-brothers and step-sisters) by
legal adoption.
(To be continued.)
years old. The son of Serenelli,
Alessandro, sexually assaulted her
one day when all the family were
in the fields working at the harvest.
He threatened her with a knife but
she resisted and he stabbed her
repeatedly. She died soon after in
the hospital. Forty-eight years later,
in1950, she was made a saint. She
had fought her would be rapist and
died for it.
Anna Kalesarova was a 16-year old
girl in Slovakia. In 1944, she was in
her home when a Russian soldier
from the occupying army entered
the house and sexually assaulted
her. She resisted the attempted
rape and the soldier shot her in the
head. On 1 September 2018, Pope
Francis declared her a “Martyr”
and “Blessed.” These young girls
are not the only ones to resist being
Cause / B6
the cause of the poor. She should
be a Church of the poor, as John
XXIII has already noted, a poor
Church. As a Christian community,
it is incumbent upon us to make an
option for the poor in a situation
in which the bulk of humanity is
poor. As St. John Paul II said in
Centesimus Annus, the Church
“has become more aware of the fact
that too many people live not in the
prosperity of the Western world
but in the poverty of the developing
Unpopular / B6
            In the Bible, denunciation of
such a situation and living a life that
witnesses to that denunciation is the
task of a prophet; he is commissioned
to stand up and tell the word of the
Lord “against Judah’s kings and
princes, against its priests and
people.  They will fight against you”
(Jeremiah, 1:18-19, First Reading).
We are supposed to be a prophetic
people, but who would like to preach
a gospel that would bring in one’s
oppositionists, harassers, enemies,
and assassins?  Is it not dangerous
to tell people and live accordingly
that as a nation we should “do away
with greed, selfishness, unhealthy
competition and the concentration
of power and wealth in the hands
of the few” in order to have true
economic development?  Who is
ready to “infuse moral principles
that put face of God and the many
faces of the poor” into our “economic
relationships, policies, programs and
structures” (CBCP, Exhortation on
Philippine Economy) and testify to it
by the life one lives?   And who likes
to live like Jeremiah who practiced
what he preached?   Who would
be happy to be called an ingrate,
leftist, and be harassed, indicted
and imprisoned for espousing such
a cause?  Who likes to die like Jesus
himself at a young age at that, when
there is so much opportunity to
live, and live comfortably?   Who is
prepared to part with his sumptuous
meal, his car of the latest model, his
unrestricted travel, his signature
clothes, his fat deposit in the bank?
Oh, how much better to save
one’s skin!  And various are the
ways of doing it.  One is to align
one’s self with the oppressors
of the poor, even waltzing with
them.   Who knows?—one would
SOCIAL CONCERNS B7
sexually assaulted and raped. There
are many brave and courageous
children today fighting back against
their rapists. Some are killed by their
would-be rapists and some survive.
So we can say that all the children
who resist being raped are emulating
Maria and Anna and can share in
their sainthood and martyrdom as
declared by the Church. They are
equally virtuous and courageous.
They too can be considered children
worthy of sainthood as Jesus himself
said they are the most important
in the world. To accept them is to
accept Him (Matt.18:1- 8). To abuse
them is to abuse Him. Child abuse
is a despicable crime. There has
to be continuous protests at every
incident, a clamor for justice and
a complete end to tolerance and
indifference.
countries amid conditions which
are still ‘a yoke little better than
that of slavery itself”, he has felt
and continues to feel obliged to
denounce this fact with absolute
clarity and frankness” (n 61). We
do not only talk, we walk our talk.
Jesus’ life was a witness to his cause:
he was poor, he had nothing to lay
his head on, he died poor, and in
solidarity with the oppressed. The
lifestyle of both clergy and laity
ought to be a witness to poverty.
even receive thick envelopes that
contain millions, get promoted, and
live luxuriously.  After all, no one will
bother about the collusion, because
power and wealth are on one’s side;
the protest of the poor are never
heard, anyway.   As long as one is on
the side of those in power, he would
even be allowed to bark, provided
he does not bite.  Another is simply
to stop talking. One does not give
a damn about economic injustice,
about lopsided economy, about
progressive pauperization. Speak
no evil!  By doing so, one does not
create opposition and enemies.  Why
eat threats for breakfast
unnecessarily?  Still another is to
look the other way, and probably
the best recourse is to offer people
bread and circuses.  The poor will
forget about their hunger; they will
be entertained.  Of course, many of
us take one or two of these lines of
action, and still profess to uphold
the values of Christianity.  After
all, one can always reason out that
there is no use in uttering the Gospel
to the poor, knowing that it would
ultimately put the preacher six
feet below the ground.  A live cat is
always better than a dead lion!  How
much better to be accepted, to be
honored, especially by the power-
that-be in our political, religious,
economic and cultural world! 
No wonder, the world suffers from
a lack of real prophets!  
For all that, however, this Sunday’s
Gospel is precisely a challenge to all
of us.  It invites us to take up the cause
of Christian prophecy, however
dangerous and discouraging it may
be, even as Jesus made it his own
option, in order that our society
might give witness to the presence
of God’s kingdom in the world.
B8 ENTERTAINMENT January 21 - February 3, 2019 Vol. 23 No. 2 CBCP Monitor

Buhay San Miguel Brothers Matias

Aurora TERIBOL OG Bladimer Usi

DIRECTOR: Yam Laranas
LEAD CAST: Anne Curtis, Phoebe
Villamor, Allan Paule, Marc
Gumabao, Mercedes Cabral &
Ricardo Cepeda
SCREENWRITER: Yam Laranas,
Gin de Mesa
PRODUCER: Vic del Rosario,
Vincent Paolo Fernandez
EDITOR: Yam Laranas & Rico
Testa
MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Oscar
Folgelström
GENRE: Horror Thriller
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Yam
Laranas
DISTRIBUTOR: Viva Films
LOCATION: Batanes, Philippines
RUNNING TIME: 108 mins.
Technical assessment: 3.5

Moral assessment: 2.5
MTRCB rating: PG
Nasa gitna ng emosyonal na
kaguluhan si Leana (Anne
Curtis). Kailangan niyang
itaguyod ang kanyang
nakababatang kapatid na si
Rita (Villamor) subalit hindi na
niya maasahan ang kaniyang
paupahang inn sa tabing dagat
matapos lumubog ang barkong
“Aurora” na ikinamatay ng
lahat nitong pasahero liban
lang sa isa. Nakukunsensya
siya sa pananamantala sa
mga nasawi sa lumubog na
barko pero kailangan niyang
kumita ng pera. Papaano
niya pagtutugmain ang mga
kasalungatang ito?
Ang layunin ng “horror” ay
manakot. Iba’t iba ang istilong
pwedeng gamitin — gulat,
kilabot, pagdanak ng dugo,
misteryo, at iba pa. Minsan
nga ay pormula na ang ritmo
nito na kaya mo nang hulaan
ang mangyayari. Pero sa
kabila ng mga pamamaraan,
dapat pa ring mangibabaw
ang kwento at pagkukwento.
Genre lamang ang horror. Ang
malaking problema ng Aurora
ay naipit ito sa pagdiriin sa
tatak ng horror kaysa sa
kwento nito. Napakaganda
sana ng umpisa ng pelikula.
Aakalain mong gawang
banyaga dahil sa husay ng
kuha at pagkakakulay nito.
Dagdag pa ang nakadadalang
musical score ni Oscar
Fogelstrom. Pero habang
tumatagal at dapat sana’y
lumalalim ang kwento, ay
nagiging malabnaw ang
katauhan ni Leana at naipit
na lang sa panggugulat at
pagdagsa ng mga multo ang
kwento. Maganda ang mga
kuhang panorama subalit
kapag sa malapitan ay
Buhay Parokya
nawawalan na ito ng pagka-
makatotohanan pagkat FIND 3 MISSING THINGS:
halatang ito ay mga CGI 1. JESUS CHRIST
lamang — halimbawa, sobrang 2. ST. JOHN PAUL II
malinis at walang sira ang 3. HOLY DOVE
barko, parang laruan lamang
na napasadsad sa batuhan.
Sa sobrang abala sa itsura at
pakiramdam, dalawang bagay
ang nagkulang sa Aurora — ang
maayos na pagkukwento at
ang maging isang talagang
nakakatakot na horror movie.
(Mas naging akma pa marahil
kung tinawag na lang itong
Drama, Mystery, Supense at
Thriller).
“Kapit sa patalim.” Ito
ang bukang bibig ng mga
taong gipit o nasa bingit ng
trahedya. Para bang kayang
pagtakpan ang anumang
desisyon — mabuti, masama,
moral man o hindi — basta’t
mailigtas lamang ang sarili.
Sa isang banda, ito ay likas
s a t a o  —  a n g i l i g t a s a n g
sarili. May mas magandang
tawag sa wikang Ingles na
walang tuwirang katumbas
sa Filipino — “human”. Hindi
lamang tayo basta “tao”
(people)… tayo ay “human
beings” —  m ga nilalang na
may pagpapakatao. Kaya’t
ang bawat desisyon ay hindi
lamang para sa sariling
kapakanan kundi naayon din
sa mga moral na kalalabasan
nito. Ipinakita sa pelikula
na kapag nangibabaw
ang pagkamakasarili
sa pagpapakatao, walang
katapusan ang sakit at
pagdurusang mangyayari.
Ang paglalaban ng
pangangailangan at ng
nararapat sa katauhan ni
Leana — at ang ibinunga
nitong tapang upang harapin
niya ang mga ganid —  a ng
siyang nagsilbing budhi ng
pelikula.

Mary, Marry Me
Director: RC Delos Reyes
Lead Cast: Toni Gonzaga, Alex
Gonzaga, Sam Milby
Screenwriter: Mika Garcia-
Lagman, Juvy Galamiton
Producer: Paul Soriano, Toni
Gonzaga
Editor: Mark Cyril Bautista.
Noah Tonga
Musical Director: Len Calvo
Genre: Romance Comedy
Cinematographer: Tey Clamor,
Yves Jamero
Distributor: Star Cinema
Location: Philippines
Running Time: 107 minutes
Technical assessment: 3.5
Moral assessment: 3.0
CINEMA rating: V14
MTRCB rating: PG
Mahigpit ang bigkis ng
kumakapit sa magkapatid na
Mary Jane (Toni Gonzaga) at
Mary Ann (Alex Gonzaga).
Bilang nakatatanda, mapag-
bigay si Mary Jane sa kapa-
tid. Kaya’t nang biglaang
pumanaw ang kanilang mga
magulang noong sila’y mga
bata pa, si Mary Jane na
rin ang tumayong magulang
ni Mary Ann. Kaya’t laking
lungkot na lamang nito nang
napilitan siyang ipaubaya
sa kanilang tiyahin si Mary
Ann papuntang Amerika sa
paghahangad ng mas magan-
dang kinabukasan sa kapatid.
Kaakibat nito ang pangakong
babalikan niya at kukuning
muli si Mary Ann. Lumipas
ang panahon, hindi nagawang
balikan ni Mary Jane si Mary
Ann kaya’t sa pagbabalik- Pili-
pinas ni Mary Jane, handang
nitong gawin ang lahat para sa
kapatid — maging ang pagig-
ing wedding coordinator ng
kasal nito. Yun nga lang, ang
lalaking pakakasalan ni Mary
Ann ay si Pete (Sam Milby) na
nagkataong dating kasintahan
ni Mary Jane. Makabawi na
kaya siya sa pagkukulang sa
kapatid? O mas lalo pa siyang
magkakaron ng kasalanan
dito? Paano kung hindi pa
pala siya nakaka-move-on
kay Pete?
Maganda at aliw ang kon-
septo ng pelikula na akmang-
akma sa romcom genre nito.
Nakakaaliw panoorin ang
magkapatid na Gonzaga na
gumaganap din bilang mag-
kapatid. Kita ang pagiging
totoo nilang magkapatid.
Matindi rin ang on-screen
chemistry ng tambalang
Sam at Toni. Ang mga pa-
tawang tauhan ay sadyang
nakakaaliw din. Lumutang
ang pagiging aktres ni Alex
sa pelikulang ito — kaya ni-
yang magpatawa at mag-
drama nang hindi bumibitaw
sa karakter. Mahusay ang
pelikula sa mga maliliit na
eksenang nagpapakita ng
relasyon — mga eksenang
nag-uusap at naglalabas ng
saloobin o kaya’y simpleng
isipin ang mga tauhan. Yun
nga lang, tila yata nagkulang
sa paghagod ng damdamin
pagdating sa anggulo ng love
triangle ang pelikula. Hindi
malinaw kung paano nga ba
unang tinanggap ng mag-
kapatid na sila ay parehas
na-in-love sa iisang lalaki sa
magkaibang lugar at pana-
hon? Wala rin gaanong bigat
ang papel ni Milby para pag-
agawan at pang-hawakan.
Mga bagay na hindi gaanong
malinaw. Tuloy hindi matindi
ang epekto at daloy ng dam-
damin sa aspetong ito. Sino
nga ba ang tunay na kaawa-
awa sa dalawang magkapa-
tid? Iyong nagsakripisyo ng
nakaraang pag-ibig o iyong
nasira ang pagmamahalan sa
hinaharap?
Malinaw na sentro ng peli- lahat sa kapatid. Hindi man
kula ang pagmamahalan sa katanggap-tanggap sa mata
pagitan ng dalawang mag- ng marami, kahanga-hanga
kapatid na babae — sissy love pa rin ito kung tutuusin dahil
o sisterly love kung tawagin. tunay ang pagpapakumbaba
Ipinakitang higit pa ito sa ni Mary Jane. Ang tunay na
romantikong pag-iibigan — na nagmamahal, nagpaparaya
posibleng piliin ang pamilya at kinakalimutan ang sarili.
higit sa puso. Kahanga-hanga May ilang mga eksena nga
ang pagpapahalagang ib- lang na nagpapahiwatig ng
inigay ng pelikula dito. Ang pagiging “liberated” ni Mary
kapatid ay kapatid anu pa Ann —  a ndiyang magkatabi
man ang mangyari —  n ari- na silang matulog ni Pete, at
yan ang pagsasakripisyo at ang kanyang pagiging bokal
pagpapatawaran. Kapansin- sa pagnanasa ditto — bagama’t
pansin lang na tila yata di ginawang katatawanan, na-
gaanong naipagtanggol ni kakabahala pa rin ito sa mga
Mary Jane ang kanyang sarili batang manonood. Maliban
kay Mary Ann, na wala siyang dito, maayos naman ang
hindi ginawa para sa kapatid. mensahe ng pelikula sa ka-
Pero marahil, parte ito ng buuan. Sa ganang CINEMA,
kanyang karakter, ang hindi naaangkop ang pelikula sa
maging makasarili. Kung mga manonood 14-gulang
kaya’t ipinaubaya na niyang pataas.
 THE CROSS
A Supplement Publication of the Order of the Knights of Columbus and KCFAPI
CBCP Monitor Vol. 23, No. 02 January 21 - February 3, 2019

DDs gather
for midyear
evaluation
meeting
TO start the year 2019, the ties’ Mid Year Evaluation Meeting on Janu-
ary 12, 2019 at Iloilo Convention Center.
Philippine Jurisdictions It was attended by District Deputies from
hold different schedules Western Visayas Region consisting of
for the Midyear Evaluation two Archdioceses and 5 Dioceses. A day
Meeting of District Deputies prior, the State Officers and the Diocesan
Program Coordinators had their Execu-
through the initiative of the tive Evaluation Meeting at Carlos Cafe,
State Deputies: Bro. Jose C. Mandurriao, Iloilo City.
Reyes, Jr. (Luzon North), The activity was capped by a Thanks-
Bro. Ramoncito A. Ocampo giving Mass celebrated by Fr. Kenneth
Espelita, Parish Priest of Bingawan and
(Luzon South), Bro. Anthony a scholar of the Knights of Columbus
P. Nazario (Visayas) and Bro. through its Foundation, the Knights of Co-
Gerry Eutemio T. Mission lumbus Fr. George J. Willmann Charities,
(Mindanao) participated Inc. After the mass, the Appreciation Din-
ner proceeded to honor the 20 incumbent
by the different District and former State Officers of the Visayas
Deputies in the country. Jurisdiction.
Last January 12 to 13, the Luzon North The Mindanao Jurisdiction also held
Jurisdiction held their Evaluation Meeting its first series of Evaluation Meeting last
at the Crown Legacy Hotel, Baguio City. Its January 12 to 13, 2019 at the Pagadian Bay
State Deputy, Bro. Reyes, Jr. gave the Call Plaza Hotel.
to Order and the State Deputies’ Report. Other schedule of District Deputies’
He also gave a talk about the Knights of Midyear Meeting this year are as follows:
Columbus Insurance and Benefits, being for the Luzon South Jurisdiction, it will
the Chairman of the Knights of Columbus be held on January 26-27 at the Bellevue
Fraternal Association of the Philippines, Hotel, Muntinlupa City; for the Visayas
Inc. Rev. Msgr. Pedro C. Quitorio III, Jurisdiction, it will be on January 19 at
KCFAPI Spiritual Director and Assistant Borongan Eastern Samar for the DDs in
State Chaplain led the Prayer for Our Lady, Eastern Visayas and Cebu for those in Cen-
Help of Persecuted Christians and the tral Visayas. On the other hand, the Min-
Prayer for Priests. He also presided over danao Jurisdiction will also have another
the celebration of the Holy Eucharist on set of DDs Midyear Meeting in Butuan
the second day. City on January 26 to 27 and Digos City on
In Photo: North Luzon District Deputy Mid-Year Meeting held last January 12 to 13, 2019 at the Crown Legacy Hotel, Baguio City,
Meanwhile, the Knights of Columbus February 23 to 24 for Regions 11 and 12. Visayas District Deputy Mid-Year Meeting held last January 12, 2019 at the Iloilo Convention Center and the Mindanao District Deputy
Visayas Jurisdiction held its District Depu- (APNazario/JSServiento) Mid-Year Meeting held last January 12 to 13, 2018 at the Pagadian Bay Plaza Hotel.

KC Philippines Update: KC Foundations:

Tropical Depression Usman Hit
FR. ROBERT T. YOUNG is His connection with the
a new Board of Trustee of order is very deep given
the Knights of Columbus Fr. that he sat as Promotor of

Northern Samar
BARELY a week before
the end of 2018, Tropical
Depression Usman hit
Northern Samar bringing
heavy rains causing flash
floods in several areas. The
heavily affected area was the
Municipality of Lope de Vega
leaving thousands homeless.
There were about a hundred
Brother Knights and their
families who suffered from
lack of clothing and clean
water to drink. As immediate
response, Brother Knights
from Samar raised funds and
donated used clothing. The
amount collected was used
to buy bottled water and
canned goods. Together with
the clothing donated, these
items were subsequently
George J. Willmann Charities,
Inc. (KCFGJWCI). He is also
the incumbent president
of the KofC Priest Scholars
Association.
Fr. Robert finished
Ecclesiastical Philosophy
and AB Philosophy in the
year 1999 at the Sacred
Heart Seminary, Bacolod
City and UNO – Recoletos,
Bacolod City, respectively.
He also finished Bachelor
in Theology, with Summa
Cum Laude distinction, in the
year 2002 and Licentiate in
Canon Law, with Magna Cum
Laude distinction, in 2010
Visayas Jurisdiction during their relief drive for Brother Knights and their families affected at the University of Santo
by Tropical Depression Usman. Tomas. In the year 2016 he
earned his Doctorate in Canon
delivered to the Parish As of this day, the Visayas Law, with Magna Cum Laude
Church in Lope de Vega Jurisdiction is still accepting distinction, at the Pontifical
where many Brother Knights donations for Lope de Vega. University of the Holy Cross,
awaited the help. (APNazario) Rome as a scholar of the
KCFGJWCI.
Justice for the Diocesan
Inquiry on the Case of Alleged
Miraculous Cure invoking the
intercession of Venerable Fr.
Michael J. McGivney, founder
of the Knights of Columbus
in the Philippines for his
Cause of Beatification. He is
also an active member of the
order and had his 1st degree
exemplification in Knights
of Columbus Council No.
5774 at the Most Holy Trinity
Parish Balic- Balic Manila.
While in Rome studying for
his Doctorate in Canon Law,
he was affiliated with US
Navy Naples Council together
with other Filipino Clergy in
Rome where he earned his
4th degree exemplification.
At present, he is part of the
Knights of Columbus Military
Overseas Europe District
Assembly No. 3373 based in
Ramstein Airbase, Germany.
Fr. Robert is occupying the
following functions at the
Prelature of Batanes: Judicial
Vicar, Member – Board
of Consultors, Member –
Presbyteral Council, Member
– Financial Council. He is
also an Associate Judge at
the Metropolitan Tribunal
of Manila, Archdiocese of
Manila, Defender of Bond at
the Diocesan Tribunal of the
Diocese of Novaliches and
Resident Guest Priest at the
Most Holy Trinity Parish,
Balic-Balic Sampaloc Manila.
(JDPalafox)

North Luzon Deputy, Justice Jose C. Reyes, Jr. together with Luzon North State Secretary, Pascual C. Carbero and Ways
and Means Chairman, Bro. Alex Alvaira and some KCFAPI Officers during the North Luzon Jurisdiction first Pondo Para Sa
Konseho raffle draw last December 10, 2018. KCFAPI Chairman, Jose C. Reyes, Jr. together with KCFAPI EVP, Ma. Theresa G. Curia, KCFAPI Officers and The Holy Trinity College
Seminary Choir during their annual caroling at KCFAPI Center last December 19, 2018.
C2 January 21 - February 3, 2019, Vol 23, No. 02 THE CROSS
Ramoncito A. Ocampo Jose C. Reyes, Jr.

President’s Chairman’s Message

Message
Aim Higher than High

Faith Renewed: 2019 Traslacion AS we start the new year, let’s set our We are not all called to be martyrs but Christians, better Knights, our youth
targets higher than high. This year every decision we make for God’s sake will not be wanting in role models close
AS we go deeper in faith, a true believer and follower of Christ, (2019) is dedicated for the youth. More leads us closer to God, and by God’s by - within our households, in schools, in
millions of Filipinos participated in this year’s annual transfer than being Catholic adults, we are also grace, we can be saints. Let us build community organizations, in workplaces,
of the Image of the Black Nazarene from Intramuros to its Knights of Columbus and KofC can also an ARK for our family and for our in our parishes. Let us start the year with
current home at the Basilica Minor. This is a slow moving stand for Knights for Christ. As such, community, especially for the youth. hope, with higher target goals, and with
6.9-kilometer procession followed by its million devotees. we are being challenged to be models From the movie “Evan Almighty,” ARK a lot of prayers, so that God will help us,
The 22-hour procession, with many people who participated of the youth in holiness. Yes, holiness means “acts of random kindness.” Let shower us with graces to do more good.
barefoot mostly are tired, but in high spirits as they come to or “kabanalan”. It is not enough to us take every opportunity that comes Let us not forget to be grateful always for
an end of their yearly vow to the Black Nazarene. be good Christians. Rather, we are our way daily to be kind, generous, all of God’s blessings - big or small. Let
Every 9th of January, Filipinos from all over the country in expected to be saints in the way we helpful, and be initiators of positive us remain humble for God so that God
a hope for a much better life, healthy love ones, and a more live. Every day we make decisions on change. will shower us with blessings relentlessly.
stable source of income come together in this significant whether we are for God or against God. If we have made ourselves better Viva’t Jesus!
occasion. Surge of people, fatigue and extreme hunger, thirst
and pain are just some of the common scenario “traslacion”. Ma. Theresa G. Curia
However, devotees do not mind physical tiredness because
according to them “this” is a ray of hope for them. Others are
also extending their thanksgiving for all their answered and
Curia Settings
will-be answered favors.
Through the years, a lot of people participate in the procession New Year’s Resolutions---Still Relevant, Meaningful?
which resulted to the church to take into consideration the
safety and welfare of these devotees. Added security, liquor
and gun ban are issued in order for the area be more secured
for them.
We Filipinos take occasions such as this in order for us to
be reminded of our faith and that there is still hope regardless MAKING New Year’s this. Most importantly, we is to say: “I believe in the Year’s resolutions, God can
of our circumstance. We may have a variety of showing and resolution is not just a grade know that what is more key resurrection and the life!” still make something out of
exercising our faith, what matters is the presence of our faith school theme for writing is the grace of God. Belief in oneself that we nothing!
itself. compositions. Even adults Even if we, from experience, can survive and overcome is (Ideas lifted from Ron
The true desires and intentions of our hearts may not be secretly wish they could make know that we do not always belief in that the power of the Rohlheiser, January 9, 1995)
answered right away, what matters is that we are still hopeful some resolutions work in succeed in living out our Resurrection can work in us.
in the days to come. Hard work, backed up with the prayers to their lives. But honestly, does resolutions, we still trust that 4. New Year’s resolutions With this note on New hope,
the Almighty God, all things will be in order in His perfect time. writing a goal or goals for the the grace of God will work show us that we believe in the let us recall our national hero’s
Vivat Jesus! coming year still make sense? in us little by little. Inch by God of the impossible. conviction that the youth is
It is encouraging that all inch, day by day, we improve, Martin Luther once put it the hope of the motherland.
Arsenio Isidro G. Yap of us like to be, hope to be whether we realize it or not. this way: “Just as God in the And we like to think with John
better; hence our goals for In fact my favorite author beginning of creation made Paul II that the youth is also
A Brother’s Insight the new year. Seemingly,
most of us want our lives
says: “To make a new
resolution is to believe in
the world out of nothing,
so his manner of working
the hope of the Church. It is
very fitting to think of this idea
to be directed forward, God”. (Ron Rohlheiser). continues unchanged.” For this year, when the Philippine
onward, and even our gaze And these are my reflections: anything to really change, Church consecrated the year
spontaneously look upward. 1. To make New Year’s including our capacity to live as the Year of the Youth.
Look up!! This seems to be resolutions, is to show that beyond our own wounds and In this spirit, let us declare
a favorite pose for pictures a we believe in a God of second selfishness, God still had to that whether we are old or
Brotherhood few years ago, which sounds chances, in our capacity to defy the impossible. young, we can be the hope of
very Christian. start again. Our God never Some of us think that the land and of the Church.
BROTHERHOOD is one of the simplest form of association Positive thinkers call on condemns us because of what we have inside us, our So why not tap on the youth
but also one of the most misunderstood, complex and us to live in hope. To do our old habits. He gives own feelings, just like the in each one of us. The youth
abused terminology as far as being associated with a group is otherwise will make us losers us a chance to start again physical world, and outward in us leads us to grow, glow
concerned. It is also not limited to fraternities and sororities in life. We hear from many and again and even seventy appearance is a closed system. and go. Again and again.
only. It can be a clan, a neighborhood, parents/teachers, groups the saying: Today is times seven. So let us not be They say that what we are, That when we fall, we rise
alumni, a social, a civic, a religious, sports, political and even better than yesterday and less discouraged by failures. We are determined entirely by up again. The youth in us
a seniors club to name some. than tomorrow. must follow St. Augustine’s history, by cause and effect. never gets tired easily. The
But being a member of any of the aforementioned groups Hope, is a call not to give up advice. Lord, today I start. Within it, certain things are youth has an idealism that
entails some basic requirements, some responsibilities, some on our dreams, nor on other 2. When we make New possible and certain things can overcome all obstacles.
obligations, some duties and of course the desire to be part people’s lives, and most of all, Year’s resolutions, we affirm are impossible. What has They have a zest and energy
of the group and adherence to its core values and living up to not to give up on ourselves. our belief in our God who is been will continue to be. that can conquer the world.
and dedication to its advocacies. If these traits are not fully Love of self and hope in our Life, our Light and our They will even tell you: there They have the capacity to
understood by the members then they cannot be part of the oneself are very basic so that Way. Whenever we say we like is nothing new under the look at the people around
said group. How can one be part of a clan if he is not a member in the face of dark situations to be better, He leads us to a sun. They obviously do not and learn from those who
of the family? How can one be a member of a neighborhood in life we can move on or move fuller, if not better life. He will believe there is hope beyond succeed.
association if he does not reside in the same neighborhood? forward. send us light so we may know the impossible. They are open to inspiration
How can one belong to a seniors club if he’s not yet a senior? What is also significant is what to do. And of course we Yet we know that the angel and to trust that every new
There are therefore common interests or similarities in that we know we cannot do it can feel which way is the best Gabriel told Mary: “For with day promises new thoughts,
any group to be called a brotherhood. Like in a religious alone, yet we recognize that way to go if we listen to him. God nothing is impossible.” new light, new blood.
organization to which I belong, the Knights of Columbus (K we have to put our own best 3. But wait, there is more. Somewhere, deep inside of Resurrection precisely
of C). We have basic requirements to be part of our group. efforts. We give importance To make new resolutions is to us, in that place where we means that: new life,
We are all males, eighteen years old and above and practicing to the power of the word, to express faith in the God of the want to make New Year’s new hope, new face, new
Catholics. Like in any similar group or association, we also pay our word of honor, and the resurrection. To try for new resolutions, we still carry that beginnings. So let us not
some dues for common and operational expenses. We also raise power of human intentions life, for a fresh start, precisely faith. In that place we still say be afraid of sitting down,
funds to advance the causes of our advocacies. Being part of in what we like to do with our when bad habit slows us or the creed and still believe in and listing our New Year’s
the K of C demands a lot of what is termed as the three “Ts”, lives. Of course we like to see pulls us down and leads us the resurrection. Because of resolutions, new intentions,
Time, Talent and Treasure. These are not demanded, but it is also that Will power is key to to a certain helplessness, that belief, because of New new hopes.
expected from each and every member to do his part for the
good of the Order. Karlo Serviento Erwin John Mallari
In other organizations, all the requirements are lumped into
one type of membership. Unlike in the Knights of Columbus,
the requirements would depend on his type of membership for Pondering EJ’s Corner
which there are three, the Council, the Assembly or the Fourth
Degree and the Insurance Members. Any K of C member can be
the Words
part of one, two or all three. Members of the Council normally
belong to or reside within the same parish which they serve as
good Catholics. In the Assembly or Fourth Degree, members
serve a particular area and their main advocacy is Patriotism Serviam! Black Nazarene
by being good citizens. The Insurance Members are those who
went one step further, to protect or secure his and his family’s AS we end the Christmas in his earthly life. But being EVERY year, one of the Stories that the sculpture of
financial future in the form of an Insurance Program that he season, we now enter into the a servant is not an honor or biggest events in our country the Nazarene got its dark skin
can avail of. The Knights of Columbus is the only religious Ordinary Times in which we popularity because we are to is held on 9th of January. from votive candles that was
organization that has an Insurance Program for its members are to ponder on the public follow a Wounded-servant, Millions of devotees fill out always lit before the image or
and their immediate family members. All Insured Members ministry of Jesus after His crowned with thorns and the streets to get a glimpse that it was blackened when
are enrolled in the Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association baptism in the Jordan River even crucified in the level of of the andas during the it was charred by fire on the
of the Philippines, Inc. (KCFAPI). by His predecessor, John the the lowest criminals. It hurts traslacion and every single Galleon that carried it to our
All groups or organizations have problems in certain sectors Baptist. and it will continue to hurt as one of the devotees want to country. The truth is that
Brother’s Insight / C3 For the whole liturgical Christ is still now bleeding. climb up the wagon to touch the Black Nazarene is dark
year, we reflect and we apply The church is wounded, let or at the very least have their colored to its core because

THE CROSS
the Gospel in our daily lives,
making it a part of our living
and our humanity. We make
A Supplement Publication of the the words of our Lord as our
Order of the Knights of Columbus and KCFAPI guide as Christians and as
servants of His household.
Editorial Board On the Gospel of St.
Jose C. Reyes, Jr. Ramoncito A. Ocampo Matthew a passage goes this
Chairman President way, (16:24) “If any want
to become my followers,
Ma. Theresa G. Curia Msgr. Pedro C. Quitorio III let them deny themselves
Executive Vice President Spiritual Director and take up their cross and
follow me.” As we look back
Mary Magdalene G. Flores
Editor-in-Chief on how our God became
man and a servant of all,
Jhon Lyndon D. Palafox, Juan Karlo S. Serviento we also look at ourselves
Associate Editors as His living witnesses. We
follow his footsteps of being
Jerome P. De Guzman, Erwin John B. Mallari, Kris Jay Rolex A. Yngco a servant. Our life on earth
Contributors
is a life of service to the
church in need, to the poor,
The Cross is published monthly with its business at KCFAPI, General Luna cor. Sta. the needy and the outcast,
Potenciana Sts., Intramuros, Manila with tel. no. (02) 527-22-23 to 27 (trunk line) local
200, 201. Email Address: kcfraternal@kofc.org.ph. Website: http://www.kofc.org.ph as Fr. George Willmann did
us never be the reason of its
woundedness. As members
of the Order of the Knights
of Columbus, the change
must start within ourselves.
We continue to serve the
unserved and seek the lost.
We continue to be shepherds
of lost souls and lead them
back to the Cross of the Lord.
As we move forward and
face this new liturgical
season, let us instil in our
minds that being a true
follower of Christ is to take
up His own cross and even
wear the crown full of thorns.
We continue to embrace
the Wounded Savior. His
blood flows within our
hearts. We too will bleed
and be torn. We too may
Pondering the Words / C3
towels wiped on to the holy
cross carried by the image
of Jesus Christ. This icon
is known to many Filipinos
as the “Poong Nazareno” or
sometimes also referred to
as the black Nazarene due
to the dark color of his skin.
But why is it black? And what
does traslacion mean? Is
January 9 really the feast of
Quiapo? Is the same date the
feast of Black Nazarene? Let
us discover these mysteries
together as we take a look
at the history of one of the
Philippines most revered
religious icons.
The “Black Nazarene” was
carved in Mexico sometime
during the early 1600s and
was transported to Philippine
shores via galleon in 1606.
it was carved from a dark
mesquite wood which was
a popular practice during
the period according to the
research of Msgr. Savino
A. Vengco Jr. of the Loyola
School of Theology.
After bringing the image
to our country, it was first
enshrined in the Church
of San Juan Bautista of
the Agustinian Recollects,
formerly located at
Bagumbayan, Luneta. This
church has been demolished
though and its former
location is a part of the
cascade of Padre Burgos and
Ma. Orosa Avenue.
In 1608, The image was
transferred to the San
Nicolas de Tolentino Chapel,
EJ’s Corner / C3
THE CROSS January 21 - February 3, 2019, Vol 23, No. 02
As we celebrate the placement of 1,000 ultrasound machines, our work to build a Culture of Life continues
by Supreme Knight
Carl A. Anderson
THIS MONTH in Columbia,
we celebrate a remarkable
milestone in the history of
the Knights of Columbus:
the placement of the 1,000th
ultrasound machine in a pro-
life pregnancy center. We
began this initiative with the
The Gentle Warrior
1. Invasion
December 8 was the Feast of
the Immaculate Conception
of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Mary, on this Feast Day,
was the patron saint of the
Ateneo de Manila, and the
patron saint of the
whole Philippines. So,
at five o’clock in the
morning, a band began to
play in the quadrangle
of the Ateneo compound
— the musicians marching
around the grounds, waking
up the boarders. The whole
school was decorated
with bunting — streamers
floating in the wind over
the school yard. It was a
bright, cheerful, joyous day.
It was a holiday.
Later in the morning there
was a Mass in the auditorium
— in the beautiful new
auditorium that Father Irwin
built. The whole school
was there — Grade School,
High School, College, Law.
The Jesuit Scholastics were
singing in the balcony. The
Mass was in Latin. The altar
was on the stage. George
Willmann was no longer
directly connected with the
school. He was now based in
Saint Rita’s Hall. But he was
at the Mass because it was
a Jesuit event. Most of the
Jesuits in Manila were there.
Halfway through the
Mass there was a ripple of
excitement among the Jesuit
Scholastics in the choir.
A murmur of whispering.
Small, excited motions. The
ripple spread through the
congregation — from the
back to the front. Finally,
to the altar boys in the
sanctuary, and to the three
priests who were celebrating
the High Mass.
Pearl Harbor had been
bombed!
That day, bombs fell on
EJ’s Corner / C2
popularly known as the Recolettos
Church in Intramuros until it was
destroyed in 1945 in a bombardment
during world war 2.
The image found in the Quiapo
Church is a copy donated to the church
on January 9, 1787. This is what is
celebrated annually on the 9th of
January, the “traslacion” (a Spanish
term meaning movement) or transfer
Pondering the Words / C2
be hurt and be scorned into
pieces. But with His grace,
our incapacities and human
weaknesses will become our
pillars as the Sons of God,
the Knights of Christ and
the new Gentle Warriors
of the Church. True service
does not end within the four
A historic milestone
placement of two ultrasound
machines in Iowa and Florida
in 2009.
This program is saving
hundreds of thousands of
lives and I am sure that one
day soon, because of the
efforts of thousands of brother
Knights and countless pro-
life volunteers we will save
the lives of 1 million unborn
children — the greatest
humanitarian achievement
in the history of the Knights
of Columbus.
Although our program
formally began in 2009, its
genesis was really decades
earlier in a conversation
with Dr. Jérôme Lejeune one
afternoon in my home. I had
arranged for Dr. Lejeune to
come to Washington, D.C., to
testify before Congress on the
humanity of the unborn child.
He was the world-famous
geneticist who had discovered
that the most common form of
Down syndrome, also known
By James B. Reuter, SJ
CHAPTER FOUR
Clark Field, in Pampanga.
Then on Nichols Field, on
the outskirts of Manila. Then
on Cavite, across Manila
Bay. And bombs fell on
Baguio.
The boarders, most
of them, came from the
provinces. They began
making arrangements, at
once, to go home. Many
left that day. They left the
school so suddenly that
they neglected to pick up
their laundry. This was a
blessing, in some ways, to
the Jesuit Scholastics, who
were destined to be interned
in the Ateneo on Padre Faura
for the next two years. They
used the laundry left by the
boarders, when their own
clothing ran out.
And then bombs fell on
Manila. The City really had
a siren, which was supposed
to alert the people when an
air raid was coming. But
the system never worked!
George, working away at
Santa Rita Hall, would hear
the bombs falling. Boom!
Boom diddy boom boom
boom!…. Boom!…. Then,
about thirty seconds later,
the siren would go off…..
If ever the siren sounded
before any bombs were
falling, you could be sure
that there would be no air
raid.
George investigated this.
He discovered that the
system of air raid detection
was this: three Boy Scouts
were stationed in the tower
of the City Hall, only two
blocks away from Santa Rita
on Taft Avenue. When they
sighted Japanese planes,
they were to notify the city
official, who would sound
the alarm. The Boy Scouts
never sighted any Japanese
plane until after the first
bombs had fallen…. If they
sounded the alarm, and the
of the image from San Nicolas Church
to Quiapo Church. January 9 is neither
the feast of the Black Nazarene nor is
it Quiapo day. The Black Nazarene’s
liturgical commemoration is on Good
Friday. While Quiapo’s feast day is June
24, the birthday of its patron Saint, John
the Baptist.
Every year, millions of Filipino
devotees join the Traslacion as their
corners of the church built
by human hands but must
start outside that structure,
because the church is not
merely a structure, but the
living church, each baptized
member and mostly the
unreachable, the poor,
that is the church whom
as trisomy 21, resulted from we have invaded his privacy.
a condition in which a person … We now know what he feels,
has 47 chromosomes in each we have listened to what he
cell rather than 46. After this hears, smelled what he tastes
discovery, Dr. Lejeune spent and we have really seen him
the rest of his life working to dancing full of grace and
make the lives of those with youth. Science has turned the
Down syndrome better. fairy-tale of Tom Thumb into
This is what he told a true story.
Congress: “At two months of “The incredible Tom Thumb
age, the human being is less really does exist. Not the one of
than one thumb’s length from the fairy tale, but the one each
the head to the rump. He of us has been. For it is from
would fit neatly into a nutshell, this true story that the fairy
but everything is there — tales were invented. If Tom
hands, feet, head, organs, Thumb’s adventures have
brain — all are in place. If you always enchanted children, if
look very closely, you would they can still evoke emotion
see the palm creases, and if in grownups, it is because
you were a fortune- teller, you all the children of the world,
could read the good adventure all the grown-ups they have
of that person. Looking still turned into, were one day a
closer with a microscope, you Tom Thumb in their mother’s
could detect the fingerprints — womb.”
every document is available to As an advisor to Pope
give him his national identity John Paul II, Dr. Lejeune
card! proposed the establishment
“With the extreme of a new Vatican entity —
sophistication of technology the Pontifical Academy for
official set off the siren, it because he never knew what
was always a mistake. The the Japanese target was, at
Boy Scouts had seen an that time. But after the first
American plane, flying low few bombs, it was clear what
over the city, trying to get they were trying to hit. All
out. the buildings in the City
trembled with the bombing,
Manila never had any but the Japanese never
defense. When the Japanese bombed indiscriminately.
bombed, they did it leisurely, They always had a target.
gracefully, without effort. They did not want to waste
They flew in a figure 8. ammunition.
When the first plane was Santo Domingo Church, at
directly over the target, the that time, was in downtown
bomb fell. When the second Manila, close to the Pasig
plane was over the target, River. There were ships in
more bombs fell. They flew the Pasig River, and the
in that figure 8 until all their Japanese bombed these
bombs were delivered, and ships. A couple of the bombs
then flew back to their base. landed on Santo Domingo
Church, missing the ships in
At the first bomb, George the Pasig River by a hundred
would move to the safest part yards.
of the building, and lie on the (to be continued on the
floor. These first moments next issue)
were always adventurous,
“panata”. They wear maroon colored
shirts and are barefoot during the
procession, just like the Image of the
Black Nazarene. Many who join hope
to be blessed with the miraculous and
curative powers of Christ. This is one
of the best displays of the devotion of
the Filipino faith. I salute all of the
devotees and hope that they keep the
faith throughout the years.
we must serve. It is not Father.
about wearing varieties of Serviam! Let us shout with
uniforms of different church joy, “I will serve!”
organization. But with the Lord, in our woundedness,
simplicity we have, without may we see the healing
those church positions, that comes from you as we
we make our servanthood continue to be the Gentle
more meaningful and more Warriors of Your church.
pleasing to the eyes of the Amen.
C3
Life. We discussed possible requires all of us to strive
initiatives for the future for the just treatment of
academy, and he confided innocent unborn children
that the pope had asked him and to accompany with
to serve as its first president. compassionate concern
But Dr. Lejeune would die women facing crisis
of cancer in 1994, the same pregnancies.
year that it was established. This month, we celebrate a
Later, I had the honor of being historic milestone, but there
appointed a member of the are still many more milestones
academy by Pope John Paul ahead of us in the lives of
II and re-appointed by Pope thousands of vulnerable unborn
Francis in 2017. children. Our Ultrasound
Dr. Lejeune and I had also Initiative must continue to
discussed ways in which we expand into every community
could help those considering where it is needed.
abortion to better perceive Sometimes, those of us in
this reality. the pro-life movement may
Decades later, when feel like the poet who stopped
advances in 3D ultrasound by woods on “the darkest
technology made this truly evening of the year.” But
possible, the Knights of like that poet, we too should
Columbus Ultrasound resolve that although “the
Initiative was a natural woods are lovely, dark and
response — and the response deep” we have promises to
of so many brother Knights keep and miles to go before we
since then has been truly sleep. Many lives depend upon
inspiring. our continued determination.
Building a culture of life Vivat Jesus!
An INVITATION to become a
FR. GEORGE J. WILLMANN, SJ FELLOW
THE “Fr. George J. Willmann Fellows” was launched by the
Knights of Columbus Father George J. Willmann Charities,
Inc. last June 29, 1997 during the Centennial Birth Anniversary
celebration of Rev. Fr. George J. Willmann, S.J. This fund-
raising campaign finances the theological research expenses
necessary to possibly raise Fr. Willmann to the honors of the
altar. Last December 7, 2015, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio
G. Cardinal Tagle has officially opened the Archdiocesan Process
for the Causes of Beatification and Canonization of Fr. George
J. Willmann.
Membership to the Fr. Willmann Fellows is open to all Knights
of Columbus councils, members, their families, friends and
even to business institutions. As of December 2018, more
than 1,100 individuals and 36 institutions all over the country
have already joined this fellowship. Father Willmann Fellows
serve as co-sponsors in the work of spreading the good news
about Fr. Willmann’s life, works and holiness. Their donation
is a lifetime subscription to the initiative of the Knights of
Columbus of promoting awareness on Father Willmann in order
that authentic devotion to him may be encouraged among the
faithful, especially those who need his intercession for God’s
grace.
We therefore cordially invite you and your loved ones to join
the Fr. Willmann Fellows. Aside from being an advocate in
spreading the sanctity of Father Willmann and the graces that
come with it, each Fellow is entitled to receive the following
items as memorabilia: (1) a Certificate of Membership, (2) a
lapel pin and (3) a pamphlet entitled “A Quest for a Cause of
Fr. George J. Willmann, S.J.”. We further urge you to fervently
seek Fr. Willmann’s intercession in all your petitions for God’s
graces and to report to the Foundation all blessings you may
have received with the intercession of Fr. Willmann.
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
FR. GEORGE J. WILLMANN CHARITIES, INC.
Gen. Luna cor. Sta. Potenciana Sts., Intramuros, Manila
Tel. Nos. 527-2223 local 221 & 527-2244 (Fax)
APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP
to FATHER GEORGE J. WILLMANN, S.J. FELLOW
1. Name of Applicant (individual or institution):
_________________________________________________
2. Address: _________________________________________
Tel. Nos. ______________________________________
3. Office Name & Address: ______________________________
Tel. Nos. __________________________________________
4. K of C Council Number and Location: ____________________
5. Enclosure: _________________________________________
[ ] Cash P ____________ [ ] PMO/check No.___________
(Note: Please make check payable to KC Fr. George J. Willmann
Charities, Inc.)
Date: ______________________________________________
Signature: __________________________________________
Brother’s Insight / C2
of their membership, the K type of brotherhood do we
of C included. We in the K of have? These members are in
C have members who have name only and not in words
complied only with the very and deeds. They are the
basic requirement – male, at undesirables. They cannot
least eighteen years old and demand brotherhood for they
practicing Catholics. But they had not extended it in the
would not lift a finger on the first place. As the saying goes,
requirements, e.g. adherence “they cannot reap what they
to our core values, living up to had not sown”. There can
our advocacies, sharing a part be no output if there was no
of their three “Ts”, payment input.
of their dues, enrolling in the Like the Knights of
insurance program, among Columbus, many other
others. These members are organizations are victims of
always on the periphery of any these types of members, who
activity, the first to denounce are unable to really be part
the shortcomings/failures of of the group. Good members
the group but be among the are giving part of themselves.
very first to take credit on They are there to strengthen
whatever good or success his the resolves of his group in
unit has accomplished. their chosen advocacies.
In times of need, they would On the other hand, the
be so demanding to the point undesirables are there not to
that they are an irritant to help but for personal gain. To
our group. And if we fail to the undesirables, I ask, where
respond according to their is your decency? Where is
liking, we are denounced your brotherhood? Are you
and would ask of us what really a brother or just a hood?
C4
2019: Year
of the Youth
THE Catholic Archbishops
Conference of the Philippines
had declared 2019 as the Year of
the Youth, as part of its nine-year
journey for the new evangelization
and in anticipation of the 500th
Year Celebration of Christianity in
the Philippines. The last five years
were dedicated to the integral faith
formation (2013), the laity (2014),
the poor (2015), the Eucharist and
the family (2016), and the parish
as a communion of communities
(2017). 2018 is dedicated to the
clergy and consecrated persons. This
occasion was officially opened last
02 December 2018 during the first
Sunday of Advent, and will last until
24 November 2019 during the feast
of Christ the King.
With the theme “Filipino Youth
in Mission: Beloved Gifted and
Empowered”, the year-long
celebration will play hosts to
activities both in the national and
diocesan level which are all aimed
at harnessing the youth as key
players in evangelization through
four (4) specific objectives: youth
in formation, youth in community,
Church and society, youth in
mission, and youth ministry and
youth ministers. Soon, the CBCP
in cooperation with various youth
pastoral ministries shall officially
launch the official song and theme
for this festive year.
In an official pastoral letter from
the CBCP through His Excellency,
Most Rev. Romulo G. Valles, DD
(CBCP President) addressed to
the Youth of the Philippines and
highlighted the spirit behind the
Year of the Youth theme:
“YOU ARE BELOVED: Just like
John the beloved disciple, who in
his youth was called by the Lord to
follow Him, the Church loves you
with special affection, and we share
with you the same call from the Lord.
You are loved by the Father [cf. Dt
1:31; Is 40:11; 41:10; 46:4] as Jesus
declared to His disciples, “As the
Father loves me, so I also love you”
[Jn 15:9], and He then invites you
to remain in His love by following
His commandments [cf. Jn 14:15].
Only then will you experience the
joy that is complete [cf. Jn 15:9-
11]. The Church in the Philippines
seeks to show you the same love
[cf. PCP II, 385; KA-LAKBAY, pp.
35-41], especially through her youth
ministry, whose aspiration is to
raise you up and carry you lovingly
through life, with all its trials and
tribulations.
YOU ARE GIFTED: The Sacrament
of Baptism you received initiated
you into the life of God and with
God. Through the Sacrament of
Confirmation, you were gifted with
the Holy Spirit who inflames you
with faith, passion, and courage.
Like the young lay missionary
catechist St. Pedro Calungsod and
Richie Fernando, the young Jesuit
who died shielding his students from
a grenade explosion, your fresh and
energetic youthfulness is also a gift,
enabling you to commit yourselves in
EVP, Ma. Theresa G. Curia, Insurance Commissioner Atty. Dennis B. Funa and Philippine Chamber
of Mutual Benefit Association Incorporated Directors during the 70th Anniversary Celebration
of the Insurance Commission held at the PICC last January 18, 2019 with the theme “Leading
Strategic Change, Rising Above Challenges”.
KCFAPI employees and their families during the KCFAPI Family day held last December 21, 2018 at the
3rd Floor KCFAPI Center.
January 21 - February 3, 2019, Vol 23, No. 02 THE CROSS
service of others, as well as renewing
the Church and the world. To the
countless youth volunteers and
missionaries who share their gifts
in the building up of God’s Reign—
upholding and defending life and
human dignity, the environment,
justice, freedom and peace, among
others—your families, the Church
and our society recognize you, and
need more of your willingness and
dedication. You clearly remind us
that a life embraced and shared
wholeheartedly contributes to
the ongoing work of creation and
glorifies God.
YOU ARE EMPOWERED: In
the face of so many problems
and difficulties today affecting
our Christian life, families, social
relationships and communities,
as well as various personal and
socio-cultural concerns you raised
in your letter (mental health,
substance abuse, HIV-AIDS,
access to education, environmental
problems, human trafficking,
politics, dialogue with cultures,
digital community, etc.), you are
able to exhibit the humility to
seek the support that will lead you
to discover your strengths and
capabilities to live meaningful lives.
Like Mary, you are humble enough
to proclaim “How can this be…?”
[Lk 1:34] and still give your assent
in faith. This pleases not only the
Lord but also your elders, because
you are making us an important
part of your development into
mature individuals, fully aware
of being persons called by God,
In Photos: Luzon Area Managers during their contract signing last December 27, 2018 at the KCFAPI Center, Visayas Area Managers during their contract signing
capable of discerning decisions last January 4 to 5, 2019 at the Golden Prince Hotel, Cebu City and the Mindanao Area Managers during their ceremonial contract signing last December 10
that positively impact your lives to 11, 2018 at the Marco Polo Hotel, Davao City.
and those of others. We all long
for a better world and society, for
a renewed Church, and we see you
as protagonists of this change, as
the dynamic force of the Church
now, when you reach out to the
Rev up, make a mark!
peripheries to bring Jesus and His THIS year’s theme demystifies contributions. It is therefore thrust! Our actions shall be focused
message of salvation to the lost, the what we want to achieve in clear, imperative that we pole vault our taking into consideration the long
least and the last, including other concise, and bold manner. ‘REV First Year Contribution Income, to term effect to the Association.
young people like you who yearn UP’ means to enliven, to increase optimize resources and to further Operations shall be geared towards
to be loved, gifted and empowered. the speed, to revolutionize and to hone talents. We shall put our making a mark in 2019 so that at the
YOU ARE IN MISSION. We look become active! resources where it is needed and end of the year, we can proudly talk
at you, our young people, so full of 2019 is characterized by increased where we can be more productive. about significant accomplishments.
dynamism, as disciples sent on a maturities resulting to lower renewal Long-term growth shall be our main (MGCuria)
mission to make disciples for Jesus.
We pray that your discernment,
choices and actions will lead you
to a purposeful life—whether in the
ordained ministry, consecrated life,
marriage and family, or the single
state—with the Spirit of the Risen
Christ directing your steps in making
and leaving a marked difference in
the world and society [cf. Mt 28:19-
20].”
Thus, the role of the Filipino Youth
in the fulfilment of the Church’s
mission of new evangelization
cannot be gainsaid. The year-long
celebration shall truly serve as a
wonderful opportunity to rekindle
the youth’s passion in becoming
living manifestations of the Word of
God who are committed to serving
their respective communities,
the Church and their country.
(LDFormilleza)
The KCFAPI Board of Trustees headed by Chairman Jose C. Reyes, Jr., President, Ramoncito A. Ocampo, Executive Vice President, Ma. Theresa G. Curia,
KCFAPI Officers and employees together with the Board of Trustees, Officers and employees of its wholly-owned and majority owned companies during
their Christmas Party held at The Manila Grand Opera Hotel last December 14, 2018.