A3

Live Lent with courage, Pope urges Christians

B1

A Pastoral Letter of the CBCP on the occasion of the 400 Years of Catholic Education in the Philippines

C1

Ugnayan
The News Supplement of Couples for Christ

Overseas Filipinos join protest vs increase in permit fees

FILIPINOS in Italy have joined a nationwide protest against the imposition of taxing the Permit of Stay known as Permesso di Soggiorno across the country. Various groups known as Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro (CGIL), Unione Italiana del Lavoro (UIL) and the Confederazione Italiana Sindicati Laboratori (CISL) asked the government to stop the implementation of the more than 100 Euro increase to acquire the needed Permit of Stay.
Permit / A6

CBCP head scores fuel subsidy program

RH bill underestimates poor peoples abilities, say critics
By Roy Lagarde

February 27 - March 11, 2012

Vol. 16 No. 5

Php 20.00

THE head of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines scored the governments fuel subsidy program, saying that it will not help the motorists.
Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, CBCP president, said that what transport sector needs is not a palliative response but a direct action to help the motorists regarding the oil price hikes. We do not encourage short solution totally. We encourage them to think of long term solution. So we need programs or real solutions for the problem of our country, said Palma. He said that the Aquino administrations Pantawid Pasada program is not the answer to the problems faced by the motorists and also does little to provide relief to the public. The CBCP head instead called on the government to set aside its dole-out mentality and take utmost priority on long term solutions to

the countrys problems. According to him Filipinos, especially the poor, do not need hand-outs for their sustenance.

Remove overpricing, VAT Labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno earlier called on the government to remove the overpricing in oil products as a way to reduce prices. Overpricing in petroleum products was estimated to be around P9.00 per liter last August. The group also urged to the government to remove the 12 percent Value-Added Tax on oil if only to cushion oil price hike impact. In a Feb. 22 press statement, the Department of Energy said it is in the process of reloading 1, 200 pesos to beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pasada program for public utility vehicles (PUJs). The DOE noted that since there were about 100,000 cards issued. Some cards will be loaded earlier than others. The agency added that reloading will be based on plate numbers starting from plates ending in zero until nine. News bulletins will
Fuel / A7

Pabillo urges Pnoy to review APECO law

MANILA Auxiliary Bishop Broderick S. Pabillo urged the Aquino government to uphold the well-being of the poor and marginalized over the designs of powerful politicians behind questionable legislations like the Aurora Economic and Freeport Zone (APECO). Pabillo, who chairs the National Secretariat of Social Action, Justice and Peace of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, said President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino, who ran on the platform of good governance, should immediately call for a review of the APECO law, and suspend its operation and budget for the meantime. We believe that true and sustainable development must benefit primarily the poor and

Migration and Evangelization is the theme chosen by Pope Benedict XVI for this years World Day of Migrants and Refugees. The Catholic Church in the Philippines observes National Migrants Sunday every First Sunday of Lent to acknowledge not only the growing number of Filipinos leaving the country in search of a living but also of their becoming agents of evangelization.

WHILE proponents of the Reproductive Health (RH) bill insist that access to free birth control is what the countrys poor people need to improve their lot, the measure actually shows a low regard for the poor, say those who reject the bill. Despite a recent statement made by a feminist group admitting that the bill is neither pro-poor nor pro-women, more Filipinos are opposing the bill because they now realized that RH legislation actually discriminates against the poor. Those against the bill pointed out that the measure shifts the burden of addressing the citizens concerns from the government to the people, and by keeping the number of poor people to a minimum not by providing opportunities for advancement, but by conditioning the poor to think that their poverty makes them undeserving and incapable of raising children beyond a certain number. Why waste money on something that is counterproductive when we should focus on using the budget on what is so obviously

needed? The masses need quality education, jobs and basic needs. The laws we already have on family health need to be enforced before we even try introducing new methods, said CJ Manzano, a photographer. The government desperately needs to upgrade medical facilities that are accessible to the poor. They need to improve the standards of living for the masses, not prevent them from being born! he added. The RH bill, whose Senate and House versions are still the subject of interpellations, proposes the earmarking of P3 billion per year for its implementation. Sen. Pia Cayetano, however, revealed during floor debates last year that the Department of Health (DoH) has asked for P13.7 billion for the bills implementation for 2012 alone. Though no breakdown has been provided by the bills sponsors, a huge chunk of the budget is expected to be poured into the procurement, promotion and distribution of birth control drugs and devices which includes keeping them in steady supply in

Roy Lagarde / CBCP Media

RH / A7

Bishop chides Palace for defending Pagcor chief

WHAT else is new? This was the reaction of a Catholic archbishop when Malacaang defended an official of a state-run gambling agency who was accused of accepting bribes from gaming tycoon Kazuo Okada. Retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz, a known anti-gambling advocate, accused the Aquino administration of being lenient to some of his friends in the government service including Pagcor chief Cristino Naguiat Jr. Naguiat is said to be a former classmate and close friend of President Benigno Aquino III. Its readily expected, said Cruz, a former president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). The prelate also expressed doubts in the governments anticorruption campaign, saying that it is only intended for Aquinos political rivals. So its business as usual (for Aquinos allies), Cruz said. Aquino said that Naguiat should be presumed innocent until proven guilty that the latter committed mistakes in his dealings with the Japanese casino operator to ensure that a new Manila casino is built. But the president said Naguiat would be sanctioned if the government finds him at fault with respect to the allegations. Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda earlier said the Pagcor chief committed no ethical violations regarding Naguiats receipt of undue favors and perks from Okada. (CBCPNews)

Ayoko sa APECO | FaceBook

all sectors of society, not just a select and influential few, Pabillo said. It is not true development when the powerless populations are harassed, threatened and live

in insecurity due to imminent, forced and deceptive land grabbing, putting their livelihood and social security of their generation into question, not to mention the
APECO / A6

IP groups launch nationwide streamer campaign vs mining

A NETWORK of anti-mining organizations has launched a nationwide movement to protest the ongoing mining activities within the ancestral domain of the indigenous people. Dubbed as Thousand Streamer Campaign (TSC) the movement is a protest against the ongoing sell-out of the countrys mineral resources to local and transnational mining corporations, as well as an expression of unity and support to the struggle of indigenous peoples for selfdetermination. About 60 percent of more than one million hectares of land that have been approved for mining explorations are situated within the ancestral domain of the indigenous communities. The Kalipunan ng mga Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas (KAMP), which is leading the campaign, launched the TSC through a press conference on February 20 at the College of the Holy Spirit in Manila. The campaign is being supported by various groups from the Church, academe and other indigenous organizations against miningTunay na Alyansa ng Bayan Alay sa Katutubo (Tabak), Kabataan Para sa Tribung Pilipino (Katribu) and Partylist ng Katribu. A nationwide hanging of streamers against mining will kick off on March 3the 17th year of the enactment of Mining Act of 1995 and will culminate on its 18th year on March 3, 2013. The year-long campaign will be highlighted by hanging of streamers denouncing mining during dates significant to mining, environment and indigenous peoples. Aside from the anniversary of the enactment of Mining Act of 1995, other significant dates include Earth Day celebration on April 22, 2012; International Day of the Worlds Indigenous Peoples on August 9, 2012; and Annual Mine Safety Week sponsored by the DENR and Chamber of Mines on the second week of November 2012. Organizers are urging various sectors and individuals to join the campaign and organize discussion groups, fora, and similar activities to tackle and involve more people in the issue of mining and indigenous peoples situation. (CBCPNews)

Instead of vacationing, go on spiritual retreat, bishop urges graduates

WHILE graduation is near and summer is almost at the doorstep, a Church official reminded students to allot time to attend recollection and undergo spiritual retreat as it is also the season of Lent. Legazpi Bishop Joel Baylon said there is nothing wrong brate the end of another school year, but he reminded the youth that life is not all about celebrations. Lent is giving us the opportunity not only to assess our sinfulness but also time to reflect on our lives: what we have been and where we are going, he said. Baylon, who chairs the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Youth, urged students to see the Lenten season as an appropriate time to find the deeper values of life, beyond its external luster of caprice, leisure and luxury. There are more to life than temporary things. If you want to be really happy, dont settle for shallow source of happiness. Try to
Retreat / A6

with going on a vacation to cele-

Illustration by Bladimer Usi

A2
ROME, Italy, Feb. 24, 2012Over 100 former Anglicans from the British Isles concluded a pilgrimage to Rome Feb. 24 in thanksgiving for the creation of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. It has been quite poignant because almost all of the people who are with me were not Catholics until Easter last year, Monsignor Keith Newton, the head of the U.K. ordinariate told CNA on Feb. 24. The ordinariate was established last year by Pope Benedict XVI to give Anglicans the possibility of entering into communion with the Catholic Church while still preserving their distinctive Anglican patrimony. Now they have come to the center of Catholicism, theyve come to the tombs of Sts. Peter and Paul to pray and to give thanks, and I think theyve been genuinely moved by this, really, Msgr. Newton said of his fellow pilgrims. The Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham already has 57 priests and over 1,000 members throughout England, Wales and Scotland. This Eas-

World News
ter it will receive another 200 lay people and 20 priests into the Church. Wonderful is not a strong enough word to express what we all feel at being together here, said Father Len Black, the homilist at a Feb. 24 morning Mass in St. Peters Basilica. Fr. Black was a Scottish Episcopalian minister for 30 years. I am certain that, like me, this week you have all experienced the feeling of coming home, he told the congregation in the basilicas Chapel of St. Joseph. Nowhere can we truly experience this other than being here, so close to the place where the apostle Peter gave his life for the faith and where his successors have guarded the faith for generations. On Wednesday the group was personally welcomed by Pope Benedict XVI during his weekly audience in the Vaticans Paul VI Hall. In return the pilgrims stood and sang the hymn Praise to the Holiest, which was composed by Blessed John Henry Newman. The 19th century Anglican cleric turned Catholic cardinal is the ordinariates patron. I think our musical heritage is as strong part of our patrimony, said 28-year-old Michael Vian Clark to CNA after todays Mass. He became Catholic in 2007 and is now the Director of Music at Buckfast Abbey in Devon, England. His highlight of the week was attending Mass at the basilica of San Giorgio in Velabro, which was Cardinal Newmans titular church in Rome. It was very, very moving for us to celebrate Mass there with some of the texts Blessed John Henry might have known, but also, importantly, to use two of his hymns as the offertory and post communion, which was really moving and touching in that particular place. He said that even though Bl. John Henry Newman would not have thought that would ever be possible here we are and it happened. With little money and no church buildings being given to them by the Bishops of England & Wales, it seems to have been a difficult but happy first year for the U.K. ordinariate. Weve had to live by faith and, in

CBCP Monitor
February 27 - March 11, 2012

Vol. 16 No. 5

Former Anglicans make thanksgiving pilgrimage to Rome

Monsignor Keith Newton and other members of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham pose in St. Peters Basilica.

the end, God has provided, said Msgr. Newton. None of us are hungry, none of us

have nowhere to live. God will provide, and I think weve just got to trust him. (CNA)

Vatican Briefing
Pontiff calls for end to Syria violence

During his Angelus address on Feb. 12, Benedict XVI made an urgent appeal for an end to the bloodshed in Syria. In recent days there have been many victims, some of them children. I recall them all in my prayers, just as I do the wounded and those who are suffering the consequences of an increasingly worrying conflict, he said. I also renew my urgent appeal to put an end to the violence and bloodshed and, finally, invite everyone particularly the Syrian authoritiesto favor the paths of dialogue, reconciliation and commitment to peace, the Pope continued. (Zenit)
Big families are sign of optimism, says pontiff

Lenten campaign invites Catholics to confession

WASHINGTON D.C., Feb. 26, 2012A pastoral initiative in the nations capital this Lent will encourage Catholics to experience Gods love and mercy through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Lent is a time to heal, said Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl of Washington, D.C. The cardinal announced that his archdiocese will once again take part in a penance campaign known as The Light is On for You and will be joined by the faithful of Arlington. All Catholic churches in the Archdiocese of Washington and the Diocese of Arlington will be open for Confessions and silent prayer every Wednesday during the season of Lent from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. In an online video, Cardinal Wuerl discussed the campaign as an opportunity for the faithful to deepen their relationship with Christ by uniting themselves to his merciful love, which absolves us from our faults. He invited all Catholics, especially those who have fallen away from the Church or the Sacrament of Penance, to experience a renewal of spirit through the gift of confession. The campaign, which has become an archdiocesan tradition, originally started in 2007. Other dioceses across the U.S. and Canada have introduced similar efforts based on it. The initiatives website, www.thelightison.org, offers resources including a guide to confession, examinations of conscience and frequently asked questions about the sacrament. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is the story of Gods love that never turns away from us, said Bishop Paul S. Loverde of Arlington in a video explaining the Lenten campaign. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a tangible instrument that allows us to truly experience Gods forgiveness, he said. Through the sacrament, we can experience Gods love that heals us, forgives us, strengthens us and sets us free, he explained. The bishop urged Catholics not to fear that their sins are too horrendous for God to forgive. His love is bigger than all the sins of humanity put together, he stressed, adding that the priest will help those who do not remember how to go to confession. Bishop Loverde pointed to examples of Christs mercy in the Scriptures, including the parable of the prodigal son, the forgiveness of the woman caught in adultery and the promise to the repentant thief on the cross. God will also forgive our sins if we come before him with an open heart and desire to do better, he said. He urged those who have fallen away from the sacrament to come back home and allow this Lent to be a new springtime for all members of the Church. (CNA)

Benedict XVI on Feb. 15 offered words of encouragement for families with many children. At the end of the general audience, he greeted representatives of the National Association of Large Families. In todays social context, families with many children are a witness of faith, of courage and of optimism, for without children there is no future, he said. The Holy Father added that he hopes adequate social and legislative measures for the safeguarding and support of larger families will continue to be promoted, since these families constitute a source of wealth and hope for the entire country. (Zenit)
Vatican finances also seeing economic crunch

Popes Twitter followers jump 400 percent in a day

The number of people following Pope Benedict XVI on Twitter has increased 400 percent over the last 24 hours. On Feb. 23 his account had 2,500 subscribers, but today that figure is at more than 12,500 and is rising. It is quite incredible, said Monsignor Paul Tighe, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, to CNA on Feb. 24. And not just the numbers who are now following the Popes Tweets but also the number who are then re-Tweeting his message to others. Its great. The dramatic upsurge in interest in the Popes Twitter presence coincided with the beginning of Lent on Feb. 22. (CNA)
Bioethicist welcomes Popes call for ethical infertility treatments

Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan

Pope Benedict XVIs call for more research into ethical treatments for infertility as an alternative to in vitro fertilization is being applauded by a leading Catholic bioethicist. The Pope is quite right when he says that IVF is a profit making business they make a lot of money and their success rates are not great, Dr. Edward Furton of the National Catholic Bioethics Center told CNA on Feb. 27. The profit motive here is not good. There are lesser known, more ethical, more effective methods which are being ignored because these labs are making money telling couples that IVF is the best or only option. (CNA)
Youth catechism is best selling Catholic book worldwide

The co-creator of the Churchs catechism for young people has revealed that its now the top selling Catholic book in the world. The latest figures show that Youcat has sold 1.7 million copies worldwide. Its been a great success in nearly every country where it has been published, said German publisher Bernard Meuser in a Feb. 23 interview with CNA. For example, it is number one in Spain, number one in America, and number one in Germany along with the Popes latest book. (CNA)
Pope begins retreat, encourages prayer, fasting, charity

rejected the rule, along with a promised change purportedly shifting the burden to insurers. In their letter, Cardinal Dolan and Bishop Lori confirmed that Health and Human Services original ruleforcing religious groups to underwrite the preventive services directly, rather than contracting to provide them through premium payments to insurershad become law without change. The mandate to provide the illicit services remains, they wrote. The exceedingly narrow exemption for churches remains. Despite the outcry, all the threats to religious liberty posed by the initial rules remain. Those initial rules drew public condemnation from over 180 Roman Catholic and Eastern Catholic bishops in the U.S., as well as 53 of the countrys Eastern Orthodox bishops and thousands of other religious leaders. Cardinal Dolan and Bishop Lori thanked the U.S. Catholic bishops for their remarkable witness of our unity in faith and strength of conviction during this past month. We came together, joined by people of every creed and political persuasion, to make one thing resoundingly clear: we stand united against any attempt to deny or weaken the right to religious liberty upon

Pope Benedict XVI asked Catholics for their prayers as he began his weeklong Lenten retreat Feb. 26. Before reciting the Angelus prayer at midday with visitors in St. Peters Square, he also prayed that all Catholics would embrace the spirit of this holy season, through prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Congolese Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo of Kinshasa was chosen to preach the retreat Feb. 26-March 3 for Pope Benedict and top Vatican officials in the Redemptoris Mater Chapel inside the Apostolic Palace. The cardinals topic was to be Communion of the Christian with God. (CNS)
Vatican diplomat attends Friends of Syria summit

Doctor who found cause of Down Syndrome moves closer to canonization

PARIS, France, Feb. 23, 2012This spring, the Archdiocese of Paris will officially conclude the diocesan phase of the cause of canonization for Dr. Jrme Lejeune. The April 11 ceremony will include a Mass for life in the Notre Dame Cathedral. Jrme Lejeune (1926-1994) was a doctor and researcher. The father of modern genetics, he was awarded the Kennedy Prize in 1962 for the discovery of the chromosomal cause of Trisomy 21. Known for having treated and supported numerous patients affected by intellectual disabilities and for his commitment to human life, he was a member of the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences and recognized with numerous international titles. In 1997, Pope John Paul II went to pray at Dr. Lejeunes tomb. The Polish Pontiff had appointed the doctor the first president of the Pontifical Academy for Life. Four and a half years after the opening of the cause of canonization of Dr. Lejeune (June 28, 2007), and 18 years after his death, the diocesan process has ended. It is an important first step as it marks the end of the informative process. At this stage, there is no conclusion on the part of the Church because the qualitative study of the life and virtues will be carried out in the framework of the Roman process, which will begin after the close of the diocesan process, specified Father Jean-Charles Nault, postulator of the cause. Numerous testimonies of prayer for the beatification of Jrme Lejeune come to us from all over the world, sent by families who knew him, as well as by a new generation of young people involved in the Service of Life and of wise men happy to manifest that there is no contradiction between faith and science, explained Mayt Varaut, president of the Association of Friends of Professor Jrme Lejeune. (Zenit)

www.peguy.net

A Vatican diplomat attended an international summit seeking an end to Syrias yearlong civil war. Archbishop Michael L. Fitzgerald, apostolic nuncio to Egypt and the Holy Sees delegate to the Arab League, was an observer at the so-called Friends of Syria meeting Feb. 24 in Tunis, Tunisia, said the Vaticans top spokesman, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi. The meeting of representatives of about 60 Western and Arab states called for an immediate ceasefire and demanded that Syria open humanitarian corridors. The nations also pledged to increase aid and to set up relief depots in areas along the Syrian border. (CNS)

www.catholicnewsagency.com

The Holy Sees finances are supported by donations from the faithful, such that the Vatican too feels the worldwide economic crisis. A communiqu Feb. 17 stated that the cardinals expressed satisfaction at the forecast results but not failing to make known their concern at the prevailing general crises, which has not spared even the general economic system of the Vatican. This is evident above all as regards the Holy See, which receives indispensable subsidization from the free offerings of the faithful. The Council of Cardinals for the Study of the Organizational and Economic Problems of the Holy See noted profound gratitude for the support the faithful give, often anonymously, to the universal ministry of the Holy Father, and exhorted them to continue this good work. (Zenit)

Government assault may have just begun, Cardinal Dolan warns

WASHINGTON D.C., Feb. 23, 2012President Obamas contraception mandate may only be the beginning of a historic attack on religious freedom, Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan warned his fellow U.S. bishops in a Feb. 22 letter. If the government can, for example, tell Catholics that they cannot be in the insurance business today without violating their religious convictions, where does it end? asked the cardinal, addressing the U.S. episcopate in a letter coauthored with the bishops religious freedom chair Bishop William E. Lori. The Health and Human Services contraception mandate violates the constitutional limits on our government, and the basic rights upon which our country was founded, wrote the cardinal and bishop. They noted that religious liberty does not depend on the benevolence of who is regulating us. The dispute with the administration is not about Republicans or Democrats, conservatives or liberals, and not just about contraception, abortion-causing drugs, and sterilizationalthough all should recognize the injustices involved in making them part of a universal mandated health care program. It is about people of faith. This is first and foremost a matter of religious liberty for all. In a letter released in both English and Spanish, Cardinal Dolan and Bishop Lori gave their fellow bishops an update on the Health and Human Services mandate, finalized Feb. 10 over the objections of the Catholic Church and other religious groups. The mandate requires many religious ministries to cover contraception and sterilization, including abortion-causing drugs, in their health plans. The U.S. bishops have which our country was founded. We have made our voices heard, and we will not cease from doing so until religious freedom is restored. They insisted that President Obama should rescind the mandate. But the bishops fight for their constitutional free exercise of religion, guaranteed in the First Amendment, may have just begun. Recent actions by the administration have attempted to reduce this free exercise to a privilege arbitrarily granted by the government as a mere exemption from an all-encompassing, extreme form of secularism, Cardinal Dolan and Bishop Lori observed. Even the contraception mandates unduly narrow religious exemptionwhich allows institutions to opt out if they primarily employ and serve adherents of their own faith, for the purpose of inculcating religious valuesis instituted only by executive whim and can be taken away easily. The bishops president and religious freedom chairman reaffirmed their support for the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act. The bill which would amend the federal health care reform law under which the contraception rule was made, to strengthen its conscience protections. They urged other bishops to share the English and Spanish versions of the letter with the faithful of their dioceses, and to contact legislators through the action alert at www. usccb.org/conscience. Above all, the cardinal and chairman reflected, we rely on the help of the Lord in this important struggle Let us continue to pray for a quick and complete resolution to this and all threats to religious liberty and the exercise of our faith in our great country. (CNA)

www.catholicnewsagency.com

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 5
February 27 - March 11, 2012

News Features
themselves and their lives to that of Christ, including those who had fallen away from the Church. The Pope said that the participation of the whole community emphasizes that redemption is not available to only a few, but to all, through the death and resurrection of Christ. The time leading up to Easter is a time of metanoia, a time of change and penance, a time which identifies our human lives and our entire history as a process of conversion, which begins to move now in order to meet the Lord at the end of time, he said. Pope Benedict noted that the Church calls the 40 days leading up to Easter Quadragesima. And it does so with a clear reference to Sacred Scripture, where the number 40 often symbolically used to express a time of expectation, purification, and return to the Lord, he taught. The Pope said that the Christian liturgy of Lent is meant to spur a journey of spiritual renewal and time more focused on learning how to imitate Jesus, who showed Christians how to overcome temptation with the Word of God. The Pope asked those at todays audience to note how God sustained his people, even in the wilderness. After their exodus from Egypt, for example, God preceded the Jewish people in a cloud or a pillar of fire, ensured their daily nourishment showering manna upon them, and bringing forth water from rock. It was in many ways a time of the special election of God or, added the Pope, the time of first love, of a people for their God. But time spent in the desert can also be the time of the greatest temptations and dangers, Pope Benedict observed, pointing out that this happened to Jesus but without any compromise with sin. Jesus always sought moments of solitude to pray to his Father but it is in those moments he was most assailed by temptation and the seduction of devil. It was there, for example, that he was offered another messianic way, far from Gods plan. Just as this dynamic is found in the Old and New Testaments, the Pope said, it can also be found in the condition of the

A3

Live Lent with courage, Pope urges Christians

VATICAN City, Feb. 22, 2012 As he observed Ash Wednesday, Pope Benedict XVI urged Christians to live the 40 days of Lent with faith and patience, aware that God will bring light, truth and joy into the darkness. In these 40 days that will lead us to Easter may we find new courage to accept with patience and with faith situations of difficulty, of affliction and trial, knowing that from the darkness the Lord will make a new day dawn, the Pope said Feb. 22, the first day of Lent. And if we are faithful to Jesus and follow him on the way of the Cross, the bright world of God, the world of light, truth and joy will be gifted to us once more. The Pope delivered his comments at his weekly general audience, which was held in the Vaticans Pope Paul VI Hall and was attended by over 7,500 pilgrims. He explained that in the early Church it was only those preparing to be baptized who would observe the 40 days of Lenten preparation. Subsequently, however, all Christians were invited to experience this journey of spiritual renewal, to conform

pilgrim Church as it makes its way through the wilderness of the world and history. This wilderness is made up of the aridity and poverty of words, life and values, of secularism and the culture of materialism which encloses people within a worldly horizon and detaches them from any reference

to the transcendent, he said. It is in such an atmosphere that the sky above us is dark, because it is veiled with clouds of selfishness, misunderstanding and deceit. At the same time, the wilderness can become a period of grace for the Church, because we have the certainty that even

from the hardest rock God can cause the living water to gush forth, water which quenches thirst and restores strength. Pope Benedict finished by saying that this hope in Gods power should sustain the Church and each Christian during the following 40 days. (CNA/EWTN News)

Catholics must know truth if they are to share it, pope tells cardinals
VATICAN City, Feb. 17, 2012If objective truth does not exist, there is no compass and we wont know where to go, Pope Benedict XVI told members and almost-members of the College of Cardinals. An awareness of the truth of the revelation of God in Jesus Christ makes life rich and beautiful and is essential for sharing the Christian faith with others, the pope said Feb. 17 at the end of a daylong meeting of the College of Cardinals. The pope thanked Cardinal-designate Timothy M. Dolan of New York, who gave the days main presentation on missionary activity and the new evangelization. The pope said the New York prelates talk was enthusiastic, joyful and profound. In his morning address to the group, which included most of the 21 other churchmen who were to be made cardinals with him Feb. 18, Cardinaldesignate Dolan said secularism has had an easy time spreading through many traditionally Christian cultures because so many Christians do not know their faith and do not grasp the truth it teaches. While the New York prelate did not downplay the challenges the church faces in reviving the faith of its members and bringing the Gospel to those who have never heard it, he delivered his assessment with his characteristic smile and broad gestures, telling Pope Benedict and the cardinals that evangelization requires joy and love. When I became the archbishop of New York, a priest told me, You better stop smiling when you walk the streets of Manhattan or youll be arrested, he said, but he still believes Christians must show the world that faith is saying yes to everything decent, good, true, beautiful and noble. The meeting was attended by 133 prelates, including at least 20 of the 22 who were to receive their red hats from the pope the following morning. During the morning session, Pope Benedict did not address the assembly and was not one of the seven participants who commented on the presentation by Cardinal-designate Dolan, although the pope did laugh when the New York archbishop made fun of his speaking Italian like a child. The morning session also featured a brief presentation by Archbishop Rino Fisichella, president of the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization, on plans for the 2012-2013 Year of Faith. The pope spoke at the end of the evening session, after another 20 cardinals and cardinals-designate had taken the floor to speak. Pope Benedict told the assembly that the teachings of the Second Vatican Council were important for rediscovering the relevance of Jesus and of faith today, and he echoed Cardinaldesignate Dolans call for a true renewal of catechesis to combat what has been defined as religious illiteracy. In his morning presentation, Cardinal-designate Dolan said that when Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals, asked him to be the main presenter, he hinted that he did so because New York might be the capital of secular culture. New Yorkwithout denying its dramatic evidence of graphic secularism is also a very religious city, he said, where even those who boast of their secularism exhibit an openness to the divine and have questions about God. While secularism is invading every aspect of daily life, the New York prelate said, it also is true that most people, on some level, still question the ultimate meaning of life and still ponder the idea of God. Even a person who brags about being secular and is dismissive of religion has within an undeniable spark of interest in the beyond, and recognizes that humanity and creation is a dismal riddle without the concept of some kind of creator, he said. The cardinal-designate said those people dont want to be considered objects of missionary activity, but Christians have an obligation to help them maintain their search for meaning in life. Humility, joy and love are key to the success of the evangelization efforts of the church and its members, he said. Triumphalism in the church was dead after the Second Vatican Council, he said, but so was confidence. Catholics recognize that they and their church need conversion, too, he said. And, they must be convinced that what they are sharing with others is not a doctrine, but the person of Jesus. At the same time, because Jesus is the truth, Catholics must make a commitment to combat catechetical illiteracy, he said. True enough, the new evangelization is urgent because secularism has often choked the seed of faith, but that choking was sadly made easy because so many believers really had no adequate knowledge or grasp of the wisdom, beauty and coherence of the truth, he said. Cardinal-designate Dolan said that on the eve of receiving his red hat from the pope, he also had to speak of the fact that Christians are called to love and serve the church and their neighbors, even to the point of shedding their blood if necessary. The cardinals, he said, are but scarlet audiovisual aids for all our brothers and sisters, who also are called to be ready to suffer and die for Jesus. Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, did not release the names of the 27 cardinals who intervened in the discussion, but he summarized the points that were made. Several of the cardinals, he said, spoke about the difficulties evangelizing in their specific countries or cultures. Mention was made of the growing number of Christians in China, despite the difficulties, presumably with government control over religion; about interreligious dialogue and the fight against poverty in India; the important role of popular religious devotions for evangelization in Latin America; and about secularisms attempts to marginalize religion in the West. Participants insisted on the importance of ecumenism for fostering a common Christian witness to the faith, on the continuing relevance of the Second Vatican Council as a guide for the church today and on the value of Christian joy and holiness for evangelization, he said. (CNS)

Family is key to new generation rooted in Gospel, pope says

VATICAN City, Feb. 16, 2012 The family is the church's best ally for raising a new generation resistant to materialism and committed to living out the Gospel, Pope Benedict XVI told bishops from Africa and Europe. "Europe and Africa need generous young people who know how to take responsibility for their future," he said. All institutions, like the family, school and church, "must be well aware that these young people hold the future and that it is important to do everything possible so that their journey is not marked by uncertainty and darkness," he said. The pope made his remarks during a Feb. 16 audience with 80 bishops, priests and other participants attending a joint conference organized by the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar, known as SECAM, and the Council of European Bishops' Conferences, known by the acronym CCEE. The conference, held in Rome Feb. 13-17, was dedicated to finding ways in which European and African Catholics can cooperate in evangelization. During the symposium, Cardinal Josip Bozanic of Zagreb, Croatia, said that even though economic and social conditions in the two continents are vastly different, the Gospel is universal. Wherever it finds itself, the church has a message of faith that "understands humankind, whether in Europe or Africa,

Groups issue declaration vs mining in MIMAROPA islands

SIBUYAN ISLAND, Romblon, Feb. 23, 2012Mining-affected communities formed a united effort to protect rich biodiversity areas from destructive mining activities. Members of a regional convergence group, on February 19, have signed a declaration opposing mining in the provinces of Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan (MIMAROPA). In a statement titled Defending MIMAROPA Islands, Securing the Future from Mineral Extraction, the group called for a moratorium on mining and urged to make agriculture and tourism as basis for development. The declaration also called for the cancellation of all mining applications and revocation of existing mining licenses and permits; recognition of the local governments autonomy to ban mining in their respective territories and respect for the indigenous peoples genuine Free, Prior and Informed Consent processes. Stressing the peoples right to a healthful and balanced ecology, the group also called for the scrapping of Mining Act of 1995 and the enactment of the alternative mineral management bills pending in Congress. It further urged President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III to declare Key Biodiversity Areas, Island Ecosystems, Critical Watershed Areas, Geo-Hazard Areas, Natural Forests, EcoTourism Zones and Agricultural Lands as Mining No-Go Zones. The regional convergence group is composed of 10 alliances and non-government organizations. During the three-day assembly in Romblons Sibuyan Island, the group launched the Cooperation of Small Islands (CSI-MIMAROPA), which, among other things, aims to strengthen regional cooperation for environmental justice and protect the epicenter of marine biodiversity of the country; broaden support to communities to confront the impacts of climate change and hazards; engage government at all levels and communities to promote eco-cultural, historical tourism and sustainable initiatives; and help ensure food self-sufficiency and recognize the interdependence of island provinces. As a regional convergence, the Cooperation of Small Islands (CSI MIMAROPA), we shall stand up learning the lessons of the past to act on the challenges of the present and face confidently the future to make our islands the best places to live in without chaos in the grand harmony of Mother Nature, the group said. Among those who signed the declaration were KAAGAPAY PO-NGO Network Inc. (KAAGAPAY) from Occidental Mindoro, Alyansa Laban sa Mina (ALAMIN) from Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque Council for Environmental Concerns (MACEC) from Marinduque, Alliance of Students Against Mining (ASAM) from Romblon, Romblon Ecumenical Forum Against Mining (REFAM), Sibuyanons Against Mining (SAM), Sibuyan Island Sentinels League for Environment Inc. (Sibuyan ISLE), Ancestral Land / Domain Watch (ALDAW) from Palawan, Palawan NGO Network Inc. (PNNI) and the Environmental Legal Assistance Center (ELAC). (CBCPNews)

as created in the image and likeness of God and who deep down has basic needs that only God can fully satisfy," he said. "Social and spiritual concerns are both present; one is not separated from the other, but rather, they are dimensions of the one same integral development of the human person and society," the cardinal said. In his speech to the group, the pope said a huge obstacle in proclaiming the Gospel is hedonism, "which has contributed to making the crisis of values in people's daily life spread to the family and how people make sense of one's life." The increasing problems of pornography and prostitution are symptoms of this "serious social malaise." The church must also pay close attention to the current culture and work diligently in helping "the light of the Gospel insert itself in the cultural

milieu" so as to enlighten it and prevent "false cultures" that de-humanize people from taking hold. Pope Benedict said the church needs to pay close attention to the family, which, as the domestic church, "is also the strongest guarantee of the renewal of society." The family safeguards traditions, customs, habits, and rituals of faith, and can have a big impact on fostering vocations, he said. The current mentality of materialism can have a negative effect on vocations, but the family is also a pivotal player in the formation of the young, he said. As the church, family and other institutions work together in raising the next generations, the pope asked the bishops to pay special attention to young people's "human and spiritual growth, encouraging them also to do volunteer work, which can have educational value." (CNS)

Roy Lagarde / CBCP Media

Church beefs up campaign for natural family planning

MANILA, Feb. 20, 2012The Churchs family and life ministry is beefing up its campaign by facilitating communications nationwide and giving the promotion of natural family planning a boost. The new chairman of the Episcopal Commission on Family and Life (ECFL), Antipolo Bishop Gabriel V. Reyes, DD, in a meeting in Bacolod Saturday directed ECFL diocesan director and workers to take actions to step up the campaign. Among the initial measures discussed are the updating and distribution of the Directory of Diocesan Directors and Workers for easier coordination, continued formation in Family and Life issues, establishment of NFP centers all over the Philippines, and the construction of a new ECFL website as a means of communication. Part of the continued formation is the encouragement of sending delegates per diocese to the 7th World Meeting of Families, to be held this year in Milan from May 30-June 3. The World Meeting of Families was established by Pope John Paul II in 1994 as a triennial event. Fr. Melvin Castro, ECFL Executive Secretary, assisted in the presentation of the ECFL agenda for 2012-2013. Castro made it to the center of Reproductive Health (RH) discussions last year when he participated in two television debates, which resulted in viewersstudio and home becoming more enlightened about the folly of the legislative measure, based on voting results. (CBCP for Life)

Noli Yamsuan/RCAM

A4
EDITORIAL

Opinion
Its more fun

CBCP Monitor
February 27 - March 11, 2012

Vol. 16 No. 5

WOULD that everything were all right with the Philippine Government, with Philippine Democracy, with the People of the Philippines! Would that the Legislature enact needed and relevant laws, the Executive able and satisfactorily implement them, and the Judiciary accordingly act on their violations! Would that there be equality and separation of powerin truth and in factamong the said three branches of government! Would that the Philippine Constitution be not merely a nice paper to read but really a basic document for the government to abide with and for the people to live by! Then, the Philippines would be a blessed country and the Filipinos a fortunate people. On the ground, the Philippine Government does not seem to be of the people, by the people and for the peoplebut of the politicians, by the politicians and for the politicians. The Legislative Department rests primarily immersed in but partisan politics and consequent political alliances. The Executive Department remains dawdling and inept in its mandatory agenda for the common good and public welfare of the citizenry. The Supreme Court is getting more perceived as anything but supreme in the interpretation and application of the laws of the land. To say that such an adverse composite phenomenon spells social disaster for the country and misery for people is one big understatement. Something is wrong with a country that is not simply divided by islands and regions but also by different ideologies plus separatist movementsnot to mention the division of certain sectors of Philippine society in terms of the colors of humdrum yellow and dangerous red. This is not even pointing out the division of the Filipinos into mega rich and pitiful poor families, into very powerful and truly powerless individuals. This is neither even making mention of the fact that the agricultural/industrial development of the country remains but a dream of long standing that the Philippine economy rests at the mercy of foreign capital or multinational companies. The order of things are certainly not going too well when all government attention and effort, agencies and public funds are concentrated on the on-going Impeachment Process perceived to be initiated by the Chief Executive against the Chief Justice. There is now in effect an ably dividing Executive Department resulting into a divided people. There is indeed more fun in the Philippines if fun equals long winded rhetoric and dole-out or palliative developmental programs that are not meant in any way to strengthen economic fundamentals; if fun means unabated criminality be it day or night in the country especially in Metro Manila; if fun is the profound enigma of the statistical findings that there are less poor but more hungry Filipinos, then the over-all conclusion is really more fun.

Abp. Antonio J. Ledesma, SJ

Pastoral Companion
OVER the past two months since Dec. 16-17 when Typhoon Sendong wrought widespread destruction throughout our city of Cagayan de Oro, the archdiocese has been addressing three major concerns. First among these are the ongoing relief and rehabilitation efforts for the evacuee families. So far about 1,400 families have moved to 18 transitory shelter sites. Another 1,800 families are still staying in two public school buildings, several barangay covered courts, and two church halls. International organizations like the International Office for Migrants, Plan International, Catholic Relief Services, etc. have all pitched in to provide tents, bunkhouses, or locally made huts for the temporary shelter of families. These kinds of shelter have been designed to last for three to six months or even for more than a year. Meanwhile the city government has started to develop its nine hectares in Calaanan for permanent housing units. Likewise Xavier University has been working out its plans for permanent housing on its five

Bangon! Cagayan de Oro

regular religious services and catechetical programs for Catholics, alongside activities of other denominations. A second major concern of the archdiocese has been the call from all quarters to henceforth protect from further degradation the watershed areas of the rivers that drain through the city. These include in particular Cagayan de Oro River with its river basin area of more than 150,000 hectares that extend to the northwestern area of Bukidnon and a portion of Lanao del Sur. The Cagayan de Oro River Basin Management Council (CDORBMC), co-chaired by the DENR regional director and myself, has formed four technical working groups involving government agencies, universities, NGOs and church communities to map out immediate as well as long-term plans to conserve the rivers resources. The waters of Iponan River have also been described as perennially brown because of the uninterrupted hydraulic flush mining over the past decade that has scarred its riverbanks
Pastoral Companion / A6

The Churchs paschal pilgrimage

UP to now we have been envisioning what the Church in the Philippines should be. While we must acknowledge the many wonderful contributions of the Church to the life of its members and to Philippine society, we have nevertheless pointed to avenues of renewal within the Church itself. The Church is not and will never be on this earth the perfect bride whom Christ presents to himself, in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. (Eph 5:27) Clasping sinners to her bosom, at once holy and always in need of purification, (she) follows constantly the path of penance and renewal, (LG 8) a path that she must walk on her paschal pilgrimage. Ours is an imperfect Church living amidst and ministering to a very imperfect society. The Church makes her own the aspirations of this society for development, justice, reconciliation and peace, its aspirations for God who alone can fulfill the longings of the human heart. She wants to continue accompanying the people of this land on their journey towards ideals to which Jesus Christ alone holds the key. In order to be renewed as a Church, we must leave behind many ways iof thinking, speaking and acting which no longer effectively serve and perhaps even obstruct our evangelizing mission. This will mean and unsettling pain, a disengagement from what is cherished but is now obsolete or obstructive, a dying to what is sinful, that we may come to newness of life. And even when we do our very best in fidelity to our Lord, the Church is bound to meet with opposition and even persecution. Both in our internal renewal therefore, and in our service to society, the Lords community of disciples in the Philippines is destined to shared in His passion and death so that she may also share in his risen life. And so, the Church life a stranger in a foreign land, presses forward amid the persecutions of the world and the consolations of God, announcing the cross and death of the Lord until he comes. But by the power of the risen Lord she is given strength to overcome, in patience and in love, her sorrows and her difficulties, both those that are from within and those that are from without, so that she may reveal in the world, faithfully, however darkly, the mystery of her Lord until, in the consummation, it shall be manifested in full light. (LG 8). (Acts of the Council, nos. 140-144) --Acts and Decrees of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines, 1991

hectares in Lumbia. In all, these two sites can accommodate about 1,500 families. But there is still need for more sites for permanent housing for the remaining 3,000-4,000 families whose houses have been washed away. The archdiocese and other groups from the private sector have been assisting government agencies to identify possible sites that could be donated or purchased for housing units. Our Social Action Center is also planning to develop an area of several hectares for permanent housing. Many civil society organizations, including churches, schools, and NGOs, continue to coordinate with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) regional office in providing for the needs of the affected families. Many of these families are starting to repair or rebuild their houses in areas that are not declared as no-return zones. Periodic family visits for post-trauma counseling and medical monitoring are being done by various groups. Parish priests and ministry workers of the archdiocese have also scheduled

They lied to me
THEY lied to me were the words of Luana Stoltenberg, guest speaker at the Nurses for Life Forum on Dealing with abuse and pregnancyrelated trauma last February 24. Over 200 nursing students and registered nurses listened to Luana and Kay Painter, her co-speaker, relate how the legalization of abortion in the USA has made it so easy for them to obtain abortion out of convenience and in their own word, selfishness. Luana was only 17 years old when she had her first abortion. She ran away from home to avoid further abuse from her alcoholic father, and got into drinking, drugs and sex. She describes how in her first abortion, she was told that what she was carrying was only bloody tissues, it was legal, and it was going to be a simple procedure. She and her boyfriend then drove to the abortion facility (she refuses to call it a clinic), got on the cold metal table, and with no anesthesia, they ran the vacuum aspirator to suction out the parts of the baby bit by bit. After that, she was told to get cookies and juice in the next room, but she was so distraught that all she wanted to do was get away from that place where so many more young teens were waiting for their abortion. On the way home, she was writhing in pain and bleeding. She did not think she would survive the night, but she did get up alive. However, a part of her inner self had died. She continued to live a promiscuous life, had two more pregnancies and abortion, and attempted suicide three times. It was only after a few years, when her mom called

Sr. Mary Pilar Verzosa, RGS

Love Life
her to tell her that she and her dad had been touched by Christs forgiveness and that Jesus would forgive her too, that she returned to her family and to a life in Christ. She is now married to a godly man, and since the abortions had totally destroyed her fertility, they adopted a two-year old boy from India who is now 23 years old and is working in the US Air Force. Kay, on the other hand, was 39 years old with two teen aged daughters and hard-working husband when she had the abortion. She had the flu so she went to a doctor. He casually said she was pregnant. Exclaiming in surprise that she couldnt be pregnant at her age, the nurse replied that she could choose to have the abortion as it is legal. And if she had it soon, it was still just tissues, not a baby. Kay admits in her sharings that the nurses and doctors told her what she wanted to hear in her own selfish world, instead of encouraging her to go on with the pregnancy. She had the saline instillation methoda high concentration of salt solution was injected into her uterus in order to burn the babys lungs and skin. The baby came out whole but dead after a couple of days. She saw the baby dumped into a garbage can beside her bed. For years she had nightmares of that sight and tried to commit suicide two times. In desperation, she cried to the Lord to give her another chance and she would be a good mom. She did have a son after two years, raised him up well, but since she had withdrawn from her relationships with her daughters and
Love Life / A6

www.cbcpmonitor.com cbcpmonitor@cbcpworld.net

Fr. Roy Cimagala

Candidly Speaking
Pedro C. Quitorio
Editor-in-Chief

Missionary migrants
at how to minister to these faithful and the other people involvedtheir families left behind, their host countries, etc. Some structures and offices have been put up with their corresponding personnel, and some programs and campaigns now start to be carried out. Still, a lot more need to be done. At the moment, what I can think of first of all is how to know this sector more intimately, more personally. These faithful should not just be statistics. Great effort has to be made to know them really well. The Church effort cannot just be bureaucratic in nature, though for sure an amount of bureaucracy is needed. Just imagine the kind of coordination work to be done. But the church ministry has to know the person, helping him in his spiritual needs.
Candidly Speaking / A7

Ronalyn R. Regino
Layout Artist

Pinky Barrientos, FSP

Associate Editor

Gloria Fernando

Marketing Supervisor

Roy Q. Lagarde
News Editor

Ernani M. Ramos
Circulation Manager

Kris Bayos

Features Editor

Marcelita Dominguez
Comptroller

The CBCP Monitor is published fortnightly by the CBCP Communications Development Foundation, Inc., with editorial and business offices at 470 Gen. Luna St., Intramuros, Manila. P.O. Box 3601, 1076 MCPO. Editorial: (063) 404-2182. Business: (063)404-1612.; ISSN 1908-2940

A HAPPY confluence of events is taking place these days. Our bishops have just declared this year as Year of Mission. They have also declared a National Migrants Sunday. The Pope declared a Year of Faith starting this October. In the same month, Blessed Pedro Calungsod, the Cebuano young catechist, will become the second Filipino saint. A common thread puts them together. Filipino migrants, who continue to be abundant through the years, need to be missionary, and live their faith, giving witness to it wherever they are. Somehow, Saint-to-be Pedro Calungsod embodied these ideals well, even heroically, since he suffered martyrdom for it. There are many nice anecdotes of how Filipino workers abroad have enlivened church life in their new communities, bringing with

them popular devotions to the Sto. Nino, our Lady, etc. But there are also many sad and disturbing stories. To be sure, every Christian faithful is a missionary. Thats the inherent character of a Christian. Whether one goes abroad or remains in the country, he is always a missionary. Unfortunately, this truth is still unknown to many, and so a lot of catechesis is needed in this regard. But obviously, we now need to look with special interest into the lot of our many Filipino overseas workers and migrants. Aside from being many, they are now posing a different kind of challenges. We have to brace ourselves for these new developments. Whether we like it or not, this phenomenon will go on, since this is the inevitable trend. The Philippine Church is now looking

Illustration by Bladimer Usi

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 5
February 27 - March 11, 2012

Opinion
Pro Bono What will end all the debates?
Part 2
for good: all persons born in the United States, regardless of color or previous condition of servitude, were declared citizens of the United States. Persons. With dignity. With rights. Today, they even become President. Turn to another lens: Hitlers abject hatred for Jews. They were not even second class. They were not persons. They were dregs whose only entitlement, if ever there was any, was to extermination. In Auschwitz, hunds had more fun than personen. Here and now: the conceived human. There is denial that the unborn is a personuntil he completes a journey to his mothers womb. Translation: Implantation is when life begins. Before that, there is no protection. Before that, there is no right of the unborn. Before that, he is not a person. From 1857 to the Fourteenth Amendment, it took eleven years. Here, we have a 1987 Constitution but 25 years after, we cannot even invoke Article II Section 12 effectively to banish a reproductive health agenda. The Implantation lie is todays Dred Scott of the unborn. That makes the RH bill the worst proposal ever foisted on the Filipino people. And while the maleficent agenda persists, the indiscernible unborn languishes as a non-person amid the impotence of Article II Section 12. And with RH choices that precisely inhibit his implantation, there is nothing that will ever implant. There is also nothing to ever protect. Therefore, Article II Section 12 is utterly meaningless. Are you kidding me?

A5
Fr. Carmelo O. Diola

Atty. Jo Imbong

Spaces of Hope A pain and three pregnancies

I FELT some pain in the right underside of my right kneecap as I walked to my hotel room in Subic Bay. Four days before in Cebu I had noted a similar sensation as I jogged inside the Central Command of the AFP in Lahug, Cebu City. It will just go away, I told myself. The pain began when our Takbo Maharlika team did its last run in the Visayas, the 12-kilometer stretch of road from Libagon to the coastal town of Liloan, Southern Leyte. The road was inclined to the right putting pressure on the right leg. The last three kilometers had been difficult for me. Only by Gods grace alone did I manage to stay the course. That evening I had a trained male reflexologist massage the affected area. The pain remained. So here I was in Subic Bay, two days before the Subic International Marathon, with a bum knee. Dear God, connect me with a traditional manghihilot who would be able to relieve me of this pain, I entreated the Lord. The Lord answered my prayer in a strange way. Johan, the driver of the car that took my nephew, Peter, and I from Pampanga to Zambales, happened to bring along an officemate who had roots in Zambales. She introduced me, via text, to someone who massaged people. Her acquaintance, for her part, introduced me to 72 year old Manong George who lives in Olongapo City. And so on the late morning of Saturday 21 January I found myself on a tricycle on the way to no. 1 Graham St. Soon I reached the place and met the manghihilot who had been fixing something in his backyard. Where does it hurt? Manong George asked as we sat on his sofa that had seen better days. His humble, yet clean, abode spoke much about his simple character. In here, I responded. Hindi po kayo napipilayan; naiipit lang ang ugat, he quickly reassured me. George silently poured three drops of coconut oil, each in the form of a cross, over the affected area and one could see he was praying. Then with a touch that was both gentle and firm, sparing but focused, he massaged the area and soon I felt relief. The following day, for the first time in my life, I was able to run a half-marathon. ***** Yes, nothing is impossible with God. Three pregnant women recently reminded me of this reality. One is my cousin, Yvonne. Von has been married for 13 years now but has never had a child. She has pituitary gland tumor resulting in imbalance of hormones. About nine months ago, Yvonne became pregnant much to the surprise and concern of her doctors who were unanimous that this was not supposed to happen. A healthy baby boy is expected end of March and the ultra sound shows a boy in a seemingly prayer position. I solemnized the marriage of Jingle Mangila to Commander Anchise Diola of the Philippine Navy in 18 October 2003. Jingle used to be a stewardess of the Emirates. Sadly, several pregnancies ended in miscarriages causing much anguish to the couple. Doing complete bed rest this time, Jingle is expecting her first child on the first week of June. The third woman, Marilyn, is a virtual stranger to me. I only came to know about her from a good friend. She had resigned her job as she faced a difficult pregnancy. A tumor in her womb threatened both her and the child. Her husband too had recently lost his job as a security guard. The woman had surgery and her child was born seven months premature. I baptized Simon Jesus he was born on 2 February, the feast of Candelaria and he continues to survive through an incubator. Some people have chipped in to support. More is needed. ***** Upon the invitation of the good bishop of Malolos, Most Rev Jose Oliveros, D.D., last 2 February I had the humbling and unexpected opportunity to give a talk at the Provincial Capitol Gymnasium before about 2,000 elected officials of Bulacan, on the provincial, local, and even barangay levels. This was on the occasion of the preparations for the 50th anniversary of Malolos as a diocese. My topic was on Good Governance and Ethics in Government and this was preceded by a brief address by Sec. Jesse Robredo of the DILG. He talked about the Seal of Good Housekeeping. I picked up the pace from Sec. Robredo adding that seal (i.e. the management systems and mechanisms) needs to be complemented by zeal. I recalled the words of a mentor of mine: Resources, when the hearts and the systems are not in the right place, are a curse. If systems correspond to seal, heart refers to zeal. But both must be in the right place. I stressed the role of authorities since good governance does not just happen. People make it happen and authorities play a vital role in this regard. It dawned on me that both priests and elected officials are people in authority both can be the origin (Lat. auctor for origin) of much good but also of evil, and this is a choice we make on a daily basis. Deepening the reflections, I offered a further insight: the Greek word for authority is exousia and my first impression is that it means out of (ek) and ones being (ousia). True authority is most effective when it comes from within ones being (Mark 1:21-28) through an encounter with God within us (i.e. conscience and the Holy Spirit). The talk also revolved around the hindering factor of the seven capital sins and how we can still be our best selves, our being Maharlika. I must confess some moments of anxiety as here I was, a Bisaya, addressing public servants at the heart of the Tagalog region that the poet Balagtas called home. Yet, when love of country flows in ones veins, no man is a stranger, no one lives in vain, as a song puts it. I was at home. So were the listeners, basing on their feedback. The talk gave me an opportunity to reflect further on how the Church can prepare adequately for a more effective engagement during the May 2012 elections. Four nationwide networks, inspired by the Churchs mission to evangelize politics, have come together to organize a National Summit on Good Governance (NSGG) at the San Carlos Seminary Complex in Guadalupe from 15-16 March. These networks are UBAS (Ugnayan ng Barangay at mga Simbahan), Gising Barangay Movement, Kabayanihan, and Dilaab. One take-home gift we will share with participants is a kit that contains CiDE (Circles of Discernment for Empowerment) Steps. It is a reference, both in hard and soft copies, to enable priests and other pastoral workers to facilitate the process and work of faith-impelled social transformation with the laity taking the lead role. It will contain stories, anecdotes, check-lists, feature articles, essays, etc. An edited version of the Malolos talk will also be included in it.

IT is a simple syllogism that goes like so: First premise: Article II Section 12 of the Philippines Constitution acknowledges the right of the unborn to protection from conception. Second premise: Only persons have rights. Therefore: The unborn is a person. That should end the debate. But no, take a look at this: If President Barack Obama had lived in the turbulence of racial bigotry in America in Year 1857, he would not be considered a person. For no less than the Missouri Supreme Court in a manifestly partisan decision in Dred Scott v. John F.A. Sandford gave its imprimatur to the pro-slavery doctrine that slaves (who were blacks) were private property. They were considered chattels, like horses.

Pedigree breeds had more fun than people. Black slaves from Africa were brought to America by ships under conditions that you would not consider even for animals sold for slaughter. It took three months to cross over. Buyers waiting a hundred meters away at the wharf know the ships are nearby because of their wafting odours. By the time the ships dock, more than half of the load has perished. They were not persons. They were simply, lost goods. The Dred Scott decision is still considered by American legal and constitutional scholars to be the worst decision ever rendered by the Supreme Court. It took a Civil War and the Civil War Amendments to overturn Dred Scott. Subsequently, in 1868 the Fourteenth Amendment abolished slavery

The impeachment trial, a time waster?

A FRIEND of mine who has attended a couple of times the ongoing impeachment trial of the Chief Justice says it is such a time waster. I wouldnt know. Not having had the good fortune to be there myself for a ringside view of the proceedings, Id grab every chance to catch it on the radio as I drove between appointments. There is so much to learn from it, I discovered, that now, whenever I can, I watch the replay while multi-taskingdoing the dishes, mopping the floor, giving myself a pedicure, tidying up closetsdoing just about anything including more cerebral work like editing. Instead of boring me, trying my patience, or distracting me from what Im doing, watching the impeachment trial strangely satisfies mebecause its a new experience in the pursuit of truth, a great way to learn about due process, court procedures, laws, and lawmakers! It is so educational and entertaining that I look forward to it, perhaps in the same way a child anticipates an afternoon at the circus. Call my sense of humor warped but I honestly thinkand state with all due respectthat the impeachment trial has many of the elements of a spectacular circus. Lets start with the clownthe darling of every child. I confess that what spurred me to watch the trial on television was a text message from a priest which said: The real mystery in the impeachment trial is, Who is the hairdresser of Cuevas? Even Lady Gaga is asking, ha ha! Having come from an 82-year old priest who had never before forwarded a text-joke to me, the message naturally nudged my curiosity. And when I finally laid eyes on the screen image of the Honorable Justice in a light-colored business suit, my imagination went wild. The famous hairdo bore a breathtaking resemblance to that of a clown Id photographed at a childrens party long ago. Indeed, all he needs to add to complete the likeness is a red button nose and lips painted like Anne Curtis. Thus began my discoveries. Truly, a book must never be judged by its cover. As the trial unfolded the clown turned out to be a major circus starthe trapeze artist! Sure of his step, perfect timing and astute moves, he defies age and dares perform sans the benefit of a safety net. Wow! In a huddle, one pintasera colleague, a nitpicker assessing

Teresa R. Tunay, OCDS

and thats the truth

man-like skills such as riding bicycles and assisting jugglers. Incidentally, the canine squad includes pretty poodles dressed like princessesbecause theyre bitches, not alpha malesand prancing about on their hind legs. Can you at this point already put the faces on the members of this entertaining band? Then your sense of humor is just as warped as minevive le cirque! In the movie Water for Elephants, the star in the circus ring is a well-coiffeured lady who alone can gambol with the elephant. Cross this lady with Shakespeares weird sisters who foretell Macbeths fate and you get a surefire circus attraction: Bearded Lady. At the impeachment trial court Bearded Lady alone has the temerity to singlehandedly take on a virtual elephantthe collective weight of the honorable bigwigs in the hall. Was it androgen excess or hypertension that once caused Bearded Lady to hyperventilate on account of the fake documents that waste the time of the trial court? Whatever, Bearded Lady gave the elephant a tongue lashing then, and that David-vs-Goliath act drew chuckles and applause from circusloving tv audiences and netizens. Then we have the Circus Masterthe man who sees to it that order in the show is kept. But here he is the antithesis of a showy circus masterhe is unassuming, performs without fanfare, and is just there to do his job. In fact, with his mastery of the situation he prevents the circus from being reduced to a laughable enterprise. Doubling up as Animal Trainer, he unwittingly entertains us when he cracks his whip to make sure the big cats behave and to put the monkeys and the dogs in their place. Decades of hard life in circuses past must have given him the poise to preside over this supposedly august menagerie. His mental agility and keen judgment is a living tribute to the glory of senior citizenship. Sois the impeachment trial a time waster? It need not be for me. If I can actually be there at the court, I hope nobody minds if sit in a corner and crochet doilies. Or maybe work with my laptop. But if Security confiscates my crochet hook (deadly weapon!) or my laptop (bomb trigger!), Im absolutely sure Ill enjoy it just the same, because circuses are more fun in the Philippines! And thats the truth.

the trial, surprisingly gushed forth, Nakaka-in love si Cuevas! Never thought someone so old could be so sharp! Ang galing-galing niya, who cares about his hairdo! The clown could be bald for all I care, but for mea child at hearta circus wouldnt be complete without a magician. Magic tricks so enthrall me that even though I have cracked a few of them I havent given up guessing how the others are done. Rabbits materializing from empty hats, scarves and coins being pulled out of someones ears, a deck of cards disappearing and reappearing in the magicians handall these never fail to entrance me. So, when classified bank documents materialized out of thin air at a congressmans driveway, or reached the trial court through a mysterious female dwarf another circus prop, by the wayI couldnt help but gasp in awe, OMG, I just looove magicians! And they amuse me even more when their gags backfire on them, exposing them as the real clowns! Besides clowns and magicians, what makes the circus such a fascinating experience for me are the big catsthe tigers and the lions. Seeing these carnivores behave in a manner unnatural to themsuch as keeping still on minuscule stools or rolling over like puppies on command, jumping through flaming hoops, and doing other acts in the name of showbizconvinces me that these beasts do possess an intelligence superior to that of some humans who sometimes behave like beasts. It behooves me then to question: what is it about an impeachment trial that turns some Honorable Gentlemen into big catssnarling, growling, and baring their fangs as though going for the kill? Wherever that feline ferocity is directed, I commiserate with the witnesses who under examination have no choice but to cooperate. They must be the acrobats and tightrope walkers in the circus, compelled to perform without prior training. If big cats and acrobats are there to create suspenseful moments in a circus, audiencefriendly animals are also employed to relax spectators. Other Honorables basking in their two minutes of glory in the proceedings strike me as such: chimpanzees that provide laughs (with their clever lines); nimble seals that impress us (with their legal bravado); well-trained dogs that amuse us with hu-

Atty. Aurora A. Santiago

Duc in Altum
THE Filipinos all over the world rejoiced when Pope Benedict XVI announced that the canonization of our very own Blessed Pedro Calungsod will be held on October 21, 2012. The most happy are the officers, trustees and members of Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas or Laiko (formerly Council of the Laity of the Philippines) because Blessed Pedro Calungsod is one of their patron saints, together with San Lorenzo Ruiz. As National President of Laiko, this representation felt the need to devote this column to him, so people will know more about him. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines has created the Executive Council for the canonization of Blessed Pedro Calungsod. It is chaired by His Eminence Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, co-chaired by Most Rev. Archbishop Jose Palma. Among the members of the Council is Most Rev. Julito Cortes, Auxiliary Bishop of Cebu, chair of the Commission on National Celebration in Manila. Rev. Fr. Marvin Mejia is the head of the National Secretariat while Monsignor Dennis Villarojo is the Chair of the Commission in Cebu Celebration. Who is Blessed Pedro Calungsod? Most helpful are the information about him which we gathered from his website; we are reproducing the data here, with some edits: Pedro was a young boy from the Visayas; he was a catechist, who went with the Spanish Jesuit missionaries from the Philippines to the Ladrones Islands, later named the Marianas, in western Pacific in 1668 to evangelize the Chamorros. Despite the hardships in the island where the boy catechist and the missionaries crossed wild jungles, climbed high cliffs, suffered severe typhoons, lack of provisions, they continued on with their mission, to evangelize the natives; they were blessed with many conversions. Envious of the popularity of the missionaries among the natives, a Chinese Quack spread the talk that the baptismal water of the missionaries was poisonous. Since some of the sickly infants who were baptized died, many believed him. The sorcerers and young male prostitutes began

The canonization of Blessed Pedro Calungsod

prosecuting the missionaries. The most unforgettable tragedy happened on April 02, 1672, the Saturday before the Passion Sunday of that year. Pedro, who was then 17 years old, and the superior of the mission, Padre Diego Luis de San Vitores (priest), came to the village of Tomhom, in the Island of Guam. They were told that a baby girl was recently born, so they told the childs father that the baby needed baptism. Already influenced by the Quack, the Christian father angrily refused. To give him time to cool down, the priest and Pedro gave catechism class to the natives present. Meanwhile, the father was determined to kill the missionaries so he enlisted the help of a non-Christian villager. During the absence of the father, the priest and Pedro took the chance of baptizing the infant with the consent of the Christian mother; the father was furious when he learned about it. He threw spear at Pedro but the latter was able to evade it. Witnesses said that he had all the opportunities to escape due to his young age but he did not want to leave the priest; he could also defeat the enemies but he had no weapons because the priest did not want his companions to carry arms. Pedro finally got hit by a spear at the chest and fell to the ground; the non-Christian aggressor finished him off with a blow of a cutlass on the head. The priest gave Pedro the last sacrament; after that, the assassins also killed the priest, took his crucifix and pounded it with stone while blaspheming God. Both assassins denuded the bodies of Pedro and the priest, tied large stones to the feet, and threw them into the deep sea. Their remains were never found. The companion missionaries of Pedro remembered him as a boy with very good dispositions, a virtuous catechist, a faithful assistant, and a good Catholic whose perseverance in the Faith even to the point of martyrdom proved him to be a good soldier of Christ. The beatification in 1985 of Padre Diego Luis de San Vitores, brought to mind what Pedro had done. He was beatified in Saint Peters Square in Rome on March 05, 2000 by Blessed John Paul II.
Duc In Altum / A6

A6

Local News

CBCP Monitor
February 27 - March 11, 2012

Vol. 16 No. 5

Building homes for typhoon victims may take some timeCRS official
FOR both government and private agencies helping typhoon victims get back to their feet again, building new homes for disaster victims does not come easy. Even as government, faith-based groups and non-government organizations have been seriously looking into the problems faced by some 5,800 families in need of relocation, building new and safer homes for them may take some time to accomplish, according to Joe Curry, country representative of Catholic Relief Services. Our efforts are focused on the Sendong typhoon victims emergency response and recovery since December and will continue to work with the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro and Xavier University until June (2012), Curry told CBCPNews. While the government has appropriated a substantial amount for the victims shelter requirements and private donors have already come forward to help, land acquisition remains a problem. But though it may take time for the government and various agencies to build homes Curry said it will be eventually solved. He said its good for Xavier University to have donated five hectares for housing purposes but only 500 families would be accommodated in the property. We have 5,800 families in need of relocation so it may take some time, Curry added. He explained while a piece of land may be bought, it has to be prepared for housing, and building homes may also take sometime. In some disaster areas building new homes take at least two years as in the case of typhoon victims in Isabela province in northern Luzon. Curry said the Catholic Relief Services in the Philippines is into the third phase of their assistance after focusing on water and sanitation concerns in evacuation centers. He said water supply was cut-off due to the flash floods but has now been restored. They later went into a clean-up phase in certain areas in Cagayan de Oro and has been successful with the volunteers from the archdiocese after completing over 8,000 work days in the clean-up and debris removal and now moving into transitional shelter. Curry said while there are a lot of agencies and groups extending assistance to the typhoon and flood victims, close coordination among them has maximized every form of assistance intended for the local residents. He added that the CRS has served 3,000 families with their basic water requirements, 500 others gained from casual work or food-for-work program while several thousand families have already benefitted from their clean-up activities. We look forward to serving 1,200 families with transitional homes worth at least P14,000 each, Curry explained. The government has estimated some 5,800 families are in need of relocation. There are 1,800 families in evacuation centers and 1,000 families living in tents in the peripheries of the city proper. Curry said while they also wanted to extend their help to Iligan City residents, their budget and donations from partners have limited their activities to Cagayan de Oro City. Asked of the difference between Filipino local government officials and other governments provincial governors and mayors, Curry said the barangay captains and mayors have been most helpful. The local governments provide immediate response to disaster victims faster than their other ASEAN counterparts, he said. However, he added that local government officials should do what they could to help their constituents return to their normal lives. (Melo M. Acua)

Farmers group asks Aquino Bishop to students: Keep out of frats to implement CARPER in full
FARMERS under the Task Force Mapalad (TFM) asked the Palace to shower them genuine love by implementing land distribution nationwide, quickly. In a statement sent to CBCPNews, TFM said that as they wish President Benigno C. Aquino III to find the love of his life, they too wish that Mr. Aquino would also give them the love of their lifethe land that they till. It is the only thing that matters to our forefathers, ourselves, our children and our childrens children, a part of TFM statement read. TFM-Negros president Alberto Jayme said, they are not asking too much but only asserts their right to land, which actually enshrined in the Constitution and the primary reason that the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law was extended. He also said that the Department of Agrarian Reforms (DAR) performance in terms of land acquisition is quite dismal. Based on the DARs latest records, in 2011 it has acquired and distributed at least 41 percent of all CARPable lands, with five percent in Negros; 32 percent in Davao; 25 percent in North Bukidnon; and nine percent in South Bukidnon. Jayme also said that the farmers have nothing left to lose as they already risked
Retreat / A1

and even sacrificedtheir lives in the name of agrarian reform. Meanwhile, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines National Secretariat for Social Action, Justice and Peace (CBCPNASSA), one of the primary movers of extending the CARP implementation with reforms, had reaffirmed its support to the farmers by asking the President to devote his time and energy in eliminating the roots of social conflict all over the country, that is, the control of the few to the agricultural and industrial lands. In a Mass he officiated at the picket line of the farmers from TFM in DAR compound last February 14, CBCP-NASSA chief and Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick S. Pabillo has reminded the President not to waste much time and money impeaching one man, that is Chief Justice Renato C. Corona, when the majority of the Filipino people are experiencing hunger, poverty and hopelessness. He also scored the President in focusing on the squabbles of the few, while he seems to neglect the implementation of CARPER or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reforms Extension with Reforms that will benefit more than half million longoppressed Filipino farmers. (Noel Sales Barcelona/CBCPNews)

A CATHOLIC bishop advised students not to join fraternities and sororities especially those with dangerous initiations. Bishop Deogracias Iiguez of Caloocan said the recent death of San Beda law student Marvin Reglos from an alleged hazing incident showed risks in joining fraternities. He acknowledged that maybe not all initiations are dangerous, but stressed that enough have already been publicized to let the
Permit / A1

public know many are not safe. If an organization has things like hazing, (students) should avoid it, Iiguez told Manila archdiocese-run Radyo Veritas. We are also appealing to the youth to carefully examine organizations that they want to be with, added the head of the Committee on Public Affairs of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippine. Retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz believes that all fraternities can have

the potential to be great and can affect community positively with the right leaders. Having a fraternity is not bad because its a brotherhood but let it not come to the extent that someone is hurt or killed, Cruz said. Investigations are ongoing into the death of Reglos, 25, who succumbed from multiple wounds and bruises obtained from an alleged hazing rites of Lambda Rho fraternity. Another Church official,

meanwhile, called on the government to regulate fraternities and sororities in schools. It is sad that this incidence was committed by young men with brilliant minds but with brutal hearts, said Fr. Conegundo Garganta of the CBCPs Commission on Youth. Thus, I believe, the government must by all means exact the law that will regulate fraternities and sororities to secure safety of students, he said. (CBCPNews)

see beyond the external meaning of life, he added. The prelate also invited the young faithful to gather their friends and attend together summer camps and leadership conferences being organized by the parishes near them and youth organizations in their community to make their summer vacation more
Pastoral Companion / A4

meaningful. While it is great to be with friends on vacation, it is also fulfilling to be with them in attending summer camps, youth conferences or Bible study classes, which are alternative activities this summer where they can even learn a lot from, he added. (YouthPinoy)

Immigrants from various countries, including Filipinos trooped over the weekend to Largo Castello and marched the streets leading to the Prefecture near the crowded San Babila, tourists favorite shopping district. The protesters led by the Confederazione Unitaria di Base (CUB), braved the near-freezing temperature to show their vehement opposition to the new rule which they described as quite unfair and unacceptable. One of the protest leaders identified as Baye Diouf, president of CeSaim (Centri per lo Sviluppo dell Associazionismo e dellImprenditoria dei Migrante) said the governments decision to impose taxes on immigrants is sheer discrimination. All migrants who renew their permit to stay must now pay more than 100 Euros. We say this is discrimination because the only country in the world that creates tax only for migrants is Italy. So today, we are making this manifestation, Diouf was quoted as saying.
APECO / A1

He added Italys economic crisis must not be shouldered by the migrants alone. New fees, exemptions Immigrants applying for the first time for a Permit of Stay or those renewing a permit valid for a period from three months to a year must pay 80 Euros effective January 30 this year. A fee of 100 Euros will be charged immigrants applying for either Permit of Stay or renewal permit valid for a period ranging from one year to a maximum of two years. Immigrants applying for long-term residence permit (Carta di Soggiorno) are required to pay 200 Euros. These fees exclude the 27.50 Euros for the electronic Permit of Stay, 14.62 Euros for the revenue stamp and another 30 Euros for the postal fee. Migrants who apply for a Permit of Stay for two years will have to spend 127.50 Euros. The new tax is not applicable to mi-

nor children, including those arriving in Italy for family reunification, those arriving for medical treatment and persons accompanying them. However, Permit of Stay for political asylum, humanitarian and subsidiary protection, updates and conversion are not taxed. It was learned half of the amount about to be generated from the new tax will be used to finance the deportation of irregular immigrants while the other half will be utilized by the Ministry of Home Affairs to maintain public security, to fund Immigrants Offices at the Prefectures and to implement the integration agreement (accord di integrazione). Sit-ins have begun last February 10 in Udine, Padova, Milan, Bergamo, Genova, Napoli, Reggio, Calabria, Palermo, Siracusa, Agrigento, Catania, Mesina, Trapani, Enni and Caltanisetta. In Rome, the sit-in will be held at Piazza San Apostoli. (Ruel de Lunas) ing the interest of foreign investors, enriching the few while sacrificing the interest of the poor, Pabillo stated. He also denounced the injustice and human rights violation inflicted on the local communities with the construction of projects, including absence of consultation and consent of the affected people, legalized land grabbing and eviction, and violations of various national legislations, such as CARPER law, IPRA and the Local Government Code of 1991. (CBCPNews/NASSA)

and caused the severe siltation of its riverbed. The outlying barangays of Taglimao, Canitoan, Iponan, Bulua, and Barra have experienced the widespread overflow of this river. Other tributaries affecting the barangays of Cugman and Agusan also need to be safeguarded. It is in this light that we support the implementation of a total logging ban and a moratorium of mining activities that disturb the topsoil. There are reports that some of these mining activities in the hinterlands of Lumbia and Dansolihon parishes involve large-scale dynamiting and excavation of the soil, which are then loaded onto dump trucks to ports for shipping to another country. Inevitably, the loose soil from the excavations is washed down the river. Much of the sad experience of the flood survivors was coping not only with the sudden rise of water but also with the admixture of thick mud and debris that added density and pressure against any object along their path. Aerial photos of some of these mining sites indicate the irreversible damage to the environment already done by these extractive activities. It is unconscionable for city officials to adopt a businessas-usual attitude for mining permits to continue. At the very least multi-sectoral monitoring teams should be allowed to verify on the ground the effects of these mining activitieswhether small-scale or large-scale. We have already experienced the disastrous effects of severe flooding on the citys households in January 2009 and December 2011. Invoking the precautionary principle, it is the mining firms that have the burden of proof in showing that their activities are not detrimental to the common good. We likewise need a full disclosure of the identities of these mining firms, their allotted areas, and contribution to the local economy. And this constitutes our third major concern for Good Governance understood in terms of an active and participatory citizenry on the one hand and a responsive government on the other hand. Transparency and accountability are hallmarks of

good governance. Questions from several quarters have been raised about the lack of coordination among relief agencies, especially during the first few days after the calamity. The preoccupation with political party affiliations has restricted the offer of more assistance to the affected communities. There are now reports that even the manifestations of civil dissent have been stifled. The Gising Barangay Movement has pointed out the critical role of barangay and city officials as the first line of defense in extending assistance to the flood victims. The complete listing of sitio residents could have facilitated the identification of affected families. Disaster preparedness and long-term city planning could have mitigated the dire consequences of allowing households to stay along the rivers own waterways. The ongoing tasks of identifying and developing relocation sites for permanent housing have to be done in an impartial and non-politicized manner. These are issues being raised today by concerned citizens. The archdiocese itself as a church institution does not engage in partisan politics. The pulpit should be used to proclaim the Word of God, and not the words of men. On the other hand, we appeal to both the authorities and all Cagayanons to allow the democratic process to prevail in the responsible exercise of the basic freedoms of speech, assembly and participation in public affairs. We encourage the Catholic laity, including our religious lay organizations, to form widening circles of discernment to discuss, pray over, and address together these pending issues that involve environmental justice and the common good as well as the sustainable development of our city. Following the legacy of St. Augustine, patron of the city and the archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro, the City of Man has to be built in consonance with the moral principles of the City of God. (A homily delivered during the Opening Mass of the Annual Convention of Diocesan Clergy of Mindanao, 13 February 2012)

environmental destruction that comes with this socalled development, he stressed. He said that the right to progress, insofar as community development is concerned, becomes acceptable only if it is inspired by moral values that consider the integral development of people, and if the advancement of the few will not be a cause of the suffering of many. Pabillo also stressed that if the lands, covering around 11,900 hectares will be appropriated for the economic zone, many
Love Life / A4

indigenous peoples in San Ildefonso Peninsula will be displaced from their ancestral domains. As the project will convert wide tracks of irrigated and productive lands in Casiguran for other purposes, the farmers will be deprived of their livelihood and food security in the province will be jeopardized, the bishop said. The fisher folk s will likewise be displaced from their source of income when the coastal areas will be populated with high-end luxury

resorts and facilities, like the airport now being constructed, Pabillo further said. We are one with the residents, indigenous peoples, farmers and fisherfolks we met in Bianoan, Casiguran and Disigisaw, San Ildefenso and Cozo in Aurora, in calling for the repeal of RA9490/10083 that allows the Aurora Pacific Ecozone and Freeport Authority (or APECO) to increase its scope of coverage from 500 to 12,427 hectares, and to grant extensive powers to private enterprise clearly uphold-

husband in order to keep her secret, he divorced her and her daughters ran away and got into drugs. It was when she had a nervous breakdown that the psychiatrist told her to go to a Christian counselor. It was a pastor on his fourth stage cancer that gave her so much of his time in helping her return to the Lord that she finally recovered.
Duc In Altum / A5

Luana and Kay courageously speak of their secrets in order for more women (and men), to realize the evils of abortion and its devastating effects not only on the dead baby and a wounded mother, but the long term effects on the father of the baby as well, which is often more promiscuity as they see women as objects of

sex and the use of violence and drinking in order to numb their own guilt and pains. Luana and Kay cry outWhen will the lying to women stop? All of us are affected by each abortion in the world. Let us all unite in stopping this evil soon! Read the reflections of Luana and Kay on their own experiences. officers and trustees, led by their National Spiritual Director Most Rev. Jesse Mercado, Bishop of Paraaque, for a successful strategic planning held at the Canossa House of Spirituality in Tagaytay. Facilitators were Zeny Capistrano and Jin Reyes. Birthday greetings to Laiko Trustees Gigi Bautista, Mario Cruz and Joe Tale; birthday greetings also to Fr. Tim Guarin, Marie Masangkay and Bea Lim of the Diocese of Kalookan and Tess Lara of San Ildefonso Parish.

*** To start the devotion to Blessed Pedro Calungsod, we quote here the Prayer for Special Intentions to Blessed Pedro Calungsod, which we also gathered from his website: My Lord, in your grace, you have shown through your servant, Beato Pedro Calungsod, the sublime prize of following you. Through his martyrdom, you have shown us that age and race will not hinder us from serving and loving you. His youthful fervor in defending the faith earned him the

title to be called blessed. Thus, in confidence, I humbly call unto him to pray with me, and to intercede for this urgent favour (make a request) and that through his glorious life, I may try to emulate him, together with Mother Mary, who have without reserve said yes to your will. Amen. *** Twenty-eight years ago, the CBCP issued a very strong Pastoral Letter which denounced the massive fraud during the 1986 Snap Election. Thereafter,

the military and the civilian, led by then Gen. Fidel Ramos and Defense Sec. Juan Ponce Enrile, took a stand to defend freedom. The rest is history, EDSA People Power Revolution. Let us remember that the legacy of EDSA should not be forgotten. The right to freedom is not absolute; it has the corresponding responsibility and obligation, lest chaos and anarchy prevail. *** Congratulations to Laiko

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 5
February 27 - March 11, 2012

Diocesan News
JARO, ILOILO CityThe National Shrine of Our Lady of Candles in Jaro archdiocese is forming a migrants ministry that would initiate projects and spearhead pastoral programs to take care of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). Jaro Auxiliary Bishop Gerardo Alminaza made the announcement in his weekly column in Candle Light, the official publication of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Candles, as the Church marked National Migrants Sunday, February 26. The bishop noted that Iloilo ranks 20th nationwide and 2nd in the Visayas region among the top 50 providers of OFWs. The increasing number of Visayans leaving abroad for work has challenged the Archdiocese of Jaro, particularly the parish of Our Lady of Candles to strengthen its migrants ministry. Alminaza observed that in some Philippine dioceses with active migrant ministries, the Holy Mass is regularly celebrated for OFW families, fellowship and other religious activities are organized for their spiritual advancement, teachers and guidance counselors in Catholic schools teach children to be aware of and value the sacrifices of their migrant parents. I personally believe that this ministry is of great importance and demands our urgent response as a caring local church community, he said. I want this ministry to be one of our parishs priorities. Let us take a proactive response against the disadvantages of migration to the family, the domestic church, and the basic unit of society, Alminaza said. Despite high remittances and improved economic life it brings, the psycho-social costs of migration are way too high. Among the psycho social effects are infidelity of spouses, breakdown of families, early marriages among migrants children, incest, gambling, threatened family

A7
relationships, materialism and various types of vices are experienced by migrants and their dependents. Following the theme of this years Migrants Sunday, Migration and the New Evangelization, the parishs OFW ministry hopes to empower migrants and their families as missionaries of faith. Alminaza encouraged his parishioners, especially family members of OFWs, to take an active part in this ministry as a concrete application of the 2012 Lenten message of Pope Benedict XVI: Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works. (Heb 10:24). May we overcome through our Lenten discipline, the spiritual anesthesia which numbs us to the suffering of others as illustrated by the parable of the Good Samaritan (cf. Lk 10: 30-32) and of the rich man, Dives, and the poor man, Lazarus (Lk 16:19), the Bishop stressed. (Fr. Mickey Cardenas)

Jaro Shrine strengthens ministry for OFWs

Thousands of students join nuns in procession to promote life, true love

VIGAN, Ilocos SurIn an effort to redirect the understanding of the youth to the true meaning of Love in relation to Life, the Association of Women Religious in Ilocos Sur (AWRIS) and Archdiocesan Vicar for Religious Msgr. Gary Noel Formoso, on Valentines Day led thousands of young people in procession as they prayed for the promotion of life. The first of its kind, the gathering has the theme NAPUDNO NGA AYAT RESPETARENNA ITI BIAG (True Love Respects Life), and was attended by over 3,000 young men and women coming from Catholic and public schools in the archdiocese of Nueva Segovia, members of the clergy and religious women. Participating schools include St. Paul College of Ilocos Sur, Divine Word College of Vigan, Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary, University of Northern Philippines, Ilocos National High and Vigan National High. Participants carried placards
RH / A1

The number of Visayans leaving abroad to seek for greener pastures prompted the parish of Our Lady of Candles in the Archdiocese of Jaro to reinforce its migrants ministry by providing formation programs to OFWs and their families left behind.

Pinky Barrientos, FSP

Briefing
1,400 youth join Bacolods annual Dagyaw event

Carrying placards, students from Catholic and public schools in Vigan join in procession to promote true love and dignity of life, February 14.

with messages that expressed their deep respect for Love and Life while praying the holy rosary. The activity culminated with a Eucharistic celebration presided by Nueva Segovia Archbishop Ernesto Salgado together with Auxiliary Bishop David William Antonio as homilist and concelebrated by eight other priests. In his homily, Bishop Anto-

nio explained briefly but emphatically the Catholic Bishops Conferences 6-point call to strongly reject the RH agenda and choose life. Although not around, Ilocos Sur Congressman Ryan Singson left a message of support which was read to the participants before the final blessing was given. Singson made clear his position that his experiences as a

husband and father to his little daughter are more than enough reasons to make firm his stand that he is Pro- Life. He claimed that even before he became a congressman, he was already a staunch believer in the dignity of marriage and held a high respect for life. The women religious said they continue to inform and educate the people in the archdiocese on the dignity of life and the fallacies of reproductive health bill. They said the event will be followed by formation sessions to be given to faculty, students and members of mandated organizations with the hope of forming a core group to continue their advocacy towards the promotion of deep respect for Life. On Feb. 27, an initial session was conducted at the auditorium of St. Paul College of Ilocos Sur with Dra. Telly Somera as resource speaker. (Sr. Cecilia Sto. Tomas, SPC)

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

BACOLOD CityAround 1,400 young people flocked the stadium of University of Negros Occidental Recoletos for a night of praise and worship in this years Dagyawan annual gathering organized by the Diocesan Commission on Youth on Feb. 18-19. Already in its 8th year, the annual event is geared in affirming the youth of their importance in the Church, according to Diocesan youth director Fr. Arnold Deletina. Dagyaw has invited the young people of the diocese to stand up and be recognized, to come forward and take their rightful place in the Church that often struggles to enter into a living dialogue with the young people, said Deletina. (Epi Ma. Kassandra Dajao)
Guingona bats for a comprehensive disaster management plan for Mindanao

CAGAYAN DE ORO CitySenator Teofisto TG Guingona III batted for the crafting of a comprehensive disaster management plan for Mindanao, noting that what happens in one place in the island affects other places. It is now time to have a Mindanao island-wide disaster management plan. Disaster and calamities such as typhoons and storms no longer spare Mindanao. What happened in one place also affect others, he said at the sideline of the Mindanao Disaster Risk Reduction Summit which opened here, Feb. 18. Guingona, who calls the province of Bukidnon home, said that the environment in Mindanao is interconnected and as such, one citys or provinces disaster management plan should be related to the plan of its neighbors. (Bong D. Fabe)
Chevron must be held accountable on La Union oil spill

public health centers nationwide to make them accessible to the poor. RH bill treats poor as merely lustful beings Parang napakahilig lang talaga sa sex ng mga mahihirapganoon ang treatment ng RH Bill sa poor. Kasi parang sinasabi ng mga proponents, kaya mahirap ang poor kasi marami sila, at marami sila dahil mahilig sila sa sex. Kaya para maiwasan ang pagdami nila ay hindi dapat sila manganak, kaya contraception dapat (Its like the poor are nothing but sex-fixatedthats the way the RH bill is treating the poor. The proponents seem to be saying that the poor are impoverished because they are many, and that they are many because they are always having sex. So to avoid swelling their numbers, poor women shouldnt give birthhence,
Fuel / A1

they should contracept), observed Jose Descallar, Buhay Party List staff. He pointed out that everybody schooled or notis capable of practising self-mastery and understanding matters such as dignity, sobriety, and nature of sexuality. And the poor have the same dignity as the rich and elite, and to think otherwise would be discriminatory and unchristian, Descallar said. Calls for the passage of the RH bill from poor themselves dont necessarily mean anything significant, he said. Hindi naman nila naiintindihan talaga [ang bill]. Nabasa ba nila yun? (They dont really understand the bill. Have they read it?) Descallar pointed out, adding that they are unlikely to have read it, as is the case for majority of Filipinos. That the bill is not written in the vernacular makes

understanding it more difficult for them, he continued. Poor people cant learn? Those who reject the RH bill also say that the poor should even be offended by what the government assumes them to beincapable of learning and of controlling their impulses. It is an insult to Filipinos, especially to our poor, because it appears that we have no capacity to learn the more virtuous path of responsible parenthood. The insult is further aggravated by making this bill an excuse for our governments lack of vision and lack of will to eradicate poverty by enabling people to help themselves through proper education, health and job creation, dentist Ricardo Boncan pointed out. (CBCP for Life)

ANTIPOLO CityThe Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas wants Chevron be held accountable for the 10,000 liters (2,641.72 US gallons) of automative diesel oil (ADO) spilled at the Poro Point Pier, in San Fernando City, La Union last February 21. Despite the thorough cleanup of the oil mess, Pamalakaya said that the oil spill could have affected the quality of the water in the area, that would endanger fishes and other marine species there. (Noel Sales Barcelona)
Pasig to conduct diocesan youth ministry fellowship

PASIG CityThe Pasig Diocesan Youth Ministry (PDYM) will conduct a youth fellowship on March 10, Saturday, from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Youth Formation Center of the John Paul II building in Pasig City. Ella Alfaro, events head of PDYM said that the priority objective of the fellowship is to equip youth ministers become more effective and qualified in serving the young. She added that the event hopes to gather youth ministers from different youth ministry setting like parishes, schools, and organization/movements, and come together for a common experience that will lead to a more cohesive and unified diocesan youth ministry. (Jandel Posion)
Seafarers group gathers 6K signatures for MLC ratification

be issued announcing the cards reloaded. The fuel subsidy program, which started in May last year, is an interim measure of the government to cushion the impact of high fuel prices particularly to the public utility jeepney operators. Unjust The Church People-Workers Solidarity (CWS) has earlier called on the government to listen to the demands of the transport sectors and worked for the realization of the common good. Oil price has increased more than 20 times since January 2011,
Candidly Speaking / A4

and this is causing added burden not only to drivers and operators but to workers, peasants, fisherfolks, and their families, said Jaro Auxiliary Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, one of the CWS convenors. Transport groups claimed that spiraling oil price increases is a result of the monopoly of the Big 3 (Shell, Petron and Caltex) and the governments deregulation policy. Ibon, an independent research institution, said that increases in oil prices are driving inflation. In a situation where workers receive very little wages, the unabated oil price hikes erode the value of our workers income

since prices of basic commodities also shoot up. The effect is far worse for workers whose jobs and incomes are both irregular, added Alminaza. The bishop also expressed concern on reports that both oil companies and the government are raking in billions in profits and revenues at the expense of the ordinary consumers. According to Ibon Foundation, the profits of the oil firms since 2001 have totaled to P141.7 billion in 2010. The Philippine government has also been getting revenues of P48 billion pesos annually or a total of P239.6 billion in the last five years due to the 12 percent

VAT on oil, according to a study by Ibon. Profit at the expense of the poor is immoral and unjust. The Church is very clear in its teachings that the well-being of our toiling brothers and sisters should come first before profit, said Alminaza. Government must regulate oil industry to moderate the greed of private oil firms. The welfare of the majority must be prioritized, he also said. Alminaza said the government must heed the calls for the review of the oil deregulation policy and for the removal of VAT on oil products.

ANTIPOLO City, Feb. 26, 2012The seafarers welfare group, International Seafarers Action Center (ISAC) Foundation, Inc. is scheduled to transmit, anytime, to concerned government agencies more than 6,000 signatures they gathered to have the 2006 Maritime Labor Conventions (MLC 06) ratified. The group is hoping that the signature campaign would help concerned agencies make-up their minds and start the ratification process of the said important legal instrument. (Noel Sales Barcelona)
Contractual labor to blame on sudden rise of unemployment in PH

How and where can we find them? Perhaps, churchmen should closely monitor the pertinent government offices that process their papers, getting data like names, address, etc., and start figuring out how to get in touch with them. We should not wait for them to come to church, but rather, with delicacy and naturalness, we go to them. Another basic source of information are the local parishes, chapels and chaplaincies that have direct contact with the faithful. Once someone is known to go abroad to work or to migrate, the churchmen should already start to act. Do we already have agencies to take care of this? Direct, personal contact is of course indispensable, but the supporting structures should also be available. Without

duplicating what government agencies and other groups can do, the Church should focus on what her distinctive contribution isspiritual assistance. Ministering to these migrants and overseas workers requires different strategies. A more pro-active approach is needed. As much as possible, we have to know the concrete details of their personal and family circumstances as well as their spiritual conditions. We have to go down from the generics, and from theories and principles. The idea is to spiritually prepare the person planning to migrate or work abroad. He should be reminded of his Christian duties and as much as possible help him to live them. He should be told of what to expect in his new country of destination.

Then we have to see what to do with the families left behind. They also need to be taken care of. Obviously they can be made part of the general attention given to everyone, but some distinctive assistance should be lent to them, given their special situation. There are many things that can and should be brought up for consideration by everyone and especially by the Church leaders. Hopefully special events like Year of Missions, Year of Faith, Day of Migrants, etc., can occasions these considerations. We also have to think of what to do with foreigners who are coming to our country in droves, like the Koreans. We should never forget that all our efforts here should be based on prayer, sacrifice and genuine personal sanctity.

QUEZON CityAnakpawis Partylist blamed contractual labor on the sudden rise of unemployment in the Philippines, as shown by the latest survey of the private statistics firm, Social Weather Stations. Anakpawis executive president Joel Maglungsod in a statement said that the 24 percent unemployment rate is but a proof of the failed labor policies being implemented by the Benigno C. Aquino III administration, which includes contractual labor. The SWS survey states that 10 percent of the labor force lost jobs in 2011 due to retrenchments, seven percent of which were due to unrenewed contract. Victims of company closure and termination represent the two and one percent of the unemployed in 2011, respectively, the survey said. (Noel Sales Barcelona)
HK OFWs welcome suspension of OEC fee requirement

ANTIPOLO CityThe United Filipinos in Hong Kong (Unifil-HK) celebrates their initial victory over the issue of overseas employment certificate (OEC) for Filipino workers there. In a statement, Unifil chair Dolores Balladres said that Labor Attach in Hong Kong Manuel Roldan had announced, in a forum organized by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in HK last February 12, that presenting proof of payment from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) would no longer be needed in asking for the OEC. Clearly, this is a victory of the campaign of OFW groups in HK to remove pre-conditional fee requirements to get an OEC. We do, however, want it to be more official and urge the DOLE or the POLO to issue an order stating such, said Balladres. (Noel Sales Barcelona)

A8
TO facilitate busy people to experience a spiritual exercise during the season of Lent in the midst of their hectic lives, the Catholic Church is offering an online retreat. Organized by the Media Office of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, the virtual retreat is a new feature of this years CBCP Visita Iglesia Online. But the Church said that an online retreat is no substitute for spending a few days in a Lenten atmosphere; although the online retreat is meant for people who, for one reason or another, cannot do that. Msgr. Pedro Quitorio, CBCP media director, stressed that making a retreat still makes demands on the individual. According to him, the Church can provide the material, but it is still the person, who must make the retreat that will be made available online starting the first week of Lent.

CBCP offers online retreat

These are packets of video reflections that will serve as alternative catechesis to those who will have no chance of attending Lenten retreats, Quitorio said. The visita iglesia online website can be accessed through www.visitaiglesiaonline.net. Another added feature is a Lenten podcast which contains reflections that may be handy for Filipinos who are bedridden. There will also be Lenten blogs which are discussion taken from the blogs of bishops, priests and religious and lay faithful. It was in 2010 when the CBCP first launched the Visita Iglesia Online so that Filipinos living abroad can participate in the countrys celebration of Lent as well. Here, users can listen to the pasyon (chanted readings of the Gospel account of Christs Passion), watch videos of the Seven Last Words, read homilies and take part in the Stations of the Cross via a computer with an Internet connection. This project is specially intended for Filipinos who have no way of going to Churches, especially the seafarers and the homebound, Quitorio said. Now on its third year, other continuing contents of the site are featured churches these are mostly heritage churches viewed from the historical, architectural and pastoral perspectives. There will also be videos of liturgical celebrations that will cover all rituals from Palm Sunday to Easter Vigil. On Good Friday, the Seven Last Words at the Christ the King Parish in Quezon City will be video streamed live. Last Holy Week 2011, the site garnered 150,000 unique visitors and over 1.5 million page loads. The positive feedback and requests especially coming from Filipinos abroad have inspired us to go on, said Quitorio. (CBCPNews)

People, Facts & Places

CBCP Monitor

February 27 - March 11, 2012

Vol. 16 No. 5

CBCP lauds canonization of Bl. Pedro Calungsod

THE Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines lauded the upcoming canonization of Blessed Pedro Calungsoda move that makes him the second Filipino saint. CBCP president Archbishop Jose Palma of Cebu said that the recent development is a source of great pride for the Philippines that has only one canonized saint to date. Its a blessing for the whole nation, said CBCP president Archbishop Jose Palma of Cebu. But more than having a second saint, Church officials see the young martyrs canonization as more significant in the sense that it only shows that laypeople can also be saints too. It shows that our lay persons can respond to call to holiness, according to Bishop Jose Oliveros of Malolos. The fact that he is like St. Lorenzo, a lay person, shows the great importance of non-ordained faithful in the Church in Asia, said Archbishop Ramon Arguelles of Lipa. This is a sign of the growing importance of the Church in the Philippines for the universal Church, he added. Calungsod will soon be proclaimed as saint after Pope Benedict XVI recently set his canonization along with six others on October 21 this year. The teenager from Cebu was martyred in Guam in 1672 with a Spanish Jesuit priest, now Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores. Calungsod, if canonized, will be the first Visayan saint and second Filipino saint in history following San Lorenzo Ruiz who was proclaimed saint in Rome in 1988. The prelates also said that the Filipino youth can now have a saint to look up to and emulate. He was able to share his faith with others. And he was also young, an inspiration for the youth of today, said Oliveros. Let us ask him to intercede for our country that we remain steadfast in our Catholic faith, he said. (CBCPNews)

Markings
APPOINTED. Pope Benedict XVI has named Dumaguete Bishop John Du, 57, as the new archbishop of Palo. Du will now take the title of Archbishop-designate ahead of his official installation soon, succeeding Archbishop Jose Palma who was transferred to the Archdiocese of Cebu in October 2010. Papal nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Guiseppe Pinto relayed the news of the Dus appointment to the Media Office of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines. Du was born on Oct. 18, 1954, in Bantayan, Cebu. He was ordained priest on June 1, 1979. In 1997, Pope John Paul II appointed him Auxiliary Bishop of Cebu. He was appointed Bishop of Dumaguete on April 21, 2001. Currently, the archbishop-elect is CBCPs treasurer and chairman of the CBCP Pension Plan. CELEBRATED. Sr. M. Victoria Joson of the Religious of the Good Shepherd (RGS) celebrated her golden jubilee of profession on February 19, 2012 in Maryridge, Tagaytay City. Joson entered the Postulancy on September 14, 1961, received in the Novitiate on April 24, 1962, and made her first profession of vows on April 24, 1964 in Los Angeles, USA. She had her final profession on May 11, 1969 in Quezon City. She served as coordinator of St. Euphrasia, group mother at St. Domitillas, counsellor/teacher in Maryridge and Heart of Mary Villa. She also served as a missionary to Hongkong, Mauritius, Angers and Paris in France, and to Genoa and Milan in Italy. Her ministry includes ministering to adolescent girls, migrant women, engagement in community development and pastoral work. CELEBRATED. A community of lay consecrated women known as the Emmaus Dialogue Community (EDC) has celebrated its 25th year of foundation last February 8. Founded in 1987 as a Catholic lay private association of women, the members dedicate their lives for the mission of dialogue and peace between Christians and Muslims. The community was officially given recognition as a lay association by the Archdiocese of Zamboanga in 1996. The EDC has the Beatitudes as their Rule of life, taking inspiration from the Biblical story of the two disciples who walked with Jesus on the road to Emmaus. CELEBRATED. Heart of Mary Villa marked its 55th year of foundation last February 8, 2012 with a Eucharistic Celebration led by Fr. Jose Mario Francisco, SJ at the Good Shepherd Chapel in Quezon City. The occasion was graced by the presence of adopting parents, their children, former residents of HMV, Good Shepherd Sisters and mission partners. Until 1957, the Heart of Mary Villa was known as the Charter Residence established by the Good Shepherd Sisters (RGS) within the property of the Archdiocese of Manila as a haven, refuge and home for unwed mothers. On May 2, 1957, the building was inaugurated and blessed by then Manila Archbishop Rufino J. Santos and the place was called Heart of Mary Villa. The institution provides accompaniment and care for unmarried pregnant women and facilitates adoption of infants and babies. INAUGURATED. The Vincentian-run Adamson University unveiled a commemorative mural at the Saint Vincent (SV) building to mark the institutions 80th founding anniversary, Feb. 11. Unveiling the mural were university president Fr. Gregorio Baaga Jr., C.M. and former university president Fr. Jimmy Belita, C.M., together with university officials and invited guests. Each panel of the mural depicts significant chapters and figures in Adamsonthe era of the Adamson family, when they first established the school; the era of the Vincentian priests and brothers, after the turnover of ownership in 1964; and the image of St. Vincent de Paul, founder of the congregation of the Vincentian priests and brothers and now AdUs patron saint. Artist Derick Macutay who was commissioned by the university started working on the mural last December 2011 after doing research and presenting several studies using oil on canvass to bring to life AdUs colorful history. Organized by the 80th Founding Anniversary Socio-Cultural Committee through University Museum and Archives director Mr. Raul Agner, the unveiling preceded the AdUs 78th Grand Alumni Homecoming. DIED. Sr. M. Carmel Medalla RGS (Carmelita Milano Medalla), 92, passed away on February 19, 2012 after 61 years as a Good Shepherd nun. Born on December 17, 1919, Medalla made her first profession of vows on September 8, 1952 in Los Angeles and her final profession of vows on April 24, 1956 in Quezon City. She was assigned as a teacher in Baguio from 1952 until 1965 and together with her companions established the apostolate with the indigenous peoples in the Cordillera. She served as local leader of the community from 1966 to 1972. She was later reassigned in Sta. Ana, Manila to minister with urban families through the Kaunlaran Multi-Purpose Center.

Young Filipinos told to prepare for World Youth Day 2013

THE CBCP Episcopal Commission on Youth (ECY) urged young Filipinos interested to attend next years World Youth Day (WYD) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to start their preparations, especially after organizers have recently unveiled the official event logo. WYD 2013 organizers in Rio de Janeiro unveiled last week the official logo for the next international gathering of young Catholics slated from July 23 to 28, 2013 in Brazil. The official WYD 2013 logo, designed by 25-year-old Brazilian Gustavo Huguenin, featured Brazils national colors of green, blue and yellow and elements that form a heart, arranged around Christ's image, inspired by the famous Christ the Redeemer statue. ECY executive secretary Fr. Conegundo Garganta said the unveiling of the WYD 2013 logo signals the start of the pilgrims preparation for the event. Although the event is more than a year away, pilgrims have to start making physical, mental, spiritual and financial preparations this early, he said. The official added that pilgrims, especially those without prior WYD experience, should get ready to adapt on the WYDs realities of long walks, loaded-schedules, and climate variations,

among others. They have to study and prepare for the rigors of daily requirements. They have to be physically and mentally ready for those, he added, citing common complaints of past WYD pilgrims.

Garganta admitted that there are still no requirements set yet for applications to be pilgrims for the WYD, adding that no communication has been made yet between the ECY and the WYD 2013 organizers in Brazil. (YouthPinoy)

12th National PREX convention slated in April

AROUND 6,000 participants are expected to join the nationwide convention of Parish Renewal Experience (PREX) at Ynares Center in Antipolo, Rizal this coming April 2729. Themed Called to Proclaim the Gospel of Life the biennial convention will focus on Blessed John Paul II encyclical Evangelium Vitae, which affirms the value of human life and its inviolability. Main speakers are Antipolo Bishop Gabriel Reyes, Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo, Pasig Bishop Mylo Vergara, San Fernando Auxiliary Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, Fr. Melvin Castro, executive secretary of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Family and Life; Fr. Ramon Ramos of the Passionist Missionaries and Msgr. Jesus Romulo Raada, NAPPS Spiritual Director. Also gracing the event as resource persons are Atty. Jo Imbong, Dr. Ligaya Acosta, Atty. Jose Sison who will discuss on matters regarding the Reproductive Health Bill, and Dr. Adelita Medina on the different aspects and moral dilemma of abortion and drug abuse, as well as the psychology and morality of suicide. The three-day national convention will also serve as a venue for all PREX graduates to have fellowship with one another, renew acquaintances, and reflect on the talks that will be delivered by invited speakers. Previous conventions were held in Baguio, Manila, Laguna, Legazpi and General Santos City with number of participants ranging from three to five thousand. The upcoming April convention is expected to draw at least 6,000 participants because of the events proximity to Metro Manila where many of its members will come from. Convention Chair Couple, Alex and Lucille Alindogan, are inviting all PREX graduates nationwide to attend and register online at www.prexnapps.org. (CBCPNews)

OFWs, families honored as Church marks National Migrants Sunday

FILIPINO migrants and their families were again honored by the Church in an annual celebration held in Cebu and simultaneously in various dioceses, February 26. The Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People commemorated the 26th National Migrants Sunday at the Mariners Court, Pier One in Cebu City at 8 a.m. with a Eucharistic celebration and other activities honoring migrants and their families left behind. Archbishop Antonio Maria Veglio, President of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerants said in an interview by Zenit, a Vatican-based news agency, that migrants are considered as Bearers of Hope. Reiterating the Vatican officials statement, ECMI executive secretary Fr. Edwin Corros said that Filipino migrants are considered bearers of hope if they have kept their faith by being active in church and their practices of piety. According to Corros, ECMI cannot dictate how migrants should practice their faith, as they can only give suggestions for them to follow or innovate. The priest also said that Filipino migrants are viewed as front of the new evangelization particularly in Europe where there is an active campaign for vocations among the Filipinos there. Filipino migrants who have strong faith when they left their country are more likely to continue their conviction in the Church. Faith is a dimension na hindi pwedeng iwanan, Corros said. With the theme Migration and the New Evangelization, the celebration invited everyone to reflect, pray and do something for the situation of those negatively affected by migration, particularly the overseas Filipinos and their families. According to ECMI, an average of 4,000 Filipinos leave the country to work abroad since 2006, when the government had made a quota of one million

www.wydcentral.org

ECMI Chairman and Maasin Bishop Precioso Cantillas welcomes families of migrants who joined the celebration of National Migrants Sunday in Cebu City, February 26.

Filipinos to be deployed overseas annually. Dubbed by the government as modern-day heroes, OFWs keep the Philippine economy afloat with billions of remittances sent annually. But ECMI also pointed out the psycho-social effects of migration to both OFWs and the families they have left behind.

The psycho-social effects include being caught up in civil war, victimized by drug smuggling, affected by natural calamities, and execution. Despite the danger they face abroad, they would rather stay [there] rather than go home without a means of livelihood, ECMI stated. ECMI said the only way to stop Filipinos from leaving the country

is for government to provide better livelihood alternative at home. Until this is addressed and achieved, the Church has a moral obligation to guide and prepare them in their migration journey. Celebrated every first Sunday of Lent, this years National Migrants Sunday was organized by the Archdiocese of Cebu. (Ronalyn Regino/CBCPNews)

Photo courtesy of ECMI

www.visitaiglesia.net

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 5
February 27 - March 11, 2012

Pastoral Concerns

B1

Teach them to observe all that I have commanded you. (Matthew 28:20)

A Pastoral Letter of the CBCP on the occasion of the 400 Years of Catholic Education in the Philippines
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20)
DEAr People of God, Go, make disciples, baptize, teach. These are the operative words in the command of Jesus before he left the apostles. From this comes the evangelizing mission of the Church; a mission grounded on the mystery of the Holy Trinity. To the Church is given the power to preach and to teach; a task that has been accepted by the apostles and handed on to the Fathers of the Church, Doctors of the Church, philosophers, theologians and missionaries. The Church faithfully fulfills this mandate she has received from her divine founder of proclaiming the mystery of salvation to all men and of restoring all things in Christ. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations . . .Teach them all I have commanded you. These words of Jesus resonate once again as we take stock of 400 years of Catholic Education in the Philippines. In view of this, I invite you, dear brothers and sisters, to a closer look at the evangelizing mission of the church made possible by Catholic Education. A Brief Survey of Catholic Education in the Philippines This same occasion allows us to look back on the beginnings of Catholic Education in our country. We recall the very first school opened by the Augustinian missionaries in Cebu after their arrival in 1565 and the initiative of the Franciscans to provide primary instruction upon their arrival in 1578. * We recall Bishop Domingo Salazar, O.P. who in the year 1581 expressed to the King of Spain the need for a college to educate priests, which later opened in 1596 as the Jesuit-run College of San Ignacio in Manila. Likewise, Colegio de San Ildefonso in Cebu founded by the Spanish Jesuits in 1598 * We remember the year 1611, 400 years ago, when Archbishop Miguel de Benavides, O.P., and the Dominican Fathers established the University of Santo Tomas; and in 1632, the Colegio de San Juan de Letran both in Intramuros, Manila. We rejoice with UST, the oldest University, in the celebration of its 400 years of continued existence and service in the field of Catholic Education. * We remember the year 1632, when Colegio de Sta. Isabel, the first womens college, was opened. This college is now run by the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul who arrived in 1862. We remember also how in 1868 they went to Naga City to open a college for girls, and to establish the very first Normal School for Women in the Philippines on September 18, 1872 at the instance of Bishop Francisco Gainza, O.P. * We remember the year 1859, some 150 years ago, when the Jesuits returned and opened the school called the Escuela Municipal de Manila located right across the San Ignacio Church in Intramuros. This was the very first Ateneo campus. * We remember the year 1862, 150 years ago when the Vincentian Fathers came to the Philippines by virtue of the 1852 Royal Decree of Queen Isabel II of Spain in order to administer the Conciliar seminaries of Manila, Naga City, Cebu City, Iloilo City and Vigan and to take care of the religious and scientific instruction of the diocesan seminarians and lay students in Colegio Seminarios. * We remember the year 1904, 107 years ago, when the first Sisters of St. Paul de Chartres opened the first Paulinian school in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental. * We remember the year 1906, 105 years ago, when the first four German Benedictine sisters and one novice from Tutzing, Germany founded St. Scholasticas College. * We remember the year 1911, 100 years ago, the Brothers of the Christian Schools, known as La Salle Brothers, opened their first school in the Philippines on General Luna Street in Manila. * We also remember the beaterios which likewise provided formation and some instruction for girls. * We look back also 70 years ago, the year 1941, when these Catholic education institutions organized itself into an association called the CEAP (Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines) to be able to collectively respond not only to urgent educational issues but also societal issues. CEAP was born upon the inspiration of Bishop Michael J. O Doherty with Msgr. Jose Jovellanos as the first President. Without doubt, Catholic Education in the Philippines has a long and rich history. Many of our heroes and significant personages in the church and country are a proof of this. It is not an exaggeration to say that Catholic Education laid the foundations of education in our country. Thus, we cannot but remember with gratitude the heroic missionaries who begun the task of education in the faith. Their contribution was not limited to Catholic Education but included even the other sciences and disciplines. We may cite for example their ethnographic and scientific studies, the grammar and catechetical books like the Doctrina Cristiana which not only instructed us with the Church doctrines but also preserved our dialects. Such is no mean contribution to our society and culture. Indeed, at great cost and sacrifice our forebears were inspired by the teaching of the Church to establish schools which enriched mankind and responded to the needs of time and place. (Ex Corde #65) The Nature of Christian Education It is undeniable that today we benefit from these foundations of Christian Education whose aim is the formation of the human person in the pursuit of his ultimate end and of the good of the societies of which, as man, he is a member, and in whose obligations, as an adult, he will share. (Gravissimum Educationis #1). Christian Education is tasked to develop harmoniously the persons physical, moral and intellectual endowments so that they may gradually acquire a mature sense of responsibility in striving endlessly to form their own lives properly and in pursuing true freedom as they surmount the vicissitudes of life with courage and constancy. (Cf. GE # 1) Yet, Christian education does not merely strive for the maturing of a human person as just now described, but has as its principal purpose this goal: that the baptized, while they are gradually introduced the knowledge of the mystery of salvation, become ever more aware of the gift of Faith they have received, and that they learn in addition how to worship God the Father in spirit and truth (cf. John 4:23) especially in liturgical action, and be conformed in their personal lives according to the new man created in justice and holiness of truth (Eph. 4:22-24); also that they develop into perfect manhood, to the mature measure of the fullness of Christ (cf. Eph. 4:13) and strive for the growth of the Mystical Body; moreover, that aware of their calling, they learn not only how to bear witness to the hope that is in them (cf. Peter 3:15) but also how to help in the Christian formation of the world that takes place when natural powers viewed in the full consideration of man redeemed by Christ contribute to the good of the whole society. (GE #2) Christian Education is not selfseeking. It is not given for the purpose of gaining power but as an aid towards a fuller understanding of, and communion with man, events and things. Knowledge is not to be considered as a means of material prosperity and success, but as a call to serve and to be responsible for others. (Ex Corde Ecclesiae #56) The Contribution of Catholic Education From the nature of Christian Education and from what has been done in the course of history, we cannot deny that we have benefited from it. In fact, it is not an exaggeration to say that the establishment of schools in our country has laid the foundations of education in our country. The brief historical survey earlier cited does not speak of all of the four centuries accomplishment of Catholic Education in the Philippines. It is a happy thing, that the Catholic School is still very much present and felt, not without challenges however. There are about 1300 Catholic schools spread all over the Philippines, offering different levels of education and types of formation. These schools, while relying mainly on their own resources and efforts, strive to provide decent classrooms and facilities so as to offer quality education even in remote towns and barrios. There are a number of these which have consistently been among the top schools not only in the country but also around the globe. At great cost and without necessarily incurring the government any burden, the Catholic schools recruit, train and sustain their personnel. Advanced studies and researches are pursued again at the expense of these same schools, thereby contributing to the advancement of society. In fact, Catholic schools have been a major contributor to the professional sector of our country. It is not altogether surprising then that quality education is almost always appended to Catholic schools. Furthermore, a number of these schools are not exclusive to Catholics, but serve peoples of other faiths; others are dedicated to out of school youths, to the handicapped, to cultural minorities, and those in the periphery. With the significant shortage of classrooms and teachers in public schools, Catholic schools assist the government in providing education to the rest of the citizens who opt for Catholic education as well as those who cannot be accommodated in public schools. Citizens, in choosing to be educated to Catholic schools, waive as it were their right to a free education, so that others may avail of it. Catholic schools by raising their own resources assist the government in providing employment and saving financial resources. One can only imagine what if these Catholic schools would close at the same time. Will the government be able to absorb all the students and provide the same quality education many of these schools provide given the present circumstances in public schools? In the Context of the Local Church In the context of the local church, the Catholic schools provide a stable and systematic evangelization. It will be remembered that when the threat of domination of other faiths accompanied by movement towards schismatic independence emerged, it was the establishment of parochial schools that became the solution. These schools, especially the seminaries, became the training ground of dedicated Catholics. Innumerable are the products of Catholic schools who have served the country and the church. Still at present, many graduates of Catholic schools serve in different lay ministries in the local churches. A number of them have taken leadership in the parishes and communities. The schools continue to make their resources, personnel and students of schools readily available to support programs and activities of the diocese. The outreach programs of many a Catholic school lead to the benefit of communities in dioceses and parishes, even to non-Catholics. They are a ready resource in times of calamities and social concerns. We do not intend to enumerate everything Catholic schools are doing. Yet we can ask: How will the local church be without the Catholic school? What will the country be without Catholic schools? Present-Day Context and Challenges As we note the contributions of Catholic Education, we also note present realities that challenge and even threaten Catholic Education. There exists a general perception that Catholic Schools are wealthy or are only for the wealthier social classes. At the mention of Catholic Schools, many would easily think of big universities or schools. This is a phenomenon that is also true in other countries. In some countries Catholic schools have been obliged to restrict their educational activities to wealthier social classes, thus giving an impression of social and economic discrimination in education. But this occurs only where the State has not weighed the advantages of an alternative presence in their pluralistic society. From such nearsightedness considerable difficulties have arisen for Catholic schools. (The Catholic School #21) The truth is, however, even for the CEAP, the biggest educational institution in the country, out of its more than 1300 schools, there are more than 900 small, struggling mission schools spread in different parts of the Philippines, whose teachers work with missionary spirit. Many of these same schools rely on their meager resources as they strive to provide quality education to the marginalized in far flung areas. A number of these, especially in Mindanao, serve students of other faiths. There is the challenge of the continuing trends of decreasing enrolment and the increasing migration of teachers from private Catholic schools to public schools. The free or low cost of public education and the ever increasing salaries in public schools have a huge impact to Catholic schools. They lose students year after year to public schools and some teachers suddenly leave in the middle of the school year when asked to report for work in the public school where they have pending application. This is occasioned not only by economic factors, but also by the seeming depreciation of the distinctiveness of Catholic Education. With the increasing secularist and pragmatic mentality, Catholic values are no longer seen as relevant by Catholic families. These economic and cultural factors put many a Catholic School in a dilemma as its survival is threatened. In the secular and postmodern
Education / B7
Paul Quiambao

B2

Updates

CBCP Monitor
February 27 - March 11, 2012

Vol. 16 No. 5

Time Spent in the Desert Can Be Transformed Into a Time of Grace

A catechesis on the liturgical season of Lent that Pope Benedict XVI gave during a general audience held in the Paul VI Hall on February 22, 2012.
DEAr brothers and sisters, In this Catechesis, I would like to reflect briefly upon the season of Lent, which begins today with the Liturgy of Ash Wednesday. It is a journey of 40 days that will lead us to the Easter Triduumthe memorial of the Lords Passion, Death and resurrection, the heart of the mystery of our salvation. In the first centuries of the Churchs life, this was the time when those who had heard and received the announcement of Christ began, step by step, their journey of faith and conversion on the way to receiving the sacrament of Baptism. It was a time of drawing near to the living God and an initiation into the faith, which was gradually to be accomplished through an inner transformation on the part of the catechumens; that is, on the part of those who desired to become Christians and to be incorporated into Christ and the Church. Later on, also penitents and then all the faithful were invited to live out this journey of spiritual renewal and to increasingly conform their own lives to Christs. The participation of the entire community in the various stages of the Lenten journey underlines an important dimension of Christian spirituality: It is the redemption not of some, but of all, made possible thanks to the death and resurrection of Christ. For this reason, both those who were making the journey of faith as catechumens in order to receive Baptism, as well as those who had distanced themselves from God and from the community of faith and who were seeking reconciliation, and also those who were living the faith in full communion with the Church everyone together knew that the time preceding Easter was a time of metanoia; that is, of a change of heart, of penance. It is the season that identifies our human life and all of history as a process of conversion set in motion now so as to meet the Lord at the end of time. Using an expression that has become customary in the Liturgy, the Church calls the season we have entered today Lent; that is, the season of 40 days; and with a clear reference to Sacred Scripture, she thereby introduces us into a precise spiritual context. Forty, in fact, is the symbolic number that remain in intimate communion, in intimate solitude with Him, in exclusive communion with Him, then to return among the people. But in this time of desert and of special encounter with the Father, Jesus is exposed to danger and is assailed by temptation and the seduction of the Evil One, who proposes another Messianic way, one distant from Gods design, for it passes by way of power, success, and domination and not by way of the total gift of the Cross. These are the alternatives: a Messianism of power, of success, or a Messianism of love, of self-gift. This situation of ambivalence also characterizes the condition of the Church as she journeys in the desertoftheworldandofhistory. In this desert, we who believe certainly have the opportunity to have a profound experience of God, who strengthens the spirit, confirms faith, nourishes hope and inspires charity. It is an experience that makes us sharers in Christs victory over sin and death through His Sacrifice of love on the Cross. But the desert is also a negative aspect of the reality that surrounds us: aridity; the poverty of words of life and values; secularism and cultural materialism, which enclose people within the worldly horizons of an existence bereft of all reference to the transcendent. This is also the environment in which even heaven above us is obscured, for it is covered by the clouds of egoism, misunderstanding and deception. Despite this, also for the Church today, time spent in the desert can be transformed into a time of grace, for we have the certainty that God can make the living water that quenches thirst and brings refreshment gush forth even from the hardest rock. Dear brothers and sisters, we can find in these 40 days that lead us to the Easter of Resurrection the renewed hope that enables us to accept every difficulty, affliction and trial with patience and with faith, in the knowledge that out of the darkness the Lord will make a new day to dawn. And if we have been faithful to Jesus by following Him along the way of the Cross, the radiant world of God, the world of light, of truth and of joy will be restored to us: It will be the new dawn created by God Himself. I wish a blessed journey of Lent to you all!

the Old and New Testaments use to represent the salient moments in the life and faith of Israel. It is a number that expresses the time of waiting, of purification, of return to the Lord, of knowledge that God is faithful to His promises. This number does not represent an exact chronological period of time, marked by the sum of its days. rather, it indicates a patient perseverance, a long trial, a sufficient length of time to witness the works of God and a time when it is necessary to decide to accept ones responsibilities without further delay. It is a time for mature decisions. The number 40 first appears in the story of Noah. This just man, on account of the flood, spends 40 days and 40 nights in the ark, together with his family and the animals that God had told him to take with him. And he waits another 40 days, after the flood, before touching down upon dry land, saved from destruction (cf. Genesis 7:4,12; 8:6). Then, the next stage: Moses remains on Mount Sinai, in the presence of the Lord, for 40 days and 40 nights, to receive the Law. He fasts the entire time (cf. Exodus 24:18). For 40 years, the Hebrew people journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, a fitting time to experience the faithfulness of God. And you shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness your

clothing did not wear out upon you, and your foot did not swell, these forty years, Moses says in Deuteronomy at the end of the 40 years of migration (Deuteronomy 8:2,4). The years of peace Israel enjoys under the Judges are 40 (cf. Judges 3:11,30); but once this time has passed, they begin to forget Gods gifts and to return to sin. The prophet Elijah takes 40 days to reach Horeb, the mountain where he encounters God (cf. 1 Kings 19:8). For 40 days, the inhabitants of Ninevah do penance in order to obtain Gods pardon (cf. Genesis 3:4). Forty is also the number of years of the reign of Saul (cf. Acts 13:21), of David (cf. 2 Samuel 5:4-5) and of Solomon (cf. 1 Kings 11:41), the first three kings of Israel. The Psalms also reflect the biblical significance of the 40 years; for example, Psalm 95, the passage we just heard: O that today you would hearken to His voice! Harden not your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, when your fathers tested me, and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work. For forty years I loathed that generation and said, They are a people who err in heart, and they do not regard my ways (verses. 7c-10). In the New Testament, before beginning His public ministry, Jesus retires into the desert for 40 days, neither eating nor drinking (cf. Matthew 4:2); His nourishment is the Word of God, which He uses

as a weapon to conquer the devil. The temptations of Jesus recall those which the Jewish people faced in the desert, but which they were unable to overcome. For 40 days, the Risen Jesus instructs His disciples before ascending into Heaven and sending the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 1:3). With the recurring number of 40, a spiritual atmosphere is described which remains relevant and valid. And the Church, precisely through these days of Lent, intends to preserve their enduring value and to make their efficacy present for us. The Christian Liturgy during Lent seeks to promote a path of spiritual renewal in light of this long biblical experience, above all for the sake of learning to imitate Jesus, who during the 40 days He spent in the desert, taught us to conquer temptation with the Word of God. The 40 years of Israels wandering in the desert presents ambivalent attitudes and situations. On the one hand, it is the season of first love with God, and between God and His people, when He speaks to their hearts, pointing out to them the path to follow. God, as it were, had taken up His abode with Israel; He went before them in a cloud and a column of fire; each day, He provided for their nourishment by making manna descend from the heavens and by making water gush forth from the rock.

Therefore, the years Israel passed in the desert can be seen as the time of their being especially chosen by God and of their clinging to Him: the time of first love. On the other hand, the Bible also portrays another image of Israels wandering in the desert: It is also the time of the greatest temptation and peril, when Israel murmurs against her God and wishes to return to paganism and to build her own idols, out of the need she feels to worship a God who is closer and more tangible. It is also the time of rebellion against the great and invisible God. This ambivalence, a time of special closeness to Godthe time of first loveas well as a time of temptationthe temptation to return to paganismwe surprisingly rediscover in Jesus earthy sojourn; naturally, however, without any compromise with sin. After His baptism of penance in the Jordanwhen He takes upon Himself the destiny of Gods Servant, who renounces himself and lives for others and takes his place among sinners in order to take upon himself the sin of the worldJesus goes into the desert and remains there for 40 days in profound union with the Father, thus repeating the history of Israel, all the rhythms of the 40 days or years I mentioned. This dynamic is a constant during the earthly life of Jesus, who always seeks moments of solitude in order to pray to His Father and to

Picking the day Lent begins

(Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university, answers the following queries:) Q: What determines what day Lent begins? P.R., Fresno, California A: The short answer to your question is that the beginning of Lent depends on the date of Easter. Easter follows a lunar, rather than a solar, calendar and is celebrated on the Sunday that follows the first full moon after March 21, the vernal (spring) equinox. Therefore Easter cannot fall earlier than March 22 or later than April 25. All the other movable celebrations in the Church calendar ultimately depend on the date of Easter. Most of the Eastern Churches follow the same basic principles but often celebrate Easter on a date different from Catholics and other Western Christians because they continue to follow the calendar of Julius Caesar without the corrections incorporated by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. Julius Caesars calendar calculated the year as 365 days and 6 hours and thus was about 11 minutes and 9 seconds more than the suns actual course. Although tiny, this excess puts the calendar off by a day, more or less, every 128 years. Thus, the Council of Nicaea already found it necessary to regress the date of the spring equinox to March 21 instead of the original date of March 25. By the time of Pope Gregory XIII the difference had grown so much that the spring equinox occurred on March 11. In 1581 with the bull Inter Gravissimas Pope Gregory promulgated a widespread reform which, among other things, reestablished the spring equinox on March 21 by eliminating 10 days from October 1582. Coincidence would have it that St. Teresa of Avila died on that very night of Oct. 4-15. The error of Julius Caesars calendar was corrected by deciding that the turn of the centuryalways a leap year in the Julian calendarwould be so only when the year could be divided by 400, that is 1600, 2000, 2400 2800, etc., whereas there would be no leap year in the others. Most Catholic countries, and even some Protestant ones, accepted the reform almost immediately. Some countries, such as England, held off accepting the papal reform until 1752 while Russia did not adopt it until after the Communist takeover in 1918. The calculation is still not perfect as there is still a difference of 24 seconds between the legal and the solar calendar. However, 3,500 years will have to pass before another day is added. GettingbacktoLent.Thisseasoncomprises 40 days before Easter without counting Sundays which, even though they are called Sundays of Lent, are not days of penance. Churchtraditionhasalwaysexcludedfasting and penance on a Sunday. The tradition of a fast in preparation for Easter goes back to the late third century but it varied in duration. The tradition of a 40-day fast was established in Rome between 354 and 384, although it began after the first Sunday. As this period was also deemed suitable for the final preparation of candidates for baptism, the baptismal scrutinies were incorporated with the rites of this season. Scrutinies are communal prayers celebrated around the elect to strengthen them to overcome the power of sin in their lives and to grow in virtue. Later, at the start of the sixth century, the beginning of Lent was moved up to Ash Wednesday in order to guarantee 40 days of effective fasting.

Commemorating Saints in Lent

Q: Several questions have arisen at a seminary regarding the proper way to commemorate the saints during privileged seasons, such as Lent. I was wondering if you could lay out the proper or at least suggested ways in which this can be done for the Liturgy of the Hours, the Mass itself, and if the office (for example, morning prayer) is combined with the Mass. r.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania A: During Lent all memorials of saints, whether obligatory or optional, are deemed commemorations and their celebration is more limited than in other times. In all cases, their celebration is optional even for memorials that would be obligatory outside of Lent. The applicable norms for Mass are found in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) No. 355: a. On the weekdays of Advent from 17 December to 24 December, on days within the Octave of Christmas, and on the weekdays of Lent, except Ash Wednesday and during Holy Week, the Mass for the current liturgical day is to be used; but the Collect may be taken from a memorial which happens to be listed in the General Calendar for that day, except on Ash Wednesday and during Holy Week. On weekdays of the Easter Season, memorials of Saints may rightly be celebrated fully. b. On the weekdays of Advent before 17 December, the weekdays of the Christmas Season from 2 January, and the weekdays of the Easter Season, it is possible to choose either the weekday Mass, or the Mass of the Saint, or the Mass of one of the Saints whose memorial is observed, or the Mass of any Saint listed in the Martyrology for that day. Therefore, to commemorate, for example, St. Cyril of Jerusalem, whose March 18 feast almost always falls during Lent, only the proper collect or opening prayer is used. All the rest is taken from the current weekday: the readings, prayer over the gifts, preface, prayer after communion, and proper antiphons. Violet vestments are used and not white or red as is usual with the saints. If a saint has the category of solemnity or feast, for example, St. Joseph or St. Patrick in some countries, then it is celebrated as normal with vestments of the corresponding color, the recitation of the Glory and, on solemnities, the Creed. The readings and the Liturgy of the Hours are those proper to the feast. On Ash Wednesday and during Holy Week and the Easter Octave, all celebrations of saints are excluded. Regarding the Liturgy of the Hours, the General Introduction to the Divine Office says: Memorials During Privileged Seasons 237. On Sundays, solemnities, and feasts, on Ash Wednesday, during Holy Week, and during the octave of Easter, memorials that happen to fall on these days are disregarded. 238. On the weekdays from 17 to 24 December, during the octave of Christmas, and on the weekdays of Lent, no obligatory memorials are celebrated, even in particular calendars. When any happen to fall during Lent in a given year, they are treated as optional memorials. 239. During privileged seasons, if it is desired to celebrate the office of a saint on a day assigned to his or her memorial: a. in the office of readings, after the patristic reading (with its responsory) from the Proper of Seasons, a proper reading about the saint (with its responsory) may follow, with the concluding prayer of the saint; b. at morning prayer and evening prayer, the ending of the concluding prayer may be omitted and the saints antiphon (from the proper or common) and prayer may be added. Later are some specific norms for special seasons: 247. In the office for Sundays, solemnities, feasts of the Lord listed in the General Calendar, the weekdays of Lent and Holy Week, the days within the octaves of Easter and Christmas, and the weekdays from 17 to 24 December inclusive, it is never permissible to change the formularies that are proper or adapted to the celebration, such as antiphons, hymns, readings, responsories, prayers, and very often also the psalms. 252. Everyone should be concerned to respect the complete cycle of the four-week psalter. Still, for spiritual or pastoral advantage, the psalms appointed for a particular day may be replaced with others from the same hour of a different day. There are also circumstances occasionally arising when it is permissible to choose suitable psalms and other texts in the way done for a votive office. Thus, if morning prayer is united to Mass, then there is no change in the office at all on a commemoration. Everything would be taken from the day except the saints collect at Mass. As seen above, it is possible to change the psalms of the day while maintaining the proper Lenten antiphons. Making use of this option requires careful discernment and a liturgically literate community able to both understand the reason for the change and easily navigate the Book of Hours.

Roy Lagarde / CBCP Media

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 5
February 27 - March 11, 2012

Year of the Mission

B3

PMS gathers collaborators to promote Year of Mission

MOrE than 40 priests, religious, lay missionaries, mission supporters and possible donors gathered for the breakfast for the mission organized by the Pontifical Mission Society (PMS), at the San Lorenzo ruiz Mission Institute in San Carlos Seminary Complex Makati, last February 23. PMS National Director Fr. Soc Mesiona, MSP, said the meeting aimed to gather possible collaborators and support for the celebration of the Year of Mission. He added that the meeting was also an opportunity to promote the activities and events for the whole year celebration. Clarke Nebrao of CFC-Church Integration Office spoke about the challenges of mission and the response the faithful can give during the year-long celebration of the Church event. Mission is not only a task given to priests and religious but to every baptized Christians, and as such [we] must be happy to take part in this special year for the mission. It is also high time that we should impress on others that our Catholic faith is exciting and still relevant, Nebrao said. During the meeting, appeals for support were made from possible sponsors and benefactors for the upcoming Grand Mission Festival in April and also to promote mission awareness. Other guests present during the meeting were Ms. Elvira Go, Miss Earth 2011 Athena Imperial, celebrities Makisig and Mayumi Morales and Ms. Ricci Parto of Parto Communications. (Jandel Posion) MORE than 600 priests, seminarians, religious nuns, and lay missionaries gathered for the diocesan launching of the Year of the Pontifical Mission Society at the Sentro Pastoral Auditorium in Lucena City last February 18. During the Mass that launched the celebration, Lucena Bishop Emilio Marquez explained the virtues that missionaries must embrace which are sacrifice and suffering. He also mentioned briefly the spirituality of the four societies of PMS: the Holy Childhood Association, Propagation of the Faith, St. Peter the Apostle, and Missionary Union. Marquez challenged all priests, lay leaders and mission collaborators to do the work of mission in the diocese and in the parishes. A short program took place after the Mass where diocesan Mission Director Fr. Vic Aller gave the opening remarks. Aside from welcoming the delegates and introducing the flow of the program, Aller also encouraged all children to become members of the Holy Child Association; high school students to be involved in the Propagation of the Faith and seminarians to help propagate the St. Peter the

Lucena launches Year of Mission

Apostle. Aller urged everyone to pray for the mission and asked the priests and mission collaborators to send delegates to the mission festival. A talk focused on mission was given by Msgr. Oscar Leao, Rector of St. Alphonsus Regional Theological Seminary. Leao pointed out that mission and service is not an obligation but a vocation through Baptism and the calling is not from man but from God. He also stressed that a good missionary has the qualities of docility to the Holy Spirit, inculturation and solidarity, prayer and contemplation, pastoral love for the people and service to truth. The diocese is arranging various activities for a yearlong celebration of the Year of Mission. It is currently in the process of organizing and giving orientation to those who will attend the forthcoming PMS Mission Festival in April. Parishes will also have their parish level launching of the Year of Mission, the celebration of the Diocesan World Mission Sunday and Mission Animation and Mass in all diocesan Catholic schools. (Jandel Posion)

The Life and Glorification of Pedro Calungsod

to have his baby christened. To give Matapang some time to cool down, Padre Diego and Pedro gathered the children and some adults of the village at the nearby shore and started chanting with them the truths of the Catholic Faith. They invited Matapang to join them, but the apostate shouted back that he was angry with God and was already fed up with the Christian teachings. Determined to kill the missionaries, Matapang went away and tried to enlist in his cause another villager, named Hirao, who was not a Christian. At first, Hirao refused, mindful of the kindness of the missionaries towards the natives; but, when Matapang branded him a coward, he got piqued and so he consented. Meanwhile, during that brief absence of Matapang from his hut, Padre Diego and Pedro took the chance of baptizing the infant with the consent of the Christian mother. When Matapang learned of the baptism, he became even more furious. He violently hurled spears first at Pedro. The lad skirted the darting spears with remarkable dexterity. Witnesses said that Pedro had all the chances to escape because he was very agile, but he did not want to leave Padre Diego alone. Those who personally knew Pedro believed that he would have defeated his fierce aggressors and would have freed both himself and Padre Diego if only he had some weapon because he was a valiant boy; but Padre Diego never allowed his companions to carry arms. Finally, Pedro got hit by a spear at the chest and he fell to the ground. Hirao immediately charged towards him and finished him off with a blow of a cutlass on the head. Padre Diego could not do anything except to raise a crucifix and give Pedro the final sacramental absolution. After that, the assassins also killed Padre Diego. Matapang took the crucifix of Padre Diego and pounded it with a stone while blaspheming God. Then, both assassins denuded the bodies of Pedro and Padre Diego, dragged them to the edge of the shore, tied large stones to their feet, brought them on a proa to sea and threw them into the deep. Those remains of the martyrs were never to be found again. When the companion missionaries of Pedro learned of his death, they exclaimed, Fortunate youth! How well rewarded his four years of persevering service to God in the difficult Mission are; he has become the precursor of our superior, Padre Diego, in Heaven! They remembered Pedro to be a boy with a very good disposition, a virtuous catechist, a faithful assistant, a good Catholic whose perseverance in the Faith even to the point of martyrdom proved him to be a good soldier of Christ. Martyrdom is the supreme witness given to the truth of the faith: it means bearing witness even unto death. The martyr bears witness to Christ who died and rose, to whom he is united by charity. He bears witness to the truth of the faith and of Christian doctrine. He endures death through an act of fortitude. (Catechism of the Catholic Church n. 2473) The Mariana Mission continued amid turmoil. Meanwhile, the surviving Jesuit missionaries managed to start the process for the beatification of their Mission superior Padre Diego on 9 January 1673. Beatification is the act by which the Church, through papal decree, cause for the beatification of Padre Diego fell into oblivion and, together with it, the memory of Pedro which went hidden for centuries in the longforgotten manuscripts of his companion missionaries. But the Faith that was planted in the Marianas in 1668 did not die with Padre Diego, Pedro and the first missionaries. It remained. It survived. It grew, thanks to the blood of the martyrs and the perseverance of the succeeding missionaries. On 17 September 1902, the Marianas became an Apostolic

Fr. Soc Mesiona, MSP, executive secretary of Episcopal Commission on Mission and National Director of PMS discussed about possible collaboration in promoting mission awareness among the faithful during the Year of Mission.

By Msgr. Ildebrando Jesus Alio Leyson

PEDrO Calungsod was a teenage native of the Visayas region of the Philippines. Very little is known about him. We do not even know where exactly in the Visayas he came from or who his parents were. He was just one of the boy catechists who went with some Spanish Jesuit missionaries from the Philippines to the Ladrones Islands in the western North Pacific Ocean in 1668 to evangelize the Chamorros. In that century, the Jesuits in the Philippines used to train and employ young boys as competent catechists and versatile assistants in their missions. The Ladrones at that time was part of the old Diocese of Cebu. Life in the Ladrones was hard. The provisions for the Mission did not arrive regularly; the jungles were too thick to cross; the cliffs were very stiff to climb, and the islands were frequently visited by devastating typhoons. Despite the hardships, the missionaries persevered, and the Mission was blessed with many conversions. The first mission residence and church were built in the town of Hagta [Agada; Agaa; Agana] in the island of Guam. Subsequently, the islands were renamed Marianas by the missionaries in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of the then queen regent of Spain, Maria Ana, who was the benefactress of that Mission. But very soon, a Chinese quack, named Choco, envious of the prestige that the missionaries were gaining among the Chamorros, started to spread the talk that the baptismal water of the missionaries was poisonous. And since some sickly Chamorro infants who were baptized died, many believed the calumniator and eventually apostatized. The evil campaign of Choco was readily supported by the Macanjas who were superstitious local herbal medicine men, and by the Urritaos, the young native men who were given into some immoral practices. These, along with the apostates, began to persecute the missionaries, many of whom were killed. The most unforgettable assault happened on 2 April 1672, the Saturday just before the Passion Sunday of that year. At around seven oclock in the morning, Pedro by then already about seventeen years old, as can be gleaned from the written testimonies of his companion missionariesand the superior of the Mission, named Padre Diego Lus de San Vitores, came to the village of Tomhom [Tumhon; Tumon], in Guam. There, they were told that a baby girl was recently born in the village; so they went to ask the childs father, named Matapang, to bring out the infant for baptism. Matapang was a Christian and a friend of the missionaries, but having apostatized, he angrily refused

Photo courtesy of the Pontifical Mission Society (PMS)

permits a specified diocese, region, nation, or religious institute to honor with public cult under the title Blessed a Christian person who has died with a reputation for holiness. Written testimonies of the missionaries and of the Mariana natives were gathered to document the martyrdom of Padre Diego. Naturally, the documentation could not but mention also his lone companion in martyrdom, the boy from the Visayas, Pedro Calungsod. However, due to the difficult situation at that time and the eventual suppression of the Jesuits in the 18th century, the

Prefecture and was separated from the old Diocese of Cebu. On 14 October 1965, Guam became a diocese by the name of Diocese of Agaa. On 8 March 1984, Agaa became an archdiocese. In 1981, when Agaa was preparing for its 20th anniversary as a diocese, the 1673 beatification cause of Padre Diego Lus de San Vitores was rediscovered in the old manuscripts and taken up anew until Padre Diego was finally beatified on 6 October 1985. It was his beatification that brought the memory of Pedro to our day. The Archdiocese of Cebu, where

Pedro belonged by ecclesiastical jurisdiction, also started to process his beatification cause in 1994. The endeavor was rewarded when, on 5 March 2000, Pedro Calungsod was beatified by Pope John Paul II at Saint Peters Square in Rome. In his homily during the beatification, the Pope said, From his childhood, Pedro Calungsod declared himself unwaveringly for Christ and responded generously to his call. Young people today can draw encouragement and strength from the example of Pedro, whose love of Jesus inspired him to devote his teenage years to teaching the faith as a lay catechist. Leaving family and friends behind, Pedro willingly accepted the challenge put to him by Fr. Diego Lus de San Vitores to join him on the Mission to the Chamorros. In a spirit of faith, marked by strong Eucharistic and Marian devotion, Pedro undertook the demanding work asked of him and bravely faced the many obstacles and difficulties he met. In the face of imminent danger, Pedro would not forsake Fr. Diego but, as a good soldier of Christ, preferred to die at the missionarys side. Today, Blessed Pedro Calungsod intercedes for the young, in particular those of his native Philippines, and he challenges them. Young friends, do not hesitate to follow the example of Pedro, who pleased God and was loved by him and who, having come to perfection in so short a time, lived a full life. The feast of Blessed Pedro is celebrated every 2 April, the anniversary of his martyrdom. If the date falls within Holy Week or Easter Week, the feast is observed on the Saturday before Passion Sunday as was 2 April in 1672. The Vatican is now about to include the name of Blessed Pedro Calungsod in the Canon or list of Saints. By canonizing some of the faithful, i.e., by solemnly proclaiming that they practiced heroic virtue and lived in fidelity to Gods grace, the Church recognizes the power of the Spirit of holiness within her and sustains the hope of believers by proposing the saints to them as models and intercessors. The saints have always been the source and origin of renewal in the most difficult moments in the Churchs history. Indeed, holiness is the hidden source and infallible measure of her apostolic activity and missionary zeal. (Catechism of the Catholic Church n. 828) A more detailed account on Blessed Pedro Calungsod is provided in the manual I. Leyson, Pedro Calonsor Bissaya: Prospects of a Teenage Filippino, The Archdiocese of Cebu, 2000.
www.letcebu.blogspot.com

B4
By Fr. Deogracias Aurelio V. Camon, MA

Features

CBCP Monitor
February 27 - March 11, 2012

Vol. 16 No. 5

Call to Family Ministry, Agenda for Humanity

THE John Paul II National Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family in Bacolod City successfully hosted a National Conference attended by the Directors and Executive Officers of the Commission on Family and Life as well as by members of the Clergy, Graduate students and professors last February 13-17, 2012. For this year the National Conference has the theme Blessed John Paul IIs Nuptial Theology: A Call to Family Ministry, Agenda for Humanity. The Most rev. Vicente M. Navarra, D.D., Bishop of Bacolod, Most Rev. Gabriel V. Reyes, D.D., Chairman of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Family and Life (ECFL), Most Rev. Camilo D. Gregorio, D.D., Bishop-Prelate of the Prelature of Batanes, Most Rev Juan De Dios Pueblos D.D., Member of ECFL and Fr. Melvin Castro, Executive Secretary of the ECFL, graced the National Conference with their presence. The Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, Most Rev. Giuseppe Pinto, D.D., celebrated the Opening Mass in San Sebastian Cathedral on February 13, 2012. Pinto in his homily noted that the National Conference is a concrete testament to the unrelenting commitment of the Catholic Church in the Philippines to uphold the truths regarding family and life. Towards the end of his homily, Pinto memorably mentioned that during these days, let Bacolod be the Nazareth of the Philippines, in order to live a page of the Gospel in our families and in the family of the Church. The words of the Apostolic Nuncio ring true for the Diocese of Bacolod. More than just being the host-diocese of the John Paul II National Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, the Diocese is very active in the fight against the RH Bill by launching last year a massive Caravan for Life which traversed the whole island of Negros. There are also ongoing awareness campaigns and the

establishment of Centers for the Churchaccepted Natural Family Methods in the Diocese. Rev. Fr. Jose Granados, Vice President for the Central Session of Pontificio Istituto Giovanni Paolo II Per Studi Su Matrimonio E Famiglia in Rome, was the conferences keynote speaker. Granados affirmed that in the perspective of Blessed John Paul II the issue of marriage and the family is the crucial point for the new evangelization of society. He noted that in the Philippines marriage is much more stable and its existence is covered by the laws which made the Filipinos look upon the family as a resource and not as a problem. However, he observed that the country is also being threatened by the problems affecting the family across the globe. On a positive note, Granados believed that the Philippines can export to the world a more healthy culture of the family. Discussing on the prevalence of secularism, Granados mentioned that many people no longer believed in God which resulted to the superficiality of the present generations attempt to build a society without setting the foundations on a common search for common roots and essence of human life. Granados cited that one of the greatest problems of our age is that many people have

stopped believing in love and its capacity to regenerate the human being and transform society. Furthermore, he mentioned that care for human love is at the center of the Churchs concern. This is concretized in the Churchs mission to evangelize the family. He insisted that the Church does not protect the family due to its tradition or faith but because the Church finds in the preservation of the family the good of the human society. Other speakers during the conference were the professors of the John Paul II National Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family; Fr. Ronald Quijano, SThD, the Academic Dean of the Institute presented the Nuptial Mystery in the light of Blessed John Paul IIs Catechesis on Human Love in the Original Divine Plan and Nuptial Theology: Philosophical Anthropological Foundation; Fr. Nitodel Soriano, SThL, Ph.D. talked about the Pastoral Challenge and Implications of the Nuptial Theology in the Light of Familiaris Consortio; Fr. Noli Blancaflor, SThL, shared his Reflections on Veritatis Splendor of Blessed John Paul II: A Call to Authentic Christian Moral Action; Irma Donna Echaus, EdD, tackled the topic Pope John Paul II Institute at the Service of New Evangelization, research and

Family Ministry; and Msgr. Victorino Rivas, JCD, the Director of the Institute discussed about the Identity, Vision, and Mission of John Paul II Institute in the Philippine Context. Msgr. Victorino rivas explained that the Institute serves as a vehicle for evangelization with the vision that coming from the family and the Basic Ecclesial Communities the Institute will assist the Church (as it) moves toward a new approach to carry out its mission on integral evangelization and discipleship. At the same time the Institute promotes the thrust of connecting every pastoral concern with family as the subject and object of evangelization in the light of the nuptial mystery and theology as an expression of the New Evangelization. It is also of note that as part of the 31st Anniversary of the Blessed John Pauls visit to Negros in 1981, the Bacolod City Council passed a resolution declaring February 1320, 2012 as Blessed John Paul II Week. It also recognized the numerous historic landmarks; notable among these is the John Paul II Tower in reclamation Area that celebrated the Popes historic visit in Negros. Last February 15, 2012, the John Paul II National Institute accepted in a formal turnover rite the use of the

Esteban Ancestral House along Lacson St. Bacolod City to serve as the Centro Giovanni Paulo II Research Center. The Esteban heirs and the Diocese of Bacolod entered into a renewable 25 years usufruct agreement. Another support facility for the National Institute, the Giovanni Paulo II Retreat and resort Center was opened in Brgy. Punta Taytay, Bacolod City. All these are testimonies to the growing interest in the legacy of John Paul II among the faithful in the Diocese. At the end of the National Conference, the 150 delegates coming from 33 Dioceses, together with around 25 professors and graduates of JPII National Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family affirmed the importance of Family Ministry. They observed that there is a need to orient and integrate all pastoral programs towards the families finding their inspiration in the words of Blessed John Paul II that proclaimed the future of the world and of the Church passes through the family (Familiaris Consortio # 75). It was a common sentiment among the participants that the National Conference revitalized their zeal and commitment to the Family Ministry appreciating more fully the important role of the family for the welfare of the nation.

By Fr. James McTavish, FMVD and Br. Daniel Drum, FMVD

Forum on Prostitution and Human Trafficking

the Buyer and the Bought. More than ever before, prostitution has become institutionalized, organized, and globalized (i.e. through trafficking and the internet). Prostitution in the Philippines has become a de facto legal industry. Nambu further shared about the work of his organization modeled on the transforming encounter of Jesus with the Samaritan woman and reminded us all that a ministry to help women involved in this reality needs to be a ministry of presence, to accompany the women and journey with them, helping them to change their lives. was titled Human trafficking in the Asian context. She began by exploring the definition of human trafficking as defined in the relevant UN Protocol. Trafficking is: recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, especially women and children. By means of: Threat, use of force, other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power and of position, taking advantage of the vulnerability of the person or giving or receiving payments or benefits. For the purpose of: Prostitution, other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or practices by the pornography and cybersex industry which is worth $1 billion per year and is expected to grow to $5-7 billion in the next 5 years. Many women in prostitution turn to alcohol and drugs to cope with the lifestyle imposed on them. The owners or pimps earn well but the women lose out, often being physically harmed and being forced to use drugs, alcohol etc. Very few of them earn well from prostitution. Their bodies are eroded by the continuous use by men. Some women graduate into pimps, perhaps increasing their moral degradation. Demand for prostitution and therefore trafficking comes from they watch. The women have many physical problems but also deep psychological wounds. Some factors that influence trafficking in Asia-Pacific include: 1) Globalization liberalization of tourism, opening up of mining areas, land conversion, labor export. 2) Militarization e.g. war in Mindanao as many soldiers are buyers. The morning session closed with some remarks by an RGS nun, Sr. Pilar Verzosa. She shared about how these realities have a devastating effect on the victim. The damage is compounded when the victim is a child. She noted that society must review how it regards women and children in general. She felt that the widespread introduction of contraception, rather than liberating women, actually led to a diminished appreciation of the female body and introduced a huge chasm between sexual union and procreation. Many of the victims of prostitution come from a background of incest which makes them more susceptible because it leads them to have a separated meaning of sexuality. In particular this reality is very common among the urban poor. Sr. Pilar also stressed the real need to educate young men about the true meaning of sexuality. Sexual pleasure can become an addiction so sexuality has to be used wisely. The root of many of these problems is a lack of education in sexuality. religious people need to be comfortable talking about sexuality otherwise they cannot give the right information when asked. Sr. Pilar also noted that there are many NGOs and her own order which regularly deal with women that are involved in these realities and advised that if anyone comes across something similar to what was discussed they should contact them as soon as possible. She also invited all attendees to participate in advocacy against the businesses, structures and laws that support prostitution and trafficking. There is a very real need to integrate this area into each persons relevant charism and ministry in the Church. In the afternoon, a documentary film was shown. The movie, Born into Brothels is a powerful true story of an American photographer who finds herself torn by the plight of children born into brothels in Calcutta, India. The film shows the tragic reality of the prostitution system and how many children end up involved in this lifestyle. The woman photographer is

RECENTLY the Exodus formation program held a one-day forum on Prostitution and Human trafficking. Exodus (EXchange Of Dreams in a Unified Struggle for a Relevant Formation) is an inter-congregational formation program for those entering religious life (novices). The group is composed of approximately 80-100 novices from all over Asia and beyond. Formations are held monthly on various topics such as prayer, ecology, performing arts for mission, healthy intimacy and pastoral responses to poverty. It was decided to organize a whole day formation to highlight the issues of prostitution and trafficking and provide a forum for reflection and discussion. The venue was the Sisters of Saint Annes Convent in New Manila, Quezon City. The main objectives of the forum were to inform religious novices belonging to the Exodus program about these issues, to help them reflect on the contribution of their specific charism in these areas, and to sensitize and empower us as Church to be able to help and respond. The opening remarks were given by Fr. James McTavish, a Verbum Dei priest and organizer of the conference. He opened the discussion with a challenging observation made by a visitor: The tragedy of the Philippines is this: in one of the worlds loveliest countries, some of the worlds most beautiful girls are being sold for money to some of the worlds ugliest men. The first talk, titled Prostitution in the Philippine contexta pastoral response was given by Jonathan Nambu of the Samaritana Transformaiton ministries (see www.samaritana.org). Mr Nambu, an American citizen, shared that some descriptions such as entertainment, sex work, hostessing, worlds oldest profession, guest relations officer are not helpful as they make prostitution invisible, legitimate, or trivial. rather, prostitution is actually the sale of persons, most often women and children, for profit and the sexual gratification of another. It is in fact a violation and exploitation of basic human rights and human dignity. Prostitution is not merely a single act where a person is bought for sex but is actually a system composed of the socalled three Bs: the Business,

Other pastoral aspects stressed were the need to provide a safe community for women who were being rehabilitated from prostitution, and that the program offered has to be holistic, participatory and empowering. The urgent need to challenge and address structures in society that allow the market to proliferate was emphasized. Following this overview of prostitution, a woman gave a very powerful and moving testimony of how coming from a poor family, she had been duped into coming to Manila and working in a bar before ending up in prostitution. She shared the slow, painful but eventually victorious journey of rehabilitation and exit from prostitution. She now works in ministry encouraging and supporting other prostituted women to begin new lives. The second resource speaker was Ms. Jean Enriquez, Executive Director of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women-Asia Pacific (see www.catw-ap.org). Her talk

similar to slavery, involuntary servitude or removal of organs. When a person is trafficked, the consent of the victim is irrelevant because of the power imbalance involved. Ms Enriquez stressed that trafficking would not happen without the sex industry. This is because the trafficking of persons ensuresthesteadysupplyofpersons to the prostitution industry. The people who should be prosecuted are the recruiters and exploiters but in reality women and children are the ones shamed and stigmatized i.e. victims are penalized, not the buyers or the people selling them. As such, there is an urgent need to address the demand as much as the supply. Trafficking treats women and children as commodities not persons. Typically women trafficked for prostitution are from poor and/or big families, victims of incest and/or domestic violence, 13-30 years old, from rural areas and children of prostitutes. Worldwide, trafficking is a $7 billion per year industry. It is fueled

malesexbuyers.Themoredemand there is, the more incentive there is for the recruiters and traffickers. At the root of this demand is the perception of sexuality. Often masculinity is viewed as power over women, especially young women. This is reinforced by the portrayal of women in pornography. Ms Enriquez asserted that societys view of manhood needs to be redefined. She also noted that often, many men go to prostitutes to avoid the responsibility associated with relationships. In reality, prostitution and sex trafficking is violence against women. Women are conditioned by the media and often their families to base their self-worth on their appearance i.e. that they are sex objects. Many women involved in prostitution have suffered from sexual abuse within their families. Women in prostitution are sexually and physically abused by both the managers/pimpsandbythebuyers. Buyers behavior is often influenced by the violent pornography that

shown very courageously fighting against the system, teaching the children how to take photographs. The result is a moving human drama of someone who is trying to do something. The forum participants listened to a powerful song called Speak my Word. The song is about the fact that we cannot just sit around silent and do nothing. The lyrics go Look at you now, are you all right with what you see? This aint what its supposed to beIs it enough not to care just because you are not there? Is it enough to be far and safe? Is it enough to live with ease and not give a damn to others needs? Is it enough to mind your own? We were reminded that as Church we have a prophetic voice and task and that the need to speak out is urgentto speak out in defense of many victims of prostitution and to speak out to denounce a society which largely accepts the injustice of prostitution with little protest. A priest, Fr. James Reuter, once commented that in Philippines when the trees are threatened, people voice their indignation, when the fishing stocks are in danger the people protest, when land is sold unjustly there is a surge of resentment but when our beautiful girls are sold for money, the great rank and file of our people do not move. The closing remarks were given by Fr James McTavish hoping that the forum had opened our eyes to this reality and given us insight into how as Church we could do something. We were reminded that although some groups are tackling these challenging issues we could still do more as Church as a whole. At times what is lacking is coordination and perhaps what is needed is to set up a National office or Ministry to foster, channel and focus efforts to combat the evils of trafficking and prostitution. The words of Fr. Reuter were shared to us: Each of us has an obligation, in conscience, to reach out to our people, to those who are in need. The poor girl trapped in prostitution is the bottom of the barrelthe one most desperately in need. Each of us can do something! If only we would try! If only we would try. It is time for change. The meeting closed at 3 p.m. with a prayer imploring the Holy Spirit to guide those working to combat the evils of trafficking and prostitution and asking the help of the Virgin Mary to inspire many NGO and Church workers to keep fighting the good fight.

ContRiButed Photo

ContRiButed Photo

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 5
February 27 - March 11, 2012

Statements

B5
Statement on the Corona Impeachment Proceedings
IN Mark 4:22, Jesus said, Whatever is hidden away will be brought out into the open; and whatever is covered up will be uncovered. This year, the Church celebrates the Year of Faith with the motto: Living truth in charity. I am praying with the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI for truth to be held supreme Since God is love, truth is expressed in charity, and charity in turn reveals the truth. Likewise, the Holy Father reaffirmed the need for a profound conviction of the truth of Gods revelation in His Son Jesus Christ, because if there is no truth, we have no compass and do not know where to go. Life can be rich and beautiful only if there is truth. This conviction for truth makes it possible for the Church to re-evangelize humankind today. Thus, I am praying that the Philippine Senate as an impeachment court against Chief Justice Renato Corona will unravel the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I am praying that the impeachment court exhaust all available means to ferret out the whole truth. Furthermore, I am praying that the court remain vigilant and prevent any attempt to suppress, hide or dilute the whole truth. I am praying that the senator-judges, as elected servants, look at the truth from the point of view of the sovereign people of the Philippines, their Boss. Therefore, I am praying that they become aware of any personal, political or other vested interests that might becloud their lenses as jurists. I am praying that the final verdict would always be for the Common Good, never for the benefit of just a few. I am praying that the final verdict is reached as early as possible. Therefore, if there is enough evidence to warrant a fair, just and loving decision, I pray that this final verdict be pronounced the soonest possible. I am praying that after giving a swift, objective, and propeople decision on the impeachment proceedings, the senatorjudges and the members of the House of Representatives, as an act of charity, return immediately to their respective legislative houses so that the many bills that are for the Common Good are passed after sufficient study, and with reasonable speed. May the Holy Spirit of Wisdom, Justice and Love guide us. May Mary, our mother and all the saints support us. In the Holy Spirit, BISHOP GERARDO ALMINAZA, DD Auxiliary Bishop of Jaro/ Head Convenor of the Visayas Clergy Discernment Group (VCDG) February 21, 2012

Golden Year, Golden Offering

Pastoral letter on the occasion of the opening of the jubilee year marking the fiftieth anniversary of the elevation of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Lingayen Dagupan in the year 2013
silver, nor brass in your money belts (Mt. 10:9). The woman clothed with the sun with the moon under her feet (Rev. 12:1), whom we know in Pangasinan as Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag, has guided us through the years leading us to the heart of Jesus her Son. We cannot forget the innumerable lay leaders of our Catholic organizations and basic ecclesial communities who form another array of soldiers for Christ ready for battle, faithful and loyal, courageous light and salt for the world. The laity of Lingayen Dagupan are golden gifts from God! Scarlet and Gold And yet our golden year as an archdiocese is not purely lustrous gold for indeed the mother church dressed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, has in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and impurities ( cfr. Rev. 17:4). This jubilee is also a time for repentance. It is time for contrition for blessings wasted, for opportunities squandered, for allowing the powers of malice and sin to prevail among us. We admit as we strike our breasts that we, pastors and flock, are responsible for the endless crosses on which the Good Shepherd continues to be crucified even until now in Pangasinan. The blasphemies, to which our Lord and the Church are constantly subjected to, need to be confessed, healed and forgiven. The neglect of the Sunday duties and laziness to pray; the irreverence shown toward the Mother of God; the calumnies and slanders we throw against one another; the sacrilege thrown against the spiritual treasures of the Church. The Church our mother is in agony and travail as she holds in her hands the abominable crimes of her children. During this jubilee year we kneel in contrition before the poor whose cries for help we have often ignored. We kiss mother earth and caress with our bloodied hands our dead rivers and ripped sea beds and say We are sorry! We have raped our forests and leveled our hills with relentless logging and quarrying blinded by our greed and avarice. Mother Earth is in travail and in agony and we have caused it on her. We shake our heads with shame and guilt at the scandals caused by the men of the Church upon the Church they were called to serve. When the priests lifestyle is inconsistent with his vocation, the Church is hurt. When priests act more like hirelings than shepherds who must be willing to die for the sheep, the lambs leave the herd confused and puzzled. When celibacy is violated, when human respect is not observed, when basic courtesies are laid aside, when revenge is allowed to prevail over forgiveness, when service is always linked to the returning benefit, the Lord is crucified again and again. Our golden chalice is filled with our sins, in fact overflowing. Our golden robes are stained by the blood of our iniquity. Let us lay BELOVED people of God: The Church of Lingayen Dagupan is rich and wealthy in the golden graces of God! Indeed the true treasure of the Church is the Lord who is always present amongst His people. And God has always been with us. The Diocese of Lingayen was created on May 19, 1928 with Bishop Cesar Maria Guerrero as the first bishop. It was renamed Diocese of Lingayen Dagupan on February 11, 1954 due to the destruction of the Lingayen Cathedral caused by the Second World War. On February 16, 1963, it was elevated to the rank of a metropolitan archdiocese with the late Archbishop Mariano Madriaga as the first archbishop. It is now the time of grace to prepare ourselves for the golden year of the Metropolitan Archdiocese in 2013. This jubilee year is a year for remembering and beholding the greatness of the Lord. Indeed, every year, month and day since we were made a diocese is an epiphany of his goodness and bounty. Our thoughts return to the crib where the mother and her child were visited by the wise men: They came into the house and saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Opening their treasures, they offered to him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Mt.2:11). Gifts of Gold We offer the Lord our gift of golden thanksgiving for blessing us with pious and fervent bishops since we were made a diocese. Our first bishop, Bishop Cesar Maria Guerrero died in the sweet odor of wisdom and sanctity, as acclaimed by one Franciscan priest, at the time of his death. Archbishop Mariano Madriaga, our wartime shepherd, led the diocese during its most trying times the Commonwealth period, the hostilities of the Japanese occupation, the destruction during the liberation unto the years of the Second Vatican Council reformsas a faithful sentinel and guardian of the faith. Archbishop Federico Limon, SVD guided our Church to give birth to two new daughters the Dioceses of Alaminos and Urdaneta. Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz gave a new kind of fire to the call for the Church for social engagement and transformation. With his characteristic passion, he gave his best to bring the Gospel of Christ to every aspect of human reality. The golden years behind us were blessed years in the company of the missionaries of the Society of the Divine Word and the Order of Preachers. The Mary Help of Christians Minor Seminary in Binmaley and the Mary Help of Christians College Seminary in Bonuan have been bringing forth holy and zealous pastors for the Church indeed more precious than silver or gold. These seminaries have contributed numerous pastors for the people of God faithful to the mandate of the Lord of the harvest: Dont take any gold, nor

aside our gold and put on ashes. We beg pardon from the Lord. Let this jubilee renew us. Let this golden year make us new. Gold we have none And Peter said, Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk! (Acts 3:6) The jubilee is a time for mission. Celebration without contrition is triumphalism. Contrition without courage is lame. Let this jubilee year be a year of courage for the mission of the Lord. We will not be afraid to have neither silver nor gold. Gold and silver we have none! I hope we will be able to say that with conviction. Our first and only power is the Lord and our first and only way to the Lord is love. We must pray but it is not enough to pray. Our prayer must make us think and talk and listen and act and be like Jesusthat is the apostolic action that we need in the Church. Any pastoral action or assembly that does not come from prayer will fail. Any prayer that does not lead us to apostolic charity will wither. Love without service is mere sentimentalism. Service without prayer is social activism. We have a dream. We dream of a church renewed. Gold and silver we have none but we are a people who believe profoundly in the love of Almighty God. We are a people poor in the things of the world but courageous in the faith we profess. We stammer

when we speak but we pray fervently from the heart and we teach with zeal and conviction. We are ourselves are a people in need but we serve generously disinterested in rewards. We are more than a million Catholic faithful but we are close to all and each one is friend of everyone. Our real gold is God. Our gift of gold is our love. Year of Grace We are opening a year of grace. It is a blessed time to celebrate and blow our trumpets for the Lord. This is a time of grace to seek forgiveness and share forgiveness with hearts humble and contrite. The year of grace is a year of hope. We look beyond our horizon and see beyond the rainbow a renewed and revitalized Church courageously and boldly proclaiming Gods love and joy. We entrust this year to Mary Help of Christians whose guiding hand has brought many of our young men to the altar as priests of her Son. As we now break the ground for the construction of the theology seminary, may our Mother guide us, give us courage and bring us to live for Jesus her Son. From the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist, +SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS, DD Archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan February 16, 2012

www.rcald.org

A Call to Moral Integrity, Transparency and Accountability in Governance

LAST February 9, 2012, the Supreme Court issued a Temporary restraining Order (TrO) on the Senate acting as an Impeachment Court, preventing the Senate Court to secure the foreign currency accounts owned by Chief Justice Renato C. Corona, citing RA 6426, section 8. This issuance of the Temporary Restraining Order by the Supreme Court is indeed disappointing since the Impeachment Trial is an invaluable political process to restore, renew and strengthen the integrity, transparency and accountability of the Judiciary and Philippine governance. It is even more disappointing that 13 Senators voted to obey it because this means acknowledging the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court over them but it is clear in the Constitution that the Senate Court is supreme in matters regarding impeachment. And the only question they should have asked themselves before voting was: Will the TRO serve to discover the TRUTH or will it hinder it? The answer is obvious. Chief Justice Corona says that he will open his foreign account in due time. Our question is, if he is not hiding anything, why can it not be opened now? Instead, Chief Justice Corona remains steadfast and adamant in his relentless drive to declare the Impeachment Trial as unconstitutional and a violation of his human rights. And to challenge and question the Senate Court and the entire impeachment process, Chief Justice Corona continually seeks refuge in the Supreme Court for protection and solace. This is against decency and delicadeza because he is asking this of Justices who are under him. The Association of Major Religious Superiors of Women in the Philippines (AMRSWP), a gathering of 275 women religious congregations in the Philippines strongly believes the impeachment proceedings will strengthen the foundations of democratic governance in the Philippines. The impeachment trial against Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona is not a battle against two warring government bodies, the Judiciary and the Executive. Nor is the Impeachment Trial a personal contest between two powerful politicians Chief Justice Renato Corona and President Benigno Aquino III. The Impeachment Process is a political process to protect the integrity, transparency and accountability of a democratic government. Essentially, this impeachment trial will decide on the integrity, transparency and accountability of Supreme Court Chief Justice Corona. We therefore implore Chief Justice Renato Corona to listen to the stirrings of truth, justice and respect the Senate Court and the impeachment proceedings. We also urge the Senate Judges to remain steadfast in their duty and to assert their sovereignty in the pursuit of the TRUTH. Each and every Filipino citizen is asked to act with integrity, to maintain a sense of decency and honesty, and to be held accountable for actions which have grave ramifications on the common good. We ask no less of a Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona. Association of Major Religious Superiors of Women in the Philippines (AMRSWP) February 17, 2012

Pastoral Letter

ALAY KAPWA 2012

MY dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Stewardship is discipleship, this is the theme for Alay Kapwa 2012. Alay Kapwa means offering (alay) to our neighbor (kapwa). Alay Kapwa is the Lenten evangelization-action program to raise social consciousness about the plight of the poor and the marginalized in imitation of Jesus who offered Himself for us poor sinners. It is also the time of the year designated to raise funds for social services and programs of the Church for the poor. As we successfully did last year here in the Archdiocese of Manila and our suffragan dioceses, we will again be supporting and implementing Alay Kapwa not only during Palm Sunday but throughout the 40 days of Lent. We will take up a special second collection for Alay Kapwa for six (6) Sundays, from February 26 to April 1, 2012 (i.e., February 26, March 4, 11, 18, 25 and April 1). The funds gathered for Alay Kapwa during these six Sundays will be used as emergency funds for crisis and calamities both from natural and human causes all over the country, as was done for the victims of Sendong recently. I also encourage all parishes to sponsor booths for our social services and development

ministry, so we may inspire more possible donors for our Caritas programs for the poor. We should ask: what can I do in order that others may be saved and that for them the star of hope may rise? Then I will have done my utmost for my own personal salvation as well (Spe salvi, 48). And, as the First Letter of John (3:18) tell us, Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions.

On our road to Easter, our Lord Jesus Christs ultimate triumph, let us also claim victory over our sufferings through the transformative power of charity and the maternal care and prayers of Mary. May God bless you always! + LUIS ANTONIO G. TAGLE, DD Archbishop of Manila Chairman, Caritas Manila

www.caritas.org.ph

B6

Ref lections

CBCP Monitor
February 27 - March 11, 2012

Vol. 16 No. 5

How can we eternalize Peters experience of Jesus at the mountain?

An exegetical reflection on the Gospel of the 2nd Sunday of Lent - B (Mark 9:2-10) March 4, 2012
By Msgr. Lope C. Robredillo, SThD
WHEN we are with people we admire, it is our wish that we could remain with them longer than is possible. A very close encounter with Pope Benedict XVI, President Barak Obama, or someone like Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, Rudolf Bultmann is such an example. But we know that such an encounter is too brief. That is why we take pains that in events like that, pictures are taken to capture those moments. Pictures are useful not simply to recall the event, but also to allow us to relive the experience. Human nature is such that we wish to eternalize our present happy experiences. Those of us who understand this will easily sympathize with Peter in the Gospel today. It may be recalled that in Mark, from the beginning of Jesus ministry (Mark 1:14) until the episode in Caesarea Philippi where Jesus asked the disciples who he was (Mark 8:27-29), nobody seemed to know the mystery of Jesus. Even Peter who described him as the Messiah (Mark 8:30) seemed ignorant of the title he gave him. He could not understand a crucified Messiah (Mark 8:3132). But in todays Gospel (Mark 9:2-10), Peter had a glimpse of the mystery that shrouded Jesus. He was overwhelmed with awe by what he sawa transfigured Jesusand he wanted to eternalize his experience. So he said, Rabbi, how good it is for us to be here! Let us erect three booths on this site, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah (Mark 9:5). But there is more to this. When he saw Jesus, Peter recognized that his Master acquired a new kind of life which the Jewish people have been longing for. That life is symbolized by the white garmenthis clothes became dazzlingly white, whiter than the work of any bleacher could make them (Mark 9:3) which is a symbol of the life of resurrection (Rev 3:4; 7:9). Because that has dawned on

Inspired by Christs transfiguration

Reflections on the 2nd Sunday of Lent (B) March 4, 2012
By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB
THE world is like an immense learning center in which most of the teaching is done in an informal manner. All of us are learners because all of us have plenty to learn. On the other hand, all of us are also teachers, even if we may not climb the rostrum of a lecture hall and do not follow detailed syllabi and lesson plans. With so many teachers, and surrounded by divergent opinions and schools of thought, many may often feel confused. It need not be so for us, for in making our profession of faith, we acknowledge JESUS CHRIST as our best and most trusted TEACHEr. He is the only one who deserves such title. (See Mt 23:10.) He is the teacher given to us by the Father to teach the truths that really matter in life. Jesus, the Teacher of all men, is different from all other teachers. He is different in what he is, in what he teaches, and in the way he teaches it. He is no ordinary teacher because he is no ordinary man. The closest among his disciples were the first to realize it. They had begun to wonder who that man could be who had the power to quell storms and cast out devils. (See Mk 4:31 and 1:27.) In the episode of the transfiguration, the radiant aspect of Jesus whole person revealed the divinity hidden in him, and the voice of the Father confirmed that visual revelation. This is my Son, my beloved. Listen to him! (Mk 9:7). Jesus does not repeat half-assimilated notions. He brings a teaching that is new and vital. Being the only one who knows the Father perfectly, he has come to reveal Him to all men. (See Jn 1:18.) Jesus words are filled with divine wisdom, a wisdom he wants to share with us to make our joy full. (See Jn 16:24.) That is why the Father enjoins his disciples: Listen to him! He is also different from the teachers of his time. They bind up heavy loads on other mens shoulders, while they themselves will not lift a finger to budge them (Mt 23:4). Jesus is a teacher who teaches by example, even before teaching by words. His whole life is his most impressive lesson. Through it and through his preaching, Jesus introduces us to the mysterious wisdom of the cross and injects in us the hope of the Resurrection. His message is essentially one of love and life. It is usually pleasant to hear, but demanding. It requires selflessness and the courage to take up ones cross and carry it patiently after him. This should not scare us away. Jesus, our Teacher, walks ahead of us, burdened with the sin of the whole world. He reminds us that after the suffering of this life, there is a wonderful new life to be enjoyed forever.

We are Gods most precious temples

Reflections on the 3rd Sunday of Lent (B) March 11, 2012
Christ himself. He is the New Temple a Temple not made of stones or by human hands, but by God Himself. His loving heart is the pure altar on which the perfect sacrifice of an unreserved filial commitment is offered unceasingly to the glory of the Father, and in atonement for the sins of all mankind. Made one with Christ at our baptism, we too have become part of this living temple. The Holy Spirit has consecrated us to Gods service in Christ and through Christ. The sanctifying presence of the Spirit makes us more precious temples than the finest ones in the world. This is indeed a great dignity. Like the Jews of old, however, we are continuously in danger of forgetting the sacredness of our person. We may forget that our dignity derives from our union with Christ. And from forgetfulness or lack of appreciation to profanation there is but one step. From

Jesus, Peter seemed to think that the new age has dawned for all. For this reason, he offered to build three tents as a way of saying that he wanted Jesus to anticipate the future when God will dwell with men. This object of hope is echoed by Paul: Indeed, we know that when the earthly tent in which we dwell is destroyed we have a dwelling provided for us by God, a dwelling in the heavens, not made by hands but to last forever. We groan while we are here, even as we yearn to have our heavenly habitation envelop us (2 Cor 5:1-3; see also

rev 21:1-3). But God did not allow Peter to eternalize his peak experience at the mountain: it was not yet the parousia, but simply its foretaste. Thus, speaking from the clouds, he said to the disciples, including Peter of course, that they have to listen to Jesus (Mark 9:7). And what words of Jesus they are to listen to? In Marks theology, it is this: If a man wishes to come after me, he must deny his very self, take up his cross, and follow me. Whoever would preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the

gospels will preserve it. What profit does a man show who gains the whole world and destroys himself in the process? What can a man offer in exchange for his life? If anyone in this faithless and corrupt age is ashamed of me and my doctrine, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes with the holy angels in his glory I assure you, among those standing here there are some who will not taste death until they see the reign of God established in his Fathers glory (Mark 8:34-9:1). But in listening
Mountain / B7

Bishop Pat Alo

By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB

FOR centuries, the Temple of Jerusalem had been the pride of all Jews, the heart of the nation, the foundation of their firm trust in Gods protection against all enemies. Like all pious Jews, Jesus loved the Temple. In it he prayed to the Father with all the sincerity of a devoted Son. There he preached the Good News of the Kingdom. And when he saw that the house of prayer had been turned into a den of thieves, he flared up with the indignation of the Son who sees the Fathers House desecrated. (See Jn 2:15-16 and parallels.) But the Temple, like all other religious structures and characters in the life of Israel, was only a provisional arrangement, a symbol of the reality that was to come. The real and definitive temple of God is Jesus

temples of the All-Holy God, our persons may become shrines of false gods and idols. Our lives may be turned into a deadly liturgy to pride, lust, selfishness, aggressiveness, greed . . . This saddens our Lord much more than the sight of the traders and moneychangers he chased away from the Temple of Jerusalem. This Lent, in our quest for a new and fuller life, we are invited to re-awaken to the sacredness of our persons and of every human person, especially the baptized. This is the time for a thorough purification from all profanations and unbecoming presence of idols in our lives. This is the time for a restoration of the masterpiece of Gods love to its original splendor. This is the time for a re-dedication of ourselves to the Source of all Holiness, in order that everything that is in us may become a hymn of glory and praise to the Triune God.

ENCOUNTERS

Twisted values
WHEN people give more importance to the means rather than to the end or goal, we might call that twisted thinking or a form of twisted values. When legislators make laws to exterminate human life (by way of contraceptives and abortion), its also a form of twisted thinking. Why? Because human life is the very first right of man, to which all other rights are subordinated. This is why the rH Bill is creating so much reaction in society because it tends to pressure towards actions that are contrary to a well-formed conscience, specifically one that respects mans first right: life. You cannot force people to act against their conscience, especially in relation to moral good or evil. We might just simply remind people what Gods infallible truth reminds us ofSo always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that is the meaning of the Law and the Prophets (Mt. 7:12; Prov. 3:27). Laws that run contrary to divine truth wont oblige us since they are not conducive to the ultimate good of man. Since we must endeavor to avoid being enslaved to money lest it become our cruel master, we can quote here a word of one business analyst, Robert Townsend, whose book Up the Organization came out once in the bestseller list. Money, like prestige, if sought directly, is almost never gained. It must come as a byproduct of some worthwhile objective or result which is sought and achieved for its own sake. Lets look at the nation today. When the leaders try to make a name for themselves by picking on others faults and defects to build up their own ego prestige, or making money promoting pornographic education or birth control devices, thats not a positive way of service to society nor even a successful venture but one tending towards downfall and self-destruction. In all our policies of love and service to God and country lets always take the positive side in line of the Gospel: Do not judge, and you will not be judged; because the judgments you give are the judgments you will get, and the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given. Why do you observe the splinter in your brothers eye and never notice the plank in your own? How dare you say to your brother, Let me take the splinter out of your eye, when all the time there is a plank in your own? Hypocrite! Take the plank out of your own eye first, and then you will see clearly enough to take the splinter out of your brothers eye (Mt. 7:1). Jesus says it clear in the gospel: Beware of false prophets who come to you disguised as sheep but underneath are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their life and deeds as you know a tree by its fruits (Mt. 7:15).

Fr. Francis Ongkingco

WHATEVER

Gods Comfort Zone

MOMMY, I learned something new in school, John, a fivegrader proudly said. What was it honey? his mom asked as she bent down to receive his embrace and kiss. Hmmm, she sniffed his hair, you had better hit the shower soon young man youre beginning to smell more Neanderthal. Yes, mum, John replied obediently. So what is it that youve learned today, she asked. Do you have a comfort zone, mom? Is that what you learned? she verified. Well, yes, he nodded. It sounds like a cozy thing, right? You can say that again, honey! she agreed. Mom? Do you have a comfortzone? he asked again. Well, ahhmmm, yeeesI haveand so does daddy, your sister and brothers, and So whats your comfortzone, mom? Why do you want to know? Well, teacher Nicky said that its not good to have one, he shrugged his shoulders. In what way, honey? She said its like selfish, coz youre hiding from others just to do your own stuff, he looked at her for some affirmation. Well, shes quite right there, John, his mom agreed. So why do you have one? I guess theres also a good side to having one? Really? John was quite surprised. Its when you share that zone of comfort with others, and you dont restrict others from entering it, she explained. So teacher Nicky was wrong? I didnt say that, she clarified. She may have been just trying to already warn you that its easier to have a zone only for yourself. Sides, today, many people just get locked into it and find it hard to even get out. Thats when we help them to realize that they cant keep themselves inside forever. Locked inside? John asked. Yes, dear. For example, there are people who spend most of their time over FaceBook, video games, watching T.V. or listening to music the whole day. Like Shawn? he said. I didnt say that, she pinched Johns nose. In the first place, we shouldnt judge others regarding their CZs. We can remind them about their other duties, but its really up to each one to see that escaping inside keeps them from being more generous by thinking of the others more. Did Jesus have a comfort zone, mom? Now that you ask, I really wouldnt call it a comfort zone. But Jesus did find himself at home within certain spaces. Like what? Well, he liked being with his disciples, the poor, the children, and we could say that
Whatever / B7

www.holyjeepers.com

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 5
February 27 - March 11, 2012

Social Concerns

B7

Church and people call for a new Mining Law

By Fr. Shay Cullen
BISHOPS, priests, pastors, people from all walks of life and non-government organizations have taken a stand against the unfair, exploitative and damaging mining operations in this country. It is an important moral issue because for generations 75 percent of the people have endured a life of poverty and want, exploitation and injustice. Wealth distribution in the Philippines is among the most unequal in the world and one percent of the population unjustly own or control 70 percent of the national wealth. The mineral wealth is said to be worth US$680 billion and is the heritage of the Filipino people. If not stolen by the 1 percent it can be a way out of poverty for millions. However the small minority of the one percent of the super rich in cahoots with multinational corporations are trying to get all the valuable minerals they can for themselves and share practically nothing with the people. The crooked law of 1995 and the past administration favored the thieves and allowed them to pay less than 2 percent tax obligation on earnings. In Australia the mining corporations now pay 35 percent of their profits in tax. The mining corporations in the Philippines dont even have to pay any tax until they have completely recovered their costs and made a profit. With slick
Education / B1

manipulative bookkeeping and smart tax lawyers that could take up to ten years and even then they can show a loss. The Alliance to Stop Mining said in a newspaper advertisement recently, ..while the mining corporations use the Philippines as a milking cow, the owner of the natural wealth only gets dog food. In other words mining is of no economic advantage to the Filipino people. This is the serious injustice facing the nation that has to be addressed. The mining companies will claim otherwise. If they will open their books, bank accounts, (especially the dollar accounts) and tax records to the public then we might see the truth. Lets see what they earn considering the astronomical high prices for mineral commodities on the world market today. The government, elected by the people to address this issue among others, does not treat the people as dogs and to prove it, the President will issue a Executive Order (EO) to bring this tax free exploitation to an end and impose at least a 20 percent tax on large scale mining and end the corruption and environmental destruction caused by the irresponsible mining industry. However the passing of the new mining law is the best solution. In a previous article I pointed to the abandoned open-pit mining operation in San Marcelino where Benguet Corp. operated for years, a huge crater remains,

a mountain has been destroyed with its bio-diversity and an entire valley has been left abandoned and poisoned. The open-pit mining operation in Tampakan, South Cotobato is so huge you could fit two Empire State buildings one on top of the other in it according to the Alliance to Stop Mining. The Filipino people are demanding a total halt to the rampant and out-ofcontrol massive irresponsible mining operations that are destroying the environment and bring no benefit to the people or the nation. Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo said the mining law of 1995

should be repealed and the proposed new Peoples Mining Bill passed by Congress. That is the increasingly loud cry of the people from all over the country. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) representing the voice of 125 Bishops has supported this unequivocally. The bishops called for a halt to large scale mining until this new law is passed. In an ecumenical move Catholic and Protestant Bishops made a statement: We the Ecumenical Bishops Forum, express alarm over the wanton abuse of natural resources by the transnational mining corporations

with their local cohorts in South Luzon region, especially Bicol. They went on to say: Destructive mining is blatantly unethical, unjust and senseless for it exacerbates poverty, causes dislocation of the livelihood of the people, and threatens the base of life and life itself, the bishops said. There we have it, the plain bald truth. The way the minerals are extracted is detrimental to the environment; the earnings for the people are zero. The proposed new law must be passed to make mining a responsible industry that protects the environment and gives just and fair benefits to all.

culture that seems to disregard the need for faith, we are confronted with a society that offers varied and often conflicting ephemeral values. Thus, Pope Benedict has spoken of the great educational emergency, the increasing difficulty encountered in transmitting the basic values of life and correct behavior to the new generations, a difficulty that involves both schools and families and, one might say, any other body with educational aims. More than ever before, a Catholic schools job is infinitely more difficult, more complex, since this is a time when Christianity demands to be clothed in fresh garments, when all manner of changes have been introduced in the Church and in secular life, and, particularly, when a pluralist mentality dominates and the Christian Gospel is increasingly pushed to the side-lines. (TCS #66) Sense of Mission Despite these, the foundational philosophy of Catholic education which is in service of the faith has continued on. While these challenges pose a threat to the existence of some of our schools, they have not lost sight of the vision of Catholic education. They have remained as potent means of quality education where Religion is the core of the curriculum an effective contribution to the development of other aspects of personality (TCS #19). Catholic Education strives to remain faithful to its mission of providing complete education which necessarily includes a religious dimension. religion is an effective contribution to the development of other aspects of a personality in the measure in which it is integrated into general education (TCS #19). Apart from providing an integral and holistic formation, it is one that aims at a dialogue of culture and faith. The education in the faith which Catholic Education provides, in the words of Pope Benedict, nurtures the soul of a nation. Thus, Catholic Education is beneficial not only for Catholics but for the entire country. The mission continues. In todays context, we see the signs of hope in the rise of parochial and diocesan schools. recently, we have more diocesan priests being trained to develop the parochial and diocesan school system. It is not to be forgotten that some of the great founders
Mountain / B6

of religious congregations were diocesan priests. These diocesan priests founded institutes whose life and mission were on Catholic Education. Eventually, some of these schools started by religious congregations or organizations were turned over to the dioceses. Even the first president of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP), Msgr. Jose Jovellanos, was a diocesan priest. Moreover, society can take note from the Catholic school that it is possible to create true communities out of the common effort of the common good. In the pluralistic society of today, the Catholic school, by maintaining an institutional Christian presence in the academic world, proclaims by its very existence the enriching power of the faith as the answer to the enormous problems which afflict mankind. It is called to render a humble loving service to the Church by ensuring that she is present in the scholastic field for the benefit of the human family. A Call to a Fervent Renewal Brothers and Sisters, our grateful recollection of the grace of 400 years of Catholic Education is an opportune time, not to withdraw, but to rediscover once again the original mission of the Catholic schools. The words of Jesus resound once again: Go, teach them to observe what I have commanded you. It is a time to renew the mission with fervor. This call for fervent renewal is a challenge to Catholic schools to become the locus of the encounter with Christ. In the school the loving truth of the Gospel must be proclaimed. It is not only informative but also performative, that is creative and life-changing. (Spe Salvi #2). This fervent renewal is a rediscovery of the ideals of Jesus. This calls us to make saints of our students. In this regard, the words of the Holy Father are instructive: Christianity is not a new philosophy or a new form of morality. We are only Christians if we encounter Christ, even if He does not reveal Himself to us as clearly and irresistibly as he did to Paul in making him the Apostle of the Gentiles. We can also encounter Christ in reading Holy Scripture, in prayer, and in the liturgical life of the Church, touch Christs heart and feel that Christ touches ours. And it is only in this personal relationship with Christ, in this meeting with the Risen One, that we are truly Christian. (Pope Benedict XVI)

This renewal means going back to the spirit of the establishment of Catholic education where the synthesis of knowledge, culture and faith are evident. This, in turn, must lead to the production of right and morally upright citizens. This means not only the formation of the mind but of the heart. It is education that provides moral compass which directs them to the proper actions. The integration of faith and life will help students overcome their individualism and discover, in the light of faith, their specific vocation to live responsibly in a community with others; to commit themselves to serve God in their brethren and to make the world a better place for everyone to live in (TCS #9). It is an intensification of the imperative to reach out and to serve others. Even among Catholic schools, there are many possibilities of helping one another. This renewal is a challenge to redirect energies towards the transformation the school community into an authentic Christian community where the presence of Jesus is felt and experienced. It is a call to make the positive values of our faith stand out and energize our policies, systems and structures. In another way of speaking, that the gospel be the motive of the schools modus vivendi et operandi. Thus, every Catholic educational institution is a place to encounter the living God who in Jesus Christ reveals his transforming love and truth (cf. Spe Salvi, #4). This relationship elicits a desire to grow in the knowledge and understanding of Christ and his teaching. In this way those who meet him are drawn by the very power of the Gospel to lead a new life characterized by all that is beautiful, good, and true; a life of Christian witness nurtured and strengthened within the community of our Lords disciples, the Church. (Pope Benedict, Meeting with Catholic Educators) The ecclesial dimension of the task of renewal, that Catholic Education form people to have a passion for the church and that Catholic Educational institutions think with the church sentire cum ecclesia. For ultimately, the same institutions are at the service of the church both universal and local. The Prophetic Dimension of Catholic Education This renewal, sincerely and

fervently done, cannot ignore the prophetic dimension of Catholic Education. It is impossible to think of Catholic Education as divorced from the Word of God, the Logos. This involves a deep examination of presentday realities in the light of faith. This allows the church to think critically about issues. The Word in prophetic life must criticize and energize. Catholic Education enables the educational community to see the world as charged with the power of God. It is transformative. It announces the good news and denounces that which is not life-giving. It seeks to build a culture of peace and love. It challenges anomalous and evil structures. Thus, the Catholic Educational community and its graduates must be witnesses to the power of the Word and should strive to transform society. Catholic education as prophetic means consecration to the cause of truth. The present age is in urgent need of this kind of disinterested service, namely of proclaiming the meaning of truth, that fundamental value without which freedom, justice and human dignity are extinguished. (Ex Corde Ecclesiae #4) This means assiduous search for the truth and fidelity to the same truth. This is a bold aspiration in the present time, for it is typical of the incoherence of modernity that it can harbor contradictions. On the one hand it dehumanizes, on the other it deifies. This prophetic dimension of education highlights the necessity for dialogue between faith and reason. Faith devoid of reason risk becoming superstition and blind prejudice. Reason inattentive to faith risks solipsism, self-absorption, detachment from reality. (Pope Benedict XVI) Finally, this prophetic dimension includes a deep appreciation of the Catholic tradition particularly in the field of education. It is a retrieval of the sense of mission and inspiration from many great men and women, saints, who have transformed societies, countries because of their zeal for education and formation of the human person. They, imbued by the gospel and motivated by the charity of Christ, transformed communities, nations, even continents. From these we draw inspiration, as we are called to revisit the significant role of Catholic Education in our

country. This, at the same time, gives us a sense of pride of being Catholics, a pride tempered by the humble recognition that it is the Lord who accomplishes things through us. Set Forth with Faith! Dear Brothers and Sisters, we wish once again to quote the assuring words of Jesus: Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. These words provide hope for Catholic Education in the Philippines as it sets forth towards the future with faith. The frontiers of science and technology are vast. The society and the globe are rapidly changing. We and the young are faced with the digital age, information explosion, relativism, consumerism, and destructive exaltation or profanation of the body and of sexuality and all their implications. We are constantly barraged by varying and contradicting views of progress. These may eventually lead to fragmentation and dissipation of the spirit of the young. Such fragmentation, will consequently lead to the weakening of the soul of a nation. While the future seems uncertain, Catholic Education in the Philippines, assured by the Lord Jesus, sets forth with faith. It will continue to proclaim the good news of Jesus in this fastchanging world in season or out of season. Authentic progress cannot risk the human person. While scientific and technological discoveries create an enormous economic and industrial growth, but they also inescapably require the correspondingly necessary search for meaning in order to guarantee that the new discoveries be used for the authentic good of individuals and of human society as a whole (Ex Corde #7). Catholic Education, faithful to the social teaching of the Church, will continue to strive towards total human development. The task of Catholic Education is vast and seemingly daunting but it is not simply a concern of one sector. It is in fact a collaborative duty of all the members of the church and of the community. Thus, we, your bishops, appreciative and supportive of Catholic Education, express our gratitude to those who support Catholic education. We thank the government, as we pray that it may find ways to support private education. We appreciate the sense of

mission of teachers as we hope that they will continue to see their profession as a call to the fullness of life. We thank parents for their partnership and collaboration. We thank the alumni for their loyalty and support to their alma mater. We thank the administrators of schools and Catholic Educational associations for the tireless service in Catholic Education. We thank you pupils and students. You are not simply recipients of Catholic Education. You shape Catholic Education. Participate fully and take the most advantage of the formation that is given to you, always bearing in mind that the end goal of Catholic Education is being conformed to Jesus, the great Teacher. Conclusion Dear faithful, thank you for your prayers. We ask you to continue to pray and support Catholic Education in all its forms. May we all, borrowing the words of Blessed John Paul II, ardently search for truth, unselfishly transmit it to the young and to all those learning to think rigorously, so as to act rightly and to serve humanity better. (Cf. ECE #2) In closing, we re-affirm the validity and the necessity of our Catholic Schools for what will the Philippines be without Catholic schools? Brothers and Sisters, we remember with gratitude all those who worked for Catholic Education for more than 400 years; we renew with fervor our commitment to the continuing task of the Supreme Teacher; and assured by the same Lord Jesus, we look towards the future filled with hope and we set forth in faith knowing that in the last analysis success in any venture does not come from trust in our own solutions but from the trust in Jesus who allowed Himself to be called Teacher (TCS#93) and who exhorts us Teach them to observe all that I have commanded you. We sincerely wish all those involved in the task of Catholic Education our sincere prayers as we impart our Episcopal blessings. For the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines +JOSE S. PALMA, DD Archbishop of Cebu President, Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines 29 January 2012

Whatever / B6

to Jesus, we have to do so like Abraham, who gave up human assurance (Gen 22:1-2) because we can rest assured in God (Rom 8:38-39). What assurance? It is that if we wish that God dwell with us, if we wish to be dressed in white, then we have to follow Jesus in his suffering (Mark 8:34-35). The sharing and the eternalizing of Peters experience at the mountain is given to those who deny their very self, and

take up their cross. Indeed, if we do, we will not even taste death, and we shall attain that experience even here on earth (Mark 9:11). In view of this, and in the light of the transfiguration of Jesus, the sufferings and failures in our life with Jesus are thus given a new perspective. If we suffer and fail with him, we do not experience simply bad moments that we could have avoided all the better.

No, they are rather part and parcel of Christian life, of discipleship. They are, so to speak, constitutive elements of the experience of Gods glory (1 Pet 4:14). In our sufferings and failures for and in Christ, God is already pitching his tent among us, and we are already wearing the white garment, even as Jesus himself was recognized as the Messiah as he hung on the cross (Mark 15:39).

He made sure to make them part of the zone of His love. He taught them to pray, to embrace sacrifice, to live virtue and to become fishers of men. I guess, Jesus comfort zone was doing what His Father wanted Him to do in the first place. Wow! How about you, honey, whats your comfort zone? I dunnuh, he scratched his head.

But after that you said about Jesus, I think my prayer and heart can be His comfort zones anytime. Thats really nice, son, she smiled. Keep it up, and always make your prayer and heart pure and joyful. Mom? Yes, dear? So whats your comfort zone? Hit the shower, young Neanderthal!

FiLe Photo

B8

Entertainment
Moral Assessment

CBCP Monitor

February 27 - March 11, 2012

Vol. 16 No. 5

Technical Assessment

Abhorrent disturbing Acceptable Wholesome exemplary

Poor Below average Average Above average excellent

THE Descendants is set in Hawaii and follows the unpredictable journey of an American family at a crossroads. Matt King (George Clooney), a husband and father of two girls, must re-examine his past and navigate his future when his wife goes into coma due to a boating accident off Waikiki. He awkwardly attempts to repair his relationship with his daughters perky 10-year-old Scottie (Amara Miller) and rebellious 17-year-old Alexandra (Shailene Woodley)while wrestling with a decision to sell his familys land handed down from Hawaiian royalty and missionaries. Matt and his King cousins own some of the last priceless virgin parcels of tropical beach in the islands. When Alexandra drops the bombshell that her mother was cheating on her husband at the time of the accident, Matt has to take a whole new look at his life, not to mention his legacy, during a week of momentous decisions. With his girls in tow, he embarks on a haphazard search for his wifes lover. Along the way, in

encounters alternately funny, troublesome and transcendent, he realizes hes finally on course toward rebuilding his life and family. Based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings, The Descendants has a snappy screen play by its own director Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash. Others in the acting ensemble are Beau Bridges, Robert Forster, Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard, Nick Krause, Mary Birdsong, rob Huebel and Patricia Hastie. Clooneys award-winning Matt King is a flawed individual finding his way through a world of lunacy, bittersweet emotion and surprises; he is neither a hero nor anti-hero, not the man he would like to be. rather, Matt King is a man grappling with some of the worst news, most difficult people, and most impossible decisions of his life. Close family ties are among the values highlighted in this movie. The bond between the father and his daughters is also emphasized to show that while tragedy, a death in the family,

TITLE: The Descendants CAST: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Beau Bridges, Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard, Robert Forster DIRECTOR: Alexander Payne SCREENPLAY: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash PRODUCED BY: Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor CINEMATOGRAPhY: Phedon Papamichae EDITING: Kevin Tent LOCATION: United States RUNNING TIME: 115 minutes TEChNICAL ASSESSMENT: MORAL ASSESSMENT: Cinema Rating: For viewers 14 years old and above

and the discovery of a betrayal may lead to pain and bitterness, the same suffering may also strengthen the character of those left behind. In the last scene the characters do no talk but it is pregnant with symbols and body language no words can equal. A most satisfying film for families to watch.

MAC en COLET

Ni Bladimer Usi

Buhay Parokya

Look for the images of Blessed Pedro Calungsod, Chalice veil and Blessed John Paul II. (Illustration by Bladimer Usi)

TITLE: The Vow CAST: Rachel McAdams (Paige Collins), Channing Tatum (Leo Collins), Sam Neill (Paiges Father ), Jessica Lange (Paiges Mother), Jessica McNamee (Gwen) DIRECTOR: Michael Sucsy GENRE: Drama, Romance LOCATION: Toronto, Canada & Chicago, USA RUNNING TIME: 104 minutes TEChNICAL ASSESSMENT: MORAL ASSESSMENT: Cinema Rating: For viewers 14 years old and above

SYNOPSIS : A newlywed couple recovers from a car accident that puts the wife in a coma. Waking up with severe memory loss, her husband endeavors to win her heart again.

TITLE: This means war CAST: Reese Witherspoon (Lauren Scott), Cris Pine (FDR Foster), Tom hardy (Tuck henson), Till Schweiger (heinrich), Chelsea handler (Trish), Abegail Spenser (Katie), Angela Basset (Collins) GENRE: Action & Adventure, Romance, Comedy LOCATION: Vancouver, Canada RUNNING TIME: 120 minutes TEChNICAL ASSESSMENT: MORAL ASSESSMENT: Cinema Rating: For viewers 18 years old and above

SYNOPSIS: The worlds deadliest CIA operatives are inseparable partners and best friends until they fall for the same woman. Having once helped bring down entire enemy nations, they are now employing their incomparable skills and an endless array of hightech gadgetry against their greatest nemesis ever - each other.

Vol. 16 No. 5

CBCP Monitor

February 27 - March 11, 2012

C1

The News Supplement of Couples for Christ

By SFC ICon Docu Team

SFC: We Have A Great God!

led by Mike Serapio, SFC Philippine Missions Head. The next morning, SFC running enthusiasts assembled at the CPG Oval for the ICON Fun Run. Ram Arcillaz, a nonSFC, was the first one to finish the 5K leg, while Amante Dumlao dominated the 3K leg. Saturday saw 15 workshops conducted for the delegates, namely: How Beautiful is the Handiwork of God, Called to Be Co-creators, Cornerstone is Agape, Helps and Hindrances to Experiencing Gods Goodness, Target: VIPs heart, SFC Entrep: Minding Your Own Business, God via Satellite, Keep the Fire Burning, Pauls Footsteps, Out of the Box Worship, Theres Something About Mary, Friending the Saints, L.O.L with the Lord, But Where is Gods Goodness in Troubled Times, and Writing History. The SFC couple coordinators and the Family Ministry heads, meanwhile, attended the Couple Coordinators Conference aptly named The Beacon. Fr. Soc Mesiona celebrated the Holy Eucharist after the workshops. Fr. Soc

On Friday, February 17, the normally tranquil city of Tagbilaran, Bohol became busy as around 6500 delegates coming from different countries all over the world gathered in the Carlos P Garcia Sports Complex for the 19th Singles for Christ Great God ICON (International Conference). The three-day event started with the sports competition, held after the opening worship led by Arbie Padilla, SFC fulltime worker for Metro Manila. Competitions in basketball, badminton and the Great God Amazing Panglao Race were then conducted simultaneously, providing great fun for all. Neil Balite, CFC Provincial Area Director of Bohol, welcomed the participants, as did Governor Edgar Chatto who invited everyone to see Bohols scenic spots. Shok Ariola, SFC International Coordinator, pressed the gigantic remote control marking the opening of the 19th SFC ICON. The Loboc Youth Ambassadors then presented amazing musical renditions ranging from Michael Jackson songs to the Star Wars theme. Noli Manuel, missionary to the Middle East, gave the first talk: GREAT GOD. Noli said that we can live a great life by being GRATEFUL in all things, by being READY for the mission, by being EXCITED for the future, by being ASSURED of Gods providence and by TRUSTING God completely. Noli enjoined the SFCs to not settle for the mediocre but always aspire for what God deems best for you. The ICONs first night ended with a closing worship

Mesiona shared during his homily that the only way to go is to be truly humble. He added that Mary, in her Magnificat, proclaimed Gods greatness, but she did not see Gods greatness using the worlds standards but through the eyes of faith. Using a combination of rap, personal stories and laugh out loud humor, Fr. John Paul Del Rosario (pictured above), or Fr. Rap-rap as he is commonly known,

FOR some Singles for Christ (SFC) members, the pre-SFC International Conference (dubbed Icon) activity is like a reunion, a time to reconnect with brothers and sisters, after months of just communicating via social networking sites. But, at this years pre-Icon, there was another dimension to the reconnecting part. Over a hundred SFC brothers and sisters geared up for this years SFC Voluntourisms Great EcoAdventure in Calape, Bohol last February 15 to 17, 2012.

Pre-Icon Activity Reconnects SFCs

The participants were divided into four groups and were given different assignments. After paying a visit to Calapes Municipal Mayor Simplicio Yu, who is also a CFC member, the teams went on to finish their first day tasks. Two teams were assigned to do Servant Evangelism activities. One team took on the challenge of cleaning a soon- to-be-opened hospital. The last team visited an ANCOP site and conducted a feeding program for the children there. The second day of the pre-Icon was packed with more challenges. Early in the morning, two groups were assigned to plant mangroves and clean the coastal areas. The remaining two teams were assigned to conduct a feeding program at the Kinabag-an Elementary School. In the afternoon, all the participants went on a mountain trekking adventure and planted trees along the way. They ended the day with a celebration of the Holy Eucharist, followed by a fellowship with the CFCs and SFCs of Calape, Bohol.

Minnie Juan, blind yet passionate in serving God.

gave the second talk: Theres Something About Mary. He talked about how we are all called to mirror Mary`s beauty - a beauty that comes from being FAVORED and LIVING out this favor. He added that Marys beauty mirrors the love of God for the world a universal love that embraces all. Para kanino ka bumabangon? was the opening question of Rea Santos of CFC West A, for the third talk Mary, Me? Rea said that Mary is the perfect disciple to follow. Rea shared her conviction that becoming like Mary is choosing God and trusting Him completely. Sharers Pat Ballecer, Julius Comia, Jojit Villar and Mike Santos affirmed that its only through choosing God and trusting Him completely that they were able to overcome their difficulties, heal their pains and become victorious in God. As the session came to an end, the delegates were asked to write their own prayer and drop it in the intercessory box. Goi Villegas, YFC Metro Manila Head ended the night with a powerful worship. Bishop Leandro Medroso celebrated

the Holy Mass for the SFC ICON on Sunday. He explained that the modern sickness of emptiness is experienced because we do not have God. This void can be filled only by God but oftentimes, sin keeps us from letting God fill that void. He encouraged everyone to pray and to pray even harder. He also reminded everyone to receive the sacraments regularly especially Holy Communion. Winding down the 19th SFC ICON with the fourth talk Proclaim the Greatness of the Lord, Shok Ariola encouraged everyone to live a life that will allow others to experience Christ by proclaiming the greatness of the Lord through the way we speak, we dress, and the way we live our life. Minnie Juan, a household head who is actively serving in her parish, shared how she proclaims Gods greatness through service despite being blind. Scott Lanete, a former YFC UP Manila Campus President and now the youngest congressman in the Philippines, proclaims Gods greatness through leading. Lastly, Athena Imperial, an SFC member who is currently the Ms. Earth Water International title holder, proclaims Gods greatness through the way she lives her life. She described how on the pageant coronation night, she surprised people backstage because she prayed aloud, "Sa gabing `to, Kayo ang lumalaban para sa akin! (Tonight, You are the one fighting for me)." Ariola ended the weekend with a simple but powerful message - Even as ordinary people, we are called to live out the Magnificat boldly everyday. Adrian Enaje, SFC Full Time Worker for Metro Manila and the ICON event head, led the praisefest that officially ended the conference.

After sharing their realizations and lessons with one another, and closing the weekend activities with a powerful worship, the pre-Icon volunteers went to Tagbilaran City for the SFC ICon. They knew though that the spirit of volunteerism does not end in Calape, Bohol. Every delegate would bring home experiences and lessons learned to their respective mission areas their chapters, their communities, their homes and continue to serve wherever and whenever God would call them.

CFC ANCOP Holds European Congress in Barcelona

By Roger Santos and Elmer Pagdilao
SOME 80 leaders of Couples for Christ (CFC) and members of the CFC-ANCOP Core Teams across Europe including those from Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Spain, Switzerland, The Netherlands and United Kingdom met in La Conreria (formerly a seminary) situated on top of the Catalunia mountains in the outskirts of Barcelona last February 17-19 and mapped out plans for 2012. Jose S. Yamamoto, CFC Europe Continental Overseer and CFC ANCOP Tekton Chairman; Eric De Los Reyes, CFC ANCOP President, Elmer Pagdilao, CFC ANCOP Europe Coordinator, Eric Villanueva, CFC USA National Director; and Roger Santos, Member CFC USA National Council & ANCOP USA steered the conference preparations. Joe Yamamoto provided the pastoral inspiration of the ANCOP Congress in his talk, exhorting CFC leaders to be Modern Day Prophets and highlighting the CFC theme for 2012, Proclaim the Greatness of the Lord. He said, As leaders, we must always have the consciousness of being sent. As we respond to the call, let us remember that we are empowered by the Holy Spirit. He also reminded the leaders to be mindful of their total dependence on the Lord, even as he cautioned them that as modern day prophets, they must also be willing to suffer and accept the challenges that come with fulfilling the CFC mission. He exhorted the leaders to live out Christian values in the midst of modern day society that is not conducive to believers. Joe also emphasized accountability and responsibility as qualities that leaders should emulate. He informed the participants that CFC is now in the process of establishing the CFC Leadership Institute that is designed to train future leaders. But even now, we Pagdilao reported on the 2011 key accomplishments of CFC Europe in the work with the poor, namely; 86 scholars under the ANCOP child sponsorship program, one surgical mission in Tawi-Tawi, Mindanao and a total of Php 575,928.27 donations for Sendong victims in Mindanao. Roger Santos discussed the outpouring of support from NGOs and private institutions around the world in ANCOPs work for the poor. He also emphasized that the driving force behind ANCOP comes primarily from the Couples for Christ global network, especially in the pursuit of the ANCOP Vision Bringing Christs transforming love to the poor, and the ANCOP Mission Answering the Cry of the Poor. He said the engagement with NGOs and private institutions adhere to the following ANCOP principles: Christ is the center and mover of the work Moved by the Holy Spirit One with the Catholic Church Attract others by being witnesses, and by example of Christs love and service Members are their brothers keepers, and where brethren live and experience the fullness of Gods love. This first-ever CFC-ANCOP Congress in CFC Europe yielded very encouraging results, particularly, in mapping the priority action plans for 2012 as well as a stronger coordination and alignment of ANCOP among CFC Europe, CFC USA and the Home Office. Team building workshops were conducted to strengthen the ANCOP structure.

YFC European Summit 2012

By Princess Nidea
SIX months ago, Youth for Christ Europe gathered together and vowed as one to put on the Full Armor of God. On the weekend of February 17 to 19, 2012, they gathered again, this time to commit to conquer Europe with hearts blazing with fire for Gods mission. La Conreria in Barcelona, Spain was the site of the first YFC European Summit and it brought together youth leaders and coordinators of YFC Europe. The summit was held simultaneously with the first CFC ANCOP Europe Congress and the Kids for Christ European Summit. The three-year pastoral track was launched during the summit and is now ready to be implemented in Europe. As is usual with all CFC events, the summit began with a vibrant and spirit-filled praise and worship. There was also plenty of time for fellowship and for the renewal of friendships. There was a lot of fun too, as the participants, speaking in various tongues, joined together in a lively dance, while shouting out the conference chant of Holahola-hola! But there was a lot of serious stuff too, beginning with the first session which was about Journeying with Obedience. The acronym H-O-T which stands for humility, openness and trust were the keywords to remind YFC of the attitudes they have to adopt in their service. Session 2 on day 2 of the conference was on the topic Grateful for the Great-full conducted by the European YFC coordinator, Bong Nidea. He reminded everyone that we should be grateful for God has seen fit to include us in His mission. Workshops followed after the lunch, after which the summit continued with the session on the YFC Europe Direction in line with the Family Ministry Direction and the review of the basic formation track of YFC. The eventful day ended with a plenary session to tackle the review of regional and country programs and to plan out activities along the new direction for YFC Europe. At the conclusion of the YFC Summit the new vision statement of YFC was unveiled: Young people being and bringing Christ wherever they are.

are experiencing blessing upon blessing, affirmation after affirmation in all areas of our life and mission. We see before us a wider field of harvest for the Lord, the ANCOP Chairman said. Eric Villanueva gave a session on The Habits of Effective Relationship Generosity, Maturity, Trust and Empathy. He said that developing these habits will be key to the success of our programs as we establish relationships with ANCOP partners and beneficiaries. Eric De los Reyes led the discussion on CFC ANCOPs work with the poor. Elmer

C2
By Melo Villaroman, Jr., CFC Director

Ugnayan
By Joe Yamamoto

CBCP Monitor
February 27 - March 11, 2012

Vol. 16 No. 5

Jerusalem: Suffering and Glory

(As we begin the season of Lent, it would be good to trace the Gospel events that occurred in Jerusalem, culminating in the crucifixion and death of Jesus in Golgotha. ) After three years of public ministry, Jesus knew that the day and the hour of his supreme sacrifice was fast approaching. All things would find their climax in Jerusalem and Calvary. As the redemptive journey of Jesus entered its final week, He took time to visit Bethany once more to be with his friends Lazarus, Martha and Mary (John 12:1). Bible scholars believe this to have taken place on a Friday. "Six days before Passover, Jesus went over to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. They gave a dinner for him there and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with him. Mary took a jar of costly perfumed oil made of genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil." (John12:1-3) The day after the Sabbath, the first day of the week for the Jews, was the first Palm Sunday. It was the day that marked the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem thereby fulfilling the Old Testament prophecy (Psalm 118:26-27). "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord... Join in procession with leafy branches up to the horns of the altar." All the four gospels narrated the triumphal entry but Luke alone called Jesus KING"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest." (Luke 19:38). Even the detail of Jesus riding on a donkey was in fulfillment of the prophecies in the Old Testament - "Look your king is approaching... humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." (Zech.9:9) Jesus rode on the back of the donkey down the slope of Mount of Olives. Coming down, He momentarily paused and prophesied the coming destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple (Luke 19:41-44). Today, on that side of Mount Olives, is the Church of Dominus Flevit (God Wept) to commemorate that solemn event when Jesus wept for the tragic fate of Jerusalem and its stubborn people. Jesus moved into Jerusalem amidst the jubilant shouts of people who lined the road with their cloaks and waved palm branches, giving Him a welcome worthy of royalty. Luke 2 shows the striking similarity of the message - 'glory in the highest' - to the angelic announcement at the birth of Christ, the King of Kings. To enter the city of Jerusalem from Bethany, Jesus would have passed by the Kidron valley which is located between Mount Olives and the Temple Mount. Within the grounds of the temple, Jesus confronted the money changers and rebuked them for converting the house of His Father "from a house of prayer into a den of thieves" (Luke 19:46). Christian authors situate this event on the Monday of the Passion week. JESUS PREPARES FOR THE PASSOVER (Matt.26:17; Luke 22:7-13) When the day of the feast of the Unleavened Bread arrived, the day for sacrificing the Passover lamb, Jesus sent his disciples to make the preparations. As instructed, they followed a man carrying a jar of water and entering the specified house, they said to the master of the house: "The teacher says to you 'where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' Jesus had told them that this man will show you a large upper room that is furnished. Make the preparations there." The disciples found everything as described by Jesus. The Coenaculum, the Upper Room, which tradition honors as the place where the Last Supper took place, was also the scene of the institution of the Eucharist. The Upper Room is also where the descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost was experienced by the disciples, behind closed doors.The Ceonaculum is located in the upper floor of a building on Mount Zion and in the lower room of that edifice is the Tomb of David. It was no accident that the Passover meal was held in the Upper Room of a building that housed the Tomb of David. After all, Jesus was descended from the royal line of David, and that connection appeared to be reinforced by the selection of the venue for the Last Supper. THE LAST SUPPER To us Catholics, the reality that the Last Supper was a Passover meal makes perfect sense, as Jesus is the Perfect Lamb, the perfect offering. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC1340) clearly states that "by celebrating the Last Supper with his apostles in the course of the Passover Meal, Jesus gave the Jewish Passover its definitive meaning. Jesus' passing over to his Father, by his death and resurrection, the new Passover is anticipated in the Supper and celebrated in the Eucharist, which fulfills the Jewish Passover and anticipates the final Passover of the Church in the glory of the Kingdom." Jesus, the Paschal Lamb, gives himself to us regularly in the Eucharist that he instituted for all to experience. In the Last Supper, in the Upper Room. Jesus gave his disciples powerful and timeless lessons in the course of the Passover meal. Before the meal itself, he washed the feet of the apostles to show servanthood as a vital element of spiritual leadership (John 13); he stressed the importance of their faith and prayers "... I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in my name, I will do it." (John 14:1214). In John 15, as they were preparing to go to Gethsemane, Jesus gave them the Vine and the Branches discourse. In John 16, Jesus spoke about the coming of the Holy Spirit and the joy of the Resurrection. GETHSEMANE Shortly after the Passover meal, Jesus and the apostles proceeded to the Mount of Olives, specifically to Gethsemane (Hebrew for "olive press") where Jesus experienced agony: "Abba Father, all things are possible to you, remove this cup from me; yet not what I will, but what you will." (Mk. 14:35-36) Jesus, who took Peter, John and James, to accompany him, felt disappointed when he saw his three favored disciples soundly asleep at a time when he felt very lonely with the agony of solitude and anguish over the inevitable pain of sacrifice. The Church of the Agony, standing at the foot of the Mount of Olives, was built on the traditional site of the Garden of Gethsemane, over the rock where Jesus is believed to have prayed for the last time before being turned over to the Romans. (Mk. 14:32-35) The betrayal happened in the Garden of Gethsemane. Without resistance, Jesus went quietly with his captors. The disciples escaped, Peter followed at a distance, and so did John. Only the olive trees were mute witnesses to the event. Incidentally, there stand today five ancient olive trees that have survived two millenia and are protected by the Franciscan friars in a walled enclosure in Gethsemane. It is quite possible that those olive trees stood as silent witnesses to the betrayal and capture of Jesus. It was from such a tree that the crown of thorns was made. What transpired next were quick successions of events, and mock trials before the religious leaders in the dead of the night, clearly pointing to premeditation in their actions. The religious laws prohibited trial by night and more so prosecution and condemnation without presentation of witnesses to the defense of the accused. It was a classic case of railroading, repeated violation of the rights and dignity of Jesus, and mob rule. The Church of St.Peter's in Gallicantu (cock-crow) was built on the very same site where the trial of Jesus was held and where Peter denied Jesus three times in consonance with the crowing of the cock (Luke 22:60-61). The stone steps leading to the Church are original and date back to the time of Jesus and are traditionally held as the very steps he trod as he was brought before Caiaphas. Under the church is a cave thought to be where Jesus was detained for the night following his arrest. A church along the Via Dolorosa (Way of the Cross) marks the place of the Scourging of Jesus. A severely wounded, exhausted and bleeding Jesus painfully carried the heavy wooden cross by way of the Via Dolorosa to Golgotha, where he was crucified between two thieves. CRUCIFIXION - CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHER Golgotha today is within the confines of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The body of the dead Jesus was taken down from the cross before sundown of Good Friday and hastily washed and cleaned before burial. The stone slab upon which the body of Jesus was laid before burial is in the church and can be touched by prayerful pilgrims. The tomb that Joseph of Arimathea used for Jesus also lies within the complex of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. THE EMPTY TOMB The Apostles' Creed proclaims that on the third day Jesus rose from the dead and indeed in the tomb only the burial cloths were left behind. The gloom of Good Friday gave way to the glory of the Resurrection. The empty tomb bears witness to the victory of Jesus over death and sin and there lies the hope and faith of every Christian. Jesus is called the First Fruits of the Resurrection because his rising from the dead occurred on the Jewish feast of the First Fruits which falls three days after the Passover. ASCENSION After the Resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples on several occasions. He appeared to Mary Magdalene and then to the other women, to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, to Peter and the other disciples, to Thomas, to the disciples by the Sea of Galilee, and to more than 500 others. Forty days after the Resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven (Acts 1:3-12)...'you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up and a cloud took him from their sight. This momentous event happened on the top of Mount of Olives where today the ruins of a church marking one of the sites most holy to the Christians still stand (Church of the Ascension).

Love and Freedom in the Least Likely Place

VALENTINES Day (February 14) is traditionally a celebration of love with that special someone in your life. In many countries including the Philippines, this day is associated, not with the martyr it was named after (of which history knows so little about), but with naughty Cupid, red roses, chocolates, paper or on-line greeting cards, and a special date with the one you love. And so, I was surprised and quite amused when, in January last year, Kuya Freddie Mercado approached me during the MCG Teaching night to ask, Brother Melo, would you like to spend Valentines Day in prison? Before I could jokingly answer, Kuya, I do not have plans to strangle my Valentines date, I realized he was serious with his mission invitation. He wanted to know if I was willing to give a Valentine talk to 100 inmates, who had just recently graduated from the CFC Isaiah 61:1 Ministry CLP. The message was about Mahal ka ng Diyos! (God loves you!), to be proclaimed to Manila City Jail inmates, most of them shunned by relatives and languishing in pit-bottom despair, souls wracked by either guilt or innocent grief, bodies lacking in nutrition, their tomorrows at the mercy of a very slow-grinding justice system and overworked volunteer lawyers. I told myself, Gods love never fails, and anyone who proclaims Gods faithful love to others who are in deep despair, He will surely protect. Thus, on February 14, the day of hearts last year, I and my son Dave, with my CFC household brother Jomari, and full-time missionary Doods, made our way towards Manila Central Market, next-door neighbor to the City Jail. We brought with us a simple treat for the inmates --the ever-reliable CLP snack combination of bakery-fresh Spanish bread and Eight O Clock Orange drink. We turned into one of the constricted alleys that lead to this three-hectare, 19th century-built urban jail that used to house prisoners of war during the World War II Japanese Occupation of Manila. Today, Manila City Jail (also known as Old Bilibid Prison) is temporary shelter to 4000 to 5000 inmates living among a sprinkling of courageous, combat-ready, yet very caring prison guards, led by our very own Inspector Hector. Hector is the super efficient and well-loved Jail Warden/Officer at the Manila City Jail. He also happens to be Bro or Kuya Hector to those he serves with in his CFC mission as Chapter Head, South B Sector. Upon entering the Old Bilibid main gate, I was immediately struck by the orderly chaos of the place: Sputnik gang members were fenced in to the left of the gate, Batang City Jail had their territory at the right, BCJ and Commando gangs further in, with non-aligned inmates adjacent to Sputnik. I remember asking Inspector Hector, Kuya, how do you keep 5000 inmates and historically-warring gangs from rioting and overrunning your very lean staff of guards? I remember the gist of Kuya Hectors response. He said, All the problems of the outside world are manifested here poverty, broken families, a challenged justice system, health issues, potential violence. We need all the help you can give. But one thing for sure: Gods hope and love are more powerful than all these combined! The partnership of Inspector Hector and volunteers like Kuya Freddie Mercado, Kuya Tom Prado and the rest of the CFC Isaiah Team bring the power of the greatest hope and love in the world to this place, like a refreshing and cleansing shower of the Spirit upon hardened ground, enabling lives to fight for life and hope again. Imagine green weeds and wild flowers breaking through cracks of now-softened soil, to once more grow, and grow freely! Inmates are being invited to the Christian Life Program and to Couples for Christ by people they do not even know, but care so much for them, and believe that from despondence, they can rise again. Many are responding. Hardened criminals as most of society see and brand them, are reclaiming their true identity -- that they can be heartened children of God! We arrived in the meeting hall in time for the opening worship -- 100 inmates rapt in prayer and song, their passionate worship giving new meaning to their standard-color orange uniforms, as if they were saying, Lord, orange sets us apart from the rest of the outside world as we are prisoners, but what really sets us apart, is that we are prisoners ON-FIRE for you, blazing in bright orange! When they sang their favorite worship song, I was baffled why their preferred choice was You Shall be Clothed with Power, until I heard them shout out the last verse of the song which goes, AND THE CAPTIVES SHALL BE FREE! jumping high in the air, pumping fists! I thought this song was their supplication, for the Lord to set them free from incarceration. I realized later on as they recited their vocal prayers, that the song they just sang, was their song, not of supplication but of thanksgiving, Lord, thank you for the freedom we already have the freedom to love and pray, the freedom to embrace you and be embraced by you! Our bodies might still be in prison, but our hearts, they are free, and they are yours! Thank you, Lord, that despite our iniquities, you have never given up on your love for us. Thank you, Lord, for being my true Valentine! All these happened last year. Last week, Tuesday, February 14, 2012, was Day of Hearts once again. Nini was dressed up for our Valentines date. Dave was all ready too. Even my cousin Kuya Roger, who just graduated from the CLP, was joining our celebration of love. Bilibid or not, off we went to Manila City Jail. Inspector Hector Elizares was waiting. Kuya Freddie and Raymund Bucu, and the Isaiah gang were there too. So were 100 inmates in orange, burning brightly for the Lord, professing their love for Him in the midst of their deepest trials, with broken spirits as their most worthy offering. Out of 100 CFC inmates last year, only 4 were still there. The rest were fresh CLP graduates. Here, in this least likely place, with our least likely brothers in Couples for Christ, we have found true love and freedom!

ANCOP kicks off work with the poor in Northeastern Luzon

By Evelyn Ylagan
CFC ANCOP launched its programs for the poor during the Northeastern Luzon Congress at the NIA Conference Hall in Cauayan, Isabela last January 22. The audience consisted of a select group of regional and provincial leaders and ANCOP core teams from six (6) provinces consisting of Isabela, Cagayan, Quirino, Kalinga, Ifugao and Nueva Vizcaya. The ANCOP team was headed by ANCOP President Eric de los Reyes with his wife Carina, Rizal Ting, Rudy Lubis, Efren Tompong and Mark Tagalag. The congress gave a big boost to the roll-out of all ANCOPs programs as they were presented comprehensively and interactively. The congress attendees actively participated by giving their opinions/concerns and raising clarificatory questions during the open forum. In the morning, the details of the Child Sponsorship

ANCOP President Eric de los Reyes (second from right) accepts a check from NE Luzon regional head Eric Ylagan as Elmer Cadiz (extreme left) and Rudy Lubis look on.

Program, ANCOPs flagship project, were thoroughly discussed by Efren Tompong who also explained the requirements and rules/guidelines under the program. Eric Ylagan, Northeastern Luzon Regional Head, stressed the importance of the ANCOP programs as a way to proclaim the greatness of God among

the poor. Rizal Ting defined the goals/ objectives and expectations from the congress. Eric de los Reyes talked about ANCOP directions, programs and updates on the CSP, community development (shelter), health and livelihood. On livelihood, he presented the interconnectivity and linkages of the different provinces with and

through the CFC Covenanted Enterprise (CACE). Elmer Cadiz and Rudy Lubis spoke of their involvement with ANCOP livelihood through the trading of grains between Isabela Norde (NORDE) Grains Trading Company and Batangas. The congress was highlighted by the signing between NORDE (represented by Elmer Cadiz) as CACE livelihood enterprise with ANCOP (represented by Eric de los Reyes). In compliance with the CACE agreement, a check for P6,000.00 was issued to CFC ANCOP representing NORDEs ten (10) percent contribution from its operating profit. Another check for the same amount was given to Couples for Christ as 10% tithe contribution from the company. The participants were instructed to conduct their provincial team planning on the implementation of ANCOP programs in their respective areas this year. Eric Ylagan delivered the prayer for empowerment to all the participants, a fitting ending to the short but fruitful ANCOP congress.

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 5
February 27 - March 11, 2012

Ugnayan

C3

By Jun Uriarte

In the beginning was the Word (John 1:1)

THE Gospel of John opens with a majestic poem, a hymn that serves as a prologue, an introduction and a summary of the entire theology of the Gospel: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race;the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him. And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Fathers only Son, full of grace and truth. (Jn 1:1-5, 10-11, 14) The Gospel of John is the most different among the four gospels. The Gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke are called the Synoptic Gospels because they present more or less similar points of view. The peculiarities of the Gospel of John include: the setting of Jesus public ministry is mostly in Jerusalem rather than in Galilee; the motif of the Kingdom of God prevalent in the Synoptics is mentioned only twice; the parables of the Synoptics are replaced by long discourses and dialogues; the period of Jesus public ministry in John covers three years compared to one year in the Synoptic Gospels; and in John, Jesus speaks explicitly of his divinity and his pre-existence. The first verses of Johns prologue recall the Genesis account of creation, which start with the same three words, In the beginning. At the moment of creation, the Word already existed. Through the Word all things were created. The prologue describes what Fr. Raymond Brown calls the great cycle the Son descends from heaven to our level, and ascends back to heaven bringing us up with him to the divine level. The prologue describes the Son in heaven and the descent. The rest of the Gospel describes the Son walking among us and the final ascent to the Father. The great ancient philosopher, Aristotle, stated that there are three things that can convince men: the ethos, meaning the personal character of the speaker; the pathos, referring to persuasion from within; and the logos, meaning the proof. To the mind of the ancient Greek, the logos is the ultimate proof or the final word. In his gospel, John did not write, In the beginning was the ethos or In the beginning was the pathos. Instead he used the word logos and stated that the Logos became flesh, meaning that the ultimate Word became flesh. John reveals the identity of the Word in his Gospel and in Revelation: He wore a cloak that had been dipped in blood, and his name was called the Word of God He has a name written on his cloak and on his thigh, King of kings and Lord of Lords. (Rev 19:13, 16) Our house in Quezon City has a spacious front lawn where we often play with our grandchildren. Near the front gate there are always a large number of small, harmless, black ants that scurry back and forth, unmindful of our presence. Sometimes we would point to some ants and tell our four-year old grandson, Look, there is a baby ant! He is looking for his mommy ant. There is the mommy ant. And there is the daddy ant. They are running towards the baby ant. The baby ant is now happy. And our grandson will repeat the same words and observe the ants as they continue to move around completely unmindful of our presence. While reflecting on the words of John and recalling the black ants moving around in our front lawn, this thought occurred to me: Given the capacity of the ants, they have no way of knowing or understanding something as complex as a human being, even if he is just a small child playing with them like our grandson. But suppose I have the power to become an ant and still bring with me as much of the reality of a human being as would be possible. Would I be able to impart to the other ants the mystery of the human person? Would it be possible for ants to understand the human in ways that they could never have known before? I do not know. The chasm that separates ants from human beings is so huge that even if I were to become an ant, it would perhaps be impossible for me to convey the concept of being human. But the chasm that separates God from man is even much bigger. In fact, it is infinite. And so God had to become man in order to bridge this infinite gap, in order for man to understand even just a small part of this great mystery, so that man will have even just a simple appreciation of the majesty of the Divine. The hymn of John describes in elegant poetry how God chose to cross this infinite chasm to take on human flesh to give us a chance to glimpse deeper into the mystery of God, not through our own power, but because of the gift of Christ. But the Incarnation remains and will continue to remain a great mystery that can be understood only through faith. For this reason, Albert Schweitzer wrote in The Quest of the Historical Jesus the following: The Jesus of Nazareth who came forward publicly as the Messiah, who preached the ethic of the Kingdom of God, who founded the Kingdom of Heaven upon earth, and died to give his work its final consecration, never had any existence. He is a figure designed by rationalism, endowed with life by liberalism, and clothed by modern theology in an historical garb. Schweitzer could not understand because he did not have faith. When we were living in Bangkok, our apartment building was located beside Chao Phraya River. The condominium complex had a large swimming pool and well-tended garden located on the third floor interconnecting the four condominium towers. During weekends, I would normally read the Bible in the garden and then watch the colorful sunset with the fading rays reflected on the surface of the river. It was beautiful! And the thought that always entered my mind was: How could anyone marvel at the beauty of a sunset and not have faith in a divine Creator? How could anyone wonder at the beauty of creation and not believe in God? A story is told of a young priest who was called to comfort a long suffering, old and dying widow. He tried to do his best to convey his care. But his knowledge of grief was abstract and academic. He had not experienced the kind of grief that the old widow was going through. Then another old woman about the same age as the dying widow came into the room. She approached the grieving and dying widow, embraced her tightly and said, I understand, my dear, I understand. We can only understand the mystery of the Incarnation when we personally experience Jesus, the Word made flesh. Our faith is based not so much on scholarly study of the writings on Christianity but on a personal experience of a living God, who became human like us, who had all the strengths and weaknesses of human beings, except sin. This is unique to Christianity. Even in Greek mythology, the gods do not actually become real human beings but only pretend to be human beings. But our faith is based fundamentally on a God who has chosen to share the human condition with us. To know the Word requires personally experiencing the Word. There is no other way.

By Lance Fernandez
HUNDREDS of leaders of Couples for Christ and its family ministries gathered at the Christ the King Parish, Green Meadows, Pasig last February 21, 2012 to hear Bishop Broderick Pabillo, D.D., Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Manila, speak of the Churchs Verbum Domini. The teaching began with a presentation by the host sector, Central A and a powerful worship led by Voltz Lizardo, KFC Coordinator for CFC-Central A. The Verbum Domini is the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Benedict XVI. Since the time of Pope Paul VI, synods are conducted every four years among selected bishops from around the world to discuss a certain topic. Synods are conducted to consult bishops on improvements for the Catholic Church and to deepen the collegiality among the religious. Synods are also considered as official teaching of the Church and are passed on to the laity. The synod on the Verbum Domini was attended by 253 bishopdelegates from around the world. Out of this number, Europe had the biggest delegation with 90 followed by the Americas with 62. The African continent had 51 delegates while Asia and Oceania had 41 and nine delegates

A Teaching on the Verbum Domini

respectively. Aside from Bishop Pabillo, the other delegates from the Philippines were Bishop Arturo Vasquez from the Diocese of Sorsogon, former Diocese of Imus Bishop and current Archdiocese of Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle, Archdiocese of San Fernando Auxillary Bishop Pablo David, D.D and Archdiocese of Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Quevedo, OMI, D.D. The synod on the Verbum Domini aims to renew the Church's faith in the Word of God and is divided into three parts: the Verbum Dei, the Verbum in Ecclesia and the Verbum Mundo. The Verbum Dei can be found on paragraphs 6-49 of the Verbum Domini and it focuses on our God who revealed Himself through word and how we must accept Him. Meanwhile, the Verbum in Ecclesia is contained in paragraphs 50-89 and speaks about the Word of God in the Catholic Church. Lastly, the Verbum Mundo is on paragraphs 90-124 and features the mission of Catholics to proclaim God's Word. The Verbum Domini starts with the affirmation of John 1:1 which states that "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." In this proclamation, the Verbum Dei solidifies the stature of God as the Eternal Word which model of Catholic faith because in Him, the creator and the creature became one. These encounters urge Catholics to be more like Him but believers will not be able to comprehend His message if not for the Holy Spirit. Bishop Pabillo emphasized that it is also the Holy Spirit which enables Catholics to produce tangible representations of faith. Thus, St. Jerome specified in Verbum Domini 16 that the Holy Bible was written by individuals who were inspired by the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, the living tradition of the Church makes us understand Sacred scripture as the Word of God but contemplation deepens this understanding. The teaching also tackled the silence of God that Jesus experienced during His prayer at the Garden of Gethsemane. God's silence is an important expression of the Word of God and the proper response to it is a stronger faith in both a personal and ecclesial way. In strengthening this faith, the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary is sought after for she attentively listened to the Word despite its silence. It is through this silence that the Word finds a home in each believer. Through strong faith, God's Word is given a written form through the Holy Bible and its traditional form through the sacraments. However, the interpretation of the written word is incomplete without taking inspiration from the saints, prophets and martyrs who lived out the Word. If not, all evil can be derived by not knowing clearly the truths of Sacred Scripture. As missionaries for Christ, it is important to diligently seek the Holy Spirit in the Holy Eucharist and constantly hear the Word of God to pass on spiritual nourishment to others. Should there be struggles in the personal or family life of the missionary, he must find inspiration and resolution through the Word of God. The Word of God also emphasizes the need to engage the world due to our responsibility to share Christ. Thus, Catholics must respond by passionately proclaiming His Word especially to the less-fortunate ones. Bishop Pabillo pointed out that the poor are also entitled to the proclamation of the Gospel and that the Church cannot let the poor down when it comes to evangelization. It is through this missionary outreach that the Catholic Church becomes a mature ecclesial community. Bishop Pabillo ended the teaching by sharing Pope Benedict XVI's wish that Catholics become more familiar with Holy Scripture and use it as guiding principles in their daily life. This way, evangelization becomes an effective tool in building a Christcentered society.

is the source of guidance and inspiration for Catholics. The Verbum Domini also clarified that the Word of God is greater than the concept of the Holy Bible. Rather, the Word can be divided into seven facets. The first element of the Word of God is the Logos or the Word as stated in John 1:1 and Verbum Domini 1. The second is the voice of creation wherein the early believers knew and felt God even though they could not read or write. The third is the word of men and women such as the prophets, apostles and saints throughout salvation history. According to Bishop Pabillo, the fourth meaning of the Word of God is Jesus Christ which is the Incarnate Word. The fifth meaning pertains to the living

tradition of the Church while the sixth nature of the Word of God refers to the Holy Bible which is the written word. The seventh nature of the Word of God is the conscience of the believer. Throughout the teaching, Bishop Pabillo pointed out key parts of the Verbum Domini. On Verbum Domini 7, he mentioned that the Catholic religion is not limited to the Holy Bible but includes all facets of the Word of God. He added that these manifestations of God's Word exist because they are all part of God's plan to advance His cause on Earth. Bishop Pabillo also mentioned that Christianity is not acquired by performing certain beliefs but through the encounter with Jesus which is the center of the cosmos and of history. Jesus should be the

CFC Participates in Pregnancy Support Services of Asia (PSSA) 1st Regional Conference and Training
By Allison Gozun and Tina Santiago-Rodriguez
SOME 130 participants gathered at St. Michaels Retreat Centre in Antipolo City on February 3 to 5, 2012, to attend the Heart to Serve - 1st Regional Conference and Training organized by Pregnancy Support Services of Asia (PSSA), in partnership with the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Health Care; and in cooperation with Heartbeat International, the Commission on Family and Life of the Archdiocese of Manila, Serve Life Philippines and Couples for Christ (CFC). CFC leaders Mon Santiago, CFC South Asia Regional Head, and CFC Church Integration Office (CIO) Coordinator Clarke Nebrao were part of the organizing committee. CFC volunteers, mainly from the CFC Gift of Life Ministry headed by ministry core team members Aldy and Joy Katigbak and Charly Laiz were also tapped to serve in the secretariat, music ministry, logistics, liturgical and program committees. The conference was aimed at increasing awareness about the urgent need for pregnancy help centers (PHC) and the resources that PSSA can offer to expectant mothers in crisis. With its theme, Heart to Serve, the weekends focus was on equipping volunteers to love and serve the mothers and their unborn babies, and those who had undergone or been involved in abortions, through Christ-centered counseling. Participants included volunteers and members from the Family and Life Commissions/Committees of different parishes, vicariates and dioceses in Metro Manila and the nearby provinces (specifically: Batangas, Albay/Legaspi, Daet, Sorsogon, Cabanatuan, San Jose, Antipolo, Pasig, Pasay, Makati, Mandaluyong). Also present were representatives from various organizations and groups involved in the pro-life (or, as PSSA terms it, life-affirming) work. These included Serve Life Philippines, Buhay Party List, Tahanan ng Pagmamahal Orphanage, the Grace To Be Born pregnancy crisis center and Central Luzon University. On Friday evening, Fr. Joel O. Jason, STL (Commissioner of the Commission on Family and Life of the Archdiocese of Manila) provided participants with insights on the value of human life, and Gods divine plan in its creation, with reference to Blessed John Paul IIs encyclical, Evangelium Vitae. Saturday morning began with the keynote address from Mr. Jor-El Godsey, Vice President for Affiliates of Heartbeat International. He stated that abortion is a gospel issue, and that pregnancy health centers have opportunities for intervention and prevention for women who are considering abortion, or reconciliation for those who have already suffered one. Participants were then educated about pregnancy, from physiological events to emotional and practical concerns, including ways of approaching specific situations. The LOVE Approach in counseling was discussed in detail by PSSA board members Ms. Lucita Tagle and Mrs. Naomi David. The Celebration of the Holy Eucharist prior to lunch on Saturday, led by Most Rev. Rolando Octavus Joven Tria Tirona, OCD, D.D., Chairman of the Office of Laity and Family of the Federation of Asian Bishops Conference (FABC), helped affirm the participants about the importance of including the Lord in the work that He has called them to do. The sessions on Saturday afternoon included training on how to deal with positive test and negative test clients, given by Mrs. Naomi David and Ms. Carol Angeline Perez, respectively. Ms. Perez also talked about the importance of introducing sexual integrity programs to clients and potential clients, especially young people at risk of getting pregnant outside of marriage. PSSA board member Dr. Orpah Marasigan, DVM, meanwhile, talked extensively about how to deal with clients with post abortion syndrome (PAS). The rector of the Pontifical Filipino College, Fr. Greg Gaston, also graced the event to give some encouraging remarks to those gathered. On the last day of the conference, Mrs.

Lily Perez, the founder and president of PSSA, giave the session on HEART i.e. Healing the Effects of Abortion Related Trauma. PSSA board members, Serve Life leaders and Doctors for Life members Dr. Nestor and Therese Lumicao, then gave participants step-bystep guidelines on how to set up a PHC. Dr. Marites Echavez shared how she was converted to the life-affirming work. From inserting IUDs into mothers, she and her team have now taken on the work of removing IUDs and helping mothers and families in need through the Little Bethlehem Birthing Center. Mr. Jor-El Godsey gave the participants important pointers and reminders on how to start the work for pregnant women in crisis. He emphasized that the most crucial things needed were prayer, people and practical support. Most Rev. Patrico Abella Buzon,

SDB, D.D., Chairman of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Health Care, led the Sunday Eucharistic Celebration, which fittingly coincided with Pro-Life Sunday. Bishop Buzon applauded those gathered for their commitment to the work for life, and encouraged all to move forward in faith in the fight against the culture of death, especially against the RH Bill. He particularly commended CFC for its mission to promote the Lords work. Before the conference ended, participants were given time to make and present their initial action plans, as part of the conference output. For more information about Heartbeat - Pregnancy Support Services of Asia (Heartbeat - PSSA), please log on to www.heartbeatasia.com.

C4
By Bernie Cuevas
BY the second day of CFCs MindanaONE: United in Love and Hope, we fully grasped THE GREATNESS of Gods plan for the massive work to bring the CFC fullness of life in Christ through our partnership with public schools. MindanaONE: United in Love and Hope is the first CFC ANCOP Comprehensive school-based response for Sendong Victims. It was launched in Balulang Elementary School in Lower Balulang, Cagayan de Oro City on February 25, 2012, which fittingly coincided with the EDSA 1 anniversary. The CFC family in CDO came together to make the MindanaONE Project a reality with the help of ANCOP and the Cornerstone Team from Manila led by Ruel Aguirre of the Evangelization and Missions Office (EMO), Bernie Cuevas, Cornerstone Coordinator, and Rizal Ting, ANCOP COO. The Balulang community was hard hit by ceiling high raging flood waters that destroyed homes. The flood waters also damaged the elementary school walls, the classrooms and everything in it including chairs, tables, books, school supplies and computers . Of the 1,800 student population, 8 children are still missing and only one body was recovered. The calamity left a fearful group of families feeling uncertain about the future. The preparation for the launch of MindanaONE received an exciting boost when no less than Apl.de.ap of the Black Eyed Peas made an appearance in Balulang Elementary School last February 24 as his own group also broke ground for the construction of a new 2-story school building in the same school. He shares with us a common passion in the belief that education is the key out of poverty. Upon the request of Michael Shok Ariola, SFC Head, he gamely enjoined all Singles for Christ to give back to the community especially in rebuilding the school. The activity started with the praying of the rosary. The volunteers were then divided into various working groups. Some were involved in clean up, the others in perimeter fence repair, plastering, demolition, gardening and training for Cornerstone facilitators for Kids and High School Values Formation, Reading Tutorials and Parenting Formation. One of the biggest group of volunteers came from Handmaids of the Lord members who came in Ang Ganda MO shirts and immediately took charge of the gardening and attended the various facilitators trainings. The SFC, YFC and KFC were well represented. Couples for Christ leaders in CDO led by Jun Waga and Jinggoy Acebu spearheaded all the activities, preparations and coordination with school principal Mrs. Anita Gomez who was also a CFC member and Barangay Captain Alfredo Carcosa who helped set up the stage for the program. All together, about 600 volunteers came to join in the activity. Some came from Iligan and even from the Middle East. We were all amazed to see the Balulang community members, both Christian and Moslem, also participating in the rehabilitation of their own school. The older children helped to clear up the debris by using the debris to fill up the low areas that accumulated water every time it rained. The parents were also seen sweeping the grounds. At the end of the day, after all the demolition, plastering, gardening and other activities, the school ground was so clean and neat. The first day ended with a beautiful healing concert by the Joshua Band led by Mike Serapio whose group drove all the way from Davao to give their all and glorify the Lord and His healing power during the concert. The principal shared during the concert about the devastation in Balulang and how the Lord has been their source of strength and hope. She ended by saying that with Couples for Christ behind the school, she felt that she was nakasandal sa pader (standing on firm ground). Sunday morning was devoted to the

CBCP Monitor

February 27 - March 11, 2012

Vol. 16 No. 5

MindanaONE : United in Love and Hope

CFC ANCOP Meets Batangas Governor

RepResentatives from CFC- anCOp tekton Foundation, inc. and anCOp Usa met last January 29 with Batangas Governor vilma santos to discuss anCOp initiatives in the province. the discussion centered on the immediate plans to conduct a medical and dental mission for the poorest of the poor in Batangas; the construction of an anCOp Csp (Child scholarship program) education center in Lipa City on the site which the governor earlier donated for the building of anCOp homes; and the establishment of a sister city agreement between Lipa City and a Us city.

Family Fair. The day started with a mass followed by the various social services for the school children and their families. CFC partnered with the Philippine Dental Association for the dental mission. The CFC doctors and nurses did their part in doing medical consultations. Massage therapists trained through ANCOP Livelihood also made their services available. But what was most exciting for the children, more than 600 of them, was the viewing of a childrens movie highlighting teamwork and obedience. The movie was followed by a teaching on values from the film. What really excited the children was the culminating activity a Jollibee party complete with food, fun games, dancing and the arrival of the Jollibee mascot. The two-day activity was seen on cfcevents.co.cc through live streaming and real time reporting in CFC social media accounts. The team received some on line donations right on the spot for the ongoing rehabilitation program. The MindanaONE is a blessing of the Lord that allowed all CFC and the various family ministries in CDO to come together in love and commitment to help those in need and to extend the love of God to the victims of Typhoon Sendong. It was also a wonderful ex-

perience for our bigger community to fellowship and bond with each other while sharing the joy of serving and seeing CFC and all its Ministries working together as one. We see MindanaONE as a model for CFC for a school based community building, right in line with our massive mission to build the church of the home and the church of the poor. The launch is just the beginning of our long term commitment to the school through the CFC ANCOP Cornerstone and Scholarships Program. The school principal of the High School has in fact appealed to CFC and ANCOP for help in the replacement of the computers for their Information Technology Unit. This can also become our entry for our e-learning thrust to bring the KHAN Academy modules as enhancement tutorial materials in science and math for High School students. CFC and ANCOP continue to accept donations for the victims of calamities. MindanaONe will also be launched in PNROA, another school in CDO which is the catchment school for the children in the tent city, and in Iligan on April 21. We also pray for an opportunity to reach out to the victims of the earthquake in Negros Oriental using the same model.

The Ministry of Servant Leadership

By Arnel Santos
THE second offering of the CFC Leadership Development Program (LDP) was a lecture by Rev. Fr. Maximo Gatela, O.P, on The Ministry of Servant Leadership: Learning from the Apostolic Paradigm. The session was held on February 9, 2012 at the Lay Formation Center, San Carlos Seminary, Guadalupe, Makati City. Reflecting on the Calling of the Apostles (Mt 10:1-4) and the Pentecost (Acts 2), Fr. Gatela emphasized that servant leaders must be trained to sharpen their eyes and look at God not just in the ontological and cosmological level but as God amongst us in relations. He explained that Christ molded the disciples to be a community. It is in this context that servant leadership must be understood. The servant leader must mature in the Lord in `relationality among the other members to be part of the body of Christ. Only then shall we understand what it means to love God and to love one another. As was experienced by the apostles, Fr. Gatela noted that the first thing that Jesus did was not to celebrate Mass, but to create a community of disciples. For without the community, without the apostles bonding together, there would have been no church, no instrument to perpetuate the presence of Christ. The whole Incarnation would have been practically forgotten. The building of the community was the first foundation, Fr. Gatela continued. It was only after forming the community that Jesus Christ started doing messianic works and in the process, miracles happened. Hence, while Jesus Christ trained the apostles to be sensitive to the lost sheep, to go proclaim Good News, cure the sick, raise the dead and cast out demons, these tasks were not the end purpose to which they were called. As they did the tasks, the apostles started bonding. They started to be brothers to one another and to understand what it is to be a relational being. If we want to form communities and leaders, we should start forming people to focus their eyes on relationships. It is in our relationships with one another that we start to tangibly feel the presence of God.

Life-saver Cans bring Clear Water

CFC ANCOP has partnered with Lifesaver USA for the supply of Lifesaver Jerrycans, water containers that can transform even muddy water into clean drinking water. These containers are used mainly in disaster response, in order to provide safe drinking water in areas where drinking water supply becomes scarce due to calamities. Dr. Joe Yamamoto, Chairman, CFC ANCOP Tekton Foundation Inc. and Roger Santos, ANCOP Global Marketing Head, jointly announced the partnership of ANCOP Global with Lifesaver, the world's first developer of portable nano-filtration technology. Providing a simple, reliable source of sterile drinking water, every Lifesaver Jerrycan that will be distributed could support a community of 100 people for up to 6 months. The ability of Jerrycans to provide potable water was proven when the containers were shipped, first to Mindanao after the

Fr. Max Gatela, (front, second from right), pose with LDP attendees and Program Head Joe Yamamoto (extreme right).

Fr. Gatela highlighted that by the time of the Pentecost, the apostles were already community and as such, were ready to receive the Holy Spirit. The challenge, thereafter, was to expand the very same community and bring it to the ends of the world. In the process, leaders came out, elected by Christ Himself, so that the communitythe body of Christ will continue to be the living presence of Christ in our world. Fr. Gatela concluded that a leader may be brilliant, but without relationality, he cannot lead. It is relational-

ity that sustains all the other gifts that God has given us. Prior to the lecture, CFC Executive Director Melo Villaroman, described the LDP as a priceless gift we in CFC should open fully and make full use of. A leaders workshop, facilitated by Roland Arrogante, was also conducted. The session was capped by a talk by CFC International Council member and LDP Head Joe Yamamoto on the Biblical Model of Leadership Multiplication, which was followed by the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass, celebrated by Fr. Gatela.

By Beth Comahig

CFC East A: On Fire!

CFC East A to the On Fire theme of CFC, which is, With Overflowing Passion. CFC East A will put our hearts into doing our share of evangelization work. It is not the magnitude of the work but how much love we put into the work, Campos said. George also exhorted the members to invite at least three couples or three individuals (for the Family Ministries) to the upcoming Christian Life Programs (CLPs). CFC Executive Director Melo Villaroman Jr., was the special guest during the rally. Melo spoke about being ON FIRE! his acronym for: One with Christ and One with the

devastating floods brought by typhoon Sendong and later to Negros Oriental after a strong earthquake damaged the water system. The flood and earthquake victims could not believe that muddy water could be converted into pure water which, as one astounded victim exclaimed, was tastier and cleaner than their usual water supply. Together with Couples for Christ International Council, ANCOP Global will become the prime mover for clean water in disaster areas anywhere in the Philippines in cooperation with Lifesaver.

AN estimated 300 members of CFC and its Family Ministries from the Metro Manila East A sector gathered at the Sienna College of Taytay Gym for the On Fire Sector Evangelization Rally, which began with a motorcade coming from the different areas covered by the four CFC clusters. Chito Cubacub, CFC East A Family Ministries Head, formally opened the afternoon activity with worship. George Campos, CFC East A Sector Head, then gave the welcome exhortation, emphasizing the response of

Catholic Church. New generation (of leaders) Fullness (in embracing not just personal relationship with the Lord, but the work with the poor) International (the global nature of CFC) Relevant life and formation. (our communitys pastoral formation and unique lifestyle) Effective governance and stewardship. (the need for leaders to practice Christian leadership, responsibility and accountability) The event ended with the Holy Eucharist, celebrated by Fr. Gino Santos.

By Lisa Santiago-Bobiles
THE annual CFC Brunei Leaders Conference, an echo of the CFC Leaders Conference that is usually held in the Philippines during the month of January, was held on February 5, 2012, at the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption (COLA) parish in Bandar Seri Begawan, attended by over a hundred CFC Brunei community leaders from all over Brunei. CFC Bruneis Spiritual Director, Bishop Cornelius Sim, anchoring on the communitys chosen theme from Luke 1:46,

CFC BRUNEI: ON FIRE!

highlighted that Marys Magnificat is a hymn of praise and thanksgiving to the Father and that this should be our communitys posture as well. He also reminded everyone present that in addition to coming together to support community events, we need to have a personal investment in our faith, i.e. to commit to a continuous deepening of our personal relationship with the Lord, the source of our life and strength as a person and as a community. After the opening worship, a creative presentation was performed by performers from the Family Ministries, patterned after the same presentation that was done during the CFC leaders conference in Manila. It highlighted how one single yes from Mary eventually led to the salvation of the whole human race through her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Through the talks, Hearts on Fire and Hands on Fire, the central message of Marys life being our model and her virtues of obedience, humility, gratitude and joy as the virtues we should all emulate, rang true and clear. The sharers echoed this central message, affirming that, as with many of us, our initial hesitation and struggle to serve were all just necessary gateways we all had to cross before we said our Yes to God. A short Recommitment Ceremony capped the talks. During the ceremony, everyone was given a small candle to light as a symbol of their recommitment to the Lord, to always keep His love burning in their hearts and lives. The final part of the program for the conference was the First Fruits collection, where everyone was encouraged to give generously as this collection would go to funding CFC Bruneis mission work as well as contribute to CFCs global mission.