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Pope criticizes dissent from church teachings

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With the resurrection of Jesus, light itself is created anew

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The Cross
A Supplement Publication of KCFAPI and the Order of the Knights of Columbus

Distribute to farmers lands obtained through coco levy fund, DAR told
THE Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) urged the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to sequester and distribute the lands of Filipino mogul Eduardo Danding Cojuangco, which he has obtained by the arbitrary use of the coco levy funds during Marcos time. In a statement, Pamalakaya national chairman Fernando Ka Pando Hicap said, President Benigno C. Aquino IIIs uncle had obtained a relatively huge chunks of land in
Farmers / A7

Easter brings hope amid suffering, says pope

By Pinky Barrientos, FSP

April 9 - 22, 2012

Vol. 16 No. 8

Php 20.00

Youth leaders to gather in Iloilo for church heritage conservation

THE Society of Ecclesiastical Archivists of the Philippines is set to gather over a hundred youth leaders throughout the country in Angat Kabataan 2012, a heritage pilgrimage, from May 1 to 5 in Iloilo City. Among the youth delegates are representatives from the 39 Roman Catholic churches, declared as National Cultural Treasures and as World Heritage Sites of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In his endorsement of the event, Bishop Julito Cortes, chair of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the PhilippinesPermanent Committee for the Cultural Heritage of the Church, expressed that the committee is cognizant of the gains the youth will obtain through the Angat Kabataan 2012. This relevant endeavor aims to make available general knowledge about heritage conservation and the importance of these heritage assets in forming future generations, Cortes wrote in a March 21 document. Through this event,
Heritage / A7

THE resurrection of Jesus brings renewed hope in the hearts of every Christian believer in the midst of suffering and trials, Pope Benedict XVI told millions of Catholic faithful on Easter Sunday.
In his Urbi et Orbi message on Easter Sunday, Pope Benedict urged Catholics to put their trust and hope in the Risen Jesus amidst situations of human suffering and injustice in the world. The pontiff said every Christian believer relives the experience of Mary Magdalene whose life-changing encounter with Jesus transformed a seemingly hopeless situation into a life of goodness and freedom from evil. Mary Magdalenes encounter with Christ has completely changed her life and restored her dignity as a human being, the pope said. He said the very reason why Mary Magdalene calls Jesus my hope was because he was the one who allowed her to be reborn, who gave her a new future, a life of goodness and freedom from evil. It involves an encounter which changes our lives: the encounter with a unique Man who lets us experience all Gods goodness and truth, who frees us from evil not in a superficial and fleeting way, but sets us free radically, heals us completely and restores our dignity, the Holy Father said. Christ my hope means that all my yearnings for goodness find in him a real possibility of fulfillment: with him I can hope for a life that is good, full and eternal, for God himself has drawn near
Easter / A6

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle blesses the faithful as he presides the Easter Vigil Mass at the Archdiocese of Manilas temporary homeSan Fernando de Dilao Parish Church in Paco, 7 April 2012.

Church, local govt join National Summit on Good Governance

CLERGY and lay leaders met with Police and Government officials in a national summit that aimed to help the country move away from a culture of corruption towards good governance. At least 93 priests and lay leaders from 37 dioceses in the country, together with four Church bishops, joined with representatives from the Philippine National Police and the Department of Local Governments to launch a network that would bring closer together the Church and the barangays in a National Summit on Good Governance. The convenersDilaab Movement, Gising Barangay Movement, Kabayanihan, and UBAS (Ugnayan ng Barangay at mga Simbahan)expressed hope that the summit will help heal
Photo courtesy of Fr. Melo Diola

Catholic lawyer decries IPPF statement pushing for youths sexual rights
THE worlds largest abortion provider would rather ignore laws that protect parental rights if these hampered the youths access to sexual and reproductive rights. The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) said in an official statement that laws that restrict young peoples access to sexual and reproductive health services, including parental or spousal consent laws must be either struck down or kept from being implemented, based on a Friday Fax report from the Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute (C-FAM). Reacting on the report, Catholic lawyer Romulo Macalintal said the IPPFs statement is unconstitutional as it is the primary right of parents to nurture their children especially in the development of their character. Clearly, under our Constitution, it is the primary right and duty of the parents to rear our youth especially in the development of their moral character. This is in total opposition to the aforesaid position of the IPPF, he said. Macalintal, who specializes in election and political laws, explained that the 1987 Philippine Constitution is very specific on this issue and cited Section 12, Article II: The State recognizes the sanctity of family life and shall protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution. It shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception. The natural and primary right and duty of parents in the rearing of the youth for civic and efficiency and the development of moral character shall receive the support of the government. Any law similar to that suggested by the IPPF shall be struck down for being unconstitutional or in violation of the said provision of our constitution. The use of the adjective primary to describe the degree of right and duty of the parents emphasizes and stresses the directive of our Constitution for our parents to look after the development of the moral values of our youth, he pointed out. The lawyer found the IPPF statement shocking and deplorable, but said that coming from an organization aimed at promoting sexual and reproductive health it is no
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Organizers pray over delegates who presented their plans for engaging in good governance.

the peoples brokenness and restore unity as a nation. Held at the Layforce Center of San Carlos Seminary in Makati City from March 14 to 16, the na-

tional assembly was a first of its kind in bringing together various stakeholders at the top and leaders at the grassroots level
Summit / A6

Ecumenical group urges parents to teach kids to be caring this Easter

ITS more than Easter Egg hunting and parties, Easter is the actualization of the preaching of the Lord Jesus, Love thy neighbor as you love thyself; and loving God, with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. Parents should begin teaching their kids about the significance of Easter, and that is becoming more caring, more loving, to their neighbors. This was the statement of ecumenical group, The Working Faith Movement (WFM), as Christendom celebrates Easter, or the glorious resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The WFM is small group of Christian men and women, from different denominations, aiming to make the society better by being light-bearers to others. It is quite saddening that we see Easter as a time to party, to dress our kids in bunny costumes, and helping them to find painted eggs and get prices like money or candies. Its not bad to have some fun after the season of Lent but is it a lot better to teach our children, even ourselves, to embrace fully the message of Easter, and that is: we are all bound to heaven, and to be able to get there, we need to have faith, a working faith, a faith that works, the WFM said. The WFM also furthers that, We also must remember that during the earthly ministry of our Lord, He wanted our children to come to Him so that he could bless them (Cf. Matthew 14:9). Unless we let our children to approach Him, with reverence and love and affection, it is like we are putting an unseen stumbling block on their way to embrace their Savior and to partake the fullness of life that he had promised (Cf. Mt. 18:6, Jn. 10:10). We call that stumbling block, commercialism and too much consumerism. The WFM notes that the celebration of Easter had become commercialized and its solemnity, it thinks, somehow had been compromised because of what the media have been doing. As we can see, the WFM explained, the media play an important role in replacing the true essence of the celebration. By publishing commercialized notions of Easter, it had become the well accepted
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Book features womens struggles against mining

WOMEN are at the forefront of the struggles against destructive mining across the country, according to environmental and human rights activists. The womens contribution in the continuing struggle to preserve the environment against destructive large-scale mining and the promotion of human rights are retold in a book titled Gentle Treasures: Stories of women against mining. The volume contains stories of different women leaders, coming from various backgrounds, including community leaders, professionals, legislators, elected local officials and activists who

Noli Yamsuan / www.rcam.org

have risked their lives in sharing their expertise and resources to uphold human dignity, conserve the environment, promote
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Illustration by Bladimer Usi

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World News

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 8
April 9 - 22, 2012

Holy Land pilgrimages on rise and could increase during Year of Faith
WASHINGTON, April 4, 2012Fear of violence in the Middle East has not kept pilgrims away from the Holy Land, according to U.S. Franciscan priests who frequent the sites commemorating the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus. Any hesitancy to visit these places is overcome by faith and interest, said Franciscan Father Jeremy Harrington, commissary and guardian of the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in Washington. The holy sites, he added, remain safe places to visit despite unrest in the region. Father Harrington also is sure the number of pilgrims will increase during the Catholic Churchs Year of Faith, which will begin Oct. 11the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Counciland conclude Nov. 24, 2013the feast of Christ the King. In pastoral recommendations for the Year of Faith, U.S. Cardinal William J. Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, stressed the importance of pilgrimages to St. Peters Basilica in Vatican City and to the Holy Land, the place which first saw the presence of Jesus, the Savior, and Mary, his mother. When pilgrims visit the Holy Land, they not only come away with a deeper sense of their faith, but they also show solidarity with the Christians living in the region, Father Harrington told Catholic News Service. Franciscan Father Garret Edmunds, a pilgrimage guide in the Holy Land and vice commissary of the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in Washington, said the number of pilgrims from Europe and North America has been stable. In recent years, he has seen an influx of pilgrims from Eastern Europe, Russia, India, the Far East, Africa and Brazil, which he attributes to emerging economies. Franciscan friars know plenty about the Holy Land because they have been there for a long time. For more than 750 years, they have had a ministry there preserving shrines, welcoming pilgrims, leading parishes and schools and housing, and feeding those in need. To continue the ministry they rely on an annual Good Friday pontifical collection that supports Christians in the Holy Land. Proceeds of the collection, coordinated by the Congregation for Eastern Churches, are distributed to Latin and Eastern Catholic bishops, parishes, schools and projects in Israel, the Palestinian territories, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Cyprus and Egypt. This spring the Vatican published a summary report on how the Franciscan Custodians of the Holy Land have used donations from recent collections. The funds enabled the friars to improve facilities for pilgrims at a number of holy sites at Bethlehem, Jerusalem and other locations. Funds were also used to provide university scholarships to students in the region, offered counseling, housing and medical care to families in need and to build or rebuild Catholic parishes and schools. The friars work at the holy sites is particularly important because it enables these places to be monuments of faith, not just historical landmarks that are more like museums, according to Father Harrington. The priest also knows not everyone can make a pilgrimage to the sites where Jesus was born, lived and died, because of the expense and time involved. Thats why he encourages people to visit the Franciscan Monastery in Washington, which contains replicas of the Holy Lands famous shrines as well as a replica of the Grotto at Lourdes and the Roman catacombs. The monastery, dedicated in 1899, is set on 40 acres of land near the Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The priests who live and work there say it is often described as an oasis of peace. Pilgrims are attracted to the shrines and also the outdoor gardens but they also come for Masses, daily confessions and adult education. To come here gives people the opportunity to see what goes on in the Holy Land, said Father Harrington. (Carol Zimmermann/ CNS)

Cardinal OBrien exhorts Christians to wear crosses

EDINBURGH, Scotland, April 7, 2012Scottish Cardinal Keith OBriens Easter Sunday homily will call for Christians to make the cross more prominent in their lives and to wear crosses as signs of their desire to love and serve others as Jesus Christ did. I hope that increasing numbers of Christians adopt the practice of wearing a cross in a simple and discreet way as a symbol of their beliefs. Easter provides the ideal time to remind ourselves of the centrality of the cross in our Christian faith, the Archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh said in an April 7 statement. The cardinal will deliver his homily, which was provided in advance to CNA, in Edinburghs St. Marys Cathedral on Easter, April 8. In it he will reflect on the cross and its role in Christian life. Easter, the cardinal will say, marks the Triumph of the Cross when Jesus conquered death and sent his disciples to continue his mission. His remarks come at a time of controversy over the role of Christianity in U.K. public life. Two British women who were disciplined for wearing a cross at work are taking their case before the European Court of Human Rights, alleging religious discrimination. While the cardinal does not specifically mention the case, he says the cross should not be a problem for others. Instead, they should see it as an indication of Christians desire to love and serve others. So often the teachings of Jesus Christ are divided and ignored; so often those who try to live a Christian life are made fun of and ridiculed and marginalized, the cardinal says in his homily. Perhaps the more regular use of that sign of the cross might become an indication of our desire to live close to that same Christ who suffered and died for us, and whose symbol we are proud to bear. Whether on a simple chain or pinned to a lapel, the cross identifies us as disciples of Christ, he adds. Cardinal OBrien will also look at how the cross is evident throughout Christian life. Christians are baptized with the Sign of the Cross, which is often the first devotion taught to children. Be- Cardinal Keith OBrien lievers begin and end each day by making the He also mentions Pope Benesign, and the cross is displayed dict XVIs concerns about relion the flags of both Scotland and gion being marginalized, which the United Kingdom. T h e he made known in Londons use of this sign is not a morbid Westminster Hall in September way of looking back on Jesus 2010. The Pope said that religion sufferings. Instead, it is a sign is not a problem but a vital that Christians are trying to fol- contributor to the national low the path set out for us by conversation. Christ himself. Cardinal OBrien said these It was through his sufferings words were a great clarion call on the cross that he achieved for Christians to emphasize that the glory of the Resurrection a no government or public bodtransformation that can have ies should be frightened of parallels in many of our own Christians but should see them lives, Cardinal OBrien says. as collaborators. (CNA)

Vatican Briefing
Pope praying for vocations in April

www.catholicnewsagency.com

Benedict XVI is praying this month for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life. The Apostleship of Prayer announced the intentions chosen by the Pope for April. His general intention is that many young people may hear the call of Christ and follow him in the priesthood and religious life. And the Pontiffs mission intention is that the risen Christ may be a sign of certain hope for the men and women of the African continent. (Zenit)
Pope donates $100,000 to Syria

The Pontifical Council Cor Unum announced that the Pope has made a donation of $100,000 in support of the people of Syria. The communique mentions the numerous appeals Benedict XVI has made for an end to violence in Syria and for the opening of dialogue and reconciliation between the conflicting parties, with a view to peace and the common good. The Holy Father has also frequently exhorted the faithful to pray for those who suffer. (CNA)
Pope remembers victims of anti-personnel mines

Police pressure on underground community: Easter in the Church of Silence

the baptisms of adults and children. In my parish there are 10. There are less than usual this year because we wanted to raise the level of formation, and follow the rules of the Church, to give at least a year of catechism. According to the priest, the discretion and silence of this year is due to the fact that the police are rather restless: in October there will be a leadership change, with a new president and a new prime minister who will replace Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao. The priest said that he and other colleagues have received an invitation from the police to call in for a conversation in which they promised to be calm. In other parts of China - said the priest - is a bit more dramatic, like in Wenzhou and Tianshui. In Wenzhou (Zhejiang), the coadjutor bishop, Msgr. Peter Shao Zhumin, and the chancellor, Fr. Paul Jiang Sunian were called by police on March 19, invited to a study session for at least a week. Bishop Shao, 49, directs the underground community of Wenzhou. Appointed by the Holy See and consecrated bishop in 2007, to promote integration between official and unofficial, the Holy See decided that Msgr. Shao would be the coadjutor bishop, while the ordinary is Msgr. Vincent Zhu Weifang. The two communities are still struggling to integrate. But the police are trying to facilitate this by pushing the underground community to become part of the official Church, by signing the accession to the Patriotic Association and the idea of a Church independent of the pope. According to sources cited by Eglises dAsie, the dialogue between the police, Msgr. Shao and priests have also focused on the situation of Tianshui (Gansu), where for several months, there is a new underground bishop in the person of Msgr. John Wang Ruohan, former administrator of the diocese. Since January, Msgr. Wang and some of her priests are being subjected to study sessions on the governments religious policy. Similar events occurred in Hebei and Inner Mongolia. According to observers, there seems to be in a clear policy to wipeout the underground community. On 2 March, in front of representatives of the council of Chinese bishops (official) and the Patriotic Association, a senior official from the United Front which also controls religious affairsclaimed that the two organizations should strive to achieve good results for the conversion of the underground community. Of course the term conversion means the total submission of the community to Chinese government policy directives. (AsiaNews)

Benedict XVI on April 4 mentioned the international day to raise awareness about anti-personnel mines, referring to his predecessors condemnation of the weapons. After delivering language greetings to the pilgrims gathered in St. Peters Square for his general audience, the Holy Father recalled the international day. He expressed his closeness to victims and their families, and expressed his encouragement to everyone who works to free humanity from these terrible hidden devices which, as Blessed John Paul II said when the Anti Personnel Mines Convention came into force, prevent mankind from walking together on the journey of life without fearing destruction and death. (CNA)
Vatican doctrinal offices new site offers decades of documents

www.asianews.it

The Vaticans Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has revised its website and launched a new internet domain name to distribute all of its documents published since the Second Vatican Council. Wider distribution of the teaching of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is necessary in todays world, the congregation said March 16. These texts treat significant questions for the life and mission of the Church and give important doctrinal responses to the challenges of our times. The congregation added that making the documents more available will have significant value in communicating Church teaching around the world. (CNA/ EWTN News)
Vatican confirms condemnation of breakaway Ukrainian clergy

BEIJING, China, April 7, 2012The Easter holiday will be very discreetly celebrated this year in unofficial (underground) communities in China. Many community leaders, bishops and priests, were in fact called in by the police for a conversation and even underwent weeks of indoctrination on the governments religious policy. Several Church observers clearly see a campaign underway to convert the underground Church and absorb it into the official church. This yearan underground priest told AsiaNewswe will celebrate Easter in silence and discretion, without any solemnity. In other years, we had to find locations big enough so we could celebrate together. This year, we will celebrate Easter in small groups. Like every year there will also be

The Vaticans doctrinal office has confirmed the excommunication of four priests expelled from the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, who asserted themselves as rivals to its bishops. These priests continue to challenge ecclesiastical authority, causing moral and spiritual damage, not only to the Basilian Order of St. Josaphat and the GreekCatholic Ukrainian Church, but also to this Apostolic See and the Catholic Church as a whole, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said March 29. All this provokes division and bewilderment among the faithful, the Vaticans highest doctrinal office observed. The comments were made in a March 29 notification intended to inform the faithful, especially in the countries of origin of the so-called bishops, about their current canonical status. (CNA/EWTN News)
Cardinal Daoud, former Syriac Catholic patriarch, dies at 81

Nuncio in Holy Land: Easter between checkpoints and war

JERUSALEM, Israel, April 6, 2012The witness of faith by Christians in the Holy Land is vital for the small communities that dot the Arab world at a time of shocks and a resurgent radical Islam, said Msgr. Antonio Franco, nuncio to Israel and Palestine. Speaking to AsiaNews on the occasion of Holy Week, he said, We need trust and hope so that faith in Christ will help Christians in the Holy Land and the Arab world to face their difficulties, full of love for the life Christ sacrificed for us. Despite violence elsewhere in the region, especially Syria, this year Holy Week was relatively calmer than in previous years, the prelate said. On Palm Sunday, more than 20,000 people took part in the traditional procession from Bethphage to Jerusalem, twice as many as in 2011. There were no disturbances along the way. Someone put up banners calling for an end to Israels occupation of the territories, but the function went off without a hitch and with great devotion, the nuncio explained. Still, few of the pilgrims were Palestinian Christians, whose movements are restricted by Israeli checkpoints. Recently, Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, custodian of the Holy Land, announced that in 2013 Catholics and Orthodox in Israel and Palestine will celebrate Easter on the same day, following the Julian calendar. The desire to enhance ecumenical ties between the two communities is the main reason for the change, but so is the pastoral concern for the fate of mixed couples, which are numerous in the Holy Land.

Mourning the death of Syrian-born Cardinal Ignace Moussa Daoud, who died April 7 in a Rome hospital, Pope Benedict XVI also prayed for the people of the Middle East living through difficult times. The 81-year-old cardinal was the retired prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches and the former patriarch of the Syriac Catholic Church. His funeral was scheduled for April 10 in St. Peters Basilica. In a condolence message to Syriac Patriarch Ignatius Joseph III Younan of Antioch, Pope Benedict called the cardinal a faithful pastor who devoted himself with faith and generosity to the service of the people of God. (CNS)
Vietnam pulls visas of diocesan group promoting cardinals sainthood

www.asianews.it

The Easter season is already jointly celebrated in Jordan, Msgr. Franco explained. Catholics and Orthodox will in fact celebrate Easter next week on the east bank of the Jordan River as well as in some communities in the Palestinian Territories. Compared to past years, holy sites are less crowded this

year, said Fr. Athanasius Macora OFM, former director of the Christian information Center (CIC) who currently monitors the Holy Sepulcher. There are many foreign tourists in the streets of Jerusalem but few of them are pilgrims coming to the Holy Land to pray in the sites of Jesus Passion, he said. (AsiaNews)

The Vietnamese government revoked the visas of representatives of the Rome Diocese, including Cardinal Peter Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, postponing the delegations plans for a visit to the communist country. The delegation had planned to visit Vietnam March 23-April 9 to hear the testimonies of people who knew the late Cardinal Francois Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan, whose cause for sainthood was launched by the Diocese of Rome in 2010. Passionist Father Ciro Benedettini, vice director of the Vatican press office, told Catholic News Service March 28 that the Vatican was not directly involved with the planned trip. He said the delegation was traveling on behalf of the Diocese of Rome, which is promoting the late cardinals sainthood cause. (CNS)

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 8
April 9 - 22, 2012

News Features
Being Christ-like means not to be served but to serve, not taking but giving, he said. If that is the nature of the priesthood, then what should be the response of priests when faced with the often dramatic situation of the church today, the pope asked. Without specifying the country, Pope Benedict said a group of priests from a European nation have issued a call for disobedience of church teaching, specifically regarding the question of womens ordination. Last year the president of the Austrian bishops conference, Vienna Cardinal Christoph Schonborn, condemned a Call to Disobedience, signed by 250 of Austrias 4,200 Catholic priests. The document urged Catholics to begin a campaign in support of women priests and priestless eucharistic liturgies, as well as for Communion to be given to non-Catholics and remarried divorcees. Also, 311 theologians from Austria, Germany and Switzerland signed a memorandum last year demanding the ordination of women and married men, as well as an open dialogue on the churchs structures of power and communication. Pope Benedict asked, Is disobedience a path of renewal for the church? adding that Blessed John Paul II taught irrevocably that the church has received no authority from the Lord to ordain women. Pope Benedict said perhaps such campaigns are motivated by concern for the church and believe that the slow pace of institutions has to be overcome by drastic measures, in order to open up new paths and bring the church up-to-date. But is disobedience really a way to do this? the pope asked. True renewal must be based on lives that are radically conformed to Christ and Gods will, he said. Christ did seek to correct errors in human traditions, the pope said, but only those customs that stifled Gods word and will, seeking to eliminate human caprice so as to reveal Gods authentic desire for his people. Being humble, subservient, and obedient to God and following church teaching are not excuses to defend inertia, the fossilization of traditions, the pope said. The era following the Second Vatican Council showed what a process of true renewal looks like, and it can be seen in many of the new movements and ways of life that are filled with the joy of faith, the radicalism of obedience, the dynamic of hope and the power of love, he said. Presiding over the first of two Holy Thursday liturgies, Pope Benedict blessed the oils that will be used in the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, ordination and the anointing of the sick. Deacons carried the oils in large silver urns to the main altar while catechumens, youths preparing for confirmation, the sick and deacons about to be ordained in the Diocese of Rome wheeled small tables carrying

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Pope criticizes dissent from church teachings

VATICAN City, April 5, 2012During a Mass in which priests renew their promises of fidelity to Christ, Pope Benedict XVI firmly criticized dissent from church teachings and disobedience of Gods will as illegitimate pathways toward reform and renewal. Surrounded by more than 1,600 priests, bishops and cardinals, the pope cautioned against calls for womens ordination, saying such campaigns seemed more a desperate push to fulfill ones own preferences rather than a sincere attempt to conform ones life more closely to Christ. During the April 5 chrism Mass in St. Peters Basilica, which focuses on Holy Thursday as the day Jesus shared his priesthood with the apostles, the pope said he wanted to use the occasion to ask all priests, including himself, to meditate upon what their consecration really means. Are you resolved to be more united with the Lord Jesus and more closely conformed to him, which entails a renunciation of oneself and of the much-vaunted self-fulfillment, the pope asked.
www.saltandlighttv.org

7 years after death, Bl. John Paul II remains alive and present
VATICAN City, April 2, 2012Blessed John Paul II remains alive with God, continuing to offer his prayers for the Church on earth, the head of the Holy See Press Office said on the seventh anniversary of the late Popes death. John Paul II for us is still alive and present, Father Federico Lombardi told CNA on April 2. He was proclaimed as blessed by the Church, so we are sure that he is alive and he continues to be present and to intercede for the Church just as he did while he was our pastor on the earth. The seventh anniversary of Blessed John Paul IIs 2005 death is the first remembrance of the Popes passing to take place since he was beatified on May 1, 2011. He continues to be an intercessor for us, near to God, said Fr. Lombardi. Although Blessed John Paul IIs feast day falls on Oct. 22 (the date of his installation as Pope), the anniversary of his death remains significant for many faithful around the world. This year that anniversary came one day after the April 1 diocesan-level celebration of World Youth Day an event inaugurated by the Pope of Youth, who was later named its patron in 2011. On April 2 Pope Benedict XVI addressed a group of 5,000 pilgrims from Spain who came to Rome for its local World Youth Day as a gesture of gratitude to the Pope for his 2011 visit to Spain for the last internationallevel youth gathering. The pilgrims were accompanied by a group of priests and bishops led by Madrids Cardinal Archbishop Antonio Mara Rouco Varela. Pope Benedict praised the young pilgrims as the protagonists and main beneficiaries of World Youth Day, promoted vigorously by my beloved predecessor, Blessed John Paul II, whose passage to heaven we remember today. Whenever I bring to mind the twenty-sixth World Youth Day in Madrid, Pope Benedict told the pilgrims, my heart fills with gratitude to God for the grace to experience those unforgettable days. He described the young attendees at the gathering as eloquent signs of the risen Christ. He also renewed his call for young people to give a joyful and faithful witness in their everyday lives. You are called to cooperate in this exciting and worthwhile task, he told them. Christ needs you to extend

large, artistic urns, which also contained sacramental oils. In his homily, the pope called on all priests to continue to look to Christ and the saints for guidance in how best to serve and renew the church and minister to humanity. God is not concerned so much with great numbers and with outward successes, but achieves his victories under the humble sign of the mustard seed, the pope said. He urged bishops and priests to remember their role as teachers and to use the upcoming Year of Faith to combat the growing religious illiteracy found in the midst

of our sophisticated society. We preach not private theories and opinions, but the faith of the church, he said. Accurate, authentic guides of what the church teaches can be found not only in sacred Scripture, but also the texts of Vatican II, the Catechism of the Catholic Church and Pope John Paul IIs writings, which are still far from being explored, he said. However, such teaching will only be credible when those preaching live lives that are visibly touched and shaped by Christ and his word, the pope said. (CNS)

Pope urges youth to be messengers of joy on WYD

MANILA, March 31, 2012In his message to the Catholic youth for the 27th World Youth Day (WYD) on April 1, Pope Benedict XVI called on the young to recognize real joy in the simplest events of their daily lives. Each day is filled with countless simple joys which are the Lords gift: the joy of living, the joy of seeing natures beauty, the joy of a job well done, the joy of helping others, the joy of sincere and pure love, the Pope said. He warned the youth to be cautious against the temptations that lead us away from experiencing real joy like material possession and societal affirmation. Our present-day culture often pressures us to seek immediate goals, achievements and pleasures, he said. It fosters fickleness more than perseverance, hard work and fidelity to commitments. The messages it sends push a consumerist mentality and promise false happiness. Experience teaches us that possessions do not ensure happiness. How many people are surrounded by material possessions yet their lives are filled with despair, sadness and emptiness! The Holy Father added that whatever brings us true joy, whether the small joys of each day or the greatest joys in life, has its source in God, even if this does not seem immediately obvious. This is because God is a communion of eternal love, he is infinite joy that does not remain closed in on itself, but expands to embrace all whom God loves and who love him. God created us in his image out of love, in order to shower his love upon us and to fill us with his presence and grace, he added. Relating his WYD message with the incoming Holy Week, the Supreme Pontiff said Gods love for his people is fully seen in Jesus Christ, who has given up His life to offer his friends and enemies the joy of salvation. Dear friends, the Pope said, learn to see how God is working in your lives and discover him hidden within the events of daily life. Believe that he is always faithful to the covenant, which he made with you on the day of your Baptism. Know that God will never abandon you. Turn your eyes to him often. He gave his life for you on the cross because he loves you. Contemplation of this great love brings a hope and joy to our hearts that nothing can destroy. Christians can never be sad, for they have met Christ, who gave his life for them, he added. The Holy Father also called on the young to show the world that faith brings happiness and a joy which is true, full and enduring. Christianity is sometimes depicted as a way of life that stifles our freedom and goes against our desires for happiness and joy. But this is far from the truth. Christians are men and women who are truly happy because they know that they are not alone. They know that God is always holding them in his hands, he said. It is up to you, young followers of Christ, to show the world that faith brings happiness and a joy which is true, full and enduring. If the way Christians live at times appears dull and boring, you should be the first to show the joyful and happy side of faith. The Gospel is the good news that God loves us and that each of us is important to him. Show the world that this is true, he added. The WYD has been an annual gathering of Catholic youth since the late Pope John Paul II initiated it in 1985. It is celebrated at the diocesan level annually, as this year, or at a week-long international level every two to three years at different locations. Aside from the Vatican City, at least ten countries have already hosted the international celebration of WYD, with Spain having to host it twice at Santiago de Compostela in 1989 and Madrid in 2011. Last years WYD was held in Madrid, Spain and the one slated for next year will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from July 23 to 28, 2013. (YouthPinoy)

your hand and build his kingdom of love You all have a vocation that he has wanted to propose for your happiness and holiness. He urged the young Spaniards to follow the example of the saints, always spreading the light of God and the power of your love, transforming the world into a welcoming home for all, where God is glorified and his children are blessed. (CNA/EWTN News)

PH to enter demographic sweet spot in 3 yearsBSP chief

MANILA, March 30, 2012The Philippines is set to reap immense benefits from a booming population dominated by young people, a development which the head of the central bank said would propel accelerated economic growth. The governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), Amando Tetangco, told the Philippine Investment Forum in Makati on Wednesday that the country will taste its demographic sweet spot in 2015. The Philippines, where the median age is 22 years, has none of the problems being faced by countries with rapidly ageing populations, he pointed out. In fact, among the young countries in Asia, the Philippines has the lowest median age, Tetangco said. The demographic sweet spot should last well until 2050, Tetangcos presentation showed. While some countries are facing problems relating to their aging population, the Philippines is set to enter its demographic sweet spot. Studies have shown that extended periods of accelerated economic growth have coincided with the countries entering this period, the BSP governor told the forum at The Peninsula Hotel. This phase is associated with a young, vibrant labor force ably supporting the pension system, and an economy experiencing high economic growth rates due to a large base of consumers. United Nations data show the Philippines median age will rise from 23.3 in 2015 up to just 32.5 by 2050, using the medium assumption. Population growth will slow down to 0.72% by 2050, from 1.58% in 2015, assuming the already declining fertility trend. The central bank chiefs statements come on the heels of a Financial Times opinion piece noting that many Asian nations are ending their demographic free ride, with the exception of a few fortunate countries like the Philippines. The Financial Times piece titled The end of Asias demographic dividend, written by David Pilling, cited HSBC economist Frederic Neumanns prediction of a contraction in the workforces of China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore. HSBC had predicted the Philippines will leapfrog 27 places to become the worlds 16th largest economy by 2050, due to its demographic advantages. At least these economies, with the exception of China, are already fairly prosperous. But some less well-off countries will soon run out of steam. Thailands demographics will turn in 10 years. Even Vietnam, whose workforce is growing apace, will see a sharp deceleration before too long, Pilling said. If these are the hares the countries that came out of the demographic traps first Asia does also have some tortoises. Those that can look forward to years of favourable demographics include the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and everybodys demographic darling, India. The latter will add the equivalent of Europes workforce over the next 15 years, Pilling said. But Pilling said countries with favorable demographics cannot just sit back and relax. The Philippines shows how easily one can squander ones demographic birthright. Its natural resource is its people but because of a lack of good jobs at home, about 10 per cent of Filipinos work abroad, remitting cash on which their relatives and the Philippine economy as a whole relies, he said. In January, Vice-President Jejomar Binay said the Philippines should safeguard its population from the dangers that brought about the irreversible decline of the West, calling for massive investments in the countrys workforce, in contrast to calls from other politicians to pass a bill seeking billions in taxpayer funding for contraception and to promote reproductive health. Speaking before foreign news correspondents, Binay said: We need to invest in our families, in the education, training, and health care especially of our youth and women; we need to equip them with sufficient skills and work habits to give them a big competitive edge in the global market. Saying demography is destiny, Binay said The Philippines, with its younger work force and its dynamic and still self-renewing population, equipped with knowledge and technical skill, will have every unimpeded opportunity to forge ahead, without the demographic problems of the West. (JB Serrano)

www.todayscatholicnews.org

Anti-illegal logging task force inspects Pangasinan-Zambales forest

PASIG City, April 2, 2012The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Regional Office in Central Luzon on April 3, inspected the extent of the illegal logging operations in the town of Mangaratem in Pangasinan and some parts of the province of Zambales. National Anti-Illegal Logging Task Force chief, retired Major General Renato Miranda and the members of the DENR Regional Office personally went to the place to investigate and to confirm reports about a Mangaratem resident who funded the construction of a 19-kilometer road in Pangasinan, to make the hauling of hot logs easier. Reports about the inspection will be released immediately, according to DENR Regional Executive Director Samuel Peafiel in a press statement. Illegal logging is considered one of the riskiest activities that destroys the environment and threatens the people of major catastrophies such as flash floods and soil erosion. Illegal logging was considered as the culprit of the destruction of homes and livelihood of the people of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities, all in Mindanao, during the onslaught of tropical storm Sendong (international name Washi). Tens of thousands people were left homeless, and more than 1,000 people died and went missing. (Noel Sales Barcelona/ CBCPNews)

A4
EDITORIAL

Opinion
Easter people

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 8
April 9 - 22, 2012

WE are the Easter people and Alleluia is our song!, or so goes a beautiful post that one reads in social networks. Quite a number of Easter greetings such as this went viral online this Easter, probably as never before. But, of course, there were improprieties, too, such as that unwelcome photo on Facebook which earned a heap of criticisms. And there are threads about how much Easter people could Christians be. One cites, for instance, about Churches in the country that are overcrowded to the hilt on Maundy Thursday and Good Fridayand streets teeming with thousands of people doing Visita Iglesia such as the one in Intramurosbut dwindles comparably on Easter Vigil and on Easter Sunday. Admittedly, this tells about the breed of Christianity Filipinos have. And quite quickly, one may cursorily submit causal factors such as the all-time lack of catechesis and what not. For sure, there might be other reasons such as the cultural ones and perhaps even the liturgicalwithout mentioning about people who doze off through the 9 readings without getting a thing due perhaps to poor sound system or, again, the lack of appropriate catechesis. Due to the widening lacuna between faith and life in a lot of believers, one would not take issue at comments such as that of Mahatma Ghandi who said, If it werent for Christians, Id be a Christian. Or even a stronger one by a famous German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche who justified his non-belief with I might believe in the Redeemer if His followers looked more redeemed. Indeed, while the thread goes on and on whether Christ has really risen and its impact on his followers, the best proofs of the resurrection are neither the scientific nor the theological but the moralthe complete turn-around of the lives of the apostles, including St. Paul who was a persecutor of Christians and the succeeding believers through the centuries. Easter need to be manifested in every Christian as a definitive way of life. Or as Archbishop Angel Lagdameo of Jaro curtly puts it: Do not stay on your Good Fridaymove on to your Happy Easter.

Bp. Leonardo Y. Medroso, JCD, DD

Tidbits
HAPPY Easter to one and all. This is our heartfelt greeting at the start of this Season of Easter 2012. In the language of the Church who has undergone and suffered the long and weary time of Lent the greeting is suddenly transformed into words of joy and exultation, singing in its liturgical celebrations the Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia songs. In the context of the Liturgy of the Season, we greet each other with this proclamation: Christ is risen; He is truly risen. All these transmit the same message, the message of hope, of exuberance, of renewed vigor to again face the challenges of life and the ugly face of reality. Easter is the Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus. It is safe to say that there is no other festival in any religion that is as hopeful, exuberant and full of life as this. For, it stamps a guarantee to one and all that there is after all a meaning to our human existence in this world in spite of the fickle-

Easter greetings
as the resurrection of Jesus, man remains deeply entangled with the existential forces of darkness and the perennial problem of evil. It seems that the power of the resurrection has never made a dent on the invincibility of evil that has bound man to its tight grip. The Good News that the Christ is risen would once and for all put an end to mans earthly problems, sufferings, anguish, agony and death, but it appears to be a dud, an empty promise. As it is, the Easter joy has been proclaimed with all the pomp that the Church could muster, but communities of believers, Christian families, and individual faithful are still struggling with the problems of hunger, misunderstandings in societal relations, violent separations of loved ones, hatred for one another, deceits and betrayal, sexual promiscuity and moral corruption, religious persecutions and prejudices, jealousies, pride, despondency, despair.
Tidbits / A6

The Church, a flawed but potent resource

AT the very outset, we need to confess with humility and sorrow that the imperfect human face of Gods chosen community, both as an institution and as a people, has all too often revealed itself in the failure to evangelize and liberatein deed. By many the Church is perceived as the bastion of conservatism and as the defender of the social status quo. But the Church can and should be a power towards integral national development. As a divine institution it has such power. It is present especially through Basic Ecclesial Communities in remote areas rarely reached even by the government. It has a high degree of credibility with the people and a message to communicate, which is another way of saying that it is a significant cultural force. It has a vision of the human person and human dignity, a vision of society and the common good, which has implications for how society should be organized. But beyond its being a social and political resource, the Church is first and foremost a light that illumines, a spiritual force that needs to critique the social, political and cultural fields in order to affirm, denounce, purify, or reinforce in the light of the Word of God. The question perhaps is whether we as Church can mobilize our spiritual, social and cultural capital and bring it to bear upon the problems of our contemporary society in order that this only Christian nation in Asia may finally be truly a light to the nations, a city built on a mountain. To be such a city requires envisioning. We need to envision what we as Filipino Christians have to be and what all Filipinos as a nation should be. For our discipleship must be transformative. What we envision will provide direction for our transformative task. What then must we be? We can only provide a basic direction towards a comprehensive answer. In cultural terms and in the light of our national situation we as citizens of this earthly city need to be maka-tao, maka-bayan, and maka-Diyos. We need to exercise a healthy nationalism which would require the living of such values as: pagsasarili, pagkakaisa, pakikipagkapwa-tao and pagkabayani. Heretofore, these values have remained mere platitudes. But if seriously taken as the direction for all educational, economic, political, cultural and religious efforts the impact would be profound and radical. (Acts of the Council, nos. 246-252) - Acts and Decrees of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines, 1991

ness and emptiness of its day-to-day living; it guarantees solid hope to this world even if it is more often than not enveloped by the darkness of corruption, betrayals, dishonesty, selfishness, greed, poverty, human right violations, rising prices, political intrigues, in fighting, and what have you. We do not know where this darkness come from, but the Son of God, true light that He is (cf. John 1: 4), entered into this darkness of ours and lived with us. Truly human that He become that He was immediately engulfed by darkness, enveloped by it, attacked, vilified, betrayed, condemned, murdered as a criminal. But darkness did not quench the light. He came out of all these negativities triumphant, giving us the most glorious Festival called Easter, a transcendent attestation to all of us that humanity is worth living for. He came out of darkness and revealed to us that marvelous light of the resurrection. However, in spite of the event as awesome

Teaching sexuality to teens

ONE of the most challenging things that high school teachers face is handling questions of teens on sexuality. In fact, as early as Grade 5 and 6, the students already shock the teachers when they blurt out comments that the teacher herself/himself had never dared to even think of she/he was that age. There is also the passing of the responsibility between the home and the school as to who should be handling such delicate transfer of information, and more so the values, to the children. And now, with the clamor of the pro-Reproductive Health Bill advocates that sex education should be mandatory in all schools starting Grade 5 and using the modules distributed by the DepEd, opinions are all the more divided. Recently, I have been asked by CEAP (Catholic Educators Association in the Philippines) to assess several textbooks being used by Catholic schools on values education and Religion (Christian Living) classes, knowing that we have been conducting seminars on Teen Sexuality with an accompanying manual titled Learning to Love. I reviewed the text books and much as I appreciate the efforts of the authors on the core values discussed from one level to another, there was not much on sexuality. It is only in high school religion classes on the Sacraments that a little is discussed on marriage/ matrimony and a little again is discussed during classes on the Fifth Commandment (abortion, euthanasia, drug addiction, etc) and on the Sixth Commandment (premarital sex, adultery,

Sr. Mary Pilar Verzosa, RGS

Love Life
etc). Religion teachers admit they are awkward when discussing these topics and often leave the task to the guidance department to invite speakers (usually from Pro-life groups) for a half day or one day seminar to the students. On the other hand, even without the passage of the RH Bill, public schools have been using modules teaching contraceptive-based sex education lessons for several years now. I have received complaints from parents informing me that their Grade 6 daughter has been given assignments to collect samples of contraceptives for their scrap book in Health! No wonder we have an increase in premarital sex, teen pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases and homosexual activities in our country today, maybe just a few less than the US statistics. It is with this concern in mind that Pro-life Philippines has been conducting seminars to assist teachers and guidance counselors on how to integrate the much needed approach to our teens. This summer, we are once again offering the three-day workshop on May 17-19 at the St. Michael Retreat House in Sampaloc, Manila. The training/seminar aims to strengthen the ability of the participants to respond to the needs of todays teens with respect to issues on human sexuality, marriage, family planning, and population education, according to the teachings of the Catholic Church. Furthermore, this years training/seminar is designed to

Love Life / A6

Fr. James H. Kroeger, MM

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Living Mission
Vatican II Perspectives
A MAJOR achievement of the Second Vatican Council was its new way of understanding the Church. This renewed vision is articulated in the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium) [LG]. LG presents the Church using biblical images, predominantly the People of God. She is also described as the Body of Christ and the Temple of the Spirit. As a communion of baptized believers, she journeys through time as a pilgrim people moving towards the Kingdom of God and heaven. The Church is organized hierarchically, yet by the action of the Holy Spirit, she is to become a true community of believers in Christ. All members (clergy, religious, laity) are called to holiness; all have specific roles, rights, and responsibilities. The Holy Spirit dwells in the Church and in the hearts of the faithful, as in a temple (LG 4), guiding the Church, so that she will become a sacrament (visible sign) of Gods love in the world and to all sectors of human society. The Council views Mary as the

Called to love Christs Church

shape the Christian community into Gods holy people. The Church, similar to the People of God in the Old Testament, is in a covenant relationship with God; she is called to be Gods holy people. However, infidelity and sinfulness are present; she is a holy-yet-sinful people. This fact was openly admitted by the Council: The Church, embracing sinners in her bosom, is at the same time holy and always in need of being purified, and incessantly pursues the path of penance and renewal (LG 8). The Council commented on divisions among Christians and noted that historically the responsibility for separations (e.g. Catholic-Protestant) is shared: people of both sides were to blame (UR 3). Pope John XXIII, Father of Vatican II, advised the Church not to conduct a trial of the past. As Catholics, we rejoice to be part of Gods people, the Churchwith its limitations and with its clear holiness and beauty. We deeply love Christs Church.

Pedro C. Quitorio
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Associate Editor

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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

Mother of the Church. Vatican II placed much emphasis on the renewal of the liturgy. In fact, a very close and organic bond exists between the renewal of the liturgy and the renewal of the whole life of the Church. The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium) [SC] was the first of the sixteen documents that Vatican II promulgated. The Council describes the liturgy as the source and summit (the origin and goal) of the Churchs life; the Eucharist draws the faithful into the compelling love of Christ and sets them on fire (SC 10). A pivotal principle of liturgical renewal is that the Church earnestly desires that all the faithful be led to full, conscious, and active participation in liturgical celebrations. For Catholics this is their right and duty by reason of their baptism (SC 14). To achieve better participation, the Church adopted several changes (e.g. use of local languages and indigenous music). Active participation renews the Church and helps

Illustration by Bladimer Usi

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 8
April 9 - 22, 2012

Opinion
Technology and theology
Of course, we should not compromise the basic, nonnegotiable things of our life, derived from our nature and dignity as persons and children of God, even as we cruise and adapt ourselves to the different waters of life. Education and formation that flow with our evolving life should enhance, not undermine, the core of our humanity. Thats why theres need for continuing catechesis of basic doctrine not only for the young ones, but also for the old ones who can be affected through osmosis by the confusion around. At the same time, we should feel the need to expand and grow our knowledge of things. While we have our own field of specialization, we should be concerned to reinforce an integral, over-all knowledge of things, observing a certain sense of priorities. We have to aim at wisdom that unites all branches of knowledge, so we can know the truth properly and as completely as possible. We have to be wary with partial, fragmented if not fractured knowledge. Very important in this regard is the effort to reinforce our faith, the primal source of our beliefs and truths that guide us in the entire course of our life and that ultimately give us the whole picture of our life. Thus, we should not only get stuck with technology, but try our best to blend it with theology, our economy with philosophy, our sense of practicality with morality. In the end, we should be concerned not only with the short-term, but also the long term, not only the material and temporal, but also the spiritual and eternal. This ideal corresponds more fully to our human and Christian dignity. We have to find ways, always reinforcing them, to link the above pairs together. This is the challenge we have today, because we often fall for one and neglect the other. In the end, we should not only be users, but also and mainly loversof God, others and the world in general. The technological revolution we are having today should be used properly in this regard. Thats why it has to be given direction. Remember our People Power? It was also a kind of revolution, but without direction and proper education, it has fizzled out and is abused by those with certain privileges. What a pity!

A5
Rev. Eutiquio Euly B. Belizar, Jr., SThD

Fr. Roy Cimagala

Candidly Speaking
THE way the world is evolving today, it is getting increasingly imperative that all of us equip ourselves adequately by taking care of our continuing education and formation, and that our formation should be as integral and complete as possible. We should be wary when our education gets stuck at a certain level or aspect only. Our education and formation actually never ends. Theres always something to learn and re-learn. And because of our wobbly human condition, because of the endless challenges before us and the persistent weaknesses and temptations we are exposed to, theres also something to unlearn. We have to understand that our education never stops with our graduation from school. Rather, that graduation always marks the beginning of a new chapter in life. And after that chapter, therell be another, then another, till we die. We need to give serious thought on how we can go on with our life-long education and formation. Especially with the complicated and confusing times we are entering right now, we cannot take this duty for granted. We need to reexamine our dispositions toward this need, and the skills, plans, programs and structures required for this purpose. We have to be serious and professional in this grave concern, which is not only personal, but also social, since this concern affects not only the individual person but also the whole of society. We have to rouse ourselves from a certain state of lethargy in this regard, because this state of complacency is, Im afraid, quite widespread and embedded in the world today. We need a paradigm shift here. We might be living in some sleepy, rural areas, but this should not mean that we be indifferent to the developments around. Everyone of us has to learn to flow with the tide of the world, without losing our identity, sense of purpose in life and our sense of what is right and wrong, absolute and relative. We seem to be reactive, not proactive in our attitude in this regard. We just wait for things to happen, banking only on our current stock of knowledge, instead of making plans and setting goals for the future, acquiring the pertinent go-go attitude, skills and competence that the changing times of our life demand.

By the Roadside Rising prices and the Risen Lord

ONE Black Saturday morning a ten-year-old boy, so I heard, went home and complained to his mother, Nanay, gasoline prices are rising again after Holy Week. I also heard the priest saying even Jesus is rising tonight too! Sometimes in the maze of similar human expressions we can be like that boy, unable to distinguish which rising brings added suffering and which ends it. Last Easter Vigil I made it a point to remind our parishioners that that the rising of Jesus represents a rising that brings us up, not down. It represents the very substance of our hope, not of our fears and uncertainties. And, as I was looking into the expressions of their faces, I could see no resistance to the reminder, only anticipation. It helps a lot that the figure of the Risen Lord in our church stands side by side with the image of the Black Nazarene, recently donated by the Minor Basilica of St. John the Baptist, Quiapo to our diocese but consigned to the care of the Assumption Parish, Lalawigan. People see that the Jesus who suffered and died is the same Jesus who is risen and triumphed over all his sufferings, even over sin and death. It strikes me how easy it is for so many Pinoys to identify with the suffering Jesus, and to stand in both awe and reverential distance to the figure of the Risen Lord. I take it that most of us dont feel we have arrived yet at the Risen Lords state. But, yes, we know the Black Nazarenes sufferings. And most of us also feel he also staggers with us under the burden of the rising prices of almost anything. Time was when almost everybody in the Philippines thought the rising prices of oil and of oil products were peculiar to, say, the Marcos Martial Law years, the Erap presidency or the nine years of GMA. Little did the regular Pinoy understand that the movement of fuel prices has always been decided not so much by Philippine socio-political or economic realities as by other graver ones in the Middle East, in Europe, the Americas and other climate or political conditions in some other more significant areas of the whole world. I wonder if we have actually grown over this fixation. The coinage of the Filipino English word noynoying which, to some, means to do nothing in the face of basically the rising prices of oil and of oil products that escalate, as if by chain reaction, the prices of many of the countrys prime commodities and services, adding more and more poverty and suffering to our peopleseems to answer in the negative. The government, of course, is quick to deny its role in the phenomenon of rising prices and to pinpoint the steps it is taking to minimize its impact as well as the successes its getting in other areas of the economy. The economic figures are bright, we are told. But are the peoples conditions too? Is the answer to this question not as basic or even more? Understandably responses we hear provide small consolation to the poor. It seems to me that the real sting of noynoying is the seeming insensitivity of our ruling elite (and this is true not only to the president but also to the other members of their class) to our peoples sufferings in a way that is never assuaged by palliatives, instead of solutions. Unless this is effectively addressed, bright figures could seem an empty boast. On the other hand, the figure of the Risen Lord precisely reminds us never to give up on our situation, no matter how dire, and on our people, no matter challenged, our elite included. Which is why the Risen Lord could likewise prove quite frustrating to social or leftist activists. For how could he have suffered, died and risen for all sinners, if sinners also mean the insensitive elites that are mostly behind the social inequity in our midst? It might also help if we all remember sin is not a monopoly of our ruling elite. Sin also exists when we allow ourselves to be filled with hatred so great we actually take up arms to kill perceived enemies or when we consider our political or ideological viewpoint as having the monopoly to truth, virtue or righteousness to the exclusion of others. I find St. Pauls exhortation on the ethical demand or parenesis of confessing the Risen Lord crucial to all stake holders in the Philippines. Says he: Since you have been raised up in company with Christ, set your heart on what pertains to higher realms where Christ is seated at Gods right hand. Be intent on things that are above rather than on things of earth (Col 3:1-2). Among the things that are above, to my mind, are those that express CARE. Let me spell them out one by one. C stands for consistency in our belief, words and actions being part and parcel of the Risen Lords challenge. For how could we say that Jesus is the key to our success as a nation when we only confess him in belief and words but ignore the hard parts of his gospel, such as the command of a more perfect righteousness greater than that of the scribes and Pharisees (Mt 5:20). A is for admitting and amending mistakes/sins/crimes. The basic lesson of the Martial Law years, the Erap impeachment trial, the GMA years, the Corona trial and many other cases in Philippines history, a fact that could speak of a negative streak in our national culture, is the inability of perpetrators in our midst to admit even glaring crimes and wrongdoings other perpetrators in other cultures and countries routinely resign from their posts for, not to mention even commit suicides for. It is both perplexing and unjust for real crimes to be treated as though they never existed in the first place. Even the famous Im sorry public confession of one of our former presidents had become a landmark irony, if not an enduring object of ridicule, in the face of accusations of continuing wrongdoings in the highest offices of the land. R is for reaching out to God and to neighbor. The history of the nation unwraps the power of prayer and real people power solidarity even in our socio-political transformation, such as the restoration of democracy, especially when we do both truly collectively. I wonder why we keep on ignoring this, except when things border on the emergency. Or have we mastered the art of unlearning the good lessons of our history? E is for expressing the faith by effective evangelizing. When the Spanish missionaries passed on the faith to our people, the test of their evangelizing is clear in how the faith survived in our people despite the realities of abuses and oppression from the rule of the conquistadors. The Philippine bishops taking up collectively the prophetic evangelizing in the seventies and eighties bore fruit in the most peaceful People Power Revolution in the world. What will work in our time and circumstance? Clearly whatever comes from the Spirit, whatever goes forth from the gospel, whatever is demanded from walking with the Risen Lords Church. My little nephew taught me something about effective evangelizing, well indirectly, I must admit. He woke me up one morning years ago, and my sisters and brothers too, just to share how happy he was his father bought him a toy helicopter. Why dont we start and end our evangelizing by sharing the simple joy of being a Catholic Christian? When people really experience this joy through us, what will stop them from rising with the Risen Lord to the things that are above?

Hope in the Risen Christ

THE Lord is Risen! Alleluia! Jesus obeyed the will of God; he offered His life to save us from our sins. The Triduum (three days before the resurrection of Christ) was indeed very meaningful and solemn for me; it was a journey with Jesus through His sufferings, death and resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus gives new hope to everyone; when the Lord is with us, who can be against us? Maundy Thursday for me started with the Chrism Mass during which the Kalookan Diocese clergy renewed their priestly vow before Most Rev. Deogracias S. Iiguez, Jr., Bishop of Kalookan, at San Roque Cathedral. Prayer for priests and the bishop was recited during the Mass. Oil for the sick and the chrisma or oil used for baptism, confirmation and ordination of priests are blessed. In his homily, Bishop Iiguez requested the faithful to always pray for him and the priests so that they will stay strong in their faith, vow and mission because priests are also human. At 4 p.m., I served as Commentator in the Last Supper and Washing of Feet Mass at our San Ildefonso de Navotas Parish during which the washing of feet of the apostles of Jesus was re-enacted; after their feet were washed by the priest, the 12 parishionersapostles dressed in the apostles costume washed the feet of parishioners seated at the aisle portion of the pew, a reminder to everyone to help each other as what Jesus did. Visita Iglesia has been a tradition in the family. The difference is in the past, we could easily visit 14 churches; now we are lucky to finish 7 churches. Why? Blame the traffic especially in the vicinity of Manila Cathedral and San Agustin Church where street vendors occupied the streets. This years Visita Iglesia was with our parish priest Fr. Jerome Cruz and his brother Peter and family, and friends Merle, Virgie, Linda and Rio. Good Friday began with the Morning Prayer and Station of the Cross at the Parish, watched 7 Palabras on tv, attended the Veneration of the Cross in our parish where the youth performed the Senakulo (dramatization of the passion of Christ), Divine Mercy Novena and libing (funeral procession) of Seor of Bangculasi (Santo Entierro); the day

Atty. Aurora A. Santiago

Duc in Altum
Imperial Army during World War II. It was in Bataan where the Americans and Filipinos held their forts against the Japanese Imperial Army. Immediately thereafter, the USAFFE forces consisting of almost 72,000 Filipinos and American soldiers were evacuated from Bataan by the Japanese as prisoners of war. They suffered the ordeal of Death March, a 70-kilometers walk, which started from two points in Bataan: one from Mariveles, Bataan on April 10; and from Bagac, Bataan on April 11 onwards to Capaz, Tarlac which lasted up to April 17. Their long walk under blistering heat of the sun and cold evenings, thirst and hunger, torture by the enemies, some were bayoneted, killed and some died due to exhaustion and sickness. Those who reached Capas suffered hell on earth. The brother of Inay (Gloria) was a second sergeant of the Philippine Army at that time; he was last seen before the fall of Bataan when the Japanese were nearing their fort. His colleagues told my grandmother that he might have been forced to Death March. Diligent efforts had been exerted to locate him during and after the war but the same was unsuccessful. Second Sergeant Juan Juaning Hernandez Angeles was declared Missing in Action. Other Filipino soldiers joined the guerrillas to continue the fight for freedom. My father Benito joined the Andersons Guerilla and, together with millions of gallant Filipinos, continued to fight for our countrys freedom until the Philippines got its independence. In 1945, the Japanese commander in charge of Bataan, General Homma, was put on trial for atrocities including the Bataan Death March; he was convicted and executed in the Philippines on April 3, 1946. Let us offer our prayers for those gallant men and women who never feared to fight the countrys enemy for the sake of our generation. God bless all of them. *** In behalf of the Diocese of Kalookan Papal Family, this columnist as its President, prays for the good health and safety of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI who will celebrate his birthday on April 16.

ended with caridad (free meal) at Kapitana Noemi Santiagos house. Black Saturday also started with the Morning Prayer, then practice by Special Ministers of the Word (SMW) for the 9:30 p.m. Easter Vigil Mass where the blessing of fire and water and renewal of baptism were held. In behalf of SMW where I am the Chairperson, we thank Sis. Del Vitangcol and Bro. Ernie Burdeos of St. Peter Catholic Charismatic Community for the Filipiniana blouse/barong which the SMW wore during the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday Masses. We offered Masses for you and your community. The traditional Salubong (when Mother Mary and the Risen Jesus met) followed. There were two processions: the women followed the caroza (float) of Mother Mary while the men followed the caroza of the Risen Christ. They meet at street intersection where a girl dressed as angel was lowered down from arko (arch) who pulled out the black veil from Mother Marys head, and the mother saw her son. When I was young, we were told to jump as high as we can so that we will not only grow tall but we can also reach the Risen Christ. Pasko ng Pagkabuhay (Easter Sunday) is more than like Christmas; it is the pinnacle of all celebrations in the Catholic Church. It is the day when families hold reunion, when people return to their hometown to visit relatives and friends. May these activities in the Catholic Church remain alive; this gives hope that the future generation will also be strong in their faith, in building up the Body of Christ through new evangelization where we give witnessing of our faith. *** Here is another example of offering ones life for his fellowmen. April 9, 1942 should never be forgotten by the Filipinos; it was the day when hundreds of thousands of Filipino and American soldiers fought till death to save us from our countrys invaders and for the freedom that we now enjoy. Declared Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Heroism), it is observed as legal holiday. April 9 was also known as the Fall of Bataan, when Bataan fell to the Japanese

Atty. Jo Imbong

Pro Bono
IF it is April 29 that you read this paper, this advocate will be in Doha, Qatar to present a Paper in a Symposium on The Jurisprudence of Extended Families, Extending Families and Intergenerational Solidarity sponsored by the International Academy for Study of the Jurisprudence of the Family (IASJF) and the Doha International Institute for Family Studies and Development (DIIFSD). It is a distinct and humbling experience to be invited by the organizers, Lynn D. Wardle of J. Reuben Clark School of Law at Brigham Young University and IASJF, whom I met at the Conference on Religious Liberty in Utah last October, and Mr. Richard Wilkins, loyal pro-life Director of DIIFSD based in Doha. To be honest, it is with mixed feelings to be welcomed to an assembly of like-minded family advocates composed of Law Professors, Philosophers, Social Scientists, and Theologians of varied cultures and persuasions but with one common lovethe family. Perhaps, the world has taken notice of the Philippines and its resilience in the pro-life and profamily advocacy, particularly the solid, unwavering and sincere gift of self of vibrant Filipinos like you, ever since the making of Article II, Section 12 (among others) of the 1986 Constitution and your (yes, you) relentless and strong pro bono presence in committee hearings starting from the 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, well into the 15th Congress, not unscathed, but battle-scarred like our Leaderwhipped and battered into a Crucifixion. For this reason, I would like

God will smile

to believe that the honor should be shared by all of you, for you havein your own personal, courageous, often unheralded and unnoticed waysstirred the waters of vigilance into a maelstrom in solid defense of our inalienable rights as believers and children of the faith. And it would be a happier experience if some of you could join in Doha even just to acknowledge this Filipina and only Asian in the panel of speakers. And what a formidable battery of illustrious authorities will congregate there, each ready to talk on an equally intimidating array of subjects. Consider some of them: 1. Intergenerational Justice, Extended Families, and the Challenge of the Statist Paradigm, by Professor Lynn D. Wardle, Bruce C. Hafen Professor of Law, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, Utah, USA 2. The Extended Family Under Peruvian Family Law: Between Tradition and Globalization, by Ana Mara Olgun Britto, Professor of Law, Saint Toribio of Mogrovejo Catholic University 3. Extended Families and the Expressive Function of Law, by George W. Dent, Jr., Schott-van den Eynden Professor of Law 4. The Consequences of the Attempts to Re-define the Notion of Family in Polish Law, by Dr. Piotr Fiedorczyk, Faculty of Law, University of Bialystok 5. What if a Family? Towards a Definition Based on Morality and Belief, by Scott FitzGibbon, Professor of Law, Boston College of Law 6. Islamic Law and the ExPro Bono / A6

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WITH more than 1,000 volunteers doing the heroes work, Sendong Survivors here and in neighboring Iligan City, as well as in three other areas in the Visayas, are benefiting from the Bayani Challenge 2012 which was simultaneously launched on April 9. Bayani Challenge 2012 is the 6th instalment of the same fiveday test of courage, endurance and love for country organized and institutionalized by the Gawad Kalinga (GK) community since 2006. This years Bayani Challenge is being simultaneously held in Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Masbate, Dumaguete and Mindoro Occidental, areas where Tropical Storm Washi (locally called Sendong) devastated last December 16, 2011. This year, Bayani Challenge is focusing on five activities that all GK members hope will plant the seeds of hope on the ground by building communities and fostering friendships that are critical to nation-building. These activities are Building of Homes, Paraisong Pambata, School Build, Environment, and Community Health.Bayani Challenge is a program of Gawad Kalinga and Pilipinas Natin that involves thousands of volunteers from all over in making a difference in our community, said Gerard Quiaoit, Singles for Christ coordinator for Misamis Oriental. Quiaoit said that simply put, Bayani Challenge is a challenge to help improve our community. In Barangay Iponan, Bayani Challenge 2012 is giving psychosocial intervention to the children of the 51 families (245 individuals) whose homes were totally destroyed by Sendong and who are temporarily sheltered in the barangay gymnasium.

Local News
tonio, a GK mission volunteer. This years Bayani Challenge, especially the Paraisong Pambata, is really for the benefit of the Sendong Survivors, said Jenny Bobadilla, Iponan relocation camp manager of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Bobadilla said that it is also important to give attention to children in the relocation centers so that interventions can be given them in the forms of games and other children-appropriate programs to help them cope with the traumatic experience of Sendong. And this is being done through the Paraisong Pambata, she added. Quiaoit also said that in Sitio Bolonsori, Barangay Camamanan, other volunteers are helping the Sendong Survivors who sought shelter there to rebuild their homes through the Build-

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 8
April 9 - 22, 2012

Bayani Challenge 2012 benefits Sendong Survivors

ing of Homes program. All the activities are being simultaneously done all over the beneficiary areas in all the five areas Bayani Challenge is focusing on this year, he said. With the help of the Pilipinas Natin, the flagship project of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), Bayani Challenge 2012 intends to awaken the bayani in every Filipino and test how far one would go in the spirit of volunteerism for community development. This project also wishes to highlight the urgency of coming together for a common cause, which is to build a better Philippines for the coming generations to enjoy. It is inherent in every Filipino to care and this is our chance to show the world that together, we can build a strong nation, PCOO Secretary Sonny Coloma said in a press statement. (Bong D. Fabe)

PARAISONG PAMBATA. Children of Sendong survivors enjoy themselves during a game with volunteers from Human Nature CDO on the second day of Paraisong Pambata of the Bayani Challenge 2012 in Barangay Iponan, April 10.

The intervention is through the Paraisong Pambata, a program that will try to create an environment of fun and learning for children through feeding programs, story-telling sessions,

art lessons, games and sports clinic. There are 87 children aged 2 to 12 years old in Iponan who are benefiting from Paraisong Pambata, said coordinator Lester Be-

Tree planting in Kalinga to coincide with Earth Day celebration

A SYNCHRONIZED tree planting activity is scheduled on April 24 and 25 in the Province of Kalinga, coinciding with the Earth Day celebration. In a press statement, the Provincial Government of Kalinga said the leading agencies on the tree planting project would be the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (Penro) and the local branch of the Department of Environment
Easter / A1

Create local employment for nurses, P-Noy told

KABATAAN partylist urged the Aquino government to create local employment here for our nurses, instead of relying on overseas employment. The statement was issued after the United States had announced that they would stop hiring foreign nurses until 2020. Atty. Terry Ridon, Kabataan party spokesperson and general counsel said, it is the responsibility of the Government to provide jobs to its constituents. Malacaang cannot deny the need for more nurses in our state hospitals and communities. The hemorrhage of healthcare professionals still exists and it is Aquino's duty to stop it by employing our nurses in their hundreds of thousands," the young lawyer said. He also added that the government should also resolve the alleged pay crisis that the local nurses feel. Our nurses leave because they are grossly underpaid in both private and public hospitals. Aquino should address that with haste, Ridon said. Furthermore, he also said that the State should also review its education policies, and not to reduce its labor force into mere export commodities. Only by pursuing an education policy that caters primarily to our national needs and the requirements for industrialization can our youth be assured of certain employment after graduation, he said. (Noel Sales Barcelona/CBCPNews)
Love Life / A4

and Natural Resources (DENR) there. Expected to join the tree planting are representatives from different schools, government agencies, local government units, and governmentowned and controlled corporations. The provincial government said the areas where the tree planting would happen are yet to be identified. (Noel Sales Barcelona/ CBCPNews)

to us, even sharing our humanity, the pope furthered. Hope finds meaning in the Risen Jesus The pontiff, however, acknowledged that at times hope may appear devoid of meaning when one is confronted with the harshness of evil in the world. But he also said that Jesus, by rising from the dead, has transformed the world and the whole of humanity. Jesus is someone in whom we can put absolute trust; the pontiff stressed, we can put our trust not only in his message but in Jesus himself, for the Risen One does not belong in the past, but is present today, alive. He said Jesus is present as a force of hope through his Church, which is close to all human situations of suffering and injustice.
Summit / A1

Christ is hope and comfort in a particular way for those Christian communities suffering most for their faith on account of discrimination and persecution, the pope said. Hoping for end to conflicts, bloodshed Remembering several countries that are enmeshed in various types of conflicts, the pope offered prayers, pleading that hope in the risen Christ may sustain the faith of the Christian communities in those regions. May the risen Christ grant hope to the Middle East and enable all the ethnic, cultural and religious groups in that region to work together to advance the common good and respect for human rights, the pope said. He also prayed for Syria, and urged an end to bloodshed and an immediate commitment to

the path of respect, dialogue and reconciliation, as called for by the international community. May the many refugees from that country who are in need of humanitarian assistance find the acceptance and solidarity capable of relieving their dreadful sufferings. The pope also prayed that Christs resurrection may encourage the Iraqi people to spare no effort in pursuing the path of stability and development, and that the Israelis and Palestinians in the Holy Land, may courageously take up anew the peace process. He remembered too, the various Christian communities in the African continent and prayed for peace, development, stability and religious freedom among the people of the Horn of Africa, the Great Lakes Region, Sudan and South Sudan, Mali and Nigeria.

Easter should bring conversion As the joy of Easter grips the whole of Christendom, a Catholic prelate at the home front, urged the faithful to let their rejoicing bring about conversion. Just as Jesus has died to sin and risen to life in God, so every believer should also die to sin and live for God, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle said in an Easter message. He said the joy of the resurrection should lead us to an examination of our individual and communal lives. From the tombs of hunger, ignorance, discrimination, insensitivity, selfishness, greed, and pride, let us allow Gods love to rise and be our life. Let it not be said that we chose death over God who is life, he stressed.

The Manila prelate pointed out that the celebration of Easter only shows human beings are destined to a life in God. The resurrection of Jesus is a victory of good over evil, Tagle said. In His resurrection, we now know where human history finds its culminationin sharing the very life of God. The resurrection is not a return to human earthly life, a life still subject to evil and destruction. The life that the Risen Christ now possesses is Gods very life. That is why He will not die again. Sin has no more power over Him, he said. In Jesus the Risen One, we are assured that God was, is, and will be victorious over sinfulness, viciousness, wickedness, corruption and violence. The Resurrection exposes and shatters the illusion of evildoers, the Manila archbishop stressed.

Bong D. Fabe

further the participants knowledge and understanding of the problem of AIDS in our country, as well as to dissect the objectionable provisions of the RH bill like the mandatory sex education from grade 5 to 4th year high school and providing reproductive health care services to everyone including teenagers and children, among other things. The modules are specifically designed for teachers, counselors, catechists, parents, lay leaders, youth organizers and others who work or deal with adolescents. Participants will be trained to implement the training modules on teen sexuality packaged in our manual entitled LEARNING TO LIVE AND LOVE and will be provided updated supplementary activity and reading materials. For reservations or for more info, please call Ellen at 733-7027. You may also send us a telefax at 734-9425, a text through our mobile 0919-2337783, or email us at life@prolife.org.ph.

Pro Bono / A5

in an effort to inspire communities to work for good governance and linkages between Church and local government. The conveners brought together key leaders, influencers, organizers from the provinces, as well as experts from various groups promoting good governance in barangays. The summit agreed on a consultative process, a common understanding of good governance from the perspective of faith. The summit created an environment where advocates of good governance felt they were not alone by bringing like-minded people together. Before I feel alone but now I realize we are already many! Noon suntok sa buwan ngayon marami na tayo, said Novaliches Bishop Antonio Tobias, one of the summits participants. Organizers hoped that the stories on good governance shared by participants may inspire people to do something for good governance when they go home either by engaging in efforts on good governance or by enhancing what they
Lawyer / A1

are already doing. Three priests from Cubao, Cebu, and Bukidnon and their local government counterparts had their stories documented for easier and more attractive dissemination. Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Quevedo, Gising Barangay Movement founder Manny Valdehuesa, Kabayanihan Foundation chair Alexander Lacson and veteran journalist Maria Ressa were among the speakers during the summit. Quevedo talked about the spirituality of leadership for good governance; Valdehuesa on the theme of the barangay as a small republic; Lacson on the Filipinos capacity for greatness; and Ressa on social networking and the spread of corruption and positive change. Also present were DILG Sec. Jesse Robredo, COA commissioner Heidi Mendoza and urban planner Arch. Felino Palafox, Jr. During the event, Gising Barangay Movement recognized Barangay Damilag in Bukidnon as an outstanding exam-

ple of grassroots collaboration between the chairman and the parish priest. The Dilaab Movement, on the other hand, recognized the crucial contribution of the PNP during the May 2010 elections. Corruption in the country has been considered the single biggest obstacle in the nations development. Poverty remains high and a level playing field in business is still a distant dream. Corruption remains a way of life despite good intentions and even efforts of leaders in government, business, and other sectors. The recent summit on good governance is seen as a step to bring concerned Filipinos together and become united to reverse the tide of corruption and journey together towards integrity. At the end of the summit, delegates were given CiDE (Circles of Discernment for Empowerment) Steps written materials on practical steps to help the clergy facilitate the process and work of faith-impelled social transformation with the laity taking the lead role. (Fr. Melo Diola/CBCPNews)

tended Family, by David F. Forte, Professor of Law, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (USA) 7. Shortened Legal Family vs. Extended Social Family, by Carmen Garcimartn, Professor of Law, University of La Corua (Spain) 8. A legal approach to Genetics as a challenge to intergenerational solidarity, by Jorge Nicols Lafferrierem, Facultad de Derecho Pontificia Universidad Catlica Argentina 9. Working Towards a European Concept of Parenthood and Parental Responsibilities, by Nigel Lowe, Cardiff University Law School 9. Are facts thicker than blood? by Carlos Martnez de Aguirre, Professor of Civil Law, University of Saragossa (Spain). 10. Live and Die in Solitude Away from the Family Issues Relating to Unattended Death Kodokushi in Japan, by Teiko Tamaki, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Niigata University (Japan) 11. Duties vs. Rights: Differing ModTidbits / A4

els of Family Law, by J. David Bleich of the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law 12. Reclaiming Family: A Case for Generative Solidarity, by Jo Aurea M. Imbong, Esq., University of Asia and the Pacific (Philippines), and the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines The latter piece is dedicated to each one of you (yes, you again). For you do not do battle for its consolations. The act of waging it is already the reward, the call to arms already an honor. What I bring to Doha, I bring back to you as a personal tribute to your continued fidelity. In case you cannot make it, all Papers will be posted and accessible after the Symposium at the International Journal of Jurisprudence of the Family (IJJF), a new law journal that is being published by Wm. S. Hein & Co. in both the usual printed format and online in the Journals database of HeinOnline. God is smiling already. (Feedback: attyjoimbong@gmail.com)

longer surprising to hear and read such ridiculous and frivolous position. Recalling several incidents involving students which showed the young peoples lack of good judgment and which made for newspaper fodder for several days, Macalintal said that at least for Filipinos, there is no rhyme nor reason to remove or refrain parents from exercising their parental control and extension of parental guidance
Ecumenical / A1

to their young children. Our culture and tradition are so different from other modern countries and I am still hopeful that a great majority of our youth of today and their parents uphold a high degree of standards in their moral and family values. Our Filipino youth should continue honoring and respecting their parents who remain the wind beneath their wings as they continue to fly and aim for higher

goals and endeavors, he added. The push by IPPFwhich has lobbied worldwide for the legalization and for repeal of laws preventing legal access to abortionto make parental authority irrelevant in the lives of their children particularly concerning access to reproductive health services, becomes more significant as the United Nations Commission on Population and Development is

considering giving sexual and reproductive health and rights to children as young as 10 years. That the right to sexual and reproductive health will be defined as including access to abortion and contraception is a possibility, given developments that have been taking place on the international level as regards reproductive health services and comprehensive sex education. (CBCP for Life)

custom. This is very saddening. On the other hand, the WFM tells the people to reflect on the very essence of Easter and become the bearer of its messagethat we have life in the Lord. As E. P. Goodwin said, This Eastertime brings us the assurance that when He comes and shall descend from

heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God, believers who sleep in Christ and those then living will be caught up together to meet Him in the air, and all will be, as in the twinkling of an eye, transformed and transfigured and possessed of bodies as perfect and as glorious as His own and

in these glorious and resplendent bodies we shall reign and rejoice forever. We are hoping that this Easter 2012 celebration will become our stepping stone in our success of reaching the goal of life eternal and to be a blessing to others in need, the WFM statement ended. (Noel Sales Barcelona/CBCPNews)

Paul though converted to the faith and had an intense experience of the risen Lord in his life was not exempted from inwardly contending with his own personal existential problem of sin and evil that in his estimation had no end. And so, disgusted with his fate, he agonizingly once exclaimed: In my inmost self I dearly love Gods Law, but I can see that my body follows a different law that battles against the law which my reason dictates. This is what makes me a prisoner of that law of sin which lives inside my body. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body doomed to death? (Rm 7:22-24). The resurrection of Jesus has not taken away from man his suffering, heartaches, pain of separation, death. But it does implant to each one of us, that substance, that pledge, that energy, to face all kinds of trials with courage. This hope gives us this evidence that the triumph of Jesus over suffering and

death, is also our triumph over suffering and death. After all, meditating deeply into the mystery of the resurrection of Our Lord one would soon realize that the real miracle of the rising of Jesus from the dead is what it reveals, that is, the indescribable love of God. He is the tremendous lover who keeps watch over us in spite of our pettiness, our failures, our constant rejection of love, our ugliness. As John expressed it beautifully: For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him (3: 16-17). Unconditional love of God: that is the reality revealed to us in the Season of Easter, the miracle that we should relish and with full-throated faith sing: Alleluia, Christ is truly risen, Alleluia.

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 8
April 9 - 22, 2012

Diocesan News

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60 Sendong-survivor families transferred to Xavier EcoVille

shelter camps and evacuation centers co-managed by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Camaman-an, Lapasan, Kauswagan, Macasandig, West City Central School, Agusan Elementary School, Xavier Heights, Barangay 24, Isla de Oro, Carmen, Patag, Macabalan, Tibasak, and provincial capitol. EcoVille Camp Manager Brian Lustre of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that the 7th Batch were composed of 25 families who took shelter at the Xavier Heights covered court; 10 families from the West City Central School; 1 family from the Provincial Capitol ground; 5 families from Tambo; 1 family from Camaman-an; 1 Crusher family; 1 family from Patag; 1 family from Barangay 24; 3 families from Lapasan; 6 families from Pasil, Kauswagan; 5 families from Macabalan; and 1 family from City Central School. A total of 49 children aged 0 to 19 were among those who were moved from the temporary shelters to the bunkhouses at EcoVille. Merry Rose Mejia, 40, who is wheelchair-bound because of polio, said that she now can breathe freely. Feeling nako makaginhawa na kog dako, dili pareho atong naa pa kita sa tent nga murag huot kaayo akong ginhawa (I feel that I can freely breath now unlike when I was still at the tent where I felt I cant breathe), she said. She said that unlike in the temporary evacuation center at the West City Central School where she and her husband and 3 small children evacuated at the height of Tropical Storm Washi on the night of December 16, 2011, she feels secure at the Xavier Ecoville. Didto sa tent, mahadlok man kita kung unsay mahitabo panahon sa atong paghinanok sa gabii. Diri, at least plastar ug secure kita (At the tent, we were afraid what might happen while we were sleeping at night. Here, at least we are secure), she added. Ruperto Misteriola, 67, and Erasto Mabaylan Jr., 51, whose houses at Isla Puntod in Barangay Balulang were washed out by the floods expressed gratefulness that their families were among those chosen to be transferred to EcoVille. Mabaylan said in the vernacular that we cannot but accept the offer extended to our family to transfer to EcoVille. Although it is a little bit far from our source of livelihood, at least there we can have a semblance of a normal life in a community unlike here in the evacuation center as his hands and eyes sweep the surroundings at the Xavier Heights covered courts where he brought his family when TS Washi struck last December. Mabaylan is a buko vendor and moonlight as a construction worker whenever there is an opportunity in order to augment his meagre income from selling buko. Dako kaayo ako pasalamat sa Ginoo, sa IOM ug sa Xavier University sa ilang tabang kanamo nga ila kaming napili nga mopuyo sa bunkhouses sa EcoVille (I am very grateful to God, to IOM and to Xavier University for choosing us to live in the bunkhouses at EcoVille), said Vilma Nuez, a coffee and cigarette vendor from Isla de Oro who was temporarily sheltered at the Agusan Elementary School evacuation center. At EcoVille, a sprawling 5.3 hectare community on a land owned by Xavier University and co-managed by IOM, Sendong Survivors can live normally as they slowly rebuild their lives with the help of various organizations. (Bong D. Fabe)
Photo courtesy of Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro

Temporary shelters are built for families of typhoon victims on the grounds of San Jose de Mindanao Seminary in Cagayan de Oro City, prior to their transfer to a proper relocation site.

CAGAYAN DE ORO CityA total of 60 Sendong Survivor-families were transferred to the bunkhouses Xavier EcoVille in Barangay Lumbia, bringing to 314 families the total number of actual occupants in the 500 bunkhouses in the relocation site.

The latest addition, the 7th Batch of survivors to have been transferred from different evacuation centers, were persons with disabilities (PWDs), female-led households, single parent households and the elderlies. They were temporarily based in

Ecumenical group urges P-Noy to address oil price hike, demolition

QUEZON CityThe Working Faith Movement (WFM), a group of young Christian professionals from different denominations, urged the Benigno C. Aquino III Government to resolve the crisis of oil price hike and demolition as it affects the livelihood of the Filipino people, especially the poor. We are hoping that Mr. Aquino would be the ruler, as the Psalmist prayed for blessings in Psalms 72, who will deliver the needy when they call, who will have pity on the weak and the needy, and will redeem the Filipino people from oppression and violence, that violence called poverty, injustice, and hunger, the WFM stated. [With] the sudden spike of the number of unemployed and underemployed, as the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) report stated, it is not impossible that many of our Filipino brothers and sisters are now in need of relief from the energy rate and petroleum price hikes, the WFM said. The latest SWS survey shows that the adult unemployment rate reached 24.0 per cent during the last quarter of 2011, or an equivalent of 9.7 million people. The WFM also said that it is quite saddening that the government, who is headed by a supposed pious leader, as Mr. Aquino is a devout Catholic, permits the massive demolition of urban poor communities, all in the name of progress. The Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) reported that demolition in Metro Manila alone will leave around 16,000 families homeless. Our Lord Jesus Christ was once, homeless too, during his earthly ministry. And were hoping that Mr. Aquino would realize that Jesus, the Savior of the World, wants His poor brothers and sisters to be taken care of, just like what He said in Matthew 25:34-36, Then the king will say to those at his right hand, Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me, the WFM stated. The WFM meanwhile, urged President Aquino to craft and implement laws and programs that will help the poor to improve their lives. We encourage Mr. Aquino to review the current economic and social policies being implemented here, in the country, and create policies, programs and projects that will benefit the poor. He should remind himself that it is incorrect to let his kababayans to be the subject of too much profiteering, as Yahweh is angry with oppressing the poor just to rake profits. As the Bible said, He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich both come to poverty. (Cf. Proverbs 22:16), the WFM said. The WFM also reminded the President that He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God. (Proverbs 14:31) (Noel Sales Barcelona)

Briefing
Pasig youth leaders renew faith through fellowship

PASIG CityAround 120 youth leaders from different parish youth ministries, religious organizations and schools in the Diocese of Pasig, gathered for a one-day fellowship last March 10 to renew their faith. Organized by the Pasig diocesan youth ministry (PDYM), the fellowship brought together youth ministers from different youth ministry settings for a common experience that will hopefully lead to a more cohesive and unified diocesan youth ministry. The gathering also aimed to strengthen links and pushed for a collaborative youth ministry to effectively serve the youth of the diocese and provide a venue for sharing of experiences especially on being a youth minister. (Jandel Posion)
Saudi authorities nab 19 OFWs

Pro-mining officials need no further proof of minings destructive effectArchbishop

CAGAYAN DE ORO CityArchbishop Antonio Ledesma, SJ, had reiterated his call for a stop to all mining (legal or illegal) activities in the city and in the province of Misamis Oriental as he reprimanded once again local government officials for their business-as-usual attitude towards the extractive industry. At the same time, Ledesma also lauded the Misamis Oriental local government unit headed by Governor Oscar Moreno for its efforts at stopping mining, especially hydraulicking, activities along in the Iponan River in the municipality of Opol. The Jesuit prelate, who celebrated his 69th birthday on March 28, said he is sad that his appeal for a stop to the mining activities in the city and province had fallen on deaf ears, referring to Cagayan de Oros officials who continue to allow the destruction of its hinterlands by not putting a halt to all mining activities there. City environment committee chairman Councilor President Elipe has repeatedly said that mining activities in the citys upstream barangays had not contributed to the devastation brought by Typhoon Sendong on December 16, 2011. Elipe even challenged those who said otherwise to present proof. What more proof do they need? Various aerial photographs on the mining activities along the Iponan River and other areas show the destruction of our environment. There are even video footages on these activities, Ledesma said. Following the destruction brought by the typhoon to the city, the Archdiocese of
Farmers / A1

QUEZON CityMigrante Middle East (ME) had sounded the alarm over the arrest of 19 undocumented Filipino workers in Saudi, asking the Government to address the burgeoning problem of undocumented Filipinos working in the oil-rich kingdom. Migrante-ME regional director John Leonard C. Monterona said, the 19 were arrested March 30 (Saudi date) as the local immigration (Jawasat) and cultural (Mottawa) police had joint forces in apprehending undocumented or illegal aliens in Saudi. The said overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), who were caught in Dammam, on the Eastern part of the Kingdom, are now incarcerated in Dammam Central Jail. (Noel Sales Barcelona)
Urban poor hits P-Noys E.O.

Cagayan de Oro led renewed calls for an immediate end to all mining activities in this part of Northern Mindanao. Opposition city legislators even sponsored an ordinance to end mining activities in the city which was blocked by the pro-mining majority councilors, who respond only to the dictate of their leader, Mayor Vicente Emano. Emano even questioned the regional office of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for the MGBs alleged failure to request the city to convene the City Mining Regulatory Board (CMRB) before he issued special permits to several mining firms. Convening the CMRB chaired by the MGB director, with the mayor or his/her representative as vice chair, representatives of NGOs and mining sectors is a prerequisite before any city mayor can grant special permits to mining firms as stated in Presidential Decree No. 1899. But Emano washed his hands after questioning the MGB and said he was not aware of PD 1899. Because of this, Emano and the whole officialdom of Cagayan de Oro have drawn flak from various sectors, led by the Church as represented by Ledesma. Ledesma praised the LGUs of Misamis Oriental and Opol for immediately responding the calls to crack down on the mining activities there. But he castigated once again Cagayan de Oro City officials for playing deaf and blind to the issue. The provincial government and Opol

are much better. Until now the city officials have been silent on the mining issue. I say it again, it is unconscionable for city officials to adopt a business-as-usual attitude on the illegal mining activities along Iponan River, he stressed. Ledesma also reiterated his call for the establishment of a multi-sectoral group to monitor all mining activities and their effect on the environment. He said that he is pushing for this group, which must be composed of journalists, church people and representatives of the NGOs. At present, nobody monitors the mining activities and those willing are hindered by the presence of heavily armed guards, he said. At the very least, multi-sectoral monitoring teams should be allowed to verify on the ground the effects of these mining activities, whether small-scale or large-scale, he said. He also challenged the pro-mining city officials to show proof that mining is not destructive to the environment. In a homily during a Eucharistic celebration at the St. Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral on February 13, Ledesma challenged mining firms, their protectors and all those who are pro-mining to show proof the extractive industry can positively contribute to the common good. 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, he said. (Bong D. Fabe)

QUEZON CityThe Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap, an alliance of more than 80 urban poor organizations in the Philippines, assailed President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino IIIs EO No. 69, which places the Presidential Commission on the Urban Poor, directly under his wing. Kadamay secretary general Gloria Arellano, in a statement, said the move is nothing but a showcase and a topsy-turvy answer to the series of protests staged by different urban poor groups recently. The growing unrest among the members of the [marginalized] sector(s) fueled by unabated demolition of homes and price hikes poses a big threat to the political stability of the Aquino administration, Arellano said. (Noel Sales Barcelona)
Book / A1

sustainable communities, and ensure that the next generations still have enough resources. The book was launched March 29 as the nations observance of Womens month was about to end. Jaybee Garganera, Alyansa Tigil Minas National Coordinator expressed hopes that through the book, people will understand that their opposition against mining is not merely motivated by the unfair sharing of revenues in the mining industry. It covers important issues about women, including violations and abuses of human rights, disrespect to indigenous peoples and marginalization of women, he said. Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) is an alliance of mining-affected communities and their support groups of NGOs/POs and other civil society organizations who
Heritage / A1

are opposing the aggressive promotion of large-scale mining in the Philippines. The organization is currently pushing for a moratorium on mining, revocation of Executive Order 270-A, repeal of the Mining Act of 1995 and the passage of the Philippine Mineral Resources Act also known as the Alternative Minerals Management Bill. Garganera said that the newly-launched book is just an initial compilation, and another one will be coming out at the end of the year. We will be publishing a collection of more than 100 stories to expose the harsh impacts of mining across the country and how our mothers, wives, sisters and friends showed their strengths and courage to protect our land and Mother Earth, he explained. (CBCPNews)

Central Luzon and in Bugsuk, Pandanan, Matanglue and Gabung, all in Palawan Islands, through the use of coconut levy funds, sheer violence, influence peddling and manipulation during the term of former President Ferdinand Marcos, referred to as the Dictator. If we go back in history, Danding had entered an agreement with Marcos, with the condition that the former would get 10 hectares of land for every hectare he would give up to the national government. The deal was signed on January 5, 1973 between Danding and Marcos agriculture and natural resources ministers at that time, Hicap said. The lands were to be used as coconut seed farms. According to the book, Some are Smarter Than Others, The History of Marcos Crony Capi-

talism, written by Ricardo Manapat, the chairman of the present San Miguel Corporation, by virtue of the said agreement, had obtained some 14,673.3 hectares of land, with 10,821.23 hectares in Bugsuk alone. At the start, the agreement only covered 6,980.73 hectares of Bugsuk Island, but a special lease agreement was entered into by parties to cover another 3,852 hectares. As part of the agreement, Cojuangco was supposed to hand over his rice and sugar lands in the provinces of Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan and Occidental Mindoro in exchange for Bugsuk and other underdeveloped lands in South Palawan but he never fulfilled his part of the deal, the Pamalakaya chief said. Furthermore, aside from Bugsuk Island, Cojuangcos partner-

ship with Marcos allowed him to buy agricultural lands with depressed prices including but not limited to the 700-hectare Hacienda Bonifacia in Bago City, Negros Occidental, Hacienda Fe and three other Haciendas in La Carlota City covering 2,400 hectares, four haciendas in Pontevedra (1,085 hectares), four farms in La Castellana totaling 2,570 hectares, 300 hectare property in Mansilingan, Bacolod City, several hundred hectares of fish pond in Sta. Margarita, Samar, 5,210 hectares in Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur, the 11,000 hectare Hacienda Santa Isabel in Ilagan, Isabela and 2,085 hectare hacienda San Antonio also in Ilagan, Isabela, said Hicap. Hicap said that the DAR should also take over other Danding lands for free land distribu-

tion that include Hacienda Nieva in Himalayan, Negros Occidental, Inampolugan Island in Guimaras, cacao and coconut plantations in Guihing in Davao del Sur, the two cacao plantations and a prawn far in Malita, Davao del Sur, cocoa, coconut and palm plantations in Agusan del Norte and Davao and other prime agricultural lands used by Danding for fish and prawn farm, coconut, sugar and cocoa plantations in Pampanga, Tarlac, Negros Occidental, Davao provinces, Bohol, Palawan and Agusan. Just like the Hacienda Luisita, Dandings lands were exempted from land reform through antifarmer laws like CARL and CARPer, using the stocks distribution option (SDO) as shield, the fisherfolk leader said. (Noel Sales Barcelona/CBCPNews)

the youth are also expected to valorize natural heritage in which cultural heritage is embedded, he added. Officially part of the National Heritage Month celebrations, Angat Kabataan, which is now on its third year, will be held in cooperation with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Since the first time it was held, Angat Kabataan has been featuring seminars and workshops, which are conducted by heritage preservation experts. This year, the organizers have invited JEFARCA, a group formed by high school students who have successfully given birth to a reputable organization that ensures the preservation of heritage sites in Bulacan.

Representatives from Escuela Taller, an arts-and-crafts training program funded by the Spanish Government for the poor but artistically inclined Filipino youth, will also provide seminar-workshops. A tour around the historical sites in Iloilo will be a major part of the heritage pilgrimage. Other partner institutions in the organization of Angat Kabataan 2012 are CBCPs Permanent Committee for the Cultural Heritage of the Church and Commission on Youth; the Archdiocese of Jaro; San Agustin Museum; the local government units of Iloilo, Miag-ao, and San Joaquin; the University of San Agustin; and the Escuela Taller. (Levine Lao)

A8

People, Facts & Places

CBCP Monitor

Vol. 16 No. 8

April 9 - 22, 2012

Catholic Youth network declares united stance vs RH bill

A NETWORK of Church-mandated youth groups and movement has come out with a solidified stance of the Filipino Catholic Youth for Life denouncing the Anti-Life component of the Reproductive Health bill. The Federation of National Youth Organization (FNYO), a network of mandated Catholic youth groups and movement recognized by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines-Episcopal Commission on Youth (CBCP-ECY) has recently released an official statement of the Filipino Catholic youth for Life against the controversial measure. Emphasizing four major points, the FNYO statement argues that the root of poverty in the country is corruption in government; strong family values is a great cultural trait of Filipinos; everything that prevents life is a violation of human right to life and dignity; and promoting the RH bill with its anti-life component in a Christian nation such as the Philippines goes, against the citizens long held Christian values and beliefs. Under FNYO are 22 Catholic youth organizations that include Chiro Pilipinas, Salesian Youth Movement FMA and SDB, Student Catholic Action of the Philippines, Institucion TeresianaYouth, Franciscan Youth Philippines, Canossian Youth Movement, Catholic Youth Organization, Junior Catholic Womens League, CFC-Youth for Christ, CFC-Youth for Family and Life, CFC-Singles for Christ, CFC-Singles for Family and Life, Christs Youth in Action, Christian Life Community of the Philippines, Columbian Squires, Filipino-Chinese Catholic Youth, Filipino Youth with a Mission, Mary help of Christians Crusade, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Tarcisian Adorers, Youth for Mary and Christ, and Youth for a United World-Focolare. The groups denounced the claim of the bills proponents that poverty is caused by overpopulation, hence the need to pass the RH bill. How can the passing of RH Bill be a solution to this problem? Instead of funding efforts to pass such a bill, the government should direct the funds to the poor, the groups declared in their statement. We cannot understand why even the funds [allotted] for them should be pocketed by corrupt legislators. The government should continue exploring possibilities of partnership with the private sector in providing equal opportunities for our people like work and livelihood programs; help them to stand on their own and uplift them from their miserable condition, they said. Their statement also noted that despite changing times, the Filipino families remain conservative in their faith and beliefs, stating that the high regard and respect to parents as first teachers to their children is a fact that influences the strong family ties. Efforts then on how to educate chil-

dren about sex and sexuality should start at home and should be done by parents, it said. The groups pointed out that parents should also be educated so that they would be better equipped teachers of life to their children. Let us fund programs to educate parents because Sex Education to pupils in Grade V up to students in High School is a threat to the FiliRepresentatives from Catholic youth groups under the Federation of National Youth Organization (FNYO) declared in a statement their unified stand against the reproductive health bill. pino families at large that will create more problems than solutions, they added. pre-marital sex, and statistics of sex- pills, it is okay to have sex with anyone, Noting that the bill promotes the use related crimes among teenagers that anytime, anywhere. With condoms [ofof contraceptives, the groups stressed include sexual abuse, gang rape and fering false] safety and protection, cases that women should be empowered sex-date also increases, where the rate of HIV-AIDS also have increased in the by educating them on the side effects of men getting into extra-marital sex Philippines, they furthered. The group further said that free of contraceptives which according to also goes up. This also means that incident of infidel- choice is not a Christian value, [inmany studies, have even resulted to ity increases which results to separation stead] being free to choose life is deaths among women. Besides failure to prevent preg- and break-up, broken families, unwanted Christian. Hence today we announce our nancy, contraceptives have caused more pregnancies, etc. These must be the results serious threat to womens reproductive of safe sex culture that the use of con- united stance for Life and in solidarity denounce the Anti-Life component of health. Contraceptives are abortifacients doms promotes, they reiterated. Making contraceptives accessible the Reproductive Health (RH) bill, the that prevent life. Let us not turn the womens life-bearing womb into a use- allows people especially the youth groups stated. The statement was released March 26, to use them to their own pleasurable less tomb, the groups said. Survey and studies show that more advantage. These and a lot more are ex- as the Church celebrated the Feast of the and more young people engage into pressions saying that with condoms and Annunciation. (Jandel Posion)

Cabanatuan youth to hold vocation vigil

IN preparation for the 50th Golden Anniversary of the Diocese of Cabanatuan, the Diocesan Commission on Vocation and Youth Commission will hold an overnight vigil for vocations at the College of Immaculate Conception on April 27-28. Around 500 to 600 participants are expected to join the youth event themed Vocation: the Spirit of the Love of God. Joannie Bolisay, diocesan youth coordinator, said the inspiration for the theme was taken from the message of the Holy Father for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, which is Vocations, the Gift of the Love of God to be celebrated on April 29, the Fourth Sunday of Easter. Dubbed as Vocation 50/50, the activity aims to send 50 seminarians on the dioceses 50th year in 2013. As of now, the overnight vocation vigil will be the first program for the upcoming celebration, we wanted to know the response of the youth in order to make vocation and youth programs suitable for their needs, Bolisay said. Bolisay pointed out that the vigil also aims to deepen vocation awareness among the young people, to promote the vocation to priesthood and religious life and the launching of vocation programs within the diocese. Diocesan vocation director, Fr. Sedfrey Calderon hopes that through the vigil, young people may spend and keep watch with the Good Shepherd through prayer, sharing of stories and showcasing of talents for them to discern more fully their life direction. The vocation vigil is a program of the vocation commission with the help of the youth commission of Cabanatuan diocese. (Jandel Posion)

First Catholic Church soon to rise in Sagada

THE Vicariate of BontocLagawe will finally have its first Catholic Church in Sagada as its construction is set to get underway this year. The church will be built in Sagada town and will also serve as the new center of the Churchs mission at the place. In our desire to expand the Catholic presence in Sagada, we see the need to continue the construction of a shrine, said Fr. Pablo Lumiwan, Sagada Mission Rector. The church will also provide devotional destination for Catholic tourists who are looking for a church nearby where they can pray or celebrate the Eucharist, Lumiwan said. The ground breaking for the church was held in 2009 but its construction was delayed due to lack of funding. Concert for a cause Organizers are hoping for a huge turnout for an upcoming fundraising concert in order to augment Sagada mission centers limited resources for the project. The Sagada In My Mind concert will be held at the chapel of the University of Santo Tomas on May 4 in coordination with the USTs Santisimo Rosario Parish. Performers include the renowned choir of Coro San Jacinto and Cagayan State University Ensemble under the baton of Fr. Ranhilio Aquino together with UST Symphony Orchestra. The concert aims to raise the awareness and generosity of the faithful in supporting our Vicariate to achieve the dream of establishing our own church in such beautiful town, said Lumiwan. Sagada, a pine-clad town in Mountain Province, is known for its idyllic sceneries and places of cultural interests. It also boasts of cloud covered mountains, magnificent caves, graceful rice terraces and dramatic falls for adventurist tourists to explore. The dominant denomination/religion in Sagada is the Episcopalian/Anglican Church since they were the first missionaries who arrived in the area circa 1907. The Catholic mission of the Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe is still confined to the far-flung Barangay of Kilong which is still 30 minutes drive from the town center. This explains why until now we still have no Catholic Church in the town proper for our Catholic tourist to visit or attend Masses, said Lumiwan. (CBCPNews)

Youth urged to evangelize the digital world

THE Commission on Youth of the Archdiocese of Manila held its 47th series of Ka-Talk forum at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran, last March 24. Themed Media in Mission the seminar was in response to Pope Benedict XVIs 45th World Communications Day message to make good use of your presence in the digital world. This years Ka-Talk forum focused on the things that a simple youth can contribute while using media and other online applications. The youth were also encouraged to use inspirational messages, photos and videos in their presence in the digital world. Manila Archbishop Luis Tagle said that the digital world is one of the most important venues where evangelization is needed. He said the young people should be missionaries by heart, to follow Jesus examples and share Him especially in the digital world. Speaker during the event was Fr. Francis Lucas, CBCP Episcopal Commission on Social Communications and Mass media executive secretary, who urged forum participants not [to] use the web in spreading lies and social networking sites for selfish reasons. Lucas, who is president of the Catholic Media Network (CMN), also sat as one of the panellists, that include Mr. Paolo Antonio Gonzales, Multimedia Training and Production Manager of (The Garage) Jesuits Communications Foundations; and Ms. Bob Lopez, Training Department Head of Communications Foundation for Asia (CFA). A symbolic pledge was made by the participants after the event, to challenge them to become living witnesses of Gods love and peace in the digital world.
Photo courtesy of ACY Media Ministry

Markings
ORDAINED. Rev. Jomar J. Burgos, LRMS, Rev. Douglas D. Badong, HASS, Rev. Nicanor A. Celiano, Jr., and Rev. Moises Eduardo S. Ciego; to the Sacred Order of Deacons; March 10, 2012 at the LayForce Chapel, San Carlos Seminary, Makati City. Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle led the ordination rites. The newly ordained deacons are now serving at the following parishes: Rev. Burgos, a resident deacon of the Immaculate Conception Parish; Rev. Badong, resident deacon of the Most Holy Trinity Parish; Rev. Celiano, resident deacon of Saint Anthony of Padua Parish; and Rev. Ciego, resident deacon of Saint John Mary Vianney Parish. CONFERRED. Most Rev. Luis Antonio G. Tagle, DD, STD with an honorary degree (Doctor of Humanities, honoris causa) by the San Beda College, March 30, 2012. The conferment was conducted by Dr. Napoleon K. Juanillo, Jr, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Arts at Plaza Montserrat during the Special Academic Convocation and 110th Commencement Exercises of the said college. The citation was authorized by Dr. Catherine Q. Castaeda, NCR Director, Commission on Higher Education and was read by the Rector-President Very Rev. Fr. Aloysius Ma. A. Maranan, OSB. CELEBRATED. Fifteen sisters of the Religious of the Virgin Mary made their perpetual profession on March 25 at the RVMs Our Lady of the Assumption Chapel in N. Domingo, Quezon City. San Fernando, Pampanga Auxiliary Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, was Presider and Homilist during the Thanksgiving Mass. The Sisters who professed the final vows were: Sr. Maria Dolorosa Satban of Noemuti, TTU, Indonesia to be assigned in St. Marys Novitiate, Soe, TTS, Indonesia; Sr. Maria Janet Napao Bayron of Naga, Minaoag, Dipolog City to be assigned with the Filipino Community in Centro-Pilipino, Basilica Sta. Podenziana, Roma, Italy; Sr. Maria Novita Marsi Simo of Nagakeo, Indonesia to be assigned in Vescovado, Cuneo, Italy; Sr. Maria Maryetis Kapitan of Buraen, Kupang, Indonesia to be assigned in the RVM Community in Rote, Ndao, Indonesia; Sr. Maria Yosefina Hoar Nahak of Besikama, Belu, Indonesia to be assigned in Oratorio di San Pietro, Rome, Italy; Sr. Maria Becita Kuftalanof Naiola, Noemuti, TTU, Indonesia to be assigned in the Mother Ignacia School, Penfui, Kupang, Indonesia; Sr. Maria Emirensiana Malaof Susu of Oebkin, Noemuti, TTU, Indonesia to be assigned in Susteran RVM, Niki-Niki, Indonesia; Sr. Maria Det of Borong, Manggarai, Flores, Indonesia to be assigned in the Immaculate Conception Ladies Hall, Espana, Manila; Sr. Maria Grace Obedencio Celocia of Balingasag, Misamis Oriental to be assigned in St. Marys Academy, Caloocan City; Sr. Maria Maryanti Tefa of Besikama Belu, Indonesia to be assigned in Susteran RVM, Rote, Ndao, Indonesia; Sr. Maria Doris of Kupang, Indonesia to be assigned in St. Marys College of Meycauayan, Bulacan; Sr. Maria Yovita Klau of Besikama, Belu, Indonesia to be assigned in Lourdes College, Cagayan de Oro City; Sr. Maria Adrialen Bacan Vallecera of Patpat, Baungon, Bukidnon to be assigned in St. Marys College, Quezon City; Sr. Maria Margaretha Teti Wathun of Lewoleba, Lembata, Indonesia to be assigned in the RVM District House in Rome; and Sr. Maria Imelda Susar of Laktutus, Belu, Indonesia to be assigned in the Mother Ignacia Ladies Dormitory in Merdeka, Kupang, Indonesia.

The "Ka-Talk" forum held recently by the Archdiocese of Manila's Commission on Youth encourages youth participants to use the media and online applications as means for evangelization.

A total of 526 youth participants from different parishes, dormitories, schools and organizations within the archdiocese together with invited youth groups in Metro Manila attended the event. (Ryan Rayos/Jandel Posion)

Cubao launches JAM league season 4

THE Ministry for Youth Affairs (MYA) of Cubao diocese launched the 4th season of Jesus and Me (JAM) Brethren League (JBL4) last March 18 at the Transfiguration of Our Lord Parish. Promised to be a bigger and better league, JBL Season 4 has included not only new sporting events, but also socio-cultural events which will involve more youth from the vicariates, read the statement from the MYA Cubao website. MYA Cubao Minister Fr. Ronald Jojo Monis briefed members of the Diocesan Parish Youth Ministry (DPYM) core group about the idea that the said league will be open to all parish youth ministry members regardless whether they have undergone the JAM program or not. The diocesan league will constitute six teams representing six vicariate of the said diocese; the parishes of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, San Pedro Bautista, Holy Family, Sto. Nio, St. Joseph and Sta. Rita. JBL4 is set to open on May 9 with choral games and will last until May 26 with the dance competitions at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral School gym. There are seven core virtues that the Jesus and Me (JAM) Brethren League Athletes consider to be very valuable in the practice of the faith for the athletes and those involved in the world of sports and competitions. The seven core values are Charity, Honesty, Meekness, Moderation, Purity, and Good-Sportsmanship. JAM program is one of the continuous programs of Cubao diocesan youth ministry. After every JAM workshop-seminar, a JAM Brethren League takes place to foster camaraderie among the young people in the diocese. (Jandel Posion)

Pasig to conduct 1st binhi youth camp

THE Pasig Diocesan Youth Ministry (PDYM) has organized the 1st Binhi Youth Camp that will take place in Rancho Bueno, Antipolo City on April 27-29. Why Binhi? It is because the camps theme is taken from Matthew 13:3-9 which is the Parable of the Sower, according to PDYM events head Ella Alfaro. The priority objective of the camp is for youth leaders (who are ningas-kugon) to become passionate and committed to their service to the young and for youth ministers (who are committed and dedicated to service) to become more effective in serving the young by being equipped and qualified. Organizers also want the participants to have a better understanding of the broad contexts in which the youth live and grow. The youth gathering will also be a venue for participants to learn, appreciate and apply the deeper foundations of Catholic Youth Ministry and to become more committed to their on-going formation and growth in the light of Gospel values. Diocesan Youth Director Fr. Joeffrey Brian Caturian will be the camp director. Around 300 to 400 young people from parishes, schools and youth organizations/ movement within the diocese are expected to attend. Participants will be asked a solidarity share of Php1,000.00 during the registration. (Jandel Posion)

Raymond Bandril / CBCPMedia

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 8
April 9 - 22, 2012

Pastoral Concerns

B1

With the resurrection of Jesus, light itself is created anew

(Homily of His Holiness Benedict XVI at Easter Vigil, St. Peters Basilica, April 7, 2012)
is and creates brightness. It is daylight, which makes it possible for us to act. To say that God created light means that God created the world as a space for knowledge and truth, as a space for encounter and freedom, as a space for good and for love. Matter is fundamentally good, being itself is good. And evil does not come from Godmade being, rather, it comes into existence through denial. It is a no. At Easter, on the morning of the first day of the week, God said once again: Let there be light. The night on the Mount of Olives, the solar eclipse of Jesus passion and death, the night of the grave had all passed. Now it is the first day once againcreation is beginning anew. Let there be light, says God, and there was light: Jesus rises from the grave. Life is stronger than death. Good is stronger than evil. Love is stronger than hate. Truth is stronger than lies. The darkness of the previous days is driven away the moment Jesus rises from the grave and himself becomes Gods pure light. But this applies not only to him, not only to the darkness of those days. With the resurrection of Jesus, light itself is created anew. He draws all of us after him into the new light of the resurrection and he conquers all darkness. He is Gods new day, new for all of us. But how is this to come about? How does all this affect us so that instead of remaining word it becomes a reality that draws us in? Through the sacrament of baptism and the profession of faith, the Lord has built a bridge across to us, through which the new day reaches us. The Lord says to the newly-baptized: Fiat luxlet there be light. Gods new daythe day of indestructible life, comes also to us. Christ takes you by the hand. From now on you are held by him and walk with him into the light, into real life. For this reason the early Church called baptism photismosillumination. Why was this? The darkness that poses a real threat to mankind, after all, is the fact that he can see and investigate tangible material things, but cannot see where the world is going or whence it comes, where our own life is going, what is good and what is evil. The darkness enshrouding God and obscuring values is the real threat to our existence and to the world in general. If God and moral values, the difference between good and evil, remain in darkness, then all other lights, that put such incredible technical feats within our reach, are not only progress but also dangers that put us and the world at risk. Today we can illuminate our cities so brightly that the stars of the sky are no longer visible. Is this not an image of the problems caused by our version of enlightenment? With regard to material things, our knowledge and our technical accomplishments are legion, but what reaches beyond, the things of God and the question of good, we can no longer identify. Faith, then, which reveals Gods light to us, is the true enlightenment, enabling Gods light to break into our world, opening our eyes to the true light. Dear friends, as I conclude, I would like to add one more thought about light and illumination. On Easter night, the night of the new creation, the Church presents the mystery of light using a unique and very humble symbol: the Paschal candle. This is a light that lives from sacrifice. The candle shines inasmuch as it is burnt up. It gives light, inasmuch as it gives itself. Thus the Church presents most beautifully the paschal mystery of Christ, who gives himself and so bestows the great light. Secondly, we should remember that the light of the candle is a fire. Fire is the power that shapes the world, the force of transformation. And fire gives warmth. Here too the mystery of Christ is made newly visible. Christ, the light, is fire, flame, burning up evil and so reshaping both the world and ourselves. Whoever is close to me is close to the fire, as Jesus is reported by Origen to have said. And this fire is both heat and light: not a cold light, but one through which Gods warmth and goodness reach down to us. The great hymn of the Exultet, which the deacon sings at the beginning of the Easter liturgy, points us quite gently towards a further aspect. It reminds us that this object, the candle, has its origin in the work of bees. So the whole of creation plays its part. In the candle, creation becomes a bearer of light. But in the mind of the Fathers, the candle also in some sense contains a silent reference to the Church. The cooperation of the living community of believers in the Church in some way resembles the activity of bees. It builds up the community of light. So the candle serves as a summons to us to become involved in the community of the Church, whose raison dtre is to let the light of Christ shine upon the world. Let us pray to the Lord at this time that he may grant us to experience the joy of his light; let us pray that we ourselves may become bearers of his light, and that through the Church, Christs radiant face may enter our world (cf. LG 1). Amen. DEAR Brothers and Sisters, Easter is the feast of the new creation. Jesus is risen and dies no more. He has opened the door to a new life, one that no longer knows illness and death. He has taken mankind up into God himself. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, as Saint Paul says in the First Letter to the Corinthians (15:50). On the subject of Christs resurrection and our resurrection, the Church writer Tertullian in the third century was bold enough to write: Rest assured, flesh and blood, through Christ you have gained your place in heaven and in the Kingdom of God (CCL II, 994). A new dimension has opened up for mankind. Creation has become greater and broader. Easter Day ushers in a new creation, but that is precisely why the Church starts the liturgy on this day with the old creation, so that we can learn to understand the new one aright. At the beginning of the Liturgy of the Word on Easter night, then, comes the account of the creation of the world. Two things are particularly important here in connection with this liturgy. On the one hand, creation is presented as a whole that includes the phenomenon of time. The seven days are an image of completeness, unfolding in time. They are ordered towards the seventh day, the day of the freedom of all creatures for God and for one another. Creation is therefore directed towards the coming together of God and his creatures; it exists so as to open up a space for the response to Gods great glory, an encounter between love and freedom. On the other hand, what the Church hears on Easter night is above all the first element of the creation account: God said, let there be light! (Gen 1:3). The creation account begins symbolically with the creation of light. The sun and the moon are created only on the fourth day. The creation account calls them lights, set by God in the firmament of heaven. In this way he deliberately takes away the divine character that the great religions had assigned to them. No, they are not gods. They are shining bodies created by the one God. But they are preceded by the light through which Gods glory is reflected in the essence of the created being. What is the creation account saying here? Light makes life possible. It makes encounter possible. It makes communication possible. It makes knowledge, access to reality and to truth, possible. And insofar as it makes knowledge possible, it makes freedom and progress possible. Evil hides. Light, then, is also an expression of the good that both

With him I can hope for a life that is good, full and eternal
(Message of Pope Benedict XVI delivered at the Vatican at noon of April 8, 2012 when he gave the solemn blessing urbi et orbi (to the city [of Rome] and to the world.)
DEAR Brothers and Sisters in Rome and throughout the world! Surrexit Christus, spes meaChrist, my hope, has risen (Easter Sequence). May the jubilant voice of the Church reach all of you with the words which the ancient hymn puts on the lips of Mary Magdalene, the first to encounter the risen Jesus on Easter morning. She ran to the other disciples and breathlessly announced: I have seen the Lord! (Jn 20:18). We too, who have journeyed through the desert of Lent and the sorrowful days of the Passion, today raise the cry of victory: He has risen! He has truly risen! Every Christian relives the experience of Mary Magdalene. It involves an encounter which changes our lives: the encounter with a unique Man who lets us experience all Gods goodness and truth, who frees us from evil not in a superficial and fleeting way, but sets us free radically, heals us completely and restores our dignity. This is why Mary Magdalene calls Jesus my hope: he was the one who allowed her to be reborn, who gave her a new future, a life of goodness and freedom from evil. Christ my hope means that all my yearnings for goodness find in him a real possibility of fulfillment: with him I can hope for a life that is good, full and eternal, for God himself has drawn near to us, even sharing our humanity. But Mary Magdalene, like the other disciples, was to see Jesus rejected by the leaders of the people, arrested, scourged, condemned to death and crucified. It must have been unbearable to see Goodness in person subjected to human malice, truth derided by falsehood, mercy abused by vengeance. With Jesus death, the hope of all those who had put their trust in him seemed doomed. But that faith never completely failed: especially in the heart of the Virgin Mary, Jesus Mother, its flame burned even in the dark of night. In this world, hope can not avoid confronting the harshness of evil. It is not thwarted by the wall of death alone, but even more by the barbs of envy and pride, falsehood and violence. Jesus passed through this mortal mesh in order to open a path to the kingdom of life. For a moment Jesus seemed vanquished: darkness had invaded the land, the silence of God was complete, hope a seemingly empty word. And lo, on the dawn of the day after the Sabbath, the tomb

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Updates

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 8
April 9 - 22, 2012

Administrative Justice in the Church (Part II): The Judicial Recourse against Administrative Acts
By Fr. Jaime Blanco Achacoso, J.C.D.
ADMINISTRATIONisthataspect of the power of government which, respecting the principle of legality, promotes the public good by executing the laws andto some extentinterpreting them, if necessary by supplying for the law and completing it through various normative techniques, by resolving controversies in a disciplinary as distinct from a strictly judicial fashion, and by imposing certain penalties. Given the fallible nature of human administrators, it can be expected that on occasion administrative acts may seem to violate the rights of the faithfule.g., the removal of a pastor, the dismissal of a religious, the suppression of a parish, arbitrary changes in the liturgy or even unsatisfactory provisions for the administration of the sacraments. This is the reason for the provisions for administrative justice in the new Code of Canon Law. In a previous issue of CBCP Monitor, we had tackled the so-called hierarchical recourse i.e., the impugning of an administrative act through the same line of authority that produced it. Now we shall deal with another route. The Judicial Recourse against Administrative Acts In the reform of the Code of Canon Law, the pertinent Pontifical Commission provided for the creation of administrative tribunals of different kinds and grades. Unfortunately, as previously pointed out, these tribunals inferior to the Apostolic Signatura did not appear in the final version. Thus, in the CIC the Signatura Apostolica is the lone tribunal provided for this kind of judicial recourse (c.1445, 2). Later, the Apost. Const. Pastor Bonus of John Paul II (28.VI.1988) reformed the Roman Curia, dedicating its Articles 121-124 to the Apostolic Signatura, and more specifically Art. 123 to its competence as tribunal for judicial recourse against administrative acts. a. The Object of the Judicial Recourse 1) In general: Acts of administrative power (cc. 1400, 2; 1445, 2). The norms relative to the matter also refer, more properly, to individual administrative acts (Pastir Bonus, art. 123, 1; cc.35 sq.). 2) More specifically: Individual administrative acts whether carried out by dicasteries of the Roman Curia or approved by them (PB, art.123, 1). The latter is the case when an administrative act of an inferior authority has been elevated in hierarchic administrative recourse to a Roman dicastery or simply for their approval. 3) In sum: To make a judicial recourse to the Apostolic Signatura, it is required that the administrative route has been exhausted and the matter has reached a Roman dicastery and has been confirmed by them. But no judicial recourse is possible against the acts of the Roman dicasteries if these have been approved in forma specifica by the Roman Pontiff. The reason behind this is that in such instances, the approval in forma specifica is tantamount to that act being owned by the Roman Pontiff himself, and against the act of the Roman Pontiff there is no appeal. b. Motives for Judicial Recourse Art. 123 of Pastor Bonus establishes two possible motives for the legitimate filing of a judicial administrative recourse: 1) Illegitimacy of the Administrative Act: The Signatura judges every time there is a question on whether the impugned act had violated a law, whether in the decision-making or in the procedure (1). 2) Violation of a Subjective Right: Art. 123 of PB further states that in these cases, aside from the judgment on legitimacy, this dicastery can also judge, when the one taking recourse asks for it, on the possible reparation of damages caused by the illegitimate act (2). In other words, the one taking recourse can allege the violation of his rights and ask for their judicial recognition and reparation.1 c. Parts in the Judicial Recourse 1) Active Part: The one taking recourse is that physical or juridic person who considers himself injured by an administrative act either emitted or confirmed by a Roman dicastery. Aside from the necessary processal capacity, he must have active legitimation as regards the specific case (cf. Lesson 26, 2, b.)i.e., subject of an interest and pretension. 2) Passive Part: The resisting subject is always the administrative dicastery
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that emitted or approved the administrative act being impugned (PB, art.123, 1). However, other subjects with legitimate interest that the recourse not prosper may also constitute themselves into passive parts. 3) Patronage of the Parts: The parts can only act in the process through their respective advocates, who can carry out and receive all processal acts that are not reserved to the parts themselves; however, the advocates cannotwithout special mandatecarry out anything that may be injurious to the rights of their respective parts (Normae speciales, 1968, art.99). The Judicial Process in Itself We can summarize the process in the following steps: 1) Filing of the Recourse: It must be filed within the peremptory period of 30 days from the date of official notification of the one taking recourse of the administrative act or decision, or from the date when he had legal notice of it (PB, art.123, 1; NS, art.105).

Origin and use of the Paschal Candle

Q: Can you explain the origin of the paschal candle and how long after Easter is it to be lit during Mass? Is it to be brought out into the sanctuary and lit also during weddings and funerals throughout the year, as is done in one parish I visited? -- E.L., Fresno, California A: The origin of the paschal candle is uncertain. The most likely origin is that it derived from the Lucernarium, the evening office with which early Christians began the vigil for every Sunday and especially that of Easter. In turn, this rite is probably inspired by the Jewish custom of lighting a lamp at the conclusion of the Sabbath. The rite therefore has its roots in the very beginning of Christianity. In the Lucernarium rite the light destined to dispel the darkness of night was offered to Christ as the splendor of the Father and indefectible light. This Sunday rite was logically carried out with greater solemnity during the Easter Vigil. There is clear evidence that this solemn rite began no later than the second half of the fourth century. For example, the use of singing a hymn in praise of the candle and the Easter mystery is mentioned as an established custom in a letter of St. Jerome, written in 384 to Presidio, a deacon from Piacenza, Italy. Sts. Ambrose and Augustine are also known to have composed such Easter proclamations. The poetic and solemn text of the Exultet, or Easter proclamation now in use, originated in the fifth century but its author is unknown. The use of the candle has varied over the centuries. Initially it was broken up after the Easter Vigil and its fragments given to the faithful. This was later transferred to the following Sunday; but from the 10th century the use prevailed of keeping it in a place of honor near the Gospel until the feast of the Ascension (now until Pentecost). From around the 12th century the custom began of inscribing the current year on the candle as well as the dates of the principal movable feasts. The candle hence grew in size so as to merit the attribution of pillar mentioned in the Exultet. There are cases of candles weighing about 300 pounds. The procession foreseen in the present rite requires much more moderate dimensions. The paschal candle is usually blessed at the beginning of the Easter Vigil ceremonies and is placed on a special candlestick near the altar or ambo.

2) Preliminary Instruction of the Case: As soon as the recourse is received in the Chancery, and it is verified that it contains all the necessary data and documents, the Secretary notifies the dicastery which emitted the impugned act, as well as other subjects who may have legitimate interest against the recourse. The Secretary asks the concerned dicastery to submit to Section II of the Signatura all actae and documents pertinent to the case within a period of 30 days; at the same time he invites all the other subjects with legitimate interest against the recourse to constitute themselves into parts and present whatever documentation to allege and support their interests. 3) Acceptance of the Case: After the peremptory period of 30 days, the Secretary submits all the actae to the Promoter of Justice for the latter to emit a dictamen pro rei veritate. This dictamen is communicated to the parts, for them to respond if necessary. Once all these steps are done, the Chancery submits a copy

of the actae to the Congress of the Signatura, for this to decide whether the recourse should be admitted for discussion or rejected for manifest lack of foundation (NS, art.116). 4) Instruction of the Case by the Tribunal: To fix the dubium, the Secretary convokes the parts and their respective advocates to examine the contradictory (NS, art.117). Once the questions raised by the recourse are concretized and the documentation completed, the one taking recourse submits copies of the summary of the process and whatever documentation the Secretary may have indicated. At this moment, the parts have the right to present written conclusionsin which they expound their petitions as well as their bases in fact and in law (NS, art.118). 5) Sentencing by the Tribunal: The Tribunal meets within 60 days after the presentation of the copies of the summary of the process and the documents in the Chancery. After the exposition of the case by the Cardinal ponens or relator, the Promoter of Justice

emits a brief and oral votum pro rei veritate about all these matters. Immediately, the judges dictate sentence within closed doors, the decision being adopted by simple majority. The relator writes the dispositive part of the sentence, which is signed by the other judges and submitted to the Secretary (NS, art.121). 6) Execution and Effects of the Sentence: The sentence should be published as soon as possible through any of the means established by law (cc.1614-1615)the praxis of the Section II of the Signatura being by notification of the parts and their advocates. The effects are: a) The matter becomes res iudicataagainst which there is no appeal (c.1629, 1). b) Only an extraordinary recourse to the Roman Pontiff is possible.
NOTE:
1

This is in marked contrast to the criterion laid in the REU, n.106, which limited the judgment of the Signatura to the illegitimacy of the administrative act in itself, excluding any judgment regarding the subjective rights of the one taking recourse.

Who should sing the Exultet

(Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university, answers the following queries:) Q: Is there a reason for a priest to sing the Exultet even if a deacon is present who can sing it, just because the priest wants to do it himself? -- L.E., Oxon Hill, Maryland A: The rubrics in the missal state quite clearly: The Easter proclamation may be made, in the absence of a Deacon, by the priest himself or by another concelebrating priest. If, however, because of necessity, a lay cantor sings the proclamation, the words Therefore, dearest friends up to the end of the invitation are omitted, along with the greeting The Lord be with you. This rubric implies several things. One is the preference for the Exultet to be sung. This is why, when necessary, a lay cantor can substitute a priest and deacon if they are unable to sing the proclamation. Second, all things considered, the proper and preferred minister to sing the Exultet is the deacon. Therefore, a priest should not replace a sufficiently qualified deacon and certainly not just because he prefers to sing it himself. It is always possible, however, that a particular deacon (or priest) overestimates his singing ability, and a musically literate priest realizes that a relatively difficult piece such as the Exultet is really beyond him. He may therefore decide to sing it himself out of respect for the dignity of the most solemn celebration of the liturgical year, and also so as to save the deacon a moment of embarrassment before the entire parish community.
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During the ceremony, five grains of incense representing Christs wounds are inserted in the form of a cross. An alpha above the cross and an omega below (the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet) indicate that Christ is the beginning and end of all. The current year is traced on the four sides of the cross. The candle remains in the presbytery during the 50 days of Easter season and is lit for all liturgical offices. After Pentecost it is left next to the baptismal font. During the year it is lit during all baptisms and funeral services; the candle is placed next to the casket during the funeral Mass. In this way it symbolizes baptism as a death and resurrection in Christ, and also testifies to Christian certainty in the resurrection of the dead as well as to the fact that all are alive in the risen Christ. The paschal candle may also be lit for some devotional practices, such as the fairly common custom of the faithful renewing their baptismal promises on concluding retreats and spiritual exercises. Finally, while venerable legitimate customs might exist in some places, I am unaware of any official liturgical role for the paschal candle during the celebration of matrimony. and South Sudan, and grant their inhabitants the power of forgiveness. In Mali, now experiencing delicate political developments, may the glorious Christ grant peace and stability. To Nigeria, which in recent times has experienced savage terrorist attacks, may the joy of Easter grant the strength needed to take up anew the building of a society which is peaceful and respectful of the religious freedom of all its citizens. Happy Easter to all!

is found empty. Jesus then shows himself to Mary Magdalene, to the other women, to his disciples. Faith is born anew, more alive and strong than ever, now invincible since it is based on a decisive experience: Death with life contended: combat strangely ended! Lifes own champion, slain, now lives to reign. The signs of the resurrection testify to the victory of life over death, love over hatred, mercy over vengeance: The tomb the living did enclose, I saw Christs glory

as he rose! The angels there attesting, shroud with graveclothes resting. Dear brothers and sisters! If Jesus is risen, thenand only thenhas something truly new happened, something that changes the state of humanity and the world. Then he, Jesus, is someone in whom we can put absolute trust; we can put our trust not only in his message but in Jesus himself, for the Risen One does not belong to the past, but is present today, alive. Christ is hope and comfort

in a particular way for those Christian communities suffering most for their faith on account of discrimination and persecution. And he is present as a force of hope through his Church, which is close to all human situations of suffering and injustice. May the risen Christ grant hope to the Middle East and enable all the ethnic, cultural and religious groups in that region to work together to advance the common good and respect for human rights. Particularly in Syria, may

there be an end to bloodshed and an immediate commitment to the path of respect, dialogue and reconciliation, as called for by the international community. May the many refugees from that country who are in need of humanitarian assistance find the acceptance and solidarity capable of relieving their dreadful sufferings. May the paschal victory encourage the Iraqi people to spare no effort in pursuing the path of stability and development. In the Holy Land, may Israelis and Palestinians

courageously take up anew the peace process. May the Lord, the victor over evil and death, sustain the Christian communities of the African continent; may he grant them hope in facing their difficulties, and make them peacemakers and agents of development in the societies to which they belong. May the risen Jesus comfort the suffering populations of the Horn of Africa and favor their reconciliation; may he help the Great Lakes Region, Sudan

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 8
April 9 - 22, 2012

Features
By Estrellita Lantin, SFIC
THE Mission ad extra of the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of the Holy Mother of God (SFIC) in Thailand was the response of the SFIC Philippine Region in 1985 to the request from the Diocese of Ubon Ratchathani through the late Bishop Michael Bunluen Mansap. The bishop sought assistance in the diocesan pioneering work of forming Basic Human Communities (BHC) among Buddhist and Catholic sectors in the diocese. The parish of Mother of Peace in the villages of Nong Din Dam and Charoen Chai along the border of Laos and Cambodia were the pilot areas. Two Filipina Sisters were sent for this SFIC pioneering work. The mission objective was to assist in the formation of cohesive, caring, and self-reliant communities of Buddhists and Catholics. Interreligious dialogue was the spirit that permeated working and living with the villagers. Various programs and activities were organized: literacy (adult education), leadership training, income-generating projects for women (sewing), nutrition for pre-school and grade-school children in the village government school, a cow bank, and savings and credit facilities. Later on, the Sisters initiated the program on the formation of Basic Ecclesial Communities (BEC) in the diocese as well as promoting the Secular Franciscan Order (SFO). Again, the parish of Mother of Peace was the pilot area. In time, the SFO spread out in the diocese. Additional Sisters from the Philippine Province came. The expansion of SFIC mission areas elsewhere began in 1989 in terms of ministries. Formation for local

B3 Mission in Thailand
SFIC vocations came in 2000; hence, there was a need to start the SFIC community in the center of the diocese. The SFICs also help out in the educational system of a Thai diocesan congregation and in diocesan schools. Some Sisters offer assistance in the English department of the schools. One Sister helped out in the diocesan minor seminary. In 2008, the ministry to migrant Filipinos in the diocese was formally added to SFIC ministries. In Bangkok, the animation of Filipino migrants was also a priority for the SFIC ministry. Two SFICs work with two NGOs in Bangkok. Sister Ma. Elizabeth de Vera works as Network Officer with Franciscans International Asia-Pacific, which addresses issues of poverty, environment and peace building through advocacy and the delivery of workshops with Franciscans throughout the region. Sister Estrellita Lantin coordinates SVBT Program (Supporting Vulnerable Burmese Migrants in Thailand) with the Oblates of Mary Immaculate under the National Catholic Commission on Migration and Caritas Thailand. The Program hopes to empower documented/ undocumented Burmese children, youth, and adults though HIVPrevention and Health Education. There is also involvement in community education through non-formal education in the Thai and English Languages in its five learning centers. Additional activities include vocational training in computer, advocacy work through collaboration with NGOs and GOs, NCCM Staff Capacity-building, and reconciliation activities between Thais and Burmese.

MSP to hold general assembly for lay missionary collaborators

THE Mission Society of the Philippines (MSP) in cooperation with the Field Mission Auxiliary Association (FMAA) will gather more than 100 lay missionary collaborators for a nationwide general assembly on April 20-22 at the Canossa House of Spirituality in Tagaytay City. Fr. Nilo Pacuribot, MSP, director of Vocations and Promotions of the society said the gathering aims to acquaint the FMAA members with their fellow lay missionary collaborators in the whole country, and to have interactions and sharings of each

Running the Parish as a Human Enterprise

of priests and identify trends in running a parish as a human enterprise in the post-Vatican II period at the beginning of the 21st century. During the said twoday training-seminar, the participantsmade up of 7 priests from the Diocese of Daet, 14 from the military ordinariate and 13 from the different parishes in Metro Manilarevisited the fundamentals of management and supervision as applied to the services in the parishes, the formation of basic ecclesial communities and networks, the dynamics of communication, management of human, financial and informational resources in the parish as well as exposed the priests to the personal and social development challenges. The processes of the Program included, among others: question-and-answer fora, group sharing, responding to sets of questionnaire, group games

missionary experiences as a group. Other than meeting their fellow collaborators, returning missionary priests from MSP who were assigned to different mission areas outside the country will be there to share their mission experience as a priest, Pacuribot also said. Pacuribot added that the general assembly will also serve as a venue to gather new information about mission works and to garner the potential of the youth, basing it on the theme of the gathering which is MSP-FMAA Bearers of Hope for the Youth.

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle will be the key speaker for the said assembly. FMAA is the partner association of MSP in fulfilling missionary works of the society. Pacuribot explained that the groups purpose is to pray for missionaries sent to other countries for them to be firm and strong in doing Gods work; to help in finding vocations in the parish level; and to find benefactors to support the mission work of the society in order to accomplish their missionary work. (Jandel Posion)

By Tess Ramiro, PhD

LAST March 22 and 23, 2012, the Center for Professional Development for Business and Economics (CPDBE) of De La Salle University College of Business, in cooperation with the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines launched its promotional training program for parish priests on Pastoral Management: Running the Parish as a Human Enterprise. The goal of the said Program is to expose parish priests to contemporary models of development for leadership and management competencies in the context of their ministry in the dioceses in the Philippines. The launch, according to the lead Consultant of the said Program, Dr. Jimmy Cempron, also intended to collect insights on the competency development needs

From left: Prof. Leo Ortiz, Dr. Tess Ramiro, Dr. Jimmy Cempron, Msgr. Joselito Asis, Prof. Alben Bartolome and Dr. Emil Hudtohan. (Not in photo is Dr. Sammy Yap)

and undertaking energizing activities. The Program came about after several focused group discussions undertaken by the CPDBE since July-August 2011 with several lay people and priests who

were consulted on the possible content of the Program. It also went through consultations with CBCP Secretary Msgr. Joselito Asis, JCD and Asst. Sec. Gen. Fr. Marvin Mejia who facilitated the presentation of the program at

Photo courtesy of MSP

the CBCP Plenary Assembly on January 30, 2012. With the launch successfully concluded, the consultants who teamed up for the trainingDrs. Jimmy Cempron Emil Hudtohan, Tess Ramiro, Sammy Yap and

Profs. Leo Ortiz and Alben Bartolomehope that the De La Salles CPDBE will continue providing apostolic service to the Catholic Church via the further training and update of the parish priests.

May They Be One

Help Put a Bible in Every Filipino Home

Bible Campaign

arbara Bambie Crispino received her May They Be One (MTBO) Bible upon completing a Basic Bible Seminar held in the San Rafael parish in Tondo under Fr. Elpidio Biliran. Thereafter, she led a group of fellow BBS graduates every Saturday in Bible studies in the church in partnership with the MTBO Bible campaign. Many of the lessons in the Bible formation were new to the group members and surprisingly also to the lectors. Some participants discovered to their amusement that the stories of Samson and Delilah as well as that of David and Goliath were not just comic stuff but were true events recorded in the Bible. The weekly Bible studies as well as the personal Bible readings show impact on the lives of the participants. Linda (not her real name) used to cry a lot because taking care of her seriously ill husband was a heavy burden for her. But the study of Gods Word lifted her spirit and made her realize that it was a Christian wifes calling to take care and support her husband in sickness and in health. Anna (not her real name) was a lesbian who was convicted by Gods Word and decided to end an illicit relationship with her partner. Ephesians 4:24 you must put on the new self, which is created in Gods likeness and reveals itself in the true life that is upright and holy. No. of Dioceses participating in the Bible Campaign 84 out of 86 Dioceses Bibles Distributed (Jan 1, 2012 - Apr 3, 2012): 63,080 copies Bibles Distributed by Languages - Bicol (1,275 cps.) Cebuano (12,826 cps.) English (5,057 cps.), Hiligaynon (2,480 cps.), Ilocano (1,815 cps.), Pampango (5 cps.), Pangasinan (265 cps.), Samarenyo (1,492 cps.), Tagalog (37,815 cps.) Parishes/Communities served in 2011: 177 Total no. of Bibles Distributed under MTBO: 596,938 cps. Target no. of Bibles for Distribution for 2012: 600,000 cps. Total Funds Needed for Printing and Transport of Bibles in 2011: P60M Members of the MTBO Advisory Committee: Bishop Broderick S. Pabillo DD, Fr. Oscar A. Alunday, Mr. Rod G. Cornejo, Mr. Rene E. Cristobal Sr., Dr. Philip C. Flores, Mr. Dante M. Lanorio, Fr. Antonio B. Navarrete, Fr. Art B. Orense, Dr. Natividad B. Pagadut and Mr. Albert S. Tanlimco.

True Bible stories

Contraception not the solution to teen pregnancies, says UK economist

SEX education, and ultimately, contraception and abortion, are not the solutions to the growing number of teenage pregnancies in the United Kingdom, said Dr. David Paton, chair of Industrial Economics at Nottingham University Business School. It has been argued that ensuring teenagers have confidential access to family planning services and abortion will have a positive impact on teenage pregnancy and abortion rates, Paton said to life and family advocates during a Belfast conference. However, instead it can be demonstrated that the consequent reduction in perceived risk leads to increased risky behavior, and combined with contraceptive failure, the net pregnancy rate could increase. In Northern Ireland, where Paton is based, only four cases of gonorrhea were reported among the 16-and-below category in the last 10 years compared to about 160 to 200 each year in England. Northern Ireland, however, has been going the way of England in the past few years with steady increases in publicly funded sex education and family planning, including provision of the Morning After Pill. The result has been a steady creep upwards in STDs, while teen birth rates have remained unchanged. In the Philippines, the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill is being lobbied by foreign-funded organizations that include abortion groups, claiming the bill is a solution to the rising number of teenage pregnancies. It proposes taxpayer-funded, government-promoted funding of contraception in order to thwart unexpected pregnancies, including those involving sexually active teenagers. The bill also promotes a State-mandated six-year sex education program in public and private schools starting from Grade 5. (Ian Joseph Rion)

Barbara Bambie Crispino and her Tagalog May They Be One Bible.

Praise God for using the May They Be One Bible campaign, in partnership with churches and organizations, as a tool to help strengthen love and care within the family and to show Gods design for gender roles and relationships, in accordance with His Word. Pray that the Holy Spirit will hasten the pace of Bible expansion across the land and let the Word of God take deep root among families the basic units of Philippine society.
To learn more about how you can be part of the Campaign and make significant change, call us at PBS 526-7777, ECBA 527-9386 or visit www. bible.org.ph and www.ecba-cbcp.com. Donations can be made by making a deposit to the following bank accounts: PBS-MTBO Account #393-0649-34 (BPI Sta. Mesa Branch) Fax deposit slip to 521-5803 or ECBA-CBCP Account #0251-021376 (BPI-Tayuman Branch) Fax deposit slip to 527-9386. For credit card paymentsgo to PBS website (www.bible.org.ph)

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By Fr. Carmelo Diola
DUE to foot blisters, I was forced to wear these sandals for the run. I have used them from Ilocos Norte to our endpoint today, I informed a group of policemen in their athletic uniform, as I held up my worn leather sandals, still in one piece despite having seen better days. The men and women in blue were gathered at Camp Batalla in Zamboanga City, scene of an ugly incident in 1987, a stones throw from the seaport, the endpoint of the run. These sandals are reminders of an incredible journey called Takbo Maharlika (TM) I have just completed in accompanying Samson R. Tucay, as he ran the length of the Maharlika Highway, now know as Asian Highway (AH) 26. We are an odd couple, to borrow the title of a PDI article last year, since he is a retired 59 year old PNP general while I am a diocesan priest from Cebu who volunteered to keep him company. He represents running; I represent prayer. But

Features
he makes me run and I make him to pray more. In our daily fora, we called on people to bring together prayer and fitness into their lives as foundations for good citizenship and leadership. We started in Laoag City on August 8, 2011 and ended in Zamboanga City last March 23, 2012, about seven months later. That first 10 kilometers in Laoag still needed to be replicated about 200 times as we ended up completing 2387 kilometers or about 83% of the total highway we were allowed to run through. This

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 8
April 9 - 22, 2012

Takbo Maharlika: One step at a time

Fr. Carmelo Diola raises his worn-out sandals during the closing ceremonies of Takbo Maharlika at Camp Batalla in Zamboanga City.

The team of Takbo Maharlika with former PNP Chief Jesus Verzosa running towards the port of Zamboanga City.

translates into 2,864,400 steps! Takbo Maharlika took us through 11 regions, 30 provinces, 13 chartered cities outside NCR, and in Metro Manila, from Valenzuela City through EDSA to Muntinglupa. We ran and walked with at least 30 thousand police officers, soldiers, barangay officials, students, pastors, priests, and other Filipinos, and shared TM advocacy to at least 50 thousand who attended our 160 or more fora. We met many inspiring individuals along the

way. Bishops and priests shared with us not just their food and residence but also friendship and laughter. Our footprints, if any, have quickly disappeared. Security concerns prevented us from running the entire highway. After the first 320 kilometers, we decided to alternate our running and to walk four km. and run eight km. so others may join. Human limitations, and there were many, leave no room for boasting. We were not

trying to set records. Rather, we were coming together to change ourselves and the Philippines, one step at a time. Easter Sunday celebrates the brilliant reversal of human existence from death to life. If anything good came out of Takbo Maharlika, it was not because of the pair that ran the highway but because of him who shared in our human existence, even becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. To the resurrected Christ alone belong glory and honor!

The growing calls for PNoy to implement asset reform laws seriously
By Honey P. Beso / NASSA
AFTER holding presidency for nearly two years, President Benigno Noynoy Aquino has yet to show tangible programs to prove his sincerity to steer the country away from debilitating poverty brought about by injustice and Failure to stop entry of destructive corruption. projects in ancestral lands The government has allocated billions The Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of pesos funding temporary relief services has been in existence for 14 years, but like 4Ps, Pantawid Pasada, and other until now, the right of the indigenous short-ranging programs to ease the burden of high prices of commodities and transportation. However, it has been found negligent in supporting asset reform laws that are expected to unshackle millions of poor Filipinos from poverty. In an Asset Reform Forum organized by Kilusang 99% on March 28 at the Association of Marine Officers and Seamens Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP) in Intramuros, around 190 leaders representing 11 organizations from the urban poor, farmer, fisherfolk, laborer and indigenous peoples sectors bemoaned the governments lax at t i t u de t o ward s t h e implementation of the existing asset reform laws, like CARPER, Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA), Urban Development Housing Act (UDHA) and the Fisheries Code of the Philippines. Quite the reverse, the government has allowed drastic budget cuts in some of these programs while aggressively pushing for NASSA Chair and Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo projects that contradict the spirit of these laws. peoples to their ancestral land is still The forum, themed Tunay na Reporma not being upheld, declared Ramcy Ipatupad! Katarungang Panlipunan Para sa Astovesa, an Agta and Executive Director Lahat, was able to document various of Tribal Center for Development. experiences of the basic sectors in terms According to him, there are many of the governments performance in the government agencies created for the implementation of said laws. protection of the rights of IPs, but nearly every one failed in their mandates. CARPER in critical condition Nap Buendicho, also an Agta tribal Joan Fernandez, representative of governor in Quezon, shared that most Katarungan farmers group, bared the employees of the National Commission perilous state of CARPER as it nears its on Indigenous People (NCIP) are not termination in 2014. even conversant on the provisions of Out of the total 383,515 hectares IPRA, much more the meaning of Free targeted for distribution between July Prior and Informed Consent or FPIC. 2009 to December 2011, the Department Most of the time, the government of Agrarian Reform was only able to officials are themselves involved distribute 175,545 hectares. There still in the selling of ancestral lands to remains more than 800,000 hectares that corporations, Buendicho lamented. should be given to farmers before the Possession of Certificate of Ancestral law expires in 2014. Domain Title (CADT) the main tenural Fernandez attributed DARs dismal instrument for the IPs can no longer performance partly to the budget cuts guarantee ones security in the land. imposed by Congress that swipes Even those tribes who were awarded half of the fund needed for proper with CADT or CALT are still helpless implementation of the program. in preventing the entry of corporations She said the department also with vested interests in their ancestral suffers from inertia because of the domains, Astovesa said. administrations apparent lack of support for agrarian reform. Aborted enfranchisement of fisherfolks In late 2011, the plan of the executive under Fisheries Code to merge DAR with the Department Just like the farmers and indigenous of Agriculture and Department of people, the fisherfolks suffer whenever Environment and Natural Resources surfaced that triggered a general objection from its employees. Many ascribe the scheduled dissolution of DAR to PNoys indifference to CARP, who has yet to speak on the issue of Hacienda Luisita. the environmenttheir immediate source of income, are damaged or abused. Activities like large-scale fishing especially within protected areas and use of explosives or blast fishing are those that damage the water resources. The Fisheries Code of the Philippines provides several mechanisms to protect the Philippine waters through the empowerment of the fishefolks under the Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management Councils (FARMC). FARMC is considered to be the highpoint of the program. It allows for the representation of farmers in the council with other stakeholders in the communities, like the women and the youth and the local government officials. Here, the council members are supposed to deliberate the preservation and sustainable use of fishing grounds as well as the development of the fisherfolks sector. But contrary to what was expected, the FARMC was unsuccessful in strengthening the voice of the fishefolks because those elected to the leadership post do not usually come from the sector itself. Rafael Ka Raffy Oliveras of Bigkis Lakas Pilipinas, Inc, complained about the absence of complimentary barangay ordinance to implement the Fisheries Code of the Philippines and of the limitations of FARMC. Its recommendatory status [FARMC] also renders it powerless to effectively monitor the implementation of the law. According to him, the mayor is the one given the sole power to determine the budget for operation and to approve permits for foreign fishing companies. Meanwhile, the fishefolks also suffer from other problems like water siltation Informal settlers still await relief of UDHA The urban poor sector, represented by Adelo Flores of Homeowners Federation of Northville and Southville, Inc., (HFNSI) shared about the problems being faced by their sector with regards the housing and development program of the government. We were not given livelihood opportunities in relocation sites. Basic services like water are also lacking, while others have not yet received individual notices of awards (INAs), he explained. Livelihood opportunities are an urgent component of the program as its absence in any relocation site will force awardees to leave or sell their houses in search of jobs. Flores also charged some officials of the National Housing Authorities of failing to explain well the responsibilities of beneficiaries as stated under the law. This failure on the part of NHA often results to the revocation of peoples INAs. Many beneficiaries now pay for higher transportation cost due to the distance of the relocation site from their sources of livelihood, and yet some officials in NHA field offices cannot even assist them properly in their basic needs, Flores said. the greed for profit of big corporations, declared Rivera. There are excessive revenues and huge savings because contractual employees have low salaries, limited benefits, deplorable work conditions, and are afraid to put up labor unions that will push for collective bargaining with the employers, he added. Rivera explained that PAL tried to go by this route to rake in more profits. With the spin-off program proposed by PAL and upheld by the Aquino administration, Lucio Tan is expected to earn an annual profit of Php 360 million, at the expense of 2,400 workers, he said. Aside from PAL, a Korean shipyard, Hanjin also practices the same labor violation. Rivera said there are currently 21,000 contractual employees in Hanjin who are forced to suffer nefarious work conditions at the shipyard all the while enduring the maltreatment of their Korean employees. But like PAL, Hanjin was also supported by DOLE in its refusal to disallow the creation of unions that could protect the rights of workers inside the shipyard.

Kilusang 99 vows to awaken 99% to push for social reform Manila Auxiliary Bishop and National Secretariat for Social Action (NASSA) Does government tolerate anti-labor Director, Broderick Pabillo, explained the objective of the forum to unify the policies? Aside from the asset reform programs calls of the varying sectors. Our basic sectors have long been of the government, Kilusang 99%, also examined the labor policies of the complaining about the governments lack of support to the asset reform laws in Aquino administration. Gerardo Ka Gerry Rivera, president the country. But the problem is that they of Philippine Airlines Employees do so individuallywithout looking at the broader problems of the society, Pabillo explained. We have defective development policies which are not propoor. They are not inclusive and often have narrow understanding of genuine and people-centered development, he added. P a b i l l o l i k e w i s e expressed the need for the sectors to come together. The problem of one sector is the problem The forum organized by Kilusang 99% was attended by close to 200 participants representing various organizations across the of all because country. our lives are due to waste, pollution of the sea and Association (PALEA) who is now locked interwoven. Let us educate and engage all other water ways due to chemical in a labor row with the Philippine farming of upland areas and mine tailings Airlines, pointed out the increasing Filipinos for a meaningful social reform. from mining sites, influx of private fish trend of contractual policies in the Let us not allow the 1% of the population to exercise exclusive control of the ponds, and extensive commercialization country. Citing data from the Department countrys resources. Let us awaken the of coastal communities granted to of Labor and Employment, Rivera 99% to become a force for social reform, establishment of exclusive resorts. If the government really wants to explained that around 70% of the Pabillo declared. safeguard the interest of the fisherfolks, it construction force of the country (Kilusang 99% is circulating a Manifesto should start with the creation of a separate work under a contractual basis while department that will exclusively attend more than 50% of hotel and restaurant that enumerates a number of proposals for to the development of our sector. It is personnel are covered by the same social reform. For those who want to be part of the movement or to get a copy of the time that we have our own Department arrangement. The trend of contractualization in Manifesto, please email the secretariat at of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, the country has increased because of kilusangninetynine@yahoo.com.) Oliveras declared.

Photos courtesy of CBCP-NASSA

Photo courtesy of Fr. Melo Diola

Photo courtesy of Fr. Melo Diola

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 8
April 9 - 22, 2012

Statements

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Easter Message 2012

A BLESSED Easter to all of you! Jesus is raised from the dead. In His resurrection, we now know where human history finds its culminationin sharing the very life of God. The resurrection is not a return to human earthly life, a life still subject to evil and destruction. The life that the Risen Christ now possesses is Gods very life. That is why He will not die again. Sin has no more power over Him. In Jesus the Risen One, we are assured that God was, is, and will be victorious over sinfulness, viciousness, wickedness, corruption and violence. The Resurrection exposes and shatters the illusion of evildoers. Evil will never prevail over good! Let us rejoice! But let our rejoicing bring about conversion. As Jesus has died to sin and risen to life in God, we should also die to sin and live for God. Easter joy leads us to an examination of our individual and communal lives. From the tombs of hunger, ignorance, discrimination, insensitivity, selfishness, greed, and pride, let us allow Gods love to rise and be our life. Let it not be said that we chose death over God who is life. I pray that the Risen Christ may be our Way to true lifelife in and for God! +LUIS ANTONIO G. TAGLE Archbishop of Manila

Move on to Easter Resurrection

HOLY Week and Easter are inseparable. Holy Thursday and Good Friday are incomplete without Easter Sunday Resurrection. The crucifixion of Jesus at Calvary necessarily leads to his Resurrection and the Empty Tomb. The essential message of Holy Week is Jesus declaration: I am the Resurrection and the Life: whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. It is which motivated Christ to accept suffering and death on the Cross. Christ was a man of hope: suffering and death do not have the last word but his Resurrection from the dead. As it was in the experience of Jesus Christ, so it is in every Christian follower. The insight that we derive is that technological, economic and material progress for which we all work and which at the same time brings illusions, political conflicts, personal and societal suffering is never complete, satisfactory and fulfilled without spiritual progress. Spiritual progress is the fruit also of compassionate sharing which should be the dominant structure +ANGEL N. LAGDAMEO Archbishop of Jaro

of economic progress. This spiritual significance and progress is brought about by Eater Resurrection. Do not stay on your Good Friday move on to your Happy Easter.

Message of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI for the 27th World Youth Day 2012
DEAR young friends, I am happy to address you once more on the occasion of the 27th World Youth Day. The memory of our meeting in Madrid last August remains close to my heart. It was a time of extraordinary grace when God showered his blessings on the young people gathered from all over the world. I give thanks to God for all the fruits which that event bore, fruits which will surely multiply for young people and their communities in the future. Now we are looking forward to our next meeting in Rio de Janeiro in 2013, whose theme will be: Go and make disciples of all nations! (cf. Mt 28:19). This years World Youth Day theme comes from Saint Pauls exhortation in his Letter to the Philippians: Rejoice in the Lord always (4:4). Joy is at the heart of Christian experience. At each World Youth Day we experience immense joy, the joy of communion, the joy of being Christian, the joy of faith. This is one of the marks of these gatherings. We can see the great attraction that joy exercises. In a world of sorrow and anxiety, joy is an important witness to the beauty and reliability of the Christian faith. The Churchs vocation is to bring joy to the world, a joy that is authentic and enduring, the joy proclaimed by the angels to the shepherds on the night Jesus was born (cf. Lk 2:10). Not only did God speak, not only did he accomplish great signs throughout the history of humankind, but he drew so near to us that he became one of us and lived our life completely. In these difficult times, so many young people all around you need to hear that the Christian message is a message of joy and hope! I would like to reflect with you on this joy and on how to find it, so that you can experience it more deeply and bring it to everyone you meet. 1. Our hearts are made for joy A yearning for joy lurks within the heart of every man and woman. Far more than immediate and fleeting feelings of satisfaction, our hearts seek a perfect, full and lasting joy capable of giving flavor to our existence. This is particularly true for you, because youth is a time of continuous discovery of life, of the world, of others and of ourselves. It is a time of openness to the future and of great longing for happiness, friendship, sharing and truth, a time when we are moved by high ideals and make great plans. Each day is filled with countless simple joys which are the Lords gift: the joy of living, the joy of seeing natures beauty, the joy of a job well done, the joy of helping others, the joy of sincere and pure love. If we look carefully, we can see many other reasons to rejoice. There are the happy times in family life, shared friendship, the discovery of our talents, our successes, the compliments we receive from others, the ability to express ourselves and to know that we are understood, and the feeling of being of help to others. There is also the excitement of learning new things, seeing new and broader horizons open up through our travels and encounters, and realizing the possibilities we have for charting our future. We might also mention the experience of reading a great work of literature, of admiring a masterpiece of art, of listening to or playing music, or of watching a film. All these things can bring us real joy. Yet each day we also face any number of difficulties. Deep down we also worry about the future; we begin to wonder if the full and lasting joy for which we long might be an illusion and an escape from reality. Many young people ask themselves: is perfect joy really possible? The quest for joy can follow various paths, and some of these turn out to be mistaken, if not dangerous. How can we distinguish things that give real and lasting joy from immediate and illusory pleasures? How can we find true joy in life, a joy that endures and does not forsake us at moments of difficulty? 2. God is the source of true joy Whatever brings us true joy, whether the small joys of each day or the greatest joys in life, has its source in God, even if this does not seem immediately obvious. This is because God is a communion of eternal love, he is infinite joy that does not remain closed in on itself, but expands to embrace all whom God loves and who love him. God created us in his image out of love, in order to shower his love upon us and to fill us with his presence and grace. God wants us to share in his own divine and eternal joy, and he helps us to see that the deepest meaning and value of our lives lie in being accepted, welcomed and loved by him. Whereas we sometimes find it hard to accept others, God offers us an unconditional acceptance which enables us to say: I am loved; I have a place in the world and in history; I am personally loved by God. If God accepts me and loves me and I am sure of this, then I know clearly and with certainty that it is a good thing that I am alive. Gods infinite love for each of us is fully seen in Jesus Christ. The joy we are searching for is to be found in him. We see in the Gospel how the events at the beginning of Jesus life are marked by joy. When the Archangel Gabriel tells the Virgin Mary that she is to be the mother of the Saviour, his first word is Rejoice! (Lk 1:28). When Jesus is born, the angel of the Lord says to the shepherds: Behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a Saviour has been born for you, who is Messiah and Lord (Lk 2:10-11). When the Magi came in search of the child, they were overjoyed at seeing the star (Mt 2:10). The cause of all this joy is the closeness of God who became one of us. This is what Saint Paul means when he writes to the Philippians: Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near (Phil 4:4-5). Our first reason for joy is the closeness of the Lord, who welcomes me and loves me. An encounter with Jesus always gives rise to immense inner joy. We can see this in many of the Gospel stories. We recall when Jesus visited Zacchaeus, a dishonest tax collector and public sinner, he said to him: Today I must stay at your house. Then, Saint Luke tells us, Zacchaeus received him with joy (Lk 19:5-6). This is the joy of meeting the Lord. It is the joy of feeling Gods love, a love that can transform our whole life and bring salvation. Zacchaeus decides to change his life and to give half of his possessions to the poor. At the hour of Jesus passion, this love can be seen in all its power. At the end of his earthly life, while at supper with his friends, Jesus said: As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love... I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete (Jn15:9,11). Jesus wants to lead his disciples and each one of us into the fullness of joy that he shares with the Father, so that the Fathers love for him might abide in us (cf. Jn 17:26). Christian joy consists in being open to Gods love and belonging to him. The Gospels recount that Mary Magdalene and other women went to visit the tomb where Jesus had been laid after his death. An angel told them the astonishing news of Jesus resurrection. Then, the Evangelist tells us, they ran from the sepulchre, fearful yet overjoyed to share the good news with the disciples. Jesus met them on the way and said: Peace! (Mt 28:8-9). They were being offered the joy of salvation. Christ is the One who lives and who overcame evil, sin and death. He is present among us as the Risen One and he will remain with us until the end of the world (cf. Mt28:20). Evil does not have the last word in our lives; rather, faith in Christ the Saviour tells us that Gods love is victorious. This deep joy is the fruit of the Holy Spirit who makes us Gods sons and daughters, capable of experiencing and savouring his goodness, and calling him Abba, Father (cf. Rm 8:15). Joy is the sign of Gods presence and action within us. 3. Preserving Christian joy in our hearts At this point we wonder: How do we receive and maintain this gift of deep, spiritual joy? One of the Psalms tells us: Find your delight in the Lord who will give you your hearts desire (Ps37:4). Jesus told us that the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field (Mt 13:44). The discovery and preservation of spiritual joy is the fruit of an encounter with the Lord. Jesus asks us to follow him and to stake our whole life on him. Dear young people, do not be afraid to risk your lives by making space for Jesus Christ and his Gospel. This is the way to find inner peace and true happiness. It is the way to live fully as children of God, created in his image and likeness. Seek joy in the Lord: for joy is the fruit of faith. It is being aware of his presence and friendship every day: the Lord is near! (Phil 4:5). It is putting our trust in God, and growing in his knowledge and love. Shortly we shall begin the Year of Faith, and this will help and encourage us. Dear friends, learn to see how God is working in your lives and discover him hidden within the events of daily life. Believe that he is always faithful to the covenant which he made with you on the day of your Baptism. Know that God will never abandon you. Turn your eyes to him often. He gave his life for you on the cross because he loves you. Contemplation of this great love brings a hope and joy to our hearts that nothing can destroy. Christians can never be sad, for they have met Christ, who gave his life for them. To seek the Lord and find him in our lives also means accepting his word, which is joy for our hearts. The Prophet Jeremiah wrote: When I found your words, I devoured them; they became my joy and the happiness of my heart (Jer 15:16). Learn to read and meditate on the sacred Scriptures. There you will find an answer to your deepest questions about truth. Gods word reveals the wonders that he has accomplished throughout human history, it fills us with joy, and it leads us to praise and adoration: Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord; let us kneel before the Lord who made us (Ps 95:1,6). The liturgy is a special place where the Church expresses the joy which she receives
WYD / B7

April Frances Ortigas / YouthPinoy

www.rcam.org

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Ref lections

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 8
April 9 - 22, 2012

The meaning of Christs gift of peace to the Church

An exegetical reflection on the Gospel of the 2nd Sunday of Easter Year B (John 20:19-31) April 15, 2012
By Msgr. Lope C. Robredillo, SThD
WHENEVER we celebrate the Eucharist, we observe the rite of peace before receiving the body and blood of the Lord. How this is done varies from country to country. In the Philippines, one bows to the person next to him, while saying the greeting of peace: Peace be with you. Of course, this does not prevent others from expressing the wish by shaking hands. Many would even take this as an occasion to give secular greetings. But the question is whether we ourselves know the significance of what we are doing. Do we really mean it, as liturgy itself wishes to teach us, and if so, what do we do about it? This has to be asked because this is not meant to be an empty gesture. On the contrary, it is meant to signify the peace that Jesus brought to us. But what is this peace that Jesus gave us (John 20:19-31)? There is no doubt that Jesus Peace be to you (John 20:21a) is not to be taken as a simply greeting of peace. It is to be noted that peace has been promised in the passion narrative: Peace is my farewell to you, my peace is my gift to you. I do not give it to you as the world gives peace (John 14:27). In todays gospel on the resurrection narrative, Jesus fulfilled that promise. He gave his peace as a gift for the whole duration that he was no longer with them in flesh. For Jesus, peace is not the absence of war or division, as is commonly understood. This peace is the gift of the risen One who promised to be with them in the person members are, first of all, believers that Jesus is the Christ (1 John 5:1). Their faith moves them to love God and express it in their love for the brothers. When such relationship obtains, the peace of the risen One is there. Peace, thus, is envisaged as the work of faith and love. It cannot happen apart from the community which the risen One himself initiated. That is the meaning of peace. Therefore, when before receiving communion, we greet each other with the sign of peace, we ought to have this in mind. But this kind of peace is not to be confined to the assembly gathered for the liturgy. In the context of our readings today, the kiss of peace is not simply a gesture to prepare us to receive the body and blood of Christ worthily. It must spill over to the world outside the worshipping assemblyin the market, in the school, at the office, in the streets, etc. For after imparting his peace to the disciples, he instructed his disciples: As the Father has sent me, so I send you (John 20:21). The peace which Jesus gave to his disciples and which we celebrate in the liturgy must be brought to the world. Peace-making is therefore part of the mission of the community of believers. Obviously, it will not take the form of a peace process in which might is right, or in which wealth dictates the terms of peacewhich is the way of the world (cf John 14:27), but it has to take a concrete form. We have to overcome the world (cf 1 John 5:4). In our world today, it may not be expressed apart from forgiveness of the third-world debt, disarmament, equality in trade and development, and justice.

of the Holy Spirit. This coheres with the thought of Paul who says that peace is established through the sacrifice of Gods Son (see Rom 5:1), through the blood of the cross (Col 1:20). For this reason, the gift of peace is more than a greeting. As a gift of the risen Oneand this is how the liturgy probably understands itit refers to the right relationship (among community members and between God and his people) that comes from the

presence of the risen Lord. Therightrelationshipamongcommunity members is depicted in the 1st Reading. With the presence of the risen One, the early Christians formed a unity of mind and heart. Their relationship was marked with harmony and love, evidenced in the sharing of goods: The community of believers was of one heart and one mind. None of them ever claimed anything as his own; rather, everything was held in

common. nor was anyone needy among them (Acts 4:32-34). In the 2nd Reading, the relationship between God and his people is described in terms of faith and love. Since the Christian community forms a family of God, the children love their father, and that love for their father is shown in their love for one another. We can be sure that we love Gods children when we love God and do what he has commanded. (1 John 5:2). But the family

2nd Sunday of Easter (B) Feast of Christ, King of Divine Mercy, April 15, 2012
By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB
WHO could blame Thomas for his refusal to believe what his co-disciples were saying about the apparition of the risen Jesus? He was a concrete, positive man. To believe what his friends were saying about Jesus was like believing that the sun had risen at midnight! . . . If he could just see and touch his body, then Thomas also would say Amen! But, what had he done to deserve such a privilege? Yet, Thomas got it all, thanks to Jesus loving condescension. The skeptic disciple saw Jesus and was able to put his fingers on the holes bored by the nails and the spear. And he exploded in that confession of faith for which he will be remembered till the end of time. (See Jn 20:28.) But the unbelieving Thomas has a numerous descent. He is a contemporary of every generation. Especially in our days, the only valid proof of the resurrection people are prepared to consider is our life our Christian witness. It is through our lives, more than our words, that we can show that Jesus is really risen from death and is now alive. It is through our life that we can show that we really believe in Christ and his Resurrection, and deserve the praise of Jesus: Blessed are they who believe without having seen me. An existence characterized by charity and service to the needy is undoubtedly a strong proof of the Resurrection, for no human being could constantly overcome the temptation and natural inclination to be self-centered if Christ did not rise from death. A life totally spent for others is a sign of the Life that has conquered death. Another decisive proof of our belief in the reality of the Resurrection is our forgiving those who have wronged us. Every offense that we suffer opens painful wounds in our sensitivity. They are the marks of our moral agony, and even of our death on the cross of human cruelty, unfairness, dishonesty, treachery. . . . But if and when we are able to be good to the persons who have inflicted those wounds on us, to do good to them, to speak well of them, to smile at them in other words, to forgive them from the heartthen even the hardest unbeliever is faced with a very strong proof (the strongest one, perhaps) of the Resurrection. Perfect forgiveness which overcomes all inclination to hate back is a first-class miracle indeed. And the Holy Spirit, whom the Risen Christ gave to his disciples on Easter Sunday, has a lot to do with it. He has also a lot to do with leading the many skeptics of today to believe in Jesus, even if they have never seen him. And yet, when all is said and done, even the most perfectly heroic life will not touch the heart of the unbelievers unless the interior enlightenment that we call grace empowers them to see and say yes. Then faith is born and lives take on a new dimension: the dimension of the Resurrection.

Convincing proofs of the Resurrection

Jesus Christ, the heart and soul of the Scriptures

3rd Sunday of Easter (B) April 22, 2012

www.pauline.org

Fr. Francis Ongkingco

WHATEVER

Giver of Care
@!*$# , Edmund heard the crisp curse words from the man complaining of his rheumatism. How much longer will I be in this job? he complained to himself. Its been nearly four months and the agency where he applied for a possible job abroad had not yet responded. Edmund! Edmund! the patient grumbled out. Where are my *@$$!!% slippers? Coming, he tried to control his temper. What? I cant hear you. Speak louder! Not only was the man old and grumpy. He was also close to being as deaf as a stone. Im coming, Edmund repeated a little louder. He entered the room and looked for the slippers. He crouched down to check if they were under the bed. They were and mortifyingly scattered at the very far end. It meant he would have to crawl under the dusty place. Be patient, Father, I will just have to crawl again to get them. Blackie must have played with them again. That stupid dog! the priest said. If I were not sick I would have kicked some sense into him. Why did you get him in the first place? Edmund asked from under the bed. What did you say? the priest blurted out. Nothing, just talking to myself, he excused himself to avoid another argument with the priest. By the time he was out, his white care-giving outfit was decorated with dust. He brushed the slippers and gently fitted them into the old priests gnarled feet. Thank you so much, Edmund, the priest tapped him on the shoulder. Im really sorry for being such a burden and scandal to you. Oh, its really nothing, Father, Edmund stood up and started cleaning his uniform. Anything from the agency yet? Father Ben asked. Funny you should ask me that now, Father. Why so? I was getting a bit discouraged. They said they would reply in two months, and three months have already passed. My son, Im sure that they will call soon. In the meantime, lets keep it in our prayers. I guess God must have a reason for you to have to care for this old grumpy priest, Father Ben joked. How can you say that, Father, Edmund was quite irritated at the priests comment. He was not at all, especially at this moment, in a mood for jokes. Oh, Im sorry, I didnt mean to, Fr. Ben said, rectified. No, its alright, Edmund tried hiding his feelings. But he wondered how the old priest who could even hardly see somehow knew how he felt. No, my son, the priest emphasized, I apologize for hurting your feelings. How do you know how I feel, Father Ben? I guess my years as a priest gives me a deeper discernment of people and situations, Fr. Ben managed a smile. Many years trying hard to be Christ. Sometimes I guess there has to be some grace that changes stubborn goats like us a bit. But what made you decide to become a priest? oh, Edmund, can you please hand me todays papers, please, the priest was obviously evading the question. Edmund stood up to get the newspapers. *** so you became a priest to support your mother and family? Havent I told you that story already a month ago? Fr. Ben snapped. Nope, I guess youre just forgetting what youve said or not said, Father, Edmund said. My father who worked overseas left us without saying goodbye. Mother, took it really hard, but didnt show to us how much she suffered. All of us, the seven siblings, either had to look for odd jobs or stop schooling. Being the eldest, I still wanted to continue to study and support our family. Back then, in the province, it meant entering seminary and becoming a priest. Priesthood was for me a career! So it wasnt really a vocation then? Edmund clarified quite concerned. I guess not, the priest shook his head and sighed deeply. But youre still a priest. Yes, because of what mother revealed to me before she died. What did she say? She confessed that all along, despite her sufferings, she prayed to God for my fathers conversion. Wow! She really had a big heart! Edmund said. Yes, and a bigger one because she said she offered me to God. She said, Please convert my husband, and I offer you my son as your own to be your priest. What did you say after hearing this? I didnt know how to react. And she said, Son, youre a priest because God wanted it so. He accepted my offering and because I had prayed to God ever since for your vocation. So from that day onwards, Edmund reflected. Yes, I saw Gods true Fatherly and loving hand, the priest confessed. *** Edmund, your six months with me are almost over, Father Ben said. Yes, Father, Edmund acknowledged. Any news from the agency? the priest asked. You sound very happy! Yes, Im very happy, Father. First because the bad news is, I dropped my application for the U.S. Wha, the priest was surprised. But And the good news is, thanks to your prayers, Father, I was accepted in the seminary.

By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB

ALL pious Jews, including the disciples of Christ, were familiar with the content of the sacred writings. But although they knew the prophecies about the Messiah, they were unable to understand a very important part of their essential message the mission and destiny of the Messiah. On that point, Scripture was for them like a sealed scroll; like a locked treasure chest. Some sort of veil clouded their minds and hearts. (See 2 Cor 3:14.) It took the explanations given them by the Risen Christ himself, for the disciples to understand that all that had happened to him was in fulfillment of what the prophets had foretold. (See Lk 24:44.) Only then were their minds finally opened (see Lk 24:45); their hearts set afire (see Lk 24:32) and filled with joy. (See Jn 20:20.) They came to understand that his death was not an accident, but a free sacrificial offering for the salvation of all men. (See 1 Jn 2:2.) It was part of Gods plan. (See Acts 2:23.) Likewise, his resurrection was not a pious invention, nor a belated vindication but Gods mighty work, the crowning fulfillment of all prophecies. (See Acts 2:24-31.) From that moment on, especially after Jesus ascension into heaven, the Scriptures became for the believers a continuous reminder of their crucified and risen Lord, and a privileged place where they could find him. By reading the Scriptures, they could realize the faithfulness of God to His promises, and once again experience the presence of the glorified Christ among them as in the days immediately after the Resurrection. It should be so even for us and for all generations of believers. We know we can encounter the Risen Lord in many ways, particularly in the sacraments, and most especially in the Eucharist. But we can and should encounter him also in the sacred Scriptures. These are not simply books about Jesus. The message they contain is the Word of God. Christ is present in the inspired pages with his life-giving power. (See Sacrosanctum Concilium 7.) And we can experience his saving presence not only when the Scriptures are proclaimed in the liturgy, but also when we read it at home with the rest of the family or by ourselves. What matters is a humble, prayerful heart, open to receive the Word, understand it in the light of the teaching of the Church, and apply it to our lives with the help of the Holy Spirit. With such dispositions, every day can become Easter Day. And we will be able to make sense of all that happens to us and around us, for everything will be seen in the light of Gods Word.

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CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 8
April 9 - 22, 2012

Social Concerns

B7

Can we believe and achieve the Resurrection?

By Fr. Shay Cullen
CHRISTIANS have celebrated the life, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, we have recalled the dramatic events in that life of one who brought into the world the unconditional, selfsacrificing love that makes us so human and so divine. When we love others like the Good Samaritan, generous, self-giving to a stranger, to a victim, the way Jesus himself did, risking all for the dignity and the rights of others, we can hope for eternal life. Perhaps we dont have to risk all as he did confronting the corruption and the hypocrisy of the elite and the religious authorities, who executed him, but by living a life for others and not ourselves as he taught. If we can, then perhaps evolve to a higher spiritual level and experience our own resurrection. We may reach that level of goodness and spiritual maturity that will enable us to cross successfully to the life of eternal goodness beyond the grave as Jesus did and we could overcome death and live forever. That is the dream of all people of faith; to unite with the God of eternal love and gain eternity. Death that ends in nothingness is difficult to accept and contemplate but the faith and belief in life hereafter and in the Resurrection is what gives us hope and the strength to live an unselfish life. But lets not make seeking eternity the reason for doing good, we can become selfish, seeking our own personal happiness in eternity when we ought to help others without seeking any reward. What will be will be. If we thought about it getting eternity for ourselves too much, it can be self-defeating.
WYD / B5

Its not such a great leap of faith to believe in the resurrection, millions do. Believing is one thing but achieving it is another. Therein is the real challenge to live a worthy and noble life of virtue and service for others. Jesus set a high standard and we got to share and bear to achieve that standard. Many true Christians quietly follow the example of Jesus and share humbly their worldly goods without seeking reward and praise and glorification. They are in solidarity with the poor, and promote justice and love in the world and quietly help others. They are on the road to eternal life. In this world there are resurrections too. I have seen them. When the abused and brutalized children find safety and protection, love, care inspiration and affirmation, they can rise from the depths of despair and hopelessness and live again. I witness this daily as the victims of sexual abuse, brutality and neglect, those long suffering unjust incarceration in filthy rat infested jails are freed and given support and respect, they rise from the dead as it were. Spiritual death is the result of the deprivation of love and friendship. Jessica was 14, a beautiful looking child, although disabled; she was trying her best to make a place for herself in this world. She went to school and did her best to endure the teases and jeers. She is a child that suffered from polio and had a disability with walking and speech and was vulnerable and defenseless when she was set upon by the rapists and abusers. As a polio victim for which there was no help whatsoever, she was neglected, and left as a freak by her family and could not go to school for

fear of being jeered by the other children. She had a normal intelligence but was unable to grow and develop. When she was first abused by a gang of rapists, she became like a living dead. She was unable to speak, to look at anyone, and she hardly ate. She was a living skeleton, malnourished and had no will to live. She was dead, one could say.

When she was found by Preda social workers she asked for help and was given refuge and shelter at the Preda Girls Home. The gang rape was the most traumatic thing in her life and her parents ignored it. They feared retaliation from the families of the boys who were rich and powerful. Jessica recounted all to the therapists

and found the love and attention and care she longed for in the family of the Girls home and began to awake from the dead. Soon she was smiling, joining the play and going to school. She was strong enough to file criminal charges against her abusers and never looked back. Today she is a healthy, happy child resurrected and living again.

from the Lord and transmits it to the world. Each Sunday at Mass the Christian community celebrates the central mystery of salvation, which is the death and resurrection of Christ. This is a very important moment for all the Lords disciples because his sacrifice of love is made present. Sunday is the day when we meet the risen Christ, listen to his word, and are nourished by his body and blood. As we hear in one of the Psalms: This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice in it and be glad (Ps 118:24). At the Easter Vigil, the Church sings the Exultet, a hymn of joy for the victory of Jesus Christ over sin and death: Sing, choirs of angels! ... Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendour ... Let this place resound with joy, echoing the mighty song of all Gods people! Christian joy is born of this awareness of being loved by God who became man, gave his life for us and overcame evil and death. It means living a life of love for him. As Saint Thrse of the Child Jesus, a young Carmelite, wrote: Jesus, my joy is loving you (P 45, 21 January 1897). 4. The joy of love Dear friends, joy is intimately linked to love. They are inseparable gifts of the Holy Spirit (cf. Gal5:23). Love gives rise to joy, and joy is a form of love. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta drew on Jesus words: It is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35) when she said: Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls; God loves a cheerful giver. Whoever gives with joy gives more. As the Servant of God Paul VI wrote: In God himself, all is joy because all is giving (Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete in Domino, 9 May 1975).

In every area of your life, you should know that to love means to be steadfast, reliable and faithful to commitments. This applies most of all to friendship. Our friends expect us to be sincere, loyal and faithful because true love perseveres even in times of difficulty. The same thing can be said about your work and studies and the services you carry out. Fidelity and perseverance in doing good brings joy, even if not always immediately. If we are to experience the joy of love, we must also be generous. We cannot be content to give the minimum. We need to be fully committed in life and to pay particular attention to those in need. The world needs men and women who are competent and generous, willing to be at the service of the common good. Make every effort to study conscientiously, to develop your talents and to put them at the service of others even now. Find ways to help make society more just and humane wherever you happen to be. May your entire life be guided by a spirit of service and not by the pursuit of power, material success and money. Speaking of generosity, I would like to mention one particular joy. It is the joy we feel when we respond to the vocation to give our whole life to the Lord. Dear young people, do not be afraid if Christ is calling you to the religious, monastic or missionary life or to the priesthood. Be assured that he fills with joy all those who respond to his invitation to leave everything to be with him and to devote themselves with undivided heart to the service of others. In the same way, God gives great joy to men and women who give themselves totally to one another in marriage

in order to build a family and to be signs of Christs love for the Church. Let me remind you of a third element that will lead you to the joy of love. It is allowing fraternal love to grow in your lives and in those of your communities. There is a close bond between communion and joy. It is not by chance that Saint Pauls exhortation: Rejoice in the Lord always (Phil 4:4) is written in the plural, addressing the community as a whole, rather than its individual members. Only when we are together in the communion of fellowship do we experience this joy. In the Acts of the Apostles, the first Christian community is described in these words: Breaking bread in their homes, they ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart (Acts 2:46). I ask you to make every effort to help our Christian communities to be special places of sharing, attention and concern for one another. 5. The joy of conversion Dear friends, experiencing real joy also means recognizing the temptations that lead us away from it. Our present-day culture often pressures us to seek immediate goals, achievements and pleasures. It fosters fickleness more than perseverance, hard work and fidelity to commitments. The messages it sends push a consumerist mentality and promise false happiness. Experience teaches us that possessions do not ensure happiness. How many people are surrounded by material possessions yet their lives are filled with despair, sadness and emptiness! To have lasting joy we need to live in love and truth. We need to live in God. God wants us to be happy.

That is why he gave us specific directions for the journey of life: the commandments. If we observe them, we will find the path to life and happiness. At first glance, they might seem to be a list of prohibitions and an obstacle to our freedom. But if we study them more closely, we see in the light of Christs message that the commandments are a set of essential and valuable rules leading to a happy life in accordance with Gods plan. How often, on the other hand, do we see that choosing to build our lives apart from God and his will brings disappointment, sadness and a sense of failure. The experience of sin, which is the refusal to follow God and an affront to his friendship, brings gloom into our hearts. At times the path of the Christian life is not easy, and being faithful to the Lords love presents obstacles; occasionally we fall. Yet God in his mercy never abandons us; he always offers us the possibility of returning to him, being reconciled with him and experiencing the joy of his love which forgives and welcomes us back. Dear young people, have frequent recourse to the sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation! It is the sacrament of joy rediscovered. Ask the Holy Spirit for the light needed to acknowledge your sinfulness and to ask for Gods forgiveness. Celebrate this sacrament regularly, with serenity and trust. The Lord will always open his arms to you. He will purify you and bring you into his joy: for there is joy in heaven even for one sinner who repents (cf. Lk 15:7). 6. Joy at times of trial In the end, though, we might

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still wonder in our hearts whether it is really possible to live joyfully amid all lifes trials, especially those which are most tragic and mysterious. We wonder whether following the Lord and putting our trust in him will always bring happiness. We can find an answer in some of the experiences of young people like yourselves who have found in Christ the light that can give strength and hope even in difficult situations. Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati (19011925) experienced many trials during his short life, including a romantic experience that left him deeply hurt. In the midst of this situation he wrote to his sister: You ask me if I am happy. How could I not be? As long as faith gives me strength, I am happy. A Catholic could not be other than happy... The goal for which we were created involves a path which has its thorns, but it is not a sad path. It is joy, even when it involves pain (Letter to his sister Luciana, Turin, 14 February 1925). When Blessed John Paul II presented Blessed Pier Giorgio as a model for young people, he described him as a young person with infectious joy, the joy that overcame many difficulties in his life (Address to Young People, Turin, 13 April 1980). Closer to us in time is Chiara Badano (1971-1990), who was recently beatified. She experienced how pain could be transfigured by love and mysteriously steeped in joy. At the age of eighteen, while suffering greatly from cancer, Chiara prayed to the Holy Spirit and interceded for the young people of the movement to which she belonged. As well as praying for her own cure, she asked God to enlighten all those young people by his Spirit and to give them wisdom and light. It was really a moment of Gods presence. I was suffering physically, but my soul was singing (Letter to Chiara Lubich, Sassello, 20 December 1989). The key to her peace and joy was her complete trust in the Lord and the acceptance of her illness as a mysterious expression of his will for her sake and that of everyone. She often said: Jesus, if you desire it, then I desire it too. These are just two testimonies taken from any number of others which show that authentic Christians are never despairing or sad, not even when faced with difficult trials. They show that Christian joy is not a flight from reality, but a supernatural power that helps us to deal with the challenges of daily life. We know that the crucified and risen Christ is here with us and that he is a faithful friend always. When we share in his sufferings, we also share in his glory. With him and in him, suffering is transformed into love. And there we find joy

(cf. Col 1:24). 7. Witnesses of joy Dear friends, to conclude I would encourage you to be missionaries of joy. We cannot be happy if others are not. Joy has to be shared. Go and tell other young people about your joy at finding the precious treasure which is Jesus himself. We cannot keep the joy of faith to ourselves. If we are to keep it, we must give it away. Saint John said: What we have seen and heard we proclaim now to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; we are writing this so that our joy may be complete (1 Jn 1:3-4). Christianity is sometimes depicted as a way of life that stifles our freedom and goes against our desires for happiness and joy. But this is far from the truth. Christians are men and women who are truly happy because they know that they are not alone. They know that God is always holding them in his hands. It is up to you, young followers of Christ, to show the world that faith brings happiness and a joy which is true, full and enduring. If the way Christians live at times appears dull and boring, you should be the first to show the joyful and happy side of faith. The Gospel is the good news that God loves us and that each of us is important to him. Show the world that this is true! Be enthusiastic witnesses of the new evangelization! Go to those who are suffering and those who are searching, and give them the joy that Jesus wants to bestow. Bring it to your families, your schools and universities, and your workplaces and your friends, wherever you live. You will see how it is contagious. You will receive a hundredfold: the joy of salvation for yourselves, and the joy of seeing Gods mercy at work in the hearts of others. And when you go to meet the Lord on that last day, you will hear him say: Well done, my good and faithful servant... Come, share your masters joy (Mt 25:21). May the Blessed Virgin Mary accompany you on this journey. She welcomed the Lord within herself and proclaimed this in a song of praise and joy, the Magnificat: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour (Lk 1:46-47). Mary responded fully to Gods love by devoting her life to him in humble and complete service. She is invoked as Cause of our Joy because she gave us Jesus. May she lead you to that joy which no one will ever be able to take away from you! From the Vatican, 15 March 2012 BENEDICTUS PP. XVI

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B8

Entertainment

CBCP Monitor

Vol. 16 No. 8

April 9 - 22, 2012

MAC en COLET

Ni Bladimer Usi

Moral Assessment

Technical Assessment

Abhorrent Disturbing Acceptable Wholesome Exemplary

Poor Below average Average Above average Excellent

Buhay Parokya

Look for the images of Saint Joseph, Bishops Miter, and Holy rosary . (Illustration by Bladimer Usi)

TITLE: Titanic 3D CAST: Leonardo DiCarpio (Jack), Kate Winslet (Rose) Billy Zane (Cal) DIRECTOR: James Cameron GENRE: Drama, Romance, Classic DISTRIBUTOR 20th Century- Fox & Paramount LOCATION: North Atlantic Ocean RUNNING TIME: 195 minutes TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT: MORAL ASSESSMENT: Cinema rating: For viewers 14 years old and above

SYNOPSIS: In 1912, Titanic, aka The Unsinkable Ship, is about to set sail for her maiden voyage, and everyone is excited to board it; everyone except Rose Dewitt Bukater (Kate Winslet, Contagion), that is, who calls it a slave ship that will take her back to America and to a life of privilege with her fiance, Cal Hockley (Billy Zane, The Confidant). Meanwhile, Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar) and his friend Fabrizio win a Third Class ticket onto the Titanic in a game of poker five minutes before the ship is to depart, and they run through the crowded English streets trying to catch the ship before it leaves. Rose ends up making Jacks acquaintance in an unusual situation once onboard, and even Cal and his henchman (David Warner, Planet of the Apes) cannot tear them apart. The romance is tested, of course, when the ship hits an iceberg and it is revealed by the ships architect Mr. Andrews (Victor Garber, TVs Alias) that Titanic will be at the bottom of the ocean within two hours.
TITLE: Wrath of the Titans CAST: Sam Worthington (Perseus), Liam Neeson (Zeus), Rosamund Pike (Queen Andromeda), Ralph Fiennes (Hades) GENRE: Action & Adventure, Science Fiction & Fantasy DISTRIBUTED BY: Warner Bros RUNNING TIME: 99 minutes TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT: MORAL ASSESSMENT: Cinema rating: For viewers 14 years old and above

SYNOPSIS: A decade after his heroic defeat of the monstrous Kraken, Perseus-the demigod son of Zeus-is attempting to live a quieter life as a village fisherman and the sole parent to his 10-year old son, Helius. Meanwhile, a struggle for supremacy rages between the gods and the Titans. Dangerously weakened by humanitys lack of devotion, the gods are losing control of the imprisoned Titans and their ferocious leader, Kronos, father of the long-ruling brothers Zeus, Hades and Poseidon. Perseus cannot ignore his true calling when Hades, along with Zeus godly son, Ares (Edgar Ramrez), switch loyalty and make a deal with Kronos to capture Zeus. The Titans strength grows stronger as Zeus remaining godly powers are siphoned...

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 8
April 9 - 22, 2012

C1

A Supplement Publication of KCFAPI and the Order of the Knights of Columbus

KCFAPI employees, families and friends march from Intramuros to Rajah Sulayman park in Roxas Boulevard during the Walk for Life held on March 24, 2012. Inset is a photo of Luzon Deputy, Arsenio Isidro Yap delivering his speech during the program for this year's Walk for Life.

The Cross

Thousands join K of C's Walk for Life, reiterate RH bill rejection

INCLUDING those from other parts of Luzon, thousands of Knights of Columbus members and their families marched from Intramuros to the Rajah Sulayman park in Roxas Boulevard last March 24 to carry out the annual Walk for Life in support of life and rejection of the Reproductive Health (RH) bill. This estimate included the KC members in other parts of Luzon that simultaneously held the Walk for Life.
Themed We Value Life, the activity started with a 6 a.m. Eucharistic celebration at San Agustin Church, Intramuros, with Luzon State Chaplain and Cubao Bishop Honesto Ongtioco as main celebrant, with Msgr. Pedro Quitorio III, Msgr. Joselito Asis, Fr. William Araa and some priests of San Agustin Church as concelebrants. The Walk for Life was spearheaded by Supreme Director Alonso Tan and Luzon Deputy Arsenio Isidro Yap together with the State Officers of Luzon; and officers of the Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines, Inc. (KCFAPI) led by its President Guillermo Hernandez. Participants from different Knights of Columbus Councils and other organizations assembled in front of the church after the Mass, then walked to Roxas Blvd. carrying streamers and placards identifying their group, and bearing life-affirming messages as well as expressions of anti-RH bill sentiments. Some of the placards read: Give us a chance to breathe because life is a wonderful gift, No to RH bill, We Value Life, Defend life, We fight for the Culture of Life, Against the Culture of Death, Ang buhay ay isang regalo huwag sayangin, pahalagahan ito and Take my hand, not my life. The kilometric line of participants of varied ages, from a handful of preschool children and numerous elementary school and high school kids, to adults and quite a few seniors were upbeat during most of the way to Rajah Sulayman where a program was held. Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim commended the supposed concern of the RH bills proponents for caring for womens health issues but pointed out that the measures name can be deceiving.

Ang hindi ko ho maintindihan, ang title ng proposed bill na ito, reproductive health bill. Ang sinasabi ng mga proponents nito, ay pinangangalagaan daw nila yung kalusugan ng mga ina na manganganak dahil maaari daw mamatay sa panganganak at meron silang mga statistics na nagsasabi kung ilan ang namamatay sa panganganak, Lim said. Sa biglang pandinig, napakagandang pakinggan inaalagaan ang kalusugan ng mga ina natin. He segued into a personal testimony of living a welcoming attitude toward
Walk For Life / C1

Pilgrimage of Faith 2012 in Squires worldwide celebrate Founders day Bataan

THE Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines, Inc. (KCFAPI) held a Pilgrimage of Faith in Morong, Bataan last March 31 led by KCFAPI Vice President for Actuarial and Business Development and this years Spiritual Committee Chairman, Angelito A. Bala and committee members. Activities conducted during the whole day pilgrimage were catechism, community station of the cross, video on board viewing, praying of the Holy Rosary and awarding of certificates of appreciation for those who have helped in organizing the said activity. The one day event culminated with a Eucharistic celebration held at the Abucay Church. The group visited some historical places in Bataan such as Our Lady of Pillar Church in Morong, Shrine of Blessed Pope John Paul II, Mt. Samat, Abucay Church, and even the Samal Town to buy some pasalubong. Certificates of appreciation from KCFAPI were given to Commodore Amado A. Sanglay, AFP (Ret), President and CEO, Morong Special Economic Zone, THE youth organization of the Knights of Columbus, the Columbian Squires will commemorate the 83rd death anniversary of their founder, Brother Barnabas McDonald by celebrating a Holy Mass simultaneously in each council worldwide on April 21, 2012. Luzon Columbian Squires Chairman, Jose Cuaresma said their Jurisdiction resolved to comply and prepare a whole day program in honor of Bro. Barnabas and they further moved to make it a part of Tri State Pre-Convention activity. All Columbian Squires will join worldwide, in remembering and celebrating the life and accomplishments of Bro. Barnabas, Cuaresma said. The New York State Circle of Columbian Squires com-

KCFAPI Group of Companies staff and officials together with CBCP Media Director and K of C Spiritual Director, Msgr. Pedro Quitorio III (center) during the 2012 KCFAPI Pilgrimage of Faith in Morong, Bataan last March 31, 2012.

Bataan Business and Leisure Park, Morong, Bataan for the special assistance, Fr. Gerardo Gregorio P. Jorge, Our Lady of the Pillar Parish Priest and Msgr. Victor C. Ocampo of St. Dominic Parish in Abucay, Bataan. Other KCFAPI officials who participated in the event were KCFAPI Executive Vice President, Ma. Theresa G. Curia; Fr. George J. Willmann Charities Executive Director, Roberto Cruz; KCFAPI HR Manager, Ma. Kristianne G. Pascual; Under-

writing Department Manager, Carmelita Ruiz; CBCP Media Director and K of C Spiritual Director, Msgr. Pedro Quitorio III; among others. KCFAPI employees who were instrumental in the success of the 2012 Pilgrimage of Faith are the members of this years Spiritual Committee namely: Rose Bartolome, Lina Jaranilla, Imee Kabigting, Agnes Magtoto, Manny Mendoza, Lei Palacay, Cath Rivera, and Xia Trinidad. (KCFAPI News)

Brother Barnabas McDonald, F.S.C.: Photo from the Catholic Committee on Scouting of the Diocese of San Bernardino, CA

memorates his death anniversary every year during April by offering a holy mass on

his behalf, at the cemetery in Hawthorne, NY where he was laid to rest. Brother Barnabas McDonald F.S.C. died in Albuquerque, New Mexico on April 24, 1929. He is remembered as the founder of the Knights of Columbus Columbian Squires. He played also a vital role in establishing the early relationship between the Boy Scouts of America and the American Catholic Church. According to some researches, Bro. Barnabas specified the main purpose of the Columbian Squires, which is Character Building. The month of April is also called the Squires month when every member shares his Catholic faith to others in need by helping them through community service and social projects, among others. (KCNews)

Squires to reinstitute inactive Circles

THE Columbian Squires of the Knights of Columbus Luzon Jurisdiction wants to strengthen their commitment in response to the call of the Catholic Church to be worthy and motivated youth leaders, by reinstituting their inactive Circles. Luzon Columbian Squires Chairman, Jose F. Cuaresma cited some guidelines and major responsibilities in establishing and reinstituting a Columbian Squires Circle. Cuaresma said there are four major steps to this. First, forming a committee chaired by the Councils Youth Director to look into the possibilities of organizing or reinstituting a Columbian Squires Circle. If found feasible, the committee shall make a formal recommendation and seek the vote of approval at the council's regular meeting. After seeking the vote of approval, the committee in charge chaired by the youth director shall request for an organizing or reactivation kit from the State Columbian Squires Chairman. Then, file the notice of intent to establish/reinstitute (form 457). This should be completed immediately after the council had voted to sponsor a Columbian Squires Circle. This application must be signed by the Grand Knight and sent to the office of the Luzon Columbian Squires Chairman for the certification and approval of the Luzon Deputy. To reinstitute an inactive Columbian Squires Circle, the procedures and forms must be followed and submitted, then forward all the documents to the Luzon Squires office for review and endorsement by the Luzon Deputy and submission to the Supreme Office, said Cuaresma. In Luzon, Columbian Squires have more than 10,300 members in 441 circles, which established the culture of Columbianism that addresses the spiritual, physical, intellectual and social needs of the young Filipino men in their journey to Knighthood. For inquiries, one may call telephone number 527-2245 mobile numbers 0917-8937973 or 09189631344; inquiries may also be sent through email at luzoncolumbiansquires@yahoo.com.ph or cuaresmajose@yahoo.com. (KC News)

KC Luzon holds Yap Cup

THE Knights of Columbus Luzon Jurisdiction will be holding a golf tournament at the Club Intramuros Golf Course in Intramuros, Manila on April 26, from 6 to 9 a.m. Dubbed as Luzon Deputy, Arsenio Isidro G. Yap Cup, the event will be held one day ahead of the 9th National Convention of the Knights of Columbus, which the K of C Luzon will be hosting. At least 100 members and guests from different K of C councils all over the country are expected to participate in the golf tournament. The sponsorship for the tournament are P50,000.00; P25,000.00; and P5,000.00. Payments in cash should be made to the Knights of Columbus Luzon Jurisdiction while check payments should be made under the account name, K of

C Luzon. The sponsorship will be considered valid only upon signing of the agreement and receipt of payment. Merchandising activities, if any, should have prior approval of the Golf Tournament Committee to ensure Rules of the Golf Club are not violated. On behalf of the Knights of Columbus, Luzon Jurisdiction, allow me to thank you

for your unqualified support of this tournament by way of you generous contribution. Your participation will surely make this event more meaningful and successful, said Luzon Deputy and 9th Knights of Columbus National Convention Chairman, Arsenio Isidro Yap. Interested parties may contact organizers through telephone number (63) (02) 5272248. (KC News)

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Hilario G. Davide, Jr.

The Cross

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 8
April 9 - 22, 2012

Chairmans Message
MAY the true joy of Easter dwell in you as a reminder that you are a temple of God saved and redeemed through the death on the Cross of His beloved Son Jesus Christ. For the members of the Knights of Columbus in the Philippines this Easter significantly ushers them to the celebration of the most important activity for all in the three State Jurisdictionsthe 2012 National Convention on the 27th to the 29th of this Easter month of April. For one, it is the first National Convention formally governed by the first written Convention Manual of the Knights of Columbus of the Philippines which was promulgated on 19 May 2011. The Convention aims principally to demonstrate publicly the unity, solidarity and harmony of all brother Knights in the three State Jurisdictions in pursuing and advancing the highest ideals of Columbianism and the cardinal principles of the Order, particularly on pro-life issues, the protection and promotion of the sanctity of marriage and family life, and on all matters concerning membership fidelity to the Catholic Church and her teachings, youth development, ecology, amelioration of the poor in all aspects, the promotion of good governance and public accountability, the fight against graft and corruption, and on many other concerns. For another, the 2012 National Convention has adopted the most challenging and all-embracing theme: So That The World May Know New Hope. The theme is a lamentation over the painful reality the world faces today. We are now living in a world that is suffering from all forms of evils, sufferings, desolation and destruction, and from divisions and dissensions; a world burdened with wars, terrorism, poverty, hunger, disease and massive graft and corruption; and afflicted by natural and man-made calamities of proportions that defy our imagination. It is a world infected with moral and even spiritual bankruptcy. The logical question is: Is there any hope at all for this world? The answer is yes because all the above that confront our world give us a new hope. For Hope always abides, only the world has refused to believe that it does. Hope is the confidence that what God has done for us in the past guarantees our participation in what God will do in the future (Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 780). In Romans Chapter 5, St. Paul proclaims and teaches us: We boast in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance produces proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. Not only that, God has gifted the Philippines with another Saint. On 21 October, Blessed Pedro Calungsod, a Cebuano, would be canonized as the second Filipino Saint. He will bring a new hope to the Philippines and the world. Truly God is Hope; God is Love. Our 2012 National Convention would be an exercise in futility unless we become Gods instruments to bring and share new hope into a world gone astray. We must solemnly pledge to do so. VIVAT JESUS!

The Cause for the Beatification of Father George J. Willmann, SJ

EMULATING the virtues that bespeak of sanctity of a person, like Father George J. Willmann, SJ, is what we need today to draw us into a deeper living out of the fullest meaning of our Catholic Faith in the context of increasing secularism. Thus, we believe, is one of the most important objectives in initiating the Cause of the good Father George. As prescribed by the Congregation for Causes of Saints in Rome, a person may be elevated to the honors of the altar if he has lived up to a heroic degree of the supernatural virtues of faith, hope and charity, as well as the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance. We believe that Father Willmann practiced them all to an exceptional degree. In order to establish and widen the fame of Sanctity of Father Willmann, may we call on all Brother Knights, their families and friends to respond to the following appeal: Submission of testimonies on Fr. Willmanns heroic virtues; Recitation of Prayer for his Beatification in private and during K of C meetings and affairs; Invocation of his intercession in our prayers; Submission of Reports on answered prayers through the intercession of Father Willmann; Visitation of his tomb in the Sacred Heart Novitiate Cemetery, Novaliches, Quezon City. Membership to Fr. George J. Willmann Fellows. This is a challenge for all of us Knights of Columbus members, who dearly love Father George J. Willmann, SJ.

Prayer for the Beatification of Father George J. Willmann, SJ

Lord God, look down upon us, your children, who are trying to serve You with all our hearts, in our beloved land, the Philippines. Deign to raise Fr. George J. Willmann, of the Society of Jesus, to the honors of the altar. He is the wise, strong, cheerful, dauntless model that all of our Filipino men need in this new era, in this new millennium. He was your Knight, Your gentle warrior, especially in his ministry with the Knights of Columbus. A man leading other men, in the war of good against evil, in the war of the Gospel of Life against the Culture of Death. Make him the lamp on the lamp stand giving light to all in the house. Make him the city set on the mountain, which cannot be hid, so that all of us may learn from his courage, his integrity, his indomitable spirit in the struggle to lead men to God, and to bring God to man. We ask you this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Luzon Jurisdiction holds Holy Retreat

THE Knights of Columbus Luzon Jurisdiction deepened their commitment to live their Christian life faithfully in a Holy Retreat held on March 17 at the RTE Ville Retreat House in Los Baos, Laguna with KC Spiritual Director Msgr. Pedro C. Quitorio III as Retreat Master. The Luzon Jurisdiction cited that many challenges nowadays affect not only the Brother Knights themselves but all the members in the country, and spiritual retreat is a good reason to replenish ones energy. The annual retreat brings awareness, stability, clarity, and knowledge in life, according to Luzon Secretary, Joven B. Joaquin. Feeding our soul through an annual retreat is a self discovery, reflection, and stress reliever as well, he added. Meanwhile, all Brother Knights are encouraged by the Luzon Deputy, Arsenio Isidro Yap to facilitate or to join retreat sessions in their own respective communities. The 40 days of Lent are the most sacred and spiritually powerful in the Christian calendar. This reminds us to renew ourselves, strengthen our faith and commitment towards helping others, said Yap. The retreat was facilitated by the members of the Spiritual Formation Program Committee led by State Spiritual Formation Chairman, Luis A. Adriano, Jr. (KC Luzon News)

Guillermo N. Hernandez

Presidents Message

THE PAGASA has declared the start of summer season about one week ago. To most Filipinos summer begins after graduation and ends at the beginning of the new school year. Several days ago people has started queuing in airports, piers and bus terminals to their respective destinations i.e. to their home provinces or to a dream vacation spot like Boracay for its fine beaches or Palawan where one of the new 7 wonders of the world: Underground River is located. Here in KCFAPI the summer appears to be a hectic one. Last March 31, 2012, most employees went on a pilgrimage to Bataan. Then a long vacation started from Maundy Thursday, April 4, 2012 and ended on Monday, April 9, 2012 which was also declared a non-working holiday being the Araw ng Kagitingan. The long vacation however, may have been disadvantageous at some point to our area managers and fraternal counselors because many of the prospective fraternal benefits enrollees were out-of-town. Meanwhile, it may have also been an opportune time for them to visit brother knights who preferred to just stay at home. There may have been KC balikbayans who were in town to take advantage of the holidays. KCFAPI and the Order especially the host Luzon Jurisdiction are likewise preparing for the forthcoming National Convention to be held from April 27 to 29, 2012 here in Manila with the theme: So That The World May Know New Hope. Those involved in this convention will have their hands full especially that the Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson will be gracing the occasion. He will be coming a day earlier with wife, Sis. Dorian and a number of Supreme Council Officers. Despite the hectic schedule this summer, I wish everyone had a meaningful and blessed Lenten season. More than anything, let us not forget that Jesus suffering started because of mankinds predominantly negative and pre-judgmental nature. Let us therefore reflect on the times we were like those who judged Jesus before the Sanhedrin. Contemplate on how many times we threw judgment against other people and think about those instances we have been crosses to other peoples lives. And after all these, remember Jesus and pray that He will lead us away from the darkness and bring us into the light. I pray together with my family, that you may have a busy yet, fun-filled and Christ-centered summer ahead!

Luzon Jurisdiction to recognize outstanding Squires

THE Luzon Jurisdiction of the Knights of Columbus in the Philippines will recognize the outstanding youth Squires by launching an academic excellence project, dubbed as Luzon Deputy Recognition for Squires Academic Excellence Program. We [Luzon Jurisdiction] recognize that the academic education is one step towards developing leadership ability of the Columbian Squires members, thats why this program is being launched, said Luzon Columbian squires Chairman, Jose Cuaresma. This academic excellence program is an award to be given to deserving Columbian Squires members who are graduating Top Five for School Year 2011-2012 in the Primary and Secondary levels. The Luzon Deputy Recognition for Squires Academic Excellence Program aims to inspire and motivate Columbian Squires members to exert more efforts academically, and exemplify leadership in their respective schools. This can also help Knights to organize Circles and to recruit new members. For inquiries, you may call telephone number 5272245 mobile numbers 09178937973 or 0918-9631344; you may also send your inquiries through email at luzoncolumbiansquires@yahoo.com. ph or cuaresmajose@yahoo. com.

Pedro P. Lubenia

Responsibility for Good Governance

BELIEVING that good corporate governance is a necessary component of a sound strategic business management, the board, management, employees and stakeholders of KCFAPI will undertake every effort necessary to create awareness within the organization. Likewise, directors and management of KCFAPIs wholly owned and majority controlled corporations are committed for the successful implementation of good governance principles and leading practices within the organization. Public Accountability KCFAPI being in the business of fiduciary trust shall always ensure that all dealings with the public especially with the Benefit Certificate Holders and members of the Order are always conducted in fair, honest and equitable manner. The members of the board, officers and employees shall avoid conflicts of interest. Any unfair or deceptive acts or conduct that will constitute unfair trade practices detrimental to the Benefit Certificate Holders and claimants shall be avoided. Disclosure of Material Information All information, especially those of the Benefit Certificate Holders whether pertaining to personal or official company transactions are deemed confidential and considered properties of the individual stakeholders. Trustees, officers, executives and employees shall not disclose nor communicate material non-public information about and involving KCFAPI, including any act, transaction, development or event unless KCFAPI is ready to simultaneously disclose such information to the Insurance Commission. We will discuss in the next issue how good corporation governance is being implemented within the organization of KCFAPI, who are responsible, the communication process and how often should the Manual of Good Corporate Governance be reviewed or revised.

Corporate Governance

Walk For Life / C1

life and being contraceptives-free with his first wife of 44 years before she died and with whom he has eight children, and with his second wife with whom he has four children. Zambales Representative, Ma. Milagros Mitos Magsaysay, known for her firm opposition to the RH bill as well as her prowess in discussing it in plenary debates, explained what makes the measure unnecessary and thereby unworthy of support. Some 80 percent of the provisions in the RH bill, she said, are contained in the Magna Carta of Women which was signed into law in 2009. Nakalagay po sa proposed RH bill that we should provide pre-natal and post-natal care sa lahat ng mga babae

dito sa Pilipinas. Iyang provision na yan nasa Magna Carta na eh. Kapag sinabi niyo pong access to all kinds of family planning methods, nasa Magna Carta na rin yan. Kapag sinabi mong the right to space your children, nasa Magna Carta yan. Kapag sinabi mong dapat magprovide ng birthing facilities ang mga health centers nationwide, nasa Magna Carta na rin yan. At pag sinabi mong dapat magkaroon ng midwife, nurse at doktor ang mga health centers nationwide, nasa Magna Carta na rin yan, Magsaysay continued. So bakit pa natin kailangang ipasa ang RH bill? Eh dapat ngayon pinapatupad na po namin sa pamahalaan yung provisions ng Magna Carta.

The congresswoman also delved on the concept of essential medicines and how she regards the attempt to categorize birth control drugs and devices as essential medicines as senseless. Anong sakit ba ang ginagamot ng contraceptives? Ang pagbubuntis ba ay isang sakit? she recalled asking RH bill sponsors in plenary debates, to which the latter replied in the negative. Ang alam ko sa essential medicine, yan ay iniinom ng isang tao sapagkat siya ay may sakit, at kung sakaling inumin niya yung gamot, gagaling siya. Kung hindi naman pala sakit ang pregnancy, ibig sabihin walang sakit, so hindi mo pwedeng i-consider na essential medicine ang condoms at

contraceptives, the solon explained. The bigger picture that could explain the bills proponents motivation was revealed by Magsaysay. Ang sabi kasi nila, sa DoH, mas mabilis ang priority sa pagbili ng gamot kapag essential medicine ang classification. Kaya gusto nilang lokohin tayong lahat at sabihin ang contraceptives ay dapat gawing essential medicine, she said. The Zambales congresswoman also mentioned that she would rather that students were taught values formation rather than sex education, as the youth need to learn to know and value their self-worth, understand principles such as integrity and focus on character building in general.

Allen Paolo Guballa, State Chief Squire, also spoke as part of the program, which ended with the release of white balloons as the song Habang May Buhay was played. The Walk for Life took place a day before the Day of the Unborn, a special day officially designated in several countries including the Philippines for celebrating the sacredness of the lives of babies before birth. Besides the Philippines, other countries that mark March 25 with a pro-life theme are El Salvador, Argentina, Guatemala, Chile, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Uruguay, Peru, Panama, Paraguay, Slovakia, Cuba, Austria and Romania. (CBCP for Life)

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 8
April 9 - 22, 2012

The Cross

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Only a morality rooted in love can adequately address the worlds economic and political challenges
By Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson
CATHOLICS in the United States face an unprecedented situationone that threatens the essence of our religious freedom. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services health insurance mandate will force Catholic organizations to provide insurance coverage for sterilization, contraception and abortifacient drugs for their employees. This requirement, which takes effect next year, will be compulsory for every Catholic organization. Under this rule, the Knights of Columbus will be forced to use membership dues and money generated through insurance sales to fund health care that provides drugs and procedures that violate the moral teaching of the Catholic Church on the transmission and sanctity of human life. Constitutional scholars have described the administrations mandate as unconstitutional and illegal. And the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has vowed to fight it, calling on the president to rescind his mandate and urging Congress to pass legislation to protect our religious liberties. This is not only a Catholic issue. Thousands of Protestant ministers have publicly opposed the mandate, with some saying that they would go to jail before violating their religious beliefs. In response to the firestorm of controversy that the mandate has created, the Obama administration has offered a so-called accommodation. But what has been offered is both inadequate and unacceptable. The administration argues that since contraception is less costly than childbirth, insurers can provide this coverage for free, and therefore, Catholics and Catholic institutions should not be concerned. If the presidents logic were correct, insurance companies could offer many other prescription drugs for free, since controlling blood pressure and cholesterol, for example, is less expensive than treating patients for heart attack and stroke. But we know that there is no such thing as a free lunch. The fact remains that Catholic organizations will pay for health insurance programs for their employees, and those programs will be required to provide services that violate our moral beliefs. And the National Right to Life Committee has warned that the administrations mandate may not stop there. The administrations logic provides the groundwork for mandating abortion coverage in the future since abortion is less expensive than childbirth. Never before has the federal government used its power to violate religious liberty in this way, insisting that religious organizations pay for programs that violate their moral convictions. A decade after drafting the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote the Virginia Act for Establishing Religious Freedom. In it, he stated: To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves, is sinful and tyrannical. In the 1950s, the Knights of Columbus led efforts to have the words under God added to the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance. These words came from Abraham Lincolns Gettysburg Address. Like Jefferson, Lincoln knew that Americas greatness cannot be separated from the affirmation in the Declaration of Independence that we are a nation of inalienable rights endowed by our Creator. In January, Pope Benedict XVI spoke out publicly about the new threats to religious liberty in the United States. He said: It is imperative that the entire Catholic community in the United States comes to realize the grave threats to the Churchs public moral witness. Today, the Knights of Columbus has a critical role to play in defending our religious liberty. We must support our bishops when they insist that President Obama rescind his unjust mandate. We must also urge members of Congress to pass legislation to protect our liberties. And we must pray that this threat to religious freedom will be overcome.

We will stand firm

We face a time of great challenge. Every brother Knight must do his part. Like so many brother Knights before us, I am

confident that we too will stand firm in the cause of freedom and in defense of our Church. Vivat Jesus!

Joseph P. Teodoro

For Brother Knights by Brother Knights

THE Cordillera Braves have announced that they will be claiming for the second time the distinction of being the top sales area in the Philippines. Earlier, Salvador R. Aspuria, Sr. bagged the Area Manager of the Year 2011. He received his plaque of recognition from no less than KCFAPI Chairman, the Hon. Hilario G. Davide, Jr. assisted by KCFAPI President, Guillermo N. Hernandez and EVP MA. Theresa G. Curia. Bro. Adors wife Mercedes and family witnessed the occasion held on March 9, 2012 at the Mariott Hotel in Cebu City. Three fraternal counselors of the area received their first ever Chairman of the Board Family Service Awards, they are: Anthony Boaging, Andres Malecdan and Efraim Bautista. Area Manager Aspuria has set his aim to a second AM of the Year Award. As

The new kids on the block

a strategy we will be working to double the number of awardees in his area and in support to new FBG-Vice President, Gari M. San Sebastian to similarly double the number of awardees nationwide for this year. The 1st Quarter activities of the Cordillera Braves, indeed, are a preview that they will be KCFAPIs area to beat in 2012.

Farewell to KCFAPIs Legal and Administrative Services Manager

ATTY. Rizal Vistar Katalbas, Jr., died last April 1, 2012 at the St. Lukes Medical Center Global City at 9:30 p.m. Atty. Jun or RVK, as he is fondly called, has been employed with the Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines, Inc. for six (6) years. He was the Associations Legal & Administrative Services Manager and was a very active Chairman of the Spiritual Committee for four (4) straight years since 2008. He died due to cancer of the liver, leaving behind his wife, Eveny and 5 children namely: Eve Riza, Lariz Ivy, Vida Ross, Jon Riano and Rizal Ezmin. RVK, who will also be remembered by his fellow employees for sharing

Angelito A. Bala

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What would happen if you made a false statement in your insurance application?
A. You risk cancellation or rescission of your benefit certificate, reduction in benefits, non payment of promised benefits or merely a refund of your contributions when the time comes that you need to file a claim. When the insurance company finds out about the material misrepresentations your benefit claim may be denied. If the misrepresentation turned out to be fraudulent in nature, the company can immediately cancel your contract. If the claim falls within the contestability period (usually two years), the insurer will simply refund the actual contributions paid. If the misstatement did not turn out to be material, the insurance company will most likely review and inspect all the statements you made for other possible untrue statements. This does not discount the possibility that the company may be strict in processing your claims forcing or causing some delays. The common form of misrepresentation is the incorrect disclosure of true birth date. Applicants make this deliberate action in the hope that they appear to be younger to save on some pesos on the required contributions. However, if an investigation revealed that misstatement of age was intentional, the company may resist a claim especially if at the correct age one is no longer qualified for insurance. Another cause of concern in claims investigation has to do with material concealment of a disease or an ailment in the present time and in the past. In addition to the questions asked in the application, the applicant shall not remain silent but must volunteer information that could affect or impact his insurance application. What may be irrelevant to the applicant may be relevant to the underwriter. Remember that after you filed your application and if you honestly did not know that you had an ailment or illness and found out about it afterwards, the ailment may not be used as grounds for denial of claim payment. If you have been denied insurance due to a health issue, do not attempt to apply for insurance with another insurance company and conceal your health condition. Insurance companies share medical information about their insureds or applicants via the Medical Impairment Bureau (MIB). Hence, there is no use to hide or falsify your statements. To summarize, be honest and tell the truth, disclose everything to your insurance company. Pay the extra contributions, if needed. There is no feeling of security better than knowing that your familys interest is secured with your life insurance.

his fine musical talent as guitarist and member of the KCFAPI Chorale, was cremated on April 8, 2012, Easter Sunday at the Holy Trinity Memorial Chapels in Paraaque. As one family, KCFAPI prays for the eternal repose of his soul. (Ma. Kristianne G. Pascual)

Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines Inc., is an established mutual benefits association and a scientifically designed insurance system organized exclusively for the members of the Knights of Columbus and their immediate families. At present, the Association is looking for professionals in the field of: Training Real Estate Audit Accounting Psychology / Behavioral Science Corporate Communications Marketing & Sales If you are dedicated, service-oriented, and have the promising potential to join us in our continuous drive to provide mutual aid, assistance and excellent service to our members. Kindly send your comprehensive resume thru fax number 527-2244 or hand-carry resume with a 2x2 photo and transcript of records to:

The Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines Inc., is an established and progressive mutual benefits association operating for 53 years, has been highly committed to provide mutual aid and assistance to its members and their immediate families. KCFAPI firmly believes that the continued progress and success of the association depends to a great extent on its human capital. KCFAPI also believes that through training and a host of other benefits if coupled with hard work, will help employees and the association attain their goals and objectives. In our continuous drive to provide excellent service to our members, we are inviting individuals with promising potentials. He must be dedicated, service oriented, and willing to undergo training. Our compensation and employee benefits are comparable, if not better than most companies of our same size and nature of business.

KC Family . . . Our Concern

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS FRATERNAL ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES INC. Gen. Luna cor. Sta. Potenciana Sts., Intramuros, Manila You may also call 527 2223 local 202 for queries and look for Ms. Ma. Kristianne Pascual.

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FBG holds service training program

THE Fraternal Benefits Group (FBG) of the Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines, Inc. (KCFAPI) held a two-day fraternal service training program last March 20 and 21 at the KCFAPI Social Hall in Intramuros, Manila. Training participants were from Bicol, Metro Manila, and Cavite. The training provided the participants with an orientation regarding the Order of the Knights of Columbus and its insurance arm, the Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines, Inc. (KCFAPI) whose primary objective is to provide optimum mutual benefits to all its members and their immediate families. The participants also learned the featured plans of KCFAPI like KC Cares and other insurance products. Benefit Certificate Holders Relations Office Manager, Edwin B. Dawal and Underwriting Department Manager, Carmelita S. Ruiz discussed the various functions of their respective offices, while KCFAPI Medical Director, Dr. Jaime Talag talked about medical underwriting. Vice President Fraternal Benefits Group, Gari San Sebastian and FBG Staff, Jemwel Santillan tackled the fraternal service program and incentives, sales technique, and updates regarding the various KCFAPI products. (KCFAPI News)

The Cross

CBCP Monitor

Vol. 16 No. 8

April 9 - 22, 2012

Training Program. FBG Vice President Gari San Sebastian (extreme left) and FBG Staff, Jemwel Santillan (extreme right) together with the participants of the recently held fraternal service training program at the KCFAPI Social Hall in Intramuros, Manila.

KCFAPI, KC Luzon recognize 2012 skills training graduates KCFAPI okays

THE Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines, Inc., (KCFAPI) and the Knights of Columbus Luzon Jurisdiction applauded the newly graduates of skills training and entrepreneurship development program on Photographic Silkscreen Printing held at the KCFAPI Building in Intramuros, Manila on April 3, 2012. Luzon Deputy, Arsenio Isidro Yap and KCFAPI Executive Vice President, Ma. Theresa G. Curia (in behalf of the KCFAPI President Guillermo N. Hernandez) delivered inspirational messages. The presentation and confirmation of graduates were done by Mr. Ramon Mao, Center Manager and Ms. Feliza Onanad, OIC both from the Manila Manpower Development Center. State Program Director, Ramoncito A. Ocampo gave the welcome remarks and awarding of special award; State Youth Director, Eduardo A. Lara delivered the closing remarks; State Church Director, Vicente Ortega said the invocation; and Bro. Rolando E. Mirande acted as master of ceremony. The newly graduates of skills training and entrepreneurship development program on photographic silkscreen printing are: Mario H. Alcansia, Henry N. Cabanela, Domingo Victor P. Casio, Marc Jefferson A. Guerrero, Rufo S. Ilog, Rolly A. Mangaring, Dionisio G. Marcelo, Marc Andrew C. Nacional, Emmanuel P. Nicolas, Christian Ray E. Ofrasio, Adelino O. Oray, Arjay L. Padilla, Marvin I. Sakilayan, Nilo H. Sayoto, Robinson B. Suamer, Felipe C. Sunga Jr., Reynold A. Trinidad and Nicole G. Villasana. The training was conducted in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare (DSW)Manila Manpower Development Center. (KCFAPI News)

Fr. McGivneys Center of Devotion in Phils

THE Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines, Inc. (KCFAPI) has approved the construction of Venerable Father Michael J. McGivneys oratory and shrine inside the KCFAPI compound in Intramuros, Manila. The action is in line with the support of the KCFAPI to the Knights of Columbus Supreme Office in promoting the canonization of their founder, Venerable Father Michael J. McGivney, according to KCFAPI Executive Vice President Ma. Theresa G. Curia. Marked as the Center of Devotion, it was approved by the KCFAPI Board of Trustees this year during the visit of Postulator Dr. Andrea Ambrosi and Vice-Postulator and Communications Specialist Brian Caulfield. Being Asias number one Christian country, they chose the Philippines to start promoting the latters noble cause for sainthood and to urge the Filipino brothers to pray for Gods miracle through his intercessions. Earlier, KCFAPI Vice President for Information and BC Holders Services, Ronulfo G. Infante has announced an invitation to bid for a 4-storey building located at the compound of Fr. George J. Willmann, SJ Center in Intramuros Manila. The building, with a lot area of 210 sqm and total floor area of 900 sqm more or less, will be constructed with the help of a well-known architect cum priest, Fr. Alex Bautista who was chosen to lead the project construction. Moreover, the construction of Fr. Willmanns museum and statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe, known as the protector of the unborn are also underway. The monument of Fr. McGivney and the oratory will be inaugurated and blessed on April 27, 2012 after the opening mass for this years K of C Convention at the San Agustin Church. (KCFAPI News)

Proud Graduate. Bro. Nilo H. Sayoto, Top 1 among those who graduated from skills training and entrepreneurship development program on photographic silkscreen printing of KCFAPI and K of C Luzon, displays his work of art, while the other graduate is busy preparing for his masterpiece.

Visayas Officers conduct series of Provincial Conferences in Cebu

VISAYAS Officers from Iloilo City and Cebu Province held Provincial Conferences in Cebu Central and Metro Cebu on March 3 and March 4, 2012 at the DepEd Operational Center, Toledo City, Cebu and K of C Mabolo Clubhouse, Mabolo, Cebu City, respectively with the theme: So That The World May Know New Hope. The event, which was duly attended by District Deputies and Grand Knights was organized by the Regional Deputy for Region VII, Bro. Wenceslao A. Caete, Jr. in support of the Pronvincial Deputies namely: Bro. Ameurfino A. Perales for Cebu Central and Bro. Ramon E. Aguilar for Metro Cebu. District Deputies reported on the status of the councils under their area during the conference. The Visayas Deputy, Bro. Rodrigo N. Sorongon talked about membership development through his State of the Jurisdiction Address. Visayas Secretary, Bro. Anthony P. Nazario and Visayas Administrative Assistant for Regions VII & VIII, Atty. Allan Nicolas C. Ouano were also present interrelating during the open forum.

KC Visayas officers. Standing, 2nd row, 5th from left: Wenceslao A. Caete, Jr, Regional Deputy-Central Visayas and Unit Manager for Cebu North; Rodrigo N. Sorongon, Visayas Deputy; Ameurfino A. Perales, Provincial Deputy-Central Cebu; Ramon E. Aguilar, Provincial Deputy-Metro Cebu. Standing, 1st row: Anthony P. Nazario, Visayas Secretary; KCFAPI Fraternal Benefits Associte, Sis. Allen C. Bohol; Visayas Admin. Asst. for Regions VII & VIII, Atty. Allan Nicolas C. Ouano with District Deputies and Grand Knights.

Towards the end of the meeting, KCFAPI Fraternal Benefits Associate, Allen C. Bohol together with Unit Manager for Cebu South, William Ibales; UM for Cebu North, Wenceslao Caete,

Fraternal Counselors, Jose Odyssey Opsima and Filomeno Gatal discussed about the supplementary information concerning council status in terms of Fraternal Accidental Death Benefits

(FADB) and Council Mortuary Benefit Plan (CMBP) including regular insurance coverages. The group likewise took the opportunity to campaign for an FC in every council. (Allen Bohol)

Supreme Council to join 8th Gathering of KC Priest-Scholars

THE Knights of Columbus Supreme Council will participate in the upcoming 8th Gathering of KC Priest-Scholars to be led by the Knights of Columbus Fr. George J. Willmann Charities, Inc. on April 24-27 at the Galilee Mansion & Resort in Bustos, Bulacan. With the theme So That The World May Know New Hope, Vice-Postulator Brian Caulfield will tackle the cause of Fr. Michael J. McGivney and why they are seeking the human effort of the faithful Filipinos to bring the Knights of Columbus founder to the honors of the altar. The Knights of Columbus in the Philippines have many ways of inspiration, faithfulness and devotion. We are looking for the faithful brothers here to pray for a possible miracle in their lives and that the said miracle happens to give honor to the Filipino Knights, said Caulfield. Some officials from the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines have pledged their support to the foundation such as Msgr. Joselito C. Asis, CBCP Secretary General; and Fr. Edwin Gariguez, Executive Secretary of CBCP-National Secretariat for Social Action, Justice and Peace. Asis and Gariguez will discuss the Hope in the Context of Spe Salvi and Hope in the Context of Socio-political realities of the country today, respectively. Willmann Charities also invited other religious entities to share their presence on the event such as Virac Bishop Manolo de los Santos, Nueva Segovia Auxiliary Bishop David William Antonio, Fr. Ryan Serafin P. Sasis, Fr. Jaime S. Ucab, Jr., and Fr. Rene Sapungan. KCFAPI officials who will join the foundation are KCFAPI Chairman and Former Chief Justice, Hilario G. Davide, Jr. and KCFAPI President, Guillermo N. Hernandez. After the gathering, the participants will be heading back to Manila as early as 5:30 in the morning to attend the 9th National Convention of the Knights of Columbus. Then, we will have a conference with the Supreme Knight, Carl Anderson and Fr. John Grace at the Manila Hotel, said Fr. George J. Willmann Charities Executive Director, Roberto Cruz. (KC News)

All set for the 9th National Convention

PREPARATIONS for the 9th National Convention of the Knights of Columbus in the Philippines is now all set as the event draws near. Scheduled to run from April 27-29, 2012, the National Convention is a huge event wherein delegations from the Jurisdictions of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao converge to pursue a common goal of charity and brotherly love not only among its members but to the least of His brethren. Its the time when the Jurisdictions make their report on where it stands and where it is headed. Its the time to collect their thoughts and plan for the future of the Knights of Columbus in the Philippines and assess itself whether it could meet the demands of its theme: So That the World May Know New Hope. Its the time to rekindle ones acquaintances and strengthen the common bond of solidarity with the Church and its clergies, to protect and defend the weak and the oppressed and to give new Hope wherever they have any undertaking. This 9th National Convention is expected by far to be the most promising as it incorporates so many things that could make or break everything. It squeezes in its program a forum exclusively for about a hundred members of the clergies/chaplains with Fr. John Grace wholl be coming over for this specific purpose. Fr. Grace will have a heart to heart talk with them on how they could be effective chaplains to KC councils. He will also discuss with them on how they could help in recruitment and in enriching the spirituality of the brother knights. Eventually, this could result in well formed knights who could be very useful and relevant to the needs of the parishes where they are situated. The clergies are likewise invited to attend and witness the convention and all its proceedings and know first-hand the full potential of an active council in their parishes. The organizers would like them to feel that they are not only Chaplains but they are also brother knights whose role in the councils development is very much needed and appreciated. The rest of the Knights of Columbus membership would like the clergies to know that they are one with them in the programs and stands of the Church on all issues at hand. Of course, it is expected that a delegation from the Supreme Council led by no less than the Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson will be able to attend and affirm its strong support to the works of the Jurisdictions of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Among the other activities to be done in conjunction with the convention are the Annual Reunion of the Priest Scholars of KCFAPI on April 25 and 26, Golf Tournament on April 26, Drill Competition of the Honor Guards, Blessing of the Media Room of CBCP which the Supreme Council is a sponsor of and the Blessing of the Oratory for the Venerable Servant of God Michael J. McGivney at the Fr. Willmann building on April 27 and a Ladies Tour and a Special Luncheon with Ms. Dorian Anderson, wife of the Supreme Knight on April 28 and last but not the least, a requiem mass for the departed brother knights on April 28. All brother knights are encouraged to join and register early to experience a convention like no other in the past. Arsenio Isidro G. Yap Luzon Deputy and 9th National Convention Chairman