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Priests must live holy lives to be effective ministers, Vatican says

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Iloilo Shrine Liturgist calls for renewal of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary

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

Manila mayor lauds MPD for arrest of big-time Cytotec suppliers

MANILA mayor Alfredo S. Lim has commended Manila Police District (MPD) P/ Station 3-PCP commander Police Inspector Joselito Von Possel for the successful operation leading to the arrest of suspected big-time suppliers of the abortifacient drug Cytotec in the vicinity of Quiapo Church. A total of 2,000 tablets valued at P100,000 were seized from the suspects by the MPD operatives. Lim presented to the media, suspects
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Youth alliance rejects RH bill, backs pro-life solons

By Diana Uichanco

May 7 - 20, 2012

Vol. 16 No. 10

Php 20.00

AN alliance of youth organizations declared its all-out support for pro-life lawmakers, citing specifically the Nine Young Legislators (9YL), in a press conference in which representatives of various youth groups presented a manifesto proclaiming their position against the Reproductive Health (RH) bill.
We would like to support the Nine Young Legislators who are basically the vanguards and who would [go against] the RH bill on behalf of the youth, said Eilleen Esteban, president of Youth Pinoy, when asked if the manifesto titled Our Voice, Our Vote was meant to send a message to those running in the 2013 elections. Pwede po nating sabihin na isa na ito sa mga pagkilos na gagawin namin para sa darating na eleksyon. Ang ginagawa po namin ngayon na pagsasama-sama, o [ang pagbubuo ng] coalition, is ourselves forming a movement along with different Catholic and non-Catholic youth organizations whom we are inviting to join us with the same cause as we have to support our legislators who will be opposing the RH bill, and if needed, we will be there for them in 2013, Esteban said. This panel speaks for itself. The fact

Lone district of Quirino Representative Dakila Dax Cua approaches the galleries at the resumption of the congressional sessions after the summer break on May 7; and personally thanks the delegates of an alliance of national youth organizationsall dressed in redfor supporting the so-called Nine Young Legislators (9YL) who are at the legislative forefront in blocking the passage of the Reproductive Health Bill.

that the panelists can speak on behalf of numbers could mean that there is a substantial support for pro-life legislators in 2013, added Kiboy Tabada of UP for Life, a system-wide alliance of students, faculty, staff and alumni of the University of the Philippines. The group 9YL, the members of which decided to band together late last year to express the need for government to allocate the billions proposed for the RH bills implementation to more concrete solutions that will address the real needs of the people, is composed of Representatives Dakila Cua, Rachel Del Mar, Lucy Torres-Gomez, Fatima Aliah Dimaporo, Karlo Nograles, Mariano Michael Velarde, Irwin Tieng, Gabriel Quisumbing, and Lord Allan Velasco. Besides Esteban and Tabada, the other youth leaders who delivered statements proclaiming their respective groups rejection of the RH bill were Lea Dasigan of the Federation of National Youth Organizations (FNYO), Peter Pardo of the National Capital Region Youth Ministry, Raymond Ibarrientos of CFC-Singles for Christ and Youth for Christ, and Allen Paolo Guballa of the Columbian Squires. We are for responsible parenthood and we, too, desire to see every Filipino family free from the burdens of poverty. However, spending for a measure to fiddle with demographics is a gross misallocation of scarce resources, the manifesto stated. Addressing needs for quality education and opportunities for employAlliance / A6

CNN badgers Aquino on contraception

CABLE News Network (CNN) recently aired its Eye on the Philippines, reporting with a more or less balanced perspective on the Philippines except on one areacontraception. One of its news anchors, Anna Coren, parachuted to Manila and was sent to do a one-on-one interview with President Benigno Aquino III in Malacaang for the show Talk Asia. The Australian Coren, 37, devoted an entire segment to contraception, predictably blaming the Catholic Church for opposing it and at the same time betraying her superficial knowledge of Philippine circumstances. She asked Aquino: The Philippines is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia, the gap between the rich and poor is enormous, you have a third of your people living on a dollar a day. When will it change for those 30 million people living in extreme poverty? On top of the Presidents mind was the need for well-paying jobs, not contraceptives. Its all a question of empowering. We need jobs for these people. We need jobs that are not totally unskilled that will pay them better wages. Its being done. Training her guns on the Church? Coren, not satisfied with Aquino answer, claimed that one of the big reasons that there is poverty in this country is the lack of contraception, the fact that contraception is not allowed, and the Church at the end of the day is responsible for this. But the President cut her and said, There is no law that bans the use of contraception except certain [contraceptives], that are deemed questionable, that pose health risks. The Church frowns on contraception, Coren said. Oooh, some people would say that the Church has way too much power in this country. Responsible parenthood Aquinos response was twopronged. Yes, the Church has a significant influence but it doesnt make the laws, he said. Aquino then pointed out that a responsible parenthood bill was already being debated in Congress, and that he expected

Poor family relationships root of teen pregnancies, research reveals

REACTING to UNFPA reports that the Philippines has the highest rate of teen pregnancies in Asia, Filipino youth pointed to poor family relationships and communication as the culprit. Nelson Ingking, 25, a teacher from the Diocese of Talibon, Bohol shared about his faculty's experience with young people, revealing that they have a lot of problematic students who constantly look for attention. We have a lot of problematic students who are deprived of love and attention from family members, which they find in their boyfriend or girlfriend, he said. Dapat kasi ang pinagtitibay natin relationship sa family...Family background talaga 'yan, (What we should be strengthening are family relationships...It's really a matter of family background) Melanie Santos, 28, a staff of the National Secretariat for Youth Apostolate, added. Santos specifically mentioned the classic rebellious stage teenagers go through and absentee parents. What appear to be Santos' and Ingking's personal opinions are, in fact, backed by research. According to a researched article, Relationships, Love and Sexuality: What the Filipino Teens Think and Feel by Jokin de Irala, ... communication with parents protects against early sexual initiation and against risky behaviors. Findings from other studies like the one conducted by Bruce Ellis, Ph.D., a professor of experimental psychology at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, show that girls who had absentee fathers either before they were born or up to age 5 were seven to eight times more likely to get pregnant as
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Raymond Bandril / CBCP Media

Nassa thanks SC for Luisita ruling IP group, environmentalists score

THE National Secretariat for Social Action, Justice, and Peace of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP-Nassa) thanked the Supreme Court (SC) for the favorable ruling on the Hacienda Luisita land dispute. The long wait is over. The decision for land distribution of Hacienda Luisita has finally been rendered. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines National Secretariat for Social Action, Justice, and Peace thanks the Supreme Court for its resolution to distribute the lands to the farmers of Hacienda Luisita following the land valuation of 1989, said CBCPNassa chief and Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick S. Pabillo in a statement. The bishop also requested President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III and the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to swiftly facilitate the implementation of the SC ruling. He also said that it will speak

Mindanao bombing
AN organization of indigenous peoples, together with environmental and rights defenders had protested at the main office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to condemn the on-going carpeting in their ancestral domains in Mindanao. They believe that the military combat operations are in line with the intensification of the mining activities in the area, most of them are targeting places where the IP and farmers live. In a statement, Genasque Enriquez, secretary general of the IP group, Kasalo or the Kahugpong sa Lumadnong Organisasyon said, when the government has intensified its mining campaign, allegedly for the national economic growth, there had been a widespread militarization and human rights violations happening in the areas of Caraga (a region comprised of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur and Dinagat Islands), Southern and Northern Mindanao regions.

Bishop Broderick S. Pabillo

highly of Mr. Aquino if he is able to facilitate the distribution of the hacienda owned by his family for more than 50 years. This (Aquinos personal facilitation of Hacienda Luisitas land distribution) will reflect his sincerity [of] being pro-poor and in pursuing social justice even at the cost of his family, the bishop said.
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Our rights were violated as we were forcibly evacuated from our homes and communities. The military says that their operations are meant to drive away rebels from our lands, but it is in fact our indigenous people brothers and sisters that are being driven away for the entry of large-scale mining in our lands, said Enriquez. The mountain ranges of Agusan del Norte and Surigao del Sur contain rich deposit of gold. Minimax Gold Exploration and SR Mining Inc., both huge mining conglomerates, are eyeing the area for possible exploration and extraction. Meanwhile, Enriquez disclosed that since February 28, the 402nd brigade of the 4th infantry division had been bombing the areas of Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte and Gigaquit, Surigao del Norte, allegedly to neutralize the rebels there. Aside from the bombing, there had been airstrikes and strafing, too. Because of the situation, some 58
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Journalists urged to use all media platforms to help Planet Earth

JOURNALISTS, most especially those specializing on environment reportage, must take full advantage of all available media platforms to convey the very important message of saving Planet Earth to as wide an audience as possible. But the problem is that only a handful of Asian journalists are using the power of the internet to its full advantage by using all kinds of platforms in order to convey the message that the public also

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Illustration by Bladimer Usi

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Vatican Briefing
Caritas welcomes new statutes

World News

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 10
May 7 - 20, 2012

Benedict XVI, acting through his secretary of state, has approved new statutes and rules for Caritas Internationalis. The aid organization is the umbrella group for 164 national Catholic aid and development agencies. Caritas Internationalis President Cardinal Oscar Rodrguez Maradiaga received the new statutes and rules and a general decree during a morning meeting at the Vatican May 2. This is a day of joy and hope for Caritas Internationalis, said Cardinal Rodrguez Maradiaga. Our new Statutes and Rules will modernize our work in delivering humanitarian assistance and development in service to the poor. They will provide us with the framework to carry out our work as part of the mission of the Church. (Zenit)
Pontiff donates $250,000 to UK Ordinariate

Survey suggests churches need to catch up with unaffiliated Catholics

CHICAGO, Ill., May 4, 2012A census of religious adherence in the U.S. that reported a five percent decline in the U.S. Catholic population associated with a specific parish suggests that some dioceses need to catch up with Catholics new to their areas. Our data indicate there are fewer than 60 million Americans associated with a specific Catholic church, said Clifford Grammich, a research associate with the Religious Congregation & Membership Study 2010. The study also found that there are more than 75 million Americans who identify themselves as Catholic. In other words, there may be more than 15 million Americans who identify themselves as Catholic but who are not associated with a specific church, Grammich told CNA May 3. The study aims to provide the most complete data on U.S. religious affiliation and attendance. The data for 236 religious groups were published by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies. The census study was released May 1 at a press conference during the annual meeting of the Associated Church Press in Chicago. The Cincinnati-based Glenmary Research Center is responsible for the collection of the Catholic data for Latin and Eastern Rite parishes throughout the U.S. In 2010, the census found 58.9 million Catholics affiliated with 20,589 congregations. Since 2000, the Catholic Church showed a loss of 1,202 congregations and 3.1 million adherents, a decrease of five percent. About 19.1 percent of the U.S. population is affiliated with a specific Catholic parish. The religious census asked each Catholic diocese to provide the number of registered households, registered individuals, infant baptisms, deaths, and weekly Mass attendance. While the census numbers come close to official Catholic figures in most dioceses, many dioceses report that a number of Catholics live in the diocese but are not affiliated with a specific parish or mission. Grammich said some dioceses, especially those with rapid population growth, may need to catch up with new Catholics. There may be 15 million selfidentified Catholic Americans not affiliated with a specific church, he said. If these Catholics were a denomination, their numbers would comprise the third largest religious body in the U.S. after the Catholic Church and the Southern Baptists, who have 20 million adherents. Why those persons may identify as Catholic but not with a specific church could be an important question for the Catholic Church in the United States, he told CNA. Some of the changes in the Catholic population surveyed since 2000 may be a result of what Grammich called accounting changes and differences in methodology. The new Catholic data is focused more on the church-level than in the past. This makes the Catholic religious census data more comparable to that from other religious bodies, but less comparable to Catholic data reported in the past. These questions aside, the results show a clear decline in some regions. More than 30 U.S. dioceses, especially those of the Northeast, are witnessing more funerals than infant baptisms. This is causing a natural decrease in the Catholic population. The Northeast, long a Catholic bastion, still has the highest Catholic population with 18.3 million adherents. However, the U.S. Catholic population has shifted to urban areas of the West and the South. The Catholic Church showed gains in 11 states, including Georgia, Nevada and Oregon. As in decades past, the total population has grown more in the South and West
www.catholicnewsagency.com

Benedict XVI has donated $250,000 to support the work of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. The news from Rome came to Monsignor Keith Newton, the ordinary. Responding to the gift, Monsignor Newton said, I am very grateful to the Holy Father for his generosity and support. This gift is a great help and encouragement as we continue to grow and develop our distinctive ecclesial life, while seeking to contribute to the wider work of evangelization in England and Wales." (Zenit)
Albanian President visits pontiff

Benedict XVI and the president of Albania discussed Saturday the nation's path to full integration in the European Union, as Bamir Topi visited the Pontiff at the Vatican. According to the Vatican press office, the president went on to meet with the Pope's secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who was accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States. The discussions centered on the "good relations that exist between the Holy See and the Republic of Albania," according to the communiqu, as well as "questions of mutual interest regarding relations between the ecclesial and civil communities, including interreligious dialogue and the Church's contribution in the fields of education and social care." (Zenit)
Rise in US seminary numbers brings 'big smile' to Pope's face

Bishop James D. Conley of Denver said the news of rising seminarian numbers across the United States has delighted Pope Benedict XVI. He was very happy to receive that information, Bishop Conley told CNA on May 4 after meeting the Pope at the Vatican. He said he had heard that vocations were going up in the United States and he said this is very positive news and, in fact, he had a big smile on his face when he heard the news. Bishop Conley was one of ten bishops from Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Wyoming who had an audience with Pope Benedict as part of their five-day ad limina pilgrimage to Rome which concludes May 7. (CNA/ EWTN News)
Pope encourages new Swiss Guards to be saintly soldiers

than in the Northeast and Midwest. So total population growth alone means there will be more Catholics (and persons of other faiths) in the South and West, Grammich said. Also, to the extent there has been migration from the Northeast and Midwest to other regions, particularly to the South, there has been movement from more Catholic regions to less Catholic ones, which would boost the Catholic population there. Los Angeles County, with 3.5 million Catholic adherents, is the United States most populous Catholic county. Massachusetts has passed Rhode Island as the most Catholic state, with 44.9 percent of the population being Catholic. Grammich found it striking that the Catholic numbers have shifted but the number of Catholic churches has not. This means the average number of Catholics per church has increased to more than 4,000 throughout the West, with nearly 8,000 Catholics per church in California. About 25 percent of U.S. adults, more than 75 million people, identify as Catholic. However, only about two-thirds of these say they attend religious services more than once a year. More information about the religious census, including county-level data on religious adherence, is accessible through the website of the Glenmary Research Center at http:// www.glenmary.org/rcms2010. (CNA)

Pope Benedict XVI encouraged the new class of recruits for the Swiss Guard to draw close to Christ as they embark on their roles as the pontiff's guardians. To give love to others it is necessary to draw upon the furnace of divine charity, thanks to prolonged periods of prayer, constant listening to the Word of God, and a whole life centered on the mystery of the Eucharist, he said May 7. The secret of the effectiveness of your work here in the Vatican, as well as in all your projects is, therefore, the constant reference to Christ. Pope Benedict addressed the Corp of the Swiss Guard a day after they welcomed 26 new recruits. The newcomers' family and friends were also present for Mondays papal audience in the Vaticans Apostolic Palace as well as representatives of the Swiss civil authorities. (CNA/EWTN News)
Pope warns doctors of relativism impacting medicine

Melbourne Archbishop to lead Australia's prelates

SYDNEY, Australia, May 4, 2012Archbishop Denis Hart, metropolitan archbishop of Melbourne, was elected this week the president of the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference. The bishops plenary is under way in Sydney. Archbishop Hart will take over after this meeting from Archbishop Philip Wilson of Adelaide, who has held the post for the past six years. Archbishop Hart says he is delighted to have been chosen to serve the Church in Australia in this way. I am pleased to be able to serve the Church in any way that I can. I hope to see the faith of Catholics in Jesus Christ grow in this country. I am also grateful for the faith that my brother bishops have placed in me." The bishops' conference president is elected every two years and can serve up to three terms. Denis Hart was born in Melbourne in 1941 and ordained a priest in 1967. He was named auxiliary bishop of Melbourne in 1997 and has been the archbishop since 2001. In the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference, he has been chairman of the Bishops Commission for Administration and Information, as well as being a member of the Permanent Committee and of the Bishops Commission for Liturgy. He is also vice chairman of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy. (Zenit)

Pope Benedict XVI used a May 3 address to doctors and medical students to warn that the spread of relativism is resulting in scientific advances having unpredictable consequences. The Pope told the faculty and students of Romes Agostino Gemelli Teaching Hospital in an outdoor speech that ours is a time when the experimental sciences have transformed the worldview and understanding of man. While he granted that scientific discoveries are a reason for pride, the pontiff warned that they are often not without troubling implications, such that behind the widespread optimism of scientific knowledge, the shadow of a crisis of thought is spreading. Rich in means, but not in aims, mankind in our time is often influenced by reductionism and relativism which lead to a loss of the meaning of things, he said, identifying the roots of the crisis. (CNA/EWTN News)

At 70 years-old, grandmother is now cloistered nun in Spain

VALENCIA, Spain, May 3, 2012A 70-year-old widow, who is a mother of three and grandmother of five, made her solemn vows as a Poor Clare contemplative nun in the town of Canals in Spain. Sister Celia de Jesus, as she is now known, made her perpetual vows at the Convent of St. Clare, where she volunteered with her husband until he passed away in 2004. According to AVAN news agency, she has been in formation with the order since then. Before entering the convent, Sister Celia de Jesus worked with Catholic Action of Valencia and cared for the sick. Once her husband died, she decided to completely devote herself to the Lord as a religious, the news agency reported. Her final profession was attended by her children and grandchildren and celebrated by Father Miguel Albinana. Twelve priests from surrounding parishes who visit the convent also concelebrated. The Poor Clares were founded by St. Clare of Assisi in 1212. She was the first woman to have her rule approved by the Church, and the order was established in Spain in 1228. Pope Alexander IV canonized her in 1255. (CNA)

New York bishops back minimum wage boost

ALBANY, N.Y., May 4, 2012 The Catholic bishops of New York State have called for a modest increase in the states minimum wage, saying it will help struggling adults that a poor economy has forced into low-paying jobs. We dont pretend to be economists, but we are pastors, and we do oversee the largest nongovernmental network of health, education and charitable ministries in the state, they said May 3. What we can tell you from first-hand experience is that it is becoming increasingly difficult for the working poor of our state to make ends meet. The New York minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, a Democrat from Manhattan, is proposing to raise the minimum wage to $8.50. The Republican-controlled State Senate opposes the proposal on the grounds it would hurt the states business climate and the employment prospects for poor New Yorkers. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, has not officially endorsed the proposed hike. The bishops said the wage increase is a matter of fairness and justice. They noted that a full-time worker paid the minimum wage will bring in $15,080 per year, about $4,000 less than the 2012 federal poverty guidelines for a family of three. Our sustained recession and painfully slow recovery have left many of these workersoften people of color and frequently the newest immigrants to our shores who therefore have the fewest support systemson the brink of homelessness, with not enough in their paychecks to pay for the most basic of necessities, like food, medicine or clothing for their children. They noted the argument that minimum wage jobs go solely to high school students just entering the workforce, but replied that the statewide unemployment rate of 8.5 percent is pushing older adults into these jobs. Workers who previously never would have considered such low-paying jobs are now taking them out of desperation. The bishops said they dont question the motivations of legislators who oppose the minimum wage increase. Rather, they hope and pray for bipartisan action to address the grave problems facing the lowest wage earners in our state. (CNA)

Catholics mourn the passing of Sister Alessia, the Mother Teresa of Pakistan
the Asian country, devoting her time to the marginalized, women, the poor. However, she will be especially remembered for her devotion to the disabled. Sister Alessia's funeral was held last Monday in Faisalabad's cathedral in the presence of more than 350 priests, nuns, catechists, educators, students, media people, representatives of civil society organizations and ordinary worshippers. During the ceremony, participants paid tribute to her for her services to humanity. During the Mass, Sister Sosan Buta laid out the main facts about Sister Alessia's life, describing her contributions to the growth of Pakistan's civil society and the Church's missionary work in the world. Born on 18 November 1923 in Gasparina, a small hamlet in the municipality of Sommacampagna, Verona province, Sister Alessia took her final vows with Dominican Sisters. She arrived in Pakistan for the first time on 13 October 1951 and her first posting was in the Catholic village of Khushpur, Punjab, the birthplace of the late Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistan's Minority Affairs minister who was assassinated on 2 March 2011. Four years later, she was transferred to Francisabad, a Christian village near Shortkot, where she spent 26 years serving the local community. In 1980, she moved again, for the last time, to Faisalabad this time. In the big city, she took charge of the 'Miss Haq Home', a Catholic charitable institution for children with disabilities where she spent the remainder of her life in mission and service. "The death of Sister Alessia OP is a shock and a great loss to the Church," said Sister Sosan Buta. However, "while we mourn this loss, we promise to the soul of Sister Alessia that we will continue her mission for the poor, the weak and the voiceless." "Sister Alessia was so kind, philanthropic and gregarious to every human being," said Sister Sabina, an educator at the Sacred Heart School in Faisalabad. Although born in Italy, "she was more Pakistani than us. She was filled with maternal love for all of us. For this reason, we, her fellow co-workers, used to call her mother. She was a true follower of Saint Catherine. May her soul rest in peace." "Sister Alessia was the Mother Teresa of Pakistan," said Fr Khalid Rashid Asi, vicar general of Diocese of Faisalabad, "because she devoted her entire life to the downtrodden and oppressed. We are very grateful to her for her social and spiritual service." (AsiaNews)

FAISALABAD, Pakistan, May 5, 2012The Catholic community is mourning the death of Sister Alessia (pictured). Known as the 'Mother Teresa of Pakistan, she was born in a small hamlet in Italy's Veneto region and spent 61 years of her life in mission in

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CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 10
May 7 - 20, 2012

News Features

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Priests must live holy lives to be effective ministers, Vatican says

VATICAN City, May 1, 2012 Ten years after a historic papal response to clerical sex abuse, the Vatican urged priests to strive for greater holiness in their own lives so that they might effectively minister to others and reverse the tide of atheism. In its annual letter to priests for 2012, the Vatican's Congregation for Clergy focused on Blessed John Paul II's 2002 Holy Thursday letter to clergy, in which the late pope responded to the growing revelations and scandal of sexual abuse of minors by priests. The congregation's letter also gave priests a guideline for examining their consciences concerning everything from how they celebrate Mass to how well they are living a pure, humble and generous life detached from consumerism. Signed by the congregation's prefect, Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, and secretary, Archbishop Celso Morga Iruzubieta, the letter was dated March 26 and recently published on the congregation's website. The letter marks the annual World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests, celebrated in many dioceses June 15 the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Priests are entrusted with the task of challenging and helping people become more holy and obey God's will more fully, it said. "We cannot be sanctified without working on the holiness of our brothers, and we cannot work on the holiness of our brothers unless we have first worked on and continue to work on our own holiness," it said. Urging others to strive for the "ideal of perfection," it said, "does not mean that we are not aware of our personal shortcomings, or of the faults committed by some who have brought shame upon the priesthood before the world." While not specifically mentioning clerical sex abuse, the letter said that given the worsening situation reported in the news, priests must take to heart "with greater strength and urgency" Blessed John Paul's Holy Thursday letter from a decade ago. It said the letter condemned the perpetrators of such scandals as betraying the priesthood and casting a "shadow of suspicion" over the many good priests in the world. Blessed John Paul called on priests "to commit ourselves more fully to the search for holiness," it said. The letter from the Congregation for Clergy said one of the most serious problems unfolding today is people losing all sense of God's love and hope. Traditionally, Christian nations "are no longer tempted to surrender to a general sort of atheism as they were in the past," but they risk falling victim to that brand of atheism that has "forgotten the beauty and warmth" of the Trinity of God, the Son and the Holy Spirit. By fully embracing, adoring and living in communion with God, priests can point the way to the true face of Christ and why he is important for men and women today, it said. "No new evangelization will really be possible unless we Christians are able to surprise and move the world again by proclaiming the nature of our God, who is love," and living as closely as possible to Christ. In addition to the letter, the Congregation for Clergy also published Scripture passages and reflections from popes, saints and theologians, and St. Faustina Kowalska's "Prayer for the Holy Church and for Priests," which asks God to pro Roy Lagarde/CBCPMedia

tect clergy "from the devil's traps and snares." There was also a 20-part "Examination of Conscience for Priests" that asked priests to reflect on: how well they prepare for and lead Mass in a dignified manner; how free their lives are from vain and superficial pur-

suits; how central their love for Christ is in guiding them away from unchaste thoughts and acts; how charitable they are in dealing with others, especially those who sin; and how faithful their lives and teaching are to the church's Magisterium. (CNS)

Pope says quest for peace Pope Benedict cautions against must also be quest for truth increasing social inequality
VATICAN City, April 30, 2012The quest for justice and peace will bear fruit only if its also a quest for the truth about the human person, created by God and endowed with intelligence and freedom, capable of knowing and loving, Pope Benedict XVI said. Intelligence enables people to discover what is good and beneficial the right order that is inscribed within creation itself the pope said in a message April 30 to the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. Academy members were meeting at the Vatican April 27-May 1 to discuss progress in the global search for peace and justice in view of the 50th anniversary of Blessed John XXIIIs 1963 encyclical, Pacem in Terris. Pope Benedict said that while the world has changed significantly in the past 50 years, Pope Johns encyclical was and is a powerful summons to engage in that creative dialogue between the church and the world, between believers and nonbelievers, which the Second Vatican Council set out to promote. The late popes plea for peace, for respect for human dignity and freedom and, more basically, for respect for what is right and good, holds out a message of hope to a world that is hungry for it, a message that can resonate with people of all beliefs and none, because its truth is accessible to all, the pope said. Pope Benedict said Blessed John Paul II built on Blessed Johns teaching about peace when he insisted that forgiveness was a key ingredient in peacemaking. Pope John Paul made his comments just a few months after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. The notion of forgiveness needs to find its way into international discourse on conflict resolution, so as to transform the sterile language of mutual recrimiVATICAN City, May 4, 2012Pope Benedict XVI used a speech to foreign diplomats May 4 to warn governments against exacerbating inequalities of wealth during the current economic crisis. When poverty coexists with the very rich, a perception of unfairness is born that can become a source of rebellion, said the Pope. It is therefore appropriate that States ensure that the social laws do not increase inequalities and enable people to live decently. The comments were made in an address to five new ambassadors to the Holy See who were presenting their diplomatic credentials to the Vatican. Speaking in French, the Pope noted that the present global economic crisis has brought more and more families to an increasingly precarious situation. Previously the creation and multiplication of needs had led many people to believe in the possibility of unlimited enjoyment and consumption. Now, however, those hopes have been dashed and feelings of frustration have emerged with loneliness due to exclusion on the increase. At the heart of all future economic policy, he said, has to be the good of the human person as man is more precious for what he is than for what he has, said the Pope quoting from the Second Vatican Councils Gaudium et spes document. Achieving this goal requires helping people in need to become actors in their own society and enabling them to take charge of their own future. Development for which every nation aspires each should concern the integral person, not economic growth alone, said the Pope. Drawing upon Catholic social teachings belief in subsidiarity, Pope Benedict highlighted economic experiments such as microcredit, and initiatives to create equitable partnerships which show that it is possible to harmonize economic goals with social needs, democratic governance and respect for nature. Pope Benedict then turned to another form of poverty which he described as the loss of reference to spiritual values, to God. This vacuum makes discernment between good and evil as well as the overcoming of personal interests for the common good, more difficult, he said, adding that it makes it easier to adhere to ideals currently in fashion and avoid the necessary effort of reflection and criticism. The victims of this loss are very often the young, he observed, who in search of an ideal, turn to artificial paradises which destroy them such as addiction, consumerism and materialism which do not fill the heart of man made for infinity. For the greatest poverty is the lack of love, he said, In distress, compassion and selfless listening are a great comfort. Even without great material resources, it is possible to be happy. Pope Benedict concluded by suggesting that this societal renaissance would be assisted by an education system that is awakened to the spiritual dimension and also by the promotion of each nations cultural and religious heritage given that in familiarizing oneself with history, each individual is brought to discover the roots of his or her own existence. This will help each person to forge a strong interior personality which enables him to witness to good and accomplish good even if it comes at a cost. The new ambassadors to the Holy See, who will not be resident in Rome, represent the governments of Ethiopia, Malaysia, Ireland, Fiji and Armenia. (CNA/EWTN News)

nation which leads nowhere, Pope Benedict said. If the human creature is made in the image of God, a God of justice who is rich in mercy, then these qualities need to be reflected in the conduct of human affairs. Forgiveness is not a denial of wrongdoing, he said, but a participation in the healing and transforming love of God which reconciles and restores. Pope Benedict said humanity will never find peace if it cannot find a way to acknowledge and move past historic wrongs and injustices. The pope said many of the conflicts and injustices that seemed unsolvable when Pope John wrote his encyclical in 1963 have, in fact, been resolved. Let us take heart, then, as we struggle for peace and justice in the world today, confident that our common pursuit of the divinely established order, of a world where the dignity of every human person is accorded the respect that is due, can and will bear fruit, Pope Benedict said. (CNS)

www. catholicism.about.com

Clergy group asks govt to legislate substantial wage increase

ANTIPOLO City, April 29, 2012The Visayan Clergy Discernment Group (VCDG), headed by Jaro Auxiliary Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, urged the government to legislate a substantial wage increase, as soaring prices of commodities and services continue to batter ordinary workers. In a statement, the bishop called on everyone to uphold the principle of priority of labor over capital, as emphasized by Blessed John Paul II, who, during his younger years had been a worker. We are saddened, however, that the said Catholic teaching is not wellreceived in our country, the cradle of Christianity in Asia. We witness that the majority of our people continue to suffer constant increases in the prices of petroleum products, fare, basic commodities and other daily needs. As there has been no substantial increase in their wages, the real value of their wages plunges. The gap between their minimum wages and the prices of commodities continues to grow, said Alminaza. The prelate said that his group was alarmed by the results of the latest surveys about Philippine labor, particularly on the issue of wages. We are alarmed of the following findings of recent surveys: In an August 2011 survey by Swiss firm UBS, it was learned that Manila has the second lowest wage levels and third lowest purchasing power in the world; Ibon Foundation study shows that for the period 2001-2011, wages increased by 45 per cent while prices increased by 62 percent; [and] a Social Weather Station (SWS) survey shows that hunger incidence in the country went up to 22.5 percent at the end of 2011, he said. Given the aforementioned circumstances, the Church official believes that it is high time to give the impoverished people some relief. [A] legislated substantial wage increase is one immediate measure which will address our workers misery, he said. While owners of big corporations and manufacturing firms say that giving a wage increase to workers would spell the doom of the Philippine economy since it would force them to close shop, the bishop sees otherwise. Alminaza pointed out the studies done by independent research institutions, revealing that employers can afford a substantial wage hike if only they only accept a cut in their considerable profits. The total cost of the proposed wage hike of P125 will only be PhP194.9 billion. When subtracted from total profits, this will still leave establishments with PhP1,434.6 billion in profits, which is only a 12% cut in their profits. In 2009, all the establishments in the country of all employment sizes had combined profits of PhP1,629.5 billion and 3.94 million employees (2009 Annual Survey of Philippine Business and Industry (ASPBI) of the National Statistics Office). The same studies also disclosed that despite the onset of the global crisis, the combined net income of top 1,000 corporations in 2010 nearly doubled the PhP416 billion net income in 2008, which affirms their ability to absorb a significant wage hike; and the transfer of money from rich to poor households will increase aggregate demand and stimulate the economy, the prelate explained. Meanwhile, the Working Faith Movement (WFM) also believes that a substantial wage hike should be implemented immediately, as the daily wage of the workers is not enough to sustain their daily needs. Is not written in the Bible that, "The laborer is worthy of his wages? Those who are holding the capital in this country: Why not be a true Christian by giving your workers the share of their labor? said the WFM in their statement. Alminaza reminded the faithful of Pope Benedict XVIs 2012 Lenten Message that cautions us about the hardening of our hearts by a spiritual anaesthesia that numbs us to the suffering of others. In his encyclical, Caritas in Veritate, he also said that we must be just first, before we can be charitable. Being charitable is giving what is mine to the other, while being just is giving the other what is due to him (cf. Caritas in Veritate, 6). Loving our brothers and sisters, the workers, means being just to them by upholding their rights as human persons, who are also Gods co-creator. We affirm that, indeed, it is high time for high-income households to lend a hand to low-income households who are so deprived of basic necessities, he said. Hence, as a fitting way to celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker and the International Workers Day on May 1, we urge the government legislators to heed the call for a legislated substantial wage increase; for all sectors concerned to show love and justness especially to those who are hungry and in need; for all of us to uphold the dignity of labor through the defense of workers rights, he furthered. (Noel Sales Barcelona/ CBCPNews)

UNCPD youth delegates push real issues, not sexual 'rights'

MANILA, April 25, 2012A global coalition of some 1 million young people of over 100 nationalities provided a much needed perspective on integral development at the 45th session of the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. Members of the World Youth Alliance (WYA) were among the participants in the April 23-27 event, which revolved around the theme Adolescents and Youth. WYA has gone through the 45th CPD draft and finds a very imbalanced outcome document, said WYA Asia Pacific Regional Director Renelyn Tan, a Filipina. Since this is a commission focusing on development, [one] would think that the discussions would be on the issues that matter to youth development such as education, basic health care, employment opportunities, good governance, among others. However, two days have passed already and almost all the countries are just talking about the need of the youth for sexual and reproductive health services. Christine Violago, also from the Philippines, pointed out that a significant number of those gathered at the CPD session were pushing for reproductive rights but we are hoping for the best outcome. Theres a lot of work to be done here. In the most recent Esperanza titled Sex Education is not Enough, a WYA member from Kenya underscored the crucial role of the youth in effecting social transformation and the need to give balanced attention to varied pressing issues that young people face. Esperanza in Spanish means hope. It is what we call our written reflections on certain themes and issues, Violago explained. Youth are the economic base and the future of every country [And] as youth, we have a great need to contribute meaningfully in our societies. We are a vibrant force for social transformation and change, and we want to work to foster free and just societies. We believe that this should be emphasized at this Commission, wrote Hezbon, a 26-year-old delegate from Nairobi. Moreover, we advocate for policies that promote the family in society, and we object to calls for a separation between adolescents and the rights of their parents. While sexual education may enable youth to make informed decisions with regard to their reproductive health, it is imperative that we invest the same energy and vigor in promoting education and vocational training that can give youth, especially from the developing world, the tools with which to fight poverty and unemployment, the African member added. (CBCP for Life)

A4
EDITORIAL

Opinion
Might is Right?

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 10
May 7 - 20, 2012

THE bigger and better the guns, the mightier the Armed Forces, the more destructive the bombs, the mightier are the countries that have them, the more right they have to do as they please. Poor countries are but diversions and trophies to them. Miserable people are their steppingstones for more power and influence. Such is the essence and implications of the twisted dictums, the nauseating maxim that Might is Right. This is when marginalized countries are stepped down upon and impoverished people are used as but stools for bigger might or more insatiable materialistic holdings. The rules of ethics are considered pass. The norms of morals are held irrelevant. What is right could be readily set aside while what is wrong could be conveniently considered right. Cases in point: Mighty is the USA. Might is England. Together, mightier they become. Mighty is China. Mighty is Russia. Together, mightier too they become. These two combined powers dictate what are their rights or their obligations. Without saying it, the truth is that they also divide the worldlands and seas plus spaceamong themselves. What happens to the economically poor countries and their helpless people? The answer to these questions belongs by right to the mighty countries. That is why Filipinos should not be at all surprised by the now on-going flexing of muscles between USA and Chinawith other helpless countries siding with one or the other, or just looking on. The fact that the Philippines is pro-USA, this means that it is anti-China. This explains the now ongoing staring at one another at Scarborough Shoal between ships from China and boats from the Philippines. This also explains the on-going Balikatan Exercises between USA and the Philippines. This further explains the also now on-going battle warm-up between China and Russia. This likewise explains the presidential declamation of the jaw jaw not war war approach to the territorial water dispute between China and the Philippinesas there is really no choice. This finally explains the Philippine government running and reporting to the UN or the International Tribunal about the law of the seaor something. One thing is certain, viz., when almighty China does not agree with the latters resolution or decision, this becomes but some very dead letters. When not only nuclear but also thermo-nuclear wars are options of mighty countries, the feeble or frail countries like the Philippines have no choice but simply to watch out for collateral damages.

Fr. James H. Kroeger, MM

Living Mission
Vatican II Perspectives
VATICAN II, especially in Dei Verbum (DV) the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, placed great emphasis on a renewed love of sacred scripture as the Word of God. Dei Verbum, which means Word of God, was discussed at all four sessions of Vatican II (1962-1965). Catholics are to know scripture and integrate it in their lives. The Council wished to promote both an authentic hearing and confident proclamation of Gods Word. Vatican II desired that by hearing the message of salvation the whole world may believe; by believing, it may hope; and by hoping, it may love (DV 1). DV describes the Word of God as the support and energy of the Church, the strength of faith for her sons and daughters, the food of the soul, and the everlasting source of spiritual life (DV 21). In fact, the Church has always venerated the divine Scriptures just as she venerates the body of the Lord, since, especially in the sacred liturgy, she unceasingly receives

Gods Word demands our attention

individual Christians, DV discusses the nature of Tradition and its relation to Scripture, how the bible contains Gods revelation, the historicity of the Gospels, and the reading, diffusion, and interpretation of the Bible. The sacred scripture of both the Old and New Testaments is like a mirror in which the pilgrim Church looks at God, from whom she has received everything, until she is finally brought to see Him as he is, face to face (cf. I Jn 3:2) (DV 7). Vatican II made explicit an important teaching for Catholics: Sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture form one sacred deposit of the Word of God committed to the Church (DV 10). In short, this means that one needs both the written Word of God and the living faith tradition of the Church to completely understand Gods message. Gods Word is correctly heard within the believing Christian community. Undoubtedly, renewed commitment to Gods Word should be high on the agenda of Catholics today.

BEC: An expression of renewal

OUR vision of the Church as communion, participation, and mission, about the Church as a priestly, prophetic and kingly people and as a Church of the poora Church that is renewedis today finding expression in one ecclesial movement. This is the movement to foster Basic Ecclesial Communities. They are small communities of Christians, usually of families who gather together around the Word of God and the Eucharist. These communities are united to their pastors but are ministered to regularly by lay leaders. The members know each other by name, and share not only the Word of God and the Eucharist but also their concerns both material and spiritual. They have a strong sense of belongingness and of responsibility for one another. Usually emerging at the grassroots among poor farmers and workers, Basic Ecclesial Communities consciously strive to integrate their faith and their daily life. They are guided and encouraged by regular catechesis. Poverty and their faith urge their members towards solidarity with one another, action for justice, and towards a vibrant celebration of life in the liturgy. In many dioceses today, Basic Ecclesial Communities are a pastoral priority. Though there are many other forms of small faith communities today, Basic Ecclesial Communities are visibly a significant expression of ecclesial renewal. The rapidity of their growth in various parts of the Philippines augurs well for the widespread activation of God-given charisms among the poor. Their potential for evangelization is a great hope for the Church in the Philippines. (Acts of the Council, nos. 137-140) --Acts and Decrees of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines, 1991

and offers to the faithful the bread of life from the table of Gods word and of Christs body (DV 21). The Council asserted: Easy access to sacred scripture should be provided for all the Christian faithful (DV 22). This may be achieved through a variety of means: bible study groups, well-prepared liturgies and sermons, personal meditation, daily commitment to read scripture prayerfully. God will speak through his inspired word! In addition, prayer should accompany the reading of Sacred Scripture, so that God and people may talk together (DV 25). Listen to the emphatic words of Vatican II: This sacred Synod earnestly and specifically urges all the Christian faithful to learn by frequent reading of the divine scriptures the excelling knowledge of Jesus Christ (Phil 3:8). For ignorance of the scriptures is ignorance of Christ [Saint Jerome] (DV 25). To achieve a deeper appreciation of Sacred Scripture in the Church and in the lives of

Human trafficking
MOST of us are familiar with the evils of sex traffickingwe read about it, we have seen movies on it, we might have heard the story of girls as young as fifteen being kidnapped and locked up in brothels by managers of bars and clubs to be used by their clientsthree or four each night. My heart grieves whenever a teenage girl or young woman in her twenties is brought to our shelter for safety after having been rescued from a bar. But the story of Mina is different. Mina is 53 years old. No, she is not a victim of sex trafficking but of human trafficking. A widow at an early age and struggling to raise up four children by herself, she worked as cook in several private homes in her hometown in one of the Visayan provinces. One day, a recruiter spoke to her about a job as cook in a restaurant in Manila, offering her P4,000 a month. Eagerly she took the opportunity. She was escorted into a plane and fetched by another person in the Manila airport. They took the bus and got off in front of an old but busy building. Until now, she does not know the name of the place as she was shoved immediately to the canteen, given instructions on what was expected of her, and told that she would be paid P2,500 a month. Upon protesting, she was screamed at and told to be quiet by the canteen manager who claimed that that was what the owner of the canteen gives to cooks. She was also told never to talk to anyone, to wake up at three in the morning and get to

Sr. Mary Pilar Verzosa, RGS

Love Life
work immediately. She and the two other cooks were not given time for noon rest. Besides cooking, she had to clean upwashing the big pots and pans herself before she could lay down to rest way past midnight. All she can remember is that most of the eaters were students, and there were hundreds of them each meal. This was going on for over six months. Day by day, she could feel her strength giving way. And one day, she collapsed and fainted in sheer exhaustion. For the first time, she heard the voice of the owner talk to her in a cell phone saying in Pilipinoit seems you cannot do the job anymore so we will terminate you. She had only P400 in her purse, having had to buy her own personal things and food from the meager salary she was receiving. In the depths of her grief and confusion as to what to and where to go nowshe did not know a soul in Manila, a middle-aged woman named Bitang whispered to her to follow her as she had a way for her to get out of that den. She quickly gathered her few possessions in an old rice sack and followed Bitang from one corridor to another. When they reached the gate, Bitang told the guardHere is another one we have to rescue from abuse again. He let them out and they rushed to another building. She looked up and read the words Department of social Welfare and Development. The social workers there and then interviewed her and promised to get a ticket for her in a few

Love Life / A5

Fr. Roy Cimagala

www.cbcpmonitor.com cbcpmonitor@cbcpworld.net

Candidly Speaking
LIKE a flower in full bloom, the month of May in our country acquires a very distinctive color and air of exuberance as it lives out its Marian character in many places. Just the other day, for example, I already saw little boys and girls, accompanied by their mothers or some elders, troop to their parish church with flowers in hand. Obviously, they are doing the Flores de Mayo devotion. In many parts of the country, there will be the extravaganza of the Santacruzan that commemorates the finding of the Holy Cross by Sta. Elena. Of course, she has to be escorted by her little son who became emperor, Constantine. Fiestas galore will also take place all over the country. In Bohol, for example, its legendary that the island province is said to tilt a little during this month, as many of her children from different places here and abroad, and some say, even from heaven, come home to celebrate the feast of their towns patron.

May and Mary

sions of freedom. I, for one, got a bit shocked when even in the social networks, postings were made of pictures showing risqu situations. And I thought I have filtered my network friends quite well. The other day, for example, a young couple, still in their teens, and using their own cellphone camera, posted a picture of themselves in bedok, still covered and hopefully made just for funbut still that picture already tells a lot about what can be inside young peoples minds these days. And all the comments from their friends simply expressed mirth and fun. No one even went as much as to hint that such pose was not quite proper. It crossed my mind that I must have drifted to another planet or that some creatures have mutated radically as to be beyond recognition. We need to go back to Marian devotion. Devotion to our Lady will recover and strengthen our commitment with our ChrisCandidly Speaking / A7

Pedro C. Quitorio
Editor-in-Chief

Ronalyn R. Regino
Layout Artist

Pinky Barrientos, FSP

Associate Editor

Gloria Fernando
Marketing Supervisor

Roy Q. Lagarde
News Editor

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Circulation Manager

Kris Bayos
Features Editor

Marcelita Dominguez
Comptroller

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

Theres indeed a great reason to be happy and thankful. What we have in May is not just a natural phenomenon, but rather a divine gift that has managed to sit well with our temperament and the way we are. We just hope and pray that as these festive annual celebrations occur, the devotion to our Lady also deepens. Lets hope that this affection to Mary becomes purified, becomes more theological than emotional, more operative than just nice words and good intentions. I believe that with what is happening in our country and everywhere else in the world today, we need to identify ourselves more with our Lady, for she is the surest, safest, quickest and shortest road to Jesus. Yes, we have to understand that rather than becoming obsolete, she in fact is becoming more urgently relevant. We just have to look around, and we cannot deny that signs are aplenty that many people, especially the young ones, and girls at that, are plunging into a new paganism disguised as expres-

Illustration by Bladimer Usi

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 10
May 7 - 20, 2012

Opinion
The truest of believers?
nothing to celebrate with horntooting and victory parades. I dont mean to belittle the report, in fact Ive posted it on Facebook. I just happen to think that the result of this study which ran for 17 years should poke us into examining the link between this reported belief in God and the perennial problems besetting our countrywidespread corruption, unemployment, defiance of urban settlers, abuse of power, ever-widening chasm between rich and poor, et al. It is good to know that the Filipinos belief in God is established as a fact in a scientific and respectable survey for the world to see, but take notethese findings can also be used against us in myriads of ways by The Enemy who never sleeps. Dont we have wolves in sheeps clothing everywhere we turn, befriending the simple believers in our flock in order to lead them to the slaughterhouse? Dont we have Catholics who preach a gospel of death and endorse a hedonistic mentality, Christians who make evangelization a lucrative business, fundamentalist believers who go into sacred wars and use devotion for political ends? Let this revelation then spur us on to reexamine our concepts of belief and God. Do we see God as a loving Father to obey or as scapegoat for our failures? Does our belief lead us to the best we can become, increase our compassion, fortify us for sacrificeor does it make us arrogant, complacent, and slothful? By their fruits you will know them (Matthew 7:16). True belief in God is efficaciouswhen all is said and done, it imbues believers with such light and grace that they can then declare yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20). The Filipinos as the worlds strongest believers in God? We ought to thank God and remain on our knees, brave our crosses, and thus remind the world Who created it, to Whom it belongs and to Whom it must return. If the Filipinos remarkable belief in God bears no fruit in our daily life, the world will never believe that we know the difference between a crucifix and an amulet. And thats the truth.

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

Teresa R. Tunay, OCDS

and thats the truth

AFTER the Philippines gets the flak from travelers worldwide for having The Worst Airport in the Worldthe Ninoy Aquino International Airporthere comes a survey that says Philippines is Number One. Wow! A report on the survey, titled Belief about God across Time and Countries, was released on April 18, 2012 by the General Social Survey of National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago. NORC is an organization whose mission is to conduct high-quality social science research in the public interest. Filipinos may rejoice to hear that in this study, the Philippines came out as the country with the highest belief, with 94 percent of Filipinos saying they were strong believers who had always believed in God. The top four after the Philippines are Chile (87.9), the United States (80.8), Poland (80.2) and Portugal (78.9). Taking the 6th to the 10th slots are: Cyprus (76.5), Israel (73.2), Italy (72.1), Northern Ireland (71.4), and Ireland (70.6). It is interesting to note that Spain, the country that brought Christianity to the Philippines 491 years ago, ranked eleventh at 67.4. And which country came out at the opposite end from ours? Germany (former East), with only 13 percent saying I believe in God and I always have. The new poll which covered 30 countries in surveys from 1991 to 2008 noted that belief in God had slowly eroded since the 1950s in most countries around the world, but developing countries and Catholic societies stood out as the truest, most consistent believers. Tom W. Smith, who directs the General Social Survey of the NORC/University of Chicago and who wrote the report, is thus quoted in Huffington Post: The Philippines is both developing and Catholic; religion, which is mainly Catholic, is very emotionally strong there. While the findings may be morale-boosting for Filipinos who are likely to see this in the same light as Pacquiao winning or a Filipina beauty emerging as a runner-up Miss Universeor for those still hung up on their EDSA euphoriait is really

By the Roadside Itch more, fan more in the Philippines

FORGIVE me if the title seems to suggest Im trying to make fun of the latest tourism slogan of the government. Im not. But let me tell you how it looks from here. Its a global warming summer in the Philippines. And, as you would agree with me, its so hot outside the house your whole bodys skin seems to itch. Its so hot it seems even rats leave their holes hoping to eat halo-halo outside. If you live in my province of Eastern Samar or in Mindanao, you are likely to experience regular brownouts too, making you try all sorts of fans to ward off the heat that effectively brings global warming so dreadfully local you start to think your country is just as guilty in damaging the ozone layer as the big polluters of the world (which Im not at liberty to enumerate here). You would be correct, of course, even if your countrys guilt is not in the same degree as the big time polluters (where fellow Pinoys maybe reading this line from). Thats small consolation for anyone who suffer the itch and the heat in the Philippines. I know you are by this time asking what, this side of life, is this about. First, Im talking of the itch most of our people havethe struggle to live up to and by their dignity. Far too many of our people struggle, within or outside our shores, just so they could find work and/or opportunity to work with enough compensation to meet their families needs or, at least, their childrens decent education. I used to think that decent had something to do with clothes. Now I know that decent has everything to do with anything that is worthy of a human persons dignity precisely as a human being, and even more as Gods child. Certainly most of our peoples utter poverty makes a mockery of their dignity. In fact, we are only too aware of how countries with richer economies that employ many OFWs have some of their citizens abusing our compatriots and reminding them that that dignity, though essentially immaterial like their own, is also looked upon by them and by most of the world as high or low depending on ones material wealth or achievement. Consider the current standoff between the (materially) lowly Philippines and the materially and militarily (which follows naturally) mighty China on the Scarborough Shoal issue. Many, if not most, Pinoys would argue that if we were as rich and as powerful militarily as the Chinese, they would never have challenged nor bullied us they way they do our Navy and Coast Guard. And so the itch pushes Filipinos, their government being no exception, to try to keep up with the Joneses of the world, even if we have to beg war machinery crumbs from the likes of Uncle Sam. Its so hard to comprehend why we are prepared to eat humble bibingka just so we can raise our head a little bit. But, to me, the most perplexing downside is how Filipinos often think their dignity is upheld or trampled as a result of success or failure in the Material Girls world. Nothing is farther from the truth. Our dignity is not and will never be defined by the material prosperity seventy per cent of our population has so little of or by what our fellow citizens of the world possess to a greater or smaller degree than we do. Truth to tell, our dignity has been with us before we even became aware of it. It was given to us when we were created and enhanced when we were baptized. It is neither given nor taken by fellow humans or by any human power or worldly possession, word or action. Of course, it could be denied, ignored or violated by others or even by ourselves in attitude, word or action. But when we do or allow others to do so, we put ourselves at the risk of living and behaving below who we really are. In turn, this can only mean we had barely scratched the itch and had ultimately lost the struggle even before we started pumping more effort in. Secondly, Im talking about the heat of politics and the perpetual contest for power in the country. This, I think, is one other recourse many Pinoys take to enhance their sense of dignity. Were deep in the season where talk and gesture by many politicians and would-be politicians lead to alliances, political posturing and maneuvering aimed at winning in the coming national and local elections. Even now our people at the chapel level inform us of how local politicians are going the rounds of barangay visitations, sometimes giving out cash and projects in an obvious attempt at courting their favor. The heat is so hot the brownouts only seem to encourage our local politicians to go out of their offices and comfort zones to once again engage the public. I throw up my hands whenever I pass by gatherings these days in towns and villages where local politicians who are either incumbent or aspiring are already given the titles of positions they seek long before they are actually elected. But I too realize this is part of the heat. And so I fan myself all the more, and its obvious everyone does, because we know the attractive heat of power is deceptive to the core. Everybody knows it does not give, take or enhance any Filipino politician or voter his or her dignity. But people can be made to believe the deception and go along with every political gimmickry because of the enormous sums of money involved. Rather than truly seek power in order to put it at the service of the dignity of every Filipino, this latter could simply become the stuff of rhetoric. And rhetoric tends to ignore the history of power in our islands. That is to say, how power had, so many times, been exercised wrongly because it wasnt used for service but primarily for the interests of self and ones familial or political aggrupation. As a result, in many instances, holders of power blighted or violated the dignity of the very people they promised to uphold. And yet, on the way to the elections, call it irony, the same people who today are victims become the first believers of political rhetoric, perhaps because they look at history from the angle of their poverty and see the democratic exercise as an opportunity. Still, I confess I find myself bewildered by the incredibly high number of aspirants to political power in my country even now when the election season is still months away. I apologize that, no matter the number of times Ive witnessed it, I still find myself at a loss in the face of the abundance of otherwise nice people at the political ring who seem ready to buy, sell, sing, dance, speak or basically do anything and everything to be elected. Perhaps Filipinos and circuses are conjoined twins in the previous, future life. (And I dont even believe in reincarnation at all.) So let me add one more tourism add: Race to conquer poverty by power? Itch more, fan more in the Philippines.
Love Life / A4

Building up the Body of Christ

THE clergy and the laity work together to build the Mystical Body of Christ. The bishops and priests, as members of the Mystical Body of Christ, teach, sanctify and govern. The laity or the faithful, consisting the vast majority of the Mystical Body of Christ, fulfill their individual mission by being active in the life of the Church; they can do so through new evangelization by sharing the Word with the rest of the world and witnessing about their conversion. That is why the incumbent leaders of Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas (Laiko) chose as its theme Building Up the Body of Christ and Strengthening Our Faith Through New Evangelization. Dr. Marita Wasan, Laikos Vice President for the Ecclesiastical Province of Manila, and I accepted the invitation of the Councils of the Laity of the Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Princesa and the Diocese of Malolos to give talk to the officers and leaders of their different ministries and organizations. The Council of the Laity of the Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Princesa in Palawan led by its President Bro. Roland Baldonado, organized the Basic Orientation Seminar last April 28 at the Audiovisual Hall of the Holy Trinity University. I talked about what Laiko is, its Vision-Mission, Goals, Structure and Membership, Programs and Services while Dr. Wasan talked about the Role of the Laity. Most Rev. Pedro Arigo, Bishop of the Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Princesa, attended the seminar highlighted by the Holy Mass which he presided. We congratulate Bro. Roland and wife Nancy, and his Council officers VP Bro. Tisoro Tisoy Montero and wife Carol, Lopel Zapanta, Lita Bernardino and Maricon Ordinario for a very well-organized and well-attended seminar. We also appreciate their hospitality, giving us the chance to taste the foods and visit the many beautiful places Puerto Princesa is proud of. I thought I would be able to tour the Underground River the second time around but unfortunately, it was fully booked up to the end of May. To those who

Atty. Aurora A. Santiago

Duc in Altum
Diocesan Council of Malolos history, visionmission, structure and services, and Rev. Fr. Anthony Chan who spoke about the Golden Jubilee of the Diocese. Planning-Workshop and Consultation followed. Most Rev. Msgr. Andres Valera, HP, Vicar General of Malolos and Spiritual Director of the Council, presided over the Holy Mass during which the new set of officers was inducted: Bro. Amor (with wife Josie), VP Raffy Bernardo (with wife Lucy), Secretary Roderick Evans Bartolome, Treasurer Benita de Leon, Auditor Teresita de Guzman. We also thank the other leaders: Sis. Rosario Pengson, Bros. Romy Estrella, Danny Daguman and others; space is not enough to mention your names. Thank you Laiko officers of Puerto Princesa and Malolos; we will treasure the beautiful memories of having met you and known you not only in Laikos record but also in our heart. God bless all of you. *** Congratulations to my nephew Paulo Roberto G. Santiago and his team from De La Salle University (DLSU) Debate Society for their sterling performance in the Debate Competition sponsored by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) at the Manila Hotel, one of the events during the ADB Governors 45th Conference in Manila. Paulo is the incumbent President of DLSU Debate Society; his team was first runner up to U.P. Debate Society. Happy Wedding Anniversary to my Ate Violeta Santiago and Kuya Cel Rosales. Happy 27th Sacerdotal Anniversary to Fr. Ricardo Torrefiel of San Bartolome Parish and 20th Sacerdotal Anniversary to Fr. Rodolfo Garcia of San Roque Cathedral Parish; birthday greetings to Fr. Oscar Lucas, OMI, School Director of Notre Dame of Greater Manila, all of the Diocese of Kalookan; also to Kate Buenconsejo, the beautiful staff of Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas, Linda Ramirez, Gelet Bautista, Paeng Malibiran, Pet de Guzman, Letty Tecson of San Ildefonso de Navotas Parish.

would visit the Underground River, make sure you have reservation one month before your trip. Since the place won as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature, foreign and local tourists had been visiting Puerto Princesa; from 2 flights a day, it is now 22 flights. As an alternative to the Underground River, Bishop Arigo himself drove us to Iwahig where we had the rare star gazing and fire fly watching experiencea quiet boat ride along the clean and peaceful Iwahig River on a summer moonlit night. This was one of the projects of the slain environmentalist Gerry Ortega. Thank you Bishop for this precious experience. We also thank Fr. Jose Ruel Tuale, chaplain of Iwahig Penal Colony, for personally cooking lunch for us; and Esmael, our driver during our stay. We were guests at Bro. Rolands Radio Program Oras ng Alagad at DYEC 1062, the Environmental Radio of Puerto Princesa. We discussed several topics on what Laiko is, the role of the laity, pro-life advocacy, care of the environment, poverty and corruption. *** Another unforgettable experience was our visit to the Diocese of Malolos in Bulacan which is celebrating its Golden Jubilee. The Sangguniang Laiko ng Diyosesis ng Malolos, led by its President, Bro. Amorsolo Amor Urrutia, organized the Pastoral Orientation and Consultation for Diocesan Officers and Mandated Organizations, Programs, and Movements. It was held last May 05 at the Diocesan Pastoral Center, Cathedral-Basilica Minore of the Immaculate Conception in Malolos City, Bulacan. I was invited to talk on Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas Vision-Mission, Structure and Membership, Programs and Services. Dr. Wasan, Laikos Assistant Executive Director Joseph Jesalva and staff Kate Buenconsejo were with me. Other seminar speakers were Bro. Antonio Bong Juliano of the Diocesan Commission on Family and Life who talked about the

Fr. Francis Ongkingco

Whatever
IT was in the middle of a major physics subject that my silenced cell phone vibrated and flashed a call. I took the unregistered call. It was brief and dry: immediate instructions to identify a body in the citys morgue. When I arrived, the official advised me that it would be best to first try to identify the personal belongings. If these were not helpful, I could then attempt to identify the body. The face and the body, they informed me, were mangled beyond recognition by the train. It didnt take long to recognize the very familiar objects: the pair of glassessurprisingly intactthe dark old-fashioned thick-framed type, the emerald bracelet she would only wear for important occasions, the golden swan-shaped brooch that belonged to a grandmother many generations back. All these unmistakably belonged to a woman who could be no one else but my mother. How did she die? I didnt bother to look at the morgue attendant who was routinely filling up forms. Suicide, was his indifferent reply. Perhaps, because committing suicide is common in my country. I continued to examining the other objects. They clearly revealed that mother went out wearing her best before she took her own life. Can you identify the woman? the attendant impatiently asked. He was obviously in a hurry to do other more important things. Yes, she is my mother. All these are her belongings. I picked up the silver necklace that still had some stains of dried blood. Her name? the man asked. Irene. The mans eyebrows narrowed as he read another form to verify the name. He shook his head, and to my surprise said, That is not her name! *** Why did it take her tragic and

Flowers for Mother

mysterious death to find out that she was not my real mother? I read page after page of the documents that belonged to my foster mother. Despite what I was reading, I could not erase from my headmy heart that she was my mother. The files revealed that she had adopted me when I was less than a year old. There was no way of tracing who my real mother was. I could not keep myself from asking: Why did she take her life? She was one of the happiest persons I have ever known in my life. But it was a waste of time to ponder on these questions. I had to move on with my own life. Now, but without mother. Neighbors learned about the sad news and extended their condolences. I expressed my gratitude to all of them, but none of their compassion could heal the newly opened wound within me: being motherless. After her cremation, the lawyer informed me that she had left a will. IreneI will never get used to calling her that namehad left me a considerable amount of money that would be more than enough to see me through college. But money could not buy the answers for the questions in my heart. There was nothing, absolutely nothing that could have prompted her to do such a thing. Clearly, she had her reasons. And even if I found them, they wouldnt change lifes direction. This filled me with a sense of peace, as though she were assuring me, that her actions were not prompted by anything I had done or said. Still, loneliness is not a mans best companion. *** In my country, we honor our departed ones by laying flowers on their grave or at the temple to the gods who have custody over the dead. We also have a custom of returning to the place where the person died and place the flowers on the departure spot. I had asked the police about
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days time to return to her hometown. In the meantime, she was referred to the Good Shepherd Sisters Shelter. Nanay Mina, as the girls and young women in the shelter call her, has integrated well into the program. Like many of those who have experienced abuse, she pours out her story to anyone who will listen and she counsels the young ones to be careful and not be too gullible.

Mina is just one among the hundreds, maybe thousands of men and womenyoung, middle-aged or older, who get fooled into promises of greener pastures and end up as slaves. Sometimes their story gets featured on TV, radio or tabloid. Most often, they languish in fear for months or years, with just a glimmer of hope that rescue will come their way, somehow.

A6
URBAN poor group, Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) welcomed the Department of Interior and Local Governments (DILG) decision to temporarily put on hold all on-going demolitions in Metro Manila. This initial victory is due to the collective actions and struggles of all urban poor communities in the Metro; however, we still see this as a narrow solution, to the burgeoning problem of demolitions and the human rights violations during the conduct of demolitions, said Kadamay national vice-chair Carlito Badion in a statement written in Filipino. He said that DILG Secretary Jesse M. Robredos order is only to review the existing policies of the conduct of demolition, particularly the way that the members of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) implement the demolition order. Since 2010, demolition of shanties had become a bloody view, with many either hurt or arrested. Just recently, the death of a young man in Silverio Compound had highlighted the alleged immorality of demolition, especially, in terms of demolishing poor peoples homes in the name of development and profits. On that same year, President Benigno C. Aquino III had declared a moratorium against demolition, after the bloody clash

Local News
between the residents of Sitio San Roque in North Triangle, Quezon City and formed a technical working group, spearheaded by the DILG, to investigate and draft some recommendations to resolve the issue of the use of violence and brute force in the conduct of demolitions. But, according to Badion, nothing had happened to the report, neither to the recommendations of Robredo, which has been released last year, because violence is still rampant during the demolition conduct. Unless the government will push genuine and meaningful reforms on the policies being implemented for the poor sector, all such recommendation will be useless. And if the government will continue to treat the urban poor as mere garbage, professional squatters, eyesore, the ones who devaluate the value of soil being sold, stumbling blocks to the national progress, and needed to be dumped somewhere far, in relocation sites with no source of livelihood nor jobs, the tension brewing in the midst of the urban poor communities nationwide will continue to rise and the struggle against demolition and unfair treatment against the poor will continue. This is not [a] threat but a concrete reality, said Badion. (Noel Sales Barcelona/ CBCPNews)

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 10
May 7 - 20, 2012

Urban poor welcomes DILG suspension on demolitions

Jun Santiago, CSSR / arkibongbayan.org

Urban poor calls on government to implement meaningful reforms on housing policies and stop the continued demolitions and human rights violations.

Hundreds of youth gather at Congress opening in support of life

TRUE to their promise that their voice will never be silenced, the youth sector has come out and came in droves of hundreds, attending the resumption of Congress after its summer break on May 7. Hundreds of young people from different organizations and parishes attended the opening day of Congress in order to show their support for Pro-Life solons, especially the 9YL or 9 Young Legislators. Even more young people
Journalists / A1

attended the RH Forum which was held simultaneously at St. Peters Church at nearby Commonwealth Avenue, with many of them proceeding to the Congress after the said event. Youth Manifesto At a press conference held at the CBCP conference hall earlier that day, representatives from the youth sector led by Kiboy Sagrada (UP for Life), Raymond Ibarrientos (Singles for ChristYouth for Christ),

Eilleen Esteban (Youth Pinoy!), Lea Dasigan (Federation of Natl Youth Orgs), Allen Guballa (Columbian Squires) and Peter Pardo (NCR Youth Ministry) gave their respective groups position papers on the RH bill. A historic Youth Manifesto was signed by the group, enjoining all young people to embrace the culture of life and to reject the RH bill. In effect, they have also declared that they will not vote for anti-life legislators.

The youth, in defense of our welfare, can and will invest our support in legislators who know how to genuinely invest in us. In solidarity, we declare our opposition to the RH Bill. This is our voice. This is our vote. We are opposing the bill as young people because it is us who will be directly and severely affected by the RH bill, not the congressmen who push it, added Eileen Esteban of Youth Pinoy! We are not only the hope of

tomorrow, said Lea Dasigan of FNYO, we are also the hope of today. The youth leaders, along with their groups, joined more young people at the Congress later that day. RH Forum While the session in congress was going on, a forum on the RH bill was also being held at St. Peters Church in Commonwealth Avenue. More than a hundred youth from

the Singles for Christ and the Diocese of Novaliches attended the forum. Speakers were Atty. Marwil Llasos, OP, Anna Cosio, RN, and Dr. Rene Bullecer, MD, of Human Life International. They all spoke against the RH bill from the point of view of their expertise, Dr. Bullecer and Anna Cosio being medical professionals, and Atty. Llasos being an impeccable lawyer and an outstanding theologian as well. (Anthony Perez)

has to own responsibility for the present state of the planet. Online journalism is under-utilized in our part of the world, said Kunda Dixit, best-selling author of the groundbreaking book Dateline Earth: Journalism, as if the Earth Mattered. Dixit, editor and publisher of the Nepali Times as well as former director for Asia-Pacific of the Inter Press Service (IPS) and former director of the Panos Institute South Asia, said that the rate of internet usage cannot be ignored any longer that journalists have to cope up in order to not be left behind. The social analytics company Socialbaker said in its report that Facebook alone has more than 600 million users and 143 million of these are from Asia. In other words, almost 1 out of every 4 Facebook users is an Asian. Indonesia leads Facebook in Asia
Contraception/ A1

with more than 34 million users. The Philippines came in second with over 22 million users. Third is India with 20 million users. But on the basis of population density, the Philippineswith 93 million peopleranks number one in Facebook usage. The World Bank puts the population of Indonesia at 240 million while India has 1.170 billion people. Asia is on the rise and Facebook is riding on the wave. Or rather, we should give credit to Facebooks compelling network effect. Facebook has helped Asia connect with the world, wrote Willis Wee, founder of TechInAsia website. However, Dixit said that there is a real, compelling and pressing need to educate journalists about social media so that they can best use it to their advantage, especially with the emergence of smartphones that make it possible to

write stories and reports on the environment on the go. The digital divide is changing so fast with smartphones, he said, adding: We have to be prepared for it. But for Pipope Panitchpakdi, an independent Thai filmmaker, there is a need to also balance the journalists knowledge on the use of social media with their capability and capacity to tell a story. The challenge is not the technology but how to tell the story, he said. Panitchpakdi urged every journalist to have at least a Facebook and Twitter accounts as these can be used as their platforms in their transition to becoming MoJos or Mobile Journalists. You will get more people to read or watch or listen to your work by integrating your work to your social media accounts, Dixit said.

But Amantha Perera, a freelance Sri Lankan journalist, said that there is a clear and present danger in using social media if the journalist is not clear on his/her role or who he/she is when he/ she updates his/her accounts. Be very clear on who you are when you are using social media to disseminate information, he said. Perera explained that journalists using the social media have to be clear-cut in their role when they update their accounts because their credibility rides on them. Your byline is your brand. Your brand is your credibility, rejoined Dixit, adding: Your brand is not just on your newspaper but also on social media. As journalists, you are public figures. Dixit cautioned the participants to be mindful always of their role in updating

their Facebook and Twitter accounts. Are you updating your social media accounts as a person or as a journalist? Be very careful. In order to avoid their confusion and maintain their credibility as journalists, Dixit and other experts advised the journalists to have separate Facebook and Twitter accounts for their work as journalists. Avoid posting personal stuff on your work Facebook and Twitter accounts. In the same way, avoid posting journalistic works on your personal Facebook and Twitter accounts. Maintain your brand. Maintain your credibility as journalists, he stressed. Whatever you post on your social media accounts will ultimately affect your credibility. You have to work on your credibility and brand, he added. (Bong D. Fabe)

Alliance / A1

a vote soon. Our take on that is that the State is required to remind all of our countrymen, those contemplating marriage, that they have responsibilities for the child they are bringing in. As to what methods they will choose that is left to their decision, the President said. Asked why such a bill hasnt passed through Congress, Aquino described Congress as a microcosm of our society, with very conservative elements. Coren shot back: But if contraception was readily available, and it was acceptable in society, do you not think then that the growth rate you are experiencIP / A1

ing, 2%, wont be reduced. Aquino said he didnt need convincing on family planning, but added that economic growth itself would be a natural factor in limiting population growth. Besides, the government is already providing contraceptives to those who cannot afford it, he explained. Coren then asked whether its time for the Catholic Church to change its views here in the Philippines. Aquino, a Catholic and the son of the Catholic former president and People Power icon Corazon Aquino, said that was up to the Pope and the bishops, but that people had God-given free will. (JC Serrano) partylist Kalikasan, has urged the authorities, particularly the Congress and Senate, to immediately investigate the situation, since the use of brute military force, intimidation, and murders had been the modus operandi of some groups in order to open areas that are closed to mining. We are deeply concerned of the situation of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Mindanao and various other mining-affected areas in the Philippines because of AFPs mining security and other military operations. Human rights violations and killings are rampant where there are large-scale mining projects and corresponding strong opposition from the communities. From 2011 to present nine anti-mining activists have already been killed under the Aquino administration, including Catholic priest and missionary to the indigenous peoples in Mindanao, Fr. Pops Tentorio, said Dulce. (Noel Sales Barcelona/CBCPNews) reach that stage, the parents should be the ones to orient them, she said in the vernacular. According to the National Demographic Health Survey 2008, 3 percent of Filipino women have sexual intercourse by age 15. (Nirva'ana Delacruz)

families, belonging to the Lumad-Mamanwa tribe, had been forced to leave their homes and farms, to escape death. Based on reports that came from the field, the number of families that fled had swelled to 158, an equivalent of 800 individuals, including children. What highlights the situation, aside from the swelling internal refugees, is the slaying of antiirresponsible mining advocates in Mindanao Island. On March 5th, indigenous leader Jimmy Liguyon of San Fernando, Bukidnon has been murdered by unknown assassins. Our lands are being taken away from us. Mining companies and the military brought fear and havoc in our communities. Our family and relatives are being harassed and killed for voicing out their opposition. We want peace in our communities, and we demand justice. Mining companies must stop their operation and pull out from our lands, said Sharon Liguyon, wife of Jimmy, in a statement. Leon Dulce, spokesperson of the
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ment hits poverty at its core. Massive government spending for contraception and mandatory sex education in all schools enlivens the risk of aggravating the decline of our demographics, of eroding our values, and of reshaping our society after the designs of foreign intervention. There is no warrant against this. This is a gamble of our future. We are for population management and development and we, too, dream of progress. However, genuine progress can never be achieved until our government invests genuinely in our people. Our population is an asset. Government must treat it as an asset, the manifesto, titled Our Voice, Our Vote, stated. Rural development, entrepreneurship, improved standards of education, expansion of opportunities for employment, intensified thrusts for scientific research and development, cultivation of our arts and culturethese constitute genuine investments in our people. This is the way to secure our future. The youth, in defense of our welfare, can and will invest our support in legislators who know how to genuinely invest in us. In solidarity, we declare our opposition to the RH Bill. This is our voice. This is our vote, it concluded. More representative of the youth Asked what made the coalition credible as a voice representative of the youths real sentiments when it expressed ideas contrary to the direction being taken by the National Youth Commission (NYC), Esteban pointed out that the government office was simply doing its job of carrying out the governments directives. The National Youth Commission, opisina lang ho yan ng gobyerno, and what we all know is [the government supports the] RH bill, kaya po [yang bill ay] nandoon at hindi naibabasura, she said. We are here on our own volition, Esteban added. Though we have the blessing of the CBCP but we have come here representing our organizations, wala po kaming pera, wala po kam-

an adolescent compared to girls who lived with their fathers. For political science graduate Aphrodite Organo, 25, the response to the alarming rise in teen pregnancies is two-way openness. Teenagers should be open to their parents and when they

ing funding mula sa malalaking institusyon. At naniniwala po kami na kaya kami nandito ay malaki ang stake ng future namin dito sa bill na ito, na gusto naming maibasura. Some people would speak for the RH bill perhaps because theres so much money fueling their moves. But our coming here is out of our own volition wala pong nag-pwersa sa amin, Tabada said. In fact, you might think that CBCP po ang nagpasimuno nito. We beg to differ. We came here, we came together and asked the CBCP for help and support, for a venue. This was not initiated by the CBCP. This is an initiative of the youth. The UP student pointed out that the Philippine government had recently signed an agreement with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), an agency that has poured massive funds into family planning programs carried out in developing nations including the Philippines. Those in the NYC are appointed officials of a government office, Tabada said, reiterating Estebans statements that the agency does not necessarily express and respond to the youth sectors sentiments on the RH issue, and simply plays its part in carrying out the governments agenda. Asked about the pro-RH position that representatives of the Student Council Alliance of the Philippines (SCAP) declared in a March press conference, in which the student leaders disclosed plans to campaign against anti-RH legislators, Tabada revealed that some SCAP members were not even aware that such a statement would be announced. We have friends in the Student Council Alliance of the Philippines who tell us that the statement [the group] came out with during that press conference did not go through consultation. It did not go through proper consultation among all members of the Student Council Alliance of the Philippines. Of course I cannot elaborate on that as Im not a member of the SCAP. I leave it to the members

of the SCAP, he said. Educate the young, fortify family values Pardo, who heads the NCR Youth Ministry, revealed ongoing talks and other activities organized by different dioceses in the region that educate young people about the RH issue, while Guballa, the president of the Columbian Squires in the Manila Archdiocese explained that the groupthe youth arm of the Knights of Columbusregularly organizes seminars and other such activities to boost awareness and understanding of the RH bill and its incompatibility with Catholic teachings. I believe hindi lang sa kabataan ang bola ngayon. Sa totoo lang, ang bola ngayon ay nasa ating mga congressmen, Pardo said. Sila ang boboto for or against the RH bill, that is why through the initiative of some youth leaders in the NCR, we are inviting our respective congressmen for a dialogue to express and manifest our opposition to the RH bill. Ito ang mga konkretong hakbang na ginagawa ng mga dioceses lalo na sa NCR para iparating sa ating mga representatives sa Kongreso ang ating stand against the RH bill, Pardo concluded. Ibarrientos of CFC Singles for Christ underscored the need to strengthen Filipino marriages, uphold the most defenseless personthe unbornand use government resources on poverty alleviation, not on contraception, all of which the RH bill does not promote. The forces that are pushing to have the RH bill passed into law are blind to the impact of similar bills in other countries. While appealing to a sense of progressiveness and modernity, the bill directly attacks values central to the Filipino family and specifically to womanhood, he read from his organizations statement. The bill destroys life, the true freedom and the welfare of the youth. Catholic youth, women and children have values which [they uphold, such as] purity, holiness and chastity but it will be ruined and disrespected if the

RH bill will be passed, Guballa of the Columbian Squires said. Dasigan of the FNYO called on the government to support the youth through programs that address their real needs. Youths call Ang pangangailangan ng mga kabataan ay hindi mga contraceptives [kundi] edukasyon. Bigyan sila ng opportunities na lumago, mag-develop, at iyon ang kailangang bigyang diin ng gobyerno para sila ay mahubog. This is a call to solidarity. The youth now calls upon the entire nation to rally behind us and demand that the Reproductive Health Bill be laid to rest once and for all. The bill must never be passed, not just because it is uneconomic, not just because it is unhealthful, not just because it is impracticable, not just because it is flawed, but, most importantly, because it divides our people. A nation divided is easily conquered, Tabada said, reading from his groups statement. Indeed, we face the threat of being conquered by the motives of larger, more powerful nations who dangle the promise of aid and support in exchange for the shifting of our mindsets, the erudition of our values, and the degradation of our values as Filipino families and individuals. Against this, we must stand united. Consider greater truths beyond imagined predicaments, consider our future beyond sensitized stories, and oppose the RH bill, the UP student said, adding We, the youth, know how to invest our support in legislators who know how to genuinely invest in us. Other youth groups and ministries so far that have joined the alliance in rejecting the RH bill are the Cebu Archdiocesan Youth Ministry, Bacolod Diocesan Youth Commission, Jaro Youth Ministry, Cubao Diocese Ministry of Youth Affairs, Bida Change Diocese of Paraaque Youth Commission, Society of the Immaculate Conception, Salesian Youth Movement, Student Catholic Action Philippines and Students Choose Life Coalition

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 10
May 7 - 20, 2012

Diocesan News

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Balanga pro-life symposium spurs doubled efforts to fight RH bill

year of existence headed by Fr. Ronniel Loreto, the FLM Director, and Mrs. Luz Dispo, FLM Coordinator. In his 3 hours talk, HLI Pilipinas country director Dr. Rene Josef C. Bullecer discussed the origin of the anti-life agenda, providing a historical timeline from the era of Pharaoh in Egypt to the time of the 1994 Cairo ICPD (International Conference on Population and Development)paving the way for the birth of the modernday worldwide pro-abortion campaign through reproductive health. Bullecer, a physician, also stressed the remarkable significance of demography, the reasons why poverty persists even after 43 years of population control in the country, and the untold medical dangers of artificial contraceptives. The doctor likewise delved into the moral and spiritual aspects of the notion of legislating reproductive health. Bullecer noted the strong pro-life position in the area, with the City Government of Balanga under Mayor Joet Garcia, the Provincial Government under Governor Enrique T. Garcia including the two Congressional Representatives Albert Raymond Garcia (1st district) and Herminia B. Roman (2nd district) standing firmly and united with the Catholic Church against the passage of RH Bill. A bigger event is being planned for the third quarter of the year to reach out to the youth and to other sectors and deliver the pro-life message, with Bullecer as main speaker. (CBCP for Life)

Hundreds of lay people participate in a symposium on RH bill organized by the Family Ministry of Balanga Diocese and Human Life International, April 21.

BALANGA City More people yet again have learned the truth about the anti-life agenda and the need to act together to push pro-life legislation. More than 400 lay people from various sectors in the Diocese of Balanga came from over 30 parishes to a pro-life conference, dubbed Pro-life Activism: Call of the Hour, April 21 at the spacious Saint Joseph Formation Center, Cathedral Compound, Balanga City in Bataan.

The Catholic Church in Balanga under the leadership of Bishop Ruperto Santos vowed to double efforts in sustaining the campaign against the entry of any anti-life ordinance in the entire province. The event was organized primarily by the Diocese of Balanga through its Diocesan Family & Life Ministry (FLM), together with Human Life International (HLI) Pilipinas. The FLM was also celebrating its 31st

www.cbcpforlife.com

Briefing
Davaoeos to run for environment, raise funds for youth program

Music fest seeks to promote unity among the youth

LAOAG CityThe Couples for Christ-Ilocos Norte (CFCIN) together with the diocesan commission on youth of the diocese of Laoag has organized a music festival in an effort to bring together young Catholics and young people from other Christian denominations. CFC leaders said the music festival aimed to promote and encourage people to become closer to the Lord and united with one another regardless of denomination and belief. We have proven that the youth involvement in church activities and worship, especially in the music ministry, is an effective tool to encourage them to be more responsible with their lives, the CFC leaders said. Called Ilocos Norte Christian
Candidly Speaking / A4

Music Festival (INCMF), the overnight event was a battle of the bands concert held at the St. Williams Cathedral last April 20. The music fest had the theme Uniting People through Music, and gathered young and the young at heart from different parishes, members of the Youth for Christ (YFC) and some members of other Christian denomination. Aside from uniting the youth through music, the organizers also hoped that the festival will be able to generate some funds that can be invested to help bring about a change of heart to these people for their betterment. The youth commission also took the opportunity to update

the youth on the stand of the Church against the Reproductive Health (RH) bill. They explained to the youth attendees the position of the Church, especially that of the CBCP for Life, accompanied by a video explaining the truth on the RH bill. Participants made a firm stand stating No to RH bill and pledged to be firm in the faith and to be courageous in speaking to others against the RH bill. This is already a good beginning for us in the commission and we hope by the end of the INCMF we will organize more young people to stand against the RH bill, said diocesan Youth Leader Rene Paguirigan. The advocacy against the RH bill was started by the youth

commission during the CBCPYear of the Youth during which a motorcade was also held as part of its campaign. It hopes to make also its own position paper against the RH Bill soon. Organizers said that the INCMF will continue with its Christian Songwriting Contest which will end on December 2012 with a culmination concert. The contest is open to for both professional and amateur composers and songwriters. Record producers and executives, well known song writers and composers will be part of the team of judges who will choose the winners in the competition. The top ten songs will be given its debut on the culmination concert. (Mark Vertido/Jandel Posion)

DAVAO CityThousands of Davaoeos joined a fun run aimed at saving the environment and raising funds to help finance formation program for the youth last April 28. Called DAYCA Servathon 2-2012 Trees for 2012 Runners, the event was organized by the PREP organization (the Pray, Read, Eat, and Play) founded by Mr. Cenen Milan, campus minister of Ateneo de Davao University. PREP organization helps other youth organizations in need through its formation program by simply playing, reading, eating (feeding) and praying. (CBCPNews)
Leyte fishing community block entry of mining barges

MACARTHUR, LeyteHundreds of fishers from Lake Bito, in Villa Imelda village, tried to block the entry of three mining barges which aim to dredge and clean-up the silt making the lake shallow. In an emergency community assembly called by the village officials evening of April 29, the community vehemently expressed its opposition to the entry of the mining barges fearing that the disturbance of the machine equipment and extraction of silt and sand may cause more fish kills in the lake. The fisherfolks are still suffering from the loss of 21,000 kilos of fish and the investigation on the fish kill is not yet finished, we are now again exposed to another threat which may lead to a more complicated situation, said village chief Ronald M. Mentes. (Rodne Galicha)
Luisita workers shun dole-out; favor DAR funding instead

tian faith, with our calling to follow what Christ has told us about how we ought to live and behave. Mary is the epitome of how we ought to be toward God and toward one another. She is Gods most perfect creature. Higher than she, a saint once said, theres no one else except God himself. She teaches us, first of all, how to be humble, a very fundamental virtue without which many other virtues would fail to sprout and grow. In the beautiful prayer of the Magnificat, it is
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precisely said that it was because of her lowliness that all generations will call her blessed. It was her humility that attracted God to her, making her nothing less than to be the mother of the Son of God, thereby making her, though only human and without contributing at all to the divinity of Christ, the Mother of God herself, since precisely the son who was born of her was/is the Son of God. We need to know more about our Lady and to deal with her more frequently, if

not, abidingly. We can say the rosary everyday, or go on pilgrimages to Marian shrines from time to time, or pray the Angelus at noon time, or cultivate the habit of looking with piety at images of our Lady, accompanying it with ardent words of affection. I was happy to learn that a campaign is made, with the endorsement of Cardinal Vidal and Archbishop Palma, for a nationwide total consecration to Jesus through Mary using the formula of St. Louis Marie de Monfort. I looked at the statue that the priest had pointed to. Standing up, for reasons unknown, I approach the statue of the woman. It seemed to call to me. As I admired the simple workmanship, it seemed to have the hands extended asking me to give her the flowers. I was reluctant, feeling it was a silly thing to do. I rectified and followed the priests advice. I placed that roses at her feet and from my heart said a silent prayer: Dear woman, lady, motherkindly give these flowers to that kind woman who was my mother for eighteen years. *** Years have passed since that encounter with Mary. Every week, on the day that mother died, I would never miss placing flowers at the feet of Marys statue. She mysteriously filled me with confidence, peace and joy. It was much later, with the help of the priest, that I began to learn who She really was. One day, I became Her son. And with greater assurance I felt She was taking care of my mother. More than this, I had found my Mother, that She was and would take care of me, Her son.

TARLAC CityDole out is not a good idea for developing the Hacienda Luisita as a farmers farm, according to groups of HLI farmworkers. This was the statement of the Unyon ng Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA) and the Alyansa ng mga Manggagawang Bukid sa Asyenda Luisita (Ambala) after the government said that the farmworker-beneficiaries could benefit from the Department of Social Welfare and Developments Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4P) as well as the other State-funded assistance program such as Self-Employment Assistance-Kaunlaran and Cashfor-Work. The agrarian fund is enough to sustain infrastructure projects such as farm-to-market roads inside the Luisita, to build an irrigation system, to purchase machineries such as handtractors, waterpumps, and seeds, as well as to start a small cooperative for the farmworkers. This, we believe, is the most adequate help that the government could extend to the farmworkers, to start agricultural development here, said Rodel Mesa, UMA secretary general. (Noel Sales Barcelona)
Writ of Kalikasan filed to stop magnetite ops in Ilocos region

the location where mother had jumped. None of them could really agree as to where the exact place was. I thought that I could maybe figure it out by myself. I was wrong. It seemed things happened too fast. Mother had jumped without anyone seeing or noticing. Perhaps, the driver would know. But that would be too complicated. I then meandered for some time trying to find a place to lay the flowers for mother. Unable to locate her departure point, I decided to leave the station. I was disappointed and aimlessly walked through the streets still holding the bouquet of fresh roses. *** I could not say how, but there I found myself in front of a church. I had never been inside one. As a boy, when mom and I would return from our weekly family picnic in a nearby the park, I saw people slowly coming out of the church on Sundays. [BING! CLANG! BING!] The soft chimes of a bell of a nearby church seemed to beckon me to enter. I entered. There were very few people inside. An old woman was lighting candles, similar to
Ruling / A1

offering incense, before an imposing morbid statue of a man nailed to a crossthis was their god. There was a janitor cleaning the marble floor dotted with wax and bird droppings. I sat down on the last pew, closest to the entrance where the shadows within and the light outside played tag. I dont recall how long I spent inside until an elderly man, called a priest, tapped me gently on the shoulder and asked, Are you waiting for anyone, young man? Till then I didnt realize how strange I must have appeared: a young sad looking student sitting alone, holding a bouquet of fresh red moist roses. I said I wasnt and that I just needed to be alone. But I felt there was something different about this man, this priest. His smile radiated a gentle sensation of meekness, compassion and understanding. Then for whom are these wonderful roses? he asked. For my mother who just passed away, I replied. You must love her very much, he said. I must have been so anxious to tell someone about what I felt for mother. And without any

word from that priest, I began telling him everything that had happened. How I wanted to lay these flowers on the spot where my Irene died. How should one cope with such sorrow in life? I asked. How will I know that she was even happy? Or if shes happy now. Do you see that statue over there? he asked. Yes, the woman with extended hands, I observed. Yes, it represents Mary. We call Her Mother, and because She really is. In fact, She was given to us to be our Mother here on earth and later in heaven. I cannot understand any of that, I replied. I know, he replied. I am not asking you to believe. All that I suggest is that you lay the flowers at Her feet and ask Her to give them to your mother. He stood up to leave, I will pray for you and your mother. If you wish to talk again some other time, you know I will be always here. I bowed with gratitude at this sincere gesture. I was alone once again and felt a little relieved for having been able to share what burdened my spirit.

QUEZON CityThe Kabataan Partylist, Mayor Jesus Bueno of Santa, Ilocos Sur, and other cause-oriented groups in the North, trooped in the Supreme Court May 4 to file a writ of Kalikasan to stop the large-scale mining operations in the region, which they say, spell danger not only to the ecology, but to the economy and safety of residents as well. Atty. James Mark Terry Ridon, legal counsel of the Kabataan Partylist, said that large-scale irresponsible mining operations in the Ilocos-Pangasinan coast to extract black sand (magnetite) ore are endangering the Pangasinan-Ilocos waters of pollution and sand erosion, that the latter might cause massive flooding. The young lawyer and former University of the Philippines-Diliman student regent in 2007 said aside from the environmental catastrophe, the magnetite mining operations, offshore and in-shore, endanger the residents livelihood and homes too, as they foresee the massive eviction of fisherfolks living near the mining sites. (Noel Sales Barcelona)
Migrant watchdog wants kafala system scrapped

ANTIPOLO CityMigrante Middle East (ME) appealed to the host governments in the Middle East to abolish the sponsorship system, which they say, is a tool for exploitation of domestic and semi-skilled workers. The appeal was made during the worldwide commemoration of the International Labor Day, May 1. MigranteME regional director John Leonard Monterona explained, under the kafala system (or the sponsorship system), the worker, technically, becomes a possession of the employer, who arrangedand paid for the latters visa in order to work in the oil-rich region. Under the kafala system, migrant workers are under the absolute control of their employers as sponsors who have provided them residence visa thus, unfairly bound to the wishes of their employers, he said. (Noel Sales Barcelona)

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The landmark decision, Pabillo said, will spark more enthusiasm for agrarian justice advocates to continue their work with the beneficiaries of the agrarian reform program of the government. Moreover, the decision will also bring hope to small farmers to continue their struggle for land. Meanwhile, the bishop has called for

unity among different farmers groups in Hacienda Luisita for the immediate and equitable distribution of more than 4,000 hectares (9884.17 acres) of land that had been identified under CARP (Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program) as distributable lands for the haciendas farmworkers. He also urged the farmers to work hard

as to make the land more productive and that they would free themselves from the bondage of poverty. Pabillo also reminded DAR of its commitment in helping the farmworker-beneficiaries by providing support services in their farming. (Noel Sales Barcelona/ CBCPNews)

Masjid Khan Y. Bisnar, 34, of Muntinlupa City and Subha Ali, 36, of Makati City, both Pakistani citizens; and Gracelyn Baldo, 29, a Filipino, of Makati City. The three were arrested for supplying and selling unregistered medicine-Cytotec during a buy-bust operation on April 30 at a fast-food restaurant along Espaa in Quiapo. Lim said that MPD Police Station 3-PCP P/Supt Ricardo Ricardo Layug, Jr. directed Police Inspec-

tor Von Possel and his men, PO3 Froilan Peter Arboleda, PO2 Regine S. Obina and PO1 Joseph Ryan B. Talaguit, to conduct surveillance operations in the vicinity of Quiapo Churchor the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazareneand arrest suppliers and sellers of Cytotec drugs. This was in response to complaints and reports from concerned citizens, and to the request of Msgr. Clemente Ignacio, parish priest of Quiapo Church. (CBCP for Life)

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People, Facts & Places

CBCP Monitor

Vol. 16 No. 10

May 7 - 20, 2012

CBCP exec to use prize money to protect IP lands

CATHOLIC Bishops Conference of the Philippines-National Secretariat for Social Action, Justice and Peace (CBCP-Nassa) executive secretary, Fr. Edwin Edu Gariguez said he will use the US$150,000 (P6,400,680.64) Goldman prize money he received to protect the ancestral domains of indigenous peoples in the Philippines. In a news report from The Catholic San Francisco, Gariguez was quoted saying that it was a nightmare for him to see how the livelihood of the Mangyans, the native peoples of Mindoro; fisherfolks and peasants are being destroyed by irresponsible mining in the area. Even though it has been an uphill battle, the Catholic priest had campaigned extensively against the Norwegian mining company Intex operating in the area. The government had temporarily suspended the mining operations because of the series of protests they had launched. The campaign had given birth to the wide anti-irresponsible mining alliance, Alliance against Mining (ALAMIN). Despite the assassination of a Protestant pastor, who was part of Gariguezs cofounded alliance, the antiirresponsible mining campaign continued, and in 2009, Gariguez himself has staged an 11-day hunger strike, forcing the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to look into the matter. But the results of their investigation or review, is yet to be publicized. Gariguez even took the courage to bring his campaign before the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the European counterpart of the IMF and WorldBank, and had a dialogue with the Intex shareholders to tell them how the company had committed some social and environmental abuses. But the Intex Resources had enticed some 10,000 people with

Markings
CELEBRATED. Tagbilaran Bishop Leonardo Medroso, DD marked his silver jubilee of Episcopal ordination with a thanksgiving Mass presided by the Apostolic nuncio in the Philippines, Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto at the St. Joseph Cathedral on March 17, 2012. The Mass was preceded by the groundbreaking of the proposed Diocesan Centrum at the Bishops Palace grounds. Aired live over DYRD-AM worldwide, the event was attended by several bishops led by Boholano Bishops Crispin Varquez and Antonieto Cabajog, members of the Clergy, Religious, seminarians and the faithful. A testimonial lunch for the guests followed after the Mass at the Bohol Tropics Resort Club. CELEBRATED. Batanes Bishop Camilo Gregorio, DD celebrated his silver jubilee anniversary on March 29, 2012 at the Sto. Domingo Cathedral in Basco, Batanes. Nueva Segovia Archbishop Ernesto Salgado presided the concelebrated Mass at 10 a.m. with Tuguegarao Archbishopemeritus Diosdado Talamayan as homilist. DIED. Brother Rolando Dizon, FSC, 67, of complications from colon cancer; April 25, 2012. A La Salle brother for 50 years, Dizon served as principal of the grade school and high school department of La Salle Greenhills. He was also president of the DLSU System from 1998-2003 and was Commission on Higher Education Chairman from 2003-2004 and Director-at-Large of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines from 1998 to 2003. Initially an ardent supporter for the passage of the RH Bill, Dizon later on changed his stand and came out strongly against the measure, citing specific dangers to human life and the survival of the Filipino family that are concealed in its various provisions. Dizon was the only Christian Brother who has come out openly and publicly against the RH Bill with strongly worded statements, among them the published GCM Statement Against the RH Bill and another published article "Does the RH Bill Defy God?" DIED. Rev. Jayneil C. Artiaga, 39, a deacon and perpetual professed member of the Piarist Fathers (Sch.P.). He passed away on April 27, 2012 at St. Lukes Hospital at around 9:45 a.m.

Awarded with the Goldman Environmental Prize for his advocacy against mining especially in Mindoro island, Fr. Edu Gariguez vows to use his prize money to protect tribal lands from destruction.

permanent jobs during the erection of the mining tunnels, and another 2,000 jobs as the mining operations started. While this is the case, Gariguez said, still there are people who remained in the frontline in the fight against

destructive mining practices in Mindoro (the name of the island comes from the Spanish words, mina de oro or mines of gold), knowing that the land is what they really have for life. (Noel Sales Barcelona/ CBCPNews)

Christian, Muslim leaders undergo formation on interreligious dialogue

A FORMATION program on interreligious dialogue for Christian and Muslim leaders and professionals was held at St. Michael Retreat House in Antipolo City last April 13 to 15. The gathering was organized by Silsilah Dialogue Movement in collaboration with Quiapo Churchs Ministry of Interreligious Dialogue. The formation program aimed to reeducate participants to rediscover the importance of harmony in society and to share to all, especially to young people, the significance of living and promoting the culture of dialogue and path to peace. Focused on the theme Rediscovering the Culture of Dialogue, path to peace in the light of the Beatitudes and the Great Jihad, the three-day activity helped participants to overcome their prejudices of one another. A Christian participant expressed her appreciation of the program saying that it is the most significant weekend I ever had in my life; though we came from different faith traditions and cultural background we can still build a sincere friendship among us. Participants were also given a separate session in order to deepen their understanding of interreligious dialogue according to the teachings of their respective religions. A symbolic reconciliation among the participants through reading of a friendly letter addressed to a Muslim and Christian friend was organized on the last night of the gathering. To my Christian brothers and sisters, I am grateful and blessed that I have met you here and how you have shown your love for us, thank you for the appreciation and understanding... read a letter from a Muslim participant addressed to the Christians. Resource facilitators include Sr. Marion Chipeco, RGS; Aminda Sao, president of Silsilah Dialogue Movement; Prof. Alih Aiyub, Secretary General of National Ulama Conference of the Philippines-ZamBaSulTa region; and Nor Asiah Adilao of Silsilah Forum Davao. (CBCPNews)

www.goldmanprize.org

Bataan folks mark 1st anniv of JP2 Shrine

CATHOLICS in Bataan marked the first anniversary of the first ever shrine made in honor of Blessed John Paul II in Morong, Bataan on May 2. The celebration was held at 9 a.m. which also included the blessing of the Lolek Garden and the Environmental Protection Office inside the Bataan Technology Park, where the shrine is located. The shrine was established last year as a tribute to the late pontiff. It is where a life-sized statue of the Blessed John Paul II can be seen by his devotees and prayed for his intercession. The place was a former Vietnamese refugee camp which the Blessed John Paul II visited and where he celebrated a Papal Mass on February 21, 1981. During the popes visit, he reportedly asked the refugees, referred to as boat people who fled from their country in 1975 due to conflict, not to lose hope amid their displacement. The Vietnamese were also joined by some Laotians and Cambodians totaling to more or less 400,000 refugees housed in the Morong refugee center. (CBCPNews)

Vocation promoters hold national confab

AROUND 280 priests, nuns, religious, consecrated persons and lay vocation promoters across the country and some from abroad had participated in a national convention for vocations held at the Notre Dame of Dadiangas University in General Santos City last April 16 to 19. The 23rd Directors of Vocations in the Philippines (DVP) National Convention had the theme Creating a Culture that Witnesses and Awakens Vocations in the Local Church. Marbel Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez led the celebration of the Eucharist on the first day of the gathering. The activities for the day include an hour of prayer and sharing of vocation stories from priests. Speakers were Cotabato Bishop Orlando Quevedo, OMI, Former Vatican Envoy Henrietta de Villa, Fr. Jose Quilongquilong, Bishop Romeo Lazo, Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle and Bishop Reynaldo Evangelista. Quevedo gave the first conference on Clarifying Values, Creating a Culture of Vocations in the Philippines. Saying that vocation comes from God which is a gift and a free invitation, he also stressed that values are necessary to be able to hear Gods invitation and to discern ones vocation. Also important is self knowledge and a sense of prayerful attitude, it was pointed out. Also stressed during the conference is the statement that from culture come values, and from values culture takes shape. Human formation happens concretely in value formation and purifying the general culture in the spirit of the Gospel. The second conference was presented by Ambassador Henrietta de Villa who touched on Family and Community Practices, Imaging a Culture of Vocations. De Villa pointed out the very basic and concrete way of vocation promotion, which is to inspire others by going the way of love. She explained that there is only one culture of vocation, which is love, and that vocation is formed in love that is the person of Jesus. De Villa said that when we put on love, we are putting Christ. We must see and hear what true love is. She also elaborated on the vital elements in vocation promotion which include presence, community and prayer. The third conference was given in parallel session. Religious men and women and lay promoters listened to Fr. Jose Quilongquilongs talk on "Identifying The Culture of My Congregation and Promoting the Charism of Each Congregation," while diocesan priests attended the talk given by Bp. Jose Romeo O. Lazo of San Jose, Antique on the topic: "Vocation Promotion by Way of Living the Spirituality of the Diocesan Priesthood and Witnessing to Christ, the Good Shepherd". Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle gave the fourth talk delving on the topic The Person and Witnessing of the Vocation Directors/Directresses in Relation with other Vocation Directors and Directresses (A Call to Deeper Communion and Collaboration). Tagle stressed that vocation promoters need to promote not the congregation but the Church. Boac Bishop Reynaldo G. Evan-

Convention speakers urge vocation promoters to lead prayerful and inspiring lives to attract young people to religious and priestly vocation.

gelista spoke on the The Magisterium of the Popes in the Annual Messages for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations (A Highlight of the Vocation Congress on the Occasion of the 70th Anniversary of the Pontifical Work for Priestly Vocations held in ROME) in the last conference. He shared the different messages of the Holy Father for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations.

A Convention Statement was drafted by participants on April 18. The last day saw the election of DVP officers and a tour of General Santos City by the delegates. Elected DVP Officers for 20122014 include National Coordinator: Rev. Fr. Rochester Charles A. Resuello (Archdiocese of Lipa); Treasurer: Rev. Fr. Nilvon Co Villanueva (Prelature of

Infanta); Secretary for Religious Men: Rev. Fr. Aljun Maglangit, S.P. (Piarist Father); Secretary for Religious Women: Sr. Aura Intal, SPC; and Secretary for the Laity: Mr. Rizaldy Fernandez (Diocese of San Jose, Antique). The Convention concluded with a Eucharistic Celebration presided by Bishop Reynaldo G. Evangelista, the Episcopal Chair of Commission on Vocations. (CBCPNews)

Games teach youth life skillsyouth group

GAMES are no longer the stuff of childs play, but actually can hold the key to engaging young people in value-based learning that would teach them life skills, according to a youth group. Chiro National Leader Badette Felix explained that each game their group uses is actually a Structured Learning Experience (SLE) where kids get to experience first then, they are led to action points, which they can apply in daily life. Felix also mentioned the kids experience of local group camps where kids who do not normally eat vegetables or know how to wash dishes first learn to do so at camp. A camp is usually a week-long event full of games, bonfires, praying, talent shows and rolling on the ground. Starting out as a 7-year old who was part of his Cainta parishs feeding program before joining Chiro, Jeff Vicente, 24, shared how Chiro has bettered him. I learned how to deal with other persons, leadership and responsibility. Vicente, camp chief for this years National Camp, is in charge of overseeing operations of Chiros biggest event, gathering around 400 children and youth from all over the Philippines for an entire week of staple Chiro activities.

Despite joining Chiro for a mere 2 years, Ruby Sanda, 18, of Afga, Agusan del Sur talked about how Chiro helped level up her confidence. She said she noticed how her A Chiro member strategizes how to get through an obstacle of yarn. public speaking improved after facilitating Chiro experience. As observed, after a game, the youngdynamics and games as a district leader sters are more engaged and psyched in charge of around 10 Chiro kids. during processing than if a talk was given straight away. First-timer Gian Why games work After citing his personal experience, De Leon of Pasig put it quite simply, Vicente said, [Our] method really ...Not everyone is fond of listening works. (The youth can really relate to to sermons. If they use games, we activities they should be naturally doing) remember [the values] more. When [like] enjoying their childhood through asked if she would be back for more of Chiro, 14-year old De Leon answered, games, mingling with others... Jonathan Magbitang, 33, former Asst. Definitely! Chiro is a parish-based, national National Leader of Chiro, explained further, We evangelize through games. movement that aims to bring the (We want to leave the usual teaching youth closer to God through various process, which is the classroom type.) creative activities. At present, there are Magbitang, who is himself a product of 34 local groups in the Philippines with Chiro in Silang, Cavite, added that the approximately 2,000 active members. processing after the games completes the (Nirvaana Delacruz)

HLI docu on PH shown at intl prolife film fest

A DOCUMENTARY produced by Human Life International (HLI) on the Philippines struggle for the preservation of the value of life and the family was selected as part of the roster of films that were shown in the second annual Life Fest Film Festival in Los Angeles, California, from May 4 to 6. The documentary titled The Philippines: Preserving a Culture of Life, is one of the 240 entries submitted to Life Fest. The awarding on Cinematography, Sound Design, Story/Writing, Overall Audience Favorite, Best Actress, and Best Actor were done through live and online voting on May 5 Released in 2011, the documentary tackles the Philippines in its current situation of fighting against the culture of death. It also underscores one of the most dramatic social and political struggles for life and family in the world. This is a truly powerful film that not only sheds light on this specific example of combating the Culture of Death in the Philippines, but which we hope inspires all of those fighting for life around the world, said HLI President Fr. Shenan J. Boquet. The film captures remarkable scenes and heartfelt interviews with Filipino pro-lifers leading the charge against the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill threatening life and family in the Philippines. The Philippines: Preserving a Culture of Life was debuted on the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) in the United States, Canada, and the Philippines August last year. It is scheduled to be re-broadcast on EWTN on May 9 to 11. Based on the 1987 Philippine Constitution, the State, according to Article II Section 11, values the dignity of every human person and guarantees full respect for human rights. Section 12 also notes that [i]t shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception. Based on these Constitutional protections, the RH Bill would be a violation of the fundamental law of the land by imposing government mandates that would be harmful to the Filipino family and to the society. (CBCP for Life)
Photo courtesy of Nirvaana Delacruz

Photo courtesy of CBCP-ECV

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 10
May 7 - 20, 2012

Pastoral Concerns

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The Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral, recently declared the National Shrine of Our Lady of Candles. Photo shows the stairs above the door leading to the statue of Our Lady of Candles (inset).

Iloilo Shrine Liturgist calls for renewal of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary
By Fr. Mickey Cardenas
DURING the month of May manifestations of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary predominate like flowers that bloom in springtime. It is the month when many popular Marian Festivals are celebrated. In Iloilo, the Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral as the National Shrine of Our Lady of Candles, has an important role to fulfill in setting the standard to the true devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In his message, Bishop Gerardo A. Alminaza, Auxiliary Bishop of Jaro, and Parish Priest of Our Lady of Candles Parish, said: Like Mary, the Candle Bearer, may our personal and communal witnessing of our faith radiate the light of Christ to all pilgrims so that they may acquire renewed vigor to adhere and live the Gospel values for the renewal of our Church and society. The message of the Auxiliary Bishop of Jaro reminds us that the Shrine of Our Lady of Candles, as a newly designated National Shrine, has been tasked with the care not just of the parishioners but also of its pilgrims. Among its manifold tasks as a National Marian Shrine, it has committed itself specifically to help the pilgrims to the shrine grow in their devotion to Mary by providing them with ongoing catechesis. For this, Fr. Alejandro P. Esperancilla, Special Assistant for Liturgical Affairs of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Candles, has provided a catechesis on the true devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. As in all the dioceses in the Philippines, love for Our Lady in the Archdiocese of Jaro is clearly manifested in the countless devotions under her many titles. Many parishes are placed under her protection, countless fiestas are celebrated in her honor, Marian organizations abound and an imagethe Birhen sang Barangay where she wears a typical Bisayan costume presents herself as the mother of us all. But among all these, her title Nuestra Seora de la Candelaria has always been held dear. As the patroness not just of Jareos but of the whole Western Visayas she was crowned by Blessed Pope John Paul II himself during his visit to Iloilo in 1981. In the light of the call of PCP II for the renewal of popular piety Fr. Esperancilla cited the need to re-examine the popular manifestations of devotion to Our Lady. It has been rightly observed that for most of our people today the faith is centered on the practice of the rites of popular piety, not on the Word of God, solid doctrine, sacramental worship and in practice, the saints and the Blessed Virgin Mary seem to occupy the attention of many of the faithful more than Christ does. Fr. Esperancilla dwelt on the pastoral tasks which PCP II challenges us to do as we face the situation of practices of popular devotions in our country. The need to purify practice of popular devotions He recognized that there are dangers which are inherent in our practice of these popular devotions. It is his hope that the knowledge of these dangers will help us purify our practices and lead us to an authentic worship of the Holy Trinity who has given us Mary as our Mother and Model. The Shrines Liturgist cited the following dangers inherent to popular devotions in general and to Marian devotions in particular. First, he said, popular devotions can end up becoming more important than the liturgy. We have seen people attached greater importance to devotions such as novenas and processions to the neglect of the sacraments. People prefer going to Mass on Wednesday for the Perpetual Help novena rather than go to Mass on Sunday. Or people attend processions and novenas but fail to give importance to the celebration of the Eucharist. Second, they can cause people to develop false priorities and values in their spiritual life. Fr. Esperancilla observed: How many times have we seen people who are so devoted to Mary and the saints and yet their lives are lived contrary to what the Gospel teaches? We have seen politicians, businessmen and women, rich people building shrines and contributing substantial amounts for the propagation of devotions to Mary and the saints but neglect the works of justice, good government and charity to the less fortunate, even just to their workers. If devotions do not transform our lives then there must something wrong with them or with the people practicing them. Third, there is the danger of too much subjectivism, externalism and sentimentalism. These traits mark so many of our devotions and it is therefore unfortunate that though we are a religious people our faith remain infantile and lacking when it comes to morality in politics, in our involvement in society and other Christian values by which we are called to transform our lives and the life of our society. Fourth, they can give a wrong feeling of security in the presence of the living God. The promises attached to devotions are explained in a simplistic manner. Fr. Esperancilla presented the following points to ponder: Does my wearing of the scapular mean that my salvation is assured? If I fulfill the nine-day novena does that mean that God is obligated to give what I ask of him? This feeling of a false sense of security can do more harm than good. Fifth, there is a danger that popular devotions easily degenerate into magical and superstitious practices or even idolatry. A good example, the priest said, is that we see everyday so many religious statues in jeeps, business establishments and malls. Have we asked ourselves as to what meanings are attached to them by the people who placed them there? The Shrines liturgist cautioned that these excesses however should not bring us to the extreme of abandoning that, which for years have nourished and preserved us in the faith. In fact they are to be fostered for they are practices which are rich in values. He reminded that PCP II states that our attitude has to be one of critical respect, encouragement and renewal for with proper direction they can become true expressions of faith and we may use them as vehicles of evangelization towards worship in spirit and in truth. Fr. Esperancilla then presented his recommendations based on reflections on the guidelines of PCP II and on important documents of Magisterium. He cautioned that although these recommendations may not be comprehensive, yet they are serious attempts to make us begin on the road to renewal so that our devotions may truly express our faith. Going back to the sources of Marian Devotions Fr. Esperancilla has noted first of all a need to recover the content and the spirit which led to the practice of Marian devotions. The scapular for example in its original form was part of the habit of the Carmelite Order. Thus it is a sign of affiliation with that religious community, that they share the spirit of that community. And it is a sign that includes not just privileges but also the obligation to live according to the rule and values of that community, namely, simplicity in dress, behavior and life, penance and mortification, prayer, hospitality and charity to the less fortunate. He stressed that we must remember that scapulars and medals are sacramentals of the church and serious effort should be made that they will be used correctly. The mass production and distribution of scapulars and medals will do more harm than good in the long term. One has to understand their use. Just getting hold of the promise without understanding its content and demands can easily lead them to be treated as amulets and bodily decorations. Devotions must lead to the liturgy Fr. Esperancilla recommends that novenas and other popular devotions be done prior to the Mass, for example, the Dawn Rosary after which the Mass is immediately celebrated as the procession re-enters the church. This is what the Council thought of when it says that popular devotions must lead to the liturgy the culmination and the highest point of Christian worship. They lead us to the liturgy and it evokes a wonderful image of Mary leading us and presenting us to her Son. De-emphasize the promises People need to be instructed in the wearing of medals and scapulars, Fr. Esperancilla emphasizes. A scapular does not work like magic. The wearing of medals and scapulars should be an expression that one wants to live his life under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which will necessarily include the desire to imitate her life of being totally in the service of God. Only then can the promises be fulfilled. Thus there is a need to de-emphasize the promises and emphasize instead the spirit of the scapular and medals which is to become imitators of our Blessed Mother in her life of service to her Son. Interiorization Fr. Esperancilla warns that popular devotions are in grave danger of remaining merely as external practices. Overemphasizing these external practices therefore would only lead the Christian to a wrong feeling of security. They create merely a vending machine mentality in our relationship with GoDI do something and God will give me what I ask from him. There is then a need to interiorize popular devotionsone that affects the kind of life that one lives. Following the call of Paul VI novenas must include biblical passages and themes. In its recitation a portion must be reserved for the reading and listening to the scriptures. Novena prayers and even chants, should draw inspiration from biblical wording. Novenas should have the word of God as an integral part. In preaching the life of the saints or of Mary it would help more if the preacher puts less emphasis on miracles and more emphasis on their lives and in emphasizing their lives there is a need to connect these examples with values of the Gospel. The preaching of the messages of apparitions and visions should be founded on a scriptural text to show once more the connectedness of the messages with that of Jesus. It should be emphasized that the message of Mary is no different from the message of the Gospel and the teachings of the church. Catechesis on Consecration Catechesis on the correct understanding of Consecration is needed so that consecration will become a real consecrationa commitment to listen and obey Gods word and that love and charity be practiced as Mary did when she consecrated herself to the service of God by her fiat. . Use of Images Ancient images of Mary have always made used of images of
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Updates

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 10
May 7 - 20, 2012

On General Absolution without Individual Confession (Part II)

When a concelebrant takes photos during the Mass
(Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university, answers the following queries:) Q: At an ordination I saw a priest, vested and concelebrating, step away from the altar. He took out a camera and took photos (not once, but several times). The bishop seemed oblivious to this, but it puzzled me. Is this a matter of liturgical law or regulation; a breach of etiquette; or something else? To me it seemed quite out of place and inappropriate. But if its OK, I could overlook it.J.P., Illinois A: Among the few documents that address the theme of photographs at Mass is the 1967 instruction Eucharisticum Mysterium, issued by the Congregation of Rites. No. 23 briefly touches on this subject: Great care should be taken to ensure that liturgical celebrations, especially the Mass, are not disturbed or interrupted by the taking of photographs. Where there is a good reason for taking them, the greatest discretion should be used, and the norms laid down by the local Ordinary should be observed. Since the task of formulating precise norms and guidelines falls upon the local ordinary, many dioceses have issued directives, above all, related to weddings, baptisms and similar situations where photographers and camera technicians can easily get out of hand. Not surprisingly, nobody mentions concelebrating priests taking photos for the simple reason that the possibility never crossed anybodys mind. A concelebrating priest taking pictures obviously violates the norm of disrupting and interrupting the Mass in this case the Mass he himself is celebrating. The fact that he is a concelebrant takes nothing away from the fact that the Mass requires his complete and undivided attention. The same could be said of other situations in which priests engage in activities which distract them during Mass. I once saw a priest choir director slip on a stole for the Eucharistic Prayer and attempt to concelebrate from the choir loft, a practice of very dubious validity. Large concelebrations do sometimes have a detrimental effect on many of us priests, leading to a certain forgetfulness of who we are and what we are doing. Added to that, the ubiquitous digital camera has made multiple image-taking almost a reflex reaction. A good rule of thumb for a priest is to not do anything that he would not do while celebrating alone with a congregation. No priest (I hope) would whip out his camera or cell phone in the middle of his parishs Sunday Mass and start snapping pictures. If that appears absurd, then it is no less so while concelebrating. With the current ease for distributing digital photos, it should be easy to designate photographers for special occasions such as ordinations and make the pictures freely available to all.

The Wrong Application of c.961 of the Code of Canon Law

By Fr. Jaime B. Achacoso, J.C.D.

I HAVE dealt with this matter on more than two occasions in the past (ref. CBCP Monitor, April 2005), but the problem and confusion seem to persist. Our readers will recall that at that time, the query was posed by a student of a Catholic University in Metro Manila, who recounted that during a closed retreat organized for the students, the priest retreat master announced that the participants could list down their sins and in the Mass of the following morning, he would give them a general absolutionwhich in fact he did. She further stated that her initial surprise turned to outright confusion when her aunt said that she had witnessed the same practice in their marriage encounter the previous weekend. Of late, a priest friend of mine brought to my attention what could be the source of the confusion and I would like to tackle this very serious error once more. Before going to this, allow me to summarize what we tackled in Part I of this article, which extensively quoted a Response (Prot.No. 5309/96) of the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts, dated 8.XI.1996 (cf. Communicationes, 28 [1996] 177181), which fully answered this question. (1) General absolution has an exceptional characteras is obvious from the tenor of c.961 of the CIC which starts: 1 Absolution cannot be imparted in a general manner to a number of penitents at once without previous individual confession unless. [underscoring mine]. (2) Being an exception, what c.961 enumerates as cases when general absolution may be given should therefore be interpreted strictly, as stated by c.18 of the CIC: c.18: laws thatcontain an exception to a law, should be interpreted strictly. John Paul II expressly underscored this exceptional character: The reconciliation of several penitents through general confession and absolution, hold an exceptional nature and hence cannot be left to free choice, but should be regulated by norms instituted for this purpose (Apost. Exhort. Reconciliatio et Paenitentia, AAS, LXXVII, 1985, p.267). (3) Can. 961, 1, nn.1-2, taxatively established two conditions that indicate the only cases in which general absolution is licit: 1 danger of death threatens (immineat periculum mortis) and there is no time for the priest or

On banners, overhead projectors and PowerPoint displays

Q: It is a regular feature at Masses in Australia and New Zealand that children or artists make banners for decorating churches, especially for the different seasons and for special occasions, such as confirmations. Many parishes are now replacing overhead projectors with the words of the hymns, with computerized PowerPoint displays that allow for all kinds of graphics and backgrounds to be added. I have seen everything from small discreet icons to actual video clips of the entry into Jerusalem from Mel Gibsons Passion during the Sanctus and worse. Are there any norms for visual displays in church, and in particular, the use of projected images during Mass? J.B., Melbourne, Australia A: There are few specific laws or even orientation regarding this aspect. But perhaps some of the principles formulated by the U.S. bishops document on Church art and architecture, http:// www.usccb.org/liturgy/livingstonesind.shtml>Built of Living Stones, might be of help. With respect to the use of banners, the document says: 127. Fabric art in the form of processional banners and hangings can be an effective way to convey the spirit of liturgical seasons, especially through the use of color, shape, texture, and symbolic form. The use of images rather than words is more in keeping with this medium. This would at least indicate that tasteful and well-designed banners may have a place within the liturgy, even if the handiwork of children. Indeed, in one form or another, banners such as the symbols of confraternities and other Catholic organizations have long been used on solemn occasions such as Eucharistic processions. Since the use of videos or overhead projections is such a novelty and is still a rarity, I have found almost nothing official on this theme. Some of the general principles on liturgical artwork in Built of Living Stones might help clarify the issue: The Role of Religious Art 143. Art chosen for the place of worship is not simply something pretty or well made, an addition to make the ordinary more pleasant. Nor is the place of worship a museum to house artistic masterpieces or artistic models. Rather, artworks truly belong in the church when they are worthy of the place of worship and when they enhance the liturgical, devotional, and contemplative prayer they are inspired to serve. Components of True and Worthy Art 146. Authentic art is integral to the Church at prayer because these objects and actions are signs and symbols of the supernatural world and expressions of the divine presence. While personal tastes will differ, parish committees should
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priests to hear the confessions of the individual penitents. (This is a reference to the original motive for the concession of general absolution in the conflictive period of the two World Wars). 2 there exists a grave necessity (adsit gravis necessitas). The state of necessity, the canon explains, exists when the number of penitents and the scarcity of priests cause the faithful, through no fault of theirs, to be deprived for a notable length of time of the sacramental grace or of Holy Communion. (4) Since the first case presents no problems of interpretation, the only problematic case is the second one, and the aforementioned Response of the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Textsthe only authentic interpreter of Church Law aside from the Supreme Lawgiver himself (i.e., the Roman Pontiff)had taxatively stated: In order for such serious necessity to exist, two elements must concur: first, a scarcity of priests and a great number of penitents; secondly, that the faithful do not have or have not had the possibility of confessing beforehand or immediately afterwards. In practice, they should not be responsible, through negligence, of their actual loss of the state of grace or of the impossibility of receiving Holy Communion (sine propria culpa) and that such situation is expected to be prolonged. A careful reading of the aforementioned authentic interpretation shows that there are actually three conditions that must concur for such serious necessity to exist: (1) a scarcity of priests, (2) a great number of penitents, and (3) the faithful have not had nor have the possibility of confessing individually beforehand or immediately afterwards. Furthermore, the same canonical norm (c.961, 1, 2) is quick to clarify that it is not considered a sufficient necessity if confessors cannot be readily available only because of the great number of penitents as can occur on the occasion of some great feast or pilgrimage. (5) Finally, the Response reminds everyone that c.961, 2 establishes that it is up to the diocesan bishop to determine in a concrete case, in the light of criteria agreed upon with other members of the conference of bishops, if the conditions for imparting general absolution are verified. In other words, other than the obvious situation of imminent danger of death, no priest, on his own judgment, may decide on the existence of the three simultaneous conditions for a state of necessity that warrants general absolution

without individual confession. Already Paul VI () had said: Ordinaries are not authorized to change the required conditions, to substitute other conditions for those given, or to determine grave necessity according to their personal criteria, however worthy (AAS, LXX, 1978, p.330). John Paul II had confirmed this serious duty: Therefore, it pertains to the Bishop alone, within the limits of his diocese, to determine whether the conditions really existhe makes this judgment graviter onerata conscientia and with full observance of the law and praxis of the Church and taking into consideration the mind and the criteriaagreed upon with the other members of the episcopal conference (Apost. Exhortation Reconciliatio et Paenitentia, AAS, LXXXVII, 1985, p.270). The Source of the Confusion In 1995, the Faculty of Canon Law of the University of Santo Tomas (Manila) published a book by Florencio Testera, O.P. titled Canon Law Digest of the Philippine Catholic Church (3rd Ed.), with the lengthy subtitle: A Systematic Compilation of the Norms and Decisions Approved and Promulgated by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines for Implementation in the Local Church with Supplementary Readings and Documentation. In effect, to date it is the single most authoritative source of Local Legislation for the Catholic Church in the Philippines, making such legislation readily available not only to canonists but to all interested parties. Well then, in the matter of Absolutions (p.10), the book printed in full the CBCP Legislation which allegedly received the recognition by the then Sacred Congregation for Bishops through a Decree of 27.IX.1985, P ro t . N o . 3 5 / 8 4 . F o l l o w i n g is the CBCP Legislation (as quoted by Testera and which I quote in italics in full, adding underscoring to highlight the canonical imprecisions): Norms for General Absolution 1. General Absolution can be given outside the danger of death, whenever there exists great necessity, that is given the number of penitents, there are not enough confessors available to properly hear the individual confessions at a given time, so that, without fault of their own, the penitents are deprived of the sacramental grace of Holy Communion for a lengthy period of time. These conditions may be verified in the cases that follow, according to the judgment of the diocesan bishop: a) When priests go once a year or very seldom during the

year, to remote barrios or islets, or to other places where there is a serious difficulty in the access of the sacrament of confession on the part of the faithful on account of distance or geographical or climatological reasons; b) On Christmas, Paschal Triduum, local religious fiestas, popular missions and school graduation; whenever the conditions set above exist. 2. On these occasions the priests may be granted to give the General Absolution, only after having undertaken all means to give opportunity to the penitents to make their individual confessions. For example, making a schedule for individual confessions during some fixed hours during the Mass, in such a way that the priests who are available can help one another in hearing individual confession and when the time for Mass comes, still many penitents have not made yet their individual confession, and so, are being deprived of the sacramental grace of Holy Communion. The priests, before giving General Absolution, shall help the penitents to be properly disposed to receive it, by making a sincere act of contrition, and to remind the penitents of their option to confess each of the grave sins which cannot for the moment be thus confessed, as soon as possible, when the opportunity occurs, before receiving another General Absolution, unless a just reason intervenes, as prescribed in cc.962 and 963. I am not interested in getting into the iter of the above-quoted CBCP legislation, and much less am I interested in pointing the blame on anyone. My main interest right now is to point out how the above text, which is what appears in Testeras compilation and commentaries, is a clear example of how a local legislation contradicts the universal law. Because of this text, all the precautions as regards general absolution contained in the Code of Canon Law and further explained in the aforementioned Response of the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts are veritably neutralized. In effect, this text opens the door to the individual judgment by individual priests to give general absolution and once that door is opened, the repeated reports of general absolution being given on the occasion of graduations, retreats and just plain great concurrence of faithful in churches become explainable if not inevitable. In the concluding part of this article, we shall see what is wrong with the above text. (To be concluded.)

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CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 10
May 7 - 20, 2012

Year of Missions

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MISSION is all about telling the story of Jesus, Manila A rc h b i s h o p L u i s A n t o n i o Tagle told participants during the Grand Mission Festival last April 19. Some of you are curious why the event is all about mission but I will talk about the story of Jesus, mission is like going abroad or building schools and houses for the poor. But what is mission exactly? It is also stated in the bible that there are a lot of ways and aspect about doing mission, Tagle said during his talk on the 2nd day of the Festival. The archbishop said that here in Asia, mission is being viewed as a dialogue. There are also people saying that mission is proclamation but there is a new mission emerging which is telling the story of Jesus. Narrating or story telling are what we are fond to do. They say that we Filipinos are fond of telling stories. But in order to be a model of mission, we must tell the story of Jesus. We must tell His story rather than nonsense things which are not good to others like making some chismis about them, the archbishop said. Tagle urged participants to continue to reflect and study the important theme of mission, which is telling the story of Jesus as a way of doing personal mission. He also explained that salvation history is a story of love, the story of Gods love affair with humanity but that love story happens in the story of mission. In fact, the story of love between God and humanity is written in them, he said. Credible story A story becomes credible when one telling the story was an eyewitness of the event that he or she is talking about. A story can be good or bad

Tell the story of Jesus, bishop urges faithful at Mission festival

but is not determined only by the ending and a good story is always the credible one. A good story is not only the story that flatters or praises you. A good story is credible, should be credible and for us a storys credibility is determined by the actual experience of the story teller, he said. Tagle said telling the story of Jesus is a challenge because unless one has lived or experienced the Lord t he storyteller will not be credible to listeners. Then they say the words are beautiful, but the words dont sound convincing because the one telling the story is just a good reader rather than a story teller coming from one who experienced the story. A story is true and credible when the one proclaiming it has lived the story, he said. Our story tells us about who we are. We find our identity as individuals and as community through our stories. My identity is tied to the story of my life the same with the community. A community is constituted by common stories and common memories. Our stories tell us who we are and our stories as a community tells us what type of community we are and what stories bind us together, Tagle shared. Christ as mission Tagle said that if people will share the story about Jesus Christ, they must claim and proclaim to the world that their identity is tied to the faith and that the community will not be a community without the story of Christ. He pointed out that the community is formed through the common story of Jesus. If you remember the night He was betrayed, He took bread and gave thanks to God and I remember the same story, we are one community because everyone knows

about that same story. We are brothers and sisters and we belong to one family. This is the power of the story of Jesus as mission it generates, it forms a community. Not based on common projects alone but a community woven in its identity and rooted in the common story if Jesus Christ, he said. The telling of the story of Jesus is missionary also in the aspect of giving us identity and forming a community called Church. It gives meaning to symbols and rituals of our community. In other words, the story of Jesus is necessary to provide meaning to our symbols, rituals and for the principles and commitments of our community. The moment His

story is separated from these symbols, the symbols lose its religious meaning, the prelate explained. Tagle pointed out that the most obvious way of doing mission is by sharing Jesus story, and who He is. Our very persons could be the story of Jesus in the midst of others. Thats how the saints told the story of Jesus not only through their homilies, not only through their catechisms, not only through their instructions but they told the story of Jesus through their holiness, he added. Citing Pope John Paul II as example, Tagle said many people do not remember his teachings but when they see his image, they instantly

remember his life and his service to the Lord. There are many ways of telling the story of Christ. Let us explore all of them, and according to Pope Paul VI our faith listens more to witnesses rather than to teachers. It is like our Mother Mary, she stored in her heart the story of Jesus even in the absence of total understanding, the story is kept in her heart and in the end her lifes story became the very proclamation of the story of Jesus. Keep the joy, the sorrow, the light, and the glory of Jesus, Mary and her story are woven, it is the life of Mary where Jesus is alive, Tagle also added. He emphasized that the story of Jesus must serve as an inspiration to everyone.

By sharing the story of Jesus, it will become a part of the story of our life and our community, and His story will be the meaning of our daily actions. As we thank the Lord for the 80 years of Pontifical Mission Societies a continuation of the story of Jesus let us make a promise, that we will not waste the stories of Jesus. It is the best story ever told to humanity, that we could ever hear all other stories is simply prolongations of the story of Jesus. Let us attach our personal and communal stories to the story of Jesus until the time comes when your personal story, is also the story of Jesus, the p re l a t e f u r t h e re d . ( J a n d e l Posion)

Vincentians conduct summer mission

THE Vincentian Fathers and their affiliate lay missionaries conducted a summer mission in three different mission areas in Luzon and Visayas regions. Vincentian fathers, nuns from the Daughters of Charity (DC), lay missionaries, volunteers, some young professionals and students under the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SSVP) held the mission work in Don Salvador Benedicto, Negros Occidental, April 1 to 17. Another mission work was conducted in Camarines Sur for two weeks which began last April 21, and another in Mangaldan, Pangasinan, also held for two weeks. A l t h o u g h t h e m i s s i o n s w e re originally planned to last for three weeks, the schedule of the two remaining missions were squeezed into two weeks so the missionaries can participate in the Grand Mission Festival held April 18 to 20, according to Fr. Nelson Bisco, CM. Bisco said their lay missionaries have to meet certain qualifications before they can participate in the mission program. They have to be of good character and should have attended the monthly on-going formation for preparation of missionaries for the summer mission. The summer mission is done every summer [depending] upon request because they [missionaries] have to check first the area if it is feasible or not [since] their primary target missions are the poorest of the poor, he added. Bisco pointed out that a certain module is being followed in their mission program is called MISMO (Mission-Module) that includes basic catechism. He disclosed that people in the mission areas complain that they have no money to pay for the administration of the sacraments. In the module, we also have childrens catechesis, mission talks and we make sure that the sacrament is available to everyone. For the [administration of the] sacraments, we always coordinate with the parish priest near the mission site so that the sacrament is given to the people for free, he also added. The kind of mission they are having now in Philippine provinces began in 1974 but it was first started during the time of the Spaniards. A lay missionary convention set in October will gather Vincentian lay missionaries to share their mission experience to fellow lay missionaries. (Paolo Domingo/ Jandel Posion)

Calungsods canonization is a fount of grace, Palma says

THE canonization of Pedro Calungsod is a wellspring of grace for the faithful because it is a gift of faith, Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines president and Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma said. I am excited on the upcoming canonization of San Pedro Calungsod, its not only for the Visayan people, but for all of us Filipinos, that on October 2, Pedro Calungsod will be canonized together with 6 others, Palma said during the send-off mass for lay missionaries on the occasion of the Grand Mission Festival, April 20. He emphasized that the canonization is not just an event but a fountain of grace because celebrations like this is a gift of faith. The archbishop invited all Filipinos to participate in the canonization process on October 21 which will be held in Rome and on November 30 for the national thanksgiving Mass slated in Cebu. After the canonization in Rome, the image of San Pedro Calungsod will visit the country. His visit will start in Vigan, in the North down to the South, passing by Bicol, Samar, Leyte and Mindanao, he said. San Lorenzo Ruiz and Pedro Calungsod are lay people, the reason why mission is especially for the lay people, the archbishop further said. Palma gave his blessing in a send-off rite to twelve Filipino missionaries heading for overseas missionary post: Mel Torralba, YFC to Middle East; Ma. Lenete B. Bertumen, Philippine Catholic Lay Mission (PCLM) to Thailand; Goi and Charmaine Villegas, CFC to Europe; Mike and Shay Serapio, CFC to USA; Jef and Emma Lou Arong, CFC to Seycelles; Richard and Fritzie Espanola, CFC to Zimbabwe; and Elmer and Lita Cadiz, CFC to Carribean. (Jandel Posion)

Pedro Calungsod: trained for the missions

(Lifted from the book of Fr. Ildebrando Jesus Alio Leyson titled Pedro Calonsor Bissaya: Prospects of a Teenage Filipino)
PEDROCalungsodsinvolvement as a catechist in a Jesuit Mission makes us rather think that he may have been recruited by the Jesuits and trained by them to be a catechist for their missions. It was the strategy of the Jesuits, who were evangelizing the Visayas in particular, to train young boys as catechists to help them in their missions. The training was done in boarding schools for boys organized by the Jesuits themselves or, if not, in the different Jesuit residences. A Jesuit missionary explained their employed boys thus: [] for the children are of a happy and affectionate disposition, not at all bashful or shy, well affected towards us, lively and very intelligent. By winning them we shall also win their parents, brothers and relatives, and almost the whole region, so as to get them to come to catechism lessons, confession, communion and spiritual conferences. Moreover, the children will learn the alphabet, language, culture, civil and Christian usages, and spread them in their villages afterward. Not only will they supply the colony as a whole with trusted interpreters, but some of them can serve as companions to our fathers on missionary expeditions; in fact, many of them could be missionaries and catechists themselves. Teachers of reading and writing could be recruited from them and almost the whole charge and care for the boarding school could be transferred to them, for the work that they are now doing for the other religious communities and in our own house proves that they are quite capable of all these things. (H. De La Costa, The Jesuits in the Philippines 1581-1768). To give a more concrete idea of how the boys were trained, here are some accounts of the boarding schools in the Visayas as related by Horacio de la Costa, SJ: The boarding school for Visayan boys in Tigbauan (Panay) was started by the Jesuits Pedro Chirino and Francisco Martin sometimes in 1592. The boys were taught not only the catechism but also writing, Spanish, and liturgical music. The schoolboys soon were able to act as Mass servers and choristers. Chirino sent them in pairs to the outlying villages of the mission, having first assured himself of their thorough knowledge of the catechism, to teach the Faith they had received. He had gone before them to these villages and caused a small chapel of reeds to built in each; here, in the late afternoons after work in the fields, the young catechists gathered the villagers together and began to teach their own people, in their own language, the things of God. The Tigbauan boarding school did not last very long because Chirino stayed at Tigbauan only for two years and no one took his place. The boarding school for Visayan boys in Dulag (Leyte) was organized by the Jesuits Alonso de Humanes and Juan del Campo sometime in 1595. Some sixty boys, mostly sons of datus, were selected from the three encomiendas of eastern Leyte Palo, Dulag, and Abuyog. As in Chirinos school at Tigbauan, classes were held in Christian doctrine, reading, writing and music. However, Humanes improved on Chirinos idea by having the boys live in the Jesuit compound itself, in a house which he built for them with donations collected from the encomenderos. The school at Dulag was thus the first seminario de indios or boarding school for natives to be established in the Philippine vice-province (of the Jesuits). It was a completely free school, the living expenses of the boys and the salary of a lay schoolmaster being paid for out of the annual stipend received by the missionaries. It was the schoolboys of Dulag who taught the Visayan language to the Jesuit missionaries in Palo. [] In mission stations that did not have boarding schools for boys, the Jesuits would cause the boys to live with them in the mission residence where they trained them as catechists. The Jesuit residences, colleges and mission stations in the Visayas during the time of Pedro Calungsod were: In Cebu: the Jesuit College in Cebu town. The mission station was Mandaue (under the charge of the Jesuit College in Cebu town). In Leyte: Carigara and Dagami. The mission stations were Leyte (north of the island), Barugo, Alangalang, Palo, Ormoc, Dulag, Abuyog, Baybay, Hilongos, Sogor and Cabalian. In Samar: Catbalogan and Palapag. The mission stations were Catubig, Tinagon, Paranas and Calbiga. In Bohol: Loboc. The mission stations were Talibon, Inabangan, Maribuhoc and Baclayon. In Negros: Ilog (under the charge of the Jesuit College of
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Paolo Domingo

B4 Barefoot and blind: the power of one

By Michael Cook
A BLIND Chinese peasant has given the whole world a lesson in the power of one. Chen Guangcheng became one of Chinas best-known civil rights activists after defending women in his province who had forced abortions under the one-child policy. Now, after a dramatic escape from house arrest, he appears to have taken refuge in the US embassy in Beijing. His flight is perfectly timed to coincide with weighty discussions between Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and their Chinese counterparts. No doubt barefoot lawyer Chen realises that he has put both governments in a cleft stick. He has exposed one of Chinas most hideous human rights abuses and he has challenged the Obama administration to truly make human rightsin the Presidents wordsa core national security interest and core moral responsibility. Chen may be blind; he may be poorly educated; he may be a peasantbut he has outsmarted the worlds two most powerful governments. Neither of them wanted the one-child policy exposed to the glare of the world media. But now it is being discussed around the globe. Forty-year-old Chen is a man of remarkable courage and intelligence. Blind almost from birth, he was raised on classic tales of courageous heroes fighting corrupt officials. He came from a poor family and only began school when he was 17. In 1996 he began to lobby for rights for the disabled in Shandong Province, about 500 kilometres south of Beijing. He was so successful as a barefoot lawyer that local people took their grievances to him. He gained a national reputation by leading protests against illegal taxes, polluters, and discrimination against the disabled. Local officials had already started harassing him when he launched a protest against illegal implementation of the onechild policy. He documented abuses and worked with victims and lawyers to organize a class-action suit against family planning officials in 2005. This failed, but his reputation grew. Then local officials revenged themselves. They charged him with wilfully damaging public property and organizing a mob to disturb traffic. In 2006 he was sentenced to jail for four years. In 2010 Chen was released but, together with his wife and son, he remained under illegal and sometimes brutal house arrest. Making his guards look like a bunch of Keystone Cops, Chen escaped on the night of April 22. Supporters drove him to Beijing. From his hiding place Chen has released a YouTube appeal to Premier Wen Jiabao asking that officials who attacked his family be prosecuted and that the government prosecute corruption cases according to the law. Appealing to the law may seem quixotic, but if the draconian family planning laws had just been obeyed to the letter, women would have been spared some of the horror of forced abortions and sterilizations. Horror is not too strong a word. Activist Annie Jing Zhang, of Womens Rights in China, told a US Congressional hearing in 2009 that some towns display slogans like Pregnancy with permit, When you are required by policy to get abortion, but if you dont, your house will be destroyed, your buffalo will be confiscated, Abort it, kill it, terminate it. You just cannot give birth to it or We would rather to have blood flow like a river than to allow one extra baby to be born. Chen ends his YouTube appeal by saying: Premier Wen, many people dont understand these illegal actions. Is it the local Party officials who are disobeying the laws, or do they have the support of the central government? I think that in the near future, you must give the public a clear answer. If we have a thorough investigation and tell the truth to the public, the results will be self-evident. If you continue to ignore this, what will the public think? Chens audacious ploy discomfits the US as well. Although President Obama recently set up an Atrocities Prevention Board, his administration has been reluctant to question the notorious one-child policy of its biggest trading partner. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters in 2009 that human rights shouldnt interfere with practical concerns: Successive administrations and Chinese governments have been poised back and forth on these issues, and we have to continue to press them. But our pressing on those issues cant interfere with the global economic crisis, the global climate change crisis, and the security crisis. And Vice-President Joe Biden gave a speech at Sichuan University last year in which he spoke so diplomatically about the one-child policy that he seemed to be endorsing it: Your policy has been one which I fully understand -- Im not secondguessingof one child per family. Now its time for the Obama Administration to show some courage of its own in standing up for Chen and his family. Essentially his demands are modest. All he wants is the protection of Chinese law. Even his activism against the one-child policy has been focused on getting officials to observe the informed consent enshrined in the law, not to overturn it. Besides, it is possible that reformers in the upper echelons of the Communist Party like Wen Jiabao actually welcome Chens move. The hardline chief of security, Zhou Yongkang, who orchestrated the persecution of Chen, has already been rattled by the purging of party princeling Bo Xilai. Sympathy for Chen weakens his own position. In any case, it is becoming increasingly clear that the onechild has been a disaster for China, as The Economist recently pointed out. Chinas burden of elderly is growing, and the proportion of younger tax-payers is shrinking. Already there are labor shortages. Notwithstanding its current strength, China is a country which will grow old before it grows rich. Chen is a reminder not only of his governments brutality but its folly in defying the laws of economic growth. Chen Guangchengs fate now depends upon negotiations between two governments who both wish that he would step under a truck. But there is a way to support him. Nominate him for the 30th anniversary of the United Nations Population Award outstanding contributions to increasing the awareness of population questions. In the past the prize has been given to odious family planning apparatchiks and to dictators like Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Indonesian President Suharto. Its inaugural recipients, in 1983, were Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, after her notorious campaign for forced sterilization in the 1970s, and Qian Xinzhong, an architect of Chinas one-child policy. An avalanche of nominations for Chen Guangcheng would show that the world has finally repudiated one of the most despicable, senseless violations of human rights ever implemented by a government against its own people. Click on this link to download an official nomination form. (Michael Cook is editor of MercatorNet that has a special republishing agreement with the CBCP Media Office)

Features

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 10
May 7 - 20, 2012

Our Voice, Our Vote Youth Manifesto

7 May 2012
(The following Manifesto was read by the alliance of youth organizations during a joint press conference at the CBCP Media Office on May 7, 2012; held prior to a rally of support for the Nine Young Legislators (9YL) held inside Congress at the May 7 resumption of session; and a simultaneous RH Youth Forum at the St. Peters Church at Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City.)

THE youth are the foremost victims of the Reproductive Health Bills pending in both houses of Congress. It is our generation that will face the reality of the many risks so intimately involved in this measure. It is our welfare that is on the line. It is our voice that we seek to be heard today. We a re f o r re s p o n s i b l e parenthood and we, too, desire to see every Filipino family free from the burdens of poverty. However, spending for a measure to fiddle with demographics is a gross misallocation of scarce resources. Addressing needs for quality education and opportunities for employment hits poverty at its core. Massive government spending for contraception and mandatory sex education in all schools enlivens the risk of aggravating

the decline of our demographics, of eroding our values, and of reshaping our society after the designs of foreign intervention. There is no warrant against this. This is a gamble of our future. We are for reproductive health and we, too, intend to shield mothers and their children from the risks of complications at childbirth. However, pregnancy is not the disease that can find a cure in contraception. Massive government spending for products with known health detriments is tantamount to a government serving our people harm. Improving access to pre- and post-natal care, of which the RH Bills speak so scarcely about, addresses maternal mortality directly. The RH Bills, instead, advocate reproductive health by heavily promoting mismoderated use

of artificial contraception, neglecting the impracticability and impossibility of informed choice in the poorest, most populated hospitals and health centers. This ultimately risks the rise in the number of victims of contraceptive failure, the development of a contraceptive mentality, the erudition of family values, and the eventual demand for abortion. There is no warrant against this. This is a gamble of our future. We a re f o r p o p u l a t i o n management and development and we, too, dream of progress. However, genuine progress can never be achieved until our government invests genuinely in our people. Our population is an asset. Government must treat it as an asset. Rural development, entrepreneurship, improved standards of education,

expansion of opportunities for employment, intensified thrusts for scientific research and development, cultivation of our arts and culture these constitute genuine investments in our people. This is the way to secure our future. While the RH Bill posits itself as a comprehensive attempt to relieve our people of a particular ill, it is this very claim of comprehensiveness that blinds it from its cons. We cannot afford to gamble our future. We cannot afford to legislate what constitutes harm to our people. The youth, in defense of our welfare, can and will invest our support in legislators who know how to genuinely invest in us. In solidarity, we declare our opposition to the RH Bill. This is our voice. This is our vote.

2012 DVP Convention Statement

We have seen and heard we proclaim now to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; for our fellowship is with the Father and with the Son, Jesus Christ so that our joy may be complete. (1 Jn1:3-4)
WE, the 280 Vocation Directors and Directresses of the Philippines gathered ourselves in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ at the Diocese of Marbel in General Santos City for the 23d DVP National Convention, April 16-20, 2012. We have listened, discussed and shared about our role in Creating a Culture that Witnesses and Awakens Vocation in the Local Church. At the end of our assembly we want to reaffirm the primacy of prayer and its role in inculcating the necessary values favorable to awaken and nurture vocations for the Church. Prayer which requires the recognition of faiths role in the family, the spirit of service and solicitude for others rooted in the spirit of sacrifice. Prayer which refers, to more than the usual pious devotions rather to the enrichment and rootedness of the family in the nourishment of a real love-relationship with the Lord.
Pedro / B3

Prayer which heeds the direct obedience to the Divine Command of our Lord as enunciated in the Gospels by begging the Lord of the harvest to send workers into his divine vineyard. While reiterating the importance of these things, we also recognize that some of the very favorable conditions and values that gave birth and nurtured our own vocations are not so readily present in families today. Whether as an effect of Global post Modern tendency of society of the Imperialism of Relativism, one thing is clear: Love that frees and propels one to reach out needs to be reclaimed. We thus commit anew, that to effect such changes, we as Directors and Directresses must be catalysts of an alternative culture imitating the Life of Christ. Concretely, we see this manifested through an ever growing consciousness and acceptance that working together creatively in mutual respect and

collaboration for the same vineyard, a growth in vocation for any Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and Religious Congregation is a joy for the whole Church. We propose, therefore that: Bishops be more open and proactive to Vocation Promotion initiatives in their Local Churches, be more supportive to Religious from within and outside their dioceses, and even animate their efforts. Priests be more receptive and collaborative in promoting vocations in their localities. Religious be more conscious of being part of a bigger church thus respectful and sensitive to the on-going programs of the local church already in place, and coordinate accordingly with a gracious attitude. Lay collaborators animate one another to rekindle in the families their unique role as seed beds of vocation. Moreover, they must also be open to programs given by parishes and religious communities.

Arevalo in Panay). The mission stations were Isiu, Inayauan, Kabangkalan, Dancalan and Tanay. In Panay: Oton (under the charge of the Jesuit College of Arevalo). The mission station was Tigbauan. In Mindanao: Dapitan and Zamboanga. The mission stations were Butuan, Iligan, Dansalan, L a S a b a n i l l a , Ta m p a k a n , M a g i n d a n a u , Ta m o n t a k a , Bwayan, Caraga, Siukun, La Caldera and Jolo. Pedro Calungsod may have been trained in one of the above-

mentioned Jesuit residences, colleges or mission stations. If he was chosen from among the prominent familiesas was the custom in the boarding schools in Dulag and Lubocthen, this may be justified by his family name which indicated that he hailed from a town where most prominent families lived. It may have been in those houses of formation that Pedro Calungsod grew up spiritually, mentally and physically. He may have mastered the Catechism, learned to read, write and deliver a discourse in both Visayan and

Spanish, to decipher and to sing musical notations, to draw and to paint, and even to act on stage. He may have learned to serve the Holy Mass in Latin, which was at that time more complicated, being celebrated according to the Tridentine Rite. We have pointed out earlier that today the Calungsods can be found particularly in Ginatilan, Hinunangan and Molo. If Pedro Calungsod had been from Ginatilan, he may have been trained at the Jesuit residence in the town of Cebu or at the nearby Jesuit mission station in

Tanay (Negros). If he had been from Hinunangan, he may have attended the Abuyog mission station of the Jesuits or even the Dulag boarding school for boys. Finally, if he had been from Molo, then he may have been formed at the Jesuit residence in Arevalo. It is reasonable to conjecture that Pedro Calungsod was, indeed, one of the excellent students of the Jesuits. In fact, not very long after, he was chosen to be one of those few who would found a Mission in a difficult faraway territory of the Diocese of Cebu: las islas de los Ladrones.

Raymond Paran

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 10
May 7 - 20, 2012

Statements

B5

Celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker and International Workers Day Through Legislating a Substantial Wage Increase
Church People and Workers in Solidarity, Reclaim the Dignity of Human Work!
MAY 1 is the Feast of St. Joseph the worker. This is a feast day which does not originate to honor St. Joseph primarily who already has his own Feast Day on March 19. It was promulgated by Pius XII only in 1955 to express the special concern of the Church for the workers of the world. She gave them St. Joseph, no less, as their patron saint and protector. The workers constitute a significant portion of this Church of the Poor. Thus understandably, the Philippine Church can identify with their plight and struggles and be in solidarity with them. Situation of the Workers The workers are faced with multifarious problems. A critical look will reveal that some seem to stand out: Growing legalization of contractualization/joblessness It gravely undermines workers rights to security of tenure, self-organization, and collective bargaining agreement (CBA) wherein are supposed to be contained provisions for the protections of the workers other rights (social security, better working conditions, just wage, etc.) One out of four or nearly 10 million Filipino workers remain jobless or underemployed as of January 2012, citing data from the Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics (BLES). Such employment situation gives us a glimpse of how millions of Filipinos are unable to cope with rising prices of petroleum and basic commodities. The injustice continues when contractual, jobless and underpaid Filipino workers are violently driven away from their homes to give way to the interest of a wealthy few, as the case of Silverio compound demolition. Unjust wages It appears as the chosen way by which big transnational corporations pass on the financial and economic crisis which started in l997 to the workers especially those in the underdeveloped countries. No wonder present statistic shows that precisely at this time the profit of transnational corporations grew from 20 100 % in 1910 the highest since 1940s. On the other hand, the International Labor Organization (ILO) said that the growth in the salary of workers throughout the world from 2008 to 2009 decreased by 50%. In the Philippines, data shows that the real value of the salary of the workers in the Philippines fell because of the continuing increase in the prices of basic commodities particularly oil. For example, as of February 2011, the nominal wage of P404 in NCR is equivalent to only P235.45 real wage which in turn is lower than its 2001 real value of P237. Meaning to say, the wage adjustments attained through the regional wage boards in the last decade have not improved the situation of the workers. (EILER, Trade Union Situation, July 2011). Millions of Filipino workers continue to lose human dignity with very meagre wages and substandard quality of work. Wages remain depressed despite price hikes. The right to organize The incumbent government continues to implement the same anti-labor policies as the previous administrations. The unwritten incentive for foreign investors: Come to the Philippines where labor is cheap, docile, not unionized. The Special Economic Zones (SEZ) boast of no unions since its operations started in 1979. In practice they simply terminate workers suspected of organizing themselves. Migrant Filipino workers The present administration has called OFWs as the countrys modern heroes. However, these praises ring empty considering the governments unwillingness to stop the staggering outflow of 4,500 Filipinos leaving daily in search of employment abroad, only to be exploited by their foreign employers. Added to this is the deathly inflow of six to ten bodies of OFWs repatriated every day citing data from Migrante International. The grim labor condition in the country continues to force millions of Filipinos to seek better opportunities abroad. More than 4,000 Filipinos leave the country each day. Government Responses: 1. Legalized Contractualization While the Aquino administration claims to pursue allout efforts against the worst forms of contractualization, the Department of Labor and Employments (DOLE) implemented Department Order (D.O.) 18-A series of 2011 that strengthened national policies legalizing labor contractualization. DOLE D.O. 18-A will only ensure that contractual work will become the permanent employment status of Filipino workers. He said the DOLE order undermines the workers right to job security and other inherent labor rights supposedly protected by the Constitution and the Labor Code. (In an interview done in the office at the House of Representatives in Batasan Complex in Quezon City, of Anakpawis party list Rep. Rafael Mariano Rep. Mariano). 2. Regional Wage Boards With Labor Day just over a week away, Sen. Francis Escudero yesterday said he wants a review of the performance of the regional tripartite wage and productivity boards which have allegedly failed to address the concerns of workers nationwide.Escudero also appealed to private employers to voluntarily move for a wage increase, saying the national wage board appears to be unaware of the real condition of millions of workers. The wage boards are not doing their job, Escudero said, adding that the Senate and the House of Representatives can move to dissolve the wage boards if they continue to ignore workers concerns. (By Christina Mendez (The Philippine Star, April 22, 2012) Workers Demands Workers are all the more determined to oppose the legalized contractualization promoted by the Aquino government. Anak Pawis Rep. Mariano filed the House Bill 5110 or an Act
Church / B7

AS we celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker and the International Workers Day on May 1, we remember Blessed John Paul II who was beatified last year on the same day; and who urged everyone to uphold the principle of the priority of labor over capital. Blessed John Paul II, who was himself a worker, emphasized the primacy of the human person in the production process, the primacy of people over things (cf. Laborem Exercens, 12). We are saddened, however, that the said Catholic teaching is not well-received in our country, the cradle of Christianity in Asia. We witness that the majority of our people continue to suffer constant increases in the prices of petroleum products, fare, basic commodities and other daily needs. As there has been no substantial increase in their wages, the real value of their wages plunges. The gap between their minimum wages and the prices of commodities continues to grow. We are alarmed of the following findings of recent surveys:

In an August 2011 survey by Swiss firm UBS, it was learned that Manila has the second lowest wage levels and third lowest purchasing power in the world. An Ibon Foundation study shows that for the period 20012011, wages increased by 45 per cent while prices increased by 62 percent. A Social Weather Station (SWS) survey shows that hunger incidence in the country went up to 22.5 percent at the end of 2011. Indeed, our impoverished people must be given relief; and a legislated substantial wage increase is one immediate measure which will address our workers misery. We also take note of studies by independent research institutions that: Employers in the Philippines can afford a substantial wage hike if only they accept a cut in their considerable profits. The total cost of the proposed wage hike of P125 will only be PhP194.9 billion. When subtracted from total profits, this will still leave establishments with PhP1,434.6 billion in profits, which is only

a 12% cut in their profits. In 2009, all the establishments in the country of all employment sizes had combined profits of PhP1,629.5 billion and 3.94 million employees (2009 Annual Survey of Philippine Business and Industry (ASPBI) of the National Statistics Office). Despite the onset of the global crisis, the combined net income of top 1,000 corporations in 2010 nearly doubled the PhP416 billion net income in 2008, which affirms their ability to absorb a significant wage hike. The transfer of money from rich to poor households will increase aggregate demand and stimulate the economy. T h e H o l y F a t h e r, P o p e Benedict XVI, in his 2012 Lenten Message reminded us, that the Sacred Scripture warns that our hearts can become hardened by a spiritual anaesthesia which numbs us to the suffering of others. In his encyclical, Caritas in Veritate, he also said that we must be just first, before we can be charitable. Being charitable is giving what is mine to the other, while being just is giving

the other what is due to him (cf. Caritas in Veritate, 6). Loving our brothers and sisters, the workers, means being just to them by upholding their rights as human persons, who are also Gods co-creator. We affirm that, indeed, it is high time for highincome households to lend a hand to low-income households who are so deprived of basic necessities. Hence, as a fitting way to celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker and the International Workers Day on May 1, we urge the government legislators to heed the call for a legislated substantial wage increase; for all sectors concerned to show love and justness especially to those who are hungry and in need; for all of us to uphold the dignity of labor through the defense of workers rights. As Christ lives, +GERARDO ALMINAZA, DD Auxiliary Bishop of Jaro Head Convenor of the Visayas Clergy Discernment Group (VCDG) May 1, 2012

Pahayag Araw ng Manggagawa

ANG taunang pagdiriwang ng Araw ng Manggagawa sa unang araw ng Mayo ay magandang pagkakataon upang maipahayag ng Simbahan ang kanyang pasasalamat sa mga manggagawa, ang kanyang pagmamalasakit sa kanilang kapakanan at ang kanyang turong panlipunan hinggil sa paggawa upang maitaguyod ang wasto, makatarungan at makataong patakaran sa mundo ng paggawa. Sa taong ito, ibig kong ibahagi ang ilang mahalagang turo ng Simbahan. Una, ipinahahayag ng paggawa na ang tao ay tunay na nilikhang kawangis ng Dios. Sa pamamagitan ng paggawa, nakikita ang bokasyon ng tao bilang kaugnay ng Dios at Kanyang katiwala sa pangangasiwa sa mundo. Ang Dios ang nagmamay-ari ng mundo. Ang tao bilang Kanyang katiwala ay inaasahang tularan ang Dios sa kanyang pagaaruga sa mundo. Sa marangal ng paggawa, lumalago ang tao bilang kawangis ng Dios. Ikalawa, ang paggawa ay isang karapatan, isang nararapat na pamamaraan upang ipahayag at alagaan ang dangal ng tao. Kailangan ang paggawa upang makabuo at magtaguyod ng pamilya, upang magkaroon ng ari-arian at upang makatulong sa pangkalahatang ikabubuti ng lipunan. Sa maraming pagkakataon, tinatawag ng Simbahan ang kawalan o kakulangan ng trabaho na isang panlipunang kalamidad (social disaster). Tungkulin ng pamahalaan at lahat ng taong may malasakit na itaguyod ang mga wasto at tamang paggawa ng mga mamamayan. Ikatlo, ang paggawa ay isa ring tungkulin ng tao. Kailangang magtrabaho ang tao upang matupad ang bokasyon niya mula sa Dios, upang lumago ang kanyang pagkatao at upang makatulong siya sa ikabubuti ng pamilya at lipunan. Sa paggawa, nakikibahagi tayo sa pag-ukit ng magandang kinabukasan para sa bayan at kalikasan. Huwag nating hayaang mamatay ang alab at sigasig sa pagganap sa makabuluhan at wastong paggawa. Panghuli, palagiang itinuturo ng Simbahan na ang manggagawa ay higit na mahalaga kaysa sa kapital at tubo (profit). Ang tao o ang manggagawa ang pinakamahalagang bahagi ng isang business o produksyon. Ang paglago ng material o pinansiyal na bahagi ng produksyon ay mahalaga rin subalit hindi kailanman dapat maging dahilan upang pagsamantalahan ang manggagawa. Sa maling pagaalaga sa kapital at kikitain, nasisira ang dangal ng manggagawa, pati na ang kanilang pamilya at ang buong lipunan. Nananawagan ang Simbahan na igalang lagi ang prioridad ng tao at ng kanyang dangal. Si Jesus ay huwaran ng paggawa. Napakasipag Niya. Walang kapagurang gumawa ng mabuti, nangaral, nagpagaling ng maysakit, nagpalayas ng masamang espiritu, nag-alay ng buhay upang tayo ay mabuhay. Sa Kanyang mga kamay inihahabilin ko ang lahat ng manggagawa. Sama-sama tayong manalangin upang ang Kanyang diwa at katarungan ang mamayani sa mundo ng paggawa. Pagpalain kayo ng Dios! +LUIS ANTONIO G. TAGLE Arsobispo ng Manila 1 Mayo 2012

Church People Support Workers Demands!

By hand and by brain to earn your pay Who for centuries long past for no more than your bread? Have bleed for your countries and counted your dead Were the first ones to starve the first ones to die The first ones in line for the piein-the sky And were always the last when the cream is shared out For the worker is working when the fat cats about Dropkick Murphys A CONSTRUCTION worker laboring under the scorching heat of the sun; A vendor in the street counting the coins that would never be enough for his daily needs; A saleslady who has to display a beaming smile the whole day for a salary that is not enough to make her happy; A machine operator who has to stay awake and wait for the break; A mother spinning the machine to produce garments she would never wear. Men and women toiling night and day in shipyards and factories, in canneries, in mines, in manufacturing sites, in restaurants and industrial units. Workers are called the builders of civilization, the slaves whose sweat and blood are offered each day so that the capitalists can enjoy the profit from their toil. Today, the crumbs that fall from the capitalists table are equivalent to a mere P426.00 daily minimum wage while the family living wage is pegged at P1,008.00 per day. This shows a gap amounting to P582.00 tantamount to insufficient or, worst, no food on the table, low access to necessary utilities, health and education services. Amidst all these, there are still significant numbers of workers who are not receiving a minimum wage. The insecurities of the workers are further worsened through a legal means of exploitation in the form of labor contractualization. Under this policy, workers have no security of tenure and are not entitled to any benefits and the capitalists all the more violate the rights of the workers in organizing themselves as union. The poor quality of life of workers and their families contradicts with the Churchs teaching of social justice. For a country to move forward to a life that is abundant for all, there is only one requirement: Justice, and only justice, you shall follow, that you may live and inherit the land which the LORD your God gives you (Deuteronomy 16:20). Today, we express our support to the righteous demands of the workers for a just wage. We support their call for a legislated P125.00 wage increase. While this is too little to demand, it will be a great relief if provided. We further call on the current government to remove the Value Added Tax on oil, and to stop the flexible labor policy. The demands of workers for humane treatment are not beyond the means of the government and the capitalists. MR. NARDY SABINO Secretary General Promotion of Church Peoples Response May 1, 2012

www.work4youlaw.com

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Ref lections

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 10
May 7 - 20, 2012

The ChurchA Community of Lovers

An exegetical reflection on the Gospel of the 6th Sunday of Easter B (John 15:9-17) May 13, 2012
By Msgr. Lope C. Robredillo, SThD
IN last Sundays Gospel (John 15:1-8), we draw an ecclesiological implication of the parable on the vine and the branches, namely, the principle of unity. We noted that in the Church, the one that binds the members to the head and to one another is a personChrist himself, unlike in government and other organizations where law and authority gather the members into one. In the Church, he dwells in the members, even as the members dwell in him; there is a mutual indwelling: Live on in me, as I do in you I am the vine, you are the branches A man who does not live in me is like a withered, rejected branch, picked up to be thrown in the fire and burnt (John 15:4a.5a.6). From todays Gospel (John 15:9-17), one may draw a theme that continues the ecclesiological implication of last Sundays. It could be taken as answering the question: how do we know that we remain or live on in Christ? If we ask the question, what is the evidence that one is an Israeli? probably one will say, his citizenship, which is printed in his passport. The evidence that one is a lawyer is his membership in the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. But what is one to show that he is a Christian? Time was when one can easily distinguish a Catholic from a Protestant, since the latter was identified with the Bible, whereas the former was associated with the Rosary or devotion to Mary. But neither the Bible nor the devotion to Mary gives testimony to ones being Christian, even though to be one, he ultimately has to have both. According to the Gospel reading, our abiding in Christ is validated by love. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Live on in my love. You will live in my love if you keep my commandments, even as I have kept my Fathers commandments, and live in his love, The command I give you is this, that you love one another (John 15:9-10.17). But we should take a special note about this love. This love is not our feeling for Jesus, or our good disposition toward other members of the Church. It is not even our effort, however heroic, to serve the community. Rather, this love results from chain of loving that begins with God the Father himself. First of all, the Father loves Jesus; then Jesus loves the disciple; and finally, the community members love one another. It is not, then, a question of our own love. It is rather about divine love itself. We love the brothers with the love that, through his resurrection, we share with the Lord, whose love comes from the Father. And the greatest love one can exhibit in the community is love unto death. This is the love which Jesus had for us, and we are to imitate this love in the community of brothers. This is my commandment: love one another, as I have loved you. There is no greater love than this: to lay down ones life for ones friends (John 15:12-13). John expresses this different in his letter: The way we come to understand love was that he laid down his life for us; we too must lay down our lives for our brothers (1 John 3:16). Todays gospel, then, makes precise
Lovers / B7

The Christ-life love that makes us one with God and neighbor
6th Sunday of Easter (B) May 13, 2012
By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB
THERE is in us an instinctive selfishnessan unmistakable sign of the deep wound inflicted on all the descendants of Adam by original sin. It is a wound continuously kept open by all subsequent sins. As a consequence, we often feel tempted to become aggressive, carried away as we are by pride and other lower passions. Some see more easily in others the competitor, the rival and even the enemy, rather than the brother or sister to be appreciated and loved. Clearly, a good deal of the old man still survives in us, alongside with the positive aspirations which are the fruit of a sound upbringing, a helpful environment, and especially the presence of the Holy Spirit in us. Unlike us, the whole of Christs life was characterized by LOVE; a love patterned after that of the Father (see Jn 15:9 and 1 Jn 4:9-10), and which reached its highest manifestation on the cross, when he died, the just for the unjust (1 Pt 3:18), as a sacrificial offering for our sins. (See 1 Jn 4:10.) To all his followersto ushe enjoined only one thing: Love one another as I have loved you (Jn 15:12). Our love of neighbor, then, to be genuine, has got to be Christ-like: i.e., rooted in the Fathers love, boundless, unconditional, total, ready even for the supreme sacrifice, for there is no greater love than this: to lay down ones life for ones friends (Jn 15:13). This is the kind of love that unites us with both God through Jesusand our neighbor. This is the kind of love that bears fruits of compassion, forgiveness, solidarity, respect, affirmation, comfort, joy, and peace. Each of us knows how difficult it is to love in such a manner and at all times. By constantly doing our best to overcome selfishness, aggressiveness, and greed through our loving attitudes, words, and actions, we will grow in the awareness that there is something wonderful created in us by Gods grace. We are new men/women, created in Gods image, thanks to the crucified and risen Christ. (See Eph 4:24.) Then will our behavior become a living proof of the reality and universal effect of the resurrection of Christ. Through our own and our neighbors love, we shall experience that the newness of life brought by Jesus is not a myth or just a pious aspiration but a fact. We will also see that this resurrection is not just an event of the past which concerns him alone, but an ever-present power which re-creates every human being from within, transforming him/her from a weak sinner into a strong child of God who lives by the commandment of brotherly love.

Heralds of the Gospel in the power of Christ

Ascension of the Lord (B) 46th World Communications Sunday May 20, 2012
By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB
THE glorification of Christ at his Ascension ushered in the time of the Churchthe time of the proclamation of the Gospel addressed to all peoples through the cracking voice of men who were themselves frail and sinful. By human standards, their preaching would have been a short-lived effort, doomed to fail from the very start. And yet, after almost two thousand years and millions of setbacks, the preaching goes on, as relevant and as challenging as ever. The reason for this astonishing phenomenon? Christ has been keeping the promise he made to his apostles: I am with you always, until the end of the world (Mt 28:20). Indeed, the Risen Christ has been all along with his people working with them and confirming the word with accompanying signs. (See end of todays Gospel.) He is ever present in his Church. He is present in the Word which the Church treasures, proclaims and witnesses to. It is thanks to the unfailing presence of the Risen Christ that his Word displays a freshness which makes it contemporary with all generations, and possesses a richness which makes it relevant to all cultures and circumstances. The heart of the Word proclaimed by the Church is the GOSPEL, the GOOD NEWS that God has reconciled all human beings to Himself in Jesus Christ (see Rom 5:10-11), and has exalted Jesus above all creatures by seating him at His right hand (see Eph 1:20.22 and Mk 16:19). The Good News is not simply about Christs glorification. It is also about its saving effects on all men and women of all times and places for he has gone to prepare a place for all, so that where he is, his brothers and sisters may also be. (See Jn 14:13.) In this way, the wonder of Jesus resurrection and mankinds redemption is announced not as a chronicle of a distant past, but as a saving reality rooted in history, affecting positively all human beings in every age, and spanning into eternity. Such a blessing can be experienced personally by all through a response of faith to the proclamation of the Good News and through living by its values. And, having experienced it in our lives, we are also expected to proclaim it to others and to witness to the Good News of the Gospel through a life characterized by serenity, generosity, peace, and all other qualities that make the environment in which we live a little heaven. Thus, in a world perpetually saddened by hosts of bad news, the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus Christ remains the perennial source of pure joy for all. This proclamation of the life-giving message of the Gospel has to be pursued a nd e ve r more e x p an de d through all means of social communication. These are wonderful and powerful means offered to todays heralds of the Gospel. It is their privilege and duty to use them with wisdom and spirit of faith. In this way, the proclamation of the Good News to as many people as possible through the media will be like a bright torch held aloft by the Church in the dark night of a world still under the spell of Satan, but destined to be finally conquered by Christ and to be presented by him to the Father. (See 1 Cor 15:24.)

Bo Sanchez

SOULFOOD

The fight is within you

MY mother lived during the Japanese war. And she has all sorts of crazy stories to tell. One of them was that before the war began, she said there were Japanese vendors selling their stuff on the streets of Manila. But when the Japanese army attacked the Philippines, these Japanese vendorswho were dressed very simplyturned out to be high-ranking officers of the Japanese army. Its like the story of the Trojan horse. For 10 years, the Greeks were trying to conquer the city of Troy, but with very little success. The city of Troy was impregnable, with high thick walls and a massive gate that the Greek soldiers couldnt destroy, no matter how hard they tried. But one day, the Trojans (the people who live in Troy) saw the Greek soldiers sail away. And saw that the Greeks left behind a giant wooden horse. The Trojans brought the horse into their city as a trophy of war. They didnt know that the Greeks just pretended to sail away. And that inside the wooden horse were Greek soldiers hiding. That night, when the Trojans were asleep, the Greek soldiers came out of hiding and opened the gates of the city welcoming the returning Greek soldiers. They marched in and destroyed the city of Troy. Read carefully: You fall not because of the strong temptation outside you but because of the weak situation inside you. The temptation shouldnt have been powerful. But someone opened the gate. Who is that someone? Your Trojan Horse. This Trojan Horse is the greatest, most powerful, most potent, most deadly weapon of the devil.

Bishop Pat Alo

ENCOUNTERS

A sincere faith that overcomes

IN his parting words to the disciples, Jesus refers to a faith that is victorious over obstacles in our transitory life on this earth. In the world you will have trouble, but be brave: I have conquered the world (Jn. 16:33). If we keep our trust in Jesus and continue following His ways, most surely we are assured of victory and salvation, since Gods word cannot lie nor be mistaken. Of course, it is presupposed here that we are sincere and truthful in our hearts since God knows all, even our deepest secrets. I guess thats what Shakespeare implied when he states in Hamlet (act i, sc.3: to thine own self be true and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man. That is why in Psalm 91: 8-13 God asks us to look around, study or contemplate human history of persons and eventsYou have only to look around to see how the wicked are repaid, you who can say, Yahweh my refuge, and make Elyon your fortress. No disaster can overtake you, no plague come near your tent: he will put you in his angels charge to guard you wherever you go. In that same Psalm 91:7 Gods protection is assured for His faithful and believing people: Though a thousand fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, you yourself will remain unscathed, with his faithfulness for shield and buckler. This means, of course, as in the life of Jesus and the Saints, we have to have frequent recourse to God in prayer and conversation, as to a faithful friend. Such prayer and trust is based on our firm reliance on His very word that tells us: We can be sure that we love Gods children if we love God himself and do what he has commanded us; this is what loving God iskeeping his commandments; and his commandments are not difficult, because anyone who has been begotten by God has already overcome the world; this is the victory over the worldour faith (1 Jn. 5:2-4). Trust in the ever reassuring and unfailing word of Jesus: Ask and it will be given to you; search and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him (Mt. 7:7). God will answer our prayers if we persevere, and with the help of the Saints we can always invoke or call upon, since we may ourselves feel weak and unworthy, we must keep on full of trust and doing Gods will.

FILE PHOTO

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 10
May 7 - 20, 2012

Social Concerns
this all too well. They feel the global warming and the threats it brings to their lives. Its a call for us urban dwellers to value our gardens, our fields and to reconnect with nature and realize how much we depend on every plant and rain shower to survive. The Indigenous people have lived that way for generations but environmental climate change threatens their already impoverished lives greatly. They told us of the failure of the trees to flower, the bees that are disappearing, the violent storms that blow away their little bamboo and grass nipa huts as never before. Above all they told us of the way they are paid almost nothing for the produce they harvest and carry down the mountain wild mangos, sweet potatoes, bananas and rattan. We had come to help them in their economic hardship. PREDA Fair Trade would buy all their wild mangos at the top fair trade prices, 100 percent more than what they were getting from the commercial traders we told them. They were beaming with delight at this good news. We explained that we would turn them into dried mangos and mango drinks then sell them to customers in the Philippines and abroad. This is one way to protect and support the people who are most seriously affected by the loss of the natural ecology, the forest cover and wild life. Besides planting two thousand mango saplings every year, Fair Trade is giving back value to the forests and the people that care for them. We have a moral and spiritual bond to the planet that is the sources of all living things that our own survival depends upon. Many urban dwellers have lost their spiritual bond to the earth when they lose a connection to the natural environment. They can lose their inner peace too. Our hike and visits to the many and they feel diminished, impoverished and oppressed by it. At present half of the mangos are not harvested and rot as the price given by commercial traders is not worth the hard PREDA dried mangos will be their supporters. They are now enrolled as members of the PREDA Small Mango Farmers Association and proud to belong in it.

B7
in the shade of the mango tree. One has only to walk and work in the burning sun to come to know the blessing of the cool shade of a tree. Today many cry out to save

Earth Day with the Indigenous People

By Fr. Shay Cullen
HOW I admire the resilience and survival skills of the rural impoverished Filipino. Its something to be celebrated and admired but the fact that millions of rural poor, especially many of the indigenous people, live at subsistence level is a cause for great concern, especially as we celebrate Earth Day. I went horseback riding to mark that event, not on pristine manicured lawns of the Manila polo club of the super rich who know little of harsh rural poverty, but to a remote Indigenous Aeta community in the mountains of Bataan. The blazing sun beat down on our group of PREDA agriculturists along with the Fair Trade manager and Paul from Ireland. We rode small sturdy ponies with makeshift saddles and no stirrups that carried us up the steep mountain paths, along narrow trails and across the mountains. It was no joy ride I can tell you. But then two hours later under the Mango trees we had a welcome and an open-air meeting for the gathered families of Aeta Indigenous people. They told us of their hardships and their struggle surviving from day to day, planting and harvesting whatever would grow. Their children seldom went to school and there was no permanent teacher. The only one room, derelict building for miles around was supposedly a school. Some of the children had never been inside. Earth day is everyday for them, their survival depends on the integrity of the environment. The Indigenous people know
Iloilo / B1

Fair Trade distributes mango saplings to Aeta community in Bataan.

Aeta communities is to help them preserve the mango trees by giving them a stake in the market for their naturally grown fruit. They are exploited and abused

work and effort of carrying them over the mountains. With PREDA Fair Trade they will get 100% higher payment for their mangos and the buyers of the

We brought rice and pork while they provided vegetables and cooked it in short bamboo sticks on an open fire and then served it on banana leaves. We shared it

the Earth, but they really mean to help and empower each other to save ourselves, our neighbors and Fair Trade in a more just society is one good way to do that.

her holding the child Jesus. After all her first and foremost title is Theotokos God-bearer. The image might be seen as a dominant figure but it is a figure that is totally in the service of Christ protecting him, appealing to the person who looks at the picture. Images like this makes the saying to Jesus through Mary, much more visible and more understandable. Avoid ostentatious clothes for Marian images The rule of noble simplicity in liturgy must be upheld even here. Ostentatiousness is never a virtue and not everything that glitters is beautiful. Fr. Esperancilla reminds us of the words of the Fathers of the Church when they condemned such extravagance, when the poor to whom Christ identified himself could not even procure proper clothing. Mary should always retain
Banners / B2

her image as the Anawim or the poor of Yahweh who lived a simple life in Nazaretha life whose simplicity must be emulated especially at a time when materialism has led so many astray. Avoid secularizing Marian religious processions Processions must be prevented from becoming fashion shows that take away their spiritual meaning as religious manifestations of the faith. A good catechesis on the meaning of processions and its biblical foundation must be made. Procession is prayer and unless people understand this they would merely watch rather than participate. A good rule of thumb, Fr. Esperancilla suggested, is people watch because there is something worth watching. Unless we take away the ostentatious display of gowns and meticulously made-up ladies the

watching will continue. Emphasis on the apostolate There is a tendency for Marian devotions as in all devotions to become too personal and subjective. It is appropriate therefore to remind the different confraternities and Marian organizations that part of the duty of its members is not just personal devotions but also to do apostolate. Fr. Esperancilla acknowledges the great benefit they could contribute in the work of evangelization. We have only to see the work of the Legion of Mary. Again we need Marian organizations which could go beyond mere fanfare and socializations, and participate more actively in the apostolate and missionary endeavors of their respective parishes. The Philippine bishops, having in mind the difficulties millions of Filipinos are experiencing in their
Church / B5

poverty challenges those who are devoted to Mary to collaborate in works of justice, freedom and peace. They state that devotion to Mary shows itself in works, and the works which are needed today in the Philippines are the works of justice and freedom from oppression. Fr. Andy warned that devotion to Mary which does not collaborate in works that bring about justice, peace, reconciliation and freedom is a devotion that is far from the Mary presented in the Gospels who far from being timid, did not hesitate to proclaim that God vindicates the humble and the oppressed. Authentic devotion unites True devotion must be unifying. This is a challenge which Marian organizations must face today. Family prayers, community prayers, block rosaries, the celebration of the communal sacrament of penance with individual

confession and absolution, BEC prayer gatherings and other kinds of prayers which have a communitarian or a neighborhood dimension: these are the kinds of devotions to Mary that must be fostered. Fr. Esperancilla recalled that the Barangay sang Birhen of yesteryears had been in the forefront even before the concept of Basic Ecclesial Communities was popularized. The PCP II presents her as the mother of the Community of Disciples so that we may learn from her way of life what we need to be as a community of disciples. Finally, Fr. Esprancilla said in its call for renewal of popular devotions PCP II states that we must not give members of other faiths reason for impugning the true faith. We must avoid all excesses in our prayers and practices especially those which will lead others to think that we worship Mary and the saints and that they are more important than Christ.

utilize the criteria of quality and appropriateness in evaluating art for worship . 148. Appropriateness for liturgical action is the other criterion for choosing a work of art for church. The quality of appropriateness is demonstrated by the works ability to bear the weight of mystery, awe, reverence and wonder that the liturgical action expresses and by the way it serves and does not interrupt the ritual actions which have their own structure, rhythm and movement . Materials of the Artist 162. Artists choose materials with integrity because they will endure from generation to generation, because they are noble enough for holy actions, and because they express what

is most respected and beautiful in the lives and cultures of the community. Materials, colors, shapes, and designs that are of short-lived popularity are unworthy . 163. Similarly, artworks consisting of technological and interactive media, such as video and other electronically fabricated images, may also be appropriate for sacred purposes. Subject to the same criteria of suitability as other sacred art, technologically produced works of art can point toward sacred realities even though they do not possess the more enduring form, color, texture, weight, and density found in more traditional sacred art. Thus, while No. 163 apparently leaves open the possibility of the

use of technological aids, it does not elaborate upon the contexts in which these means may be used. Personally I do not consider that the use of slide shows and videos during Mass is a legitimate option. It is said that a picture paints a thousand words, but even a picture must be interpreted using words, albeit mentally. Thus, these visual elements, instead of enhancing the rite, draw attention away from the liturgical action of participating in the rite itself. For this reason I believe that No. 148 cited above, by stressing that liturgical art serve and not interrupt the ritual actions which have their own structure, rhythm and movement, is especially applicable in this case.

Strengthening the Workers Right to Security of Tenure, amending for the purpose Article 106 of the Labor Code that prohibits all forms of contractual labor. Meantime, considering the inability of the Regional Wage Boards to attain for the workers the latter, since there are things that cannot wait since they have to provide for their daily basic needs, the government should really consider a legislated wage increase starting with the P125 across-theboard nationwide hike in the daily take home pay being asked for by the workers since 2001. Some Teachings of the Church on Labor Work is a good belonging to all people and must be made available to all who

are capable of engaging in it. Full employment therefore remains a mandatory objective for every economic system oriented towards justice and the common good. (CSDC, 288) Work is not something that can be left to the laws of the marketplace; nor should it be left to the laws of the marketplace; nor should it be a decision left to the will of the powerful. It must be determined in accordance with justice and equity; which means that workers must be paid a wage which allows them to live a truly human life. (Blessed John XXIIIs encyclical Mater et Magistra, 71). Call to Action We, from the Churchpeople Workers Solidarity (CWS) join
Lovers / B6

hands to advance the struggle of the toiling masses. In the context of worsening conditions of the workers, CWS which was convened by churchpeople and workers organizations on September 12-15, 2011 in Cebu City, is determined to pursue the struggle for workers dignity and rightful recognition as partners in the pursuit of peace and progress in the country. CWS affirms the dignity of work based on the dignity of workers as co-creators of God and aims to live by the principle of putting the interest of labor above that of capital: workers rights over profit. Churchpeople Workers Solidarity (CWS) May 1, 2012

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what was initially described in last Sundays. In the latter, it was noted that what primarily unites the community is not law, but Jesus himself, for the Church is not first and foremost a legal society. Ours is not a religion of the code, even though law has a place in it. We do not call one a Christian simply because he perfectly obeys the Ten Commandments of Moses and the Five Commandments of the Church, although if one is a Christian, his religion will include both. On the contrary, it is first of all a community of personal relationships, whose center is Christ, the one who makes it one community. It is a community where there is a mutual indwelling: Christ abides in the members, and the members abide in Christ. In the Gospel reading today, John adds a precisely description of that

indwelling: it is an indwelling of love. In the Church, the members allow themselves to be loved by Jesus who himself is the bearer of the Fathers love. With this transforming love of Jesus they love one another. The Church, therefore, is a community of lovers, of disciples who abide in the love of Jesus. Their love for Jesus is evidenced in their laying down of their lives for the members of the community. It is through this love that we know one abides in Christ. This implies, of course, that abiding in Christ and loving ones fellow members cannot be separated. The one who abides in Christ is one who loves the members of the community, and one who loves necessarily believes in Christ who sustains him. One cannot love without being a believer.

www.tradeaid.org.nz

B8

Entertainment
Moral Assessment

CBCP Monitor

Vol. 16 No. 10
May 7 - 20, 2012

Technical Assessment

Abhorrent Disturbing Acceptable Wholesome Exemplary

Poor Below average Average Above average Excellent

NICK Fury (Samuel Jackson), director of the international peacekeeping agency SHIELD, recruitsIronMan(RobertDowney, Jr.), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) to form the superhero team of a lifetime that will take on Loki (Tom HIddleston), the brother of Thor. Loki suddenly materializes at the SHIELD headquarters to steal the Tessaract, the device that will enable him to open a portal in the skies through which evil metal monsters will enter to attack Earth. Loki, of course, wants total control of the planet, and so begins to wreak havoc on Manhattan, in New York. What happens when you have too many cooks in the kitchen? As the saying goes, too many cooks spoil the brew, right? But what happens when you get together six superheroes to fight one villain from out of this world? Superheroes = superegos. So, first, a clash of egos, which may begin with words and escalate into actual fisticuffs and then metal clashing against metal, as in Thors hammer banging Captain Americas shield and vice versa. In the movies, that is great entertainment. Outside of Loki (who looks like a greasyhaired druid, although too clean shaven to appear menacing) its hard to tell wholl emerge as another villain, what with all the superheroes superpowers! Its a really super-super strangely enjoyable freak show and youd THIRTEEN Years after they have graduated, Jim (Biggs),Kevin (Nicholas), Oz (Klein), Finch (Thomas) and Stifler (Scott) return to their old town to attend their High School reunion over a long weekend and to momentarily relive their carefree adolescent lives. Jim, now married to highschool geek Michelle, is suffering from a lacklustre sex life after the birth of their 2-year old son; while Ozs booming celebrity career and high-profile relationship is merely a faade for the frustration he feels within. Finch is nowhere to be found and Kevin seems happily married and content as a stay-at home dad while Stifler is totally disgusted with his job and his tyrannical boss. When the boys get together, Stifler tries to recreate their high school life complete with slutty behaviour and sluttier parties but realize that his batch mates have outgrown him and actually have matured a notch. Jim gets advice from his dad, now a widower, on how to rekindle their marriages romance while the latter gets tips from his son on how to move out of his loneliness. The reunion provides an avenue to each of the characters to resolve their issues and realize how much their friendship means to them after all these years. American Pie Reunion does not TITLE: American Pie: Reunion offer anything new. CAST: Jason Biggs (Jim), Alyson Hannigan (Michelle), Chris W h i l e i t re m a i n s Klein (Oz), Thomas Ian faithful to its core Nicholas (Kevin), Tara Reid formula of sexual (Vicky), Seann William Scott awakening and the (Steve Stifler) growing up pains that DIRECTOR: Jon Hurwitz, Hayden it involves, the fact Schossberg that the characters are SCREENWRITER: Adam Herz, Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schossnow pushing 40 poses berg an issue with that GENRE: Comedy, Romance premise. It doesnt help that most of DISTRIBUTOR: Universal Pictures the jokes revolve on LOCATION: USA exposed body parts, RUNNING TIME: 110 minutes body fluids and bad Technical Assessment: attitude because it Moral Assessment: m e re l y m a d e t h e Cinema rating: For viewers 18 movie a little too years old and above juvenile. The attempt to give each character a storyline further thinned the already frayed plot. The actors portrayed their characters as if they were still nave hormone-driven teenagers raving to explore sexuality which makes them downright silly and pathetic. There are a few cheap laughs here and there and some noteworthy one-lines but who would want to waste two hours on such trashy film? There are three problem areas with this movie. First, sex is treated as a commodity. Even with Jims sex is sacred and you should save yourself for someone special line to Kara does nothing to redeem its view on sex as something available to anyone anytime, anywhere. Everyone is just too horny and self-centered and seem to care nothing more than getting laid. Second, the movie is composed mainly of immature characters who have no qualms about consequences, values or setting an example. It was one thing when the prequels involved highschool teenagers (although this is still not an excuse for sluttiness). But it is totally disgusting to watch 30 something men some married, most holding a serious profession trashing out their lives, getting too drunk to remember to wear their pants and finding themselves in silly situations where their marriage and reputation can be jeopardized over the weekend. And third, although the ending provides a closure or resolution for each of the characters conflicts, it does so with a flimsy twist that neither redeem their previous actions or show hope that they are afterall respectable people just a little late on the maturity department. American Pie Reunion has some good points though. It emphasizes fidelity in marriage and actually celebrates the commitment given to each other despite odds and challenges. Friendship and brotherhood resonate throughout the film. But sadly, these messages are not enough to drown the disgusting storylines and objectionable scenes.

TITLE: The Avengers CAST: Tony Stark (Robert Downey), Cris Hemsworth (Thor), Cris Evans (Captain America), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Mark Ruffalo (Dr. Bruce Banner/The Hulk), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye), Scarlett Johansson (Natasha/Black Widow), Don Cheadle (Col James Rhodes), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Clark Gregg (Agent Coulson), Stellan Skarsgard ( Professor Erik Selvig), Cobie Smulders (Agent Maria Hill), Gwyneth Paltrow (Pepper Potts) DIRECTOR: Joss Whedon SCREENWRITER: Joss Whedon, Zac Penn (based on Marvel Comics Superhero Team, sixth installment of Marvel Cinematic Universe) PRODUCER: Marvel Studios DISTRIBUTOR Walt Disney LOCATION: USA RUNNING TIME: 142 minutes Technical Assessment: Moral Assessment: Cinema rating: For viewers 14 years old and above

be hard put to decide which freak to root for. How can you not be amused, for example, by the exchange between Captain America and Iron Man. CAmocks IM whod be nothing without his armor; IM with characteristic braggadocio quips that without his suit hed be a genius, playboy, billionaire. CM glumly declares what is needed is a hero; IM blurts out, A hero? Like you? Youre a laboratory experiment! Everything special about you comes from a bottle! Dont expect a movie of this type to have much of a plot; with six superheroes kicking ass, a meaty plot would just be a distraction. What director and writer Joss Wheadon does here is use the formulaic plot as a board on which to pin his characters and action sequences. Its a good vs. evil story and we all know wholl win in the end. But how the good will win is

the challenge that will showcase Wheadons directorial talents. Wheadon is able to delineate the hero-characters admirably, which may be the main reason not one of them emerges as the super-superhero; all are allowed to shine according to their nature and they come out equally victorious in the end. Even Black Widow who possesses no superhuman qualities turns out to deliver more punches with her bare hands than any of the guys, precisely because shes got no magical props to lean on. The Avengers delivers a message that upholds teamwork as the essence of the war against evil. And it scores high because it explodes with stunt after stunt but doesnt take itself too seriously. Its a good show, it doesnt tax your emotions, and its even unexpectedly funny at timesespecially what it does to the megalomaniac villain.

MAC en COLET

Ni Bladimer Usi

Buhay Parokya

Look for the image Saint Joseph, Venerable Michael Mcgivney and Blessed Pedro Calungsod (Illustration by Bladimer Usi)

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 10
May 7 - 20, 2012

C1

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

Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson (2nd from left) joins (from L-R), KCFAPI Chairman, Hon. Hilario G. Davide, Jr., Archbishop of Cebu and CBCP President, Most Rev. Jose S. Palma, DD, Luzon State Chaplain and Cubao Bishop Honesto Ongtioco, and KCFAPI President, Guillermo N. Hernandez during the blessing of the Fr. Michael J. McGivney oratory.

The Cross

Fr. McGivney Monument, Oratory inaugurated

By Ronalyn Regino

K of C Philippines now 2nd largest in the world

THE Order of the Knights of Columbus (K of C) in the Philippines is now the second largest in terms of its membership in the world, Supreme Knight Carl Anderson said April 28. Philippines, now you are the second largest jurisdiction in the order for the whole world. Over 288,000 knights and next year, it will be 300,000, the number is not important but the service of the Catholic men to their family and the society, SK Anderson said gathering applause from the crowd. Anderson made the statement as he addressed around a thousand participants at the State Dinner of the Knights of Columbus during their 9th National Convention at the Manila Hotel. He expressed his appreciation to the increasing K of C members in the country, in which during that evening, 56 former Columbian squires were presented to him as new knights of the Order. It is like that of the theme for the present convention which is so that the world may know new hope because our hope is in our young adults. The hope to hone them to the future where they belong, he said. The change is good, like these squires who are now Knights of Columbus, their lives have been changed. They find that being a knight opened a world of possibilities which is to serve the Church, to have friendship, to be a better husband and to be a better citizen, he added. SK Anderson then called on the Filipino Knights to continue their charity works and current programs and projects. "We Knights do not walk away when someone is in trouble for we help them hand in hand and give something from ourselves in return," said SK Anderson. (Jandel Posion)

THE Fr. Michael J. McGivney Monument and Oratory located at the KCFAPI office in Intramuros, Manila were inaugurated on April 27, 2012.
During the ceremony, messages were given by Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson and former Chief Justice Hilario G. Davide, Jr., KCFAPI Chairman. The oratory and monument were built to serve as 'Center of Devotion' for Fr. McGivney, Venerable Servant of God and founder of the Knights of Columbus, whose cause for canonization is underway. The blessing ceremony and inauguration was led by CBCP President and Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma. Among those in attendance were SK Andersons wife, Lady Dorian Anderson, K of C and KCFAPI officers and employees. The KCFAPI Board of Trustees approved the construction of the oratory

Archbishop of Cebu and CBCP President, Most. Rev. Jose S. Palma is shown blessing the Fr. Michael J. McGivney monument located at the KCFAPI Bldg. in Intramuros, Manila.

and monument after the recent visit in the country of Postulator Dr. Andrea Ambrosi and journalist Brian Caulfield, Vice Postulator for the Cause of Fr. McGivney. Both Ambrosi and Caulfield chose

the Philippines, Asias predominant Catholic country, to start promoting the cause of Fr. McGivney, urging Filipinos to pray to him for a miracle necessary to attain the sainthood he deserves.

SK Anderson: Defeat RH bill

SUPREME Knight Carl A. Anderson has called for a stronger fight against the controversial legislative measure pending in the Philippine Congress that will change the countrys family- and life-loving culture if enacted into law. The organization that is number one in defeating the RH (reproductive health) bill should be the Knights of Columbus. The only way we can do that is if we remain absolutely, unbreakably united with our priests and bishops, SK Anderson said. Were not just competing with wealthy organizations and drug companies, were also competing against spiritual powers, so we have to use spiritual weapons. We have to be smart, and we have to fight back smartly. So were going to tell the convention tonight, the number one issue for the Knights of Columbus: defeat RH bill, he said. Pointing out that even the United States is wrestling with the grave consequences of reproductive health being legislated, he explained why things such as contraception, abortion and sterilization finding their way into a government mandate need to be blocked and rejected. The RH bill will change the character and nature of the Philippines if it becomes a law. Its the beginning of the end of the Philippines being a truly Catholic country, the Catholic family, Catholic principles. You cant build a culture of life, a civilization of love if you have at the heart of your government a commitment to abortion. Impossible, so we have to defeat it, he said. He then pointed out an oft-forgotten truth about the wealth that any nation should protect and preserve: Whats the greatest resource of any country? Its people, he said. Many countries are seeing much suc-

K of C Priests-Scholars hold 8th Gathering

THE 8th Gathering of KC Priests was recently held from April 24, 2012 to April 27, 2012 at the Galilee Mansion and Resort in Bustos, Bulacan with 33 KC Priests attending the traditional occasion. Prior to heading for Bulacan, 25 KC Priests concelebrated the Holy Eucharist last April 24, 2012 at the 3rd floor of the KCFAPI Headquarters in Intramuros, Manila presided by Fr. Ryan Serafin Sasis and Fr. Jaime Ucab, Jr. After the Holy Mass, Bro. Roberto T. Cruz, Executive Director of KC Foundations briefly introduced the KC Alumni-Priests-Scholars

present to the key officers of KCFAPI, KC Luzon Jurisdiction and KCFGJWCI led by KCFAPI Chairman Hilario G. Davide, Jr., KCFAPI President Guillermo N. Hernandez, KCFAPI EVP Ma. Theresa G. Curia, Luzon Deputy Arsenio Isidro G. Yap and Supreme Director/KCFGJWCI President Alonso L. Tan. To highlight the widespread reach of the Foundations alumni-priests, each priest was asked to state their respective diocese which spanned from Tuguegarao to Zamboanga. Chairman Davide then shared a brief message to the KC Priests, first inform-

ing everyone that he had visited most of their dioceses nationwide. Chairman Davide added that in line with the K of C theme of So that the World May Know New Hope, he called the KC Priests as the embodiment of societys new hope as they help spread the Lords teachings to far-flung localities across the country. After the mass, the KC Priests headed to Bustos, Bulacan. On the first day of their gathering, they had the following sessions: So that the World May Know New Hope, Hope in the Context of Socio-Political Realities of the Country Today, Hope in the Context of Spe Salvi, and the

Cause for the Canonization of Fr. Michael J. McGivney. On the second day, the Challenges of a K of C Council Chaplain were taken up. This was followed by an Organizational Meeting and Election of 2012-2014 Officers of the KC Priest-Scholars Association. In the afternoon, the priests were visited by the KCFAPI President Guillermo N. Hernandez, KCFAPI EVP Ma. Theresa G. Curia and KCFAPI Corporate Secretary Ramon E. Rodrigo. The President presented his report on KCFAPI and its performance while the EVP gave an inspirational talk on the positive
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cess in terms of economic progress, he remarked, but partly by destroying the family. So what will their future be? SK Anderson asked. The Philippines has a bright future because the Philippines has great people, and as long as the Philippines forms people, preserves marriage, preserves family, this country can ultimately have a great future because it has great people, he said. Unity with bishops, priests SK Anderson was optimistic and quietly fervent as he underscored in his remarks to clergymen during his speech the value of a religious organization that stays united with its priests and bishops, and the importance of forming strong Catholic men to become leaders. There may be some organizations that are larger, but there is no organization that gives the Catholic men of our countries the leadership potential, the formation potential, the ability to contribute to the life of the Church, and there is no organization that is more united with its priests and bishops than the Knights of Columbus, he said. The unity between laymen and their
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Hilario G. Davide, Jr.

The Cross

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 10
May 7 - 20, 2012

Chairmans Message
FOR and on behalf of the KCFAPI, I extend my warmest congratulations to the Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao State Jurisdictions of the Knights of Columbus for their successful 9th National Convention for success made possible which the KCFAPI feels proud for the full support it has extended pursuant to the recently-adopted National Convention Manual. I commend State Deputies Boy Yap, Rod Sorongon and Bal Fauni for their leadership, especially Boy Yap of the Luzon Jurisdiction which hosted the Convention. The thoroughness of his preparations is exceptionally commendable. Our Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson was deeply impressed and lavish in his praises for the success of the Convention, commitment of the Knights for the cause of Fr. Michael McGivney, and the generosity of the KCFAPI for its support to the K of C Philippines and for its Fr. McGivney Oratory and Monument project and the installation of the statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which were blessed by Most Reverend Jose S. Palma. Contributing in no small measure to this success were the special focus on the theme: So That The World May Know New Hope, and the conferment of the first Fathers for Good-Philippines Award to Brothers Alfredo Lallana, Gerardo Gamposilao and Rosalio Derilo of the Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao State Jurisdictions, respectively. But, the success would just be like an empty victory if the message of the theme and of the award would be lost in utter forgetfulness. In short, the 9th National Convention would just have been an empty gesture, an exercise in futility, unless as Knights of Columbus or better yet, as Knights of Christ or as Ambassadors of Christ we unconditionally embrace with all our hearts the full meaning and spirit of our theme by becoming living, visible and fearless instruments to help make known to the world the New Hope. Thus, we must begin immediately by, inter alia, making ourselves as exemplary models of virtues and values in our community; by strengthening our councils by increasing membership, reviving suspended councils and establishing new ones and pursuing without cease the cardinal principles of Columbianism and the various K of C programs; by taking full advantage of the KCFAPI protection benefits; and, with courage, by promoting and protecting the sanctity of the life, of marriage and of the family, and giving utmost priority to the campaign against the RH Bill. God bless us all! 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, 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 Willmann, SJ. 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.

Presidents Message
WHAT impressed me most in the recently concluded 9th National Convention of the Knights of Columbus in the Philippines was how the Supreme Knight conducted himself. He was calm, reserve, polite, well dressed, communicates clearly and intelligently, deeply spiritual and without any doubt, very perceptive and cerebral. I wouldnt be surprised at all if he could remember up to now the people he met in the convention, and even the clothes they were wearing. Little wonder then that early in his professional life as a lawyer he was already occupying a very important post in the White House under the Reagan Administration. Given this backdrop, it can be easily deduced that Supreme Knight Carl Anderson has very high standards and that he values accomplishment based on facts and tangible output. April 27, the first day of the Convention, was very special for the Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines, Inc. (KCFAPI) and entities under its umbrella, the respective trustees, officers and staff, as everyone eagerly awaited the arrival of the Supreme Knight and his beloved wife, Lady Dorian for the historic blessing and inauguration of the Monument and Oratory of Venerable Fr. Michael J. McGivney right in the premises of the KCFAPI head quarter. Some did not even go home the previous night and just slept in the office to ensure no stones had been left unturned for the occasion. Still, people were up on their toes as they remain concerned if they have done enough already. Except for a general program of blessing and inauguration, finer details of the event were deliberately not disclosed before that morning so as not to pre-empt the element of surprise. Hence, when it was time for the big moment, everyone prayed for its success...and dear Lord, that is exactly what Thou gave us. The weather was so clear and the program of events though compressed tightly within the 30 minute schedule of the Supreme Knight, just flowed so smoothly and organized. From the time the Supreme Knight stepped into our grounds in red carpet, the blessing (with ribbon cutting) of the Monument, the release of symbolic balloons, the blessing of a beautiful image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the lobby coupled with a special floral offering by Lady Dorian, the blessing (with ribbon cutting) of the Oratory and its separate sacristy and confessional, the blessing of the Sintra Board depicting a brief narrative on the life of Fr. Michael McGivney where the Supreme Knight and our Chairman, Former Cheif Justice, Hilario G. Davide, Jr. both affixed their commemorative signatures, a brief tour of our board room, and finally, a wreath laying in front of the Statue of Fr. George J. Willmann, SJ. No less than Archbishop Jose Palma, CBCP President and Archbishop of Cebu officiated in the blessing while the Supreme Knight and Chairman Davide did all the ribbon cutting. I cant ask for more on how things turned out considering that time was never on our side on this project. In fact, nobody believed at first it could be done in 30 days. God willing, it was finished in 29 days, and the confluence of events that followed proved more than enough to elicit the appreciation and thanks of our beloved Supreme Knight. Later in the afternoon of the same day, KCFAPI presented its annual report in the convention proper. The highlight of which was a banner year performance for 2011 punctuated by all-time high revenues, resources and net worth, coupled with an impressive 7.7% average yield from an investment portfolio comprised mainly of government securities and hold-to-maturity blue chip corporate securities, not to mention an enviable profile of zero borrowings from any bank or financial institution. On the missionary side, KCFAPI reported its tangible performance in calamity relief operations, special Olympics and gift-giving to persons with disabilities, scholarship grants to priests, seminarians and college students, housing for the poor, and of course, our full and unconditional support for the defeat of the RH Bill as best exemplified by our regular funding for CBCPs traditional and social anti-RH media campaign, as in the case of the CBCP for Life website whose inception we were instrumental for. Also discussed was our regular and continuing financial support to the Order of the Knights of Columbus in the Philippines, e.g. cash incentives and jewels for newly organized councils, assemblies and circles, sponsorship of state conventions, and most importantly, national conventions. For this year alone, KCFAPI spent some P3 Million for the convention proper, P550 thousand for the gathering of the scholar-priests, and another P3 Million for the newly-constructed Oratory and Monument. Again, the Supreme Knight was pleased and openly complimented us for a very good report. And lastly but very inspiring indeed was the keynote address of Chairman Davide which drew applause from the Supreme Knight. Overall, I would say that KCFAPI made a lasting impression on the Supreme Knight for all of our accomplishments, in the same manner that he impressed us no end. He was not just the acknowledged leader of all Knights of Columbus in the world but indeed a role model for all of us, as he has definitely walked his talk. His unwavering commitment on pro-life made me realize how important the issue was for our faith, our children and the generations to come. His call for solidarity in praying and working together for the early canonization of Fr. McGivney certainly echoed his deep and unqualified devotion to our Founder and the principles that define what a true Knight is. His unfailing trust that the Knights of Columbus in the Philippines will play a major role in upholding the Catholic faith in this part of the world should make us proud to be Filipino Knights. Truly we are not just Knights of Columbus but in the practical sense, Knights of Carl in the pursuit of the Kingdom of Christ. Vivat Jesus!

Guillermo N. Hernandez

Corporate Governance

Pedro P. Lubenia

Implementation and Enforcement

Communication Process The Trustees, Officers, Executives and Group/Department heads shall ensure the comprehensive dissemination of the Manual to all employees and related third parties, and shall likewise enjoin their compliance with the provisions hereof. Only authorized number of copies under the supervision of the Human Resource Department shall be reproduced and distributed to every group or department within the organization. Compliance System The Board has designated the Compliance Officer to ensure adherence to corporate governance principles and best practices. Having direct reporting responsibilities to the Chairman, the officer shall monitor compliance with the provisions and requirements of the Manual and such other laws, circulars, rules and regulations issued in relation thereto. The officer shall determine any violation(s) of the provisions of the Manual and recommends corresponding penalty subject to further review and approval of the board. Periodic Review of the Manual The Corporate Governance Manual is subject to periodic review or such other frequency as may be determined by the Board. All business processes and practices of KCFAPI that are not consistent with the corporate governance policies set out in the Manual shall be revoked or upgraded to make them compliant with such policies. (Next Issue: How do we assess performance of the Board?)

THE Board of Trustees, management and staff are enjoined to strive towards the best practice applications of the Manual over time to raise KCFAPI's governance practices to international standards. Approved by the Board in November 2008, the manual is consistent with a disclosure-based approach to implementation and enforcement. KCFAPI is required to make general disclosure report briefly describing the manner in which the corporate governance principles are applied and leading practices are observed. The report to be prepared under the heading "Corporate Governance" shall be submitted to the Insurance Commission annually as a regulatory requirement.

Knights will continue to defend the Church

AS a respected and articulate voice of the Catholic faithful, the Knights of Columbus will continue to defend the Churchs teaching, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson said. He said the K of C will be at the forefront to hear the voice of the Church amidst threats to block the Churchs involvement in controversial issues related to family and life. This has always been a central mission of the Knights of Columbus, to defend the church, religious libertythe right of the church to speak the truth of the Gospel and to speak fundamental truths, he said. SK Anderson made the statement in a video interview by Msgr. Pedro Quitorio III, CBCP Media Director and K of C Asst. State Chaplain-Luzon, at the newlyinaugurated Fr. McGivney Multimedia Studio at the CBCP headquarters in Intramuros, Manila. The studio, furnished with the latest audio and video equipments, will be used primarily for the promotion of pro-life advocacies and the Cause for Father Michael J. McGivneys Beatification. After the interview, Msgr. Quitorio handed SK Anderson some McGivney prayer cards produced in five dialects: Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Ilonggo and Bicolano. Together with flyers and posters, the prayer cards will be distributed in all dioceses across the country. (Ronalyn Regino/ KC News)

Fr. Willmann Charities to hold fund raising activities

IN the continuing efforts of the Knights of Columbus Fr. George J. Willmann Charities, Inc. to address the pressing concerns like the hospitalization of Scholar Priests, augment funding for the projects of the Foundation and most importantly funding in support of the Cause for the Beatification of Fr. George J. Willmann, SJ, it has launched the following fund-raising projects: Bingo Social to be held on July 28, 2012 at the KCFAPI Headquarters in Intramuros and the Dinner-Dance for a Cause on September 13, 2012. Meanwhile, it is also selling promo items at the Fr. Willmann Store and the campaign for the Fr. Willmann Fellows is still ongoing. For the Bingo Social, cost of ticket is at P200 for a total of 10 games. Prizes are: Game 1 P1,000; Game 2 P1,000; Game 3 P1,500; Game 4 P1,500; Game 5 P2,000; Game 6 P3,000; Game 7 P4,000; Game 8 P6,000; Game 9 P10,000 and Game 10 P20,000. There will also be 10 raffle prizes of P200 each. For those who cannot play the game but would like to take part in this endeavor, interested parties are encouraged to sponsor the Bingo Social by donating P1,000 or more. Through these fundraising projects, everyone is enjoined to help the KC Scholar Priests and KC Foundations. (Mary Magdalene Flores)

K of C chaplain stresses the need to reinforce pro-life activities

FATHER John P. Grace OSA, Knights of Columbus Director for Chaplains Program and Development, emphasized the need to reinforce pro-life activities. Among those Fr. Grace emphasized was building a Culture of Life as a major goal of the order at every level, and to help Council members and their families develop a pro-life mentality that will respect all human life from conception to natural death.
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At the session held at The Manila Hotels Centennial Hall, Fr. Grace stated that we must be prolife in every moment of that life, not just when it suits us. This is the main principle that we have. He also reiterated the need to respond to the constant call for active involvement in the work of the Church. Your Council has the numbers, the organization, and the communication ability to get involved and spread the word

throughout the Christian community, Fr. Grace said. Fr. Grace, along with the Supreme Chaplain Bishop Lori, has developed materials for Knights Chaplains such as the 10 Keys to Success as a K of C Chaplain. The 10th principle of which is the emphasis on reinforcing activities advancing the culture of life. Fr. Grace is currently Chaplain of the Connecticut district. (Raymond Bandril / CBCP News) tant role of the K of C Chaplain. This was followed by the remarks of no less than the Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson. After the three-day event, the KC Priests returned to their respective dioceses and other assignments fully armed to resume their regular missionary responsibilities. (Roberto Cruz)

life-long impact of the philosophy of doing ones best in everything one does. After the sharing, the KCFAPI officers awarded nine chalices to the respective dioceses. In addition, the priests were given new K of C embroidered vestments that they can wear for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.

On the third day, the Scholar-Priests departed for Manila to concelebrate the Opening Eucharistic Mass of the 9th K of C National Convention at San Agustin Church. From there, the KC Priests together with the other K of C Chaplains met first with Fr. John Grace, Director of Chaplain Programs and Development, who tackled the impor-

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 16 No. 10
May 7 - 20, 2012

The Cross

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What Mexico Teaches Us

The witness of Knights during the persecution of the Church in Mexico provides lessons as we defend religious freedom today
Today in the United States, it is impossible to recall these events without thinking of current threats to religious liberty, including the Obama administrations insistence that contraceptives, sterilization and abortioninducing drugs be included in the health insurance programs of Catholic organizations. This federal mandate is backed by the threat of millions of dollars in fines if Catholic organizations refuse to comply as a matter of conscience. The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, earlier this year stated, We have become certain of two things: religious freedom is under attack, and we will not cease our struggle to protect it. As a result of the firestorm of controversy surrounding the mandate, the president announced what he described as an accommodation for religious organizations. After studying what the president described as his concession, however, constitutional scholars and our bishops concluded that the mandate remained unacceptable, unconstitutional and illegal. The White House more recently invited representatives of the bishops to meet and discuss the presidents mandate. But when they asked whether the meeting would consider their fundamental concerns about religious liberty, the bishops representatives were told that these concerns are all off the table. Thankfully, when our public officials refuse to talk to us, we can have recourse through the courts and the ballot box. Cardinal Francis E. George, the past president of the bishops conference, has concluded from the intransigence of the Obama administration that it wants Catholics to give up our schools, hospitals and charitable ministries. Similarly, Cardinal Dolan has predicted that Catholics will have to prepare for tough times. We have already witnessed an increase in hate speech against Catholics and smear campaigns against our leaders. Anti-Catholic bigots and their allies in the media can be expected to increase their attacks. Recalling the witness of our brother Knights in Mexico, we think of the words of the Prophet

By Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson

THE history of the persecution of the Catholic Church in Mexico during the 1920s and 30s has been hidden from the people of Mexico, and the real causes of the conflict have been ignored by many scholars. One textbook in the United States misleadingly portrays Catholics who fought against religious persecution in this way: Leaders who emerged from the (Mexican) Constitutionalist movement fought off a challenge from armed Catholic traditionalists in the countryside. These devout counterrevolutionary peasants were called Cristeros. The articles in this issue set the record straight, both as to the real cause of the violence and the peaceful efforts of the Knights of Columbus on both sides of the border to defend religious liberty in Mexico. The persecution of the Catholic Church in Mexico began when the administration of Mexican President Plutarco Calles took punitive measures to silence priests and bishops, confiscate Church property and

close Catholic schools. When the archbishop of Mexico City spoke out against such measures, his residence and the chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe were bombed. In his 1926 encyclical concerning the persecution of Catholics in Mexico, titled Iniquis Afflictisque, Pope Pius XI denounced the forces of barbarism that led to this violent persecution of Catholics. He praised the peaceful resistance of many lay organizations saying, First of all we mention the Knights of Columbus which is found in all states of the Republic and fortunately is made up of active and industrious members who, because of their practical lives and open profession of the Faith, as well as by their zeal in assisting the Church, have brought great honor upon themselves. Indeed, thousands of Mexican Knights sacrificed much for religious liberty. Many lost their lives, and some of these martyrsboth laymen and priests have been beatified or canonized by Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. Knights in the United States also led a national campaign to end the violence against Catholics in Mexico.

Daniel: The wise shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament, and those who lead the many to justice shall be like the stars forever (Dn 12:3). It would be a mistake to as-

sume that Knights in the United States will be less faithful today. In the words of Cardinal Dolan: We did not ask for this fight, but we will not run from it. Vivat Jesus!

Joseph P. Teodoro

For Brother Knights by Brother Knights

TODAY we are featuring three (3) fraternal counselors who have rendered their services to brother knights and family members and earned recognition by enlisting their names in the much coveted Chairman of the Board- Annual Family Service Awards. They are known for having a good grasp of the features, benefits and advantages of the various life insurance plans being offered by KCFAPI. They have also displayed the right attitude expected from every fraternal counselor. Bro. Teofilo A. Samson was appointed fraternal counselor on June 21, 2007. He belongs to Council 7957 in Bian, Laguna which is under the area supervision of Bro. Conrado S. Dator, Jr. (Southern Luzon Lakers). He was a life insurance agent before he joined the KCFAPI and his experience as sales manager in a pharmaceutical company helped him to achieve success as fraternal counselor. Twice in a row he was very close in bagging the FC of the Year Award, Bro. Teddy as he is fondly called will be trying to get the No. 1 award this year. Bro. Rodrigo B. Gorospe is seriously aiming to get a runner up finish this year and to earn an Asian Trip for himself and his wife, Sis. Angelita. Bro. Rudy joined us on April 3, 2001. He is a member of Council 10971 in Bacoor, Cavite. He has a good working relationship with his area manager, Bro. Nonilon D. Ayon, whom he describes as very hard working. He is BSBA- Accounting graduate at the University of the East and a retired government auditor. Council 12860 in Maayon, Capiz takes pride in having a member who is a consistent Chairman of the Board Annual Family Service Award in the person of Bro. Wildy D. Devela. Bro. Wildy is a school teacher which is an advantage when it comes to explaining the details of the life insurance product that he offers to our brother knights and family members. He was appointed on November 3, 2003 as fraternal counselor and thereafter became a name in various sales contests sponsored

Featured Fraternal Counselors

by KCFAPI. Bro. Wildy has started to keep his name in the list of annual awardees. While these 3 Sales Luminaries of KCFAPI have their own secret selling techniques they are unanimous in stating that KCFAPIs most potent competitive advantage is its fast settlement of valid death claims. There is a plenitude of instances that KCFAPI was able to release the death proceeds in record of two (2) hours after all the documents of the incontestable have been filed. All what a fraternal counselor should do is to properly communicate with the prospective benefit certificate holder KCFAPIs biggest advantage.

Angelito A. Bala

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How long after filing a life insurance claim do you receive payment? A. Upon full submission of requirements, the processing of a life insurance claim will usually take one or two weeks but not more than forty days, if there are no disputes that will require further investigation. But at KCFAPI, processing of insurance claims only takes 2-3 hours if with complete requirements and claim is not contestable. It takes a longer time if the insured died within the contestability period, usually two years from effective date of insurance coverage, or the cause of death is accidental in nature. The claims committee will need to go over volumes of medical records involving medical consultations, confinements, or past medical history of the deceased/ insured to check for material concealment or material misrepresentation. For accidental deaths, a police report will serve as an independent or unbiased report of the accident/incident. The early release of the settlement claim is of paramount concern in consideration of the fact that the family or relatives will have an immediate need for cash to settle hospital bills or borrowed money among others. The family may also need money for funeral or burial expenses and estate taxes. As a beneficiary one should file a claim shortly after the death of the insured. Here are some steps one must take: Call/inform the servicing fraternal counselor. He will know what forms the beneficiary needs and what documents will be required to file a claim. Call or dial KCFAPIs service office number or KCFAPIs hotline, look for the Benefit Certificate Holders Relations Office (BRO) or Claims Department to inquire as to how to make/ file a claim. While filling out the form, be sure to have the benefit certificate (BC) on hand to gain access to the details of the contract of insurance. Secure all the required documents which may include the following: The death certificate A copy of the BC or the BC number Documents that will establish or prove the rightful beneficiary To hasten the processing of death claim: Keep the benefit certificate handy. Refrain from keeping it in the safety deposit box. The contents will be sealed upon the insured's death and will require many legal documents to claim the documents when needed. Provide complete information and documentation so as to avoid any delays. Always feel free to follow up or make inquiries in case it's taking quite a while for the check to come. KCFAPI Service Offices Head Office (632) 527 2223 local 110 Davao City (082) 221 0397 Cabanatuan City (044) 463 7402 Iloilo City (033) 320 3421 Cagayan de Oro City (088) 854 3274 Zamboanga City (062) 991 7336 Cebu City (032) 232 8560

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Paraaque holds Squires Soar Camp 2012

THE Paraaque Diocesan Coordinating Council of the Knights of Columbus in the Philippines will host the Squires Soar 2012 from May 11-13, 2012 at the Don Bosco Tabor House, Calamba City, Laguna. This years Squires Summer Outdoor, Adventure and Reflection Camp (SOAR) themed Columbian Squires: The Power of the Youth Serving Youth, will also focus on teambuilding activities. Circles are set to experience the fun-full, enriching and interactive programs that had Scouting-type outdoor activities and Squires faith-deepening modules. Among others who support the event are Luzon Deputy Arsenio Isidro G. Yap; Supreme Director Alonso L. Tan; and State Father Prior and CBCP Media Director Msgr. Pedro C. Quitorio III. In another development, the Diocesan Coordinating Council of Paraaque (DCCP) had a meeting attended by the council representatives from Paraaque, Las Pias and Muntinlupa cities. The DCCP explained their other recently held projects such as "Labor day bingo for the youth" (a fundraising which supported the SOAR camp) and the squires SOAR 2012, among others. DCCP extended its gratitude to District Deputy Vince Duroy, Grand Knight Oca Delez, and Diocesan Executive Secretary Jun Autencio III, of Council 15139 for hosting the meeting. The Squires Summer Outdoor, Adventure and Reflection

priests and bishops cannot be underestimated, in fact, it will even pose a stumbling block in the fight for a culture of life, as the first thing that the other side does to weaken the Church is to split the laity from our priests. So we have to maintain that this will never happen to the Knights of Columbus, he pointed out. Devotion SK Anderson then stressed the role of forming good Catholic men and how this is closely tied to spreading devotion to Fr. Michael J. McGivney, whose beatification is avidly being promoted. We need to form our men, Catholic men, so they will be good husbands, good fathers, good businessmen, good citizens, and for that we need the help of our priests. For that we need to increase devotion to Fr. McGivney, because as we

Camp has always been a memorable and experiential summer event for the young Catholic

men of the Columbian Squires, the youth counterpart of the K of C. (KC News)

encourage this devotion, we encourage the understanding of the dedication and commitment of every priest who serves the people of God in his parish, the Supreme Knight explained. Fr. McGivney is not a hero missionary who goes out, or a martyr who was tortured and killed. Fr. McGivney represents the parish priest, who day after day, without a lot of attention, is the hero for the families of his parish, he added. People dont deserve RH bill; people deserve a culture of life, where everyone when theyre born is welcome, where everyone is respected, where everyone is given an opportunity. If you dont respect some people, you dont recognize the dignity of some you cant build a great society on that. You can have material progress, but you cant build a great culture on that. (Diana Uichanco/ CBCPNews)

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The Cross

CBCP Monitor

Vol. 16 No. 10

May 7 - 20, 2012

Special Ladies Luncheon held at the 9th K of C National Convention

Lady Dorian Anderson (seated 3rd from right) joins (seated from L-R), Sister Anna Maria Yap, Sister Maria Milagros Caulfield, Sister Tess Hernandez, Sister Virginia Davide and Sister Teresita Tan with KCFAPI female employees led by Sister Ma. Theresa G. Curia (standing 3rd from right)

THE Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines, Inc. (KCFAPI) treated the wives of Brother Knights who attended the 9th National Convention at the Manila Hotel to a special luncheon at Casino Espaol, Manila, last April 28, 2012. The program started with an invocation led by Sis. Ruby Fauni, lady of KCFAPI Trustee Bro. Balbino Fauni, while Sis. Ana Maria Yap, lady of Luzon

Deputy Arsenio Isidro Yap welcomed the guests. The event was made even special by the presence of the guests of honor, Sis. Teresita Tan, lady of Supreme Director Alonso Tan and Sis. Dorian Anderson, lady of the Supreme Knight Carl Anderson. Sis. Dorian was presented a token of appreciation for being one with the Knights of Columbus of the Philippines, together with the Supreme

Knight, in celebrating the 9th National Convention in the country. In her message, she narrated that the experiences they had in the Philippines will become stories and inspiration they will carry with them as they travel to other countries to spread the Catholic faith through the Knights of Columbus. The Philippines, she said, is definitely a country they would want to visit again in the future.

The ladies at the luncheon enjoyed the summer-themed afternoon of music and friendly chat as guests took turns in showcasing their talents in singing and dancing. Sis. Virginia Davide, lady of KCFAPI Chairman Hilario Davide, Jr., had the ladies from Visayas singing in chorus as she gave her rendition of Matud Nila, a famous Visayan song. Executive Vice President Ma. Theresa Curia

rendered a dance interpretation as Sis. Maria Teresa Hernandez, lady of KCFAPI President Guillermo Hernandez, played the waltz with her violin. In closing, the ladies joined the singing of We are the World led by the KCFAPI Choir and everyone was given a special perfume called Enchanting Dorian, as souvenir for the ladies gathering, compliments of Lady Anna Maria Yap. (Ira J. Tee)

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 April 24-25, 2012 at the KCFAPI Social Hall in Intramuros, Manila. Training participants were from Bicol, Metro Manila, Central Luzon, North Eastern Luzon, and North Western Luzon. The training program oriented participants 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 tackled the various functions of their respective offices, while KCFAPI Medical Director, Dr. Jaime Talag talked about medical underwriting. FBG Vice President, Gari San Sebastian and Marketing Staff, Jemwel Santillan discussed the fraternal benefits service program and incentives, sales technique, and updates regarding the various KCFAPI products. (KCFAPI News)

1st Phl K of C Council grooves to its 107th anniversary

THE first council of the Knights of Columbus in the Philippines celebrated its 107th founding anniversary last April 15, 2012 with a Ballroom Dance for a Cause which raised funds intended for the continuing service through volunteerism of the K of C Manila Council 1000. The event started with a Eucharistic celebration led by the Council Chaplain Rev. Fr. Peter A. Casino, OSA. Grand Knight Diosdado A. Sapo introduced M-47 District Deputy Noel S. Lacanilao, PGK for an inspirational message on the Monument to the Unborn project. A motorcade and parade were also held around Intramuros, Manila. Luzon State Secretary Joven V. Joaquin was special guest of honor to the 107th founding anniversary celebration of Manila Council 1000. The celebration also included an intermission number from the Columbian Squires Circle 1000, followed by the closing remarks from Deputy Grand Knight and Program Director Antonio Hernandez. The culminating activity of the celebration was the dance showdown, the Dance Fever 2012, a Ballroom Dance for a Cause. Meanwhile, the current officers of the K of C Manila Council 1000 are: Fr. Peter A. Casino, OSA, Chaplain; Diosdado A. Sapo, Grand Knight; Antonio Hernandez, Deputy Grand Knight and Program Director; Michael E. Obligacion, Chancellor; Jun S. Florendo, Recorder; Julius Caesar DL Espejo, Secretary; Ephraim C. Nialda, Treasurer; Fermin M. Payuan, Advocate; Orlando H. Gonzaga, Warden; Arnold M. Marcaida, Inside Guard; Bernard R. Nabing and Manuel T. Garcia, Outside Guard; Tirso Camanga, Trustee 1; Edwin R. Quinonez, Trustee 3; and Efren Edgard P. Dieta, PGK, Lecturer. Council 1000 was established on April 23, 1905 within the Walled City of Intramuros. At the time of its inauguration, there were only 31 charter members, all of whom were Americans. The first Grand Knight was Richard Campbell. (KC News)

2012 Summer Outing At Bosay Resort, Antipolo Rizal

THE Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines, Inc. (KCFAPI) recently held its Summer Outing at Bosay Resort in Antipolo, Rizal last May 5, 2012 led by the 2012 Summer Outing Committee headed by Benefit Certificate Relations Office (BRO) Manager and this years Summer Outing Committee Chairman, Edwin B. Dawal. It was a well-attended employee activity composed of staff, officers and family members of KCFAPI and its wholly-owned and majority-owned companies: Keys Realty Development Corporation and Mace Insurance Agency. Despite his tight schedule, KCFAPI President, Guillermo N. Hernandez was able to go out of his way to grace the event and join all the participants led by KCFAPI Executive Vice President, Ms. Ma. Theresa G. Curia. The theme for this years summer activity was Hats and Shades. Highlights of the said summer activity include the Cheer-dance Competition, where employees got to showcase their talents; the various fun games and the parade of the candidates for the Best in Hats and Shades. There were four teams composed of 12 members each who competed for the Cheer-dance Competition: Green, Violet, Yellow, and Blue Team. The criteria used for judging were as follows: Technique and Precision (40%), Cheering Originality (20%), Choreog-

Participants of the 2012 KCFAPI Group of Companies Summer Outing led by KCFAPI President, Guillermo N. Hernandez (back row, in blue hat) and Executive Vice President, Ma. Theresa G. Curia (center in white shirt) pose at the Dalakit area of the Bosay Resort.

raphy (15%), Crowd Appeal (15%), and Over-all Performance (10%). Using the above set of criteria, the judges composed of KCFAPI EVP, Ma. Theresa G. Curia, KCFAPI Vice President for Fraternal Benefit Group, Gari M. San Sebastian, and Special Projects Consultant, Joseph P. Teodoro chose the Blue team as the best Cheerdance group. Members of the Blue team led by its Team Leader, KCFAPI VP for Finance & HRCC, Ms. Mary Magdalene Flores are as follows: Manuel Mendoza, May Rose Bartolome, Marigold Villaseran, Joan Apad, Jemwel Santillan, Vigel Dalayap, Annalyn Malong, Rizza Robrigado, and Roma Blaise Flores.

Meanwhile, Leira and Briggs San Sebastian, children of VP-Fraternal Benefits Group, Gari San Sebastian were proclaimed winners of the Male and Female Best in Hats and Shades competition. Sporting creative and colorful hats and shades, both kids instantly became the crowd favorite during the parade of candidates for the said competition. The success of the 2012 Summer Outing Employee Activity would not have been possible without this years Summer Outing Committee members, namely: Jocelyn Panadero, Nina Hongayo, Michael Medina, Eva Dawal, Ester Bernardino, Clarice Villanueva, and Maria Celina Pelayo. (Eva F. Dawal)

Winners of the Fathers for Good Philippines: (From L-R) Bro. Rosalio O. Derilo of Mindanao, Bro. Gerardo G. Gamposilao of Visayas, and Bro. Alfredo L. Lallana of Luzon pose with their trophies after the awarding ceremony held during the 9th National Convention at the Manila Hotel. The three received their respective trophies from no less than the Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson.

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:

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.

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.