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CBCP

VOLUME 19
NUMBER 16

August 3 - 16, 2015

PROTAGONIST OF TRUTH, PROMOTER OF PEACE

CBCPMONITOR.COM

THE National Council of

Churches in the Philippines
(NCCP) has denounced
what it considers to be the
brute way law enforcers
allegedly broke into a Lumad refugee camp inside a
church compound in Davao,
claiming that what they did
violated the rights of the indigenous people (IP).
IP rights violations
What the army did to
force them to evacuate from
their lands, the police almost
succeeded in duplicating.
Never mind that in both
cases the rights of these Lumads were violated Never
mind that the police forced
themselves into Haran-United Church of Christ in the
Philippines (UCCP) [which
is] long known to be a sanctuary, lamented NCCP
General Secretary Rex R. B.
Harassment / A7

WHATS INSIDE
Stewards not Owners
CBCP on the Climate
Change Issue, B1

Church wants coal mine

closed in Semirara Is.
v

By Raymond Sebastian

CATHOLIC Church officials are seeking permanent closure of the

open pit coal mine in
Semirara Island after
another major accident
in two years.

The July landslide, which

killed nine workers of Semirara Mining & Power Corp.
(SMPC), prompted the Diocesan Social Action Center of
Antique and Caritas Philippines
to call for a shutdown of coal
mine.
Deeply pained over the loss of
lives, the groups said they do not
want another accident to happen
and asked the government to ban
mining in the region.
We strongly reiterate our call
for the complete closure of the
Semirara coal mines and for the
prohibition of mining anywhere
else in Antique, they said in a
joint statement.
The Department of Energy has
(DOE) has ordered the immediate suspension of the countrys
largest coal miner while they
investigate the incident.
Semirara / A7

By Roy Lagarde

THE head of the Roman Catholic

Church in Manila called on familyoriented groups to go down to the
grassroots amid observations that family
ministry is becoming a luxury for the
middle and upper class.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle called on
lay movements to shed individualism
and work together in attending to the
spiritual needs of poor families.
Let us break from that image that
family ministry is a middle class or upper class luxury, Tagle said during the
2nd Marriage Encounter Congress in
Manila on Saturday.

Ministry / A7

Passage / A7

Investments dont guarantee

development NASSA official

Caritas Philippines executive secretary Fr. Edu Gariguez FILE PHOTO

Manila Archbishop Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle ARCHDIOCESE OF LIPA

Aquino not doing enough to

curb corruption bishops

A Catholic nun facilitates the gathering of signatures to form a peoples initiative against
the pork barrel system and massive corruption at the Luneta Park in Manila, 25 August
2014. ROY LAGARDE

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino

III is failing to address the widespread corruption that blights
Philippine society, bishops said.
Aquino, in his last State of
the Nation Address yesterday,
flaunted how his administration
rooted out the problem, but

AN alliance of church
people and environmentalists urged President
Benigno Aquino III to
establish a vast conservation area in the center of
the center of the worlds
marine biodiversity .
The Coalition for the
Preservation of the Verde
Island Passage proposes
the creation of protected
areas to secure the safety
of this paradise.
It said the declaration will
protect the sea waters and
towns facing the straight
which occupies more than
1.14 million hectares between the provinces of
Batangas, Oriental and Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, and Romblon.

Almost seven months after Pope Francis visited the Philippines, a group of artists continue its mission of sustaining the spirit of
mercy and compassion through a musical play entitled From the Vatican to Tacloban With Love, Pope Francis. Since its debut
in February, the play has been running at the Mabuhay Restop theater cafe at Rizal Park as the artists hope to bring it to schools to
PHOTO BY BOY LAGARDE
reach more young people. See Related Story on A8.

Tagle wants family ministry

in grassroots

Pastoral care for the poor

He said lay groups supporting the
churchs mission for the family need
to cooperate, not compete, with each
other.
Lets just help one another. The challenge is immense, Tagle said. Let us
offer pastoral care for the family among
the poor.

Church joins
lobby to protect
Verde Island
Passage

some faith leaders said he has

not done enough.
His daang matuwid is not
successful just because he claim
that [he] does not steal from
government coffers. However,
he used state funds to influence
Corruption / A6

A CATHOLIC prelate has recently

lambasted the goverments promotion
of large-scale mining, saying the influx
of investments does not automatically
spell development for the country as a
whole.
The Philippine governments nearfanatical endorsement of mining as the
engine for development and poverty al-

Yolanda may haunt

Roxas 2016 bid priest
THE governments shortcomings and failures in rebuilding areas devastated
by typhoon Yolanda may
haunt Interior and Local
Government Secretary Mar
Roxas presidential ambition,
a Catholic priest said.
Caritas Philippines executive
secretary Fr. Edu Gariguez said
that the governments dismal
performance in the days after
the typhoon to rehabilitation
stage may affect the image of the
Liberal Partys standard bearer.
This government has
nothing to be proud about
when it comes to the rehabilitation, Gariguez said.
The United Nations (UN)
yesterday lamented the inadequate attention given to
Yolanda-hit areas, as thousands remain in bunkhouses

that do not meet minimum

standards for the provision
of basic needs and services.
Chaloka Beyani, UN special rapporteur on the human
rights of internally displaced
persons, also said that politics
are among the factors that
hinder the rebuilding efforts.
In endorsing Roxas as his
preferred successor, President
Benigno Aquino III lauded the
officials efforts as the de facto
ground commander of the
government response to the
devastation caused by Yolanda.
However, Gariguez said
they should not use that as
part of his (Roxas) credential
because it would be embarrassing on their part.
Is this the kind of president that we want? he added.
(Roy Lagarde/CBCPNews)

leviation is totally misleading, for it only

counts the investment contribution,
while leaving behind more important
considerations in the equation, said Fr.
Edwin Gariguez, executive secretary of
the National Secretariat for Social Action Justice and Peace (CBCP-NASSA)
in his speech during the 37th Annual

Investments / A6

Parish goes solar amid

fight vs coal plant

Illustration by Brothers Matias

Faith group blasts

harassment vs.
Davao Lumads

CBCPMONITOR@CBCPWORLD.NET

A CATHOLIC parish church

in Quezon province pushed for
environmental awareness in a
recent installation of solar panels
on the roof of its building.
Local church authorities in
Atimonan symbolically switched
on its solar power system after

a pontifical Mass on Sunday,

capping the celebration of the
towns fiesta in honor of Our
Lady of Angels.
This is our concrete response
to the call of Pope Francis to care
for our common home in his
Solar / A6

A2 WORLD NEWS

Will Vatican officials face term limits?

A fixed term mandate for Vatican officials serving in the
Roman Curia was among recent proposals for the Vaticans
ongoing reform process, and will likely be discussed at the
Sept. 14-16 meeting of the Council of Cardinals. Its still
unclear whether the fixed term mandate refers to all Vatican
officials--that is, those who hold an office of the Roman
Curia--or if it would just apply to the clergy. According to
the prominent Italian journalist Marco Tosatti, the idea is
to give a term--a five year term, to be eventually renewed for
another five year term--to the mandate of the Curia officials,
which are the priests who make up the bulk of the jobs in
the various Congregations and Pontifical Councils. (Andrea
Gagliarducci/CNA)
Pope Francis to handpick new doctor ahead of Cuba, US trip
As the five-year term for Pope Francis personal doctor comes
to an end, the Pope is expected to choose a new one soon
who will accompany him during his upcoming visit to Cuba
and the United States. Patrizio Polisca, doctor to Benedict
XVI and president of the medical commission for the Vatican
Congregation for the Causes of Saints, was until recently the
Popes personal doctor and head of the Vatican City States
healthcare services. Francis decided at the end of May not to
renew Poliscas term as papal doctor and head of the Vaticans
healthcare services, leaving his position open as of Aug. 1.
The Pope is expected to select a new doctor in September,
before his visit to Cuba and the United States at the end of
that month. (Andrea Gagliarducci/CNA)
With a tap on an iPad, Pope Francis registers for World Youth Day 2016
Pope Francis has invited the youth of the world on pilgrimage to World Youth Day 2016--and on Sunday he became
the first pilgrim to register himself. Today we open registration for the thirty-first World Youth Day, to be held
next year in Poland, he said. I invite the youth of the
world to live this pilgrimage that will be going to Krakow.
The youth will be participating in this moment of grace
for their communities, he said. The Pope spoke from the
balcony overlooking St. Peters Square after praying the
Angelus July 26. With a young man and a young woman
at his side, he used an iPad to become the first registered
pilgrim for the next World Youth Day. Look, I enrolled in
the Day as a pilgrim through this electronic device, Pope
Francis said. (CNA)
A new step in thawing relations between China and the Holy See?
In a tiny victory for Vatican-Chinese rapprochement,
Chinas government now recognizes seminary studies and
allows seminarians to continue their education in a state
university should they leave. The Bachelor of Arts diploma
young men receive in the seminary is now recognized as
being a state title by the Chinese government. With the
recognition it is now possible for seminarians who decide
to quit their priestly formation to continue their education
in a state university. The news came in a brief July 23 article
by Fides, the press agency for the Vaticans Congregation for
the Evangelization of Peoples. The piece focused the close of
the Academic Year for Chinas six authorized seminaries. In
total, 79 seminarians earned their Bachelor of Arts degree,
ending their first cycle of studies. They have now been sent
to work in parishes and ecclesiastical communities. (Andrea
Gagliarducci/CNA)
Ebola deaths are still happening and the Vatican is aiming to stop them
Although two of the three countries hardest hit by last years
Ebola outbreak have been declared free of the virus, they arent
out of the woods yet. Deaths related to the massive Ebola
outbreak that swept across western Africa last year continue
to take place, even in Liberia, which was declared Ebola free
by the World Health Organization (WHO) May 9. Sadly,
we recently witnessed the urgent need for such efforts when
a new death due to the Ebola Virus Disease was identified
in Liberia, some forty-five days after the country had been
declared Ebola Free, Archbishop Bernardito Auza said in a
July 9 statement. Apostolic Nuncio and Permanent Observer
of the Holy See to the U.N., Archbishop Auza issued the
statement on the occasion of an International Ebola Recovery Conference in New York, hosted by the United Nations.
(Elise Harris/CNA)
Prisoners, volunteers, teens invited to celebrate Jubilee with pope
More than a dozen individual celebrations will be scheduled
for the Jubilee of Mercy in 2016, giving pilgrims the chance
to celebrate their own holy year with Pope Francis in Rome.
The yearlong extraordinary jubilee will include a number
of individual jubilee days, such as for consecrated men and
women; deacons; priests; catechists; the sick and disabled;
teenagers and prisoners. Young people will be able to celebrate their jubilee with the pope at World Youth Day in
Krakow, Poland. The Pontifical Council for Promoting New
Evangelization, which is organizing events for the Holy Year
of Mercy, published a full calendar of events online at www.
im.va. (Carol Glatz/CNS)
Dont be afraid or ashamed to go to confession, pope says
Trusting in Gods infinite mercy, people should not be afraid
or embarrassed to go to confession, Pope Francis said. There
are people who are afraid to go to confession, forgetting
that they will not encounter a severe judge there, but the
immensely merciful Father, Pope Francis told thousands of
people gathered in St. Peters Square Aug. 2 for the midday
recitation of the Angelus prayer. The pope also told the people
gathered under a scalding sun that when we go to confession, we feel a bit ashamed. That happens to all of us, but we
must remember that this shame is a grace that prepares us for
the embrace of the Father, who always forgives and always
forgives everything. (Cindy Wooden/CNS)
Good pastors always look, have compassion, teach, pope says at Angelus
A good pastor always sees what people are going through, feels
compassion and then nourishes them with Gods Word, Pope
Francis said. Seeing and being moved to pity have always
been associated with Jesus, the Good Shepherd, he said July
19 before reciting the Angelus with visitors gathered in St.
Peters Square. In fact, his gaze isnt the gaze of a sociologist
or a photojournalist because he always looks with the eyes
of the heart, he said. (Carol Glatz/CNS)

CBCP Monitor

China set for first public

ordination of bishop since 2012
Ceremony seen as possible benchmark for state of Vatican-China relations
HONG KONG, July 31, 2015When Father Joseph Zhang Yinlin is ordained bishop
of Anyang in Henan province on August 4,
he will become the first publicly ordained
Chinese bishop in three years and the first
since the Vatican and China restarted its
dialogue in June 2014.
The last public ordination occurred
on July 7, 2012, when Bishop Thaddeus
Ma Daqin was installed as an auxiliary
in Shanghai. Bishop Ma immediately
resigned his post in protest against the
government-controlled Chinese Catholic
Patriotic Association and remains under
house arrest.
Fr Zhang will also be the first Chinese
bishop to be ordained publicly since Pope
Francis was elected to the papacy in March
2013.
The ordination, with papal approval, initially was planned for July 29. The diocese
decided to postpone the date to Aug. 4 to
coincide with the feast day of St John Vianney, the patron saint for priests.

In an interview, Fr Zhang told ucanews.

com that he could not confirm which bishops would preside at the ordination.
We sent out invitations to several bishops but cannot confirm who is attending,
he said.
The presence of an illicit bishop not
recognized by the Vatican is a way for the
Communist Party to show its control of the
Church. If an illicit bishop plays a role in
the ordination, this could be a sign of the
state of China-Vatican relations, sources said.
At least three bishops are required to be
present for an Episcopal ordination. In the
case of China, at least one of the bishops
present needs to be Vatican-approved.
Bishop Ma said publicly after his ordination: It is inconvenient for me to serve the
Catholic Patriotic Association. Since then,
he has been under house arrest at Sheshan
Seminary in Shanghai.
An illicit bishop participated in the ordination.
The Catholic Patriotic Association is a

government-sanctioned body designed to

control the Catholic Church in China.
Fr Zhang, 44, was elected a bishop on
April 28. He was previously approved for
ordination by the Vatican.
In China, most bishop elections are arranged by the bishops conference, which
is composed of bishops who have registered
with the government. However, many
bishop candidates receive papal approval
beforehand. Most voters support the Vaticans choice. Those who dont support the
Holy See usually reflect their disagreement
through abstaining.
Church members across China also complain that government officials manipulate
the election, as the process involves not only
priests, but also nuns, seminarians and lay
leaders, who make up half the voters.
Another Vatican-approved candidate
for bishop, Father Cosmos Ji Chengyi of
Zhumadian in the same province of Henan,
was also elected in April. But a date for his
ordination is still unknown. (UCAN)

A new step in thawing relations between

China and the Holy See?
VATICAN CITY, July 31,
2015In a tiny victory for
Vatican-Chinese rapprochement, Chinas government now
recognizes seminary studies and
allows seminarians to continue
their education in a state university should they leave.
The Bachelor of Arts diploma
young men receive in the seminary is now recognized as being
a state title by the Chinese government. With the recognition it
is now possible for seminarians
who decide to quit their priestly
formation to continue their
education in a state university.
The news came in a brief July
23 article by Fides, the press
agency for the Vaticans Congregation for the Evangelization
of Peoples.
The piece focused the close of
the Academic Year for Chinas six
authorized seminaries. In total,
79 seminarians earned their Bachelor of Arts degree, ending their
first cycle of studies. They have
now been sent to work in parishes
and ecclesiastical communities.
Work for the future parish
priests will prove difficult in
China, where there are mixed
signals that on one side suggest
an improvement in relations
between China and the Holy
See, while on the other hand
show that the topic of religious
freedom is still crucial.
One sign of improved in relations is that Chinese president Xi
Jinping, who has held office since
March 2013, has shown interest
in improving Holy See-Beijing
relations.

The president allowed Pope

Francis plane to fly over China
while the Pope was en route to
the Philippines in January. He
also responded to the telegram
Francis sent to him while flying
through Chinese airspace.
On Jan. 21, 2015, Hua Chunying, a spokesman of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said
Chinas government is willing to
have constructive dialogue with
the Vatican based on relevant
principles.
On the other hand, there are
also areas of division between
Chinese Catholics and the Chinese central government. One of
them is the current demolition
of buildings and crosses in the
province of Zhejiang.
According to the government,
the demolition plan--which
began in early 2014 and has
already affected more than 400
buildings and crosses--is part of
the governments effort to tear
down illegal buildings.
However, the decision has
been interpreted as a persecution campaign against Chinese
Christians.
Last week Msgr. Vincent Zhu
Weifang of Wenzhou, close to
90, took the streets together
with 26 priests from his diocese
to call for an end of the demolition of crosses. It was the fourth
time the Catholic community in
Wenzhou has publicly protested
against the destruction.
Another division came out
with the protests of Occupy
Central, a civil disobedience
campaign that took place in

Hong Kong last year, calling

for democracy and protesting
against electoral reforms proposed by the Chinese government, seen as highly restrictive.
The movement was backed
by many Catholics, including
Cardinal Joseph Zen, archbishop
emeritus of Hong Kong, who
publicly protested alongside
members of the movement.
Xi Jinping likely referred to
these facts when in late May he
warned that religions in China
must be free from foreign influence and incorporated into
Socialist Chinese society.
The presidents declarations,
however, didnt deter the Holy
See from moving forward toward
a first, diplomatic rapprochement.
Although the time hasnt
come for a papal nuncio to
China, theres a possibility of an
agreement between the Vatican
and China. If an agreement is
reached, it could lead to a first,
historic step: the appointment of
a Vatican resident representative
in China, though without the
rank of an ambassador.
Diplomatic relations between
the Holy See and China were
cut in 1951, two years after
the Chinese Communist party
seized power. The Holy See has
tried to keep some channel of
dialogue open ever since, with
increasing concern for Catholics
in the country.
The restoration of ties between
the two has been slow, and characterized by moments of freeze
and sudden thaws.

Diplomatic talks for a final

rapprochement are still at an
early stage, but Xi Jinpings
policy on religious issues might
help to overcome the difficulties.
First among the difficulties is
the situation of the Church in
China, which is often described
as divided between an official
Church the Patriotic Association linked to the government
and an underground Church,
persecuted and whose episcopal
appointments frequently go
unacknowledged by Chinese
authorities.A source from the
Congregation for the Evangelization of People told CNA July 27
that the situation is even more
nuanced than this.
For years, priests of Chinese
communities and faithful have
been working to overcome the
divide between clandestine
and official Church, the source
maintained.
He added that the more the
Cultural Revolution gets farther
in time, the fewer the differences
between Patriotic and underground Church are.
This happened thanks to
the work of Chinese bishops
and Vatican officials who had
patiently entertained relations in
order to gain the hoped, and yet
not achieved, twofold recognition of all the current bishops by
China and the Holy See.
Nowadays, the source concluded, there is the clear perception that the Chinese Church has
never been schismatic, though it
endured lacerations and compromises. (CNA)

Promote the common good and give workers

a raise, Catholic leaders tell Congress
WASHINGTON D.C., July 31, 2015
Catholic leaders are calling on Congress to
raise the minimum wage, for the good of
low-wage workers and their families.
An economy thrives only when it is centered on the dignity and well-being of the
workers and families in it, stated a letter
to members of Congress from Archbishop
Thomas Wenski of Miami and Sister Donna
Markham, OP, president of Catholic Charities USA. Archbishop Wenski chairs the U.S.
Bishops Committee on Domestic Justice
and Human Development.
The current federal minimum wage is not
enough for a father working full-time to
raise a child out of poverty, the letter said.
Furthermore, the wage is static and only
increases when Congress raises it it is not
tied to inflation, meaning that in real terms,
its falls every year.
This leads to increased demand for Charities services and reliance on the social safety
net to make ends meet, the letter added.
The current federal minimum wage is
$7.25 an hour, enacted in 2009 as part of
the Fair Labor Standards Act. President
Obama has repeatedly pushed for Congress
and businesses to raise the minimum wage,
most recently calling for it to be hiked to
over $10 an hour. In February, 2014 he
signed an executive order raising the wage to
$10.10 for federal contract workers.
Minimum wage increases have sparked a
debate about their influence on businesses
and low-wage workers. Supporters argue

that according to
studies employment
is not significantly
affected by moderate
wage increases, and
that pay hikes benefit workers far more
than any subsequent
drop in employment
rates may hurt them.
Opponents claim
that mandatory
wage hikes disproportionately affect
small businesses who
may not have the
resources to increase
wages that big businesses have, and thus
must cut low-wage
jobs. Many low-wage workers are not fathers
with children, they argue, but are younger,
less experienced workers who would lose
valuable work experience if their jobs were
cut because of a wage increase.
Certain businesses have already increased
their minimum wages without any law
being passed first. For example, the CEO
of Seattle-based Gravity Payments made
headlines earlier this year by taking a pay cut
down to $70,000 a year from $1 million and
giving all his employees a pay raise.
In their letter to Congress, Archbishop
Wenski and Sister Markham referenced St.
John Paul IIs encyclical Centesimus Annus,

BJOERTVEDT

Vatican Briefing

August 3 - 16, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 16

which was written on the 100-year anniversary of the landmark social encyclical Rerum
Novarum, on capital and labor.
They quoted the encyclical that society
and the State must ensure wage levels adequate for the maintenance of the worker
and his family, including a certain amount
for savings.
This requires a continuous effort to
improve workers training and capability so that their work will be more skilled
and productive, as well as careful controls
and adequate legislative measures to block
shameful forms of exploitation, especially
to the disadvantage of the most vulnerable
workers, the encyclical continued. (CNA)

CBCP Monitor

NEWS FEATURES A3

August 3 - 16, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 16

Interfaith leaders to welcome

Pope Francis in US
VATICAN, August 1, 2015--A
group of interfaith leaders are
welcoming Pope Francis to the
United States.
In a short July 27 letter sent
directly to the pope at the Vatican, the religious leaders said
their work on behalf of social
justice, inclusion and equality has been renewed by your
clarity of vision and your bold
statement of the truth of the
needs of our time.
We know that we all need to
be called to a change of heart and
we are so grateful for raising up
that call, the letter said.
Noting that the pope will address Congress Sept. 24 on the
last day of his visit to Washington before heading to New York
and Philadelphia, the leaders said
they were eagerly anticipating
the pontiffs visit.
As people of faith we look
forward to your message and
are eager to share it with members of our various faiths and
denominations. Our nation
needs to hear your word of
hope and challenge, the leaders said.
Fourteen of the letters 35
signers are Catholic including
the heads of the Conference

Pope: In Confession
we encounter Gods
immense mercy

Pope Francis emphasized how the sacrament of Reconciliation is rooted in Gods

immense mercy. CNA

Pope Francis CNA

of Major Superiors of Men,

Franciscan Action Network,
Jubilee USA Network, Leadership Conference of Women Religious, Network, the Catholic
social justice lobby, Pax Christ
USA, Pax Christi International,
Maryknoll Sisters, Sisters of

Mercy of the Americas and

Sisters of the Good Shepherd
as well representatives of other
Catholic organizations.
They joined leaders of Christian, Jewish and Muslim groups
including National Council of
Churches, USA, Lutheran Ser-

vices in America, Presbyterian

Church (USA), United Church
of Christ, United Methodist Church, Islamic Society of
North America, Religious Action
Center for Reform Judaism, and
Unitarian Universalist Association. (Catholic News Service)

Papal parenting guide: Francis delivers his own how-to for families
VATICAN, July 30, 2015 Pope Francis
knows the family is made up of real people
living in the real world, which is why he often
gives down-to-earth advice.
The Catholic Church has long taught that
the family is a school of humanitythe
first and best place to learn about love and
respect. In fact, a healthy society relies on
citizens who learn love, responsibility, loyalty,
acceptance of others and solidarity from their
family relationships, Pope Francis has said.
The pope, a former teacher, has, in a way,
been handing todays families detailed lesson plans, offering guidance in what actually needs to be done. The world Synod of
Bishops on the family, which the pope has
convoked for October, also is expected to
deliver concrete guidelines for the pastoral
care of the family and its members.
By devoting his general audience talks
to the family since last December, as well
as making the family a key topic of other
speeches and homilies, Pope Francis has
been offering concrete and, at times, colorful advice, which will give people gathering
for the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia in September plenty of material to
parse through.
The popes approach starts from the bottom up.
He doesnt begin with a textbook concept
or picture-perfect ideal everyone needs to
magically become an exact replica of. The
family is a real institution made up of very
human, and therefore, limited members who
need real help.
With examples from his own life and the
real lives of others, he points to what is happening on the ground and then builds a
pastoral plan what would Gods response
be to this reality.
For example, the Christian response to the
all too typical problem of anger or misunderstanding is to choose the path of dialogue,
which requires eating lots of tart humble
pie, he said in a homily in January 2014.
Sometimes the plates will fly, the pope said.
But after the storm has passed, things have
to be worked out as soon as possible, with a
word, a gesture, so no one ends up isolated
in this bitter broth of our resentment.
Other similarly practical advice he has
given couples: play with your kids more,
stop the swearing, be more affectionate and
always say, Please, May I and Thank
you. Moms and dads must lead the way, he
says;they are the most influential role models
for their kids.

Kissing in front of the children is a beautiful witness, he told parents in June 2015.
Children watch their parents carefully and
when they see that dad and mom love each
other, the children grow in that climate of
love, happiness and security.
He has told youngsters to go out, discover
the world and build everything together,
do everything with love, everything is
possible and faith is an event always to be
proclaimed.
Talk to your best friend, Jesus, every day,
he told children in December 2014, and
be apostles of peace and serenity at home
and at school.
Remind your parents, brothers and sisters and peers that it is beautiful to love one
another and that misunderstandings can be
overcome, because when we are united with
Jesus everything is possible, he said.
Giving advice to grandparents, the pope
has said that families and kids need their
prayers, wisdom and gifts to give them the
encouragement, hope and faith they often
lack in todays frenetic world.
We older people can remind ambitious
young people that a life without love is barren. We can tell fearful young people that
worrying about the future can be overcome.
We can teach young people who are in love
with themselves too much that there is more
joy in giving than receiving, he told his fellow seniors in March 2015. The popes dream
is that families challenge todays throwaway
culture with the overflowing joy of a new
embrace between young and old people.
Key to drawing the needed strength and
inspiration is reading the Gospel, prayer,
confession, Communion and fellowship
with the poor, he said in May 2015.
Imagine how much our world would
change if each one of us began right here
and now and seriously took care of ourselves
and generously took care of our relationship with God and our neighbor, he told
Vatican employees and their families before
Christmas last year.
The Holy Family is still the perennial
role model for families, the pope has said.
Mothers can mirror the same love and attention Mary had for her son, and fathers can
exemplify the patience and understanding of
Joseph who did everything to support and
protect his family.
The real secret, he said, is just to welcome
Jesus, listen to him, speak to him, take care
of him, protect him and grow with him like
Mary and Joseph did, and that is how the

world will become better.

Pope Francis knows families cannot do it
on their own. He also insists policymakers
and leaders devise and support policies that
build up families and neutralize their biggest threats: war, poverty, consumerism and
economic policies that promote the worship
of money and power.
Justice for women must be promoted
since, in the West, they face discrimination
in the workplace and often are forced to
choose between family and job obligations,
the pope has said. Also, women too often
face violence in their lives as fiancees, wives,
mothers, sisters and grandmothers and,
in developing countries, women bear the
heaviest burden by having to walk miles to
collect water, often risk dying in childbirth,
and face kidnapping, rape and forced marriages, he said in May 2015.
Culture needs a humanizing re-haul, too,
he said, to ease the pressure on couples to
not be afraid of the lifelong commitment of
marriage and to see children as a blessing,
not a burden.
Pope Francis has been especially vocal
about resisting current trends that seek to legitimize same-sex unions, contraception and
fluid notions of gender. He warned families
in the Philippines against this ideological
colonization that tries to destroy the family
and takes away human identity and dignity,
and he repeatedly has reaffirmed church
teaching that marriage is a lifelong bond
between a man and a woman.
Given the many challengesboth within
society and within the walls of the family
homePope Francis regularly praises the
many men and women who are fighting the
good fight every day.
Leaders and communities should kneel
before these families, who are a true school
of humanity, who are saving society from
barbarity by staying together and safeguarding their bonds amidst difficult conditions,
even in poverty and crisis, he has said.
Regular men and women who care for
their infirm loved ones, miss a night of sleep
and still roll into work the next day are the
hidden heroes and the hidden saints of
today, he said.
The pope has urged the men and women
who are on the right path to lend a hand to
help evangelize and to help other families
heal so that the teachings of the faith will
touch more peoples hearts and give them the
strength to follow Gods will. (Carol Glatz/
Catholic News Service)

VATICAN, August 2, 2015

Delivering his weekly Angelus
address in St. Peters Square on
Sunday, Pope Francis said that
while everyone feels shame before going to Confession, this
grace helps us to be open to
Gods forgiveness.
T h e re a re p e o p l e w h o
are afraid of approaching
Confession, forgetting that
there, we do not encounter
severe judgement, but the
immensely merciful Father,
the Roman Pontiff said Aug.
2, speaking to the crowds
who had braved the hot Roman sun.
It is true that when we go
to Confession, we feel a little
shameful. This happens to all,
to all of us, but we must remember that even this shame
is a grace which prepares us
for the embrace of the Father,
who always forgives and always
forgives everyone.
Speaking after leading the
recitation of the Angelus
prayer, the Pope noted that
today is, in the Franciscan tradition, the feast of Our Lady
of the Angels of Porziuncola
and its associated indulgence;
he used the occasion to remind
the faithful of the importance
of Confession.
The feast marks the dedication of the Porziuncola or
little portion, a small parish
church which is one of those
St. Francis of Assisi rebuilt in
obedience to Christs command
to rebuild my church.
It is a powerful reminder
to bring ourselves closer to
the Lord in the Sacrament of
Mercy, and to receive Communion, Pope Francis said.
Before leading the faithful
in the Angelus, Pope Francis
spoke on the days Gospel according to St. John, centering
his reflection on the importance of finding lasting sustenance in Christ as the Bread
of Life.
The Roman Pontiff recounted the Gospel passage, which
takes place shortly after Christ
multiplied the loaves and fishes
to feed the multitudes, who
then continued to follow him.
Those who followed Christ
after having received material
bread, he said, did not understand that this bread, broken
for many, for many, was an
expression of the love of Jesus
himself. They gave more value
to that bread than to the giver.
In order to get past this
spiritual blindness, he continued, Christ calls the people

to discover and understand the

one who gives the bread.
God is the gift, and also
the giver.
It is from this bread, this
act that the people are able to
discover God, who gives the
bread, Pope Francis said.
Christ invites us to be open
to another perspective, not
solely based on concerns about
food, clothing, success, or
career, the Roman Pontiff
added. Rather: Jesus speaks
of another food; he speaks of
a food that is not corruptible,
and which is good to seek and
receive.
The Pope cited the Gospel
reading, in which Christ exhorts us not to labor for the
food which perishes, but for
the food which endures to
eternal life.
In other words, the Roman
Pontiff said: Seek salvation,
the encounter with God.
Pope Francis said Christs
words are to help us understand
that while we all experience the
need to satiate our physical
hunger, the hunger for life
and eternity are more important, and cannot be fulfilled
with ordinary food.
Christs words do not take
away our concerns when it
comes to our daily bread, the
Pope said, but they invite us
to consider how our lives are
directed toward eternity.
Jesus reminds us that the
true meaning of our earthly
existence is that human history,
with its sufferings and joys,
must be seen on the horizon of
eternity, that is, in the horizon
of the definitive encounter
with him.
And this encounter illumines all the days of our life,
the Roman Pontiff said.
Making reference to the
Eucharist, Pope Francis added, Christ says he is the Bread
of Life, the greatest gift
which satiates the soul and
the body.
Not only does this Bread
of Life give us meaning in
hope amid lifes often tortuous journey, but in the task
of announcing the Gospel
to our brothers and sisters
so that their spiritual and
m a t e r i a l h u n g e r m a y b e
satisfied.
Pope Francis concluded his
address by asking Mary for help
in following her son, the True
Bread which does not corrupt,
and endures for eternal life.
(Ann Schneible/CNA/EWTN
News)

Humility key to effective evangelization CBCP president

CBCP president and Lingayen-Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas gives the keynote

message at the 2nd Marriage Encounter National Congress held on July 25 at the
Century Park Sheraton along Pablo Ocampo Avenue, Manila. CBCPNEWS

MANILA, July 27, 2015--More

than eloquence, event organizing skills or mobilization efforts,
the key to preaching the Gospel
effectively is humility, said
Catholic Bishops Conference of
the Philippines (CBCP) president and Lingayen-Archbishop
Socrates B. Villegas.
There is no salvation for the
proud, he said, underscoring
the need for humility in preach
the Good News.
Speaking to some 700 attendees of the 2nd Marriage
Encounter National Congress
held on July 25 at the Century
Park Sheraton along Pablo Ocampo Avenue, Manila, Villegas
said the Good News contains a

great mystery only the humble

can understand.
The liars cousin
The prelate explained God
humbled himself when He became man, and became a child
so that it will be easier for us
to carry Him.According to
the newly re-elected head of
the CBCP, faith is anchored on
prayer, gratitude, and truth,
noting that humble people often say Thank you, Please
and Im sorry because there
is neither peace nor joy for
the proud.
He further explained that
when a person says he is humble, he is, in fact, proud.

Villegas mentioned how St.

Thomas Aquinas said humility
is truth, and connected this
to an old Filipino saying Ang
sinungalin ay kapatid ng magnanakaw (The liar is the thief s
sibling).
Ang mayabang ay pinsan ng
sinungalin (The proud is the
liars cousin), he further said.
Input for the Family Synod
He concluded his keynote address with a prayer for change
with delegates from all over the
country in attendance.
Earlier, Marriage Encounter
Foundation of the Philippines
national president couple Robert and Tinette Aventajado said

the Second National Congress

was inspired by Pope Francis
call to find concrete solutions to
the problems faced by families
worldwide.
Manila Archbishop Luis
Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle, in
his homily at our parish echoed
Pope Francis message which
led us to organize this years
conference, Robert Aventajado said.
He added whatever motions
or resolutions generated from
the whole-day event will be
given to the bishops-delegates
to the coming XIV Synod of
Bishops at the Vatican this
coming October. (Melo Acua/
CBCPNews)

A4 OPINION

August 3 - 16, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 16

CBCP Monitor

EDITORIAL

Working for political advantage sans morals

Cultural ecology
TOGETHER with the patrimony of nature, there is also an historic,
artistic and cultural patrimony, which is likewise under threat. This
patrimony is a part of the shared identity of each place and a foundation
upon which to build a habitable city. It is not a matter of tearing down
and building new cities, supposedly more respectful of the environment yet not always more attractive to live in. Rather, there is a need
to incorporate the history, culture and architecture of each place, thus
preserving its original identity. Ecology, then, also involves protecting the
cultural treasures of humanity in the broadest sense. More specifically, it
calls for greater attention to local cultures when studying environmental
problems, favoring a dialogue between scientific-technical language
and the language of the people. Culture is more than what we have
inherited from the past; it is also, and above all, a living, dynamic and
participatory present reality, which cannot be excluded as we rethink
the relationship between human beings and the environment.
A consumerist vision of human beings, encouraged by the mechanisms of todays globalized economy, has a leveling effect on cultures,
diminishing the immense variety, which is the heritage of all humanity. Attempts to resolve all problems through uniform regulations or
technical interventions can lead to overlooking the complexities of
local problems which demand the active participation of all members
of the community. New processes taking shape cannot always fit into
frameworks imported from outside; they need to be based in the local
culture itself. As life and the world are dynamic realities, so our care for
the world must also be flexible and dynamic. Merely technical solutions
run the risk of addressing symptoms and not the more serious underlying
problems. There is a need to respect the rights of peoples and cultures,
and to appreciate that the development of a social group presupposes
an historical process which takes place within a cultural context and
demands the constant and active involvement of local people from within
their proper culture. Nor can the notion of the quality of life be imposed
from without, for quality of life must be understood within the world
of symbols and customs proper to each human group.
Many intensive forms of environmental exploitation and degradation
not only exhaust the resources which provide local communities with
their livelihood, but also undo the social structures which, for a long
time, shaped cultural identity and their sense of the meaning of life
and community. The disappearance of a culture can be just as serious,
or even more serious, than the disappearance of a species of plant or
animal. The imposition of a dominant lifestyle linked to a single form
of production can be just as harmful as the altering of ecosystems.
In this sense, it is essential to show special care for indigenous communities and their cultural traditions. They are not merely one minority
among others, but should be the principal dialogue partners, especially
when large projects affecting their land are proposed. For them, land is
not a commodity but rather a gift from God and from their ancestors
who rest there, a sacred space with which they need to interact if they
are to maintain their identity and values. When they remain on their
land, they themselves care for it best. Nevertheless, in various parts of
the world, pressure is being put on them to abandon their homelands
to make room for agricultural or mining projects, which are undertaken
without regard for the degradation of nature and culture.

YOLANDA
VICTIMS
Illustration by Bladimer Usi

IT might not be simply in good order but also in the light of truth
for politicians to consider that they, too, are covered not only by
ethics but also bound by their morals. Admittedly, theirs are the
authority, the power, and the fame, plus the wealth in many cases.
But, woe to them if they would dare think that they are above the
norm of what is right or wrong, what is virtuous or vicious. And this
brings to mind the fundamental rule of thumb when they exercise
their political office--especially so when they make their political
options, when they affirm their pursuant political agenda.
Upon assumption of political power, it is not a secret that together
with other legislative agenda, the incumbent political leadership
had the resolve to have three major political designs proposed and
approved by the Legislature, namely population control, divorce,
and same sex marriage. It was not, however, foreseen, at least
according to the grapevine, that the U.S. would strongly urge the
Philippines with proper material and military initiatives to work
out the BBL, after Population Control has already become a law
under the camouflage title of Reproductive Health Bill. So it is
that with the BBL still pending, the said Divorce and Same Sex
Marriage legislative agenda are on deck.
It is not altogether unknown that the U.S. now has the Same Sex
Marriage legislation, which was passed basically for political reasons.
The U.S. President has been losing political clout for some time. The
passage of the said law--with the support of political party affiliates
and lobby groups--ultimately means additional political support from
a relatively big LGBT global community. And it is neither a secret
that in the Philippines, the political leadership is also gradually losing
political clout. So it is that the enactment of Divorce and Same
Sex Marriage legislations could also be of significant help in favor of
political endorsements for the 2016 Elections. Or so it seems.
Having political clout through all possible means--without regard
to what is ethically proper or improper, what is morally correct or
incorrect--is the substance of making the end (political advantage)
justify the means (Divorce, same sex marriage). Such is the peak
of political amorality.
But three quite relevant considerations come to fore: First, the current political leadership and the unconditional political allies might in
fact ultimately earn more distrust and disgust from the people--voters
included--with the endorsement and passage of such blatantly immoral
legislations. Second, the above reminder is squarely premised on the
fact that most Filipinos still know what is right or wrong, what is virtue or vice. Third, at the end of the day the political agenda and the
promise of better life for the country will come to naught because, after
all, no integral development progresses from immoral foundations.

POLITICIANS

Reluctance. Difficulty.
Incapacity
Specifically in conjunction with
marriage which is not simply
a Contract but also a Covenant it is definitely not a
state of life that is enough to like,
to fancy, to dream of. Strictly
speaking marriage is a state of life
with its innate attributes of unity,
indissolubility not only because
it is a contractual agreement but
also because it is a covenanted
concurrence. Hence, the often
heard remarks or observations:
Marriage is not an on and off
relationship. Marriage is not
something you enter into now

and exit therefrom sooner or later. Marriage is not an on and

off way of living. Marriage can
be anything but a honeymoon
period forever. Marriage is not
meant particularly for those who
do not believe in it.
And considering precisely
its essential nature the basic
rights that flow therefrom plus
the essential obligations that go
therewith marriage is not for
everybody in the same way that
not everyone is meant for marriage. As a rule, it is nice to think

Living Mission
Fr. James H. Kroeger, MM

Views and Points

Oscar V. Cruz, D.D.

of marriage, it is fun to prepare

for marriage, it is even exciting
to get married. But after some
time of living together 24/7,
after mutually knowing the real
persons behind the married
parties concerned, after probably even bringing other lives
into the world, then honest to
goodness reality check comes
not only about the attributes
but specially so regarding the
liabilities of the man/husband/
father and/or the woman/wife/
mother concerned. And only
then, do the parties really know

the What, the Why and the

How of marriage as in fact and
in truth it actually is.
Many are the cases and many
as well are the instances when
the common misunderstandings, bilateral disagreements
plus mutual alienations between
many married couples are resolved or settled through mutual
understanding and/or forgiveness, through much goodwill
and patience, through fervent
prayers and/or proper marriage
counseling. But all these posiViews and Points / A5

Why Serve the Poor:

Three Perspectives

Year of the Poor Reflections

MOTHER Teresa. Saint John Paul II called
Mother Teresa of Calcutta an icon of the
service to life which the Church is offering
in Asia (EA 7). We can draw insight and
inspiration from her life-witness and poignant words:
We read in the Gospel that Jesus Christ
came into the world to give us the Good
News that God is love; that God loves you
and loves me; that He wants us to love one
another as He loves each of us. And to make
us understand this love, He used a beautiful
way of explaining: Whatever you do to the
poor, you do it to Me. I was hungry and you
gave Me to eat. I was naked, and you clothed
Me. I was homeless, and you took Me in.
It is something wonderful to think that
you and I can return that love, that we too
can love God. Where is God? To make
it easy for us, He gives us an opportunity
to love Him in one another. For He said,
Whatever you do to the least, to the man
dying, the destitute, the hungry, you do to
Me.
Put your love for God into living action,
always remembering that it is not what you
do, but what you are, and how much love
you put into the doing, and have undivided
love for God and for each other.
Brother Bob. Father Bob McCahill, MM,

who calls himself Brother Bob, has worked

several decades in Bangladesh; he describes
his experiences: What are you doing here?
Thats a question Bengalis continue to ask
me. I reply: I try to help people who are
sick and poor. Why do that? they ask me.
I answer: Because Jesus, my Model, did it.
My purpose here continues to be simply to
live as a Christian among Muslims, showing
Gods love, especially to the poorest.
Progressively, it has been dawning on me
that my efforts have to do with more than
helping and healing the sick. I also invite and
inspire trust. It is literally thrilling for me
to win the trust of the poor. Now, many of
them invite me into their hut-homes, request
me to share their food, bring me with them
to religious festivals, ask me to bless them
when they are sick and when they are well,
expect me to name their babies; they pray
for me and tell me jokes.
They know that I am a Christian and that
my faith is not a threat to theirs. Brother
Bob believes he finds acceptance by both rich
and poor Muslims in Bangladesh, precisely
because he has gone to the poorest.
Sister Emelina. Filipina Sister Emelina
Villegas, ICM, expresses her motivation for
her apostolate with the poor: I have always
been involved with the people, especially the

Why we need the cross

poor, as far back as my days in the elementary

grades. I want to give myself for othersto help them help themselves then,
hopefully, I will be gaining some merits for
myself and my loved ones and thus would
be deserving of heaven.
As a religious missionary within a congregation whose option is for the poor, who
are seeking life and freedom, my response is
to be with the oppressed and exploited, particularly the workers who are downtrodden
in spite of their contribution to the economy
of the country.
My faith in Jesus Christ has been the
driving force in all my involvements. But
my different involvements have helped me
discover the different faces of Christ. My
faith in Christ has brought me right into
the heart of the struggle of the people, and
while participating therein, the image of
Christ is purified. Undoubtedly, Sister
Villegas possesses a profound faith-vision of
the unity and inter-connectedness of all the
members of the Church, the Body of Christ.
Reflection. Note that all these generous
persons who serve the poor call themselves
by a very personal name: Mother, Brother,
Sister. Indeed, a true personal relationship
always underlies genuine Christian service
of the poor.

Candidly Speaking
Fr. Roy Cimagala

-- Laudato Si (Nos. 143-446)

Monitor
CBCP

PROTAGONIST OF TRUTH, PROMOTER OF PEACE

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Editor-in-Chief

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ONE of the greatest disasters of our times is

that many people, a great majority of them,
have nothing but disgust and even hatred for
the distinctive value of suffering. For them,
suffering is an intrinsic evil, and therefore
should be avoided at all costs.
The cross, the icon of suffering, should
be nothing other than an ornament at best.
It should not hold any other purpose or
meaning.
This is the sad thing about our current
world culture. It directly contradicts what
Christ said: If any man will come after me,
let him deny himself, and take up his cross,
and follow me. (Mt 16, 24)
The cross, in whatever form it comes, is
actually the key that opens the spiritual and
supernatural world meant for us. It widens
our perspectives, and leads us to transcend
the limits of our human nature. It enables
us to enter into the dynamics of a love that
is not only material but also spiritual, not
only natural but also supernatural.

It represents the extreme and ultimate way

of loving, as it invites us to go beyond the
confines of our wounded human nature in
order to soar to the divine love from where
we come and to where we are supposed to go.
With the cross, we would know how to
pay for the offenses and sins we have committed. It is the fair deal we are offered in
exchange of the tremendous benefit it also
gives usnothing less than the possibility
to love all the way to God.
God, and not just the sky, is the limit of
our loving. Thats why Christ gave us the new
commandment that summarizes all the other
previous commandments given to usthat
we love one another as he, Christ, loved us.
Christ is the standard of our love, and not
just any human and natural value.
Thats why saints and holy men and
women, following the example of Christ,
have always seen the cross as something most
welcome in their lives, because Christs love
for us goes all the way to the cross. Pope

Benedict says, There is no love without

suffering.
Opus Dei founder, St. Josemaria Escriva,
echoing the sentiments of all the saints,
laments that the cross is still a symbol of
death, instead of being a sign of life. People
still flee from the cross as though it were a
scaffold, when it is a throne of glory. Christians still reject the cross and identify it with
sorrow, instead of identifying it with love.
Without the cross, we debase our love and
restrict it to the purely sensual, worldly, and
temporal level. Without it, the wings of our
love are cut as it functions only on the basis
of practicality, convenience, popularity, and
other earthly values, motives and advantages.
This is what we see in all these rationalizations behind the move to pass the RH Bill,
for example. Those for it, as well as all those
who are for abortion, euthanasia and similar
things, are espousing a kind of love that sees
no value in the cross.
Candidly Speaking / A7

CBCP Monitor

OPINION A5

August 3 - 16, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 16

By the Roadside
Rev. Eutiquio Euly Belizar, Jr., SThD

From the State of the Nation

to the State of our souls

Duc In Altum

Atty. Aurora A. Santiago

IN the space of a week there have

been two SONAS, one from the
President and the other, from the
Vice President, of the Republic.
To me, hearing and reading
both versions only call to mind
Goethes remark: Each one sees
what he carries in his heart.
Obviously the President carries or, shall I say, prefers to carry
mostly the half-full version of
the socio-economic-political realities of his administration. On
the other hand, in a fashion both
supported and derided by friends
and foes alike, the Vice President
unloaded the half-empty version. To the Presidents pitch
of beaming-progress-becauseof-Daang-Matuwid (Straight
Path), the Vice President repeated his manhid (insensitive)and-palpak (failed) feedback
on the present administrations
performance, mostly ignoring
the fact he was very much a part
of it, in the first place.
What I have found rather
ironic in the Presidents language
in the past five years is his use of
the word Boss to refer to the
citizenry. I have often wondered
what was that supposed to mean

or whether or not it was part and

parcel of political gimmickry. In
the first place, the Boss gives
the order and not simply watches
passively by the sidelines while
the administration went on trying to carry out its own vision
and notion of progress through
a much-touted non-inclusive
economic growth, deteriorating
services (of which the LRT-MRT
problem is only symptomatic)
and an anti-corruption drive hitting mostly political enemies. The
Bosses have been clearly speaking
their minds as well as their hearts
not only in surveys or the media,
social or print, but also in ordinary places such as markets, bus
and train stations, churches and
classrooms, farms and seashores.
But have they really been heard,
much less heeded and obeyed?
Doesnt the truth lie somewhere
in something like this: The Bosses are really a select few who have
his ears and mind or whose ideas
(or ideologies) resonate in his ears
and mind? In other words, calling
us Bosses is pretty misleading.
On the other hand, the Vice
Presidents SONA, while providing the contrary view on Philip-

Nine Things in Life I

Learned from St. Ignatius
1. STRETCHING IS PAINFUL BUT IT
PAYS. Saint Ignatius taught me the value
of giving more than what I can give. For
growth, happiness, and miracle take place
when I go beyond myself. It could be painful,
but stretching myself to follow Gods will is
the only way to happiness and meaningful
life. (Magis)
2. PRESENCE MAKES SENSE. Presence
is love. I may not have the three Ps of life Possesions, Power, and Prestige - but I have
the love of God to share. Deep in my heart
is the love of Christ. Such unconditional
love of Christ ignites my heart to leave my
comfort zones and touch the hearts of many.
For love is not genuine when without our
presence. (Cura Personalis)
3. GOD IS NOT A QUITTER. I am a
perennial sinner, a doubter, and slow learner
of Gods love. And yet, God is so patient and
trusting. He is not a quitter when it comes
to loving me. I have lots of dark spots in my
soul. The good news is--I have a good spot

pine realities, somehow supplying what the Presidents SONA

wittingly or unwittingly set aside
(that is, the continuing poverty,
unemployment, corruption,
criminal impunity, the Mamasapano heroes and villains etc.)
also raises questions in his direction. For instance, how much
of his criticisms comes from an
objective assessment of things
or from good old sour-graping
because he was not endorsed by
the Chief Excecutive? And if he
wanted the administration to
address squarely questions of its
failures, omissions and offenses,
why wouldnt he do the same on
the charges long leveled against
him?
Maybe the SONAS also give
us glimpses into the state of our
nations soul. In it we see an
adolescent penchant to ape the
world rather than, as it were,
follow the Lord in how progress and development are to be
viewed and pursued. Daang
Matuwid (Straight Path) is
mostly measured by what is legal
and what is politically correct
rather than by what is moral and
spiritual. Uplifting the poor, on

the other hand, is often reduced

to turning the whole Philippines into a huge archipelago of
Makati-like havens.
I would rather that the SONAS and counter SONAS now
and in the future teach us that, in
the middle of perceived successes
and triumphs, failures and character flaws of our leaders, they
and we the people eventually
learn humility in admitting truth
from friends and foes alike. As
Isaac of Nineveh, a Syrian monk
once taught: One who knows
his weakness is greater than one
who sees angels. I would modify
it thus: One who admits his
weaknesses and failures is greater
by far than one who sees only
his successes and achievements.
But it is also good to discern
the good and the bad in our leaders decisions and indecisions,
actions and inactions. To quote
a wise spiritual master: When
you see good in the other person,
think of emulating him; when
you see bad in the other, examine
your heart.
After all, a healthy state of the
nation means a healthy state of
our souls.

Pitik-Bulag
Fr. Wilfredo Samson, SJ

in Gods heart. (Sinner yet called by God.)

4. STOP, LOOK, AND DISCERN. The
devil is good at magic and playing tricks, if
you are not good in catching his tail, you
will be seduced by the beauty of his face.
(Discernment of Spirits)
5. BEGGING FOR AN INNER LENS.
God is present everywhere. I need to learn
the art of seeing God everywhere, especially
in darkness, failures, and difficulties. St Ignatius insisted on grounding our faith in
prayer to gain an inner lens. For we walk by
faith, not by sight. (To see God everywhere)
6. TO THE PERIPHERIES. We have heard
this phrase from Pope Francis. The challenge to
go to the frontier was clear in the mind of Saint
Ignatius - to go to the most forsaken places
where nobody wants to walk. I must admit, I
find myself more true to myself and to my vocation when I am with the poor, marginalized,
and the oppressed. (To the Frontiers)
7. BITTER PILLS FOR BETTER LIFE.
Ignatian Spirituality is Cruci-centrix: The

source of our strength is the Passion and

death of Christ. The crucifixion was the
apex of the Christs self-offering for Gods
greater glory. Our following of God would
mean dying to ourselves. Ironically, the more
I die for others, the more I live for God.
(Cruci-centrix)
8. WE ARE BLESSED TO BLESS. We
are so blessed by God. But these bountiful
blessings we enjoy are not only for ourselves
We were forgiven so that we may forgive
others. We are blessed so that we may bless
others. Everything is gift, and we return
everything to Him - for His glory. (Total
Offering of Self )
9. MINIONS ARE NOT EVIL. Minions
love to serve bad masters. But Minions are
not really bad. They are just disoriented and
miseducated. Saint Ignatius of Loyola realized the importance of excellent education
as a tool to good life. I can personally attest
to how good education had led me towards
the Good Master - Jesus. (Good Education)

Think Before You Click

Whatever

Fr. Francis Ongkingco

I CAN still vividly recall how my dad used

to enjoy teaching us proverbial phrases. He
got a book, I now forget the title, and showed
us some pictures accompanied by wisdomfilled sayings.
One of them had an amusing caricature
of a man jumping into a lake. He is shocked
when he realizes too late that he is diving
right into the hungry mouth of a smiling
crocodile. The cartoon was labeled: Look
before you leap!
I remembered this adage as I re-read
Pope Francis address to the youth in the
University of Sto. Tomas last 18th January this year. In a youthful tone, the Pope
encouraged young and old to learn how
to love.
Unfortunately, this youthful experience
can encounter interferences within and
without the heart. Thus, recently with the
youth of Paraguay, Francis warned them
about the numerous snares that trap and
enslave the heart: exploitation of people,
the lack of the basic resources to survive,
drug addiction, sadness, all these things
remove freedom.
In order to avoid these snares, one has to
observe the following steps suggested by the
Holy Father: to think well, feel well, and
lastly to act well. This sequence is the secret
to learning how to love.
This brings me back to the saying Look
before you leap! How often do we love
without following this wise sequence? How
often do we ACT that is, by clicking, liking, uploading and downloading etc.,
without first THINKING?

How many virtual misadventures occur

because one has not thought before jumping into cyberspace? Im not only referring
to pornography, hate, and terrorist sites, and
violent video games, etc. Im more concerned
about how much time, resources, and opportunities are wasted because one has not
thought wisely before acting.
The act of loving is undoubtedly something powerfully associated with the heart
of every human being. This is because every
person was created by God for love and each
one naturally wants to be loved! But it is
important to give the heart the love it truly
deserves and not only what it whimsically desires. Otherwise, it will be trapped by lower
forms of enslaving and corrupting loves.
In order for the heart to desire and possess
a genuine love, it requires enlightenment
from a formed intellect. This light presents
what is truly and authentically desirable to
the will. A man can never desire something
that he does not know. Only when the intellect presents something good to the will
can the heart now have an object to desire
and tend to.
Knowing what is good, however, isnt
sufficient. The will must move towards the
possession of what is desired. Now, sometimes (as experience shows) the will isnt
very inclined towards the arduous good
(work, exercise or the virtues) and tends
more towards the gravitational pull of instant gratification or quick fixes (comfort,
pleasure, laziness or the vices). Only with
a formed intellect and a disciplined will
can a person freely choose a good that will

truly fulfill him.

One concrete tool that can be employed to
help us think well and feel well is to follow a
daily personal plan or schedule. Given that
we have so many things in mind and in heart,
we cannot allow anything to simply derail us
from more important tasks and duties.
St. Josemara, would say, When you bring
order into your life your time will multiply,
and then you will be able to give God more
glory, by working more in his service. (The
Way, no. 80) This order naturally begins
within us by dominating flights of fancy
and laziness. But having a schedule that we
sincerely follow can be a helpful means to
keep us on the right track.
This daily schedule could contain the
basic components of prayer, study-work,
family, and rest. When we strive to keep to
it, we will grow in self-discipline and when
we lift up the things we do for love of God,
then we grow spiritually. St. Josemara, often
considered a useful personal evaluation that
helped him carry out his duties: Ask yourself many times during the day: Am I doing
at this moment what I ought to be doing?
(Ibid., no. 772)
Perhaps, Pope Francis prayer in Paraguay
may be a handy prayer to say every time we
are tempted not to do what we ought to do,
and not to be in what we must be doing:
Lord Jesus, give me a free heart, one that is
not enslaved by the traps of the world, that it
may not be enslaved by comfort, the lie that
it wont be enslaved by a good life, that it may
not be a slave to vices, and a false freedom
of doing what I please at every moment.

Views and Points / A4

tive means and approaches can

only be realities in the event that
both the parties concerned had
the following three fundamental
dispositions: One, the willingness to get married. Two, the
readiness to face the difficulties of married life. Three, the
capacity to live married life in
terms not simply of exercising

the rights but also fulfilling the

obligations essential to marriage. In other words, both the
man and the woman should
have the following personal
traits:
The unconditional willingness
to get married. Even from its
very start, it would be unrealistic to even but think that

unwillingness to get married is

the premise of pacified married
life, i.e., when No! is made
a Yes!.
The realistic readiness to get
married. When someone is not
ready to get married, marriage
should not even be thought off,
much less in fact entered into
such as would be not simply

unreasonable but actually erratic.

The socio-affective capacity
to get married. When either
the man and/or the woman is
precisely incapacitated for marriage intents and purposes due to
incapacitating personality traits,
marriage would be the last thing
for either of them to even but
think about.

Drop, Cover, Hold

and Pray
TELEVISION, radio, newspapers, and social media reported
that the Metro Shake Drill last July 30 was a huge success.
Each and every city, municipality, and about 6 million people
participated in the Shake Drill. All LGUs (Local Government
Units), business establishments, schools, churches, and individuals conducted drills in their respective places. The MMDA
(Metro Manila Development Authorities) conducted both
daytime and nighttime Shake Drills, the evening drill was
done in Ortigas Business District in Pasig City.
In Caloocan City, at the strike of 10:30 in the morning, the
City Hall siren blasted while the San Roque Cathedral bells
were rung. Office employees and students did the Drop, Cover,
Hold in their offices and schools, and we must not forget to
Pray. After 45 seconds, employees, and students calmly left
their offices and classrooms, with hands over their head (or
books covering their head), and proceeded to Mabini Street
where the Shake Drill volunteers gave orientations to the
participants on what to do in case of earthquake.
***
According to the study by MMDA, PHIVOLCS (Philippine
Institute of Volcanology and Seismology) and JICA (Japan
International Cooperation Agency), a 7.2 magnitude earthquake disaster could result in an estimated 33,500 casualties
and 113,600 wounded.
The Shake Drill is the much-needed preparation when the
Big One strikes, everyone and anyone is at risk with what the
powerful earthquake can cause to everyone. With the Shake
Drill, we hope that everyone will know what to do. We suggest that the Shake Drill be done either monthly or every
two months so that people are well-informed about disaster
preparedness. Family members must have a plan on a previously agreed place where to meet, if ever communication lines
are cut. We must be familiar with the emergency hotlines and
where the evacuation centers are in our area. We must at least
know basic first aid, navigation, swimming, self-defense, fire
fighting, and physical fitness.
***
However, it is important that we are informed and equipped.
We must be ready with the go bag or emergency bag for each
member of the family. It must be stored in the car, office, and
near the bed of the house, easily handy when calamity strikes.
We never can tell where we would be when it happens. Being
informed, prepared, and well-equipped is an everyday effort.
Dr Ted Esguerra, the Disaster Preparedness and Response Unit
Lead of the Energy Development Corporation and the founder
and course designer of Wilderness Search and Rescue Team,
said bringing an emergency bag wherever one goes is only
one element of preparedness. The percentage of preparation
is equal to the percentage of survival.
In the past issues of our column, we enumerated what the
go-bag must contain. We are repeating the same today.
The go bag could be a backpack or small stroller bag which
contains the following: whistle (so other people can hear and
find you), flashlight with batteries (to aid in evacuation or
searches), small battery-operated radio (to stay updated on
disaster information), a help banner (so people can see you),
water, biscuits, medicines, and First Aid Supplies, a blanket,
important documents, glow sticks, garbage bags that can be
used as mats, alcohol and betadine patches, and aquatabs for
purifying water, a family photo for identification purposes, a
pocket-knife (to cut food, duct tape, first aid), a dust mask (a
contamination protection), a change of clothes (underwear,
sturdy shoes, a warm top for cold weather or a hat for the
sun), soap, shampoo and lotion, toothbrush/toothpaste (travel
size is sufficient), small amount of cash (small denominations
and coins), local map (know local evacuation routes), pencil,
permanent markers, paper (to record information), an extra
set of car/home keys, feminine hygiene products (depends on
the individual), small toys, playing cards, books (depends on
the individual), emergency kits for pets (optional).
***
On the occasion of its 200th Anniversary as a parish, the San
Roque Cathedral, seat of the Diocese of Kalookan, embarked
on the renovation of its Sanctuary or Altar. It has launched the
Tree of Generosity to raise funds for the project, however, the
funds raised were not enough to finance the project. Hence,
the Diocese through Fr. Romy Tuazon, organized a concert
entitled Dakila ka San Roque to be held on Aug. 14, 2015,
Friday, at 7:00 p.m. at the Skydome, SM City North EDSA,
Quezon City. The concert is with the special participation of
Bishop Francis de Leon, Fr. James del Rosario, Fr. Ken Neral,
Fr. Hieden Timbang, Fr. Nestor Fajardo, Fr. Rey Amante,
Fr. Gau Sustento, and surprise guest celebrities. It will also
feature the NBI Chorale, Rosa Mystica Choir, Immaculate
Heart of Mary Grand Chorale, and San Roque Cathedral
Grand Chorale. We invite everyone to watch the concert
and be a part of the repair of the Altar of our Cathedral.
You may buy tickets at Curia Office (02) 961-7630 (Gigi
de Lara), (02) 287-3693 (Ryan Rezo) and (02) 288-9035
(Atty. Au Santiago).
***
The replica of Magellans Cross, the symbol of the 51st
International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) in Cebu from Jan.
24-31, 2016, visited the Diocese of Kalookan. The Welcome
Mass was celebrated by Fr. Benedict Cervantes while the
Farewell Mass was presided by Fr. James del Rosario with concelebrants Fr. Rey Amante, Fr. Philip Pepito, and Fr. Alberto
Cahilig. Fr. Pepito of the Archdiocese of Cebu is the priest in
charge of the visit of the IEC symbol to the different dioceses
in the country. Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma approved the use
of Magellans Cross as the IEC symbol because it represents
the first Mass in the Philippines on March 31, 1521. This
is the 2nd time that the Philippines will host the IEC, the
first one was in 1937 during the Pontificate of Pope Pius XI.
The gathering provides the opportunity for experiencing and
understanding the Eucharist as a transforming encounter
with the Lord, as well as the occasion for the discovery and
rediscovery of the faith.
***
We would like to greet Fr. Abet Caballero, Fr. Jojo Aguas
and Curia Staff Marilou Reyes of the Diocese of Kalookan a
very Happy Birthday. Fr. Abet celebrates his 25th Sacerdotal
Anniversary and 55th Birthday on Aug 8 at San Bartolome
Parish. Congratulations to Fr. Benedict Cervantes who will
be installed as the new parish priest of Sagrada Familia on
Aug. 15 vice Fr. Jun Bartolome, the new parish priest of San
Jose de Navotas.

A6 LOCAL NEWS

CBCP Monitor

August 3 - 16, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 16

Marriage a rich religious experience Tagle

THE experience of sharing a
life with someone in marriage
is meant to be a rich religious
experience.
This was the message of Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio
Cardinal Tagle at the 2nd Marriage Encounter National Congress held last July 25, Saturday,
at the Century Park Hotel.
Closing the gathering with a
solemn Eucharistic celebration,
Tagle, in his homily, talked about
the centrality of human encounters, particularly in marriages or

friendships, which can be a rich

religious experience if it becomes
a communion with God.
Fear of marriage
Tagle emphasized the word
encounter, which is the Holy
Fathers model of mission.
Each encounter must carry with
it an experience of the Divine, he
explained.
However, the cardinal also
pointed out several blocks to
such an encounter. One of which
is becoming too calculating, too

pragmatic, and too functional.

When this happens, people are
forgotten and miracles cease to
happen, he added.
Nowadays, however, many
people are afraid of marriages, of
family life, he shared. [Young
people] hear bad things, see only
bad things.
This situation was also brought
up last year at the Synod by European Bishops, leading them
to ask the following questions:
first, Who is sowing the seeds of
fear in the young? and second,

Beyond monetary valuation

Gariguez said the governments aggressive promotion of mining activities
under the guise of spurring on development brings serious consequences to the
lives of present and future generations.
The inherent defect is the notion
that development is often equated
with the delivery of the much-needed
investment, which is often achieved
at the expense of social and ecological
equilibrium, he added.
According to the priest, so-called development, when pursued primarily for
financial benefits is distorted because it
does not factor in human and ecological
well-being.
We should never sacrifice people and
the environment for short-term benefit
of the few, he said.
The priest also reiterated his call to the
faithful to fight greed and give careful
consideration to the environment in
order to achieve genuine development
and environmental sustainability.
Protecting the rights of the poor
must take precedence over corporate
greed. Genuine development must
prioritize the need to ensure ecological
sustainability over market profitability,
explained Gariguez.
Gariguez noted that if large-scale
mining activities would go unabated,
grave consequences such as the denudation of forest ecosystems and conflict
in access and control of resources will
haunt Filipinos for many generations.

Wanted: genuine development

The survival of indigenous communities will be threatened due to their displacement in their own ancestral lands,
while the livelihood of farmers living
in downstream communities will also
be greatly impacted, Gariguez added.
The priest urged the faithful to go
beyond profit-oriented ideology and
carefully consider environmental sustainability to drive the country towards
genuine development.
We see the need to go beyond the myopic monetary valuation of our natural
resources to give weightier consideration
to the demand for ecological protection,
promotion of environmental justice and
the common good, he said.
We need to recognize the flaw in the
market framework which regards the
natural resources as something to be
exploited rather than a crucial reserve
to be sustained and protected in order
to preserve the ecological balance and to
ensure sustainability for all--both for the
human community and the threatened
ecosystems, Gariguez added.
Gariguez cited as an example the case
of Mindoro province, which once had
967,400 hectares of forest in the 1950s,
and now has only 50,000 hectares of
forest cover remaining. The significant
forest loss of 95% contributes to the
instability of the environment both in
the upland and lowland areas.
But instead of restoring the balance,
the forest ecosystems are now even more
in danger of being denuded due to the
threats posed by more than 92 mining
applications all over the island of Mindoro, he said. (Jennifer M. Orillaza/
CBCP News)

Semirara / A1

Destructive
The groups particularly cited studies
which showed how SMPC, a subsidiary
of DMCI Holdings Inc., destroyed over
83.92 hectares of mangrove with 31
species and more than 2 kilometers of
coral reefs from 2009 to 2014 alone.
Caritas and the diocese added that
coal mines caused toxicity to the surrounding waters and destroyed a rich
fishing ground shared by Antique,
Romblon, Mindoro, and Palawan.
Of the fossil fuels, coal is the most
dangerous insofar as global warming is
concerned, the statement read, adding that
Semirara accounts for 7.5 of the 7.8 million
metric tons of coal produced locally.
Global warming is caused largely by
carbon dioxide and methane emissions
from coal-powered plants.
As such, the phenomenon melts polar
ice caps which contributes to rising sea
levels, making the the island-nation
eighth among the countries it endangers most.
We demand that the government

recognize the direct contribution of coal

mining and coal powered operations to
global warming. It is the entire country
that stands at a loss for every environmental disaster that hits it, they said.
Expansion
The groups also criticized the extension of Semiraras operating contract to
year 2027, and the expansion of its coverage from the original 5,500 hectares
to the current 12,700 hectares.
Unong pit, a Semirara mining area
abandoned after its resources were depleted is now underwater. The 400-hectare Panian Pit is walking towards this
watery death as well, they said.
The tragedy which killed nine miners
earlier this month reportedly took place at
the north wall of the Panian open pit of the
coal mine in Semirara, Caluya, Antique.
In February 2013, the DOE also
suspended the SMPCs operation after
a mining accident that claimed five lives
but was given a go-signal to resume
operations two months later.

Passage / A1

More harm than good

The appeal was made amid plans
for a gold mining operation and a
600-megawatt coal-fired power plant
in Lobo, Batangas.
Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles
said the projects would bring more damage than benefits to the people.
We want not just a moratorium
but a total ban on mining and coalfired power plant projects in the whole
province, he said in a press conference
at a hotel in Quezon City on July 23.
He said the campaign has nothing
to do with local politics but for the
survival of our race.
The group asked the government for
the revocation and cancellation of all
approved mineral production sharing
agreements granted in Lobo for mining
and eventually, ceasing the issuance of
environmental compliance certificates
to similar entities.
It also called on the tourism department
to declare the Verde Island Passage and the
coastal areas of Lobo as tourism zones.
They have to think [about] the
welfare of the people, said Arguelles.
They want progress, but actually its
just for some interests and not for the
common good.
The coalition is supported by more
than 10,000 signatures of people who

The Gospel alive in the family

Quoting St. Paul, Tagle said,
Evil is conquered by good.
Good News, according to the
youngest cardinal, means God
is with us, Emmanuel. He also
defined the Gospel as the Good
News of Jesus Christ. Through
Christs suffering, death and
resurrection, the life of God and

the Holy Spirit poured into the

hearts [of men], he said. We
have the pledge of new life.
However, it was the love of
God that made this possible,
explained Tagle. Death could
not contain love. Death was
defeated, he said. Death does
not have the final word. Only
hope coming from God.
Imagine this, [the paschal
mystery], embodied in the family, Tagle challenged the participants.
The prelate stressed the family

should and still is be where one

first and foremost experiences
the love of God and where one
will always experience it.
[A] family [rooted] in Christ
is truly an experience of the
Gospel, he said.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ
must be experienced in the
family.
Some 700 delegates attended
the event organized by the Marriage Encounter Foundation of
the Philippines. (Natalie Hazel
Quimlat/CBCPNews)

Clergy elated as Lobo town officials pull support from gold mining

Investments / A1

Conference of the National Justice and

Peace Network held at the Swanwick
Derbyshire, United Kingdom last July
17 to 19.

How eagerly are we sowing the

seeds of joy and the Good News
of family among our young
people?

are also against mining and coal operations, and an online petition signed by
around 9,000 people.
No to mining, coal plants
We are mobilizing a massive force
that will stand up against the raping
of the environment because the Verde
Island Passage has impact on the global
ecology, he added.
Lobo officials earlier have all but
killed off the plan for the Php 640 million gold mining project in the face of
overwhelming popular opposition and
fears about the provinces environment.
The town council has cancelled its
earlier resolution endorsing an MPSA,
which is a step closer towards approval
of a mining application, amid criticisms
of lack of proper consultation.
Fr. Dakila Ramons, head of Lipas
archdiocesan ministry on environment,
said it was clearly a betrayal to the
people of Lobo.
These kind of projects will not bring
any good to the people, especially to the
poor, Arguelles said.
A team of US marine conservationist
in 2006 declared that the Philippines is
the center of marine biodiversity in the
world and dubbed Verde Island Passages
the center of the center of marine
shore fish biodiversity.

THE local government of

Lobo in Batangas has reversed a resolution it issued
earlier endorsing a mining
project, earning praise from
the Catholic clergy and environmental advocates.
The resolution by Councilor Rey Nelson Amparo
withdrawing support from
the MRL-Egerthon mining project was approved
through a unanimous decision by the town council during its session on Monday.
It is really a victory for
the people of Lobo, said
Fr. Dakila Ramos of Lipas
Archdiocesan Ministry on
Environment.
No consultation
The priest lamented how
the town council earlier
passed the pro-mining measure without undergoing the
proper process and without
any consultation.
The move, according to
Dakila, was a betrayal to

the people of Lobo and our

environment.
We do not want mining
to destroy Lobo, and we will
never agree to it ever. It is
about time that the abusive
use of power stops. It is
about time that the mining
companies realize that they
cannot pay their way into
ravaging our lands because
the people of Lobo will never
let it happen, he said.
More than 200 people
earlier rallied for the cancellation of the mining project
outside the town hall as the
dialogue between the local
residents and mining firm
officials was being held.
Many residents cried foul
against the project for supposed lack of sufficient
consultation and its impact
on the environment, especially the Verde Island passage which the the American Smithsonian Institute
dubbed the center of the
center of the worlds ma-

rine biodiversity.
Worthless revenue
The Verde Island Passage
is home to dolphins, sea
turtles, humphead wrasses,
giant groupers, giant clams,
flying fish, luminous planktons, and some 300 species
of corals considered one of
the biggest concentrations
of corals in the whole world.
The MRL-Egerthon is
seeking government approval
to commercially mine gold in
1,174 hectares, adding that
it can give Php 640 million
worth of revenue to Lobo.
However, anti-mining
group Alyansa Tigil Mina
shot down the mining firms
claims, saying the supposed
economic benefits is worthless compared to the destruction the project will
bring to Lobo.
Jaybee Garganera, ATM
national coordinator, said
Lobo houses an estimated
40,000 citizens and Mount

Banoi, a watershed that

provides potable water for
Batangas.
MRL-Egerthons mining
operation will surely produce
adverse effects not just to the
people but to the environment, he said.
Coal power
Even the people of Lobo
know this that is why they
are doing everything in their
power to culminate the plans
of mining in their area.
Social acceptability is
one of the fundamental elements for a mining operation
to start and since MRLEgerthon failed to secure
this, it is time the mining
company faces defeat and
leave Lobo alone. Garganera
added.
Aside from gold mining,
the Lipa archdiocese is also
leading the fight against
the proposed 600-megawatt
coal-fired power plant project in Lobo. (Roy Lagarde/
CBCPNews)

More help needed to rebuild fire-hit convent

DESPITE a massive fire nearly a month
ago destroying a religious orders convent, there is hope it will be rebuilt
but not so soon.
The Sisters of Holy Face of Jesus
(HFJ) said more funds are needed
for the rebuilding of its Generalate
house located on F. R. Hidalgo Street
in Manilas Quiapo district.
Mother Teresita Bantillo, HFJ Superior General, said acquiring clearance for
rebuilding alone is already costly because
they will need to comply with all the
required needed fire safety measures.
No alterations can be made to the
convent without first getting clearance, Bantillo said. Its very hard on
our part.
Book, magazine sale
It is a huge sum of money. And
instead of buying those things, it can
sustain our everyday survival and buy
food. Still, I understand this dilemma
that both safety and survival are important, she said.
In an effort to raise even just a small
amounts of money, the nuns on Tuesday
started selling old books and magazines
with cheap prices ranging from at least
Php 10 to Php 50.
We sell them for low prices instead
of being stacked in the storage. At
least these little things can help us,
Bantillo said.
This is the treasure of our community We plan to restore the building
to its original state, she explained.
The structure shall be made stron-

The Sisters of Holy Face of Jesus (HFJ) survey the damage done by the June 30 fire that razed their convent.
CBCPNEWS

ger and raise the first floor to avoid

the flooding.
Foundress records
The HFJs Generalate house was hit by
fire last June 30, destroying household items,
memorabilia, and important documents.
Bantillo, however, said some important records about their foundress,
Mother Therese Vicente, were not damaged by the fire.
While the convent burns, I prayed
[to God] to please do miracles and
preserve the documents and files, she
said. And the Lord heard that prayer.
Many of the files are burned only on
its edges, and some are burned yet the

contents are still readable. Even the

statues and memorabilia of Mother
(Therese) were spared.
Bantillo explained with the main
offices gone, much of her job and the
secretariats have been affected.
However, she said, their other programs
such as feeding street children, which takes
place every Saturday, continues.
Her room was also ravaged by the
fire, so she temporarily stays in a another nuns room, as if an informal
settler, she said in jest.
The other buildings inside the HFJ
compound including the chapel,
however, were spared. (Luke Godoy/
CBCPNews)

Solar / A1

ecology encyclical, Laudato

Si, said Atimonan parish
priest Msgr. Emmanuel Villareal.
The 5 kw grid type system
will supply almost 50 percent
of the daytime electricity
needs of the church which
translates to roughly Php

12,000 worth of savings from

their monthly bill.
Parishioners from far-flung
areas also attended a symposium about the Church social
teaching on care for creation.
The Diocese of Lucena
is currently leading a fight
against the putting up of a

1,200mw coal-fired power

plant in the towns Villa
Ibaba village.
Caritas Philippines, the social action arm of the Catholic Bishops Conference of
the Philippines, said it is
fully behind the stand of the
Lucena clergy.

By making a small step

towards becoming a green
church, we are providing
our people a strong message
that switching to renewables
is possible and we, starting
with our communities, can
do it now, Villareal said.
(Yen Ocampo/CBCPNews)

Corruption / A1

lawmakers and other officials for questionable aims, Sorsogon Bishop Arturo
Bastes said.
Not inclusive growth
The bishop was referring to allegations that Malacaang gave money to
lawmakers for the passage of the Reproductive Health law and the impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona.
While Aquino, whose term ends
next year, should be given credit for
the improvement of the economy, the
prelate lamented that its effect is not
inclusive.
Things also went wrong, they said,
when the administration continued
to protect its allies tagged in the pork
barrel scam, making them untouchables.

Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez of Marbel

in South Cotabato criticized the president for employing selective justice
which, according to him is graft and
corruption in itself.
There is no daang matuwid. Selective justice (exists in the Aquino administration), he said.
No FOI
Novaliches Bishop Emeritus Teodoro
Bacani said such practices damaged
Aquinos supposed anti-corruption
campaign.
For his part, Bishop Efraim Tendero
of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches said there were observable
anti-corruption measures but most of
the punitive measures were only directed against the opposition.

We are glad that he addressed corruption in the past but how about corruption in the present? said Tendero.
He also lamented how the government handled the situation after typhoon Yolanda wreaked havoc in many
parts of Visayas.
paralyzed rehabilitation in Tacloban,
said Tendero said.
Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick
Pabillo also lamented how the government has been ignoring calls for the passage of the Freedom of Information Bill.
He said if the government is serious
in fighting corruption, Aquino must
declare it a priority measure, adding
that irregularities such as the pork barrel scandal will only be uncovered once
public records are made available for
scrutiny. (Roy Lagarde/CBCPNews)

CBCP Monitor

Have high tolerance for

suffering Archbishop
to seminarians

Davao Archbishop Romulo G. Valles installed on July 4, 2015 seminarian lectors and
acolytes of the St. Francis Xavier Regional Major Seminary, Davao. The prelate called
on all those who serve in the Church to have a high tolerance for the pain and suffering
they will encounter because of their service. BRENDA MILAN

DAVAO City Serving the

Church will entail a lot of persecution and challenges, so
ministers, which includes all
who serve in the Church, should
develop a high tolerance to pain
and suffering as they respond to
peoples needs.
This was the message of the
Davao Archbishop Romulo
Valles to newly-installed seminarian lectors and acolytes of the
St. Francis Xavier Regional Major Seminary, which used to be
the only seminary in Mindanao.
During the Mass and rite of
installation held at the San Pedro
Cathedral here last July 4, the
prelate called on the seminarian
lectors and acolytes to be constant
in prayer and be more tolerant of
frustrations and difficulties.
Service and prayer
Lectors are tasked to spread
the Good News being readers of
the Word of God while acolytes
assist the priests and deacons
in the celebration of the Holy
Eucharist.
Service and constant prayer
are inseparable. They are nonnegotiables in our faith, said
Valles in his homily, adding that
the Eucharist is one of the nonnegotiables in their ministry and
in their faith.
Valles said the seminarians
should also be in love with the
Eucharist, so they will be ready
to minister.
Your dreams, mind should be
one with the Church. You should
love the Church the way Jesus
did, he said.

To serve those in despair

The ministers are there to
serve and not to be served. As
a minister, you should serve the
Church, Valles added, recounting the washing of the feet of the
12 apostles, which according to
him is a powerful image.
You should serve the people,
those who are in despair, he told
the 32 lectors who are first year
students of Theology and there
are 27 acolytes coming from
the second year Theology of St.
Francis Xavier Regional Major
Seminary in Catalunan Grande,
Davao City.
The archbishop also thanked
the Foreign Missionaries of Quebec, better known as the PME
Fathers, for their contribution
in building the local church of
Davao.
Its an honor recalling the
work of the PME Fathers. Thats
why we [did] the ceremony here
in the cathedral, Valles told the
bishops, priests, seminarians,
and the Mass-goers present.
The rector of the seminary,
Msgr. Abel Apigo, said the institution of lectors and acolytes
is a way of promoting priestly
vocations as there were college
seminarians coming from different dioceses present during
the Mass.
Meanwhile, the archbishop
also led the investiture of the
23 seminarians of the PreTheology Year who received the
vestment or sotana, which he
blessed during the rite of investiture. (John Frances Fuentes/
CBCP News)

Candidly Speaking / A4

Its ok to contracept, its ok to

abort, its ok to euthanize, because to a particular person, that
may be the right thing to do. No
one should dare to correct him,
unless some immediate physical
harm takes place.
They are developing a kind
of morality that is not based on
God who is love, bur rather on
their own idea of what is good
and evil. They make themselves
their own God.
Since its a morality that
denies God, it cannot help but
fall to the belief that there can
be no absolute truths and no
universal moral law. The corollary is that everything is relative
to the acting person, to the
situation, to the consequences,
and to other circumstances and
elements, etc.
Of course, it is ironic that

what is relative and individualistic is now made the absolute and

universal moral law. Everything
is reduced to the thinking that
what may be good to me may
not be good to you, and viceversa. Theres no such thing as
an intrinsically good act which
should be fostered at all times,
nor an intrinsically bad act that
should be avoided at all times.
This thinking is contained in
such ethical systems as relativism, situation ethics, consequentialism, proportionalism, and
some peculiar variations of the
so-called fundamental option
and liberation theology.
Only considering the circumstances and ignoring the nature
of the act itself and the agents
intentions, they detach themselves from God who loves us
through the Cross.

Ministry / A1

Echoing Pope Francis statement on care for the poor, the

cardinal said the greatest injustice is that the less fortunate are
denied spiritual care.
They experienced so much
injustice. They need pastoral
care, he said.
More than 700 delegates attended the conference where
they formulated motions for
the upcoming Vatican synod on
the family.
The gathering also resulted in
the building of a consensus on
marital and family enrichment
programs that can be shared by
other faith-based organizations.
Tagle said the Congress is still
part of the whole process that
the universal church is going
through.
The family is Good News
He said the dynamics the Pope
wants is to get a wide-ranging
poll of Catholics on their opinions about church teachings on
the family.

A7

August 3 - 16, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 16

The prelate also called on the

delegates to rediscover the meaning of Gospel in the family and
relate it their daily lives.
He said in many fora that he
attended, very little space is given
to pointing out the Good News
in the family.
So you get out having the
conviction that family is bad
news, Tagle said.
During the Council of Synods
recent meeting, Tagle said a concern was raised that many people
are afraid of marriage and family
life, especially in Europe.
The reason, according to him,
is these people only hear and see
bad things about family.
Sadly, he said, those who talk
often about the bad things come
from those who are supposed to
be proclaiming the Gospel.
It was an eye opener to us,
Tagle said. So let us make sure
that we are the ones who proclaim that family is Gospel and
not bad news. (Roy Lagarde/
CBCPNews)

Pangasinan folk mark 90 quake

with life run
DAGUPAN City, Pangasinan
Despite a heavy downpour,
thousands of families, students,
and members of the faithful of
the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan (ALD) participated in the
Run for Life Family Edition,
an advocacy run for the family
on June 16 at the De Venecia
Highway, Dagupan City to mark
the killer 1990 earthquake that
shook Central Luzon.
Organized by the Ministry of
Social Action (MISA), headed by
its coordinator, Janice Hebron,
the Run for Life Family Edition also marked how Dagupan
City rose again twenty-five years
since the earthquake, more resilient than ever.
In his invitation letter, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop
Socrates B. Villegas stressed that
the event, which started in 2011,
aims to advocate the promotion
and protection of life. In this
years Run for Life, he said [at
the] fore-front in this years advocacy run are Christian families.
The celebration started with
a Mass at the St. John the
Evangelist Cathedral Parish.
In his homily, Fr. Soc, as he is
fondly called, said others regard
Pangasinenses and Ilocanos as
kuripot (tightwads) But he
gave a different interpretation
of the word, saying in Filipino:
We are stingy not because we
dont want to give but because
we hold on to our country.
What we remember is the cour-

Despite the rain, thousands of young people and families joined the Archdiocese of Lingayen Dagupans Run for Life Family Edition
on June 16, 2015 to mark the killer 1990 earthquake. Sabins Studio

age of the Pangasinenses, who in

the face of the destruction, hold
on to Jesus, whatever happens.
Its as if Jesus is already being
flogged by the soldiers but he
still doesnt want to let go.
I am a Pangasinense, I am
Catholic, we experienced an
earthquake, we experienced
flood, we are still standing because we will not let go. What
we hold on to is God, Villegas
said also in Filipino.
The Run for Life had different groups for different laps:
one-kilometer, three-kilometer,

five-kilometer, and ten-kilometer groups.

The participants also affixed
their thumb marks to canvasses
in support of the Filipino family
as an agent and training ground
for God-fearing, socially-driven,
and service-oriented Filipino
children.
Believing that the family is
the basic unit of society, and
every Christian family is the
basic unit of Church, we must
pray and work together for the
protection, preservation, and
flourishing of every human fam-

ily amidst the moral tribulations

that [threathen] humanity nowadays, said Richmond Dacanay,
a youth minister and an advocate of the Filipino family who
specifically referring to divorce,
contraception, capital punishment, and same sex marriage.
Interested parties may check
out the coverage of the Run
for Life at this link: HYPERLINK https://www.facebook.
com/sabinsstudio https://
www.facebook.com/sabinsstudio (Sher Pauline Palola/
CBCPNews)

Paraaque faithful warned vs. fake church pages

PARAAQUE City Let the faithful beware!
A priest has warned Catholics from the
Diocese of Paraaque about certain Facebook pages that appear to operate on behalf of the episcopal see as well as its head
pastor, Bishop Jesse E. Mercado, clarifying
once and for all that the person or persons
behind these social media accounts have
no authority to do so, especially since they
give information that confuses the public.
Inaccuracies
We have heard queries about certain
(social media) internet accounts claiming to
represent the Diocese of Paraaque and our
bishop, Most Rev. Jesse E. Mercado, D.D.
Such accounts have been posting inaccurate
schedule of events and appointments of
priests and parish lay leaders which are not
validated and directed by the Bishops Office
nor the Chancery, declares Fr. Carmelo

O. Estores, chancellor of the diocese, in a

recent circular.
Likewise, Fr. Jonathan T. Cadiz, posting
on the wall of one of the bogus accounts,
points out, This is not an official FB diocesan page.
Deception
He adds, appealing to netizens affiliated
with the Diocese, Please be guided not to
be deceived by false [claims]. I pray that the
admin of this page may turn away from the
grave sin of deceiving the people of God.
Realizing the harm which the fake Facebook pages can do, Estores stresses that there
are only three official online platforms the
Paraaque faithful are advised to receive
information from.
Official accounts
T h e o f f i c i a l o n l i n e a c c o u n t s a re

email chancerydop@yahoo.com and

chancerydop@gmail.com; Webpage
www.dioceseofparanaque.org (new);
a d Fa c e b o o k a c c o u n t C h a n c e r y
Paraaque.
All other accounts are, therefore, fraudulent. Moreover, our bishop, the Most Rev.
Jesse E. Mercado, has no personal Facebook
account, Estores explains.
Direct coordination
Moreover, the priest requests the public
to coordinate directly with the Paraaque
Chancery for any clarification at (02)807-16-62 local 4.Besides Paraaque City
proper, the Roman Catholic Diocese of
Paraaque also covers the cities of Las Pias
and Muntinlupa.
As of 2013, it has a combined population
of 2,534,321, of whom 94% are Catholics.
(Raymond A. Sebastin/CBCP News)

Icon sums up Years of the Poor, Consecrated Life

TAGBILARAN City It is said
that a picture paints a thousand
words, succeeding where words
often fail.
With this in mind, the religious
men and women of the Philippines have decided to visualize
the twin celebrations of the Years
of the Poor and of Consecrated
Life by coming out with an icon
that tries to capture what it means
to be poor for God.
Kamiseta ni Kristo
Written by Recollect brother
Fray Jaazeal Tagoy Jakosalem,
in December 2014, just in time
for the Popes visit, Jesus of the
Poor depicts the Son of God in
kamiseta, the everyday shirt
regular Filipino males wear.
Holding an open Bible with
the text Do Justice, Love Kindness (Micah 6:8), Christ seems
to direct the viewers gaze to His
heart on fire out of love for all.
Life, hope, love
Jakosalem explained this detail has been inspired by Pope
Francis, part of whose November
2014 letter on the Year of Consecrated Life, reads: You will find

life by giving life, hope by giving

hope, love by giving love.
Right below Jesus are peoplereligious and lay collaborators standing closely arm
in arm (kapit-bisig), who
together embody the spirit of
communion.
According to Jakosalem, the
small figures also seek to reflect
the continuing prophetic work
and mission of the Association
of Major Religious Superiors
of the Philippines (AMRSP) by
living poor, with the poor, and
for the poor.
True synergy
In the same papal document,
the Holy Father reminds consecrated men and women that
they are called to true synergy
with all other vocations in the
Church, beginning with priests
and the lay faithful, in order to
spread the spirituality of communion, first of all in their internal life and then in the ecclesial
community, and even beyond its
boundaries.
The kariton (pushcart) symbolizes the life and the struggles
of the poor whom the religious,

as modern prophets, are called

to serve.
Prophets for poor
In his letter, Pope Francis tells
the worlds religious, Prophets
tend to be on the side of the
poor and the powerless, for they
know that God himself is on
their side.Moreover, the kubo
chapel embodies the faith of the
Filipino, while the encircled
objects on each corner highlight
the various transformative advocacies of the local religious: care
for the environment, promotion
of peace and justice, defence
of human rights, and universal
education.
Transformation
The Argentine pontiff explains, Only by such concern
for the needs of the world, and
by docility to the promptings of
the Spirit, will this Year of Consecrated Life become an authentic kairos, a time rich in Gods
grace, a time of transformation.
Defying the rules of traditional icon-writing, Jakosalem
has made his work more Filipino
by adding a baybayin motif.

Compassionate joy
On left side of picture is the
Tagalog word kalinga (compassion), and on the right is the
Cebuano kalipay (joy), which
are the central themes of the
Year of the Poor and the Year of
Consecrated Life, respectively.
This year is dedicated to committing ourselves more firmly
to our vision of becoming truly
a Church of the Poor. The new
evangelization is also a powerful
call from the Lord to follow in
His footsteps to be evangelically
poor, shared Jakosalem, citing
the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP)s
pastoral exhortation on the era of
New Evangelization.
Reflecting on what he calls
the beauty of consecration,
and the joy of bringing Gods
consolation to all, Pope Francis
prays that the year be an occasion for bearing vigorous and
joyful witness before the world
to the holiness and vitality present in so many of those called to
follow Jesus in the consecrated
life.(Raymond A. Sebastin/
CBCP News)

Harassment / A1

Reyes, Jr. in a recent statement.

According to him, the police action terrorized about 700 Lumads seeking refuge
in Haran UCCP after they were forcibly
evacuated from their hometowns several
months ago.
High-handed acts
The high-handed actions of Representative Nancy Catamco are insensitive, and disregard the reasons why the
Lumads are in Haran UCCP in the first
place. As rightly pointed out by local
leaders, the Lumads would not have
sought sanctuary if there was noth-

ing terribly wrong taking place in the

places where they came from, Reyes
explained.
The interfaith alliance further bemoaned
the trumped-up charges filed against church
workers who are defending the rights of the
Lumads.
Vilification
The UCCP general secretary asserted these
only intend to vilify those conscious of the
churchs prophetic task.
These malicious tactics must stop, Reyes
exclaimed.
Noting they are the last to uproot people

from their communities, he pointed out it is

the duty of church people to be the first to
treat others with mercy and justice.
Bakwit
Until this Administration addresses
the roots that force communities out and
implements actions, like pulling out the
military forces from the land of the Lumads,
bakwit will still continue and human rights
violated, Reyes said.
Quoting Psalm 140:12, he added
the Lord secures justice for the poor and
upholds the cause of the needy. (Raymond
A. Sebastin/CBCP News)

A8

August 3 - 16, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 16

CBCP Monitor

PH religious spearhead climate change confab

STRESSING that climate
change is an issue more serious
than previously thought, at least
170 religious men and women,
educators, environmentalists,
and climate action advocates
from all over the Philippines
and abroad meet in a conference from July 29 to July 31,
to discuss various ways Filipinos can respond to this global
phenomenon.

event held at the Asilo de San

Vicente de Pal in Manila with
the theme The Integrity of
Creation: Human Rights and
Climate Justice.
In an interview, the Franciscan priest told CBCP News that
the delegates were expected to
lay down concrete proposals on
the issue towards the end of the
conference based on their own
collective reflection.

Another big one

We realize that this problem
of climate change is bigger than
us Nevertheless we need to
do our part. Even small things
really matter in addressing this
issue of climate change, said
Fr. Dexter Toledo, OFM, executive secretary of the Association
of Major Religious Superiors
of the Philippines (AMRSP),
one of the convenors of the

Poster image
Noting that this is a problem
that affects everyone, Toledo
called on all Filipinos to take
climate change seriously, especially since the country sits
on one of the planets most
disaster-prone zones.
Let us tackle this issue headon. It is a fact that the Philippines is considered the poster
image for the effects of climate

of lives and properties.

We knew all too well what
had happened to Tacloban, he
added.

At least 170 religious men and women, educators, environmentalists, and climate action
advocates from all over the Philippines and elsewhere attend the national conference
on human rights and climate justice at Asilo de San Vicente de Pal in Manila from July
29 to 31, 2015. RAYMOND A. SEBASTIN

Laudato Si study guide

In order to help the faithful
understand the Holy Fathers
eco manifesto better, Toledo
went on to share that participants came out with a study
guide on Laudato Si (Praise Be),
the Argentine pontiff s latest
encyclical.
All of us must join the fight
for climate justice. This is a huge
problem. But we can only hope
to solve this if every Catholic
will take on the challenge of
Pope Francis to express love and
care for our common home, he
explained.

change, he said in Filipino, citing the climate-related calami-

Convenors
Besides AMRSP, the oth-

ties that hit the island-nation

recently, destroying thousands

Musical helps to keep Pope Francis

effect alive in PH
A GROUP of artists is
fully committed to continue
its mission to spread Pope
Francis message of mercy
and compassion through a
musical play.
Five months after the visit of
the Holy Father to the country,
producer Rose Cabrera said
that through the play From
the Vatican to Tacloban
With Love, Pope Francis they
want to reach the masses and
the young people.
We are keeping our fingers
crossed. We are hoping to bring
this message of Pope Francis to
as many young people as pos-

sible, Cabrera said.

Since millions of Filipinos
adored the Pope, she said
they want to keep the momentum going and keep
the love alive through the
musical play.
The Pope has that deep
compassion and love for the
poor and his visit really made
a lot of difference in the lives of
many people especially those
from Tacloban, Cabrera said.
Written and directed
by Nestor Torre, the play
presents in the reasons that
moved the pontiff to visit
the survivors of typhoon

Yolanda.
Torre also wanted to depict
the Yolanda survivors stories,
so that the entire viewing
experience would be an interaction between victims and
consoler where they could
learn valuable lessons from
each other.
The stage musical also
tells the story of Jorge Mario
Bergoglios rise to the papacy.
Torre is known for writing
and directing religious plays
and musicals. Among his
notable productions include
the Magnificat, Nassan
si Hesus?, Padre Pio and

Pope John Paul II.

From its debut in February, the play has been running and is available for
group viewing at Cabreras
Mabuhay Restop theater cafe
at Rizal Park.
Hopefully, as this goes
around, well have a regular
show and we could visit also
visit schools, Cabrera said.
For bookings, group sales
and other details, call (02)
359-7927, 09178108194,
email info@mabuhayrestops.
com or visit www.mabuhayrestops.com. (Roy Lagarde/CBCPNews)

Churches join Metro Manila-wide shake drill

MANY Catholic churches on July
30 joined the Metro Manila-wide
earthquake drill initiated by the government.
Among these churches were the
Quiapo Church and Baclaran Church
which attract thousands of devotees
everyday.
At 10:30 a.m., church bells started
ringing and a warning sound was broadcast over the radio, signaling the start of
the shake drill.
In Quiapo church, churchgoers
inside the basilica were evacuated
to the nearby open grounds of Plaza
Miranda.
Disaster response
Several hypothetical scenarios were
also carried out such as having a number
of injured people needing immediate
medical treatment.
The church also activated its Disaster
Management Ministry, a body created
two years ago to lead in rescue operations during disasters.
The group has also been conducting
disaster response awareness seminars for
parishioners.
Quiapo Church parochial vicar Fr.
Ric Valencia said the drill turned out
fine although some things still need
improvement.

Whistles
Many things are still needed to be
prioritized, said Valencia. The use
of whistles was overlooked, yet it is
expected in times of panic.
The ministry, he added, is composed of
parish staffers and volunteers who underwent seminars and trainings on disaster

preparedness and emergency response.

Several schools, malls, and establishments also took part in the drill initiated
by the Metro Manila Development Authority amid the possibility of a strong
quake that could be brought about by
movements in the West Valley Fault.
(Luke Godoy/CBCPNews)

Popes Tagalog-speaking kababayan gives Marian talk

FR. Luciano Ariel Felloni,
the Argentine priest who
gives many Filipinos a run for
their money with his excellent command of their own
language, gave a talk about
the Blessed Virgin and her
maternal role, on the First
Saturday of August, August 1.
Mother of the poor
Entitled Mary, Mother of
the Poor, the free seminar
was open to the public, and
was organized by Pueblo
Amante Mara Mariological
Marian Society of the Philippines (PAMMSPhil) in line
with the ongoing celebration
of the Year of the Poor.
As its name suggests, the
First Saturday Marian Conference was scheduled on a
day dedicated to Mary, Aug.
1, 2015, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00
p.m. at the San Carlos Seminary Auditorium, Epifanio
de los Santos Ave., Guadalupe Viejo, Makati City.
Speaking Filipino like a native, Felloni almost became a
household name before and
during the pastoral visit of

Eucharistic heros relic on display

Three women take turns venerating a relic of St. Peter Julian Eymard, the Apostle of the Eucharist, and
founder of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament (SSS), whose spiritual sons today manage Manilas
Santa Cruz Church. RAYMOND A. SEBASTIN

FIVE months before the International

Eucharistic Congress in Cebu next
year, the Nuestra Seora del Pilar (Our
Lady of the Pillar) Parish in Manilas
Santa Cruz district has an ongoing mini
exhibit that features a relic of St. Peter
Julian Eymard as well as photographs
of the French priest whose devotion to
the Blessed Sacrament changed history.
Blessed Sacrament devotion
In an earlier interview, Fr. Ferdinand
S. Tomo, vocation director of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament
(SSS) in the Philippines, told CBCP
News that besides commemorating
the life and legacy of St. Peter Julian
Eymard, the exhibit also aims to inspire
Blessed Sacrament vocation among the
lay faithful.
Dubbed the Apostle of the Eucharist, the future saint was born Pierre
Julien Eymard (Pierre Julien is French
for Peter Julian) on February 4, 1811
in Le Mure dIsre, on the French Alps.

Major Catholic churches like Quiapo Church and Baclaran Church as well as particpants in ongoing religious
activities participated in the governments shake drill on July 30, 2105. RAYMOND SEBASTIAN

Fr. Luciano Ariel Felloni blesses some sacramentals before the concluding Mass of the Holy Fathers papal visit to the
Philippines last January 2015. ALEXANDER JOSEF

his famous compatriotthe

Holy Fatherwith his frequent guestings on Philippine television, in order to
share with the public his
encounter with the former
Buenos Aires Archbishop

Jorge Mario Bergoglio.

Forthcoming talks
Two more talks will happenon Oct. 3, 2015 (Mary
and the Poor of Asia, to
be given by Msgr. Sabino

Vengco) and on Nov. 7, 2015

(Marys Magnificat: Lifting
Up the Lowly, to be given
by Fr. Anton Pascual).
All the events are open to
the public. (Raymond A.
Sebastin/CBCP News)

er convenors of the climate

conference are the Catholic
Bishops Conference of the
Philippines (CBCP)s National
Secretariat for Social Action,
Justice, and Peace (NASSA)/
Caritas Philippines; Philippine
chapter of the Global Catholic
Climate Movemebt (GCCM);
Fellowship of the Care of
Creation Association Incorporated (FCCAI), Task Force
Detainees of the Philippines
(TFDP); Philippine Alliance
of Human Rights Advocates
(PAHRA); Philippine Misereor
Partnership (PMPI) Philippine
Movement for Climate Justice
(PMCJ), Freedom from Debt
Coalition (FDC); Medical
Action Group (MAG); and
FIND, Bulig Visayas, Asian
Peoples Movement on Debt
and Development (Raymond
A. Sebastin/CBCP News)

SSS
Peter Julians journey of faith drew
him from being a priest in the Diocese
of Grenoble in 1834, to joining the
Marists (Oblates of Mary Immaculate)
in 1839, and finally to founding his own
Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament
in 1856.
Like his contemporary St. John
Baptist Vianney, he had to cope with
poverty, his fathers initial opposition
to his vocation, serious illness, and the
overemphasis on sin and the difficulties

of getting diocesan, and later papal approval, for his new religious community.
Christ-centered love
His years as Marist, including service
as provincial leader, saw his devotion to
the Eucharist deepening, especially by
his preaching of the Forty Hours devotion in many parishes.
Inspired by the idea of reparation
for indifference to the Eucharist, Peter
Julian became attracted to a more positive spirituality of Christ-centered love.
Active-contemplative
Members of the mens community he
had founded have no problem contemplating Jesus in the Eucharist even as
they pursue active apostolic lives.
With the help of Marguerite Guillot,
the priest established the Congregation
of the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament
for women.
Peter Julian Eymard was beatified in
1925, and canonized in 1962, a day
after the Second Vatican Councils first
session.
Since 1957
According to Tomo, the first Blessed
Sacrament Fathers came to the Philippines in 1957 from the Province of St.
Anne in the United States.
The local SSS community has since
grown to become its own Province
of Our Lady of the Assumption with
members in Australia, Italy, France, Hawaii, Ireland, and Uganda. (Raymond
A. Sebastin/CBCP News)

SCA Philippines hosts Global Session

ABOUT a hundred young delegates,
educators, and priests from 34 countries participated in the International
Young Catholic Students (IYCS) and
International Movement of Catholic
Students (IMCS) Global Training Session and World Council to be hosted
by the Student Catholic Action of the
Philippines (SCAP) at Mariapolis Peace
Center from July 24 to Aug. 3 with the
theme Salt of the Earth, Light of the
World Students Building the Kingdom of God.
The global gathering aimed to train
delegates of national movements to
become Salt of the Earth, Light of the
World in their respective communities
and in the larger international scope.
Student leaders reflected on their mission, to empower them towards building a community of justice and peace,
and to promote communion towards
creating spaces of integral dialogue.
The week-long program highlighted
activities with the principles of the
SEE-JUDGE-ACT methodology.
It involved interventions of experts
from the Philippines and participating
countries, group reflections promoting
integral participation, and an exposure
program that was designed to lead the
participants to global action on poverty

alleviation, environment, human rights

and many more.
An active member of IYCS, the
Student Catholic Action of the Philippines (SCAP), is one of the recognized
organizations of the CBCP-Episcopal
Commission on Youth and currently
one of the council organizations of the
Federation of National Youth Organizations (FNYO).
IYCS is a movement of action and
reflection and has a mission to evangelize and transform the student milieu towards global liberation, justice,
and peace. It is one of the recognized
International Catholic Organizations
of the Holy See. Meanwhile, IMCS
unites over 80 diverse national federations of Catholic university students
from Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe,
Latin America, Middle Eas,t and
North America. by helping students
get involved as social actors in the
university, the Church and in the
world for promoting among students
a spirituality of action.
For more information on SCAPs
activities, interested parties may visit
the SCA Philippines official website at
www.scaphilippines.org (Dana Jane
Naval/CBCPNews with reports from
Justin Earon Pabon)

PASTORAL CONCERNS B1

August 3 - 16, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 16

Stewards, not owners

CBCP on the Climate Change Issue
concerns of this category as matters of
intergenerational responsibility.
We are not owners of the earth. We
are its stewards, to keep and cherish
and nurture its resources not only for
ourselves but for future generations. The
Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines has not been remiss in its duty
of instructing the faithful on the matter
of the environment. We were honored
when the Holy Father cited one of our
letters in Laudato Si.

IN December, 2015, the nations of the

world will gather at Le Bourget in Paris
for the United Nations Climate Change
Conference. The representatives of the
state-parties will endeavor to arrive at
legally binding measures addressing the
pressing challenge of climate-change.
From a broader perspective, the Paris
Negotiations will be a welcome attempt
to reach a consensus on responsibility for
the future of the Earth and for generations yet to come. It is not some futuristic
matter with which state representatives
and negotiators will be concerned, but
with nothing less than social justice.

The social encyclicals of the Church

have referred to social justice as that
part of justice that guarantees that all
social classes and groups are benefited
by the resources of earth and of society,
and are advantaged equitably from the
progress of nations. Concern with the
despoliation of the ecosystem and the
deleterious disturbance of that delicate
balance of everything that constitutes
the human environment has brought
home the point that social justice must,
of necessity, include our responsibility for
future generations.
Pope Francis celebrated encyclical,
Laudato Si, anticipates the Paris Conference and urges Catholics and Christians
to be passionate about the environment
and with the concerns that will be
taken up at Le Bourget. It is a Christian
obligation to be concerned with ecology and with climate change as a direct
consequence of the moral concept of
STEWARDSHIP and a concomitant of
Christian charity. All persons of goodwill
must train their eyes on Paris, and by collective and communitarian action, make
the issues that will be there discussed,
the issues and concerns of all, for in
truth, caring about climate change and
its deleterious and devastating effects on
all, but especially on impoverished and
struggling nations and communities, is
our way of attending to the needs of the
least of our brothers and sisters; it is how,

Kris Bayos

Climate Change Action is an Issue of

Social Justice

The notion of the common good also

extends to future generations. The global
economic crises have made painfully obvi-

Once we start to think about the

kind of world we are leaving to
future generations, we look at things
differently; we realize that the world
is a gift which we have freely received
and must share with others.
today, we must wash each others feet.
Laudato Si teaches us that the core of
the matter of climate change is justice.

ous the detrimental effects of disregarding

our common destiny, which cannot exclude
those who come after us. We can no longer

speak of sustainable development apart from

intergenerational solidarity. Once we start to
think about the kind of world we are leaving to future generations, we look at things
differently; we realize that the world is a gift
which we have freely received and must share
with others. Since the world has been given to
us, we can no longer view reality in a purely
utilitarian way, in which efficiency and productivity are entirely geared to our individual
benefit. Intergenerational solidarity is not
optional, but rather a basic question of justice,
since the world we have received also belongs
to those who will follow us. The Portuguese
bishops have called upon us to acknowledge
this obligation of justice: The environment
is part of a logic of receptivity. It is on loan to
each generation, which must then hand it on
to the next. An integral ecology is marked by
this broader vision. (Laudato Si, 159)

Climate Change Issue is an Intergenerational Responsibility

Quite significantly the Supreme Court

Pastoral Formation on the Climate

Change Issues
We, your bishops, commit to organize symposia and conferences on
the issues that will be taken up at the
Paris around of the climate change negotiations, as desired by Pope Francis.
Meaningful participation and debate
are premised on sound information
and adequate knowledge. In these matters it is part of moral responsibility to
inform oneself.
But more direct and immediate action
can and should also be taken. Our parishes and Basic Ecclesial Communities
can make, as the theme of their collective
discernment, situations in the locality
that scientists have found to be contributory to deleterious changes in the
environment as well as to the disruption
of the ecosystem. Mining, incineration
and landfills are among the local concerns that immediately come to mind.
Here, advocacy of Church communities
in behalf of the common good should
influence policy makers and translate
itself into community action as well.
Climate change has brought about
suffering for nations, communities and
peoples. It is that kind of suffering that, in
the words of Benedict XVIs Deus Caritas
Est cries out for consolation and help.
(n. 28) When they who are in need cry
out, it is not an option to respond. It is an
obligation.
From the Catholic Bishops Conference
of the Philippines, July 20, 2015
+SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS

Climate change has brought about

suffering for nations, communities and
peoples. It is that kind of suffering that,
in the words of Benedict XVIs
Deus Caritas Est cries out for
consolation and help.
of the Philippines in that case that has now
become a classic in environmental law
Oposa v. Factoranalready characterized

Archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan

President, Catholic Bishops Conference
of the Philippines

Kris Bayos

CBCP Monitor

B2 UPDATES

August 3 - 16, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 16

CBCP Monitor

Abuse of Holy Communion by the Hand

DURING the historic Mass celebrated
by Pope Francis at the Quirino Grandstand last January, a Mass that broke
the world record not only for a Papal
gathering but for any gathering with
a world leader in history, the image of
the sacred hosts being distributed by lay
Eucharistic ministers to the crowds
which were then passed from one
faithful to another backwards to those
who could not approach the extraordinary ministers from their cordoned-off
areasremain vividly etched in my
memory. It must also have been seen all
around the Catholic world via television
and internet. The question is: was that
procedure licit?
The Norms of 1973
The present norms regarding the reception of Holy Communion were originally
contained in an instruction published in
1973 by the then Sacred Congregation
for Divine Worship and Discipline of the
Sacraments, entitled Immensae Caritatis.
When dealing with Communion in the
hand this document stated:
Ever since the Instruction Memoriale Domini three years ago, some of
the conferences of bishops have been
requesting the Apostolic See for the faculty to allow ministers distributing communion to place the eucharistic bread
in the hand of the faithful. The same
Instruction contained a reminder that
the laws of the Church and the writings
of the Fathers give ample witness of a
supreme reverence and utmost caution
toward the eucharist and that this must
continue. Particularly in regard to this
way of receiving communion, experience suggests certain matters requiring
careful attention.
On the part of both the minister
and the recipient, whenever the host is
placed in the hand of a communicant
there must be careful concern and
caution, especially about particles that
might fall from the hosts.
On June 21,1973, the same dicastery,
through a document entitled Eucharistiae Sacramentum, promulgated the
new Rite for Eucharistic Worship and
Communion Outside of Mass. The
document insisted very clearly that
whether the Eucharist is received on the
tongue or in the hand, Holy Communion must be distributed by the proper
competent minister, who presents and
gives the consecrated host to the communicant saying the formula The Body
of Christ .
The Norms of 1985
In 1985 the Congregation for Divine
Worship sent a letter to the president of
the U.S. bishops conference, drawing
attention to the following points:
1. Communion in the hand should
show, as much as communion on the
tongue, due respect towards the Real
Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. For
this reason emphasis should be laid, as
was done by the Fathers of the Church,
upon the dignity of the gesture of the
communicant (): the left hand is to
be placed upon the right hand, so that
the sacred host can be conveyed to the
mouth with the right hand.
2. Again following the teaching of
the Fathers, insistence is to be laid upon
the importance of the Amen said in
response to the formula of the minister,

municate in one way or the other.

[Underscoring mine.]

the Body of Christ; this Amen is an

affirmation of faith.
3. The communicant who has received the Eucharist in the hand is to
consume it before returning to his place,
moving aside yet remaining facing the
altar in order to allow the person following to approach the minister.
4. It is from the Church that the
faithful receive the Holy Eucharist,
which is communion in the Body of the
Lord and in the Church; for this reason
the communicant should not take from

The Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum of 25.IV.2004

At the Solemn Mass of the Last Supper on Holy Thursday of 17.IV.2003,
St.John Paul II signed his 14th encyclical
letter, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, in which
he stated that the Holy Eucharist
stands at the center of the Churchs
life (n.3), that it unites heaven and
earth and embraces and permeates all

1) Although each of the faithful

always has the right to receive Holy
Communion on the tongue, at his
choice, if any communicant should wish
to receive the Sacrament in the hand,
in areas where the Bishops Conference,
with the recognition of the Apostolic
See has given permission, the sacred
host is to be administered to him or her.
However, special care should be taken
to ensure that the host is consumed by
the communicant in the presence of
the minister, so that no one goes away

the paten or container, as would be done

for ordinary bread, but the hands must
be stretched out to receive from the
minister of communion. [Underscoring mine.]
5. Out of respect for the Eucharist,
cleanliness of hands is expected. Children need to be reminded of this.
6. It is necessary that the faithful
receive sound catechesis in this matter,
and that insistence be laid upon the

creation (n.8), being the most precious

possession which the Church can have
in her journey through history (n.9).
To translate the theological and pastoral doctrine contained in that beautiful encyclical, the Congregation for
Divine Worship and Discipline of the
Sacraments issued the Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum on 25.IV.2004.
This is the latest and most complete
Instruction regarding the celebration,

carrying the Eucharistic species in his

hand. If there is a risk of profanation,
then Holy Communion should be given
in the hand to the faithful. [n.920]
2) It is not licit for the faithful to
take by themselves and, still less, to
hand from one another the sacred host
or chalice. Moreover, in this regard, the
abuse is to be set aside whereby spouses
administer Holy Communion to each
other at a Nuptial Mass. [n.94]

SM Sanchez

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

The communicant must not be permitted

to intinct the host himself in the chalice,
nor to receive the intincted host in the hand.
sentiments of adoration and respect
that are required towards this most holy
sacrament. (cf. Dominicae cenae, n.11).
Care must be taken that fragments of
the consecrated host are not lost (cf.
Congregation for the Doctrine of the
Faith, 2.V.1972: Prot: no. 89/71, in
Notitiae 1972, p.227).
7. The faithful are not to be obliged
to adopt the practice of communion
in the hand. Each one is free to com-

administration and reservation of the

Holy Eucharist. True to its juridic naturean instructionit does not really
legislate anything new, but rather gathers in one heading erstwhile scattered
legislation on the matter, exhorting
those occupying capital executive offices
(the territorial and personal Ordinaries
in this case) to put them into practice.
The relevant texts are as follows: [Underscorings are mine.]

3) The communicant must not be

permitted to intinct the host himself in
the chalice, nor to receive the intincted
host in the hand. As for the host to be
used for the intinction, it should be of
valid matter, also consecrated; it is altogether forbidden to use non-consecrated
bread or other matter. [n.104]
4) The chalice should not be administered to lay members of Christs
faithful where there is such a large

number of communicants that it is difficult to gauge the amount of wine for

the Eucharist and there is danger that
more than a reasonable quantity of the
Blood of Christ remain to be consumed
at the end of the celebration. [n.102]
5) Furtheremore all will remember
that once the distribution of Holy
Communion during the celebration
of the Mass has been completed, the
prescriptions of the Roman Missal
are to be observed, and in particular,
whatever may remain of the Blood of
Christ must be entirely and immediately
consumed by the Priest or by another
minister, according to the norms, while
the consecrated hosts that are left are to
be consumed by the Priest at the altar or
carried to the place for the reservation
of the Eucharist. [n.107]

The Grave Responsibility of the
Bishops
From the foregoing liturgical laws, it
is quite clear that what happened during
the Papal Mass at the Luneta last January
constituted a grave abuse to the most
august sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.
Furthermore, since it had been specifically proscribed in an Instruction from
the Holy Seewhich of itself is specifically directed to those in capital executive
officesthere is an equally grave obligation on the part of the local Ordinary, to
have prevented such a procedure. In fact,
the Instruction specified:
1) Whenever a local Ordinary or
the Ordinary of a religious Institute
or of a Society of apostolic life receives
at least plausible notice of a delict or
abuse concerning the Most Holy Eucharist, let him carefully investigate,
either personally or by means of another
worthy cleric, concerning the facts and
the circumstances as well as the imputability. [n.178]
2) Any Catholic, whether Priest
or Deacon or lay member of Christs
faithful, has the right to lodge a complaint regarding a liturgical abuse to
the diocesan Bishop or the competent
Ordinary equivalent to him in law, or to
the Apostolic See on account of the primacy of the Roman Pontiff. It is fitting,
however, insofar as possible, that the
report or complaint be submitted first
to the diocesan Bishop. This is naturally
to be done in truth and charity. [n.184]
Of course, one can say that the extraordinary size of the crowd could have
made the procedure inevitable. But we
can also say that precisely because the
crowd size was more or less expected
judging from the number of hosts consecratedthen the adequate procedure
for the prescribed administration of
the Holy Eucharist should have been
foreseen and provided for.
As a final note, I would like to add
that it would have been inconceivable
for a priest to have handed on the
hosts for further passing around by the
crowd in the manner described above.
The cases caught by the cameras clearly
showed lay Eucharistic ministers. This
simply shows, once more, the danger of
abuses when the provisions of Canon
Law regarding the extraordinary ministers for the administration of the Holy
Eucharist are abusedi.e., when the
extraordinary has become the ordinary,
such that there is a proliferation of such
extraordinary ministers, who are thereforeby sheer numbersdifficult to
form and prepare adequately for their
extremely delicate ministry.

Signers of a Baptism Certificate

(Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturg y
and dean of theology at the
Regina Apostolorum University, answers the following
query :)
Q: Im a permanent deacon and I was asked by a
mother of a child I baptized
some time ago, how come
her baptism certificate was
signed by our previous pastor and not by me, as I was
the one to baptize her child.
I checked around and it
looks like that is a common
practice in many churches
in our diocese. Is there any
regulation about it who
signs the original baptism
certificate? -- D.M., Toronto
A: This question is covered above all in Canon
877.1 and 878 of the Code
of Canon Law:
C a no n 877 1. Th e
pastor of the place where
the baptism is celebrated
must carefully and without

any delay record in the baptismal register the names of

the baptized, with mention
made of the minister, parents,
sponsors, witnesses, if any, the
place and date of the conferral
of the baptism, and the date
and place of birth .
Canon 878. If the baptism was not administered

with these canons it is incumbent upon the parish priest

to make the record of the
baptism. He should take note
of who is the minister if he
himself has not administered
the sacrament. It is also his
responsibility to maintain the
record and add any later facts,
such as eventual marriage, reli-

The reasoning behind this

is the Churchs desire that,
in general, the proper pastor
is the one to baptize. Others
who baptize do so in virtue of
a delegation from the bishop
or the pastor.
Thus, for example, Canon
862 places this restriction on
who performs a baptism:

This canon may also be seen

as an application of Canon
857.2 which gives preference
to ones local parish as the
place of baptism:
Canon 857 1. Apart from
a case of necessity, the proper
place of baptism is a church
or oratory.
2. As a rule an adult is to

It is incumbent upon the parish priest to make the record of the

baptism. He should take note of who is the minister if he himself
has not administered the sacrament. It is also his responsibility
to maintain the record and add any later facts, such as eventual
marriage, religious profession or ordination.
by the pastor or in his presence, the minister of baptism, whoever it is, must
inform the pastor of the parish in which it was administered of the conferral of the
baptism, so that he records
the baptism according to the
norm of can. 877 1.
Therefore in accordance

gious profession or ordination.

The curate or associate pastor usually has habitual faculties to also make the record
and sign the register. Another
minister does not necessarily
sign the register, although in
some places there is a space
in the register for him to sign
also.

Except in a case of necessity, no one is permitted to

confer baptism in the territory of another without the
required permission, not even
upon his own subjects.
Thus, not even a bishop may
ordinarily baptize outside his
own diocese except in cases of
necessity or with permission.

be baptized in his or her parish

church and an infant in the
parish church of the parents
unless a just cause suggests
otherwise.
While all this might seem
to be dry and technical, it is
grounded on the fact that one
is baptized into the universal
Church as a member of a con-

crete Christian community.

The local parish church is
normally the place where
the faith should be nurtured and where one grows
to Christian maturity.
It is true that the mobility of many societies means
that the connection between a person and his parish is often transitory. Yet,
the parish is always called to
be the manifestation of the
Church as Gods family in
each place on earth. Hence
it is the natural center for
most of the fundamental
activities of the spiritual life: birth in baptism,
growth through confirmation, nourishing through
the Word, the Eucharist
and often through service
to others, definitive commitment for those called
to marriage or consecration
to God, healing for those
stricken in soul or body,
and departure with the
comfort of the communitys
prayer for those who leave
and those who remain.

FEATURES B3

August 3 - 16, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 16

CNA

CBCP Monitor

CNA

Christ in you, our hope of glory

The Eucharist: Source and Goal of the Churchs Mission

Theological and pastoral reflections in preparation for the 51st International Eucharistic Congress
VIII. Mission in dialogue with
the youth
Asia is considered the continent of the youth since almost
two-thirds of its population are
young people and it is home to
about 60 percent of the worlds
young people. Moreover, majority of these youth and children are
poor. Mission in dialogue with
the youth of Asia entails placing
them among the priorities in the
pastoral solicitude of the Church
because of their important but
delicate standing in society and
in the Church.
A. The Churchs future and
her today
For the Church, young people
are not only the future of the
world but are her present precious
treasures. (FABC, Youth, Hope
of Asian Families. Statement of
the 4th Asian Youth Day, 30 July5 August 2006, Hong Kong, in
For all the Peoples of Asia 4. Documents from 2002-2006, Quezon
City: Claretian Publication 2007,
p. 167). The Church recognizes
that she has to deal with young
people not only as the adults of
tomorrow but more importantly
the reality of today. The Church
takes upon herself the responsibility of preparing and forming
the young for their future roles as
holders of the reigns of leadership
in the various areas of life. With
their youthful energies, enthusiasm, and resourcefulness, however,
they are even now dynamic agents
of change and therefore source of
hope in society and in the Church.
But they are also the most
vulnerable to many destructive
forces in society and often fall
victim to structures of exploitation. More than ever before, the
realities that impinge themselves
upon our young people today are
both many and varied. Globalization, political changes, and the
media explosion radically affect
the lives of the youth in every
part of Asia. (FABC, A Renewed
Church in Asia: A Mission of love
and Service, in FABC Documents
from 1997- 2001, cit. p. 9-10).
Youth of all backgrounds, urban
and rural, poor and rich, educated
and uneducated, employed and
unemployed, the organized and
unorganized, are all being tossed

about by the waves of contemporary culture. The youth are,

therefore, also the Churchs today.
They should be among the present
priorities of the Church. But the
Church can already engage them
in creative and productive ministry to others, especially among
their fellow youth.
B. The Youth and the challenge
to be a Good Soil
Candidly admitting that many
and complex problems confront
young people in the continent
today, the Churches of Asia are
enjoined to remind the young of

In the
school of the
Eucharist,
young people
will learn that
communication
is more than
the exchange
of ideas and
of emotion
but, at its most
profound level,
the fiving of
self in love.
their responsibility for the future
of the society and of the Church,
and to encourage and support
them at every step to ensure that
they are ready to accept that responsibility. (EA, 47). Suitable
and adequate pastoral care should
be extended to them , above all, by
sowing the truth of the Gospel
on them as a joyful and liberating
mystery to be known, lived, and
shared with conviction and courage. (Ibid). But since the world
they live now is full of rocks and
thistles, not to mention the scorching heat, youth pastoral care also
involves helping young people to
be a good soil where the seed of

Gods Word can spring up, take

root, grow, and bear the fruit of a
hundredfold (Mt. 13:1-8)
Youth pastoral care will mean accompanying them in their journey,
which is not easy on account of the
rapid and drastic changes that are
happening around them but also of
the dramatic changes they are going
through physically, emotionally,
psychologically, and spiritually at
this stage of human development.
This kind of pastoral care is directed
toward preparing the ground before
the sowing, softening it, making it
receptive. It also seeks to strengthen
them against the many influences
and distractions that compete for
their pastoral care is necessary even
before the sowing of Gods Word or
simultaneous with itthey they
may be a good soil where they seed
of Gods Word can spring up, take
root, grow and bear abundant fruit.
C. Forming the Young
The Church educative mission
in Asia. In the great diversities
that characterizes the concrete
context of Asia, Christian education should be such that equips
the young people to enter into
a meaningful dialogue with the
youth people of other faiths.
Such education, more or less formal, consists in better educating
these youth on the fundamental
truths and values of their Christian Faith first, them also on the
fundamental truth and values of
other faiths. Moreover, majority of these young people cannot
afford formal education because
of poverty. The Church in Asia
should seek other creative ways
to channel the Christian education of the young, foremost of
which is catechetical instruction,
(Cf. Vatican II, Decree Christus
Dominus (CD): On the Pastoral
office of Bishops, nn. 13 and 14),
which enlightens and strengthens
the faith, nourishes life according
to the spirit of Christ, leads to
intelligent and active participation
in the liturgical mystery, (SC, 14)
and gives motivation for apostolic
activity. Other useful aids shall
be the media of communication,
various groups of mental and
physical development, and youth
associations.
Journeying with the youth.
But forming young people in the
context of the mission in Asia consists more in journeying with them

in their quest for peace and sense

of meaning, in their efforts to ensure a more stable future for themselves and their loved ones, and in
their battle against the enticements
of false ideologies, fads, vices, and
even against despair. In Asia, the
highly successful World Youth
Day began by Saint John Paul II
in 1985 has its counterpartthe
Asian Youth Day where young
people from the various Asian
countries are able to experience a
strong sense of being a community through common prayer and
Eucharistic Celebrations, sharing
life-experiences, working together,

prayerful presence and guidance.

It is to facilitate their learning from
their experience and not from
ready-made answers; to involve
them more in the decision-making
process, and not only to ask them
to implement the decisions taken
by others. This surely necessitates
that every country, diocese, and
parish has a Youth Commission/
Committee that directs and regulates these activities of the Church
in behalf of the youth. Only when
the youth are recognized as agents
and coworkers of the evangelizing
mission of the Church will their
full potential blossom forth.

sharing meals, and joining one

anothers songs and dances. By
such events, the youth comes to
feel that the Church is with them
walking closely with them, believing in what they can do with their
youthful energies and goodwill,
empowering them.
Journeying with the youth
means recognizing the important role that they have in the
Church now and as the future of
the Church. (FABC, A Renewed
Church in Asia: A Mission of Love
and Service, cit., p. 10). It is to see
the youth as resources and not as
problems. It means listening to
them and accompanying them in

D. Primary Agents and Workers

Young people, including those
who comprise the majority of
the Asian people, are not only on
the receiving end of the Churchs
pastoral care and mission. Many
of them are already in the forefront
of the Churchs mission in her
various apostolic works of love and
service especially for the benefit of
their fellow young people. With
their enthusiasm and energy, they
can, even now, be relied upon to
take on active leadership roles in
the programming and executing
activities which concern them.
We witness today the rise and

growth of associations and movements mostly made up of young

people. These can be seen as the
work of the Holy Spirit, who
blazes new trails to meet their
expectation and their search for
a deep spirituality and a more
real sense of belonging. There
remains a need, however, to ensure
that these associations actively
participate in the Churchs overall
pastoral efforts. (EG 205).
E. The Eucharist in the Churchs
dialogue with the youth
The Eucharist, a dialogue of
love. The Churchs mission today

CNA

(Fifth of a series)

includes directing young people

toward the Eucharist for sustenance in the faces of their many
uncertainties and questions. For
it is in the Eucharistic gathering
that the Church an best engage
the youth in a dialogue in which
she proclaims to them the Gospel
of Christ from which they get the
unique and satisfying response to
their most deep-seated aspirations.
(Cf. John Paul II, Post-Synodal
Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles Laici: On the Vocation
and Mission of the Lay Faithful
in the Church and in the World,
30 December 1988, 46). From
Eucharist / B7

B4 PASTORAL CONCERNS

August 3 - 16, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 16

CBCP Monitor

Continued from previous issue

(Fourth of a series)
CHAPTER FOUR
INTEGRAL ECOLOGY
137. Since everything is closely interrelated, and todays problems call for a vision
capable of taking into account every aspect
of the global crisis, I suggest that we now
consider some elements of anintegral ecol-

value independent of their usefulness.

Each organism, as a creature of God, is
good and admirable in itself; the same
is true of the harmonious ensemble of
organisms existing in a defined space and
functioning as a system. Although we are
often not aware of it, we depend on these
larger systems for our own existence. We
need only recall how ecosystems interact
in dispersing carbon dioxide, purifying

they watch laws repeatedly being broken.

Moreover, what takes place in any one area
can have a direct or indirect influence on
other areas. Thus, for example, drug use in
affluent societies creates a continual and
growing demand for products imported
from poorer regions, where behavior is
corrupted, lives are destroyed, and the
environment continues to deteriorate.

mental exploitation and degradation not

only exhaust the resources which provide
local communities with their livelihood,
but also undo the social structures which,
for a long time, shaped cultural identity
and their sense of the meaning of life and
community.The disappearance of a culture can be just as serious, or even more
serious, than the disappearance of a species
of plant or animal. The imposition of a

Laudato Si

live in these areas.

151. There is also a need to protect
those common areas, visual landmarks and
urban landscapes which increase our sense
of belonging, of rootedness, of feeling at
home within a city which includes us and
brings us together. It is important that the
different parts of a city be well integrated
and that those who live there have a sense
of the whole, rather than being confined

Encyclical Letter of the Holy Father Francis on the Care of our Common Home
I. ENVIRONMENTAL, ECONOMIC
AND SOCIAL ECOLOGY
138. Ecology studies the relationship
between living organisms and the environment in which they develop. This
necessarily entails reflection and debate
about the conditions required for the life
and survival of society, and the honesty
needed to question certain models of development, production and consumption.
It cannot be emphasized enough how
everything is interconnected. Time and
space are not independent of one another,
and not even atoms or subatomic particles
can be considered in isolation. Just as the
different aspects of the planetphysical,
chemical and biologicalare interrelated,
so too living species are part of a network
which we will never fully explore and understand. A good part of our genetic code
is shared by many living beings. It follows

water, controlling illnesses and epidemics,

forming soil, breaking down waste, and
in many other ways which we overlook
or simply do not know about. Once they
become conscious of this, many people
realize that we live and act on the basis of
a reality which has previously been given to
us, which precedes our existence and our
abilities. So, when we speak of sustainable
use, consideration must always be given
to each ecosystems regenerative ability in
its different areas and aspects.
141. Economic growth, for its part,
tends to produce predictable reactions and
a certain standardization with the aim of
simplifying procedures and reducing costs.
This suggests the need for an economic
ecology capable of appealing to a broader
vision of reality. The protection of the
environment is in fact an integral part of
the development process and cannot be
considered in isolation from it.[114] We
urgently need a humanism capable of
bringing together the different fields of

II. CULTURAL ECOLOGY

143. Together with the patrimony of
nature, there is also an historic, artistic
and cultural patrimony which is likewise
under threat. This patrimony is a part
of the shared identity of each place and
a foundation upon which to build a
habitable city. It is not a matter of tearing
down and building new cities, supposedly more respectful of the environment
yet not always more attractive to live in.
Rather, there is a need to incorporate the
history, culture and architecture of each
place, thus preserving its original identity.
Ecology, then, also involves protecting
the cultural treasures of humanity in the
broadest sense. More specifically, it calls
for greater attention to local cultures when
studying environmental problems, favoring a dialogue between scientific-technical
language and the language of the people.
Culture is more than what we have inherited from the past; it is also, and above all,
a living, dynamic and participatory present

that the fragmentation of knowledge and

the isolation of bits of information can
actually become a form of ignorance,
unless they are integrated into a broader
vision of reality.
139. When we speak of the environment, what we really mean is a relationship existing between nature and the
society which lives in it. Nature cannot
be regarded as something separate from
ourselves or as a mere setting in which we
live. We are part of nature, included in it
and thus in constant interaction with it.
Recognizing the reasons why a given area
is polluted requires a study of the workings
of society, its economy, its behavior patterns, and the ways it grasps reality. Given
the scale of change, it is no longer possible
to find a specific, discrete answer for each
part of the problem. It is essential to seek
comprehensive solutions which consider
the interactions within natural systems
themselves and with social systems. We
are faced not with two separate crises,
one environmental and the other social,
but rather with one complex crisis which
is both social and environmental. Strategies for a solution demand an integrated
approach to combating poverty, restoring
dignity to the excluded, and at the same
time protecting nature.
140. Due to the number and variety
of factors to be taken into account when
determining the environmental impact of
a concrete undertaking, it is essential to
give researchers their due role, to facilitate
their interaction, and to ensure broad
academic freedom. Ongoing research
should also give us a better understanding of how different creatures relate to
one another in making up the larger
units which today we term ecosystems.
We take these systems into account not
only to determine how best to use them,
but also because they have an intrinsic

knowledge, including economics, in the

service of a more integral and integrating
vision. Today, the analysis of environmental problems cannot be separated from the
analysis of human, family, work-related
and urban contexts, nor from how individuals relate to themselves, which leads
in turn to how they relate to others and
to the environment. There is an interrelation between ecosystems and between
the various spheres of social interaction,
demonstrating yet again that the whole
is greater than the part.[115]
142. If everything is related, then the
health of a societys institutions has consequences for the environment and the
quality of human life. Every violation of
solidarity and civic friendship harms the
environment.[116] In this sense, social
ecology is necessarily institutional, and
gradually extends to the whole of society,
from the primary social group, the family,
to the wider local, national and international communities. Within each social
stratum, and between them, institutions
develop to regulate human relationships.
Anything which weakens those institutions has negative consequences, such as
injustice, violence and loss of freedom. A
number of countries have a relatively low
level of institutional effectiveness, which
results in greater problems for their people
while benefiting those who profit from this
situation. Whether in the administration
of the state, the various levels of civil society, or relationships between individuals
themselves, lack of respect for the law
is becoming more common. Laws may
be well framed yet remain a dead letter.
Can we hope, then, that in such cases,
legislation and regulations dealing with the
environment will really prove effective? We
know, for example, that countries which
have clear legislation about the protection of forests continue to keep silent as

reality, which cannot be excluded as we

rethink the relationship between human
beings and the environment.
144. A consumerist vision of human
beings, encouraged by the mechanisms
of todays globalized economy, has a leveling effect on cultures, diminishing the
immense variety which is the heritage
of all humanity. Attempts to resolve all
problems through uniform regulations or
technical interventions can lead to overlooking the complexities of local problems
which demand the active participation
of all members of the community. New
processes taking shape cannot always fit
into frameworks imported from outside;
they need to be based in the local culture
itself. As life and the world are dynamic

dominant lifestyle linked to a single form

of production can be just as harmful as the
altering of ecosystems.
146. In this sense, it is essential to show
special care for indigenous communities
and their cultural traditions. They are not
merely one minority among others, but
should be the principal dialogue partners,
especially when large projects affecting
their land are proposed. For them, land
is not a commodity but rather a gift from
God and from their ancestors who rest
there, a sacred space with which they need
to interact if they are to maintain their
identity and values. When they remain
on their land, they themselves care for it
best. Nevertheless, in various parts of the
world, pressure is being put on them to
abandon their homelands to make room
for agricultural or mining projects which
are undertaken without regard for the
degradation of nature and culture.

Timothy Takemoto

ogy, one which clearly respects its human

and social dimensions.

III. ECOLOGY OF DAILY LIFE

147. Authentic development includes
efforts to bring about an integral improvement in the quality of human life, and this
entails considering the setting in which
people live their lives. These settings influence the way we think, feel and act. In our
rooms, our homes, our workplaces and
neighborhoods, we use our environment
as a way of expressing our identity. We
make every effort to adapt to our environment, but when it is disorderly, chaotic or
saturated with noise and ugliness, such
overstimulation makes it difficult to find
ourselves integrated and happy.
148. An admirable creativity and generosity is shown by persons and groups
who respond to environmental limitations
by alleviating the adverse effects of their
surroundings and learning to orient their
lives amid disorder and uncertainty. For
example, in some places, where the faades
of buildings are derelict, people show
great care for the interior of their homes,
or find contentment in the kindness and
friendliness of others. A wholesome social
life can light up a seemingly undesirable
environment. At times a commendable
human ecology is practiced by the poor
despite numerous hardships. The feeling
of asphyxiation brought on by densely
populated residential areas is countered if
close and warm relationships develop, if
communities are created, if the limitations
of the environment are compensated for
in the interior of each person who feels
held within a network of solidarity and
belonging. In this way, any place can turn
from being a hell on earth into the setting
for a dignified life.
149. The extreme poverty experienced
in areas lacking harmony, open spaces
or potential for integration, can lead to
incidents of brutality and to exploitation
by criminal organizations. In the unstable
neighborhoods of mega-cities, the daily
experience of overcrowding and social
anonymity can create a sense of uprootedness which spawns antisocial behavior and
violence. Nonetheless, I wish to insist that
love always proves more powerful. Many
people in these conditions are able to
weave bonds of belonging and togetherness which convert overcrowding into
an experience of community in which
the walls of the ego are torn down and
the barriers of selfishness overcome. This
experience of a communitarian salvation
often generates creative ideas for the im-

to one neighborhood and failing to see

the larger city as space which they share
with others. Interventions which affect the
urban or rural landscape should take into
account how various elements combine
to form a whole which is perceived by its
inhabitants as a coherent and meaningful
framework for their lives. Others will then
no longer be seen as strangers, but as part
of a we which all of us are working to
create. For this same reason, in both urban
and rural settings, it is helpful to set aside
some places which can be preserved and
protected from constant changes brought
by human intervention.
152. Lack of housing is a grave problem
in many parts of the world, both in rural
areas and in large cities, since state budgets
usually cover only a small portion of the
demand. Not only the poor, but many
other members of society as well, find it
difficult to own a home. Having a home
has much to do with a sense of personal
dignity and the growth of families. This is
a major issue for human ecology. In some
places, where makeshift shanty towns
have sprung up, this will mean developing
those neighborhoods rather than razing
or displacing them. When the poor live
in unsanitary slums or in dangerous tenements, in cases where it is necessary to
relocate them, in order not to heap suffering upon suffering, adequate information needs to be given beforehand, with
choices of decent housing offered, and
the people directly involved must be part
of the process.[118] At the same time,
creativity should be shown in integrating
rundown neighborhoods into a welcoming city: How beautiful those cities which
overcome paralyzing mistrust, integrate
those who are different and make this very
integration a new factor of development!
How attractive are those cities which,
even in their architectural design, are full
of spaces which connect, relate and favor
the recognition of others![119]
153. The quality of life in cities has
much to do with systems of transport,
which are often a source of much suffering
for those who use them. Many cars, used
by one or more people, circulate in cities,
causing traffic congestion, raising the level
of pollution, and consuming enormous
quantities of non-renewable energy. This
makes it necessary to build more roads and
parking areas which spoil the urban landscape. Many specialists agree on the need
to give priority to public transportation.
Yet some measures needed will not prove
easily acceptable to society unless substantial improvements are made in the systems
themselves, which in many cities force
people to put up with undignified conditions due to crowding, inconvenience,
infrequent service and lack of safety.
154. Respect for our dignity as human
beings often jars with the chaotic realities
that people have to endure in city life. Yet
this should not make us overlook the abandonment and neglect also experienced by
some rural populations which lack access
to essential services and where some workers are reduced to conditions of servitude,
without rights or even the hope of a more
dignified life.
155. Human ecology also implies another profound reality: the relationship
between human life and the moral law,
which is inscribed in our nature and is necessary for the creation of a more dignified
environment. Pope Benedict XVI spoke

Political activity on the local level could also be directed

to modifying consumption, developing an economy of waste
disposal and recycling, protecting certain species and
planning a diversified agriculture and the rotation of crops.
realities, so our care for the world must
also be flexible and dynamic. Merely
technical solutions run the risk of addressing symptoms and not the more serious
underlying problems. There is a need to
respect the rights of peoples and cultures,
and to appreciate that the development
of a social group presupposes an historical
process which takes place within a cultural
context and demands the constant and
active involvement of local peoplefrom
within their proper culture. Nor can the
notion of the quality of life be imposed
from without, for quality of life must be
understood within the world of symbols
and customs proper to each human group.
145. Many intensive forms of environ-

provement of a building or a neighborhood.[117]

150. Given the interrelationship between living space and human behavior,
those who design buildings, neighborhoods, public spaces and cities, ought
to draw on the various disciplines which
help us to understand peoples thought
processes, symbolic language and ways
of acting. It is not enough to seek the
beauty of design. More precious still is the
service we offer to another kind of beauty:
peoples quality of life, their adaptation to
the environment, encounter and mutual
assistance. Here too, we see how important
it is that urban planning always take into
consideration the views of those who will

of an ecology of man, based on the fact

that man too has a nature that he must
respect and that he cannot manipulate at
will.[120]It is enough to recognize that
our body itself establishes us in a direct relationship with the environment and with
other living beings. The acceptance of our
bodies as Gods gift is vital for welcoming
and accepting the entire world as a gift
from the Father and our common home,
whereas thinking that we enjoy absolute
power over our own bodies turns, often
subtly, into thinking that we enjoy absolute
power over creation. Learning to accept
our body, to care for it and to respect its
fullest meaning, is an essential element of
Laudato Si / B5

CBCP Monitor

STATEMENTS B5

August 3 - 16, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 16

Statement of His Holiness Pope Francis to the participants of the

workshop on Modern Slavery and Climate Change:
The Commitment of the Cities
Synod Hall, 21 July 2015

unemployed body of youth which, today,

is offered what horizon and what future?
What is left for these young people: addiction, boredom, not knowing what to do
with ones lifea very hard life without
meaning, youth suicidethe statistics on
suicide among young people have not been
published in their entiretyor searching
for an ideal life under other horizons, even
in guerilla projects.
On the other hand, health is at stake.
The multitude of rare diseases, as they
are called, comes from many elements used
to fertilize fieldsor who knows, no one

the deforestation that was impacting the

population.
What happens when all these phenomena of excessive technicization, without
caring for the environment, in addition
to natural phenomena, affect migration?
Unemployment and then human trafficking. Illegal work, without contracts,
working under the table is occurring
more and more frequently. How it has increased! Illegal work is truly pervasive, and
this means that people dont earn enough
to live. This can lead to criminal behavior
all the problems that occur in large cities

This is why I am pleased that you have

reflected on these phenomenaI have
mentioned merely a fewimpacting the
large cities. Finally, I would say that this
requires the involvement of the United Nations. I have high hope that the Paris summit this November will lead to a basic and
fundamental agreement. I am very hopeful. However, the United Nations must
take greater interest in this phenomenon,
especially in human trafficking caused by
environmental issues, this exploitation of
people.
Several months ago I received a delega-

yet understands the causehowever they

come from excessive technicization. One
of the greatest problems at issue relates to
oxygen and water. Namely, the desertification of large areas through deforestation.
Next to me is the Cardinal Archbishop
representing the Brazilian Amazon, who
can tell us what deforestation means today

due to these migrations caused by excessive technicization. I refer in particular to

the agricultural environment and also to
human trafficking in the mining industry.
Slavery in mines is a major issue. It involves
the use of certain elements in the treatment
of mineralsarsenic, cyanide which cause
diseases in the population. There is a very

tion from the United Nations, of women

involved with the issue of the sexual exploitation of children in countries at war
children as an object of exploitation. This
is another phenomenon. Wars are another
element contributing to environmental
imbalance.
I would like to conclude with a reflec-

United States Department of Justice

I OFFER you my sincere and heartfelt

thanks for the work that you have done.
Its true that it has all revolved around the
theme of looking after the environment,
this culture of care for the environment.
However this culture of care for the environment is not simply a greenI say it
in the true sense of the wordattitude, it
isnt just a green attitude, its much more
than that. Taking care of the environment
means having an attitude of human ecology. That is, we cannot say that mankind
is here andCreation, the environment, is
there. Ecology is total, its human.
This is what I sought to express in the
Encyclical Laudato Si: man cannot be
separated from the rest; there is a relationship which is reciprocally influential, both
the environment on the person, and the
person in a way which affects the environment; and the effect bounces back to man
when the environment is mistreated. For
this reason, in response to a question I was
asked I said: No, its not a green encyclical, its a social encyclical. For in society,
in the social life of mankind, we cannot
forget to take care of the environment.
Moreover, looking after the environment
is a social attitude, which socializes us, in
one sense or anothereach person can give
it the meaning he chooseson the other
hand, it enables us to welcomeI like
the Italian expression, when they speak of
the environmentCreation, what we are
given as a gift, namely, the environment.
On the other hand, why this invitationwhich seems to me to have been a
very fruitful idea of the Pontifical Academy
of Sciences, of Bishop Snchez Sorondo
inviting the mayors of cities both large and
not-so-large, why invite them here to talk
about this? Because one of the most notable things when the environment, when
creation isnt looked after, is the unfettered
growth of cities. It is a worldwide phenomenon. It is as if the heads, the big cities,
made themselves large, but each time with
greater areas of poverty and misery, where
the people suffer the effects of environmental neglect. The phenomenon of migration
is included in this sense. Why do people
come to the big cities, to the poverty belts
of big citiesthe shanty towns, slums and
favelas? Why do they do this? It is simply
because the rural world doesnt offer them
opportunities. One point that is made in
the Encyclicaland with all due respect,
but it must be denouncedis the idolatry
of technocracy. Technocracy leads to the
destruction of jobs, it creates unemployment. The phenomena of unemployment
are widespread and people are forced to
emigrate, seeking new horizons. The high
number of unemployed people is alarming.
I dont have the statistics at hand, but in a
few European countries, especially among
young people, youth unemploymentof
those aged 25 years and underis higher
than 40 percent and in some cases even 50
percent. Between 40, 47Im thinking of
other countriesand 50 [percent].
I am thinking of other serious statistics
given by heads of state, directly by heads
of state. Projecting into the future, this
makes us see a ghost, in other words, an

The phenomena of unemployment are widespread and

people are forced to emigrate, seeking new horizons.
in the Amazon, which is the worlds lungs.
Congo and Amazonia are the worlds great
lungs. The deforestation in my homeland
for several yearseight, nine yearsreminds me that the Federal Government
began a process in one province to stop

great responsibility in this. It all bounces

back, it all turns around, everything has a
rebound affect against the person himself. It
can include human trafficking for purposes
of slave labour or prostitutionsources of
work to enable survival today.

tion which isnt mine but which is from

the theologian and philosopher Romano
Guardini. He speaks of two forms of
ignorance: the ignorance that God gave
us, to be transformed into culture, which
is why he gave us the mandate to care for,

make fruitful and have dominion over the

earth; the second form of ignorance, when
man fails to respect this relationship with
the earth, and doesnt look after itits very
clear in the biblical account, its a mystical
sort of reading. When he does not look
after it, man falls prey to this second form
of ignorance and steers the earth off its
intended course. It is ignorance, that is to
say, man changing its course, losing control
of it, thus giving rise to a second form of
ignorance. Atomic energy is good, it can
be helpful. Up to a point its okay, but lets
think about Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In
other words, disaster and destruction are
created, to give a longstanding example.
Today, in all forms of ignorance, as in
those which you have considered, this
second form of ignorance is what is destroying man. In a midrash, a mediaeval
rabbi from about the time of St Thomas
Aquinasperhaps someone has heard me
speak about himexplained the problem
of the Tower of Babel to his parishioners
in the Synagogue. He said that building
the Tower of Babel took a lot of time and
work, especially in making the bricks. It
called for preparing mud, finding hay, baling it, cutting it, drying it, then putting it
in the oven, baking.... Each brick was like a
gem, they were really valuable. They carried
the bricks up to place them on the tower.
When a brick fell it was a very serious problem, and the culprit who had neglected his
work and dropped the brick was punished.
When a construction worker fell, nothing
would happen. This is the tragedy of the
second form of ignorance: man as creator
of ignorance rather than culture; man as
creator of ignorance because he doesnt care
for the environment.
Why did the Pontifical Academy of
Sciences convoke the officials, mayors
and superintendents of cities? Its because
this awareness comes from the centre
toward the peripheries, while the most
serious and profound work is starts at the
peripheries and moves toward the centre;
in other words, from you to the conscience
of humanity. The Holy See, or this country or that one, can deliver a good speech
before the United Nations, but unless the
work moves from the peripheries to the
centre it will have no effect; hence the
responsibility of city officials, mayors and
superintendents.
For this reason I am most grateful that
you have come together as the peripheries,
taking this issue very seriously. Each of you,
within your own city, has problems like
those I mentioned, and you must govern
and resolve them, and so on. I thank you
for your cooperation. Bishop Snchez
Sorondo told me that many of you gave
speeches and that all this is most valuable.
I thank you and I ask the Lord to give
us the grace that we may raise awareness
of this problem of destruction that we
ourselves propel through our lack of an
ecological awareness such as that given to
us in the beginning, in order to transform
the first form of ignorance into culture; to
stop there and not transform this culture
into ignorance.
Many thanks.

Laudato Si / B4

any genuine human ecology. Also,

valuing ones own body in its femininity or masculinity is necessary if
I am going to be able to recognize
myself in an encounter with someone who is different. In this way
we can joyfully accept the specific
gifts of another man or woman,
the work of God the Creator, and
find mutual enrichment. It is not a
healthy attitude which would seek
to cancel out sexual difference
because it no longer knows how
to confront it.[121]
IV. THE PRINCIPLE OF THE
COMMON GOOD
156. Human ecology is inseparable from the notion of the
common good, a central and
unifying principle of social ethics.
The common good is the sum
of those conditions of social life
which allow social groups and
their individual members relatively
thorough and ready access to their
own fulfilment.[122]
157. Underlying the principle
of the common good is respect
for the human person as such, endowed with basic and inalienable
rights ordered to his or her integral
development. It has also to do
with the overall welfare of society
and the development of a variety
of intermediate groups, applying
the principle of subsidiarity. Outstanding among those groups is the
family, as the basic cell of society.

Finally, the common good calls

for social peace, the stability and
security provided by a certain order
which cannot be achieved without
particular concern for distributive
justice; whenever this is violated,
violence always ensues. Society as
a whole, and the state in particular,
are obliged to defend and promote
the common good.
158. In the present condition
of global society, where injustices
abound and growing numbers of
people are deprived of basic human
rights and considered expendable,
the principle of the common
good immediately becomes, logically and inevitably, a summons to
solidarity and a preferential option
for the poorest of our brothers
and sisters. This option entails
recognizing the implications of the
universal destination of the worlds
goods, but, as I mentioned in the
Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii
Gaudium,[123] it demands before all else an appreciation of the
immense dignity of the poor in
the light of our deepest convictions as believers. We need only
look around us to see that, today,
this option is in fact an ethical
imperative essential for effectively attaining the common good.
V. JUSTICE BETWEEN THE
GENERATIONS
159. The notion of the common
good also extends to future genera-

tions. The global economic crises

have made painfully obvious the
detrimental effects of disregarding our common destiny, which
cannot exclude those who come
after us. We can no longer speak
of sustainable development apart
from intergenerational solidarity.
Once we start to think about the
kind of world we are leaving to
future generations, we look at
things differently; we realize that
the world is a gift which we have
freely received and must share with
others. Since the world has been
given to us, we can no longer view
reality in a purely utilitarian way, in
which efficiency and productivity
are entirely geared to our individual benefit. Intergenerational
solidarity is not optional, but rather
a basic question of justice, since
the world we have received also
belongs to those who will follow
us. The Portuguese bishops have
called upon us to acknowledge this
obligation of justice: The environment is part of a logic of receptivity.
It is on loan to each generation,
which must then hand it on to the
next.[124]An integral ecology is
marked by this broader vision.
160. What kind of world do we
want to leave to those who come
after us, to children who are now
growing up? This question not
only concerns the environment
in isolation; the issue cannot be
approached piecemeal. When

we ask ourselves what kind of

world we want to leave behind,
we think in the first place of its
general direction, its meaning and
its values. Unless we struggle with
these deeper issues, I do not believe
that our concern for ecology will
produce significant results. But if
these issues are courageously faced,
we are led inexorably to ask other
pointed questions: What is the
purpose of our life in this world?
Why are we here? What is the goal
of our work and all our efforts?
What need does the earth have of
us? It is no longer enough, then,
simply to state that we should be
concerned for future generations.
We need to see that what is at
stake is our own dignity. Leaving
an inhabitable planet to future
generations is, first and foremost,
up to us. The issue is one which
dramatically affects us, for it has
to do with the ultimate meaning
of our earthly sojourn.
161. Doomsday predictions
can no longer be met with irony
or disdain. We may well be leaving to coming generations debris,
desolation and filth. The pace of
consumption, waste and environmental change has so stretched
the planets capacity that our
contemporary lifestyle, unsustainable as it is, can only precipitate
catastrophes, such as those which
even now periodically occur in
different areas of the world. The

effects of the present imbalance

can only be reduced by our decisive
action, here and now. We need to
reflect on our accountability before
those who will have to endure the
dire consequences.
162. Our difficulty in taking up
this challenge seriously has much
to do with an ethical and cultural
decline which has accompanied
the deterioration of the environment. Men and women of our
postmodern world run the risk of
rampant individualism, and many
problems of society are connected
with todays self-centered culture
of instant gratification. We see
this in the crisis of family and
social ties and the difficulties of
recognizing the other. Parents can
be prone to impulsive and wasteful
consumption, which then affects
their children who find it increasingly difficult to acquire a home
of their own and build a family.
Furthermore, our inability to think
seriously about future generations
is linked to our inability to broaden
the scope of our present interests
and to give consideration to those
who remain excluded from development. Let us not only keep the
poor of the future in mind, but
also todays poor, whose life on this
earth is brief and who cannot keep
on waiting. Hence, in addition to
a fairer sense of intergenerational
solidarity there is also an urgent
moral need for a renewed sense of

intragenerational solidarity.[125]
CHAPTER FIVE
LINES OF APPROACH AND
ACTION
163. So far I have attempted
to take stock of our present situation, pointing to the cracks in the
planet that we inhabit as well as to
the profoundly human causes of
environmental degradation. Although the contemplation of this
reality in itself has already shown
the need for a change of direction
and other courses of action, now
we shall try to outline the major
paths of dialogue which can help us
escape the spiral of self-destruction
which currently engulfs us.
I. DIALOGUE ON THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
164. Beginning in the middle of
the last century and overcoming
many difficulties, there has been a
growing conviction that our planet
is a homeland and that humanity
is one people living in a common
home. An interdependent world
not only makes us more conscious
of the negative effects of certain
lifestyles and models of production
and consumption which affect us
all; more importantly, it motivates
us to ensure that solutions are
Laudato Si / B7

B6 REFLECTIONS

August 3 - 16, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 16

CBCP Monitor

Jesus, the life-giving bread from heaven

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, John 6:41-51 (B)
August 9, 2015

The key word

here is FAITH.
God offers
this gift to
all, because
He wants
all to reach
salvation.
The gift is real, nonetheless,
and offered out of sheer love.
Yet some reject it. The offer
will be perceived and accepted
only by humble heartspeople
who trust Gods Word more
than their external senses. And
in their faith, these humble
people come to know and experience truths that lie beyond

Eucharist, the food and

drink of eternal life
20th Sunday in Ordinary
Time, John 6:51-58 (B)
August 16, 2015
By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB
THERE is an intrinsic connection between food and
life. Food is indispensable to preserve and increase
life. Likewise, there is an intrinsic connection between the Eucharist and mans spiritual life. Jesus
develops this theme in his discourse on the Bread of
Life, and emphasizes this truth especially in todays
Gospel passage.
He states it, both in the form of a promise (see vv. 51,
57 and 58), and as a strong warning: If you do not eat
the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have
no life in you (v. 52b).
The life Jesus is talking about is not our psychophysical life and activity, that temporal sequence of
actions and reactions which begins at conception and
inevitably ends when our heart and brain cease to function. Rather, the life Jesus has in mind is that spark
of divine reality which is rooted in the very core of our
personality. It is the spiritual dimension of our self
which raises us to the level of Gods very life. It is at that
depth and height that man becomes different from the
rest of creation, and that he can experience an intimacy
with the divine Thou which is the source of endless
happiness and fulfillment.
Such is the life Jesus is promising, and for which
he offers himself as food and drink. This life is not
measured in days and years, but by the intensity of the
faith and love that permeates it. It shares in the eternity
of God, and that is why it is called eternal life. But to
enjoy it, we do not have to wait until our earthly days are
over. Such a life can already be ours today (though in
a limited degree) through faith in Jesus and by eating his

Eternal Life / B7

what human eye can see or human mind can fathom.

This is true of all the great
mysteries of the Christian faith,
like the Trinity, the Incarnation,
the work of our redemption. It
is perhaps particularly true of
the Eucharist, the mystery of
faith par excellence. In fact,
while in the Incarnation only
the divinity of Christ was hiding, in the Eucharist both the
divinity and humanity are not
perceived by our senses. All that
we see and touch and eat/drink
is something that looks and
tastes like ordinary bread and
wine. It is only because Christ
said: This IS my body . . . this
Is my blood that we respond
Amen!
There is nothing natural
in all this. It is all well above
nature, as we perceive it in
our ordinary life. And yet, by
Gods grace, we hold it to be as
real as the ground on which we
stand or the ordinary food we
eat. Such is the power which our
faith gives us to firmly believe
that, in spite of what our eyes can
see and our hands can touch, the
consecrated bread and wine
are the Lord Jesus in the totality of his life-giving person, the
source of our eternal life. (See
Jn 6:51.)

Peter Paul Rubens

THE Jews felt bewildered at Jesus claim that he was the bread
that came down from heaven
(Jn 6:41). They just couldnt
take it. They felt that they were
very well informed about the
origin of that young preacher:
Is this not Jesus, the son of
Joseph? Do we not know his
father and mother? (Jn 6:42).
As had already happened to
the townsfolk of Nazareth (see
Mk 6:3), their excessive selfassurance about what they knew
of Jesustheir pride!blinded
them to the higher reality which
they were facing. The Jews were
ready to grant that the young
Nazarean was able to perform
unusual tricks which allowed
him to feed big crowds with a
little food . . . But that was as
far as they could go. For the
rest, Jesus was to them just an
ordinary human being, weak
and mortal like anybody else.
They stopped at what their
eyes could see, their hands could
touch, and their minds could
comprehend. They preferred to
stick to what they thought they
knew about Jesus, rather
than accept his word and
thereby soar to a higher level

of knowledge. They refused to

believe. And that became their
tragedy.
The key word here is FAITH.
God offers this gift to all, because He wants all to reach
salvation. (See 1 Tim 2:4.) He
offers it in ways and circumstances that mostly elude us.

The dynamic presence

Reflections on the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

THIS week we come to the climax ofJohn 6.But
this is not the last Sunday that we have a reading
from this chapter.Next week well consider the
disciples suggestion that Jesus tone down his
teaching.Thats the conclusion.Today we have
the climax.
John 6is about sustenance. It is about eating.It
is aboutnourishment.It is about the Eucharist.
It is not about eating like we normally

the food.
But that is not what happens when we receive
the Eucharist. When we receive the Eucharist,
instead of us assimilating the food, the food
assimilates us.When we receive the Eucharist,
Jesustransforms us. We take on the life of the
Lord. We just heard: Just as the living Father sent
me and I have life because of the Father, so also the
one who feeds on me will have life because of me.
During the last three or four years, more and
more people in our parish have recognized the
importance of adoring the Presence of the Lord

eat.Normally, when we eat, we assimilate the

food. Forgive my simplification, but basically, our
body breaks down the food, takes the nutrients
it needs, and feeds our cell system. In a sense, the
food becomes part of us, although not as much
of us as the guy who eats so much chicken that
he starts growing feathers. I guess I should qualify
that, because I have met a large number of people
who share my Italian heritage who look like they
have been turned into meatballs.Still, eating is
about what we do with the food.We assimilate

in the Blessed Sacrament. We added four hours to

the time set aside for First Friday adoration.We
initiated beginning Lent with Forty Hours.Our
young people have a real hunger to receive
communion and to adore the Lord in the
Eucharist. Every time you ask any of the Teens
who return from a spiritual experience like a
Steubenville Conference or a week at Covecrest,
What was your favorite part? the vast majority
of the Teens respond, Eucharistic Adoration.
The attraction of the Eucharist is dynamic.Jesus

By Fr. Joseph Pellegrino

CNA

By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB

is dynamic. When we receive communion

or when we come to pray before the Blessed
Sacrament, we dont receive an inanimate
object.We dont kneel before a static entity.This
is not a crucifix or a statue that reminds us
of something.This is Jesus.The One Who
Is.When we receive communion or come to
adoration, we take within ourselves or we come
before the dynamic, powerful Presence who
speaks to us through the life He has given us.
How great is our God.He has found a way for
each of us to have continual, intimate encounters
with Him.Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI writes
that the Eucharist is the Dynamic Presence that
grasps us and makes us His Own.
The fundamental action of Jesuss life, the
reason why He became one of us, was the gift of
Himself in His passion, death and resurrection:
the Paschal Event.The gift of His sacrificial
love re-established our union with God and our
capacity to share in his immortality.Or to put
it simply: because He died for us we can live
forever with him.
When Jesus gave us his Body and Blood the
night before He died and when he gives us His
Body and Blood every time we receive communion, the Lord gives us the total sacrifice of
Himself to his Father.This is my Body which shall
be given up for you.This is the cup of my Blood,
the new and everlasting covenant that shall be shed
for you and for all until the end of time.When
we receive the Eucharist, Jesus is present as the
Servant of God who in His sacrificial death is
saving us all.Right here, right now.Todays
Gospel states:The one who feeds on my flesh
and drinks my blood has life eternal.In the real
presence of Jesus in the Eucharist we receive Jesus
saving His people, saving us now.We receive
Christ strengthening us and transforming our
joys and sorrows into prayers to His Father.
Our union with Christ in the Eucharist
is union with Christ in passion, death and
resurrection.Sometimes we are full of the joy
of the Resurrection, sometimes the sorrow
Presence / B7

Bo Sanchez

SOULFOOD
Write down 25 things you like about Yourself
I DID this the other day and couldnt stop at 25.
I ended up writing 67 things I like about myself. And since
the list is in my journal, I plan to keep adding onto it until I
reach100.
We need to start thanking God
for who we are.
Do start writing your 25.
Celebrate who you are.
This will change your perception of who you are.
All of a sudden, you realize how
special you are.
And slowly, youll start liking
yourself a lot.
Let me tell you why this is very important

s o n . He g e t s t o b e r in g b e are r a l o t . )
So I put aside all my work in the afternoon and brought him
to the barber.
After the haircut, I was thinking that we were going back
home so I could work. That was
when Francis said, Daddy, Im
hungry.
So we marched to his favorite
restaurant and he ate chicken and
rice at 4 in the afternoon.
Again, as we were leaving, I was
presuming I could now go back
to work. But Francis tugged on
my arm again and said, Daddy,
Im still hungry. My gosh. Where does this little guy put all
that food?
Later on, I realized he was hungry not for food but for love.
Specifically, hungry for Daddys love.
So we kept on walking, visiting other shops, until he saw a
playground. His eyes grew large and said, Daddy, can I play?
I believe life is about moments. So I bought myself a cup
of coffee (just because it fit the entire scene), sat on a park

Later on, I realized he was

hungry not for food but for
love. Specifically, hungry for
Daddys love.

The Most Important Reason

A few years ago, when my son was a bit younger, I remember
one afternoon when I was swamped with work.
I h a d s o m any ar ticle s t o wr i t e , so m a n y m e e t in g s t o
p l a n, so m any business c on c e r n s But m y wi f e s aid ,
Plea se b ri ng Francis t o t h e b a r b e r sh op. Hel l b e a
ring bearer. ( Thats the disadvantage of having a cute

Soulfood / B7

Bishop Pat Alo

ENCOUNTERS
Corrupted
bureaucracy
JESUS had already spoken that persons in public office ought to realize they are in positions of service,
not of powerThink of the Son of Man who has
not come to be served but to serve and to give his
life to redeem many (Mt. 10:45). This is manifested
especially when officials see to it that projects and
activities reach the finishing line, without their being
after base again.
Corruption means that items dont get done because energies or monies are being spent where they
should not be, or at most, are not given restitution,
in case they are borrowed or stolen. An old Chinese
saying goes: If all the civil officials are not greedy
for ill-gotten gain and armed officers are not afraid
of death in fighting for their country, the nation
will prosper.

CBCP Monitor
Laudato Si / B5

proposed from a global perspective, and not simply to defend the

interests of a few countries. Interdependence obliges us to think
ofone worldwith a common plan.
Yet the same ingenuity which has
brought about enormous technological progress has so far proved
incapable of finding effective ways
of dealing with grave environmen-

PASTORAL CONCERNS B7

August 3 - 16, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 16

of concerns for sustainable development.[126] Echoing the

1972 Stockholm Declaration, it
enshrined international cooperation to care for the ecosystem of
the entire earth, the obligation
of those who cause pollution to
assume its costs, and the duty to
assess the environmental impact
of given projects and works. It set
the goal of limiting greenhouse gas
concentration in the atmosphere,

would risk imposing on countries

with fewer resources burdensome
commitments to reducing emissions comparable to those of the
more industrialized countries.
Imposing such measures penalizes
those countries most in need of
development. A further injustice
is perpetrated under the guise
of protecting the environment.
Here also, the poor end up paying
the price. Furthermore, since the

consumption of some countries

and sectors.
172. For poor countries, the
priorities must be to eliminate
extreme poverty and to promote
the social development of their
people. At the same time, they need
to acknowledge the scandalous level
of consumption in some privileged
sectors of their population and to
combat corruption more effectively. They are likewise bound to

Laudato Si

norms are needed to impose obligations and prevent unacceptable actions, for example, when powerful
companies dump contaminated
waste or offshore polluting industries in other countries.
174. Let us also mention the
system of governance of the oceans.
International and regional conventions do exist, but fragmentation
and the lack of strict mechanisms
of regulation, control and penal-

would result; to bring about integral and timely disarmament, food

security and peace; to guarantee
the protection of the environment and to regulate migration:
for all this, there is urgent need
of a true world political authority,
as my predecessor Blessed John
XXIII indicated some years ago.
[129]Diplomacy also takes on new
importance in the work of developing international strategies which

Encyclical Letter of the Holy Father Francis on the Care of our Common Home
in an effort to reverse the trend of
global warming. It also drew up an
agenda with an action plan and a
convention on biodiversity, and
stated principles regarding forests.
Although the summit was a real
step forward, and prophetic for its
time, its accords have been poorly
implemented, due to the lack of
suitable mechanisms for oversight,
periodic review and penalties in
cases of non-compliance. The
principles which it proclaimed
still await an efficient and flexible
means of practical implementation.
168. Among positive experiences in this regard, we might
mention, for example, the Basel
Convention on hazardous wastes,
with its system of reporting, standards and controls. There is also
the binding Convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora, which
includes on-site visits for verifying
effective compliance. Thanks to
the Vienna Convention for the
protection of the ozone layer and
its implementation through the
Montreal Protocol and amendments, the problem of the layers
thinning seems to have entered a
phase of resolution.
169. As far as the protection
of biodiversity and issues related
to desertification are concerned,
progress has been far less significant. With regard to climate
change, the advances have been
regrettably few. Reducing greenhouse gases requires honesty,
courage and responsibility, above
all on the part of those countries
which are more powerful and pollute the most. The Conference of
the United Nations on Sustainable
Development, Rio+20 (Rio de
Janeiro 2012), issued a wide-ranging but ineffectual outcome document. International negotiations
cannot make significant progress
due to positions taken by countries
which place their national interests
above the global common good.
Those who will have to suffer the
consequences of what we are trying
to hide will not forget this failure
of conscience and responsibility.
Even as this Encyclical was being

effects of climate change will be

felt for a long time to come, even
if stringent measures are taken
now, some countries with scarce
resources will require assistance
in adapting to the effects already
being produced, which affect their
economies. In this context, there is
a need for common and differentiated responsibilities. As the bishops
of Bolivia have stated, the countries which have benefited from a

develop less polluting forms of energy production, but to do so they

require the help of countries which
have experienced great growth at
the cost of the ongoing pollution
of the planet. Taking advantage of
abundant solar energy will require
the establishment of mechanisms
and subsidies which allow developing countries access to technology
transfer, technical assistance and
financial resources, but in a way

ization end up undermining these

efforts. The growing problem of
marine waste and the protection of
the open seas represent particular
challenges. What is needed, in effect, is an agreement on systems of
governance for the whole range of
so-called global commons.
175. The same mindset which
stands in the way of making radical decisions to reverse the trend of
global warming also stands in the

can anticipate serious problems

affecting us all. (To be continued)

high degree of industrialization,

at the cost of enormous emissions
of greenhouse gases, have a greater
responsibility for providing a solution to the problems they have
caused.[127]
171. The strategy of buying
and selling carbon credits can
lead to a new form of speculation
which would not help reduce

which respects their concrete situations, since the compatibility of

[infrastructures] with the context
for which they have been designed
is not always adequately assessed.
[128]The costs of this would be
low, compared to the risks of climate change. In any event, these are
primarily ethical decisions, rooted
in solidarity between all peoples.

173. Enforceable international

agreements are urgently needed,
since local authorities are not always
capable of effective intervention.
Relations between states must be
respectful of each others sovereignty, but must also lay down mutually
agreed means of averting regional
disasters which would eventually
affect everyone. Global regulatory

way of achieving the goal of eliminating poverty. A more responsible

overall approach is needed to deal
with both problems: the reduction
of pollution and the development
of poorer countries and regions.
The twenty-first century, while
maintaining systems of governance
inherited from the past, is witnessing a weakening of the power of
nation states, chiefly because the
economic and financial sectors,
being transnational, tends to prevail over the political. Given this
situation, it is essential to devise
stronger and more efficiently
organized international institutions, with functionaries who are
appointed fairly by agreement
among national governments, and
empowered to impose sanctions.
As Benedict XVI has affirmed in
continuity with the social teaching
of the Church: To manage the
global economy; to revive economies hit by the crisis; to avoid any
deterioration of the present crisis
and the greater imbalances that

gratuidad, in JUAN CARLOS SCANNONE

and MARCELO PERINE (eds.),Irrupcin del
pobre y quehacer filosfico. Hacia una nueva
racionalidad,Buenos Aires, 1993, 225-230.
[118]PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR JUSTICE
AND PEACE,Compendium of the Social
Doctrine of the Church, 482.
[119]Apostolic ExhortationEvangelii Gaudium (24 November 2013), 210: AAS 105
(2013), 1107.
[120] Address to the German Bundestag,
Berlin (22 September 2011): AAS 103
(2011), 668.
[121] Catechesis (15 April
2015): LOsservatore Romano, 16 April
2015, p. 8.
[122]SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL
COUNCIL, Pastoral Constitution on the
Church in the Modern WorldGaudium et
Spes, 26.
[123]Cf. Nos. 186-201: AAS 105 (2013),
1098-1105.
[124]PORTUGUESE BISHOPS CONFERENCE, Pastoral LetterResponsabilidade
Solidria pelo Bem Comum(15 September
2003), 20.
[125]BENEDICT XVI,Message for the 2010
World Day of Peace, 8: AAS 102 (2010), 45.
[126] Rio Declaration on Environment and
Development(14 June 1992), Principle 1.
[127]BOLIVIAN BISHOPS CONFERENCE,
Pastoral Letter on the Environment and
Human Development in BoliviaEl universo,
don de Dios para la vida(March 2012), 86.
[128]PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR JUSTICE
AND PEACE,Energy, Justice and Peace,IV,
1, Vatican City (2014), 53.
[129]BENEDICT XVI, Encyclical LetterCaritas in Veritate(29 June 2009), 67: AAS 101
(2009).

Presence / B6

Eternal Life / B6

Soulfood / B6

of the Passion, but always we are

strengthened by the one who gives
us His Body and Blood.The Lord
is always in action.His Presence
is dynamic.
The first reading speaks about
the Wisdom of God. God has
built a house and invited us to a
dinner.Come and eat and drink
and live forever, He says.He gives
us the dream of living in peace and
happiness totally united to Him for
all eternity.
The marvelous paradox of our
Eucharistic relationship with the
Lord is that the more we have Him,
the hungrier we are for Him.Only
God in His Infinite Wisdom could
find a way to satisfy our hungry
hearts while leaving us even hungrier
for Him. We cant get enough of
Him.We never will until we are
fully united to Him in heaven.
Today we pray for the Gift of the
Holy Spirit called Reverence. May
we revere the Dynamic Presence
that assimilates Us into Himself
every time we receive His Body
and Blood.

Flesh and drinking his Blood.

Only on this condition can
we experience the life-giving
communion with Christ (see
v. 56) which inserts us in the
marvelous stream of life that
has its origin in the Father,
and has its unique channel in
His incarnate Son. (See v. 57.)
The Jews who were listening
to Jesus were very materialistic and rationalistic in their
outlook. They could not understand how Jesus could give
them his flesh to eat (see v. 52)
because they had no idea of
eternal life. They were unable
to soar beyond the boundaries
of matter and time. They did
not know how creative divine
love can be. The Eucharistic
bread and wine, true body
and blood of Christ, thanks
to the power of his word and
of his Spirit, are the answer to
their question. But only those
who believe that everything is
possible for God will respond
Amen!

bench, and enjoyed watching

my son jump from one slide
to another.
We had the grandest time.
Why did I disrupt my whole
afternoon for Francis?
Because Im his father and
hes my son.
Hes more important than
all my work.
Hes more important than
all my ministries.
Hes more important than
all the books I write and all
the talks I give.
Friend, this is the ultimate
reason why you need to like
yourself.
Because you have a Father
who loves you so much.
Youre more important than
all the stars in the sky.
Youre more important than
all the galaxies of this universe.
In the heart of God, nothing
compares with you.
If He loves you this much,
how can you not like yourself?

We know that technology based on the use of highly polluting fossil

fuels especially coal, but also oil and, to a lesser degree, gas
needs to be progressively replaced without delay.
environment have not lived up to
expectations because, due to lack
of political will, they were unable
to reach truly meaningful and effective global agreements on the
environment.
167. The 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro is worth
mentioning. It proclaimed that
human beings are at the centre

prepared, the debate was intensifying. We believers cannot fail to ask

God for a positive outcome to the
present discussions, so that future
generations will not have to suffer
the effects of our ill-advised delays.
170. Some strategies for lowering pollutant gas emissions
call for the internationalization
of environmental costs, which

the emission of polluting gases

worldwide. This system seems to
provide a quick and easy solution under the guise of a certain
commitment to the environment,
but in no way does it allow for
the radical change which present
circumstances require. Rather, it
may simply become a ploy which
permits maintaining the excessive

Eucharist / B3

their Eucharistic encounter Christ

in Word and Sacrament are offered
enlightenment and guidance in
their quest for meaning and purpose in life. In the Eucharist, Jesus
looks upon the youth with that
special love that he showed upon
the young man in the Gospel and
invites them to follow him (Cf.
Mk 10:21) in his loving relationship with the Father and in his
saving mission to humanity and
to the world.
The Eucharist, primary school
of Christian values. By engaging
them in active participation in the
Eucharistin attentive listening,
in generous and appropriate bodily expressions, in the observance
of silence at the appropriate moments, or in undertaking specific
ministries in the celebrationthe
youth can best be formed both
for their future and present roles
in the Church and in society .
In the Eucharistic dialogue, the
Church has to so much to talk
about with the youth and the
youth, with their so much energies

and enthusiasm, have so much to

share with the Church. Around
the table both of Gods Word and
of Christs Body, the Church offers
instruction and nourishment (Cf.
General Instruction of the Roman
Missal, n. 28) by which young
people can be prepared to be the
good soil where the seed of Gods
Word can spring up, take root,
grow, and bear abundant fruit.
The Eucharist is the perfect school
for the young where they can lean
the values of presence that builds
relationship and communities, of a
sense of gratitude and responsibility for Gods creation and of service
and sacrifice that gives life, healing,
and wholeness to others.
The Eucharist as communication. Considering the young
peoples attraction to various
means of social communication
and their adeptness in their use of
the same, the Church will do well
to present the Eucharist to them
as the highest embodiment and
ideal of communication where
friendships are established and

[114] Rio Declaration on Environment and

Development(14 June 1992), Principle 4.
[115]Apostolic ExhortationEvangelii Gaudium(24 November 2013), 237: AAS 105
(2013), 1116.
[116]BENEDICT XVI, Encyclical LetterCaritas in Veritate(29 June 2009), 51: AAS101
(2009), 687.
[117]Some authors have emphasized
the values frequently found, for example,
in thevillas, chabolasorfavelasof Latin
America: cf. JUAN CARLOS SCANNONE,
S.J., La irrupcin del pobre y la lgica de la

Sterling College

tal and social problems worldwide.

A global consensus is essential for
confronting the deeper problems,
which cannot be resolved by unilateral actions on the part of individual countries. Such a consensus
could lead, for example, to planning a sustainable and diversified
agriculture, developing renewable
and less polluting forms of energy,
encouraging a more efficient use
of energy, promoting a better
management of marine and forest
resources, and ensuring universal
access to drinking water.
165. We know that technology based on the use of highly
polluting fossil fuels especially
coal, but also oil and, to a lesser
degree, gas needs to be progressively replaced without delay. Until
greater progress is made in developing widely accessible sources of
renewable energy, it is legitimate to
choose the lesser of two evils or to
find short-term solutions. But the
international community has still
not reached adequate agreements
about the responsibility for paying
the costs of this energy transition.
In recent decades, environmental
issues have given rise to considerable public debate and have elicited
a variety of committed and generous civic responses. Politics and
business have been slow to react
in a way commensurate with the
urgency of the challenges facing
our world. Although the postindustrial period may well be
remembered as one of the most irresponsible in history, nonetheless
there is reason to hope that humanity at the dawn of the twenty-first
century will be remembered for
having generously shouldered its
grave responsibilities.
166. Worldwide, the ecological
movement has made significant
advances, thanks also to the efforts
of many organizations of civil society. It is impossible here to mention
them all, or to review the history
of their contributions. But thanks
to their efforts, environmental
questions have increasingly found
a place on public agendas and
encouraged more far-sighted approaches. This notwithstanding,
recent World Summits on the

nurture, where hopes, dreams,

joys, and anxieties are shared, and
where noble causes and advocacies are worked out together. In
the school of the Eucharist, young
people will learn that communication is more than the exchange
of ideas and of emotion but, at its
most profound level, the fiving of
self in love. The Church should
never get tired of telling the
young that Christ instituted the
Eucharist as the most perfect and
intimate form of communication
between God and man which
leads to the deepest possible
unity among men and women.
(Cf. Pastoral Instruction Communio et progressio on the means
of social communication). The
Eucharist is where the deepest
and transforming communication takes placein response
to the prayer of invocation, the
Father through his Son sends the
Holy Spirit so that the bread and
the wine, as also the assembly,
will become the Body of Christ.
(To be continued)

B8 ENTERTAINMENT
Buhay San Miguel

August 3 - 16, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 16

Brothers Matias

CBCP Monitor
Moral Assessment

Abhorrent

Disturbing
Acceptable
Wholesome

Exemplary
Technical Assessment

Poor
Below average

Average

Above average
E
xcellent

Lolo Kiko

Buhay Parokya

Bladimer Usi

Look for the images of St. John the Baptist,

Holy bible, and Holy Candle.
(Illustration by Bladimer Usi)

BY 2029, Skynet has come

online and taken over the
world but with the Resistance
led by John Connor (Jason
Clarke) slowly winning over
the machines. However, he
knows Skynet will make
a last ditch effort to save
itself and deploy its secret
weapon. (Thanks to his time
traveling ability that enabled him to know past and
future events.) So he sends
his right hand man, Kyle
Reese (Courtney) to travel
back in 1094 and save his
mother, Sarah (Clarke) from
the Terminator. As Kyle is
being transported in time,
he witnesses the attack on
John and unknowingly gets
transported in an alternative
1984 timeline where Sarah
has been raised by a protective Terminator she lovingly
named Pops (Schwarzenegger) and no longer is the damsel in distress he is expecting.
They travel in the future to
stop the birth of Skynet but is
greeted by a hostile John who
has been transformed into a
half human-half machine.
John no longer is humanitys
last hope but Skynets.
Terminator Genisys puts
forward a decent original storyline paying tribute to the
James Cameron franchise.
That it unrealistically mixes
consequences and sensible
plots if one were to follow
the events of 1984, 1991 and
2003, can be forgiven since
this is a time travel fiction.
One can also overlook the
bland portrayals of Courtney
as Kyle Reese, Jason Clarke
as John Connor and gawky
attempts of Emilia Clarke to
summon the spirit of Linda
Hamiltons Sarah Connor.
What is unforgiveable is the
presence of Schwarzenegger
as the old but not obsolete

to win over. Over the years

(and franchises), John Connor was raised and developed
into a man willing to sacrifice
himself for the salvation of
mankind. It would have been
appropriate if we saw a little
struggle and an attempt from
what was left of the human
John to still do that. Oh, but
this a Schwarzenegger movie,
so naturally the last bravado
should be about him.
The future is not permanently written on stone with
people mainly acting out
what is expected of them. Set
aside time traveling, fate is
never predetermined but is a
consequence of decisions and
actions made in the present.
At best, we are called to live

Pops. His look, his one-liners

and his delivery are old and
obsolete. And no matter how
many times these lines are
injected in the screenplay, it
brings more pity than laughter and awe. Arnold is no
longer the masculine pride
he was and should have had
the dignity to choose roles
that will be less of a joke.
Story-wise, it could have been
a lot better if John Connors
world last hope character
has not been so screwed up.
He is after all half machine
and half human and the latter should have been made

ment. Technology is indeed

powerful but can never be
greater than mankind. It is
refreshing to watch a macho
action film where a woman
calls the shot, is able to stand
for herself and not just a
shrieking damsel who needs
to be saved and later taken
as a romantic partner by the
leading man. The movie has
some heavy action scenes that
may be a little violent and its
plot may be confusing for
the very young ones. Parents
are cautioned to make sure
only their older kids get to
watch this.

TERMINATOR
GENISYS

DIRECTION: Alan Taylor

CAST: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Clarke, Emilia
Clarke, Jai Courtney
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Kramer
Morgenthau
GENRE: Sci-Fi Action
LOCATION: US
DISTRIBUTOR: Paramount
Pictures
RUNNING TIME: 95 minutes
TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT:

MORAL ASSESSMENT:
CINEMA rating: V14

each day with intelligence

and ethics so that our future
will always be the better one.
Since we do not have the
capacity to go back in time
and rewrite history, what we
say and do today matters so
much. With a little more
struggle, one can find a few
more glimpses of positivity
in the film. Like how mans
perpetual dependence on
technology will be the cause
of their downfall and enslave-

The Cross

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

CBCP Monitor. Vol. 19. No. 16

August 3 - 16, 2015

133rd Knights of Columbus Supreme

Convention to be held in Pennsylvania
The members of the
Knights of Columbus all
over the world will gather
on August 4 - 6, 2015 for
their 133rd Supreme Convention in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania.
On behalf of the Host Committee for the 133rd Supreme Convention, it is my pleasure to extend to
you and your family an invitation to
join us in Philadelphia, PA. We are
excited to have you join us for this
celebration and look forward to seeing you. The convention promises to
be informative, productive, and fun.
We welcome you to The Cradle of
Liberty, says Bro. Stan Glowaski,
Pennsylvania State Deputy.
He added that the convention committee has been working
diligently to make the participants
feel welcome and at home in the
Keystone State. The Philadelphia
Downtown Marriott will be the
hotel headquarters for the week.
Philadelphia is the Historical
capital of the United States and the
epicenter of Liberty, with hundreds
of historical sites and attractions
that keep visitors coming back for
more. (KC News)

Led by Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, Cubao Bishop Honesto Ongtioco and San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, the Philippine delegates to the 133rd Supreme
Convention of the Knights of Columbus held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on August 4-6, 2015, pose for a souvenir photo after the traditional States Dinner. PHOTO BY JOSE CUARESMA

Seed of Hope Fund

Team Generous - Children

of the Streets

Team Generous together with the kids at Jose Fabella Center

The officers of the Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines, Inc. (KCFAPI) headed by KCFAPI Chairman Arsenio Isidro G. Yap (6th from left)
and Supreme Director Alonso L. Tan (7th from right) during the turnover of One Million Pesos representing interest earned in 2014 on the P10Million CBCP
Seed of Hope Fund established by KCFAPI in 2008 for the priority projects of the CBCP. His Excellency, Most Rev. Socrates B. Villegas, President of CBCP and
Archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan receives the check together with His Eminence Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle, Archbishop of Manila and His Excellency,
Most Rev. John Du, Archbishop of Palo, Leyte and CBCP Treasurer.

NOW on its 7th year, the Knights of

Columbus Fraternal Association of the
Philippines, Inc. (KCFAPI) turned over
to the Catholic Bishops Conference of
the Philippines (CBCP) its donation in
the form of Seed of Hope Fund which
is intended to support the special projects of the CBCP. This year, KCFAPI
handed over to His Excellency, Most
Rev. Socrates B. Villegas, President of
CBCP and Archbishop of Lingayen
Dagupan a check amounting to One
Million Pesos representing interest

earned in 2014 on the P10Million

CBCP Seed of Hope Fund established
by KCFAPI in 2008.
The turnover of the Seed of Hope
Fund was led by KCFAPI Chairman Arsenio Isidro G. Yap and Supreme Director
Alonso L. Tan together with some of the
officers and board members of KCFAPI.
On hand to witness the said event, were
His Eminence Luis Antonio G. Cardinal
Tagle, Archbishop of Manila and His Excellency, Most Rev. John Du, Archbishop
of Palo and CBCP Treasurer.

Warriors of a Kind

The turn-over was held last July 13,

2015 at the Pope Pius Catholic Center
in Manila during the bishops plenary
assembly.
As a Catholic fraternal association,
KCFAPI recognizes the various social and
spiritual undertakings of the Church in
the Philippines. The CBCP Seed of Hope
Fund is just one of the many financial
endeavors KCFAPI provides to the CBCP
and to the Catholic Church in general in
pursuit of its corporate social responsibility. (KCFAPI News)

WE see them every day on our way to

work, knocking at car windows begging
for food to fill their hungry stomachs.
Sometimes we see them gathered in a
dark street corner scrounging for food
from waste bins. Its an everyday sight
we take for granted yet we are indifferent
of the dire situation these children face
every day. Driven from their home in the
provinces by poverty and desperation their
families set off to the city hoping for a
better living opportunity.
We arrived at the Jose Fabella Center
on the morning of July 11, 2015, a compound managed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)
that provides temporary shelter for
stranded children, vagrants, mendicants

Team KCFAPI CARES: Goes To

The Heart Of The Street Dwellers

Children of the Child Haus, together with the members of Team Generous and
celebrity Mader Ricky Reyes (center).

They are the children of underprivileged families who are still

in their early years, some barely a
year old, some are toddlers while
the others are kids in their teenage
years. At an early stage in their life

the child, and parents, already

faced a seemingly insurmountable challenge before them. They
are but a few of the thousands of
children from all over the country
Warriors, C3

and street dwellers. A DSWD staff led us

to a room where the street children were
gathered, they were kids ranging from 1 to
12 years old, some of them accompanied
by their parents. We were told that the
children at the center are also taught the
basics of reading, writing and mathematics during their stay. As we were setting
up the projector for our presentation the
kids could not hold back their excitement.
It was a real treat for them to see a video
presentation. For some, it was their first
ever experience. Finally, with the aid
of another DSWD staff, (referred to as
Kuya Eric by the transients) we got the
children settled in their place.
The video presentation began with the
Team Generous, C3

Team Love Bank: Home Is

Where the Heart Is

Nanay Rosa and her family together with the members of the Team Love Bank

Ephesians 1:11-12
In Him we were all chosen,
having been predestined according
to the plan of Him who works out
everything in conformity with the
purpose of His will, in order that we,

who were the first to hope in Christ,

might be for the praise of His glory.
As we celebrate the Year of the
Poor, let us take a glimpse of the
countless needy along the street
KCFAPI Cares, C3

THIS piece could be a tad mushy

that you would think it is too
deceitful because a grown-up
wrote it. Have you noticed which
part of the society being mushy is
generally accepted? The children.

Why? You already know it, youve

grown too much that you gradually leave behind the knowledge of
what matters most. As Monsieur
Antoine de Saint-Exupery puts it,
Team Love Bank, C3

C2

August 3 - 16, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 16

Arsenio Isidro G. Yap

Ma. Theresa G. Curia

Chairmans Message

Curia Settings

NEW BOARDS
LAST July 3, the Founder Members Committee
(FMC) met for a caucus meeting to discuss some
issues and legal matters that need to be resolved
and agreed upon before the different stockholders
meeting could commence.
At around 1 PM during the Stockholders Meeting
of the Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association
of the Philippines, Inc. (KCFAPI), I was informed
that I was elected as its new Chairman. In the same meeting the new set of
the Board of Trustees of KCFAPI were also elected. This was immediately
followed by an Organizational Meeting and KCFAPI elected its new officers
for the Columbian Year (CY) 2015-2016. Elected President was Justice Jose
C. Reyes, Jr. the new Luzon North Deputy.
Other wholly owned subsidiaries of KCFAPI also had new set of trustees
and officers including its two foundations. Alonso L. Tan is the new Chairman of Keys Realty which also operates the Holy Trinity Memorial Chapels
and yours truly as its new President.
Mace has a new Chairman, Teodoro O. Arcenas, Jr. Mace retained Joseph
P. Teodoro as its President having performed well the past three years at the
helm. On the other hand Kompass retained its Chairman Hilario G. Davide,
Jr. and elected a new President, the new Luzon South Deputy Ramoncito A.
Ocampo. I had to give up the presidency of Kompass as I was given bigger
roles to play as new Chairman of KCFAPI and new President of Keys Realty.
Former Chief Justice Hilario G. Davide, Jr. is now the new Chairman of
the two foundations, KC Philippines and Knights of Columbus Fr. George J.
Willmann Charities, Inc., a position formerly held by Justice Jose C. Reyes,
Jr. Alonso L. Tan, however, was retained as President of the two foundations.
Also last July 1, the four new state deputies took over from their predecessors. Anthony P. Nazario and Reynaldo C. Trinidad are the new Visayas
Deputy and Mindanao Deputy, respectively, succeeding Rodrigo N. Sorongon
and Balbino C. Fauni.
I have two successors since Luzon got too big and was divided into two.
Justice Jose C. Reyes, Jr. is the Luzon North Deputy and Ramoncito A.
Ocampo is the Luzon South Deputy.
There are also changes in the structure of KCFAPI. It will have two ViceChairmen. Anthony P. Nazario will be the Vice Chairman for the Visayas
and Reynaldo C. Trinidad will be the Vice Chairman for Mindanao. Their
positions will become effective after the approval of the SEC of the change
in our by-laws. The rationale for this is to give the two state deputies a more
direct hand in the promotion of the KCFAPI Benefit Certificates (BC) and
improve the availment of said BCs in their respective jurisdictions.
The two foundations also had changes in its structures and composition
of its trustees. Both foundations would have the same number of trustees
and the same set of trustees. This would synchronize the operations and
programs of both foundations and would prevent confusions from among
its members. The KC Philippines Foundations by-laws would have to be
amended to increase its board seats from nine to fifteen equaling the Knights
of Columbus Fr. George J. Willmann Charities number of trustees. Hence
the other six elected as trustees of KC Philippines would only take effect upon
the approval of the amendments of its by-laws.
Although there are more than one membership across companies, it is my
hope that their action would be better synchronized and more coordinated in
their different functions in the different boards. It is also my hope that with
these changes, synchronized decision making will be achieved.
With the different talents, varied experiences and unquestionable
dedication and loyalty of these men they call knights, I sincerely believe
that KCFAPI, its wholly owned subsidiaries and two foundations are
headed to a new golden era. The members of the Knights of Columbus
in the Philippines and their families will be given the opportunities to
avail of the many benefits that are being offered and will still be offered
by KCFAPI and its wholly-owned and majority-owned companies.
At the same time, all our members who have availed of and will still
avail of these opportunities are assured that part of their insurance
contributions or investment on our products from the wholly-owned
and majority-owned companies will be for the benefit of our scholars
in the two foundations.
I look forward in working and coordinating with the new team in plotting the future course of KCFAPI, its wholly-owned and majority-owned
companies and two foundations for the good of the Order, for the good of
the Knights of Columbus in the Philippines. Vivat Jesus!

Jose C. Reyes, Jr.

Presidents Message
The Knights of Columbus
133rd Supreme Convention in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA is the chosen site of the 133rd
Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus. It is the historical capital of the United States
of America and the Cradle of Liberty where we
can find the famous Liberty Bell. The host State
Deputy, Stan Glowaski, is inviting Knights of
Columbus officers and members from various
parts of the globe to participate in this years
convention and see also the tourist attractions in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
A Ladies Appreciation Luncheon will be held on August 4, 2015, hosted by
the ladies of the Officers and Board of Directors of the Knights of Columbus
Supreme Council to thank the wives of the State Deputies for their support to
their husbands. This will be followed by the Opening Business Session which
will be presided by the Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson who will address the
delegates and will most likely reiterate Pope Francis call to serve the poor a
kind of charity work that evangelizes. The traditional State Dinner will be
held in the evening with the participation of all the delegates and their ladies.
The Business Session will continue on August 5. The main event is the
Awards Session. Each fraternal year, the Supreme Council recognizes individual
knights, as well as councils, assemblies, states or juridictions and Squire Circles
for outstanding achievements related to membership growth and retention,
insurance sales, and charitable works. Among the awards to be given are the
International Family of the Year Award, Century Club Award, Membership
Recruitment and the International Service Awards. This year, our outgoing
Luzon Deputy Arsenio Isidro G. Yap will again be awarded for our outstanding performance in membership growth in the Knights of Columbus and
the Columbian Squires. The Final Business Session on August 6 will begin
with a Memorial Mass and will be highlighted by the approval of resolutions
submitted for consideration by the various Knights of Columbus jurisdictions.
This international gathering of Knights of Columbus members and their
families will definitely be an opportunity to fervently pray for the canonization
of our beloved founder, Venerable Servant Fr. Michael J. McGivney. He continues to be the great inspiration to the members of the Knights of Columbus,
including members of the clergy. Likewise, the Knights of Columbus, as an
organization, will pray for the global increase of priestly vocations and for a
genuine response to Gods call for holiness among its members. The Knights
of Columbus in the Philippines will ensure that we will put into action this
years theme of Answering the Call for Evangelization in all its programs
and projects.
The official Philippine delegates for this years Convention are Mindanao
Deputy Reynaldo Trinidad, Visayas Deputy Anthony Nazario, Luzon South
Deputy Ramoncito Ocampo and Luzon North Deputy, yours truly. Other
delegates include Raoul Villanueva, Bonifacio Martinez and Joseph Teodoro.

The Cross

Father Michael McGivney,

A Saint Of Compassion And Of Fun
FATHER Michael is a saint. I think we can
say that of the Founder of the Knights of
Columbus; after all, he is now called a Venerable by the Church. We pray that soon we
can hear him be proclaimed a Blessed. This
proclamation, is of course, a gift from the
Divine Spirit. However, it somehow depends
also on how we, the followers of Venerable
Michael, live our daily, domestic, professional
and ecclesial lives. Perhaps it is not presumptuous to believe that the burden of proof of
his sainthood is in the hands of the Knights
of Columbus members now. He deserves
indeed to be called a saint if we, the followers,
can manifest some indicators of following his
teachings and life. Then, we can prove that
his life is not put to waste.
I do not intend to prove how saintly his life
was from his spiritual achievements. I would
like to dwell now on the social dimension of
his saintly life. We always hear that a relevant
faith is a faith that does justice. Saint James
would say that faith is completed by good
works. So if we preach love for God, it is
incomplete if we do not do actions that prove
our love for our neighbours.
Genuine Love for God is a test of saintliness. However, it becomes real and convincing if it is translated into love and good works
for our neighbour. Of course we do good to
others if we give fish and food to the hungry.
But if we make people share also their food
and fish to others, it is even more beneficial
for the kingdom. Then our sharing to others
becomes fruitful because we enable them also
to share. The act of sharing is thus multiplied.
But Venerable Michael did more than that.
He urged the members to become equipped
so that they can continually share to others.
Generations after him were enabled to put
up councils that helped them to support each
other materially so that eventually none of

their members will go hungry. And much

more than this, their service to the Church
should not limit their capacity to provide for
their families financially. It was such a good
idea that this material security would extend
also to their families. And very significantly,
even if after the members die, their families
will continually feel their love, protection
and support. This salvation from difficulties
of earthly life is part of the salvation that
members of Christ have been promised.
Helping the members become materially
equipped enables them to help others who
are in need whether they are members of
the Knights of Columbus or not. We see
that the help given by KC are not exclusively directed only to the members. We
are gathered to do common activities for
the communities around us. In fact, many
members help others whether through KC
or through their own personal contacts
and with their own means. This is really
multiplication of the Bread.
Our help, moved by the spirit and teaching
of our Founder, come in many forms and
shape. We offer livelihood projects, medical
missions, sports, entrepreneurial training, etc.
We offer books, health and safety services
and facilities; we volunteer to actually and
physically be present to those who are in need.
We send material help and invite resource
persons. But we also go personally where
we are needed. And many times our help
are not only dole-outs but also training for
livelihood. Most importantly, we offer even
fraternal financial benefits to the grieving.
We do not go only where there are needs
or where disaster victims beckon. We also
organize occasions of fun and family bonding. There are family days, council events
and dances, and even fun runs. We see each
other on cultural and personal occasions

and anniversaries. As such we are bonded

in sorrow and in joy. This creates our unity,
our fraternity and of course we share our love
for each other.
Many times we do not realize that we are
bonded when we do things together. But we
do not do things only because we foresee the
benefits. We get together because we feel the
call to do things for each other and for others. These make us feel good. Good works
and play are their own rewards. When we are
happy or fulfilled in what we do, this is faith
and charity in operation. We do not do things
with vested interests. We do them because
they are good and we know it is the spirit of
Jesus who calls us. Just like Father Michael did
all things in communion with Jesus.
We inherited from Father Michael our
common activities of helping and of fun.
In fact he was called Father Fun. Father
Michael lived his life in a holistic way and
he did everything without calling attention
to himself. In fact he would always say, that
it was only by Gods grace that he was able to
do, to think, to initiate whatever was in his
hands. Gods grace made him whole.
Only by Gods grace can we do anything.
Whether in good works or in fun, may
Venerable Michael unite all of us. Whether
what we do is for the present need or for the
long time benefits of the members, may we
do all these in Gods grace. Move us, Father
Michael, to do things not only for the good
of the members but also for the society and
the Church as a whole. Let your spirit of
service and awareness of Gods grace be always
with us. May your attention to the details of
the material and spiritual well-being of the
members of KC and of others, always be with
us, Venerable Michael. Only by Gods grace...
onwards to the building of your Kingdom
here on earth....

Michael P. Cabra

My Brothers Keeper

August 2015: Venerable Month of

a Revered Man
THIS month of August we
celebrate the Birth and Death
of a venerable man, Fr. Michael
J. McGivney. He was born
August 12, 1852 and died
August 14, 1890 at an early age
of 38. Fr. McGivney founded
the Order of the Knights of
Columbus, with only a small
group of his church people.
His primary objective is to
help strengthen the faith of
the men of his community
while providing future benefit
to the family members that
they may leave behind. He was
born to live the faith among his
congregation and help sustain
the life of the remaining family
members whom one day they
may leave behind.
As a Brother Knight, how
close is your personal purpose
with that of Fr. McGivneys

principle? Strengthening the

faith of our fellow Catholics
may appear easy just by living
the Word of God and following his commandments, but
giving life to the family of the
departed Brother Knight is
indeed challenging. It may be
the main responsibility of the
Fraternal Counselor of your
area or the Insurance Promotion Chairman of your Council but do you even know their
names? For once, let us not
assume that they may not be
doing their work. Rather, they
may just be busy attending
to Brother Knights who give
priority to the future financial
needs of their family.
Providing for the future of
the widowed and the orphaned
is not the sole obligation of a
Brother Knight. It is a con-

certed effort of all members

of the Order. It is the task not
only of the Council Officers
neither of the Fraternal Counselors alone. Each of us has a
major role to play in informing and reminding all Brother
Knights the great importance
of Fraternal Benefits exclusive
from KCFAPI. CMBP will not
suffice. It is just an assistance
for memorial expense. No
more, no less. The amount of
personal insurance coverage
should be at least tantamount
to a Brother Knights present human economic value.
To know the average economic value, just multiply
the monthly net income by
twelve months then multiply
it further by five or ten years.
It depends on how much
comfort or financial assistance

one wants to leave behind to

his loved ones. The higher
the insurance protection one
has, the higher the level of his
peace of mind and the lesser
the stress he will experience
during his lifetime
To be recognized as Venerable like Fr. McGivney is
extremely difficult. Strengthening the faith of our fellow
Brother Knight may require
great effort for some but providing financial assistance to
the widows and orphans the
same way Fr. McGivney did
is not that complex at all.
Simply contact your Councils Fraternal Counselor for
an appointment and remind
your other Council Members
to do the same. Who knows,
becoming venerable is not that
difficult at all.

Roberto T. Cruz

Touching Base with the Foundations

In The Footsteps Of
Fr. Michael J. McGivney
FOR the Order of the Knights
of Columbus, the month of
August allows us to look back at
the life of our Founder, Venerable
Servant of God Fr. Michael J.
McGivney because not only was
he born August 12, 1852 but
he also died August 14, 1890.
Despite his relatively short life of
only 38 years, Fr. McGivney was
able to fight for and give strength
to the Catholic faith at a time
when it was greatly threatened
by different elements.
Growing amidst severe poverty made worse by the early
death of his own father, Fr.
McGivney stopped attending
school at age 13 in order to
work in a spoon-making factory to help in the survival of
his family. But his vocation
made him resume his studies
when he reached 16, eventually entering the seminary two
years thereafter and ending up
at St. Marys College. By 1877,
he was ordained a priest in an

environment where Catholics

were discriminated on and
widely disadvantaged. His diocesan mission faced a lot of
tension and defensiveness as
his parish, composed mostly
of blue-collared workers, was
financially burdened. He had
to nurture and guide them, not
only through discrimination
and poverty, but also kept them
from joining secret societies as
well as guarding the youth from
falling prey to alcoholism. His
main instruments were catechism
classes and giving them more aid
and support when needed most
during times of death or sickness.
Fr. McGivney is known for
his piety and compassion the
same virtues championed by His
Holiness Pope Francis during his
visit to our country last January
2015. In the same mold, our very
own Fr. George J. Willmann,
SJ also pursued these when he
established various organizations
including our two Foundations

- to help the Filipinos he was able

to deal with.
With the scholarship grants,
both collegiate and religious
(Theology and Licentiate/Doctorate), awarded to poor but deserving individuals, KCPFI and
KCFGJWCI are able to inject a
valuable dose of HOPE and AMBITION into the lives of these
people who are able to achieve
more for themselves, their families and their communities once
they complete their studies.
The role of our two Foundations is simply to open the doors
of OPPORTUNITY for the
selected underprivileged and
position them along the challenging road towards SUCCESS,
an ENHANCED LIFE and
more importantly, PERSONAL
DIGNITY.
For the past forty years, the
KC Philippines Foundation, Inc.
and the Knights of Columbus Fr.
George J. Willmann Charities,
Inc. have been able to bestow on

324 collegiate and 211 seminarians and priests scholar-graduates

the lifeline that enabled them to
realize their dreams/mission in
life. Truly, the Foundations, with
the financial backing of Knights
of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines, Inc.
(KCFAPI) and the support of the
Order of the Knights of Columbus have faithfully continued the
virtues of piety and compassion
that Fr. Michael J. McGivney as
well as Fr. George J. Willmann,
SJ unselfishly provided during
their respective lives.
Today we call on our own
scholar-graduates to continue the
mission of helping others in their
own respective ways. Only they
can determine how they will do
this. But surely God knows the
kindness, charity and compassion
that they are or will be giving
to others in need following
the footsteps of Fr. Michael
McGivney and Fr. George J.
Willmann, SJ.

The Cross

C3

August 3 - 16, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 16

Memory and Martyrdom

By SK Carl A. Anderson
ON June 13, I made a pilgrimage to
the Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs
in Auriesville, N.Y., where I presented a grant on behalf of the Knights
of Columbus for the renovation and
upkeep of the historic site. In place of
my monthly column, I would like to
share some of the remarks I delivered
on that occasion:
There are special places around
the globe where the spiritual history of the world unfolded. These
places are holy ground. We think
of St. Peters Basilica in Rome,
built atop the burial place of our
first pope, or Tepeyac Hill in
Mexico City, where Our Lady of
Guadalupe appeared and changed
the course of evangelization for
an entire hemisphere. Today we
think of Auriesville, N.Y., where
the blood of martyrs brought
forth within a single generation
a lilySt. Kateri Tekakwitha

from the people who had spilled

that blood.
What happened here was a
fate every missionary to the New
World knew was not just a possibility, but a probability. As St.
Isaac Jogues wrote to a Jesuit colleague in France, I shall go, but
I shall not return. Martyrdom
for these brave men was not an
abstraction. And yet they came.
Places like Auriesville are spiritual heritage sites. They are holy
places where people changed the
spiritual future of our nation. The
history of America is incomplete
without the memory of such
places. Here, the New World was
made truly new because the
Gospel message was proclaimed,
sometimes by preaching, other
times by living, and in the end
by dying.
When we remember what the
missionaries did on this continent,
we encounter an immense truth.

As St. Irenaeus tells us: The glory

of God is man fully alive. But
what does it mean to be fully
alive in this way? It means to live
a life that overflows with such
love of God and love of neighbor
that no evil on earth can triumph
over it.
St. Isaac Jogues returned here
even after he had been brutally
tortured, his fingers bitten off,
made to run the gauntlet. Little
wonder the Mohawks called him
the indomitable one. But what
impressed his former captors
most? That he loved them.
Across the country, we learn a
similar lesson from Blessed Junpero Serra, the Apostle of California,
whom Pope Francis will canonize
this September in Washington,
D.C. When Native Americans
murdered one of his Franciscan
confreres, Father Serra successfully argued against the death
penalty for those responsible. Such

a punishment, he said, was not

consistent with the witness to the
Christian faith.
The New World was made truly
new because the Gospel was proclaimed by preaching, by living,
and in the end by dying.
We live on a continent that
met Christ through the tireless,
selfless work of missionaries, and
this encountermore than any
other attributeis what unites
our continent.
The example of these heroic
missionaries calls out to us to live
lives of Christian witness. These
champions of the first evangelization reach across time to inspire us
to take up a new evangelization. As
Pope Francis has written: All of us
are called to offer others an explicit
witness to the saving love of the
Lord (Evangelii Gaudium, 121).
Today, we honor the French Jesuit
martyrs of this place as supreme
examples of that saving love.

The Gentle Warrior

Part II of Chapter Two of The Gentle Warrior series
CHAPTER TWO
--------.--------The Ateneo de Manila

THE city itself was so rich in history!

The place where he was living was so rich!
When Jose Rizal was marching down
from Fort Santiago to the Luneta, to be
executed, the Jesuit faculty of the Ateneo

in the Ateneo de Manila, in the classrooms

where George taught! He never graduated.
He dropped out of class to join the revolution. He was killed in that battle above the
clouds when he was twenty four years old.
Rizal slept in the dormitory, where George
was Prefect. Rizal ate in the dining hall.
Rizal was prefect of the sodality, of which
George was now the moderator.
The history of the school went right
back to the sixteenth century. San Agustin
was built in 1585. And at about that time
the Ateneo became the Ateneo Municipal
the government grade school of Manila. The original seal of the Ateneo was
the official seal of the City of Manila.
Every day, when he walked over the worn
stones in that old school, George Willmann was knee deep in history.
(To be continued on the next issue.)

KCFAPI Cares, C1

corners, the homeless families

and street children. Let us
find our deeper calling to be
compassionate in every sense
of the word.
But can compassion change
the lives of the poor? Team
KCFAPI CARES thought so
and came up with something,
it may not be life changing,
but more or less uplifting by
reaching out to poor neighbors,
giving them a bucket of hope
through our outreach program
dubbed as the Care for the
Street Children and Homeless held last July 19, 2015 at
KCFAPI 3rd floor Fr. George
J. Willmann, SJ Building. The
said activity was spearheaded by
the ever supportive team leader
of Team KCFAPI CARES, Sis.

Carmelita Ruiz and her team

members together with Bro.
Noel Lacanilao of the Cofradia del Sto. Nio de Cebu,
who provided the group with
kind assistance. Team KCFAPI
CARES was able to feed more
than a hundred street children
of Intramuros who were likewise given entertainment thru
fun games that brought them
joy and comfort for the day.
To serve and to care, this
gesture transformed each participant to become a chosen
people whose hope is in Jesus
Christ, whose immeasurable
compassion inspired the participants to share their time
and effort to give hope to
these homeless families and
street children of Intramuros,

Manila so that they may come

and see the goodness of God at
work. The Care for the Street
Children and Homeless is just
one simple voice about caring for
others hoping that it echoes and
multiplies just as how our Lord
Jesus Christ was able to feed the
five thousand, with just five small
barley loaves and two small fish
(John 6:1-15). It is a miracle, but
on the second thought, it is the
power of sharing through the
compassion of Jesus Christ that
started it all, and they had more
than enough to eat.
Gods grace is indeed sufficient for us all. We just need
to care and share. Care to serve
and share what God has blessed
us with. Every day is our chance
to give back the goodness of

God. Team KCFAPI CARES

aims to support this endeavor
of looking after our neighbors
in need, and eventually transforming their lives to something they have been longing
for: to live with dignity.
As we take this common
road, where street dwellers
homeless families and street
children have undeniably increased in number, let us find
within our hearts to cheerfully
walk with them, and be one in
building not only a place they
can call home, but a family, one
with Jesus Christ who provides
us abundantly, and expects
nothing in return but to Care
for the Street Children and
Homeless. (Blenda A. Porillo)

Team Love Bank, C1

Only the children know what they are

looking for.
A house or a home? When you say
homeless, what is it that you typically
connote it with? They have no shelter, a
place to live in, a four-walled structure
with a roof, an infrastructurethats it. A
house, then. So why not call them houseless? Why homeless? Because its a custom.
Try to understand beyond it and you will
spot the difference. For the month of July,
the Year of the Poor project focused on the
homeless. And Team Love Bank directed
its efforts on Nanay Rosa and her family, a
resident homeless of Intramuros, Manila.
The 29th of June was marked on the
calendar as the day that two different
perspectives of the family and the team
will converge. To start off, Nanay Rosa
has been living with her daughter, her
son-in-law, and with her nine grandchildren. Their humble abode is composed
of a groundsheet, cardboards, and iron
sheets and not to mention the borrowed
sturdy stand of a MERALCO lamppost.
They managed to provide for their needs
through Nanay Rosas begging and her
son-in-law muscling the pedicab day
and night. The teams outreach program
started by fetching the family. First they
brought Nanay Rosa and her daughter to
a salon to be beautified and pampered.
At the same time, the children were
entertained through a film-showing.
Afterwhich, they were brought together

and served with a delectable dinner feast

joined by the team. The team shared
the story of Father Willmann and how
the people, mainly the children, on the
streets had always been a special part and
cause of his life. Words of love, wisdom,
and gratitude befell among the parties as
these events ensued through the night. And
it didnt just end there for the team gave
them gifts, clothes and toys alike, and set
up a sari-sari store for the family as their
additional livelihood. The smiles on their
faces, their eyes glistening with unspeakable
joy, especially of the kids, were priceless.
And those were enough for the team to see
that theyve provided the family hope and
a chance to progress, joy and newfound
friends. That even for one swift moment
they felt that they belong to the society and
are not ignored. For one day, Nanay Rosa
had a new found, bigger family.
Yet there is one unexpected gift that
came upon the team. A gift that surpassed
all theyve given. Nanay Rosa and her
family, particularly the children, taught
them one thing people nowadays had
always overlooked. A lesson that no
grown-up could easily recognize in one
whiff of fate. Long before even the team
came to their life, they ate, they clothed,
they worked, they smiled, they laughed,
and they had a place to live in. The
children have their grandma to tell them
stories, their parents to take care of them,
their siblings and friends to play with. The

be missionary disciples (120).

If we answer this call, then the
most enduring shrine to the martyrs of this place will not be made
of bricks and timber. It will be
those pilgrims who leave this place
renewed with a spirit of missionary
discipleship.
Vivat Jesus!

New KC PriestScholars announced

By James B. Reuter, SJ

were on their roof, watching the procession. When Father Balaguer was visiting
Rizal in prison, he would walk home to
the Ateneo in the evening, and after supper he would tell the Jesuit community,
in the recreation room, what happened in
the cell of Rizal during the day.
When Dewey was sailing across the
China Sea toward Manila Bay, on the
night before the battle, Admiral Montojo
went to confession to his regular confessor,
in San Ignacio. When the Admiral was
leaving, the Jesuit community stopped
him at the door. They said: What are
our chances for tomorrow? Admiral
Montojo, who had long moustache, for
which he was famous, shook his head,
ruefully. He said: None. We are just
going through the motions.
And Gregorio del Pilar was a student

We are pleased to join with our

brother Knights of Columbus
throughout New York to help
renovate the shrine of these great
martyrs. Soon, a spiritual son of
St. Ignatius Loyola will visit our
country. Pope Francis reminds us
that every Christian is a missionary and that all of us are called to

kids never complained about not having a

proper house, because after all they were
always home, and never less than it. As a
clich goes, Home is where the heart is.
And thats where their hearts always felt
alive. Even if they dont have a television, a
refrigerator, or a smartphone, those purely
innocent sweet smiles of the children
show that just by having the people you
love most around you is one palace of a
home. You see as we grow old, we tend to
consider every tad of insignificant stuff as
significant. Lets try to see things again as
a child, a different sort of throwback. Lets
hear it from Monsieur Antoine one more
time, It is only with the heart that one
can see rightly; what is essential is invisible
to the eye. Because you know, no matter how grand your house is if its just a
structure adorned with shiny and techie
stuff but you are unhappy, therefore, you
are definitely homeless. But whether its
grand or shabby or youre simply a streetwanderer, as long as you surround yourself
with what should be valued most in life
then you are absolutely at home. Anyone
who has a house can be homeless but anyone who is at home minds not whatever
house theyre in or have none at all. Now
ask yourself, do you have a home, or are
you homeless?
The most beautiful things in the world
cannot be seen or touched, they are felt
with the heart. Antoine de SaintExupery (Concha Luz F. Angeles)

BRO. Alonso L. Tan, Supreme Director of the Knights of Columbus

and President of the Knights of
Columbus Fr. George J. Willmann
Charities, Inc., recently announced
the beneficiaries of the Foundations
Religious Scholarship Program
beginning School Year 2015-2016.
The Foundation offers scholarships
for diocesan-seminarians taking
their studies at Theology level and
Licentiate/Doctoral Studies locally. Named scholars for diocesanseminarians in Luzon are: Jeffrey
C. Abing (Apostolic Vicariate of
Taytay, Palawan), Michael BJ F.
Masangcay (Apostolic Vicariate of
San Jose, Occidental Mindoro),
Adrian E. Lazo (Diocese of Novaliches), Ricky B. Velasco (Diocese of
San Pablo, Laguna), Peter Wilson
M. Reynoso (Diocese of Lucena),
Michael Jaime C. Sibal (Diocese of
Tarlac), Solomon Geslani, Jr. (Diocese of Lingayen-Dagupan), and
Lito L. Abella (Apostolic Vicariate of
Calapan). One scholar selected from
Visayas is Juledrix A. Tamondong
(Diocese of Borongan), while the
scholars from Mindanao are Jonas
A. Awayan (Diocese of Cagayan de

Oro), Marvin P. Megallos (Diocese

of Tagum), and Jarold Mick B. Toldo
(Diocese of Surigao).
The following are the new priestscholars for local Licentiate / Doctorate Studies: Rev. Fr. Julius S.
Cuison of the Archdiocese of Lingayen Dagupan, Pangasinan who
will be pursuing his Doctorate in
Sacred Theology at the University
of Santo Tomas and Rev. Fr. Dennis
B. Beltran from the Diocese of Imus
for his Licentiate in Sacred Theology
Major in Missiology at the Divine
Word School of Theology.
For the school year 2015-2016, a
total of thirty (30) seminarians and
priest-scholars from various archdioceses/dioceses will be supported
by the Foundation which is named
after Fr. George J. Willmann, SJ
(1897-1977) who is considered the
Father of the Knights of Columbus
in the Philippines and founder of
the Knights of Columbus Fraternal
Association of the Philippines, Inc.
(KCFAPI). Inquiries about the scholarship program may be coursed thru
the Foundation office at Gen. Luna
St., Intramuros , Manila with tel. nos.
527-2223-27 local 220 & 221.

Warriors, C1

who have been diagnosed with cancer or

with other ailments and had taken refuge
at the Child Haus while undergoing
treatment from various hospitals.
Established in 2003, the Center for
Health Improvement and Life Development (more often referred to as Child
Haus), serves as temporary shelter for
children with cancer or related ailments
who are undergoing treatment at government hospitals in Metro Manila. The
center also offers various programs for
the children during their stay at the center. Since its establishment, Child Haus
continues to be the home for over 12,000
children who underwent treatment.
On the morning of July 19, 2015 we
stepped into the Child Haus premises.
At first the sight of frail looking children
donning masks and their parents look of
deep concern provoked an atmosphere
of dreariness for some of us. But as we
intermingled with them their upbeat
response revealed their yearning to live a
normal healthy life someday. It dawned
upon us that these are children who in
their early years are already locked in a
battle of life and death. Yet despite their
condition they still carry the innocence
of a normal child seeking for the simple
joys of life. The thought of their situation

inspired us more to share some light moments with them. The program kicked
off with a talk by Ms. Annie Nicolas
about the life and works of Fr. George
J. Willmann, SJ followed by a video
presentation and a few games with the
kids, and their parents. The event was
highlighted with a mass celebrated by Fr.
Anthony Dabu with an inspiring homily
not only for the sick but for everyone.
After the mass, the kids were treated with
a meal and given gift packages.
For their part, the Founder of Child
Haus, celebrity Ricky Reyes, who is more
fondly called Mader Ricky graciously
thanked the employees of KCFAPI for
sacrificing their time and effort to bring
a moment of happiness to the children
and with an invitation to continue the
endeavour with them.
Looking back, the children at Child
Haus showed bravery and determination in facing their greatest challenge in
life. We may not feel the real pain and
struggles they undergo each day yet the
smiles they manage to bring out reminds
us that these children need all the support they can get, in prayers and deed.
In their own way they are warriors in
a battle for a normal life in this world.
(Greg Asis)

Team Generous, C1

life and works of Fr. George J. Willmann

followed by a short talk by Ms. Eva
Dawal about Fr. Willmann and what he
stood for. The enthusiasm of the children
grew as they danced side by side with
KCFAPI employees to the tune of the
Superbook Salvation Poem. This was
followed with an inspirational talk by
our very own Atty. Neil Rapatan who
shared his life changing moments to
the kids and to inspire them to pursue
a decent and self fulfilling way of life as
the children attentively listened to his
story. Later on, when some of the kids
were asked of their dreams for the future,
each expressed an aspiration of having a
successful career or profession.
Soon after it was time for fun games
and meals with the children. For a

while the childrens thoughts were away

from the everyday hardships they had
to endure. Time passed by and it was
time to give out to the kids gift packages
containing shirts, school supplies and
slippers. The excitement and gratitude
was evident in their smiles as each child
opened his gift package with much gusto.
Upon discovering its contents, the kids
immediately took off their worn out
slippers to put on a new pair of slippers.
The visit to the Jose Fabella Center was
a learning experience for us. In a short
span of time with the children we realized,
it was not a matter of giving them joy
and comfort for a day, it was a matter of
planting the seeds of hope in their minds
that they may have a chance of a brighter
future. (Greg Asis and Gemille Gloria)

C4

August 3 - 16, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 16

The Cross

Great Walled City

Run 2015 kicks off
The Area Managers of the Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines, Inc.
(KCFAPI) gathered last July 8 to 10, 2015 at the KCFAPI main office for their annual Area Managers
Mid Year Meeting. The activity was led by the new KCFAPI President, Justice Jose Reyes Jr. and
KCFAPI Executive Vice President Ma. Theresa G. Curia. (KCFAPI News)

KC Seminarian-Scholars
Ordained To The Sacred
Order Of Deacons
REV. Raisun John Romana Placino
and Rev. Vic Eclevea Tabernilla, two
of the seminarian-scholars of KC Fr.
George J. Willmann Charities, Inc.,
were ordained as Deacons last May
11, 2015 by Most Rev. Emilio Z.
Marquez, D.D., Bishop of Lucena
at the Our Mother of Good Counsel
Chapel St. Alphonsus Regional Seminary, Brgy. Isabang, Lucena City.
Rev. Raisun John is the second
child of Mr. and Mrs. Pedrito and
Asuncion Placino. He was attracted
to the vocation of priesthood when he
joined the Knights of the Altar upon
his transfer to a Catholic school on
his third grade. In 2001, he enrolled
at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Seminary in Sariaya, Quezon for his
secondary education then at the Our
Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Seminary for his Philosophy studies.
Meanwhile, Rev. Vic is the youngest child of Angelito and Sozima Tabernilla. He finished his elementary
schooling at Tayabas West Central
School. He joined the Knights of
the Altar from elementary until his
secondary education at Luis Palad
National High School. Rev. Vic also
finished his Philosophy studies at the
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary

JOIN the fun run dubbed as The Great

Walled City Run 2015 on September
6, 2015 at the historical Intramuros,
Manila.
This is in line with the 57th founding
anniversary of the Knights of Columbus
Fraternal Association of the Philippines,
Inc. (KCFAPI), the insurance arm of the
Knights of Columbus in the country. The
fun run will have a 5K race category for
a Php500.00 registration fee and a 10K
race category for Php700.00.

Registration fee includes a dri-fit shirt

and race bib for the 5K category while
the 10k category runners will get an additional finishers shirt and medal.
Organizers are seeking for collaborators
who can partner with them.
Inspired by the founder of the
Knights of Columbus in the Philippines, Fr. George J. Willmann, SJs
charity and care for the most needy, the
proceeds from the event will go to aid
the charitable activities of the two foun-

dations KC Philippines Foundation,

Inc. and KC Fr. George J. Willmann
Charities, Inc.
The foundations have been providing assistance to the victims of different
natural calamities as well as scholarship
grants to poor but deserving students
and religious scholarships for those with
priestly vocations.
Interested parties may contact RJ
Mariano or MM Gatdula at telephone
numbers (02) 527-2223. (KC News)

Mindanao Jurisdiction holds District

Deputies Meeting

Seminary. Both Rev. Raisun John

and Rev. Vic were selected as scholars
of the Foundation during the school
year 2010-2011 for a five-year course
in Theology at Saint Alphonsus Regional Seminary.
Another KC Seminarian-Scholar
who was likewise ordained to the
Sacred Order of Deacons was
Rev. Benigno J. Bonode. He was
ordained last June 9, 2015 at the
Immaculate Conception Cathedral,
Boac, Marinduque by Most Rev.
Marcelino Antonio M. Maralit, Jr.
D.D. Rev. BJ, as he is fondly called,
is the eldest son of the six children
of Mr. Samuel Bonode and Mrs.
Susana Jandusay. His interest in
priestly vocation began when he
received his first communion. Joining their parish as an altar server, he
entered Mount St. Aloysius College
Seminary to complete a degree of
Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy. As
recommended by Rev. Fr. Mario E.
Baldeo, rector of the said seminary,
he entered St. Alphonsus Regional
Seminary to pursue theological
studies in 2010. He was a Fr. Willmann Charities scholar from school
years 2011- 2015. (Christopher
Camila)

FBG holds Fraternal

Service Training Program

KCFAPI-FBG Manager Michael P. Cabra together with the FST participants.

THE Fraternal Benefits Group of the

Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines, Inc. (KCFAPI)
held a two-day Fraternal Service Training
(FST) program last July 21 22, 2015 at
the KCFAPI training room in Intramuros,
Manila.
Participants were from Metro Manila
Dragons and South Western Luzon Stars.
The FST program aims to impart
knowledge about the products being offered by KCFAPI and their advantages to
the members and their immediate families.
Aside from the product specifications, the

program also provides information regarding basic insurance processes and strategies
on conceptualization of new marketing
strategies in order to help them achieve their
goals and improve their sales performance.
Speakers were KCFAPI Fraternal Benefits Service Department Manager Michael
P. Cabra and FBG staff, Jennefer Rose C.
Bautista who taught the participants on
how to file application forms.
For more information on the next
FST, please contact the KCFAPI-FBG
department at telephone number (02)
527-2243. (FBG News)

New Mindanao Deputy Bro. Reynaldo Trinidad and Membership and Program Consultant, Bro. Vince Pacis with KCFAPI Vice President for Fraternal Benefits
Group, Gari M. San Sebastian and FBSD Manager Michael Cabra during the District Deputies Orientation and Organizational Meeting held last July 10 to 12,
2015 in Cagayan de Oro City.

THE Mindanao Jurisdiction of the

Knights of Columbus in the Philippines
conducted their first of two batches of
District Deputies Orientation and Organizational Meeting last July 10 to 12,
2015 in Cagayan de Oro City.
During the first day of the event,
Brother Knights paid a courtesy call
to His Excellency, Most Rev. Antonio J. Ledesma, SJ, Archbishop of
Cagayan de Oro. They also had a

meeting with the New State Officers,

Diocesan Coordinators, Assistant Diocesan Coordinators, new Mindanao
Deputy Bro. Reynaldo Trinidad and
Membership & Program Consultant,
Bro. Vince Pacis.
Items tackled during the DDs meeting
include: organizational structure for Mindanao Jurisdiction, Plans and Programs
for CY 2015-2016, Duties and Responsibilities of District Deputies, Membership

Plans, among others.

The event was graced by the Knights
of Columbus Fraternal Association of
the Philippines, Inc (KCFAPI) Vice
President for Fraternal Benefits Group
Bro. Gari San Sebastian and Fraternal
Benefits Services Department Manager
Bro. Michael Cabra.
The event culminated with a Holy
Eucharistic celebration and installation
of the new set of officers. (MindaNews)

The Fraternal Benefits Group of the Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines, Inc.
(KCFAPI) led by Vice President for FBG Gari San Sebastian and Fraternal Benefits Services Manager
Michael Cabra during their Product Knowledge Training held last July 17, 2015 in Davao. The event was
participated in by the Eastern and Southern Mindanao fraternal counselors. (FBG News)