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CBCP

VOLUME 19
NUMBER 6

March 16 - 29, 2015

PROTAGONIST OF TRUTH, PROMOTER OF PEACE

CBCPMONITOR.COM

CBCPMONITOR@CBCPWORLD.NET

EDSA spirit empty

without agrarian reform

20 years after Flor

Contemplacion,
OFWs plagued by
same problems
THROUGH prayers and
meaningful actions, the National Council of Churches in
the Philippines (NCCP) is set
to join the nation and grassroots migrant organizations in
remembering Flor Contemplacion on March 22, NCCP
Migrant Sunday, reminding
the government the problems
which led to the death of the
Filipina domestic helper, mother, and wife 20 years ago, are
the same problems that plague
millions of OFWs today.

By Raymond A. Sebastian

THE head of the Catholic

Churchs social action arm
called on President Benigno
S. Aquino III (PNoy) to make
good on the promise of his
mother, former President
Corazon C. Aquino, to render justice to the farmers,
stressing the spirit of EDSA
Revolution is totally empty
without agrarian reform.

Greener pastures
We see Flor in every Filipino leaving the country, which
according to official estimates
have reached a staggering 6,092
OFWs / A7

Constitutional mandate
In a statement, Cceres Archbishop
Rolando Tra Tirona, who also heads the
National Secretariat for Social Action, Justice, and Peace (NASSA) / Caritas Philippines, reminds the Aquino administration
the distribution of all agricultural lands to
landless rural peasants is a constitutional
mandate the government has a duty to
enforce.
As one of the bishops who signed the
letter to Aquino pushing for the immediate passage of House Bill 4296 and House
Bill 4375, the Carmelite prelate says the
Church cannot remain silent hearing the
cries of poor farmers.

WHATS INSIDE
Marginalizing women leads to
sterile society, says Pope, A3

SAMMY NAVAJA

Pastoral Moral Guidance on the

Anti-discrimination Bill, B1

HALFWAY COMPLETE. Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma (left) and other organizers inspect on March 13 the construction of a pavilion, which is halfway complete for the 51st
International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) that will be held in Cebu City in January 2016. The Congress, which is expected to draw thousands of participants including
laity and Church leaders from countries around the world, aims to promote awareness of the Eucharist in the life and mission of the Church, to improve understanding
and celebration of the liturgy, and to draw attention to the social dimension of the Eucharist.

Agrarian / A6

CBCPNEWS

The new system of K-12 covers Kindergarten and 12 years of basic

education: six years of primary, four years of junior high, and two of senior.

In an inter vie w over

Church-run Radyo Veritas,
AMRSP Executive Secretary
Fr. Dexter Toledo, asserted
that while K-12 aims to boost
the quality of education in
the country, the program

K-12/ A6

AMID growing resistance to

the proposed Bangsamoro
Basic Law (BBL) due to the
Mamasapano tragedy, Cotabato Archbishop Orlando
Cardinal Quevedo, OMI
urged Filipinos, especially
Christians, against succumbing to their anti-Moro biases
in order to appreciate the
overall principle behind the
BBL.
Contradicting sentiments
questioning the legality of
the creation of a Bangsamoro
political entity, Cardinal
Quevedo said the underlying principle behind the
proposed BBL is enshrined
in the Constitution and is
even inspired by Catholic
moral principles.
Bangsamoro self-determination?
In a letter addressed to all
Christians (See complete text

in page B3), Quevedo argued

that under the proposed BBL,
Bangsamoro self-determination will be exercised within
a limited territory under the
sovereignty of the Philippines. Hence, national sovereignty and territorial integrity
will be preserved, contrary to
the qualms of BBL critics.
The over-all principle
that governs the BBL is the
Catholic moral and social
principle of subsidiarity, a
principle already enshrined
in our own Constitution, he
stressed out. The principle
requires the intervention of
the national government and
its various entities when the
common good of all requires
it. Therefore, no entity of
the Bangsamoro government, such as a Bangsamoro auditing department or
police force, is absolutely
BBL / A6

OPAPP

Quevedo calls for openness not

anti-Moro biases in BBL

After K-12, what

happens to jobless
teachers?

THE Association of Major Religious Superior of

the Philippines (AMRSP)
expressed hope that the government has a clear plan for
teachers set to be affected
once the controversial K-12
program is fully in place.

Continuous appeal
According to him, NASSA/Caritas
Philippines is one in decrying the injustices
thousands of peasants, most of whom
still landless, have suffered for almost
three decades since the Comprehensive
Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) was
implemented
We will continuously appeal to the
sense of justice and compassion of the
President and the Congress. While we

Isabela City residents read materials that explain the details and implications of the Comprehensive Agreement
on the Bangsamoro (CAB) during a public forum on the Bangsamoro in May 2014. Organized by the Catholic
Church and local government officials of the city, the forum aimed to orient the locals about the recently signed
peace agreement. Isabela City is one of the areas in Mindanao that will undergo a plebiscite if the creation of the
Bangsamoro region pushes through.

THE Catholic bishops said they

are concerned and saddened by the
beheading of an overseas Filipino
worker convicted of killing his boss
in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
However unfortunate, Bishop
Ruperto Santos, chairman of the

Catholic Bishops Conference of

the Philippines (CBCP) Episcopal
Commission for the Pastoral Care
of Migrants and Itinerant People,
said the execution of Joven Esteva
is a reminder for us of the exExecution / A6

Fr. Aries Miranda, head of the Humanitarian

Mission Office of the Camillian religious order

AS an answer to the lack of psychologists who could counsel

families traumatized by typhoon
Yolanda in the Visayas, the Camillians created a team of barefoot
counselors that would provide
basic trauma counseling and basic
health care in their communities.
For the first phase, the Order of
St. Camillus has trained an initial

36 individuals in Samar province

to be barefoot counselors, who
will go door to door and help
people suffering from anxiety and
depression, which are reportedly
still among the common problems
encountered by typhoon survivors
more than a year after.
Rome-based Father Aries Miranda, head of the Humanitarian
Mission Office of the Camillian
religious order, said they are alternatives to psychologists, who work
in disaster-stricken areas.
After the typhoon, we gave
psychological debriefing to survivors but its not the cure because
the effects of trauma is lingering. Also, there have not been
enough psychologists there but
the local people themselves can
do something so we started this
program on barefoot counselors,
he said. They are non-profesBarefoot / A6

ILLUSTRATION BY BROTHERS MATIAS

Bishop Ruperto Santos, chairman of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines
(CBCP) Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People,
meets OFWs in Schiphol, Netherlands in November 2014.

ROY LAGARDE

PHOTO TAKEN FROM BISHOP SANTOS FACEBOOK

Camillians train barefoot

Heavenly cookies: Nuns host
Bishops saddened over
Filipino workers execution counselors for Yolanda survivors baking course for poor

A LOCAL community of nuns

dedicated to the education of the
poor is hosting a short course on
baking for 25 women and two men
from different local communities.
The trainees are being taught
to bake cakes, cupcakes, cookies,

and other common pastries at the

Sisters of St. Dorothys community
in barangay Pasong Tamo, Quezon
City.
Women, mostly mothers, join
a baking class at the Sisters of St.

Bake / A6

A2 WORLD NEWS

March 16 - 29, 2015, Vol. 19, No. 6

China shrugs off Vatican compromise

on bishop ordinations

Vatican Briefing
Vatican: no papal endorsement for LGBT Catholic video

A Vatican official says there will be no papal endorsement for an

LGBT activist video whose backers want it to reach Pope Francis.
Father Gil Martinez, C.S.P., a member of the development team for
the video LGBT Catholics: Owning our Faith, intended to present
the video to Pope Francis in a private audience after morning Mass on
March 17, according to the website of the St. Philip Neri Parish and
Northwest Paulist Center in the Portland, Ore. The video contains
the personal reflections from self-identified LGBT Catholics, several
of whom reject Church teaching. (CNA)

Pope grieves Pakistan bombings, says world hides Christian persecution

UCANEWS.COM

BEIJING, March 13, 2015-The Vaticans spokesman said it

was willing to compromise on
bishop ordinations in China in
an interview screened in Hong
Kong on Thursday, a proposal the
government appeared to dismiss
via state-run media.
Father Federico Lombardi told
Phoenix TV that the Holy See
was ready to model its ordination
policy with China on that agreed
with neighboring Vietnam four
years ago: candidates are first
reported to the Vatican, which
consecrates bishops based on
government confirmation.
This means that things can
change, can go on, can be gradually better, said Lombardi. Be
very aware that you can be a
good Chinese citizen and a good
Catholic at the [same] time.
In response, Chinas Foreign
Ministry urged the Vatican to
face the historical tradition and
reality of Catholics in China
regarding ordinations, the staterun Global Times reported on
Friday.
China is always sincere in
improving ties with the Vatican
and has been making continuing
efforts to this end. We are willing
to have constructive dialogue with
the Vatican... We hope the Vatican can create favorable conditions for the improving relations,
said Hong Lei, a Foreign Ministry
spokesman.
The governments response
indicated it remains unwilling to

Lay Catholics kiss Auxiliary Bishop Thaddeus Ma Daqins ring after his ordination in Shanghai in July 2012.

give up control of ordinations to

the Vatican following months of
talks, said Joseph Cheng Yu-shek,
Catholic chair professor of political science at City University of
Hong Kong.
On one hand, you may simply
say Chinese leaders are not willing to make concessions, he told
ucanews.com. But this is also
very typical of Chinas negotiation
strategy, it sets certain principles,
it sets a certain framework: please
accept my framework and then we
talk. So I would say this is more
than just saying no.
The number of Chinese Catholics has grown rapidly in recent
years to more than 20 million
people, according to estimates,

meaning the Vatican has more to

gain from an agreement, added
Cheng.
The Vatican is trying to approach China but basically not
much progress has been made,
he said.
In February last year, the government said it would be willing
to develop relations if the Vatican
severs diplomatic ties with Taiwan
and refrains from interfering in
Chinas internal affairs.
China and the Vatican started
talks last year aimed at resolving
disagreements including the ordination process.
In recent weeks, signs that the
Vatican appeared to be willing to
compromise on bishop ordina-

tions have led to criticism led by

retired Cardinal Zen Ze-kiun who
retains significant influence over
Catholics in Hong Kong following his retirement six years ago.
In an interview with the Italian daily Corriere della Sera on
Wednesday, Zen accused the
Vatican of being overly prepared
to compromise with a hardline
government it knew little about.
Beijing doesnt want to dialogue, he said. Their delegates
put a document on the table to
sign and our people dont have
the ability or the strength to
make different proposals. Do we
want to sacrifice the nomination
and consecration of bishops for a
bogus dialogue? (UCAN)

CATHOLIC CHARITIES/JEFFREY BRUNO

Power of prayer: Contemplative cloisters

coming to Crimea?

A young religious sister prays at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Denver, Jan. 17, 2015.

SIMFEROPOL, Crimea, March 14, 2015

Its been one year since fighting broke out in
Ukraine. The death toll has surpassed 6,000.
Almost 1 million people have been displaced.
And a February ceasefire agreement with Russia has created only a tenuous halt in hostilities, leaving the future uncertain.
But, Bishop Jacek Pyl of the Diocese of
Odessa-Simferopol has a plan; he wants to
invite a contemplative order of sisters into the
heart of the Crimean peninsula.
I believe in the strength and the power of
prayer, Bishop Pyl told CNA. Contemplative nuns are able to obtain many graces for
people who live here; in the first place to ruin
the walls of all kind of prejudices and atheistic
habits, rooted deeply into peoples hearts over
the years of communism.
Bishop Pyls plan to bring nuns into Crimea
seems counterintuitive. But it might not be.
While eastern Ukraine remains unstable,
Bishop Pyl told CNA life in the Crimean

peninsula is just as safe as other regions of

Russia.
Russia annexed Crimea in March of 2014
after a referendum in which more than 95
percent of Crimeans voted in favor of reunification. The Vatican and much of the
international community has not officially
recognized the annexation, but the Church
in Crimea is already working to register with
officials in Moscow.
Bishop Pyl believes a contemplative order
of nuns will help ensure the future of the
Catholic Church in Crimea, where Catholics
are a minority.
We want to save the presence of the Catholic Church in this corner of the world, he
said. The annexation of Crimea has divided
some families and brought in anxiety. Certain
number of faithful have left Crimea; new ones
came. The Church is trying to overcome these
divisions and unite people around Christ.
The bishop has the support of at least two

U.S. bishops who have seen the effect of

contemplative orders in their own dioceses.
I think the bishops got the right idea;
I concur with him entirely, said Bishop
Emeritus Fabian Bruskewitz of the Diocese
of Lincoln. Contemplative nuns bring not
only a silent and continuous homily to the
people by their lives and by their attitudes
But, they also bring great joy to the diocese.
The Diocese of Lincoln is home to two
contemplative communities: the Holy Spirit
Adoration Sisters (known affectionately by
locals as the Pink Sisters because of their
pink habits) and the Discalced Carmelites of
the Carmel of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
The communities were established in 1973
and 2001, respectively, and local Catholics do
not hesitate to admit the nuns powerful effect
on the local Church. The Diocese of Lincoln
is experiencing a springtime of vocations,
with the highest number of priests and male
religious since 1976. Female religious are also
steadily recovering from drastic drops in the
70s and 80s.
Vicar General Monsignor Thorburn credits
the Diocese of Lincolns vocation health to the
prayers of the contemplative orders.
Being exposed to religious whose communities have remained faithful to the Churchs
vision of religious life plants vocational seeds,
he reflected. The prayers of all those religious
help those seeds to come alive.
Bishop Thomas Olmsted of the Diocese of
Phoenix witnessed firsthand the power of contemplative orders when he was a priest in the
Diocese of Lincoln. He was ordained a priest
in the same year the late Bishop Glennon Patrick Flavin established the Pink Sisters and
recalls celebrating weekly Benediction with
the nuns in his first years as a priest.
I always saw that as part of Gods loving
providence, Bishop Olmsted told CNA.
His experience in the Diocese of Lincoln
moved him to establish new contemplative
communities in the dioceses of Wichita and
Phoenix. (CNA)

Nuns in Burma encourage empowerment of women, end to inequality

We want to hear how women
in our care feel about themselves
being a woman and how they recognize their strength and abilities,
Sr. Elizabeth reflected. We want
to see our women as human beings
with dignity, instead of as victims;
and all kind of violence against
women to be stopped.
I believe that violating womens
right is like killing your future,
she said.
More than 65 women joined
the nuns gathered at their convent in Yangon for the workshop,
exploring the challenges faced by
Burmese women at home and in
the workplace.
Sr. Lucy, RGS, gave a keynote
presentation on the 12 critical areas of concern to women
in Burma, discussing poverty;
education; health; violence; armed
conflict; the economy; women in
power and decision-making; institutional mechanisms for womens
advancement; human rights; media; environment; and children.
During group discussion focusing on the realities facing Burmese
women, the participants pointed
out that womens rights are violated at home, at work, and in society, and in many ways only a few
are aware of their rights and the

In his Sunday Angelus address Pope Francis lamented todays terrorist

attacks against two Christian churches one of them Catholic in
Pakistan, and prayed that such violence will stop. With suffering,
with much suffering, I have learned of todays terrorist attacks against
two churches in the city of Lahore, Pakistan, which have caused
numerous deaths and injuries, the Pope told pilgrims gathered in
St. Peters Square March 15. Francis noted how both of the churches
targeted, only a few meters apart, are Christian churches, the Christians who are persecuted, and grieved how our brothers shed their
blood solely because they are Christians. (CNA)

Pope to teachers: engage with peripheries in your classrooms

Pope Francis has called on teachers to engage with the peripheries

within their own classrooms, loving their students for their limitations as well as their potential. Indeed, the duty of a good teacher - all
the more for a Christian teacher - is to love his or her more difficult,
weaker, more disadvantaged students with greater intensity, the
Pope said, according to Vatican Radios translation. The educational
relationship of the teacher must be such that each student feels loved
for what he or she is, with all of their limitations and potential, he
added. Professional associations of Christian teachers are called to
engage in the peripheries of the school, which cannot be abandoned
to marginalization, exclusion, ignorance, crime. Pope Francis was
speaking to members of the Unione Cattolica Italiana Insegnati, Dirigenti, Educatori, Formatori (UCIIM), a Catholic Italian association
of educators, to mark the 70th anniversary of their founding. (CNA)

Lay people at the forefront of the Churchs mission, says Pope

Pope Francis reminded lay men and women of their place in the
front lines in spreading the Gospel, living as Christian witnesses
in the secular world. Being immersed in the world, the Pope said
Saturday, lay persons are called to permeate their surroundings with
Christian values through their witness, whereby they can encounter
persons in concrete situations. The pontiff encouraged the laity,
through their various professions and states in life, to be on the
front lines in the Churchs mission, guiding people in the spirit of
the Gospel through their witness of faith, hope, and charity. Pope
Francis was speaking with members of the lay movement Seguimi
Follow meduring a private audience at the papal palace to mark
the 50th anniversary of their founding. (CNA)

Pope Francis declares Holy Year for Mercy

During his homily for a Lenten penitential service, Pope Francis

announced an extraordinary Jubilee to start at the end of the year,
which will be dedicated to a theme close to the pontiffs heart:
mercy. Dear brothers and sisters, I have thought about how the
Church can make clear its mission of being a witness of mercy, the
Pope told attendees of his March 13 penitential liturgy in St. Peters
Basilica. Its a journey that starts with a spiritual conversion. For
this reason I have decided to declare an Extraordinary Jubilee that
has the mercy of God at its center. It will be a Holy Year of Mercy.
The biblical passage for the Holy Years theme is from Luke Chapter
6 verse 36, in which Jesus tells his disciples, Be merciful as your
Father is merciful. (CNA)

Archbishop Romero, Salvadoran martyr, to be beatified May 23

May 23 will be the beatification date for El Salvadors Archbishop

Oscar Romero, an outspoken advocate for the poor and repressed who
was martyred in 1980 while celebrating Mass. Archbishop Vincenzo
Paglia, the postulator of Archbishop Romeros cause, was expected to
announce the beatification date on Wednesday, according to Avvenire,
the newspaper of the Italian bishops conference. Pope Francis approved
the beatification after a Feb. 3 audience with Cardinal Angelo Amato,
prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. The congregations
theologians on Jan. 8 unanimously recognized the El Salvadorans assassination as an act of hatred for the faith, a characteristic of martyrdom.
Oscar Romero y Galdamez was Archbishop of San Salvador from 1977
until March 24, 1980, when he was shot while saying Mass at a San
Salvador hospital. He was a vocal critic of the human rights abuses of
the repressive Salvadoran government. He spoke out on behalf of the
poor and the victims of repression. (CNA)

Doctrinal chief says bishops must be accountable in abuse prevention

Bishops of dioceses around the world have an obligation to work to

prevent clerical sexual abuse and to ensure that priests in their dioceses
do not commit acts of abuse, said Cardinal Gerhard Muller, prefect
of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. If, unfortunately,
these crimes are verified, they fall under the exclusive competence
of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which, however,
always needs the assistance and collaboration of ordinaries and
well-prepared canonists to act effectively and prudently, he said
in a speech at Romes Pontifical Urbanian University. The Vatican
newspaper, LOsservatore Romano, printed what it described as
ample excerpts from the speech March 12. (CNS)

Female staff increases at Vatican, but women are still minority

SR. ELIZABETH JOSEPH, RGS

YANGON, Burma, March 9,

2015--A community of women religious held a workshop in Burmas
largest city over the weekend to
mark International Womens Day,
exploring sex inequality and womens rights in the southeast Asian
nation also known as Myanmar.
The Sisters of the Good Shepherds workshop was held March
6-7 in Yangon, and focused on the
ways in which forms of violence
against women threatens holistic
human development and hinders
Burmas growth.
According to Sr. Elizabeth
Joseph, RGS , the reasons the
community of Good Shepherd
nuns took up the challenge of
celebrating International Womens
Day was to empower womens
potentials under our care, and to
help them realize their dignity and
value, because women in Burma
are oppressed in many ways.
We Good Shepherd Sisters are
called to live and work for people
at the margins, especially women
and children we are women for
women, Sr. Elizabeth Joseph told
CNA March 7.
International Womens Day is celebrated March 8 in numerous countries
around the world, to inspire women
and celebrate their achievements.

CBCP Monitor

Burmese members of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd celebrate International

Womens Day 2015 in Yangon.

procedures of the legal system.

Further, participants observed
the general subjugation of women
to mens authority in Burma, as
well as women being targeted for
slave labor and human trafficking.
The Sisters of the Good Shepherd have been in Burma since
1865, and their work there is focused on programs for evangeliza-

tion and empowerment; advocacy

against human trafficking; prison
ministry; health; and education.
Sr. Elizabeth reflected that
seeing the brightness on the face
of participants, we are happy
to be womeneven though we
are in a bad and poor situation,
we will stand together for our
women. (CNA)

The number of women working for Vatican City State has nearly
doubled in the past 10 years, while the number of women in leadership positions in the Roman Curia remains low, with only two
women serving as undersecretaries. Gudrun Sailer, a journalist
at Vatican Radio, conducted a study of the Vatican employment
situation and published the results March 5 in preparation for the
celebration March 8 of International Womens Day. According to
Sailer, 371 women were employed by the office governing the city
state in 2014, up from 194 in 2004. Most work in service jobs and
at the Vatican supermarket, post office or museums. Sailers research
also includes women working for the Holy See, which includes the
Roman Curia and organizations such as Vatican Radio. The number
of women employed by the Holy See in 2014 was 391, up from 288
three years earlier. Among them, 41 percent had university degrees
and worked in professional positions, such as archivists, historians,
journalists and department heads. (CNS)

Euthanasia threatens improvements in end-of-life care, experts say

Legalizing euthanasia risks undermining peoples access to loving,

holistic care as they face the natural end of their life, many experts
at a Vatican conference said. As more parts of the world, like in
Quebec last year, pass right-to-die legislation allowing the terminally
ill to request lethal drugs, euthanasia is being treated as if it were a
legitimate form of medical care, said a bishop from the province.
Killing is not care. True care is palliative care because it is accompanying the person with compassion, true compassion, Bishop Noel
Simard of Valleyfield said. The bishop was one of more than 100
religious, medical and legal experts who attended a workshop March
6 dedicated to Assisting the Elderly and Palliative Care, sponsored
by the Pontifical Academy for Life. (CNS)

NEWS FEATURES A3

March 16 - 29, 2015, Vol. 19, No. 6

ROME, March 9, 2015Allowing priests to celebrate

Mass in the language of the
local congregation rather
than in Latin allowed the
faithful to understand and
be encouraged by the word of
God, Pope Francis said.
You cannot turn back, we
have to always go forward,
always forward and who goes
back is making a mistake,
he told parishioners after
commemorating the 50th
anniversary of the first time
a pope celebrated Mass in
the vernacular following the
Second Vatican Council.
Let us give thanks to the
Lord for what he has done in
his church in these 50 years
of liturgical reform. It was
really a courageous move by
the church to get closer to
the people of God so that
they could understand well
what it does, and this is important for us: to follow Mass
like this, he said as he left
Romes Church of All Saints
March 7.
On the same date in 1965,
Blessed Paul VI publicly celebrated Mass in Italian for the
first time in accordance with
the norms established by the
Second Vatican Council.
In his homily at the parish, Pope Francis said people
need to be able to connect
the liturgy to their own lives.
The liturgy isnt something odd, over there, far
away that has no bearing on
ones everyday life, he said.
The church calls us to
have and promote an authentic liturgical life so that there
can be harmony between
what the liturgy celebrates
and what we live out with
the aim of expressing in life
what has been received in
faith.
He said the Second Vatican
Councils Constitution on
the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, defined
the liturgy as the primary
and indispensable source
from which the faithful are

to derive the true Christian

spirit.
While the liturgy is, in
part, about doctrine and
ritual, its real essence is to be
a source of life and light for
our journey of faith, he said.
Going to church is not just
about observing ones duty
and feeling right with a God
who then must not be too
bothersome afterward in
ones daily life, he said.
People go to church to
encounter the Lord and find
in his grace at work in the
sacraments the strength to
think and act according to
the Gospel, he said.
Therefore, we cannot
fool ourselves, entering into
the Lords house and, with
prayers and devotional practices, covering up behaviors
that are contrary to the demands of justice, honesty and
charity toward others, Pope
Francis said.
Authentic worship and
liturgical celebrations should
lead people toward a real
conversion of heart by letting them hear the voice of
the Lord, who guides them
along the path of rectitude
and Christian perfection.
Just like Jesus sought to
cleanse or purify the temple
by driving out the moneychangers, people must continue to be committed to the
purification and inner cleansing of the church, the pope
said, so that it be a spiritual
place and not a superficial
place of worship made of
material sacrifices and based
on personal interests.
The pope said he hoped
that commemorating the first
papal Mass in the vernacular
rather than Latin would remind people that the house of
God is meant to be a source
of spiritual strength, where
they can hear his word and
feel not like foreigners but as
brothers and sisters who are
united in their love for Christ.
(Carol Glatz/Catholic News
Service)

Archbishop Soc on humility:

Say please, thanks, sorry

Marginalizing women leads to

sterile society, says Pope
VATICAN City, March
8, 2015Women across
the globe received a special
greeting on Sunday from
Pope Francis, who stressed
the importance of their
unique perspectives on the
world.
A world where women
are marginalized is a sterile world, the Pope said
during his address to the
crowds who had gathered
in St. Peters Square to
take part in the recitation
of the Angelus with the
Pope.
Not only do women
carry life, he said, but they
transmit to us the capacity
to see otherwisethey see
things differently.
Women also pass on the
ability to understand the
world with different eyes, to
feel the most creative, most
patient, most tender things
with the heart.
The Popes words came
Sister Pat Farrell, OSF, the president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, and Sister Janet Mock, CSJ, on International Womans
the groups executive director, are just some of the women who hold key roles in the Church.
Day, celebrated each year

on March 8 throughout
the world.
To mark the occasion,
the Holy Father offered his
greeting to all those who
seek each day to build a
more human and welcoming society.
He also offered a fraternal thanks to those
women who, in thousands
of ways, bear witness to the
Gospel and work in the
Church.
Pope Francis remarks
coincided with a conference held on Sunday at
the Vatican aimed at giving
a voice to those women
working on the fringes of
society.
The gathering, titled
Voices of Faith, brought
together various women
human rights activists,
policy makers, academics
-- to give witness to their
work in areas of poverty
and the defense of human
dignity and equality. (CNA/
EWTN News)

Pope Francis: Jesus is waiting for us

VATICAN City, March 7,
2015Whats so important
about an encounter? Pope
Francis thinks one encounter
is key to everything.
Everything in our life,
today as at the time of Jesus,
begins with an encounter,
the Pope said at a March 7
audience. Christ is always
there first: when we arrive,
He is there waiting.
He reflected on the life of
Monsignor Luigi Giussani,
founder of the Communion
and Liberation movement.
His life was not an encounter
with an idea, the pontiff said,
but with a Person, with Jesus
Christ. It was in this context
of encountering Christ that
Msgr. Giussani taught about
freedom, since Christ gives
us true freedom.
Around eighty thousand
Communion and Liberation
members from 50 countries
gathered in St. Peters Square
Saturday morning to mark
the tenth anniversary of the
death of Msgr. Giussani.
The papal audience also
coincided with the 60th anniversary of the movements
founding.
Fr. Giussani was born Oct.
15, 1922, in the Italian city of
Desio, located just north of

KATHLEEN LUMANDAS

Pope: Mass in vernacular

helps people understand
God, live the faith

CNA

CBCP Monitor

Pope Francis reminds the faithful of the all-important, life changing encounter with Jesus.

Milan, the countrys second

most populous city.
Upon his death on Feb. 22,
2005, then-Cardinal Joseph
Ratzinger, who was a close
friend and confidant of Giussani, delivered the homily at
his funeral.
Pope Francis expressed
his gratitude for the priest
known as Don Giussani,
praising his writings and the
positive impact they made on
him and his own priesthood.
He also praised the priests
deeply human way of think-

ing which reached the most

intimate yearning of man.
Pope Francis said the
Communion and Liberation
movement has not lost its
freshness and vitality after
sixty years, but he reminded
those present to remember
always that Jesus Christ is its
only center. All spiritualities, all charisms within the
Church, must be decentralized: at the center, there is
only the Lord!
The Pope cited St. Pauls
discussion of spiritual gifts,

called charisms, in the First

Letter to the Corinthians.
The apostle says that love that
comes from God is proper
and allows us to imitate
him.
The Pope said that a
charism is not meant to be
preserved in a bottle of distilled water, or turned to
stone. Nor can it be reduced
to a museum of memories,
decisions, rules of conduct.
Pope Francis reflected
upon Christian morality,
describing it as a response to

God rather than a force of

its own.
Christian morality is not
a titanic, voluntaristic force
or a solitary challenge facing the world, the Pope
said. Rather, morality is the
response to a mercy that is
surprising, unpredictable,
even unjust, according to
human criteria.
This mercy is from God,
who knows me, who knows
my betrayals and loves me all
the same, who esteems me,
embraces me, calls me again,
hopes in me, awaits me.
The Communion and Liberation movement traces its
roots back to Msgr. Giussanis
close ties with the Catholic Giovent Studentesca
(Student Youth) group that
was born in 1954 at Milans
Berchet High School, where
he was a teacher.
The movement is composed mainly of lay persons.
It also has members who are
priests, religious, and consecrated lay men and women.
Pope Francis concluded
his address by imploring
Gods blessing and Marys
protection, reminding the
faithful to remember him in
their prayers. (CNA/EWTN
News)

CBCP president Archbishop Socrates Villegas

MANILA, March 11,

2015Archbishop Socrates
Villegas has passed on some
words of wisdom to the faithful on how to be humble: say
please, thanks and sorry.
In his webisode The Light
of Faith, Villegas said to be
lowly of heart is the only
way to see the face of God.
When we honour our Filipino saints, please ask them
for the grace of humility to be
able to say thank you, to be
able to say please, and to be
able to say Im sorry without
any hesitation and without
any fear, Villegas said.
However, the president of
the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines
(CBCP) said, humility is a
very tricky issue.
If you know youre honest
and you say youre honest,
youre honest. If you know
youre chaste, and you say
youre chaste, youre chaste. But
if youre humble and you say
youre humble, youre proud,
Villegas said. So youre humble not when you humble
yourself but when you let others humiliate you and you bear
it for Christ, he added.
For the faithful to grow in
humility and to see God, the
archbishop said they must
practice the expressions of
courtesy, gratitude and contrition.

He encouraged the Filipinos to never feel too big to

say please, not to be shy to
say Im sorry, and not to
think it is unnecessary to say
thank you.
According to him, saying
please means you recognize
that somebody is more powerful than you and that you
cannot look boastful and look
down on anyone because
youre a person in need.
Those who say thank
you, he added, are humble
and happy people because
the fruit of humility is happiness.
People who are proud will
always be unhappy, Villegas
said.
Villegas pointed said only
the humble can say sorry
and ask for forgiveness.
When you say Im sorry it
doesnt mean that I am wrong
and you are right. When you
say Im sorry it only means
I value our relationship so
much that I will not discuss
anymore who is wrong and
who is right. I want to hasten
the restoration and healing of
our relationships, he added.
As you celebrate your
being Filipino, as you take
pride that we are Filipinos, be
humble because the humble
will be able to see the face of
God, Villegas also said. (Roy
Lagarde/CBCPNews)

MANILA, March 15, 2015A Filipino couple has

welcomed with joy the forthcoming canonization
of a married couple, the parents of St. Thrse of
Lisieux, saying the French husband-and-wife tandem inspire parents and couples to seriously live out
the hard but noble task of evangelizing the Church
closest to them: their own families.
Family holiness real
Its significant that this canonization will take
place. It will send a clear message that holiness is
a reality even between husband and wife, among
members of one family, said Peter Garcia, the
proud head of a household that considers praying
an all-important component of their family life.
In a world that has turned its back on traditional
family values, especially on marriage and child
rearing, Garcia said its refreshing to know there
are couples like Louis and Zlie Martin who lived
exemplary Christian lives worthy of the vocation
God had entrusted them, proving that marriage
is a calling equal to and as sacred as any religious
celibates.
Christian upbringing
Despite persistent hardships, he shared he and
wife Lora strive to raise their three children, two
boys and a girl, as Catholic Christians whose
holy fear of the Lord will arm them against evil
temptations.
While The family that prays together, stays
together, the one-liner made famous by Fr. Patrick
Peyton, is one most Filipinos often hear, but are
rarely seen doing, its not the case with the Garcias.

PHOTO FROM PETER GARCIAS FACEBOOK ACCOUNT

FILE PHOTO

More married saints, please

The Garcias were among the thousands of Filipino families that patiently waited for hours just to catch a glimpse of Pope
Francis passing by during his recent apostolic visit to the Philippines.

The Garcia couple stress they dread the day when

their kids already have minds of their own, and so
are no longer completely theirs, too shy to be seen
with their parents, preferring instead the company
of their friends.

Importance of prayer
As early as now, I instill in my family the importance of prayer. In fact, my eldest is assigned to
lead the graces before and after each meal, he said.
Lamenting todays Filipino youth are so much
unlike those of earlier generations, Garcia, who
runs the media arm of the Catholic charismatic
foundation, Children of Light (COL), added he
and Lora make it a point to have their kids sleeping
in one bed beside them.

Saintly couple
Meanwhile, Angelo Cardinal Amato, Prefect of
the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, recently
announced that the parents of the Little Flower
will be officially proclaimed saints in October, during the Synod on the Family at the Vatican.
Thanks be to God in October two spouses,
parents of St. Thrse of Lisieux, will be canonized,
Catholic news site Zenit quoted the Salesian prelate as saying at a meeting convened by the Libreria
Editrice Vaticana (LEV) which tackled the topic
Of What Use Are Saints? stressing the importance
of sanctity in the family.

Emotional investment
Theyre not children forever. Me and my wife
are investing on fond memories with them so that
we have something we can look back to together
in our old age. We want to make much of the time
we have with them while theyre still young and
small, he said.

Anyone can be saints

Saints are not only priests and nuns, but also
lay people, Amato pointed out, referring to the
Martin power couple.
Married in 1858, Louis and Zlie had nine children,
five of whom, including the future Thrse of the Child
Jesus and the Holy Face, entered the religious life.

Zenit reported that the 218 letters by Zlie, written from 1863 until her death in 1877, record the
rhythm of life with the War of 1870, the economic
crises, and the births and deaths of their four babies.
A very Catholic family
The Martins were known, not only to attend Mass
daily at 5:30 a.m., recite Angelus and Vespers, rest
on Sundays, fast during Lent and Advent, but also
to have fun: jokes and games, fishing and billiards.
They invited poor people to dine in their home,
visited the elderly, and taught their daughters to
treat the underprivileged as equals.
Zlie died of cancer at 46, leaving Louis with
five very young daughters: Marie, Pauline, Lonie,
Cline and Thrse, who was only four and a half
years old then, but who always remembered her
mother as a saint.
Louis died in 1894, after suffering a serious
mental illness.
Model for our time
Benedict XVI beatified both parents on Oct.
19, 2008. Their canonization will be the first joint
canonization of a married couple.
Many hail their life of daily holiness as a model for
our time. (Raymond A. Sebastin/CBCP News)

A4 OPINION

March 16 - 29, 2015, Vol. 19, No. 6

CBCP Monitor

EDITORIAL

ON the second anniversary of his election, on March 13, Pope Francis

announced the celebration of an extraordinary Holy Year of Mercy that
will commence on Dec. 8, 2015, the Solemnity of the Immaculate
Conception and the 50th anniversary of the closing of Vatican II, and
will conclude on Nov. 20, 2015, the Solemnity of Christ the King.
The surprise announcement came at the traditional penitential
liturgy celebrated in St. Peters Basilica as Pope Francis opened the
Lenten prayer initiative 24 Hours for the Lord. At about the tailend of his homily he said: Dear brothers and sisters, I have often
thought about how the Church might make clear its mission of being
a witness to mercy. It is journey that begins with a spiritual conversion.
For this reason, I have decided to call an extraordinary Jubilee that
is to have the mercy of God at its center. It shall be a Holy Year of
Mercy. We want to live this Year in the light of the Lords words: Be
merciful, just as your Father is merciful. (cf. Lk 6:36). According to
the Vatican, the official and solemn announcement of the Holy Year
will done on April 12, Divine Mercy Sunday (2nd Sunday of Easter)
with the public proclamation of the Bolla in front of the Holy Door.
Mercy and compassion seem to be the overarching theme of Pope
Francis Petrine ministry. This was the theme of his apostolic journey
to the Philippines this January. This prevails, too, in most of his homilies and messages. In an interview conducted by Antonio Spadaro,
S.J., editor in chief of La Civilta Cattolica, in September 2013, Pope
Francis, albeit simplistically, trail-blazed a rather experiential ecclesiology by looking at the Church as a field hospital. He said: I see
clearly that the thing the church needs most today is the ability to
heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful; it needs nearness,
proximity. I see the church as a field hospital after battle. It is useless
to ask a seriously injured person if he has high cholesterol and about
the level of his blood sugars! You have to heal his wounds. Then we
can talk about everything else. Heal the wounds, heal the wounds....
And you have to start from the ground up.
The confessional is a favorite of Pope Francis. His photo kneeling
in confession had become viral, inspiring Catholics and non-Catholics
alike. He describes the confessional not as a form of torture but
rather as a liberating encounter, full of humanity, through which we can
educate in a mercy that does not exclude, but rather includes the just
commitment to make amends, as far as possible, for the sin committed.
Mercy and compassion has been in the Church from day one. But
the way Pope Francis does it is revolutionary. To borrow the observation of John Allen, the Vatican analyst who recently launched a book
The Francis Miracle, If there is a revolution underway its at the level
of the pastoral application of doctrine, not revisions to that doctrine
itself. One cannot but be excited with how the Holy Year of Mercy
will proceed.

ILLUSTRATION BY BLADIMER USI

Holy Year of Mercy

Chain of debacles

Interreligious dialogue
AN attitude of openness in truth and in love must characterize the
dialogue with the followers of non-Christian religions, in spite of various obstacles and difficulties, especially forms of fundamentalism on
both sides. Interreligious dialogue is a necessary condition for peace in
the world, and so it is a duty for Christians as well as other religious
communities.
This dialogue is in first place a conversation about human existence
or simply, as the bishops of India have put it, a matter of being open
to them, sharing their joys and sorrows. In this way we learn to accept
others and their different ways of living, thinking and speaking. We can
then join one another in taking up the duty of serving justice and peace,
which should become a basic principle of all our exchanges. A dialogue
which seeks social peace and justice is in itself, beyond all merely practical
considerations, an ethical commitment which brings about a new social
situation. Efforts made in dealing with a specific theme can become a
process in which, by mutual listening, both parts can be purified and
enriched. These efforts, therefore, can also express love for truth.
In this dialogue, ever friendly and sincere, attention must always be
paid to the essential bond between dialogue and proclamation, which
leads the Church to maintain and intensify her relationship with nonChristians. A facile syncretism would ultimately be a totalitarian gesture
on the part of those who would ignore greater values of which they are
not the masters. True openness involves remaining steadfast in ones
deepest convictions, clear and joyful in ones own identity, while at the
same time being open to understanding those of the other party and
knowing that dialogue can enrich each side. What is not helpful is
a diplomatic openness which says yes to everything in order to avoid
problems, for this would be a way of deceiving others and denying them
the good which we have been given to share generously with others.
Evangelization and interreligious dialogue, far from being opposed,
mutually support and nourish one another.
Our relationship with the followers of Islam has taken on great importance, since they are now significantly present in many traditionally
Christian countries, where they can freely worship and become fully
a part of society. We must never forget that they profess to hold the
faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful
God, who will judge humanity on the last day. The sacred writings of
Islam have retained some Christian teachings; Jesus and Mary receive
profound veneration and it is admirable to see how Muslims both young
and old, men and women, make time for daily prayer and faithfully
take part in religious services. Many of them also have a deep conviction that their life, in its entirety, is from God and for God. They also
acknowledge the need to respond to God with an ethical commitment
and with mercy towards those most in need.
Non-Christians, by Gods gracious initiative, when they are faithful
to their own consciences, can live justified by the grace of God, and
thus be associated to the paschal mystery of Jesus Christ. But due
to the sacramental dimension of sanctifying grace, Gods working in
them tends to produce signs and rites, sacred expressions which in turn
bring others to a communitarian experience of journeying towards God.
While these lack the meaning and efficacy of the sacraments instituted
by Christ, they can be channels which the Holy Spirit raises up in order
to liberate non-Christians from atheistic immanentism or from purely
individual religious experiences.
--Evangelii Gaudium, #250-254, 2013

Monitor

Views and Points

Oscar V. Cruz, D.D.

BY way of introduction, it is but just and proper

to make mention of the Mendiola Massacre
where some twenty-two farmers from the then
and now still infamous Hacienda Luisita were
gunned without mercy, without reservation
during the reign of the then President. And
some time later, this was replaced by the Tarlac
Massacre when some seven farmersone kind
old Aglipayan bishop includedwere all shot
to death for staging a strike against the Hacienda
labor mismanagement.
And to make such a disgusting composite
phenomena really historical, there was a Chief
Justice who dared apply the law to the same
Hacienda and the result was called Impeachmentnot only placing the Legislative Department under the command of Malacaang
but also making the Supreme Court fearful in
treating the Executive Department as an equal
branch of government as provided by no less
than the Constitution of the Land.
The in-coming governmentbe this before

or after 2016has much to do as well as to

undo in favor of the People of the Philippines
in the pursuit of truth for the emergence of
justice and reign of peace, but definitely not
through dissemination of lies, the promotion
of inequity, the instigation of hostilities such
as the composition and promotion of the now
debatable if not infamous BBL. Hence:
Please: Do not promote the OFW phenomenon for the material gains of the State at the
expenses, worries and separation of families.
Stop such detrimental invention as PPP
whereby privatization of public utilities promote
private profits not public welfare. Do away
with taxation unlimited under different titles
but with the same victims such as the poor, the
miserable people.
Please: Do away with the now famous KKK
- a title that desecrates the original, noble and
heroic individuals the letters stand for. Get
rid of the incarnation of graft and corruption
through the infamous DAP and PDAF. And

no more official reception and accompaniment

of any Napoles figure.
Please: Do stop making the Philippines a
Gambling Republic. In the same way, get rid
of the proliferation of the local Drug Industry.
And stop women trafficking plus child prostitution due to the lack of the means of decent
livelihood, on account of the lack of proper
education.
Please: Do not prefer to see how cars are
made with big and continuous foreign profits,
instead of giving honor and showing bereavement for wasted lives and desecrated bodies.
And do away with an inverted socio-economic
progress where the rich become richer and the
poor emerge even poorer.
Please: No more Luneta Massacre. No more
Atimonan Massacre. No more Mamasapano
Massacre. Enough is enough.
No wonder then there is the increasing
peoples clamor for someones resignation! Leave
them alone! They will do better!

Facing Our Shadows

Pitik-Bulag
Fr. Wilfredo Samson, SJ

I USED to play with my shadows

when I was a young. It was amusing to seeing the shadows follow
me wherever I go, and I couldnt
even run a away from them. And
yet, when I face my shadow and
decided to approach it, it was my
shadow that turned to run away
from me. I realized that is the best
way to handle my shadows! Face
them!
Shadows are produced when we
block the source of light. It is not
the absence of light. Unfortunately,
we love to run away from our
shadows.
We have lots of shadows in our
life. And it causes us stress and
negative feelings, such as fear and

anxieties. Our Shadows may come

from our bad past, from our secret
sins, from inner core issues, from
our fear of people or relationships.
Today, lets face our shadows that
unconsciously haunt us. Its useless
running away from our shadows.
They will just follow us.
Here is a simple Detox Process
of how to face shadows with God.
1. SILENCE. Enter into your
prayer and dispose yourself to
name and face your shadows. Have
a ten-minute silence. Do your
usual breathing exercise.
2. GRACE. Ask the Holy Spirit
to accompany and guide you in
your prayer. Ask for the grace of
identifying your shadows and the

When mainstream is
actually peripheral

courage to face them.

3. READ. Read Matthew 26:
36 - 56. This is the story of Jesus
praying in Gethsemane.
What do you feel when Jesus
said, Lord, if its possible, take
away this cup away from me. Yet
not what I want, but what you
want?
See that even Jesus fears His
shadows. He was tempted to run
away. But He decided to face them.
Stay with these thoughts. And note
how he faced those who would
arrest him.
See also how the disciples run
away when Jesus was arrested. Are
you one of them? Running away
from your shadows?

Are there any things from the

past that haunt you? Or people that
you are always avoiding for many
reasons? Or something in your
heart or issues you are avoiding?
Or a secret personal sin?
Are you tired of running away
from them? Its time to face them
now, or they will haunt you for the
rest of your life. Face your shadows
and see them run away.
Now bring them all in front of
Jesus. Listen to what Jesus will say
to your shadows and how you will
face them. Have a colloquy with
Him and discuss your shadows.
For God will command his
angels concerning you to guard you
in all your ways.

Candidly Speaking
Fr. Roy Cimagala

CBCP

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POPE Francis visit here in our country left us

with a clear message that we have to care for the
poor and those who are considered to be in the
peripheries of society, whose hold on human life
and the very basic of human dignity is considered at best as tenuous, or weak and unstable.
This message should be taken seriously and
should elicit in us a sincere desire and all-out
effort to help in any way we can. We need to get
out of our comfort zone and be ready to get wet
and dirty in this urgent business of helping the
poor, the sick, the ignorant and illiterate, those
with disabilities, the prisoners, beggars, etc.
In our country, in spite of the many advances
we already have made to address this issue, we
can still find many of our people suffering from
all kinds of inhuman privation and indigence,
lending credence to what Christ once said, You
will always have the poor with you. (Mt 26, 11)
The papal message is yet another strong
reminder of that classic call for a preferential
love for the poor that should not be too romanticized and idealized that it becomes divisive
instead of unitive, giving rise to unnecessary
distinctions and conflicts among ourselves.

We have to keep it from playing the subtle

games of some ideologies that in the end are
not very human and, much less, Christian. In
a sense, all of us are poor because irrespective
of our social and economic status, we are all
in need of God. This is the poverty common
to all of us.
This kind of poverty, which I consider to be
the ultimate form of poverty, may even be more
severe among the so-called educated and the rich
people. Its a poverty that refuses to consider
itself to be so, and that is the worst cut.
In some instances, the poor may even give
more than the rich, not in terms of money,
but more of the heart. The rich may be poor in
terms of cultural, moral and religious poverty.
Just recently, a priest-friend of mine who is
doing some renovation work for his church
was moved to receive a small piggy bank from
a poor woman with a note that she was giving
all she had in that little box for the church
works with the request that the priest pray for
her intentions.
The reaction of my friend was that he now
understood better what Pope Francis said in

one of his addresses during his visit herethat

we should learn from the poor. Indeed, this is a
reprise of that gospel episode of Christ praising
the poor widow who gave her two mites more
than the rich who gave a lot to the treasury. (cfr
Mk 12,41ff)
And given the power and influence that rich
people with this graver kind of poverty wields
in society, the moral and religious poverty they
suffer can in fact be the mainstream in society.
That is when we have to see in this mainstream
one of the worst peripheries that we have to take
care of. We should not ignore this fact. This is
a great challenge.
We need to reach out to them for another and
deeper conversion of heart so that they can realize their poverty and hopefully start to develop
the real Christian poverty of detachment from
things and generosity of heart to offer everything
they have to God and share what they have with
everybody else.
Lets remember that gospel episode when
Christ told a rich young man, who wanted to
know how to get to heaven, to sell all that he
Candidly Speaking / A5

CBCP Monitor

OPINION A5

March 16 - 29, 2015, Vol. 19, No. 6

The Grace of Martyrdom

Along The Way

By The Roadside

Fr. Amado L. Picardal, CSsR, SThD

ON March 24, 1980, Archbishop Oscar
Romero of El Salvador was shot to death by a
right-wing death squad while celebrating the
Eucharist. Since then, the people of El Salvador and many others from various parts of the
world have revered him as a martyr. After 35
years, Rome has finally officially recognized his
martyrdom and his beatification will take place
on May 23, 2015. Why should Oscar Romero
be honored as a prophet? What is the meaning
of his martyrdom?
Traditionally, the recognition of martyrdom
was reserved for those put to death in odium
fidei or in hatred of the faith during times of
persecution. There were times in the past when
Christians were hated on account of their faith.
They were persecuted for being Christians.
Many were given the choice of renouncing
their faith and thus save their life or hold
on to the faith and lose their life. The focus
of martyrdom was their suffering and death
which was seen as the consequence of confessing and holding on to their faith. Those who
persecuted them were mostly non-Christian
rulers who rejected the faith and who were
filled with hatred for the Christian faith and
those propagating it. This was the case during
the first three centuries of Christianity and
during the period of missionary expansion in
Asia. The first Filipino saintsLorenzo Ruiz
and Pedro Calungsodwere martyred for their
faith together with other missionaries.
The circumstances of Romeros death was
different. El Salvador was governed by a repressive regime made up of Christian Democrats
who were controlled by the military. Many
believe that Romero was assassinated for
defending the rights of the poor and for denouncing the injustices and repression carried
out by the regime. There were doubts whether
he was really murdered in odium fidei. This was
one of the reasons for the slow progress of his
cause. In 2014, when asked about Romeros
martyrdom, Pope Francis commented:
What I would like is a clarification about
martyrdom in odium fidei, whether it can occur either for having confessed the Creed or for
having done the works which Jesus commands
with regard to ones neighbor. And this is a task
for theologians.
Thus, in Feb 2015, when asking Pope
Francis to recognize Romeros martyrdom, the
Congregation for the Causes of Saints affirmed:
He was killed at the altar. Through him,
they wanted to strike the church that flowed

Rev. Eutiquio EulyB. Belizar, Jr., SThD

from the Second Vatican Council. His assassination was not caused by motives that were
simply political, but by hatred for a faith that,
imbued with charity, would not be silent in the
face of the injustices that relentless and cruelly
slaughtered the poor and their defenders.
While the congregation broadened the understanding of odium fidei to justify Romeros
martyrdom, there is a need to explore further
the meaning of his martyrdom. This is necessary
so that the martyrdom of many othersclergy,
religious, lay faithful, members of Basic Ecclesial Communitieswho were murdered in El
Salvador and in other places in Latin America
and the Philippines may be recognized.
I propose that in looking at martyrdom
there is a need to clarify and deepen the understanding of the faith. Faith is not simply a set
of divine truths or Church doctrines that we
profess, affirm or hold on to. This faith is not
only expressed through the celebration of the
sacraments and devotion to the saints. It is also
shown by giving witness to the faith through
acts of love, justice, mercy and compassion.
The love of ones neighbor especially the poor
and the oppressed is a concrete expression of
this faith. This is the faith that does justice.
This is the faith expressed in liberating praxis.
This is the kind of faith that Archbishop
Oscar Romero and the Church of El Salvador
tried to live. This kind of faith was considered
subversivea threat to National Security. The
persecution in El Salvador and the martyrdom
of Oscar Romero and others can be seen from
this perspectivein hatred of a faith that is
integral and liberating.
There is another framework for understanding Romeros martyrdom that goes beyond
odium fidei. We can use the framework of
Vatican IIthe so-called Triplex Munus. The
prophetic, kingly/pastoral and priestly mission
of Christ, the Church, the clergy and the layfaithful. Like Jesus, the crossmartyrdomis
the consequence and expression of faithfully
carrying out the three-fold mission within a
hostile environment.
The martyrdom of Romero may be seen as
the consequence of exercising his prophetic
mission. Romero denounced the sinful situation in his country perpetuated by those who
monopolized wealth and power. He became
the voice of the voiceless. He denounced the
oppression of the people especially the poor,
the injustices, the poverty, inequality, the
spiral of violence, the idolatry of the National

Going to the fringes

Security ideology. He called people to conversionespecially those who were responsible

for the social evils. He also preached the Good
News of the kingdomof liberation, of justice
and peace to all especially to the poor. Romero
gave hope to those who found themselves in a
helpless and intolerable situation.
The martyrdom of Romero can also be
regarded as the consequence and ultimate
expression of his loving service as the pastor,
the good shepherd of the flock, who came not
to be served but to serve and to give his life as
ransom for many. He was the shepherd who
had the smell of the sheep. He ministered to
themespecially to the poor who were the
majority. He did not run away upon seeing his
flock being attacked by wolvesthe forces of
the repressive regime.
His martyrdom at the hands of the death
squads while celebrating the Eucharist can
be regarded as the ultimate expression of his
priesthood. He did not only offer the body and
blood of the risen Christ on the altar, he also
offered his own body and blood in memory
of Him who died on the cross and rose from
the dead. He sacrificed his own life following
the example of Christ. This is what priesthood
ultimately means.
Thus, Oscar Romero lived to the full what it
means to be a follower of Christ. Like Christ he
suffered and died to fulfill his mission as prophet,
pastor and priest. He walked the way Jesusthe
way of the cross. He embraced his own cross
the cost of discipleship. Shortly before he gave up
his life, Archbishop Oscar Romero said:
As a pastor, I am obligated by divine commandment to give my life for those I love
For that reason I offer to God my blood for the
redemption and resurrection of El Salvador
Martyrdom is a grace that I dont believe I
merit. But if God accepts the sacrifice of my
life, may my death, if it is accepted by God, be
for the liberation of my people and a testimony
of hope in the future.
In the Philippines, there are some priests
and leaders of Basic Ecclesial Communities
whose martyrdom under the Marcos dictatorial regime follows the same mold as that of
Archbishop Romero. Among them are Fr.
Godofredo Alengal of Kibawe (Bukidnon,),
Alexander Garsales and Herman Muleta of
Kabangkalan (Negros) and many others. I hope
the time will come when the cause of their
martyrdom will be introduced and recognized
by Rome.

Pilgrim at the Periphery

Tessa G. Mangahas

IT will be my 26th year as a

lector and pastoral worker in
August this year. During the
first years I was happy to be
of service to the Lord and my
community within the physical
parish church. Liturgical year in
and out, I tried to improve on
the technical skills, spirituality
and the decorum expected of me
as a lector or ministry coordinator. Perhaps it was also because
we helped build our parish
church from the ground, toiling
and fund-raising in at least 848
ways to have a place of worship.
But as I grew in my service as a
pastoral worker, I also experienced an itch of sorts. I had
to find relevance in the service
that I hoped to give back to the
Church. I had to feel the Church
alive not only in the meaningful
liturgy. I had to experience Gods
word living and breathing in the
community. As a communicator
by profession, I had to journey
as a pilgrim and proclaim to the
peripheries. I had to go out there
and reach out to the peripheries.
Today, as we have just cel-

ebrated the feast of Saint Joseph,

I invite you on that journey of
faith as a pilgrim going out to
the peripheries. These experiences are what I will share with
the readers of this column. These
could have happened during
outreach visits to the poor and
vulnerable. These could have
been moments of insightful interactions with co-pilgrims during religious journeys. These are
stories, insights and experiences
culled from areas where there
is less comfort and but more
spiritual fervor.
Recently, Pope Francis has
called on teachers to engage with
the peripheries within their own
classrooms. He also enjoined
teachers to love students not
only for their potential but also
for their limitations.
I have been following the
Facebook posts of a co-parishioner and co-lector, Mario Deriquito, formerly with the Ayala
Foundation, but now serving in
a much less glamorous post at
the Department of Education.
He has been going around the

Whatever

remote areas of the country

being with school children and
trying to help teachers and poor
students learn better. We have
a small barkada that used to
hang out every 5th Friday of the
month. Recently, those encounters of the minds, laughter, wine
and cheese keep getting less and
less because of our multifarious
commitments. But we are not
complaining. It is much more
gratifying to know about the
opportunities given to out-ofschool youth to finish BASIC
education, skills training for
employment and capability for
entrepreneurship.
It is more filling for the heart
to find out the number of youth
reached by the pledges of chairpersons of 22 barangays of Cadiz
City through this program called
Abot-Alam. It is heartwarming
to be assured that out of school
youth can have the ability to
dream through these programs,
a wish shared by Pope Francis
himself at the MOA Encounter
with Families. It gives us renewed hope to discover that a

modest donation of solar study

lamps can assist in educating
school children in areas without
electricity. It is encouraging to
hear the testimonials of several
Michaels who didnt have the
chance to have formal schooling,
yet learned how to read, write
and eventually deliver a speech
through the Dep-Eds Basic
Literacy Program. Mario and
his team will continue to go the
fringes, never mind if it eats up
family and F-5 time, weekends
once considered sacred, even losing a schedule or two to proclaim
as a lector because of yet another
mission in the boondocks for the
out-of-school youth.
This for me, is the real essence
of the Gospel well lived. We try
to give that extra mile of time,
love, mercy and compassion to
those who are weaker and more
disadvantaged. This for me is a
pilgrim going to the peripheries.
As we enter the countdown to
Easter joy, perhaps more of us
can contemplate on how we can
go to the peripheries and truly,
madly, deeply, live the Gospel.

Being Soulfish

Fr. Francis Ongkingco

SO guys, the teacher asked the class, what

would be the opposite of selfish?
The class became silent for a few second.
Then one boy raised his hand.
Yes, Dave, would you like to try?
Teacher Erika, is it soulfish? he answered
softly.
His classmates eyed him with a puzzled
look.
Soulfish? I asked.
Yes, miss. I try to think more of others,
more than me, Dave replied.
Not a bad term indeed. Hopefully, one day,
it would be included in the dictionary.
***
Lent is a time for conversion, but personal
conversion isnt complete without being open
to helping others in their conversion. A
natural sign of personal conversion, when the
heart is purified and acquires more capacity to
love, is leading others towards an encounter
with Jesus.
In his Lenten message, Pope Francis emphasizes on the need to fight against individualism manifested in indifference towards
others. He suggests three areas that ones
conversion can positively open itself to: the
Church, our communities, and individual
Christians.
Opening and giving ourselves to the universality of Church means becoming aware
that we are a vital and dynamic part of the

communion sanctorum (communion of

saints) and of holy things (participating in
Holy Mass, frequenting Confession, liturgical celebrations and feasts, etc.). Thus, we are
not mere recipients but we have something
unique to spiritually contribute to the entire
Church and each of Her members.
Pope Francis comments, [in this reality]
no one possesses anything alone, but shares
everything with others. And since we are
united in God, we can do something for
those who are far distant, those whom we
could never reach on our own, because with
them and for them, we ask God that all of us
may be open to His plan of salvation. (Lenten
Message, 2015)
With respect to our communities (e.g. family or parish) we are called us to go beyond
the community confines. This doesnt always
mean physically looking for new frontiers to
engage ourselves in. More often than not, it
may begin with an interior renewal within the
community, fostering greater zeal, forgiveness
and healing among the members. This will
allow the community to be in the frontlines
of spiritual and apostolic initiatives.
Finally, there is our concern for individual
Christians. Ones heart can never remain at
rest while there are many Christians experiencing all sorts of trialsmaterial, moral and
spiritualin their daily existence.
Flooded with news reports and troubling

image of human suffering, Pope Francis

asked, we often feel our complete inability to
help. What can we do to avoid being caught
up in this spiral of distress and powerlessness?
The suffering of others is a call for conversion and it reminds us of the uncertainty
of life and our dependence on God and our
brothers and sisters. And this calls us to form
our hearts to be firm, merciful, attentive and
generous to everyone around us, especially,
those we are directly in touch with in our
families, social duties and engagements.
Our efforts in these three areas will definitely help to gradually overcome our tendency to
a state of material autonomy. Pope Emeritus
Benedict XVI advises that in order for one
to arrest this selfish tendency, one must step
outside the limits of his closed individuality
towards agape (loving to the end). This,
Benedict XVI says is breaking through into
the divine. (Jesus of Nazareth, Vol. 2)
In this manner of stepping outside of our
limits we are actually following our Lords
example of self-giving. In his zeal to save all
souls, in His soulfishness, Christ had to pass
over by laying down His life for our sake.
Thus, we also live our own Passover, when like
our Lord we daily seek out souls in order to
lead them closer to Christ and His Church.
This is our authentic soulful contribution to
the Church and all its members.

Learning to pray
from the Scriptures
and the saints
THERE are just so many things, a plethora of them to be imprecise, in the Philippines and in the world that drive anyone to
have recourse to prayer. Clear and present dangers and challenges,
ongoing crises of every kind, patent uncertainties and bright
opportunities etc., name it and we have it. But these are not the
only reasons why we pray. In every moment and circumstance
of a Christian disciples life prayer is of the essence. To say that
I am a Christian but I dont pray is to be a living contradiction.
A Christian disciple is a person of prayer; or a Christian disciple
he/she is not. I think praying, like living, is something we learn
by doing. But it helps when the Word of God, as well as those
who have lived by it all their livesthe saints, to be exactspeak
to us about prayer itself.
So what do we need to know about our spirits way of breathing, i.e., prayer?
1. It must be born of our union with the Master. If you remain
in me, Jesus says in the Gospel of John, and my words stay
part of you, you may ask what you will and it will be given you
(Jn 15:7). If I stay away from the Master through sin, how can
my prayer ever be effective? Unless, of course, I repent and do a
metanoia, a radical about-face from sin and plunge myself into
the Lords mercy by asking for forgiveness and amending my life,
my prayer would be of little use to me or to anyone. St. Ignatius
speaks likewise: We must speak to God as a friend speaks to
his friend, a servant to his Master; now asking some favor, now
acknowledging our faults, and communicating to Him all that
concerns us, our thoughts, our fears, our projects, our desires,
and in all things seeking is counsel.
2. It must be of faith. Even doctors attest to how necessary it is
for patients to believe in their (doctors) credentials to the healing
process. Jesus, in fact, promises positive results to prayer of faith:
Whatever you ask for in prayer, full of faith, you will receive (Mt
21:22). St. James, in another context, makes the same point: The
prayer said in faith will save the sick person (Jas 5:15). This is
why St. Augustine urges Christians: Pray as though everything
depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.
3. It must aim at ultimately doing the Lords will. One obvious
mistake we do in prayer, my Christology professor used to say,
is to try to convert God to do our will in prayer when we should
be converted to do His will as a result of praying. The example
of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew is most instructive. As he
faces the specter of His crucifixion and death He prays: Father,
if it is possible, take this cup away from me. Yet not my will but
your will (Mt 26:39). Not content with saying it once, Jesus
repeats this prayer, with a slight variation: Father, if this cup
cannot be taken away from me without my drinking it, let your
will be done (Mt 26:42). Blessed Mary McKillop teaches us in
the same vein: Let us all resign ourselves into His hands, and
pray that in all things He may guide us to do His holy Will
When thoughts of this or that come I turn to Him and say, Only
what you will, my God. Use me as You will.
4. It must not be self-centered nor by oneself alone. This is not to
say that private prayer is illegitimate. This is to say that all prayer,
private or communal, must come out of love. It is in the context
of a loving heart at prayer that St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori
says: He who prays most receives most. St. Therese of Lisieux
educates us as to why love is inseparable from prayer: Prayer is
an aspiration of the heart. It is a simple glance directed to heaven.
It is a cry of gratitude and love in the midst of trial as well as
joy Because of the love that characterizes the community of
disciples that we call Church Jesus says, in fact: For where two
or three are gathered together in my Name, there I am in the
midst of them (Mt 18:20).
5. It must be humble. Scriptures in so many instances bear
witness to how prayer uttered in humility pierces heaven more
effectively than a superabundance of our words or good deeds.
This is the lesson we learn from the humble publican who prays,
not even raising his eyes to heaven: O God, be merciful to me,
a sinner (Lk 18:13), to which Jesus exclaims: I tell you, this
man went home reconciled with God, unlike the other (the
Pharisee who paraded his good deeds in prayer). For everyone
who exalts himself will be humbled, and everyone who humbles
himself will be exalted (Lk 18:14). In fact, the psalmists affirm Jesus teaching: O God, my sacrifice, a contrite spirit, a
humble and contrite heart you will not spurn (Ps 51:19). St.
Mary Magdalen de Pazzi concurs: Prayer ought to be humble,
fervent, resigned, persevering, and accompanied with great reverence. One should consider that he stands in the presence of
God, and speaks with the Lord before whom the angels tremble
from awe and fear.
6. It must be honest. When we pray from the heart, it
cannot be untruthful. We are before the Truth himself
and dishonesty and lying would not only be futile but also
profoundly harmful to our spiritual health. We engage in
dishonest prayer when we express words or thoughts that
we do not mean and do not mean the words or thoughts we
express. Which is why Jesus counsels us to avoid ostentation
in prayer: When you pray, go to your room, close your door
and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees
what is kept in secret will reward you (Mt 6:6). What better
room is there than our own heart where we pray to the Lord
as truthfully as he sees our heart to be saying. After all, as
John the Evangelist reminds us: He [Jesus] didnt need any
evidence about anyone for himself, for he himself knew what
there is in man (Jn 2:25). St. Faustina Kowalska recounts of
the words the Lord Jesus says to her in a private revelation:
My daughterwhy do you not tell me about everything that
concerns you, even the smallest details? When she protests
that He knows everything, Jesus reply is a bit startling: Yes,
I do know; but you should not excuse yourself from the fact
that I know, but with childhood simplicity talk to me about
everything, for my ears and heart are inclined towards you,
and your words are dear to me.
This brings us to the point of praying. We are dear to the Lord
even before we see the way he sees us. For love consists in this:
Not that we have loved God but that God has loved us first, and
has sent us his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 Jn 4:10).

Candidly Speaking / A4

had and then give to the poor and

then to come, follow Christ. (cfr.
Mk 10,17ff)
Imagine if we manage to convince the rich to be poor with the
Christian spirit of poverty, what
immense good these poor rich
people can do! We need to reach
out to them, especially because it
is through their wealth that much
of our spiritual and material acts
of mercy can be sustained.
In reaching out to the poor, the
sick, the handicapped, etc., lets

see to it that we are not contented

simply with giving dole-outs that
are highly short-lived. We should
come out with plans, programs
and initiatives that can last long
and can be abiding, since as Christ
himself said, the poor will always
be with us in spite of our best
efforts.
We have to involve the rich to
help the poor. Then we can turn
the hidden poverty of the mainstream to help the poverty of the
peripheries.

A6 LOCAL NEWS

March 16 - 29, 2015, Vol. 19, No. 6

CBCP Monitor

Groups shocked by Ampatuan sons release

Heinous
In an inter vie w over
Church-run Radyo Veritas ,
CADP spokesperson Rudy
Diamante reminded the public the crime for which the
Ampatuans are implicated
is heinous, in that they are
tagged responsible for the
brutal killing of no less than
58 individuals, 32 of whom
members of the media.
I find it incredible that the
court allowed him to buy his
freedom, citing the weak evidence of the prosecution. Just
for the record: the crime he
committed is heinous. It
is now very important for the

Department of Justice (DOJ)

to step in, and to question
the court how it concluded
that the case against Sajid
Ampatuan is weak, he said.
Php 11.6 million
Why is this so? Is this
going to be a precedent for
similar high-profile cases in
the future? he asked.
Diamante said it is a cause
of wonder for his group how
a big fish like the younger
Ampatuan managed to post
the Php 11.6 million bail
considering the government
had earlier ordered the freezing of his familys assets.
58 counts of murder
Where did he get that
amount? We thought 58
counts of murder are enough
to assure us they can no
longer enjoy their money,
he added.
According to Diamante,
there are many other prisoners accused of lesser crimes,
but who are not even given

the chance to post bail.

He stressed the Ampatuans
release, although probational,
proves the countrys justice
system, which favors only
those who have money and
connections, cries out for
reforms given that it remains
indifferent to the plight of
the poor.
Terribly disappointed
Meanwhile, the National
Union of Journalists of the
Philippines (NUJP) says it
is terribly disappointed at
the release on bail of Sajid
Ampatuan.
As we predicted, securing the amount, which most
Filipinos can only dream
about, was easy for a member
of a clan that had built vast
wealth, much of it ill-gotten,
during a decade of misrule
over Maguindanao province, group chair Rowena
C. Paraan shares in a March
9 statement.
Faulty presentationt

NUJP adds it fears for the

course of the search for justice
for the 58 victims in what it
describes as the worst incident of electoral violence in
recent Philippine history and
the single deadliest attack on
the press ever recorded.
The group blasts the grant
of bail to Sajid, who was acting governor when the massacre happened, and would
certainly have been in on the
murderous plot, blaming the
prosecutions faulty presentation of its case.
Nefarious deal?
At best, because of incompetence, at worst as part of
some nefarious deal, it says.
We demand that the DOJ
get to the bottom of this and
move quickly to repair the
damage lest a miscarriage of
justice in this case be added to
the long litany of sins against
press freedom and justice this
administration has committed, it adds. (Raymond A.
Sebastin/CBCP News)

NUJP

THE Coalition Against

Death Penalty (CADP) expressed disbelief that Datu
Sajid Islam U. Ampatuan was
able to bail himself recently
out of prison where he had
been held as a suspect in the
Maguindanao Massacre in
2009 with his father, former
Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan, Sr.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) mark the 7th anniversary of the Maguindanao Massacre
on November 23, 2014 by recreating the scene of the carnage with papier-mch bodies.

Institute offers anew

summer program on
marriage, family

Bishop: Concrete faith more important than rituals

Concretizing the faith

While countless individual
Catholics practice penance during Lent, San Fernando Auxiliary
Bishop Pablo Virgilio S. David
lamented many are misguided,
stressing they still need to know
there are safer and more concrete
ways of expressing contrition like
doing the corporal works of mercy.
Here in Pampanga, we have
reintroduced the corporal works
of mercy. These are inspired by
Matthew 25. Just recently we have
launched the Lenten Savings for
Alms Giving, which encourages the

faithful to set aside the money they

will save from fasting for charity as a
concrete expression of Lenten sacrifice, the prelate said in an interview
over Church-run Radyo Veritas.
Corporal works
Based on Matthew 25:35-40, the
seven corporal works of mercy are
as follows: to feed the hungry, to
give drink to the thirsty, to clothe
the naked, to shelter the homeless,
to visit the sick, to visit the imprisoned, to bury the dead.
David, who also chairs the
Catholic Bishops Conference of
the Philippines (CBCP)s Episcopal Commission for the Biblical
Apostolate (ECBA), hails from
Pampanga, a province where mortification of the flesh like crucifixion and self-flagellation are popular
forms of Lenten penance, especially
among Kapampangan males.

FILE PHOTO

A CATHOLIC prelate has reminded the faithful that living out ones
faith concretely is more important
than carrying out merely outward,
ritualistic penitential acts, in order
for them to better share in Christs
Passion this coming Holy Week.

San Fernando Auxiliary Bishop Pablo Virgilio S. David

Retreats, recollections
The prelate called on Church
groups to hold Lenten recollections
and retreats, but advised against lim-

iting participation exclusively to their

members so that other interested
Catholics can also take part. (Raymond A. Sebastin/CBCP News)

K-12/ A1

must not be used to further marginalize the

thousands of Filipinos who support themselves
by the meager sum they earn from teaching.
Cost of quality
We understand that K-12 only wants to raise
the quality of education in the Philippines so that
it will already be at par with global standards. But
this should not be at the expense of many educators who will stand to lose their teaching jobs on
account of the program, he said.
We are praying that the government will
do its part, and come out with solutions to the
impending massive unemployment which will
result from the educational reform, he added.
Toledo stressed that even as the government
strives to improve the countrys education system, it must not forget to look after the welfare
of teachers.
More years in school
Under K-12, two more years, referred to as
senior high school, will be added to the current

education system.
The new system covers Kindergarten and 12
years of basic education: six years of primary,
four years of junior high, and two of senior.
During senior high, students are expected to
specialize on the career tracks they want to pursue.
K-12 suspension
Meanwhile, a group consisting of the Council
of Teachers and Staff of Colleges and Universities in the Philippines (COTESCUP), faculty,
non-teaching staff, parents, labor unions and
faculty associations, earlier urged the Supreme
Court (SC) to suspend K-12 implementation
pending a review.
In a statement, the Coalition for K to 12 Suspension led by Professor Rene Luis Tadle, says it was
formed because based on the consultations we conducted, we found out that the countrys education
system is woefully ill-prepared for this program.
Additional burden
Tadle explains the majority of Philippine high

schools lack classrooms and facilities to accommodate the additional number of students as
a result of this program, describing K-12 as
an additional burden for our already grossly
underpaid teachers.
He laments most of the parents are not
even aware of the details of this program,
let alone the financial burden it will bring
them.
The present system worked for the earlier generations, and there is no reason why
it shouldnt work for the present crop of students. We just need to fill in the shortages in
classrooms, teachers, desks, and books; and
increase the salaries of teachers, he notes.
80K jobless teachers
The group estimates as many as 56,771 out
of 111,351 college teachers and 22,838 nonteaching staff are likely to lose their jobs due to
the dramatic decline in the number of college
enrollees starting Academic Year 2016-2017.
(Raymond A. Sebastin/CBCP News)

BBL / A1

independent of their national

counterparts.
The Philippine Congress initially
targeted to pass the draft law of the
proposed BBL this month but a
recent meeting of the Upper and
Lower House leaders postponed
the deadline until June. Congress is
set to adjourn on March 21 for the
Holy Week but the second regular
session of the 16th Congress will
last until June 12.
Public anger
Despite being championed

by no less than President Benigno Aquino III, many believe

passing the proposed BBL in
Congress will require an uphill
effort after the Jan. 25 clash
between police forces and Moro
militants in Mamasapano, Maguindanao province. At least
44 Special Action Force commandos perished during the fire
fight along with 18 Moro rebels
and five civilians.
The publics anger over the
Mamasapano tragedy has virtually
suspended the Congress work in

deliberating over the BBL, with

some saying that justice must be
served first to the victims of the
firefight before BBL is passed into
law. However, Quevedo countered
this, calling on lawmakers and
Christians against letting emotions,
biases and prejudices to prevail
over objective reason so that the
Mamasapano incident will not
repeat itself.
In the face of outrage and calls
for all-out war for the manner
by which our law enforcers lost
their lives, I call for peace. I call

for rationality rather than emotionalism. I call for justice that is

not selective. I call for openness
and fairness rather than bias and
prejudice, he said.
The BBL was negotiated painstakingly with stops and detours for
at least five years. It is not an agreement that was hurriedly done. It
fulfills the Bangsamoro aspiration
for self-determination. It preserves
our fundamental principles of
national sovereignty and territorial integrity, Quevedo added.
(CBCPNews)

Bake / A1

Dorothys community in barangay Pasong

Tamo, Quezon City. (Photo: Oliver Samson)
They cook cupcakes and other sweets on order,
said Sr. Celia Agius Vadala, the communitys
Maltese superior, describing how the communitys livelihood trainings have produced skilled
women, who have since organized themselves
into a group called The Baking Mothers.
Dressmaking, cosmetology
They sell [the deserts] around and share the
profit among themselves, she added.
According to Sr. Annie Catania, the communitys livelihood coordinator, who is a Maltese,
the community has organized several employable skill trainings under the city government

that has benefited over a hundred of people

since the congregation arrived in the country,
said Catania.
The courses include dressmaking, cosmetology, massage, and hotel and restaurant services,
Vadala said.
What is consoling to us is many of them
have found a job, disclosed Catania.
The course, which is supposed to be taken for six
months, is running for three months only because
the class had started late, Catania said on March 11.
Mother-bakers
Some in the class buy their own baking materials,
she said. Others are provided by the community.

The women are all mother, except for three,

Catania noted.
The city government requires at least 25
participants for them to provide a teacher for
the course, said Sr. Celia Agius Vadala, the communitys superior, who is also a Maltese.
The Sisters of St. Dorothy was founded in
1934 by Paula Frassinetti, an Italian, who was
beatified in 1930 and canonized in 1984.
The congregation arrived in the Philippines in 2003.
Currently, it is the only community in the
country composed of nuns from Malta, Austria,
and Asian countries like China, and Malaysia,
and has one novice and two juniors from the
Philippines. (Oliver Samson/CBCPNews)

Agrarian / A1

welcome his respect for subsidiarity

of government agencies, he is also
duty-bound to directly look after
the rights of the poor which must
precede his decisions and actions,
the archbishop shares.
Twin bills
HB 4296 seeks to renew for two
years the Department of Agrarian
Reform (DAR)s authority to issue
notices of coverage and provide
adequate funding for support

THE Pope John Paul II National

Institute for Studies on Marriage
and Family in Bacolod, Centro
Associato of the Pontifical John
Paul II Institute in Rome, is offering its fourth cycle of the Summer
Academic Program, Masters of
Education in Marriage and Family.
Held for the first time in the
summer of 2012, the program is
now open to continuing and new
students from the dioceses in the
Philippines and abroad.
Program organizers have observed a growing interest in the
family and life ministry, especially
after the visit of Pope Francis in the
Philippines.
Strong pro-life statements
It can be recalled that in his address to Filipino families the Pope
was firm in defending openness
to life and the definition of the
family, warning the faithful against
the onslaught of an ideological colonization that, similar to
the political colonization of the
country, threatens to destroy the
institution of the family.
In the same encounter with
families, the Pope issued one of
his strongest statements on the
Churchs teaching against the
culture of death, calling families
to be sanctuaries of respect for
life, proclaiming the sacredness of
every human life from conception
to natural death.
The John Paul II Institute is
expecting more students not
only for the summer program
but also for the two-year Master
thesis program on Marriage and
the Family.
To illustrate the importance of
strengthening the family and life
ministry, Fr. Ronaldo Quijano,
Dean of Studies of the John Paul
II Institute said: Every diocese
has its own pastoral concerns and
priorities but there is one living
thread that can truly provide a
unifying framework to all our
ministries, that is, the family
ministry.

Context of family
He acknowledged that every
ministry is important but we
should not compartmentalize
these.
Liturgical ministry is expressed
in the context of the family. Catechesis is taught within the family. Social apostolate is oriented
in caring for poor families, the
priest added.
Thus, a well integrated family framework can reshape our
diocesan structures to respond
better to the call for lay empowerment, motivating people to be
actively involved in the Churchs
evangelizing mission. There is no
authentic community renewal
unless it is family-based. We
need more stakeholders of family ministry in order to make it
as a diocesan priority, Quijano
explained.
Minimal fee
For the summer of 2015, the
course will run from April 8 until
May 2.
The subjects offered for the
fourth cycle are Sociology and
Demography; Anatomy; Developmental Psychology; Magisterial
Documents with John Pauls II
Theology of the Body; and Pedagogy of the Family with Pastoral
Counseling.
Students of the summer course
are given an opportunity to study
with no charges for tuition or board
and lodging while enrolled in Bacolod. Only a minimal amount for
miscellaneous, and for entrance
examinations for new students,
is needed for enrolment for the
Masters of Education in Marriage
and Family at the Pope John Paul
II Institute.
Interested parties may contact
the John Paul II National Institute
for Studies on Marriage and Family in Bacolod City at telephone
numbers (034) 4348396 or (034)
4322877, or email jpnatin@yahoo.
com. (Fr. Mickey Cardenas /
CBCPNews)

Execution / A1

treme difficulties of our OFWs go

through and experience.
We in the Church are challenged
even more to widen and strengthen
our ministry and apostolate to our
OFWs so that we can bring them
pastoral, psychological, emotional
and spiritual needs, especially in
times of trials and tests in their
lives. Let us continue to help them
through our prayers and constant
concern, Santos said.
The Filipino driver was executed
yesterday after Philippine governments appeals to get forgiveness
from the victims family had failed.
Esteva, who was employed as family driver since 2006, was convicted
for stabbing his employer the

following year and injuring the

victims son.
Despite an appeal by Filipino
authorities that Esteva was not in
his right state of mind during the
incident, the Court of Cassation
reaffirmed the death sentence.
We are saddened by the death of
our kababayan in Saudi who was
executed for a crime he committed
there. Every life is important and
we pray for him that his soul may
rest in peace through the mercy of
God, Santos said.
Department of Foreign Affairs
Secretary Charles Jose said Estevas
body was subsequently buried in
Saudi Arabia in accordance with
their law. (CBCPNews)

Barefoot / A1

services to agricultural landholdings that have not yet been placed

under CARP.
HB 4375 seeks to create an
independent Agrarian Reform
Commission to review the actual
accomplishment of CARP and investigate circumventions and violations of the CARP Law with a view
to cause these landholdings to be
redistributed to qualified beneficiaries. HB 4375 does not yet have a
counterpart measure in the Senate

and such needs to be certified by

the President as a priority measure.
Today, we express our prayers
and support with the religious
groups, lawmakers and civil society
organizations as the peasants will
intensify their campaign to extend
and overhaul the implementation
of the 27-year old CARP, Tirona
adds.
Houses turn
In June 2014, PNoy certified

as urgent the passage of HB

4296, although the House has yet
to pass the supposed priority bill
on third and final reading eight
months after the chief executives
certification.
Meanwhile, Speaker Feliciano
Belmonte Jr. assured farmers of his
unequivocal support to HB 4296s
passage.
The Senate has already done its
part by passing Senate Bill 2278 in
September last year.

sionals but they can be trained on

how to deal with trauma.
As community leaders, another
thrust of the team is to link people,
he said, and help them coordinate
with concerned agencies and organizations in times of calamities.
Its like guiding them to lessen
their worries and somehow prevent
trauma, Miranda added.
Were building community
support so that in the event of a di-

saster, these trained people already

have the capability on disaster risk
management, the priest explained.
With more trainings coming up,
he said barefoot counseling will go
a long way in helping the people in
areas ravaged by calamities.
The Camillians, also referred to as
the Servants of the Sick, are involved
in the development of health care
and health facilities in developing
countries. (CBCPNews)

DIOCESAN NEWS A7

March 16 - 29, 2015, Vol. 19, No. 6

Cagayan faithful alerted

on risks of mining
TUGUEGARAO City
A priest from the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao
has alerted the faithful
on the natural calamities
that might strike Cagayan anytime soon should
illegal mining operations
in the province continue,
urging them to push for
the end of these activities
before its too late.
In an interview over
Church-run Radyo Veri-

tas, Fr. Augustus King S.

Calubaquib, head of the
episcopal sees Social Action
Center (SAC), appealed for
the cessation of all projects
detrimental to the environment like blacksand mining already rampant in the
coastal towns of Cagayan.
Most disaster-prone
According to the 5th
Annual Natural Hazards
Risk Atlas, Cagayan places

second out of ten Philippine provinces most prone

to natural disasters.
Moreover, a study conducted by Verisk Maplecroft shares Tuguegarao,
Cagayans capital city, also
ranks among the most calamity-exposed cities of the
country.
Fearing the worst
Given these findings, the
cleric fears the worst once

the planned coal-fueled

power plant has been built
in the province.
He warned all Cagayanos
against big businessmen
who might woo them into
accepting the proposal at
the expense of the provinces rich natural resources.
Stewards of creation
Calubaquib went on
to assure the Cagayan
faithful the Church ve-

Bacolod diocese
honors Team Patay/
Team Buhay lawyers

hemently opposes all elements that seek to destroy

the integrity of creation
whose stewards they supposedly are.
Even as the Church
promises to monitor the
situation from the forefront, the priest stressed
she needs to know that the
public is just right behind
her in this endeavor. (Raymond A. Sebastin/CBCP
News)

PALO, LeyteWho among you

pray for the conversion of the
Church? What do you do to those
who drop out of the church? Who
will invite them back?
Fr. Wilson Chu, the oeconomus
of the Archdiocese of Palo and
co-pastor of the urban Sto. Nio
Parish in Tacloban City, hurled
these challenges to church volunteers of the parish in a whole-day
recollection held at the chapel in
Gonzagahaus (Archbishops Palace)
in Palo, Leyte on March 14.
The priest gave a reflection on
how a globalization of indifference
takes a toll on peoples openness and
willingness to serve God through
the Church, particularly the Roman
Catholic Church, more specifically
in their respective parishes.
The mistake of indifference
He talked of a general trend
across the archipelago of young
people leaving the Catholic Church
in favor of other sects where they
feel more a sense of belongingness.
One mistake of man is indifference, he stressed, which is
exhaustively discussed in this years
Lenten message of Pope Francis.
Locally, though, this concern
could be properly addressed by
the members of the Church who
already know their identity as the
Church. They could do it by
inviting those who have turned
their back on the Catholic Church,
encouraging them come back and
make them feel that they are the

Church through active participation in the parishs various activities, Chu said.
The priest, in stirring the church
volunteers to positively respond
to Pope Francis exhortation and
the local churches need to invite
back those who have dropped out
from the Roman Catholic church
or from Christianity, urged them
When we pray, we must pray also
for those who are lost, the poor and
those longing for the love of God.
Chu further asked the church
volunteers to ponder more deeply
on the how they have given their
time, talent and treasure in serving
God. This, he said, should be quality time, and talent and treasure,
which they should share without
limits, freely given when needed
to serve their brethren and God.
Islands of mercy
In his Lenten message written on
Oct. 4, 2014, Feast of Saint Francis
of Assisi, Pope Francis stated: This
selfish attitude of indifference has
taken on global proportions, to
the extent that we can speak of a
globalization of indifference. It is a
problem which we, as Christians,
need to confront.
He added, One of the most
urgent challenges which I would
like to address in this Message is
precisely the globalization of indifference. Indifference to our neighbour and to God also represents a
real temptation for us Christians.
Pope Francis exhorts, How

EILEEN N. BALLESTEROS

Bring back Churchs lost priest to faithful

Sto. Nio Parish co-pastor Fr. Wilson Chu called on church volunteers to overcome
indifference and practice their identity as the Church.

greatly I desire that all those places

where the Church is present,
especially our parishes and our
communities, may become islands
of mercy in the midst of the sea of
indifference!
Further he encouraged the faithful: During this Lent, then, brothers
and sisters, let us all ask the Lord:
Fac cor nostrum secundum cor
tuum: Make our hearts like yours
(Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus).
In this way we will receive a heart,
which is firm and merciful, attentive and generous, a heart which is
not closed, indifferent or prey to the
globalization of indifference.
La Mesa ni Martha
Fr. Ronel Taboso, the parish

pastor cum moderator, also urged

the church volunteers in his homily during the said recollection to
serve in the Church as a gesture of
gratitude to God for the gifts and
blessings received.
Be happy so you can inspire
other serve, he further exhorted,
stressing, It is God who chose you
and not you who chose to serve.
The Sto. Nio Parish will be
launching soon the La Mesa ni
Martha, a charity outreach undertaking initiated by Palo Archbishop
John Forrosuelo Du, where the
church will regularly open its
breakfast table to indigent locals
and street-children for free, nutritious meals. (Eileen NazarenoBallesteros/CBCP News)

Sto. Nio rediscovery celebration to help in Cebu church restoration

historical significance cannot be denied.

FR. TITO SIOQUINO, OAR

Hope of the People

Themed Seor Santo Nio: Hope of the
People, this years Kaplag, which is Cebuano
for finding or discovery, will mark 450 years
since the joyous recovery of the revered image
of the Infant Jesus, as well as of Augustinian
presence in the country.
Brought over by Portuguese sailor Ferdinand
Magellan in 1521, the religious statuette was
given as gift to Rajah Humabons wife, Amihan,
on her baptism.

The Basilica Minore del Santo Nio de Ceb, specifically its bell tower, is in need of repair.

CEB CityOrganizers of the 450th anniversary of the finding of the much-beloved

Santo Nio image of Cebu express hope that
the forthcoming celebration scheduled on April
28 will help bring in the funds needed to restore
the centuries-old church which houses it to its
former glory.
Damaged church
In an interview over Church-run Radyo
Veritas, Fr. Harold Ll. Rentoria, head of the
National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) and executive secretary of
the 450th Kaplag Committee, appealed to
the faithful to support the ongoing repairs on
the Basilica Minore del Santo Nio de Ceb,
which incurred damages after a 7.2 magnitude

earthquake struck Central Visayas in Oct. 2013.

The priest shared the money to be donated
will be used in rebuilding the basilicas bell tower
and other parts of the church already crying for
a makeover.
For donation instructions and queries, interested parties may visit http://ushare.unionbankph.com/basilica/.
Faithful invited
Rentoria further invited the Filipino faithful,
particularly those devoted to the Holy Child, to
join the forthcoming 450th Kaplag celebrations.
The Augustinian friar shared the Seor Santo
Nio had a starring role in the evangelization of
the Filipinos, noting the image aptly symbolizes the Christianization of the islands, and its

Discovery
After his death, Magellans surviving companions fled, leaving the image behind.
It was discovered decades later in 1565 in
a half-burnt hut by Juan Camus, a soldier of
Miguel Lpez de Legazpi, during the conquest
of the archipelago.
Besides the 450th Kaplag and the Augustinian presence, the event will also celebrate the
50th anniversary of the elevation of Santo Nio
Church to Basilica Minore, a title Pope Paul
VI conferred on it in 1965 through Papal Legate
Archbishop Ildebrando Cardinal Antonuitti.
Tagle Mass, stage play
Prelates from all over the country are expected
to take part in the once-in-a-lifetime occasion
where Manila Archbishop Lus Antonio G.
Cardianl Tagle is slated to preside over the
Holy Mass.
Rentoria added organizers will be staging a
play retelling the story of the introduction of
Christianity to the Philippines.
For more updates, follow https://www.facebook.com/kaplag450?fref=ts, or visithttp://
basilicasantonino.org.ph/pages/kaplag.html.
(Raymond A. Sebastin/CBCP News)

OFWs / A1

daily. The number of Filipinos

leaving the country to search for
greener pastures has been increasing consistently for the past three
decades, Fr. Rex R. B. Reyes, Jr.,
NCCP secretary-general shares in
a statement.
He notes poverty and massive
joblessness in the country push
Filipinos to look for jobs abroad.
Mere commodities
Coupled with the governments
labor export policy that reduces
people as mere commodities in
the global market, Reyes laments
many Overseas Filipino Workers
(OFW), like Flor, are forced into
dirty, dangerous and demeaning
jobs, with separation from families taking a toll, especially on the
youth and children.

According to him, President

Benigno Aquino III (PNoy), like
his predecessors, treats migrants
like the proverbial milking cow,
relying on their remittances to hold
up the national income figures,
levying excessive fees at each stage
up to the final taxes as they leave
the airport.
Uncaring govt
Reyes points out migration
results from pervasive injustice in
the country, and the exodus of
people to other countries breeds
oppression and deprivation.
Migration today is all about
the hope for a better future and an
uncaring government, he states,
lauding OFWs, who still mirror
hope despite the odds.

Hope despite odds

Citing Micah 4:4, Reyes says:
They shall all sit under their own
vines and under their own fig trees,
and no one shall make them afraid;
for the mouth of the Lord of hosts
has spoken.
This vision sees a future where
no families are torn apart in order
to survive. This is also the vision of
our migrant sisters and brothers,
he adds.
20th death anniversary
On March 17, 1995, Flor Contemplacion was hanged to death
by the Singaporean government.
A wife and a mother, she has
become the face of millions of
Filipinos left with no choice but to
work abroad, hoping to give a better life for their families back home.

Reyes recalls the Philippine

government, under then President
Fidel V. Ramos, was not able to
provide the necessary defense during her trial, saying it acted too late.
Tears, prayers only defense
Overseas workers were left
defenseless by the government,
protected only by their tears and
prayers, he says.
Twenty years later things are
largely unchanged. Even consular
officials and labor attachs turn
into predators that devour and exploit our Overseas Filipino Workers. Under the current government such abuses by government
officials are brushed aside with
mere administrative sanctions and
reprimands, he adds.(Raymond
A. Sebastin/CBCP News)

BACOLOD City The diocese

of Bacolod honored on March 8
the lawyers who served as the legal
team of Bacolod Bishop Vicente
M. Navarra to the Supreme Court
concerning the Team Patay/Team
Buhay tarp issue of 2013.
Navarra conferred the St. Thomas More Diocesan Award during
the 10 a.m. Mass at the San Sebastian Cathedral on Atty. Ralph
Sarmiento, Atty. Raymundo Pandan, who served as legal counsels,
and Atty. Romulo Macalintal and
Atty. Lyndon Caa who helped as
legal consultants.
Atty. Mitch Abella, a previous St.
Thomas More Awardee in 2012,
was given a Certificate of Recognition for his role as legal consultant.
Supreme Court victory
The legal team successfully defended the diocese of Bacolod
when it was ordered by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to
remove tarpaulins with names of
senatorial candidates and the party
list groups classified into Team
Patay and Team Buhay.
The matter was brought to the
Supreme Court (SC) that eventually ruled in favor of the bishop and
the Diocese of Bacolod.
Along with the St. Thomas More
Awardees, the prelate also acknowledged the Citizens Alliance for the
Protection of Human Life for their
efforts in the campaign against the
RH Bill.

The St. Thomas More Diocesan

Award is given to lawyers who
have significantly contributed their
legal expertise for the promotion
of genuine peace based on justice
after the example of the English
statesman.
Patron of politicians
The awardees also received a
citation written in Latin and a bust
of St. Thomas More, an English
saint and lawyer who stood for his
faith and the truth at the expense
of his life.
St. John Paul II proclaimed St.
Thomas More Patron of Statesmen
and Politicians during the Great
Jubilee Year 2000.
In the Apostolic Letter issued on
Oct. 31, 2000, Pope John Paul II
said there are many reasons for proclaiming Thomas More Patron of
statesmen and people in public life.
Among these reasons is the need
felt by the world of politics and
public administration for credible
role models able to indicate the
path of truth at a time in history
when difficult challenges and crucial responsibilities are increasing.
In this context, St. John Paul II
said: It is helpful to turn to the example of Saint Thomas More, who
distinguished himself by his constant fidelity to legitimate authority
and institutions precisely in his
intention to serve not power but
the supreme ideal of justice. (Fr.
Mickey Cardenas/CBCPNews)

Better life for youth, better

future for PH youth
commissioner

LAVINIA XARAH SELOMENIO

CBCP Monitor

Jo Jan Peol, Assistant Secretary of the National Youth Commission (NYC) is the guest
speaker of the 9th Msgr. Jose Pepe Buenaflor Memorial Media Forum on March 13 at
La Isabelita Hall in the National Shrine of Our Lady of Candles.

JARO, Iloilo, March 13, 2015

A recent media forum about the
youth and the media in the light
of the CBCPs Year of the Poor
highlighted the close link between
young peoples realities now and
how these will affect the future.
If you give the youth a better
life now, you will give the Philippines a better tomorrow, said Jo
Jan Peol, Assistant Secretary of
the National Youth Commission
(NYC), guest speaker of the 9th
Msgr. Jose Pepe Buenaflor Memorial Media Forum on March 13 at
La Isabelita Hall in the National
Shrine of Our Lady of Candles.
Pre-marital sex, smoking
In his talk themed The Youth,
the Media and the Year of the Poor,
Peol cited extensive studies made
by the NYC n on the current state
of the countrys youthdefined as
those belonging to the 15-30 yearold bracketwhich comprise 30%
of the total population.
The youth commissioner presented statistical studies that revealed the multiple challenges
Filipino youth have to face, such
as high incidences of poverty,
unemployment, early pregnancies,
and high-risk lifestyles such as
smoking, pre-marital and same-sex
relations.
Peol said while the government has set up a programthe
National Action Plan for Youth
Employment and Migration (NAPYEM)he cited the importance
of the cooperation of the Church,
the media and the government to
effectively help the youth address
these challenges.
Buy the people
Ideally, a country should be of
the people, by the people and for
the people but, when the right values are not inculcated in people, we
end up as a nation off the people,
buy the people and poor the
people, the Assistant Secretary
quipped to illustrate that a society
comprised of persons bent only on
taking advantage of one another
will end up poor no matter how
much money is invested.
The government official stressed
the importance not only of financial resources but of the transformation of personal values of which
the Church and the media have

important roles to play.

To explain his point, Peol
shared his own experience on how
the Church, through his local parish of Sta. Monica, in Pavia, Iloilo,
formed him from grade school up
to the present, as an active public
servant.
RH Bill opposer
He said the values inculcated in
him, especially during the years he
dedicated to the youth ministry, is
now helping him live by those solid
principles in the course of his career
in public service.
While Peol admitted that in
government there are strong pressures for one to compromise, he
still could say as a fact: I was the
only Commissioner who expressed
his objection against the passing of
the RH Bill.
The Msgr. Jose Buenaflor Memorial Media Forum is held annually in Iloilo on the occasion of
the death anniversary of Msgr. Jose
Pepe Buenaflor under the auspices
of the Katesismo sa Kahanginan
Apostolate (KSKA).
Tri-media apostolate
In his address, KSKA President
Fr. Elmo Montao, acknowledged
the relevance of Peols insights and
personal witnessing.
He is the example of a person so
young in age but rich in experience
who can challenge us to a life of
commitment to the poor, through
the vigor of youth and the influence of the media.
Msgr. Pepe is acknowledged
in the Archdiocese of Jaro for his
pioneering use of the mass media
in the service of evangelization.
On Buenaflors pioneering work
Montao said, Msgr. Pepes trimedia apostolate is the priests
greatest legacy on the Churchs
commitment to evangelization in
the peripheries of society.
Every anniversary of Msgr.
Pepe is our way of saying that the
Church is in every aspect of human
life and is part of every event, of
every human experience, and of
every concern of the people. It is
also a challenge for us to live our
commitment to the poor through
the vigor of the youth and the
influence of the media, Montao
added. (Fr. Mickey Cardenas/
CBCPNews)

A8

March 16 - 29, 2015, Vol. 19, No. 6

ERWIN MONROYO PENAFIEL

Boac bishop-elect
Maralit ordained

Most Rev. Marcelino Antonio M. Maralit Jr., D.D. was officialled installed as the 4th Bishop of Boac on March 17, 2015, 9:00 a.m.

MONSIGNOR Marcelino Antonio Maralit

was ordained and installed as the fourth bishop
of the Diocese of Boac in Marinduque on
March 13.
Dozens of bishops and archbishops concelebrated Maralits ordination at the San Sebastian
Cathedral in Lipa City on March 13 and on
his installation at the Immaculate Conception
Cathedral in Boac on March 17.
Manila Archbishop Emeritus Gaudencio

Cardinal Rosales was the principal ordaining

prelate along with Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto,
Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, and Lipa
Archbishop Ramon Arguelles.
Pope Francis named Maralit Bishop-elect of
Boac last Dec. 31.
A priest from the Archdiocese of Lipa since
1995, Maralit has served in many pastoral and
administrative positions and was parish priest
of Alitagtag, Batangas at the time of his ap-

pointment.
The 45-year old bishop-elect studied philosophy at St. Francis de Sales Major Seminary
in Lipa City.
He also studied and earned a licentiate in
Sacred Theology at the Universidad de Navarra
in Pamplona, Spain. Likewise, he obtained a
licentiate in Church History from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome.
(CBCPNews)

CBCP Monitor

Running priest leads

run against Canadian
toxic waste
AS the allegedly unlawful Canadian toxic waste continue to rot
in the Port of Manila, running
priest Fr. Robert Reyes has joined
the call for Canada to ship their
garbage back to their country.
Reyes on Tuesday led the BasuRUN along with a coalition of environmental advocates which include
Ban Toxics, Ecowaste Coalition and
Greenpeace in Makati City.
The groups ran along the main
streets of Makati business district
leading to RCBC Plaza, where the
Canadian Embassy is located, to
decry the overstaying toxic shipment and to urge Canada to take
responsibility for their dozens of
cargo vans containing various waste
materials.
Hazardous waste
These toxic wastes are the
worst form of expressing friendship between our two countries,
Reyes said.
Prime Minister Stephen Harpers government is an embarrassment to the civic-minded and
environmentally conscious Canadians. We know this is not the real
Canada. We urge Prime Minister
Harper to take immediate action.
Take back your illegal waste shipment now, he said.
It was in February 2014 when
the Bureau of Customs seized 50

container vans containing hazardous wastes such as used plastic bags,

used bottles, household garbage,
and even adult diapers imported
from Canada, with the consignee
Chronic Plastics, Inc. declaring
the shipment as assorted plastic
materials for recycling.
Loss of income
Its been more than a year and
yet we are battling the same problem. The Canadian government
wont listen but they should, and
we will not stop until they take
back the illegal shipment that
they dumped in our country, said
Atty. Richard Gutierrez, Executive
Director of BAN Toxics.
Gutierrez said the shipment
violates local and international
laws and requires Canada to take
back the waste materials and pay
the costs for its return.
According to the groups calculations, the government is spending
at least Php 144,000 a day for the
loss of income for storage space and
the additional expenses for demurrage, which, to date, costs around
Php 87 million.
The coalition is encouraging
more people to support their
online petition at change.org that
drew more than 25,000 signers to
date, more than half of which are
Canadians. (CBCPNews)

2nd Veritas Good Friday

walk set

The devotion to the Santo Nio or the Infant Jesus is one of the most beloved devotions
of Filipino Catholics.

origins of Filipinos. Hosted by the

Radisson Blu Hotel in Cebu City,
the conference will gather local
and international experts who will
lecture on the history of Christianization, Filipinos devotion to the
Child Jesus, and the legacy of the
Augustinians, particularly as community builders.
Kaplag is a Cebuano term for
finding or discovery. The event
refers to the historic finding of the
image of the Santo Nio on April
28, 1565. The image is believed
to have been brought by Ferdinand Magellan in 1521 as a gift
to Rajah Humabon and his wife,
Amihan, who were converted to
the Christian faith. The image was
discovered by one of Miguel Lopez
de Legazpis soldiers, Juan Camus,
in a partially burned hut.
More information about the
Kaplag anniversary is published
online at www.450kaplag.com.
(CBCPNews)

Pro-family walking pilgrimage set Biblical women honored on

Ideological colonization
The walking pilgrimage, a tradition
started by F4L five years ago, will have
its participants walk from Monumento
to Baclaran, stopping by the churches
along the way to pray and to reflect.
We want to do it this year
for several reasons: one is to raise
awareness that the Filipino family is indeed under siege by what
Pope Francis calls as ideological
colonization; Specifically speaking,
the RH law, the threat of same sex
marriage under the guise of antidiscrimination, and other anti-life
legislature in both the Senate and
Congress, said Anthony James
Perez, president of F4L.
According to Perez, the other
goal of the pilgrimage is to pray
and to make reparation for the sins
of our society.
Only if we ask for forgiveness
and turn away from sin shall we
have peace, which is needed badly
by our country, he explained.
14 churches
This year route will be from the
Shrine of Our Lady of Grace in
Grace Park, Caloocan City, passing
by the following churches:
St. Pancratius Parish Church
in La Loma

San Roque de Manila Parish

Church in Blumentritt
Archdiocesan Shrine of Espiritu Santo, in Tayuman Avenue
Archdiocesan Shrine of Our
Lady of Loreto
St. Anthony Parish, in Bustillos
Abbey of Our Lady of Montserrat
National Shrine of St. Jude
Thaddeus
San Sebastian Church
Minor Basilica of the Black
Nazarene in Quiapo
Nuestra Seora del Pilar Parish
Church (Sta. Cruz Church)
Nuestra Seora de Guia Parish Church in Ermita (Ermita
Church), to the Nuestra Seora
del Remedios Parish Church, in
Malate (Malate Church)
National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help in Baclaran
There are 14 churches to be visited in all, each one representing a
station of the Cross.
Reminders
Participants of the pilgrimage are
highly encouraged to bring their own
piglrimage kit, which includes water,
umbrellas or hats to shield, a simple
first aid kit, extra clothing, and rosaries.
Those with medical conditions
such as hypertension are advised
to visit their doctors first before
participating, and are reminded to
bring their own medication.
Assembly is at 7:30 a.m., after the
6:30 a.m. Mass, at the patio Our
Lady of Grace Parish in Caloocan.
Pilgrims will be blessed by a
priest before the pilgrimage begins.
Interested parties may contact Mr.
AJ Perez at 0922-827-6662 or via
email: ajuperez@gmail.com for
more details. Registration is free.
(Rommel Lopez/CBCPNews)

Intl Womens Day

Sacrifice, petition
According to Br. Clifford Sorita,
consultant to the Catholic radio
station, the event themed The
Poor in the Experience of Calamities and for Peace prospective
participants must arm themselves
spiritually for the activity in order
by offering their sacrifices for this
years intention on behalf of the
Filipino poor in the context of the
recent calamities, as well as for lasting peace in the country.
He explained that just like in
2014, the forthcoming penitential
walk will trace the traditional 7
kilometer route, starting from the

San Juan de Dios Hospital grounds

in Pasay City at roughly 4 a.m.,
ending at the Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate
Conception (Manila Cathedral) in
Intramuros, where Manila Archbishop Lus Antonio G. Cardinal
Tagle is expected to welcome the
pilgrims and give them his benediction.
10k strong
Sorita added the event draws
inspiration from the richness of
Filipino experience during Holy
Week.
Based on data, at least 10,000
individuals took part in the first
penitential walk held last year
dubbed Good Friday, Good
Weather, which also launched
Radyo Veritas No Meat Friday
campaign. (Raymond A. Sebastin/CBCP News)

Kerygma sets forever-themed

Easter event

NCCP

A PRO-life and pro-family group

will be holding a walking pilgrimage from Monumento, Caloocan
City to Baclaran, Paranaque City
to pray for life and the protection
of the traditional Filipino family,
stopping by and praying at 14
churches along the route.
Filipinos for Life (F4L) will be holding its 5th annual Lenten Piligrimage
themed Walking with Jesus, Mary
and Joseph: A Journey to protect the
Filipino Family on March 29.

CHURCH-run Radyo Veritas

and the Archdiocese of Manila
(RCAM) are to team up anew for
the annual Penitential Walk set
on April 3 in pious observance of
Good Friday.

The National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) paid tribute on March 8,
Sunday, to many inspiring female figures, including women in the Bible.

IN celebration of International
Womens Day, the National Council of Churches in the Philippines
(NCCP) paid tribute on March 8,
Sunday, to many inspiring female figures, including women in the Bible.
During the NCCPs Ecumenical
Womens Forum, the group remembered the women in Scripture who
challenged the normalcy of patriarchy, noting that their love, heroism,
wisdom and solidarity, which favored
the poor and those discriminated
against, stand as a powerful testimony of liberation and redemption.
Rachel
We praise their courageous acts,
may we be guided by their spirit
today, it shares.
We have power to weep, like
Rachel of the old who wept because
her children had gone, it adds.
Jeremiah 31:15 reads: This is
what the LORD says: A voice is
heard in Ramah, mourning and
great weeping, Rachel weeping for
her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.

Defying oppression
The event also praised our foremothers, poor female workers, migrants, social activists, and believers
of truth and justice, who, despite
the odds they battled against,
inspire the group to continue the
work it has started.
In memory of them, we raise
a collective voice. The challenges we face today as women only
increase our purpose, energy,
and will to carry forward the
power and commitment passed
on to us by our foremothers,
it declared.
According to the group, these
women pioneers defied the law of
oppression and disobeyed the rule
of exploitation.
They were all too familiar with
the feeling of fear as they risked
the change they wanted to see,
and still they dared to subvert the
mandates of injustice. We praise
their courageous acts, may we be
guided by their spirit today, it
says. (Raymond A. Sebastin/
CBCP News)

KERYGMA

THE Augustinian Province marked

on March 9 the start of the 50-day
countdown before the 450th anniversary of Kaplag or the rediscovery of the image of Santo Nio
de Cebu, the oldest Catholic icon
in the Philippines.
The Augustinian Province of
Santo Nio de Cebu is cooking up
grand festivities in the Queen City
of the South as the Kaplag anniversary on April 28 also coincides
with the 450th anniversary of the
orders presence in the country as
well as the 50th year of the Santo
Nio Church as a Minor Basilica,
a title conferred in 1965 by Pope
Paul VI through his Papal Legate
Archbishop Ildebrando Cardinal
Antonuitti.
To discuss the historical and cultural significance of these events,
Augustinian scholars will hold the
Kaplag International Conference
on April 25 to 28 to promote
awareness about the Christian

CBCPNEWS

Augustinians start 50-day countdown

to Kaplag anniversary

The faithful in Singapore get to attend the Kerygma Grand Feast.

DOES forever exist only in the

movies? Kerygmas Join Forever:
Grand Easter Feast on April 5 at
the SM MOA Arena aims to find
out the answer.
The whole day activity features
two sessions: 8:00 a.m. to 12
noon and 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
with a High Mass celebrated by
Bishop Pablo Virgilio Ambo
David; a worship by Kerygma
Worship Team; and a talk by lay
preacher and inspirational writer
Bo Sanchez.
Tickets sell for Php 100.00.
Interested parties may log on to
www.smtickets.com or may visit
SM Tickets outlets starting March
8 to get the best seats.
Aside from much-needed spiritual nourishment, attendees will
also get to avail of an exclusive
Kerygma Conference 2015 Coming Home discounted ticket that
comes with a free conference shirt

for every purchase.

They will also get Bo Sanchez
latest book How To Deal with
Horror Parents, Monster Kids and
Freaky Siblings at an exclusive
launching price.
Shepherds Voice Radio & Television Foundation, Inc (SVRTV),
the broadcast arm of Bo Sanchez
ministries, produces KerygmaTV,
the weekly inspirational TV show
aired at IBC13 and ANC.
The community also radio program Gabay sa Bibliya sa Radyo,
which airs over Radio Veritas 846.
It also takes care of the online m
inistries of the Light of Jesus (LOJ)
Community, such as Kerygma
Family, Preacher in Blue Jeans and
other ministry websites.
For more information, interested
parties may contact Ruby Albino at
0917-3500697, (02) 725-9999 local 203 or through email: ruby.a@
svrtv.com (CBCPNews)

CBCP Monitor

PASTORAL CONCERNS B1

March 16 - 29, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 6

Pastoral Moral Guidance on the

Anti-discrimination Bill
CONGRESS of the Philippines
is poised to pass into law
that was earlier known as
the Sexual Orientation and
Gender Identity bill, which is
now more generally referred
to as the anti-discrimination
bill. We are grateful that the
CBCP was earlier asked by
the relevant committees of
the houses of Congress to
submit its comments, and we
did so. But now, we deem it
opportune to express ourselves
collectively on the matter.
Non-Discrimination is a Christian
Imperative
If discrimination means that certain
individuals, because of sexual orientation or gender identity, are systematically denied fundamental human
rights, then any measure that counters
discrimination of this kind is a gesture
of charity, one that reaches out to all

The Church remains firm in its

teaching however that reason discerns
in the process of human evolution, the
perpetuation of humankind, and the
complementarity of the sexes, as well
as from the very nature of sexuality
itself that Gods image and likeness is
found in either man or woman. The
Church therefore compassionately
reaches out to persons with orientation and gender identity issues so that
they may clearly discern, with a wellformed conscience, and in the light of
the Divine plan for humankind, how
they ought to live their lives.
In this regard, a common fallacy has
to be contested. Today, it is not uncommon to hear the assertion that the way
a person chooses to live his or her life
and with which gender to identify is
purely a matter of personal sovereignty
and choice. Much is left to choice, but
much is also a matter of human givenness, a matter of human facticity. From
the perspective of Divine Revelation,
much is not of the persons doing but
must be counted as Gods gift. Among
these are sexuality and gender.

quence in fact of its understanding of

human dignity. If gay rights movements, for instance, encourage free
and unbridled sexual relations between
persons of the same sex, the Church
cannot lend its support, for in its view,
they ultimately do a disservice to our
brothers and sisters. What gay rights
can legitimately champion is justice
for all, fairness that must extend to all
persons regardless of sexual orientation
and gender identity.
The Proposed Law
Before anything else, CBCP must
ask whether or not the proposed
non-discrimination bill is itself a
manifestation of that pernicious form
of colonization to which Pope Francis referred in his recent visit to the
Philippines. Is this the importation
into our country of values, behavioral
norms and attitudes that the West has
championed and peddled?
To the legislators who consider
through future legislative initiatives
giving legal recognition to same sex
unions, the Church declares there is

herewith expresses its position that

our Catholic schools remain at liberty
to determine their own admission and
retention policies on the basis of the
manner in which the Supreme Court
of the Philippines has developed the
constitutional guarantee of academic
freedom. We must however reiterate
that none must be demeaned, embarrassed, or humiliated for reasons of
sexual orientation and gender identity.
Persons with homosexual orientation are sons and daughters of God;

Conclusion
We foresee that CBCP will be reproved for not going all out in its
approval of homosexual and transsexual orientation and identity. But we
pray that all will understand that the
deposit of faith is not owed to us, nor
is it something we are free to modify
or tailor to suit fad and fancy.
We conclude by reiterating our
position that your bishops and priests
welcome all of Gods sons and daughters, that there is room in the Church

no less than any of us is. Discrimination against them is contrary to the

Gospel spirit. Verbal and physical
violence against them is an offense
against the good Lord Himself.
Through honest dialogue and pastoral accompaniment, it should be
our goal to assist them to respond
to the demands of chastity and that
purity of body and heart that Jesus,
in the Gospels, calls blessed. When
they wish to make an offering to the
life of the Church according to their
talents, abilities and gifts, the Church
as mother provides for them.

for all, whatever our personal conditions, gifts as well as burdens might
be, and the Church will be tireless
in extending its support and care for
those in the midst of personal conflict
who must make crucial decisions for
themselves in the light of the new life
Christ offers us all!

Before anything else, CBCP must ask whether or not the

proposed non-discrimination bill is itself a manifestation
of that pernicious form of colonization to which Pope
Francis referred in his recent visit to the Philippines.
and recognizes them in their inherent
dignity as sons and daughters of God,
called to new life in Jesus Christ.
This then is also the propitious time
for us to call on all pastors throughout
the country to be as solicitous of the
pastoral welfare of all our brothers and
sisters regardless of sexual orientation
and gender identity. Their exclusion
from the life of the Church, their
treatment as outcasts, their relegation
to the category of inferior members of
the Church worthy only of derision
and scorn certainly does not conform
to Pope Francis vision of the Church
as the sacrament of Divine mercy and
compassion.
In this regard, the Church has much
to contribute towards the education
of Catholics to be more accepting of
others and to see through appearances
the Lord present in each brother and
sister. There can therefore be no more
approval of parents who imbue in their
children the loathing and disgust for
persons with a different sexual orientation or with gender identity issues.
In Catholic institutions, there should
be zero-tolerance for the bullying and
badgering of persons in such personal
situations.
Christian Anthropology and Consequences for Pastoral Care

While contemporary psychology and

psychiatry are far from unanimous on
the causes of orientation and identity
issues, it is as clear that the individual
is not helpless in this regard. There
are decisions a person can and must
make. There are mind-sets a person
must either acquire or discard.
On the basis of its understanding
of the human condition, the Church
cannot encourage persons to choose
their gender, orientation, and sexual
identity as if these were matters at the
free disposal of choice. The Church
therefore looks to mature parents,
school counselors, community workers, professional psychologists and personality experts, as well as to her own
priests engaged in pastoral counseling,
to help in the resolution of what, it
must be admitted, are very difficult
personal issues, always with understanding, compassion, acceptance of
the inherent worth of the human person and attentiveness to what has been
revealed to us about the human person.
We must also insist on the distinction between orientation and overt
acts. No one may be excluded from the
life of the Church and its sacraments
merely because of avowed orientation
or identity. However, the disapproval
of homosexual acts remains part of
the Churchs moral teaching, a conse-

no equivalence or even any remote

analogy whatsoever between marriage
between a man and woman as planned
by God and the so-called same sex
unions.
Insofar as the proposed piece of legislation renders illegitimate the relegation of persons with sexual orientation
and gender identity issues to citizens of
a lower category enjoying fewer rights,
the CBCP cannot but lend its support
to this proposed legislative measure.
However, there are certain matters
that the Church considers to be within
its exclusive sphere of competence such
as determining who should be admitted to priestly or religious formation,
who should be ordained and received
into Holy Order, or who should be
professed as members of religious
communities and orders. The Church
asserts its exclusive right to determine
its own criteria and to exclude even
on the basis of sexual orientation and
gender identity if it finds these to
be hindrances to the fidelity that is
expected of ordained or consecrated
persons. We believe that the Constitution of the Republic guarantees this
under the free exercise clause of the
fundamental law of the land.
In respect to Catholic schools and
the guidance and counseling that it
extends to its students, the CBCP

From the Catholic Bishops Conference

of the Philippines, March 3, 2015
+SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS
Archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan
President, CBCP

B2 Updates

CBCP Monitor

Natalie Quimlat

March 16 - 29, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 6

Shedding Spiritual Wordliness during Lent

By Fr. Jaime B. Achacoso

Preaching Ex Cathedra
(Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy and dean of theology at the Regina Apostolorum university, answers the following query:)
Q: I attended the Chrism Mass last year. The bishop at beginning
of his homily said that he was preaching ex cathedra. Can a
bishop say that he is preaching ex cathedra? -- W.M., Antigua
and Barbuda
A: The correct answer, I think, is yes, and no. In other words, it
depends on what is meant by speaking ex cathedra.
The Chrism Mass, like most major celebrations in a diocese, is
usually held in the cathedral. The name attributed to a dioceses
principal church derives from the fact that it is where the bishop has
his seat and from which he teaches as bishop and chief shepherd of
the diocesan flock. The word cathedra comes to English from the
Greek word for seat, having first passed through Latin and French.
The bishops cathedra, or throne, is a symbol of the bishops
teaching authority. From early times the use of the chair as a real
or symbolic image of authority has been widely used. Even Jesus,
in Matthew 23:2, speaks of the scribes and Pharisees occupying
the seat (cathedra in Greek) of Moses to signify their authority
in interpreting the Law. Certainly he also cautioned about not
following their personal example but did not deny their authority
within the Jewish society of the time.
A similar derivation is also found
in some Romance
languages stemming
from the fact that in
medieval universities
lectures were imparted from raised
seats. Thus in Spanish someone who is
a catedrtico would
be the full, named or
ordinary professor of
a university.
Because of this
association with authoritative teaching
it could be said, in
general terms, that
when a diocesan
bishop preaches the
faith from his episcopal throne, he is
speaking ex cathedra.
However, there is
another, more technical and yet more common, use of the term ex
cathedra which is the exclusive prerogative of the Pope.
In 1870 the First Vatican Council defined this particular prerogative, which of course had already existed since the beginning of the
Church, in its constitution Pastor Aeternus. The document states:
We teach and define that it is a dogma Divinely revealed that
the Roman pontiff when he speaks ex cathedra, that is when in
discharge of the office of pastor and doctor of all Christians, by
virtue of his supreme Apostolic authority, he defines a doctrine
regarding faith or morals to be held by the universal Church, by
the Divine assistance promised to him in Blessed Peter, is possessed
of that infallibility with which the Divine Redeemer willed that
his Church should be endowed in defining doctrine regarding
faith or morals, and that therefore such definitions of the Roman
pontiff are of themselves and not from the consent of the Church
irreformable. So then, should anyone, which God forbid, have the
temerity to reject this definition of ours: let him be anathema.
In this case the ex cathedra is related to the specific teaching
role of the Bishop of Rome as universal shepherd and applies only
in some relatively rare cases when he teaches or defines something
to be held by the universal Church in matters of faith and morals.
Because of this very precise meaning of the expression ex cathedra, most bishops would avoid applying it to themselves except
in a somewhat general or even jocular way. Indeed, our readers
bishop may have used it at the beginning of his homily in order
to successfully win his listeners attention and with no intention
of usurping papal prerogatives.

The bishops
cathedra, or
throne, is a symbol
of the bishops
teaching authority.
From early times
the use of the
chair as a real or
symbolic image of
authority has been
widely used.

As ambassadors for Christ, we, bishops, priests

and religious, ought to be the first to welcome his
reconciling grace into our hearts. Saint Paul makes
clear what this means. It means rejecting worldly
perspectives and seeing all things anew in the light
of Christ. It means being the first to examine our
consciences, to acknowledge our failings and sins,
and to embrace the path of constant conversion.
How can we proclaim the newness and liberating
power of the Cross to others, if we ourselves refuse
to allow the word of God to shake our complacency,
our fear of change, our petty compromises with the
ways of this world, our spiritual worldliness (cf.
Evangelii Gaudium, 93)?
CONTINUING our consideration of Pope
Francis homily during the Holy Mass at the
Manila Cathedral, concelebrated with the
clergyand attended by other clerics, seminarians and religiouswe reach the fundamental
requirement for priestly ministry to be effective:
we priests must walk the talk. As the old Spanish
proverb says: Fray Ejemplo es el mejor predicador,
Brother Example is the best preacher. To proclaim the newness and liberating power of the Cross
to others, we need to allow the word of God to
shake our complacency, our fear of change and our
petty compromises with the ways of the world
what Pope Francis called spiritual worldliness.
What is Spiritual Wordliness?
What may appear as a contradictionspiritual and wordlyactually is a very accurate
indictment of what can hold back a person who
attempts to attain holiness (to follow Christ)
without the Cross (but not radically). It is
what George Weigel, St.John Paul IIs most
authoritative biographer, referred to as Catholic
lightlike Marlboro Light, Coke Light or San
Mig Lightthat is, a watered-down version of
the real thing. In effect, our Lord had categorically stated that he who wishes to come after
me, let him deny himself and take up his cross,
and come follow me (Mt.16,24). In another
moment, Christ would also warn against such
concessions by saying that one cannot serve
two masters.
Pope Francis explains the root of the problem:
our fear of change and our petty compromises with
the ways of the world. In short, it is a spiritualityat least there is an attempt at not being outright materialistically worldlybut one which
is mitigated by concessions to worldly ways. It is
a problem as old as the Gospel: did not Peter
himself attempt to dissuade our Lord from his
Passion and Death at Caesarea Philippisoon
after having been given the Primacythereby
earning the strongest rebuke to any human being recorded in the Gospel: Get behind me satan,
thou art a scandal to me, for thou dost not mind
the things of God, but those of men (Mt 16,23).
Peter was attempting a worldly spirituality and
Jesus unmasks the attempt as a scandali.e.,
something that would trip him up in his path
to fulfill Gods will (from the Greek scandalein,
meaning to trip).
This problem actually finds its roots in the
threefold concupiscence in mans fallen nature:
our inordinate tendency to self-affirmation
(pride), our inordinate attachment to material
things (avarice) and our hankering for sensible
pleasure (sensuality). All of these tendencies are
good in themselves, at least in mans original
state of innocence. What people of our time
seem to forget is that we do not have that pristine nature anymore, but are rather marked by
original sin, which has left a certain disorder
in those otherwise healthy tendencies. Hence
there is a need for constant struggle to dominate
them, so as to allow the will to follow what the
intellect has understood as the Godly way, the
Christ-like way. St. John Paul II had coined an
expression for this process: setting freedom free

(cf. Veritatis splendor).

The problem is shown, for example, when a
priestwho is supposed to be celibatefails
to guard the norms of prudence in his dealings
with women. Thus, even spiritual direction,
when not carried out in the confessional, could
degenerate into familiaritiesall concessions to
the priests own need for affection, which a nice
voice (especially when coupled with a lovely
face) and docile demeanor seem to satisfy. The
same thing happens when a nun fails to rectify
her intentions in engaging in secular affairs, like
the apostolate of public opinion or even education. Thus it has happened that an innocent film
like The Sound of Music became the occasion for
hundreds of nuns to leave the convent in pursuit
of their own happiness during the post conciliar
crisis of the late sixties and seventies.
The Church presents her children with an
adequate exercise to set freedom free, namely the
seasons of Lent (the fourty days of preparation
for the major pasch that is Easter), and Advent
(the four weeks of preparation for the minor
pasch that is Christmas). And the sets of this
exercise (to borrow from the athletic jargon of
sets and repetitions) are prayer, mortification
and good works.

The reason is
actually very simple:
the more active a
life is, the busier
a person gets with
varied activities, the
more need
he has to keep in
close touch with
the One who holds
the key
to the meaning of his
existence...
First Prayer
For us priests and consecrated persons,
conversion to the newness of the Gospel entails a daily encounter with the Lord in prayer.
The saints teach us that this is the source of all
apostolic zeal! For religious, living the newness
of the Gospel also means finding ever anew in
community life and community apostolates the
incentive for an ever closer union with the Lord
in perfect charity.
All the Popes of recent memory have given
this solution, not only with words exhorting to
time for meditative prayer but also with their
example of daily prayer before early morning
Mass, followed by a generous time of thanksgiving after Mass. Pope Francis followed up on this
idea later on the same day, in the gathering with
families at the Mall of Asia Arena:
To hear and accept Gods call, to make a
home for Jesus, you must be able to rest in the
Lord. You must make time each day for prayer.
But you may say to me: Holy Father, I want to
pray, but there is so much work to do! () This
may be true, but if we do not pray, we will not
know the most important thing of all: Gods will
for us. And for all our activity, our busy-ness,
without prayer we will accomplish very little.

The reason is actually very simple: the more

active a life is, the busier a person gets with
varied activities, the more need he has to keep
in close touch with the One who holds the key
to the meaning of his existencei.e., to the
one who can integrate those many and varied
activities into a meaningful whole. Without
that integrating force of prayer, one falls into
activism, which is the bane of most busy-bodies
of our age. As the scripture says: Bene curris,
sed extra viam! You run well, but off course!
Then Penance
For all of us, it means living lives that reflect
the poverty of Christ, whose entire life was focused on doing the will of the Father and serving
others. The great danger to this, of course, is a
certain materialism which can creep into our lives
and compromise the witness we offer. Only by
becoming poor ourselves, by stripping away our
complacency, will we be able to identify with the
least of our brothers and sisters. We will see things
in a new light and thus respond with honesty
and integrity to the challenge of proclaiming
the radicalism of the Gospel in a society which
has grown comfortable with social exclusion,
polarization and scandalous inequality.
Here Pope Francis is not only speaking of the
attachment to material things, but to anything
that is wordly. Such attachment leads a person
to be complacent, to stay in a comfort zone
which is more attuned to the here and now
(hence, the temporary), which should just be
in the order of means, while sacrificing the real
end, which is eternal life. To see the true end
and the means which are attuned to that end,
one needs to clarify ones eyes with self-denial.
Hence the importance of mortification and penance, the other element in the Lenten exercise,
together with prayer and good works. Besides,
it is not enough to see the good; one must have
the spiritual muscle to pursue that good, despite
its being arduous and time-consuming to attain.
The greatest enemy of the soul in this regard is
spiritual flabbinessmuch like corporal flabbiness for any would-be sportsmanand the
exercise that enables that soul to be prompt to
the lights of the Paraclete is mortification. This
is the way to stripping away our complacency.
Finally Good Works
But the Gospel is also a summons to conversion, to an examination of our consciences, as
individuals and as a people. As the Bishops of
the Philippines have rightly taught, the Church
in the Philippines is called to acknowledge
and combat the causes of the deeply rooted
inequality and injustice which mar the face
of Filipino society, plainly contradicting the
teaching of Christ. The Gospel calls individual
Christians to live lives of honesty, integrity
and concern for the common good. But it also
calls Christian communities to create circles
of integrity, networks of solidarity which can
expand to embrace and transform society by
their prophetic witness.
The light of prayer, purified by penance, leads
to action. As Pope Francis specifies, the Gospel
calls individual Christians to live lives of honesty,
integrity and concern for the common good. Anyone
who honestly faces our Lord in the tabernacle
will see what details in his life needs fine-tuning
in order to be honest, integral and in keeping
with the common good. Toned by the practice
of penance, he will then be ready to spring into
action, seconding not only the inspirations of the
Holy Spirit but also the impulses of actual graces
that come in a continuous stream.
These days, a common sight in the gym is that
of young people sweating it out in a heroic attempt to shed off the flab of the past Christmas
holidays to prepare to hit Bora in a few weeks.
We all have a tendency to get spiritually flabby.
Thank God the Christian has the equivalent of
a gym workout in this season of Lent: prayer,
penance and good works.

CBCP Monitor

Features B3

March 16 - 29, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 6

Grieving, doing justice,

working for peace

Pushing Muslim Mindanao

to Independence?

(A letter to Christians)
Fellow Disciples of Christ:
Greetings of peace in the Lord!
As a Filipino and Mindanawon, I grieve profoundly
for our gallant SAF troops who sacrificed their lives
in pursuit of justice in Mamasapano. I grieve deeply
with their families.
As a disciple of Christ I likewise grieve for the other
Filipinos, Bangsamoro civilians and combatants, who
perished in the same horrible tragedy. I grieve deeply
with their families.
With the families of all the victims I demand that
justice be done, that answers to the many questions
raised by the whole nation be forthrightly answered.
Those responsible for the tragedy must be brought to
justice without fear or favor. The attribution of guilt
must not be one-sided. It is now coming to light from
the ground that inhuman brutalities were committed
by both sides. Guilt is on both sides of that fateful,
clearly avoidable, combat.
Yet in the face of outrage and calls for all-out war
for the manner by which our law enforcers lost their
lives, I call for peace. I call for rationality rather than
emotionalism. I call for justice that is not selective.
I call for openness and fairness rather than bias and
prejudice.
For in the wake of Mamasapano, our age-old
Christian biases and prejudices against Moros have
quickly and most sadly resurrected. Biases and

The lesson of history is not one we can sweep under

the rug the fundamental aspiration of a nation for
self-determination does not die. It will seem to fade
away with the passing of old leaders but if unrealized
the drive for self determination will rise with the
radicalization of younger generations.

I have been a missionary among Muslims
for the most part of my priestly life. I have been a
parish priest in Jolo. I taught Muslims and Christians
in a Catholic University, which now has a predominantly Muslim student population. I have witnessed
a harmonious dialogue of life among the students.
Many of our soldiers and high ranking officers studied in our Catholic schools. So, too, did members
and leaders of the MILF. They are not terrorists.
Terrorists have, in fact, broken away from them.
The MILF only aspires and struggles politically for
a place under the sun in freedom and dignity. The
BBL was negotiated painstakingly with stops and
detours for at least five years. It is not an agreement
that was hurriedly done. It fulfills the Bangsamoro
aspiration for self-determination. It preserves our
fundamental principles of national sovereignty and
territorial integrity.
Yes, by all means we must refine the BBL so that
it will hew closely to our Constitution. But let there
be consensus among constitutional luminaries on
what is constitutional and what is not constitutional

By Joel Tabora, S.J.

FOR all serious participants in the discussion on
peace in Mindanao, I have recommended as a
MUST READ the article of UP Professor Dr.
Abraham Sakili entitled Historical Truth and
Bangsamoro Autonomy. Prof. Sakili summarizes:
Factors that cause and sustain the Mindanao
problem
Lack of cultural awareness by the majority of
the Muslims way of life
Exteriorization of Philippine Muslim history
in texts of mainstream Philippine history
Unitary setup of the Philippine system, which
has proven to be inadequate in administering peoples
of different cultures and histories
Unleveled playing field in Philippine sociopolitical and economic affairs, and the inadequate
representations of Muslims in the running of
government
Economic problems that have reduced Muslim
areas into the poorest of the poor provinces
Land problems caused by unjust government
land and resettlement policies; and
Persistence of the negative Moro image in
the national psyche, as shown by attitudinal surveys
conducted.

and histories of the Muslim and indigenous peoples

of Mindanao. I wish it were possible today through
such teaching for all to more easily grasp why there
was an exteriorization of Philippine Muslim
history in the mainstream texts of Philippine history, and possibly also therefore in the mainstream
consciousness of Filipinos today.
If history is written from the viewpoint of those
who hold power, Philippine history written from the
viewpoint of the Spaniards, who never conquered
the Muslims, but sold the Muslim territories to the
Americans, or from the viewpoint Christians who
needed to convert the Muslims because without
Christianity they would be damned to perdition, or
from the Americans who in their manifest destiny
stole the spoils of the Philippine revolution and after
they had made the docile Filipinos their little
brown brothers needed to civilize the Moslem
savages and massacred them at Bud Dajo and
Bud Bagsak when they refused their civilization,
or from the viewpoint of the central government
of the Philippines who following the lead of the
Americans sent waves and waves of settlers into
Mindanao, imposing a land registration system that
was foreign to the Mindanaons, through which they
were deprived of their lands in favor of settlers from
Luzon and the Visayas, has definitely kept Muslim
Mindanao exterior to its main narrative.
That impacts on how reality is picked up today.

On the contrary, my brothers and sisters in Christ,

the following are at the heart and soul of the BBL:
Bangsamoro self-determination will be exercised
within a limited territory under the sovereignty of
the Philippines. National sovereignty and territorial
integrity will be preserved;
The over-all principle that governs the BBL is the
Catholic moral and social principle of subsidiarity, a
principle already enshrined in our own Constitution.
The principle requires the intervention of the national
government and its various entities when the common good of all requires it. Therefore, no entity of
the Bangsamoro government, such as a Bangsamoro
auditing department or police force, is absolutely
independent of their national counterparts.
My fellow disciples of Christ, self-determination
has been the cry of the Bangsamoro for centuries.
They struggled to preserve it against the Spaniards
and the Americans. They insisted on it in the face
of our governments efforts to neutralize and domesticate it by democratic processes and the lure of
economic development.
Rightfully we are outraged by the manner by which
our valiant SAF forces were killed. But in the past
100 years, the Bangsamoro have seen hundreds of
their own people, including women and children,
massacred in mountains and mosques. And we did
not open our eyes and ears to see and hear their
plaintive cries for justice.

among the provisions of the BBL. Let us make sure

that we do not improve and strengthen the BBL
such that the idea of self-determination that is embedded in various provisions of the BBL becomes
once more an illusion, a desire begging despairingly
to be realized.
I am for peace, the peace that God grants to people
of good will. I am for the peace that God gives
through the collaborative work of men and women
who work conscientiously for the good of the whole
country. By focusing on the good of a Bangsamoro
minority in the peripheries who have suffered
social injustices for centuries, they are working for
the common good of all Filipinos. They are healing
historic wounds that have caused great suffering to
all Filipinos.

A man holds up a sign decrying the bloodshed and violence of the clash between members of the PNP-SAF and MILF and
BIFF elements on Jan. 25, 2015.

Professor Sakili concludes that the Mindanao

problem warrants extraordinary measures:
Considering the complexity of the Mindanao
problem, solving it, according to former Sen. Wigberto Taada requires extraordinary measures. He
urged the Philippine government to take the lead in
enlightening people about the historic roots of the
Mindanao problem and (explain) why the rectification of the historical wrongs inflicted on the Moro
people requires extraordinary measures (Today, July
3, 1996. p. 11).
For his part, Dr. Samuel Tan says: This is not the
time to hide the (historical) facts this is the time
to tell the truth to make us free indeed.
Now, a new experimentthe BBL [Bangsam-

OPAPP

prejudices have colored and clouded our judgment.

We hear ourselves say, we cannot trust the Moros.
We cannot trust the MILF. We cannot trust them
to lay down their arms, we cannot trust them with
the money they need for development, we cannot
trust them to go after terrorists once they have their
own government, we cannot trust them to practice
democracy, we cannot trust them to govern well. We
simply cannot trust them.
The bottomline of the Mamasapano tragedy is
mistruston both sides of the conflict.
It is sheer human tragedy that such sentiments
come from the dark side of our hearts. And as a
Christian religious leader, I grieve also for this eclipse
of the Christian heart. From an anguished heart I ask
the Lord to forgive us.
Our biases and prejudices have brought us to
convictions and conclusions that are totally wrong:
We lump all Moro armed groups together (MILF,
MNLF, BIFF, Abu Sayaff group, private armed
groups) as lawless groups that advocate secession
and independence ;
We believe that the MILF claims the whole of
Mindanao;
We conclude that the Bangsamoro government
will have agencies that will be totally independent
of their national counterparts;
We assert that the MILF will become the police
force of the Bangsamoro;
We dismiss as a sham the conversion of MILF
from a secessionist movement into a principled
partner for peace. We persist in calling them secessionists.
We threaten to do away with provisions that
protect a proposed fledgling Bangsamoro government from the negativities of warlordism and clan
domination. Yet it is so easy to ask our own peace
negotiators why it is necessary for the Bangsamoro
to be MILf-led in the short term.
We mistrust the MILFs determination to govern
well and thus to reverse Bangsamoro political history.

PCPR

File Photo

We hear ourselves
say, we cannot trust
the Moros. We cannot
trust the MILF.
We cannot trust them
to lay down their
arms, we cannot trust
them with the money
they need
for development...

Thousands of people including children and women converge at the Cotabato City Plaza in March 2014 to celebrate the signing of
the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) on March 27, 2014 in Malacaang. Simultaneous gatherings organized
by the different sectors took place in various areas in Mindanao including those outside the proposed Bangsamoro Core Territory.

And so must I grieve for our courageous SAF troops

who have lost their lives. I must also grieve for all
the other Filipinos who perished in Mamasapano. I
grieve and pray for the families they left behind, their
inconsolable widows and children, for their uncertain
future. For their sake I seek justice and accountability.
I beg you as fellow disciples of Christ, the Prince
of Peace, to pray and work together for peace so that
Mamasapano will not repeat itself. Let not emotions,
biases and prejudices prevail over objective reason and
over our most cherished Christian values of justice
and peace, truth, love and harmony.
It is the Spirit of God that gives hope and infuses
love and harmony among peoples of different faiths
and cultures. With Gods Spirit we can soar over
tragedies, we can restore trust in one another, we can
strive together for harmony and peace. Ultimately it is
in the enlightened heart where love and peace begin.

oro Basic Law]will hopefully be affirmed by the

Philippine Congress in its wholeness, so that what
the Philippine government and its peace partners
tirelessly built through a negotiated peace agreement would not be stripped of its potentials for
making peace.
I, too, hope that the arduous work that has been
invested in the peace process not be brought to
naught due to the shallow understanding of policy
makers of the historical antecedents of the peace process. I pray that those who are politically empowered
to cast votes determining the future of Mindanao
cast them not lightly but wisely, allowing themselves
if necessary to be enlightened by experts who have
invested their careers in studying the complex problems of Mindanao. I pray that for selfish political
advantage they do not distort truth and demonize
those who have been heroic in searching for peace.

May the God of Justice, Peace and Love bless us all.

Exteriorization of Philippine Muslim History

I wish that, we, educators in the Philippines who
are partly responsible for the statesmanship or lack
thereof in the national legislature could have done
a better job at teaching about the multiple cultures

+Orlando B. Cardinal Quevedo,

O.M.I.
Archbishop of Cotabato
March 8, 2015

Isnt it sad that while national outrage is justified

for the deaths in Mamasapano, the general national
outrage was for the 44 SAF who perished and not for
68 Filipinos who all belong to the nation? Doesnt
this just illustrate how Muslim history and concerns
are exteriorized from the national historical narrative
and national consciousness? For the outrage that was
Mamasapano there was no parallel outrage for the
Jabidah massacre (remember Senator Marcos?), for
the Manili massacre, not even for the war of Buliok,
when during the Muslim celebration of Al Adha
, the Feast of the Holy Sacrifice, the government
bombarded the village purportedly in pursuit of
members of the Pentagon Kidnap-for-Ransom
gang. The real intention of the treacherous act
against the Moro people though was to decimate
the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Government led by Pres. Aquino must take the
lead in enlightening the people
With former Sen. Taada and Professor Sakili,
I wish the Philippine government led by President
Aquino himself would take the lead in enlightening
people about the historical roots of the Mindanao
Problem and in defending the peace process as a
justified and necessary response to this problem.
Whether as commander-in-chief or as chief executive, his role is to pro-actively lead the nation
against the antics of those who would derail the
peace process and malign its advocates for peace,
to draw crucial distinctions between ideologies of
the MILF and the BIFF; to discern where there are
genuine movements to peace and consolidate them,
to courageously lead, encourage and motivate those
who have raised arms against the nation to return
to the national fold; to staunchly defend reconciliation with the Philippine nation as worthwhile
and honorable, and to rally statesmen in Congress
beyond political parties to secure the peace for the
nation, which includes the Moro and indigenous
peoples of Mindanao.
Before the proposed BBL was submitted to
Congress for passage into law, President Aquinos
legal team took over a month in revising it in to
make sure that it was constitutionally defensible.
Its revisions needed then to be understood and
accepted by the MILF. As some legislators today
see unconstitutionality in the draft, the President
and his team should be more strident in defending
it not only for the sake of the legislators but for the
enlightenment of the people.
Either / Or
Give Muslim Mindanao peace. Or recognize
it is being pushed to independence through its
persistent exteriorization. The burden of making
peace is on the nation. In crippling the peace
process through the Presidents current lack of determined leadership, the logic of war is enhanced.
Where a BBL envisions through a strengthened
Bangsamoro citizenry an autonomous political
entity that could deal with the forces of extremism,
today we confront anew the specter of continuing
war through the AFPs all out offensive against
the BIFF. Killing BIFF combatants does not stop
the rebellion. It only necessitates more killing, and
discredits on-the-ground local forces committed
to peace. War only brings more war. It inflicts
suffering on innocents, beyond the imagination
of Manila. Today, in Maguindanao there are now
over 95,000 refugees.

B4 FEATURES

March 16 - 29, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 6

CBCP Monitor

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God (Mt 5: 8)
Message of His Holiness Pope Francis for the thirtieth World Youth Day 2015
the desire to do something great
with your lives (cf. Discourse at
the Prayer Vigil at Tor Vergata,
19 August 2000: Insegnamenti
XXIII/2, [2000], 212).

1. The desire for happiness

The word blessed, or happy,
occurs nine times in this, Jesus
first great sermon (cf. Mt 5:1-12).
It is like a refrain reminding us of
the Lords call to advance together
with him on a road which, for all
its many challenges, leads to true
happiness.
Dear young friends, this search
for happiness is shared by people
of all times and all ages. God has
placed in the heart of every man
and woman an irrepressible desire
for happiness, for fulfillment. Have
you not noticed that your hearts
are restless, always searching for
a treasure which can satisfy their
thirst for the infinite?
The first chapters of the Book
of Genesis show us the splendid
beatitude to which we are called.
It consists in perfect communion
with God, with others, with nature, and with ourselves. To approach God freely, to see him and
to be close to him, was part of his
plan for us from the beginning;
his divine light was meant to illumine every human relationship
with truth and transparency. In the
state of original purity, there was no
need to put on masks, to engage
in ploys or to attempt to conceal
ourselves from one another. Everything was clear and pure.
When Adam and Eve yielded to
temptation and broke off this relationship of trusting communion
with God, sin entered into human
history (cf. Gen 3). The effects

Vittorio Flojo

DEAR Young Friends,

We continue our spiritual pilgrimage toward Krakow, where in
July 2016 the next international
World Youth Day will be held.
As our guide for the journey we
have chosen the Beatitudes. Last
year we reflected on the beatitude
of the poor in spirit, within the
greater context of the Sermon on
the Mount. Together we discovered
the revolutionary meaning of the
Beatitudes and the powerful summons of Jesus to embark courageously upon the exciting quest for
happiness. This year we will reflect
on the sixth beatitude: Blessed are
the pure in heart, for they shall see
God (Mt 5:8).

were immediately evident, within

themselves, in their relationship
with each other and with nature.
And how dramatic the effects are!
Our original purity as defiled.
From that time on, we were no
longer capable of closeness to
God. Men and women began to
conceal themselves, to cover their
nakedness. Lacking the light which
comes from seeing the Lord, they
saw everything around them in a
distorted fashion, myopically. The
inner compass which had guided
them in their quest for happiness
lost its point of reference, and the
attractions of power, wealth, possessions, and a desire for pleasure
at all costs, led them to the abyss
of sorrow and anguish.
In the Psalms we hear the heart-

Dear young men and women,

in Christ you find fulfilled your
every desire for goodness and
happiness. He alone can satisfy
your deepest longings, which are
so often clouded by deceptive
worldly promises.
felt plea which mankind makes
to God: What can bring us happiness? Let the light of your face
shine on us, O Lord (Ps 4:7). The

Father, in his infinite goodness, responded to this plea by sending his

Son. In Jesus, God has taken on a
human face. Through his Incarna-

tion, life, death and resurrection,

Jesus frees us from sin and opens
new and hitherto unimaginable
horizons.
Dear young men and women,
in Christ you find fulfilled your
every desire for goodness and
happiness. He alone can satisfy
your deepest longings, which are
so often clouded by deceptive
worldly promises. As Saint John
Paul II said: He is the beauty to
which you are so attracted; it is
he who provokes you with that
thirst for fullness that will not let
you settle for compromise; it is he
who urges you to shed the masks
of a false life; it is he who reads
in your hearts your most genuine
choices, the choices that others try
to stifle. It is Jesus who stirs in you

2. Blessed are the pure in heart

Let us now try to understand
more fully how this blessedness
comes about through purity of
heart. First of all, we need to
appreciate the biblical meaning
of the word heart. In Hebrew
thought, the heart is the centre of
the emotions, thoughts and intentions of the human person. Since
the Bible teaches us that God does
not look to appearances, but to the
heart (cf. 1 Sam16:7), we can also
say that it is from the heart that we
see God. This is because the heart
is really the human being in his or
her totality as a unity of body and
soul, in his or her ability to love
and to be loved.
As for the definition of the word
pure, however, the Greek word
used by the evangelist Matthew is
katharos, which basically means
clean, pure, undefiled. In the
Gospel we see Jesus reject a certain
conception of ritual purity bound
to exterior practices, one which
forbade all contact with things
and people (including lepers and
strangers) considered impure. To
the Pharisees who, like so many
Jews of their time, ate nothing
without first performing ritual
ablutions and observing the many
traditions associated with cleansing vessels, Jesus responds categorically: There is nothing outside a
man which by going into him can
defile him; but the things which
come out of a man are what defile
him. For from within, out of the
heart of man, come evil thoughts,
fornication, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit,
licentiousness, envy, slander, pride,
foolishness (Mk 7:15, 21-22).
In what, then, does the happiness born of a pure heart consist?
From Jesus list of the evils which
make someone impure, we see
that the question has to do above
all with the area of our relationships. Each one of us must learn
to discern what can defile his or
Blessed / B7

Address of His Holiness Pope Francis to the Members of the Neocatechumenal Way
Paul VI Audience Hall, 6 March 2015
DEAR Brothers and Sisters,
Good morning to you all! And
thank you, thank you so much for
coming to this meeting.
The Popes task, the task of Peter,
is to confirm his brothers in the faith.
Thus, you too wanted by this gesture
to ask that the Successor of Peter
confirm your call, support your mission, bless your charism. And today
I confirm your call, I support your
mission and I bless your charism. Do
I do it because he [pointing to Kiko]
paid me? No! I do it because I want
to. You will go forth in the name
of Christ throughout the world to
bring his Gospel: Christ goes before
you, Christ accompanies you, Christ
brings to fulfillment that salvation of
which you are bearers!
Together with you I would like to
greet the Cardinals and Bishops who
accompany you today and who, in
their dioceses, support your mission.
In particular I greet the founders of
the Neocatechumenal Way, Kiko
Argello and Carmen Hernndez,
as well as Fr Mario Pezzi: I also express my appreciation to them and
my encouragement for how much
good they are doing for the Church
through the Way. I always say that
the Neocatechumenal Way does great
good for the Church.
As Kiko said, our meeting today is
amissionary send-off, in obedience to
what Christ asked of us and what we

have heard in the Gospel. And I am particularly glad that this mission of yours is
carried out thanks to Christian families
who, gathered into one community, have
the mission of showing signs of faith that
draw men and women to the beauty of
the Gospel, according to the words of
Christ: Love one another as I have
loved you; by this love they will know
that you are my disciples (cf. Jn 13:34),
and that you may all be one and the

faith. Wake up that faith!

Therefore, even before words, it is by
yourlifes witnessthat you manifest the
heart of Christs revelation: that God so
loved man that He consigned Himself
to death for him and was resurrected by
the Father in order to give us the grace to
give our life to others. The world today is
in dire need of this great message. How
much loneliness, how much suffering,
how much distance from God in so

lived out in these little communities,

where you have rediscovered the immense riches of your Baptism. This isthe
Neocatechumenal Way, a true gift of Providence to the Church of our times, as
my Predecessors have already confirmed;
especially John Paul II when he said to
you I recognize the Neocatechumenal
Way as an effective means of Catholic
formation for society and for the present
time (Epist. Ogni qualvolta,30 August

How much loneliness, how much suffering, how much

distance from God in so many peripheries of
Europe and America and in so many Asian cities!
How much need man has today, in every latitude, to feel
that God loves him and that love is possible!
world will believe (cf. Jn 17:21). These
communities, called by the Bishops,
are formed by a priest and four or five
families, some even with older children,
and they constitute a missio ad gentes,
with a mandate to evangelize nonChristians. Non-Christians who have
never heard of Jesus Christ, and so many
non-Christians who have forgotten who
Jesus Christ was, who Jesus Christ is:
non-Christians who were baptized, but
secularization, worldiness and many
other causes have made them forget the

many peripheries of Europe and America

and in so many Asian cities! How much
need man has today, in every latitude, to
feel that God loves him and that love is
possible! These Christian communities,
thanks to you missionary families, have
the essential task of making this message visible. And what is the message?
Christ is risen, Christ lives! Christ is
living among us!.
You have received the strength to leave
everything and depart for a distant land
thanks to a way of Christian initiation,

1990:aas82 [1990], 1515). The Way

stands on those three dimensions of the
Church, which are the Word, the Liturgy
and the Community. Thus, obedient and
constant listening to the Word of God;
Eucharistic celebration in small communities after First Sunday Vespers, the
celebration of lauds at home on Sunday
with all the children and the sharing of
their faith with other brothers and sisters
are the source of the many gifts that the
Lord has bestowed upon you, as well as
the many vocations to the priesthood

and to consecrated life. Seeing all

of this is a consolation, because it
confirms that the Spirit of God is
living and working in his Church,
even today, and that He responds to
the needs of modern man.
On various occasions I have
stressed the need for the Church
to move from a pastoral ministry
of mere conservation to a decidedly missionary pastoral ministry
(cf. Apostolic Exhortation,Evangelii
Gaudium, n. 15). So often, in the
Church, we have Jesus inside but we
dont let him go forth.... So often!
This is the most important thing
to do if we dont want the waters to
stagnate in the Church. For years
the Way has carried out this missio
ad gentesamong non-Christians for
animplantatio Ecclesiae, a new presence of the Church, there where the
Church does not exist or is no longer
capable of reaching people. What
joy you give us with your presence
and with your work!Bl. Pope Paul
VI said to you in his first audience
with you (8 May 1974;Insegnamenti
di Paolo VI, XII [1974], 407). I too
make these words my own and I
encourage you to go forth, entrusting you to the Holy Virgin Mary
who inspired the Neocatechumenal
Way. She intercedes for you before
her divine Son. Dearest friends, may
the Lord be with you. Go, with my
Blessing!

Address of His Holiness Pope Francis to Bishop-Friends of the Focolare Movement

DEAR Brothers,
I welcome you and I thank
Cardinal Kovithavanij for his
introduction. I also thank the
President and the Co-President
of the Focolare Movement for
their presence.
Your friendship with this
Movement and interest in the
spirituality of communion has
brought you together in Rome.
In particular, over these days
your reflection has been focused
on the theme Eucharist, Mystery of Communion.
Indeed, the charism of unity
proper to the Work of Mary is
strongly anchored in the Eucharist, which confers upon it its
Christian and ecclesial character. Without the Eucharist, unity would lose the magnetism of

divine attraction and would be

reduced to a sentiment and to
a dynamic that is only human,
psychological and sociological.
Instead, the Eucharist guarantees that Christ is the centre,
and that it is his Spirit, the Holy
Spirit that moves our steps and
our initiatives of encounter and
communion.
T h e Ap o s t l e Pa u l w r i t e s :
Because there is one bread, we
who are many are one body, for
we all partake of the one bread
(1 Cor 10:17). As Bishops,
we gather the communities
around the Eucharist, at the
twofold table of the Word and
the Bread of Life. This is our
service, and it is essential. The
Bishop is the principle of unity
in the Church, but this does

not happen with the Eucharist:

the Bishop does not gather the
people around his person, or

Blood. And at the school of Jesus, the Good Shepherd-madeLamb, Immolated and Risen,

Without the Eucharist, unity

would lose the magnetism of
divine attraction and would be
reduced to a sentiment and to
a dynamic that is only human,
psychological and sociological.
his ideas, but around Christ
present in his Word and in
the Sacrament of his Body and

the sheep entrusted to Him are

gathered by the Bishop through
the offering of his own life; he

assumes a kind of Eucharistic

existence. Thus the Bishop,
conformed to Christ, becomes
a living Gospel, he becomes
Bread broken for the life of
many with his preaching and
his witness. He who nourishes
himself with faith in Christ,
the Living Bread, is driven by
his love to give his life for his
brothers and sisters, to go out
to meet those who are marginalized and despised.
In a particular way, I thank
you, Brothers, who have come
from the bloodied lands of
Syria and Iraq, as well as from
Ukraine. Amid the suffering in
which you and your people have
been immersed, may you experience the strength that comes
from the Eucharistic Jesus, the

strength to go forward united

in faith and in hope.
In the daily celebration of
Mass we are united with you,
we pray for you in the offering
of the Sacrifice of Christ; and
from there, the many initiatives
of solidarity in favour of your
Churches draw their strength
and meaning.
Dear Brothers, I encourage you to carry forward your
commitment in favor of the
ecumenical path and interreligious dialogue. And I thank you
for the contribution you give to
greater communion among the
various Ecclesial Movements.
May the Lord bless you and
Our Lady protect you. Let us
pray for one another. I thank
you for your prayers.

STATEMENTS B5

March 16 - 29, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 6

Melo Acua

CBCP Monitor

Supporters of a sympathy run for the Fallen 44 hold up posters of the Fallen44 on March 8, 2015. The run began at 1:00 a.m., ending before 9:00 a.m. at the Immaculate Heart of Mary parish at the University of the Philippines Teachers Village.

Pastoral Statement on the Mamasapano Tragedy

Ecumenical Bishops Forum (EBF) - Northern Luzon
City of Ilagan, Isabela; March 05, 2015
I. The nation mourns the deaths of 44
Special Action Force commandos of the
Philippine National Police (PNP) and
18 MILF insurgents in a recent bloody
clash. The EBF joins the nation in offering
condolences to their bereaved families,
even as all demand knowledge of the
truth of the situation and accountabilities
involved, not only from the government,
but also but also from the MILF leadership.
On Saturday, January 24, commandos
of Philippine National Polices Special
Action Force (SAF) infiltrated in secrecy
Barangay Tukanalipao, Mamasapano,
Maguindanao. The area is under the effective control of the MILF. Their mission
was to arrest two notorious international
terrorists Abdulbasit Usman and Zulkipli
Bin Hir, alias Abu Marwan. The mission
resulted in the massacre of beleaguered
and outnumbered 44 SAF commandos.
Eighteen MILF insurgents died in the
day-long battle.
Marwan, a member of the Central
Committee of the terrorist Jemaah
Islamiya, and some of his men were
killed, while Usman and his followers,
responsible for many bombing incidents
in Mindanao, managed to escape. Not
supposed to be there, Muslim terrorist
groups were in MILF areas, known or
unknown to the MILF.
It appears that the tragic event could
have been avoided if proper military coordination happened between the PNP
and AFP leadership units as well as with
the MILF even in the context of mutual
trust in the conduct of necessary covert
operations. Did the MILF know that
the SAF was only after the terrorists, or
did they reasonably suspect that the SAF
was out to attack its forces in defiance of
ceasefire aggressions?
It is indeed sad and abominable that the
MILF, outnumbering by far the SAF did
not allow the surrender of commandos,
especially the wounded, but finished

them off. Heads of the dead were split and

filled with dirt and weeds. Did the MILF
join forces with the break-away terrorist
Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters?
MILF officers did not stop the carnage.
Hatred in war, woe!
It is clear from investigations that the
covert operationOplan Exodusby
the SAF to arrest the terrorists was executed without the proper and necessary
coordination between the PNP and the
AFP, and between the government forces
and the MILF as required by the ceasefire
agreements. The operation was with the
tacit approval of President Aquino, who
then left the execution of the plan to
suspended PNP Director General Alan
Purisima, PNP chief Deputy Director

being part of the plan, it was not prepared

to back up the SAF in the situation of
encirclement by hostile forces. The entire
process resulted in tragedy and recriminations. Totally ignorant of Oplan Exodus
was DILG Secretary Mar Roxas.
We believe that ultimately accountable
to the Filipino people for the tragic event
and for putting in jeopardy the peace
process and the passage of the Bangsa
Basic Law (BBL) is President Aquino as
Commander-Chief of the armed forces
and Chief Executive of the PNP as a
civilian police force. Equally accountable
is MILF Chair Al Haj Murad Ibrahim
for not calling immediately the attention
of the government to the infiltration of
the SAF before the firefight, and for not

the issue of accountabilities to reflect on

conditions that occasioned the massacre
and the many similar bloody encounters
before this. We must delve into the roots
of the conflict between the national government and the Bangsa Moro people, of
which the Muslim communities, Lumads
and Christians are a part, and the MILF as
their voice of righteous protest and advocate of their rights. We must ask whether
President Aquino has shown presidential
intelligence and competence in handling
most crucial aspects of the conflict as well
as other issues demanding decisive solutions. It is the feeling of the Bangsa Moro
people, especially the Muslim people,
that their development has long been
neglected by the national government in

Oplan Exodusin which the US military was involvedwas

a guarded secret of the PNP and the US military for
fear of it being compromised by the AFP and the MILF and
by the BIFF. President Aquino sundered the military and
civilian chain of command and allowed usurpation of
power by a suspended General.
General Leonardo Espina, and SAF
chief Director Getulio Napenas. Oplan
Exodusin which the US military was
involvedwas a guarded secret of the
PNP and the US military for fear of it
being compromised by the AFP and the
MILF and by the BIFF. President Aquino
sundered the military and civilian chain
of command and allowed usurpation of
power by a suspended General.
Authorized by President Aquino,
reinforcements from the infantry under
Major General Edmundo Pangilinan for
a best effort rescue . . . .not endangering
reinforcing troops, failed to arrive. Not

controlling MILF forces during and after

the battle. Both prejudiced the peace talks
and the proposed (BBL).
Command responsibility for the tragedy
and the breaking ceasefire agreements add to
many reasons for President Aquino to heed
the peoples call for him to resign.
II. The bloody Mamasapano fiasco is the
latest in a series of presidential activities
proving that President Benigno S. Aquino
III is unfit to rule and has betrayed public
trust. He has reached highest levels of incompetence.
It is right and just that we go beyond

favor of the so-called majority; that they

are victims of Manila colonialism. Understandable is their struggle for regional
autonomy over against assimilation or
even independence. It is a struggle which
they believe entails the use of parliamentary negotiations and the use of arms as
instrument of pressurepeace process
and armed resistance.
As with the past administrations, the
rule of President Aquino and his allies
in congress and the senate, representing
big merchant and big landlord interests
as well as those of foreign big business,
wishes to maintain the semi-feudal and

semi-colonial character of the Philippines,

and this means ignoring the Bangsamoro
peoplesMuslims, Lumads, and Christians alikeright to ancestral domain and
self-determination, their right to genuine
land reform and national industrialization, political participation in decision
making, and respect for human rights and
indigenous culture. Patience has run low,
and thus calls for parliamentary struggle
coupled with armed force has emerged
against the government. The administration is unable to handle the situation that
calls for sincere peace talks and passage of
a just BBL.
Revealing is what an MILF representative during negotiations: If you want us
to be part of the Philippines, you have to
give us a place where we can feel at home,
where our language, our culture are safe
where the mosque will sound five times
a day and where we will be given time
to pray away from work and so that we
will be able to have our long prayer on
Friday noon.
The MILF armed and unarmed movement is a peoples pressure for a place
where Bangsamoros can feel at home.
Other activities inimical to the public
interest charge President Aquino with
incompetence. In agreeing to the US
military pacts, notably the US-RP Mutual
Defense Treaty, the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and the Enhanced Defense
Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), he
has shown little or no regard for Philippine sovereignty. His unconstitutional
pork barrel Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) has been exposed
as instrumental in obtaining the loyalty
of favored politicians and getting Chief
Justice Corona impeached. Because of
DAP precious funds for social services for
the people and benefits for government
employees were suddenly unavailable.
Under Aquinos administration, the
country is now a big US military base.
Mamasapano / B7

The Future of Mindanao is in Our Hands

know that our perception of
history has not always been fair
in guiding us. We also know
how those who struggle for
the same goal of peace are not
united stemming from cultural
and vested interests. We know
these elements have been the
reason for much prejudice often
colored by religious identity,
especially among Christians and
Muslims. Meanwhile the Indigenous People have suffered most
from both sides.
But we also know that the
past and the present, including
the January 25, 2015 Mamasapano incident, are part of our
struggles and our pains. The
Silsilah Dialogue Movement
and other groupsfor more than
thirty years, have struggled to
promote peace and dialogue.
But we can very well ask: Peace,
where are you today in Mindanao? The dream of peace
in Mindanao is more difficult
today because of international
influences: religious radicalism
on one side and on the other the
vested interests of more powerful
countries which influence and
oftentimes manipulate the peace

efforts in Mindanao for their

own ends. It is time to invite
the revolutionary groups, MNLF
and MILF, to find solutions for
understanding and collaboration
in spite of different cultural and
leadership concepts. They have
to find a way to approach other
groups, engaged in the struggle
with an Islamic background, to

the Muslims and the IPs towards

others outside their own groups.
We still do not have a very clear
formula for peace in Mindanao.
The Bangsamoro Basic Law
(BBL) has been offered as one
solution and we encourage those
in power to consider it, approve
it and accept it, introducing
the changes that are claimed by

It is time to invite Christians in

Mindanao and the rest of the
Philippines to overcome prejudice
against Muslims, a prejudice
becoming deeper than ever.

OPAPP

WE the members of the Inter

Faith Council of Leaders (IFCL)
in Zamboanga CityMuslim
and Christian individuals indifferent professions and careers
who have committed ourselves
to the promotion of interfaith
dialogue and peacefeel that
the peace process in Mindanao
is undergoing seriousstrains. It
is like a house on fire and we all
must help to prevent a bigger
conflagration. We start by taking up wisdom from our Holy
Books:
This is what you must do:
Speak the truth to one another;
let those who judge give peace
though honest sentences and
do not plot evil in your heart
against one another. Refrain
from false oath for it is what I
detest Word of Yahweh (Holy
Bible - Zech. 8, 16-17).
Give full measure when ye
measure, and weigh with a balance that is straight: That is the
most fitting and the most advantageous in the final determination
(Holy Quran - Surah 17, 35).
We know that the people of
Mindanao have been divided by
strategies from both sides. We

Hundreds of supporters converge at the Pikit Municipal Plaza in the province of Cotabato in
March 2014 to show their support for the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro
(CAB) signing in Malacaang.

accept possible conditions for

peace for a real progress and development within the pluralistic
realities of Mindanao.
It is time to invite Christians
in Mindanao and the rest of the
Philippines to overcome prejudice against Muslims,a prejudice
becoming deeper than ever. The
same effort has to be done by

many as necessary. We invite the

MILF to consider and accept
what is offered by the Senate and
Congress of the Philippines as a
good starting point for a deeper
process of reconciliation that has
to start first among the Muslim
groups and move to the other
cultural and religious groups in
Bangsamoro / B7

B6 REFLECTIONS

March 16 - 29, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 6

CBCP Monitor

The price of fruitfulness

5th Sunday of Lent, John 11:1-45 (B) March 22, 2015
By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB
VALUABLE items have a high price.
Important achievements are the crowning of courage, determination, effort, and
perseverance. Medals, whether gained in
sports, civil service or war time are never
a formality. Behind that small piece of
metal there lies a world of self-sacrifice
and dedication.
In our existence on earth, there is nothing

come to light, the richness that is within

will be made visible only if the seed undergoes the process of transformation which,
in many aspects, is a form of death.
This miracle, in fact, will happen only
if the shell opens up and rots away, and
even the internal part is consumed and
disappears in order for the tender shoot
to sprout and grow to fullness.
The best part of us is often wrapped, in a
shell of ordinariness and defects like wrong
attachments to ourselves, other people or the

Quartzla

The hard shell of selfishness

must be opened wide and shattered to
give way to a sincere concern
for others. Layers of make-up and
pretense have to be removed to reveal
sincerity and truthfulness.
more precious than our spiritual life. Such
a treasure initially comes to us as a gift
from God, but as a living gift which has
to be protected and developed.
Our spiritual lifethe best part of our
selvesis more like a seed than like a
diamond. Every seed has immense (often
unsuspected) potentialities: endless riches
of colors, flowers, fruit, life All this will

material world; resentments, grudges, envy,

lust, pride. These defects are like fetters
that cripple us and hamper the development of our personality and spiritual life.
If we really mean to attain a new life, or
enjoy a fuller life, we must rid ourselves of
them with the help of Gods grace.
This will be possible only on one con-

Fruitfulness / B7

From cheers to jeers

Palm Sunday of the Lords Passion, Mark 14:1 - 15:47 (B) Alay Kapwa Sunday, March 29, 2015
JESUS entry into Jerusalem was
the first scene in the last act
of his life. That was a day of
glory in his life, the apex of his
popularity. It could have been the
prelude to his crowning as King
of Israel, or at least as the official
recognition that he was, indeed,
the long-awaited Messiah. Such
was the feeling of all his disciples
and of the greatest majority of
the crowds of admirers that welcomed him with shouts of Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in
the name of the Lord!
He had had his moments of
glory before, while still in Galilee, when people, at the sight of
the miracles he was performing,
shouted, We have never seen
anything like this! God has visited
His people! But it was especially

after he had miraculously fed

a crowd of five thousand men
(without counting women and
children!), with just five loaves
of bread and two fish, that the
popular enthusiasm exploded.
They wanted him king and they
shouted it loud and clear. So loud
and so clear, in fact, that Jesus
had to slip away in all haste and
hide himself, so as to avoid the
unpleasant political consequences
of that excessive enthusiasm.
But while he had always avoided the crowds enthusiasm, Jesus
enjoyed the rapturous welcome
given him by the simple people
of Jerusalem as he entered the
Holy City, surrounded by his
delirious disciples. He accepted
that manifestation of love with
a grateful heart. He saw their
sincerity, their need for affirmation and guidance. He saw their
happiness in seeing the prophecies

Lippo Memmi

By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB

of old fulfilled in him. He received

their crown of love and glory with
the same joy and condescension
with which parents receive the
manifestations of affection of
their children.
But Jesus knew also that their
enthusiasm would be short-lived.
He foresaw that many of those who
were acclaiming him now would
fall silent and lack the courage
to stand up for him in the face
of the violent mob that would be
mustered by his enemies, just a few
days later in front of the Roman
Procurator. That was going to be
one of the many cases in which
the majority, made up of good
people, grows silent, out of fear
or shame, and a small minority
upstages them with their raucous
shouts full of hatred.
Jesus knew that such a change
of scene was part of the final act
in the drama of his life. It was an

integral part of the fatal Hour

when his love and obedience were
to be put to the severest test. He
knew that and accepted it both in
principle and in practice. In fact,
when the time came for him
to be vilified, accused unfairly,
beaten up by rascals, mercilessly
scourged and crowned with
thorns, nailed to the cross and
jeered by his enemies, Jesus accepted all that with immense patience, humility, and love. Yes! He
accepted even that with LOVE.
One could even say that he accepted those manifestations of rejection and hatred with the same
love with which he had accepted
the cheers of his supporters when
he entered Jerusalem in triumph.
He accepted with love all those terrible sufferings unfairly inflicted
on him because he knew that they,
too, were part of the package deal

Cheers / B7

Priests: Ordained to become what they offer

WHEN Jesus Christ came as the promised
Messiah, he brought to completion all the
prophecies and promises of old. And at the
last Passover Meal he celebrated in earthly
life, he actualized in advance what all the
previous Passovers had foreshadowed and
symbolizedthe liberation of the whole of
mankind from the slavery to the Devil. In the
bread and the wine that he handed to his
special disciples as their spiritual food and
drink, he made his person and his saving
sacrifice present for all generations to come.
No other meal is more sacred and satisfying
than the Eucharist that Jesus instituted at the
Last Supper. No other sacrifice is more fruitful
than the one that is made present every time
the Eucharist is celebrated. No other Communion is more perfect on earth than the
one that is achieved when a believer receives
Christs body and blood properly disposed.
No other perfect identification is attained on

earth than the one that takes place between

Christ, the Eternal Priest, and the priest who
offers the Eucharistic sacrifice in obedience to
the Lords command.
That identification is full of meaning
and challenges. From the moment of their
sacramental ordination, all priests are not
just commanded and empowered to offer the Eucharistic sacrifice. They are also
commissioned and expected to BECOME
what they celebrate and offer a LIVING
EUCHARIST, just as Jesus is.
The Eucharist is THANKSGIVING
thanksgiving to God for the gifts of Creation and of His Providence, and most
of all for the gift of salvation in Jesus
Christ. Hence, the life of the priest of
any priestmust be a life of thanksgiving.
The Eucharist is SELF-GIVINGthe
self-giving of Christ as the divine Victim
to the Father in expiation for the sins of
mankind, and the self-giving of Christ to
all believers as food and drink of eternal
life. Hence, the life of the priestof any

priestmust be a life of total self-giving to

God and to His people. A priest no longer
belongs to himself. He has been consecratedmade sacredand offered up to
God for ever. And God sends him to his
brethren that he may be the sacrament
of Christs total self-giving to his brethren.
The Eucharist is LIFE-GIVINGa
source of life that flows from the sacrifice
of the Cross and enlivens all the souls that
it touches, heals, and renews with its fresh
stream. The priestany priestis, likewise,
called and sent to be a bearer, in the power
of the Spirit, of the supernatural life earned
by Christ, the Eternal Priest, on the altar of
the Cross. A priest must give life, even at
the cost of his own mortal life, in imitation of Christ.
This should give us some idea of the
greatness of the nature and mission of the
Catholic priest. We should pray that each
of them may always be mindful of such
greatness and live it out not just when he
is at the altar, but every of his life.

File photo

By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB

Bo Sanchez

Soulfood

Bishop Pat Alo

ENCOUNTERS

Open yourself to extravagant grace

Exaltation

Analyn Perucho

ONE common denominator of Christian living is actually based

on the life and words of Our Lord Jesus Christ who often repeated
the axiom the man who humbles himself shall be exalted but
the man who exalts himself
shall be humbled (Lk. 14:11;
18:14). Maybe its being willing to humbly work hard, be
patient, absorb insults, and
be peaceful towards others.
Its tantamount to the other
gospel expression: Blessed are
the meek, for they shall possess
the land (Mt. 5:4).
How about those who are so
impatient and bitterly resentful?
After all the volcanic emotions
inside their feelings, they may
turn to violence. And thats
the end of progress because of
massive destruction everywhere
and loss of freedom. Gods word tells us: Let not your anger reach
sundown so as to leave no room for the devil (Eph. 4:6). Christ is
exalted but He humbled Himself first upon the Cross. The world
today acclaims Him: You alone are holy, you alone are most high,
you alone are Lord, Jesus Christ (see Phil. 2:6-11).

I DONT know how to explain this.

I really dont.
But in my life, Ive seen how the
universe conspires to give me what
I need.
It could be as simple as a parking
space. For years now, Ive noticed
that when I need a parking space, it
just appears in front of me. (Obviously, there were exceptions, but
even the exceptions were gifts from
God, redirecting me to go somewhere else or do something else.)
I believe we have the power to
attract anything in our lives.
We can attract a parking space.
We can attract joy, love, holiness,
money.
How?
By openness.
Ask and you shall receive
By opening yourself to blessing,
by working on it, pouring your energies into itthe conspiracy of grace
begins to work in the background.
I repeat: God created a universe
that will conspire to give you what
you need.

You can of course attract misery,

debt, anxiety, and conflict in your
life as easily. How? By what you do,
how you think, and what you say.
Its really a choice.
But let me get back to my con-

Around 8 years ago, I wanted to

get into the stock market.
But I didnt know a single thing
about it. I was a missionary for decades, so I was a total nincompoop
when it came to the mysterious

I was a missionary for decades,

so I was a total nincompoop
when it came to the
mysterious world of Stocks.
So I prayed to God to send me
a mentor to teach me.

spiracy of grace theory.

I believe God brought them into
my life because I searched for them.

Seek and you shall find

A wise man once said, When
the student is ready, the teacher
will come.

world of Stocks. So I prayed to God

to send me a mentor to teach me.
After a year with that prayer percolating within me, someone called
up the officea guy was requesting
for lunch. He said he read my book
and wishes to have talk with me.
When we sat down together for

the meal, he introduced himself.

And I couldnt believe my ears. He
said he was a former member of
the Board of the Philippine Stock
Exchange and has been earning
money through the Stock Market
for 30+ years.
That day, I met my mentor.
That day, he introduced me into
the whole world of stock market
investing. And since that day, he
has been my financial, business, and
life mentorwhile he considers me
as his spiritual mentor too.
Once I learned, I started teaching
others how to invest in the stock
market too. Today, Ive taught
thousands and the numbers keep
growing every day.
Knock and the door will be
opened
I could go on and on.
Grace happens every day. And I
cannot explain it.
My dear friend, open yourself
to extreme, excessive, extravagant
grace.

CBCP Monitor

SOCIAL CONCERNS B7

March 16 - 29, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 6

Heinous sex crimes against Filipino babies

By Fr. Shay Cullen
IT must be one of the most heinous
crimes of the century, with little exaggeration, and one which went undetected
by Filipino police until Dutch Internet
investigators found abhorrent and revolting child pornography of Filipino children being sexually assaulted, tortured
and murdered on videos on the computer
of a Dutch national.
Police investigator Attorney Janet
Francisco officer in charge of the National
Bureau of Investigation, said the videos
were so hateful, disgusting, and painful
to watch the babies being tortured, and
sexually assaulted and listening to their
cries could haunt you forever she told a
national newspaper.
This terrible litany of crimes against
children with the help of Filipino women
who recruit, traffic and abduct children
as young as one year old is surely just one
crime of many. There are hundreds if not
thousands of such crimes un-detected,
under-reported and unknown.
They are being committed against the
Filipinos by Filipinos and foreign nationals like the Australian Peter Gerard Scully,
accused of these crimes mentioned above
and soon to be reported by 60 Minutes
Australia, Ch.9.
These terrible videos are being financed
by an international syndicate and distributed around the world. Many pedophiles
buy them for large sums of money.
The abusers and criminals choose the
Philippines to make child pornography
and snuff videos because the rule of law
is practically non-existent here when it
comes to child protection and conviction
of abusers. Take for example the 2009
anti-child pornography law.
It explicitly requires the Internet
Server Providers (ISPs). like Globe,
PLDT, Smart and Sun (there thousands
of smaller ISPS) to install filters and
blocking software to stop access to child
pornography. But they dont obey the law.
The National Telecommunications

Commission (NTC) and other bodies

seem helpless or benignly unwilling to inconvenience the Powerful ISPs to enforce
the law. Some claim there are Captured
Regulators at the NTC.
If they were to follow the so-called
straight path of President Aquino the law
would have been implemented already
and there would be less evil filth of horrific crimes coming in and out of the
Philippines and circulating around it via
the Internet. Youth are now exposed to
this evil content on their mobile smart
phones and they are being corrupted
daily. The ISPs and corrupt officials are
responsible for this too.
Police and social workers lack training,
knowledge of the law, know-how and the
bold courage and commitment to investigate reports, tip-offs and complaints
of child abuse. Prosecutors and judges
are favoring the abusers more than the

These words
of a fictional
prosecutor
represent the
reality: Why
work hard and
prosecute the
child rapist and
make enemies of
his family, they
will pay me to do
nothing.

victims, as court records would show.

These words of a fictional prosecutor
represent the reality: Why work hard
and prosecute the child rapist and make
enemies of his family, they will pay me
to do nothing.
The moral ethic and motivation of
sense of duty to do the right and good
thing seems to be lacking in some prosecutors. Absent too is the love of justice
and concern for the victims.
In Olongapo City one judge seems

expert in dismissing cases of child rape

and allowing the rapists go free despite
strong and convincing evidence of guilt.
The Church is to be held accountable
also as the authorities have never turned
over a clerical child sex abuser to the
civil authorities. Never has a priest sex
abuser been convicted. The bishops, who
represent the management of the Church,
should be held to account for they simply
ship off child-abuser priests to dioceses
abroad in some cases.

When they abuse abroad and are investigated they rush back to a hideout the
Philippines. International law enforcers
have asked me to help locate some of
these.
They destroy the lives of the children
and bring disgrace on the good honest clergy and the entire population of
Catholics and the Church itself. Why
are a few allowed to get away with such
crimes condemned by Jesus in no uncertain terms in the Gospel of Matthew
Chapter 18.
The answer may be that some misguided Church leaders have not had the
courage and faith to stand by the victims
and get them healing, therapy and justice
and bring the perpetrators to civil justice
Its time that the people of God and the
morally upright clergy and religious start
to speak out and point out the abusers
in their ranks. Pope Francis has himself
shown the way.
He heard about clergy who abused
altar boys in Spain. He himself called up
the victims first to pledge help and support. Then he called up the bishop and
demanded the accused be turned over
to the police for investigation and trial.
They rushed to prostrate themselves
before the altar in the Cathedral to beg
forgiveness. They had best repent first,
confess and do penance behind bars and
then hope for forgiveness. Jesus said its
better for a millstone be tired around the
neck of an abuser and he or she be thrown
into the ocean.
There is no ocean too deep for the likes
of Scully and his traffickers, co-torturers
and abusers for the many heinous crimes
of rape, torture and abuse of little children one year old. The screams we can
imagine, ought never leave our memories
and motivate us to act for justice for children. The authorities who turn a blind eye
to all of this on the Internet and in the
cyber sex and torture chambers need to
repent too this Lenten season. The good
need to be better and act in any way they
can to protect children and bring abusers
to justice.

Blessed / B4

her heart and to form his or her

conscience rightly and sensibly, so
as to be capable of discerning the
will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect (Rom 12:2).
We need to show a healthy concern
for creation, for the purity of our
air, water and food, but how much
more do we need to protect the
purity of what is most precious of
all: our heart and our relationships.
This human ecology will help us
to breathe the pure air that comes
from beauty, from true love, and
from holiness.
Once I asked you the question:
Where is your treasure? In what
does your heart find its rest? (cf.
Interview with Young People from
Belgium, 31 March 2014). Our
hearts can be attached to true or
false treasures, they can find genuine rest or they can simply slumber,
becoming lazy and lethargic. The
greatest good we can have in life
is our relationship with God. Are
you convinced of this? Do you
realize how much you are worth
in the eyes of God? Do you know
that you are loved and welcomed
by him unconditionally, as indeed
you are? Once we lose our sense of
this, we human beings become an
incomprehensible enigma, for it
is the knowledge that we are loved
unconditionally by God which
gives meaning to our lives. Do
you remember the conversation
that Jesus had with the rich young
man (cf. Mk 10:17-22)? The evangelist Mark observes that the Lord
looked upon him and loved him (v.
21), and invited him to follow him
and thus to find true riches. I hope,
dear young friends, that this loving
gaze of Christ will accompany each
of you throughout life.
Youth is a time of life when your
desire for a love which is genuine,
beautiful and expansive begins to
blossom in your hearts. How pow-

erful is this ability to love and to

be loved! Do not let this precious
treasure be debased, destroyed
or spoiled. That is what happens
when we start to use our neighbours for our own selfish ends,
even as objects of pleasure. Hearts
are broken and sadness follows
upon these negative experiences. I
urge you: Do not be afraid of true
love, the love that Jesus teaches
us and which Saint Paul describes
as patient and kind. Paul says:
Love is not jealous or boastful; it
is not arrogant or rude. Love does
not insist on its own way; it is not
irritable or resentful; it does not
rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the
right. Love bears all things, believes
all things, hopes all things, endures
all things (1 Cor 13:4-8).
In encouraging you to rediscover
the beauty of the human vocation
to love, I also urge you to rebel
against the widespread tendency
to reduce love to something banal,
reducing it to its sexual aspect
alone, deprived of its essential
characteristics of beauty, communion, fidelity and responsibility.
Dear young friends, in a culture
of relativism and the ephemeral,
many preach the importance of
enjoying the moment. They say
that it is not worth making a lifelong commitment, making a definitive decision, for ever, because
we do not know what tomorrow
will bring. I ask you, instead, to be
revolutionaries, I ask you to swim
against the tide; yes, I am asking
you to rebel against this culture
that sees everything as temporary
and that ultimately believes you
are incapable of responsibility, that
believes you are incapable of true
love. I have confidence in you and
I pray for you. Have the courage
to swim against the tide. And
also have the courage to be happy
(Meeting with the Volunteers of

the XXVIII Word Youth Day, 28

July 2013).
You young people are brave adventurers! If you allow yourselves
to discover the rich teachings of the
Church on love, you will discover
that Christianity does not consist
of a series of prohibitions which
stifle our desire for happiness, but
rather a project for life capable of
captivating our hearts.
3. for they shall see God
In the heart of each man and
woman, the Lords invitation
constantly resounds: Seek my
face! (Ps 27:8). At the same time,
we must always realize that we are
poor sinners. For example, we read
in the Book of Psalms: Who can
climb the mountain of the Lord?
Who shall stand in his holy place?
The one who has clean hands and
a pure heart (Ps 24:3-4). But we
must never be afraid or discouraged: throughout the Bible and in
the history of each one of us we see
that it is always God who takes the
first step. He purifies us so that we
can come into his presence.
When the prophet Isaiah heard
the Lords call to speak in his name,
he was terrified and said: Woe is
me! For I am lost; for I am a man
of unclean lips (Is 6:5). And yet
the Lord purified him, sending to
him an angel who touched his lips,
saying: Your guilt is taken away,
and your sin is forgiven (v. 7). In
the New Testament, when on the
shores of lake Genessaret Jesus
called his first disciples and performed the sign of the miraculous
catch of fish, Simon Peter fell at his
feet, exclaiming: Depart from me,
for I am a sinful man, O Lord (Lk
5:8). Jesus reply was immediate:
Do not be afraid; henceforth you
will be fishers of men (v. 10). And
when one of the disciples of Jesus
asked him: Lord, show us the Fa-

Mamasapano / B5

In praxis the AFP is under the authority

of the US military. Gross violations of
human rights continue to be denounced
by movements for justice and peace
of Church and he NGO community
and peoples organizations. Poverty and
bureaucrat capitalist opportunism have
worsened. Disastrous has been his administrations response to natural calamities.
Clearly the fault is not in the stars but
in an inept President Aquino. THERE
IS NO CHOICE FOR HIM BUT TO
RESIGN AND STEP DOWN FROM
THE PRESIDENCY.
Under President Aquino, the people
do not feel at home. In his case, the voice
of the master is loud and clear: Give an
account of your management, because
you cannot be manager any longer (Luke
16:2). GAME OVER!

Rt. Rev. Alexander B. Wandag

Episcopal Diocese of Santiago, ECP

Most Rev. Joseph A. Nacua, D.D.

Diocese of Ilagan

And other clergy and lay of North Luzon

belonging to Roman Catholic Church,
Episcopal Church in the Philippines,
Iglesia Filipina Independiente, United
Church of Christ in the Philippines,
United Methodist Church, Lutheran
Church:

Most Rev. Ramon B. Villena, DD

Diocese of Bayombong
Bishop Elorde M. Sambat
UCCP-North Luzon Jurisdiction
Coordinator, EBF Northern Luzon
Area

Rt. Rev. Hermogenes F. Ranche

Diocese of Eastern Pangasinan, IFI
Most Rev. Deogracias S. Yniguez Jr., DD
Ecumenical Bishops Forum co- chair
In conformity:
Rt. Rev. Vermilion C. Tagalog
Diocese of La Union, Ilocos Sur and
Abra, IFI
Rt. Rev. Ernesto F. Tadly, IFI
Diocese Eastern Pangasinan
Bishop Juan A. Marigza
UCCP Bishop Emeritus

Reference: Rev. Fr. Francisco R. Albano

Diocese of Ilagan

ther, and we shall be satisfied, the

Master replied: He who has seen
me has seen the Father (Jn 14:8-9).
The Lords invitation to encounter him is made to each of you, in
whatever place or situation you
find yourself. It suffices to have
the desire for a renewed personal
encounter with Jesus Christ, or at
least an openness to letting him
encounter you; I ask all of you to
do this unfailingly each day (cf.
Evangelii Gaudium, 3). We are all
sinners, needing to be purified by
the Lord. But it is enough to take
a small step towards Jesus to realize
that he awaits us always with open
arms, particularly in the sacrament
of Reconciliation, a privileged opportunity to encounter that divine
mercy which purifies us and renews
our hearts.
Dear young people, the Lord
wants to meet us, to let himself
be seen by us. And how?, you
might ask me. Saint Teresa of
Avila, born in Spain five hundred
years ago, even as a young girl,
said to her parents, I want to see
God. She subsequently discovered
the way of prayer as an intimate
friendship with the One who
makes us feel loved (Autobiography, 8,5). So my question to you
is this: Are you praying? Do you
know that you can speak with Jesus, with the Father, with the Holy
Spirit, as you speak to a friend?
And not just any friend, but the
greatest and most trusted of your
friends! You will discover what one
of his parishioners told the Cur
of Ars: When I pray before the
tabernacle, I look at him, and he
looks at me (Catechism of the
Catholic Church, 2715).
Once again I invite you to
encounter the Lord by frequently
reading sacred Scripture. If you are
not already in the habit of doing so,
begin with the Gospels. Read a line

or two each day. Let Gods word

speak to your heart and enlighten
your path (cf. Ps119:105). You will
discover that God can be seen
also in the face of your brothers
and sisters, especially those who
are most forgotten: the poor, the
hungry, those who thirst, strangers,
the sick, those imprisoned (cf. Mt
25:31-46). Have you ever had this
experience? Dear young people,
in order to enter into the logic of
the Kingdom of Heaven, we must
recognize that we are poor with the
poor. A pure heart is necessarily
one which has been stripped bare,
a heart that knows how to bend
down and share its life with those
most in need.
Encountering God in prayer,
the reading of the Bible and in the
fraternal life will help you better
to know the Lord and yourselves.
Like the disciples on the way to
Emmaus (cf. Lk 24:13-35), the
Lords voice will make your hearts
burn within you. He will open
your eyes to recognize his presence
and to discover the loving plan he
has for your life.
Some of you feel, or will soon
feel, the Lords call to married life,
to forming a family. Many people
today think that this vocation is
outdated, but that is not true!
For this very reason, the ecclesial
community has been engaged in
a special period of reflection on
the vocation and the mission of
the family in the Church and the
contemporary world. I also ask you
to consider whether you are being
called to the consecrated life or the
priesthood. How beautiful it is to
see young people who embrace the
call to dedicate themselves fully
to Christ and to the service of his
Church! Challenge yourselves, and
with a pure heart do not be afraid
of what God is asking of you! From
your yes to the Lords call, you

will become new seeds of hope in

the Church and in society. Never
forget: Gods will is our happiness!
4. On the way to Krakow
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God (Mt 5:8).
Dear young men and women,
as you see, this beatitude speaks
directly to your lives and is a guarantee of your happiness. So once
more I urge you: Have the courage
to be happy!
This years World Youth Day begins the final stage of preparations
for the great gathering of young
people from around the world
in Krakow in 2016. Thirty years
ago Saint John Paul II instituted
World Youth Days in the Church.
This pilgrimage of young people
from every continent under the
guidance of the Successor of Peter
has truly been a providential and
prophetic initiative. Together let
us thank the Lord for the precious
fruits which these World Youth
Days have produced in the lives
of countless young people in every part of the globe! How many
amazing discoveries have been
made, especially the discovery that
Christ is the Way, the Truth and
the Life! How many people have
realized that the Church is a big
and welcoming family! How many
conversions, how many vocations
have these gatherings produced!
May the saintly Pope, the Patron
of World Youth Day, intercede on
behalf of our pilgrimage toward
his beloved Krakow. And may the
maternal gaze of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, full of grace, all-beautiful
and all-pure, accompany us at
every step along the way.
From the Vatican, 31 January 2015
Memorial of Saint John Bosco
FRANCIS

Bangsamoro / B5

Cheers / B6

Frutifulness / B6

Mindanao.
We hope and pray that the two sides
in the ongoing negotiation will not
remain rigid in their positions. We
cannot get all we wish for but each
side can opt to do the best with what it
can get. In this way we start a genuine
process of reconciliation and prove that
we are sincere and honest in our claims.
The world is observing what we are doing. We cannot transform our situation
as it has been done in other countries
with internal conflicts but we have to
demonstrate that we in the Philippines
can live together with our variety of
cultures and religions.
We, the IFCL members, are in solidarity with the victims of the conflict
in Mindanao, those of the past and
those of the most recent conflict. We
believe that peace is still possible if each
one moves with humility and wisdom as
part of the same human family created
to love each other.

with which he paid the ransom due for

the liberation of all human beings from
their bondage to sin.
Such is the wonderful and generous love
we celebrate todaya love that enjoys all
manifestations of affection, loyalty, and
admiration; a love that endures rejection,
tortures, and even death by crucifixion
with unconquered patience, humility,
and a loving and forgiving heart. There
is so much we can learn, so much we
should learn from this.
But when The Hour of utter desolation arrived in Gethsemane and the
awareness of the crushing weight of human wickedness pressed his sensitivity
to the point of making his sweat turn
to blood, then the frailty of Jesus human nature cracked. That torment was
so terrible that the brave man who had
endured all forms of opposition with
unflinching strength, this time broke
down and pleaded with the Father that
he might be spared the cup of suffering and humiliation that awaited him.
But his humble plea was immediately
followed by the total acceptance of the
Fathers will. It happened three times.
And three times, in the dark night of
Gethsemane, Jesus conclusion was:
Your will, not mine, be done!

dition: that we be ready to die and be

transformed like a seed. The hard shell of
selfishness must be opened wide and shattered to give way to a sincere concern for
others. Layers of make-up and pretense
have to be removed to reveal sincerity
and truthfulness. Hotbeds of decay and
moral corruption of all denominations
have to be scraped in order to allow the
roots of a new life to strike deep into our
personalities and bear fruits of honesty,
dedication, purity
The new life will flower in us only at
the cost of the death of our lower, sinful
selves. This is the meaning of Christs
saying, The man who loves his life loses
it, while the man who hates his life in this
world preserves it to life eternal (Jn 12:25).
Jesus did not just teach this as a striking, paradoxical theory. He lived it out,
and paid the price which this principle
entails. Son though he was, Jesus learned
obedience from what he suffered; and when
perfected, he became the source of eternal
salvation for all who obey him (Heb 5:8f ).
That was a wonderful fruit indeed,
sprouting from the seed of his life given
for us. We can share in it only if we accept
to share in his self-offering and death. Then
will our being disciples of Jesus become a
wonderful reality.

INTER FAITH COUNCIL OF LEADERS (IFCL)

of Zamboanga City.
(Statement Signed by all Members)
March, 10, 2015
(Source: http://www.silsilahdialogue.com)

B8 FEATURES

March 16 - 29, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 6

Crazy Beautiful You

DIRECTOR: Mae Czarina Cruz
LEAD CAST: Daniel Padilla,
Kathryn Bernardo, Lorna
Tolentino, Gabby Concepcion, Inigo Dominic
Pascual, Dante Ponce
GENRE: Drama, Romance,
Comedy
DISTRIBUTOR: Star Cinema
Productions
LOCATION: Capas, Tarlac and
Metro Manila
RUNNING TIME: 90 minutes
Technical Assessment:

Moral Assessment:

MTRCB rating: PG13

CINEMA rating: V13

Isang pasawaysi Jackie (Kathryn Bernardo) na lumaking malayo

sa inang nasa Amerika (Lorna
Tolentino), walang dulot kungdi
sakit ng ulo sa amang nasa Pilipinas
(Dante Ponce), at walang ibang
gusto sa buhay kungdi ang masunod ang layaw niya.Bagamat hiwalay ang kaniyang mga magulang
(Lorna Tolentino at Dante Ponce),
at kahit na dalaga na si Jackie ay
sige pa rin sa pag-aagawan ang
mga ito sa anak.Gusto ni Jackie
na makapag-aral sa New York, at
hihimukin siya ng inang doktora

Kingsman:
The Secret Service
DIRECTOR: Matthew Vaughn
LEAD CAST: Colin Firth, Samuel
Jackson, Michael Caine, Taron
Egerton, Sofia Boutella, Sophie
Cookson, Mark
GENRE: Action, Comedy, Adventure
DISTRIBUTOR: 20th Century Fox
LOCATION: United Kingdom, United
States
RUNNING TIME: 129 minutes
Technical Assessment:
Moral Assessment:
MTRCB rating: R16
CINEMA rating: V16

If youre prepared to adapt and learn, you

can transform. Kingsman: The Secret
Serviceis based on the comic book series
of the same title by Mark Millar and Dave
Gibbons. It is about Gallahad/Harry Hart
(Colin Firth) recruiting a streetwise young

man Gary Eggsy Unwin (Taron Egerton)

to replace his father Lancelot who died
17 years ago saving Harts life. Eggsy is in
prison for resisting police and car theft.
Gallahad gets him out and enlists him to
be a Kingsmanwhich is a kind of independent secret service not connected to any
government. In short, it is a company of
spiesof gentlemen spies, although class
is no requirement. While Eggsy undergoes
intense training, a serious plot of controlling population to save the environment is
being hatched by telecom giant Richmond
Valentine (Samuel Jackson). Gallahad
takes on the mission but things turn for
the worse. Eggsy has to team up with
Merlin (Mark Strong) and Roxy (Sophie
Cookson), the recently accepted Lancelot
when big boss Arthur (Michael Caine), ala
M of Bond fame, proves untrustworthy.
Will they succeed in saving the world?
Kingsman is a parody of 1970s spy
thrillers, particularly Agent 007. Looks like
Firth would say at any moment: The name
is Bond, James Bond. It is peppered with

The film essays the real life of US Navy SEAL Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper)from the circumstances that led him to the service to his becoming
one of the most lethal snipers not just in the Navy SEAL but in the entire
American history. His skill has brought him to tours of duty in Iraq to
protect his comrades who are fighting in the war. His pinpoint accuracy not
only saves countless lives but also makes him a prime target of insurgents.
Despite grave danger, and much to his wifes dismay, Kyle goes to Iraq four
times thinking that hes doing his country a great service for he believes in
the war they are in. But the ravage of war leaves Kyle wounded for the rest
of his life. Coming back home, he has to face a different war, a different
crusade brought about by his decision to serve his country above himself.
American Sniper hits the emotions of the audience to the core. The strong
characterization of the central subject of the story makes the film both
fascinating and compelling. Cooper really fits the role and his performance
delivers even the slightest emotional and psychological nuance of
the character. Given the DIRECTOR: Clint Eastwood
complexities of the situ- LEAD CAST: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller,
Luke Grimes, Kyle Gallner, Sam Jaeation the film depicts,
ger, Jake McDorman, and Cory Hardrict
it is able to keep things
simple without being STORY: Chris Kyle
simplistic by focusing GENRE: Action, War, Biography
on the gamut of emo- CINEMATOGRAPHER: Tom Stern
DISTRIBUTOR: Warner Bros. Pictures
tions and psychological LOCATION: United States
torture a soldier has RUNNING TIME: 134 mins.
to go through just to
defend a war for the Technical Assessment:
sake of his country. Moral Assessment:
The film sticks to real- CINEMA Rating: for viewers 14 and above
ism as far as possible,
making the setting and
situations distinct and
realistic. The story is
presented in a linear,
chronological fashion,
making it easier to follow. This is a good directorial decision since
the story itself is complicated enough. However, there was little
attention given to the
other characters in the
story which could have
turned into interesting
subplots. The political
issues of the war are
also left on the sidelights which could have
been a good anchor
for further debate. But
then again,American
Sniper is a good watch
in its entirety with its
competent direction,
realistic setting, and sincere characterization.
Given Kyles clarity of purpose to protect his comrades in the war, it
would seem easier to dismiss the other moral issues present in American
Sniper. But then again, the visuals of a rather dark and violent world will
always be problematic. However, given the insightful workmanship of
the film, it is quite clear that Kyles own moral dilemma is as problematic
as the films moral stance. With a story based on the perspective of the
Americans, the audience can see clearly whose ideology is at play here.
The Moslems in the Middle East are once again put in the worst light
that furthers stereotypical image of them being terrorists and extremists.
It may really take a while before such semiological issue is reconciled in
mainstream cinema. Good thing, the film is highly focused on the central
characters emotional and psychological struggles, so it is clearly seen that
killing, although in the context of war and self-preservation and self-defense,
will always be problematic, if not traumatic. In war, one loses oneself in
the processa noble act if done with a noble purpose. Kyle as the central
character in American Sniper is deemed a hero for he left himself behind
for a purpose greater than himselfa selfless sacrifice. But then, given
the political shade of the war he was in, one cannot help but ask whether
Kyles sacrifice is really worth it or not. Audiences must still be warned of
the desensitizing effect of the visuals of violence in the film. CINEMA
finds the film suitable only for viewers 14-years-old and above, given the
scenes that contain emotional stress, sex, and violence.

American Sniper

Moral Assessment

Abhorrent

Disturbing
Acceptable
Wholesome

Exemplary

na kung sasama lamang siya hanggang sa matapos ang isangmedical

missionsa isang malayong probinsiya , ay matutupad ang hiling
niya. Tatanggapin ni Jackie ang
alok ng ina, at ditosa kabilang
ibayo ng bundok kung saan walang
koryente atcellphone signalmararanasan niya ang makisalamuha sa
mga ita, ang matulog sa kawayang
sahig ng kubo, at ang maunsiyami ang kahit anong gustuhin
niya.Dito rin niya matatagpuan
si Kiko.Ano ang magiging papel
ni Kiko sa buhay ni Jackie?
Sa biglang tingin, bantulot kaming panoorin angCrazy, beautiful
yousa pag-aakalang kabilang ito sa
mga dalawa-isang-perang pelikula
na ampaw ang kuwento pero puno
naman ng kilig at pagbebenta ng
produkto. Lalo na pumasok na
kami sa sinehanpuno ng tao
mula ibaba hanggang itaas.Pagkatapos ng palabas, napaghinuha
naming kakaiba ito, at nakatutuwa

references to other spies and boasts of highcaliber actors who shine brilliantly. Firth
is a pleasant surprise as a debonair action
star, impeccably dressed, well-mannered
but quick and deadly. Samuel Jackson
with a lisp essays the eccentric villain
convincingly, with his graceful knifelegged side kick Gazelle (Sofia Boutella).
Newcomer Taron Egerton holds his ground
in the scenes with these thespians including
Michael Caine. State-of-the-art gadgets are
not lacking and the irreverent, tongue-incheek humor makes you chuckle at some
scenes, bringing back memories of spy
thrillers youve enjoyed. But others leave a
bad feeling at the mayhem and brutality
of extended violence. The action scenes are
skilfully choreographed but there is too
much gore, even glee, at the massacre in
a fundamentalist church. Not to mention
colorful exploding heads to the tune of
ElgarsPomp and Circumstance.
Kingsman mixes comedy, violence
and action but proposes certain values as
well. And then makes fun of it. Quoting

Buhay San Miguel

Buhay Parokya

CBCP Monitor
Technical Assessment

Poor
Below average

Average

Above average
E
xcellent

ding isipin na kahit hindi ito karaniwang masarap sa panglasa

ng karamihan ng mga Pilipinong
manonood, ay marami pa ring
tumatangkilik dito.Malaman ang
kuwento, kapupulutan ng maraming aral at temang mapag-uusapan
ng buong pamilya. Mahusay ang
pagganap ng mga artista lalo na
ni Padilla na nagpapakitang kaya
niyang gampanan ang isang karakter na may kahinugan ng isip at
damdamin.Minsan nga lamang ay
sobrang haba sa ilang madramang
eksena (puwede namang higpitan
nang kaunti ang dialogue nang
walang nababawas na halaga sa
kuwento), at kulang naman sa
build up ang ilan, tulad ng prosesong mauuwi sa pagpapatawad ng
mga tauhan sa isat isapara tuloy
minadali. Pero mapapatawad na
rin ang ganoong mga teknikal na
pagkukulang dahil nasasapawan ito
ng ibang mga maaayos na detalya at
ng kabuluhan ng buong kuwento.

Ang katangi-tanging ganda ng

pelikula ay ang pagmulat nito
ng paningin ng manonood na
ang mundo ay hindi lamang ang
sarili, ang pamilya, mga kaibigan
at mga gusto mo lamang na isali sa
mundo mo.Naiiba sa karamihan
ang Crazy, beautiful youuna,
hindi ito karaniwang pakilig
lamang; ikalawa, lahat ng mga
tauhan dito ay nagpapakabait
sa kabila ng mga pagsubok ng
buhay; ikatlo, pinahahalagahan
ng pelikula angtransformationng
isang tao, ang pamumukadkad ng
kanyang higit na nakabubuting
pagkatao; ikaapat, pinatutunayan
nito na ang pagdamay ng isang tao
sa mga kapos sa buhay ay nagiging
ugat ng paghilom ng mga sugat
ng kanyang nakaraan; ikalima, isinasaad dito naangdaan tungo sa
tunay na pag-ibig at kaligayahan
ay nabubuksan kapag natututuhan
na ng isang tao ang magmahal ng
wagas sa kaniyang kapwa-tao.

Hemingway, Galahad tells Eggsy that there

is nothing noble in being superior to your
fellow man. True nobility is being superior
to your former self. He returns the supreme
sacrifice of his father in saving Gallahads
life by giving Eggsy the chance to bring out
the best in himself. He also tells a group of
thugs Manners maketh man. Then he
proceeds to fight with each of them. When
one of the trainees dies after the first test of
the program, Merlin tells the group that
teamwork is paramount. In the next scene
Arthur commands the trainee to shoot his
dog who is part of the team. The Kingsman
is committed to save the world at the risk
of his life. Gallahad exemplifies this and so
do Merlin, Roxy and Eggsy as they work
together to stop the planet wide genocide.
Despite tech genius Valentines program
to celebrate a new world safe from global
warming, free offers come at a cost they cant
even imagine.Kingsmanalso falls into the
clich of showing women as merciless and
capable villains, or sexual reward for saving
the world.

Brothers Matias

Look for the image of Mother Theresa,

Holy Dove, and Chalice.
(Illustration by Bladimer Usi)

The Cross

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

CBCP Monitor. Vol. 19. No. 6

March 16 - 29, 2015

K of C donates 100 motorized

fishing boats to typhoon survivors
I am proud to be a Knight
of Columbus by Atty. Neil
Jerome A. Rapatan

Faithful to its principle

of Charity, the Knights
of Columbus went to
Borongan, Eastern Samar to distribute 100
motorized fishing boats
to fishermen that were
affected by Typhoons
Yolanda and Ruby. The
blessing of the said fishing vessels was led by the
Bishop of the Diocese
of Borongan, Most Rev.
Crispin Varquez, DD.
He was assisted by Msgr.
Pedro C. Quitorio, III
and Fr. Bernard Aljibe.
Knights of Columbus Supreme
Director and KCFAPI Chairman
Alonso L. Tan, Luzon Deputy and
KCFAPI President Arsenio Isidro
G. Yap and Visayas Deputy Rodrigo N. Sorongon also witnessed
the said momentous occasion. The
guests were welcomed by the City
Mayor of Borongan, Mayor Ma. Fe
Abunda, represented by Councilor
Victor Franco.
The beneficiaries of the project
were carefully selected and evaluated by a team of local Knights of
Columbus members. Not only that
the beneficiaries were affected by
the destructive typhoon, they must
also rely solely in fishing as their

Bishop Crispin Varquez, DD blesses the motorized fishing vessels before their distribution to the local fishermen of Borongan Samar who
were affected by Typhoon Yolanda. With him is KCFAPI Chairman and Knights of Columbus Supreme Director, Alonso L. Tan.
Inset photo shows KCFAPI Spiritual Director, Msgr. Pedro C. Quitorio, III who assisted in the blessing of the 100 motorized boats. Looking
on is KCFAPI President and Luzon Deputy, Arsenio Isidro G. Yap.

Boats, C2

38th Annual Family Service Awards

THE Knights of Columbus Fraternal Association of the Philippines, Inc. (KCFAPI) is committed in giving the best incentive programs to
their Area Managers (AMs) and Fraternal Counselors (FCs), especially to the 38th Fr. George J.
Willmann, SJ Annual Family Service Awardees,
according to KCFAPI Vice President for Fraternal Benefits Group, Gari San Sebastian.
Our qualification last year for the 38th
Annual Family Service Awards was more challenging as we introduced a new scheme of qualification for our awardees and we also improved
their reward system. Our Association makes sure
that we always provide the best to all our valued
salesforce in line with our corporate mission.
said San Sebastian.

He added that the first year allowance or FYA

will be used in mobility and day to day operations of FCs in extending superior benefits to
all Brother Knights and their families.
Our awardees have surpassed the expectations of the Association and the order of the
Knights of Columbus. They go beyond their call
of duty by helping in the membership growth
and development of the Order and by this, we
always make sure we give the best incentive
programs, San Sebastian added.
He also acknowledged the families of their sales
representatives for their invaluable support and for
the inspiration, strength and guidance they provide.
All of these will not be made possible without
their (awardees) adherence to the primary objec-

tive of the Knights of Columbus that is to render

financial assistance to all the brother knights and
their families. They are like the living apostles of
Fr. McGivney and Fr. Willmann who continuously carry on their noble and humble work up
to this present time. San Sebastian cited.

Awarding Ceremony
The 38th Fr. George J. Willmann, SJ Annual
Family Service Awards was held last March 6
to 8 at the Bellevue Hotel and Resort, Panglao,
Bohol. With the theme SOARING 60s, participants wore costumes inspired by the glamorous and glittering rock and roll era.
To all our dedicated and committed AMs
Awards, C3

STATE DINNER ATTIRE (Day 1):

FILIPINIANA FOR FEMALE AND BARONG FOR MALE

BARRIO FIESTA DINNER ATTIRE (Day 2):

FLORAL OR HAWAIIAN FOR BOTH MALE AND FEMALE

Area Manager of the Year Fraternal Counselor of the Year

OUR 2014 Area Manager of

the Year is none other than Bro.
Manuel Naldoza of the Central
Luzon Conquerors (CLC). This is
the 4th Area Manager of the Year
award of Bro. Wel as he received
the same recognition in 2000,
2004 and in 2005.
Below is his speech during
the 38th Annual Family Service
Awards held last March 6, 2015 at
the Bellevue Hotel and Resort in
Panglao, Bohol.
Through the years, the CLC
hurdled its target. And 2014 was
another great year for us. We had

five (5) awards and three (3) of

them were as Runners-up Fraternal Counselors. Una sa lahat,
maraming salamat sa ating Poong
Maykapal, sa suporta ng aking
pamilya at sa lahat ng pinuno
ng KCFAPI. Now, allow me to
share with you some of the factors
that contributed to what we have
achieved today.
As an Area Manager (AM), I am
a coach not a boss. I see to it that
all of my Fraternal Counselors are
highly motivated. We maintain a
sense of belongingness in our team
together with our families.
We have developed a unified first
degree exemplification and where
we also invite the participants
better half during the formation
course. In one instance, I wondered bakit matanda ang kasama
ng batang candidate, yun pala ay
nanay ang isinama.
I hope you would agree with
me that if there were one-hundred
(100) KofC members insured the
ratio of the family members is no
more than fifteen percent (15%).
Area, C3

Our 2014 Fraternal Counselor

of the Year is none other than Bro.
Lauro L. Evangelista of Central
Luzon Believers 1 (CLB1). This is
his 3rd title as Fraternal Counselor
of the Year. The other two were in
2008 and 2009. Below is his speech
during the 38th Annual Family
Service Awards held last March 6,
2015 at Bellevue Hotel and Resort
in Panglao, Bohol.
To all my fellow Area Managers
and Fraternal Counselors, Brothers and Sisters, Good Evening! To
achieve a wide range of success
is not just a matter of luck or by
chance. Much effort plays an im-

portant factor to make a real big

achievement in our field of work.
Sabi ng iba swerte swerte lang yan.
Subalit sa karanasan ko at maging
sa karanasan ng karamihan sa atin
tila walang puwang ang ganoong
salita.
It takes a lot of thinking and
doing and a simple but effective
STRATEGY. But what strategy did
I apply? STRATEGY is actually an
acronym I made for myself:
S- is for service. Sabi nga Service
is our business. It should be our
ultimate goal to serve our Brother
Knights and their family through
our insurance system.
T- is time and/or timing. May
kasabihan tayo na Time is gold.
It truly is, we have to grab every
possible time our prospective BC
Holder is available, and the proper
timing when and where to approach him is equally important.
R and A are for responsibility
and accountability. We all become
responsible and accountable to our
BC Holders once they agreed to
sign our application forms. Let us
Fraternal, C3

Visits to the Fr. George J. Willmann SJ Museum: Clockwise from left: 1. Photo of 2015
Officers of HOLUAP (Home Office Life Underwriters Association of the Philippines) headed
by its President and KCFAPI Underwriting Manager, Ms. Carmelita S. Ruiz (seated, 6th
from left) during their courtesy call with KCFAPI EVP, Ma. Theresa G. Curia (standing).
Prior to the courtesy call, the group composed of Ms. Florence C. Luzande of Philamlife,
Ms. Lea Buenaobra of AXA Life Philippines, Mr. Dennis Baluyut of Manulife, Ms. Maria
Louisa Penuliar of Insular Life and Mr. Alvin Gregorio of CISP visited the Fr. George J.
Willlmann Museum with KC Foundations Executive Director, Mr Roberto T Cruz as their
tour guide. 2. Photo of Father Jesuit Provincial Fr. Antonio Moreno and Fr. Catalino
Arevalo together with Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, KCFAPI VP Gari San Sebastian and
KC Foundations Executive Director Roberto T. Cruz with their family members during
KCFAPIs lunch treat at the El Mitre following their visit to the Fr. Willmann Museum. 3.
Photo of Brother Knights from San Mateo Council and 4. Photo of Brother Knights from
Nueva Ecija during their respective visits to the Fr. Willmann Museum.

C2

March 16 - 29, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 6

Alonso L. Tan

Ma. Theresa G. Curia

Chairmans Message

Curia Settings

EVERY year, during the first week of the

month of March, the KCFAPI Board of
Trustees and Officers and its wholly-owned
companies gather together to honor and
acknowledge the cream of the crop of its
sales force and the members of their respective families for their valuable support.
Congratulations to all the awardees at
the KCFAPI 38th Fr. George J. Willmann,
SJ Annual Family Service Awards which
was recently held last March 6-8, 2015 at
the Bellevue Hotel and Resort in Panglao,
Bohol. Headed by Area Manager of the Year Bro. Manuel Naldoza of the
Central Luzon Conquerors and Fraternal Counselor of the Year Bro. Lauro
Evangelista of the Central Luzon Believers as well as the Fr. Willmann
Knights of the Round Table and Chairman Circle winners, it was indeed
great to be in the midst of all our successful producers who consistently
devoted their time, effort and skills throughout the year to deserve the
accolades given them.
With these men at the helm of KCFAPIs drive to be an effective provider
of protection to our fellow brother Knights and their families, KCFAPI
has remained an important catalyst to ensure that our brothers are sufficiently protected during those unforeseen times of death / loss of their
loved one/s. Mans need for protection is a continuous process that never
stops and this is where the strength of our Area Managers and Fraternal
Counselors lie their ability to identify and address the untapped needs
of our brother knights and their families.
As our Filipino knights are not automatically insured within the Order,
this challenges our AMs and FCs all the more as they first have to really
convince prospective BC Holders of the value and benefits of insurance
with KCFAPI while still maintaining focus on the Order and its directions
as guided by this years theme KCFAPI CARES [Charity, Accountability,
Resilience, Excellence, Stability]
I ncourage all our Area Managers and Fraternal Counselors to continue
striving for excellence to serve, educate and protect our brother Knights and
their families. I hope you all enjoyed our Bohol Escapade into the soaring
60s together with your respective beloved families. You are definitely the
pillars behind the steady and continuous growth of the KCFAPI which
over the years has blossomed into a significant player in the local insurance
industry. With all of you there, I am confident that we will have another
banner year next year and the years to come. Keep up the good work!
VIVAT JESUS!

Evangelizing through KCFAPI

KCFAPI once again hit its Target of more
than P150 Million in First Year Contribution Income. At the beautiful Bellevue
Hotel, in Bohol, we celebrated and gave
recognition to our finest Fraternal Benefits
Awardees who are the strong Missionaries
and Ambassadors of KCFAPI. Congratulations to our Area Manager of the year, Bro.
Manuel Naldoza! Congratulations to our
Fraternal Counselor of the Year, Bro. Lauro
Evangelista!
The 38th Fr. George J. Willmann, SJ
Annual Family Service Awards inspired
me more as I still have the Francis effect
within me. I know that our awardees also
have the same feelings. But let us make it
clear that the awards were not an effect of
the visit of Pope Francis. Even before he
came, our awardees have already set their
foot on winning the race. Perhaps we can
dare to say that the awards are actually not
the real gift of God to them. The award is
the result of Gods earlier greater gifts. The
first gifts of God were their dedication, commitment, competence, skills, perseverance,
productivity that they have exhibited in the
past year as they put on the best day to day
performance in the work place. I can boldly
reiterate that being a Fraternal Counselor
or an Area Manager is a unique task as they
build relationships of mutual care and respect, because there is conviction to help
a Brother Knight and his family financially
and spiritually. The video presentations we
saw during the awards night: that one of our
Fraternal Counselor of the Year, Bro. Lauro

Arsenio Isidro G. Yap

Evangelista and that of our Area Manager of

the Year, Bro. Manuel Naldoza, said it all.
The events in their respective territories,
their activities, be it a simple orientation
with the family up to the intricate and
technical lectures and trainings differentiate how our field representatives are able to
carry out our mission and most importantly,
evangelize. The group performances alone
display how Fathers can sweetly and gracefully dance with their daughters in those
performances of Bro. Efren Casupanans
Group and that of Bro. Rex Blanco and Bro.
Wel Naldozas Group. How beautiful it is
to be with KCFAPI!
When we cooperate well with Gods inspiration, our work and effort becomes fruitful.
Making it to the awards night happens not
just like that more so, if you are able to
qualify for it more than once. There must
be a general pattern of work and behavior.
There must be consistency in action, certain
work ethics, professionalism and of course,
that special touch of being a brother in action and in faith. And because every year we
have awardees, it means we are a dream team.
I hope I am not rubbing in too much
the Francis effect, but when I reflect on the
kinds of persons who received the awards,
perhaps we can humbly say: We are not really far from what Lolo Kiko advised all of
us to live by, especially the young people. He
said: pensar bien, sentir bien, hacer bien.
Think well, feel well, act well.
This compares to our awardees who have
harmoniously lived these characteristics in

their work, to the best of their abilities.

Our awardees are those who think well and
who think right. They just know what to
do at the right time at the right place in
any given situation. They can distinguish
right from wrong and make decision based
on good choices.
They are the people who feel well. Mostly
they know how to use their intuition in
executing their tasks. Perhaps they are the
ones who we say do things from the heart,
with the heart. Mula sa puso ang paggawa
sabi nga. They love what they do and do
well what they love. They act from the heart,
with feelings shown outwardly. They are
generous with time, highly skilled in their
tasks and also learn from their mistakes.
Pensar bien, sentir bien and hacer bien is
a good summary of what we like our Fraternal Counselors, Area Managers and even
our employees to live by. The Pope puts it
very articulately, almost poetically, but most
of all, it touches a soft spot in us. That is
why Lolo Kiko is effective. He says in more
powerful and effective way and updated
language, what is underlying in what we
know is correct. And it energizes us.
May I repeat: May the Francis effect be
on all of us. May we become holier and wiser
in our lives. May there be transformation
in our society because of all of us. May
we dream for increased productivity in the
years ahead.
Congratulations again to all the Awardees
and their loved ones. May Gods blessings
be on all of us.

Michael P. Cabra

Presidents Message
IN the recent Fr. George J. Willmann SJ
Annual Family Service Awards of KCFAPI where outstanding performances
in terms of sales of Fraternal Counselors
(FCs) and Area Managers (AMs) were
recognized, I saw fewer awardees compared to last year. Does this mean that
our sales have dropped significantly or
are we following a new set of standards to
give the award more meaning and more
significance?
Since targets have been met, it only goes to show that our sales
performance did not drop but actually had increased by a few percentage, by several millions. Part of our new scheme in recognizing
our exemplary sales performance is to widen the parameters by
which they could qualify for the award. As Ive stated last year, We
must understand that we have set the bar of standards higher and we
must admit that it has corresponding responsibilities. This would
mean that only those who had covered all areas as required can
be recognized. To meet the criteria would also mean that our FCs
and AMs received a substantial increase in their allowance derived
from sharing the many benefits of being a Benefit Certificate (BC)
holder to our brother knights and their families.
We would like to recognize and congratulate Brother Manuel
Naldoza (Central Luzon Conquerors) and Brother Lauro Evangelista (Central Luzon Believers) for emerging as the Area Manager
and the Fraternal Counselor of the Year, respectively. Their efforts
once again raised the standard by which an AM and an FC should
conduct themselves in meeting their targets and helping KCFAPI
achieve its own.
Next year and every year hereon, there will be changes in the
parameters of being an awardee. We do not just want our achievers
to be recognized, we also want them to earn more for their respective families. We also want them to be responsible enough to work
for the goals set forth by the Association for the coming years and
not just meet their personal targets.
Meanwhile the performances of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao
Jurisdictions also showed a big jump as compared to their performances for the past three years. All three are expected to receive
the Circle of Honor (COH) Award from Supreme Knight Carl
A. Anderson by June 30, 2015. As a matter of fact, the Visayas
Jurisdiction has already qualified for the Pinnacle Award as early
as third week of February. Meanwhile, the Luzon Jurisdiction also
qualified for the Pinnacle Award last March 9 while the Mindanao
Jurisdiction will be conferred with the Circle Of Honor Award
by early April and with the Pinnacle Award hopefully before the
National Convention in May.
The performance of the three jurisdictions is phenomenal as
compared to last years performance at about the same period,
which was only at 62% or 5% behind the target of 67% ending
February 2014. As of March 9, 2015, the Visayas Jurisdiction
ranked number one Orderwide with 109.19% in membership
growth, Luzon Jurisdiction followed at number 2 with 105.00%
and Mindanao Jurisdiction at the third place with 94.21%. Never
in the history of the Order has any of the three jurisdictions from
the Philippines landed at the top of membership intake until today.
Mindanao at third place is more than 9% ahead of the fourth placer
New Mexico with 85.05%.
Although they might have missed receiving their COH Award
during their second year as State Deputies, Visayas Deputy Rodrigo
Sorongon and Mindanao Deputy Balbino Fauni nevertheless would
be receiving their third COH Award by the end of the Columbian
Year on June 30, 2015.
Similarly, yours truly will be receiving his fourth consecutive
COH Award. This special recognition will make him the first ever
Filipino State Deputy to attain such honor and among the very few
if not the only State Deputy to have ever achieved it Orderwide.
Luzon, the largest jurisdiction in terms of membership with over
167,000 members and the most awarded jurisdiction for the last
four years is re-writing the history of the Knights of Columbus in
the Philippines. With the equally good performances of the Visayas
and Mindanao Jurisdictions, we are now witnessing the dawning
of the Golden Era of the Knights of Columbus in the Philippines.
Although its sad to note that the term of the three State Deputies
would end on June 30, 2015, all three, however, have pledged their
support to and expressed their confidence that their successors will
be able to live up to expectations.
With the continuing efforts to change and improve the systems
set in place in both KCFAPI and the K of C in the Philippines, I
see no reason why we will not experience continuous growth in
sales in KCFAPI and membership growth in the Order.
Our collective efforts have brought us success after success and
have strengthened the bond which makes us a cohesive force in
attaining and even surpassing our targets. Let this simple formula
guide us in the years to come.
Again, congratulations to all the awardees of KCFAPI and the
three State Deputies of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao for a job
well done. Vivat Jesus!

The Cross

My Brothers Keeper

Committed Men of KCFAPI

LAST March 6, 2015 we witnessed the Fr. George J. Willmann, SJ 2014 Annual Family
Service Awards at the Bellevue
Hotel and Resort in Panglao,
Bohol. It was the most awaited
evening for our sales representatives as we honor the brave
men who for the past year have
been consistently committed
with their covenant as Fraternal
Counselors and Area Managers.
At the end of 2014, KCFAPI
had a total of thirty two (32)
Fraternal Counselors and eight
(8) Area Managers awardees
headed by the 2014 Area Manager of the Year and Fraternal
Counselor of the year who,
together with their spouses
were rewarded with 3 days,
two nights all expense paid
out-of-town trip by KCFAPI.
Our 2014 Fraternal Counselor of the Year is none other
than, Bro. Lauro L. Evangelista.
He is known by many as Bro.

Larry and is one of the prides

of the Central Luzon Believers,
a group under the leadership of
Area Manager Bro. Efren M.
Casupanan. Bro. Larry is married
to Sis. Cecilia. They are blessed
with two kids Ces Loraine and
Mark Emman. He is a full-time
Mathematics teacher in a premier high school in Malolos,
Bulacan. He is a consistent
Annual Family Service Awardee
for 14 years since he started as
a Fraternal Counselor. He was
the FC of the Year for 2008
and 2009, Runner-Up FC for
2007 and 2013, WKRT for
2005 and 2010, and Chairman Circle (CC) for 2002,
2003 2004, 2006, 2011 and
2012. Indeed, a multi-awarded
Fraternal Counselor. He is the
past Grand Knight of Council
12810 during the Columbian
Year (CY) 2010-2011 and the
present District Deputy of M16.
Our 2014 Area Manager of

the Year on the other hand, is

none other than Bro. Manuel L.
Naldoza. Bro. Wel as he is fondly
called, leads and manages the
area of Central Luzon Conquerors which covers the provinces
of Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan and
Aurora for the past 16 years. He
was happily married with Sis.
Puring for almost thirty five (35)
years until she passed away last
year. They were blessed with four
daughters who are now all professionals: Em-em, an Accountant working in Canada, Chacha a Bookkeeper of Landbank
Manila, Peng-peng a Chemical
Engineer and Kathleen, also an
Accountant and a Compliance
Officer at ASKI. Bro. Wel, is a
licensed Civil Engineer, a former
College Instructor and a former
Chief Corporate Inspector at
the National Housing Authority (NHA). He is a consistent
Annual Family Service Awardee
since he started as an Area Man-

ager. He was the Area Manager

of the Year in 2000, 2004 and
2005. Bro. Wel was a Past Grand
Knight, a former District Deputy
and a former Regional membership director and is now the State
Insurance Promotion Chaiman.
Undeniably, an extraordinary
Brother Knight.
Aside from the 2014 Awardees
there are other committed men
of KCFAPI and each has his
own story to tell. But one thing
is common among them: each
has the same amount of zeal in
responding to the number one
objective of the Order of the
Knights of Columbus, which is
To provide pecuniary aid to the
members of the order as well as to
their immediate family members.
Have you met any of these
committed Men of KCFAPI? I
suggest you do and live according
to the aspirations and objectives
of our Founder, Fr. Michael J.
McGivney.

Roberto T. Cruz

Touching Base with the Foundations

Some reflections on the 38th Fr. George J. Willmann, SJ
Annual Family Service Awards
THIS issues focus is on the 38th Fr. George
J. Willmann, SJ Annual Family Service
Awards held last March 6-8, 2015 at Panglao, Bohol. Allow me first, to greet the
awardees for their noteworthy performances. After all the hard work comes the rewards
for those who overcame the challenges.
Normally, when we face challenges and
difficulties, we secure strength not only
from our confidence in ourselves, but also
from our family and loved ones. We are
motivated by the fact that our success most
often brings benefits to our family and/or
those who mean the most to us.
In school, we learned about Abraham
Maslows Hierarchy of Needs which said
that people have an inborn desire to be
self-actualized, to be all they can be. But
before this ultimate goal can be realized, a
number of more basic needs must first be
met. At the bottom of the pyramid are basic
physical needs like food, water, sleep and
warmth. Once met, people next look for
the second level or the need for safety and
security. As this is satisfied, the third level
of needs become more psychological and
social the need for love, friendship and
intimacy. These first three levels of needs
are called deficiency needs since they arise
due to deprivation. These need to be satis-

fied so we can avoid unpleasant feelings or

consequences. The fourth level of need is
self-esteem, personal worth, social recognition and feelings of accomplishment. The
fifth and highest level of need is our need
for self-actualization or the process of growing and developing as a person in order to
achieve our individual potential.
The Annual Family Awards therefore gives
an opportunity for our best-performing FCs
and AMs to receive self-esteem and selfactualization since their success is recognized
not only by the KCFAPI Board and Management, but equally important, by their beloved
families whose physiological, security and
social needs have already been provided for
by the awardees achievements.
For their part, the two Foundations, KC
Philippines Foundation, Inc. (KCPFI) and
the Knights of Columbus Fr. George J. Willmann Charities, Inc. (KCFGJWCI) offer a
rare opportunity with a life-long impact to
our scholars to hurdle their basic needs to
realize their self-esteem and self-actualizing
needs. Our KCPFI Collegiate scholars, once
they successfully complete their tertiary
education become eligible for good-paying
jobs that allow them to earn more, escape
the clutches of poverty and realize a more
comfortable and prosperous way of life. As

evidenced during last years First KCPFI

Grand Alumni Homecoming, many of our
scholars have blossomed to be highly successful authorities in their respective professions.
Our KCFGJWCI religious scholars
similarly realize their chance to overcome
the limitations of their humble beginnings
and are able to attend respectable and wellattended seminaries/ universities which
better equip them to pursue and complete
their priestly vocations and create a much
greater impact in their respective dioceses
and religious assignments/missions. For
our diocesan seminarians and priests, their
respective diocesan congregations are their
extended families who motivate them to
make their own significant marks in society.
I believe that whenever we have these
Annual Family Awards, we receive a wakeup call that urges us to look deeper into
ourselves and evaluate if we have personally
made full use of our God-given talents. Let
us just remember that in case we have not
done so yet, it is never too late to start doing
our best so we can make our own impact in
life for ourselves, our family, our community, our country and for God. As long
as we continue to breathe on this earth, our
personal search for self-actualization never
ends - of course, with God as our Guide.

Boats, C1

main source of food or livelihood.

Qualified beneficiaries from all
over the Eastern Visayas Region,
came to Borongan to receive their
new fishing boats.
Lumaki ako, nag-asawa at
nagkaanak, pero hindi ako nakapundar ng sarili kong bangka.
Sumasama lang ako sa ibang man-

gingisda. Hindi ko iniisip sa buhay

ko na may magbibigay sa akin ng
bangka. Kaya gagawin ko ang lahat
para makatulong ito sa pamilya ko
at kahit sa aking mga kapitbahay.
Makatikim man lang sila ng huli
ko, ulo man lang ng isda. -Beneficiary from Mayorga, Leyte
The Knights of Columbus was

one of the first organizations to

respond to the disaster caused by
Typhoon Yolanda in 2013 and is
still helping the region through its
recovery and rehabilitation efforts.
It has already donated millions
worth of cash, relief items and
chain saws to different Dioceses
and Parishes in the Visayas.

(The writer, Atty. Neil Jerome A.

Rapatan is the incumbent Legal
officer of KCFAPI or the Knights
of Columbus Fraternal Association
of the Philippines, Inc. He hails
from Borongan Samar and is an
ardent member and active supporter of the projects of the Knights
of Columbus)

The Cross

C3

March 16 - 29, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 6

Fraternity and Economy

The Knights of Columbus demonstrates that putting regard for neighbor above profit is key to financial success
By SK Carl A. Anderson
LAST August, the 132nd Supreme
Convention took place in Orlando,
Fla., under the theme You Will All
Be Brothers: Our Vocation to Fraternity. Our theme was inspired by
Pope Francis message for the 2014
World Day of Peace, which was
titled Fraternity, the Foundation
and Pathway to Peace.
In that message, the Holy Father
addresses many different aspects
of how the Christian concept of
fraternity can renew society.
The pope states that the key to
true economic reform is to see
each person not just as some
kind of instrument, with a work
capacity and physical strength to
be exploited at low cost and then
discarded when no longer useful,
but as our neighbor.
Pope Francis continues, Christian solidarity presumes that our
neighbor is loved as another
brother or sister.
In other words, the pope is
calling on us to build a nation of

neighbors who treat each other as

true brothers and sisters.
This, of course, is not a new
concept to the Knights of Columbus. More than a century ago,
our founder, Venerable Michael
McGivney, proposed a vision of
Catholic brotherhood for the men
of his time. This vision not only
strengthened Catholic family and
parish life during the 19th century,
but it has also continued to offer an
attractive avenue for men to live
out their vocations.
Father McGivney understood
that the key to a Catholic way
of life was precisely to see society
through the fraternal lens of charity
and unity. In other words, the vocation of a true Catholic knight
is to love his neighbor as another
brother or sister.
In his World Day of Peace message, Pope Francis goes on to insist
that contemporary society is in
need of a rediscovery of fraternity
in the economy. He also calls for
society to rediscover the virtues
of prudence, temperance, justice

and strength. These virtues, he

says, can help us to overcome difficult moments and to recover the
fraternal bonds which join us one
to another.
The Knights of Columbus can
make an important contribution
here as well. For decades, we have
operated a top-rated insurance
program for our members using
the motto: Insurance by brother
Knights, for brother Knights. Fraternity has been the foundation for
what has become one of the most
sustainable and successful business
enterprises in the Catholic world.
Whether we consider the development of our insurance products,
the investment strategies that
support them, or the outstanding
agents who make them available to
our brother Knights, our Catholic
fraternal business model is truly
unique in todays marketplace. We
do not divide the world among
consumers and customers, shareholders and stakeholders, union
members and management. Instead, our business decisions are

measured by a fraternal calculus: What is best for our brother

Knights and their families?
Some may say that this is a kind
of idealism that cannot compete in
the real world of business. On the
contrary, the tremendous success
we have achieved in recent years
demonstrates that our approach is
the height of what I would describe
as Catholic realism.
We deal with real persons, not
with economic abstractions. Our
focus is on the person who is always
worthy of respect and who always
should take precedence over profit.
Admittedly, a business is not a
charity. Profit is absolutely necessary
to the strength and sustainability of
any business venture and especially
for an insurance program that depends on its ability to keep a financial promise many decades into the
future. But as I have said, profit is
not the first or most important value
it does not define our mission.
In this issue of Columbia you
will read about a new and important initiative: Knights of Colum-

The Gentle Warrior

By James B. Reuter, SJ
Part XVII of Chapter One of The Gentle Warrior series

CHAPTER ONE: Training

THIS kind of play does more good than is usually known. It enables the student to laugh at
himself. It restores balance. A young Mexican
Scholastic was studying philosophy in Spain. He
was suffering so much that he made up his mind
to leave the House of Studies, and to leave the
Society of Jesus, and go home. But before he
could announce this decision to his Superiors,
there was a fusion between the Philosophers
and Theologians, and the Theologians presented
a play. The star was a Mexican Jesuit, Miguel
Pro. He was an imitator. For thirty minutes he
imitated each one of the Superiors, portraying
all the things which the Mexican Scholastic had
suffered. It was so funny that, in the midst of

all the laughter and applause, he wept. When

Miguel Pro left the stage, the Mexican thought:
If all these men have suffered this, and if they
can laugh, then I can laugh, too! He decided
to stay in Spain, and in the Society of Jesus.
He wanted to thank the Father Pro, and went
to his room. When he knocked, he thought
he heard Come in, and entered. Miguel Pro
was lying on his bed, white with pain, his knees
against his chin. When he realized he had a
guest, he sat up on the bed, and talked to him.
Miguel Pro had ulcers, and was suffering from
those ulcers while he was doing the imitations
that saved the vocation of the young Mexican
Scholastic! Miguel Pro was martyred, later, in
Mexico.
It is important to know that George Willmann
grew up in a place like this a barracks of three
hundred men where the atmosphere was cheerful, manly, friendly. George was always a team
man. He was never a loner. It is remarkable how
the friendships he formed in Woodstock lasted
through all the years! After fifty years his friends
remembered the handball games they played
together, the tennis matches, mopping floors together in the kitchen, reviewing together, praying
together, sharing their lives together. From the
day he entered the Society of Jesus until the day
he died, the normal home of George Willmann
was a barracks, a community, a group of men
living together, laughing together, supporting
each other. This was the training that prepared
him for the Knights.
Many years later, Dan Lord asked George
Willmann to do him a favor. He said: I want
to ask your sister Dorothy to work with me.
Could you ask her for me? Tell her the truth.

Tell her that I am a savage, and hard on everybody, and that it is very difficult to work
with me. But I would be grateful if she would
take the job.
When George Willmann relayed this message
to his sister, Dorothy, she asked: Is he really
a savage? George looked at her. He really
loved her. The family called her their Gift of
God. He said: Wellwhenever anybody
really wants to do something, he always opts
to step on few toes!
Dorothy took the job with Father Dan Lord,
and worked with the Sodality of the Blessed
Virgin Mary, and with the Queens Work, and
with Christian Life Communities, for the rest
of her life.
In third year philosophy, the Jesuit scholastics
begun to think of the specialty they would follow. Some chose education. Some chose social
work. Some chose science. But George was not
particularly attracted to any of these. He was
touched by the poverty that he saw among the
Negroes who lived around Woodstock. And not
only material poverty spiritual poverty! They
were suffering real discrimination.
Woodstock parish had a Catholic school,
taught by religious Sisters, but it was for white
children only. The government built a one room
schoolhouse for blacks. In that one room there
were students for all eight grades of grammar
school, with one tiny frail black girl teacher. She
had to remove the woolly suits of her kindergarten babies, in the winter time. And some of her
eighth grade students were big strong black boys,
heavily muscled, and weighing 180 pounds.
(To be continued on the next issue.)

Area, C1

For the record we have ninety-eight

(98) candidates in one session in
Cabanatuan and eighty-nine (89)
in Rosales, Pangasinan.
We have a pool of experienced
formators, Former District Deputy
(DD) Bro. Nestor Berber, a seasoned
speaker, Former District Deputy Bro.
Dindo Berino, an ex-seminarian and
is also the Membership and Program
Coordinator of Nueva Ecija and
Aurora and Pangasinan, DD Hon
Panahon, PhD, Dean of Graduate
School, Bro. Ronald Pascual, a professor. Former DD Nong Fernando, a
Provincial Manager of DOLE, Uree
Team of Cabanatuan and the Zaragosa Team, all of whom dedicate their
time, talent and treasure.
We have Bro. Rene Odulio who
supports us financially and his mere
presence in our activities helps lift
up the morale of the membership.

We also have Bro. Al Tolentino, a

poultry owner, who in every exemplification provides us with chicken
for our consumption.
Maraming naniniwala sa aming
ginagawa na kung tawagin namin ay
PROJECT LEVEL-UP.Sa ngayon,
damang-dama namin ang mga bunga
ng aming ginagawa. Noon, para makarecruit ay kailangan may mag sponsor
para sa exemplification fee. Ngayon,
sila na ang nagkukusa at nagtatanong
kung paano maging kasapi.
As we work on developing our
members, we also train our Grand
Knights (GK) for three years now by
way of Values Formation. This is on
top of the regular officers orientation.
We also see to it that we involve
our families in our activities, hence
we organize an annual grand family
day which is now on its fourth (4th)
year. In the past, we normally have

around one thousand seven hundred

(1,700) attendees. For this year,
we expect to have a total of 2,000
attendees.
Apart from these, we likewise
maintain good partnership with
the Order thru the GKs, the DDs
and the Fourth Degree members.
Behind every successful man, is a
trail made of determination, a path
of overcoming failures, several rest
areas of prayer time, and friendly
mentors pointing out the direction. But most of all, some say that
behind every successful man is a
supportive and devoted woman
to keep his head on straight . My
wife, Puring as she was fondly called
by my brothers in the Knights
of Columbus Order (KofC) and
sisters in the Daughters of Mary
Immaculate (DMI), helped me to
achieve my goals in life, supported

me when I am broke, pushed me to

be successful in all of my endeavours, showered me with positive
energy, and complimented me on
a regular basis. Now that she has
already gone back to our Creator, it
will not be easy for me to continue
with my career. Nevertheless, the
memories she left behind will serve
as an inspiration for me to further
fulfill my commitments and obligations not only to mankind but more
importantly to God. In death, we
never lose our loved ones. They still
accompany us, just like what Puring
has done for me, travelling with me
when no one is available. They dont
disappear in our lives. We are merely
in two different worlds. And so I offer this reward to the woman I love,
my wife Purificacion, who made all
things possible when she was still
beside me and not behind me.

Fraternal, C1

assure them that we offer them the best benefits

they can get.
T- trust. Let us not forget that our Benefit
Certificate Holders have put their full trust in us
when they decided to invest their money through
us. In return, lets make them feel secured and
assure them that we are worthy of their trust.
E- is effort. Hardwork, patience, and perseverance are all important. Do the best that we can
in encouraging and motivating our BC Holders.
As one philosopher has uttered these lines, The
man who has done his best has done everything;
but the man who has done less than his best has
done nothing.
G-is guidance from our Lord. Always keep
a prayer for guidance and positive results will
definitely follow whenever we go to our Brother
Knights and their families to offer them our
service- the KCFAPI Insurance. Also a prayer
of guidance and enlightenment for them to
choose the right person or company whom they
can entrust their lives and future; and last but
definitely not the least,

Y- is yourself. Your success does not depend

on anybody else but yourself. Although some
friends and relatives, kumpare and co-workers
may help you find prospect brother knights and
families, but in the end, reaching the peak of the
mountain is really in your hands.
Matagal tagal na rin ang pagsasama natin sa
ganitong gathering but still we have to light
the match all the time to climb our respective
mountains. We have made a commitment for
self-improvement just to keep the fire in our
hearts always burning to serve our BC Holders
faithfully...... for they are our inspirations. Masarap ang pakiramdam kung tayo ay nakagagawa
ng mabuti at nakatutulong sa ating kapwa. Sabi
nga, Fraternal Service Is Our Business.
Sometimes, failure comes our way. But never
get disappointed nor lose hope. Instead make
this a challenge to improve your strategy. Never
get tired of going to our BC Holders. Never
say never, wika nga. Kasabihan nga ng isang
manliligaw: Walang matimtimang birhen sa
matiyagang manalangin. That is the fighting

spirit that we should have. And let me quote

some phrases from Michael Jordan, Ive never
been afraid to fail. That is something that you
have to deal with in reality. I think I am strong
enough as a person to accept failing. But I cannot
accept not trying.
HUMILITY is another characteristic that
could bring a person towards success. No matter how high we have reached, always keep our
feet on the ground. Even Jesus Christ humbled
himself by following Gods will. Another philosopher quoted this line: I believe the first test
of a truly great man is HUMILITY.
Nais ko pong samantalahin ang pagkakataon
para magpasalamat sa aking pamilya. Kay Sis.
Cecille na laging nakaagapay sa lahat ng oras.
Kay Marc Emman at Ces Lauraine na aking
inspirasyon.. Sa aking ama ........
Before I end, I would like to share this success
with all of you who really worked hard not for
yourselves but for our Brother Knights and their
families, and to the service of KCFAPI. Once
again, good evening. VIVAT JESUS!!!

bus Asset Advisors. This initiative

will make available to Catholic institutions across the United States
the same Catholic fraternal business perspective that has become
the hallmark of our Order.
In so doing, we believe that it will
offer new opportunities for a sustain-

able, Catholic approach to financial

decision-making that will greatly
benefit the entire Catholic community. It may even inspire a paradigm
shift in economic thinking that can,
in the words of Pope Francis, make
us a nation of true neighbors.
Vivat Jesus!

Awards, C1

and FCs who made it to the 38th

annual awards, congratulations
for your continuous dedication
and hard work. Expect more
rewards coming this 2015, said
Fraternal Benefits Services Manager, Michael P. Cabra.
The awardees together with
their respective families visited
some tourist spots in Panglao Island such as the Panglao Church,

Watch Tower, Bohol Bee Farm,

Loboc River Cruise with lunch
on-board floating restaurant.
Other attractions they visited
were Blood Compact, Baclayon
Church, Man-made Forest, Tarsier Sanctuary and Chocolate Hills.
The Annual Awards was graced
by the key officers of the KCFAPI
and its Group of Companies. (Yen
Ocampo)

C4

March 16 - 29, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 6

The Cross