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VOLUME 19
NUMBER 19

September 14 - 27, 2015

PROTAGONIST OF TRUTH, PROMOTER OF PEACE

CBCPMONITOR.COM

Church condemns
Lumad killings
By Roy Lagarde

THE Catholic Church says

the government needs to get
to the bottom of the alleged
military harassment and killings of indigenous peoples in
Mindanao mining.

The Diocese of Tandag pointed out

only communities of Lumads who are
fighting against mining were the ones
being hounded and intimidated by a
paramilitary militia group operating in
Surigao del Sur.
In a pastoral statement released to the
media on Sept. 15, the diocese firmly
believes the violence against Lumads is
something that has been extensively
planned.
After all, it said, there are strong allegations that the military are in collusion
with big mining companies that would
like to expand their operations in Surigao
del Sur.
Our indigenous peoples who, ever
since, have been one with nature, have
lived in and survived out of their land of
heritage, are now victims of those who are
hungry and greedy for power and wealth,
part of the statement read.
The diocese lamented that Lumads
who are the heroes in protecting the
environment are now the ones in need of
our combined and continuing support.
Church officials reiterated their call on
the government to stop prioritizing supLumad, A6

CBCPMONITOR@CBCPWORLD.NET

Redemptorists push
probe on 68 extrajudicial killings
under PNoy
THE Congregation of the
Most Holy Redeemer (C.Ss.R.)
in Baclaran, Paraaque City
has recently joined the growing multi-sectoral clamor to
end what it decries as the
military-backed harassment
and extrajudicial killing of
Indigenous Peoples (IP) in
Mindanao, demanding that an
independent and transparent
probe on all alleged 68 cases
of extrajudicial killings under
the Aquino administration be
made.
Redemptorists, A6

WHATS INSIDE
Marriage - between a man
and a woman is under attack,
Pope Francis says, A3

On the killing of
voiceless and defenseless
Lumads, B1

CBCP President and Lingayen Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas delivers a homily at a Mass to formally elevate the Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Padre Pio to the
status of national shrine in Sto. Tomas, Batangas on Sept. 14. In a CBCP decree issued last month, the bishops hope the shrine will further foster a spirit of prayer
and repentance among the devotees. FR. LEONIDO C. DOLOR/ARCHDIOCESE OF LIPA

CBCP backs reforms on marital nullity cases Filipinos in Europe

THE Philippine Catholic bishops
agreed with Pope Francis about the
need to reform Church law in marital
nullity trials.
The Pope announced reforms
yesterday streamlining churchs
procedure for marital nullity while
affirming the longstanding Catholic
teaching on marriage indissolubility.
The process has been simplified
and dramatically shortened, said
Archbishop Socrates Villegas, CBCP
president.

Christ the Judge

According to him, Francis, already
regarded by many as the Pope of
Mercy, wants to reach out tenderly
to those who suffer from invalid
marriages.
Villegas said matrimonial tribunals must be brought closer to the
people.
In fact, he said, each diocese is
mandated to have marriage courts
with the bishop as the symbol of
Christ the Lawgiver and Judge.

Fighting crime is everybodys

responsibility CBCP head

CBCP president Archbishop Socrates Villegas. CBCP NEWS

CRIME is everybodys problem and until the public gets

concerned and involved,
little progress will be made,
a ranking church official said.
Fighting crime is not just
the duty of one sector of society. Fighting crime is the duty
of every human being, CBCP
president Archbishop Socrates
Villegas told reporters recently.
The archbishop pointed
out that, while the police have
a duty to prevent crime, the
public should also play their
part to reduce crime rates.
I think it would be unfair to attribute the duty of
maintaining peace and order
to only one sector of society.
Because if you do that, it is
bound to fail, he said.
The CBCP head made the
statement as he expressed alarm
over the surge in crime such as
theft, rape, and killings in the
country in recent months.

Data from the Philippine National Police (PNP)

showed a total of 885,445
crime were reported from
January to June.
The figure was higher
compared to the 603, 085
incidents during the same
period last year.
Who would not be
concerned about the rising
crimes? A crime is an offense
versus human dignity. So we
should always be concerned
about it, Villegas said.
Asked about the possibilities that crime rate will
further rise as the May 2016
elections approaches, what is
important, he answered, is
to attend to the criminality
of today.
If you project about rising criminality, you might
miss attending to the criminality now, Villegas said. (R.
Lagarde/CBCPNews)

The services of the Church must

be more accessible to the people;
the process to receive those blessings
of new peace for those who have
suffered long, must be simplified,
he said.
Indeed, this is another proof of
the old adage in Church pastoral
ministrythe salvation of souls is
the supreme law, added Villegas.
Fresh air
The CBCP head said the recent

move by Pope Francis is a clear

manifestation of the all-embracing
vision of his papacy: mercy and
compassion.
The 78-year old pontiff in his
words, gestures, and teachings show
us the face of the clement judge who
is Jesus Christ Himself, said Villegas.
There is a lot of fresh air entering
the windows of the Church. More
doors are being opened in welcome,
he said.
Nullity, A6

Cardinal Tagle meets, prays with

top presidentiables
CARDINAL Luis Antonio Tagle has met privately
with the countrys leading
presidentiables on Monday
evening.
The unprecedented meeting, organized by Parish
Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV),
took place at the cardinals
residence in Intramuros,
Manila.
But PPCRV chair Henrietta de Villa insisted it was
purely an ordinary evening
prayer gathering and there
were no talks about politics.
Presidentiables, A6

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle. FILE PHOTO

Online missionaries confab ups 4 times

Catholic Social
Media Summit

urged to join Pope

in helping refugees

THE much-awaited gathering of

online missionaries in the country
promises to be four times as big
and fun as it explores new ways
of bringing the Good News to
unchurched netizens with months
of preparation, relevant topics, and
an impressive lineup of speakers.
The fourth installment of the
Catholic Social Media Summit
[CSMSv4] is one event you should
not miss! It is four times bigger and
better, boasted Chrixy Paguirigan,
CSMSv4 program team head, in an
interview.
Confab, A6

Filipino pilgrims attend the blessing of the mosaic of St. Pedro Calungsod
in St. Peters Basilica on Nov. 21, 2013. CNA

CATHOLIC bishops called

on Filipinos in Europe to
join Pope Francis in providing concrete help to refugees
from countries in conflict
like Syria.
Cardinal Luis Antonio
Tagle, president of Caritas
Internationalis, said it is
high time for people to be in
solidarity with refugees who
are fleeing death from war
and hunger.
After seeing the horrendous images of the ongoing
refugee migrant problem in
Europe it is lamentable
that many continue to be
blind, deaf, and mute, Tagle
said.

also called on overseas Filipino workers in Europe to

join the Church in showing
mercy to the refugees.
Bishop Ruperto Santos of
Balanga said this is another
chance for Filipinos to show
how much they care, especially for those who need
help by making donations.
He said even the parishes
and the dioceses in the Philippines can do the same
thing.
This is for us to show that
Filipinos are caring people
and in solidarity with those
who are suffering and in
need. Lets help in our own
little way, he said.

Children dead
The Manila archbishop lamented that it took children
to die and get washed ashore
in Turkey for the refugee
crisis to catch the worlds
attention.
Emotions of the world
were stirred by the picture
of the boy that came out
It is regrettable but we have
to thank that picture since it
moved many people, said
Tagle.
The head of the Philippine
bishops migrant ministry

Help from the Philippines

Santos chairs the migrants
ministry of the Catholic
Bishops Conference of the
Philippines (CBCP).
As former rector of Pontificio Collegio Filippino for
several years in Rome, he also
headed the Italian Conference on Philippine Migrants.
He said as OFWs, they,
too, were welcomed by their
host countries.
So we reciprocate. We
return the favor. We open
Refugees, A7

A2 WORLD NEWS

Vatican Briefing
You need to work toward an honest economy,
Pope tells bankers
Pope Francis on Sept. 12 met with members of Italys largest credit union, encouraging them to promote an economy
that is rooted in honesty, and to promote a globalization of
solidarity. Concern yourself with the relationship between
economy and social justice, keeping the dignity and value of
the person at the center, the pontiff said to representatives of
the Banca di Credito Cooperativo (BCC) of Rome. Increase
the economy of honesty. You are asked not only to be honestthis is normalbut to diffuse honesty, and help it take
root in all areas. (CNA)
Pope Francis warns of grave consequences if climate
change is ignored
The environment is facing serious threats such as climate
change and global warming, Pope Francis has saidadding
that finding solutions is a matter of justice since its often
the poor who are most affected. We must not forget the
grave social consequences of climate change. It is the poorest
who suffer the worst consequences, the Pope said Sept. 11.
Therefore the issue of climate change is a matter of justice; it
is also a question of solidarity, which must never be separated
from justice, he said, adding that the dignity of each person,
as peoples, communities, men and women, is at risk. Pope
Francis directed his address to the 300 participants in a meeting organized by the Foundation for Sustainable Development
titled: Environmental justice and climate change. (CNA)
Marriage between a man and a woman is under attack,
Pope Francis says
Pope Francis told couples to defend Gods design for the family
as the union of a man and woman for the procreation of children, and urged them to be merciful to those whose marriages
have failed. Today the familyas God wants it, composed of
a man and a woman for the good of the spouses and also the
generation and education of childrenis deformed by powerful contrary projects supported by ideological colonization,
the Pope said Sept. 10. The Pope asked couples to commit to
activities aimed at welcoming, forming and accompanying
young couples both before and after marriage. Francis address
was directed to members of the Equipes Notre Dame (Teams of
Our Lady, END), who are present in Rome for an international
meeting titled: Here I am Lord, send me. (CNA)
Churches, families must be places of welcome, Pope says
Pope Francis Wednesday spoke of the bond which must exist
between families and the Christian community, stressing that
the Church, in following the Gospel, must always keep its
doors open. Churches, parishes, and institutions whose doors
are closed should not call themselves churches, the Pope said.
They should call themselves museums! The Church, in living out the Gospel, must welcome people with doors open,
always, he said. The Popes remarks on the family at his Sept. 9
General Audience are the latest in a series of weekly catecheses,
beginning last year as part of the lead-up to the World Day of
Families in September, as well as Octobers Synod of Bishops
on the Family. (CNA)
Was the last synod rigged? Tell-all book lets the
reader decide
A new book about the 2014 Extraordinary Synod on the Family alleges evidence of a hidden agenda pushed by a handful
of bishops in positions of influence. I felt it was important
to investigate what happened, because Id heardand many
people had heardabout these accusations and allegations of
manipulation during the last synod, said Edward Pentin, author of The Rigging of a Vatican Synod? And as a journalist,
I felt that our task is to search for the truth, uncover the truth
in the name of justice, he told CNA in a recent interview.
A long-time freelance reporter in Rome, Pentin covered the
2014 Synod on the Family and afterward spoke with numerous sourcessome anonymous, some who are namedwho
were connected with the synod and who alleged that a hidden
agenda was at work. Pentin is the new Rome correspondent
for the National Catholic Register, which like CNA is owned
and operated by EWTN. (CNA)
Is this the miracle that could canonize Mother Teresa?
The Vatican is studying the case of a Brazilian man inexplicably
cured of brain abscesseswhich could be the miracle that leads
to the canonization of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Pope
Francis voiced his desire to canonize Mother Teresa during the
Jubilee Year of Mercy which will begin on Dec. 8, the Feast of
the Immaculate Conception, as a sign of mercy for the world
in service to the poor. Father Caetano Rizzi, who works in
the Vaticans congregation for saints, told CNA that the Pope
wants to beatify and canonize men and women that were a
sign of mercy for the world in this Jubilee (Year), and Mother
Teresa is a model, because of that theres a certain urgency
in her process. The possible miracle that would bring about
Mother Teresas canonization occurred in 2008. A man from
Santos, Brazil, whose identity has not been divulged in order to
maintain the discretion needed to conclude the investigation,
was unexpectedly cured from eight abscesses in his brain that
required an operation. (CNA)
Faith leads to freedom, pope tells prisoners, others in
Angelus address
The Christian journey is not a pursuit of earthly success,
but of obeying Gods will, knowing that at the end of time
one will be with God, Pope Francis said. Before reciting the
Angelus prayer Sept. 14, Pope Francis told people in St. Peters Squareand a group of about 50 inmates from Romes
Rebibbia prisonthat the Christian journey leads to real
freedom, freedom from selfishness and sin. The inmates
were treated to a special morning at the Vatican, touring the
Vatican Gardens and museums, arriving in the Sistine Chapel
to listen to the popes Angelus address. Antonio Paolucci,
director of the Vatican Museums, led the tour. One of the
inmates, identified only as Carmine, told Vatican Radio,
We were welcomed so beautifully, which usually does not
happen in society. At the Vatican, he said, we were treated
like important guests. This was moving for all of us. It was
something indescribable. (CNS)

September 14 - 27, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 19

CBCP Monitor

US bishops ready to welcome

refugees from Syrian civil war
WASHINGTON D.C., September 11,
2015As Europes migrant crisis worsens,
fuelled in part by Syrias lengthy civil war, the
head of the U.S. bishops conference has called
on the country to welcome a larger number of
refugees in a spirit of solidarity.
I urge all Catholics in the United States
and others of good will to express openness
and welcome to these refugees, who are escaping desperate situations in order to survive,
Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville said in
a Sept. 10 statement.
Regardless of their religious affiliation or
national origin, these refugees are all human
personsmade in the image of God, bearing
inherent dignity, and deserving our respect and
care and protection by law from persecution.
The archbishops comments come as European nations grapple with how to cope with the
large number of migrants, including refugees
and asylum seekers, who have entered the
continentmore than 432,000 so far this year,
according to the International Organization
for Migration.
Since the Syrian civil war broke out in
March, 2011, more than 4 million of the
countrys inhabitants have fled. The majority
of them have gone to Turkey and Lebanon,
but their ability to take in more refugees is
constrained, and more and more of the displaced are seeking asylum in Europe and the
United States.
Archbischop Kurtz reflected that In recent
days, we have seen reports about and pictures
of thousands of refugees from the Middle
East, primarily Syrians fleeing the conflict in
their nation, fleeing into Europe in search of
protection Pope Francis, has asked Catholics

in Europe to respond to the needs of the refugees streaming into Europe and, throughout
his papacy, has consistently called upon the
world to protect refugees and other persons
on the move.
Archbishop Kurtz said, I express my solidarity with the Holy Father, the bishops of Syria,
the Middle East, and Europe, and all people
who have responded to this humanitarian crisis
with charity and compassion. I also encourage
the U.S. government to assist more robustly
the nations of Europe and the Middle East in
protecting and supporting these refugees and in
helping to end this horrific conflict, so refugees
may return home in safety.
The same day that the archbishop wrote,
president Barack Obama announced that over
the next year, the United States will take in
10,000 Syrian refugees.
The Catholic Church in the United
Stateswith nearly 100 Catholic Charities
agencies and hundreds of parishes assisting
refugees to this country each year, and with
Catholic Relief Services providing humanitarian aid to refugees in the Middle East and
Europe stands ready to help in this effort,
the archbishop said.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus, Mary, and
Joseph flee the terror of Herod. They are the
archetype of every refugee family, Archbishop
Kurtz reflected. Let us pray that the Holy
Family watches over the thousands of refugee
families in Europe and beyond at this time.
Bishop Kevin Farrell of Dallas also wrote
about the refugee crisis on Thursday, saying that the refugees fleeing Iraq, Syria, and
other Middle Eastern nations must leave
their homes due to political instability, war,

religious persecution, hunger, rape and murder

children, who should be living in a stable
home environment, playing with their friends,
getting an education, live in fear and wonder
where they will sleep and find food.
He asserted that the Islamic State is the
chief cause of this human suffering People
of all faiths, even Muslims, suffer under their
tyranny.
Bishop Farrell called Pope Francis call for
each European parish to shelter a migrant
family, and his decision that the Vaticans
two parishes would each take in a refugee
family concrete examples of our Blessed
Lords Gospel message that when we clothe
the naked, give shelter to the homeless, feed
the hungry and welcome the stranger, we
do it for him and we will be called into the
kingdom of heaven.
We simply cannot ignore the suffering of
these brothers and sisters, he said. Evil has
happened in history because good people did
not stand up in time to stop it. Sometimes we
must all raise our voices in solidarity.
Bishop Farrell also urged prayer for refugees,
and noted the work that Catholic Relief Services and Caritas have already done for them.
In the past, parishes in our diocese showed
true Christian spirit and welcomed families
from South Vietnam after the war and more
recently, those who fled Hurricane Katrina, he
concluded. May we all show that same spirit in
whatever way we can for those suffering today
in the Middle East.
May we include a daily a petition to Our
Lady, Help of Christians, that she take into
her loving embrace our brothers and sisters
undergoing such suffering today. (CNA)

English bishops urge greater care for the dying

LONDON, England, September
11, 2015A measure that would
have legalized assisted suicide in
England and Wales failed in the
British Parliament Friday by a vote
of 330-118, much to the relief of
both Catholic and Anglican leaders in the nation.
I welcome Parliaments recognition of the grave risks that
this bill posed to the lives of our
societys most vulnerable people,
said Archbishop Peter Smith of
Southwark in a Sept. 11 statement
on behalf of the Catholic bishops
of England and Wales.
The measure would have allowed doctors to prescribe a
lethal dose of drugs to patients
with six months or less to live.
The lethal drugs would be selfadministered, and each case
would need approval by two
physicians and a judge.
Proponents argued the measure
reflected a shift in public opinion
on end-of-life care.
Social attitudes have changed,
the bills sponsor said, according to
the BBC. This bill would provide
more protection for the living and
more choice for the dying.

Sick and elderly persons at the Basilica of Our Lady of Lourdes. ELISE HARRIS/CNA.

Even the former Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury George

Carey voiced his support for the
measure in the weeks leading up
to Fridays debate, despite the
Church of Englands otherwise
unanimous opposition to the bill.
In contrast, the current Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury,
Justin Welby, described assisted
suicide as mistaken and dangerous.
Opponents in the Parliament
on Friday had similar sentiments.

The right to die can so easily

become the duty to die, said one
member, according to the BBC.
[The bill] changes the relationship between the doctor and
their patients, it would not just
legitimize suicide, but promote
the participation of others in it.
Another member defended
Englands current ban on assisted
suicide.
We are here to protect the most
vulnerable in our society, not to
legislate to kill them, she argued.

This bill is not merely flawed,

it is legally and ethically totally
incompatible.
Catholic and Anglican leaders
urged faithful to contact their
MPs to oppose the bill ahead of
Fridays vote.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols of
Westminster said he believes this
grassroots opposition played a role
in the measures defeat.
I thank all Catholics in our
parishes who took the time to
write to or visit their Member
of Parliament to express their
concern about the Bill, he said.
It was an important moment of
witness to our Christian faith and
the value it places on each and
every human life.
With the measures defeat,
Archbishop Smith said he hopes
lawmakers will turn their attention to expanding palliative care
for terminal patients.
There is much excellent practice in palliative care which we
need to celebrate and promote,
and I hope now the debate on assisted suicide is behind us, that this
will become a focus for political
action, he said. (CNA)

Seven years after deadly anti-Christian attacks

in India, a call for justice
BHUBANESWAR, India, September 12,
2015Victims say that they are still waiting
for justice, seven years after some of the most
violent anti-Christian attacks in Indias recent
history.
Justice has alluded us, Fr. Ajay Singh of the
Kandhamal Committee for Peace and Justice
said, Reuters Foundation reported.
After knocking on every door within the
state government, we found no one willing to
come forward to secure justice for the victims
of Kandhamal.
Following the August 2008 murder of Swami
Lakshmanananda, leader of the right-wing
Hindu nationalist organization Vishna Hindu
Parishad, Hindu fundamentalists attacked the
Christian minority in Kandhamal district of
Odisha, whom they blamed for the murder.
In the months that followed, nearly 100
Christians were killed for refusing to convert to
Hinduism and 56,000 people were displaced,
while 6,500 houses and 395 churches were
destroyed. About 10,000 people have still not
returned due to fear of reprisals.
Fr. Singhs group said that although more
than 3,000 complaints have been submitted,
only 827 of them were registered by the police,
with 237 having been dismissed for a lack of
evidence because many witnesses are still afraid
to come forward with their stories.
Of those complaints, only 33 have been given
a judgement.
On the anniversary of the attack last year,
Fr. Thomas Chellan, a survivor of the violence,
recounted to the charity Aid to the Church in
Need his narrow escape from a mob of hundreds
that descended on his parish pastoral center in
August 2008.

Christian families displaced by the violence in Indias Odisha state in 2008. AID TO THE CHURCH IN NEED

We could see our home going up in flames.

The mob broke open all the doors and windows, thinking we were hiding inside, he said.
He and a religious sister were able to hide
in the home of a Hindu man who took them
in despite the huge threat he faced from the
radicals seeking out Christians.
The mob came and searched the mans house
and found the sister and Fr. Chellan in a shed
in the backyard. The priest said he was beaten

with sticks and iron rods while the religious

sister was brutally raped. When the priest tried
to intervene, the mob doused him in gasoline
and threatened to set him on fire.
The two eventually escaped and found refuge at a local police station.
Local government official Yamini Sarangi
denies any neglect of the victims, telling the
Thomson Reuters Foundation that Everybody had returned back home and victims
have been justly compensated. (CNA)

CBCP Monitor

NEWS FEATURES A3

September 14 - 27, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 19

Marriage between a man and a woman

is under attack, Pope Francis says
VATICAN, Sept. 10, 2015Pope
Francis told couples to defend
Gods design for the family as the
union of a man and woman for
the procreation of children, and
urged them to be merciful to those
whose marriages have failed.
Today the familyas God
wants it, composed of a man and a
woman for the good of the spouses
and also the generation and education of childrenis deformed
by powerful contrary projects
supported by ideological colonization, the Pope said Sept. 10.
A family which is filled with the
presence of God, he said, speaks
for itself of Gods love for all men.
The Pope asked couples to commit to activities aimed at welcoming, forming and accompanying
young couples both before and
after marriage.
Francis address was directed to members of the Equipes
Notre Dame (Teams of Our Lady,
END), who are present in Rome
for an international meeting titled:
Here I am Lord, send me.
Founded in France in 1938,
END is a lay movement which focuses on married spirituality, using
its own methods to help couples
live the sacrament of marriage
fully amid the various challenges
married couples face
In his speech, the Pope said that
Christian couples and families are
in the best position to announce
Jesus to other families, and to

Vatican City - August 5, 2015. Pope Francis blesses a newly married couple during the Wednesday general audience in Paul VI Audience Hall on August 5, 2015. CNA

support, strengthen and encourage them.

The unique joy that the Lord
enables families and couples to
experience in the intimacy of domestic life, both in moments of joy
and suffering, must be witnessed
to, announced and communicated
externally, so that others, in turn,

take the same path, he said.

The Pope encouraged couples
to live the movements spirituality and commitments in a deep
way, saying these allow couples to
live their married life confidently,
following the path of the Gospel.
Prayer within couples and families is especially important, he said,

explaining that it is a beautiful

and necessary tradition that has
always supported the faith and
hope of Christians, and unfortunately abandoned in many regions
of the world.
Monthly dialogue between
spouses is also needed, Francis
continued, noting that the need

How might the new annulment process

affect the Synod on the Family?
VATICAN, Sept. 10, 2015By reforming the process for discovering the nullity
of marriage on Tuesday, mere weeks before
the beginning of Octobers Synod on the
Family, Pope Francis has taken that issue
out of the hands of the synod fathers.
The decision could impact the Synod
of Bishops, however, by reducing the
perceived need for a quick solution to
the issue of granting the divorced-andremarried access to Communion since
the reformed process may make it easier
for many of them to verify the nullity of
their first marriage.
Pope Francis had in fact already shown
his will to remove the discussion of declarations of nullity from the synod hall: his
special commission to study a reform of
the matrimonial process was announced
Sept. 20, 2014, but had been established
a month earlier, on Aug. 27, well before
the beginning of October 2014 Synod
on the Family.
In any case, the issue was among those
discussed at the synod, and Cardinal
Francesco Coccopalmerio, president of
the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts
and one of the members of the commission, addressed the issue in an Oct. 8,
2014 media briefing.
He noted there that the commissions
aim was that of drafting a proposal of
reform of the process on marriage, trying
to speed up the procedure, by streamlining it and at the same time safeguarding
the principle of the indissolubility of
marriage, while distinguishing between a
declaration of nullity and the dissolution
of a marriage, clarifying that no marriage
that is ratum et consummatum can be
dissolved.
As the upcoming synod will now not
have to discuss the issue of declarations
of nullity, it is possible that Pope Francis
decision may also temper the push for a
new praxis on admission to Communion
for the divorced-and-remarried. At the

Face of mercy
He further urged the new

Vatican officially confirms Pope

Francis visit to Africa in November

Pilgrims with the flag of Angola, Africa at the Wednesday general audience in St. Peters Square with Pope
Francis on June 10, 2015. CNA

A bishop reads a newspaper in the Vaticans Synod Hall before the Friday session of the Synod on the
Family, Oct. 10, 2014. CNA

same time, the motu proprios could alter

the terms of the synods discussion.
The discussion will probably be refocused on other issues, which could be
helped by the new rules for the Synod
of Bishops.
A source involved in the Synod of
Bishops told CNA Sept. 7 that there will
be no midterm report, and each week
will be dedicated to the discussion of one
of the three parts of the synods working
document.
After a short general introduction, participants of the Synod will split into small
linguistic groups, so that there are many
small group discussions, but no general
discussion among all of the synod fathers.
The small groups will then bring their
conclusions to the General Secretariat of
the Synod and to the general relator, who
would give a final report at the end of the
synod, which will be concluded with a
speech from the Pope.

Meanwhile, the number of requests for

declarations of nullity may increase.
Msgr. Pio Pinto, dean of the Roman
Rota and chairman of the commission,
addressed this issue in the article he wrote
Sept. 8 for LOsservatore Romano: Thus
Francis, with this fundamental law gives a
true start to his reform: putting the poor
at the center, that is, the divorced-andremarried, held or treated as far away,
and asking of the bishops a true and
proper metanoia. That is, a conversion,
a change of mentality that convinces and
undergirds them to follow the invitation
of Christ, presented to them in their
brother, the Bishop of Rome, to pass from
the restricted number of a few thousand
declarations of nullity to the huge number
of unhappy people who might obtain the
declaration of nullityfor the evident
lack of faith but who are left outside
the existing system. (Andrea Gagliarducci/CNA/EWTN News)

New bishop told: Love your priests, poor

PALO, Leyte, Sept. 7, 2015
Love the priests, the poor, the
children and youth
This was the advice CBCP
president and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates
Villegas gave to newly-ordained Bishop Oscar Jaime
Florencio.
Speaking publicly during
Florencios episcopal ordination on Sept. 4 at the Palo
Cathedral, he said, Always
love your priests because if you
will not love your priests, they
might have another one.

to sit down often goes against the

current of a busy, individualistic
world.
He also encouraged the couples
to draw close to the increasing
number of wounded families who
suffer due to either a lack of work,
concern for a child, the distance or
an absence of a family member or

a violent environment.
We must have the courage to
enter into contact with these families, he said, adding that it must
be done in a discreet but generous way, materially, humanly or
spiritually, in those circumstances
where they are vulnerable.
Pope Francis closed by encouraging couples to instruments of Christs
mercy toward those whose marriages
have failed, and stressed that married
fidelity is a gift from God.
Mercy has been shown to every
one of us, Francis said. He added
that couples who are united and
happy can better understand the pain
and the suffering caused by betrayal,
abandonment and a lack of love.
It is necessary, therefore, that
you bring your witness and your
experience to help Christian
communities to discern the real
situations in which these people
find themselves, to welcome them
with their wounds, and to help
them to journey in faith and in
truth, he said.
Nor must you forget the unspeakable suffering of the children
who experience these painful
family situations: you can give a
lot to them.
Pope Francis asked those present to pray for the upcoming
Synod on the Family, and for all
their reflections on the vital cell of
our societies within the difficult
current cultural context. (Elise
Harris/CNA/EWTN News)

bishop to care for the priests

even those who have fallen
and stumbled along their way
because your face is a face of
mercy.
He also urged the prelate to
give utmost attention to the
poor and marginalized.
Dont make the poor distance (themselves) from you,
he said, adding that at the
sunset of our lives, the poor
will judge us.
They must be able to
understand your works and
recognize your voice, the
prelate said before a throng of
churchgoers who witnessed
Florencios ordination.

The ordination, led by Papal

nuncio Archbishop Giuseppe
Pinto and Palo Archbishop
John Du, was attended by
many other prelates and priests
from across the country.
First in 30 years
It was last July when Pope
Francis named Florencio along
with also newly-ordained prelate Dennis Villarojo as auxiliary bishops of Cebu.
Villarojo is from Cebu while
Florencio is the first bishop
to be appointed from the
Palo archdiocese and its five
suffragan dioceses in almost
thirty years.

Also present during the

ordination was Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, a former
CBCP head and who also once
served as archbishop of Palo
from 2006 to 2010.
Palma recalled how super
typhoon Yolanda tested the
faith of the people, but was
rewarded by the visit of Pope
Francis who opted to be with
the survivors in January.
We were tested but we
were blessed (with the Popes
visit) and now we have another
beautiful blessing, he said
referring to Florencios ordination. (Eileen NazarenoBallesteros / CBCP News)

VATICAN, Sept. 10, 2015The

Vatican today officially announced that
Pope Francis will travel to Kenya, Uganda and the Central African Republic in
November, a plan informally revealed by
the Pope himself this summer.
After accepting the invitation issued
by the respective Heads of State and the
Bishops, Pope Francis is scheduled to
visit the African continent from Nov.
25-30, a Sept. 10 communiqu from
the Vatican announced.
He will set foot in Kenya first, where
he will stay from Nov. 25-27, before
moving on to Uganda Nov. 27-29. His
last stop will be the Central African
Republic, from Nov. 29-30.
Francis first announced his intention
to travel to Africaspecifically the
Central African Republic and Ugandaduring a news conference while
returning from a trip to Sri Lanka and
the Philippines in January.
He confirmed the plans in a June
12 meeting with hundreds of priests
from around the world participating in
the Third World Priests Retreat in the
Basilica of St. John Lateran when he
answered a question from an African
priest about when he planned to visit.
God willing, I will be in Africa in November. In the Central African Republic
first and then Uganda, he responded.
The Pope also noted that the trip will
come before the presidential transition
in the Central African Republic, and
Uganda after the 50th anniversary of
the martyrs, though a little late.
The 22 Ugandan Martyrs were killed
by the king in the 1880s for refusing to
recant their faith. They were canonized
Oct. 18, 1964 by Pope Paul VI in St.
Peters Basilica. The Church of Uganda
has already begun preparations for the
celebration of the Golden Anniversary
of the canonization with a diocesan
conference on the 22 saints.
Although Pope Francis has previously
spoken about visiting the African continent, todays confirmation from the
Vatican makes it official.
In the June meeting with priests, Pope
Francis also addressed pastoral concerns
in Africa, noting that while there might

be a shortage of priests, the presence of

lay catechists is strong.
As far as the Church in Africa goes,
the backbone are the catechists. I think
that the formation of lay catechists is
fundamental in Africa. They are the
ones who carry the Church forward,
the Pope said.
Besides the catechists, there are two
other institutions which stand out in
caring for the people, which are the
schools and the hospitals, Francis observed.
The tenderness, the care. Many
religious sisters, many laity spend years
and years and years caring for the sick
with great tragedies. How many laity
go there to serve as doctors in the tragedies! he said.
Francis also praised the creative spirit
present in the African liturgy, saying that
behind it lay a great spiritual experience.
However, he also touched on various
challenges Africans face such as terrorism and the exploitation of the land,
which he spoke of in his recent encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si.
Right now in Africa there is a serious
problem of the ideological wars led by
groups such as Boko Haram that needs
to be addressed, he said, noting that the
continent has also become a place of
despoilment.
I say this with all respect and with a
lot of love: Africa is an attractive place to
despoil (there is) the ability to go there
in search of wood, gold or metals, and
ravage and leave, the Pope explained.
Pope Francis stressed the need to solve
social and developmental problems so
that people no longer need to travel to
Europe in search of a better life.
This is an emergency. What is needed
is that Europe goes there to Africa not to
take things out of Africa, but to invest in
Africa so that Africa has industry, work,
and the people dont need to come here.
This is the more social work, he said.
Europe has been very generous with
Africa in terms of whats Catholic. Today the world isnt generous with Africa
because they exploit it. They treat it as
a land of exploitation. (Elise Harris/
CNA/EWTN News)

A4 OPINION

September 14 - 27, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 19

CBCP Monitor

EDITORIAL

NOT the government, for sure. Because, to follow the logic of President
Benigno Aquino III in a forum last September 9, the government has no
campaign to kill anybody. Disputably, though, this maybe the same logic
that can be applied to the massacre of Chinese tourists at the Quirino
Grandstand in August 2010 when the new Malacaang boys were running
the show. That was why, the leadership did not see the need to apologize,
despite foreign pressure. And, by some stretch of imagination, the same
logic maybe used in the Zamboanga siege in September of 2013 when
the president with his boys encamped to watch the war games with the
MNLF. Well, perhaps at the Mamasapano, too, where some sectors are
reportedly now looking for an alternative truth.
According to human rights groups, it appeared that the President was
trying to exonerate whoever are behind the summary killings of the Lumads
in Surigao del Sur. The CBCP president Archbishop Socrates Villegas calls
this disturbing. In a statement released September 11, the Archbishop
said, We are disturbed profoundly by reports that national leaders have
been quick to exonerate the militia group of wrong-doing. This alarming
eagerness to deny culpability does not augur well for truth and justice.
Such declarations inspire credence only after a reliable and trustworthy
investigation by impartial and competent persons shall have taken place.
If made before any such investigation, they disturbingly suggest a refusal
to hold accountable those to whom the Administration so eagerly extends
its mantle of protection.
But while the national leadership seems to be somewhere else, local leaders
and advocacy groups are very much aware who are harassing and killing
the Lumads. In fact, on January 30, 2015, a Peace Dialogue was held in
Surigao del Sur attended by the PNP, AFP, the Provincial Government, the
LGU of Lianga, Religious groups, and Lumad leaders. In that dialogue, the
perpetrators were identified. They are members of the Magahat/Bagani, a
paramilitary group headed by Datu Calpito Egua, Marcos Bocales, Marcial Belandres and Bobby Tejero. This gathering agreed to immediately
dismantle and disarm this paramilitary group and file criminal charges.
Of course, nothing happened after that except more harassment and more
killings of the Lumads.
The priests of the Diocese of Tandag in a pastoral statement issued on
September 8, believes that there are powerful hands that maneuver behind
the paramilitary group Magahat/Bagani. Otherwise, these killings would
have already ceased and court cases filed months ago. The priests say in their
statement, One can see and understand that only those community of
Lumads who firmly stand to protect the forest and reject mining activities
and anything that destroys nature were obviously the ones being hounded
and intimidated supposedly by the aforementioned notorious group.
Gathering all these, we can say that all this could be a work that has been
extensively planned. Our indigenous people who, ever since, have been one
with Nature, have lived in and survived out of their land of heritage, are
now victims of those who are hungry and greedy for power and wealth.
Again, who are behind the killings the Lumads? Sadly, its not so easy to
take President Aquinos word for it.

Religions in dialogue with science

IT cannot be maintained that empirical science provides a complete
explanation of life, the interplay of all creatures and the whole of reality.
This would be to breach the limits imposed by its own methodology. If
we reason only within the confines of the latter, little room would be
left for aesthetic sensibility, poetry, or even reasons ability to grasp the
ultimate meaning and purpose of things. I would add that religious
classics can prove meaningful in every age; they have an enduring power
to open new horizons Is it reasonable and enlightened to dismiss
certain writings simply because they arose in the context of religious
belief? It would be quite simplistic to think that ethical principles present themselves purely in the abstract, detached from any context. Nor
does the fact that they may be couched in religious language detract
from their value in public debate. The ethical principles capable of being apprehended by reason can always reappear in different guise and
find expression in a variety of languages, including religious language.
Any technical solution which science claims to offer will be powerless
to solve the serious problems of our world if humanity loses its compass,
if we lose sight of the great motivations which make it possible for us
to live in harmony, to make sacrifices and to treat others well. Believers
themselves must constantly feel challenged to live in a way consonant
with their faith and not to contradict it by their actions. They need to
be encouraged to be ever open to Gods grace and to draw constantly
from their deepest convictions about love, justice and peace. If a mistaken understanding of our own principles has at times led us to justify
mistreating nature, to exercise tyranny over creation, to engage in war,
injustice and acts of violence, we believers should acknowledge that by
so doing we were not faithful to the treasures of wisdom which we have
been called to protect and preserve. Cultural limitations in different eras
often affected the perception of these ethical and spiritual treasures, yet
by constantly returning to their sources, religions will be better equipped
to respond to todays needs.
The majority of people living on our planet profess to be believers.
This should spur religions to dialogue among themselves for the sake of
protecting nature, defending the poor, and building networks of respect
and fraternity. Dialogue among the various sciences is likewise needed,
since each can tend to become enclosed in its own language, while specialization leads to a certain isolation and the absolutization of its own
field of knowledge. This prevents us from confronting environmental
problems effectively. An open and respectful dialogue is also needed
between the various ecological movements, among which ideological
conflicts are not infrequently encountered. The gravity of the ecological
crisis demands that we all look to the common good, embarking on a
path of dialogue which demands patience, self-discipline and generosity,
always keeping in mind that realities are greater than ideas.
-- Laudato Si, 199-143

Monitor
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ILLUSTRATION BY BLADIMER USI

Whos killing the Lumads?

Pastoral Companion
Abp. Antonio J. Ledesma, SJ
POPE Francis recent encyclical, Laudato
Si, enjoins all of us to care for our common
home, the earth. More directly, we are also
challenged to care for our common home, the
city of Cagayan de Oro. During fiesta time, we
celebrate the gift of family, renew friendships,
and strengthen the bonds of community.
During the time of Typhoon Sendong, affecting the entire city, we showed how we could
all work together to help dislocated families
who lost their houses and loved ones. A home is
not only a house where a family lives; a home is
built by the love that is shared by all members
of the family. So, too, with our community;
our City of Golden Friendship is built by the
spirit of solidarity and concern for the common good. It is in this light that we can look
at three challenges confronting our common
home mentioned in Pope Francis encyclical.
Lately, a Peoples Council of concerned
citizens, including residents of affected sub-

Care for Our Common

Home: Cagayan de Oro

divisions, have voiced their concerns on the

problem of pollution coming from the citys
basurahan. The garbage dumpsite poses an
immediate threat to the health of people living in nearby housing areas. There has been a
persistent clamor for a sanitary land fill and for
solid waste management practices. The goals of
zero waste can be achieved through reducing,
recycling, and reusing waste materials.
Last week, together with several ministry
workers of the Archdiocese, I visited the J.R.
Borja City Hospital upon the invitation by
its administrator, Dr. Ramon M. Nery. We
were glad to see the marked improvements
not only in the physical structures, but more
so in the hospital managements policies of
accommodating the needs of all indigent
families. However, we were told that the foul
odor from the basurahan could be noticed in
the afternoons whenever the wind direction
changes towards the hospital.

The Veil of Manoppello

Clearly, the citys garbage issue can be solved

if the citys executive and legislative officials can
work together and go beyond partisan politics
for the sake of the common good. But it is
also a challenge for all of us, to do our part in
making sure that our surroundings are clean
and hospitable.
A second challenge mentioned in Pope Francis encyclical is the issue of water. There are a
number of housing areas, including Typhoon
Sendong relocation sites, that still do not have
regular access to clean drinking water. nd yet,
as Pope Francis remarks, access to safe drinkable water is a basic and universal human right,
since it is a condition for the exercise of other
human rights. (LS, 30)
Water scarcity may be a constant problem
in some areas of the city. On the other hand,
too much water in times of heavy rains can
severely threaten the city, as what happened
Pastoral Companion, A7

And Thats The Truth

Teresa R. Tunay, OCDS

NOT many of us are familiar

with or even heard of the Veil
of Manoppello, a piece of sea
silk that bears what is believed
to be the Holy Face of the
Risen Christ. Perhaps a visit to
Bagumbayan,Taguig City one
of these days could introduce us
to it. A replica of the Holy Face
of Manoppello was enshrined
at the Sagrada Familia Parish in
Bagumbayan, Taguig City last
Sept. 14, Feast of the Exaltation
of the Holy Cross. The replica,
housed in its own chapel, is a
special gift from the Rector of
the Basilica of Volto Santo in
Manoppello and Mrs. Daisy
Neves of Seattle, USA, to the
Philippines and the Christian
community of Bagumbayan, a

gift from the Risen Lord in order

to help us persevere in believing,
says Fr. Danny Flores, Sagrada
Familia parish priest who is on
loan from Rome.
Allow us to lend this space
to the story told of the Veil of
Manoppello and handed down
to this column by Fr. Flores: The
account of the resurrection of the
Lord (Jn. 20: 1-9) narrates that
inside the empty tomb where
Jesus was laid down, several burial
clothes were found including the
cloth that covered Jesus head.
John entered the tomb after Peter;
the former firmly fixed his eyes on
the cloth. He saw and believed
that indeed Jesus is Risen from the
dead.
According to the Jewish

Candidly Speaking

tradition, several cloths were

used in the burial customs of the
Jews. Insofar as Jesus was regarded
as Rabbi whose teaching came
from above, the most solemn of
all the burial cloths were used to
bury His body. These cloths that
covered the dead body of Jesus
were the sindonmunda of Joseph of
Arimathea, sudarium of Aachen,
shroud of Turin, coif of Cahors,
sudarium of Oviedo and the veil
of Manoppello. Famous among
these burial cloths are the fourmeter linen cloth used to wrap
the whole body of the dead Jesus,
commonly known as the shroud
of Turin, the towel used to absorb
the blood and water coming out
from the nose and mouth of Jesus
while being brought down from

the cross, known as the sudarium

of Oviedo and the marine byssus
that was placed over the head of
Jesus as the last homage to the
divine King, or the so-called veil
of Jerusalem, otherwise known
as the Veil of Veronica enshrined
today in the Basilica del Volto
Santo a Manoppello in Italy.
St. John found the veil of
Jerusalem, which covered the face
of Jesus while in the tomb; he saw
on it the imprinted image of the
face of the Risen Lord and after
observing it, he believed that, in
fact, the Lord Jesus Christ is alive.
The tradition says that during
the apostolic times, all the burial
cloths, already considered relics
of the Suffering, Dead and Risen
And Thats the Truth , A7

Empowering the family

Fr. Roy Cimagala

YES, we need to empower the family, especially the parents, so it can fulfill all its duties
and responsibilities, especially the most basic
ones that are related, more than anything
else, to the spiritual life of all members in
the family.
The family is not just some collection of
parents and children whose main concern is
meeting the material or emotional needs of all
its members, or some generic human needs.
The family is a human family, not just an
animal family, and as such it has a nature
that corresponds to the dignity of our human
nature, that gives primary importance to the
spiritual dimension which essentially distinguishes us from the other animals. Thus, our
Catechism defines it as:
A man and a woman united in marriage
form a family together with their children.
God instituted the family and endowed it
with its fundamental constitution. Marriage
and the family are ordered to the good of the
spouses and to the procreation and education
of children.
Members of the same family establish
among themselves personal relationships and

primary responsibilities. In Christ the family

becomes the domestic church because it is a
community of faith, of hope, and of charity.
(Compendium 456)
We have to make everyone more aware of
this distinguishing character of the family.
Its its spiritual dimension that defines and
separates the human family from other forms
of family in the natural world.
Because of that, the family cannot but be
a community of faith, hope, and charity
which is what it ultimately is and what would
properly nourish and develop it.
Its not just some object of the natural
world, no matter how brilliant or practical
these objects are, since these do not give us
the original basis of what is to be human.
At best, these natural objects of our spiritual faculties of intelligence and will are mere
manifestations of our humanity, and also the
means and occasions to affirm the real source
and basis of our humanity, which is God, our
Creator, in whose image and likeness we have
been created.
We need to make this fundamental truth
about ourselves more known and appreciated, so we can correspond and act on it

with greater consistency. We have to get to

a level higher than the status quo insofar as
our understanding of the family is concerned.
Especially these days when we all are practically faced with delicate and complicated
issues, when a lot of ideologies are sowing
error and confusion, mixing true and valid
points with false and distorted values, we need
to equip the family properly because it serves
as the primary defense of any individual, even
before schools, churches, and other institutions can help.
This, of course, is not going to be an easy
job. We are aware of the many inadequacies
that families now have as well as the increasing
dangerous influences and conditionings that
they are exposed to. But thats the challenge
we just have to face and learn to resolve.
Obviously parents, especially the young
ones and those whose formation may not have
been good, need a lot of help. Catechesis for
them is necessary, but a lot more are needed.
Its good that there are groups organized by
the churches and some private institutions
that try to meet this need, but more groups
are needed.
Candidly Speaking, A7

CBCP Monitor

OPINION A5

September 14 - 27, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 19

Living Mission
Fr. James H. Kroeger, MM

The Poor: Vision of the

Philippine Church

Along the Way

Fr. Amado L. Picardal, CSsR, SThD

Year of the Poor Reflections

THE Church in the Philippines seriously
attempted to take the wisdom of the Second
Vatican Council (1962-1965) and integrate
it into the vision and life of the local Church
through the month-long Second Plenary
Council of the Philippines (1991). The
PCP-II document contains pivotal insights
on what it means to be the Church of the
Poor, insights as relevant today as when they
were first spoken.
PCP-II noted: In the Philippines today,
God calls us most urgently to serve the poor
and the needy. The poverty of at least half
of the population is a clear sign that sin has
penetrated our social structures. Poverty in
the sense of destitution is not Gods will for
anyone (122).
PCP-II struggled to define what Church
of the Poor means. The Church of the
Poor is one whose members and leaders
have a special love for the poor. It is not
an exclusive or excluding love in such a way
that there is no room in a Christians heart
for those who are not poor. For always, the
Christian must love all persons. Christ
was able to love well-to-do people like Zaccheus and the family of Martha, Mary and
Lazarus (126-127).
The Church of the Poor is one where,

at the very least, the poor are not discriminated against because of their poverty, and
they will not be deprived of their right to
receive in abundance the help of the spiritual
goods of the Church, especially that of the
Word of God and the sacraments from the
pastors (128).
The comprehensive document of PCP-II
observes: The Church of the Poor is one
that will be in solidarity with the poor. It
will collaborate with the poor themselves and
with others to lift up the poor from their
poverty (130).
As the Second Vatican Council taught:
The Church encompasses with her love all
those who are afflicted by human misery
and she recognizes in those who are poor
and who suffer the image of her poor and
suffering founder. She does all in her power
to relieve their need and in them she strives
to serve Christ (LG 8).
The Church of the Poor means, in the
words of Pope John Paul II, that: Before
todays forms of exploitation of the poor,
the Church cannot remain silent. She also
reminds the rich of their precise duties.
Strong with the Word of God, she condemns
the many injustices which unfortunately,
even today, are committed to the detriment

Protect Them,
They are Our Brothers!
THE plight of the refugees from
Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan
needs our prompt attention and
action. They are our brothers, regardless of difference in religion,
color, or race. The refugees are
an international concern. According to the United Nations,
220,000 people have been killed
and 11 million have been displaced since 2011. No less than
Pope Francis announced that
he will give temporary housing
in the Vatican to at least two
refugee families. He asked every
European parish, monastery, and
shrine to do the same.
The picture of the lifeless body
of a 3-year old Syrian boy lying
dead on the seashore became
viral in social media. It caused
public outcry and touched the
heart of every individual. His
family took the boat, braved the
rough seas, fleeing war, death,
and hunger. Reports said that
almost 350,000 refugees arrived
at the European borders between
January and August this year.
His Eminence Luis Antonio
Cardinal Tagle requested everyone to give assistance to the
refugees, both financially and
spiritually. They left their country and crossed borders to reach
the safest place where they can
live peacefully.
It will be remembered that
at the peak of Vietnam War
in 1969, more than 12 million refugees (2 million died
and 3 million wounded), the
so-called boat people, left
Vietnam to avoid persecution
by the Communists. Some of
the boat people found their
way to the Philippines, where
the government accepted them
and housed them in Bataan and
Palawan. The Philippines volunteered to process the papers

of the refugees until they were

flown to the United States and
other countries determined by
the United Nations.
This time, we can do it again,
by giving financial assistance
through the CBCPs Caritas
Philippines. Let us also pray for
the safety of the refugees. Let us
pray that the countries in Europe
will accept them, especially the
old and the young, the women
and the disabled. Let us pray that
they process the refugees until
they are flown to the countries
selected by the United Nations.
***
The Sangguniang Laiko ng
Pilipinas (Laiko) will lead the
celebration of the National Laity Week on Sept. 27 Octo.
3, 2015 to honor the patron
saints of the laity San Lorenzo
Ruiz, whose feast we celebrate
on Sept. 28, and Saint Pedro
Calungsod, who was canonized
on Oct. 21, 2012. This theme
is Pamayanan ng mga Aba,
Bayang Pinagpala.
Opening Program is on Sept.
27, 7:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., at
Ibalong Centrum for Recreation, Legazpi City to be led
by Council of the Laity President Bro. Glenn Barcelon. The
Laiko Board, led by its National
President Dr. Amelita DayritGo, will join the celebration
and meet the presidents of the
councils of the laity in the region. Hon. Noel Rosal, Legazpi
City Mayor, will also grace the
occasion. Most Rev. Jesse Mercado, outgoing Chairman of
the Episcopal Commission on
the Laity (ECLA), will deliver
the keynote address while Most
Rev. Joel Baylon, Bishop of Legazpi, will preside at the 10 a.m.

of the poor (131).

Pastors and members of the Church will
courageously defend and vindicate the rights
of the poor and the oppressed, even when
doing so will mean alienation or persecution
from the rich and powerful (131).
Continuing the insightful catechesis
of PCP-II, we read: The Church of the
Poor will also mean that the Church will
not only evangelize the poor, but that the
poor in the Church will themselves become
evangelizers. Pastors and leaders will learn
to be with, work with, and learn from the
poor. A Church of the Poor will not only
render preferential service to the poor but
will practice preferential reliance on the poor
in the work of evangelization (132).
The Church of the Poor is one where the
entire community of disciples will have
such a love of preference for the poor as to
orient and tilt the center of gravity of the entire community in favor of the needy (134).
When the Church in the Philippines becomes truly this Church of the Poor, the poor
will feel at home in her, and will participate
actively, as equal to others, in her life and
mission. The Church will then become truly
a communion, a sign and instrument, for the
unity of the whole Filipino nation (136).

Duc In Altum

Atty. Aurora A. Santiago

concelebrated Mass. At 3 p.m., a

simultaneous Diocesan Coastal/
River Clean-up in all 47 parishes
will be conducted in response to
Pope Francis Encyclical Laudato Si. Theme: Solidarity
with the Poor, Care for the
Common Home.
The Closing Program will be
on Oct. 3, 2015 at the Maria
Goretti Parish Church, Pope
Pius XII Center, U.N. Avenue,
Paco, Manila, 7:00 a.m. - 11
a.m. Ms. Grace Padilla of Catholic Womens League will talk
about environment while Bishop
Jesse Mercado and Most Rev.
Broderick Pabillo, Incoming
ECLA Chairman, will celebrate
the Mass at 11am. There is no
registration fee.
In the Diocese of Kalookan,
the Council of the Laity President Mrs. Monina Lucas, requests all Parish Pastoral Councils and Diocesan organizations/
ministries to sponsor Thanksgiving Mass, either together or separately, in their respective parishes
on Sept. 27, 2015 to give thanks
to the Lord for the gift of Empowerment of Servant Leaders,
as mandated by Saint Pope John
Paul II in his Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles Laici. Most
Rev. Francis de Leon, Apostolic
Administrator, issued a circular
to have second collections during
the anticipated Mass on Sept. 26,
2015 and for all Masses on Sept.
27, 2015, Sunday, to support the
activities of the Council of the
Laity of Kalookan. Let us celebrate the empowerment of the
laity, especially the poor and the
needy, in this Year of the Poor.
***
The Bureau of Customs must
respect our OFWs (Overseas

Filipino Workers). The balikbayan boxes they sent to their

families are their sacred gifts,
the fruits of their love and
hard-earned money. Opening
the balikbayan boxes is like
opening the gifts which belong
to someone else. Be sensitive to
the feelings of our OFWs, our
modern-day heroes who continuously help uplift our countrys
economy. Without them, most
of you at the Bureau of Customs
will not be living a wonderful
life, or probably, some of you
might be even be unemployed.
You are luckier and blessed
because you go home to your
families after work, while our
OFWs go back to their living quarters, away from their
families, nursing homesickness,
which is the worst experience
that could happen to a person.
Be merciful.
***
We would like to greet the Kalookan Diocese clergy September
Birthday celebratorsFr. Alberto Cahilig,OMI, Fr. Alfredo
Fernandez,OP, Fr. Elpidio Jun
Erlano, Fr. Nestor Fajardo, Fr.
Jeronimo Jerome Cruzand
those celebrating their sacerdotal
anniversaryFr. Rufino Gigi
Yabut, Fr. Medardo Ong, Fr.
Oscar Lucas,OMI, Fr. Elpidio
Erlano.
Happy Birthday also to the
birthday celebrators in our
family my sisters Violeta
Santiago-Rosales and Flordeliza
Santiago-Imperial, my nephews Marc Glenn Rosales, Roberto Enrico Imperial, and
Paulo Roberto Santiago; also
happy birthday to Rona Marie
Apellanes of the Curia office of
Kalookan Diocese.

Mercy and Compassion in the

P.O.G.I. (Presence Of God Inside) Sacrament of Reconciliation
Rev. Fr. Alan Gozo Bondoc, SVD
I AM a religious Missionary priest and I
love this vocation. God chose and called
me to this kind of life for Him to use me
to show His mercy and compassion in the
Sacraments. Aside from the celebration of
the Sacrament of the Eucharist, I love celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
For me, it is a celebration because it is
a Sacrament of going back home to God
who welcomes and embraces a lost soul.
This Sacrament is a Sacrament of grace.
Grace is given by God to those who are
undeserving, to those who have given up
hope on themselves, to those who have lost
their faith, and to those shamed by their
sins. Whenever I encounter a person who
requests to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, I am happy to comply with his or
her request because I see a weary soul who
is in need of redemption, a lost soul that
seeks home and a restless soul that longs
for God. If Im happy to receive a penitent,
I believe that God is even happier for this
sinner who wants to go back to Him and

change his/her sinful life. I always imagine

that heaven rejoices over every sinner who
avails of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
I can feel joy abounding as heaven makes
a celebration for the welcoming of the
repentant sinner.
Whenever I minister through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, I have the Emmaus
encounter image in me wherein two sinners
meet and journey together and by Gods
unexpected grace allows His Risen Son
Jesus to meet them on the road and reveals
Himself in the breaking of the bread. They
encounter and feel the presence of God
in them. The words of Jesus inflame their
hearts once again. They feel alive. They are
given a new lease on life, filled with hope
and joy.
In the Sacrament of Reconciliation,
sinners are made saints, broken hearts are
mended, weary souls are restored, and despairing spirits are made whole again. Among
the Sacraments, it is only in this Sacrament
that I, being a priest, is led to enter the souls

of sinners. I realize I do not only represent

Christ but more so, I become Christ to the
sinners. It is Jesus that they should encounter
in this Sacrament. Therefore they should
experience Him, His mercy, and unconditional love.
I always tell the penitent that the love of
God is bigger than his or her sins. His mercy
is immeasurable; His love is indescribable.
The only thing He asks us to do is to come
to Him as He said, Come to me those who
are burdened and I will give you rest.
My mission is to seek the lost and lead
them back to Gods loving arms.
This is what the the Sacrament of Reconciliation means... That those who lost their
way will be led back home. And God will
prepare a feast, a grand party, a joyful welcome for them, as He said, These children
of mine were dead, now they have come
back to life. They were lost and now they
have been found.
It is a great experience of Gods mercy and
compassion.

Never Forget
Never Again
FORTY three years ago President Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial
Law. He abolished congress, suppressed press freedom and other civil
liberties and violated the rights of the people. Thousands of opposition
leaders and student activists were imprisoned. Suspected subversives and
criminals were subsequently arrested or executed (salvaged) without due
process. His justification for his dictatorial rule: to save the republic,
reform society and build a new societyang Bagong Lipunan . He
emphasized discipline and one of the slogans was: sa ikakaunlad ng
bayan, disiplina ang kailangan.
Through farcical referendum and plebiscite, Marcos enacted a new
constitution which provided a legal basis for his dictatorial rule, with a
subservient judiciary and parliament. He tried to replace the oligarchy
with his cronies who controlled all sectors of the economy. Thus, he
monopolized political and economic power. He was a ruthless, repressive and corrupt dictator, who enriched himself while majority of his
people wallowed in poverty. Many of those in the military and the police
became corrupt as well and engaged in torture, extrajudicial killings and
forced disappearances.
I was one of the victims of the Marcos dictatorial rule. In 1973, on
the first anniversary of Martial Law, I was arrested, tortured and imprisoned for seven months. My crime: producing and distributing leaflets
that denounced the dictatorial rule. I was just an 18-year old college
seminarian studying at a University in Cebu and involved in student
activism. After I was released from prison and continued my priestly
formation, I was constantly haunted by a recurring nightmare reminding me of the terror and pain I experienced. During that dark period,
priests that I personally knew were among the victims: Fr. Godofredo
Alingal, SJ the parish priest of Kibawe assassinated for his prophetic
denunciation of military abuses and Fr. Rudy Romano, CSsR, a fellow
Redemptorist who was abducted and made to disappear by military
intelligence agents. There were BEC leaders and pastoral workers who
were arrested or killed by military and paramilitary units. A few months
before the end of the Marcos era, my mother was murdered and robbed
by a gang composed of members of the Philippine Constabulary (PC now known as PNP-SAF) who were later killed in a shootout with the
police after another robbery attempt. Everything seemed so hopeless
at that time until the miraculous EDSA People Power which was for
me a manifestation of Gods liberating action in history.

It seemed a long time ago and many have forgotten or are
ignorant about the dark period of the history of our country. Nowadays,
there are many who believe that Marcos was the greatest president of
the Philippines and who question the heroism of Ninoy Aquino whose
death later became the inspiration of the People Power. These are the
people who are too young and ignorant to know what really happened
or old enough to be instruments or collaborators of the Marcos dictator
and who benefited from his rule. These are the same people who are
clamoring for his son to run for the highest office. Some are supporting the candidacy of a politician who has the reputation of being as
corrupt as the former dictator and is being investigated for plunder.
Others who are fed up with the judicial system and rule of law are
clamoring for a strong mananother dictatorwho will instill
discipline, rule with an iron hand, abolish congress, ignore human
rights and civil liberties and unleash the death squads all over the
country to stamp out criminality. They want history to repeat itself.
This is our fatal flaw. Our collective memory as a nation is as short
as our noses. Ferdinand Marcos is long dead but his legacy lives on.
Graft and corruption is imbedded in our political, economic and
judicial systems. There are government officials as well as those in
the military and police who think and act as if they are above the
law, who use their positions to enrich themselves, and who violate
human rights. Forced disappearances, torture and extrajudicial killings continue.
Those of us who witnessed, who suffered and who survived that dark
period have an obligation to remind the nation and the new generation of the evil of the Marcos dictatorial rule and its persistence in our
time. We will continue to cry out: We will never forget. Never again.
Heres a poem I wrote which sums up what I and many went through
under detention:
A Prisoners Psalm
From this dark and damp cell
I cry out to you -Lord, can your hear my groaning?
I cry to you all day long,
I call out to you in the night
But you are so distant or
absent.
My throat is sore, I cannot
scream anymore
Day and night they ask me all
sorts of questions,
they strike, punch and kick me
when I do not answer.
My fingers are swollen, I cannot clench my fist
My ribs are broken, I cannot
stand erect
My whole body is enflamed, it
is getting numb.
I was thirsty and they forced
me to drink rum.
to loosen my tongue and reveal to them the truth.
They stripped me off my
clothes and my dignity.
They are preparing the machine that will electrify my
body.
And now I dread the sound
of footsteps and the opening
of the door.
I prefer this darkness than face
the glaring light.
They said only I can end my
suffering
if I confess to them everything
and betray those
who oppose this dictatorial
regime.
How much longer, do I have
to suffer?
How much longer can I hold
on?
How much longer can I main-

tain my sanity?
Will I ever see again the sky
and the sun?
Will I ever see again the faces
of those I love and serve?
Or will they make me disappear forever?
Lord, do not abandon me?
Deliver me from these kidnappers and murderers
who are trying to maintain
peace and order.
Deliver me from these mercenaries in uniform
whose obsession is to defend
national security
the security of this bloodthirsty and power hunger
dictator
the security of his cronies and
their big business interests
the security of his alien lords
and their bases and investments.
O, Lord my God,
I know you are neither blind
nor deaf.
Your mercy and compassion
endure forever.
You have always been a subversive God you depose the mighty from
their thrones and raise the
lowly.
I cry out now to you: subvert
this dictatorial regime!
Let your Spirit fill the hearts
of those who are struggling
to build a kingdom of justice,
peace and freedom.
From this dark and damp cell
I cry out to you, Lord can you
hear me?
Into your hands I commend
my broken body
and my wavering spirit.

A6 LOCAL NEWS

September 14 - 27, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 19

Cops consecrate selves to Mama Mary

MAMAS boysand girlsin uniform,
anyone?
Members of the countrys police force
ended today a two-day seminar on Marian
consecration at St. Joseph Church, Philippine National Police (PNP) Headquarters,
Camp Rafael C. Crame, Quezon City.
SUGO
Starting on Tuesday, Sept. 8, the Feast
of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin,
some 60 policemen and women from the
various units and districts of the PNP had
taken a time off their usual public service
duties in order to offer themselves voluntarily to Mary.
This forms part of the commitment
of the institution to transform its personnel from inside out through sound
moral and spiritual values in line with the
PNPs LOT 17/10 SUGO (Spiritual
Upliftment and Growth of the Organization).
Held four times a year since 2010,
the Marian seminar is the initiative of
the PNP Chaplain Service headed by
its director, Fr Deody Barrett, with the
support of Fr. Jason Ortizo of the St.
Joseph Church in Camp Crame, among
other priests.

Becoming better Catholics

Each seminar, the police-participants
are taught how to start and cultivate a
deeper relationship with the Mother of
God.
In this regard, they consecrate themselves to the Immaculate Heart, are
encouraged to say the Holy Rosary, and
to avail of the Sacraments of the Church,
particularly Confession and the Eucharist.
Present to facilitate the talk entitled
Advance Marian Seminar was no less
than Fr. Romerico Prieto of the Diocese
of Cubao, who is an active promoter
of the Consecration to the Immaculate
Heart of Mary.
1,200 consecrations and counting
After the seminar, the police-participants took turns having their rosaries
blessed by the priest.
Since it began in 2010, as many as
1,200 PNP members have already consecrated themselves to Mary under the
program.
One of the previous participants who
requested anonymity shared she has
become a daily Massgoer because of the
Marian seminar. (Raymond A. Sebastin
/ CBCP News)

Confab, A1

New heights
From their website down to the smallest
details in the program agenda, Paguirigan
expressed pride over how CSMSv4 organizers are striving to bring the event to
new heights, ensuring all aspects of the
event are being attended to.
The focuses of the summit are also as
timely and important as they can get, she
said, adding that in forming their agenda,
they have considered only what will be for
the best of every person online.
From gaming, online marketing,
crowdsourcing, content management, and
mobile technology, Paguirigan explained
CSMSv4 strives to cover all the cyberspace
skills and know-hows needed to transform
one into an effective online evangelizer.
Ultimate Power Source
Moreover, the CSMSv4 program team
head only had words of praises for the
people invited to speak at the event, noting the diversity of their backgrounds and
fields of expertise, coming from different
sectors and industries.
The best and most awaited part I
personally am giddy about is the keynote,

Connecting to the Ultimate Power

Source, to be given no less than by an
official of the Vatican Radio, Sean Lovett.
Given the need to heed the call of online evangelization, she pointed out that
the forthcoming summit will give special
attention to the various ways available to
the baptized which they can use to connect themselves and others to Jesus Christ,
the Unending and Unbounded Source.
One voice
Themed Plugged In, CSMSv4 seeks
to spread the message of Romans 15:16
that all may be one voice in glorifying
God, and the homily of Pope Francis at
the Manila Cathedral in January where he
urged the creation of circles of integrity
and networks of solidarity in society.
CSMSv4 is set to be held from Oct.
10 to Oct. 11 at the Sta. Rosa City Hall
Auditorium, Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
For registration information and other
concerns, interested parties are advised
to visithttp://catholicsocialmediasummit.com/v4/index.php/registrationguidelines/. (Raymond A. Sebastin /
CBCPNews)

Lumad, A1

posed development projects at the expense

of indigenous peoples rights.
We all strongly condemn the terrorization, harassments, and the killings of our
Lumad brothers and sisters as well as denounce the root cause of it all, they said.
Church leaders also reiterated their appeal to local authorities to dismantle the
notorious Magahat-Bagani force tagged
in the killings of Lumad leaders.
Dismantle militia
Last January, an agreement was reached
during a peace dialogue between religious groups and the local authorities to
disarm and abolish the Magabat-Bagani
militia group.
It was also agreed that a case will be
filed against the paramilitary force in
accordance with the due process of law.
According to the diocese, the responsibility to implement what had been agreed
upon was given to the PNP and AFP to
resolve the situation.
Sadly, until now, the problem has not
been solved, the church officials said.
Like all of us, the Lumads have human
rights as well. Let us therefore give them
the justice that they deserve, they added.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines,
however, denied the killings.
Disturbing
The Catholic Bishops Conference of
the Philippines also joined in the chorus
of condemnation against the killings of
Manobo Lumad leader Dionel Campos,
his cousin Aurelio Sinzo and Emerito Samarca, executive director of an alternative
learning center for IPs.
The killings forced some 2,000 lumads
from Han-ayan and other tribal communities to evacuate in Tandag, capital
of Surigao del Sur.
In a statement issued on Sept. 11,
CBCP president Archbishop Socrates
Villegas said it is disturbing how the
government quickly exonerated those
allegedly behind the killings.
This alarming eagerness to deny culpability does not augur well for truth and
justice, Villegas said.
According to him, such declarations
inspire credence only after a reliable and
trustworthy investigation by impartial and
competent persons shall have taken place.
If made before any such investigation,
they disturbingly suggest a refusal to hold
accountable those to whom the administration so eagerly extends its mantle of
protection, he said.
President Benigno Aquino III, in a

forum on Sept. 9, said the government

has no campaign to kill anybody, as he
defends the militarys alleged involvement
in the killings.
The much-awaited statement from
Aquino, however, dismayed various human rights groups, saying his response
was inadequate.
Investigation
The bishops are also backing calls for
the government to urgently investigate the
killings of three Lumad leaders by alleged
paramilitary forces in Surigao del Sur.
The CBCP asks the government for an
honest, thorough, impartial, and speedy
investigation so that the guilty may be
held to account for their wrong-doing,
Villegas said.
The CBCP chief also said the use
of militia groups for the governments
counter-insurgency campaign is already
troubling.
If militia groups cannot fit within a
structure of clear authority and command
by legitimate state authority, they should
not be tolerated, much less employed as
mercenaries by the State, he added.
Help Lumad evacuees
The Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP) earlier said the Lumad
communities are under attack because
of their determination to protect their
ancestral lands.
Sr. Francis Aover, RMP coordinator,
said the Lumad people continue to be
victims of massive land grabbing and
displacement because of large-scale mining operations and the expansion of huge
plantations.
The Philippine Army and its paramilitary groups commit grave human
rights abuses as clearing up operations for
the entry of big foreign and local corporations, Aover said.
United Nations Special Rapporteur on
the Rights of IPs Victoria Tauli-Corpuz
earlier said 100 Filipino tribesmen were
killed defending their rights over the last
three years.
The Association of Major Religious
Superiors of the Philippines (AMRSP)
also called on Aquino to assist the Lumad
evacuees.
It said the President must order government agencies to respond to the needs of
the dislocated families, believing that his
administration can still be effective in
responding to the needs of the affected
population. (With reports from Oliver
Samson and Raymond Sebastian)

CBCP Monitor

Churches urge Quezon LGU

to scrap coal-plant support
HUNDREDS took to the
streets of Quezons capital
yesterday for the second
Church-led protest this year
demanding the withdrawal of
the provincial governments
support for coal-fired power
plants in the province.
Frustration with the approval of another coal project
has grown, and more than a
thousand rallied outside the
Quezon Capitol in Atimonan
town on Monday, after similar
protest last June.
Some protesters were seen

praying the rosary and reciting ecumenical prayers for the

care of the environment while
others wore masks to protest
against pollution caused by
coal-fired power plants.
Chanting No to Coal, Yes
to God, the demonstrators
requested an audience with the
Board members who reportedly adjourned their session
to evade the crowd.
Emotions ran high when
the officials sneaked out of
the session hall through the
back door but failed to do so

as throngs of people blocked

the drive way.
They were then forced to
dialogue with the rallyists and
received a petition for the provincial board to stop the 1,200
megawatt power plant expansion project in Atimonan and
the two existing coal plants in
Mauban and Pagbilao.
From the capitol, the rallyists
marched to the Sacred Heart
College where a Mass was
held in thanksgiving for Pope
Francis encyclical Laudato Si.
Fr. Raul Enriquez, one of

the convenors of the Quezon

Laban sa Coal, said it is everyones duty as responsible stewards to defend Gods creation.
To stay neutralnot to
take a standin the face of
destruction of our natural
resourcesis not a Christian
option, he said.
That is why our participants
were asked to wear white shirts
with black ribbons: it means
you are either for or against
[coal plants], theres no middle
ground, Enriquez added. (R.
Lagarde / CBCPNews)

Priest talks about love truths from AlDub

ITS top rating on TV and white hot on
social media, but a priest said the AlDub
love team can teach the Filipino faithful
a thing or two about real love.
Whatever Lola Nidoras challenge
may be, even if its seems like a death
wish, Alden does it for Yaya Dub. When
you love, you dont measure. The true
measure of love is love without measure, said Fr. Joel Jason in Filipino
during a Mass at the most recent CFC
Young Couples Assembly held at the
Bayanihan Center.
The newly-installed parish priest of
parish priest of Mary Mirror of Justice
parish in Makati added: When you
become legalistic, you become minimalistic (in loving). But when you love,
youre ready to do more than what is
requiredlike Alden.
Maximalistic
You dont ask, How far can I hurt my
spouse until she leaves me? or How far can
I cheat you?, stressed the former Dean

of Theology of the San Carlos Seminary.

We should be maximalistic.. The
motto (of CFC) Love More is good. It
shouldnt be less. The question should be,
how can I add to the love I give?, Jason
stressed in Filipino.
According to the priest, Filipinos sometimes apply this thinking to their love
relationship with God, explaining how
people often ask him about the latest
time they can go to Mass without sinning.
Oh, so as long as I make it to the Gospel its okBut that is not the attitude of
someone who loves, said Jason in Taglish.
Similarly, people who love and are
loved, he explained, should not fear laws,
especially Gods laws.
Let us not be afraid of the law. When
you love something you surround it with
laws. When you love someone you surround it with laws in order to protect
it That is also what happened to Israel.
They were the beloved of Yaweh. And
that is the reason why Yaweh surrounded
them with laws, Jason said, referring to

the 613 commandments in the Torah, the

Jews holy book.
Laws + love
Every relationship has to have a law.
When you love something you surround
it with laws. Why? Because youre protecting your covenant (with each other), said
Jason in Filipino.
We feel as if [we are] being confined by
this fence by Gods commands. Dont look
at it as a fence. Look at it as a guard rail,
something that protects us against danger,
explained the priest, a leading Theology of
the Body advocate in the country.
According to Jason, people believe that
trusting in God completely means becoming His slave and losing all freedom.
Theres nothing farther from the truth.
Everything God does is not for Him, but
for us. Without those commandments we
are nothing, he stressed.
Some 500 young husbands and wives
attended the 4th YCs assembly which focused on the topic 10 To Dos after I Do.
(Nirvaana Ella Delacruz / CBCP News)

Nullity, A6

Not divorce
Villegas, however, clarified
that recent reforms in the
trial of marriage cases do not
change the Churchs teaching
on indissolubility and unity
of marriage.
He said while the Pope has
opted to simplify and speed
up the process for the declaration of marriages null and
void from the beginning, the
doctrine about the sacredness
of marriage and family life
remains unchanged.
The teaching about the
indissolubility and unity of
marriage remains, Villegas
said. The declaration of
nullity of marriages is not
divorce.
More cases
With the said reforms, re-

tired Archbishop Oscar Cruz,

for his part expects the number of people who would seek
marriage nullity to increase.
If before the number of
marriage nullity cases reaching the CBCP National Appellate Matrimonial Tribunal
, which Cruz chairs, is averaging between 50 to 60 per year,
he said he expects the number
to be more than that.
I will predict that if the
requirements are lesser there
will be more who will try to
really seek a marriage nullity,
especially if they are already
separated, Cruz said.
As of now, he said there are
already 40 cases lodged at the
NAMT since January.
A case always begins in the
first instance in the diocese.
If the judges say its null and

void, it must be sent to the

CBCP-NAMT for review.
If the CBCP-NAMT agrees
with the first instance, its
done. The marriage is effectively declared null and
void. Supposing the Court of
Appeals says no then it goes
to Rome. That takes a lot of
time, said Cruz.
The archbishop revealed
that a case usually takes
around a year to be resolved
except for some cases which
can easily be resolved such as
if the couple later realized that
they are first cousins among
others.
That marriage can be declared easily as null and void,
Cruz said.
I agree with the Holy
Father that the process for
marriage nullity declaration

can be shortened because as

of now its quite complicated.
From beginning to end, it
takes a lot of time, people,
expenses, paper works and so
on and so forth, he added.
Pope Francis also said that
trials will be free of charge
except for the fair compensation of the court workers.
As to the filing fee, the former head of the CBCP said it
is usually around Php 10,000.
There is a fee because you
need to pay the staff, there
are paper works and so on,
said Cruz.
But if the petitioner cannot pay, the parish priest
who knows the petitioner,
writes the judge so that the
stipend is brought down to
zero, he added. (R. Lagarde
/ CBCPNews)

Redemptorists, A1

Senseless killings
In the name of God, the author of all
life, the Redemptorist Vice-Province of
Manila, is moved by the demand of justice
and Christian moral ethics for the defense
and protection of the weak and powerless,
issues this strongest opposition and denunciation for this continuing and escalating
senseless killings, says the Redemptorist
Churchs Permanent Commission on
Social Mission Apostolate in a statement.
In particular, the Redemptorist priests
and brothers of Baclaran denounce the
summary execution of Lumad leaders
Dionel Onel Campos, Aurello Bello
Sinzo, and Emerito Emok Samarca.
Immediate, total end
They express horror that the victims were
brutally slaughtered in front of their own
people in Diatagon, Lianga, Surigao del
Sur on Sept. 1, 2015 by Magahat/Bagani
Forces, a paramilitary the Armed Forces of
the Philippines (AFP) itself had trained.
We hold the government of the Philippines responsible for these crimes, and we
demand for the immediate and total end
of these killings, they explain.

68th victims
According to the Redemptorists, Campos, Sinzo, and Samarca collectively are
the 68th victims of extrajudicial killings
of indigenous peoples under the current
Aquino regime.
Thus, we urgently appeal to all Christians, other denominations, and people
of moral principle and good will, to rally
with us in support of our call to STOP
THE KILLINGS OF INDIGENOUS
PEOPLES IN THE PHILIPPINES! the
Redemptorists add.
IP rights violation
Aside from the need to end what they
assert are the widespread militarization of
IP communities and blatant violation of
IP rights as well as an independent and
transparent investigation of the 68 extrajudicial killings under the Aquino regime,
the Redemptorists urge government to do
as follows:
Justice for the 168 extrajudicial killings
under the Arroyo regime and all victims of
human rights violations. Arrest, prosecute,
and punish all perpetrators of human rights
violations.

End the counter-insurgency program

Oplan Bayanihan, which victimizes innocent and unarmed civilians.
Pull out military and paramilitary troops
from indigenous communities. Dismantle
the Sanmatrida, Salawakan, Triom, Task
Force Gantangan, Bulif, Alamara, Magahat, Bagani Force, and other paramilitary
groups and private armies.
Revoke the Executive Order 546 which
legitimizes the formation of paramilitary
groups.
Stop all destructive projects in ancestral
territories. Review all permits of large-scale
mining, energy and hydroelectric plants,
agri-business plantations, and commercial
logging
Uphold the IP rights to land and selfdetermination.
We pray that may the liberating power
of God sustain and strengthen us in this
struggle! And, in behalf of the Redemptorist
Vice-Province of Manila, and the thousands
of devotees of our Mother of Perpetual Help,
also our Lady of the MagnificatIcon of
social liberation, intercedes for us, Amen,
the Redemptorists add.(Raymond A. Sebastin / CBCP News)

Presidentiables, A6

There was no sharing of platforms. It was just plain moment

of providing them some kind
of spiritual rest, De Villa said.
We prayed together. The one
who led us in prayer was the deacon, not the cardinal. Cardinal was
one reading with us, she disclosed.
In attendance were Vice
President Jejomar Binay, Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and
Senator Grace Poe.
Servant leadership
In his reflection, Tagle talk-

ed about John 13, a Bible

verse that demonstrated Jesus
leadership styles and practices.
To be a servant, you must
serve first, De Villa quoted
Tagle as saying.
It was actually the same
reflection made by Tagle at a
servant leadership in public
service forum in Ortigas City
last July.
In that occasion, the cardinal said leaders are expected
to serve others first instead of
being served by the people.

Atmosphere of friendship
While waiting for Tagle who
came from a Mass in Makati
City, the three officials had the
chance to talk to each other
about many things except
politics.
They talked about traffic
that its getting betterthings
like that. There was nothing
earth-shaking or anything
about politics, according to
De Villa.
It was very friendly, she
added. It was very touching

for me that it was an atmosphere of friendship.

De Villa also said that Tagle
reminded the three will not
lose their friendship especially
when the electoral race heats
up.
The cardinal asked them
to raise the bar and integrity
of the political campaign,
she said.
Of the three, only Poe
has yet to declare her plans
for 2016.(R. Lagarde/CBCPNews)

CBCP Monitor

A7

September 14 - 27, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 19

Spate of kidnappings alarms Pangasinan youth set new record at Marian vigil
Batangas archbishop
LIPA CityA Catholic archbishop has
expressed alarm over a spate of kidnapping
incidents in Batangas province.
Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles has
recently alerted his priests and Catholic
school administrators against the recent
abductions of school children.
The news of kidnapping of children in
the province, most especially in Batangas
province, is very alarming, said Arguelles in
a text message to school officials on Sept. 5.
Please alert everyone, especially parents, elders and schools about this serious
danger, he added.
The Catholic Educational Association

of the Philippines (CEAP) also echoed

the archbishops appeal, as it called on
authorities to ensure the security of the
children.
We enjoin the local governments in
ensuring the security of our local communities and the safety of our children, said
Anthony Coloma, CEAP spokesperson.
At least 10 children went missing in
separate kidnapping incidents in the
province in recent weeks.
Local authorities have been investigating the cases with increased police visibility around schools and communities.
(R. Lagarde / CBCPNews)

Davao holds 1st quake drill inside church

DAVAO CityIn order to encourage
disaster preparedness among Massgoers, an earthquake drill was held at
the St. Francis of Assisi Quasi-Parish
in La Verna Subdivision here, the first
of its kind.
So far the people are participative and cooperative in the conduct
of earthquake drill. They were able
to get out of the church as quickly
as possible, said Renante Luna,
founder of the Mindanao Emergency Response Team (MERT) who
handled and evaluated the said drill.
After the final blessing, Mass-goers
were asked to listen to some input
from resource persons, and after the
sounding of the bell, they were told
to duck, cover their heads, and seek
protection under the pews.
Preparedness is key
Even the parish priest, Fr. Orlando
Angelia, sought safety under the
altar when the drill was conducted.
The Mass-goers immediately left the
church and found open space in the
streets to avoid falling posts and falling debris.
We really have to teach the people
what to do should disasters like

earthquakes strike. If they did not

have this kind of exercise, all of them
would rush to go out and untoward
incidents like stampedes and injuries
would happen, Luna said.
I would rate their participation
and cooperation very good, he
added, referring to the parishioners
who joined the said drill.
Fire drill next
We are looking forward to have a
safe evacuation area here in the parish. Our parish is located in a flood
prone area and it was reported that
a new fault line was found in Davao
City, so threats are always here, Bernaldez said.
He stressed he wants parishioners
prepared in times of disasters that is
why this kind of drill was organized,
adding that they will be doing a fire
drill soon.
Angelia lauded the parishioners
participation in the drill, saying it
is better to be prepared than to be
caught off guard.
The Parish Social Action Ministry
(PSAM) headed by PSAM Coordinator Jun Bernaldez organized the said
drill together with MERT. (John
Frances Fuentes/CBCP News)

Refugees, A1

our hearts and hands to accept and pray

for them. We offer what we can offer,
Santos said.
Pope Francis yesterday called on parishes, convents, and monasteries across
Europe to take in refugees arriving on
their shores.
In fact, the Pope himself promised to
provide homes to two refugee families, as
he called on other Catholic institutions to
do the same.
Greatest refugee crisis
The Knights of Columbus, the worlds
largest fraternal association of Catholic
men, said the violence in the Middle
East has resulted in many deaths and the
greatest refugee crisis since World War II.
It said over 4 million people have been
displaced. Among the most affected are
Iraqi and Syrian Christians, who are the
victims of ongoing systematic cleansing
and persecution.

Supreme Knight Carl Anderson said

the K of C is committed to assisting the
refugees, saying they cannot be part of
what the Pope has called the complicit
silence of many people.
To date, the organization has donated
more than US$4 million to relief efforts
in Iraq and Syria through the Knights of
Columbus Christian Refugee Relief Fund.
However, Anderson said more assistance is needed, as the response from
the international community has been
woefully inadequate.
He said interested donors can visit the
website www.christiansatrisk.org to learn
more about the humanitarian emergency.
As Knights of Columbus, we are
called to stand in solidarity with all those
Christians around the world who are suffering from violent persecution, offering
spiritual and material assistance to these
victims of crimes against humanity, he
said. (R. Lagarde / CBCPNews)

And Thats the Truth, A5

Lord, were taken care of by His Holy

Mother and were later entrusted to some
of the Apostles. These relics were then
transferred to different places and were
entrusted to various persons for safekeeping
and veneration until, compelled by events
and various circumstances in the history
of the early Christian communities, those
cloths were handed over to some civil and
religious authorities in different countries
and in various manners.
The Veil of Jerusalem underwent the
same fate. It journeyed from Jerusalem
(c. 33-40?AD) to Edessa (now Syria)
between c. 40-50 where it was called the
mandylion of Edessa; then, from Edessa
to Kamulia (Urfa, Turkey) in 392 (veil
of Camulia) down to Constantinople in
the year 574 where it was kept until the
siege of the city. In Constantinople (now
Istanbul, Turkey) like in Kamulia, the veil
was venerated as an acheiropoietos because
of its mysterious origin, that is, an image
not painted by human hands. It was then
brought to Rome in c. 705 in St. John
Lateran Apostolic Palace and venerated
at the chapel of the Sancta Sanctorum
(Church of St. Lawrence in Palatio in
Scala Santa) and later on was brought to
St. Peters Basilica in 1200 and kept at
the chapel of the Veronica until the siege
of Rome on May 6, 1527. In Rome, the
acheiropetos was successively called the
Veil of Veronica or simply Veronica.
It is interesting to know the meaning of
the word veronica; a word that was coined
in order to express the mystery of the veil.
Veronica is the combination of two words:
the Latin vera meaning true and the
Greek eikona meaning image, which
put together form a single word veraicon
or veronica. The veil, therefore, is the true

image of the face of the Risen Lord. In

fact, the image of the just awakened Christ
was impressed onto the marine byssus at
the very first moment of the resurrection.
This special kind of woven mussel silk, the
costliest fabric in the ancient world known
as byssus, captured and immortalized the
very first instance when the Lord Jesus
takes back the life He Himself offered by
dying on the cross.
To protect the precious relic of the
Resurrection of the Lord during the sack of
Rome, the Veil of Veronica was brought to a
small town of Manoppello (c. 1506; 1608)
in the central part of Italy in the region of
Abruzzo. From then onward until today, it
had been kept and venerated by the faithful
of the city as the Volto Santo di Manoppello
or the Holy Face of Manoppello.
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI was the
first Roman Pontiff to visit the Shrine and
venerate the Holy Face of Manoppello
on Sept. 1, 2006. After contemplating
the human face of God imprinted on the
Veil of Manoppello, it has since become
the trademark of his pontificate. In fact,
in January 2013, he mentioned the face
of God nineteen times during the public
audience and in his last public audience
prior to his resignation, he pronounced it
again twenty-five times; thereby, sealing
his pontificate with the Human Face of
God. Pope Benedicts address then to the
pilgrims on that historic visit may as well
be an invitation to us to gaze on the Holy
Face: As the Psalms say, we are all seeking
the face of the Lord. And this is also the
meaning of my visit. Let us seek together
to know the Face of the Lord even better,
and in the Face of the Lord let us find
this impetus of love and peace which also
reveals to us the path of our life.

Between 4,000 to 5,000 came to celebrate Marys nativity at the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupans Marian Youth Vigil held from Sept. 7 to 8 at the Virgen
Milagrosa University Foundation stadium. SABINS STUDIOS

SAN CARLOS CITY, PangasinanYoung people from

the different parishes, Catholic
schools, and universities from
the Archdiocese of LingayenDagupan came in full force to
the annual celebration of the
Blessed Virgin Marys nativity from Sept. 7 to 8 at the
Virgen Milagrosa University
Foundation stadium, breaking
records by bringing the crowd
estimate to between 4,000 to
5,000.
Two new programs
Hosted by the St. Dominic
de Guzman parish and the
Virgen Milagrosa University Foundation, one of the
highlights of the said celebra-

tion was the talk delivered

by Bernard Canaberal, host
of the Once Upon a Saint
program and a Board Member
of the Philippine Association
for Media Education. In his
talk, he gave a fresh perspective on media and the Blessed
Virgin while entertaining
the delegates with his various voice and sound effects,
impersonations, and flair for
story-telling.
The Social Communications Desk of the Archdiocesan Youth Ministry also
launched two new programs
during the event, the Youth
Ministers Next Door and the
announcement of the winner
for the face of ALDY (Arch-

diocese of Lingayen-Dagupan
Youth Ministry). The official
face was a winning entry from
the University of Luzon Campus Ministry.
The Youth Ministers Next
Door will be an online weekly
program wherein youth ministers will share their reflections
on timely issues concerning
their fellow youth. The videos
will be uploaded in Facebook
and Youtube.
Birthday songs for Mary
The young people also
prayed a living rosary and
sang a birthday song to Mary
while waiting for the clock to
strike twelve.
Dr. Ma. Lilia Posadas-Juan,
the university president and

a member of ONLA (Olupan na Laiko na Arkideosis

na Lingayen-Dagupan), also
expressed her gratitude to the
Virgen Milagrosa University
Foundation for hosting this
years Marian Youth Vigil.
According to the Archdiocesan Youth Ministry Master
Plan 2015, the Marian Vigil
is an annual youth gathering
hosted by a parish or school to
honor the Blessed Virgin Mary
on the feast of her Nativity.
It includes the celebration of
the Eucharist, catechesis, and
a Fellowship Night that aims
to inspire young Christian
people to see Mary as their
model. (Sher Pauline Palola/
CBCP News)

Missionarys fear: More IP rights violations

without govt action
NORZAGARAY, BulacanA Catholic religious doing mission work among
the Dumagats of Sierra Madre has
denounced the recent killing of three
civilians, including the head of a local
Lumad school, in Surigao del Sur by
alleged members of paramilitary group
Magahat, fearing like incidents can
happen to other IP communities in
the country if the government remains
blind to their plight.
Justice now
Government authorities must do all
they can so that victims of the crime get
the justice they deserve. They should see
to it that this will not happen again in
the future, stressed Br. Martin Francisco, a member of the Blessed Sacrament
Missionaries of the Poor (BSMP), in an

interview.
He lamented that injustices directed
to indigenous peoples (IP) and their
communities continue to take place
despite laws that protect their rights.
Death threats
Francisco went on to share that he
himself and the Dumagat communities
he has been serving for almost a decade
now have been exposed to similar harassments which he believes stems from
the desire to grab anew lands originally
belonging to IPs.
We have received death threats
from armed thugs wearing bonnets.
There have been efforts to intimidate us. But thankfully, we have so
far not had face-to-face encounters
with them, he said.

Vested interests
According to him, people he refused
to identify but who he confirmed have
vested interests, resent the fact that the
IPs of that part of Sierra Madre were
able to reclaim their ancestral land
which they now call Punduhan ng
mga Dumagat.
That is why we need to be extra
careful, Francisco added.
InterAksyon.com reported that
Magahat on Tuesday morning killed
execution style Emerico Samarta,
school director of the Alternative
Learning Center for Agricultural and
Livelihood Development (Alcadev)
in Barangay Diatagon and cousins
Dionel Campus and Aurelio Sinzo in
Lianga town, Surigao del Sur. (Raymond A. Sebastin/CBCP News)

Pastoral Companion, A4

during Typhoon Sendong.

Hence there is the call for
watershed protection which
extends to the upland area of
north-western Bukidnon.
Since 2010, we have formed
a Cagayan de Oro River Basin Management Council
(CDORBMC), of which I am
co-chair together with the regional directors of DENR and
DILG and the city mayor. As a
multi-sectoral group involving
government agencies, LGUs,
academe, business, NGOs,
and church communities,
the Council has undertaken
the tasks of rehabilitation of
watershed areas, mobilization
of local government units,
community development, and
resource management.
The ongoing fluvial procession as we celebrate this Mass
is not only a way of honoring
our patron, San Agustin, and
his mother, Sta. Monica, but
also our Birhen sa Kota sa
Cagayan de Oro (Our Lady
of the Fort of Cagayan de

Oro). Her protective image

on the river should remind us
that she is also our Birhen sa
Kinaiyahan (Our Lady of the
Environment). Here again, all
of us are asked to do our share
in protecting and conserving
the environment by such practices as tree-growing, proper
waste management, etc.
Pope Francis encyclical
stresses that environmental
ecology is closely linked to an
ecology of man. Our relationship to the environment
stems from our relationship
to one another. This then is
the third challenge we face:
the peace and dis-order in our
society.
Over the past two weeks, in
our city, we heard about the
senseless killings of two young
persons14-year old Stacey
Villar on Aug. 13, and 9-year
old Cairistian CJ Balguin on
Aug. 21. These two innocent
persons were killed by perpetrators who were allegedly
high on drugs. The problem

of drug-trafficking is another
form of pervasive pollution
that threatens the well-being
of our residents, whether in
guarded subdivisions or in
slum areas. The majority of
city jail inmates, we are told,
are there for crimes related
ultimately to drug addiction.
Once more, we appeal not
only to law-enforcing authorities but to all of us to be vigilant in detecting and reporting
instances of drug trafficking.
On a larger scale, the peace
process in Mindanao needs
our understanding of its historical context and a re-examination of our biases and
prejudices. Notwithstanding several changes being
introduced in Congress to the
draft Bangsamoro Basic Law,
ultimately the crafting of a
meaningful BBL accepted by
both sides still offers the best
chances of winning a just and
lasting peace for Mindanao.
We are all stakeholders in this
process.

Pope Francis points out the

need for an Integral Ecology
that encompasses Environmental and Social Ecology.
Our three concerns over Pollution, Water, and Peace bring
out this interconnectedness
of all living creatures with
Mother Earth.
Highlighting this interconnectedness and as a response
to Laudato Si, the Archdiocese
of Cagayan de Oro launched
a Season of Creation, starting
this Aug. 28 until Oct. 7,
2015, the Feast of our Birhen
sa KotaOur Lady of the
Rosary. The six Sundays of this
season will focus on various
themes related to our care of
the environment and our human society. May our City of
Man follow closely the vision
of St. Augustines City of God.
(A homily of Archbishop
Antonio J. Ledesma, S.J. delivered at the Feast of St. Augustine, Metropolitan Cathedral,
Cagayan de Oro, 28 August
2015)

Candidly Speaking, A4

Parents should be encouraged to teach

catechism to their children in ways that
would come out natural. They have to
learn how to discern the spiritual development of their children, like how their
children are thinking, desiring, working, or how they are acquiring virtues,
developing concern for others, handling
difficulties, or appreciating the need for
prayers, sacrifice, sacraments, etc.
Yes, its true that parents should respect

the freedom of their children, but this

should not be taken to mean indifference
to the requirements of the proper development of their children. If theres true
love for the children, parents should get
actively involved in the most intricate but
also crucial aspect of their childrens lives.
There actually are endless things to
look into, and everyone simply has to
understand that these come with the territory insofar is parenthood is concerned.

They are not optional. They are necessary

duties for which the parents have to be
properly trained and equipped.
To repeat, marriage, family, and parenthood are not simply oriented to our
material and temporal concerns. They are
intrinsically linked to our spiritual nature
and dignity. We have to correspond as
fully and as faithfully to this fundamental
truth about ourselves.
This is very serious business!

A8

September 14 - 27, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 19

CBCP Monitor

Priest gives bite-size Laudato Si to youth

Stressing that the prevention of
climate change is a shared responsibility, Velasco said, Our efforts
to prevent the rapid change of
climate do not count yet because
little labors cannot overcome the
big deteriorations that others do.
He also gave practical advice on
how to help save Mother Earth.
Velasco used the acronym
LEAD which stands for: Learn
about the environment;
Educate others; Act by a change of
lifestyle; Dialogue with others
about ecology

A PRIEST breaks down Pope

Francis 40,000-word encyclical
for young people and other participants at an ecology seminar on
Sept. 4, explaining the documents
more important points.
Fr. Dexter Toledo, OFM. Fr.
Toledo, OFM, Provincial Secretary
of the Order of Friars Minor in
the Philippines and an ecological
advocate, gave the first talk, on the
Theology of Creation where he also
explained the encyclical Laudato Si.
According to the priest, Laudato
Si discusses salient points on how
the earth is our common home;
the cry of the earth is also the
cry of the poor; there is a need
for dialogue between science and
religion; tach creature has its own
purpose;the world needs integral
ecology and ecological conversion;
an the faithful have to face the
challenge of technology.
Malolos ecological concerns
Sponsored by the Immaculate
Conception Major Seminary
(ICMAS) in cooperation with the
Diocese of Malolos Commission
on Social Action (CSA) and Diocesan Ecological and Environmental Program (DEEP), the seminar
held at the ICMAS Gymnasium
also featured CSA Chair Fr. Efren
Basco who presented to the participants the ecological action plan
of the Diocese of Malolos.

Hundreds of young people attend a seminary on ecology on Sept. 4, 2015 at the Immaculate Conception Major Seminary (ICMAS) Gymnasium.

According to him, the diocese

faces ecological concerns like the
Meycuayan and Marilao Rivers, landfill projects in Obando
and San Jose del Monte as well
as mining in the Sierra Madre
Mountains.
He told the young participants

in the vernacular, We cannot

at once change the minds of
the elders. But you, dear young
people, are the hope which we
have. We are informing you
about this matter so that you
may have deep concern for the
environment.

Everyones concern
The seminars main speaker,
Yolando Velasco, a United Nations
Officer on Climate Change based
in Germany, discussed the perils of
climate change, saying, Climate
change is not the main problem
because climate does change. The

ICMAS

problem that we face is the speed

of change. The prediction of scientists in 1990 that may happen in
2050 is already happening now.
He said Laudato Si expresses
the universality of the Catholic
Church because ecology is everyones concern.

Makarbon and di makarbon

Dr. Metodio Palaypay, MD,
former president of the National
Solid Waste Management Commission, also explained the importance of waste segregation and the
process of zero waste management.
He revealed that the Filipino
term for biodegradable and nonbiodegradable is makarbon and di
makarbon respectively.
The Liturgy of the Word concluded the event with Fr. Kent
Andrew Apena urging the participants to reflect on Gods sensitivity
towards man through creation.
Sems. Brian Samson and Leonard Laurio with Bernadette Mae
Aguirre, Ms. Philippines EcoTourism 2013 hosted the event.
(Arvin Ray C. Jimenez / CBCP
News)

Catech-omics to tackle Sto. Nio-inspired contest for college students ongoing

exorcism, moral issues
COMIC book
fanatics, Catholics geeks most
especially, have
a reason to celebrate. A series
that combines
CCC and clean
fun, The Exorcist and Aquinas,
is set to hit stores
soon.
Patron Comics has it all: 100
percent entertainment fused
with 100 percent
Church teaching, shares its
creator, Anthony
James Perez of
ReginaCaeli Publishing.
According
to him, Patron
Comics, which
will be launched
on Sept. 19, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at
the Bosco Hall, Don Bosco Technical Institute (DBTI) in Makati
City, tries to use the youths
fascination with the supernatural
to catechize them on exorcism
in a way that is not hard sell nor
preachy.
Call to holiness
In the first book alone, we
delve into important topics such
as the call to holiness through our
daily duties, strengthening the
soul against evil and temptation
through the sacraments of the
Eucharist and confession, and
the need to have a strong spiritual
life, he says.
While he admits the theme revolves around expelling demons,
Perez points out Patron Comics
goes beyond the Catholic ritual
in order to dwell on controversial but important topics like
divorce, abortion, and same-sex
attraction.
It is very important to talk
about the moral issues we are
experiencing right now, and to
properly guide our readers to
what is right. I created the comics exactly to depict these current moral issues that affect our
society and families nowadays.
he explains.
Good vs. Evil
At the end of the day the exorcism is but a metaphor for the
characters daily struggle against
their sinful desires and personal
issues, he adds.
Perez laments many people today doubt the devil exists despite
real-life exorcists vouching that
demand for the ritual has swelled
dramatically.
Some people get scared,
because they think I am writing about the devil. But people

THE Augustinians in the Philippines are calling on all Filipino college students nationwide
who have a passion for writing to join the
450 Kaplag National Essay Writing contest
in honor of the Holy Child of Cebu.
Themed Santo Nio and the Dawn of
Christian Faith in the Philippines, each participant must write an essay in English which
will highlight the significance of the revered
image of Santo Nio de Cebu in the history
of the Philippine Church and nation as well
as in the New Evangelization.
It must also look back to the contributions
of the Augustinian Order to the development
of Philippine history and culture.
The contest is open to all bonafide students
of tertiary schools in the country.
Deadline for submission of entries is on or
before Sept. 30, 2015.
Mechanics are as follows:
All entries must be submitted in manuscript
form, typewritten (Times New Roman, 12,
regular) in short bond paper (8 in x 11

in) double-space with one-inch margin on

all sides.
Each entry must not exceed four pages and
must be submitted in four copies.
The entry must bear only the pen name of
the author. The pen name, real name, mailing
address, contact number, and signature of the
author must be written on a piece of paper. The
piece of paper must be sealed in a short letter
envelope outside of which will be written the
pen name of the author. The letter envelope
containing the real name of the author must
be stapled on the first copy of the entry. The
entry must include in the envelope a certification from the college dean that the author
is a bonafide student of the institution and a
duly accomplished affidavit form provided by
the committee.
All entries must be received by the 450
Kaplag Executive Director, Provincial Offices,
Santo Nio Pilgrim Center, Osmea Blvd.,
Cebu City, on or before Sept. 30, 2015.
Criteria for judging are 40% for content;

40% for rhetoric and style; and 20% for

universal impact.
The Board of Jurors will be composed of
renowned historians, theologians, and authorities on Philippines culture and arts.
Their decision will be final and nonappealable.
Besides commemorative trophies, the winning students will receive cash prizes as follows: First prize Php 20,000; Second Prize
Php 10,000; and Third Prize Php 5,000.
Moreover, their schools will be given plaques
of recognition.
The 450 Kaplag Executive Director will notify the winning entries and invite the authors
to Cebu for the awarding ceremonies.
For further information, interested parties
may contact the Augustinian Province of Santo
Nio de Cebu Philippines, Provincial Officers Santo Nio Pilgrim Center
Osmea Blvd. and Burgos St., Cebu City,
Philippines 6000 at (032) 253 -1601. (Raymond A. Sebastin / CBCP News)

PH Franciscans to bring Laudato Si to parishes

seem to forget that exorcisms are
all about Gods power, first and
foremost. Its all about Gods
victory over the devil, good over
evil, light over darkness, he
adds, thanking the Archdiocese
of Manila (RCAM)s Office of
Exorcism for helping him with
the project.
According to Perez, Patron
Comics, which has been endorsed by several bishops, features characters who are ordinary humans trying to live
extraordinary lives.
Saintly alternative
In a society where giving in to
sin is vogue, the characters choose
a noble and heroic alternative:
sainthood, he says.
I want to be a faithful Catholic, but my same-sex attraction
tells me to give in to what I feel.
What do I do now?This is the
crux of each story, and of each
character, he says.
Perez believes in the potential
of catechizing the readers via
Patron Comics.
Catechism meets entertainment
While not entirely new, he
points out the concept of catechism through entertainment
has not been explored and mined
fully until now.
These are exciting times, especially when you realize that there
is a new way to bring the people
closer to God and the Church.
I call on the clergy and my fellow laity to support this holy
endeavor, Perez says.
The comic book is expected
to be in the bookstores by
October.
Those who want to pre-order
may contact Perez at 09228276662 or ajuperez@gmail.
com. (Raymond A. Sebastin /
CBCP News)

IN Line with the celebration of the

Season of Creation, the Order of
Friars Minor (OFM) in the Philippines has taken on the task of
bringing Laudato si to its parishes
in a bid to make the faithful aware
of Pope Francis timely message on
the environment.
We encourage all our parish
communities and all priests to
integrate in their Sunday celebration an explanation of Laudato
Si by relating its theme to the
Sunday gospel, said Fr. Cielito
R. Almazan, minister provincial
of the OFM-San Pedro Bautista
Province, in a statement on the
1st World Day of Prayer for
Creation.
Studying Laudato Si
The priest further exhorted
fellow Franciscans to undertake
a careful study of Laudato Si
and collectively discern plans on
how to concretely address ecological issues local communities
now face.
We ask our local Justice Peace
and Integrity of Creation (JPIC)
desks to spearhead these activi-

The Order of Friars Minor (OFM) in the Philippines has committed to bringing Pope
Francis latest encylical to more people at the grassroots level.

ties, he shared.
Almazan went on to invite
Franciscan communities to come
out with activities which will have
the Care of Creation as the main
theme.
Ecological conversion
Moreover, he expressed hope
that the ongoing celebration will
bring about authentic ecological
conversion and that the example
and spirituality of St. Francis of
Assisi will provide the faithful
with an interior impulse which

motivates, nourishes, and gives

meaning to each individual and
communal activity, inspiring all
to live simply.
Recalling the apostolic trip in
January, the priest said the historic encounter of Pope Francis,
particularly with Yolanda survivors
in Tacloban, echoes his compassionate concern to all those whose
lives are exposed to the effects of
climate change.
Day of prayer
Typhoon Yolanda was recorded

in our history as the strongest

typhoon to ever hit land. Pope
Francis encyclical Laudato Si is
a beacon of hope in these time of
crisis. We, Franciscans, embrace
the challenge posed by the encyclical to heed both the cry of the
earth and the cry of the poor, he
stressed, citing paragraph 49 of the
papal document.
In union with members of the
Orthodox Church, the Holy Father set Sept. 1 as a day of prayer
for the care of creation.
Custodians of creation
He wished that this day
would offer all of us an opportunity to renew our personal
participation in this vocation
as custodians of creation, raising to God our thanks for the
marvelous works that He has
entrusted to our care, Almazan
noted.
Sept. 1 also marks the start of
the annual Season of Creation
which will end on Oct. 4, the
feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the
Patron of Ecology. (Raymond A.
Sebastin / CBCP News)

Concert to help advance religious sisters ministry

AN evening of prayer and music is set to
be held on Sept. 26, Saturday, 6:00 p.m. at
the Bishop F. Rooker Auditorium in St. Paul
College Pasig for the benefit of a struggling
congregation of women religious.
Ministries
Sr. Bubbles Bandojo of the Religious of the
Cenacle Sisters (RC) shared in an interview on
Wednesday, Sept. 9, that the special concert
aims to raise funds for the Asian branch of her
congregation, its ministries and apostolates for
the poor, the initial formation of future Cenacle
sisters, and the care of its elderly members.
She expressed lament that out of the less
than 30 Cenacle Sisters in Asia today, 17 are
already past the age of 70.

Gods beloved
Dubbed Beloved: A Journey of Love,
Bandojo said the fundraising concert for the
Cenacle Sisters will feature performances by
the Ateneo Chamber Singers, Hangad, Bukas
Palad Music Ministry, and Himig Heswita as
well as guest appearances by music legends
Noel Cabangon and Basil S. Valdez.
According to her, it is about time all people
reclaim their identity as Gods beloved.
Tickets
Tickets are now on sale at The Cenacle
Retreat House and Spirituality Center, 59
Nicanor Reyes Street , Loyola Hts., QC;
Jesuit Communications Foundation, Inc.
(JesCom); Tanging Yaman Store, Sonolux

Building, Seminary Drive , Ateneo de Manila University, Loyola Hts., QC; and at
the Tanging Yaman Kiosk, 5th Floor Mega
Atrium, SM Megamall.
Tickets are priced at Php 300, Php 500,
Php 1,000, and Php 2,000.
Reservations
For inquiries and ticket reservations, interested parties may call the Cenacle Retreat
House (Philippines) at Telefax (+632)
434-69-43; Smart (+63) 947-1943-494;
and Globe (+63) 917-9932-204.
They may also contact the Jesuit Communications (JesCom) office at telephone
numbers (63 2) 426 5971 to 72 local 113.
(Raymond A. Sebastin / CBCP News)

PASTORAL CONCERNS B1

September 14 - 27, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 19

NCCP

CBCP Monitor

On the killing of voiceless and

defenseless Lumads
Your brothers blood cries out to me from the ground. (Gen 4:10)
agents, they cannot be held to account
for their actions by the regular channels of accountability and attribution
that exist in the regular armed forces
and police.
We are disturbed profoundly by
reports that national leaders have been
quick to exonerate the militia group of
wrong-doing. This alarming eagerness
to deny culpability does not augur well
for truth and for justice. Such declarations inspire credence only after a reliable and trustworthy investigation by
impartial and competent persons shall
have taken place. If made before any
such investigation, they disturbingly
suggest a refusal to hold accountable
those to whom the Administration so
eagerly extends its mantle of protection.
We call on all who have direct and
competent proof of facts to contribute
to the just resolution of this tragedy

We are disturbed profoundly by reports

that national leaders have been quick
to exonerate the militia group of
wrong-doing. This alarming eagerness
to deny culpability does not augur well
for truth and for justice.
account for their wrong-doing.
Indigenous peoples and cultural
communities are already disadvantaged
in a number of ways. They are, in our
day and age, the anawim Yahweh, the
poor of the Lord who have no avenger
and none to stand for their rights.
That their leaders and members should
suffer yet the tragedy that has recently
been visited upon them only underscores their plight as marginalized and
underserved, apparently outside the
pall of protection even of the law. This
cannot be just. This cannot be the will
of God.
That a militia group has been named
is likewise troubling. Militia groups,
by their very nature, do not fall under
a clear, established and accessible chain
of command. Government makes use
of such groups for counter-insurgency,
counter-rebellion maneuvers. It is their
association with government that can be
pernicious, for while they act with the
tacit consent, if not authority of state

visited on indigenous Filipinos. We

respectfully invite the attention of the
State to the fact that under accepted
principles of international law, state
responsibility lies where persons acting
in behalf of the State commit some actionable wrong, and the State hesitates
about acting or, worse, refuses to act. If
militia groups cannot fit within a structure of clear authority and command by
legitimate state authority, they should
not be tolerated, much less employed
as mercenaries by the State. We ask
our indigenous Filipino brothers and
sisters to keep their faith in the ways of
peace and to abide by the law, even as
they rightly press for the vindication of
their rights.
From the Catholic Bishops Conference
of the Philippines, September 11, 2015
+ SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS
Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan
President, CBCP

On the Reforms issued by

Pope Francis in the Trial
of Marriage Cases

NCCP

THE prophets of the Old Testament

repeatedly excoriated Gods people for
worship that failed the test of authenticity. Ritual and ceremony are empty
unless God is worshipped by hearkening
to cries for justice and the lamentation
of the oppressed.
Recently, Lumads in Surigao del Sur
were cut down, witnesses claim, by an
armed militia group. The Association of
Major Religious Superiors has named
the Magahat-Bagani Force, a militia
group.
In behalf of the voiceless and the
defenseless, the CBCP endeavors to
worship the Living God in Spirit and
in Truth by taking up the cudgels for
the fallen, and for their grieving families
and bereaved communities. The CBCP
asks the government for an honest,
thorough, impartial and speedy investigation so that the guilty may be held to

IT is so clear to all of us by now that indeed the principal

and all-embracing vision of the papacy of Pope Francis is
mercy and compassion. It is mercy and compassion that
explains his action and work. Pope Francis in his words,
gestures and teachings shows us the face of the clement
judge who is Jesus Christ Himself. Now in his latest Apostolic Letter Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus (translated The
Lord Jesus, Clement Judge), the Pope has opted by an act
that is called motu proprio to simplify the process for the
declaration of marriages null and void from the beginning.
The teaching about the indissolubility and unity of
marriage remains. The doctrine about the sacredness of
marriage and family life is unchanged. The declaration
of nullity of marriages is not divorce.
This new Apostolic Letter reaches out to those Catholics
who suffer quietly from the bond and obligations of what
they thought was a marriage; when the truth is there was
no marriage to speak of from the very start because the
requirements for the valid reception of matrimony were
not present. The Pope reaches out tenderly to those who
suffer from invalid marriages.
The process has been simplified and dramatically shortened. The matrimonial tribunals must be brought closer to
the people; in fact each diocese is mandated to have such
marriage courts with the Bishop as the symbol of Christ
the Lawgiver and Judge. The services of the Church must
be more accessible to the people; the process to receive
those blessings of new peace for those who have suffered
long, must be simplified. Indeed, this is another proof of
the old adage in Church pastoral ministrythe salvation

of souls is the supreme law.

There is a lot of fresh air entering the windows of the
Church. More doors are being opened in welcome. Come
to me all who are weary and find life burdensome and I
will give you rest, says the Lord.

The matrimonial tribunals

must be brought closer
to the people; in fact
each diocese is mandated
to have such marriage
courts with the Bishop as
the symbol of Christ the
Lawgiver and Judge.
From the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist, Dagupan
City, September 8, 2015
+SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS
Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan
CBCP President

B2 PASTORAL CONCERNS

CBCP Monitor

CNA

September 14 - 27, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 19

Absolving Latae Sententiae excommunication

for procured abortion:
Understanding the Special Faculty for the
Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy
Part 1
By Fr. Jaime B. Achacoso, J.C.D.
THE tragedy of abortion is experienced by
some with a superficial awareness, as if not
realizing the extremeharm that such an act
entails. Many others, on the other hand,
although experiencing this moment as a
defeat, believe they have no other option. I
think in particular of all the women who
have resorted to abortion. I am well aware of
the pressure that has led them to this decision.
I know that it is an existential and moral
ordeal. I have met so many women who
bear in their heart the scar of this agonizing
and painful decision. What has happened is
profoundly unjust; yet only understanding
the truth of it can enable one not to lose hope.
The forgiveness of God cannot be denied to
one who has repented, especially when that
person approaches the Sacrament of Confession with a sincere heart in order to obtain
reconciliation with the Father. For this
reason too, I have decided, notwithstanding
anything to the contrary, (1) to concede to
all priests for the Jubilee Year (2) the discretion to absolve of the sin of abortion (3)
those who have procured it and who, with
contrite heart, seek forgiveness for it. (4)
May priests fulfil this great task by expressing
words of genuine welcome combined with
a reflection that explains the gravity of the
sin committed, besides indicating a path of

authentic conversion by which to obtain the

true and generous forgiveness of the Father
who renews all with his presence. --(From
the Letter of His Holiness Pope Francis
to Abp.Rino Fisichella, President of the
Pontifical Council for the Promotion of
the New Evangelization.)
As can be expected, this wonderful

Year of Mercy. Since such a faculty will

not be effective until December this year,
we shall tackle this matter in two parts.
Penal Sanctions (or Penalties) in the
Church
Can. 1312,1 states: The following penal
sanctions exist in the Church:

control and administration of the Church.

2) Subjective Element: The destinatary
of the penalty is the baptizedor received
in the Catholic Church (c.11)and, who
has completed 16 years of age (c.1323, 1).
3) Formal Element: Contumacy. A
special requisite of the censure is contumacyi.e., the persistent will in the offender

As can be expected, this wonderful newswhich to a

canon lawyer should not have produced any wonderment
immediately generated a lot of confusion among many
priests, largely due to a lack of understanding of the nature
of the faculty being granted.
newswhich to a canon lawyer should
not have produced any wonderment
immediately generated a lot of confusion
among many priests, largely due to a
lack of understanding of the nature of
the faculty being granted. To shed some
light on the matter, it might be good to
have a quick review of Penal Law in the
Church, specifically the nature of the
canonical penalty of excommunication,
the crime of procured abortion which is
punished by a latae sententiae (automatic)
excommunication, and finally the faculty
to remit such a penalty in the context of
sacramental confession (which is what is
being granted now by Pope Francis to all
priests during the Extraordinary Jubilee

1 medicinal penalties or censures enumerated in cc. 1331-1333;

2 expiatory penalties enumerated in
c.1336.
a. Medicinal penalties or censures
The censure is a penalty by which the
baptized and contumacious offender is
deprived of certain spiritual or related goods
until he ceases in his contumacy and is absolved (CIC 17, c.2241). The canonical
concept of a censure contains the following essemtoal elements:
1) Objective Element: It is a true penalty
(not just a penance). The spiritual or related goods which a censure can deprive
the offender of are only those under the

to violate the ecclesiastical law. It is the

juridical counterpart of the Pauline (and
biblical) notion of the hardness of heart.
It is worthwhile noting that contumacy
is not conceptually identifiable with the
reincidence in the offense (even if the latter can be a manifestation of the former).
Thus, c.1326,1, 1 employs the term
pertinacia for the case of reincidence.
This is due to the fact that the notion of
contumacy is derived not from the relation of offender-offense (i.e., to his persistence in the delictive act per se), but rather
from the relation offender-authority: the
rebellion against the Church authority.
This doctrine is very much in keeping with the notion of the censure as

a medicinal penalty: as a medicine, a

censure should only be inflicted after all
the extra-penal (e.g., warnings) or semipenal (e.g., penances) means for making
the offender submit to ecclesiastical discipline have been exhausted. Obviously,
such measures can only be effective if the
presumed offender submits himself to the
ecclesiastical authority, who determines
the manner in which he can express
contrition, satisfaction, etc. The minute
such person rejects such means, he breaks
off from the Hierarchy, who then have to
impose a censure to break the contumacy.
Thus, before the imposition of a censure, contumacy must be verified with
proof:
1) A ferendae sententiae (imposed
through a decree) censure requires previous warning of the offender, at least once,
and giving him sufficient time to rectify
his conduct (cf. c.1347,1).
2) A latae sententiae censure (automatic)according to the more common
doctrineimplies that the warning is
implicit in the penal law itself; hence,
except if the offender is excused by some
legitimate cause, contumacy is presumed
by the very fact of violating the law or
precept, for which he incurs the censure.
This explains the exemptingor at least
attenuatingeffect of the ignorantia iuris
in these cases (cc.1323, 2 and 1324,1,
9).
Finally, we can note that the censure
cannot cease by itself (i.e., by its mere
Abortion, B7

(Father Edward McNamara,

professor of liturgy and dean of
theology at the Regina Apostolorum university, answers the
following queries:)
Q1: I would like to know the
days of the week fixed for each
set of mysteries of the rosary, and
how rigid is such an arrangement.
Is it acceptable to change when
we wish to? -- M.R., Hong Kong.
Q2: Is praying the rosary the
only way to have recourse to Our
Lady? What are the other possible
ways? -- C.M., Nairobi, Kenya
A: Since October is the month
of the rosary, it seems especially
appropriate to answer these questions now.
After the publication of Pope
St. John Paul IIs apostolic letter
Rosarium Virginis Mariae, the
weekly cycle of meditations on
the mysteries of the rosary are as
follows:
-- The joyful mysteries: Monday and Saturday
-- The luminous mysteries:
Thursday
-- The sorrowful mysteries:

Tuesday and Friday

-- The glorious mysteries:
Wednesday and Sunday.
This distribution is customary
and not set in any legal code,
and there is fairly wide leeway
left for personal devotion. It is
also customary to pray those
mysteries that are most appropri-

St. John Paul

II, in spite of
all his duties,
frequently
prayed the full
daily rosary.
ate on the respective feasts. For
example, if the Annunciation falls
on a Friday, it would usually be
considered as more appropriate
to pray the joyful rather than the
sorrowful mysteries.
Likewise, there may be other
good reasons for not following
the customary cycle. During
retreats and spiritual exercises,

for instance, the mysteries are

sometimes prayed according to
the themes of the day. There may
also be personal reasons that lead
individuals to choose to vary the
cycle.
Needless to say, it is also possible to pray more than one set of
mysteries on a given day and even
the full rosary. St. John Paul II, in
spite of all his duties, frequently
prayed the full daily rosary. In
this case it is recommended to
pray continuously at least the
five mysteries of the day, as this
is required to obtain the indulgence associated with the rosary.
According to the Enchiridion of
Indulgences:
A plenary indulgence is granted if the Rosary is recited in a
church, a public oratory, a family
group, a religious Community,
or pious Association; a partial
indulgence is granted in other
circumstances.
If more than five mysteries are
prayed, they may be done one or
two decades at a time.
Although the rosary is the Marian and Christological prayer par
excellence, and the one which has
Rosary, B7

Sky Ortigas

Rosary and Other Marian Devotions

CBCP Monitor

FEATURES B3

September 14 - 27, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 19

Consecrated Life at the Service of New Evangelization in Asia

(Final Statement of the Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences
Office of Consecrated Life Symposium IV, held at the
Redemptorist Center, Pattaya, Thailand on July 20-25, 2015)

readiness for reconciliation and our

forgiveness at all times;
Experiencing God in real-life situations (natural and human-made
disasters, political issues, etc.) as
sources of hope and mercy.

II. Communion
Taking up the Holy Fathers directive to
religious to be experts in communion
and prophetic witnesses living by Gospel
values, we commit ourselves to living the
inclusive love and solidarity that Jesus
taught and lived by:
Promoting a genuinely open and
fraternal life in our communities,
appreciating the uniqueness of persons and cultures, and helping all
persons to grow up to Gods dreams
for them;
Appreciating multiculturalism as a
value, not as a burden; learning the
richness of the cultures and settings
where people come from;
Treating our colleagues, employees
and domestic help as treasured
partners, creating the atmosphere
and the structures for competent lay
persons to work with us with justice
and respect;
Promoting unity and healing where

Family life and responsible parenthood;

Youth and new ways of communication;
Care of the environment and the
earth as our common home.

We need to persevere in our dialogue
with the poor, with peoples of other
cultures and religions, as well as with the
youth and faith-seekers.
We trust in our brothers in the hierarchy
as well as our co-workers among the laity
to regard us as equal partners in responding to the signs of the times. We need a
profound prayer life and contemplative
eyes to see Christ in the faces of the poor
and the marginalized.
Commitment
We, consecrated men and women, are
being challenged anew to turn our eyes
towards the world, to share the joys and
hopes, the griefs and anxieties of women
and men of this age, especially those who
are poor. . . who are afflicted [discriminated
against, and marginalized]. (GS, No. 1)
Pope Francis has sounded the call for us,
consecrated persons, to wake up the world
and shine with the radiance of joy.
We recognize that we often appear as

FABC-OCL

IN this year of Consecrated Life for the

universal Church, we, the 101 delegates
of Religious Women and Men, members
of Secular Institutes and Societies of
Apostolic Life, Priests, and Bishops, representing 17 countries of Asia, shared our
experiences and reflected on the theme of
Consecrated Life at the Service of New
Evangelization in Asia.
Through an earlier questionnaire,
FABC-OCL asked religious congregations
about their understanding and concrete
experiences of New Evangelization, the
challenges and megatrends confronting
them in Asia, and the pastoral resources,
priorities and prophetic role of their communities.
We noted Pope Francis call to wake
up the world through communion and
mission, and three characteristics of a
Church engaged in New Evangelization:
to be a Church of joy and mercy; to be a
Church which is poor and for the poor;
and to be an open Church.
We listened to the addresses of Cardinal
Braz de Aviz, Prefect of the Congregation
for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, and Archbishop
Savio Hon Tai Fai, SDB, Secretary of
the Congregation for Evangelization of
Peoples.

Religious Inclusiveness

We listened to country reports that

gave us an appreciation of the distinctive
context of each country, as well as the
common challenges confronting all of us.
In Pattaya, we also visited and learned
from church-affiliated centers for orphans,
differently-abled persons and marginalized
women. But most of all, we listened to
each others stories and peak experiences
of Gods goodness and mercy at the heart
of our vocation. We have developed friendships and a feeling of belonging to one

there is division, bigotry or violence

against groups.
III. Mission
As missionary disciples, all Christians,
particularly religious communities, are
urged to go forth to the existential peripheries. (Pope Francis to all Consecrated
People, Nov 21, 2014). We are asked
to move from our comfort zones to the
margins, from mediocrity to passionate
commitment.

We recognize that we often appear as

spiritless, lacking the fervor of a radical
follower of Jesus Christ. We fix our gaze on
Him, and allow Jesus to touch us daily.
family. In this light, we reiterate the call
to fidelity, to communion and to mission.
I. Fidelity to Jesus Christ and to the
charism of each consecrated community
The New Evangelization thrust of the
Church calls us consecrated men and
women to return to our first love, who
is God in Jesus Christ to whom we are
consecrated and to whom we are to be
configured. This means to encounter the
person of the Son anew and allow the
Spirit to transform us into his likeness so
that we can bear witness to him and to the
Gospel for all peoples. This implies:
An integral and life-long formation,
which focuses on radical living of
the Gospel nurtured by a life of
prayer, simple lifestyle, humility,
and docility;
Owning and living our charism;
Undergoing a process of conversion which involves us as persons
and as communities, as well as our
structures and institutions;
Rediscovering the beauty of consecrated life with its joys, hopes and
challenges;
Becoming prophetic in living the
Evangelical Counsels;
Deepening an awareness of Gods

The new evangelization is to be carried

out by means of attraction, not by proselytizing (EG, 114). This means that we do
mission following the via pulchritudinis,
the way of beauty. It is through loving
service that the beauty of the Gospel and
the Christian faith shines through.

spiritless, lacking the fervor of a radical

follower of Jesus Christ. We fix our gaze
on Him, and allow Jesus to touch us daily.
And He will come to us again, bless us,
giving us a new heart.
To be faithful to our vocation as consecrated persons, we need to be:
Mystics: women and men for whom
God is our first love and the source
of our joy and strength;
Prophets: Convinced disciples for
whom the non-negotiable absolute
is the Gospel of Jesus;
Servants: Loving and humble men
and women who truly put the needs
of others above our comforts, and
who want to make a difference by
creating a world of mutual respect,
care and compassion.
Jesus came among us in tender compassion, drew strength from oneness with
God, walked through the world excluding no one and used power only to heal
and do good. We want to walk through
Gods world as He did. We rely on Gods
tender mercy, and on one another, and on
all women and men of good will. And we
want to support anyone who wants to walk

We seek the motherly intercession of Mary,

the best model of discipleship and Star of the
New Evangelization. She listened to Gods
word, trusted God, said a whole-hearted
Yesand then hastened to serve.
Trusting in Gods enabling grace to
respond with creativity and effectiveness,
we face several megatrend challenges in
Asia such as:
Massive poverty and caring for the
least and the lowly;
Migrants, refugees and human trafficking;
Indigenous people and preservation
of cultures;
Religious freedom and peace building;

the path as Jesus did.

We seek the motherly intercession of
Mary, the best model of discipleship and
Star of the New Evangelization. She listened to Gods word, trusted God, said a
whole-hearted Yesand then hastened
to serve.
Like her, we, too, center our life on
Gods word, trust God to give us wisdom
and strength, and say a full Yes. Then,
like her, we hasten to serve those who
need us most.

By Joel Tabora, S.J.

LAST August 25-29, as tempers in Manila flared because thousands of members of the Iglesia ni Cristo disrupted traffic on
EDSA to protest alleged violations of the separation of church and
state, student and faculty sections of the Association of Southeast
and East Asian Catholic Colleges and Universities (ASEACCU)
met serenely in the Soegiyapranata Catholic University in Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia to discuss the topic of religious
inclusiveness.As we listened to religious leaders and scholars speak
on the importance and the challenge of religious inclusiveness to
72 member universities from Australia, Cambodia, Indonesia,
Japan, Korea Philippines, Taiwan, and Thailand, I was not aware
of the demonstration that brought traffic to a halt in EDSA.
But the topic of the ASEACCU Annual Conference and the
issue of the EDSA demonstrators were not unrelated. For separation of church and state is ultimately about a state that is not under
the control of religion and so permits religious inclusiveness. In the
Philippines, because of the separation of church and state, the state
is not under the control of the Catholic Church. It is not under
the control of the INC, nor even of Islam. That is why religious
inclusiveness is possible in the Philippines. The state tolerates and
protects the lawful functioning of various religious groups. Part of
this toleration includes non-interference by the state in the affairs
of religion. A perceived breach in this non-interference was what
brought the INK demonstrators to EDSA.
It is providential that the INK problem could be solved by
negotiation and did not lead to endless war, even though many
continue to be curious what the agreements leading to the solution were.
Where the separation of church and state is undone, and the
authority of the religion is merged with the authority of the state,
it is normally not the glory of God that is served, but the dark
forces of religious passion, often violent, that in the name of God
religiously and absolutely exclude from their sacred world and
from the right to exist all humans and human achievements that
are not part of their religious state. The ISIS, for example, the
Islamic State, considers itself justified in the atrocities it brings on
these who do not or cannot enter or oppose entering their sacred
world; they behead, they maim, they murder, they massacre; they
destroy any sign or symbol of civilization that is not does not fit
in their religious paradigm. Similar behavior has befallen the
Christian world when kings ruled by divine right and in the name
of God spawned the crusades and the inquisition.
Against this backdrop, the ASEACCU conference considered
religious inclusiveness: how
bring about humane societies
that include diverse religions.
For this topic, Semarang, a
center of religious inclusiveness, was an ideal location.
Among its activities, the delegates visited the grotto of St.
Mary in Kerep, Ambarawa,
Indonesias largest Marian
pilgrimage site at which Christians and Muslims venerate
Our Lady of the Assumption.
They were also festively welcomed to Semarangs Grand
Mosque in joyful exercise of
religious inclusiveness.
One of the keynote addresses came from the renowned Indonesian Muslim
leader, Almad SyafiI Maarif.
Referring to the civil-military
conflicts in the Arab world, he
said, Their uncivilized behavior to kill their own brothers
is absolutely un-Islamic, but
ironically they do it in the
name of Islam. Expressing
personal pain, he said, as a
Muslim I really feel ashamed to
see how tragic and fragile the
Muslim world now is. But hoping for a world where Muslims live
with each other and other religions in peace, he said: This earth
planet is for all human beings without exception regardless of their
background, believers or non-believers. In the Quran, there
is a famous verse: there shall be no coercion in matters of faith.
What the sunnat Allah requires is that human beings should live
in peace, cooperation, brotherhood, andcompete in good deeds.
All the other papers like that of Bishop Antonius Subianto
Bunjamin emphasized the role of Catholic higher education in
nurturing a diverse community. Quoting Pope Francis, he said: I
believe in Godnot a Catholic God. There is no Catholic God.
But the most applauded testimony came from came from Nor
Jamal Jan-Jan Batugan, the student Muslim delegate of Xavier
University in Cagayan de Oro. Despite the raised eyebrows of
members of his Muslim community as to why he should be going to a Catholic conference in Indonesia, he went in the hope of
becoming a better version of himself. He was not disappointed.
What I learned here in Indonesia is that there is something
greater than anything that binds us all together regardless of our
religions, faiths, and beliefs. Our task is to find it, search for it:
that which bridges all humanity at largeour faith in God, the
One who created you and me.
I believe if only Muslims would be good Muslims or Catholics good Catholics then the world would be more peaceful and
happier
Back in the Philippines, my Catholic university has taught me
many values that formed me into becoming a better servant of God.
My university taught me to find God in all things, to seek His presence, and to recognize his existence in everything I do. My Catholic
university has taught me to do everything inMagisin excellence,
to do more than what is expected. My university taught me to do
perform all my duties and responsibilities, my dreams, my aspirationsall for the greater glory of Godad majorem Dei gloriam.
Catholic higher education teaching Muslims to be better
Muslims, teaching all to bring about a more religiously inclusive
society not by watering down religion but by searching openly for
its core? Jan Jan Batugan testifies it is happening. At its religious
core, sameness need not be forced on all, especially not by the
state. The ethic of one group need not be coerced on another.
Diversity is a richness wrought by the Creator enriching even
religion. God leads us to a better version of ourselves in living
with the faiths of others.

In the
Philippines,
because of the
separation of
church and
state, the state
is not under
the control of
the Catholic
Church. It is
not under the
control of the
INC, nor even
of Islam.

B4 PASTORAL CONCERNS

September 14 - 27, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 19

CBCP Monitor

Continued from previous issue

(Last of a series)
V. CIVIC AND POLITICAL LOVE
228. Care for nature is part of a lifestyle which includes the capacity for
living together and communion. Jesus
reminded us that we have God as our
common Father and that this makes us
brothers and sisters. Fraternal love can

outside ourselves.[160]
234. Saint John of the Cross taught
that all the goodness present in the realities and experiences of this world is
present in God eminently and infinitely,
or more properly, in each of these sublime realities is God.[161] This is not
because the finite things of this world
are really divine, but because the mystic
experiences the intimate connection be-

came to accompany us on the journey

of life. Water poured over the body
of a child in Baptism is a sign of new
life. Encountering God does not mean
fleeing from this world or turning our
back on nature. This is especially clear
in the spirituality of the Christian East.
Beauty, which in the East is one of the
best loved names expressing the divine
harmony and the model of humanity

ours. In the Eucharist, fullness is already

achieved; it is the living centre of the
universe, the overflowing core of love
and of inexhaustible life. Joined to the
incarnate Son, present in the Eucharist,
the whole cosmos gives thanks to God.
Indeed the Eucharist is itself an act of
cosmic love: Yes, cosmic! Because even
when it is celebrated on the humble altar
of a country church, the Eucharist is

something unproductive and unnecessary, but this is to do away with the

very thing which is most important
about work: its meaning. We are called
to include in our work a dimension of
receptivity and gratuity, which is quite
different from mere inactivity. Rather, it
is another way of working, which forms
part of our very essence. It protects
human action from becoming empty

Laudato Si

Encyclical Letter of the Holy Father Francis on the Care of our Common Home

VI. SACRAMENTAL SIGNS AND

THE CELEBRATION OF REST
233. The universe unfolds in God,
who fills it completely. Hence, there
is a mystical meaning to be found in a
leaf, in a mountain trail, in a dewdrop,
in a poor persons face.[159] The ideal
is not only to pass from the exterior to
the interior to discover the action of
God in the soul, but also to discover
God in all things. Saint Bonaventure
teaches us that contemplation deepens
the more we feel the working of Gods
grace within our hearts, and the better
we learn to encounter God in creatures

activism; it also prevents that unfettered

greed and sense of isolation which make
us seek personal gain to the detriment of
all else. The law of weekly rest forbade
work on the seventh day, so that your
ox and your donkey may have rest, and
the son of your maidservant, and the
stranger, may be refreshed (Ex 23:12).
Rest opens our eyes to the larger picture
and gives us renewed sensitivity to the
rights of others. And so the day of rest,
centred on the Eucharist, sheds it light
on the whole week, and motivates us to
greater concern for nature and the poor.

Kris Bayos

only be gratuitous; it can never be a

means of repaying others for what they
have done or will do for us. That is why
it is possible to love our enemies. This
same gratuitousness inspires us to love
and accept the wind, the sun and the
clouds, even though we cannot control
them. In this sense, we can speak of a
universal fraternity.
229. We must regain the conviction
that we need one another, that we have
a shared responsibility for others and the
world, and that being good and decent
are worth it. We have had enough of
immorality and the mockery of ethics,
goodness, faith and honesty. It is time to
acknowledge that light-hearted superficiality has done us no good. When the
foundations of social life are corroded,
what ensues are battles over conflicting
interests, new forms of violence and
brutality, and obstacles to the growth
of a genuine culture of care for the
environment.
230. Saint Therese of Lisieux invites
us to practise the little way of love, not
to miss out on a kind word, a smile or
any small gesture which sows peace
and friendship. An integral ecology is
also made up of simple daily gestures
which break with the logic of violence,
exploitation and selfishness. In the end,
a world of exacerbated consumption is
at the same time a world which mistreats
life in all its forms.
231. Love, overflowing with small
gestures of mutual care, is also civic and
political, and it makes itself felt in every
action that seeks to build a better world.
Love for society and commitment to
the common good are outstanding expressions of a charity which affects not
only relationships between individuals
but also macro-relationships, social,
economic and political ones.[156]
That is why the Church set before the
world the ideal of a civilization of love.
[157] Social love is the key to authentic development: In order to make
society more human, more worthy of
the human person, love in social life
political, economic and cultural must
be given renewed value, becoming the
constant and highest norm for all activity.[158] In this framework, along
with the importance of little everyday
gestures, social love moves us to devise
larger strategies to halt environmental
degradation and to encourage a culture
of care which permeates all of society.
When we feel that God is calling us to
intervene with others in these social
dynamics, we should realize that this
too is part of our spirituality, which is an
exercise of charity and, as such, matures
and sanctifies us.
232. Not everyone is called to engage directly in political life. Society
is also enriched by a countless array of
organizations which work to promote
the common good and to defend the
environment, whether natural or urban.
Some, for example, show concern for a
public place (a building, a fountain, an
abandoned monument, a landscape, a
square), and strive to protect, restore,
improve or beautify it as something
belonging to everyone. Around these
community actions, relationships develop or are recovered and a new social
fabric emerges. Thus, a community can
break out of the indifference induced by
consumerism. These actions cultivate a
shared identity, with a story which can
be remembered and handed on. In this
way, the world, and the quality of life of
the poorest, are cared for, with a sense
of solidarity which is at the same time
aware that we live in a common home
which God has entrusted to us. These
community actions, when they express
self-giving love, can also become intense
spiritual experiences.

tween God and all beings, and thus feels

that all things are God.[162] Standing
awestruck before a mountain, he or she
cannot separate this experience from
God, and perceives that the interior awe
being lived has to be entrusted to the
Lord: Mountains have heights and they
are plentiful, vast, beautiful, graceful,
bright and fragrant. These mountains
are what my Beloved is to me. Lonely
valleys are quiet, pleasant, cool, shady
and flowing with fresh water; in the
variety of their groves and in the sweet
song of the birds, they afford abundant
recreation and delight to the senses, and
in their solitude and silence, they refresh
us and give rest. These valleys are what
my Beloved is to me.[163]
235. The Sacraments are a privileged
way in which nature is taken up by
God to become a means of mediating
supernatural life. Through our worship
of God, we are invited to embrace the
world on a different plane. Water, oil,
fire and colours are taken up in all their
symbolic power and incorporated in our
act of praise. The hand that blesses is an
instrument of Gods love and a reflection of the closeness of Jesus Christ, who

transfigured, appears everywhere: in

the shape of a church, in the sounds, in
the colours, in the lights, in the scents.
[164] For Christians, all the creatures
of the material universe find their true
meaning in the incarnate Word, for the
Son of God has incorporated in his person part of the material world, planting
in it a seed of definitive transformation.
Christianity does not reject matter.
Rather, bodiliness is considered in all
its value in the liturgical act, whereby
the human body is disclosed in its inner
nature as a temple of the Holy Spirit
and is united with the Lord Jesus, who
himself took a body for the worlds
salvation.[165]
236. It is in the Eucharist that all
that has been created finds its greatest
exaltation. Grace, which tends to manifest itself tangibly, found unsurpassable
expression when God himself became
man and gave himself as food for his
creatures. The Lord, in the culmination
of the mystery of the Incarnation, chose
to reach our intimate depths through
a fragment of matter. He comes not
from above, but from within, he comes
that we might find him in this world of

always in some way celebrated on the

altar of the world.[166] The Eucharist
joins heaven and earth; it embraces and
penetrates all creation. The world which
came forth from Gods hands returns to
him in blessed and undivided adoration:
in the bread of the Eucharist, creation
is projected towards divinization, towards the holy wedding feast, towards
unification with the Creator himself .
[167] Thus, the Eucharist is also a source
of light and motivation for our concerns
for the environment, directing us to be
stewards of all creation.
237. On Sunday, our participation in
the Eucharist has special importance.
Sunday, like the Jewish Sabbath, is
meant to be a day which heals our relationships with God, with ourselves,
with others and with the world. Sunday
is the day of the Resurrection, the first
day of the new creation, whose first
fruits are the Lords risen humanity, the
pledge of the final transfiguration of all
created reality. It also proclaims mans
eternal rest in God.[168] In this way,
Christian spirituality incorporates the
value of relaxation and festivity. We
tend to demean contemplative rest as

VII. THE TRINITY AND THE

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CREATURES
238. The Father is the ultimate source
of everything, the loving and self-communicating foundation of all that exists.
The Son, his reflection, through whom
all things were created, united himself
to this earth when he was formed in
the womb of Mary. The Spirit, infinite
bond of love, is intimately present at the
very heart of the universe, inspiring and
bringing new pathways. The world was
created by the three Persons acting as
a single divine principle, but each one
of them performed this common work
in accordance with his own personal
property. Consequently, when we contemplate with wonder the universe in all
its grandeur and beauty, we must praise
the whole Trinity.[169]
239. For Christians, believing in one
God who is trinitarian communion
suggests that the Trinity has left its
mark on all creation. Saint Bonaventure
went so far as to say that human beings,
before sin, were able to see how each
creature testifies that God is three.
The reflection of the Trinity was there
to be recognized in nature when that
book was open to man and our eyes
had not yet become darkened.[170]
The Franciscan saint teaches us that
each creature bears in itself a specifically Trinitarian structure, so real that
it could be readily contemplated if only
the human gaze were not so partial, dark
and fragile. In this way, he points out to
us the challenge of trying to read reality
in a Trinitarian key.
240. The divine Persons are subsistent relations, and the world, created
according to the divine model, is a web
of relationships. Creatures tend towards
God, and in turn it is proper to every
living being to tend towards other
things, so that throughout the universe
we can find any number of constant
and secretly interwoven relationships.
[171] This leads us not only to marvel
at the manifold connections existing
among creatures, but also to discover a
key to our own fulfilment. The human
person grows more, matures more and is
sanctified more to the extent that he or
she enters into relationships, going out
from themselves to live in communion
with God, with others and with all creatures. In this way, they make their own
that trinitarian dynamism which God
imprinted in them when they were created. Everything is interconnected, and
this invites us to develop a spirituality of
that global solidarity which flows from
the mystery of the Trinity.
VIII. QUEEN OF ALL CREATION
241. Mary, the Mother who cared for
Jesus, now cares with maternal affection and pain for this wounded world.
Just as her pierced heart mourned the
death of Jesus, so now she grieves for
the sufferings of the crucified poor
and for the creatures of this world laid
waste by human power. Completely
transfigured, she now lives with Jesus,
and all creatures sing of her fairness.
She is the Woman, clothed in the sun,
with the moon under her feet, and on
her head a crown of twelve stars (Rev
12:1). Carried up into heaven, she is
the Mother and Queen of all creation.
In her glorified body, together with
the Risen Christ, part of creation has
reached the fullness of its beauty. She
treasures the entire life of Jesus in her
heart (cf. Lk 2:19,51), and now understands the meaning of all things. Hence,
we can ask her to enable us to look at
this world with eyes of wisdom.
242. At her side in the Holy Family
of Nazareth, stands the figure of Saint
Joseph. Through his work and generB7
Laudato Si / B4

CBCP Monitor

STATEMENTS B5

September 14 - 27, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 19

Letter of His Holiness Pope Francis according to

which an indulgence is granted to the faithful on the
occasion of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy
WITH the approach of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy I would like
to focus on several points which I
believe require attention to enable
the celebration of the Holy Year to
be for all believers a true moment of
encounter with the mercy of God. It
is indeed my wish that the Jubilee be
a living experience of the closeness of
the Father, whose tenderness is almost
tangible, so that the faith of every believer may be strengthened and thus
testimony to it be ever more effective.
My thought first of all goes to all the
faithful who, whether in individual
Dioceses or as pilgrims to Rome, will
experience the grace of the Jubilee. I
wish that the Jubilee Indulgence may
reach each one as a genuine experience
of Gods mercy, which comes to meet
each person in the Face of the Father
who welcomes and forgives, forgetting
completely the sin committed. To experience and obtain the Indulgence,
the faithful are called to make a brief
pilgrimage to the Holy Door, open
in every Cathedral or in the churches
designated by the Diocesan Bishop,
and in the four Papal Basilicas in
Rome, as a sign of the deep desire for
true conversion. Likewise, I dispose
that the Indulgence may be obtained
in the Shrines in which the Door of
Mercy is open and in the churches
which traditionally are identified as
Jubilee Churches. It is important
that this moment be linked, first and
foremost, to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and to the celebration of
the Holy Eucharist with a reflection
on mercy. It will be necessary to accompany these celebrations with the
profession of faith and with prayer
for me and for the intentions that I
bear in my heart for the good of the
Church and of the entire world.
Additionally, I am thinking of those
for whom, for various reasons, it will
be impossible to enter the Holy Door,
particularly the sick and people who
are elderly and alone, often confined
to the home. For them it will be of
great help to live their sickness and
suffering as an experience of closeness to the Lord who in the mystery
of his Passion, death and Resurrection indicates the royal road which
gives meaning to pain and loneliness.
Living with faith and joyful hope
this moment of trial, receiving communion or attending Holy Mass and
community prayer, even through the
various means of communication, will
be for them the means of obtaining
the Jubilee Indulgence. My thoughts
also turn to those incarcerated, whose

CNA

To My Venerable Brother
Archbishop Rino Fisichella
President of the Pontifical Council
for the Promotion of the New Evangelization

Vatican City - April 11, 2015. Cardinals gathered at St. Peters Basilica on April 11, 2015 during the Convocation of the Year of
Mercy, where Pope Francis publicly proclaimed a Jubilee for Mercy, which will begin December 8th and end in November 2016.

freedom is limited. The Jubilee Year

has always constituted an opportunity
for great amnesty, which is intended to
include the many people who, despite

experience of freedom.
I have asked the Church in this
Jubilee Year to rediscover the richness
encompassed by the spiritual and cor-

The forgiveness of God cannot be

denied to one who has repented,
especially when that person approaches
the Sacrament of Confession with
a sincere heart in order to obtain
reconciliation with the Father.
deserving punishment, have become
conscious of the injustice they worked
and sincerely wish to re-enter society
and make their honest contribution to
it. May they all be touched in a tangible way by the mercy of the Father
who wants to be close to those who
have the greatest need of his forgiveness. They may obtain the Indulgence
in the chapels of the prisons. May
the gesture of directing their thought
and prayer to the Father each time
they cross the threshold of their cell
signify for them their passage through
the Holy Door, because the mercy of
God is able to transform hearts, and
is also able to transform bars into an

poral works of mercy. The experience

of mercy, indeed, becomes visible in
the witness of concrete signs as Jesus

Indulgence. Hence the commitment

to live by mercy so as to obtain the
grace of complete and exhaustive
forgiveness by the power of the love
of the Father who excludes no one.
The Jubilee Indulgence is thus full,
the fruit of the very event which is to
be celebrated and experienced with
faith, hope and charity.
Furthermore, the Jubilee Indulgence can also be obtained for the deceased. We are bound to them by the
witness of faith and charity that they
have left us. Thus, as we remember
them in the Eucharistic celebration,
thus we can, in the great mystery of
the Communion of Saints, pray for
them, that the merciful Face of the
Father free them of every remnant of
fault and strongly embrace them in
the unending beatitude.

I have asked the Church in this

Jubilee Year to rediscover the richness
encompassed by the spiritual and
corporal works of mercy.
himself taught us. Each time that one
of the faithful personally performs
one or more of these actions, he or
she shall surely obtain the Jubilee

One of the serious problems of our

time is clearly the changed relationship with respect to life. A widespread
and insensitive mentality has led to

the loss of the proper personal and

social sensitivity to welcome new life.
The tragedy of abortion is experienced
by some with a superficial awareness,
as if not realizing the extreme harm
that such an act entails. Many others,
on the other hand, although experiencing this moment as a defeat, believe they they have no other option.
I think in particular of all the women
who have resorted to abortion. I am
well aware of the pressure that has led
them to this decision. I know that it
is an existential and moral ordeal. I
have met so many women who bear
in their heart the scar of this agonizing and painful decision. What has
happened is profoundly unjust; yet
only understanding the truth of it can
enable one not to lose hope. The forgiveness of God cannot be denied to
one who has repented, especially when
that person approaches the Sacrament
of Confession with a sincere heart in
order to obtain reconciliation with
the Father. For this reason too, I have
decided, notwithstanding anything
to the contrary, to concede to all
priests for the Jubilee Year the discretion to absolve of the sin of abortion
those who have procured itand who,
with contrite heart, seek forgiveness
for it. May priests fulfil this great
task by expressing words of genuine
welcome combined with a reflection
that explains the gravity of the sin
committed, besides indicating a path
of authentic conversion by which to
obtain the true and generous forgiveness of the Father who renews all with
his presence.
A final consideration concerns
those faithful who for various reasons
choose to attend churches officiated
by priests of the Fraternity of St Pius
X. This Jubilee Year of Mercy excludes
no one. From various quarters, several
Brother Bishops have told me of their
good faith and sacramental practice,
combined however with an uneasy
situation from the pastoral standpoint. I trust that in the near future
solutions may be found to recover
full communion with the priests and
superiors of the Fraternity. In the
meantime, motivated by the need to
respond to the good of these faithful, through my own disposition, I
establish that those who during the
Holy Year of Mercy approach these
priests of the Fraternity of St Pius X to
celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation shall validly and licitly receive
the absolution of their sins.
Trusting in the intercession of the
Mother of Mercy, I entrust the preparations for this Extraordinary Jubilee
Year to her protection.
From the Vatican, 1 September 2015
Francis

Environmental Justice and Climate Change

Address of Pope Francis to the participants of the meeting promoted by the
Foundation for Sustainable Development, Vatican City State, September 11, 2015
are topics, or objects, which
attract great attention from the
media and public opinion, and
around which and from which
angry scientific and political
debates are widespread, though
not unanimous, consensus has
emerged.
Why and how should we be
concerned about it? We cannot
forget the grave social implica-

Science and technology put

in our hands an unprecedented
power: it is our duty to use it
for the common good for the
whole of humanity, especially
for the poorest and
future generations.
cannot be exaggerated. Climate is a common good,
gravely threatened today:
phenomenons indicate it
such as climate change,
global warming and the
increase of extreme meteorological events. They

tions of climate change: the

poorest will suffer the greatest
consequences! Thereforeas
the title of this meeting correctly showsthe question of
climate is a question of justice
and also of solidarity, which is
never separated from justice. At

stake is the dignity of everyone,

as people, as communities, as
women and men.
Science and technology put
in our hands an unprecedented
power: it is our duty to use it
for the common good for the
whole of humanity, especially
for the poorest and future generations. Will our generation
succeed in being remembered

must allow ourselves to be led.

In carrying out this commitment, I hope that each one of
you will experience the pleasure
of participating in actions that
transmit life. The joy of the
Gospel also dwells here.
In what way, can we exercise
our responsibility, our solidarity, our dignity of persons and
citizens of the world? Each one

No one has them! Rather,

offering what happened in
dialogue and accepting that
ones own contribution is put
in discussion: a contribution is
requested of all in view of a result that cannot be, but fruit of
a common work. The great enemy here is hypocrisy. Rightly
does your meeting represent
an example of the practice of

different worlds are taking part in this meeting: of

religion and politics, economic activity and scientific research in many sectors,
international organizations
and those committed in the
fight against poverty.
To bear fruit, this dialogue
is in need of being inspired
by a vision that is both

CNA

DISTINGUISHED Gentlemen and Ladies, good

morning and welcome!
I thank Doctor Ronchi
and Doctor Caio for having opened our meeting,
and I thank all of you for
having collaborated with
this international meeting,
dedicated to a subject whose
importance and urgency

Vatican City - July 15, 2015. The Modern Slavery and Climate Change briefing at the Holy See Press Office on July 15, 2015.

for having assumed our responsibilities with generosity?

(Encyclical Laudato Si, 165).
Perhaps among the many contradictions of our time, we have
sufficient reason to nurture the
hope of succeeding in this. And
it is from this hope, that we

is called to respond personally,

in the measure appropriate to
him based on the role occupied in the family, in the work
world, in the economy and in
research, in civil society and
in institutions. Improbable
recipes will not be drawn.

this dialogue, which in the encyclical Laudato Si I proposed

as the only way to address the
problems of our world and to
seek truly effective solutions.
It seems to me a sign of great
importance, even Providential,
that outstanding exponents of

transparent and wide, and

to proceed according to an
integral approach, but especially participatory, including all the parties concerned,
also those that remain more
easily on the margins of
Justice, B7

B6 REFLECTIONS

CBCP Monitor

September 14 - 27, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 19

Jesus, the ideal servant leader

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Mark 9:30-37 (B) September 20, 2015

Humble service is not the inescapable lot of idiots and of

those who are not gifted with leadership qualities. Christian
service is, actually, for those who have guts and qualities.
and arrogance, cannot tolerate the
challenge of sincere humility. He could
not tolerate it in Jesus and he attacked
him. He attacked the Servant of the

Bo Sanchez

SOULFOOD
Question: Are You
Wealthy?
GRUMPY Grandma Gladys was the crankiest old woman
in town.
One day, she announced to her family, I want a pet. Its
gotta be perfect!
Boy, did her family have a hard time looking for a pet for her.
A nephew gave her a cat.
Too clingy, she complained and returned it.
A niece gave her a turtle.
Too slow, she complained and returned it.
A granddaughter gave her a parrot.
After a few days, she returned it and said, It complains
a lot!
Finally, they hit a pot of gold when they found a very special
dog that was a genius. The pet shop owner even told them, I
dont even know how intelligent this dog is! He keeps surprising me everyday. The family was so excited, they gave the
dog to Grandma Gladys, hoping that it will finally give the
old woman a happier disposition in life.
The next day, the family saw Grandma Gladys playing
chess with the dog!
They were amazed, they said, Aunt Gladys! That must be
the smartest dog in the world!
She smirked, Nah, Im returning him to you too. Hes
lost 3 of the last 5 games.
No matter what you do, this Grandma will never be happy.
The choice is ours: To be thankful or complain-full.
I believe this choice even affects your wealth
So Many Are Poor
The story above is pure fiction.
Let me now tell you a true story.
This lady is a multi-millionaire.
But completely and absolutely poor.
If youre confused, keep reading.
This wealthy woman has 5 helpers, 1 gardener, and 2 drivers.
Maid #1 is my personal assistant, she explained to me
one day. I cant live without her. She holds my cell phone.
She budgets for the house. More importantly, she gives me a
foot massage every night. Maid #2 cleans the house. Maid
#3 does the laundry. Maid #4 cooks. And Maid #5 is the
assistant of Maid #1.
By chance, I met her one morning and she blurted out,
Brother Bo, I feel so stressed! Life is so difficult. Why is God
doing this to me?
Why? What happened? I asked. I imagined the worst.
One of my maids is taking a vacation, she cried, and
shes been away for a week now. So instead of five maids, Im
down to four. Oh my gosh, I dont know what to do anymore!
My life is in such a mess.
Wow. Poor woman. I mean, having four maids is such a
tragedy, right? No human being should ever go through such
a trial. I wanted to console her
I wish I could say that I exaggerated the story to make
you laugh.
Sorry. This is a true story.
Question: Are you wealthy?

Lord in the desert, but was defeated.

(See Lk 4:13.) He dealt his last attack
at Gethsemane and on Calvary, and
there, too, he was defeated by Jesus, for

it was on the cross that the Servant

accomplished his mission of service
in behalf of all. (See Mt 20:28.) The
devil, routed by Jesus, now tries to

take revenge on us. It wont be an easy

battle for us.
But if we fight with Christ, we shall
also win with him, for the Lord will
not leave without a prize the efforts
exerted in being a servant like Jesus.
For him that prize is called Resurrection
and Ascension (see Heb 12:2); for us it
will be the possession of heaven, the
homeland of the Saints, Gods humble
servants.

Learning from God to be broadminded

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48 (B)

September 27, 2015
By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB
JESUS must have had a hard time in forming his disciples. Their moral defects were
continuously surfacing in attitudes and acts
which surprise us, when they do not scandalize us altogether. Their attempt to stop a
man from expelling demons in the name of
Jesus just because he was not one of their
group (see Mk 9:38) reveals a ghetto
mentality absolutely incompatible with
the universality of Christs message.
The roots of such an attitude are pride,
possessiveness, envy . . . . They try to thrive in
the hearts of all men. Together, these negative
tendencies blind many people into believing
that they are the very best and should, as far
as possible, remain uncontaminated by
contact with lower races or classes . . . .
This is one of the reasons why we put
so many barriers in our lives, and we see a
proliferation of barkadas, fraternities,
syndicates, elitist groups . . . whose main
concern seems to be the exclusion (if not the
suppression) of the non-members. These are
squalid fortress of pride, individualism, social
discrimination, racism!
When these forms of pride, envy, or selfexaltation try to find religious justifications,

then we come very near the impious attempt

to monopolize God and even lecture Him
on how He should run the world.

When these forms

of pride, envy, or
self-exaltation try
to find religious
justifications, then we
come very near the
impious attempt to
monopolize God and
even lecture Him on
how He should run
the world.
The temptation to monopolize God and
railroad His activity is a perennial danger
with some church people. Not a few have
become experts in this abominable form of

witchcraft. Such an attitude is the total denial

of genuine faith.
Faith is, first of all, humility. It is the
desire to let God be God. Let God be
freefree to take His initiatives; free to use
His gifts and people the way He thinks best.
No one should dare attempt to limit Gods
presence to the structures to which he/she
belongs. Not even when these structures
bear Gods very name and seal, and have
their origin in Him.
God is infinitely greater than any earthly
structure or vision. His wisdom follows
ways unknown even to the most perceptive
of us. His love can use sinners to make
saints holier. It can make use of the fury of
persecutors to purify His very Church and
render it more detached, humbler, more
faithful to her Lord . . . .
Once we understand and accept this fundamental Christian truth, we will be respectful of
Gods freedom, and work for the fulfillment of
one of the most demanding petitions of The
Lords Prayer: Your will be done! Gods will,
not ours! Then we will also be magnanimous
toward those who do not share our likings or
display our badge. And, at the same time, we
will be very demanding with ourselves, as the
final verses of todays Gospel passage forcefully
put it. (See Mk 9:43.45.47.)

Bishop Pat Alo

ENCOUNTERS
MARYS intercessory role as
channel of all graces coming
from God has withstood the
test of time and there are several Churches with the title of
Mary Mediatrix of all grace as
patroness. The Philippines is
also launching the Movement
for the Dogmatic definition
of Marys universal mediation
of grace.
The litany of the Holy Rosary
contains many titles of Our Lady
such as Holy Mother of God,
Mother of the Church, Virgin
most powerful, Virgin most
merciful, Ark of the Covenant,
Gate of heaven, Refuge of sinners, Seat of wisdom, Comforter
of the afflicted, Help of Christians, Queen of Angels, Queen
of Apostles, Queen of Martyrs,
Queen of Prophets, Queen of all
Saints, Queen of Peace, etc. This

Mary Mediatrix

Raymond A. Sebastin

THE aspiration to rise above others is

deeply rooted in the heart of man. Its
source is usually pride, and the devil
often succeeds in fanning it into arrogance, ruthlessness, and oppressiveness.
The members of Jesus core group
(the apostles) were no exception to this
sinful inclination. Part of todays Gospel and similar passages (see Mk 9:34,
Mt 20:20-24 and Lk 22:24) reveal to us
this aspect of their weak nature, which
was riddled, like ours, with earthly
ambitions, pettiness, and envy.
Jesus helped them grow out of their
craving for power and authority
through his example and his patient
exhortations. (Aside from v. 35 in todays passage, see also Jn 13:3-5.12-17.)
All of them, except Judas, gradually
assimilated his teaching and eventually
became living examples of humility
to their communities by the way they
exercised leadership.
By declaring that he had come to
serve, not to be served (Mt 20:28),
Jesus launched the Servanthood
Movement as the new way of being
leaders in a community. The new
movement, which began with him
has a motto: Ill be a servant! Service done with love and out of love
should be the characterizing trait of
the disciples of the Servant of the
Lord and of all men. This dynamic
orientation is rooted in humility and
nourished with generosity and love.
It is for us Christians to prove that
this is not just a nice theory, or utopic
aspiration. We have to show in practice
that to be ready to serve is not to be
servile. Humble service is not the inescapable lot of idiots and of those who
are not gifted with leadership qualities.
Christian service is, actually, for those
who have guts and qualities. It is for
those who aspire to be great in the
Kingdom of God. As Jesus taught us,
humble service is the sign of genuine,
lasting greatness.
All of these will not be without a
price. The devil, the father of all pride

John Bridges

By Fr. Sal Putzu, SDB

is not an impossibility because all

we desire to say is that being the
Mother of God, Mary merited
these other titles.
God chose Mary from all

eternity to be the Mother of

His Beloved Son, Our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ, the Source
of grace, the divine Mediator
between God and Man. God

is the source, she is the channel,

she the humble maid of Nazareth. Jesus, the Son of God and
Second Person of the One Triune
God, in obedience to God the
Father in the Redemption of
humankind, deigned to become
man by the power of the Holy
Spirit in the womb of the Blessed
Virgin Mary.
Mary, the Sorrowful Mother,
accompanied our Redeemer
at the very foot of the Cross.
There she was given to us as
our mother. Her motherhood
brings to mind a familiar saying
that goes: The hand that rocks
the cradle rocks the world.
This shows the distinction and
dignity of motherhood while
we entrust our earthly journey
into the maternal caring hands
of Mary Mediatrix, Spouse of
the Holy Spirit.

CBCP Monitor
Laudato Si / B4

ous presence, he cared for and

defended Mary and Jesus, delivering them from the violence of
the unjust by bringing them to
Egypt. The Gospel presents Joseph as a just man, hard-working
and strong. But he also shows
great tenderness, which is not a
mark of the weak but of those
who are genuinely strong, fully

SOCIAL CONCERNS B7

September 14 - 27, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 19

to continue on our way. In the

heart of this world, the Lord
of life, who loves us so much,
is always present. He does not
abandon us, he does not leave us
alone, for he has united himself
definitively to our earth, and
his love constantly impels us to
find new ways forward. Praise
be to him!
*****

and in the smallest of your

creatures.
You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.
Pour out upon us the power of
your love,
hat we may protect life and
beauty.
Fill us with peace, that we may
live
as brothers and sisters, harming
no one.

to be filled with awe and contemplation,

to recognize that we are profoundly united
with every creature
as we journey towards your infinite light.
We thank you for being with us
each day.
Encourage us, we pray, in our
struggle
for justice, love and peace.

and you gazed upon this world

with human eyes.
Today you are alive in every
creature
in your risen glory.
Praise be to you!
Holy Spirit, by your light
you guide this world towards the
Fathers love
and accompany creation as it
groans in travail.
You also dwell in our hearts

God of love, show us our place

in this world
as channels of your love
for all the creatures of this earth,
for not one of them is forgotten
in your sight.
Enlighten those who possess
power and money
that they may avoid the sin of
indifference,
that they may love the common
good, advance the weak,

Laudato Si

Encyclical Letter of the Holy Father Francis on the Care of our Common Home
and care for this world in which
we live.
The poor and the earth are crying out.
O Lord, seize us with your power
and light,
help us to protect all life,
to prepare for a better future,
for the coming of your Kingdom
of justice, peace, love and beauty.
Praise be to you!
Amen.

aware of reality and ready to

love and serve in humility. That
is why he was proclaimed custodian of the universal Church.
He too can teach us how to show
care; he can inspire us to work
with generosity and tenderness
in protecting this world which
God has entrusted to us.

Given in Rome at Saint Peters

on 24 May, the Solemnity of
Pentecost, in the year 2015, the
third of my Pontificate.
Franciscus
Notes:

Raymond A. Sebastin

IX. BEYOND THE SUN

243. At the end, we will find
ourselves face to face with the
infinite beauty of God (cf. 1 Cor
13:12), and be able to read with
admiration and happiness the
mystery of the universe, which
with us will share in unending
plenitude. Even now we are
journeying towards the sabbath
of eternity, the new Jerusalem,
towards our common home in
heaven. Jesus says: I make all
things new (Rev 21:5). Eternal
life will be a shared experience
of awe, in which each creature,
resplendently transfigured, will
take its rightful place and have
something to give those poor
men and women who will have
been liberated once and for all.
244. In the meantime, we
come together to take charge
of this home which has been
entrusted to us, knowing that all
the good which exists here will
be taken up into the heavenly
feast. In union with all creatures,
we journey through this land
seeking God, for if the world
has a beginning and if it has been
created, we must enquire who
gave it this beginning, and who
was its Creator.[172]Let us sing
as we go. May our struggles and
our concern for this planet never
take away the joy of our hope.
245. God, who calls us to
generous commitment and to
give him our all, offers us the
light and the strength needed

She treasures the entire life of Jesus in her heart ... and now
understands the meaning of all things. Hence, we can ask her to
enable us to look at this world with eyes of wisdom.
246. At the conclusion of this
lengthy reflection which has
been both joyful and troubling,
I propose that we offer two
prayers. The first we can share
with all who believe in a God
who is the all-powerful Creator,
while in the other we Christians
ask for inspiration to take up
the commitment to creation set
before us by the Gospel of Jesus.
A prayer for our earth
All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe

O God of the poor,

help us to rescue the abandoned
and forgotten of this earth,
so precious in your eyes.
Bring healing to our lives,
that we may protect the world
and not prey on it,
that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.
Touch the hearts
of those who look only for gain
at the expense of the poor and
the earth.
Teach us to discover the worth
of each thing,

Rosary, B2

Abortion, B2

been most recommended by the popes

over the centuries, there are other valid
ways of honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The Enchiridion of Indulgences offers
various suggestions which the Church
has officially approved by endowing
them with plenary and partial indulgences.
Among these are: reciting the Magnificat; praying the Angelus or the Regina
Caeli; and the prayers Mary Mother
of Grace, the Memorare of St. Bernard, the Salve Regina, Sancta Maria
Sucurre Miseris and the Sub Tuum
Praesidium. The latter is perhaps the
oldest known invocation of Mary with
the title Mother of God.
A plenary indulgence, in terms similar
to the rosary, was also granted by John
Paul II to those who pray or attend a
recitation of the Byzantine Akathist
hymn, one of the most beautiful poetical
expressions of love for Our Lady.
There are, of course, many other legitimate prayers and hymns dedicated
to Our Lady which foster devotion and
veneration toward her and inspiration to
imitate her virtueswhich is the greatest
honor we can offer her.

fulfillment), but always and necessarily

through absolution. This implies:
1) The offender has a right to such
absolution when, in compliance with the
requirements of c.1347,2, he breaks his
contumacy (c.1358,1). The reason for
this is the principal sense of the censure,
which is the correction of the offender
(i.e., breaking his contumacy).
2) The censure cannot be inflicted
perpetually, or for a determined time, or
ad nutum of the Superior. The period will
always depend on the attitude and will of
the offender.
b. Types of Censures
Can. 1312, 1, 1 remits us to cc.13311333, which speak of the excommunication, the interdict, and the suspension.
1) Excommunication. The CIC 1917
defined it as a censure by which a person is
excluded from the communion of the faithful, with the inseparable effects enumerated
in the following canons. These inseparable
effects were summarized in the old c.1331.
2) Interdict. A censure by which the
faithful, without losing communion
with the Church, are prohibited some
goods (i.e., those expressly enumerated in

A Christian prayer in union with

creation
Father, we praise you with all
your creatures.
They came forth from your allpowerful hand;
they are yours, filled with your
presence and your tender love.
Praise be to you!
Son of God, Jesus,
through you all things were
made.
You were formed in the womb
of Mary our Mother,
you became part of this earth,

c.1332). It is always personal.

3) Suspension. A censure exclusive to
the clerical state, by which the exercise of
the power of Orders, the power of governance, or of an officeas well as the right
to receive specific goodsis prohibited
partially or totally.
Excommunication and its Effects
Excommunication is the archetype of
ecclesiastical penalty, for its direct relation to a concept which is fundamental
to the whole ecclesial penal system: the
communio. Communio is the vital habitat
of the faithful as such. His participation
in that communio has an ontological root
(baptism), which obviously cannot be lost;
but it has a two-fold projection:
1) A mystical dimension, which supposes
sanctifying grace and charity: the faithful
communicates with and in the Church as
Mystical Body.
2) A juridic dimension, by which the
faithful is united to the Church as a visible
society, and which is expressed in a series
of juridic relations (rights and duties of the
faithful as such). The juridic dimension
of the communio is what can be affected
by the privation which constitutes the

and you inspire us to do what

is good.
Praise be to you!
Triune Lord, wondrous community of infinite love,
teach us to contemplate you
in the beauty of the universe,
for all things speak of you.
Awaken our praise and thankfulness
for every being that you have
made.
Give us the grace to feel profoundly joined
to everything that is.

canonical penalty: a privation which

presupposes a constitutive act by the legitimate authority and which affects the
enjoyment of certain rights.
Though the infliction of excommunication does not judge regarding the mystical dimension of communio (i.e., on the
sinfulness of the act), it is only inflicted
in the most serious offenses, which ad
extra presupposes the existence of a certain rupture of the mystical communio
(mortal sin).
The direct effect of excommunication
is the loss of the communio in its juridic
dimension. As a consequence of this privation, the effects in the sanctioned faithful
are the following:
1) A non-declared latae sententiae (automatic) excommunication has implications
in the good name of the excommunicated
person. Since the fact that gave rise to
the excommunication may not be publicly knownin which case the danger
of scandal is substantially reduced,
the Law only urges its observance to
the extent that such does not imply selfincrimination or auto-denunciation by
the offender. Hence, the peculiar regimen of this type of sanction as regards its

[156] BENEDICT XVI, Encyclical Letter

Caritas in Veritate (29 June 2009) 2: AAS
101 (2009), 642.
[157] PAUL VI, Message for the 1977 World
Day of Peace: AAS 68 (1976), 709.
[158] PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE, Compendium of the
Social Doctrine of the Church, 582.
[159] The spiritual writer Ali al-Khawas
stresses from his own experience the need
not to put too much distance between the
creatures of the world and the interior experience of God. As he puts it: Prejudice
should not have us criticize those who
seek ecstasy in music or poetry. There is
a subtle mystery in each of the movements
and sounds of this world. The initiate will
capture what is being said when the wind
blows, the trees sway, water flows, flies
buzz, doors creak, birds sing, or in the
sound of strings or flutes, the sighs of the
sick, the groans of the afflicted... (EVA DE
VITRAY-MEYEROVITCH [ed.], Anthologie
du soufisme, Paris 1978, 200).
[160] In II Sent., 23, 2, 3.
[161] Cntico Espiritual, XIV, 5.
[162] Ibid.
[163] Ibid., XIV, 6-7.
[164] JOHN PAUL II, Apostolic Letter
Orientale Lumen (2 May 1995), 11: AAS
87 (1995), 757.
[165] Ibid.
[166] ID., Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de
Eucharistia (17 April 2003), 8: AAS 95
(2003), 438.
[167] BENEDICT XVI, Homily for the Mass
of Corpus Domini (15 June 2006): AAS 98
(2006), 513.
[168] Catechism of the Catholic Church,
2175.
[169] JOHN PAUL II, Catechesis (2 August
2000), 4: Insegnamenti 23/2 (2000), 112.
[170] Quaest. Disp. de Myst. Trinitatis,
1, 2 concl.
[171] Cf. THOMAS AQUINAS, Summa
Theologiae, I, q. 11, art. 3; q. 21, art. 1, ad
3; q. 47, art. 3.
[172] BASIL THE GREAT, Hom. in Hexaemeron, I, 2, 6: PG 29, 8.

effects: (a) The excommunicated cannot

actively participate in the celebration of
the Eucharistic Sacrifice, or in any other
ceremony of worship. (b) Neither can he
celebrate the sacraments or sacramentals,
nor receive the sacraments. (c) Neither
can he exercise any ecclesiastical office,
ministry or function; nor legitimately
carry out acts of government.
2) For ferendae sententiae or declared
latae sententiae excommunication, the
above effects are aggravated in the following terms: (a) The offender who tries to
actively participate in the celebration of
the Holy Mass or in any other ceremony of
worship should be rejected, or the liturgical ceremony interrupted, unless a serious
reason warrants otherwise. (b) Any act of
governance (cf. c.135) by the offender is
invalid. In the case of a parish priest, his
assistance in a canonical wedding, though
not strictly an act of governance, is also
invalid (cf. c.1109). (c) The enjoyment
of privileges previously acquired is prohibited. (d) The offender cannot validly
obtain any honors, office or other function
in the Church; nor possess the fruits of
such honors, office, function or pension.
(To be concluded.)

Justice, B5

institutional processes.
I address to everyone a pressing invitation to make every
effort, so that when seeking
at the table the way to resolve
the unique and complex socioenvironmental crisis, the voice
of the poorest may be heard,
among the nations and people:
this is also a duty of environmental justice.
Facing the emergency of
climate change and with our
sight turned to the crucial
meetings that in the forthcoming months will address itthe
approval of the objectives of
Sustainable Development by
the United Nations at the end
of this month and especially
the COP 21 of Paris at the beginning of DecemberI hope
that this dialogue will become a
genuine alliance to be brought
to really significant global en-

vironmental agreements.
In this endeavor, you can
count on my personal support
and that of the whole Church,
beginning with the indispensable help of prayer. Henceforth, I offer to the Lord our
common effort, asking Him
to bless it so that humanity
will finally listen to the cry of
the earthtoday our Mother
Earth is among the many excluded that cry to Heaven for
help! Our Mother Earth is an
excluded one!also the cry of
the earth, our Mother and Sister, and of the poorest among
those that inhabit her, and to
look after them. In this way,
Creation will come ever closer
to the common house that the
one Father has designed as gift
for the universal family of his
creatures. I ask Gods blessing
for you all. Thank you.

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B8 ENTERTAINMENT

September 14 - 27, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 19

Moral Assessment

CBCP Monitor

Buhay San Miguel

Brothers Matias

Lolo Kiko

Bladimer Usi

Abhorrent

Disturbing
Acceptable
Wholesome

Exemplary
Technical Assessment

Poor
Below average

Average

Above average
E
xcellent

TWENTY THREE-year-old
Cole Carter (Zac Efron) dreams
of becoming a big time disc jockey
to live out his passion and use his
talents in electronic music mix.
He hangs out with his friends;
Ollie (Shiloh Fernandez), Squirrel (Alex Shaffer), and Dustin
(Johnny Weston) who also have
their respective dreams in life.
The four of them work part time
in a realty funding recovery business to earn and save up money
to realize their dreams. While
pursuing his niche in electronic
music, Cole meets seasoned DJ
James Reed (Wes Bently) who
believes in his talents and generously shares his resources to Cole.
During mentorship between the
two musicians, Cole meets Sophie
(Emily Ratajkowski), the assistant
cum girlfriend of James and gets
attracted to her who in turn also
gets attracted to him. Expectedly,
James gets appalled at discovering
what Cole and Sophie are doing
behind his back. Realizing the
results of his action, Cole wants
to make amends with James. He
consoles himself in the company
of his friends who give their usual
support to him.
We are your friends is about
passion for music of a struggling
young musician, not necessarily about friendship as the title
implies. The sub plots relating
to friendship theme seems to
complicate the plot which could
have been predictable given the
focus in the character of Cole. It
also fails to highlight each of the
character of the friends. There is
much to be desired in the editing
as some of the scenes are unnecessary and prolonging. The lighting is not maximized to further
convey emotions. Nevertheless,
meaningful lines and scenes with
reference to the details in the art of
electronic music and sensational
effects to body movements are
informative and serve as saving
grace of the film. Likewise, the
actors did well in their portrayals
to the credit of the director. The
sound effects particularly on the
portion of composing the desired
music piece of Cole adds value to
the music theme of the film. The
production design is also commendable.

The film says that dreams and

friends are important for young
people who need friends to hang
around with in reaching out
for their dreams. It is equally
important that as a dreamer, a
young person finds an inspiration,
friend, and mentor who believes
in his talents and shares his same
passion. It is unfortunate to lose
such a mentor due to weaknesses
like sexual attraction. In We are
your friends, woman is shown as
an object of mans weakness in
this film, constantly and vividly
shown in suggestive sensual shots
to stimulate the male imagination.

WE ARE
YOUR FRIENDS
DIRECTOR: Max Joseph
LEAD CAST: Zac Efron, Wes
Bently, Emily Ratajkowski
SCREENWRITER: Max
Joseph/Meaghan Oppenheimer
PRODUCER: Tim Bevan , Eric
Fellner , Liza Chasin
EDITOR: Terel Gibson, Oliver
Courson & company
MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Randall
Poster
GENRE: music/drama
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Bret
Pawlak
DISTRIBUTOR: Warner Bros.
Pictures
LOCATION: USA
RUNNING TIME: 95 mins
TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT:

MORAL ASSESSMENT:
MTRCB rating: R16
CINEMA rating: V18

The film shows how a person at

fault can be sincerely sorry and
exert efforts to make amends.
Despite the amendments, however, the entire run of the film is
somehow disturbing. It fails to
provide background of the characters that could have helped the
audience in understanding them,
especially since the film has no
reference to the family. Western
culture notwithstanding, there is
still value in the moral support of
the family especially in areas like
pursuing ones dreams. The environment of alcohol, fights, drugs,
vulgar language, and the overall
theme of the film make it fit only
for a mature adult audience.

A NICE house in an upscale Southern California neighborhood

signifies a fresh start for the marriage of former Chicago residents
Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall): he for a step
up in his career ladder and she with an eye towards motherhood.
Their newfound bliss is threatened by the emergence of a character
from Simons past, a classmate named Gordo (Joel Edgerton) who
intends to reestablish connection with Simon who in turn hardly
remembers him. Despite the subtle snub Gordo persists, and like a
welcoming neighbor leaves little gifts at the couples doorsteps until
he becomes a virtual part of their lives. Simon bristles at Gordos
annoying presence but Robyn thinks he is harmless.
The Gift is Edgertons project,
his directorial debut for a feature;
and he also writes the screen play
DIRECTOR: Joel Edgerton
besides playing a major role in
LEAD CAST: Jason Bateman,
it. Outside of Edgertons skill at
Rebecca Hall, Joel Edgbeing a first-time helmsman, the
erton
films main strength is the plot
SCREENWRITER: Joel Edgwhich unfolds as a forceful realerton
life drama among characters who
PRODUCER: Jason Blum,
Joel Edgerton, Rebecca
are so real they could very well
Yeldham
be your neighbors. The finesse
EDITOR: Luke Doolan
with which Edgerton dovetails
MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Danny
the casts razor-sharp acting with
Bensi, Saunder Jurriaans
the storys twists and turns proves
GENRE: Mystery thriller
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Edward that a low-budget, slow-burn
Grau
thriller can be a compelling standDISTRIBUTOR: STX Entertain- out in a marketplace filled with
ment
the razzle-dazzle of fantabulous
LOCATION: United States
superhero movies and slick spy
RUNNING TIME:108 minutes
TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT:
flicks. Edgerton shows promise
as a director, unveiling shades of

the suspense master Hitchcock

MORAL ASSESSMENT:
CINEMA rating: V14
through his adeptness at tweaking
MTRCB rating: R13
the audiences expectations into
unpredictable directions.
While The Gift banks on edge-of-the-seat elements to sustain
audience interest, the directors propensity for startling and unnerving the viewer must not daunt us into accepting the film as mere
atmospheric cinema. The Gift flaunts its ambiguities, and Edgerton,
who takes the material seriously, nonetheless chooses not to take a
definitive stance on the moral issues in envelops. Much as CINEMA
wants to raise questions or to make clear moral pronouncements on
the movies conclusion, it cannot do so without uncovering things
that must be left under wraps for viewers to discover and ruminate
on. Suffice it to say that The Gift is a powerful tool to spur us to
examine the lengths to which human beings would try to numb
themselves from the shame of their darkest sins.

THE GIFT

Buhay Parokya

Look for the images of Holy Dove, Saint

John Paul XXIII and Saint Peter.
(Illustration by Bladimer Usi)

CBCP Monitor

C1

August 17 - August 30, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 17

The News Supplement of

Couples for Christ

4-in-1 event caps CFC Bohols

23rd anniversary celebration

A New Call To Rejoice,

Pray, Give Thanks

Couples for Christ Bohol celebrated

23 years of Gods abundance with the
theme LOVE MORE, SERVE NOW
on the weekend of August 15-16 at the
BIT International College Dao campus,
Tagbilaran City. The event highlights
were three major activities on Day 1the
culmination of the 33-day Consecration
to Mary (on the feast day of the Our Lady
of the Assumption), the second assembly
for the Young Couples Program, and the
launch of the CFC Seniors Program.
Day 2 saw the staging of the annual
ANCOP Global Walk.
After a vibrant opening worship at
1:30 in the afternoon by Derie Deligero,
the launching of the CFC Seniors Program and session 2 of the Young Couples
Program were simultaneously held. Boy
Granados of Metro Manila Sector South
B introduced the CFC Seniors Program
to more than 100 senior CFC leaders
and members. Joel Dayao, CFC Aklan
provincial area head, facilitated the
YCFC Session on Family Visioning to

The CFC International Council with Fr. Ramon Mascolino of the Galilee Center in Tagaytay during the discernment weekend

CFCs theme for 2016 is crys- of discipleship:

a. Essential discipleship the period
tal clear: Rejoice. Pray. Give from
youth to the early stages of marriage
Thanks.
and vocation searching; the period of longThe theme is anchored on Philippians
4:4-7 Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall
say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should
be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no
anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer
and petition, with thanksgiving, make your
requests known to God. Then the peace
of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in
Christ Jesus.
The theme was arrived at after a particularly intense spiritual reflection and
prayer during what the International
Council called the Discernment Weekend
of August 28 and 29. In the words of some
of the IC who have gone through similar
discernment weekends before, arriving
at this new theme, which will drive the
directions for the community in 2016,
was relatively smooth and the presence of
the Holy Spirit was keenly felt during the
entire exercise.
The retreat, held at the Abagatan ti
Manila in Alfonso, Cavite, began at 2 PM
on Friday, August 28, with a recollection
given by CFC Spiritual Adviser Msgr. Allen Aganon. The recollection was anchored
on Luke 10:38-42 (Martha and Mary),
particularly the verse: There is need only
of one thing. Mary has chosen the better
part and it will not be taken from her.
Msgr. Allen spoke of the three stages of
prayer (the dark night of the senses, the
proficiency period, and the darkness of the
spirit) and connected it to the three stages

ing for friends, love, own home

b. Mature discipleship having found
Jesus, the struggle to maintain the relationship
c. Radical discipleship the struggle
to keep death away; the dark night of the
spirit when nothing is meaningful except
faith, hope, charity; the struggle to give
our life to others
He also spoke of the faults of a mature adult, actually the seven capital (or
deadly) sins pride, jealousy or envy,
wrath, sloth, greed, lust and gluttony.
He ended by saying that the challenge of
mature discipleship is to be the source of
grace even at times when we feel we are
not useful.
The discernment process was originally
supposed to start immediately after the
recollection but after the Holy Mass, Msgr.
Aganon exposed the Blessed Sacrament
and urged the IC to go into an all-night
prayer vigil. The IC welcomed the suggestion and scheduled couple prayers for
an hour each until the 7 AM Mass the
following morning which was celebrated
by Fr. Ramon Mascolino of the Galilee
Center in Tagaytay.
What followed after the Mass was more
prayers, proclamation of visions, healing
messages and quiet meditation. It was an
intense time of bonding in the Spirit and
of openness to what God had to say.
In the end, at exactly 4:47 PM of Saturday, August 29, the IC brothers and their

MM Central A Holds
Senior Couples Retreat

The spiffy CFC springboard that's

bringing young couples back

YOUNG CFC, C2

spiritually enriching time. And

they will always be grateful that
they chose to attend Central As
Senior Couples Retreat at the
Layforce, Guadalupe, Makati.
This was only the second of
SENIORS RETREAT, C2

BOHOL, C3

wives, united in love and in the Spirit,

agreed that the message from the Lord was
clear it was a clarion call for the community to Rejoice. Pray. Give Thanks.
One innovation this year was the announcement via social media of the new
theme. Unlike in previous years when the
Chairman would make the announcement
via a memo, the process this year took
on a technological twist. By 5:15 PM or
just a few minutes after the theme was arrived at, Chairman Joe Tale spoke to the
community via Facebook to announce it.
It is a clear indication of the times that
within minutes, the FB page already had
thousands of Likes, Shares and Comments.
The new theme does not seem to require any explanation, it is so clear-cut.
The Lord is asking all of us to be joyful
always because He has already bought our
salvation with His blood. He is asking all
of us to continually count our blessings,
to always look only at the positive, think
good of others and contribute to making
the world a better place. He is also asking us to pray more intensely than before
because of the many challenges and attacks
we, as individuals, as couples, as families,
face at this time. And He is asking us to
always give thanks for everything for our
triumphs, joys, blessings, and even for our
trials, difficulties and defeats.
This is not a new admonition, because
this is exactly how we, as Christians,
should live our lives. But it is a very timely
reminder that we can face all the difficulties
of our lives and our times if we commit to
indeed Rejoice. Pray. Give Thanks. (CFC
Global Comm)

THAT'S one thing I've been looking for, a community...

Marc Einsyl Delacruz, a former CFC Youth for Christ member
who worked in Al Hassa, Hufuf, some 324 kilometers from Riyadh,
Saudi Arabia, had been dabbling in Islam for months largely because
of the influence of his Muslim office mates and to a certain extent
due to the fact that there are no Filipinos within a hundred kilometer
radius of his area. He saw something in the close-knit community of
his Muslim friends, the bond of those who regularly studied the Al
Qur'an, and how Muslims his age seemed to look forward to being in
their mosques every Friday.
What he didn't know was that something better was waiting for
him back home in the Philippines meeting the woman he would

August 29 and 30, 2015

will always be a most memorable weekend for 25 Mission
Core senior couples from Metro Manila Central A. They will
always remember that weekend
as a wonderful, romantic and

30 young couples.
Immediately thereafter, around 5,000
members of CFC Bohol and the family
ministries gathered at the venues open
field for the praise parade, honoring Our
Lady of the Assumption. Vic Abarquez,
Bohol provincial area head and his wife,
Tetet, and the members of the Area Governance Team (Amit and Menchu Yu,
provincial area director; Dionisio Neil
and Marissa Balite, ANCOP head; Efren
and Dolly Apalisok, Pastoral Formation
Office; Derie and Doods Deligero, Family Ministries; and Nito and Aida Flores,
Mission Support) led the praise parade.
The parade culminated with the Prayer
of Consecration led by Neil Balite, with
the celebration of the Holy Eucharist immediately following. The Most Rev. Leonardo Y. Medroso, DD, JCD, Bishop of
the Diocese of Tagbilaran, concelebrated
the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with Fr.
Martin Lupiba, Diocesan Family and
Life Commission head; Fr. Lito Geangan,

The Young CFC Program has become a creative way of bringing former single
members back into community life as marriaed couples. Photos by Antz Zabala
and Mark Eusebio)

Love More, Bohol!, clockwise from top: a concelebration of love on CFC Bohol's 23rd year; the colorful
praise parade; a powerful praisefest to end the night; The Most Rev. Leonardo Y. Medroso, DD, JCD,
Bishop of the Diocese of Tagbilaran.

C2

August 17 - August 30, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 17

Teaching Night

Michael Ariola

Strengthen the Core, Expand the Reach

Caleb the Warrior

Run, Dad, run!
I saw my son, Caleb, lift up
his light saber as he shouted.
With all my might, I tried to
run but, unfortunately, both
age and my son had caught up
with me. I felt hard plastic hit
me right in the middle of my
face and fought hard to keep
the tears at bay, but the stinging got the better of me. When
Caleb saw my face, he looked
at me quizzically,
both guilt and
confusion on his
face: But warriors
dont cry, Dad.
No, son. My
eyeballs are just
sweaty, I defended.
Caleb is four
years old. But
whenever he
swings that light
saber, I swear its as
if he were a thirtyyear old carpenter.
My son likes pretending hes a warrior and everything
and everyone in
front of him his
warrior opponents.
And like any warrior, Caleb expects them to
be quick to swing their battle
swords, imaginary or not. I
enjoy it sometimes, especially
when that imaginary shield
works or when my imaginary
gun gives me an advantage in
what is supposed to be a sword
fight.
I always brag about how wise
he seems for his age. But there
are moments which remind
me that hes still very young,
innocent, and curious. Once,
he asked my wife and me where
his name came from.
Where indeed? Its actually
taken from the Old Testament.
Oh, you guessed as much? You
mustve read the Bible pretty
closely because there are not
a lot of chapters and verses
mentioning him. However,
from those few bits that did
feature the name Caleb, you
will know that he was special
in the journey of Gods people,
the Israelites.
To explain how special Caleb
of the Bible is to Caleb of the
Ariola dynasty, I had to summon all my storytelling prowess (if you could believe I have
any). Heres the gist of what I
told my son:
Caleb, son of Jephunneh, was
a spy who descended from the
tribe of Judah, the same tribe
mentioned in the genealogy of
Jesus in the first chapter of the
Gospel according to Matthew.
(Explaining all of this literally

CBCP Monitor

took me two hours. At this point,

I was growing in excitement although my son actually fell asleep
around the time I was explaining
what a genealogy is. I wonder why
he did. But I woke him up because
big action was just around the
corner for Caleb the spy.)
According to the book of Numbers, the Lord commanded Moses
to summon the princes of the
twelve tribes to spy on Canaan,

the land the Lord had promised for

His people. After about forty days
of doing so, they all went back and
reported to Moses, Aaron, and the
people of Israel. Ten of these spies
gave the same report, that indeed
the Promised Land was flowing
with milk and honey, but that its
inhabitants were scary giants. Their
city walls were huge and fortified.
(At the sound of giants and walls,
my sons eyes lit up, probably
sensing that there was going to be
a battle between the spies and the
giants). However, the fight did
not happen, at least not yet. The
Israelites felt scared, no, defeated
even, before they could even fight.
But in the middle of the anxious
reports from the spies, the young
warrior Caleb spoke among the
people and said, We must march
in immediately and take it; we are
certainly able to conquer it. He
was ridiculed for his bravery and
conduct. But what they failed to
realize was that, unlike the many
who compared their enemies to
themselves, Caleb compared his
soon-to-be problems to God. He
was so certain, bold, brave, and
confidentnot because he was a
good warriorbut simply because
he knew whose power was behind
him: the power of God.
The people prevailed over Moses,
Aaron, and Joshua, even threatening to stone them if they listened
to this foolish, young warrior
Caleb. In remorse, Moses and
Aaron fell on their faces asking
Gods forgiveness, Joshua and

Caleb tore their clothes and

wailed for the Lords mercy.
In anger for their disobedience, the Lord wanted all of
them dead, but Moses pleaded for their lives. Eventually,
Gods love for His people
prevailed, and as punishment for their disobedience
to claim right there and then
His promise, he made them
wander in the desert for forty
yearsa year for
every day that
the spies were
on lookout over
Canaan.
My son Caleb
kept urging me
to continue the
story but I told
him that to cram
forty years in a
few hours would
mean breaking
his bedtime, so I
forced myself to
be strong amid
his shouts of
Then?, and
Whats.
Whenever I
hear or say my
s o ns n a m e , I
am reminded to
have enough courage to claim
what the Lord has promised.
Its no secret that we have a
tendency to falter in the face
of our seemingly gigantic,
worldly problemscomparing their sheer size to our individual little selves. Indeed,
on our own, the darkness of
this world would probably
swallow us up in minutes.
And therein lays our fault:
when we think we are alone,
when we forget that it is God
who goes with us and lights
up dark paths, when we forget that it is also God who
can forge new paths for us
to reach Him. Because that
is what God wants: for us to
reach Him and experience the
incomparable joy one feels
when united with Him.
When we are tempted to raise
our white flags in retreat, to
stay in the dark where we have
already grown comfortable,
let us remember Caleb, whose
voice is strong and clear among
the din: With God, we can!
Where is God leading you
today? What is He asking
you to conquer? If it is from
the Lord, I dare you to followlest we prefer to wander
in the lifeless desert for forty
years. Every day, let us choose
to listen to and obey Gods
commands, fully trusting in
the Jesus, the Way that God
has given us so we can come
back to Him.

CFC Family Ministries: Helping build the

future of families

He can count on to bring His salvation to many more.

While the Lord is asking CFC to level up and do
more than before, the Lord is equipping us, empowering us, providing us with more opportunities to
serve. Joe Tale cited these opportunities such as the
various meetings in the Vatican last year; the Diocesan
recognitions of CFC in the United States, where CFC
is readying to serve 1,400 parishes; the role of CFC in
the CBCP Commissions on the Lay Apostolate, on
Missions, on Migrants, on Family and Life and the
CFC role in the Office of the Military Ordinariate.
Joe Tale first exhorted the CFC leaders to
Strengthen the Core.

CFC Chairman Joe Tale speaking before the Metro Manila Mission
Core at the Teaching Night

Strengthen the Core, Expand Your Reach. This is

how to prepare for CFCs 35th Anniversary next year,
according to CFC Chairman Joe Tale, who was the
speaker during the monthly Mission Core Teaching
Night held on September 15, 2015, at Christ the King
Parish, Greenmeadows, Quezon City.
Sharing his reflections, Joe Tale noted three current
realities: the intensified attacks on marriage and the
family, the intensified attacks on the dignity of the human being through widespread poverty and violence,
and the unbridled destruction of the environment.
Faced with these signs of the times, Joe Tale invited the Mission Core to respond the way Nehemiah
did. After hearing that the wall of Jerusalem was
broken down and its gates burned with fire, Nehemiah
sat down and wept. He mourned and fasted and
prayed before the God of heaven, (Nehemiah 1:4)
and then started to act to rebuild the walls.
Jesus also wept. In Luke 19:41, as Jesus drew near
Jerusalem, he saw the city and wept over it,saying,
If this day you only knew what makes for peacebut
now it is hidden from your eyes.For the days are coming upon you when your enemies will raise a palisade
against you; they will encircle you and hem you in
on all sides.They will smash you to the ground and
your children within you, and they will not leave one
stone upon another within you because you did not
recognize the time of your visitation.
It is alright to weep, explained Joe Tale, for as
long as such weeping triggers you to action."
We, in CFC have done much, said Joe Tale, but as
we see with a keener sense of sight what is happening,
we understand better why the Lord also brought us
back this year to Isaiah 49:6, telling us that what we
have done is too little. For as long as we are not yet
light to the nations, there is still more to do.
It is in this light that Joe Tale directed the Mission
Core to better understand why the Lord has asked us
to Love More this year and why the Lord has led us
to Rejoice. Pray. Give Thanks. as our theme for 2016.
The Lord is bringing us to what is truly essential for
our salvation and forming us to be the men and women

This core is our selves, who must continue to

strive in personal holiness, grow in the fruit of the
Spirit and have a deeper formation. For this, CFC
shall further strengthen the CFC Pastoral Formation
Office and collaborate with entities like the Lighthouse
Catholic Media.
The core also refers to CFCs Mission Core, who
must live up to the name CFC Mission Core. He
exhorted all to ask and reflect: Am I still called to be
Mission Core?
The core also means CFCs central call, which
is Marriage and Family. Joe Tale reminded the leaders
to protect the home front. The home front must be
strong and able to resist the wiles of the evil one. He
asked every CFC couple to continue to deepen their
love for one another and to ensure that every child
of CFC feels the love of his parents.
He also directed the CFC leaders to celebrate
marriage and announced the plan of CFC to honor,
in February 2016, couples who have been married
for at least 40 years, as well as young couples who
stand committed to protect and promote marriage
and family life.
Joe Tale asked the leaders to avail of and undergo
the CFC Family Enrichment Program and mark the
Feast of the Holy Family celebrated every Sunday after
Christmas, through Family Honoring.
Joe Tale then exhorted the CFC leaders to Expand Your Reach. Explaining that we do not exist
for ourselves, Joe Tale pressed the leaders to pursue
new evangelization opportunities head-on, with new
ways, new methodologies, new target areas like the
Migrants sector, the schools, and the mission areas
now of CFCs Order of St. Michael.
He urged CFC to tell the world of His Love by
making a beachhead in media, and doing evangelization projects that could go viral in the social media.
Finally, he reminded CFC of its prophetic role and
the need to exercise it. He mentioned the resurgence
of the role of the CFC Social Development Programs
and CFCs latest involvement in the Pilipino Movement for Transformational Leadership. He likewise
asked CFC leaders to study Pope Francis Laudato Si.
All these, Joe Tale explained, is like training, making sure that we are ready-- by preparing spiritually
and through deeper formation-- to serve the moment
the opportunity comes.
He ended by quoting L.B. Cowman: Wake up
believers from your lowly condition. Throw away
your laziness, sluggishness, coldness or whatever is
interfering with your pure love of Christ. Make Him
the Source, the Center, and the One who encompasses
every delight of your soul. Refuse to be satisfied any
longer by your meager accomplishments. Aspire to
a higher, a nobler and a fuller life. (Arnel Santos)

YOUNG CFC, C1

marry and a return to the community

life of his youth.
Eins would meet financial adviser/CFC Singles for Christ
leader Janice Seorin and in no
time, they would be attending
the first Young Couples for Christ
(YCFC) in November 2014, just
weeks after their engagement.
'Culture shock'

Admittedly, getting introduced to

the YCFCs' was nothing short of a
culture shock for the 34-year-old.
It was a shock. Kasi I was from
Saudi. It's been a long time since I've
gone to church or any religious activity. Except Islam. It was provident that
Janice got me back into circulation
again, he said in an interview with
Ablaze Communications.
The program, which organized
its 4th assembly last August 30 at
the Bayanihan Center in Pasig City,
has become a springboard for many
young couples bringing them
back from isolation into mainstream
Couples for Christ, another alternative to the straight up Christian Life
Programs (CLPs) the community
continues to offer.
In the assemblies, such as the August 30 program, which was focused
on the theme 10 To Do's after 'I Do',
the young couples listen to topics like
planning your family mission and vision. For many of the young couples,
it was like opening themselves up to
an entire avenue of shared growth.
Eins married his first and only

girlfriend on January 8, 2015, joining

mainstream CFC through a CLP in
May of the same year.
According to Janice, the YCFC
program continues to complement
the formation they receive from CFC.
We apply somehow what we learn
bit by bit [from the YCFC program].
'Di lang lahat pero we are guided. We
go beyond normal conversations of
couples. We plan what kind of family
we want [like] the mission and vision
of the family, she explained.
Dreaming for the family again

For other young husbands and

wives, joining the YCFC program
is a case of falling in love with the
community for the second time like
Dollfuss and Me-ann Paredes, both in
their mid-30s, who were active YFC
members in Metro Manila when they
first met.
After getting married, Me-ann
and I felt there were so many adjustments to be made. Our activities
shifted, our concerns changed,
our focus moved from one issue
to another. And while we never
faltered on our basic Christian duties - going to Mass, receiving the
sacraments, praying everyday - we
soon realized that community life
had slipped quietly away, shared
the HR Manager.
After five years of marriage, a
chance encounter with YCs' program
coordinator Rommel Ancheta and his
wife, Layle, at a children's party in
2014 led them back to community.

Rommel, who was in the same

household as Dollfuss during his YFC
days, invited the Paredeses to the 1st
YCFC Assembly in November 2014
in St. Paul's Pasig which featured a
topic on Family Visioning.
Mix of spirituality, practicality

Me-ann and I decided to try

it out. It turned out to be a great
decision. The session was very
interesting and the learning was
truly immense. The session... was
truly captivating and Me-ann and
I started to 'talk about our dreams'
again, shared Dollfuss.
He liked how the event, even if it
included hundreds of participants,
was able to inject interactive dynamism through worksheets, hand-outs,
and couple sessions.
According to Dollfuss, who is a
father to Mariea, 5, and Matteo, 3,
the right mix of practicality, psychology, and spirituality in the sessions is
exactly what gets them.
Of course, the latter - spirituality
- was the biggest factor. It brought
back the awareness and consciousness of Christ's presence in our
relationship. We are now excited
for the upcoming sessions planned
out by CFC for young couples!
he added.
More and more couples are
discovering the good news of the
Young Couples' Program -- a sampling of the power of community
for the modern family. (Nirva'ana
Ella Delacruz)

SENIORS RETREAT, C1

CFC Family Ministries Director Jimmy Ilagan (center, standing) flanked by the International Coordinators, Ministry Core Teams
of the various Family Ministries

The future of humanity passes by way of family. (Familiaris Consortio, November 1981)
Quoting John Paul II from his apostolic exhortation on the role of the Christian family in the modern world, Familaris Consortio, Family Ministries
Director Jimmy Ilagan reiterated the call for a more
unified family evangelization and mission among the
Family Ministries of Couples for Christ.
In a meeting with the Family Ministries international coordinators, core members and area coordinators last August 20 at the CFC Global Mission
Center, Ilagan urged the group to be guided by
principles of unity, uniformity, interdependence and
accountability as the ministries strive to live out the
vision and mission of the community.

Ministries, imbued with the spirit of unity, to transcend national, racial and cultural differences, and
unite their efforts if their work is to come to fruition.

One army

Network of families

CFCs presence in all provinces of the Philippines

and in 130 countries internationally is but proof of
the faithfulness of the Lord in blessing the communitys participation in the evangelistic work of Jesus
through the Church. Ilagan reminded the Family

Distinct and distinguishable

Despite the wide expanse of membership, Ilagan

explained that the Family Ministries are to be distinct in their identity, nature and character so as to
make them distinguishable to any member in any
part of the world. And this can be done by ensuring
the uniformity in the most important elements of
the life and mission of the family ministries. These
elements include the use of the same identity-bearing
elements (name, logo, vision and mission statement), structure, formation and spirituality.
Ilagan further explained that to reinforce oneness
of mission, CFC including its Family Ministries is
organized as one global network of families interdependent on one another. In the Family Ministries,
FAMILY MINISTRIES, C3

such retreats for senior couples, the first one being held
last May 16-17 at the St. Paul Center for Renewal in
Alfonso, Cavite. Central A graduates of that initial retreat, excited to share what they experience, organized
an echo in close coordination with the proponents
of the program, for their Sectors own Mission Core
members. Though limited in room accommodations,
the team, led by Raffy and Maggie Chavez, was even
able to accommodate participants from Central B,
with some participants on a live out arrangement.
One of the many encouraging realizations in the

retreat, which reflects similar experiences in the initial

one, is the confirmation that senior CFC Mission Core
couples are still raring to continue going on missions
and serving the Lord through the community until
their last breath. This was reflected in a final exercise
they did they each drew how they foresee the remaining years of their lives to be. The team who saw to the
needs of the participants were inspired too by the spirit
and commitment of the senior CFC couples who were
very punctual and participative in all the activities of
the retreat. (Lito Abano)

The News Supplement

of Couples for Christ
Alma M. Alvarez
Associate Editor

Zenaida A. Gimenez
Editor-in-Chief

Michael C. Ariola
IC Oversight

Deomar P. Oliveria
Layout Artist

Evangeline C. Mecedilla
Circulation Staff

The Ugnayan News Supplement is published by the Couples for Christ Global Mission Foundation, Inc., with editorial offices at 156 20th Avenue, 1109 Cubao, Quezon City.
Editorial trunk line: (+63 2) 709-4868 local 23
Direct line : (+63 2) 709-4856
www.couplesforchristglobal.org
cfcglobalcommunications@gmail.com

facebook.com/CFC.Global.Mission

@CFChrist

CBCP Monitor

C3

August 17 - August 30, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 17

New Appointments
CFC Family Ministries Director Jimmy
Ilagan recently announced two new appointments in the Family Ministries.
Edythe Avendano has been appointed
Handmaids of the Lord International Coordinator, effective January 1, 2016. She will
be replacing Didi Galsim, who has served in
HOLD for many years, and who continues
to inspire sisters and brothers everywhere
with her commitment and dedication to
the spiritual welfare of the Handmaids of
the Lord.
Edythe, together with her husband Fil,
started serving in HOLD in 1994. Her
present responsibilities include being the
HOLD Metro Manila Missions Coordinator, member of the HOLD International

Core and of the HOLD PFO Core, and

Country Coordinator for HOLD in Japanall these on top of her and husband
Fil's CFC responsibilities.
On the other hand, Adrian Enaje has
been chosen as the new International
Coordinator for Kids for Christ, effective
October 1, 2015, vice Nic Escalona. Adrian
and his wife Erika Marie, have been in community for many years, with Adrian joining
Youth for Christ in 1993 and moving on
to serve as fulltime pastoral worker at the
Global Mission Center since 2004. Both he
and Erika served as long-term missionaries
to Africa. Adrian's most recent assignment
is as the Pastoral Formation Office (PFO)
Coordinator for Singles for Christ.

ANCOP Team Visits the Visayas

Meanwhile, Escalona has been appointed by CFC Chairman Joe Tale as
Head of the Evangelization and Missions
Planning Office (EMPO). He replaces
Michael (Shok) Ariola who has moved
on to his new duties as member of the
International Council and Direcrtor for
Communications. He oversees Global
Comm, Ablaze, Ministries Comm Groups,
including CFC Special Events.
The International Council asks the
global CFC family to pray for these newlyappointed leaders, for wisdom from the
Lord, strength in mind and body, and
protection for them and their families as
they venture into new mission fields. (CFC
Global Comm)

ANCOP CSP thrives in India

Digal. He accompanied us on our visit to the center, particularly the
orphanage operated by the diocese. It was a one-hour and 30-minute
trip by car. From the main highway, we turned onto a narrow mud
road bordered by agricultural fields. The hostel cum orphanage
turned out to be an old and small structure. It looked very solid but
needed a good paint job.
Several tiny hands opened the main rickety gate to the hostel. The
little children whose smiles were as bright as the morning sunshine
were a welcome sight. Their joy at having visitors was palpable. With
them was Fr. Xavier Tirkey who introduced himself to us and said,
these are my children.
Once we were settled, the kids performed a traditional welcome
song. Then Fr. Tirkey told us how the hostel cum orphanage came
into existence since his arrival 12 months ago.
I was transferred to this village to start up a parish and provide
the sacraments to the Catholic tribal families in this rural area, the
priest said.
Fr. Tirkey shared that while doing his pastoral rounds he noticed
the little children, many of them no more than four to six years old,
doing menial jobs like tending cattle or just aimlessly wandering
around. No one was looking after them, many looked hungry with
barely any clothes on, while others were just helplessly looking about
or sitting on the side of the muddy roads trying to survive. He was
moved with compassion and decided to do something for these
children.
For the first few months I questioned why God brought me
to this remote area. I am a priest and could be far more useful and
effective serving an established parish rather than roaming in this
semi-arid, jungle-like surroundings, searching for potential Catholic
tribal families who would like to come together to start a parish,
shared Fr. Tirkey. After witnessing the plight of the children, I came
to understand my mission.
Fr. Tirkey went into actionhe searched for the childrens families.
He discovered that some families were so poor and could not afford
to look after their children. Other children of single parents had no
CSP in India, from top: Fr. Xavier Tirkey and Fr. Mrutunjaya Digal with the kids; one to take care of them at all while their father or mother was trying
to bring food to the table.
Liz Almeida with the Dhanmandal children
Sometime in November 2012, Archbishop John Barwa of
the Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar invited CFC ANCOP
Canada to come to his archdiocese. He wanted to get the support
of the lay group in helping the poor of his archdiocese in Odishia,
India. A mission team from Toronto was dispatched composed
of Jun and Malou Clarito and myself. Being of Indian descent,
my ability to speak the Indian language would be helpful when
we immerse in the communities.
In India, we organized people for values formation and teaching
under the Christian Life Program (CLP). The venue of the first
CLP was St. Vincents Pro Cathedral of the archdiocese. While there,
Malou presented ANCOP to Fr. Santosh Digal (the archbishops
secretary) and Fr. Mrutunjaya Digal (the archdioceses treasurer) and
she provided pertinent documents for the archbishop to review when
he returned from his out-of-town trip.
When the archbishop learned about ANCOP, he was eager to
have the ANCOP programs, particularly the Child Sponsorship
Program, initiated in his archdiocese. He signed the contract of
agreement with ANCOP for the start of the CSP in the archdiocese
of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar. Three months later we received a list of
nearly 168 children to be sponsored for education; 150 more were
added in succeeding years.
Indeed, ANCOP has transformed into a true act of charity, putting faith and love into action in this country. My wife Liz and I
have had the opportunity to visit and observe the positive impact
of the CSP in the lives of the children who have benefited from the
ANCOP scholarship.
ANCOP expanded

Twenty kilometers away from Odishia, another mission area

beckoned to us. Dhanmandal is a remote sleepy small town in the
state of Orissa. The nearest major railway station to Dhanmandal
is in the city of Cuttack which is 20 kilometers away. The nearest
airport is at Bhubaneshwar, 60 kilometers away.
This mission area in Orissa is under the care of Fr. Mrutunjaya

A typical home in Dhanmandal

Fr. Tirkey obtained permission for children with parents or guardians to take them to the house where he was staying. He assured the
parents that he would take care of the children, feed them, and give
them an education. Those without guardians were also put under his
wing. The parents or guardians were free to come and visit the kids
and see for themselves how they were being cared for.
Fr. Tirkeys ministry for the children met several challenges including being suspected for his motives. The priest persevered, and now
several of his kids are already enrolled in formal education at a nearby
government-run school.
The children are doing well in school. They are intelligent, love
reading, writing, and Math. More so, they picked up well the
values exemplified by Fr. Tirkey. They grew to be responsible doing
the chores assigned to them with joy. The childrens life- changing
experience did not fail to inspire the neighbors. People started to
be supportive of the ministryand have offered to help the priest in
looking after the children, whose number grew to 27 in a short span
of time. What was very inspiring was that these school children are
from families that had never stepped inside a classroom. One parent
who saw her son reading at Mass in English burst into tears. Now
my son will have a future, she said.
When Liz and I last visited the hostel, the kids were so happy to see
us. Fr. Tirkey proudly showed us the childrens annual exam results
in school. Amazingly, the kids have an average mark of over ninety
percent, with a couple of kids at seventy-five percent. The struggling
kids were confident and were determined to do better.
The childrens knowledge and skills, including their creative abilities, are further broadened through various trainings and workshops
organized at the hostel.
Fr. Tirkeys kids are ANCOPs CSP scholars. Their stories are truly
inspiring and confirmation that through ANCOP, the childrens lives
can be transformed. Through education and a loving, caring environment, the children can look forward to a bright future. (Francis
Almeida, CFC ANCOP Toronto/India)

ANCOP visits Visayas, clockwise from top: the Cawayanan Community chapel; future home partners;leaders
of CFC with ANCOP Coordinators from Manila; houses almost ready for their occupants.

Ric dela Rosa, Coordinator for

ANCOP Shelter, and Julius Comia of
ANCOP Livelihood and Health visited
the CFC Ancop Cawayanan Community
in Cawayanan, Bontoc, Southern Leyte
to make sure that everything is in order
before the formal turnover to the home
partners. Cawayanan is only one of the

team's week-long leg of community site

visits in the region. The ANCOP team,
together with the local CFC and ANCOP
leaders, do regular visits to the communities, prior, during and post-construction
and reports the progress not only to the
national headquarters, but also to the
donor countries which help ANCOP.

CFC ANCOP-Tekton Foundation is

now CFC ANCOP Global Foundation
The new legal name of ANCOP, as approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission, is CFC ANCOP GLOBAL FOUNDATION, INC. All areas where ANCOP
has been organized are enjoined to use this name in all future documents and communications, rather than the former CFC ANCOP-Tekton Foundation Inc..
Alongside this development, ANCOP will now be the official name/ label of CFCs
mission with the poor, replacing BCOP (or Building the Church of the Poor). Under
the umbrella of ANCOP will remain the ANCOP Programs and Social Development
Programs or SDP.
FAMILY MINISTRIES, C2

particularly, there has to be sharing of

resources (direction, manpower, mission
tools, etc.), that would enable each ministry to further the mission and grow in
their way of life.
Accountable to God and each other

According to Ilagan, CFC continues

to be an evangelistic and missionary
community, and thus there is the call for
CFC and its ministries to be accountable
for their life and service to God through
those whom they serve. In line with this,
the Family Ministries were reminded that
they are accountable to the CFC International Council for the conduct of their
life and work, while preserving always the
rights of the local Ordinary. (7.24 of the
Vatican Statutes)
Guided by these principles, the Family Ministries Director exhorted the Family Ministries
to continue to be aligned with CFC strategies
and to aim for personal transformation, evan-

gelization and faith in action.

The meeting concluded with a strong
note of encouragement to the leaders
of the Family Ministries. Jimmy Ilagan,
quoting John Paul IIs Familiaris Consortio, urged those present to use their
respective ministries to plant the seed
of faith and hope despite an uncertain
future, preserve and protect the dignity
of humanity amid the widespread dehumanization, and to intensify family
evangelization and formation of families
for the Lord in spite of the constant attacks against it.
According to Ilagan, this is the first of a
series of meetings of the Family Ministries
International Core, which aim to be an
avenue for the leaders of KFC, YFC, SFC,
HOLD and SOLD to strengthen relationship and establish unity with one another
and to move towards greater growth of the
community in its life and mission. (Glynis
Dangel, YFC PFO Head)

Co-ops for Christ Southern Leyte

Conducts Strat Planning

BOHOL, C1

Diocesan economus; Fr. Joel Ruyeras, Diocesan Properties head;

Fr. Lito Clemen, Fr. Ariston Limocon, Fr. Jose Sumampong Jr.; Fr.
Robert Supremo; and Fr. Manuel Maligmat.
During the fellowship dinner, the community handed over
Certificate of Awards to public school educators for their invaluable service and continuous support to the Cornerstone Program
of CFC ANCOP in Bohol. The list of awardees included Dr.
Wilfreda Bongalos, PhD, CESO, Schools Division Superintendent of the Division of Bohol; school principals Ma. Antoniette Y.
Abarquez, Nicomedes A. Acorda, Martina B. Aguilar, Marcela R.
Bautista, Leonida P. Casingcasing, Agustina S. Deligero, Juanito
O. Flores, Carlito A. Fuentes, Jr., Ambrosio N. Fuerzas, Emmanuel C. Trasporte, Ma. Rosanna Villaber, and Ma. Fernando
I. Yap; and school Cornerstone Coordinators Vidala A. Apalisok,
Julita E. Auxilio, Felomino B. Ayuban, Brenda S. Calamba, Ma.
Araceli C. Escol, Leah Lora Citadel T. Guatno, Maribeth C.

Handayan, Julie T. Maestrado, and Alicia H. Omosura.

Joel Dayao delivered his inspirational message to the assembly,
urging every member to serve now as a manifestation of loving
more. Day 1 ended with a praisefest led by Nito Flores.
Practically at dawn the following day, CFC Bohol held the
ANCOP Global Walk from BIT International College Dao
campus to BIT International College main campus. Around
3,000 walkers participated in the fund-raising walkathon.
One of the highlights of the Walk was the granting of awards
to some participants. One inspiring award, the Oldest Walker,
was given to Pacio Anuta, a CFC chapter head from Inabanga,
Bohol who, at the age of 79 years, managed to complete the
5-km walk with ease.
The praisefest, led by YFC Bohol mission volunteer Marc Immanuel Dionne Balite, was a fitting cap to the entire weekend
activity. (Neil Balite, CFC Bohol)

CFCANCOP NJ Leaders Invited to

UN Prayer Service
Each year, on the occasion of the
opening of the General Assembly of the
United Nations, the Archdiocese of New
York and the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See traditionally sponsor
a prayer service for the United Nations
Diplomatic Community and personnel,
together with religious and ecumenical
leaders in the New York area.
Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Head of
Mission, through his attache Anna Fatta,
invited CFC ANCOP New Jersey leaders
Roger Santos and Manny Caballero to join
the service this year.
The prayer service was held on Monday,
September 14, 2015, at 6:15 p.m. at the
Church of the Holy Family, 315 East
47th Street in Manhattan, a block from
the United Nations. Cardinal Theodore
McCarrick, the Archbishop-emeritus of
Roger Santos, Archbishop Auza, and Manny Caballero

Washington, DC and a New York native,

delivered the meditation.
The prayer service is an occasion to entrust to God petitions and efforts for world
peace and the advancement of the human
family. This years service was a time to
thank God for what was accomplished during the 69th Session of the UN General
Assembly. It was also a time to ask for His
help for the success of the 70th Session of
the General Assembly as the United Nations continues very important work on
sustainable development, the protection
of the environment, the defense of human
dignity and innocent populations, and
many other important issues.
This year, attendees also prayed for
the upcoming visit of His Holiness Pope
Francis to the United Nations later in
September. (Manny Caballero)

CoFC Southern Leyte directors, managers, officers and staff putting their heads together, from top: CoFC
Southern Leyte ready to take on the challenges for 2016; Chairman Nanding Duenas moderating the
proceedings; formulating strategies.

Co-ops for Christ Southern Leyte Multi

Purpose Cooperative held their strategic planning during the weekend of August 20 to 23,
2015 at the Knights of Columbus Building,
Tunga-tunga, Maasin City, Southern Leyte.
Twenty-seven delegates, composed of
the members of the Board of Directors,

officers, management and staff of the

Cooperative attended the planning, aimed
at mapping out directions for growth in
2016. The planning session was facilitated
by Mely Verano, a member of the Education Committee and a trainor of the CFC
Cooperatives Federation.

C4

August 17 - August 30, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 17

GODS MASTERPIECE

Singles for Christ Canada together in defending God's masterpiece, the family, through their own families and for the families that will be entrusted to them
in the future.

bears all things, believes all things,

hopes all things, endures all things - 1
Corinthians 13:7
The Singles for Christ (SFC), a ministry
of Couples for Christ in Winnipeg, hosted
this years True North Conference (TNC)
last August 14 to 16 at the University Centre,
University of Manitoba. The event gathered
250 single men and women from the different provinces/territories of Canada, all
hungry for Gods message and longing to
experience Christ through this three-day conference. The International Coordinator of
SFC, Noli Manuel, attended the conference.
This years conference is anchored on 1
Corinthians 13:7, which speaks about the

kind of love that the Apostle Paul was trying

to teach the people of Corinth. The conference focused on the truth that the love of
family is a love that bears all things, believes
all things, hopes all things, and endures all
things. Among the wonderful things God has
created, the family is truly Gods masterpiece
as it allows one to experience true and unconditional love, which is the same kind of
love that God has for us.
The participants at the conference agreed
that young adults of today are too focused
on themselves. Too much emphasis is given
to their wants, and needs as individuals, and
on their accomplishments. This results in a
distorted view of the self as privileged or

entitled. The message of the conference to

the SFCs, through the talks and testimonies,
was to go back to the basic teaching of the
Church: to love their family beyond measure
and to find their way back to their first love,
their families.
All persons need to love Gods masterpiece,
the family, despite imperfections, before one
can truly answer ones vocation, which is to
give love, a love that can conquer all. The
conference was a renewed call for everyone,
to love ones family more, a reminder that
the family is the primary source of hope,
strength, stability and foundation. (Arwin
Chua, CFC- SFC West Chapter Couple
Coordinator)

CBCP Monitor

CFC In Kannamaly Rise To The Occasion

When man works with God, miracles happen.
This was the powerful message the team
got that victorious weekend of August 28
to 30, 2015 in Kannamaly when three
programs ran simultaneously despite having limited resources.
Eighteen couples participated in the
Marriage Enrichment II (MER II) which
was conducted from Saturday afternoon to
Sunday evening. Christian Life Program
sessions were held at the same time, with
14 couples taking part. The team had to
stagger a few of the MER sessions to adjust
to the CLP sessions which ran the entire
weekend. The CLP graduates were formed
into two households, and they held their
first household prayer meeting a week later.
They are now being assisted by the more
senior CFC.
The Youth Camp, on the other hand,
was facilitated by Youth for Christ fulltime
missionaries Roseberry Dulla and Benedict
Landicho, who were indeed picked by God
and sent to Kochi to give their heart and
soul to the Camp. The evening sessions
went past 9:00 PM but the participants
had no difficulty in staying on. Twentythree youth finished the weekend activity.
As the participants are high school and
college students, they are very conversant
in English, making interaction between
facilitators and participants quite easy.
It was heartwarming to note that the
MER II participants have agreed to form

the next CLP team in October in Fort

Kochi in Fr. Peter's Parish. On the other
hand, two of the YFC Camp participants
have already made up their minds to go
on full time mission after their graduation
next year.
And while God blessed the teams efforts
abundantly, the contribution of those who
served made Gods love more tangible. For
one, Fr. Josy was fully immersed in CFC
community and went all out to ensure that
the preparations as well as the arrangements of the venue, food administrative
and spiritual support were well taken care
of. Benson, Suma and Greatan gave their
time and talent as speakers. The senior
CFC members of Kannamaly gave talks
and made all the arrangements for food,
transport and accommodation for Benedict and Roseberry. CFC Kuwait provided
financial assistance.
As of this writing, the conduct of
another CLP has been finalized in Fort
Kochi from 9th to 11th October.Fr. Raphy, Parish Priest of St. Joseph's Church,
Palluruthy, which is about 3 kilometers
from Edakochi, wants a CLP as soon as
possible. The team is trying to work out
the logistics and the composition of the
service team for this. There may be two
more CLPs expected before the end of
the year. Truly, God is really working
miracles and those who serve must rise
to the occasion. (Hector Poppen, CFC
India Country Head)

CFC-South Africa Women Enjoy National Conference

Left: CFC HOLD of South Africa in immaculate white show off the colors of love onstage. Right: Ladies in fancy hats shout "Hats off to love!

CFC HOLD conducted the Womens National Conference

last August 21 to 23, 2015 at FET College, Pietermaritzburg
(PMB), Kwa Zulu Natal Province inSouth Africa. The event
was hosted by the PMB-CFC community.
More than 200 participants coming from PMB, Estcourt,
Geluksdal, Kimberley, Durban, Umtata, Matatiele, Ixopo,
Kokstad and Richards Bay attended the conference. Among
the attendees were a good number of foreign delegates from
Namibia and Lesotho. The Namibian delegates, some of
them already in their senior years, inspired the delegates
because they travelled two days just to get to the conference.
HOLD missionaries from Manila and the UAE set the
tone and inspired the women present with their delivery
of the talks. There were a total of five talks, all of them
anchored on the CFC theme for 2015 Love More. Talk
1 (Do You Love Me?) was given by Sammy Napier of CFC
Kokstad; Talk 2 (Will You Love Me More?) by Connie Balda
of Al Ain, UAE; Talk 3 (What Would Jesus Do?) by Myrna
Olaso of Sharjah, UAE; Talk 4 (I Will Follow You) by Aida
Legaspi of Sharjah, UAE and Talk 5 (The Colors of Love) by
Dory Sarmiento of Manila who is also the HOLD Southern
Africa Coordinator.
Powerful testimonies were delivered by Antoinette Thurston of Matatiele, Anne Malgas of Kimberley, Marlene Cilliers of Florida, Ethney Grey of Kimberley, Maud Adams,
Pat Ahrens, Sharone Fleshman, Estelle Bastew, Chantel Nel,
Mary Chetty, Palesa, Claressa Brown and Roxanne Kippen.
The speakers reminded each participant of the call to love
more by being and living a Christ-centered life and encour-

aged and empowered the participants to face their unique

challenges through prayers, obedience and total surrender to
God. The sharers powerfully testified from personal experiences on how the Lord manifested His love and compassion,
enabling them to respond to their calling. The speakers and
sharers proclaimed powerful messages of the call to love
in various ways. They exhorted that our acceptance and
appreciation of our call truly paint the colors of love, for
life is made up of thrill and boredom, defeats and victories,
darkness and light, sorrows and happiness.
As is traditional in every CFC conference, the Holy Mass
was the focal point of each day of the conference. Celebrants
during the Masses held were Fr. Chris Richmond OMI (CFC
National Spiritual Director), Fr. Sanil Michael SCJ (St Francis of Assisi Parish Priest, PMB), and Fr. Adam Maslowski
SCJ (Vocations Director, Diocese of De Aar).
Fellowship activities allowed the participants to share and
get to know one another deeply. The entertainment for Friday
evening was Hats Off to Love, a competition of hats with
modeling/dancing from different areas.
The conference ended with a Praisefest and awarding
ceremonies for the Hats Off to Love competition, which
was won by HOLD from Estcourt, Namibia with the Best
Hats Award given to Kimberley. Roxanne Kippen, in her
closing remarks, honored the brothers from PMB other CFC
brothers from other areas who served the sisters for the duration of the conference.
Truly it was a wonderful, inspiring, blessed and colorful
weekend! (Miggie Martinez, FTW, SA)

CFC India has been very blessed with abundant harvest for the past years after the presence of the
community was restored in this beautiful country.

"The Lord has added to their

numbers" (Acts 2:47)

To Be Young And In Love With Jesus

The new Youth for Christ members passionately in love with Love Himself!

Young people today are looking for

meaning in their life and for models and
guides who will help them understand
the meaning. If they do not find anyone
who can guide them in their search, they
may easily settle for a shallow life and take
refuge in a world of their own.
Today, the lifestyle of young people is
more and more determined by the group
phenomenon. This is due to various
sociological reasons, among them: the
decreasing role of the family, the means of
mass communication, the greater degree
of freedom enjoyed by the young people.
Daily, there arise new questions, new challenges, doubts, expectations and dreams.
In the midst of all these, the youth should
be guided correctly in their search for
meaning of life.
Youth for Christ Kannamaly is blessed
to be part of CFC India history as YFC
Kannamaly is the first YFC group initiated
in India. For me personally, I felt it was really a rise from the abyss. It was our dear
parish priest, Fr. Josy, who made it possible
to bring together all the shattered youth
to the camp. He was likewise successful
in bringing together our parents through
Couples for Christ. CFC laid the founda-

tion for us, making the task of inviting us

easier. I take this opportunity to personally thank and honor him for taking up
this revolutionary activity. Uncle Hector
Poppen was another person who went
through great lengths, not to mention a
12-hour trip to organize a youth camp at
our place. His dedication resulted in our
transformation.
Our dear Bene chetan (big brother) and
Lucky chichi (big sister) flew to our village
from Manila, Philippines to tell us about
Gods love and inspire us to love more.
Through their witnessing, it was easy for us
young people to be influenced by goodness
and to find answers to our youthful angsts,
to revel in the truth that God is always
present in every moment of our lives. It
was truly a special experience.
Bene chetan and Lucky chichi imbibed
in us the four F's of YFC. We learned to
praise our Lord Jesus Christ with fun. We
got into a friendly relationship with Him.
We started experiencing freedom from
all our inhibitions. Finally they led us to
develop that hardcore faith in our hearts.
They made us feel that God loves us as if
there was no one but us to love. Through
interactional games, they helped us to

know each other. The group discussions

and sharings added flavor to our friendship. I experienced my Lord when I prayed
with my friends. I didnt know much about
prayer but when I saw my friend praying,
the enthusiasm and energy for praying just
burst from my heart.
Bene chetan and Lucky chichi, through
their inspirational sessions, made us
know more about prayers, Jesus, the Holy
Spirit and the blessed Trinity. I realized
profoundly that Jesus was pierced for my
transgression (Isaiah 53:5). During our
Confession on the second day, we experienced Jesus redeeming our souls. And
through theone-on-one session, we were
able to openly share all our problems and
thus enjoy real freedom.
On the third day of our camp, we were
asked to write letters to our parents, and
our parents wrote also to us. They left us
together with our parents for some time,
sitting together and read our letters to each
other. It was a breathtaking moment, with
lots of tears shed. It was awesome!
Now that I am a Youth for Christ, I shall
strive to uphold our vision: "Young people
being and bringing Christ wherever they
are." (Fiona Cicil Francis)

The latest harvest from South America, from top: abundance for Peru CFC Parejas Para Cristo: the more
senior members ready to serve the new members; mission team led by Glen Santayana of CFC Florida;
reinforcement from a brother, Justo Estrada.

The USA Mission team and the local

CFC Parejas Para Cristo (PPC) Rioja
reported a harvest of 79 individuals in the
recent Programa de Vida Cristiana (PVC)
or Christian Life Program (CLP) at the
Parroquia Santo Toribio de Mongrovejo.
With the support of Fr. Rober and the
CFC PPC brethren in the area, 15 couples,
39 HOLD (Ciervas), 8 SOLD (Ciervos),
and two singles (Solteras) were welcomed

into the CFC PPC family. Aside from

Rioja, the new household groups have
members from two new townsValle de
la Conquista and Yuracyacu.
Two more separate missionsone
in Naranjos and in Soritorkept the
team busy, getting help from Justo Estrada who flew in from Florida. (Glen
Santayana, CFC PPC South America
RegionalHead)